The biggest disappointment about Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills ranks high when it comes to disappointing losses by the Cleveland Browns this season.
Just when it seems the Browns are on a roll, they lose to a team with only two wins this season.
Plenty of things went wrong for the Browns on Sunday, but what disappointed you the most?
Join DSN's lineup of all-star hosts from now until 11 p.m. and get in on the discussion by posting in our chat room and calling into the shows.
As always, there's always plenty to talk about in the world of Cleveland sports.
Today the focus is on the Browns' loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Is Brian Daboll's time up as offensive coordinator? What about Eric Mangini's future here? Has Jake Delhomme's time come and gone? What should Mike Holmgren do?
Get in on the discussion with DSN's hosts all day as they talk about the game on Digital Sports Network, cleveland.com's new online sports station featuring live streaming video and audio.
Join DSN's lineup of all-star hosts from now until 11 p.m. and interact by posting in our chat room or calling into the shows.
7-9 a.m.: About Last Night: Bill Boronkay:
9 a.m.-noon: Locked and Loaded: Greg Kozarik and Brian Fowler:
8-11 p.m.: The Final Word: Joe Lull and Bob Karlovec
Remember, you can watch the live video stream or listen to the audio-only stream and interact with the studio via chat room, Twitter, Facebook, phone or email.
Be sure to also check out DSN's sports blog.The NFL's playoff picture might be muddled in the middle. At the top, it's crystal clear, thanks to the Patriots and Falcons. Plus, Steelers beat Bengals.
The NFL's playoff picture might be muddled in the middle. At the top, it's crystal clear, thanks to the Patriots and Falcons.
New England became the first team into the postseason, locking up its eighth playoff berth in 10 years with a 36-7 pounding of the Chicago Bears on a snowy, blustery, bone-chilling Sunday at Soldier Field.
Atlanta beat Carolina 31-10, and if Minnesota defeats the New York Giants on Monday night in a postponed game that was moved to Detroit, the Falcons clinch a spot.
Tom Brady threw for 369 yards and two touchdowns in New England's fifth successive win. The Patriots (11-2) grabbed a 33-0 halftime lead and gave coach Bill Belichick his 174th career win, putting him in a tie for 10th place with Mike Holmgren.
Brady was brilliant again despite the brutal conditions, picking apart the league's third-ranked defense. He completed 27 of 40 passes and went without an interception for the eighth straight game.
"They don't cancel football games very often," Brady said. "It's not like baseball. We don't play out there in San Diego all the time."
At Charlotte, Michael Turner ran for 112 yards and three touchdowns, Matt Ryan threw for another and NFC South leader Atlanta (11-2) held onto the best record in the conference.
"With three NFC games left, it's important. All the games are big now," defensive end John Abraham said. "All the games can put us in a good situation. We've got Seattle, then New Orleans and Carolina again. We want to have that home-field advantage and for us, we have to keep winning."
Elsewhere Sunday, Jacksonville stayed on top of the AFC South by outlasting Oakland 38-31; Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati, 23-7; Philadelphia downed Dallas 30-27; Detroit stunned Green Bay 7-3; New Orleans took St. Louis 31-13; San Diego routed Kansas City 31-0; Miami defeated the New York Jets 10-6; San Francisco romped over Seattle 40-21; Tampa Bay beat Washington 17-16; Arizona took Denver 43-13; and Buffalo beat Cleveland 13-6.
On Monday night, the Giants face Minnesota at Ford Field after the Vikings' Metrodome home had the roof deflate during a blizzard, and Baltimore is at Houston.
The weekend began with Indianapolis edging Tennessee 30-28.
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| Patriots 36, Bears 7 |
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One week after annihilating the Jets 45-3, the Patriots had no mercy for Chicago (9-4), which nonetheless remained atop the NFC North even with its five-game winning streak smashed.
Deion Branch caught eight passes for a career-high 151 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown at the end of the first half. Wes Welker had eight receptions for 115 yards and the Patriots totaled 475 yards while holding Chicago to 185.
"It was a chess match, and he said checkmate," Bears safety Chris Harris said of Brady.
| Falcons 31, Panthers 10 |
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The Falcons built a 17-0 halftime lead, survived a brief hiccup to start the third quarter, and cruised to their seventh straight win. Abraham and Kroy Biermann each had two sacks as the Falcons became the latest team to shut down the NFL's worst offense.
Jonathan Stewart rushed for a season-best 133 yards, but lost a fumble on Carolina's first play from scrimmage to set up Atlanta's first TD. Things didn't get much better for rookie Jimmy Clausen and the NFL-worst Panthers (1-12), who dropped their seventh straight.
| Jaguars 38, Raiders 31 |
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At Jacksonville, David Garrard threw three touchdown passes, Maurice Jones-Drew and Rashad Jennings each topped 100 yards rushing.
The Jaguars overcame a 10-point deficit to win for the fifth time in six games, setting up a critical AFC South game at Indianapolis next week.
Jacksonville (8-5) stayed a game ahead of the Colts. The Raiders (6-7) lost for the third time in four weeks and might be done with postseason contention. But Darren McFadden rushed for 123 yards, including a 36-yard TD with 1:53 to go.
Then Jones-Drew won it with a 30-yard run just 19 seconds later.
| Steelers 23, Bengals 7 |
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At Pittsburgh, Troy Polamalu and LaMarr Woodley returned interceptions of Carson Palmer for touchdowns as Cincinnati dropped a franchise record 10th straight game.
The Steelers (10-3) couldn't get into the end zone on offense despite dominating time of possession — a 9½-minute drive produced no points — but it didn't matter against the Bengals (2-11).
Cincinnati matched the David Shula-coached 1993 Bengals by losing 10 consecutive games in the same season. The overall franchise record is 11 consecutive defeats from 1992-93.
| Eagles 30, Cowboys 27 |
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DeSean Jackson had 210 yards receiving, including a 91-yard, go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Visiting Philadelphia (9-4) ended a three-game skid to its NFC East rival and moved a half-game ahead of the Giants in the division race. Dallas (4-9) fell behind in the opening minutes, yet kept it close and even led 20-14. But Philadelphia was relentless, dropping the Cowboys to 3-2 under interim coach Jason Garrett. They are guaranteed their first losing season since 2004.
Jackson's performance helped mask an otherwise rocky outing by Michael Vick: two interceptions, matching his season total, and trouble converting on third downs. Dallas sacked him twice and blasted him with hard hits all night, including one that drew a penalty for a helmet-to-helmet hit.
| Lions 7, Packers 3 |
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At Detroit, Drew Stanton threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Will Heller midway through the fourth quarter, and Green Bay couldn't come back without an injured Aaron Rodgers.
Detroit (3-10) snapped a five-game losing streak and a 19-game skid against the NFC North, the NFL's worst slump within a division since the merger four decades ago.
Green Bay (8-5) lost Rodgers, knocked out in the second quarter with his second concussion this season. Matt Flynn couldn't compensate.
| Saints 31, Rams 13 |
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At New Orleans, Dew Brees threw for three scores, Malcolm Jenkins returned one of his two interceptions 96 yards for his first career touchdown, and New Orleans won its sixth straight game.
Marques Colston had a pair of touchdown catches in traffic as the Saints (10-3) raced to a 14-0 lead and never trailed. Lance Moore made a 31-yard touchdown catch.
Brees finished 25 of 40 for 221 yards and was intercepted twice.
Rookie QB Sam Bradford scored the only touchdown on a short keeper for the Rams (6-7).
| Chargers 31, Chiefs 0 |
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At San Diego, Philip Rivers threw two touchdown passes to Malcom Floyd. The four-time defending AFC West champion Chargers (7-6) pulled within one game of the Chiefs (8-5). Rivers was 18 of 24 for 226 yards and the Chargers outgained the Chiefs 426 yards to 67. Kansas City had only five first downs. It was San Diego's first regular-season shutout against the Chiefs, who played without quarterback Matt Cassel, who didn't travel after having an emergency appendectomy Wednesday.
Cassel's backup Brodie Croyle completed 7 of 17 passes for 40 yards and was sacked four times in his first start since the 2009 opener.
| Dolphins 10, Jets 6 |
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The Dolphins turned two early turnovers into their only points at the rainy Meadowlands. Much of the game was played in a downpour, which made for inept offense in the sloppy conditions. The Dolphins gained 131 yards, with Chad Henne passing for only 55, yet improved to 7-6.
The Jets (9-4) moved the ball better, picking up 286 yards. But Mark Sanchez's fumble led to the only touchdown, Brandon Marshall's 6-yard reception in the first quarter. Earlier, Nolan Carroll's interception set up Dan Carpenter's 47-yard field goal.
By far the most effective player on the wet field was Dolphins punter Brandon Fields. He finished with 10 kicks for a 50-yard average.
| 49ers 40, Seahawks 21 |
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At San Francisco, Alex Smith threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns in a triumphant return to the starting lineup following a five-game absence. The Niners (5-8) muddled up the ugly NFC West race even more and moved within a game of division leaders Seattle (6-7) and St. Louis. The 49ers looked much more like the team predicted to win the division after an unbeaten preseason.
Matt Hasselbeck went 27 for 42 for 285 yards and two TDs, but threw four interceptions and lost a fumble as Seattle had turnovers on five of six possessions during one stretch.
| Buccaneers 17, Redskins 16 |
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A flubbed extra point attempt with 9 seconds to play kept host Washington from tying the game. The Redskins pulled within a point on Santana Moss' 6-yard touchdown catch, but Nick Sundberg's slightly high snap on a wet field went through holder Hunter Smith's hands.
The Buccaneers (8-5) broke a two-game losing streak. It was also the fifth time this season Josh Freeman has won a game with a fourth-quarter comeback. He hit Kellen Winslow for a 41-yard scoring pass with 3:47 to play.
Ryan Torain ran for 172 yards for Washington (5-8), 158 in the first half.
| Cardinals 43, Broncos 13 |
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Jay Feely became the fourth kicker in 40 years to run for a touchdown and added a career-best five field goals to help host Arizona end a seven-game losing streak. Rookie John Skelton completed 14 of 36 for 141 yards with no interceptions and had at least four passes dropped in his first NFL start.
The Broncos (3-10) had six turnovers, including three interceptions by Kyle Orton, in their eighth loss in nine games. It was an uninspired debut under interim coach Eric Studesville, promoted from running backs coach when Josh McDaniels was fired last Monday.
Tim Hightower rushed for 148 yards for Arizona (4-9).
The Connecticut women’s basketball team — arguably America’s most successful 21st century enterprise not propped up by Oprah Winfrey or municipal bonds — goes for its 88th consecutive victory next Sunday, which would tie the 1971-74 mark of UCLA’s legendary men’s basketball team.
You Pick the Winners football contest for Week 15 is now open. Make your picks for a chance to win!
Week 15 of our You-Pick-the-Winners contest is now open for entries!
The contest is simple. We're asking for straight-up picks, no point spreads.
Whoever picks the most games correctly gets the $25 gas card and becomes a finalist for a $250 gift card to be awarded at the end of the regular season. The finalist also will be invited to appear on our weekly predictions show, hosted by Branson Wright and Chuck Yarborough.
If there's a tie, whoever guesses closest to the total score of the Browns' game without going over will become the finalist.
Ready to play? Use this form to submit your picks.
Questions? Take a look at the official rules.
Important note No. 1: If you get an error when making your picks, be sure to fill in both lines of the address field.
Important note No. 2: Only residents of Ohio are eligible to win.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hinckley's Jessica Porvasnik finished second by one stroke in a tournament held at Duke University over Thanksgiving weekend. She lost to Christina Ocampa, from Delray Beach, Fla. Afterwards, the Floridian told Porvasnik she could not believe she was from Ohio.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hinckley's Jessica Porvasnik finished second by one stroke in a tournament held at Duke University over Thanksgiving weekend.
She lost to Christina Ocampa, from Delray Beach, Fla. Afterwards, the Floridian told Porvasnik she could not believe she was from Ohio.
"How do you practice this time of the year?" Ocampa wanted to know.
So it goes when you are an elite junior golfer from Ohio. Make no question, Porvasnik is an elite junior golfer. The sophomore at Highland had the best season of any player in the area by far in 2010 and is The Plain Dealer's Girls Golfer of the Year.
"I hit balls [into a net] and practice putting in my basement," said Porvasnik, in response to the question. "And I go to the Golf Improvement Center."
Frequently, indoor golf is about as good as it gets.
How good was Porvasnik during the season? Consider:
• She hit greens in regulation 77.5 percent of the time.
• She found the fairway with nearly 62 percent of her drives.
• She averaged 33 putts per round.
• She won eight tournaments, including the Division I sectional and district and she was the state runner-up with rounds of par 70 and 77 on the Gray Course at Ohio State.
• Her scoring average was 73.5 for 18 holes and 36.4 for nine.
Porvasnik, who helped Highland to a fourth-place finish, said she was satisfied with the way her season went but felt it could have been better. The Hornets will not have to make many lineup changes, as they lose just one senior.
"We all felt we could have done better," she said. "We're all going to work hard this off-season."
Even if it will be indoors.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: trogers@plaind.com; 216-999-5169
GOLFER OF THE YEAR
Jessica Porvasnik
Highland
Sophomore
College: Undecided.
Notable: Her runner-up finish in the Division I state tournament was the best by an area player and her scores of 70-77 made her the only sophomore in the field of 72 to finish in the top 15. She was the medalist in eight of 11 events, including the sectional and district tournaments. She hit 77.5 percent of greens in regulation and averaged 73.5 in 18-hole events.
OTHER ALL-STARS
Brynn Fitzgerald
Orange
Junior
College: Undecided.
Notable: Posted her second top-10 finish in the past three years in the Division II state tournament when she shot rounds of 73-79 at Ohio State's Gray Course to tie for third. Posted the second-lowest score by an area player in either division. Medalist in 12 of her 13 dual matches and at the Padua, Mentor, Walsh Jesuit invitationals and the Punderson sectional.
Natalie Goodson
Hudson
Senior
College: Kent State.
Notable: Her eighth-place finish in the Division I state tournament 76-78 capped a terrific senior season and sparkling four-year career. Was the player of the year in the Northeast Ohio Conference for the second year in a row and a three-time state qualifier. Posted the lowest score in the 11-year history of the Ashland Invitational at Brookside with a 1-under 70 and also shot 1 under to win the sectional at Gleneagles.
Nicki Henry
Kenston
Senior
College: Eastern Kentucky.
Notable: The only repeater on this team, and she leaves Kenston as the best player in school history. She shot 75-78 to finish third in the Division I state tournament -- her second top-10 finish -- and earn All-Ohio honors for the second year in a row. Won the Chagrin Valley Conference tournament and was medalist in the sectional tournament at Tamer Win Golf Course with a score of 75. Owns every school record, including low rounds of 36 and 67.
Ashley Yarbrough
Hathaway Brown
Sophomore
College: Undecided.
Notable: She was the Blazers' number one player all season and played that role to perfection in the Division II state tournament when she posted the team's best rounds and led it to an astonishing 23-stroke victory. She was eighth overall with scores of 77-78 on the Gray Course. She averaged 82.4 strokes during the season and was fourth in the sectional.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Paul Barlow
Hathaway Brown
Notable: Recently completed his 11th season and his team got better as the year wore on. It won the Northeast Ohio Independent School Girls Golf League title for the first time and was second in the Division II district tournament before steamrollering the field in the state tournament, tying the record for the lowest score of 658 and winning by 23 shots. It was Barlow's second state championship in eight months as he also coached the school to the state basketball championship.
Peyton Hillis ran hard early but Bills slowed him down later.
Cleveland native and former Ohio State defensive back Donte Whitner, and his Buffalo Bills teammates, apparently didn't back down when it came to the bigger and more powerful Peyton Hillis on Sunday.
Hillis made his presence known with 49 yards on the Cleveland Browns' first possession. Suddenly, things changed following the first of three fumbles by Hillis (he lost only one). Hillis managed just 59 yards the final 55 minutes of the game.
"So many times you see a guy like Peyton Hillis, a big physical running back, and he looks for contact," Bills safety Donte Whitner said. "It's easy to be intimidated, especially for a defensive back. You see him running guys over, you see him searching for contact.
"So the best thing we got out of this game is we stepped up to the challenge, and we were physical with a guy who wants to be physical," Whitner said. "After awhile we started hitting him and he started putting the ball on the ground. He wasn't really running the same way he was early in the game."
The biggest play for the Bills, and one of the worst for the Browns, was when Hillis tried to vault over Bills safety Jairus Byrd and fumbled the ball away in the red zone.
Maybe Hillis should leave the hurdling to track and field.
"We knew on film he's been doing that for awhile," Byrd said of Hillis' leaping tactic. "If you get him in open field, he's either going to try to jump you or stiff arm you. So we knew it was coming. On film too, the times when he jumps, when you stutter [step] and break down like you're going to chop down, that's when he tends to leap. So when I came up and I stuttered, you could tell he was getting ready to slow down himself and jump in the air."
Good and plenty of bad
ESPN reporter James Walker writes the obvious in his AFC North blog when it comes to the Cleveland Browns. The Browns didn't play well, and they didn't play well against the lowly Buffalo Bills. Walker also writes how coach Eric Mangini still needs to pad his resume just in case president Mike Holmgren has other ideas.
Cleveland's offense hasn't done much all season, but this unit should've scored more than six points against the Bills. Hillis has been Cleveland's MVP this year, but he has had crucial fumbles. Hillis put the ball on the ground three times Sunday (losing one). Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme also lost big fumble that ended any chance of Cleveland making a fourth-quarter rally. The Browns lost the turnover battle 3-to-1, which was the difference in a close game.
Out of sync
Jake Delhomme completed 12 passes for 86 yards with an interception and a fumble on Sunday, and Ohio.com reporters Nate Ulrich and Stephanie Storm write how lacked zip on some of his passes.
Delhomme just didn't seem to have it.
Yet, the 35-year-old, who signed a two-year contract as a free agent in the offseason, did not blame the rain that made the football slick from the first snap. He took full responsibility for the fumble he lost and the interception he threw --- both in the fourth quarter with pressure on him.
Game stories
The News-Herald: No O in Buffalo.
CantonRep.com: No offense for Browns.
Ohio.com: Drives become cold, damp duds.
The Big Ten's new division names show how the conference is, maybe justifiably, a little full of itself.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In money, television, expansion and academics, the Big Ten has been at the forefront of intercollegiate athletics. As college sports has evolved, the Big Ten often has blazed the path.
And in naming its new football divisions on Monday, the conference had to remind us of that.
Legends and Leaders are the names for the six-team divisions that the will start with the 2011 season, and the nods to past contributions and future endeavors create at once a contrast and co-mingling of ... "geez, it's all a little highfalutin, isn't it?"
You get the sense no one at Big Ten headquarters stopped commissioner Jim Delany before the announcement and said, "Dude, they're just football divisions."
"We're hopeful that they will resonate over time," Delany said, "and they will give us an opportunity to speak to our past as well as our future."
Admirable, sure. The Big Ten should be bigger than the games. But the conference, with one football national title in 13 years of the BCS era, wasn't naming research facilities here.
Leaders (the division with Ohio State and Penn State) and Legends (the division with Michigan and Nebraska) comes off as a bit pompous for a conference that doesn't fear reminding the rest of the college world that it is calling a lot of the shots. In a Sports Business Journal listing last week of the 50 most powerful people in sports business, Delany was ranked No. 25, the highest ranking for anyone in college sports -- seven spots ahead of new NCAA president Mark Emmert.
At a forum of conference commissioners in New York last week, Delany wasn't shy about telling the non-BCS conferences that the Big Ten was getting a little tired of giving up more spots in the Rose Bowl and other major bowls -- "I'm not sure how much more give there is in the system," Delany told the panel.
One of the biggest stories of the bowl season was Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee calling into question the fitness of schools like TCU and Boise State to play for the national championship. Maybe we're just lucky the Big Ten didn't go with "Awesome" and "Awesomer."
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany discusses the division names
Delany said directional names like East-West and North-South were out because the league wasn't divided that way, focusing first on competitive balance. Naming divisions for individuals, like Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler, was deemed too exclusionary.
While also announcing a new logo, the Big Ten's best move was the creation of 18 trophies named for 36 Big Ten players and coaches, each hyphenated. For instance, there's the Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year, while the best player in the league title game will win the Grange-Griffin Championship Game MVP, named for Illinois legend Red Grange and OSU two-time Heisman winner Archie Griffin.
The Buckeyes led the way with five trophy names, with running Eddie George, offensive lineman Orlando Pace and safety Jack Tatum also recognized.
For the divisions, other candidates like Lakes and Plains or patriotic things like Stars and Stripes were considered. I always liked Black and Blue as a simple nod to the Big Ten's toughness and a cool, easy shorthand when considered separately, like "Hey, do you think Ohio State will win the Big Ten Blue this year?" instead of "Will Ohio State win the Big Ten Leaders?"
In a Cleveland.com poll, 87 percent of respondents by Monday evening said they didn't like the names, while 10 percent didn't care and only three percent liked them. The Big Ten knows its choices are a bit unusual.
"We looked at what people had done," Delany said, "and then we really looked at ourselves."
Well, they got that part right, then. If you told people that a conference had named its divisions Leaders and Legends, few would guess it was Conference USA.
The Big Ten is positioned as well as any conference in the nation for what's to come. It really is a conference with a bright future and a storied past. And it happened to come up with division names that will look weird on T-shirts.
"Maybe if people don't embrace it in the first hour, maybe after 24 or 36 hours they'll get a chance to feel it and take it in," Delany said. "And if not, maybe in a couple years. ... Any time you have something new, I think it takes some getting used to. But we certainly gave a lot of thought to the options."
And decided on this.
It's so Big Ten.
Racing will resume Tuesday with a 6:15 p.m. post time.
NORTHFIELD, Ohio -- Racing at Northfield Park was canceled Monday night due to inclement weather. The racing date has been rescheduled for Dec. 30 with a post time of 7 p.m.
Racing will resume Tuesday with a special early post time of 6:15 p.m.
"OSU should play at least one home game every year at St. John. I saw them play there in the early 1990s when Cavs assistant coach Chris Jent was playing. Its gives you an old school feeling that new arenas lack." - cleoh18
In response to the story Cleveland State, Ohio State, Akron, Kent State and local college basketball links, cleveland.com reader cleoh18 would like to see the Buckeyes visit their old arena on a regular basis. This reader writes,
"OSU should play at least one home game every year at St. John. I saw them play there in the early 1990s when Cavs assistant coach Chris Jent was playing. Its gives you an old school feeling that new arenas lack."
"This may not be a popular sentiment at the moment, however, I am convinced Mangini is the best coach the Browns have had in years. He has done a superb job as coach (as GM he was lousy). He shouldn't be going anywhere unless Holmgren absolutely feels the need to return to the sidelines. In that case, Mangini will not be unemployed for more than five minutes given what he has done with the limited talent on the current roster." - smossdaddy
In response to the story Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Brian Daboll may have sealed his fate with loss to Bills, says Dennis Manoloff (SBTV), cleveland.com reader smossdaddy thinks Eric Mangini has done a good job as coach. This reader writes,
"This may not be a popular sentiment at the moment, however, I am convinced Mangini is the best coach the Browns have had in years. He has done a superb job as coach (as GM he was lousy). He shouldn't be going anywhere unless Holmgren absolutely feels the need to return to the sidelines. In that case, Mangini will not be unemployed for more than five minutes given what he has done with the limited talent on the current roster."
If the Cavs are going to rebound -- on the court or in the standings -- it seems as if Varejao is the guy to do it.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Byron Scott doesn't want to think where his team would be right now without Anderson Varejao.
"You almost feel sorry for Andy," the Cavaliers coach said after his team lost its eighth straight game on Sunday in Oklahoma City. "He's been fantastic. The starting unit has done really well the last three games. We've just got to get them some help."
Over the weekend, Varejao was basically a one-man rebounding machine. If the Cavs (7-17) are going to rebound at all, it seems as if he's the guy to do it. He had 24 rebounds in the losses at Houston and Oklahoma City, nearly one-third of the team's total of 78. He had nine offensive rebounds against the Thunder and 11 in the two games, almost half of the team's weekend total of 24.
While the Cavs actually outrebounded the Thunder, 45-44, they got hammered on the boards by the Rockets, 48-33.
Varejao is averaging 9.4 rebounds per game, the ninth-best average in the league, and almost twice as many as his nearest teammates -- Antawn Jamison (5.5) and J.J. Hickson (5.1). But Varejao said he wasn't doing anything differently to make up for the lack of help on the boards -- in fact, he didn't even mention it.
"I feel like I've got to do what I've been doing since I got in the league -- play with a lot of energy, go after every offensive rebound and play hard," he said. "That's the bottom line."
Varejao was on his way out of a mostly silent locker room on Sunday. His teammates had dressed quickly and hurried to their bus, trying to get back to Cleveland before the snow got too bad.
But there does seem to be a storm brewing in the locker room. When asked about Scott's comments criticizing the bench, Hickson said, "Oh, so he's blaming it on the bench?" But he caught himself before he went too much further.
Asked about the mood of the team, Scott said, "They're down, and they should be. We're not playing real good solid basketball for 48 minutes. We're playing in spurts. We're having our moments. But we're not able at this particular time to sustain that over the course of the game. Right now I'm sure they're searching as well, just like I am."
Added Varejao, "We know we all want to win. At the same time, we know there are a lot of new things going on with this team. A new coaching staff, new players, players who were here last season but didn't really play and are getting to play more now. It just takes some time. It's not like you're going to put a team together and win every day. We need to try to get better every day."
While it sometimes looks as if Varejao is trying to bring more energy to make up for the lack of same by his teammates, he rejected that notion with a smile.
"I just have to play 100 percent every night," he said.
Success story: Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks knows what Scott is going through. The Thunder started out 3-29 when he was named to replace P.J. Carlesimo 13 games into the 2008-09 season. Last season, the Thunder was 50-32, took the Lakers to seven games in a first-round playoff series and Brooks was named coach of the year.
Brooks remembers the struggles of his first season.
"You have to find improvement," he said. "Some days the search is long and hard and when you think there's nothing there you have to continue to search for it. It's not easy. It's not easy losing in this league. You go into the game to win that test, and when you don't win you have to figure out ways to continue to stay focused and stay strong for the next day in practice.
"I did see the light at the end of the tunnel through our work at practice. We've always been an excellent practice team and shootaround team. I knew with that effort and that focus on the practice floor, we were going to win some games."
Of course, he also had Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. But there may be a lesson -- and some hope -- in there somewhere for Cavs fans.
Doors will open at 7:30 a.m. at the Stile Athletics Field House where fans can await the team's arrival.
The University of Akron athletic department has made the following announcement:
The University of Akron Department of Athletics is encouraging fans, alumni and community supporters to help welcome the 2010 NCAA champion men's soccer team back to campus Tuesday morning.
Doors will open at 7:30 a.m. at the Stile Athletics Field House where fans can await the team's arrival. The Zips (22-1-2), who captured the school's first team national championship Sunday with a 1-0 victory over Louisville, are scheduled to arrive on campus early Tuesday.
A formal recognition will be held in January when class is back in session. Check back to GoZips.com for details.
Colt McCoy is optimistic he'll be ready to play, but Mangini will wait and see.
BEREA, Ohio -- Colt McCoy is optimistic he'll be ready to play Sunday against the Bengals. If he is, there's a good chance coach Eric Mangini will give him the nod.
McCoy, who's missed the past three games with a high ankle sprain suffered Nov. 21 in Jacksonville, told Browns radio play-by-play man Jim Donovan on the field before the Bills game that he felt he'd be ready to go in Cincinnati. If that's the case, Mangini will make a decision between McCoy and Jake Delhomme, and he may have tipped his hand when asked what he'd do it McCoy isn't ready.
"If Colt couldn't play, then I'd go with Delhomme," said Mangini, who effectively ruled out Seneca Wallace as a starting option.
And if McCoy is healthy?
"I'm going to see where we're at on Wednesday and kind of go from there," said Mangini. "He was able to get to where he could function as the third [in Buffalo], so we've got to see where that is and think about it and we'll go from there."
McCoy, who went 2-3 as a starter, returned to practice on a limited basis on Friday and moved well in pre-game warmups in Buffalo. He shed the walking boot last week and has said all along that he could return quicker than Delhomme and Wallace did from their high ankle sprains because his was to his left, or non-plant, foot.
Is the plan for Mangini to start McCoy in at least one of the three remaining games?
"The plan is just for me to be able to look at it objectively with all of the information and make a decision from there," said Mangini.
Monday, Wallace expressed frustration in the locker room from sitting back and watching the offense sputter. The team has scored 19 points over the past two games and has just two field goals the last 10 times the defense has given it the ball on a takeaway.
"It's always frustrating, but like I said, it's coach's decision and when he calls on whoever he calls on to play, they've got to play," said Wallace. "It's frustrating watching them go out there and we're struggling a little bit on offense, but you know I can't do too much on the sideline."
As for what's wrong with the offense, he said, "I don't know. I don't have too much to say about it."
Mangini said he understands Wallace's frustration. Wallace went 1-3 in his starts, but showed steady improvement, completing 11 of 15 attempts against the Falcons before suffering the high ankle sprain.
"Seneca's a team guy," said Mangini. "They all want to play. I totally get that and I'd expect nothing less. You'd be frustrated if a guy was happy to not be playing. You definitely wouldn't want to put that person in the game. He did a good job when he played and the guys have confidence in him and I have confidence in him."
Nevertheless, Wallace won't be considered for the start in Cincinnati despite having quarterbacked the Browns in their 23-20 victory over the Bengals on Oct. 3. He completed 18 of 30 attempts for 184 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
"I like both guys," said Mangini. "I just think where we are offensively right now and the things that we're trying to do, Jake does those things really well. Not that Seneca does them poorly, but he does them well."
Mangini also defended Delhomme's performance in Buffalo, where he completed 12 of 20 attempts for 86 yards, with no touchdowns, one sack, one fumble and one interception, earning a 49.2 rating. Delhomme's arm was hit on both the fumble and the interception.
"Look, the game isn't all on Jake by any stretch," said Mangini. "There were some things Jake could've played better, but part of any success in the passing game is protection, guys getting open, and being able to get them the ball. He played like the group. There were moments where he was really good and moments where it wasn't as good."
He acknowledged Delhomme didn't have anywhere to go with the ball much of the time. The Bills took away tight end Ben Watson, who had 10 catches in Miami and only one in Buffalo.
"We could've done a better job in getting open yesterday in all of the areas, receivers and tight ends," said Mangini. "Buffalo did a good job in terms of covering those guys up. You've just got to find a way to get open. That's what receivers do."
Mangini conceded the game plan was deficient too. Delhomme only completed two passes of more than eight yards.
"There were some things from a scheme perspective that we could have done better as well," he said. "We're all in it together and we all need to pull a little harder."
At one point in the first half, the CBS cameras caught Delhomme and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll arguing, but Mangini said it was no big deal.
"No, that's normal emotional stuff," said Mangini. "It wasn't like a heated exchange between Brian and Jake by any stretch. It was more frustration with the way the play unfolded and it was nothing like that. Jake is fiery, but it's never fiery-disruptive. It's just competitiveness. He's never been like that."
Mangini said the discussion could be entirely different if Delhomme's arm hadn't been hit by safety Bryan Scott, causing the ball to pop up in the air for an easy interception by Leodis McKelvin. Scott stormed in past the right side of the Browns' line.
"We get a little bit of a push there on Jake right at the end when he was unleashing the ball to Mohamed [Massaquoi]," said Mangini said. "Mohamed's behind the guy and if we hold up half a beat longer it's probably a touchdown."
Peyton Hillis leads the NFL with eight fumbles, which will prompt a few drills this week, says Eric Mangini.
BEREA, Ohio -- Peyton Hillis, who fumbled three times in Buffalo, leads the NFL with eight fumbles -- something Eric Mangini wants corrected as soon as possible.
"This is a tough thing, because he does fight for so many extra yards and he makes so many yards after contact," said Mangini of Hillis, whose five lost fumbles are second-most in the league. "You don't want to take away what he does so well, but there's also that consciousness of as you're going for those yards, that's when you're most likely to get fumbles.
"We'll work on some things. It's something we've worked on consistently throughout the season. We'll continue to work on it and heighten awareness of 'this is where the red light comes on and that's when the ball's at risk.'"
Bills safety Jairus Byrd, who forced two of Hillis' fumbles, said Buffalo knew of Hillis' tendency to put the ball on the ground. He baited Hillis into a vintage hurdle, grabbing him by the legs and forcing the ball out just after the Browns got the ball back on a fumble recovery.
Will Mangini ask Hillis to halt the hurdle?
"He's done it a lot of times successfully," said Mangini. "I thought they did a nice job when they hit him. It's always hard with that running back to say 'This is okay to hurdle. This is not good to hurdle.'
"A lot of that stuff comes from instinct and feel, so you try to have him make good decisions without having him be so tight, so robotic that he loses what he's done so well through the course of the season. ... Just don't press it too much where you're at risk or the ball is at risk."
A strange trip indeed: While coaching the Jets, Mangini hired strength coach Sal Alosi, who was suspended for the rest of the season and fined $25,000 for tripping the Dolphins' Nolan Carroll as Carroll ran down the Jets sideline while attempting to cover a punt.
"I know Sal," said Mangini. "He really is a good person. He made a dumb mistake. I'm sure if he could take it back, he would take it back."
Mangini said he's never seen that happen before. "Um, no, not really. Maybe it has. I've seen a variation of that.
"Look, I don't want to make light of it, but there are times when someone's running down the sideline and you know they're going to score on it and you'd love to somehow be able to stop it," he said. "It's a sick feeling that comes over you. But you can't. You just can't."
Injury updates: Mangini said he thinks cornerback Sheldon Brown (shoulder) and linebacker David Bowens (head) should "both be okay for Sunday. Whether there's any missed time, maybe a little bit practice-wise, but that's my initial reaction."
Brown underwent an MRI on his right rotator cuff, but results were not released.
No arguing fumble call: Mangini didn't object to the officials awarding the ball to the Bills after Jake Delhomme's fourth-quarter fumble, even though no one had the ball when the whistle originally blew. It was first ruled an incompletion and then reversed after a Bills challenge.
"The Bills came up with it at the end of the day," he said. "The whistle blows, the whistle doesn't blow. You can't tell when it blew, when it didn't blow. The best thing is to not have it on the ground. When it's on the ground, fall on it."
Calls it as he sees it: Cornerback Joe Haden said Monday's message from Mangini was that the Bills wanted the game more. "He just didn't feel like we gave it all out, he didn't feel like we gave it all up," said Haden. "He just wants us to keep going, keep pushing, stay how we were the weeks prior."
The average annual salary of a major-league player before rosters expanded in September was $3,014,572 last season. The Indians were way below that at $1,205,210.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In a study of average MLB player salaries for last season, the Indians ranked 29th among 30 big-league teams at $1,205,210 per player. The Indians, according to the Associated Press, dropped from $2,007,420 in 2009.
The Pirates were the only team with a lower average salary at $1,140,598. The Indians lost 93 games in 2009 and finished fourth in the AL Central. The Pirates led the big leagues with 105 losses and finished last in the NL Central.
Here is the Indians' average player salary since 2003:
• 2004: $1,220,378;
• 2005: $1,527,704;
• 2006: $1,481,261;
• 2007: $2,535,472;
• 2008: $1,905,804;
• 2009: $2,007,420; and
• 2010: $1,205,210.
The highest payroll over those six years, $2.5 million in 2007, corresponds to the last time they made the postseason.
The players association said Monday that the average salary for the 912 players in the big leagues before rosters were expanded in September surpassed $3 million for the first time. Indians players were paid $1.81 million below the MLB average of $3,014,572.
Yankees players averaged the highest salary at $7,604,937, followed by the Phillies at $5,662,551, Red Sox at $4,821,016, White Sox at $4,580,868 and the Cubs at $4,107,304. The White Sox jumped from 11th to fourth.
Here's the average salary from last season based on position:
• First base: $9.5 million;
• Third base: $8.47 million;
• Designated hitters: $7.43 million;
• Outfield: $4.66 million;
• Shortstop: $4.59 million;
• Starting pitchers: $4.58 million;
• Second base: $4.9 million;
• Catcher: $4.79 million; and
• Relief pitcher: $2.11 million.
Here's how the Indians regulars (based on number of games played, starts and appearances) compared to those figures:
• First baseman Matt LaPorta: $402,700;
• Third baseman Jhonny Peralta: $4.85 million;
• DH Travis Hafner: $11.5 million;
• Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo: $466,100;
• Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera: $444,600;
• Starting pitcher Fausto Carmona: $5.087 million;
• Second baseman Luis Valbuena: $414,700;
• Catcher Lou Marson: $401,200; and
• Reliever Rafael Perez: $795,000.
Finally: Dave Hudgens, the Indians' minor-league field coordinator, is the Mets' new hitting coach. Hudgens has yet to be replaced by the Tribe.
Hudgens, who spent the last five years with the Indians, is the third minor-league staff member to be leave for a big-league coaching job. Arizona hired Charles Nagy as pitching coach and Oakland hired Joel Skinner as bench coach.
What does Eric Mangini have to do to keep his job?
The on again, off again coach Eric Mangini job watch is on again. It seems like every other week that Mangini's job status is on the line, especially with last Sunday's disappointing loss to the Buffalo Bills.
With three games left, Mangini certainly must be concerned about his future with the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns are 5-8. The Browns finished at 5-11 last year, but with games at Cincinnati and consecutive home games against the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, improving that record is in jeopardy.
So what does Mangini have to do, if anything, to keep his job?
Get in on the live sports discussion with DSN's hosts all day.
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Today's topics include: will Jake Delhomme really start against the Bengals, what's with the Big Ten's Legends and Leaders conference names, can the Cavs finally win a game tomorrow night, the Indians' payroll was second to last in 2009 and how did the Phillies land Cliff Lee?
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Be sure to also check out DSN's sports blog.The free-agent pitcher passed up an extra $50 million from the New York Yankees and reached a preliminary agreement on a $100 million, five-year contract with the Phillies on Monday night, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.
NEW YORK, NY -- Turns out the Philadelphia Phillies do have enough money for both Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay - and Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, too.
A year after Phillies traded him away, Lee chose to rejoin them and form a fearsome foursome that is the envy of all of baseball.
The free-agent pitcher passed up an extra $50 million from the New York Yankees and reached a preliminary agreement on a $100 million, five-year contract with the Phillies on Monday night, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.
The agreement is subject to the 32-year-old left-hander passing a physical, the person said on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not final.
The Yankees and Texas Rangers had been considered the front-runners, but the Phillies wound up with the most-prized free agent of the offseason, reaching a deal that gives them a dominant rotation that likely is the strongest in the majors.
Lee, the 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner, joins Halladay, a two-time Cy Young Award winner who won the NL honor last month.
After Lee helped the defending champion Phillies reach the 2009 World Series, he was sent to Seattle in a four-team, nine-player trade last Dec. 16 that brought Halladay to Philadelphia. Halladay signed a new contract that added $60 million over three seasons, the same average salary Lee will get.
Seattle traded Lee to Texas in July, and Lee pitched the Rangers into the World Series for the first time.
The Phillies have been considering trading pitcher Joe Blanton and/or outfielder Raul Ibanez to clear payroll space, a person familiar with Philadelphia's deliberations. said. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because those talks were ongoing.
Lee and his family had a good time during his stay with the Phillies, who acquired him from Cleveland in July 2009.
"At first, I didn't believe it. I thought we were working out an extension with the Phillies," Lee said the day after the trade. "I thought I'd be spending the rest of my career there. ... I was under the impression they wanted to keep me there for a long time. In my mind, it was going to happen."
After advancing to the World Series in consecutive years, the Phillies were upset by the eventual champion San Francisco Giants in this year's NL championship series. Earlier this month, outfielder Jayson Werth left Philadelphia for a $126 million, seven-year contract with the Washington Nationals.
The Yankees and Texas received telephone calls Monday night telling them they were out of the running, two separate people familiar with those team's negotiations said, also on condition of anonymity.
New York had started with a $138 million, six-year offer to Lee, the person familiar with the Yankees' negotiations said. After outfielder Carl Crawford agreed to a seven-year, $142 million deal with the Boston Red Sox, New York immediately increased its offer to Lee to $150 million over seven seasons, the person said.
Lee's wife felt insulted by fans at Yankee Stadium who were rude to her and Rangers family members during the ALCS. It was unclear whether that played a part in the decision.
A fourth-round draft pick in 2000, Lee is 102-61 with a 3.85 ERA in nine major league seasons. He has excelled in the postseason, going 7-2 with a 2.13 ERA for Philadelphia and Texas in the past two years, including 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA against the Yankees.
Lee won 18 games for Cleveland in 2005, then got hurt in spring training in 2007 and was demoted to the minors. He returned to the big leagues, finished 5-8 with a 6.29 ERA and was left off Cleveland's postseason roster. He rebounded to go 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA in 2008 and was voted the AL Cy Young Award.
He was 14-13 for the Indians and Phillies in 2009, and 12-9 for the Seattle Mariners and Rangers this year.
With Lee's departure, the Rangers could move closer Neftali Feliz from the bullpen to the rotation and may attempt to acquire 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke in a trade from the Kansas City Royals.
This was a rare instance in which the Yankees' financial might failed to land a player they wanted. After losing to Texas in the AL championship series, they are seeking to add pitching to a rotation that includes CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett. New York is waiting to find out from Andy Pettitte whether he will pitch or retire; the Yankees also have promising Ivan Nova, a hard-throwing right-hander who turns 24 next month.
New York also held talks with Crawford before his agreement with the Red Sox, but never made an offer.
AP Sports Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.
The Cleveland Browns don't receive passing grades.
The Cleveland Browns loss to the Buffalo Bills is an indication that Ohio.com reporter Nate Ulrich wasn't nice when it comes to his weekly grades for the Browns.
And as a good professor, he shouldn't give grades away.
The offense and coach Eric Mangini each earned failing grades, and they deserved it.
Quarterback: F. In his third consecutive start, Jake Delhomme left Browns fans longing for rookie Colt McCoy's return from a high-ankle sprain. Delhomme completed 12-of-20 passes for 86 yards with an interception and a lost fumble. Both turnovers occurred in the fourth quarter, killing the Browns' chances of producing a late rally. Delhomme, though, wasn't solely responsible for those crucial miscues, but I'll get to that later.
Mangini received an F grade for several reasons, but especially for an early decision.
On fourth-and-goal from the Bills' 1, Mangini should have let his offense go for it early in the first quarter. Against most teams, I would have agreed with his decision to take the points with a field goal, but the Bills have the NFL's worst rushing defense. Hillis ran 21 times and was the target of five passes, meaning he was at the center of 26 of the offense's 45 plays. Once the Bills clamped down on Hillis, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll needed to adjust and prove he actually developed a backup plan.
Hot seat
Could Eric Mangini's job status come down to him not going for it on fourth-and-1 Sunday? Well, not exactly, but the loss to the Buffalo Bills and losses in his last three games will certainly decide his fate.
CantonRep.com reporter Steve Doerschuk writes how Mangini was widely second-guessed for not sending a message by going for it on that fourth-and-1. Peyton Hillis has rushed for 11 touchdowns this year, and as Delhomme puts it, “Peyton’s kinda good down there.”
Buffalo’s run defense has been awful, ranking 32nd in the league.
“They marched the ball right down the field on us,” Buffalo linebacker Paul Posluszny said. “Holding them to three points was huge.”
The least flattering, writes Doerschuk, for Mangini would be a judgment that he and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll get outcoached while making in-game adjustments.
Bottom line: The Browns are 5-8 coming off a bad loss. Mangini shows signs of feeling the heat as to having three games left to improve on last year’s five-win total, and a bad game at Buffalo put him behind the 8-ball.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cleveland Browns are not the only team in Ohio having issues. Sunday's opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals, have had issues this season with quarterback Carson Palmer.
Palmer is tied for the league lead in interceptions with 18 and he is the first quarterback since A.J. Feeley with Miami in 2004 to have five returned for touchdowns in a season.
In the last seven games, Palmer is 149 of 253 for 1,488 yards with 12 interceptions and 11 touchdowns. Of his 20 turnovers on the season (18 interceptions and two fumbles), teams have scored 79 points.
