Just about two weeks ago, the Cavs had come back from a successful road trip that saw them go 3-2, capped with a win over the Denver Nuggets. It looked like they were ready to go on a run, returning to Quicken Loans Arena for a five-game home stand, with a chance to make up some ground in the standings.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Just about two weeks ago, the Cavs had returned from a successful road trip that saw them go 3-2, capped with a win over the Denver Nuggets. It looked like they were ready to go on a run, returning to Quicken Loans Arena for a five-game home stand, with a chance to make up some ground in the standings.

Instead, the Cavs stumbled, falling off the pace in their chase for an elusive playoff spot in the flawed Eastern Conference. Cleveland went 1-4 in the five games at the Q, the only win coming against the putrid Milwaukee Bucks, who are destined for the NBA's worst record.

The inconsistencies have been maddening. After last night's loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, 100-89, head coach Mike Brown identified one of the problems with his team.

"Our competitive spirit is non-existent," Brown said. "Maybe I need to shake some things up."

The trade for Luol Deng was supposed to help; he was supposed to make the Cavs a contender after a slow start. But it hasn't worked yet.

There's clearly something wrong with the Cavs as they continue to be one of the league's bigger disappointments. They shouldn't be 13 games under .500. Not with a two-time NBA All-Star (Kyrie Irving) leading the way and a roster dotted with the most talent it has had since LeBron James bolted for a sunnier situation in the summer of 2010.

So what is wrong with the Cleveland Cavaliers? Is it a lack of talent? Is coaching the issue? How would you explain their continuing struggles? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

The Cleveland Marathon course will feature more of the west side for this year's race on May 18.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 37th annual Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon will feature a new course and a new start/finish point, race officials announced Wednesday. This year's race is scheduled for May 18.

The changes are due in part to the ongoing construction projects at FirstEnergy Stadium, which has served as the start/finish area in recent years. Race officials are currently looking at downtown venues for a new start/finish area.

Last month, race officials sought input about the course route on its website and Facebook page. Runner input favors dropping much of the east side of the course in favor of more on the west side of downtown.

“Another aspect of the course that was up for consideration was dropping the east side and keeping all three Sunday courses (10K, half marathon and full marathon) on the west side of the city,” race director Ralph Staph said in a release. “Survey respondents overwhelmingly supported this idea and it will go into effect for this year’s course.”

Race officials are working with several cities on the west side for course options, which will be announced as soon as the new course is finalized.

The Cleveland Marathon is one of the 50 oldest races in the country. Last year's event drew 20,134 competitors for all the races, which include the marathon, half marathon, 10K, walking divisions and a kids' run. The half marathon sold out in advance for the third straight year in 2013.

Registration for the event is available now on the website at, clevelandmarathon.com/Registration.

Northfield Park officials announced a 30 percent increase in purses, a move designed to keep horsemen from heading to southern Ohio.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Northfield Park officials have made three 10 percent increases to the purses at the harness racing track, including one boost in early January. This week, however, they decided a 30 percent increase was in order, a move designed to keep horsemen from heading to southern Ohio.

The purse increases go into effect Thursday.

The new Miami Valley Gaming and Racing begins 66 evenings of live racing on Feb. 7. Its racino and simulcast racing opened on Dec. 12, giving owners Churchill Downs and Delaware North Cos. added revenue for its harness racing, which was moved from old Lebanon Raceway to the new racino and track.

Miami Valley’s new gaming and racing facilities are on Interstate 75, midway between Cincinnati and Dayton.

Northfield Park, the track that never closes, always needs a full complement of trotters and pacers. Although it’s generally racing four weeknights at this time of year, Northfield Park does send out a whopping 15 races on its live programs.

“We’ve seen their entry sheets, and know they’ll need a lot of horses with a racing schedule of five nights each week,” said Dave Bianconi, executive vice president of racing and simulcasting. “We’ve just about covered the overpayments we’ve made to the purse fund during 2013, and wanted our purses to be close to theirs so we could hold our horses at Northfield.”

The jump in purses will be spread around. There will be increases in purses for claiming and conditioned races, as well as open pacing and trotting events in the $9,000 to $10,000 range.

Noble is honored: Miami Valley Raceway will honor famed Ohio horseman Sam “Chip” Noble III, who died recently of esophageal cancer. The track is sending out the $50,000 Noble Memorial and the $50,000 Miami Valley Distaff Trot, both for older mare pacers, on the track’s closing-day May 4 program.

Thistle loses Best of Ohio: Buckeye horsemen will appreciate that the Best of Ohio race purses for Ohio-bred thoroughbreds are jumping from $100,000 to $150,000 this season. Local racing fans at ThistleDown Racino, though, will miss the rich program.

The rich Best of Ohio races that had become a fixture at ThistleDown are heading south to the new Belterra Park near Cincinnati, formerly known as River Downs. That track has not hosted the Best of Ohio since the mid-1990s.

The Best of Ohio series includes sprint, endurance, juvenile and distaff races, and the John. W. Galbreath for freshman fillies.

ThistleDown Stakes set: The date and purse size for the Ohio Derby at ThistleDown has yet to be carved in stone. Director of Racing Dave Ellsworth has tentatively set the Ohio Derby for July 28. Ohio’s premier thoroughbred race lost its Grade III stakes status for 2014.

The 2014 stakes races at ThistleDown include: Dr. T.F. Classen Memorial, May 2; Mike Mackey Memorial/Angenora Stakes, June 7; J. William Petro Memorial, June 29; Stearns Cleveland Gold Cup, July 5; George Lewis Memorial, July 19; Miss Ohio, July 26; Cleveland Kindergarten, Aug. 9; Honey Jay Stakes, Aug. 17; Rose DeBartolo Memorial, Aug. 31; Governor’s Buckeye Cup, Sept. 7; Scarlet & Gray Handicap, Sept. 21; Catlaunch Stakes, Sept. 28; Diana Stakes, Oct. 25; Emerald Necklace Stakes, Nov. 1; Cardinal Handicap, Nov. 8; and Ohio Debutante Handicap, Nov. 15.

The Stearns Cleveland Gold Cup is the richest, with a $75,000 purse. All of the rest of ThistleDown’s stakes have $50,000 purses.

Belterra Park has 16 thoroughbred stakes for Ohio-breds this year. ThistleDown has 17, while Beulah Park, which will close for good on May 3, has three. The Beulah racing will move to the Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course, which hosts five stakes in November and December.

Northfield’s extra racing: Cancellations caused by the bitter cold and snow in January is keeping the trotters and pacers in action at Northfield Park this week. To make up those dates, there is live racing on Thursday through Saturday. The track will return to its Monday-Thursday schedule for February and March, barring more inclement weather. Post times are 6 p.m.

The simulcast racing, however, never stops. It will go off at noon before the Friday and Saturday replacement programs. The track will then open on Mondays and Tuesdays at noon for simulcast racing, and 3 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Stallions come to Ohio: With thoroughbred racing purses on the upswing in Ohio because of the influx in racino revenues, more stallions are standing in the Buckeye State in 2014. According to the Ohio State Racing Commission, there are 59 stallions registered in Ohio, a huge jump from 25 registered in 2013.

Gates Mills' Lauren Davis will compete in her first Fed Cup along with Madison Keys, Christina McHale and Alison Riske, the USTA announced. Top Americans Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens will miss the competition.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The USTA announced both good and bad news Wednesday. The bad: Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens, the two highest-ranked Americans, will not be a part of the Fed Cup team when it takes on Italy in Cleveland on Feb. 8-9.

The good news? One of Cleveland's own will be a part of the United States team featuring a youthful group that will face an Italian squad minus its own top players as well.

Madison Keys, Christina McHale, Alison Riske and Gates Mills' Lauren Davis will make up the Fed Cup team when it plays in Public Hall, the USTA announced. All but McHale are making their Fed Cup debuts.

That group came together days after Italy announced that its top veterans – Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci, Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone – had requested to skip the Fed Cup first round. The top players cited a travel schedule that would have taken them from the Australian Open – where Errani and Vinci were doubles champs – to a tournament in Paris, then Cleveland and another tournament in Qatar.

Instead, defending Fed Cup champions Italy will be led by Karin Knapp (ranked 45^th), Camila Giorgi (84^th), Nastassja Burnett (163^rd) and Alice Matteucci (704^th).

The United States' top Americans, Williams (back) and Stephens (wrist) cited injuries as their reasons for not competing.

The 18-year-old Keys is the top-ranked player participating, with the American currently at No. 37. McHale is 59^th, Davis is 60^th and Riske 47^th.

The first-round showdown begins Saturday, Feb. 8 with two singles matches featuring each country's top player against the other country's No. 2 player. Sunday's schedule includes the No. 1 players and No. 2 players of each country squaring off, followed by a doubles match.

Single-day tickets for $25 remain available, and can be purchased at usta.com/fedcup or by calling 888-334-USTA (8782).

Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller linebacker Sam Hubbard is one of four elite linebacker prospects coming to Ohio State next year. He's rated by Rivals.com a three-star prospect, but Scout.com rates him a five-star recruit.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – In anticipation of National Signing Day on Feb. 5, Cleveland.com is putting together comprehensive player profiles for each Ohio State will soon officially add to its roster.

Sam Hubbard

School: Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller

Position: Linebacker

Height, Weight: 6-foot-6, 223 pounds

Rivals.com rating: Hubbard is rated as a three-star prospect and the No. 36 outside linebacker in the 2014 recruiting class.

Other schools: Boston College, Illinois, Louisville, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Stanford and others.

How he fits into Ohio State’s plans: Though Hubbard’s ratings by Rivals don’t necessarily jump off the page, he’s considered one of the gems of Ohio State’s recruiting class. Perhaps that’s because Scout.com doesn’t agree with Rivals, rating Hubbard a five-star prospect and the No. 2 outside linebacker in the country. Discrepancies that drastic between the two services aren’t common, but Hubbard’s combination of size and athleticism makes him a candidate to compete right away at Ohio State.

How athletic is Hubbard? He was committed to Notre Dame for lacrosse early in his high school career before Ohio State started recruiting him for football. After his first season on the gridiron, Hubbard had scholarships from top programs all over the country. In the time since, Hubbard has completely dedicated himself to football and seemingly turned the corner toward becoming an elite prospect.

Projection for 2014: Ohio State has really attacked the linebacker position in its 2014 class with commitments from Hubbard, five-star prospect Raekwon McMillan and four-star prospects Dante Booker and Kyle Berger. They signed those four prospects because they were weak at that position last year, and now Ohio State has said goodbye to junior Ryan Shazier, who left early to enter the NFL Draft.

So now the Buckeyes have a ton of talent in the linebackers room, but its all youthful. There’s that impressive group of freshmen, but also redshirt freshman Mike Mitchell, a five-star prospect from the 2013 class. Who will rise up? Ohio State desperately needs that to be more than one person, and Hubbard could be one of those who make a difference.

What we’ve written about Hubbard:

• Once committed to Notre Dame for lacrosse, Ohio State LB commit Sam Hubbard emerging as top football prospect

• A hidden gem? Ohio State LB commit Sam Hubbard dedicates himself to football by dropping lacrosse

What others have written about Hubbard:

• Sam Hubbard, Ohio State commit, talks recruiting, Dream 14

• COMMITTED: Catching up with Sam Hubbard

Videos:

Austin Carr's retired jersey banner was last seen at the WWE Raw event Monday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Cavaliers officials are scrambling to replace the retired jersey banner of Austin Carr after the original vanished this week from its perch high above Quicken Loans Arena.

The organization said Wednesday the number 34 jersey -- hanging since its bearer retired in 1981 --  disappeared sometime between the WWE Raw event Monday and the Cavs' home game against the New Orleans Pelicans Tuesday.

Reporters at the game, including The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer, noticed the missing banner during the game. Team officials said they are investigating the heist internally, and Cleveland police said no complaint was filed. A new banner will be in place by the time the Cavs return to Quicken Loans Feb. 5 to take on the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Cavs chose Carr, a standout at Notre Dame, as their first draft pick in 1971. After injuries plagued his rookie season, he led the Cavs to three consecutive playoff appearances in the the 1970s. He ended his career in 1981 with the Washington Bullets, and is now the TV color analyst for Fox Sports Ohio's Cavaliers coverage known for the signature slam dunk call "he throws the hammer down."

Other banners in the arena honoring the Cavs' Bingo Smith, Mark Price, Larry Nance, Brad Daugherty, Nate Thurmond, Joe Tait and the professional hockey players Jock Callander, Fred Glover and Johnny Bower were not disturbed.

Cavaliers GM Chris Grant knows his 16-29 team has been disappointing. "It's frustrating,'' he said in a media briefing on Wednesday.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant took ownership of his team's poor performance this season during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon at Cleveland Clinic Courts.

"We're all accountable for it, including myself," he said. "It's frustrating. It's disappointing. The fans deserve better."

The Cavs are coming off two particularly horrible performances, wasting a 20-point first-half lead in a 99-90 loss to Phoenix on Sunday at The Q, followed by a totally inept 100-89 home loss to New Orleans on Tuesday night. Fans who braved frigid temperatures on both days left hot, voicing their displeasure with boos.

The Cavs, who opened the season promising to make the playoffs, are 16-29, 11-12 at home, where they were 1-4 in the just-completed five-game homestand. The only victory came over the Milwaukee Bucks, the worst team in the league.

"The lack of effort is just not acceptable," Grant said. "It's not who we are or who we want to be."

Grant said he believed in coach Mike Brown and his offensive and defensive systems. He said the players need to be more consistent in their execution of both. Whereas Brown talked about making unspecified changes after Tuesday's loss, Grant wasn't sure if there would be changes in the team's roster. The NBA trading deadline is Feb. 20.

Grant was asked about Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, a fairly frequent Twitter user who has been mostly silent during the recent homestand.

"Dan wants to win. He's passionate. People know that. I've said this before: There's a great combination of Dan Gilbert and the fans of Northeast Ohio. It's just a special combination.

"He understands. He wants to win. He's supportive. He understands. He's very involved -- as far as asking questions and debating and talking -- but in the right way, what we all would expect him to. He's been great, but at the same time, yeah, he wants us to win, as do we.''

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Starting Lineup is a weekly rundown of the top wrestlers at each weight class from the deep talent pool that makes up cleveland.com's seven-county region. But this isn't meant to be the final word on the top wrestlers in the area. Like any rankings, these selections are open for debate. In fact, we want to...

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Starting Lineup is a weekly rundown of the top wrestlers at each weight class from the deep talent pool that makes up cleveland.com's seven-county region.

But this isn't meant to be the final word on the top wrestlers in the area. Like any rankings, these selections are open for debate. In fact, we want to hear from you. Do you agree with this week's selections? What would your startling lineup look like? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

THE STARTING LINEUP

106

Starter – Noah Baughman, Wadsworth: Baughman moved back down to 106 this week and topped Oregon Clay's Nick Henneman to win the Grizzly Invitational Tournament. He has a win this season over previous starter Alan Hart, and knocks the St. Edward freshman out of the lineup.

Challengers – Hart (St. Edward), Tony DeCesare (Padua), Jason Bronstrup (Brecksville-Broadview Heights).

113

Starter - L.J. Bentley, St. Edward: Bentley sat out the Eagles' trip to Blair Academy on Saturday to have a knee drained. But the junior is expected to be in the lineup when the state duals resume.

Challengers – Noah Baughman (Wadsworth).

120

Starter - Austin Assad, Brecksville-Broadview Heights: Like most of his teammates last week, Assad wasn't challenged much over the last week as the Bees won SWC and regional duals handily.

Challengers – Josh Heil (Brunswick), Armando Torres (Elyria), Alex Mackall (Walsh Jesuit).

126

Starter - Anthony Tutolo, Lake Catholic: The Cougars were bounced from the state duals, but Tutolo won both his matches.

Challengers – None.

132

Starter – Nolan Whitely, Walsh Jesuit: Won dual matches against St. Ignatius and Mentor to keep the starting spot for another week.

Challengers – Hunter Ladnier (St. Edward), Sam Gross (Beachwood).

138

Starter - Ryan Skonieczny, St. Vincent-St. Mary: Skonieczny won his weight class at the Josh Hephner Memorial Tournament Saturday.

Challengers – Mike Kostandaras (Walsh Jesuit). Nick Boggs (Riverside), Jake Zemaitis (Crestwood).

145

Starter - Kyle Kaminski, Padua: A slow week for Kaminski as he won both his state dual matches, helping the Bruins reach the regional semifinals.

Challengers – Bo Ransom (Madison), Mike Decesare (Nordonia).

152

Starter - Jeff Hojnacki, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy: Hojnacki bumped up to 160 to win his state duals match by pin, but the Royals were ousted in the second round. On Saturday, Hojnacki was runner-up at the Grizzly Invitational Tournament.

Challengers – Ben Darmstadt (Elyria).

160 Starter – Michael Coleman, Hudson: Coleman won his two state dual matches (one by forfeit) and retains his start spot.

Challengers: Zach Ladich (Rootstown), Austin Strnad (Brecksville-Broadview Heights).

170

Starter – Ryan Harris, Beachwood: Harris had a forfeit and a pin in state duals matches last week, keeping his win streak alive. He hasn't lost since the Walsh Ironman in mid-December.

Challengers – Alec Schenk (Perry).

182

Starter - Travis Linton, Rootstown: While his main challenger – Aaron Adkins of St. Vincent-St. Mary – got his 100^th win with a seven-second pin, Linton went 2-0 in state duals matches to remain our starter on the strength of his win over Adkins earlier this month.

Challengers – Adkins (St. Vincent-St. Mary), Gabe Dzuro (St. Edward).

195

Starter - Josh Murphy, Brecksville-Broadview Heights: Like teammate Assad at 120, Murphy went undefeated in conference and state dual matches last week.

Challengers – Tyler Maclellan (Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy).

220

Starter – Sean Rutherford, Norton: Rutherford had a 59 second pin, but the Panthers were knocked out of the state duals in their first match.

Challengers – Alex Woicehovich (Nordonia), Parker Knapp (St. Edward).

285

Starter - Billy Miller, Perry: Miller's anticipated matchup with West Branch state qualifier Logan Sharp in last week's state duals matchup ended with a 7-5 victory for the defending state champ.

Challengers – Dre'k Brumley (St. Vincent-St. Mary).

Contact high school sports reporter Scott Patsko by email (spatsko@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@ScottPatsko). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Smith's full guaranteed salary is actually $1.14 million per year, with bonuses tied to athletic and academic success of Ohio State athletes and teams.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Gene Smith is already well into the $1 million club among athletic directors, as his full contract, provided upon request by Ohio State on Wednesday, shows.

The news release on Tuesday from Ohio State mentioned the new base salary for Smith of $940,484, an increase from his previous base of $800,000. But both his previous contract and the new one includes another $200,000 for public relations responsibilities. It is listed separately, but it's all part of the job.

So that means Smith actually will make a guaranteed $1.14 million per year. Ohio State, when sending the contract, also offered the reminder that Smith's new deal is pending approval by the OSU Board of Trustees this week.

Then there are his bonuses, which didn't change from his previous contract. If he reaches them all, Smith could make nearly $1.5 million per year.

Smith gets extra money for Ohio State sports teams winning Big Ten or NCAA titles, including titles in individual sports. For instance, Smith gets an extra week of base pay for every individual NCAA title, so when Blaz Rola won the 2013 NCAA men's singles titles, Smith earned an extra $15,300 or so.

Smith has four different bonus categories overall. He can make up to an additional $120,00 for Ohio State winning national titles in any sport, or reaching the Final Four in men's or women's basketball, or a BCS game, or the equivalent in the new system, in football.

He can make up to an additional $120,000 for Big Ten titles by any sport, paid out at two weeks of extra base salary (now about $36,000).

He can make up to an additional $60,000 based on the academic standing of athletes, with categories for the combined GPA of the football team, the men's basketball team and then the rest of athletic teams combined. For instance, Smith could earn an extra $54,000 if the basketball team has a GPA over 3.0, $72,000 if it's over 3.3 and $90,000 if it's over 3.5. It should make Smith very happy when Aaron Craft talks about doing his homework.

Smith can also make an additional $50,000 based on unspecified success in Ohio State's business advancement in his role as a university vice president. So, apparently, he potentially gets more of a bonus from Lenzelle Smith acing a test than from business activities that make Ohio State more money.

Thanks to a longevity bonus that accrues each year, Smith will make about another $450,000 in a bonus if he's still around on June 30, 2016, and at least another $250,000 or so in another longevity bonus to be paid if he stays until 2020, which is when the current extension runs out.

And then there are the usual perks about cars, a country club membership and private plane usage for OSU trips.

If you love to read contracts, we have them for you. If you like to ponder the future, you'll notice the footnotes that have been part of all recent Ohio State contracts. One states that "NCAA" shall mean National Collegiate Athletics Association and its successors. (Even though the name is actually Athletic Association, singular.) That's so if the entire college sports world as we know it undergoes a monumental shift, and big schools like Ohio State leave the NCAA or the whole thing blows up, they don't have to redo this deal.

Also, notice "Big Ten" or "Big Ten Conference" shall mean the Big Ten Conference, its successor or any other athletics conference of which the university may be a member. That means if Jim Delany takes this thing to 20 teams or so and the Big Ten name doesn't make sense any longer, the contract is still cool.

Gene Smith's previous contract

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With three straight bitter-cold days in the books for this week, and a pile of games postponed due to the weather, does that get stressful for high school athletes and administrators?  In today's High School Sports Question of the Day, we want to know: What is the most stressful part of postponing games? Being prepared for...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With three straight bitter-cold days in the books for this week, and a pile of games postponed due to the weather, does that get stressful for high school athletes and administrators? 

In today's High School Sports Question of the Day, we want to know: What is the most stressful part of postponing games? Being prepared for the scheduled game and not getting to play? Having a tough week of games later in the season? Or does it not make much of a difference to you?

Wednesday's high school sports postponements.

New this school year: Readers can now comment on all cleveland.com high school sports stories — and we encourage it.

Look for the comments section at the bottom of every post. Registering for an account is free and takes just a few minutes (click here for an account).Once you register you will have the ability to comment on all posts.

Contact high school sports reporter Lexi Pluym by email (apluym@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@LexiPluym). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Voters are moved by emotion more than by facts and figures, so the sin-tax campaign will have to try to reconnect voters to the teams' past glories. This will be tricky given the poor team performances, with the possible exception of the Indian's brief post season appearance.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Swaying politicians was the easy part.

The campaign to sell a sports sin tax to Cuyahoga County voters begins today and requires a much tougher sales job.

Without fuss, County Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to place on the May ballot a measure that would extend the county's taxes on alcohol and cigarettes through 2035 to pay for repairs and upgrades at Progressive Field, Quicken Loans Arena and FirstEnergy Stadium.

But voters get the final say on the future of the sin-tax, which helped pay for the sports facilities and which expires in July 2015. At the moment, voters are not buying.

A recent poll conducted for backers of the sin-tax extension shows voters reject the proposal by nearly a 10-point margin, the campaign told me. The same poll, however, shows that 75 percent of voters surveyed said the Browns, Indians and Cavs are "extremely" or "very important" to the county and that voters -- by a 3 to 1 margin -- believe Cuyahoga County is headed in the right direction.

Jeff Rusnak of the R Strategy Group is leading the ballot campaign and offered this interpretation in a written statement: "It shows that this is winnable but only with a vigorous, comprehensive campaign. ... This optimism about the future of our community will be an important factor in the campaign."

The local polling company, Triad Research, surveyed 400 county residents last November for the Greater Cleveland Partnership, which represents Greater Cleveland corporate interests and is leading the effort to pass the sin-tax extension. Rusnak did not provide me a copy of the poll or other specific numbers.

Here are the themes county voters will likely hear and see in the next three months.

The tax is not about wealthy sports teams: Public sentiment is against giving wealthy team owners and highly paid athletes a penny from taxpayers, even smokers and drinkers. That's why the campaign will stay away from suggesting the Browns, valued at more than a $1 billion dollars, and the Cavs and Indians, each worth around $500 million, benefit from the tax. This is a key to the campaign and one of its biggest challenges.

The teams most certainly do benefit. Taxpayer-funded improvements make a stadium more comfortable, which attracts fans. More fans produce more money for the teams. And any taxpayer-funded changes that increase premium seating and advertising space also means more money to the teams.

Protect your investment: The campaign will emphasize that the taxpayers own the sports facilities – which they do – and that the sports facilities have to be maintained to protect the original investments.

Protecting the investments also means protecting the city and county's general revenue funds, which will be tapped to maintain the facilities without sin-tax money. This will be a part of the campaign's early education phase of the campaign.

Supporters of the sin tax distributed large stickers Tuesday during the County Council meeting that read, "Please Protect the public's investment." You will see variations of this on signs soon.

No one can answer what the stadiums will be really worth at the end of 20 years. Perhaps nothing. Supporters of the sin tax have been arguing that repairs and upgrades are needed now because the facilities are outdated after 20 years (15 years in the case of FirstEnergy). So, I have a hard time believing the facilities will be attractive to sports teams - or anyone else - after another 20 years. This means the city and county might have to pay to tear down these "investments" to build new ones.

Downtown is awesome: Under the theme of economic benefits of the sin tax, the campaign will focus on the downtown nightlife scene and residential growth that's sprouted since the facilities were built. Ads will undoubtedly feature photographs of a rundown East Fourth Street circa the 1990s against shots of the street today, which is packed with restaurants offering outdoor seating.

Keeping downtown housing and entertainment momentum will be presented as key to attracting young job seekers. In 1990, there was not a single housing unit in what is now the Gateway neighborhood that includes Progressive Field and The Q. Today, 955 housing units are available in the area and more than 200 additional units are on the way. Overall, downtown has 8,000 housing units and those who live in them are a key voting group that didn't exist in 1990.

We love our teams: Voters are moved by emotion more than by facts and figures, so the campaign will have to try to reconnect voters to the teams' past glories. This will be tricky given the poor team performances, with the possible exception of the Indian's brief post season appearance. While team records really have nothing to do with the economics of the sin-tax proposal, team records are deeply tied to how voters perceive the request. Support for the sin tax would certainly be higher if the Browns were in the Super Bowl this weekend.

Top-ranked Americans Serena Williams and Sloane Stephens will not play in the Fed Cup when it comes to Cleveland's Public Hall next weekend, but Gates Mills' Lauren Davis will.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Mary Joe Fernandez began to have suspicions that her dream Fed Cup team might not come to fruition just a few weeks ago. That was when the top-ranked American players, Serena Williams (back) and Sloane Stephens (wrist) began to complain about injuries.

Within the past few days, the two players officially opted to rest, and on Wednesday, the USTA announced its Fed Cup team would instead feature young and inexperienced members when the United States hosts Italy in the first round at Cleveland's Public Hall on Feb. 8-9.

Madison Keys, Christina McHale, Alison Riske and Gates Mills' Lauren Davis will play for the United States next weekend. Of that group, 23-year-old Riske is the oldest and 21-year-old McHale is the only one who has any previous Fed Cup experience.

"It's a little different than what I thought it would be," captain Fernandez said in a phone interview Wednesday. "It's always good to have Serena, but my last few years have been about building the future of American tennis and the new generation. They're all young. It's good. It's new blood and they're excited."

Most excited might be Davis, the 20-year-old who attended Gilmour Academy before moving to Florida to train at the Evert Tennis Academy.

Davis, currently ranked 60^th in the world, first heard rumblings a little more than a week ago that Williams might not compete in the Fed Cup, and began to cross her fingers that she might earn a spot on the team, instead.

"I'm seriously so excited to be a part of the Fed Cup and to play for my country," Davis said. "Not only that, but I get to play for my hometown. Everyone's so supportive and really nice, and just having my family there and all my friends is going to be really great."

The United States team came together days after Italy announced that its top veterans – Sara Errani, Roberta Vinci, Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone – had requested to skip the Fed Cup first round. The top players cited a travel schedule that would have taken them from the Australian Open – where Errani and Vinci were doubles champs – to a tournament in Paris, then Cleveland and another tournament in Qatar.

Instead, defending Fed Cup champions Italy will be led by Karin Knapp (ranked 45^th), Camila Giorgi (84^th), Nastassja Burnett (163^rd) and Alice Matteucci (704^th).

The 18-year-old Keys is the top-ranked player participating, with the American currently at No. 37. McHale is 59^th, Davis is 60^th and Riske is 47^th.

The first-round showdown begins Saturday, Feb. 8 with two singles matches featuring each country's No. 1 player against the other country's No. 2 player. Sunday's schedule includes the No. 1 players and No. 2 players of each country squaring off, followed by a doubles match.

Fernandez said she will determine player rankings the day before matches take place.

Davis, for one, is simply happy just to be a part of the team, regardless of where she ends up playing.

"It's my first Fed Cup, so I'm just going to go out there and have fun and play for something bigger than myself -- my team and my country," Davis said. "I really just want to try to enjoy it and soak it all up. because I don't know when Fed Cup is going to be back in Cleveland."

Single-day tickets for $25 remain available, and can be purchased at www.usta.com/fedcup or by calling 888-334-USTA (8782).

Broncos quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp, who spent three years as John DeFilippo's boss, sees similarities between him and Adam Gase.

NEW YORK -- Broncos quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp, who oversaw Browns offensive coordinator candidate John DeFilippo for three years in Oakland, compared the young Raiders quarterbacks coach to another one of his associates the Browns sought to hire this year: Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase.

"Don't let his age (35) fool you,'' Knapp told cleveland.com at the Super Bowl media availability Wednesday. "He's like Adam Gase. He's got great knowledge and a great future ahead of him.''

Former Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who has six years' experience as a coordinator, met with the Browns on Wednesday, and DeFilippo, who's never been a coordinator in the NFL, will interview with them Thursday.

When Knapp was Raiders offensive coordinator in 2007-08, DeFilippo had the unenviable task of coaching troubled No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell, who flopped in the pros. It was later learned that Russell had tested positive for codeine even before the Raiders made him the top pick and gave him a $68 million contract, including $31.5 million guaranteed.

Russell went 0-1 as a rookie and 5-10 in 2008, but Knapp saw tremendous potential in DeFilippo -- a Youngstown native -- right from the start.

"When I was coordinator in Oakland, I said to him, 'You're the quarterback coach, and it's your job to coach me out of the room,' '' recalled Knapp. "He did that in a half a year's time -- and that was seven years ago, when he was really young.''

After the 2008 season, DeFilippo left Oakland to take over as quarterbacks coach of San Jose State, and earned the added duties of offensive coordinator in 2010. In his first year as coordinator, the Spartans jumped 32 places nationally in total offense from the previous year.

When Knapp returned to Oakland as coordinator in 2012, he brought DeFilippo back with him. That year, he coached Carson Palmer for most of the season and then former Buckeye Terrelle Pryor for the final game after Palmer was lost to a rib injury. In 2013, Pryor started nine games and won three after expected starter Matt Flynn flopped.

"He did a great job last year developing Terrelle Pryor during the offseason and he spent a lot of extra time talking to him about mechanics, on the field and in the classroom with him,'' said Knapp. "John has that work ethic that you want as a coach in the NFL, and certainly as a play caller.''

DeFilippo was also forced to start undrafted rookie Matt McGloin for seven games last season after a concussion rendered Pryor ineffective. McGloin went 1-5, but largely because of the Raiders' below-average defense, which finished 28th against the pass. McGloin threw for eight touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 76.1 rating.

"The quarterbacks really like John,'' said Knapp. "He's very personable, and it's important to him that he has a relationship with the players, not just as a coach but a person-to-person relationship.''

Knapp cited DeFilippo's football pedigree as his primary asset. His father, Gene DeFilippo was a former graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee, then coached offense at Youngstown State and Vanderbilt. The elder DeFilippo went on to become athletic director at Boston College, where he spent 15 years before retiring in 2012.

"John's been around football all of his life,'' said Knapp. "He's the son of a coach/AD, and he's a bright, young coach who has great knowledge of the game.''

DeFilippo also played quarterback at James Madison University and interviewed for their head coaching vacancy this offseason.

On the college level, DeFilippo coached quarterbacks at Fordham in 2000. He then went on to Notre Dame as a graduate assistant under Bob Davie in 2001 and Ty Willingham in 2002. He helped lead the Irish to an 8-0 start in 2002, with wins over No. 7 Michigan and No. 11 Florida State, and a Gator Bowl berth.

DeFilippo’s NFL coaching career began with the New York Giants in 2005, when he served as offensive quality-control coach on Tom Coughlin’s staff for two years. He helped the Giants to two postseason appearances, and New York posted a 19-13 regular-season record during his time there.

In 2009, as assistant quarterbacks coach for the Jets, he helped tutor rookie QB Mark Sanchez, who led the Jets to the AFC Championship in his first season as a pro. Browns coach Mike Pettine was Jets defensive coordinator at the time.

"John's worked under a lot of good coaches, including Tom Coughlin,'' said Knapp. "He's been on enough offensive staffs and gameplanned with enough experienced coordinators that he has a good feel what it takes to help develop a gameplan and to execute it.''

Knapp said he has no doubt that DeFilippo is ready to call plays at the pro level.

"I have the utmost confidence in him,'' he said. "He'd take charge in the classroom, and you'd see it on the field as well.''

Pilot Flying J pleas total 10, increasing questions for top layer of company.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Lawyers for Pilot Flying J CEO Jimmy Haslam and company President Mark Hazelwood said their clients have never received "target letters" that federal prosecutors send to inform people they are the target of an investigation and the government wants to talk to them.

"Absolutely not," Aubrey Harwell, Haslam's lawyer, said in a phone conversation Wednesday. Houston lawyer Rusty Hardin said Hazelwood has not been questioned, sent a letter nor contacted in any way by investigators.

That may not mean prosecutors have concluded that Haslam, owner of the Cleveland Browns, and Hazelwood had no role in a fuel rebate fraud scheme at Pilot, or knowledge about it, white-collar defense attorneys said.

"There could be endless shades of strategy going on," said Cleveland attorney Virginia Davidson, who was commenting on white-collar defenses in general, not the Pilot case.

Davidson, a former assistant U.S. attorney, said the use of a target letter is completely at the discretion of federal prosecutors.

"If the government hopes to get information out of someone, they might try to contact the person without labeling them a target," said the head of the white-collar practice at the Calfee law firm in Cleveland. "It could also be that a target letter is coming in the future."

The question of how far the fraud at Pilot extended into the company's executive suite became more pointed after National Sales Director Brian Mosher admitted Monday that he helped cheat trucking companies out of between $7 million and $20 million, involving between 50 and 250 victims.

"Even with cooperation he's probably still facing 11 months in a federal penitentiary," Friedman said, after reviewing Mosher's plea deal.

Haslam has steadfastly maintained he had no inkling that trucking customers were being deliberately shorted on fuel rebate and discount payments until the federal investigation broke open.

A court in late November approved an $85 million settlement to reimburse companies what they were owed, plus interest and legal costs. Other customers that opted out of the settlement continue to sue.

Mosher's plea deal says that he admitted responsibility on April 15, the day agents flooded the headquarters of Haslam's family-owned business in Knoxville, Tenn., and that "he took immediate steps to help the investigation."

A federal affidavit used to get court consent for the raid indicated Hazelwood, Haslam and Vice President of Sales John Freeman had knowledge of rebate fraud because it was discussed at sales meetings in Knoxville where they were present.

Besides Mosher, two other former employees also pleaded guilty to fraud-related charges in U.S. District Court in Knoxville, Tenn., on Monday, bringing the number of people charged in the Justice Department/IRS investigation to 10.

Mosher reported to Freeman, whose attorney, Roger Dickson, declined comment on whether his client has received a target letter. Freeman, in turn, reported to Hazelwood, and Hazelwood reports to Haslam.

Freeman was placed on administrative leave from Pilot in the wake of the FBI raid. Hazelwood remains on the job.

In previous statements, Haslam has said he is cooperating with government investigators.

Pilot is said to have been responding for some time to a government subpoena for information. A grand jury is reviewing whether to hand up indictments against Pilot employees.

"We haven't been contacted at all by the government," Hardin, Hazelwood's lawyer, said this week.

The Houston defense lawyer has represented several sports figures, including Roger Clemens, who was acquitted on perjury charges that he lied to Congress about using steroids.

Harwell also has had a portfolio of high-profile clients, including Eddie DeBartolo Jr., the Youngstown native who owned the San Francisco 49ers and was caught in a gambling fraud scandal in Louisiana.

Monsters defenseman Mikael Tam played junior hockey for Patrick Roy.

Mikael Tam
Born: April 26, 1991, Quebec City
Ht/Wt: 5-10, 205
Shoots: Left
Signed: AHL contract
Courtesy Lake Erie Monsters 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Talking with Monsters defenseman Mikael Tam:

PD: Highlight(s) of career to date?

MT: One, for sure, is when I played in Midget Triple-A and we won the Quebec League, went to the national championship and won the bronze medal. Getting drafted in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is another big moment. It was my hometown, and I played there for five seasons (2007-2012). To play for the Quebec Remparts -- a team I grew up watching -- was something unbelievable for me and my family members, who were able to watch a lot of games.

PD: In your first season with Quebec, you had one goal, 14 assists and 127 penalty minutes in 75 games, including playoffs. What was behind the ratio of goals to penalty minutes?

MT: I was very young and inexperienced, and I went against guys significantly older. It's not easy. Regarding the penalty minutes, I like to play physical and get in the face of the other team. Sometimes I get into fights. I don't consider myself a fighter, but I will get into them.

PD: Your coach with the Remparts was hockey legend Patrick Roy, who is now in his first season as coach of the Monsters' parent club, the Colorado Avalanche. What was it like to play for Roy?

MT: Really, really cool. At first you think of him as Patrick Roy, the great goaltender and the Hall of Famer. After a while, you think of him as a very good coach. You wanted to give him everything you had because you knew he'd been through it. He understands what it takes to be successful at the highest level. I feel like I got better each year under him.

PD: Did you figure Roy would be an NHL coach someday?

MT: For sure. Not just because he was Patrick Roy, and not because he talked about it. It's because his teams were winning. You saw that he had what it took to be a good coach in the NHL; it was just a matter of the right opportunity. The Colorado Avalanche made a lot of sense.

PD: After playing in the San Jose Sharks organization last season, you signed an AHL contract in the Colorado Avalanche. Was Roy a factor?

MT: Last season, I had a joint AHL/ECHL contract. Entering the summer, I was open to everything. When Patrick became coach of the Avalanche, joining this organization was something that came to my mind. He called my agent and asked if I had a contract with anybody and whether I was free. I was very happy to sign with the Avalanche organization, and an AHL contract is a step up for me. I view this as a great opportunity. If I deserve it, maybe one day I will get to play for Patrick in Colorado. That would be awesome.

PD: Your ECHL club last year was in San Francisco. Summarize the 37-game experience.

MT: San Francisco is not really known as a hockey city, but it was a lot of fun. I had a good time, even though I would have rather been in the AHL or NHL. I enjoyed going to the rink in shorts and a T-shirt. I hadn't been to San Francisco, and I got to see why it has such a good reputation.

PD: Your name is spelled Mikael but pronounced Michael. What gives?

MT: I'm probably one of the few who has it spelled Mikael and pronounced Michael. In the states, when people ask me about it, I say it's Michael. I just figure it sounds better over here. Back home, for me and my family, it's Mikael.

PD: What do you need to improve most in order to get to the NHL?

MT: I'm more of a defensive defenseman. I take care of my own end first. I'm physical. I need to get better at being a two-way player. I need to be a complete defenseman.

PD: What do you think of Monsters play-by-play voice Doug Plagens, arguably the fittest broadcaster in hockey?

MT: He's good at what he does -- and yes, he goes to the gym a lot.

Browns are mulling plan to be used by Detroit Lions, but are currently focused on stadium renovations.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Browns have no immediate plan to follow the Detroit Lions in offering variable ticket pricing to their fans, a league source told cleveland.com.

On Monday, the Lions became the first NFL team to introduce a package that assigns three different ticket values – premium, non-premium and preseason. The Lions are slashing the price of preseason tickets by 70 percent, but overall season-ticket packages are increasing 8.2 percent from 2013.

Variable and dynamic ticket pricing has been a way of life for years in the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball. Variable ticket plans are set before the season and place higher prices on the more desirable games. With dynamic ticket plans, prices fluctuate in real time the way they do with airlines and gas. Those prices are based on many factors – opponent, weather, winning streak, secondary markets, etc. Both plans encourage fans to buy tickets in the preseason.

The Browns are among the NFL teams considering a switch to variable ticket plans, the source said, but it won’t be next season as they focus on stadium renovations. Crain's Cleveland Business reported on Tuesday the Browns are unlikely to follow the Lions' lead.

The franchise is expected to release its season-ticket prices in the coming weeks. A year ago, it had the lowest average ticket price at $54.20, according to the Team Market Report.

The Indians use dynamic ticket pricing. It’s been blamed for contributing to the Tribe’s low attendance figures, even as ticket revenue rose in 2013.

The Browns are mulling the variable-ticket route taken by the Lions. The source said many NFL teams are considering it, and that teams struggling to sell out are more likely to adopt the plan.

Lost in another dismal 4-12 season is the fact the Browns increased their paid attendance and sold out every regular-season game except Jacksonville on Dec. 1.

The team’s average paid attendance (71,242) eclipsed the 70,000 mark for the first time since 2008. The Browns sold 97.3 percent of their ticket inventory – a 6.3 percent increase from the 2012 season – even though there were thousands of no-shows late in the season.

After abolishing the personal seat licenses, the Browns sold more new season subscriptions last year than any time since 1999. They also had a 95 percent season-ticket renewal rate. The team’s season-ticket base as of April 2013 was believed to be around 55,000.

As part of stadium renovation, the Browns are removing about 3,000 seats.

Will the continuing on-field struggles and another coaching change impact ticket sales? The Browns should have an answer by summer.

No. 24 Ohio State's 71-70 loss to Penn State at home on Wednesday night was probably the worst loss for the Buckeyes in Thad Matta era. Inside are 10 important takeaways form the game.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Observations from No. 24 Ohio State's 71-70 loss to Penn State in overtime in Value City Arena on Wednesday night.

1. The “throw the ball around the perimeter and wait” offense has to go. Maybe that’s Ohio State’s only option at this point because it can't shoot over the zone, but how about a high ball screen? How about some penetration? I actually think Aaron Craft is good off the bounce, but he lacks the aggressiveness on offense to get into the teeth of defenses. Regardless, Ohio State will continue to lose as long as 75 percent of its offensive activity is throwing the ball around the perimeter and hoping a bucket is automatically going to show up.

2. D.J. Newbill was a stud last night, and he wanted Craft with the game on the line. It wasn’t enough that Newbill, who scored a game-high 25 points, knocked down two game-tying threes with 1:06 and 13 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.

With the final seconds of overtime ticking, Newbill waved everyone off and isolated himself and Craft, then buried a clutch jumper over one of the top defenders in college basketball to win the game. It’s one thing to get beaten because of bad offense, but the Buckeyes lost after their best defender got crossed over by an athletic guard.

“I knew they were going to try to stop me from going right,” Newbill said, “so I just made a quick right-to-left crossover and put it up with confidence. Fortunately, it went down.”

3. Amir Williams’ weak hands show up again. With Ohio State clinging to a slim 70-69 lead, LaQuinton Ross drove baseline looking for a good look, but he ran into the Penn State help. Ross dished a not-so-perfect pass to Williams, who fumbled it out of bounds with 11 seconds left in overtime to set up the final shot for Newbill. As Ross went back on defense, he glared at Williams, who was given the turnover by the official scorer.

I have been really hard on Williams all year, but how do you drop that pass out of bounds with the game on the line? It wasn’t a perfectly placed pass, but Williams has to grab that. What is his purpose on the floor in that moment? When Williams’ defender helps on Ross, he’s supposed to be open for the pass to either make a shot around the hoop or draw a foul. Instead, Williams turned it over and Ohio State lost.

“We had a chance to go up three and we turned it over,” Craft said. “They went down and had guys that made a play.”

View full sizeOhio State senior guard Lenzelle Smith Jr. had harsh comments about his team after the Buckeyes fell to Penn State, 71-70, at home on Wednesday night.Jay LaPrete, Associated Press

4. Lenzelle Smith Jr.’s list of things missing is staggering … and telling. Smith’s wore his anguish on his sleeve when he answered my question, speaking candidly about how losing to Penn State was an embarrassment and how the rest of the Big Ten is now laughing at Ohio State. But it was Smith’s answer to my follow-up that may have revealed the most. What is this team missing right now?

“Toughness, character, camaraderie, leadership,” Smith responded. He didn’t hold back. It looks like making a jump shot is only one thing on a laundry list of issues for this team.

5. Coach Thad Matta had a similarly long list. That shouldn’t be surprising given the Buckeyes managed only eight field goals in the second half and overtime combined.

“We didn’t rebound at the level we needed to and we made some key mistakes defensively down the stretch, things that we had covered," Matta said. "And we didn’t execute. It’s funny, every time we did the job we were supposed to, we did a pretty good job. And then offensively, you’ve got (eight) field goals in the (final) 25 minutes. You’ve got to score the basketball.”

6. How can this team score? Speed it up. Matta always talks about how this team is at its best when it is pushing the ball in transition and scoring easy buckets off turnovers, and that makes complete sense. The less Ohio State is in a half court set, the better. But in the Big Ten, where the teams take better care of the basketball, how can Ohio State speed up the tempo? Does that mean running off of makes? To me, as Shannon Scott’s struggles on offense continue, his only purpose for being on the floor instead of Sam Thompson is to create turnovers and speed the game up. If Ohio State isn’t running with Scott, what are they doing?

7. Ohio State isn’t hungry? One more gem I had written down in my notebook from Smith was this quote: “When we get hungry, I’ll take us over any team in the country.” When this team gets hungry? It’s not already? Hmm.

8. Ross is quietly showing consistency. It seems like Ross is doing what he’s supposed to do for this team as of late. He has scored in double figures in five consecutive games and has led Ohio State in rebounding in 11 games this season. Ross had his tough games, but if he could get some consistent help – cough, Smith – this would be a different team.

9. The Nebraska loss should have been a bigger warning sign. Matta’s teams have gone in slumps before, even in the last two years where the Buckeyes advanced to the Elite Eight and Final Four. But the Nebraska loss was different. It was to a team that's clearly inferior to Ohio State, and the Buckeyes never lost those games in previous years. That should have been enough to know this year’s struggles are different. But it wasn’t, and that was driven home Wednesday night when Ohio State suffered its worst loss of the Matta era.

“This feels different from past slumps because of the position we were previously in,” Matta said. “I don’t like this position but it is the reality of where we’ve put ourselves. We have to come back.”

10. NCAA Tournament hopes is a real question now. Losing to ranked teams is one thing, dropping games at home against Penn State is another. Ohio State has no quality wins and is losing at an alarming rate right now. I thought it was premature when everyone was calling this an NIT team a week ago, but now questions about whether Ohio State will be in the Big Dance come March seem valid. 

Richard Sherman says Peyton Manning throws occasional ducks.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman wrote in a blog how Peyton Manning passes will be accurate and on time, but he throws ducks.

Manning, in this morning's press conference, playfully responded.

"I believe it to be true as well," he said with a big smile. "I don't think that's a real reach, what he's saying. I've thrown a lot of yards and touchdowns with ducks. I'm actually quite proud of it."

In other words, Manning doesn't think he throws lame ducks, writes Patrick Saunders on DenverPost.com.

Broncos tight end end Julius Thomas said it didn't matter how Sherman described Manning's passes.

"I didn't know that he had made that comment," Thomas said. "Whichever animal or word you want to use to describe Peyton's passes, I'll take them every day. Whether that be duck, goose, cat passes, I'll continue taking them."

Manning left the media laughing again with his response when asked to name his top three quarterbacks of all time, adds Saunders.

"I don't have a list," Manning said. "I have always sort of talked about describing the perfect quarterback and taking a little bit of everybody. You take John Elway's arm, Dan Marino's release, Troy Aikman's drop back, Brett Favre's scrambling ability, (Joe) Montana's two-minute poise. Naturally, my speed."

More Browns and NFL news

Dan Quinn would not have done a pre-Super Bowl interview (Cleveland.com).

Mike Adams comes full circle (ESPN Cleveland).

A cartoon poking fun of Jimmy Haslam (Cleveland.com).

Jack Del Rio doesn't had a chance with the Browns (CantonRep.com).

The Browns will select wide receiver Sammy Watkins in this mock draft (UTSanDiego.com).

The complete Browns 2014 Mock Draft (NFLMocks.com).

Super Bowl wide receivers are not concerned about concussions (Yahoo.com).

Seattle's defense is good but not invincible (CBSSports.com).

Revisiting Peyton Manning and his play in cold weather (CBSSports.com).

Dan Quinn leads the Seahawks' defense by example (The News Tribune).

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- ESPN released its latest boys basketball recruiting rankings this week, and three local players were included. Grabbing the honor were St. Vincent-St. Mary sophomore VJ King, Villa Angela-St. Joseph junior Carlton Bragg and Shaker Heights junior Esa Ahmad. King checked in at No. 6 for the Class of 2016. The Irish sophomore received a full five...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- ESPN released its latest boys basketball recruiting rankings this week, and three local players were included. Grabbing the honor were St. Vincent-St. Mary sophomore VJ King, Villa Angela-St. Joseph junior Carlton Bragg and Shaker Heights junior Esa Ahmad.

King checked in at No. 6 for the Class of 2016. The Irish sophomore received a full five stars and an overall grade of 96. The highest grade given out for his class was a 97.

Bragg is ranked No. 11 for the Class of 2015. He also received a full five stars and his overall grade was a 95. The highest grade in his class was a 95.

The talented junior recently broke his toe. It is an injury that could keep him out 4-6 weeks. 

Below Bragg was Ahmad, who is ranked No. 51. This is Ahmad's first appearance in the rankings, and he received four stars and an overall grade of an 84.

None of the three players that are ranked are committed to any school. Prior to King and Bragg, no Northeast Ohio player had cracked the Top 15 in the rankings since St. Edward's Delvon Roe was ranked No. 15 in 2008.

No local players were represented in the Class of 2014. There are 100 seniors ranked, 60 juniors and 25 sophomores. All three groups were updated this week.

Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

On today's Sports Insider, Glenn Moore and Chris Fedor talked with Mary Kay Cabot about the Browns and Paul Hoynes joined the show to explain what moves the Indians could still make this off-season.

Who is the frontrunner for the Browns' offensive coordinator job? Why were the Browns unwilling to wait for Dan Quinn? How far away are the Indians from getting a deal worked out with Justin Masterson?