Commissioner Bud Selig and St. Louis manager Tony La Russa were happy that they had a Game 7 to play when they woke up on Friday morning. The same could not be said for Texas manager Ron Washington.

Chris Lee, St. Louis Post-DispatchDavid Freese's dramatic game-winning home run in the 11th inning of Game 6 capped an incredible game and put a smile on the face of MLB Commissioner Bud Selig.

St. Louis -- Commissioner Bud Selig said he awoke Friday morning to hear people talking about the seventh game of the World Series that would be played later that night at Busch Stadium between Texas and St. Louis.

He was a happy man.

It has been a great September and an even better October for baseball. September didn't produce the National League and American League wild cards until the last game of the regular season as St. Louis and Tampa Bay prevailed over historic collapses by Boston and Atlanta.

In the postseason, 38 of a possible 41 postseason games, including Game 7 Friday, have been played. The only games that weren't necessary were Game 5 of the American League Division Series between Texas and Tampa and Game 7 of the American League Championship Series and National League Championship Series.

What's more, there has been drama. A record 13 postseason games have been decided by one run.

Included, of course, was St. Louis' remarkable 10-9 victory in 11 innings in Game 6 to force a Game 7.

"I would not be ashamed to tell you that Thursday night in the 11th inning after everything that went on, I said to a couple of people, 'I'm really proud to be the commissioner of a sport that can produce what just happened.'"

Cardinal manager Tony La Russa, of course, felt even better. But the minute he arrived at Busch Stadium on Friday, he had one message for his team -- forget about Game 6.

"It can be a distraction," said La Russa.

He told his players to wait and savor it in the off-season.

Texas manager Ron Washington wasn't feeling as chipper as Selig or La Russa in the aftermath of Game 6. Once in the ninth inning and again in the 10th, the Rangers were one strike away from their first World Series title in franchise history, a stretch of 50 years.

Twice it was snatched away. First by David Freese's game-tying triple in the ninth and then by Lance Berkman's game-tying single in the 10th. Freese finally ended the game with a leadoff homer in the 11th.

Washington, who hasn't had a team meeting since August, called one after Game 6.

"They just took a blow to the gut," said Washington. "We were one pitch away from being the world champions, so it was a blow. But in baseball, the bottom line is, you have to get the last out.

"I wanted to make them understand that the prize that we're trying to get is still in front of us."

The World Series has not reached seven games since the Angels beat the Giants in 2002. In the last 23 World Series, only five have gone the distance. The previous four were 2002, 2001 (Yankees-Diamondbacks), 1997 (Indians-Marlins) and 1991 (Braves-Twins).

Stat time: Some numbers from Game 6:

•Freese's 11th inning homer was the 15th walk-off homer in World Series history. It was just the fifth in Game 6 or later including Bill Mazeroski (1960, Game 7), Carlton Fisk (1975, Game 6), Kirby Puckett (1991, Game 6) and Joe Carter (1993, Game 6).

•Freese's homer in the 11th and Josh Hamilton's two-run homer in the 10th marked the first time in World Series history that two homers were hit in extra innings

•Texas right fielder Nelson Cruz homered in the seventh for his eight homer of the postseason. He tied Barry Bonds and Carlos Beltran for the most homers in a postseason.

•Neftali Feliz wasted a 7-5 lead for the Rangers in the ninth. It was his first blown save since Aug. 2 against the Indians. He had converted six straight postseason saves before Game 6.

Call to arms: Cardinal relievers made a postseason record 71 appearances, through Game 6. The Rangers relievers made 65 appearances.

St. Louis and Texas used 15 pitchers in Game 6. The record is 17 used by the White Sox and Houston in Game 5 in 2005.

Roster change: Matt Holliday was taken off the Cardinals roster and replaced by outfielder Adron Chambers. Holliday jammed the little finger on his right hand when he was picked off third base in the sixth inning of Game 6.

To approve the move, MLB had to be convinced that the injury would have put Holliday on the disabled list during the regular season.

Finally: Selig on negotiations between owners and players on a new basic agreement: "The conversations have been quiet, thoughtful and constructive." The basic agreement expires on Dec. 11. Players can start filing for free agency today.

Coming up to bat with a World Series game on the line brings a little more pressure than the typical kid's backyard daydream, says the Cardinals' Lance Berkman

View full sizeMCTLance Berkman delivers an RBI single in the 10th inning on Thursday.

"When you're a little kid and you're out there, you don't have a bunch of reporters and fans that are ready to call you a choking dog if you don't come through. So when you're a kid, you don't realize what a big moment that is. I'm just going to caution all little kids out there, be careful what you wish for."

The Cardinals beat Texas, 10-9, in 11 innings Thursday to force Game 7. Berkman had three hits and drove in three runs.

Missing piece: Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton said God told him that he would hit a home run in Game 6 on Thursday. Hamilton, playing with a groin injury, hit a two-run homer in the 10th, but it wasn't enough to beat the Cardinals and win the World Series.

Hamilton told reporters that while God told him he would hit his first homer of the postseason, he said nothing about guaranteeing the Rangers a win.

Stat of the day: This is the 37th time in a best-to-seven World Series that it has been extended to a seventh game. In the previous 36, the home team has won 19 times (52.8 percent).

-- Paul Hoynes

MAPLE HEIGHTS, Ohio -- It pays to have a good mudder. Cleveland Heights proved it had more than few players who can handle an off track as the Tigers knocked off Maple Heights, 20-12, to win the Lake Erie League championship on Friday night at Stafford Stadium in Maple Heights. The Tigers, who will make their first trip to...

Cleveland Heights' Bryce Jones holds off a Maple Heights defender on a run in the third quarter Friday in Maple Heights. - (Joshua Gunter, PD)

MAPLE HEIGHTS, Ohio -- It pays to have a good mudder.

Cleveland Heights proved it had more than few players who can handle an off track as the Tigers knocked off Maple Heights, 20-12, to win the Lake Erie League championship on Friday night at Stafford Stadium in Maple Heights. The Tigers, who will make their first trip to the postseason next week, ended the regular season at 9-0 and 6-0 in the LEL.

And they won their title in style as they overcame both a 12-0 deficit and deplorable field conditions in rallying for the championship against the Mustangs (8-1, 5-1), who saw their 23-game winning streak end in the muck.

"This means every thing to us," said massive two-way tackle Kyle Dodson, who is headed to Wisconsin next season. "We're in the history books. We waited nine months for this."

The Tigers, ranked No. 11 in the Plain Dealer, put up 20 unanswered points. Senior quarterback Bryce Jones, who also handled the punting, came to life in the second quarter as he managed to put his passes on target.

He finished a modest 9-for-17 for 136 yards, with all the yardage coming in the first half. He was not intercepted and got his punts away in steady fashion.

"The punting," said Jones, when asked what worried him the most. "The team had confidence in me. Down, 12-0, did not do anything to us. We wanted it more and we did just that."

The Tigers came alive in the second quarter as they moved 73 yards in eight plays, Jones clicking on three completions, the last one to wide receiver Sheldon Gibson on fourth-and-goal from the 4. Gabriel Brown's extra point made it 12-7.

Bogged down in their own part of the field, the Mustangs could not get a punt off when the snap went over senior Almonte Patrick's head and the Tigers took over at the 15. After a holding penalty set them back, Jones found wide receiver Dorien Hudson in the right corner of the end zone for a 13-12 lead with two minutes to go before the break.

In the third quarter, sophomore running back Marcus Bagley, who lost two fumbles in the first quarter, scored on a 12-yard run for the final cushion.

"I had to put the fumbles out of my head," Bagley said. "The coaches told me to keep my head up and fight through it."

Cleveland Heights coach Jeff Rotsky had his head held high as he took in the celebration on his side of the field.

"The greatest thing is coming back from 12-0," said Rotsky, in his fifth year with the Tigers after a stint coaching the Mustangs. "We had some fumbles early, but came back from it. Both lines played with emotion."

Bagley fumbled on the first play of the game to give the Mustangs the ball at the 40. After a penalty, Maple Heights senior Mervin McCane went untouched up the middle from 45 yards out with the game less than 90 seconds old.

Taking advantage of a poor punt, Maple Heights only had to cover 30 yards and they did it in three plays, with McCane getting his second touchdown, this one from 3 yards with 4:39 left in the quarter.

The Mustangs failed on both two-point attempts to lead, 12-0.

But from that point on, the defending Division II state champions had their hands full as they could not sustain drives. It did not help that senior quarterback Da'Junn Graham had to leave the game for a time in the third quarter with a leg injury.

He returned in the fourth quarter and led his club to a first-and-goal at the 4, but the Mustangs could not punch it in.

Maple Heights announced it will play next week's Division II playoff game at Bedford High.

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

On Twitter: @JoeMaxse

AVON, Ohio — The first-ever meeting between Lake Catholic and Avon was an instant classic. Mark Baniewicz threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Richie Miller with 33 seconds left to give the Cougars a 25-21 victory at Avon in a nonleague football game featuring two playoff-bound teams Friday night.

AVON, Ohio — The first-ever meeting between Lake Catholic and Avon was an instant classic.

Mark Baniewicz threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Richie Miller with 33 seconds left to give the Cougars a 25-21 victory at Avon in a nonleague football game featuring two playoff-bound teams Friday night.

"The play before, Mark threw to the left and I knew I had the kid beat," Miller said. "I said, 'Coach, we have to go back, I know I've got this kid.' Mark looked at me before the snap of the ball. The next thing I knew the ball was in the air and no one was getting it but me."

Miller's touchdown catch near the right corner of the end zone capped a 38-yard drive. Lake Catholic turned the game around after trailing by two touchdowns in the second quarter.

"Avon did a tremendous job against us in the first half," Lake Catholic coach Mike Bell said. "There weren't a whole lot of adjustments. It was just a matter of sticking with the game plan and increasing our effort on every single play. I just have to give all the credit to the guys who were on the field tonight."

Both teams finish the regular season 9-1. Avon was looking for its second straight perfect regular season.

The game had a playoff feel, played on a crisp, cold night in front of a big crowd. The hitting was equally crisp and there were no penalties until an interference call on Avon midway through the third quarter.

"It kind of had that [playoff] feeling all week long," Bell said. "We knew we were going to play one of the best if not the best team on our schedule this year."

The Eagles broke on top with two Justin O'Rourke to Matt Eckhardt touchdown passes in the second quarter. The first capped a 67-yard drive by the Eagles. Eckhardt grabbed a short pass from O'Rourke and neatly sidestepped two defenders for a 26-yard score.

O'Rourke's second touchdown pass came on a fourth-and-11 play. Eckhardt got behind the Cougars defense for a 30-yard score.

O'Rourke completed 14 of 22 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns. Eckhardt had seven catches for 158 yards.

Evan Gormley played a big part in the Cougars' turnaround. He rushed for 120 of his 169 yards in the second half, including a 13-yard touchdown run to give Lake Catholic its first lead.

Avon regained the lead, 21-18, with a 27-yard shovel pass-and-run from O'Rourke to Ross Douglas with 8:08 left in the fourth quarter.

"I'm really proud of the kids' effort," Avon coach Mike Elder said. "Lake Catholic is a great, classy football team. I wish the result was different because the kids played their hearts out. At the end of the day we're going to play next week and hopefully we'll come out with a W."

Bob Migra is a freelance writer in Westlake

AKRON, Ohio — Manchester's Tyler Graves ran all over Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy en route to a 40-34 victory, which guaranteed Manchester (7-3, 6-1) a playoff spot as well as a share of the Pac-7 title. "The playoff spot is what's important," Graves said.

AKRON, Ohio — Manchester's Tyler Graves ran all over Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy en route to a 40-34 victory, which guaranteed Manchester (7-3, 6-1) a playoff spot as well as a share of the Pac-7 title.

"The playoff spot is what's important," Graves said.

Graves rushed for three second-half touchdowns, helping the Panthers edge the Royals (7-3, 6-1) in the late-game thriller.

"Tyler had a hell of a game. He did great," said quarterback Nick Peyakov, who tossed two touchdowns and rushed for one. "He couldn't have done it without the line, though. We own the trenches up front."

Graves, who tallied 188 yards in the game, led the Panthers to their second-straight Pac-7 title.

This year, though, Manchester will share it with CVCA, which was essentially eliminated from the Division III playoff hunt with the loss.

"I can give Tyler a lot of credit," said head coach Jim France. "He runs hard, he doesn't go down with one hit and he struggles and gets that extra yard. He's an awfully good football player."

An even halftime score, 21-21, set up the second-half shootout for the Pac-7 title.

Manchester was attempting to repeat last season's run, while CVCA was fighting for the outright title.

The Royals continued a 21-point run, starting the second half after scoring two touchdowns in the final minute of the second quarter.

A little less than two minutes into the half, Antonio Carroscia tossed a 25-yard touchdown to Josh Knisely.

The Panthers answered with a Graves 1-yard touchdown run, tying the score, 28-28, with 7:47 remaining in the third quarter.

"I just ran as hard as I could," Graves said. "There were some big holes."

A fumble recovery on a CVCA punt allowed the Royals to grab the lead again after a Carroscia QB sneak from the 1-yard line.

The extra point failed, and the Royals led, 34-28.

Manchester attempted to take the lead after a 13-yard touchdown run from Graves, but a missed extra point left the game tied, 34-34.

The Panthers forced a turnover on downs on CVCA's next possession, setting up Graves' game-winning touchdown.

With 7:58 left in the game, Graves rushed for a 13-yard score.

Another extra point was missed, giving Manchester a 40-34 lead.

Two touchdowns in the final minute of the first half evened what was turning into a near blowout for Manchester.

"We felt we outplayed them in the first half," France said. "But we made some mistakes and let them back into the game."

Two fumble recoveries for CVCA were a big part of that.

After the Panthers jumped out to a 21-7 lead, CVCA took the ball at Manchester's 46-yard line with a little less than four minutes remaining in the half after a fumble recovery by Nathan Rosenberger.

At the 3-yard line, quarterback Carroscia fumbled the snap, recovered and rushed in for a touchdown.

Then, Matt Meadows recovered a fumble and ran 30 yards for the Royals only defensive touchdown of the game and a 21-21 halftime score.

Erbacher is a freelance writer from Kent.

RAVENNA, Ohio — They didn't save the best for last because neither team is finished. Instead, they played their best when nothing less would suffice.

RAVENNA, Ohio — They didn't save the best for last because neither team is finished.

Instead, they played their best when nothing less would suffice.

In a wild, well-played high school football game on the final night of the regular season, Kent Roosevelt scored three touchdowns in the final 8:50 on Friday and went on to defeat host Ravenna, 42-35, in front of a sold-out crowd of about 5,000 fans on a chilly night in Ravenna Stadium.

The final outcome was in doubt until time expired with Ravenna on Roosevelt's 5-yard line.

In storybook fashion, the victory gave the Rough Riders, ranked 24th in The Plain Dealer Top 25, the Portage Trail Conference Metro Division championship and probably will be enough to secure a spot in the Division II, Region 5 playoffs. The final computer rankings will be announced Sunday.

"This ranks right there with the best," said veteran Roosevelt coach John Nemec, in his 27th year as head coach. "This is a real special win. There are a lot of emotions we've gone through this season. The kids held it together. In a game like this, you have to be careful you don't get too uptight. I was proud of the way they kept coming back."

Emotional indeed. Division I recruit Ryan Anderson, a 6-4, 326-pound offensive guard who was being recruited by practically every major college, was diagnosed with cancer last spring. Another player lost his father to cancer a few weeks ago. Anderson was on hand on Friday and was reluctant to part with the PTC championship trophy during a jubilant postgame celebration.

Roosevelt is 9-1 overall and 7-0 in the league. Ravenna, with a spot in the Division III playoffs already secured, slipped to 8-2, 6-0. That was of little consolation to coach Jim Lunardi, whose team is 13th in The Plain Dealer poll.

"It was a great high school game," he said. "I'm proud of our kids and happy for their kids. But no, knowing we're in the playoffs doesn't ease the sting. I'd rather win a league championship and have something to hang our hats on. We can keep a state title in mind, but we have to move on."

The game had more than its share of stars.

No one, perhaps, burned brighter than Roosevelt quarterback TraVon Chapman. The 6-2, 200-pound junior accounted for 371 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-clincher with 1:59 to play on a 1-yard run. The son of Kent State receivers coach Thad Jamison rushed for 101 yards on 27 carries and completed 19-of-26 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns.

Senior wide receiver Richard Graves caught eight of those passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns and also scored what might have been the biggest touchdown of the game when he intercepted a Brandon Holt pass and returned it 29 yards with 7:12 to play.

The score gave the Rough Riders their first lead of the game at 34-28.

"We knew we had to get a stop," said Graves, a 5-7, 168-pound senior who caught scoring passes of 6 and 47 yards. "We felt whoever got the first stop would probably win the game. When I broke on my interception and outraced the guys was when I knew the tide had turned."

D.J. Jones, who came into the game with more than 1,600 yards rushing, did what he does best. He gained 128 yards and scored touchdowns on runs of 1, 3, 39 and 14 yards. Holt completed 8-of-18 passes for 125 yards and gained 87 yards on 14 carries.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: trogers@plaind.com; 216-999-5169

On Twitter:@TimRogersPD

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Nothing pretty, nothing flashy -- just solid running, a couple of big plays sprinkled in, and lights-out defense. That's the recipe the Cuyahoga Heights Redskins followed to perfection en route to an impressive 30-0 win over host Independence at Stan Skoczen Stadium on Friday. On a night when the field and weather conditions called for a...

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Nothing pretty, nothing flashy -- just solid running, a couple of big plays sprinkled in, and lights-out defense. That's the recipe the Cuyahoga Heights Redskins followed to perfection en route to an impressive 30-0 win over host Independence at Stan Skoczen Stadium on Friday.

On a night when the field and weather conditions called for a power running game and solid defense, the Redskins got all they needed and more, showing off a well-rounded game that should serve them well in the playoffs.

The Redskins (9-1, 6-1 in Chagrin Valley Conference Metro Division play) needed just two plays to get on the scoreboard, opening a 7-0 lead on Troy Janashak's 65-yard touchdown.

"It's gonna be difficult to move the ball on a night like this, and we were really relying on our defense to give us good field position," Cuyahoga Heights head coach Al Martin said. "Then we hit that one big one early, right up the middle, and that was a big one to get up on the scoreboard.

"Because in a game like tonight, you're worried about turnovers and short fields and things like that, and it's nice to get on the scoreboard first."

Janashak and quarterback Alex Zander led the Redskins' attack offensively. Janashak rushed 25 times for 162 yards and three touchdowns, kicked a 21-yard field goal and added a pair of extra points, while Zander carried 14 times for 94 yards and a touchdown.

Independence (5-5, 4-3) just could not get anything going offensively all game long.

"I thought the defense held in there long enough for us to get that one good drive in the middle of the second quarter when we got the field goal, and I think that was a big help, getting up two scores," Martin said.

Despite the offense's struggles, the Blue Devils' defense was holding its own in the first half, and with the Redskins looking like they were content to run out the clock, appeared to be heading to halftime trailing just 10-0. But when Zander hooked up with Logan Matt for a big 27-yard reception, giving the Redskins the ball in Independence territory, the Redskins went back on the attack.

"The fantastic catch by Logan Matt, on the sideline when we were up 10-0, we were probably going to run out the clock, but we decided to run one 'go' to him, and he makes a miraculous catch," Martin said. "Then four, five plays later, we're in the end zone, and, 16-0, at halftime you're feeling pretty good with the way our defense was playing."

Up next for the Redskins is a Week 11 playoff game, something that was far from a certainty earlier in the season.

"Our kids have really persevered," Martin said. "We had a tough loss to Kirtland in week five, and we knew that we would have to run the table with some good teams coming up like Beachwood, Hawken and Independence, with no margin for error.

"I think our kids approached this thing great, they worked very hard in practice, they stayed focused, didn't worry about things they can't control, like the playoff situation, and played some really good football games."

Bill Mayville is a freelance writer in Parma Heights.

Despite being severely undermanned, the Monsters take the play to the Marlies from start to finish in a 2-1 victory at The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Monsters went from essentially sleepwalking Wednesday night to authoring hockey the way it ought to be Friday night.

Despite being severely undermanned, the Monsters took the play to the Toronto Marlies from start to finish. They were relentless to the puck and administered plenty of punishment along the way in a 2-1 victory at The Q.

Toronto must have wondered what happened to the Monsters who succumbed to Syracuse, 7-0, two nights earlier at home.

Lake Erie coach David Quinn couldn't have been much happier with his players. He had guaranteed they would rebound with a purpose after the Syracuse debacle.

"I've been here two-plus years, and that's as gutsy a win as I've seen," Quinn said. "We had nine guys out. And to respond the way we did after what happened Wednesday says a lot about this group."

Monsters goalie Trevor Cann made 31 saves as Lake Erie (3-6-1-0) improved to 1-4 at home. Toronto slipped to 5-2-1-0.

"That's a good hockey team we just beat," Quinn said. "We had a lot of guys step up their games."

Lake Erie went 7-for-7 on the penalty kill and 0-for-2 on the power play.

"The difference -- 7-2 -- was comical, absolutely comical," Quinn said. "We had a delay of game to start the third period because we had six guys on the ice. One of them was stretching. It was . . . a great win for us. I'm going to bite my tongue."

Toronto opened the scoring at 12:48 of the first period. Center Joe Colborne, capitalizing on a Lake Erie turnover, flipped the puck past Cann for his eighth goal.

Early in the second, the Monsters were in danger of having the game get away from them. Instead, they killed a Toronto 5-on-3 for 57 seconds and the remainder of the 5-on-4.

Teamwork enabled Lake Erie to tie the score at 7:08 of the second. Right winger Luke Walker sacrificed his body to get the puck up the boards, where left winger Justin Mercier controlled it. Mercier sliced across the crease and missed a shot, then fired the rebound off the left side of the cage near the pipe. The puck landed on the stick of rookie center Brad Malone, who drilled it into a largely open net for his first professional goal.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dmanoloff@plaind.com; 216-999-4664

On Twitter: @dmansworldpd

Browns tight end Evan Moore played basketball and football at Stanford, and during his senior year, current San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh was the Stanford coach.

View full sizeLisa DeJong, Plain Dealer file photo

Q: You played basketball for a couple of years at Stanford before focusing solely on football. What basketball skills have you found useful in transferring to football?

A: I think a lot of the footwork and using your body position, those are a huge translation from basketball to football. '--My sophomore year in college, I realized that in basketball, I'm not that unique. I'm like every other guy. Everyone's this tall, everyone's this big. And in football, I realized I had something different that could separate me from other people.

Q: The knock on you is that you've been hurt a lot, that's why you went undrafted in 2008. Can you remember the most recent time you haven't been hurting from some kind of injury?

A: Right now. That knock . . . this is football. You can put my list of injuries next to anybody's in this locker room, and it wouldn't be any different than anybody else. It's funny how that becomes a stereotype. For instance, I've had one concussion and everyone focuses on that. There are guys on this team who've had five, and no one talks about that. It's funny how my name keeps getting thrown in with that.

Q: You had a really bad injury in 2005 when you dislocated your hip during a game. Did you ever see replays of that, or is that something you avoid and try to forget?

A: At the time when it happened, yeah. That was a long time ago. There's no residual effects from that. One of these guys showed me an article that said I had knee problems. I've never hurt my knee in my life. That's what I'm talking about. I had some injuries in college, but that's water under the bridge.

Q: You played for San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh for one year at Stanford. What do you remember learning from him?

A: He's an emotional guy. A very good coach. Knows the game. Gets guys to want to play for him. And he does a really good job of taking advantage of another team's weaknesses and playing to his team's strengths. Everyone he has, he learns his roster really well and plays to each of those guys' strengths. That's why they're 5-1.

Q: You earned a masters in sociology at Stanford. What do you hope to do with that?

A: It was in sociology, but it was called organizational behavior. It's almost like business without the econ, looking at it from more of a psychological perspective. I did pre-law before that, so I'll maybe go to law school one day. I'd say the football thing is already working out, though.

-- Jodie Valade

Kent has made several changes in hopes of tightening up its weakest link -- the offensive line.

View full sizeAPKent State coach Darrell Hazell.

Today looms large for the Bowling Green Falcons (4-4, 2-2), as their Mid-American Conference East division title chances can be solidified -- or erased -- pending the outcome of their 1 p.m. game at Kent State (1-6, 0-3).

The Falcons, averaging 27.4 points a game, would appear to have a walkover approaching, considering that the Golden Flashes have struggled to score all season, average just 10.7 points a game, and haven't posted more than 12 points against a Football Bowl Subdivision team this season. However, KSU is coming off a bye week in which it made several changes in hopes of tightening up its weakest link -- the offensive line.

In an effort to get its best linemen side by side, head coach Darrell Hazell has moved right tackle Josh Klein to left guard, putting him between his two most veteran linemen in center Chris Anzevino and left tackle Brian Winters. Freshman guard Terrell Johnson remains on the right side, and one-time starter Kent Cleveland is now at right tackle.

Today will tell if KSU's revamped offensive line can finally open some holes for tailbacks Trayion Durham and Anthony Meray.

Flight time? Kent State may be the easiest of Bowling Green's remaining four games, as matchups with MAC West contender Northern Illinois (5-3, 3-1), MAC East contender Ohio University (5-3, 3-2) and stubborn Buffalo (2-6, 1-3) remain on the schedule. The NIU and OU games will be played at Bowling Green. But the game against the Bulls will be on the road to end the season.

Despite its record, UB has played the contenders down to the wire, defeating OU, 38-37, and losing at home to Northern Illinois, 31-30, when the Bulls missed a late PAT that could have sent the game into overtime.

Complain, complain: The MAC's string of midweek football games begins this coming week with a game on ESPN's family of networks Tuesday (Northern Illinois at Toledo, 7 p.m., ESPN2); Wednesday (Temple at Ohio, 8 p.m.; ESPN); Thursday (Akron at Miami, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU); and Friday (Central Michigan at Kent, 8 p.m., ESPN2). The purists scream about how this kills attendance, but the fact is, more people see these games on national television than could ever pack a MAC stadium.

When the NFL is playing games on Sundays, Saturdays, Mondays and Thursdays during the course of the regular season, to maximize TV exposure, it is hard to complain about MAC teams doing it. Indeed, the MAC was the first college conference to cut such a deal and could arguably be faulted for not making it exclusive.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ealexander@plaind.com, 216-999-4253

Browns players think discussion of the Madden NFL '12 video-game cover curse is hogwash. But with Hillis missing games because of strep throat and a strained left hamstring, and add in a contract squabble, it is disconcerting ... isn't it?

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerPeyton Hillis isn't buying into the "Madden" curse, but things certainly haven't gone that well after his appearance on the cover of the video game.

That there is truly such a thing as the "Madden Curse."

"I'm not even worried about that," Hillis scoffed earlier this week.

Joshua Cribbs looked as if he had just whiffed a nose full of manure when the suggestion was floated that Hillis' photo on the front of Madden NFL 12 might have anything to do with anything going on with the 3-3 Browns.

"Curse? I don't believe in curses," Cribbs scoffed.

Even Kathy Curran, a priestess and the owner of Lakewood's Goddess Blessed, doesn't believe in curses -- even if she knows the remedy for banishing them.

No one believes in the Madden Curse, least of all the reigning cover boy, Hillis. His Browns teammates think it's a bunch of hogwash.

Even the people who produce the game at EA Sports are quick to discount the superstitious suggestion that nearly every player who has appeared on the cover of the Madden video game has been befallen by either substantial injury or failure the following season.

View full size

But how else can you explain it? How do you explain that in six Browns games this season, Hillis has already missed one game because of strep throat, a full game and half of another with a strained left hamstring, and reaggravated his injury after returning to practice this week so that his status for Sunday's contest in San Francisco is in doubt?

How do you explain how the monstrously tough runner who likes to pull pickup trucks as part of his off-season training program is averaging only 3.5 yards per carry and a total of 211 yards this season -- directly after his breakout 1,177 yards for 4.4 yards per carry a year ago?

What other explanation is there for the fact that Hillis and the Browns cannot agree on the terms of a contract extension, that he controversially relied on his agent's medical advice to skip a game and that the running back has suddenly become quiet and serious around media this season?

Cribbs, for one, has a fairly simple explanation for it all.

"Every time you have a breakout year, the next year, everybody keys you," he said. "Everybody is expecting you to have that same year or better. Everybody's keying you now. You're not going to do as good when everybody's looking for you. Last year, ain't nobody worried about stopping Peyton. They didn't know who he was until after a couple games. You can't expect a guy to do it when everybody's looking for him to."

Still, the fear of the curse was enough to drive Green Bay Packers fans to crusade to ensure their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, didn't appear on the cover of the game. Though Rodgers, who led the Packers to victory in the 2011 Super Bowl, was the top seed in a fan vote deciding the cover, Hillis beat him handily when they were matched head-to-head.

"They don't want to mess with it," said Anthony Stevenson, EA Sports' senior product manager. "Whether we believe in it or not, some fans do believe in the curse. There [were] literally Packer forums saying, 'Vote against Aaron.' Then you've got all the Cleveland fans saying if the Cleveland Browns are cursed and Peyton's cursed, two negatives make a positive."

The history of the Madden Curse goes back more than a decade, when the first cover boy, Barry Sanders, abruptly retired during training camp.

Michael Vick suffered a broken leg the day after the video game was released with his mug on the cover. Steelers safety Troy Polamalu missed all but five games after he shared the cover with Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald -- who, admittedly, had a career year. Even Brett Favre, who supposedly was retired and immune from the curse when he appeared on the cover in 2008, opted to return to the league, was traded to the New York Jets and led his team to implosion in the final games of the season.

Curran, the local priestess, isn't a believer in curses, either. But she acknowledged that if enough people believe in something, it can manifest itself as true.

"Sometimes, it is karmic liability," Curran said. "I believe in self-responsibility. But if enough people believe in something, it can be true to them."

Her advice for removing the curse? Burn a black candle, sit in quiet meditation and transfer all negativity to the candle.

Though Hillis chuckled at that suggestion earlier this week, Curran said the recipient of the curse doesn't have to be the one to burn the candle.

Browns fans can help remove the curse, independently, with their own black-candle ceremonies.

Hillis, who was married earlier this week, often refers to his faith in interviews and again resurrected his common recitation about what has happened to him this season.

And it has nothing to do with the Madden Curse.

"The Lord puts you through things for a reason, and it all works out for a purpose," he said. "No matter what happens, you've got to keep a positive mindset. From here on out, you just gotta take it and roll with the punches."

And hope that, somehow, the curse lifts for the remainder of the season.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jvalade@plaind.com, 216-999-4654

The Ballville Dam that has blocked spawning walleye on the Sandusky River for more than a century could be gone in 2012.

View full sizeD'Arcy Egan, The Plain DealerA new 140-acre reservoir is nearing completion in Fremont, Ohio. It will replace the city's old reservoir behind the Ballville Dam on the Sandusky River.

FREMONT, Ohio — The Ballville Dam that has blocked spawning walleye on the Sandusky River for more than a century could be gone as early as November 2012.

At a public hearing Thursday night here, project manager Scott Peyton of Stantec Consulting in Cincinnati outlined the benefits of removing the Fremont dam and addressed concerns of local residents. His presentation was a pitch for dam removal, an $8.8 million project that includes ice-control structures placed in the river to prevent spring flooding.

The dam removal has been spearheaded by Fremont Mayor Terry Overmyer to eliminate a safety hazard; improve water quality; restore walleye passage and natural river function; manage impounded sediment; and increase opportunities for recreation. The dam was built in 1911 and rebuilt in 1913 after flooding damaged the structure.

The Ballville Dam was last repaired in 1969. An Ohio Department of Natural Resources report in 2007 said it was unsafe. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency ordered Fremont to solve nitrate problems in reservoir water behind the dam.

"Taking the dam out is not a foregone conclusion," Peyton said. Thursday's public hearing and comments made by Nov. 21 are required for the environmental-impact statement. Peyton said the dam could be repaired, a $4.6 million project that would require repaying $5 million for a new reservoir scheduled to be done in the coming months to supply water to Fremont. A fish elevator could be installed to take walleye upriver of the dam to spawn.

"Fremont has state and federal grants for removal, but not for repair," Peyton said.

The Sandusky River once had good spawning habitat for walleye, said Lake Erie fisheries head Roger Knight of the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Much of it was destroyed in 1972, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did flood-control work on the Sandusky River in Fremont.

Today, Knight said, the Maumee River produces 42 percent of the walleye caught in Lake Erie. Sandusky River walleye make up only 1 percent of the catch.

"The Ballville Dam removal will give us 15 times more gravel spawning habitat than exists now on the Sandusky River," he said.

-- D'Arcy Egan

When you're waterfowl hunting in Ohio, it's all about the weather.

View full sizeD'Arcy Egan, The Plain DealerStan Cutcher, of Port Clinton, pilots an airboat to retrieve ducks brought down by hunters positioned in a blind along the shore of Sandusky Bay. In the front of the vessel is Mike Richardson, of Redwood, N.Y., an Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ohio waterfowl hunters know it's all about the weather. For a change, a nasty cold front coincided with the 10th-annual Partnership Duck Hunt hosted this week by the Ohio Division of Wildlife and Ducks Unlimited in the Sandusky Bay region.

The gathering is a celebration of waterfowl conservation and duck hunting. In recent years, despite being held in November, the hunts have been gunned down by balmy, bluebird weather. This week's chilly winds and rain provided a welcome taste of duck weather and gave visitors a chance to bag mallards, wood ducks, pintails and wigeon.

The annual event also provided an opportunity to experience the different styles of hunting in Ohio's famed Sandusky Bay region.

On Thursday morning, wading through the smartweed and duckweed of Decoy Marsh on Sandusky Bay with owner Jim Daubel, of Fremont, the misty rain made a left turn.

"Feels like sleet," said Daubel, 70, the retired publisher of the News-Messenger in Fremont. "That should have the ducks flying."

Daubel and Tom Kashmer have owned this marsh and adjoining Green Tree Marsh for decades, making it a year-round haven for waterfowl and wildlife. Kashmer bands songbirds for the Ohio Bird Banders Association and as volunteer for the U.S. Geological Survey. He recently banded his 100,000th bird and has introduced a legion of youngsters to songbirds, shorebirds and marsh wildlife.

Kashmer and Jacob Grey, the head of waterfowl management for the state wildlife agency, were hunting a few hundred yards away. Daubel and I set up in waist-deep water in a scraggly patch of buttonbush, ducks buzzing past as they searched for a morning meal. A nearby tree was decorated with dozens of white egrets. Daubel said local eagles could make an appearance.

I was eager to bag a speedy wood duck, with a gaudy drake my first duck of the morning.

Daubel winters in Florida, but he can't leave Ohio just yet. The duck hunting seasons are too much a part of his life.

"I love it here in the marsh," he said, firmly grasping his walking stick. "I'll be a part of the marsh until I can't make this walk anymore."

It was a different waterfowl hunting scenario Wednesday morning, taking a comfortable seat in Johnny Joseph's spacious blind on the Sandusky Bay shoreline. Joseph, of Medina, had dozens of decoys in the water, including motion decoys that are a magnet for ducks on the wing. Joseph hunts all across the world, but he favors this patch of Smith Marsh in fall and winter.

Joseph has a pair of airboats, the only ones around used to retrieve ducks or get to the blinds when there's ice in the bay. As I settled in with Joseph, Anthony Santolo, of Sagamore Hills Township, Stan Cutcher, of Port Clinton, and Mike Richardson, of Redwood, N.Y., the hunting stories began to flow.

Richardson, an Army veteran with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, was invited to the Partnership Duck Hunt because of his work for the Army in developing conservation easements in New York. An avid bowhunter, Richardson, 33, doesn't think twice about spending nights alone in the Quebec wilderness in a quest for a bull moose, or well off the beaten path in Colorado pursuing elk.

Joseph was anxious to put Richardson on some fast-flying ducks, and in his airboat for a wild ride on Sandusky Bay to retrieve ducks we shot that morning. A helicopter pilot in Afghanistan, it must have seemed tame for Richardson.

Santolo, Cutcher and Joseph lured birds with perfect-pitch tunes on their duck and goose calls, giving Richardson the chance to experience Sandusky Bay waterfowl hunting at its best. That can happen when you're lucky enough to enjoy a combination of a good hunting blind and blustery -- but wonderful -- duck hunting weather.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: degan@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

In a new book by Scott Raab, a Cleveland native, he chronicles his intense desire to see James felled by a career-ending injury.

PDScott Raab wanted to see LeBron grimmace much worse than this after he bolted for the Hea.

Esquire writer-at-large Scott Raab, a Cleveland area native, set out to chronicle the spectacle of the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. Then James took his talents to South Beach. Change of plans for the book. Titled "The Whore of Akron," it chronicles Raab's intense desire to see the former Chosen One felled by a career-ending injury.

Raab spent this week in Cleveland drumming up some interest in the book, which comes out Nov. 15, published by HarperCollins, and which is excerpted in the November Esquire, which is out now. He's also making funny promotional videos here for the book to be uploaded onto YouTube.

We caught up with him by phone at his hotel room in Independence.

"The reaction here has been wonderful. Reaction from the fans, from the Cavs, from people I run into. All good," said Raab. "On the other hand, I've gotten e-mail from South Florida wishing my son would get cancer of the eyes."

He's serious. The guy said he hoped it'd be "slow and painful," too.

Scott Raab

Raab works through that kind of venom about James in his book. He paints himself as the quintessential Cleveland fan, bitter but hopeful, abused yet enduring. The book's subtitle is "One Man's Search for the Soul of LeBron James." But Raab seems to be eyeballing his own soul, too.

He said he wanted to discover "why a guy my age wishes a career-ending injury on a fine young athlete he doesn't know as a human being."

Raab says he no longer wishes for LeBron's knee to bend the wrong way. Usually.

"The honest answer is I go back and forth on it, but I guess I just don't want him to win an NBA championship just like I don't want Art Modell to win the Super Bowl trophy."

The day the Heat lost in the NBA finals was bittersweet.

"It's a weird place to be. You are feeling great at a sporting event after all these years, finally. And we still don't have a championship," he said. "Genuine pleasure. Honest enjoyment. I was so happy. But part of me was like, 'There's no parade down Euclid Avenue because the Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat.'"

Homemade: If you've never heard of Christopher Michael Litwinowicz, it isn't for his lack of trying. The Euclid mayoral candidate made up his own glossy campaign flier, urging voters to say no to Bill, Charlene and Jack, as in Mayor Bill Cervenik, Charlene Mancuso and Jack Johnson.

The photograph Litwinowicz chose is a blurry picture of a picture of himself in Marine Corps dress blues.

"Same old same old vs. TIME FOR A CHANCE," it reads.

"We can make change togeather."

You can't fault him for the spelling errors. Probably payback for years of people butchering Litwinowicz.

Ale cures ails: Great Lakes Christmas Ale becomes more popular every season, but the unquenchable thirst at the season's first tapping Wednesday surprised even the Conway brothers, who own Great Lakes Brewery.

PD fileA bottle of Great Lakes Brewery Christmas Ale

"We went through 38 kegs in five-and-a-half hours," said Pat Conway.

"The taps ran constantly. Just a continuous pour," said Dan Conway.

The brewery is seeking more space to expand brewing operations, perhaps on the other side of town. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, for those who aren't fond of Christmas Ale, and there are a few, neighboring suds spot Market Garden Brewery on West 25th Street will tap its "Festivus Ale" next week.

Modeled after the holiday celebrated by the fictional George Costanza on TV's "Seinfeld," the Festivus Ale party will feature an "airing of grievances" and, of course, feats of strength.

More than a game: The annual "Holy War" football game between St. Edward and St. Ignatius tonight -- (Full disclosure: Tipoff once roamed the halls of St. Edward and has a clear bias on this issue) – will have more than one winner.

Grace Leon, widow of slain Cleveland Police Officer Wayne Leon – is hosting a fundraiser viewing party at the West Park Station in Kamms Corners. Proceeds from the $20 tickets (drinks, pizza, wings, etc.) will go to the Wayne Leon '86 Scholarship Fund at St. Ignatius to provide tuition assistance to a student who has a parent who is a member of the safety forces.

Leon was shot dead in June 2000 by Quisi Bryan as Leon made a routine traffic stop.

Wedding wows: Guests enjoyed a wonderful wedding and reception at the lakefront home of Cesare Mainardi and Wendy Kinsey in Lakewood last week.

When it came time to cut the cake on the terrace, fireworks exploded overhead as if on cue.

But not just a couple of store-bought bottle rockets.

The couple floated a fireworks barge onto Lake Erie behind their home, and guests – and others in Lakewood – were treated to a Saturday night special fireworks show the caliber of a Fourth-of-July display. Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard gave approval.

Mainardi is chief operating officer and managing director of North American business for Booz & Co. Kinsey is president of Junior Achievement in Cleveland.

The auctioneer was none other than Pam Shriver. The former champ is now a commentator on ESPN, but, more important, she is the fourth cousin of Maria Shriver and the ex-wife of one-time Bond actor George Lazenby. At an Amazonian 6-foot-2, she dwarfed Billie Jean and Elton, who sat on a small makeshift stage behind her. Much like couples who have been together for decades, Bill and El have begun to resemble each other, which is to say they looked like a pair of adorable garden gnomes.

John Kuntz/The Plain DealerEven his tongue is cute: Andy Roddick cheers Elton John and Martina Navratilova on their mixed doubles win over John McEnroe and Amelie Mauresmo Thursday night at Cleveland's Public Hall. Roddick, a member of the black-clad "Team Elton," helped raise $500,000 for the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland.

The Diva engaged in a little pack journalism this week when she swept into downtown's Public Hall, along with the rest of her leathery, black-winged colleagues in the media, for World TeamTennis Smash Hits, a gala to benefit the Elton John AIDS foundation and the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland.

Smash Hits is the brainchild of Sir Elton (though the Diva has learned he prefers just "Elton") and longtime friend Billie Jean King. Over the past two decades, the duo and a collection of tennis royalty, current superstars and up-and-comers have raised more than $10 million to fight AIDS by going into the trenches -- traveling the country, putting on exhibition games in places like Cleveland and selling signed T-shirts, tennis rackets and other desirable swag.

Before the main event, when "Team Billie Jean" would take on "Team Elton" in center court, the big names gathered for a mercifully short press conference -- really, how do people who have homes in Boca, Geneva, Kailua-Kona, Nassau and New York City honestly answer the question, "So, what do you think of Cleveland?"

Martina Navratilova, looking fit and fabulous at 55, arrived a few minutes late, as she was "interviewing Elton for AARP." (Martina allowed that she lived in town for a few months in the 1970s while playing for the now defunct Cleveland Nets, a World TeamTennis League franchise that also boasted Bjorn Borg on its roster. "I learned to cook in Cleveland!" she said.)

Joining Martina on "Team Billie Jean" were Jan-Michael Gambill, named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by People in 2000, an assignation the Diva totally supports; 19-year-old Coco Vandeweghe, who has been alive as long as King and John have been tromping around the country raising money for AIDS; and John McEnroe.

On "Team Elton" were new pro and Gates Mills native Lauren Davis; Mark Knowles, a five-time Olympian for the Bahamas; French sensation Amelie Mauresmo and Andy "Rock Hard Abs" Roddick. (When Elton arrived for the Q&A to find Roddick hunched glumly in a chair, the old flirt saucily knocked the Lacoste baseball cap off the U.S. Open champ's head).

Next, some 300 guests in Burberry, Michael Kors and Missoni -- the real stuff, not the Target kind -- paid $1,000 a ticket to attend a reception and auction that was so packed, your usually pickled scribe couldn't find the open bar. Mayor Frank Jackson even made an appearance, a woman in his party sporting a generous Louis Vuitton bag.

And they say Clevelanders don't know how to party with the glitterati.

The auctioneer was none other than Pam Shriver. The former champ is now a commentator on ESPN, but, more important, she is the fourth cousin of Maria Shriver and the ex-wife of one-time Bond actor George Lazenby. At an Amazonian 6-foot-2, she dwarfed Billie Jean and Elton, who sat on a small makeshift stage behind her. Much like couples who have been together for decades, Bill and El have begun to resemble each other, which is to say they looked like a pair of adorable garden gnomes.

Mysterious callers phoned in double-digit offers, driving up the prices, with guests straining to see the tennis greats.

On the block were two piano benches signed by Elton (sold for $5,500 apiece); a 2012 Wimbledon package including Billie Jean's personal Centre Court seats ($32,000); a 45-minute hitting session with Navratilova ($16,000); and another with Roddick ($20,000, with two big spenders paying $10,000 apiece for a little one-on-one with Andy -- one of whom was almost the Diva, when she mistakenly pushed a strand of hair behind her ear). But the promise of a master class with the 67-year-old Billie Jean kicked off a bidding frenzy -- "Can you play for 45 minutes?" Elton ribbed -- concluding with two donors each kicking in $17,000 for a total of $34,000.

Despite a hobbled economy, Clevelanders shelled out some $500,000 -- half of what Rush Limbaugh paid Sir Elton for crooning at his June 2010 wedding -- including the nearly 3,500 ticket holders who filled the hall to watch some of the world's most accomplished athletes grunt and sweat for charity. The AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland raked in an impressive $182,000, the most raised in a single night in the organization's 27-year history, said spokesman John Farina. (The rest flowed to Elton's foundation.)

It's an established fact that proximity to the famous brings out the well-heeled as well as the wackos.

"One woman called and offered to baby-sit Elton John's child," Farina said. (His response? "I don't think he's bringing the baby.")

Another caller demanded to know the name of Roddick's hotel.

"Who asked that?" I scoffed. Farina said he didn't get a name. (Thankfully, the Diva's phone number comes up "private" on caller ID.)

John Kuntz/The Plain DealerDon't quit your day job: Sir Elton John tries to put some English on the ball as teammate Martina Navratilova looks on.

The matches were sublime -- a paramedic with stretcher was standing by, as balls were burning into the stands with bracing regularity -- and ridiculous, with Sir Elton's on-court performance the surprise of the evening. ("Color television hadn't been invented when I started playing tennis," he quipped.)

The rock star has perfected footwork akin to a poodle agitating to go out for a whiz, and a swing that could be called "swatting flies with leg kick." Still, the Rocket Man not only sent balls sailing over the net, he sank shots that sent Johnny Mac and partner Mauresmo running.

At one point, McEnroe yelled at "chair ump" Shriver about Elton "touching the net."

"Too bad!" Shriver shot back. "He can touch whatever he wants tonight!" So Elton rocketed to the sidelines, where he bear-hugged Roddick.

The Diva started to feel jealous; she wanted to play with Andy, too. Her pretend-to-go-to-the-bathroom-then-hide-in-Andy's-dressing-room trick backfired when a volunteer offered a personal escort to the "Ladies." Later, she scored a Wilson fired into the stands by Roddick after wresting it away from a ball boy (sorry, kid, you've got years to collect memories).

In the end, the closest your dogged correspondent got to a real, live celebrity was when the guy dressed up like the Geico Gecko -- the company donated $50,000 to the cause -- almost knocked her over with his tail.

"You don't look like the Gecko on TV," a little girl said, kicking at his unwieldy appendage.

And they say Clevelanders are star-struck.

Maybe the Browns offense will get in touch with its inner-West Coast mantra in San Francisco.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain Dealer"Their defense is playing lights out right now," rookie receiver Greg Little said of the 49ers. "With Mohamed (Massaquoi) out, I definitely want to take on the responsibility of being a bigger playmaker."

SAN FRANCISCO -- Maybe the Browns just needed another trip out west to locate their missing West Coast offense -- one that's ranked 27th with only 16.2 points per game.

"It's the pink elephant in the middle of the room," said receiver Greg Little.

"We're all scratching our heads," said quarterback Colt McCoy.

"It's frustrating," said tight end Evan Moore. "It's not that hard."

But it has been for the Browns, and it won't be a trolley ride Sunday against the 5-1 49ers, especially without starting receiver Mohamed Massaquoi (concussion) and perhaps running back Peyton Hillis (hamstring). The 49ers are 11th in total defense -- second against the run.

"This will be the best defense we've played all year," said McCoy.

Not exactly what this points-challenged offense needs right now, is it? Consider some of these numbers:

• The Browns are 31st in the NFL with 4.3 yards per play;

• They're 29th with only 10 touchdowns;

• They're 31st with only 13 trips inside the red zone; and

• They've have been outscored, 34-3, in the first quarter.

But tight end Alex Smith indicated that a change of pace will be in store.

"We have a couple of things up our sleeves to try to try to get our tempo generated," he said. "It's not radically different. We'll just try to be fast-paced and keep the defense off it's toes. Until we get our tempo right, I don't think we'll have success."

Could the Browns be planning to open in the no-huddle to bust out of their first-quarter slumber?

"That's another aspect of it, but at the end of the day, it's about executing the plays as fast as we can," said Smith. "If we can pick up the pace, it will help us out a lot."

McCoy insisted that the current protocol, beginning with 15 or so scripted plays, is progressing just fine. "I think we're going to keep doing what we're doing," he said. "[But] the no-huddle has been a good part of our offense when we've got our backs against the wall. We work on it a lot in practice, so we'll see."

More than anything, McCoy said, it's a matter of this young offense continuing to hone the West Coast scheme.

"You go back and watch it from Joe Montana to Steve Young to anybody's who's run it, it's an offense where it's rhythm, it's timing [that makes it succeed]," said McCoy. "You get the ball out and let guys make plays -- and we're going to stick to that. It's what we do, and we're getting better week-to-week. The one positive from last week is that we stayed on the field for 40 minutes. Now we've just got to get in the end zone."

That type of ball control will be difficult against the 49ers' second-ranked run defense – which yields 74.7 yards per game. They're the only team in the NFL not to give up a rushing touchdown this season and haven't allowed a 100-yard rusher in 28 straight games, the longest active streak.

"We faced the best run defense last week [in yards per carry] and now we're facing the second-best," said running back Montario Hardesty, who churned out 95 yards against the Seahawks. "They defend the run very well with seven guys in the box. It all starts with their linebackers. They're tough, physical and fast to the ball, but we're up to the task."

Browns left tackle Joe Thomas gushed over the 49ers' front seven in general.

"There's big-time studs across the front, they're built to stop the run, and in my opinion they've got the best linebacker in the NFL in Patrick Willis," said Thomas. "He doesn't miss any tackles. You look at their guys on the outside, they're outstanding, They do everything you want out of a front seven, so it's going to be a great challenge for us."

He knows he'll get a tough battle from former Bengals right end Justin Smith, who leads the 49ers with an amazing 32 pressures.

"Justin is one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL," said Thomas. "He's been doing it a long time, he's extremely durable, he's big, he's fast, he's physical. He plays with a relentless motor. He's a guy that's going to be really hard to block. I remember playing against him my second game of my career [against Cincinnati] and it was a battle every single play."

But 32 pressure in six games? Can that be right?

"In Cincinnati, he didn't always have a lot of sacks, but he hit the quarterback all the time," said Thomas. "He's a guy who never quits. Even if he's blocked, he's still getting through at the last minute. He's good and underrated."

The 49ers have also held opposing quarterbacks to a 77.7 rating, fifth in the NFL, and they rank first in the league with 49 passes defensed. They're tied for third with 14 takeaways.

"Their defense is playing lights out right now," said Little. "With Mohamed out, I definitely want to take on the responsibility of being a bigger playmaker."

Josh Cribbs will replace Massaquoi in the starting lineup and second-year receiver Carlton Mitchell will see action on offense as well as special teams.

"We're fighting, we're clawing, we're trying to do everything we can to score points," said McCoy. "I can't tell you how hard we work. I've spent a lot of time with the receivers, and it's going to happen. We'll be ready this weekend and hopefully we'll start fast and play well."

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

With the off-season roster moves approaching, there's plenty of questions for beat writer Paul Hoynes.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerShould Jason Donald be considered for a starting job in 2012, instead of being the team's "super-utility" player?

Hey, Hoynsie: It appears as if the Indians have given the third-base job to Lonnie Chisenhall. Do you think that Jason Donald should have been given the chance to compete based on his better numbers last season? -- Jim Dery, Beachwood

Hey, Jim: I think the Indians look at Donald as a utility player. That's why he was in Goodyear, Ariz., after the season working in left and center field. Manager Manny Acta said Jason Kipnis and Chisenhall would go to camp with a leg up on the competition at second and third, respectively. He also said he's looking to improve the team's offense at the corner positions. Sure that could mean first base, but it could also mean third.

Hey, Hoynsie: Some posters on cleveland.com have stated that the Indians cannot sign Grady Sizemore to an incentive-laden new contract before he becomes a free agent. Aside from the fact that Sizemore and his agent might think they can get a better deal elsewhere, is there anything in the MLB basic agreement that prevents them from reworking his deal prior to the impending deadline to pick up his option? -- Joe Jirgal, Westlake

Hey, Joe: The Indians and Sizemore could renegotiate his deal at any time. It's not going to happen, but there's nothing to prevent it.

Hey, Hoynsie: I'm wondering if the Indians would give any thought to bringing Jim Thome back as a player/hitting coach, I know it was pretty common to have player/coaches in the past, but I don't see them much anymore. Is there are rule against it? It seems like it would increase Thome's value without putting extra strain on his body. -- David Kohn, New Haven, Conn.

Hey, David: The Indians are building a statue of Thome, so I'm sure they'd be interested in just about anything he'd want to do. Still, I think that would be a tough hire. The Indians already have a hitting coach in Bruce Fields. The Cardinals won a World Series with two hitting coaches in Mark McGwire and Mike Aldrete, but I've seen it split a clubhouse as well.

I talked to Thome about coaching at the end of last season. He seemed interested, but it sounds like he still wants to play. There have been plenty of player managers in the big leagues. Player-coaches are usually found in the minors.

Hey, Hoynsie: Now that the dust has settled, have you learned anything more about why the Indians made the Ubaldo Jiminez trade? Was the Tribe not impressed with White and Pomeranz? Did they owe Colorado a favor? Why not Pence or Delmon Young instead? -- Jared Carson, Cleveland

Hey, Jared: The story hasn't changed. They feel Jimenez is a No.1 type starter, or at least a front-of-the rotation starter, who is signed to a club-friendly contract that runs through 2013. Pence can be a free agent after 2012, so they couldn't have controlled him as long as Jimenez. It doesn't appear they were interested in Young.

Hey, Hoynsie: MLB has become nothing but a money-making machine during the season. But when it comes playoff time, and the games really have a meaning, this great game shows its true colors. There is nothing like a sport contest when it has a meaning. Regular-season games have no meaning except for the fact that a team wins just enough to make the playoffs. Then they position themselves to match up, game by game.

The season is too long (little meaning to win as many games as you can); interleague play has muddled the statistics and won-lost record (its only purpose is to put butts in the seats that normally go unsold); playing baseball while dancing around the unpredictable fall weather is not fair to the game (baseball is a warm/hot weather sport).

Do you think there is a chance that the owners will ever realize that they need to bring the season back to where is has a meaning? -- Keith Conklin, Twinsburg

Hey, Keith: I've heard no rumblings that baseball will go back to a 154-game schedule. But they did tighten the postseason schedule this year with fewer off days. It may have been one of the reasons the games were as crisply played as they were.

They also avoided playing into November, which is always a good thing.

Hey, Hoynsie: How does the Dec. 11th expiration of the CBA affect teams' abilities to sign free agents? If the owners and players do not sign a new agreement on or before Dec. 11, can teams continue to negotiate with free agents? -- David Bruno, Charlotte, N.C.

Hey, David: I think a new deal will be signed on or before the old contract expires. If not, I think it will be business as usually for free agents and the team pursuing them. Players were eligible to file for free agency, by joint agreement from owners and the players association, the day after the last game of the World Series.

-- Hoynsie

GM Chris Antonetti said he'd most likely wait until the deadline to make the call and it looks like that's what he'll do.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerIf the Indians decline Grady Sizemore's option on Monday, the veteran outfielder will become a free agent after eight seasons in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians are expected to make a decision Monday on whether they'll exercise the 2012 club options on center fielder Grady Sizemore and right-hander Fausto Carmona.

GM Chris Antonetti said he'd most likely wait until the deadline to make the call and it looks like that's what he'll do. A decision on all big-league club options must be made three days after the final game of the World Series, which was Friday.

The Indians hold a $9 million option on Sizemore and a $7 million option on Carmona. Sizemore, 29, can become a free agent if the option is declined. Carmona would still be under team control if the option is declined because he doesn't have six years in service time.

Carmona, 27, would be eligible for salary arbitration if the option isn't picked up. There is a chance he could make more in arbitration than he would with the option. The only way Carmona could become a free agent is if the Indians didn't offer him a contract for 2012. That's unlikely.

Sizemore, a former All-Star center fielder and 30-30 man, has had five operations in the last three years. His injuries have severely limited his ability to stay on the field. If he becomes a free agent, the Indians could try to re-sign him for less money. Negotiations to restructure the $9 million option have not been fruitful.

Carmona, the Indians' opening day starter last season, went 7-15 with a 5.25 ERA and was eventually passed in the rotation pecking order by Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

George believes none of them could have molded a national championship contender from the circumstances, scandal and suspensions that coach Luke Fickell inherited.

View full sizeAP file"This is redefining moment," says Eddie George of Ohio State's situation, "not a rebuilding moment."

COLUMBUS, Ohio – It doesn't matter to Eddie George who coached the Ohio State football team this season.

Pick a coaching legend, an ESPN analyst waiting for his return to the sidelines or a rising prospect from a non-BCS conference. George believes none of them could have molded a national championship contender from the circumstances, scandal and suspensions that coach Luke Fickell inherited.

"I don't care if you are Urban Meyer or Joe Paterno," George said prior to Saturday night's OSU-Wisconsin game. "It's tough dealing with situations like this and expecting the same results as previous years.

"This is redefining moment, not a rebuilding moment."

The Buckeye great was back in Ohio Stadium, where the tailback won the Heisman Trophy in 1995. He usually returns to the Horseshoe at least once a season, especially now with his duties as a radio analyst for Westwood One.

George has never seen the OSU program in such a state -- reeling from an NCAA investigation, dealing with the memorabilia-for-tattoos notoriety and groping for an identity in the wake of the controversial departures of coach Jim Tressel and quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

He believes Fickell, his former Buckeyes teammate, had done an admirable job in leading OSU to a 4-3 record (1-2 in the Big Ten) heading into the Wisconsin game.

"Look at what he was handed here with Tattoo Gate and having to clean up that mess," said George, who's being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December. "Luke has navigated through this brilliantly, trying to find an identity, working with new quarterbacks and receivers, dealing with players being suspended from the team."

George wouldn't speculate on who will coach the Buckeyes next season. He also wouldn't address the persistent Meyer-to-Columbus rumors. He is neither saddened nor angry at what has transpired. If anything, he's philosophical.

"There is a beginning, middle and end of every great dynasty," George said of a club that has made six straight BCS-bowl appearances and on the field has won a share of six consecutive Big Ten titles. "This group has an opportunity to re-establish what Ohio State means as far as character and integrity. When you hold yourself to a certain standard the universe is always going to try to put you in check. That's what has happened here. This is a time when character is revealed."

George, a four-time Pro Bowler, takes issue with parts of the NCAA probe into Ohio State, but would not elaborate. Regarding Tressel, he said, the former coach was doing what he thought was best for his players in not being forthright with investigators.

"I think the NCAA's rules are too nebulous and too stern," he said. "There needs to be more transparency there."

It's still hard for 38-year-old George to believe it has been two decades since he first set foot in the Horseshoe.

"It seems very surreal going into the hall," George said. "I can still remember standing in the center of that field in an empty stadium and thinking: 'This feels right. I can envision myself doing great things here.'"

The Cavaliers' beat writer isn't ready to write off this season, but he'll address a more skeptical fan's question.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerIf the NBA season is lost, how would the league determine who would join Tristan Thompson and Kyrie Irving in the 2012-13 season?

Hey, Tom: Assuming the entire upcoming NBA season is lost, how would the league decide the order for the 2012 draft? Would they use the seedings from last year? In spite of the lockout, the 2012 draft would still happen, correct? -- David Ruscitto, Jacksonville, Fla.

Hey, David: Color me naive, but I think the league returns in December. However, if the season were lost the NBA would still have a draft. Who gets how many ping-pong balls has not been determined. If they follow the NHL model from the 2005 lockout and use the results on the previous three seasons the Cavaliers would be docked for 66- and 61-win seasons.

Hey, Tom: Why won't The Plain Dealer stop talking about LeBron James? I am so sick of seeing updates about what LeBron James is doing. I am tired of seeing photos of him when lockout info is being given. Why? There are so many other players involved in the lockout, show them. I know LeBron has his bike-a-thon every year, but why is that covered in the sports section? Isn't that stuff that can be written in the community section? It seems like The Plain Dealer thinks he's the only noteworthy player to talk about. I know we can't erase him from the NBA landscape, and he shouldn't be. He still is a great player. But do you think that Miami papers write about Kevin Durant all the time? No! So give me info on my Cavs, not the Heat players. -- Jared Smith, Layton, Utah

Hey, Jared: LeBron James is from Northeast Ohio, played seven seasons for the Cavaliers and is one of the biggest names in the sports world. I know there are plenty of fans with LeBron fatigue, but he remains big news not only here, but in many places. All you have to do is turn on ESPN to realize that. For better or worse, he moves the needle and that's probably not going to change any time soon.

-- Tom