Dayan Viciedo could be the right-handed hitter the Indians need, but because of their crowded outfield he might get a better opportunity with another team.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians are interested in former White Sox outfielder Dayan Viciedo, who could be the right-handed hitter they've been looking for this winter.

The White Sox released Viciedo on Feb. 4 after they designated him for assignment and were unable to trade him. Viciedo hit only .231 (121-for-523) last year, struck out 122 times and posted a .281 on-base percentage, while playing terrible defense in right field.

On the plus side, he hit 21 homers with 58 RBI.

In the last three years, Viciedo has hit hit 25, 14 and 21 homers for Chicago. He became expendable after the White Sox signed outfielder Melky Cabrera.

The Indians, with pitchers and catchers reporting to Goodyear, Arizona on Wednesday, will have to do a hard sell to get Viciedo in camp. They already have a lot of outfielders on the roster looking for playing time.

Viciedo, 26, might find a better opportunity elsewhere. Michael Brantley will start in left and Michael Bourn has center. Right field currently belongs to David Murphy, but only because the health of Brandon Moss, Nick Swisher and Ryan Raburn is a question.

Moss underwent right hip surgery in October. Swisher had both knees operated on in August. Raburn had his left knee operated on in September.

Viciedo, listed at 5-11, 240 pounds,  is expected to get a big-league deal. He was eligible for arbitration at the end of 2014 and the White Sox signed him to a one-year, $4.4 million deal to avoid arbitration. The salary wasn't guaranteed and when Viciedo was released the White Sox had to pay him $733,000 or 1/6 of the $4.4 million.

It's unclear if the Indians are willing to offer Viciedo a big league deal, but if they're serious that's probably what it would take to sign him.

Brecksville claims title a year after finishing runner-up.

Brecksville claims title a year after finishing runner-up.

Evan Krueger scored five goals as University School hockey beat St. Edward, 5-1, on Saturday in the Cleveland Cup semifinals.

Evan Krueger scored five goals as University School hockey beat St. Edward, 5-1, on Saturday in the Cleveland Cup semifinals.

Stephen Curry wins his first NBA Three-Point Contest with a final score of 27.

BROOKLYN -- Golden State's Stephen Curry won the 2015 Foot Locker Three-Point Contest on Saturday night at Barclays Center.

Curry shot an impressive score of 27 points in the final round that included Golden State's other backcourt member Klay Thompson and Cleveland's Kyrie Irving.

Irving was first up in the championship round and he recorded a 17-points. With Curry and Thompson on deck, that would not be enough to get it done. Thompson was the final contestant chasing Curry's mark and he failed miserably, producing only 14 points.

The field was so deep with prolific shooters that Wesley Matthews of the Trail Blazers couldn't make it out of the opening round with a 22-point mark.

"I think this is definitely the best field that's ever been in a three-point shootout," Curry said after the victory. "Just a pretty cool moment for me."

Irving was the fourth player to shoot in the first round and he put up 23 points, which took the lead from Matthews who had 22. Curry then joined Irving with a 23 of his own.

However, Curry's backcourt teammate intervened, moving into the top spot after a 24-point tally. That's how the second and final round of participants was formed.

Atlanta's Kyle Korver (18), San Antonio's Marco Belinelli, Los Angeles' J.J. Redick (17), Houston's James Harden (15) along with Matthews were eliminated in the first round.

Irving is now 1-for-3 in three-point competitions. He won the event in his first go in 2013.

 

A look at how the top 25 teams in boys and girls basketball did on Saturday.

A look at how the top 25 teams in boys and girls basketball did on Saturday.

LeBron James sent five Akron teenagers to New York to help him carry out his 23 Acts of Kindness as part of All-Star weekend. Watch video

NEW YORK -- LeBron James set out to spread some goodwill in New York over NBA All-Star weekend for his first "23 Acts of Kindness" mission.

But there were actually 24 acts. Before James completed any of those good deeds here, he flew five Akron teenagers to New York to carry out most of those acts on his behalf.

Elissa Hines, 17, Nyna Sayarath, 17, Kaitlyn Morse, 16, Pierce Jordan, 18, and Donavan Wray, 16, are all "330 ambassadors" for the LeBron James Family Foundation -- James' charitable organization.

Since Thursday, the five teens have ridden New York subways, visited homeless shelters, delivered basketball uniforms to poor schools, and dropped off blankets to a nursing home as part of James' "acts of kindness."

Chaperoned by Michele Campbell, who runs the James Family Foundation, and employees of James' marketing firm who volunteer for the foundation, the teenagers stayed in an east-side hotel and were guided through New York's underbelly by a city subway expert.

On Saturday, the group completed No. 22 on James' list with James in attendance, as part of the foundation's ninth-annual dedication of a refurbished Boys & Girls club in the host city for the All-Star Game.  

"For LeBron, he loves Akron, loves his hometown, and this was a way to bring a piece of his hometown with him to the city," Campbell said. "For the high-school students, it's a learning, educational experience for them to be here."

Wray, who attends the Akron STEM High School, had never flown on a plane or traveled outside Ohio.

"It's been crazy, been a great experience," Wray said in a room full of more than one hundred children from New York's Harlem, as they awaited James at the Boys & Girls Club. "I haven't traveled much, and this a real big trip. I've seen a lot of the city, gotten a lot of culture. It's just been great helping the city and seeing their reaction."

The foundation documents each "act of kindness" on its Facebook page. Many of the acts include help from James' corporate partners.

For instance, on Thursday James' crew handed out Powerbeats by Dre headphones to some fans at Good Morning America, and facilitated free breakfast for customers at a McDonald's.

The group carried several basketball uniform drops at schools, courtesy of Nike, and distributed some electronic tablets by Samsung. And, of course, the Boys & Girls Club renovations are done in partnership with Sprite.

"It's the ultimate," James at the Boys & Girls Club. "Anytime that I can use my power, my star power, to benefit the kids, I'm all for it. It's been nine years ... time flies for sure, but you see these kids, you see their smiles about this gym, I'm happy for them."

Villa Angela-St. Joseph senior guard Simon Texidor amassed 25 points in the win over St. Ignatius, including seven 3-pointers.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph senior guard Simon Texidor amassed 25 points in the win over St. Ignatius, including seven 3-pointers.

Minnesota rookie Zach LaVine won the 2015 Slam Dunk contest in dramatic fashion.

BROOKLYN - Minnesota rookie Zach LaVine, the 2015 Slam Dunk champion, brought the competition back to its prominent stage on Saturday night at Barclays Center.

LaVine outdueled Orlando's Victor Oladipo in the championship round in dominating fashion.

The rookies' jaw-dropping antics were reminiscent of Vince Carter's legendary dunking performance in 2000. He performed an array of dunks that have never been seen on a grand stage before.

LaVine put on a show and you knew who he was after his opening slam.

He threw the ball up, letting it bounce and then gathered it in mid-air to go between the legs and finish with a left-handed dunk on the opposite side of the rim. His next dunk was assisted by his rookie teammate Andrew Wiggins.

Wiggins stood on the side of the basket and held the ball out with his right hand. LaVine came in and took it out his hand in the air and went between his legs for another left-handed vicious throw-down.

His head was well above the rim.

In the championship round, Oladipo sputtered to a 72 mark after a couple of unsuccessful dunk attempts before converting a behind the basket dunk off the glass.

All LaVine had to do was complete a decent dunk to get the win, but no, he chose to wow the crowd and he did.

His final dunk was aided by another teammate in Shabazz Muhammad.

Muhammad threw the ball off the extension of the stanchion behind the basket and LaVine caught it and went between the legs again. Only this time he finished with a right-handed slam.

The event was over.

LaVine automatically cemented himself into the conversation of the all-time greatest dunkers. Dr. J (Julius Irving) walked off the court shaking his head in amazement.

Brooklyn's Mason Plumlee and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo were eliminated in the first round.

Irving helped out

Cleveland's Kyrie Irving assisted his former college teammate (Plumlee) with his first dunk.

Irving was standing on the baseline opposite of where Plumlee was coming from. Irving lobbed it on Plumlee's side and the big man caught it and glided to the other side of the rim for a two-handed back slam. He received a score of 40.

The Indians have won two World Series in their history in 1920 and 1948. Both times they did it with a player-manager, Tris Speaker in 1920 and Lou Bourdreau is 1948. Does that mean Terry Francona, 54, has to make a comeback in 2015?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Do you have a question that you'd like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here.

Hey, Hoynsie: When the Indians won the World Series in 1920 and 1948, they had a player-manager -- Tris Speaker in 1920 and Lou Boudreau in 1948. This jokingly begs the question; can Terry Francona still play? The more serious question is would the Players Association allow a player-manager in this day and age? -- David Bodemer, Tallmadge.

Hey, David: Francona would be the first to tell you his playing days are long since past, but it's still possible to have a player-manager in the big leagues. Pete Rose did it for the Reds from 1984-86. Frank Robinson was the Tribe's player-manager for 1975-76. 

While the union would have no reason to complain, owners and general managers might. The job of a big-league manager has morphed into a full-time gig. Unless there were extenuating circumstances -- Rose was chasing Ty Cobb's hit total as a player-manager -- I'd be surprised if it happened again.

Hey, Hoynsie: How about ESPN putting the Indians at No.4 in the preseason rankings? It's nice to see them crediting continuity by a small-market club as opposed to trumpeting the big off-season acquisitions of other teams. If there was ever a team symbolically representative of the blue-collar, hardworking aspect of Cleveland it's the Indians. Let's show this team the support it deserves Ohio fans. -- Nick Kellogg, Austin, Texas.

Hey, Nick: It might be the Cleveland in me, but anytime people start predicting good things for the Tribe this early in the year I keep getting flashbacks to Joe Carter and Cory Snyder on the cover of SI's baseball edition in 1987. SI predicted that the Indians were going to be the best team in the American League, instead they lost 101 games. 

But I do like the Tribe's starting rotation.

Hey, Hoynsie: With the Indians' payroll below what it has been in the past few years, do you think that they may make a big move during the season when teams start selling? -- Drew Badd, Canton.

Hey, Drew: I think the Indians payroll is going to be close to the $85 million it was last year. As far as making an in-season move, it depends on a lot of things, the most important being where the Indians are in the standings.

If they're in contention at the end of July or August, maybe they make a move to help the club. If they're out of it, they might try to dump some salary and look at some younger players.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why haven't the Indians made a big trade this winter? They need to sell more season tickets. I know the payroll isn't over $100 million. A player like Evan Longoria could help them offensively and defensively. He's making only $7 million a year and would excite the fan base. Their window for winning a championship is now. -- Dan Alexander, LaGrange.

Hey, Dan: I think you need to research Longoria's contract a little more. He'll make $11 million this year and $11.5 million in 2016. Then an extension he signed in 2012 kicks in which will pay him $100 million from 2017-22.

I'm not saying the Indians won't make a big move sometime this year, but the reason they've been quiet is because they like their club the way it is.

Hey, Hoynsie: I've read articles that the Indians' ballpark favors left-handed hitters when it comes to power and that the team's position players are built around that fact.

Don't these recent two-year stats from Rotogrinders (rotogrinders.com/pages/ballpark-factors-49556) suggest that right-handed batters are slightly more likely to hit extra base hits and home runs, while lefties hit for more average and OPS due to more singles? -- James Westfield, Cleveland.

Hey, James: In this year's copy of the Bill James Handbook here's what it says took place during home games last season at Progressive Field: Tribe lefties hit 53 homers, Tribe righties hit 19.

Among opposing players, left-handed hitters hit 34 homers and righties hit 38. Overall, lefties hit 87 homers and righties 57 last year at Progressive Field.

From 2012-14, lefties out-homered righties 279-172. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Hey, Hoynsie: Will the Tribe keep Jason Giambi, even if it's only for team inspiration? -- Randall Smith, Cleveland. 

Hey, Randall: The Indians have made it clear that they'd like Giambi back in some kind of advisor role. I do not think he'll play again and could take a year off to be with his family before getting back into baseball.

Hey, Hoynsie: Everyone is hoping the defense will improve this year. I doubt very much that it will. There are very few players on the roster that weren't asked to play multiple positions last year. Manager Terry Francona is constantly moving guys around. Don't you think a player has a far greater chance to excel in his position if he is only playing that one position? I'm convinced that Francona is the cause of the poor defense. -- Bruce Allen, Land O Lakes, Fla.

Hey, Bruce: Strange, but I don't remember Francona being charged with any of the Tribe's league-leading 116 errors last year.

As for players playing more than one position, I think there will be less of that this year. Carlos Santana has settled in at first and won't be asked to play third or catch. Lonnie Chisenhall appears to be the clubhouse leader at third and shouldn't be appearing at first base unless there's an emergency. I think having Jose Ramirez at shortstop from opening day is going to help the infield as well.

 

I know the defensive metrics did not put the outfield defense in a good light, but I must be watching another game. I thought Michael Brantley played a great left field and that Michael Bourn, when healthy, was fine in center. Francona did use right field as a melting pot and that could be the case this year as well. I think you will see different faces circulating among first base, DH and right field, but I believe Santana will is going to see most of the action at first.

LeBron James remains the NBA's standard bearer, but could Stephen Curry one day succeed him?

NEW YORK -- It's a phrase heard over and over about LeBron James, pronounced again this weekend by his peers.

"LeBron is the face of our league," Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul said Saturday, following the West's practice at Madison Square Garden in preparation for tonight's 64^th NBA All-Star Game.

In conversations, players and coaches either declare or acknowledge that James is the NBA's standard bearer. And on Friday, the players union unanimously elected him as vice president because of his prowess.

James, who shook the sporting world by his surprise return to the Cleveland Cavaliers last summer, is the NBA's biggest star. He occupies the seat once held by Michael, Kobe, Magic and Bird. And at age 30, presumably, LeBron isn't going anywhere for a while, with his sights set on bringing Cleveland its first NBA title.

But James wasn't the league's top vote-getter for tonight's All-Star Game. That honor belonged to Golden State's Stephen Curry, winner of last night's three-point contest and the new, hot candidate to maybe one day succeed James as the face of the sport.

"Yeah I got a lot of work to do, obviously," Curry said this weekend, when asked about it.

James said: "For me, I just try to put myself in a position where I can lay down the foundation for the next group of guys, and if Steph Curry's that guy, then this league will be where it needs to be, if not better."

Time and history are not on Curry's side. He's 26 -- turns 27 in March -- and has zero Most Valuable Player awards to James' four. Curry has no championships or Finals appearances. James has five Finals trips and two titles.

James is the lead pitchman for corporate giants Nike, Coca-Cola (Sprite), and McDonald's, among others. Curry's endorsements are only just beginning to accumulate.

James is averaging roughly 27 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists for his 12-year career; Curry's averaging 21 points and seven assists in six seasons. Both are complete players, but their execution is different. James' game is predicated on speed and power; Curry has a devastatingly quick release and is a career 43-percent three-point shooter.

So why, then, might Curry one day sit where James sits?

For starters, he edged James by about 43,000 votes as the league's top vote getter. He is the best player on the NBA's second-best team (by record), which happens to be among the league's most fun to watch.

James said Friday that Curry was perhaps the favorite to win the MVP this season. The Warriors have as good of a chance right now as anyone (Cavs included) to win in June.

Curry is also immensely popular among young adults -- the largest swath of the league's fan base. In other words, momentum is building. It's up to Curry to capitalize.

"LeBron is in the MJ mode right now," said Curry's coach, former Cavalier and Michael Jordan's ex-teammate Steve Kerr, who will coach the West tonight. "Steph is so relatable to the fans. The kids can look at him and say, well, I'm his size, practically.

"I think it would be easier to relate to Steph than it is to relate to LeBron or Michael or these super-human guys. So from that standpoint, it's sort of different, a different place in the league, a different status or stature. No question with his popularity he is becoming one of the stars."

They look different -- James is 6-8, 250 pounds and Curry is 6-3, 185 -- but both can command a room. They appeared together Friday with Commissioner Adam Silver at an NBA Get Fit event at a New York City school, and both were at ease speaking and interacting with the numerous children in the room with cameras rolling.

"LeBron's not close to ready to move on yet," Silver said after the event. "I can't think of a greater representative of our league than Steph Curry. There's a tremendous amount he does in his communities both in North Carolina where he's from and Bay Area where he lives. It's also a joy to watch him out on the floor."

James' brand extends far beyond basketball, with his interests growing in business, movies and TV, and in philanthropy. On Saturday, James dedicated the renovation of two Boys & Girls clubs in metro New York -- the ninth year his charitable LeBron James Family Foundation has renovated a Boys & Girls club in the host city for the All-Star Game.

It was a day that began with practice for his 11^th consecutive All-Star start for the East, followed by speaking about his election to union leadership, followed by appearances for Nike.

Curry said James is "kind of the inspiration for why we play the game."

Here's your final chance to vote on The Plain Dealer All-Decade boys basketball teams.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Over the past week, we spotlighted some of the top boys basketball players from the area in The Plain Dealer All-Decade boys basketball teams from the 1960s on.

Our selection panel named a top 10 list for each decade and we gave you a chance to vote on it as well. Along with the teams, we also asked you to vote on who you think is the best player of the past half-century -- LeBron James, Clark Kellogg, or someone else.

Today is your last chance to vote. The overall poll is here. Click on the links below to vote on the teams of each decade. The votes will be counted Monday and revealed Tuesday on cleveland.com and in Wednesday editions of The Plain Dealer.

And share your thoughts in the comments below this post.

• To vote on the All-Decade team from the 1960s, click here.
• To vote on the All-Decade team from the 1970s, click here.
• To vote on the All-Decade team from the 1980s, click here.
• To vote on the All-Decade team from the 1990s, click here.
• To vote on the All-Decade team from the 2000s, click here.

Will the Browns really try to trade up for Marcus Mariota? Will the Browns be interested in Ryan Mallett? Do the Browns need a football czar? These and other questions answered in this week's Hey Mary Kay!

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hey Mary Kay!

Hey Mary Kay:  Do you really think the Browns will try to trade up for Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota?

-- Ryan Berlan, North Olmsted, Ohio

Hey Ryan: I do think the Browns will explore the possibility of landing the former Heisman Trophy winner. I've been told that Browns GM Ray Farmer was high on Mariota last year, and the Browns continued to scout him this year during his Heisman campaign. It depends on how the top teams in the draft view Mariota and whether or not Tampa Bay intends to take him No. 1 overall. Plenty of experts now have Florida State's Jamies Winston ranked ahead of Mariota, which means Mariota might be easier to land. The Browns have the No. 12 and No. 19 picks in the first round, and it will most likely take those two picks, and possibly next year's No. 1 to land one of the top two prospects. Considering their situation with Johnny Manziel, I don't think they can afford to take a chance on another character risk like Winston.

 Hey Mary Kay: How is it that Ray Farmer was even able to send text messages to people (coaches I presume) if they aren't suppose to have a cell phone on the field in the first place? What gives with that? The recipient(s) should be just as guilty as Ray Farmer. With Pilot flying J, Johnny Manziel, Josh Gordon, and now Ray, it seems Jimmy is not taking care of smart, ethical business practices. What say you?

-- Paul Fridrich, College Station , Texas

Hey Paul: The coaches are not permitted to use cell phones during the game either, so it will be interesting to see if anyone besides Farmer is penalized. Some of the texts may have gone to former Browns quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains, who's now with the Bears. Haslam insisted this week that he had nothing to do with the texts, so he can't be blamed for those. As for Johnny Manziel, the Browns apparently didn't give enough consideration to his well-documented pre-draft issues, and are now paying the price. But the organization viewed Manziel's decision to go to rehab two weeks ago as a positive, and as for Gordon, this regime had pretty much lost patience with him before this latest suspension, so they weren't counting on him anyway. I've been saying this all offseason: Haslam needs an accomplished football czar to run the team for him.    

Hey, Mary Kay: What's your confidence level that the Brown's leadership will straighten out their issues. It's not surprising that their organization has been out of sync, given how quickly it was put together with everybody in first time roles. I've worked with management teams that have worked through difficulties like these, but it requires shelving egos and putting everything on the table. Is this group capable of that? I must admit that this texting thing has shaken my faith in the front office more than anything else--including the Johnny Manziel miscalculation.

 -- John Turner, Johns Island, S.C.

Hey John: If the Browns draft well this year and find a winning quarterback, plenty of their issues will take care of themselves. A good quarterback alone covers a lot of ills. And they'll need one next year, because their schedule is incredibly difficult. Heading into the season, it's ninth-toughest in the NFL. If they finish below .500 in Haslam's fourth-year of ownership, he'll likely want to shake some things up. If Manziel can become something next year, it would be a bonus for the Browns, but they're not counting on it.

Hey, Mary Kay:  What do you think of Ryan Mallett? He's young, has a strong arm and good size. I think he would have been a 1st round draft pick if it wasn't for some drug issues in college. I'm sure he's a free agent.

-- Dave Martin, North Ridgeville, Ohio

Hey Dave: Mallett is set to become a free agent March 10 unless the Texans re-sign him. I imagine that coach Bill O'Brien will either re-sign Mallett or pursue Brian Hoyer, whom he also coached when he was in New England. Mallett, who's 6-6, 240, was impressive against the Browns last year and is one of the top free agent quarterbacks this year. He's coming off a torn pectoral muscle, but is expected to be healthy for 2015. I'm sure the Browns will do their due diligence on him as they will all the top free agents. Other top free agent quarterbacks include Josh McCown, Jake Locker, Mark Sanchez, Michael Vick and Matt Moore. In addition to the Texans, Hoyer is likely to draw interest from plenty of other teams, including the Browns.  
 
Hey Mary Kay: I have two comments about the Browns and I would like to hear your opinion on each. 1. It seems to me that the Browns need a football person as a President or a Vice President for the GM and coach to report to, to act as a buffer between them and the owner keeping Jimmy Haslam out of the football decisions.  2. With the uncertainty at QB what would be wrong with giving Tim Tebow a shot at stabilizing the position?

- Dave Parker, Leesburg, Fla.

Hey Dave: I agree that the Browns need an experienced football boss to oversee the coach and GM, but Haslam has no plans of adding to the front office at this time. Some think he might try to lure Peyton Manning to Cleveland for that role when he's done playing. Haslam consults often with Bill Parcells, but as of last year at this time, there were no plans to hire him. As for Tim Tebow stabilizing the quarterback position, not a chance. The Browns are looking for a proven winner, and they'll keep looking until they find one. Haslam swears the Browns have the right people in place to find him, and that they're on a mission. He might currently be on their roster, and he might not.
 

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin hockey defeated West Geauga, 5-3, to earn the first Baron Cup III championship in team history on Sunday.

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin hockey defeated West Geauga, 5-3, to earn the first Baron Cup III championship in team history on Sunday.

The playoff brackets were released on Sunday.

The playoff brackets were released on Sunday.

Follow all three Baron Cup hockey championship matchups today at John M. Coyne Rec Center by checking back with the comments in this post and join in the discussion.

Follow all three Baron Cup hockey championship matchups today at John M. Coyne Rec Center by checking back with the comments in this post and join in the discussion.

It's the offseason, but there's still a lot going on with the Browns. Chat about the team from noon to 1 p.m. today with Northeast Ohio Media Group Browns writers Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - It may be February, but there's still plenty to talk about when it comes to the Cleveland Browns.

Owner Jimmy Haslam spoke last week about the future of the team after what had been a rough week.

"I feel very good directionally about where we're headed,'' Haslam said last week in a 50-minute session with Browns beat reporters. ". . . We have to prove we can win and win consistently, and we accept that."

Do you think the Browns are headed in the right direction? Is Johnny Manziel worth waiting on, as Haslam says? And what are you expecting from suspended receiver Josh Gordon, free-agent quarterback Brian Hoyer and new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo?

Talk about those topics and whatever else is on your mind with Northeast Ohio Media Group Browns reporters Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed today from noon to 1 p.m. Join them in the comments below with  your questions and comments.

There are only two full weeks left in the regular season.

There are only two full weeks left in the regular season.

How a reporter found out the hard way that Pau Gasol is bigger than LeBron James in certain areas.

NEW YORK - The NBA All-Star Game media scrums are the worst. You can have upwards of 100 media members surrounding a player battling to get his attention.

It's not ideal working conditions, but if you have a few questions for a particular player that you desperately need an answer to, then advance preparation is highly recommended.

And that's especially the case for a LeBron James media session.

The Eastern Conference All-Stars were scheduled to address the media following the conclusion of their practice Saturday.

In the media mix zone, chairs for the athletes were assembled on the perimeter, and the media were confined to the interior with a 4-foot barrier separating the players from us.

A league official entered the room and began placing name tags on the chairs. The game of "locate LeBron's seat" was underway.

However, the official refused to reveal ahead of time where each player would be sitting, so media members were reluctantly forced to follow him as he went chair-to-chair, not saying a word.                                              

We were located eight chairs down and halfway near the end of the chairs, which were in a U-shaped configuration, and no LeBron. Then, the very next chair was stamped with a name tag, and all went wild.

Reporters raced to the area the and two of them stumbled and fell as they tried to secure a prime spot. But that didn't deter their pursuit. They both got up rapidly as if nothing happened and wedged themselves in with the rest of the group.

Ten seconds passed and there were already close to 50 media members in the vicinity. We were an hour away from the players entering the room. An hour.

I had a bright idea, but I really didn't expect it to work. I managed to make my way toward the front of the herd in about five minutes by convincing my peers that I was a security affiliate of LeBron.

My fraternity gave me strange looks, but unwillingly allowed me to pass through. I was shocked that it actually worked!

I looked back and took pride in how far I had come. This was a huge accomplishment. It's not everyday that you're able to pull something like this off in New York.

Then I had another bright idea: I'll take a picture of LeBron's seat and tweet it out with a brief description of my journey to the top. I pulled my iPhone out, looked at the chair and my mouth dropped to the floor. What a dummy!

This was the seat for Chicago center Pau Gasol.

Apparently Gasol is a big hit internationally and in the States. I had made what I thought was an educated assumption that if reporters were tripping over one another, it must have been for LeBron.

I spent valuable time duping the wrong folks. No wonder everyone had puzzled looks on their faces when I said I was a member of LeBron's security team. I should have realized my mistake when I didn't recognize any of the people nearest me.

My momentum was stolen; my pride took a major hit. It turned out LeBron's name-tag was placed on the final chair. I exited the herd defeated, though I played it off like I had an important phone call.

I did end up getting a nice spot at LeBron's seating, but it was nothing like the lovely location that I had worked so hard for.

At the end of the day, I learned two valuable things: Gasol is bigger than LeBron in certain parts of the world; and the old saying about what happens "When you assume" is true.

Thank you dearly, Pau. Thank you dearly.

With conference races tight in both the Horizon League and the Mid-American Conference, avoiding the late-season upset will be key to winning a championship.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Start to expect the unexpected over the final three weeks of the college basketball season. That became apparent over the past weekend as both Cleveland State and Akron suffered tough road losses.

Both teams remain prime contenders in the Horizon League and Mid-American Conference, respectively. But those setbacks, even on the road, now leave both teams with no margin for error left.

Kent State pulled a big upset at Toledo, but now the Golden Flashes have to avoid the same fate that hit CSU and Akron, which is losing to a team behind them in the standings.

Cleveland State (16-11, 10-3): The Vikings may see Charlie Lee's driving layup that rolled off the rim at the buzzer against Detroit tantalizing them in their dreams the rest of the season. That miss Friday night against the Titans, even with Sunday's win over UIC, still has CSU a game behind Valparaiso (24-4, 11-2) and a half game ahead of Green Bay (20-6, 9-3).

The Vikings have a rare late-season non-conference game this week at Western Carolina on Tuesday, followed by road games at Green Bay and Milwaukee on Friday and Sunday. CSU's seniors, Lee and Anton Grady in particular, have been focused on a title this season.

A winning week in conference play will set up the season-ender with Valparaiso on Feb. 27 at 10 p.m. in the Wolstein Center for at least a share of first place.

Akron Zips (17-8, 8-4): All season long Keith Dambrot has said that at some point, expect to see 6-11 Pat Forsythe and 6-10 Isaiah Johnson on the floor together. It happened in the Zips 75-73 loss at Eastern Michigan. The problem was, those two post players were a combined 7-for-19 from point-blank range.

"We had a lot of looks, but we didn't make a lot,'' Dambrot said. "We got the ball where we wanted to get it, we just didn't make enough around the basket."

Don't be surprised to see more of the same this week as the Zips now face a critical Wednesday home game with Toledo. There seems to be a kryptonite opponent in the MAC for every team -- a school they just don't match up well against. For Toledo it's Kent State; for Kent State it's Buffalo; for Bowling Green, it's the Zips; and for the Zips it's Toledo.

With senior swingman Deji Ibitayo nursing a sore back, taking away a needed perimeter defender, slowing down the Rockets with their inside power could be a big difference for the Zips.

Kent State (17-8, 8-4):  It's not over. KSU's stands 2-3 in its current run of six road games out of eight with three games still to go in this stretch.

Upcoming Ball State at home, Ohio University and Miami on the road are all behind Kent in the standings, but fighting for MAC Tournament position just like the Golden Flashes. To finish this stretch 4-4 would be key.

Two big senior moments for Kent last week in its 76-75 overtime upset at Toledo:

Senior swingman Craig Brown, who entered the game without a field goal since Jan. 10, scored an unexpected six points in the first half against the Rockets when KSU was laboring for points.

And at the end, 7-4 senior center Blake Vedder did exactly as instructed, forcing UT to inbounds a desperation pass into the backcourt with one second left, instead of at the rim for an alley-oop or a foul.

"Credit Blake, because that's not as easy as it looks, coming off the bench cold,'' Senderoff said. "Your instincts are to slap at the ball and try to deflect it, but we wanted him to face-guard the rim and make them throw it back. That's what he did. And credit Craig, too. He's a senior, but he has not given up on this season. We still need him, and he really helped."

On the Horizon: There are pretty clear lines drawn in the HL this season with Valparaiso, Green Bay and Cleveland State at the top; Oakland, Milwaukee and Detroit in the middle, then Wright State, Youngstown State and Illinois-Chicago at the bottom.

Those back end teams can impact the league greatly down the stretch by pulling upsets. Detroit started it with an upset win over CSU last Friday. The Titans, and Wright State also still have a game to play against Valparaiso. Oakland has one left with Green Bay. An upset down the stretch could create havoc in the standings at the end.

Bowling Green's defense has been key to the Falcons rise to the top of Mid-American Conference play. Lonnie Timmons III/PLAIN DEALER 

MAC Attack: How wild has this season been in league play? Bowling Green sits alone in first place. That's just the second time this season there has not been a tie at the top of the standings. On Jan. 27, Kent State was alone in first place. For one game.

The Falcons (17-6, 9-3), however, seem to have some stick 'em on their first-place grip with six to play. Of their three toughest games remaining -- two vs. Buffalo and one vs. Kent -- two are at home. Not so good for Toledo.

It's loss to Kent comes just before UT plays four of its final six on the road, starting Wednesday at Akron and with stops ahead at Western Michigan, Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan.

Around the state: The Xavier Musketeers (16-10, 7-7) continue to walk a tightrope toward a possible NCAA Tournament bid as they can't seem to get more than a game above .500 in league play. Just as critical this week is the annual rivalry game with neighboring Cincinnati. That win could be a must have for NCAA at-large consideration.

The Dayton Flyers (19-5, 9-3) sit atop the Atlantic 10, with head coach Archie Miller working on a Coach of the Year resume, considering all of this effort in A-10 play has come without his suspended starting and backup centers for violation of team rules.

Top Four in the state: Dayton, Cincinnati, Ohio State, Bowling Green. On the radar, Xavier, Toledo. Folks better start believing in the BG Falcons as coach Chris Jans has a veteran unit primed for a MAC title. And don't sleep on Toledo just yet. Before that upset loss to Kent State, the Rockets had won six straight. They could do that again.

Cleveland Browns' fans weigh the the pros and cons of an increased season ticket package -- Bud Shaw's You Said It.

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 Normal Monday Edition)

Bud: I need you to help me decide if I should renew my Browns' season tickets.  Let's see, my PSL is worthless, my tickets went up 23% and the Browns want my money by 3/13.  That's six weeks sooner than last year. Never mind. I think I just answered my own question - Rich B. Solon.

 After 24 years in this town, I think I know Browns' fans well enough to say I'll see you at the stadium.  

Bud: An optimist and a pessimist walk into a bar. The optimist says, "The Cavs have won 14 of their last 16 games." The pessimist says,"The Cavs have lost two of their last three games." Which one are you? - Fred Corrigan, Orlando

The sad one in the corner reading You Said It emails and regretting career choices.

Bud: I am currently sitting on a beach in Maui submitting a Spin question.  Am I dysfunctional? -- Kahuna (Big Al,) Aurora

I just checked with Jimmy Haslam and he says no, not even close. Feel better?

Hey Bud: The Patriots may be fined and lose draft picks for something they did to prepare to win a game. The Browns may be fined and lose draft picks because they were so unprepared to win a game the GM feels the need to text the coaches.  Jimmy Haslam can talk all he wants, but the way his team cheats says it all to me - Nate J, Brunswick

 Would you change your tune if I told you the Browns are also under investigation for illegally taping other team's drum lines.

Bud: Do you start to wonder where this team and the front office would be if Haslam had not spent time with the Rooneys in Pittsburgh as a part owner of the Steelers? -- Gary Hyde, Willoughby Hills

First-time You Said It winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection.

Bud: Did the Browns plan for their season ticket holders to pay by Friday the 13th? - Russ G

 Repeat winners must pay a premium for a second T-shirt.