The Indians continue their search for a right-handed hitting outfielder. Could former Pirate Lastings Milledge be one of their targets.

 ORLANDO, Fla. -- News, notes and quotes from the winter meetings at the Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin resort.

 -New Seattle manager Eric Wedge was working the lobby Tuesday. Wedge, who managed the Indians for seven years before getting fired after the 2009 season, has purchased a home in the Seattle area and is in the process of moving his family to the great northwest.

 When he became manager of the Indians, he moved to Cleveland.

 "I've got to be all in," said Wedge. "That's me."

 Wedge has surrounded himself with a lot of former Indians. Robby Thompson will be his bench coach, Carl Willis will be his pitching coach and Jeff Datz will coach third base. Chris Chambliss, another former Indian, will be his hitting coach.

 "We're going to slow things down like we did in Cleveland and build it back up," said Wedge.

 The Mariners lost 101 games last season.

 -Jeff Francoeur may have been too expensive, but the Indians continue to check the market for right-handed hitting outfielders. If that's the case, how about Lastings Milledge.

 The Pirates non-tendered Milledge last week, but manager Manny Acta has history with the former Mets prospect. Acta was the Mets third base coach when Milledge made his big league debut in 2006 and helped pull some strings to get him to Washington in 2008 where he hit .268 (140-for-523) with 24 doubles, 14 homers and 61 RBI for his best season in the big leagues.

 Milledge, 25, hit .277 (105-for-379) with 21 doubles, three triples, four homers and 34 RBI for the Pirates last season. He made $452,000.

 He was said to have a bad attitude in New York, but last season when the Indians played the Pirates in interleague play Acta that was overblown because it happened in New York.

 -Arizona GM Kevin Towers on why he hired Charles Nagy as his pitching coach, "

 "I looked at our starting rotation," said Towers. "We have some young guys who are not overpowering guys other than Dan Hudson. Ian Kennedy, Barry Enright and Joe Saunders, their styles are very similar to Charlie's. He didn't have overpowering stuff. He really had to add, subtract and hit the spots. He had to pitch.

 "Who better to help make those guys what Charlie Nagy was? . .I think our guys will enjoy him, enjoy being around him. He can teach them how to win."

 Nagy was the Indians Class AAA pitching coach at Columbus last season.

 Towers was the Padres general manager when Nagy finished his carry there in 2003. Padre manager Buddy Black recommended Nagy as well.

 -Josh Byrnes, who got his front office start with the Indians, said he was close to rejoining the Tribe this winter after getting fired as Arizona's general manager.

 Byrnes had opportunities from several teams, but chose to join the Padres as an senior vice president of baseball operations.

 "Cleveland is a good situation," said Byrnes, whose wife is from San Diego. "It was interesting because Mark (Shapiro) and Chris (Antonetti) are both in the their first years of new jobs and I could have been resource to both of them."

 Byrnes spent six years in the Tribe's front office.

 -ESPN is reporting that the Indians have shown interest in veteran shortstop Adam Everett. He played 31 games for the Tigers last year.

 The Indians don't really have a legitimate shortstop to backup Asdrubal Cabrera, who has been injury prone the last two seasons. Jason Donald and Luis Valbuena struggled at short last season.

 -The Nationals reportedly are deep into the Cliff Lee derby along with the Yankees and Rangers. The Nationals just signed Jayson Werth to a seven-year deal and they could be preparing a similar offer to Lee.

 -The Orioles acquisition of Arizona's Mark Reynolds on Monday took one more third baseman off the board. The Indians had mild interest in Reynolds.

-Columbus will have an interesting tune up for the International League season in 2011. They play the Indians on March 30 at Heritage Park.They'll travel to Akron to  play the Tribe's AA team April 4 before retuning to Columbus to play Ohio State and Akron.

-Should have included Lonnie Chisenhall and Jared Goedert among the infielders Travis Fryman can help in new job as minor league fielding coordinator.

Indiana's new football coach, Kevin Wilson, gets a seven-year deal worth $1.2 million a year.

View full sizeIndiana UniversityKevin Wilson will earn $1.2 million a year as coach of the Hoosiers for the next seven years.

"As long as the franchise acts like victims, the team will play with no heart, like victims. At least Byron Scott, who clearly came here to coach 'Bron and contend for championships, is not crying about what he does not have. He is trying to improve and make the best of what he does have." - JimmyBrown

View full sizeJohn Kuntz | The Plain DealerLeBron James' last games in Cleveland left a bad taste in fans' mouths, especially combined with how he left.

In response to the story Helping the Cleveland Cavaliers, not his trade value, is the motivation for Antawn Jamison, cleveland.com reader JimmyBrown is tired of hearing about the Cavaliers as victims. This reader writes,

"As long as the franchise acts like victims, the team will play with no heart, like victims. At least Byron Scott, who clearly came here to coach 'Bron and contend for championships, is not crying about what he does not have. He is trying to improve and make the best of what he does have."

"Heckert has brought a calming and professional approach to Berea, and it's about time we give the guy credit." - buckeye934

View full sizeGus Chan | The Plain DealerTom Heckert's first draft with the Browns is proving to be a good one.

In response to the story Eric Mangini defends decision to wait so long to start Joe Haden: Browns Insider, cleveland.com reader buckeye934 thinks Tom Heckert deserves some praise. This reader writes,

"Heckert has brought a calming and professional approach to Berea, and it's about time we give the guy credit."

Despite their records, recent meetings between the Browns and Buffalo Bills have been memorable, even historic.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerThe recent series of games between the Browns and the Buffalo Bills have been memorable for a variety of reasons. For example, Jamal Lewis and the Browns tip-toed through a December blizzard to post an 8-0 shutout victory in 2007 -- the only such score in team history. Oh, and about the weather predictions for Sunday? There's an 80 percent chance of snow. It's expected to be windy, with highs in the low 30s.

BEREA, Ohio -- At 2-10, the Buffalo Bills have clinched their 11th consecutive season without making the playoffs, the longest streak in the AFC.

But they find encouragement under first-year coach Chan Gailey in that they are no longer unwatchable on offense. Gailey has turned journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick into a productive, careful passer who has brought third-year receiver Steve Johnson to the brink of stardom.

Three of the Bills' 10 losses have come in overtime and four have been by three points. They scored 30 points against New England, 34 against Baltimore and 49 against Cincinnati. Although the Browns seemingly have advanced to the stage of expecting to win against a foe like Buffalo, bear in mind the last three times the teams have played each other.

Strange things happen when the I-90 rivals meet. To wit:

• Last year, the Browns won, 6-3, despite getting two completions in 17 attempts for 23 yards from quarterback Derek Anderson.

The game, played in wind gusts up to 25 mph in Ralph Wilson Stadium, might have set offensive football back to the 1930s. Blake Costanzo's fumble recovery on a punt set up the winning field goal by Billy Cundiff. Despite the conditions, punter Dave Zastudil dropped seven punts inside the 20, including two that died at the 1.

The win was the first for coach Eric Mangini after starting his tenure 0-4.

• In 2008, Orchard Park, N.Y., again was the site of another memorable Browns win, 29-27.

This was Brady Quinn's first official win as a starting quarterback. After blowing leads of 13-0 and 23-13, the Browns escaped on a 56-yard field goal by Phil Dawson. But they couldn't exhale until Buffalo's Rian Lindell missed from 47 into the wind with 38 seconds to go.

Alas, Quinn suffered a broken bone in his hand during the game and really would never be the same again. He won only two more games as a starter the following season and was traded, ostensibly for Peyton Hillis, in March.

• In 2007, the Browns won, 8-0 -- the only such score in their history -- in snow globe conditions in Cleveland in December. Wind gusts up to 40 mph made for blinding, horizontal snow throughout the contest.

Both of Dawson's two field goals were aimed outside the uprights and were blown through -- one from left to right and the other from right to left. Dawson called the conditions "by far, the most difficult" in his career.

The Browns also scored a safety when Buffalo's long snapper sailed a ball over the head of punter Brian Moorman, who tapped it through a snowpile and out of the end zone. That win raised hopes of only the Browns' second playoff appearance since they came back from expansion in 1999, but they were dashed in a loss in Cincinnati the following week.

Over the last four seasons, the Browns have gone 24-36 and the Bills 22-38. But when they meet on the field, they produce some memorable games.

Roster moves: The Browns signed tight end Tyson DeVree to the practice squad and released defensive back Rod Windsor.

Originally signed by New England as an undrafted free agent on May 5, 2008, DeVree appeared in two games with the Patriots in 2008. He also spent nine weeks on New England's practice squad in 2008 and also had a brief stint with the Buffalo Bills in 2009.

Tony Grossi's Scouting Report

Browns vs. Buffalo Bills

Sunday, 1 p.m., in Ralph Wilson Field, Orchard Park, N.Y.

Record: 2-10.

Last game: Lost to Vikings, 38-14, Dec. 5, in Minnesota.

Coach: Chan Gailey, 2-10, first year; 20-24 overall.

Series record: Browns lead, 11-5 (counting postseason).

Last meeting: Browns won, 6-3, Oct. 11, 2009, in Orchard Park.

View full sizeHannah Foslien / Associated PressThe Bills may have only won two games so far this season, but head coach Chan Gailey has gotten his team to play an entertaining style of offense and usually has kept games close.

League rankings: Offense is 26th (17th rushing, 23rd passing), defense is 26th (32nd rushing, 10th passing) and turnover differential is minus-8.

Offensive overview: They're no longer painful to watch. Chan Gailey knows how to run an offense. Once he settled on Ryan Fitzpatrick as quarterback, the unit has averaged 336 yards and 22.3 points over eight games. Gailey loves to spread the field with four, sometimes five, receivers. Fitzpatrick has formed a good rapport with Steve Johnson, who has displaced Lee Evans as the main passing target. Rookie C.J. Spiller was miscast as a Reggie Bush-type all-purpose threat. He's given way to Fred Jackson as the feature back, but both are on the field together at times. It's amazing Gailey has produced as much offense at all because the offensive line, as usual, has been in shambles. With the top two centers definitely out with injuries, the starting line fielded on Sunday will be the sixth different one this year.

Defensive overview: Gailey has always favored the 3-4 defense, but he forced it this time without having the right players. They never recovered from the retirement of outside rush linebacker Aaron Schobel. Aaron Maybin, a first-round pick in 2009, has been a bust and barely sees the field. They're last against the run, having surrendered six individual 100-yard rushing games. Six teams have hit them for 200 yards rushing. Coordinator George Edwards has gone to a bigger defensive front using both nose tackles Kyle Williams and Torell Troup. Weakside linebacker Arthur Moats, a rookie sixth-round pick, has come on of late. The secondary is the strength of the unit, but teams gash them so much on the ground, it presents numerous favorable passing situations.

Special teams overview: Historically, they've been among the league leaders in special teams, and that's holding true again. They have about four returners who can hurt you. So far, only C.J. Spiller has a touchdown on a 95-yard kickoff return. The coverage units are exceptional. Punter Brian Moorman, voted to the NFL all-decade team after last season, is 27th in gross average (42.6 yards) and 23rd in net (36.5), and has been among the league leaders for seven years in punts inside the 20. Kicker Rian Lindell is 12 of 17 in field goals with a long of 51 yards.

Players to watch:

View full sizeDavid Duprey / Associated PressThis drop of a perfectly thrown Ryan Fitzgerald pass denied the Bills an upset triumph over Pittsburgh last month, but receiver Steve Johnson has had more more successes than failures for the Bills.

• Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick: The league's only Harvard-educated QB, he's emerged as a legitimate starter in Chan Gailey's system. Quick with decisions and accurate with throws, he's tied for eighth with 20 TD passes and has only 11 interceptions.

• Receiver Steve Johnson: A seventh-round pick from Kentucky, he has blossomed in his third year. Gained notoriety for his dropped TD pass in overtime against Pittsburgh, but leads the team with 61 catches for 832 yards and nine touchdowns.

• Running back Fred Jackson: Just as he refuses to go down by one hit, he refuses to give up the feature role to rookie draft pick C.J. Spiller. He has 663 yards rushing, a 4.4 average, and seven TDs rushing and receiving.

Injury report: C Geoff Hangartner (knee) and G Kraig Urbik (knee) are out. CB Terrence McGee (leg) has missed eight games and three in a row.

Small world: Defensive coordinator George Edwards coached Browns linebackers in 2004. ... Cornerback Reggie Corner attended Canton McKinley High School and played at Akron. ... Receiver Lee Evans attended Bedford High School. ... Safety Donte Whitner and linebacker Pierre Woods attended Glenville High School. Whitner also played at Ohio State. ... Receiver Donald Jones played at Youngstown State. ... Cornerback Ashton Youboty played at Ohio State. ... Assistant offensive line coach Bobby Johnson attended Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron. ... Fullback Corey McIntyre played for the Browns in 2005.

-- Tony Grossi

Off to the best start in school history, Cleveland State men's basketball team just may be one of the best that the school has ever seen.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain Dealer"I consider us a major program," said CSU coach Gary Waters before Tuesday night's rout of West Virginia Tech lifted the Vikings to 11-0. "Our goal is to get back to the NCAA tournament, and this team can do it."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- 11-and-0?

Even Gary Waters didn't see that happening, and the Cleveland State men's basketball coach is one of the world's great optimists.

After all, he was the coach who predicted that he would lead Kent State to its first NCAA bid, which he did when coaching the Golden Flashes in 1999.

Hired to revive Cleveland State's program in 2006, he insisted the Vikings would be in the NCAA tournament within a few years. That happened in 2009, for only the second time in school history.

"I knew we'd be good," said Waters of this year's team before Tuesday's home blowout of NAIA school West Virginia Tech, 94-62. "But I didn't think we'd start undefeated."

The Vikings entered ranked as the No. 1 team in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major Top 25. They are ahead of schools such as Gonzaga (No. 2), Old Dominion (No. 3) and Butler (No. 8). They also received 13 votes in the last Associated Press poll, placing them 31st in Division I basketball.

"I'm not sure what the Mid-Major poll means," said Waters. "I consider us a major program. Our goal is to get back to the NCAA tournament, and this team can do it. They remind me a lot of the 2009 group. They have that kind of toughness."

In 2009, the Vikings upset Butler on the Bulldogs' home court to win the Horizon League tournament, then dumped Wake Forest in the NCAA's first round.

These Vikings have defeated local rivals and Mid-American Conference powers Akron and Kent State. Over the weekend, they went on the Horizon League Wisconsin trip, where they had a combined 1-19 record in games at Wisconsin-Green Bay and Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

They won both games.

They also own victories over Robert Morris, St. Bonaventure and Iona.

"When we defend well, we can play with anybody," said Waters. "Right now, we are defending well."

Averaging 72 points a game, CSU is holding opponents to 58 points.

Losses of 2009-10 fuel 2010-11 success

"We've got some players," said Waters. "Norris Cole (21.2 points per game) may be the best guard in the Midwest. Tre Harmon (13.4 points) and Jeremy Montgomery (11.9 points) can really shoot it. Those guys are guards, and we start all three -- and we get up into your face on defense."

A senior, Cole is having a remarkable season. He's averaging 4.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and going to the foul line nine times per game, making 85 percent. In the final five minutes of regulation, Cole is 42-of-44 from the line. The Vikings are 85 percent in those clutch situations.

Assistant Coach Larry Disimpelare said Cole has made "one of the biggest jumps from one season to the next of any player we have had since Gary and I were together at Kent."

The 6-foot-2 Cole averaged 13.3 points and was a first team All-Horizon pick last season. Now, he has turned into a full-force leader and scorer.

A year ago, Cleveland State was 16-17. It was a team without seniors, which played a brutal non-conference schedule that included Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio State, Kansas State and Wichita State.

"When we were getting beat last year, I thought scheduling that many good teams was maybe not a great idea," Waters said. "But now, these kids think they can go anywhere and beat anyone after what they faced last season."

While the three guards receive most of the attention for the fast start, Waters said his two big men -- center Aaron Pogue and power forward Tim Kamczyc -- have "really helped us take that next step" into serious contention for a postseason berth.

Two finds in the frontcourt

View full sizeTim Harrison / Special to The Plain DealerAaron Pogue has blossomed on the Vikings' front line, combining with sophomore Tim Kamczyc to provide steady defense and rebounding in the season's early weeks.

A sophomore, the 6-7 Kamczyc is the only new starter from a year ago, and the coaches rave about him.

"Don't even look at his stats [4.6 points, 3.7 rebounds]," said Waters. "He plays power forward and he's the point man on our press. He gets all the loose balls. He's a good passer, a real team guy."

Or as Disimpelare said, "I've been with Gary from the beginning [Kent State in 1999] and Tim may be the toughest son of a gun ever to play for us. He's not a great scorer, but he was an all-state [second team] quarterback at Strongsville."

No one offered Kamczyc a Division I basketball scholarship. When he talked to Cleveland State about walking onto the team, the coaches suggested he consider a school such as Akron, where they have a football program -- in case he decided to switch sports.

"But Tim was adamant," said Disimpelare. "He wanted to play for us. The first year, we red-shirted him. It was amazing how hard he practiced. He told us that he'd earn a scholarship, and he did. Now, he starts."

Pogue was a top 50 recruit coming out of Dayton Dunbar in 2007. He attended Vincennes Junior College for a year, then transferred to Cleveland State. Waters said the 6-foot-9 Pogue arrived weighing more than 300 pounds, and had to learn what his gritty, disciplined, defensive style of basketball demanded of the players.

He red-shirted a year, then played at 270 pounds last season. He started, but averaged only 6.3 points and 5.4 rebounds and battled foul troubles. This season, the junior's weight is down to about 260, his stats up to 7.6 points and 6.0 rebounds. But what the coaches love is Pogue's added mobility and defensive presence.

"Aaron is still figuring it out," said Waters. "He doesn't know how good he can be, and he can be really good."

So can Cleveland State, a wonderful basketball surprise for a city that can use one after what happened this summer with LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

"We're gonna be good and we are fun to watch," said Waters. "This can be a very special year for us."

Anderson Varejao had a stellar night in the Cavs' last visit to Philadelphia, going 10-for-10 from the field for 23 points.

View full sizeMatt Slocum / Associated PressJodie Meeks (20) has provided a lift to the 76ers' lineup since replacing rookie Evan Turner in the starting lineup.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- In his last visit to the Wells Fargo Center, Anderson Varejao went 10-for-10 from the field and had 23 points and 12 rebounds in the Cavaliers' 123-116 victory on Nov. 5.

"A lot of things have happened," Varejao said with a smile before Tuesday night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. "It's just another game that we want to win."

The Cavs entered Tuesday dragging a four-game losing streak that included blowout losses to Boston, Miami and at Minnesota, so a similar performance by Varejao -- or anything even close -- would have been a welcome boost.

He wasn't promising anything, though.

"When you go 10-for-10 like that, not just doing one thing but making jump shots and layups and dunks, that doesn't happen every day," he said before tipoff. "But the most important thing is to get the win. We need as many as we can get."

Coach Byron Scott said the offense didn't really focus on Varejao that night. He just took advantage of what the Sixers gave him.

"He was just aggressive," Scott said. "When he had shots, he took them. We had just talked about him taking his shots. So hopefully he'll have some of those same looks and he'll remember how well he played here last time and he'll get those same opportunities."

New look: Since the Cavs' first two victories over the Sixers, coach Doug Collins has replaced rookie Evan Turner in the starting lineup, with Jodie Meeks joining Elton Brand, Spencer Hawes, Andre Iguodala and Jrue Holiday. Philadelphia has won three of its last four games.

"They still want to get up and down," Scott said. "They still want to get in the open court -- very good transition team. Defensively they still try to create turnovers so they can get out in the open court.

"Meeks can flat-out shoot the ball. You've got to get to him, make him put it on the floor. Andre, we know what Andre is, a great all-around basketball player. The other guys are living off each other.

"They're having a lot of confidence in what they're doing right now and probably are looking at us and saying, 'We can't allow this team to sweep the series.'"

No comment: Scott shrugged off the news that the NBA is taking over ownership of the New Orleans franchise, where Scott coached from 2004-2009.

"No reaction whatsoever," he said. "I also saw they might be moving to Kansas City, too. Whatever David Stern decides to do. If he feels it's best for the league, then it's best for the league."

Terrelle Pryor wants to give away tickets to the Sugar Bowl, but the Ohio State compliance department had to make sure Pryor did it the right way.

View full sizeMarvin Fong / The Plain DealerTerrelle Pryor's idea was admirable, but Ohio State officials decided that the school needed to step in to help the OSU QB give away his Sugar Bowl tickets.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Terrelle Pryor was looking to reward some Ohio State fans by giving away his tickets to the Sugar Bowl. The Buckeyes quarterback can give the tickets away, he just can't do it on Twitter.

Players are given six tickets for BCS bowl games, and the OSU junior tweeted on Sunday that he was going to award two tickets to fans and apparently planned to give the other four to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

"Just trying to show love to Buckeye fans. Wish I had more to give," Pryor wrote.

Pryor then wrote that he and teammate Donnie Evege planned to post a video asking a question and they would use that to pick a winner. But on Monday, Pryor was back on Twitter to say that he'd talked with Ohio State's compliance department and the ticket contest was off -- but he would still find a way to get the tickets distributed.

Doug Archie, Ohio State's associate athletics director for compliance, said Tuesday that the fan contest was a no-go because the winner could have been an Ohio State booster or potential recruit. Giving tickets to them would have been an NCAA violation, and Archie said it would have been difficult to filter out the potential winners who could fall into those categories.

"We have safeguards in place to make sure he doesn't get stung by anything in trying to do something positive," Archie said.

Instead, Archie said Pryor was encouraged to make his ticket donation to a charity, and the football program would work to help ensure that the tickets went to someone who would be able to make it to the game.

"Instead of on an individual level, we can do it as a team outreach," Archie said, "and make sure nothing is done to jeopardize his eligibility."

Tickets on sale: As a reminder, Ohio State opens its public sale of Sugar Bowl tickets Wednesday on the OSU athletic department Web site at 9 a.m. Tickets are $120 each, plus a service charge. Go to Ohiostatebuckeyes.com, find the "Shop" tab, click on "Tickets" and then click on the Sugar Bowl icon. The Buckeyes face Arkansas on Jan. 4 in New Orleans.

Brewster award finalist: Ohio State center Mike Brewster was announced Tuesday as one of six finalists for the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's best center. Brewster, a junior, is the only Buckeye who is a finalist for a national award.

The winner will be whichever center is honored most by four major All-American teams, and will be announced on the ESPN College Football Awards Show on Thursday, and honored at a banquet in Nebraska on Jan. 15.

LeCharles Bentley was the last Buckeye to win the Rimington, in 2001.

The second-ranked Zips say they won't be overconfident in facing the Wolverines, whom they beat, 7-1, earlier this season.

View full sizePaul Tople / Akron Beacon-JournalAkron midfielder Perry Kitchen (5) and the rest of the Zips are playing for a second consecutive trip to the national championship game when they face Michigan on Friday night in Santa Barbara, Calif.

AKRON, Ohio -- On Oct. 19, Akron routed Michigan, 7-1, in a men's soccer game.

On Friday night, Akron and Michigan will play in a College Cup national semifinal. Those two facts don't seem to make sense when considered together, unless one knows how well the Zips played in the matchup at Lee Jackson Field seven weeks ago.

"We were really clicking in that game. We were finishing," Akron junior defender Kofi Sarkodie said Tuesday after a Zips practice. "We know if we play the way we did against them then, we could have another day like that some day.

"Michigan is a good team. Their strength is their attacking group. Their front five is very talented."

Michigan (17-4-3) has won nine straight since the embarrassing loss at Akron. The Wolverines have not allowed more than two goals in any other game this season.

Akron, the nation's second-ranked team and 2009 national runner-up, will bring a 20-1-2 record into the 11 p.m. EST game at the University of California-Santa Barbara. The Zips and Maryland lead the nation in scoring with 2.65 goals per game. Akron's goals-against average of 0.63 is tied for sixth-best with North Carolina.

No. 19 Michigan is eighth in scoring at 2.17 goals. The Wolverines, with junior Chris Blais usually in goal, have given up 1.42 goals per match. Blais played the entire game in the 7-1 loss at Akron.

Rooting section: Junior midfielder Michael Nanchoff feels almost as comfortable on the road as at home. That's because his dad, George, and mother, Marian, along with his brother, George, and sister, Nicole, have attended every match this season.

"The support means everything, knowing your family is there, knowing how much they love you," Nanchoff said. "You look up at them during the national anthem, during player introductions, and see them smiling at you ... you know you want to do well."

The family, which has built a brilliant soccer legacy in northeast Ohio, has watched Nanchoff tally 10 goals and eight assists this fall.

Nanchoff's father, and his uncle, Louie, were both standouts for the Cleveland Force. Michael wasn't sure if Louie, who sees numerous Zips matches, will accompany the family to the College Cup.

Thanks, Vikings: Akron has lost one regular-season match in the last two years, dropping a 2-1 contest at Cleveland State on Oct. 30.

Porter enjoys that the Zips, as he said Tuesday, have a "swagger ... unlike what you see on most college teams."

But, occasionally, swagger needs to be tempered.

"We needed that," Porter said of the loss. "The guys always think they'll win, but they also needed to know that they're right just most of the time.

"I think the way the season has gone has been good for the team, to keep it grounded. We've given up some goals in the tournament, and have been reminded that you can be punished in this sport."

Kitchen favorite: While Sarkodie and junior forward Darlington Nagbe are among 15 semifinalists for the Hermann Trophy -- soccer's equivalent of football's Heisman Trophy -- and other Zips enjoy high profiles, freshman midfielder Perry Kitchen has emerged as a star.

Kitchen, of Indianapolis, was one of the nation's top-ranked recruits out of Bradenton (Fla.) Preparatory Academy.

"He allows us to play the adventurous way we do," Akron coach Caleb Porter said of Kitchen, who has scored five goals. "At times, it seems he's playing the role of two or three defenders.

"He does a lot of the dirty work, a lot of the ball-winning. Even as a freshman, he's one of the best in the country at what he does."

The Indians will invite catcher Paul Phillips to big league camp to compete for a backup spot behind Carlos Santana.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Indians have found their fourth catcher.

They have reportedly come to terms on a minor league deal with free agent Paul Phillips. The deal includes a invitation to big-league camp in February.

The Indians said the deal wasn't official, but they were getting close to finishing it.

Phillips, 33, played 12 games with the Rockies this year. He hit .217 (5-for-23) with one RBI. He spent the rest of the season at Class AAA Colorado Springs where he hit .238 (29-for-122) with 10 RBI.

He's played in the big leagues with Kansas City, the White Sox and the Rockies. He's a lifetime .262 (58-for-221) with three homers and 26 RBI.

Phillips is expected to compete with Luke Carlin and Lou Marson for the backup spot behind Carlos Santana in spring training. The Indians needed a fourth catcher to fill out their rosters in Cleveland and Class AAA Columbus.

The win equaled the school mark set by the 1992-93 squad for most wins before Jan. 1.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerNorris Cole lets fly a 3-point shot during Tuesday's 94-62 Cleveland State victory over West Virginia Tech at the Wolstein Center. Cole led the 11-0 Vikings with 24 points, hitting on four of his six shots beyond the arc.

Brad Bournival

Special to The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tuesday's win came against an overmatched NAIA program, but it's becoming increasingly hard to keep Cleveland State men's basketball team a secret.

With a 94-62 victory over West Virginia Tech, the Vikings tied a school record for wins before Jan. 1 and held onto the nation's best record. At 11-0, CSU equaled the mark set by the 1992-93 team and can obliterate the record with games against Sam Houston State, West Virginia, South Florida and Loyola left before the final stroke of midnight tolls this year.

"We're in a pretty good spot right now," Cleveland State coach Gary Waters said. "We're really confident.

"They can turn up the heat. We can pressure when we want to and do some things. This team has been built to do this."

The Vikings put the game away early, taking a 19-19 game and making it a blowout by going on a 17-0 run in the span of five minutes. Through the first nine minutes, the Golden Bears (4-2) hung with the Vikings before completely imploding.

"We gave up too many points early," CSU guard Norris Cole said. "We had to remind ourselves that this is a defensive game. Once we went on that run, we remembered who we were and what we had to do."

Who they were is a team that outscored the Golden Bears by 18 in the paint, knocked in 35 points off turnovers and added 20 fast-break points.

Cole was the catalyst again. The senior guard registered his sixth 20-point game of the year to lead all scorers with 24. He added five assists and three boards before exiting with eight minutes left.

"Norris, in my estimation, is the best guard in the Midwest," Waters said. "I said in the Horizon League [before], but it's beyond that now. His floor game is starting to catch up with his abilities.

"It has taken him two years to identify what he has to do as a point guard and now it's coming easy to him."

Trevon Harmon (16 points), Jeremy Montgomery (15) and Josh McCoy (14) also had double-figure efforts. Harmon has scored in double figures nine games in a row, while the 14 points by McCoy were a career high. Montgomery added a career-high eight rebounds and team-high seven assists.

The mettle of the Vikings will be tested the next 11 days with road games at Sam Houston State and West Virginia.

"A couple of things I want to find out is how well we rebound," Waters said. "West Virginia attacks the glass. Sam Houston attacks the glass. So we have to do a much better job there. Also, we're going to find out how strong our defense is."

Brad Bournival is a freelance writer based in North Royalton.

The Indians talked to a prospective third baseman Tuesday. Their opening day second baseman will almost assuredly come from inside the organization, but who?

View full sizeChris Russell / Columbus DispatchImpressing the Indians organization with his batting skills and his willingness to move from the outfield to second base, Cord Phelps could be in the mix for the second-base job when spring training arrives.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The agent for infielder Nick Punto met with GM Chris Antonetti on Tuesday to see if the Indians were interested in hiring him as their next third baseman.

Punto, 33, was the Twins' opening day third baseman last season, but played only 48 games there because of injuries and a .238 batting average. The switch-hitter has made a career out of playing different infield positions, but the Indians talked to his agent Tuesday about giving him everyday at-bats at third.

No numbers were exchanged, but agent Jeff Caulfield said it looks like the Indians and Punto could be a good fit. He added that they could talk again before the meetings end Thursday.

Manager Manny Acta said Monday that the Indians have spent the off-season talking to several free agent third basemen trying to find Jhonny Peralta's replacement.

Punto, a lifetime .247 hitter, isn't going to remind anyone of Adrian Beltre from an offensive standpoint. What he does is play solid defense. He also played 31 games at short last season, so he could give Asdrubal Cabrera a break.

Jayson Nix, who ended 2010 at third after moving from second, is playing in Puerto Rico to get more experience. It's possible he could share third base with Punto.

If a deal gets done, it will probably be a short-term affair. The Indians have prospects who could surface sometime during the 2011 season.

While a mystery swirls around third, another is gathering strength over second. Jason Donald, Luis Valbuena and Nix, depending on what happens at third, will go to spring training as the front runners.

Donald played 41 games at second last season, batting .277 with a .396 on-base average and .423 slugging. Valbuena, who won the job in 2009 only to lose it last year, played 71 games at second (.193/.273/.258). He's playing winter ball in Venezuela.

Nix played 28 games at second, but it's his natural position. He's made six errors in 100 games at second in parts of three big-league seasons. He's made 17 errors in 68 games at third.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerWhile the Indians continue to look for a veteran addition to the infield, Jayson Nix is currently their most likely choice from the 2010 season to get playing time at either third or second base.

Nix's offensive numbers were .234/.281/.391. He hit 13 homers in 78 games for the Tribe and 14 in 102 overall.

Prospects Jason Kipnis and Cord Phelps are behind them. Kipnis is a converted centerfielder. Phelps is a second baseman who tore up the Arizona Fall League at third base, so Kipnis could play second. They'll be in big-league camp along with Lonnie Chisenhall, the supposed third baseman in waiting.

"We have an idea on who is going to start at second base," said Antonetti, who didn't elaborate.

If the Indians don't find a third baseman, it's possible Phelps and Nix could play there. The switch-hitting Phelps hit .298 (59-for-199) in 53 games at Class AA Akron, .317 (77-for-243) at Class AAA Columbus and .367 (29-for-79) in the AFL.

"He's certainly not a finished product, but it was his first extended exposure at third base," said Antonetti, referring to Phelps' time in Arizona. "Talking to [Columbus manager] Mike Sarbaugh, he made some meaningful strides. Whether or not that will be enough for us to consider him as a major-league option at the start of the year I'm not quite sure."

Antonetti said Phelps' chances of opening the season with the Indians are better than Kipnis because he had more time at Class AAA. Kipnis' only exposure to Columbus came during the Clippers' late-season run to the International League championship.

Kipnis hit .300 (61-for-203) at Class A Kinston, .311 (98-for-315) at Akron and .295 (23-for-78) in Arizona. He started working with instructor Anthony Medrano in January to make the switch from center to second and exceeded expectations.

"When a guy is so talented offensively, at times they are reluctant to put the work in defensively to change positions because they feel the bat will carry them to a big-league spot," said manager Manny Acta. "To this kid's credit, he really took it to heart and worked very hard to a point where he was playing very competitive baseball a year from playing in the outfield."

Antonetti, while acknowledging the people in front of Kipnis, said the Indians were not in the position to say he couldn't open the regular season at second base.

The Cavs gave up more than 100 points for the fifth straight game, all losses, and the 14th time this season.

View full sizeMatt Slocum / Associated PressJ.J. Hickson goes sailing past the basket as Philadelphia's Thaddeus Young has an easy shot at the basket in the second half of Tuesday's 76ers victory. Young scored 26 points and added 11 rebounds off the bench in Philadelphia's 117-97 romp.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- It's a shocking question for a coach to ask of his team, but no one who has watched the Cavaliers this past week would blame Byron Scott for asking it.

"My question is: 'Can they do it?'" he said after his team dropped to 7-14 with its fifth straight loss on Tuesday night to the Philadelphia 76ers in Wells Fargo Center, 117-97. "Not 'do they want to do it,' but 'can they do it?'

"My answer is I think so because I've seen us do it, so I know we can."

But it has been a long, long time.

In spite of Scott repeatedly preaching about the team's need to rededicate itself on the defensive end, the Cavs gave up more than 100 points for the fifth straight game, all losses, and the 14th time this season. They are 2-12 in those games.

It went south from the get-go on Tuesday as the Sixers registered season-high point totals in the first quarter (35) and the half (66) and were never threatened in the second half.

It's the fifth time this season the Cavs have lost by 20 or more points, and it's the first time they've lost five straight since early in the 2007 season, when they lost six straight from Nov. 28-Dec. 8.

It led to an uncomfortable question to ask a coach, but no one who has watched the Cavs this past week would blame anyone for asking it.

"Have they stopped listening to you?" Scott was asked after the game.

"I feel they hear me," he said. "Now the listening part I don't know. I think I was pretty loud and clear at halftime."

Scott told reporters after the morning shootaround that if he was displeased with his team's start, he might make lineup changes at the start of the second half. He did not, but admitted he came "pretty close" to doing so. Those changes could come Wednesday against Chicago, or perhaps he will wait until Saturday's game at Houston.

He has not hinted at what those might be, but they could involve inserting Antawn Jamison at power forward in place of J.J. Hickson or Daniel Gibson at shooting guard in place of Anthony Parker.

Jamison and Gibson insist that players have not tuned out Scott.

"I'm listening to him," Jamison said. "Guys are listening to him as well. Let's be honest. It's not the coach."

Added Gibson, "We definitely ride with everything Byron tells us. He's in our corner, and we all are behind him. We have to go out there and do it. It's one thing to hear it, and it's one thing to say what you're going to do. You have to actually go out there and put it into play. We have yet to do that."

It's a difficult question to ask a player, but no one who has watched the Cavs play this past week would blame anyone for asking it: Do guys want out?

"I truly hope that's not the case, and I don't believe that's the case," Gibson said. "If you don't want to be here, then go. I'm going to fight tooth and nail, we all want to fight tooth and nail to win these games. I really hope that's not the case, and I don't think it is.

"Things are a little different now, but the culture shouldn't change. Guys should still understand what this organization is about now and that's winning and putting a competitive team out there on the floor. If you're not going to fight with your heart and play with your heart, then you don't need to play at all.

"I really believe that we've got to get back to believing, believing in each other and believing what we're trying to do."

At 11-0, the Vikings are starting to get some national attention. And they're loving it.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerCleveland State's Joe Latas has to fight through the arms of West Virginia Tech's Roi Buchbinder to get to a loose ball during the second half of Tuesday night's game at the Wolstein Center.

Brad Bournival

Special to The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After Tuesday's win over West Virginia Tech, Cleveland State sits just five wins away from its win total from last year.

At 11-0, the Vikings are starting to get some national attention. And they're loving it.

"I'm always excited when our team and our players get recognition," coach Gary Waters sad. "It's all about the letters across your chest and Cleveland State."

In a conference that boasts last year's national runner-up Butler, the Vikings are six spots out of the Associated Press' top 25 and eight out in the coaches poll. Waters is aware the season is in its infancy, but the squad has the nation's best record and is moving up the ranks.

No.1 in the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major poll, Cleveland State isn't interested in making noise there -- it is looking for a lot more.

"We don't look a lot into it," guard Norris Cole said. "We figure if we work hard, it'll pay off."

Cole rising: With 24 points Tuesday, Cole pushed past Darren Tillis (1978-82) into seventh place in CSU's career scoring list, with 1,434. The 6-2 senior needs 139 more points to unseat Theo Dixon (1997-02) for sixth. Ken "The Mouse" McFadden (1985-89) holds the record with 2,256.

It's been a while: CSU swept Green Bay and Milwaukee for the first time on the road since 1999-2000. While the win snapped a 10-game losing streak to Milwaukee, the Vikings have owned Ohio schools. With victories over Akron and Kent State this season, CSU has won seven straight against teams from the Buckeye State -- it's last loss was Dec. 22, 2009 against Ohio State.

The Vikings have won nine in a row at the Wolstein Center -- seven this season.

RPI on the rise: With wins over six RPI top-100 teams -- four in the top 50 -- the Vikings' current ranking is No. 16. With a game against No. 12 West Virginia on Dec. 18, that ranking could be even higher. CSU's first crack comes at Butler on the road Jan. 7.

Stone Cole-d stats: Cole is on the cusp of moving in the top 10 ranks of many categories at CSU. He's two behind No. 6 Anthony Jackson (1997-01) in games played with 115. Three more starts will move him past Tillis (83) and into fifth. He slipped by Eric Mudd (1983-88) in minutes played for eighth with 3,194. Cole needs just 22 more field goals to pass Dixon for ninth in career field goals (519).

It is the Monsters' third straight loss by one goal.

The Lake Erie Monsters lost, 1-0, at Abbotsford, Canada, on Wednesday night, their second loss in as many nights to the Heat.

It was their third straight loss by one goal. Lake Erie is now 12-10-2-4 and drops to fourth place in the North.

The Heat scored at the 17:05 mark of the first period when Matt Pelech scored off assists from Lance Bouma and Quintin Laing.

Heat goalie Leland Irving earned his 13th win of the season. Monsters goaltender Jason Bacashihua had 33 saves.

The firing of Josh McDaniels reveals why it's important for an NFL team to have a strong front office, not just a strong coach.

View full sizeGus Chan / The Plain DealerThe apparent improvement of the Cleveland Browns this season is a testament to the wisdom of a front office of shared responsibilities between (from left) team president Mike Holmgren, coach Eric Mangini and GM Tom Heckert, says Terry Pluto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It happened again.

A team handed over the steering wheel of the franchise to a coach, and he crashed. This time, it was Josh McDaniels, who was fired by Denver this week.

There will be much discussion about McDaniels, a Bill Belichick disciple, and how more of those guys fail than succeed after leaving New England. There also will be a very fair debate about hiring an 32-year-old to coach an NFL team.

But Denver's real problem was the business model: The Coach As King. McDaniels made the trades, orchestrated the draft and controlled the roster. A year ago, the Browns' Eric Mangini was in the same position as McDaniels. He was the Coach Who Does Too Much, which often produces the Coach Who Doesn't Do Anything Well.

McDaniels won his first six games in 2009. Since then the Broncos are 5-17, along with two years of poor trades and bad drafts. This is not to dismiss the former quarterback at Canton McKinley and John Carroll as someone who has no coaching future.

It's to insist that it was asking for a disaster to hire McDaniels to run the Broncos, just as it was a huge mistake for the Browns to set up Mangini as the ultimate power in 2009.

Perhaps the best move by Randy Lerner since taking over ownership of the Browns from his late father in 2002 is the hiring of Mike Holmgren as team president. Holmgren wisely imported Tom Heckert from Philadelphia as general manager.

Then Holmgren kept Mangini as coach, giving him a chance to work with a front office.

These three experienced football men are why the Browns have their best shot of success since they returned in 1999.

A smart coach knows he needs help

Consider what Denver CEO Joe Ellis said after McDaniels was fired: "It's very likely that the plan will not empower the next head coach with the kind of authority that Josh probably unfairly had put upon him."

Their plan is to first hire a general manager, then a coach.

It's believed that there are only six coaches who control their teams: Andy Reid (Eagles), Marvin Lewis (Bengals), Pete Carroll (Seahawks), Mike Shanahan (Redskins), Gary Kubiak (Texans) and Belichick with the Patriots.

Lewis could be out of a job after the season. Only Belichick and Reid have had sustained success, and they had real help. For years, Scott Pioli had a major influence in the Patriots' draft and personnel decisions. Reid relied on Heckert.

Yes, the coaches had enormous influence, but they also knew they needed help.

Mangini learned that lesson the hard way in 2009, when his draft was a major disappointment after he grabbed center Alex Mack in the first round. He tended to make trades with his former team, the New York Jets. The Browns hired George Kokinis as general manager, but that was after he was picked by Mangini -- and that relationship soon crashed.

Pittsburgh and Baltimore have dominated the AFC North this decade. The Ravens have a strong president in former Brown Ozzie Newsome, who hires the general manager and coach. It was only after Bill Cowher retired as Pittsburgh's coach in 2006 that Steeler fans discovered that General Manager Kevin Colbert means just as much to the team as the coach.

In Indianapolis, team president Bill Polian has kept the Colts in contention for more than decade.

Three heads, better than one

When it comes to the Browns, you can see the benefit of the alliance between Heckert, Holmgren and Mangini. This trio had a strong draft with Joe Haden, T.J. Ward and Colt McCoy in the first three rounds.

It's believed Heckert was sold on Haden, while Ward impressed Mangini. In the third round, Holmgren told his two football men that he wanted that McCoy kid from Texas. Yes, they missed when trading up for running back Montario Hardesty, who re-injured his knee.

But this draft appears to have produced at least three starters. They added Ben Watson, Scott Fujita, Peyton Hillis, Chris Gocong and Sheldon Brown in trades and free agency. Some -- such as Hillis -- were liked by Mangini, others by Heckert. Holmgren played his self-proclaimed role as "Big Boss and Chief Tiebreaker" as he helped his football men come to an agreement on drafts and trades.

Holmgren admits he doesn't understand everything done by Mangini and others who worked for Belichick. No doubt, some of Holmgren's ideas aren't the same as how Mangini views the game. Heckert is out of the Andy Reid school, slightly different than the backgrounds of Mangini and Holmgren.

But they seem to be able to work together, even if they don't have complete agreement on everything.

That's why it would be wise if Holmgren retains Mangini, who has learned to appreciate an active front office after his painful solo flight in 2009. Holmgren must see that many of Mangini's theories on discipline, defense and character do pay off. Both men have to know that Heckert has a real plan when it comes to player personnel.

So let's hope that Holmgren stays with Mangini, and the coach continues to work well with the front office.

That's really what it takes to build a strong organization, something that can finally transform the Browns into a playoff contender in the near future.

Why do players so seldom criticize other players? Hint: Show them the money.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerCarlos Boozer made one of his infrequent appearances in Cleveland since leaving the Cavaliers, harassing Daniel Gibson on this first-quarter play at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Miami Lite came to town Wednesday night in the persons of Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls.

Boozer left the Cavalers, after becoming an "early bird" free agent with their consent in 2004. He deceived gullible former owner Gordon Gund about his intentions, then left for a richer offer in Utah, his nose preceding him by several degrees of longitude. He signed with the Bulls as a free agent this summer.

Noah knocked the entertainment possibilities of our fair city in the playoffs last spring and recently mounted his soap box to criticize one of the derogatory chants ("Scottie Pippen! Scottie Pippen!") directed toward LeBron James last week.

It does not matter in the slightest how the Cavs handle the slurs of this moment on the civic honor. They mishandled the return of James so completely, in such a hurtful, even craven fashion, that they have lost the good opinion and much of the interest of their fan base.

It came as a shock to fans when Cavs players hugged James before the game and allowed him to chirp away without apparent objection during it. Reporters were less surprised, although no one expected Old School coach Byron Scott suddenly to turn into Lenny Wilkens. After Charles Barkley laid out the Cavs' Craig Ehlo in the playoffs years ago with what would later be considered a textbook example of a flagrant foul, Wilkens stood, pursed his lips, looked unhappy, then sat back down.

A bit more vim was expected from Scott, whose team, since the return of James, has been smoked more often than country hams until Wednesday's revival.

For their part, fans don't realize that players always stick up for other players -- no matter how contemptible is their effort on the floor, no matter how insulting is their manner of leaving, no matter how vast are the consequences of their defection.

I remember asking James in 2004, at Olympic basketball training camp in Jacksonville, Fla., if he could foresee problems playing with Boozer, also a member of the team, in the wake of his ugly departure from the Cavs.

"Carlos had to do what was best for his family," said James, significantly omitting that this meant Boozer would also do what was worst for his integrity.

James was 19 years old then, but he had been a commodity to people in basketball for years. He knew everything was up for sale.

How was poor Boozer to scrape by on the piddling $40 million the Cavs were offering for six years, anyway, when Utah could spring for $68 million over the same term? Why, Boozer might bruise his butt with such a skinny wallet to cushion him during all those years.

After James actually left money on the table to take Miami's free agent offer, I asked former Indians pitcher CC Sabathia about "The Decision" two and a half weeks later. The Indians had traded Sabathia, rather than lose him for nothing because they could not outbid the Yankees or Red Sox after the season. Sabathia pitched superbly as a Rent-an-Arm in Milwaukee before becoming King Midas with the Yankees.

Sabathia stood by James.

I tried Josh Cribbs, the People's Choice, in the Browns' training camp. The embodiment of desire and recklessness on the field, Cribbs had cleaned out his locker after last season, predicting he had played his last game here unless his sore contract received a serious money massage. The Browns then showed him the money.

Cribbs stood by James.

I talked to Oscar Robertson, who was so Old School in his play that he should have been written about on parchment with quills. A pioneer in achieving free agency for NBA players, Robertson stood by James.

I've covered the NBA since 1974. Even then, coaches were complaining about excessive fraternization between opposing players. One of the dynamics of that era was a feeling of brotherhood among black players, fostered by the civil rights struggles of the 1960s.

But a bigger reason, to steal a line from football's Jim Brown, was green power, not black. No player was going to infringe on another's ability to get more money or otherwise make himself happy. Not then, not now, not ever.

There are exceptions in the biggest rivalries -- Celtics-Lakers, Yankees-Red Sox, a Browns-Steelers game. But, basically, they make nice. They are all Chosen Ones.

Those complicated pregame handshakes really are the way initiates know they are all members of the same fraternity. Pro sports is a millionaires club. Mr. Morgan is a gentleman with Mr. Rockefeller because money talks.

With Colt McCoy idle again on Wednesday, Jake Delhomme got set to start his third straight game.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerJake Delhomme said he felt much more comfortable in his second game back from his sprained ankle, and is looking forward to another start Sunday against Buffalo. "Those other 10 sets of eyes in the huddle have to believe in the guy calling the plays," he said Wednesday. "I felt a lot better last [week]."

BEREA, Ohio -- With rookie idle again Wednesday, quarterback Colt McCoyJake Delhomme is gearing up to start his third straight game -- and hoping for his third straight victory -- Sunday in frigid Buffalo.

"I don't have a lot of experience in [snow], but I think if you think about it too much, then you're kind of doing yourself a disservice," Delhomme said. "You've just got to go out and play and adjust accordingly.

"We're going to practice in it, obviously, the next few days, but you have still got to go out and play. It's just like in rainy weather; it's different and you've just got to go out and do it."

Delhomme said he won't necessarily try to be more careful because of the conditions. Sunday's forecast is calling for freezing rain, snow and a high of 34.

"Like I said, don't try to be anybody you're not, run the offense, let things happen, get the ball in the playmakers hands and who knows?" he said. "If the weather's bad and if there's a slip or a missed tackle, something short can turn into something big."

Delhomme knows Peyton Hillis and the running game -- especially against the Bills' 32nd-ranked run defense -- can be his best friend in adverse weather.

"I think that's got to be what teams in this region have to be built for," he said. "I think this team toward the end of last year, obviously on their four-game stretch, really ran the ball extremely well. That's what you have to gear up to. There's no doubt."

Delhomme knows he dodged a bullet when Miami's Nolan Carroll dropped an almost certain pick-six at the end of the Browns' 13-10 victory, but he still felt better than he did the week before, during the Browns' 24-23 victory over the Panthers.

"I felt I saw the field pretty good," he said. "I felt very happy with the run checks that I had to do during the game.

"They weren't giving us a whole lot, we didn't have a whole lot of chances to take shots. They were playing close to the vest."

Delhomme, who found Ben Watson 10 times for 100 yards, completed 70 percent of his passes with one TD and no interceptions for a 97.3 rating. It was an upgrade over the previous week, when he came under heavy fire for his two third-quarter interceptions.

"There were extreme nerves [against Carolina] ... because I hadn't been out there and we were doing our no-huddle and as a quarterback, you want to be right," he said. "Those other 10 sets of eyes in the huddle have to believe in the guy calling the plays. I felt a lot better last [week]."

Making improvement: McCoy (ankle) walked through the locker room without his walking boot on Wednesday and might return to practice on a limited basis later this week.

"I wouldn't say it's a slam dunk but I'd say it's a possibility," said Mangini, who added that McCoy is working under controlled conditions with the trainer.

Five other Browns were idle Wednesday: linebackers Eric Barton (shoulder), Titus Brown (head) and Scott Fujita (knee), tight end Evan Moore (hip) and defensive lineman Shaun Rogers (ankle, hip). Four Browns were limited: defensive lineman Kenyon Coleman (knee), receiver Josh Cribbs (foot), guard Floyd Womack (knee) and cornerback Eric Wright (knee).

Mangini said he's optimistic Cribbs will be able to play some on offense this week instead of just returning kicks and punts.

Feeling McDaniels' pain: Mangini, who was fired from the Jets in 2008 after a 9-7 season, sympathized with his former New England colleague Josh McDaniels, who was fired by the Broncos in his second season.

"It's never a fun thing to see," said Mangini. "He's a guy that I've known for a long time and I've been in that spot. I know how hard Josh worked, I know how smart he is and I know him personally.

"You get to know a lot of head coaches around the league; Josh, I just happen to know better."

He said he'll call McDaniels eventually "to see if there's any way I can help."

Hillis, who was completely overlooked by McDaniels last year and then traded to the Browns, said he didn't see the firing coming.

"I thought Josh McDaniels was a great man," Hillis said. "He seemed real down to earth and like he really cared about his players. As far as my playing time, I have no idea. I left it up to coach McDaniels and I'll leave it at that."

Royal kudos: Delhomme credited tight end Robert Royal for a fine game in Miami.

"He didn't get enough credit for what he did, being able to play so much," said Delhomme. "Evan [Moore] was out of the game early on and Robert really hasn't played a whole lot.

"Just his demeanor and communication in the huddle was key. He's a veteran and there's just a sense with him, a confidence, and he was able to see certain coverages and things of that nature to help other guys. When we were doing no-huddle, there wasn't 'What do I have on this?' Because of having played here for so long, it was, 'Hey, I have this.'"

Bob Feller is the Indians all-time leader with 266 victories, including three no-hitters.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerIndians Hall of Famer Bob Feller, 92, has been placed in hospice care as he deals with leukemia and other health complications.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hall of Famer Bob Feller, according to Bob DiBiasio, Indians vice president of public relations, has been transferred from Cleveland Clinic to hospice.

Feller, 92, has experienced a number of serious health problems after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in August. He suffered from vertigo, in combination with his chemotherapy treatments. In October, he had a pacemaker installed.

He was recently admitted to the Clinic with pneumonia. Feller was also diagnosed with thrush, an infection of the mucus membrane lining the mouth and throat.

Feller is the Indians' all-time leader in victories with 266, innings pitched 3,827, strikeouts 2,581, complete games 279 and starts 484. Among his 266 victories were three no-hitters.

He holds Indians single-season records for complete games with 36, strikeouts 348, innings pitched 371 1/3, shutouts 10 (tied with Bob Lemon) and walks 208.

Feller lives in Gates Mills with his wife Anne.

He was inducted into the Cooperstown Hall of Fame and Museum in 1962. The Indians retired his No.19 in 1957.

Hospice is a holistic caring program for the terminally ill.

Will Florida coach and Ashtabula native Urban Meyer STAY retired?

View full sizeAP FileFlorida coach Urban Meyer says he's retiring to spend time with his family. Could that mean his former Heisman-winning quarterback Tim Tebow, who's now with the Broncos? The same Broncos who just fired their head coach?