Fabiola Sanchez Associated Press CARACAS, Venezuela -- While some golfers in Venezuela see a dim future, Jhonattan Vegas sees an opportunity.  Vegas has become the first Venezuelan to earn a PGA Tour card at the same time that golf is under assault in his country with President Hugo Chavez calling it a pastime of the rich and threatening to...

Fabiola Sanchez
Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela -- While some golfers in Venezuela see a dim future, Jhonattan Vegas sees an opportunity. 

Vegas has become the first Venezuelan to earn a PGA Tour card at the same time that golf is under assault in his country with President Hugo Chavez calling it a pastime of the rich and threatening to seize elite clubs to make way for public housing. Chavez's government already has shut down some courses, including the one where Vegas' father was the groundskeeper and first introduced his son to the game. 

The 26-year-old Vegas qualified for next year's PGA Tour by finishing among the top 25 on the Nationwide Tour money list in his third season of professional golf. He wants to use his position on the PGA Tour to help keep golf alive in his homeland, particularly among those who can't afford to join expensive private clubs. 

"One of the things I hope to do for the country is take the sport to the people, and to have people get to know golf a lot better," Vegas said in an interview with The Associated Press. 

When he secured his card last month, Vegas achieved a dream that long eluded Venezuelan golfers. 

"We come from a super humble family that always had to work to achieve things," Vegas said. "But my father always gave everything he had to provide us with that opportunity." 

Especially out on the fairways. 

Vegas grew up with his parents and three brothers in a remote oil drilling camp in Morichal, in the swath of oil fields along the Orinoco River. His father sold food to the oil workers and was the groundskeeper for the camp's nine-hole golf course. 

That now-abandoned course is one of six that have been closed by Venezuela's government in the past seven years -- all but one of them on land owned by the state oil company. 

It's a disappointing trend for Vegas. 

"Unfortunately here in Venezuela, they're closing the courses on us instead of opening new ones" as many countries are around the world, he said. 

Chavez has warned that he could expropriate private courses in Caracas to make way for public housing complexes. In one televised appearance last year, Chavez called golf a "bourgeois sport" while discussing his plans for transforming Venezuela into a socialist state. 

For his part, Vegas says Venezuelan golfers haven't done enough to broaden the sport's popularity. 

"We've created that stigma because in reality we haven't done anything to take golf to the people," he said. 

Of the 17 courses that remain in the country, only two are public, severely limiting the access to those who can't afford to play at the private clubs. 

"Maybe what I'm looking to do here is ignite something, to see if we can change the perception of golf in the country," Vegas said. 

Venezuela "hasn't done anything at all to create a system in which any kid off the street can come and hit golf balls," he said. "Maybe we'll see if we change that paradigm from now on." 

Vegas was all smiles at a national tournament in Caracas this month as he shook hands with fans, signed autographs and posed for photos with children. 

Among the hundreds who turned out to watch him play at the exclusive Valle Arriba Golf Club was his 55-year-old father, for whom the place held special memories. 

Carlos Vegas grew up in a poor neighborhood next to the course and remembers earning money as a boy by picking up stray golf balls. He used an empty juice carton, fashioning it into "a sort of glove," to collect them. 

Carlos Vegas' passion for the sport was infectious. He recalled that Jhonattan was about 2 years old when he started imitating his father's golfing stance and took swings using a broomstick or club-like plastic rods. 

"When he was about 21/2, we had to cut him some little golf clubs -- like three irons -- so that he could do what he liked best," the father said. 

Later, Carlos Vegas took his son to a golf school in the eastern town of Punta de Mata that was run by Franci Betancourt. He soon became Jhonattan's mentor and today is his trainer. 

After winning the national youth golf championship at 17, Vegas moved to the United States to enroll at the University of Texas, where he studied kinesiology and continued to refine his golf game. He helped the Longhorns finish 11th at the 2007 NCAA championship, placing 39th individually. 

Vegas turned pro in 2008 and got his first win this August when he captured the Wichita Open. He finished 2010 with more than $330,000 in earnings, putting him seventh on the Nationwide money list and assuring his spot on the PGA Tour. 

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Vegas, who was third on the Nationwide circuit in driving distance at 312.9 yards, will make his PGA Tour debut at the Sony Open in Hawaii in January. 

Betancourt is confident his pupil has the talent to eventually be among "the top 20 in the world." 

Colombian Camilo Villegas is glad Vegas will be joining the ranks of Latin Americans on the Tour. 

"I played with him in a couple of South American tournaments, and the one I remember the most is the last one I played in Colombia," Villegas said during last week's Australian Masters. "He's a strong kid who hits it far. It's nice to see him play good this year and get his card. 

"I've always said, 'I don't want to be the only Colombian on tour, and we need more South Americans on tour.' Adding Jhonattan is nice. He's a great kid to have on tour." 

In Venezuela, golf fans are hoping the sport will get a boost from Vegas' emergence in a country where baseball has long been the No. 1 sport and Chavez's threats have halted construction of new courses. 

The course shutdowns by the government -- most recently on Margarita Island after Chavez ordered a hotel expropriated -- have hindered efforts to expand the sport in country, said Juan Nutt, president of the PGA of Venezuela. 

He's hoping Vegas can help turn that around. 

"When Jhonattan is playing in next year's Tour and he goes on television, there are going to be many more followers of golf in this country, even if they aren't golfers," Nutt said. "A lot more attention is going to be paid to a sport that traditionally hasn't been followed much in this country."  
 

Chris Lehourites Associated Press London -- Incensed and even a little indignant, Rafael Nadal displayed a rare fit of fury Friday at the ATP World Tour Finals.  The top-ranked Spaniard was enraged when the chair umpire awarded Tomas Berdych a point after a challenge in the first set of his final round-robin match at the O2 Arena.  "There is...

Chris Lehourites
Associated Press

London -- Incensed and even a little indignant, Rafael Nadal displayed a rare fit of fury Friday at the ATP World Tour Finals. 

The top-ranked Spaniard was enraged when the chair umpire awarded Tomas Berdych a point after a challenge in the first set of his final round-robin match at the O2 Arena. 

"There is no argument," said Nadal, who went on to win 7-6 (3), 6-1. "I am right, but it's (a) mistake for him." 

Nadal, who advanced to the semifinals with three straight wins at the season-ending tournament for the top eight players in the world, still managed to hold serve to 6-6 in that game and force a tiebreaker. He then easily won six of the next seven games in the second set, but rarely has Rafa been so riled up while on court. 

"The important thing, I was playing really well before that point. This point doesn't change a lot," said Nadal, who also beat the sixth-ranked Czech in this year's Wimbledon final. "Finally I was lucky. I won that game." 

Berdych popped up a backhand that the line judge didn't call out, and Nadal put the ball back into play before raising his hand to signal the shot had been long. At about the same time, chair umpire Carlos Bernardes stepped in to rule the ball out, giving Nadal the point. 

But Berdych challenged the call, and the replay showed the ball to be good, just nicking the baseline. Rather than replaying the point, however, the Brazilian chair umpire gave the point to Berdych, making it 15-30 instead of 30-15. 

When Nadal heard that, he immediately started to argue. 

The normally calm Spaniard first complained to Bernardes, who refused to change his mind. He then approached tournament supervisor Tom Barnes, who was sitting in the front row. Barnes got out of his seat to listen to Nadal's appeal, but still did not reverse the call. 

"I told him he's wrong, I think. He's wrong. That's something unbelievable," Nadal said of his conversation with Barnes. "The point is still playing, and I understand the rule. I understand the challenge, the ball was good. But if I put the ball inside, it's impossible to lose the point." 

The entire episode lasted a couple of minutes, and Berdych blamed Bernardes for the disruption after he announced the score. 

"It just shows how the referee is probably scared of him and just let him to talk with him too long," Berdych said. "I mean, it's not the mistake of Rafa. It's the mistake of the referee. He just needs to show him that it's not like he can do whatever he wants on the court." 

 Berdych then missed a pair of forehands to allow Nadal back into the lead, and after the first one Nadal celebrated almost like never before in the middle of a match. 

After going to deuce, Nadal hit a forehand winner down the line and won the game when Berdych returned a backhand wide. 

Berdych, who was making his debut at the season-ending tournament, lost all three of his matches in London. But he was sure he deserved that particular point because he said Nadal challenged the original shot that had been allowed to stand by the line judge. 

"It's pretty simple. He was able to play (it)," Berdych said. "But every time when you just raise your hand, that means that you stop the play. That's the reason why I was just challenging the ball, because he stopped the play, and that's it."  </p>

Nadal said instinct made him raise his hand, but that he never actually asked for the call to be challenged. 

"If I don't see the umpire saying 'out,'" Nadal said, "I'm going to continue the point for sure because it's a big risk for me to say the ball is out." 

Associated Press State College, Pa. -- Barry Rake has been a Penn State season-ticket holder since 1964 -- or two years before Joe Paterno took over as head coach.  Rake isn't ready for JoePa to call it quits, either, so he welcomed the Hall of Fame coach saying this week that he was staying on the sideline in 2011. ...

Associated Press

State College, Pa. -- Barry Rake has been a Penn State season-ticket holder since 1964 -- or two years before Joe Paterno took over as head coach. 

Rake isn't ready for JoePa to call it quits, either, so he welcomed the Hall of Fame coach saying this week that he was staying on the sideline in 2011. 

"Maybe the university feels the program is slipping a bit because of his age," Rake said, "but when you look at what he's done for Penn State University and Penn State football, he's just earned that right to decide when he wants to stop." 

The majority of fans interviewed by The Associated Press before Saturday's 28-22 loss to No. 11 Michigan State voiced similar support for Paterno. When asked earlier in the week at his weekly news conference, Paterno said he planned to return for his record 46th season -- and that retiring was never an option. 

But a 3-3 start to the season and an offseason illness sparked the latest round of retirement rumors for major college football's victory leader -- a late-season ritual in Happy Valley. Next season would be the last of a three-year deal agreed to with the university in 2008, and both sides have said Paterno's tenure could be adjusted on a year-to-year basis. 

"And if you know Joe, you know he'll want to fill out his contract," Rake said. 

Alex Cohen, a Penn State senior and president of the "Paternoville" student group that camps out at the stadium before home games, also backed Paterno. 

"He's going to retire when he wants to retire," Cohen said. "He could stay here a billion years if he wants. I think he's earned that." 

A few fans disagreed with Penn State finishing the regular season 7-5. 

"At this point, he's having trouble recruiting the top talent," said Rick Gordon, of Hammondsport, N.Y., whose daughter is a sophomore at the school. "We should get a big name coach in here, let Joe be athletic director or some other figurehead, and let another guy take over. It's about time." 

The larger question for Penn State in the future might be what to do after Paterno. He has said he isn't in favor of a publicized succession plan, though the defensive coordinator Tom Bradley is often rumored as a potential successor. 

 Barry Lyons, 47, of Pittsburgh, has attended every home finale since 1985. He wants Paterno to come back "as long as he's healthy enough to do it." 

"He's got to be the judge of that, him and his family," Lyons said. "He's been great for the university, and still, they're competitive. I'm all fine with him coming back."   

Browns will have to throw the ball reasonably well to hold off the Panthers.

View full sizeJeff Siner / Charlotte ObserverJohn Fox's knowledge of Jake Delhomme's strengths and weaknesses will likely mean the Panthers' defense will overplay the run today, says Terry Pluto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Some pre-game scribbles as the Browns prepare to take on the Panthers at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

1. The coaches are telling the players not to be fooled by Carolina's 25th-ranked defense against the run. They say the Panthers' problem is the offense, near the bottom of the league in several categories. That leaves the defense on the field forever as the opponents try to run out the clock.

2. All of that sounds like coaches worrying too much until they mentioned two sets of numbers: A) The Panthers are second in the NFL in racking up negative plays against the run. B) They rank 11th against the run in average yards per carry (4.0).

3. That means Carolina plans to force Jake Delhomme to throw the ball, as the Panthers will key on Peyton Hillis. They also know Delhomme will be rusty, having been injured most of the season -- playing on six quarters. They also know how Delhomme became a turnover-prone quarterback a year ago (8 TDs to 18 INTs). They know that Delhomme has a tendency to try to make a big play, "force things" in coach-speak, and they want him to be in that mindset.

4. Meanwhile, the Browns' approach is the opposite. They want Delhomme to manage the game, make the obvious throws and put together long drives that chew up the clock. When throwing long, throw long. If Delhomme is to miss, overthrow the receiver. Some of his interceptions come when he throws downfield, short, into coverage.

5. Carolina plays a 4-3 base defense, much like Jacksonville did last week -- when Hillis had his worst rushing day with the Browns (48 yards, 21 carries). Some of the Browns' offensive linemen said the scheme gave them problems. The coaches showed the linemen a lot of film revealing the real trouble spot -- physically, the Jags were tougher and far more intense. It was far more an issue of effort than scheme.

6. ESPN's Matt Williamson on Eric Mangini's future, from an Internet chat. "For sure (Mangini should be back in 2011). Unless Mike Hollmgren decides that he is going back to coaching. But, Mangini would not be unemployed very long. Has done a whale of a job."

7. That's why the Browns need to win some games. A 3-7 record doesn't look like a whale of job, even if the effort and preparation have been evident in nearly every game.

8. Profootballfocus.com ranks Joe Haden as the No. 4 rookie in the NFL, and No. 13 overall among cornerbacks. He leads the Browns with three interceptions and with 10 pass breakups. He will start in place of the injured Eric Wright.

9. I hear Colt McCoy could be out for several more games, at least three, with that high ankle sprain. It's possible that he can heal quickly, but the Browns want him mobile before putting him back on the field. Scott Fujita's knee injury will keep him out of the lineup for several more weeks.

10. Carolina is only the second Browns opponent with a losing record -- the Bengals are the other. The Browns' opposition this year has a 66-34 record (.660). Buffalo's schedule is next in difficulty, at 58-42 (.580).

Get ready for the game by watching or listening to Browns Huddle pre-game show from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. streamed live from Tower City. Join Harry Petsanis, Ray Yannucci and Chuck Booms as they breakdown today's matchup between the Browns and Panthers.

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Can Jake Delhomme snap the Browns' losing streak and win against his former team in the Carolina Panthers?

Join DSN's Harry Petsanis, Ray Yannucci and Chuck Booms today for Browns Huddle as they preview the Browns game live from their Tower City Center studios  from 9 a.m to 1 p.m.

After the game, be sure to tune into the Browns Aftermath post-game show on DSN from 4-6 p.m.

Joe Haden starts for inactive Eric Wright. Colt McCoy not active.

View full sizeTracy Boulian / The Plain DealerJosh Cribbs is active for today's game, although the extent of his playing time was uncertain at kickoff.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns return specialist and receiver Josh Cribbs is active for today's game against the Panthers.

How effective Cribbs can be in the offense and kicking game remains to be seen. He missed the entire practice week because of four dislocated toes on his right foot.

In other pre-game news, cornerback Eric Wright was made inactive with a knee injury. That means rookie Joe Haden will make his first NFL start in the base defense. Technically, Haden was on the field for the first play of the season opener in Tampa, Fla., because the Browns opened in their nickel defense.

As expected, rookie quarterback Colt McCoy was made inactive. McCoy was not ruled out during the practice week by coach Eric Mangini even though he has a high ankle sprain, which is a four-week injury at minimum.

The Browns announced Floyd Womack would start at right guard and John St. Clair at right tackle.

Other inactives for the Browns: running back Thomas Clayton, defensive end Brian Sanford, tight end Alex Smith, receiver Demetrius Williams, defensive end Jayme Mitchell and linebacker Scott Fujita. David Bowens will start for Fujita, who is out a minimum of four weeks with a knee injury.

The Browns do not have a third quarterback designated for the game.

The Panthers made running back Jonathan Stewart active, but he will not start the game. Mike Goodson, who had 100-yard rushing games in two starts with Stewart out with a concussion, will make his third start in a row.

Rookie Jimmy Clausen is the Panthers' starting quarterback.

Matt Latarski said, "I couldn't miss." He rolled three perfect games, breaking his previous high score of 814 two years ago. He began bowling at age 5 and may now become the 16th bowler in history to roll a 900.

View full sizeKurt LatarskiMatt Latarski uncle Kurt Latarski snapped this photograph of the scoreboard after Matt's 900 series.

OAKWOOD, Ohio -- A 23-year-old Medina man bowled a 900 series today at Roseland Lanes in Oakwood.

Matt Latarski said, "I couldn't miss."

He rolled three perfect games, breaking his previous high score of 814 two years ago.

Once the United States Bowling Congress verifies the score, Latarski will become the 17th person to score a 900 in the history of bowling.

According to the USBC's website, a 22-year-old, left-handed Middletown, N.Y., man became the 16th bowler to roll a 900 in October, and a Belleville, Ill., man in March became the 15th bowler in history to roll a 900.

One bowler accomplished the feat twice, USBC spokesman Pete Tredwell said today in an e-mail, so it has happened 18 times.

Latarski started bowling when he was 5.

He, his grandfather, father, uncle and brother bowl in a league every Sunday at Roseland.

Latarski's team, Two Studs & an Old Guy, includes his brother and an older friend. They attracted a crowd Sunday morning as they bowled the last frames of the third game.

By the 10th frame, everyone else in building had stopped bowling, and Latarski was nervous, he said.

"You could have heard a pin drop," Latarski said.

The U.S. Bowling Congress will visit Roseland Lanes this week and inspect the lanes Latarski used. If the lanes, pins and Latarski's ball were in proper condition, Latarski's name will go in the record books.

He'll receive a ring for the 300 games and another for the 900 series, he said.

The veteran QB gets everybody involved in two long scoring drives using the no-huddle. Carolina's penalties are killing them.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerPeyton Hillis dives past the pylon for his second touchdown of the first quarter Sunday afternoon as the Browns took a 14-7 lead over Carolina at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Observations, opinions and some facts on the first quarter:

• Panthers put ball in hands of running back Tom Goodson four times in a row to start the game. He gets 20 yards.

• Jimmy Clausen looked like he'd never seen pass pressure before. On second pass, Matt Roth's all over him and Clausen heaves it out of bounds for intentional grounding.

• Clausen comes right back with bullet to Steve Smith for 15 yards. Shaun Rogers' blow-to-the-head tacks on 15 more. Panthers have first down at Browns' 26.

• Goodson blasts over right tackle and keeps right on going to the end zone. T.J. Ward got one hand on him as he left his feet trying to make a tackle. Geez. Sloppy tackling continues.

• Josh Cribbs takes Carolina kickoff. Doesn't seem to have the same zip. Tackled after 16-yard return.

• Browns starting Floyd Womack at right guard and John St. Clair at right tackle. Jake Delhomme comes out throwing in the no-huddle. He completes his first five passes. Even Brian Robiskie gets two.

• From the 8, Browns get tricky. Halfback option pass from Peyton Hillis for wide open Benjamin Watson is in the end zone dirt. Then Delhomme avoids sack by flicking the ball away. Almost intercepted by Tyler Brayton. Delhomme flagged for grounding because the pass didn't reach the line of scrimmage.

• On third-and-goal from the 19, Panthers called for a helmet-to-helmet hit on incomplete pass for Evan Moore in the end zone. Big break. No messing around this time. Hillis runs around left end and dives to the cone for a 9-yard TD run.

• Newly signed Eric Alexander makes his second tackle on a Browns kickoff. He replaced injured Blake Costanzo.

• Sheldon Brown stays down hurt after tackle on Goodson. He has to leave for one play. Meanwhile, Browns crank up the pass rush on Clausen, forcing feeble throws and a punt.

• In two series, Delhomme has attempted passes to seven different players. He's mixing it up nicely.

• Panthers' defense killing itself with penalties on third down. Three times they've kept themselves on the field with penalties.

• Hillis completes 64-yard drive with 1-yard TD run. That's his second of game and 10th of year -- most since Kevin Mack in 1986.

• Browns defense definitely woke up after giving up that first score.

• Delhomme has them on the move again deep into Panthers' territory.

As expected, Cleveland Cavaliers coach Byron Scott has been fined $35,000 for publicly criticizing game officials after Friday's loss at Orlando, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA executive vice president, basketball operations. Scott talked to league representatives on Saturday and told reporters he had never been fined before by the league. "This will be a first,'' he...

As expected, Cleveland Cavaliers coach Byron Scott has been fined $35,000 for publicly criticizing game officials after Friday's loss at Orlando, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA executive vice president, basketball operations.

Scott talked to league representatives on Saturday and told reporters he had never been fined before by the league.

"This will be a first,'' he said before the Cavs beat Memphis on Saturday night.

The crew of Ed Malloy, Bennie Adams and Kevin Fehr drew Scott's ire as much for their failure to answer his questions as for their calls.

"They're going to miss calls, but they can't miss them all night long, especially on one end,'' was just part of what Scott said on Friday. "I truly feel we didn't get a fair shake tonight in the game.''

Hillis has 74 yards and 3 TDs. Jake Delhomme is 12 of 18 for 149 yards in first half, but Panthers rally for two field goals. 21-13, Browns.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerPeyton Hillis overpowers Carolina's Sherrod Martin with a well-placed stiff arm during the first quarter Sunday. Hillis has three touchdowns in the first half against the Panthers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Observations, opinions and some facts on the second quarter:

• On third-and-1 from the 8, Jake Delhomme releases it quickly to Evan Moore in the right slot. Moore is ambushed at the 2 and fumbles. Jason Williams recovers it and brings it out to the 10. That would have been a killer TD.

• Jimmy Clausen looks incapable of moving his team at this point. Another punt.

• Brian Robiskie makes third catch of the game. Delhomme is getting him and Mohamed Massaquoi involved.

• Peyton Hillis is having no trouble getting outside. Then he hammers them inside for a 6-yard TD -- his third of the game. Hillis has 70 yards on 10 carries. 21-7, Browns.

• Hillis only third Browns running back with 11 rushing TDs in a season. The others are Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly. And there's six games left.

• This could get uglier if Clausen can't make some first downs.

• John Kasay, 41, makes 43-yard field goal. He's been Panthers' only kicker since 1995.

• Browns go three-and-out and punt for first time after the two-minute warning. Captain Munnerlyn returns it 32 yards to the Browns' 42. There, Steve Smith gets his first call of the day. He wriggles free from Mike Adams for 18 yards to the Browns' 29. Clausen can't go farther than the 24. Kasay makes another from 42 yards.

• John St. Clair keeps the Browns in control, falling on Delhomme's fumble on an attempted screen. Time to head to the locker rooms.

Jon Beason's interception return for a TD closes Browns lead to 21-20. Delhomme had two INTs in first three minutes of the third quarter.

View full sizeLynn Ischay / The Plain DealerShaun Rogers and the Browns defense were trying to put plenty of pressure rookie Panthers quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Observations, opinions and some facts on the third quarter:

• Sure to see a healthy dose of Peyton Hillis with 21-13 lead, right? Nope. Jake Delhomme throws on first down and is intercepted by a leaping Jon Beason.

• On third down, Jimmy Clausen can't see that Brandon LaFell was uncovered for, like, five seconds. Finally, Clausen throws it, but LaFell stepped out of bounds and then came back in. John Fox challenges the illegal touching penalty.

• Fox wins the challenge, but officials rule that LaFell did not maintain possession on the catch. It's ruled an incomplete pass.

• John Kasay's 46-yard field goal try is missed wide right. That was his first attempt toward the Dawg Pound end zone.

• Unbelievably, Delhomme comes out throwing again. On second down, Captain Munnerlyn jumps the route for the interception and returns it 37 yards for the touchdown.

• Clifton Smith replaces Josh Cribbs at kickoff return. Smith promptly fumbles on helmet-to-ball hit by Sherrod Martin. But Smith recovers at the Browns' 20.

• Handcuffs locked on Delhomme now. Peyton Hillis for 11 yards. Hillis for nine. Mike Bell for five. Left end Charles Johnson is creating havoc. His pressure in a three-man rush forces a Delhomme throwaway and Browns punt.

• Clausen makes a play, getting 16-yard gain on third-down pass to Mike Goodson to the Browns' 31. Panthers have to punt from their 40.

• Hillis goes over 100 yards with a 7-yard run.

• Every time Delhomme drops back now you can hear a discernible gasp. Another Browns punt. But Eric Norwood gets flagged for running into punter Reggie Hodges. First down at the Browns' 45.

Break down the game by watching or listening to the Browns Aftermath Post-Game Show from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Join Mike Cairns, Glenn Moore and Ray Yannucci sas they talk about the Browns-Panthers live from Digital Sports Network's Tower City Center studios.

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Join DSN's  Mike Cairns, Ray Yannucci and Glenn Moore after the game for Browns Aftermath as they break down what happened against the Panthers live from 4-6 p.m.

They'll talk about about the big plays, highlight the top performances, update all the scores from around the NFL and, as always, take your calls, chat room comments and emails.

The defense can't hold back a desperate opponent in the final minute ... again ... but the Panthers' veteran kicker drills the ball off the left upright as time expires.

View full sizeAP photoAbe Elam and the Browns were more relieved than celebratory after escaping Jimmy Clausen's last-ditch drive in Sunday's 24-23 Cleveland victory.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Observations, opinions and some facts on the fourth quarter:

• Defensive end Charles Johnson is having a whale of a game lined up over John St. Clair.

• Peyton Hillis' 14-yard reception sets up fourth-and-1 at Panthers' 25. Browns call time with 11:40 to go. With three tight ends on the field, Hillis runs behind Robert Royal and Joe Thomas and is stopped for no gain. First time all year Hillis is stopped when needing one yard for a first down.

• Have no fear. Jimmy Clausen is sacked again by Abe Elam. That's two for the blitzing safety.

• Browns defense is doing that fourth-quarter thing again. Jonathan Stewart's 31-yard run takes Panthers to Browns' 25. Sloppy tackling.

• Clausen just throws the ball into the dirt after making one read on third down. John Kasay's third field goal over 40 yards gives Panthers their first lead, 23-21, with 7:01 to go.

• Delhomme, running from trouble, shovels to Hillis for 12 yards. Why are they still throwing?

• On third-and-10, Hillis bails out Delhomme with a nifty move on Jon Beason to get the first down. Then Delhomme hits Mohamed Massaquoi for 13 yards on a slant, and Brian Robiskie for nine on the same play. It's at the Panthers' 24.

• Hillis is stopped for no gain. Delhomme tries a quick sneak and is also stopped. Fourth-and-1 at the 24. This time Eric Mangini sends out Phil Dawson for a 41-yard field goal. Ryan Pontbriand's snap is high, but Dawson drills it through for 24-23 lead.

• Sheldon Brown makes a nice stop on a swing pass to Goodson. Marcus Benard is slow to rise and both teams get a breather with 2:17 left as the Browns call a time out.

• Browns show blitz, but react fast enough to stop a draw to Goodson after four yards. Third down at 2:00.

• No pressure on Clausen, who hits Dante Rosario crossing over the middle for the first down. At the 46, Clausen looks for Rosario, but misfires badly and Joe Haden collects his fourth interception of the season.

• Game isn't over as the Panthers still have all three of their timeouts. Hillis off left tackle for three. Can the offensive line deal with a stacked defense to get the first down that wins the game?

• Nine men in the box, so Hillis doesn't get much past the line of scrimmage on second down. Browns almost have to run in order to get Carolina to burn their last timeout.

• Hillis keeps plugging, burning time on the longest four-run run ever. There's 1:08 left and the Browns could go for the first down at fourth-and-two, but Reggie Hodges comes in looking for a coffin corner. Well played, sir ... Hodges gets the ball to spin right and out of bounds at the 4.

• With 59 seconds, Clausen swings the ball to Goodson, who eludes a tackle and gets to the 16. Clausen is chased from the pocket and throws it away -- directly into Rob Ryan's stomach. OK, so it's a decent-sized target.

• Clausen barely gets the ball away and short-hops Steve Smith. So far, Smith hasn't done much damage. On third down, Clausen finds Goodson once again, and the third-string running back manages to make Chris Gocong, Joe Haden and Sheldon Brown all miss in advancing to midfield. After a spike, the Browns call time out with 12 seconds. Not much time for the Panthers to get 20 yards without getting the ball to the sidelines.

• So, the Browns -- rushing just three -- let Brandon LaFell beat Sheldon Brown and Abe Elam to the sidelines for a 27-yard gain as LaFell tumbles out of bounds. Replay official wants to see it again with five seconds remaining ... was the catch good? Did he get out of bounds before Brown touched him?

• Play stands and John Kasay has another 42-yard attempt -- he's made twice from 43, once from 42 and was wide from 46. This one is off the left upright ... and the Browns wobble off the field with their fourth win.

John Kasay's 42-yard field goal miss at the end preserves Jake Delhomme's first win as a Cleveland Brown, against his former team.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerFrom left, Browns defenders Ahtyba Rubin (71), Jason Tursnik (93) and Brian Schaefering (91) try but fail to block John Kasay's 42-yard field goal attempt on the final play of Sunday's game. Kasay's kick drifted to the left and bounced off the upright as the Browns claimed a 24-23 victory.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to Cleveland, John Kasay.

That was Phil Dawson's explanation for what happened on his counterpart's attempt at a game-winning, 42-yard field goal as time ran out.

Kasay thought he met the ball perfectly with his left foot. There was no discernible wind and Kasay had the benefit of kicking toward the closed end zone in Cleveland Browns Stadium. Kasay thought he made it.

But somehow the ball sliced like a mis-hit 3-iron. The ball grazed the left upright and the cheering crowd told Jake Delhomme, who couldn't bear to watch, that he had notched his first win in a Browns uniform against his former team.

Browns 24, Carolina Panthers 23.

"We've lost a lot of games like that in the past, so it's about time," said Browns defensive back Mike Adams.

The ending was poetic justice. Kasay, 41, who had made three of four attempts from 40-plus yards earlier in the game, should not have been allowed to try a fifth one. That's because Carolina rookie receiver Brandon LaFell should have been ruled down inbounds on a 28-yard catch on the preceding play, and the clock should have run out.

The catch, disputed by the replay official, was ruled good after review. But referee Jeff Triplette did not notice that Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown had fallen on LaFell when he was on the ground.

One of the other game officials actually told coach Eric Mangini during the replay review that even if the catch was ruled good, the game would be over because time had run out.

"There were too many expletives going through my mind at that point [of Kasay's game-winning attempt]," Mangini said. "'We should not be here lining up for a kick,' is what was going through my mind."

He wasn't just referring to the officials' error.

The Browns had built a 21-7 lead on three Peyton Hillis touchdown runs and then allowed the plucky Panthers to chip away and gain confidence in chasing their second win of the season. When Delhomme started the second half with interceptions on successive throws, the holiday crowd reacted like a Black Friday shopper denied the last discounted big-screen TV.

Delhomme's second interception was returned 37 yards by Carolina cornerback Captain Munnerlyn for a touchdown. That closed the Browns' lead to 21-20. The Panthers then moved ahead, 23-21, on Kasay's 43-yard field goal with 7:01 to play. The score was set up when Hillis was stopped on a fourth-and-1 dive at the Panthers' 25.

"I liked our chances [of a first down]," Mangini said.

Hillis was stupendous again, rushing 26 times for 131 yards and three TDs and adding 63 yards on six receptions. His three rushing touchdowns raised his season total to 11, joining the exclusive company of Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly as the only Browns to reach that many.

"That's absurd," Hillis scoffed of being mentioned in the same sentence with the Hall of Famers. "Those guys are legends and I'm nobody. We don't need to talk about that no more."

Brown and Kelly played in fewer games in their eras, but Hillis is on pace to at least threaten Brown's record of 17 rushing touchdowns set in 1958. Brown did that in 12 games.

The way Hillis was carving up Carolina's defense, it sure seemed a bad idea to let Delhomme air it out in the second half. Hillis shrugged off that sentiment.

"We pulled out the win and that's the important thing. We were clicking on all cylinders run and pass in the first and second quarters," he said.

In a way, losing the lead enabled Delhomme to atone for his earlier miscues and earn the win.

After Kasay's field goal, Delhomme inherited the ball at the Browns' 30 and moved to the Panthers' 24 in eight plays. He completed all five of his passes -- hitting wideouts Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie three times and getting two good runs after catches by Hillis. Delhomme's quarterback sneak on third-and-1 fell short, however.

This time, Mangini trotted out Dawson. He made it from 41 yards after holder Reggie Hodges did a good job retrieving Ryan Pontbriand's high snap and setting it down.

More than one minute later, the win appeared to be sealed when Joe Haden, starting for the injured Eric Wright, intercepted Carolina quarterback Jimmy Clausen past midfield. But the Browns had to punt with 59 seconds to go. Hodges did what he does better than any punter in the NFL this year. His spun it out of bounds at the Carolina 5.

Clausen struggled throughout the game. Nobody thought he could muster up a scoring threat at that point. But the Browns' defense allowed running back Mike Goodson to make gains of 11 and 32 yards with short catches. Then came the 28-yard reception by LaFell.

Mangini blamed himself for not overruling coordinator Rob Ryan and changing his defensive play-call.

"I would have layered the sideline and made him complete it inbounds and see if they could get up and clock it," Mangini said. "I don't think they could have and if [the pass] was short, it would have been a long field goal."

Afterwards, Brown bemoaned the Browns' lack of killer instinct -- which is why they are 4-7 this year after losing four games despite leading in the fourth quarter.

"The sign of a championship team is understanding your opponent and when you have a killer mentality, you attack and don't let it become like the situation we had," Brown said. "This is something that we need to address and it starts from top to bottom."

The final score capped an emotional day for Delhomme (24-of-35 for 245 yards, two interceptions). He beat his former team in his first game appearance in 1 1/2 months and his first start since the season opener.

"I don't think I enjoyed wins as much as I could have at Carolina, so I'm going to enjoy it," he said.

Ilgauskas has been thinking about Thursday night -- "of course, I know it has been coming" -- and all the personal and professional challenges it is going to bring.

View full sizeWilfredo Lee / Associated PressZydrunas Ilgauskas said this week that he knew that he would have to leave the Cavaliers if he wanted to continue his NBA career. Now the starting center for the injury-weakened Miami Heat, he's awaiting Thursday's emotional return to The Q. "The reality is that I'm playing for the Miami Heat right now and our team is going to get a harsh reception," he said.

Brian Windhorst

Special to the Plain Dealer

MIAMI, Fla. – With his feet in another ice bath and a towel over his head inside a mostly silent locker room at TD Garden in Boston, Zydrunas Ilgauskas knew it was over.

LeBron James was at the next locker talking to friends in the moments after the Cavaliers were eliminated from last season's playoffs following a Game 6 loss to Boston. James would later say that, at that time, he didn't think that was the last night he'd wear a Cavs jersey.

But Ilgauskas knew it was the last time for himself.

"I knew my days as a Cav were over as soon as the Celtics series was over," Ilgauskas said last Friday as he was putting on his new uniform in a new home locker room in Miami."I felt if I was going to continue to play, and I wanted to, I needed a change."

This week Ilgauskas will be the other ex-Cav coming back when the Heat make their first visit to The Q Thursday. He's been thinking about that night -- "of course, I know it has been coming" -- and all the personal and professional challenges it is going to bring.

Ilgauskas isn't sure what to expect Thursday. He knows the crowd will be hostile to James. The franchise's all-time rebounds, blocks and games played leader expects to get some cheers himself, even if some fans might just cheer him in an effort to send a message to James.

But he also thinks he'll hear a few boos when he's introduced because of his ultimate choice to sign with the Heat along with James last summer.

"It is going to be a hard, emotional game," Ilgauskas said. "I know that."

Ilgauskas' departure came about a week after James', while the fan base was still in shock. There was no proper closure with the team he'd been with for 13 years, tied with Kobe Bryant for the longest tenure with any team in the league.

That probably won't come Thursday, either. Ilgauskas and the Heat will be in town less than 24 hours and he plans to treat it like any other road game. Even if that upsets some fans who may be expecting him to publicly acknowledge the expected support.

Ilgauskas feels he may not be able to accept being a hero if the same crowd treats a current teammate like villain.

"The reality is that I'm playing for the Miami Heat right now and our team is going to get a harsh reception," Ilgauskas said.

"I'm part of this team and I'm not separating myself from them. These are my guys now. I love playing with them. We're going through some tough times right now but I'm in the trenches with them."

Last summer, Ilgauskas had a number of options including re-signing with the Cavs after he became a free agent. But after a turbulent 2009-10 season in which he was traded by the Cavs for Antawn Jamison before getting a buyout and re-signing, Ilgauskas felt it was time to move on.

The Cavs, who showed only mild interest in keeping Ilgauskas, seemed to feel the same way.

"Last year was a hard year for me," Ilgauskas said.

"I always knew that basketball was a business, Nobody likes to get traded, but I tried to make the best of the situation. I was trying to learn how to come off the bench and then that stupid game [where he didn't break the franchise's games played record when coach Mike Brown didn't play him in a game against Dallas at home] happened. Then I got traded and when I came back I didn't play very much. Then we went out in the playoffs like we did.

"The interest from the Cavs was very minimal. I understood that, I didn't take it personally. They were going a different direction and that is fine by me. There were other offers but I felt like this was it. I felt I could compete for a championship in Miami and I'd have a role on this team."

Ilgauskas' role has been to take over the starting center position. He's playing relatively well for the Heat.

Under Cavs doctors' orders, Ilgauskas did minimal workouts most summers during his career to save the stress on his feet. But knowing he was going to have to prove himself to a new team, Ilgauskas did extensive workouts in the off-season and was in Miami for several months getting ready. He reported to training camp with a tan and in excellent shape.

Playing pick-and-roll with James and new teammate Dwyane Wade, his mid-range jumper is as solid as ever as he's shooting a team-best 56 percent. On defense he's struggled at times, as he has for years, with quicker opposing big men. Last week, the Heat signed veteran center Erick Dampier to help out after forward Udonis Haslem went down with a serious foot injury.

At 9-8, the Heat are struggling and James isn't meshing well on the floor with Wade. Meanwhile coach Erik Spoelstra is on the hot seat as the Heat deal with intense media scrutiny.

But Ilgauskas is renting a waterfront home, has enrolled his two sons at a local school, and is trying to get settled in Miami. It isn't Cleveland, of course. But for now, Ilgauskas is focused on making it home.

He looks at every Cavs box score and keeps in regular contact with close friend Anderson Varjeao and some other players and staffers. But he's yet to watch the new-look Cavaliers play a game.

For now and including Thursday night, Cleveland is in his past.

"I appreciate Cleveland, it will always been a home to me," Ilgauskas said. "The fans have meant so much to me over the years and that will never change. But we happen to be on a different side of the barricade this time."

Brian Windhorst writes for ESPN.com with a focus on the Miami Heat.

As expected, Cavaliers coach Byron Scott has been fined $35,000 for publicly criticizing game officials after Friday's loss at Orlando.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerByron Scott received the first coaching fine of his career on Sunday after his criticism of the officiating Friday night in Orlando.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As expected, Cavaliers coach Byron Scott has been fined $35,000 for publicly criticizing game officials after Friday's loss at Orlando, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA executive vice president, basketball operations.

Scott talked to league representatives on Saturday and told reporters he had never been fined before by the league.

"This will be a first,'' he said before the Cavs beat Memphis on Saturday night.

The crew of Ed Malloy, Bennie Adams and Kevin Fehr drew Scott's ire as much for their failure to answer his questions as for their calls.

"They're going to miss calls, but they can't miss them all night long, especially on one end,'' was just part of what Scott said on Friday. "I truly feel we didn't get a fair shake tonight in the game.''

Modell owned Browns for 35 years before announcing during 1995 season he'd move them to Baltimore. Plain Dealer's Nov. 7, 1995 report on planned move included in this report.

Dale Omori, The Plain Dealer Art Modell in Baltimore in Nov., 1995, when he announced he was moving the Browns from Cleveland to Baltimore.

Canton, Ohio -- Art Modell, who owned the Cleveland Browns from 1961 until he moved them to Baltimore following the 1995 season, is among 26 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2011 class.

Modell, 85, was the Baltimore Ravens' principal owner from 1996-2004.

The following Associated Press report on the HOF semifinalists is followed by The Plain Dealer's Nov. 7, 1995 story on Modell's plans to move the Browns.

From the Associated Press report:

Curtis Martin, Jerome Bettis and Marshall Faulk, three of the top 10 rushers in NFL history, are among the semifinalists.

Two other star running backs, Terrell Davis and Roger Craig, are on the list released Sunday.

Martin retired from the New York Jets as the No. 4 overall rusher with 14,101 yards in 11 seasons. One of the most consistent backs of his era, he ran for 1,000 yards in 10 straight seasons.

Bettis ranks fifth at 13,662 yards in 13 seasons, three for the Rams and a decade with the Steelers, with whom he won the 2006 Super Bowl in his final game.

Faulk is 10th in rushing with 12,279 yards for the Colts and Rams and won the 2000 Super Bowl with St. Louis. A a prime receiver out of the backfield, Faulk was the 2000 NFL MVP.

Davis also was a league MVP, in 1998 with Denver, and won two Super Bowls with the Broncos. Craig won Super Bowls with San Francisco in 1985, 89 and '90.

Cornerback Deion Sanders also is on the list and, like Martin, Bettis and Faulk, is in his first year of eligibility. Sanders scored nine times on interceptions, also played offense at times, and is a former major league baseball player. He won the 1995 Super Bowl with San Francisco and the 1996 game with Dallas.

Top receivers Cris Carter, Tim Brown and Andre Reed are among the semifinalists, along with tight end Shannon Sharpe; offensive linemen Willie Roaf and Dermontti Dawson; defensive linemen/linebackers Charles Haley, Chris Doleman and Kevin Greene; defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy; defensive end Richard Dent; cornerbacks Aeneas Williams and Lester Hayes; punter Ray Guy; former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue; former 49ers owner Ed DeBartolo Jr.; former Giants general manager George Young; former Cardinals and Chargers coach Don Coryell; and NFL Films originator Ed Sabol.

The list will be cut to 17, including senior committee nominees Chris Hanburger, a Redskins linebacker from 1965-78, and Les Richter, a Rams linebacker from 1954-62. Between four and seven enshrinees -- no more than five modern-day nominees can make it -- will be announced Feb. 5, the day before the Super Bowl.

The actual enshrinement will be in August.

The following story was published in the Nov. 7, 1995 edition of The Plain Dealer.

Browns Bolt

Modell warned mayor, governor a month ago

Deal announced in Baltimore

Nov. 7, 1995

By Plain Dealer reporters Timothy Heider, Tom Diemer and Evelyn Theiss

Plain Dealer reporter Tony Grossi contributed to this article. Plain Dealer reporter Michael McIntyre compiled the reports.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Art Modell finally ran the play he has been drawing up in secret for the Browns all season.

He executed an end-around that could sweep professional football out of Cleveland despite a defensive blitz called by Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White.

Modell was introduced by the Maryland governor as the "owner of the Baltimore Browns" during a news conference in Baltimore to announce that the 49-year-old franchise had agreed to play in Memorial Stadium next season. The Browns will move into a tailor-made, 70,000-seat stadium at Camden Yards, next to Oriole Park, by 1998.

"We are going to fight this fight," White said. "I can't say we're not going to lose, but when it's over, the other side's going to know they've been in a fight."

Dale Omori, Plain DealerParris Glendening (left), then Maryland's governor, and Art Modell at the announcement Modell was moving the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore.

White also called on Cuyahoga County voters to go to the polls today and approve Issue 5, an extension of the tax on cigarettes and alcohol to fund Stadium renovations. The sin tax, White said, is the last piece of the financing package to fix up the Stadium. With that in hand, he reasoned, Cleveland can argue in court and to the NFL that the Browns have no good reason to leave.

What is at stake is a proud franchise, an economic engine and a team that has been part of the city's fabric for half a century.

Modell, the team's majority owner, is leaving for money.

"The fans have supported the Browns for years, but frankly, it came down to a simple proposition. I had no choice," he said.

Modell said he had been losing millions in Cleveland in recent years. Now, he will be getting one of the richest stadium deals be- stowed on a National Football League team. His agreement with Baltimore, he said, was "far beyond the capacity" of Cleveland to match.

White said the city never was given the chance. In a Baltimore news conference hours after the move was announced, he expressed anger at Modell for taking the team to Baltimore "like a thief in the night ... before we had a chance to make an offer."

Some estimates have Modell making $30 million a year in Camden Yards.

Baltimore agreed to build a modern, $200 million stadium, financed with bonds backed by a sports lottery. The Browns will play there rent-free and reap profits from all concessions, parking and signage.

In addition, the Browns will get millions each year from the sale of 108 luxury boxes and 7,500 club seats. And they will get up to $75 million for expenses that include a new training facility from the sale of approximately 50,000 permanent seat licenses - one-time fees that give fans the right to buy season tickets.

The Browns will have to market the seats themselves, so Modell is betting that fan demand is high in Baltimore. Last spring, he adamantly rejected seat licensing as a way to fund renovations of the Stadium in Cleveland.

He expressed sorrow at leaving. Modell said he would leave a "good part of my soul" in Cleveland, his home for more than three decades. "I can never forget the kindness of the people of Cleveland," he said.

While those people were cheering the Indians in their first World Series in 41 years, they lost the Browns.

The deal was struck Oct. 27 at 8 a.m. during a meeting in a secluded corner of Baltimore-Washington International Airport in a corporate jet owned by Modell's partner, former Maryland banker Alfred Lerner. Modell, his son David, and Lerner flew in for the signing and left immediately afterward.

An official announcement was planned for the Monday after the Browns' last regular-season game on Dec. 17. But Modell moved it up, he said, because word was leaking out, and in doing so, he avoided protracted negotiations with Cleveland officials.

"I was not going to put myself in the position of demanding something, and then being accused time and time again of being an extortionist, shakedown artist and what-have-you," he said in answer to a question.

John A. Moag, chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority, which will build the Browns' new stadium, said he first contacted the Browns in March but didn't enter serious negotiations until mid-September.

Since the start of summer training camp, Modell had refused to discuss Stadium issues, but he broke that silence Friday to confirm that a deal was in the works.

White said Modell had been duplicitous in his dealing with the city and had used the people of Cuyahoga County as a "doormat to cut a better deal."

He said the city would pursue legal action because Modell has a binding obligation to play in Cleveland.

"We have not been dealt with fairly; we have not been dealt with honestly. And we are not going to go away," White said. "We have been wronged. I did not come here to go through the motions. We are going to do what it takes. The principle of how we've been treated is worth fighting for."

If the city can prove Modell was untruthful, White said, then "someone owes us redress, either Art or the NFL."

White and the city laid the groundwork yesterday for its court fight in winning an injunction in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court that bars the team from leaving before a Nov. 20 hearing. The Browns don't intend to leave until after the season anyway, and expressed confidence that the team owners would prevail in court.

Modell and White will be in Dallas today for a meeting of NFL owners. The move is subject to approval by at least 23 of the 30 owners, and many already have expressed displeasure with it. But even if the owners don't approve, a move is difficult to block.

The NFL failed twice this year to stop team moves. The Los Angeles Raiders returned to Oakland and still are in legal battles with the league. And when the Los Angeles Rams moved to St. Louis, the NFL dropped its objections only after the Rams shared some of the money St. Louis was offering.

Modell arrived at the announcement yesterday in a five-car motorcade surrounded by motorcycle police, to the hosannas of about 200 fans chanting "Art! Art! Art!" One former Clevelander, Kevin McCarthy, held a placard saying "$hame," while a handful of other people protested the state's eagerness to please a pro football team as social programs go unfunded.

Tom Griffith, a lifelong Browns fan, and Gary Laurer, head of the Cleveland Browns backers club in Baltimore, said rooting for the team would never be the same.

"It's hard to be happy when we get someone else's team, particularly a team from Cleveland, which has supported their team for so many years," Laurer said.

"But this is what's become of the NFL," Griffith said. "It's not a fan's game anymore. It's for the owners."

In his remarks, Modell noted the irony: Baltimore luring someone else's football team after losing its own in 1984.

"I know what you went through 11 years ago, because that is exactly what is happening in Cleveland right now," Modell said softly. "I am deeply, deeply sorry from the bottom of my heart."

He declined to say whether he would attend any more Browns home games or even if he would return to his Waite Hill home.

"This has been a very, very tough road for my family and me," Modell said of the weeks and months of uncertainty over the Browns' future.

Whenever the Browns win, it's good day. But this game drove me nuts!

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerAs it turned out, the difference in Sunday's game was Phil Dawson being able to make his field goal before John Kasay missed his, says a relieved (and befuddled) Terry Pluto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's a win.

That's what the standings will reveal after the Browns' agonizing 24-23 victory over Carolina at Browns Stadium Sunday.

Whenever the Browns win, it's good day. But this game drove me nuts!

I loved how Phil Dawson drilled that 41-yard field goal with 2:41 left to put the Browns ahead to stay. Dawson did miss two field goals at Jacksonville last week, but both were from more than 50 yards.

One of the most under-appreciated Browns ever, Dawson is 16-of-17 on kicks from inside the 50. When the Browns needed someone to make that 41-yard field goal, no one -- absolutely no one -- is better suited to take that kick than Dawson.

But I'll say it again ... this game drove me nuts!

I was really upset with the Browns' offense until the final Carolina drive of the game. That's when the Panthers drove from their 5 to the Browns 24. That march began with 59 seconds left, Carolina with no timeouts and a struggling rookie quarterback in Jimmy Clausen.

How can the defense allow Clausen and the one-win Panthers move down the field with such ease?

And just how did John Kasay miss that 42-yard field goal on the final play? The veteran had connected from 42, 43 and 43 yards earlier. He had missed only one field goal inside the 50 all season -- until Sunday, when he failed twice, including from 46 yards in the third quarter.

This game really drove me nuts!

The Browns had a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter. They were at home. They were facing a team with a lame-duck coach, far too many rookies and no reason to really want to win this game. But the Panthers nearly did.

The Browns did some things very well.

Peyton Hillis may be the most entertaining and effective running back since the Browns returned in 1999. He bulled his way to three touchdowns. He rambled and rushed and stiff-armed and high-kicked his way to 131 yards in 26 carries. Don't even begin to guess where the Browns would be without Hillis this season.

After the game, coach Eric Mangini kept saying, "This should not happen." He meant the final kick. He meant how the Browns allowed Carolina to get back into the game. He meant two interceptions from Jake Delhomme, one returned for a touchdown.

Which really drove me nuts. The 36-year-old veteran quarterback keeps putting up question marks at the end of his distinguished career.

Browns president Mike Holmgren invested $7 million in a gut feeling that Delhomme's 2009 nightmarish season of 18 interceptions and eight touchdowns was an aberration. He was hoping that he saw something in Delhomme that could be fixed, something that the Panthers didn't think could be repaired when they paid $12 million in cutting Delhomme.

The reason is games like this, games where it seems Delhomme has it together ... for a while.

When he has a chance to make the throw to his primary receiver, Delhomme is effective. He can deliver the ball downfield. He can use a variety of receivers. But when that first option is in trouble, so is Delhomme. He can't move very well. He tends to rush and throw into double coverage. There is a sense that his confidence is shaken.

Someone should tell Delhomme that the next time he tries to pass when being dragged to the ground by a defender, it's a $100,000 fine -- or something. A veteran must know better than even to consider such a risky play.

A timeout for a moment: Was it necessary to throw the ball 35 times with Delhomme when the Browns were averaging 4.8 yards per carry? Yes, he completed 24, but putting the game in his hands is a little like heading to the casino with $300 when you need to make $500 to pay the mortgage. Nearly every time he dropped back to throw, I held my breath.

I do give Delhomme credit for putting together that drive from the Browns' 30 to the Carolina 24. The veteran was 5-of-5 passing. He threw two to Brian Robiskie and two more to Hillis. Mohamed Massaquoi had a nice catch. Then Dawson booted what became the game-winner.

But even this drove me nuts as the Browns needed only one yard and had two plays to do it -- but failed to convert before Dawson saved the day. Robiskie had a very strong day with seven catches -- he had only nine entering the game. Joe Haden picked off his fourth pass.

And the Browns raised their record to 4-7.

But it was still maddening to watch.

Walsh Jesuit graduate Michael Nanchoff broke a scoreless tie for the third-seeded Zips (20-1-1) with a goal in the 53rd minute.

Brad Bournival

Special to The Plain Dealer

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron men’s soccer team reached the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday with a 2-1 win over Indiana.

Walsh Jesuit graduate Michael Nanchoff broke a scoreless tie for the third-seeded Zips (20-1-1) with a goal from 12 yards out on an assist from Darren Mattocks in the 53rd minute.

Nanchoff collected the pass, stepped to the left and buried it past Luis Soffner.

Soffner made a glaring error 68 seconds later for the Hoosiers (10-8-2) and Mattocks converted, stealing a pass from the Indiana goalie and pocketing it in the right corner.

Andy Adlard prevented the shutout for the Hoosiers, taking an assist from Nikita Kotlov with 8:05 remaining and scoring.

The win pushed Akron’s unbeaten streak at Lee Jackson Field to 38 games.

The streak ties Indiana (1982-85) as the second longest in NCAA history. The Zips will host the winner of Sunday evening's game between Brown and California next Saturday.

Watch post-game video from the Browns locker room following the team's 24-23 win over the Carolina Panthers. Hear from Eric Mangini, Peyton Hillis and Jake Delhomme. Watch video

Watch post-game video from the Browns locker room following the team's 24-23 win over the Carolina Panthers. First, head coach Eric Mangini is asked if he feels the Browns dodged a bullet. Running back Peyton Hillis then talks about his success this season after joining Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly as the only players in Browns history to rush for 10 touchdowns in a season. Quarterback Jake Delhomme talks about his performance and his disappointment turning the ball over. Finally, Mangini says Delhomme did some good things out there, but stopped short of naming him the starter next week against Miami.