When it comes to the NCAA, Ohio State and the Sugar Bowl, the hypocrisy seems almost endless.

Talkin' to myself about Ohio State, the NCAA and selling championship rings . . .

Question: Who comes off the worst in the NCAA's punishment of six Ohio State football players?

Terry Gilliam / Associated PressFour of the Ohio State players who will be suspended for five games next year after playing in Tuesday's Sugar Bowl: From left, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams, Boom Herron and Terrelle Pryor.

Answer: It's not even close, it's the NCAA. The more the organization tries to explain how it can keep six Buckeye players eligible for the Sugar Bowl, but not for the first five regular-season games -- well, the higher the pile of hypocrisy. That's especially true since Sugar Bowl CEO Paul Hoolahan admits pressuring the NCAA to let Terrelle Pryor, Dan Herron and the others play against Arkansas.

Q: What is the rationale of allowing them to play in the bowl game, but miss the first five games of next season?

A: It's about having a good show on television in the Sugar Bowl, period. If the offense was so serious, then they should miss the bowl game. But the Sugar Bowl CEO talked about allowing those guys to play to ensure the "integrity" of the game.

Q: Isn't a statement like that embarrassing?

A: Of course.

Q: Why can't the players sell their Big Ten Championship rings and gold pants they received for winning the Michigan game?

A: In the past, players sold tickets, jerseys and other items for outrageous sums to "friends of the program." The NCAA doesn't want someone paying Pryor $100,000 for his ring -- because that would be like paying the guy to play. Pryor received a total of $2,500 for his 2008 Big Ten title ring, his 2009 Fiesta Bowl sportsmanship trophy and his 2008 gold pants for beating Michigan. Solomon Thomas was paid $1,350 for his ring and gold pants and DeVier Posey pocketed $1,350. It seems like all of these guys could have made more if they put the items on eBay.

Q: Do you believe the players didn't know this was against the rules?

A: Ohio State has seven compliance officers to tell coaches and players about the rules. It's doubtful they had no idea something was wrong -- or maybe they would have put the stuff on eBay or somewhere else where the items would have brought a better price rather than sell it to a guy who runs a tattoo parlor in a backroom deal.

Q: Does it bother you they sold this stuff?

A: A friend named Amanda told me, "I'd never sell a ring like that." A guy named Jim came up to me, shook his head, and asked how you could sell the gold pants from beating Michigan. Jim told me, "You wish these things would mean more to the players."

Q: Why doesn't it?

A: One reason is big-time college football is viewed as a way to get to the NFL, not a special moment in their lives. Another is because they are young and want what they want now, be it a tattoo or something else. My guess is that years from now they will wish they had kept the stuff.

Q: Didn't some OSU officials say they sold the stuff because they come from poor families?

A: Yes, they did. They also said the school should have done a better job educating the players. Both explanations sounded more like lame excuses.

Q: Isn't a scholarship all that the players receive?

A: Let's not turn this into a debate about if players should be paid. But let's also not dismiss what free tuition, books, room and board would mean to most families. But there is something else available to some players.

Q: What?

A: If a player comes from a low-income family, he can qualify for a Pell Grant -- it's about $5,500 a year. I talked to one Division I athletic director who said "several" of his football players receive Pell Grants. A Division I basketball coach at another school told me "at least six" of his scholarship players also receive Pell Grants. It's not a path to luxury, but it is about $100 a week.

Q: Do we know if the Buckeye players were receiving Pell Grants?

A: We don't. We also don't know if the money they received from selling their Buckeye stuff went to pay the light bill for mom back home. The fact the money came through a tattoo parlor makes it seem this was about tattoos.

Q: Aren't you coming down hard on the athletes?

A: In the big NCAA picture, what they did should be considered minor. It should be a game or two that they sit out. But the NCAA committed the mortal sin of wanting these guys to play in the Sugar Bowl, but wanting to appear tough. So they came up with the first five games of 2011. What the players did was sort of dumb and self-serving. What the NCAA did is yet another reason so many people have good reason to hate the NCAA.

Q: Do you believe the players when they told Jim Tressel they would not turn pro and return for 2011?

A: Tressel said that's why he decided to play them in the Sugar Bowl. I believe that's what they told the coach at the end of 2010. I would be shocked if all six of them feel the same way as the NFL draft approaches.

Q: Do you think the NCAA imposed the five-game penalty for next season because it thought some of the players would turn pro in the spring?

A: Given how cynical their ruling is concerning the Sugar Bowl and bowing to pressure, what do you think?

Gray Maynard has never lost a professional fight. Frankie Edgar has one loss in his mixed martial arts career. That would be to Maynard in April 2008.  So which guy will take the lightweight championship belt into the octagon with him in Las Vegas on Saturday in the headline bout of UFC 125? That would be Edgar, thank you...

Gray Maynard has never lost a professional fight. Frankie Edgar has one loss in his mixed martial arts career. That would be to Maynard in April 2008. 

So which guy will take the lightweight championship belt into the octagon with him in Las Vegas on Saturday in the headline bout of UFC 125? That would be Edgar, thank you very much. 

Edgar, who cemented his hold on the 155-pound belt with a win over B.J. Penn in UFC 118 this past August, isn't necessarily going into the bout with revenge on his mind, but . . . 

"Yes, it's a rematch against someone I fought who beat me," Edgar said in a conference call with reporters just before Christmas. "Is it special because of it? Yes, I mean, I'm just approaching it as my next fight, my next title defense. The fact that he beat me and I get a chance to maybe get that one back, it does make it a little bit better." 

That doesn't mean fight fans can expect a repeat of UFC Fight Night 13, which Maynard won via unanimous decision. A blow-by-blow account of that night left no doubt that Maynard won the battle, primarily with takedowns and solid hits. 

"Of course, it was 21/2 years ago," Maynard, a state champ in wrestling in 1998 with St. Edward, told reporters. "Any time you're going up against the top of the world, you've evolved and changed, so I'm prepared for a new fight." 

Just what will fans see? 

"I don't know, man," said Edgar. "Gray's got great stand-up, he's got really great wrestling. But we haven't seen much of his jiu-jitsu like you haven't really seen much of mine. But I guess if there's any advantage [to Maynard], maybe it's speed, being that he's bigger." 

At 5-8, the 31-year-old Maynard has a two-inch height advantage. But Edgar is two years younger, and already has fought a couple of five-rounders: his latest the title defense against Penn in August. This is the first time Maynard is scheduled to go five rounds. 

That's why he's expanded his camp from eight to 12 weeks. 

The fighters have similar strengths, with Edgar having an edge in striking and Maynard being the better at submissions. With that in mind, Maynard was asked whether he had done any "outside the box" training for the fight. 

Well, yeah, he said: 

"Two backflips and a handspring off the cage, then I'm going to do a roll and cut the weight." 

Let's see Jenny Craig try that.  
 

Updated 9:45 p.m. with quotes, video: Ohio State assistant coaches monitored interviews Thursday, trying to limit questions about suspensions and wanting to focus on the Sugar Bowl. Watch video

Updated at 9:45 p.m. with quotes and video

 NEW ORLEANS -- The Buckeyes are trying to move on. They're under orders to do so. 

Twenty-two days after Ohio State was told by the U.S. attorney's office that some OSU memorabilia had been discovered in a tattoo parlor; nine days after OSU players were interviewed by the NCAA; seven days after the news conference to announce NCAA suspensions; two days after the public apologies; the Buckeyes on Thursday said it's over. 

At least for now. As OSU players met with reporters, the sessions were monitored by assistant coaches who cut off most questions that weren't directly related to the Sugar Bowl. No suspension talk. 

"I think it has more effect on [the media] than us," receiver DeVier Posey, one of the six Buckeyes suspended for the beginning of the 2011 season, said of the story that has dominated Sugar Bowl talk. "It's brought us closer as a team and we're really trying to focus on Jan. 4. Sometimes you respond to adversity and you struggle with it, and sometimes you take it on and you try to move forward. And I feel we executed that very well." 

OSU coach Jim Tressel did his part Thursday morning in an eight-minute monologue about the suspensions that, in the end, made two important points: 

1. The six Buckeyes facing 2011 suspensions -- quarterback Terrelle Pryor, Posey, running back Dan Herron, left tackle Mike Adams, backup defensive end Solomon Thomas and backup linebacker Jordan Whiting -- won't face other discipline for the Sugar Bowl from Tressel. The NCAA said they could play, and so did the coach, who said only football decisions will determine playing time. So unless Tressel suddenly decides Joe Bauserman can attack Arkansas better, Pryor will take the first snap for the Buckeyes. 

That was good news to Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino. 

"We get to a bowl game of this magnitude, you want to play against their best players," Petrino said, "so I think we're fortunate that they're eligible to play." 

2. Four of the Buckeyes -- juniors Pryor, Herron, Posey and Adams -- have legitimate decisions to make about entering the NFL Draft, especially knowing they'll miss a chunk of their senior season, though Ohio State hopes their five-game suspensions will be reduced on appeal. But Tressel said those NFL decisions have been made. The right to play in the Sugar Bowl came with a promise to return next season, and Tressel said he got that promise from everyone involved. 

 "They would not be here if that weren't the case," Tressel said. "We didn't think it would be fair to the NCAA or fair to the other people involved in the process if someone were able to participate and have no consequences down the road." 

Of course, those promises aren't legally binding. But by doing this, Tressel put the onus back on his players, offered a reason why he's not sitting them for at least part of the Sugar Bowl and, probably, let them know he'll be really ticked if they go back on their pledges. 

So what are the consequences right now for the No. 6 team in the nation, as Ohio State attempts to deal with its 0-9 record against the SEC in bowl games? All that's left is losing because their heads aren't in it. 

"I don't feel like something I did two years ago is gong to bother me too much today," Posey said, referring to when he sold the memorabilia that caused the sanctions. 

"We're not going to let anything that happened in the past affect anything we're doing right now," said center Michael Brewster, who, as the most attractive draft prospect among the OSU juniors, could be playing his final college game. He said he'll talk about his draft decisions with his family after the game. 

The coaches can limit the discussion -- Pryor and Herron are scheduled to be part of a long interview session Saturday -- but former Buckeye Malcolm Jenkins, an OSU All-American who's in his second year with the New Orleans Saints, said what the suspensions mean for Tuesday night is up to the players. 

"It really all depends on your leadership, and I'm not talking about the coaches," Jenkins said. "I'm talking about the locker room. If the leaders on the team can pull their team together and say, "We're going to play our best game," then the team will be fine. But if your leaders are distracted, and some of the guys who got in trouble are some of the leaders, if they let this distract them, then in turn the whole team can get distracted. 

"So it's up to the guys who got in trouble and the rest of the leaders on the team." 

Cleveland State moves to 3-0 in the Horizon League with a comfortable win over Loyola.

The roll continues for Cleveland State, and once again the Vikings were not seriously challenged. They built a comfortable lead by halftime over the Loyola Ramblers then cruised like a drop top Cadillac in a summer breeze to a 73-55 Horizon League victory before a second-straight solid crowd, 4,044, Thursday night in the Wolstein Center.

The Vikings did this with leading scorer Norris Cole, nursing a stinger in his shoulder, scoring just 12 points, well under his 21.5 scoring average. Taking up the slack was center Aaron Pogue. The 6-9, 265-pound pivot had his way in the paint from beginning to end scoring 16 points to tie his career high. This was bolstered by another six points from freshman post Devon Long as the Ramblers offered absolutely no physical resistance inside.

This came on the heels of a one-on-one talk with CSU head coach Gary Waters where he told the Pogue, "now it's time for them to know who you are," Waters said. "And he did it."

Pogue was 8-of-11 from the field and also had 12 rebounds. Waters said the center from Dayton is finally rounding into good physical shape and the sky suddenly seems to be the limit.

"Not many people can guard me one-on-one," Pogue said. "I feel I can destroy any man one-on-one."

The Vikings (14-1, 3-0) started slow, and did not score until nearly five minutes into the game when Pogue scored inside. That triggered a 7-0 run that gave the Vikings a 7-5 lead. The lead grew to 13-6 as CSU's pressure defense began to tighten and the fast-break layups began to fall through the hoop. And when CSU found itself in its half-court offense, the Vikings found Pogue.

"I was more than disappointed the way we competed against him inside," Loyola head coach Jim Whitesell said.

The Vikings went from cold to hot in a hurry after the slow start, making six of their next seven in that flurry. But just when the Ramblers looked to be on their heels, they regrouped and closed within 17-15. No matter. The defensive press and trap for Cleveland State delivered once again, leading to more layups and a 28-15 cushion.

The CSU lead grew to 18 and the Vikings lead at halftime, 41-24. But Pogue and Co. gave the Ramblers more of the same in the second half as the Vikings lead grew to 71-40 with more than six minutes to play before CSU put the top up and parked it for the night.

Guard Trey Harmon followed Pogue in scoring with 14 points while Jeremy Montgomery added another 12. The Vikings also had a 38-32 rebounding edge. The Vikings now get a one-day break before hosting Illinois-Chicago at 2 p.m. Saturday. Illinois-Chicago lost Thursday night at Youngstown State, 71-69.

Cleveland State's defense leads to easy baskets.

CSU MEN'S BASKETBALL INSIDER

The defense -- physical, fast and in your face -- is what keeps fueling the Cleveland State train of basketball success this season. The Vikings provided further proof of that with a comfortable 18-point victory Thursday night over Loyola.

Through the first 32 minutes, the Vikings forced the Ramblers into 18 turnovers, which led to 28 points. That helped CSU have a dominating 44 points in the paint at that point.

Back-tips, jumping passing lanes, scrambling for and securing loose balls -- all led to Cleveland State's advantage.

"Points off turnovers is the big stat," Loyola head coach Jim Whitesell said. "We didn't handle their press. We coughed it up and it turned into baskets. We had 18 [turnovers] when it counted."

Polling: Cleveland State remains No. 1 in the collegeinsider.com midmajor basketball poll. The Vikings got an overwhelming 24 of 31 first-place votes from the panel of midmajor coaches. No other team received more than two. No. 2 Old Dominion received one first-place vote.

No. 6 Butler is the only other Horizon League team in the Top 25 and received two first-place votes.

Three other HL teams -- Detroit, Valparaiso and Chicago-Loyola -- received votes.

Cold-hot: After starting the season with poor 3-point shooting, Cleveland State recently has found a groove.

The Vikings made just 28.2 percent of their 3s through their first eight games. In the six games before Thursday, CSU shot 45.3 percent from behind the arc. After going 4-of-15 (26 percent) on 3s in the win over Loyola, CSU stands at 36 percent for the season.

Trevon Harmon has made the most 3s (31) for the Vikings and is shooting 36.5 percent from 3-point range (31-of-85). Leading scorer Norris Cole is shooting 36 percent (18-of-50) on 3-pointers.

The most accurate 3-point shooter on the team is guard Josh McCoy, who is shooting 50 percent (12-of-24).

As a freshman, Ohio State running back Brandon Saine was a big part of Ohio State’s game plan in the Superdome. Maybe he can recapture some of that spark as a senior in his return.

New Orleans -- The potential of Brandon Saine flashed in the Superdome three years ago. Now entering his final college game, once again in the Superdome, the Ohio State senior running back isn't going to live up to all that potential. But he could still hit Arkansas for a few big plays.

Marvin Fong / The Plain DealerAs a freshman in the BCS title game against Louisiana State, Brandon Saine (above) had some big plays for the Buckeyes. As he prepares for the final game of his OSU career, also at the Superdome, Saine is hoping to have another big effort in New Orleans.

Like maybe with a wheel route out of the backfield, one of the ways he hurt LSU in that national title game, when he caught three passes for 69 yards, including a 44-yarder on the first play of Ohio State's second drive.

"That's always available," Saine said with a smile Thursday.

Saine's role has decreased as Dan Herron seized the job over the second half of the season. In the past seven games, Saine has a combined 22 carries for 129 yards and 13 catches for 120 yards, an average of 36 total yards per game. But as teams tweak their offenses during bowl practice, throwing in a few new looks, Saine always seems like the perfect guy with which to try something fresh.

"I personally think that would be a good way to go," Saine said. "But I think we have a great game plan going in. I just want to play my part and help out on special teams like I have been and bring home a win."

At least Saine understands the possibilities now. As a freshman, he didn't comprehend the role he would play in the Buckeyes' 38-24 loss to LSU.

"I was just out there running plays in practice, and then I was definitely excited and nervous when they called it," Saine said. "But I don't have all good memories from that. I kind of walked off the field in a bad mood. But as a positive, I was able to do certain things I can look back on and learn from."

The memories returned when the Buckeyes practiced in the Superdome on Thursday, their first trip back since that loss on Jan. 7, 2008. Saine said the seniors who were part of that loss had it worse Thursday, while the younger Buckeyes didn't have to relive the history. "But it kind of came full circle," Saine said. "I think it's a great place to end my Ohio State career."

Tressel's rumor: Talking about a Christmas Day rumor on one blog that caused Ohio State to come out with a denial that Jim Tressel was leaving, the OSU coach, speaking about it for the first time Thursday, said, "It's not true at all. . . . The rumor is a waste of time but this world is an ever-evolving waste of time. I don't know when people have time to spend so much time reading all this stuff. It's amazing how much stuff is out there. The rumor is not true but it's part of the deal."

Tressel said he believed the word was started by other schools recruiting players interested in Ohio State.

Nickel package: Ohio State freshman defensive back Christian Bryant hasn't played since a foot infection that worsened during the Wisconsin game required a lengthy hospital stay and surgery. But Bryant has been back out there during bowl practice and should work into the game plan against Arkansas.

Bryant was the fifth defensive back, or the star, in the nickel package before he went down. Ohio State tried a couple of different looks in his absence, including putting Travis Howard on the field in those situations with Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence and playing three true cornerbacks.

Cornerbacks coach Taver Johnson said Thursday that the Buckeyes will use two looks in their nickel package against Arkansas -- one with Howard and one with Bryant. But it sounds like starting safety Jermale Hines won't see action at the star, as he also did at the end of the season.

Vikings' latest win bolsters confidence entering next Friday's showdown with defending Horizon League champion Butler.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerCleveland State's Norris Cole sneaks in an arm to pry free the ball from Illinois-Chicago's Brad Birton (right) and Robo Kreps during the first half of Saturday's victory at the Wolstein Center.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Early in the second half of Saturday's game against Illinois-Chicago, Cleveland State's basketball Vikings made like a cop in a squad car, squawking into his radio.

Over, and out.

The Vikings rolled to an 83-59 victory at the Wolstein Center. CSU's lead was 18 or more points throughout most of the second half.

CSU stands at 15-1, 4-0, with the 24-point win over the Flames (5-10, 0-3) just the latest for a team with an average margin of victory at 12.7 points. In league play, it's 18.2 points.

That should be enough to bolster the confidence of any team about to face its toughest road challenge of the season -- defending Horizon League champion Butler on Friday. That game will leave the HL with just one undefeated team in league play after only the second full week of the season.

"The Butler Invitational," CSU head coach Gary Waters began. "We've got to stop that."

The Vikings' defensive pressure has led to lots of opponent turnovers and enough layups and dunks to eliminate any suspense about the outcome.

With 15:52 left in the game, the Flames already had 17 turnovers, with the Vikings scoring 17 points off those miscues for a 53-42 lead.

"Fear," Waters said teams show against CSU's pressure. "You see it in their eyes and hear it in their voice."

Long and athletic, the Flames were the kind of team that could give the Vikings trouble. But the tenacity of CSU's defense was evident immediately -- UIC missed its first six shots and also had a pair of turnovers. As the miscues mounted, CSU's Tre Harmon knocked down his first four 3-point attempts on his way to a season-high 24 points. The Vikings' lead grew to 22-10 with nearly 12 minutes to play in the opening half.

"They play with a tempo and ferocity I don't think anyone in our league can match," UIC coach Howard Moore said.

A brief 7-0 run by the Flames gave them hope, but inside hoops from Jeremy Montgomery (13 points) and Joe Latas (6), promptly pushed the lead back out to double figures.

"Once we see they're tired, we put our foot on the gas," said senior guard Norris Cole, who had 21 points.

Key to the win was a combined 15 points and eight rebounds from the 6-10, 265-pound Latas, which brought the 2,142 fans to their feet. On one possession he twice missed close in, but muscled for the rebound and finally was rewarded when his layup circled the rim three times before falling through the hoop.

The next game is now.

"Butler is a different monster at home," Waters said. They're confident at home. Players come to the forefront at home. You have to be at your very best to beat them at home."

None of which seems to faze this bunch of Vikings.

"They got to prepare for us, too," Harmon said.

If Browns President Mike Holmgren fires Eric Mangini, where will he turn? Will he hire himself? Or one of the hot names rumored to be in line for the job?

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerTime is drawing short before Mike Holmgren is to announce his assessment on how the Browns' coaching staff will look for the 2011 season and beyond.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Eric Mangini has one last chance against the Steelers Sunday to convince team president Mike Holmgren that he deserves to stay before the two sit down Monday to discuss his fate.

At the very least, Holmgren will most likely require Mangini (10-21) to hire a new, accomplished offensive coordinator such as former Broncos coach Josh McDaniels. Even if Mangini knocks off the 11-4 Steelers -- Pittsburgh can clinch the division with a victory -- it still might not be enough for Holmgren.

If he does fire Mangini, where will he turn? To himself? He made it clear in November that he still has the itch to coach. Others rumored to be hot prospects are ESPN analyst Jon Gruden, Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and Carolina head coach John Fox.

A look at those candidates:

The Big Show: Will Holmgren descend from his ivory tower for one last coaching hurrah? A case can be made that of all the available candidates, he has the strongest credentials.

He boasts a 161-111 record in 17 seasons as head coach in Green Bay and Seattle, and a 13-11 mark in postseason. He's taken his teams to three Super Bowls and won one, with the Packers in 1996. He also has eight division titles and 12 playoff berths.

On Nov. 2, Holmgren admitted he's considered coaching the Browns when asked if he'll honor his commitment here. "I made a promise and I'm going to stick with it," he said. "Now if I keep wearing a suit or not? We'll see." A day later, on Dan Patrick's radio show, Holmgren re-iterated, "I don't know if [coaching] ever leaves you. [During games] I'm ranting and raving and jumping around and it's a challenge for me."

At 62, it's probably now or never for Holmgren, who's still referred to as "coach." Known for developing Hall of Fame quarterbacks Steve Young and Joe Montana, and future Hall of Famer Brett Favre, he's excited about Colt McCoy.

In addition to the opportunity here, he might get calls from the Cowboys and 49ers.

View full sizeAP FileIs this the happy face of the next Browns coach? Sandusky native Jon Gruden is clearly one of the most-discussed candidates if Eric Mangini is dismissed.

Jon Gruden: Holmgren and Gruden teamed up for the first time when Gruden became a 49ers assistant in 1990. Two years later, when Holmgren left for Green Bay, he took Gruden with him as receivers coach. Gruden went on to become coordinator of the Eagles and then head coach of the Raiders and Buccaneers.

In 2002, he led the Bucs to a Super Bowl victory over the Raiders. Overall, he's 95-81 in 11 seasons as head coach and 5-4 in the playoffs. Gruden said last year that he planned to honor his ESPN contract through 2011. But for the right opportunity, Gruden might jump.

Gruden, 47, was born and raised in Sandusky and grew up a Browns fan. He also attended the University of Dayton. Gruden loves McCoy from their time together for ESPN's pre-draft special and recommended Holmgren draft him. Gruden runs Mike Holmgren's West Coast offense, and the two have remained close.

Marty Mornhinweg: The current Eagles offensive coordinator is quickly becoming one of the hotter candidates for the 10 or so jobs that will be open.

But he's being mentioned as a Browns' candidate because of his strong ties with both Holmgren and Browns General Manager Tom Heckert. Holmgren hired him in 1995 with the Packers and he was Holmgren's receivers coach during their Super Bowl-winning season in 1996.

Mornhinweg, 48, also spent seven seasons with Heckert in Philadelphia. The two missed the playoffs only once during that span.

Yes, Mornhinweg went 5-27 as Lions head coach in 2001-2002, but many attribute that record to Matt Millen's poor talent acquisition.

Mornhinweg has the Eagles flying high this season and has helped turn Michael Vick into a star. They're first in total yards (399.1) and second in scoring (28.4 points). Vick has a superb 100.2 passer rating and career-highs in TDs (21), yards (3,018) and completion percentage (.626).

Mornhinweg told the Philadelphia Daily News that he'd be a better head coach the next time around.

"Sometimes, to have success, you've got to have some failures," he said.

Mornhinweg runs the West Coast offense, a system the Browns think McCoy would excel in. He's also represented by Holmgren's high-powered agent Bob LaMonte, who also represents Gruden and John Fox.

John Fox: Fox has never worked with Holmgren, but the two know each other well from their years in the NFL and from being represented by LaMonte.

Fox, 55, has been told by the Panthers that he won't be back after a 2-13 season and a bottom-ranked offense. But Fox, who went 78-73 in nine seasons in Carolina, is still considered an excellent head coach. He took the Panthers -- and current Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme -- to the Super Bowl following the 2003 season and is 5-3 in postseason.

NFL Network's Jason LaCanfora and ESPN's John Clayton have mentioned Fox as a top Browns choice.

Where is the best basketball show in Cleveland? You can find it right downtown, at Cleveland State.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerJeremy Montgomery's determination to get this loose ball away from Illinois-Chicago's K.C. Robbins symbolizes the Vikings' relentless defense this season. "They turn up and heat and get after people," Flames coach Howard Moore said. "They don't let up. It goes on the whole game."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you love basketball and are deflated by The Decision, the plight of the pro game and the decimation of the Cavaliers -- how about trying something different?

What about Cleveland State?

Why not take a look at a team that is 15-1? A team that is winning games by an average of 13 points? A disciplined, gritty team whose coach doesn't tolerate foolishness from his players and demands they defend each possession as if it were their last meal in a month?

That's what Cleveland State put on display once again in a 83-59 victory over Illinois-Chicago Saturday at the Wolstein Center.

"They play with reckless abandon," said UIC coach Howard Moore, in his first Horizon League season after being a player and later an assistant at Wisconsin.

Moore could not stop talking about the Vikings defense, about three guards (all 6-2 and under) who simply swarm each man catching a pass and battle for every dribble when an opposing guards brings the ball up the court.

"They turn up and heat and get after people," said Moore. "They don't let up. It goes on the whole game."

At halftime, the Vikings had forced 13 turnovers -- and committed only two. It was 24-6 for the game. When the Vikings beat South Florida on Dec. 22, they forced 24 turnovers and made only four.

On the season, they pressure opponents into nearly 17 turnovers a game, compared to 12 for CSU. That's the secret of Gary Waters' surprise team. They force you to make mistakes. Balls bounce off your foot. Passes sail high and wide. Shots are forced from impossible angles as the 35-second clock ticks down.

"It's the fatigue," said CSU star Norris Cole (21 points, six each of rebounds, assists and steals). "You can see them bending over, holding their knees."

Hearing that, Waters added, "You know what it really is? Fear. You can see it in their eyes. You can hear it in their voices. Teams don't want to play us. I'm telling you, it's fear."

The closest any members of this overachieving team are to high school McDonald's All-Americas was grabbing some Big Macs and fries. Waters raves about Tim Kamczyc, a walk-on from Strongsville who starts at power forward despite being only 6-6. His job is to trigger the Vikings' full-court press.

Now on scholarship, Kamczyc had a team-leading seven rebounds Saturday.

Guard Tre Harmon had a career-high 24 points, but Waters said the real value of the 6-1 guard was "his defense, covering the opposing point guard from baseline to baseline. He works and works and works.

Harmon is averaging 15 points, but said, "We think we're the best-conditioned team in the country."

New Years is not the greatest date for a college basketball game, and only 2,142 fans saw one of CSU's most dominating performances. They are averaging 2,450 fans. In the previous two home games, CSU drew season-high crowds of 4,711 and 4,044. Some people are getting the message -- basketball in Cleveland can be fun again.

But there is plenty of room for more as these Vikings will be in competing for a Horizon League title and a possible NCAA bid all season.

Steelers receiver Mike Wallace has all the motivation he needs Sunday to help his team clinch the AFC North title and second seed in the playoffs.

View full sizeGene J. Puskar / Associated PressPittsburgh's Mike Wallace has been one of the NFL's most dynamic receivers this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Steelers receiver Mike Wallace has all the motivation he needs Sunday to help his team clinch the AFC North title and second seed in the playoffs.

The Browns were one of 31 teams that passed over Wallace in the first two rounds of the 2009 draft, and he's still snortin' mad. The Browns took Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi in the second round while Wallace sat around waiting for the phone to ring. The Steelers finally nabbed him in the third round.

"I always take it personally and I'm going to always take that with me every time I go out and try to make plays for my team," said Wallace. "Every team looked over me twice and it was on the way for everybody looking over me a third time. I'm just trying to make everybody pay for overlooking me."

Wallace (6-0, 199) isn't really sure why teams snubbed him coming out of Mississippi, especially considering he had a personal-best in the 40 of an astonishingly fast 4.21.

"I guess I didn't get much hype going into the draft," he said. "I think those draft analysts can either make you or break you, no matter what anybody says. To me it doesn't really matter. The only thing that matters is they did look over me and I'm out to make them pay for it."

Wallace made the Browns pay in the first meeting when he caught three passes for 90 yards, including a 29-yard TD and another 50-yarder that led to a touchdown.

"The thing that makes him so good is definitely his speed," said cornerback Joe Haden, who gave up a 70-yard TD to Wallace as a freshman at Florida. "He's by far the fastest receiver we've faced this year. He's a deep threat. He's had so many catches over 40 yards. You've got to make sure you stay on top of him because he's one of the best deep threats in the game."

Wallace has plenty of eye-popping numbers this season:

• He has 24 catches for 20-plus yards, the most for a Steeler since Hall of Famer John Stallworth in 1984.

• He's posted his first career 1,000-yard season and leads all Steelers with 57 receptions for 1,152 yards and nine TDs -- all career highs.

• He's second in the NFL with 20.2 yards per catch, after leading the NFL in receiving average as a rookie in 2009.

• The Steelers are 11-1 when Wallace scores a touchdown.

• He has six 100-yard receiving games this season, second most in team history.

• He's caught seven TD passes of 40 or more yards from Ben Roethlisberger for the duo to tie a team record.

• He posted career highs of eight catches, 136 yards and two TDs vs. the Patriots this season.

"We felt pretty good about him obviously when we selected him," said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. "Of course, during the course of his rookie year we realized that this guy had big-time potential and that's one of the reasons we felt comfortable enough to move Santonio [Holmes to the Jets]."

Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown has been impressed.

"He's got exceptional speed, and can stretch the field vertically," said Brown. "He's not only a deep threat, but can take it the distance on short throws. You'd expect him to be playing well because he has a leader in Hines Ward who's demanding the best of him and that's always a good thing."

On Terrelle Pryor and his "mentor," LeBron James, the Chosen Two.

View full sizeGerald Hebert / Associated PressLike his mentor, LeBron James, Ohio State's Terrelle Pryor has clearly displayed his belief that the rules are different for members of the sporting elite, says Bill Livingston.

NEW ORLEANS -- Terrelle Pryor, the Ohio State quarterback who was a fine high school basketball player, surprised Ohio State coaches this season by proclaiming on Twitter that he would like to play basketball again.

LeBron James, the NBA superstar, who was a fine high school football player, surprised Cavaliers fans this summer by defecting to Miami as a free agent.

The pair communicates by Twitter and cell phone, with James, loyal Ohioan that he is, saluting the Buckeyes' rout of the "baby Blue" (Michigan) in late November.

In the memorabilia sale scandal, Pryor has come close to Maurice Clarett in blowing up what he has built at Ohio State. Clarett finished the job, then tried to bring the OSU program down with him.

Pryor's overall legacy is not going to be the national championship "hump" he promised to help surmount when he was recruited. If he stays, his legacy will be the cumulative effect of nearly four full years under center -- the stat-padding routs of bottom-feeders and the shining record as a starter that OSU finagled for him by letting another player take the first snap of the Fiesta Bowl.

But all that is certain now is that Pryor can't win the Heisman Trophy after missing five games next season with his suspension, nor can OSU likely win a national title during his stay because of it. Pryor and the rest of the Tat Rats, their tattoo parlor sell-a-thon now exposed, have promised to come back for their senior years. There was a payoff for that pledge, with none of the players receiving extra punishment, such as a missed series or quarter, during Tuesday's Sugar Bowl game against Arkansas.

Pryor clearly put little value on his collegiate career or he would not have sold such tokens of success in it as his gold pants trinket, symbolic of a victory over Michigan, or his 2008 Big Ten championship ring. Making good on his promise to return would be the best thing for him. It would, however, be at odds with his limitless view of himself.

Pryor and James are members of the fraternity of the sports elite. They are the Chosen Two. They share a background that wasn't silk sheets and silver spoons and a culture of entitlement, the latter shown in James' high school Hummer and Pryor's bling for sale.

Will the "Block O" on Pryor's arm mean any more than did the script words "Family" and "Loyalty" on the torso of James? It would certainly be an enormous lie Pryor told coach Jim Tressel, were he to leave.

A troubling aspect, though, is that Pryor and James always emphasized going to the "next level." Implicit in this was a feeling that wherever they were was just a stepping stone to a bigger stage and more self-aggrandizement.

James toyed with the idea of a legal challenge to the NBA draft while still at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.

He and Clarett, the ex-convict who led Ohio State to the 2002 national championship, were both major celebrities as teenagers, as was Pryor. Clarett actually did challenge the NFL draft after he was suspended for his sophomore season for grabbing everything anyone would hand him. After first winning in court, he lost on appeal.

For his part, Pryor called a news conference on national signing day -- to announce he wasn't signing, being undecided on which college he would deign to play for. He chose Ohio State because its offensive scheme is similar to those of NFL teams, thus, he thought, hastening his departure.

It should have been a red flag when Pryor began associating with James, when he said James was "his mentor," and when he asked Buckeye fans to "treat [James] with respect" if he were to attend the OSU-Miami game in Columbus in the wake of his desertion of the Cavs. James, however, skipped the game as lightly as he skipped town.

Looking back even farther, it should have been a concern when James spoke at such length to me about Pryor, then a freshman, at the Cavs' training camp media day in 2008. James was trying to recruit Pryor as a client for his LRMR Sports Agency, the same sycophantic band who orchestrated the public relations H-bomb that was "The Decision."

Tressel shrugs when asked about the Pryor-James relationship. "They all Tweet," he said, which at least showed more of a handle on the social network than Penn State's octogenarian Joe Paterno, who calls it "Twiddly-dee."

Pryor's career has not been all it was supposed to be. The problem is not only his scattershot arm, but in his head and the muddled values that swirl inside it. It was evident in the eyeblack patches he wore as a freshman, on which he wrote "Vick" as a tribute to NFL quarterback Michael Vick, an ex-con and dog killer.

The next problem could be in his ear, because the mentor who has it favors greener pastures.

Two nights after a legal question arose at the United States/Canada border, Grahame made 30 saves in a victory at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Professional athletes are trained to block out potential distractions. Monsters goalie John Grahame did a superb job of narrowing the focus Saturday.

Two nights after a legal question arose at the United States/Canada border, Grahame made 30 saves in a 3-0 victory over the Hamilton Bulldogs at The Q.

Hamilton entered as the leader in the Western Conference North Division; Lake Erie was tied for last. The clubs switched roles in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 4,305.

The Monsters were outstanding on special teams, led by the kings of the penalty kill, Mike Carman and Justin Mercier. Carman received a chip-pass from Mercier that led to a breakaway and shorthanded goal early in the second period.

Of Carman's seven goals this season, five are shorthanded.

Lake Erie killed four penalties in the second and scored twice to pull ahead, 3-0. It finished 7-for-7 on the penalty kill.

The Monsters (15-15-3-4) have won two of three. They avenged a 3-2 loss to the Bulldogs on Thursday night at Copps Coliseum.

Grahame was involved in the legal matter during that bus ride home. According to multiple reports, Customs and Border Patrol officers arrested Grahame at the Peace Bridge near Niagara Falls. A brief in buffalonews.com stated that a records check determined Grahame was "the target of felony warrant issued in Las Vegas in connection with charges that he wrote a bad check."

Multiple reports stated that Grahame was turned over to Buffalo police pending extradition to Nevada. As it turned out, Grahame spent a brief time in a holding facility before returning to Cleveland on Friday.

Grahame was unavailable for comment Friday but spoke exclusively with The Plain Dealer after Saturday's game.

"Honestly, it was just a very minor, private, personal business matter," he said. "It was something I had no idea about, and I was made aware [of it] by the border people.

"There was no arrest. The only reason I had to go to the holding center was because you couldn't wait that long at the border."

Grahame insisted he has no legal issues in Las Vegas.

"Never had any," he said. "It was a small misunderstanding -- a miscommunication, really."

Grahame, 35, joined the Monsters late last season after signing with the Colorado Avalanche organization in March. Grahame opened this season with the Monsters, was promoted to Colorado in late October and returned to Lake Erie in mid-November.

Grahame has played in more than 200 NHL games since debuting with the Boston Bruins in 1999-2000.

Monsters coach David Quinn opted to start Grahame on Saturday in part because Jason Bacashihua, Lake Erie's goalie No. 1 or 1A, is battling an illness.

The Monsters took a 1-0 lead on Ryan Stoa's power-play redirect midway through the first period. Patrick Rissmiller had the primary assist.

The magic of Mercier and Carman built a two-goal cushion. Carman controlled the puck along the left boards, darted across and beat goalie Robert Mayer with a slick move.

Matthew Ford accounted for the final margin when he scored from the right circle late in the second. Julian Talbot made an unselfish play to set up Ford.

The Monsters are 7-1-1-1 at home since Nov. 17.

Steve Aschburner Special to The Plain Dealer CHICAGO -- Mo Williams was adamant last spring and summer that he wanted to remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers. After the disappointment of the Cavs' second-round elimination by Boston, through the uncertainty of LeBron James' whereabouts, Williams made it clear via the Twittersphere and otherwise that he hoped to stay right where...

View full sizeNam Y. Huh / Associated PressCavaliers guard Ramon Sessions (right) explains a play to forward Alonzo Gee during the first quarter of Saturday night's game in Chicago.

Steve Aschburner

Special to The Plain Dealer

CHICAGO -- Mo Williams was adamant last spring and summer that he wanted to remain with the Cleveland Cavaliers. After the disappointment of the Cavs' second-round elimination by Boston, through the uncertainty of LeBron James' whereabouts, Williams made it clear via the Twittersphere and otherwise that he hoped to stay right where he was as part of the Cavs' solution.

But now, after two dismal months? After a 1-14 December? With the NBA's annual trading deadline about six weeks away?

Same answer.

"It's still the same," Williams said before the Cavs faced the Chicago Bulls Saturday night at United Center. "Because I've got a lot of trust in the organization that we're not going to go backwards. Just a minor setback. We'll be back on top."

Williams, with a $9.3 million salary this season and a player-option for $17 million in 2011-12 and 2012-13, sees brighter days ahead. No cracks, please, about how one victory since Nov. 27 couldn't get much bleaker.

"The organization knows how I feel," the 28-year-old guard said. "It's been documented. I'm happy. I know the organization will do whatever it can to get this team back to where we all want it as fans, as players. ... I'm pretty sure they're going to make the right moves to better this team."

On that topic, Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said Saturday that one key is not making the wrong move.

"The one thing I love about [General Manager Chris Grant] is, he's not trying to do something right now out of panic," Scott said. "And then it ends up biting us in the butt, something stupid. He's really, really trying to take his time and makes sure whatever deal we do -- if we do a deal -- it's going to be right deal."

In addition to a revised agenda for the balance of 2010-11 from what they began the past several seasons with, the Cavs have a $14.5 million trade exception from James' sign-and-trade deal with Miami. They have been mentioned recently in speculation about a Carmelo Anthony trade as possible facilitators for Denver and a destination team for the Nuggets forward.

Waiting for his mask: Injured center Anderson Varejao will wear a protective mask -- in the style of Detroit's Richard Hamilton, but with a lot more hair to navigate around -- when he does return to action, according to Scott.

Varejao, who suffered a fractured cheek when he got hit accidentally by Charlotte's DeSagana Diop Wednesday, was inactive against the Bulls and also will miss Sunday's home game against Dallas.

"They're waiting for the swelling to go down on that side of his face so they can fit him for a mask," Scott said. "Hopefully he'll just miss two games."

The limping wounded: Both Williams (left hip strain) and Daniel Gibson (thigh bruise) stretched and tested their injuries in warm-ups before being held out of Saturday's game. They remain day-to-day for the Mavericks' visit to The Q Sunday.

D league paid off: Guard Ramon Sessions put his time in the NBA Development League to use when he spent 24 games there in 2007-08 while property of the Milwaukee Bucks. It was there, Sessions said, that he realized the importance of attacking the basket, now a staple of his game.

"It's something I picked up in college, but I picked it more up when I was in the D League," said Sessions, who started in Williams' spot at Chicago. "I figured out there was a lot of pick-and-rolls in the NBA and I tried to tell myself, what can stand me out the most? I was just trying to get to the rack as much as I could. It's something that's stuck with me and it's worked for me."

Sessions, who has started seven times this season, scored 22 points in 31 minutes off the bench at Charlotte Wednesday.

Steve Aschburner is a writer with NBA.com

Cavs make a comeback bid in the fourth quarter, but can't catch Chicago.

View full sizeNam Y. Huh / Associated PressAntawn Jamison found shooting room over Chicago's Taj Gibson during the first quarter of Saturday night's game at the United Center.

Steve Aschburner

Special to The Plain Dealer

CHICAGO -- For a lot of people, Saturday was all about resolutions. For the Cavaliers, it was another day of no solutions.

The end result for both the Cavs and too many civilians: Meet the new year, same as the old year.

A roster riddled with injuries and a miserable third quarter left the start of 2011 looking very much like the end of 2010 for the Cavaliers, who lost, 100-91, to the Chicago Bulls Saturday night at the United Center.

The Cavs (8-25) missed 18 of their 21 shots in the third quarter and got outscored, 32-9, in what ranks as their worst offensive period of the season. Their previous low had been the 13 points they scored in the third quarter at Oklahoma City on Dec. 12. This time, a 61-53 halftime lead fizzled against a Chicago team (22-10) that, having played Friday, looked to be pacing itself rather than sweating any real jeopardy.

Afterward, while the Bulls coaches and players answered questions about "winning ugly" and succeeding even on lackluster nights, the Cavs pointed to a shift in both teams after the game's first 24 minutes.

"I thought they came out a little upset at the way they played in the first half," coach Byron Scott said, "and I thought we came out like we were happy with the way we played in the first half. They just basically took it to us, and we have to react to it a lot better than what we did."

Center Anderson Varejao (fractured cheek), Mo Williams (left hip sprain) and Daniel Gibson (left thigh bruise) and forward Joey Graham (right quad strain) all were out for Cleveland, which lost its sixth game in a row and 14th straight on the road. That its patchwork lineup was able to last as long with the Central Division leaders might have been surprising –although the Bulls seemed to know they could win with three quarters tied behind their backs.

The Cavs, by contrast, thought they could win. Maybe.

"As long as I'm on the court, I believe I can win the game," said forward Antawn Jamison, who scored 19 points but missed all five of his attempts in the second half. "I don't care who's out there with us. It's been a couple of stretches that really dictate the outcome of the games and, once again tonight, the third quarter was the difference."

It wasn't just 54.8 percent shooting that had Cleveland sitting comfortably at 61 points at halftime. It was defense that earned the visitors a two-point edge, 26-24, in scoring in the lane to that point. The Bulls owned that category in the third, 16-4.

Beyond shutting down the Cavs finally with defense that former Celtics guru-turned-Chicago head coach Tom Thibodeau could feel good about, the Bulls got more determined in attacking the basket. It was a lethal combination, with Chicago winning for the 13th time in 15 games.

"They were more aggressive than we were," Jamison said. "There were off-balance shots. Not going to the basket. They did a great job of limiting us to one shot, and then they were very aggressive going to the basket. Pick-and-roll. Derrick Rose dictated the game like always, but we kind of sat there and took their aggressiveness, and we didn't match it at all."

Cleveland did get to within three points, 92-89, with 2:48 left. But a layup by Rose got the Bulls cushion and Anthony Parker's three-point attempt with 1:15 left spun out. The Cavs tried to catch up in the final minute by sending Chicago shooters to the foul line -- the Bulls rank 28th in free-throw accuracy -- but their 6-of-10 was enough when the Cavs got no field goals over that final 2:48.

"We got it together," said Powe, Cleveland's fill-in for Varejao. "We started talking. We mixed up our defenses. And once we shut the paint off again, it was back to making them shoot jumpers. I ain't saying they're not a good jump-shooting team, but you'd rather for them to shoot jumper than getting in the lane, dishing it to [Carlos] Boozer and then Rose dunking it or laying the ball up every time."

The Bulls did enough damage in the third that they could win while missing 12 of 15 shots and six of 15 free throws in the fourth. Chicago also could survive five-point production from its center and shooting guard because Rose, Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer all scored 20 or more.

"We'll take the wins any way we can get them," Thibodeau said. "We know we have to improve in a number of areas."

The Cavs, at this stage, would settle for one or two. They did at least get solid understudy play from Powe, as well as Manny Harris and Ramon Sessions as the starting backcourt. They all scored in double figures, while J.J. Hickson topped the Cavs off the bench with 21 points.

They also hung in well enough that they again could blame a certain stretch and pinpoint their failings, rather than breaking out the broad brush.

"The one thing I do like is the character of this team," Jamison said. "We didn't let that [32-9 in the third] get into our psyches. We stayed positive. We still played hard. Those are things you want to do whether you're up or down. We just dug ourselves a hole we couldn't get out of."

Steve Aschburner is a writer for NBA.com

The OSU QB said he did think about going to the NFL when his five-game suspension for next season was first handed down, but he said he will be back. Watch video

NEW ORLEANS -- Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor talked about a lot Saturday -- his future suspension, Kirk Herbstreit -- but he didn't want to talk about Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton.

"I don't compare myself to nobody. Sorry, I don't," Pryor said. "We don't run the same offense."

No, they don't, as Pryor has noted in the past, most notably when he said he would "dominate the nation" in the type of offense Auburn runs. But the Arkansas defenders, who gave up 328 yards to Newton and 65 points to Auburn in one of its two losses this season, saw something with those two quarterbacks wearing No. 2s as they scouted Ohio State in advance of Tuesday night's Sugar Bowl.

"They're the same type of quarterback, same type of arms," Razorbacks defensive end Damario Ambrose said. "They're kind of clones. It's kind of weird."

Newton is where Pryor wanted to be, preparing for the national title game, while Pryor on Saturday morning was seated in a New Orleans hotel ballroom, talking to reporters for 22 minutes and speaking freely for the first time since the NCAA suspended Pryor and four teammates for the first five games of the 2011 season while allowing them to play in this Sugar Bowl.

What will the beginning of next year be like?

"I never sat out in my life. I guess I don't know," Pryor said. "I've got to come up with a plan with coach for next year, because that five-game suspension could really mess up things I want to accomplish."

Things are still a little messed up now, including between Pryor and Herbstreit, the former Ohio State quarterback and ESPN analyst. Asked about some of Herbstreit's critical comments since the NCAA sanctions, Pryor said, "I don't worry about what Kirk Herbstreit says, to tell you the truth. Has he beat Michigan?"

The Buckeyes didn't during Herbstreit's five seasons at Ohio State, while Pryor has led three wins over the Wolverines. Those types of performances have impressed the Razorbacks. The Arkansas players had an idea about Pryor from highlights, but some of them got a new impression after studying for this game.

"He's a better thrower than I thought," defensive end Jake Bequette said. "He gets a lot of attention for his running ability, but their offense is very pro-style. He's a very polished passer."

"It's how fast he really is," Ambrose said of his surprise at Pryor. "Sometimes he'll be running besides a DB and he doesn't look like he's running fast and all of a sudden he pulls away and you're like, 'Man, he's really fast.'"

Pryor, along with running back Dan Herron, receiver DeVier Posey, left tackle Mike Adams and defensive end Solomon Thomas, are really focused after their suspensions, teammates said.

"He's been more in the film room than we've ever seen," fullback Zach Boren said of Pryor. "And he's harder on himself in practice than we've ever seen. He think he wants to be that person that is great on the field come Tuesday.

"I definitely think those five guys basically have a chip on their shoulders and want to go out and prove something to the world."

First he had to talk to the world.

Pryor had given a one-minute apology before leaving Columbus, but he hadn't answered questions about the sanctions until Saturday. One point he made was that he didn't take the recent revelations as a learning experience.

"What did I learn? It's two years ago, you know, so I already knew what I should have done two years ago," Pryor said. "So to tell the truth, I didn't learn much because I already knew what I should have did two years ago. Now I wouldn't make the same decision, so I couldn't tell you I learned something because I already knew what I did wrong."

As OSU AD Gene Smith said at the initial news conference disclosing the suspensions, the players knew they were wrong before the violations came out in December.

"Every time we had them little meetings, compliance," Pryor said, "every time they would say something, you're like, 'I did it. I did that.'

"It's over with. We're really not stressing about that any more."

Pryor would prefer that Arkansas be stressing about him.

As the NFL season ends, players worry about the ramifications of an owners' lockout if a new labor agreement isn't reached by March 3.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerBrowns tight end Robert Royal (left, with Jake Delhomme), the team's union representative, is spending his time preparing his teammates for a likely lockout when the postseason concludes.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After Monday's season-ending post-mortems, when will we see the Browns again?

Usually, it's for the opening of the off-season conditioning program the first week in March. But this year is different.

If a new collective bargaining agreement is not reached by March 3, the players expect the owners to impose a "lockout" and suspend the 2011 season as leverage to win a more favorable agreement. If that happens, players will no longer be welcome in club facilities.

In an "exit meeting" last week among themselves, the Browns were informed by their player reps of other ramifications of a lockout.

"We're not going to be insured after March 3," said tight end Robert Royal, one of the Browns' player reps. "A lot of guys have wives and girlfriends expecting babies on the way and they're facing some critical decisions right now.

"People are trying to figure out whether to induce labor because we won't have health care after March 3. Those are things we have to try to let players know.

"That benefit is thrown out without a contract. People don't realize that. Sometimes people look at us players as being greedy. But we're not the ones asking for this. They're locking us out."

Federal COBRA laws allow existing health coverage to continue -- but it would be at the players' or union's expense. Royal said players were instructed to research the out-of-pocket costs for existing health coverage now provided by the NFL.

"I think when guys see the COBRA prices for two adults or a four-member family, and see those numbers that [non-players] pay on a daily basis, it's pretty tough," he said. "And then you talk about players with pre-existing injuries. Trying to get health care from these providers ... premiums would be boosted up by pre-existing injuries."

The union has been advising players to stash away money to get them through a lockout for months. But the health-care issue really hit home.

"It's always a surprise to some because when you come into the league and you're young, you don't see [the seriousness] right away," Royal said.

The message hit home with linebacker Marcus Benard, who recently welcomed a premature baby boy into the world.

"It was a big eye-opener," Benard said of the meeting. "We've been hearing it now for a while. As a rookie, I really didn't know what they were talking about. This year, I still didn't know too much. But the more meetings we had and the more they educated us, it is getting real. It's serious.

"It's hitting home, big time. That's something you seriously have to think about when you talk about the health of your children."

Benard has two other sons. As an undrafted player in his second season, his salary of $395,000 is minimal by NFL standards. He realizes people in the real world make only a fraction of that figure and struggle to meet their own health-care costs.

"It definitely brings to light all the things we're blessed to have in the NFL," Benard said. "You realize the possibilities that could come up and how good we have it in the NFL. How good things are for us and for our families."

That works both ways -- for players and for owners. And for everyone in between who takes a piece out of this $7 billion pie generated by fans buying tickets to games, networks paying gobs of money, and, yes, daily scribbling in newspapers and Web sites all over the universe that pump up interest in franchises that exist seemingly only to lose year after year.

Surely, the NFL owners and players will come to their senses and arrive at an agreement that doesn't tear up this license to print money?

"Some people think it'll work out because it's a [seven] billion dollar business. There's enough for everybody. But some players like myself, you always worry," Royal said.

The start of the new year typically brings optimism for the future. But that’s not the case in the NBA this year.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerAs much as Anthony Parker (dribbling against the Knicks' Danilo Gallinari) would like to focus on the court, the Cavaliers' guard and player representative knows his league is also facing off-season labor difficulties.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The start of the new year typically brings optimism for the future. But that's not the case in the NBA this year.

With the collective bargaining agreement set to expire this summer, veteran players expect to be locked out. Cavaliers player representative Anthony Parker said he was hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

"I was involved in the one in '98," he said. "It seems like there's a little more distance between the parties in this one. But you never know what happens. I'm hopeful something will get resolved, but we'll see."

That Parker has been selected as the Cavs' union representative shows the players are taking the threat of a lockout seriously. Last season, rookie Danny Green was the player rep. This year, clearly players were looking for a more experienced voice.

Antawn Jamison, a former player rep in Washington, thought Parker was a logical choice.

"For me, he's been here the longest and guys know him, understand him, know he has their best interests at heart," Jamison said. "Even though I'm a vet, I look up to him as far as on the court or off the court, if there's information we need to get he will do that. If there's information we need to tell them, he will do that as well.

"He's like that responsible brother who you know is not going to let you down."

Like Parker, Jamison expects there to be a lockout.

"I pretty much for sure know there's going to be one," he said. "I don't think we can let it affect the season. There are some things they want to change. There are some things we felt should stay the same. That's why it's called a negotiation."

He hopes players aren't caught unprepared.

"You have a lot of players who need to watch and really police their money," Jamison said. "It can affect a lot of people. I'm fortunate enough to have saved in the past. I'm not going to say it won't affect me at all. The most important thing is that guys prepare themselves for the worst."

Jamison also is worried about the fan reaction.

"My first year was the first lockout," he said. "I recall the reaction of the fans and how we lost them. Now to have the fans back in our corner and to have that fan support that we worked so hard to get. ... I think the players and the owners can ill afford to allow that happen.

"It's part of the business we have to deal with. Sometimes it can get ugly. I just hope we don't have the same effect we had the first time. For two or three years after that we were trying to restore the [league's] image. I pray it doesn't get to that point."

Rookie watch

While rookie Blake Griffin gets most of the attention -- and rightfully so -- the Los Angeles Clippers have two other rookies making major contributions -- guard Eric Bledsoe and forward Al-Farouq Aminu, both of whom have started this season.

When all three started earlier this season, it was the youngest starting lineup in franchise history with Griffin (21), Aminu (20), Bledsoe (20), DeAndre Jordan (22) and Eric Gordon (21) for an average age of 21.4 years.

Heading into the weekend, Griffin led all rookies in scoring (21.5), while Bledsoe, the 18th pick in the draft who was traded to the Clippers from Oklahoma City, was seventh (7.3) and Aminu, the eighth pick, was ninth (6.9) and led all rookies in 3-point shooting at 46 percent (32 of 69).

Aminu came off the bench to score a career-high 20 points Nov. 9 in New Orleans, the most points by any rookie in a game that he did not start so far this season. Bledsoe had 12 points and 13 assists on Nov. 5 in Denver, becoming just the 30th player under 21 to register a points/assists double-double with 13 or more assists since 1986-87.

Coach Vinny Del Negro is coping with having four rookies. Second-round pick Willie Warren hasn't played much.

"I give those guys a lot of credit," Del Negro told Los Angeles reporters earlier this season. "They are working. They're trying. They're preparing. It's just that you can't speed the process. It just takes time. Some guys, it happens quicker. They're getting valuable experience right now."

Coast to coast

Before the season started, everybody had the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers duking it out for the NBA title.

Too bad nobody told the San Antonio Spurs, who entered the weekend, with the league's best record at 27-4.

Coach Gregg Popovich has done a masterful job of blending veterans Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker with younger players, along with recent arrivals such as Richard Jefferson.

"They are the most efficient team in the NBA," TNT's Kevin McHale said during a recent broadcast. "Their offense has changed and you have to give Popovich credit. Their older guys are still the core of this team. They are a very good offensive team."

McHale recalled seeing Ginobili when he was 20 and playing in Europe, calling him "the wildest player I had ever seen in my life. Dribbling left and throwing it in the 30th row of the stands every third play, playing completely wild, couldn't make a jump shot and he had a slow shot.

"I thought, 'man that guy is entertaining,' I would pay to go watch him play, but I never thought he'd be a great NBA player. I thought he was a chaos maker, he made things happen. I'll tell you what, he would let you go behind him, he would cut back and deflect the ball, he was all over. He was fun to watch, but I never thought he would end up being what he is. He is such a great player."

Getting defensive: The Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic made a lot of roster changes with their recent trade, but Charles Barkley thinks the Suns have to make one more major change.

"If they're going to play defense the same way, the trade becomes irrelevant," Barkley said during a recent broadcast. Barkley's comments were echoed by Marcin Gortat, recently traded from Orlando to Phoenix.

"It's just a little bit frustrating when you come in the locker room and people are talking about the offense," Gortat told Fanhouse.com. "That's not the way you're going to win NBA games.

"I just think we have to be at the gym every day for three hours. Learn the rotations, learn everything from the beginning. I mean, there are so many things we're doing bad, I just can't find an explanation. ... It's just frustrating, frustrating as hell. I'm not going to lie."

Holiday traditions: Miami coach Erik Spoelstra, seemingly taking a page out of Phil Jackson's playbook, gave each of his players a boxed DVD set of the "Band of Brothers" mini-series and the original book by Stephen E. Ambrose. Meanwhile, Lakers center Pau Gasol ate 12 grapes as the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve because the Spanish think it brings good luck.

Face time: How memorable does Amar'e Stoudemire think his dunk on LeBron James during the Knicks' recent loss in Miami was?

"I'm pretty sure the fans that always stand outside for autographs will have that poster soon for me to sign," Stoudemire told New York reporters.

Yao fan: James hopes Yao Ming's career is not over because of his most recent foot injury.

"I would hate to think that way," James told the Houston Chronicle. "I think everybody in Houston would hate to think that way. You can stay positive in that. I had a teammate who had multiple foot surgeries, Zydrunas [Ilgauskas], so he was able to come back later in his career and be very, very productive, a lot better than people thought."

Either way, James thinks Yao's legacy is safe.

"I think his legacy would be huge, not only what he did for the NBA, but what he did for China, the culture, getting people excited about basketball, being the face of basketball over there," he said.

Want to make a legitimate, potentially persuasive argument for the BCS bowl system? Start it with a college football player on Bourbon Street.

View full sizePatrick Semansky / Associated PressAutographs, goodies for the players and a holiday trip to an exotic location is Ohio State's reward for being in the Sugar Bowl this BCS season.

NEW ORLEANS -- Want to make a legitimate, potentially persuasive argument for the BCS bowl system? Start it with a college football player on Bourbon Street.

And call it what this really is -- Saving the Vacation.

In light of the emphasis on preserving the Sugar Bowl after the delayed suspensions of six Ohio State players, this Ohio State-Arkansas Sugar Bowl IS the bowl system -- either in its most pure or most corrupt form.

What is basically a postseason exhibition was given the ultimate priority for a lot of reasons that have nothing to do with the game on the field. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany and Sugar Bowl CEO Paul Hoolahan all backed the idea of allowing the OSU players to participate because this bowl means that much.

Terrelle Pryor, DeVier Posey and others will miss a chunk of next season. But they'll play in the Sugar Bowl, even though bowls -- unlike every game of the regular season as BCS backers always remind us -- have no effect on determining a national champion. But for about 230 players and team staff, nearly 300 cheerleaders and band members and around 125 Ohio State faculty and staff, not to mention the tens of thousands of fans on both sides, this experience took precedent.

"That's valuable," Smith said, "no question about it."

With the Big Ten bowl agreements that are in place, Ohio State budgets about a $2.1 million bowl profit each year. Big Ten teams get that piece of the bowl pie whether they play in a bowl game or not. Otherwise, teams get an expense allowance to cover the costs of their trip, which for Ohio State is usually around $2 million. The Buckeyes spend it, in the past years typically coming in a little over budget when things like the six comp tickets that all scholarship players are given are included.

The Buckeyes want to make sure everyone has a good time, without going crazy. Why? Because Smith, who is in favor of giving scholarship athletes a stipend, sees it as a reward for everyone involved, from the players to the staff to the coaches' wives.

"We're trying to be responsible, but we don't want to sacrifice things for the kids or the coaches or their families," Smith said. "We try to make sure we build in enough where they can have an enjoyable experience."

And they do. The current players may not admit it, but former Buckeye Malcolm Jenkins said this week that he was more relaxed on his bowl trips when he wasn't playing in a title game, as he did after the 2006 and 2007 seasons. When it matters, there's more focus and less fun.

So if you like the system the way it is now, really, you're Saving the Vacation.

Here's how it broke down this year:

• Six Ohio State players were forced for pay $7,555 for their NCAA violations that include selling memorabilia and accepting discounted tattoos. They're suspended, but allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl. Pryor has the most to pay back -- $2,500.

• To get to the Sugar Bowl, the players were given a flight allowance of more than $1,200, as allowed by the NCAA. Realistically, plane tickets from Columbus cost less than half that, so most players pocketed at least $700. Plus, they could pick out $500 worth of gifts offered by the bowl. That's also allowed by the NCAA. Then the players were given $71 a day for food on the trip, though that was lessened on days when they were provided other meals. Over a week, that's maybe another $300.

• Combined, that's more than $2,000, more than the average of what the suspended Ohio State players have to pay back, the players who aren't suspended for this game in part to -- Save the Vacation.

"It's part of the experience, part of the reward process," Smith said. "We have a great season and you get to play in a bowl game and see a city that you otherwise would not have enjoyed."

In programs where the football program supports many other sports teams, and where rules say you can't directly pay football players, maybe a reward like this is the perfect solution.

It's almost like using the bowls as the middle men for a payout. In accepting bowl bids, schools commit to buying more than $2 million in tickets from the bowls, whether the schools can sell the tickets or not, helping the bowls make a lot of money. The bowl, in turn, provides the players gifts and a vacation spot. The NCAA allows players to make money on the plane tickets. Then everyone goes on vacation.

"I had catfish last night," OSU senior linebacker Ross Homan said two days after he arrived in New Orleans. "I would say catfish is horrible, but the jambalaya and turtle soup was pretty good."

That's what the No. 3 through No. 8 or No. 12 or No. 16 teams in the country get instead of a playoff.

Maybe you like it. Maybe you don't. But if you support the bowl system, instead of talking about tradition or preserving the regular season, be honest about it -- and make your argument from Bourbon Street.

Quarterback Terrelle Pryor believes that the pledges the suspended Buckeyes made to return next season may not be concrete for every Buckeye involved.

View full sizeMarvin Fong / The Plain DealerDan Herron (1, fighting off Michigan's Cam Gordon) was not present at a scheduled interview session on Saturday for Ohio State.

NEW ORLEANS -- To play in the Sugar Bowl, the Buckeyes suspended for the start of the next season had to promise to return as seniors, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said Thursday. On Saturday, while promising that he would return himself, quarterback Terrelle Pryor seemed to take some air out of that promise.

Pryor's words, coupled with the fact that running back Dan Herron did not come to interviews as scheduled, replaced by fullback Zach Boren, made you wonder what Herron's plans may be.

"It's important to keep your word, but at the same time, some guys have different situations, and I think some guys pledged and some guys, you know, we were just basically saying sorry," Pryor said. "I know other guys are in different situations. I can't really think that if they would choose to leave they were breaking the pledge, because I don't say automatically. I think some guys have different situations.

"Speaking for myself, once you pledge something, I think you got to keep your word."

So Pryor said he'll be back, as receiver DeVier Posey has said twice. Pryor admitted he did think about leaving when the five-game suspensions for the start of the 2011 season were first handed down. Ohio State hopes those suspensions are reduced on appeal.

"When we got that first little five-game suspension, it definitely crossed my mind, because it's five games," Pryor said. "But then I looked at the Ohio State family and stuff like that and things I want to be part of as a senior. I still got a lot to learn and I can also go through the process of being a senior at this great university, so that's what I took in and thought about."

Herron is the only fourth-year junior of the players facing suspensions. Being around for four years, instead of only three, has played into the decisions of OSU juniors in the past. But whatever happens apparently won't affect Herron's playing time on Tuesday.

Asked specifically about the running back rotation, and whether it would continue to include Herron as the primary ball carrier on Tuesday, OSU offense coordinator Jim Bollman said it would. A team spokesperson said Herron's absence at interviews wasn't an indication about his playing status for Tuesday. At the very least, teammates said Herron has looked good in New Orleans.

"When all the stuff came out, you could tell he was hurting," fullback Zach Boren said. "We were at practice and you could tell he was kind of out of it and wasn't himself. Now he's been messing around and laughing and being his normal Boom self."

Sanzenbacher's finger: Ohio State senior receiver Dane Sanzenbacher said Saturday that he dislocated his finger in the week of practice before the Illinois game but played through the injury while earning his way to team MVP honors this season.

"Luckily I had nine spares," Sanzenbacher said.

The New Year's edition of Sunday's Talkin' ...

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerIs Eric Mangini willing to revamp both his coaching staff and his philosophy when it comes to the offensive side of the ball? It may be the only way he can keep his job, says Terry Pluto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The New Year's edition of Sunday's Talkin' ...

About Eric Mangini...

1. Mike Holmgren should keep Eric Mangini as coach, but only if Mangini is open to making significant changes to his offensive approach. I'm talking about the coaching staff and with some schemes. This is not about questioning Brian Daboll's work ethic or character. Nor is it to say the offensive coordinator has had an easy job -- forced to work with five different quarterbacks in his first two years. But last season, the Browns ranked dead last (32nd) in offense. This season, it's 29th. In terms of points per game, it's 31st (17.5 points).

2. The Browns president can't bring Mangini into his office and say, "Eric, meet Joe Playcaller, he's your new offensive coordinator." They need some long talks on what offense works best for Colt McCoy, and what coaches would work best with that offense. A good offense is built around a quarterback, and Holmgren (who insisted the Browns draft McCoy) should have some ideas on this subject. I do think Mangini will be open to suggestions and changes.

3. Some fans will wonder why keep a coach who was 5-11 last season, and 5-10 heading into Sunday. It's because the discipline and toughness that he has brought to the team was needed. They are very close to becoming a winning team, as is evident by all the close games. A year ago, they were outscored by 9.1 points per game. This season, it's 1.9. Ten of their games have been decided by a touchdown or less.

4. One of the arguments against Mangini was his poor 2009 draft (after Alex Mack) and some other moves. Those decisions may end up costing him his job because the lack of talent led to some defeats. But I have no problem with dealing away malcontents such as Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow. More importantly: He no longer runs the draft and makes the trades!

5. It's critical to keep the current business model in place with Holmgren as president, Tom Heckert as general manager and an experienced coach on the sidelines. With Mangini, the trio worked together to put together a draft that yielded a future Pro Bowl cornerback (Joe Haden), a starting safety (T.J. Ward) and a starting quarterback (McCoy). Perhaps some of the others picks such as Montario Hardesty, Shawn Lauvao or Carlton Mitchell will pay off. But if not, it already is a tremendous draft, perhaps the best since the team returned in 1999.

6. This front office also traded Brady Quinn for Peyton Hillis, Alex Hall for Sheldon Brown and Chris Gocong. They added Seneca Wallace for a seventh-round draft pick. They signed Ben Watson and Scott Fujita as free agents. The one big swing and miss was $7 million for Jake Delhomme, which Holmgren has openly said was his decision.

7. The franchise hasn't had back-to-back winning seasons since the late 1980s. With Holmgren as president in charge of the big picture while Heckert and his staff find the players, that has a chance to happen again. Obviously, Mangini worked well with this front office as you can see the major upgrade in talent. Nor did we hear of infighting between the front office and coaching staff about draft picks, trades, or other personnel moves.

8. If a 62-year-old Holmgren decided to coach next season, would that lead to short-term thinking? Would it change what appears to be a strong front office structure? If Holmgren does fire Mangini, let's hope it's not so he can coach the team himself.

9. The Browns' main problem is offense. The defense has improved. I do wish coach Rob Ryan's group wouldn't allow so many long drives. But the defense is No. 7, allowing only 19.4 points. It ranks ninth in forcing turnovers, sixth in allowing touchdowns in the red zone. Their overall ranking is 21st, because they allow 345 yards per game -- those long drives that end up with field goals.

10. The Browns are the only NFL team not to allow 30 points. They have allowed only five rushing TDs, tied for the lowest in the NFL. They still rank No. 26 overall against the run, which is not good enough. The defense ranks only 25th in sacks and 19th in touchdown passes allowed. No one is saying it's a great defense, but it can be a good one next year.

11. You can talk about a couple of onside kicks that failed, but I thought both plays had a decent chance to work. The confusion at the end of a couple of halves in terms of clock management is inexcusable. I still can't figure out why it happened once, much less at least three times this season. But I don't fire a coach over onside kicks and clock management issues. I fix it.

12. The special teams have been excellent, especially in coverage. Under coach Brad Seely, they are one of four NFL teams not to allow a kickoff or punt return for a TD in the last two years. They have allowed only 18.3 yards per kickoff return, lowest over in the last two seasons. They're fourth in punt return coverage over the last two years. As for the return game, when Joshua Cribbs is healthy, the Browns are among the best.

13. Most fans don't want to hear about a coach who has lost at least 10 games in his first two seasons being back for a third year. They also don't care that since the Browns have returned, they have had five coaches and five different front office structures. They just want the pain of losing to stop. The Browns have lost at least 10 games in five of six years before Mangini arrived, so it's not as if he dragged the organization into the dumper.

14. Most successful coaches are such because they hooked up with successful quarterbacks. Do you talk about Bill Belichick being a winner without Tom Brady? Bill Walsh without Joe Montana? Sean Peyton without Drew Brees? A coach can mess up a quarterback, but usually a quarterback can make a coach. Sam Rutigliano had Brian Sipe, Marty Schottenheimer had Bernie Kosar.

15. I believe the Browns have at least a respectable quarterback in Colt McCoy. I also believe Mangini knows he's a defensive coach who can use some help with offense. Developing McCoy is the key, no matter who is the coach. I'd love to see Mangini and McCoy return with this front office and a new approach to offense.

About the Browns...

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerJake Delhomme (right) continues to impress the Browns' coaches as a mentor to rookie starter Colt McCoy.

1. For the first time in months, Joshua Cribbs ran like the 2010 Joshua Cribbs during the 20-10 loss to Baltimore last week. Cribbs averaged 25.2 yards a kickoff return, his 37-yarder his best of the season. He had a 17-yard punt return, also his best of the season. Don't be surprised if Cribbs is in the backfield against the Steelers, especially if Peyton Hillis continues to battle his various injuries.

2. Hillis taking a beating and struggling at the end of the season, which screams that the Browns must find another back to help out. It would be great if Montario Hardesty stays healthy, but they can't count on that. He should be viewed as a bonus.

3. The coaches have been impressed with how Jake Delhomme continues to tutor McCoy. A few days ago, Delhomme and McCoy were alone in the fieldhouse, long after practice, with Delhomme teaching the rookie some of his favorite conditioning techniques. Like every rookie, McCoy has discovered that nothing in college can prepare a player for the physical demands of a 16-game season.

4. In reviewing the films, the Browns think only one of McCoy's three interceptions against the Ravens was impacted by the wind. The real problem was Baltimore safety Ed Reed, who has a knack of making young quarterbacks pay for throws when they don't pay attention. Nothing the coaches saw on tape prevents them from thinking McCoy can be a starting quarterback. This will be his second start against the Steelers. His other starts have been against New England, New Orleans, the Jets, Jacksonville and Cincinnati. That's seven starts against teams (counting Pittsburgh twice) that entered the day with a 79-41 record.

5. Shaun Rogers is fading as the season ends. The last two weeks, he has played only 18 and six snaps. On the season, he has had trouble staying healthy and been on the field for only 38 percent of the snaps. He lost his starting job to Ahtyba Rubin, and seemed in no urgency to reclaim it.

About the Cavaliers...

View full sizeChris Keane / Associated PressIf the Cavaliers are going to add a big-money contract, Charlotte's Gerald Wallace would be one of the players who might interest the organization.

1. In Byron Scott's first season with the New Jersey Nets, his record was 26-56. The next season, it was 52-30 when the Nets added Jason Kidd and went to the NBA Finals. In 2004-05, he took over the Hornets and was 18-64. The next season, they were 38-44 and eventually won 56 games as New Orleans added Chris Paul. Scott is willing to take a hit in the first year to help secure high draft picks and make trades for moves to help in the future.

2. At this point, if the Cavs are going to lose, they may as well lose big and gather all the balls they can for the draft lottery. Add picks, make some smart trades. It's the only way to make the NBA interesting again in Cleveland.

3. Most of the trade offers the Cavs are receiving are from teams wanting to trade players in their early 30s with large contracts. Detroit would love to move Rip Hamilton, who is 32 with three years and $37 million left on his contract. Charlotte is offering 32-year-old Stephen Jackson, who has three years and $29 million left. While those players -- especially Jackson -- would help win some games in the short term, they would not help the team become a contender over the next few years as they age and their contract clogs the salary cap.

4. The Cavs do have an interest in 28-year-old Gerald Wallace. The small forward has three years and $32 million on his contract, but Charlotte does not want to deal him -- at least not for what the Cavs are offering.

5. Detroit's Tayshaun Prince is a free agent this summer and the 30-year-old small forward may be of interest. He is averaging 14.2 points, shooting 49 percent from the field, 48 percent on 3-pointers.

6. Teams keep asking about Anderson Varejao, and he is as close to an untouchable player as you'll find on the Cavs roster. He is 28. He's one player that Scott has told the front office to keep. He is averaging 9.8 rebounds this season, 10.4 in December. He did a super job on Dwight Howard, and is exactly the type of unselfish, defensive big man the Cavs must have when they hope to contend again.