A broken finger for Antawn Jamison was the latest gloomy news for the Cavaliers following Sunday's loss to the 76ers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It wasn't as if the Cavaliers didn't look bad enough for most of Sunday's 95-91 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at The Q.

But late in the third quarter, they also lost leading scorer Antawn Jamison with a fractured left little finger. It is unclear how much time -- if any -- he will be out.

"We don't really know yet," coach Byron Scott said. "I guess we'll have a little bit more of an understanding of what's going to happen in the next day or so."

Jamison, who left with 16 points -- just under his average of 18 -- was not in the locker room after the game. But losing him seemed to wake up his teammates.

"The fourth quarter we played really hard, and we played the way we should have played the first three quarters," Scott said as the Cavs dropped to 11-48. "We played in spurts as far as our energy is concerned. A young team, as we are, we can't afford to do that."

With newcomers Baron Davis and Semih Erden in street clothes on the bench next to new teammate Luke Harangody, who was in uniform, the Cavs rolled out to a 20-8 lead that evaporated faster than Friday's snowfall. By halftime, they trailed, 49-43, and were down, 65-50, midway through the third quarter. It seemed as if they could not have cared less.

After losing Jamison, Daniel Gibson, celebrating his 25th birthday, and rookie Samardo Samuels led the Cavs on a 17-9 run to open the fourth quarter. A three-point play by Gibson closed the deficit to 84-81, with the key play being J.J. Hickson's tip-in of a missed free throw by Samuels.

But the Cavs allowed Jrue Holiday to drive untouched to the hole and, after Sessions lost the ball to Holiday, Jodie Meeks hit a 3-pointer to restore the Sixers lead to 89-81.

The Cavs did get back to 91-88 with 48.6 seconds left on a 10-footer by Ramon Sessions, who finished with 20 points and 10 assists. They had a chance to get closer after Andre Iguodala committed an offensive foul. After a timeout, the offense looked for Anthony Parker on the weak side or Gibson coming off a double screen on the right wing. Gibson got the ball, but was confronted by a Sixers double team.

He tried to drop the ball off to Hickson, intending to get it back. But Hickson, who finished with 22 points and 16 rebounds, started toward the basket and then lost the ball to Thaddeus Young, and Holiday made two free throws with 11.1 seconds left.

"J.J. tried to make the right play," Gibson said. "He tried to go inside and get a quick two. But Thaddeus Young made a good defensive play and stole the ball."

A Gibson 3-pointer made it 93-91 with 7.9 seconds left. But Meeks hit two free throws as the Sixers improved to 30-29, climbing over .500 for the first time this season after a 3-13 start that included two losses to the Cavs.

Baron Davis selected uniform No. 85 as a tribute to where it all started -- his grandparents' house on 85th Street in Los Angeles.

View full sizeTony Dejak / Associated Press"I look at it as a rebirth, a new beginning," new Cavaliers guard Baron Davis said Sunday before the game against Philadelphia. "I'm excited, just watching this team."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Baron Davis thinks joining the Cavaliers will be a new beginning, so he's selected uniform No. 85 as a tribute to where it all started.

"It's a special number," he said in his first meeting with the Cleveland media before Sunday's game against Philadelphia. "That's the street my grandmother lives on. I can get back to my roots ... even if I have to dribble in the snow to get to the gym."

Davis grew up in Los Angeles and was raised by his grandparents. His grandfather put up a basketball court in the backyard. After starring at UCLA, Davis' pro career took him to Charlotte, New Orleans and Golden State before he eventually signed as a free agent with his hometown Clippers. But things never worked out there and by early this year, owner Donald Sterling actually was heckling Davis from his courtside seat.

"You never expect the person who signed you to a contract to be the one who hates you the most," Davis admitted.

There were rumors that Davis hated Cavs coach Byron Scott when the two were together in New Orleans. While they didn't get along, they have since patched things up and Davis says he's thrilled with the chance to play for Scott again.

"I look at it as a rebirth, a new beginning," Davis said. "I'm excited, just watching this team. Having played for coach Scott, I know we're together for a reason. There's some things my game can benefit from just playing in his system. I'm just looking forward to the challenge to come out play with a lot of passion entertaining basketball and give it my all for the fans of Cleveland."

Davis has a swollen left knee that will have to heal before he can play.

"Hopefully, not long," he said when asked how long he thought he'd be out. "I have to tend to the swelling. The faster I can lift weights and get out there on the court, the faster that can happen."

Davis has worn Nos. 1 and 5 as a pro, but those numbers already belong to Daniel Gibson and Ryan Hollins here.

Advance report: Rookie Luke Harangody, obtained with Semih Erden from Boston for a second-round pick on Thursday, got a scouting report on Cleveland from former Cav Delonte West, now with the Celtics.

"Delonte had nothing but great things to say about Cleveland, where he lived and the organization," said Harangody, who grew up outside Chicago and whose parents came in for Sunday's game. "I found out right away how open and welcoming they are. This has been as smooth a transition as it could get. It has been a crazy 24 hours, but at the same time, they made it very easy for me."

Harangody is known for his hard-nosed approach to the game. "I have to go all out to be successful on the court. That's the only way I really know how to go. I'm not the most athletic. I'm 6-8. I've got to go in there and get to work."

Irish brothers: Harangody actually beat Austin Carr into the Notre Dame Ring of Honor. Carr, the school's all-time leading scorer, was inducted on Saturday, joining Harangody, the first inductee, and Ruth Riley, who led the women's team to the 2001 NCAA title.

"It was quite an honor," said Carr, who also will have the lower concourse of the Purcell Pavilion named after him. "The student body gave me a five-minute standing ovation. They wouldn't let me talk."

But did the always emotional Carr cry?

"I had to do four interviews before that, so I got all my crying out then," he said, laughing.

Ohio State is on track for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and Purdue is making a push to join the Buckeyes as a top seed as well.

View full sizeAl Goldis / Associated PressPurdue's JaJuan Johnson (25) has been one of the Big Ten's most dominating players, as Michigan State's Mike Kebler (20) and Kalin Lucas can testify to following Sunday's rout by the Boilermakers in East Lansing, Mich.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Big Ten hasn't had a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament since Ohio State in 2007. Now the Buckeyes are closing in on another No. 1 seed, and they may not be alone.

On a six-game winning streak, Purdue has entered the discussion about the four No. 1 seeds after losses by Duke on Saturday and Pitt on Sunday. At 24-5, the Boilermakers made another statement by taking apart Michigan State on the road in a 67-47 win. They are now 6-3 against teams ranked in the RPI top 50, with three of those wins on the road.

They're just playing really well.

Center JaJuan Johnson is taking a run at Jared Sullinger in the Big Ten Player of the Year race, and the Boilermakers are playing their best ball of the season, following up last weekend's win over Ohio State with victories over Indiana and the Spartans. Johnson had 20 points, 17 rebounds and seven blocks Sunday.

"JaJuan was pretty special," Purdue coach Matt Painter told reporters after the win.

The Big 12 should get a No. 1 seed in either Kansas or Texas, and if the Big East Tournament champ is Pitt or the ACC champ is Duke, they'll earn No. 1 seeds as well. The Buckeyes, who should be the new No. 1 team in Monday's AP rankings and No. 2 behind Kansas in the coaches poll, will be a No. 1 seed if they win their last two regular-season games, even without a Big Ten Tournament title.

But if Duke or Pitt stumbles, and the Boilermakers at least make the final of the Big Ten Tournament, they may be ready to step into a No. 1 seed ahead of Mountain West powers BYU and San Diego State. Considering what people thought of the Boilermakers after losing star Robbie Hummel to a torn ACL in the preseason, that would be pretty remarkable.

If both the Buckeyes and Boilermakers wind up as top seeds, it would be the first time the Big Ten has had two teams on the top line since Illinois and Michigan State in 2001, when the Illini lost in the Elite Eight and the Spartans reached the Final Four. In the nine years since then, the only Big Ten teams to be No. 1 seeds were Illinois in 2005 and Ohio State in 2007.

Buckeyes in Jersey: Ohio State is looking more and more like a good bet for the East Regional, which will be held in Newark, N.J.. If Ohio State winds up at the overall No. 1 seed in the tournament, that's where the Buckeyes will be, since it is the closest regional geographically.

Ohio State almost assuredly will start the NCAA Tournament in Cleveland unless the Buckeyes don't win again before the NCAA Tournament. The only potential No. 1 seeds who could prevent the Buckeyes from being ticketed for New Jersey are Pitt and Duke.

What are the odds that Rick Vaughn will don that No. 99 and give 'em the ol' No. 1? NONE!

View full sizeMirage ProductionsOne wag suggests that a reunion of the Cleveland Indians and Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn, aka Charlie "Wilder Thing" Sheen, might be a good idea. Uh, no.

The oddsmakers aren't giving the Tribe much hope of even contending in the AL Central, much less going to or winning the World Series.

And even the pluses they cite come out looking like a case of "oh, I've said so much bad, I should say something good." Sort of like a surgeon saying, "The bad news is you've been shot; the good news is the bullet was REALLY clean."

Here's an excerpt on how one site, docsports.com, sees the Indians' season unfolding:

Only the Kansas City Royals . . . have worse odds to win an AL Pennant. So that gives Cleveland fans hope to avoid a last-place finish. However, even in the wide-open AL Central, it’s tough to include the Indians in the discussion. The division is wide open, but not that wide open. The Indians appear a lot closer to the Royals than they do to the Tigers, Twins or White Sox.

The Indians are a struggling franchise and Charlie Sheen has gone off the deep end.

So the suggestion now is, instead of laughing at the parallels of the film with the current state of the Indians - who can expect to finish in third place in the American League Central if they're lucky - and Rick Vaughn and Charlie Sheen, who just had his kids taken away from him, both parties should join forces and embrace their situation.

Sheen needs to throw on an Indians' baseball cap and make his way over to Phoenix and start throwing for the Indians.

What does either side have to lose?

 

But pitcher Jensen Lewis is optimistic.

"Why not?" he said. "The talent level in this room is pretty good, and I think especially, the young guys going through their growing pains last year, it's one of those things we come in expecting to win. If we don't, that will be a disappointment for us."

No doubt the Indians already are written off by many, and that's something that will have no effect on Lewis, who posted a 4-2 record last year.

"If you're motivated by what other people think, then you're not in it for the right reasons," he said. "I think we understand what we have, and nobody likes to lose. Some of us have gone through it for the last couple years. I think those of us who have been around want to set an example."

"It's still a possibility," said Antonetti. "But I'd say it's less likely than more likely that he'll be ready for the start of the season. We're hopeful it will still be near the start of the season. Whether that's a few days or a few weeks, we just don't know yet."

If there is a lockout in the NFL, what's next?

Thomas Ondrey / The Plain DealerJosh Cribbs wants to avoid a lockout.

The NFL's collective bargaining agreement will expire on Thursday and it doesn't look like an agreement will be reached soon, writes WSJ.com reporter Kristi Dosh.

A U.S. District Court judge ruled in favor of the NFL Players Association with regards to their claim that the NFL established a lockout fund by securing $4 billion in payments from television contracts, even in the event of a lockout. 

So what's next?

Here are a few possible scenarios going forward:

1. New collective bargaining agreement is reached by March 3. This is the least likely to happen, in this humble sports analyst’s opinion.

2. Lockout. If no agreement is reached by March 3, the owners can institute a lockout. A lockout is when an employer does not allow employees to perform their duties, which also means the employees are being paid.

3. Lockout with a decertification of the players association. Another scenario is where there is a lockout by the owners and a decertification of the players association. Decertification is when the members of a union (like the players association) decide that the union can no longer collectively bargain on their behalf. 

5. NFL implements last and best offer. The alternative to a lockout for the owners if no agreement is reached when the current agreement expires is to implement what is called their “last and best offer.” This is where the NFL owners would unilaterally implement the last offer they gave players association before reaching an impasse.

Before you can say Tim Couch, we can name some decent players the Browns picked to wear the brown and orange.

Let's face it, Browns fans have had very little to cheer about. Since 1991, the Browns have treated fans to only three winning seasons, two playoffs appearances, and no Super Bowls. The team moved to Baltimore, beer bottles have been thrown and the coaching carousel continues to go round-and-round.

The Browns' first-round draft picks paint a slightly brighter picture. Before you can say Tim Couch, we can name some decent players the Browns picked to wear the brown and orange. Several of those players have had solid NFL careers. Browns first-round picks since 1990 have nine Pro Bowl appearances; eight appearances came while wearing a Browns uniform.

As the Browns approach another round of draft roulette, what do you think about their history? Click though the gallery to review the Browns first-round picks since 1990. Take our poll and tell us which first-round draft pick had the most impact on the Browns franchise. 

For more Cleveland Browns news, statistics and 2011 NFL Draft coverage visit cleveland.com/browns

See thumbnail index of this week's players of the week.

See thumbnail index of this week's players of the week.

Conor Mabry, Lakewood
Sport: Basketball
Class: Junior
Age: 17
Ht: 6-1
Wt: 175

What Conor did last week: Guard had 16 points in a 66-54 victory against Westlake and 21 points in a 70-57 win against Medina. He combined for 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the two games.

About Conor: Always eats pre-game meal at Alfonso's Restaurant. Intends to study business in college. Favorites include "Blue Chips" movie, ESPN, Facebook.com, mom's cordon bleu dish, Five Guys restaurant, Nike clothes and physics class. Wants to vacation in Hawaii and would like to play better defense.

Aaron White, Strongsville
Sport: Basketball
Class: Senior
Age: 18
Ht: 6-8
Wt: 215

What Aaron did last week: Forward scored 36 points in the Mustangs' 86-79 overtime win against Garfield Heights, handing top-ranked Bulldogs their first loss of the season. Had 14 rebounds, three steals, three assists, four blocks and scored eight of the team's 17 overtime points.

About Aaron: Iowa recruit enjoys playing pool and bowling. Favorites include "The Notebook" movie, "Dexter" TV show, music by John Legend, "NBA 2K11" video game and psychology class. Wants to try lifting weights.

Tory Barrett, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin
Sport: Basketball
Class: Junior
Age: 17
Ht: 5-8

What Tory did last week: In a 59-44 sectional semifinal win against Jefferson, guard went 9-of-17 from the field, including six 3-pointers, for a career-high 24 points. She had six assists, five rebounds and four steals.

About Tory: Plans to attend nursing school and play college basketball. Favorites include the Cavaliers, Indians outfielder Grady Sizemore, "The Dark Knight" movie, "A Time to Kill" book, Maggiano's restaurant and chemistry class. Would like to try skydiving.

Coaches' nominations for Players of the Week will be taken Mondays between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. The toll-free number for coaches to call for the seven-county coverage area is 1-800-388-4370.

Former Indians shortstop great Vizquel, now with the White Sox, doesn't think there should be controversy about Jeter remaining at the position.

Associated PressOmar Vizquel remains a standout fielder at almost 44 years old.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Even Cleveland Indians fans who watched Omar Vizquel dazzle at shortstop for the Tribe from 1994-2004 must marvel that he's still making the plays on big league infields.

Vizquel, about to begin his 23rd major league season and second with the Chicago White Sox, turns 44 on April 24.

The switch-hitter was a valuable utility player for the ChiSox in 2010, hitting .276 while playing in 83 games at third base, 19 at second base and nine at shortstop.

It is, of course, at shortstop where Vizquel fashioned a career that makes him a Hall of Fame candidate. His 2,690 games played at the position rank No. 1 on the all-time leaders list. He won 11 Gold Gloves: eight with the Indians (1994-2001); one with the Seattle Mariners (1993); two with the San Francisco Giants (2005-06).

Vizquel has been a solid offensive player, too, with a .273 career batting average, 2,799 hits, 1,414 runs and 400 stolen bases.

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, a certain Hall of Famer, turns 37 on June 26. Last season, Jeter's batting average slid from .334 in 2009 to .270, and his range in the field slipped, too.

Some have suggested that if it's not yet time for Jeter to move to second or third base, or even the outfield, such a switch is inevitable.

Tyler Kepner writes for the New York Times about Vizquel and what Vizquel thinks about Jeter staying at shortstop.

Kepner quotes Vizquel as saying, "I don't see (Jeter) playing third base or second base. He's just a natural shortstop."

Vizquel talks about the challenges he faced as an aging shortstop.

Kepner writes, in part:

Vizquel also had a bumpy year at age 36, in 2003, when two knee operations cost him most of the season. He recovered to hit ..291 for the 2004 Indians, but when he became a free agent after the season, only the Giants offered him a three-year contract through age 40.

Vizquel won Gold Gloves in each of the first two seasons in San Francisco and hit at his career norms, if not a bit better. He did not feel his age in the field until 2007, when he was 40 and in his final season as an everyday player. It was an unwelcome sensation for a fielder once famous for range.

“The ball goes by you, and you start questioning yourself and doubting: ‘Wow, I saw the ball there, why couldn’t I just get it?’ ” Vizquel said. “Maybe it was a matter of first-step reaction, or a matter of leaning down to get that ball. Your mind is telling you that you can get to that ball, and your body’s not allowing you to get to that ball.”

Thistledown announced a schedule of 17 stakes races for 2011, sending out the 77th $100,000 Grade III Ohio Derby on June 4. The track will also delay its first-race post time for this year's 122 days of live racing.

 Thistledown announced a schedule of 17 stakes races for 2011, sending out the 77th $100,000 Grade III Ohio Derby on June 4. The track will also delay its first-race post time for this year's 122 days of live racing.

Caesars Entertainment, the new owner of the thoroughbred racing track, opens the Thistledown racing season on April 23. It will begin the racing day 45 minutes later than in the past, with a first-race post time of 1:50 p.m. The thoroughbreds will be in action Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The track is adding Thursday live racing starting Sept. 8 through closing day on Nov. 5. 

 This year's stakes schedule includes: $50,000 Classen Memorial, April 30; $50,000 Rowland Memorial, May 28; $50,000 Angenora Stake, May 30; $100,000 Ohio Derby, June 4; $50,000 Petro Memorial, June 18; $75,000 Cleveland Gold Cup, July 2; $50,000 Lewis Memorial, July 16; $50,000 Cleveland Kindergarten, Aug. 6; $50,000 Honey Jay Stake, Aug. 20; $50,000 Miss Ohio Stake, Aug. 27; $50,000 Rose DeBartolo Memorial, Sept. 3; and the $50,000 Governor's Buckeye Cup, Sept. 10.

The Best of Ohio Series on Oct. 15 showcases Distaff, Endurance and Sprint divisions and the Galbreath Stake and Juvenile Stake. All are $75,000 events, except for the $50,000 Best of Ohio Sprint. Other than the Ohio Derby, all of the stakes are for Ohio-bred thoroughbreds. 

 Big change for Saturday: For the first time in decades, Saturday live racing will not be held at Northfield Park in May and June. 

 "We'll cut back to a schedule of three nights of live racing each week that includes Monday, Wednesday and Friday in May and June," said Executive Vice President of Racing Dave Bianconi. "It will give us the opportunity to simulcast the popular Triple Crown thoroughbred races, as well as offer day and night simulcast racing on Saturdays."

The track is already promoting Kentucky Derby Day on May 7, when it will simulcast the complete Churchill Downs program for the first time. 

 Northfield Park transmits its live racing around the country. While the harness racing track's simulcast signal is very popular throughout the week, on Saturdays it competes with the largest thoroughbred and harness tracks in the U.S. and Canada. 

 Trotting and pacing: Northfield Park's live racing schedule this month and in April is Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. First race post time is 7 p.m.

Northfield news: The Gulfstream Handicapping Contest is still a Sunday feature at Northfield Park, with horse players competing for a $500 top prize. The top four finishers each Sunday earn a slot in the $5,000 championship in May. Handicappers can sign up between 11 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. on Sunday. Competing in 12 of the 16 contests also earns a berth in the championship round.

Thistle bonus: After having to cancel a couple of recent simulcast programs due to bad weather, Thistledown will try to make up for the inconvenience by selling half-price Daily Racing Programs next Tuesday through Thursday.

Rock N Roll Heaven is tops: For the 11th time, the winner of the Little Brown Jug in Delaware, Ohio was honored as the Horse of the year by the U.S. Harness Writers Association. The 2010 Jug champion, Rock N Roll Heaven was also picked as the Pacer of the Year and the Three-Year-Old Pacer of the year at the annual Dan Patch Awards Banquet on Sunday in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Rock N Roll Heaven was no slouch in winning the 65th Little Brown Jug. With Daniel Dube in the sulky, the son of Rocknroll Hanover paced to a pair of 1:49.2 heat wins on the half-mile track, both world records.

"To me, he's the greatest three-year-old who ever raced," said his trainer, Bruce Saunders. The colt is owned by Frank Bellino of Bronxville, N.Y.

NFL and NFL Players Association are trying to negotiate a new labor agreement. Without one, a lockout could begin at midnight Eastern time as Thursday becomes Friday.

Associated PressNew Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees arriving Wednesday morning for labor talks between the NFL players and owners.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A large group of NFL owners and players' union president Kevin Mawae participated in mediated labor talks for the first time Wednesday, attending a meeting that ended with fewer than 35 hours left until the collective bargaining agreement expires.

The ninth session at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service came on the same day that the league's 32 team owners were gathering at a hotel about 25 miles away in Chantilly, Va. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and all 10 members of the owners' labor committee left the mediation after about four hours of talks.

The NFL contingent got into a fleet of a half-dozen black SUVs and headed to Chantilly to begin filling in other owners on the status of the negotiations. When they arrived, none of the owners spoke to reporters before entering the meeting.

About 20 minutes after the league's group left, the NFL Players Association's negotiators group left on foot, walking in the direction of the union's headquarters, a couple of blocks away. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, a member of the NFLPA executive committee, attended the mediation; like Mawae, Brees hadn't been present at this round of negotiations, which began Feb. 18. But now all members of the union's executive committee have been present at least once.

"We're talking," Mawae said when he left. "It's better than not talking."

The CBA runs out at midnight Eastern time as Thursday becomes Friday, and among the possibilities are that the owners lock out the players or that the union decertifies. Whatever happens this week could cause the country's most popular sport to lose regular-season games to a work stoppage for the first time since 1987. Or, perhaps, everything could be resolved by management and labor in an industry with revenues topping $9 billion annually.

"So far, obviously, we haven't been successful," Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson said on his way into the mediation session shortly before 10 a.m., "but we're optimistic in due time we will."

Added Richardson: "We have a league meeting, and we decided it would be a good idea for our full committee to meet with the mediation process this morning. Our objective, of course, is to negotiate a fair agreement for the players and the teams."

NFL general counsel and lead labor negotiator Jeff Pash reiterated that it is possible that the league and union could agree to extend the deadline for arriving at a new CBA.

"We have to see where we are. We've said that's an option. We're not taking anything off the table," Pash said.

Labor committee members joining Richardson on Wednesday at the talks were Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys, Bob Kraft of the New England Patriots, Art Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers, John Mara of the New York Giants, Mike Brown of Cincinnati Bengals, Clark Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs, Dean Spanos of the San Diego Chargers, Mark Murphy of the Green Bay Packers, and Pat Bowlen of the Denver Broncos.

Until Mara attended Tuesday's talks, no team owners had participated in the mediation sessions.

"We're looking forward to the conversations, and this is in keeping with what we've been telling you -- that we take this process very seriously," Pash said. "We're committed to negotiating an agreement and we're eager to have the discussion start this morning."

Because mediator George Cohen told both sides to stay silent publicly about the current talks, no one has revealed any specifics about what progress might have been made.

The biggest sticking point all along has been how to divide the league's revenues, including what cut team owners should get up front to help cover certain costs, such as stadium construction. Under the old deal, owners got $1 billion off the top. They entered these negotiations seeking to double that.

Among the other significant topics: a rookie wage scale; the owners' push to expand the regular season from 16 games to 18 while reducing the preseason by two games; and benefits for retired players.

While the NFL and union met for six hours Tuesday, that day's most significant development might very well have come in Minneapolis, where a judged sided with the union in a ruling about TV contract money.

U.S. District Court judge David Doty overruled a special master's Feb. 1 decision to reject the NFLPA's request that $4 billion in 2011 payments from networks to the league be placed in escrow if there is a lockout.

"The record shows that the NFL undertook contract renegotiations to advance its own interests and harm the interests of the players," Doty wrote in his ruling.

Doty, who has jurisdiction over NFL labor matters, said there will be a hearing to determine what should happen to that money. The date of the hearing wasn't announced immediately.

The NFL played down the importance of Doty's decision. The union issued a statement calling it "irrefutable evidence that owners had a premeditated plan to lock out players and fans for more than two years."

"Given what happened last night with the Doty deal and the TV contract, it's important that we figure out what the next step is," Mawae said Wednesday. "Hopefully we'll get a little bit closer to where we need to be."

The union accused the NFL of structuring TV contracts agreed to in 2009 and 2010 so owners would be guaranteed money even if there were a work stoppage in 2011 -- while not getting the most revenue possible in other seasons, when income would need to be shared with players. The union argued this violated an agreement between the sides that says the NFL must make good-faith efforts to maximize revenue for players. The NFLPA also said any work stoppage clauses in TV deals guaranteed "war chest" income for the NFL, giving it an unfair advantage in labor talks.

Pash said Wednesday that Doty's ruling "doesn't change the dynamic for us at all. We've been very clear that the television money was a loan. It's not a payment. It's not anything we were counting on. The decision was, frankly, not unexpected. And so it doesn't alter our planning one iota."

Sports Illustrated and CBS finds that 7 percent of players on 2010 preseason Top 25 teams had been charged with or cited for a crime. Pittsburgh has had the most recent problems.

University of Pittsburgh

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's no bulletin that college football has an image problem.

Too many players' names show up not only in the boxscores, but on the police blotters, too.

Sports Illustrated and CBS combined their resources to find out the extent of the criminal component in college football. Specifically, they checked records of players on the top 25 teams in the 2010 pre-season rankings.

Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian write about the number of college football players with criminal records for Sports Illustrated's SI.com. They begin their lengthy report by detailing the recent law problems among players at the University of Pittsburgh.

Benedict and Keteyian write: 

An unprecedented six-month investigation by Sports Illustrated and CBS News found that Pittsburgh had more players in trouble with the law (22) than any other school among SI's 2010 preseason Top 25. The joint investigation involved conducting criminal background checks on every player -- 2,837 in all -- on the preseason rosters of those 25 teams. Players' names, dates of birth and other vital information were checked at 31 courthouses and through 25 law enforcement agencies in 17 states.

Among the findings, write Benedict and Keteyian: 

• Seven percent of the players in the preseason Top 25 -- 204 in all (1 of every 14) -- had been charged with or cited for a crime, including dozens of players with multiple arrests.

• Of the 277 incidents uncovered, nearly 40 percent involved serious offenses, including 56 violent crimes such as assault and battery (25 cases), domestic violence (6), aggravated assault (4), robbery (4) and sex offenses (3). In addition there were 41 charges for property crimes, including burglary and theft and larceny.

Ohio State was found to have seven players with police records, tied for the 11th-most among the 25 teams.

Justin Masterson struggles in two innings of work against Oakland. Indians' spring record is 2-2.

View full sizeMarcio Jose Sanchez / Associated PressJustin Masterson's control was a bit wobbly in the first inning of his start Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics in Phoenix.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Indians got close, but never close enough to catch the Oakland A's on Wednesday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

The A's beat the Tribe, 4-3, in a Cactus League game. They did it with clutch hits and a touch of speed.

Tribe reliever Doug Mathis had two out in the fourth when Jai Miller stole second. It was his third steal of the game. Mark Ellis followed with an RBI single to center for a 3-2 lead.

Kurt Suzuki made it 4-2 with a two-out single off Joe Martinez in the sixth.

The Indians made it a one-run game at 4-3 on Chun Chen's sacrifice fly in the seventh. 

Trailing, 2-0, the Indians tied the score with two runs in the fourth. Matt LaPorta doubled and scored on Travis Buck's bloop single into right field. Buck came around to score on Paul Phillips' single.

The A's took advantage of Justin Masterson's wildness to take a 2-0 lead in the first.

Masterson put the first three A's he faced on base as Eillis singled, Kurt Suzuki walked and David DeJesus was hit by a pitch to start the first inning. Hideki Matsui bounced in a 6-4-3 double play to make it 1-0, then Kevin Kouzmanoff followed with an RBI single against his former club.

In the second, Masterson walked consecutive batters with one out, but he struck out Ellis and retired Susuzki on a grounder to second to escape additional trouble.

The Indians had little success against A's starter Bobby Cramer. Chad Huffman had a two-out double in the second, but the Indians couldn't get him home.

Drew Pomeranz, the Indians No.1 pick in 2010, made his Cactus League debut in the fifth. He struck out DeJesus and Mastsui, walked Kouzmanoff and retired Chris Carter on a fly ball to right.

If the players are locked out or the conflict gets tied up in court, fans could be in for a long ride before the next NFL game is played.

View full sizeAlex Brandon / Associated PressNFL Commissioner Roger Goodell attended negotiations Wednesday morning and more talks were planned Wednesday night, but there was little indication that a scheduled lockout could be avoided beginning at midnight Thursday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's fourth and goal, Browns fans.

Unless the two sides extend the deadline, the NFL's contract with the players' union expires at midnight Thursday, threatening activities leading up to the 2011 season and possibly the season itself.

All that's guaranteed at this point is the NFL Draft on April 28-30. Beyond that, everything else is in flux -- from signing drafted rookies and free agents, to spring workouts where new Browns coach Pat Shurmur and his staff could get a first close look at their players, to training camp that draws thousands of fans to Berea every summer.

Chief among many contested issues: Adjusting the split of $9 billion in annual league revenues, capping rookie contracts, extending the 16-game regular season by two games.

The two sides have been working with a federal mediator for more than a week. But unless they agree to extend the contract and keep talking, there are three likely scenarios once the clock strikes midnight: The NFL locks the players out, the players disband their union to set up a legal fight, or both.

"There's actually a fourth possibility," said Rick Karcher, director of the Center for Law and Sports at Florida Coastal School of Law, "which is that they may actually reach an agreement before the end of the day."

That dose of optimism comes from a decision late Tuesday night by U.S. District Judge David Doty of Minnesota. It weakened the owners' ability to weather a long lockout. Doty ruled the NFL violated the collective bargaining agreement with a provision in its television contracts. The owners had negotiated themselves access to a contingency pot of about $4 billion, even if some games are cancelled or the season is wiped out entirely.

Conversely, in a lockout, the players wouldn't get paid or receive health care and other benefits. The union began warning its members to save money months ago.

Sports law and business sources called Doty's decision possibly game-changing. "Huge," long-time NFL agent Leigh Steinberg said Wednesday. "That was a cushion for the owners."

It's a a blow, but no guarantee the two sides will embrace in time.

While the NFL threatens a lockout, the players threaten to dissolve their union. As weird as that sounds in a labor negotiation, doing so could allow them to file an antitrust lawsuit that challenges the entire NFL structure, including rules that limit their ability to earn: a salary cap, free agency, the draft, franchise tags.

"Unlike any other industry," Karcher said, "the employers here actually benefit from a certified union. It acts as the glue that allows them the restraints."

What does the NFL spat mean for Browns fans? Chronologically, the draft is the next big public event. Team spokesman Neal Gulkis said the team is still planning a draft party, probably at Browns Stadium, although details aren't firm yet.

And after the draft? Extreme patience. If the players are locked out or the conflict gets tied up in court, fans could be in for a long ride. Other than the pounding of endless news coverage, fans shouldn't be affected, at least not until training camp in July.

A lockout means just that. Players can't work out at the team's Berea headquarters. They can't practice there, learn Shurmer's new playbook, watch film. Around the NFL, team employees other than head coaches, whose contracts are guaranteed, could face layoffs, said Gabe Feldman, a sports law professor at Tulane University.

If the battle spills into the summer, the 10,000 or so fans who make the trek to training camp in Berea each year would have to find their football fix elsewhere. (The Baldwin-Wallace Yellow Jackets play just down the road, by the way.)

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 7 in Canton, traditionally the NFL's first preseason game, would be in jeopardy, although the induction ceremony the day before would go on as planned, according to Hall of Fame spokesman Joe Horrigan.

Should the labor fight bleed into the regular season, which opens Sept. 8, the NFL has already promised fans who buy or have bought tickets that they won't be stuck. Full refunds for general admission tickets will be offered for any games wiped out by a lockout, the preseason included.

Browns' single-game tickets usually go on sale in July, so that's not an issue yet. But season and partial-season ticket-holders would have the option of a refund or have their money credited toward future games. Gulkis said suite-holders would be refunded for games missed as well.

The NFL last saw games canceled in 1987, when a 24-day player strike wiped out a week. Owners fielded replacement players for the next three weeks, until NFL players began crossing the picket line and the union caved. The current labor fight comes as the NFL has never been more popular -- or lucrative, with record TV ratings and billion-dollar rights deals, rising franchise values and higher player salaries.

The biggest sticking point among many: The owners take $1 billion of the $9 billion in annual revenue off the top for expenses. The rest is split, with the players getting about 60 percent.

The owners contend player salaries -- especially for top rookies -- are squeezing profits and want a bigger slice of the pie. Whether the two sides can find common ground will come down to the threat of losing what they've built.

"The story ends with games being played on opening night," Feldman predicted. "There is too much at stake for both sides right now to risk alienating fans, alienating sponsors and losing potential revenue. The NFL's a cash cow right now."

On Tuesday, GM Chris Antonetti said he did not expect Grady Sizemore to be ready for opening day. On Wednesday, Sizemore and trainer Lonnie Soloff agreed.

Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerOutfielder Grady Sizemore is tentatively scheduled to play in exhibition games in the third week of March.

PHOENIX -- The numbers are against Grady Sizemore being ready for Opening Day. It's a matter of days, games and at-bats.

Sizemore isn't ready to concede, but he knows better than anyone how his left knee is feeling nine months after having microfracture surgery.

"I'm not scheduled to start playing games until the third week of March," said Sizemore on Wednesday morning. "And that will be after not playing for nine months."

Indians head trainer Lonnie Soloff says it comes down to at-bats. "A lot of these guys, in spring training, get between 60 and 75 at-bats," he said. "If he starts game activities in the third week of March, it may be unlikely that he'd reach that number of at-bats.

"We may be selling the process short and Grady short if our focus was just opening day and not just progressing through the process at a reasonable clip."

Sizemore, under Soloff's supervision, will start position specific agility drills -- cutting, stopping, starting, etc. -- this week. They will simulate what Sizemore would do in center field. Until now, he has run only in a straight line with no cutting.

The intensity of the drills will increase next week. Baserunning would follow. If all goes well, Sizemore could start playing exhibition games -- either with minor leaguers or in Cactus League games -- sometime during the third week of March.

Soloff gave updates on other injured Indians:

• Shin-Soo Choo (hyper-extended left elbow): He'll start in right field against Rockies on Friday.

• Trevor Crowe: Will continue to strengthen his right rotator cuff for the next seven to 10 days.

• Right-hander Anthony Reyes (right elbow): Should start throwing bullpen sessions next week.

• Nick Weglarz (back spasms): Has been cleared for action. Could play Thursday against Texas.

Space needed: The Indians were scheduled to announce Wednesday who would be dropped from the 40-man roster to create a space for Chad Durbin, the news eventually came after their 4-3 loss to the A's, when Aaron Laffey was dealt to Seattle for minor-league infielder Matt Lawson.

It's believed the Indians are continuing to negotiate with free agent Nick Johnson. Any announcement on a deal is still several days away. Johnson is still recovering from two surgeries on his right wrist and probably wouldn't be ready until May or June. He could serve as insurance at first base and DH.

Old friends: Joel Skinner, former Indians catcher, manager and coach, is Oakland's new bench coach for manager Bob Geren. After spotting two reporters from Cleveland before Wednesday's game, Skinner took off his A's cap and said, "I'm letting my hair grow out. This is my West Coast look."

Skinner, who doesn't have a lot of hair left to begin with, wore it cut short with the Indians.

On Tuesday, former Indian Casey Blake visited Goodyear Ballpark with the Dodgers. He talked with former teammate and verbal sparring partner Travis Hafner and was surprised to see Hafner with a full head of hair.

"I always thought Pronk was bald," said Blake. "Well, he's married now and he probably doesn't want to scare his kid."

DUI Central: A day after it was learned that Indians outfielder Austin Kearns was arrested for DUI on Feb. 12, Oakland outfielder Coco Crisp was arrested for suspicion of DUI Wednesday morning in Scottsdale, Ariz. Crisp, who made his big-league debut with the Indians, was released Wednesday morning.

He did not play against the Indians, but is scheduled to play Thursday for the A's against Milwaukee.

Thursday's schedule: The Indians will play Texas in Surprise, Ariz., on Thursday. Mitch Talbot will face Texas left-hander Derek Holland. WTAM will carry the game at 8 p.m. ET on a delayed basis.

The remaining weeks of the Cavaliers season will be like spring football -- a chance to see how, or if, these pieces fit.

View full sizeRon Schwane / Associated PressAlonzo Gee started the 2010-11 season with San Antonio, and was in the starting lineup against the Spurs.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In some ways, the six remaining weeks of the Cavaliers season will be like spring football -- a chance to see how, or if, these pieces fit.

The loss of Antawn Jamison with a broken left little finger forced coach Byron Scott to name his 21st starting lineup in 60 games this season. Rookie Samardo Samuels stepped in for Jamison on Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs, and Scott also started Alonzo Gee for Christian Eyenga.

Rookie Luke Harangody, obtained with Semih Erden from Boston last week for a second-round draft choice, also made his debut last night. Erden (shoulder) and Baron Davis (left knee) have yet to play since joining the team, although Scott said Davis was not being held out because of his knee but rather until he got another practice under his belt.

In the meantime, Scott will get a good, long look at his young crew so the Cavs can decide who fits in.

"I don't know if it's best-case scenario, but it gives me a great idea," Scott said Wednesday. "It gives me a real good idea what we need to work on with these guys or what we need to get just in case guys don't work out.

"I think we have a pretty good idea about Samardo and what he can do, obviously with Luke and Semih we're real high on both those guys. It gives us seven weeks to really get a good gauge of what they can do and what they can bring to the table."

Asked if he wanted Samuels, an undrafted rookie, back next season, Scott said, "I think it all depends on this summer. I'm not going to sit here and say, 'yeah we want him back.' It all depends on the summer. We've got four draft picks and free agency.

"Do I like where he is right now? Do I like his progression from the beginning of the season till now? Yes, great strides. There's no doubt about it that he's an NBA player."

Scott also has been pleased with the development of Gee, the D-League rookie of the year last season who started this season with the Spurs before signing with the Cavs as a free agent in December.

"He's not as nervous or thinking as much offensively," Scott said. "He's just kind of going with the flow of the game. When he has his opportunities to take it to the basket or take a jump shot he has done that, so I think he's been pretty patient offensively, but aggressive as well. That's something I want him to continue to do."

Gee, schooled in the Spurs' defensive system, has overtaken Eyenga on that end of the floor.

"Christian has fallen behind a little bit on some of the things we talk about defensively," the coach said. "Zo, in practice, has done a much better job on that end of the floor. He's been a lot more active, rebounding the ball as well as defending.

"Christian has done a good job as far as individual defense. But when the ball is not in his man's hands, he falls asleep a lot on the weak side. That's something we can't have. I addressed that with him this morning. That's when your work really starts, when your man doesn't have the ball."

Thumbs down: Scott said he didn't see the Spurs loss at Memphis on Tuesday.

"I was at the movies," he said. "I should've stayed home. The movie was terrible -- Driving Angry in 3D, Nicolas Cage's new movie. I like him, that's why I went. I'm a big Nicolas Cage man, but I should've stayed home. Thumbs down on that movie."

Aaron Laffey, pitcher without a role, traded to Seattle.

View full sizeMark Duncan / Associated PressAaron Laffey will be reunited with former Indians manager Eric Wedge following Wednesday's trade to the Seattle Mariners.

PHOENIX -- Aaron Laffey was a pitcher without a job on the Indians this spring.

He was competing for a fifth spot in the rotation, but the chances of him winning it were slim. He was also in the running for a bullpen spot, but his chances of earning that weren't good as well.

Laffey's status is no longer a problem because the Indians have traded him to Seattle for minor-league infielder Matt Lawson. Laffey will be reunited with his former manager Eric Wedge and pitching coach Carl Willis.

The Indians traded Laffey right after today's 4-3 loss to Oakland. It cleared a spot on the 40-man roster so reliever Chad Durbin could be added.

The 40-man roster is now full.

Laffey spent parts of four seasons with the Indians. His career record is 18-21 in 79 appearances, including 49 starts. He was 2-3 last year with a 4.53 ERA and spent time on the disabled list with a tired left shoulder.

Lawson, 25, will report to minor-league camp. He hit a combined .293 (134-for-458) with 75 runs, 26 doubles, nine homers and a .811 OPS at Class AA Frisco and Class AA West Tennessee last year. He played 118 games, most of them at second base. He also played short and in the outfield.

The Mariners acquired Lawson from Texas in last year's Cliff Lee trade. He was one of four players the Mariners acquired in the deal.

Before the trade, Lawson hit .277 (81-for-292) with 48 runs, 16 doubles, seven homers, 34 RBI and a .809 OPS at Class AA Frisco with Texas. After the deal, he hit .319 (53-for-166) with 27 runs, 10 doubles, two homers, 22 RBI and a .816 OPS at Class AA West Tennessee.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Fred Heinlen was known by his peers as a coach with dignity and class. He coached for more than 40 years, most of them at Shaker Heights, winning two state baseball championships. Heinlen, 95, died Tuesday at home in Shaker.

“I did things my way and I have no regrets,” said Fred Heinlen, who passed away on Tuesday. - (Plain Dealer photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Fred Heinlen was known by his peers as a coach with dignity and class. He coached for more than 40 years, most of them at Shaker Heights, winning two state baseball championships.

Heinlen, 95, died Tuesday at home in Shaker.

"Fred was a giant on the scholastic scene," said Indians spokesman Bob DiBiasio, who deployed Heinlen to youth clinics around town. "He truly embraced the beauty of baseball."

When Heinlen was 15, he knew he would eventually become a coach.

"I was lucky enough to self-evaluate myself at a young age," Heinlen said in a 1979 Plain Dealer interview. "I realized I didn't have the ability to be the major league baseball player I had dreamed of becoming so I decided to emulate the excellent coaches I had at Shaw."

Heinlen, after starring in football, basketball and baseball at Shaw, enrolled in Springfield (Mass.) College. Springfield was well known for its physical education program and also was where James Naismith invented the game of basketball.

Heinlen graduated from Springfield in 1938 and began coaching at a private school in New York City. During his two years there, he also studied at Columbia, earning a master's degree.

He coached for two more years at Chittenango, N.Y., before entering the Army Air Corps as a lieutenant during World War II. While in the military he served as a physical education director at navigation school in Monroe, La.

He was discharged as a captain, moved to Shaker Heights and joined the Raiders' coaching staff in 1946 as basketball and baseball coach, positions he held for more than three decades.

For many years, Heinlen also served as Shaker's athletic director and assistant football coach. He retired from the AD post in 1970. He also taught biology and physical education.

Shaker won the Lake Erie League basketball title during the 1978-79 season. The following year, he retired as a teacher and coach.

Some of his players remembered their coach long after their high school years. A year after his graduation, standout guard "Junnie" Poindexter began a tradition that lasted 25-plus years.

Poindexter made a point to visit Heinlen and his wife, Lois, on Christmas Eve.

"Mr. Heinlen is good people," Poindexter said in a 2002 interview. "We had our scrapes, but he was always fair. He was always in my corner."

After retiring from Shaker, Heinlen continued as an assistant basketball coach on a part-time basis at University School. Later, he was named freshman baseball coach and assistant freshman football coach before retiring for good in 1990.

Baseball was considered Heinlen's coaching forte.

His baseball teams at Shaker Heights won numerous Lake Erie League titles, as well as the Class AA state championship in 1965 and Class AAA title in 1976. He was elected to the Ohio Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1976.

"Fred was a good coach and a stickler for fundamentals," said Bud Longo, a catcher on Heinlen's teams in the mid-1970s and laterShaker Heights' baseball coach.

"It seemed we were always making the right plays because we were in the right place, at the right time. And that was because of Fred."

Before the Ohio High School Athletic Association adopted no-coaching periods during the calendar year, Heinlen took advantage. His Red Raiders would practice four times a week during the summer, plus play 30 games.

"The first three days of practice, we'd work on fundamentals: hitting the cutoff man, defending bunts and squeeze plays, and turning double plays," Longo said. "The final practice of the week would be dedicated to hitting.

"There was nothing fancy about Fred, just the basic fundamentals. And because of that, he had many successful seasons."

His friends showed their appreciation in 1992 by dedicating the high school baseball field's new scoreboard to Heinlen.

Early in his high school coaching career, Heinlen spent his summer vacations as a YMCA camp director. Later he managed and coached local summer baseball programs, often on his own time and at his own expense. He also led youth clinics for the Indians at various sites.

Heinlen, usually intense and energetic, was a physical fitness advocate who often jogged 4-5 miles a day. Even in his 80s, Heinlen faithfully would walk "40 to 50 minutes a day," and his regimen helped him to efficiently officiate high school and college basketball and football games for 30 years, before retiring from that in 1994.

In 2003, he was inducted into the Ohio High School Athletic Association Officials Hall of Fame. Three years later, the Shaker Schools Foundation created a Fred Heinlen award for athletes with his values: respect, hard work, leadership and integrity.

For several years in the 1980s, Heinlen wrote a column about youth and sports in The Plain Dealer. He also wrote a book, "The Veteran Mentor's Guide to Baseball Coaching." For a while, he ranthe 30-second clock at Browns' home games.

Heinlen was confined to a wheelchair in the waning years of life, due to a mild stroke that affected the left side of his body.

"I still do leg exercises and some of my weightlifting exercises from my wheelchair," Heinlen proudly said after his 90th birthday in 2005.

However, his recent setback kept him from his favorite pastime -- writing a letter a day.

"I can't type anymore," said Heinlen, who, in his 80s, continued to help at area baseball clinics. "But I wouldn't change a thing.

"I did things my way and I have no regrets."

Plain Dealer reporter Grant Segall contributed to this story.

Frederick George Heinlen

1915-2011

Survivors: wife, the former Lois Dutton; children, F. Douglas Heinlen of Sarasota, Fla., Rodd R. of Isle of Palms, S.C., and Jan H. Clifford of Shaker Heights; and six grandchildren.

Funeral: 4 p.m. March 8 at Plymouth Church, 2860 Coventry Road, Shaker Heights.

Contributions: Fred Heinlen Fund, Shaker Schools Foundation, 15600 Parkland Dr., Shaker Heights, OH 44120 or Hospice of the Western Reserve, 300 E. 185th St., 44119.

Arrangements: Brown-Forward.

In-game updates from The Q as the Cavaliers and Spurs meet.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerRamon Sessions can't avoid the long arms of San Antonio's Tim Duncan during a second-quarter shot attempt Wednesday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Notes and observations from the Cavs game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night at The Q:

Third quarter update: Spurs 89, Cavs 72. Spurs are just toying with Cleveland now. They scored 32 points in the third quarter.

Byron Scott doesn't have many options, certainly not enough against the team with the best record in the league.

Halftime update: Spurs 57, Cavs 52. It's actually amazing it's this close, given that the Spurs are shooting 53.3 percent (24 of 45) and have a whopping 28-17 edge on the boards.

George Hill, starting for the injured Tony Parker, has 17 points, five rebounds and three assists. He had 11 points in the second quarter as the Spurs pulled away. Samardo Samuels and Ramon Sessions each have 10 points. J. J. Hickson has eight points but no rebounds. Sound familiar?

First quarter update: Cavs 25, Spurs 24. A driving layup by Ramon Sessions at the close of the first quarter gave the Cavs a one-point lead after a surprisingly close 12 minutes. The score was tied seven times, which was unexpected given a) the Cavs started Alonzo Gee and Samardo Samuels and b) the Spurs lost at Memphis on Tuesday. But Gee had nine points and Samuels eight. Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 10 points.

Cavs starters: F Alonzo Gee, F Samardo Samuels, C J.J. Hickson, G Anthony Parker, G Ramon Sessions.

Spurs starters: F Tim Duncan, F Richard Jefferson, C DeJuan Blair, G Manu Ginobili , G George Hill.

Injuries: Semih Erden (shoulder), Antawn Jamison (fractured left little finger), Anderson Varejao (torn tendon, right foot) are out for Cavs. Tony Parker (strained left calf) is out for Spurs.

Inactives: Erden, Jamison, Varejao for Cavs. Parker for Spurs.

Officials: Ed Malloy, Tony Brothers and Haywoode Workman.

Three things to watch

1. The beginning could get ugly in a hurry. The Cavs have two new starters. The Spurs, who still have the best record in the league, are coming off a loss at Memphis on Tuesday night so they're likely eager to get out to a quick start.

2. The Cavs want to get up and down the floor against the older Spurs, whose halfcourt defense is superb.

3. How many offensive rebounds with the Cavs give up to Duncan, et al?

In sustaining their success as a small-market team, the San Antonio Spurs insist that their players "get over themselves."

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerTim Duncan delivered some veteran NBA defense as he slapped away the ball from Cavaliers rookie Samardo Samuels in the first half of Wednesday night's game at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- How do the San Antonio Spurs do it? How do they keep them down on the Riverwalk when they've seen Paree?

At least Tony Parker -- the Frenchman who is the Spurs' injured point guard, who served as a Cavalier killer in the 2007 NBA Finals, and who is now also known as Eva Longoria's ex-husband -- grew up in Paris. When many of the NBA superstars were taking their talents here and there to form AAU teams at NBA pay, Amar'e Stoudemire mentioned the possibility that Parker and Carmelo Anthony would join forces some day in New York. Stoudemire went to Broadway. So did Anthony.

Parker stayed in south Texas. He knew he could win there.

The meeting that charted the competitive course of the new century in the NBA took place in 2000. Tim Duncan visited Orlando as a free agent after that season. Grant Hill was still a great player there. Orlando coach Doc Rivers was coming off a Coach of the Year citation. Tracy McGrady was on the way to the Magic, and that was so long ago, McGrady was still considered a major asset.

Duncan, with one ring from a lockout-shortened season already on his hand, sat down with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and General Manager R.C. Buford, wanting to know how they intended to win more.

A Wake Forest graduate before he ever set foot on an NBA court, Duncan was clearly older and more humble than LeBron James, the Cavs' No. 1 pick in 2003. James defined the franchise's course for seven years, then probably set it back for five by the snotty manner in which he left.

Duncan left his meeting satisfied. Sensibly, San Antonio officials did not use the meeting to show him a cartoon based on "Family Guy," the bizarre strategy that the San Antonio wanna-be's, the Cavaliers, used with James. San Antonio has won three more championships since then and has the best record in the league now.

"[Maturity] helps [in draftees]," said Popovich on Wednesday. "But it comes down to talent and character. All things being equal, you would take the four-year guy. But that choice doesn't present itself very often."

The Cavs model their franchise on San Antonio, but they have yet to find the key to sustainable success in a small market. Few have. Utah was a product of John Stockton, Karl Malone and coach Jerry Sloan. The latter was chased into retirement by the newly defected Deron Williams. Oklahoma City is OK until Kevin Durant decides he's outgrown it. Same with Orlando and Dwight Howard. Neither was ever the Spurs' rival for prolonged success.

Duncan was not the lone ranger, talent-wise, after he re-upped. He and David Robinson, who preceded him, were obvious overall No. 1 choices, but Tony Parker (28th pick), Manu Ginobili (57th pick with the Spurs waiting for him to leaves the pampas of Argentina for three years) DeJuan Blair (37th) and George Hill (26th and a big force Wednesday) were brilliant selections.

It says a lot that the Spurs' James Anderson, their first-round pick in the last draft, was, at No. 20, their highest since Duncan in 1997.

"We try to find guys who will fill a role and who have gotten over themselves," said Popovich, using a pet phrase that means divas need not apply. Nor should Spurs players worry about their touches, or their endorsement possibilities or whether their Nike puppet is sufficiently life-like.

Both times the Spurs had the No. 1 overall pick, a dominating player was available. Robinson, the top pick in 1989, was from a military background, graduating from the Naval Academy. He lobbied Duncan to stay during the Orlando flirtation, afraid he would be perceived as the bad guy in the plot if he did not. As for Duncan, he will not be co-hosting the ESPYs anytime soon.

Asked if he were troubled by the trend toward stacked "super teams," Popovich said, "It's not something anybody can control now."

Should the NBA institute a franchise player rule, similar to that of the NFL?

"I'm not smart enough to figure that out," said Popovich.

He's smart enough to be the Bill Belichick of the NBA, however. He established the paradigm for the fly-over cities in the league, and then stuck to his principles. His Spurs got over their stunning loss in Memphis Tuesday night with a victory over the Cavs.

They had gotten over themselves long ago.

Follow Bill Livingston on Facebook and on Twitter @LivyPD

Starting Thursday in Columbus, DiJulius is expected to leave a lasting impression on the state wrestling tournament.

View full sizeLynn Ischay / The Plain Dealer"Losing makes you more hungry," says Walsh Jesuit's Johnni DiJulius, who looks for his third state wrestling title this weekend. "If you become satisfied, that's a problem. I don't regret not being a state champ as a freshman. ... losing opens my eyes more."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Meeting Walsh Jesuit senior Johnni DiJulius feels like knowing Johnni DiJulius. Knowing him feels like you will not forget him.

"You can't talk to anybody that hasn't been impacted by him that knows him," said longtime family friend Dan Hanson. "He's a special young man."

There are the little wrestlers he invites into his basement wrestling room to tutor. There's the random lady stuck in a snowdrift at night he stops to help, then drives to work, and offers to pick up in the morning. There's the Ohio State coach who can't stop talking about his smile. There's the friends who call him at 3 a.m. needing someone sober to drive them home.

To say nothing of his wrestling opponents, on whom he leaves a different kind of impression.

All, as Hanson said, impacted by an 18-year-old whose approach to life on and off the mat is relentless, even in the shadow of death.

Starting Thursday in Columbus, DiJulius is expected to leave a lasting impression on the state wrestling tournament.

The 130-pounder is favored to win his third Division II state championship, and would become the fourth Walsh wrestler to do so. An Ohio State recruit, he already is the career wins leader (173) at Walsh, one of the state's most storied wrestling programs.

Unique blend

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerWalsh Jesuit senior Johnni DiJulius, left, enters the state tournament Thursday with 173 career wins, including the pin, shown above, of London's Arron Thompson in the first round of last year's state tournament.

There's obsessive. There's quirky. And there's DiJulius. When it comes to wrestling, he is a unique blend. DiJulius has wrestled in three state finals, won two and lost one. He said he has watched the match he lost "400 times," most often in his bedroom, alone, over and over.

Perhaps that's hyperbole, but when asked how many times he has watched the other two state finals, his answer is more revealing.

"Never," he said.

Has DiJulius spent his high school career obsessing over the lone moment that went terribly wrong, filled with regret and stuck in time? Hardly.

"I don't dwell on it," he said. "I can't change it. I don't go and say, 'I wish I could go back to then.' I try to figure out what I was doing wrong. It's more like a science."

DiJulius lost the 103-pound final to Aurora's Ty Mitch, 4-2, in overtime. The match was full of twists and turns, beginning with the fact the two were close friends and youth teammates for six years, traveling all over the country together. There was controversy. DiJulius had a takedown taken away as time ran out.

Had he won the match, DiJulius would be on the precipice of becoming Walsh Jesuit's first four-time state champion. John DiJulius, Johnni's father, said he firmly believes Johnni would not be the wrestler he is today had he beat Mitch in 2008.

"I agree with that," Johnni said. "Losing makes you more hungry. If you become satisfied, that's a problem. I don't regret not being a state champ as a freshman. There are things I wish I could have done better, but losing opens my eyes more."

DiJulius' singular focus while wrestling manifests itself in his many quirks. Among them, he insists on being first in the circle and toeing the line as soon as possible after the previous match has ended, marking his territory, so to speak. He hunches over and twirls his fingers, another sign he's ready.

It led to a bizarre moment at the state tournament last year. When DiJulius toed the line, the tournament went on a 30-minute break for an awards ceremony. He never moved. His opponent, Drew Stone of Oak Harbor, knew about DiJulius' habit because he lost to him in the 2009 final. Stone also went out and faced off with DiJulius while the ceremonies took place, but gave up after a few minutes and went back to his corner.

His mother's zest

View full sizePD file photoStacy DiJulius died in 2009 but her 'easy-to-like' personality and zest lives on in her son, Johnni.

Those close to him say DiJulius' determination comes from his parents, John and the late Stacy DiJulius, founders of the John Roberts Spa chain.

"They are driven to be the best. You don't want to underestimate that example that Johnni saw in them," said Hanson, who grew up with Stacy in Richmond Heights. "Those are two people that were driven and methodical about how they wanted their business to do.

"The smile on his face, especially, and the ability to talk to anyone and at any time, and take a moment to listen to you, that reminds me of Stacy."

Johnni gets that a lot.

"My mom was a real extrovert. She was real friendly, outgoing and easy to like," he said.

A few weeks after the 2009 win over Stone, DiJulius' mother, Stacy, died when she fell out of a moving car in a parking lot. The incident received a lot of publicity because moments after the accident, the driver of the vehicle shot himself and died.

Johnni and his mother were close.

"They had a great relationship," his father said. "He has her personality and zest for life."

Johnni DiJulius said you can never really recover from something that tragic. He was asked if wrestling became a refuge.

"I try to keep parts of my life separated," he said. "Family here and school here and wrestling over there. I don't think it has an impact on the way I wrestle."

Said Hanson, "Johnni has handled Stacy's death with incredible maturity."

DiJulius treasures memories of his mother, and his favorite keepsake is a necklace with her thumbprint and the word "Mom" etched on the back.

Game Day

DiJulius is headed to Ohio State in the fall, part of a highly rated recruiting class that includes Monroeville seniors Hunter Stieber and Cam Tessari, who both are going for their fourth state titles this weekend.

"Johnni is the complete wrestler," OSU coach Tom Ryan said. "He's good on his feet, he takes you from the feet to the back. He's a great rider and outstanding on the bottom. His mentality is priceless. He has a very strong self-esteem and internal confidence."

DiJulius' mat intensity and mat acumen remind some of four-time state champs Hanson and J Jaggers, who is an OSU assistant coach. Hanson has been tutoring DiJulius for years and calls him "Game Day."

"Johnni has the ability to process technique and learn instantly, even during a match," Hanson said. "He finds ways to beat you. He craves knowledge. It follows suit that he would watch that tape [of the loss to Mitch]."

Walsh coach Bill Barger said rather than describe DiJulius and his toughness, it's better to warn opponents. "You don't want to be on the other side of him on the mat," Barger said. "He's one bad wrestler."

With a great smile.

"The consummate smiler," Ryan said. "He just kind of lights up a room. When I think of Johnni, that's really how I think of him."

Someone you know, and won't forget.