Josh Tomlin allowed seven runs for the second straight start as the Cleveland Indians lost to the Washington Nationals, 7-4, Wednesday afternoon in Washington, D.C.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jayson Werth went 2-for-3 with one homer, one double, one walk, three RBI and three runs as the Washington Nationals defeated the Cleveland Indians, 7-4, Wednesday afternoon at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. Francisco Lindor homered for the Tribe.

Here is a capsule look at the key aspect(s) of the game, which was televised by Fox Sports Time Ohio:

Even strength: The first-place Indians (63-48) and first-place Nationals (67-46) split the four-game season series. Each won once in the other's venue.

The Indians lead the AL Central; the Nationals, the NL East.

Busting loose: The Nationals scored once in each of their previous three games, the most recent coming Tuesday night against the Tribe (L, 3-1).

Not good: Tribe right-hander Josh Tomlin allowed seven runs on eight hits in four-plus innings. He walked one and struck out four.

Tomlin (11-5, 4.18 ERA) has given up at least four earned runs and worked no more than six innings in four of his past six starts. In his previous start, Aug. 5 at Yankee Stadium, he gave up seven runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 13-7 loss.

Combination of factors: Tomlin's outing against Washington was a mixed bag. He made his share of mistakes, no question, but he also was victimized by some tough luck and by Tribe right fielder Abraham Almonte.

*With one out in the first, Werth lined toward right. Almonte, fighting the sun, stuck out his glove but failed to make the catch. It was ruled a double.

Werth advanced to third on Daniel Murphy's grounder to first. Wilson Ramos, down in the count, 1-2, shot a hanging curve up the middle for an RBI single. Anthony Rendon smashed a 2-2 cutter over the plate to right-center for a double, Ramos stopping at third. Brian Goodwin struck out swinging.

*Lefty Danny Espinosa led off the second by showing bunt and taking a strike. He drag-bunted the next pitch past Tomlin for a single. Lefty Ben Revere blooped a 1-1 pitch just inside the left-field line for a single, Espinosa stopping at second. Revere could not have placed the ball any better with a lob.

Pitcher Gio Gonzalez misfired in his attempts to sacrifice bunt and struck out. Trea Turner flied out deep to center, Espinosa tagging to third.

Werth took a cutter outside and fouled a cutter. Tomlin barely missed outside with a fastball. Tomlin threw a cutter over the plate, and Werth smoked it to deep left for a three-run homer that gave the Nationals a 4-1 lead. Werth was able to eliminate half the plate and pounced on a bad pitch. (Catcher Chris Gimenez set up on the outer edge.)

*With the score tied, 4-4, Turner led off the fifth with a clean double to right. Clean, but not necessarily packed with skill. Turner had stuck out his bat at a 1-0 breaking pitch and used a two-thirds swing to dump it inside the right-field line.

Tomlin understandably wanted no part of Werth and walked him in four pitches.

Sinkerballer Dan Otero was ready in the bullpen, but Tribe manager Terry Francona opted to stick with Tomlin against Murphy, who stepped in with a .345 average for the season but was 0-for-6 in the series. Tribe righty Trevor Bauer on Tuesday and Tomlin had been pounding him inside.

Tomlin opened with a cutter for a called strike on the inside edge. Tomlin threw essentially the same pitch, and Murphy was ready, lining it deep to right. As well as Murphy struck the ball, it should have been caught. Almonte peeked for the fence before sticking up his glove and banging into the fence. The ball clanked off the glove for an RBI double.

It was a tricky play, to be sure, but it is a play that a solid-to-good MLB right fielder finds a way to make.

Otero relieved and got Ramos to ground to pulled-in shortstop Lindor. Otero, ahead of righty Rendon, 0-2, threw a sinker down and in. Rendon displayed exceptional barrel awareness and lined it past diving third baseman Jose Ramirez for a two-run double to push Washington's lead to 7-4.

Much more credit to Rendon than blame on Otero. Hitters are paid, too.

Hot early, cold late: In one sense, the Tribe's offense did its job. It scored four runs in five innings against lefty Gonzalez, who has been incredible against the Cleveland franchise in his career. Gonzalez allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out five. He threw 103 pitches.

However, the Tribe's offense did next-to-nothing after Ramirez's two-out RBI double tied the score, 4-4, in the third. Gonzalez and five relievers allowed a total of four hits -- all singles -- the rest of the way.

The Indians' best opportunity after the third came in the sixth. Napoli led off with a walk and advanced to second on Ramirez's single. Righty Matt Belisle replaced Gonzalez. Lonnie Chisenhall pinch-hit for Brandon Guyer.

Belisle, ahead of Chisenhall, 0-2, seemingly made a mistake. He threw a fastball (93 mph) over the plate, but Chisenhall grounded it routinely to short for a 6-4-3 double play.   

Ramirez's hitting streak is at 14 games.

The Browns don't have to pay defensive end Desmond Bryant his $6 million salary this season because he tore his pec working out on his own. But agent Drew Rosenhaus is trying to negotiate with the Browns to make good on at least a portion of his salary.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns defensive end Desmond Bryant confirmed Wednesday that his new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was at the Browns facility Wednesday to talk to the club about paying a portion of his 2016 salary even though they don't have to.

ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the reason for Rosenhaus' visit, which included watching some of practice Wednesday afternoon.

According to the collective bargaining agreement, the Browns do not have to pay Bryant any portion of his $6 million salary this season because he suffered a torn pectoral muscle while working out on his own in Manhattan a week before camp.

Bryant, 30, underwent surgery last month and is out for the season.

Now, it's up to the Browns to decide if they'll pay him any of the money he's owed for 2016. If the two sides can't reach an agreement, one option is for the Browns to release him.

"They have a decision to make,'' said Bryant, the Browns sack leader last season with six. "We'll see.''

A source familiar with the situation said the two sides are working through it and trying to find a resolution. Another source said he's currently still scheduled to receive his salary, but that the Browns haven't yet decided what to do.

Bryant is also under contract through 2017 for $7 million next year, but the club will likely not want to pay a 31-year-old coming off a torn pec that much.

The two sides will try to negotiate a deal that enables Bryant to recoup some of his $6 million this season and reduces his 2017 salary.

So far, not much progress has been made, but the two sides will continue to talk. Bryant parted ways with Cleveland-based agent Andy Simms last week and hired Rosenhaus to handle the negotiation.

Rosenhaus represents a handful of top players on the team, including Joe Haden, Terrelle Pryor and Josh Gordon. He also has rookies Jordan Payton and Scooby Wright.

One league source said most teams do not pay players who are on the reserve/non-football list --where Bryant landed on July 28th -- their full salaries. Another estimated that one team in 20 would pay the entire salary. Some don't pay at all and others settle for a fraction.

Bryant, who underwent the surgery in New York, has been at the Browns facility receiving treatment for the torn pec on a regular basis.

The situation raises the larger issue of whether players should work out on their own in the offseason if they're not going to get paid in the event they're injured, but it's been this way since the 1980s.

Bryant was hopeful he could make it back this season

Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton acknowledged last week that losing Bryant was a blow. It forced the Browns to reshuffle, including using second-rounder Emmanuel Ogbah at defensive end instead of just linebacker.

"Des was a shock to me,'' said Horton. "I was on vacation and I heard about it. Immediately, you go into survival mode, if you will. What do you do? How are we going to get better? What do we do? He was a key part of our defense. Now with his injury, just like anybody else's injury, you have to adjust because nobody is going to wait for you.''

In fact, the injury has Horton keeping his options open on the base alignment, which was originally set to be a 3-4.  In addition to the loss of Bryant, the Browns have been without starting left end John Hughes in camp for the past week because of a personal reason. At this point, no one has said if or when he's coming back.

"As you guys watch practice and we're moving guys around, I would use the term 'kaleidoscope,'' he said. "When you turn it, you're going to get a different picture. I want us to have guys that are interchangeable because I don't know what we're going to be yet. If somebody said, 'Well you're a 3-4. Would you be a 4-3?' Well sure I would if I thought it would win. We're going to be an ever-changing defense until we find out what we do best and put the players in that position.

"These things in the NFL happen. You feel for (Bryant), but you can't let that suffer the rest of the team. You have to go on and say, 'How are we going to get better?' When you lose a good player, what happens is the other players have to get better. That's what we're trying to do right now."

In Bryant's absence, Xavier Cooper has been starting at right end.

"He's a good young player that we were counting on anyway so nothing changed in my mind about Xavier,'' said Horton. "All it meant was we're going to need you to step up right now today versus Week 1 versus Philadelphia. Some of it is his leadership ability, but he was a player we were counting on from day one to get a lot of snaps for us."

Bryant planned to fulfill his mission this season of becoming more of a vocal leader, even though he wouldn't be playing.

"Nothing has changed,'' he told cleveland.com last month. "Obviously I won't be on the field, but I'll still be involved as a leader and an athlete as much as I can. I intend to be around as much as possible, every day if that's what it calls for, which I'm sure it will, to kind of help those guys.

"We've got a lot of young guys, especially in the d-line room. I'll try to show those guys the right way to do things, give them pointers and hints wherever I can, on the sidelines, during games, during practice, and off the field.''

Unless the two sides reach an agreement, that's no longer a given.

Tribe right-hander Danny Salazar, the missing piece to the Indians' starting rotation for the stretch run, says his right elbow is feeling amazing. He can come off the disabled list on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The missing piece to the Indians' rotation says his right elbow is feeling "amazing."

Danny Salazar didn't travel with the Indians to New York, but he did join them Monday in Washington, D.C.

Salazar went on the disabled list after his Aug. 1 start against the Twins. He allowed six runs on six hits in two innings in the shortest start of his career and  afterward said there was something wrong with his elbow.

The next day he was placed on the disabled list after having an MRI on his elbow and receiving a cortisone shot. The Indians are hopeful that when Salazar's 15 days are up (Wednesday), he will be able to rejoin the rotation with a pain-free elbow and peace of mind.

Before joining the Indians in Washington, Salazar played catch at 60 and 90 feet at Progressive Field. On Tuesday, he played catch at 120 feet in preparation to throw a bullpen session during the Tribe's 10-game homestand that starts Thursday night against the Angels.

"So far I'm feeling great, amazing," said Salazar. "I've been working hard."

If the Indians are going to hang onto first place in the AL Central, and make as deep a run into October as some think they will, a healthy Salazar is needed. In the first half of the season, he went 10-3 with a 2.75 ERA in 17 starts and made the All-Start team.

Since the break Salazar is 1-1 with a 8.53 ERA in three starts. His elbow has been a concern for a while, so much so that the Indians asked him not to pitch in the All-Star game.

When the extra rest over the break didn't help, Salazar felt it was time to get the elbow looked at. Manager Terry Francona understood that Salazar was looking for peace of mind.

The MRI gave him that to a certain degree.

"I have no damage in my elbow, in my ligament," said Salazar. "The surgery I had (Tommy John in 2010), that is perfect. I have no problems there. That was something that was a little bit on my mind."

But the real test won't come until Salazar gets on the mound again in a game.

"I think I have to wait," said Salazar. "I'm really positive right now, but I think I'm going to have to wait until I go out there and try to go at full intensity and see how it feels. Right now it feels amazing. I don't think I'll have any problems."

From the Indians and Salazar's point of view, that's about as good as it's going to get.

Josh Tomlin allowed his 27th homer of the season Wednesday as the Indians lost to the Nationals. The Tribe returned homer with a 2-3 record on this five-game trip through New York and Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - It's no secret that Josh Tomlin gives up home runs. He always has and always will.

The hard part is when he starts giving them up with runners on base. In his last two starts, he's done too much of that and the Indians have paid for it.

Tomlin gave up a three-run homer to Jayson Werth in the second inning Wednesday afternoon and the Indians never really recovered as they fell to Washington, 7-4, at Nationals Park.

In 21 starts this season, Tomlin has allowed an MLB-high 27 homers. Sixteen have been solos, and as his 11 wins attest, Tomlin has been able to pitch around a lot of that damage. That has not been the case lately.

In his last two starts, Tomlin has allowed 14 earned runs and half of them have come on two homers -- Werth's three-run shot and Starlin Castro's grand slam on Friday at Yankee Stadium.

When asked what his problem has been, Tomlin said, "It's executing pitches when there are runners on base. I've been prone to the home run all year, but they've come usually when no one's on base, or limited traffic.

"Right now, there's (been a lot of) traffic. It seems like every inning I'm having to work around guys and, when I make a mistake, I pay for it with a crooked number, as opposed to a single number. When you're doing that against a team like that, it's tough to come back from."

Tomlin (11-5, 4.18) allowed seven runs on eight hits in four innings. He struck out four and walked one.

The win went to lefty Gio Gonzalez (8-9, 4.24). He allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings. Gonzalez is 6-0 lifetime against the Indians.

The Nationals jumped out to a 4-1 lead after two innings.

They took a 1-0 lead in the first on a two-out single by Wilson Ramos. Werth made the run possible with a one-out double to right that Abraham Almonte had trouble tracking because of the sun.

Tomlin retired Daniel Murphy, but Ramirez delivered the run with clean single to right.

The Indians tied the score in the second with a two-out run of their own. Brandon Guyer singled and Almonte doubled to right to score him from first. Almonte stole third, but advanced no farther.

Werth, who homered Tuesday night, did it again Wednesday. This one carried far more weight as he drove Tomlin's 2-1 pitch over the fence in left for a three-run homer and a 4-1 lead. It was the Werth's 15^th homer of the season and it came with two out.

A leadoff bunt by Danny Espinosa and a bloop single by Ben Revere set the table for Werth.

The Indians managed to tie the score with three runs against Gonzalez in the third.

Francisco Lindor hit a two-run homer and Jose Ramirez hit an RBI double to make it 4-4. Gonzalez entered the game having allowed just six earned runs against the Indians in 50 2/3 innings. The Indians scored half that many in the third inning alone.

The homer was Lindor's 14^th and the double gave Ramirez 47 RBI.

"I thought we did a really good job to get back in the game," said manager Terry Francona, back in the dugout after missing Tuesday's game because of chest pains and illness. "We made him work. But again, sometimes, you get an opportunity or two and you've got to do something with it, because you're not going to get them every inning."

The Nationals put the game away with three runs in the fifth. Tomlin allowed a leadoff double to Trea Turner and walked Werth. Murphy sent a drive to the fence in right that Almonte put a glove on, but couldn't hold as it went for a double to give the Nationals the lead, 5-4.

Dan Otero relieved, but gave up a two-run double past third to Anthony Rendon for the final margin of victory.

It was a tough day for Almonte in right field. He lost a double in the sun and had another one bounce out of his glove.

"You're always trying your best to help the team win," said Almonte. "That's our main goal.Some days you don't receive what you're looking for and today was one of those days."

Said Francona, "The way J.T. pitches, he's going to pitch to contact. The better defensive team we are certainly helps him. And there's been a number of times where we haven't finished plays, or we haven't made plays, and that hasn't helped."

What it means

The Indians and Nationals, leading their respective divisions, finished the season series by splitting four games. If they meet again this season it will be in the World Series.

The pitches

Tomlin threw 77 pitches, 52 or 68 percent for strikes. Gonzalez threw 103 pitches, 66 or 64 percent for strikes.

Thanks for coming

The Indians and Nationals drew 30,185 fans to Nationals Park on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch was 4:07 p.m. and the temperature was 91 degrees.

What's next?

The Indians open a four-game series against the Angels on Thursday at Progressive Field. Corey Kluber (11-8, 3.22) will start the series for the Tribe against right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (3-7, 5.27), who spent part of last season pitching for Class AAA Columbus.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM 1100 and WMMS/FM 100.7 will carry the game.

In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Kyrie Irving is picking up where he left off after a virtuoso NBA playoff performance for the NBA champion Cavaliers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- South of the Equator, the stars are different in the sky. On the basketball court, though, they are not.

Gallant and gritty as the Australian team was in the men's Olympic basketball tournament in Brazil on Wednesday night in opening round play, the Boomers couldn't do anything more to stop Kyrie Irving than the Golden State Warriors, who make up much of the American Olympic men's basketball team, managed in the NBA Finals.

On a team with Warriors Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, former Warrior turned Dallas Maverick Harrison Barnes (Barnes, really?), and new Golden State free agent acquisition Kevin Durant, Irving outshone them all in the only close game the Americans have played so far.

Long before Irving scored 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter on Wednesday, teaming with New York Knick Carmelo Anthony for 26 of the American's 28 in the period  in a hard fought 98-88 victory over the Aussies, Irving had already stepped out on the international stage in a big way.

The Worlds

Irving was the Most Valuable Player of the 2014 World Championships in Spain, but that was more a coronation than a competition. The USA won by an average of 33 points per game. Their closest game was a 23-point rout of Mexico in the quarterfinals.

Irving bounced the rubble as convincingly as anyone. The international field  included several well-known Olympic players, as I pointed out in a column that ran the day before the seventh game of the NBA Finals.

In the seventh game at Golden State, Irving scored 26 points and sank a step-back 3-pointer out of an isolation set in the final minute against Steph Curry's strong challenge to win the game.

The Aussies

The Australia-Team USA game Wednesday was different than the routs at the Worlds in Spain. The core of the starting lineup for the Aussies was well-known NBA names.

Our once very own Matthew Dellavedova, a Milwaukee Buck after he couldn't get off the bench in the NBA Finals, was playing for his homeland.

Patty Mills, a guard who helped put mid-major St. Mary's of California on the map, a rotation player with the San Antonio Spurs, joined Delly.

The third one was former Warriors center Andrew Bogut, now with Dallas, in a roster and salary dump to clear the way for the Durant signing. Bogut's sprained knee in the fifth game let LeBron James not only "live in the paint," as he said, but live a life of champagne wishes and caviar dreams in it.

None of the Aussies wanted to take selfies with the American players before the opening tip, as had earlier opponents. No one was in awe of the Yanks.

The Olympic platform

The Olympics are the greatest spectacle in sports. They are also peppered with sports in which an Olympic gold medal is not the top prize, such as tennis, the newly reintroduced golf, and men's basketball.

Still, at worst the Olympics are a great "branding" opportunity for players to increase their global reputations and name recognition.

With James, Curry and Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook skipping the Olympics, and with Durant struggling through a 4 for 16, 14-point game, Irving and Anthony were the only reliable weapons against Australia

Scouring YouTube for clips of Irving's hesitation dribble against Delly and  far-fetched-for-anyone-else driving, left-handed layup high off the glass, I found mostly highlights of Anthony sinking similar looking 3-pointers over and over again.

This is not the layup I was looking for, but it will serve in lieu of another Anthony jumper.

Hybrid monster

The superb NBA analyst Doug Collins recalled the scouting report his son Chris, now the head coach at Northwestern, gave him when the younger Collins was recruiting Irving for Duke: "I think I just saw a combination of Isiah Thomas and Chris Paul."

Collins thinks Irving's embrace of the conditioning and nutrition program of James enabled him to reach a potential that was only fulfilled before in curiosities such as the 3-Point Contest and exhibitions such as the All-Star Game.

Irving's 3-point range and the way he makes the best use of glass on layups since medieval cathedral windows make him an unstoppable threat. He also can pass when moved to. He had a team-high five assists against the Aussies.

Will to win

Irving also now seems to have something like Isiah's incredible will to win. Resentment of the way injuries kept him out of most of the 2015 Finals, the example of James, getting fed up with the Warriors' publicity -- whatever drove Irving, it drove him to new heights. 

If Irving stays healthy and sustains this level of play, the Cavs can win another championship or two before James is through.

Kayla Harrison of Middletown, Ohio successfully defended her judo gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics on Thursday.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- American Kayla Harrison has successfully defended her Olympic judo title in the women's 78-kilogram division, after beating France's Audrey Tcheumeo in a tense final Thursday at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

With just six seconds left, Harrison caught Tcheumeo's arm in an armlock, and forced Tcheumeo to tap out in submission, automatically winning the contest.

Harrison's coach, Jimmy Pedro, said Harrison's achievement was enormous, given that there have been no repeat Olympic judo champions at Rio or at the previous games in London.

Harrison, from Middletown, Ohio, was in commanding form throughout Thursday, winning her preliminary matches automatically after pinning her opponents down to the mat for 20 seconds; her first match lasted just 43 seconds.

Pedro said Harrison was "on fire" on Thursday and described her defense of her Olympic title as "epic."

The women's bronze medals were won by Brazil's Mayra Aguiar and Slovenian Anamari Velensek.

BACK. TO. BACK. [?] [?] @Judo_Kayla has made HISTORY as the first U.S. judoka to win back-to-back #GOLD! pic.twitter.com/tGAt4e9Mxc

-- U.S. Olympic Team (@TeamUSA) August 11, 2016

That feeling when you win your SECOND #GOLD!

CONGRATS @Judo_Kayla - #TeamUSA is SO PROUD of you! pic.twitter.com/Yq3GsCvS3N

-- U.S. Olympic Team (@TeamUSA) August 11, 2016

It's an honor being friends with you. Congratulations! Save some gold for the rest of us! #backtoback pic.twitter.com/njiTQHYWWk

-- Jordan Burroughs (@alliseeisgold) August 11, 2016

At first it was a little puzzling that Robert Griffin III took all the first team reps in camp when it was supposed to be a competition with Josh McCown. But Hue Jackson revealed the reason why. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Hue Jackson revealed the real reason that Robert Griffin III took all the first-team reps in training camp and Josh McCown didn't have a shot in the 'open competition.'

It was McCown's idea.

"(McCown) was the guy that came to me and said, 'Hey coach, make sure this guy gets all the reps he needs to be the best he can be,'' Jackson said Tuesday night on "The Hue Jackson Show,'' which airs in the 92.3 The Fan and the team's radio network. "(He said) 'you know who I am.' Obviously he would love to have the job too, but I think he understands his role."

Shortly after Jackson announced on the eve of training camp that he'd be naming a starter by the first preseason game, McCown approached him and urged to let Griffin all the work.

"When the quarterback competitions kind of drag out through training camp, I don't know if you're any better off because then you have two guys that kind of had half reps,'' McCown said Monday when Griffin was named the starter. "Our team can rally around that guy, and we can move forward accordingly. Robert is certainly plying at a high level right now, and that's exciting. As a competitor, you want to be on the field, you want to play, there's no question about that. At the same time, it's so much bigger. It's about the team.''

McCown, who mentored Johnny Manziel last season, knew that Griffin would need to develop chemistry with his receivers and learn the nuances of Jackson's scheme.
"I've been in the league almost 10 years longer than Robert,'' said McCown, 37. "The evaluation process for he and I are different in the sense that they kind of know what type of player I am and so on. It's relatively knew for Rob and learning the system and all of that stuff, and I think the reps were necessary (for him).''

He stressed, "not in any shape do I think it was unfair. It was exactly how it needed to be to fairly evaluate things. I trust their judgment, I trust their evaluation and then we move on. It's both. As a competitor, you want reps, you want to play. That's what we do this game for, it's to play. Ultimately, they have to make judgments that are best for our team and best for them to evaluate situations. That was no more than that, and I understood."

Corey Coleman and Andrew Hawkins will sit out vs. Packers; Pryor should be okay

Throughout camp, Jackson has credited McCown with helping Griffin, off the field as much as on.

"A lot of him getting better has to do with Josh McCown,'' Jackson said. "Josh McCown has really done a great job of spending time with him and mentoring him, helping him to understand to try to make the biggest jump that he can. Our quarterback room is a special place right now. I like all of our guys in there. They're working extremely hard. I hope they continue to get better."

Jackson indicated that he'd love to keep McCown around if roster decisions allow it. The Browns rejected a trade offer from the Cowboys for him last week, and won't part with him unless the price is right. If Griffin gets hurt, the Browns know they can count on McCown, who finished 14th in the NFL last season with a 93.3 rating and went three straight games with 300 yards to set a club record.

In fact, McCown looked better at times during spring practices that Griffin, who was learning the offense and having his game broken down by Jackson and Hamilton.

"Josh McCown is very important to me,'' said Jackson. "Here's a guy with a lot of skins on the wall. He's done a lot of great things in this league and understands it. I think we know how all of this goes. This is not just about who you like. It's about what's best for our organization. He's done a tremendous job and what a good football player. I'm really grateful to have him here and be around him. I think all of the quarterbacks are, too, because he's been outstanding."

Including in ensuring that the Browns new starting quarterback got all the quality reps he needed in camp.

A group of ticket holders to the 2016 NFL Hall of Fame Game, which was cancelled in Canton Sunday, sued the National Football League claiming that the league knew ahead of time about problems with the field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Four ticket holders to last week's cancelled NFL Hall of Fame game have filed a federal lawsuit against the league seeking more than $5 million in compensation.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the U.S. Northern District of Ohio, claims that the NFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame knew about the poor field conditions at Tom Benson Hall of Fame stadium in Canton hours before the game was scheduled to start, but continued to mislead ticket holders that the game would begin on time while selling food and merchandise.

The game, which was scheduled Sunday night between the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts, was cancelled just minutes before kickoff Sunday, sending 22,000 fans home early.

NFL Hall of Fame game canceled for poor field conditions

Alan Biland, Matthew Crabb, Tiffany Ratcliff and Carmelo Treviso travelled from out of town to attend the annual football game, which according to the lawsuit attracted a television audience of 11 million fans in 2015.
 
The four plaintiffs are seeking class-action status from the court, which if approved would allow any of the other 22,000 people who bought tickets to the game to join the legal battle.
 
Workers at the stadium began preparing the field nearly seven hours late on the day of the game, setting off a series of bungled attempts to prepare in time for the scheduled 8 p.m. kickoff, the lawsuit says.
 
Field personnel didn't remove decking covering the field until 2:45 p.m. and scrambled to paint the logo and end zone lettering, according to the lawsuit.
 
Paint on the field wasn't drying quickly enough and the stadium's field crew resorted to heating the field surface to try to speed up the process, according to the lawsuit. The heat melted some of the rubber pellets that made up the stadium's artificial turf, leaving mats of congealed turf in places.
 
As a counter-remedy the crew applied a chemical to fix the melted pellets, but a Green Bay Packers employee noticed that the label on that chemical substance warned about skin burns, the lawsuit says.
 
The lawsuit further states that Colts and Packers staff were told at 6:40 p.m. that the game was cancelled. Meanwhile, scoreboards and messaging throughout the stadium continued to advertise an 8 p.m. kickoff as fans filled the stadium and purchased food and merchandise all the way up to the announced cancellation.
 
"(The NFL) allowed and encouraged fans to purchase food, beverages and souvenirs at the stadium as they waited for a game that would never start, and did so in the interest of money," the lawsuits says.
 
It wasn't until the game's scheduled kickoff, at 8 p.m., that Pro Football Hall of Fame President David Barker told fans that the game was cancelled.

The lawsuit also references Superbowl XLV, after which a jury in Dallas ordered the NFL to pay $76,000 to fans who couldn't attend the game in the seats they purchased. Temporary seating stands were declared unsafe just hours before kickoff.

"The NFL unfortunately has a history of mismanaging the stadiums where its games are held," the lawsuit says.

A spokesperson for the Pro Football Hall of Fame did not return voice mails left Thursday

The Indians and Angels will begin a four-game set at Progressive Field on Thursday evening. Get scoring updates and participate in a live chat as the clubs square off.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians and Angels will begin a four-game set at Progressive Field on Thursday evening. Get scoring updates and participate in a live chat as the clubs square off.

Game 112: Indians (63-48) vs. Angels (49-64)

First pitch: 7:10 p.m.

Broadcast info: SportsTime Ohio, WTAM 1100, WMMS 100.7 FM, Indians Radio Network

Pitching matchup: RHP Corey Kluber (11-8, 3.16 ERA) vs. RHP Jhoulys Chacin (2-5, 5.22 ERA)

Fact du jour: The Indians are 14-18 since their franchise-record 14-game winning streak.

LeBron James and the Cavaliers have agreed to a three-year, $100 million deal.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James and the Cavaliers have agreed to a three-year, $100 million deal, sources told cleveland.com.

James, 31, who just led the Cavs to their first championship in franchise history, will be the league's highest-paid player this season at $31 million, and has eschewed his plan of seeking one-year deals until the summer of 2017, when the salary cap explodes.

"I just want to let y'all know I'm re-signing back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, my hometown team," James said on Uninterrupted, his Internet and social media platform for athletes. "I can't be more excited than this opportunity once again, man, to defend our crown, defend our title. We all know last year as a magical, inspiring-- all the words you can come up with-- it was an unbelievable season. I just  can't wait to get the group back together-- the team, the franchise, more importantly, get everybody together, the fans.

"Without you guys, without your passion and commitment, we wouldn't have been able to do what we did this past season. I'm ecstatic. I can't wait to see my guys. I can't wait to get back out there in the wine and gold and just get the band back together. Lastly, let's get J.R. done. It's that time."

"J.R.," of course, is free agent J.R. Smith, who like James is represented by agent Rich Paul.

James has given the team a long-term commitment on paper, at least to a point.

A source said James would seek a player's option in Year 3 of the deal -- if indeed that's the case, it would be worth about $36 million. At minimum, the Cavs can make concrete plans around James for the next two seasons.

He'd be 33 in the summer of 2018, when he'd be able to decline a player's option, or 34 when the three-year contract expires.

James, who's been traveling in Italy and has lived for most of the summer in Los Angeles, is expected to sign next week when he returns to the state for his annual LeBron James Family Foundation event at Cedar Point.

The Cavaliers will raise their championship banner and collect their rings from the 2016 season with Carmelo Anthony watching.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cavaliers will raise their first championship banner, collect their rings, and open the defense of their 2016 NBA title against one of LeBron James' best friends.

For the second time in three seasons, the Cavs will kick off the season at home against Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks. Cleveland opens the '16-17 campaign at The Q on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 8 p.m. on TNT against those Knicks, lifting the lid on an 82-game slog that includes one hellacious six-game road trip in January and a likely visit with President Barack Obama at the White House in November. 

Two seasons ago, Anthony and the Knicks were here for James' surreal return to Cleveland after four years with the Miami Heat. James, who agreed to a three-year, $100 million deal with the Cavs on Thursday, said that night was "one of the biggest moments in sports history."

Who knows what kind of party it will be downtown when that banner hangs in the rafters - the first for any major pro sports team in Cleveland in 52 years?

About a million people showed up the parade.

The Knicks spoiled James' homecoming in 2014; they enter this season stronger with the additions of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah from Chicago, guards Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings, and the continued emergence of rising star Kristaps Porzingis.

As previously reported, the Cavs will play the marquee game on the NBA's banner day of the regular season - Christmas - at home against the archrival Golden State Warriors. But there's a time change. That game is usually at 5 p.m., but because Dec. 25 falls on a Sunday this year and there are NFL games, the Cavs and Warriors will play their Finals rematch at 2:30 p.m.

The Cavs' lone trip to Oakland, where they beat Golden State in Game 7 to pull off the largest comeback in NBA Finals history (Cleveland was down 3-1 in the series), is Jan. 16. That game is the last of a barbaric, multi-coast, six-game road trip for the Cavs that begins in Brooklyn before shifting West to play Phoenix, Utah, Portland, Sacramento, and then the Warriors.

Will the visitor's locker room at Oracle Arena still smell of champagne, as Steph Curry wondered about the dressing room at The Q upon the Warriors' first visit to Cleveland after winning the 2015 title here?

The Warriors, of course, feel they're stronger now too, with the addition of superstar Kevin Durant to a lineup that already has two-time reigning MVP Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.

The Cavs have two other lengthy road trips - each totaling four games - including a second that begins on one coast and ends on another. Cleveland heads to Los Angeles to play the Clippers and Lakers on March 18^th and 19^th, zips to Denver on the 22^nd and finishes in Charlotte on the 24^th.

A date in Washington looms Friday Nov. 11. The Cavs have two days off before that, making it highly likely that they take the customary trip for a defending NBA champ to see the president at The White House.

Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue had previously said the team would visit Obama before he leaves office as president. The Cavs don't return to Washington Feb. 6, a couple weeks after Obama's last day.

Cleveland has 17 games on consecutive nights, the dreaded "back-to-back" traps set for every team throughout an arduous NBA schedule. For the first time in at least a few seasons, the Cavs won't play consecutive games in Texas.

Rather than navigating the "Texas triangle" of San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas, Cleveland will make three separate trips to the Lone Star state throughout the season.

In all, the Cavs will play 34 times on TNT, ESPN, ABC, and NBATV to the Warriors' 36. There are several nationally televised, "feature" games in the NBA each week, but last season the league shifted its key weekly slot on ABC to Saturday nights. The Cavs play in four ABC Saturday evening games, including at home Jan. 21 against the Spurs.

The Cavs' local broadcaster, Fox Sports Ohio, will carry 70 regular-season games.

Here is the full schedule. 

Cavs 1617 sked.pdf

Joining Ohio State on Ruckert's list were Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Nebraska, Tennessee, Penn State, Mississippi, Rutgers, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and Florida.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- When Ohio State participated in Rutgers' satellite camp in New Jersey in June, Urban Meyer had some one-on-one time with some of the more impressive prospects. 

One of those prospects was four-star tight end Jeremy Ruckert of Lindenhurst (N.Y.) Senior, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound prospect who is rated the No. 7 tight end in the 2018 class in the 247Sports composite rankings. 

Then Ruckert made a visit to Ohio State's Friday Night Lights camp in Ohio Stadium in late July. So it was no surprise that when Ruckert released a top 13 on Thursday that the Buckeyes were represented on the list. 

Joining Ohio State on Ruckert's list were Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Nebraska, Tennessee, Penn State, Mississippi, Rutgers, Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and Florida. 

Ruckert has already earned 24 scholarship offers, most of which are from top college football programs in the country. Though this list of 13 schools aren't officially his final list, Ruckert said they were the programs that would be commanding the majority of his attention moving forward. 

The tight end announced the news with a video on his public Twitter account. Check it out below. 

#Top13[?] [?] These are just schools that offered me that I'll mainly be focusing on. I'm still open to any new interest. pic.twitter.com/KUGCzqs88V

-- Ruck (@Jeremy_Ruckert1) August 11, 2016

The NBA offseason provided plenty of surprise moves, and the league's releasing Thursday of 2016-17 schedule lets the world know when players with new teams will face their old ones.

Ohio State released a video from its training camp practice on Aug. 9. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State football switched practice venues on Thursday, moving over to the Coffey Road Fields across the Olentangy River from Ohio Stadium. That will be the Buckeyes home from now until Aug. 20.

Also on Thursday, the Buckeyes released highlights from their practice on Aug. 9.

That was the second practice featuring the full team, and was held at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Watch the video above for highlights from that practice.

Included in the video is some footage of a healthy Dontre Wilson returning kickoffs, and backup quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Dwayne Haskins going head-to-head in circle drill.

The Indians will reveal their plans for Brantley within the next few days. Brantley and the club's brain trust are sorting through their options, but the left fielder could be headed for another surgery. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A painful, arduous path for Michael Brantley has led to one, ultimate decision.

The Indians will reveal their plans for Brantley within the next few days. Brantley and the club's brain trust are sorting through their options, but the left fielder could be headed for another surgery.

"It's not just if he has surgery," said manager Terry Francona, who met with Brantley on Thursday, "but what kind of surgery, where, things like that. There's a lot of stuff to work through. We're doing that now. When we have something that's firm, we'll explain it to everybody."

Brantley first injured his shoulder on a dive attempt last September in Minnesota. He underwent surgery in early November and was expected to miss four to five months. Instead, the ailment has cost him all but 11 regular-season games. A series of setbacks could keep Brantley out until next year.

Brantley was diagnosed with chronic biceps tendinitis earlier this week after a doctor visit in New York. Since he returned to the disabled list in mid-May, he has ramped up his recovery process several times, only to suffer setbacks along the way.

"What we're doing now is everybody is putting their heads together, including Mike," Francona said. "He's been a part of this the whole way, as he should be."

Bullpen swap: The Indians activated Jeff Manship (right wrist tendinitis) from the DL on Thursday. To clear a roster spot, the club optioned TJ House to Triple-A Columbus.

"I was feeling it a little bit before the All-Star break and I was hoping once I got through the All-Star break it would be fine," Manship said. "But I still felt it."

Manship felt discomfort in the area when he tossed a bullpen session on the last day of the All-Star break, so he mentioned it to the Indians' staff. In his last eight outings prior to landing on the DL, Manship surrendered eight runs (five earned) on 10 hits over 3 1/3 frames.

"Every time I'd go out and play catch and warm up for the game, it would hurt," Manship said. "I just feel, stuff-wise, it wasn't the same. I wasn't finishing pitches. Command was way off. I feel like I was leaving everything up. I feel a lot better now."

Testing, testing: Danny Salazar tossed all fastballs in a bullpen session on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. He will likely throw all of his pitches in another session on Friday at Progressive Field. If all goes well, he could throw a third side session on Sunday. The Indians placed Salazar on the DL at the start of the month because of right elbow discomfort.

Salazar feels 'great, amazing'

More testing: Right-hander Tommy Hunter, on the shelf with a lower back fracture, is slated to make a rehab appearance with Columbus on Friday.

Nice gesture: Trevor Bauer treated a pair of fans to Thursday's series opener against the Angels.

Two kids just waited in the rain for my autograph and asked very politely. They're coming to the game tonight on my dime because of it. [?] [?] [?] [?]

-- Trevor Bauer (@BauerOutage) August 11, 2016

Quotable: Francona, on his health scare earlier this week: "I fall back on, when you wake up feeling [crappy] every day, it's not that bad when you get a little [crappier]."

Francona quipped that he was "the picture of health. I think I set the record for most smart-aleck text messages [received] in the history of the game."

A look at the seven best days on the 2016-17 NBA schedule.

Biles won the all-around gymnastics gold medal on Thursday, the second of an unprecedented five gold medals she could win here. Watch video

RIO DE JANEIRO -- The best part about being at the Olympics is not having to watch NBC's interpretation of the Olympics. This might surprise some of you stuck on the couch each night, but here goes: This is not just a glorified swim meet.

Look, I get it. NBC needs ratings. Americans like watching other Americans win gold medals. So the network has, once again, built its coverage around the events at the pool, and more specifically, around Michael Phelps. The rest is just tape-delayed filler and Ryan Seacrest interviews. 

Phelps might be the greatest Olympian since Leonidas, but the most incredible American athlete here in Rio is a 4-foot-8 gymnast with a crush on Zac Efron and a general aversion to the laws of gravity.

Simone Biles, in the coming days, has a chance to do something that no woman in the history of her sport has matched. And, as far as accomplishments in a single Olympics go, it would put her on par with Phelps' greatest moment and certainly exceed what he's doing in his final go around.

Biles won the all-around title on Thursday night in Rio, and no, she didn't stare down the competition from underneath a hooded warmup jacket before she did. She didn't have to. The other gymnasts knew they competing for the silver medal long before they even stepped onto the arena floor. 

"Nobody can beat her at this moment," Dutch competitor Lieke Wevers said. "She's just a step ahead." 

True to form, Biles was dominant. She trailed Russian rival Aliya Mustafina halfway through the competition -- "That made this competition so spicy!" former U.S. coach Bela Karolyi said -- but that was only because Biles is a mere mortal on the uneven bars, her worst apparatus.

The outcome was a forgone conclusion before her final event, the floor routine. The scoreboard told the crowd that she needed a 13.8 to win gold, which given her standards, means she could have mixed in a cat nap halfway through. She blew that score away with an flawless 15.933.

That was 2.1 points better than silver medalist Aly Raisman. The biggest margin in an Olympic all-around final before this? Just 0.6. This was a blowout that the original Dream Team could appreciate, and given the way her rivals gushed about her, the victory margin isn't the only similarity.  

"She's just incredible," Canadian Elsabeth Black said. "Her body is built for this sport. She's so explosive. She's super excited in all her routines and super confident, and I think it shows in her performance."

Another rival talked about how she'd try to sneak a glance at her routines when she wasn't competing herself. Another expressed gratitude for her impact on the sport overall. They know that Biles, just 19, is the unquestioned queen of this generation, and maybe of any generation.

Bela Karoyli made the point that it's impossible to compare the gymnasts now to their counterparts 10 or 20 years ago because of how the sport continues to evolve, and he's right.

"Gymnastics is continually changing and a more and more complex and a more and more difficult sport," Karoyli said.

Still: Gymnasts can only medal in six events, and no one has won more than three gold medals in a single Games since 1968. Biles has a chance to win five of them before she leaves Rio.

"That's crazy to think about," she said when asked about that possibility, but it really isn't crazy at all. In qualifying, team and all-around competition she's been tops in the vault, the balance beam and the floor exercise all three times. 

If she does win five gold medals, that would be on par with Phelps winning a record eight of them in 2008. That would belong on the short list of the single greatest Olympic performances in American history.

What Phelps is doing now is great, but it can't compare to the history Biles is making. Something unprecedented is happening in gymnastics, and even if it doesn't get that treatment on NBC, it does from her fellow competitors.

"She's amazing," said Elissa Downie. "When you look at the scoreboard at the end and Simone Biles is up there and you realize you competed against her, yeah, it's so nice to know that you are just in that mix."

Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find NJ.com on Facebook. 

The 2016-17 NBA schedule has been released, with the Cleveland Cavaliers having 25 national television games and a handful of circle-your-calendar matchups.

Knicks, Warriors, Bulls. Which Cavs' home game do you want to see this upcoming season?

CLEVELAND, Ohio - It's time to start making plans to see the World Champion Cleveland Cavaliers, but what home game should you go see?

On Thursday, the NBA released the full 2016-2017 schedule for all 30 teams including the Cavaliers opening against the new look New York Knicks.

The Cavs finished the 2015-16 season defeating the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals and should make for an interesting matchup. But is there another home game that is interesting to see?

Maybe against a top draft pick or a former Cavalier.

You decide. Vote in the poll and share your remarks in the comments section.

See related: See which NBA players will face their old teams

The Cavs are about to have the NBA's highest payroll again with LeBron James' apparent deal for three years and $100 million. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - LeBron James has for years been heralded as the NBA's best player, and now he'll be paid like him.

James and the Cavs agreed to a three-year, $100 million deal on Thursday, ending a free agency for James that was void of any drama as to where he might land.

He was always going to return to Cleveland to defend the 2016 championship - the franchise's first and the first for a major pro sports team in 52 years. The primary question was, for how long would James sign, and, secondarily, what would be the impact on his bottom line?

For the first time since leaving the Miami Heat in July, 2014, James has signed for multiple years. The first two years of the deal he reached with the Cavs are a lock, and a source told Cleveland.com he's seeking a player's option in Year 3.

James' contract was not drawn up as of Thursday evening, a second source said, and the Cavs superstar and 13-year vet is expected to formally sign next week when he returns to Ohio after a summer spent vacationing in Europe and living in Los Angeles.

The last two contracts James signed with the Cavs were for one year with a player's option. Both times, he declined the option so he could maximize his earning potential in every year.

So, in reality, this is a two-year, $64 million deal with a roughly $36 million player's option. Had he only signed for one year, his salary would've been $27.5 million. Instead, he'll make about $31 million - the highest salary for any player in the NBA.

The following season, James will make just north of $33 million, which would be the highest salary in a single season in NBA history, eclipsing Michael Jordan's $33 million salary in 1997 with the Chicago Bulls.

James' plan all along was to take short-term deals with the Cavs until next summer (not this one), when the salary cap was expected to explode to north of $100 million. The cap is expected to do just that, however, it's already fallen from a projected $107 million at one time down to $102 million - which means there will be a little less money on the table for James.

Furthermore, because of a quirky rule in the current collective bargaining agreement between the NBA's players' union and owners, James would not have been able to sign a five-year deal next summer for $200 million, essentially because he would be 36 in the final year of the contract - which is illegal.

Between the drop in next summer's salary cap and a limit to four years for any contract James would sign in 2017 (for up to $157 million over the life of a four-year deal), there was no real benefit of signing for just one year in 2016.

LeBron's barrier to $200 million

There is wide assumption in the NBA that the current CBA agreement will be replaced, possibly with new rules (or relaxing of the rules on the books now) that would enable James and players like him to earn even higher salaries.

""I just want to let y'all know I'm re-signing back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, my hometown team," James said on Uninterrupted, his Internet and social-media video platform for athletes. "I can't be more excited than this opportunity once again, man, to defend our crown, defend our title. We all know last year as a magical, inspiring-- all the words you can come up with-- it was an unbelievable season. I just can't wait to get the group back together-- the team, the franchise, more importantly, get everybody together, the fans.

"Without you guys, without your passion and commitment, we wouldn't have been able to do what we did this past season. I'm ecstatic. I can't wait to see my guys. I can't wait to get back out there in the wine and gold and just get the band back together.

"Lastly, let's get J.R. done. It's that time."

Let's dissect the "group" for a moment.

The Cavs' players - his teammates - are mostly locked into long-term contracts. Kyrie Irving is entering Year 2 of a five-year, $94 million extension; Kevin Love is heading into the second year of a five-year, $113 million deal; Tristan Thompson has four years left on his $82 million contract; and Iman Shumpert has three years remaining on his $40 million deal.

Unless the Cavs trade, say, Shumpert or Love, the nucleus that won the 2016 Finals and nearly won it in 2015 is guaranteed to be together for at least two more seasons - maybe longer.

By signing James (again, there was no suspense on this), Cleveland's payroll jumps to $115.5 million. Not only is that $21.4 million over the NBA's $94.1 million salary cap, but it's about $2 million above the league's threshold for penalty taxes.

The Cavs' payroll would rank second to the Detroit Pistons' $116 million payroll (according to figures provided by HoopsHype.com), but Cleveland still has another player to sign.

The "J.R." James referred to in his statement is of course free agent sharpshooter J.R. Smith, who like James is represented by agent Rich Paul. Smith is believed to be seeking $15 million a year.

No matter the salary upon which Smith and the Cavs ultimately agree, Cleveland will undoubtedly again have the highest payroll in the NBA. Owner Dan Gilbert is indeed willing to spend.

The "fans" James mentioned, well, they can take a summer off (actually, the rumors typically start around Christmas) from whispers that James may be plotting a second exit from Cleveland.

He's going to be locked in for at least two years, not one.