Graham Rahal's consistency in IndyCar this season has the Columbus, Ohio native sitting second in the points race with three events to go.

CLEVELAND,  Ohio -- It is safe to say, in the IndyCar ranks, Graham Rahal is putting together one fantastic season that has all the earmarks of a finish much like one of his favorite athletes -- LeBron James.

Just as James and the Cavs finished second in the 2015 NBA chase, young Rahal seems destined for a similar fate at best. At the same time, he continues to defy the odds.

Racing with what most of the season has been undernourished Honda power, Rahal has still put together a season that includes one race victory, five podium finishes, seven top five finishes and nine top 10s in 13 races.

He is now second in the series standings, the only Honda driver with a sniff at winning a championship.

Rahal had a five-race streak early in the season when he had two second-place finishes, a third and a fifth. In his last three races, including this past weekend in Iowa, he has finished first, third and fourth.

That level of consistency has allowed Rahal to stay in the thick of the series points chase, amidst drivers racing with the more powerful Chevrolet engines. He currently sits second, behind Juan Pablo Montoya.

With three races left in the season, Rahal is 42 points behind Montoya, but only six points ahead of Scott Dixon with the next race, Aug. 2, at what most would consider to be Rahal's home track at Mid-Ohio.

That would certainly be considered a positive. The negative, however, is the tight Mid-Ohio track has limited passing areas, which puts a premium on fast qualifying efforts, and that does not favor Honda drivers.

Then again, maybe not.

Despite the beating Honda has taken most of the season, the fact remains it has won two of the last four races, at Fontana, California and Iowa. And at Iowa, the powerplant placed two of the top four.

Now, Mid-Ohio is Honda's home track as well. Just as it would be an amazing accomplishment for Rahal to somehow pull out a 2015 series title, ditto for Honda if it can put together an end-of-the-season run that closes the gap on Chevrolet.

As it stands now, Chevy powers five of the top six cars in the points race. After Mid-Ohio the series ends with races at Pocono and Sonoma, California. Montoya remains the favorite to win the title.

But he still has to hold off Dixon, plus teammates Helio Castroneves and Will Power, who are all within range of a Montoya DNF of making this a wild championship finish.

Zach Johnson wins British Open following four-hole playoff over Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Jordan Spieth's amazing bid for a Grand Slam was stopped Monday by Zach Johnson, no longer just a normal guy from Iowa.

Johnson captured his second major at the home of golf, winning the British Open in a playoff over Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman that capped off a wild five days at St. Andrews and a finish that won't soon be forgotten.

Most of that was because of Spieth, who came within inches of a shot at the third leg of the Grand Slam. The Masters and U.S. Open champion rolled in a 50-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole to tie for the lead with two holes to play. He missed an 8-foot putt on the tough 17th hole and took bogey, and his final bid to join the playoff was a long birdie attempt from the edge of the Valley of Sin.

It turned left of the hole, ending the latest bid at the holy grail of golf -- winning all four professional majors in the same year.

"We gave it a great effort," Spieth said.

Spieth hung around for the playoff, and walked out to the course to give Johnson a hug before the 39-year-old received the silver claret jug.

Johnson rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole in regulation to close with a 6-under 66. Leishman badly missed his birdie putt that would have won it, while Oosthuizen hit a perfect wedge to 5 feet for birdie and a 69 to join the playoff.

Johnson opened the four-hole playoff with two birdies. When he missed his 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole at No. 18, Oosthuizen had a 12-foot birdie putt to force sudden death. It caught the left edge of the cup, and Johnson was in tears.

He said when he won the 2007 Masters that he was just a normal guy from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Now he has two majors among his 12 PGA Tour victories.

"I'm grateful. I'm humbled. I'm honored," Johnson said. "This is the birthplace of the game, and that jug means so much in sports. I felt great. I'm just in awe right now."

A look at the roads to Akron, some thousands of miles long, travelled by champions at the 78th Annual All-American Soap Box Derby.

AKRON, Ohio  -- There were more than 450 kids in Lock 3 Park on Monday afternoon, clapping, hollering and throwing toys at one another, all of them ready to race in the world championship of soap box derby racing this week.

Monday's celebration marked the opening ceremony of the week long celebration for the All-American Soap Box Derby, the gravity powered race that culminates Saturday after a week of exhibition racing at the famed Derby Downs race course in the Ellet neighborhood.

For each of the 450-plus regional champions, this week is the culmination of long nights spent testing, tweaking and retesting the finest components of their hand-assembled cars. It is also the culmination of long roads, some thousands of miles long.

Here are three champions with very different stories about their road to the  78th Annual All-American Soap Box Derby

A world away, New Zealand sends its best 

No one traveled farther for the race than 15-year-old Aaron Kinge, who along with his family landed in Akron on Thursday after a 33-hour trip from Auckland, New Zealand.

The Kinges barely beat their two derby cars, a masters car and super stock car, which arrived in a bulk cargo container just three days prior. They shipped the cars in March.

Aaron Kinge sported a New Zealand flag as a cape on Monday afternoon, a beaming symbol on a bright, hot 84-degree afternoon. It was about 30 degrees in Auckland when the Kinge's got on the plane to Akron, leaving behind the dead of winter in the southern hemisphere.

"It's quite a shock to get here and see it so hot," Aaron said. "Everyone has been really nice so far, everyone we meet is very friendly. They love us, so we love them."

His region is one of the largest in terms of competitors. He beat out nearly 400 racers in New Zealand to get the nod as the New Zealand masters super-stock champion; some races were decided by less than one-thousandth of one-second. 

The 11th grader faces a new challenge in Akron. The towering Derby Downs race course is a far different experience than the pock-marked curved roads Aaron raced on in New Zealand.

"It's a bit different because in New Zealand we have corners," Kinge said. "It's challenging because it's so smooth and straight. It all comes down to how you set your car up."

Derby fever runs in the family

The Barnes' family has travelled from near Boston, Massachusetts to Akron 12 times to watch kin race in the All-American Soap Box Derby. On Monday afternoon Bob Barnes was sporting a hard hat with a model derby car on top, complete with the steering mechanism from one of the cars. 

He's in Akron to watch his 14-year-old son race after winning a competitive region that yielded two national champions last year. His family is in the third generation of soap box racing. 

"It's the only sport where you and your kid are a team," Barnes said. "There's no dropping them off at the soccer field. You're there with them every day. You get feedback from the kids."

Barnes did a time study with his son's car before the final race, making 50 different observations, tweaking the car after every 10 heats to find the perfect configuration to win the local championship.

On race day Barnes will be wearing his voodoo hat, complete with soap box steering.

"You watch your kid go out of the gate, the gate drops and they might be off course a little bit," Barnes said. "You take this hat and you can steer them straight."

Nothing compares to the first time

Tyler Stacherski, 10, made his first trip to the world championship in Akron this weekend and is continuing his family's tradition in the world championship. His  grandparents raced there in the 1930s.

"I didn't expect I was going to win this year in Philadelphia, when I found out I was coming we were very excited," Stacherski said, grinning behind wide-rimmed glasses and a tuft of sun-bleached hair.

Stacherski said the All-American Soap Box Derby Hill, nearly 400 feet higher than the course he ran in Philadelphia, was an imposing sight at first.

"The first time I saw it I was scared," he said. "But as I went down for the first time I realized, this is going to be really fun."

Some odds and ends about Ohio State basketball recruiting from the last few weeks.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Some odds and ends on Ohio State basketball recruiting from the last few weeks.

* We've mentioned it before, but Ohio State is still pursuing 2016 prospects despite being full right now for that class. The Buckeyes have forwards Derek Funderburk and Micah Potter committed for 2016. Potter left the door open for a possible reclassification to 2017 when I spoke with him two weeks ago, but said it isn't likely.

But Matta has kept on some 2016 prospects, including five-star point guard Kobi Simmons. In an interview with Scout.com earlier this month, Simmons listed Ohio State among the schools still pursuing him the hardest.

Simmons has unofficially visited Ohio State, and Matta had an in-home visit with Simmons in the spring. I caught up with Simmons briefly in April at the Adidas Uprising Gauntlet in Indianapolis.

"I'm their biggest recruit, I believe, that's what they told me," Simmons said then, "I like what they did with D'Angelo Russell."

Simmons, a Georgia native, is the No. 7 player in the Class of 2016 according to 247Sports' composite ratings, and also listed Kentucky, Georgia, Arizona and North Carolina as other programs pushing hard for him.

* Matta was also spotted in Atlanta for the Under Armour Association finals where he watched 2016 shooting guard Markelle Fultz. The five-star prospect from Hyattsville, Md., is rated the No. 5 shooting guard and No. 19 overall prospect in the 247 composite ratings.

He reportedly plans to narrow down a top 10 list soon, it will be interesting to see if the Buckeyes make the cut with their current scholarship situation.

* It seems like most of Ohio State's focus right now is on 2017 and beyond. The Buckeyes have a 2017 commitment from Westerville South big man Kaleb Wesson, and as it stands now that's the only spot the Buckeyes have available for 2017.

But there are other offers out there, the most recent to four-star Michigan power forward Xavier Tillman. Tillman, ranked the No. 15 power forward and No. 66 overall prospect in 2017 by 247, unofficially visited the Buckeyes in June and the offer came shortly after.

Ohio State also has 2017 offers out to four-star shooting guard Lonnie Walker, four-star shooting guard Chris Giles, four-star shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. and five-star center Zach Brown.

* If things stay as they are now, meaning Ohio State doesn't have any attrition over the next two years, then expect two players in 2016, one in 2017 and another big haul in 2018.

The Buckeyes currently have one commitment in 2018 from Upper Arlington shooting guard Dane Goodwin, and four more spots they could fill. They've already started identifying some 2018 prospects.

Baton Rouge, La., point guard Javonte Smart picked up an offer from Ohio State last week. Smart also has offers from LSU, Alabama, Baylor, Oklahoma and Waker Forest according to his 247 profile.

According to multiple reports, the Buckeyes have also offered Australian small forward Giir Ring. Ring is 6-foot-7, and of Sudanese decent. He plays high school ball for Orlando (Fla.) Christian Prep and AAU ball for Team Texas Elite, a program run by Wes Grandstaff, the father of Ohio State freshman guard Austin Grandstaff.

LeBron James' election to union leadership and his message Monday was one of unity and participation as the NBA's players prepare for another round of collective bargaining.

LAS VEGAS - Former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Drew Gooden said it was good to not only see LeBron James seated up front with union leadership Monday, but to see him at a National Basketball Players' Association meeting at all.

"I'm jokingly saying this because I'm his boy, I'd never seen 'Bron at a meeting before," said Gooden, now with the Washington Wizards, following the players' union summer meetings at the Four Seasons hotel in Las Vegas. "It was good to see where he's at and the value of him being there as a union."

James was elected the union's first executive vice president during the All-Star break, and this was his first meeting filling that chair.

James' election and his message Monday, according to several players who attended the meetings, was one about unity, power for the players, and union participation (like, say, showing up for the meetings) ahead of likely new collective bargaining sessions with NBA owners over the next two years.

Either side can opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement, and the players have their eye on pulling in a larger share of the $24 billion a nine-year TV deal will pump into the league beginning in 2016.

The players took no action on the collective bargaining agreement - it's way too early for that - nor did they do anything formal with issues like cameramen being too close to the court.

But players described a lively discussion led by James, union president Chris Paul, and others like Finals MVP Andre Iguodala and even former Cavalier Lou Amundson about getting on the same page as a union before going back to the bargaining table.

"We have a lot of voices, a lot of people were vocal, but he talked about what it takes to get to the next level as a union," said Stephen Curry, the reigning NBA MVP. "It wasn't anything specific, but he was very vocal."

Amundson, whom the Cavs traded to New York as part of the deal for J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, said "I think we're in a really unique position right now as a union, with the growth of this league and all the money coming in to increase our significance in this collective bargaining situation with the NBA."

"Going into the last lockout, I felt like that was a big issue for us," Amundson said. "The more unified and the more significant that we are, the more money we have coming in and the more streams of revenue we have, the better off we are going into negotiations.

"A lot of the meeting was geared toward how do we do that? There were a lot of good ideas. I think LeBron made some good points about kind of our strategy going forward with that."

James politely declined comment as he whisked away in a black SUV from the Four Seasons. But in October, before he held a formal position of power in the union, he spoke at length about the need for more players to understand the business side of basketball and how to maximize earning potential.

James also believes unity is key in negotiating with the owners, especially after 2011 negotiations which produced a lockout and large concessions from the players (in their view. Under the current agreement, they'll get 51 percent of the new TV money.)

Former Cavalier and current San Antonio sharpshooter Danny Green said James "pretty much helped the players understand things about backing the union.

"And letting them know we should have faith in some of the decisions they made," Green said. "He did a great job for his first time. He understands it well, he broke it down well for guys to understand. Chris did a good job also. He (LeBron) did what all great rep leaders do, he broke it down for us so we can understand and make decisions and pass it on to our teammates for votes."

Gooden said after playing 12 seasons without much participation in union affairs, James served Monday as the "voice of the guys on the other side of the podium.

"I'm glad he's here to bridge that gap," Gooden said.

The RubberDucks are two games out of first place in the Western Division of the Eastern League.

Akron used a big fifth inning to take a 3-0 lead, but the Flying Squirrels quickly rallied and defeated the RubberDucks, 4-3, in a Class AA Eastern League game Monday night at Richmond, Va.

Shortstop Ryan Rohlinger and second baseman Justin Toole each had RBI doubles in the three-run fifth and seemed to set up a victory for RubberDucks starter Adam Plutko, who held the Squirrels scoreless through five innings. 

Richmond tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth, thanks to an RBI single from shortstop Rando Moreno and an RBI triple by outfielder Hunter Cole. Third baseman Mitch Delfino brought in a run with a sacrifice fly.

The Squirrels took the lead in the seventh with an RBI double by outfielder Engel Beltre.

Plutko (4-4, 3.07 ERA) gave up four runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. Squirrels reliever Phil McCormick (3-1, 1.82) got the win, pitching one inning and giving up one hit.

J.R. Smith said "yes and no" when asked if he regrets opting out of his $6.4 million option with the Cavaliers.

LAS VEGAS - Free agent J.R. Smith said he will meet with the Cavaliers this week to discuss a new contract and is prepared for the possibility that he could make less than the $6.4 million he walked away from when he declined his player's option with Cleveland in June.

"That's always part of the gamble of opting out," Smith told the Northeast Ohio Media Group on Monday at the Four Seasons hotel in Las Vegas, where the NBA players' union held its summer meeting.

Smith has kept a low profile during the NBA's free agency period, which is a bad thing for a player who opted out of his contract to seek a raise.

He was the Cavs' starting shooting guard during the regular season after he was acquired via trade in January, but Smith struggled in the Finals - his last and best chance to increase his earning potential.

Asked if he regretted his decision to decline his contract option, Smith said "Uh, I mean, yes and no.

"No because I've gotten offers that I wanted, I mean numbers that I wanted, it's just different situations," Smith said. "Right now it's just a matter of seeing what the Cavs come back to me with. Right now they give me the best opportunity to win."

Smith's agent, Leon Rose, did not immediately return a call seeking comment. It is believed Smith was seeking somewhere in the $7 million to $9 million range annually, and he declined to disclose which teams his offers may have come from.

There are only three teams in the NBA that still have the cap space to give him a raise from last year: the Portland Trail Blazers ($16.4 million in cap space); Philadelphia 76ers ($16.3 million); and Indiana Pacers ($11.5 million).

But the Pacers only have the space in theory-- a cap snafu with free agent Monta Ellis temporarily voided his free-agent contract. He will sign there and Indiana will be out of cap room.

Smith said he had some "discussions" with the Blazers but they didn't go anywhere. So if the offers came from organizations outside of Philadelphia, they're gone.

Smith has always said he wanted to come back to the Cavs, and he reiterated that point on Monday.

"I definitely want to come back to Cleveland," he said. "The coaches, the team, everything about the situation, it's perfect for me."

Asked for the reasons why he does regret his contract decision, he said "just because I would be secure and I would already know I'm where I want to be.

"I wouldn't have to go through this whole thought process anymore," he said.

The Cavs confirm that they are negotiating with Smith. When he declined his option, Cleveland explored other players who could bolster its outside shooting, but now may re-sign him at a price that's right for them. It helps Smith's case that LeBron James said he wanted Smith back.

But, as with each of the remaining roster decisions the Cavs have to make, the penalties the team must pay for going over the NBA's $85 million luxury-tax line come into play.

Giving Smith a $6 million contract - which would be a $400,000 pay cut - would bring with it a $16.5 million tax penalty for the Cavs. The team's tax bill for next season could wind up in the $90 million range.

Smith, 29, averaged 12.7 points and shot 39 percent from three-point range during the regular season with the Cavs. He was up and down during the playoffs, with his lows coming in the form of a two-game suspension for punching Jae Crowder in Game 4 against Boston, and shooting 31 percent from the field in the Finals.

The Cavs are still negotiating a long-term deal with restricted free agent Tristan Thompson, which could be worth more than $16 million per year.Matthew Dellavedova remains a restricted free agent, too.

Cleveland is also considering adding Russian center Sasha Kaun, and may trade Brendan Haywood's $10.5 million contract for a player. The team will also re-sign James Jones at some point for the veteran's minimum of about $1.5 million.

This story has been updated with additional information.

A guide to the 2015 Cleveland Triathlon on Sunday, starting and finishing near the Rock Hall. Included are race and expo schedules, course details, registration and results links.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- More than 600 competitors are expected for 2015 Cleveland Triathlon on Sunday, which starts and finishes near the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Voinovich Park on East 9th Street. Below is a schedule for the expo and race, registration information and results links.

Proceeds from the event benefit United Cerbral Palsy Center of Greater Cleveland, which also will host the race expo and packet pickup Saturday. Race director Jack Caress said more than $150,000 was raised last year.

UCP clients have become more involved with the race in recent years.

"It's hard not to cry when you see that,'' Caress said. "That's changed the whole personality of the race the last few years."

Triathlon Schedule

Saturday

Race Expo and packet pickup, United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cleveland, 10011 Euclid Ave. Note: There is no packet pickup or registration Sunday.

10:00 a.m. -3 p.m. - Registration
10:30 a.m. - Course talk by race director Jack Caress
11:00 a.m.-2 p.m. - Buitoni pasta lunch
11:00 a.m. - Speaker: Dr. James Voos, Chief, Division of Sports Medicine at University Hospitals and Browns team physician.
2:00 pm - Course talk by race director Jack Caress
2:30 pm - Speaker: Dr. James Vooss

Sunday

Cleveland Triathlon, Voinovich Park, East 9^th Street
5:00 a.m. - Transition Area opens and body marking begins (East 9th Pier)
5:30 a.m - VIP registration opens
6:30 a.m. - Road closures begin
6:45 a.m. - Transition area closes
6:50 a.m. - Super Sprint race begins
7:00 a.m. - Sprint race begins
7:45 a.m. - Olympic race begins; youth waves start after Olympic swimmers are in (ages 7-10, 11-14)
10:30 a.m. - Super Sprint and Sprint awards ceremony
11:30 am - Olympic awards ceremony
1:00 pm - Finish line and expo close

Distances

Three distances will be competed.

• Olympic: 0.9-mile swim, 24-mile bike, 6.2-mile run.
• Sprint: 0.4-mile swim, 16-mile bike, 3.1-mile run.
• Super sprint: 300-yard swim, 8-mile bike, 1.5-mile run.

Triathlon course

• Swim: The start of the swims will be from the marina docks on the west side of the East 9th St. pier north of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. From the dock swimmers will proceed to the start line in the water. Swimmers will exit onto the marina docks and then run the ramp to the transition area on E. 9th Street.
• Bike: From the Transition area, cyclists will head south on East 9th St. to the Memorial Shoreway. Cyclists will enter the Shoreway heading eastbound. Cyclists exit at East 9th St., turning left and heading north into the transition area.
• Run: Runners for the Olympic and sprint distances exit East 9th Pier heading South and turn left on Memorial Shoreway, heading east. Super sprinters head south on East 9th St. to Lakeside, turning right, heading west. Finishers run under the overhang on the southwest side of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and finish adjacent to the plaza behind the Hall, west of East 9th St.

Aid Stations

• Exiting Transition on the E. 9th St Pier
• Top of the Memorial Shoreway entrance ramp and E. 9th St
• On the Memorial Shoreway at the 5K turn around
• Finish line behind the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Weather forecast: Mixed clouds, chance of rain 50 percent, scattered thunderstorms. High of 80, low of 67. Wind 5-10 mph. For latest forecast, click here.

Online registration: pacificsportsllc.com/cleveland-tri-registration

Current registration costs: Super sprint $140, sprint $150, Olympic $160, relay teams $250, VIP $250, VIP teams $395, youth $60. Additional $12 one-day USAT license fee not included.

Results links: pacificsportsllc.com/cleveland-tri-event-info and the event's Facebook page.

Find links to all of our varsity sports coverage through our social media accounts!

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are links to follow along with the cleveland.com high school sports staff on social media during the 2015 football season.

Follow these accounts for the latest high school football news on more than 130 teams in Northeast Ohio for the 2015 season! Use the hashtag #NEOvarsity and we'll share your posts with thousands of followers across the area!

Links to our social media accounts:

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Twitter: @NEOvarsity
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Vine: NEOvarsity
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Scott Patsko
Twitter: @ScottPatsko
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MILWAUKEE -- Here are the starting lineups for Tuesday night's game between the Indians and Brewers at Miller Park. INDIANS 2B Jason Kipnis. SS Francisco Lindor. LF Michael Brantley. 1B Carlos Santana. RF Brandon Moss. C Yan Gomes. CF Michael Bourn. 3B Giovanny Urshela. RHP Danny Salazar, 8-4, 3.74 BREWERS LF Gerardo Parra. C Jonathan Lucroy. RF Ryan Braun....

MILWAUKEE -- Here are the starting lineups for Tuesday night's game between the Indians and Brewers at Miller Park.

INDIANS

2B Jason Kipnis.

SS Francisco Lindor.

LF Michael Brantley.

1B Carlos Santana.

RF Brandon Moss.

C Yan Gomes.

CF Michael Bourn.

3B Giovanny Urshela.

RHP Danny Salazar, 8-4, 3.74

BREWERS

LF Gerardo Parra.

C Jonathan Lucroy.

RF Ryan Braun.

1B Adam Lind.

CF Carlos Gomez.

3B Aramis Ramirez.

SS Jean Segura.

2B Scooter Gennett.

RHP Matt Garza, 4-10, 5.55.

UMPIRES

H Brian Gorman.

1B Mark Carlson.

2B Ryan Blakney.

3B Tripp Gibson.

J.R. Smith says he will sit down and talk contract with the Cavaliers soon. As frustrating as his decision to try free agency was for the Cavs, he's still a valuable piece -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -  However J.R. Smith comes back to town - whether he walks through the door, glides in on a PhunkeeDuck, or arrives by jet pack - the Cavaliers could use him.

What's the lesson in Smith's foray into free agency? Zilch. Nothing we didn't know. Just more confirmation that life with him is never simple.

You thought you saw the complete J.R. Smith Experience on the court? This is the salary cap chapter that didn't need to be written until Smith decided to gamble on himself and the market by not opting in with the Cavs at $6.4 million.

It's this kind of gambling that puts money in the pockets of casino owners.

Confounding. Exhilarating. Frustrating. Valuable.

Smith was all that and a two-game suspension for the Cavs in the postseason.

He was also always a better fit here than almost anywhere else. He knew it. They knew it. The American people knew it.

Worse, he said he knew it, too. The Cavs were the best fit for him not because LeBron James wanted him and advocated for him, but because James' presence and the opportunity to win mitigated his unpredictable nature. At least for a while.

In the same week Smith told Northeast Ohio Media Group he'll be talking contract with the Cavs, we read Phil Jackson describe Smith's "delinquent behavior" with the Knicks leading up to the January trade.

Jackson said Smith had been showing up late for meetings, missing others altogether.

The Knicks were a wreck. Smith saw the Cavs as a life raft. But he stopped shooting straight against Golden State and stopped seeing straight when he decided to chase a multi-year deal.

Smith had a mixed response to whether he regretted not opting in. Yes and no, he said. The honest answer: yes and hell yes.

If he returns -- and the guess is he will -- the Cavs don't have to count on him to be the No. 2 scoring option. Or No. 3. That's to their benefit and his.

Barring an injury epidemic that makes last season look robust, Smith won't have anything close to the same role he played against Golden State.

There's not just a place for Smith here but still a need on a team that too often went to its bench and lost ground.

That's when Smith is the most dangerous, when he's loose, when he has no idea how much he's needed.

That and when he goes off with an outsized idea of his value in free agency.

Akron pole vaulter Shawn Barber tied a meet record and Ohio State wrestler Kyle Snyder outscored his opponents 31-1 to win gold medals at the 2015 Pan American Games.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Two of Ohio's most prominent collegiate athletes, Akron pole vaulter Shawn Barber and Ohio State wrestler Kyle Snyder, have won gold medals at the Pan American Games in Toronto.

Barber tied the Pan Am pole vault record Tuesday (19-0 1/4, or 5.80m) to beat German Chiaraviglio of Argentina.

Pole vaulting legend Sergey Bubka presented Barber with his gold medal.

"It was an awesome moment watching him receive the gold medal from Sergey Bubka considered the greatest pole vaulter of all time," Akron head coach Dennis Mitchell told gozips.com. "It was almost as if he was passing the torch to Shawn."

Chiaraviglio cleared a 18-10.25 before passing at 19-0.25. He missed three attempts at 19-2.25.

Looking to break his Canadian record, Barber set the bar at 19-5.50 (5.93m), but was unable to clear. Barber is a Canadian citizen who grew up in Texas. He just completed his junior year at Akron, where he has had a record-breaking career thus far at Akron. He was the NCAA indoor and outdoor champ this year.

Barber is scheduled to compete in several meets in Europe this summer before traveling to Beijing for the the IAAF World Championships, Aug. 22-30.

United States' Kyle Snyder is seen between a Venezuela flag, left, and a U.S. flag during the medal ceremony in the men's freestyle 97 kg wrestling competition at the Pan Am Games, Saturday, July 18, 2015, in Mississauga, Ontario. Snyder took the gold medal. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)Julio Cortez 

Summer of Snyder: Snyder outscored three opponents 31-1 to win wrestling gold at 213 pounds on Saturday. Snyder scored five takedowns in a 10-0 technical rout of Canada's Arjun Gill in the final.

Snyder, a 2013 Junior World champion, was an NCAA runner-up as a freshman this year and announced he will take an Olympic redshirt next season at Ohio State to train for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

"I felt like I was very prepared for this event," Snyder told themat.com. "I trained really hard leading up to it. This is something I marked down on my calendar as a goal that I wanted to win the Pan Am Games moving forward to the World Championships to build some momentum. I was very prepared and he's a good opponent, but I was just ready to wrestle.''

Every day photo editors at Associated Press offices all over the world see hundreds of pictures slide across their desks or pop up on their computer screens, and a small fraction of those images are selected as top photos of the day.  Fires or floods, death and destruction, horrible tragedy and stunning beauty; it all happens -- and is photographed...

Every day photo editors at Associated Press offices all over the world see hundreds of pictures slide across their desks or pop up on their computer screens, and a small fraction of those images are selected as top photos of the day. 

Fires or floods, death and destruction, horrible tragedy and stunning beauty; it all happens -- and is photographed -- every day someplace in the world.

You can view today's most stunning images in the photo gallery above. It's fun, informative -- and a good way to catch up on some news you may have missed. 

Enjoy the images, and thanks for looking at today's best photos from around the globe! 

Indians right-hander Danny Salazar will face a Brewers team coming off a three-game sweep of the powerful Pirates over the weekend.

MILWAUKEE -- Get scoring updates and join beat writer Paul Hoynes for a live chat as the Indians and Brewers play the first game of a two-game interleague set Tuesday night at Miller Field.

Game 92: Indians (44-47) vs. Brewers (41-52).

First pitch: 8:10 pm. ET.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio, WMMS FM/100.7, WTAM 1100.

As the first day of exhibition races winds down at Derby Downs in Akron, check out five ways you can experience the 78th annual All-American Soap Box Derby.

AKRON, Ohio -- The first exhibition races of the 78th annual All-American Soap Box Derby plummeted down the hill at Derby Downs on Tuesday.

Outside Derby Downs in Ellet, you could easily tell it's Derby Time; windshields and car windows glimmered with signs of success.

"Go Champ Go," and "Champ on Board" and "Akron Bound" all sparkled in the sunlight.

• Read: From New Zealand to Akron, roads to the Soap Box Derby

There is now more happening at the race course than ever before, according to race President Joe Mazur, who in the past four years has added three exhibition events in the days leading up to the world championship races on Saturday.

• Schedule: exhibition racing this week.

Here's a list of spectator events through Saturday, including some open to participants.

Masters shell workshop: Learn the ins and outs of derby race cars, also known as shells in derby parlance, from veterans of the All-American Soap Box Derby. 

You can bring your own shell to work on, or purchase one at the event. Check out the workshop from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at Derby Downs.

Open Hill: $20 gets you a car, a helmet and 30 or more seconds of glory as you race down the nearly 1,000-foot-high race course at Derby Downs.

The track will be open to all-comers from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday. 

Build and Battle Competition: Selected at random from the pool of more than 450 champions competing in Saturday's event, competitors in the build and battle competition will have three hours to assemble a stock car from scratch, tune it and race it to victory.

Viewing the competition is free and open to the public from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday.

Topside show: Corresponding with the build and battle competition, the topside show allows spectators to get up close and personal with derby race cars. 

Head to Derby Downs for a night of fun beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday night. There will also be carnival games, food and live entertainment.

Check out the All-American race: All-American has become somewhat of a misnomer, as racers assemble Saturday from four continents for a shot at a world title in soap box derby racing. 

Opening ceremonies will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, followed by morning heats, the mayor's cup race (featuring Akron mayoral candidates) and finals in the afternoon.

Tickets to the event are $5. After the race, awards will be handed out at Akron's Civic Theatre. 

Cavaliers' center Kendrick Perkins headed to New Orleans to join the Pelicans.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland Cavaliers can't keep all of their free agents.

Seldom-used center Kendrick Perkins has reached an agreement with the New Orleans Pelicans on a one-year deal worth the veteran's minimum.

The Cavaliers acquired Perkins in February after he was bought out of his contract with the Utah Jazz. The plan at that time was to use him in a backup role to Timofey Mozgov and to add some toughness in the interior.

However, he was never able to gain the trust of Head Coach David Blatt and only appeared in 17 games. His value to the team ended up being solely in the locker room as veteran presence that has seen it all. He knew he would not be retained.

Perkins averaged 2.6 points and 2.4 rebounds during his short stint with the Cavaliers. His new obligation will be protecting immerging superstar Anthony Davis.

Cage is the eighth commitment in Ohio State's top-ranked 2017 recruiting class.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- On Friday, Ohio State will play host to some of the top high school football players in the country during its Friday Night Lights camp. It's a time when the Buckeyes hope to impress prospects enough to earn a couple of commitments.

They got a head start on Tuesday.

Jerron Cage, a four-star defensive tackle in the Class of 2017 from Cincinnati Winton Woods, announced his commitment to Ohio State on Tuesday night. Cage is the No. 17 defensive tackle in the class and No. 9 overall prospect in Ohio according to 247Sports' composite ratings.

Cage is expected to be at Friday Night Lights, now he'll camp as an Ohio State commit. He chose the Buckeyes over offers from Louisville, Kentucky, Cincinnati and Illinois. The offers won't stop coming for one of the top defensive line prospects in the country, but Ohio State got on Cage early and secured the commitment.

It's another win in the Cincinnati area for Urban Meyer and area recruiter Kerry Coombs.

@MikeDyer hey just wanted to tell you im committing to Ohio state

-- Jerron Cage (@CageJerron) July 21, 2015

I'm letting the Mayor of Cincy have the honor @OsuCoachCoombs [?][?][?] pic.twitter.com/WOMIaGnPY7

-- Mark Pantoni (@markpantoni) July 22, 2015

Cage is the eighth commitment in Ohio State's 2017 recruiting class, which is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation by 247. Cage is the first defensive line commit in the class, which also includes a couple of five-star prospects in offensive lineman Josh Myers and cornerback Shaun Wade.

Extended rest for pitchers during the All-Star break might not work out in the short term, but can help over the course of a long season.

MILWAUKEE - When rookie right-hander Cody Anderson faces the Brewers on Wednesday afternoon, it will be his first start in 12 days.

Anderson's last start came on July 9 in a 3-1 victory over Houston at Progressive Field. Then came the All-Star break, with its gift of rest and curse of inactivity.

Manager Terry Francona said the Indians talked about optioning Anderson to the minors so he could get a start, but decided against it.

"I didn't think it was fair to option Cody, none of us did," said Francona. "And the rest is good for him.

"You know the (first) start back could be sluggish. Or maybe they don't command. You certainly hope not, but in the grand scheme of things, knowing you're giving them some time off and that they're going to log, hopefully, a full season it makes sense."

Here's how Trevor Bauer, Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco performed in their first starts after the break:

Bauer, with eight days off, lost to Cincinnati on Friday. He allowed five runs on seven hits in four innings. Bauer threw 83 pitches, walked two and struck out five.

Kluber, with five days off, beat Cincinnati on Saturday. He allowed three runs on seven hits in 7 2/3 innings. Kluber threw 109 pitches, walked one and struck out five.

Carrasco, with seven days off, pitched a six-inning no decision Sunday against the Reds. He allowed one run on four hits with six strikeouts in 73 pitches. The Indians won the game, 5-3, in 11 innings.

Danny Salazar started against the Brewers on Tuesday night. He was working on 10 days rest.

Another step: Nick Swisher (knees) was scheduled to play five innings in right field Tuesday night for Class A Lake County after going 2-for-3 Monday night.

Swisher struck out in his first at-bat. He hit a ball down the right field line in his second at-bat and was thrown at second by a wide margin as he tried to stretch a single into a double.

On Swisher's second hit, he singled, took third on a double and scored on a sacrifice fly to left center field. It would have been a close play at the plate if the Bowling Green catcher had held the ball.

"It sounded like he did well," said Francona. "The challenge or the goal is for him to start playing back to back and bouncing back. That will be really exciting when that starts to happen."

Tip of cap: GM Chris Antonetti, with Yan Gomes back in the starting lineup after missing six weeks early in the season because of a knee injury, is expecting big things from Indians' catchers in the second half.

"The one thing we expect in the second half is for our catching tandem of Yan and Roberto Perez to be one of the best in baseball," said Antonetti.

Antonetti pointed out that Perez has the fifth highest OPS of any player on the Indians with 100 or more plate appearances.

Just a bit outside: It was 'Major League' night at Miller Park on Tuesday.

Fans received a bobblehead of Harry Doyle, fictional announcer of the Indians in the movie Major League. Bob Uecker, Milwaukee's real-life announced, played Harry Doyle.

Francona said he played a small role in Major League. Third base coach Sarbaugh said he appeared in Major League II. Francona and Sarbaugh added they have yet to receive any royalties for their acting efforts.

And the winner is: Second baseman Jason Kipnis received the Heart and Hustle award for the Indians on Tuesday from the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. It's the third time in the last four years he's received the award.

In November an overall winner will be named by vote of the fans and current and past players.

Finally: The Indians went into Tuesday night's game against Milwaukee with the second best road record in the big leagues at 25-21. Conversely, they had the third worst home record at 19-26 ahead of Texas and Milwaukee . . .The Indians are still seeking second opinions on how to proceed on with Nick Hagadone's injured left elbow . . .Former Indians infielder and coach, Davey Nelson, works on the Brewers pre and postgame telecasts for FOX.

LeBron James named "player you secretly wish was on your team" during the first annual Players' Awards, conducted by the NBA players' union.

LAS VEGAS - LeBron James was named the "player you secretly wish was on your team" by his peers in the first annual Players' Awards, conducted by the NBA players' union.

The TV-produced, red-carpeted awards show was taped Sunday night at the Rio hotel and casino in Las Vegas and aired Tuesday night on BET.

James, the Cavaliers superstar who apparently caught the attention of the league with his ability to win and set up other teammates for shots, did not attend the show.

Accepting the award on his behalf was Mo'ne Davis, the girl who last year pitched a Philadelphia boys team to the Little League World Series.

Just like it sounds, the awards are given through a vote of NBA players. Traditional postseason awards are determined by vote of media members who cover the league.

Players and union executive director Michele Roberts billed the Players' Awards as a chance for the people actually playing in the games to honor those who they feel deserve the recognition.

"All I know is the guys have a sense of who they respect and who's being respected in a way that the media can't possibly know because the media doesn't play with these guys," Roberts said Sunday. "So, it's in an interesting, different perspective. I can't say one is better than the other, that's up to you."

Of the 10 categories in the Players' Awards, only three -- most valuable player and best defender - could be construed as directly competitive with the traditional postseason media awards.

In two cases, the players picked a different honoree than the media. In a third -- rookie of the year -- the union and BET did not include the winner in the show and did not immediately release his name.

The players' most valuable player was Houston's James Harden. The NBA MVP is Stephen Curry, who beat Harden and James. The players chose the Clippers' DeAndre Jordan as the top defender; San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard is the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

A fourth category - "coach you most want to play for" - is somewhat similar to the NBA Coach of the Year award. Again, the players went opposite the media, picking San Antonio's Gregg Popovich instead of NBA Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer of Atlanta.

The players did not vote for best sixth man, or most improved player. The other Players' Awards categories and winners: Oscar Roberston visionary award (Clippers' Chris Paul); man of the year (Ray Allen); global impact player (to be announced); best homecourt advantage (Golden State's Oracle Arena); clutch performer (Curry, of the Warriors); game changer award (Allen Iverson); and hardest to guard (Curry).

President Barack Obama taped a congratulatory segment from the White House in Allen's honor.

Iverson, who last played in the NBA in 2010, formally retired, and was one of three to receive legacy awards from players, said on stage that his was "one of the most special awards I've ever received because it came from y'all."

As far as James' credentials for his "secret" award, he posted the second-highest assists average of his career (7.4) and had already played in four consecutive Finals heading into this season. He added a fifth with the Cavs and carried the team to two Finals wins with fellow stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

The awards show was hosted by Saturday Night Live's Jay Pharoah, with musical guests Lil' Wayne, 2 Chainz, Kid Ink, Jason Derulo, Fifth Harmony, and Monica.

Two members of Fifth Harmony, the all female vocalists who performed their hit "Worth It," wore James No. 6 jerseys from his days with the Miami Heat.

Then again, James wasn't there to see it. So on a few fronts (attendance - there were many NBA stars not there - being the biggest) there are some kinks to work out for next season.

The Players' Awards has a contract for three years with BET.

Akron reliever Louis Head gets roughed up in the eighth inning.

The Flying Squirrels used six pitchers and the RubberDucks still could manage only two hits off them as Akron lost, 8-0, in a Class AA Eastern League game Tuesday night at Richmond, Va.

Despite the lack of hitting, the RubberDucks trailed, 1-0, entering the bottom of the eighth inning. It was then the wheels fell off.

Akron reliever Louis Head started the inning and gave up seven runs on six hits, getting only one out and hitting a batter. However, starter Shawn Morimando (6-10, 3.16 ERA) took the loss despite a solid outing, giving up just one run on three hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four.

Third baseman Mitch Delfino and second baseman Austin Slater each went 3-for-4 for Richmond, with Slater driving in two runs.