How does Terry feel about the Browns two games into the preseason? What about the Indians not looking at one of their third base prospects in September? Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto was online, tackling those questions and more in his weekly chat

Terry Pluto tackles your questions live every Tuesday at noon.

Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto was online, tackling those questions and more in his weekly chat on cleveland.com earlier today.

Among the other topics discussed:

- Are you excited for the start of high school football?

- Does the lack of a pass rush for the Browns concern you?

- How much Wildcat do you expect to see this season?

- Do the leaked financial reports about the Pirates have any impact on the Indians?

Click on the play button below to listen or download the MP3 podcast here to listen on the go.

The game fills an open date before the 2011 Big Ten opener.

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerOhio State football fans will welcome Colorado on Sept. 24, 2011.

Columbus, Ohio -- Ohio State will pay Colorado $1.4 million next season to come to Ohio Stadium and play.

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith confirmed on Tuesday the Buffaloes will come to Columbus to meet the Buckeyes on Sept. 24, 2011.

The Buckeyes play home games on Sept. 3 and 10 against in-state, Mid-American Conference members Akron and Toledo, respectively, before traveling to Miami for a big Sept. 17 nonconference showdown with the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes come play at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 11 this fall.

The Colorado game fills an open date on the 2011 schedule before the Big Ten opener, against a yet-to-be-determined opponent in the 12-team Big Ten. The conference schedule has yet to be completed, pending divisional setup.

Quail Hollow has been home to the most holes-in-one this year in Northeast Ohio. The honor for the most-aced hole is shared by No. 16 at Quail Hollow's Weiskopf Course and No. 7 at the Washington Golf Learning Center. Find details about each ace reported to The Plain Dealer this year.

C.H. Pete Copeland / PD fileThe 13th hole on the Legacy course has been home to one of the 11 holes-in-one at Sweetbriar this year.

The offensive line is one of the many strengths for the Ohio State Buckeyes this fall. Columbus Dispatch reporter Ken Gordon writes how the battle at left tackle last year and this year came down to Mike Adams and Andrew Miller. It looks like Miller is out because a painful left elbow forced him out of the jersey scrimmage...

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerJim Tressel

The offensive line is one of the many strengths for the Ohio State Buckeyes this fall. Columbus Dispatch reporter Ken Gordon writes how the battle at left tackle last year and this year came down to Mike Adams and Andrew Miller.

It looks like Miller is out because a painful left elbow forced him out of the jersey scrimmage Saturday.

"It's an issue I've had for a little while; I'm not exactly sure what's going on," Miller said. "I think it's just a little inflamed because of how much we're hitting. It becomes a thing of me losing strength in my arm, and so obviously, when that happens, it's bad for me and it's bad for the team.

"But once we're not practicing so much, things should quiet down."

It could not have come at a worse time for Miller, writes Gordon, because even if the elbow is not something serious, personnel decisions will be made early this week.

The Buckeyes open the season Sept.2, and coach Jim Tressel said now is the time to settle on lineups so the starters can get the majority of the practice snaps.

"Mike has been fortunate to be a little healthier," Tressel said. "Andrew has missed a little bit of time but I've been pleased with both those guys."

Secondary

Corners Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence will start for the Buckeyes this fall to the delight of OSU coach Jim Tressel, writes Toledo Blade reporter Matt Markey.

"That's a lot of game experience there," Tressel said about the pair, who give the Buckeyes seasoned, battle-hardened veterans at the vital cornerback position. They will be matched up against the opposition's best receivers, down after down, man-on-man.

"We go up against them every day in practice, and they're both really good cover guys," Ohio State senior wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher said recently. "You feel like you earn anything you get in the passing game when you're facing talented players like our corners. I think it makes us better, facing them every day."

After Chekwa and Torrence, the Buckeyes are searching for a few reliable backups from the collection of sophomore Travis Howard, redshirt freshman Corey Brown, freshmen Dominic Clarke and Bradley Roby, and junior Donnie Evege. 

Miami QB

The Buckeyes will face Miami and its fabulous quarterback in Jacory Harris, who threw for 3,352 yards and 24 touchdowns in his first season as a starter last season.

Harris is calm and quiet off the field. On the field is a different story.

"I'd say J12 is the guy who's completely confident about everything and has fun, loosens up when he gets on the field," Harris said in an interview with The Associated Press. "On the field, in the huddle, that's when he comes out. Then off the field, I'm my regular self. No one sees J12 off the field. I never intertwine the two."

Maybe not anymore. But the two sort of did intertwine at times last year, to Harris' detriment.

Big Ten

SI.com has a Big Ten report that predicts the Buckeyes will finish the season with one loss in the conference, and quarterback Terrelle Pryor will become the offensive MVP of the league.

"I get that they might want Goedert and Chisenhall to see regular playing time but it's the end of the season. Why not call one of them up and give him three or four starts at third? None of the three guys that is currently with the team has shown anything to make you think that they are the answer. If they are going to have three track stars in the outfield they are going to need some power at the corners." - thetruckerking

View full sizeChuck Crow | The Plain DealerThird base prospect Lonnie Chisenhall.

In response to the story Cleveland Indians aren't planning any new solutions to 2010 third-base problem, cleveland.com reader thetruckerking thinks one of the Tribe's top third base prospects should be up in September. This reader writes,

"I get that they might want Goedert and Chisenhall to see regular playing time but it's the end of the season. Why not call one of them up and give him three or four starts at third? None of the three guys that is currently with the team has shown anything to make you think that they are the answer. If they are going to have three track stars in the outfield they are going to need some power at the corners."

"It's a lose-lose situation for Mangini. Even if he is successful, it will always be that Holmgren and Haskell are behind the success. And when he fails, it will all be on him. There will be no scapegoat." - HowEYEseesit

View full sizeEric Mangini.

In response to the story It's a brave new (improved) world for Eric Mangini's second season with the Browns: Tony Grossi analysis, cleveland.com reader HowEYEseesit thinks Holmgren will get all the credit - or Mangini all the blame - in the Browns' current setup. This reader writes,

"It's a lose-lose situation for Mangini. Even if he is successful, it will always be that Holmgren and Haskell are behind the success. And when he fails, it will all be on him. There will be no scapegoat."

The Indians, with their patchwork roster, played solid baseball against some winning teams for a while. But, they've now lost 19 of the last 28 games.

Thomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerOutfielder Shin-Soo Choo is one of the few Indians who seems set as a productive major leaguer.

Cleveland, Ohio -- The intrigue generated a few weeks ago by the Cleveland Indians' patchwork roster of youngsters and journeymen has dulled.

After playing a month of solid baseball against a string of winning teams, the Indians have lost 19 of their last 28 games to dip to 50-74.

Tonight at Progressive Field, the Indians begin a nine-game homestand with the opener of a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics. The Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox will visit for three-game sets, too.

Maybe, watching marginal veterans try to establish themselves as consistent producers, and younger players try to secure big league careers, will become a little more fun again.

One of the positions the Indians want to solidify prior to next season is third base. Plain Dealer Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes writes about the Tribe's situation at the hot corner.

MLB.com previews tonight's game. Indians right-hander Fausto Carmona (11-11, 4.14) and Athletics lefty Gio Gonzalez (10-8, 3.39) will be the starting pitchers.

Dollars for draftees

Cleveland, unfortunately, is not a magnet for free agents, and there are few certainties in the trade market, even when only veterans are involved. The Indians have tried to rebuild by dealing veterans -- including some stars on the verge of free agency -- for, mostly, minor leaguers, and through the June draft.

The PD's Paul Hoynes chronicled on Sunday how the Tribe has beefed up its spending on the amateur draft. He's not the only one who has noticed. Anthony Castrovince writes about the Indians' emphasis on the draft for MLB.com:

Last week, the Indians, in signing their top four picks in the waning hours before the deadline, completed a spending spree on signing bonuses that totaled $9.38 million. It was the fourth-highest total in the game, behind that of the Nationals ($11.93 million, $6.25 million of which went to No. 1 overall pick Bryce Harper), Pirates ($11.9 million) and Blue Jays ($11.59 million).

"Obviously," said scouting director Brad Grant, "we showed we were very aggressive this year."

This was hardly an isolated incident. Rather, it was the next step forward in a growing trend, in Cleveland and in the game at large.

Consider that over the last three years, the Indians, according to Baseball America, ranked sixth among all MLB teams in signing bonus money allotted to Draft picks, with a total of $21.31 million. As the team's Major League payroll has shrunk drastically, its Draft budget is increasing exponentially.

Carlos Carrasco coming along

One of the players the Indians acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies organization in the Cliff Lee trade last July 29 was pitcher Carlos Carrasco.

Carrasco struggled in five starts with the Indians late last season, and the 23-year-old right-hander was erratic through much of this season with the Class AAA Columbus Clippers.

Carrasco, though, has pitched well of late, including after a brief absence with a minor forearm problem. He is 10-6 with a 3.77 ERA, and has allowed just one home run in his last 56 1/3 innings. Tony Lastoria writes about Carrasco for IndiansProspectInsider.com:

He’s been at his best, and looks to be about ready to attack major league hitters on a consistent basis.  In his first three starts back there were some concerns as his velocity was only at 89-91 MPH as compared to the 93-96 MPH it had been at all year prior to the injury setback, but in his outing (on Sunday) he was consistently in the low 90s and was often touching 93-94 MPH.  It looks like he has regained the confidence to let it loose with his fastball, where with the impeccable command he has shown of late should only help.  On top of that he is pitching a lot more with his curveball, which as been a big reason he has been so effective of late.

Wait and see

The Indians traded Cy Young Award-winning pitchers CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee during the 2008 and 2009 seasons, respectively, and all-star catcher Victor Martinez a year ago.

For the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal, Jim Ingraham comments on the short- and long-term (potentially) effects of the deals.

They've managed to replenish their farm system. But to do so they had to spend two years stripping the major-league roster.

Which is why they are where they are.

Prospect-heavy, major-league destitute.

The Indians put themselves where they are by trading three impact, core players in exchange for prospects who weren't going to be ready to make an impact at the major-league level for two, three, maybe even four years down the road (hello, Jason Knapp and Nick Hagadone).

Around the horn

Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal writes about infielder Jayson Nix.

On MLB.com, Anthony Castrovince answers questions from Indians fans.

About what you would expect from the ESPN.com team power rankings.

Former Cleveland Indians pitcher Cliff Lee was accused of "mailing it in" by ESPN's Colin Cowherd who said a source told him Lee hated Texas, had already mentally fit himself for Yankee pinstripes and offered his lackluster performance Saturday in Baltimore as proof. Lee vehemently denies the accusations. Lee tells Jennifer Floyd Engel of star-telegram.com those accusations are lies. "Write that. Are...

Scott Shaw/The Plain DealerFormer Cleveland Indians pitcher Cliff Lee.

Former Cleveland Indians pitcher Cliff Lee was accused of "mailing it in" by ESPN's Colin Cowherd who said a source told him Lee hated Texas, had already mentally fit himself for Yankee pinstripes and offered his lackluster performance Saturday in Baltimore as proof.

Lee vehemently denies the accusations. Lee tells Jennifer Floyd Engel of star-telegram.com those accusations are lies.

"Write that. Are you writing? Write that it's a lie. I did not say that and nobody close to me would say that. Either say who the source is or shut up because I am saying it is not true."

What little I know about Lee is the dude is not the mail-it-in type, or how else do you explain him not bailing on any of those games where the Rangers gave him like 1/2 run of support. And as one Ranger player practically noted, giggling at the absurdity of those three little words, nobody mails anything in during a contract year, and frankly it is a chicken thing to say about an athlete. Especially with so little corroborating evidence.

"Why?" I heard Cowherd explain on local four-lettered radio. "[Lee] doesn't care about Baltimore. And he doesn't care about Texas.

"When he pitches against elite teams, he is showcasing his talent. 'Here I am. I still got it'. [Saturday] against the Orioles, he mails it in. That is a dude that gets out town the second the season ends. He'll get out of town, go to the Yankees and jettison the Rangers."

Floyd Engel doesn't believe Cowherd. Neither do we. But it seems that someone (or some area) has a motive.

Cowherd would have to be a complete idiot to go live viral with a figment of his imagination. Whoever deep throat is, he sounds very New York-ish, with talk of Lee wanting to be "a Yankee or with an elite team." The intimation being the Rangers do not fit that definition.

Hudson native is seven strokes off the lead in Washington.

View full sizeHudson native John Hahn stands tied for second place at the U.S. Amateur golf championship in Washington.

Kent State senior John Hahn is one of seven players tied for second place and seven shots out of the lead of the 110th U.S. Amateur golf championship being played at two courses in Washington.

Hahn, who grew up in Hudson, shot 3-under 69 in the first of two rounds of stroke-play on Monday on the Home Course in Dupont, Wash. He was even through nine holes today while playing the 7,742-yard Chambers Bay course in University Place, Wash., the longest course ever used for any event conducted by the USGA.

Jeff Wilson, a 47-year-old car salesman from Fairfield, Calif., shot a 10-under 62 at the Home Course to take the first-round lead on Monday. Wilson, a three-time U.S. Mid-Am champion, had a late tee time today.

The top 64 scores after today advance to the match-play portion of the event. The eventual winner receives exemptions to the next 10 U.S. Amateurs, an exemption to next year's U.S. Open and a likely invitation to play in the 2011 Masters.

"He deserves another chance. He made a mistake, but if he's truly turned his life around and found the aid that he needed, then why not give him another chance at his dream?" - HeroStar

View full sizeAP file photoMaurice Clarett was a key member of Ohio State's 2002 national championship team.

In response to the story Ohio State Buckeyes: No sweat for Andrew; Maurice Clarett wants a tryout, cleveland.com reader HeroStar thinks Maurice Clarett deserves a second chance. This reader writes,

"He deserves another chance. He made a mistake, but if he's truly turned his life around and found the aid that he needed, then why not give him another chance at his dream?"

Newark Star-Ledger reports Mangold has not signed yet, but he and the Jets reached agreement on a new, seven-year deal worth $55 million today, according to a source.

Associated PressNew York Jets center Nick Mangold.

By Dave Hutchinson and Jenny Vrentas

Newark Star-Ledger

Nick Mangold was purposely “stone-faced” when he met with reporters earlier today.

“I will let you know,” the All-Pro center said about signing a long-term deal with the Jets, “and we’ll have a big party."

Mangold has not signed yet, but he and the Jets reached agreement on a new, seven-year deal worth $55 million today, according to someone with direct knowledge of the details of the contract.

That person requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak for Mangold or the team.

The amount of guaranteed money was still being negotiated but is expected to be more than the $20 million Rams center Jason Brown received last year. Brown set the previous mark for centers in the league with the five-year, $37.5 million contract he signed last year.

Mangold was scheduled to make $3.3 million this season in the final year of his rookie deal, which will be included as the first year in the new contract. The sides were reported to be closing in on a deal Sunday night, and his representatives flew in yesterday morning to hammer out the final details.

Asked if how much he would enjoy being with the Jets long-term, Mangold said he “would love to.” Coach Rex Ryan agreed.

“You lock up the best center in football,” Ryan said. “That would be a huge thing for our franchise.”

Ryan said when he was in Baltimore in 2006, the team was going to take Mangold if defensive tackle Haloti Ngata was not available with the No. 12 pick of the draft. Ngata was there, but three years later, Ryan was thrilled to inherit Mangold when hired by the Jets.

Mangold is the second member of the Jets’ core of young starters to reach a long-term deal this year. Left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson signed a six-year, $60 million extension in July.

The team has been deadlocked in negotiations with All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis for more than six months. Asked today if any deals other than Mangold’s, i.e. Revis’, are close, Ryan said, "it would be news to me."

Earlier this offseason, Mangold was open about being disappointed with the slow pace of contract negotiations. But he elected to attend mini-camp and training camp, not because he hoped his presence would be rewarded, he said, but because he wanted to be on the field with his teammates and the young players competing for the left guard job.

“You obviously want the security, you want to have that,” Mangold said. “But in the end, me wanting to play football and me wanting to help out my offensive line overrode the compelling thought of not having the security.”

He hoped, in hindsight, it would be a good decision. When he officially inks his deal, it will be.

This week, PGA pro Steve Parker of Firestone Country Club in Akron demonstrates how to hit the ball with more power and offers some drills.

Local pros solve your swing problems in a weekly instruction video at cleveland.com/golf with Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw. This week, PGA pro Steve Parker of Firestone Country Club in Akron demonstrates how to hit the ball with more power and offers some drills. This is the final video for 2010 but you can watch all of the archived videos from the series.

If it's wrong to be optimistic about the Browns, Terry Pluto doesn't want to be right.

John Kuntz / The Plain DealerWith Seneca Wallace (right) and Jake Delhomme now in charge of the Browns' offense, Terry Pluto has reason to expect the team to be competitive -- if not quite yet a winner -- this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Talking to myself about the Browns ...

Question: So why are you Mr. Sunshine when it comes to the Browns this season?

Answer: So you think it's wrong to be optimistic about the Browns?

Q: You tell me; check their records since 1999.

A: The Browns have had two winning season (2002, '07) since 1999. They have the NFL's second-worst record in that span. In the past two years, they are 9-23, and that's with winning their last four games last season. Besides, this is Cleveland. LeBron James left, the Indians have been horrible and we all should just eat dirt and die.

Q: Is that your answer?

A: Of course not.

Q: So why are you optimistic about the Browns?

A: If you mean 10-6 or even 9-7 optimistic, I'm not. If you mean the team winning at least seven games and being reasonably entertaining because they play close games -- then I'm optimistic.

Q: Aren't those standards low?

A: They have lost at least 10 games in six of the past seven seasons -- that's like the Indians losing 100 games. After that, a decent team will look good to me. They lost four of their first eight games last season by at least 21 points. The quarterbacking situation was chaos. The defensive backfield was terrible. Both areas are improved.

Q: You really think the quarterbacks are better based on two preseason games?

A: Please ... at least do a little research. Seneca Wallace is a better, more accurate passer than either of last year's starters. For his career, he has completed 60 percent of his passes, 25 touchdowns to 14 interceptions for a rating of 83.1. In 2008, he started eight games, had 11 TDs to three picks at 58 percent. If Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson had those numbers, one of them would still be here.

Q: If Wallace is a Hall of Famer, then why didn't he start in Seattle?

A: He was playing behind Matt Hasselbeck, a very good quarterback for much of his career. I'm not saying this guy is Brian Sipe or Otto Graham, but Wallace is an upgrade.

Q: But Jake Delhomme is the starter?

A: If he plays anything close to every season except 2009, he is a significant improvement. Let's get technical. In the average NFL game, at least 55 percent of passes are in the 1- to 10-yard range. The average NFL quarterback completes 67 percent of them.

Q: Your point?

A: Over the past three seasons, Anderson was at 52 percent. Quinn was at 57 percent. Both are struggling in the preseason.

Q: I'll bite, what were Wallace and Delhomme over the past three years?

A: Delhomme was at 65 percent, Wallace 67 percent. You can see it in the short passes this preseason, they are more on target than the past few years. That should be a major help to the offense.

Q: What if they can't throw deep?

A: It's a concern, same as last year. Quinn completed only three of 30 passes longer than 20 yards. Anderson was 6-of-21. Delhomme was 10-of-40, Wallace 0-of-8.

Q: Is that because Delhomme had elbow surgery?

A: He had the operation in 2007, came back in 2008 to complete 59 percent (15 TDs, 12 INTs) for a playoff team. His problems began in a horrible 2008 playoff game, followed by the mess last season. It seemed more mental than physical.

Q: So it's the quarterbacks alone that has you upbeat?

A: There are other reasons. The running game, linebackers, tight ends and defensive backs should all be better. But nothing for this team is more important than the passing attack.

Q: You are sure it will improve?

A: I didn't even realize how awful the past two years have been throwing the ball. Both seasons, the Browns were the only NFL team completing under 50 percent. You have to go back to 1974 for the most recent Browns team to complete less than 50 percent. Last year, they were dead last in passing yards -- 304 fewer than anyone else. They had only 11 TD passes in each of the past two seasons.

Simply stepping up to mediocre will change the game for the Browns.

The clock is ticking for the Browns to make a decision on Shaun Rogers' roster status.

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerThe Browns have until the end of the exhibition season on Sept. 4 to determine Shaun Rogers' status for the start of the NFL regular season.

BEREA, Ohio -- Coach Eric Mangini would not rule out Shaun Rogers opening the regular season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. If that happened, the defensive lineman would miss a minimum of six weeks.

Rogers has been on preseason PUP while rehabbing from off-season ankle surgery. He has not been cleared to practice with the team.

Mangini said he hopes to see "some movement" next week regarding Rogers' progress and that of lineman C.J. Mosley and cornerback Coye Francies, who also have not practiced.

When asked if Rogers would be able to open the season on the active roster, Mangini said, "I don't want to put any definitive timeline on it. We'll see where it is."

The deadline for reassessing the status of players on preseason PUP is at the final roster cut on Sept. 4. At that time, Rogers could be made active, placed on season-ending injured reserve or put on regular PUP.

Players that enter the season on PUP are ineligible to practice or play through the first six weeks of the season. After the sixth week, the player has a 21-day window to start practicing. After the first day he practices, the club then has another 21 days to decide whether to activate him.

The NFL still has not ruled whether Rogers will have to serve a suspension for his gun-related arrest on April 1. According to a league spokesman, any suspension would be served concurrently during a player's stay on any injured list.

Back to work: Rookie guard Shawn Lauvao was back at practice after missing last week to return to his home in Hawaii for personal reasons.

"It feels good to be back," Lauvao said. "I just had some personal things I had to take care of back home. The coaches have been more than supportive and my teammates, too.

"For the most part, when I'm here I just want to focus on football. I'm just going to try to take care of what's in front of me, is my thing."

With veteran Floyd Womack idled the rest of preseason with a knee injury, the starting right guard spot belongs to Lauvao.

"It's a tremendous blessing, I can't thank God enough," Lauvao said. "I'm just going to keep competing, keep working at it, do whatever the coaches tell me to do."

Mangini said Lauvao might have to return home to Hawaii again "at some point."

Comings and going: Returning to practice also were receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, right tackle Tony Pashos and linebacker David Bowens. Right tackle John St. Clair was excused for personal reasons.

The Browns also waived/injured Kwaku Danso, the big defensive lineman from Ghana. Danso, whose college career consisted of three plays at East Carolina, was trying to make it as a nose tackle.

Motor City test: When the Browns bus to Detroit for Saturday's exhibition game against the Lions, they'll find an improved four-man defensive front built in the mold of coach Jim Schwartz's defensive teams at Tennessee.

Former Brown Corey Williams has joined No. 2 overall draft choice Ndamukong Suh as the starting tackles. The ends are Cliff Avril and former Titan Kyle Vanden Bosch.

"They are able to get pressure on the quarterback by just rushing four," Mangini said. "That's a much improved group and I think they have done a really nice job."

The Lions, who edged the Browns, 38-37, in the regular season last year, bolstered their offense with receiver Nate Burleson, guard Rob Sims, tight end Tony Scheffler and rookie running back Jahvid Best.

Things are not what they should be between the Browns and the legendary player who is most identified with them. Also, reports on Alex Mack, the quarterback situation, and more.

Scott Shaw, The Plain DealerFormer Cleveland Browns running back great Jim Brown.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Apparently, the Cleveland Browns are not on the best of terms with the greatest player in team -- if not NFL -- history, Jim Brown.

The WaitingForNextYear blog poses the question, "Should the Browns mend their relationship with Jim Brown?"

The WFNY report begins:

“I’m afraid we’ve seen the last of Jim Brown around here,” reported The Plain Dealer’s Tony Grossi this past weekend.

Grossi reported on Sunday that Brown "does not plan to participate in the club's inaugural Ring of Honor ceremony at the home opener Sept. 19."

On June 5, Grossi wrote about how the Browns' relationship with Brown had become strained.

And now, on Starting Blocks TV, Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto discusses the situation between Brown and the team he played for from 1957-65. And too, a Starting Blocks poll asking if Brown's absence would diminish the Ring of Honor ceremony.

WaitingForNextYear refers to new Browns team president Mike Holmgren's apparent decisions to reduce or eliminate whatever influence Brown and Bernie Kosar had on the Browns in recent years, and comments:

Brown (as well as former quarterback Bernie Kosar) have long had the ear of Randy Lerner.  Perhaps this is why Holmgren has opted to make the moves that he did.  As beloved as both players are to the city of Cleveland, they may not have been delivering the best advice to a man who appeared to be in over his head from day 1 of taking over the team, leading to the situation which we are in today.  Previous regimes appeared willing to let Brown have access to various aspects of the team; Eric Mangini and Mike Holmgren apparently did not agree with such a role.  Brown also did not do himself any favors in the court of public opinion when he said the city would be to blame if LeBron James opted to leave for greener pastures.

On the field, the Browns will play in Detroit against the Lions on Saturday night. Keep track of the Browns in The Plain Dealer and on the newspaper's cleveland.com website at cleveland.com/browns.

Want to read about the game exploits of former Browns stars such as Brown and Kosar? The Plain Dealer's Browns history database includes the PD game stories on every regular season and playoff game in Browns history.

Alex Mack on the way

Nate Davis of USAToday.com lists some NFL players who could emerge as stars this season, including center....

Alex Mack, Cleveland Browns: Eric Mangini got an excellent first-round center (Nick Mangold) in his rookie year coaching the Jets. Seems he got another one last season, his first in Cleveland. A heady player, Mack didn't miss a snap as a rookie in 2009. He and left tackle Joe Thomas look like the foundation of an offense that continues to take shape.

Eric Mangini's (happy?) dilemma

Jake Delhomme will likely open the season as the Browns starting quarterback, but Seneca Wallace is expected to take some snaps and, even, occasionally be on the field with Delhomme.

Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Repository wonders how coach Eric Mangini might handle the situation. He writes:

Will Wallace get just three or four snaps in the first real game? Will it be closer to 10? If Wallace gives Tampa Bay fits, what then?

How much might Mangini — who covers the topic in great detail with Mike Holmgren, Gil Haskell and Brian Daboll — be inclined to go back and forth with Delhomme and Wallace to keep an opponent off balance?

Two-minute drill

On CBSSports.com, questions about the potential fantasy league impact of Browns running backs Jerome Harrison and Montario Hardesty.

The Browns are mentioned by Don Banks in his "Inside the NFL" for Sports Illustrated's SI.com.

Center Alex Mack's comments about the Browns in a story by Matt Florjancic for ClevelandBrowns.com.

Athletics lead Indians, 3-0, through six.

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerMichael Brantley is available for action tonight against Oakland and is expected back in the starting lineup Wednesday after a left ankle sprain.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This is a daily briefing of the Indians' 2010 regular season. The Tribe plays host to the Oakland Athletics tonight at Progressive Field.

Pitching matchup: RHP Fausto Carmona (11-11, 4.14) vs. LHP Gio Gonzalez (10-8, 3.39).

In-game updates:

The Athletics led the Indians, 3-0, through six innings.

Jeff Larish hit a two-run homer in the second. The shot to center also drove in Rajai Davis, who had singled with two outs.

Coco Crisp made it 3-0 when he led off the fifth with a homer down the right-field line.

The Indians failed to cash opportunities in the second, fourth and fifth.

With two outs in the second, Matt LaPorta grounded to shortstop Cliff Pennington, who threw high to first. Andy Marte grounded to third baseman Larish, who kicked it for one error and threw wildly to first for another. The runners advanced to second and third. Trevor Crowe struck out.

With two outs and runners on first and second in the fourth, Andy Marte singled to right. Gabe Gross picked the ball cleanly and made a strong throw to the plate, forcing Tribe third-base coach Steve Smith to hold Shelley Duncan. If Smith had sent Duncan, it would have been an easy out. Crowe grounded into a fielder's choice.

With two outs and runners on first and second in the fifth, Shelley Duncan struck out looking.

Gonzalez gave up four hits.

Carmona, who has been struggling, allowed eight hits.  

Pregame notes: Center fielder Michael Brantley, who injured his left ankle during a game against Kansas City last Thursday, is close to returning to the lineup. He went through agility drills and took batting practice Tuesday.

"If everything goes well, he could be available off the bench (Tuesday) and for sure will start (Wednesday),'' Indians manager Manny Acta said.

Brantley has hit in six of his last seven games, going 11-for-20 to raise his season's average to .212 in 38 games.

• Chris Antonetti said he likely will take over as Tribe general manager officially on Nov. 1. Mark Shapiro will become club president.

Antonetti met with reporters Tuesday afternoon. He said that, as of late August, all signs point to injured core players Grady Sizemore and Carlos Santana being ready for Opening Day 2011.

Antonetti said right-hander Alex White, the Indians' first-round pick in 2009, "has given us every reason to believe he'll be an effective major-league starter.''

White is pitching for Class AA Akron, where he is 7-7 with a 2.44 ERA in 17 games (16 starts).

• The Indians have been shut out 10 times.

• Reliever Justin Germano has not allowed an earned run in 12 2/3 innings of his nine appearances.

• Based on the number of people in Progressive Field as of 6 p.m., the Indians and Athletics are going to play in front of family and friends.

Lineups:

Athletics (61-62) -- 1. Coco Crisp cf; 2. Daric Barton 1b; 3. Kurt Suzuki c; 4. Jack Cust dh; 5. Mark Ellis 2b; 6. Gabe Gross rf; 7. Rajai Davis lf; 8. Jeff Larish 3b; 9. Cliff Pennington ss; and Gonzalez.

Indians (50-74) -- 1. Jason Donald 2b; 2. Asdrubal Cabrera ss; 3. Shin-Soo Choo rf; 4. Shelley Duncan lf; 5. Jayson Nix dh; 6. Matt LaPorta 1b; 7. Andy Marte 3b; 8. Trevor Crowe cf; 9. Lou Marson c; and Carmona.

Umpires: P -- Bruce Dreckman; 1b -- Paul Emmel; 2b -- Bill Hohn; 3b -- Gary Darling.

Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins is the surprise leader as the Buckeye freshman who could contribute most to Ohio State this season.

Terry Gilliam / Associated PressJim Tressel believes there will be a handful of true freshmen who will find playing time this season for the Buckeyes.

CHECKING OUT THE KIDS
Ohio State freshmen with a good chance to play: DT Johnathan Hankins; WR Corey Brown; K Drew Basil; OT Andrew Norwell; CB Christian Bryant; LB Scott McVey; RB Carlos Hyde; DE J.T Moore
Possible redshirts: CB Bradley Roby; RB Rod Smith; WR T.Y. Williams; WR James Louis; DE David Durham; DL Darryl Baldwin; WR Verlon Reed; QB Taylor Graham; S Chad Hagan; CB Adam Griffin
— Doug Lesmerises

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Johnathan Hankins already has done enough in Ohio State's preseason camp to earn a nickname, and "Big Hank," a 335-pound defensive tackle from Detroit, might help Ohio State as much as any true freshman this season.

With seniors and juniors filling the starting lineup, the Buckeyes don't have many holes. But Hankins gives them something they haven't had in years, filling a role that's often difficult to recruit -- an oversized yet athletic space-eater in the middle of the line.

"He's like that defensive tackle you always want," OSU senior linebacker Ross Homan said. "He's tough, he's mean ... and he's big, but he still has good feet and he has great hands for a true freshman. He's not looking to just take on double teams, he's looking to get off double teams and make the play, which is something special."

Ohio State typically plays about half its freshmen and redshirts the rest to save a year of eligibility. The decisions are about opportunity as much as talent.

Among the 18 true freshmen, Hankins is playing a position where Ohio State is looking for depth, so his impressive showing has allowed him to move on to the second team. The Buckeyes always rotate defensive linemen, so he should play enough to make a difference.

Defensive lineman Cameron Heyward said Hankins could be the next big thing. Offensive lineman Bryant Browning said Hankins will throw you around if you're not ready. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel has liked what he's seen.

So get ready for Big Hank.

"When he first came here, I thought, 'That's a big dude,'" senior offensive lineman Justin Boren said. "You don't think a guy like that can move very well, but he can move. I think he can definitely contribute this year."

Here are five other true freshmen that should get a chance to help the Buckeyes:

• Receiver Corey Brown: Nicknamed for his hometown and called "Philly" by his coaches and teammates to differentiate him from Corey Brown the redshirt freshman cornerback, he's impressed everyone with his raw speed.

Cornerbacks Devon Torrence and Chimdi Chekwa said a list of the fastest Buckeyes would include Brandon Saine, Chekwa, Terrelle Pryor and James Jackson.

"He's shown he can make plays," Tressel said. "He'll help us this year."

That could be more as a primary punt returner than a receiver, with at least DeVier Posey, Dane Sanzenbacher, Taurian Washington and Chris Fields ahead of him on the offense. But maybe the Buckeyes will try to use that speed in certain situations.

• Kicker Drew Basil: He has the leg, with range up to 60 yards, though he did miss three field goal tries of more than 50 yards in some windy conditions at Saturday's team scrimmage.

At the very least, he's set to handle the kickoffs, and he's still in line to handle the longer field-goal attempts. Senior Devin Barclay has kicked well in camp, too, so their competition should continue. But Basil, who was around for spring football, seems to possess the maturity you'd want from a young kicker.

"I have one job, and that's to put the ball through the uprights, kick it high and true," Basil said. "And that's what I've got to do. Devin does that about every time and I just want to be able to match him."

• Right tackle Andrew Norwell: "For a young lineman, he's been very, very impressive," Tressel said, and the Buckeyes need him to be. With Marcus Hall redshirting, he's working with the second team at right tackle after missing much of his senior high school season after breaking a bone in his left leg.

"I like to think I have a good eye for talent," junior center Michael Brewster said, "and the first day he stepped out here, he was really getting after it. We're really excited about him."

• Defensive back Christian Bryant/linebacker Scott McVey: The Glenville grad and the St. Ignatius grad are behind veterans but have shown enough, by quickly picking up the defense, to probably earn the chance to help on special teams.

Senior linebacker Brian Rolle has praised McVey, and Bryant has been working at both cornerback and at the "star" safety position as the staff tries to expand his chances to see the field.

The Indians' offense is still missing. They've scored three runs in their last four games. Tuesday night they were shut out for the 11th time this season.

UPDATED: 11:18 p.m.

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerCoco Crisp's solo home run in the fifth inning pushed Oakland's lead to 3-0 Tuesday night over the Indians at Progressive Field. Crisp had three hits in the Athletics' 5-0 victory.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians scored three runs over the weekend in a three-game sweep by the Tigers at Comerica Park. That's never good sign.

The last pitcher they needed to face at a time like this was Gio Gonzalez. The Oakland left-hander might not own the Indians, but he keeps the key to their souls in his back pocket.

Gonzalez put that key to use for the third time this season Tuesday night, pitching seven innings in Oakland's 5-0 victory at Progressive Field. Gonzalez is 3-0 against the Tribe this year and has not allowed a run in 20.2 innings.

"This guy has the stuff to be good against anybody," said manager Manny Acta before the game. "He's a left-hander who throws consistently in the low 90s and he has one of the best breaking balls in the American League.

"I mean it's a hammer. The guy's been traded three or four times and that's because you have a lot of people wanting you."

In the last four games the Indians' offense has fallen silent. They're hitting .148 (19-for-128) with three runs. Of their 19 hits, 16 have been singles. With 37 games left in the season, the Indians are all but defenseless offensively and defensively. They are the lamb in the lion's den, the minnow in the shark tank.

They have been shut out an AL-high 11 times, including twice in the last four games. The A's are 5-2 against the Tribe this season. Four victories have been shutouts, three with Gonzalez doing most of the work.

"He's throwing that fastball 94 mph to 95 mph with that good breaking," said Tribe hitting coach Jon Nunnally. "That makes it tough. We had opportunities, but he always found a way to get out of the game."

Nunnally says team at-bats will lead the Indians hitters out of the desert.

"A team at-bat is getting people on base, getting them over and figuring out a way to get them in with less than two out," said Nunnally. "We've got to take our walks.

"These guys are working hard. Believe me, they're not giving up. They're working hard every day."

Gonzalez, Michael Wuertz and Jerry Blevins combined on a five-hitter. The Indians drew two walks and struck out 11 times. They left 10 men on base and went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

"We had some traffic on the bases," said Acta, "but the way we are right now, we can't afford to be leaving 10 guys on the bases. That's going to hurt us."

The offense, such that it is, has been powered all year by the two-out hit. Even that has left them. Trevor Crowe stranded five runners in his first two at-bats in two-out situations.

Even a swarm of Lake Erie's midges tried to distract Gonzalez, but unlike Joba Chamberlain in the 2007 Division Series, he simply pitched around them. After retiring Crowe in the fourth with the bases loaded, Jason Donald and Shin-Soo singled in the fifth. It was a still a game then, with Oakland leading, 3-0, but Gonzalez (11-8, 3.24) struck out Shelley Duncan to end the threat.

Fausto Carmona (11-12, 4.19) allowed four runs on nine hits in 6.2 innings. He's lost four straight and five in his last six starts.

Carmona gave up a two-run homer to Jeff Larish in the second and a leadoff homer to Coco Crisp in the fifth. Crisp, the former Indian, fell a triple short of the cycle. He scored twice and stole a base.

In his last start, Carmona was throwing all of his pitches at the same speed and Kansas City knocked him out in five innings. Tuesday, he kept his change-up between 85 to 87 mph and his fastball between 92-94 with much better results.

Carmona left with two out and Crisp on second in the seventh. Tony Sipp relieved and gave up a two-run homer to Jack Cust to seal the loss. Sipp has allowed 10 homers in 48 innings.

The Indians have lost 13 of their last 16 games.