Not hiring agent gives each potential first-rounder the option of returning to play for Wildcats if he drops out of draft by May 8. Cleveland Cavaliers own two lottery draft picks.

Associated PressIf Kentucky's Brandon Knight (12) stays in the NBA draft, he will likely be one of the first point guards selected.

LEXINGTON, Kentucky -- Kentucky freshmen Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones and junior DeAndre Liggins are heading to the NBA. Maybe.

The school announced Wednesday all three players have declared for the NBA draft but will not sign with an agent, clearing the way for them to return to school next fall if they change their mind by May 8.

Jones and Knight are considered mid-to-high first-round picks while Liggins is a defensive stopper who hopes to play his way into the first round after being evaluated by scouts.

The trio helped the Wildcats to their first Final Four appearance in 13 years this spring. Kentucky fell to Connecticut in the national semifinals.

Knight averaged 17.3 points at point guard and proved to be one of the best clutch performers in the country. The 6-foot-3 Knight hit a pair of game-winning shots during the team's NCAA tournament run. His driving lay-up helped Kentucky escape an upset bid by Princeton in the second round and his pull-up jumper with 5 seconds left allowed the Wildcats to knock off top-seeded Ohio State in the regional semifinals.

"Playing in the NBA has always been a dream of mine and this is the next step," Knight said. "All season long coach has been tutoring me on the fine points of being a point guard, and now I have an opportunity to put my game on display in front of NBA scouts as a result of my hard work."

Knight's 657 points were the most by a Kentucky freshman and he also broke the school's freshman 3-point record by knocking down 87 3s.

Jones averaged 15.7 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks and set a Kentucky freshman record by pouring in 35 points in a victory over Auburn in January. He was chosen SEC Newcomer of the Year by The Associated Press.

The 6-8 power forward volunteered to take on a slightly lesser role during the postseason to allow his teammates to get more involved, a move coach John Calipari said was key to the team's postseason success.

Liggins will have the most to prove. He blossomed into one of the country's top defenders but remains limited offensively. He averaged 8.6 points and 4.0 rebounds while leading the team with 46 steals.

"Growing up in a tough environment in Chicago, it's a pleasure to have an opportunity to do something special," said Liggins, who welcomed his first child during the season. "This is another challenge I'm looking forward to, to have my game evaluated by pro scouts and see how I rank against some of the top players in the world."

Calipari encouraged all three players to test their prospects but added he would "would love the opportunity to continue to coach them again next season."

The coach told reporters last week the unstable NBA labor situation could throw a wrench into his players' plans to leave early.

The collective bargaining agreement between the NBA Players Association and the owners expires June 30. If a new deal can't be reached, there's a chance league owners could lock out the players.

"The lockout really kind of screws everything up because a lot of kids are pulling their names because what if the lockout goes the whole year?" Calipari said. "What kind of mistake did you make?"

The announcement comes one day after freshman guard Doron Lamb said he would return next fall. Lamb pointed to the Final Four loss and the influx of another talented incoming freshman class next season as the main reasons behind his decision.

Lamb's return guarantees at least one high-profile freshman will return, one more than a year ago when Kentucky lost freshmen John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton to the pros after just one season on campus.

Hall of Fame coach Bobby Knight criticized Kentucky for promoting the "one-and-done" culture over the weekend but backed off his statements Tuesday.

Knight said in a brief statement released by ESPN: "My overall point is that 'one-and-dones' are not healthy for college basketball. I should not have made it personal to Kentucky and its players and I apologize."

"On one hand you want to give me a Ring of Honor," Brown says on radio show. "On the other hand you want to deal in dishonor."

Scott Shaw / The Plain DealerJim Brown still has a bad taste in his mouth for the Browns over being let go last season as a team consultant.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown said Wednesday on Sirius XM Mad Dog Radio that he still has a bad taste in his mouth about being let go by the Browns last year.

“I’m a Cleveland Brown for life but, man, I’ll tell you, I live in a positive world and I like to be able to help and I’ll never like to get in anybody’s way. And when I think of my experience with the Browns it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth because my intentions were good, and I was asked to participate, and I worked in that city very hard to represent the Browns. And I even got awards for working with organizations in the name of the Browns.

"And, of course, I wanted them to win but it’s like because they didn’t win then everybody is to blame. And when you get a new regime that comes in and they say, ‘OK, everybody’s gone.’ And you say, ‘Well, I’m gone, too?’ ‘Yeah, you’re gone, too.’ It’s not a great feeling and it’s all about feeling. It’s like what am I to this organization? On one hand you want to give me a Ring of Honor. On the other hand you want to deal in dishonor.

"So I wish the organization well but I’m happy just to go my way and to live my life because I’m going to try to help people and help situations with Amer-I-Can, my organization, and that’s going well. And I don’t wish any bad luck, I don’t have any ill feelings, only how I feel, it’s about my feelings and just how I feel. And that’s the way it is, you know? But there’s no blame, there’s no finger-pointing, none of that in my repertoire. So that’s an honest analysis of just my feelings.''

Brown declined to attend the Browns Ring of Honor ceremony last season because of the way he was let go as a team consultant.

Darbut, who is 6-4, 230, projects as a linebacker at the next level.

B-W sports informationKeith Darbut

There's always a player or two selected in the NFL Draft that not many fans have never heard much of.

It's more than likely a player who attended a small college, like London Fletcher (John Carroll) or Terrell Owens (Tennessee-Chattanooga) were not on the top of many draft pundits.

Here's another one.

ProFootballTalk.com has an article on Baldwin-Wallace defensive end Keith Darbut. He was was the Ohio Athletic Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2010. Darbut finished with 10 1/2 sacks.

Darbut is 6-4, and 230 pounds. He played defensive end in college but is projected as a linebacker in the NFL. From PFT:

And Darbut’s measurables are eye-opening.

Darbut participated at the Akron Pro Day on March 10. Measuring in at 6-foot-4 and 229 pounds, the 22-year-old Baldwin-Wallace team captain ran forty times of 4.38 and 4.40 with a 1.42 ten-yard split that would’ve bested all pass rushers at the Combine.

He also recorded a 10-foot-6 broad jump and 38-inch vertical, benching 225 pounds 26 times.

Draft websites generally grade Darbut as a priority free agent, writes Evan Silva of PFT. But that could change because Darbut's stock is on the rise.

Rookie duffer Dan McLaughlin aims to find out if 10,000 hours of practice can turn him into a pro golfer.

View full sizeAP FileCan 10,000 hours of dedicated practice turn a non-golfer into a pro? Maybe ... if he's not Charles Barkley (above). And Dan McLaughlin, who ISN'T Charles Barkley, intends to find out.

On a cold and blustery recent Saturday, we stood on the first hole of Hawthorne Country Club in Solon and fired a three-wood down the right-hand side of the fairway, just into the first cut of rough.

"You know," we thought, "given enough time, we might be able to do this for a living."

A few hours later, and those dreams faded into a realization that golf is Anderson Silva  and we just tapped out, a loser by submission.

But we're not Dan McLaughlin, a Portland, Ore., free spirit from a family of high achievers.

He has decided to turn himself into a human experiment: Can 10,000 hours of practice turn a never-played-before duffer into a pro golfer?

The St. Petersburg Times ran into McLaughlin, who managed to make enough money taking dental equipment images to buy a house; then saved $100,000 by renting out rooms in his house:

Could he stop being one thing and start being another? Could he, an average man, 5 feet 9 and 155 pounds, become a pro golfer, just by trying? Dan's not doing an experiment. He is the experiment.

The Dan Plan will take six hours a day, six days a week, for six years. He is keeping diligent records of his practice and progress. People who study expertise say no one has done quite what Dan is doing right now.

The lifelong Clevelander died April 9 at home from complications of lung cancer. He was 79.

View full size

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Louis Sawchik was a champion athlete and coach in the Cleveland public schools.

He also moonlighted as a leader at the municipal Lincoln Bathhouse recreation center.

The lifelong Clevelander died April 9 at home from complications of lung cancer. He was 79.

At South High, the 6-foot-5 Sawchik was an end in football and forward and center in basketball. He won regional all-scholastic honors in both sports.

At Ohio University, he was a first-string all-star in football and second-string in basketball for the Mid-American Conference. He helped the football team win a conference crown.

Sawchik played in seven exhibition games for the National Football League's Chicago Cardinals before breaking his leg. Then he served in the Army at Fort Benning, Ga.

Sawchik taught biology and physical education at Lincoln High School from 1957 to 1970. He rose from assistant to head coach in football and men's basketball, becoming the only head coach in both at a Senate League public school right then. He led the junior varsity basketball team to a West Senate crown in 1959.

At the new Lincoln West High in 1970, he began to teach and coach basketball there. The varsity won the West Senate crown in 1975.

He stopped coaching basketball in 1978, but kept teaching until 1988 and helped coach the football team. He also coached recreational football.

Sawchik was voted into halls of fame at Ohio University and South, the latter in its first year.

He outlived his wife, the former Janet Earle. Survivors include four children, seven grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Tomon and Sons handled his arrangements.

"Buck didn't do much, but he had a good last two games. I think he's a keeper, though, because he can play multiple positions. I'm not sold on Kearns, who has done nothing this year. Duncan might be the best of all three." - maxalvis

View full sizeChuck Crow | The Plain DealerTravis Buck had a strong spring for the Indians.

In response to the story A day later, Royals' baserunning mishap still raises eyebrows: Indians Insider, cleveland.com reader maxalvis thinks Buck will be back soon. This reader writes,

"Buck didn't do much, but he had a good last two games. I think he's a keeper, though, because he can play multiple positions. I'm not sold on Kearns, who has done nothing this year. Duncan might be the best of all three."

Indians and Royals continue 4-game set in Kansas City tonight.

View full sizeJustin Masterson is 3-0 to start the 2011 season.

(AP) -- Justin Masterson didn't win his fourth game last season for the Cleveland Indians until August. He's in position to accomplish that feat much earlier in 2011.

The right-hander looks to win his fourth straight start Wednesday night against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

Masterson (3-0, 1.33 ERA), who went 6-12 with a 4.78 ERA in 29 starts in 2010, has allowed three runs in 20 1-3 innings this season. He joins Cliff Lee and Luis Tiant as the only Cleveland starters since 1961 to begin the year winning their first three starts while not allowing more than a run in any of those outings.

"I told him, 'Throw that little white thing over that larger white thing as much as you can,'" Indians pitching coach Tim Belcher said. "If he does that, his stuff is so sick. If he throws strikes over the plate, he's going to give us a chance to win."

Masterson allowed a run and four hits in seven innings of an 8-2 victory over Baltimore on Friday.

"It's fun," Masterson said. "It's been very simple, subtle stuff but I've done it enough to just go out and pitch and gain confidence with what I have."

Masterson is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in five career starts against the Royals.

He looks to help the AL Central-leading Indians (12-5) bounce back after Kansas City snapped their four-game winning streak with a 5-4 victory Tuesday, evening this four-game set.

Alex Gordon went 2 for 4 with an RBI to extend his hitting streak to 13 games as the Royals (11-6) won for the fifth time in their last seven. Batting .407 with all 13 of his RBIs during the streak, Gordon is 3 for 7 with two doubles lifetime against Masterson.

Third baseman Wilson Betemit is 1 for 6 versus Masterson, but batting .395 during his current 11-game hitting streak.

Kansas City starter Luke Hochevar (2-1, 4.21) takes the mound looking to win three straight starts for the first time since June 29-July 9, 2009.

After giving up four runs in seven innings of a 9-5 win at Detroit on April 10, Hochevar allowed one and one hit in seven innings of a 6-5 victory over Seattle on Friday.

"I know he wasn't extremely happy with his first two starts, but the last two he's been throwing lights outs," teammate Jeff Francoeur said about Hochevar, who allowed 10 runs in his first two outings of 2011.

The right-hander was 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA against the Indians in 2010. He recorded his third career complete game when he allowed three runs and four hits in a 9-3 victory at Cleveland on May 20.

Grady Sizemore could be back in the lineup for the Indians after he came on as a pinch-hitter Tuesday. Manager Manny Acta plans to let Sizemore play three or four games every five days or so in his return from missing almost a year following knee surgery.

Sizemore is 5 for 10 with two doubles, a homer and two RBIs in three games since returning Sunday.

Cleveland's Shin-Soo Choo is batting just .215 on the season, but is 11 for 17 with three doubles and three homers versus Hochevar.

Ohio State commemorates Jesse Owens -- a more complicated, yet every bit as heroic a figure as his legend suggests -- with the Thursday unveiling of a statue outside the track stadium named for him.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jesse Owens was the man of sports' greatest hour.

He also ran and jumped through the most inspirational week in sports history, and he did so on the world's greatest stage.

He could fly. His long jump world record, set in 1935 in Ann Arbor, Mich., at the Big Ten Championships, without the benefit of high altitude, lasted for 25 years, longer than Bob Beamon's epic jump in the 1968 Olympics in the thin air of Mexico City. In 45 minutes that day, Owens broke or tied the world record in four events.

His performance in Berlin in the 1936 Olympics, when he won four gold medals in seven days, represented a transcendent moment for sports and for the ideal of human dignity.

In the sprints, Owens cracked the secret code, solving the mystery of seemingly effortless power and speed. How it must have galled Adolf Hitler and his Nazis to see a black man race with ease past the blond, blue-eyed specimens of Aryan manhood who were supposed to dominate the Olympics.

View full sizeAP photoFlanked by bronze medalist Naoto Tajima of Japan (left) and Germany's Lutz Long, Jesse Owens saluted the American flag as the Star-Spangled Banner was played during his gold medal ceremony for the long jump at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

Nearly 75 years since the week that was forever in Berlin; nearly 76 years since the man met the moment and made it eternal in Ann Arbor, over 31 years since his death -- James Cleveland (J.C., hence "Jesse") Owens will be commemorated Thursday in the unveiling of a statue outside the Ohio State track stadium named for him.

Alabama-born, Cleveland-raised, a great star at East Tech before Ohio State, Owens will be honored by the first on-campus statue that recognizably commemorates a Buckeye athlete. An abstract sculpture near Ohio Stadium was dedicated to Owens in 1984. Consisting of four pyramids with symbolic meanings, it is so static a translation of Owens' kinetic explosiveness that few fans entering the Horseshoe know it honors the greatest athlete in Ohio State history.

Because Owens competed in the cradle of the 20th century's greatest evil, he seems to come to us today as a shining figure, free of blemishes, a cardboard saint. But while Owens did not sell his gold medals for discount tattoos and cash, as was the case with emblems of football success in Ohio State's memorabilia sale scandal, that might have been because Owens did not have the opportunity to do so.

Owens faced great privation after his Olympic victories because he skipped a post-Olympic meet in Europe for the American team and returned to the United States, hoping to capitalize on several commercial opportunities. He was immediately declared ineligible. Unlike the football rules violators, it was not for less than a half-season by OSU's self-imposed penalty, but forever, by the autocratic governing body of track and field.

Unlike the football rules violators, Owens also had no scholarship.

Times are hard now, but the entire world was in the grip of the Great Depression in the 1930s. Stripped of his ability to make a living, Owens competed against racehorses in exhibitions to earn a buck. Told it was degrading for a four-time gold medalist to do so, Owens said, "You can't eat four gold medals."

Rather than the adulation that comes with being a Buckeye football star today, Owens endured the virulent racism of his time. After a ticker-tape parade through the streets of New York, he had to ride a freight elevator to the reception in his honor at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

Criticized by civil rights proponents because he did not support the clenched fist protest of American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympics, Owens actually had a pungent, politically incorrect side. Decrying one of the myths about the 1936 Olympics, Owens, noting that he and German dictator exchanged waves after one race, said, "Hitler didn't snub me -- it was FDR who snubbed me. The president didn't even send me a telegram." It was not until 1955, 19 years after Berlin, that Dwight Eisenhower became the first president to honor Owens.

Even this year, when a Big Ten Network panel selected the 50 top sports icons in conference history, Owens finished a shocking third, behind Magic Johnson and Red Grange.

This is an unheroic time in sports, with steroid scandals in baseball and track and field, labor unrest in the NFL and NBA, and the scandal that stains Ohio State football. Owens was human, but he was always working on getting better. "An athlete should stand 10 feet tall. You never know how many youngsters are watching," he once said.

It is good that Ohio State will honor him anew, not only in the statue's unveiling and in funding a scholarship named for him, but also in changing the name of Saturday's Scarlet and Gray Game, the end of spring football, to the Jesse Owens Spring Game.

What Owens did transcended the cinder tracks and sandy jumping pits of his sport and made him a genuine hero. We can use all of them we can find these days.

Follow Bill Livingston on Facebook and on Twitter @LivyPD

Second-tier players struggle to deal with impact of the NFL lockout.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz,
The Plain DealerBrian Schaefering (93) is one of those second-tier players caught up in the NFL lockout.

He has a wife, three kids -- all 8 and under -- and a rented house. He doesn't have a shoe deal or a Lloyd's of London policy or a super agent willing to float him till this is over.

Yeah, he's got a safety net -- himself.

"I'll do anything," says Schaefering, 27. "If I have to work for UPS, I will. I got a family to feed. I've paved roads, fixed roofs, done landscaping. I'm not better'n anybody else. I don't want any handouts. I'd be happy with $12 an hour if I could get it."

You hear anything about Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wanting to run a road paver lately?

"The problem is," Schaefering says, "who wants to hire a guy who may have to pack up and leave [for the NFL] a month or two into it?"

So Schaefering and his wife are cutting back. They slashed their cable and cell phone bills and chopped their weekly date nights considerably. They used to get a babysitter, then catch dinner and a movie. "Now, it's put the kids to bed and slap in a DVD."

The Browns' most obvious need lines up perfectly with the strength of the 2011 draft. But the risk factor might scare them off from filling it in the first round.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Besides being the only NFL event on the foreseeable horizon, the 2011 draft is unique in one aspect.

"It's the best defensive end class I've seen," said NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock.

There could be eight to 10 defensive ends taken in the first round. How unusual is that? The last five drafts averaged 4.2 ends worthy of the first round. That figure dips to 3.9 over the last 20 drafts.

Such a bountiful crop couldn't come at a better time for the pass rush-starved Browns. Their switch to a 4-3 defensive alignment requires two, possibly three ends with body types not currently on their roster.

Out are the 290-to-300-pound run pluggers collected during the six years the Browns were obsessed with the 3-4 defense. In are the 250-pound-and-up, quick pass rushers preferred by General Manager Tom Heckert.

The 4-3 also demands at least one of the interior tackles to be a penetrator, rather than a Goliath space occupier.

The bad news for the Browns is that the top two accomplished defensive ends in the draft come with a degree of risk.

Clemson's Da'Quan Bowers might have a shortened career because of a degenerative condition in his right knee. North Carolina's Robert Quinn played only two seasons and missed his third year due to "permanent suspension" by the NCAA for taking improper gifts, such as jewelry and trips. Quinn also has a benign tumor on his brain, on which he has had surgery.

Additionally, the total shutdown of NFL transactions has prevented Heckert from alleviating his defensive line needs through free agency. "It's not a dire situation, I don't think," Heckert said with an unconvincing shrug.

Heckert's experience tells him he can find quick, undersized ends later in the draft. If he opts for that route, some names to consider are Pittsburgh's Jabaal Sheard (second round), Georgia's Justin Houston (second), Texas' Sam Acho (third), Pittsburgh's Greg Romeus (fourth), Arizona's Ricky Elmore (fifth) and Boise State's Ryan Winterswyk (sixth).

Scouting Report / Defensive Linemen

Players listed with college, height, weight and time in the 40:

Best of the best

1. Marcell Dareus (DT), Alabama, 6-3 1/8, 319, 4.93

Comment: A playmaking defensive tackle with fewer red flags than the other DLs.

2. Nick Fairley (DT), Auburn, 6-3 7/8, 291, 4.84

Comment: A one-year wonder -- but what a year. Maybe the start of a great career.

3. Robert Quinn (DE), North Carolina, 6-4, 265, 4.62

Comment: Year-long 2010 suspension cost him No. 1 overall consideration.

Three more to watch

4. Cameron Jordan (DE), California, 6-4 1/8, 287, 4.74

Comment: Not an elite pass rusher, but a solid prospect in any system.

5. J.J. Watt (DE), Wisconsin, 6-5 3/8, 290, 4.81

Comment: Relentless and determined, not flashy. Versatile, not dominant.

6. Da'Quan Bowers (DE), Clemson, 6-3 3/8, 280, xxx

Comment: Serious concerns about knee make this 2010 sack champ a huge risk.

On the Browns

Starters: Ahtyba Rubin

Backups: Brian Schaefering (DT), Derreck Robinson (DE), Ko Quaye (DT), Brian Sanford (DE), Travis Ivey (DT), Jayme Mitchell (DE).

Unsigned: Mitchell.

Comment: Rubin developed into a sturdy, play-making nose tackle in the 3-4. He's now one of the team's five best players. Mitchell intrigued the front office as a pass rusher, but his future hinges on the labor situation.

Level of need (1 to 10): 10.

Best fit for the Browns: Robert Quinn, North Carolina (first round).

Next: Receivers and tight ends.

Quinn's lost 2010 season and benign brain tumor may scare some teams, but the Browns are still considering this elite pass-rusher.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Robert Quinn didn't allow a brain tumor to keep him from becoming one of the premier pass-rushers in college football. He's certainly not about to let a one-year suspension deter him from doing the same in the pros.

"The tumor made me appreciate just the little things in life. Don't take anything for granted. Live life to the fullest," said the North Carolina defensive end, one of the players the Browns are considering with the sixth pick of the NFL Draft's first round. "The suspension made me mature and watch the people who come around me. I hope it won't [hurt my draft stock]. I set the bar high and I want to be one of the best in the NFL."

Neither the benign tumor, which was discovered when Quinn was a senior in high school, nor the suspension, which he served in 2010 after accepting improper agent benefits, has thrown the Browns off the scent of this enticing edge-rusher. Team officials attended Quinn's Pro Day on April 1 -- where he ran a superb 4.58 in the 40 -- and brought in him for a visit last week.

"He's a heck of a football player," General Manager Tom Heckert said at the combine. "There's no question why people are talking about him. He plays hard, he can rush the passer. He can do a lot of things that you're looking for in a defensive lineman."

View full sizeGerry Broome / Associated PressRobert Quinn (left) lowered the boom on Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis in this 2009 game, and the North Carolina defensive end can envision doing the same against NFL QBs for the Browns.

Quinn enjoyed his visit with the Browns and could envision playing here.

"I got a great vibe while I was there," he said. "I enjoyed meeting Coach Holmgren [team president Mike Holmgren] and Coach [Pat Shurmur]. They seemed to really like me, but I've gotten that feeling from a lot of teams."

Doctors discovered Quinn's tumor after he blacked out three times, and determined it was benign. It's still there, but he hasn't had any problems since his surgery in 2007. Quinn also underwent an MRI at the combine.

"At one point they told me I should've been brain dead," Quinn said. "I looked at my mom when they told me I wouldn't play sports again, and I became that big old baby and busted out in tears. It was just heartbreaking. But it didn't slow me down. And four years later, I'm still going."

The tumor didn't prevent former Browns and current Tar Heels coach Butch Davis from bringing Quinn to North Carolina. "If anything, it showed us how much of a fighter he was," said Tar Heels defensive coordinator Everett Withers.

Quinn (6-4, 265) started 12 games as true freshman and then broke out in 2009 with 19 tackles for a loss -- tops in the ACC -- and 11 sacks, second in the conference. He also forced six fumbles and recorded 15 quarterback hurries.

"If he had played this year, he might've been the first or second pick overall," said ESPN's Mel Kiper on a conference call.

Instead, Quinn was one of 13 Tar Heels suspended in an agent scandal that rocked the program. Quinn accepted $5,642 in improper benefits, including two black diamond watches. He also reportedly lied to the NCAA during the investigation.

"I made a selfish mistake and I truly apologized for it," he said. "When we played LSU and I went down to support the team, in the middle of the game I was about in tears in the stands."

Of the 13 suspended players, Withers missed seeing Quinn play the most.

"I have a hole in my memory because of Robert not playing this year," said Withers. "We were cheated out of seeing him grow up, as a person and a player. He's a rural kid who's not worldly and got caught up in some stuff. Obviously, he had no idea what it was going to cost everyone."

Withers said Quinn was the one player who called him, Davis and other coaches to apologize.

"He said 'hey coach, I screwed up, I'm sorry, I miss you,'" said Withers. "I think it bothered Robert more than anyone else."

Despite the year off, Withers is convinced Quinn is the No. 1 player in this draft.

"I wouldn't take anybody over Robert Quinn," said Withers. "I'd stand on the table for him. He's similar to [Clemson's] Da'Quan Bowers, but I'd take Quinn. He's very talented, very raw and his ceiling is so high. We just barely tapped into what he can do."

Withers said Quinn has the potential to be as good as another North Carolina product, six-time time Pro Bowler Julius Peppers.

"Robert can be on that level," said Withers. "I was around Jevon Kearse with the Titans, and Casey Hampton and Shaun Rogers at Texas. Robert is right in the mix with those guys."

Withers said Quinn's explosive first step is what sets him apart. "He's got the physical ability to dip and bend and get to the quarterback," said Withers. "If an offensive tackle oversets him, he can long-arm a guy, pick him up, and take him right back to the quarterback. If you're playing for inside move, he can go around you. He's a dangerous pass-rusher."

NFL Network's Mike Mayock ranks Quinn as the best pass-rushing end in the draft. "He makes absolute sense for the Browns at No. 6. He has rare and elite skills and I think he's going to be a dominant player in the league."

Quinn draws comparisons to DeMarcus Ware as well as Peppers, but doesn't like to compare.

"Why do I need to be the second of somebody else?" he said. "Why can't I be the first Robert Quinn?"

The Browns might be the team to find out.

The Indians went into their game against Kansas City on Wednesday night with the lowest bullpen ERA in the American League.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerChris Perez is far from the only reliever excelling for the Indians so far this season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Game 18, Wednesday, April 20: What came together in the second half of last season is still working through the first 17 games of this season. To put it another way, the Indians' bullpen continues to pitch well.

The seven-headed monster has the best ERA in the AL at 2.47. Rounding out the top five are the Angels at 2.67, Tampa Bay 2.70, Toronto 3.43 and Oakland at 3.59.

"We started pitching well last year and it carried over into spring training," said closer Chris Perez. "The last guy to make the bullpen out of camp had to fight for the job. That's good."

Perez is 5-for-5 in save opportunities. He's converted his last 15 save chances and hasn't allowed a run in his last 26 innings going back to Aug. 8.

Left-handed set-up man Tony Sipp has not allowed a run in his eight appearances this year. He's struck out six, walked two and allowed three hits in 8 2/3 innings. Rafael Perez, the second lefty in the pen, has not allowed a run in seven innings, while right-hander Vinnie Pestano has given up one run in six appearances.

Long man Justin Germano has now allowed one run in his last six innings. Joe Smith just came off the disabled list on Friday and has allowed one run in two appearances, while Chad Durbin is coming off 2 2/3 scoreless innings in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to Kansas City.

"We've heard about the depth we've had for the last couple of years and now we're starting to see it," said Perez. "Frank Herrmann opened the season and did all right. Now Joe Smith is back and Frank had to go to Triple-A. If something happens, we have two or three options down there."

A big part of the bullpen's success has been the consistent work of the starting rotation. The starters have pitched at least six innings in 14 of the Tribe's first 17 games.

"It's fine the way it's going now," said Perez. "It always makes it easier when the starters are going six plus innings."

Manager Manny Acta is not surprised at the way the bullpen has started the season.

"These guys pitched very well last year," said Acta. "We have some quality arms back there. That being said, it's very early."

Stat line: Kansas City's Melky Cabrera is 4-for-6 with an RBI against Tribe starter Justin Masterson. Shin-Soo Choo is 11-for-17 (.647) with three doubles, three homers, two walks and eight RBI against Royals starter Luke Hochevar.

Tonight's lineups:

Indians (12-5): CF Grady Sizemore (L), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (S), RF Shin-Soo Choo (L), C Carlos Santana (S), DH Travis Hafner (L), 2B Orlando Cabrera (R), LF Michael Brantley (L), 1B Matt LaPorta (R), 3B Jack Hannahan, RHP Justin Masterson (3-0, 1.33).

Royals (11-6): 2B Chris Getz (L), CF Melky Cabrera (S), LF Alex Gordon (L), DH Billy Butler (R), RF Jeff Francoeur (R), 3B Mike Aviles (R), 1B Kila Ka'aihue (L), C Matt Treanor (R), SS Alcides Escobar (R) and LHP Luke Hochevar (2-1, 4.21).

Umpires: H Joe West, 1B Angel Hernandez, 2B Paul Schrieber, 3B Chad Fairchild.

Next: RHP Josh Tomlin (3-0, 2.75) vs. RHP Sean O'Sullivan (1-1, 5.00) on STO and WTAM/1100 at 8:10 ET p.m.

To register, go to clevelandmarathon.com/Registration/

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon has announced that the marathon, half marathon and 10K fields are nearly filled for the 34th edition of the race on May 15.

Although the exact cap numbers have not been announced, race officials said that fewer than 500 spots remained for the marathon, while the half marathon had approximately 1,000 slots left as of earlier this week. The fields for the 10K, 5K and Kids' Run are also nearing capacity.

To register, go to clevelandmarathon.com/Registration/

Race officials are anticipating a field as high as 19,000 this year, up from last year's record field of 15,631. The marathon is expected to have approximately 4,000 runners and the half marathon could reach 9,000.

Before May 16, a U.S. District judge is expected to decide on the players' request to immediately lift the lockout that began March 11.

Associated PressNFL commissioner Roger Goodell (center) and Green Bay Packers CEO and president Mark Murphy (right) arrive at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis on Wednesday. At far left is Jeff Pash, lead negotiator for the NFL.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota -- After four long and intense mediation sessions between the NFL and its locked-out players, the judge decided to give both parties an extended break.

By the time they reconvene in mid-May, the landscape of their discussions could be completely different.

Executive vice president Jeff Pash, the NFL's lead negotiator, said Wednesday that U.S. Judge Magistrate Arthur Boylan told both sides they likely won't convene again until May 16 because he has a few other matters on his judicial calendar.

In the interim, U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson is expected to decide well before then on the players' request to immediately lift the now 40-day-old lockout.

Also coming: U.S. District Judge David Doty has scheduled a hearing for May 12 on the players' request for damages after he ruled in March that the NFL did not maximize revenues for both sides when it renegotiated $4 billion in TV contracts with the labor dispute looming.

Finally, there could be a fourth set of lawyers and players at the mediation table, with a Philadelphia law firm talking with another group of players about joining the fight.

"We've had discussions about representing some additional players who want to have a voice in the matter," said Bryan Clobes of Cafferty Faucher.

Those discussions are ongoing, but all of those elements combined could swing the leverage to one side or the other in a case where there has been little of it, perhaps increasing the chances the court-ordered mediation will produce some much-needed progress with the first preseason game just 3 1/2 months away.

"There's a lot of uncertainties right now," Pash said. "I think when we're back together we'll know more. People's legal positions will be clearer."

Both sides said the sessions with Boylan were positive and productive.

"I think everybody believes it was helpful and that's really where we are," said Jim Quinn, an attorney for the players.

Hall of Fame player Carl Eller agreed.

"I do feel very positive about the 2011 season," Eller said. "I think everybody has come here with the idea to have a 2011 season and it's just not been easy to get to that point. So I think everybody's been working hard toward that goal. Seeing them work to that end makes me much more optimistic. I would certainly say we're going to have a 2011 season."

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league is planning to start the season on time despite the lengthy process of navigating the legal system.

"We're planning to play a full season and we're going to negotiate as hard as we can to get that done," Goodell told Giants season-ticket holders in a conference call during a break in mediation session at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis.

Goodell, Packers CEO Mark Murphy, Falcons President Rich McKay and owners Pat Bowlen of Denver, Jerry Jones from Dallas and Jerry Richardson from Carolina attended Wednesday's session. Players Ben Leber and Mike Vrabel were joined by Eller and attorneys for the players.

Goodell said all parties involved remain committed to ending the NFL's first work stoppage since 1987 before games are lost. The preseason starts on Aug. 7 and the first regular season game is scheduled for Sept. 8, less than five months from now.

"I think fans want solutions. I want solutions," he said. "I think the players want solutions and I think the teams want solutions. That's why we have to be working at it in negotiations and figuring out how to get to that point."

Players including MVP quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning filed the injunction request along with a class-action antitrust lawsuit against the NFL. The lawsuit has been combined with two other similar claims from retirees, former players and rookies-to-be, with Eller the lead plaintiff in that group.

Nelson ordered the two sides into mediation while she considered the request and they met with Boylan following 16 days of failed talks in front of a federal mediator in Washington.

"I think you can't sort of measure this like a stock table in what's going up or down on any given day but it's always a positive to be able to talk to people," Pash said.

Pash said he felt the talks were particularly productive between the league and retired players, and that the owners remain committed to improving benefits and taking care of their former players.

The league and players disagree sharply on how to divide more than $9 billion in annual revenue.

The owners initially wanted to double the money they get off the top for expenses from about $1 billion to about $2 billion, but that number dropped during the first round of mediation. The players have insisted on full financial disclosure from all 32 teams, and so far the league has not opened the books to their liking.

Other major issues include benefits for retired players and the NFL's desire to stretch the regular season from 16 to 18 games. The NFL also wants to cut almost 60 percent of guaranteed pay for first-round draft picks, lock them in for five years and divert the savings to veterans' salaries and benefits.

More than $525 million went to first-rounders in guaranteed payments in 2010. The league wants to decrease that figure by $300 million, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

In other news, the Sports Business Journal reported Wednesday that a group of about 70 "mid-tier" players was considering hiring a law firm and upset that the talks broke off last month. But Clobes said the number is "nowhere near 70" and that it does not indicate any dissatisfaction with the way things are progressing.

"The players have extremely capable counsel," Clobes said. "If we were to get involved, it would be so we could add and lend our expertise, not because we thought the current lawyers were not doing a credible job. They're doing an incredible job."

Cafferty Faucher also is representing clients in former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon's class-action lawsuit against the NCAA for selling the use of his and other athletes' likeness in video games and other media.

DeMaurice Smith, the head of the players' trade association, said he was unaware of the development. Vrabel said he had not heard of the report, either, but the additional players "do have a seat (at the table), with Ben and me."

Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden is ready to get back to work.

Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden celebrated his birthday last weekend with many of the same fans that have embraced him this season.

Haden, who is quickly becoming one of this city's favorite Browns' player, has also involved himself in Cleveland. Haden was seen at many Cleveland Cavaliers' games dressed as one of the Cavaliers' players.

Haden promised recently to attend some games at Progressive Field dressed up in a baseball jersey as one of the Cleveland Indians.

Also last Saturday, Haden held a charity bowling tournament at The Corner Alley to help raise money for multiple charitable groups, including Aunt Berta's Kids in Need Foundation and the family of Matthew Swenson.

Cavaliers' forward J.J. Hickson, Browns safety T.J. Ward, kick returner Josh Cribbs, and former Browns cornerback Hanford Dixon all participated in the event.

Haden also talked about the lockout.

The Plain DealerCleveland Browns' cornerback Joe Haden took in the Cavaliers vs. Nets game, wearing an Anderson Varejao wig.

"I would be alright with either Peterson, Green or Jones. I do not want Fairley or Bowers. Quinn may have been a fluke and we won't know until he plays. That's too much of a chance on a guy who was suspended all year. The only DL player I might consider is Darius, but I believe he will be gone before the Browns choose." - FenderJazzMan

View full sizeGetty ImagesA.J. Green could be a realistic option for the Browns at No. 6.

In response to the story Cleveland Browns should tap A.J. Green or Julio Jones over a DL with first pick, Tony Grossi says (SBTV), cleveland.com reader FenderJazzMan has a few players that would make him happy. This reader writes,

"I would be alright with either Peterson, Green or Jones. I do not want Fairley or Bowers. Quinn may have been a fluke and we won't know until he plays. That's too much of a chance on a guy who was suspended all year. The only DL player I might consider is Darius, but I believe he will be gone before the Browns choose."

"The problem with keeping players overseas is they don't always develop. Eyenga languished in Spain, and I haven't heard management mention bringing Kaun over, either. I'm not opposed to drafting a big European, but I'd want him in camp when the lockout ends or at the start of training camp the following season if the lockout ends and there's some kind of shortened season. I'm not as willing to wait 4-5 years for a lottery pick to show up." - Sorry, but you're wrong

View full sizeAmy Sancetta | Associated PressThe Cavaliers left Christian Eyenga in a Spanish league for a season after drafting him before they brought him to the U.S.

In response to the story Talking Browns draft plans, the Indians hot start and NBA Draft - WFNY Podcast, cleveland.com reader Sorry, but you're wrong isn't a fan of stashing a foreign player overseas. This reader writes,

"The problem with keeping players overseas is they don't always develop. Eyenga languished in Spain, and I haven't heard management mention bringing Kaun over, either. I'm not opposed to drafting a big European, but I'd want him in camp when the lockout ends or at the start of training camp the following season if the lockout ends and there's some kind of shortened season. I'm not as willing to wait 4-5 years for a lottery pick to show up."

"Back-to-back games where the home plate ump absolutely squeezed the zone in the ninth inning. Sipp and Perez had to lay it right down the middle. There were a couple of pitches that Perez threw to Getz when he walked that, if I were pitching, I would have blown up. On a side note, I forgot what it felt like to lose a game from a blown save. It hurts." - jflow21

View full sizeChuck Crow | The Plain DealerChris Perez has been lights-out as a closer since taking over the role.

In response to the story Cleveland Indians closer Chris Perez gives up two runs in the ninth inning for his first blown save in a 3-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals, cleveland.com reader jflow21 think the umpires hurt the Tribe last night. This reader writes,

"Back-to-back games where the home plate ump absolutely squeezed the zone in the ninth inning. Sipp and Perez had to lay it right down the middle. There were a couple of pitches that Perez threw to Getz when he walked that, if I were pitching, I would have blown up.  On a side note, I forgot what it felt like to lose a game from a blown save. It hurts."

The Cleveland Indians have finished at or near the bottom of the AL Central as the Minnesota Twins have won the last two division titles. When these Central rivals meet for the first time this season Friday night at Target Field, the Indians will be the club on top with the Twins trying to climb out of the cellar.

View full sizeAP Photo | Charles KrupaSince giving up 10 runs in 3 innings on Opening Day, Fausto Carmona has allowed just 3 earned runs in 21 2/3 innings.

(AP) -- The Cleveland Indians have finished at or near the bottom of the AL Central as the Minnesota Twins have won the last two division titles. When these Central rivals meet for the first time this season Friday night at Target Field, the Indians will be the club on top with the Twins trying to climb out of the cellar.

Cleveland tries to snap a five-game skid in this matchup as Minnesota goes for its fifth consecutive home win in the series.

After tying for last in the Central in 2009 - 21 1/2 games behind the Twins - the Indians went 69-93 last season and finished 25 back of Minnesota, which won 12 of 18 meetings between the clubs.

Cleveland (13-6), though, enters this contest with a one-game lead over second-place Kansas City. The Indians were two outs from building a three-game edge Thursday, but closer Chris Perez allowed two ninth-inning Royals runs, snapping a personal scoreless streak of 26 1-3 innings in a 3-2 loss.

Still, Cleveland is off to its best 19-game start since opening 14-5 in 1999.

The Indians continue their seven-game trip with Fausto Carmona (1-2, 4.74 ERA) on the mound. The right-hander, 1-1 with a 1.25 ERA in his last three starts, allowed five hits in seven innings and earned his first victory of the season Sunday in a 4-2 win over Baltimore.

"Yes, that's very great," Carmona told the Indians' official website. "I'll try to continue to pitch like that and keep going."

The Indians did not score a run while the sinkerballer was in the game in his first three outings. Carmona may need some support at Minnesota, where he's 0-2 with a 9.69 ERA in his last three starts.

The Twins (7-12) return home following a 3-5 trip that ended with Thursday's 3-1 win over Baltimore. Jim Thome hit a solo homer and drove in two runs, while Michael Cuddyer went deep for the second straight game.

Minnesota entered the game with a major league-low six homers, but manager Ron Gardenhire wouldn't be surprised if Thome's blast - his 591st - ignites his bat and a Twins offense that's scored an MLB-low 57 runs.

"That's one thing he can do is swing the bat," Gardenhire said.

The Indians don't need to be reminded. The 40-year-old slugger, who hit a franchise-record 334 homers for Cleveland from 1991-2002, batted .313 with five home runs and nine RBIs against the Indians last season.

Minnesota could use continued production from Thome and Cuddyer, with Joe Mauer (leg weakness) on the disabled list and Justin Morneau (flu) and Delmon Young (ribs) questionable for the series opener.

While the Twins' offense tries to get untracked, Brian Duensing (1-0, 3.60) hopes to shut down the Indians, who have an AL-best 99 runs.

In his last start, the left-hander helped the Twins snap their season-high four-game skid with seven strong innings in Sunday's 4-2 win at Tampa Bay.

"We've been struggling a little bit lately," Duensing said after the victory. "We got that win today and hopefully we'll start rolling."

Minnesota has won each of his three starts this season. Duensing is 2-0 with a 4.05 ERA in two starts against Cleveland.

The Indians have been outscored 26-8 during their losing streak in Minnesota.

If you can read this, your eyesight is probably better than the umpiring crew at this week's Cleveland-Kansas City series.

View full sizeAP FileUmpire Angel Hernandez didn't win himself any friends with his calls in Thursday night's Tribe loss to the Royals.

Josh Tomlin probably knows who Bob Gibson is.

Just in case there are some other young whippersnappers out there, Gibson is a Hall of Famer who pitched for the Cardinals from 1959 to 1975, ending his career with a record of 251-174, 3,117 strikeouts an ERA of 2.91.

Now 75, Gibson also is the source of some of baseball's most famous quotes. The one that applies to Tomlin, at least today?

"The two most important things in life: good friends and a strong bullpen."

"I occasionally get birthday cards from fans. But it's often the same message: they hope it's my last."

"It was bad pitches," said the Indians' closer.

Hoynsie talked to Indians hitting coach Jon Nunnally for the Indians Insider column. Guess who's not surprised that Michael Brantley was able to break up Luke Hochevar's bid for a perfect game Wednesday night?