The first pick of the 2002 NBA Draft and a seven-time All-Star, Yao has missed all or parts of six consecutive seasons with bone injuries.

View full sizeAPYao Ming

Boston's Rajon Rondo sprained a left ankle and could be out a week or two.

But, by far, the biggest news was that Houston's Yao Ming has a stress fracture in his left ankle, which could threaten his career.

Five months ago, he said he might have to retire if he could not stay healthy, but now he's not so sure.

"I have been working hard to get back on the court, so today's news was very disappointing for me," Yao, 30, told Houston reporters. "I will need some time to speak with my doctors to figure out my options moving forward, but I want to thank all those who have expressed their support for me during this time."

Although this injury is on the inside of his ankle, and the injury that caused him to miss last season was on the top of his ankle, the two are related. The first pick of the 2002 NBA Draft and a seven-time All-Star has missed all or parts of six consecutive seasons with bone injuries. His Rockets contract expires after this season.

The injury problems are similar to those of former Cav Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Phoenix's Grant Hill, who required reconstructive surgery to solve their injury problems. Yao's previous surgeries might complicate that option.

The Rockets have not set a timetable for Yao's return.

Noah first suffered his injury Nov. 27 at Sacramento, and he hit the thumb again Dec. 4 against the Rockets. Noah started taping the thumb and wore a brace last week against Toronto. He also suffered sprained right index and middle fingers, but those won't require surgery.

"It's not what I want." Noah told reporters. "But I have to get back to playing at a high level. I'm tired of taking anti-inflammatory [pills] every time I play. I'm tired of not dribbling with my right hand. I'm going to miss playing. It's frustrating because I feel we have a chance to be really, really good. But I know in the long run, this is what needs to be done."

Noah also said he suffered the same injury and had the same surgery on his left hand during high school. Kirk Hinrich suffered the same injury in the 2008-09 season and missed nine weeks and 31 games.

Rondo's injury is less severe than the others, but the problem for the Celtics is that it's one of many. Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal, Delonte West and Kendrick Perkins also are hurt.

"The fact again is this is not one guy," Boston coach Doc Rivers told Boston reporters. "It's the cumulative that is hurting us. Let's say if Rondo was out and we had everybody else healthy, we'd be fine. Or if one of the other guys was out and we had everyone else healthy, we'd be fine. What hurts us is the bench now is just so thin."

It almost got thinner when Nate Robinson, Rondo's replacement, fell hard after jumping onto Paul Pierce in the wake of Pierce's game-winning shot in New York on Wednesday.

Asked if he had had to prohibit such actions, Rivers told reporters: "No, I'm just going to ask him not to miss. He can jump on their back, but he should actually hold on. His problem was that he missed."

A team making a run at a title might have an interest in trading for Cavaliers forward Antawn Jamison, says Mary Schmitt Boyer.

View full sizeAPSacramento Kings forward Jason Thompson.

Q: Hey, Mary: Are the Cavs interested in Jason Thompson of the Kings or O.J. Mayo of the Grizzlies? They're both young, talented and unwanted by their current team. Thompson especially would give the Cavs an actual post threat. -- Sam Rugg, Columbus

A: Hey, Sam: I think they like the long, active Thompson more than Mayo at this point, but that doesn't mean they're pursuing either one. Mayo, who recently moved from the starting lineup to the bench, just got a vote of confidence from the Grizzlies owner, for what that's worth.

Q: Hey, Mary: What are the chances that any team at the trade deadline would take Antawn Jamison? -- Angelo Costanzo, Cleveland

A: Hey, Angelo: I think a team that is making a serious run at a title and feels it needs one more piece might do so. Remember, that's exactly what the Cavs did last season.

Q: Hey, Mary: With the loss of Shaq, Z and LeBron, I imagine the Cavs' team payroll this year is much lower. How does this year's team salary compare to last year, and how does this year's team salary rank in the NBA? -- Rich Smith, Columbus

A: Hey, Rich: The Cavs' payroll currently ranks 28th in the NBA, at about $52.26 million. Last season, their payroll was about $85 million.

Q: Hey, Mary: Have there been any rumblings about [owner

Dan] Gilbert selling the team? I just don't understand why he hasn't made any statements during this losing streak. Something like telling us how he shares our frustration and he's doing everything in his power to make us better would suffice. Are you surprised he hasn't made any public statements? -- Eric Sulzer, Columbus

A: Hey, Eric: I think Gilbert was stung by the media criticism in the wake of his open letter to the fans after LeBron James left, and so I think he's keeping a low profile. I have heard nothing about him selling the team.

Q: Hey, Mary: Why isn't J.J. Hickson playing? If he is supposed to be our future, he needs to play, or [owner Dan] Gilbert needs to admit he's not and we need to blow it up and rebuild. Your thoughts? -- Brett Shaver, West Park

A: Hey, Brett: Hickson isn't playing because coach Byron Scott isn't happy with his effort and/or focus, and until Hickson figures out that he needs to work hard consistently, he probably isn't going to get more minutes. Gilbert doesn't really have any say in that. Right now, the Cavs are going to be patient as they determine what they have and what they need moving forward. I do not see them blowing up the team at this point.

Q: Hey, Mary: What are the Cavs going to do with the high-salary veterans on this team? I feel like the Washington Wizards of last year. Are we going to move Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison? And when is J.J. Hickson going to respond to coach Scott's pressure? He needs to step up! -- Da'Quell Wentworth, Waite Hill

A: Hey, Da'Quell: Because of their salaries, Williams and Jamison are not as attractive to potential suitors as Cavs fans would like to believe. In addition, the Cavs have stated time and time again that they're going to be patient in determining what they need moving forward. Jamison has said things here are not as bad as they were in Washington last season, so we will have to take him at his word. As for Hickson, you are correct. He doesn't realize that he really controls his playing time -- not coach Scott.

-- Mary

Also, should the Indians have waited for John Farrell to become available as a manager?

View full sizeAPJohn Farrell

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: Did the Indians' front office attend the winter meetings? -- Rob Lewis, Cleveland

A: Hey, Rob: You have a lot of nerve. The Indians acquired Paul Phillips at the winter meetings.

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think the Tribe pulled the trigger too soon in hiring Manny Acta last year? Toronto acquired John Farrell as their manager this off-season. -- Gareth Harris, Westlake

A: Hey, Gareth: Farrell was a candidate for the Indians' job before they hired Acta. He removed himself from consideration. What did you want the Indians to do? Go a year without a manager so Farrell could turn them down again this winter?

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: Wondering when you think the Tribe will contend again and make the playoffs? -- Johnny D'Ambrosia, Garfield Heights

A: Hey, Johnny: Contention and making the playoffs are different things. I think the Indians have a chance to contend in 2012. If they don't make the postseason by 2013 or 2014, you're probably looking at another rebuild unless the finances of the club change dramatically.

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: With ex-Indian Ryan Garko surprisingly heading off to South Korea, is there any truth to the rumor that the Indians' brain trust surreptitiously sold Garko to the Korean army to take Shin-Soo Choo's place? -- Eddie Johansson, El Dorado, Texas

A: Hey, Eddie: Somehow I missed that on the transaction report.

-- Hoynsie

Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer offers the Browns defense some scoring opportunities.

View full sizePDJoe Haden

1. The new turnover machine

Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer has thrown 26 touchdowns -- 21 to his teammates and five to the opposition. Yes, that's five pick-sixes Palmer has authored. Five interceptions returned for touchdowns. Eighteen interceptions total. The Browns have had 14 interceptions in their past seven games. It would be fun to watch Joe Haden get one of these and execute a TD celebration he's had in his mind for some time.

2. Fresh legs

Pass rush has been the bane of the Bengals' defense. But lately they've received some energy from rookies Carlos Dunlap (outside) and Geno Atkins (inside). They helped to provide a fairly sound beating on Ben Roethlisberger last week. Colt McCoy will need to have complete mobility in his first game back from a high ankle sprain to avoid a similar fate.

3. Hold on, Peyton

Peyton Hillis' fumbles should not mar the fantastic year he's had. Without his hard, dependable running, the Browns might be 2-11 instead of 5-8. My guess is his three fumbles against Buffalo were flukes and not a sign of things to come. The Bengals aren't known as ball hawks. But neither were the Bills.

4. Phil's the man

I mistakenly wrote the other day that Eric Steinbach has appeared in more Browns-Bengals games than any Brown. This is a correction. Kicker Phil Dawson will appear in his 22nd Battle of Ohio today. Steinbach will be playing his 16th, including eight with the Bengals. Dawson is 28-of-31 in field goals against Cincinnati, but his shining moment may have come in his first game against them in 1999 when he scooted 4 yards for a TD on a fake field goal. I don't know if we've seen one of those since.

If Ochocinco scores, don't expect any elaborate celebrations ... not from a guy on a 2-11 team.

View full sizeKeith Srakocic / Associated PressBengals quarterback Carson Palmer has thrown more touchdowns to opposing defenses (5) than to Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco (No. 85), who has four.

"Aw, man, it's been tough," he said. "It's been tough just trying to find ways to continue to keep myself motivated, continue to keep myself smiling. I'm trying to be part of the solution and not the problem. I'm doing everything I can to stay positive. It's really hard, especially when you lose week in and week out. It's really stressful, man."

So nothing fun planned for the Browns' defensive backs? No special celebrations for the game?

"We're 2-11," he said. "Ain't nothing I can do that's going to get me motivated or to have fun, it's backwards."

But 85, we've never heard you like this before.

"It wears on you after 10 years," he said.

But wait, aren't veteran players supposed to keep everyone up at a time like this? Are you struggling with that?

"Not at all," he said. "You watch me practice, you'll be into it. My mouth is still running. I'm doing all the talking out there on the field. Nothing has changed, I'm just more subdued when I'm off the field, which I have to be because I have nothing to feed off of."

Coach Marvin Lewis chuckled when told how dejected Ochocinco sounded.

"I did a good job with him this morning, huh? I appreciate that," Lewis said with a laugh.

Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan also didn't buy Ochocinco's midweek Tweet that he was nervous about his ankle injury heading into today's game.

"You hoped Christmas was coming early with him on the injury report, but I'm not believing it," Ryan said. "We always take him away. To me I think he's the best receiver in football and I'll always believe that, so he's always going to have a hard, long day against us. It would take more than some injury report to convince me that guy's not great and we're just going to take him away every time."

The Browns did just that in the first meeting, holding Ochocinco to three catches for 59 yards. But it left the door open for Terrell Owens to pile up the second-most yards in his 15-year career -- 222 yards on 10 catches, including a 78-yard touchdown. This season, he has 72 catches for 983 yards and nine TDs. Ochocinco has 65 catches for 795 yards and four TDs.

"We don't want [Owens] to catch that many this time. That 80-yarder helped him," Ryan said. "We're going to make it a much tougher day on him. He's back to his old self playing like T.O. We just needed some convincing and believe me, we believe now. He's not going to have the same day he had last time, that's for sure."

One major difference for the Browns is that rookie Joe Haden will be in the starting lineup this game.

"I think Joe Haden, the way he's playing, that's definitely going to make a difference," Ryan said. "That's the real Joe Haden. I think we had the young one early in the season and he still played pretty well in that game. This one here is up for a challenge. If it was up to him, he'd stay out there in man-coverage all day long. It's not up to him right now but wow, what a player."

Haden, who leads the Browns with five interceptions, said Ochocinco is the best receiver he's faced this year.

"When he was running routes, he was just breaking down and coming out of breaks like nobody else did," Haden said. "He can go vertical and drop his weight and come out of his breaks better than anybody we've played against."

Even if the Buckeyes beat Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl, it won't spell the end of the SEC issue for Ohio State.

View full sizeKerry Smith / Associated PressArkansas has a fine team this season, but they're still not exactly an SEC superpower.

Q: Hey, Doug: Will Ohio State fans ever have a chance to convince SEC fans that we can show up in a big-time bowl game and meet and defeat an SEC team? If the Buckeyes lose to Arkansas in New Orleans then I don't know what I will do. -- Tom O'Malley, Cleveland

A: Hey, Tom: Would it make Ohio State fans feel any better to know that Arkansas is 0-3 against the Big Ten in bowl games? It's not quite Ohio State's 0-9 record against the SEC in bowl games, but neither program knows what it's like to beat the other conference on this stage. Here's the problem -- even if the Buckeyes win, it won't spell the end of the SEC issue for the Buckeyes. Arkansas is a very good team this year, and the program should be on an upswing now that coach Bobby Petrino has been locked down with a seven-year extension. But Arkansas isn't Alabama . . . or Florida . . . or LSU . . . or Auburn with Cam Newton. It's not the kind of win over the SEC that would cause people to stand up and take notice, and I can't imagine Ohio State selling many "Now we're 1-9" T-shirts after a bowl win.

But there's no reason for Ohio State fans to be afraid of Arkansas. The Razorbacks don't do anything the Buckeyes can't handle. The Buckeyes are about a 3-point favorite, and plenty of college football analysts are picking the Buckeyes. The OSU players said coach Jim Tressel did show them what he said was an e-mail he received about the Buckeyes' record against the SEC, and every little bit of motivation helps.

This isn't the be-all, end-all Ohio State-SEC showdown, though. It should be a great matchup, but the chance to convince SEC fans? That probably will have to come in something like a national title game with a team like Alabama or Florida. But avoiding 0-10 sure would be nice.

-- Doug Lesmerises

Cliff Lee surprised a lot of people last week, including the Indians, when he didn't sign the biggest free agent contract available. By rejoining the Phillies, he gives them a rotation that may rival some of the best in history.

View full sizeAssociated PressCliff Lee surprised some people by spurning big offers from the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Lee surprised them and everyone else last week when he turned down bigger offers from the Yankees and Texas to return to the Phillies, the team that sent him packing after he won two World Series games for them in 2009 because they liked Roy Halladay better.

It's not as if Lee signed for a song. A five-year deal worth $120 million is a nice Christmas present. Add the $27.5 million vesting option in 2016, and it gets a lot closer to the deals he left on the table.

The Phillies' rotation of Halladay, Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels may glitter more than all of Lee's money. It has a chance to be the best rotation since Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine started for Atlanta from 1993 through 1999.

In Cleveland, it will draw comparisons to the 1954 rotation of Early Wynn (23-11), Bob Lemon (23-7), Mike Garcia (19-8), Art Houtteman (15-7) and an aging Bob Feller (13-3).

Some say the Indians' 1955 rotation of Wynn (17-11), Lemon (18-10), Garcia (11-13) and rookie Herb Score (16-10) is a better comparison simply because of Score's promise that ultimately went unfulfilled.

Peace of mind: Indians broadcaster Mike Hegan is happy with his decision to reduce his workload for next season. He'll do all home games with WTAM AM/1100 play-by-play man Tom Hamilton.

Hegan must use oxygen when he flies, which makes road trips a challenge. Jim Rosenhaus will partner with Hamilton on the road.

"This is going to work out well," Hegan said.

On the move: Kinston, the Indians' Class A affiliate in the Carolina League, has been sold to Zebulon, N.C. They'll move there after the 2011 season.

Is it just me . . . Or did Kerry Wood return to the Cubs for $1.5 million because he'd saved his pennies from the two-year, $20.5 million deal he signed with the Indians before the 2009 season? A deal, shall we say, that left both parties unsatisfied, save for Wood's bank account. . . . Colorado was interested in Adam Everett before the Indians signed him to a minor-league deal last week.

The endless story: Talking to the friends, teammates and opponents of Feller, who died last week, was enlightening. In case you didn't know:

•For a long time, Feller snubbed Yankees Hall of Famer Yogi Berra. Finally, Berra asked Feller, "Did I do something wrong?' Feller told him he didn't have much use for anyone who didn't serve his country when it needed him.

Berra told Feller that he was in the Navy and took part in the Normandy invasion. After that, they became fast friends.

Said a friend: "Yogi wasn't Yogi when he joined the Navy. He was just a 19-year-old minor-leaguer with the Yankees. Bob didn't know that."

•Feller was the unofficial ambassador for the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark and President Jeff Idelson loved him. It was always thought Roger Clemens would one day take Feller's place in that role.

Now Clemens, entangled in steroid allegations, might not even get elected to the Hall when he becomes eligible.

•Former Indians outfielder Rocky Colavito was amazed at the schedule Feller kept after he retired.

"His energy was unbelievable," Colavito said. "He was always making an appearance here and there. And he was no spring chicken."

Colavito, 77, is on the comeback trail following right knee replacement surgery.

•When Feller joined the Indians as a 17-year-old rookie in 1936, Fred Weisman was the team's 9-year-old batboy. His dad, Whitey, was the Indians' trainer.

"We were on our eastern trip [New York, Boston and Philadelphia]," Weisman, 84, said. "Bob joined us in Philadelphia. He had no control whatsoever. The batters weren't worried about getting a hit, they were worried about getting killed. Everyone was hitting with one foot in the bucket."

When the Indians returned to Cleveland, Feller stayed at Weisman's parents home in Cleveland Heights until he found a place to live.

"We slept in the same bed," said Weisman, still a practicing attorney. "He was green, right off the farm. At dinner, my mother put a big crock of applesauce next to Bob. It was for everyone at the table, but Bob ate it all. No one said a thing."

•Former Yankees third baseman Bobby Brown talked a lot about Feller last week, which dovetailed into stories about playing the Indians at old Municipal Stadium.

"There used to be a Dairy Queen-type ice cream store right next to the ballpark," Brown said. "When we came to town, the clubhouse manager would hire an extra clubbie just to buy us ice cream. He'd walk in the door with a tray of ice cream cones, and he wouldn't get 10 feet before they were all gone.

"One day we played a doubleheader. Allie Reynolds wasn't pitching, and I asked him how many he'd eat. He said 10. Ten between games of a doubleheader."

Brown said the Yankees would always play the Tigers in Detroit before coming to Cleveland.

"What a wonderful 10 days that would be," Brown said sarcastically. "We had to face Art Houtteman, Fred Hutchinson, Hal Newhouser and Dizzy Trout in Detroit. Then come to Cleveland and face Feller, Bob Lemon, Early Wynn, Mike Garcia and Steve Gromek. But we never felt overmatched because we had guys like Allie Reynolds, Vic Rashi, Whitey Ford and Eddie Lopat."

Newhouser, Feller, Lemon, Wynn and Ford are in the Hall of Fame.

Services: A public memorial service will be held for Feller in the near future. The Feller family will hold a private service in the near future.

Charitable contributions can be made in the name of Bob Feller to Cleveland Indians Charities (indians.com) and the Bob Feller Museum (bobfellermuseum.org).

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

If Mike Holmgren makes changes on the Browns coaching staff, a key advisor to him will be his agent, Bob LaMonte.

View full sizeGus Chan / The Plain DealerBrowns President Mike Holmgren, above, was the highest-paid coach in the NFL in 1999, thanks in large part to his friend and agent, Bob LaMonte.

LaMonte, who owns Professional Sports Representation Inc., is not only Holmgren's agent but one of his best friends.

The two men were teachers and coaches at Oak Grove High School in San Jose, Calif., 35 years ago. Their relationship merged into a business association when Holmgren stayed on the coaching path and LaMonte veered to the agent business.

LaMonte started as a player agent, but his specialty is now coaches and front office executives. Holmgren's success as an NFL coach helped LaMonte's business boom. PSR reportedly grew from 18 clients to 45 in the past 10 years.

LaMonte returned the favor by making Holmgren one of the wealthiest coaches in NFL history. Holmgren was the highest-paid coach in the NFL when he moved from Green Bay to Seattle in 1999. At his height in Seattle, Holmgren reportedly was pulling in $7.5 million a year.

When Holmgren made his career move to Cleveland, LaMonte was the dealmaker. Then when Holmgren arrived in Berea to deliberate the fate of Eric Mangini, LaMonte was in the building to help gather Holmgren's support staff.

He represents two of Holmgren's chief advisers -- General Manager Tom Heckert and senior adviser Gil Haskell, Holmgren's former offensive coordinator in Seattle and assistant coach in Green Bay. LaMonte also represents Will Lewis, who was interviewed for the GM job but remained with the Seahawks as vice president of football operations.

Why were the names Randy Mueller and John Schneider mentioned also as candidates for the Browns GM job? They, too, are LaMonte clients.

Few can recall the most recent time Holmgren filled a major opening on a coaching staff with a coach not represented by LaMonte.

That is why the names Jon Gruden and John Fox frequently are mentioned as possible successors to Mangini in Cleveland if Holmgren pulls the plug. Both are LaMonte clients.

Others include deposed Denver coach Josh McDaniels, Minnesota interim head coach Leslie Frazier, deposed Minnesota coach Brad Childress, Philadelphia offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, Chiefs offensive coordinator Charlie Weis and Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

So you might say that LaMonte wields a great deal of influence in Berea. But it's not unusual for an agent to control the power structure of the Browns. It's happened with other regimes, also.

When Carmen Policy ran the organization, the man behind the scenes was agent Marvin Demoff. He represented Policy and former GM Dwight Clark. When it looked as if the Browns were going to hire Marvin Lewis to replace first coach Chris Palmer, Demoff swooped in and hand-delivered Butch Davis. It was Demoff who offered up former Green Bay GM Ron Wolf as a special consultant for Davis. Later, Demoff recommended John Collins as a replacement for Policy.

When Phil Savage won the power play over Collins and strengthened his grip as GM, it opened the door for Beachwood-based agent Neil Cornrich to have his run behind the scenes. Cornrich represented Savage, who then hired the coordinators for Romeo Crennel's staff -- Rob Chudzinski on offense, Todd Grantham and later Mel Tucker on defense. Cornrich represented all of them.

So there's always a powerbroker lurking in the halls of the Browns' complex. That well-dressed, quiet man with the curly hair? It's LaMonte.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: tgrossi@plaind.com, 216-999-4670

Ohio State rolls over South Carolina to improve to 10-0, and the first loss for the Buckeyes could be more than a month away.

View full sizeNeal C. Lauron / Columbus DispatchThe Buckeyes' Dallas Lauderdale, a Solon High grad, puts the ball through the hoop with authority during the first half Saturday against South Carolina at Value City Arena in Columbus.

Playing its first home game of the season against a major conference team, playing before the second crowd of more than 15,000 fans, playing a nationally televised game on CBS, No. 2 Ohio State rolled overmatched South Carolina, 79-57, behind another monster game from freshman big man Jared Sullinger, who had 30 points and 19 rebounds.

"I think we had our minds right before the game started and we came out and executed the game-plan to a T," senior David Lighty said.

The crowd responded to every dunk, transition layup and drive through traffic, and after road wins over Florida and Florida State, the Buckeyes (10-0) responded to legitimate home enthusiasm. One-third of the way into the regular season, during a football lull, the fans seemed to fully accept that a lot more games like this are ahead.

Sullinger is the best freshman in the nation and one of the best five players; Lighty, Jon Diebler and William Buford are all 1,000-point career scorers; OSU coach Thad Matta proudly pointed out that every starter is from Ohio; and guess what . . . basketball season is here.

"As a team we've been excited since summertime," senior center Dallas Lauderdale said. "When we're able to put all our talent together, we have a pretty special team."

View full sizeMCTJared Sullinger had 30 points and 19 rebounds for the Buckeyes.

Now here's what basketball players can't talk about without risking the wrath of their coach. It should be another good month before the Buckeyes lose their first game.

At 10-0, they're one of nine undefeated teams in the country and off to the second-best start in Matta's seven seasons, behind the 11-0 start in 2005-06. The only better starts for the Buckeyes were 17-0 in 1990-91; 22-0 in 1961-62; and 27-0 in 1960-61, when the Buckeyes didn't lose until the NCAA championship game against Cincinnati.

Here's what's ahead for the Buckeyes: UNC Asheville, Oakland and Tennessee-Martin in nonconference games, and then at Indiana, at Iowa, Minnesota, at Michigan, Penn State and Iowa to start the Big Ten. There are always banana peels out there for teams that relax, but the first real test looks to be at Illinois on Jan. 22, when the Buckeyes would be 19-0.

A lot of that is thanks to the schedule, which has been easier in the nonconference than the schedule of some other top teams, and is backloaded in the conference slate with Big Ten contenders. Some of it is because when the Buckeyes are on, they're very tough to guard. So far, Indiana-Purdue Indianapolis and South Carolina have chosen to give up the inside and focus on the perimeter and in those games, Sullinger has scored a combined 70 points.

"If you try to take it all away, you end up taking nothing away," South Carolina coach Darrin Horn said. "We conceded he could have a good game."

That strategy might not last much longer. Averaging 18.5 points and 9.6 rebounds just 10 games into his career, even Sullinger can't believe how much damage he's caused.

"I really thought I was going to come in and rebound and that's about it," Sullinger said. "I was expecting double-teams, but with my teammates with their ability to shoot, it's really hard to double-team."

It's also really hard to beat the Buckeyes.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dlesmerises@plaind.com, 216-999-4479

Get Tony Grossi's picks for Week 15 of the NFL season.

N.Y. Jets at Pittsburgh, 4:15 p.m.

TV: WOIO Channel 19.

Line: Steelers by 5½.

Tony’s take: Jets have never won in Pittsburgh. Steelers 13, Jets 10.

Atlanta at Seattle, 4:05 p.m.

TV: WJW Channel 8.

Line: Falcons by 6½.

Tony’s take: Seahawks have one win over winning team this year. Falcons 28, Seahawks 20.

Green Bay at New England, 8:20 p.m.

TV: WKYC Channel 3.

Line: Patriots by 6½.

Tony’s take: Won’t matter if Aaron Rodgers plays for Packers. Patriots 23, Packers 17.

Arizona at Carolina, 1 p.m.

Line: Panthers by 1½.

Tony’s take: John Skelton vs. Jimmy Clausen. What is this, the Sun Bowl? Panthers 10, Cardinals 7.

Buffalo at Miami, 1 p.m.

Line: Dolphins by 6½.

Tony’s take: Thawed-out Bills win second in a row. Bills 17, Dolphins 13.

Detroit at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.

Line: Bucs by 4½.

Tony’s take: Lions going after 27th straight road loss. Bucs 31, Lions 21.

Houston at Tennessee, 1 p.m.

Line: Titans by 1.

Tony’s take: Jeff Fisher may not even reach .500 this year. Texans 30, Titans 24.

Jacksonville at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.

Line: Colts by 5.

Tony’s take: I’ll believe Colts are out of playoffs when I see it. Colts 26, Jaguars 24.

Kansas City at St. Louis, 1 p.m.

Line: Chiefs by 1.

Tony’s take: Rams surge to front of torrid NFC West with win. Rams 19, Chiefs 17.

New Orleans at Baltimore, 1 p.m.

Line: Ravens by 2½.

Tony’s take: Drew Brees might shred overrated Ravens defense. Saints 27, Ravens 20.

Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m.

Line: Giants by 3.

Tony’s take: Could go either way, but home team rules here. Giants 17, Eagles 13.

Washington at Dallas, 1 p.m.

Line: Cowboys by 6.

Tony’s take: Two once-great franchises struggling to find their way. Cowboys 28, Redskins 21.

Denver at Oakland, 4:15 p.m.

Line: Raiders by 6½.

Tony’s take: Raiders will pour it on. Raiders 34, Broncos 17.

GROSSI UPDATE Last week overall: 7-9 .438

Season overall: 125-83 .601

Last week vs. spread: 5-9-2 .375

Season vs. spread: 96-107-5 .474

PD reporter says that only decisive wins over Baltimore and Pittsburgh would cause Mike Holmgren to reconsider. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, our Web video show about what's going on in Cleveland sports. Today's show is hosted by Branson Wright, who is flying solo today without Chuck Yarborough, who is on vacation at the North Pole.

Today's guest, Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff, covered the game in Cincinnati yesterday, and he says the Browns' inability to stop the run was most disappointing. He also says that he believes Eric Mangini, Rob Ryan and Brian Daboll are all gone after Sunday's defeat - unless they can pull off upsets in season-ending home games against the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He also talks about Colt McCoy's performance.

SBTV will be back Tuesday with Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw as the guest.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Final observations from the Cavs 101-90 loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday night at The Q: I know that the Princeton offense is predicated on offensive players taking what the defense gives. I just can't believe that the only way to beat the Utah Jazz is to keep firing up 3-pointers and hope they go in....

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Final observations from the Cavs 101-90 loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday night at The Q:

I know that the Princeton offense is predicated on offensive players taking what the defense gives. I just can't believe that the only way to beat the Utah Jazz is to keep firing up 3-pointers and hope they go in. Surely the nine teams that have beaten the Jazz so far this season have done more than that. I also can't believe that after the performance Anderson Varejao put on against the New York Knicks on Saturday he's a complete afterthought on Monday. Yes, the Jazz defend a lot better than the Knicks, but the problem I see is that the Cavs never seem to do the same thing well for two games in a row _ never try to do the same thing well two games in a row.

Maybe it's unwise to read too much into a loss to a better team. It just seemed as though the Cavs were all too willing to allow the Jazz to dictate Monday's outcome by playing right into their hands.

Final: Jazz 101, Cavs 90. Well, it was nice while it lasted.

The Cavaliers winning streak stopped at one game after a 101-90 loss to an efficient Utah Jazz squad on Monday night at The Q. The loss was the Cavs' 11th in 12 games and dropped their record to 8-20.

Daniel Gibson had a season-high 29 with a career-high seven 3-pointers for the Cavs, who seemed to rely solely on jump shots for their offense. Of their 72 shots, 28 were 3-pointers.

C.J. Miles had 22 points, Raja Bell and Paul Millsap had 19 points each, Al Jefferson had 16 points and 13 rebounds and Deron Williams had 17 points and 10 assists as the Jazz improved to 20-9. With the victory, Utah coach Jerry Sloan tied Pat Riley for third on the all-time winningest coaches list with 1,210.

The Cavs held their own in the first half, which ended with the Jazz in front, 49-44. But Cleveland shot 29.2 percent (7 of 24) in the third quarter. Of their 24 shots, all but eight were outside 10 feet.

Third quarter update: Jazz 76, Cavs 64. Cavs whole offense has resorted to shooting 3-pointers. As a result, Jazz have 12 more rebounds (34-22) and 11 more second-chance points (17-6), not to mention 10 more points in the paint (28-18.) Easy to see where this is headed if they keep it up.

Halftime update: Jazz 49, Cavs 44. Cavs trailed, 42-33, midway though the second quarter but made up the difference with 3-pointers by Anthony Parker, Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson. But poor execution down the stretch let the Jazz regain the lead on a 3-pointer by Raja Bell and a 17-footer by Al Jefferson. Cavs are shooting 51.6 percent in spite of Antawn Jamison's 3 for 11. Jazz are shooting 47.6 percent but hold a 20-16 edge on the boards. Williams has eight points and seven assists. C.J. Miles has 12 for Jazz, and Deron Williams has nine assists.

First quarter update: Jazz 24, Cavs 20. The Cavs held their own in a first quarter that was remarkably even. Deron Williams has four points and six assists, but he hasn't been killing the Cavs the way some had feared he would. Cavs are having trouble getting inside, though.

Cavs starters: F Anthony Parker, F Antawn Jamison, C Anderson Varejao, G Daniel Gibson, G Mo Williams.

Jazz starters: F Andrei Kirilenko, F Paul Millsap, C Al Jefferson G Raja Bell G Deron Williams.

Injuries: Joey Graham (strained right quad) and Leon Powe (right middle finger gash) are out for Cavs. Mehmet Okur (sprained right ankle) is out for Utah.

Inactives: Christian Eyenga, Graham, Powe for Cavs. Okur for Jazz.

Officials: James Capers, Mark Lindsay, Tom Washington.

Three things to watch

1. Can the Cavs bring the same energy they brought against the Knicks?

2. Will they have as much success defending the Jazz pick-and-roll as they did defending the Knicks'?

3. Who can coach Byron Scott put on Deron Williams?

Cavaliers point guard Mo Williams credits coach Jerry Sloan and the Utah Jazz with starting his career off right.

A second-round draft choice of the Jazz, Williams played just one season in Utah, but it was a beneficial one for a rookie learning how to play in the NBA.

"I learned the game,'' Williams said after Monday's shootaround and before Monday night's game against the Jazz at The Q. "That's a system that teaches you how to be a hard-nosed player. Obviously you're going to get that trait from Jerry....

"My time there was great. I always give Jerry Sloan and Phil [longtime assistant coach Phil Johnson] the utmost respect. I love those guys. They started my career off right. I couldn't have gone to a better place to learn how to play this NBA game, learn work ethic, learn how to work hard and compete. I'm very glad for that opportunity.

"Unfortunately, it was only one year, but I learned a lot in that year. That year has gotten me to where I am today _ learning the game inside out, learning how to be a professional.

Asked about the beauty of Sloan's system, Williams said, "You've got to guard all five guys. A lot of teams in this league run a lot of sets where it's a two-man game or a three-man game. A lot of times in their offense, five guys are moving at one time and whoever's open is going to get the ball.''

Did Sunday's loss seal Eric Mangini's fate? Could he save his job with wins over Baltimore and Pittsburgh? Tony Grossi tackled those questions and more in his weekly chat today on cleveland.com.

Tony Grossi talks Browns in his latest podcast.

APGeno Auriemma The UConn women won its 88th consecutive basketball game on Sunday when UConn beat Ohio State. The team celebrated, the fans celebrated and for some reason the streak has been compared to UCLA's men's streak of 88 straight victories. Same sport, but different genders, and that's the difference. Until men and women compete together on the same basketball floor,...

APGeno Auriemma

The UConn women won its 88th consecutive basketball game on Sunday when UConn beat Ohio State.

The team celebrated, the fans celebrated and for some reason the streak has been compared to UCLA's men's streak of 88 straight victories.

Same sport, but different genders, and that's the difference.

Until men and women compete together on the same basketball floor, all sports records when it comes to women and men's sports, should be separate, and some time not equal.

Do we now include the WNBA records with the NBA records?

Sun-Times reporter Mark Potash puts some sense to all of this when he writes how  Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma made the streak more than it really is.

Here’s a news flash for Auriemma: You’re not chasing UCLA’s record of 88 consecutive victories under John Wooden. You didn’t tie it and you’re not going to break it. That’s a men’s basketball record. You coach a women’s team. A women’s team can’t break a men’s record any more than a men’s team can break a women’s record.

Nobody’s having a heart attack over your perceived ‘‘threat’’ to UCLA’s record. The only reason people are writing about it, if they are at all, is in response to others who are trying to convince themselves that you’re breaking it.

You’ve got the best women’s basketball program in the country, and Tennessee’s Pat Summitt has lost 16 times since you last got beat. Why can’t you be happy with that?

Potash doesn't have an issue with some basketball fans, and media. His issue is with Auriemma.

 
Auriemma should be happy that established media are buying the idea that UConn is breaking UCLA’s record and giving him a soapbox to whine about the lack of respect women’s basketball receives in the sporting world.

 
 

The Indians have re-signed Austin Kearns to fill their need for a veteran right-handed hitting outfielder.

View full sizeChuck Crow | The Plain DealerAustin Kearns is back with the Indians after being traded to the Yankees in July.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Meet the new Indians right-handed hitting outfielder, same as the Indians old right-handed hitting outfielder.

Austin Kearns is back. Kearns, who won a job with the Indians last spring training, has agreed to a one-year $1.3 million deal with the Tribe today. It's the first free agent the Indians have signed to a big-league deal this winter.

Kearn's deal includes performance bonuses.

"We think he's a great fit," said GM Chris Antonetti. ""He's a right-handed hitting outfielder who can play all three outfield positions. He's smart, tough and plays the game the right way."

The Indians traded Kearns to the Yankees for right-hander Zach McAllister on July 30, one day before the non-waiver trading deadline.

Kearns hit .272 (83-for-301) with 42 runs, 18 doubles, eight homers and 42 RBI with the Tribe. He had an OPS of .773 -- .419 slugging percentage and .354 onbase percentage.

Overall, he hit .263 with 10 homers and 49 RBI.  He had a .746 OPS, but played sparingly for the Yankees.

"We talked to some pretty good teams," said Kearns, concerning his offseason negotiations. "In the end, Cleveland was the place to come back to."

Kearns and his wife, Abbey, have a home in Westlake.

"Living outside of Cleveland definitely played a part in me signing here," said Kearns.

Last year Kearns came to camp as a spring training invitee on a make good deal.  He won a spot on the club and earned $750,000 in base salary.

"I enjoyed playing here," said Kearns. "There are a lot of good guys on this team. Guys I've maintained relationships with. They have a lot of talented young guys on this team."     

The Indians projected starting outfield of Grady Sizemore, Michael Brantley and Shin-Soo Choo are all left-handed hitters. Kearns was primarily a left fielder last year, playing 91 games there.

Shelley Duncan, Trevor Crowe and Chad Huffman are the other right-handed hitting alternatives among the outfielders. Crowe is a switch-hitter.   

The Indians must drop someone from the 40-man roster to make room for Kearns. They do not have to do that until MLB and the players association approves the contract.

He's back: Jayson Nix's winter ball experience has turned into a painful one.

He just returned to San Juan's lineup in Puerto Rico after getting hit in the head by a pitch and missing nine games. The Indians sent him there to sharpen his skills at third base, but he's played only eight games. 

Nix is hitting .074 (2-for-27) with one RBI. He has eight strikeouts and one walk. If the Indians aren't able to acquire a third baseman, Nix is the leading candidate to open the season at the hot corner.

Good reports: Antonetti said the Indians are indeed interested in Bartolo Colon and have been getting good reports from his winter ball exploits with Aguilas in the Dominican Republic.

Colon, 37, has reportedly lost close to 40 pounds.

The Indians have not talked contract with Colon or his agents. Colon broke into the big leagues with the Indians and was their one-time No.1 starter.

Finally: The Indians were not that interested in free agent infielder Bill Hall, who signed a $3 million deal with Houston.  Hall, a utility man, may have helped the Tribe at third.  

"The media wanted Mangini's head last year even though he inherited a total disaster of a team. This year the team is greatly improved, the team is competitive an is about a year from being a force in the AFC North. If we give Mangini one more year, I truly believe, with a few signings and a good draft, the team will be at least 10-6. If not, I'll be the first to call for his head. Mangini, like him or not, is the reason why the Browns have given us a team to watch for the first time since the fluke 10 win season in 2007." - Iceman81

View full sizeTracy Boulian | The Plain Dealer Eric Mangini inherited a team that needed a complete overhaul in 2009.

In response to the story Tony Grossi talks Browns-Bengals and more - Podcast, cleveland.com reader Iceman81 thinks Eric Mangini deserves one more year. This reader writes,

"The media wanted Mangini's head last year even though he inherited a total disaster of a team. This year the team is greatly improved, the team is competitive an is about a year from being a force in the AFC North. If we give Mangini one more year, I truly believe, with a few signings and a good draft, the team will be at least 10-6. If not, I'll be the first to call for his head. Mangini, like him or not, is the reason why the Browns have given us a team to watch for the first time since the fluke 10 win season in 2007."

"It's a shame that the Cavs had to lose nine or ten before they got mad. LeBron left you. So what? Nobody feels bad for you. Show some toughness, and start winning for yourselves." - mdavin1

View full sizeJoshua Gunter | The Plain DealerFans would like to see Mo Williams and the Cavaliers play with passion every night.

In response to the story Cleveland Cavaliers no fine-tuned machine, but get enough spark to beat New York Knicks in OT, cleveland.com reader mdavin1 wants to see the Cavs start playing angry. This reader writes,

"It's a shame that the Cavs had to lose nine or ten before they got mad. LeBron left you. So what? Nobody feels bad for you. Show some toughness, and start winning for yourselves."

"To hear some talk, Arkansas would have trouble with a MAC team. How embarrassing will it be if The Ohio State University Buckeyes fall on their faces again?" - OldRuss

View full sizeRyan Mallett and the Razorbacks will be a formidable opponent for the Buckeyes.

In response to the story Defeating Arkansas would be sweet, but SEC bitterness will remain: Hey, Doug!, cleveland.com reader OldRuss thinks Buckeyes fans might be overlooking the Razorbacks. This reader writes,

"To hear some talk, Arkansas would have trouble with a MAC team. How embarrassing will it be if The Ohio State University Buckeyes fall on their faces again?"

The Cavaliers coach is amazed that Sloan has never been named the NBA Coach of the Year despite his run of success with the Jazz.

View full sizePatrick Semansky / Associated PressCoach Jerry Sloan has won more than 1,200 games during his 23 seasons with the Utah Jazz.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — There's one thing about legendary Utah coach Jerry Sloan that Cavaliers coach Byron Scott can't believe.

"I was dumbfounded that he hasn't won Coach of the Year," Scott said of Sloan, who has won 1,210 games with the Jazz. After Utah's 101-90 win over the Cavs on Monday night, Sloan tied Pat Riley for third on the all-time-winningest coach list, behind Don Nelson and former Cavaliers coach Lenny Wilkens. "It's just amazing me the job he's done there for so many years and he's never won Coach of the Year. I'm still kind of baffled by that.

"But I don't think he cares, either."

Scott was informed that the Cavs have had nine head coaches during Sloan's 23-year tenure in Utah.

"Hopefully we don't have 10," Scott said, laughing.

Scott was asked if he could imagine coaching in one place that long.

"Yeah, I can imagine it," he said. "I don't think it will ever happen."

Scott said he played against Sloan's system for 14 years as a player and has coached against it the past 10 years.

"He's not trying to trick anybody," Scott said. "He just says: 'This is what we're going to run. Stop it.' Any mistake you make defensively, they will burn you.

"The beauty of watching his teams play is they all play like him. They all take on his personality. If you remember him back in his day as a player -- I was a little kid watching Chicago with Norm Van Lier and Jerry Sloan in the backcourt -- and I thought it was one of the toughest, dirtiest backcourts I've ever seen in my life. His players play that way. They're physical. They're tough."

Welcome back: Forward Jamario Moon found his way back into the rotation in Saturday's 109-102 victory over the New York Knicks after being inactive for four of the five games before that.

View full sizePDCavaliers forward Jamario Moon.

"It felt good to get back out there and do what I can do to help the team win," Moon said. "It felt great to be back out there, and I'm looking forward to staying out there with the guys."

Scott was pleased with how Moon handled the situation.

"I think a lot of guys couldn't handle it as well as he handled it," the coach said. "For a guy who hadn't played in a while, I thought he played extremely well for us on both ends of the floor. I always tell the guys, 'Make my job hard.' Now I've got to think about what I'm going to do as far as the rotation is concerned because the guy came out and played pretty well.

"I think his focus has been better. I could see some frustration. To be honest, I was happy to see it. I didn't want him to take [the demotion] and say, 'Oh, well, it is what it is.' I wanted him to be a little upset. I don't want anybody to be comfortable. That's the reason I made the changes I've made. When I think a guy is comfortable I'll make changes again."

ESPN hires Brown: Former Cavs coach Mike Brown has been hired by ESPN to work on its 3D game crew. Brown, who still lives in Westlake, will call 15 games and make 30 studio appearances.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668

Kent -- Darrell Hazell did his best Jim Tressel impression at his introductory news conference Monday, which should bode well for Kent State football fans awaiting a revival of the program with Hazell as its new coach. He spoke in broad terms and few specifics, much like Ohio State's head coach would. He highlighted a need for immediate change...

Kent -- Darrell Hazell did his best Jim Tressel impression at his introductory news conference Monday, which should bode well for Kent State football fans awaiting a revival of the program with Hazell as its new coach.

He spoke in broad terms and few specifics, much like Ohio State's head coach would. He highlighted a need for immediate change and instant winning. He said it was important that the "players in the program understand the importance of winning early."

The formal introductions included KSU President Lester Lefton proclaiming Monday "a proud and exciting day for the Kent State nation."

Hazell has one game left as Ohio State's assistant head coach and wide receivers coach, the Jan. 4 Sugar Bowl against Arkansas. At KSU, he will receive a $300,000 base salary, but the length of the contract and the additional perks are still to be worked out.

Hazell was a news conference hit as he proclaimed Kent as a job he wanted, adding that Tressel encouraged him to take it. " 'That's what you need to do for your career,' " Hazell, 46, said he was told.

He said the 5-7 team he inherits will be a winner, and the program will live up to expectations. "I've waited a long time for this," Hazell said. "I know we can win here. We're real close."

Hazell is the fifth straight in a line of first-time head coaches hired by KSU. The list has gone from Pete Cordelli to Jim Corrigall to Dean Pees to Doug Martin and now to Hazell. The most successful of the bunch was Martin, who resigned after this season with a seven-year record of 29-53, no winning campaigns and just one at .500 (2006).

Kent State has not had a winning season since going 7-4 in 1987 under Glen Mason. It has not posted two straight winning campaigns since 1976 and 1977 under Dennis Fitzgerald.

KSU athletic director Joel Nielsen said there is one thing different about Hazell from Kent's four previous coaching rookies.

"One of the things that separated Darrell [from other candidates] was his assistant head coaching abilities," Nielsen said. "That was a big part of it."

Hazell said he expected to have an offense able to do a lot of things and a defense that attacks and uses multiple fronts. Offensively, the only specific he offered was that "we'll stretch the field vertically."

As for his assistant coaches, he said four are already in place and will be announced by early January. Hazell said he does not plan to have OSU safeties coach and 1992 KSU alum Paul Haynes on his staff, adding that he did not think it was a good fit.

He also would not commit to any of the four KSU assistant coaching holdovers, including defensive coordinator Pete Rekstis, architect of a Flashes defense that ranked 13th in the nation this season.