Getting a look at the four-part process that the Cavaliers use to narrow the scope of draft evaluations.

View full sizeAP photoIn order to evaluate players such as Lithuanian forward Donatas Motiejunas, the Cleveland Cavaliers didn't hesitate to crisscross the globe to evaluate talent that might help the rebuilding franchise.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If the NBA gave out frequent flier miles, the members of the Cavaliers basketball operations staff would be platinum elite.

By the time the team makes its selections in the June 23 NBA draft, seven men in the organization, including General Manager Chris Grant, will have traveled about a million miles to see 600 basketball games and 200 practices.

"We've got war-horse type people here," says David Griffin, vice president of basketball operations, who oversees the draft preparation. Those live views, as Griffin calls them, are just one step in a four-part process that the team uses to narrow the scope of its search for just the right players.

The other steps include videotape study, statistical analysis and then human interaction, which involves interviews and medical and psychological testing.

Every NBA team has a similar operation.

"There's no secret sauce," Grant likes to say.

"We're not reinventing the wheel here," Griffin adds. "Everybody knows who's talented. But are they our guy?"

Griffin is in his first year with the Cavaliers after 17 seasons with the Phoenix Suns, including 13 on the basketball operations side. He says what sets his current employer apart are the resources owner Dan Gilbert devotes to this part of his operation, including the staff assembled to gather the information.

View full sizeNBA/Cavs"They do it as well as you can do it here in terms of turning over every stone," says Cavaliers VP of basketball operations David Griffin, who is part of the draft night braintrust.

"It's a special group, very thoughtfully put together," Griffin said. "It's unique to have a staff put together with this much forethought. To be honest with you, that's really the only way you can be all that different.

"I did this for a long time in Phoenix, and this has zero to do with me. But they do it as well as you can do it here in terms of turning over every stone. Dan and his people have invested very, very heavily in the process.

"The NBA talks about best practices on the business side. The Cavaliers over the years have really incorporated best practices in basketball operations. They've innovated some best practices. There's time and effort paid to doing the right things, which is a really significant thing for me to get to see. That's a huge strength of the organization."

According to Griffin, the live views and tape study are interwoven for scouts.

"You do tape study in one of two ways: Follow up views of people they watched live or you watch guys to determine whether to allocate resources to watch them live," he said.

As part of the tape study, the Cavs -- and most NBA teams -- use a softwear program called Synergy, which offers detailed breakdowns of an individual player's game. How detailed? Each player report includes about eight pages of offense and five pages of defense.

Which brings us to that statistical analysis.

"Statistics are used by all organizations differently," Griffin said. "Some will use them more as a governing item, where they will make decisions based on that. I think the bulk of them use them as we do, which is to continue turning over every stone, identifying people you may want to watch in person and, more importantly, drilling down into what a given player's game might be for us."

But for all of that -- the multiple live views, the tape study and the statistical analysis -- the person is the most important element for the Cavaliers.

"The person dictates as much as the talent does here," Griffin said. "This team has been high character over the years and will continue to be that.

"NBA teams will red-flag you typically for two things: medical and character. It's highly unusual for an NBA team to red-flag you based on what a scout saw or what the numbers say. You can not get drafted, but you aren't red-flagged."

In spite of the care with which each potential draft choice is investigated, mistakes still occur. Every draft class is full of can't-miss players who do.

"We're dealing with people," Griffin said. "It's an inexact science. You can do as much as you possibly can to identify the psychology of a player, talk to as many people as you can to identify their character. Most developmental psychologists will tell you there's almost no way to know what happens when you give somebody who has never had money a lot of money.

"So we like to think as a league that we're crossing our Ts and dotting our Is, but it's inexact. You do what you can."

Griffin learned a valuable lesson on draft preparation from Dick Van Arsdale, a former Suns player and executive.

"[He] once told me, 'Fans think of players as a snapshot of what they remember seeing. Teams think of players as a home movie.'

"We need to get to the heart of not what they wanted you to see, but what is."

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

Brad Grant is in charge of the Indians' draft. The job requires a lot of travel and early-morning wakeup calls.

Chuck Crow / PD"For this draft, I easily traveled 35,000 miles by air and car," says Tribe scouting director Brad Grant. "I saw about 150 players."

NEW YORK -- Brad Grant is in charge of the Indians' draft. The job requires a lot of travel and early-morning wakeup calls.

Q: How many miles do you think you traveled scouting players in preparation for the draft?

A: In my career, I've traveled over 500,000 air miles. For this draft, I easily traveled 35,000 miles by air and car. I saw about 150 players.

Q: Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night in a hotel room and couldn't remember where you were?

A: Many times. There are times I'll forget my hotel room number and randomly start trying doors with my key card to see if it's my room. I'll walk into an airport and someone will ask me where I'm going and I have to pause for a moment to remember.

Q: What's your favorite college ballpark?

A: Vanderbilt is my favorite. Pepperdine, with Catalina Island and the Pacific Ocean in the background, is beautiful. My favorite college series is Clemson vs. South Carolina. They play one game in Clemson and one game at South Carolina. The crowds are great.

Q: Does your wife, Kate, and your children ever forget what you look like?

A: We Skype a lot so they don't forget me. When I'm home, I make up for lost time. Things start slowing down in November and between Christmas and New Year's I can shut it down.

Q: What's the first tool you look for in scouting hitters and pitchers?

A: For a hitter it's the ability to make consistent hard contact, to center the baseball with the bat. For a pitcher, it's stuff -- fastball, curveball and breaking ball.

The Yankees are coming up short in their annual rivalry with the Red Sox.

View full sizeJim McIssac / NewsdayDavid Ortiz and the Red Sox sent a message with another three-game sweep of the Yankees last week.

NEW YORK -- Here's baseball's top 20 items from last week that you can't do without. All statistics are through Friday.

1. Is the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry becoming MLB's version of Browns-Steelers? That is to say, there is no rivalry when one team constantly beats the other.

The Red Sox are 8-1 against the Yankees this year. They completed their second three-game sweep in the series on Thursday. What would happen if the baseball world didn't come to a standstill every time these two teams meet?

2. More than one baseball person has said the Red Sox are younger and more athletic than the Yankees. It helps as well to have a grumpy old man such as David Ortiz, who can still hit it out of the park and tell the opposing manager, in this case Joe Girardi, to "take it like a man."

3. Yankees starters have a 8.18 ERA against Boston. That includes CC Sabathia's 6.16 ERA.

4. If the Indians fell any flatter on their face during the last homestand, they'd still be undergoing rhinoplasty surgery. That being said, what happens in the coming weeks will not only be a test for the players, but for GM Chris Antonetti and manager Manny Acta as well.

5. Albert Pujols hit five homers and drove in eight runs from June 3 through Tuesday for the Cardinals.

6. The Royals, with just eight wins in their last 27 games, continued their youth movement with the promotion of third baseman Mike Moustakas on Thursday. They promoted first baseman Eric Hosmer about a month ago.

7. What did slumping Ichiro Suzuki do after having his streak of playing in 255 straight games end Friday? He spent a big part of the game in the batting cage working on his swing.

8. The A's, who ended a 10-game losing streak Friday to give new manager Bob Melvin his first win, hit .219 (74-for-343) during the losing streak.

9. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, managing his 5,000th game Friday, saw something he'd never seen before -- a fire at a ballpark. A popcorn machine in one of the Miller Park concession stands caught fire and sent smoke onto the field.

10. The Tigers have run down the Indians in the AL Central by going 22-12 since May 3. The Indians went 14-19.

11. Detroit could be ahead of the Tribe if they made better use of Justin Verlander's pitching. Twelve of Verlander's 13 starts have been quality starts, but the Tigers are only 7-6 when he pitches.

12. The White Sox, like the Tigers, are closing on the Tribe. One of the reasons is Mark Buehrle, who is 5-1 in his last six starts.

13. Manager Clint Hurdle on the Pirates reaching .500 last week for the first time in June since 2005, "We don't want to be satisfied with being .500 in June."

14. Derek Holland, the Ohio lefty who threw a five-hit shutout against the Tribe on June 4, struck out 10 Twins in 7 1/3 innings Thursday, but came away with a no-decision as Texas lost, 5-4.

15. The Giants keep losing key parts to the team that won the World Series last year. Second baseman Freddy Sanchez left Friday's game with a dislocated left shoulder. Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval are already on the disabled list.

16. It's not just the Indians who are having trouble scoring runs. In Friday's 7-5 victory over the Cubs, the Phillies topped three runs in game for just the second time in their last 10 games.

17. After outscoring the Indians, 24-6, in a four-game sweep, Texas lost two out of three to the Tigers. They were outscored, 24-15.

18. Boston manager Terry Francona, when asked if he was worried about his players in the heat and humidity of New York, told reporters, "We always try to stay liquidated."

19. Perhaps Washington prospect Bryce Harper was letting the front office know he's ready for a promotion last week when he blew a kiss to pitcher Zach Neal after hitting a home run against him for Class A Hagerstown. He just painted a target on his back in the South Atlantic League.

20. Toronto's Jo Jo Reyes, after going winless for 28 consecutive starts, won his next two starts, beating the Indians and the Orioles.

OSU will open at home against Akron on Sept. 3. NCAA penalties could deny Buckeyes a bowl game.

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerSenior Joe Bauserman (photo) and freshman Braxton Miller are the leading contenders to quarterback Ohio State in 2011.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- All but lost amidst the Ohio State football scandal is that the Buckeyes will, indeed, play a 2011 season.

Unfortunately, it might be limited to the 12-game regular season, depending on what sanctions the NCAA might assess the Buckeyes for the memorabilia-for-tattoos/cash violations that ultimately led to coach Jim Tressel's resignation, and too, has led to other allegations.

Ohio State opens its season with a home game against the University of Akron's Zips on Sept. 3.

Tressel, quarterback Terrelle Pryor and other Buckeyes' players were scheduled to sit out five-game suspensions for their mistakes. That was before Tressel left, and now Pryor, too, has decided to leave Columbus.

In his ESPN.com Big Ten mailblog, Adam Rittenberg responds to a reader who asks if the Buckeyes will be better off without the distraction of waiting for Tressel and Pryor to return near mid-season.

Rittenberg answers: 

You bring up some good points, and I agree that Ohio State players know what to expect for the whole season, rather than just the first five games. Terrelle Pryor might have provided a bigger distraction had he remained on the team, and players now have a chance to get behind the new starting quarterback. The hard part is not knowing whether Ohio State will be able to stick with one quarterback or use multiple signal callers throughout the season. The Tressel thing is still a distraction, in my view, because it puts a lot more on Fickell's plate. Tressel still would have been around the program despite his suspension, so the "switch" there wouldn't have been as dramatic. Not having Tressel at all could be really tough for Ohio State.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Ohio State coverage includes Doug Lesmerises' story that OSU was aware of a photographer's allegedly questionable dealings with Buckeyes' players years ago; Tony Grossi's report, in his NFL Insider, that the Browns once explored Tressel's potential to be their coach; Bill Livingston's column suggesting some Buckeyes bumper stickers. 

OSU grid links

On CollegeFootballNews.com, a point/counterpoint on what penalties Ohio State should be assessed by the NCAA, compared to the sanctions USC was hit with for its violations several years ago.

On BuckeyeSports.com, via FoxSportsOhio.com, Ohio State recruits are not abandoning their commitments to the Buckeyes.

Pryor golfed with a memorabilia dealer, Tim May writes for the Columbus Dispatch.

The coach Ohio State's search should lead to, by Pete Fiutak for CollegeFootballNews.com.

There are plenty of topics in this week's reader mailbag to beat writer Paul Hoynes.

Chuck Crow / Plain Dealer file photoChad Durbin hasn't overwhelmed many Indians fans so far this season, but the veteran reliever is currently in a thankless role in the bullpen, says Paul Hoynes.

Hey, Hoynsie: Please tell me when the Indians will pull the plug on the Chad Durbin experiment? The guy has been atrocious. Same goes for Frank Herrmann. Send him to Columbus, please. -- Ricky Stehlik, Strongsville

Hey, Ricky: Durbin was 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in May. Herrmann had one bad outing against Boston, six runs in 21/3 innings on May 25, when he was asked to take one for the team.

Most of their appearances come in one-sided situations -- losses or wins. It makes it hard to get a true read on a reliever, but I think they've done what they've been asked to do.

Hey, Hoynsie: If a hitter taps the ball back to the pitcher and the pitcher runs at him on the first-base line, stops, and the runner stops but the pitcher does not tag him out, is there any rule on a time limit for one of them to act? -- Geoffrey Lee, Strongsville

Hey, Geoffrey: There is no clock in baseball, so I think they could just stand there and stare at each other until one of them was optioned to the minors.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why do baseball players make a big deal about playing on AstroTurf? It's not like they do a lot of running like in football or soccer. Is it just the standing around on it? -- Kristen Lawrence, Rocky River

Hey, Kristen: On the Indians' last trip, three games at Tropicana Field and three days at Rogers Centre, every game was played on artificial turf. I think the standing around is probably the worst part. Unlike football or soccer, baseball players are doing it five to six hours a day (counting batting practice) for six straight days.

It's also an adjustment because artificial turf isn't as common as it once was. Tropicana Field and the Rogers Centre are the only artificial surfaces the Indians will play on this year.

Hey, Hoynsie: In your time covering the Indians, can you think of any player(s) who when brought up from the minors had a reputation as less than a competent fielder, but through practice and coaching made himself above average or better? -- Ted Belak, Sierre Madre, Calif.

Hey, Ted: This may sound strange, but the one player who stands out for me is Manny Ramirez. This was before he donned baggy pants, braided his hair and started clowning around in front of the Green Monster.

When the Indians brought him up he was a skinny kid who could hit and hit and hit. Through hard work and a great deal of patience by then manager Mike Hargrove, he became a decent right fielder with an accurate arm.

I'm not saying Ramirez was a Gold Glover, but he did show marked improvement.

Hey, Hoynsie: Is there any chance the Tribe will consider obtaining the services of Jim Thome for the remainder of this season? -- Herb Simmerly, West Oneonta, N.Y.

Hey, Herb: I don't speak for the front office, but if you're asking my opinion -- I can't see it happening.

Hey, Hoynsie: We've all heard the comment "even the greatest teams have gone through losing streaks" many times over the years. I'd like to know what was the longest losing streak (or stretch of bad baseball) of the season for the '27 Yankees and the '54 Indians. -- Bruce Allen, Land O Lakes, Fla.

Hey, Bruce: The 1927 Yankees went 110-44 during the regular season. Their longest losing streak was a four-gamer Aug. 19-22. Three of those losses came against the Indians.

The 1954 Indians went 111-43. They lost six of their first nine games. Their longest losing streak was a four-gamer when they were swept by the White Sox July 9-11. Thanks to baseball-reference.com for making the research easy.

Hey, Hoynsie: Rule 2.00 of the baseball rulebook states:

An ILLEGAL PITCH is (1) a pitch delivered to the batter when the pitcher does not have his pivot foot in contact with the pitcher's plate...

Angels closer Jordan Walden clearly jumps several inches off the rubber long before his delivery to the plate. I have yet to see any comments or questions regarding this. I know that pitchers generally lose contact with the rubber when the ball actually leaves their hand, but Walden looks like he is pitching from 60 feet 2 inches or less. -- John Testa, Rootstown

Hey, John: Interesting observation, but if Walden is guilty, he wouldn't be the first. Rumor has it that Phil Niekro routinely pitched from in front of the rubber when he was with the Indians. Niekro, of course, had an excuse. He was 100 years old and threw a knuckleball.

Walden throws close to 100 mph. He doesn't need a shorter track.

Hey, Hoynsie: Can you clarify how exactly teams utilize the draft? It seems like every year pitching is the main priority and offense is a distant second. Is it harder to get power hitting from the draft or just easier to get it through trades or free agency? -- Eliot Clasen, Cape Coral, Fla.

Hey, Eliot: There are 30 teams in the big leagues and they probably have 30 different draft philosophies. In the first round of this year's draft, teams took 33 players, including 19 pitchers. Here's the breakdown: 13 right-handers, six left-handers, one first baseman, two second basemen, five shortstops, one third baseman, one catcher and four outfielders.

While there were more pitchers taken in the first round than position players, the percentage wasn't that great.

Signability is a big key to any team's drafting technique. Can they sign the player they want? Is he definitely headed to college or is he trying to manipulate the draft so he can slide to a team that can pay him more money?

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerCarlos Santana is far from the only Indian who is struggling at the plate, but given his cleanup responsibilities, he's one of the most visible.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why do the Indians and Manny Acta insist on batting Carlos Santana fourth? I know it provides a L/S/L situation, but really Carlos doesn't appear comfortable filling the role of a No. 4 hitter. -- Mike Coon, Toledo

Hey, Mike: Acta did move him around during the last trip. In the just-completed 1-6 homestand he batted fourth every game and hit .250 (6-for-24) with no homers or RBI.

Early in the season, I felt much like you did. But with Travis Hafner on the disabled list and Shin-Soo Choo struggling, I don't think it matters who bats cleanup. Say this for Santana, at least he'll take a walk. But you need more than walks out of your No. 4 hitter.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why would the Tribe use such a high pick on a shortstop when they have Asdrubal Cabrera, who is still young? Does Asdrubal want to leave the organization? -- Jenny Carson, Cleveland

Hey, Jenny: Shortstop Francisco Lindor, the Indians' No. 1 in last week's draft, is 17. Cabrera, 25, is in his fourth big-league season. I think Cabrera is happy in Cleveland, but in two more years he'll be eligible for free agency and we all know how that works.

The last high school shortstop the Indians drafted in the first round was Mark Lewis in 1988. He did not play his first full year in the big leagues until 1992. I would think it will take Lindor at least three to four years to reach Cleveland. While Cabrera is headed out the door, Lindor could be close to walking through it.

Maybe Cabrera stays and moves to second base when Lindor arrives. Maybe Lindor is a bust. But if a team doesn't have a constant stream of talent flowing through it, the talent pool will dry up and turn to dust.

Hey, Hoynsie: Does Shin-Soo Choo still play for the Indians? Seriously, someone needs to explain to him that people are allowed to be people and make mistakes and to relax and play baseball. We're desperate for the player he is when he stops beating himself up. -- Jimmy Moss, Pittsburgh

Hey, Jimmy: Professional athletes are human beings. Like all humans, they handle problems in different ways. When and how they come to terms with them happens on their timetable. All anyone else can do is wait.

Hey, Hoynsie: Are you concerned that Manny Acta doesn't have he experience in managing a team that plays above .500 baseball? -- Bill Buck, Sandusky

Hey, Bill: The Indians have been above .500 since the fifth game of the season. The last time I checked, Acta was still the manager. No, I'm not concerned.

Hey, Hoynsie: I heard Brad Grant, Indians director of amateur scouting, say that their No. 1 pick helps their minor-league system. The No. 8 overall pick in the draft? What about Josh Rodriguez? Did they draft this kid, Francisco Lindor, because they have no intention of paying Asdrubal Cabrera? -- Walter White, Lodi

Hey, Walter: The Indians don't have a lot of depth at shortstop, which played into them drafting Lindor. Nothing against Josh Rodriguez, but the Indians left him unprotected in December's Rule 5 draft. He was selected by Pittsburgh and returned to the Indians. So it seems the Indians aren't building their future around him. Cabrera, who is making over $2 million this season, has two more years to go before free agency. Maybe the Indians will try to keep him, maybe they won't. Two years is a lifetime to a team and a player.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why did Cleveland pick 67th in the second round of the draft? It should have been around 40th. -- Ben Beilstein, McKinney, Texas

Hey, Ben: You're forgetting about the supplemental round of compensation picks between the first and second rounds. Those go to teams that lost specific free agents during the winter.

There were 27 players selected in the supplemental round.

Hey, Hoynsie: With Travis Hafner possibly returning for interleague games in NL parks, is there any chance he could play some first base? -- L.K., Washington, D.C.

Hey, L.K.: No, nada, absolutely not.

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you have some ideas who the Tribe is trying to obtain to help the ballclub? Was it in late June we traded Bartolo Colon? -- Hunter Worthington, Shaker Heights

Hey, Hunter: The Indians just promoted Cord Phelps to try and get more offense out of second base. I'm sure they're looking for another starting pitcher and a right-handed hitter.

They traded Colon to Montreal on June 27, 2002.

-- Hoynsie

The Dallas Mavericks may be up 3-2 over LeBron James and the Miami Heat, but they have much to overcome, Bud Shaw writes in his Sunday Spin.

View full sizeDavid Santiago / MCTCould Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have the last laugh in the NBA Finals? Well, this is Cleveland, right? That's all that Bud Shaw is saying.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The surgeon general warns rooting for anything in Cleveland, even if it's a team from somewhere else, could be hazardous to your health and theirs...

If any sports town should know the danger of wanting something too desperately, it's this one. For that reason and others, hold off on the official adoption of the Dallas Mavaliers.

In fact, the last thing you should want to do this close to their first NBA championship is give the Mavericks two-thirds of a franchise name that has never appeared on the Larry O'Brien Trophy or a connection to a city in a title drought since 1964.

It's like naming a new investment company after Bernie Madoff.

There are other factors:

1) The rest of the series is in Miami, where the Heat has lost once this postseason. Granted, that was to Dallas, but it required a Miami stumble down the stretch that was highlighted by head coach Erik Spoelstra asking Chris Bosh to guard Dirk Nowitzki in the open floor on the last possession.

Pay no mind to Spoelstra and Bosh signing off on that decision. You might as well ask Chuck Norris to play Hamlet.

2) The Mavs won Game 4 by three points with LeBron James disappearing. They won Game 5 with their role players shooting the lights out, with Dwyane Wade getting injured, and with LeBron James disappearing. (A theme.)

The chances of James showing up in Miami seem better than the chances of J.J. Barea showing up in Miami. More frequently, role players star at home in the NBA playoffs, then remember who they are on the road. Sidekicks such as LeRobin fare even better at home.

3) They're still the Mavs. I won't go as far as to say Dirk Nowitzki is still Dirk Nowitzki. He's shed his paper tiger reputation in these playoffs, controlling the big moments by making sure he either gets fouled or hits the basket.

Hack-a-Dirk isn't a strategy. It's suicide. He wants you to put him on the line whereas James apparently wants to shoot from the other foul line.

Still, look around. If Jason Terry doesn't rise up -- hey now, there's a slogan -- the Mavs struggle.

4) The 3-2 Dallas edge isn't what it seems. Miami has outplayed the Mavericks, except for late in games. I realize that's no small disclaimer. But home teams win Game 7 about 80 percent of the time, so the Mavs face almost as much pressure to win Game 6 as Miami does.

5) Maybe the biggest reason to doubt the Mavs' chances is that Cleveland Fan wants them to win so badly.

So stop it. Act cool. Disinterested even.

View full sizeRon T. Ennis / MCTHe has "Dallas" across his chest, but we all know who Dirk Nowitzki is really playing for, right?

Don't watch Game 6 Sunday night. Rent a movie instead. I suggest The Wizard of Oz, especially the scene where the house falls on the wicked witch and all you can see under it is the No. 6, I mean, her legs.

Just in case you were looking for a reason to dislike the Heat and couldn't find one...

Wade and James joked about being sick on their way to the bus after the shootaround for Game 5 in Dallas. Two days before, Nowitzki had played through a sinus infection and high fever in Dallas' Game 4 victory.

"Did y'all hear me cough?" Wade asked the surrounding media. "Do you think I'm sick?"

They both faked coughing.

"I'm not going to get into the fun-loving story of [Nowitzki] being sick, either," Wade said earlier. "Once you show up on the court, you show up on the court."

Not surprisingly, Nowitzki took offense. "I just thought it was a little childish, a little ignorant," he told ESPNDallas before Saturday's practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. "I've been in this league for 13 years. I've never faked an injury or illness."

If Wade and James were making fun of the media's obsession with Nowitzki's illness, well, that got lost in translation. The media does tend to over-dramatize the perseverance of athletes, treating guys playing hurt or sick like they're as brave and determined as Seal Team 6. But just the same, it came off as a shot at Nowitzki for what, I'm not sure.

I mean, subtle isn't what James and Wade do best by any stretch. When you predict six, seven, eight championships before the season begins, you don't get the benefit of "hidden message."

Wade especially should be careful about poking fun. He thinks that's funny? He's got a teammate who dramatically called attention to a sore right elbow by shooting a playoff free throw left-handed.

Now that's hilarious.

SPINOFFS

Another reason to believe in alternate universes in addition to Maurice Clarett of all people blaming players for having their hands out for improper benefits at OSU? Quiet, reserved wall flower Mark Cuban...

View full sizeMLB photoThis Red is typically one of the bright spots in the Cincinnati rotation.

Come to think of it, two more: Cleveland's current affection for Charles Barkley and DeShawn Stevenson...

USA Today reminds us the Heat shouldn't whine about Barkley's criticism. Most recently he said there's something about Miami he just can't embrace. Could be worse.

In 2008, Barkley called the Washington Wizards "the dumbest team in the history of civilization." And that includes an army that tried to conquer the Soviet Union in the winter...

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

Christian Bale and Reds' pitcher Homer Bailey -- Jeff Kooyman

Tom Heckert and actor Joel McCrary -- Randy Verner

View full sizeAP photoThis Dark Knight keeps Gotham safe, no matter what evildoer lurks in the shadows.

YOU SAID IT

(The Greatly Expanded Sunday Edition)

"Bud:

"When the Mavaliers, I mean Mavericks, win the title on Sunday evening, do you know what day we are hosting a victory party down Euclid Ave?" -- Dave Fazekas, Westlake

Is this a trick question? Every day.

"Bud:

"Who are the big three at the PD?" -- Joe S

That's hard for me to say. But for reasons I don't exactly understand, they call me Juwan Howard.

"Bud:

"If the Heat loses, what excuse will LeBron use for not shaking hands with Dirk Nowitzki? 1) My elbow is still tender. 2) I didn't want to catch his cold." -- Edward Aube.

I'd go with 3) I thought that was Sig Hansen of "Deadliest Catch."

"Bud:

"I hear the Big Ten Conference ADs are going to change the division names from Legends and Leaders to Buyers and Sellers. Any truth to that?" -- Kevin O

I've heard Loaners and Lenders.

"Hey Bud:

"Expanding instant replay in baseball is [under discussion] in their effort to get it right. Does the PD use this technology in the sports department when they review your stuff prior to printing?" -- Dr. Grinder

The only technology they use when reviewing my stuff -- in the absence of the real thing -- is a laugh track.

"Bud:

"I see where Manny Acta claims Fausto Carmona is 'divorced from the strike zone' this year. Keeping in step with that analogy, can't it also be said that Indians batters are 'legally separated' from reaching first base?" -- Jeff, Westlake

Maybe. I do know as the aggrieved party, Orlando Cabrera is seeking joint custody of second base.

"Bud:

"Because of his recent struggles, Shin-Soo Choo said that he was going to close his ears and his eyes. Do you think this will improve his hitting?" -- Harvey

First-time "You Said It" winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection.

"Bud:

"Compared to earlier this season, what are the Indians missing more of lately: smoke, or mirrors?" -- Ron

Repeat winners get pulled out of a hat.

The ongoing lockout, Stanford's Andrew Luck and the neverending Colt McCoy debate are just some of the topics in this week's mailbag.

View full sizeJ. Scott Applewhite / APRoger Goodell and players union head DeMaurice Smith keep talking in "private" meetings -- but Tony Grossi isn't ready to believe that the NFL will avoid starting late this season.

Hey, Tony: My heart resides with the players but my brain resides with the owners. Players do not deserve this much money, but at the same time the owners shouldn't cash in without sharing. (With) the NFL stating this lockout could last a year, is it possible for the players to force the hand of the owners by creating a new league? You know people would watch.

People watched the XFL when it first started, except this will be players we actually know! -- Jamie Sbeck, Bowling Green

Hey, Jamie: I've said before that the time is ripe for a rival to the NFL. The problem is finding 10 billionaires to foot the start-up costs, knowing eventually the NFL will put them out of business.

Hey, Tony: If the NFL does not have a 2011 season and decide not to abolish the 2012 draft, how will they determine the draft order? Will it be based on the 2010 final standings? -- Big Dave, Lexington, Ky.

Hey, Big Dave: The NFL has not addressed this situation.

Hey, Tony: I am a huge Browns fan. I live here in South Central Texas. I was wondering if you can tell me when and where Camp Colt will be taking place June 9-11? -- Tim Shafer, New Braunfels, Texas

Hey, Tim: Organizers of Camp Colt have declined to disclose the location somewhere in Austin, Texas.

Hey, Tony: What is your opinion of Jake Delhomme? Do we pay him a lot of money just to mentor a young QB or get rid of him and let Seneca Wallace handle that job? Or is there something im missing about Seneca's leadership and mentoring abilities? -- Justin Coulter, Austintown

Hey, Justin: I believe Delhomme will be replaced by a developmental quarterback who went undrafted and will be signed when the NFL reopens for business. Wallace will be the primary backup. Delhomme probably would have trouble finding another NFL job, so he would be a phone call away if the Browns suffered two major injuries at the position like last year.

Hey, Tony: Do you think the labor deal will happen before July? -- Kevin Sandy, Navarre

Hey, Kevin: I've always assumed that a labor deal will not happen until players miss three or four game checks in September. However, there seems to be real optimism that a new deal could be reached before the end of June.

Hey, Tony: I like the leadership qualities of Colt McCoy, but he really hasn't accomplished anything to lead the Browns to believe he is the QB of the future. I think the great trade of the 2011 draft was to position the Browns with the horse power they will need in 2012 to move up a few spots to acquire Andrew Luck. McCoy will have to throw for 3,000-plus yards and have twice as many TDs as INTs this year to solidify himself as the QB of the future. -- Doug Furtado, Battle Mountain, Nevada.

View full sizeLynne Sladky / Associated PressAndrew Luck is certain to be the grand prize of the 2012 draft --- assuming there is one. If Colt McCoy falters in 2011, Browns fans (and Tony) will be clamoring for a big move to get the Stanford QB.

Hey, Doug: I wouldn't quantify a successful season for McCoy with personal statistics. If the team wins, it will be the result of his leadership and development. Teams simply cannot win nowadays without top production from the quarterback position. Now, if McCoy plays lights-out and the team loses because of other factors -- defense, etc. -- I would lean more on his personal statistics. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. But if the results aren't there in 2011, the team absolutely must do everything in its power to acquire Andrew Luck in the 2012 draft.

Hey, Tony: You said last week that "it was assumed that [Matt] Roth was not enamored playing for [Eric] Mangini." We get that you think you're smarter than Mangini, but aren't reporters supposed to be objective and not assume? -- Mike B., Dover

Hey, Mike: Reporters nowadays are called on to analyze their beats in a variety of media platforms -- Twitter, blogs, videos, podcasts. We're covering a football team here, not strategies of war in Afghanistan. I heard several times last season that Roth was looking forward to free agency. His actions now certainly support the things I heard. Would you prefer that I withhold information like that -- just because you might disagree with it?

Hey, Tony: Do you ever get sick of all the Ohio State questions about mediocre players being signed by the Browns? I realize Columbus is not that far away from Cleveland, but there are plenty of other colleges with players just as good if not better. -- Ralph Reis, Ft. Mitchell, Ky.

Hey, Ralph: I just wish the Browns would get one of the Ohio State players who turn out to be elite NFL players.

Hey, Tony: Before or after -- the lockout is wrapped up by July 15th? -- Michael Spitale, Galena

Hey, Michael: My original guess was after. I'll stick by it and hope I'm wrong.

Hey, Tony: I've been away from Cleveland for 15 years but I'm a longtime Browns fan and still a season ticket holder. We all know football teams win games but football organizations win championships. It pains me to point out the obvious but that NFL team in Western Pa., has a heck of an organization. With Mike H. and Tom H. do you think we're finally on our way to building the organizational foundation of a franchise? What are the subtle signs -- other than the obvious Ws vs. Ls -- we're getting there? -- Rick, Arkansas.

Hey, Rick: Pardon me for sounding like a broken record. An elite quarterback would automatically make the Browns a good organization. What did Peyton Manning do for Indianapolis? Drew Brees for New Orleans? Matt Ryan for Atlanta? Those have become championship or -- in Atlanta's case -- championship-competitive organizations simply by getting the most important piece to the puzzle.

I realize this is a simplistic view. Pittsburgh was a great organization before Ben Roethlisberger. But they didn't win the whole thing until they got him. Everything is so much easier once an organization can be relieved of the burden of constantly searching for the QB. Holmgren and Heckert will look much, much smarter when the QB is in place. If McCoy proves to be the guy this year, they are on their way.

Hey, Tony: There is a Mexican dinner riding on the answer to this question. My friend says that former Browns kicker Mark Moseley once came off of the bench and quarterbacked a few plays when all of the regulars were hurt. I say this never happened. He's a kicker. I only know of George Blanda who did that. -- J.B. Cincurak, Akron

Hey, J.B.: Moseley never played quarterback in an NFL game. His claim to fame is being the last full-time straight-on placekicker in the NFL.

Hey, Tony: For once I'd like to see Cleveland management be bold. If the Browns give us another season of losing football with some bright spots, I say get aggressive, take those two first-round picks, Colt McCoy and the kitchen sink and throw it in for Andrew Luck in 2012. Make a bold move Cleveland, and maybe I'll pony up for Sunday Ticket again! -- Doug Shaffer, Orange, Calif.

Hey, Doug: You're preaching to the choir about Luck. I think he's The Truth.

Hey, Tony: Do the major TV networks have any influence on the owners to settle? As they will be losing money by not having games played. Without TV the league would be losing money like everyone else. -- Mike Miskiel, Toledo

Hey, Mike: In their last negotiations with the NFL, the networks all were apprised of the possibility of a work stoppage in 2011 and provisions were made in their contracts. They all agreed to pay their rights fees even if games were canceled. That is the crux of a players association lawsuit against the NFL, which they've already won. Soon, the federal judge will issue a damage award to the players. But the NFL can tie up the case for years through appeal.

Hey, Tony: I recently read that Steve Slaton is on the outs with the Texans due to the emergence of Arian Foster and potential of Ben Tate (I'm sure his injury/fumble issues don't help). Slaton is a small, quick back with great receiving skills. He seems to meet the Browns need for a change of pace back to complement Hillis and Hardesty. Will the Browns have interest? -- Matt S., Hilliard

Hey, Matt: Slaton was a third-round pick in 2008. I would imagine you could get him for a fourth. I'd really examine his fumble problems first, though.

Hey, Tony: Roger Goodell is out and about saying that fans want an 18-game regular season. I don't think that is true. All I see is the downside:

1) Injuries to starters and stars are already high, what does adding two games do?

2) It would be one thing if the NFL would start the season two weeks earlier, but they would add games to the back end. Cities like Cleveland know how bad those cold games are.

3) When a team is out of playoff contention, the games are even worse than pre-season games.

4) Where does adding games stop? 22? 24? -- Matt Santa, Broadview Heights

Hey, Matt: I have been -- and remain -- totally against the 18-2 concept. Absolutely nothing about it makes sense to me. It's all about the money -- more revenue for owners. I would compromise by expanding the playoffs and adding more revenue-producing games that way. I'd love to eliminate two preseason games, but that would take away owners revenue and they won't ever do that.

Hey, Tony: If the league shortens the season to eight games, are the Browns in trouble? I would assume they would play out the final eight weeks of the schedule and the Browns' final eight are tough. -- Chris Zanon, Canton

Hey, Chris: The league has not disclosed the details of a shortened, eight-game schedule -- whether teams would just pick up their final eight games or not. I would suggest the Browns are in trouble either way. This lockout has wiped out the only chance for the new coaching staff to catch up to speed on their team and begin implementing new offensive and defensive systems.

Hey, Tony: Have you heard anything about QB Jarrett Brown, who was added to the roster before the lockout? I assume he may have a shot at competing with Delhomme for the third spot on the roster, is that correct? -- Tom Thomas, Florida

Hey, Tom: I have heard nothing at all about Brown -- except from fans who fantasize that he is going to come in and take the team by storm. The Browns have said nothing about him.

-- Tony

It's all draft, all the time in this week's mailbag for Mary Schmitt Boyer.

View full sizeAP fileDoes the signing of Ricky Rubio (5) with the Timberwolves change the Cavaliers' thinking on their two high draft choices? Probably not, says Mary Schmitt Boyer.

Hey, Mary: I have closely followed the NBA mock draft sites all year. While I agree with the consensus of Kyle Irving of Duke No. 1 and Derrick Williams of Arizona No. 2, the idea of taking Enes Kanter, a center with an overall game, at No. 1 should be considered. That might shake up the draft board in terms of Minnesota and Utah, potentially facilitating a trade up from No. 4 to No. 2 or allowing Williams or Irving to drop to No. 4. Thus, we get Kanter and one of the top two. Everything says Kanter's stock is rising, particularly with Rubio signed. Furthermore, some are becoming concerned about Williams' ego and his coachability. -- James Crandell, Avon Lake

Hey, Mary: With Rubio signing with the Wolves, do you believe that the Cavs' decision comes down to how the Cavs view the potential difference between Kyrie Irving and Brandon Knight vs. the potential difference between Derrick Williams and Enes Kanter? If the Cavs believe the difference between Irving and Knight is small and the difference between Williams and Kanter is great, do you take Williams and then whichever point guard is available at No. 4? -- George Wood, Baltimore

Hey, Mary: With Rubio joining Minnesota, how do you think that will alter the Wolves' draft-day plans? And how will that affect the fourth pick? -- T.J.G., Toledo

Hey, James, George and T.J.: I put your questions together because they're all similar. Even before the Wolves signed Rubio, there were questions about what Minnesota would do with that No. 2 pick. The initial consensus was the Wolves would trade the pick because they didn't necessarily want to add more young players to their group.

With Rubio, Kevin Love and Michael Beasley, the Wolves don't need Irving or Williams, although they've been known to stockpile talent in hopes of making a deal. Rumors surfaced this week that Beasley could be on the block. To me, Kanter is just too much of a stretch for No. 1. I know the theory is that there are other point guards available besides Irving, but I think if the Cavs decide Irving is their guy, they'll take him No. 1 and the best available European player at No. 4. If Kanter is gone, that's probably Jonas Valanciunas.

Hey, Mary: I understand Portland has not offered Greg Oden a contract. I know he's been injured but so was Zydrunas Ilgauskas in his first few years. I think if the Cavs were to add Oden, draft Irving and add another piece in the draft, they'd have a legit center and backup center (if they get Kanter). They can use Andy Varejao at forward and spot time at center. Whaddya think? Or better yet ask the Cavs. -- Larry Demko, St. Louis

Hey, Larry: I think the Trail Blazers will re-sign Oden. If, and that's a big if, they don't, I do think the Cavs would be interested in taking a serious look at him.

Hey, Mary: I guess I am not sold on Kyrie Irving as the future of the franchise. I am excited about Kanter, but understand Utah is now targeting him at No. 3. Is there any speculation that the Cavs will pass on Irving? My suggestion is to take Kanter No. 1, trade pick No. 4 to the Bobcats for their picks (Nos. 9 and 19) and D.J. Augustin. Thoughts? -- Mike Traylor, Rochester, N.Y.

Hey, Mike: I could see the Cavs making a deal to move down, but I don't think they're very interested in Augustin.

Hey, Mary: If the Cavs aren't interested in Sasha Kaun, why did Grant gush over him last year, calling him the "best center outside the NBA" before Kaun got hurt playing for Russia in international games? Why did the Cavs' lead doctor do the surgery on him last summer? Now playing lights out and healthy for CKSA, can you ask the Cavs if they intend to sign him before June 30th or if they can? If they do, look for Andy Varejao to be a trade piece. -- Brad Cormier, Strongsville

Hey, Brad: I do think the Cavs are still interested in Kaun, but I don't think there's any rush to bring him here. Big players typically take longer to develop, so another year overseas is not going to hurt him. I think they're interested in seeing what Semih Erden can do in the short term, whereas I think Kaun is, and always has been, more of a long-term project.

Hey, Mary: I've heard the Cavs want more first-round picks this year. Which team have they been talking to for which picks? Would this trade between the Cavs, Bucks and Pistons be possible: Cavs get Drew Gooden, Rip Hamilton, and the eighth and 10th picks. Pistons get Brandon Jennings, Corey Maggette, Christian Eyenga and $5 million from the trade exception. Bucks get Ramon Sessions, Will Bynum, Semih Erden, Austin Daye, the 32nd pick, and $8 million from the trade exception. I would love a draft class like this: Irving, Kanter, Valanciunas/Bismack Biyombo, Alec Burks. -- Manon DeDecker, Belgium, Pa.

Hey, Manon: I'd be surprised if there was a team the Cavs weren't talking to at this point. They've discussed moving up and moving down. One reason your trade doesn't work is that the Cavs aren't interested in getting Drew Gooden back. Another is that you can't combine the trade exception and a player in a deal, according to GM Chris Grant.

Hey, Mary: I figured the rumored three-team trade between Minnesota, Detroit and Cleveland wouldn't go through because Detroit would be getting absolutely nothing. Would Minnesota be willing to trade us the No. 2 pick for the No. 4 pick and a player, leaving Detroit out? And, if so, what player could be involved? -- Brett Shaver, West Park

Hey, Brett: The problem is that the Wolves already have enough of what the Cavs might be willing to offer: bigs, like, say, J.J. Hickson; or point guards like Ramon Sessions and Daniel Gibson. Minnesota also doesn't need salary cap relief, so it's unlikely the Cavs could use the trade exception here.

Hey, Mary: How about giving us a look at your own personal mock draft for this year? Throw in any trades you see happening, too. -- J. Smith, Rocky River

Hey, J: I don't do a mock draft because I don't think anybody tells you the truth about who they're serious about drafting. So you waste hours and hours trying to "research" these things and in the end you either make your best guess or repeat the guesses everybody else is making. As soon as you get one pick wrong, or a team makes a trade instead of a pick, the whole thing falls apart. I know not all reporters feel this way, and I know fans like to read mock drafts. But frankly, I don't care what picks the other 29 teams make. I care what picks the Cavs make.

Hey, Mary: What are the Cavs going to do about the position of small forward? Eyenga is good but who will play while he is on the bench? -- Vish Iyer, Cleveland

Hey, Mary: Even though the Cavs have the fourth pick and it would be considered a reach, doesn't it make sense to get an athletic small forward/shooting guard, which they desperately need, like Kawhi Leonard or Burks, instead of one of the overrated European players? Also, with only a few weeks left, do the Cavs have a legitimate chance to use their $14 million trade exception or will this go to waste? -- Tom, Cuyahoga Falls

Hey, Vish and Tom: You both have hit the nail on the head. Small forward/shooting guard is the Cavs' biggest need, and yet it's the weakest aspect of this draft. I could see them trading down to pick up an extra draft pick this year or next and one of the players you mention, but I also don't think they think the European players are overrated. I do think they will make every attempt to use that trade exception, but I'm not sure they're going to be able to pull it off.

-- Mary

The Major League Baseball draft, the most recent edition having ended Wednesday, offers no guarantees.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerAsdrubal Cabrera is just one of many examples of why major-league teams can't totally depend on the amateur draft in building a roster.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Major League Baseball draft, the most recent edition having ended Wednesday, offers no guarantees. The Indians' active roster/major-league disabled list provides evidence on several fronts:

• Draft picks do not fill rosters. Popularity of the game worldwide, especially in Latin America, has meant that an increased number of non-drafted free agents make it. Eight of the Tribe's 28 were not drafted, including its best player last year (Shin-Soo Choo) and to date this year (Asdrubal Cabrera).

• First-round picks are not automatics. The Indians have just five former first-rounders (Adam Everett, Austin Kearns, Matt LaPorta, Trevor Crowe, Alex White), plus two "sandwich" picks (Travis Buck, 36th overall; Chris Perez, 42nd overall). All but Crowe and White are with at least their second organization.

• Early-round picks will not necessarily have long careers with the franchise that drafted them. Of the 15 Tribe players drafted in the fourth round or higher, the player with the most number of years with at least one game for that franchise is Austin Kearns (five, Cincinnati).

Here is a look at the draft history of the Tribe's roster:

Michael Brantley, OF

Selection: 7th round, Milwaukee, 2005

MLB debut: 2009 with Indians

Years of at least one with game with Milwaukee: None

Travis Buck, OF

Selection: 36th overall, Oakland, 2005

MLB debut: 2007 with Oakland

Years of at least one game with Oakland: Four

(DL) Trevor Crowe, OF

Selection: 14th overall, Cleveland, 2005

MLB debut: 2009 with Indians

Years of at least one game with Indians: Two

Chad Durbin, RHP

Selection: 3rd round, Kansas City, 1996

MLB debut: 1999 with Kansas City

Years of at least one game with Kansas City: Four

Adam Everett, INF

Selection: 12th overall, Boston, 1998

MLB debut: 2001 with Houston

Years of at least one game with Red Sox: None

(DL) Travis Hafner, DH

Selection: 31st round, Texas, 1996

MLB debut: 2002 with Texas

Years of at least one game with Texas: One

Jack Hannahan, 3B

Selection: 3rd round, Detroit, 2001

MLB debut: 2006 with Detroit

Years of at least one game with Detroit: One

Austin Kearns, OF

Selection: 7th overall, Cincinnati, 1998

MLB debut: 2002 with Cincinnati

Years of at least one game with Cincinnati: Five

Matt LaPorta, 1B

Selection: 7th overall, Milwaukee, 2007

MLB debut: 2009 with Indians

Years of at least one game with Milwaukee: None

Lou Marson, C

Selection: 4th round, Philadelphia, 2004

MLB debut: 2008 with Philadelphia

Years of at least one game with Philadelphia: Two

Justin Masterson, RHP

Selection: 2nd round, Boston, 2006

MLB debut: 2008 with Boston

Years of at least one game with Boston: Two

Chris Perez, RHP

Selection: 42nd overall, St. Louis, 2006

MLB debut: 2008 with St. Louis

Years of at least one game with St. Louis: Two

Vinnie Pestano, RHP

Selection: 20th round, Indians, 2006

MLB debut: 2010 with Indians

Years of at least one game with Indians: Two

Cord Phelps, INF

Selection: Third round, 2008 out of Stanford.

MLB debut: Wednesday.

Years of at least one game with Indians: One.

Tony Sipp, LHP

Selection: 45th round, Indians, 2004

MLB debut: 2009 with Indians

Years of at least one game with Indians: Three

Grady Sizemore, CF

Selection: 3rd round, Montreal, 2000

MLB debut: 2004 with Indians

Years of at least one game with Montreal: None

Joe Smith, RHP

Selection: 3rd round, Mets, 2006

MLB debut: 2007 with Mets

Years of at least one game with Mets: Two

Mitch Talbot, RHP

Selection: 2nd round, Houston, 2002

MLB debut: 2008 with Tampa Bay

Years of at least one game with Houston: None

Josh Tomlin, RHP

Selection: 19th round, Indians, 2006

MLB debut: 2010 with Indians

Years of at least one game with Indians: Two

(DL) Alex White, RHP

Selection: 15th overall, Indians, 2009

MLB debut: 2011 with Indians

Years of at least one game with Indians: One

Those not drafted/signed as free agents: Asdrubal Cabrera SS (Seattle), Orlando Cabrera 2B (Montreal), Fausto Carmona RHP (Indians), Carlos Carrasco RHP (Philadelphia), Shin-Soo Choo OF (Seattle), Frank Herrmann RHP (Indians), Rafael Perez LHP (Indians), Carlos Santana C (Los Angeles).

Robert Karlsson has a one-stroke lead over Harrison Frazar going into the final round today.

Associated PressRobert Karlsson, of Sweden, hits out of a bunker on the 17th hole during the third round of the St. Jude Classic golf tournament Saturday, June 11, 2011, in Memphis, Tenn. Karlsson bogeyed the hole and is taking a one stroke lead into the final day of the tournament at 11-under par.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — With 18 holes left, too much golf remains for Robert Karlsson to worry about a couple of late bogeys.

Karlsson looked ready to run away from the field Saturday, leading by five strokes on the back nine at the St. Jude Classic. The Swede closed with his only bogeys of the day on the final two holes and finished with a 2-under 68 that dropped him to 11 under, one stroke ahead of Harrison Frazar through three rounds in this final U.S. Open tuneup.

"I'm very, very happy with where I am at the moment. I mean you're going to make a mistake here and there," Karlsson said.

"Just keep doing what I'm doing. I mean it's a 72-hole golf tournament. It's a long, long way to go still, and ... I'm very happy with where I'm standing and let's go from there."

Frazar said he thought Karlsson was in total control of the tournament so he focused only on playing. He got hot and birdied three of his final four holes to finish with a 64 that got him to 10 under. That included rolling in a 42-footer for birdie on No. 18 on a similar line to a putt he had last year. He even waved his caddie off Frazar was so confident he had the right line.

"Went right in the center, jumped in there like a rabbit," Frazar said.

John Merrick (67) is third, followed by Retief Goosen, who turned in the best 18-hole score this week at TPC Southwind before being matched by Frazar. Fredrik Jacobson (68) and Keegan Bradley (70) are tied for fifth.

The 41-year-old Karlsson is in his first full year on the PGA Tour after earning an exemption by finishing in the top 125 on the money list with 11 events in 2010. That included a second-place finish here a year ago, when he lost a four-hole playoff to Lee Westwood in his best showing yet on the tour.

He is trying to become the seventh first-time winner on tour this year and the first player to win his first title in Memphis since Dicky Pride in 1994.

"I'm in the last group and have a great chance of getting out there tomorrow and play golf," Karlsson said. "I'm looking forward to that."

Karlsson is no stranger to closing out tournaments. He has won 11 times on the European Tour and has yet shoot over par on this course in seven rounds.

"Robert looks like he's not going to fall back," Goosen said. "Playing really solid. Need to get another round like this in tomorrow to get a chance to catch him."

Of course, Goosen made his remarks before Karlsson's final two holes.

Karlsson was leading by four until he bogeyed No. 17 after sticking his approach into a greenside bunker. He blasted out to 14 feet and just missed the par putt. Frazar finished up on 18 with his big birdie putt, and Karlsson's second shot on the final hole landed well right of the green.

With water on the other side, Karlsson's chip bounced once and stopped in the longer grass short of the green. Trying to save par, he came up 2 feet short and settled for a bogey that trimmed his lead to a mere stroke.

"You need to land it short, and I probably hit it a bit too soft. Wanted a one-bounce and just pop up and probably hit it 6 feet too short," Karlsson said.

The TPC Southwind has been playing fairly tough for everyone but Karlsson, with the Champion Bermuda greens baked enough from temperatures in the mid-90s to make them almost crusty.

The 6-foot-5 Karlsson posted pars on his first two holes and put distance between himself and playing partners Colt Knost and Bradley almost immediately.

Merrick gave chase with three straight birdies, his third moving him to 8 under and just a stroke behind Karlsson. That was the closest anyone else got until the end of the round.

Karlsson got his first birdie with a 3-footer on the par-5 third and birdied No. 4 to push his lead back to three at 11 under. He rolled in a 35-footer for birdie on the par-4 sixth for a four-stroke lead that was the biggest this week until Merrick bogeyed No. 7 to make it five.

With the lead, Karlsson just methodically worked his way around the course. He two-putted from 41 feet on No. 10, knocking down a 6-footer for par. He two-putted from 36 feet on the par-3 14th.

Karlsson managed to birdie even when he missed a couple fairways. He needed a drop after a ruling from an official when his tee shot on No. 15 landed near a drain right of the fairway 111 yards from the pin. Karlsson stuck his shot within 7 feet and rolled in the putt to reach 13 under.

Frazar had seven birdies with a lone bogey in a round where contending wasn't even a thought.

"Halfway through the round today, we kind of looked up and Robert was taking off again," Frazar said. "I thought he was at 14 under or something like that and most of us out there probably thought, we kind of forgot about trying to win the golf tournament."

Frazar was rolling at the end, sinking a 13-foot birdie on No. 15, a 6-footer on No. 16 and his long one on 18. He is seeking his first tour win as well, a position he has been in before only to not finish off an event. He thinks the key might be not thinking of winning even though people put winners on a pedestal.

"Guys that win golf tournaments don't think about it until the very end and figure out what to do. Tomorrow I'm not going to give it any credence. I'm not even going to think about what's happening out ther except just what's going on with my golf game," Frazar said.

"I'll try to look up at the end, see where we stand and see if anything needs to be done the last few holes."

DIVOTS: If Karlsson wins, he would become the first player since Ryuji Imada in the AT&T Classic in 2007 and 2008 to lose in a playoff, then win the same event the next year. Phil Mickelson also finished second in a playoff at the Northern Trust Open in 2007 and won that event in 2008. ... After 83 players made the 36-hole cut, the field was cut again Saturday to the low 70 and ties, leaving 11 out of Sunday's final round.

Cinesport video: St. Jude Classic: Round 3

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

"This was probably the most complete game we've played all season," Gladiators coach Steve Thonn said.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Football coaches will take any victory, but the ones that bring the most satisfaction feature contributions from offense, defense and special teams.

Gladiators coach Steve Thonn presided over a three-phase special Saturday night in a 62-48 defeat of the Georgia Force at The Q. "This was probably the most complete game we've played all season," Thonn said. "It's great to see everybody contribute. We talked about itafterward."

The Gladiators (7-5) snapped a two-game losing streak, improving to 5-1 at home. Among those in attendance were Cavaliers coach Byron Scott, guard Baron Davis and swingman Christian Eyenga. Georgia slipped to 7-6.

The Gladiators had not surpassed 60 points since Week 3, when they defeated Tampa Bay, 66-26. Last week, they lost in Pittsburgh, 35-32.

Gladiators quarterback Kurt Rocco threw for 212 yards and six touchdowns and was not intercepted. Cleveland's defense intercepted three passes, including one returned for a score, and made a goal-line stand. Gladiators special teams chipped in with a kickoff return for a TD and a blocked extra point.

The game turned late in the third quarter. Georgia, trailing, 42-35, had a first-and-goal from the 2. On two runs, Force fullback Benji McDowell gained one yard. McDowell, listed at 6-3, 310 pounds, had scored three times on 1-yard runs in the first half.

On third down, quarterback Brett Elliott threw incomplete. On fourth down, Gladiators defensive back Mike Bragg picked a floater in the end zone.

"Basically, I was just reading the QB," Bragg said. "I baited him and made the play."

Later, Bragg gave the ball to his cousin, Davis, attending his first Gladiators game.

"He was excited," Bragg said.

The Gladiators converted the turnover into seven points when Rocco found Dominick Goodman from 11 yards early in the fourth quarter. Georgia spent the rest of the night chasing.

"With a goal-line stand like we had, you not only get the stop, you get the momentum change," Thonn said.

Rocco completed 23 of 29 attempts and looked sharp doing it. He was sacked once.

"Kurt made a lot of good decisions," Thonn said.

With the Gladiators ahead, 14-7, late in the first quarter, Elliott's pass intended for Maurice Purify popped into the air. As Purify argued for interference on Levy Brown, Gladiators defensive back Joe Phinisee intercepted and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown.

Later in the half, Brown sought out a camera and yelled into it that it would be a long day for "No. 2," who was Purify. Trash-talking, pushing and shoving by both teams went on throughout.

A 56-yard kickoff return by the Gladiators' Quorey Payne made it 27-14. The extra-point attempt was blocked. Georgia answered with McDowell's third 1-yard TD run.

The Force then strip-sacked Rocco and recovered inside the Cleveland 5. Elliott scrambled in for the score, meaning the AFL's third-leading pass offense had opened with four rushing TDs. Georgia's successful point-after gave it a 28-27 lead -- its first of the game.

Calvin Wilson caught a 4-yard pass from Rocco with one minute remaining. Phinisee intercepted Elliott on the final play of the half to protect the 35-28 lead.

On Twitter: @dmansworldpd

The Browns are quietly moving in the direction of making their team appreciably younger, especially on both lines.

View full sizeMike Roemer / Associated PressAhtyba Rubin represents a younger, more athletic defensive lineman that the Cleveland Browns are determined to feature in this season's 4-3 scheme.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Summertime, and having strong sports opinions are easy ...

About the Browns ...

1. The Browns are quietly moving in the direction of making their team appreciably younger, especially on both lines. The draft day deal was part of getting younger on the defensive line. Once they determined it made more sense to take all the draft picks offered by Atlanta than select Julio Jones at No. 6, they targeted Baylor's Phil Taylor in the bottom half of the first round. They liked the idea of Taylor and Ahtyba Rubin (who will be 25 in July) anchoring the middle of the line for several years.

2. They had Jabaal Sheard targeted in the second round, because they want a pass-rushing end. General Manager Tom Heckert has long believed that it's easier to find players for a 4-3 defense than a 3-4, because the 4-3 allows teams to play quick, 255-pounders such as Sheard and Marcus Benard (turns 26 in July) at the ends. Benard had been a pass-rushing linebacker in the 3-4 system. They don't know if he can play every down in the 4-3, but they do think Benard and Sheard can bring some heat on the quarterback in passing situations.

3. Last season's defensive line starters were 32-year-old Kenyon Coleman (now a free agent), Robaire Smith and Rubin. Smith is still on the roster, but he's 33 and coming off back problems. Shaun Rogers, 32, has signed with the Saints. David Bowens was a 3-4 linebacker, but sometimes played on the line -- and he'll be 34 in August. He won't be back next season.

4. Besides Rubin, the only younger linemen of any consequence are Brian Schaefering (28 in August) and Derreck Robinson, 29. Neither is expected to start ... and in their late 20s, neither is expected to develop into a starter on a winning team. Others who played a bit were Titus Adams and Travis Ivey.

5. Did the Browns have to trade a third rounder to Kansas City to move up from No. 27 to 21 to pick Taylor? You can never be sure, but the Browns believed the Chiefs needed a defensive tackle and would take Taylor. A third-rounder convinced them otherwise. Recent media reports do have the Chiefs still looking for a defensive tackle after the draft.

6. They had Taylor rated quite a bit higher than Muhammed Wilkerson, who went No. 30 to the Jets. He was the next defensive linemen selected. It will take a while to see if Taylor meets the Browns' projections of being an impact player.

7. The Browns believe pairing Taylor and Rubin gives them a chance to build the line from the inside out. They believe both can rush the passer, not just be massive guys who take up space. While Taylor had only 2.5 sacks, the Browns say it was due to playing against teams that ran a lot of spread offenses with quick passes -- often negating a pass rush. We'll see if they are right.

8. The offensive line is in better shape with left tackle Joe Thomas (26), center Alex Mack (25) and Shaun Lauvao (23) receiving the first chance to win the right guard spot. Yes, they have Eric Steinbach (31) at left guard, but they believe he has a few good years left. They keep talking about injury prone Tony Pashos at right tackle, but it's hard to take that seriously as he's played in only 11 games over the last two seasons.

9. Obviously, the Browns will have to do some free-agent shopping on both lines. Starting right tackle John St. Clair (33) is a free agent and won't be resigned. The Chicago Tribune reported that St. Clair bought a home in the Windy City for $503,000 in 2006 and recently sold it for $375,000. He made about $6 million in his two seasons with the Browns.

10. Porkchop Womack (32) is a free agent but could return as a backup at right tackle and guard -- and who knows, he could start at right tackle if they can't find anyone else. They also drafted Jason Pinkston in the fifth round, and believe he could eventually help at right tackle or guard -- he was a left tackle at Pitt.

View full sizeHector Gabino / El Nuevo HeraldJason Terry and the Mavericks have so far made more out of less when it comes to holding off Miami in the Finals.

About the NBA playoffs ...

1. Yes, there are many reasons that I'd love to see Dallas beat the Heat. And yes, some of it (OK, a lot of it) has to do not only with LeBron James ... but also how he came to symbolize what could be a very damaging trend of trying to assemble a roster like a summer league all-star team. The purist in me just doesn't want to see that pay off with a title.

2. Dallas is an endearing team. Dirk Nowitzki is 33 and has spent all 12 years of his Hall of Fame-caliber career in Dallas. Jason Terry, 33, has spent the last seven years in Dallas. Jason Kidd, 38, is getting his last shot at a title. And 6-foot (maybe) J.J. Barea is so much fun to watch.

3. Don't you love this quote from Dallas coach Rick Carlisle: "Persistence is our game. We're an old-school team. We're not high-fliers. ... Our game is near the ground. We have to play with brains and guts."

4. Just how is Dallas leading this series, 3-2? Their guards are small. They have no major low post scorer. They have to fight their basic run-and-gun instincts to play gritty defense. Who even dreamed they'd win the West, much less push Miami's back to the wall?

5. Most fans have heard about James having only 11 points in the fourth quarters of all five games. ESPN dug deeper, using a standard called "clutch situations." It's what happens in the final five minutes of a game when the score is within five points. In those moments, James shot 0-of-7 and hasn't scored a point. He doesn't even have a rebound!

6. By comparison, Dwyane Wade has 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, Nowitzki has 26 points on 8-of-12 shooting with seven rebounds. How about this? In Game 5 when Chris Bosh, Wade and James were on the floor together, Dallas outscored Miami by 14 points.

Michael Perez / Associated PressPhiladelphia's Andre Iguodala (9) isn't a franchise player, but he's a reliable professional who would be a good fit with the Cavaliers.

About the Cavaliers ...

1. There are rumors about Andre Iguodola and the Clippers. There are other rumors about the 6-6 shooting guard going to Golden State or Orlando. What about the Cavs making a bid for the 27-year-old, whose contract ($13.3 million, $14.7 million, and $16 million) over the next three seasons is suddenly too rich for the Sixers? He would fit nicely into the Cavs' need for an athletic wing player and their $14 million trade exception.

2. Iguodola has never developed into the star that the Sixers hoped. Making it worse, he pulled a real disappearing act in the final two playoff games against Miami -- scoring only nine points in 73 minutes. So if the Cavs do deal for him, they must understand that he is an athletic defender, a decent scorer -- but not a franchise player.

3. In his seven seasons, he's averaged 15.5 points and shot 46 percent. This year, it was 14.1 points, 44 percent shooting. The Sixers are looking for some young big men (J.J. Hickson?) and something else. They'd probably love to grab the Cavs' No. 4 pick. I certainly wouldn't trade Hickson and the No. 4 for Iguodola. But the trade exception and other things (Dan Gilbert's willingness to spend) means they could find some common ground.

4. The Cavs are mum about Enes Kanter's workout, but teams that have seen the 6-10, 260 pounder in their gyms say he's extremely strong with a powerful low-post game. He has the physical size and maturity to be able to play in NBA games with some effectiveness immediately. That actually is not true of most young big men.

5. Another European draft prospect is Jonas Valanciunas, who is 6-11 and 240 pounds. He is more athletic than Kanter, but lacks Kanter's skill near the basket. Nor is he close to Kanter's strength. He also has some contract issues in Europe, and may not be able to play in the NBA next season. Kanter seems like a much safer pick, as he is free to sign with any team.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerIndians fans desperate to see the departure of Fausto Carmona are not likely to get their wish -- at least until he starts pitching better.

About the Tribe ...

1. After Friday's debacle in New York, I received emails from fans wanting to trade Fausto Carmona. Now would be the worst time to do that -- it's like selling a stock on the worst day of the market. It's a good way to end up with some bad prospects. My first impulse was to think about sending him back to the minors because he needs to work on his mechanics and confidence, but Carmona does not have any minor-league options left.

2. Carmona's record is 3-8 with a 5.71 ERA. Here are his ERAs by month: April (5.15), May (5.45), June (8.71). In his last six starts, he is 1-5 with an 8.64 ERA. In those 35 innings, he has served up nine homers and 42 hits. So it's getting worse, not better.

3. A few more interesting numbers: The batting average against Carmona with no one on base is .212. With runners on base, .343. With the bases loaded, batters are 5-of-7. Yes, it is a matter of controlling emotions and confidence.

4. In the past, Carmona had major problems with lefty hitters. But this season, it's .255 vs. lefties, .276 vs. righties. From 2008-10, it was .296 vs. lefties, 2.41 vs. righties. Nor is his control been poor in terms of walking hitters, but his pitch location is a problem. Look at those nine homers in the last 35 innings.

5. My guess is the Indians may keep starting Carmona, but if this continues -- how can he continue in the rotation? Jeanmar Gomez is 5-1, 2.36 ERA and pitching very well at Class AAA. Guess they could put Carmona in long relief. Remember, this is a guy who went from a 19-game winner in 2007 to the minors and learning how to pitch again in 2009. He is very hard to figure.

6. Carmona's contract pays him $6 million this season. He has three more years, all club options: $7 million (2012), $9 million (2013) and $12 million (2014). The Indians can pick up or decline each option at the end of a season. The contract would make him attractive to some teams because it's not guaranteed, but it's hard to imagine them receiving m much in return.

7. According to fangraphs.com, Orlando Cabrera is the worst regular defensive second baseman in either league. The main reason is his lack of range, combined with problems getting rid of the ball quickly on double-play pivots. The Indians don't reveal their internal stats, but it's a safe guess that they reveal that Cabrera isn't making anyone forget Robbie Alomar or even Duane Kuiper. Defense is one of the major reasons the Tribe finally decided to promote Cord Phelps -- hoping they can be at least average at second base.

8. The Indians have to really think about Austin Kearns, who has done almost nothing since being traded to the Yankees in the middle of last season -- thank you, Yanks! Zach McAllister is a gift that could keep on giving long after Kearns is retired as the 23-year-old right-hander is 7-2 with a 3.13 ERA. Since that deal, Kearns is 39-of-180 (.210) with two homers and nine RBI. This season, he is 15-of-78 (.192) with no homers and two RBI. Yes, it's part-time duty, but if he hit more, he'd play more.

9. Michael Brantley usually was a leadoff hitter in the minors, and he should stay there with the Tribe. In the No. 1 spot, he's hitting .310 (.360 on-base). The only A.L. leadoff hitters with higher batting averages are Jacob Ellsbury (.329) and Maicer Izturis (.317).

10. Grady Sizemore is developing into a pure power hitter. Consider that he entered the weekend with more doubles (14) than singles (10). He also had seven homers. He was hitting .256, with a poor walk (5) to strikeout (35) ratio in 121 at-bats. Those are not the numbers of a typical leadoff man.

Cicero's love of the school and football team led to a fateful, unforeseen result. Seeking to prevent a scandal, Cicero's warning emails to coach Tressel in April 2010 about players selling memorabilia for tattoos and cash inadvertently set into motion a series of events that led to one of the university's ugliest moments.

View full sizeMarvin Fong l The Plain DealerChristopher Cicero sent an email to Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, right, with the intent to help Tressel and quarterback Terrelle Pryor, left. Now both Tressel and Pryor have left the school under a cloud of scandal.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Columbus attorney Christopher Cicero never missed a chance to play up his ties to the school he loved, Ohio State University.

He played football for the Buckeyes in the 1980s, a spot on the team he earned through grit and work. Cicero was a small lineman from suburban Cleveland who scrapped to become a walk-on linebacker for then-coach Earle Bruce.

And he wouldn't let people forget it. His love of the school and team led to a fateful, unforeseen result. Seeking to prevent a scandal, Cicero's warning emails to coach Jim Tressel in April 2010 about players selling memorabilia for tattoos and cash inadvertently set into motion a series of events that led to one of the university's ugliest moments.

More than a year after he sent those emails, Cicero's attempt to help his alma mater unraveled. Tressel resigned, star quarterback Terrelle Pryor skipped his senior season at Ohio State, and Cicero faces scorn from fans of the team he loves.

The scandal pushed Cicero into the national spotlight when he spoke to ESPN after the messages became public last spring. But the emails to Tressel, hundreds of pages of court records and interviews portray him as a man who wanted to be noticed as a part of something important, whether on the football field or in the courtroom or political arena.

View full sizeChristopher Cicero

Most of all, he wanted to be noticed as a Buckeye.

For years, he was known for something else -- controversy.

In 1997, his law license was suspended for statements he made about a sexual relationship he had with a judge who assigned him to a case on her docket. In about 2002, a special prosecutor looked into allegations that he discussed killing witnesses for a client accused of committing two murders, records show. No charges were ever filed.

Cicero, 54, would not be interviewed for this story, nor would John Ferron, an attorney who has represented him. Several attempts to reach his family in Northeast Ohio were unsuccessful.

Hard work in weight room

Cicero began playing football at St. Peter Chanel High School in Bedford in the 1970s, where he loved the game but struggled to play regularly. Yet he worked with weights and became an average-size lineman as a senior.

"He wasn't an outstanding player, but he worked hard to get bigger and stronger," said Regis Scafe, head football coach at John Carroll University, who coached at Chanel while Cicero played there.

Cicero graduated from Chanel in 1975. He served a stint in the Marine Corps before he went to Ohio State, according to a 1983 story in the Lantern, the Ohio State student newspaper. Cicero walked on to the football team, playing for Bruce. One of the coaches on Bruce's staff was an impeccable dresser named Jim Tressel.

And as he did during his days at Chanel, Cicero quickly went to work in the weight room.

"We went down one spring, and I saw Chris, and I thought, 'Wow!' " Scafe said. "He was really big. He was huge. I'm amazed that he made it at Ohio State. He had to be very determined to get there."

In 1983, Cicero lettered as a linebacker. He received a watch for playing in the 1984 Fiesta Bowl, a gift he gave to his father, Carmello, a Woodmere cop for 26 years who also worked at Republic Steel. Cicero told Tressel in an email that his father wore the watch every day while on duty as a police officer. When Carmello Cicero died in 2001, his son placed the watch in his office, but he doesn't wear it.

"It meant so much to me that he wore [it] with pride," Cicero wrote.

But Cicero did little on the field. The team's year-end statistics show that Cicero failed to make a tackle in 1983, according to the Buckeye Sports Bulletin, a weekly paper devoted to Ohio State sports.

"He's a friend and a former football player. That's all I'm going to say," said Bruce, reached at his suburban Columbus home.

Cicero graduated from Ohio State in 1984 and the University of Toledo College of Law in 1987. He opened his legal practice a year later. He made his mark representing criminal clients in Columbus, gaining a reputation as a strong-willed advocate.

License suspended after comments

Those who have worked with Cicero in the courtroom say he is a good trial lawyer who works hard for his clients.

"He has been around a long time," said Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Dan Hogan. "He knows when to hold them and when to fold them. He does a good service to his clients."

But Cicero's legal career has been hit by controversy.

In October 1993, Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Deborah O'Neill assigned Cicero to represent a defendant in her courtroom. Three months later, she withdrew from the case because of statements Cicero made about her.

Records from the Ohio Supreme Court's Disciplinary Counsel show Cicero led some attorneys to believe that he had an ongoing sexual relationship with O'Neill. At one point, according to records, Cicero told a prosecutor that the judge probably would deny a continuance in the case because of her desire to get the case resolved so that she could have sex with Cicero over the Christmas holidays.

Cicero's client became aware of his boasts "and informed other inmates that they should retain [him]," according to records filed by the disciplinary counsel, which oversees the conduct of lawyers.

Cicero claimed that he exaggerated his level of intimacy with the judge and the timing. He told the disciplinary counsel that while he had feelings for her, a sexual relationship did not begin until after O'Neill stepped off the case. The Ohio Supreme Court suspended his license for a year, citing a failure to maintain a respectful attitude toward the courts.

Several attempts to reach O'Neill, who is no longer a judge, were unsuccessful.

When he regained his license, his swagger in the courtroom stood out.

In 2000, he filed an unusually worded document in U.S. District Court in Youngstown while representing Ronald "Scrap Iron" DeAngelo, state president of the Avengers motorcycle gang. DeAngelo was charged with racketeering and violence in aid of committing racketeering, as prosecutors argued the Avengers wanted to hunt down rival bikers.

Cicero disagreed.

"The only persons ever preyed upon by any Avenger were ready, willing and able go-go girls with tattoos," Cicero boasted in a motion. "And if the court doesn't believe us, the U.S. government has pictures of the clubhouses with the bras and underwear of these heavenly women voluntarily left behind hanging on their walls as souvenirs."

DeAngelo was convicted of attempting violence in aid of committing racketeering and sentenced to 27 months in prison.

Outside the courtroom, Cicero worked to ingratiate himself with powerbrokers. He handed out Ohio State football tickets and became a fixture at candidates' fundraisers. He doled out campaign contributions to judges, even hosting fundraisers for politicians, including Franklin County Municipal Judge W. Dwayne Maynard and Common Pleas Judge John Bender, and contributing to county Prosecutor Ron O'Brien's campaign.

Cicero also was a friend of O'Brien and many in his office.

"God knows how many OSU football tickets I have floated through that office," Cicero said in a deposition filed last year, referring to O'Brien's office. "I don't think he and I have ever gone to a game together, but I know that, you know, other members of his office and I, as we sit here today and speak, are close friends."

His friendship with O'Brien began to sour about 2002 when Cicero briefly represented James Conway, 32, of Columbus, who was convicted and sentenced to death for committing two murders.

During appeals, Conway's attorneys said in court documents that Cicero was aware of or discussed killing witnesses linked to Conway's crimes. A co-defendant of Conway's testified that it was Cicero's idea to kill a man who saw Conway commit a shooting, according to Conway's attorneys' court filings. The witness was found dead in a cornfield, and Conway was convicted of his murder.

The Franklin County prosecutor's office asked a judge to appoint a special prosecutor, Rick Gibson of Hamilton County, to investigate the attorney, according to interviews and court records, but no charges were ever filed.

In an interview, Gibson declined to discuss Cicero but said his investigation failed to find credible evidence to support charges. In the deposition, Cicero asserted his Fifth Amendment rights about a dozen times when asked about issues linked to Conway's witnesses.

An email sent by a representative for O'Brien said the prosecutor no longer considers Cicero a friend "due to a number of circumstances that surrounded the James Conway cases." The email said Cicero has been deleted from the mailing list of O'Brien's campaign committee.

Email about free tattoos

Cicero's law practice and his love of Ohio State became intertwined when Eddie Rife walked into his office in April 2010. Rife was a small-time felon who had a tattoo parlor called Fine Line Ink on the city's west side, one that had become a hangout for Ohio State players.

Rife met Cicero because of a raid at Rife's home. Cicero told Tressel that Rife was a former client and that federal agents seized money and OSU memorabilia from his house during a major drug investigation.

"I have been told OSU players including [name redacted] have been given free tattoos in exchange for signed memorabilia," Cicero wrote in the first email, April 2, 2010.

Two weeks later, he wrote to Tressel that the information was confidential and went on to say Rife met with him and told the attorney he had about 15 pairs of autographed spikes, nine Big Ten Championship rings and four or five jerseys from players.

"He will not talk publicly about this," Cicero said, referring to Rife.

Tressel wrote back: "Keep me posted as to what I need to do if anything."

Tressel did nothing, in terms of telling his bosses.

In December, federal authorities notified the university about the memorabilia, because they were seeking to seize items from the raid at Rife's house.

The raid eventually led to the suspensions of Pryor and four other players. Weeks later, on Jan. 13, officials from the OSU Office of Legal Affairs stumbled across the spring 2010 emails to Tressel while doing research to appeal the suspensions given to the players.

When the emails were made public, Cicero refused to talk to local reporters. Instead, he went on ESPN, saying that he wasn't a Judas and that he had received death threats about what he had done.

"If I had to do it all over again at the end of the day," Cicero said in the interview, "I never would have sent him the email."

With each passing day, Cicero's alma mater faces greater scrutiny, and the questions mount as an NCAA investigation continues.

And most of it goes back to the email of April 2, 2010, from a lawyer who wanted to help the school he loved.

Plain Dealer news researcher Jo Ellen Corrigan contributed to this story.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jcaniglia@plaind.com, 216-999-4097

Dallas Mavericks, leading best-of-seven Finals three games to two, try to close out Heat tonight in Miami.

Associated PressLeBron James has never won a playoff series, 4 games to 3, which the Miami Heat must do to win the NBA title.

MIAMI, Florida -- LeBron James watched the San Antonio Spurs celebrate an NBA championship on his now-former home floor in Cleveland four years ago, a memory he still finds haunting.

He needs to buck some history to avoid a repeat of that scene in Miami.

For all that James has done in his career — two MVP awards, seven All-Star appearances, a scoring title — there's one thing he still hasn't managed, and that's getting his team off the ropes when facing elimination. The Cavaliers never advanced in the five playoff series that opposing teams won three games against Cleveland during James' run there.

Now James' Miami Heat is facing elimination for the first time in these playoffs, entering Sunday's Game 6 of the NBA finals down 3-2 to the Dallas Mavericks. James' latest challenge may be his toughest yet.

"Every situation has felt like it was an our-back-against-the-wall situation," James said Sunday morning after Miami's shootaround practice. "We've been able to figure it out and find our way through and scratch our way through. This is the last test. This is the last pop quiz for us that we need to pass in order to make it all worth it."

James has played seven previous games when facing elimination, going 2-5.

His numbers in those games are eye-popping: 31 points, 10.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists on average.

That's a far cry from these finals so far, where James has averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7 assists against the Mavericks. And in the fourth quarters, his struggles have been the talk of the series. James is shooting 4 for 16 in the final periods, all four of those makes being either dunks or layups.

James had a triple-double in a Game 5 loss at Dallas, and said he wouldn't look for specific stats in Game 6.

"I take what the game gives me," James said.

In other words, he won't force things unnecessarily, even now. Which is fine with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who said he plans to take a similar approach when it comes to choosing the words he'll use before Game 6.

"There's a great deal of thought that goes behind what you say to your team," Spoelstra said Sunday morning. "And there's different moments during the season and in the playoffs where sometimes it's a little bit more, sometimes it's a little bit less. It depends on the situation. What we're trying to accomplish right now in a finals series is relatively normal. What we deal with sometimes on the exterior can be very abnormal. But we wouldn't expect anything less."

True, it's been a season like no other in Miami's 23-year history.

Starting with the buzz created last summer, when the Heat not only kept Dwyane Wade but landed Chris Bosh and James to complete what was immediately dubbed the "Big 3," Miami has been at the epicenter of just about everything in the NBA for the past 11 months.

The way they celebrated those signings raised the ire of many in the league. Opposing coaches groaned when asked incessant questions about the Heat over the course of the season. They were called "Hollywood" at least twice by the Bulls' Joakim Noah, had their competitiveness questioned by the Orlando Magic, got mocked in every building they visited throughout the season.

None of it seems relevant to the Heat now.

"We understand that in order for us to win it all, we have to win two," James said. "But tonight, just like any other game, is its own. That's the way we've always approached every game this season, every game this postseason. We approach every game as its own and go from there. We feel like if we do the things that need to be done in this game, we'll give ourselves a great chance to win."

It's all so different now for Wade, who elevated from stardom to superstardom by winning a title in 2006, then was part of the U.S. team — along with James, Bosh, the Mavericks' Jason Kidd and others — who led the so-called "Redeem Team" to gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

"We were playing for America in the Olympics and we had the support of everybody in America," Wade said. "Now in '11, we don't. And that's just the way it is. I don't think it's anything personal. A lot of people out there that's rooting against us don't know LeBron James as a person, don't know me as a person, don't know a lot of people in this locker room. But us as a team, that's fine."

James nodded as Wade said those words.

This season really started in Miami when they signed their contracts on the night following James' infamous "Decision" special on ESPN. The Heat were vaulted into the pressure-cooker at that moment, knowing nothing but a title would allow this season — and those that will follow — to be considered a success.

"Not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven," James said last July 9, at the welcome-to-Miami party for the Big Three, referring to the number of championships he'd like. "Hey, and when I say that, I really believe it. I'm not just up here blowing smoke at none of these fans, because that's not what I'm about. I'm about business. And we believe we can win multiple championships if we take care of business and do it the right way."

What he said 339 days earlier, in his mind, still rings true entering Game 6.

The Indians played another poor game against the Yankees on Sunday, but somehow retain a hold on first place in the AL Central.

View full sizeKathy Kmonicek / Associated PressNew York's Curtis Granderson beats the throw to Indians catcher Carlos Santana to score on a two-run double by Alex Rodriguez in the fifth inning of Sunday's game at Yankee Stadium.

NEW YORK -- The Indians are still clinging to first place in the AL Central by the width of one thin fingernail over Detroit. Manny Acta is furiously going down his managerial check list to find ways to keep them there.

Lineup changes, check. The lineup changes daily. Roster changes, check. Cord Phelps was promoted last week from Class AAA Columbus. Team meeting to tell everyone to relax, check. It happened Thursday before the opening game of this four-game series in the Bronx.

But the Indians continue to lose. Just like they did Sunday, 9-1, at Yankee Stadium. They've lost four straight, nine of their last 10 and 14 of their last 18 games. That they are still in first place, no matter how tenuous their hold, show how hard it is to choke away a seven-game lead and how reluctant the rest of the AL Central is to take it from them.

So what's next? Magic potions? Incantations at midnight under a full moon?

"I've got a few more ideas up my sleeve," said Acta.

It was suggested that Acta will need a pair of long sleeves to reverse the Tribe's fortunes.

"Watch tomorrow [Monday], you'll have a good article to write," said Acta.

What happened Sunday was a rerun of what's been going on for the last three weeks. Josh Tomlin (7-4, 4.14) struggled for the third straight start. The defense disappeared in at a critical time. The offense never even bothered to show.

In the last 18 games, the Indians have been outscored, 113-52. They've been held to two or fewer runs in 12 of those 18 games, including five shutouts.

"Our struggles offensively continue. We were 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position," Acta said of a team that is hitting .088 (6-for-68) in that situation over the last 10 games. "You can't expect to win a ballgame doing that."

The Indians trailed, 1-0, entering the fifth when the Yankees scored five runs off Tomlin. Outfielders Shin-Soo Choo and Austin Kearns contributed to the rally.

Brett Gardner opened with a double to right. Choo drew a bead on the ball, then broke off his route as it fell safely. Derek Jeter followed with a soft single to right to score Gardner for a 2-0 lead. Jeter had two hits to leave him seven shy of 3,000.

"I lost the ball for a second in the sun," said Choo. "If I didn't lose it, I think I would have caught it."

Curtis Granderson singled as Jeter took second. Tomlin retired Mark Teixeira, but Alex Rodriguez doubled over Kearns' head in left field. Kearns, playing shallow, broke in and watched the ball sail past. He then made a poor relay throw as both runs scored.

"It looked like Kearns got turned around on the play," said Acta. "But the ball was hit right at him and those are tough plays."

Robinson Cano singled home Rodriguez for a 5-0 lead. Nick Swisher followed with a single through the right side of the infield, sending Cano to third. Jorge Posada's sacrifice fly to left made it 6-0. Kearns could have made the play closer with a decent throw, but it was up the first-base line.

Tomlin allowed six runs on 12 hits in five innings. In his last three starts, he's allowed 18 earned runs (six per start) on 29 hits. His ERA has jumped from 2.74 to 4.14.

"I'm getting ahead of guys and not putting them away," said Tomlin.

Rodriguez's two-run double came on an 0-2 pitch.

"He doesn't have to throw him a strike there," said Acta.

The Indians' lone run came in the seventh. Kearns hit a leadoff double off Freddy Garcia (5-5, 3.74). He came around to score on groundouts by Jack Hannahan and Michael Brantley. Garcia allowed one run on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings after not making it out of the second inning in his previous start.

New York added three more runs in the eighth against Chad Durbin. Durbin has allowed 10 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings in June.

The Indians left runners on third base in the third, fourth and seventh innings.

The only positive offensive news the Indians made Sunday was Orlando Cabrera recording his 2,000th hit. He sent a hard bouncer to short that Jeter couldn't handle. It could have easily been ruled an error, but it did take a bad hop.

Tyson broke down in tears and cut short his speech while Stallone proclaimed "Yo, Adrian, I did it!" as they were among those inducted.

Associated PressActor Sylvester Stallone (left) and boxer Mike Tyson (right) clasp hands after Stallone's induction speech at the Boxing Hall of Fame. Tyson was also inducted.

CANASTOTA, New York -- Mike Tyson broke down in tears and cut short his speech while Sylvester Stallone proclaimed "Yo, Adrian, I did it!" as the two stars from different fields were inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on Sunday.

Mexican champ Julio Cesar Chavez, Russian-born junior welterweight Kostya Tszyu, Mexican trainer Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain and referee Joe Cortez also were inducted.

Tyson tried to honor the late trainer Cus D'Amato, who became his legal guardian after Tyson's mother died and taught him the sweet science. But his eyes welled with tears and he apologized and walked away from the dais after only a moment or two.

The "Rocky" movie series, which began in 1976, made Stallone what he is today and also captured boxing's heart for decades. The actor wrote the script about an underdog boxer from Philadelphia named Rocky Balboa and then played the part in the movies.

Posthumous honorees enshrined included: bantamweight Memphis Pal Moore, light heavyweight champion Jack Root and middleweight Dave Shade in the old-timer category; British heavyweight John Gully in the pioneer category; promoter A.F. Bettinson; and former BBC broadcaster Harry Carpenter.

Gordon led most of the final 40 laps and won for the second time this season. Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson finish 2-3-4.

Associated PressJeff Gordon nears the finish line as he wins at Pocono Raceway.

LONG POND, Pennsylvania -- Jeff Gordon led most of the final 40 laps and won for the second time this season, taking the checkered flag at Pocono Raceway for a fifth time Sunday.

Gordon won in February at Phoenix International Raceway and has multiple victories in a season for the first time since 2007. Gordon tied Bill Elliott with five wins on the 2 1/2-mile triangle track.

Gordon's victory at Phoenix ended his drought at 66 races without a win. This 11-race winless stretch was just a blip compared to that.

Pole sitter Kurt Busch was second and Kyle Busch third. Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top five. Dale Earnhardt Jr. continued his rebirth with a sixth-place finish. It capped a great day for Hendrick Motorsports — first, fourth and sixth.

Mitch Talbot isn't exactly a firebrand, which made his ejection on Saturday all the more unexpected.

View full sizePaul Bereswill / Associated PressMitch Talbot was still wondering on Sunday why his workday Saturday was cut short by umpire Dan Iassogna after Talbot hit Alex Rodriguez with a pitch.

NEW YORK -- Clubhouse confidential: Mitch Talbot isn't exactly a firebrand. He talks softly and reasonably, which made his ejection on Saturday so surprising after he hit Alex Rodriguez in the sixth inning.

"The only other game I've ever been kicked out of was in high school," said Talbot. "I was hitting. I struck out and the knob of the bat hooked around my little finger and I threw the bat up on the screen."

Last season, in an 11-1 loss to the Yankees on May 31, he hit Rodriguez and Derek Jeter.

"Before Saturday's game I got a text from my brother saying, 'Don't hit anybody,'" said Talbot. "After the game, I got another text from him saying, 'I told you not to hit anybody.'"

Clang: Left-hander Rafael Perez has made three errors in his last six appearances. Manager Manny Acta says it's a part of his game Perez needs to work on. Other than that, Acta has liked the way Perez has pitched.

"Going back to the second half of last season, Raffie has done a good job," said Acta. "A couple of years ago, he struggled against lefties, but starting last year, he's gotten back on the horse against them."

Stat of the day: Catcher Lou Marson has thrown out 52.3 percent (10 of 19) of the basestealers he's faced.

Interim Ohio State football coach Luke Fickell will be introduced to the public Monday after overseeing more than 300 recruits at a camp on Sunday.

View full sizeMarvin Fong / The Plain DealerNew Ohio State football coach Luke Fickell carried an optimistic air as he talked with high school football players attending a Buckeyes camp on Sunday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Luke Fickell strode from one practice field to the next on Sunday, smiling, talking and adding input during drills in his first major appearance as Ohio State's head football coach.

Monday, the 37-year-old will be officially and finally introduced as the one-year interim coach of the Buckeyes, two weeks after Jim Tressel's resignation in the midst of an ongoing NCAA investigation. Fickell's message to the public will be crucial -- but so was his standing Sunday among the more than 300 high school juniors and seniors at an all-day camp.

In many ways, with the rest of the OSU assistants at work -- including Tressel's brother Dick, the running backs coach -- it was business as usual. But it was also a day for Fickell to attempt to ease more minds, a job he'll continue on Monday afternoon.

"Talking to Coach Fickell, he seems like he has a lot of Coach Tressel's ways, and that's something I can relate to," said Canton McKinley defensive end Se'Von Pittman, a major OSU target who didn't take part in the camp but surprised OSU coaches by showing up to talk and earned a private audience with Fickell.

"I wasn't even considering them that much because of the [NCAA] situation, but talking with the coaching staff, I put them back in the race a little bit."

There's a big issue for the high school seniors, who won't play college football until 2012, and juniors, who won't play until 2013. With Fickell in charge for only one year right now, the possibility remains that none of the OSU coaches at the camp Sunday actually still will be at Ohio State when any of these recruits get to college.

All Fickell can do, for future Buckeyes and current fans, is walk the walk and talk the talk right now.

Linebacker Jaylen Prater from Wellston in southeastern Ohio, who holds several offers from MAC schools but not an OSU offer, talked with Fickell last season when he was the linebackers coach, and talked with him again after camp ended Sunday.

Asked if he thought Fickell was ready for his role as head coach, Prater said, "From a knowledge and coaching standpoint, yes. From an experience standpoint, we'll find out."

We'll find out a little more when Fickell gets to the podium Monday.

Plain Dealer's Browns History Database features PD stories on every regular season and playoff game in Browns history. And, links to current Browns.

Associated PressIn 1968, the Browns' Paul Warfield caught 50 passes - a lot in that era - for 21.3 yards per catch and 12 touchdowns.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- NFL fans hope that the league and its players can reach a new collective bargaining agreement, that the lockout will thus soon end and that a complete 2011 schedule can be played.

Until then, there is no history to be made.

Cleveland.com, though, features a Browns Historical Database, which includes Plain Dealer stories and every regular season and playoff game the Cleveland Browns have played -- beginning with their first season, 1946, as a franchise in the All-America Football Conference.

For instance, older Browns fans likely remember the 1968 season, when the Browns ran off an eight-game winning streak to key their march to the NFL's Century Division championship.

The Browns then upset the Dallas Cowboys, 31-20, in a playoff game at Cleveland Stadium, before being routed at home, 34-0, by the Baltimore Colts in the NFL championship game. Joe Namath and the New York Jets then famously stunned the Colts in the Super Bowl, winning, 16-7.

The 1968 Browns were fun to watch, scoring at least 30 points in seven straight games. One of them was a 47-13 pummeling of the Philadelphia Eagles in Cleveland Stadium that Nov. 24.

From the Browns Historical Database, part of the story of the Browns' rout of the Eagles, by The Plain Dealer's longtime Browns beat writer, the late Chuck Heaton:

Kelly, who didn't practice during the week because of a painfully bruised shin, ran for 108 yards. It's the seventh time this season and 18th time in his career he's been over the century mark in a game.

THE DAZZLING halfback, who leads the NFL in rushing with 1,017 yards went over the 1,000 yard mark for the third straight season. Only famed Jim Brown and Jim Taylor have been able to do that.

Leroy didn't confine his activity to running, although he scored touchdowns on a 36-yard dash and a one-yard plunge. He also lobbed a pass to Paul Warfield for 34 yards and the points that really broke the wings of the Eagles.

This came on an option play in which Kelly swept to his left and heaved the long toss to Warfield who was all alone in the end zone. It was the sixth pass of his pro career and first completion.

Warfield and rookie Reece Morrison also scored two touchdowns each. Paul opened the point-making by taking a 12-yard pass from Bill Nelsen in the corner of the end zone. His catch on Kelly's throw came in the second quarter.

MORRISON, WHO played at Southwest Texas State, hit the end zone twice in the last period. He plunged a yard for the first six points and took 29-yard pass from Frank Ryan for the other.

Ryan, who received a big ovation from the fans when he entered the game late in the third quarter, started operations with a 19-yard run up the middle to the one. It was from there that Morrison hit for his first touchdown on the second play of the last period.

Nelsen, acquired by trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers the previous offseason, had taken over the starting quarterback job from Ryan early in the season. Ryan had quarterbacked Cleveland to what remains its last championship, in 1964.

The Browns' offensive exploits in 1968 were somewhat surprising, given that all-pro wide receiver Gary Collins and standout running back Ernie Green -- teams lined up two runners in the backfield in those days -- missed most of the season with injuries.

From that offense, Kelly, Warfield and guard Gene Hickerson are Pro Football Hall of Famers, and several others made all-pro and Pro Bowl teams.

Current Browns coverage from The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com includes Browns beat writer Tony Grossi's "Hey, Tony!;" his NFL Insider; and "Terry Pluto's Talkin.' "

Browns links

Two sets of rankings of the top 10 current Browns, on Scout.com's Orange and Brown Report.

Browns quarterback Colt McCoy will need more than one season as a starter for a fair chance to prove himself. By Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Repository.

A clevelandbrowns.com feature story on longtime Browns left offensive tackle and current radio analyst Doug Dieken. By Matt Florjancic. 

The AFC North Blog on ESPN.com, by James Walker.

DawgPoundDaily.com asks if tight end Ben Watson the most under-rated Brown.

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com comments who he thinks are the most under-rated and over-rated players on all 32 NFL teams, including the Browns.