Schools are given ticket allotments for bowl games, and if the school can't sell the seats, the school foots the bill for whatever tickets are left. That happened to Ohio State with the Fiesta Bowl two years ago.
So the school stressed in a news release today how much Ohio State would like fans to buy tickets through the school instead of another outlet.
"The game presents an interesting challenge for our fans," OSU athletic director Gene Smith said. "This is a Tuesday night game in New Orleans and we know that we'll have the support of Buckeye Nation there, but we are really encouraging and hoping that our fans will purchase their tickets through Ohio State. These tickets will be some of the best available in the public sales and will ensure seats in the Ohio State rooting sections in the Superdome."
"The Cavs showed no toughness on Thursday night. That's why they are so hard to root for now. And even with the losses, the Browns are a watchable team. Hillis and Cribbs are Cleveland-type players. I would follow the team for those two players alone." - lucas.p.campbell
View full sizePlain Dealer file photoBrowns fans have embraced the toughness of running back Peyton Hillis.
"The Cavs showed no toughness on Thursday night. That's why they are so hard to root for now. And even with the losses, the Browns are a watchable team. Hillis and Cribbs are Cleveland-type players. I would follow the team for those two players alone."
To respond to lucas.p.campbell's comment, go here.
Buckeyes are 6-0. Last week, Duke topped Michigan State and Butler, which it edged in last national title game. Cleveland State, 10-0, gets some votes.
Associated PressOhio State's David Lighty goes to the basket during the Buckeyes' most recent game, a 58-44 win at Florida State last Tuesday.
Another Duke victory over a Top 10 team and the Blue Devils' win in a rematch of last season's national championship game had them a unanimous No. 1 for a second straight week in The AP's Top 25 poll.
The Blue Devils capped a tough two-week stretch by beating Michigan State and Butler, and that meant they again got all 65 first-place votes from the national media panel on Monday.
Duke (8-0) was No. 1 in the preseason poll and has stayed there for the first four polls of the regular season.
Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Kansas and Kansas State, which also lost to Duke, were second through fifth for the second week in a row.
(Cleveland State, which is 10-0, got 13 points in the voting and is ranked No. 31)
Connecticut, which went from unranked to seventh last week in the second-best inseason poll jump ever, moved up one place to sixth.
Michigan State, Syracuse, Georgetown and Baylor rounded out the top 10.
It is the first-ever appearance in the top 10 for Baylor, which was 11th last week and moved up with wins over Prairie View A&M and Arizona State.
Tennessee jumped two spots to lead the second 10 and was followed by Villanova, Memphis, San Diego State, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, BYU, Purdue and UNLV.
Washington, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Louisville and Texas rounded out the Top 25.
Louisville (6-0) moved into the rankings for the first time this season. The Cardinals' biggest win was over then-No. 16 Butler in the opening game at their new downtown arena. They were ranked for four weeks last season and in 2008-09 they were in the Top 25 all season, reaching No. 1 for the first time in school history in the final poll.
Florida (6-2) lost to Central Florida last week and dropped out from 18th. The Gators, whose other loss was to Ohio State, were No. 9 in the preseason poll and they are the first member of that top 10 to fall out of the rankings.
Louisville is the seventh Big East team in the rankings, while the Big Ten and Big 12 have five each. The Big East has four of the top 10 — Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Syracuse, Georgetown — and the Big 12 has three — Kansas, Kansas State and Baylor.
Georgetown moved into the top 10 for the first time this season, making the week's biggest jump from 16th to No. 9. Kentucky, which lost to North Carolina, and Minnesota, which lost to Virginia, had the week's biggest drops falling seven places to 17th and 22nd, respectively.
The Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday will have Kansas facing Memphis and Syracuse against Michigan State. Notre Dame is at Kentucky on Wednesday and Tennessee is at Pittsburgh on Saturday.
Northfield Park cancelled its Monday night live racing program because of deteriorating weather conditions caused by lake effect snow, but officials kept the race track open for wagering on simulcast racing.
Northfield Park cancelled its Monday night live racing program because of deteriorating weather conditions caused by lake effect snow, but officials kept the race track open for wagering on simulcast racing. The track plans to reschedule the program on Dec. 23.
The harness racing track will resume its live racing schedule tonight, followed by live racing on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday with a first-race post time of 7 p.m. On Friday and Saturday the track will open at 3 p.m. for simulcast wagering.
ESPN analyst Jon Gruden's high-school age son "Deuce'' speculates that his dad might land in either Cleveland or San Francisco after next season.
Steven Senne / Associated PressJon Gruden's high-school age son speculated today that his dad could wind up in either Cleveland or San Francisco after one more year with ESPN.
CLEVELAND -- Out of the mouths of babes.
ESPN analyst Jon Gruden's high-school age son, Jon "Deuce'' Gruden II, speculates that his dad could win up coaching the Browns after another year at ESPN.
During a podcast today on the Sporting Rave, the high school football player in Tampa revealed that his dad could wind up coaching either the Browns or the 49ers after another year in the booth.
"He was gonna let me finish high school,'' said Gruden II. "He was talking about going to San Francisco, but that’s really probably going to be in the next two years or something like that.
“He’ll probably keep the Monday Night Football job for the next year, my last year of high school, and then probably head out to a team like San Francisco or maybe Cleveland.”
Gruden, of course, was an assistant on Browns President Mike Holmgren's staff in Green Bay, and the two remain close. In fact, Gruden highly recommended that Holmgren draft quarterback Colt McCoy, whom some say would be best suited to the West Coast style of Holmgren and Gruden.
Gruden, a Sandusky native, has been a Browns fan ever since he was young. Holmgren said after the bye week that he'll evaluate the current coaching staff after this season.
Video and Plain Dealer game story from Dec. 21, 1968. Also, video of 1967 playoff game, when star QB Meredith and the Cowboys routed Browns.
Associated PressQuarterback Don Meredith in 1967, his eighth of nine seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.
Cleveland, Ohio -- Don Meredith, who died at age 72 on Sunday night, played his last meaningful NFL game at old Cleveland Stadium against the Browns on Dec. 21, 1968.
The playoff game matched the favored Capital Division champion Cowboys (12-2 in the regular season) against the Century Division champion Browns (10-4).
It turned out to be a disaster for Meredith. An early pass was intercepted by Browns safety Mike Howell, setting up a 38-yard Don Cockroft field goal.
Cleveland linebacker Dale Lindsey picked off an errant Meredith toss early in the third quarter and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown, putting the Browns ahead, 17-10.
Moments later, Meredith was intercepted by Browns cornerback Ben Davis, leading to Leroy Kelly's 35-yard touchdown sprint and a 24-10 Browns lead. Cowboys coach Tom Landry then replaced Meredith with backup Craig Morton. Meredith finished 3 of 9 for 42 yards and the three INTs.
The Browns went on to win, 31-20. They lost at home to the Baltimore Colts, 34-0, in the NFL championship game on Dec. 29. Baltimore was then the victim of Joe Namath's famous guarantee of a New York Jets' Super Bowl win over the Colts. Namath and the Jets delivered, upsetting the Colts, 16-7.
Video highlights of the Browns-Cowboys game follow and, from The Plain Dealer's Browns History Database, reporter Chuck Heaton's game story.
For Meredith and the Cowboys, the loss to the Browns was especially bitter. Dallas had lost heartbreakers to the Green Bay Packers in the 1966 and 1967 NFL title games. The Packers' wins put them in the first two Super Bowls, which they won over the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders, resepctively.
Meredith, although only 30, was often hobbled by injury, and he retired soon after playing in his third Pro Bowl game. He went on to greater fame than he had enjoyed as an All-American at Southern Methodist University or as a Cowboy, when he became an original member of the Monday Night Football announcing crew in 1970.
If you look at Meredith's playing career on Pro-Football-Reference.com, ignore his rather pedestrian "quarterback rating." That statistic favors quarterbacks whose careers have been played since the West Coast Offense and other safety-first passing systems became popular.
The "quarterback rating" doesn't do justice to Meredith -- who was the NFL's Player of the Year in 1966 -- or to contemporaries of his such as the Browns' Frank Ryan, QBs who actually challenged defenses by throwing the football downfield.
Video: From the Browns 1968 highlight film, via YouTube.com, highlights of the Browns' 31-20 playoff win over Don Meredith and the Cowboys (following highlights of Browns wins over the Eagles, 47-13, the Giants, 45-10, and the Redskins, 24-21).
(VIDEO of 1967 BROWNS-COWBOYS follows Chuck Heaton's 1968 Browns-Cowboys game story)
Plain Dealer reporter Chuck Heaton's story on the Browns-Cowboys playoff game, which was Don Meredith's final NFL game, not counting his 1968-season Pro Bowl appearance:
Browns 31, Dallas Cowboys 20
Cleveland Municipal Stadium
December 21, 1968
By Chuck Heaton
Plain Dealer Reporter
Thanks to an inspired defensive performance, the Browns today are proud and very worthy champions of the National Football League's Eastern Conference.
They earned a spot in next Sunday's title battle - also to be played at the Stadium - by upsetting the favored Dallas Cowboys, 31-20, before a roaring throng of 81,497 yesterday.
The defense received a standing ovation from the huge crowd time after time as it came off the field after halting the Texas club which had led the NFL in scoring.
AND IT WAS a mad scene in the finals seconds of the game as Dallas move to a meaningless score. Thousands swarmed toward the bench to be closer to their heroes in the brown and white uniforms.
The Browns' opposition in the NFL title battle will be determined today when the Minnesota Vikings play the Baltimore Colts with the Western Conference championship at stake. Cleveland defeated the Colts earlier this season but didn't meet the Vikings.
It's the first time in the NFL title game since 1965 for Cleveland and the third since Blanton Collier took the helm in 1963. And now the Super Bowl had been added as the grand prize at the end of the trail with the NFL winner meeting the American Football League champion Jan. 12 in Miami.
MUCH CREDIT for the victory must go to Collier and his staff who had the team so well prepared mentally and physically. Howard Brinker is the mastermind of the defensive unit, aided and abetted by Dick Modzelewski and Ed Ulinski.
The defense came through with four interceptions. The steals were made by Mike Howell, Dale Lindsey, Ben Davis and Erich Barnes.
Those grabs by Howell Lindsey and Davis resulted in scores. Barnes made his theft in the fourth quarter as the Cowboys were driving and still in contention. It turned things about and the Browns moved to the two-yard dash around end by Ernie Green, the final touchdown that put the game completely out of reach of the Blue-shirted Capitol Division rulers.
THERE WERE A number of key plays in the very exciting duel in which the Browns ended a string of four straight losses to the Cowboys. Only a year back they took a 52-14 thumping in the similar playoff in the Cotton Bowl.
First of the big ones came for Cleveland late in the second quarter. Dallas had a 10-3 lead and the Browns couldn't seem to get their attack going.
The Browns moved from their 15 to the Dallas 45 with just over a minute left. Bill Nelsen, under extreme pressure, managed to get his pass off to Leroy Kelly, all lone about the 15. Nobody came close to touching the halfback as he moved into the end zone.
DON COCKROFT, who started Cleveland scoring with a 38-yard field goal, was wide with his extra point try. He connected the second time after Dallas was called for an infraction and it was a tie game at the half.
The thefts that put the Browns two touchdowns ahead and sent Don Meredith, second leading passer in the NFL, to the sidelines for the remainder of the game, came right after the intermission.
Dallas received the second half kickoff and Meredith started from his own 30 yard line. He threw on first down and Lindsey, the right side linebacker, stepped in front of the pigskin.
Dale juggled the ball for a second or two and then started toward the goal line. That brief hesitation gave the blockers time to form and he had an escort to the end zone.
THREE PLAYS after the next kickoff, Meredith, a 30-year old veteran, again went to the air on third down. The throw was intended for swift Lance Rentzel, but Davis, second year cornerback from Defiance College, grabbed the football and returned three yards to the Dallas 36.
Kelly, who finished with 87 yards on 20 carries, made one yard off tackle. Then Nelsen called the sweep which had not been working at all.
Leroy, the NFL's leading rusher, broke a tackle to get around end. As he headed downfield the blocking formed but it was center Fred Hoaglin who put the key squeeze on Dick Daniels the free safety.
SO WITH ONLY 2:31 elapsed, the Browns had a 14-point bulge. Dallas was out of it but Tom Landry admitted it wasn't a field particularly suited to catch-up football.
That finished the third period scoring except for a 47-yard field goal by the Cowboys' Mike Clark, who missed from the 37 and the 22 earlier.
That ended the third quarter scoring but the Cowboys, an explosive team, were only 11 points behind. They also were moving goalward earlier in the last period with backup passer Craig Morton at quarterback.
They traveled to a third-and-eight situation at the Cleveland 30. Morton, a roll-out thrower for the most part, tired to hit Rentzel. Barnes came up fast to make the steal.
SO CLEVELAND had a first down on its own 23. Nelsen clicked to Warfield in a third-down situation to get the club moving but the big maneuver came three plays later.
It was third and one at midfield when Nelsen made like Bart Starr. He faked Kelly into the line and then dropped back and passed to Warfield; who had beaten Mel Renfro, the cornerback.
The gain was good for 39 yards to the Dallas 11. It took the last of the starch out of the visitors.
Three plays late, Green, who has replaced Charley Harraway at fullback romped around his right end for two yards and the score as the Dallas line converged on Kelly.
IT WAS ALL OVER then although the Cowboys did get a late second score on a two-yard pass from Morton to Walt Garrison.
The Cowboys' other touchdown came in the first quarter when linebacker Chuck Howley hit Nelsen, causing a fumble, Howley recovered the ball and went 44 yards for a touchdown. That put Dallas ahead after Cleveland had put the first points on the board with Cockroft's 18-yard field goal.
Nelsen who wound up with 13 completions in 25 throws for 203 yards had a somewhat typical day. He had problems part of the time but managed to come through with many big third down efforts. He had one pass intercepted.
THE COWBOYS kept Cleveland pretty well bottled up on the ground. The Browns wound up with only 102 net yards. The soggy field probably hindered both attacks.
Meredith the target of boos in Dallas over the years and even this season hit only three of nine before departing. And of Dandy Don, who must be feeling mighty low today, and Morton his successor, wound up with a total of 12 for 32 and 205 yards.
Five receivers made catches for the Browns with Morin and Warfield taking four apiece. Collins, making his first start since being sidelined with a shoulder separation, caught two and both were very important.
NEITHER TEAM was able to establish ball control in this battle of the defenses. The Cowboys has a 63-57 edge in offensive plays but some of the edge was mounted in the last few minutes when the decision already had been made.
The Browns rousing victory was comparable to the 1964 upset of Baltimore in the NFL title game. It was more impressive than the victory over the Colts earlier this season in that the Browns performed better and were playing a more finely tuned team.
And now only two victories lie between the Browns and coronation as world champions. There is considerable money involved, too.
Chuck Heaton was in Dallas for The Plain Dealer on Dec. 24, 1967, when Meredith and the Cowboys rolled to a 52-14 playoff game win over the Browns, as Heaton reported in his game story, and as featured in the following video.
Video: From the Browns' 1967 highlight film, via YouTube.com, highlights of Meredith and the Cowboys' 52-14 win over the Browns, following highlights of Browns' wins over the Giants, 24-14, and Cardinals, 20-16.
On the death of Don Meredith, a football hero, national celebrity and American icon.
View full sizeABC TV / AP photoFor the decade of the 1970s, no television personalities were more in the spotlight than the ABC broadcast team for Monday Night Football -- (from left) Don Meredith, Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford. Meredith died on Sunday of a brain hemorrhage at age 72.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Turn out the lights, the party's over. Don Meredith died at the age of 72 Monday of a brain hemorrhage in Santa Fe, N.M.
Nobody else will ever take such a beating behind an expansion team's makeshift offensive line, give us so many laughs as a national telvision celebrity, and yet leave us as such an enigma.
To those of a certain age, who grew up where the Dallas Cowboys were either a religion or a way of life, he was a boyhood hero. To the entire country, he was the light-hearted, home-spun counterpart to the pompous Howard Cosell (pronounced "Hahrd" in Meredith's native Texan) on Monday Night Football.
Yet at the end of his life, Meredith rarely gave interviews or attended Cowboys reunions.
Early in his career, the nervous young quarterback, bundled in a heavy cape on the bench in inclement weather, would bum cigarettes from back-up quarterback Don Heinrich, who kept a pack in his socks. A heavy smoker, Meredith suffered from emphysema late in life. Rumors surfaced that he also had early stages of Alzheimer's Disease. Maybe that was why he shunned reunions and interviews.
There was a time when people all over America thought they knew Meredith. One day, my college friend Chip walked into the living room of his family's home in Dallas and saw Joseph Don Meredith sitting there, discussing a business deal with his father. Immediately, Chip blurted out, to a man he had never met, "Don!"
Meredith, after all, came right into our living rooms on TV. Many thought they knew him, but few did.
During the MNF years, Meredith would warble during one-sided games, "Turn out the lights, the party's over." The country-music catch-phrase became, at least in part, his life story.
Don Meredith: No. 9 on NFL Network's "Top 10 Cowboys"
He was beloved and famous, and little boys sought his autograph after games. But he also was booed as viciously as anyone ever, becoming a focal point for the fans' frustrations as the team came so close so often with him, only to lose.
He once said on MNF when Dallas fans directed "We want Meredith" chants at the broadcast booth during a 38-0 loss, "No way you're getting me down there."
He took savage beatings early in his career, but became the wise-cracking, swashbuckling quarterback of the Cowboys' championship near-misses. By then, Meredith was "Dandy Don" -- glib, personable, charismatic, and the complete opposite of coach Tom Landry.
His teammates loved him for his impudence and unpredictability. With the Cowboys trailing, 14-0, before they had run a single play from scrimmage in their first NFL title game against Green Bay in the mid-1960s, Meredith leaned into the huddle and put every teammate at ease by drawling, "Folks, we are in a heap of [crap]."
Relaxed by Meredith's joke enough to tie the score, 14-14, by the end of the first quarter, the Cowboys nonetheless lost. In the final seconds. Meredith threw an interception at the goal-line when Dallas was on the brink of forcing overtime.
The next season, Green Bay's Bart Starr scored on a quarterback sneak in 13-below zero weather to beat Dallas in the last seconds.
History decided that Starr was a winner and Meredith a loser. Landry piled on later, saying Meredith "was so talented, he could get by without tremendous dedication." It became an unfortunate part of his image. He wasn't easy-going at all. He was too casual in his approach.
In the days of newspaper typesetters, who occasionally could garble reporters' prose, a feature story, describing him as "the irrepressible Don Meredith," landed on the front steps of Dallas homes, reading instead, "the irresponsible Don Meredith." Aghast, the reporter called Meredith to apologize personally.
"With me, they're interchangeable," he said, laughing loudly.
He was, finally, a genuine American icon, chuckling at catastrophe, irrepressible even when it seemed the end was in sight.
One day, as the team left New York on their chartered jet, the huge 747 suddenly lurched downward, bucking turbulently. Flight attendants screamed it was going to crash. Linebacker D.D. Lewis, in the next seat, grabbed Meredith's arm, fearfully.
"Aw, hell, D.D.," said Meredith, a Scotch and a smoke at hand, looking out the window at the sprawling city and its unextinguished lights below. "It's been a good one."
Auburn QB Newton and Oregon RB James will be keys in the national championship game.
Associated PressHis ability to change games with his running and passing make Auburn quarterback Cam Newton a strong Heisman Trophy candidate.
Auburn quarterback Cam Newton and Oregon running back LaMichael James, two of the nation's most dynamic players, will meet in the national championship game next month.
First, a stop in New York.
Newton and James were named finalists for the Heisman Trophy on Monday, and will be joined by Stanford's Andrew Luck and Kellen Moore of Boise State for Saturday's announcement in Times Square.
Newton overcame a pay-to-play scandal with a superb season on the field, piling up nearly 4,000 combined yards and 49 touchdowns in leading the top-ranked Tigers into the Jan. 10 national championship game.
James and the Ducks will be there waiting for them in the desert after he piled up more yards and touchdowns than anyone else in FBS, helping the second-ranked Ducks into their first national title game.
"Since I was a young boy, playing the game of football has been a pure joy and this season has been a very special one for my teammates and for me," Newton said in a statement. "I know as a team we're excited to get back on the field on January 10 against a great Oregon team."
Newton is the front-runner, but the big question is whether voters will look past the scandal involving his father.
Newton was unparalleled on the field.
He threw for 2,589 yards and 28 touchdowns while running for 1,409 yards and 20 more scores — adding another on a reception — to join Florida quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow as the only FBS players to have 20 touchdowns rushing and passing in a season.
In his final regular-season game, he threw four TD passes and scored two more on the ground in Auburn's 56-17 rout of 18th-ranked South Carolina that earned Auburn the SEC championship and a shot at its first national title since 1957.
The knock against Newton is the shenanigans by his father, Cecil.
The elder Newton was accused of working with the owner of a scouting service to get up to $180,000 for his son to play for at Mississippi State while the quarterback was being recruited out of junior college last year.
The NCAA cleared Cam, saying neither he nor Auburn knew anything about it, but Heisman voters might be leery of another Reggie Bush-type situation. The 2005 Heisman winner from USC gave back his trophy earlier this year and his school was hit with heavy sanctions after a four-year NCAA investigation determined he was ineligible that season for receiving improper benefits.
If Newton does win it, he'll join Bo Jackson (1985) and Pat Sullivan (1971) as Heisman Trophy winners at Auburn.
"I'm very honored and blessed to be named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy with some other outstanding players," said Newton, who was playing at a Texas junior college just a year ago. "Like I've said, this is not an individual honor, but a team honor. I wouldn't be in this position without my great teammates, coaches and the Auburn family."
If voters steer away from Newton, James could swoop in and become the first Oregon player to win college football's most prestigious individual award.
James was the main cog in Oregon's nearly point-a-minute offense, forcing teams to key on him while the rest of his talented teammates ran all over the field. Oregon led the nation in scoring at nearly 50 points per game and was second in total yards, just a few tenths behind Oklahoma State at 537 yards per game.
Even with the extra attention, James led the nation with 1,682 yards and 21 touchdowns, and his 152 yards per game was nearly 10 more than Connecticut's Jordan Todman in second. He closed out the regular season by gaining 134 yards in Oregon's 37-20 win over rival Oregon State on Saturday that clinched the school's first trip to the national title game.
Luck was second fiddle to Washington's Heisman hopeful Jake Locker to open the season, but quickly established himself as the Pac-10's best quarterback.
The 6-foot-4 junior won a lopsided battle over Locker and his Huskies early in the season and guided the fifth-ranked Cardinal to one of the best seasons in school history. A projected top NFL pick, Luck threw for over 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns with just seven interceptions while completing 70 percent of his passes for an 11-1 team that earned an Orange Bowl berth.
Moore wasn't much of a Heisman hopeful early in the season, but quickly played his way into the picture while leading the Broncos to the cusp of a BCS bowl berth.
The junior was second in the nation in passer efficiency, throwing for over 3,500 yards with 33 TDs and five interceptions, but his chances took a hit with a loss to Nevada that knocked Boise State out of BCS contention.
Alabama's Mark Ingram, the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner, wasn't much of a factor in his bid to repeat.
The bruising running back missed the first two games after offseason knee surgery and wasn't nearly as dynamic as a year ago, rushing for 816 yards, half his total from a year ago. His team also had its repeat national title hopes fizzle with an early-season loss to South Carolina and later losses to LSU and Newton's Tigers.
Antawn Jamison keeps working despite a long, hard 2010 for the Cavaliers forward.
View full sizePatrick Semansky / Associated Press"No matter where I'm at, I'm going to compete," Cavaliers forward Antawn Jamison said Monday as the team labors through a four-game losing streak. "It's been difficult. But I'm not going to sit here and say I'm going out there to play well so they can increase my value as far as a trade. That's never been my mind frame."
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Antawn Jamison is looking forward to New Year's Eve.
No, not because he's such a big party guy, but because it means he will be able to close the books on 2010.
"I can't wait for 2010 to be over," Jamison said after the Cavaliers' 102-92 loss at Detroit on Sunday. "A lot of personal stuff and basketball-wise, it has been a tough year."
When Jamison arrived in Cleveland last February, he'd been dealt from Washington, where the Wizards were reeling after the NBA suspended Gilbert Arenas for bringing a handgun into the locker room and later making light of the situation. Jamison was thrilled with the trade because he thought it gave him the best chance for a title in his long and distinguished career.
In his first game with the Cavs, he went 0-for-12 against Charlotte. But he came around nicely as the season went on. Then, of course, came the playoffs, where the Cavs were ousted in the second round by the Boston Celtics, and Jamison struggled mightily against Kevin Garnett.
That was followed by the departure of LeBron James for the Miami Heat, and the subsequent issues of the remaining Cavs, who have a four-game losing streak, including three blowouts, heading into Tuesday night's game against the Sixers in Wells Fargo Center.
Cavaliers at Philadelphia 76ers
Tipoff: Tuesday, 7 p.m. at Wells Fargo Center.
TV/radio: Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM AM/1100.
Notable: Cavs already have beaten the Sixers twice this season, once at home and once on the road. ... Cavs have won four straight overall against Sixers and eight straight in Philadelphia. ... Sixers are 6-14 coming off a 109-91 home victory over Charlotte on Saturday. ... They are 5-4 at home.
If there is one player who has played well during the weekend losses at Minnesota and Detroit, one who seems to be willing to carry the rest of the team on his back during this stretch, it has been Jamison.
"A guy who's a veteran who has a lot of experience dealing with stuff like this," coach Byron Scott said of Jamison, referring to adversity. "He's coming out ready to play. That's great. We've just got everybody on board as well."
Jamison does not really want to talk about his performance.
"It's tough to talk about individuals doing a pretty good job," he said. "The one thing I will say is guys are continuing to stay positive and still competing. Guys haven't been putting their heads down."
That includes Jamison. Many observers think he's trying to play his way out of town, but he says he has not asked to be traded.
"I just want to play," he said. "I know I've got a lot left in the tank, so I just go out there and compete. I'm not going to say I hope this situation or this scenario comes up. No matter where I'm at, I'm going to compete. ... It's been difficult. But I'm not going to sit here and say I'm going out there to play well so they can increase my value as far as a trade. That's never been my mind frame."
Getting defensive: Once again, Scott not happy with the defense at Detroit. He has said the same thing after each of the four losses.
"We made a lot of mental mistakes on the defensive end ... which is costing us a lot of points," he said. "We're just doing things that we don't do. It's not what we teach."
He was also unhappy with the Pistons' 44-38 edge on the glass and 24-18 advantage in second-chance points.
Been there, done that: Daniel Gibson and Anthony Parkersurprised reporters after Sunday's loss at Detroit when they revealed the Cavs already had held a players-only meeting when the team was struggling earlier this season. Neither seemed to think another such meeting was in the offing anytime soon.
"It's just one of those things where you've got to grind it out," Parker said.
Broncos have lost 17 of 22 after winning first six games last season with McDaniels, 34, their coach. Running backs coach Eric Studesville named interim coach.
Associated PressJosh McDaniels has been fired as coach of the Denver Broncos.
Englewood, Colorado -– The Denver Broncos have fired coach Josh McDaniels, whose nearly two-year stint was marred by the Spygate II videotape scandal, a series of personnel blunders and the franchise's worst skid in four decades.
There was no immediate word on who will succeed McDaniels, 34, whose hiring by team owner Pat Bowlen in January 2009 is now viewed as a monumental mistake.
(Update: Running backs coach Eric Studesville has been named interim coach for the rest of the season)
Team spokesman Patrick Smyth told The Associated Press: "We can confirm that coach Josh McDaniels has been relieved of his head coaching duties."
The Broncos planned news conferences for Tuesday. A message left with Broncos chief operating officer Joe Ellis wasn't returned.
Players didn't know of McDaniels' firing when they left team headquarters after a conditioning run ended at 3 p.m. Shortly after that, McDaniels met with Bowlen and was fired with two years left on his contract.
McDaniels then met with his assistants. He didn't return a message left by the AP seeking comment.
McDaniels had nearly $7 million left on his contract, and Bowlen is still on the hook for millions more he owes Mike Shanahan, whom he fired last year. That means he'll be paying three head coaches next season.
After winning his first six games his rookie season, McDaniels, a disciple of New England coach Bill Belichick, lost 17 of his last 22 games with the Broncos in his first NFL head coaching job.
He had plenty of off-the-field issues, too, including the videotaping violation and linebacker D.J. Williams' drunken driving charge that caused him to get stripped of his captaincy.
Before he was fired Monday, McDaniels said he was reticent to turn to rookie Tim Tebow even though the Broncos (3-9) had been eliminated from contention with a 10-6 loss at Kansas City, their seventh loss in eight games.
"Well, I think Kyle Orton's had a good year," McDaniels said of his starter.
McDaniels made a series of personnel decisions that backfired, notably trading away Peyton Hillis, who has become a power running back in Cleveland, and he also was fined $50,000 by the NFL for failing to report a subordinate who violated league rules by videotaping a San Francisco 49ers practice in London on Oct. 30.
A week ago, Bowlen issued a statement that said McDaniels would be evaluated at season's end just an hour after telling AOL FanHouse, "I'm not interested in making a coaching change" despite the team's slide, and the embarrassing videotaping scandal that has rocked the once-proud franchise.
There were also reports that during a confidential staff meeting last week he had minimized the scope of the Broncos' videotaping scandal relative to New England's Spygate, where an NFL investigation found systemic videotaping of opponents and levied heavy penalties.
Last week, McDaniels said his staff meetings are supposed to be confidential but that he didn't think his coaching staff was splintered and he said he thought his assistants remained loyal.
Although the Broncos haven't been to the playoffs since 2006, Bowlen has never in his 27 years as owner had a team dealing with the double-whammy of front office and on-field issues like he does now.
The Broncos have usually been competitive into December even in their down years.
The franchise was busted for salary cap violations during its Super Bowl years in the late 1990s, but while there was some outrage around the league, there were no calls for Shanahan's ouster or fans voicing their discontent by bolting the stadium early or leaving seats empty altogether.
With thousands of empty seats at their last home game, the Broncos didn't announce actual attendance but only paid attendance, which at 72,736 was the lowest since Invesco Field opened a decade ago. By the time the Broncos' fourth-quarter rally fell one drive short in their 36-33 loss to St. Louis, most of the seats were empty.
Browns' rivals are headed in different directions. Steelers are 9-3 with 1-game division lead. Bengals are 2-10 and, beginning with loss to Browns, are on 9-game losing streak.
Associated PressThe Steelers-Ravens game on Sunday night was close all the way, with Pittsburgh getting the 13-10 win.
Pittsburgh, Pa. -– They spent the week complaining the NFL was targeting them. The Pittsburgh Steelers now find the target is on them.
The Steelers were bloodied and beaten up, yet they turned game-saving plays by Troy Polamalu and Ben Roethlisberger into a come-from-behind 13-10 victory over Baltimore that gives them full control of the AFC North. Unless they lose a game or two the rest of the way, they're favored to win the division — and are in position for a first-round playoff bye.
It's difficult to overstate the importance of Sunday night's victory for a team that put aside concerns over fines and officiating to win its biggest regular season game in two years. Lose, and the Steelers (9-3) essentially would have trailed the Ravens (8-4) by two games with four to play because Baltimore would have owned the tiebreaker.
Instead, the Steelers return home for their next three games and don't travel any further than the two-hour bus ride to Cleveland the rest of the season. Their remaining four opponents — the Bengals, Jets, Panthers and Browns — own a combined record of 17-30, and only the Jets are above .500.
The Steelers own the tiebreaker over Baltimore based on a better division record.
Yes, one game was that important. A bloody nose and an extensive injury list proved it.
"Nobody gave us a chance," wide receiver Hines Ward said. "Now we control our own destiny."
It's why Roethlisberger didn't dare come out despite having his nose bent awkwardly to the side by a hit from Haloti Ngata during the first quarter. The nose, surgically repaired four years ago after Roethlisberger broke it during his June 2006 motorcycle crash, is broken again and required additional surgery Monday.
Despite the injury, he didn't miss a snap.
Roethlisberger also held up despite a sprained right foot that, due to scar tissue breakup in the area where a fracture occurred years ago, forced him to wear a shoe 1 1/2 sizes larger than he normally wears.
"That's Ben," coach Mike Tomlin said. "We expect that from him, not that it's unappreciated. But we expect it from him, he expects it from himself."
Roethlisberger's mobility appeared to improve as the game went along, and his 9-yard touchdown pass to Issac Redman, an undrafted free agent from nearby Bowie State, won it with 2:59 remaining. The decisive score was set up when Polamalu's tomahawk chop to the arm stripped the ball while he was sacking the Ravens' Joe Flacco.
The Steelers, like their quarterback, proved they could stand up to a determined opponent on the road despite taking hit after hit in a typically physical, typically low-scoring Ravens-Steelers game. All four games between them the past two seasons have been decided by 4 points or fewer.
Right tackle Flozell Adams (high ankle sprain) became the third starting offensive tackle lost to injury this year, yet the Steelers overcame his injury and those to Roethlisberger, tight end Heath Miller (concussion) and punter Daniel Sepulveda (torn right anterior cruciate ligament). Sepulveda is out for the season and a replacement will be signed.
Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain was fined $40,000 on Monday for his helmet hit that bent Miller's head and neck backward, but he was not penalized. Miller remained on the turf for several minutes before being helped off the field.
Already thin on the offensive line, the Steelers now must play the Bengals (2-10) on Sunday with almost no experienced offensive line backups. They already were without tight end Matt Spaeth, who also has a concussion.
While the Steelers seemingly were distracted last week by their visible anger over the $125,000 in fines levied at linebacker James Harrison and their own perception the NFL is targeting him, they didn't let that agitation prevent them from winning a pivotal game. But, afterward, they wondered why McClain wasn't penalized for leaving Miller dazed on the field.
Harrison said if it were him, a penalty would have been automatic.
"We really had a lot of injuries out there," Ward said. "Things were so bad, I thought we were going to put me in at tight end."
Despite winning a game they know they had to win, Roethlisberger said the Steelers can't start feeling comfortable despite their markedly improved position from a week ago.
"It's just one game," he said. "When you start looking at it that way, you start to get into trouble. All I know is we have the Bengals."
Running back Mendenhall agreed, saying, "We have to keep winning. That was close and this is great. But other games have to be played."
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Cincinnati, Ohio -– Not only are the Cincinnati Bengals bad, they're becoming historically bad.
The defending AFC North champions have lost nine in a row, the third time in the past 20 years that they've dropped so many consecutive games in one season. No other NFL team has more than two such streaks of futility during that time.
A 34-30 loss to New Orleans on Sunday left the Bengals (2-10) winless since Sept. 26. They play in Pittsburgh next Sunday, when they'll have a chance to match the franchise record for most consecutive losses in one season. The 1993 Bengals under Dave Shula lost their first 10 games on their way to a 3-13 finish.
With this franchise, the losing sets them apart.
Associated PressBengals QB Carson Palmer delivers a pass during the 34-30 loss to the Saints.
In the past 20 years, there have been 19 streaks of nine or more losses in the NFL, according to STATS LLC. The Lions, Rams, Colts and Chargers each have had two such streaks. The Bengals have done them one better.
The Bengals are tied with Buffalo and Detroit at 2-10, in position for one of the top picks in next year's draft. Carolina has the league's worst record at 1-11.
It's not just how many the Bengals are losing, it's how they're losing them. They do things seldom seen around the league to fritter away games, doing a Wile E. Coyote imitation when everything's at stake. The anvil always lands on their heads.
"They do expect to win," coach Marvin Lewis said Monday. "And they expect to make the plays at the end of the football game to win the football game. And I don't sense there is a lack of confidence that way at all."
On Sunday, the anvil came in the form of an offside.
The Bengals seemed to be on the verge of a breakthrough when Clint Stitser's field goal put them ahead 30-27 with 4:25 to go. All they had to do was stop the Saints one time, then run out the clock. They couldn't do it. Drew Brees led New Orleans to a fourth-and-2 at the Cincinnati 7-yard line with 34 seconds left.
The Saints called timeout and decided to use one of their ploys called "No-Brainer Freeze." They'd line up and try to draw the Bengals offside. The Bengals knew it was coming — Lewis had showed the team the play earlier in the week.
Didn't matter. Pat Sims jumped. The Saints got a new set of downs. Brees threw a 3-yard touchdown pass on the next play.
"Hey, people make mistakes," Sims said Monday. "I jumped offsides. Something drew me off, but it was my fault."
The Bengals weren't done with the self-destruction. Bernard Scott returned the kickoff to the Cincinnati 49-yard line with 22 seconds to go. Cincinnati had one timeout left and wanted to get closer before throwing it into the end zone. Carson Palmer completed a 14-yard pass to Brian Leonard, who was tackled. Palmer signaled for the offense to set up for a spike.
Lewis is in charge of timeouts and decided to let the clock run instead of using the final one then. The Bengals were slow to get into formation, forcing Palmer to angrily signal for a timeout with only 8 seconds left, then hold up his arms in disgust. The Bengals had wasted six seconds, leaving themselves time for only a long throw into the end zone.
"I run the plays on the field and Marvin handles the timeouts," Palmer said. "I just noticed it was taking a long time to get everybody set, so I went ahead and called that on my own."
Managing the clock has been an issue repeatedly for the Bengals this season. On Monday, Lewis defended his decision not to use the timeout after Leonard was tackled. He wanted a chance to get one more quick completion, call a timeout and then throw it into the end zone.
"I would do it again that way," Lewis said. "We didn't do a very good job of getting set."
They didn't even get another pass off. Palmer was sacked on the next play, ending the game and leaving players stunned.
"It's not a lack of effort on anybody's part," receiver Terrell Owens said. "I don't know if we're getting out-coached or what the deal is. At this point, I'm sitting here trying to fish for answers, but I don't have any for you. Again, this is beginning to get old for me."
Mangini declined to say whether he thinks the 5-7 Browns have shown enough progress to keep the current regime intact.
View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain Dealer"We've got four more games left and I really want to move the team forward," Browns head coach Eric Mangini said on Monday when asked about his job security. "All the other stuff will take care of itself."
BEREA, Ohio -- Eric Mangini said he won't spend time over the season's final four games worrying about his job security and team President Mike Holmgren's planned evaluation of the coaching staff.
"If I did spend a lot of time on that I'd be a hypocrite," said Mangini on Monday. "I'm asking all these other guys to look at one game at a time and you can't know what's going to happen four weeks from now. You can't control it. Do the best you can with what's in front of you and when you do that, that's when the best things happen."
Mangini declined to say whether he thinks the 5-7 Browns have shown enough progress to keep the current regime intact. At this time last year, the Browns were 1-11 and finished with a four-game winning streak.
"I respect Mike and I think he'll evaluate things at the end of the season," said Mangini. "We've got four more games left and I really want to move the team forward. All the other stuff will take care of itself. I'm proud of the way the players and coaches have fought. Now I want to see us getting rewarded with wins."
But does the boss seem happy?
"Yeah, I mean, it's been positive," said Mangini. "We weren't high-fiving and belly-bopping on the plane or anything but it was a much better plane ride than some I've taken."
What will it take for Holmgren to maintain the status quo? Will 7-9 or 8-8 be enough? If the Browns win out, they would finish 9-7. They play on the road against the 2-10 Bills and 2-10 Bengals the next two Sundays, then finish at home against the 8-4 Ravens and 9-3 Steelers.
"I give the guys last year a lot of credit," said Mangini. "They hung in there, they fought, they kept working and they were rewarded at the end of the year, which was great to see. Now this year, I think we've taken some more real strides.
"If you're just looking statistically, almost every category has improved. It's a good group of guys, everyone is pulling in the same direction."
The Browns have used three quarterbacks because of injuries and have faced the NFL's toughest schedule, with a combined opponents' record of 85-57. They beat the 9-3 Saints on the road and the 9-2 Patriots at home before taking the 9-2 Jets to overtime before missing three tackles on Santonio Holmes' game-winning touchdown catch.
They lost to Jacksonville on a 75-yard screen pass in the final minutes. The first two games to the Bucs and Chiefs, were losses by a combined five points.
But Holmgren made it abundantly clear in a post-bye week press conference on Nov. 2 that he'll reserve judgment until after the finale Jan. 2.
"Any coach, any staff where I'm in the position I'm in, will be judged at the end of the season," he said. "I also said this, wins and losses are not the only criteria. The crummy part of our business is that most of the time, it's the main one."
Holmgren also stressed during that press conference that he's had to adjust to this coaching staff and it's way of doing things. That's why observers such as Sports Illustrated's Peter King have kicked around the possibility of former Raiders and Bucs coach Jon Gruden, now ESPN's Monday Night Football analyst, coming here if Holmgren makes a change.
Gruden, who worked for Holmgren in Green Bay, was a Browns fan as a young boy growing up in Sandusky. Both are from the same West Coast Bill Walsh football family, and the two have remained close. Gruden highly recommended Holmgren draft quarterback Colt McCoy, whom many think is best suited to the West Coast style.
Last week, after Gruden talked to University of Miami officials about their coaching vacandy, an unnamed member of the Miami Board of Trustees told the Miami Herald that Gruden was "keeping all of his options open, including the NFL."
During a conference call last week, Gruden, under contract with ESPN through next season, said, "I'd just like to say I'm committed to ESPN."
But even his high-school age son, Jon "Deuce" Gruden II has apparently heard of Cleveland as a possibility down the road. During a podcast Sunday on the Sporting Rave, the Tampa-area high school football player revealed that his dad could wind up coaching either the Browns or the 49ers after another year in the booth.
"He was gonna let me finish high school," said Gruden II. "He was talking about going to San Francisco, but that's really probably going to be in the next two years or something like that. He'll probably keep the Monday Night Football job for the next year, my last year of high school, and then probably head out to a team like San Francisco or maybe Cleveland."
Despite the uncertainty, Browns players are excited about what they've accomplished.
"Last year sitting in this spot, we didn't know if we were going to win any games," said left tackle Joe Thomas. "But this year, it's totally different. We feel we're a much better team. Right now, I don't think anybody wants to play us because we're playing well; we're keeping every game close. Guys believe in themselves. They believe in the system a lot more than last year."
For Cuyahoga County, it does not get any better than this.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For Cuyahoga County, it does not get any better than this.
Friday and Saturday arguably was the county's greatest high school football weekend in the playoff era -- two days that deserve a permanent place in Cleveland sports history. In fact, as far as the year 2010 is concerned, just remove the "high school football" disclaimer. The year in Cleveland sports just peaked. In an era when so little else is going right in our sports world, this is a moment worth cherishing.
With their first football state titles, Maple Heights and St. Edward are the ninth and 10th Cuyahoga County schools to win it all. Each school honored its team Monday; a morning rally at St. Edward and an evening celebration at Maple Heights.
Cuyahoga County has had two champions three times before, most recently in 2001, but never with this kind of drama.
In the Division II final Friday, Maple Heights fell behind Trotwood Madison, 13-0, and trailed, 26-7, in the second quarter. The Mustangs scored on six consecutive possessions and won, 45-33, in Massillon.
In Saturday night's Division I final in Canton, St. Edward was losing to Huber Heights Wayne, 21-7, in the third quarter. The Eagles won, 35-28, on tailback Terrell Bates 17-yard touchdown run with 1:32 remaining.
As St. Edward senior Deonte Gibson said amid a wild on-field celebration Saturday, "This is like a movie. I couldn't have scripted it any better."
Not all movies have happy endings. Buchtel and Chagrin Falls lost in the divisions II and IV finals, respectively, yet both were heartwarming stories because they defied even the most optimistic expectations by reaching the title game. They were, in the end, part of a historic weekend.
Mangini praises rookie cornerback for "making a strong case for 'you can't take me out now.'"
View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerJoe Haden has interceptions in four consecutive games and five overall this season. But "what I really liked about Joe's game last week is the way he tackles," says Eric Mangini.
BEREA, Ohio -- Eric Mangini spent part of Monday's press conference defending his decision not to make rookie cornerback Joe Haden a starter earlier in the season.
Haden, the seventh overall pick, was in the starting lineup Sunday in Miami, the 12th game of the season. He responded with a monster game, recording an interception, four passes broken up and five tackles.
Haden started the week before against Carolina, but that was in place of the injured Eric Wright (knee), who's struggled this season. His only other "start" came in the opener in Tampa when the Browns opened in the nickel package.
"Well, it's more evaluating his progress," said Mangini "Then, it's a function of what you do with your opportunities. Because he may have gotten in and not played as well and we'd be talking about you know, 'was it too early for him to get in?' It's really just a function of working and when you get your chance, going in and making a strong case for 'You can't take me out now."
Since taking over for Wright early in the Jacksonville game three weeks ago, Haden has been outstanding. He's had an interception in four straight games -- for the first time since Ernie Kellerman did it in 1968. He was tied for first among rookies with his five picks under New England's Devin McCourtygot his sixth Monday night, and is fifth overall.
"What I really liked about Joe's game last week is the way he tackles," said Mangini. "That was something we liked in college.
"There were plays there where a missed tackle and the ball would have gone for a long way. Ronnie Brown's screen, if he doesn't make that play, it goes for a long way. An open field tackle, one-on-one against Ronnie Brown, that's hard to do.
"The other thing he does well is he wraps up. ... It's not block tackling, it's not submarine tackling where it looks like you're digging for worms trying to get the guy down. He goes and he wraps up and he likes contact. And you know, 'cover corner' is usually an euphemism for 'won't tackle.' But [Haden] will."
Mangini stressed that Haden and fellow rookie T.J. Ward need to eliminate repeated mistakes.
"I like the things they've done," he said. "Let's put [the mistakes] to bed and take another leap here."
Said safety Mike Adams of Haden: "I know he's going to stay focused and keep it going and he'll see a lot of Pro Bowls coming his way."
Heads up play: Mangini said it was Jake Delhomme's quick snap and sneak on third and 2 in the fourth quarter that showed his value to the offense. Miami was called for 12 men on the field.
"It's a big play, it's a smart play, it's a heads-up play and I love seeing that," said Mangini. "That one play right there, we could not get that last year, where they had too many guys on the field and we snapped the ball. Peyton Manning does it every other play and we could not do that last year."
Extra points: Mangini said tight Evan Moore (hip) might not be ready to practice Wednesday, but should be ready to play Sunday in Buffalo. ... He said Colt McCoy (ankle) would do some work Monday and be re-evaluated Tuesday. ... The Browns are one of four teams not to give up 30 or more points in any game this season. They've allowed four rushing touchdowns, tied for least in the NFL. ... The Browns have allowed 26 first-quarter points, tied for third-fewest in the league.
The Indians' bullpen finished last season strong and there is help coming from the minors. If GM Chris Antonetti has to make a trade, he could deal a reliever or two.
View full sizeChuck Crow / PDJensen Lewis could be shopped around by the Indians, who are pleased with their bullpen depth and are looking for infield help at third base.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Major league baseball is a rich and poor team's game -- except when it comes to building a bullpen.
"It's an area where all 30 teams can compete," said Arizona GM Kevin Towers. "Big market, small market, you should be able to build a good bullpen. I think people are starting to understand that."
Relievers are easier to find than starters, as they need to pitch one or two innings instead of seven or eight. The trick is finding the right combination or arms and what role suits what pitcher best.
Towers certainly built his share of good bullpens as San Diego's general manager out of pitchers thought to be ordinary or less in terms of talent.
"To me, the most important innings of the game are the last two or three," said Towers.
The Indians have had their good and bad moments in bullpen construction over the last several years. Last season started slowly, but improved as the season unfolded. By September, the bullpen was easily the most impressive part of a team that lost 93 games.
In the second half, a pen led by closer Chris Perez along with primarily Rafael Perez, Tony Sipp, Frank Herrmann, Jensen Lewis, Joe Smith and Justin Germano turned in the second-best ERA (2.95) in the American League. Over its last 30 innings, the pen allowed four earned runs.
There are more relievers on the way. Vinnie Pestano, who had a 1.55 ERA and 14 saves at Class AAA Columbus, made his big-league debut. Josh Judy, Zack Putnam and Bryce Stowell are in the pipeline after ending last season at Columbus. Not to mention Nick Hagadone.
"You can never get satisfied, and you can never have enough pitching," said manager Manny Acta. "But we were very happy with our bullpen last season. We're extremely happy with the guys that are knocking on the door, too."
The Indians could use this store of arms to help improve the team. They are looking for a third baseman, starting pitcher, right-handed outfield bat and backup catcher. Last week they signed Lewis and Smith to one-year deals rather than go to arbitration.
The choice for Lewis and Smith was to be non-tendered and join a crowded market of free-agent relievers or take the guaranteed money. If the Indians do make a deal involving relievers, they could be the first to go.
The chances of the Indians leaving the winter meetings Thursday with any of their needs filled is unknown, but things were quiet Monday. GM Chris Antonetti and about 15 or 16 other executives and scouts from the Indians arrived at the Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin resort Monday morning.
They've been talking to teams since the end of the season and to free agents since five days after the World Series. There probably aren't too many surprises awaiting them.
"I think there are always some opportunities when you see all these different teams up close," said Acta. "I think it's obvious that we're not going to walk out of here with any of these big names because that's not our plan and our vision right now. But there is a chance that we'll walk out of here with some of our needs being resolved."
When reporters visited Antonetti's hotel suite, Toronto manager John Farrell and executive Tony LaCava were walking out. Farrell and LaCava are former Tribe executives and Antonetti said it was merely a chat, not a meeting.
If the Indians do sign a third baseman, they want to stress defense.
"It's very important for us because our five starters last year, for the most part, were right-handers and sinker-ball pitchers," said Acta. "So you're going to get a lot of ground balls toward the left side of the infield."
That would eliminate free agent Edwin Encarnacion. He hit 21 homers last season for Toronto, but made 18 errors in 95 games at third.
The Indians believe their offense can improve internally with a return to health of Grady Sizemore, Carlos Santana and Asdrubal Cabrera.
So far this season, the Horizon League has named three players of the week, and Norris Cole has won it twice.
View full sizeTim Harrison / Special to The Plain DealerNorris Cole earned his second Horizon League player of the week award on Monday, just another prize for a Cleveland State team that has stormed out of the gate this basketball season.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If Cleveland State's Norris Cole has designs on being the 2010-11 Horizon League men's basketball player of the year, he sure has started the season the right way.
The senior guard from Dayton on Monday was named the league's player of the week. So far this season, the league has named three players of the week, and Cole has won it twice.
In last week's wins over Robert Morris, Green Bay and Milwaukee, Cole averaged 23 points, four rebounds, 5.7 assists and three steals per game. Against Robert Morris, the defending Northeast Conference champion, Cole went 10-for-18 shooting from the field and had a season-high 29 points. He also had five steals.
At Green Bay, Cole went 15-for-16 from the free-throw line to help lead the Vikings past the Phoenix, 83-75. He finished with 26 points despite playing just 29 minutes because of foul trouble.
Cole was a first-team All-HL selection last season.
Heading into Tuesday's home game against West Virginia Tech, Cole ranks 24th in the nation in scoring (21.2) and 43rd in steals (2.3).
In Monday's Associated Press Top 25 poll, CSU was 31st, with 13 votes. Last week, the Vikings had one vote. In the coaches poll, CSU is 33rd, with seven votes.
The Vikings are the first Division I team to notch 10 wins. After sweeping their Wisconsin trip for the first time since 1999-2000, CSU is No. 17 in the most recent RPI rankings.
They also are ranked No. 1 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, moving up from No. 5 last week.
Making history: If the Vikings win Tuesday, they will tie the school record of 11 wins before Jan. 1, set during the 1992-93 season.
Also, the 10-0 start is CSU's fourth-longest win streak in school history. It also is the longest since the 1992-93 team matched a school record with 14 in a row. The 1985-86 team also won 14 straight.
Stat watch: The Vikings are in the top 50 in seven categories.
They rank No. 1 in winning percentage (1.000), 16th in field goal defense (.369), 23rd in three-point defense (.270), 25th in scoring defense (58.4), 41st in turnover margin (+4.1), 43rd in turnovers (12.2) and 49th in scoring margin (13.3).
What's going on at your high school? Go to cleveland.com/yourspace to send your pictures of varsity teams from your school. We'll publish the best picture each Tuesday in The Plain Dealer, and the entire photo gallery is featured on cleveland.com.
What's going on at your high school? Go to cleveland.com/yourspace to
send your pictures of varsity teams from your school. We'll publish the
best picture each Tuesday in The Plain Dealer, and the entire photo
gallery is featured on cleveland.com.
Remember, you can watch the live video stream or listen to the audio-only stream and interact with the studio via chat room, Twitter, Facebook, phone or email.
Cleveland, Ohio -- We've got good news and bad news: The good news is that Browns legend Bernie Kosar WILL be on SBTV. The bad news (Sorry, Superfan Sue from Parma): It'll be on Wednesday. Due to a miscommunication -- OK, OK, on OUR part -- Bernie is not available today. But that gives us a whole 'nuther day for you to submit questions for him.
Austin Carr, the Cavs TV broadcaster, will put aside his headset and head to the phone for today's interview with hosts Branson Wright and Chuck Yarborough.
We'll be talkin' Cavs, obviously, with AC.
But what should Chuck and Branson ask Bernie when it comes to the Browns, the NFL, and his career?
Post your questions for Bernie in the comments section below.
The Browns are 5-7 with four games left in the season, and a former Super Bowl winning coach --- President Mike Holmgren --- is capable and probably willing, to take over next season.
So is there anything Mangini can do to maintain his position as coach of the Browns?
