Get the latest updates and analysis from the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 39 against the Sacramento Kings.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers face the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday in Game 39 of the 2016 NBA regular season.

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

Make sure to follow Vardon on Twitter.

Game 38: Cavs (28-10) vs. Trail Blazers (16-22)

Tipoff: 10:30 p.m. at Golden 1 Center.

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

Cavs probable starting lineup: LeBron James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, DeAndre Liggins, Kyrie Iriving.

Kings probable starting lineup: Rudy Gay, Anthony Tolliver, DeMarcus Cousins, Garrett Temple, Darren Collison.

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No. 21 Stow boys basketball moves into sole possession of first place in the Suburban League National Division with Friday's victory.

STOW, Ohio -- While both teams' defenses made matters difficult for the opposition in Friday night's first-place Suburban League National Division battle, No. 21 Stow boys basketball's 3-point shooting provided enough firepower.

The Bulldogs sank nine 3-pointers in their 51-39 home win against No. 15 Brecksville, and as a result move into sole possession of first place in the National Division -- the schools' relatively new home.

Brecksville won both of the teams' regular-season matchups in 2015-16 -- the programs' first as Suburban League foes -- en route to the division title. Now, the Bees (7-2, 5-1 National Division) will have to chase down the Bulldogs (7-2, 6-0) to repeat. 

Following a third quarter that featured just seven Stow points, the Bulldogs showed the kind of defense they've displayed all season and capitalized at the other end. 

"I thought our defense was as solid as it's been all year," 29th-year Stow coach Kevin Close said. 

The Bees took their first lead since 2-0 when sophomore Kenny Ganley drilled a pull-up triple to give the visitors a 33-31 lead. But Bulldogs junior Coryon Rice countered with a pull-up trey of his own in the final minute of the period, giving Stow the edge. The Bulldogs didn't relinquish it.

Inside scoring proved troublesome for both teams, so a new-school approach became essential. And Stow, whether on quick-fire shots or 3s from precise half-court passes, generated more from its long-range attack than Brecksville did.

"In the grand scheme of things, we have to make a couple more shots against a team like that," Brecksville 10th-year coach Steve Mehalik said. "Two good defensive teams. I think we're two equal teams. The team that makes a couple more shots usually wins the ballgame."

Jared Wright made the second of his two 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter, and Logan Lindsay followed that with one of his own soon after. Backup forward Justin Harvey contributed an inside bucket and a putback -- his only two baskets of the night -- to further distance the Bulldogs, who forced multiple timely turnovers to stifle a Bees comeback.

Stow saw four players -- Lindsay, Rice, Wright and Mason McMurray -- contribute multiple 3s, with Rice leading the charge with three triples. The 6-foot-8 McMurray led the Bulldogs with 15 points, while Lindsay added 13. Brecksville's Matt Dimitrijevs led all scorers with 16 points, and Ganley added 10.

"Our goal's to move the ball around, make them spread out on defense a little bit, get some jump shots. We typically shoot it fairly well," said Close, who didn't provide a glowing assessment of his team's shooting. "Their interior defense is very solid. When we drove to the basket, they crowded the paint very well. We need to do a better job making better decisions."

Neither team fared well in the paint, but a McMurray two-handed jam halted a 7-0 Bees run late in the first half, giving the Bulldogs a 27-21 halftime advantage. 

Both the Bulldogs and Bees entered two games clear of the field in the National Division, and Stow won't see another division opponent until next Friday, when it hosts North Royalton. Stow travels to face Copley on Tuesday, and Brecksville will make another road trip to face Padua on Saturday night. 

The division leaders reconvene in Broadview Heights on Feb. 17.

James' sneakers helped him go back to that special place Friday night, as he showed up to the Kings' new arena, Golden 1 Center, in a pair of retros -- the Nike Air Zoom Generation 1s. Watch video

SACRAMENTO -- When LeBron James returns to Sacramento he begins to reflect.

On his first NBA game in 2003. On the myriad feelings when he first laced up his signature Nikes inside the locker room at Arco Arena.

"It was just a dream come true," James said Friday. "Just an 18-year-old kid that has so many dreams and the odds are stacked up against him. For me to be in a position where I was putting on a pair of shoes that have my name on them, putting on a jersey that had my name on the back, my family's name on the back.

"It was just a moment where anything is possible and if you just put your heart into it and you have a great supporting cast and you put in the work, then things can come true. It was a great moment for me."

James went back to that special place Friday night, as he showed up to the Kings' new arena, Golden 1 Center, in a pair of retros -- Nike Air Zoom Generation 1s.

Had to wear these to game tonight and Man I'm still shook over this moment in time in my life! Thinking back to that 18 year old kid from Akron Ohio when this journey begun. So damn emotional right now just thinking about where I've come from. What moms had to go through to keep her only son happy, feed, clothed, etc etc when she didn't have the means to do so! You're incredible and that's why you're God to me in my eyes no matter what's happened throughout the years. Nobody is perfect but the support we get from loved ones will get us through anything. Nike thanks for taking a chance on a skinny kid from the inner city with out of this world dreams and aspirations!! #StriveForGreatness[?] #TheKidFromAkron #Blessed[?]

A photo posted by LeBron James (@kingjames) on Jan 13, 2017 at 6:20pm PST

During pregame, James -- along with Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert -- was wearing the sneakers with the red and white colorway commonly called the "First Game." James wore those not in his debut in Sacramento -- black and white that evening -- but his home opener in Cleveland against Carmelo Anthony's Denver Nuggets.

"The first one is my favorite because it's the beginning," he said. "It's like your first child. I know you're not supposed to pick one or the other, even though my daughter is above everybody in the household right now, but it was the first, it was the start of it all. I'm just blessed to be in this position today."

James revealed the news of the retro kicks in a video on Uninterrupted Thursday night.

.@KingJames is bringing the [?] with a special announcement. pic.twitter.com/bTwEF41fPG

-- UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) January 13, 2017

"The conversation has been going on for a couple years now, but we wanted to make sure the timing was right," James said. "We've been listening to a lot of the people that's been following my career and sneakerheads been following my career. I've been giving a little bit of a hint every now and then, wearing retros, things of that nature, just to gauge my fans and gauge my people who have been along the journey with me. It's been a conversation, but it finally came together the last couple months."

Part of the process since day one, James has spoken about his gratitude towards Nike, as the company made a bet on him 14 years ago, before he even played a professional game. Nike reinforced that belief with a lifetime deal in December 2015.

"The lifetime deal wasn't much of a bet. That was a for-sure thing," James said with a smile. "The first one was a bet. They took a chance on me and if you've ever read 'Shoe Dog,' Phil Knight's book, (there's a passage about) my showing my appreciation to him, I got him a Rolex. The same year that the Rolex came out was the same year that Nike was introduced to the world. And I wrote, had it engraved, on the inside of the Rolex, just, 'Thanks for taking a chance on an 18-year-old kid from Akron, Ohio.' Actually, it was 'a skinny kid from Akron, Ohio.'

"So, they took a chance and it was up to me to believe in myself and I was able to do that."

James said Friday he paid off that bet the first time he stepped on the court in Sacramento.

"They saw what I was capable of doing," James said. "They took a chance but at the same time they knew what they were signing and when I stepped on this floor for the first time, my first time playing in the NBA, they knew they made the right bet.

"They actually got me on a bargain now."

Cleveland Cavaliers fans can purchase their own piece of the team's 2016 NBA championship court.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Cavaliers fans have a chance to own a piece of the team's 2016 NBA championship court, the actual hardwood that LeBron James and Co. played on during their unprecedented title run last summer.

The club will offer a variety of commemorative products fashioned from the hardwood court used at Quicken Loans Arena. The floor was replaced at the beginning of the 2016-17 season.

The keepsakes come in a variety of sizes and pricing options, ranging from $20 for a 1x1-inch piece of the court, to $300 for a framed wall hanging featuring a 3x4.5-inch section along with photos of The Block, The Shot, The Stop and the championship parade.

A portion of the proceeds benefit Cleveland charitable and non-profit organizations through donations made by the Cavaliers Youth Foundation. The foundation supports programs for children, families and young adults designed to positively impact the community, the team said.

All items are available online now at Cavs.com/shop.

Select commemorative items will be available at the Cavaliers Team Shop at The Q beginning Saturday morning, while the three wall art items will be available in-store at a later date.

52 years in the making. Now you can own a piece of CLE Championship history.

INFO: https://t.co/3nUvi2zXYP
SHOP: https://t.co/JwqVnEujVQ pic.twitter.com/2Ie4a162lI

-- Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 14, 2017

We're proud to announce our exclusive Cavs Championship Court SPO. https://t.co/JKxNXBHIef pic.twitter.com/oLjs9AKaN5

-- StockX (@stockx) January 14, 2017

Check out Friday's boys basketball scores from around the OHSAA, courtesy of The Associated Press.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Check out Friday's boys basketball scores from around the state, courtesy of The Associated Press.

Akr. Coventry 68, Norton 61

Akr. Hoban 74, Mentor Lake Cath. 47

Albany Alexander 45, Nelsonville-York 39

Alliance 72, Alliance Marlington 58

Andover Pymatuning Valley 72, Kinsman Badger 57

Ansonia 55, Lewisburg Tri-County N. 41

Arlington 55, Mt. Blanchard Riverdale 49

Ashtabula Edgewood 63, Jefferson Area 52

Athens 72, Wellston 30

Atwater Waterloo 60, Rootstown 51

Avon 66, Amherst Steele 48

Avon Lake 56, Olmsted Falls 44

Barberton 51, Medina Highland 48

Bascom Hopewell-Loudon 51, N. Baltimore 50

Batavia 49, Norwood 45

Batavia Clermont NE 65, Felicity-Franklin 62

Bay Village Bay 91, Parma 62

Beaver Eastern 51, Portsmouth Notre Dame 42

Bellaire 65, Barnesville 47

Bellefontaine 45, New Carlisle Tecumseh 30

Bellville Clear Fork 68, Millersburg W. Holmes 63

Belmont Union Local 54, St. Clairsville 50

Berea-Midpark 50, N. Olmsted 44

Berlin Hiland 53, E. Can. 30

Bethel-Tate 45, Williamsburg 39

Beverly Ft. Frye 54, Caldwell 40

Bloomdale Elmwood 73, Fostoria 47

Bluffton 51, Van Wert Lincolnview 40

Bradford 37, Union City Mississinawa Valley 27

Brookfield 65, Youngs. Liberty 44

Brookville 54, Franklin 47

Brunswick 56, Shaker Hts. 45

Byesville Meadowbrook 76, Warsaw River View 30

Can. McKinley 66, Can. Glenoak 61

Can. South 69, Beloit W. Branch 50

Canal Winchester Harvest Prep 88, Millersport 42

Canfield S. Range 84, E. Palestine 43

Carlisle 62, New Lebanon Dixie 45

Castalia Margaretta 64, Port Clinton 50

Centerville 62, Miamisburg 45

Chagrin Falls Kenston 82, Chardon 78

Chesapeake 42, Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant 37

Chesterland W. Geauga 67, Painesville Harvey 45

Chillicothe 54, Wilmington 53

Chillicothe Huntington 51, Williamsport Westfall 43

Chillicothe Unioto 52, Chillicothe Zane Trace 38

Cin. Anderson 57, Cin. Turpin 55

Cin. Christian 101, Hamilton New Miami 42

Cin. Country Day 55, Lockland 45

Cin. Elder 56, Cin. St. Xavier 48

Cin. Glen Este 40, Loveland 37

Cin. Hughes 88, Cin. Shroder 60

Cin. Madeira 37, Cin. Indian Hill 33

Cin. Mariemont 47, Reading 39

Cin. Moeller 49, Cin. La Salle 39

Cin. Mt. Healthy 39, Trenton Edgewood 33

Cin. N. College Hill 66, Cin. Seven Hills 36

Cin. NW 64, Harrison 38

Cin. Oak Hills 59, W. Chester Lakota W. 29

Cin. Princeton 57, Cin. Sycamore 47

Cin. Purcell Marian 50, Cin. McNicholas 43, OT

Cin. Walnut Hills 48, Kings Mills Kings 40

Cin. Woodward 61, Cin. Aiken 56

Cin. Wyoming 86, Cin. Finneytown 52

Clarksville Clinton-Massie 59, Lees Creek E. Clinton 45

Clayton Northmont 51, Beavercreek 44

Cle. Benedictine 78, Chardon NDCL 56

Cle. Cent. Cath. 85, Garfield Hts. Trinity 35

Cle. Collinwood 82, Cle. John Marshall 81

Cle. Glenville 76, Cle. JFK 50

Cle. MLK 66, Cle. Whitney Young 20

Cle. St. Ignatius 90, Lakewood St. Edward 80

Coldwater 59, Rockford Parkway 52

Cols. Africentric 70, Cols. Walnut Ridge 63

Cols. Beechcroft 73, Cols. Linden McKinley 47

Cols. Briggs 76, Cols. Marion-Franklin 51

Cols. Centennial 83, Cols. International 29

Cols. DeSales 41, Cols. Ready 30

Cols. Independence 53, Cols. West 46

Cols. Mifflin 69, Cols. Whetstone 49

Cols. Northland 87, Cols. East 52

Cols. South 63, Cols. Eastmoor 48

Cols. St. Charles 42, Cols. Hartley 38

Cols. Upper Arlington 58, Marysville 22

Cols. Watterson 66, Westerville N. 65

Columbia Station Columbia 53, Rocky River Lutheran W. 50

Convoy Crestview 40, Delphos Jefferson 39

Copley 86, Kent Roosevelt 57

Corning Miller 76, Crown City S. Gallia 58

Cortland Maplewood 93, Heartland Christian 25

Coshocton 50, Cambridge 36

Covington 43, Casstown Miami E. 33

Crestline 59, Kansas Lakota 58

Cuyahoga Falls CVCA 45, Navarre Fairless 35

Dalton 69, Apple Creek Waynedale 45

Day. Chaminade Julienne 55, Day. Carroll 53, OT

Day. Christian 66, Yellow Springs 33

Day. Northridge 57, Middletown Madison Senior 51

Day. Oakwood 50, Bellbrook 35

Defiance 49, Lima Bath 40

Delphos St. John's 70, New Knoxville 43

Dover 55, Zanesville 48

Dublin Coffman 64, Grove City Cent. Crossing 52

Dublin Jerome 53, Dublin Scioto 32

E. Cle. Shaw 54, Bedford 52

E. Liverpool 74, Brooke, W.Va. 56

Elmore Woodmore 53, Rossford 50

Elyria Cath. 95, Parma Hts. Valley Forge 44

Fairborn 57, Tipp City Tippecanoe 45

Fairview 66, Brooklyn 49

Fayetteville-Perry 59, Seaman N. Adams 55, 3OT

Findlay Liberty-Benton 65, Vanlue 36

Frankfort Adena 55, Southeastern 48

Fremont Ross 63, Oregon Clay 51

Fremont St. Joseph 60, New Riegel 49

Ft. Recovery 56, New Bremen 38

Gahanna Lincoln 68, Lancaster 38

Gates Mills Hawken 54, Independence 37

Genoa Area 56, Millbury Lake 37

Georgetown 57, Blanchester 55

Gibsonburg 62, Tol. Emmanuel Baptist 43

Girard 58, Campbell Memorial 42

Glouster Trimble 71, Stewart Federal Hocking 35

Goshen 74, New Richmond 64

Greenville 66, W. Carrollton 54

Greenwich S. Cent. 80, Ashland Crestview 49

Grove City Christian 70, Fairfield Christian 65

Hamilton Ross 64, Oxford Talawanda 60, OT

Hartville Lake Center Christian 65, Ravenna SE 50

Hilliard Bradley 64, Hilliard Darby 47

Hilliard Davidson 65, Galloway Westland 32

Hillsboro 54, Greenfield McClain 52

Holland Springfield 69, Napoleon 67

Hudson WRA 45, Cle. Hts. Lutheran E. 5

Huron 54, Sandusky Perkins 46

Jamestown Greeneview 66, W. Liberty-Salem 42

Jeromesville Hillsdale 71, Doylestown Chippewa 52

Kalida 46, Ft. Jennings 42

Kettering Alter 47, Middletown Fenwick 41

Kidron Cent. Christian 51, Loudonville 48

LaGrange Keystone 42, Medina Buckeye 31

Lakewood 53, Grafton Midview 52

Lancaster Fisher Cath. 47, Sugar Grove Berne Union 43

Lewis Center Olentangy Orange 59, Lewis Center Olentangy 55

Lexington 58, Mansfield Sr. 48

Liberty Twp. Lakota E. 56, Fairfield 45

Lima Cent. Cath. 55, Columbus Grove 53

Lima Perry 96, Waynesfield-Goshen 40

Lima Temple Christian 64, Dola Hardin Northern 35

Lisbon Beaver 70, Rayland Buckeye 64

Lisbon David Anderson 51, Columbiana 38

Logan 56, Jackson 37

Lorain 86, Warrensville Hts. 65

Lore City Buckeye Trail 83, Woodsfield Monroe Cent. 67

Louisville 63, Carrollton 59

Louisville Aquinas 57, Youngs. Valley Christian 33

Lowellville 74, Mineral Ridge 58

Lucas 49, Mansfield Christian 41

Lynchburg-Clay 78, W. Union 56

Lyndhurst Brush 71, Eastlake N. 40

Madison 82, Mayfield 46

Magnolia Sandy Valley 77, Newcomerstown 56

Manchester 63, Orrville 51

Mansfield St. Peter's 71, Danville 51

Marion Harding 51, Delaware Buckeye Valley 43

Marion Pleasant 43, Plain City Jonathan Alder 40

Martins Ferry 55, Cadiz Harrison Cent. 38

Mason 85, Cin. Colerain 50

Massillon Jackson 50, Uniontown Lake 44

Maumee 47, Bowling Green 36

McArthur Vinton County 64, Pomeroy Meigs 56

McComb 53, Arcadia 45

McConnelsville Morgan 60, Crooksville 43

McDonald 87, Berlin Center Western Reserve 80, OT

McGuffey Upper Scioto Valley 67, Ridgeway Ridgemont 43

Mentor 89, Medina 67

Mercyhurst Prep, Pa. 66, Conneaut 45

Miami Valley Christian Academy 45, Cin. Riverview East 32

Milford 53, Cin. Withrow 42

Milford Center Fairbanks 60, Cedarville 44

Miller City 61, Continental 50

Milton-Union 54, Waynesville 53

Minerva 59, Salem 49

Minford 70, Lucasville Valley 65, OT

Mogadore 52, Garrettsville Garfield 51

Mogadore Field 53, Ravenna 46

Monroe 49, Camden Preble Shawnee 44

Mt. Gilead 67, Fredericktown 54

Mt. Vernon 60, Mansfield Madison 53

N. Can. Hoover 72, Green 55

N. Ridgeville Lake Ridge 66, Elyria Open Door 54

N. Royalton 66, Cuyahoga Falls 50

New Albany 54, Canal Winchester 40

New Boston Glenwood 56, Franklin Furnace Green 53

New Concord John Glenn 45, Dresden Tri-Valley 40

New London 59, Ashland Mapleton 42

New Madison Tri-Village 72, W. Alexandria Twin Valley S. 42

New Middletown Spring. 74, Columbiana Crestview 35

New Philadelphia 60, Marietta 48

Newark 79, Groveport-Madison 51

Newton Falls 64, Warren Champion 62

Niles McKinley 50, Cortland Lakeview 48

Norwalk St. Paul 56, Collins Western Reserve 50

Oak Harbor 53, Milan Edison 45

Oak Hill 57, Portsmouth W. 45

Oberlin 67, Lorain Clearview 54

Oberlin Firelands 60, Sullivan Black River 45

Ontario 68, Norwalk 26

Orange 63, Perry 36

Oregon Stritch 87, Northwood 42

Orwell Grand Valley 66, Vienna Mathews 31

Ottawa-Glandorf 61, Celina 53

Pandora-Gilboa 53, Leipsic 43

Parma Hts. Holy Name 62, Parma Normandy 45

Paulding 59, Harrod Allen E. 55

Peebles 62, Sardinia Eastern Brown 50

Pemberville Eastwood 54, Tontogany Otsego 32

Peninsula Woodridge 75, Akr. Springfield 52

Philo 55, New Lexington 52

Pickerington Cent. 83, Grove City 49

Pickerington N. 48, Reynoldsburg 46

Piketon 79, Bainbridge Paint Valley 52

Pioneer N. Central 80, Waldron, Ind. 54

Plymouth 61, Monroeville 39

Poland Seminary 54, Ashtabula Lakeside 42

Portsmouth 81, Ironton Rock Hill 41

Portsmouth Clay 69, Latham Western 60

Portsmouth Sciotoville 88, Willow Wood Symmes Valley 68

Powell Olentangy Liberty 59, Westerville Cent. 44

Proctorville Fairland 75, Gallipolis Gallia 48

Racine Southern 53, Reedsville Eastern 37

Richfield Revere 51, Tallmadge 49

Richmond Hts. 44, Cuyahoga Hts. 41

Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington 53, Mowrystown Whiteoak 39

Rittman 71, Smithville 55

Riverside Stebbins 63, Troy 57

Rocky River 55, Gates Mills Gilmour 52

Russia 43, Houston 33

S. Point 57, Ironton 51

Sandusky 70, Tiffin Columbian 57

Sandusky St. Mary 68, Old Fort 65

Sebring McKinley 88, N. Jackson Jackson-Milton 61

Shelby 62, Bellevue 44

Sidney Lehman 54, DeGraff Riverside 48

Southington Chalker 81, N. Bloomfield 12

Sparta Highland 79, Galion Northmor 58

Spencerville 74, Ada 42

Spring. NE 64, N. Lewisburg Triad 56

Spring. NW 77, Lewistown Indian Lake 71

Spring. Shawnee 59, Spring. Greenon 39

Springfield 67, Huber Hts. Wayne 55

St. Bernard Roger Bacon 63, Hamilton Badin 45

St. Henry 58, Minster 39

St. Marys Memorial 63, Kenton 54

St. Paris Graham 62, Bellefontaine Benjamin Logan 38

Steubenville 61, Steubenville Cath. Cent. 43

Stow-Munroe Falls 51, Brecksville-Broadview Hts. 39

Streetsboro 55, Lodi Cloverleaf 30

Struthers 67, Hubbard 55

Sunbury Big Walnut 40, Cols. Franklin Hts. 39

Sylvania Southview 55, Perrysburg 36

Thornville Sheridan 74, Zanesville Maysville 49

Tiffin Calvert 68, Fostoria St. Wendelin 46

Tipp City Bethel 58, New Paris National Trail 53

Tol. St. Francis 70, Tol. Cent. Cath. 59

Tol. St. John's 57, Findlay 47

Tol. Whitmer 63, Lima Sr. 54

Toronto 73, Oak Glen, W.Va. 59

Trotwood-Madison 72, Vandalia Butler 51

Troy Christian 62, Franklin Middletown Christian 37

Twinsburg 56, Macedonia Nordonia 49

Urbana 61, Spring. Kenton Ridge 29

Van Buren 67, Cory-Rawson 39

Van Wert 67, Lima Shawnee 64, OT

Vermilion 71, Clyde 59

Versailles 56, Maria Stein Marion Local 41

Wadsworth 54, Hudson 42

Wapakoneta 48, Elida 41

Warren Harding 54, Youngs. Boardman 43

Warren Howland 65, Canfield 54

Waterford 80, Belpre 52

Wellsville 73, Salineville Southern 39

West Salem Northwestern High School 48, Creston Norwayne 46

Wheelersburg 51, Waverly 46

Whitehouse Anthony Wayne 53, Sylvania Northview 51

Wickliffe 67, Geneva 55

Willoughby S. 59, Painesville Riverside 35

Wooster 75, Ashland 41

Worthington Kilbourne 40, Thomas Worthington 39

Xenia 77, Piqua 75

Youngs. East 70, Austintown Fitch 68

Zanesville Rosecrans 62, Uhrichsville Claymont 48

Zanesville W. Muskingum 60, Hebron Lakewood 43

Zoarville Tuscarawas Valley 50, Massillon Tuslaw 47

Paul VI, Va. 72, Cle. VASJ 59

Paul VI, Va. 72, Cle. VASJ 49

Westerville S. 82, Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa. 54

Kettering Fairmont 60, Sidney 51

Akr. Buchtel 78, Akr. Ellet 65

Akr. Garfield 82, Akr. East 79

Akr. Kenmore 78, Akr. North 55

New Matamoras Frontier 54, Wirt County, W.Va. 48

Washington C.H. vs. Washington C.H. Miami Trace, ppd. to Jan 31.

Justin Thomas shot 59-64 for 17-under and the lead at the halfway mark of the PGA Tour's Sony Open 2017. The third round is Saturday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Justin Thomas led by five shots entering the third round of the PGA Tour's Sony Open on Saturday in Honolulu.

Thomas followed an 11-under 59 on Thursday with a 64 on Friday, putting him at 17-under. Gary Woodland (64-64) was in second. Three players were tied for third at 10-under.

Saturday's tee times

The PGA Tour's Hawaiian play-cation concludes with the Sony Open. Last week, at the SBS Tournament in Maui, Thomas shot 22-under 270 to defeat Hideki Matsuyama by three shots. Three players, including Jordan Spieth, were six back.

Spieth and Thomas are close friends. Spieth was tied for 13th at 8-under at Sony.

Saturday's live leaderboard:

PGA TOUR

SONY OPEN

Site: Honolulu.

Course: Waialae Country Club.

Purse: $6 million (First prize: $1.08 million).

Television: Golf Channel (Thursday-Saturday, 7-10:30 p.m.; Sunday, 6-10 p.m.).

Defending champion: Fabian Gomez.

Last tournament: Justin Thomas won the SBS Tournament of Champions.

Notes: Ernie Els in 2003 is the last player to win both Hawaii events in the same year. ... Justin Rose is playing as part of the tour's new "Strength of Field" policy that requires players to compete in a tournament they have not played in the past four years. ... Nine players from Kapalua are not at the Sony Open, including three players in the top 10: Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson. Johnson is playing next week in Abu Dhabi. ... Branden Grace is playing the Sony Open, then heads straight to Abu Dhabi for the European Tour event. ... The field at Waialae includes 60-year-old Fred Funk. ... The Sony Open has been played at Waialae every year since 1971. The only tournaments with a longer consecutive run at the same course are at Augusta National (1934), Pebble Beach (1947) and Colonial (1950). ... Davis Love III set the course record with a 60 in 1994. ... Tadd Fujikawa was a Monday qualifier. He tied for 20th as a 16-year-old in the 2007 Sony Open. ... Jordan Spieth is playing the Sony Open for the second time. He missed the cut in 2014.

Next week: CareerBuilder Challenge.

Online: www.pgatour.com

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

The New England Patriots are giving the Houston Texans a ton of points (-17 from my line), but I refuse to pick against them as part of NFL Divisional Round 2017.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- OneUp Sports called to ask for my best ''bets'' for NFL Divisional Round 2017. Entertainment purposes only, of course.

Complete NFL Divisional Round picks

I went 1-1 on BB in Wild Card Weekend after finishing 36-30-4 in the regular season.

Kyle Korver may start one day for the Cavs, but his true value to them is being paired with LeBron James on Cleveland's second unit. Watch video

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Cavs believe Kyle Korver is underrated as a defender.

He showed his mettle on that end late in the fourth quarter of the Cavs' 120-108 win over Sacramento, when he raced back and stripped the ball from DeMarcus Cousins as he was heading up for a dunk.

"That's just not giving up," LeBron James said of his newest teammate.

Korver's night was bright because he scored 18 points and shot 7-of-10 from the field and 4-of-6 from 3-point range. He's coming off coach Tyronn Lue's bench, and Iman Shumpert is the starting two guard now because, unlike DeAndre Liggins, he can score as well as defend.

But the Cavs think Korver is a worthy defender on a championship team, and will shine through on defense when he gets some practice time and really comes to understand their scheme.

Good enough to start? Yes. But starting isn't really important for the Cavs when it comes to Korver.

They want him playing with James and Channing Frye on that second unit.

Korver, Shumpert emerge in Cavs' win

Lue made several changes to his rotation and playcalling for this game. Among them was re-installing James as the leader of the second unit, which means he leaves the court a little earlier in the first quarter and begins the second with Cleveland's backups.

Korver is in that group, as is Frye. Together they scored 28 points and drained six 3s. Seven of James' 15 assists (which tied a season high) went to Korver, Frye, and Richard Jefferson. James also scored 16 points.

"Obviously we got a bunch of good looks tonight," Korver said. "I think me and Channing, I don't think we'd normally get that many good looks. So, as we continue to learn how to play with each other and everyone else gets a good feel for us, hopefully that just keeps on developing. Or hopefully the other guys just get better shots, easier shots from that."

Much will be made over the Cavs building in "Korver screens," or pindowns in which Cleveland's big men trap Korver's defender on the baseline while he streaks to the perimeter for a catch-and-shoot 3.

Lue put those plays in for Korver in the morning at Korver's first shootaround with the Cavs since they acquired him in a trade one week ago. It took 20 minutes for the Cavs and Korver to learn each other, or so it seemed.

"I still didn't know what was going on half the time, but I knew what was going on half the time," Korver said. "There's a lot of movement and a lot of screen action. It takes chemistry to make those things happen. And LeBron helps too."

Shumpert was more than serviceable with the starters, scoring 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting (4-of-6 on 3s) in just his second start this season.

But Korver played 25 minutes, and he's definitely going to log those kinds of minutes. Having him on the court with James and Frye and Jefferson, or James and Kevin Love (15 points, 18 rebounds) and Kyrie Irving (24 points), can be lethal.

In that second quarter, if Korver is coming off the bench, the way Lue works his rotation the Cavs can have it both ways.

Friday morning's shootaround sure appeared to make quite a difference, as the Cavaliers shredded the Kings' defense, beating Sacramento, 120-108. Watch video

SACRAMENTO -- The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't want to make excuses following a second straight road loss Wednesday night. But after a tough start to the New Year, they yearned for extra court time.

Friday morning's shootaround sure appeared to make a difference, as the Cavaliers decimated the Kings' defense, beating Sacramento, 120-108.

Here are five observations:

Lineup change - Head coach Tyronn Lue announced it to the media in the morning: The Cavs were swapping DeAndre Liggins for Iman Shumpert in the starting lineup.

Lue said all the right things about the switch. He praised Liggins for his defense. But Liggins' lack of scoring played a role.

The other part was about Shumpert, whose shooting numbers started declining recently while playing primarily with the second unit.

Shumpert, more comfortable not having to carry as much of an offensive burden, scored nine points on 3-of-3 from the field, all 3-pointers, in the first quarter.

"Shump was great," Lue said. "I thought starting him tonight slowed him down and got him able to play his normal game."

Shumpert finished with 16 points on 6-of-9 from the field, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. It's his highest-scoring game since Dec. 10 when he poured in that many against the Charlotte Hornets.

"I got some good looks," he said. "Playing in that first unit I think it opens up another two or three shots off the bat because that's the time Bron and Kyrie (Irving) are making decisions and sort of feeling out the game and seeing how the defense is playing."

In the first quarter, James assisted on two of Shumpert's made baskets. Irving set up the other.

Despite recent slippage, Shumpert is shooting a career-best 42.7 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from beyond the arc.

A lot of the success can be traced to his off-season work, watching a ton of film and working on his mechanics with trainer Adam Taylor, an old high school teammate.

Shumpert's also shifted his mindset.

"I feel like it's the first year I actually thought shot first. I'm not a shot-first guy," he said. "I've always used the drive to get shots and I think this year because I focused on it so much this summer, I was able to change my mindset into using the jump shot to get easier drives."

That's not us - While he always talks about it being a make-or-miss league, James expressed frustration with the Cavaliers' low assist total recently.

"That's not us," he said.

He looked determined to change that Friday. James tied his season-high with 15 helpers. The Cavs had 27 on 44 made shots, the first time they've hit the 20-assist mark since Dec. 29.

"It wasn't so much LeBron. Just talked to our guys in general," Lue said. "Our playmakers, if you can't make the play then get off it and we will get it back to you. If you're not a playmaker then you move the basketball and get it to our playmakers. That will help cut down our turnovers and that will help us get open shots and find the right people."

Extra work - The Cavs wanted to make Friday's shootaround count, the first with Korver, who termed it a "longer shootaround."

But Korver's pregame work didn't end there.

"We went through a bunch of sets and a bunch of options and it was really helpful," Korver said. "And I watched a bunch of film this afternoon with our coaching staff and I'm trying to get my head around what we're doing on the other end of the floor."

At one point in the first half, the Kings had trimmed the Cavs' advantage to 10 following a DeMarcus Cousins layup. That's when Korver buried a three -- the start of an 11-0 run. He scored seven points in all during that stretch, helping Cleveland regain control.

"LeBron is so good at seeing every option of every play, and if someone is overplaying, hopefully something else is open," said Korver. "He's just the best at reading that."

Ray Allen plays - Shortly after the Cavs traded for Korver, Lue excitedly texted him, letting the sharpshooter know he was going into his archive for Ray Allen plays.

"He's got a ton of them," Korver said.

Of course, that involves running Korver off screens and motions where Allen was arguably the best in the game for years.

"We have a long way to go," Korver admitted. "I have a long way to go before I'll be fully comfortable and we're clicking on all cylinders but today was definitely a step in the right direction."

There's plenty more stuff Lue will put in with Korver and eventually it will become second nature. But Friday showed the potential.

There was even an old Celtics pindown, one involving Kevin Love screening for Korver. In Boston, Allen ran the play with either Kevin Garnett or Kendrick Perkins.

With 3:15 remaining in the second quarter, the play started on the left side. James took a handoff from Tristan Thompson and dribbled toward the top of the key.

Korver set a screen for Love, who drew his defender into the paint. Then Korver used Thompson's screen to create space before burying one of his patented on-the-move jumpers. 

Kyle Korver and Kevin Love run a successful set against the Kings. NBA.com 

NBA.com 

You can see the video in its entirety here. 

On the ensuing possession, Lue ran the same set, knowing the defense would focus on Korver.

NBA.com 

Cousins recognized the play immediately, but Love sealed his man in the paint while James snapped a bounce pass to Love for the layup -- the counter.

NBA.com 

You can see the entire play here.

One set. Two baskets. Right out of the Celtics' old playbook for Allen.

New shoes - James wore his Air Zoom Generation 1s, the retro sneakers he showed off for the first time Thursday night. But only before the game. Shumpert, however, played in them. 

"It's a nice set of shoes," Shumpert said. "I actually asked Bron a couple weeks ago, I said, 'Man you should retro your first shoe for me, let me play in it. I like playing in retros. You should retro that shoe for me.' He sort of never responded, so I thought I'd just go on e-Bay and find them myself. Then he walks in today and gives everybody a pair. I knew everybody else would probably wear them with an outfit, but I wanted to play in them."

Irving was a youngster when James' first signature shoe was released. He didn't have a pair back in the day. The ones he got as a gift will join all the other LeBron shoes in his growing collection.

"I have my personal share of Brons," Irving said. "I've had them since I was a kid and as well as coming into college and shoes that I wore. He knew that I have my own special pair of low top Brons that before I even came into the league he knew about. That connection there just goes way deeper than our friendship. For me collecting sneakers. But giving back his first shoe, original Cavs colors, Air Zoom Generation, it's awesome."

The 2017 NFL Playoffs games today match the Atlanta Falcons vs. Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots vs. Houston Texans.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The divisional round of the 2017 NFL Playoffs begin on Saturday and the best game of the day has the Seattle Seahawks at the Atlanta Falcons (4:35 p.m., FOX).

It's the first of the weekend's four rematches and has the potential to become the most competitive game, based on their regular season meeting that came down to the final minutes and a two-point victory by the Seahawks.

The nightcap between the New England Patriots and Houston Texans (8:15 p.m., CBS) has all of the makings of another blowout by the Patriots, who defeated the Texans, 27-0, during the regular season with a third-string quarterback while Tom Brady was serving his suspension.

Here are capsule previews of Saturday's game. You can follow along live all day on our NFL Scoreboard and also find previews, stats and updates.

SATURDAY

Seattle Seahawks (10-5-1) at Atlanta Falcons (11-5)

• When: 4:35 p.m., FOX
• Why watch: This is a rematch of the thriller earlier this season where the Seahawks defeated the Falcons by two. The key matchup then and now is between Falcons receiver Julio Jones and Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. Jones caught seven passes for 139 yards and a touchdown in the first meeting. How will Sherman respond on Saturday?

• Series history: Saturday will be the 17th all-time meeting (second in postseason) between the two teams with the Seahawks leading the series, 10-6. The Falcons beat the Seahawks in the divisional round of the 2012 NFC playoffs. ... In their last meeting, the Seahawks beat the Falcons 26-24 in October.

• Injury report: Seahawks -- DNP: TE Jimmy Graham (not injury related), RB Thomas Rawls (not injury related). LIMITED: S Jeron Johnson (knee), DT Tony McDaniel (concussion), RB C.J. Prosise (shoulder). Falcons -- None announced.

Houston Texans (9-7) at New England Patriots (14-2)

• When: 8:15 p.m., CBS
• Why watch: The Texans are the weakest team in the postseason and the Patriots should not have much of a problem, especially because of inconsistent play from QB Brock Osweiler. The Patriots have won 16 of 17 home playoff games when Tom Brady is under center.
• Series history: This is the ninth meeting in the series that includes the postseason and the Patriots lead 7-1, including 1-0 in the playoffs. The Patriots will host the Texans for the second time in the playoffs -- the Pats won 41-28 at Gillette Stadium during the 2012 season. These two teams last met in Week 3 this season when rookie QB Jacoby Brissett led a 27-0 victory.
• Injury report: Texans -- LIMITED: G Jeff Allen (ankle), DE Jadeveon Clowney (elbow/wrist), LB Brian Cushing (ankle), S Quintin Demps (hamstring), WR DeAndre Hopkins (knee), CB Jonathan Joseph (calf), LB Whitney Mercilus (knee), LB John Simon (chest). FULL: CB A.J. Bouye (groin), T Chris Clark (ankle), TE Ryan Griffin (quad), S Andre Hall (foot), LB Brian Peters (foot), QB Tom Savage (concussion). Patriots -- DNP: RB LeGarrette Blount (illness). LIMITED: WR Malcolm Mitchell (knee). FULL: WR Danny Amendola (ankle), QB Tom Brady (thigh), CB Cyrus Jones (knee), WR Matthew Slater (foot).

Myers is rated the No. 3 offensive tackle and the No. 10 overall player in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State football program signed early-enrollee Josh Myers as part of its recruiting class for National Singing Day 2017. Here is an in-depth look at this member of the Buckeyes' recruiting class. 

Josh Myers

School: Miamisburg, Ohio 

Position: Offensive lineman 

Height, weight: 6-foot-6, 306 pounds

247Sports Rating: Myers is rated the No. 3 offensive tackle and the No. 10 overall player in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings. 

Other schools: Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, West Virginia and others. Myers committed to Ohio State so early that it stopped his recruitment from going truly national. 

What's his deal? Ohio State hadn't even officially signed its 2016 recruiting class when Myers committed to the Buckeyes last January. Given Myers is literally one of the 10 best players in high school football in the country, the strain that took off the coaching staff was crucial in getting the 2017 class started off with a bang. 

Myers earned an Alabama offer the summer after his freshman year -- which only happens with truly elite prospects -- and has been nothing short of dominant his entire high school career.

He's everything Ohio State would want in an offensive line prospect.

You've seen the crazy videos of him in the weight room, right? 

Why use two arms when you only need one... [?] [?] (via @BR_TheFuture)https://t.co/fxfX0W4uWO

-- Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 10, 2016

How he fits into Ohio State's plans: Every year we trick ourselves into thinking a player with high recruiting rankings could actually play as a freshman. And though it happened this past year on the offensive line with Michael Jordan at left guard, it's not supposed to be part of the plan at Ohio State. Something went wrong.

Myers, however, had been hearing from college coaches that he was destined to start as a freshman in college since he was a freshman in high school. He's different. He's a freak. He's not normal. 

Projections for 2017: Billy Price is returning to Ohio State for his senior season and he's moving inside to play center the way Pat Elflein did in 2016. Since Price is leaving his spot at right guard and replacing Elflein, there's a chance Myers could start there as a freshman, especially because he's already enrolled and will participate in spring practice. That's what Jordan did. 

The conservative guess for Myers, though, is that he'll redshirt. 

Player comparison: Some recruiting experts who have paid close attention have said that Myers is the best offensive line prospect they've seen since Orlando Pace or Korey Stringer. If Myers turns out to be either one of those guys, we'll apologize later for not giving him enough credit. For now, how about the latest version of Jack Mewhort? Though Mewhort played tackle and is now in the NFL, he started as a guard at Ohio State. He is big and athletic and changed the game, which is what Ohio State will expect from Myers.

Why he's important to the best class in Ohio State history: He's a top-10 player and top-three offensive lineman from Ohio who committed to the Buckeyes early before enrolling in time for spring. Does anything else really need to be said? 

OK -- what about this: To get a prospect like that in the class without really having to recruit him that hard gave Ohio State's coaching staff a lot more time to assemble the 2017 class. Not only is Myers a great player, but he was a stress-free recruitment and an important part of the reason Urban Meyer put this class together. 

Highlight tape: 

What we've written about Myers:

Why Myers' commitment was so valuable to OSU 

Check out our poll and let us know what you think

CLEVELAND, Ohio - On Friday, Browns reporter Dan Labbe dove into the small sample size of NFL game film we have on quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, a player the Patriots could try to trade this offseason.

Labbe highlighted the good and the bad he saw from Garoppolo in his two starts for the Patriots earlier this season.

If you missed it, you should really check it out. There are GIFs and everything. Go ahead, we'll wait.

A closer look at Jimmy Garoppolo

Now that you're properly educated on Garoppolo, we want to know what you'd be willing to give up for him in a trade. Remember, the Browns are loaded with draft picks this season, and also have extra second-, fourth- and sixth-round picks in 2018.

Check out the poll below and let us know what you think. You can explain your answer in the comment section.

We've written and talked quite a bit here on cleveland.com about all of the Browns' QB options

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Browns enter the offseason unsettled at quarterback. With the No.1 and No. 12 overall picks in the 2017 NFL Draft, they have the opportunity to add one of the top quarterback prospects, such as Mitch Trubisky, Deshaun Watson or DeShone Kizer.

They Browns could also trade for an NFL quarterback such as the Patriots' Jimmy Garoppolo.

We've written and talked quite a bit here on cleveland.com about all of the Browns' quarterback options in recent weeks. Check out the links below to see what we have to offer on the subject:

Quarterbacks in general

A QB will likely cost Browns No. 1 pick

About the Browns QB choice: Livingston

Where you said Browns should draft a QB

Jimmy Garoppolo

A closer look at Jimmy Garoppolo

Deshaun Watson

Why Deshaun Watson is ready for NFL

Deshaun Watson NFL Draft profile

Browns must think about Watson, right?

Watson made his case vs. Alabama

Should the Browns take Watson No. 1?

Mitch Trubisky

Has Trubisky played enough to be No. 1?

How Mitch Trubisky became a first-rounder

Mitch Trubisky NFL Draft profile

Browns facing ghost of Kosar: Pluto

DeShone Kizer

DeShone Kizer NFL Draft profile

Cleveland Browns need to consider the contract issues if they trade for New England Patriots backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It was about now when Hue Jackson began hiring his first Cleveland Browns coaching staff a year ago.

Jackson was hired as the Browns coach on January 13, 2016. Most of the assistants weren't hired until January 22, 2016.

Question: How many good options were available for Jackson to hire?

Answer: Even fewer than you think, because many coaches are skeptical about joining the Browns. That's what happens when coaches are fired about every two years -- which has been the pattern since 2008.

Question: Is it any surprise that Jackson is changing his coaching staff?

Quick story: Before the season, I was talking to Robert Nunn. He was the Browns defensive line coach. His last stop was the New York Giants, a 4-3 defense. Defensive coordinator Ray Horton was playing a 3-4. I asked Nunn if he had ever coached in a 3-4 before. The answer was -- no.

I've been told that's not a big deal, a 4-3 line coach can easily learn to coach in the 3-4. Nunn had been in the NFL for 17 years. So this is not a knock on him.

But it shows how the staff was quickly assembled with parts that were not likely to fit smoothly together.

I'm sure there are other examples on the coaching staff where the hires weren't exactly ideal.

It would have been wrong for Jackson to simply settle for his 2016 staff for the sake of continuity. I'm glad some of these changes are being made.

ABOUT JACKSON'S JOB

Question: What made Hue Jackson so attractive to the Browns a year ago?

Answer: His history of improving quarterbacks, his play-calling and his leadership skills.

That's why it's critical for Jackson to stay closely involved with the offense. It's a mess, the offense and the quarterback situation.

The Browns were 3-13 when he took over. They stripped the roster of most veteran players. Their rookies took 25 percent of the snaps, the most of any team in the NFL.

They went 1-15.

The Browns are still trying to build a foundation.

I have received several emails suggesting Jackson give up the play-calling duties and concentrate on being the head coach.

If the Browns actually had a legitimate quarterback in place and an offense moving in the right direction, I'd agree.

But that's not close to reality.

The Browns played five different quarterbacks last season ... that's right, FIVE!

None appear to be the long-term starter.

They probably will draft a quarterback. They also may add a veteran quarterback in a trade.

Jackson likes to say, "It's on me."

That's right. It's on him to deal with the quarterbacks and the offense. He needs to be hands on when it comes to coaching them and preparing game plans.

Until this season, Jackson was considered a good offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Despite all the frustrations with the Browns, that hasn't changed.

His specialty is the offense, and that is where he should spend a lot of time.

He also needs to improve his staff. QB coach Pep Hamilton left for Michigan. So the Browns need a quarterback coach. They fired line coach Hal Hunter.

The offensive line coach is a key man, and the Browns must find someone who is an upgrade over those who have held the position in the last few years.

ABOUT GREGG WILLIAMS

The Browns need more than a defensive coordinator. They need a head coach of the defense.

That's Williams, who replaced Horton.

When the New Orleans Saints were at their best, head coach Sean Peyton also called the plays on offense. Williams ran the defense.

I know, they also had the Bountygate scandal. I'm not going to rehash the old stew about that. Let's just say it's naive to believe Williams and the Saints were the only ones in the NFL running that type of operation where defenders were paid for knocking quarterbacks out of the game.

That's doesn't make it right. And the suspension Williams served had better make any thought of that disappear.

But the facts are Williams is a good defensive coach, a strong leader. He was the head coach of the Buffalo Bills from 2001-03. He had records of 3-13, 8-8 and 6-10 ... and then was fired.

Since then, he has been a defensive coordinator.

If the Browns had a successful defense or even players best suited for Horton's 3-4 defense, then it would be easy to moan about the switch to the 4-3.

But two of the Browns top draft choices -- Emmanual Ogbah and Carl Nassib -- are best as 4-3 defensive ends. Danny Shelton would be an excellent defensive tackle in the 4-3 scheme, occupying blockers in the middle of the line.

A big question would be middle linebacker. Chris Kirksey is the best linebacker, very good in the 3-4 scheme. Could he play in the middle in the 4-3? I don't have the answer. My guess is Williams will figure it out.

Talking to one executive, he told me how the Browns defensive players "are in for a real culture shock." Williams will coach them hard, will be very demanding and teaching them at the same time.

His personality is the complete opposite of Horton, a quiet and thoughtful man.

We'll see if it pays off. The executive likes the move for the Browns, and so do I.

CONSIDERING JIMMY GAROPPOLO

I'm not going to do an in-depth look at the New England Patriots backup quarterback right now.

Cleveland.com's Dan Labbe did an excellent job breaking down some film, and you can read it online.

But while talking to the NFL executive, he mentioned something about Garoppolo that I hadn't considered.

"If the Browns trade for him, they better be sure he's their guy," the executive said.

It's not just the cost. It could be the Browns 12th pick in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, or some combination with second-round picks.

"After the (2017) season, Garoppolo is going to be a free agent," said the executive. "You can't trade some high picks and then lose him after a year. You have to sign him pretty much after you trade for him."

And that will cost big money ... and a big chunk out of the salary cap.

Garoppolo has started two games for the Patriots, serving as Tom Brady's backup. He was the 62nd pick in the 2014 draft. His NFL career consists of 94 pass attempts. To be exact, he is 63-of-94 passing (67 percent) with 5 TDs and zero interceptions.

Garoppolo looked pretty good in his two starts, but New England also knows how to take care of it's quarterbacks.

I'm putting the talent evaluation aside, and going right to the price.

Brock Osweiler started seven games for Denver in 2015. The Broncos were 5-2 in his starts, he threw 10 TD passes compared to six interceptions -- completing 62 percent of his passes.

That's promising, but not eye-popping.

Osweiler became a free agent and signed this contract with the Houston Texans:

• It was $72 million for four years, $37 million guaranteed.
• He was paid $21 million in 2016, counting his signing bonus.
• He is guaranteed $16 million in 2017.

He started 14 games for the Texans, and had an 8-6 record. He has completed only 59 percent of his passes, 15 TDs compared to 16 interceptions.

At the end of the season, Osweiler temporarily lost his job to unheralded backup Tom Savage. His $16 million guaranteed for 2017 makes him untradeable.

So the Browns run a risk if they deal for Garoppolo:

• If they sign him, it will probably be for a huge contract.
• If he fails in 2017, then they are in the same spot as Houston with Osweiler.
• If they don't sign him, he could play well enough to sign elsewhere after the 2017 season. Or his price tag could be even higher.

If the Browns do deal for Garroppolo, there are millions of reasons why they have to be sure he is their guy.

See video highlights of St. Ignatius vs. St. Edward, plus more in this weekend edition of the Boys Basketball Rewind.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Michael Spear has found Matt Davet makes a better teammate.

The St. Ignatius boys basketball teammates played as opponents during their CYO years. Spear, a guard on the Wildcats, said he remembers games in which “their offense would just throw the ball to Davet and see what he could do.”

Years later on Friday night, St. Ignatius seemingly did that during the senior forward’s 36-point performance. He helped No. 3 St. Ignatius take down fifth-ranked St. Edward, 90-80, in a cleveland.com Top 25 battle that lasted to overtime.

Davet hit one of his four 3-pointers to force extra time. See it in the above video. Learn more about Davet below.

As for St. Edward (9-3), the Eagles young role players around senior guards Tommy Schmock and Jack Sullivan got their first taste of this rivalry. See how the fared and hear coach Eric Flannery’s thoughts below.

PERFORMANCES OF THE NIGHT

Oustide of Davet, here is who else had big a Friday.

• Va’shonne Hemmingway’s 28-point night led Collinwood to an 82-81 home win against John Marshall.


• Fresh off his game-winning 3-pointer Tuesday at Medina, Antonio Blanton scored 31 points to lead 19th-ranked Elyria past No. 17 Solon, 83-74. Elyria rallied from a nine-point deficit in the first quarter. Sincere Carry led the Comets with 24 points on the road.

GAME BALLS CONTEST

Avon’s Ryan Bertrand won this week’s Game Balls contest, edging Berea-Midpark’s Chad Elliott in a close vote. Readers gave Bertrand the nod with 1,101 votes to Elliott’s 961 among the 2,889 total.

Bertrand and the No. 25 Eagles improved to 9-0 with their 66-48 Southwestern Conference win Friday vs. Amherst.

TOP PLAYS OF THE WEEK

Also, be sure to check out the top plays cleveland.com captured from Jan. 3-8. Here is the highlight reel. Click here to make your vote.

That contest will remain open through the weekend.

SCOREBOARD WATCHING

Some of Friday’s notable scores, starting with Top 25 matchups.

No. 18 Maple Heights 84, No. 2 Cleveland Heights 70: The upset of the night came fresh off Jaylen Harris’ commitment to Ohio State for football. Maple Heights has its own college-bound football star in Ja’Vonte Richardson, and both met on the floor Friday at Maple Heights.

The Mustangs used a 23-13 second quarter and a 1-3-1 zone to slow the Tigers in a Lake Erie League battle.

Fonse Hale scored 25 points, Daray Menefield added 16 and Tyree Harris and Keyshawn Ford each scored 15. Richardson, a Kentucky-bound receiver, scored three points.

Yahel Hill led the Tigers with a game-high 26 points, while Harris provided 17.

Both teams trail No. 1 Lorain, whcich cruised to an 86-65 win at Warrensville Heights. Jalil Little led the Titans with 19 points.

No. 8 Mentor 89, No. 7 Medina 67: The Cardinals kept their hold on first place in the Greater Cleveland Conference behind Jack Korsok’s 20 points. Manning Trubisky added 17 for Mentor, which owns a half game lead on Elyria.

Paul VI 72, No. 12 Villa Angela-St. Joseph 59: The Virginia school, which became the home for St. Vincent-St. Mary’s V.J. King took control in the third quarter at the Burger King Classic in Erie, Pa.

Jerry Higgins led VASJ with 22 points, while Alonzo Gaffney added 20 off the bench. Paul VI had four players score in double figures.

King now plays as a freshman at Louisville.

No. 20 Bay 91, Parma 62: The Rockets bounced back from their loss Tuesday for a convincing road win in the Great Lakes Conference. R.J. Sunahara scored 27 points and Erik Painter had 20.

Shaw 54, Bedford 52: The Cardinals won their first LEL game in two years behind G’Warren Douglas’ 18 points. Shaw’s last LEL win came Jan. 3, 2015 against Euclid, which is no longer part of the league.

Oberlin 67 Clearview 54: The Clippers suffered their first loss on the road in Patriot Athletic Conference play. Caleb Hughley scored 16 points to lead Oberlin.

Madison 82, Mayfield 46: The Blue Streaks are 9-0 following a road win in which Dhel Duncan-Busby scored 25 points and Corbin Anthony added 20.

CLICK HERE FOR FRIDAY’S SCOREBOARD

FAST FORWARD

This weekend concludes with the Flyin’ to the Hoop showcase in Dayton. Here is a rundown of what is going on.

Mercy Medical Classic in Canton, Saturday-Sunday: This two day event includes Brunswick vs. Youngstown Ursuline, Buckeye vs. Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Ignatius vs. host North Canton Hoover in the finale, which is 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The Sunday slate includes Holy Name vs. Mars (Pa.) at 3:15. Holy Name’s Dwayne Cohill and Mars’ Robbie Carmody played as teammates last spring during international competition.

Flyin’ to the Hoop in Kettering, Sunday: Three local teams head to Dayton for this one. Cleveland Heights faces Centerville at 1:15 p.m., followed by STVM vs. Pickerington North at 3 p.m. Garfield Heights then challenges Upper Arlington at 4:45 p.m.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY SCHEDULE

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

Cleveland Indians starter Trevor Bauer will soon turn 26. It's important to remember how other Tribe starters needed time to mature.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Indians righthander Trevor Bauer will turn 26 on Tuesday.

The temptation is to wonder, "Will this guy ever be anything better than a .500 pitcher?"

In the last three seasons, Bauer is 28-28 with a 4.34 ERA.

Bauer just signed a $3.55 million deal with the Tribe.

This past year, he was 12-8 with a 4.26 ERA. He was 25 years old.

Here is how some of the Tribe's starters performed at the age of 25:

• Corey Kluber was 7-11 with a 5.56 ERA at Class AAA Columbus in 2011.
• Carlos Carrasco was on the disabled list with Tommy John elbow surgery in 2012. He was 8-9 with a 4.62 ERA the previous season for the Tribe.
• Danny Salazar broke through with a 14-10 record and 3.45 ERA for the Tribe in 2015.
• Josh Tomlin just arrived in the Majors. He was 6-4 with a 4.56 ERA for the Tribe in 2010.

So Bauer's 12-8 record with a 4.26 ERA last season looks pretty good in comparison.

Manager Terry Francona stresses mistakes are made by giving up on starting pitchers too soon. They can be frustrating. They sometimes are dealing with injuries. They sometimes need a trip to the bullpen.

BIG MONEY FOR STARTERS

But durable starting pitchers such as Bauer are prized in baseball. I can use a lot of examples of mediocre starters being paid like stars once they reach free agency.

But here are a few from this year's free agent class:

• Edison Volquez was 10-11 with a 4.76 ERA for the Kansas City Royals last season. He signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Miami Marlins.
• Andrew Cashner was 5-11 with a 5.25 ERA last season with Miami and the San Diego Padres. He signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Texas Rangers.
• Charlie Morton pitched only 17 innings for the Philadelphia Phillies last season because of injuries. His record record is 46-71 with a 4.54 ERA. He signed a two-year, $14 million deal with the Houston Astros.

Bauer would easily be a $10 million pitcher -- and signed for a long time at that price on the free agent market.

That's especially true because Bauer's only injury was, as Francona said, "Probably everybody at some point or another has had a drone-related problem."

He was talking about Bauer cutting his pinkie finger "doing routine drone maintenance" during the 2016 playoffs.

MORE AGE CONTEXT

Let's consider the ages of the Tribe's top starting pitching prospects compared with Bauer, whose 26th birthday is Tuesday:

• Mike Clevinger is one month older than Bauer. He was 11-1 with a 3.00 ERA at Class AAA, 3-3 with a 5.26 ERA with the Tribe.
• Cody Anderson turned 26 last September. He had arm problems and was 2-5 with a 6.68 ERA for the Tribe.
• Ryan Merritt will be 25 on February 21. He was 11-8 with a 3.70 ERA at Class AAA and delivered a strong performance in his one playoff start.
• Adam Plutko turned 25 in October. He was 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA, splitting the season between Class AA and AAA.

At 26, Bauer will be the youngest member of the projected rotation. Here are the others and their ages: Tomlin (32), Kluber (30), Carrasco (29) and Salazar (27).

BAUER'S BOTTOM LINE

1. Bauer has the physical ability to be so much more than a .500 pitcher. It's why he was the No. 3 pick in the 2011 draft (by Arizona) and why the Diamondbacks rushed him to the big leagues after only 29 minor league starts.

2. The Indians were enamored with him in the 2011 draft. Team president Chris Antonetti worked hard to put together a three-way deal bringing Bauer to the Tribe before the 2013 season. The Indians knew patience would be required because Bauer's well-known theories about pitching are unique, and he can be stubborn.

3. Last season, the Indians worked on convincing Bauer to throw his fastball outside. He loved to pound the inside corner with his hard stuff. The hitters knew it, and were ready for it. He made some progress in that area.

4. In 2015, he led the American League with 79 walks. In 2016, his control was slightly better as he walked 70. The Indians would like him to not turn so many 0-2 counts into 3-2. Once ahead of a hitter, go into the strike zone and try to finish him off.

5. Bauer is determined and dedicated. He has been learning and maturing with the Tribe. When you look at the ages and careers of other Tribe starters, it tells you why Bauer still has a lot of promise.

ABOUT YANDY DIAZ

I talked to Carter Hawkins about Yandy Diaz.

Hawkins is the Indians assistant general manager. He has been in charge of the farm system since 2014.

He told me the following about Diaz, who batted .318 between Class AA and Class AAA last season. He hit .370 in the Venezuelan Winter League.

1. The Indians signed Diaz out of a tryout camp in the Dominican Republic in 2014. He is a native of Cuba. They also signed pitcher Leandro Linares out of the same camp. Former Tribe assistant GM Ross Atkins played a key role in signing Diaz and Linares.

2. Another native of Cuba, the 22-year-old Linares has emerged as a prospect. He moved to the bullpen in 2016 and had a 1.21 ERA pitching for three teams at the Class A level. In 44 2/3 innings, he struck out 55 and walked only 12. He did not allow a home run.

3. In Cuba, Diaz played a lot of shortstop, along with some other positions -- mostly in the infield.

4. "Yandy is a natural born hitter," said Hawkins. "He has a fine eyes. He has a knack of putting the barrel of the bat on the ball. We can see him getting stronger and hitting for more power."

5. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Diaz batted .325 (.860 OPS) in 95 games at Class AAA Columbus. He finished the season by batting .462 in his last 10 games. He hit nine home runs between Class AA and AAA last season. Diaz turned 25 in August, so now is the time for him to make his move to the majors.

6. After signing with the Tribe in 2014, the Indians put Diaz at third base. He played 252 games there, making 40 errors. He still needs work defensively. In the final six weeks of the season, the Tribe moved him to the outfield. He played 27 games in left field for Columbus, making three errors. He played some center field this winter in Venezuela.

ABOUT GIOVANNY URSHELA

1. Urshela is now 25. He came to Cleveland in 2015 and showed a very good glove at third base. He batted .225 (.608 OPS) with 6 HR and 21 RBI in 288 plate appearances. He struggled against righties, hitting .207.

2. The Indians signed veteran Juan Uribe to play third in 2016, and Urshela went to the minors. He had a decent year, batting .274 (.674 OPS) with 8 HR and 57 RBI in 468 at bats for Columbus. He batted .323 after the All-Star break.

3. A concern with Urshela is his lack of walks. He had only 15 walks in those 468 at bats. His walk totals have dropped the last three years.

4. As Hawkins told me, Urshela remains an excellent fielder. The lack of walks is not the only problem. Too often he is swinging at pitches out of the strike zone. That leads to some wasted at bats. He needs to develop more patience at the plate.

5. The rise of Jose Ramirez not only as a hitter but as a good third baseman blocked Urshela in 2016 from making it to Cleveland. The Indians still consider Urshela a big league option if they need help at third. But Diaz also is a third base option in 2017.

Kyrie Irving, Kyle Korver, Iman Shumpert, and LeBron James were among the stars in Cleveland's win over the Sacramento Kings.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Tyronn Lue again pushed the right buttons.

Given the amount of talent on the Cavs, Lue could've sat on his thumbs and his team would've eventually shaken out of the malaise that crept in during this six-game road trip.

But they're not paying Lue $7 million a year to do that -- sit on those thumbs -- so he changed his starting lineup and began to unlock the Kyle Korver code Friday night. The result was a 120-108 win over the Kings.

The Cavs stopped their losing streak at two and, for the first time since Dec. 29, went over 20 assists as a team (27). They scored 120 points for the 10th time this year (all wins), a good sign after games of 92 and 86 points.

Kyrie Irving led the Cavs with 26 points. LeBron James added 16 points and tied a season high with 15 assists. Kevin Love set a season high with 18 rebounds to go with 15 points.

Lue moved Iman Shumpert into the starting lineup in place of DeAndre Liggins at shooting guard. Shumpert responded by tying a season high with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting.

And then, of course, there's Korver, the Cavs' shiny new piece acquired in a trade with the Hawks a week ago who to this point hasn't been so sparkly. Korver, who had four points to his name as a Cav through two games, poured in 18 points off the bench and shot 4-of-6 on 3-pointers. Lue followed through on his promise to play Korver more with James and to incorporate "Korver screens" into the offense.

The Cavs started running "pindown" actions for him -- where they run his defender into double screens, often near the baseline. Korver, who missed his first six 3s as a Cav, has been using that play to spring himself free for years, and it worked Friday night. He finally made his first 3-pointer for Cleveland with 8:15 left in the second quarter, and shot 7-of-10 from the field.

A career .429 shooter from 3-point range when the Cavs traded for him, Lue said the Cavs went over sets for Korver at shootaround Friday morning that the Celtics used to run for Ray Allen and the Clippers for J.J. Redick. Lue was an assistant under Doc Rivers at both places.

"He's a smart player," Lue said. "He understands some of the actions we want to put in we haven't done before that I'm excited about."

Liggins had been Cleveland's starting shooting guard since J.R. Smith fractured his thumb Dec. 20. A lockdown defender praised by Lue and compared to Matthew Dellavedova by James, it became apparent Liggins could not be trusted for long stretches because he was afraid to shoot. In his 12 starts since Smith was hurt, Liggins made nine 3-pointers.

Shumpert made four 3s Friday night. He entered the game shooting a career-best .416 from the field, though he had spent the entire season playing backup point guard because the Cavs don't really have one. He made his first four shots against the Kings, all 3s.

"I think the only thing that changes is being with the group I might get a couple more wide-open ones playing with LeBron and them in the first rotation and that's usually when LeBron and Kyrie are really trying to feel out how the other team is playing them so the ball may swing a little bit more," Shumpert said. "Other than that I don't see a real difference in what I need to do."

Liggins played 13 minutes as Lue's backup point guard and didn't score.

DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings with 26 points and 11 assists to go with eight boards. The Kings trailed by as many as 24 in the first half and got within six early in the fourth quarter.

NEXT: Warriors, baby. The Cavs finish up this season -ong road trip Monday at 8:30 p.m. against rival Golden State.

Before the Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Kyle Korver, there were several different moves that had to be made.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- About Kyle Korver and Cedi Osman:

1. The Cleveland Cavaliers began looking for another shooter when two things happened: a) J.R. Smith broke his thumb and needed surgery; b) Mike Dunleavy couldn't stay healthy and had trouble fitting in with the offense.

2. The Cavs have always liked Korver. Former GM Chris Grant tried to sign Korver in the summer of 2013, when the shooting guard signed a four-year, $24 million deal with Atlanta. He took less money from the Hawks than was offered by the Cavs.

3. In the last 12 months, current GM David Griffin has checked into the Korver's availability. He has been seeking shooters ever since LeBron James returned, and Korver seems ideal.

4. About a month ago, the Hawks began to think about the future. They sensed their team was not ready to compete with the Cavs in the Eastern Conference, even after signing Dwight Howard.

5. The Hawks lost Al Horford via free agency to Boston last summer, getting nothing in return. Korver is a free agent at the end of this season. At 35, he didn't fit into long-term plans. They decided to trade him now to add a young player and/or draft pick.

6. The Hawks wanted Osman, a 21-year-old 6-9 wing who is growing into one of the best prospects in Europe. He plays for Anadolu Efes, located in Istanbul, which is 12-2 in the highly-regarded Turkish league. He is the team's leading scorer, averaging 14.8 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting .563 from the field, .413 from 3-point range.

7. The Cavs have had him under control since the 2015 draft. They really like him, and told Atlanta no deal.

8. The Turkish League is where David Blatt is now the highest paid coach in Europe. His team is 10-4. So this is high-level European basketball. Osman wants to play in the NBA next season, and the Cavs want to keep him.

ABOUT MAKING A DEAL

1. The Cavs suggested a future first-round pick, and the Hawks were open to that. The two teams needed the deal to fit within the salary cap.

2. The Cavs were able to trade Mo Williams (out with knee surgery) and Dunleavy. It not only fit in the salary cap, it would save the Cavs about $7 million in luxury tax.

3. The problem was the pick. This is where it gets complicated, as is typical about any Cavs trade. The Cavs' status of being in the luxury tax causes lots of problems to make something work.

4. It's a long story, but the Cavs needed to trade draft picks with the Portland Trail Blazers to make this work. A new team was now part of the deal.

5. Last February, the Cavs traded their 2018 first-round pick to Portland so the Blazers would take Anderson Varejao. The Blazers did just that, and cut Varejao. This set up the Cavs to acquire Channing Frye from Orlando. It's more complicated than that, but those are the basics.

6. So the Cavs had their own 2017 pick. Portland had the Cavs' 2018 pick. The Cavs had their 2019 pick, which was what Atlanta wanted as part of the deal for Korver.

7. The Cavs convinced Portland to take a 2017 first-rounder for the 2018 pick. The Blazers believe it will be a stronger draft in 2017, and wanted more picks now.

8. The deal also resolved a conflict with the Ted Stepien rule, which forbids trading away future first-round picks in consecutive years. The emphasis is future. I don't even understand it all.

9. For the Cavs to deal the 2019 pick to Atlanta, they needed a first-round pick in 2018. The exchange of picks with Portland put them in business.

ABOUT THE CAVS' PICKS

1. Part of the reason the Cavs were willing to trade picks now rather than later is contractual. LeBron James can decide to be a free agent in the summer of 2018. He has a player option for the 2018-19 season. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love have player options for the 2019-20 season.

2. So it is possible in 2019-20, the Cavs could be without their Big Three. It's not something they expect to happen, but the players all have that option.

3. With the way the salary cap keeps going up, odds are all three will be looking for new deals when their contracts are up. The Cavs can exceed the salary cap to keep them, but a lot can happen between now and the summer of 2019.

So here is the Cavs' current situation with their first-round picks:

• 2017: Belongs to Portland
• 2018: Cavs
• 2019: Atlanta, protected 1-10. If the Cavs' pick is in the top 10, then Atlanta gets a 1-10 protected pick in 2020
• 2020: Cavs
• 2021: Cavs
• 2022: Cavs

This sets up the franchise to have first rounders to either trade later (starting in 2021), or to keep if they are in a rebuilding situation.

ABOUT THE CAVS

1. Trading Mo Williams opens a roster spot, and they are shopping for a backup point guard. They are in no hurry. The trading deadline is Feb. 23.

2. There are rumors about interest in Jarrett Jack. I don't think it's serious. The 33-year-old Jack had major ACL surgery last January. He is expected to begin working out for interested teams. He was cut by Atlanta in October.

3. Jack averaged 12.8 points for Brooklyn in 32 games during the 2015-16 season. He shot .391 from the field, .304 on 3-pointers. He will have to prove his knee is sound.

4. Mario Chalmers is available. He tore his Achilles last March, and is supposed to be close to ready to play again. Like Jack, Chalmers had a very serious injury. My guess is the Cavs have more interest in Chalmers.

5. Norris Cole is back from China. The former Cleveland State star had a hamstring injury. He is supposedly close to being ready to play. So he is another possibility.

6. But my best guess is the Cavs find someone perhaps on another team. They had to use some of their trade exceptions, but they have two bigger ones left: $4.5 million and $2.3 million. Both expire on Feb. 20, 2017. They also have some smaller ones.

7. I will be talking about my book THE COMEBACK and other things at the Dover Library on Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m. I will be doing the program with Amanda Rabinowitz. We do commentaries together on WKSU. It's free. Call 330-343-6123 to register.

8. I will be speaking at the Stow-Munroe Falls Library on Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. It's free. You can register online or call 330-688-3295 to register.

Walker will join Gregg Williams' defensive staff, replacing Louie Cioffi.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has secured the first piece of the team's new defensive coaching staff. DeWayne Walker, fired by new Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Marrone earlier this week, will take over as defensive backs coach.

Walker replaces Louie Cioffi, let go earlier in the week. The Browns have not yet announced the move.

The Browns might also have a new offensive line coach soon. Alex Marvez of The Sporting News reported Friday night that Bob Wylie is the choice to replace Hal Hunter, let go earlier in the week. As of Saturday morning, a person with knowledge of the situation said that Wylie is in the mix but has not yet been hired.

The 65-year-old Wylie previously worked with Browns head coach Hue Jackson in the same role during Jackson's lone season as Oakland head coach. Wylie most recently was the offensive line coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. His NFL stops as an assistant include Tampa Bay, Cincinnati, Chicago, Arizona and Denver.

Walker, 56, previously crossed paths with Jackson at the University of California. Jackson was the offensive coordinator there in 1996, one of the two seasons Walker spent as a defensive backs coach.

Walker spent the last three seasons with the Jaguars. Former Browns safety Tashaun Gipson, who signed with Jacksonville last off-season, tweeted on Friday, "Cleveland got a legit one! Congrats coach Walk!! Major!!"

Cleveland got a legit one! Congrats coach Walk!! Major!!

-- Tashaun J. Gipson SR (@Gipson_duos24) January 13, 2017

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Art Modell moved the Browns in part so he could turn the Cleveland Borwns over to his adopted son, David. It did not work out. David's death Friday closes that whole sad chapter.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The big cigar that was a prop David Modell used to show how important he was turned out to be a weapon he turned on himself.

Art Modell's adopted son died Friday at the age of 56 of lung cancer.

He lacked his father's way with a disarming quip and his father's grit as a self-made man who accrued a great deal of power in the NFL, but never enough money.

The lasting image some media members had of David Modell was when he berated holdout safety Felix Wright on a practice field in 1990, within earshot of the media, waving the cigar and shouting, "And not a penny more!"

The plan was for David to take over as Browns owner eventually. "He will be the greatest of the great owners," Art Modell predicted.

Despite a move to Baltimore to save himself from the consequences of his bad business decisions here, the elder Modell was never able to hand the team to David as a family heirloom.

The move in the face of a generation of fan loyalty to many mediocre teams destroyed Art Modell's chance to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame, although the Baltimore Ravens' public relations staff keeps trying.

Modell's credentials for induction were his years of toiling to help secure extravagant television contracts for the league. As owner, Art, because he had come so far himself in life, voiced big dreams ("Greatest of the great owners") that often did not come true. 

He once said "The Drive" by Denver in the 1986 AFC Championship game, "would never happen" had the attack defense of Bud Carson, his new coach and hence the Flavor of the Month with Modell, been on the field.

David came off as entitled, in contrast to his father. The younger Modell did not like many media members, many of whom felt the same way about him.

The respect he craved was undermined by the nickname some players privately gave him -- "Fredo," after the inept middle son of the Mafia boss played by Marlon Brando in "The Godfather."

The circus show of incompetent owners, overmatched coaches, clueless draft picks and terrible performances that have followed here stand in painful contrast to the two Super Bowls the Ravens have won since the move.

The first came while Art Modell was still the owner. The franchise's future success was assured when a new majority owner, Steve Bisciotti, ended the money worries.

Never is a long time, but the odds of that ever happening with David as the owner were longer than those John Elway faced when The Drive began.