Greater Cleveland Congregations is asking for more investment in neighborhoods as the city and county consider a proposal to renovate Quicken Loans Arena.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Greater Cleveland Congregations is requesting an in-person meeting with Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert as the non-partisan coalition of religious groups continues to object to a plan to use public funds to help pay for the renovation of Quicken Loans Arena.

The meeting is requested to work out a way to bring some of the money proposed to be spent on the Q arena makeover back to the neighborhoods, according to a news release from GCC.

The group, as well as other activist organizations and some residents, don't agree with a plan that would divert taxpayer dollars to downtown development but not invest equal amounts of money in the neighborhoods in their eyes.

The group is asking for Gilbert to support establishing a Community Equity Fund which would provide a match of any public funds for the Q makeover to go towards neighborhood priorities, the news release said.

An investment of $35 million is being asked from Gilbert personally to capitalize the fund and to help with initial costs to build two mental health crisis centers on the east and west sides of Cleveland, the news release said.

"GCC's belief is that the financial benefit Mr. Gilbert and the Cavaliers accrue from the Q far outweighs what Cleveland-area residents receive in return, therefore there must be equity built into the deal in the form of the Community Equity Fund," the news release said. "Examples of these benefits include not paying property tax on the Q building, extracting exclusive value of the building's naming rights, and a Cavaliers franchise now valued at $1.2 billion, up from $375 million when Mr. Gilbert first purchased the Cavs, which the public helps subsidize through the current Q arrangement."

As of Saturday morning there was no response to the meeting request.

"We ask to meet with Mr. Gilbert in-person in the coming weeks to explain our position on the Q deal and discuss how he can help unite Cleveland, instead of continuing the long history of pitting neighborhoods against downtown," Donna Weinberger, member of GCC's Strategy Team said in the news release.

The group met with Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish as well and requested Budish slow down the legislative process and allow transparency and community input. GCC also wants Budish to be a part of the establishment of the Community Equity Fund.

Members also spoke out against the proposal Tuesday at the County Council meeting, where the plan will be under consideration for the next few weeks.

The group will hold a public meeting March 9 at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 6114 Francis Avenue in Cleveland to update the public on the project.

The GCC is a group of faith communities and partner organizations that works to build a greater Cleveland for everyone.

If this isn't a joke, the Cleveland Cavaliers guard's belief that the Earth is flat does no good by questioning verifiable scientific fact.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - As the old sci-fi televison show "The X Files" insisted, "The truth is out there."

Kyrie Irving is convinced we'd better grab it before it goes over the edge of the world into an area where old pre-Columbian sailing maps warned: "Here be monsters!"

The Cleveland Cavaliers' point guard believes the Earth is flat.

He said it once, said it twice this weekend, once before he arrived in New Orleans for the NBA All-Star Game and again during interviews at the festivities.

It would be nice to think it's an inside joke, although controversies over the efficacy of science rage today and really should not be considered funny.

The fear-mongering about vaccines causing autism vies with the denial of climate change in new debates. There is also always that long-time favorite, the fundamentalist opposition to evolution.

Flat Earth theory

But wasn't the flat Earth thing settled by Columbus, who didn't sail over the horizon and off the edge of our world because of that curvature of the Earth thing?

That gravity thing is also implicitly at work. The hull of a shop sailing to the horizon disappears first from the view of an onlooker on the shore, with the mast and sails following incrementally and not in some sudden, cataclysmic dive. Gravity is the stickum that keeps it afloat beyond the horizon.

It does no good to be an agnostic about verifiable fact, as was Golden State's Draymond Green, who seems to have taken a maybe-it-is, maybe-it-isn't approach to the Earth as a pancake theory.

There really aren't "alternative facts," just facts. Demonstrable, repeatable, empirical data.

Such as photos from outer space.

The moon landing was faked

Irving also believes the lunar landing was fake. Again, presuming he is serious about such piffle, someone cast this guy in the O.J. Simpson role in a re-make of "Capricorn One,"  a movie about a faked Mars landing. 

They could film it in Nogales, Arizona. Former Indians' manager Pat Corrales, meeting another criterion of Irving, used to say during spring training trips to the area, "Nogales isn't the end of the world. But you can see it from there."

Alien visitation

It comes as no surprise that the Irving also holds out the possibility of alien visitation.

There is an obvious problem of the astronomical distances involved, just in our own cozy little solar system.

If aliens got here, having solved that vexing matter of going faster than the speed of light -- a stumper for Earthling scientists -- why do they always land in cornfields, such as in the movie "Signs,"  or hover above Devils Tower, as in "Close Encounter of the Third Kind"?

Why not cut  to the chase and land near the United Nations?

Do they need the cornfield markings to get their bearings?

What, their GPS shorted out?

Then again, maybe they took a wormhole, which, alas, would seem to be microscopic in dimension.

Even as a shortcut to the far reaches of fantasyland, it would never work.

Kyrie Irving admitted science shows the Earth is round, not flat, and seemed to suggest his original commentary and re-affirming of it in a Twitter video Friday was a political statement. Watch video

NEW ORLEANS -- Kyrie Irving admitted science shows the Earth is round, not flat, and seemed to suggest his original commentary and re-affirming of it in a Twitter video Friday was a political statement.

"It would be scientifically impossible, which I'm totally aware of that," Irving said after the East's All-Star practice on Saturday.

"I just feel like the fact that it's even a conversation is hilarious," he said. "That that could actually be news. It's hilarious."

In a podcast hosted by Cavs teammates Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye, and Fox Sports Ohio sideline reporter Allie Clifton that dropped Friday, Irving said the world was flat. The tone of the podcast, as one may expect, is almost always colloquial. He was responding to a question from Frye about whether or not he believes in aliens.

But social media went nuts over Irving's flat Earth claim. He was trending Friday on Twitter, and not because he left LeBron James off of his all-time All-Star team. And then he was asked about the flat Earth statements by an ESPN reporter taking video at an All-Star event Friday evening, and Irving reaffirmed the claim.

With reporters waiting him for him at the Superdome Saturday -- where both the East and West All-Stars practiced -- Irving never answered whether he truly believed the world was flat, or if he was joking. And it would be difficult to take away from Irving's comments Saturday that he does in fact think the Earth is flat.

Instead he responded with incredulity that his statement was "news," and responded with questions of "why does it matter?"

"There's just so many real things going on, things that are going on that's changing the shape of our lives," Irving said. "I think sometimes it gets skewed because of who we are in the basketball world. 'Oh man, what does he actually think? I don't like Kyrie Irving because he thinks that the world is flat, or he thinks that the world can't be wrong.'

"I know the science ... The fact that that can be real news and people are actually asking me that. It's a social phenomenon, what do you think about it? Are you going to try and protect your image? No, it doesn't matter."

Spokesmen for NASA in Cleveland and Washington didn't return messages seeking comment. Not that they needed to.

Irving went to Duke University (for a year), and the prestigious school was taking flak Saturday that one of its more recognizable alums -- Irving is a four-time All-Star and hit one of the greatest shots in NBA Finals history -- would believe the world isn't, well, round.

"I mean they forget that I actually had to get in," Irving said.

Irving is outspoken politically on occasion. He and James wore "I Can't Breathe" t-shirts two seasons ago to protest the death of an unarmed New York blackman at the hands of police. He's publicly opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Irving hasn't gotten the traction for his political stances that James has for things like protests and his public endorsement of Hillary Rodham Clinton for president.

But, boy did he get everyone's attention by saying "flat" and "Earth."

And Draymond Green, Irving's teammate on Team USA and a rival when the Cavs and Golden State Warriors play each other, said he wasn't "shocked one bit" when he saw Irving's original comments.

"If you actually got to know Kyrie he has his opinions on a lot of things and he's the type of guy that he actually does research on different things so when he says something it's not like he's just blowing smoke, he's actually like read up on it and done research and it's his opinion," Green said. "He's one of those guys where he's going to stand by what he believes."

But, Draymond, the Earth is round. There are pictures. Taken by people who have been in space.

"I don't know if the Earth is really flat," Green said. "It may be flat, though. How can you stand on a round edge?"

James, meanwhile, laughed when the question was inevitably posed to him.

"Kyrie is my little brother," James said. "He's my All-Star point guard, superstar point guard, and if he decides he wants to say the Earth is flat then so be it. He's an interesting guy, man. He believes it."

Then James shouted to Irving, who was seated next to him in the interview area at the Superdome, and said "Kyrie, the Earth is flat, right?

Irving responded: "Yeah, that's news."

Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor contributed to this report.

EJ Tackett is the top seed for the ESPN stepladder finals of the PBA Tournament of Champions.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- PBA Tour legend Pete Weber, seeking his 11th major, qualified fifth for the stepladder finals of the 52nd FireLake PBA Tournament of Champions at FireLake Bowling Center in Shawnee, Okla.

Weber, 54, and the late Earl Anthony are tied for the most majors in PBA Tour history.

The Round of 16 was earlier today (Feb. 18). EJ Tackett earned the No. 1 seed, followed by Tommy Jones, Dom Barrett, Tom Smallwood and Weber.

The TOC is the second of three consecutive PBA majors that will air live on ESPN in February. The TOC finals will be the only finals in 2017 held in an arena setting. The ESPN telecast begins at noon local time (1 p.m. ET) on Sunday.

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS LIVE SCORING

The nine-day TOC tournament program began last weekend with the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort Winter Open, a PBA Southwest Regional tournament, which also is a qualifying event for PBA Regional, PBA Women's Series and PBA50 Tour title winners who sought berths in the 96-player TOC field.

On Monday night, the PBA inducted former PBA Commissioner Mark Gerberich and three players -- Bryan Goebel of Shawnee, Kan.; Steve Hoskins of Tarpon Springs, Fla., and Mike Scroggins of Amarillo, Texas -- into the PBA Hall of Fame during ceremonies at the Grand Casino.

The PBA revised its TOC schedule because of a logistical problem that delayed the arrival of one of the PBA's semi-trailers transporting bowling ball inventory and equipment from last week's Barbasol PBA Players Championship in Columbus, Ohio.

The official practice session was moved to Tuesday and the TOC officially begins today, a day later than planned. The TOC will be completed as planned, with only a minor adjustment in the format in order to complete the event in time for the televised finals.

Originally consisting of 40 qualifying games, the schedule was revised by reducing the third qualifying round from eight games to seven on Friday to accommodate an earlier start time. The Round of 24 will take place Friday evening. The final eight games of qualifying to determine the five stepladder finalists will begin Saturday morning.

Among those who competed were former TOC winners Jason Belmonte, Weber, Sean Rash, Kelly Kulick, Patrick Allen, Tommy Jones, Chris Barnes, Goebel, Norm Duke and defending champion Jesper Svensson. Kulick is the only woman ever with a PBA Tour title.

PBA Hall of Famers in the field included Weber, Duke, Goebel, Scroggins, Parker Bohn III and 57-year-old Walter Ray Williams Jr., who needs a TOC title to complete the PBA Triple Crown and Grand Slam.

All qualifying rounds of the TOC were covered on PBA's live streaming service, Xtra Frame (visit xtraframe.tv for subscription information). The live ESPN stepladder finals also will be live streamed on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN mobile app.

FIRELAKE PBA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

REMAINING SCHEDULE

(all times are local/CST; Eastern Time is 1 hour ahead)                                       

Today (Feb. 18)
9 a.m. - Top 16, 8 qualifying games                              
            Top five after 39 games advance to ESPN stepladder finals
3 p.m. - PBA TOC Experience Pro-Am
                                    
Sunday, Feb. 19, FireLake Arena
Noon (1 p.m. EST) - Live ESPN stepladder finals.

Cleveland Indians' are actually seeing cooler temperatures today in Goodyear, Arizona than here in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians are in Goodyear, Arizona for spring training. Usually, this means escaping Northeast Ohio's harsh winter weather.

However today, the tables have turned as it is record-warm here in Cleveland; we managed to reach 69 degrees, beating the previous record by a whopping 7 degrees.

Cleveland breaks high temperature record of 62 degrees previously set in 1981

In Goodyear, Arizona? It's 59 degrees and rainy.

If only the Indians could've practiced at Progressive Field today!

For the rest of the week, Goodyear's weather is definitely going to be more enjoyable than here in Cleveland. The Indians will continue to practice in the rain and 60-degree weather Sunday, but starting Monday the sun and temperatures in the 70s are back.

Cleveland's temperatures will drop much closer to normal starting Monday, with highs ranging from the upper 40s to lower 60s through Friday.

Keep checking cleveland.com/weather for daily weather updates for Northeast Ohio, and don't forget to submit any weather questions you may have!

Kelly Reardon is cleveland.com's meteorologist. Please follow me on Facebook and Twitter @kreardon0818.

John Carroll lost a heartbreaker in coach Mike Moran's final regular-season home game, falling to Capital 76-75.

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio -- John Carroll lost a heartbreaker in coach Mike Moran's final regular-season home game, falling to Capital 76-75.

David Linane Jr. (Gilmour) gave the Blue Streaks a 75-74 lead with 1:35 left on a 3-pointer off a screen from Simon Kucharewicz .

But Capital answered when guard Will Hannah, with the shot clock winding down, found Austin Schreck cutting to the basket for the winning score with 59 seconds left. Steals by Schreck and Hannah in the final minute thwarted the Blue Streaks.

Linane scored 21 points for JCU (17-7, 14-4 OAC), and John Cirillo (NDCL) added 16 points. The Blue Streaks were hurt by 17 turnovers, and 55 percent shooting (16-of-29) from the foul line that included two misses by Brian Papich with 23 seconds remaining.

Schreck, who made 10 of 11 shots from the field, led all scores with 24 points for Capital (13-12, 8-10).

Before the game it was announced that the court in the DeCarlo Center would be named Mike Moran Court.

"I don't have a rivalry with Steph Curry," James said Saturday, following the East's practice ahead of the NBA All-Star Game.

NEW ORLEANS - Merriam-Webster defines a "rival" as one of two or more striving to reach or obtain something that only one can possess.

In the NBA, it would be safe to assume -- based on that definition -- the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, two teams that currently lead their respective conferences and have matched up in the last two NBA Finals, would be rivals. After all, there's only one team holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the end of the season.

It also wouldn't be a stretch to label LeBron James -- a four-time MVP and league's best player -- and Stephen Curry -- the reigning MVP two years running and star of the Warriors -- as rivals.

Over the last few years there was even some debate about whether Curry had displaced James at the top of the NBA mountain.

But then again, players sometimes have their own definitions.

"I don't have a rivalry with Steph Curry," James said Saturday, following the East's practice ahead of the NBA All-Star Game. "There's no way you can say, 'Let's talk about rivalries,' and you say, '(Larry) Bird and Magic (Johnson). Carolina and Duke. Ohio State, Michigan,' and then say 'LeBron and Steph.'

"It's disrespectful to those other three that I just named that you would even try to put us in the class with that. We haven't had enough battles and who is to say we will have future battles -- we'll see. To put us in the category with (them) it's impossible. You can't do it."

Well, Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue did earlier this year.

"I would say so," Lue said prior to the Cavs' second meeting against the Warriors in January. "Two teams that have been to the Finals in back-to-back years and we split. I would consider it a rivalry."

In fairness to James, longevity is often at the heart of any great sports rivalry. And while the Cavs and Warriors have played the last two summers, the competition between the two teams is technically in the early stages.

However, Cavs-Warriors Round Three appears likely this year. Even if James isn't ready to fast forward.

"My assessment of the East is the East is playing great ball," he said. "I mean, excluding us and you got Boston, you got Washington who has hit a hot streak and they've been playing great ball, not only at home, but on the road. Boston has been consistent all year. You got Atlanta who has been playing really good ball, you got some other teams that are like -- Miami who hit a hot streak too and they're trying to make a push into the playoffs.

"The East has been good, the East has been good all year so I'm just happy to be a part of it. I've been part of the East for 14 years now and it's great. It feels like home."

In order to make a return trip -- the seventh straight for James -- and then take what could end up being the rubber match in the NBA's newest rivalry, or whatever James wants to call it, the Cavs must continue to overcome a few obstacles.

First, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith are sidelined until the latter stages of the regular season.

"Continue to improve and get healthy, first of all, which we will," James said. "We have a great medical staff. Get our guys healthy and just keep doing what we've been doing. The coaching staff, they give us a great game plan every night and we've got to go out and execute."

Then there's the issue of James' workload -- averaging 37.5 minutes, which is second-most in the NBA behind Toronto's Kyle Lowry entering the All-Star break -- and whether it could catch up to him in the postseason.

"At the end of the day when I'm done playing the game of basketball I'm going to wish that I would have had two more minutes in the fourth quarter at a certain game or I would have played in this game," James said when asked again about why he's opted not to rest as much as anticipated. "That's just my own assessment of where I am. Now my coaching staff they're going to feel like what's best for the team as well and what's best for me.

"But me being a competitor, me loving the game that I've loved every single day, I don't always have the right assessment of me playing a lot of minutes. That's why I have coach Lue, the coaching staff and the training staff that have to be like, 'Hey LeBron. All right now. You done played six straight Finals, you've played this amount of minutes, you've played this so let's take it easy today, let's take today off.' That's what they're going to do. For me, I don't ever want to take a day off. To have that other side I think it's key for our team going forward."

Does that mean James expects to keep logging 40-plus minutes? Does he expect to hover around the league lead in minutes per game?

"I've got enough left for whatever," he said. "I was ready to play another Finals after Game 7 of last year. Just give me one or two days of rest and I would have been able to go again."

He might only need to wait about four more months to "go again" with Golden State. Maybe then he will view Cavs-Warriors -- and James-Curry -- as a rivalry. 

Houston's Eric Gordon defeated Kyrie Irving in overtime of the JBL 3-point contest on All-Star Saturday night.

NEW ORLEANS -- Houston's Eric Gordon defeated Kyrie Irving in overtime of the JBL 3-point contest on All-Star Saturday night.

Gordon posted a score of 21 to Irving's 18 after both Gordon and Irving pushed past Charlotte's Kemba Walker in the first part of the finals.

Irving, the 2013 3-point champion clearly running out of gas in the extra session, missed all five of his shots on the final rack. Both he and Gordon scored 20 to Walker's 17 in the first part of the finals.

Irving was also runner-up to Stephen Curry in 2015.

Shooters get up to 25 shots in one minute at five racks spread around the floor. Most shots are worth one point. The final ball in four of the racks is worth two points, and all five balls on one of the racks was worth two points.

In the finals, part one, Irving placed his "money rack" high on the left and knocked down 3-of-5 shots for six points. He converted on two of the four money balls.

Gordon could've won it with a good moneyball on his final rack, but he missed.

Irving made his final shot -- worth two points -- for a total of 20. It was a huge shot that put him in the finals. Gordon opened with 24 points and Walker started with 19.

Defending champion Klay Thompson didn't make it out of the first round and finished with 18 points. He tied the Lakers' Nick Young 18 points. The Mavericks' Wesley Matthews scored 11 points in the first round, while Portland guard and GlenOak's own C.J. McCollum washed out with 10. Toronto All-Star Kyle Lowry was the low man with eight.

SKILLS CHALLENGE: Kristaps Porzingis of the Knicks beat Utah's Gordon Hayward in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, the first event of All-Star Saturday night. Players square off in heats, and the first to successfully complete an obstacle course and then knock down a 3-pointer wins. The 3-ball is the equalizer. Porzingis drained his first 3 in the Finals against Hayward.

The Buckeyes fell to 15-13 (5-10 Big Ten) with a loss to Nebraska on Saturday night.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State basketball is basically playing for pride at this point.

With slim -- very slim, basically it wasn't happening -- chances of making the NCAA Tournament, the Buckeyes kicked off a stretch on Saturday against Nebraska that included three of the final four games of the regular season on their home court.

It was fitting for this season that they couldn't start that stretch off on good footing.

Nebraska's Glynn Watson Jr. hit a layup while getting fouled, completed the three-point play inside of 12 seconds to play and sent the Cornhuskers to a 58-57 win on Tuesday night at Value City Arena.

The win was Nebraska's first in eight trips to Columbus.

Ohio State called timeout to set up the final shot with 7.8 seconds left. They never got the look they wanted, settling for a Jae'Sean Tate desperation heave that didn't come close. The Buckeyes' 57 points were a season low.

Watson finished with 14 for Nebraska. Tai Webster led the Cornhuskers with 17 points. Tate led Ohio State with 14 points, but had three turnovers in the final 10 minutes of the second half. Marc Loving and Trevor Thompson each added 13. Loving had two turnovers in the final two minutes.

You got the feeling Ohio State could've used a little six or seven-point run to create some separation with the way Nebraska was hanging around. Instead it was Nebraska who went on the run, tying the game at 43 on a 3-pointer from Jack McVeigh in the right corner with 8:53 left.

McVeigh was a bit of a spark in the second half. His layup with 1:30 left cut Ohio State's lead to 54-52 after the Buckeyes went on a 6-0 run and had a seven-point lead inside of four minutes to play. He then hit a huge 3 in the corner with 24.7 seconds left to cut Ohio State's lead to 57-55.

Nebraska's bench out-scored Ohio State's 23-8, and the Huskers got 23 points of 18 Ohio State turnovers. The Buckeyes were 5-for-17 (29.4 percent) from the 3-point line.

What it means

Ohio State is on a three-game losing streak and is now in jeopardy of not even making the NIT with a 15-13 record and three games remaining. The Buckeyes are guaranteed to finish with a Big Ten record under.500 for the first time under Thad Matta.

Buckeyes lead after sloppy first half

Neither Ohio State nor Nebraska exactly lit it up offensively in the first half. The teams combined to shoot 19-of-52 from the floor in the opening 20 minutes.

Even with that, the Buckeyes managed to build an 11-point lead, and were up 26-15 with 5:39 left after a bucket from Tate, who scored 11 points in the first half. But Ohio State went cold from there, managing just four field goal attempts the rest of the half and missing all of them.

Nebraska cut back into Ohio State's lead with a 7-1 run. Ohio State held for the final shot of the half, a failed alley-oop attempt from Lyle to Thompson. The Buckeyes led 30-24 at the break.

Ohio State turned the ball over eight times in the first half, leading to seven Nebraska points.

What's next?

Ohio State is off until Thursday, when it hosts No. 11 Wisconsin. Tip-off from Value City Arena is set for 9 p.m. with the game televised on ESPN.

In an effort to eliminate those issues and to keep fans from getting upset, the league will reduce the number of preseason games and add an extra week to the schedule.

NEW ORLEANS -- It appears the Cleveland Cavaliers aren't the only ones struggling to find the right balance between rest and play during the grueling 82-game regular season. 

"I do recognize that there isn't an easy solution to that problem, and I'm sympathetic to fans who turn out -- whether they buy tickets to games or watching games on television and don't see their favorite player on the floor," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said during his annual All-Star Game press conference Saturday night. "But we also have to be realistic that the science has gotten to the point where there is that direct correlation that we're aware of between fatigue and injuries. And as tough as it is on our fans to miss one of their favorite players for a game, it's far better than having them get injured and be out for long periods of time. So we're always still looking to strike that right balance."

The Cavaliers took some criticism earlier this season when they decided to leave LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love back in Cleveland on the second night of a back-to-back against the Memphis Grizzlies. It was the Cavs' lone trip to Memphis this season.

Head coach Tyronn Lue has already stated his desire to rest James, who has missed three games, at times during the second half of the season even though the Cavs star has shrugged off those questions. At 32 years old, James is averaging the second-most minutes in the league, trailing Toronto's Kyle Lowry. 

The Cavs have talked about their primary goal repeatedly, which is getting to the playoffs healthy and rested. 

In an effort to eliminate scheduling issues and to keep fans from getting upset, something that has become much more common, the league will reduce the number of preseason games and add an extra week to the schedule, with the 2017-18 campaign beginning earlier. 

"As I said before, every day makes a big difference in creating the schedule," Silver said. "That extra week in our schedule will enable us to cut down on the back-to backs, cut down on the number of times that our teams are obligated to play four games in five nights, and it will enable the coaches to provide additional rest for their players. So we do hope it will cut down on the resting of players in marquee games."

Manager Terry Francona is going to keep Cody Allen at closer and Andrew Miller in a troubleshooting role for this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Six things we learned about the Indians on Saturday from their spring training camp in Goodyear, Ariz.

1. Hey, Cody, close the door will you?

It doesn't sound as if manager Terry Francona is going to mess with a good thing. Having Andrew Miller in the bullpen for a full season in 2017 would surely tempt some managers to put the left-hander in the closer's role on opening day and leave him there.

Francona, however, told reporters Saturday in Goodyear after the team's first full-squad workout that he's going to stay with Cody Allen at closer. Miller, meanwhile, will continue to be his troubleshooter. It's a formula that worked well last season down the stretch and in the postseason.

"I do like the idea of Cody finishing games and Andrew facing the meat of the order," said Francona.

Allen went 3-5 with a 2.51 ERA in 67 appearances last season. He was 31-for-34 in save chances (91.4 percent) and struck out 87 in 66 innings.

Miller, after joining the Indians from the Yankees on Aug. 31, went 4-0 with a 1.55 ERA in 26 appearances. Francona used him to quiet rallies regardless of the inning.

In the postseason, Allen and Miller were dominant. Allen threw 13 2/3 innings in 10 appearances and didn't allow run. He struck out 24 and went 6-for-6 in saves. Miller was 2-0 with one save and a 1.40 ERA. He struck out 30 in 19 1/3 innings, while allowing three runs.

Francona said he might flip-flop Allen and Miller on occasion if Allen had gone a few days without pitching. He added that early in the season he's going to try and keep Allen and Miller away from pitching more than one inning at a time.

"I did that a couple of times last year with Cody and I felt like it was a mistake," said Francona. "It doesn't mean you can't do that as the season goes."

2. Does anybody know what the Tribe's lineup looks like?

Francona doesn't spend his winters making out lineup after lineup. Even in the early days of spring training, he's reluctant to say who is going to hit where.

Saturday he was asked about Carlos Santana returning to the leadoff spot. He said it was good to know Santana can handle the job, but no commitments were made.

He said a lot will depend on the health of Michael Brantley, currently rehabbing his right shoulder.

"As we start to get to the end of spring, we'll start to see how things could look," said Francona. "I do think when you add a hitter like Edwin Encarnacion, it lengthens your lineup. If you add hitters like Brantley and Edwin, it's like signing two premier free agents. I mean we only had Brantley for parts of 11 games last year."

3. What about Josh Tomlin's spikes?

The Indians lost some leadership when they didn't re-sign Mike Napoli, but Francona feels his team will do just fine in that department.

"I have never really worried about that," said Francona. "I've seen our guys do things that may not get the national attention or notoriety, but they're top shelf.

"Last year when Trevor (Bauer) was hurt in Game 3 of the ALCS, Tomlin had his spikes on. He'd just pitched the day before. To me that's leadership. It was stupid, but it was leadership.

"He wasn't going to pitch. But that got me going - I said, 'OK, we're all right.' It starts with the players a lot of times."

Tomlin started and won Game 2 on Oct. 15. Bauer started Game 3 the next day, but had to leave in the first inning because of a drone-induced gash on his right little finger that wouldn't stop bleeding. The Indians won the game, 4-2.

4. Just be yourself.

Francona said it would be unfair to ask Encarnacion to try and become a carbon copy of Napoli.

"I think we all felt it was bittersweet when we knew Nap wasn't coming back," said Francona. "When a guy comes in an impacts a team and people the way he did, it's real.

"I think Edwin will fit in just fine. I don't think it's fair to Edwin to ask him to have Napoli's skill set. It's probably not fair to anybody. When you have guys that are really special you give them the latitude to be special. If not, shame on me.

"We have a lot of guys in that clubhouse who have grown up over the last three or four years and understand how play this game."

5. Take it easy.

Outfielders Brandon Guyer and Tyler Naquin didn't participate in the conditioning sprints Saturday. Guyer tweaked his hamstring running on the treadmill last week, but Francona didn't seem concerned. Naquin did the test during one of the team's strength camps in Goodyear earlier in the offseason.

"He did fine," said Francona. "But his knees hurt a little bit the next day. He wanted to run it today, but we decided it was not in his best interest."

Francisco Lindor cut the run short, but came out for more work afterward. He told reporters he felt fine. Two years ago he won the event.

6. And the winner is?

Rookie outfielder Greg Allen won the conditioning run going away. Allen is one of eight minor leaguers that the Indians invited to big league camp.

Allen, a sixth round pick in 2014, stole 57 bases in 72 attempts (79 percent) last year at Class A Lynchburg, Class AA Akron and the Arizona Fall League. He tied for the lead in the AFL with 12 steals in 14 attempts.

The Indians were willing to trade Allen, catcher Francisco Mejia, shortstop Yu-Cheng Chang and right-hander Shawn Armstrong to Milwaukee last year for catcher Jonathan Lucroy. The deal died when Lucroy exercised his veto rights.

Ohio State blew a late lead and suffered its 10th loss in Big Ten play on Saturday night against Nebraska. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jae'Sean Tate took responsibility for the botched play.

What was supposed to be a dribble hand-off to Marc Loving to set up a potential game-winning shot in Ohio State's Saturday night tilt with Nebraska turned into a desperation heave from Tate after he picked up his dribble.

As his shot came off the backboard, you could hear a smattering of boos from some fans inside Value City Arena.

For as bad as this Buckeyes' basketball season has been, boos have been rare, mostly nonexistent. But a 58-57 loss to Nebraska that extended a three-game losing streak was enough to bring out a few boobirds.

It's hard to pinpoint what exactly has been the low point during Ohio State's current downturn. It's also hard to pinpoint when exactly it started.

Some fans will say it's been four years, others three. Some will say last year was the real beginning, when the Buckeyes saw a seven-year streak of making the NCAA Tournament end, and were bounced in the second round of the NIT. That's carried over to this year, where now it's on the table for the Buckeyes (15-13, 5-10 Big Ten) to come short of even making college basketball's consolation bracket for the also-rans.

For the first time, it feels like it's all actually getting to coach Thad Matta.

"Ultimately I'm responsible and obviously I've gotta do a better job of those things," Matta said, struggling to find words to describe how his team managed to blow a lead that was at double-digits in the first half, and seven points inside of four minutes to play.

Listless performances have been the hallmark of this downturn. That it happened on Saturday night with Ohio State really having nothing left to play for other than pride was alarming. It's fair to call this the low point.

On paper it was two five-win Big Ten teams playing a sloppy basketball game.

In the big picture, it's hard to imagine an Ohio State team that's been emotionally fragile all season bouncing back from this in a way that makes the final three regular season games and whatever happens after anything more than mere formality.

Ohio State coach Thad Matta reacts to a call during the second half of Saturday's game against Nebraska. Paul Vernon, Associated Press 

"It's hard to hear," Tate said when presented with the fact that the Buckeyes are now guaranteed to finish below .500 in Big Ten play for the first time in Matta's 13-year tenure.

"But nothing is set in stone. We gotta try to finish out the season and string some wins together."

Give Tate credit for being the only one of three team representatives on Saturday who tried sum up what happened against Nebraska. Center Trevor Thompson was despondent. Matta was short with his responses, struggling to put his finger on how his team again lacked the competitiveness needed to pull out a win in a close game.

Matta is right about one thing, though. It all comes back to him.

Fans have wondered how secure Matta should feel in his job with all that's happened over the last two seasons. A coach that's accomplished as much he has in Columbus gets some significant leeway in his attempt to get it back. Maybe that leash was tightened a bit on Saturday.

Athletic director Gene Smith has told cleveland.com that he won't discuss the state of the basketball program during the season. But there's a trend developing here.

Matta summed up the last two years in his best attempt at breaking down Saturday's loss:

"There's so many opportunities that we had that we didn't take advantage of," he said. "We played some decent basketball there in stretches. We gotta get that straightened out best we can."

In the finals, Robinson used teammate Paul George, a Pacers dancer and the team mascot, leaping over all three before throwing it down behind his head. His first dunk of the finals earned a 44, as he jumped over George for a windmill jam.

NEW ORLEANS -- Indiana Pacers small forward Glenn Robinson III labeled himself an underdog going into the night. But the third-year pro capped All-Star Saturday at the Smoothie King Center with a perfect dunk that earned him the title of Verizon Slam Dunk champion. 

He might've even made a name for himself after bouncing around from team-to-team in his early career. 

"I've been an underdog my whole life," Robinson III said. "Everybody seemed to sleep on me. Nobody really thinking I was going to win this thing. We looked earlier and somebody said it was like a 10 percent chance that I was going to win. That's OK."

Robinson edged out Phoenix Suns' high flyer Derrick Jones Jr. in the final round.

"That's what I thought it was going to be," Robinson said. "All along I thought I was going to have to go up against Derrick in the finals. I've seen the things he can do. Sometimes it's tough in this competition. It's tough to stay loose and things like that. When you're adrenaline is going it's no other feeling."

Los Angeles Clippers big man DeAndre Jordan finished third while last year's runner-up and clear favorite going into the event, Aaron Gordon, finished last despite completing a "drone dunk" in the first round. 

In the finals, Robinson used teammate Paul George, a Pacers dancer and the team mascot, leaping over all three before throwing it down behind his head. 

"Originally planned for it just to be P.G.," Robinson explained. "I knew I had to bring out something special. I really just wanted to get up high and dunk that thing hard. My adrenaline was going and felt like I was looking at the rim and all I knew the crowd go crazy." 

Robinson's first dunk of the finals earned a 44, as he jumped over George for a windmill jam. 

Jones, who has played 24 minutes this season, earned a spot in the contest thanks to some video footage from practice and D-League games. 

In his first of two dunks in the final round, Jones Jr. attempted a between-the-legs slam while jumping over three people, including a Suns cheerleader and the team's iconic mascot. But after a trio of failed attempts, he received a 37.

His second dunk impressed the judges, receiving a perfect score (50), but Robinson clinched the title moments later. 

THE CLINCHER [?] pic.twitter.com/9yfbhRztqH

-- NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 19, 2017

Robinson was also the only competitor to receive a 50 in the first round. 

ALL of the dunks from #VerizonDUNK champ Glenn Robinson III! pic.twitter.com/lhfc1xiL0E

-- 2017 NBA All-Star (@NBAAllStar) February 19, 2017

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Miguel Angel Jimenez led by one shot entering the third and final round of the PGA Champions Tour's Chubb Classic on Sunday in Naples, Fla. Jimenez shot 65-67 for 12-under through two rounds. Kevin Sutherland and Fred Couples were in second. CHUBB CLASSIC LEADERBOARD PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS CHUBB CLASSIC Site: Naples, Fla. Course: The TwinEagles Club...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Miguel Angel Jimenez led by one shot entering the third and final round of the PGA Champions Tour's Chubb Classic on Sunday in Naples, Fla.

Jimenez shot 65-67 for 12-under through two rounds. Kevin Sutherland and Fred Couples were in second.

CHUBB CLASSIC LEADERBOARD

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
CHUBB CLASSIC
Site: Naples, Fla.
Course: The TwinEagles Club (Talon Course). Yardage: 7,193. Par: 72.
Purse: $1.6 million (First prize: $240,000).
Television: Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 3-5:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 3-5 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Bernhard Langer.
Last week: Scott McCarron won the Allianz Championship.
Notes: Langer is a three-time winner of the tournament. ... McCarron was one shot out of the lead coming into the par-5 18th last week. Needing a birdie to join a playoff, he made eagle to win. ... Colin Montgomerie closed with a 66 on Sunday to extend his streak to 27 straight rounds under par. His scoring average during that streak is 67.78. But he has only one victory during that stretch. ... Langer had nine straight top 10s on the PGA Tour Champions until he tied for 37th last week. The streak dated to the U.S. Senior Open last August. ... After this week, the 50-and-older set gets a month off before resuming in Arizona.
Next tournament: Tucson Conquistadors Classic on March 17-19.
Online: www.pgatour.com/champions

If the Browns sign Tyrod Taylor, wouldn't they be getting another RG3? Can Myles Garrett play end or LB? Should the Browns use the top pick on a lineman? Hey, Mary Kay! Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hey, Mary Kay!

Hey, Mary Kay: Wouldn't we just be getting a different version of RG III with Tyrod Taylor? A slightly-built read option QB. How is that an upgrade? -- Pete Shafton, Columbus, Ohio

Hey, Pete: I think the Browns' first choice right now would be Jimmy Garoppolo, and they will likely look to Taylor, Mike Glennon, Tony Romo and others if they can't trade for Garoppolo. The likelihood of Taylor landing here increased when the Browns hired his former Bills quarterbacks coach, David Lee, two weeks ago. Lee would like to work again with Taylor, and vice versa. Taylor has also stayed healthy for the most part, starting 29 games over the past two seasons, going 15-14. He did undergo sports hernia surgery after this season, but has been healthy for the most part.

Hey, Mary Kay: The Browns should not draft a QB in the first round. With that O-line he will spend most of the season in concussion protocol. Fix the defense and O-line first and then go find your franchise QB in 2018 draft or free agency. Jimmy Garappolo will be a free agent in 2018. -- Frank Racco, Brunswick, Ohio

Hey, Frank: The more I watch Mitch Trubisky and talk to people about him, the more I think the Browns should take him No. 1 overall and develop him. Several personnel executives I've talked to believe he's the best QB in this draft class, and at least one has said he'll be better than Carson Wentz. His 13 college starts are a concern, but the size, arm strength, field vision and other skills are evident.

I think the Browns will upgrade the offensive line and they should be okay there as long as Joel Bitonio and others come back healthy. It's time to invest a high pick in the quarterback, and also add a quality veteran such as Garoppolo who can can start right away. The Patriots aren't going to let Garoppolo get away for nothing after this season. They'll either trade him this off-season or franchise him after next year.

Browns buzz on Garoppolo, Tayor, Trubisky, Pryor and more

Hey, Mary Kay: Can Myles Garrett successfully transition into a 3-4 LB or are we drafting him to play outside and replace Carl Nassib or Emmanuel Ogbah as defensive ends in the starting lineup? If so how do they evaluate his ability to successfully make that transition and what do you think the plan is to help him become more successful in that role than either Ogbah or Nate Orchard drafted the year before whom we thought could become 3-4 OLBs? -- Kay, Decatur, Ga.

Hey, Kay: If the Browns draft Garrett No. 1, they'll build the defense around him where he'll make the most impact. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will adapt his defense to play to Garrett's strengths, and to those of others like Jamie Collins. He's not locked into a 4-3 or 3-4 front. Some draft experts see Garrett more as an outside linebacker, but that's not certain in Williams' scheme. He'd most likely move around to keep offenses off balance.

Last season, the Browns started off playing Ogbah at outside linebacker and then moved him back to end, where he seemed more comfortable. They'll have to find new ways to utilize Nassib, who wasn't productive enough as a rookie. At one point, he went eight straight games without a sack. As for Orchard, he spent the final 13 games on injured reserve with an ankle injury, and is hoping to come back strong in '17. He started to show pass-rush promise at the end of 2015.

The Indians hold a $11 million option for 2018 on Michael Brantley. The All-Star outfielder is still recovering from a right shoulder injury and no one knows when he'll be able to play. In a similar situation, the Indians declined Grady Sizemore's option in 2011. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - We have seen this before. Different players, different injuries, but the storyline is the same.

Michael Brantley, who played only 11 games last season, is in the final year of a four-year, $25 million deal with the Indians. No one knows when Brantley will be able to play again because of his damaged right shoulder.

The Indians, meanwhile, hold an $11 million option for 2018. The option includes a $1 million buyout.

In 2011 Grady Sizemore was at the end of a successful, but injury-filled, six-year $23.45 million contract. The Indians held a $9 million option for 2012. In the previous three seasons, Sizemore underwent five surgeries, including operations on his left elbow, both knees and groin.

The Indians declined Sizemore's option and signed him to a $5 million contract for 2012. He reported to spring training, suffered a herniated disk early in camp and never played for the Indians again.

Sizemore took two years off before returning to the big leagues and playing with Boston, Philadelphia and Tampa Bay in 2014 and 2015. Last week the Indians announced that Sizemore had been hired as a special assistant in player development to work with the team's outfielders in spring training. The three-time All-Star, and only the second player in team history to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases (33 homers, 38 steals in 2008) in one season, is 34.

Brantley will turn 30 in May. In a four-year period from 2012-15, all he did was get better every season. In that stretch he averaged a .303 batting average, 148 games, 73 runs, 38 doubles, 10 homers, 17 steals and 78 RBI. He went to the All-Star Game, won a Silver Slugger award and finished third in the AL MVP voting in 2014.

On Sept. 22, 2015, Brantley injured his right shoulder diving for a ball in left field at Target Field. Two surgeries later he's still trying to make it back.

It's a long time between February and November when the Indians must make a decision on Brantley's option. It would be ideal if he was able to recover, reclaim his No.3 spot in the lineup in front of newcomer Edwin Encarnacion and help the Indians defend their American League pennant and make another deep run into October.

Such an outcome would help Chris Antonetti, president of baseball operations; GM Mike Chernoff and the rest of the front office make a more informed decision on Brantley's option. Last year they exercised Carlos Santana's $12 million option after he set career highs in homers and RBI.

For that to happen Brantley has to play and no one knows when that will be.

The Indians have been on a four-year roll and Brantley has been a big part of it. But they reached Game 7 of the World Series without him. Now they are preparing for their most anticipated season in several years and it's still not certain how big a part he'll be able to play. It has to be difficult.

In 2012, when Sizemore was trying to come back from his many injuries, he was giving reporters an update on his condition. A few days before that, Brantley jumped above the center field wall to make a home-run saving catch against the White Sox.

Sizemore complimented him and added wistfully, "Those are the things I used to be able to do."

The words still resonate. The game and the ability to play it are fleeting. Players should enjoy it while they can.

Francis is a four-star point guard rated the No. 2 player in Ohio for 2019. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State basketball had a disaster of a loss on Saturday night against Nebraska, so the timing of offering a top basketball prospect could be deemed a little strange.

But that didn't stop the Buckeyes from offering one of the best players in Ohio.

Jeremiah Francis, a four-star 2019 point guard from Pickerington Central, was offered by Ohio State. Francis is the son of former Buckeye basketball player Jerry Francis.

Francis is rated the No. 2 player in Ohio, the No. 27 point guard in the class and the No. 136 overall player in the country according to the 247Sports composite ratings. Ohio State has also offered the No. 1 player in Ohio for 2019, Gahanna wing Jordan Mitchell.

According to 270Hoops.com, the 6-foot-3 Francis is averaging 15.7 points per game for Pickerington Central this year.

Ohio State currently doesn't have any players committed for 2019.

The Buckeyes offered another ball-handler in the 24 hours around the loss to Nebraska. Mark Smith, a four-star 2017 point guard from Edwardsville, Ill., received an offer from the Buckeyes.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Smith is rated the No. 25 point guard in the class, and the No. 107 prospect in the country. The offer to Smith is interesting because the Buckeyes have another point guard already signed for 2017 in Braxton Beverly, and Thad Matta hinted on National Signing Day that they were likely done adding players for this cycle.

That said, Ohio State can still add another player this year if it wishes. Smith has offers from Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska and others. You can watch highlights from Smith below:

Matt Tifft, a 20-year-old rookie on NASCAR's Xfinity Series from Hinckley, Ohio is looking forward to the season, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Matt Tifft, 20, has been in auto racing since he was 12. But the product of Hinckley, Ohio admits he is now in a whole new world. This season will be his first in NASCAR's Xfinity Series and Daytona Speedway is looming.

It's the next step before the top NASCAR series after parts of there seasons racing NASCAR Trucks.

Now with Joe Gibbs Racing, Tifft already understands he is in a really new element.

"The biggest change from trucks to cars, for me, is I feel more natural in a car than a truck,'' Tifft said. "The Xfinity cars are interesting because here you have a chance to race against the Cup guys. It's a unique opportunity. That's like telling a basketball player that Lebron is going to come down a level and play against you.

"That's probably the biggest thing with me, racing against those guys and learning from those guys, trying to see what they do differently, and that will help me a lot with my process of becoming a better driver. You learn from the best, hands on, and jump right in there."

Tifft has been racing since he was 12. From go-karts at Barberton Speedway, he was soon driving in ARCA races, then NASCAR trucks by 2014 with allies like Ken Schrader and Kyle Busch, who not only saw his speed, but also his innate ability to get more of it when he needed it.

"First off, he has tremendous feedback for what he feels the car is doing to be able to tell the crew so they can make it better,'' Schrader told The Plain Dealer in 2015.

While the sport is so technology driven now with computer readouts and such, the human element to make an adjustment in that search for an extra 10th worth of speed can be the difference between winning and losing.

"That's one of the biggest qualities you need, to be able to tell what you need to go faster,'' Schrader said of Tifft. "He's got real good feedback. And he's just (naturally) fast.''

In his first NASCAR Truck race ins 2014, Tifft finished an impressive eighth. By 2015 he had his first trial in an Xfinity Series race, behind the wheel for Joe Gibbs, and finished 10th. Driving both trucks and selected Xfinity races in 2016, Tifft encountered some adversity.

He suffered a back injury, and while recovering from that it was discovered he had a benign tumor on the brain. After it was removed in July, and more rehab, Tifft was cleared to drive again by the end of last season. And he was soon rewarded with the gig this season for JGR.

"It definitely goes to a different level when you're doing this full time on the Xfinity Series,'' Tifft told The Plain Dealer by phone recently during preseason testing while in Phoenix, Ariz. "There are a lot more obligations both at the track and outside of the track.''

His obligations include himself, with regular doctor checkups for his 2016 injuries.

"My back is totally fine,'' he said. "I'm good to go now, especially after getting a chance to reset over the offseason. Only thing is I get (brain) checkups every eight weeks."

So his focus is exclusively on getting set for the start of the Xfinity season at Daytona.

"For people going for Rookie of the Year you get two test sessions,'' Tifft said. "This (Phoenix) is our first one and we'll use our second one later in the season. That's it.

"We're really cut short on practice time. When we show up at Daytona we'll show up the day before (for practice), but that's all of 90 minutes before we go racing. And it will be like that every weekend. So it's pretty quick."

He will be the lone Xfinity driver for JGR this season. That was not the original plan, but veteran teammate and defending series champion Daniel Suarez moved up to a prime NASCAR seat with the team when former driver Carl Edwards recently made the surprise announcement to retire.

So Tifft now gets all the Xfinity attention. And taking over in a champions seat he has high expectations for the season.

"Our goal is to go out and win Rookie of the Year, compete for a championship, and go win a few races,'' he said. "Get my first win out of the way and improve every week. It's a long 33-race schedule until the third week of November. It's a long schedule, but it's something I've always wanted to do and I'm ready for the challenge of it.''

Another plus is he gets a chance to show how well he's doing back home. The Xfinity schedule has an annual date at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. It's a rare road course stop, but one Tifft looks forward too.

"I love the road courses,'' he said. "I came from road courses then switched to ovals. I would love to see more of it. I think the best shows we put on are at the road courses. It's definitely a very, very different style of racing. It's funny, but we put in a lot of work for just those two races of the year on road courses right now.''

New York's Carmelo Anthony for Cleveland's Kevin Love will be only for one game, tonight in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you believed the rumors of a Carmelo Anthony for Kevin Love trade between the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, they are sort of coming true tonight in New Orleans at the NBA All-Star Game, because Carmelo received the injured Kevin Love's roster spot.

The rumors seemed to be a combination of the Knick's wanting to trade Anthony and the Cavaliers needing to improve their roster for their stretch run to the playoffs. It also didn't hurt that LeBron has always wanted to play on the same team with his good friend.

So tonight, for at least one game anyway, LeBron and Carmelo will get to play on the same team.

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

Mary Kay Cabot and Dan Labbe offer three Browns predictions as they fill in the blanks. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's never too early to try to predict the Browns Week 1 starting quarterback. That's the first fill-in-the-blank question that Mary Kay Cabot and I tried to answer in the video above.

That's not all, though. We also offered our early predictions on who the Browns will pick No. 1 overall and which second-year player will make the biggest leap in 2017.

Take a look at the video above to see our answers to each question and feel free to offer your answers in the comments.