Browns apparently willing to part with a third-round pick if Kaepernick restructures his current deal. But questions abound.

BEREA, Ohio - Adam Schefter's tweet about Colin Kaepernick wanting to play for the Browns created excitement and confusion Friday morning.

Was it a fake Twitter account? Had one of football's most respected insiders been hacked? The answers to both were "no."

Naturally, it led to a third question: Why would the disgruntled Niners quarterback, who lost his starting job to Blaine Gabbert, prefer the rebuilding Browns to the Super Bowl champion Broncos? Those are the two teams expressing the most interest.

Browns over Broncos is one of several aspects of the Kaepernick rumors that don't make much sense.

The Broncos, minus a few free-agent defections, are loaded and run by John Elway and Gary Kubiak. The Browns were 3-13 last season and lost 40 percent of their offensive line in free agency.

Maybe Kaepernick prefers the Browns' bolder shade of orange. (Thank you, Alec Scheiner, thank you.) In fact, he has great respect for new Browns coach Hue Jackson, according to Schefter, and that's what is fueling his desire. Jackson has coveted Kaepernick since he coached the Raiders in 2011 and saw the Niners trade up to select him No. 36 overall.

Here's a sentiment not many have shared recently: Colin Kaepernick wants to play in Cleveland. Respects Hue Jackson. Browns-Niners talking.

-- Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2016

But if the Browns are willing to part with a third-round pick, as cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot reports, why allow two of their best offensive linemen, Alex Mack and Mitchell Schwartz, escape in free agency? The club failed to retain four valuable starters in what appears to be the first stage of a lengthy franchise rebuild.

Related: Browns willing to part with third-round pick for Kaepernick

Kaepernick's game, in decline the past two seasons, fell apart in 2015 when the Niners began a similar makeover. Whispers about the quarterback's leadership and commitment to the playbook and film study started to surface. Even at his dynamic best, Kaepernick struggled to work through his progressions and play from the pocket.

Does this sound vaguely familiar to a quarterback the Browns released on Friday?

Of course, the 28-year-old Kaepernick doesn't have the off-field baggage requiring six hotel bellhops to move him into Berea. He's no Johnny Manziel. He's a sculpted 6-foot-4, 225-pounder who takes pride in displaying his six pack, not drinking it.

Kaepernick, who had the Niners within five yards of a Super Bowl title in 2012, would be an immediate upgrade over 36-year-old Josh McCown. He's younger and more mobile. Jackson is noted for his work with quarterbacks and confidence in himself. So you understand the coach's belief he can get Kaepernick playing to his 2012-13 levels when he won three road playoff games - as many as Joe Montana and Steve Young combined.

It's also worth mentioning the quarterback's collapse last season came after coach Jim Harbaugh and gifted offensive coordinator Greg Roman left town.

But as NFL analyst Ross Tucker observed Friday, the passer's QB rating and yards per attempt have dwindled in each of his four seasons as a starter. There are similarities with Robert Griffin III, another dual-threat quarterback who took the league by storm in 2012 and could not sustain his success because he failed to evolve as a pocket passer.

Kaepernick YPA last 4 years: 8.3, 7.7, 7.0, 6.6

Kap Passer Rating last 4 years: 98.3, 91.6, 86.4, 78.5

He's "GOING THE WRONG WAY"

-- Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) March 11, 2016

While Kaepernick's rushing attempts increased, he's not necessarily nimble. He doesn't extend plays in the pocket like Russell Wilson or Ben Roethlisberger with a deft step here or there. He's a strong runner and it's fair to wonder how much longer a quarterback requiring three off-season surgeries can maintain that style of play.

Kaepernick also was not a core leader on a club that made three consecutive trips to the NFC title game. (Alex Smith guided them to the 2011 conference final.) Frank Gore, Justin Smith, Patrick Willis and Joe Staley were the respected voices of the Niners' room. Kaepernick struggled to make that transition a year ago as he assumed more responsibility.

As the elite defense and solid running game disappeared, Kaepernick could not rally his teammates. He was benched with a 2-6 mark, completing 59 percent of his passes and sporting one of the league's worst QB ratings (78.5).

Could he emerge as a leader here with Jackson's backing and offensive knowledge? Even with a supporting cast as suspect as the one in San Francisco? Perhaps. But if the Browns get Kaepernick to restructure his contract - apparently a must for any deal to be finalized - he still resembles a bridge quarterback.

It would be a mistake for the Browns not to use their No. 2 pick on either Carson Wentz or Jared Goff. Neither is a sure-fire pick, but the organization hasn't been in this position to select the top QB since 1999. Such a scenario leads to another question: Would Kaepernick mentor an heir apparent? The guess here is no.

Kaepernick views himself as a franchise quarterback. He's still attempting to refine his game as evidenced by his 2015 off-season workouts with Kurt Warner. Entering his sixth season, however, Kaepernick is likely a finished product for better or worse.

Maybe Jackson thinks that's enough to revitalize the Browns' offense. All good coaches have egos and they believe in their abilities to shape and remold talent.

We'll see how the coming days play out and if the Browns can craft a deal. I might be willing to part with a third rounder for Kaepernick provided they draft a quarterback. But there's still plenty about this pursuit that doesn't make a ton of sense on the surface.

Kyle Busch is on the pole and looks unstoppable at today's NASCAR Sprint Cup race in Phoenix.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kyle Busch is the driver to beat in today's NASCAR Sprint Cup Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

The race is scheduled to start at 3:30, with coverage on Fox beginning at 3. You can get live updates and scoring NASCAR's Race Center.

Busch won the pole during Friday's qualifying with a fast lap of 138.387 mph, then he easily won Saturday's XFINITY Series race by leading 175 of 200 laps. It was his ninth victory in 20 races in Phoenix.

GOOD SAM 500

Site: Avondale, Arizona.

Schedule: Sunday, race, 3:30 p.m. (Fox, 3-7 p.m.).

Track: Phoenix International Raceway (oval, 1.0 miles).

Race distance: 312 miles, 312 laps.

Last year: Kevin Harvick raced to his fourth straight Phoenix victory and fifth in six races. He has a series-record seven wins at the track.

Last week: Brad Keselowski won at Las Vegas for the second time in three years. He passed Kyle Busch for the lead with five laps to go, and held off Team Penske teammate Joey Logano.

Fast facts: The race is the fourth of the year. Denny Hamlin won the season-opening Daytona 500, and Jimmie Johnson took the Atlanta race. ... Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the rain-shortened race at the track in November.

Next race: Auto Club 400, March 20, Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, California.

See links to what you may have missed from the OHSAA girls basketball state semifinals.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The OHSAA girls basketball state finals concluded on Saturday at the Jerome Schottenstein Center on the campus of Ohio State University.

Wadsworth, the only local team remaining in the tournament on Saturday, won its second state title since 1997.

Northeast Ohio sent the most state qualifying teams this year with five including Solon, Cornerstone Christian, Gilmour and Hathaway Brown.

Wadsworth went on to defeat mason, 60-51, in the state final after leading 30-14 at the half. (See below for story and takeaways)

Below are links to recaps and takeaways from the past three days:

DAY 3: STATE FINALS

Wadsworth tops No. 5 Mason, 60-51, for Division I title (video, photos)

No. 1 Kettering Archbishop Alter defeats No. 5 Ottawa-Glandorf, 74-48, for Division II title

Columbus Africentric defeats No. 10 Marion Pleasant, 59-37, for Division III title

No. 2 Waterford defeats Fostoria St. Wendelin, 29-27, for Division IV title

DAY 2: DIVISION I STATE SEMIFINALS

If Wadsworth wins the state title, could Jodi Johnson's wish come true?

Wadsworth punches ticket to state title game against Mason

How far will Wadsworth go into the playoffs? A lot of voters said the finals

Solon falls in second straight state title appearance

Thanks girls - put those smiles back on! We are proud of you! pic.twitter.com/gN0OkyQ33c

— Comet Athletics (@SolonAthletics) March 12, 2016

DAY 2: DIVISION IV STATE SEMIFINALS

Fostoria St. Wendelin advances to state final against Waterford

5 takeaways from Cornerstone's loss in the state semifinals

Cornerstone Christian ends season after 52-42 loss to Waterford (photos, video)

Each star represents a state qualifying girls basketball team. Way to go NEO with 5. @OHSAASports pic.twitter.com/70xnq26HN3

— Nathaniel Cline (@nathanielcline) March 10, 2016

DAY 1: DIVISION II STATE SEMIFINALS

LOCAL

Hathaway Brown ends season in semifinals, eliminated by Ottawa-Glandorf (photos, video)

5 takeaways from Hathaway Brown’s season-ending game

SECOND SEMIFINAL

Kettering Archbishop Alter advances to state final, defeats Columbus Eastmoor Academy 60-34

DAY 2: DIVISION III STATE SEMIFINALS

LOCAL

Gilmour falls to Marion Pleasant, 50-47, in the semifinals (photos, video)

5 takeaways from Gilmour’s semifinal loss to Marion Pleasant

SECOND SEMIFINAL

Columbus Africentric defeats Ironton, 63-34, in semifinals

Contact Nathaniel Cline via email (ncline@cleveland.com) and Twitter (@nathanielcline)

Look for live updates on cleveland.com as the 68-team field for the NCAA Men's Basketball Championships will be drawn today at 5:30 on CBS.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 68-team field for the NCAA Men's Basketball Championships will be drawn today as Selection Sunday kicks off March Madness 2016. Check back on cleveland.com/marchmadness for live updates as each region is drawn.

CBS will televise the official draw beginning at 5:30. You can also stream the Selection Show via NCAA March Madness Live.

• Everything you need to know about Selection Sunday 2016
• 2016 Division I Men's Basketball Championship official bracket

NCAA Tournament schedule and locations

First Four: March 15-16; UD Arena Dayton, Ohio

First and Second Rounds:

March 17, 19 at Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa; PNC Arena, Raleigh, N.C.; Pepsi Center, Denver; Dunkin Donuts Center, Providence, R.I.

March 18, 20 at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Scottrade Center, St. Louis; Chesapeak Energy Center, Oklahoma City; Veterans Memorial Arena, Spokane, Wash.

West Regional: March 24, 26 Honda Center, Anaheim, Calif.

South Regional: March 24, 26 KFC YUM! Center, Louisville, Ky.

Midwest Regional: March 25, 27 United Center, Chicago, Ill.

East Regional: March 25, 27 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pa.

Final Four: April 2, 4 NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

It's LeBron James against his good friend Chris Paul, it's Tyronn Lue against his mentor Doc Rivers when the Cavaliers (46-18) collide with the Clippers (42-22) this afternoon.

LOS ANGELES - It's LeBron James against his good friend Chris Paul, it's Tyronn Lue against his mentor Doc Rivers when the Cleveland Cavaliers (46-18) collide with the Los Angeles Clippers (42-22) this afternoon.

Tipoff: 3:30 p.m. at Staples Center.

TV/radio: ABC; WTAM 1100, 87.7 La Mega.

Last game: LeBron James and Kobe Bryant faced off for the final time and the Cavaliers got the 120-108 win on Thursday.

Cavaliers' probable starting lineup: 6-3 Kyrie Irving (19.8 ppg, 4.6 apg), 6-6 J.R. Smith (12.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 40% 3-pt range), 6-8 LeBron James (24.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 6.6 apg), 6-10 Kevin Love (15.8 ppg, 10.0 rpg) and 7-2 Timofey Mozgov (6.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg).

Clippers' probable starting lineup: 6-0 Chris Paul (19.9 ppg, 9.8 apg, 2.2 spg), 6-5 J.J. Redick (16.7 ppg, 48% 3-pt range), 6-7 Wesley Johnson (6.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg), 6-10 Jeff Green (11.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and 6-11 DeAndre Jordan (12.5 ppg, 14.1 rpg, 2.3 bpg).

Season series: Cleveland, 1-0.

Injuries for Cleveland: Mo Williams (knee) is out.

Injuries for Los Angeles: Blake Griffin (hand) is out. Paul Peirce (toe) and Luc Mbah a Moute (eye) are questionable.

Cavaliers' next opponent: Visiting the Utah Jazz on Monday will complete Cleveland's four-game roadie. It will be a 10:30 p.m. start time on ESPN. The Cavaliers could potentially rest a key player or two.

The Indians signed veteran right-handed hitters Mike Napoli, Rajai Davis and Juan Uribe over the winter not only for what they can do on the field, but for the presence they have in the clubhouse.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Indians have been trying to balance their lineup with right-handed hitters for the last few years.

Ryan Raburn, in his three-year stay with in Cleveland, had two good years and one bad. Mike Aviles, another departed right-handed hitter, was more valued for the variety of positions he could play. Yan Gomes struggled last year with a knee injury. Jose Ramirez tapped out as the opening day shortstop last year, but bounced back as a utility player. Switch-hitter Nick Swisher, in his one healthy season, hit .295 (56-for-190) with 10 homers and 29 RBI right-handed in 2013.

Jerry Sands, Chris Johnson, switch-hitters Zach Walters and Asdrubal Cabrera and others have taken a shot at balancing an Indians' lineup where the top batters work mostly from the left side of the plate. Francisco Lindor doesn't count just yet because he's played so few games in the big leagues, but so far the results have been encouraging. Last year the switch-hitting Lindor hit .321 (45-for-140) with five homers and 18 RBI hitting right-handed.

This winter the Indians have taken another run at the issue by signing free agents Rajai Davis, Mike Napoli and Juan Uribe. They're all veterans, who hit right-handed and signed one-year deals worth a total of $16.25 million.

When the Indians open the regular season on April 4 against Boston and presumably left-hander David Price, all three could all be in the starting lineup - Davis in left or center field, Napoli at first base and Uribe at third base.

Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations, GM Mike Chernoff and assistant GM Derek Falvey pursued them from the first day teams could make offers to free agents in November.

Indians make front office promotions

"I think Chris and his guys did a real good job of being realistic on who to target," said manager Terry Francona. "And once they targeted those guys, they stayed after them long enough to get it done."

Davis, who played with Detroit the last two years, was the first to sign. He came to terms on a one-year $5.25 million deal on Dec. 16.

"At the time we were thinking of signing Rajai, we felt our outfield would be very left-hander with Michael Brantley, (switch-hitter) Abraham Almonte, who is much better as a left-handed hitter and Lonnie Chisenhall, another left-handed hitter," said Antonetti. "We thought Rajai as a right-handed hitter, capable of playing all three spots with a lot of success against left-handed pitching, complimented that group well."

Why Rajai Davis signed with the Indians

Initially, it looked like Davis would play mostly left field early in the season in place of Brantley, who is recovering from surgery on his right shoulder. Brantley, however, is responding well to his rehab and could be back sooner than expected. Almonte, however, was suspended 80 games for a PED violation so Davis could be spending more time in center field this season.

Napoli signed a one-year $7 million deal on Jan. 5. The negotiations were tentative at best.

"The Napoli thing could have gone away a lot of times," said Francona.

Napoli gave the Indians three things they desperately needed: right-handed power, good defense at first base and a reasonable (to them) sticker price.

"Right-handed power is really expensive," said Francona. "I think he's going to be a good fit for our team. He's a hard worker and has a little edge to him, which is OK. I think he's going to be really important for us."

Napoli, 34, was coming off a season of two halves with Boston and Texas. He was bad with the Red Sox and good with the Rangers. The combined numbers were only so-so: .224 (91-for-407) with 18 homers, 50 RBI and a .734 OPS.

The Tribe's scouts and number crunchers went to work on Napoli's performance in 2015. They took into account that he underwent a painful operation before the start of the season to give him relief from sleep apnea. The operation entailed Napoli's upper and lower jaws being broken and adjusted, while the air passage in the back of his throat was widened.

"Whether or not it was specifically the surgery he went through or other things, we were cognizant of the fact that he did not have a good first half in Boston," said Antonetti. "We spent a lot of time looking at his total body of work. Our evaluators really felt he made adjustments in the second half that allowed him to get back to the hitter he'd been in the past."

Once the Red Sox traded Napoli to Texas, he no longer had The Green Monster staring at him from left field. The Indians felt he'd gotten pull happy with the Red Sox, but started using the whole field again when he joined the Rangers.

Napoli draws 12-pitch walk to ruin perfect game

Uribe was the hardest of the three to land. The sides haggled over money for weeks and even when there was an agreement in place for one-year and $4 million, Uribe couldn't report to spring training because of visa problems.

The deal was officially announced Feb. 28. Uribe left the Indians on Saturday to finalize his visa situation in the Dominican Republic. He is expected to miss the next few days.

Uribe, 37 on March 22, will share third base with Jose Ramirez. He's good in the clubhouse, good with Latin players and can still play. He helped the Mets win the NL East last season with nine doubles, six homers and 20 RBI in 126 at-bats down the stretch.

Indians, Uribe agree on 1-year deal

"He helps in a lot of ways," said Antonetti. "He's an establish major league player who is a very good defender at third base. He's still been a contributing offensive player and he's a great teammate, who is a leader in the clubhouse."

Uribe does one more thing - he buys the Indians time so they can figure out just what kind of player Giovanny Urshela is. Last year Urshela had only 84 plate appearances at Class AAA Columbus when the left side of the Tribe's defense collapsed and he was promoted to play third base. He solid great defense, but knee, back and shoulder injuries hurt him offensively.

"We had to short change Gio's development time last year," said Antonetti. "This gives us the opportunity to let Gio develop into the player we think he's going to be, which is a really good major league player."

Uribe, Davis and have had success against left-handed pitching. That is a key for the Indians who were 24-31 against left-handed starters last year. The Indians, for the season, hit .265 against lefties and .252 against righties.

Davis is a .296 lifetime hitter vs. lefties compared to a .255 hitter vs. righties. Napoli's splits are .278 vs. lefties and .243 vs. righties. Uribe splits are just about even -- .251 vs. lefties, .258 vs. righties. Last year Uribe hit .272 against lefties and .246 against righties.

"We identified these guys early in the process," said Antonetti. "We felt they could be really good fits for us, not only for what they bring on the field, but for who they are in the clubhouse and what they can add to our team chemistry."

Bay reached the state semifinals for the first time in school history with the help of its up-tempo offense.

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Bay boys basketball coach Jared Shetzer referenced former Loyola Marymount coach Paul Westhead's philosophy when referring to his own offense.

The Bay coach wants a fast tempo throughout the game, much like Westhead's teams in the late 1980s that featured the late Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble.

In just his third season at Bay, Shetzer's high-octane offense has helped Bay reach the state semifinals for the first time in school history as the Rockets beat Ottawa-Glandorf, 76-65, on Saturday in the Division II Bowling Green Regional final.

Against the Titans, the Rockets pushed the pace all game.

Whether by traps, pull-up jumpers in transition or even one-handed outlet passes to players leaking out behind the defense, Bay knows just one way to play: fast. And the Rockets don't let anyone slow them down easily.

"We've seen some different defenses this year try to slow us down," Shetzer said. "The way we practice running and gunning and shooting a lot of threes, it's no mistake, or accident I guess, that we get in a game like that, our kids are going to go right back to their training, stash rebounds and outlet the ball, and look to push up the floor as fast as they can, and then share the ball, share the responsibility, which obviously we did tonight with having multiple guys in double figures again."

The best season in Bay history has been engineered by its explosive offense. Through 27 games, the Rockets are averaging 80.6 points per game.

No one has held Bay to less than 60 points all season.

Parma came the closest on Feb. 19, holding Bay to 60. The Rockets have also exceeded 100 points twice.

Bay's two wins in the Bowling Green Regional also showed that it's not just tempo that makes its offense so good. It's the Rockets' versatility and unselfishness on the court.

All five Bay starters scored in double figures on Saturday, and four had multiple assists.

John Koz led his team with 19 points and had three assists. Jack Jelen had a team-high five assists to go with 10 points, becoming Bay's all-time assist leader. Off the bench, Cole Gergye had four assists and didn't attempt a shot.

At times, a different player took control of the game whether it was R.J. Sunahara in the first quarter, Koz in the second or Scott Durham in the fourth quarter.

Koz's 12-point second quarter included a personal 7-0 run to break an early tie and give Bay the lead for good.

"I think that was a big sparkplug for our team just throughout the whole game," Koz said about his second quarter. "I couldn't have done it without my teammates. They came up big in the second quarter, too."

Bay will play New Concord John Glenn on Thursday at 8:30 p.m., in the first state semifinal game in program history.

Powered by the school's all-time leading scorer in Koz and already having broken Bay's single-season 3-point record, the Rockets are prepared to take their best team ever to Columbus.

"It certainly helps when you've got big kids, you've got the all-time leading scorer," Shetzer said. "I would contend that we've got three potential 1,000-point scorers on this team. That doesn't happen very often and we're going to enjoy it. I'm not going to take it for granted. That's for sure.

"This team has broken a lot of records. They've done a lot of good things and we'll see what happens when we get to Columbus."

Get the latest updates and analysis on the Cleveland Cavaliers game against the Los Angeles Clippers

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers crushed the Los Angeles Clippers, 114-90, on Sunday afternoon, staying perfect on the current road trip. 

LeBron James led the way with 27 points. J.R. Smith and Kyrie Irving each added 17. 

The Cavs (47-18) will cap their road trip on Monday night in Utah. 

Scoring Summary:

End of 2nd Quarter - Cavs lead Clippers, 58-41. LeBron James leads the way with 16 points. Kevin Love has chipped in with 12 points. The Clippers are led by Chris Paul and J.J. Redick -- each player has 11 points. 

End of 1st Quarter - Cavs lead Clippers, 21-19. Cavs ended the quarter on a 14-2 run, led by LeBron James' seven points. Kevin Love has added six points. The Clippers are led by J.J. Redick, who has nine points. 

You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll mostly cry.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's all over for the Browns and Johnny Manziel. The now free agent quarterback was finally released on Friday, bringing to an end a disastrous nearly two years for him and the team.

Anyway, with all of that in mind, here's one final Johnny Manziel video, created by the fan behind Bottlegate, a local sports blog. The video is set to Adele, obviously, and, yes, it is NSFW. Then, again, what about Johnny Manziel isn't NSFW. Check it out below and give Bottlegate a follow on Twitter You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll mostly cry.

The OHSAA boys basketball state tournament begins Thursday and runs through Saturday at Ohio State and the Jerome Schottenstein Center.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The OHSAA boys basketball state tournament begins Thursday and runs through Saturday at Ohio State and the Jerome Schottenstein Center.

Five teams from the cleveland.com coverage area advanced to the state semifinals in Divisions I through IV. Here is a look at all four tournaments, followed by a daily schedule and links to regional and district tournaments that brought us to this point.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKETS

Division I

Division II

Division III

Division IV

DAILY SCHEDULE

Thursday, March 17

Division III semifinal: Villa Angela-St. Joseph vs. Lynchburg-Clay, 10:45 a.m.

Division III semifinal: Cincinnati Roger Bacon vs. Lima Central Catholic, 2 p.m.

Division II semifinal: Cincinnati Aiken vs. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 5:15 p.m.

Division II semifinal: Bay vs. New Concord John Glenn, 8:30 p.m.

Friday, March 18

Division IV semifinal: Columbus Wellington School vs. Cornerstone Christian, 10:45 a.m.

Division IV semifinal: Jackson Center vs. Van Wert Lincolnview, 2 p.m.

Division I semifinal: Lima Senior vs. Wilmington, 5:15 p.m.

Division I semifinal: Garfield Heights vs. Westerville South, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 19

Division III championship: 10:45 a.m.

Division IV championship: 5:15 p.m.

Division II championship: 2 p.m.

Division I championship: 8:30 p.m.

REGIONAL BRACKETS (click here for index or scroll below)

DIVISION I

Cleveland Regional (includes Garfield Heights, Solon, St. Ignatius)

Akron/Toledo Regional (includes Brunswick,Lorain)

Columbus Regional

Cincinnati Regional

DIVISION II

Canton Regional (includes Benedictine, St. Vincent-St. Mary, Perry)

Bowling Green Regional (includes Bay)

Kettering Regional

Athens Regional

DIVISION III

Canton Regional (includes Oberlin, Villa Angela-St. Joseph)

Bowling Green Regional

Kettering Regional

Athens Regional

DIVISION IV

Canton Regional (includes Cornerstone Christian, Lutheran East)

Bowling Green Regional

Kettering Regional

Athens Regional

DISTRICT BRACKETS (click here for index)

DIVISION I

Akron-Toledo Regional

Canton District

Copley District

Elyria Catholic District

University of Toledo District

Cincinnati Regional

Wright State 1 District

Wright State 2 District

Wright State 3 District

Wright State 4 District

Cleveland Regional

Alliance District

Euclid District

Solon District

Strongsville District

Columbus Regional

Columbus 1 District

Columbus 2 District

Columbus 3 District

Columbus 4 District

DIVISION II

Athens Regional

Belmont District

Ohio University District

Worthington 1 District

Zanesville District

Bowling Green Regional

BGSU District

Galion District

North Ridgeville District

Ohio Northern University District

Canton Regional

Ashtabula District

Boardman District

Canton District

Stow District

Kettering Regional

Dayton 1 District

Dayton 2 District

Dayton 3 District

Worthington 2 District

DIVISION III

Athens Regional

Columbus 2 District

East District

Ohio University 1 District

Ohio University 2 District

Bowling Green Regional

Lima Senior District

Napoleon District

Norwalk District

Toledo Central Catholic District

Canton Regional

Garfield Heights District

Salem District

Warren Harding District

Wooster District

Kettering Regional

Columbus 1 District

Dayton 1 District

Dayton 2 District

Dayton 3 District

DIVISION IV

Athens Regional

Carroll 1 District

Carroll 2 District

Ohio University 1 District

Ohio University 2 District

Bowling Green Regional

Elida District

Liberty-Benton District

Napoleon District

Willard District

Canton Regional

Barberton District

East District

Grand Valley District

Struthers District

Kettering Regional

Dayton 1 District

Dayton 2 District

Dayton 3 District

Wapakoneta District

For more high school sports news, like NEOvarsity on Facebook and follow us @NEOvarsity Twitter.

Juan Uribe left the Tribe's camp in Goodyear, Ariz., to clear up some lingering visa problems in the Dominican Republic. Giovanny Urshela, meanwhile, will try to continue his strong Cactus League showing.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The hot corner continues to provide interesting viewing for followers of the Indians this spring in Goodyear, Ariz.

Juan Uribe, scheduled to be the opening day third baseman on April 4, left camp Saturday to return to the Dominican Republic to take care of some lingering visa problems. He's expected to be back later this week.

Giovanny Urshela, meanwhile, started against the world champion Kansas City Royals on Sunday in a split-squad day for the Indians. Urshela, who has already been told that he'll open the season at Class AAA Columbus, is hitting .316 (6-for-19) with three doubles, two homers and a team-high seven RBI.

In Saturday's 6-3 loss to San Diego, Urshela made two nice plays in the field and doubled home a run in the sixth to pull the Indians into a 3-3 tie.

"He really worked hard this winter," manager Terry Francona told reporters Sunday morning in Goodyear, Ariz. "He went to the IMG camp (Bradenton, Fla.) and looks good. Like a lot of us, he'x going to have to keep working at it. He wasn't blessed with that kind of body that some guys just have.

"But he can play third base like nobody's business. He's got some developing to do at the plate. That's just part of the game."

Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations, was impressed with the way Urshela handled the news after Uribe was finally signed in late February.

Davis, Napoli, Uribe bring balance, leadership

"He's handled things incredibly well," said Antonetti. "It speaks to Gio's character and his mindset. Everyone is disappointed (at this kind of news). He wants to be in the major leagues.

"But he look at this as an opportunity to continue to grow and improve and invest himself in become a good major league player. He's gone about his work with a purpose to try and do that."

Uribe is hitting .500 (3-for-6).

Who's playing where? The Indians are playing Milwaukee at Goodyear Ballpark and the Royals in Surprise, Ariz. at 4:05 p.m. ET.

Indians vs. Milwaukee: CF Rajai Davis, 2B Jason Kipnis, SS Francisco Lindor, 1B Mike Napoli, C Yan Gomes, DH Will Venable, RF Collin Cowgill, LF Joey Butler, 3B Michael Martinez and RHP Josh Tomlin.

The Tribe's game against the Brewers can be heard on 99X (FM) and indians.com. Their game against the Royals can be heard on mlb webcast.

Indians vs. Kansas City: 2B Jose Ramirez, CF Tyler Naquin, RF Lonnie Chisenhall, 1B Carlos Santana, DH Jesus Aguilar, 3B Urshela, LF Robbie Grossman, C Roberto Perez, SS Eric Stamets, RHP Michael Clevinger.

Trevor Bauer was scheduled to start against the Royals, but the Indians wanted to give Clevinger a start. He's scheduled to go three innings with Bauer scheduled to go four.

Clevinger has had had a good camp. The Tribe's top minor league pitcher last season has thrown four scoreless innings in two appearances. He struck out two and walked three.

Faces in the crowd: Outfield prospects Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier made the travel roster to play the Royals. So did infielder Luke Wakamatsu, drafted by the Tribe last year.

Wakamatsu is the son of Don Wakamatsu, bench coach for the Royals.

Finally: Danny Salazar leads the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues with 14 strikeouts. He struck out seven in four scoreless innings Saturday against the Padres . . .Right-hander Shawn Armstrong is still bothered by a sore right lat. He threw a bullpen session Saturday and could be ready for games later this week.

Seven schools in the cleveland.com coverage area played for the chance to head south and make the final four in their division.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Five area boys basketball teams are headed to Columbus this week after advancing to the OHSAA state semifinals.

Seven schools in the cleveland.com coverage area played for the chance to head south and make the final four in their division. The weekend included a wild start to finish in Garfield Heights’ 70-69 double overtime victory against St. Ignatius that returned the Bulldogs to the semifinals.

“In a regional final game, that was a classic,” Garfield Heights coach Sonny Johnson said Saturday night.

Villa Angela-St. Joseph is set to return in Division III, despite losing all five starters from last year.

“It’s not about what we lost anymore,” coach Babe Kwasniak said. “It’s about who we have, and these kids are pretty good.”

Bay continues its magical ride with an experienced group, while St. Vincent-St. Mary and Cornerstone Christian also will be there.

Jared Shetzer’s Rockets will make their first state semifinal appearance in program history. STVM, meanwhile, has been there – including all but last year in a four-year stretch.

“We wanted to get over this, but getting over this was the challenge for (Saturday),” Fighting Irish coach Dru Joyce said inside Canton Civic Center, where they lost last year in the regional final. “Those aren’t the nets we want.”

Here’s a division-by-division index of cleveland.com’s regional championship coverage.

DIVISION I

Garfield Heights survives double overtime vs. St. Ignatius.

See five buzzer-beaters and all of the highlights.

Gritty Berger, Stover strong in Wildcats’ finale.

“All I want is a certain swag:” Peek into Sonny Johnson’s halftime locker room.

Lima Senior denies Canton McKinley at Rhodes Arena.

DIVISION II

STVM shakes last year’s disappointment for third regional title in four years.

Bay wins first regional championship in program history.

High-tempo, unselfish offense ignites Bay.

DIVISION III

Dean’s third-quarter surge lifts VASJ back to final four.

DIVISION IV

Bothwell’s career-high 41 points take Cornerstone Christian to first state semifinal.

LOOKING AHEAD

Click here for state tournament brackets in all four divisions, including a look back at the district and regional rounds.

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

Kansas is the No. 1 seed in the South bracket of the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

CLEVELAND, Ohio The Kansas Jayhawks are the No. 1 seed in the South Region of the 2016 NCAA Tournament and will open against No. 16 Austin Peay (18-17) in Des Moines. Iowa

• Official NCAA bracket

Villanova  (27-5) is the No. 2 seed and will play No. 15 North Carolina-Asheville, (22-11) in Brooklyn, New York.

The No. 3 Miami will play No. 14 Buffalo (20-14) out of the Mid-American Conference in Providence, R.I.

California (23-10) is the fourth seed and will take on No. 13 Hawaii (27-5) in Spokane, Washington.

The 8-9-seed game between Colorado and UConn may be the top game in the opening round of the tournament which should be loaded with last-minute dramas around the country.

And finally, the first-four matchup for No.-4 seed Vanderbilt will be the winner of Vanderbilt vs. Wichita State as No. 11-seeds, indicative of being the final two teams picked into the field.

The L.A. nightlife apparently didn't do its job over the three-day period the Cleveland Cavaliers were in town because they were of intense and clear focus in thrashing the Los Angeles Clippers 114-90 on Sunday at Staples Center.

LOS ANGELES - The L.A. nightlife apparently didn't do its job over the three-day period the Cavaliers were in town, because they were of intense and clear focus in thrashing the Los Angeles Clippers 114-90 on Sunday at Staples Center.

LeBron James produced 27 points, six rebounds and five assists to lead the way for Cleveland (47-18).

The game was an early 12:30 p.m. Pacific time tip, and an hour of sleep was lost due to daylight savings time. If you add in the attractive atmosphere, it had all of the ingredients of a setup loss for the Cavaliers.

Yet according to Cavs coach Tyronn Lue, there was not a heavy emphasis placed on reminding players to do the right thing.

"They're grown men," Lue said. "They understand what we're playing for and what we're trying to do. I trust those guys."

If there were any complications of the city's side effects, it was shown early in the game. Los Angeles (42-23) jumped out to a 14-4 lead. J.R. Smith was having a difficult time chasing J.J. Redick around curling screens. The guard hit nine of his team's first 14 points and finished with a team-high 19 points.

A fan nearby yelled, "Oh, we got this one." Not so fast, season-ticket holder.

Cleveland refused to fold. The Cavs went on a 17-5 run to close the quarter out. Just like that, the Cavaliers took over the game and never relinquished it.

Defensive stops led to transition points, and there was none better than Irving's second-quarter fastbreak pass to a trailing James for a thunderous two-handed slam dunk. He then stared at the crowd while trotting back on defense.

Smith got red-hot in third quarter. He splashed in five of his six 3-pointers in the quarter. Cleveland had that ball zipping from side-to-side. Los Angeles' defense couldn't rotate quickly enough.

James would draw the double team, and that's when the magic of hot potato with the ball started. Unselfish basketball at its finest was displayed. Channing Frye continued to torch the net, scoring 15 points while shooting 5-of-7 from downtown. The way the offense was flowing, he was in catch-and-shoot mode all afternoon.

The Cavaliers connected on 18-of-37 from deep.

The Clippers found themselves down 10, 15 and then 26. James didn't have mercy though, as he exploded to the rim for a monster dunk over DeAndre Jordan plus the foul. The place went mute. In the fourth quarter after Irving drained a three, making it a personal 5-0 run, James and the entire bench hopped out of their seats and started dancing and jumping around.

The fans and the Clippers just wanted time to expire. It was a total beat down on national television.

Irving and Smith each had 17 points. Tristan Thompson registered 10 points and 11 boards on his birthday.

Leading up to the game, Lue says he wasn't nervous about facing his mentor, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers. In fact, he said he didn't meet with him during the stay. That's how focused he was.

The Cavaliers buckled down and took care of business in one of the most enticing environments possible. It was business before pleasure on Sunday.

On deck

The Utah Jazz on Monday will complete Cleveland's four-game road trip. It will be a 10:30 p.m. start time on ESPN. The Cavaliers have a chance to sweep this trip, but there is strong chance key players could rest.

LeBron James posted 27 points, six rebounds, and five assists in three quarters of work while the Cavs blitzed the Clippers again.

LOS ANGELES - The Cavaliers are not the sexy pick to win the NBA Finals, and a few sunny days in L.A. won't change that.

But take a moment, if you will, to consider what LeBron James and Co. have done to the second, third, and fourth-best teams in the West this season. The Cavs' 114-90 shellacking of the Clippers just the latest example.

Against the Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Clippers this season, Cleveland finished 5-1 with its only loss in San Antonio by four points back on Jan. 14.

The Cavs smashed the Spurs by 17, the Thunder by 23 on the road, and of course dismantled the Clippers at the Staples Center.

The last time Cleveland played the Clippers, back on Jan. 21 at The Q, the Cavs won 115-102 and fired their coach the next day.

Somehow, it's hard to see the same thing happening to Tyronn Lue on Monday.

What transpired in L.A. was truly impressive, if for no other reason than the Cavs have been here since Thursday, with two days in between games and three nights to find the distractions the Sunset Strip has to offer.

Instead, James sat the entire fourth quarter because the Cavs had so thoroughly dominated up until that point (91-68 through three quarters), and Kyrie Irving with a host of Cleveland reserves maintained control. James finished with 27 points, six rebounds, and five assists, shooting 9-of-15 from the field in 31 minutes.

The Clippers were without Blake Griffin, but it's hard to make the case he would've changed the outcome.

With his first assist, James took sole possession of 19^th place in NBA history in assists, breaking the tie he forged Thursday night with Kevin Johnson (6,711 assists).

James got a chance to say hello at halftime to hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar, one of the many entertainment stars at Staples who just happened to release an entire album of untitled songs at James' urging earlier this month.

It's all fairly remarkable, yes. But the bigger eyebrow raiser is how much better - at least when they've been on the court together - the Cavs have shown themselves to be than the three teams chasing the Golden State Warriors.

The Warriors are the favorites, and their 34-point over the Cavs in January surely left a mark. Also, their pursuit on the best regular-season record in NBA history has overshadowed virtually every one and thing else in the league, including James.

That's hard to do.

Also difficult: dismantling the other top Western teams time and again, as the Cavs have done this season.

The Michigan State Spartans won the Big Ten tournament title but did not get a No. 1 seed as the NCAA Tournament field was announced.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Michigan State Spartans won the Big Ten tournament title on Sunday, but it didn't mean a thing to the NCAA Tournament selection committee. The Spartans were passed over for a No. 1 seed in the tournament.

Kansas, North Carolina, Virginia and Oregon was given the top seeds.

Kansas (30-4) is the overall No. 1 after winning a 12th straight Big 12 championshp and will play Austin Peay on Thursday in Des Moines.

North Carolina (28-6) is the top seed in the East, Virginia (26-7) is No. 1 in the Midwest after finishing second to North Carolina in the ACC.

Oregon (28-6) is No. 1 in the West after winning the Pac-12 title.

The Browns would need to come up with a lucrative contract that Colin Kaepernick's agents will accept if they're to try to pull off the deal.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hey Mary Kay!

-- David Thompson, Berea, Ohio

Hey David: I do think that Joe Thomas' name will come up in trade talks between now and the draft, and if the Browns can get a first-round pick for him, they will strongly consider it. They're obviously building for the future, and don't need a Hall of Fame left tackle over the next season or two. They need high draft picks, and Thomas presents one of the easiest ways to land one. Besides, with several of his best friends on the team gone in Alex Mack and Mitchell Schwartz, he might be up for a change of scenery this year.

@MaryKayCabot any news on if and when the Brown will get Kaep?

— Anthony Roman (@aroman2013) March 12, 2016

Hey Anthony: The Browns are willing to give the 49ers a third-round pick (No. 65 overall) for Colin Kaepernick, a source told cleveland.com, but the trade is contingent on the Browns restructuring his contract to the satisfaction of Kaeperick's agents. He's currently averaging $19 million a year, which puts him at No. 13 in the NFL. I'm told the Browns prefer to pay him more like a bridge quarterback, in the $7 million to $8 million a year range, likely with incentives for games started. If the big money isn't there, Kaepernick's agents will likely opt to keep him in San Francisco -- or hope that the Broncos come through with starter money. The Browns might not want to pay him like an elite QB because they're still strongly considering drafting a quarterback at No. 2 overall, and that player should be starting within a year or two. The Broncos, who acquired Mark Sanchez this week, are still in the mix but do not want to surrender their second-round pick for Kaepernick or any other veteran quarterback. They're willing to patient, and to start Sanchez if they must. Bottom line: the Browns will have to pay up if they really want him.

@MaryKayCabot if they pull the trigger on Kapernick who will they go after with the 2nd pick.

— troy kurtz (@pt24) March 12, 2016

@MaryKayCabot y Browns so bad??

— Aaron Michael (@TheRealALev) March 12, 2016

Manager Terry Francona has enjoyed watching the improvement Danny Salazar has made over the last three years. The best thing about that, said Francona, is that he still has room to grow.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -Manager Terry Francona says Danny Salazar, who leads the big leagues with 14 strikeouts this spring, is starting to get it.

"I don't know if a bulb goes on, but it's a cool thing to watch," Francona told reporters in Goodyear, Ariz.

It rarely happens with a veteran player. They are set in their ways. Where it does happen is in the minors and with young big league players.

"When you see a young player, that's where you see the improvement," said Francona. "Danny has gone through his Tommy John surgery, came back worked hard and got to the big leagues."

Salazar made his big league debut in 2013. He was throwing close to a 100 mph, but he was on a pitch count and the Indians rarely let him go through a lineup more once or twice.

"It seemed kind of easy," said Francona. "But there was a reason for that and we've talked about it."

Salazar was up and down in 2014. He went 6-8 with 120 strikeouts in 110 innings. What seemed easy in 2013, turned hard in 2014.

"He got knocked back a step," said Francona.

Remember when Indians demoted Danny Salazar?

Last spring the Indians asked Salazar to work harder on his conditioning and his between-start routine. When he struggled with it, they sent him down to Class AAA Columbus before spring training ended. He made one start there before rejoining the Indians and going 14-12 with a 3.45 ERA in 30 starts.

"It wasn't a punishment, but we wanted him to have a better chance to reach his potential," said Francona. "To his credit he's been much more consistent. Like all young players there is room to grow. I don't think it's fair to expect a guy with one or two years in the big leagues to know everything."

What the Indians want, Salazar is becoming. They want him to take his place alongside Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco in the rotation

"In our game consistency is such a big thing," said Francona. "We told Danny, 'when you take the ball every fifth or sixth day, our guys should feel that they're going to win - not that they have to wait and see what kind of stuff you have.'"

Salazar is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in three starts this spring. In Saturday's start against San Diego, he struck out seven in four scoreless innings.

The strikeout has never been Salazar's problem. On Sept. 13, 2013, he struck out nine White Sox in 3 2/3 innings, but never made it out of the fourth inning.

The things that have bedeviled Salarar are working into the late innings, conserving pitches and getting through lineups two and three times in the same game. Last year he made progress on those fronts.

As Francona said, "It's a cool thing to watch."

Quotable: In the running for spring training quotes of the year:

Francona: ""There is nothing better than going to a spring training game, going home, getting a pizza and lying in bed and watching seven (NCAA tournament) basketball games. It's the best."

Terry Francona's perfect storm

Trevor Bauer: "I don't even know what kind of pitcher I want to be anymore. I just want to throw hard."

Monday's game: Corey Kluber will make his third Cactus League start Monday when he faces A.J. Griffin and Texas at 4:05 p.m. ET at Goodyear Ballpark. The game will be carried on Indians.com.

Kluber has not allowed a run in five innings. He's struck out seven, walked one and allowed two hits. Jeff Manship Dan Otero, Felipe Pauline, Joe Thatcher and Cody Allen will follow him.

Monday's lineup: 2B Jason Kipnis, SS Francisco Lindor, DH Carlos Santana, 1B Mike Napoli, C Yan Gomes, LF Will Venable, RF Lonnie Chisenhall, CF Jose Ramirez, 3B Giovanny Urshela, RHP Kluber.

What's to come? Carlos Carrasco will start against the Rangers on Tuesday in Surprise, Ariz. Carrasco, like Kluber, is off to great spring start.

Carrasco has not allowed a run in two starts, covering five innings. He's struck out five with two hits and no walks. Lefty TJ House is scheduled to pitch against the Rangers as well.

Stat attack: Urshela is hitting .348 (8-for-23) and leads the Indians with three homers and nine RBI. Napoli is hitting .400 (8-for-20) and is second with seven RBI. Ramirez, hitting .333 (9-for-27) is third with six.

Talking Tribe: What people are writing about the Indians.

Indians split the difference on Sunday with win over Kansas City and Loss to Milwaukee. cleveland.com

Juan Uribe goes home, Giovanny Urshela mans hot corner. cleveland.com

Cody Anderson home on the range and the mound. mlb.com

Jesus Aguilar starting to emerge. mlb.com

Indians looking for the right balance. cleveland.com

South Dakota State? Check. Hawaii? Check. Here are the five surprise teams that will shock the world in the NCAA Tournament. Watch video

Cinderella teams are the best part of the NCAA Tournament's first weekend and picking them correct is a necessity for anybody expecting to win his or her office pool. Which is why our resident bracketologist likes to dress up in glass slippers and a full gown this time of year.

"That," Bracket Boy said, "and I just like the way it looks. OKAY?"

No argument here. With all the parity in college basketball this year, it could be even more challenging to correctly pick the surprise teams in the first two days (and maybe beyond). 

But never fear. "I guarantee* that these teams will win their first round games and put you in a great spot in your pool!" 

* He can legally make no such guarantee. 

Onto the picks!

Stephen F. Austin:  The "F" in Stephen F. Austin should stand for "Familiar," since this is the third straight year the Lumberjacks have won the Southland championship. You want dominance? They are a remarkable 59-1 in the league over that stretch, which is why senior Thomas Walkup will end his career as one of the most decorated players in school history.

Can the 14th-seeded Lumberjacks stun the West Virginia Mountaineers in the East Regional? BB says: YES!  

10 teams that can win it all 

Hawaii: It's been 14 long years since the team from the small state reached the Big Dance, but the Rainbow Warriors are back thanks to a player who is hardly tiny. Forward Stefan Jankovic is 6-foot-11 and averages 16 points and seven rebounds. It is never easy on Hawaii, when it will have to make the long trip into another time zone to play these games, but it's always better when you've got a 27-5 record and a player like Jankovic.

Can the No. 13 seeded Rainbow Warriors stun the California Bears in the South Regional? BB says: YES!

Chattanooga Mocs: What's a Moc? Well, it's short for Mockingbirds, the state Tennessee bird who are "are fiercely territorial creatures which protect their homes with courage," according to the team's website. Fierce is a good word for this team, which has wins against Dayton, Georgia and Illinois out of conference and an impressive 29.5 record overall. The way this team plays defense, no major-conference opponent wants to face it in March. 

Can the No. 12 seeded Mocs stun the Indiana Hoosiers in the East Regional? BB says: YES! 

8 tips for filling out your bracket

Wichita State: No, no, a thousand times no, Wichita State is not a "true" Cinderella. Few "mid majors" -- please note the use of the quotation marks -- have done better in March than Gregg Marshall's team. This is all about a team out-performing its seed, and not only can Wichita beat Vanderbilt in the "First Four," but it can knock off Arizona in the first round and Miami in the second round. Senior guard Ron Baker, who is easily one of the best guards in the country. 

Can the No. 11 seeded Shockers advance from the First Four to the Sweet 16 in the South Regional? BB says: YES! 

South Dakota State: These Jackrabbits mean business, as silly as that sentence sounds. This is their third appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the past five years, not bad for a program that only recently made the transition to Division 1. Will they have a shot at a first-round upset? Maybe, if redshirt freshman Mike Daum, who has scored in double digits in 20 straight games, continues to play at a high level.

Can the No. 12 seeded Jackrabbits stun fifth-seeded Maryland in the South Regional? BB says: I guarantee it!*

* He can make no such guarantees. 

Bracket Boy may be reached at bracketboyNCAA@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @BracketBoy. Find Bracket Boy on Facebook.

Forbes reports it's cost Lerner more than $100,000 a day to run Aston Villa over the past decade. His estimated worth has dropped substantially.

BEREA, Ohio - Randy Lerner never entered into the world of professional sports ownership vowing to "wreck this league."

He's too humble and reticent to resort to Johnny Manziel bravado. Lerner, however, is crushing the spirit of his second fan base in less than a decade and costing himself a fortune in the process.

The former Browns owner, who sold the franchise in 2012, is weeks away from leading his beloved Aston Villa out of English soccer's top tier. Barring a miraculous finish, one of the Premier League's founding members will get relegated. Villa is dead last with eight games remaining and an insuperable nine points from safety. Lerner's side has won just three of 30 matches this season and lost its last five straight by a combined score of 17-2.

Even in his darkest days of Browns' ownership -- a defiant Mike Holmgren telling media members not to hit him up for playoff tickets -- supporters of his teams have never experienced a campaign like this one. Shirts, banners and chants at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, are calling for his ouster.

Now comes a Forbes report claiming that running Aston Villa into relegation has cost Lerner more than $100,000 a day over the past decade. He bought the club in 2006 for a reported $95 million and assumed $24 million of debt.

Put another way: Lerner's estimated worth since purchasing the soccer team has dropped from $1.6 billion, according to Forbes, to $1.08 billion. To quote Jackie Chiles, the ambulance-chasing attorney from Seinfeld: "This is the most public yet of my many humiliations."

Related: Lerner's plight a cautionary tale

Lerner isn't a bad person. On the contrary, he's a charitable man and a well-intentioned owner. But when it comes to operating a sports franchise there's the Midas touch and the Lerner touch. He could buy Lionel Messi tomorrow and watch the Barcelona talisman dissolve into Gerard Warren in a year.

The son of Browns' patriarch Alfred Lerner could not wait to unload the franchise four years ago to Jimmy Haslam for roughly $1 billion. No more angry Browns fans or dysfunction he thought. But given the details of the Forbes report you can bet Lerner longs for the socialistic construct of the NFL with its salary cap, even distribution of TV revenues and the awarding of higher draft picks to struggling teams.

These owner-friendly features don't exist in the cut-throat world of international club soccer. If Lerner struggled for footing on a level playing field in Cleveland you can imagine what's happened to him on the other side of the pond. He hasn't been able to keep pace with the escalating salaries driven by English sides such as Manchester City and Chelsea. Despite early success under old manager Martin O'Neil, Villa has flirted with relegation in each of the past five years.

Lerner's reign has produced a trail of fired coaches and a growing reluctance to speak publicly. Sound familiar? Current manager Remi Garde has begged Lerner or his chief executive to speak with irate fans who are pouring out frustrations on the players.

Haslam hasn't improved the Browns' fortunes and the Pilot Flying J scandal has fueled the never-ending controversy surrounding the franchise. To his credit, Haslam addresses the media multiple times a year, and in January said organization's failures start with him.

Meanwhile, Lerner has been a ghost around Villa Park. He put the club up for sale in 2014 with a reported asking price of $290 million. A year ago, there were rumors a group was willing to pay $222 million if Villa avoided being dropped to the ironically named "Championship" league. The club not only escaped relegation but reached the FA Cup Final.

Why Lerner didn't cut his losses and take the best available offer isn't clear. He sold two of his best players, Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph, for $60 million in transfer fees, which proved to be a Pyrrhic windfall.

Villa has been brutal all season - worse than the 1999 and 2015 Browns combined. The shame of taking Villa into relegation likely cements Lerner's legacy of sports ownership. Only Everton, a Liverpool-based side, has spent more years (113) in England's top flight than Villa (105.)

And unless Lerner sells the team or pumps millions into salary, Villa could follow the fate of Leeds United - a once-proud franchise unable to return to the top tier.

Villa fans used to sing the praises of Randy Lerner, but the tune and tone have changed dramatically.