Bowl Championship Series officials react after USC was hit with heavy NCAA sanctions last year for rules violations committed during the 2004 and '05 seasons, including those involving then-star tailback Reggie Bush.

Associated PressRunning back Reggie Bush during a Southern California game in the 2005 season.

The Bowl Championship Series stripped Southern California of its 2004 title on Monday, leaving that season without a BCS champion.

The announcement was no surprise. BCS officials had said USC was in danger of having its championship vacated after the Trojans were hit with heavy NCAA sanctions last year for rules violations committed during the 2004 and '05 seasons.

"The BCS alerted us today that their presidents have voted to vacate USC's 2005 BCS championship game victory," USC athletic director Pat Haden said. "This was not an unexpected outcome. We will comply with all requirements mandated by the result of this BCS vote."

The NCAA ruled star tailback Reggie Bush received improper extra benefits during those seasons and was ineligible when he played.

One of Haden's first moves when he took over as AD last year was to give back the school's copy of the Heisman Trophy that Bush won in 2005. Bush later relinquished his own Heisman and the trust in charge of handing out the award announced the '05 winner would be left vacant.

The BCS waited until USC appealed the NCAA sanctions, which included a two-year ban from postseason play and a loss of 30 scholarships over three seasons, to make a decision about its championship. The NCAA denied USC's appeal on May 26.

At that point, it was just a matter of time before the Trojans' 55-19 victory against Oklahoma in the 2005 Orange Bowl was wiped from the record books.

The dominant performance capped a perfect season by USC and left it ranked at the top of both the AP and coaches' polls. Auburn and Utah also finished that season undefeated.

The Trojans will not have to relinquish The Associated Press national championship.

"The BCS arrangement crowns a national champion, and the BCS games are showcase events for postseason football," BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock said in a statement. "One of the best ways of ensuring that they remain so is for us to foster full compliance with NCAA rules. Accordingly, in keeping with the NCAA's recent action, USC's appearances are being vacated."

The BCS also said the Trojans must vacate their participation in 2006 Rose Bowl. USC lost that game, 41-38, and the national championship to Texas.

The Indians had not drafted a prep player in the first round since 2001.

View full sizeShortstop Francisco Lindor, the Indians' first-round selection in Monday's amateur draft.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With perceived "safer" college pitchers on the board, the Indians selected high school shortstop Francisco Lindor eighth overall in the Major League Baseball draft Monday night.

The three-day draft runs through Wednesday.

As Tribe amateur-scouting director Brad Grant prepared to discuss the pick with reporters at Progressive Field, he said: "Surprise. High school position player. We kind of went against it."

The Indians had not drafted a prep player in the first round since 2001, when they opted for right-handers Daniel Denham and Alan Horne. Denham never made it to Cleveland; Horne did not sign.

The previous prep position player to go in the first round to the Indians was shortstop/third baseman Corey Smith in 2000. Smith never made it to Cleveland.

Each of the Indians' previous two first-rounders were college pitchers: Alex White of North Carolina in 2009 and Mississippi's Drew Pomeranz last summer.

Among those available at No. 8 were Vanderbilt right-hander Sonny Gray, Georgia Tech lefty Jed Bradley, Texas righty Taylor Jungmann and Connecticut righty Matt Barnes. Most draft experts had projected any combination of the four to be gone in the top half of the first round.

"There were good players we passed over," Grant said. "A high school player certainly is more of a risk. But at the same time, to enter a shortstop into our system was something too good to pass by."

Lindor, a switch-hitter, batted .528 (28-for-53) with 31 runs, six homers, 13 RBI and 20 steals as a senior at Montverde (Fla.) Academy High School. He was a first team All-American. In August 2010, he won the home-run contest at the All-American Game in San Diego.

"He's played against the best players in the country and performed very well," Grant said.

Grant and his staff like Lindor's offense, but they love his defense -- the main reason they targeted him.

"The defensive side is a premium," Grant said. "He has the ability to stay at short."

According to an SI.com evaluation: "Lindor profiles as a top of the order hitter with Gold Glove fielding skills, the type of player who can form the cornerstone of a franchise."

According to an MLB.com evaluation: "Lindor is a high-energy player with good makeup, one who is almost certainly the top high school position player, according to talent, in this draft class."

Lindor (5-11, 170) has verbally committed to Florida State. Asked about Lindor's signability, Grant said: "It's a process. We'll see what happens. He wants to play pro ball. Baseball's been his life."

Lindor, 17, was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He moved to the Orlando, Fla., area when he was 13. He had learned to switch-hit at 12. In 2009, Lindor helped Under-16 Team USA to a gold medal in Taiwan by hitting .500 with three triples and six steals.

"We've watched him for 2 1/2 years," Grant said. "We started bearing down on him when he played for Team USA."

As expected, the Pirates made UCLA right-hander Gerrit Cole the No. 1 overall pick. The first four picks were pitchers.

The early part of the first round got interesting when Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon slipped. Rendon, projected by many to go second to Seattle, went sixth to Washington. Concerns about Rendon's shoulder might have hurt his stock.

On Twitter: @dmansworldpd

Delhomme, 36, slated to make $5.4 million in 2011, while Colt McCoy is the likely starter and Seneca Wallace recently signed contract extension.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerJake Delhomme, possibly slotted as the Browns' third-string quarterback, might have to take a pay cut to stay on the team.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jake Delhomme didn't become a starting NFL quarterback until he was 28, but has still managed to put together an admirable career -- highlighted by his steering of the 2003 Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl.

Delhomme was nearly a champion, completing 16 of 33 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns (two in the fourth quarter) and no interceptions in Carolina's 32-29 loss to the New England Patriots on Adam Vinatieri's next-to-last-play-of-the-game field goal.

Now, though, Delhomme projects as the Cleveland Browns' third-string quarterback in 2011. Colt McCoy, about to begin his season season, is the likely starter, and veteran Seneca Wallace recently signed a three-year contract extension. He figures to back up McCoy.

Delhomme is scheduled to make $5.4 million in the second and last year of his contract with the Browns. If he stays behind McCoy and Wallace on the depth chart, Delhomme might have to accept a pay cut to remain in Cleveland.

James Walker writes about Delhomme and the Browns for ESPN.com:

The Browns like Delhomme's veteran presence and leadership. But the past two years -- including the 2010 season in Cleveland -- proved Delhomme, 36, is no longer a starting NFL quarterback. The Browns paid Delhomme $7 million last season to throw for 872 yards, two touchdowns and seven interceptions in five games. Comparing dollars and production, it was one of the worst investments last year in free agency.

After signing a two-year deal last offseason, Delhomme is now one of the AFC North's prime candidates to be released whenever a new collective bargaining agreement is reached. Delhomme said immediately after the season that he wasn't sure he will be back, and Cleveland's front office has been elusive on the topic.

The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com continue Browns coverage. A feature on cleveland.com is the Browns history database, which includes the game stories of every regular season and playoff game in Browns history.

Browns banter

Browns left offensive tackle Joe Thomas ranks 43rd on the NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2011 list, writes Matt Florjancic for clevelandbrowns.com.

Thomas, though, would rank even better than No. 43, but he lets his play do most of his talking. By Vic Carucci for NFL.com.

The NFL Network thus far has announced numbers 41 through 100 on its top 100 list. 

Pat Shurmur is the Browns' new head coach. Dave Kolonich, for Scout.com's Orange and Brown Report, looks at how some NFL head coaches did in their rookie seasons.

Former Steelers and Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress, just released from prison, shouldn't draw a lot of interest as a free agent. By Len Pasquarelli for the Sports Xchange on Scout.com's Orange and Brown Report.

Manager Manny Acta and the Indians can't escape the standings. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians led the AL Central by seven games on May 23. They opened a three-game series against the Twins on Monday night with a 21/2-game lead.

When the Indians were going good, manager Manny Acta said it was way too early to study the standings and stats. Now that they've hit the skids, and the rest of the AL Central is closing in, does he feel the same?

"I can't help but look at the standings. I have to look at them every day," said Acta. "They put them on the scoreboard behind the outfield wall. You know what, we've got four months of baseball to play. That's been our approach here.

"Go out there today and try to win today. There's way too many games for us to be thinking about that. Do you think I'm thinking I've got four months to protect a 21/2-game lead?

"That's a lot of games and a lot of stress ... 21/2 games for four months. I just want to have my kids to go out there, have fun and play the game right. Things will take care of themselves. I'd have open heart surgery if I had to go through that."

After going 18-8 in April and 14-12 in May, the Indians went into the Twins series with a 1-4 record in June. Offensively, they've been shut out four times in their last 10 games. In six games, they've scored two or fewer runs.

Let's talk: A players-only meeting Monday afternoon lasted at least 20 minutes.

The meeting was later characterized as a scouting report meeting, the kind the Indians hold before every series. But hitters and pitchers meet separately in those meetings; this was a meeting with every player present and no coaches in sight.

The Indians have lost nine of their last 12 games since being 30-15 on May 23.

"We're trying to keep what we said between ourselves," said one player. "It was just a pat on the butt and 'go get 'em' type thing."

New guy: Veteran first baseman Nick Johnson took some ground balls at first base Monday afternoon at Progressive Field.

The Indians gave him a locker in the big-league clubhouse, but he's not on the 40-man roster. Johnson signed a minor-league deal in February and stayed in Goodyear, Ariz., strengthening his surgically repaired right wrist until recently being promoted to Class AA Akron.

Johnson will now join Class AAA Columbus. He could return to Akron, depending on the schedule of the two teams.

"We wanted to take a look at him because we haven't seen him since spring training when he had the surgery on his [right] wrist," said Acta, who managed Johnson in Washington. "He was in Akron so we wanted to see him take some ground balls. There's nothing to it."

Acta said Johnson needs "a lot of at-bats in the minor leagues" before the Indians will make a decision on him. Johnson will make $750,000 if he's added to the big-league club. They have a $2.75 million option on him for 2011, but he has to be in the big leagues by July 1 for that to go into effect.

He's back: After missing three games with a strained left hamstring, Jack Hannahan was back in the lineup Monday.

"I ran Sunday and it felt good today," said Hannahan on Monday afternoon. He suffered the injury diving for a Michael Young grounder on Thursday.

"It didn't feel that bad," said Hannahan. "I stayed in the game and had another at-bat. I didn't really feel it until the next morning."

Acta felt right-hander Vinnie Pestano would be available, if needed, on Monday. Pestano took the mound Saturday night in the ninth inning, but had to leave without facing a batter when his back tightened.

"I'm feeling better," said Pestano.

Finally: Acta feels his pitchers have made more mistakes while ahead in the count in the last two series when they faced Texas and Toronto than in the first two months of the season.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera says the Indians have to get their act together and they have to do it soon following a 6-4 loss to the Twins.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Losing teams are disjointed teams. They do one thing right one day and three things wrong. The next day they do three things right and one thing wrong.

The end result is bad play and defeat.

If the Indians were double-jointed before Monday night's 6-4 loss to the Twins, they're triple-jointed now.

The Twins are in last place in the AL Central and have won five straight. The Indians are in first place in the AL Central and have lost five straight. This is not how it's supposed to work, but it's exactly how it's been working for the Indians over the last 21 games.

They're 10-11 in that stretch and are lucky it isn't worse. They've been living off a fast start, but the wolf is at the door with his handlers, Louie and Rocco. They want their money, plus interest, returned for that early-season loan of sunshine and roses.

"What we have to do now is pull everything together," said shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera. "We have get our starting pitching, defense and offense and pull it together. And we've got to do it soon."

Cabrera did his part Monday night. He had three of the Indians' nine hits. His first hit, following a Michael Brantley leadoff double, was a home run (his 12th) and gave the Indians a 2-0 lead in the first inning off Scott Baker (3-4, 3.86).

Brantley did all right as well. Like Cabrera, he had three hits, including a leadoff homer in the fifth. It was his fifth of the season, but it only made the loss more aggravating.

"We just can't seem to get every part of the game right," said manager Manny Acta.

The Twins, down 2-0 after the first, countered quickly. Matt Tolbert hit a two-run single to right with two out in the second to tie the score. Josh Tomlin, who entered the game tied for the AL lead with seven victories, said an 0-2 pitch to Delmon Young made those runs possible.

"Young hit a bad pitch and set that whole inning up," said Tomlin.

The Twins broke the tie with three runs in the fifth, doing most of the damage with two bunts.

Tomlin (7-3, 3.71) gave up a leadoff double to Luke Hughes. Tolbert, attempting to sacrifice Hughes to third, reached when he beat Tomlin's high throw. Drew Butera squeezed Hughes home with another bunt. Matt LaPorta, charging from first, fielded the ball, but had no play at the plate or first base.

Ben Revere singled to push Tolbert to third. Tomlin induced a 4-6-3 double play from Alexi Casilla as another run scored, seemingly limiting the damage. Tomlin, however, threw a wild pitch to score Butera for a 5-2 lead.

"I have to make that play," said Tomlin, referring to Tolbert's bunt. "If I get there a little quicker, he's out."

As for Butera's well-executed squeeze, Acta said, "That's almost impossible to defense. We're playing at double-play depth. The first baseman can't charge because he's holding the runner at first."

Tampa Bay pulled the same play against the Indians with the same results on May 28. The Twins, obviously, were watching.

The Indians made it 5-3 on Brantley's homer, but the Twins extended the lead to 6-3 on Young's run-scoring double off Tomlin in the sixth. In the eighth, Asdrubal Cabrera scored on Michael Cuddyer's error at first on Shin-Soo Choo's bouncer to cut the lead to 6-4.

Tomlin allowed six runs on nine hits in six innings. In his last two starts, Tomlin has allowed 12 runs on 17 hits in 12 innings.

"Guys are swinging early against me," said Tomlin. "They know I'm going to throw strikes. I've got to make better pitches."

All the Indians can do now gather the scattered parts of their game and snap them together as quickly as possible. Acta will help them do that. He'll do something else as well.

"You show up with the same face every day," he said. "You be supportive of everybody and continue to work. You can't show up with a different face and start yelling and stuff because all those guys in there got us to where we are today. ... and that's still first place."

On Twitter: @hoynsie

The Tribe's top draft pick has been waiting four years for this moment.

View full sizeShortstop Francisco Lindor, the Indians' first-round selection in Monday's amateur draft.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When Francisco Lindor was 13, his parents made a very difficult decision -- they sent their son to from their home to a boarding school outside of Orlando.

Home is Puerto Rico, where Lindor's father was a semi-pro baseball player. The family dreamed of Lindor becoming a major leaguer. They believed coming to America was the best and fastest way to make it happen.

It worked, as the Indians made Lindor their first-round pick in Monday's amateur draft -- the eighth selection overall. Tribe scouting director Brad Grant seems to have targeted Lindor for months, with the idea of an elite defensive shortstop who also is a switch-hitter being too enticing.

While Lindor has given a verbal commitment to play baseball at Florida State, he is expected to sign with the Tribe. His father is dealing post traumatic stress disorder. His sister has multiple sclerosis.

Grant said, "His mother worked two jobs so he could go to school. They made a lot of sacrifices for him."

Lindor attends Montverde Academy in Clermont, about 25 miles from Orlando. He is coached by Tim Layden, who pitched for six years in the minors, topping out at Class AA. He's played on all the top USA amateur teams for players 18 and under. He's only 17. This is like the Indians picking a gifted Latino shortstop, only he has spent four years in Florida learning English. This gives him a huge advantage over players signed from the Dominican Republic and other Latino countries because he has been acclimated to the American culture.

"Montverde is as much an academic school [as athletics]," said Grant. "He came here knowing little English, and he has picked it up. He's done well academically."

Lindor was rated in the top 10 by most media outlets that pay attention to the draft. ESPN.com's Keith Law had him at No. 13. Baseball America had him between seventh and 11th, depending upon who was writing the story.

Most of the scouting reports are much like this one from MLB.com: "Lindor is a dazzling defensive shortstop with a strong arm, excellent range ... athletic and wiry, he does not have blazing speed but compensates with a quick first step and fine anticipation, both in the field and on the bases. A switch-hitter, Lindor flashes bat speed and surprising power ... Gold Glove fielding skills, the type of player who can form the cornerstone of a franchise."

Chuck Crow / PDBrad Grant's recent drafts for the Indians provide reason to believe that there's talent in today's farm system, and reinforces the choice of Francisco Lindor in Monday's first round of the MLB draft.

While the Indians didn't draft strictly for need, the fact is the organization is desperate for a big-time shortstop in the pipeline. Cord Phelps is playing there at Class AAA Columbus, and he's a career second baseman. Grant wanted to add some athleticism to the farm system.

Grant acknowledges that high school players are typically "a higher risk because they take longer to develop." But he's not particularly concerned.

Lindor is the first high-school position player drafted by the Indians in the first round since 2000, when they picked the disappointing Corey Smith, who never reached the majors.

There is reason for a hope about this selection. This is Grant's fourth draft. His first product to make the majors is Alex White, a No. 1 pick in 2009 who is on the disabled list with a finger injury. Some thought White would be a reliever, but the right-hander from North Carolina has been an impact starter in the minors.

Grant's initial first rounder was Lonnie Chisenhall in 2008, a junior-college shortstop who has been converted to third. Now playing for Columbus, he's targeted for Cleveland in 2012, if not sooner.

In 2010, he took Drew Pomeranz, a lefty from Ole Miss who has been terrific at Class A Kinston, where he has 58 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings with a 1.85 ERA. Grant draft picks Jason Kipnis and Phelps are at Columbus, and close to being major-league ready.

In fact, Phelps should be here now, given his .304 average (.895 OPS) along with seven homers and 40 RBI (third in the International League). On a night when the Indians lost their fifth game in a row -- 6-4 to Minnesota -- it's nice to write about the future.

Because if the current slump continues, waves of recent Grant draft picks should begin to come to the shores of Lake Erie -- as the Tribe could use the help.

With two new coaches, the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry will change, but Jim Tressel's resignation may help freshen the rivalry.

View full sizeMarvin Fong / The Plain DealerThe storylines were pretty much predetermined over the last three seasons when Rich Rodriguez and Michigan faced -- and were overwhelmed by -- Jim Tressel's Ohio State team. But with both schools having new leaders in the football office, the expectations at both campuses figure to be dramatically different this fall.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The last question Jim Tressel answered publicly as Ohio State's football coach was one about new Michigan coach Brady Hoke.

"Brady's awesome," Tressel said at the Big Ten meetings in Chicago on May 18, 12 days before his resignation as the coach of the Buckeyes. "Anything that's good for the Ohio State-Michigan game, I'm for. And Brady's good for it."

A coach resigning in the midst of an NCAA investigation, it can be assumed, is not good for the Ohio State-Michigan game.

"Anything negative on either side, for Ohio State or Michigan, is not good for anybody," said Pat Massey, a former Michigan defensive lineman from St. Ignatius who played for the Wolverines from 2002-05. "I don't think any Michigan fans are proud to see what's going on down in Columbus. It's really unfortunate for everybody."

College football's greatest rivalry could suffer if major NCAA sanctions knock the Buckeyes from the ranks of the game's best programs for a while. Or the last Saturday in November might actually get a boost by the new blood in the game. For the first time since 1929, both Ohio State and Michigan are entering a season with first-year head coaches.

View full sizeCarlos Osorio / Associated PressBrady Hoke has revitalized a discouraged alumni base in Ann Arbor by being the next "Michigan Man" to embrace the Wolverines' history.

The Wolverines have been re-energized by Hoke, a former eight-year assistant in Ann Arbor who won't wear red and refers to the Buckeyes only as "Ohio," instead of Ohio State.

"I don't like maize and blue very much either," said legendary OSU quarterback Rex Kern said when told of Hoke's dislike for scarlet. "But that kind of stuff is what makes the rivalry so great."

Tressel's greatest accomplishment may have been his 9-1 record against Michigan, a mark which would be reduced to 8-1 if the Buckeyes are forced to vacate their 2010 season as part of NCAA sanctions. There was nothing Tressel did more successfully than understanding the rivalry and beating the Wolverines.

But even Tressel didn't know that game like OSU interim head coach Luke Fickell knows it. As a four-year starter on the defensive line from 1993-96, Fickell's OSU teams went 1-3 against Michigan. He's the first OSU head coach to have played in the Michigan game since Wes Fesler 61 years ago.

Kern, a member of the College Football Hall of Game and Ohio State's quarterback from 1968-70, was the favorite Buckeye of a young Tressel and became a friend when Tressel took over the program. In a phone interview Sunday, it didn't take Kern long to zero in on what he'll remember about Tressel's tenure.

"We've got to remind ourselves that Jim brought back the will to beat those guys up north consistently," Kern said. "Jim brought that back to us. That game was circled. And if we go 1-12, and the one is over the guys up north, that's just fine with me."

View full sizeMarvin Fong / The Plain Dealer"(The Michigan) game will not go unnoticed in Luke's playbook, I guarantee you that," says former OSU quarterback Rex Kern about new Buckeyes coach Luke Fickell.

After a run of six straight Big Ten titles, Ohio State's record amid this chaos is much more in question. Meanwhile, nearly everyone around the Michigan program feels the Wolverines are on the upswing after Hoke replaced Rich Rodriguez, who went 15-22 in three seasons at Michigan, losing three times to the Buckeyes by the combined score of 100-24.

Some, in the immediate aftermath of Tressel's departure last Monday, lamented the fact that the invigorated Wolverines won't face the coach who had controlled the rivalry.

"Really wanted to see coach Hoke get a shot at the sweater vest," former Michigan offensive lineman Jonathan Goodwin wrote on Twitter.

It could have been great for the game to see the Buckeyes, still at their peak, taking on the Wolverines on the rise. That won't happen. But while the Ohio State program is facing pain and uncertainty, the rivalry itself could benefit from a new script.

Think about what has happened since the classic No. 1 vs. No. 2 undefeated showdown in 2006. Ohio State lost two national championship games, Michigan lost to Appalachian State and Toledo, the Rodriguez era divided Michigan fans and alumni, Michigan endured an NCAA investigation and hearing last summer, and now the Buckeyes are in the throes of their investigation and facing their hearing in August. None of the four rivalry games were closer than 11 points.

So Nov. 26 will be different. Tressel, speaking to fans in his driveway on Saturday, already promised that Ohio State was going to kick some Wolverine tail. But he won't be coaching in the game. And maybe the game will be better.

"This is a fresh slate for both coaches," Massey said. "And they're going to be looking to set the tone, just like Jim Tressel did in his first game in Ann Arbor [in 2001]. That really set the tone for his program. These coaches are going to be looking to do the same thing."

After watching the Buckeyes beat Michigan nine times in 10 tries under Tressel, Kern was asked if he was worried about Ohio State's future in the rivalry. He said worried was the wrong word.

"Maybe I am concerned about it," Kern said, saddened by the Tressel's situation but fully behind Fickell. "I just know that game is so critically important to all of us. And that game will not go unnoticed in Luke's playbook, I guarantee you that."

Curtis participated in the sectional round in Columbus and finished 36th.

View full sizeAP photoBen Curtis finished 36th in 36-hole U.S. Open qualifying in Dublin, Ohio on Monday, and will not be playing at Congressional in two weeks.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- UCLA freshman Patrick Cantlay made the field for his first U.S. Open, but Stow resident Ben Curtis came up short, as did three former U.S. Open champions. Vijay Singh didn't even try Monday.

Curtis participated in the sectional round in Columbus and finished 36th. He was in good company in not making the cut. Others who failed to earn spots out of Columbus was former British Open champions David Duval, Rocco Mediate, Sean O'Hair and Bob Hope winner Jhonattan Vegas.

Curtis burst onto the golf scene in 2003 when he stunned the golf world by winning the British Open.

Also failing to qualify was 16-year old Shaker Heights resident Andrew Bieber, who tied for 16th at a sectional qualifier in Glendale, Calif. Only the top four golfers made it in Glendale.

Cantlay, who wrapped up a sensational first season that earned him the Jack Nicklaus Award as the top college player, had rounds of 65-70 at two area courses that were filled with PGA Tour players. He was among 16 players who earned spots for the U.S. Open at Congressional, which starts June 16.

Singh didn't show up for the qualifier, making it likely his streak of 67 consecutive majors played will end. Singh, a three-time major champion who shot 65 in the final round of the Memorial, last missed a major at the 1994 U.S. Open.

Columbus was one of 11 sectional qualifiers across the country, all of them 36 holes for precious few spots in the U.S. Open, the one major in which half the field is open to anyone willing to try.

Sam Saunders, the grandson for Arnold Palmer, made it through a qualifier in Florida, while Fred Funk qualified in Maryland. Funk, a former golf coach at Maryland, will be 55 on Tuesday of the U.S. Open.

Jones, who made it through sectional qualifying in 1996 and went on to win at Oakland Hills, missed out on a playoff by four shots. Tom Kite, the 1992 winner at Pebble Beach, failed to qualify in Dallas, while two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen just missed in Tennessee.

Brandt Jobe, a runner-up by one shot at the Memorial on Sunday, joined Chez Reavie as co-medalists in Columbus. Reavie had knee surgery a year ago and will be in his third U.S. Open. He was an amateur in the other two.

Drew Pomeranz pitches five solid innings in Kinston's 11-1 win. Akron and Lake County were off.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerLuis Valbuena with the Indians during spring training.

MINOR-LEAGUE REPORT

AAA Columbus Clippers

Clippers 0-6, Bats 5-2 Catcher Paul Phillips (.256) and DH Chad Huffman (.261) each slugged solo home runs for the Clippers as they won the nightcap of the International League doubleheader — both seven-inning games — in Columbus. Huffman was 3-for-3, SS Luis Valbuena (.302) drove in two runs with a double and single, and LH reliever Nick Hagadone (2-1, 6.52) got the win with two scoreless, one-hit innings.

Valbuena had hits in each game to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.

Clippers RH starter Corey Kluber (3-4, 6.10) struck out nine Louisville batters in the first game, but took the loss, yielding three runs on six hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings. Louisville LH starter Dontrelle Willis, a 22-game winner for the Florida Marlins in 2005, struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings but got a no-decision as he was ejected for arguing.

Notes: LH starter Scott Barnes (3-1, 4.87) is 1-0 with a 2.87 ERA in his last three games, with 25 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings....3B Lonnie Chisenhall is 8-for-44 (.182) in his last 11 games, with two doubles, one triple, nine walks and nine strikeouts....Huffman's three-hit game ended a nine-game slump during which he was 4-for-33 (.121) with one double, two walks and eight strikeouts.

Valbuena is 23-for-57 (.404) during his hitting streak, with four doubles, nine RBI and nine runs. He has played the last four games at shorstop, and 25 there this season. He has played nine games in left field, eight at third base, one at second base and six at designated hitter.

Valbuena, 25, has played one inning in left field as a major leaguer -- last season with the Indians. He has played 164 major league games at second base, 34 at shortstop and 10 at third base. Valbuena hit .250 with 25 doubles, three triples and 10 homers in 103 games for the Indians in 2009. He slumped to .193 in 91 games last season, and also slipped defensively. Valbuena's first major league stint was with the Seattle Mariners in 2008, when he hit .245 in 14 games.

AA Akron Aeros

The Aeros were idle on Monday.

Notes: LF Tim Fedroff leads the Eastern League with a .362 batting average. Fedroff has hit safely in 28 of his last 29 games, batting .414 (48-for-116) with 23 RBI and 21 runs....1B Matt McBride (.277) is batting .328 (40-for-122) with nine doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 26 RBI and 23 runs in his last 32 games....The Aeros visit the New Britain (Conn.) Rock Cats on Tuesday night.

The Aeros are getting brilliant relief pitching:

RH Matt Langwell, 2-1, two saves, 1.42 ERA in 19 games; .209 batting average against (BAA), 24 strikeouts, eight walks, two homers in 25 1/3 innings.

RH Chen Lee, 1-1, 2.73 in 19 games; .209 BAA, 47 strikeouts, seven walks, one homer in 33 innings.

RH Paolo Espino, 2-0, one save, 3.09 ERA in 12 games (including one start); .209 BAA, 48 strikeouts, eight walks (but seven homers) in 43 2/3 innings.

LH Eric Berger, 1-0, 2.28 ERA in 11 games (including two starts); .193 BAA, 26 strikeouts, eight walks, two homers in 23 2/3 innings.

RH Cory Burns, 0-3, 3.68 ERA, 14 saves (second in the Eastern League) in 21 games; 33 strikeouts, six walks, two homers in 22 innings.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Indians 11, Blue Rocks 1 LH Drew Pomeranz (2-1, 1.85), Cleveland’s first pick and the fifth overall in the 2010 draft, pitched five innings for the win, allowing one run on two hits and four walks, with five strikeouts. 1B Chase Burnette (.228) had four hits, and C Roberto Perez (.246) and LF Delvi Cid (.186) each had three hits. Perez doubled twice and Burnette and Cid both tripled.

Notes: Pomeranz has made 10 starts, holding opponents to a .185 batting average with one homer in 48 2/3 innings, striking out 63 and walking 20....SS Tyler Cannon (.218) is on a five-game hitting streak, going 8-for-17 (.471) with two homers, two doubles, six RBI and five runs. He has 58 at bats for Kinston after being promoted last month from Lake County, where he hit .366 in 94 at bats, with 10 doubles, two triples and three homers....DH Jeremie Tice (.286) is 10-for-33 (.303) with three doubles, two homers, 11 runs, seven RBI and eight walks in his last 10 games. 

A Lake County Captains

The Captains were idle on Monday.

Notes: LF Anthony Gallas is 1-for-15 (.067) in his last four games, but is second in the Midwest League with a .335 batting average and first with 24 doubles. Gallas’ former Kent State teammate, Peoria Chiefs 1B Greg Rohan, is hitting a league-leading .350....3B Giovanny Urshela (.234) is on a six-game hitting streak, going 8-for-24 (.333) with two homers and one double....1B Jesus Aguilar (.249) is 11-for-31 (.355) with four doubles and two homers in his last 10 games. He leads the Captains with nine homers and 36 RBI....CF Carlos Moncrief (.243) is 6-for-19 (.316) with three homers, one triple and one double in his last six games....Catcher Alex Monsalve (.277) is 12-for-36 (.333) with two doubles in his last 10 games....The Captains visit the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in Beloit on Tuesday night.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

The Crushers were idle on Monday.

Notes: 3B Andrew Davis (.309) is in a three-way tie for the Frontier League lead with 17 RBI....OF Scott Houin leads the Crushers with a .342 batting average (13-for-38)....The Crushers visit the Normal (Ill.) CornBelters on Tuesday night.

Here is Tuesday's essay by Brandon Fredericks of Bath Township.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerAfter the final out on Sept. 30, 2001, the Indians (including, from left, Bob Wickman, Bartolo Colon, Eddie Taubensee, Jim Thome and Ellis Burks) celebrated an AL Central title. But one young fan remembers a more significant development.

This spring, we asked readers to tell us their best memory at an Indians game. More than 600 of you responded. All season, The Plain Dealer will publish fan memories -- one each day the Indians are scheduled to play. Here is Tuesday's essay by Brandon Fredericks of Bath Township:

Baseball has always been an American pastime and a pastime of mine. In times of great prosperity and in time of tremendous challenges, this great country has always turned to this great sport to lift the spirits of the American people.

This can be demonstrated no better way than my most memorable Cleveland Indians game. It was Sunday, Sept. 30, 2001-- 19 days after the nation experienced the worst terrorist attack since Pearl Harbor.

The opponent that day was the Minnesota Twins. The Indians were poised to win their sixth division championship in seven years. I remember the ballpark having a very different feeling that Sunday afternoon. At one point everyone was excited about the position the Indians were in; yet at the same time the entire country was still grieving from the recent events in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

That day, it was just my dad and I at the game. It was one of those last-second ticket pass-offs from a family friend that allowed us to go. At the time, I was about 14 years old and a diehard Indians fan. The game was dominated by [Bartolo] Colon, as he went eight strong innings, led by an offensive attack by [Jim] Thome and company.

The game, though, was a second thought. The thing that made this game so memorable to me was what happened after the 27th and final out was recorded. As the Twins made their way off the field and the Indians continued to celebrate their newly clinched AL Central title, I looked around. I noticed fans that had used this "American Pastime" game as an escape for the last three hours from the pain that happened 19 days prior were finally coming back to reality.

The PA system started to play "Proud to be an American," and people all around me were tearing up. For the first time, I really understood just how great this American game was.

Ever since I was a little kid, people referred to it as the "American Pastime," but I never quite knew what that meant. Being able to attend this game as not only an Indians fan witnessing a playoff berth, but also as a proud and supportive American being able to witness the healing power baseball and sports in general have during a time of mourning was an event that will be etched in my memory and heart forever.

The Cavaliers have confirmed published reports that Enes Kanter will work out for the team today at the practice facility in Independence.

View full sizeAP photoEnes Kanter is regarded by many talent experts as the best big man in the NBA draft.

The Cavaliers confirmed published reports that Enes Kanter will work out for the team today at the practice facility in Independence.

The 6-11, 259-pound center from Turkey is being considered with the Cavs No. 4 pick in the June 23 draft. The team has not released any details about any scheduled workouts or interviews or made any players available to the media.

Kanter, who turned 19 on May 20, was ruled ineligible last year before he ever played a game at the University of Kentucky because he was paid to play on a team in Turkey.

Andrew Ference and David Krejci each had a goal and an assist during Boston's four-goal second period, Tim Thomas made 40 saves, and the Bruins beat the Canucks 8-1 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals Monday night, trimming Vancouver's series lead to 2-1.

Boston Bruins right wing Nathan Horton (18) is tended to by a trainer after a blind side hit by Vancouver Canucks' Aaron Rome in the first period during Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals,Monday, June 6, 2011, in Boston. Horton was carried out on a stretcher. Rome was called for a 5 minute interference major and a game misconduct. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

BOSTON  — The Boston Bruins gingerly tapped their sticks on the ice while medical personnel wheeled Nathan Horton out of the hushed arena through the Zamboni tunnel, his neck fixed in a brace after a late hit to the head from Vancouver's Aaron Rome.

Horton's teammates needed a few minutes to clear their minds after such a frightening injury. When they finally got their heads together, they created an offensive avalanche that got them right back in this series.

Andrew Ference and David Krejci each had a goal and an assist during Boston's four-goal second period, Tim Thomas made 40 saves, and the Bruins beat the Canucks 8-1 [Box score] in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals Monday night, trimming Vancouver's series lead to 2-1.

"It's always tough when a guy goes down," said forward Brad Marchand, who scored a short-handed goal in the second. "We really wanted to get this win tonight for him. It's a very tough situation, and everyone is worried about him, but it definitely gave us motivation to win."

Game 4 is Wednesday in Boston.

Boston burst out of a three-game offensive slump one period after Horton was taken off the ice on a stretcher 5 minutes into the game, rendered senseless by Rome's check in the neutral zone. Horton was talking and moving his extremities after going to a hospital.

Mark Recchi scored two goals for the Bruins, who turned a big win into a blowout with four more goals in the final 8½ minutes of the third period. Boston produced its highest-scoring playoff game since getting nine goals on April 20, 1983.

"We talked a lot about playing for Horty," said the 43-year-old Recchi, already the oldest player to score a goal in the finals. "He's been a great teammate for us all year. It's tough to see your teammate down on the ice. We knew it was a late hit, but we're a little more concerned with his health at this point."

Boston had managed just three goals in its previous 10 periods before torching Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo, who stopped 30 shots.

Daniel Paille scored a short-handed goal in the third, and Recchi, Chris Kelly and Michael Ryder — who finished with three points — scored in the final 2½ minutes as the Bruins emphatically avoided a daunting 0-3 series deficit.

Jannik Hansen broke up Thomas' shutout bid with 6:07 to play for the Canucks, who finally hit a major bump in their late-season roll toward their first Stanley Cup title.

"Still 2-1 for us. Luckily, we are not playing with an aggregate score," Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa said. "Next game is huge for us, and if we take care of that, we are in a great position. You don't want to lose 8-1. It's embarrassing at this time of year."

NHL scoring champion Daniel Sedin got a 10-minute misconduct late in the jarring loss for the Presidents' Trophy winners, who had won seven of eight games. The Canucks had given up just six total goals in their previous four games while closing out the Western Conference finals and taking a two-game lead over Boston.

"In the playoffs, a loss is a loss, if you lose in OT or you lose like we did tonight," Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said.

The Bruins were one goal shy of equaling the finals record of nine goals, set by Detroit in Game 2 of the 1936 series and matched by Toronto six years later in Game 5. The eight goals were the most scored in the finals since Colorado topped Florida 8-1 on June 6, 1996, in Game 2, according to STATS LLC.

The palpable excitement of Boston's first home finals game in 21 years turned into unease just 5 minutes into Game 3.

After Horton passed the puck to Milan Lucic at the Vancouver blue line, Rome left his feet to deliver a hard shoulder check to Horton's upper chest and head. Horton appeared to be unconscious after he landed flat on his back, his arm spookily reaching up into empty space.

"I think what I recall is it was a blindside hit that we've talked about taking out of the game," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "That's my view on it. Let the league take care of it. We're trying to clean that part of the game out."

Medical personnel spent several minutes attending to Horton, who scored the Bruins' winning Game 7 goals in the first round against Montreal and again in the Eastern Conference finals against Tampa Bay.

"I never want to see any player leave in that situation," Vigneault said. "The hit seemed to be a little bit late. ... That was a head-on hit, player looking at his pass. It was a little bit late. I don't think that's the hit the league is trying to take out."

Rome got a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct, with at least one fan throwing a yellow towel at the Vancouver bench while Rome went to the dressing room. The shaken Bruins didn't score on six shots on their marathon power play, but the Boston crowd rose and cheered several minutes later when a scoreboard message gave good news about Horton's condition.

Boston fans already were upset with the Canucks after two bad-tempered games in Vancouver, including Alex Burrows' apparent bite on Patrice Bergeron's finger during Game 1. The bite was still on the minds of both teams, with players from both teams taunting their opponents by pointing their index finger at another player's mouth.

Just 11 seconds into the second period — the same amount of time Alex Burrows needed to end overtime in Game 2 — Ference threaded a long shot past Krejci and two Canucks defensemen to beat Luongo on the far side of his net.

The Bruins' struggling power play finally connected 4:11 later for just its seventh goal of the postseason when Recchi's centering pass hit the stick of Vancouver's Ryan Kesler, deflecting through Luongo's legs.

After Marchand created his own short-handed goal with a pass to himself off the boards, the rout was on when Krejci scored an easy goal on a long rebound given up by the struggling Luongo, a top contender for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.

Thomas was sharp on the other end, with a handful of slick saves including two point-blank stops on Mason Raymond late in the second period.

The goalie then got the Boston crowd on its feet with a two-handed check of Vancouver captain Henrik Sedin, knocking the playoffs scoring leader flat on his back while he tried to catch a puck that popped into the air in front of Thomas' crease.

"We're more back in it than we were before the game," Thomas said. "I didn't even mean that to be funny. What I mean is, baby steps. ... If we won the next game, then I'd be comfortable saying we're right back in it."

Vancouver won the first two games on its home ice, turning both games in their favor in the third period before dramatic late game-winners by Raffi Torres and Burrows.

Game 3 already was essentially over before it even got that far.

The third period turned chippy after Sedin and Ference got misconducts for a scuffle. Moments later, Boston's Shawn Thornton threw his stick up the Bruins' tunnel in anger at the officials after getting his own misconduct penalty.

The clubs combined for 98 penalty minutes in the third, with Kesler and Boston's Dennis Seidenberg dropping their gloves for the first fight of the finals.

Boston was buzzing for the first June home game in Bruins history, along with their first Stanley Cup finals game at TD Garden, which wasn't open when Boston made its last trip in 1990. Bruins fans filled the downtown streets — but so did Vancouver fans, who wore their club's blue jerseys while filling hundreds of seats in the lower bowl.

NOTES: The Bruins won Game 3 in all four of their postseason series. ... Julien made one lineup change for Game 3, scratching rookie Tyler Seguin and inserting Thornton. ... Vancouver C Manny Malhotra played his second straight game since returning from a career-threatening eye injury. He even took the opening draw, but the faceoff specialist lost it to Bergeron. Malhotra played 14:58.

For more Cinesport video on cleveland.com, go here.

Undertaking the biggest venture of his 25 years, Tim VanNewhouse and his partners formed Stallion Promotions and will give pro boxing a shot at Jacobs Pavilion on the west bank of Cleveland’s Flats on Aug. 13.

Boxing comes to Jacobs Pavilion on the west bank of the Flats on Aug. 13.

The new kid on the block wants to give it a go.

Actually, Tim VanNewhouse is not a kid or new to boxing. But the former amateur fighter has never promoted a professional show.

Undertaking the biggest venture of his 25 years, VanNewhouse and his partners formed Stallion Promotions and will give pro boxing a shot at Jacobs Pavilion on the west bank of Cleveland’s Flats on Aug. 13.

“I know it’s rough, but I think it can come back,” said VanNewhouse, who had 86 amateur local bouts before going to the Air Force. “There is talent here, but it needs to have the ability to showcase it the right way.”

After graduating from Lincoln-West High and before serving as a medic in the Air Force, VanNewhouse had his lone professional bout at the then-named Plain Dealer Pavilion. The lightweight stopped Lee Kreisher in the second round on Oct. 6, 2007.

Over the years, many have tried to make a name for themselves in boxing. Promoting bouts is definitely not the easiest way to make a buck.

“I think people tried to do well to put on a show, then you never hear of them again,” said VanNewhouse, taking classes in health science at Cleveland State. “What I’m trying to do is target different areas and businesses where we can come back three months later.”

While there is a lot of work to be done in formulating the club show, VanNewhouse said he plans to use Cleveland featherweight Mark Davis (15-0) and junior middleweight Dante Moore (6-0-1, 4 KOs) as drawing cards. He said he is working with the Cleveland Golden Gloves organization to help generate interest.

“I’m putting my life savings into this,” said VanNewhouse, a Lakewood resident. “I’ve got a lot riding on it.”

Tickets are $50 reserved and $25 general admission, with table seating also available. Contact VanNewhouse at 216-299-0910.

Local results: Cleveland boxers won stepping-stone titles in recent weeks.

Miguel Gonzales (17-2, 13 KOs) claimed the vacant World Boxing Federation junior welterweight title with a unanimous decision over Christopher Fernandez (19-13-1, 12 KOs) in Campbell, Ohio, on May 14. Yuandale Evans (14-0, 10 KOs) had to go to Moscow to stop Russia’s Ruslan Berchuk (4-2) in the fifth round on May 21 to claim the interim World Boxing Council Youth Intercontinental super featherweight championship.

Those titles are long winded to be sure, but they should earn a few extra bucks down the road.

Around the ring: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (43-0-1, 30 KOs) won the final three rounds to pull out a majority victory against Sebastian Zbik (30-1, 10 KOs) on Saturday in Los Angeles to claim the WBC middleweight title. Two judges had it 116-113 and 115-113 for Chavez, with the other scoring it even, 114-114. . . . In Atlantic City, N.J., Carl Froch (28-1, 20 KOs) went the same route in retaining his WBC 168-pound title with a majority nod against Glen Johnson (51-15-2, 35 KOs) by scores of 117-111 and 116-112, with one even at 114-114. Froch will meet WBA champion Andre Ward (24-0, 13 KOs) in the final of Showtime’s “Super Six” tournament in the fall.

This date: Oscar De La Hoya stopped Julio Cesar Chavez in the fourth round to win the WBC super lightweight title in Las Vegas in 1996. . . . Rocky Graziano was born in 1922.

TV bouts: The ESPN2 “Friday Night Fights” are in New York where welterweight Kenny Galarza (14-1, 14 KOs) will meet Irving Garcia (17-6-3, 8 KOs) in the feature at 8:30 p.m.

The Showtime Network doubles up this weekend with a Friday show in Santa Ynez, Calif., where cruiserweight Lateef Kayode (16-0, 14 KOs) faces Matt Godrey (20-2, 14 KOs) in the headliner at 11 p.m.

On Saturday in New York, Showtime will feature Puerto Rican fighters as Luis Del Valle (12-0, 10 KOs), meets Dat Nguyen (17-1, 6 KOs) of Vietnam at 10:30 p.m.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jmaxse@plaind.com, 216-999-5168

LeBron James, as he has done most of the season, is shrugging off the criticism. The Heat are two wins from an NBA championship, and to James that’s the only number that matters.

AP PhotoMiami's LeBron James is scoring only 20.3 points a game, while Dwyane Wade has become the go-to player for the Heat down the stretch in the NBA Finals.

Dallas — Dwyane Wade grabbed LeBron James late in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, one Miami Heat star telling the other that he could play better.

Wade did the talking. James did the nodding.

And here’s some likely unpleasant news for the Dallas Mavericks: Wade might be right.

Here’s what constitutes what some might consider a “down” series for James so far: 20.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6 assists per game on just over 50 percent shooting from the field. James, as he has done most of the season, is shrugging off the criticism. The Heat are two wins from an NBA championship, and to James that’s the only number that matters.

“Anybody that knows me throughout the years, all I care about is the ‘W’ no matter if I’m scoring,” James said Monday. “I’m not just a scoring guy. I’ve got a lot of points in my career. I have had some teammates who have given me great confidence and ability to go out there and score a lot of points. But I’ve done other things. I don’t have to score points to be effective.”

So true, as proven by this nugget: James had 17 points and nine assists in Miami’s win over Dallas in Game 3 on Sunday night. Since December, when James has posted at least that many points and that many assists in a game, the Heat are 15-1.

He averaged 38.5 points in the 2009 Eastern Conference finals, and his Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Orlando Magic anyway.

The Heat have three players — Wade, James and Chris Bosh — averaging more than 16 points in these Finals. Dallas just has one, Dirk Nowitzki. Want a reason why the Heat lead this series, 2-1? Try that.

Game 4 is tonight in Dallas.

And the Mavericks, well, the last thing they want to see is more production from the two-time MVP.

“First of all, he’s playing both ends of the floor,” Nowitzki said Monday. “They keep sticking him on [Jason Terry] in the fourth quarters, and he’s been doing a good job. Jet hasn’t really been a crunch-time, clutch player for us the way we need him to. So he’s done a good job. Look, Wade has been great in the fourth quarter, so LeBron is being more of a facilitator. It worked so far.”

That was the formula Miami used in Game 3.

James has a total of nine points in fourth quarters so far in

the Finals, shooting 3-for-11. For comparison’s sake, he averaged 9.8 points in the fourth in the 2007 Finals, when he led the Cavaliers there. Cleveland got swept.

In Game 3 against Dallas, James had four assists in the fourth quarter, including the one that set Bosh up for the gamewinner with 39.6 seconds to play. Plus, his defense against Terry held the Mavs’ sixth-man to 0-for-4 shooting in the final 12 minutes.

“I’m welcoming the challenge,” Terry said. “Again, we’re going to see if he can do it for seven games. That’s going to be the challenge. Right now, it’s Game 4. Can he do it again in Game 4? He wasn’t able to do it in Game 2. He did it again in 1 and 3. So Game 4 is another opportunity. . . . A lot of guys wear down. So we’ll see.”

Jake Delhomme probably will be holding a clipboard for someone next year ... but will it be the Browns?

View full sizeJohn Kuntz,
The Plain DealerWill Jake Delhomme be on the Browns sidelines this season (if there IS a "this season") to whisper sweet nothings into quarterback Colt McCoy's ear?

Cleveland, Ohio -- Jake Delhomme made a little more than $7 million last year to throw for less than 900 yards. Good work if you can get it, we suppose.

But where he truly was invaluable was as a mentor to young quarterback Colt McCoy, who was pressed into service after injuries to Delhomme and the projected backup, Seneca Wallace. That led to the discovery that hey, this third-round pick really can play ... and took the clipboard right out of McCoy's hand. He's now the anointed starter.

Wallace, who was with Browns President Mike Holmgren in Seattle, has been signed to back him up. But he's not been seen -- or so it's said -- at any of the "Camp Colt" players-only practices during the lockout.

Delhomme, as James Walker of ESPN.com and many others have pointed out, is scheduled to make $5.4 million this year, the last of his two-year deal with the Browns. That's just flat not going to happen. Nobody is going to pay a third-stringer that much money. If he re-signs with the Browns, it will be with a new deal, for significantly less cash.

Thus, the option is that he can go elsewhere. Someone might believe the 36-year-old still has some gas in the tank. Shoot, Holmgren and his general manager, Tom Heckert, did a couple of years ago.

Or he could take the pay cut and stay here. But will it be as a third stringer ... or will Holmgren and Heckert, along with new coach Pat Shurmur, shift Delhomme into the No. 2 role and perhaps trade Wallace to fill one of the team's many needs. Like, oh, say a wideout who can A) get open and B) catch the ball?

That's one of the problems with the lockout: too much time on our hands to ponder possibilities. Still, we wonder ...

"The cheap experiment of playing Hannahan and Orlando Cabrera as everyday players has to end now. Hannahan's a .220 career hitter for a reason. He's terrible with the stick. He's a defensive replacement in late innings. Cabrera's defensive range is not what it was and his bat is weak. We have no pop or production offensively from Hannahan/Everett or O. Cabrera. We must have some production out of those positions." - lbj4glory

View full sizeChuck Crow | The Plain DealerJack Hannahan's defense has been impressive this season, but his bat has left a big hole in a struggling lineup.

In response to the story Minnesota Twins hand Cleveland Indians fifth straight loss, 6-4, cleveland.com reader lbj4glory thinks it's time to shake up the infield. This reader writes,

"The cheap experiment of playing Hannahan and Orlando Cabrera as everyday players has to end now. Hannahan's a .220 career hitter for a reason. He's terrible with the stick. He's a defensive replacement in late innings. Cabrera's defensive range is not what it was and his bat is weak. We have no pop or production offensively from Hannahan/Everett or O. Cabrera. We must have some production out of those positions."

According to a reporter, Ohio is not good enough for LeBron James and others.

John Kuntz | The Plain DealerLeBron James

When LeBron James left Ohio for South Beach, Brian Windhorst writes in The Washington Post that the dilemma James faced was emblematic of the one facing so many young professionals from Ohio.

Firmly in the Rust Belt, our state has been battling a talent and brain drain for decades, one made only more severe by the challenging economy in recent years. It may have been an agonizing decision, but in the end James made the same choice thousands of people in Ohio have made: He left because he felt there were better circumstances elsewhere. He merely followed the trend, upsetting as the trend might be.

Windhost writes that he understands this dilemma particularly well, because, on a much smaller scale, he experienced something similar when he moved to Miami to cover James for ESPN.

On the front lines of James’s departure, I became a sounding board, and later a target, for the frustration of Cavaliers fans. The e-mails, online comments and tweets poured in, many of them from former Ohioans who were supporting the team — from someplace else. 

We can all see that Dirk Nowitzki could use a little more scoring help from his teammates in these NBA Finals, but it probably isn't wise that Nowitzki called out his teammate Jason Terry in a recent ESPN interview. "They keep sticking him [James] on Jet in the fourth quarters and he's been doing a good job," Nowitzki said. "Jet hasn't...

APDirk Nowitzki

We can all see that Dirk Nowitzki could use a little more scoring help from his teammates in these NBA Finals, but it probably isn't wise that Nowitzki called out his teammate Jason Terry in a recent ESPN interview.

"They keep sticking him [James] on Jet in the fourth quarters and he's been doing a good job," Nowitzki said. "Jet hasn't really been a crunch-time, clutch player for us the way we need him to."

Huh?

But 6-foot-2 Terry has struggled in late-game situations throughout the postseason and mightily so against the 6-foot-8 James.

In the final 4:14 of Game 3, Terry missed a 3-point attempt, botched a driving layup and couldn't hit a go-ahead jumper from the baseline with 58.9 seconds to play.

"I had two opportunities," Terry said. "One in the corner for 3, LeBron closed out. The other one in the right corner, LeBron closed out again, didn't get enough air under it.

"Hey, it happens. If I get those same shots in Game 4, I bet I make them."

Praising LeBron

CBSSports.com reporter Ken Berger writes how LeBron James is being criticised in the NBA Finals for what he is doing or not doing.

Berger writes that no matter what James does, he can't win.

Against the Celtics and Bulls, James took on the toughest defensive assignment every night and embraced the challenge of being the closer at the end of games -- at winning time. Some have forgotten this already, because our attention span in this age of the minute-to-minute news cycle obscures anything not currently visible on our Twitter timelines.    

 

Mavs are done

The Miami Heat hold a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals and Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports writes that the Dallas Mavericks are done.

If the Mavericks can’t beat Miami inside the American Airlines Center on a night Chris Bosh plays with one good eye, LeBron James struggles with his stroke and the refs openly flirt with Mark Cuban, then it’s preposterous to believe Dallas can win this series.

"Kolb would cost us at least a high first round pick and he has yet to prove his worth as a starter. We drafted Colt for a reason. The new system will fit his game perfectly. It will take advantage of his great accuracy on short and intermediate routes. An average arm will do just fine for that." - Scott_in_SC

View full sizeNell Redmond | Associated PressKevin Kolb.

In response to the story Kevin Kolb hasn't done anything to warrant taking Cleveland Browns QB job from Colt McCoy, Tony Grossi says (SBTV), cleveland.com reader Scott_in_SC doesn't think Kevin Kolb would be worth the cost. This reader writes,

"Kolb would cost us at least a high first round pick and he has yet to prove his worth as a starter. We drafted Colt for a reason. The new system will fit his game perfectly. It will take advantage of his great accuracy on short and intermediate routes. An average arm will do just fine for that."

"Frankly, I'm tired of hearing and reading about people leaving Ohio and going elsewhere. Who cares? If you're happy in Miami or Phoenix or wherever, who cares? Good for you. Northeast Ohio has nothing to be ashamed of. This area has great history, a great fan base and wonderful things happening in the future." - coolplate

View full sizeCleveland's population has fallen, but it hasn't dashed the hopes of the people that still live here.

In response to the story Ohio is not good enough for LeBron James and reporter, cleveland.com reader coolplate is tired of hearing about people leaving Ohio. This reader writes,

"Frankly, I'm tired of hearing and reading about people leaving Ohio and going elsewhere. Who cares? If you're happy in Miami or Phoenix or wherever, who cares? Good for you. Northeast Ohio has nothing to be ashamed of. This area has great history, a great fan base and wonderful things happening in the future."