Sun Sentinel

It would be difficult to call it anything more for the teams that settled for the rest of the best during 2010 free agency.

While LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh play on for the Miami Heat, the consolation prizes from the July 2010 free-agency free-for-all hardly provided any consolation at all this past week.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The scene is repeated throughout South Florida: A cop is involved in a deadly crash, and the investigation that determines fault and possible criminal charges is done by the officer's own agency.

In some states and parts of Florida, outside agencies are called in to investigate serious police crashes. But the sheriff's offices in Broward and Palm Beach counties, and many larger police departments, often handle their own.

"THE PROFESSIONALS." By Owen Laukkanen. Putnam. $25.95.

In his excellent debut, Owen Laukkanen mixes the economic downturn and a bleak job market for a suspenseful and insightful thriller about four out-of-work, newly graduated college friends who become kidnappers.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- First, it was being the catalyst in the Heat team photograph showing support for Trayvon Martin's family.

Never before in the history of modern-day tennis have three men dominated the top of the sport as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have over the past five years.

PHILADELPHIA -- Dwyane Wade injected himself into the dialogue; LeBron James spoke as if he would have preferred to have been left out of the debate.

A day after Dwight Howard committed to the Orlando Magic for at least one more season, invoking James' name into the conversation, and a day after Wade posted on his Twitter account, "Loyalty hahahahaha," the Miami Heat stars were asked about becoming part of the story.

Wade said his post was not directed at Howard or any other player, but about the concept of loyalty in general, as well as in the NBA.