Cleveland Cavaliers center Brendan Haywood chose to go to North Carolina specifically to play for legendary coach Dean Smith.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Cavaliers center Brendan Haywood chose to go to North Carolina specifically to play for legendary coach Dean Smith. Haywood never got that chance, as Smith retired before Haywood's freshman year, but that didn't change the impact Smith made on Haywood's life and basketball career.

"Coach Smith was just a great basketball mind," Haywood said Sunday afternoon. "Biggest thing about Coach Smith to me is that he cared about people individually. It was more than basketball. He was one of the few coaches that it wasn't about wins and losses. It was about developing you as a man. He took the time to learn about you. He would help people no matter what."

Smith died Saturday night at the age of 83.

He left his imprint on the game. Smith was an innovator, creating the Four Corners offense that led to the creation of the shot clock. He was a fierce competitor, winning two national championships and finishing his career with 979 wins, which is currently fourth on college basketball's all-time list. He coached the likes of Michael Jordan and James Worthy, and Smith's players have been scattered throughout the NBA.

But his reach extends even further, according to Haywood, who is now in his 13th NBA season.

"You know about all the Carolina guys that play in the league, but no one knows all the stuff he did to help the Carolina guys that didn't play in the league," he said. "He helped them get jobs. He helped so many guys get on their feet and in position where they can be successful parts of society today. Everybody is going to be sad to see him go. He was more than just basketball to anybody that knew him."

Haywood arrived on campus in 1997 as an unpolished but talented freshman coming off an appearance in the McDonald's All-American Game. He had his choice of colleges, but decided the Tar Heels were the best fit.

"He basically sold the university by academic experience, family atmosphere. How once you were a part of this Carolina family you're family for life," Haywood said about Smith's message during recruitment. "Then, of course, the basketball aspect with how well they do with big men. For me, it was a trifecta. I'm gaining a family, I'm gaining a great basketball experience and I'd be in a great position to play in the NBA. It was a win-win."

Despite the high school accolades, which included being named the Gatorade North Carolina Basketball Player of the Year as a senior at James B. Dudley High School in Greensboro, Haywood needed to shed some weight from his 320-pound frame to have the kind of impact many expected.

That's when Smith, who saw the immense potential early, said something to Haywood that still sticks, nearly two decades later.

"You can play in the NBA as long as you want to, but you have to get your weight down, you have to get the thing to a workable number," Haywood recalled hearing from Smith. "He said, 'Two guys came in like you, very young and overweight. One of them was Geoff Crompton and the other one was Brad Daugherty. You can be one of those guys.'"

Haywood paused and then responded to Smith: "Coach, who was Geoff Crompton?"

Smith answered, "Exactly."

Then the coach hit a button, which opened his door, and told the youngster to get out of his office.

"It's funny but it resonated with me because I always remembered that was something I would have to do," Haywood said. "It got me to where I am today. I couldn't do it without him."

See a halfcourt buzzer beater from Saturday's Willoughby South-Mentor game, which South's Jack Whitaker won on this shot.

See a halfcourt buzzer beater from Saturday's Willoughby South-Mentor game, which South's Jack Whitaker won on this shot.

The Ohio State Buckeyes fell three spots to No. 23 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State entered the week with a chance to pick up a couple of Big Ten wins over teams the Buckeyes appeared better than on paper. Instead, the Buckeyes settled for a split with Purdue and Rutgers, and saw a drop in the rankings because of it.

The Buckeyes fell three spots to No. 23 in this week's Associated Press Top 25 poll after losing the the Boilermakers on Wednesday, and throttling the Scarlet Knights on Sunday night.

Kentucky, Virginia, Gonzaga, Duke and Wisconsin make up the top 5 in this week's poll.

Ohio State freshman D'Angelo Russell notched his first-career triple-double with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a 79-60 win over a struggling Rutgers team. It was the fourth triple-double in Ohio State history, and the first by a freshman.

Playing without Marc Loving, the Buckeyes struggled to find a secondary scorer against the Boilermakers. Freshmen Jae'Sean Tate and Keita Bates-Diop stepped into that role against Rutgers. The Buckeyes are without Loving indefinitely after he was suspended for an undisclosed off-the-court incident.

Ohio State hosts Penn State on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Value City Arena, and travels to Michigan State on Saturday.

The Buckeyes (18-6, 7-4 Big Ten) have seven games left, but only one against a team currently ranked in the Top 25. Ohio State will host No. 5 Wisconsin to end the regular season on March 8. The Buckeyes are currently tied with No. 19 Maryland, Indiana and Purdue for second place in the conference behind the Badgers.

"Once I went to the camps and started beating and going against some of the best kids and them knowing I can compete and I am willing to do what it has to take to get the offer, that helped," Conner said. "I had to do a lot more than most kids to get my offer. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Mark Pantoni stands outside the door that leads to the recruiting room at Ohio Stadium as the gatekeeper for who gets in to speak with Urban Meyer after home games. 

Ohio State often has big visitors lists that reach more than 30 prospects, so seeing the majority of the high school kids walk past that door instead of through it can be hard to watch. 

The Buckeyes prioritize prospects who take visits to games because, well, there's no other way. There are too many to accommodate, and age, need, talent level, visit type - all of that - is taken into account. 

But sometimes the players who aren't permitted through that door turn out to be the best ones. Just ask Nick Conner, who has plenty of memories not being a prioritized prospect on Ohio State visits. 

"Like you know who the highly-liked guys are, the highly-recruited, and I went to all the games and everything and you can tell who the highly-recruited ones are," Conner told Northeast Ohio Media Group at the Touchdown Club of Columbus dinner Saturday night. "I just wasn't one of them. I just had to keep grinding throughout the season and showing them that I am good enough.

"You just look and are like, 'Alright, whatever, you're pretty much as good, if not better, than these kids, you're just not noticed.' So you just sit there, eat your food, go watch the game and go home while they are getting tours and everything." 

Don't feel bad for Conner. He got his time. 

But it's funny to hear Conner, who has already signed with and enrolled at Ohio State, reflect back on the times during his junior season when he was only a local prospect from Dublin (Ohio) Scioto who had a dream of being a Buckeye. 

That was before his rise to become a four-star prospect rated by 247Sports the No. 9 inside linebacker in the 2015 recruiting class. He's one of the gems of the Buckeyes recruiting class, along with five-star linebacker Justin Hilliard of Cincinnati St. Xavier and four-star linebacker Jerome Baker of Benedictine. 

Which is why it's sometimes so easy to forget he's a camp kid. 

Conner missed time during his sophomore season with an injury, which is why he thinks his recruitment got off to a slow start. But he put together a productive junior season before hitting the camp circuit in the summer leading into his senior year. 

He went to Ohio State to prove he was worthy of getting through the Ohio Stadium door, or, more importantly, worthy of a Buckeyes offer. 

Conner was aware that Ohio State had an impressive linebackers haul in its 2014 recruiting class and in-state studs Hilliard and Baker - both of which weren't committed yet - were Meyer's top priority in 2015. He didn't care. 

"Once I went to the camps and started beating and going against some of the best kids and them knowing I can compete and I am willing to do what it has to take to get the offer, that helped," Conner said. "I had to do a lot more than most kids to get my offer.

"But once I went to the Rivals five-star camp, and competing against so-called speed and winning, that's when Ohio State really started paying attention to me. ... Coach Meyer always told me I needed to get faster because that's what Ohio State is about, and I proved I was." 

Conner went to a camp on June 17, earned an Ohio State offer and pledged to the Buckeyes. It didn't matter that Hilliard and Baker were up in the air, or that Ohio State had limited room for linebackers in the 2015 class. 

Ohio State had no choice but to take this Dublin kid.

He was too good to pass up. 

Now he's on campus earlier enduring his first Mickey Marotti workouts and dreaming of being the next great linebacker at Ohio State. 

A big hurdle was getting to Ohio State. 

"Now it's time to go to work again," he said. 

In 1993, Dean Smith talked with Terry Pluto about everything from recruiting Brad Daugherty to Michael Jordan having hair.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The moment I heard that Dean Smith had died, I felt very empty inside.

Not that I knew Smith well, but I did spend some time with him.

When I was a rookie reporter for the Greensboro Daily News in 1977-78, I occasionally was assigned to be one of herd covering North Carolina basketball games. I usually wrote a small feature story.

Smith would give his main press conference to the media after a game, then stick around in case someone had a few more questions. He knew there were reporters like me, reporters who needed help with other stories.

He once called me back. I was 22. My first year as a full-time writer. I was new to North Carolina and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Smith's teams dominated the state. He seemed to always have time to help.

Then came the night with Smith that I'll never forget. It was in December of 1993. I was a columnist with the Akron Beacon Journal. I can't recall why I was in the Chapel Hill area, but I called to ask if Smith would have a few minutes for talk.

His Tar Heels had just won the 1993 NCAA Championship. He was at the peak of his popularity. His secretary told me to come to his office at 7 p.m.

I walked through the door, Smith shook my hand and began to show me around his office. The walls were covered with pictures.

Pictures of Smith's players.

Not a single photo of Smith shaking hands with a famous person, or Smith with a championship trophy. Just pictures of his players.

There were more than 200 of them, all head shots -- all the same size.

"Every letterman who has ever played for me is here," Smith said.

ABOUT MICHAEL AND BRADLEY

He pointed to a picture of Michael Jordan -- with hair.

"When he stops by, I always show him that one," said Smith.

It turned out that Jordan had been talking to Smith quite a bit at that point. That was when Jordan was leaving basketball for a year to try minor league baseball. He was mourning the death of his father.

That was one of the few times that night Smith cut off the discussion. He was not going to talk about what Jordan had in mind.

Instead, he switched to a long story about how he battled Maryland's Lefty Driesell to recruit Jordan.

"Lefty told Michael's family that Wilmington (N.C.) was just as close to Maryland as it was to Chapel Hill," said Smith. "But Mr. Jordan had often driven the state and he knew that two hours (to Chapel Hill) was not the same as five hours (to Maryland)."

Smith said the only school besides North Carolina that really seemed to interest Jordan was UCLA, "but they never offered him a scholarship."

Smith walked about the office, pointing to a picture of a 16-year-old Brad Daugherty.

"Look at his baby face!" said Smith. He called the former Cavs center "Bradley," and recalled another recruiting duel with Driesell. He said the Maryland coach could really "charm the mothers."

Smith won that battle, too. "Bradley's parents were very interested in academics," he said.

Smith's record of graduating players was outstanding. According to the 1993 North Carolina media guide, 194 of 199 Tar Heel lettermen had received degrees. His name was listed along with the job now held by that former player.

Smith also looked at pictures of players whose names meant nothing to me, young men who made the team as walk-ons and earned letters. He'd point at players who were doctors, players who were teachers, players who were preachers and players who became high school teachers and coaches.

Some were very big name coaches -- Larry Brown, George Karl, Roy Williams and Eddie Fogler.

Smith said he went to Daugherty's wedding. And James Worthy's wedding. And Daugherty sent him pictures of his children.

COMING TO THE END

He was 61 at this point and seemed to sense that he'd soon be retiring -- although that didn't happen for four more years.

The game was changing, and he wasn't happy about it.

I asked him about the NBA, and he said he had offers in the past. One was from the Atlanta Hawks. Another was to be general manager/coach of the Knicks -- or he could pick one job.

"But why would I want to coach (in the NBA) where two guys play offense and the other three watch," said Smith. "That's never appealed to me. That's terrible basketball."

Of course, Smith had his own version of that with the stalling, four-corners offense. That led to the NCAA bringing the shot clock to college basketball.

But overall, Smith liked a motion offense. He didn't care that he was the punchline of the joke about being the only man who held Michael Jordan under 20 points a game for a season.

He believed in sharing the ball, in sharing the shots.

He "hated" the idea of freshmen being eligible for varsity sports. And when they were eligible, he played them. But they carried basketballs, film projectors and other things to practice. They paid dues. Jordan did it. Worthy did it. Daugherty did it. They all did it.

But he also sensed the game was changing. Remember, this was 1993. The summer AAU programs and coaches were gaining more influence. One-and-done in college had yet to arrive, but he sensed it coming.

"We rate all these high school kids so high and then make them feel bad if they don't start right away," he said. "Or even if they have a good college career -- because they were supposed to be great. We talk about high school kids being pros, and that's just wrong."

He talked about some of his greatest players who were from the state of North Carolina -- Worthy, Jordan, Bobby Jones, Phil Ford, Bob McAdoo and Daugherty.

He added, "We may have been better off when we were only on TV three times a year," he said.

He sighed and seemed to be thinking about something else.

"My father was a high school teacher and coach, and I thought that's what I'd do," he said. "I could have seen myself do that."

In many ways, that was how he did his job at North Carolina. He was the man who broke the color line in the Atlantic Coast Conference by signing Charlie Scott to a scholarship, and the man who really did prize relationship over trophies.

When I think of Dean Smith, I still see all those pictures on the wall -- and remember how much those players meant to him.

LeBron James or Clark Kellogg? Who was the best high school basketball player in The Plain Dealer's seven-country coverage area? Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Before the national player of the year honors and before four NBA MVP awards, LeBron James was a skinny high school sophomore, minutes away from tipoff for a game at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School.

And the sprinkle of fans wanted to make sure James was aware of one of the all-time best prep players.

"His name is on the gym floor, so a lot of people were like, 'hey man, this is one of the guys that paved the way so make sure you recognize that,'" James told The Plain Dealer. "I definitely knew how big time Clark Kellogg was in high school. He paved the way for guys like myself."

Known for producing some of the best high school football players in the country, Northeast Ohio has also developed some top prep basketball players, and we're going to prove it as we announce The Plain Dealer All-Decade boys basketball teams in a week-long series on cleveland.com. We will rank the top 10 players from five different decades, starting with the 1960s and ending with the decade of 2000-2010. The All-Decade teams and stories will appear daily on cleveland.com this week.

Only players from The Plain Dealer's seven-county coverage area were eligible. The seven counties are Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit. The sole criteria was the player's achievements in high school; his college and/or professional career did not factor.

The selection panel is made up of 10 long-time area coaches, reporters, contributors. Moderated by Plain Dealer reporter Branson Wright, the selection committee includes Larry Chernauskas, Dan Coughlin, John D'Angelo, Harold "Doc" Daugherty, Chris Dennis, Pete Gaughan, Jermaine Gay, Jack Greynolds Jr., Tim Starkey and Bob Walsh.

Certainly, many fabulous players were left off the final list and our selections -- not to mention non-selections -- will spark enthusiastic debate. We encourage you to weigh in. Please do so in the comments in this story and the other stories with the PDAllDecades package this week.

The series runs daily on cleveland.com through Saturday. The top 10 players (in order) in each decade will be revealed.

Unlike our PD50 series where we revealed the top 50 high school football players, including the No. 1 overall selection in Robert Smith, the PD All-Decades basketball series leaves open the debate on which high school player was is the overall No. 1.

That debate for most basketball aficionados comes down to only two players -- James and Kellogg.

The discussion about which player is No. 1 provokes plenty of chatter.

"He was Mr. Basketball as a sophomore," said Dennis, who helped guide James early in his career. "Who does that?"

Added fan James Peterson: "Clark was one of the best players among the greatest high school class ever. We're talking about guys who are now in the hall of fame like Dominique Wilkins, Isiah Thomas and James Worthy."

Choosing between James and Kellogg is not only a tall order because they played in different eras, but also because they were similar in size (6-foot-8) and played similar styles.

"Remember, Clark played before the 3-point shot in high school and his game reflected that by the way he played," said former St. Joseph's High School coach Bob Straub. "It was more of an inside-out game and Clark had more rebounds. LeBron played more outside in an era with 3-point shots. No 3-pointers can make the game and the player a little different."

As a high school phenom, James played a well-rounded game at St. Vincent-St. Mary. He averaged 30 points, 9.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists and nearly three steals his senior season in 2003. James won three out of four state titles. He became the first player in Ohio to win three Mr. Basketball honors and he became a two-time national player of the year.

"LeBron played four straight years on a level that no one in the country played on," Dennis said. "He played with such poise and savvy as a young guy."

The stories about James' high school exploits are legendary. There was the showdown between James and Lenny Cooke during the ABCD camp after James' sophomore year. Cooke, a junior out of New York, was considered the best high school player in the country. Cooke was the defending MVP of the camp. James was an unknown nationally. The two players met in the championship game -- and a star was born.

"LeBron casually destroyed Lenny Cooke," Dennis said. "LeBron gave Cooke the entire arsenal of good passes, dunks, jump shots and good defense. If Lenny had the ball, LeBron would stop him. If LeBron had the ball, he'd either score or make a play."

The game went down to the last possession. James' team trailed by two and James had the ball. Guarded by Cooke, James dribbled to his right and nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the victory. James outscored Cooke 24-9.

"Lenny left the court like he had seen a ghost," Dennis said. "That's where LeBron's reputation started. He was the best player on the biggest stage."

The following summer James participated in pickup games with several Cleveland Cavaliers and local college players. James played so well that Johnny Clark, a former player development coach for the Toronto Raptors, was more than impressed in how James played in the Gund Arena practice court 13 years ago.

"Instead of LeBron looking out of place being out there with NBA players, he looked like one of them," Clark said. "He fit right in."

Kellogg, a 1979 graduate, held his own during his career at St. Joseph's (now Villa Angela-St. Joseph) High School. Like James, Kellogg was a four-year starter with a well-rounded game. Kellogg could score, pass and defend.

But he was an exceptional rebounder. He averaged 16 rebounds and 21 points as a sophomore. He averaged 22 rebounds and 28 points as a junior, then 17 rebounds and 28 points as a senior.

"He was certainly the best high school player I've seen," Straub said.

Kellogg was named Ohio's Player of the Year after a record-setting senior season. Kellogg led the Vikings to the state final after a stellar performance in the semifinal where he nearly had a triple double in a victory over Cincinnati LaSalle.

"Everyone looks at the state final because Clark scored so many points, but I'm not sure if that was his best game," Straub said. "He did everything in that semifinal game. Clark tore that seven-foot center [Joe Gampfer] up."

Kellogg turned his game up even higher in the state final against Columbus East, but the Vikings trailed by 29 at the half.

"East played extremely well in the first half," Kellogg said. "We were down and I just started cranking it up."

Cranking it up indeed. Kellogg finished with 51 points, which remains a state final record, and he had 24 rebounds in the 9-point loss to Columbus East.

"I get reminded of that game every year because those points are a little blurb in the program," Kellogg said. "It's bittersweet. It would've been sweeter if we could have hung up that championship banner."

Despite a championship void, Kellogg remains the king of high school basketball, especially in the Cleveland area. James, who selects himself as the No. 1 overall high school player in the PDAllDecades list, understands where the lines are drawn when it comes to the best.

"It's like in music, someone may say Biggie is better than Jay Z,"  James said. "Someone may say Curtis Mayfield or Marvin Gaye is better than R. Kelly. It all depends on which era you grew up in. People that never saw Clark in high school may not understand how good he was, but I'm a historian of the game and I know what he did."

Kellogg also knew what kind of player James was in high school, so much so, that Kellogg said he appreciates the passionate support he still receives from local fans, but he's clear who was the better high school player.

"There's something about the folks in Cleveland when you represent them in sports and in life on how they make you feel special," Kellogg said. "So I don't have a problem with those who put me on the top of the list and I appreciate it. But if I was saying who's number one, I'd give it to LeBron."

Kellogg gives James the nod because of his basketball IQ and his athleticism.

"But I would not take a backseat to anyone in terms of making plays, passing, catching, handling the ball, shooting and rebounding," Kellogg said. "I don't have any problems saying I was one of the best in Northeast Ohio. I'm honored."

Clark Kellogg
School: St. Joseph's High School
Graduated: 1979
Position: Forward
Notable: Kellogg holds the state tournament record with 51 points in the championship game. He was voted Ohio Player of the Year his senior season. He had 30 or more rebounds in a game multiple times during his career. He averaged 28 points and 22 rebounds as a junior and 28 points and 17 rebounds as a senior.
Present: College basketball studio analyst for CBS Sports.

LeBron James
School: St. Vincent-St. Mary High School
Graduated: 2003
Position: Forward
Notable: James became the first junior to win national player of the year (he also won his senior year) and the first Ohio native to win Mr. Basketball three times. James led his team to three state titles. He averaged 31.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists his senior season.
Present:  Returned to the Cavaliers for his 12th NBA season.

Several long-time coaches and contributors are part of the selection committee for The Plain Dealer All-Decades basketball teams.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The selection committee for The Plain Dealer All-Decades high school basketball teams is made up of long-time coaches, contributors and media members.

After musing over hundreds of candidates and conducting interviews with former players, coaches, reporters and fans, The Plain Dealer formed a selection committee. They had the task, with assistance from a moderator, to select the top 10 players in each decade - starting with the 1960s - and putting them in order from 1-10.

Only players from The Plain Dealer's seven-county coverage area were eligible. The seven counties are Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit. The sole criteria was the player's achievements in high school; his college and/or pro career wasn't not a factor.

Here is a look at the members of the panel:

Larry Chernauskas
A member of the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. He coached West Tech High for 26 years (1956-82). He also spent several years as a girls coach. He has a combined record of 508 wins that included several league championships. At West Tech, his boys teams won five West Senate championships.

Dan Coughlin
He spent 18 of his 40 years as a sports journalist in Cleveland with The Plain Dealer. He spent the rest of his time at WJW-TV 8 until he retired in 2009. He was twice named Ohio sportswriter of the year and was honored with an Emmy award.

John D'Angelo
Won 349 games as coach of Harvey High School from 1967-94. His best season was the 1989-90 season where Harvey finished with a 23-1 record, ranked No. 2 in the state and lost in the regional. D'Angelo won several sectional and league titles.

Harold "Doc" Daugherty
Daughterty won 16 league championships - six in the Lake Erie League and 10 in the Greater Cleveland Conference -- and 597 games for Euclid High School. He was Ohio Division I coach of the year in 1990, inducted in the National Coaches' Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Ohio Basketball Coaches' Hall of Fame in 2002.

Chris Dennis
Founder of King of the Court basketball brand that produced tournaments, AAU teams and other basketball showcases. Dennis has been involved in basketball in Ohio at every level for over 25 years. His talent evaluation is sought by high school, college and professional coaches.

Pete Gaughan
He spent 25 years as a features and high school sports writer with the Sun News. He was also a high school football official for 20 years.

Jermaine Gay
Is an instructor at the National Basketball Academy, a professional basketball training organization. Gay was an assistant coach at Cleveland Central Catholic. He was an all-league player for Central Catholic in 1998.

Jack Greynolds Jr.
Played at Barberton High School for Hall of Fame coach and father Jack Greynolds Sr. Coached current NBA players Kosta Koufos and C.J. McCollum at Glen Oak High School. Greynolds has over 300 wins as a coach.

Tim Starkey
Spent 31 seasons coaching basketball, including nine as head coach at his alma mater, Harvey High School. His teams made nine consecutive appearances in the district tournament, winning three district championships and reached the regional finals twice.

Bob Walsh
Walsh won 642 games and two state titles over his Hall of Fame career at five schools. He won state titles with Clearview in 1974 and with Oberlin in 1986. He had Elyria Catholic one game away from the Final Four twice.

Branson Wright, moderator
He has been at The Plain Dealer since 2000. He's reported on high schools, colleges, the NBA and currently he's a member of The Plain Dealer's Browns coverage team.

'Textgate,' Johnny Manziel and Josh Gordon have the Browns in headlines everywhere.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- All publicity is good publicity, right? Maybe not.

Every day, when I start to put together this roundup of Browns stories, I'll come across mentions of the team in all the obvious national spots: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports, Yahoo!. These are sports websites that cover the NFL. The Browns should be there. 

The place the Browns shouldn't be following a playoff-less seven-win season in the first week of February? Huffington Post. And International Business Times. These aren't exactly football websites. Such is the state of things for the Browns.

Let's start with International Business Times. I'll own this. The first time I visited this site happened today when it popped up perusing through Google News. But hey, what's aggregation without a little International Business Times analyzing the Browns PR problems:

"But what began with a promising 7-4 start to the season devolved into a disaster, with [Johnny] Manziel, [Josh] Gordon and Browns general manager Ray Farmer each embroiled in scandals this week. Cleveland's ongoing bid to regain credibility arose during a difficult year for the NFL, as various franchises dealt with the issues related to competitive balance and off-field misbehavior. The difference, experts said, is that the sustained on-field success of teams like the New England Patriots or the Baltimore Ravens overshadows any negative press they garner away from the gridiron, while the Browns are seen as perennial losers."

In other words, the Browns biggest PR blunder has been just being bad at building a football team. All the texting and the quarterback in rehab and all of that -- it's completely different if the team is winning. Of course, maybe the team isn't winning because of the culture they've created that allows all this stuff to happen. It's a chicken or egg thing.

Meanwhile, over at renowned football website Huffington Post, we have the juxtaposition of rookie Johnny Manziel and New England rookie Malcolm Butler:

"Malcolm 'Scrap' Butler arrived at New England as an undrafted free agent from Division II West Alabama and Hinds Community College in Mississippi. Johnny 'Football' Manziel rocketed into Cleveland as a Heisman-winning, first-round pick from blue chip, Division I Texas A&M. Butler grew up in a rough neighborhood of Vicksburg, Miss., the son of a single mother with five children in a two bedroom home. Johnny Manziel resided comfortably near the 1 percent before his football career, the scion of a Texas oil money clan."

OK, two players from two different backgrounds. One is a Super Bowl champion (thanks to his own interception) and the other is trying to keep his career together. Can they learn from each other? Funny you should ask:

"Each could learn from the other. Butler is now facing the blinding lights of fame -- the Disney Parade, the inevitable trip to the ESPYs next summer, the expectations of the fans and the media as well as his own. 'Look at Johnny Manziel,' you want to whisper. Avoid the temptations. Finish school, which you have mentioned as a dream. Keep calling your college coach each week. Don't lose your work ethic.

"Manziel meanwhile might be facing a battle with a serious disease at a very young age. To his credit, he reportedly made the decision to enter rehab himself. 'Look at Malcolm Butler,' you want to scream. You too can beat the odds. Talent plus determination can get you far. Take this opportunity seriously."

So there you have it. The Browns are getting attention in places they wouldn't normally get attention. The reasons -- not so great.

(International Business Times: How Winning Would Fix Franchise's Image Issues Amid Josh Gordon, Ray Farmer Scandals)

(Huffington Post: A Tale of Two NFL Rookies: Johnny Manziel and Malcolm Butler)

More Browns links

AFC North offseason: Can Browns calm the chaos? (USA Today)

Browns' image is looking worse than their play (The Medina-Gazette)

Miles Austin's leadership helped Browns win games (ClevelandBrowns.com)

NFL links

Panthers' Greg Hardy has domestic violence charges dismissed (NFL.com)

Todd Gurley vs. Melvin Gordon: 2015 NFL draft comparison (Sporting News)

NFL Free Agency 100: Top 12 Wide Receivers (Bleacher Report)

Local and national sports TV will be showing quite a bit of the championship runs being made by Akron, Cleveland State and Kent State the final weeks of the regular season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Northeast Ohio basketball gets to smile for the camera as Akron, Cleveland State and Kent State battle for conference championships on TV.

If you haven't seen the Akron Zips on TV this season, and there have been several opportunities already, more is coming. The camera loves them.

The Mid-American Conference and Time Warner Cable showed both Akron games last week, at Ohio University and home against Buffalo. TWC will show Tuesday's game against Kent State, then the Feb. 18 game at Toledo. ESPN will step in and televise the second meeting with OU on Feb. 27.

It is quite possible Akron's game at Buffalo on Feb. 24 will find its way on TV along with the March 6 game at Kent State. While Akron is the linchpin, if fans want to get a measure of the competition in the conference this season, coach Keith Dambrot's Zips are a good measuring stick.

Cleveland State, fighting for the Horizon League title, will get a few more close-ups as well. It's 8 p.m. game Friday at Detroit will be televised on ESPNU; Feb. 17 at Western Carolina on SportsTime Ohio; Feb. 20 at Green Bay on ESPN2; and the season finale, Feb. 27 at home vs. Valparaiso, on ESPNU.

Akron (16-7, 7-3): If the Zips weren't their own worst enemy, they would be dominating the MAC. Dambrot's deep and talented team has gone 2-0 vs. Western Michigan, 2-0 vs. Bowling Green, 1-0 vs. Buffalo, and 1-0 vs. Central Michigan. Those are all contenders for the MAC title. But the Zips have also lost, albeit on the road, to Ohio University (9-12, 4-6) and Northern Illinois (9-12, 3-7).

The recent emergence of 6-10, 290-pound Isaiah Johnson as a consistent inside scoring threat only makes the Zips that much tougher to defend, while playing 10 and 11 players a game vs. teams only using seven- or eight-player rotations is starting to wear the opposition down in the final 10 minutes of games.

Cleveland State (15-10, 9-2): Credit the Vikings with taking care of their home court business of late, now they hit the road for four of their next five. The Feb. 20 and Feb. 22 games at Green Bay and Milwaukee would seem to be the most critical, considering CSU is in a battle with WGB for first place in the Horizon League.

And while Milwaukee is not in contention, a road game with one day of prep following an emotional contest with the Phoenix will make that matchup comparable to a HL Tournament game.

Kent State (16-7, 7-3): The Golden Flashes are going through their struggles with leading scorer/rebounder Jimmy Hall out with mono just when their toughest road stretch of the season hit. Point guard Kellen Thomas (eye socket) has been out since league play began, then sixth man Kris Brewer, No. 3 scorer on the team, was suspended for KSU's last game against Miami.

That left coach Rob Senderoff with eight scholarship players and two guards. The Flashes trailed most of the night against Miami, but a strong run in the final three minutes erased an eight-point deficit for a one-point win.

"To win a conference game with two of your top three scorers out, and only two guards, I have to say this is the most satisfying win of my four-year career,'' Senderoff said.

On the Horizon: To the winner goes the spoils and that would be hosting the HL Tournament. If the Vikings can get the No. 1 seed, CSU will host the quarterfinals and semifinals, March 6 and 7. The highest seed remaining after the semifinals will host the Horizon League Championship game March 10 at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

Cleveland State has not hosted the Horizon League tournament since 2000.

MAC Attack: Don't look now, but an Ohio University team that once looked to be floundering is showing signs of life, at least at home. The Bobcats have picked up wins over Buffalo and Akron, two teams in the thick of the race for No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament. They have won two straight and four of their last six overall.

If new head coach Saul Phillips can nurse a road win or two out of his troops over the next few weeks it is quite possible the Bobcats (9-12, 4-6) could creep into the conversation for a critical top four seed in the MAC Tournament. A big home game Tuesday with Central Michigan, another contender, will be followed by road games at Miami and Western Michigan.

A quiet little winning streak now, followed by three of the last five at home could make OU -- with a pair of All-MAC caliber players in Javier Willis (15.3 points a game) and Maurice Ndour (15.2 points) -- a team nobody wants to see at the end of the season.

Around the state: The Toledo Rockets (15-8, 7-3) were expected to be the dominant team in the MAC, but only recently have put together a winning streak of note. UT has won five straight, and is currently in the throes of four road games out of five, with arguably the biggest Tuesday at Buffalo.

Visions of Top 25 rankings and NCAA Tournament at-large berths faded long ago for coach Todd Kowalczyk and his team. But if the Rockets continue to trend upwards, and do make the NCAA Tournament field, they still have Sweet 16 talent.

Top four in the state: Ohio State (18-6), Cincinnati (17-6), Dayton (17-5), Toledo (15-8). On the radar, Xavier, Cleveland State, Akron. Do you really trust those Buckeyes? Really? Can Xavier put together a decent winning streak? And how about those surging Cleveland State Vikings.

Kevin Love's first season with the Cleveland Cavaliers has been a mixed bag. As he continues to get adjusted to a new role and as the Cavaliers are in the midst of their best basketball of the season, Love was once again approached about his future.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kevin Love's first season with the Cleveland Cavaliers has been a mixed bag.

As he continues to get adjusted to a new role and as the Cavaliers are in the midst of their best basketball of the season, Love was once again approached about his future. And again, Love responded the same way he has for months.

"I'm a Cleveland Cavalier," Love said in the locker room on Sunday night.

When asked if any scenario could entice him to join the Lakers, Love answered, "No."

The timing of the question might seem odd, but the Lakers were in town for their only trip this season, and Love, who could be a free agent following this season, has been linked to the Lakers and other teams on the West Coast for years.

But the Lakers seem to be a poor fit.

No matter what happens with the Cavaliers this season it's hard to see Love, who wanted out of Minnesota because of a lack of winning, playing for the Lakers, a team in the midst of a rebuild.

On Sunday afternoon as Love was dropping a season-high 32 points against the Lakers, he got a clear picture of what his teammates would be like if he returned to Los Angeles, where he played his college ball for one season.

The Lakers started Jordan Clarkson, Wayne Ellington, Ryan Kelly, Tarik Black and Robert Sacre. That's a worse supporting cast than the one Love left behind in Minnesota. Love will have the option to opt out of his contract, but that doesn't mean he's planning an exit.

Love is averaging 17.1 points and 10.5 rebounds with the Cavs this season.

Ray Allen decision coming soon

The calendar has now flipped to February and that means the All-Star Game is quickly approaching. It also means Ray Allen, who is currently a free agent and contemplating his future, is getting closer to a decision, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

"Allen, 39, still has not decided whether he wants to return for a 19th season but has been keeping in shape and doing on-court work to keep his options open. Additionally, Allen has been in contact with teams to explore his possibilities and may take meetings during the upcoming All-Star break."

The Cavaliers, who have kept a roster spot open, are considered the most likely landing spot for Allen. LeBron James visited the sharpshooter during James' two-week absence with knee and back injuries and Allen is also close with Cavaliers' James Jones and Mike Miller, former teammates in Miami.

But there will be no shortage of suitors for Allen, a two-time champion, according to Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico.

"Along with the Cavs, Allen is supposedly considering the Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers.

Several executives told FOX Sports Ohio that some teams may have an interest in Allen mainly to keep him from signing with the competition -- as Allen has stayed in great shape and is viewed as someone who could still make big shots in playoff games."

According to Windhorst, the Hawks lurk, and not just because of their rise to the top of the Eastern Conference.

"Unlike the Cavs -- who play a tight eight-man rotation that excludes veterans like Miller, Jones and Shawn Marion -- the Hawks have a need for an additional wing player, as Thabo Sefolosha is out up to two months with a calf injury.

Atlanta is a high-volume 3-point-shooting team that plays more to Allen's style. Atlanta is also closer to his family in Miami."

There's another option for Allen: retirement. 

Source says Ray Allen may not play this year. All-Star break won't just be deciding on a team, it's about deciding if he'll suit up at all.

-- Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) February 9, 2015

Ray Allen has enjoyed his family time and golf time in Miami, and sources close to him make it clear he may decide not to resume NBA career.

-- Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) February 9, 2015

Cavs continue ascent in power rankings

The Cavs have ripped off 13 wins in their last 14 games and continue to catch the league's attention after an uneven start dotted with drama, rumblings about coach David Blatt's future and injuries.

In the latest power rankings from ESPN.com, the Cavs have moved up two more spots and are now sitting at No. 4.

"Only the Cavs. Only these Cavs. Only LeBron James & Co. could reel off 13 wins in 14 games -- with an assist, it must be said, from a favorable stretch of schedule -- and have us all fixated on a cryptic tweet from LeBron and the state of his relationship with the up-and-down Kevin Love."

Yahoo Sports also has the Cavaliers in the top 5, trailing the Hawks and three other Western Conference teams in their rankings, which were released earlier on Monday.

"Perhaps Kevin Love finally had a breakthrough game Sunday with a season-high 32 points against the Lakers."

SI.com keeps the Cavaliers in the No. 4 spot, but believes there's something not completely right with the Cavs.

"For all of LeBron James' talents, subtle is not one of them. One week after calling out Kevin Love publicly, LeBron tried a different route: subtweet shaming. LeBron is either taking a page out of Pat Riley's book of motivational tricks or he's at wit's end with the teammate he orchestrated a trade for less than six months ago. Cleveland is winning -- but something is still amiss."

CBS Sports dropped the Cavs one spot from No. 4 to No. 5, while elevating the Dwight Howard-less Houston Rockets.

"This season can be accurately described as one of the Cavs (how they've played over the last month) and the Cav-Nots (those first three months). What? No, I will not apologize for that pun, how dare you."

NBA links

Dwight Howard is expected to be sidelined for 6-8 weeks (Houston Chronicle)

Kings owner Vivek Ranadive will let GM pick next coach (USA Today)    

Blake Griffin out indefinitely following elbow surgery (CBS Sports)    

Michael Jordan spells President Obama's name wrong on an autograph (SI.com)    

Knicks owner James Dolan tells off fan in an e-mail (ESPN New York)

Did LeBron James do the right thing by tweeting out a reference to Kevin Love?

CLEVELAND, Ohio - LeBron James took an unorthodox approach in trying to send a message to his teammate late Saturday night.

By now, you're well aware of the infamous tweet James sent out in reference to Kevin Love fitting in with the team. I can't say I agree with his tactic. Calling your teammates out on social media just sounds like a bad idea.

You can say, "Well, Love did score a season-high 32 points after the tweet was submitted," but Love claimed to have had no knowledge of the tweet after his breakout game, and he was taken aback by it when informed.

My take is Love didn't deserve that;  not at all.

He has been the epitome of professionalism throughout, despite his struggles to grasp his offensive identity with the Cavaliers.

Love revealed to me in January that he doesn't plan on opting out at the end of the year. It's hard to believe that he's not rethinking that statement.

There's no doubt in my mind that the tweet was calculated and I believe James has a plan. I'm just not sure about his method. Do you think James handled the situation properly? Voice your opinions in the comment section.

Update from LeBron James:

I like u guys a lot(Media) but don't try and make a story cause it looks good. If I have a problem with a teammate or anyone I'll say to....

-- LeBron James (@KingJames) February 9, 2015

their face and not over social media. That's corny and wack! So good try again my friends(Media), I still love you guys.

-- LeBron James (@KingJames) February 9, 2015

Johnny Manziel has been in rehab for about two weeks now. Will he be able to stay on the straight and narrow when he gets out and become the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hey Mary Kay!

Hey Mary Kay: Will Johnny Manziel be able to overcome his issues and become the Browns starting quarterback?

-- Erin Sullivan, Westlake, Ohio

Hey Erin: No one can predict if Manziel will be able to adhere to his program when he gets out of rehab, but he has a strong support system and a good plan for when he gets out. I do think it will take the support of his teammates, coaches, roommates and everyone else who spends time with him in Cleveland during the preseason and season.  My concern is that Manziel loves the party atmosphere so much that it will be hard for him to drastically change his lifestyle. But at least this important step gives him a chance to compete for the Browns starting job. I don't think the Browns are counting on him to be the guy, but he can get back in the conversation by working harder than he ever has in his life.

Hey Mary Kay: What do you think will happen to Ray Farmer as a result of Text-gate?

 -- Scott B., Palm Desert, California

Hey Scott: If the NFL finds him guilty of texting during multiple games, I think he will be suspended for three or four games and fined. I think the Browns will also be fined and lose a mid-round draft pick. I don't think owner Jimmy Haslam wants to shake up his personnel department, so I think he will give him every chance to overcome this. If the report shows that Farmer only texted his opinions and not anything that would give the Browns a competitive advantage, I think he should stick with his GM and learn from the experience.

Hey Mary Kay: Do you think Josh Gordon will ever play for the Browns again?

-- Kevin Young, Sugar Hill, Ga.

Hey Kevin: It all depends on if he stays clean over the next 365 days. If he can do that and stay out of trouble, the Browns might be willing to give him another chance. But if they've lost faith in him, they can try to  trade him for a draft pick.  I've been saying this ever since Gordon was suspended: I think he should follow Manziel's lead and check himself into rehab. Even if he doesn't think he has a problem, it will show good faith to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who will decide whether or not to let Gordon in after a year. It will also go a long way towards showing the Browns he's serious about his career.

Hey Mary Kay: Why is it that I'm the only one who can connect the dots? Jan. 2 Gordon is met at the gate by NFL personnel after exiting a chartered flight he was on with Kyle Shanahan's hand-selected WR Coach Mike McDaniel and tests positive for alcohol. Five days later, Kyle Shanahan is "let out of his contract" and McDaniel and QB coach Dowell Loggains are subsequently fired. Two weeks later, Shanahan and Loggains have jobs. A week later it is finally leaked that Gordon is going to be suspended and then within days we learn Johnny Manziel is entering rehab.

Am I the only one who sees the elephant in this room?  Does anyone really think Shanahan would have a job right now if on Jan. 7 the story had been "Shanahan fired as a result of Gordon facing suspension and Manziel heading to rehab after drunken flight to Vegas with WR Coach McDaniel"?  Is the real story Shanahan having submitted 32 criticisms to the Browns, which we learned about the day after Gordon's suspension becomes official, and at the same time we start seeing stories of possible penalties for texting ramping up?  Or maybe this is the same old smoke screens we tend to see in the NFL when a golden boy gets canned for their failures but nobody wants to see that career derailed?

- Leon Lane, Lexington, Ky.

Hey Leon: I don't think those dots should be connected. Shanahan's departure didn't have anything to do with Josh Gordon's ill-fated flight to Vegas or with Manziel entering rehab. Shanahan's 32-point presentation included things like Text-gate, and the fact that he wasn't being heard on personnel matters. For example, he wanted Charles Johnson to be a key receiver for the Browns this year, but Johnson didn't make the 53-man roster out of training camp, and the Vikings signed him off the Browns practice squad. He went on to become a productive starter for the Vikings. Everything hit for the Browns at once, but there's no conspiracy here.   

The 2015 Cleveland Cup hockey tournament will begin on Wednesday and run through Sunday at Strongsville's OBM Ice Arena.

The 2015 Cleveland Cup hockey tournament will begin on Wednesday and run through Sunday at Strongsville's OBM Ice Arena.

Whether the Cleveland Browns can wait another year for a franchise quarterback, and where Textgate is heading carry the conversation in Bud Shaw's You Said It. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- You Said It is based on the premise that the only thing Cleveland sports fans need more than a championship is a sense of humor...

YOU SAID IT

(The Regular Tuesday Edition)

Hey Bud: Is it true the motto for the 2015 Browns is "Fail For Cardale"? -- Pat

Only if the catchy new slogan, "Did we say play like a Brown? We meant play like a Buckeye" fails to bring results.

Bud: I think the Browns' drum line is in up to their sticks in (Textgate). Sounded to me like they were playing in Morse Code a lot of the time - Danny Elek, Ashtabula
 

I'm still waiting for a Browns' season that deserves a drum roll. 

Hey Bud: I used to read your column at work, but now that I'm retired why do I feel like somebody should be paying me to read it? - Pete Briggs (pseudonym to avoid any possible litigation)

My experience with You Said It contributors is they usually need the column read to them.

Bud: The SEC channel is making a comeback with Brian Williams' interview of Manti Teo's fiancee kicking off the season. Who says "repurposing" is dead? - Johnny Mack

Further hurting Williams' credibility is an old claim that he got laryngitis singing with Milli Vanilli.

Bud: When your satellite reception went out during the third quarter of the Super Bowl, couldn't you have gone to a friend's house to watch the ending?  Oh, wait.  Never mind - Chas K.

I refuse to drop in unannounced. And I'm beginning to suspect all my "friends" have caller ID.

Bud: Is it true two high ranking Pilot/Flying J executives stepped forward and admitted they stole Ray Farmer's cell phone during Browns' games and were texting the coaches? - Vince G, Cincinnati

First-time You Said It winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection. Repeat winners get no T-shirt or rebate.

Check out the very-moved-around cleveland.com Top 25 girls basketball poll for this week.

Check out the very-moved-around cleveland.com Top 25 girls basketball poll for this week.

Ohio State receivers coach Zach Smith gave an early look at what his room looks like with the Buckeyes a few weeks away from spring practice. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State receivers coach Zach Smith said on National Signing Day that he has the easiest job in America.

"I coach receivers for Urban Meyer. To sell a kid on this program, and the development of wide receivers, it's as simple as showing your resume," Smith said after the Buckeyes signed a pair of receivers in the 2015 recruiting class.

* Ohio State football 2015: Projecting the wide receivers, next man up with Johnnie Dixon

It's hard to dispute that. Meyer's offense is designed in such a way that receivers will have plenty of chances to showcase their skills. There may never be that No. 1 go-to guy, but that's the point: Line up talent and speed all over the field and try to stop it.

That's probably not too tough of a sell no matter if Smith is in living rooms in Ohio or South Florida.

Now comes the tough part. Figuring out where all those pieces fit as Ohio State tries to replace Devin Smith and Evan Spencer in the receivers room.

"That's a lot of production that just walked out the door and is gonna be playing on Sundays," Zach Smith said. "So now I gotta replace that production with young guys who haven't stepped into that role, who need to step into that role. It's a vicious cycle. You're trying to piece together who's gonna be that guy who steps up that production so we don't miss a beat."

The quarterback mess aside, who the Buckeyes use to replace Devin Smith and Spencer at receiver might be the most intriguing storyline to watch this season.

It's not as if Zach Smith is playing without a full deck. He's got plenty of players, he just doesn't know which ones will step up yet.

Here's what's known: Michael Thomas, Jalin Marshall and Dontre Wilson will be back and have big roles in the offense. The other candidates for more playing time: Corey Smith, Johnnie Dixon, Noah Brown, James Clark, Parris Campbell, Jeff Greene and Terry McLaurin. Add incoming freshmen K.J. Hill and Alex Stump into that mix as well.

Corey Smith saw his time increase as the season wore on. Brown played sparingly as a true freshman. Dixon and Clark have battled injuries. Campbell and McLaurin redshirted as freshmen last year. And Greene was seldom used as a junior.

We've covered a lot of this already in our breakdown of Ohio State's depth chart for 2015. Who will be the deep threat to replace Devin Smith? Who will be the jack-of-all-trades that Spencer became both as a blocker and a receiver?

"That's two legitimate guys that we lost in my room that need replacing," Zach Smith said. "The best player in the room and Devin, who's the best deep threat in America."

That's the task for Zach Smith, who broke down his receivers room with reporters on National Signing Day:

View full sizeMichael Thomas will return next year after being one of Ohio State's most productive receivers in 2014.Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer

On Noah Brown: "Anytime you have an Evan Spencer, a Noah Brown, those 225-pound, 230-pound wideouts that are strong physical and tough, they're gonna be great blockers. That's the position. They all better be great blockers. Evan is the best I think I've ever seen. (Noah) definitely provides a lot of value in that."

On James Clark: "He's doing well. He's coming back from injury and he just can't seem to get right. So much promise early. That promise is still there, we just haven't been able to get that momentum back and capitalize on it. We're excited about him. It's not gonna affect his year or anything, it's just about getting back, getting the confidence and getting on a roll."

Smith added that a hamstring injury is the latest issue for Clark, who broke his ankle and had shoulder surgery as a freshman.

On finding a new deep threat: "You need guys with speed, and we have a number of them. Johnnie Dixon is a great example. When he comes back, he's an elite speed guy. James Clark was before his injury, so when he gets healthy and gets confident, he'll be a guy we look to. Then Terry McLaurin and Parris Campbell are two guys that can really run. We've got four young guys who haven't done much around here who can flat fly. It's gonna be fun to watch and fun to develop and see how it plays out."

On Michael Thomas: "His ceiling is where he sets it. It's really limitless. He's a very talented guy. What's funny is he had a great year, and responded well to red-shirting the year before. But as he and I go back and watch the season in review, it was average compared to what it could have been and what it should be next year. There's a lot of excitement and motivation with him and all my guys right now. They all felt like they had a great year, then they watch the film and it wasn't near what it could've been."

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam would be wise to give Pettine more autonomy and time.

BEREA, Ohio -- A year ago, Mike Pettine was as much a curiosity as a coach to Browns fans.

The product of an agonizing search that led in part to the dismissal of the men conducting it, Pettine arrived as a relative unknown given little chance to succeed. He had an intriguing backstory and a good sense of humor, but lacked leading-man pedigree.

Pettine was the son of a strong-willed prep coaching legend and a protege of Rex Ryan. He hadn't run his own programs since coaching at a suburban Philadelphia high school in 2001 and heading up its audio-visual department.

The former defensive coordinator, however, has emerged as something more than the fifth or sixth choice to coach the Browns. In one year's time, he's become the most credible decision-maker in the organization and deserves more sway in trying to root out its dysfunction.

Pettine won seven games, the team's most since 2007, earned the players' respect and projected an air of calm amid the continual carnival in Berea. The Browns need to find a singular leader, a voice to guide them through an already challenging 2015. Owner Jimmy Haslam has to recognize it belongs to Pettine.

The fact a first-time head coach, one who lost his final five games, should be given more power only demonstrates the state of the franchise.

* Its general manager Ray Farmer, as first reported by cleveland.com, is under league investigation for sending text messages to assistants and others during games regarding play calls.

* Its team president Alec Scheiner has been portrayed by CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora as a business executive gaining increasing access to football-related decisions, an unwelcome development for the coaching staff. In the same report, Haslam is characterized as a trigger-happy owner who's driven down morale and elevated levels of toxicity.

* Its former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, weary of the meddling, resigned after presenting Haslam with a 32-point presentation on why he wanted out of Berea.

* Its one-time quarterback of the future (Johnny Manziel) is in rehab. Its oft-suspended star receiver (Josh Gordon) is serving a year-long ban and likely will never play again for the Browns.

Perhaps some of the reported chaos is overblown, the product of axe-grinding anonymous sources. Given the club's recent history, the worst-case scenario is plausible, though.

When you lose as much as the Browns and hire as many decision-makers new to their jobs, the potential for conflicting philosophies exists. Add to the mix a new owner with problems in his family business and you have fertile ground for turmoil.

Retaining his coach and general manager following a disastrous end to a 7-9 season was a wise one by Haslam. But the league investigation into the Farmer text messages and speculation regarding the owner's role in some of them remains troubling. It could cost the Browns a mid-round draft pick and Famer a multi-game suspension.

The team's brain trust likely will speak at next week's NFL Scouting Combine. There are plenty of questions to be asked. One that shouldn't be forgotten is the outcome of the "strategic planning session" that included Haslam, Farmer, Scheiner, chief negotiator Sashi Brown and Pettine.

If the owner is smart he's granting his coach more autonomy over the club.

Pettine made his share of mistakes last season. It's believed knucklehead cornerback Justin Gilbert, the No. 8 overall pick, was his call. The run defense was a mess. But nobody in the organization did a better job of expressing his philosophy and executing it than Pettine.

He wanted to run the ball and play solid defense. The Browns made improvements in the rushing attack and were among the NFL's best against the pass. If they don't lose All-Pro center Alex Mack to a broken leg, the team probably wins at least nine games.

Pettine tried holding young players accountable, benching Gilbert and halfback Terrance West, with mixed results. The veteran leaders he acquired in free agency, Karlos Dansby and Donte Whitner, also called out the lack of effort and professionalism they witnessed.

It's hard to imagine another rookie coach handling the Manziel circus any better than Pettine. He rarely looked overwhelmed and his team seldom appeared unprepared save for Manziel's first start against the Bengals.

So much is conspiring against him, however. The schedule will be tougher with the NFC West replacing the NFC South and the absence of a clear-cut quarterback will make it difficult for the Browns to match their seven-win season from a year ago.

What Pettine needs more than anything is time. Barring a total collapse, Haslam should give his coach through the 2016 season to right the franchise. Such a guarantee won't be made, of course. That's not how it works, especially with this franchise, and he could be gone at the end of next season.

But nobody has more credibility right now than Pettine given the events of the past month. Haslam needs to empower him. 

Hall is a high-scoring junior for the Tigers.

Hall is a high-scoring junior for the Tigers.

Ohio State officially announced the hiring of Tony Alford as its new running backs coach on Tuesday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State officially has its replacement for running backs coach Stan Drayton. The Buckeyes announced on Tuesday that they've tabbed former Notre Dame running backs coach Tony Alford as an assistant head coach for offense and running backs coach.

The news of Alford's hire first broke on Saturday, two days after Drayton accepted a job as the running backs coach for the Chicago Bears.

"I've known Tony Alford for a long time and I am very pleased to be adding him to our staff," Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer said in a release. "He is an exceptional person and coach who is going to work really well with our staff and who will be an outstanding mentor and teacher for this football program."

Meyer first met Alford when the latter was a senior running back at Colorado State and Meyer was in his first year as an assistant coach with the Rams. Alford, who was born in Ohio, has coached running backs at Mount Union, Kent State, Iowa State, Washington, Louisville and Notre Dame.

Alford has previously worked with Ohio State offensive coordinator Ed Warinner, tight ends coach Tim Hinton and defensive coordinator Chris Ash at previous stops.

"I am excited for a number of reasons," Alford said in a release. "I am looking forward to working for Coach Meyer, someone I've known for a long time. I know his family. And I know his coaches. I've worked directly with three of them and I've recruited against all of them ... Plus, the history of the Ohio State program speaks for itself. I am extremely humbled and flattered that I was the guy who Coach Meyer wanted."

Alford built a reputation a strong recruiter at Notre Dame, serving as the recruiting coordinator for the Fighting Irish since 2012. He was named national recruiter of the year by 247Sports in 2011.

He places Drayton, who left Ohio State one day after National Signing Day, leaving the Buckeyes in a precarious position with 2015 running back signee Mike Weber. Weber tweeted on Monday night that he was looking forward to working with Alford.

Kareem Walker, the top running back in the 2016 class who committed to Ohio State on the day of the National Championship, said he's also on board with Alford.

It's unclear if Alford, who was born in Akron, will take over Drayton's duties recruiting Northeast Ohio for the Buckeyes.

Larry Dolan's nephew, James, made headlines with his email response to a fan.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- New York Knicks owner James Dolan (nephew of Indians owner Larry Dolan) had a not-so-nice email response to a fan go public earlier this week. It was no Phil Savage "Go root for Buffalo. F--k you," but he did follow Savage's playbook in telling a fan to "start rooting for the Nets because the Knicks don't want you."

The exchange was first reported by Deadspin and started when the father of filmmaker Aaron Bierman, Irving Bierman, sent Dolan an email stating he was "utterly embarrassed by your dealings with the Knicks. Sell them so their fans can at least look forward to growing them in a positive direction."

Dolan's response to Bierman called him a "sad person," a "hateful mess," asked why he would send such a "hateful letter" and speculates he could be "Alcoholic maybe."

Dolan will not face repercussions from the NBA for his email:

Adam Silver on Dolan's email: "Jim is a consummate New Yorker. Jim got an unkind email, and responded with an unkind email."

-- Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 9, 2015

It's hard to imagine an email like this coming from Larry Dolan, or James' cousin (and Larry's son) Paul. In fact, it's hard to imagine an email like this coming from any higher-up within the Indians organization. While the Indians' ownership has come under fire for the team's payroll and flagging attendance at the ballpark, bad PR isn't on the resume.

Within the family, Larry can certainly claim more success. The Knicks have made the playoffs four times since 2003-04 (in a league in which it is much easier to make the playoffs) and have advanced past the first round once. They've had three winning seasons in that span.

Take away Larry Dolan's years as owner during the twilight of the Indians' '90s run (2000 and 2001) and you still find four winning seasons including playoff appearances in 2007 and 2013.

Dolan's personality as an owner is also different from the other owners in Cleveland. Dan Gilbert has been front and center for much of his time as Cavaliers owner (and his Twitter account has become legendary) while Jimmy Haslam has his fingerprints all over the Browns. Dolan, meanwhile, has stayed quiet as Indians owner while his son Paul, along with team president Mark Shapiro, GM Chris Antonetti and manager Terry Francona have taken on the role of the team's public face.

So what do you prefer in your owner? Brash? Quiet? Snarky? It's all right here in Cleveland -- and in the Dolan family, too, it turns out.