A federal judge in Minnesota today will hear arguments from NFL players and potential draftees asking her to lift the three-week-old lockout.

View full sizeCourtesy of U.S. District Court,
MinnesotaThe first litigational volley in the war between NFL owners and players goes before federal Judge Susan Richard Nelson, an Oberlin College graduate, in St. Paul, Minn., today.

U.S. District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson received her undergraduate degree from Oberlin College, and her doctor of juris prudence at Pitt. Football is king in both places. Do you think all that exposure to Browns-Steelers hype and hyperbole might help her realize the import of the case she's hearing today?

That's right, the first lawsuits in the NFL labor situation are going to her court today. Players like Drew Brees and Tom Brady and potential draft choices like Texas A&M's Von Miller (a projected first-rounder) are in Nelson's St. Paul, Minn., courtroom asking her to lift the lockout and accusing the owners of doing "irreparable damage" to their potential to make a living.

Owners, however, are fighting for Nelson to avoid ruling on the case until after the National Labor Relations Board rules on THEIR contention that the now-decertified NFL Players Association didn't negotiate in good faith.

Folks, this is ugly, and getting uglier.

Nobody expects Nelson to rule today. So the three-week-old lockout will continue AT least another day. Even though the start of the season is five months away, every day of the stoppage puts that season more in jeopardy. And it seems that every day also increases the vitriol and the stubbornness of both parties. The players AND the owners are determined to win ... which means the fans lose.

The question, then, is how loooooong will this go on? Will the Browns see one of their best chances in recent memory for success on the field go up in smoke?
  

Get your Indians questions ready and join Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes today at noon as he talks Indians baseball. The Indians are 2-2. Can they keep hitting like they are now? What's been the most pleasant early surprise?

Paul Hoynes answers your Indians questions on Wednesdays at noon.

Get your Indians questions ready and join Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes today at noon as he talks Indians baseball.

The Indians are 2-2. Can they keep hitting like they are now? What's been the most pleasant early surprise?

You can jump in the chat room and ask your questions as well as interact with other users and respond to Hoynsie's remarks, or you can just listen. The chat will also be made available shortly after its completion in mp3 format.

Former Ohio State star Maurice Clarett is one of 40 players on the UFL Omaha Nighthawks' protected list.

View full sizeAP FileMaurice Clarett, who led Ohio State to the 2002 national title and served time in prison for aggravated robbery, is on the protected list of the UFL Omaha Nighthawks.

Omaha, Neb. -- Maurice Clarett is among the players on the Omaha Nighthawks' 40-man protected list for the United Football League's 2011 season.

The starting quarterback from a year ago, Jeff Garcia, is not on the list announced Wednesday. Neither is former All-Pro running back Ahman Green, the team's main attraction last year. Green has said he'll play in the CFL.

Clarett is the former Ohio State star who spent 3 1/2 years in prison for aggravated robbery. He backed up Green last season and carried 37 times for 154 yards and a touchdown.

Leading receiver Robert Ferguson, kicker Jeff Wolfert and running back-return man Shaud Williams are among the others on the list.

Former Nebraska players protected are defensive end Jay Moore and safety Matt O'Hanlon.

Players and owners kick off their legal battle in a Minnesota courtroom today.

Updated at 11:04 a.m.

View full sizeAP FileNew Orleans quarterback Drew Brees is one of the plaintiffs asking a federal judge to lift the owner-instituted lockout.

St. Paul, Minn. -- NFL players and owners haven taken their fight to the courtroom.

Representatives from both sides arrived at a federal courthouse in St. Paul on Wednesday morning. A group of players is asking a judge to issue a preliminary injunction on the lockout the owners imposed after talks on a new collective bargaining agreement broke off three weeks ago.

Several players are in attendance including named plaintiffs Mike Vrabel, Vincent Jackson, Von Miller and Brian Robison. Veterans Tony Richardson and Charlie Batch and retired Hall of Famer Carl Eller are in court as well.

The court appearance is the first round between the NFL and its locked-out players in their legal fight over the future of the $9 billion business -- including the 2011 season.

The players -- with stars such as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees among the plaintiffs and retirees and yet-to-play rookies joining them in support -- are asking for an immediate end to the lockout on the basis of "irreparable harm" to their careers. The injunction request accompanies the antitrust lawsuit filed against the league after labor talks broke down on March 11.

Another lawsuit was filed Tuesday by draft-eligible Middle Tennessee State wide receiver Garrett Andrews, who alleges the league violated antitrust laws and created an anticompetitive market.

The league says it has the right to keep players from working and says the court must wait until the National Labor Relations Board rules on its claim that the players didn't negotiate in good faith.

The fight is complicated and perhaps uninteresting to the average football plan in early April when the scheduled start of the season is still five months away. But the fate of everyone's favorite team hangs in the balance.

"Even though football is enjoying this unprecedented popularity ... nothing is invulnerable," said David Allen Larson, a professor of labor and employment law at Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, Minn., where U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson will hold the hearing.

The first work stoppage in the NFL since the 1987 strike -- and the first in any major U.S sports league since the NHL's lockout-lost 2004-05 season -- has developed into one of the all-time nasty disputes in sports. The players balked at more financial concessions when the owners wouldn't open their books, and the owners insist the decertification of the union is a sham cooked up only to apply leverage in the fight.

Now, they don't even agree on which laws apply to the case, with the owners arguing for labor law and the players preferring antitrust rules.

Nelson isn't likely to rule on the injunction request Wednesday. She could side with the players and grant the injunction, putting pro football back in business. Or she could side with the owners and either deny the injunction or wait to decide until the NLRB rules on the league's contention that decertification was an improper bargaining ploy.

The winner would have fresh leverage whenever talks on a new collective bargaining agreement resume. Of course, whatever Nelson decides will almost surely be appealed.

Confused? Just wait. It could become even more complicated if Nelson lifts the lockout, which wouldn't be as simple as it might sound. How then to handle free agency could be a major contention, as far as which players are eligible and whether a salary cap would be in place.

This is one of the league's arguments against the injunction, claiming the uncertainty of putting football back in place without a labor pact would have a "detrimental effect" on the league's competitive balance.

That scenario would be "difficult, if not impossible, to unscramble the egg and return those players" to their original teams if the NFL were to ultimately win this case, league attorneys wrote in a court filing. League spokesman Greg Aiello declined further comment.

The league has accused the players of a "heads I win, tails you lose" tack that wants antitrust scrutiny to apply whether there's a lockout or not.

"Many observers believe that antitrust laws do a really crappy and imperfect job of dealing with sports and therefore the solution is to force these parties to collectively bargain together," said Stephen Ross, director of the Penn State Institute for Sports Law, Policy and Research. "If you believe that, then you are going to think the decertification isn't really legitimate."

Jeffrey Kessler, a lead attorney for the players, represented them two decades ago when they decertified after the failed strike in 1987, went to court and eventually settled with the owners with the just-expired CBA that created modern free agency.

"It was not a sham then, and it is not a sham now," Kessler said. "The players have given up valuable things in a union."

Jonathan Rubin, a Washington trial attorney and antitrust expert, said he sees an "uphill battle" for the players in court.

"Because they could be prevented from shopping for the legal framework, whether that's antitrust law or labor law. The federal court might decide that this is not within the power of private parties to determine by contract, which is the implicit thing the players are asking for," said Rubin, a former partner of DeMaurice Smith, the head of the NFL Players Association before it dissolved. "It's a very tricky case, because there's very little precedent to go on."

Rick Karcher, director of the Florida Coastal School of Law's Center for Law and Sports, disagreed.

"There's nothing in the labor laws or by court precedent anywhere that says the labor force in a workplace has to be a certified union," Karcher said. "That's dangerous precedent, and I don't think any court would order such a thing. That's why I think the union has a stronger case."

Ross added: "Sports fans right now should be rooting for the players. If the judge grants the injunction the league will not be able to lock out the players, and they'll go back to the bargaining table" to talk about a deal.

Ah, a deal. That's what fans are wishing for.

"Ultimately both parties are better off sticking to the business of football," Rubin said, "and both parties know that somewhere deep down and they're going to have to get to a point where there's diminishing returns to continuing litigation."

------

AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell and Associated Press Writer Amy Forliti contributed to this report.

The three Big Ten teams the Buckeyes won't play in 2013 and 2014 are Nebraska, Michigan State and Minnesota.

Associated PressNebraska won't play Ohio State in 2013 or 2014. The Big Ten announced the conference schedules for those seasons today. The Buckeyes will visit Nebraska this season and host the Cornhuskers in 2012.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - After playing at Nebraska this fall and hosting the Cornhuskers in 2012, Ohio State will not play the Big Ten's newest member in 2013 and 2014.

The Buckeyes released their schedules for 2013 and 2014 today, announcing one nonconference game for 2013 that was previously unknown. The 2014 nonconference schedule had already been decided.

Ohio State will open the 2013 season at home against Vanderbilt on Aug. 31. A visit to Cal was already scheduled, so two nonconference games still need to be scheduled. One could fall on one of two bye weeks in the Big Ten schedule.

Here are the schedules. The Big Ten announced all of its conference games for 2013 and 2014 today.

2013

Aug. 31  Vanderbilt
Sept. 7  TBA
Sept. 14 at Cal
Sept. 21 TBA

Sept. 28 Wisconsin
Oct. 5  at Northwestern
Oct. 12  Bye
Oct. 19  Iowa
Oct. 26  Penn State
Nov. 2  at Purdue
Nov. 9  Bye
Nov. 16  at Illinois
Nov. 23  Indiana
Nov. 30  at Michigan
Dec. 7  Big Ten Championship

Doesn't play: Nebraska, Michigan State, Minnesota

2014

Aug. 30  vs. Navy in Baltimore
Sept. 6  Cincinnati
Sept. 13 Kent State
Sept. 20 Virginia Tech
Sept. 27 Bye
Oct. 4  Purdue
Oct. 11  Bye
Oct. 18  at Iowa
Oct. 25  Northwestern
Nov. 1  at Wisconsin
Nov. 8  Illinois
Nov. 15  at Penn State
Nov. 22  at Indiana
Nov. 29  Michigan
Dec. 6  Big Ten Championship

Doesn't play: Nebraska, Michigan State, Minnesota

And as a reminder, here are the schedules for 2011 and 2012, which we already knew:

2011

Sept. 3  Akron 
Sept. 10 Toledo
Sept. 17 at Miami
Sept. 24    Colorado
Oct. 1  Michigan State
Oct. 8  at Nebraska
Oct. 15  at Illinois
Oct. 22  Bye
Oct. 29  Wisconsin
Nov. 5  Indiana
Nov. 12  at Purdue
Nov. 19  Penn State
Nov. 26  at Michigan
Dec. 3  Big Ten Championship

Doesn't play: Iowa, Northwestern, Minnesota

2012

Sept. 1  Miami, Ohio
Sept. 8  Cincinnati
Sept. 15 Cal
Sept. 22 Alabama-Birmingham
Sept. 29 at Michigan State
Oct. 6  Nebraska
Oct. 13  at Indiana
Oct. 20  Purdue
Oct. 27  at Penn State
Nov. 3  Illinois
Nov. 10  Bye
Nov. 17  at Wisconsin
Nov. 24  Michigan
Dec. 1  Big Ten Championship
 
Doesn't play: Iowa, Northwestern, Minnesota

Is Travis Hafner back? What can the Indians do to boost attendance? Plain Dealer Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.

View full sizeChuck Crow | The Plain DealerTravis Hafner is hitting .375 to start the 2011 season.

Is Travis Hafner back? What can the Indians do to boost attendance? 

Plain Dealer Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.

Among other topics discussed:

• Was the game on Opening Day one of the most bizarre openers you've covered?
• If Jack Hannahan continues to play well, does that delay Lonnie Chisenhall's arrival?
• What is the Indians' plan with Adam Miller this season?
• Is it too early to be concerned about Matt LaPorta?
• How much better is this team's defense than in years past?

You can download the mp3 or listen with the player to the right.

As golf and the Masters take center stage in the sports world this week, the overwhelming story is not about Tiger or Phil or handicapping the field. It's about commemorating the past, celebrating an anniversary of the greatest moment in the career of Ohio's greatest athlete.

Augusta National/GettyJack Nicklaus eagles the 15th hole at Augusta.

Senior golf writer Ron Sirak is quoted as saying, "The greatest debt of gratitude that we owe to Tiger Woods is that he reminded an entire generation who didn't see Jack Nicklaus play, how great Jack Nicklaus was."

That principle applies to the 2011 Masters this week.  Fans and media are focused on Tiger, Phil, the wide open handicapping of the field - but the overwhelming story about the arrival of the 2011 Masters is the marking of an anniversary that inspires us to look backwards.  Much like Tiger has come to illuminate the greatness of Ohio's own Jack Nicklaus, the debt of gratitude we owe to the 2011 Masters is that it marks the 25th Anniversary of Jack's final major victory, his 1986 win at Augusta National.

In 1986, Nicklaus was considered over the hill at 46.  He had not won a major in 6 years or a tournament of any kind in 2 years.  He was nearing the end of his tour career - a purgatory between PGA pro, the Senior Tour, and business interests. No one thought he could win and even Jack doubted his ability to win.  He said at the time that he "wasn't really a golfer." 

Tom McCollister, hardened golf writer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, handicapped the field in his Sunday column to start the week.  Of Jack, he wrote, "Nicklaus is gone, done."

One week later, what transpired on that following Sunday is often characterized as "the best 9 holes of major championship golf ever played."  Seve Ballesteros boasted that he was ready to win and "could have the tournament wrapped up by 16."  He would crumble by 15 amid the roars echoing from a few holes ahead.  One writer called Jack's final 10 holes, which included 6 birdies and an eagle, the greatest stretch of competitive golf ever played.  It began with three straight birdies on 9, 10, and 11 - only then, on the classic par 3 12th, did CBS golf director Frank Chirkinian decide to feature Nicklaus in the broadcast.

A major criticism of pro golf is that it's hard to televise and it does not create compelling TV.  But this Sunday afternoon at Augusta provided one of the great sporting dramas of the past half century, approaching "Miracle on Ice" levels.  It built with each hole, each 10 to 15 minutes becoming an episode with its own broadcast commentary that is now as much a part of the lore as the shots themselves.  Ben Wright, after the eagle on 15, with "The battle is joined, there's life in the old Bear yet."  

On 16, Jack uttered what he called the cockiest comment of his golfing life.  His caddie and son, Jackie, implored his tee shot to "Be the right club!"  Jack, who could not see well, bent over to pick up his tee before his ball had even reached the top of its arc and responded, without missing a beat, "It is." Jim Nantz's phrases have inspired thousands of sardonic tweets, and, calling his first Masters,  he exclaimed, "There's no doubt about it, the Bear has come out of hibernation," after the near hole-in-one led to a tap-in birdie.

Previous WFNY Cavs coverage

• Are the Indians Suffering from a LeBron Hangover?
• Cavs Top 'Cats, May Not Finish With Worst Record in NBA After All
• Cavs Are Waiting For Next Year
• Cavaliers Discussion Points

More From WFNY

• Tomlin Stops the Red Sox Cold
• Blue Jackets News & Notes: 4/5/11
• On Mark Cuban, Locker Room Access and the Internet
• Thoughts on Indians Record-setting Attendance

And then there's the climax - Verne Lundquist's dramatic "Maybe…Yes sir!" after Jack's putt on 17 found the bottom of the cup and gave him sole possession of the lead (the third such "Yes sir" within the final 60 minutes of Sunday's coverage).  Anyone who has played more than one round of golf has, at one time or another, either purposefully or reflexively mimicked Jack's raised arm, putter in hand, staring the ball into the hole as he does in the famous photo from that putt on 17.  Lundquist called that Sunday afternoon at Augusta "way out in front" as the most memorable and exciting thing he'd ever seen in 48 years of broadcasting.  Every golfer and media member involved that day says the same thing.

Pat Summerall and Ken Venturi were in the tower on 18.  Venturi had watched Jack struggle during an earlier round that week and told USA Today, "Jack's got to start thinking about when it is time to retire."  Summerall, recalling the scene as Jack played out the final hole, "I looked at Venturi who had big tears running down his cheeks and I could feel the tears running down my cheeks."  Venturi was only able to let out an "Ah, beautiful" before getting choked up.  As with the columnist whose writer's block "read like poetry" the next morning ("My fingers simply will not work") - Summerall simply found it impossible to speak as "the whole scene just played out itself."  As his partner Venturi's been known to say, fiction can't touch it.

Nicklaus himself became emotional on four or five occasions during the incredible stretch run on this Sunday afternoon - often stating that tears began welling up around the 15th hole.  He was not only well past his prime, but he had his son Jackie on the bag all weekend - their first time together at Augusta.  Jack's mom, who had not been to the Masters since his debut in 1959, decided that spring that she wanted to come to Augusta one last time.  There are more anecdotes about this Sunday afternoon than any other round in the history of golf.

Last spring during the week of the Memorial Tournament, I wrote about what Jack meant to the state of Ohio.  It was during a time when our hearts and minds were consumed on a daily basis with the great free agent chase of LeBron.  Based on his achievements in sport and business, I referred to Jack as "Ohio's Global Icon."  The sports world didn't really care about what was, in the sunset of his life, one of Jack's few public appearances and was busy wringing its hands about LeBron's interview with Larry King and his constant need to be in the spotlight. 

Whether, in the sunset of his life, he wants it or not, this week puts Jack right back in that spotlight.  Until someone creates their own memories this Sunday, 2011 Masters week serves as an anniversary and a celebration of what happened 25 years ago - Jack's final major and the last of his 73 PGA Tour titles.  Whether you follow golf or not, it's a week all Ohioans should look back and feel a debt of gratitude.

Plain Dealer Browns reporter says NFL teams are increasingly rating Jones ahead of Georgia's A.J. Green.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, hosted by Chuck Yarborough and Bill Lubinger, as Branson Wright is "on assignment."

The NFL lockout goes on, and on, and on. . . When do you think it might end? Cast your vote in today's Starting Blocks poll.

Today's guest on SBTV, Plain Dealer Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot, talks about what the Browns and the players have been doing to prepare for the draft and the season during the lockout; and she says Alabama receiver Julio Jones is gaining favor with teams around the league.

SBTV will return Thursday with Plain Dealer Ohio State reporter Doug Lesmerises talking about the Buckeyes and spring football practice.

Josh Tomlin earns huzzahs for his performance on the hill for the Indians against the still winless Red Sox.

View full sizeChuck Crow,
The Plain DealerJosh Tomlin handed Boston its fourth loss without a win with seven strong innings at Progressive Field Tuesday night.

Cleveland, Ohio -- From the time we're little kids, we're taught not to take pleasure in others' misery.

Yet despite the teaching and ministrations of parents, teachers, ministers and counselors, we still tune in to Dr. Drew, Maury, Springer et al and watch with the rapt attention of a buzzard at a slaughterhouse window.

That may be why the first place we turned this morning was to boston.com to see how the Boston Globe was handling the Red Sox thus far winless season. That's the vaunted Red Sox, with the second-highest payroll in baseball. The same Red Sox who were projected to win not only the AL East but also the AL pennant AND the World Series.

Granted, we're only four games into a 162-game season, but isn't it fun to note that the lowly Tribe, which is supposed to give Kansas City its stiffest competition for the AL Central cellar, is two games ahead of Boston? That's right, CLEVELAND is at .500 on the season, and Boston isn't winning any more than Charlie Sheen is.

As the Red Sox played the Cleveland Indians here last night, Charlie Sheen and his “Violent Torpedo of Truth’’ tour were at the State Theater only a short distance away.

Here’s some more truth: The Sox are more of a mess than the drug-addled actor at this point as they were beaten, 3-1, by the Indians.

Forget the World Series, the 0-4 Red Sox are in a race with Tampa Bay and Houston not to be the last team in baseball without a win.

...The Sox have scored two runs on 10 hits in their last 20 innings. Take away Dustin Pedroia, who is 5 of 15, and what is supposed to be the best lineup in baseball is hitting .167.

The Sox are off to their worst start since the 1996 team was 0-5 en route to third place. After two more games in Cleveland, the Sox return home to face the Yankees and could find a hostile crowd waiting for them at Fenway Park if this keeps up.

"For seven innings, he stayed away from the middle of the plate and kept Boston completely at bay to the tune of one run on three hits. It bears repeating, this was a lineup that features six former all stars and two former MVP’s."

"The Best Team Ever ranks 27th in runs with 12, 29th in batting average (.186), 26th in OBP (.271), 30th in ERA (8.16), and 29th in WHIP (1.72). Only David Ortiz, Adrian Gonzalez, and Dustin Pedroia are batting above .200."

"There’s too much history here. Everybody here knows how to win. We’ve got to figure it out. Nobody’s going to come out of the blue, feel sorry for us and help us out. We know what we’ve got to do."

Tomlin looked precisely like the pitcher who won a five-way competition for the final spot in the rotation during training camp in Arizona. He seldom if ever threw a pitch over 89 mph, but he was able to throw his entire repertoire — two-seamer, four-seamer, curveball, change-up and cutter — to spots where the Red Sox found it difficult to connect with authority.

Josh Tomlin is a long way from Ricky Vaughn, the hard-throwing right-hander Sheen played in the movie "Major League" about the downtrodden Indians. But there is such a thing as mojo, and perhaps a bit of it found its way from the PlayhouseSquare State Theatre to the mound at Progressive Field -- Tomlin proved to be as hard to hit as Sheen was in the movie.

Tuesday, he played a baseball game in Ohio for the first time in nearly 11 months, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout and a run scored for the Class AAA Columbus Clippers in their 4-3, seven-inning exhibition victory over Ohio State.

"It's been so long since I've been able to go out and play," said Sizemore, whose only previous game action came in spring training. "So every game there's a little bit of excitement. ... Every step takes it a little bit further."

Barry Bonds' defense team, in a move aimed at underscoring their contention that the government hasn't proven its case, rested without calling a single witness in his perjury trial. Bonds is accused of lying about steroid use.

View full sizeAssociated PressBarry Bonds greets a supporter as he arrives at his perjury trial in San Francisco on Wednesday. His defense team rested without calling a witness, and the federal judge hearing the case tossed one of the four charges facing the former slugger, who is accused of lying about steroid use.

San Francisco -- One of the five charges in Barry Bonds' perjury trial has been dropped and the defense has rested without calling a single witness.

Bonds' attorney Allen Ruby announced the move Wednesday morning. Declining to call a witness underscored the defense's belief prosecutors have failed to prove that the all-time major league home runs leader lied to a federal grand jury by saying he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs. It also means Bonds will not take the witness stand.

"The defense rests," Ruby told the eight-woman, four-man jury before U.S. District Judge Susan Illston released them for the day.

The panel was ordered to return Thursday to begin deliberating after hearing closing arguments and the judge's instructions on how to consider the evidence submitted during the 11-day trial.

Illston began the session by tossing out one of the charges pending against Bonds. Prosecutors asked for the dismissal after Illston made it clear she was planning to throw it out anyway.

The dismissed charge accused Bonds of lying to the grand jury when he denied taking the designer steroids dubbed "the clear" and "the cream" prior to the 2003 season. Bonds admitted taking those steroids in 2003, but said his personal trainer misled him into believing they were legal supplements.

None of the prosecution's witnesses tied Bonds to use of the designer steroids before 2003.

Still, it was a limited victory for Bonds. He faces the same punishment if convicted of any of the four charges remaining.

"The dismissal is one less bullet to dodge on the liability side," said defense attorney William Keane, who represented track coach Trevor Graham when he was accused of making false statements. "If Mr. Bonds is convicted on one or more of the remaining counts it will not have much of an impact on his ultimate sentence."

Bonds is still charged with three counts of lying to the grand jury and one count of obstruction. Legal analysts say Bonds likely faces a realistic maximum of about 15 months in prison if convicted, but likely would be sentenced to about a year of house arrest. That's the same punishment elite cyclist Tammy Thomas received for lying to the same grand jury when she denied taking steroids.

The judge on Wednesday also ruled that the jury will be allowed to consider testimony that Bonds' testicles shrank, which prosecutors claim is a side effect of steroid use. Bonds' attorneys sought to bar consideration of that testimony after Bonds' former mistress Kimberly Bell admitted that she exaggerated the degree to which Bonds' testicles shrank when she testified before the grand jury.

The judge also turned down Bonds attorneys' request to toss out the testimony of Colorado Rockies first baseman Jason Giambi and three other former athletes as irrelevant. None of the players testified directly about Bonds. Instead, they told the jury that Bonds' personal trainer, Greg Anderson, supplied them with steroids and human growth hormone and detailed instructions on how to use them.

Pro Football Weekly's Nolan Nawrocki revealed on a conference call Wednesday that the concern over Da'Quan Bowers' knee is whether or not he'll need microfracture surgery. But a source close to Bowers says no doctor has ever said Bowers will need the controversial procedure.

Mark Crammer / AP photoSome teams are concerned that Clemson's Da'Quan Bowers might need another procedure on his surgically-repaired right knee.

CLEVELAND -- A source close to Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers disputed a report Wednesday that Bowers might need microfracture surgery on his surgically-repaired right knee.

Bowers, the premier pass rusher in this draft, will visit the Browns on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Pro Football Weekly's Nolan Nawrocki said Wednesday on a conference call that some teams are concerned that Bowers might need the controversial procedure.

But the source said, "no doctor has ever told us that Da'Quan needs micofracture in the future.'' Instead, at least one team that's examined Bowers itself recently has said the knee looks great.

Microfracture surgery involves drilling small holes in the knee to spur the growth of a cartilage-like scar tissue. It can take up to a year to recover from the procedure.

Bowers, who underwent surgery to repair a torn right meniscus in January, will have the knee re-checked in Indianapolis on Friday.

Nawrocki said two NFL teams told him they failed Bowers on their physicals at the Combine. Teams are also allowed to conduct their own exams when they bring players in for a visit. Players are not permitted to workout during those trips.

Bowers did not perform as well at his Pro Day last week as some teams had hoped, but was only 11-1/2 weeks out from his surgery and hadn't been able to train as hard as he normally would. He ran a 4.9 in the 40 and was a step slow in some of his drills.

Nawrocki said a team would have to feel certain Bowers was healthy before taking him high.

"The concern is whether or not he's going to need microfracture surgery, and if he does, it's an issue that's going to weigh heavily into his draft status,'' said Nawrocki. "It wouldn't be a shocker if he wound up lasting until late in the first round due to the way he worked out at his pro day.''

Nawrocki said Bowers' knee issues have elevated North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn, who also has red flags. Nawrocki said he thinks Quinn is "absolutely in consideration'' by the Browns at No. 6.

But he cautioned that Quinn also comes with baggage, more than just sitting out last season for accepting illegal benefits. He said his Pro Day drills weren't great and that he has learning and medical concerns.

As for Georgia receiver A.J. Green, whom many experts think the Browns will pick, Nawrocki said, "he's so safe all around. It's not often you find a guy with his skillset.''

He said he doesn't have Alabama receiver Julio Jones ranked far behind Green and that some teams compare him to the big, physical Andre Johnson. ESPN's Mel Kiper has the Browns taking Jones in his latest mock draft.

"Perez was shaky tonight, but good relief pitchers pitch themselves out of trouble. He might blow some saves over the course of the season, but I feel very good about the win when he enters the game with a lead. He will be worth at least ten wins this year compared to what we threw out there in 2009 and 2010 prior to CP taking over." - NJTribefan1

View full sizeChuck Crow | The Plain DealerChris Perez has helped stabilize the back of the Indians bullpen since taking over the closer role last season.

In response to the story Josh Tomlin in total control as Cleveland Indians defeat Boston Red Sox, 3-1, cleveland.com reader NJTribefan1 likes what he sees from Chris Perez. This reader writes,

"Perez was shaky tonight, but good relief pitchers pitch themselves out of trouble. He might blow some saves over the course of the season, but I feel very good about the win when he enters the game with a lead. He will be worth at least ten wins this year compared to what we threw out there in 2009 and 2010 prior to CP taking over."

Cavaliers are among the teams that will be interested in drafting the talented freshman.

Associated PressKyrie Irving (1) will likely be considered the most talented point guard available in the NBA draft.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Duke freshman point guard Kyrie Irving has decided to enter the NBA draft, reports GoDuke.com.

The website reports that Irving plans to hire an agent, which would commit him to staying in the draft and dis-qualify him from returning to college basketball.

Many talent and draft analysts regard Irving as the favorite to be the first pick in the NBA's June draft.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves and some other teams with the possibilities of owning the first or second pick have to be pleased with Irving's apparent decision.

The website quotes Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, and also reports:

Irving, a 6-2 guard from West Orange, N.J., played in just 11 games this season, sitting out 26 contests with a toe injury on his right foot. He averaged 17.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting .529 (55-of-104) from the field, .462 (18-of-39) from behind the three-point line and .901 (64-of-71) from the free throw line. Irving started the first eight games of the year, averaging 17.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game during that time frame. He returned to action in the NCAA Tournament and averaged 17.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in Duke’s three outings.

“I want to thank the entire staff at Duke, especially the coaches,” said Irving. “It was a great experience playing for Coach K. He taught me a lot about the game. Even when I was hurt, I learned a lot. Also a special thanks goes to the medical staff for getting me back on the court for the NCAA Tournament and my teammates for sticking with me throughout the entire year. Duke offered me an experience I could never have imagined.”

Judge Susan Richard Nelson, however, urged both sides to get back to the bargaining table.

AP/U.S. District Court, Minn.U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The federal judge overseeing the NFL players' request to lift a lockout by the owners said it will take "a couple of weeks" to rule.

U.S. District Court Judge Susan Richard Nelson, however, urged both sides to get back to the bargaining table.

Nelson heard arguments from lawyers for the players and NFL owners Wednesday in St. Paul.

The players say their careers are being irreparably harmed by the lockout. The owners say Nelson doesn't have the jurisdiction to issue an injunction while there is a complaint before the National Labor Relations Board.

Nelson said she'd be happy to help facilitate a new bargaining session.

The lockout was imposed by owners three weeks ago after negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement broke off.

Named plaintiffs Mike Vrabel, Ben Leber, Vincent Jackson, Brian Robison and Von Miller were joined in court by veterans Tony Richardson and Charlie Batch and Hall of Famer Carl Eller. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, the three highest profile plaintiffs, did not attend.

The court appearance was the first round between the NFL and its locked-out players in their legal fight over the future of the $9 billion business — including the 2011 season.

When Nelson makes her decision, she could side with the players and grant the injunction, putting pro football back in business. Or she could side with the owners and either deny the injunction or wait to decide until the NLRB rules on the league's contention that decertification was an improper bargaining ploy.

The winner would have leverage whenever talks resume on a new CBA. However, whatever Nelson decides likely will be appealed.

The players say the lockout is causing "irreparable harm" to their careers. The injunction request accompanies the antitrust lawsuit filed against the league after labor talks broke down on March 11.

"All of these players are being affected every day by being locked out," James Quinn, a lawyer for the players, argued Wednesday.

The owners say the court does not have jurisdiction to issue the injunction while the National Labor Relations Board is considering an unfair labor complaint. They characterize the players' decision to decertify the union "a sham" that compromised the collective bargaining process.

The league says it has the right to keep players from working and says the court must wait until the NLRB rules on its claim that the players didn't negotiate in good faith.

David Boies, an attorney for the NFL, argued that the players are still acting like a union, saying the NFLPA is funding the litigation and has set up other services for the players as if it were still a fully formed labor entity.

"They're financing this lawsuit," Boies said. "They're saying, 'We're no longer a collective bargaining agent, but we're going to continue to do all these things.'"

Quinn dismissed the accusation, pointing to a vote that every player took to approve decertification.

"It's not some kind of tactic. It's the law," Quinn said. "It's what we're allowed to do."

Nelson said Wednesday that decertification is fair because the union gives up certain rights as well, including the right to strike.

The fight is complicated and perhaps uninteresting to the average football fan when the scheduled start of the season is still five months away. But the fate of everyone's favorite team hangs in the balance.

"Even though football is enjoying this unprecedented popularity ... nothing is invulnerable," said David Allen Larson, a professor of labor and employment law at Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, Minn.

It's the first work stoppage in the NFL since the 1987 strike — and the first in any major U.S sports league since the NHL's lockout-lost 2004-05 season. The players balked at more financial concessions when the owners wouldn't open their books, and the owners insist the decertification of the union is a sham cooked up only to apply leverage in the fight.

Now, they don't even agree on which laws apply to the case, with the owners arguing for labor law and the players preferring antitrust rules.

Nelson pressed Boies for much of the morning, asking if the antitrust exemption the league currently enjoys applies to a lockout after the union has decertified.

"The very fact that the union planned to do this affects what they do in the collective bargaining process," Boies said.

Duke point guard, a freshman, says he's going to turn pro. More Cavs links.

Associated PressMany observers think that if the Cleveland Cavaliers get the first overall pick in the NBA draft, they will take Duke point guard Kyrie Irving (1).

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers, who play in Toronto tonight against the Raptors, will almost certainly own one of the top two or three picks in June's NBA draft.

Barring a trade, they will have another lottery pick, the first-rounder acquired with Baron Davis in the trade of Mo Williams and Jamario Moon to the Los Angeles Clippers.

A Starting Blocks entry links to a report from Duke's athletics website that announces point guard Kyrie Irving will enter the NBA draft.

CBSSports.com features its first NBA mock draft of the year. If the Cavaliers win the draft lottery and pick first, CBSSports.com expects them to select:

Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke, 19 years old, 6-foot-2, 185 pounds

When you're as desperate as Cleveland is in the wake of LeBron James's departure, reliability is the surest route to a comeback. Kyrie Irving is the risk-free pick at the top: He clearly has an NBA position, he has his head on his shoulders, he displays all the leadership qualities and intangibles to build around, and he can shoot the rock. The Cavaliers have needs everywhere but they need to walk before they can run. A reasonable best-case scenario in the short term is that Irving blossoms to carry a lesser cast to big things, a la a young Chris Paul; The worst-case is that you have a solid floor general locked in for years to come.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Cavaliers coverage includes Jodie Valade's game story on the Cavs' 99-89 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday night, and her Cavaliers Insider.

Post-ups

Cavaliers-Raptors game preview by Nicolino DiBenedetto for STATS and the Associated Press.

A blog by Austin Carr, a Cavs' television announcer and former star guard, on CavFanatic.com.

Cavaliers notebook, by Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Cavs won't tie their worst-ever win-loss record. Cavs-Bobcats game story by Rick Noland for the Medina County Gazette and Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.

Charlotte coach Paul Silas -- a former Cavs coach -- was disappointed with the Bobcats in their loss to the Cavaliers. Cavs-Bobcats game story by Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.

Cavaliers-Bobcats game stories by Bob Finnan for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal; Sam Amico for FoxSportsOhio.com; Jason Lloyd for the Akron Beacon Journal.

ESPN draft gurus split over who the Browns will take with the No. 6 pick. Mel Kiper says WR Julio Jones; Todd McShay says DE Robert Quinn.

View full sizeAP FileNorth Carolina's suspended defensive end Robert Quinn (42) is ESPN's Todd McShay's latest projected target for the Browns' pick with the No. 6 choice in the upcoming draft.

If ESPN's Mel Kiper is right (and doesn't change his mind between now and April 28), the Browns will take Alabama receiver Julio Jones with the sixth pick of the NFL draft. He told The Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot about his choice in a conference call today and she passed along that word on today's SBTV webcast.

The speedy wideout (an oxymoron in recent years when it comes to Cleveland receivers) ran a 4.39 40 at the NFL Combine. Bleacherreport.com quoted Kiper's subscription-only draft account:

"His size and speed combination is the best in the draft at the position, and his development as a wideout over the past year shows a determination and work ethic that will be loved by the coaching staff. The Browns need a true No. 1 at wide receiver, and if healthy, Jones can be that guy. A gifted athlete, he blocks as hard as he runs routes. Great when healthy, still really good when battling through pain."

If the Cleveland Browns could make the 183rd pick of the 2000 draft all over again, then I'm fairly certain when they wouldn't have taken Spergon Wynn.

Fifteen picks later, the New England Patriots took a shot on Tom Brady. It happened to work out.

Brady was the seventh quarterback drafted that year. As part of ESPN's "Year of the Quarterback" campaign, NFL Films will look back on the ones who came off the board before him. "The Brady 6" will debut April 12.

Two proposals to create a better environment for the Final Four and slow the talent drain in college basketball.

View full sizeTim Donnelly / Associated PressThe NCAA is not alone in believing that bigger is always better -- moving the Final Four away from giant facilities such as Houston's Reliant Stadium is just one of two changes that Bill Livingston says would be a benefit to the college game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The NCAA Tournament, much as Reggie Jackson once did, gets a whole month of the calendar devoted to it. This year's installment had enough illogical upsets, enough brackets in flames, to satisfy all the March hares and still play host to a mad hatters convention.

It is just as crazy, however, to say the sport it showcases has not slipped in quality and in presentation.

It is just as insane to ignore the NBA age requirement that destroys the continuity of the great programs and gives a raspberry to the whole idea of college education.

The little solution is to admit the Final Four is not the Super Bowl; that it does not belong in football stadiums whose shooting background is inimical to the game's skill set. It would improve significantly if the NCAA returned to more traditional arenas.

The runner-up Butler Bulldogs forgot their lines when cast as the Hickory Huskers of "Hoosiers." Jimmy Chitwood didn't come back to the team, bringing his velvety shooting touch with him. No one did.

Fans of college basketball, however, have been ruing the players' diminishing skills for years. We long ago realized that Magic Johnson was never going to face Larry Bird again at season's end. Even then, in the 1979 championship game, which is still the most watched ever, the canker was in the rose. Johnson would leave Michigan State after cutting down the nets as a college sophomore.

Today, the most fans can hope for is a rule that mandates players stay as long as Magic did before disappearing.

At a reunion of Ohio State's 1960 national championship team last year, Bob Knight, a reserve on the team and later a Hall of Fame coach, ripped the current rule. In effect since the 2006 NBA Draft, it requires high school players to wait until one year after their class has graduated to become eligible for the NBA.

"All a player has to do is make a 'D' average the first semester of his freshman year to be eligible. He doesn't even have to go to class the second semester," said Knight.

Knight claimed NBA Commissioner David Stern agreed with the premise of his argument. Stern should. Such a rule change would help his league.

In the 1990s, high school players who were well-scouted, almost can't-miss prospects became first-round NBA draft picks. They were players like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady. But the trend devolved into the enthronement of potential in 17-year-olds who were only age-group wonders. They were players like Kwame Brown and former Cavs Darius Miles and DeSagana Diop.

The "one-and-done" rule has produced better results for the NBA. But the talent reduction it created in the college game finally reached its nadir in the Butler-UConn game.

Since 2007, NBA teams have drafted 29 freshmen in the first round. Derrick Rose might win the Most Valuable Player award this season. Kevin Love, after taking two seasons to mesh his gears, became a double-double machine. But the Cavs' J.J. Hickson is just now developing consistency to go with his explosiveness. Ohio State's B.J. Mullens and Kosta Koufos went to the Developmental League to sharpen their games. The Buckeyes' Daequan Cook has played better in the NBA than he did in the 2007 Final Four, which is saying very little.

We might get a taste of how Knight's proposed rule change would affect college basketball if the seemingly inevitable NBA lockout after the present season dissuades the top college freshmen from entering the draft. Ohio State's Jared Sullinger has already said he will stay in school. The labor uncertainty also might affect North Carolina's Harrison Barnes and UConn's Jeremy Lamb. Duke's Kyrie Irving said he was coming out on Wednesday.

It would be very bad for the Cavs, who could have the most ping-pong balls in the draft lottery.

But it would increase fan identification with college teams by taking the revolving door off the ivory towers. It would enhance the quality of play. It would give pro scouts a second year of results to evaluate. It would make the term "student-athlete" less of a hilarious oxymoron.

Which, some of the one-and-done players should know, does not mean a dumb cow.

Follow Bill Livingston on Facebook and on Twitter @LivyPD

Jim Chones had a little advice for his nephew Dallas Lauderdale, the former Solon star who was a surprise addition to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament for potential NBA draft choices.

View full sizeAP file photoDallas Lauderdale's physical gifts and defensive potential at the next level earned him an invitation to this week's Portsmouth Invitational camp in Virginia.

TORONTO -- Jim Chones had a little advice for his nephew Dallas Lauderdale, the former Solon star who was a surprise addition to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament for potential NBA draft choices that started on Wednesday in Portsmouth, Va.

"The only advice I gave him was to go out there and do all the things most bigs don't want to do unless they're averaging 25 a game," said Chones, the former Cav star who is now a team broadcaster. "Every team is looking for players like him, who will sacrifice their body, who have exceptional athleticism.

"Combined with his athleticism, he has exceptional strength. He's long. He's short-waisted with long arms. His arms are 7-5. He's exceptional. He's got the right attitude. He's humble and willing to learn. It's a great opportunity. If he does well, it's great. If he doesn't, there are other opportunities for him."

Lauderdale, represented by Cleveland-based agent Mark Termini, is 6-9, 265 with a 36-inch vertical jump. The Ohio State product played in the shadow of freshman phenomenon Jared Sullinger this year, and Greg Oden before that. But NBA teams seem intrigued by his skills and that 7-5 wingspan.

"A lot of people are curious about him," said Chones, admittedly not the most unbiased opinion. "What they've seen is flashes of his super athleticism. He definitely is way above average as far as big men being able to jump as quick and as high. He's physically strong enough. He didn't play a lot. That's still a mystery to me. That's the past. Now he has a chance to show what he can do.

"If he goes out there and does what he's been doing -- just do it in volume -- block shots, rebound, run the floor and dunk on people."

Chones said his nephew is stronger than he was, though they share the same athleticism and jumping ability. But because Lauderdale didn't play a lot of minutes or put up big numbers at Ohio State, he is somewhat under the radar.

"When you're bringing in super players every year at his spot, who are only going to stay a year, there's an instability in your development," Chones said. "Those guys took priority. He weathered the storm. He didn't cry about it. He didn't pout. He just took what was given and made most of it. Coaches in our league are looking for that kind of kid."

Though Portsmouth typically attracts players who are not expected to go high in the first round -- if at all -- previous attendees include New York rookie Landry Fields and Portland's Wesley Matthews.

Irving in: One player who won't be at Portsmouth is Duke freshman guard Kyrie Irving. Duke announced Irving plans to hire an agent and will enter the 2011 NBA Draft. He is expected to be one of the top picks, if not No. 1.

As per NBA rules, the Cavs were not permitted to talk about Irving until the league officially releases the list of underclassmen who have renounced their college eligibility.

"Our whole program is overjoyed with having Kyrie here for one year and that he has the chance now to pursue a dream of being a high draft pick and a great player in the NBA," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a press release. "We are totally supportive of Kyrie, his family and his decision."

Irving, a 6-2 guard from West Orange, N.J., played in just 11 games, sitting out 26 contests with a toe injury on his right foot. He averaged 17.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting .529 (55-of-104) from the field, .462 (18-of-39) from behind the 3-point line and .901 (64-of-71) from the free-throw line.

Injury updates: Samardo Samuels missed his second straight game with a strained left groin. Coach Byron Scott said he'd like Samuels and Semih Erden, who has played just one game since being traded to the Cavs from Boston, to play before the season ends.

"If the guy is physically fit to play, I'm not going to try and hold that against him and keep him out," Scott said. "The more they can play the better. We have so many young guys, the more experience they can get out there on the floor the better it is."

This ends a 10-day search by Kent athletic director Joel Nielsen to find a replacement for former head man Geno Ford.

View full sizeKSU photoRob Senderoff will be introduced as Kent State's new basketball coach on Thursday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Rob Senderoff, 37, was officially named Kent State's next head basketball coach on Wednesday, with a formal press conference set for 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

This ends a 10-day search by Kent athletic director Joel Nielsen to find a replacement for former head man Geno Ford, who departed after three seasons for Bradley University.

Senderoff's hiring continues a recent KSU tradition of hiring from within. The program has won 20 or more games 12 out of the last 13 seasons while advancing to either the NCAA Tournament or the NIT Tournament 11 times. By retaining the popular Senderoff, the Golden Flashes can look for little staff or player turnover from a team that had just one senior in a 25-12 season.

Kent won the regular-season Mid-American Conference title, advanced to the title game of the MAC Tournament before losing to rival Akron, then advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT.

Senderoff's rise to head coach began as an assistant at Miami (Ohio) in 1995, with stops at Fordham, Yale, Towson State, Kent, Indiana and back to Kent in 2008 as associate head coach to Ford. His two-year stay at Indiana was the most turbulent, as he was penalized 36 months with recruiting restrictions by the NCAA as part of the Kelvin Sampson regime at Indiana. That blemish comes off the NCAA books on May 25.

Former Cavalier links with rival of his favorite baseball team, the Yankees. Heat coach Spoelstra's doubts about James' soccer skills remind us of James' weak swings in slow-pitch softball, and at Indians' BP.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerLeBron James taking "batting practice" before an Indians game in 2003. After swinging and missing (notice the baseballs behind him) at pitch after pitch - almost each slower than the one before it - James finally nudged a little opposite-field blooper behind first base.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James, a former Cleveland Cavalier swingman now with the Miami Heat, is known for his front-runner tendencies as a fan, besides his lack of loyalty to his own most ardent fans.

James, who was born in Akron, never demonstrated an allegiance to the Cleveland Indians. In fact, after the Indians set up James with cozy seats for an Indians' playoff game against the New York Yankees in 2007, he watched the game wearing a Yankees hat.

Now, is James betraying the Bronx Bombers? More surprisingly, he's linking to a Boston Red Sox team that was 0-4 going into tonight's game against the Indians.

There were 158 games remaining for the BoSox. Most likely, though, James committed to the team's sister company before the season began, when he figured the Red Sox would go 142-20, much as he predicted Miami would win six, seven, eight championships or more.

Associated Press reports:

"LeBron James is going into business with the Boston Red Sox.

"The baseball team's sister company, Fenway Sports Marketing, says it has signed James to a long-term deal to handle his marketing. As part of the deal, James has obtained a small piece of the soccer team Liverpool in the English Premier League, FSM president Sam Kennedy said Wednesday.

"FSM is owned by Fenway Sports Group, which is also the parent company of the Red Sox and Liverpool FC and a co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing. FSM handles the marketing for all of them, and now it will handle James, too.

" 'What FSM does for Roush Fenway, Liverpool and the Red Sox, we will now do for LeBron James,' " Kennedy said. " 'We will aggressively pursue business opportunities for him.' "

APLeBron James showing off the Yankees hat he wore to a 2007 Indians-Yankees playoff game in Cleveland.

Kennedy said FSM is not looking to get into representing individual athletes but the chance to work with a top athlete like James, a two-time NBA MVP, was too good to pass up.

" 'We are fortunate to have blue-chip brands like the Red Sox, Liverpool and Roush Fenway,' " Kennedy said. " 'This represents the next step in our evolution, to represent one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet.' "

..........Associated Press

Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com tweets that James says the possibility of his wearing a Red Sox hat is "up for discussion."

And, Haberstroh tweets, that Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says, "I'd love to see LeBron even try to kick a soccer ball."

Perhaps Spoelstra recalls how awful James looked trying to hit soft-toss batting practice pitches at Jacobs Field before an Indians game in 2003, or, worse yet, how James had trouble making contact against a slow-pitch softball hurler that same summer.

Video: LeBron James trying to hit slow-pitch softball tosses: