Columbus, Ohio - Villa Angela-St. Joseph's athletic program was placed on probation for three years and fined today, the Ohio High School Athletic Association announced after completing its investigation into the boys basketball program. VASJ was found in violation of bylaw 3-1-1 for lack of monitoring compliance with OHSAA bylaws, as it relates to its boys basketball program.

Columbus, Ohio - Villa Angela-St. Joseph's athletic program was placed on probation for three years and fined today, the Ohio High School Athletic Association announced after completing its investigation into the boys basketball program.

VASJ was found in violation of bylaw 3-1-1 for lack of monitoring compliance with OHSAA bylaws, as it relates to its boys basketball program.

As a result, an action plan has been prescribed for administrators to implement within the athletic program. The amount of the fine was not disclosed.

Also, two unnamed players at the private school on Cleveland's East Side have been found in violation of bylaw 4-10-2 that covers amateur status. The players have been ruled ineligible at VASJ or any other OHSAA-member school for the first three games of the 2010-11 season.

The OHSAA news release states:

After receiving information in April regarding concerns over how students in the boys basketball program have been secured to attend the school along with how financial aid has been awarded and distributed, OHSAA administrators reviewed the information with the Villa Angela-St. Joseph administrative head and conducted interviews with student-athletes and their parents. When it was determined that violations had occurred, bylaw 11, penalties, permitted the OHSAA to administer the sanctions.

The OHSAA's action plan includes the school taking measures to educate coaches on eligibility bylaws; submitting evidence that all coaches have completed the State Department of Education's required Pupil Activity Supervisor Permit; preparing and distributing information to prospective students and their parents on how financial aid is awarded and distributed; and assisting the OHSAA in educating other Northeast Ohio Diocesan administrators on what can and cannot be done to secure students who are interested in interscholastic athletics participation.

In April, VASJ administrators decided not to renew the boys basketball coaching and teaching contracts of Dave Wojciechowski. At the time, Brian Menard, president of Villa Angela-St. Joseph, would not confirm or deny that the OHSAA's investigation was tied to the non-renewal of Wojciechowski's contracts. Wojciechowski, a 1990 graduate of St. Joseph, coached at the school for 10 seasons.

VASJ hired Babe Kwasniak, a 1994 VASJ graduate, as its new coach in May.

A long and diverse coaching career has come to an end with the retirement of Bedford boys basketball coach Everett Heard. The school announced his retirement as health and physical education teacher and coach. He won a state girls track title at Cleveland Heights in 1990 and guided the Bedford boys basketball team to the 2000 state finals, and...

Retiring Bedford boys basketball coach Everett Heard, pictured in 2007 when he led the Bearcats to their fourth consecutive Lake Erie League title.



-

(Plain Dealer file)

A long and diverse coaching career has come to an end with the retirement of Bedford boys basketball coach Everett Heard. The school announced his retirement as health and physical education teacher and coach.

He won a state girls track title at Cleveland Heights in 1990 and guided the Bedford boys basketball team to the 2000 state finals, and also was a defensive coordinator on Bedford football playoff teams.

Heard was Bedford's boys basketball coach for 20 years and compiled a record of 281-173. The 2000 team was 22-6 and lost to Cincinnati St. Xavier in the Division I state final. His teams won eight conference championships, including four straight in the Lake Erie League between 2004 and 2007, and they won three district titles.

He began teaching at Shaw in 1975 and also taught and coached at Cleveland Heights. He coached girls track at Cleveland Heights and boys and girls track at Bedford and won four league titles. The 1990 Cleveland Heights girls track team won Division I district, regional and state championships.

"We congratulate coach Heard in his retirement after a remarkable 35-year career as an educator and a coach," Bedford Superintendent Sherman Micsak said in a statement. "He has a long and impressive history with the Bedford Schools where he built his reputation as a winning high school basketball and track coach. He not only was a great coach, but a well-respected teacher who had good rapport with students and parents alike."

"The real challenge for the Browns coaching staff is to identify the plays that get the ball in Cribbs' hands in open space. This is where he shines and can use his elusiveness to create large gains just as he does on kickoff and punt returns." - faithsinz64

View full sizeJohn Kuntz | The Plain Dealer Josh Cribbs has found plenty of success getting to the open field returning kicks and punts.

In response to the story Josh Cribbs says he'll spend 2010 season 'all across the field': Browns Insider, cleveland.com reader faithsinz64 hopes the Browns make an effort to get Josh Cribbs the ball in space. This reader writes,

"The real challenge for the Browns coaching staff is to identify the plays that get the ball in Cribbs' hands in open space. This is where he shines and can use his elusiveness to create large gains just as he does on kickoff and punt returns."

  New York or not New York, that is the question for LeBron James. Johnette Howard, columnist for ESPNNewYork.com, writes that if LeBron decides to play for the Knicks, we'll all find out what drives him. Howard writes that we'll find out if LeBron is tough enough to take on the criticism he'll face in New York. Does James, 25, really...

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerLeBron James

New York or not New York, that is the question for LeBron James. Johnette Howard, columnist for ESPNNewYork.com, writes that if LeBron decides to play for the Knicks, we'll all find out what drives him.

Howard writes that we'll find out if LeBron is tough enough to take on the criticism he'll face in New York.

Does James, 25, really have the guts to walk out on his home state of Ohio and a Cavs team that, however flawed, still led the league in wins this year? Does the NBA's biggest star want to start over in his eighth NBA season, shoulder everything that playing in a crucible like New York demands, then deliver on the court?

Will his loyalty to Cleveland trump the klieg lights New York can offer? His choice will tell us a lot.

With all money on the court equal (playing somewhere other than Cleveland), New York can offer LeBron the best perks, writes Howard. The biggest market, rabid fans, and the chance to hand-pick the other max free agent that he'd want to play with for the Knicks.

His presence would guarantee that New York City wouldn't be a baseball town anymore. New York would feel like the center of the basketball universe again, something it hasn't felt like for quite awhile. There would be a trickle-down effect. The drifting local college programs, the Rucker League, the pickup action on playgrounds from the Bronx to Brooklyn, Harlem to the West Village, would all take on a different buzz. The city game would make a comeback. James would own the tabloid back pages.

Waiting game

Former Michigan State coach Jud Heathcote says to The Detroit News that Tom Izzo will make his decision based on LeBron James remaining with or leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Heathcote believes Izzo would turn down an offer from the Cavs if he's under the impression James will sign with another team.

"I don't think he would take it," Heathcote said. "That's just my gut feeling."

Browns running back Jerome Harrison will attend mandatory minicamp, a source said, but kicker Phil Dawson might continue to stay away.

Tracy Boulian / The Plain DealerBrowns' Jerome Harrison will be in uniform for the Browns minicamp this week.

Harrison, a restricted free agent, has yet to sign his one-year tender, but signed an injury waiver that enabled him to participate in OTAs the previous two weeks.

Harrison missed this week because he went back home to Kalamazoo, Mich. for his football camp and another charity event. Both he and fullback Lawrence Vickers, also a restricted free agent, are expected to participate in the minicamp. Of the other three, D'Qwell Jackson, Matt Roth and Abe Elbam, Jackson has already said he will not attend.

The RFAs have until Tuesday to sign their tenders or risk having their offers significantly reduced.

Another player who's been skipping OTAs, kicker Phil Dawson, might not be at the minicamp, a source said. If not, Dawson will be fined for each day he misses.

Cleveland native and Washington Redskins linebacker London Fletcher was a good sport when he "tried" the Michael Jackson "Thriller" dance routine. See video below.  

Cleveland native and Washington Redskins linebacker London Fletcher was a good sport when he "tried" the Michael Jackson "Thriller" dance routine. See video below.

Cleveland sports bloggers continue to discuss Tom Izzo and whether he would come to Cleveland even without LeBron, plus figuring out if Lawrence Vickers has more value to the Browns than he would on the open market.

View full sizeAssociated PressWill Tom Izzo be the next Cavaliers head coach?

Cavaliers

WaitingForNextYear: "Rather than worrying about the details of who would blink first, Izzo or LeBron, it’s probably more worthwhile to consider the reasons why maybe, just maybe, Tom Izzo would consider taking this job without a guarantee from LeBron. The merits of hiring Izzo can be debated, but the fact remains that Izzo is the guy that Dan Gilbert wants, so the question then shifts. Dan Shanoff so indignantly asked the question why would Izzo even consider do something so stupid as taking the Cavaliers coaching job, so here are some answers to that question." » Read more

LeBrowns Town: "I like the idea of going after Izzo and making a splash. He's a highly successful college coach who has won a NCAA championship and has gone to a half dozen Final Fours and he'd bring a certain amount of respect in the locker room. At the very least, Tom Izzo is a big name and it's refreshing that the Cavs are making news that doesn't (directly) involve LeBron James or the LeBacle that ended the season. However, Izzo is a highly successful college coach known for his disciplinarian, his-way-or-the-highway tactics. That stuff works in college but rarely flies in the pros." » Read more

Browns

Cleveland Reboot: "I've mentioned this before, but it's either kind of troubling, or completely rewarding to think that one of our team's best players lines up at what has essentially become a dying position in the NFL. In a league that is rapidly turning into flag football, Vickers provides the rare skills found only in traditional smashmouth offenses." » Read more

When someone insists something isn't happening, sometimes that means it is.

Plain Dealer fileCavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert says LeBron isn't running the franchise.

The Cavs won't be able to re-sign James without first hiring a big-time coach. Gilbert emphasized that James won't dictate whom they hire to coach him. But they're also not going to hire a coach who won't impress James. They need someone who can recruit LeBron, as well as deliver a title.

The transition from college to the NBA has not been an easy transition for college coaches, but New Orleans Hornets guard Mo Peterson says that move would be seamless for Michigan State coach Tom Izzo.

APMo Peterson

The transition from college to the NBA has not been an easy transition for college coaches, but New Orleans Hornets guard Mo Peterson says that move would be seamless for Michigan State coach Tom Izzo.

"Coach wouldn't have a problem with the transition," Peterson said. "He's a motivator. He'd be well respected in any locker room. He has something a lot of coaches don't have. Coach can walk you to a lake and tell you the lake is on fire and you'd believe it."

Under Izzo, Peterson helped lead Michigan State to the 2000 NCAA title. 

Apparently, the Cleveland Cavaliers have made an offer to Izzo, one of the top coaches in college basketball. Izzo, according to several reports, is mulling over the reported offer of at least $30 million over five years.

The biggest reason Izzo has to think about the offer is because of LeBron James and free agency. No one knows which team James will sign with this summer.

Peterson says that's the main reason why the Izzo decision is up in the air.

"It's hard to put a percentage on which way coach will go," Peterson said. "I mean, MSU has a chance at something special next year. They could win the national championship. So with that in mind, it would take something really special for him to leave. I don't see coach leaving Michigan State unless LeBron stays."

Area holes-in-one: Holes at Hinckley Hills Golf Course and the Washington Golf Learning Center lead with the most aces this year.

John Kuntz / PD fileA player tees off at Big Met.

It may not be an exaggeration to say Strasburg's debut on Tuesday night was beyond comparison. We look at a few Indians over the last 50 years who began their careers with some degree of expectation. And, links to Indians legend Bob Feller, who debuted in 1936 at age 17.

Tony Dejak, Associated PressC.C. Sabathia during his major league debut with the Indians on April 8, 2001, pitching against the Baltimore Orioles.

Mike Peticca, Plain Dealer Reporter

Pitcher Stephen Strasburg's debut on Tuesday night in Washington, striking out 14 Pittsburgh Pirates and walking none over seven innings in a 5-2 Nationals win, qualifies as historic. To say the least.

The game has immediate relevance for the Indians. Barring a weather postponement or other circumstances, Strasburg's next start will be Sunday against the Indians in Cleveland.

It's by no means a comprehensive list, but we look at the first games for some Indians over the last 50 years who began their big-league careers with expectations that they would make a major impact on the team.

Certainly, none created the national media frenzy that Strasburg's has, but all generated some buzz among Tribe followers.

A standard for such attention, of course, would have been pitching legend Bob Feller, who in 1936 at age 17 began his career with the Indians. After some notable rookie season achievements, Feller returned to Van Meter, Iowa for his senior year in high school. His graduation the following spring was broadcast on national radio. If there had been television and other media outlets as there are today, the hype surrounding Feller might not have ever been duplicated.

Click here for Part 1 of Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff's recent interview with Feller, and click here for Part 2.

And, from Retrosheet.org, the box score of Feller's major league debut in 1936; the box score of his 11th game that season, when - still 51 days short of his 18th birthday - he tied what was then a major league record with 17 strikeouts.

Beginning with the most recent of six Indians debuts over the past 50 years, we chronicle that of:

CC Sabathia

He was then "C.C.," a left-handed pitcher and a gifted athlete despite the 300 or so pounds that draped his 6-7 frame.  

The Indians drafted Sabathia in the first round (20th overall) of the amateur draft days after his 1998 high school class in Vallejo, Cal. graduated, and they signed him on June 29, 22 days before his 18th birthday.

Sabathia had pitched in just 48 minor league games, and he was ranked by Baseball America as the seventh-best prospect in the sport when he made the Indians out of spring training in 2001.

Sabathia made his major league debut on Sunday, April 8 at Cleveland's then-Jacobs Field against the Baltimore Orioles. His immediate introduction to the Big Time was not easy, as the top of the first inning went fly out, double, walk, wild pitch and a three-run home run by Jeff Conine.

Then, a hint of the resilience that has helped Sabathia, then 20, develop into one of the game's most formidable pitchers. After the poor beginning, Sabathia pitched 5 1/3 scoreless, one-hit innings before being relieved with two outs in the top of the sixth inning and the Indians trailing, 3-2.

Juan Gonzalez - remember him? - drilled a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning to turn what stood as a loss into a no-decision for Sabathia, and gave the Indians a 4-3 win.

A sellout crowd of 40,754 watched Sabathia's first Tribe game. Just four days before, the Indians' streak of 455 straight sellouts at Jacobs Field had ended when 32,763 turned out for the second game of the season, an 8-4 win over the Chicago White Sox following an Opening Day packed house. The day before Sabathia's debut, the Indians drew 40,704. Their next home game, on April 20, was played before a crowd of 33,127.

Baseball-reference.com has the box score and play-by-play for Sabathia's debut.    

Longtime Plain Dealer reporter Burt Graeff wrote of Sabathia's debut:

Sabathia, 20, is regarded as the future of the Tribe's pitching staff. Walking to the dugout from the bullpen after finishing his pregame warm-up, he got a standing ovation.

"With 40,000 people screaming," he said, "it felt like they were out there pitching for me."

Sixteen photographers, all standing on the track behind the home-plate area and armed with long-range telephoto lenses, fired away while Sabathia made his warm-up tosses.

Sabathia finished his rookie season 17-5 and was credited with a win in the Division Series playoff round that the Indians lost to the Seattle Mariners, three-games-to-two. He went 106-71 for the Indians and won the 2007 American League Cy Young Award before Cleveland traded him - with his free agency looming - to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 7, 2008 for outfielder-first baseman Matt LaPorta, outfielder Michael Brantley and pitchers Rob Bryson and Zach Jackson.

Sabathia signed a seven-year, $161 million free agent contract with the New York Yankees following the 2008 season, and dropped the periods following the "C's" for "Carsten" and "Charles." With a 141-84 career record and not turning 30 until next month, Sabathia would become a legitimate Hall of Fame candidate with a few more big seasons.

Joey (Albert) Belle

Belle, a slugging outfielder, already had a reputation for his volatile personality as a player at Louisiana State. If not for his troubles there, he would have been taken before the Indians got him in the second round of the 1987 draft.

Belle, then 23, was batting .282 with 20 homers when the Indians brought him up from their Class AA affiliate, the Canton-Akron Indians, and put him into Cleveland's lineup for the first time on July 15, 1989. The Texas Rangers were the Indians' opponent for the Saturday night game in Cleveland Stadium

The right-hander batted in the sixth spot, between first baseman Pete O'Brien and center fielder Brad Komminsk, and played right field.

Dale Omori, The Plain Dealer The familiar sight of Albert (formerly Joey) Belle watching one of his home runs sail toward the seats.

Belle's first task was not easy, to step into the batter's box against legendary fireballer Nolan Ryan. Belle, not one to be intimidated, grounded an RBI single between shortstop and third base to give the Indians a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.     

The Indians won, 7-1, making their left-handed starting pitcher, Greg Swindell, 12-2. Ryan fell to 10-5. Belle was 1-for-4 as the Indians improved to 42-46 on their way to a 73-89 record.

Click here for the box score and play-by-play of the game.

The game drew an above-average crowd of 28,952. Attendance was no doubt helped by Ryan's appearance and playing on a Saturday night. It wasn't possilbe to gauge Belle's impact on attendance, although Indians fans were curious to watch him play. The crowd the previous night was 14,511; the next day, 22,095.

After 218 at bats with the Indians during his rookie season and 23 in 1990, Belle became a star in 1991. In a six-year span through 1996, Belle batted .300 and averaged 39 homers and 119 RBI.

Belle left the Indians to sign a free agent contract with the White Sox before the 1997 season, and signed as a free agent with the Orioles prior to the 1999 campaign.

Because of an arthritic hip, Belle had to retire at age 34 after the 2000 season. He drove in more than 100 runs in each of his last nine seasons and finished his career as a .295 hitter with 381 homers and 1,239 RBI.

Partly because of the relative brevity of his career, and likely more because of his icy, tension-fraught relationship with the voting baseball writers, Belle lasted just two years on the Hall of Fame ballot, named on just 3.5 percent of the ballots - short of the necessary five percent to remain eligible - in the 2007 voting.

Cory Snyder

The hard-hitting Snyder began his professional career as a shortstop with a bazooka arm and was the Indians' first-round pick, and fourth overall, in the 1984 draft. He was a three-time All-American at Brigham Young and a star on the United States first Olympics baseball team, which won the 1984 silver medal.

The right-handed hitter had a combined 704 minor league at bats with Cleveland's AA Waterbury and AAA Maine affiliates before his major league debut on June 13, 1986.

Plain Dealer file photoCory Snyder had power and a great throwing arm, but he never became the star some thought he would be.

Friday night fireworks and Snyder's appearance helped the Indians draw 61,411 fans to Cleveland Stadium, after a crowd of 6,427 that Wednesday night and an off day on Thursday. For the Saturday game following Snyder's debut, a crowd of 10,742 showed up.

Snyder batted eighth in his first game, between shortstop Julio Franco and catcher Andy Allanson, and played right field. He grounded out in his first at bat against the Minnesota Twins, but his second time up was memorable. He lined a fourth-inning leadoff triple off former Indians ace Bert Blyleven - who will probably be elected to the Hall of Fame this winter - and scored for a 5-0 Cleveland lead. 

Snyder made outs in his last two at bats. The Indians' 11-2 win was keyed by Andre Thornton's five RBI, including a three-run homer, and Tom Candiotti's complete game pitching.

The game's box score and play-by-play are here. Cleveland became 30-28 with the win and finished 84-78, the most wins the Indians had in any season between 1968 and 1995.

Snyder was soon moved to right field and finished an impressive rookie campaign with a .272 average and 24 homers in 416 at bats. However, he never became the star he was projected to be by most experts. Often slipping into prolonged slumps because of not consistently making contact, Snyder batted .245 with 115 homers in 657 games for the Indians.

The Indians traded Snyder and minor league infielder Lindsay Foster to the White Sox for pitchers Eric King and Shawn Hillegas after the 1990 season. He played four more major league seasons, finishing with a .247 career batting average and 149 homers in 1,068 games.

Greg Swindell

The Indians selected Swindell, a 21-year-old lefthanded pitcher, in the first round with the second overall pick of the 1986 draft.

He signed with the Indians that July 31 and made three starts at Class A Waterloo, going 2-1 with a 1.00 ERA.

The Indians made a short-notice decision to bring up Swindell and start him against the powerful Red Sox lineup on Thursday night, August 21, at Cleveland Stadium.

Pitching with little sleep after traveling to the lakefront, Swindell lasted just 3 2/3 innings. The Red Sox got to him for six runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks. Swindell pitched like Bob Feller compared to the next three Indians hurlers - Dickie Noles, Jose Roman and Bryan Oelkers. They surrendered 18 runs in the next 4 1/3 innings and the Indians were pummeled, 24-5, as the Red Sox set several team batting records.

The game drew 26,316 fans, a superb weeknight attendance for the Indians in those days. The previous night, just 10,002 fans showed up. The next night, with a Friday night fireworks promotion, the crowd was 45,138.

The Indians became 62-60 with the loss, and finished 84-78.

The game's box score and play-by-play are here.

Swindell pitched well the rest of the season, going 5-1 with a 3.88 ERA in his last eight starts. From 1986-91, and including a short stint in 1996, Swindell went 61-56 with a 3.86 ERA as an Indian.

Cleveland traded Swindell to the Cincinnati Reds for pitchers Jack Armstrong and Scott Scudder and minor league pitcher Joe Turek after the 1991 season. He pitched 17 big-league campaigns, including stops with the Astros, Twins, Red Sox and Diamondbacks.

Swindell became a reliever, and in his last six seasons, he made 370 bullpen appearances and one start. He finished his 17-season career in 2002, with a 123-122 record and 3.86 ERA in 664 games.

Steve Dunning

Dunning's most lasting achievement for the Indians is that before the onset of the designated hitter in 1973, he was the team's last accomplished hitting pitcher. Dunning was 9-for-33 (.273) with a double and three homers for Cleveland in 1972.

But it wasn't Dunning's hitting that persuaded 25,380 Indians fans to attend Cleveland Stadium on Sunday, June 14, 1970 - the Indians had played before 8,162 fans on Saturday, and would attract a crowd of 4,681 the night after Dunning's debut.

The fans wanted to see why the right-handed Dunning, 21, was selected out of Stanford and signed by the Indians mere days before, the second overall pick in the draft. They were hearing about how hard he threw, and why the Indians would have him start a major league game before even one appearance in the minor leagues.

Dunning didn't dominate, but neither did he disappoint as he earned credit for Cleveland's 9-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Dunning went five innings, allowuing two runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out three.

Shortstop Jack Heidemann, second baseman Eddie Leon and right fielder Vada Pinson each had three hits as the Indians became 24-32. Click here for the game's box score and play-by-play. The Indians finished the season 76-86.

Alas, Dunning's fastball wasn't enough to consistently get big league hitters out. He was 4-9 as a rookie with a 4.96 ERA -- exceedingly high for that era.

Dunning's Indians career ended on May 10, 1973, when he was traded to the Texas Rangers for pitcher Dick Bosman and outfielder Ted Ford. He had an 18-29 record as an Indian, with a 4.37 ERA.

Dunning did not pitch in the minors until 1972, when he began to bounce back and forth between the big-time and the farms. Including stints with the Oakland A's. Montreal Expos and California Angels, Dunning's major league numbers were 23-41 and a 4.56 ERA.

His last major league game was in 1977. He retired after the 1978 season, having compiled a minor league record of 45-40.

Sam McDowell

Fans - even the huge majority that didn't show up but watched on television or tuned in the radio - looked with some anticipation toward every game that big left-hander "Sudden Sam" McDowell pitched. Baseball people favorably compared both McDowell's fastball and curveball to those delivered by Los Angeles Dodgers' great Sandy Koufax.

McDowell found some fame with the Indians - leading the American League in strikeouts five times, for instance - but he never achieved the all-time great status many had predicted for him.

Plain Dealer file photoBatters did not have an easy time facing the stuff "Sudden Sam" McDowell could throw.

McDowell had a drinking problem that he eventually overcame; after his retirment, becoming a counselor to athletes on the dangers of alcohol abuse.

Another reason McDowell didn't realize his full potential -- even though he made six all-star teams -- was his penchant for toying with batters he should have over-matched. Often, it was the banjo-hitting middle infielder, and there were a bunch of them in those days, that doomed McDowell to a baffling loss. He'd give one a chance by fooling around and tossing them a changeup or even knuckleball, and the guy would make McDowell pay.

Major League Baseball didn't begin its June amateur draft until 1965. Had there been one, McDowell likely would have been one of the first players picked after he graduated from Pittsburgh's Central Catholic High School in 1960.

The Indians signed McDowell, then 17, as an amateur free agent, and the next spring, he was assigned to the Indians' Class AAA farm team in Salt Lake City. McDowell went 13-10 with a 4.42 ERA, often getting in trouble with his overpowering but sometimes uncontrollable stuff, walking 152 in 175 innings.

Strikeout records for 1961 in Salt Lake City are not available, but no doubt, Sudden Sam got a bundle of them. The Indians saw enough to bring him to the major leagues when Salt Lake City's season ended, and on Sept. 15, McDowell took the Cleveland Stadium mound against the Minnesota Twins.

Although he wouldn't turn 19 until six days later, McDowell gave the Twins all they could handle. He held them scoreless on three hits in 6 1/3 innings, with five strikeouts and five walks.

Minnesota won, 3-2, making the Indians 72-75 on their way to a 79-82 finish. Click here for the game's box score and play-by-play.

Though fans were curious about McDowell, just 4,503 showed up for the Friday night game. That was better than the 4,221 crowd for the previous game, that Wednesday, and topped the cozy 2,946 that squeezed into the 80,000-seat (or so) stadium the day after McDowell debuted. Cleveland fans had turned apathetic after general manager Frank Lane had dismantled the 1959 second-place team by trading star outfielder Rocky Colavito and other key players prior to the 1961 season. And, there were no guaranteed minimum announced crowds as there are now, as there was no need for fans to buy season tickets into such a large stadium.

McDowell spent 1962 and 1963 between the Indians and minor leagues, before establishing himself as an elite major league pitcher during the summer of 1964.

Often getting minimal run support, McDowell went 122-109 for the Indians with a 2.99 ERA before being traded to the San Francisco Giants for future Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry and shortstop Frank Duffy.

McDowell's 2,159 strikeouts with the Indians, in 2,109 innings, remain second on the team's all-time list, trailing Bob Feller's 2,581.

Although McDowell worked during a pitcher-friendly era, his numbers were still impressive, and he was just 30 when the Indians traded him. But his career quickly deteriorated, and after time with the Giants, Yankees and Pirates, McDowell's career was through after 1975. He finished 141-134 with a 3.17 ERA and 2,453 strikeouts in 2,492 innings.

Rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg's scheduled start here against the Tribe on Sunday has triggered a mini-boom at the Indians ticket office.

View full sizeAssociated PressWashington Nationals rookie phenom will make the second start of his big league career - and his first away from home -- at 1:05 p.m. Sunday againt the Tribe in Progressive Field.

Cleveland, Ohio -- The Indians play every day from now till Sunday, but make no mistake, the one game everyone is talking about is Sunday.

Washington Nationals rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg is scheduled to make his second big league start and his first away from home in the 1:05 p.m. Sunday against the Tribe.

Some fun facts, courtesy of the Indians' Bart Swain, director of media relations for the Tribe:

•4,000 tickets sold for Sunday's game in the last week.

•1,400 sold since yesterday morning.

•1,000 since midnight.

• As of 3 p.m. today, 20,000 tickets remain unsold. But given the rate at which tickets are going, this could be the most-attended game of the season since the sold-out home opener.

How good is this kid? Strasburg is the only pitcher to strike out 14 and walk none in his first start in the Major Leagues. And he's smart: The home run hit by Delwyn Young for the only two Pirates runs in the Nats' 5-2 win came on a 91 mph changeup. Next at-bat, Strasburg rang up Young on fastballs if 98, 98 and 99 mph.

Swain said that according to ELIAS, in the division-era (since 1969) only three otherrookies did not walk a batter in a game in which he struck out at least14: Roger Clemens in 1984 (15 SO, 0 BB), Dwight Gooden twice in 1984 (16SO both times) and Kerry Wood WOOD in 1998 (20 SO). Wood's 20strikeouts, no-walk game came in his fifth career start.

Is it a bad thing to note that as of today, Wood has a total of eight strikeouts 57 games into the season? Possibly, but in the interest of fairness, he's a closer now, not a starter, so the strikeout opps aren't as plentiful.

"I think in the minor leagues, hitters, they go out of the strike zone a lot more," Buchholz said. "I had a lot of strikeouts, but probably over half the strikeouts I've had were pitches out of the zone.

"Guys up here don't swing, even with two strikes. They tend to make you throw a pitch in the dirt. You throw pitches in the zone, they're going to get hit. I don't think I've done anything different.

"I've always been told to take a three-pitch at-bat or a two-pitch at-bat, a one-pitch at-bat over a five- or six-pitch strikeout.

"Strikeouts are awesome. They're fun to have under your name and everything. At the same time, you go deeper into games with less pitches you throw. It seems to work out a little bit more in your favor because you get in a rhythm more, you're not throwing 25 pitches every inning. No disrespect to the strikeout."

In case you were curious, the Nats' Strasburg pitched seven innings and threw 98 pitchers. That's 14 per inning.

No disrespect to the math.

Silver linings
The Red Sox are arguably the hottest team in baseball. Of course, that could be because their last two opponents have been the hapless Indians and the even more hapless (geez, what's beyond hapless? Hopeless?) Orioles. After a horrible start, they've risen to within four games of AL East-leading Tampa Bay.

But just as a Browns season isn't a total waste if it includes a win over Pittsburgh, so is a BoSox season a good one if the Sox can finish ahead of the Yankees.

Which might be why a story on sbnation.com put things in perspective:

Importantly, it doesn't look like the AL West or Central will produce a viable wild card candidate. Even if the Red Sox don't come all the way back and catch the Rays, thanks to their hot stretch the Sox are now less than two games back of the Yankees with 102 games to play.

It's all about perspective.

From The Plain Dealer

Beat writer Paul Hoynes watched Trevor Crowe make a couple of plays . . . and one big boot that cost David Huff a win against Boston Tuesday night. In interviews later, Crowe was upset with himself, and Huff refused to blame his teammate. Yeah, the 3-2 score winds up in the L column, but the class shown by both players in supporting each other taking personal responsibility is encouraging.

Hoynesie also talked to the Tribe's first-round pick in this year's draft, LHP Drew Pomeranz out of Ole Miss, and opines on outfielder LeVon Washington, the second-round pick, in his Indians Insider column.

The online version of the column also includes a videotaped interview with manager Manny Acta, who discusses the surprise release of infielder Mark Grudzielanek.

NFL prospects take a guess where LeBron James will be playing next season.

LeBron James is a spokesman for Upper Deck, so naturally, the folks at Upper Deck decided to check with some of their other clients -- the incoming class of NFL rookies, including Browns Colt McCoy and Montario Hardesy -- just where they they King James will play next year.

The answers range from Cleveland (a hopeful McCoy and an insistent Hardesty) to a plain ol' "I don't know" from quarterback Sam Bradford.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Walsh Jesuit shortstop/pitcher Johnny Fasola was taken in the 36th round of Major League Baseball's first-year player draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday. He was the 1,102nd pick overall. "We can finally exhale," said his father, John.

The Warriors' do-everything Johnny Fasola will have a choice between a scholarship to Kansas State or a trip to the Dodgers' minor-league system.



-

(Paul Tople / Akron Beacon-Journal)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Walsh Jesuit shortstop/pitcher Johnny Fasola was taken in the 36th round of Major League Baseball's first-year player draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday. He was the 1,102nd pick overall.

"We can finally exhale," said his father, John.

Fasola has signed a letter-of-intent to play at Kansas State, which has given him a 75 percent scholarship. The Fasolas will meet with the Dodgers this week to negotiate a signing bonus and decide whether or not to sign with Los Angeles or go to Kansas State.

Johnny Fasola said the Dodgers considered him an 11th-20th round level pick and would offer him money in that range.

"We gave them a number and we'll see what they come back with. If they don't, he's got a scholarship to Kansas State," John Fasola said.

Fasola is a hard-throwing right-hander, but the Dodgers plan to develop him as a position player at either shortstop, third base or the outfield. Going into last week's state tournament, he was hitting .570 (53-of-86) with 10 doubles, nine homers and 43 RBI. He was the hero of the Warriors' state semifinal win when he drove in two runs and pitched four hitless innings. Walsh lost in the Division II state final.

The Fasolas were under the impression Johnny would be drafted Tuesday, when the second through 30th rounds were conducted. They had received a strong indication from the Texas that the Rangers would select him.

Fasola said he was disappointed Tuesday, but happy Wednesday.

"It's awesome," he said. "I sat around [Tuesday] and didn't want to get my hopes up. But when they kept drafting guys I knew I could play with, or guys I played with in the summer, I'm thinking, 'I can hang with this guy.' It was a little disappointing when you hear those guys names called and you don't get called."

Fasola didn't follow the draft online Wednesday and went out with friends.

"My dad called me and he was all breathing heavy, saying, 'Get home. You got drafted by the Dodgers,'" he said.

With all the praise for the late John Wooden, many forget the not insignificant role of rogue UCLA booster Sam Gilbert.

Mark E. Johnson / Associated PressWell before he retired following the 1974 season, John Wooden was a walking monument to college basketball. But with his fame also comes the shadow of boosterism run amok, says Bill Livingston. Even in the tributes following Wooden's death at age 99, a mention of the role of Sam Gilbert in the UCLA dynasty is appropriate.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When Indiana's Calbert Cheaney won the John Wooden Award as college basketball's best player in 1993, he wasn't present in Los Angeles to receive his prize. A taped acceptance speech stood in for him. Nor was his coach, Bob Knight, present.

The award was presented while Indiana had classes scheduled, which provided a convenient excuse. The subtext of the absence of Knight and his prize player was Knight's reluctance to be associated with the award named for the UCLA coach.

Wooden won 10 national championships in 12 years, but a rogue booster named Sam Gilbert was along for the ride on most of them.

Wooden has become the saint of the hardwood since his recent death at the age of 99. There are people in college basketball, reluctant to speak up now that the mythmakers are in full cry, who have a problem with that.

Everyone concedes that 10 national championships in a whole career, the way top-level men's college basketball is played now, is like Joe DiMaggio hitting in 56 straight games. It will never happen.

Wooden was a great coach. He had great talent, and he made it mesh. His first two sawed-off title teams in 1964-65 had no starter over 6-5. People who discount his talent then forget how good Gail Goodrich, the UCLA star, was with the Los Angeles Lakers.

After Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became a Bruin, which was just after Goodrich left, "Papa Sam" Gilbert came into the players' lives as an informal advisor. According to a Los Angeles Times story that was published seven years after Wooden's 1975 retirement, Gilbert bought the players clothes, cars and even arranged for abortions for their girlfriends. Gilbert also negotiated the first pro contracts of Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Lucius Allen, Sidney Wicks, Henry Bibby and others.

Wooden went his way, either genuinely or deliberately oblivious to Gilbert.

Wooden taught players how to put on their socks properly, among other things, lest they get blisters. The socks lesson is important. "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail," was one of Wooden's sayings. Thousands of people took his maxims to heart.

So Wooden was involved from socks, if not precisely to jocks. He never overlooked anything, except Gilbert. Which, to coaches who played by the rules, was everything.

AP file photoThe role of "Papa Sam" Gilbert didn't become publically known until after John Wooden's retirement. It is the inconvenient truth of the Bruins' basketball dominance.

Wooden had genuine strengths as a father figure and teacher to his players. Many remained loyal and protective of him until to the end.

As for reporters at the time, maybe they didn't want the hassles of digging into what "Papa Sam" was up to. It is part of the record, however, that Gene Bartow, who followed Wooden as UCLA' s coach, felt his life was threatened by Gilbert.

Magnificent as Wooden's record is, it clearly was easier to win it all when he coached. Only conference champions made the NCAA Tournament field until 1975. Teams were confined to their natural geographic regions, too.

As for the best coaches since Wooden, I would put Duke's Mike Krzyzewski first. He has won four national championships, in a 65-team tournament, in a time of widespread parity created by top players leaving college for the NBA early. "Coach K" has all of his mentor Knight's strong points without Knight's zest for publicly humiliating people.

Dean Smith was a great innovator at North Carolina and won two national titles. Knight won three NCAA championships, but he became a sideshow in his final years at Indiana and an afterthought at Texas Tech.

Those three stand alone. The NCAA never had to investigate their programs. No boosters went rogue. If they had, they would not have been tolerated.

In the final analysis, Wooden just outlived his critics' zest for battle. Or maybe his iconic status became too great. Still, there is such a thing as the historical record and interpretive balance. The sanitized, sweet Wooden of today has elements of truth, but it is not the whole story.

He won with small, pressing teams and with great centers in the low post.

He won his final championship with a large dollop of luck, when Louisville's Terry Howard, 28-for-28 at the foul line on the season, missed the front end of a one-and-one late in overtime.

Much of the time in the glory years, however, UCLA had such overwhelming talent that it was nearly impossible to derail the Wooden-Gilbert dynasty.

Walsh Jesuit's Johnny Fasola, Greg Greve and Tyler Skulina are among locals drafted today in late rounds of Major League Baseball draft.

UPDATED: 7:44 p.m.

View full sizePaul Tople/Akron Beacon JournalWalsh Jesuit shortstop/pitcher Johnny Fasola was drafted today in the 36th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Shortstop/pitcher Johnny Fasola was the first of three Walsh Jesuit players selected by California teams in the late rounds of Major League Baseball's first-year player draft Wednesday. The Los Angeles Dodgers selected him in the 36th round, the 1,102nd pick overall.

"We can finally exhale," said his father, John Fasola.

So can teammates Greg Greve and Tyler Skulina, as well as Garfield Heights' Dan Ward, who were the other area high school picks Wednesday, the third day of the draft.

Greve, a right-hander and third baseman who lives in Brecksville, was taken in the 45th round by the San Francisco Giants. He has signed with Ohio State.

Skulina, a right-hander thought to be an early-round pick before the draft, lasted until the 46th round when the Oakland A's took him with the 1,385th pick. The Strongsville resident has signed with the University of Virginia.

The order of the baseball draft usually reflects a player's "signability" as much as his ability, which was the case with Skulina. He was thought to be asking for early-round money, which caused him to drop to lower rounds.

"Signability definitely was an issue," he said. "I have a great opportunity to go to Virginia and I told them how much it was going to take for me to pass going to play with my friends at Virginia.

"This has been an exciting three days, for sure. It was good to see my buddies drafted."

Ohio University recruit Dan Ward, a third baseman and right-hander, went to the Texas Rangers in the 47th round.

They were among nine drafted players who graduated from Northeast Ohio high schools.

St. Edward right-hander/infielder Stetson Allie was the second pick of the second round (52nd overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

St. Ignatius grad and Georgia Tech shortstop Derek Dietrich (second round, 79th overall) went to Tampa Bay.

Ohio University third baseman Gauntlett Eldemire was drafted in the sixth round by Philadelphia. He is a University School grad from Shaker Heights.

Brecksville graduate and University of Toledo junior right-hander Matthew Suschak was a seventh-round pick by Atlanta.

The Indians drafted St. Edward catcher and Georgia Tech recruit Alex Lavisky in the eighth round.

Johnny Fasola, a hard-throwing right-hander, has signed to play at Kansas State. Like the other drafted high school players, the Fasolas will meet with the Dodgers this week to negotiate a signing bonus and decide whether or not to sign with Los Angeles or go to college. Johnny Fasola said the Dodgers considered him an 11th-20th-round pick and would offer him money in that range.

"We gave them a number and we'll see what they come back with. If they don't, he's got a scholarship to Kansas State," said his father.

The Dodgers plan to develop him at either shortstop, third base or the outfield. Fasola, of Hudson, was under the impression he would be drafted early Tuesday, most likely by Texas. Johnny said he was disappointed Tuesday, but happy Wednesday.

"It's awesome," he said. "I sat around [Tuesday] and didn't want to get my hopes up. But when they kept drafting guys I knew I could play with, or guys I played with in the summer, I'm thinking, 'I can hang with this guy.' It was a little disappointing when you hear those guys' names called and you don't get called."

Fasola didn't follow the draft online Wednesday and went out with friends.

"My dad called me and he was all breathing heavy, saying, 'Get home. You got drafted by the Dodgers,' " Johnny said.

Going into Wednesday night's game, Chisenhall was 13-for-33 (.394) with one double, one triple, three homers, 12 RBI and 11 runs in his last nine games.

Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer Lonnie Chisenhall's hitting has keyed Akron's eight-game winning streak.

FARM REPORT

AAA Columbus Clippers

Tonight: Rochester (24-35) at Clippers (36-24), 7:05. Red Wings LHP Ryan Mullins (3-4, 4.83) vs. Clippers RHP Carlos Carrasco (4-2, 4.68).

Notes: Carrasco went into Wednesday night's game having won his last two starts, despite allowing 11 earned runs on 19 hits in 13 innings. It helped that he walked just three in the two games and struck out 12....IF Jared Goedert was 5-for-11 (.455) with three doubles in his first three games with the Clippers. He had hit .325 with 14 doubles, seven home runs and 32 RBI in 44 games at AA Akron before being promoted....2B Cord Phelps has been promoted to Columbus after batting .296 with two homers and 23 RBI at Akron....The Clippers' average home attendance going into Wednesday night was 7,920, seventh best in Minor League Baseball.

AA Akron Aeros

Tonight: New Hampshire (36-23) at Aeros (28-30), 7:05. Fisher Cats LHP Luis Perez (5-5, 4.82) vs. Aeros LHP Scott Barnes (1-5, 7.17).

Notes: The Aeros were on an eight-game winning streak going into Wednesday night's game....They were 16-9 in games with Damaso Espino in the lineup at catcher. Espino was batting .325 (25-for-77)....3B Lonnie Chisenhall (.286) was 13-for-33 (.394) with one double, one triple, three homers, 12 RBI and 11 runs in his last nine games. His two-run, walkoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Aeros a 4-3 win over New Hampshire on Tuesday night...IF Carlos Rivero (.235) was on an 11-game hitting streak, going 13-for-43 (.302) with five doubles, six RBI and six runs....LF Matt McBride (.265) had hit in seven straight games, going 9-for-27 (.333) with two doubles, a triple and five RBI.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Tonight: Indians (29-30) at Wilmington (28-31), 7:00. Indians RHP Joseph Gardner (3-1, 2.14) vs. Blue Rocks LHP Ivor Hodgson (2-4, 5.33).

Notes: Gardner went into Wednesday night's game 3-1 with a 2.14 ERA in six starts spanning 33 2/3 innings for Kinston, striking out 26 while yielding 21 hits, one homer and 16 walks. Combined with his six starts for Class A Lake County, Gardner was 4-1 with a 2.61 ERA, fanning 64 and giving up 38 hits, three homers and 27 walks in 58 2/3 innings....C Richard Martinez (.148) went 38 straight at bats without a hit before lining a single in the top of the fifth inning during Tuesday night's 2-1 loss at Wilmington.

A Lake County Captains

Tonight: Captains (39-19) at Clinton (32-26), 8:00. Captains LHP Vidal Nuno (1-1, 6.52) vs. LumberKings RHP Taylor Stanton (5-2, 3.44).

Notes: Going into Wednesday night's game, LF Bo Greenwell was batting a combined .256 (32-for-125) in May and June, with four doubles, one triple and 12 RBI. During April, Greenwell batted .405 (32-for-79) with seven doubles, two triples, three homers and 23 RBI....2B Casey Frawley (.268) was 6-for-13 (.462) in his last three games, with two doubles, one homer and nine RBI....SS Kyle Smith (.296) was 8-for-16 (.500) in his last five games.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Rascals 8, Crushers 6 Lake Erie (6-9) took the loss on the road despite slugging four home runs: two by right fielder Arden McWilliams (.213), giving him four this season; 1B Lee Huggins (.311) second homer and DH Travis Vetters' (.254) first homer.

Notes: SS Jodam Rivera is batting a team-leading .346 (18-for-52)....McWilliams' four homers, two doubles and a triple give him a .475 slugging percentage.

Nike exec stays neutral, but he's about the only one in sampling the current LBJ rumor temperature.

Kathy Kmonicek / Associated PressRegardless of LeBron James' decision, there's going to be a lot of wasted Photoshop work across the NBA landscape in a few weeks.

(Chasing down rumors about LeBron James' basketball future could be a full-time job. Now it's my full-time job. Just call me The Rumor Monger. Every day we'll compile a list of the rumors we're hearing about James and his next contract. Just remember these are just rumors, not necessarily facts. It's going to be a long and rough ride, Cavs fans. Buckle up. -- Mary Schmitt Boyer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- And now, finally, a comment from someone who actually has a stake in the outcome.

Nike brand president Charlie Denson was asked if his company would like to see James end up in New York.

"I think LeBron is going to try to pick the best place where he can win, and wherever that is, we're OK with that," Denson told Newsday's Neil Best.

There you have it.

• One of my favorite New Yorkers, ESPNNewYork.com columnist Johnette Howard, wonders whether James is tough enough to handle the inevitable criticism that comes with playing in New York.

"Does James, 25, really have the guts to walk out on his home state of Ohio and a Cavs team that, however flawed, still led the league in wins this year?" Howard asks. "Does the NBA's biggest star want to start over in his eighth NBA season, shoulder everything that playing in a crucible like New York demands, then deliver on the court?"

But she thinks his arrival would shift the balance of sports power in the city.

"His presence would guarantee that New York City wouldn't be a baseball town anymore," writes Howard, though I respectfully disagree. "New York would feel like the center of the basketball universe again, something it hasn't felt like for quite a while. There would be a trickle-down effect. The drifting local college programs, the Rucker League, the pickup action on playgrounds from the Bronx to Brooklyn, Harlem to the West Village, would all take on a different buzz. The city game would make a comeback."

She also says, "James would own the tabloid back pages."

Like that's a good thing?

• James Gandolfini, aka Tony Soprano, ad libbed a plea to James during his appearance on Spike TV's "Guys Choice" event last Saturday in Culver City, Calif.

"First things first," Gandolfini said to James, who was in the audience. "LeBron, I'd like you to come to New York, if you could. If you miss Cleveland, you just have to get on the bridge and drive across New Jersey. It's pretty much the same thing."

'• Former Cav Darnell Jackson of the Bucks told The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel he thought James would stay in Cleveland ... sort of.

"You never know, but he'll probably stay in Cleveland," said Jackson, who then joked, "If Mars had a team -- you never know where he's going to go. The guy in unbelievable. ... As a player, as a friend, everything. The guy is the most humble guy I ever met in my life. Definitely."

• Since everybody's weighing in on where James will land, why not ask NFL rookies?

Upper Deck did just that during a recent photo shoot in Los Angeles. James, an exclusive spokesman for Upper Deck, was not present.

Browns rookies Colt McCoy and Montario Hardesty said Cleveland, but the answers ranged from New York to New Jersey to Chicago to the Lakers and the Clippers. Tim Tebow and Jimmy Clausen didn't venture a guess.

Michigan State players left a meeting with Tom Izzo Tuesday night believing he was going to leave to accept Gilbert's offer to become the next Cavaliers coach.

Michael Conroy / Associated PressSources are telling The Plain Dealer that Michigan State Spartans players believe Tom Izzo could be close to taking the Cavaliers head coaching position.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Dan Gilbert already seemed to pull the sword from the stone once when he got Ohio to approve casinos after numerous failed attempts. He just may be on the verge of doing it again.

Sources have told The Plain Dealer that Michigan State players left a meeting with Tom Izzo Tuesday night believing he was going to leave to accept Gilbert's offer to become the next Cavaliers coach. Izzo didn't tell them that, he called the meeting to acknowledge reports that he'd been offered the job, but players left afraid they were about to lose their coach.

Several other sources, however, indicated Izzo hadn't made his final decision as of Wednesday afternoon.

Izzo has declined offers to leave for the NBA numerous times over the last 10 years, including recently. A Michigan State trustee told both the Chicago Tribune and the Detroit News that the Chicago Bulls talked to Izzo about their open coaching job before hiring Tom Thibodeau.

Trustee Joel Ferguson told the Tribune: "Tom thought he could get the job" with the Bulls.

Yet despite passing on the Bulls, at least some Spartans players seem worried it will turn into a yes this time. A difference in the two jobs, in addition to the possibility LeBron James would re-sign, is that the Cavs likely have a larger budget for their coaching position than the Bulls.

Gilbert has offered Izzo at least $6 million a year to leave East Lansing after 15 highly-successful seasons.

The entire ordeal is applying stress to Michigan State and the uncertainty may also be affecting recruiting efforts. Still, Izzo may take several more days before making a firm decision.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, a former Ohio State player, can celebrate a bit of a homecoming with the conference switch.

Nebraska will join the Big Ten, the Chicago Tribune is reporting. The Nebraska board of regents has added a discussion about the school's conference alignment to the agenda for a meeting on Friday.

Nati Harnik / Associated PressBo Pelini

The move would bring the Big Ten to 12 schools, as possibilities continue to swirl about other potential members from Notre Dame to Missouri to Rutgers to several other schools.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said over the weekend that Big Ten expansion could happen in stages, so this could be it, for now. Or this could be a first step in an expansion that swells to 14 or 16 teams.

Orangebloods.com, which covers Texas athletics and has been at the front on expansion stories, is reporting that the move by Nebraska will likely spell the end of the Big 12, as Texas leads a pack of five other schools to join the Pac-10.
 
Nebraska would bring a great football tradition and large fanbase to the Big Ten, which is seeking to add money through increased television revenue, among several other goals. The Cornhuskers are coached by former Ohio State safety Bo Pelini and would quickly provide an intriguing rivalry for the Buckeyes as well as Iowa and other schools on the west edge of the Big Ten.

Even if the Big Ten expansion stops at 12 for now, this move would allow the conference to start a football championship game, which could be another moneymaker for the conference. 
 
Now it's time to see whether Notre Dame takes this opportunity to join the Big Ten or continues to hold on to its independence.