Browns beat writer answers readers' questions about the team and the rest of the NFL.

Q: Hey, Tony: With the proposed schedule going to 18 games, how would the NFL decide which team plays which? In recent years, each division played all divisional opponents twice and then faced another conference division and an opposite conference division, plus two games against similarly matched conference opponents. Would the NFL make say the AFC North face two conference divisions and one NFC division? Your thoughts? -- John Madigan, Silver Lake, Ohio

A: Hey, John: Four games against two AFC divisions, plus four games against one NFC division, plus six games within your division equals 18. I haven't heard if this would be the formula, but it makes sense.

Q: Hey, Tony: If Shaun Rogers is placed on the physically unable to perform list (PUP), does any amount of suspension handed down by the NFL (if he is), start with his return to active duty, or can it be served while on PUP? Also, is his inability to get back to playing status any reflection that he might be gravitating toward some sort of prima donna attitude. As I recall, he had somewhat of that type of hype coming out of Detroit. -- Rich Markovich, Schaumburg, Ill.

A: Hey, Rich: Since your question arrived we've learned that Rogers will not be suspended but will be fined one game check. He will pay that after his appeal is denied. As far as his status, it is my understanding the team doctors have not OK'd his return because he hasn't passed his physical. It's not Rogers' decision to stay out.

Q: Hey, Tony: I realize he's not a Hall of Famer, but shouldn't Bernie Kosar be in the Ring of Honor? Not only was he extremely successful, he is arguably the most beloved former Brown, aside from Jim Brown. And one who seems to love the franchise more so than any other alum. -- Joshua Jones, Fullerton, Calif.

View full sizeDavid I. Andersen/ The Plain DealerBernie Kosar in the Browns' Ring of Honor? Not just yet.

A: Hey, Joshua: The Browns wisely decided to inaugurate their Ring of Honor with the 16 members of the franchise in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Future Ring of Honor classes will be decided internally by the organization at a later date. My suggestion for the first honoree after the Hall of Famers would be Blanton Collier.

Q: Hey, Tony: What does the Browns' won-loss record in 2010 have to be in order to possibly land Georgia wideout A.J. Green, or Washington QB Jake Locker? Would either player even be on the Browns' radar? -- Barbershop J, Euclid

A: Hey, Barbershop J: Talking draft already? Locker will be one of the first three players chosen. Green, I don't know. Lots of water has to flow under the bridge to determine the Browns' draft strategy. Yikes.

Q: Hey, Tony: Who will have the final say on the roster cutdowns to 53 -- coach Mangini, team President Mike Holmgren or General Manager Tom Heckert? -- Paul Thiel, Crescent Springs, Ky.

A: Hey, Paul: Heckert has the contractual authority for final say. I'm sure the others will weigh in, but Heckert will make the final call.

Q: Hey, Tony: Please ask Mike Holmgren to consider my nominee for the new Ring of Honor. His name is Arthur B. (Mickey) McBride, who as you know was the original owner and was smart enough to hire a guy by the name of Paul Brown. Without Mickey, there might never have been a Cleveland Browns team. Thank you. By the way, I live in Ontario and have been a fan since Otto Graham, Dante Lavelli and Ray Renfro played. -- Neil Savoy, Thorold, N.Y.

A: Hey, Neil: I'm sure the McBride family seconds your motion. He would be a deserving candidate but the criteria for the Ring of Honor has not been established.

Q: Hey, Tony: Have you any word on Don Carey's progress in camp this summer with the Jaguars? I know I shouldn't care, but losing him last year was frustrating. -- Kyle Chormanski, Los Angeles

A: Hey, Kyle: I've heard the Jags are pleased with Carey. Jacksonville has a good tandem of starting cornerbacks and Carey is competing for the third (nickel back) spot. If he were here, I'm sure he would press somebody for the No. 4 cornerback role.

Q: Hey, Tony: What is the real reason Jim Brown is ticked at the Browns? Is it because they don't listen to him anymore? Is it because they don't financially support his charity anymore? It would be crazy to alienate the best Browns player in history. -- Steve Bohnenkamp, Geneva, Ill.

A: Hey, Steve: According to his personal letter to Mike Holmgren, Brown feels disrespected because Holmgren wanted to reduce his role without even discussing what contributions he made to the organization. I don't know who's wrong or who's right, but it is never a good thing when the most prominent player in a franchise's rich tradition is cross with his team.

Q: Hey, Tony: I know that preseason games are "practice" but, in your opinion, why do some very successful teams have terrible preseason records (Colts, for example) and a team like the '08 Lions went 4-0 and lost every regular-season game. Seems like there is absolutely no correlation between preseason and regular season. Your thoughts? -- Mike Mahne, Lake Zurich, Ill.

A: Hey, Mike: Each coach and organization may have different goals in preseason. To some, winning is important to break a recent habit of losing. To others protecting superstars from unnecessary injury is Priority One. Still others try to use the games to make decisions on young untested players. It will be interesting how the preseason is managed by teams when the practice schedule is cut to two games.

Q: Hey, Tony: I noticed that, in the St. Louis game in which the Browns' offense had so many fumbles, that Jerome Harrison and Josh Cribbs were not wearing gloves. Having played with receiver's gloves in wet conditions, I found that they improve grip over that of playing barehanded. Do you know if Cribbs and Harrison plan to continue going without gloves in rainy conditions? -- Chris Michlik, Toronto, Ontario

View full sizeTracy Boulian / The Plain DealerLook. It's Jerome Harrison. With gloves on.

A: Hey, Chris: I do not. Way to sneak in a uniform question.

Q: Hey, Tony: Do you really think the Browns' defense will be much better than it was last year? This preseason the defense has been blitzing and going all out to try to stop the other team with little success. Has Rex Ryan's or Eric Mangini's defenses ever been any good? (They always seem to be at the bottom.) Ryan seems to get too much credit, maybe it's the family name. Your thoughts. -- Ralph Reis, Fort Mitchell, Ky.

A: Hey, Ralph: Mangini and Ryan are good defensive coaches. The one thing I'm confident about entering this season is they will field a much better defense than a year ago. Mangini has mastered the art of deception and I believe the defense you see in the regular season will be different from the one you've seen in preseason.

Q: Hey, Tony: Why do NFL coaches cover their mouths with play cards as they radio the call in to the QB or defense? Do they really fear someone on the other team with binoculars will be reading their lips and then somehow relay the call to their own team? And is it possible for fans (or the other team) to 'monitor' the other teams' frequency? It's done in NASCAR. What's to prevent a sneak like Bill Belichick from listening in on the opposition? -- George Amer, Gallatin, Tenn.

A: Hey, George: Yes, they do fear they would lose their advantage to an advanced lip reader. As for the radio helmet frequency, I believe the NFL has some built-in firewalls to prevent it. However, I've heard stories of music and other "programming" filtering in through a player's earphones.

Q: Hey, Tony: Did Mike Holmgren buy a house in Cleveland or is he just squatting? If he did buy one, what city? -- Dan Cochran, Ashtabula

A: Hey, Dan: I believe Holmgren bought a condo in Bratenahl.

Q: Hey, Tony: I thought helmet-on-helmet hits were illegal. Yet, Nick Sorenson received not one, but two such hits simultaneously, and there was no flag to be seen! What gives? -- Mike Ristau, Sylvania, Ohio

A: Hey, Mike: Those special teams collisions are not as vigilantly enforced. I think they are regarded as incidental contact, unless a player leads with his helmet. Even though the players weren't penalized, they could be fined when the NFL hit police review the play in New York.

Q: Hey, Tony: This question is about team communication. I know that one player on offense and one on defense can wear a radio-containing helmet. These are designated by the green dot on the back of the helmet. Logically the quarterback has one. How will they handle this when two quarterbacks are on the field, Wallace and Delhomme, if such a formation exists? Also, we use a lot of linebacker formations and I saw Jason Trusnik and either Eric Barton or David Bowens wearing the dot last Saturday. Do they have two helmets for each of these possibilities? How do they work it? How long between plays is the microphone open? Must it still be only from one coach who must be on the field and is it cut off automatically or by officials upstairs? -- Ed Hall, Fairview Park

A: Hey, Ed: If the Browns put two quarterbacks on the field, only one can wear the radio helmet. Same on defense. I believe the transmission is cut off with 10 seconds remaining on the play clock. Only one coach can speak into the helmet speakers.

Q: Hey, Tony: Can you explain Eric Mangini's feelings toward Colt McCoy? It looked like both offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and Mangini were upset with Colt at the end of the game in Detroit after the last play. -- Dave, Dallas

A: Hey, Dave: Mangini and Daboll both reamed into McCoy for his "management" of the last couple of plays. Your question implies that McCoy was not Mangini's draft choice and the coach wouldn't have treated his own guy the same way. I'm not sure. I go back to Mike Holmgren's statement regarding Brady Quinn, "This is the big boys' league." In other words, there's no babysitting and mollycoddling in the NFL.

Q: Hey, Tony: I know the Browns gave up a lot to get Montario Hardesty and they are anxious to see what he can do in a real game, but after watching Peyton Hillis in the preseason, how can the Browns sit this guy on the bench? I've been impressed with all of the running backs and was wondering if you think Eric Mangini will rotate several of them in and out during games? -- Greg Dineen, Middletown, Ohio

A: Hey, Greg: The Hardesty season-ending injury should boost the workload of Hillis and perhaps James Davis, too. Until further notice, I see a running back-by-committee approach.

Q: Hey, Tony: Is there a broader league perspective to the current Browns/Jim Brown issue? I remember reading a few years ago that "league sources" felt that the situation in Cleveland was undesirable due to fan/other influence on ownership. Was that accurate and are the recent moves regarding Paul Warfield, Brown and Bernie Kosar Holmgren's response to professionalize the organization? -- Steve Cornelius

A: Hey, Steve: I believe there is something to that. In the case of Warfield, however, the Browns wanted him to continue and Warfield felt it was time to retire.

Q: Hey, Tony: You did not hide the fact from Day 1 you were not a fan of the Eric Mangini hiring. You were harder on him than any of the other three coaches since we have been back. Leaving Mike Holmgren/Tom Heckert out of the equation, are you feeling better about Mangini now as both a coach as well as someone you deal with daily in the media? -- Michael Spitale, Galena, Ohio

A: Hey, Michael: I always said I felt Mangini could coach but I didn't know if he could win. In the NFL, organizations win -- not coaches. I did not feel confident Mangini could build a winning organization. Now, if the organization is rebuilt around him, to support him, there is a chance Mangini can win. We will see this year. I think Mangini will be a better coach not having to deal with outside issues. Bill Belichick learned this lesson in Cleveland in the 1990s.

Q: Hey, Tony: Why does everyone in Cleveland, media included, seem to have this infatuation with Rob Ryan? Sure he talks a good game, but look at the rankings of the defenses he has coordinated. Perhaps his opinion of himself is rubbing off on everyone else, but I'm not sure why I'm supposed to be so impressed. Please enlighten. -- Jeff, Bay Village

A: Hey, Jeff: Ryan is quite a character and I'm sure his affability helps his relations with the media. I happen to think he is a good coach who gets his players to play for him. I think you'll see an improvement in the unit's rankings this season.

Q: Hey, Tony: I did my own research on the Browns' schedule going back to the beginning of the Browns in 1946 and came up with the following:

When the Browns formed and became part of the All-American Conference, they played each team twice, home and away. Since three of the teams were from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago (who played their games at 1 p.m. CST), this means that they played at least three games a year at times other than 1 p.m. EST. When the Browns joined the NFL they played in the Eastern Conference. Up until sometime in the 1980s, teams generally played all their games at 1 EST for eastern teams, 1 p.m. CST for Midwest teams, and 1 p.m. PST for West Coast teams. With only Detroit in the Western Conference playing their games in the eastern time zone (and St. Louis in the Eastern Conference playing in central time zone) this means that until the NFL expansion in 1967 the Browns had to play away games yearly at times other that 1 p.m. EST. I then looked at every year's Browns' schedule since 1967 and found that there had never been a year where all Browns games began at 1 p.m. EST. Not only were there no other years where all the games were at 1 p.m. EST, but in only three years, (1991, 1984 and strike-shortened 1982) were there as few as two games at times other than 1 p.m. EST. This does not even take into account that in many years they played games on Saturdays, Mondays or Thursdays. Consequently this year's schedule of the 16 games all starting on Sundays at 1 p.m. EST is a unique aberration that has not come close to happening before in the Brown' 64 year history. I think that this is an interesting piece of Browns' trivia that is worth sharing with your readers. -- Larry Bresler, Cleveland

A: Hey, Larry: We all owe you for your fantastic research work. Once again, I'm overjoyed the schedule calls for 16 consecutive 1 p.m. kickoffs.

Q: Hey, Tony: There has been a lot of criticism of Colt McCoy (he looks flustered, can't complete passes that are more than 5 yards). I'm not sure we should be expecting a lot from a rookie who is generally getting no protection and is not throwing to starting receivers. How much of this criticism is legitimate? I don't believe we can accurately asses McCoy's abilities and progress if he isn't on the field with the same caliber linemen and receivers as Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace. -- Jared P, Elyria

A: Hey, Jared: The organization is basically designating this a redshirt year for McCoy. His practice reps were limited because they were breaking in Delhomme and Wallace at the same time. McCoy said there were plays in games that he had not even practiced on the field before. That was more damning than having to play with second- and third-teamers. So I'm sure the organization graded him on a curve.

Q: Hey, Tony: This defense still looks too porous against the run, from what we have seen in the first three preseason games. Shaun Rogers' absence has to be a factor, but what is going on? Is it preseason defensive schemes being used, or something else? -- Dennis Thompson, Akron

A: Hey, Dennis: Just wait for the real season. I wouldn't get overly concerned about the defense's performance in preseason.

Q: Hey, Tony: This year will mark the 15th anniversary of "The Move." Share with me what you experienced as the Browns' beat reporter during those dark days. Remember, the Browns were coming off a playoff berth and got off to a strong 3-1 start. Plus, Dan Dierdorf and others picked them to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. From high hopes to the unthinkable, please walk us through a little bit of your journey. -- Roddy Keel, Fayetteville, W.Va.

A: Hey, Roddy: Ah, the memories. I could write a book . . . forget it, it wouldn't sell. Nobody likes unhappy endings, publishers have said. It was the worst period of my time on the Browns beat. It was surreal, like a bad dream unfolding. Seeing Art Modell on that podium in the Baltimore parking lot with the Maryland governor . . . please, don't get me started. It was 100 times worse than "The Decision," I know that.

Q: Hey, Tony: How many games has D'Qwell Jackson played vs. how many he's missed, because it seems like he's always hurt? Maybe it only feels that way because his past two injuries are recent but I always associate durability concerns when thinking of him. I remember wondering when he was asking for a new contract why the Browns wouldn't bring up how many games he's missed and how anyone who misses so much time feels he deserves to be treated like Josh Cribbs (and wouldn't you know it . . . he's hurt again). Whatever happened with his contract dispute? -- Brian Pacetti, Raleigh, N.C.

A: Hey, Brian: Until last season, Jackson had missed five games in three years because of injuries. His injury last year played a role in the team's unwillingness to invest long-term in him. But other factors did, too, including the arrival of a new regime who was unfamiliar with him and the uncertainty of the labor situation. Jackson eventually signed his one-year tender for more than $1.5 million. That's not chump change.

Q: Hey, Tony: With the Browns so thin on the right side of the offensive line, in hindsight, don't you think it would have better served if the Browns had went with another lineman instead of Colt McCoy? Or another need? -- Russ Hayes, East Liverpool, Ohio

A: Hey, Russ: Mike Holmgren's philosophy about quarterbacks is you have to draft them every year, bring one in, to see if he can be developed. You really don't know about a guy until you have him for a year. He feels the risk-reward factor is in the team's favor. If you hit on one, you're golden. If not, so what do you lose -- a special teamer? The Browns would not have taken McCoy if Kentucky defensive tackle Corey Peters was still on the board. The Falcons took him two spots earlier.

Q: Hey, Tony: I remember that Jim Brown was in Kellen Winslow's ear quite a bit when he played here. I also remember hearing about him working with Braylon Edwards. And lets not forget the whole Maurice Clarett thing. It seemed like every time he got involved with a problem child and mentored/counseled him, the behavior got worse instead of better. With as much negativity, bitterness and confrontationalism displayed by Jim before his letter and then in his letter, it is very easy to conclude that his mentoring was mostly encouraging similar behavior in those players and that his presence in the locker room and organization was fanning the flames of player discontent instead of helping put them out. His open support of LeBron and how he handled his departure I believe was the final straw for Mike Holmgren. He wanted such a malignant force out of his locker room. With so much talk focusing on the clash of power between Holmgren and Brown and who Brown answered to, I think we are all missing the ship on the real reason his role was drastically cut. And that is that Jim repeatedly endorsed and encouraged some of the locker room headaches we have seen the past few years. All Holmgren did was proactively stop several future locker room cancers from happening and/or being made worse by getting him out of there. I think that is most of if not everything behind the decision to reduce the role he had with the team.

How poorly he handled it is all after the decision was already made. Unless I missed something, I have not heard this angle yet. What are your thoughts? -- Fernando Fernandez, Parma

A: Hey, Fernando: I know for sure the statements on LeBron James had no bearing. Brown was relieved of his duties two months before he made his statements about James and the Cleveland fans. I think it boils down to this: Holmgren wanted to surround himself with men he was comfortable with and he didn't understand the role Brown was given by Randy Lerner. I will say this: I don't know how Holmgren makes that move with Lerner's approval. So if Brown has a beef, it may be with the wrong person.

Q: Hey, Tony: I made this comment on the cleveland.com site (SEPT 1), but wanted to see if you have any thoughts. I appreciate your work . . . "Randy Lerner is the worst kind of manager . . . Incompetent, overwhelmed, ineffective. He has consistently failed to place his team of GMs, coaches, and players in positions to succeed. His lack of leadership has often resulted in unprofessional, he said/she said bickering up and down the organization (see: Butch Davis, Ron Wolf, George Kokinis, Bernie Kosar, etc.). Whether or not you support the Hall of Famer, Jim Brown, and his right to be a part of the team structure, the verbal agreement that added him to Cleveland's amorphous, makeshift chain of command is yet another example of Lerner's Poor Leadership 101. It is without debate that Lerner has presided over a historically bad decade of Browns football. While I do believe that the right pieces are finally in place, I fear that this invisible, ineffective owner will inevitably lead the Dawg Pound nation astray before too long." -- Brian Kling, Saint Augustine, Fla.

A: Hey, Brian: I've made the statement that the Brown fiasco is Holmgren's "welcome to the Cleveland Browns" moment. I just don't see these things happening to the Steelers, Patriots, Eagles, etc.

Q: Hey, Tony: I propose we throw a ticker-tape parade for the Browns in Public Square if they go 2-0 with wins over Tampa Bay and Kansas City. What do you think? -- AJ Johnson, Mayfield Heights

A: Hey, AJ: I'd reserve the parade for a 2-0 record over the Steelers.

Today Glenville vs. William T. Dwyer (Fla.) What: Nonleague game is part of the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic, noon today, Ohio Stadium, 410 Woody Hayes Drive, Columbus.  Records: Glenville, 1-0; Dwyer, 0-0.  TV/radio: ESPN; WCCD AM/1000. What to watch: This is a big game for defending Florida 4-A (small-school division) state champion Dwyer and Ohio Division I state runner-up Glenville, The Plain...

Today

Glenville vs. William T. Dwyer (Fla.)

What: Nonleague game is part of the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic, noon today, Ohio Stadium, 410 Woody Hayes Drive, Columbus. 

Records: Glenville, 1-0; Dwyer, 0-0. 

TV/radio: ESPN; WCCD AM/1000.

What to watch: This is a big game for defending Florida 4-A (small-school division) state champion Dwyer and Ohio Division I state runner-up Glenville, The Plain Dealer's top-ranked team. Dwyer, ranked No. 11 nationally by USA Today and riding a 14-game winning streak dating back to 2009, edged Miami-Carol City, 25-20, in its final scrimmage after shutting out the opponent in the first three quarters on the strength of highly touted QB Jacoby Brissett, TB Shawn McClaine and WR Tommy Lee Lewis. Nick O'Leary is the grandson of golfer Jack Nicklaus, and he is also one of the top tight ends in the country. LBs Curt Maggitt and Leroy Kelson, DB Darrell Hunter and DL Keith Bowers head the defense on a team that can be its own worst enemy through mistakes and penalties. Glenville, ranked sixth by USA Today, began its season with a 28-21 win at No. 23 Warren (Ind.) Central behind the clutch performance of QB Cardale Jones. Dwyer needs to be concerned with two-way player Shane Wynn, who has the potential to score every time he touches the ball. Nicholas Davis and Evonte Dunn are other capable WRs, while TB Robert Walton Jr. brings balance to the offense. The defense is headed by CB Malik Moore, LB Andre Sturdivant, DE Frank Clark and T Antwan Crutcher, while 6-5, 355-pound Aundrey Walker is a force on both sides of the line. 

PD pick: Glenville.

-- Bob Fortuna

Here's a look at some of the players who could get called to Cleveland when Class AAA Columbus is done with the postseason.

 UPDATED: 6:07 p.m.

SEATTLE, Wash. -- This is a daily briefing of the Indians 2010 regular season. The Indians play the Mariners today in the final game of a four-game series at Safeco Field.

 Safeco Field's dimensions: Left field line 331 feet, left center 390, center field 405, right center 387 and right field line 326. Outfield fence, 8 feet high.

In-game notes:

Score: Mariners 2, Indians 0 after six innings.

You're gone: Indians manager Manny Acta was ejected in the fifth inning for arguing a call at second base. With two out and Josh Wilson on first, Ichiro Suzuki sent a grounder to short. Asdrubal Cabrera, in the midst of a bad game,  grabbed the ball and hit second with his foot in almost one motion.

Second base umpire Hunter Wendlestedt said he missed the bag and called Wilson safe. Cabrera argued and Acta came on the field. Acta voiced his complaint for a few minutes before Wendlestedt ejected him. Acta pleaded his case to crew chief Jerry Layne to no avail.

It was Acta's second ejection this season and fourth of his career. Bench coach Tim Tolman took over the club.

Not you again: Russell Branyan started the sixth with a homer to right to give Seattle a 2-0 lead off Jeanmar Gomez. It was Branyan's third homer of the series and fourth against the Tribe this year. He also hit 10 for the Indians before they traded him to Seattle.

Early lead: Michael Saunders ran his way out of a double play in the second inning to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead.

With one out and Casey Kotchman on third, Saunders sent what appeared to be a DP grounder to second baseman Luis Valbuena. Valbuena flipped to Cabvrera at short for the force, but Cabrera's throw to first pulled Matt LaPorta off the bag as Kotchman scored.

Missed opportunity: Felix Hernandez struck out four of the first seven Indians he faced. Valbuena slapped a single past third with one out in the third and was safe at second when Chone Figgins dropped third baseman Jose Lopez's throw on Chris Gimenez's grounder.

Hernandez, with runners on first and second, retired Michael Brantley on a flby ball to center and struck out Cabrera on a 95 mph fastball.

Somebody catch it: The Tribe caught a break when Figgins sent a foul pop down the left field line that no one caught in the third. The ball was in the air so long it almost grew wings. Most of the time the shortstop handles that kind of ball, but Cabrera was nowhere to be found and Jordan Brown didn't get the best jump on the ball either.

Figgins, given a second chance, singled and stole second. Then with third baseman Jayson Nix moving over in a shift against Russell Branyan, he go greedy and tried to steal third. Jeanmar Gomez kept his cool and made a nice throw to Nix, who got back to the bag in time to make the tag.   

 Pre-game notes:

 Game 137: Manager Manny Acta says "four to five' players could be promoted when Class AAA Columbus is finished with the International League playoffs.

 Here are some candidates:

 -Left-hander David Huff is 8-2 with a 4.36 ERA at Columbus after going 2-11 with the Tribe. Two questions will affect Huff's promotion -- how many times are the Indians going to skip a starter and when do they move Justin Masterson to the bullpen to limit their innings?

 -Left-hander Aaron Laffey was activated and sent to Columbus after going on the disabled list with a tired left shoulder. If he does get promoted, he'll pitch out of the pen.

 -Right-hander Josh Judy impressed Acta in spring training. He's 3-0 with a 2.68 ERA in 38 appearances at Columbus. He has 55 strikeouts and 14 walks in 47 innings.

 -Right-hander Zach McAllister was acquired from the Yankees for Austin Kearns. He's 1-2 in three starts for Columbus and 9-12 with a 5.29 ERA in 27 Triple-A starts overall.

 -Right-hander Vinnie Pestano isn't on the 40-man roster, but he could get a call. He's 1-2 with a 1.59 ERA and 14 saves in 16 chances. He has 58 strikeouts and 14 walks in 45 1/3 innings.

 -Outfielder Nick Weglarz (right thumb), Jeremy Sowers (left shoulder), Bryce Stowell (right forearm) could have been candidates, but they're ending the year on  the disabled list.

 -Indians will probably need a catcher to handle the extra work in the bullpen. Damaso Espino or recently signed Luke Carlin could get a shot.

 The Indians have three farm clubs in the postseason: Columbus, Class A Kinston and Class A Lake County. The minor league regular season ends Monday.

 Lineups:

 Indians (55-81): CF Michael Brantley (L), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (S), RF Shin-Soo Choo (L), DH Travis Hafner (L), 3B Jayson Nix (R), LF Jordan Brown (L), 1B Matt LaPorta (R), 2B Luis Valbuena (L), C Chris Gimenez (R) and RHP Jeanmar Gomez (3-2, 3.08).

 Mariners (53-82): RF Ichiro Suzuki (L), 2B Chone Figgins (S), DH Russell Branyan (L), 3B Jose Lopez (R), 1B Casey Kotchman (L), LF Ryan Langerhans (L), C Adam Moore (R), CF Michael Saunders (L), SS Josh Wilson (R) and RHP Felix Hernandez (10-10, 2.38).

 Umpires: H Jerry Layne, 1B Mike Winter, 2B Hunter Wendlestedt, 3B Brian Runge. Layne, crew chief.

 Quote of the day: "No one can stop a home run. No one can understand what it really is, unless you have felt it in your own hands and body....As the ball makes its high, long arc beyond the playing field, the diamond and the stands suddenly belong to one man. In that brief, brief time, you are free of all demands an complications," Japanese home run king Sadaharu Oh.

 Next: Indians open three-game series against the Angels at Angel Stadium on Monday night. Carlos Carrasco (0-0, 3.68) vs. RHP Dan Haren (2-4, 3.50) Monday at 9:05 p.m.

NFL teams reduced their rosters to the regular season number of 53 players on Saturday. For teams trying to build such as the Browns, though, the roster makeup is fluid.

Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer Browns president Mike Holmgren, coach Eric Mangini and general manager Tom Heckert are likely evaluating roster cuts made around the NFL.

Cleveland, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns and the 31 other NFL teams reduced their rosters to the regular season-size 53 players on Saturday.

For teams trying to build, such as the Browns, the roster remains fluid. James Walker mentions that in his roster cutdown analysis for ESPN.com:

Despite Cleveland establishing its 53-man roster, the Browns should still be active on the waiver wires. This roster overall is not very deep, especially compared to its AFC North counterparts. So the Browns could make some additions in several areas to improve the bottom of their roster. Backups shouldn’t get too comfortable in Cleveland.

Plain Dealer Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot reports that the Browns signed six players today to their practice squad. All six had been cut by the team on Saturday.

Plain Dealer Browns coverage includes beat writer Tony Grossi's report on the Browns' roster cuts; his "Hey, Tony;" columnist Terry Pluto's "Terry's Talkin," columnist Bill Livingston's commentary that only Browns owner Randy Lerner could solve the rift with former Browns great Jim Brown.

The Browns begin their season next Sunday afternoon in Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers.

Jim Brown's fumble

Conversation continues about Jim Brown's plans to not attend the Browns' Ring of Honor ceremony on Sept. 19, and about things Brown has said regarding the situation.

Les Levine writes for the News Herald that the Cavaliers made the right hire with coach Byron Scott, and then addresses the Browns/Brown rift.

Levine writes, referring to Browns owner Randy Lerner:

Lerner provided Brown with a good-sized personal contract, along with sizable contributions to Amer-I-Can, the two believed to total more than $1 million a year. But this never was intended to be a lifetime arrangement, and Brown had to know that.

Because Brown, who once represented Art Modell's Baltimore Ravens ($$$), has a problem with the current management of the Browns, he has forever changed his relationship with the fans and his former teammates, including Leroy Kelly, Paul Warfield, Mike McCormack and Bobby Mitchell, who will also be placed in the ring of honor. While it is their time to shine, the focus probably will be on Brown's absence, unless cooler heads prevail.

Get it right

NBCSports.com features photo galleries of overpaid and underpaid offensive and defensive players around the NFL. Browns starting guard Eric Steinbach, regarded by most as an above-average player, is included among the overpaid offensive players.

If NBC wants to quibble about the money being paid to Steinbach, that's one thing. But its rationale diminishes the credibility of the opinion. The text accompanying Steinbach's photo:

For nearly $6 million, a guy should be guaranteed to start, and the Browns don't have that.

Big dollars

In fact, Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Repository writes about Steinbach's contract. The Browns signed Steinbach, who plays between Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas and promising center Alex Mack, to a seven-year, $49 million contract in 2007.

Doerschuk writes:

Yet, the Browns could have three stars — certainly, that’s what they are paying for. The trick is for them to play to their ability and to function well with right guard Shaun Lauvao and right tackle Tony Pashos.

The shock value of Steinbach’s contract has worn off quickly. This past offseason, the Saints gave left guard Jahri Evans a seven-year, $56.7 million deal.

Evans helped the Saints win a Super Bowl earlier this year. For the Browns, the heavy investment in linemen is just crazy money unless these guys do more than look decent on film.

Be involved

Warren Tribune Chronicle sports editor Ed Puskas comments on the spat between the Browns and Jim Brown.

Puskas writes, with references to Browns owner Randy Lerner and team president Mike Holmgren:

Holmgren essentially tried to reduce the role of a Cleveland icon to that of a ceremonial greeter. Brown bristled at what he considered a demotion and later went public with his complaint. He also played the race card in a letter to the team in which he said he would not attend the team's Ring of Honor ceremonies later this month.

Lerner needs to pay less attention to his Aston Villa soccer team and more to the Browns. He doesn't have to be as hands-on as Jerry Jones or Al Davis, but doing nothing as the relationship between the Browns and the greatest player ever to wear their colors deteriorated is blatant neglect.

Sideline to sideline

A story on linebacker Marcus Benard by Matt Florjancic on ClevelandBrowns.com.

Reports on the Browns roster cuts by Jeff Schudel for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal; Nate Ulrich for the Akron Beacon Journal; Brian Dulik for the Medina County Gazette and Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.

On Scout.com's Orange and Brown Report, Fred Greetham reports on what Browns GM Tom Heckert said about the roster cuts.

A ranking of the NFL's head coaches, 1 to 32, on SportingNews.com.

Nate Ulrich answers a reader's question on the Akron Beacon Journal's Browns blog. 

The Browns signed six players to the practice squad today.

John Kuntz / The Plain DealerLarry Asante was waived Saturday but re-signed to the practice squad today.

CLEVELAND --The Browns today signed the following six players to the practice squad: DB Larry Asante, OL Paul Fanaika, DL Travis Ivey, OL Pat Murray, DL Brian Sanford and DB DeAngelo Smith. All had been waived by the club on Saturday.

Browns general manager Tom Heckert said the Browns might make a few more moves soon after a second wave of cuts takes place today. Teams that are awarded players on waivers have to cut someone to make room, making a new crop available.

He'll take the NFL over college football every day of the week.

Mark Cornelison / Lexington Herald Leader via MCTIn the NFL, even traditionally sad-sack franchises like the New Orleans Saints can win the Super Bowl, as they did in February led by quarterback Drew Brees. Think New Mexico will be winning the BCS title game this century?

The only thing better than football Saturdays are football Sundays. Gripe about the No Fun League all you want. Point out how much more imaginative the game is at Boise State and dozens of other outposts. You'd be right.

Just give me the NFL over college football every day of the week and twice on the Sabbath.

College football has it all in pageantry and tradition. Throw in innovation, mascots, marching bands and fresh-faced cheerleaders, too. There is much to recommend it.

But here's what it also has:

Enough competitive imbalance to tilt the planet off its axis.

It has Oregon 72-0 over New Mexico; Arkansas 44-3 over Tennessee Tech; Georgia 55-7 over Louisiana-Lafayette.

"If you can't get excited about what you saw yesterday," began an ESPN teaser I heard Sunday morning, "turn in your fan card."

Yep. Jacksonville State upsetting Ole Miss was great theater. The effort of Butch Davis' depleted North Carolina Tar Heels against LSU was the definition of great determination.

What else?

Oh yeah, Iowa 37-7 over Eastern Illinois; Florida State 59-6 over Samford; Nebraska 49-10 over Western Kentucky.

I'm not turning in my fan card. Still, watching Marshall try to match athletic ability with Ohio State reminded me of Muhammad Ali dancing circles around Jerry Quarry.

Hopefully, Marshall got enough of a payday to hire a cut man or 10.

This is nothing new, of course. And the reason for careful scheduling hasn't changed. The stakes in big-time college football. The margin for error is so slim compared to that of the NFL.

One loss can ruin a season while 90 percent of the NFL is 6-6 or better with a month to go and, thereby, still alive. I get that. Then again, a playoff might actually remedy the one-pratfall-and-you're-done system.

College football's presidents insist a playoff would put too much strain on "student-athletes." Yet, they'll gladly take that extra revenue game in the regular season, so long as it's Georgia State or Appalachian State.

Marvin Fong / The Plain DealerCollege football has it all over the NFL when it comes to pageantry such as Jack Nicklaus dotting the i in Ohio Stadium in 2006. But the NFL's product is strong enough it can leave pageantry to the colleges and still come out ahead.

They'll embrace the tradition of the bowl games when it benefits their argument. The college football Saturday, one of the greatest of all traditions, was long ago rendered less than sacrosanct. They'll play every night of the week if TV makes it worth their while.

They'll split into divisions, play conference title games. If that still doesn't sufficiently pad the coffers, they'll jump to a more lucrative conference.

It's a professional venture disguised as an amateur pursuit, with much less talent than the NFL.

I'll take competitive balance on a weekly basis over every benefit college football offers.

Every Sunday in the NFL brings legitimate context. You can easily measure teams (that hasn't been the best news for the Browns). Same system. Same chance to add top talent year after year.

Even in-conference, certain college football teams are never going to compete for a title simply because they don't have blue-chip recruits circling overhead waiting to land the way the big-timers do.

I realize my argument carries an elephant-sized hole. Because what I'm telling you is I'm looking forward to 16 Sundays of the Browns, who have pretty much been Samford since they returned in 1999.

I know I should probably take two aspirin, lie down and wait for the feeling to pass. But I don't think it will.

By  Elton Alexander Plain Dealer Reporter Cleveland -- The opening week of Mid-American Conference football gave an early indication that the defenses for Miami, Akron and Kent State could evolve into title timber . . . if their offenses don't wear them out before the leaves begin to fall.  The national story line is how bad Florida's offense was...

By  Elton Alexander
Plain Dealer Reporter

Cleveland -- The opening week of Mid-American Conference football gave an early indication that the defenses for Miami, Akron and Kent State could evolve into title timber . . . if their offenses don't wear them out before the leaves begin to fall. 

The national story line is how bad Florida's offense was against Miami. But the RedHawks had something to do with it. They dominated the time of possession, 34:44 to 25:16, held the Gators to 99 yards rushing and just 212 yards of total offense. The angst is over the three fumbles Florida had. But Miami threw four interceptions in its 34-12 loss. 

The difference was that Florida's offense was able to generate a few big plays. Meanwhile, Miami's stagnant offense could only generate 212 yards of total offense, 'with just 4 yards rushing on 22 attempts. The RedHawks also were sacked twice. 

Zapped Zips: Syracuse is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the nationally ranked No. 4 Gators. So what the Zips' offense displayed against the Orange -- 3 points and 166 yards of total offense in a 29-3 setback -- is cause for immediate concern. 

Akron's defense, however, displayed big-play capability. Defensive end Shawn Lemon must have been notified that Akron only had 11 sacks last season. He recorded one sack for the Zips for minus-9 yards, and returned a fumble 29 yards. Teammate linebacker Brian Wagner returned an interception 34 yards, forced a fumble and had 12 tackles. 

Garder Webb should offer a tonic for the Zips' offense to step forward this week. But after that, SEC's Kentucky and Big Ten's Indiana await. If the offense isn't geared up by then, it will be tough to expect Akron's defense to play at a high level over the course of the season.

Sparks, but no fire: Certainly its 41-10 victory over Murray State last week showed that Kent State has more than its share of big-play weapons. But its 'failures to convert first downs on third-and-short, (1-of-5 on third-and-4 or less) or to sustain many long drives in crunch time, kept a defense -- now minus senior defensive end and sack specialist Monte Simmons with a broken leg for a month -- on the field entirely too long.  </p>

Evidence? There were a combined 10 drives by both teams after Kent took a 34-10 lead with 6:26 left in the third quarter. Only once did KSU mount a drive longer than five plays or 'take more than 2:14 off the clock. Expect upcoming Boston College, Penn State and many MAC teams to make Kent's offense pay if it continually fails to close out games. 

Norman Chad

Nell Redmond / Associated PressSome wonder if the Eagles took a risk by trading Donovan McNabb and going with Kevin Kolb at quarterback. But not Norman Chad, who says Kolb, above, will be the quarterback of this year's Team of Destiny.

In a stunning off-season move, the Philadelphia Eagles dealt quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins. Conventional wisdom says you don't trade your signature superstar to a division rival. Conventional wisdom says three-year backup Kevin Kolb cannot replace McNabb. Conventional wisdom says Eagles coach Andy Reid has made a colossal mistake.

Conventional wisdom can be pretty stupid.

If I have learned nothing else during my checkered five-decade run as an itinerant American, it is that conventional wisdom – particularly the "sage" views of sports-radio talkers, sportswriters and sports bloggers – is consistently wrong. Conventional wisdom not only would've claimed that Moses couldn't part the Red Sea, it would've told him to take the HOV lane to freedom.

Which leads me to my annual NFL Team of Destiny, but first, a word about the noxious, ubiquitous New York Jets.

Raise your hand if you're sick of the Jets yet.

Let me quote Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who, when asked if he had seen "Hard Knocks," responded, "I hate the Jets, so I refuse to support that show."

(After watching 15 minutes of "Hard Knocks," I programmed my TiVo to never record HBO again. Regrettably, this overlapped with my TiVo request to never record Jim Gray again.)

At this very moment, Darrelle Revis is staring at his reflection from the rear-view mirror of his Porsche, Mark Sanchez is stylizing at a magazine photo shoot and Rex Ryan is holding a somewhat profanity-laced press conference on ham radio.

The Jets were gifted a postseason slot last year – you may recall that the then-unbeaten Colts decided to vacate the premises at halftime of their meaningless Week 16 contest against New Jersey's finest – and they proceeded to win two playoff games, which apparently allows Ryan to walk around like Gen. Patton at the Battle of the Bulge.

I can't believe the entire Jets roster hasn't sprained their chests, puffing them out as far as they do.

Anyway, NFL experts are predicting very good things for the Jets, which is yet another reason they are not my Team of Destiny.

Usually, I pick my Team of Destiny off the league's scrap heap and help lead it out of the wilderness; this backfires from time to time – last year's selection, the Detroit Lions, led me into a winter of public humiliation. But this year, I will back the team that conventional wisdom has tossed aside, the perennially playoff-bound Philadelphia Eagles.

Sure, the Eagles have made it to the Super Bowl just once since 1980 and haven't won an NFL title since 1960. But Couch Slouch famously dismisses statistical evidence and depends on intellectual hunches.

(Yes, even with a limited intellect, I am capable of having an intellectual hunch.)

Anyway, dumping Donavan McNabb will not be the ruination of the Eagles.

Kevin Rivoli / Associated PressMany people are predicting big things this year for coach Rex Ryan and the New York Jets, but not the Couch Slouch. Going against conventional wisdom, as always, Norman Chad predicts a disappointing season for the stars of "Hard Knocks.''

(For the record, I have always been a big fan of McNabb. But he will not be able to overcome the karmic kickback of Daniel Snyder. The Redskins owner is a pretty good businessperson and a very rich man; beyond that, his qualities are largely limited to bullying people or hurting people, so – in a rare case of on-the-field-retribution-for-off-the-field injustice – we are in the midst of a 30- or 40-year period in which Washington will be denied a Super Bowl championship.)

The NFC East has three Pro Bowl quarterbacks – McNabb, the Cowboys' Tony Romo and the Giants' Eli Manning – and Kevin Kolb. Kolb will outplay them all. It will be an almost identical situation to 1962, when the film "Lawrence of Arabia" had a cast that included Peter O'Toole, Anthony Quinn and Alec Guinness – and I accurately surmised that unheralded Omar Sharif would out-act them all.

An unassuming Kolb said earlier this summer, "I just want to go out and throw to whoever's open."

Kolb is the anti-Jay Cutler – don't get me started on that guy again; besides, my e-mail box can't handle the load of grammatically challenged ALLCAP messages from Cutler apologists – and, unconventional as it may be, my PBR-induced wisdom has him flying high with the Eagles, your 2010 Team of Destiny on the road to the Super Bowl.

Ask The Slouch

Q: Do you fear that people only look at you as a poker commentator, with no other discernible skills? -- Jan Rice, Greenwood, Ind.

A: It is easy to get pigeonholed. That's why I never went full time into the adult-film industry – it's hard to do a porn flick on Monday, then Shakespeare in the Park on Tuesday.

Q: Can someone explain to me what a balk is? -- Gerald L. Scruggs, Silver Spring, Md.

A: It's what Charlie Sheen does just before he tells a woman that he loves her.

Q: Why are self-checkout lanes closed? -- Russ Meyers, Lothian, Md.

A: You, my friend, have identified an America in decay.

Q: In order to save down time between wives, are you redshirting any future ex-Mrs. Norman Chads? -- Frank Fletcher, Cleveland

A: Pay the man, Shirley.

The Indians were shut out for an AL high 13th time on Sunday. Manager Manny Acta was ejected in the fifth inning.

SEATTLE, Wash. -- Felix Hernandez, the best pitcher in baseball with just 11 victories, threw eight scoreless innings Sunday as Seattle beat the Indians, 3-0, today at Safeco Field.

 It was the 13th time the Indians have been shutout this season and the second time in this four-game series. The Tribe managed a split in spite of the two shutouts.

 In his last six starts Hernandez has allowed one earned run in 45 innings. That he's only 5-1 in those games says a lot about a Seattle offense that is last in runs and batting average in the American League.

 The Indians handed Hernandez his only loss in his last six games. They scored six runs against him on the way to a 9-1 victory on Aug. 15, but all those runs were unearned. Hernandez (11-10, 2.30) was in a different frame of mind on Sunday.

 He held the Indians to four hits, while striking out nine. Hernandez has 209 strikeouts in 219 1/3 innings this season.

 David Aardsma pitched the ninth for his 28th save.

 Tribe manager Manny Acta was ejected in the fifth for arguing a call at second base. With two out and Josh Wilson on first, Ichiro Suzuki sent a grounder to short. Asdrubal Cabrera grabbed the ball and hit second with his foot in almost one motion.

 Second base umpire Hunter Wendlestedt said he missed the bag and called Wilson safe. Cabrera argued as Acta came on the field. Acta voiced his complaint for a few minutes before Wendlestedt ejected him. Acta pleaded his case to crew chief Jerry Layne to no avail.

 It was Acta's second ejection this season and fourth of his career. Bench coach Tim Tolman took over the club.

 Replays showed Cabrera did, indeed, touch the bag.

 Russell Branyan continued to drive the AL's worst offense.

 He started the sixth with a homer to right off Jeanmar Gomez (3-3, 3.07) for a 2-0 lead. It was Branyan's third homer of the series and fourth against the Tribe this year. He also hit 10 for the Indians before they traded him to Seattle.

 In the eighth he doubled home Chone Figgins for a 3-0 lead off Frank Herrmann. Figgins reached on third baseman Jayson Nix's second error of the game. He has nine in 23 games at third for the Tribe.
 
 Michael Saunders ran his way out of a double play in the second inning to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead.

 With one out and Casey Kotchman on third, Saunders sent what appeared to be a DP grounder to second baseman Luis Valbuena. Valbuena flipped to Cabrera at short for the force, but Cabrera's throw to first pulled Matt LaPorta off the bag as Kotchman scored.

Indians lose to Mariners, 3-0, for their 13th shutout loss of the year.

Ted S. Warren / Associated PressCleanup hitter Travis Hafner trudges back to the dugout after one of his three strikeouts Sunday in a 3-0 loss to the Mariners in Seattle.

Seattle, Wash. -- Manny Acta has this saying about shutouts. He may change a few words here and there, but the meaning stays the same.

The bad thing is he's said it way too many times this season. How many times would that be? Try an American League-leading 13.

No. 13 arrived Sunday courtesy of Felix Hernandez and Dave Aardsma as they combined on a four-hitter in Seattle's 3-0 victory over the Indians at Safeco Field. The Indians managed to split the four-game series despite being shut out in the second and last games of the series.

"I don't care about getting shut out," said Acta. "I've told you that 100 times already.

"If I win 100 games, I don't care if the 62 losses are shutouts. What I care about is winning and losing. We got shut out by Felix Hernandez. It wasn't Joe Blow off the streets. This guy could shut out the 1927 Yankees when he's on."

Regarding winning and losing, the Indians lost for the 82nd time Sunday. They're 55-82 and have 25 games left to play. They need to win at least eight of those to avoid losing 100 games for the first time since 1991.

Hernandez (11-10, 2.30) is the best pitcher in baseball with only 11 victories. He held the Indians to four hits over eight innings. He struck out nine, including cleanup hitter Travis Hafner three times.

The Indians three, four and five hitters, Shin-Soo Choo, Hafner and Jayson Nix, struck out a combined six times against Hernandez. For the season, Hernandez leads the big leagues with 209 strikeouts.

Ted S. Warren / Associated PressIndians manager Manny Acta knows a mismatch when he sees it. Seattle starter Felix Hernandez, above, "was just way too much for us'' Acta said after Hernandez struck out nine Indians and held them to four hits in eight innings.

"Felix was just way too much for us," said Acta. "We're not really a good match-up with him. We're second in the league in strikeouts and he's on top in strikeouts. He was tough."

It was a tough game all the way around for the Indians. Nix, who is still using training wheels at third base, made two more errors. He has nine in 23 games at third for the Tribe.

In the fifth Acta was ejected for arguing a call at second base. With two out and Josh Wilson on first, Ichiro Suzuki sent a grounder to short. Asdrubal Cabrera grabbed the ball and hit second with his foot in almost one motion.

Umpire Hunter Wendlestedt said he missed the bag and called Wilson safe. Cabrera argued as Acta came on the field. Acta voiced his complaint for a few minutes before Wendlestedt ejected him. Acta pleaded his case to crew chief Jerry Layne to no avail.

It was Acta's second ejection this season. Bench coach Tim Tolman took over the club.

Replays showed Cabrera did touch the bag.

"The replays clearly showed he blew the play," said Acta. "I just went out there to argue the play and keep him away from Cabrera. I felt he was very aggressive. I still don't know why I got thrown out. I wasn't even facing him."

Last year Hernandez won 19 games and probably should have won the AL Cy Young, but it went to 16-game winner Zack Greinke. This year he's having another great year except for victories. A lot of that is a byproduct of Seattle having the worst offense in the AL.

Jeanmar Gomez (3-3, 3.07) allowed two runs in six innings in the loss. He gave up a run in the second when Cabrera made a bad throw to first on what should have been an inning-ending double play. Russell Branyan made it 2-0 with a leadoff homer in the sixth.

Branyan, who doubled home Seattle's third run in the eighth, has a power connection with the Tribe. He hit 10 with the Indians at the start of the year before they traded him to Seattle. He hit three in this series and four for the year against the Tribe.

He has 23 homers overall.

"Branyan did his part when he was playing for us," said Acta. "Now he's over here doing what he does best -- hitting for power."

Gomez struck out three and allowed seven hits. He threw 69 percent of his pitches (70-for-102) for strikes.

"He did what we wanted him to do," said Acta. "He kept them close to us because we knew Felix was going to be stingy when it came to giving up runs."

Aardsma pitched the ninth for his 28th save.

Miami is still trying to get back to being the powerhouse it was before its loss to the Buckeyes in the classic 2002 season national title game. OSU hosts Miami on Saturday.

AP photo of Plain Dealer pageFront page of the Jan. 4, 2003 final edition of the Plain Dealer shows Ohio State players celebrating their national title game win over Miami.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Some college football experts consider Ohio State's 31-24, double-overtime win over Miami (Fla.) in the 2003 season national championship game among the sports' greatest upsets.

Even though both teams went into the game unbeaten. After all, Miami was the defending national champion and riding a 34-game winning streak.

Still, Miami struggles to restore the energy and momentum it brought into that memorable Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes host Miami on Saturday in Ohio Stadium, and Bill Rabinowitz writes for the Columbus Dispatch that the Hurricanes are making strides toward again becoming a national power.

Mostly, Rabinowitz details Miami's decline. He refers to Miami's coach that night against OSU, Larry Coker:

A number of factors conspired to knock the Hurricanes off their pedestal atop college football.

Part of it is simply the cyclical nature of sports. As hard as it can be to reach the top, it's harder to remain there. There's a reason dynasties are so rare.

Complacency can set in, and other teams try harder to find chinks in the armor.

In Miami's case, the downfall began with recruiting. Under Coker, too many recruits didn't pan out.

"If you look at some of the players we recruited, we recruited a lot of really, really very good 'name' kids," Coker said. "Some were injured. Some were not as good as we hoped they would be. Some didn't qualify to get into school. Those are things that happen to everybody. That's what makes it so difficult to win year-in and year-out."

Plain Dealer Ohio State coverage includes PD OSU beat writer Doug Lesmerises' story on the trouble encountered by former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett, and the tragedy of the late Sean Taylor, a star Miami defensive back, since their teams met in the 2002 season national championship game. Lesmerises also writes about Buckeyes linebacker Brian Rolle.

Ohio State routed Marshall, 45-7, in its season opener on Thursday night. Miami clouted Florida A&M, 45-0, in its first game on Saturday. 

Better than advertised

Ohio State players from the 2002 season national championship team aren't about to forget the Fiesta Bowl win over Miami. Ken Gordon of the Columbus Dispatch writes about some of their memories:

Former Buckeyes defensive tackle Tim Anderson prefers to go back to the first Miami snap, when defensive end Will Smith sacked quarterback Ken Dorsey.

"I remember (the Hurricanes) were all looking at each other, like, 'These guys might be a little better than we thought they would be,'" Anderson said.

Really, that was the motivating factor for most Ohio State players entering that game, in which they were about two-touchdown underdogs. The pregame story line was all about No. 1 Miami's speed-laden lineup.

But the No. 2 Buckeyes had survived a gauntlet of close games to come in 13-0, and they brought something intangible into the title contest.

"We didn't play the prettiest style," Krenzel said, "but we were gritty - physically and mentally tough. We delighted in proving people wrong."

Regrets

Players from the 2002 Miami team still remember how things didn't go as planned for them.

Susan Miller Degnan writes for the Miami Herald:

Houston Texans tackle Eric Winston, 26, was a freshman tight end/fullback for UM that season. He remembers the feeling well. Winston played in about 25 plays of the Fiesta Bowl, including one -- in UM's last-gasp series -- where a play-action pass from Dorsey was intended for him in the end zone but was overthrown.

``I wish I could have caught it,'' Winston said last week. ``Being a freshman I never really got the understanding of the significance of that game. We never got back to a game like that afterward. That national title game had such a special feel to it. It's still frustrating to me.

``There are so many weird things that happened in that game you'll never see again in a championship -- having a star with a significant injury like that, the ups and downs, the strips and fumbles. The strange calls for both teams.''

Overtime

Now, Ohio State players are finally able to talk about Miami, writes Matt Markey for the Toledo Blade.

Cory McCartney of Sports Illustrated's SI.com wrote earlier this week about potential Heisman Trophy candidates, including Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

"Mr. Bucknuts" writes about Ohio State on bucknuts.com.

Video with ESPN.com Big Ten blogger Adam Rittenberg discussing the Ohio State-Miami game.

Clarett, Taylor faced tough times after Fiesta Bowl.

Columbus -- The play lasted six, maybe seven seconds. Fifteen strides took Miami safety Sean Taylor from the end zone, where he had intercepted a Craig Krenzel pass, to the 29-yard line, where he suddenly found Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett ripping the football from his right arm.

"Clarett has stolen the ball," ABC analyst Dan Fouts shouted. "Maurice Clarett with the play of the game perhaps."

That third-quarter turn of events will come alive again this week as one of the critical moments from Ohio State's 31-24 double overtime victory over Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, the game that gave the Buckeyes their first national title in 34 years. The long-awaited rematch between Ohio State and Miami takes place Saturday in Ohio Stadium, seven years and eight months later.

That's a long time -- long enough for Clarett to have already come through Ohio State a second time as part of his second chance. It was a surreal reunion for a player whose one-time accusations could have brought the Ohio State football program down if an NCAA investigation had found enough evidence.

"I think most people in the university community believed in the notion of second chances," said John Bruno, an Ohio State professor and the faculty representative to the athletic department, "that a young guy made a couple of significant mistakes, paid the price for them and has changed considerably."

So Clarett, whose NFL career flamed out in training camp with the Denver Broncos in 2005, is back in football after 31/2 years in prison. His second act in the game is scheduled to get under way when the minor-league Omaha Nighthawks of the six-team United Football League begin their season on Sept. 24.

Sean Taylor, a former All-Pro safety with the Washington Redskins, is dead, shot in his own bedroom on Nov. 26, 2007. He died the next day. The trial for the defendants accused of murdering Taylor during a robbery attempt has been continued several times and is now scheduled for Oct. 19.

Clarett was once accused of a gun crime, sentenced in September 2006 on robbery and weapons charges, then released to a halfway house in April of this year.

Taylor was once accused of a gun crime, an aggravated assault charge in 2005 that was later dropped after a long legal battle. That past had nothing to do with his murder, his friends saying Taylor had changed his life long before a gunshot ended it.

It's Clarett whose second chance lives on as fans from Miami and Ohio State revisit his most memorable night as a player. OSU senior linebacker Brian Rolle, for one, said he watched a replay of the 2003 Fiesta Bowl in recent weeks, and once again shook his head at Clarett's play on Taylor.

"I was like, 'Man, he's a beast,' " Rolle said. "Nobody else on that field would have done that. That lets you know what kind of player he was."

Like many Buckeyes, Rolle ran across Clarett before he left for Omaha, Neb., as Clarett was re-admitted to Ohio State for summer classes and worked out regularly in OSU's weight room. Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel, who helped get Clarett back on campus, also wrote a letter to the courts on Clarett's behalf before a judge ruled Clarett would be able to leave Ohio for a tryout in Omaha.

"We all make mistakes, and some are different mistakes than others," Tressel told reporters in July as Clarett returned to classes. "There are always consequences for whatever the mistake is, but if you take care of that, usually the world is a forgiving world."

Clarett seemed to find that in his limited interactions with current players over the summer, some of whom remembered him from their younger days as Ohio State fans.

"He was my hero when I was in eighth grade watching him win a championship," OSU senior linebacker Ross Homan said. "He's an unbelievable person, and he really gave us words of wisdom on how to approach the season."

"He's in a situation where he's gone though a lot of things in his life, and you learn from everything," said OSU receiver Dane Sanzenbacher, who said he spoke with Clarett a few times. "He seems like he never left. He's a nice guy, and I don't have a bad thing to say about him."

Clarett wouldn't talk about his past when meeting with reporters in Omaha for five minutes last week. But Tressel understands what the past has done for Clarett's attitude toward football.

"I think it's probably something that he thought about and that he missed and that he knows it's short-lived," Tressel said.

Remembering that play from the Fiesta Bowl proves how tragically true that can be.

The Indians' starting pitching is starting to improve.

Ted S. Warren / Associated PressTribe starter Jeanmar Gomez allowed two runs in six innings Sunday, another quality start for the Indians' pitching staff.

Seattle -- The Indians still aren't winning a whole lot of games, but their starting pitching is getting better.

Rookie right-hander Jeanmar Gomez allowed two runs in six innings in Sunday's 3-0 loss to Seattle. Gomez filled in for Justin Masterson, who left the team because of a family matter. It's the sixth time in eight big-league starts that Gomez has allowed two or fewer runs.

In the four-game series with the Mariners, Indians starters Josh Tomlin, Fausto Carmona, Mitch Talbot and Gomez went 2-2 with a 2.03 ERA (six earned runs in 26 innings). They did it against the lowest scoring team in the American League, but the numbers still count.

In the last 11 games, Tribe starters are 4-3 with a 3.21 ERA (25 earned runs in 70 innings).

"Our starting pitching continues to give us a chance," said manager Manny Acta. "These guys are going out there. They're getting deep into the game and not allowing the other team to jump on top of us and force us to use the bullpen.

"It's a nice trend so far. In this series, the four starters threw the ball well. I hope we can take this into Anaheim and build on it."

Tomlin, Carmona, Talbot and Gomez threw quality starts against Seattle -- allowing three or fewer runs in six innings. Tomlin, Talbot and Gomez threw at least 67 percent of their pitches for strikes. Carmona, who lost 1-0 Friday, threw 61 percent (63-for-103) of his pitches for strikes.

Head to head: Asdrubal Cabrera and Seattle right-hander Felix Hernandez had a good give-and-take going Sunday.

In the first inning, Cabrera sent a liner back to the mound that Hernandez had to catch in self-defense. If he didn't, the ball would have been in center field for a single.

Advantage, Hernandez.

In the eighth, Cabrera lined another ball straight at Hernandez. This time it knocked him over as Cabrera beat out an infield hit.

Advantage, Cabrera.

It was Cabrera's second career hit in 11 at-bats against Hernandez.

"He was pretty good," said Cabrera, referring to Hernandez's eight scoreless innings. "I was afraid I'd hit him [with the second line drive]. He's very aggressive. He likes to intimidate hitters." Stop thief: Indians catchers have done a good job slowing the opposition's running game this season.

Lou Marson leads AL catchers with a 33.9 (20-for-59) percent success rate throwing out potential base stealers. Backup Chris Gimenez is at 30 percent (7-for-23) and Carlos Santana, before he was injured, threw out 29 percent (9-for-31) of the base stealers he faced.

First base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. is the Indians' catching instructor.

Alomar stresses footwork first because "your arm is always going to be there." He has Marson and Gimenez turn double plays at second base to get their feet and hands working together.

Marson has been a catcher since his senior year in high school. He knows the ins and outs of the position.

Gimenez is a utility player, who is still new to catching.

"I used to reach out to get the ball," said Gimenez, 1-for-3 throwing out runners Sunday against Seattle. "Sandy has worked with me to wait until the ball gets to me, catch it and then push the ball and the glove into my throwing hand.

"It's a continuous arm motion and it has locked everything in for me. I feel like everything is synched up."

Said Alomar: "He's been doing a good job. The most important thing is to be accurate. That's the thing I try to tell all our catchers, 'Don't try to rush. Just keep your same composed throw all the time and eventually you're going to be throwing guys out.' " Finally: The Indians made three errors, two by third baseman Jayson Nix and one by Cabrera, to give them 103 for the season. Cabrera has 10 and Nix 14. He's made nine with the Indians.

A former Browns player, the club's founder, and two Olympians headline the inductees into the 34th Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame. Eight athletes and sports contributors will be inducted during ceremonies and a banquet on Sept. 23 at Landerhaven in Mayfield. Included are Browns defensive back Ernie Kellerman, Browns founder Arthur B. "Mickey" McBride, and Olympic rower Caldwell...

A former Browns player, the club's founder, and two Olympians headline the inductees into the 34th Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame.

Eight athletes and sports contributors will be inducted during ceremonies and a banquet on Sept. 23 at Landerhaven in Mayfield. Included are Browns defensive back Ernie Kellerman, Browns founder Arthur B. "Mickey" McBride, and Olympic rower Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. For ticket information, visit clevelandsportshalloffame.com or call 216-682-0141.

Here are the inductees:

Roger Davis -- Solon High's Davis played on Syracuse's 1959 national championship team with Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis. He was a first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears and played on the Bears' 1963 championship team.

Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. -- Cleveland Heights native won a gold medal as a member of Yale's rowing crew at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.

Ernie Kellermann -- Bedford High and Miami (Ohio) product was a three-time all-Mid-American Conference quarterback, then played safety for the Browns for five years, making the Pro Bowl in 1968. The Browns won division titles in four of the years he played.

Mike Macenko -- Known in national softball circles as the greatest home run hitter of all-time. Played for several Cleveland teams, then went to the pros and played on three ISA World Championship teams. Was the MVP of the 1987 series, and was named to six all-world teams. Holds the record for the highest batting average in the ISA World Series at .920.

Katie Class Marquard -- Westlake resident is a two-time Olympian and a member of the U.S. Speedskating Hall of Fame. She was a bronze medalist at 500 meters in the 1987 World Championships and finished the 1986-87 season at number three in the 1,500 meter World Cup rankings. She was executive director of US Speedskating for 16 years.

Arthur B. "Mickey" McBride -- As founding owner of the Cleveland Browns, he hired Paul Brown as coach. A prominent Cleveland businessman, McBride was also founder of the Yellow Cab Co. The football term "taxi squad" was coined for his inactive roster of players who temporarily drove taxis for Yellow Cab.

Buddy Schultz -- Led his Shaw Cardinals to the 1968 state championship by throwing shutouts in the semifinal and final games, played 20 minutes apart. Set an NCAA record that still stands at Miami (Ohio) with 26 strikeouts in one game, then played five years in the big leagues, highlighted by a 2.33 ERA in 1977 for the St. Louis Cardinals, third lowest in the National League.

Jack Staph -- Has been the chairman and the driving force of the Cleveland Marathon since its inception in 1977. Through the years the race has drawn more than 250,000 runners.

Hard-throwing Hagadone, acquired from Boston in the Victor Martinez trade, has pitched more innings for Akron and Kinston this season than he did in his first three injury-plagued seasons combined.

Photo courtesy of the Greenville NewsNick Hagadone pitching for Boston's minor league Greenville Drive team just before being traded to the Indians' organization in July, 2009.

FARM REPORT

AAA Columbus Clippers

Mud Hens 9, Clippers 1 Toledo's Scott Sizemore led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run, and things didn't get any better for Clippers right-hander Paolo Espino (3-3, 5.62), who gave up eight runs on 10 hits in four innings of the International League game. DH Wes Hodges (.270) slugged his 15th homer for the Clippers' run. Toledo right-hander Thad Weber (2-1, 1.64) gave up Hodges home run, but only six hits and one walk in seven innings to get the win.

AA Akron Aeros

SeaWolves 1, Aeros 0 Erie right-handed starter Brooks Brown gave up just two Aeros' hits in six innings, and Brandon Jones doubled home the only run in the bottom of the fifth inning of the Eastern League game. Aeros righty starter Steven Wright (2-2, 4.31) took the loss, giving up five hits in five innings, with five strikeouts and one walk. Catcher Miguel Perez (.281) had two of Akron's four hits, including a double, but couldn't prevent the Aeros' fifth straight loss.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Indians 1, Nationals 0 Indians right-handed starter Marty Popham (seven innings, eight strikeouts, two walks), left-handed reliever and winner Chris Jones (two innings, one walk, two strikeouts, 4-3, 2.39) and righty reliever Cory Burns (one inning, two strikeouts, 30th save, 1.83) combined on a 10-inning no-hitter in the Carolina League game at Potomac (Woodbridge, Va.). Indians OF Abner Abreu (.252) singled leading off the top of the 10th inning, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by SS Juan Diaz (.267) and scored on DH Doug Pickens' (.248) line single.

A Lake County Captains

Captains 8-1, Lansing Lugnuts 6-3 In the opener, shortstop Casey Frawley (.263, 13 home runs) slugged a three-run home run in the Captains' three-run third inning and a RBI single as Lake County scored five times in the bottom of the fifth. OF Jonathan Burnette drilled his first homer, a two-run blast, in the fifth inning. The Captains managed just one hit in the nightcap off Lugnuts righty Daniel Webb, a two-out single by Jonathan Burnette in the bottom of the seventh inning. Both games were seven innings, the doubleheader necessitated by Saturday night's postponement because of wet grounds. The Captains scored off Webb in the first inning with the help of two wild pitches and an error.

Notes: Outfielder Tyler Holt (.303) is 11-of-28 (.393) in his last 10 games, with four doubles, one triple, 10 walks, five runs, four RBI and three stolen bases....LHP Giovanni Soto took the loss in the second game, giving up three runs on five hits and a walk in four innings, with four strikeouts. Soto, 19, is 3-2 with a 3.77 ERA in six starts with the Captains since the Indians acquired him from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Jhonny Peralta. In a combined 22 games -- all starts -- for the Captains and Detroit's Class A West Michigan team, Soto is 9-8 with a 2.93 ERA and two shutouts. He has struck out 107, walked 36 and held batters to a .237 average in 113 2/3 innings.

A Mahoning Valley Scrappers

Jamestown Jammers 10, Scrappers 9 The host Scrappers finished their season 30-46, despite getting two doubles and a single from 2B Tyler Cannon (.201), a grand slam homer and two singles from 1B Jesus Aguilar (.244) and a two-run homer, double and single from LF Anthony Gallas (.235).

Notes: Aguilar was 14-of-29 (.483) with three doubles, a homer and 10 RBI in his last seven games....3B Giovanny Urshela (.290) was 10-of-33 (.303) with five RBI in his last eight games.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers 8, Kings 0 Right-hander Matthew Smith (10-7, 3.66) pitched a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts and four walks as the host Crushers finished their Frontier League season 50-46 and with an eight-game winning streak. The Crushers, 2009 league champions, got two hits each from CF Dom Duggan (.231), LF Raphael Turner (.193) and catcher Julio Rivera (.181).

Notes: Third baseman Andrew Davis led the Crushers with a .285 batting average, 10 home runs and 61 RBI....RHP Josh Roberts (10-5, 2.62) tied Matthew Smith for the team lead in wins, and led the starters in ERA. RH reliever Jeff Cinadr finished 4-3 with eight saves and a 2.21 ERA, and RH Alberto Rolon finished 3-4 with seven saves and a 2.65 ERA. Rolon's first 22 appearances were in relief; his last 10 as a starter.

Cleveland Browns General Manager admits the torn knee ligament suffered by rookie running back Montario Hardesty is disappointing, but says the team does not regret trading up to draft him in the second round.

Tony Dejak / Associated PressMontario Hardesty, who suffered several injuries in college, is helped off the field after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the exhibition finale on Thursday. He was placed on injured reserve and is out for the season.

Browns General Manager Tom Heckert defended his decision to draft Montario Hardesty despite the running back's injury history, but he admitted it was a little risky.

Hardesty suffered a torn left anterior cruciate ligament in the final preseason game against the Bears and is on injured reserve for the season. He will undergo surgery, then embark on an estimated 9- to 12-month rehabilitation process.

"Was it riskier than a guy that had never been injured?" Heckert said Sunday on a conference call. "Yeah, but we felt comfortable when we took him that he was going to be OK. We obviously brought him in for physicals and we spent a lot of time with our doctors, and we felt comfortable doing that."

The Browns traded a third-round pick and two picks in the fifth round to move up to take Hardesty in the second round with the 59th overall choice. Heckert says the team is confident that Hardesty can come back next year. He also had surgery to repair a torn right ACL as a freshman at the University of Tennessee in 2005 and had the knee drained last season. But it didn't stop him from rushing for 1,345 yards and 13 TDs in 2009. Hardesty also had a left knee scope, a stress fracture in his foot and a high ankle sprain while at Tennessee.

"I'm sure everybody says this all the time, but the doctor said it was strictly the ACL and the rest of the knee looked good," said Heckert. "We're treating it as a normal ACL. We're confident that he can come back and be fine."

He said the team has no regrets about letting Hardesty play Thursday night against the Bears despite only two full practices in shorts leading up to the game. He had missed the rest of preseason with a right bone bruise suffered in the rookie portion of camp. It happened in a tackling drill, but not during contact. The decision to play him was a joint one among coach Eric Mangini, Heckert and team President Mike Holmgren.

"It was something that we all talked about," said Heckert. "He hadn't taken a hit. Obviously he had a knee thing, but it wasn't the [same] knee that he hurt. It was bad, but it wasn't like he re-injured his knee. No. We had no questions.

"And Montario was on board as well. He wanted to play and we felt comfortable with him going out there and playing. It's just one of those things that happen. They happen every year."

He could not confirm several reports that Hardesty was flagged during the draft because of microfracture surgery on his right knee. Microfracture involved drilling small holes in the knee to spur the growth of a cartilage-like substance.

"I'm not real sure," he said. "I'd have to go back and look. But I really don't want to get into what surgery he had or didn't have."

Heckert acknowledged the loss of Hardesty is "a blow."

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerJames Davis went into the last exhibition game seemingly on the bubble as far as making the Browns' roster. But an injury to Montario Hardesty and a good performance by Davis suddenly has him in the mix at running back as the Browns prepare for Sunday's opener in Tampa.

"We expected him to be here and he's not," Heckert said. "But I think James Davis played very well in the last game and he had a good preseason last year, and he was a guy that obviously the Browns liked when they drafted him and he was a guy that we liked in Philadelphia, so we think he can be a productive player.

"Right now, with [Jerome] Harrison and him -- and Peyton Hillis obviously had a good preseason . . . we're comfortable there."

Davis finished the preseason first in rushing with 103 yards on 26 carries (4.0 average), Hillis was second with 80 yards on 21 carries (3.8) and a TD, and Harrison was third with 72 yards on 23 carries (3.1) and a TD.

Heckert said Hillis' preseason performance helps take the edge off Hardesty's loss.

"There's no question," he said. "And I think with James' performance it's the same way. Peyton is a proven running back. Whatever happened in Denver last year where he wasn't getting as many carries [I don't know]. But when [former coach Mike] Shanahan was there, he got the ball. I think he can run the football. And James Davis has played well in training camp and the preseason. We have three very capable backs."

Heckert addressed a number of other topics in his 25-minute conference call:

On Shaun Rogers being ready for the opener: "He's going to start practicing here this week, and we think he's going to be ready to play. We'll have to wait and see how he practices, but we're expecting him to be out there. [Including John St. Clair and Floyd Womack], we expect them all to be ready to go for the first week."

On D'Qwell Jackson's return: "We think he's going to be back sooner rather than later [possibly two to three weeks]. But the exact date, I'm not quite sure on that."

On more roster moves: "There will be another round of cuts today [after teams claim players and need to make room] and we'll just have to see who's going to be available."

On carrying 12 linebackers: "Twelve is a lot of linebackers, but with D'Qwell obviously not going to be ready for the first couple of games, or whenever he's going to be ready, that obviously factors into it. We'll have to wait and see the next couple of days."

On having three cornerbacks: "We think we have four because we throw Mike Adams in there as a two-way player. Mike started [the last six games] at corner last year. That's something we're looking at, but with Mike, we think we're OK right now."

On other receivers: Heckert said the team isn't interested in former Bengals and Seahawks receiver T.J. Houshmanzadeh, and wouldn't say if the Browns were the team that thought it had a deal Saturday for San Diego receiver Vincent Jackson.

On Nick Sorensen's concussion: "We're going to let our doctors handle that one, but we don't think it's going to be a very long time [before he's back]. He's doing well. He really is."

On the team's chances this season: "I think we're going to compete, I really do. We all said this when we came in here. This is not going to be a rebuilding deal where we're just going to wipe everybody out and start all over. But we think we have a chance to compete and that's our goal."

Signed to practice squad: The Browns signed six players to the practice squad: DB Larry Asante, OL Paul Fanaika, DL Travis Ivey, OL Pat Murray, DL Brian Sanford and DB DeAngelo Smith. All had been waived by the club Saturday. McDonald to Cards: Cornerback Brandon McDonald was claimed by the Arizona Cardinals. He'll be reunited with newly installed starter Derek Anderson. McDonald tweeted: "I'm officially a Arizona Cardinal. Thanks fa all da support and thanks fa da opportunity to b apart of somethn #great...ITS TRU."

Associated Press Hampton, Ga. -- Tony Stewart raced to his first victory of the year, pulling away from Carl Edwards off the final restart Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Stewart beat Edwards by 1.316 seconds for his first victory since Oct. 4, 2009, at Kansas, leaving Edwards winless since the 2008 season finale.  Jimmie Johnson was third, followed by...

Associated Press

Hampton, Ga. -- Tony Stewart raced to his first victory of the year, pulling away from Carl Edwards off the final restart Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

Stewart beat Edwards by 1.316 seconds for his first victory since Oct. 4, 2009, at Kansas, leaving Edwards winless since the 2008 season finale. 

Jimmie Johnson was third, followed by Jeff Burton and Kyle Busch. 

Ten drivers have now clinched spots in the 12-man Chase for the Sprint Cup championship going into the final race before the playoff begins, led by points leader Kevin Harvick. 

The final caution of the night came out after Ryan Newman made contact with Kasey Kahne, nearly causing a crash on the backstretch. 

Stewart was out front when the green came back out with 19 laps to go, and he zoomed off the line to beat Edwards into the first corner. From there, the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevy steadily pulled away. 

What's going on at your high school? Go to cleveland.com/yourspace to send your pictures of varsity teams from your school. We'll publish the best picture each Tuesday in The Plain Dealer, and the entire photo gallery is featured on cleveland.com. Want your photo featured online or in the newspaper? Click here to get started!

What's going on at your high school? Go to cleveland.com/yourspace to send your pictures of varsity teams from your school. We'll publish the best picture each Tuesday in The Plain Dealer, and the entire photo gallery is featured on cleveland.com.

Want your photo featured online or in the newspaper? Click here to get started!

After pressing for access for more than 20 years, paddlers are running the Ohiopyle Falls in plain sight in a three-week trial that ended Sunday. If boaters follow safety guidelines, the park plans to let them plunge over the falls along the Youghiogheny River again at certain times each day next summer.

View full sizeJean DuBail, The Plain Dealer, FileRafters prepare to put in for a trip on Pennsylvania's Youghigheny River that will involve lots of white water -- but not shooting over a waterfall.

DANIEL LOVERING, New York Times

OHIOPYLE, Pa. -- For decades, kayakers and other whitewater boaters were prohibited by park safety rules from paddling over the crest of an 18-foot waterfall in this scenic corner of southwestern Pennsylvania.

But it was just too tempting, so daredevil paddlers simply slipped over Ohiopyle Falls at night to avoid being seen.

"We couldn't catch them," said Stacie Faust, the assistant manager at Ohiopyle State Park, about 50 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

Now, however, after pressing for access for more than 20 years, paddlers are running the falls in plain sight in a three-week trial that ends Sunday. If boaters follow safety guidelines, the park plans to let them plunge over the falls along the Youghiogheny River again at certain times each day next summer.

The paddlers' battle for the falls began when a North Carolina advocacy group, American Whitewater, started lobbying the park in the 1980s, eventually obtaining one-day permits in 1999 for "Over the Falls" festivals each summer.

"We were able to demonstrate that quite a few people can paddle the falls in a manner that's responsible, that provides a level of safety that ultimately the park was able to get some level of comfort around," said Mark Singleton, the group's executive director.

The policy barring boaters from the falls had been in place since the late 1960s.

Since the start of the one-day festivals, paddlers have hurtled over the falls about 15,000 times, said Barry Adams, an American Whitewater volunteer who helps organize the annual event.

The park's new policy has attracted hundreds more in recent weeks. More than 300 boaters ran the falls in the week after the park opened access Aug. 22.

Browns nosetackle Shaun Rogers returned to practice today on a limited basis and could be ready for the opener in Tampa on Sunday.

Cleveland Browns' defensive lineman Shaun Rogers practiced with the team for the first time today and might be ready for the opener.

CLEVELAND -- Browns nosetackle Shaun Rogers practiced for the time today after missing the entire preseason with a surgically-repaired lower leg.

Coach Eric Mangini said "I can see him playing on Sunday'' vs. Tampa in the opener.

Rogers was on the field for the first 30 minutes of practice open to the media.  Most of the team drills take place after the practice is closed, so it's unknown where he lined up or how much.

Mangini made it clear, though, that current starting nosetackle "Ahtyba Rubin has earned the right to play and Rubin will play. He's done an exceptional job.''

Mangini said Rogers can play either nose or end and may rotate in at both. He said his practice time should increase as the week goes along.

In other Browns news:

* Right tackle John St. Clair is back after a couple of weeks away for a personal reason.

* Not practicing today were tight end Robert Royal,  safety Nick Sorensen, guard Floyd Womack and linebacker D'Qwell Jackson.

* The Browns added receiver Jordan Norwood and running back Andre Anderson to the practice squad. Norwood rejoins the Browns after signing as an undrafted free agent on May 1, 2009. He was waived on September 5, 2009 and spent 13 weeks on Philadelphia’s practice squad last year. He appeared in one game as a member of the active roster.  Anderson signed with Oakland as an undrafted free agent out of Tulane in April and spent time with Buffalo before being waived on September 4.