By  Steven Wine Associated Press Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. -- After making consecutive birdies, Honda Classic leader Rory Sabbatini stood in the rough along the sixth fairway, complaining to a PGA Tour official about a delay in play and wondering what had become of the group just ahead of him.  The strange interruption could have halted Sabbatini's momentum. Instead,...

By  Steven Wine
Associated Press

Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. -- After making consecutive birdies, Honda Classic leader Rory Sabbatini stood in the rough along the sixth fairway, complaining to a PGA Tour official about a delay in play and wondering what had become of the group just ahead of him. 

The strange interruption could have halted Sabbatini's momentum. Instead, after a long wait he hit an iron 200 yards to 10 feet of the pin, one of his better shots among the 66 Saturday that gave him a cushy lead. 

Sabbatini will enter the final round at 9-under 201, five shots ahead of Jerry Kelly and 2009 winner Y.E. Yang. 

The wait at No. 6 occurred when Kelly, playing two groups ahead of Sabbatini, lodged a shot in a palm tree. A newspaper photographer's zoom lens was used to identify the ball as Kelly's, allowing him to avoid being penalized for a lost ball. 

The inspection took time, so the twosome behind Kelly played through. Meanwhile, Sabbatini and playing partner Kyle Stanley waited and wondered how they had caught up with Kelly. 

"It was a little bit of dazed and confused," Sabbatini said. "We're like, 'OK, where did he come from?' And we're trying to figure out what's going on." 

A South African who lives in Fort Worth, Texas, Sabbatini's known for his feisty manner and candor on any topic -- even Tiger Woods. But nothing has riled him up this week, and he tried to look at the delay as something positive. 

"Actually, I think maybe that might have helped me slow down a little out there," he said. "It allowed me to back off a little bit and kind of refocus again. So I think that was a good thing." 

Yang birdied the last two holes for a 3-under 67 and moved into a tie for second with Kelly, who shot a roller-coaster 68. Gary Woodland also had a 68 and was fourth, six shots behind. Second-round leader Stanley had a 74 to drop seven strokes back. 

Sabbatini, who changed putters this week, made birdie putts of 2, 40, 12, 18 and 18 feet. 

"I've been putting well all year; I just didn't feel like I was making anything," he said. "Sometimes just changing the look of things, changing the feel of things, can kind of just spur something." 

With his new mallet-style putter, Sabbatini had the lowest round for the second day in a row after tying the tournament course record with a 64 Friday. 

Sabbatini has won five PGA Tour titles, most recently at the 2009 Byron Nelson Championship. But he's perhaps best known for once calling Woods "more beatable than ever," long before the sex scandal that sent Woods' career off track. 

Sabbatini said he dislikes being cast as a villain, which may be why he switched from Friday's wide-brimmed black hat to a white one. He said he hadn't decided what color to wear Sunday, but regardless, he'll be wearing a target as the leader. 

Given the tough course and conditions at PGA National, Kelly doesn't consider his five-shot deficit insurmountable. 

"It's catchable in three holes," he said. "You never know what three holes they may be. You've just got to play solid, get some birdies, and you never know." 

Sabbatini's take on being the front-runner: "You'd better be able to run faster if you're being chased." 

Windy conditions have made pars precious all week, and weather will likely be a factor again Sunday. With thunderstorms in the forecast for the afternoon, tee times for the final round were moved up. 

Sabbatini, Kelly and Yang will tee off last. Kelly, a Wisconsin native and a former hockey player who can get feisty himself, played with Sabbatini just last week at the Mayakoba Golf Classic. 

"We always have a good time together," Kelly said. "Him talking it up doesn't bother me, because I tend to do the same thing." 

Lee Westwood, who fell to No. 2 in the rankings this week behind Martin Kaymer, was tied for 30th at 4 over after a 75. Westwood must finish alone in third place or better to regain the top ranking next week. 

First-round leader Spencer Levin was tied for 16th at 2 over after a 73.  

Mark Long Associated Press Jacksonville, Fla. -- Jonathan Horton and Jordyn Wieber gave the United States a sweep at the American Cup on Saturday.  Horton finished in the top three in five of six events en route to his third American Cup. The silver medalist at the Beijing Olympics moved from second to first place with a solid performance...

Mark Long
Associated Press

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Jonathan Horton and Jordyn Wieber gave the United States a sweep at the American Cup on Saturday. 

Horton finished in the top three in five of six events en route to his third American Cup. The silver medalist at the Beijing Olympics moved from second to first place with a solid performance on the parallel bars, then held on with a mostly error-free routine on the high bar. 

"Major confidence boost," said Horton, who also won this event in 2006 and 2007. 

Wieber topped the women's field in three of four event, and claimed her second American Cup. Not bad considering she got in the field as an alternate when Britain's Nicole Hibbert withdrew because of an injury. 

Wieber overcame a small deficit in the final women's event, the floor exercise, despite stepping out of bounds on her opening pass. 

"I was really just trying to do the best routine I could," said Wieber, the 2009 champion. "Even though I went out of bounds once, I still feel like I gave it my all. I just wanted to get every tenth out of that routine." 

She did. The 2008 U.S. junior champion was flawless the rest of the way, good enough to make up ground on world champion Aliya Mustafina of Russia. 

Mustafina touched the floor at the end of one tumbling pass and finished second. Alexandra Raisman of the United States was third. 

Ukraine's Mykola Kuksenkov was second on the men's side, followed by American Jake Dalton. 

Philipp Boy of Germany and Daniel Purvis of Britain had disappointing meets. 

Boy dropped off the pommel horse early in the competition and later fell twice on the high bar -- two of his best events. The world silver medalist finished sixth, but still has time to get things worked out before the European championships next month. 

Purvis, who finished fifth in all-around at worlds last year and won the bronze medal on floor, dropped off the pommel horse and fell while landing on vault. Purvis was the only man to not score at least a 14.8 and finished last in the field of eight. 

Horton fared considerably better. 

Maybe even better than he anticipated. He broke his left thumb in January while training on parallel bars and was limited to conditioning work for almost two months. He initially feared he might have to drop out of Saturday's meet, but recovered faster than expected. 

His conditioning lagged, though. That's why he called his pommel routine "sloppy" and admittedly "ran out of gas" on the high bar. 

"I was really happy with myself because I got through what I was doing," Horton said. "I never gave up and pushed through. I still have a lot of work to do." 

The American Cup was the first of four all-around events in the World Cup series. Two-time world champion Kohei Uchimura had to withdraw because of a shoulder injury that bothered him at worlds, but the men's field was still considered the best since the world championships in October. 

Still, Horton came out on top. 

"Everybody knows I'm a perfectionist and today I kind of considered it a rough day for me," he said. "I can do a lot better." 

Santiago, Chile -- The United States is one victory from a showdown with Spain in the Davis Cup quarterfinals.  Twins Bob and Mike Bryan put the Americans ahead of Chile 2-1 in the first round Saturday by beating the doubles team of Jorge Aguilar and Nicolas Massu 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (4).  Andy Roddick, playing Davis Cup for the first...

Santiago, Chile -- The United States is one victory from a showdown with Spain in the Davis Cup quarterfinals. 

Twins Bob and Mike Bryan put the Americans ahead of Chile 2-1 in the first round Saturday by beating the doubles team of Jorge Aguilar and Nicolas Massu 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (4). 

Andy Roddick, playing Davis Cup for the first time since 2009, will be in position to clinch the best-of-five series when he faces Paul Capdeville in the first match Sunday. 

Jim Courier, debuting this weekend as U.S. Davis Cup captain, is not thinking about a July date with Spain, which eliminated Belgium 3-0. Courier played on winning Davis Cup teams in 1992 and 1995 and wants to get the job done first in Santiago. 

"We're two-thirds of the way there, but nothing is taken for granted," he said. "We have to come ready to win the last point. That has to be our approach as boring and simple as it is." 

Roddick, who led the U.S. to the 2007 Davis Cup title, is 11-0 when in position to clinch a Davis Cup. In the second singles, the Americans send John Isner against Massu. 

"We hope that I can play the final point," Massu said.  </p>

In the opening match Friday, Roddick beat Massu 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, and Isner squandered a two-sets lead in losing to Capdeville 6-7, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4. 

Elsewhere in the first round of the World Group, Argentina (over Romania) and Sweden (over Russia) also advanced to the quarters on 3-0 victories. Ahead 2-1 were France (over Austria), Germany (over Croatia), Serbia (over India) and the Czech Republic (over Kazakhstan). 

The Bryans, the No. 1 doubles team, are 17-2 when playing Davis Cup doubles together and 10-0 when playing Davis Cup doubles away from home. 

"These guys come ready to play every day," Courier said. "You never have to doubt what you're going to get. They're the toughest out there when it comes to doubles by a long shot." 

The Bryans breezed through the first two sets but were broken in the fifth game of the third set on a third break point. The American brothers broke back in the 10th game and won the match on the second match point of the tiebreaker when Massu netted a forehand. 

"It was a sticky situation," Bob Bryan said. "We had the momentum and they had the crowd. "We just got really calm, went into a zone and stopped talking to each other. Our backs were against the wall there and we played our best stuff, which was nice." 

Ten Simple Ways to Save Sports, Sanity and Civilization as We Know It

View full sizeBahram Mark Sobhani / APNote to LeBron James (center, with Dwyane Wade, left, and Chris Bosh): You are not a soldier, you are not in a war, and every time an athlete makes a military reference to an athletic event, he just sounds juvenile, says Bill Livingston.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The big things, like franchise player tags in the NBA and lockout-avoidance. are for the pro sports commissioners to figure out.

It's the small stuff that needs to be corrected. The head-scratching rules. The fingers-on-the-blackboard nuisances. The stupefyingly off-base thoughts of sports superstars.

Pay attention. We will all profit hereby.

Ten Simple Ways to Save Sports, Sanity and Civilization as We Know It:

1. From this moment on, you have the right to silence. That's when you are at games. Constant noise does not equate to non-stop excitement. Any team that uses recorded music during play, especially that hyper-obnoxious "Everybody clap your hands" silliness when the home team is getting beaten like a pinata, deserves a plague of injuries and player defections. (Oh, wait. That already happened. OK, now you know why, Cavs.)

2. Chad Ochocinco and athletes like him with nothing to say will no longer be allowed to tweet about the minutiae of their daily lives. It took me about five minutes to "follow" and then "unfollow" Old 85 on Twitter. As Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said of the social media, "Nobody cares that you went to the mall."

3. If any player is ignorant enough to compare a game to war, he must be sentenced to community service at a Veterans Administration hospital, visiting wounded combat veterans. LeBron James tweeted Wednesday: "20+ games left in phase 2. I'm ReFOCUSED! No prisoners, I have no friends when at WAR besides my Soldiers." By the way, G.I. LeBron and the Palm Tree Commandos coughed up a 24-point third-quarter against Orlando in a stunning loss at home Thursday in their next game.

4. Any punt that goes out of bounds on the fly inside the receiving team's 20-yard line is punished by possession at the 40, as is the practice on an out-of-bounds kickoff. Since I don't see game officials carrying surveyor's equipment, I'm pretty sure pure guesswork determines the spot of the ball. Let Josh Cribbs and the other exciting punt returners have a chance.

5. Why does the position of the receivers' feet determine whether a sideline or end zone catch is inbounds or not, but the position of the ball in the passer's hand, relative to the line of scrimmage, decides whether it's a lateral or illegal forward pass? Please. From now on, the feet decide this stuff.

6. If the ball (or a player with the ball) touches the sideline or baseline in basketball, the ruling is out of bounds. Same with football. In baseball, a ball that hits the line is in play. In soccer, as long as the whole ball doesn't cross the sideline, a player can run out of bounds alongside it and play hacky sack with it. It's called the foul line in baseball for a reason. Any ball touching the line is foul or, in soccer, out of bounds. How hard is this?

7. An NFL team scores in the last 20 seconds of the quarter. Timeout after the PAT for commercials. The kickoff return then takes a few seconds. Timeout for commercials. The other team runs one play and the quarter ends. Timeout for commercials. If this keeps up, an entire nation will go Elvis on their television sets. How would you like that, car, beer and Viagra makers?

8. When ESPN is running the score crawl, it must continue during commercials because it never resumes at the same place. Ever! And quit wasting everyone's time with games that haven't even started yet. It's a score update, not a schedule. I have warned the "worldwide leader" and its minions about this before. They proceed at their own risk.

9. If you want to be the national college Player of the Year in basketball, you can't leave after one season for the NBA or Europe. If you do, you weren't really a collegian, you were a Hessian.

10. ESPN's Dick Vitale has actually gotten more informative and less shrill. But Chris Berman has to go. If it comes to it, we will feed him, like Steve Buscemi using the chipper in "Fargo," into the same shredder used to mince print-outs of his inane player nicknames. I know it's ugly, but he leaves us no choice.

Follow Bill Livingston on Facebook and on Twitter @LivyPD

David Huff is trying to overcome his 2-11 record from last year and win the fifth spot in the rotation. If he can avoid a penchant for drama, as well as the opposition's bats, he just may have a chance.

View full sizeChris Carlson / Associated PressDavid Huff worked three scoreless innings against the White Sox on Saturday, following up two scoreless innings earlier in the week.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- David Huff and drama were roommates last year.

Alex Rodriguez almost sent him to another dimension with a line drive off the side of his head on May 29 at Yankee Stadium. The ball was hit so hard that it landed in right field for a double.

The left-hander with the hard head shook that off like he got buzzed by a mosquito. "I made my next start, fielded a comebacker, and threw to first base," said Huff. "I loved it."

What didn't go so well was his relationship with his manager. Manny Acta saw a talented left-hander who wouldn't throw his fastball as much as Acta thought he should throw it. If you're winning games, a manager is more likely to let a pitcher do things his way. Huff, however, wasn't winning games after leading the Indians with 11 victories in 2009.

"I was trying to work on some things," said Huff. "I wasn't having success, but I knew it would work. Manny is a competitor. He wants things to happen right now. He said, 'Hey, man, either hop on board or you're going to find yourself in Triple-A.'"

Huff, the last starter to make the 2010 rotation out of spring training, was optioned to Class AAA Columbus on June 21. He was 2-9 with a 6.04 ERA in 13 starts. The next month the Indians needed a spot starter for July 18 against Detroit. A few days before the game, a message appeared on Huff's Twitter account that he was coming up to make the start. The Indians, who had not announced the move, called up Jeanmar Gomez instead.

Huff said he didn't send the stray Tweet, but the Indians were not happy. It wasn't until Aug. 2 that Huff was recalled and that took Jake Westbrook getting traded and Mitch Talbot getting hurt. He made two starts, losing both, and was sent back to Columbus for good.

This spring Huff has tried to stay drama free. It's difficult because he's trying to win the fifth and final spot in the rotation. He's competing with Josh Tomlin and Gomez.

"It's not a big deal," said Huff. "This is my third year in a row doing it. I know what I do best. That's to get guys out. That's what I plan on doing."

He started Saturday and pitched three scoreless innings in a 8-3 victory over Chicago at Goodyear Ballpark. Meanwhile, Gomez started against Seattle and allowed four runs on four hits in 2 1/3 innings on the way to a 7-2 loss.

"David Huff used all his pitches," said Acta. "He was very efficient. He threw some very good breaking balls."

Huff has thrown five scoreless innings in Cactus League play. He's struck out five. Tomlin has thrown five scoreless inning as well.

When Huff reported to camp, Acta, pitching coach Tim Belcher and GM Chris Antonetti had the same message for him.

"They told me, 'Hey, we're behind you 100 percent,'" said Huff. "They said 'put last year behind you. We want you to compete for the fifth spot. We want you to be out there.'"

Said Acta, "Our issues last year weren't because David was fighting what we were trying to tell him. We told him he had talent and we were trying to find a different way to reach him. Pitching behind in the count didn't help him last year.

"Our job is to continue to talk to David and try to get the best out of him."

Huff went 8-2 at Columbus last year in 12 starts. While he was in the big leagues, former Tribe catcher Mike Redmond introduced him to Mets left-hander Johan Santana. Huff asked Santana to show him his famous change-up. It's a pitch Huff has been throwing 50 percent to 60 percent of the time this spring. Along with his fastball, and the occasional slider and curveball, it has helped him get off to a fast start.

The first four pitchers in the Indians rotation are all right-handers. Huff would give them some much needed balance.

But he has to play nice, and most of all, he has to win.

The Browns' moves to retain Seneca Wallace and Evan Moore reflect new coach Pat Shurmur's thinking on the West Coast offense.

View full sizeChuck Crow,
The Plain DealerBy re-signing Seneca Wallace for 2011, the Browns made a statement on who can best assist Colt McCoy while being a reliable option in the event of injury.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In honor of the NFL and its players still negotiating, Terry is still talkin' ...

About the Browns...

1. It's a quiet move, but re-signing Seneca Wallace is a key decision. Given that Colt McCoy will be the 10th different starting quarterback since the franchise returned in 1999, it make sense to have a veteran behind McCoy who fully understands the new West Coast system. Wallace also proved that he can step in and play reasonably well. It's not a knock on McCoy, but the odds are that almost any quarterback will be injured and miss games.

2. Wallace started four games for the Browns and the team was 1-3. It's a bit deceiving, because he was hurt in late in the first half of the Atlanta game. He had completed 11 of 15 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. The Browns had a 7-6 lead. A limping Jake Delhomme played the second half, and the Browns lost, 20-10.

3. Wallace had quarterbacked the Browns to a 23-20 victory over the Bengals the week before. His confidence was growing. He never started another game (and threw only one pass) the rest of the season. Wallace completed 63 percent of his passes, with four touchdowns and two interceptions. For his career (657 passes, 18 starts), he has completed 60 percent of his passes with 29 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, a solid 83.9 rating.

4. Nothing about Wallace's numbers scream he must start, but they do show he can if needed. While the Browns haven't ruled out bringing back Delhomme, it's hard to imagine they will. That's especially true since team President Mike Holmgren said he likes to draft a quarterback in the late rounds.

5. The Browns also are bringing back tight end Evan Moore, who should be very effective. In two seasons, Moore has 28 catches for an average of 17.1 yards with the Browns. His problem is staying healthy. He has had knee problems, hip problems and other minor injuries. I like the idea of bringing him back, even if they only get 10 games out of him.

6. You can be sure very little of D'Qwell Jackson's $4.5 million contract is guaranteed. He played no games last season, only six in 2009. He is only 27, but after having surgery on both pectoral muscles, he has be to considered a long shot to make it through a full season. A problem for the Browns is trying to find linebackers to fit the new 4-3 scheme. They think Chris Gocong can handle the middle, with Scott Fujita on the strong side. They project Jackson as being either in the middle or on the weak side. They don't have much depth at the position, so shopping for linebackers could be a big part of the draft.

7. Marcus Benard as a linebacker led the Browns with 7.5 sacks, but that was in the 3-4 formation. The hope is he can do it from the defensive end spot. This team has so few pass rushers, they need to find a way to maximize that skill from Benard.

8. Now that Shaun Rogers has signed with New Orleans, it ends the big gamble that the Browns took in the 2008 draft. That was when they shipped a second-rounder to Green Bay for Corey Williams, who never could switch from a 4-3 to the Browns' 3-4. Williams was later traded to Detroit for a fifth-rounder that was part of another deal that led to the Browns moving up to draft Montario Hardesty.

9. Hardesty was out for the year with knee surgery, so the Browns had nothing on the field in 2010 for that second-rounder dealt for Williams. They sent Leigh Bodden and a third-rounder in 2008 to Detroit for Rogers. He had one good year, and two injury-prone seasons here. Now, he's gone, and the Browns have nothing to show for that. Former GM Phil Savage made those deals to try and win big after that surprising 10-6 record in 2007.

10. The first-rounder in 2008 was shipped to Dallas as part of a deal that led to the drafting of Brady Quinn, so at least the Browns have Peyton Hillis as a product of Quinn being traded to Denver. But in the end, there were a lot of missed opportunities in that 2008 draft. There also was misguided thinking as Rogers and Williams (especially) were better in the 4-3 than the 3-4 defense.

View full sizeJoe Raymond / Associated Press"The student body gave me a five-minute standing ovation," an appreciative Austin Carr said after being honored in South Bend, Ind., on Feb. 26. "None of them were born when I played at Notre Dame."

About Austin Carr...

I called Carr to talk about his recent induction into the Notre Dame Ring of Honor and how the university recently named the concourse at the new Purcell Pavilion after him. I reached him on the Cavs bus, where he was on the way to Friday's shootaround before the Knicks game.

"I still can't believe they named the concourse after me," he said. "And the student body gave me a five-minute standing ovation. None of them were born when I played at Notre Dame."

"Can you believe you averaged 38 points a game for your last two seasons?" I asked.

"No," he laughed.

Well, he did. It was 38.1 in 1969-70 and 38.0 in 1970-71. He also shot a combined 53 percent from field and 82 percent at the foul line, grabbing 7.8 rebounds a game. He was listed at 6-4.

"Not quite," said Carr. "I was measured at 6-foot-23/4."

Carr has been doing Cavs TV games for 13 years. At 62, many fans have no idea that he was one of the greatest college players ever, or that he averaged 21 points in his first three seasons with the Cavs.

"My only regret is that the Cleveland fans never saw me at my best," he said. "I first broke my foot as a sophomore. Then I broke it again [in training camp] of my rookie year. They did surgery where they took a bone out of my hip and put it into my foot. They didn't have pins backs then for that kind of surgery."

Carr was the first pick in the 1971 NBA draft. He is thankful that he came to Cleveland, grateful for his nine years here as a player, and his long career since with the team in community relations and broadcasting.

"I had two foot operations and three knee operations," he said. "My only wish is that Cavs fans could have seen me play on two good legs."

If that had happened, this franchise would have had one of the best guards ... ever.

View full sizeMary Altaffer / Associated PressAn 18-point effort against the Knicks on Friday was a good early statement from new Cavalier Luke Harangody.

About the Cavaliers ...

1. The Cavs viewed the trading deadline as the first of two draft days this season. Fans know about the lottery pick from the Clippers as part of the Baron Davis for Mo Williams-Jamario Moon deal. But the Cavs also believe that shipping a second-rounder to Boston for Semih Erden and Luke Harangody is the equivalent of adding two second-round picks. They know that Erden may need some shoulder surgery after the season, but they consider the 6-11 center a real prospect.

2. Erden is from Turkey. He went home for the All-Star break and to visit his mother, who was ill. He got out of shape, as he also was playing little before the deal with Boston. They believe he has low first-round talent and can really help next season. They also say that while Erden will play some this year, they expect a significant improvement by next season.

3. The Cavs know Harangody has the emotional makeup and work ethic to find a spot in the league, but he has to prove that he can shoot well enough to be a stretch power forward -- a big guy in the mold of San Antonio's Matt Bonner. Harangody gave a hint of what he can do in a good night with his 18 points at New York, a career-high for the rookie from Notre Dame. He played with a painful hip pointer.

4. This email came from Steve Thomas (Chagrin Falls): "I had the surprise pleasure of sitting next to Baron Davis on his flight from L.A. to Cleveland. The red-eye flight was delayed from 11:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. due to weather complications in Cleveland. ... Sleeping was the order of the 'day.' When we did speak he was gracious, pleasant and he seemed positive about the move. He traveled alone, no entourage or companion, picked up his own luggage at the baggage claim and took a private limo from the airport to wherever he was bound."

5. It's hard to know if it will last, but Davis has worked hard to help coach Byron Scott and fit in with the players. Scott is making a point to praise Davis for his attitude and leadership skills. The Cavs had some fears that Davis would arrive with a poor attitude. But so far, it has been the opposite. Then Davis delivered a magnificent debut when the Cavs upset the Knicks.

6. Davis showed what Scott's offense looks like with strong point guard play. The ball moves. Players cut to the basket. The fast break is on high octane. The coach also was right when saying Ramon Sessions and Davis can play together. They often had three guards on the court, as Anthony Parker was at small forward.

7. The toughness that Scott has been preaching is beginning to show. Samardo Samuels drew three charging fouls, two on Carmelo Anthony and one on Amare Stoudemire. In his first two pro starts, Samuels is averaging 19 points and 8.0 rebounds -- against tough front lines of San Antonio and New York. More revealing, in his last 10 games, Samuels is averaging 11.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and shooting 51 percent in 22 minutes.

8. To the casual fan, the fact that the Cavs are 4-4 since the end of the 26-game losing streak doesn't mean much. But to those who know how hard it is for a losing team to play hard and win games this time of year, what Scott has the Cavs doing is impressive. He is developing young players such as Christian Eyenga (who has made his last six 3-point shots), Manny Harris and Samuels, while also keeping his veterans in his corner.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerTravis Buck has a swinging chance to make the 25-man roster when the Indians break camp later this month.

About the Tribe ...

1. With Grady Sizemore (knee) and Trevor Crowe (elbow) not expected to be ready for opening day, don't be shocked if Travis Buck makes the team as an extra outfielder. The Tribe has Austin Kearns, Michael Brantley and Shin-Soo Choo set to start. Shelly Duncan could be a backup. But they need someone else to play center, and that may be Buck.

2. Once upon a time in 2007, Buck was an intriguing prospect with Oakland, batting .288 (.821 OPS) with seven homers in 285 at-bats. But since then, he has had several injuries. Last year, he hit .298 (.807 OPS) in 121 at-bats at Class AAA Sacramento, then was 7-of-42 (.167) with the A's. He had five trips to the disabled list in the last four years with everything from injuries to his elbow, hamstring, oblique and a concussion.

3. The Indians also have Chad Huffman and Jordan Brown as outfield candidates, but they are intrigued by the 27-year-old Buck because he can play all three outfield positions. He also has hit well early in camp.

4. It's early, but Jason Donald has done a decent job at third base. Some of his throws have been a bit iffy, but overall, he seems comfortable. He also has been hitting well. The best fielding third baseman in camp is veteran Jack Hannahan, but he's a lifetime .224 hitter (.658 OPS) who batted .193 last season.

5. Having allowed only one run in five innings and throwing a lot of strikes, Josh Tomlin has really impressed and has to be considered the early leader to grab the No. 5 spot in the rotation. That also is based on throwing at least five innings in all of his 12 starts last season, when he was 6-4 with a 4.56 ERA.

6. Part of the reason the Indians traded Aaron Laffey to Seattle was his lack of arm strength. He was throwing in the low 80s in camp. At the end of last season, he seldom topped 85 mph. They didn't see him being able to beat out Jeanmar Gomez, Alex White, David Huff, Tomlin or any other candidates for a spot in the rotation.

Butler had been a bad matchup for Cleveland State all season, and it was no exception a third time Saturday night in a 76-68 Horizon League Tournament men’s basketball semifinal loss against the Bulldogs.

AP File PhotoButler's Shawn Vanzant hit 4-of-5 three-pointers to lead Butler to their third win of the season over Cleveland State.

Milwaukee — Butler had been a bad matchup for Cleveland State all season, and it was no exception a third time Saturday night in a 76-68 Horizon League Tournament men’s basketball semifinal loss against the Bulldogs. But going 21-of-26 from the line and holding Butler to 36.7 percent shooting in the second half allowed CSU to be within 60-58 with 5:22 to play.

However, Butler guard Shawn Vanzant proved to be the difference as he made 4 of 5 3-pointers, all in the second half, including consecutive 3s that put the Vikings on their heels for good after getting so close to the upset.

“When we cut it to two, those two 3s took the wind out of our sails,” CSU coach Gary Waters said.

Vanzant also delivered the final nail. Leading by six with 1:17 to play, Butler’s offense was stalled, forcing coach Brad Stevens to call a timeout with nine seconds left on the shot clock. Five seconds later, yet another Vanzant 3-pointer put the Bulldogs up, 73-64.

“When you cut the game to two, you have got to execute,” Waters said. “I will say this. We’ll do it next year. And they know it, too, because I got some guys [recruits] who really want to do it.”

Looking good?

After losing to CSU for the third time this season, Wright State coach Billy Donlon on Friday night proclaimed the Vikings worthy of being in the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team.

“If they are not an at-large team, then there is something wrong,” Donlon said. “I don’t care what anybody says, put them in the tournament, book it. If they don’t [get in], we need to revamp the whole thing. And I’m not saying that because they beat us.”

Cole facts: CSU guard Norris Cole, who posted 24 points against Butler, is going to be added to the Wooden Award list, which is given to the top player in the country. According to Vikings Sports Information Director Brian McCann, a push by Wooden Award voters got Cole added to the list. As for the Cousy Award, given to the top point guard in the country, the final five for that list is expected to be announced this week, with Cole projected to be a finalist there as well.

What did you enjoy the most over the weekend?

Associated PressOhio State's Jared Sullinger.

There was plenty of exciting sports events over the weekend. The Buckeyes defeated Wisconsin and clinched the Big Ten title. The Cleveland Cavaliers, led by Baron Davis, defeated the New York Knicks last Friday, and the Miami Heat choked lost to the Chicago Bulls.

So what did you enjoy watching more?

Coach Pat Shurmur explains the West Coast offense.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerCleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy.

The Cleveland Browns will run a West Coast offense under new coach Pat Shurmur, writes News-Herald reporter Jeff Schudel, but what exactly is this offense?

"Well, the West Coast offense, if there are 300 people in the room, it may get defined 300 different ways," Shurmur said recently. "But it's really what you tell the quarterback. It's how you train the quarterback from footwork and timing and decision making. It's a passing game that's highly efficient, which really banks on accuracy, so you can get it to the receivers, so they can run with it."

The key point in Shurmur's definition, continues Schudel, is the quarterback being accurate and efficient and getting the ball to a spot so the receiver can run with it.

That is why the Browns are not overly concerned about McCoy's perceived lack of arm strength. They are counting on him hitting a receiver in stride on short-to-intermediate passes in an open spot.

The other part of the equation is finding a wide receiver with speed. And we all know the Browns don't have any receivers with speed. Schudel also points out that NFL Network analyst Mike Lombardi said the Browns and Ravens might be the two slowest teams in the league.

The future

Marla Ridenour of Ohio.com writes that Browns fans should not worry which quarterback the team will draft in the later rounds in the upcoming draft.

Holmgren did fine last year when he selected Colt McCoy in the third round. This time, Holmgren could select Florida State's Christian Ponder, Delaware's Pat Devlin or even Prairie View A&M's K.J. Black.

If Missouri's Blaine Gabbert and Auburn's Cam Newton are both chosen in the top five, the Browns could be like Charlie in the Chocolate Factory. They could be giddy as they decide between LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson, Georgia receiver A.J. Green and a plethora of defensive linemen that are the strength of the class of 2011.

Pluto on McCoy

Terry Pluto writes how Colt McCoy will begin this coming season as the 10th different starting quarterback since the franchise returned in 1999.

"The Miami Heat are exactly what everyone wanted, losing games," Dwyane Wade said. "The world is better now because the Heat is losing."

AP PhotoEl Heat have lost four games in a row.

Another final-second opportunity slipped away from Miami on Sunday in an 87-86 loss to Chicago, and the Bulls — spurned last summer in their bids to land Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh — swept all three regular- season meetings from the team that signed them.

“The Miami Heat are exactly what everyone wanted, losing games,” Wade said. “The world is better now because the Heat is losing.” James had a chance to win it on a drive with six seconds left, missing a contested shot, and Wade’s desperation toss from the right baseline bounced away as time expired.

Those were the 12th and 13th consecutive shots the Heat missed with a chance to tie or lead a game in the final 10 seconds of regulation or overtime. James has missed four in this four-game losing streak alone. “I told my team, I’m not going to continue to fail late in games,” James said.

“I put a lot of blame on myself tonight. I told the guys that I just keep failing them late in games, and I won’t continue to do that.”

The last time James lost four regular seasons games in a row was with the Cavaliers in 2006.

When the game was over, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said some in the locker room were moved to tears. He wouldn't identify the players who cried.

"Adjustments are forthcoming and they will be obvious," Spoelstra later tweeted. "In a couple weeks, we'll be laughing at this situation."

“Just to come up short again and again, it hurts,” Bosh said. “We all want to win. We all want to win very badly.”

Videos feature quarterbacks Braxton Miller and Joe Bauserman, running back Rod Smith and offensive linemen Mike Brewster, J.B. Shugarts and Mike Adams. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio State has been working out since late January and is now finishing its winter conditioning with some 6 a.m. workouts this week before finals. The Buckeyes start spring football practice on March 28, with the spring game set for April 23.

Here are some videos from this morning's workouts, which the media were permitted to watch. If the running back job was handed out based on how players looked in their workout clothes, redshirt freshman Rod Smith would be in great shape. Remember, he's the player that turned heads during bowl workouts last season.

Quarterback Terrelle Pryor wore a protective boot on his right foot, which required surgery after the Sugar Bowl. He mostly rode a bike and did other exercises on the side, along with defensive lineman Johnathan Hankins, defensive back Corey Brown and some other players coming back from injury.

Safety Tyler Moeller, who missed the second half of the season after surgery on a torn pectoral muscle, is still limited in is upper body work but was out there with his teammates doing almost everything with them,

Pryor is still wearing a protective boot on his right foot. Watch video

Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor is still recovering after right foot surgery that was required after he was injured in the Sugar Bowl.

While the Buckeyes worked out Monday morning, Pryor spent most of his time on the side on an excercise bike, his foot in a protective boot.

Meanwhile, safeties Tyler Moeller and C.J. Barnett, who both missed much of last season with injuries, were out there today. Moeller, off a pectoral injury, is still a bit limited in upper body work, but overall is fine.

Not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven, not eight.

Remember when LeBron James made the bold prediction over the summer about how many championships the Miami Heat would win? James stated the Heat would win multiple championships, but right now they will be lucky to even play in eight championships.
Will the Heat even make play for a title this season?

"Chisenhall would be a lock to make any other team that picked him that high. Here in Indians Land, they 'finish off' prospects and ensure they play plenty of AAA ball." - randyosu

View full sizeChuck Crow | The Plain DealerLonnie Chisenhall is off to a strong start this spring.

In response to the story Cleveland Indians' Matt LaPorta still an enigma in third spring with Tribe, cleveland.com reader randyosu thinks there's no reason Lonnie Chisenhall shouldn't break camp with the team. This reader writes,

"Chisenhall would be a lock to make any other team that picked him that high. Here in Indians Land, they 'finish off' prospects and ensure they play plenty of AAA ball."

PD reporter says Heat's struggles and Cavs' new energy brings intrigue back to March 29 rematch at The Q. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, hosted by Branson Wright. His partner, Chuck Yarborough, is off.

It was a big weekend in sports, with the Cavaliers beating the Knicks on Friday night; Ohio State throttling Wisconsin in basketball on Sunday; and the Miami Heat losing Sunday at home to the Chicago Bulls.

Which game did you enjoy watching the most? Vote in today's Starting Blocks poll.

Today's guest, Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff, says the Cleveland fans are justified in cheering against the Miami Heat and have every reason to be happy about yesterday's loss and the Heat's four-game losing skid.

Dman also talks about whether LeBron James is hesitant to go to the free-throw line at the end of close games; and what to expect when the Heat returns to Cleveland on March 29.

Starting Blocks will return Tuesday.

WFNY tackles the current NFL labor issues within a two-part series.

AP Photo/Alex BrandonSo, wait. Which guy is the Maverick again?

It's as old as politics. 

Instead of talking about issues, we end up running attack-laced advertisements.  Really, that's all that is left here with regard to the NFL labor negotiations.  Either you are on "Team Player" or "Team Owner."  You must choose!  No sense in talking about issues when you can just pick a side and lambaste the other, right?

If everyone is being totally honest, I think we can all agree on some things.  For instance, I think the players do need some additional help with their retirement, health plans and disability.  I think the players should pony up some financial stake to meet those ends.  They are, after all, benefits.  As bigwig corporate people will tell you, an overall package of benefits is considered compensation.

On the owners' side, I think we can all agree that when the game needs innovation, it won't come from the players' union.  When it comes to splitting the profits, those who are driving innovation, infrastructure and business strategy need to have the majority stake, in my mind.  Obviously the players on the field need to be well-compensated for doing the dirty work.  What I do not know is whether or not we will ever agree on what it means to actually be "well compensated." 

This would be the root of the current negotiations.

But do you see what I did there?  I took two sides and pulled out the issues where both have a leg to stand on; I didn't have to pick the owners or the players.  The truth always lies in the middle and, unlike our political system, there is no Republican versus Democrat or Red versus Blue scenario.  At the end of this "election," both the owners and players will be drinking at the same bar - with the fans' money - in Washington.

However, some of the nation's most high-profile sportswriters prefer to just attack the owners.  In his article about the owners, Rick Reilly finds it necessary to attack Paul Allen for his Microsoft-earned excesses.

... Paul Allen, owner of the Seattle Seahawks, has a 414-foot yacht called "The Octopus" with two helicopters, two submarines, a swimming pool, a music studio and a basketball court. He also has two backup emergency yachts.

You're really worried about his wallet?

Bill Simmons piles on.  He went on and on about a hypothetical business model where greedy business people have an insatiable lust for cash and abuse fans along the way.  His only relevant point was about the player safety concerns like head injuries.  Other than that, as despicable as PSLs might be, they aren't a feather in the cap of the players in this debate.

In the tug-of-war battle between the players and the owners, PSLs and stadiums built with tax dollars have almost no bearing, except in Simmons' contrived moralistic scenario.

That is a different debate for a different day.

--

Click here to continue reading Part II

Carlos Santana will make his debut at first base on Wednesday against San Diego. Infield prospect Jared Goedert out two weeks with strained oblique muscle.

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerMichael Brantley is one of 25 players who have reached one-year deals with the Indians.

 Goodyear, Ariz. -- This is a daily briefing on the Cleveland Indians in spring training as they prepare for the 2011 season.

 March 7, Day 21: ign here: The Indians announced today that they've reached one-year contracts with 25 players in camp who have fewer than three years experience in the big leagues and were not eligible for arbitration.

 MLB's deadline for renewing players who aren't eligible for arbitration is March 11. The Indians self-imposed deadline is Tuesday.

 The only unsigned players still in camp are Carlos Santana, Josh Tomlin and Jeanmar Gomez. The Indians can renew their contracts at their own terms if a deal cannot reached through negotiation.

 The players who signed contract include Michael Brantley, Carlos Carrasco, Ezequiel Carrera, Trevor Crowe, Kelvin De La Cruz, Jason Donald, Shelley Duncan, Jared Goedert, Nick Hagadone, Frank Herrmann, David Huff, Josh Judy, Corey Kluber, Matt LaPorta, Lou Marson, Justin Masterson, Zachary, McAllister, Jayson Nix, Vinnie Pestano, Hector Rondon, Tony Sipp, Mitch Talbot, Jesse Todd, Luis Valbuena, Nick Weglarz.

Now starting at 1B: Manager Manny Acta says Santana will make his debut at first base Wednesday against San Diego.

Santana, the Indians starting catcher, has been working out at first under the guidance of Mike Hargrove.

"He's played third base and he has good hands," said Acta. "He's still goiing to have to learn some position things."

Acta said Santana will make at least three starts at first in spring training.

"He's definitely going to play there during the regular season," said Acta. "We're doing it mainly to keep his legs fresh."

Missed chance: Third baseman Jared Goedert probably didn't have a chance to make the Indians this spring, but he had a chance to make an impression. Now that's over as he'll miss the next two weeks with a strained right oblique muscle.

Goedert injured himself against Cincinnati in the second game of spring training. Goedert hit 27 homers last year between Class AA Akron and Class AAA Columbus.

Acta said Goedert will see action at first, third and in the outfield this year in the minors.

He's back: Michael Brantley is expected to be back in the lineup Tuesday after missing several days with "lower body soreness." The Indians would not expond on Brantley's injury, but he was wearing a sleeve on his right knee during Monday's workout.

Today's lineups:

 Indians: CF Ezequiel Carrera, SS Asdrubal Cabrera, DH Travis Hafner, 1B Matt LaPorta, LF Nick Weglarz, 2B Jayson Nix, RF Jared Head, CF Paul Phillips, 3B Luis Valbuena, RHP Mitch Talbot.

 White Sox: CF Juan Pierre, 2B Gordon Beckham, CF Alex Rios, 1B Paul Konerko, C A.J. Pierzynski, RF Dayan Viciedo, 3B Mark Teahen, SS Omar Vizquel, LF Stefan Gartrell, P Lucas Harrell.

 Tomorrow's schedule: Fausto Carmona will start against Arizona's Daniel Hudson on Tuesday at 3:05 p.m. ET. Josh Tomlin will start a B game against the Reds Matt Klinker at 11:30 p.m. ET.

 Chris Perez, Rafael Perez, Alex White and Tony Sipp are scheduled to follow Carmona. In the B game, Chad Durbin, Corey Kluber, Kelvin De La Cruz, Bryce Stowell,  and Nick Hagadone are also scheduled to pitch. 
 

"I find it strange that fans have such vitriol for the players and owners in this situation. They are fighting over money we give them. Whose $9 billion do you think it is? If you don't like the fight, stop giving them the ammo." - LA

View full sizeAP Photo | Alex BrandonNo matter how this labor mess turns out, Roger Goodell and the owners can count on fans willing to pony up big dollars to watch football.

In response to the story It's always 4th-and-long for NFL players vs. owners: Book of Norman, cleveland.com reader LA thinks that if fans are turned off by a fight over billions, they should stop giving both sides their money. This reader writes,

"I find it strange that fans have such vitriol for the players and owners in this situation. They are fighting over money we give them. Whose $9 billion do you think it is? If you don't like the fight, stop giving them the ammo."

BRUNSWICK -- Pat Forsythe, Brunswick's 6-10 post player and a West Virginia recruit, will miss the rest of the basketball season after suffering a broken ankle during a Division I sectional championship victory over North Ridgeville on Friday. Brunswick coach Joe Mackey, whose offense is tailored to Forsythe's talents, said X-rays taken today revealed a small break in his star's...

Brunswick's basketball team will be without star center Pat Forsythe after the West Virginia recruit broke his foot during a Division I sectional championship victory over North Ridgeville on Friday.

BRUNSWICK -- Pat Forsythe, Brunswick's 6-10 post player and a West Virginia recruit, will miss the rest of the basketball season after suffering a broken ankle during a Division I sectional championship victory over North Ridgeville on Friday.

Brunswick coach Joe Mackey, whose offense is tailored to Forsythe's talents, said X-rays taken today revealed a small break in his star's right ankle and he was placed in cast.

Forsythe is averaging 22.3 points, 12.2 rebounds and 6.3 blocks per game. Brunswick will take a 15-7 record into Wednesday's district semifinal against Berea, which upset top-seeded Avon Lake.

"I feel bad for Pat," said Mackey, whose team is seeded third in the sectional at Midview. "It's his senior season. He deserved better."

"The Cavs are going to be up and down the rest of the season. That's to be expected. New players trying to learn the system and how to play together." - tudefit

View full sizePlaying young players like Samardo Samuels means the Cavaliers may have some ups, but will also have plenty of downs.

In response to the story Hornets beat Cavaliers, 96-81; Chris Paul taken off court on stretcher, cleveland.com reader tudefit has seen progress, but knows there won't be much consistency. This reader writes,

"The Cavs are going to be up and down the rest of the season. That's to be expected. New players trying to learn the system and how to play together."