The Cleveland Cavaliers are listing Mo Williams as questionable for tonight's Game 2 first-round series against the Detroit Pistons.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland Cavaliers are listing Mo Williams as questionable for tonight's Game 2 first-round series against the Detroit Pistons.

Williams has been recovering from left knee soreness. The medical term for his injury is Chondromalacia, inflammation of cartilage under the kneecap. He has participated in parts of the last two practices.

He will be a game-time decision. If he's a go, rookie Jordan McRae would likely be inactivated.

Jent returns to the Buckeyes, where he worked as an assistant for two years from 2011-2013.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Chris Jent's official return to the Ohio State basketball bench will begin on April 25.

Ohio State confirmed the hiring of Jent, long-expected after reports of his return surfaced last week, on Thursday morning. Buckeyes head coach Thad Matta will speak with the media on Thursday afternoon.

Jent, who coached the Buckeyes as an assistant for two seasons from 2011-13, comes back to Ohio State after serving as the head coach of the Bakersfield Jam in the NBA Development League.

He left the Buckeyes after the 2012-13 season to serves as an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings. Jent's previous coaching stops include the Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers. Jent served as interim head coach of the Magic in 2005, and worked as the personal shooting coach of LeBron James while with the Cavs.

Jent played college basketball at Ohio State from 1988-1992. He scored 1,007 career points and is No. 8 all-time at Ohio State with a career 3-point shooting percentage of 38.2 percent.

The Buckeyes went 60-16 during two years with Jent on the bench, reaching the Final Four and the Elite Eight. With Jent coordinating the offense, Ohio State finished in the top 11 in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency in both of his seasons in Columbus.

Jent replaces Jeff Boals, who recently accepted the head coaching job at Stony Brook.

Welcome back home Chris Jent! pic.twitter.com/iFPEmpRR7w

-- Greg Paulus (@Greg_Paulus) April 21, 2016

Browns' Sashi Brown knows he took a big risk in passing on Jared Goff or Carson Wentz, but he felt the bounty from the Eagles was worth it.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Sashi Brown knows the Browns may have passed on a franchise quarterback, but felt the haul of picks from the Eagles was worth it in the trade down from No. 2 to No. 8.

"As always, there is a risk when you are drafting any quarterback and even if you're drafting a quarterback in the first or second slot in the first round that they pan out or don't and we understand that risk in moving back that we have may passed on a quarterback that is going to go on to certainly have a great career in this league,'' The head of football operations said during his pre-draft press conference. "But we felt like for the additional picks that we were able to acquire that we are in a much better position to build our roster moving forward."

He said the trade doesn't mean the Browns weren't sold on Jared Goff or Carson Wentz. The Browns got the No. 8, a third and fourth-rounder this year, a first-rounder in 2017 and a second-rounder in 2018. They gave up the No. 2 and a 2017 conditional fourth-rounder, the last one in the round.

"That could certainly be the indication,'' he said of not loving Goff or Wentz enough. "That's not necessarily what the drive of the decision was. We think Wentz and Goff at this point are pretty consensus 1, 2 in terms of the quarterbacks and there are some other talented quarterbacks in the draft as well. But this should not be interpreted as an indictment, at all, of their potential to be good starting quarterbacks in this league.''

The Browns trade from No. 2 to No. 8: What it means (video)

Brown acknowledged that the trade does not rule out them moving down again. "No, not all,'' he said. The Titans reportedly want to move back up to into the top 10, and Brown has stressed, "we like volume.''

He said it's "possible but not likely'' that they'll move back up from No. 8.
He also said of drafting a quarterback at some point in this draft "we may, we may not. We haven't decided that at this point.''

That's contrary to Hue Jackson saying last month that the Browns will draft a quarterback in this draft.

Brown acknowledged that talked with the Eagles have been going on "for a few weeks'' and that this wasn't driven by the Rams' trade up to No. 1.

He said the No. 8 spot was attractive because of all of the talent there.

"We really liked the eighth spot, that it was a particularly valuable piece of the deal for us,'' he said. "We think there are still going to be really talented players at that spot and there is a lot of depth throughout the first round this year so we like that aspect of being able to have Philly as a trade partner. We had very extensive conversations with Howie and his team over the last few weeks and felt that it was very fair to both sides."

He dispelled the notion that the Browns traded out because they felt Goff, who was reportedly their man, would be gone.

"That's not accurate,'' he said.  "We think Wentz is a talented young quarterback that's got a shot to be very good in this league, tremendous leadership, very bright."

Brown noted that taking a quarterback at 1 or 2 isn't always the answer.

"It's not like you've solved it,'' he said. "We've taken first-round quarterbacks previously, those haven't panned out, some very high here in Cleveland. But nonetheless we know that there's no guarantees, even if you take a guy at one or two. And we felt like where our roster was, the better decision was to acquire the first next year, the second in 18 and two additional picks here and still be picking at 8. So we like where we're sitting.''

He said the acquisition of Robert Griffin III did not drive the trade.

"Robert's not even our starting quarterback yet,'' he said. "He's got to earn that spot. So I would say no there. Is he another piece of our roster? Absolutely. In terms of bringing Robert to Cleveland, we're excited about the potential for him to earn that starting job. But on its merits of (the second pick) versus what we were able to acquire, this was the right choice for building our roster and where we sit now."

He insisted he's not worried that the Browns have sacrificed quality for quantity.

"We are confident in our preparation in terms of evaluating players,'' he said. "There's always a risk whether we were going to -- and somebody wrote this the other day -- if we were going to mess it up at 8, we're going to mess it up at 2 also.

"Not to be funny about it, we feel really good about the fact that we have what could've been a bet on one player now becomes a bet on four, understanding that player you get at 8 may not be the same choice that you had at 2 -- maybe for us in our case actually, but we feel really good about our opportunity to move forward and select players and that's without comparison or disparagement on the past groups.''

For the second straight 2016 NBA Playoffs game, Cleveland Cavaliers fans gave themselves chills by singing "The Star Spangled Banner" without accompaniment. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- What does a chorus of 20,562 Cleveland Cavliers fans singing the "Star Spangled Banner" sound like? It's sound's pretty cool.

Cavs fans gave themselves chills again Wednesday night at The Q before Game 2 of the 2016 NBA Playoff first-round series against the Detroit Pistons.

For the second straight home playoff game, singer Jessica Ruiz asked the crowd to sing with her. She began, "Ohh, say can you see?...'' and held the microphone out to the crowd, which quickly took over and grew louder as the song progressed.

It was quite a sight, and sound, especially from the upper reaches of The Q, which was awash in a sea of white. Most fans had donned T-shirts that were left on their seats as part of of the Cavs' "White Out'' for the nationally televised game.

The fans served as a perfect backdrop for the large U.S. flag held across the basketball court.

As the song neared its end, cheers mixed in with the singing as fans seemed to be celebrating their own, lovely rendition.

"Thank you, Cleveland,'' public address announcer Olivier Sedra said as the pregame festivities revved up.

The Cavs beat the Pistons, 107-90, and grabbed a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

• Link: Video of Sunday's rendition from Game 1.

Tell us what you think. Are the Browns on the right track? Who should they take at No. 8? And what about a quarterback?

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Browns shook up the NFL Draft on Wednesday, and also provided some clarity - or maybe just more chaos - about the team's future.

We want to hear what you have to say about the moves the Browns made. Check out the polls below. 

Also, be sure to visit cleveland.com Thursday at 7 p.m. for our NFL Draft Town Hall Meeting, featuring reporters Mary Kay Cabot, Dan Labbe, Doug Lesmerises and Chris Fedor. 

First, do you think the Browns are on the right track?

Second, who should the Browns draft at No. 8?

Third, the Browns are expected to draft a quarterback. We know it won't be Carson Wentz or Jared Goff.  So who should it be?

NFL Draft 2016 Guide: Overview

NFL Draft 2016 Guide: Quarterbacks

Chris Haynes, Joe Vardon and Chris Fedor discuss the Cleveland Cavaliers' adjustments during Game 2 and what to expect in the two games against Detroit. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers took a 2-0 series lead, beating the Detroit Pistons, 107-90, on Wednesday night. 

It was again a close game during the first half, as the Pistons didn't back down, but the Cavs pulled away in the second half, solidifying the Game 2 win before the series shifts to Detroit.

Following the game, our Cavs team -- Chris Haynes, Joe Vardon and I -- discussed second-half changes, how Tyronn Lue has handled his first postseason and whether the series will return for a Game 5 in Cleveland. 

Watch the video, complete with an off-camera appearance by Tristan Thompson.

The Browns have a roster-building strategy. Their quarterback strategy isn't nearly as obvious. Until it becomes clear, they risk counting too heavily on Hue Jackson's evangelism.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Browns' roster-building strategy is consistent with their decision to move out of the No. 2 pick in a trade with Philadelphia.

Their quarterback strategy is not so evident.

Maybe the draft changes that? Sashi Brown didn't make it sound as if the approach in Berea left room for spending a valuable asset on a quarterback who's more of question mark than the one he passed up at the top of the draft.

A first- or second-round pick spent on Paxton Lynch or Connor Cook would be surprising at this point. Until the Browns show their hand otherwise, what we have here is a case of first things second -- a pit crew now to support the driver later.

It's one reason why the focus keeps returning to Robert Griffin III, no matter if Brown maintained Thursday that RG3 "is not even our starting quarterback yet."

Believe that, if you will. But if the Browns brought RG3 here thinking he'd be hard-pressed to beat out Josh McCown, Connor Shaw or Austin Davis, passing up a potential-NFL starting QB in the draft would be even more foolish.

The Browns will rely on Hue Jackson to identify and nurture their next starter. It looks a lot as if RG3 is that quarterback. If he fails, then it's an experiment-gone-wrong on Jackson's resume.

Sashi Brown explains reason for pre-draft deal

The difference is he didn't cost them a draft pick.

The Browns are having it both ways for now. A QB at No. 2 is a risk, they say. And that's impossible to argue. It's the hardest job in sports.

The proof that No. 2 in the draft is a risk, of course, is right there in front of them. RG3, drafted second overall in 2012, is the reclamation project they signed after two regimes in Washington decided they couldn't win with him.

Signing RG3 isn't a strategy. It's a flyer. Drafting a young quarterback and developing him is a strategy. The Browns need a dual agenda at the position, not a singular hope based on Jackson's contention that he can change RG3's world.

Moving down in the draft makes sense if they didn't believe in the quarterback available at the top of the class. But the worry for fans should be that the organization is counting too heavily on Jackson's whisperer reputation.

Right now, the evidence pointing in that direction is investing time in a quarterback who will be four seasons removed from his good rookie year and then not challenging him with a QB in the draft.

The Browns have a bunch of holes to fill, for sure. Trading down became even more of a self-fulfilling approach when they failed to keep their own free agents. Brown said the free agent exodus didn't solidify the strategy, that the approach all along has been to create competition at as many positions as possible.

He talked about the Browns having four quarterbacks. There's an old expression that when you have two at that position you don't have one. That would seem to go doubly for four, especially when the other three are Josh McCown, Connor Shaw and Austin Davis.

The Browns can't fix all their shortcomings in a year or two. But at some point they're going to have to fix their biggest one.

It's going to require a draft strategy, not just counting on Hue Jackson to whisper in someone's ear.

Here's a comparison of Detroit and Cleveland, as their basketball teams, the Pistons and Cavs, compete in the NBA Playoffs.

Check out video from the Browns' practice today in Berea. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns wrapped up their three-day voluntary veteran minicamp in Berea with a practice on Thursday. These three days were the first opportunity to get the team's returning players on the practice field along with some new faces, including quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Take a look at some of what happened today at the team's practice facility, including Griffin, wide receiver Terrelle Pryor and tight end Gary Barnidge. The Browns next team activities following the draft will take place in early May with their rookie minicamp.

Stan Van Gundy mocked cleveland.com's Joe Vardon for asking a question about Tyronn Lue playing LeBron James to start the second quarter. Another question: why wasn't Van Gundy ready for the move? Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Here's what Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy had to say about Tyronn Lue's "adjustment" to put LeBron James on the court to start the second quarter of Game 2.

"LeBron's always a pretty good adjustment," Van Gundy said, dryly, after his Pistons were dismissed 107-90 by the Cavs on Wednesday.

"That's really smart coaching. It is. That's really smart coaching, to put LeBron on the floor.

"I give him a lot of credit for that 'adjustment,' if that's what you want to call it."

Van Gundy was mocking my question. He's entitled.

Thing is, Van Gundy was exactly right. It is really smart coaching to play LeBron James. I'm just wondering why Stan couldn't think of any counter moves.

Lue's move worked, as you can see here.

LeBron was Ty Lue's adjustment

Van Gundy failed to counter in the second quarter for a full four minutes, allowing James to change the game against five Pistons reserves.

And say what you will, but putting James on the court with Cleveland's second unit is an adjustment. James opened the second quarter on the floor 14 times out of 76 regular-season games, and never did it in four previous games against the Pistons, counting Game 1.

James was on the bench Sunday when Detroit outscored the Cavs by 13 to start the second and fourth quarters. So Lue made the switch.

Maybe the move was obvious. But Stan wasn't ready for it. His team trails the Cavs 2-0. He's behind Lue by the same score.

"I've got to do a better job with the lineup stuff," Van Gundy said later. "The second quarter, the first couple of minutes, that's on me. I've got to do a better job than that."

The former high school basketball player known as Prince Roger Nelson became a rock icon, and he also penned a song for the Minnesota Vikings, his favorite NFL team.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Before he was a musician, Prince was a basketball player.

Granted, that was in junior high and high school, but everyone has a past.

The iconic singer, whose full name was Prince Roger Nelson, died Thursday at age 57, his publicist told the Associated Press. He was found dead in his home in Chanhassen, Minn.

Apparently, Prince's lack of abundant basketball skills, not to mention height, contributed to him eventual taking a more musical direction. Prince played basketball at Minneapolis' Bryant Junior High and Central High in the early 1970s.

"As he moved on to Central High School (class of 1976), Prince, who still likes to play basketball (even wearing his high-heeled shoes), gravitated more toward music, especially since he wasn't getting much playing time on the court,'' the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported last year in a story recalling his early days.

Another Prince-related clip from the Strib archives, looking back at his hooping days at Bryant Junior High. pic.twitter.com/LrIQZ3LhSg

-- Libor Jany (@StribJany) March 3, 2015

An earlier Star Tribune story quoted Prince's high school basketball coach, Richard Robinson: "Prince was an excellent player. He was like the sixth or seventh man. He was an excellent ball handler and shooter and very short (5-2).

"As they turned out, they were probably the best ball team that every came along at Central. I knew he wanted to be starting and felt he should be starting. He was unhappy and he expressed that many, many times.''

Dave Chappelle famously parodied Prince's basketball days in one of the comedian's best-known skits. In it, Charlie Murphy (Eddie Murphy's brother) tells a story of a basketball game between the Murphy's crew and Prince and his band. As Charlie Murphy narrates, Chappelle dons a "Purple Rain" era Prince costume and Jehri curls while dunking. Afterwards, Prince serves everyone pancakes.

"That's a true story, by the way,'' Prince later confirmed in an interview. "It ain't that I'm that great. It's just that he's so bad.''

Prince also said they did have pancakes, though he didn't make them.

Prince has another well-known sports tie with a familiar theme. The "Purple Rain" creator also wrote a song for the Minnesota Vikings called "Purple and Gold'' in 2010, reportedly after watching Brett Favre lead the Vikings beat the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs.

"Praise every voice and let it be known, in the name of the purple and gold," it begins. "We come in the name of the purple and gold, all of the odds are in our favor...long live the purple and gold!"

The Cleveland Browns have a chance to draft an impact player at No. 8. They should keep the pick and find one.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Scribbles in my Cleveland Browns notebook after listening to VP Sashi Brown's press conference:

1. Sashi Brown would not dismiss the idea of trading down from the No. 8 spot in the draft. I understand why the Browns vice president wants to keep that option open. But I want the Browns to stay in the top 10. The Browns can mess up the No. 8 pick. Does the name Justin Gilbert bring back awful memories? But there is value remaining in the top 10.

2. Brown said, "Our position to is to bring in as much talent as you can." He talked about "the volume of pieces." That makes sense at a certain level. But you also want to have picks in rounds and areas of the draft where success is more likely. It's why I did like the deal of the No. 2 overall pick to Philadelphia for the No. 8 pick -- plus other selections.

3. Brown said the Browns took "what could have been a bet on one player and it now becomes a bet on four -- understanding that the player you get at No. 8 may not be the same choice that you had at No. 2."

4. In exchange for No. 2, the Browns received picks 8, 77 and 100 in this draft. They also added a 2017 first-round pick and a 2018 second-round pick. The Browns also sent a "conditional fourth-round pick" in 2017 to the Eagles. The Browns have 12 picks in this draft, six in the top 100. I do expect them to make other trades, but I hope they don't touch that No. 8 pick.

5. Confession: I loved Trent Richardson in the 2012 draft. The Browns took the Alabama running back with the No. 3 overall pick. He had some knee problems, never could get healthy. He was out of the NFL last season. So I know the danger of picking a running back high in the draft. That said, I really like Ezekiel Ellliott. If he's available at No. 8, the Browns should strongly consider taking him.

6. An NFL scout told me that Elliott is special for more than his running ability. He is a excellent blocker, meaning he can pick up blitzes. He has good hands and can catch passes. His talent in the passing game and being a willing and able blocker separates him from most running backs. If the Browns can't find a starting quarterback in this draft, why not bring in a big time running back?

7. Some scouts believe Vernon Hargreaves is very close to Jalen Ramsey as the best defensive back in the draft. The Florida product could be available at No. 8. There also could be some gifted offensive lineman on the board, although I really want the Browns to use that No. 8 pick for a play-maker on offense or defense.

8. Brown admitted his team might have passed up a chance to draft a "franchise quarterback" by trading down. I believe if the Browns were convinced North Dakota State's Carson Wentz was indeed an impact potential starter at quarterback, the Browns would have kept the pick and selected him.

9. I expect the Browns to trade the No. 32 pick. It will be the first selection of Round 2, which will be held on the second day of the draft. They can run an auction for that pick between the first and second rounds. Trading that pick could make a lot of sense and yield some very good picks.

10. The Browns also have the first two picks in the fourth round -- No. 99 and 100. The fourth round will open the third day of the draft. That also puts the Browns in position to take bids for those picks as teams await between the drafts on Friday and Saturday.

11. I asked Brown about continually trading down. You can actually own the entire sixth round if that was a goal. But is that smart? Brown said: "We realize that at some point the odds turn against you about players making the roster."

12. That's the challenge for this approach. It's not just the size of the pile of picks, it's what Brown called "the quantity vs. quality" factor.

13. Brown also said that "there's a lot of talent in this draft, particularly high ... but also through (the first round)." That underlines my point about wanting to stay at No. 8.

14. I hope Hue Jackson is right when the Browns coach said: "We'll get this (quarterback question) right, I promise you... Everybody keeps talking about the two best quarterbacks in the draft (Jared Goff, Wentz), but no one knows that... We will find out in 2-3 years."

15. Jackson said last month the Browns would draft a quarterback. Brown said Thursday, "We may or may not." Brown wisely doesn't want to the tied to any move in the draft. But I fully expect the Browns to pick a quarterback somewhere in the first three rounds.

Hue Jackson suggested that the Browns might have a quarterback they like better for their needs than Jared Goff or Carson Wentz.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns coach Hue Jackson revealed Thursday that he doesn't necessary believe Jared Goff and Carson Wentz are the two best quarterbacks in the draft -- and that he might have someone else in mind after the blockbuster trade down from No. 2 to No. 8.

"Everybody keeps talking about two of the best quarterbacks in the draft, no one knows that, right?'' Jackson said at the conclusion of the voluntary minicamp. "We'll see how it all unfolds here in two or three years and see if we were right or wrong. But I feel very good about where we are and what we're doing.''

Jackson stressed that he'll do this his own way, and so will the Browns. In 2011, he felt Colin Kaepernick was the best quarterback in the draft, and he tried to trade up for him when he was with the Raiders. The 49ers beat him to the punch in the second round. The Browns considered trading him for this off-season, but couldn't agree on a deal.  

"I told you guys before, I'm not like everybody else,'' Jackson said. "Our organization's not like everybody else. Everybody keeps saying about this player and that player. We go about doing our evaluation the way we do our evaluation. Okay? And that's not slighting the quarterbacks or any position. What we feel is best for our organization is what we've done.

"We've traded with the Eagles, we're now at No. 8, we have some tremendous picks this season and into the future. We feel very good about where we are. And I'm not really concerned about what anybody else feels or thinks about where we are.''

Jackson stressed throughout his press conference that he's not heartbroken over losing a shot at Goff or Wentz, whom the Browns studied thoroughly.

"That really doesn't matter,'' he said. "At the end of the day, they're really good players and they're going to have fine careers in the NFL. They're two really good young men and they're going to play in this league and obviously we'll all see how that unfolds but they were guys that we watched and dealt with and talked to, but at the same time, we're going to do what we feel is right for our organization moving forward. I feel very comfortable about what we did and where we're headed."

He declined to say if the Browns will turn their attention toward the second-tier quarterbacks such as Memphis' Paxton Lynch and Michigan State's Connor Cook. Jackson met with Lynch and his family at the Senior Bowl.

But he noted that he'll take one if "we feel there's a player who can help us.

"Everybody is anticipating that (Goff and Wentz) will go one and two. Maybe they will. Maybe they won't. Nobody really knows. But I feel very good about the four guys we have here. At the same time, we still know there's players in the draft that we might have an opportunity to acquire  as well so we'll have to see how it unfolds.''

Sashi Brown knows he might've passed on a franchise QB

He said he agrees with the notion that you need a quarterback to win.

"But no one said we don't have a quarterback,'' he said. "I never said we will not add a quarterback as we continue to move forward. We'll see how the draft will unfold. There's still good quarterbacks. We'll see if there are any great quarterbacks out there as we venture through this draft.''

He stressed that the signing of Robert Griffin III didn't influence the trade.

"I've said all along that we're still in our process of seeing what was best for us,'' he said. "We made the (trade) and that had nothing to do with the quarterback. At the end of the day, it is the best thing for us to do and I'm excited about it."

When the Browns presented their new head with the bounty of picks from the trade, including an extra No. 1 in 2017 and a No. 2 in 2018, Jackson was thrilled.

"I had a big smile on my face,'' he said. "I was excited and ecstatic about what Sashi (Brown) and his group has done for our football team. I truly believe that wholeheartedly.''

Though Ohio State's move to trademark "Woody Hayes" comes 29 years after the coach died, there's still a tremendous market for Hayes-related apparel and memorbilia.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State sought and was granted permission from the late football coach's family to federally trademark the name "Woody Hayes," according to Columbus Business First.

The intention to trademark Hayes' name, according to the report, is to protect Ohio State's exclusive commercial licensing arrangement. 

Though Ohio State's move to trademark "Woody Hayes" comes 29 years after the coach died, there's still a tremendous market for Hayes-related apparel and memorbilia. 

According to Columbus Business First, Ohio State has had a trademark on Hayes' name for more than 20 years, but didn't have official U.S. Patent and Trademark Office registration. 

Ohio State is constantly fighting an uphill battle against third-party retailers who either violate the university's trademarks or toe the line. As recently as this year, Ohio State has been fighting an epidemic of fake jerseys being sold online from places overseas. 

Ohio State earns 12 percent royalties on all sales of Buckeyes-related related merchandise and more than $120,500 worth of Woody Hayes merchandise was sold last fiscal year. Part of those profits are also funding university scholarships. 

Read the full story here on Columbus Business First. 

What's up with the fake jerseys?

The Indians' chances, bolstered by a power-infused comeback, disappeared into the trees beyond the center-field fence on Thursday afternoon.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians' chances, bolstered by a power-infused comeback, disappeared into the trees beyond the center-field fence on Thursday afternoon.

Cleveland erased a pair of sizable deficits before the Mariners emerged victorious in 10 innings, by a 10-7 final margin at Progressive Field. Robinson Cano delivered the decisive blow, a three-run shot into the greenery off of Cody Allen. The Indians had erased deficits of 5-0 and 7-3 to send the contest into extra innings.

Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis, two of the team's off-season additions, provided the necessary right-handed power to fuel Cleveland's comeback.

Napoli launched a two-out, two-run, pinch-hit homer to the left-field bleachers in the eighth. He shouted as he approached first base, slapped hands with Marlon Byrd at home plate, turned his body and made a beeline for the Indians' dugout. A few Tribe players had trickled out onto the track to greet the slugger, who registered the first pinch-hit homer of his career.

That took Cody Anderson off the hook. Unfazed by the light rain or the steady breeze, Anderson retreated to the dugout at a deliberate pace upon his exit in the fourth inning. He left behind a couple of base runners and some irreversible damage on the scoreboard.

Davis socked a three-run homer in the fifth and Jose Ramirez and Lonnie Chisenhall delivered consecutive RBI base knocks an inning later, but the Mariners refused to relent.

Steve Clevenger, the Mariners' backup catcher, hit just the fourth home run of his career in the second. His two-run shot to right started the scoring for Seattle. The Mariners batted around in the fourth against Anderson and Trevor Bauer. Clevenger, Ketel Marte and Nori Aoki all splintered singles through the right side of the infield. Anderson departed after he yielded a sacrifice fly to Seth Smith.

Bauer walked the first two batters he faced. The second free pass pushed in Seattle's fifth run.

Anderson (0-2, 7.53 ERA) has surrendered 10 runs on 18 hits in 8 1/3 innings over his last two starts. He allowed nine hits in 3 2/3 frames on Thursday. Overall this season, opponents have tagged him for 24 hits in 14 1/3 innings.

The Indians managed two harmless hits in the first four frames before Davis sent a jolt through the ballpark with a three-run shot to the bleachers. Ramirez drove in Carlos Santana with a double to left in the sixth. He advanced to third on an error -- his helmet stayed on his head throughout the entire process -- and scored on Chisenhall's single.

It marked Chisenhall's first hit of the season. He went 2-for-23 on a minor league rehab assignment, prior to his activation from the disabled list on Wednesday.

What it means

The Indians dropped to 6-7, good for fourth place in the American League Central. The Mariners took two of three in the series. The Indians went 2-4 on their homestand.

Large numbers

The Indians have allowed five or more runs in eight of their 13 games this season. They have allowed six or more runs in six games.

Over his head

Mariners center fielder Leonys Martin clubbed a pitch over Chisenhall's head to start the seventh. Chisenhall took a poor route to the ball and it sailed past him for a two-base error. Zach McAllister worked around the miscue without any trouble.

Check it again

Francisco Lindor was nabbed trying to steal second base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The Indians challenged the ruling, but the call was confirmed by instant replay after a 50-second review.

They came, they saw

An announced crowd of 11,525 watched the affair at the ballpark.

What's next

The Indians will embark on a nine-game, 10-day trip to Detroit, Minnesota and Philadelphia. Cleveland owns a 19-37 mark against the Tigers since the start of the 2013 season. Right-handers Josh Tomlin (1-0, 1.80 ERA) and Justin Verlander (1-1, 7.16 ERA) are slated to battle in Friday's series opener at Comerica Park.

Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III has been in contact with Josh Gordon, his former Baylor teammate, since petition was denied last week

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III has been in contact with his good friend Josh Gordon since his reinstatement bid was rejected last week, lately, and he hopes he does what to take this time around.

"Josh is family, so I've had contact with Josh since the announcement and he knows, I'm sure he'll see this or watch this, he knows I'm always there for him no matter what happens, but I'm rooting for him,'' Griffin said during a press conference to wrap up voluntary minicamp. " I hope he understands the situation that he's in and what's at stake and I think he does, but it's up to him ultimately to make that decision. You can not tell a grown man what to do.''

Gordon's petition for reinstatement from his indefinite drug ban was denied last week by the NFL, but he can reapply Aug. 1st. Since he reportedly failed a drug test in March, a man identifying himself as Gordon was with Johnny Manziel at a rented party house that was trashed, the rental agency owner told cleveland.com.

Gordon also accompanied Manziel to the Coachella music and arts festival last weekend in Indio, Ca. The festival becomes a playground for the young and famous every year, and Gordon spent the weekend with Manziel, who's been on a partying bender.

Gordon even reportedly picked Manziel up in Los Angeles after he was the passenger in a one-car accident two weekends ago.

Griffin, who played with Gordon at Baylor, has acknowledged that he'd love to have him back on the team. But even the Browns have made it clear they won't keep the former All-Pro around unless he's fully committed to his craft.

"All you can do is be there for him and try to help guide him, so I've been there for him, will continue to be there for him, and I hope he makes the right decisions so he can get back in the league and show everybody what he's really made of,'' said Griffin.

Join us live at 7 p.m. here at cleveland.com as we search for answers on the future of the Browns.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- One Browns decision has been made. 

Many more Browns decisions are ahead.

Tonight at 7, watch live at cleveland.com as we broadcast a town hall on the state of the Browns after the trade down from the No. 2 pick, a trade that passed on a chance at a quarterback and set a new course for the franchise.

Was the trade down from No. 2 the right move?

Which player should the Browns target at No. 8, or should they trade down again?

What will be their long-term answer at quarterback?

Should the Browns draft a Buckeye like Joey Bosa or Ezekiel Elliott?

Plus questions from you. We're also gathering data from questions we're asking now, and we'll discuss your votes tonight.

Who should the Browns draft at No. 8? Vote

Join us on Facebook at our cleveland.com page and ask a question there. Or send us a question on Twitter by using the hashtag #Brownstownhall. Send those questions now and we'll gather them, or send them live during the discussion.

Our cleveland.com columnist Bud Shaw will moderate tonight and writers from across cleveland.com will join the debate. 

This was going to be a full-fledged debate as part of #BrownsDecision2016, asking whether the Browns should draft a quarterback or a position other than quarterback. Thanks to the influence of the Trade Down Party, that is no longer a question.

But plenty of other questions remain.

So join us live at 7 p.m. at cleveland.com. 

It's your franchise, and an uncertain future.

IndyCar is in Birmingham this weekend for the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama, with eyes ahead on the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- IndyCar is at Birmingham this week for the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama before heading off to Indianapolis for the Month of May. For Honda that means the window is closing fast for the engine maker to narrow the gap between the Honda and Chevrolet engines.

The race is Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on NBCSN, with qualifying on Saturday at 4 p.m., also on NBCSN. Today's practice sessions will be on NBCSN at noon and 4. You can also follow along live at IndyCar's Race Control.

After this road race and one at Indy on May 14, it's on to the highly anticipated Indianapolis 500 for the 100th anniversary at Indy Memorial Day weekend spectacle.

Honda, which has not won a race this season or had a driver finish higher than sixth, does not want to be embarrassed in that setting, although Indy still has issues of its own.

After three races in 2016, Chevrolet drivers have led 422 laps to 18 for Honda drivers. This comes after a 2015 season when Honda only won six of 18 races and only had one driver, Graham Rahal, as a season-long contender for the series championship.

Into this building drama is the added news IndyCar has made some rules changes effective immediately, mostly dealing with qualifying, but also addressing the blend line rule out of the pits, which led to much controversy last week for Team Penske and driver/race winner Simon Pagenaud.

Here are this week's open-wheel and drag race schedules:

VERIZON INDYCAR
HONDA INDY GRAND PRIX OF ALABAMA
Site: Birmingham, Alabama
Schedule: Friday, practice (NBCSN, 12-1:15 p.m.), practice (4-5:15 p.m.); Saturday, practice (12-12:45 a.m.), qualifying (NBCSN, 4-5:15 p.m.); Sunday, practice (11:30-12 p.m.), race, 3:30-5:45 p.m. (NBCSN).
Track: Road, 2.38 miles.
Race distance: 214.2 miles, 90 laps.
Last year: Josef Newgarden held off Helio Castroneves for his first victory of the season. Newgarden had four podium finishes in 2015, finishing seventh in the standings.
Last race: Simon Pagenaud picked up his first series win for Team Penske at Long Beach. Scott Dixon and his Chip Ganassi Racing team thought Pagenaud should have been penalized for crossing a blend line as he returned to the track following a pit stop, but Pagenaud got off with a warning.
Fast facts: Takuma Sato picked up his first top-five of 2016 at Long Beach, which was his best race since taking second in the second race of the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit at Belle Isle last year. ... All five of Pagenaud's wins in IndyCar have come on road or street courses.
Next race: Angie's List Grand Prix of Indianapolis, May 14, Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

FORMULA ONE
Next race: Russian Grand Prix, May 1, Sochi Autodrum, Sochi, Russia.

Last race: Nico Rosberg became just the fourth driver in F1 history to win six straight races on April 17 in Shanghai. Rosberg has a 36-point lead over Lewis Hamilton -- the only driver with even half as many points as Rosberg.

NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING
NHRA 4WIDE NATIONALS
Site: Concord, North Carolina
Schedule: Friday, qualifying (5 p.m.), qualifying (7 p.m.); Saturday, qualifying (2:30 p.m.), qualifying (4:30 p.m.); Sunday, final eliminations (3:55 p.m.).
Track: zMax Dragway, Charlotte Motor Speedway
Last year: Antron Brown won for the second straight time in Top Fuel at Charlotte, defeating Steve Torrence, Richie Crampton and Clay Millican.
Last race: Brown won in Las Vegas on April 3, hitting nearly 315 mph to hold off Troy Buff.
Fast facts: This weekend's race in North Carolina will be the only four-wide event on the NHRA schedule in 2016...Leah Prichett will run for the Lagana family after her previous team owner, Bob Vandergriff Jr., announced his immediate retirement and left Prichett scrambling to find a ride.
Next event: NHRA Spring Nationals, April 29-May 1, Royal Purple Raceway, Houston.

WORLD OF OUTLAWS: Sprint Car: Texas Outlaw Nationals, April 22-23, Devil's Bowl Speedway, Mesquite, Texas; World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Cars event, April 26, I-30 Speedway, Little Rock, Arkansas.

Najee Harris visited Ohio State for the spring game last weekend and got some personal attention from Urban Meyer. But it served as a reminder: What happened to Akers?

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- At one point a few months ago, Alabama had verbal commitments from five-star running backs Cam Akers of Clinton, Mississippi and Najee Harris of Antioch, California.

Though Harris is still committed to Crimson Tide, Ohio State is hoping neither of them end up with Nick Saban.

Harris visited Ohio State for the spring game last weekend and got some personal attention from Urban Meyer. But it served as a reminder: What happened to Akers?

Well, nothing has happened to Akers, things have just been quiet.

But that's starting to change. 

Rated the No. 2 running back in the 2017 class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Akers posted a graphic Ohio State sent to him on his public Twitter account on Thursday. 

#GoBuckeyes [?] [?] pic.twitter.com/iajIcZvc7I

-- Cam akers (@thereal_cam3) April 21, 2016

As for some real comments? Akers told 247Sports that Meyer and running backs coach Tony Alford have been relentlessly recruiting him.

"Ohio State will be in it the whole way," Akers said.

Akers unofficially visited Ohio State on March 7, only days after decommitting from Alabama. The 6-foot, 210-pound prospect is still closely considering Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi and, of course, Ohio State. 

"I'll be back (to Ohio State), but I'm not sure exactly when it will be," Akers told 247Sports. "And I'll probably make an official.

"I definitely love Ohio State. My family and myself love Ohio State and what the program is doing. They always produce good running backs. They are always in the running for the national championship and the academics are great also."

Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson says you can trust him to solve the Browns' quarterback issue. Browns fans are short on trust after so much failure, but what other choice is there?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Nothing has happened yet to suggest the Browns' approach to turning things around deserves mountains of criticism.

It's the beauty of April, at least that part of April that precedes the NFL draft. They haven't squandered a single draft choice yet. The trade-down with Philadelphia will deliver more picks for the next two years.

While Sashi Brown admitted passing up a potential franchise quarterback is a risk, head coach Hue Jackson made it sound as if the majority of quarterbacks are pieces of clay waiting for the right hands to mold them into NFL winners.

The truth is somewhere in between.

"Everybody keeps using that term very loosely about franchise quarterbacks,'' he said. "What are franchise quarterbacks? There's not Peyton Manning and Tom Brady walking around all the time.

"Every quarterback has to be coached and put in an environment so that he can be successful and be good. That's when guys start becoming franchise quarterbacks.''

We'll never know if the Browns would've passed on Andrew Luck if he were near the top of this draft. Hopefully, that answer is no. We just know they passed on Jared Goff and Carson Wentz.

"We'll get this right," Jackson said. "I promise you."

Which is either comforting, or a small step away from other famous words in Browns history.

Like, "Don't come to me for playoff tickets."

* I'll say this: the trade looks less logical from the Eagles' end than it does the Browns.

The only thing that could make it look crazier in Philly is if they announce they've also signed Donovan McNabb and Ron Jaworski to two-year contracts.

* Jon Gruden is on record saying he thinks the Eagles have too many quarterbacks. Calling head coach Doug Pederson a "quarterback friendly" coach, Gruden says he thinks Philly has "too many quarterbacks to be friendly with."

He meant on the practice field, where reps will be divided among 28-year-old Sam Bradford, Chase Daniel and the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.

They're even friendlier to quarterbacks on the payroll. Bradford will make $18 million, Daniel $7 million. The signing bonus if the Eagles take either Goff or Wentz will be $16 million.

Is Jackson's QB expertise reason to feel better about Browns?

One thing not so friendly in Philly? The fan base trying to figure out what the Eagles are doing. Then again, the Eagles couldn't possibly know all this would fall into place when they signed Bradford and Daniel to those contracts.

In... March?

Look at the bright side, Eagles Fan. Your team almost can't help but have more vision and foresight in its game-planning.

* Robert Griffin III spoke to the media Thursday and referred to the "no pressure, no diamonds" slogan he trotted out in his previous media availability as his "mic drop."

I know the Browns say RG3 is just one of the four quarterbacks on the roster, but something tells me they're still hoping for better walk-off moments than that.

* Here's the No. 1 rule of Mic Drop. It loses something when you're the one who feels the need to point out you just did it.

No. 2 rule: it shouldn't be something you tried to copyright three years earlier but never took hold.

* Heard on Cleveland sports talk radio about the Browns' QB possibilities later in the draft:

"Sports Illustrated said (Penn State's) Christian Hackenberg could be the next Tom Brady."

And, you know, Cleveland fans can always take comfort in a SI prediction.

* Stanley Johnson, the Pistons' 19-year-old forward, said between games here against the Cavs that he thought his strength and quickness could cause some issues for LeBron James defensively.

James seemed to delight in banging Johnson down low on one possession in particular before hitting a turnaround baseline jumper.

After Game 2, Johnson said, he was "definitely in (James") head."

Don't laugh. He may just have a different definition. We think he means he's disrupting James' game.

He may only mean that James remembers Johnson's name now without a program.

* Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy took Johnson aside and talked to him about his comments. Van Gundy wasn't hypercritical. He just wanted him to know it could be counter-productive to the great effort needed for the Pistons to make the Cavs uncomfortable in this series.

You could say they had a Stan-to-Stan talk.

And now I'm sure you wish I hadn't.

* Colts punter Pat McAfee, a free spirit, made a 4/20 reference on social media earlier this week. The next day he received a drug testing notice from the league.

Coincidentally I'm sure.

* McAfee, one of the most popular Colts players, was famously suspended by the team for one game back in 2010 for his actions during a bye week. He was arrested for public intoxication after a pre-dawn swim in the canal in the Broad Ripple section of Indianapolis.

When police asked him if he'd been swimming in the canal, he said he wasn't sure.

Police: "Why are you wet."

McAfee: "It was raining."

Police: "Where's your shirt?"

McAfee: "In the water."

Police: "How much did you have to drink?"

McAfee: "A lot, 'cause I'm drunk."

* Wikipedia describes 4/20 as a code term that associates one with the cannabis culture.

And now this is the point in the column where You Said It contributors pretend, along with me, that they had no idea.

* Pete Rose has postponed a personal appearance connected with his Saturday induction into the Bobblehead Hall of Fame in Milwaukee. Rose cited "unforeseeable personal matters that just arose" as the reason for the late change in his schedule.

And by that he means he just realized it's the Bobblehead Hall of Fame.

* Houston Rockets president Tad Brown didn't take kindly to Charles Barkley's comments about his team in Game 3 against the Warriors.

Barkley predicted the Rockets would lose and referred to their "fake hustle." Brown Tweeted that Barkley would know because "his entire Rockets career was fake hustle."

Barkley was mostly aging and injured by the time he played for the Rockets. But he did have 33 rebounds in his first game for Houston and averaged 13.5 rebounds his first season.

If he could do that without hustling, that's quite the trick.

* The Rockets did lose a 17-point lead at home before winning 97-96 on a James Harden jumper with 2.7 seconds left. They beat a Warriors team playing without Steph Curry, who missed his second straight game after spraining his ankle in a Game 1 blowout.

Barkley was wrong about the outcome. But not about much else.

* Texans All-Pro J.J. Watt defended his use of social media after a ESPN radio host called him a "phony." Watt's offense? He posted pictures of a late-night workout on the night Kobe Bryant finished his career.

Watt says he isn't fake and that he shares his activities on Instagram to keep a connection with fans who follow him.

In the meantime, it's good to know sports radio hosts and sportswriters have never been phony in faking outrage over something so important as a Snapchat post from a player's workout.

* Aqib Talib says the Denver Broncos don't get enough respect despite winning the Super Bowl. I beg to differ. They get exactly as much respect as other good NFL teams deserve.

In April.

* If you didn't notice and I'm sure you didn't, that was my mic drop.