In this Prepare for List Off, Doug Lesmerises and Bud Shaw run through the reasons the Indians should feel the like the best team in the American League as spring training opens. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians are actually second in the betting odds in the futures lines, with the Boston Red Sox 9-4 to win the American League at vegasinsider.com, while the Indians are next at 4-1, with Houston third at 6-1.

But when the Indians start spring training in Arizona with pitchers and catchers reporting on Sunday, it's OK if they feel like the favorites to repeat as AL champions.

In this Prepare for List Off, Bud Shaw and I offer our reasons why the Indians should be viewed that way.

There's pitching, there's hitting - and then there's the idea that this is their time.

Check out their birthdays and you'll understand.

Watch the video and then cast your vote for the team you consider the American League favorite with spring training just a few days away.

Catch our cleveland.com Sports Podcast, Takes by the Lake  

Subscribe on iTunes or SoundCloud

In our latest question in the series, fans must decide if the rookie receiver deserves to be viewed as a cornerstone of the Browns future.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Before the Browns can build the foundation of a winning franchise, they must identify which players will be part of that foundation. Who are the building blocks?

Cleveland.com is trying to figure that out, and we'd like your help. This series will take a look at veterans and rookies alike to see if they will be Cleveland Browns building blocks. Your feedback will help us determine who is in and who is out.

TODAY: Corey Coleman

Pro

As the first receiver drafted in 2016, Coleman has to be a player the Browns can build around, right? Coleman was the No. 15 pick in the NFL Draft a year ago, and look at the list of receivers taken in the top 15 in the last six years: Amari Cooper, Kevin White, DeVante Parker, Sammy Watkins, Mike Evans, Odell Beckham, Tavon Austin, Justin Blackmon, A.J. Green, Julio Jones.

Those aren't all sure things, but you'll find plenty of blocks in that group.  

In his first two games as a pro, Coleman had 69 and 104 yards receiving before a broken hand sidelined him for six games. He wasn't as effective in his return, but he showed instant explosiveness in camp, and at 5-foot-11, he could top out as a Steve Smith kind of player, a smaller receiver with speed and big-play ability.

He caught 74 passes for 1,363 yards and 20 touchdowns his last year at Baylor, and that talent didn't disappear because of six games lost to injury and quarterback issues in Cleveland.

You can see the route running, speed, hands and footwork on this 31-yard touchdown reception from Josh McCown in week two.

via GIPHY

Con

Upon his return in November, Coleman caught just 26 passes out of 60 targets in eight games. In December, he said he felt like he let people down with his season, while admitting to difficulties getting chemistry with the Browns changing quarterbacks. 

"Now I know what to expect from the NFL. I'll be a lot better coming back," Coleman said.

Are we sure? Finishing with 33 catches for 413 yards and three touchdowns, Coleman ranked 100th in the Pro Football Focus receiver rankings. The first receiver picked, he finished ninth among rookies in receiving yards, more than 700 yards behind leader Michael Thomas.

When you look at the best of those previously highly-drafted receivers, players like Jones, Green, Evans and Cooper are much more physically dominant than Coleman. Even Thomas, his fellow rookie, has four inches and nearly 20 pounds on Coleman.

via GIPHY

So is Coleman a building block? Players need to receive 67 percent of the yes vote to be labeled as a block. Only four players have reached that mark so far. 

Vote now. The results will be unveiled on Friday, when we'll find if Coleman becomes block No. 5.

Accepted Browns Building Blocks

* Terrelle Pryor

* Jamie Collins

* Danny Shelton

* Christian Kirksey

Rejected Browns Building Blocks

* Cameron Erving

* Joe Haden

* Isaiah Crowell

* Cody Kessler

* John Greco

Lorain's Naz Bohannon, Villa Angela-St. Joseph's Jerry Higgins and East Tech's Isaiah Washington are among this week's top performers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are the latest boys basketball top performances nominated for “Game Balls” from Jan. 23 to Feb. 5.

Players are nominated by coaches and selected by the cleveland.com staff. Voting is open until noon Friday.

Antonio Blanton, Elyria: For the second time this season, Blanton’s last-second 3-pointer lifted the Pioneers on the road. He hit one Saturday at Elyria Catholic for a 66-63 win. Blanton finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and two assists. He scored 21 points the previous night in an 81-63 win at Strongsville. Blanton's first buzzer-beater this season came at Medina.

Naz Bohannon, Lorain: The Titans strengthened their Lake Erie League lead with a 78-69 win Friday at Maple Heights, fueled by Bohannon’s performance. The 6-foot-6 senior scored 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Lorain now leads Maple Heights and Cleveland Heights by two games in the LEL.

D.J. Dial, Brush: The sophomore point guard scored 24 points with eight assists Friday in a 75-63 win at Chardon. 

Jordan Felice, Valley Forge: A 6-foot-3 senior forward, Felice scored 38 points and hauled in 22 rebounds Saturday to lead a 73-50 road win at Mayfield. Felice had 16 points and 12 boards the previous night in a loss to Parma.

Josh Goodwin, Olmsted Falls: A 6-0 senior guard, Goodwin helped the Bulldogs to two wins that kept them in Southwestern Conference title contention. First, he provided 22 points, nine rebounds, four steals and two assists Friday in a win against Amherst. Goodwin followed Saturday with 25 points, four boards, three assists and three steals against North Ridgeville. Goodwin is averaging 16.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.9 steals.

Jerry Higgins, Villa Angela-St. Joseph: Nicknamed “Waterbug,” Higgins helped the Vikings paddle through Mentor in the fourth quarter Saturday of a 66-61 win. Higgins scored 21 points. Higgins scored the final six points, including the go-ahead basket.

Josh Hufstetler, North Olmsted: The senior point guard is at it again. This time in a 54-46 win against Lakewood, Hufstetler scored 29 points with 12 rebounds, three steals and two assists. He also shot 10-of-11 from the free-throw line. Hufstetler is averaging 17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.6 steals.

Kevin Peterson, Padua: In a topsy-turvy week for the Bruins, Peterson provided a consistent scoring force. The 6- 5 junior forward produced 27 points Tuesday in a 60-51 loss to Archbishop Hoban, the fifth-ranked team in the cleveland.com Top 25. Peterson followed Friday with 22 points in a 74-72 win at No. 11 Benedictine.

Isaiah Washington, East Tech: A 5-11 senior guard, Washington scored 41 points Friday to lead East Tech past Glenville, 71-66, for the Senate League championship. Washington also had 29 points Wednesday in a semifinal win vs. MLK in which the Scarabs rallied from 23 points in the third quarter. Washington is averaging 24.0 points.

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.

Only seven Top 25 teams have avoided losing at least once over the last two weeks of conference play. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- So where are all these losses coming from this season in the Associated Press Top 25 ranks? The best place to look is on the road. The second half of conference play is at hand, as well as the final third of the regular season.

It's crunch time for elite programs looking to land a high seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, as well as for bubble teams looking to earn their way in as an at-large entry in the 68-team NCAA Tournament field.

Last week there were seven losses among teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll and 13 among all ranked teams, with two teams losing both games last week. Over the last two weeks, only seven teams in the Top 25 went unscathed.

So what games to watch this week? Already No. 4 Louisville fell on the road at No. 12 Virginia Monday night to start off the week.

Tuesday night, No. 21 Maryland is at Penn State; No. 17 Florida is at Georgia and No. 22 Butler is at Marquette. On Wednesday, No. 6 Baylor is at Oklahoma State and No. 13 West Virginia is at Oklahoma.

But the real tests are Thursday. No. 8 North Carolina is at No. 18 Duke, with Duke desperate not to fall to .500 this last in the Atlantic Coast Conference race. No. 5 Oregon is on the road at No. 10 UCLA and No. 25 SMU is at Temple. In the proverbial "trap game," No. 1 Gonzaga is at Loyola Marymount just before its Saturday showdown at No. 21 St. Mary's.

LeBron James and Kevin Love combined for 71 points in 84 minutes of the Cleveland Cavaliers' 140-135 overtime victory against the Washington Wizards on Monday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards put on a show Monday night in the nation's capital. The Cavs won, 140-135, in overtime in a game that seemingly had everything. TNT and Fox Sports Time Ohio televised.

Who says the NBA regular season can't provide highly entertaining stops along the way to the all-important playoffs? This Eastern Conference matchup between the defending world champion Cavaliers and sizzling Wizards had a playoff feel. It was a delicious blend of stellar individual and team performances.

The Cavs improved to 35-15; the Wizards slipped to 30-21.

Here are some numbers that stood out:

7, 17: Wizards' winning streaks overall and home that ended.

32/17/7: LeBron James' points, assists and rebounds. The assist total is a career-high. King shot 12-of-18 from the field, including 6-of-8 from 3-point range. He was 4-of-4 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter.

39/12: Kevin Love's points and rebounds. Love shot 11-of-17 (64.7 percent) from the field, snapping a streak of 18 games with sub-50 percent accuracy. He went 11-of-11 from the line.

Pity the Wizards. LeBron and Love growled and snarled and dominated as if they were facing a team of Frank Isolas. New York Daily News writer Isola insists LeBron wants Knicks standout and close friend Carmelo Anthony in Cleveland, even at the cost of Kevin Love.

Nobody tells it like the New York Daily News, or so we are told. King called the report "trash.'' Love isn't playing like someone who wants to be traded, or like someone LeBron would want to jettison.

22/12: Tristan Thompson's points and rebounds. The season-high point total resulted from 10-of-13 from the field; the field-goal total also is a season-high.

11: Kyrie Irving's points in overtime, of the Cavs' 20. KI drilled a cold-blooded 3-pointer from the right wing over Bradley Beal to give the Cavs a 136-133 lead with 35 seconds remaining.

43-of-44: KI's foul shooting in OT as an NBA player. Let it marinate.

5: Cavs' deficit (127-122) with 3:44 remaining in OT. At this point, the Cavs were without LeBron (fouled out with 4:13 left in OT) and Iman Shumpert (injured ankle after playing 24 minutes) and already were missing J.R. Smith (broken hand earlier in season). 

19-of-38: Cavs from 3-point range.

41/8: Wizards guard Beal's points and assists. Beal shot 16-of-28 from the field, including 6-of-14 from 3-point range.

2: Quality defensive stops in OT by Love after switches, one each against John Wall and Beal. Love challenged jumpers that missed.

1: Bank open for LeBron, who cashed a fadeaway 3-pointer from in front of the Wizards bench to tie the score, 120-120, with three-tenths of a second remaining in regulation. Credit Love with a fabulous touchdown-pass assist.

99: Combined field goals for both teams. The Cavs shot 49-of-92 (53.3 percent); the Wizards, 50-of-99 (50.5 percent). Rare is the NBA game in which each team makes 49+ field goals and shoots 50+ percent.

Granted, both teams had issues defensively. But this was more of a fast-paced shootout among highly skilled players than a layup drill.

53.3/50/82.1: Cavs' respective shooting percentages from the field, 3-point range and the foul line. It would have been a bitter pill if the Cavs had lost with percentages such as those.

8th, 13th, 20th: LeBron James' respective all-time NBA rankings in points (28,052), assists (7,227) and steals (1,725). King is the only player to rank in the top 20 in each category.

The PBA Tour's first major of 2017, the Barbasol Players Championship, unfolds this week in Columbus.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Barbasol PBA Players Championship, the first of three consecutive majors on Professional Bowlers Association Tour 2017, unfolds this week in Columbus.

Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl hosts for the second straight year. Webb, a PBA Hall of Famer, is co-owner of the center. He will compete in the tournament.

• Players Championship live scoring

The Players is the first of five majors in the PBA Tour's 2017 season. The Players is followed by the Tournament of Champions and USBC Masters.

At last year's Players, Canadian Graham Fach defeated top qualifier Ryan Ciminelli, 279-244, for his first major title in his second PBA Tour event. Fach, then age 24,  became the first Canadian to win a PBA Tour title.

After going 57 years without a PBA champion, Canada had two when, later that season, 23-year-old Francois Lavoie won the U.S. Open.

Fach and Lavoie are in a group of PBA players age 25 or younger who have won the past six majors. The streak began when Gary Faulkner Jr. won the World Championship at 25 in December 2015. The others are Jesper Svensson (Tournament of Champions just shy of 21^st birthday); Anthony Simonsen (youngest to win a major, USBC Masters, at age 19); and EJ Tackett (2016 World Championship at 24).

Here is the Players schedule for the week:

• 10 a.m. - Squad A, 8 qualifying games
• 4 p.m. - Squad B, 8 qualifying games

Wednesday

• 10 a.m. - Squad A, 8 qualifying games
• 4 p.m. - Squad B, 8 qualifying games

Thursday

• 10 a.m. - Squad A, 8 qualifying games
•  4 p.m. - Squad B, 8 qualifying games

              Top 24 players advance to fourth qualifying round.

Friday

• 10 a.m. - Top 24, 8 qualifying games

               Top 16 advance to fifth qualifying round

• 5 p.m. - Top 16, 8 qualifying games

               Top 5 after 40 games advance to ESPN stepladder finals

Saturday

• 1--3:30 p.m.- pro-am squad
• 4 - 6:30 p.m. - pro-am squad

Sunday, Feb. 12

• 1 p.m. - ESPN stepladder finals ($40,000 to winner)

To purchase tickets for the live ESPN finals visit http://www.pba.com/Tickets. For qualifying round admission and pro-am entry information, contact Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl at (614) 491-7155 or visit www.bowlcolumbus.com.

Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl is located at 3224 S. High St.

With the Cleveland Browns, Bill Belichick's lack of an engaging personality dominated the perception of him. He had quite a bit more to offer, though.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- "He's just a football coach."

Cleveland Browns tackle turned radio analyst Doug Dieken said that years ago when Bill Belichick, as the face of the Browns franchise, usually presented a sour, unsmiling one.

"Just a coach" means Belichick neither sought nor needed any other fulfillment. He was not involved in helping the addicted, as was Sam Rutigliano. Belichick had no interest in commercials (Bill Cowher Mike Ditka, John Madden), commentary (Jimmy Johnson, Tony Dungy and a host of others), or, certainly, small talk.

Dead air

Belichick had a weekly radio show, the proceeds from which he donated to his assistant coaches. He knew that their salaries, whether as an NFL newbie or a valued member of a service academy staff, did not make for an easy life.

When a caller in mid-December said one night, "Before I ask my question, I want to wish Bill and his assistant coaches a very merry Christmas," Belichick waited a half-minute before thinking of a reply, a terse "Same to you."

Questions about defending Houston's run-and-shoot or about the Pittsburgh Steelers he could handle. Holiday greetings, not so much.

Burgers

Belichick broke into the NFL as a $25 a week "go-fer" with the Detroit Lions, where he scouted film -- as his father, Steve, a Navy assistant coach, had taught him to do from age 9 -- and fetched hamburgers for the staff.

It is not what you were in life, though, it is what you become.

Defense and offense

Belichick became the Browns' coach in 1991, carrying a reputation as a defensive mastermind. It was, however, belied by the Super Bowl he had won as a defensive coordinator when he was aided by the New York Giants' ball-control offense.

The Giants had the ball for more than 40 1/2 minutes, but Buffalo scored 19 points in its 19 1/2 minutes in a one-point loss.

When Belichick won his record fifth Super Bowl with New England on Sunday, the Patriots possessed the ball for 40 1/2 minutes of the nearly 65-minute overtime game against Atlanta.

Criticized for being his own offensive coordinator st times with the Browns, Belichick knew offense was just the other side of defense. He knew better than anyone what would most stress a defense.

A meritocracy of the mind

His triumph is one of sheer ability and hard work. "Ask him to break down film, and you won't see him for a week," said his Giants' boss, Bill Parcels. In a workaholic sport, it was a great compliment.

Players here derided Belichick because he would not look them in the eye when speaking to them. Media members and fans called him "Mumbles."

After Art Modell sabotaged the contender Belichick was building here by moving the team, the faithless Modell tried to dissuade New England's Robert Kraft from hiring Belichick.

After getting a load of Belichick's taciturn (at best) and truculent (at worst) news conferences, Kraft almost changed his mind.

It changed NFL history when he did not.

Discipline and dynasty

Unlike Belichick's close friends, Nick Saban, a former Browns aide, at Alabama and Urban Meyer at Ohio State, Belichick never had an appetite for the personality-driven world of college recruiting. It was in the NFL that he would make his mark.

What Belichick brought to to the Patriots was the financial discipline of an economics major at a prestigious liberal arts school, Wesleyan University.

He would not overpay to keep core players together past their shelf life.

He would find gems at places such as West Alabama, the alma mater of  past Super Bowl savior Malcolm Butler.

He would convert versatile players such as former Kent State quarterback Julian Edelman to new positions, in his case, wide receiver.

Edelman made one of the best catches in Super Bowl history Sunday.

Belichick and Brady

Belichick has benefited from what I called even before Super Bowl LI the best Super Bowl quarterback ever in sixth-round pick Tom Brady.

In a salary-cap sport, with only one cinch Hall of Famer at wide receiver, Randy Moss, and him for only three full years, Belichick has built a consistent contender, the like of which  has not been seen since the Dallas Cowboys before the salary cap.

Just a coach -- who's probably the best ever.

Miocic and dos Santos will reportedly fight for the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 211 in May. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic will get to avenge one of the toughest losses of his career at UFC 211 in Dallas.

MMA Fighting reports that rumors of a rematch between Miocic and top contender Junior dos Santos are true and will take place on May 13. The fight was first reported by Combate.com last month.

Miocic has been on quite the tear since winning the UFC title at UFC 198 and defending it against Alistair Overeem in Cleveland last fall. But dos Santos does hold a unanimous decision win over Miocic during a UFC on Fox event in December 2014.

When Miocic stopped by the cleveland.com studio last year, we asked him about a potential rematch with dos Santos, which seemed inevitable.

Davis and Myers are the two highest-rated offensive linemen Urban Meyer has signed at Ohio State. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It's been nearly a decade since Ohio State has signed a pair of offensive linemen like Wyatt Davis and Josh Myers.

Davis and Myers, a blue-chip duo at guard, are the highest-rated offensive linemen Urban Meyer has signed since coming to Ohio State. And they're the highest-rated offensive linemen the Buckeyes have signed since 2008, when they inked five-star center Michael Brewster and five-star tackle Mike Adams.

This is a special kind of package deal.

People wonder what it takes for an offensive linemen to start as a true freshman, Davis and Myers are the protoypes with their physical traits and advanced understanding of the position at such a young age.

So is it possible both will be competing for starting jobs for the 2017 season?

"They're both from excellent programs," Meyer said on National Signing Day. "They're both very disciplined, mature people. Man, they're blessed. They're big. They're not -- usually guys that big are fat-big, but these guys aren't fat-big, they're big-big."

Davis (6-foot-5, 310 pounds) is the No. 1 guard in the 2017 recruiting class. His overall rating of .9870 in the 247Sports composite ratings makes him the best linemen on paper that Meyer has signed in Columbus. Myers (6-foot-6, 306 pounds) is the No. 2 guard in the country and the second-best linemen signed by Meyer with a rating of .9743. 

The two best linemen Meyer had signed at Ohio State before this pair were Jamarco Jones (.9696) in 2014 and Evan Lisle (.9646) in 2013.

As you can say with just about every position in Ohio State's 2017 recruiting class, the Buckeyes signed a different class of athlete this year. That's not a guarantee of success, but it does mean the notion of two true freshmen competing for playing time on the offensive line makes a little bit of sense -- especially when you consider Myers is already early enrolled and with the team. 

"Josh Myers is absolutely killing it in the weight room right now. He's going to be in the mix," Meyer said.

Davis, a five-star prospect from St. John Bosco in California, will be in the mix when he arrives this summer.

"Wyatt Davis, I went out watching him practice," Meyer said. "Wonderful high school program, one of the best programs in America. I don't want to say he's ready-made because that's not fair for him, but that's how much respect we have for Bosco football program."

Projecting Ohio State's 2017 O-line depth chart

Davis and Myers are helped by the fact that Ohio State is already somewhat thin at guard, as made evident by the fact that Michael Jordan came in last year and won a starting job -- a development  nobody saw coming. That's not a knock on Jordan. It's just that there's a certain caliber of player you'd expect to start as a true freshman on the line, and at least on paper, Jordan wasn't it. To his credit he won a job, and he should hold on to it this season.

But with another opening at guard with Bill Price's anticipated move to center, Davis and Myers could give Ohio State true freshman offensive line starters in back-to-back years.

And it wouldn't be that crazy.

The Cleveland Browns didn't need a reminder of their 2014 draft disaster. But they got one Monday with the news the Pittsburgh Steelers released former Top 10 draft pick Justin Gilbert.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Browns draft disasters are never too far removed from the conversation once the NFL season ends and focus begins to turn to the scouting combine in early March.

This was especially true Monday when the Pittsburgh Steelers announced the release of former Browns Top 10 pick...you knew him, you didn't love him, you pretty much had to do without him...Justin Gilbert.

The Browns traded Gilbert to Pittsburgh for a 2018 sixth-round pick in September, two years after making him the No. 8 overall choice in the 2014 draft.

The only thing that kept Gilbert from being recognized as the Browns' biggest miss in that draft was the craziness surrounding Johnny Manziel, who was chosen 14 spots lower than Gilbert.

The Gilbert-Manziel draft is instructive, not just as a reminder to avoid drafting "hard sleepers."

It may have caused Jimmy Haslam to throw up his hands and look for a more analytical way of evaluating players,

If so, fine. But that shouldn't have been necessary.

If you don't like football, it doesn't matter how talented you are, your star will burn out quick. https://t.co/r7PfDSTljL

-- Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) February 6, 2017

Makes sense.

Measuring dedication and commitment isn't analytics. It falls under the category of doing your homework.

The Browns didn't do it on Gilbert. If they did it on Manziel -- who cared more about being a celebrity than a successful quarterback -- they talked themselves into ignoring it.

But enough about Ray Farmer.

* Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia walked off the return flight wearing an T-shirt with an image of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sporting a clown nose.

Obviously the Pats are still incensed Goodell pursued the DeflateGate case and suspended Tom Brady for four games.

No wonder. I mean when have they ever been caught cheating?

 * I guess Patricia could borrow an explanation from LeBron James, who wore an Ultimate Warrior" shirt after the win over Golden State and said his choice of shirts was a coincidence.

But for some reason if he did, the next image that would come to mind is Patricia with a Pinocchio nose.

* James was spectacular against the Wizards Monday in a 140-135 win. His banked 3-pointer at the buzzer sent the game into overtime.

"I can calm my mind and know what needs to be done," James said of his performance in big moments.

Seconds earlier, he'd blown a wide open layup.

But that miss was less about a cluttered mind than it was James getting off stride on his drive to the basket.

After taking more steps than you'd see in a performance of Riverdance.

* If I'm a NBA ref and James complains to me about a foul call, I'm reminding him of the time he got away with one.

Or four.

* Ty Lue on rumors about trading of Kevin Love: "He is not going anywhere."

That should stop the speculation in its tracks until this time tomorrow.

* Lue channeled ESPN when he joked from Washington, "We're going to trade (Love) tonight. Thirty-nine (points) and 12 (rebounds). We're going to trade him right now. C'mon man."

C'mon man indeed.

For his part, Love called the New York Daily News report that LeBron "There's a New Sheriff in Town" James was urging the Cavs front office to get Carmelo Anthony, even if it cost Love in exchange, "almost laughable."

Hearing these reports, you'd almost think James had publicly called out his team for its failure to spend even more money and add another playmaker.

* James is in Good Sheriff mode after winning five of six.

"Our GM will do a great job of figuring out if we need something else, but right now we're in a good place," he told reporters in Washington.

While also calling the report and the author of the report, Frank Isola, "trash."

OK, so Good Sheriff might be a stretch.

* The Patriots' win means another Super Bowl ring for owner Robert Kraft, who is famously missing one from 2004. Kraft let Vladmir Putin wear it during the Russian leader's 2005 visit and never got it back.

Kraft plans to have a new ring made with Putin's name and exchange it for the 2004 ring. The middle man, Kraft hopes, will be Donald Trump.

For some crazy reason I smell a reality TV show.

* Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, obviously despondent after his team's Super Bowl collapse, said, "There are no words."

Except maybe "run the ball on third-and-1."

* Bill Belichick says it's an insult to suggest the NFL's four-game suspension of Tom Brady fueled the Pats' quarterback to another Super Bowl title.

He says Brady couldn't possibly dedicate himself anymore than he always does. Belichick also said this of winning the Super Bowl:

"As great as today is, in all honesty, we're five weeks behind 30 teams in the league in preparing for the 2017 season."

And if you believe they won't make it up, you're insulting everyone's intelligence.

* The post-Super Bowl chatter about Patriots backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will increase.

And a quote from Belichick in November will get more play.

"When we put Jimmy in there, it's really seamless," Belichick said after Garoppolo started in place of the suspended Brady.

"Unless you were actually looking at the position. If you could just block out that position and say, 'Which guy is in there at quarterback?' I don't know if you would know a lot of times."

At the Super Bowl, Garoppolo referenced how rare it is to hear kind words from Belichick during the season.

"Anytime you get a compliment in our organization it's always a good thing," he told reporters. "They're tough to come by."

Other organizations have been so generous with compliments they've heaped praise on players for doing the bare minimum.

No names.

* Belichick and the Patriots are unique.

Which is partly how you can win a Super Bowl after getting rid of Jamie Collins and with Rob Gronkowski sidelined.

That and having Tom Brady.

* The Julian Edelman catch following the Julio Jones catch? Wow. Those were million-dollar receptions.

Not to be confused with the $1.8 million per catch Dwayne Bowe made with the Browns.

* Draymond Green says of the Charles Barkley-LeBron James feud, "I think 'Bron won that one."

Green said Barkley shouldn't be allowed to talk about championship basketball because he never won one, but that Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson are allowed.

Who will ever forget those tomahawk dunks by Ernie, delivered I presume at the biggest moments of what could only be his intramural basketball glory days.

* Green and Kevin Durant had a heated exchange during a recent game, putting Durant in the select company of everyone who's ever played on a team with Draymond Green.

Former Browns coach Bill Belichick captured another Super Bowl championship on Sunday in Houston. How far away are the Browns from reaching that level? Will they ever get there? And if so, when? Share your thoughts in a curated discussion today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Former Browns coach Bill Belichick captured another Super Bowl championship on Sunday in Houston when his Patriots pulled off an historic comeback to beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl 51.

He wasn't the only former Brown doing work Sunday in Houston. The game also included Patriots defensive lineman Jabaal Sheard and running back Dion Lewis; and Falcons center Alex Mack, receiver Taylor Gabriel and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan -- all of whom at one time wore Brown and Orange and worked in Berea.

How far away are the Browns from reaching that level? Will they ever get there? And if so, when? What steps do you think they should take to go from being the league's worst team to its best?

Join us today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a civil, constructive conversation in the comments section below about the state of the Browns and what they need to do to bring the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Northeast Ohio.

Comments will be reviewed by a moderator before they are published. 

In our Talk it Out pre-curated conversation, comments are published after they are reviewed -- promptly -- to ensure they adhere to our community rules, which prohibit indecent, hateful, abusive or harassing comments, personal attacks, vulgar nicknames, personal information including telephone numbers and addresses, email addresses belonging to others, anything inciting criminal behavior and copyrighted material for which you do not own the rights.  

Comments that are not on the topic of this discussion will not be published. Criticism is fine, as long as it is respectful. We seek a robust and courteous discussion.

Pick your favorite play from Cleveland's 140-135 OT win against Washington.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There was a playoff atmosphere at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. on Monday as the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled out a 140-135 win against the host Wizards in overtime.

Cleveland's Big Three of All-Stars LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love each stepped up and made plays that helped determine the outcome.

James banked home a fadeaway 3-pointer with less than one second left in regulation to tie the score and force overtime.

Irving rocked Bradley Beal to sleep with a dribble and sank a 3-pointer in the extra session that reminded fans of his clutch shot to win Game 7 of the NBA Finals last year.

Love led the team with 39 points, assisted on James' big shot, and played spectacular defense against John Wall down the stretch to seal the win.

What was your favorite play of the game? Take the poll below and then defend your answer in the comments section.

See social media reactions from Cleveland's 140-135 OT win at Washington.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards played one of the best games of the NBA season on Monday at Verizon Center as the Cavs pulled out a 140-135 win in overtime. 

The game had a playoff atmosphere, and included clutch shots by LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

Naturally, social media reacted with the kind of tempered honesty that we've all come to expect. Just kidding.. it was as crazy as the game itself. 

Here's a sampling of what fans and media had to say after the final buzzer.

Lance Stephenson is expected to provide backcourt depth for the Timberwolves after Zach LaVine suffered a season-ending torn ACL Friday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Lance Stephenson, part of the Cleveland Cavaliers' recent four-guard tryout, has reportedly agreed to a 10-day contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Following the workout between Stephenson, Jordan Farmar, Mario Chalmers and Kirk Hinrich that head coach Tyronn Lue said "went well," the Cavs weren't sure whether they would sign one of those players or continue to keep the spot open as they weigh other options.

"We're just continuing to look at ways to get better," Lue said at the time. "Not sure if it's point guard, not sure if it's a playmaker, not sure if it's a big. Just starting the process of looking and seeing what we can find. That's it."

The Cavs still have one open roster spot.

But Stephenson is no longer an option, as he's expected to provide backcourt depth for the Timberwolves after Zach LaVine suffered a season-ending torn ACL Friday night. 

The 26-year-old mercurial guard began the 2016-17 campaign with the New Orleans Pelicans before having groin surgery in November. He's been working to show teams he has recovered and can still be effective.

Stephenson has averaged 8.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists during his career.

The Vertical reported the deal. 

Farmar, Chalmers and Hinrich remain available if the Cavaliers want to go that direction, especially after Iman Shumpert's sprained left ankle suffered Monday. 

LeBron James ranks 13th all-time in assists. He is on pace to becoming the NBA sixth player with at least 10,000 assists, should he play another five seasons. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - LeBron James ranks 13th in the NBA all-time for assists and could eventually crack the top 10, or higher. (See complete rankings below.)

James passed Lenny Wilkens with a career-high 17 assists against the Washington Wizards on Monday, raising his total to 7,227.

Next on the list is Maurice Cheeks, who had 7,392 career assists. James is on target to pass Cheeks in mid to late March.

Next up would be Rod Strickland at No. 11. But that could take until late next season. James trails Strickland by 645 assists. He is on pace for about 650 assists this season, depending on how many games he plays.

The 8.8 assists per game James is averaging this year is a career high.

Based on his average of assists per season since returning to Cleveland, James would need nearly five seasons to become the NBA's sixth player with at least 10,000 assists. Chris Paul could get there ahead of him.

All-time assist leaders

Source: NBA

The PBA Tour's first major of the season, the Barbasol Players Championship, is this week in Columbus.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Barbasol PBA Players Championship is underway at Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl. Two squads bowl the first eight-game qualifying block today, Feb. 7.

Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl hosts for the second straight year. Webb, a PBA Hall of Famer, is co-owner of the center. He is competing in the tournament.

• Players Championship live scoring

The Players is the first of five majors in the PBA Tour's 2017 season, and the first of three straight. It is followed by the Tournament of Champions and USBC Masters.

At last year's Players, Canadian Graham Fach defeated top qualifier Ryan Ciminelli, 279-244, for his first major title in his second PBA Tour event. Fach, then age 24,  became the first Canadian to win a PBA Tour title.

After going 57 years without a PBA champion, Canada had two when, later that season, 23-year-old Francois Lavoie won the U.S. Open.

Fach and Lavoie are in a group of PBA players age 25 or younger who have won the past six majors. The streak began when Gary Faulkner Jr. won the World Championship at 25 in December 2015. The others are Jesper Svensson (Tournament of Champions just shy of 21^st birthday); Anthony Simonsen (youngest to win a major, USBC Masters, at age 19); and EJ Tackett (2016 World Championship at 24).

Here is the Players schedule for the week:

Today

• 10 a.m. - Squad A, 8 qualifying games
• 4 p.m. - Squad B, 8 qualifying games

Wednesday

• 10 a.m. - Squad A, 8 qualifying games
• 4 p.m. - Squad B, 8 qualifying games

Thursday

• 10 a.m. - Squad A, 8 qualifying games
•  4 p.m. - Squad B, 8 qualifying games

              Top 24 players advance to fourth qualifying round.

Friday

• 10 a.m. - Top 24, 8 qualifying games

               Top 16 advance to fifth qualifying round

• 5 p.m. - Top 16, 8 qualifying games

               Top 5 after 40 games advance to ESPN stepladder finals

Saturday

• 1--3:30 p.m.- pro-am squad
• 4 - 6:30 p.m. - pro-am squad

Sunday, Feb. 12

• 1 p.m. - ESPN stepladder finals ($40,000 to winner)

To purchase tickets for the live ESPN finals visit http://www.pba.com/Tickets. For qualifying round admission and pro-am entry information, contact Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl at (614) 491-7155 or visit www.bowlcolumbus.com.

Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl is located at 3224 S. High St.

Tom Brady is great, but he'll be playing next season at the age of 40. So why would the New England Patriots be willing to trade his backup, Jimmy Garoppolo? Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tom Brady remains great, and he proved that again in Super Bowl LI on Sunday, leading the New England Patriots to a 34-28 overtime victory against the Atlanta Falcons.

It was Brady's fifth Super Bowl title, the most ever by a quarterback, and it comes on the heels of another outstanding season for the sixth-round draft pick.

And although he seemingly shows no signs of slowing down, he's is 39 and will be playing next season at the age of 40.

So why in the world are the Patriots willing to trade backup Jimmy Garoppolo?

We talk about it in this video.

The Cavs (35-15) take on the Indiana Pacers (29-22) at 7 p.m. in game 3 of a four-game road trip. Watch video

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Cavs (35-15) take on the Indiana Pacers (29-22) at 7 p.m. in game 3 of a four-game road trip.

Last meeting: The Cavs lost 103-93 in Indiana on Nov. 16.

Cavs fast fact: LeBron James has missed three of Cleveland's last five games at Indiana's Bankers Life Fieldhouse

Cavs injuries: Iman Shumpert (sprained left ankle) is doubtful; J.R. Smith (right thumb surgery) and Chris Andersen (torn right ACL) are out.

Pacers fast fact: They're red hot, winners of their last seven.

Pacers injuries: Thaddeus Young (sprained left wrist) is questionable.

Probable starters:

Cavs

F LeBron James (25.9 ppg; 7.9 rpg; 8.8 apg)

F Kevin Love (20.4 ppg; 11.1 rpg; 1.9 apg)

C Tristan Thompson (7.9 ppg; 9.6 rpg; 0.8 apg)

G DeAndre Liggins (2.8 ppg; 1.7 rpg; 1.0 apg)

G Kyrie Irving (24.2 ppg; 3.3 rpg; 5.9 apg)

Pacers

F Paul George (22.5 ppg; 6.1 rpg; 3.3 apg)

F Lavoy Allen (2.2 ppg; 2.6 rpg; 1.0 apg)

C Myles Turner (15.5 ppg; 7.3 rpg; 1.0 apg)

G C.J. Miles (10.6 ppg; 3.0 rpg; 0.6 apg)

G Jeff Teague (15.8 ppg; 4.1 rpg; 8.1 apg)

Beating the Wizards in overtime without LeBron James proved to the Cavs that they can do that on occasion -- a lesson they may need as early as Wednesday against the Pacers. Watch video

WASHINGTON -- You could forgive the Wizards for what Kyrie Irving said he saw on their faces and in their body language Monday night when LeBron James fouled out with 4:13 left in overtime.

"I saw the Wizards' bench and as well as everyone that was on the floor when Bron got his sixth foul, I think that they kind of thought that the game was going to take a turn," Irving said.

The "turn," so the Wizards thought, was supposed to be in their favor. After all, Cleveland is 4-18 in games where James doesn't play at all since 2014.

And while 4:13 is, well, roughly one-twelfth of a regulation game, that the Cavs were able to survive an overtime without James and beat Washington 140-135 has meaning -- more than your average win in early February for a defending champion.

It serves as a reminder that, even without James, yes they can (apologies, but this IS Washington, after all).

It's a lesson they may need to rely upon as early as Wednesday night in Indianapolis.

"Like I said before, even with our record, obviously it's not great when LeBron sits but we expect him to be with us in the playoffs and moving forward but there might be moments where he gets in foul trouble or one of us gets in foul trouble and guys need to step up and I think you saw that tonight," Kevin Love said.

James played 42 minutes before fouling out. He scored 32 points and dished out a career-high 17 assists. He also gave the Cavs an immeasurable boost by hitting one of the shots of the season with .9 seconds left -- a banked-in 3-pointer while falling out of bounds -- to send it to overtime.

James hasn't played in three of Cleveland's last five games at Indiana. The Cavs play Wednesday against the Pacers and again Thursday in Oklahoma City. The team isn't sure if or when James will sit those two games, but there's a distinct possibility.

Also, it is highly unlikely starting shooting guard Iman Shumpert will play after suffering a sprained left ankle Monday against the Wizards. Team sources said his condition wouldn't be updated until Wednesday morning.

So the Cavs are going to be even more shorthanded than usual -- if neither Shumpert nor James plays, that gives them 10 players for the Pacers game. And those players came up huge in overtime against a Wizards team that had won seven straight and 17 in a row at home.

It started with Irving, who scored 11 of the Cavs' 20 points in overtime. Irving's a closer, to be sure, but it's usually with James helping him. But against the Wizards he scored seven straight points in the game's final minute, including another stepback 3-pointer from high on the right, kind of like Game 7 of the Finals.

Love added four points in the extra session and made two key defensive plays. Kyle Korver knocked down a 3-pointer. The Cavs held Bradley Beal (thanks in part to Love) to 1-of-5 shooting in overtime. He finished the game with 41 points, so that was no small feat.

"Man, we got championship DNA," James said. "Guys have been in position where they know how to close out games, especially Kyrie. Kev was huge tonight, gave us an All-Star performance as is, Double T (Tristan Thompson), and also Kyle. Big road win for us."

Again, the Cavs aren't anywhere near a spot to beat the Wizards Monday night without James. And if he sits Wednesday, the Cavs would of course be without him, likely Shumpert, and definitely J.R. Smith. It means they would need extended minutes from either DeAndre Liggins or Jordan McRae, or both, and Kay Felder has been playing behind Irving at point guard.

But Irving and Love are All-Stars. Korver remains one of the NBA's great 3-point threats, and Thompson's been on fire during this stretch in which Cleveland has won five of six. He posted a season-high 22 points against the Wizards.

And, now they know.

"LeBron fouling out the first 30 seconds of overtime and for us to still win this game against a good, quality team, it means a lot and hopefully we can continue to build on this," coach Tyronn Lue said.

Love has had an endorsement deal with Saxx since 2015. This is his second year as Banana Republic's brand ambassador.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When Kevin Love isn't throwing game-tying touchdown passes or answering questions about trade rumors, the Cavaliers star has a pretty steady gig as a model.

On that front, it's been a pretty good couple of days for Love, who scored 39 points in the Cavs' thrilling win over the Washington Wizards on Monday. His latest ad campaign for Banana Republic is hitting in-store displays, billboards and direct mail this week. The photos feature pieces from BR's spring line, which include stain and wrinkle-resistant pants, stretchy jeans and moisture-wicking sweaters.

"I am all about being comfortable while looking polished, which is why I loved the pieces in this spring campaign," Love said in a release. "One of my favorite items are the Nanotex trousers because I'm always on the move, traveling and on the road, and they stay wrinkle free. I can pair them with lightweight layers or versatile outerwear so I'm ready for anything."

Love, who counts Don Draper and Larry David among his fashion icons, also just launched a new collection of boxer briefs for Saxx Underwear. The NBA All-Star says the designs, which feature camouflage and patriotic patterns, were inspired by the Pacific Northwest and Americana.

Love has had an endorsement deal with Saxx since 2015. This is his second year as Banana Republic's brand ambassador.

This past Friday in NYC I unveiled my new capsule collection with @SAXXunderwear. Inspired by Eastwood, the Pacific Northwest, Americana, and more. #SAXX #FreeToMove

A photo posted by @kevinlove on Feb 6, 2017 at 9:59am PST