Hue Jackson talks each Monday with local media about the previous day's game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Here's everything Hue Jackson said Monday during his press conference recapping Sunday's 23-10 loss to the Bengals:

Opening statement: "Obviously, yesterday was another tough, tough loss for our football team. We just could not do enough offensively to put the ball in the end zone and score enough points to win. The object is to have one more point than the other team, and we were not able to accomplish that. I liked the fight of our football team in the second half. The guys came out and we played some spirited football in the second half, but it just sometimes is a little too late. We were not able to rally and get the things done. It is unfortunate after 13 games to be sitting here saying we still have not played a full football game, but that is part of it. That is our reality. That is where we are and we have to own that as a team. We talked about it today. No one can change our situation but us. At some point in time, those kind of games we want to play at home where it matters in the elements and hopefully be fighting for a division title, but we are a long way from that. All these things are learning experiences for our football team as we move forward because obviously, we have to win a game first before we can do anything, but I try to take these opportunities to talk about where we want to go. You have to do that from time to time to make guys really, truly understand where we are trying to get. We are a ways away from that. I think we all can see that and understand that. At the same time, I am not going to quit showing them what we want to be and where we expect to be at some point. We know there is a lot of work in between that. The guys walked in today, and they were outstanding as usual, but to say they are not disappointed or mad - they are, and they should be, and I think every coach should be because nobody should feel good about being in the situation we are in. We have made it this way. Nobody else has made it this way. This is our doing so we have to do everything we can to get ourselves out of it. We have three more opportunities. We go to Buffalo this week, another tough opponent in their stadium so we have to get better.

"Obviously, the one good part about yesterday was no injuries, nothing significant to really talk about from that standpoint where somebody is going to be out so that is a good thing. We will hit the ground at practice with everybody being able to be out there and go, but we have some work to do like we have all year. We just have to keep getting better and play consistent football."

On if he is aware of the exchange between Adam Jones and Terrelle Pryor: "I was not until today. I know of it now."

On if Pryor is doing something on the field to incite opposing players into making comments: "I just think it is unfortunate those things are happening. I do not think they have any place in the National Football League, especially on our team so we are going to try to get all those things to quiet down. We just want to play football, be the best football players we can be and let's get away from all of that. Sometimes, I think some of our players think it is their prerogative - and not just our players, other [team's] players - start to make comments, but I think we need to settle whatever differences we have on the football field and leave it at that and be pros about what we do and compete against each other and move forward."

On if he is disappointed with Jones, especially given their relationship: "I did not see it all. I heard about it. I know Adam extremely well, and I do not think that... He is very competitive. Terrelle is very competitive. It probably went too far, and I think we just have to move on from it. People will pile on right now, and that is just part of it. We will weather that storm, too, and get better from it and grow from it and be better."

On if he regrets not running the ball more against the Bengals: "No, I don't. There are some other situations that I wish I would have ran the ball more, but I do not regret not running it more. I know the numbers say run it more, but we caught them in the right situations to get the ball run. There were other times we tried to run it, we made a play and we got a holding. There was another time we tried to run a play and we should have pulled the ball, and it would have made another big play. The timing of some of the things we did was right. I think it is easy to look at the numbers and say run it more, but run it out of different formations and some of those things were their strengths against some of our weaknesses. We kind of tried to use some of their weaknesses against them, and that is why I think they we were able to do a little bit better job in the running game."

On the on-field exchange between Pryor and Robert Griffin III: "We stop it. We just stop it. I have a relationship with Terrelle, and there is a line that - you just brought them all up - we are going to stop all of that. We do not need all of that. I want to say this about Terrelle, I don't think he is trying to be negative when he is doing it. The conversation on the field yesterday I think was that. They were disagreeing about the clock running down. Those things happen from time to time. It is not the first time those things have happened, all the other things you mentioned. This is not the type of football team we want to be. I think Terrelle is trying to come from a good place, but he has to direct that energy in a different way, and I think he will. There are lessons to be learned. Some people file it under wanting to win so bad, but winning so bad can't supersede the team and how we are going to do things. That is what we will do."

On if it will have any impact on the Browns considering signing Pryor to a contract extension: "I know Terrelle. These are things that can be worked through and understood, but I will always take in consideration of everything, and I am sure our organization will, too, as we make these decisions as we move forward. There is a type of team we want to be and we are going to be. We will get these things, these antics or however you guys want to look at them slowed down because we want to do this thing right. I don't want anybody to think that he is the root of a problem or something like that. I just think we have to redirect and channel some of his energy."

On what stood out about Griffin's performance: "There are places the ball could have went sooner. That was like another first game for Robert. I am sure it kind of felt like Philadelphia a little bit all over again. That is what I said to him today. Now, he has his feet wet. Now, you have been out there and you have gotten hit a couple of times. There were live bullets yesterday. Hopefully, normally, there is an improvement from Week 1 to Week 2 so looking forward to that and seeing if we can make that jump. He can play better, and I think he knows that, and I think we can play better as an offensive unit."

On preferring to evaluate Griffin rather than Cody Kessler in games: "Right, I think that is a fair assessment. I saw Robert for now what has been two games. I have seen Cody for over seven games, and I think to make a fair evaluation, you need to let a guy play. Just as we let Cody play, I think I need to let Robert play a little bit and find out a little more. I don't see it so much as Robert being over Cody as opposed to here is a chance to evaluate a guy in a real football game under adverse conditions and see what he can do."

On Jamar Taylor and his recent contract extension with the Browns: "It was really important. He is a young man that we were able to add to our football team during draft time last year. He has come in and he has made some plays for us. He is a young player. He knows how to play. We are excited about his future here. He is another one of those young pieces that we know that will be here and will be kind of the corps of our future. It says a lot, and hopefully, there is more of that to come."

On Corey Coleman and his targets compared to receptions: "It is just consistency with him and the quarterback being on the same page and practicing enough and being in those situations enough. You can't always simulate game conditions like they were yesterday. That is why I said last week and to keep taking all of you back, I said if things do not go as well, that is OK, too because I know there was a potential of that. I have been doing this long enough to know it was not going to be perfect. Those things happen. We all have to play better. For us, for this football team, it starts with the quarterback. He has to get in rhythm, and I have to help him get in rhythm, and then the rest of the offensive players have to help that, too. They have to be where they are supposed to be when they are supposed to be there so that he can throw the ball with assurance and pinpoint accuracy, and then we have to make the plays when they are there to be made."

On the Browns failed flea-flicker play: "Yeah, honestly, bad call by me. Yeah, bad call, and we will grow as we continue to go because those are things that you try to throw away in those situations. Honestly, he probably was [trying to throw it away] and did not throw it far enough, but you throw this thing out of bounds and give yourself a chance to live for the next play. He will grow from those, too, but I put him in that spot. He did not put himself in that spot."

On if the flea-flicker was a play that would have looked like a great call if it worked: "Absolutely (laughter). I am jumping on top of the stands and high-fiving the fans, and when it does not work, it is just what happens. It goes the other way on you. I have been a part of those, too."

On trying to stop Bengals TE Tyler Eifert: "Disappointing. I think the guys will tell you that there were some good calls in some of those situations. We just did not execute as well as we could. They get paid, too. Those are good players and they made some plays. I give kudos to our defense. They slowed them down in the second half as well as they could to give us a chance. We just couldn't get enough points on offense to make it a real game."

On Jonathan Cooper in his first start for the Browns: "I saw a guy playing his first game. I think there were some good things and there were some things to improve on, just like any player that walks out there the first time. You have him next to Cam (Erving), and Cam is trying to give him information and he is trying to get information back. You have Spencer Drango next to him on the other side so that is tough. Part of our issue has been continuity, having the same guys out there all the time, but I thought he went out there and battled, played as hard as he could, did some good things and there are some things to work on as we move through the week."

On his message to Jordan Payton after his suspension from the NFL: "What is my message to Jordan Payton? Don't make stupid mistakes. You can't do that. That is disappointing. I don't know exactly what it is, but to lose any player on our team for anything that is other than injury or something like that is not right. He will grow from this. These are all teaching moments for our team. Trust me, these are things that I try to bring up to our whole team because we can't afford to lose anybody for anything. We need every member of this team here and participating to be the best we can be."

Some critics worry the low-scoring game against the New York Giants exposed the Dallas Cowboys and has renewed calls to start former franchise quarterback Tony Romo. But others say rookie quarterback Dak Prescott has played at an elite level for most of the season and is a frontrunner for NFL MVP.

Dak Prescott lost his first game in 13 weeks, sinking Dallas' chance to clinch the NFC East division title. Some critics worry the low-scoring game against the New York Giants exposed the Dallas Cowboys and has renewed calls to start former franchise quarterback Tony Romo. But others say rookie quarterback Dak Prescott has played at an elite level for most of the season and is a frontrunner for NFL MVP. Is it time for Dak to ride some pine so Tony Romo can return? Vote below! [?]

PERSPECTIVES

Sure, Tylters might think the Cowboys are still early Super Bowl favorites--but the shine is coming off Dak Prescott's star. Talking heads were already trying to craft the argument that Romo should start over Dak in the postseason, and this loss will only escalate such talk:

Making a quarterback change is always a difficult decision. With 11 straight wins and 20 touchdown passes, Prescott has earned the right to struggle. But in Garrett's process-oriented world where the result is almost secondary, the Cowboys have to at least look at the possibility of a switch, as strange as that might sound with an 11-2 record.

Dak Prescott has led the Cowboys to one of the best starts in team history and people are calling for his head after one loss? This is why social media is just the worst. Benching the future of the franchise because of one game seems like a total overreaction:

That shouldn't be a consideration at this point. The Cowboys, after all, just had an 11-game winning streak ended. They remain the clear front-runner to be the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a two-game lead over the Detroit Lions. Prescott has been superb and has earned the right to have a bad game or two.

This is "America's Team" we're talking about. Failure is not an option. When you have an opportunity to clinch your division and earn a huge bye week in the playoffs, you have to seize it. That's what separates franchise quarterbacks from "game managers."

Take it easy on Dak. He's just a kid. A reactionary roster move is how you wreck a franchise star.

I wish everyone would realize that Dak Prescott is only like 22 years old. If you think that all this Tony Romo talk from Jerry and a small but growing section of Cowboys fans isn't beginning to wear on him then you are too old to remember how fragile young men can be. How uncertain they can be.

Welcome to Dak Is Terrible And Only Tony Romo Can Save The Cowboys Week, should be fun.

-- Chris Burke (@ChrisBurke_SI) December 12, 2016

After a 10-7 loss to the Giants, it appears both fans and sportswriters' honeymoon with Dak Prescott is over.

Romo wins that game

-- Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) December 12, 2016

PUT. TONY. FREAKIN. ROMO. IN.

-- Bradley -\_(tu)_/- (@BradInsider) December 12, 2016

Dallas needs to go to Romo - Dallas is the worst 11-2 team in the history of the NFL

-- Michael McGarry (@ACPressMcGarry) December 12, 2016

PUT ROMO IN THE GAME DAK IS EXPOSED

-- (Playoff Bound) (@PORKCHOP_PIRATE) December 12, 2016

Some cooler heads are still throwing their support behind Dak.

Don't tell me nothing about Dak Prescott seeing no bench unless it's a big blowout [?] [?][?] [?][?] [?][?] [?]

-- Pastor Carl Day [?][?] (@PastorCarlDay) November 14, 2016

If youre a cowboys fan & honestly think Dallas should bench Dak, let me know so I can unfollow you

I don't need that in my life

-- Jim Nies (@BigJimSports) December 12, 2016

The Tylt is focused on debates and conversations around news, current events and pop culture. We provide our community with the opportunity to share their opinions and vote on topics that matter most to them. We actively engage the community and present meaningful data on the debates and conversations as they progress. The Tylt is a place where your opinion counts, literally. The Tylt is an Advance Digital, Inc. property. Join us on Twitter @TheTylt or on Facebook, we'd love to hear what you have to say.

Taylor signed a three-year contract extension with the Browns on Saturday.

BEREA, Ohio -- Don't count Jamar Taylor as someone who was surprised that he was able to cash in before hitting free agency. The cornerback acquired in the offseason signed a contract extension on Saturday with the Browns worth $15 million.

"Uh, yeah. I know I'm a good football player," Taylor said on Monday when he was asked if he could have imagined this payday when the Browns traded for him. "When you kind of look at stuff in Miami, people said I wasn't going to make the roster and things like that. That only added fuel to the fire. I've never been a bad teammate, I've always been a hard worker, somebody that really loved football. I think if you mix those all into a pot, it makes one helluva football player."

The Browns acquired Taylor from Miami on the final day of the draft in a deal that involved a swap of seventh-round picks. The Dolphins used the Browns' pick to select Brandon Doughty, a quarterback currently on their practice squad. The Browns picked linebacker Scooby Wright with the pick they landed.

"I'm blessed. I'm happy to be here," Taylor said. "I'm thankful for Coach Hue (Jackson) and Mr. (Jimmy) Haslam and (Vice President of Football Operations) Sashi (Brown) and them wanted me here for a couple more years. I'm blessed to be where I'm at compared to where I was a couple years ago. I'm looking for my career just to continue to go up."

Taylor, a second-round pick out of Boise State, is 26 years old and won't turn 27 until next September. He was able to win the starting cornerback job on the outside opposite of Joe Haden in training camp and has started 11 of 12 games this season. He has flipped between outside corner and nickel as rookie Briean Boddy-Calhoun has played his way into the cornerback rotation.

Taylor said that, ultimately, he wanted to be with people who wanted him, and he credited his coaching staff and teammates with making the Browns a team worth the commitment.

"I just flow with those guys really well and I like the defensive scheme," he said. "I like our team, I like the guys in the building, my teammates and I am all about loyalty. These guys are loyal to me so I am going to be loyal back."

"He is a young player. He knows how to play," Jackson said on Monday. "We are excited about his future here. He is another one of those young pieces that we know that will be here and will be kind of the corps of our future."

All that said, though, Taylor did just sign an extension with a winless football team that, as of Tuesday, will be a full year removed from its last win. None of that diminishes how Taylor sees the future.

"I feel like we have the right people here," he said. "I feel like we have the right coaches in here. Coach Hue has done it before with other teams so I feel like if we give this man a chance and we play as hard as we can for him, I feel like him and Coach Horton and all those guys are going to get this thing turned around."

The meaning of Taylor's re-signing now and forgoing free agency certainly isn't lost on Jackson.

"It says a lot," Jackson said, "and hopefully, there is more of that to come."

-----

Browns first-round pick Corey Coleman feels like he let down a lot of people despite the fact he missed six games with a broken hand. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio - Browns receiver Corey Coleman is down about his splintered season despite the fact he missed six games with a broken hand.

"It's hard when you're playing with different quarterbacks and stuff like that, getting in the groove,'' he said. "We're going to be better. I'm going to be better. I feel like I let a lot of people down, so I know what I have to do -- finish these last three games really strong and the offseason, now I know what to expect from the NFL. I'll be a lot better coming back.''

This year's No. 15 overall pick out of Baylor was targeted 11 times during Sunday's 23-10 loss the Bengals, but caught only three passes for 26 yards. In his seven games this season, he's been targeted 55 times, and has caught only 23 passes for 334 yards and three TDs. His receptions rank sixth on the team and his yardage is fourth.

At first, he got defensive when questioned by a reporter Monday about catching only 42 percent of his targets.

"Have you seen the targets that I got?'' he asked. "I think that should say a lot for itself, if you have honestly watched the game, seen the targets.''

Is he suggesting the balls are uncatchable?

"I didn't say that,'' he said. "But if you watch the Browns play and if you watch me play, you've seen the targets, then have your input.  Everyone has their opinion and my opinion's probably different from everybody else's opinion.''

But as his 10-minute interview wore on, he went from defensive to humble.

"I had big goals before the year and stuff, and I didn't reach them and I know family and friends back home, they're really excited to see me play and stuff and I just feel like I let a lot of people down just being me,'' he said.

Even though he broke the hand?

"That's just an excuse,'' he said.

Pryor says 'emotions are high' during skid, but Jackson wants him to tone it down

Coleman said he's relied on family members such as his mom to help him cope with not having a chance to shine.

"It's really hard, because I come from a winning college program and stuff and high school, even up to Little League, junior high, I came from winning programs,'' he said. "This humbles me a lot, and I know it's going to turn around here because we put in too much time and too much hard work and we come together as a team each and every week, and we've still got the same goal and the same mindset to try and get our first win. The tables are going to turn.''

Coleman (5-11, 185) acknowledged it's been hard not to produce more big games like in Week 2 against the Ravens, when he caught five passes for 104 yards and two TDs. Since he returned from the broken hand five games ago, he hasn't had more than 41 yards or four catches. He also has only one TD in those five games.

He admitted that he and Griffin "have to get our chemistry together.'' Twice, Griffin threw for him deep, and both fell incomplete. On the second one, however, Adam Jones made downfield contact and no flag was thrown. It was Griffin's first week back after 11 weeks off with a fractured left shoulder, and he was rusty. At times, he missed Coleman and other open receivers.

"RG's human just like everybody else,'' said Coleman. "When I first came back, I was rusty. The stuff that I didn't know, that I didn't see when I was on the field -- this was his first game and he did a great job. He stayed poised. He was always in the game. He never doubted, even when we were down, in the locker room he was cheering everybody up, and that's what's really most important and impressive about RG3.  It's the guy's first game back. There's going to be little stuff that he knows he has to fix and he's going to be just fine.''

Griffin will start Sunday against the Bills, and the two Baylor alums will have another chance to try to connect.

Without using his name, Jay-Z blasted Phil Jackson for using "posse" to define LeBron James and his friends. Watch video

NEW YORK -- Jay-Z went in on Phil Jackson Monday at Sports Illustrated's annual gala for using "posse" to describe LeBron James and his business associates.

Though Jay-Z, Who introduced James as the Sportsperson of the Year here, didn't use Jackson's name, his intent was clear.

Jay-Z mentioned James and his "posse," and when the crowd gasped at his joke, he said: " We do understand where we come from.

"The only difference between us and someone who has their MBA from Wharton or Sloan or Berkley or Stanford is opportunity," he said. "LeBron James has provides his friends with that opportunity and as we've witness their development. And if you look up at the scoreboard, very few businessmen are better than Maverick Carter, Rich Paul, Randy Mims and all the rest of the posse behind the scenes that make it look like they're just sticking out."

Carter is James' business manager and operate of SpringHill Entertainment, James' media company. Paul is James' agent but also represents numerous other clients and opened his own agency. Mims is James' aide who has a front-office role with the Cavs.

In an interview last month with ESPN, Jackson, who is president of the Knicks, used "posse" to describe James and his associates. They took great offense, and last week James said he would not talk to Jackson if he approached him while the Cavs were in New York.

See who won and lost around the OHSAA on Monday in girls basketball.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here are Monday's girls basketball scores from around the state, courtesy of The Associated Press:

Akr. North 42, Peninsula Woodridge 36

Akr. SVSM 65, Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 52

Albany Alexander 65, McArthur Vinton County 37

Alliance Marlington 62, Canal Fulton Northwest 40

Andover Pymatuning Valley 45, Youngs. Liberty 34

Andrews Osborne Academy 57, Lawrence School 13

Ansonia 61, Northeastern, Ind. 43

Apple Creek Waynedale 57, Wooster Triway 48

Batavia Amelia 51, Felicity-Franklin 40

Bellbrook 62, Clayton Northmont 29

Belpre 43, Glouster Trimble 29

Berlin Center Western Reserve 60, E. Palestine 32

Bethel-Tate 49, Fayetteville-Perry 39

Beverly Ft. Frye 50, Sarahsville Shenandoah 33

Bidwell River Valley 42, Athens 35

Botkins 54, Ridgeway Ridgemont 45

Canfield 54, Cortland Lakeview 53

Cedarville 66, Fairfield 36

Centerville 67, Day. Chaminade Julienne 45

Chillicothe 54, Thomas Worthington 47

Cols. Briggs 39, Galloway Westland 32

Cols. Upper Arlington 60, Worthington Kilbourne 36

Columbiana 41, Canfield S. Range 31

Columbiana Crestview 53, McDonald 25

Corning Miller 60, Wahama, W.Va. 10

Danville 59, Fredericktown 42

Delaware Hayes 59, Cols. Franklin Hts. 29

Eaton 67, Lewisburg Tri-County N. 47

Elyria 67, Garfield Hts. 22

Fairfield Christian 75, New Hope Christian 47

Garfield Hts. Trinity 50, Cle. Whitney Young 23

Gates Mills Hawken 40, Chesterland W. Geauga 23

Goshen 52, Jamestown Greeneview 40

Grove City Christian 39, Delaware Christian 27

Hanoverton United 58, Sebring McKinley 17

Haviland Wayne Trace 49, Liberty Center 43

Hicksville 62, W. Unity Hilltop 32

Ironton 61, Gallipolis Gallia 32

Kings Mills Kings 60, Mt. Orab Western Brown 36

Kirtland 42, Painesville Riverside 39

Latham Western 64, Beaver Eastern 29

Lisbon David Anderson 66, Lowellville 50

London 67, Sunbury Big Walnut 50

Lorain 61, Sandusky 52

Louisville Aquinas 51, Youngs. Ursuline 50

Lynchburg-Clay 83, Peebles 43

Lyndhurst Brush 47, Cornerstone Christian 44

Magnolia Sandy Valley 69, Coshocton 30

Martins Ferry 48, Belmont Union Local 40

Medina 47, Brecksville-Broadview Hts. 41

Middletown 54, Cin. Winton Woods 49

Minford 50, Oak Hill 47

Mowrystown Whiteoak 46, Manchester 40

N. Jackson Jackson-Milton 42, Leetonia 34

Nelsonville-York 41, Pomeroy Meigs 30

New Boston Glenwood 55, Portsmouth Clay 48

New Lebanon Dixie 39, W. Alexandria Twin Valley S. 28

New Madison Tri-Village 84, Houston 22

New Middletown Spring. 46, Salineville Southern 39

Oak Glen, W.Va. 62, Wellsville 46

Oxford Talawanda 49, Cin. Indian Hill 45

Parma Normandy 70, Cle. Lincoln W. 29

Patriot Preparatory Academy 50, Canal Winchester Harvest Prep 39

Poland Seminary 70, Girard 35

Portsmouth Notre Dame 60, Willow Wood Symmes Valley 42

Proctorville Fairland 75, Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant 35

Reading 42, New Richmond 38

Reedsville Eastern 55, Crown City S. Gallia 12

Richmond Edison 46, Weir, W.Va. 29

Riverside Stebbins 71, Miamisburg 45

Rocky River Lutheran W. 43, Medina Buckeye 38

S. Point 75, Portsmouth 27

Sheffield Brookside 50, Warrensville Hts. 38

Struthers 64, Hubbard 27

Tipp City Tippecanoe 43, Ft. Loramie 40

Tol. St. Ursula 55, Lima Sr. 38

Trenton Edgewood 48, Franklin 39

Tuscarawas Cent. Cath. 62, Bowerston Conotton Valley 27

Utica 58, Cardington-Lincoln 50

Vermilion 76, Lorain Clearview 49

Vienna Mathews 60, Warren JFK 56

Vincent Warren 54, Marietta 47

W. Lafayette Ridgewood 36, Dresden Tri-Valley 26

Waverly 65, Lucasville Valley 37

Waynesville 67, Blanchester 27

Wellston 60, Frankfort Adena 57, OT

Wilmington 56, Cin. Christian 23

Windham 37, Middlefield Cardinal 33

Woodsfield Monroe Cent. 46, Barnesville 45

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- OneUp Sports called to remind me about something as comical as it is ignominious: Today, Dec. 13, 2016, marks the one-year anniversary of the Cleveland Browns' most recent victory. On Dec. 13 of last season, the Browns and quarterback Johnny Manziel disposed of the San Francisco 49ers, 24-10, at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns improved to 3-10;...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- OneUp Sports called to remind me about something as comical as it is ignominious:

Today, Dec. 13, 2016, marks the one-year anniversary of the Cleveland Browns' most recent victory. On Dec. 13 of last season, the Browns and quarterback Johnny Manziel disposed of the San Francisco 49ers, 24-10, at FirstEnergy Stadium.

The Browns improved to 3-10; the 49ers slipped to 4-9.

The teams have combined for two victories and 30 defeats since. The 49ers closed the 2015 season by beating the St. Louis Rams and opened the 2016 season by beating the Los Angeles Rams.

Think about how difficult it is for two NFL teams to go a combined 2-30 over a stretch of 365+ days.

Cleveland sports fans wonder about the Swagger's well being, the Browns' schoolyard offense and what constitutes a posse?

Browns' owner Jimmy Haslam is scheduled to answer questions today in a videotaped deposition about the large-scale fraud that engulfed Pilot Flying J.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Amid the worst start in Cleveland Browns' franchise history, team owner Jimmy Haslam today must focus on the troubles of his family business, Pilot Flying J.

Haslam is scheduled to answer questions in a videotaped deposition about the large-scale fraud that engulfed the nation's leading operator of fueling centers. He has been subpoenaed to appear at 9:30 a.m. today in a business conference room in Alcoa, Tennessee, which is south of Knoxville.

It will mark the first time Haslam has been forced to discuss the issue since federal agents raided the company's headquarters in April 2013 and seized tens of thousands of documents. Ten employees have pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges, and eight others are expected to go to trial in October.

Haslam, Pilot Flying J's chief executive officer, has denied any knowledge of the fraud and has not been charged. In August, an attorney for FST Express Inc. of Columbus and HB Logistics of Birmingham, Alabama, sought to have Haslam deposed and appeared willing to make concessions for him.

"To increase the chances of catching Haslam in a good mood when he testifies, however, (the companies) will try to avoid taking the deposition during the week after the Steelers' game,'' one of the companies' attorneys, Charles Cooper, wrote in documents.

Pittsburgh beat the Browns lost 24-9 on Nov. 20 and they play again Jan. 1. The Browns' record is 0-13. Cooper had Haslam served with a subpoena for today.

"Maybe testifying will provide a nice distraction for him,'' Cooper said in an interview.

One of Haslam's attorneys, Steve Brody, said the deposition "is nothing more than harassment.''

"As we advised the plaintiffs more than six months ago, Mr. Haslam is nevertheless eager to put this gamesmanship behind him and therefore voluntarily agreed to sit for deposition by the remaining civil plaintiffs,'' Brody said in a statement last month.

"It is important to remember that these plaintiffs opted out of a class-action settlement that would have paid them any money owed on their fuel transactions with the company, plus interest, in the apparent belief that litigation might get them a windfall.''

The two trucking companies joined several other businesses and opted out of a settlement of more than $84 million that Pilot Flying J agreed upon with companies across the country. Instead, they brought the case to Franklin County Common Pleas Court last year. Pilot Flying J was sued more than 30 times in state and federal courts across the country.

The lawsuits focused on the pricing and discounting of diesel fuel purchased at Pilot Flying J's more than 500 truck stops across the country from 2008 through 2013. Sales employees withheld millions of dollars in agreed-upon rebates to trucking companies to boost profitability and increase their commissions, according to court records and plea agreements filed in federal court.

Pilot Flying J also paid a $92 million penalty to the U.S. Justice Department to avoid charges against the corporation.

Haslam has vehemently denied having any link to the scheme. That goes against an FBI affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Knoxville in 2013. The document said "the rebate fraud has occurred with the knowledge of Pilot's current President Mark Hazelwood and Pilot's Chief Executive Officer James A. 'Jimmy' Haslam III, due to the fact that the rebate fraud-related activities have been discussed during sales meetings in Knoxville, Tennessee, in which Hazelwood and Haslam have been present.''

Hazelwood has been indicted and is scheduled to go to trial in October. Other than the FBI affidavit, Haslam's name has not come up in any other recent court filings.

Our new Buckeye Talk Podcast explores Luke Fickell's move to Cincinnati and how it affects Ohio State.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- This is what happens when your program is running the way Ohio State is right now. You lose good assistant coaches when they're ready to run their own program.

So the Buckeyes will lose linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell to Cincinnati whenever their playoff run is over. How much will Ohio State miss a man who's been a part of the program for 21 years? Who else on Ohio State's staff is primed to make a head coaching leap? Will Urban Meyer make the right hire to replace Fickell?

We talked about all of that in our latest edition of Buckeye Talk, our Ohio State podcast. Give it a listen below:

Please subscribe to and rate Buckeye Talk: Ohio State podcast by cleveland.com on iTunes. Leave comments there and here about how we can make this podcast better for Ohio State fans.

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LeBron James received Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year for 2016 Monday night and thanked, among others, Muhammad Ali. Watch video

NEW YORK -- What must it be like to be an athlete in Cleveland, from Akron, and have Jim Brown say: "I approve in all of the things he does."

That's what it's like to be LeBron James.

James, Brown, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell were formally honored Monday night by Sports Illustrated at the magazine's annual gala -- James accepting the Sportsperson of the Year for 2016 and the others the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award.

The awards dinner was held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

It was of little coincidence that on Monday HBO announced that James and a business partner were producing a documentary about Ali, the champion boxer and civil rights activist who died earlier this year.

From James' $2.5 million donation for the Ali exhibit at the Smithsonian, to his role in the unnamed documentary for HBO, to James being among the athletes who lent his voice to social activism in 2016, James continued to cherish being named Sportsperson of the Year at the same time three athlete-activist giants in Brown, Russell, and Abdul-Jabbar were honored in the name of Ali.

"This award is for the great Muhammad Ali," James said in remarks given off the cuff to accept the award. "For Bill Russell, for Jim Brown, for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, because at the end of the day I'm not standing up here if you four gentlemen ... don't sit at that table in the 1960s. It wasn't about you guys, those four dominant athletes at that time, didn't care what happened to them. They sacrificed everything that could have happened to them ... their calling and their reasoning for doing what they had to do, was for a night like tonight.

"That in 2016, in Brooklyn, New York, we all can sit up here as African-Americans, as white Americans, as Mexicans, as people from the Dominican Republic ... Puerto Rico, that we all can just sit in one room and say wow, this is an unbelievable night, not only in sports but in life."

James, 31, is just the second athlete (Tiger Woods) to win Sports Illustrated's award twice. He previously won in 2012. James was introduced by rapper, business friend, and mogul Jay-Z, who without naming names chided Knicks president Phil Jackson for the use of "posse" to define James and his business associates.

"Yeah, that's right, we know where we came from," Jay-Z said as the crowd groaned. "The only difference between us and someone with an MBA from Wharton, or Sloan, or Berkeley or Stanford is opportunity.

"LeBron James has provided his friends with that opportunity. Very few businessmen are better than Maverick Carter, Rich Paul, Randy Mims and the rest of his posse."

Russell did not attend the event, and Abdul-Jabbar was whisked away on the red carpet before he could speak to cleveland.com and the Akron Beacon Journal.

Brown, 80, walking with his Cleveland Browns cane down the carpet, said, 
"I think LeBron is a unique champion." It was Brown who was the last star to bring a championship to Cleveland (in 1964) before James led the Cavs to the NBA crown in June.

It was also Brown who hosted Ali and other prominent black athletes in Cleveland in 1967 to discuss with Ali his conscientious objection to fighting in Vietnam -- the meeting that James mentioned in his speech. 

Brown said, "I approve in all of the things that [James] does and I marvel at the ability to think about how to be a great team player.

"How to use your money and your fame in the correct way by helping others, by being a good family man," Brown said. "He represents what it's all about, in my opinion. I really applaud him for it and it's God-given because the selfishness that goes on today should've touched him, but he is certainly unselfish."

Brown still marvels at the memory of James saluting him during the Cavs' 2015 playoffs.

"You cannot buy that," Brown said. "You must feel great about it because this guy is a champion, I'm an old guy that's showing up at a game watching him play and he's recognizing me. But the Muhammad Ali award is so great to be able to say LeBron and Muhammad Ali. That's fantastic. Those are champions."

James said Brown was "just a guy that paved the way for me.

"He paved the way for all of us athletes to be able to have a voice outside our respected sport and for us to be able to play the respective sports that we want to," James said in a brief interview on the red carpet. "They all lived in a time when there was places they weren't allowed, there was places where they were criticized for what they did. For Jim Brown to be a staple in (not only) northeast Ohio and Cleveland, but for sport in general, it means a lot."

Comedian J.B. Smoove hosted the ceremony, taking the stage doing his best impression of James' famous, pregame chalk toss.

"I don't know how you do this every game," Smooth said as he choked on the powder. James, of course, hasn't done the chalk toss in nearly two full seasons.

Among the star athletes in attendance were Indians All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor, recipient of the Rising Star award, 28-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps (honored as the greatest Olympian of all time), former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and linebacker Ray Lewis, along with just-retired Red Sox star David Ortiz.

Lindor, who said on the red carpet that he had never met James but would like to, said on stage: "The people in cleveland, LeBron James, salute to you. The way you guys got behind us and the way the city got behind us was unreal. I never could've guessed how fun it would be to play in Cleveland."

The Indians lost Game 7 of the World Series to the Chicago Cubs in extra innings. James and the Cavs were publicly supportive of the Tribe attending multiple playoff games and addressing the Progressive Field crowds.

"As I stand up here as the recipient of the 2016 Sportsperson of the Year, this isn't about me," James said. This is much bigger than me and I just want to say thank you to everyone who showed up tonight."

The one-year anniversary of the Browns' last win is a time for reflection on whether this pathetic franchise has finally, once and for all, hit rock bottom.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The one-year anniversary of the Browns' last win brings hope, if only hope that this franchise has arrived, scraping, creaking and groaning at its rightful destination: rock bottom.

This is not a particularly uplifting thought, and probably not even a safe one with games remaining against the Bills, Chargers and Steelers. But it's all you got. It's the dealt hand. The made bed, as Joe Thomas termed the losing streak a few weeks back.

And if Sunday against Cincinnati was a peek inside Hue Jackson's bag of tricks, there are no aces to be pulled from anybody's sleeves.

We have seen things go sideways before in Buffalo where the Browns play Sunday, also on Christmas Eve at home (Steelers 41, Browns 0) and most often in Pittsburgh on the final day of the season (Chud, we hardly knew ye as a head coach).

But this time the front office and Hue Jackson supposedly have the owner's assurance that big change is not in the offing.

That owner was giving a deposition in a civil trial against his company on the Tuesday anniversary of his team's last victory, but that was only a coincidence and no reason to pile that indignity on top of all the others.

In the last week we learned Jimmy Haslam's Browns will lose a home game to London next year and plan to take a large chuck of training camp to Columbus by 2018. The training camp move is a chance to mine a market halfway between the Browns and Bengals. There is talk about it building fellowship and trust among players. If you want to believe that, fine.

Browns plan to move training camp to Columbus.

The pushback from fans seemed mild a year or so after the same talk angered so many. And I don't think it's because Dawg Pounders like the image of their favorite players sitting around the hotel lobby singing "We Are Family."

I think it's just another sign of rock bottom. Runaway disinterest.

This is a fan base that has always prided itself on not only knowing the identity of the backup long snapper but also being able to recognize his autograph scrawled on an old "Pontbriand" jersey.

Hopefully for your sake, Browns Fan, a year after the last win you believe the roster stripping was for good reason. Not just because it hadn't been done to that extent before.

Hopefully you believe Jackson is the answer, that he can make magic with the right quarterback, that a couple dozen draft picks over two years is a launching pad to perennial contention.

Given what we've seen of this coach and this draft class and these quarterbacks on game days, believing requires a great leap of faith. There's not much in the way of evidence. There is only the unfounded sense that it can't get any worse this time.

What a difference a year doesn't make.

A parade after an 0-16 Cleveland Browns season has been called defeatist and embarrassing. That's missing the big picture.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- During the Victorian Era people routinely propped up recently deceased loved ones so they could take a family photo with them before saying their final goodbyes. Many of these pictures are online if you're in the mood to feel mildly horrified for the rest of the day.

That mourning tradition might seem inappropriate to you but we all grieve in different ways. My family's funereal customs would probably seem odd to many as well. I've attended Irish wakes that feature a full bar, live music and a buffet of salted meats located roughly 30 feet from an open coffin containing my uncle's prone body. That's just how we do.

The manner in which some people choose to cope with tragedy and loss might be considered disrespectful by others. Such is the case with the proposed "Perfect Season" parade that a group of Cleveland Browns fans is planning in the very likely event that our football team goes winless this year.

The announcement of the parade was met by a vocal collection of earnest critics who consider the concept defeatist and embarrassing. I believe they are well intentioned, but missing the big picture.

One of the most frequent complaints I've heard about the event is that it "celebrates losing," which is factually incorrect.

This is no more a celebration of losing than The Boston Tea Party was a celebration of taxes. It's a communal act of defiance by a frustrated collection of fans who have been pushed to the brink.

This is not acquiescence to losing, it's a sardonic acknowledgment of it. Ask any parade attendee if they'd rather be celebrating a winning Browns season and the response would be a unanimous "yes.''

But the Browns aren't winning, and they haven't won for a very long time. People are fed up and want to blow off some steam. I see no harm in that.

That's why when the organizer of the parade invited me to be a part of it I told him I'd do whatever I could to help so long as it required no actual time or effort on my part. I remain steadfast in that vow.

Another concern by those who disapprove is the negative perception of our city and fans that may result. They fear it might make us look bad to the rest of the country. This is also incorrect.

What makes us look bad to the rest of the country is the fact that we are 3-26 over the past two seasons. There's no running from that. All this parade does is prove that we can at least have a sense of humor about it.

It's not breaking news that our team is terrible. Where is the shame in publicly acknowledging it? People are going to make fun of us regardless, so why not get out in front of it? Watch this:

"Hey Cleveland! The Browns suck!"

"Yeah. We know. We threw a parade for that."

"What? Oh."

Where do they go from there?

Trying to deny or downplay a problem typically makes things worse. If you're an overweight kid at a public pool the absolute worst thing you can do is decide to swim with your t-shirt on. It only confirms your insecurities to everyone and that's like a dinner bell to bullies.

Your ONLY move is to rip that shirt off and act like you don't care.

We Browns fans are that kid. And it's time to rip our shirt off and do a massive cannonball, soaking every sunbathing popular kid within a quarter-mile vicinity of the pool.

Besides, how the rest of the country perceives this parade is not the primary concern. First and foremost, this is intended to be a cathartic gathering for a very loyal, very beleaguered fan base that hasn't had the opportunity to have any fun together in a while.

I've attended every home game this year and the sense of hopelessness displayed by the players on the field has infected the stands. And if it takes an admittedly ridiculous demonstration like this to bring fans together and make them feel connected, then what's the harm in that?

And to be clear, no one is under the delusion that this will change anything. No player is going to try harder next year because of this tomfoolery, nor is ownership going to suddenly rethink its approach.

This simply is a chance for Browns fans to gather downtown just once this season knowing that they'll get to go home in a good mood. The team has proven it is unable to provide such a service, so we're taking it upon ourselves.

Of course this entire argument is moot if the Browns manage to win a game, and I'm all for that.  

If the comparably inept San Francisco 49ers can muster a second win, that would allow the Browns to secure the first pick in the NFL Draft without losing every game. I would greatly prefer not to go down in history with the 2008 Lions as one of two teams in NFL history with the dubious distinction of going 0-16.

But if the winless season does happen and I'm given the choice between either stewing about it alone or converging downtown for a mutinous party, I'll take the party all day.

We all grieve in different ways.

Wright was a seventh round pick by the Browns in the 2016 draft.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Arizona Cardinals signed linebacker Scooby Wright III off the Browns practice squad on Tuesday. Wright, a California native, played his college football at Arizona.

Wright was the final of 14 picks by the Browns in the 2016 draft. He dove, fully clothed, into a swimming pool upon finding out that he had been picked.

Wright initially made the Browns' 53-man roster out of training camp. He was inactive for the first two games of the season before the Browns waived him on Sept. 20. He was added to their practice squad two days later and has remained there until now.

The Browns also promoted defensive lineman Gabe Wright from their practice squad and signed receiver Mario Alford to their practice squad.

Originally a fourth-round pick in 2015 by Detroit out of Auburn, Wright (6-2, 284) has appeared in three games for the Browns this season and has spent eight on the practice squad.

Alford (5-8, 177) was originally a seventh-round pick of the Bengals out of West Virginia in 2015. He's appeared in one game and has one catch for 15 yards.

Scooby Wright, Darius Jennings talk about life on an NFL roster bubble

A $140 million renovation is planned for the Q arena in Cleveland. Here's where the money would come from and who will pay.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The $140 million makeover of the Q will take money from three existing taxes, plus a new rental agreement with the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to a proposal announced today.

The total bill for the renovations, including interest on loans and creation of a rainy day fund for future sports facility work, totals an estimated $282 million over the next 17 years.

The Cavs will pay half. On the public half, not all Clevelanders will have to pay; only people who go to the arena or stay at Cuyahoga County hotels.

Here's where the money would come from and who will pay, according to Cuyahoga County, the city of Cleveland, the Cavaliers and Destination Cleveland.

Arena rent: $122 million

The Cavaliers, who run the arena, agree to pay half of the cost of the renovations through new rental payments equal to what is necessary to make the loan payments each year.

With interest on the $70 million cost of the work, that adds up to $122 million over the life of the loans, through 2034. The Cavs, who currently pay $1.2 million in rent, will increase their annual rent by millions of dollars to pay their share of the bonds the county will sell.

The Cavs have promised not to add a surcharge to ticket prices to cover the cost.

Admissions tax: $97 million

The Quicken Loans Arena renovation budget includes planned construction, interest costs and a fund to pay for future work.Rich Exner, cleveland.com

The agreement does not call for any change in the city's 8 percent admissions tax.

This tax is included in the published price of tickets, much like gasoline taxes are included in the advertised price at the pump.

Currently, Cleveland keeps 3 percent of the admissions tax on Q tickets and hands over the other 5 percent to the county to help make payments on existing Gateway loans.

The agreement to pay for the new renovations involves two changes casual fans likely will never notice.

• Admission tax on Cavs tickets for playoff games from 2016 through 2023 will be used to help pay for the new renovations, rather than existing loans. (Projected at $8.7 million).
• Once existing loans are paid off, the 5 percent on Q tickets would pay for renovations through 2034. (Projected at $88.4 million)

Sales tax: $3 million

There is not special sales tax at the arena, nor is there a plan to create one.

But the county expects the total amount of sales taxes collected on food, alcohol and merchandise sold at the Q to increase compared to the past.

The sales tax in Cuyahoga County is split among the state, the RTA and county government. The state and RTA portions will not be used as part of the agreement.Rich Exner, cleveland.com

The sales tax rate is 8 percent in Cuyahoga County - 5.75 percent for the state of Ohio, 1 percent for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority and 1.25 percent for Cuyahoga County.

The agreement does not change the RTA or state shares.

But it does change the county's take.

Typically, the county receives about $250,000 a year from sales taxes at the arena. This amount will stay in the general fund, under the proposal.

Any increase in Q sales taxes will pay for renovations.

This year, that's expected to be $400,000, thanks to the NBA championship. From 2017 to 2034, the annual contribution ranges from $150,000 to $200,000.

Excesses from "good years" can be used to offset shortfalls from other years.

County bed tax: $44 million

People who stay at hotels in Cuyahoga County pay the county's 5.5 percent bed tax, plus any additional bed taxes applied by cities, plus the standard 8 percent sales tax. So the total tax on a hotel room is 16.5 percent in Cleveland, where the city's bed tax is 3 percent.

There is no proposed change in the local bed tax rates to finance the Q renovations, but there is a plan to reallocate some of the countywide tax.

Within the county's 5.5 percent countywide tax on hotel rooms is 1.5 percent for tourism-related capital improvements. This 1.5 percent will bring in about $6 million this year.

The tourism bureau Destination Cleveland will use part of that 1.5 percent to contribute $44 million from 2017 until 2034.

A schedule is not yet set. But a tentative plan calls for $1 million a year beginning in 2017, then increasing until reaching $3.8 million in the final year.

As for the rest of the county bed tax, Destination Cleveland receives the 3 percent portion, and the county uses a 1 percent portion for the convention center.

County reserves: $16 million

Rounding out the package is $16 million, from the county dipping into a reserve fund set up for the convention center and the Hilton Cleveland Downtown, both of which are complete.

The county will pay $1 million to $2 million a year out of the reserves.

Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Follow on Twitter @RichExner or see previous stories at cleveland.com/datacentral.

Kyrie Irving (rest) will not play for the Cavs against Memphis tonight.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kyrie Irving (rest) will not play against the Memphis Grizzlies tonight, coach Tyronn Lue said.

DeAndre Liggins will start at point guard for Cleveland.

Lue said Cavs trainers told him "this was a good game" to give Irving a rest. This will be the first game he's missed this season and complained of heavy legs during Cleveland's win Saturday over Charlotte.

"He'll get a chance to (rest for) three days," Lue said. "After last game when he didn't have legs and he was pretty tired, we just thought this would be the smartest game to sit. That's what we decided to go with."

The Cavs play the Grizzlies again Wednesday, and in this game the Grizzlies are without their two best players -- Marc Gasol (rest) and Mike Conley Jr. (fractured bone in back).

Asked why now is the time to rest Irving instead of Saturday, when his legs were zapped, and Lue said: "Well he said it before the game, it's too late to have guys start.

"It was like right before the game as he was going out," Lue said. "Probably after the first timeout, he said I just don't have legs tonight, I just don't have it. At that point it's too late."

Irving is averaging 23.9 points and shooting 48.2 percent from the field this season. He saw his streak of 12 games with at least 20 points come to an end Saturday, when he scored 11 against the Hornets.

Get the latest updates and analysis from the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 23 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers face the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday in Game 23 of the 2016 NBA regular season.

Follow along in the comments section as Joe Vardon and Chris Fedor bring you observations and analysis throughout the game.

Make sure to follow Vardon and Fedor on Twitter.

Game 23: Cavs (17-5) vs. Grizzlies (17-8)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena.

TV/radio: FoxSports Ohio; WTAM 1100 AM; 87.7 FM (ESP).

Cavs probable starting lineup: LeBron James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, Kyrie Irving.

Grizzlies probable starting lineup: Tony Allen, JaMychal Green, Deyonta Davis, Troy Williams, Andrew Harrison.

FREQUENTLY REFRESH this page to get the latest updates. If you're viewing this on a mobile app, click here.

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The Indians will receive an extra pick between the second and third round in the first-year player draft in June.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Indians, at the moment, will have three of the top 71 picks in the first year player draft in June.

They have the 25^th pick in the first round, the 64^th pick in the second round and 71^st pick by virtue of the competitive balance formula. Under the new basic agreement, teams that rank in the bottom 10 in revenue and market size will receive an extra pick between the first and second round or the second and third round of the draft.

The Indians were one of eight teams to receive an extra pick between the second and third rounds. The selection order for those eight picks, according to mlb.com, is 68. Arizona, 69. San Diego, 70. Colorado, 71. Indians, 72. Kansas City, 73. Pittsburgh, 74. Baltimore and 75. St. Louis.

The six teams being awarded competitive balance picks between the first and second rounds are 31. Tampa Bay, 32. Cincinnati, 33. Oakland, 34. Milwaukee, 35. Minnesota and 36. Miami.

The numerical order of the picks could change if free agents Mark Trumbo (Baltimore), Jose Bautista (Toronto) and Edwin Encarnacion (Toronto) should sign with another team. If they sign with a team other than the one they played with last season, that team will forfeit its highest available draft pick because Trumbo, Bautista and Encarnacion all received qualifying offers.

The competitive balance picks used to be decided by a lottery. Under the new basic agreement, they're decided by a formula based on revenue and winning percentage. In 2015 the Indians used their competitive balance pick to select high school pitcher Triston McKenzie with the 41^st pick. Last season they used it to select Oregon State catcher Logan Ice with the 72^nd pick.

McKenzie, 19, was a combined 6-5 with a 1.62 ERA at Class A Mahoning Valley and Class A Lake County this year. He struck out 104 batters and walked 22 in 83 1/3 innings. He posted a 0.960 WHIP and average 11.2 strikeouts and 2.4 walks per nine innings in 15 starts.

Baseball America rates McKenzie as the Tribe's third best prospect headed into the 2017 season.

Ice, 21, hit .198 (25-for-126) with two homers and eight RBI in 39 games at Mahoning Valley.

Brad Grant pleased with first-day haul in draft

Love, who scored nine points in the period, becomes the fifth active player with at least 800 triples and 6,000 rebounds.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love entered an exclusive NBA club on Tuesday night, making his 800th career 3-pointer in the first quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies. 

Welcome to the 800 club, Kevin!

With this three, Love becomes 5th active player w/ 800 3PM & 6,000 rebs (LBJ, Melo, Dirk, Pierce). pic.twitter.com/0Q5rsCjbEo

-- NBA (@NBA) December 14, 2016

Love, who scored nine points in the period, becomes the fifth active player with at least 800 triples and 6,000 rebounds. LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce and Carmelo Anthony are the other guys to reach that benchmark. 

The Cavs' versatile power forward entered the night shooting 40.7 percent from beyond the arc, which is the second-best mark in his nine-year career. 

Five-star defensive end Xavier Thomas of Florence (S.C.) Wilson released a top four in July and Ohio State was on his list.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Five-star defensive end Xavier Thomas of Florence (S.C.) Wilson released a top four in July and Ohio State was on his list. 

When he released his final two on Tuesday, Ohio State wasn't on it. 

Rated the No. 1 strongside defensive end and the No. 2 overall player in the 2018 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Thomas announced that he's down to Clemson and South Carolina. 

Thomas took an unofficial visit to Ohio State in March and it seemed as if the Buckeyes had solid early positioning. 

The 6-foot-3, 240-pound lineman had 13 other reported scholarship offers when he released his top four, including ones from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and others. 

South Carolina and Clemson made moves fast. 

[?] ... [?] ... [?] pic.twitter.com/Vf6FUNS9VT

-- Xavier Thomas 1[?]9[?] (@atxlete) December 14, 2016