Cleveland Cavaliers start six-game road trip on East Coast against Brooklyn Nets and will finish on West Coast against Golden State Warriors

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tonight, the Cleveland Cavaliers begin their six-game road trip on the East Coast against the Brooklyn Nets. Ten days later they'll finish on the West Coast against the Golden State Warriors. For good measure, there is also a back-to-back with the Utah Jazz and the Portland Trail Blazers scheduled in the middle of the trip.

To further raise the degree of difficulty for this trip, the Cavs are not exactly healthy right now. Between injuries such as Kyrie Irving's hamstring and maladies like Kevin Love eating some bad sea bass, the already short-handed Cavs could end up having a rough ride.

Crowquill, by Plain Dealer artist Ted Crow, appears three times a week on cleveland.com.

Does Kevin Love get enough credit for how well he's playing this season. Cleveland.com's Cavs writer Joe Vardon studies this issue and others. Watch video

NEW YORK -- Do you have a Cavs question that you'd like to have answered in Hey, Joe? Submit it here or tweet him @joevardon.

Hey, Joe: Kevin Love is playing so well and yet he gets very little or next to none press or credit for all he does. Why? -- Reta, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Hey, Reta: I'm trying to decide if I agree with your premise. In the last month, there have been at least two Love features published by our beat corps, one by cleveland.com's Chris Fedor and another from ESPN's Dave McMenamin, dealing with Love's All-Star prospects and generally improved play. When Love went for 40 points on Nov. 23, I made a big deal out of it. Flipping through various game stories, I see Love's name in the headline occasionally. And I suppose what I wrote during the preseason doesn't count because, well, we didn't know if he'd be "playing so well" yet. But does he get as much credit as someone who's the only player in the East averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds deserves? Maybe not. He's not as flashy or quotable as LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. Points and assists are sexier than rebounds, it's true. But make no mistake, Love has been fantastic this season. He posted a double-double Monday with food poisoning!

@joevardon who's a realistic option for the Cavs to get at the deadline? Jameer Nelson? From: Shameer/Chicago

-- Shameer (@ShameerRiaz) January 4, 2017

Hey, Shameer: Wait, wait, wait. You're name is Shameer, and you're asking about Jameer? Anyway...Nelson is not a name that comes up often when talking about the Cavs' point-guard needs. But there are two things going for him that could make him a possibility. One, he's a 3-point shooter. He's shooting 36.8 percent from out there both this season and over his career. Secondly, he makes $4.5 million this season. If the Nuggets want to trade him (he's their backup point guard at age 34), the Cavs could make it work. See Dunleavy's contract above.

@joevardon is Jr Smith able to do cardio during his recovery period? I am asking because of his reported knee issue. Demetri, Columbus

-- DI (@demeatloaf) January 4, 2017

Hey Demetri: Yes, Smith is able to work out with his fractured thumb in a cast. And he did have a sore knee that cost him a few games, and maybe slowed him on nights he was playing, before the thumb injury Dec. 20. But no matter what kind of cardio Smith is doing now, he's going to be nowhere near NBA game shape when he's ready to return to the court in March. I can say this with confidence because Smith was not in game shape when he joined the team at the tail end of camp after successfully negotiating his four-year, $57 million deal. You can't simulate the pace and grind of an NBA game on your own. Of course, Kyle Korver joining the fold could ease the burden on everyone.

@joevardon Has the flu plague spread to media members yet?

-- Adam Eaton (@eatonam) January 4, 2017

Hey, Adam: I'm shaking in terror answering this question, because, at present I'm feeling a tickle in the back of my nose/throat (I'm sure it's nothing). To be clear, the Cavs probably really aren't dealing with the flu, so much as a nasty cold. Frye's issues were definitely sinus-head-cold related, and the team is saying James has the same thing. Love, don't forget, is dealing with food poisoning. As I reported earlier this week, all the players get flu shots at the outset of training camp. Those shots aren't foolproof, but a full-blown flu could certainly knock a player out of action entirely for a few days. At any rate, colds and flus and viruses spread like wildfire through NBA locker rooms because of the close quarters they share, especially on chartered airplanes. While we reporters are around the players quite a bit, we fly commercial. You don't know anyone flying to any of the cities on this six-game, bi-coastal road trip who's been sneezing, do you?

Youngstown State quarterback Hunter Wells was ready to transfer at mid-season. Then a meeting with coach Bo Peilini changed everything.

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- He was ready to transfer.

I'm talking about Hunter Wells, the quarterback who will lead Youngstown State into Saturday's Football Championship game against James Madison.

I'm talking about mid-season, when Wells was seriously considering changing schools.

"I wasn't playing and it didn't look like I was going to play," said Wells, who was a star at Fairless High School in Navarre, Ohio.

Wells went from being a starter the previous two years to No. 3 on the depth chart at one point this season.

It appeared his career at Youngstown State was stalled, just as it seemed the Penguins were heading to another season with no playoffs.

Bo Pelini was in his second season as YSU's coach.

As a sophomore, Wells started all 11 games in 2015. YSU finished 5-6.

Pelini was looking for a more athletic quarterback. He turned to Ricky Davis.

"Hunter was never really No. 3," said Pelini. "He had a sore shoulder for a while and couldn't throw. So that set him back."

Pelini was searching for something to spark his offense. After a 24-10 loss at South Dakota State, YSU was 5-2. Pelini sensed his team could make the playoffs if the offense simply produced more.

THE MEETING

Wells was a first-team All-State Division V quarterback at Fairless. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds with a good arm, he looks the part of a college quarterback.

"I had always been a starter," said Wells. "I started varsity as a freshman in high school. I started as a freshman here. To find out I wasn't playing, that was a tough pill to swallow."

Wells wasn't recruited by Pelini. He was brought to YSU by the previous coaching staff.

For many players, there is fear involved in a coaching change. Would the new coach like them? Would the new coach want to use his own players?

At the start of the season, Wells considered a redshirt. In other words, not play. He'd dress, but not play. That would save him a year of eligibility and enable him to transfer down a level to a Division II school and have two years left to play football.

Wells is an excellent student, a 3.6 grade point average in Communications and marketing. He knew he had only two years left to play football.

With four games left in the regular season, Pelini called Wells into the coach's office. They had a long talk, Pelini saying he wanted Wells to start.

"I knew the moment I stepped on the field, that was it -- no redshirt," said Wells. "I couldn't really transfer. I had to commit to Youngstown."

He also had to trust Pelini.

What if Wells had a bad game or two, then he was benched?

"We're going to alter the offense to your strength," Pelini told him. "We're going to make a commitment to you. Are you all in?"

Wells is more a pro-style pocket passer.

"I had to think about it," said Wells. "I talked to my mom. It was a big decision."

But Wells knew his coach and team needed him. And he had to believe Pelini about the commitment. This would not be a one-game trial.

"I love YSU and I love the city of Youngstown," said Wells. "There was a risk, but I had to take it."

STARTED SLOW, GOT HOT

Youngstown State beat Indiana State, 13-10, in the first start for Wells. But he struggled, 13-of-26 passing for 101 yards with two interceptions.

YSU was crushed 24-3 by defending champion North Dakota State in the next start for Wells. He lost a fumble. He threw an interception. So in his two starts, YSU had scored only 16 points and not scored an offensive touchdown.

"Coach Bo stuck with me," said Wells.

And Wells got hot. Wells and YSU won their next six games, and now they are aiming for their first title since 1997.

In their four postseason games, Wells has thrown six TD passes compared to one interception.

"He has a tremendous amount of character," said Pelini. "He's a team guy, not selfish. When you have adversity in your life and handle it like he did, it leads to good things happening."

Bo Pelini has done an amazing job leading Youngstown State to the FCS championship game on Saturday against James Madison. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio State, Mount Union and John Carroll all were eliminated in the semifinals of their college football playoffs, but one team from Ohio remains alive.

Bo Pelini has done an amazing job leading Youngstown State to the FCS title game. The Penguins will play for the championship on Saturday against James Madison.

Pelini, the former Nebraska head coach, has returned to his hometown to revive YSU.

It's an amazing story, including Jim Tressel being the president of YSU.

In the 1990s, Tressel led YSU to four NCAA Division-AA national titles.

They haven't come this close to a title since -- until now -- under Pelini.

1917 had its share of moments in the sports world. Here's a look back 100 years.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The sports world in 1917 included a few milestones and anomalies:

Born

* The famed horse Man o' War - who won 20 of 21 races - lived 1917-1947.

* Larry O'Brien, for whom the NBA championship trophy is named.

* Marty Glickman, Olympian turned famed announcer.

* Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach.

* Dom DiMaggio, who hit .298 over 11 seasons for the Boston Red Sox.

* Marvin Miller, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association.

* Baseball Hall of Famers Lou Boudreau and Phil Rizzuto.

1917 in news and entertainment

Baseball

Columbus-born Hank Gowdy becomes the first Major Leaguer to enlist during World War I.

The Indians steal eight bases in one game. (Some of the back stories surrounding the game are pretty interesting, especially involving Braggo Roth.)

About the game

Wally Pipp's name is associated with the answer to a trivia question, "Whose place did Lou Gehrig take in the lineup to launch his consecutive-games streak?" But in 1917, Pipp was the American League home-run leader - with nine. He finished a 15-year career with a .281 average.

New York Giants manager John McGraw and Cincinnati Reds manager Christy Mathewson are arrested and accused of violating Blue laws for playing baseball on a Sunday. The Giants and Reds had played at the Polo Grounds in New York.

Speaking of Mathewson, the pitching great's brother Henry - who played in the Majors in 1906-07 - dies of tuberculosis. Christy would die of the same disease eight years later.

Cincinnati's Fred Toney (July 1), Philadelphia's Grover Alexander (Sept. 3) and St. Louis' Bill Doak (Sept. 18) each earn complete-game wins in doubleheaders in the National League.

The Boston Red Sox sell Smoky Joe Wood to Cleveland for $15,000. He never won again in the Majors.

How's this for a season? Boston's Babe Ruth goes 24-13, leads the Majors with 35 complete games, and hits .325.

NHL

The NHL begins play. The Seattle Metropolitans win the Stanley Cup - which had been around in various incarnations dating to the 19th century - by defeating the Montreal Canadiens 3 games to 1. Seattle becomes the first American team to win the cup, and it is the first year the games are held on American soil.

College football

The University of Oregon beats the University of Pennsylvania 14-0 in the third Rose Bowl - and the third one resulting in a shutout. Former NFL Commissioner Bert Bell played in the game for Penn.

Georgia Tech, led by coach John Heisman, is national champion. The Yellow Jackets finished 9-0-0 and won seven games by shutout.

Running

"Bricklayer Bill" Kennedy of New York wins the 21st Boston Marathon in 2:28:37. The 35-year-old, a former boxer, was the oldest winner to date. (Kennedy led an interestingly life.)

Horse racing

Everett Haynes rides Kalitan to a Preakness Stakes victory in 1:54:40. Kalitan becomes the race's first winner to be bestowed with the Woodlawn Vase.

The 43rd Kentucky Derby is won by a foreign-born horse for the first time. Omar Khayyam, ridden by Charles Borel, wins in 2:04.60.

Jimmy Butwell rides Hourless to victory in the Belmont Stakes by a length.

War years

World War I put the Indianapolis 500 and Wimbledon on hiatus. The Canadian football title, the Grey Cup, and the Tour de France also were not held. Golf was put on hold, too.

Cleveland sports fans wonder about Edwin Encarnacion's hobbies and whether the attendance clause in his contract rules out visiting fans.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will be out four weeks with back surgery, but before he left he reinstated suspended guard Grayson Allen. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- No. 8 Duke will play its first game without head coach Mike Krzyzewski on Saturday as he is set to have back surgery and will be out at least a month. Duke takes on Boston College on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN Full Court) in one of the weekend games to watch.

Prior to his last game on the bench, Wednesday's victory over Georgia Tech, Krzyzewski reinstated 6-5 guard Grayson Allen, who had been suspended indefinitely for tripping an Elon player in a game. It was the third tripping incident in his career. Ultimately, the suspension lasted one game, and coincided with time off needed to nurse an injured toe.

Another Saturday game to note has No. 25 Indiana at home to Illinois (5 p.m., ESPNU). The Hoosiers are suddenly struggling and have now lost three straight games.

Unranked Texas Tech is at No. 3 Kansas (7 p.m., ESPN2), where the Jayhawks needed a questionable buzzer-beater earlier this week against rival Kansas State to keep its homecourt winning streak alive.

Sunday's schedule includes a Big Ten matchup with No. 13 Wisconsin at 20 Purdue (4:30 p.m. CBS).

Five of the top 10 and 10 of the top 25 from the AP poll lost games last week and the undefeated list is down to two after Butler's homecourt triumph over No. 1 Villanova on Wednesday. That leaves Baylor and Gonzaga as the only undefeated teams.

Here are games involving teams from the AP Top 25 weekend:

Saturday

No. 1 Villanova vs. Marquette, 7:30 p.m., FS1
No. 2 Baylor vs. Oklahoma State, 7 p.m., ESPW
No. 3 Kansas vs. Texas Tech, 7 p.m., ESPN2
No. 5 Gonzaga at Portland, 10 p.m., ROOT
No. 6 Kentucky vs. Arkansas, 8:30 p.m., SECNet
No. 7 West Virginia vs. TCU, 1 p.m., ESPNU
No. 8 Duke vs. Boston College, 2 p.m., ESPNFC
No. 9 Louisville at Georgia Tech, 2 p.m., ESPNFC
No. 10 Creighton at Providence, 2 p.m. CBSSN
No. 12 Florida State vs. No. 21 Virginia Tech, 2 p.m., ESPNFC
No. 14 North Carolina vs. North Carolina State, 8 p.m., ESPN
No. 15 Oregon at Washington State, 7 p.m., PACNet
No. 16 Xavier vs. St. John's, 2:30 p.m., FS1
No. 17 Arizona vs. Colorado, 9:30 p.m., PACNet
No. 18 Butler at Georgetown, Noon, FOX
No. 19 St. Mary's at San Francisco, 11 p.m.
No. 22 Cincinnati at Houston, 9 p.m., ESPNU
No. 23 Notre Dame vs. Clemson, 3 p.m., ESPNU
No. 24 Florida vs. Tennessee, 5 p.m., ESPN2
No. 25 Indiana vs. Illinois, 5 p.m., ESPNU

Sunday

No. 4 UCLA vs. Stanford, 8 p.m., FS1
No. 11 Virginia vs. Wake Forest, 8 p.m., ESPNU
No. 13 Wisconsin at 20 Purdue, 4:30 p.m., CBS
No. 25 USC vs. Cal, 10 p.m., ESPNU

The Indians have entered the Twilight Zone. Or, at least it feels that way, with the team's major-league payroll now reaching nine figures. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians have entered the Twilight Zone. Or, at least it feels that way, with the team's major-league payroll now reaching nine figures.

Sure, the addition of Edwin Encarnacion really only replaces the departed wages of Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis for 2017. But the '18 and '19 payrolls will pack more of a wallop because of the slugger's hefty salary. Not to mention, raises for Jason Kipnis, Corey Kluber and a handful of other core players are the main reason the payroll is climbing to new heights this year.

Here are seven things to know about the Tribe's payroll situation for 2017.

1. Show EE the money

Encarnacion's contract breaks down as such, according to a source:

Signing bonus: $5 million

2017 salary: $13 million

2018 salary: $17 million

2019 salary: $20 million

2020 team option: $25 million or $5 million buyout

The total deal is worth $60 million over three years, or $80 over four years, should the Indians exercise the 2020 option. Encarnacion can also earn bonuses if the Indians reach certain attendance goals.

Indians thought they couldn't afford Encarnacion

2. The last dance?

Carlos Santana was the team's highest-paid player, at $12 million, before Encarnacion joined the fold. Santana, 30, can become a free agent after the season. He submitted his best season in 2016, when he posted a .259/.366/.498 slash line, with 34 home runs, 87 RBI and as many walks as strikeouts (99).

3. That escalated quickly

Kipnis' salary jumps by about 50 percent this season, to nearly $9.2 million. In 2018, it'll jump again, to nearly $13.7 million. He is signed through 2019, and the Indians hold a club option of $16.5 million for 2020.

4. Miller Time

Andrew Miller will earn $9 million in 2017 and $9 million in 2018 before he can swim in the free-agent waters. At that point, he'll be 33 years old.

5. Shouldering the load

The Indians paid Michael Brantley $7.4 million in 2016, and the left fielder appeared in only 11 games because of injuries. They'll pay him about $8.4 million in 2017. Will he see the field more often?

6. Paying the piper

The Indians still owe Chris Johnson $9 million this season, as a result of the trade of Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn to Atlanta. They're done paying the Braves for the two veteran players, but Johnson's deal still has one more year on the books.

7. Time to negotiate

Arbitration season is nearing. Over the next couple of weeks, teams and eligible players will exchange salary figures and attempt to avoid the brutal process of arbitration. Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Lonnie Chisenhall, Zach McAllister, Dan Otero, Brandon Guyer, Trevor Bauer and Danny Salazar are all eligible for arbitration and could collectively earn $25-30 million for the 2017 season.

LeBron James and the Cavs start a season-long six-game road trip Friday in New York against the Brooklyn Nets.

NEW YORK -- The Cavs (26-8) visit Brooklyn (8-26) for the start of a season-long six-game road trip that will take the team to both coasts.

Last meeting: The Cavs cruised past Brooklyn 119-99 on Dec. 23 at The Q.

What's up with the Cavs: You mean, other than a likely trade for Kyle Korver? They haven't lost to the Atlantic Division (10-0), and there is little reason to suspect this should be any different. Little, not none. The Nets are playing on the second night of a back to back and Jeremy Lin's been hurt, but as LeBron James mentioned Wednesday, who knows who will be active for the Cavs? The last time they played the Nets, they were ahead by as many as 46 points. But, as you can see below, Cleveland may be relying on several of the players who blew 26 points of that lead because of illness and injury. Let's assume James is OK and plays -- though he did turn an ankle in the third quarter of Wednesday's loss to Chicago.

Cavs injuries: Kyrie Irving (right hamstring tightness) and Kevin Love (food poisoning) are questionable; J.R. Smith (right thumb surgery) and Chris Andersen (torn right ACL) are out.

What's up with the Nets: They lost in Indiana last night and own the NBA's worst record. Trevor Booker is one of two NBA players averaging at least 9.5 points and 1.5 steals per game (Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo is the other). Brook Lopez is one of three players in the league with 55 3s and 50 blocks (Kevin Durant, Kristaps Porzingis). In Lopez's first eight seasons, he was 3-of-31 from 3-point range. This is his ninth season, so, yeah, he's decided to chuck a few 3s.  He was the only player in the NBA to average 20 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in December.

Nets injuries: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (right hip tendinitis) and Jeremy Lin (strained left hamstring) are both on the injury report.

Probable starters:

Cavs

F LeBron James (25.8 ppg; 7.8 rpg; 8.5 apg)

F Channing Frye (9.9 ppg; 3.1 rpg; 0.7 apg)

C Tristan Thompson (6.9 ppg; 10.0 rpg; 0.7 apg)

G DeAndre Liggins (2.9 pg; 1.8 rpg; 1.2 apg)

G Jordan McRae (2.9 ppg; 1.8 rpg; 1.2 apg)

Nets

F. Bojan Bogdanovic (14.2 ppg; 3.2 rpg; 1.4 apg)

F Trevor Booker (9.9 ppg; 2.4 rpg; 2.2 apg)

C Brook Lopez (20.3 ppg; 5.3 rpg;  2.7 apg)

G Sean Kilpatrick (15.3 ppg; 4.3 rpg; 2.6 apg)

Here's where to watch, listen and stream the Cleveland Cavaliers' game vs. the Brooklyn Nets tonight.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers play Game 35 of the 2016 NBA season Friday against the Brooklyn Nets. Here's how to watch, listen and stream the action online.

What: Cleveland Cavaliers (26-8) vs. Brooklyn Nets (8-25).
Where: Barclays Center.
When: 7:30 p.m.
TV: FoxSports Ohio.
Radio: WTAM 1100 AM; 87.7 FM La Mega.
Online: FoxSports Go.

Brooklyn notable: Former Cavalier Joe Harris has scored in double digits 12 times this season after doing so three times in his first two NBA seasons combined.

Cleveland notable: Kay Felder has notched double-digits in scoring in four of his last five appearances, averaging 11.2 points over that five-game stretch. Jordan
McRae has scored 20 points or more in two of the last three games, averaging 15.0 points (.500 FG%, .900 FT%, 3.3 rpg, 26.7 mpg) in three starts.

Catch the coverage from before the game; join in the live chat starting at tipoff; and stick around for full postgame coverage. For all Cavs information, be sure to check out cleveland.com/cavs.

A sixth national championship Monday night will tie Kent State graduate Nick Saban with Bear Bryant for the most since World War II. But Saban has a softer side few see.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The one for the other thumb will tie the Bear.

That might happen Monday night when Nick Saban could win his sixth college football championship when his Alabama Crimson Tide meets Clemson in the College Football Playoff Championship Game in Tampa.

If not then, it will probably happen sometime before the 65-year-old coach retires.

Lord of the rings

A victory in the rematch of last year's championship game would be Saban's sixth national championship, all of them won on the field and not in the old, archaic bowl structure in which the two best teams only rarely met.

He won one at LSU, four so far at Alabama, where Paul Bryant's coaching and backwoods legend made him a football version of Davy Crockett by wrestling a bear -- if not precisely killing him one when he was only three. 

Since World War II, nobody has won more than six.

One of Belichick's Boys

Like most men in many lines of work, including sports, Saban's work essentially defines him.

Saban was always an aggressive networker and climber. He had been an assistant coach at six schools before he was 40.

Along the way, Earle Bruce, one of Urban Meyer's mentors, fired Saban at Ohio State, adding a bit more tinder to the fire of their rivalry.

After that, he got passed over for the head coaching job at his alma mater, Kent State.

Saban took the Toledo job in 1990, went 9-2, beat Kent State by two touchdowns, and resigned after the season to become one of Bill Belichick's Whiz Kids as the Browns' defensive coordinator. He insisted on being allowed to talk to the media once a week, despite Belichick's lockdown of access, because it was good training for a head coaching job.

Pothole personality?

Since then, Saban has hopscotched around: head coach at Michigan State, where he didn't like being in Michigan's shadow so he turned up at LSU; there, he won it all for the first time there since Paul Dietzel and the Chinese Bandits in 1958; then he went to the NFL as head coach of the Miami Dolphins; and finally he bounced back to the college ranks, where he has become the coaching gold standard.

Yet Saban still comes off as a manager in charge of a widget assembly line, always talking about the process and not the products.

He is as much fun, it was recently observed, "as a pothole."

A different view

But in a lot of ways, sports, just like politics, are local. It's our own dealings with coaches that condition our perception of them.

My view is different because, very briefly, I saw Saban filtered through a lens of his best intentions. It enabled me to write one of my favorite columns. Saban's helpfulness and kindness were a big part of it.

A Christmas story

Christmas is past now, but it does us good to remember its spirit.

Saban became part of a Christmas column I wrote in 1998 about Kevin O'Keefe, who was one of the great Northeast Ohio high school offensive linemen of the 1980s at St. Edward.

Kevin was recruited to Michigan State by Saban. The coach formed such a tight bond with O'Keefe's parents, John and Elaine,  that Elaine's voice, when I interviewed her for the story was warm as a Yuletide hearth when speaking of the coach.

O'Keefe never realized the NFL dream that seemed his for the taking because that career was sidelined after he won one letter on the 1986 Spartans team. His war with Hodgkin's disease, a form of cancer in the body's lymphatic system, had flared again.  Kevin O'Keefe died in 2015 at the age of 48.

When Michigan State won the Rose Bowl after the 1987 season, all the players received rings, except O'Keefe. He felt he wasn't entitled to one anyway since he didn't play. O'Keefe received a watch instead.

The story I wrote was about ordinary men, bonding over a shared passion for cigars, reaching out a decade later to redress the omission of the ring.

When I contacted Saban, who was in the midst of a recruiting trip, to tell him of the plan to get O'Keefe a Rose Bowl ring, the coach was all in, bringing full-bore advocacy to the idea. His respect for, loyalty to and admiration of O'Keefe for all he had gone through was obvious in the interview.

You can read this Cleveland Christmas story from the pages of "Cigar Aficionado" here. The column, with less cigar emphasis, originally ran in The Plain Dealer.

It was about a surprise gift and the enduring fellowship those men shared, but it was also partly about a coach few would ever call Saint Nick.

Don't tell that to the O'Keefes.

We named the award for James, so who won the first cleveland.com Sports Award for Player of the Year? A Cav? An Indian? A Brown? A Buckeye? Someone else? Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The award has already been named in his honor, so LeBron James isn't ever going to win our cleveland.com Player of the Year Award.

He's going to set the standard for what that winner should try to live up to.

This is our final day of revealing 2016 cleveland.com Sports Awards in our first year of conducting fan polls to vote on the best in Clevelands sports. The two greatest honors were held for last.

Top Player.

Top Team.

Quotes and Trolls and Moments are fun, but these awards are what really tell us about the year that was in Cleveland sports in 2016.

Check out the video at the top of the page for the deep list of players nominated for the award, then check out this special message from the winner.

Welcome to the red carpet for the 2016 cleveland.com Sports Awards

Villain of the Year

Impact Decision of the Year

Best Moment of the Year

Trolling Moment of the Year

Only in Cleveland Moment of the Year

Quote of the Year

Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love will play against Brooklyn tonight after missing varied amounts of time with their ailments.

NEW YORK -- Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are both set to play tonight against the Brooklyn Nets, returning from the ailments that kept them out for varying periods of time.

Irving, who was at the New York City gym where the Cavs were to hold shootaround an hour early, hasn't played in three games because of tightness in his right hip.

Irving (23.9 points per game), Love (21.8 ppg), and LeBron James (25.8 ppg) make the Cavs one of just three NBA teams with players averaging more than 20 points.

Irving has scored 20 or more points in a team-high 24 games this season (out of 29), and in December averaged 7.8 assists per game -- his highest average in any month of his six-year career.

Love missed Wednesday's loss to Chicago because of food poisoning. He became ill New Year's Day after eating sea bass on the team flight home from Charlotte, and said he considered going to the hospital because he couldn't stop vomiting.

Love confirmed he lost 10 pounds and needed three IVs of fluids this week. He played Monday and posted 12 points and 11 rebounds.

"Thought I'd be OK to play, got an IV, came out and gave it all that I could and then that kind of set me back another day," Love said. "Felt it'd probably be best if I took a game because I wasn't feeling well."

Love said he's gained most, but not all of his weight back.

"I just have to stay away from fish," he said. "I was sitting there watching the game the other night and just trying to get some rest, get some food. I tried to even just take a bite of fish, but it wasn't happening for me. I had to do my chicken noodle soup and the BRAT diet. I was on that for a few days."

And how long will it be until Love can eat fish again without feeling a little squeamish?

"That's a great question. I'm not sure," he said. "Definitely won't be ordered on a Delta flight anytime soon. That's not a slight at Delta, that's a slight at airplane sea bass."

The 6-foot-6, 290-pound offensive lineman is unquestionably one of the top -- if not the top -- Buckeyes targets in the 2018 recruiting class. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- If you look at Jackson Carman's cell phone screen there are daily text messages from Urban Meyer reminding him of why the best players in Ohio need to stay home.

Now Texas' Tom Herman, who used to sell that very message to top Ohio prospects when he was an assistant at Ohio State, is trying to get them to leave the Buckeye State. Herman started by offering Carman, a five-star offensive tackle of Fairfield, Ohio.  

Rated the No. 1 offensive lineman and No. 8 overall prospect in in the 2018 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Carman included Ohio State in the top 10 he released on Christmas Day.

The other programs to make Carman's list are Clemson, Alabama, LSU, USC, Michigan State, Florida, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Notre Dame. 

Texas wasn't on the list. 

But it may make the next one. 

Which would be bad news for Meyer, because the 6-foot-6, 290-pound offensive lineman is unquestionably one of the top -- if not the top -- Buckeyes targets in the 2018 recruiting class. 

Tackle / Tight End [?] [?] [?] https://t.co/cFcpXfUXJ8

-- Jackson Carman (@Jackthejiant) January 6, 2017

Herman hired former Ohio State assistants Tim Beck and Stan Drayton earlier this week, which could be an indication that the Longhorns are prepared to recruit Ohio. 

Will they? 

Will Texas recruit Ohio State?

Want to know more about Carman? 

Inside Carman's recruitment

Michigan's 'awkward' satellite camp and what it means for Carman

Suddenly, the short-handed Cavaliers, by staying true to their philosophy, have another shooting threat that opponents will worry about, one that fits perfectly in the champ's "drive-and-kick" offense. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Whenever there's a trade, the initial question is simple: How does the new player impact the team's chances? 

In the case of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the clear-cut best team in the Eastern Conference and one of the few legitimate title contenders overall, adding sharpshooter Kyle Korver (once the deal is official) certainly creates a larger gap between them and the rest of the conference. 

But how Korver is used and what he means to Cleveland's offense is more important, especially when the playoffs come around.

Suddenly, the short-handed Cavaliers, by staying true to their philosophy, have another shooting threat that opponents will need to worry about at all times, one that fits perfectly in the team's "drive-and-kick" offense, as I explain in the video above. 

The Cavaliers accomplished something no other major professional Cleveland team could for a half-century. Yeah, the Larry O'Brien trophy is shiny, but what about a cleveland.com sports award? Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers accomplished something no other major professional Cleveland team could for a half-century.

Yeah, the Larry O'Brien trophy is shiny, but what about a cleveland.com sports award? That's the aim of any transcendent sports team, right?

Well, the Browns were nominated for this category, too. So what does that tell you?

The "Unbelievable Team of the Year" honor isn't necessarily an award meant to be bestowed upon the team with the top triumph. Taken literally, it would describe the team with the most hard-to-fathom accomplishment. 

The Browns tempted fate with a near-winless season. Only the 2008 Detroit Lions had completed an 0-16 season. Would the Browns going 0-16 have been more "unbelievable" than the Cavs winning a championship? We'll never know for sure, since the Browns ultimately avoided the dubious distinction. (To little surprise, they didn't fare too well in the voting for this award, either.)

With the plethora of talent on the Cavs' roster, was their feat unbelievable? When placed within the context of trailing a record-setting team, 3-1, in the NBA Finals, perhaps it was.

The Indians also reached Game 7 of the final postseason round, and did so with an injury-ravaged rotation. But the Tribe sputtered short of a World Series triumph, so how does their postseason run compare to that of the Cavs, in terms of unbelievability? 

Only one major professional Cleveland team captured a trophy. Was that enough to seal the deal? Did the Cavs receive a second trophy for their 2016 efforts?

Watch the video above for the answer, as Zack Meisel and Doug Lesmerises present the award for "Unbelievable Team of the Year."

The award for 'Top Trolling Moment'

The award for 'Villain of the Year'

The award for 'Impact Decision of the Year'

LeBron James said the Cavs weren't done making moves, a strong signal general manager David Griffin is still working to add a backup point guard and potentially another piece. Watch video

NEW YORK -- LeBron James said the Cavs aren't done making moves after the likely acquisition of Kyle Korver and declared again that the team needs another point guard.

"We still got a couple more things we need to do," James said Friday, when asked if Cleveland's pending trade with Atlanta for Korver was a "championship move."

"We gotta get a point guard," James said. "It's my last time saying it. We need a point guard."

James also said he'd like the Cavs to add another big man, but "there's not many bigs out there ...we'll see what happens."

The Cavs are trying to finish a deal that would bring Korver, one of the NBA's all-time great 3-point shooters, to the team in exchange for (likely) Mike Dunleavy and a first-round pick.

LeBron's call for backup PG

After Wednesday's loss to Chicago, James said the Cavs needed a veteran backup point guard, and that it was obvious from the start of camp.

As of now, the Cavs don't have any roster space to add one, but some possibilities are coming to create a spot. Cleveland general manager David Griffin is trying to move the contracts of Mo Williams and Chris Andersen, and, could use Saturday's deadline to waive players without guaranteed contracts to avoid paying them for the entire season.

Jordan McRae and DeAndre Liggins are both playing on only partially guaranteed deals, so they could be waived. But coach Tyronn Lue said Liggins would continue to start when Korver arrives, so McRae would seem like the likely candidate to be waived -- if that's what Griffin chooses to do.

Griffin could wait until the trade deadline next month (Feb. 23) to try and trade Williams and Andersen and acquire a point guard then -- either through free agency or in a trade.

The Cavs also have a $9.4 million trade exception, but, again, as of now have no room on their roster.

"I'm pretty sure that we will," get a backup point guard, Lue said. "Like I said, I've always been confident in Griff that he gets something done. We don't want to just make a decision where we just bring in a backup point guard that doesn't fit our style or fit who we are as a team and our culture. So, for me, it's about getting the right piece and the right player."

How Lue will use Korver

The Cavs are 26-8, in first place in the East, and are of course defending NBA champs.

James said adding a veteran backup for Kyrie Irving was not the last thing the Cavs needed to do to repeat, but "I think that's the next step.

"I think that's the next step and uh you know, you look at our league, most teams have three point guards," James said. "We only have two with Ky and our rook in Kay (Felder). I think just having that secure blanket. Every NFL team has three quarterbacks. Having that secure blanket in case of a (Derek) Carr, (the Raiders quarterback who was injured just before playoff time). We'll see what happens, but, we're happy with our team right now."

The left guard's season ended prematurely for the second consecutive year, this time due to a foot injury.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns left guard Joel Bitonio followed one frustrating season with another in 2016. The left guard who, during training camp called his 2015 season that ended with separate ankle injuries "super frustrating," saw his second consecutive season cut short, this time due to a foot injury.

"It's real tough, especially when you're going through a rebuilding thing as a team and you want to be part of that," Bitonio said on Monday, "where the team's growing and getting better and you think you could try and help the team win a game or two and it sucks not being out there."

Bitonio injured the foot against the Patriots in Week 5 and underwent successful Lisfranc surgery shortly after. He is expected back by the start of next season.

"We've got to play a game in September, eventually," Bitonio said. "I think that's the main circumstance that they put you in, but I'm just working to get better every day and I'm doing everything in my power to be the best I can be so when they give me green light, whenever that is, I'll be ready to go out and make some plays."

The injury set off a chain reaction on the side of the line that was probably the most stable at the start of the season. Bitonio was playing well, too, and stood out especially as a pulling guard during the Browns loss in Washington when they rushed for 163 yards. He fits the mold of the athletic offensive lineman who moves well that head coach Hue Jackson used so effectively in Cincinnati.

"I felt really strong, I felt like I was coming into my own in this offense and really felt that I fit with Hue Jackson, the way he called plays and things like that and it was unfortunate how it happened," Bitonio said. "You feel for a guy like (center) Cam Erving that you're playing next to and (left tackle) Joe Thomas, like, man, I feel like I'm letting these guys down."

The Browns initially tried Alvin Bailey in place of Bitonio but, by the team's Thursday night game in Baltimore, moved rookie Spencer Drango into that spot. Bitonio said that it was unfortunate that it came at his expense, but getting experience for a player like Drango could pay off down the road.

"I think in the long run you want to have seven to eight really good offensive lineman," Bitonio said, "so if someone does get hurt you can throw someone in there."

Bitonio, for his part, tried to stay as engaged as he could with the team and his linemates, attending meetings, focusing on games when he wasn't traveling with the team and offering pointers to the younger players.

"Not everybody that goes on IR does that," he said, "but I felt like I want to be part of this turnaround, so I want to stay engaged and stay part of this team and try and help the guys out when I can."

-----

Elliott was one of three rookies named to the AP All-Pro team on Friday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In case you've been living under a rock, former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott had a great a rookie season with the Dallas Cowboys. 

Elliott on Friday was one of three rookies named to the Associated Press NFL All-Pro team. Earlier this season, Elliott was named a Pro Bowler for his efforts in a standout first season as a professional football player. 

He leads the NFL in rushing with 1,631 yards and 108.7 rushing yards per game. He also led the league in rushing attempts (322) and was third in the league with 15 rushing touchdowns.

Elliott and the Cowboys finished 13-3 this season, won the NFC East and clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They'll play a NFC Divisional round game on either Jan. 14 or 15.

He's the first former Buckeye to earn All-Pro status since center Nick Mangold, who was named an All-Pro by The Sporting News in 2011.  

WOW, what an impact these Buckeyes have made already in their rookie years!!! pic.twitter.com/46PQElH6k6

-- Urban Meyer (@OSUCoachMeyer) January 6, 2017

Now that the Cavs are about to acquire Kyle Korver from Atlanta, they're already discussing how they plan to use him. Watch video

NEW YORK -- Kyle Korver is going to come off the bench when he joins the Cavs, coach Tyronn Lue said on Friday.

The Cavs are nearly done completing a deal that would bring one of the great 3-point shooters in NBA history in Korver to Cleveland from the Atlanta Hawks, likely in return for Mike Dunleavy and a 2019 first-round pick.

Though the trade is not yet complete, Korver told reporters Thursday night he was coming to the Cavs and Dunleavy was not with the team at Friday's shootaround for a game later against Brooklyn.

When Korver arrives, Lue said he plans to leave DeAndre Liggins in the starting lineup.

"We'll just keep starting him and if it happens, bring (Korver) off the bench and see what happens," Lue said. "I like Liggs guarding those point guards, picking up full court. His defensive presence on the floor. And then bring in a shooter off the bench, early or late, depending on however the flow is the game is going. It will be good for us."

Cavs to trade for Korver

Make no mistake, Lue and his players are excited over news that Korver will join them. He's a career 43-percent shooter from 3-point range and is shooting 41 percent this season. His career 3-point shooting percentage and made 3s (1,952) are both 8th in NBA history.

"I mean, it will do a lot," Lue said. "Especially a guy who can move without the ball the way he moves coming off screens and things like that, there's no better guy. I mean, him (Korver), Steph (Curry), Klay (Thompson) right now coming off screens and being able to make shots and make plays. So if we are able to make that addition, it would be great for our team."

Irving, Love to play tonight

Dunleavy, whom the Cavs acquired in a trade over the summer, wasn't working out here, Lue said, in part because he wasn't used to coming off the bench and also because Cleveland wasn't running plays for him the way the Bulls did.

Also, the Cavs' regular starting shooting guard, J.R. Smith, could be out three months after thumb surgery. So Korver was sorely needed.

Lue marveled at general manager David Griffin's ability to get Korver -- it was two years ago this week that Griffin added Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Timofey Mozgov in trades, and last season at the February trade deadline he acquired Channing Frye.

"It was crazy, Channing and RJ (Richard Jefferson) were talking about it last night," Lue said. "We always sit back, but no matter what, Griff always gets something done somehow. And I got confidence and faith that he would get something done.

"And with the addition of Korver, we got somebody with that second unit, or with Kevin (Love) those last four minutes that can run around and make plays and run the floor. So, you have Kevin and Korver on the floor together and then bring Kyrie (Irving) and Bron (LeBron James) back in the second quarter with Korver, that's a lot of space, a lot of movement, a lot of shooting."

So, for clarity, Lue is envisioning Korver and Love on the court together at the end of the first quarter, and Korver paired with James and or Irving to open the second.

Lue called Korver's coming 3-pointers "butt-naked shots," meaning he'll be wide open playing with James and Irving.