Former Glenville High School quarterback Troy Smith goes back to the bench with the 49ers and former Tarblooder Pierre Woods gets picked up by the Buffalo Bills.

APQuarterback Troy Smith

Troy Smith's run as the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers ended following last week's loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Smith, who starred at Glenville High School and Ohio State, went 3-2 with the 49ers. Troy will be replaced by Alex Smith, who started the season and was 1-6 before he was sidelined with a separated non-throwing shoulder.

Matthew Barrows writes on Sacbee.com that coach Mike Singletary gave Troy Smith only a lukewarm appraisal on Monday.

"I thought he did decent," Singletary said of Troy Smith's 10-of-25 performance last Sunday against Green Bay. "I thought he did OK. Decent performance."

Troy Smith has started every game since Oct. 31 and has gone 3-2. He made a splash in a 23-20 overtime win over St. Louis on Nov. 14, leading a heroic fourth-quarter touchdown drive and finishing with 356 passing yards and a 116.7 passer rating.

Singletary has praised Troy Smith's leadership throughout his tenure as the 49ers' starter. Smith, however, hasn't surpassed 200 passing yards in each of the past three games, and his passer ratings have been 51.5, 61.7 and 64.4.

Still, Troy's overall passer rating of 80.2 is better than Alex Smith's 75. 

Troy's high school teammate, linebacker Pierre Woods, was picked up by the Buffalo Bills after he was released by the New England Patriots for the second time this season last week.

A 7-9 record is doable for the Browns, and a 9-7 isn't beyond the realm of possibility. Can you say playoffs?

View full sizePlain Dealer Historical Photographic CollectionRemember this feeling? Webster Slaughter and Reggie Langhorne celebrate Slaughter's TD pass from Don Strock that sent the Browns into the 1988 playoffs.

Tiebreakers and other long-shot possibilities factor in, but the abridged version of the Browns’ storybook dream is this:

Finish 4-0. Hope the Ravens fly into a wall.

Tie-breakers, of course, would apply to teams finishing at 9-7. Then it gets complicated.

Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan would love for life to get so complicated. Ryan takes some solace in his brother’s team, partly because the Browns took Rex Ryan’s Jets to overtime, partly because of what happened to the long-shot Jets last year.

“If there is a mathematical chance, well,” Ryan said. “I can remember my brother last year (saying), ‘We’re out of the playoffs.’ He’s all bummed out and, hell, he made it and went to the championship game.”

Lebron James was heckled by Cleveland football fans while he was enjoying a celebratory dinner with his best friend and manager, Maverick Carter, at Myles Chefetz's Prime Italian in Miami, after the Heat's fourth straight win. The pack of 30 Browns fans, who were in town to see their team take on the Dolphins, chanted, "Traitor, traitor," inside the restaurant Saturday night, and were asked to leave. The rowdies waited outside to continue harassing former Cavalier James, who was forced to sneak into his car to avoid a confrontation. James' reps didn't get back to us.

"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."

Get your questions ready and join Terry Pluto today at noon as he talks Cleveland sports. Hear Terry's thoughts on the Browns' win over the Dolphins, LeBron's return and more.

Terry Pluto tackles your questions live every Tuesday at noon.

Get your questions ready and join Terry Pluto today at noon as he talks Cleveland sports.

Hear Terry's thoughts on the Browns' win over the Dolphins, LeBron's return and more.

You can jump in the chat room and ask your questions as well as interact with other users and respond to Terry's remarks, or you can just listen. The chat will also be made available shortly after its completion in mp3 format.

"The Browns are in better shape now than at any point in the 11 years they have been back. Sure, there was the 9-7 playoff season and the 10-6 near-miss season, but this team actually has staying power. Potential for franchise players in Colt, Joe Thomas, Haden, Hillis, Mack, Ward, Rubin and others. I guess if Mangini does get fired, the cupboard certainly won't be bare, but Mangini would get at least some of the credit if the Browns succeed, much like Dungy gets a large share of the credit for what Gruden did in Tampa Bay." - d3dawgpound

View full sizeEric Mangini has matched his win total from a year ago with four games left in the season.

In response to the story Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini says wins are his focus, not his job status, cleveland.com reader d3dawgpound thinks the Browns are in good shape. This reader writes,

"The Browns are in better shape now than at any point in the 11 years they have been back. Sure, there was the 9-7 playoff season and the 10-6 near-miss season, but this team actually has staying power. Potential for franchise players in Colt, Joe Thomas, Haden, Hillis, Mack, Ward, Rubin and others. I guess if Mangini does get fired, the cupboard certainly won't be bare, but Mangini would get at least some of the credit if the Browns succeed, much like Dungy gets a large share of the credit for what Gruden did in Tampa Bay."

Cavs broadcaster says the team shouldn't use its salary-cap trade exception for the 76ers forward. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, our Web video show about what's going on in Cleveland sports. Today's show is hosted by Chuck Yarborough and Branson Wright.

Because of a scheduling mixup, Bernie Kosar will be Wednesday's SBTV instead of today's.

So what do we have to offer today? How about substituting one Cleveland sports legend for another? Cavs great and current team broadcaster Austin Carr stepped in to pinch hit as today's guest.

AC talks with Chuck and Branson about what the Cavs and Byron Scott need to do to turn this season around; about the way the Cavaliers welcomed back No. 23 last week with open arms; and whether the team should use its trade exception under the salary cap to trade for Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala.

Also, don't forget to cast your vote in today's Starting Blocks poll, in which we ask what Browns coach Eric Mangini must do the rest of the season.

And you can try to beat Chuck and Branson in this week's You Pick the Winners contest.

Check back with SBTV tomorrow to see our interview with Bernie Kosar.

Yankees sign Derek Jeter to a four-year deal.

View full sizeThomas Ondrey,
The Plain DealerDerek Jeter tags out the Tribe's Chris Gimenez. The Yankee shortstop will be doing that for four more years, having reached an agreement with on a new contract with New York.

New York -- Derek Jeter signed a three-year contract with the New York Yankees, staying with the only Major League Baseball team he's ever played for as he pursues 3,000 career hits and a spot in the Hall of Fame.

The contract also contains a fourth-year option that Jeter can trigger, the Yankees said in a news release.

Financial terms weren't disclosed. The New York Times, citing an unidentified person in baseball who was briefed on the matter, said on Dec. 4 that the contract would be worth between $15 million and $17 million annually.

The Yankees scheduled a news conference with their shortstop and team captain in Tampa, Florida, this afternoon.

Jeter, 36, was ranked by SI.com as the American athlete with the eighth-highest earnings this year at $31 million. The Times said the deal ensures Jeter will remain the highest-paid shortstop in baseball, ahead of Troy Tulowitzki, who agreed on a 10-year, $157.8 million contract this week to stay with the Colorado Rockies.

Jeter needs 74 hits to become the first Yankee to reach 3,000 in his career.

The agreement ends a month of discussions between the two sides that became publicly bitter. Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankees' managing general partner, said at the beginning of talks that they could get "messy." Hank Steinbrenner, his brother and the team's co-chairman, said in an Associated Press interview last month that "we've already made these guys very, very rich, and I don't feel we owe anybody anything monetarily."

Worst Year

Jeter in 2010 had his worst offensive season since becoming a regular in 1996, producing numbers generally associated with players making much less than the $19 million he averaged over the past 10 years.

Casey Close, Jeter's longtime agent, told the New York Daily News that he was "baffled" by the Yankees' position, and that his client deserved to be paid for what he had helped bring to the franchise, including five World Series championships.

The Yankees' initial offer was $45 million over three years, with Close pushing for $150 million over six seasons, the Daily News said. Brian Cashman, the Yankees' general manager, said that if Jeter didn't like the offer he should test the free-agent market and see if some other team would pay more for a player who already is the oldest starting shortstop in the American League.

The two sides resumed negotiations in Tampa, Florida, on Nov. 30, and Hank Steinbrenner told the AP that night that he and his brother "feel confident that Derek will remain with the Yankees."

Torre Support

"Hard for me to believe Yankees wouldn't want him back and just happy it worked out for him," Joe Torre, Jeter's manager in New York from 1996 through 2007, said at a news conference today at baseball's winter meetings in Orlando, Florida. "Hopefully he continues to stay healthy."

Jeter was promoted to the Yankees in 1995 after they drafted him with the sixth pick in the first round three years earlier. He entered free agency this offseason after completing a 10-year, $189 million contract.

The AL Rookie of the Year in 1996, Jeter has never won a Most Valuable Player award or a batting title. He has produced consistent top-10 rankings that place his career figures in the range of Hall of Fame members, according to the website Baseball-reference.com.

Already the Yankees' career hits leader, Jeter would become the 28th major league batter to reach 3,000 in his career. Every eligible member of that group is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame except Rafael Palmeiro, who will be on the Hall ballot for the first time this year.

Hall of Fame

Should he retire with the team and later be elected to the Hall in Cooperstown, New York, Jeter would be the eighth Yankee so honored after playing an entire major-league career in the Bronx, joining Earle Combs, Lou Gehrig, Bill Dickey, Joe DiMaggio, Phil Rizzuto, Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle.

While league managers and coaches did name him a Gold Glove winner for his defense after he committed a career-low six errors in 2010, advanced fielding statistics showed Jeter's range wasn't as great as many of his peers. His Ultimate Zone Rating, which measures how many runs a player gave up or saved with his defense, placed Jeter 4.7 runs below average last season, and another metric, Defensive Runs Saved, rated him 13 runs below average, according to Fangraphs.com.

Franchise Face

Jeter's numbers aside, he is the face of a franchise focused on its own statistic -- as the most valuable in baseball.

Jeter's chase for 3,000 hits should help draw fans to the $1.6 billion Yankee Stadium next season.

He already holds baseball's record for postseason hits, with 185; runs (101); doubles (30); and games played (147).

After being named the team's 11th captain in 2003, Jeter manned the microphone to close the old Yankee Stadium in September 2008. He again represented the team at a July ceremony marking the deaths of owner George Steinbrenner and public address announcer Bob Sheppard.

Do you agree with the voters protesting Cam Newton as a Heisman candidate?

APDoes Cam Newton deserve the Heisman Trophy?

Auburn's Cam Newton is the best player in college football, but several voters out of the 925 writes and former Heisman winners will not vote for Newton.

That's right, Philadelphia reporter Michael Bradley and Kyle Tucker of the Virginian-Pilot are two among six voters who will not vote for Newton because of the allegations against him.

Does it really matter? Does making a point mean anything when Newton is clearly the best player in college. Or should the NCAA try to avoid a situation like Reggie Bush?

Tina Addison is the Week 13 winner of the Pro Football You-Pick-the-Winners Contest. The Week 14 contest is now open. Submit your entry by Thursday evening for a chance to win a gas card..

This is a weekly contest. Enter for a chance at a $250 gift card.

Youtube video pays homage to Browns running back Peyton Hillis.

Sorry, Mr. Sinatra. The days when New York was the "if you can make there, you'll make anywhere" place are done, dead, dormant, finis, finito. Now, if you ain't the subject of a youtube video. you ain't squat.

Peyton Hillis, who's less than 40 yards away from a 1,000 yards rushing and leads the Browns in receiving with 53 catches, is squat. Not short-of-stature squat. Like youtube-star-squat, as the accompanying youtube video posted by newbrownsmusic.com attests.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Cavaliers and coach Byron Scott had a day off on Monday to reflect on the tumultuous past week, during which the team lost four games, including three blowouts, and fell hard in LeBron James' return with the Miami Heat. Scott admitted he was struggling to find the right mix, especially on the defensive end, but...

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Cavaliers and coach Byron Scott had a day off on Monday to reflect on the tumultuous past week, during which the team lost four games, including three blowouts, and fell hard in LeBron James' return with the Miami Heat.

Scott admitted he was struggling to find the right mix, especially on the defensive end, but he was a bit evasive when asked whether he'd make changes tonight against the Sixers in Wells Fargo Center.

"Not to start the game,'' he said after the morning shootaround. "We'll start the same lineup and then we'll go from there.''

Will that mean rookies Manny Harris and/or Samardo Samuels will be activated? Or will Jamario Moon, who didn't play at Detroit, be inactive?

Scott didn't say. Asked about Moon not playing at Detroit, he did say, "Just looking at other guys. Joey [Graham] played pretty well for a while and hasn't played real well the last few games. Jawad [Williams] has played pretty good. He hasn't shot the ball good but what he brings...a sense of toughness that we need on both ends of the floor. I thought the last couple games he has given us that. So I'm just searching, trying to find answers.''

How important was Sunday's win for the Browns? What about the way the Cavaliers acted during LeBron's return on Thursday? We talk about that with Terry Pluto, award-winning sports columnist for The Plain Dealer.

Terry Pluto tackles your questions live every Tuesday at noon.

In his weekly chat on cleveland.com, Terry Pluto tackled these questions:

- How impressed have you been with the play of Joe Haden since he took over as the starter?

- What's a realistic finish for this team?

- Have the Cavaliers reached the point where they will have to decide on what to do with this roster?

- Should this team have an interest in Andre Iguodala?

- Would Jeff Francoeur be a good fit for the Indians?

plus a whole lot more!

"It's time to throw your support behind the CSU Vikings and the OSU Buckeyes, basketball fans, and leave the heartless, spineless Cavs to the curb where they belong. I promise you won't be disappointed. Gary Waters has turned things around in downtown Cleveland." - csubrown09

View full sizeJoshua Gunter | The Plain DealerGary Waters has Cleveland State off to a 10-0 start this season.

In response to the story Ohio State stays No. 2, behind defending champ Duke, in AP Top 25 men's basketball poll, cleveland.com reader csubrowns09 thinks now's the time to get behind Ohio's college hoops teams. This reader writes,

"It's time to throw your support behind the CSU Vikings and the OSU Buckeyes, basketball fans, and leave the heartless, spineless Cavs to the curb where they belong. I promise you won't be disappointed. Gary Waters has turned things around in downtown Cleveland."

"Pardon the Interruption" star Michael Wilbon publishes his farewell column in the Washington Post.

View full sizeCourtesy of ESPNSports columnists Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon are the faces -- and opinions -- on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption." Wilbon's farewell column ran in the paper today. Kornheiser and the Post parted company -- acrimoniously -- in 2008. He said earlier this year that he was fired by the Post.

There's no "favorite" or "best" interview, no "greatest" game because there were simply too many, thousands of each, over the years. But there is a favorite moment: Aboriginal hero Cathy Freeman winning track and field gold in the Sydney Olympics in 2000, leaving me to write through tears the only time in my career.

There is a favorite athlete: Michael Jordan, because he had and continues to have the greatest impact on the culture of sports since Ali and because, as Scott Turow wrote, "Michael Jordan played basketball better than anyone else in the world does anything else."

There is a biggest influence outside the profession: Coach John Thompson, whose 2 a.m. return phone calls would often begin with, "You want to sleep or you want a scoop?" and evolve into 90-minute conversations that usually had nothing to do with the Hoyas but everything to do with what was right or wrong with the world.

And most definitely there was and is a most important story in my career: the death of Bias, a young man with godly physical talents who was so much more than a headline to me because I covered just about every game he played his first two years at the University of Maryland. My friend Jay Bilas observed a few years ago that those of us of a certain age mark time with Bias's death the way the generation older than us does with the death of John F. Kennedy - and Bilas wasn't exaggerating.

I don't recall ever being told "no" if I wanted to write about something, even when it had little to do with sports. Probably my favorite enterprise assignment, one I viewed skeptically in the beginning, was going with Dave Sheinin to Los Angeles during the riots in the aftermath of the Rodney King drama in 1992 to try to find out whether there was any correlation between the decrease in funding for community programs related to sports and recreation and the increase in gang-related activity in the city.

Oh, yes there was a correlation. Kids who wanted to be running backs, center fielders, sweepers and shooting guards had become, largely through civic neglect, gang leaders. There was nothing quite like being invited one night to the Hollywood Hills home of the one and only Jim Brown to join members of the Crips and Bloods who had accepted his invitation to stop the violence for at least one night to talk about their differences.

Don't get me wrong; I loved covering some of the greatest events of the end of the 20th century, like the game where Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig's streak for consecutive games played. But the stories like the one in Los Angeles were the ones that separated The Washington Post from 99 percent of daily newspapers, and those issues were the ones that began to reshape the discussion of sports in America, the ones that led people to look to columnists essentially as discussion leaders. The complex stories, the ones that made people examine their own values and beliefs, were so far removed from box scores and game analysis, but they now drive viewership and readership.

Bowl game bonanza extends to asmuch as $1,200 worth of goodies for the athletes.

Associated PressThe iPod Nano: To the bowl participants go the spoils.

Bless his heart. Little Randy Runningback will remember his team's appearance in the 2010 Portapotty Bowl forever and ever.

There will be the scrapbook, with its pictures and press clippings. The "Good Luck, Kiddo!"card from Great-uncle Heathcliff. Maybe even a youtube video.

The NCAA allows each bowl to award up to $500 worth of gifts to 125 participants per school. Schools can, and almost always do, purchase additional packages that they can distribute to participants beyond that 125 limit. In addition, participants can receive awards worth up to $350 from the school and up to $350 from the conference for postseason play, covering both conference title games and any bowl game.

By our count, that's $1,200 in goodies. Which makes it easy to understand this excerpt from David Broughton's story on bowl game gift suites:

Virginia Tech punter Brian Saunders has a stat line that reads far deeper than his one season of on-field action provides.

Seven rings, seven watches, Oakley Thump MP3 sunglasses, an iPod nano, a GPS system, a Sony PlayStation Portable and noise-canceling headphones — not to mention a bounty of apparel.

Such is the haul for a fifth-year player who after this past weekend’s ACC championship game has been with the Hokies for seven postseason games: three conference title games and four bowl games.

The goodies have come courtesy of various bowl committees, the ACC and Virginia Tech as a reward for participating in the postseason games. It’s a seasonal gift-giving practice that gets its greatest visibility this month, with the start of bowl season.

By the way, here's what Ohio State and Arkansas, who play in the Sugar Bowl, will get: Sleek Audio custom earphones, an electronics gift suite,  Reactor Meltdown watch; and a New Era cap.

For a complete list of bowl booty, click here.

"Can we please get a definitive answer on Jared Goedert? Whenever infield prospects are mentioned, Goedert's name hardly ever comes up. As atrocious as third base was this past season, he never got a look at the Major League level. Yet at the last minute, they protected him from the Rule 5 draft. It's like they hold him in low regard but they fear someone else will turn him into Kelly Gruber." - centerfield6

View full sizeKen Carr | Indians Prospect InsiderThe Indians appear hesitant to give Jared Goedert a shot at their third base job.

In response to the story Cleveland Indians deny interest in OF Jeff Francoeur: Winter Meetings Chatter, cleveland.com reader centerfield6 doesn't understand why Jared Goedert isn't a third base option. This reader writes,

"Can we please get a definitive answer on Jared Goedert? Whenever infield prospects are mentioned, Goedert's name hardly ever comes up. As atrocious as third base was this past season, he never got a look at the Major League level. Yet at the last minute, they protected him from the Rule 5 draft. It's like they hold him in low regard but they fear someone else will turn him into Kelly Gruber."

The award is given to a player on every team that exemplifies courage.

CLEVELAND -- Linebacker Eric Barton, who has come back strong from a neck injury that sidelined him the last eight games in 2009, was named the Browns recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award.

 Barton's career could have been in jeopardy following the neck injury last year. But he responded this season by playing in all 12 games and starting in 10. He is sixth on the team with 50 tackles and also has a fumble recoverey.

 Each of the 32 NFL teams name a player who exemplies courage, compassion, commitment and community service. All winners are honored at an event in Baltimore in March. The award is named after the former trainer of the Baltimore Colts.

Five local football players have been chosen to play in the fifth Offense-Defense All-American bowl. Elyria defensive end Chase Farris, Glenville all-around standout Shane Wynn, Glenville quarterback Cardale Jones, Firestone offensive tackle Tommy Brown and Strongsville tight end Ray Hamilton will play in the Dec. 31 game at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C.

Elyria lineman and Ohio State recruit Chase Farris is among five local players selected for the Offense-Defense All-American bowl. - (Allison Carey / The Plain Dealer)

Five local football players have been chosen to play in the fifth Offense-Defense All-American bowl.

Elyria defensive end Chase Farris, Glenville all-around standout Shane Wynn, Glenville quarterback Cardale Jones, Firestone offensive tackle Tommy Brown and Strongsville tight end Ray Hamilton will play in the Dec. 31 game at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C.

Mike Tyson and Sylvester (Rocky Balboa) Stallned have been elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

View full sizeAssociated PressThis shot shows Mike Tyson biting off a portion of the ear of Evander Holyfield in their 1997 fight. Tyson, a former Northeast Ohio resident, was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Canastota, N.Y. -- Mike Tyson, whose meteoric rise to the pinnacle of boxing and stunning fall from grace was legendary, was selected Tuesday for induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum.

Three-division champion Julio Cesar Chavez of Mexico and Russian-born Kostya Tszyu, a junior welterweight champion, also were selected along with Mexican trainer Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain, referee Joe Cortez, and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone.

Posthumous honorees to be enshrined June 12, 2011 include: bantamweight Memphis Pal Moore, light heavyweight champion Jack Root, and middleweight Dave Shade in the old-timer category; British heavyweight John Gully in the pioneer category; promoter A.F. Bettinson; and broadcaster Harry Carpenter.

Inductees were voted on by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and a panel of international boxing historians.

A look at the 12 people to be inducted June 12, 2011 into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum:

View full sizeMGM PicturesApollo Creed (Carl Weathers) trades punches with Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) in their "Rocky II" rematch. Stallone has been elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

MIKE TYSON -- Born Michael Gerald Tyson on June 30, 1966, in Brooklyn, N.Y. A standout amateur, Tyson was 1984 National Golden Gloves champion. Following a controversial loss to Henry Tillman at the 1984 Olympic trials, he turned pro in 1985. Behind his trademark peek-a-boo defense, quick hand speed and swarming combination punching, Tyson scored 19 straight knockouts. After going the 10-round limit in consecutive fights with James "Quick" Tillis and Mitch Green, Tyson had six more knockouts in a row before stopping WBC champion Trevor Berbick in the second round in 1986 to become the youngest heavyweight champion in history at age 20. He added the WBA title with a 12-round decision over James Smith in 1987 and unified the titles later in the year with a 12-round victory over IBF champion Tony Tucker. Tyson defended the unified titles six times in victories over Larry Holmes, Tony Tubbs, Frank Bruno and Carl Williams, then stopped Michael Spinks in 91 seconds to earn universal recognition as champion in 1988. Two years later, Tyson lost the title to James "Buster" Douglas, then rebounded with four wins, two against Donovan "Razor" Ruddock. A proposed title fight in 1991 with Evander Holyfield was postponed because of a rib injury. Tyson reclaimed the WBC and WBA titles in 1996 by knocking out Bruno in three rounds and Bruce Seldon in the first round. That same year he lost the WBA belt to Holyfield in 11 rounds and was disqualified in the 1997 rematch after biting both of Holyfield's ears. From 1999-2001 Tyson fought six times, beating Frans Botha in five rounds, Lou Savarese in one, and Brian Nielsen in seven. In 2002, Tyson suffered an eighth-round knockout in an unsuccessful title bid against Lennox Lewis and retired in 2005 with a 50-6-2 record with 44 knockouts.

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ -- Born July 12, 1962 in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico. Turned pro in 1980 after a 13-bout amateur career. Undefeated after 43 fights, he scored an eighth-round knockout of Mario Martinez to win the 1984 WBC super featherweight title. He made nine successive defenses before beating Edwin Rosario for the WBA lightweight title in 1987. He added the WBC title with a win over Jose Luis Ramirez in 1988 and became a three-division world champion when he won the WBC junior welterweight crown from Roger Mayweather in 1989. His impressive string of 12 title defenses included wins over Hector Camacho, and Greg Haugen in front of a record crowd of 132,274, and in 1990 Chavez stopped IBF titleholder Meldrick Taylor with 2 seconds left in the fight to unify titles. Chavez moved up in weight and drew with WBC welterweight champ Pernell Whitaker in a 1993 title bout. After compiling an 89-0-1 record, Chavez lost the WBC junior welterweight title to Frankie Randall in 1994, then reclaimed the title in a rematch and reigned until getting knocked out in four rounds by Oscar De La Hoya in 1996. Chavez challenged for world titles three more times and lost each time before retiring in 2005 with a professional record of 107-6-2 with 88 knockouts.

KOSTYA TSZYU -- Born Konstantin Borisovich Tszyu on Sept. 19, 1969, in Serov, Russia. A decorated amateur, Tszyu compiled a 259-11 record and won three European championships, took gold at the 1990 Goodwill Games, represented Russia at the 1988 Summer Olympics and beat Vernon Forrest to win the 1991 light welterweight World Amateur Championship in Australia. Moved to Australia in 1992 and turned pro, defeating Juan LaPorte in his fourth bout and Livingstone Bramble in his 10th pro fight. Tszyu defeated Jake Rodriguez for the IBF junior welterweight title in 1995 and defended the title five times, including victories over Roger Mayweather and Hugo Pineda before being upset in a 10th-round knockout by Vince Phillips in 1997. In 1998, Tszyu beat Diosbelys Hurtado for the interim WBC junior welterweight title and stopped Miguel Angel Gonzalez in 1999 to capture the WBC title outright. Tszyu consolidated titles by defeating WBA champ Sharmba Mitchell and scoring a second-round knockout of IBF champ Zab Judah in 2001. He made successful defenses against Ben Tackie and Jesse James Leija before a series of injuries led the WBC and WBA to strip him of the titles. Tszyu returned to knock out Mitchell in three rounds before losing the IBF title to Ricky Hatton in 2005 in his final fight. He finished with a pro record of 31-2-1 with 25 knockouts.

MEMPHIS PAL MOORE -- Born Thomas Wilson Moore on July 28, 1894 in Memphis, Tenn. Began his professional career in 1913 and although he never became a champion, he distinguished himself as one of the top bantamweights of his era, regularly defeating champions of the time in no-decision or over-the-weight bouts. Moore fought more than a dozen boxers who became world champions, including Hall of Famers Kid Williams, Pete Herman, Joe Lynch, Jimmy Wilde and Frankie Genaro. Moore had several multi-fight rivalries, including 10 bouts with Lynch, seven with Jackie Sharkey and five with Carl Tremaine. Moore retired in 1930 after more than 200 pro fights. He died in 1953.

JACK ROOT -- Born Janos Ruthaly on May 26, 1876, in the Czech Republic. Turned professional in Chicago in 1897 and posted more than 40 wins before losing to George Gardner on a knockout in the 17th round of a 1902 bout. He then registered two more wins, including a six-round triumph over Marvin Hart, before vying for the newly created light heavyweight title created by his manager, Lou Houseman. Root became the division's first champion with a 1903 win over Kid McCoy. He dropped the title to Gardner in his first defense and was stopped by Hart in 12 rounds in 1905 for the vacant heavyweight title. Root retired with a record of 47-3-3 with 28 knockouts.

DAVE SHADE -- Born March 1, 1902, in Vallejo, Calif. Turned pro in 1918 and engaged in dozens of four-round bouts before receiving high praise after a knockdown of welterweight champ Jack Britton in 1921. Overshadowed early in his career by his older brothers, Shade eventually became a star. He met Mickey Walker twice in 1921, losing in the eighth round when he broke an arm and in a 12-round no-decision, and drew with Britton in a welterweight title bid the next year. In 1925, Shade, at 153 pounds, shocked the boxing world when he stopped future light heavyweight champion Jimmy Slattery in three rounds. Shade met Walker for the welterweight title later that year, losing a controversial 15-round decision. Shade eventually moved up to middleweight and defeated Ace Hudkins, Ben Jeby, and Al Gainer. Shade retired in 1935 with a record of 124-23-46 with 14 knockouts and 26 no-decisions. He died in 1983.

JOHN GULLY -- Born Aug. 21, 1783 in Wick-on-Anson, England. Following his father's death, Gully took over the family butcher shop at age 13, amassed considerable debt, and was sent to debtors prison at age 21. Heavyweight champion Henry Pearce, a boyhood friend, visited him in prison and they staged a boxing exhibition for the inmates. Gully got the better of Pearce and wealthy sportsmen paid his debt so he could pursue a boxing career. Gully met Pearce for the title in London in 1805, but the experienced champion won in 64 rounds. When Pearce retired two years later, Gully was regarded as the champion and solidified his claim to the title with two wins over Bob Gregson -- in 36 and 24 rounds. Gully retired after the second Gregson bout and became a successful pub owner, bookmaker and coal miner and was elected to Parliament in 1832, serving seven years. He died in 1863.

IGNACIO "NACHO" BERISTAIN -- Mexico's trainer of champions, Beristain began his career working for the Mexican government and trained Mexico's boxing team at four Olympic Games. In the pro ranks, Beristain has trained 19 champions, including three Hall of Famers -- strawweight and light flyweight Ricardo "Finito" Lopez, junior flyweight Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez, and bantamweight-super bantamweight Daniel Zaragoza.

A.F. BETTINSON -- A former amateur lightweight champion of England, Bettinson became a promoter and with John Fleming in 1891 founded the National Sport Club (NSC), which hosted many of the top boxers of the day. Bouts took place after dinner and featured such standouts as Joe Walcott, Tommy Ryan, Jimmy Wilde, Ted "Kid" Lewis, Georges Carpentier, and Kid McCoy. Bettinson had strict rules. Boxers had to behave and members and guests were not permitted to talk during the action. The influence of the NCS was profound. In 1909 it standardized divisions and weight limits before authorizing British title bouts and arranged for the presentation of championship belts.

JOE CORTEZ -- Born Oct. 13, 1943 in New York City, he registered a 43-2 record as an amateur boxer, winning six Golden Gloves tournaments. He turned pro in 1963 and compiled an 18-1 record before retiring in 1971. Five years later, he began refereeing amateur bouts and soon turned pro, officiating his first world title bout in 1982, WBA junior welterweight champion Aaron Pryor's 12th-round knockout of Miguel Montilla. He has since become one of the most respected referees in boxing, calling 160 title bouts. He's also appeared as a referee in two movies.

HARRY CARPENTER -- The voice of British Broadcasting Corp. boxing for over 40 years, Carpenter covered his first bout for the BBC in 1949 and became its full-time boxing correspondent in 1962. He called ringside action around the world until his retirement in 1994, including the "Rumble in the Jungle" between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman and the "Thrilla in Manila" between Ali and Joe Frazier. Prior to working for the BBC, Carpenter was on the staff of the London Daily Mail for eight years as a boxing and general sports columnist and also covered three Olympic Games. He died in March 2010 at age 84.

SYLVESTER STALLONE -- Born in New York City on July 6, 1946. Became an actor and screenwriter and penned the script about an underdog boxer from Philadelphia named Rocky Balboa. The movie "Rocky" was released in 1976 and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning for best picture, best director and best film editing. Stallone was nominated for best writing and best actor in a leading role. Stallone also wrote five other movies based on the Rocky Balboa character and in 2006 was awarded the Boxing Writers Association of America award for "Lifetime Cinematic Achievement in Boxing." He also hosted and produced the boxing reality series "The Contender."

Source: International Boxing Hall of Fame

Ohio State Buckeyes had higher hopes during the preseason but the Sugar Bowl is OK.

Terry Gilliam, Associated PressOhio State coach Jim Tressel

The Ohio State Buckeyes will play in the Sugar Bowl, but the Buckeyes previously had their focus on the Rose Bowl or the BCS national championship game.

Columbus Dispatch reporter Ken Gordon writes how just because the Buckeyes are not playing in the Rose Bowl or BCS title game, that doesn't mean that they don't appreciative their Jan.4 date with Arkansas.

It's just a sign of the high expectations, writes Gordon, that have been created in a program that views Big Ten titles as a baseline and competing for national championships as an annual occurrence.

This is a school, after all, that will make its ninth appearance in a Bowl Championship Series game in the system's 13 years, more than any other program (Oklahoma has eight, Southern California seven).

The Buckeyes are 5-3 in those games and are working on a streak of six in a row.

"It's weird; we've been kind of spoiled with it, at least my class, just because it's all we've known," senior receiver Dane Sanzenbacher said. " 'Bowl game' to us has come to mean 'BCS Bowl' because we don't know what another one feels like."

It was coach Jim Tressel who put up a sign about a national title and Rose Bowl as the goals entering this season, but Tressel says in the article how there's room for feeling good about a non-Rose Bowl BCS game.

"Of course, you'd like to be in a BCS game," said Tressel, whose eight BCS appearances are the most by any coach. "There's something about being one of the top 10 teams in the country. There's 10 teams that play in the BCS, and if you can earn your way into the top 10, that's a heck of a thing."

Joakim Noah does not like like how Cleveland fans called LeBron James Scottie Pippen.

(John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer)Double vision? No, just Cleveland Cavaliers Anderson Varejao (L) and Chicago Bulls Joakim Noah.

Last year Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah didn't have nice things to say about the city of Cleveland.

"Not at all," Noah said. "You like it? You think Cleveland's cool? I never heard anybody say I'm going to Cleveland on vacation. What's so good about Cleveland?"

And that was the edited version.

Now Noah takes offense to how Cleveland fans chanted "Scottie Pippen" directed at LeBron James last week. It was the fans way of telling James that he was a sidekick to Dwyane Wade like Pippen was to Michael Jordan.

On DailyHerald.com:

“They took a cheap shot at one of our Hall of Fame guys, at Scottie Pippen,” Noah said. “I didn't really like that."

And 

“You guys are waiting for this moment for five months and you guys are chanting, ‘Scottie Pippen,’ a Hall of Fame player with six rings? Like that's a bad thing? Come on, now,” Noah said.

Noah also said despite Cleveland not being "fun" the basketball enviornment is great. And Noah will get a chance to see how great The Q is on Wednesday night when the Cavaliers host the Chicago Bulls.