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Mangini isn't playing with a full deck - Browns Comment of the Day

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"I don't know how anybody can think the Browns are worthy of more than five wins. No stable QB, no wideouts who can get open, a suspect right side of the O-line, best player at half-speed (Cribbs), one tight end to speak of and a team at least a major player short on both the D-line and in the linebacking corps. 3-13 would not have been shocking." - maxalvis

Josh CribbsView full sizeJosh Cribbs has struggled to stay healthy and productive all season.

In response to the story In coaching the Cleveland Browns to win the hard way, Eric Mangini makes Mike Holmgren's decision easy: Bill Livingston, cleveland.com reader maxalvis thinks five wins by the Browns is a minor miracle. This reader writes,

"I don't know how anybody can think the Browns are worthy of more than five wins. No stable QB, no wideouts who can get open, a suspect right side of the O-line, best player at half-speed (Cribbs), one tight end to speak of and a team at least a major player short on both the D-line and in the linebacking corps. 3-13 would not have been shocking."

To respond to maxalvis' comment, go here.

For more comments of the day, go to blog.cleveland.com/comments-of-the-day.

Have to live with the losses for now - Cavaliers Comment of the Day

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"There will be a date in late June when we will truly be glad we didn't win this game. As painful as this all is, wins are meaningless. There is very little to build with on this team. This is just something we'll have to live with." - larryscheap

antawn-jamison.jpgView full sizeThe Cavaliers have just eight wins this season, but more losses could help them build for the future.

In response to the story Cleveland Cavaliers feel the pain after loss to Minnesota Timberwolves, cleveland.com reader larryscheap is fine with the Cavs losing. This reader writes,

"There will be a date in late June when we will truly be glad we didn't win this game. As painful as this all is, wins are meaningless. There is very little to build with on this team. This is just something we'll have to live with."

To respond to larryscheap's comment, go here.

For more comments of the day, go to blog.cleveland.com/comments-of-the-day.

NBA lifers Stan Van Gundy, Byron Scott ponder the league's post-'Decision' future: Terry Pluto

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In the post-LeBron age of free agency, Terry Pluto wonders if the NBA ever see a "true" franchise player again?

vangundy-vert-mug-ap.jpgView full size"I guess you'd always hoped a guy like that would stay in Cleveland," a reflective Stan Van Gundy said of LeBron James and the Cavaliers before Tuesday night's game at The Q. "I know it really hurt the fans here because it's like one of your own saying that 'Cleveland isn't good enough for me anymore.'"

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As Stan Van Gundy talked about LeBron James leaving the Cavaliers, his face showed real pain and he searched for the right words.

"I guess you'd always hoped a guy like that would stay in Cleveland," he said. "He's from here. He's a special player and people just loved him. I know it really hurt the fans here because it's like one of your own saying that 'Cleveland isn't good enough for me anymore.'"

Remember that Van Gundy is the coach of the Orlando Magic. He has no Northeast Ohio connections. But he is a basketball purist, a guy like many of us.

We want franchise players to be just that -- franchise players. They are guys who are identified with a franchise because they spent most of their career in one place.

As Cavs coach Byron Scott said, "It's like Magic [Johnson] will always be a Laker. Or Larry Bird is a Celtic. I know Michael [Jordan] played with Washington, but that was at the end of his career. He will always be a Chicago Bull."

Scott and Van Gundy faced each other at Quicken Loans Arena Tuesday night. Both are "old school" coaches, and proud of it. They speak their minds. They also know there are times when they feel like basketball dinosaurs.

Van Gundy wonders if we'll ever see the days of John Stockton and Karl Malone playing nearly all of their careers in Utah, Malone only spending a final season with the Lakers. Neither won a title. Both are revered in Salt Lake, even if they never received the national acclaim that their Hall of Fame careers deserved. They played 1,412 regular season games together from 1984-2003.

"I sense they are a dying breed," said Van Gundy.

Scott mentioned Tim Duncan (13 years) and Tony Parker (9) playing together in San Antonio, and how they are faces of that franchise. David Robinson spend his entire Hall of Fame career in that Texas city, which rivals Salt Lake as the smallest NBA market.

"You take Shaq [O'Neal] winning [three titles] in L.A.," said Van Gundy. "But Kobe [Bryant] will always be bigger with the Lakers. He stayed there. He is an icon guy."

Kobe BryantView full sizeKobe Bryant has had plenty of drama during his career in Los Angeles, but both Stan Van Gundy and Byron Scott say there can be no doubt Bryant is the modern face of the Lakers because of his longevity with the franchise.

Bryant has spent 14 seasons with the Lakers.

"When you think of the Lakers now, you think of Kobe," said Scott, who knows something about that organization. "Stan is right. Shaq is a great player, but he's not identified with one franchise."

Spending 13 years with Boston has led Celtic fans to embrace Paul Pierce as one of their all-time greats. Kevin Garnett spent 12 years with Minnesota before realizing he needed a trade to compete for a title. But he gave those fans a tremendous effort for a dozen years, and didn't come nearly as close to a title as James did in his seven years with the Cavs.

"I remember the excitement in Cleveland when we played here in the [2009] playoffs," said Van Gundy. "It was electric. It was like one of their own was going to lead them to something special."

"I think it comes down to loyalty," said Scott. "It's just my opinion, but when you are a great player in the prime of your career, you pressure your team to get better players around you."

Scott and Van Gundy stressed that James had "the right" to leave as a free agent for Miami. But "I hated the way he did it with that hour show on ESPN," said Van Gundy. "But ESPN is to blame as much for that. Truthfully, no matter how he left, people here would be really ticked off."

Van Gundy also said he was "a Mike Brown fan" and how it bothered him to see the former Cavs coach fired last summer "to placate the players; only LeBron left anyway."

He shrugged, realizing that is the modern NBA.

Scott never wanted to leave the Lakers. "After 10 years, [General Manager] Jerry West called me in and said they couldn't re-sign me," said Scott. "He had traded for me. I was playing in my home town. I loved it. When he told me that, I started to cry. Then Jerry did, too. I know I played for some other teams, but I'll always be a Laker. I never wanted to leave."

Leave the guilty players at home - Ohio State Comment of the Day

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"The rule they broke is a stupid rule - selling their hardware. However it is a rule and they all knew better. Three of them are team leaders. Make a statement and leave them home." - slobberbelly

terrelle-pryor.jpgView full sizeShould Terrelle Pryor be suspended for the Sugar Bowl along with the first five games of 2011?

In response to the story Ohio State football players suspended for next year apologize to teammates, cleveland.com reader slobberbelly thinks the guilty Buckeyes should be suspended for the Sugar Bowl, too. This reader writes,

"The rule they broke is a stupid rule - selling their hardware. However it is a rule and they all knew better. Three of them are team leaders. Make a statement and leave them home."

To respond to slobberbelly's comment, go here.

For more comments of the day, go to blog.cleveland.com/comments-of-the-day.

Roster gets another leaper in swingman Alonzo Gee: Cavaliers Insider

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Last year's D-League rookie of the year, Alonzo Gee, signs with the Cavaliers as the team strives to add athleticism and energy.

jamison-hickson-howard-horiz-lt.jpgThe Cavaliers' Antawn Jamison (left) and J.J. Hickson try to deny Orlando's Dwight Howard a path to this loose ball during the second quarter of Tuesday night's game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As a fellow Alabama product, point guard Mo Williams has a pretty good idea of what the Cavaliers' newest member, Alonzo Gee, is capable of.

"I know if I throw it up he can go get it," Williams said Tuesday, "I know that."

That kind of athleticism is precisely what the Cavaliers were looking for in filling the roster spot created when Cleveland native Jawad Williams was waived Monday. On Tuesday, the Cavaliers signed the 6-foot-6 Gee to an nonguaranteed contract in hopes that the 23-year-old swingman can inject energy into the lineup.

Coach Byron Scott said he hopes Gee can learn his system quickly and be ready to play as early as Saturday in Chicago.

Gee was last year's NBA Development League Rookie of the Year when he averaged 21 points on 51 percent shooting in 36 games for the Austin Toros. Before his arrival in Cleveland, Gee had been playing for the Washington Wizards, where he played 11 games until his release Dec. 18. He also played five games with San Antonio.

Gee also was with both teams last season, playing 11 games with the Wizards and not seeing any floor action when with the Spurs at the end of the season. Still, he impressed San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, who passed along a recommendation to Scott.

"I got a pretty good idea from Pop that he really loved him as a person and thought he worked extremely hard," Scott said. "[He's] very active, very athletic. Plays with a lot of determination, a lot of grit. I want to see it."

The move isn't a final roster alteration, Scott stressed, as the team continues to hold a $14.5-million trade exception from the LeBron James sign-and-trade.

"I don't necessarily think we're done," Scott said. "This is just a small thing to bring in a guy and get a good look at him. That's the great thing about what [General Manager Chris Grant] has done, we've got great flexibility to get some looks at some of these younger guys. I know he's on the phone and teams are still calling, so we'll see what happens and see where that goes."

But for now, Gee looks like he might be a good fit.

"As far as what we want to do with getting up and down the floor, he fits perfect," Scott said.

D-league update: Cavaliers rookie Christian Eyenga was at The Q to watch Sunday's game against Minnesota, but isn't expected to formally be with the team anytime soon.

Eyenga was sent to the NBA D-League's Erie BayHawks on Nov. 18, and the Cavaliers have heard good reports on the swingman's development. In 12 games with Erie, Eyenga is averaging 11.2 points, hitting 53 percent of his attempts.

Scott said he's most eager for Eyenga to learn the Cavaliers' defensive strategies. "All the reports I'm getting are that every day he looks more like an NBA player," he said.

Samardo Samuels played in his first game with Erie on Monday, the same day he was assigned to the squad, and scored 12 points.

Final: Magic 110, Cavaliers 95: Jodie Valade's in-game Cavaliers blog

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Orlando's long-range shooting is too much for the Cavaliers on Tuesday night.

howard-andy-vert-ap.jpgView full sizeDwight Howard got this second-quarter shot off against Anderson Varejao Tuesday night, but both big men were nearly even with their statistics as the Cavaliers and Magic played a close first 24 minutes.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Notes and observations as the Cavaliers fall to the  Magic at The Q Tuesday night.

Final: Magic 110, Cavaliers 95

This one unraveled when the Cavaliers had to rely on reserves to try to keep the team in it. They didn't.

The Magic pulled away thanks to another barrage of 3-pointers. In all, they sank 19 threes, a new record for a Cavaliers opponent. They sank 61.3 percent of their long-distance attempts, led by Gilbert Arenas' five 3-pointers and 22 points. Arenas also had 11 assists.

Antawn Jamison led the Cavaliers with 21 points. Anderson Varejao's defense on Dwight Howard was fantastic, holding the Orlando center to 12 points and six rebounds.

3rd quarter update: Magic 75, Cavaliers 74

If there's one reason the Cavaliers are still in this game, its name is Anderson Varejao.

Varejao played a spectacular quarter with his typical hustle and energy. He recorded eight points, four rebounds and generally annoyed Orlando center Dwight Howard. Howard was so frustrated by Varejao's defense, that he gave the Cavaliers' center a hard shoulder after hitting a layup late in the quarter. Andy's the kind of player teammates love and opponents hate.

Jason Richardson has 20 points for the Magic, and Orlando is still hitting threes -- 57.1 percent for the game, now.

Halftime update: Magic 60, Cavaliers 57

Cleveland is playing one of the Eastern Conference's best teams evenly, thanks to some hot shooting.

The Cavaliers have hit 56 percent in the first half, led by Antawn Jamison's 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting, Mo Williams' 14 on 5-for-9 and Daniel Gibson's 11 points on 4-for-6.

The Magic's 3-point accuracy continues to be a problem, however, as Orlando has hit 10-of-16 from long distance. Gilbert Arenas hit two consecutive 3s to even the score with 6:09 left, and the two teams have battled back and forth for the lead since.

Of concern: Anderson Varejao and Gibson both have three fouls. Varejao is more worrisome since the Cavaliers need someone to defend Dwight Howard.

J.J. Hickson is playing hard for the second consecutive game, and already has seven points and seven rebounds. He's 1-for-5 on free throws, however, and Cavaliers have hit only 9-of-16 as a team.

First quarter update: Cavaliers 33, Magic 30

The Cavaliers had a scary moment at 8:32 in the first quarter when Antawn Jamison clanged knees with Orlando guard Jameer Nelson. Jamison fell to the ground writhing in pain for several minutes, clutching his right knee. He walked off the court, however, was diagnosed with a bruised knee and returned later in the quarter.

Cleveland did just fine without him, however, led by Mo Williams' 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting. That means Williams already has one half of what is becoming his standard double-double; he's had five consecutive double-doubles, and has four assists in through one quarter.

One point of concern: Orlando is hitting 77.8 percent of its 3-pointers, sinking 7-of-9 to keep the Magic in the game. Cleveland is the worst in the NBA in defending 3-pointers, allowing opponents to shoot 41 percent.

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

Magic starters: F Hedo Turkoglu, F Brandon Bass, C Dwight Howard, G Jason Richardson, G Jameer Nelson

Injuries: Joey Graham (strained right quad) is out for Cavs. Jason Williams (sore left foot) and Daniel Orton (left knee surgery) and Malik Allen (sprained left ankle) are out.

Inactives: Christian Eyenga, Graham and Samardo Samuels for Cavs. Orton and Allen for the Wolves.

Officials: Michael Smith, Eric Lewis, Brian Forte 

Three things to watch:

1.  How do the Cavaliers counter Superman (Dwight Howard) when Anderson Varejao is out of the game?

2. The Magic is excellent in transition with a new lineup that has lots of scoring punch in Richardson, Turkoglu, Howard and Gilbert Arenas. Defensively, the Cavaliers have struggled in stopping up-tempo teams.

3. Can Mo Williams record his sixth straight double-double?

Five Buckeyes offer their apologies to OSU fans for NCAA violations

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The five suspended Buckeyes publicly asked for forgiveness on Tuesday, and one Ohio State legend said the apologies had already been accepted. Watch video



COLUMBUS, Ohio -- John Hicks wishes the Ohio State players who publicly apologized on Tuesday for their NCAA violations had never sold their Big Ten championship rings in the first place.

"It's not the monetary value," said the Cleveland native, a College Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman and a three-time Big Ten champion from 1971-74. "It's when you show your grandson that Grandpa was a champion."

Yet Hicks said he and the former players he talks with weren't waiting for Tuesday, when quarterback Terrelle Pryor, running back Dan Herron, receiver DeVier Posey, tackle Mike Adams and defensive end Solomon Thomas asked Ohio State fans, alumni, former players and teammates for forgiveness. The five players have been suspended by the NCAA for the first five games of next season for selling memorabilia for a total of more than $7,000 and accepting discounted tattoos.

"It was important for them, for their teammates, for their families, for the Ohio State base," Hicks said. "But we'd already forgiven them. They were forgiven when they made the mistake because it wasn't our place to judge. The old guys were on their side. We're mad at the NCAA."

The players made their statements at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center during a news conference that lasted just over six minutes and didn't include any questions from reporters.

The Buckeyes practiced Monday and Tuesday and will fly to New Orleans Wednesday for their Jan. 4 Sugar Bowl matchup with Arkansas. Pryor, Posey and Herron are scheduled to meet with reporters in New Orleans, according to BCS bowl guidelines, and an OSU spokesperson said those interviews are still planned for now. So maybe they'll have more to say.

On Tuesday, Thomas, the only non-starter among the five, spoke last and summed up best how the players felt about what they did in 2009, sometime between the end of their freshman seasons and early in their sophomore seasons. A sixth player, backup linebacker Jordan Whiting, is suspended for only the first game of 2011 and did not make a statement.

"I don't think any of us realized how hard this would affect people around us -- our family, our team and our community," Thomas said. "It's something that is life-changing. This has really made us all really look at things very differently. We're very remorseful to everyone around us. We realize we made a mistake. We're asking you, Buckeye nation, alumni, community, to let us show you that we do love this university.

"It's something that we will deal with for a while -- this is not just going to go away and be happy. We're all deeply moved by it. We just want to show everyone out there that we're not bad people. We can overcome this and give back to the community."

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said the school is still in the process of filing an appeal with the NCAA, but previously expressed hope that the suspensions will be reduced.

The NCAA did rule that the players are eligible for the Sugar Bowl, and at a team meeting Sunday where the players first apologized, the seniors voted to support the idea that the suspended players should be permitted by OSU coach Jim Tressel to face Arkansas. A source said then that some reduction in playing time, perhaps not starting, was one of the possible scenarios.

Asked what he may do as he walked the hallways of the WHAC on Tuesday more than an hour after the apologies, Tressel declined to comment, saying only the process was "ongoing."



The apologies have been ongoing as well. After speaking to their teammates Sunday, the players on Monday went to the home of Ohio State legend Archie Griffin, the president of the OSU Alumni Association, to personally apologize, Griffin told Columbus radio station 97.1 FM. Then came Tuesday.

"I'm just very deeply sorry about it," Pryor said. "I didn't mean to hurt nobody at all, and I didn't mean to bring anything down, or embarrassment to our university, because this is the greatest university in the nation."

"When I did what I did, I didn't do it with the intent to hurt anybody or tarnish the great reputation that this great university has," Adams said. "I realize that my actions were truly selfish. I just hope that there's a way, somehow, that Buckeye nation and the alumni can forgive me."

The players, all juniors, could avoid the suspensions altogether by entering the NFL Draft. They must declare by Jan. 15 but can withdraw before Jan. 18, but the appeal process may not be completed by then. Posey specifically said during his statement that he would return for his senior season with the intention of earning his degree, but no other players made that pledge.

"I think most of them are going to stay," Hicks said.

That's up the players. It's up to others to decide if they're forgiven.

Georgia added to schedule: Smith on Tuesday confirmed news from Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity that the Buckeyes and Bulldogs have agreed to play a home-and-home series in 2020 and 2021. It hasn't been decided yet which team will host in which season.

This continues the Ohio State philosophy of scheduling a major nonconference opponent each year. The Buckeyes already have those slots filled until 2020. They play at Miami in 2011, then have home-and-home series with Cal in 2012-13, Virginia Tech in 2014-15, Oklahoma in 2016-2017 and Tennessee in 2018-2019.

Orlando goes deep (19 times) to keep Cleveland Cavaliers in their losing funk, 110-95

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The Cavaliers are the worst team in the NBA in defending 3-pointers, and showed it in new ways Tuesday.

moon-leap-turkoglu-vert-lt.jpgView full sizeJamario Moon went airborne in trying to defend Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu in the fourth quarter Tuesday, but all of the Cavaliers' efforts couldn't prevent the Magic's long-range onslaught in a 110-95 triumph at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There's an art to defending 3-pointers in the NBA.

It requires running out to meet the shooter, going against every instinct in your body that wants you to pull up a few feet in front of your opponent and dare him to sink a basket from 23 feet, 9 inches. It means flying at a shooter, forcing him to hit a tough shot or making him dribble if he wants to find open space.

It's a technique the Cavaliers have yet to master in this season of rebuilding. They are the worst in the NBA in defending 3-pointers, and they showed it in new ways Tuesday as Orlando sank 19 3-pointers in posting a 110-95 victory at The Q.

Cleveland dropped to 8-23, losing its 14th game in the last 15.

The Cavaliers failed at defending the 3-pointer all night, but no more so than in the fourth quarter when Orlando sank seven of 10 from long distance -- three from Gilbert Arenas, who tallied a game-high 22 points.

It was in the fourth quarter when Magic reserves bested Cleveland's bench, ballooning what had been a 75-74 third-quarter advantage to as much as 17 by the time Jameer Nelson sank a three with 4:30 remaining to give Orlando a 102-85 lead.

"The toughest thing to guard in the NBA is closing out to a guy," Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson said. "Basically he can do what he wants to do just because you're at full speed trying to get to him. It's a tough thing to do."

The Cavaliers have struggled with it all season, as opponents hit a league-best 41 percent from 3-point range. Minnesota set a new franchise record with 18 3-pointers in a 129-95 victory over Cleveland on Dec. 4.

Tuesday, Orlando set the new Cleveland opponent record with 19 threes in 31 tries, for 61-percent accuracy.

Gallery previewIt's a frustration for coach Byron Scott, who stressed Orlando's accuracy since trades two weeks ago brought sharp-shooters Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Arenas. Those three players combined to hit 11-of-19 beyond the arc; only Turkoglu made fewer than 50 percent of his attempts (2-for-5).

"We've got to be committed to running guys off that line," Scott said. "I know at times you feel a little vulnerable as a player doing that, but it has to be something we do. We're the worst in the league right now. We've got to get better at it."

They fared worst in the fourth quarter, when reserves played the first eight minutes. In all, Orlando outscored Cleveland, 35-21, in the fourth quarter, breaking open what had been a game made close mostly by the defense and hustle of Anderson Varejao.

Varejao was his typical annoying, hair-flying self in defending Magic center Dwight Howard, and was particularly effective in the third quarter when he played all but the final 39.3 seconds. He finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and a career-high five steals, but his true value didn't appear in merely numbers.

He frustrated Howard to the point where the Orlando center made sure to send a hard shoulder into Varejao after making one layup late in the game. He was so fiery that he punched himself in the face after a sequence where he blocked Turkoglu, stole a ball and sank a reverse layup midway through the third.

"Who's the so-called best center in this league right now?" Scott asked. "Because I think Andy's up there. I don't think he gets enough credit for how hard he plays and the things he's been able to do for us."

The Cavaliers might have wasted Varejao's effort, but they also escaped with minimal damage to forward Antawn Jamison after a frightening first-quarter collision. Jamison and the Magic's Nelson collided knees at full speed, and Jamison spent several minutes on the court in pain. He wore a protective sleeve on his right leg after the game, but said the bruised knee isn't expected to hamper him.


Stakes are still high as Pittsburgh Steelers prepare for season-ending visit to Cleveland Browns: Tony Grossi's Scouting Report

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A Browns win over Pittsburgh could cost the Steelers the division title, a first-round playoff bye and a home playoff game. That's a lot to play for.

View full sizeA year ago, the Browns put the finishing touches on Rashard Mendenhall and the Steelers' fading playoff hopes with a December victory at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Steelers have already clinched a playoff berth, but the Browns could make Pittsburgh's path much more difficult with a season-ending victory on Sunday.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns victories over the Pittsburgh Steelers have been rare since their expansion rebirth in 1999. Only four wins versus 20 losses. But the occasional defeat usually inflicts great damage on Cleveland's arch-rivals.

Every time the Browns have won, the Steelers have failed to make the playoffs. That won't happen this year; the Steelers have clinched a playoff berth. But a Browns win in Sunday's regular-season finale could hurt the Steelers badly.

If Pittsburgh (11-4) wins, it claims its third AFC North title in four years. More importantly, a win secures the AFC No. 2 seed, a first-round playoff bye and a home game in the divisional playoff round.

If the Browns win -- and if Baltimore beats Cincinnati -- the Steelers would tumble to second place and possibly the AFC sixth seed, pending the Jets-Buffalo game. They would likely play on the road against the Chiefs for the right to play No. 1 seed New England in Foxboro, Mass.

"It's huge for us," nose tackle Casey Hampton said to Pittsburgh reporters on Monday. "We definitely need it. If you get a bye, it gets you closer to the Super Bowl. You only have to win two games instead of three. Anything can happen in the playoffs so you want to play as least games as possible trying to get there."

So the stakes are high for the Steelers. They may be high enough for all-world safety Troy Polamalu to rush into action. Polamalu has missed two games with an Achilles tendon injury and was hoping to rest all the way through the second round of the playoffs. He is questionable now for the Browns' game.

A secondary factor for the Steelers on Sunday is to avenge last year's 13-6 Browns win on Dec. 10 in Cleveland. It was their fifth loss in a row. They recovered to win their final three, but the loss to the Browns ousted them from the playoffs in a tie-breaker with Baltimore.

The other Browns' wins in the expansion era did not have playoff implications.

• In the first meeting in 2003, the Browns hammered the Steelers in Pittsburgh, 33-13. They finished 6-10.

• In the first meeting in 2000, the Browns prevailed, 23-20, as the Steelers ran out of time trying to line up for a game-tying field goal attempt. They finished 9-7.

• In the second meeting in 1999, Phil Dawson's field goal as time ticked down to :00 gave the Browns a 16-15 victory, avenging the Steelers' 43-0 party-crashing whitewash that ushered in the Browns' new era. After the defeat in Pittsburgh, team chairman Dan Rooney called it "one of our all-time worst losses."

A win over Pittsburgh would make the Browns 6-10 -- one game better than in 2009 and improve coach Eric Mangini's two-year record to 11-21. It would also give the fan base some satisfaction as attention turns to the draft and typical off-season business.

But one thing to note about the Steelers. They are great finishers. Only one time since 1969 have they blown a division lead held late in the season. That was in 1990 when they lost a season finale to the Houston Oilers and finished behind them in the wild-card tie-breaker.

TONY GROSSI'S SCOUTING REPORT

Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Sunday 1 p.m. in Cleveland Browns Stadium

Record: 11-4.

Last game: Beat Carolina, 27-3, Dec. 23, in Pittsburgh.

Coach: Mike Tomlin, 45-22, fourth year.

Series record: Steelers lead, 61-56 (counting postseason).

Last meeting: Steelers won, 28-10, Oct. 17, in Pittsburgh.

wallace-ward-wright-td-jk.jpgView full sizeRookie receiver Mike Wallace (17, beating T.J. Ward and Eric Wright for a touchdown in October) has been a highly productive weapon for an offense that has been resilient despite a series of injuries.

League rankings: Offense is 15th (ninth rushing, 16th passing), defense is second (first rushing, 14th passing), and turnover differential is plus-14.

Offensive overview: It's a credit to them they've achieved run-pass balance during a year when they lost both starting tackles and used three different right guards. Rookie center Maurkice Pouncey has been an absolute gem as an anchor in the middle. Beaten-up QB Ben Roethlisberger is making good on his commit to pursue a championship after his suspension. He's missed only one practice despite a recurrent fracture in his right foot and a broken nose. RB Rashard Mendenhall has been a plow horse, with 1,237 yards and 11 TD in 310 carries. The revelation of the year has been second-year burner WR Mike Wallace. As teams have dropped back coverage to avoid getting beat deep, Wallace has learned to take the quick, short passes and turn them into big games -- a la Santonio Holmes.

Defensive overview: Legendary against the run, they're outdoing themselves this year. They're allowing an average of 64.1 rushing yards per game -- more than 10 yards better than their all-time best and less than four yards off the NFL record since 1970. They've allowed one individual 100-yard rusher in the last 49 games. Only two teams have had 100 yards against them this year -- the Jets (106) and New England (103). The Pats' BenJarvus Green-Ellis' 87 yards are the most by an individual. Forcing teams to throw, they co-lead the NFL with 44 sacks, led by LB James Harrison's 11. They've got playmakers at every position group, but none is better than SS Troy Polamalu. One of the unsung stars has been inside linebacker James Farrior, who may be having his best NFL season at age 35.

Special teams overview: Since taking over for released kicker Jeff Reed for Game 11, Shaun Suisham is 12-of-13 in field goals. He was 8-for-8 between 40 and 49 yards before missing from 41. Punter Jeremy Kapinos, subbing for injured Daniel Sepulveda, has been pedestrian -- averaging 38.7 yards gross and 30.9 net. The kickoff return teams have scored on a 97-yard return and allowed one of the same length. Antonio Brown and Antwaan Randle-El have been unspectacular on punt returns.

Players to watch:

polamalu-steelers-squ-ap.jpgView full sizeTroy Polamalu has missed his last two games with an Achilles tendon injury, and his status for Sunday's game is uncertain.

Strong safety Troy Polamalu: He leads the team with six interceptions despite missing the last two games. A legitimate defensive player of the year candidate, he makes game-changing plays all over the field.

Linebacker James Harrison: He leads the team with 11 sacks and the league in fines for illegal hits. In the first meeting, he knocked out Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi, the latter hit costing him $75,000.

Receiver Mike Wallace: One of the fastest receivers in the league, his 20.2 yards per catch ranks second in the NFL, he has seven catches of 40 or more yards, including five of his nine touchdowns.

Injury report: SS Troy Polamalu (achilles) has missed the last two games and will be questionable during the week. RB Mewelde Moore (knee) left the last game. LB Jason Worilds (knee) missed the last game.

Small world: Defensive end Nick Eason played with the Browns from 2004-06. ... Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is from Findlay, Ohio, and played at Miami (Ohio). ... Linebacker James Harrison is from Akron and played at Kent State. ... Safety Will Allen played at Ohio State. ... Cornerback Anthony Madison spent part of the 2010 season with Browns. ... Defensive line coach John Mitchell coached the position with Browns from 1991-93. ... Linebackers coach Keith Butler coached the position for Browns from 1999-2002. ... Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians was Browns' O.C. from 2001-03.

-- Tony Grossi

Cleveland Browns' Joe Thomas is team's only Pro Bowl player

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Left tackle Joe Thomas is the only Brown voted to the Pro Bowl, but seven others are named alternates.

thomasmugldj.jpgView full sizeJoe Thomas is the first Brown to make four consecutive Pro Bowls since cornerback Frank Minnifield in the late 1980s.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Reputation goes a long way in Pro Bowl voting and it certainly didn't hurt Joe Thomas.

The Browns' left tackle was voted to his fourth Pro Bowl in four years. He was named a starter along with Jake Long of Miami.

"I'm really excited," Thomas said. "It's a great honor to be able to represent the Cleveland Browns in my fourth straight Pro Bowl. It never gets old."

It was a mild surprise because some believed that Thomas was not playing up to his usual high standard in pass protection. But Thomas maintained he improved on his whole game, plus as a run-blocker this year, evidenced by the breakout season turned in by running back Peyton Hillis.

Hillis, third in the NFL with 13 touchdowns and ninth with 1,164 yards rushing, was not among the three backs chosen for the AFC team. The winners were Maurice Jones-Drew of Jacksonville, Arian Foster of Houston and Jamaal Charles of Kansas City.

Two Browns who won the fan vote in online balloting -- left guard Eric Steinbach and kick returner Josh Cribbs -- did not make the final cut. The vote among fans, players and coaches comprise the total vote.

Hillis, Steinbach and center Alex Mack were named second alternates. Cribbs, special teamer Ray Ventrone and fullback Lawrence Vickers were named third alternates. Rookie cornerback Joe Haden was named a fourth alternate.

Any or all could go to the Pro Bowl in Honolulu on Jan. 30 if others selected ahead of them drop out because of injury or otherwise cannot attend. The Pro Bowl will be played one week ahead of the Super Bowl. That will open up other spots because players on the Super Bowl teams will not play in the Pro Bowl.

Thomas is one of 19 Browns to earn Pro Bowl honors four or more times. The last to earn four consecutive Pro Bowls was cornerback Frank Minnifield following the 1986 through '89 seasons.

Thomas was the third overall pick of the 2007 draft. He has not missed an offensive snap since joining the Browns.

Colt McCoy's arm strength has to be a concern for the Cleveland Browns going forward, says Tony Grossi

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PD Browns reporter says Sunday's loss to the Ravens didn't show that QB can make the throws in bad weather. 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 the affable Chuck Yarborough.

The Browns head into their season finale on Sunday at home against the Steelers. Which Pittsburgh player is the most dangerous in your mind? Cast your vote in today's Starting Blocks poll.

Plain Dealer Browns reporter Tony Grossi says he thinks James Harrison is the most dangerous Steeler on the field, given the way he intimidated the Browns in the first meeting earlier this season.

Tony also answers fan questions from his weekly Hey, Tony! feature about Colt McCoy's arm strength; whether Mike Holmgren replacing Eric Mangini as head coach would be a good move; whether the Browns more desperately need a big-play receiver or a dependable right offensive tackle; and whether Rob Ryan might stay on as defensive coordinator if there is a coaching change.

SBTV will be off for the holiday on New Year's Eve, and Chuck and Branson Wright will return Monday with PD Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot breaking down Sunday's Browns-Steelers game.


At what cost do Browns re-sign Phil Dawson? Browns Comment of the Day

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"If [Phil Dawson] was playing for a good team it might be smart to sign him to big money. But if you are a perpetual loser why give big money to a field goal kicker?" - timpiker

phil dawson field goalIs Phil Dawson's career with the Browns over after Sunday's game against Pittsburgh? Should it be?
Sunday's Browns vs. Steelers game may be the last for kicker Phil Dawson, the last remaining player from the '99 expansion team. Dawson's gave that team their first win over the Steelers on a last-second field goal. Can he do it again in what could be his final appearance for the Browns?

Dawson has been reliable, often kicking in terrible conditions, but what is he worth to the Browns financially? Do they sign him at his price, or do they move on with another kicker? It's a debate being played out on cleveland.com by readers like timpiker. He writes,

"I hope they re-sign him but at what cost? He is obviously asking for crazy money or they would have re-signed him long ago. If he was playing for a good team it might be smart to sign him to big money. But if you are a perpetual loser why give big money to a field goal kicker?"
What do you think? Get in on the debate below in the comment section.


Looking for a silver lining in the losing: Cavaliers Comment of the Day

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"This team will only be rebuilt through the draft, so the losing is a good thing. We had a good run the last few years, time to take our lumps and try to acquire some good young talent in the draft to start another run." - cunxtyr

Cleveland Cavaliers fall to Charlotte Bobcats, 101-92It's been a long season thus far for Byron Scott and the Cavaliers.
Another game, another loss for the Cavaliers, this time to the Charlotte Bobcats. Excruciating losses to sub-par teams is no doubt taking its toll on players, coaches and fans alike, but leave it cleveland.com reader cunxtyr, who seems to be a "glass half-full" guy with is comment. He writes,

"This team will only be rebuilt through the draft, so the losing is a good thing. We had a good run the last few years, time to take our lumps and try to acquire some good young talent in the draft to start another run. Pretty much every team in the league has up and down cycles, hopefully our down doesn't last too long."

Can you live with the losing for now? How long will it take for the Cavaliers to rebuild? Get in on the discussion in the comments section below.



P.M. Cleveland Cavaliers links: Are Cavs phoning it in ... and nobody's picking up?

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The Cavs have given up on winning without LeBron James, says blogger.

manny-harris-stephen-jackson-ap.JPGView full sizeThe Bobcats' Stephen Jackson gave Cavs forward Manny Harris a nice lesson Wednesday night, scoring 38 points in the Bobcats' 101-92 win in Charlotte.

Somebody's gotta give the Cavs a pep talk. Seriously, if they're gonna go after the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, they're going to need to step it up.

Sacramento is leading in the losing percentage category, having picked up 23 losses against five wins. The Cavs have more losses, with 24, but with eight victories are winning at a .250 clip.

Come on, fellas! Put your backs into it!

Or not. Check out what Cory Felegy of Cleveland Sports Examiner had to say:

We all know about the quit-job the King of Quit pulled on Cleveland in the playoffs and during the offseason.  It’s been discussed, digested, regurgitated and smeared all over your computer monitor for the past five months.

Instead, maybe we should focus on the quit-job we’re seeing from the current Cavs roster.  It all started on December 2nd.  Facing the Miami Heat and with the eyes of the nation upon them, the Cavs laid an ostrich-sized egg.  Their record prior to the Heat game... 7-10.  Since then it’s been an ugly 1-12.

Why are players like J.J. Hickson, Jamario Moon, Mo Williams, and Daniel Gibson now mailing it in (especially on defense) after a respectable start?  My guess is that after the Heat game, these players realized no matter how much effort they put forth, they can’t win without their former leader.

This is why the roster needs a complete overhaul.  Anyone who reminisces about the good old days of playing with LeBron James has to go.  Anyone who remembers 60-win seasons but doesn’t believe it can ever happen again should be shown the door.  There’s an attitude growing within the team that without LeBron, winning is impossible.  It’s a cancer that needs to be cut out before it spreads.
Paging Dr. Give A. Darn! You're wanted at The Q. Stat!

When all else fails
Charlotte, the latest to celebrate a victory over the Cavs - courtesy of Wednesday night's 101-92 spanking - fired one of the more celebrated coaches in Larry Brown a little over a week ago and replaced him with another celebrated coach, Paul Silas.

Silas has brought a whole new system to the Bobcats. Though this isn't its formal name you might as well call it "the Simpleton Offense," as opposed to the Cavs' Princeton offense. Basically, get the ball, get open, jack it up. Oh, and have a little fun.

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer put it this way in his post-mortem of Wednesday's win:

It would be unfair to suggest Brown told his players to ignore open shots. But it's clear they feel more latitude to read what the defense is doing and deviate from the script.

Actually, there's not much of a script. Silas hasn't installed a lot of offense beyond Brown's pre-existing sets and hasn't called a lot of plays.

That allowed the Bobcats (11-19) to build a 17-point first-quarter lead and they needed just about all of it to hold on against a short-handed Cleveland team.

Charlottean Antawn Jamison (18 points) cut Cleveland's deficit to four with two minutes left, off a layup and a foul by Gerald Wallace (his first game back from a five-game absence due to an ankle injury).

Jackson responded with one of his three 3-pointers and the game was effectively over. Now they get a home game against the Golden State Warriors Friday afternoon, and a three-game win streak is a reasonable goal.

"Every time I shoot it, it's going in,'' said a euphoric Augustin.

"It's free-style -- just playing basketball. And we know how to do that.''
"Free-style," eh? Is that like H-O-R-S-E, as opposed to the game the Cavs play,  D-O-N-E?

From The Plain Dealer
Sportswriter Jodie Valade is traveling with the Cavs right now and witnessed the Charlotte victory. And although the result was the same -- a loss -- she also saw some bright spots for the Cavs: the play of Manny Harris and Alonzo Gee.

In her Cavs Insider column, Jodie talked about the hip flexor injury suffered by Mo Williams -- the reason Harris saw so much playing time -- and a thigh bruise that limited Daniel Gibson.







Browns coach Eric Mangini's press conference: Transcript

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“I figure I’ll have any conversations after the season, so all of that stuff will take care of itself. To me, it’s Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh and it’s a great thing to have,” Eric Mangini said when asked about potentially changing the offense in the offseason.

eric mangini associated pressBrowns head coach Eric Mangini says he's focused on the Pittsburgh game - and not changes that may be looming at the end of the season.
The following is a transcript from Browns head coach Eric Mangini's press conference, held earlier today in Berea. The transcript is courtesy the Cleveland Browns.

(Opening statement)- “Good morning everybody. Today Peyton’s (Hillis) going to miss, Floyd’s (Womack) going to miss and then Kenyon (Coleman) is on the normal rotation.  Vick (Lawrence Vickers) is back, he just had something related with his teeth. It wasn’t anything serious, he just had to have it fixed but he is back and that’s it on that front.  In terms of practice yesterday, I thought it was good energy, good tempo, good focus, didn’t think the field was the best in terms of it was a really hard surface so guys had to focus that much more on transition, playing with their feet underneath them.  It was good from that perspective but we’ll go inside today just to get a little bit more work done than what we were able to do with the surface yesterday. I think everybody’s excited about the plan for Pittsburgh and playing Pittsburgh, it’s different than other games we play and they’re ready to go.”
 
(On how the football philosophies have meshed from him, Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert)- “I think it’s going pretty well.  I know in terms of Tom and I, I’ve really liked getting to know him. I really like the relationship that we have.  He’s been great and I think philosophically there are different ideas as to whether it’s players or approaches things like that but we talk through them and it’s been really good.  I’ve really liked him a lot.  Then with Mike, that relationship has been good as well.  There are difference in terms of what he’s run historically offensively but with that being said, what I’ve always tried to do whether I was in New York or here is ideally take the best of a lot of different systems.  That was the approach in New York where we got (Brian) Schottenheimer who was from the digit system, a lot of shifting, a lot of motioning that type of thing.  Then the New England philosophy which is different, it’s more a stationary read, see the defense that type of thing. Then bring in Bill Callahan that was a take of the West Coast and the elements of that system and infuse it in and take the best of each one and you put together your system.  It’s the same thing really defensively. There’s a lot of components of you start at the base of what you did.  For me it was really in New York the 3-4 stuff that we were doing and then as you go to the next place a guy like Rob Ryan comes in and he’s got the 4-6 and all the things his dad did, we infused a lot of that stuff into it and then as new coaches come there’s new ideas.  You’re constantly adding to what you do.  It’s funny even the meetings we have defensively when I’m in there with Rob, Jerome (Henderson) as a player, (Bryan) Cox as a player and as a coach say, ‘Okay, remember that defense we ran in New York in ’97 against so and so?  I really liked that. I think that will work.  Let’s start that up.’  Then Rob and I will talk about a defense we ran against Tennessee, it was a night game we had to deal with a scrambling quarterback.  You’re going through the whole progression so now you’re pulling things out of historic defenses and it’s like ties, they come back in style and you wear them again and they look good.  Long answer but that’s kind of how it goes.”
 
(On how the players know what this rivalry means)- “It’s everywhere Jeff (Schudel).  It’s in every newspaper, it’s on every TV, it’s on every person’s lips. It’s like Colt’s (McCoy) experience, it was a Friday where he went to the gas station, I told you guys this story didn’t I?  The father came over and he signed the hats and the two little kids are in the car seats yelling Steelers suck.  It starts at birth.  You get your Browns shirt and your I hate Pittsburgh shirt.”
 
(On how the players get a sense of the rivalry when football is so transitory)-
“We don’t all live here, they all go home and they’re out.  Whether it’s at Jake’s school where the kids are wearing the colors and they’re talking about it.  He’s in first grade and they’re talking about the Steelers and how they hate the Steelers and they love the Browns.  It’s pretty much ingrained from infancy.”
 
(On if he still feels good about Peyton Hillis for Sunday)- “Yes, he’s better than yesterday and we’ll see how he is tomorrow but I feel pretty good about him.”
 
(On Colt McCoy learning how to throw in cold weather)- “I think that’s another value of being able to practice in it and work in it so you’re not only doing it on Sunday.  He’s got quite a bit of work now outside and it wasn’t really that cold yesterday.  I thought it was a lot colder last week and the week before but he’s getting a lot of exposure to it and dealing with whether it’s the temperature, the wind, the snow.  Some of that just going to come from experience and playing in it and seeing how this throw went in this condition versus a different, what the trajectory has to be.  It’s not like talking to Phil Dawson.  Phil can tell you everything in the world about how the temperature affects the ball.  If it’s at this temperature the ball will travel at this length, if it’s at this temperature it will travel this length, the wind is blowing left or right.  His understanding of how his kicks are going to be affected by the temperature comes from him kicking in that weather and then also going back and evaluating, ‘What did I do well, what did I do poorly?’  I think it’s the same thing for quarterbacks, as you gain more experience you know, ‘I have to throw it this way when I’m dealing with these conditions.’”
 
(On if some quarterbacks have big enough arms that they can throw through the wind)- “I think it just depends on how stiff the wind is, but there are definitely guys that have enough juice on the ball that it cuts through most stiff winds.”
 
(On if it is meaningful that Ahtyba Rubin leads the league in tackles for defensive linemen)- “It’s meaningful.  Rubin, to me, the level of improvement he’s had is impressive.  It’s impressive and the thing that I love about him is his effort.  I was showing some clips from the last game to the guys and it was on (Rashard) Mendenhall’s run where we had hit backed up and it looked like he was tackled and then he bounced out.  Rubin is flying to get over there it was 25 yards down the field and even last game against Baltimore he’s showing up on the screen every play.  This is a big man, his effort it’s just outstanding.  He’s strong, he plays with good technique, he cares, he’s tough.  It’s not an accidently that he leads the NFL for a defensive linemen in tackles, he’s earned that.”
 
(On if Rubin gets a lot of reps in practice)- “Yes, he gets a ton.”
 
(On if the amount of reps Rubin has gotten has worn him down because the run numbers have gotten worse in the last month)- “The volume of runs we’re facing has increased. I think our ability to stay on the field offensively affects that as well.  You miss guys like Scott (Fujita). We need to be able to adjust to that, we need to be able to stop the run affectively.  I’m not saying that.  There are things that we can do as a complementary football team to help on both sides.  In addition to that Tony (Grossi), I thought that we played with a lot better technique last week and that helped us.  I think that’s going to be really important again this week is playing with sound technique.  Sometimes what happens is as you want to be multiple and you want to have different fronts and different ways to attack an offense sometimes you can’t rep those things where you’re playing it well enough and you have to actually say, ‘Okay, let’s cut back some of that to play the things better in our base defense.’”
 
(On how Rubin played against Maurkice Pouncey in the first game)- “I thought he did well.  I thought he did really well.  He needs to do really well again this game for us to be successful especially in the running game, he does.  I didn’t see every game that the Steelers played this season but I saw a lot of them so he played against him as well as anybody.”
 
(On what makes Pouncey one of the better centers in the league)- “Plays with a good base, he’s very athletic, I think he runs well and his lateral movement is very good so he does a nice job working in combination with the guards to get up the linebackers, plays well in space.  He’s strong enough to deal with the guys that are stout and he’s athletic enough to deal with the guys that are going to more of shoot-the-gap type players.”
 
(On the level of consistency with the offensive line this year)- “I’d say it’s probably similar to a lot of areas. There’s some weeks where I felt like really outstanding and then some weeks where I don’t think we handled what he had to handle as well as we could have.  The one thing that I’ve liked about the group is I feel that they communicate well together and I feel like they give us a great opportunity each week to handle the multiple things that we have to handle.  We’ve faced a lot of defenses this year and I’d say it’s probably higher than what you’re going see on any given year in terms of the multiple look defenses.  Whether it’s New England or New Orleans or Baltimore, Baltimore we are going to see every year but the volume of that type of coordinator, that type of approach was very high this season and I think they’ve handled it well.”
 
(On if the offensive lines has played better when Floyd Womack played tackle)-
“I think Floyd does a good job at both spots and one of Floyd’s greatest assets I was just talking about communication, is he is the leader of the communication on that right side.  Whether he’s at guard or tackle he does an excellent job of working with the guard and tight end if he’s a tackle or the tackle and center if he’s a guard and that’s a huge plus.  It’s a hard thing to see and appreciate because you just kind of see what happened in the play but understanding from my perspective knowing the amount that has to go in to getting it right.  Floyd’s a real asset there.”
 
(On if Joshua Cribbs is healthy enough this week to have a lot of plays like Wildcat in the offensive package)- “Yes, I thought Josh looked really good last week.  I thought it was probably the best that he’s looked from a physical perspective last weekend.  I’m assuming that that’s how it’s going to look this weekend.  There’s nothing to counter that. He looked good yesterday in practice, I’m sure he’ll look good here today and we’ll have a plan for him as a receiver, the Wildcat which we always have.  He’s done a lot of good work against Pittsburgh.”
 
(On what Chris Gocong has become as opposed to the pass rushing player he was coming out of college)- “In college he was a defensive end and here he’s a linebacker.  He has to do a lot of different things, he’s in coverage quite a bit.  Same thing in Philadelphia, he was in coverage quite a bit there.  He’s much more of a complete player now than in college.  I’m not saying he wasn’t complete for what they asked him to do but he’s a legitimate linebacker that can do all different things, he can play inside, he can play on the outside, he can cover, he can run the defense.  You’ve got to give a guy like him a ton of credit because it’s a huge transition.  We’ve all seen it where sometimes it works out really well, sometimes it doesn’t. I think in his case it’s worked out really well from his transition college d-end to linebacker.”
 
(On Gocong not getting as many opportunities to rush the passer and him getting back to his big sack days) - “We all want him to get back to his big sack days.  He’s had shots.  Again, with Scott (Fujita) going out, Scott did a lot of the coverage.  There was more flexibility when Scott was here from a coverage/rush perspective because Chris is a pretty good cover guy.  Now, there’s not that same level of flexibility, so he tends to be more in coverage than have the same volume of chances I think he would have had had Scott still been available.”
 
(On Joe Haden not biting on the double move from Anquan Boldin to get his interception last Sunday) – “It was huge.  That was the play I was talking about the other day is how he played it, to me, was the best part.  In terms of being flush with him when he looked back for the ball, how he played the ball, huge, huge, huge progress.  Huge progress.  It may look like a small thing on that one play, but there had been so many times where you could ask him about it, I’ve been on him since day one about it. I was really happy to see it.”
 
(On saying in the past that Haden could get away with in college but not at this level and it that was one of the things he was talking about)- “That was one of them, so yes I was pleased.”
 
(On if the touchdown Haden gave up against Tampa Bay wouldn’t have happened now with what he’s learned)- “I’d like to think that he wouldn’t.  It was the first game.  I know there were some technique things we talked about at the top of the route, but I can’t remember if he was too close to the line of scrimmage initially, I can’t remember specifically.  I think the experience that he has gotten now from that point to this point would help him play that play a lot better.  In fairness to Joe, there were things that we could have done better on the blitz in the front part of it where he wouldn’t have had to hold up as long.  He had to hold up a little while longer than you typically would in blitz coverage.  Even the best corners when they are expecting to come hot or fast and now they have got to cover down the field, it’s tougher.”
 
(On if he would be open to changing their style of offense completely)- “I figure I’ll have any conversations after the season, so all of that stuff will take care of itself.  To me, it’s Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh and it’s a great thing to have.”


Did Jim Tressel miss a teachable moment? OSU Comment of the Day

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""I have had some issues with The Vest but he's the guy I wanted and there has always been an awful lot to like about the guy. However, this is not a shining hour for him and I think deservedly he'll take some lumps." - tribefever32

Jim TresselJim Tressel is likely to get some criticism for disciplining the suspended Buckeye players.

Ohio State head football coach Jim Tressel said he will not restrict playing time for the suspended Buckeyes in the Sugar Bowl because of their off-the-field actions. Tressel also says the players have promised to return next season.

Did Tressel miss an opportunity to teach the players a lesson? Would sitting them a series or two have any real effect? Do you believe it when Terrelle Pryor and Co. say they'll be back in 2011?

The debate goes on among cleveland.com readers like tribefever32, who writes:

"I have had some issues with The Vest but he's the guy I wanted and there has always been an awful lot to like about the guy. However, this is not a shining hour for him and I think deservedly he'll take some lumps. Because in the end it appears he has done what was expedient for him as well, maybe because he's desperate to get that SEC monkey off his back."

What say you? Get in on the discussion in the comments area below.


Ohio State was college football's biggest spending program -- $31.7 million -- for 1-year period ending June 30

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Buckeyes spend $645,000 more than next big-spender, Alabama, and $25 million more than Boise State.

ohio-state-logo.jpg

The numbers grow every year: 35 bowl games, 70 teams -- the morphing of what was once a New Year's Day tradition into one that kicks off in mid-December and finishes closer to Martin Luther King Day than Jan. 1.

And if those bowl-season stats seem bloated, try this: Ohio State and Alabama each spend more than $31 million a year to run their football programs, while nine other teams closing out the season at one of those 35 bowl games spend $20 million plus.

The cheapest bowl-bound program? That would be Troy, winner of the New Orleans Bowl on the first postseason weekend, at just a shade over $5 million. That's nearly $23 million less than they spend an hour away at top-ranked Auburn, where the Tigers are playing for the national title this season. Auburn's opponent in the BCS game, Oregon, spends $18 million -- 16th among the bowl-bound schools.

The statistics come from the Department of Education, which has required universities to submit the amount they spend on sports since 2000 as part of the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act. With that information, the Equity in Athletics Data Analysis Cutting Tool was created. And while the database comes with disclaimers and caveats stating that there are no hard-and-fast guidelines as to what schools count under the term "expenses" and "revenue," these are the numbers they report to the federal government.

After OSU ($31.7 million) and 'Bama ($31.1 million), the rest of top five biggest spenders include Notre Dame, Auburn and LSU, according to the database. Most schools' figures were for the fiscal year that ended June 30.

Broken down on a per-student basis, the Irish spend the most, the database says. Their trip to the Sun Bowl is coming at a price of $3,531 for each of Notre Dame's 8,351 undergraduates -- an overall budget of $29.4 million -- while TCU spends $2,822 per student to run its Rose Bowl-bound football program.

For all the money they fork out, at least the TCUs and LSUs of the world are going somewhere this season. Texas, last year's national runner-up, spent $25.1 million and is sitting home for New Year's after going 5-7.

Boise State, meanwhile, looks like a bargain. The underdog Broncos stayed in contention for the national title all year with a program that spends a fraction of what the big boys do. The tab: $6.85 million for an average of $564 a student for a program that ended up winning the MAACO Bowl this year.

While football also brings in millions, the spending on the sport has given plenty of ammunition to critics of big-time college sports.

"It's a sad commentary given the general conditions out there: 10 percent unemployment, economic stagnation," said Tom Palaima, the University of Texas' representative on the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics, a group that believes spending on sports has gotten out of hand. "You look at $1,500 per capita (at Auburn), that's a large outlay. I just don't see how it can be justified given that most of the revenues will still end up on the sports side of the ledger."

Indeed, the common refrain among many successful football programs is that they are self-sustaining. In fact, all but three of the bowl-bound programs reported operating at even or in the black.

In most cases, that allows the football programs -- most commonly the biggest money makers in athletic programs -- to support all the other sports, which in many cases operate at a loss. In cases where there's more money left over, some of that is often given to the university, which can use it wherever the need is greatest.

The Texas athletic program boasts that it sends back an average of around $1.5 million a year to the school. Its football program netted a whopping $68 million in the 12-month period ending Aug. 31.

At Florida, football spent $24.4 million and brought in $68.7 million for a net profit of $44.2 million. The program will give $6 million to the university in the 2010-11 fiscal year to bring the total to $61.1 million since 1990.

"At this place, your main revenue source is football, so you're going to spend money necessary to sustain a successful football program," Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said. "If we go from playing in front of 90,000 people to playing in front of 60,000 people, you're talking about cutting sports, scholarships, personnel, and nobody wants to see that happen."

But Foley said the benefits of a successful sports program go beyond merely money. Sports help spread the word about the University of Florida, which has grown in stature nationwide over the past two decades -- a timeframe that coincides with the arrival of Steve Spurrier as coach and the rise of a once-troubled football program. (Not coincidentally, it's also when the athletic program started giving money to the school.)

"Athletics is a big window," Foley said. "It provides a look into the institution. If someone's viewing the University of Florida and looking at a great athletic program, it enhances the way people view the institution and that's all good."

Critics, meanwhile, respond that big-time college football programs wouldn't have anywhere near the drawing power -- and would be little more than money-losing minor-league teams -- without the name recognition and fan base the universities and their alumni provide.

Not surprisingly, teams from the automatic-bid BCS conferences spend the most on football, with the Southeastern Conference, which has the best TV deal, leading the way. Six of the 10 highest overall spenders on the list were from the SEC.

Presumably, football programs around the country should have roughly the same list of expenses: 85 scholarships, weight rooms and training tables, travel budgets and coaches' salaries. The gap between the most expensive and least was a big one, however -- more than $25 million -- and there's no doubt you will see a difference between the weight rooms at Troy and those at Ohio State.

ohio-state-players.jpgOhio State players before routing Michigan, 37-7, on Nov. 27.

"If you need a nice weight room to attract a top athlete, you're going to do that, but you need that weight room to help that athlete get better, too," Foley said. "If you have to spend money to pay a coach like Urban Meyer, you're going to do that, too. You've got to spend money to make money. It doesn't just happen."

Oregon professor Nathan Tublitz, the former co-chair at Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics, said the calculation he favors divides the amount spent on any given sport by the number of players in that sport. At Oregon, he lumped them all together and found the athletic program has a $75 million annual budget and 500 scholarship students, for an average of about $150,000 per athlete per year. Meantime, the average cost of education for an in-state student runs about $20,000 per year.

That says something about the priorities at an institution that's supposed to be more about learning and research than touchdowns and wild uniforms, Tublitz believes.

He's glad for the success Oregon's football team is enjoying this season, but wonders if this kind of money should be spent on what is essentially entertainment, especially in a bad economy.

"There is no justification for spending over $150,000 per football player per year when the rest of the student body is struggling to register for classes and to pay for books, tuition and living expenses," he said. "There is a delicate equilibrium between academics and athletics, and our university, like most other big time athletic universities, have lost that balance."

A glance at the 10 highest spending bowl-bound football programs, and the programs that spend the most per undergraduate student, according to the Equity in Athletics Data Analysis Cutting Tool.

Top 10 spenders:
1. Ohio State, $31,763,036
2. Alabama, $31,118,134
3. Notre Dame, $29,490,788
4. Auburn, $27,911,713
5. LSU, $25,566,520
6. Florida, $24,457,557
7. South Carolina, $22,794,211
8. Wisconsin, $22,041,491
9. Arkansas $22,005,014
10. TCU $20,609,361

Top 10 per undergraduate student:
1. Notre Dame, $3,531
2. Tulsa, $3,236
3. TCU, $2,822
4. Stanford, $2,625
5. SMU, $2,113
6. Miami (FL), $1,927
7. Boston College, $1,891
8. Northwestern, $1,851
9. Arkansas, $1,625
10. Auburn $1,518

Notes:
• Figures for most schools were for 12-month periods ending in mid-2010.
• University of Texas spent $25.1 million but did not make a bowl game this season.

'You Pick the Winners' video: Branson Wright's lead shrinks to three games over Chuck Yarborough

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Contest enters the final week of the regular season. Watch video


 
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Renee Novak of Cleveland was last week's finalist, won a $25 gift card and qualified for a spot in the finals in our "You Pick the Winners" football pick 'em contest.


Host Branson Wright saw his lead over co-host Chuck Yarborough shrink to three games.


Chuck has picked three games differently this week in a last-week attempt to draw even.


Each week, fans can go online to cleveland.com/footballpicks and make their predictions. The winning prognosticator gets that $25 gas card and the opportunity to be the guest of SBTV hosts Chuck and Branson on "You Pick the Winners," streaming on cleveland.com.


In the event of a tie, we'll use the total score of the Browns game as a tiebreaker. Whoever comes closest to the total without going over will prevail. If there's still a tie after that, we'll do a random drawing. See official contest rules for further details. Whoever makes the most correct picks will become a finalist for a $250 gift card to be awarded at the end of the season. (OK, it's not much; this is mostly for fun.)

Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy gets second shot at Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday

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Excerpt: Colt McCoy comes full circle and finishes his rookie season playing the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team against which he broke in on Oct. 17.

The Browns are 2-9 in division games in two seasons under coach Eric Mangini. He volunteered one reason for that inferiority this week.

sack.jpgThe Browns are hoping that by having one game against the Steelers under his belt, Colt McCoy will be better able to avoid situations such as this, where he is hit by the Steelers' James Farrior (right) and Lawrence Timmons after throwing an incomplete pass.

"This will be, I think, the first time in the two years where we've actually had a quarterback face the same division opponent two consecutive games," Mangini said.

Not technically accurate, but close. Brady Quinn started both games against Baltimore in 2009, but was yanked at halftime in the first meeting.

Colt McCoy, who made his NFL debut in Pittsburgh on Oct. 17, gets another shot against the Steelers on the Browns’ home field Sunday. So he should become the first Browns quarterback under Mangini to play a full game against them — or any division opponent — twice in the same season.

Last season it was Derek Anderson starting in the first meetings against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh with Quinn getting the rematches. This year, Seneca Wallace started the first Baltimore and Cincinnati games. McCoy has started the rest.

"It does help because he does have familiarity with their scheme," Mangini said. "He's played against it. He's seen the speed with which they bring their pressure. It's a different speed."

Expectations were low for McCoy when he was pressed into the starting role for the first Pittsburgh game because of high ankle sprains suffered by Wallace and Jake Delhomme. McCoy was supposed to be figuratively buried somewhere beneath Heinz Field.

Instead of a mutilation, the game was a revelation and inspiration. McCoy not only survived, he competed. He went from rookie "redshirt" to franchise hope in the span of three hours.

Yes, he was sacked six times and tossed two interceptions in the 28-10 Pittsburgh win. But the poise and composure he showed in the face of Pittsburgh coordinator Dick LeBeau's "Blitzburgh" scheme earned him instant respect. McCoy completed 23 of 33 passes for 281 yards and one touchdown.

The Browns' 327 yards offense were their most in a Steelers game since the 36-33 loss to them in the 2002 season playoffs.

"I can tell you this, I wasn't surprised he was able to represent himself as well as he did," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "This guy's no stranger to big stages. He comes from a program where he's been in some big football games. He's extremely smart guy and has great football intelligence and passion for the game. So, to put together a performance like that is not surprising at all."

McCoy's 23 completions in the first Steelers' game exceeded the combined total of Anderson (nine) and Quinn (six) in the two Steelers games last season.

And yet.

"I watched the tape when we played earlier in the season and thought, 'Man, I've come a long ways from that,' " McCoy said. "I'm playing a lot better. There are still a lot of things that I can improve on and work on. I just look forward to the opportunity to get out there again, get this sour taste out of my mouth, take care of the football and lead the team."

McCoy was referring to the debacle last week against Baltimore, his worst of seven starts. He was intercepted three times, twice by safety Ed Reed, and produced a career-low passer rating of 27.0.

This week, McCoy may have to contend with another All-Pro safety in Troy Polamalu. The Steeler has missed the past two games with an Achilles injury and has not practiced this week, but is expected to try to go today. Polamalu was largely quiet in the first meeting.

"They play a little bit different spots, but they play the same way," McCoy said of Reed and Polamalu. "They're [risk-takers]. They strive to make plays and that's what has made them who they are. They're the best safeties in the league. I'll have to be better, more sharp looking off, finding the open guy without them being around."

Five of McCoy's seven interceptions have come in two games against Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

"I have to eliminate those mistakes," he said. "I have to take those away, and if you take those away and you look at the game, it's like, 'Wow, we stayed on the field. We converted on third downs.' We made a couple of bad decisions and it cost us. I understand that fully."

Besides Polamalu, McCoy has to contend with the Steelers' vise-like run defense, which is No. 1 by far in the NFL, and their pass rush, tied for the NFL lead with 44 sacks, led by linebacker James Harrison's 11.

"Those guys play so well together," McCoy said. "They know their blitzes, know their gaps. They come in and out and their scheme is based around them and what they do. We are going to have to handle that.

"A lot of guys are confident in this locker room. A lot of guys are going out to practice, working and competing. We are going to finish strong and finish the right way."

McCoy is known as a quick study. Many others before him have learned the hard way that playing the Steelers doesn't always get easier the second time around.

Cleveland Browns nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin playing at a high level

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Nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin finishes up a breakout season in the Browns’ final game Sunday against Pittsburgh. He said his goal next year will be to make the Pro Bowl.

BROWNS INSIDER

The Browns' defense against the run was one of the notable areas of improvement early in the season. But it's fallen to 26th in the rankings after a seven-game stretch in which it has allowed an average of 160.2 yards rushing. That's almost 50 yards higher per game than the league average.

rubin.jpgNose tackle Ahtyba Rubin, here sacking Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard, has played at a high level all season for the Browns.

But don't point fingers at nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin for that slump. According to Browns figures, Rubin leads all NFL defensive linemen in tackles this year with 79. Buffalo's Kyle Williams (75) and the Giants' Justin Tuck (74) are close behind.

"The level of improvement [Rubin's] had is impressive," coach Eric Mangini said. "The thing that I love about him is his effort. I've shown some clips from the last [Pittsburgh] game. On [Rashard] Mendenhall's run where we had him backed up and he bounced out, Rubin is flying to get over there 25 yards down the field.

"The last game against Baltimore, he's showing up on the screen every play. This is a big man. His effort is outstanding. He's strong, he plays with good technique, he cares, he's tough. It's not an accident he's leading all linemen in tackles."

Rubin was used strictly on running downs in his previous two seasons. As a full-time player this year, he has recorded the first interception and sacks (two) of his career.

They weren't enough to win him Pro Bowl recognition. The interior defensive linemen named to the AFC Pro Bowl team were Baltimore's Haloti Ngata, New England's Vince Wilfork and Oakland's Richard Seymour -- all repeat winners.

"It's always motivating if you don't get picked. That'll definitely be one of my goals next year," Rubin said. "The guys you see on the list are great names. Hopefully, I can continue my work and try to get nominated next year."

Because Shaun Rogers and Kenyon Coleman regularly take days off from practice because of injuries, Rubin gets more reps at practice and in games than any Browns lineman. He doesn't buy the theory that he may be wearing down from all the work.

Mangini attributes the run breakdowns to a combination of factors -- the loss of injured linebacker Scott Fujita, the inability of the offense to stay on the field and convert third downs, and the lack of available linemen.

"Sometimes what happens, you want to be multiple with different fronts and different ways to attack an offense and sometimes you can't rep those things," Mangini said. "So we have to cut back on that and play the things better in our base defense."

Under the roof: You won't see this very often -- the Browns practicing indoors the week of a home game against the Steelers. They moved into their fieldhouse on Thursday because players had trouble negotiating the frozen field outdoors on Wednesday. Lots of slipping and sliding. "We'll get a little bit more work done [indoors]," Mangini said.

Rivalry talk: Despite the domination of Pittsburgh since 1999, both coaches are talking up the Browns-Steelers rivalry. The Steelers have won 20 of 24 meetings in the Browns' expansion era.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he takes the rivalry "very seriously."

"It's such a unique game because of a number of factors. The close proximity. I can't say I've been involved in a bus trip in any other city I've been in. The history of the two organizations and the success they've had in history make it a unique matchup," Tomlin said.

Mangini said his players -- many of whom are new to the rivalry -- are aware what the game means to Cleveland fans.

"It's everywhere. It's in every newspaper, on every TV, on every person's lips," Mangini said.

He related an experience quarterback Colt McCoy had before the first Pittsburgh game this year, when a father asked him to sign some hats while McCoy pumped gas at a local station. Mangini said the father had two kids in car seats wearing T-shirts that said, "Steelers suck."

"It starts at birth," Mangini said. "You have your Browns shirt and your 'I hate Pittsburgh' shirt."

Browns fans in Baltimore: While the Ravens play the Bengals Sunday, they'll sneak peeks at the scoreboard to see if the Browns can take care of the Steelers. A Cleveland win would help the Ravens win the AFC North title and the perks that come with it.

"When the score comes up, I'm sure all of us are going to take a look," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said to reporters. "We're going to know by the crowd's reaction. I don't have a problem with that. We're going to play the game. We'll have all focus on Cincinnati. It'll be interesting to see how that game plays out. The fact that we have a chance to accomplish something as far as playoff seedings, that's pretty important."

Injury report: Running back Peyton Hillis (ribs), guard Floyd Womack (knee) and defensive end Kenyon Coleman (knee) missed practice on Thursday. Mangini said he expected each to be able to play on Sunday.

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