[Langod]

You can get a good McDermott for $150 or less, as long as you don't want lots of fancy inlays, etc. It'll play the same as one of their $300+ cues. McDermott makes what I consider one of the best "bang for the buck" cues out there.

Don't buy from Sports Authority. Find a local Billiards supply store and talk to them. You'll get good advice and should be able to try out lots of different cues. Yes, you'll pay a little more than you would online, but it's very much worth developing a relationship with your local store. If you don't have a local store to go to, try Poolndarts.com (Mueller), or pooldawg.com. You can get good deals on Ebay, but remember, buyer beware -- there are some fakes out there.
When I got my first cue, I tried a bunch of brands and really liked the soft-feeling hit of the McDermotts. It really allows you to feel whats going on.
I now play with a Predator (original 314) that I bought from a fellow League member. It's a really nice stick, but has a lot harder hit/feel -- even though it's a much better cue, I still miss the softness of the McDermott.

I would recommend a 18-19 oz stick for your regular playing cue. As a general rule you get more finesse with a lighter cue and can control english better.
For a break cue, go buy a cheap 40 or 50 dollar cue like a "Players", have someone put a phenolic tip on it, and go to town. You'll never break with anything else once you've gone phenolic. I did the same as you did with a heavy break stick at first -- I had mine up to 26oz -- but after several months I lightened it way down to 17.5 oz. After you develop a good break stroke, you get a better break with a light cue because you can accelerate the cue faster. Every "pro" I've ever heard of uses a lighter cue to break than to play.

Good luck. Let us know what you end up with.