Should this be a time for Peyton Hillis to worry about his future with the Cleveland Browns?

Joshua Gunter/The Plain DealerCoach Pat Shurmur and Peyton Hillis.

Peyton Hillis is worried, writes Marla Ridenour of Ohio.com.

Not about the controversy that won’t seem to die over him sitting out the Browns’ Sept. 25 home game against the Miami Dolphins with strep throat.

Hillis, a 25-year-old running back, fears he doesn’t fit into the team’s plans for the future because his agent has failed to reach an agreement with the Browns on a contract extension.

The Browns’ 2010 workhorse is concerned he’ll be displaced by Montario Hardesty, Ridenour writes. It didn't help Hillis that Hardesty had  extensive action in the second half of the Browns’ last game against the Tennessee Titans.

And on one hand, Mike Holmgren said on a radio show last month that the Browns are trying like crazy to wrap up Hillis for a long time. But Hillis said in a recent interview that he didn't have any idea what's going on in the negotiations.

Amid all the talk about the contract extension and a report that teammates wondered if it played a part in his sitting out with strep throat, the Madden NFL 12 cover boy seems to have lost himself. When he talked on Monday, his confidence seemed to have waned. He avoided eye contact.

More Browns

The story that will never go away continues when it comes to running back Peyton Hillis. Why didn't he play? Was he really sick? Was it about his contract? Did his agent give him good advice for telling him not play against the Miami Dolphins?

Well guess what everyone is writing about today? Mary Kay Cabot writes on Cleveland.com how Hillis says his agent was just looking out for him. . . In The News-Herald, reporter Jeff Schudel writes how Hillis is worried that his days are numbered with the Browns . . . Contract talks worry back Hillis, is the headline on CantonRep.com.

Marcus Benard is also in the news for breaking his hand following a motorcycle accident.

Former college standout played in Europe and in the minors

Benard's court date at Parma Municipal Court is Oct. 18.

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerDefensive end Marcus Benard has a broken arm, two charges and a court date following a motorcycle accident on Monday.

BEREA -- Browns defensive end Marcus Benard, who wrecked his three-wheeled motorcycle on Monday, has been charged with reckless operation and driving under suspension.

 Brooklyn Police Sergeant Scott Mielke said the case would be assigned to Parma Municipal Court on Oct. 18.

 Benard suffered a broken hand in the one-vehicle accident and is resting comfortably at the Cleveland Clinic, the Browns said. His season status is uncertain.

 Benard was driving a Can-Am Roadster -- a motorcycle with two front wheels and one back wheel -- when he lost control heading north on I-71 near the W. 65 Street exit about 3 p.m. on Monday. Mielke said Benard was wearing a helmet. He said Benard's vehicle hit the guardrail and Benard was ejected over the guardrail.

 Mielke said he did not know how fast Benard was going, but that information will be included in the police report, which will be released later today.

Carlos Hyde is the offensive MVP so far this season for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Dave Weaver, Associated PressCarlos Hyde

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg looks at each of the Big Ten's teams during this first half of the season, and the Ohio State Buckeyes and we all know the Buckeyes have had a tough time on and off the field.

It doesn't get any better for the Buckeyes in the second half of the season, but there are a few things OSU can be proud of so far.

When it comes to the offensive MVP, running back Carlos Hyde has been the man.

The offense struggled mightily in the first half, but Hyde emerged as a bright spot in the backfield. Filling in for two suspended projected starters -- Jordan Hall and Dan "Boom" Herron -- Hyde has recorded 400 rush yards and five touchdowns, averaging 5.3 yards per attempt. He has eclipsed 75 rush yards in three games and racked up 104 yards and two touchdowns, including a 63-yarder, on Saturday night at Nebraska.

Linebacker Andrew Sweat is the defensive MVP.

Sweat is the team's only returning starter at linebacker, and he has looked like it in the first half. He leads Ohio State in both total tackles (43) and tackles for loss (5), and he has added three passes defended, an interception and a forced fumble. Linemen John Simon and Johnathan Hankins and safety C.J. Barnett also have stood out.

Around the Horse Shoe

The last nine rushers have finished with great games against the Buckeyes.

Freshman quarterback Braxton Miller is listed as the starter against Illinois.

A lawyer says the NCAA is ignoring the evidence.

Is the Grady Sizemore era in Cleveland over?

Orlin Wagner | Associated PressGrady Sizemore

Grady Sizemore is one of the most popular players on the Cleveland Indians. He used to be one of the better players, but Sizemore has been slowed by injuries over the past two years.

Sizemore underwent his fifth surgery in the past three years last week. The Tribe have the club option on Sizemore, and they have to make a decision soon if they want to keep Sizemore for 2012 and pay him $9 million.

So what should the Tribe do?

Plain Dealer reporter says it would be smart for Tribe to turn down a $9 million team option for next season. Watch video

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

The Browns head into Sunday's game at the Oakland Raiders with the possibility that cornerback Joe Haden and center Alex Mack - both not 100 percent - might not play. Which player do you think the Browns would miss more if he didn't play against Oakland? That's the question in today's Starting Blocks poll.

Today's guest on SBTV is Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff, who has thoughts on the ongoing saga of Peyton Hillis and the Strep Throat Affair; how the Browns might do in Oakland; and why he thinks the Tribe should not pick up the $9 million option on oft-injured center fielder Grady Sizemore.

SBTV returns Wednesday with Plain Dealer Ohio State reporter Doug Lesmerises breaking down the Buckeyes and their game Saturday at No. 16 Illinois.

Also, remember to watch the Browns Insider show that streams live Thursdays at 10 a.m. Past shows are archived at cleveland.com/browns.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- How a state panel of sports writers and broadcasters rates Ohio high school football teams in the fifth weekly Associated Press poll of 2011, by OHSAA divisions, with won-lost record and total points (first-place votes in parentheses): DIVISION I

Joe Haden or not, the Browns will have their hands full with the Raiders' receivers.

Joshua Gunter/The Plain DealerCleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden.

With or without cornerback Joe Haden, the Browns will have their hands full on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

Even if cornerback Joe Haden is able to play on Sunday, the Browns will have to deal with a host of wide receivers.

Unlike most teams, the Raiders don't consider any of their six wide receivers as No. 1. Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes how coach Hue Jackson has this theory:

"We all just go out there and run whatever's called in the huddle," Heyward-Bey said. "Everybody's out there running their routes to win."

Running back Darren McFadden leads the team with 15 receptions. Rookie Denarius Moore leads the Raiders in receiving yards (199) and touchdown receptions (two).

Quarterback Jason Campbell said communication and patience are important with such a young group, writes Jones. And on Sunday, the Raiders plan to use more offensive sets featuring different groups of receivers.

Terrelle Pryor set to join the Oakland Raiders . . . More stories on Raiders owner Al Davis . . . The Raiders are concerned about the Cleveland Browns.

"Let's not kick the young man while he is down. I'm sure we can all look back at our younger years and think of something foolish we did and were lucky enough to come out unscathed. I know they make a lot of money, but they are still young men in their 20s for the most part. We put them up on a pedestal and lose track of age and maturity." - slothstyle

View full sizeJoshua Gunter | The Plain DealerMarcus Benard, right.

In response to the story Cleveland Browns DE Marcus Benard faces two charges after motorcycle accident, cleveland.com reader slothstyle thinks fans shouldn't be too hard on Benard. This reader writes,

"Let's not kick the young man while he is down. I'm sure we can all look back at our younger years and think of something foolish we did and were lucky enough to come out unscathed. I know they make a lot of money, but they are still young men in their 20s for the most part. We put them up on a pedestal and lose track of age and maturity."

"The ALCS features two teams that easily handled the Indians in 2011, Detroit and Texas. The disparity in the pitching and everyday lineups of those two teams when compared to the Indians is stark. Despite any positive feelings about the Indians' 2011 season, they finished 80-82. If the Indians hope to close the gap in talent this offseason, they must make wise moves and spend money." - rationalguy1

View full sizeThe Tigers had their way with the Indians in the second half of 2011, thanks in part to a player the Indians couldn't afford to keep in Victor Martinez.

In response to the story 2011 Indians In Review: Injuries, losses never dulled the Tribe's passion, cleveland.com reader rationalguy1 thinks the Indians will need to spend money to close the gap on the Tigers and Rangers. This reader writes,

"While it's clear this is not what the Indians' management wants to focus on, lest anyone forget: the Indians were 17 games under .500 from mid-May onward. The ALCS features two teams that easily handled the Indians in 2011, Detroit and Texas. The disparity in the pitching and everyday lineups of those two teams when compared to the Indians is stark. Despite any positive feelings about the Indians' 2011 season, they finished 80-82. If the Indians hope to close the gap in talent this offseason, they must make wise moves and spend money. Bargain-basement fringe players are not what this club needs. The Dolans have the offseason to prove to Clevelanders that they really do want a winner. A continuation of the 'budget Indians' won't sell a lot of season tickets."

"The regular season is meaningless in the NBA anyway. There are only a handful of teams with a legit chance at winning the title. And, for the most part, it's the same teams every year." - True Stories

View full sizeMary Altaffer | Associated PressDavid Stern has cancelled the first two weeks of the NBA's regular season.

In response to the story NBA lockout 2011: First 2 weeks of the season canceled after talks end Monday, cleveland.com reader True Stories won't miss the NBA regular season. This reader writes,

"The regular season is meaningless in the NBA anyway. There are only a handful of teams with a legit chance at winning the title. And, for the most part, it's the same teams every year."

The senior defensive lineman will require a second knee surgery.

Terry Gilliam, Associated PressNathan Williams

Leroy Kelly, Bill Nelsen, Mike Phipps, Doug Dieken, Daryle Lamonica, George Blanda. And, of course, "Red Right 88."

Plain Dealer Browns' running back Bo Scott (35) follows the blocking of tight end Milt Morin (89) during Cleveland's 34-20 Monday Night Football loss to Oakland on Oct. 4, 1971, at Cleveland Stadium.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns visit the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, resuming a series that began in 1970, when the Browns moved from what had been the National Football League to the American Football Conference.

Cleveland, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the then-Baltimore Colts were transferred from the NFL to the AFC as a key component in the completion of the NFL-American Football League merger.

Since the Browns and Raiders have always been in different divisions, they don't meet often, though Sunday's game will be the sixth between the teams in the last nine seasons. The Raiders, who were located in Los Angeles from 1982-94, won eight of the first nine regular season meetings, but the Browns have won seven of the last nine.

The Browns are 6-6 when they visit the Raiders, and 2-4 when they play them in Cleveland.

Those numbers don't include the teams' two playoff games. Of course, there was the infamous "Red Right 88" playoff game, won by Oakland, 14-12, at the mammoth refrigerator that was Cleveland Stadium on Jan. 4, 1981.

The Browns played one of their least memorable playoff games on Jan. 8, 1983, in Los Angeles. Cleveland had made the playoffs with a 4-5 record, because the NFL expanded the postseason field to 16 teams after seven weeks of play had been lost to a players' strike. The Raiders won, 27-10. The Browns' quarterback was Paul McDonald, whom coach Sam Rutigliano had started over Brian Sipe in the final three regular season games. Sipe, by the way, won back the job the next season, his last with the Browns before leaving for the ill-fated United States Football League.

Cleveland.com's Browns History Database includes The Plain Dealer game stories on every regular season and playoff game in Browns history.

The Plain Dealer's Russell Schneider wrote about the Browns' devastating loss to the Raiders -- who went on to win the Super Bowl -- in the 1980 season playoff game. Schneider also wrote the game story on the Browns' 1982 season playoff game loss to the Raiders.

Apparently, there's not much video available from old Browns vs. Raiders games. Some, though, can be found on youtube.com. With the following videos, we'll link to Plain Dealer game stories (including the Browns' first win over the Raiders, 7-3, on Nov. 18, 1973).

And, links to Plain Dealer game stories on the Browns' other wins over the Raiders: 24-17 at LA, Dec. 20, 1987; 28-16 at LA, Sept. 20, 1992; 19-16 at LA, Sept. 19, 1993; 13-7 in Cleveland, Oct. 12, 2003; 9-7 at Oakland, Dec. 18, 2005; 24-21 at Oakland, Oct. 1, 2006; 23-9 in Cleveland, Dec. 27, 2009.

Video: Highlights of the Browns' 7-3 win over the Raiders in Oakland on Nov. 18, 1973. Note the blocking of Cleveland left tackle Doug Dieken, the Browns' radio broadcast game analyst. The highlights are from the "This Week in Pro Football" telecast, then hosted by former NFL stars Tom Brookshier (left in the video) and Pat Summerall (right). The Plain Dealer game story was by the late Chuck Heaton.

Video: About 1:20 into the video, the late George Blanda, then age 43, leads the Raiders to a 23-20 win over the Browns in Oakland on Nov. 8, 1970. Blanda's game-winning 52-yard field goal was expecially amazing, since such lengthy boots were much less common in those days. The game was among a string of several in which future Hall of Famer Blanda, coming off the bench at quarterback to replace an injury-riddled Daryle Lamonica, led improbable comebacks. The Plain Dealer game story was by Chuck Heaton.

Video: From the Browns 1971 highlights film. About 3:20 into the video, the Browns take a 14-0 lead over the Raiders but lose, 34-20, at Cleveland Stadium in a Monday Night Football game on Oct. 4. Plain Dealer game story was by Chuck Heaton.

Video: NBC's telecast (with announcers Don Criqui and former quarterback great John Brodie) of the entire fourth quarter of the Browns' 14-12 playoff game loss to the Raiders on Jan. 4, 1981. Plain Dealer game story was by Russell Schneider.

Video: CBS Sports post-game analysis of the Browns' 26-24 loss in Oakland on Sept. 23, 2007. Plain Dealer game story was by Tony Grossi.

Phoenix will host the 2015 Super Bowl.

HOUSTON — The Phoenix area was awarded the 2015 Super Bowl by NFL owners Tuesday, beating the only other candidate — Tampa, Fla.

This will be the third time the Phoenix area has hosted the game, which will be played in Glendale.

"We are thrilled to be back in Arizona," Commissioner Roger Goodell said. "I will say it was a difficult choice."

Phoenix won on the second ballot, prompting screams of joy from the Arizona committee.

"Everyone pulled together throughout the Phoenix area to put together a terrific package we were able to present to the owners," Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill said. "We are delighted."

The Super Bowl also was held at University of Phoenix Stadium in 2008, when the Giants beat the Patriots 17-14. Tempe, Ariz., was the 1996 host, with Dallas defeating Pittsburgh 27-17. Tampa hosted the game in 1984, 1991, 2001 and 2009.

"Both cities are great sites for the Super Bowl and both had impressive bids," said Giants owner John Mara, whose team has won championships in both places. "They've each been to the altar a few times recently and were denied. They both deserve to host a game again."

Next year's game is in Indianapolis, followed by New Orleans in 2013 and the New York/New Jersey area in 2014. The 2015 game is the 49th Super Bowl. There is speculation that the 50th anniversary of the championship game will wind up in Los Angeles, where the first Super Bowl was played in 1967, if a suitable stadium is available.

Neither Arizona nor Tampa received the required 24 of 32 votes on the first ballot, meaning a simple majority was needed on the next vote.

Goodell spoke with the Tampa Bay group immediately after it lost the bidding.

"Anytime we are invited to participate, we will do so," said Paul Catoe, outgoing CEO of Tampa Bay & Co.

Bidwill said the estimated economic impact in Arizona in 2008 was more than $500 million, and he expects it to be higher in 2015. While that number seems high because subsequent Super Bowls didn't reach that level, it's still a major boon to local business.

"The impact is in the multihundred millions of dollars, and that is significant value for any community," said Marc Ganis, president of Chicago-based sports business consulting firm Sportscorp Ltd., and an observer of the league's business side. "The Super Bowl also provides a positive target for a community to rally around. There are all sorts of activities — business, volunteer, political — that can be pointed to when they host the Super Bowl."

Ganis also points out that the Phoenix area has enough first-class hotels for the Super Bowl. That has been a challenge for Tampa, which has involved Orlando and Sarasota and other areas in its bids.

The NFL also set Feb. 2, 2014, as the date of the Super Bowl in the New Jersey Meadowlands, the first outdoor Super Bowl at a cold-weather site. That date will not conflict with the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

"It's historically warmer on Feb. 2," Mara said with a smile, knowing average February temperatures in East Rutherford range from 24 to 40 degrees.

Of course, there's the possibility of snow, freezing rain, blustery winds and all the accompanying elements.

That will not be a factor in Arizona. The NFL has seemed eager to return to the Valley of the Sun since the Giants' upset of the then-unbeaten Patriots on Feb. 3, 2008.

"This is huge for Arizona," bid leader Mike Kennedy said. "It feels really satisfying."

Later Tuesday, owners approved a resolution to play regular-season games in Britain through 2016. Teams can volunteer to play at least one regular-season home game per year in Britain for up to five years.

Tampa Bay will host Chicago on Oct. 23 in London, the fifth straight year the NFL has held an October game there. No specifics on venues, dates or teams for future games have been set.

"When the initial resolution was approved in 2006, the thinking at the time was that we would have two new teams every year," NFL vice president of international Chris Parsons said. "As the series evolved, we felt as though having a team return to the U.K. on a regular basis would certainly increase the fan base for that particular team, which in turn would drive fan growth for the entire league. We think there is a tremendous benefit for a team to return to the U.K. on an annual basis."

The Buccaneers will be making their second London appearance in three years; they lost to New England 35-7 in 2009.

Several teams that struggle to sell out home games, such as the Jaguars, Raiders, Bengals and Chargers, could be in line for more frequent trips overseas.

October 11, 2011, OHSAA Football Computer Ratings Division I

October 11, 2011, OHSAA Football Computer Ratings

Division I

Region 1 - 1. Mentor (7-0) 21.4143, 2. St. Ignatius (6-1) 17.3469, 3. Cleveland Heights (6-0) 15.8333, 4. Willoughby South (5-2) 14.6786, 5. Solon (6-1) 13.4071, 6. St. Edward (6-1) 12.7788, 7. Cle. John F. Kennedy (6-1) 11.9388, 8. Eastlake North (6-1) 11.1, 9. Boardman (5-2) 9.829, 10. Mayfield (4-3) 9.7786, 11. Brecksville-Broadview Hts. (4-3) 8.9071, 12. Lakewood (5-2) 8.6857

Region 2 - 1. Canton GlenOak (7-0) 20.4571, 2. Tol. Whitmer (7-0) 16.8313, 3. Wadsworth (7-0) 16.4429, 4. Sylvania Southview (6-1) 15.5429, 5. Findlay (6-1) 14.2571, 6. Hudson (6-1) 13.95, 7. Massillon Washington (6-1) 13.4898, 8. Massillon Jackson (4-3) 13.4571, 9. Canton McKinley (5-2) 13.4567, 10. Whitehouse Anthony Wayne (6-1) 13.0714, 11. North Ridgeville (6-1) 12.9, 12. Brunswick (5-2) 12.2929

Region 3 - 1. Troy (6-1) 17.9857, tie-2. Westerville Central (6-1) 15.75, tie-2. Dublin Coffman (7-0) 15.75, 4. Upper Arlington (6-1) 14.4214, 5. Pickerington Central (4-2) 14.2778, 6. Hilliard Davidson (6-0) 12.5556, 7. Pickerington North (5-2) 12.3838, 8. Westerville South (4-3) 12.1286, 9. Gahanna Lincoln (5-2) 11.1837, 10. Lewis Center Olentangy Orange (5-2) 10.7714, 11. Lewis Center Olentangy (4-3) 10.4286, 12. Marysville (4-3) 9.5143

Region 4 - 1. Cin. Archbishop Moeller (7-0) 20.899, 2. Cin. Sycamore (7-0) 17.95, 3. Cin. Colerain (6-1) 17.4957, 4. Middletown (6-1) 16.0714, 5. Cin. St. Xavier (5-2) 15.5483, 6. Cin. Walnut Hills (6-1) 14.2214, 7. Cin. LaSalle (5-2) 12.95, 8. Mason (5-2) 12.9357, 9. Cin. Princeton (5-2) 12.0143, 10. Huber Hts. Wayne (4-3) 9.8004, 11. Cin. Withrow (5-2) 9.6327, 12. Loveland (3-4) 9.3071

Division II

Region 5 - 1. Canfield (6-1) 14.9, 2. Aurora (6-1) 14.0, 3. West Geauga (6-1) 13.5929, 4. Warren Howland (7-0) 13.3961, 5. Walsh Jesuit (5-1) 13.2931, 6. Madison (5-2) 12.6857, 7. Kent Roosevelt (6-1) 12.3214, 8. New Philadelphia (5-2) 11.8665, 9. Copley (5-2) 11.8571, 10. Louisville (4-3) 9.5866, 11. Alliance (5-2) 9.5571, 12. Tallmadge (5-2) 9.4

Region 6 - 1. Avon (7-0) 18.6357, 2. Tol. Central Cath. (5-2) 13.75, 3. Olmsted Falls (5-2) 13.3429, 4. Maple Hts. (6-0) 12.8867, 5. Medina Highland (5-2) 12.7, 6. Fremont Ross (5-2) 12.35, 7. Perrysburg (5-2) 12.0714, 8. Sandusky (6-1) 12.0429, 9. Tiffin Columbian (6-1) 11.15, 10. Mansfield Madison Comp. (6-1) 9.9214, 11. Maumee (5-2) 9.6571, 12. Grafton Midview (6-1) 9.4571

Region 7 - 1. Cols. Marion-Franklin (7-0) 17.1143, 2. Sunbury Big Walnut (6-1) 16.95, 3. Dresden Tri-Valley (6-1) 13.7143, 4. New Albany (5-2) 12.5945, 5. Cols. Beechcroft (6-1) 12.0462, 6. New Carlisle Tecumseh (5-2) 11.6857, 7. Zanesville (5-2) 9.3622, 8. Cols. Mifflin (6-1) 8.3643, 9. Canal Winchester (5-2) 8.3016, 10. Cols. Brookhaven (5-2) 7.443, 11. Vincent Warren (4-3) 7.2215, 12. Bellbrook (3-4) 7.0857

Region 8 - 1. Trotwood-Madison (7-0) 19.3429, 2. Kings Mills Kings (7-0) 19.1571, 3. Wapakoneta (7-0) 15.8786, 4. Tipp City Tippecanoe (7-0) 13.5714, 5. Vandalia Butler (6-1) 13.1357, 6. Franklin (6-1) 12.25, 7. Hamilton Ross (6-1) 11.7714, 8. Cin. Turpin (5-2) 11.4571, 9. Cin. Northwest (4-3) 8.65, 10. Cin. Mount Healthy (5-2) 8.4929, 11. Cin. Anderson (3-4) 8.3786, 12. Wilmington (5-2) 8.05

Division III

Region 9 - 1. Lake Catholic (6-1) 16.9388, 2. Chagrin Falls (7-0) 15.7643, 3. St. Vincent-St Mary (7-0) 14.9796, 4. Benedictine (6-1) 14.1286, 5. Ravenna (6-1) 14.0714, 6. University School (6-1) 13.1786, 7. Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (5-2) 9.9286, 8. Ravenna Southeast (7-0) 9.7857, 9. Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (5-2) 9.4643, 10. Cle. John Hay (4-3) 8.9336, 11. Jefferson Area (5-2) 8.8, 12. Firelands (7-0) 8.7286

Region 10 - 1. Cols. Eastmoor Acad. (6-1) 12.5722, 2. Clyde (5-2) 10.4929, 3. Bellevue (5-2) 9.9929, 4. Cols. St. Francis DeSales (3-3) 9.9391, 5. Port Clinton (5-2) 9.6429, 6. Elida (4-3) 9.4286, 7. Caledonia River Valley (5-2) 9.2, 8. Bryan (6-1) 8.2357, 9. Urbana (5-2) 7.7929, 10. Cols. Independence (4-3) 7.6286, 11. Cols. Bishop Watterson (3-4) 6.7976, 12. Defiance (4-3) 5.9071

Region 11 - 1. Minerva (7-0) 14.9571, 2. Dover (6-1) 14.5214, 3. Steubenville (7-0) 14.4255, 4. Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (4-2) 13.2121, 5. Thornville Sheridan (7-0) 12.7857, 6. Granville (6-1) 11.1929, 7. Poland Seminary (4-3) 10.9857, 8. Alliance Marlington (5-2) 10.8, 9. Wintersville Indian Creek (5-2) 10.0898, 10. Canal Fulton Northwest (5-2) 10.0483, 11. Millersburg West Holmes (5-2) 9.8143, 12. Cambridge (6-1) 9.2684

Region 12 - 1. Springfield Shawnee (7-0) 17.5357, 2. Plain City Jonathan Alder (7-0) 16.6929, 3. Day. Thurgood Marshall (6-1) 14.2347, 4. Circleville Logan Elm (7-0) 13.6286, 5. The Plains Athens (7-0) 13.544, 6. Jackson (7-0) 12.8571, 7. Kettering Archbishop Alter (7-0) 12.6214, 8. Cin. Indian Hill (5-2) 11.114, 9. New Richmond (5-2) 10.25, 10. Cin. Taft (5-1) 9.8137, 11. Eaton (6-1) 9.7929, 12. Springfield Kenton Ridge (6-1) 8.9714

Division IV

Region 13 - 1. Girard (7-0) 15.7214, 2. Creston Norwayne (7-0) 12.3571, 3. Leavittsburg LaBrae (5-2) 11.5929, 4. Canton Central Catholic (6-1) 11.2258, 5. Black River (6-1) 10.4071, 6. Brookfield (6-1) 9.9769, 7. Orrville (4-3) 9.7071, 8. Cle. Central Catholic (5-2) 9.3341, 9. Akron Manchester (4-3) 9.1357, 10. Beachwood (6-1) 7.5786, 11. Hawken (5-2) 6.9357, 12. Streetsboro (4-3) 6.8857

Region 14 - 1. Kenton (7-0) 16.2429, 2. Genoa Area (7-0) 15.0571, 3. Pemberville Eastwood (7-0) 14.5, 4. Cols. Bishop Hartley (6-0) 12.8056, 5. Huron (6-1) 10.6357, 6. Richwood North Union (6-1) 10.2929, 7. Ottawa-Glandorf (5-2) 10.2714, 8. Wellington (4-3) 9.45, 9. Oak Harbor (4-3) 8.2143, 10. Ontario (6-1) 6.6929, 11. Galion (6-1) 6.4714, 12. Lima Bath (4-3) 6.4429

Region 15 - 1. St. Clairsville (7-0) 14.5801, 2. Coshocton (6-1) 14.4071, 3. Johnstown-Monroe (7-0) 13.7786, 4. Amanda-Clearcreek (5-2) 12.6919, 5. Ironton (4-3) 10.1643, 6. Martins Ferry (5-2) 9.0143, 7. Chesapeake (5-2) 8.5051, 8. Wellston (4-3) 8.3786, 9. Zoarville Tuscarawas Valley (4-3) 7.1643, 10. Gnadenhutten Indian Valley (4-3) 6.9643, 11. Pomeroy Meigs (4-3) 6.7215, 12. Minford (3-4) 4.9929

Region 16 - 1. Waynesville (7-0) 15.7214, 2. Cin. Madeira (7-0) 14.1, 3. Day. Chaminade-Julienne (5-2) 11.8925, 4. West Milton Milton-Union (6-1) 10.55, 5. Brookville (6-1) 10.1357, 6. Cin. Hills Christian Acad. (5-2) 10.0375, 7. Williamsport Westfall (5-2) 9.1429, 8. Clarksville Clinton-Massie (5-2) 8.45, 9. Cin. North College Hill (5-2) 8.2908, 10. Middletown Bishop Fenwick (6-1) 7.9214, 11. Lees Creek East Clinton (5-2) 7.3357, 12. St. Bernard Roger Bacon (3-4) 6.7143

Division V

Region 17 - 1. Kirtland (7-0) 13.3929, 2. Woodsfield Monroe Central (6-1) 11.3456, 3. Columbiana Crestview (6-1) 10.7429, 4. Barnesville (7-0) 9.4964, 5. Columbiana (6-1) 9.1286, 6. Salineville Southern (6-1) 8.5429, 7. Rootstown (5-2) 7.4857, 8. Campbell Memorial (5-2) 7.1, 9. New Middletown Springfield (5-2) 7.0429, 10. Sugarcreek Garaway (5-2) 6.8286, 11. Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas (4-3) 6.7042, 12. Cuyahoga Hts. (2-0) 6.0429

Region 18 - 1. Liberty Center (7-0) 13.4929, 2. Bascom Hopewell-Loudon (7-0) 13.3857, 3. Lima Central Cath. (7-0) 13.35, 4. Northwood (6-1) 10.6857, 5. Findlay Liberty-Benton (7-0) 10.5, 6. Archbold (6-1) 8.0, 7. Carey (6-1) 7.9898, 8. Spencerville (5-2) 7.8714, 9. Hicksville (5-2) 7.7929, 10. Bluffton (4-3) 7.4143, 11. Hamler Patrick Henry (5-2) 7.3214, 12. Columbus Grove (4-3) 6.4929

Region 19 - 1. Bucyrus Wynford (7-0) 14.6214, 2. Nelsonville-York (7-0) 12.6696, 3. Lucasville Valley (7-0) 11.588, 4. Grandview Hts. (7-0) 11.0786, 5. West Lafayette Ridgewood (6-1) 10.7286, 6. Portsmouth West (6-1) 10.6357, 7. Jeromesville Hillsdale (7-0) 9.5786, 8. Gahanna Cols. Acad. (5-2) 9.2872, 9. Ashland Crestview (7-0) 9.0786, 10. Smithville (5-2) 8.4571, 11. Wheelersburg (6-1) 8.3643, 12. Centerburg (5-2) 8.1357

Region 20 - 1. Marion Pleasant (7-0) 12.8929, 2. Frankfort Adena (7-0) 12.5786, 3. West Liberty-Salem (7-0) 11.5929, 4. Coldwater (6-1) 11.3357, 5. Covington (7-0) 10.4643, 6. West Jefferson (6-1) 7.8571, 7. Miamisburg Day. Christian (6-1) 7.4286, 8. North Lewisburg Triad (5-2) 7.0571, 9. Casstown Miami East (4-3) 6.6714, 10. Versailles (5-2) 6.3214, 11. Anna (4-3) 5.2214, 12. Milford Center Fairbanks (4-3) 5.1214

Division VI

Region 21 - 1. Berlin Center Western Reserve (7-0) 10.6643, 2. Youngstown Christian (7-0) 9.0143, 3. Ledgemont (6-1) 8.9643, 4. Malvern (6-1) 9.6429, 5. Mogadore (5-2) 7.9214, 6. Shadyside (4-3) 7.3807, 7. Warren John F. Kennedy (4-3) 6.7929, 8. Villa Angela-St. Joseph (4-3) 6.0613, 9. Strasburg-Franklin (4-3) 5.7429, 10. Mineral Ridge (4-3) 5.2143, 11. Wellsville (3-4) 5.05, 12. Fairport Harbor (4-3) 4.6857

Region 22 - 1. Tiffin Calvert (6-1) 10.1631, 2. Leipsic (6-1) 8.1714, 3. Delphos St. John's (4-3) 7.8929, 4. Edgerton (6-1) 7.7214, 5. Convoy Crestview (4-3) 6.6857, 6. Arcadia (5-2) 6.5929, 7. McComb (5-2) 6.1714, 8. Edon (4-3) 6.1, 9. Tol. Ottawa Hills (5-2) 5.8038, 10. Norwalk St. Paul (4-3) 4.4214, 11. Arlington (3-4) 4.0929, 12. Sandusky St. Mary Central Cath. (3-4) 3.7643

Region 23 - 1. Danville (5-2) 8.8463, 2. New Washington Buckeye Central (6-1) 8.7357, 3. Willow Wood Symmes Valley (6-1) 8.2357, 4. Beallsville (5-2) 7.75, 5. Glouster Trimble (4-2) 7.2772, 6. Crown City South Gallia (6-1) 7.0714, 7. Portsmouth Notre Dame (6-1) 7.0318, 8. Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans (4-3) 6.8398, 9. Hannibal River (3-4) 5.8139, 10. Portsmouth Sciotoville (4-3) 5.417, 11. Plymouth (5-2) 5.3214, 12. Lancaster Fairfield Christian Acad. (6-1) 5.1212

Region 24 - 1. Fort Loramie (6-1) 10.6929, 2. Maria Stein Marion Local (6-1) 9.1701, 3. Ada (6-1) 8.9357, 4. Springfield Cath. Central (5-2) 8.35, 5. Lewisburg Tri-County North (5-2) 7.9429, 6. Minster (5-2) 7.2, 7. Lockland (6-1) 7.0267, 8. Cin. Country Day (5-2) 6.3306, 9. Ansonia (5-2) 5.5429, 10. S. Charleston Southeastern Local (4-3) 4.9857, 11. Arcanum (3-4) 4.5929, 12. Waynesfield Waynesfield-Goshen (4-3) 4.5714

Gladiators coach Steve Thonn has guaranteed that two players from the tryout will have the opportunity to participate in training camp in February.

View full sizeGus Chan, The Plain DealerGladiators receiver Dominick Goodman is one of the successful graduates of the team's open tryouts. The next tryout is set for Dec. 4 at the team's Warrensville Heights practice facility.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Gladiators will hold open player tryouts Dec. 4 at their practice facility, the MultiPlex Events and Sports Center at The WORD Church in Warrensville Heights.

Gladiators coach Steve Thonn has guaranteed that two players from the tryout will have the opportunity to participate in training camp in February. Past tryout participants who have earned roster spots include defensive back Joe Phinisee, receiver Dominick Goodman and linebacker Tim Cheatwood.

Registration begins at 8 a.m., with the workout set to start at 9. All participants must be 18 or older as of Dec. 4. Cost is $70 if pre-registered, $80 for registering day of the event. To pre-register, interested participants must pay by credit card only at clevelandgladiators.com and complete the appropriate forms. Pre-registration deadline is Nov. 30 at 3 p.m. Cash or money order will be the only accepted payment the day of the tryout. Both fees are non-refundable.

Players will be tested in the standing broad jump, 40-yard dash and short shuttle. After testing, players will be evaluated in a variety of position-specific drills. The tryout will be conducted on field turf (no metal spikes).

Players should plan on 3-5 hours. Bring water, as it will not be provided. A trainer will be on hand for emergencies only. There are no full-contact drills, so no need for shoulder pads or helmets. Kickers will not be evaluated.

The Multiplex is located at 18909 South Miles Road.

"Trying to be optimistic, but no matter the personnel packages, the play-calling has got to improve. I better never see a Josh Cribbs reverse, toss, option pass again. Ever. Also, McCoy has got to be more decisive and get rid of the ball quicker. Thats what the good ones do. No more Charlie Frye happy feet. I also never want to see 61 pass attempts again." - LMetcalf21

View full sizeJoshua Gunter | The Plain DealerPat Shurmur's play-calling has been under scrutiny during the bye week.

In response to the story Rookie WR Greg Little moved into starting lineup vs. Raiders: Browns Insider, cleveland.com reader LMetcalf21 is questioning the play-calling. This reader writes,

"Trying to be optimistic, but no matter the personnel packages, the play-calling has got to improve. I better never see a Josh Cribbs reverse, toss, option pass again. Ever. Also, McCoy has got to be more decisive and get rid of the ball quicker. Thats what the good ones do. No more Charlie Frye happy feet. I also never want to see 61 pass attempts again."

Blaming locked-out NBA players for a partial cancellation of the schedule defies logic but that's exactly what owners are betting fans will do, sports columnist Bud Shaw writes.

View full sizeDavid Karp, Associated PressWhen NBA Commissioner David Stern announced the cancellation of the first two weeks of the season on Monday, he was continuing a lockout created by franchise owners. But, Bud Shaw writes, it will inevitably be seen by fans as the players' fault -- despite all facts to the contrary.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With all due respect to the agility of Nancy Grace and the je ne sais quoi of Chaz Bono, NBA players are the greatest athletes in the world.

The best of them are as undervalued now as Michael Jordan was through most of his Chicago Bulls' career. After LeBron James walked, what was Dan Gilbert selling as the tools of contention? Team work. Camaraderie. Sweat equity. Zzzzzzz (and I don't mean Ilguaskas).

That pretty much says it all. Just know this: If James had announced he were keeping his talents in Cleveland? They'd only now be flicking the lights on and off all these months later to signal the end of the party Gilbert would've thrown.

In no other sport can the arrival or departure of a single player or a dynamic duo alter a franchise's fortunes and value so dramatically. Like it or not, NBA players are The Show. It's not their fault if NBA owners are paying too many bit players leading-man money.

Owners believed players were The Show as recently as the last collective bargaining agreement when they gave them 57 percent of the basketball related income. What's changed? The NBA is coming off one of its most successful seasons as attendance and TV revenues go.

Did players stop being the reason the NBA sold all those tickets? Did marketing studies suddenly reveal people weren't coming to see the mid-air levitations and sniper accuracy on display? That instead they were coming for the T-shirt cannon launch?

Citing the economy, NBA owners are asking for more than concessions. They're looking for a Globetrotters-Washington Generals kind of rout in these negotiations. You can still blame the players for the loss of two weeks of the season if you want. In fact, the owners are betting you'll do just that. Griping about player salaries is picking the lowest of the low-hanging fruit. Ripe. And never quite as juicy as it is in a bad financial times.

Blaming locked-out players in a work stoppage? Sounds like a plan, just one that defies logic.

A player strike didn't cause a partial cancellation of the schedule. Commissioner Bully made the call, doing the bidding of an ownership whose strategy is to watch players squirm when they start missing checks and wait for the inevitable wave of public resentment to crash down on their heads.

After David Stern's announcement, LeBron James tweeted an apology to fans for the lost games. Steve Nash aimed his regrets at those hurt most by the cancellation, saying "sorry to all the employees in and around NBA arenas losing work." The owners are betting you'll read over that and do what fans always do in these situations. Scoff and say, "Sorry? Sure they are. I'd play for a quarter of what those guys make."

Except, of course, only a fool would sell himself so short.

The players aren't numb to ownership losses. They have offered concessions in acceptance of the league's claim that teams, possibly as many as 22 or so, lost money. The owners, though, clearly want to test the unity of players. They know the truth of the $5 million average NBA salary is that many players make much less and are vulnerable to a prolonged lockout.

They're also betting the knucklehead factor within the ranks will reveal itself just like it did back in the day when Patrick Ewing said, "NBA players might make a lot of money but we also spend a lot of money."

Who's up next to further alienate an already disgusted fan base? Owners don't know. But they're betting somebody will. And predictable outrage will follow. James was only one of many NBA players to participate in a shotgun Tweet last week. The message: Let Us Play. It wasn't quite telling Pharoah, "Let my people go." But it didn't go over too well.

In communicating with an unsympathetic public, the players are best served sending condolences to fans and arena workers as James and Nash did this week. Even if they, as yet, have nothing for which to apologize in a lockout that is sole property of NBA owners.

Catcher Yorvit Torrealba says Ubalbdo Jimenez, his former teammate in Colorado, has the stuff to have a 20-win season.

Mike Fuentes, Associated PressTexas catcher Yorvit Torrealba, trying to tag Lou Marson of the Indians at the plate, has some good things to say about Ubaldo Jimenez.

DETROIT, Mich. -- Texas manager Ron Washington gave Yorvit Torrealba his first start behind the plate in the postseason Tuesday for Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.

"He does a good job handling Colby Lewis," said Washington.

Lewis started Game 3 against the Tigers at Comerica Park.

Torrealba caught Indians right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez with the Rockies in parts of the 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons. After the Indians acquired Jimenez from Colorado on July 31 for four minor leaguers, Torrealba watched him make his Indians debut against Texas.

"In Colorado he was always very aggressive with his fastball, especially in the first couple of innings," said Torrealba. "He had that attitude about his fastball. The second or third time around the lineup, then he'd start mixing in his off-speed pitches.

"When I saw him this year, he was throwing his off-speed pitches a lot more early in the game. He seemed like he was behind in the count a lot and throwing a lot of pitches."

Torrealba believes Jimenez can still win 20 games in a season.

"He was unbelievable in the first half of the 2010 season and he still throws hard," said Torrealba. "Sometimes when a player gets traded to a new team, it takes a while for him to feel comfortable. He doesn't want to step on anybody's toes or say the wrong thing."

Jimenez went 10-13 with a 4.68 ERA this year. He was 6-9 with a 4.46 ERA for the Rockies and 4-4 with a 5.10 ERA for the Indians. Jimenez combined to strike out 180 batters, walk 78 and allow 186 hits in 188 1/3 innings.

Scratched: The Delmon Young saga continues.

The Tiger outfielder was scheduled to start Tuesday, but was scratched because of soreness in his left side. Young wasn't on the ALCS roster after straining his left rib cage Thursday in Game 5 of the ALDS against the Yankees.

When Magglio Ordonez broke his right ankle in Game 1 of the ALCS on Saturday, the Tigers replaced him with Young, who started Game 2 Monday in left field. Tiger manager Jim Leyland said Tuesday afternoon that Young came to the ballpark stiff and sore and had to be removed from the lineup.

Leyland would not say if Young is done for the series.

Tonight's lineups for Game 3 of the ALCS:

Rangers: 2B Ian Kinsler (R), SS Elvis Andrus (R), CF Josh Hamilton (L), 1B Michael Young (R), 3B Adrian Beltre (R), DH Mike Napoli (R), RF Nelson Cruz (R), C Yorvit Torrealba (R), LF Endy Chavez (S), RHP Colby Lewis (14-10, 4.40, 1-0, 1.50).

Tigers: CF Austin Jackson (R), 2B Ramon Santiago (S), 1B Miguel Cabrera (R), DH Victor Martinez (S), 3B Don Kelly (L), SS Jhonny Peralta (R), C Alex Avila (L), LF Ryan Raburn (R), RF Andy Dirks (L), RHP Doug Fister (11-13, 2.83, 1-1, 6.52).

Lineup notes: Texas manager Ron Washington is giving Young his first start of the series at first base for struggling Mitch Moreland. Napoli will DH so he won't catch four straight games, which gives Torrealba a chance to catch. Raburn, who hit a three-run homer in Game 2 for the Tigers, moved from right field to left to replace Young. Dirks replaced Raburn in right.

Him vs. me: Cabrera is hitting .417 (5-for-12) with three RBI against Lewis.  Beltre is hitting .354 (4-for-11) with two RBI against Fister.

Lefty-righty: Lefties are hitting .274 (119-for-434) with 21 homers and righties are
hitting .204 (68-for-333) with 14 homers against Lewis. The Tigers have seven righties, including two switch hitters, in the lineup (UPDATE).

Lefties are hitting .239 (109-for-456) with eight homers and righties are hitting .235 (84-for-357) with three homers against Fister. The Rangers have seven right-handers in the lineup.

Next: In Game 4 Wednesday afternoon at Comerica Park, Texas lefty Matt Harrison will face Detroit right-hander Rick Porcello. The game is scheduled to start at 3:19 p.m. FOX will carry the game on TV and radio.

Ward seemed to be in the mix of plays more often last season, as a rookie. And, other Browns links.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerCincinnati's Jermaine Gresham catches a touchdown pass against the Browns' T.J. Ward during the Bengals' 27-17 season-opening win at Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Second-year strong safety T.J. Ward is assumed to be one of the building blocks for a rather young Cleveland Browns defense.

Ward made a solid impact for the Browns last season as a rookie, building expectations for his 2011 campaign.

Chris Pokorny, writing for the Dawgs By Nature blog, notes that Ward made 6.5 tackles per game (not including special teams) in 2010, and that he's slipped to 4.5 tackles per game this season.

Pokorny acknowledges that four games -- the Browns are 2-2 -- are a small sample, and he writes:

Tackles are not the defining measure of a players' performance by any means, but when the Browns drafted Ward, I expected him to jump in and be the type of player who is making the type of plays a Joe Haden or a D'Qwell Jackson are making. Instead, he still seems a bit lost. I'm not thinking of specific plays, but just in general -- it seems like Ward is often out of position. I know Mike Adams and Usama Young splitting time at one safety position has been viewed as a vulnerability on defense, but it does not seem to me that Ward is playing on a much higher level either.

The Browns, coming off their bye week, play at Oakland against the Raiders (3-2) on Sunday.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Browns coverage includes Tony Grossi's report that defensive end Marcus Benard is facing two charges for his motorcycle accident on Monday, when he suffered a broken hand; links to videos and game stories on old Browns-Raiders games; a Starting Blocks poll on the outcome of the Browns-Raiders game; a Starting Blocks poll on which player the Browns would miss more against the Raiders if he can't play, center Alex Mack or cornerback Joe Haden; and much more.

Post patterns

Browns notebook by Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, highlighting coach Pat Shurmur's intention of giving more playmaking chances to wide receiver Greg Little and tight end Evan Moore. 

Will we see Evan Moore get more playing time, and passes thrown his way? On the Waiting For Next Year blog.

The Browns must be disciplined to take advantage of the Raiders' penchant for penalties, Vic Carucci writes for clevelandbrowns.com.

Comments on the Browns and other football topics, by Zac Jackson for FoxSportsOhio.com.

Peyton Hillis emphasizes how sick he was when he missed the game against Miami on Sept. 25. By Marc Sessler for NFL.com.

The Raiders take confidence into their game against the Browns, especially coming off their win over the Houston Texans. On SBNation.com.

Where the Browns and the 31 other NFL teams stand in ESPN.com's new power rankings.