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Without Jared Sullinger, No. 2 Ohio State takes first loss of season at No. 13 Kansas

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Ohio State hung around but couldn't avoid its first loss of the season. Watch video

kansas-taylor-osu-craft-horiz-ap.jpgView full sizeKansas guard Tyshawn Taylor (10) drives against Ohio State's Aaron Craft during the first half of the Jayhawks' victory Saturday in Lawrence, Kansas.

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- With player of the year candidate Jared Sullinger out again, as Ohio State played it safe with his aching back, OSU coach Thad Matta told Kansas coach Bill Self during the pregame handshake Saturday that Sullinger's absence was an early Christmas present for the Jayhawks' coach.

Then the Buckeyes spent 40 minutes trying to prevent No. 13 Kansas from opening its gift.

Never leading, but never trailing by more than 12, the second-ranked Buckeyes got within three points early in the second half, and within four points with just under six minutes to play, before losing their first game of the season, 78-67. In defeat, OSU (8-1) was a little ticked and a little proud after hanging around without their best player on maybe the toughest homecourt in the country.

"We're still a good team without Jared," senior William Buford said after the loss. "Just because he's not playing doesn't mean we're not going to do good or not fight because he's not there. He's a great player, but we're still a great basketball team."

Everything about this game wears a WJS label (Without Jared Sullinger). The Buckeyes run their offense through Sullinger, and he changes everything for everyone on the floor. Defensively, though Sullinger isn't a force on that end, the Buckeyes had even less to throw at 6-10 Kansas star Thomas Robinson, who had 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting but was forced into five turnovers and four fouls by solid efforts, at times, from the Buckeyes.

"I think it would be similar if they played without Robinson," Matta said. "In a lot of ways Jared is a security mechanism, because if things aren't going right, he always gets open. ... There are so many things he brings to the table."

But the show went on, and after losing to Kentucky and Duke earlier in the season, the Jayhawks (7-2) got the win they felt they needed, and the Buckeyes lost out on a chance to move up to No. 1 in the country, with top-ranked Kentucky going down at Indiana on a last-second 3-pointer.

"I don't think you put an asterisk with the win," Self said. "Ohio State can certainly say, and rightly so, that Jared didn't play. And we know he didn't play and we know they're a much better team with him, and we wanted him to play, without question. But just because he would doesn't guarantee anything.

"We caught a break from a winning standpoint, but I thought Ohio State is still a top-10 team without him. ... We controlled the game even though it wasn't a dominant game. We're not going to apologize for beating Ohio State without Sullinger. It's still a great win for us."

It's still a loss for the Buckeyes, who began last season 24-0 against a much easier nonconference schedule. An apt comparison is the 2006 loss at North Carolina, when the Buckeyes were playing without injured center Greg Oden and hung tough in a 98-89 loss. That team wound up playing for the national title.

There were bright spots Saturday. Deshaun Thomas kept the Buckeyes in the game in the first half, scoring 15 of Ohio State's 29 points. For good and for bad, the sophomore is the kind of scorer who seems unbothered by his surroundings, and in deafening Allen Fieldhouse, Thomas played smart and hard on both ends of the court.

"It was loud out there, but I think I like that," Thomas said. "It puts me in the zone."

Buford kept the Buckeyes close in the second half, scoring 14 of the Buckeyes' 17 points in one stretch and not allowing a 1-for-7 start to ruin his game. He didn't shoot himself, or his team, out of the game, the way he did with his season-ending 2-for-16 performance against Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament. Buford worked on getting into the lane to find his rhythm and finished with 21 points on 8-for-23 shooting.

"I'm more mature than last year," Buford said. "I tried to calm myself down and get closer to the basket instead of just shooting jumpers."

There were problems, too. Defensively, the Buckeyes forced 18 turnovers as Kansas played loose with the basketball, but Ohio State also was slow on several defensive rotations, allowing open 3-pointers as Kansas went 9 for 17 beyond the arc. Every time Ohio State got close, the Buckeyes couldn't get the stop to get a chance at the lead.

"It wasn't good enough," Matta said of the defense. "They did a great job of moving the ball and finding open guys. ... We couldn't make the play to get the momentum back on our side, and that's a credit to Kansas."


Jeremy Montgomery's last-minute plays push Cleveland State past Akron, 69-66

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Montgomery scored the Vikings' final five points -- on a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer -- to lift CSU before a crowd of 4,739.

monty-douglas-csu-akron-2011-vert-jk.jpgView full sizeJeremy Montgomery (5) and Sebastian Douglas enjoy the final moments of Cleveland State's 69-66 victory over Akron Saturday at the Wolstein Center.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As if playing a game of tag Cleveland State's Jeremy Montgomery was it against the Akron Zips on Saturday afternoon.

Montgomery scored the Vikings' final five points -- on a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer -- to lift CSU to a 69-66 victory at the Wolstein Center before a crowd of 4,739.

One game earlier, it was Tim Kamczyz who saved CSU as the Vikings let a 16-point second half lead drip down to one point. Saturday, a 13-point lead turned into a 66-64 Akron advantage with 1:48 to play as the Zips' Demetrius Treadwell, a 6-7 sophomore product of Euclid, had a scintillating homecoming.

"We let them back into the game," Cleveland State head coach Gary Waters said. "When you have a lead, you've got to finish it out."

Montgomery stepped up to hit a pair of free throws with 1:37 to play to tie the score at 66, then nailed a 3-pointer with 21.1 seconds left -- his first in eight attempts.

"A positive attitude, keep shooting," Montgomery said of his game-winner. "A shooter's attitude, and that's definitely what I have. I came through again. The shot was there, I was open. The clock was winding down, and it fell for me."

Akron (3-5) got the last shot, a 3-pointer from the corner by Treadwell, but it hit the rim and caromed away, giving a sour ending to a sweet comeback.

The victory was the fifth straight for CSU (10-1), but for the second straight game the Vikings let a double-digit lead evaporate amid a rash of second-half turnovers -- eight in the final 10 minutes.

"We have two issues we need to correct," Waters said. "We can't turn the ball over too many times and we need to stop constantly fouling."

The fouls (18) led to 29 Akron free throws, including 11 from Treadwell. But he only made five, and also missed a couple of dunk attempts.

"On the missed layups, my knee buckled," said Treadwell, who was playing his first game since missing two games due to suspension for a bar fight. The Zips were also missing 6-7 Benedictine product and leading scorer Nick Harney, who was suspended for a violation of team rules.

The Vikings had all hands on deck, and were led for the second straight game by Trevon Harmon (16 points) with D'Aundray Brown and Kamczyc scoring 13 each. Zeke Marshall paced the Zips with 16 points and eight rebounds. The score was tied four times and the lead changed hands 10 times.

With perhaps their best half of the season, the Vikings found their defense in the final four minutes of the first half, and back-to-back 3-pointers from Kamczyc and Harmon anchored a 10-2 run to put Cleveland State on top, 35-30.

The lead grew to 54-42 with 10:11 to go before Akron made its final push. But the Vikings had one "Mo" big shot left at the end.

Sore back knocks Baron Davis out of practice again: Cavaliers Insider

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Cavs coach Byron Scott said the team has concentrated on defense in the first two practices in an effort to improve a problem area from last season.

davis-cavs-2011-practice-ap.jpgView full sizeBaron Davis has been in good spirits but not physically able to participate in practices during the first two days of training camp for the Cavaliers.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Cavaliers guard Baron Davis received treatment on his sore back and sat out the second day of practice with the team on Saturday. His back, which also gave him trouble last season, tightened up in the first drill of training camp on Friday.

Davis has been rumored to be on his way out of Cleveland either via the amnesty clause or a buyout, although club officials have said they have not made a decision. He also could serve as a mentor to rookie point guard Kyrie Irving.

Center Semih Erden also didn't practice because of his broken right thumb. In addition, rookie free-agent forward J.P. Prince of Tennessee bumped knees with another player and sat out the last 15 or 20 minutes.

By and large, injuries have not been a problem. Antawn Jamison (little finger), Ramon Sessions (hernia) and Samardo Samuels (wrist) have recovered from their surgeries and Anderson Varejao said he doesn't even think about the surgically repaired tendon in his right foot.

"I don't know if the 11 months made me forget about it, but this is the first time I've come back from an injury that I don't think about it at all," Varejao said. "Maybe it's because I had a lot of time off. But when I came back from my shoulder, I was always protecting myself. High ankle sprain? I was always protecting myself. But this time nothing. I'm just playing basketball without thinking about my injury."

Irving lost most of his only season at Duke with a toe injury, but Cavs coach Byron Scott said he sat the rookie out of a drill on Friday mostly because he was winded.

Parker connection: Varejao is one of Anthony Parker's closest friends on the team and thinks the free agent will return to Cleveland.

"I think he'll be here," Varejao said. "I've been talking to him. He didn't tell me anything. I hope he comes back. He's an important player for us. He's important to help this young team get better. Hopefully, he re-signs with us."

Unique offer: A day after Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert referenced the Washington Generals in an email to NBA Commissioner David Stern and select owners, the team routinely walloped by the Harlem Globetrotters offered Gilbert a chance to coach or play in the two Dec. 27 games against the Globetrotters at The Q.

Gilbert was not going to comment, a team spokesman said.

The owner's email objected to the proposed Chris Paul trade to the Los Angeles Lakers and the idea of another star potentially leaving a small market and closed with the comment, "When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals?"

Generals coach Red Klotz wrote to Gilbert and offered a 25 percent discount on tickets to Cleveland-area fans to watch Gilbert with the Generals.

"We know with your help, we have the chance to end our 40-year losing streak against the world-famous trick-shooters," Klotz said.

Plain Dealer reporter Tom Reed contributed to this report.

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

Cleveland Cavaliers keep a wary eye out for early injuries

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NBA players, coaches, trainers and medical staffs will do all they can to try to prevent the increased injuries seen in the NFL this season after its lockout.

scott-cavs-2011-camp-vert-ldj.jpgView full size"I obviously have to modify my training camp because of the fact that we don't know what type of shape these guys are in," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott says. "It has to be modified and I'm going to have to take it a little bit slow."

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- It's a major concession on Byron Scott's behalf.

The notoriously demanding Cavaliers coach knows he has to dial things back a bit as his team rushes through a lockout-shortened training camp en route to the start of the regular season on Dec. 26.

"Camp Scott has to be a little like Camp Soft," Scott said Friday before the team's first practice. "I can't be the normal guy that I normally am in training camp. I obviously have to modify my training camp because of the fact that we don't know what type of shape these guys are in. It has to be modified and I'm going to have to take it a little bit slow."

While Scott ran his players until they threw up during his first Cavaliers camp in 2010, that likely won't be the case this season. Softening the schedule is just one of the changes the team has made in an effort to prevent an increase in injuries. At least one published report said the NFL had seen a five-fold increase in Achilles tendon ruptures after its lockout last summer, although neither the NFL nor its players association could provide statistics to back up that claim.

The Cavs saw that report, too. They examined all facets of their operation, discussed everything from starting practice later or decreasing late-night travel in order to allow the players to sleep more, to buying more non-impact conditioning machines and organic food.

"We've tried to look at all these different areas to see where we can hopefully prevent or minimize injuries," General Manager Chris Grant said. "This has nothing to do with injury history. This has to do with the fact that our players' bodies are used to being on this yearly cycle, where they ramp up for camp in October and they start heavy workouts in September.

"All of a sudden we're not doing that until December and then we're fitting it into a pretty short period of time with two preseason games and one scrimmage and then we're off to the races. We're going to play a lot of back-to-backs and a back-to-back-to-back. So how do we position ourselves best to deal with that?

"We may be able to control them, we may not, but it makes sense to do what we can do to try to manage the circumstances the best we can."

Like their NFL brethren before them, NBA players had no access to facilities or training staff once the lockout went into effect. They could see team medical personnel for any injuries suffered prior to the lockout -- but not at team facilities.

While some players hired their own trainers and some returned to their colleges, where, presumably, certified athletic trainers and medical personnel were on hand, others became basketball nomads, searching the globe for a game. Cavaliers wing Christian Eyenga, for example, played in Columbus, Indianapolis, Las Vegas and Miami before returning to the Spanish team for which he played before joining the Cavs last season.

According to Timothy Hewett, professor and director of research at Ohio State Medical Center's Sports Medicine Department, missing time with professional training staffs was costly for NFL players. Hewett was one of the authors of the article, "Did the NFL Lockout Expose the Achilles Heel of Competitive Sports?" in the October, 2011, Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy.

Having studied data for more than 10 years, Hewett said that in an average NFL season, between four and eight players would suffer ruptured Achilles tendons. At the time the article was published, there had been 12 this season, including Browns punter Reggie Hodges. Since the article was published, there have been 20.

Furthermore, whereas typically the injuries were suffered by older players with an average of six years of experience, Hewett said the average amount of experience for the 20 players injured this season is less than two years. His hypothesis is the lack of access to professional sports medicine teams hampered the players' readiness to compete.

"We're going to have to look over more years, continue these studies and figure out is there really an association," said Hewett, who recommended lots of plyometric training on soft surfaces to prevent ruptured Achilles in the NBA. "At this point, it's just very provocative."

For an NBA general manager, the trend is terrifying. Hewett said a ruptured Achilles --usually suffered by a player landing after a jump -- requires surgery and a grueling 11-month rehabilitation. Hewett said one-third of the players who suffer this injury do not return.

Granted, these NFL statistics pertain to just one specific injury. The Cavs actually can take some comfort in that they did not suffer a significant increase in injuries after the previous NBA lockout in 1998-99.

In 1997-98, the team lost 196 games to injury. In 1998-99, they lost 114, although there were just 50 games. At an average of 2.28 per game, this would project to 187 for an 82-game season. In 1999-2000, they lost 271 games to injury, including 82 by Zydrunas Ilgauskas after foot surgery and 70 by Trajan Langdon after knee surgery.

Veteran forward Antawn Jamison said it's the job of players, coaches and trainers to do their parts in this lockout-shortened season.

"We don't want that to be the story line throughout the season," he said. "Coaching staffs are going to do their job, and players are going to do their jobs as well."

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

Tony Grossi's take on Week 14 of the NFL

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Bengals need a home win over Texans to maintain playoff hopes.

bengals-gresham-stllrs-ap.jpgView full sizeWith three losses in their last four games, Jermaine Gresham and the Bengals risk seeing their chances at the NFL playoffs slip through their fingers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tony Grossi's take on Sunday's games.

Houston at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.

TV: WOIO Channel 19.

Early line: Bengals by 3.

Tony Grossi's take: Bengals hanging on a thread. Bengals 14-10.

Philadelphia at Miami, 1 p.m.

Early line: Dolphins by 3.

Tony's take: Dolphins now resembling 2009 Browns. Dolphins, 24-17.

Oakland at Green Bay, 4:15 p.m.

TV: WOIO Channel 19.

Early line: Packers by 11.

Tony's take: Raiders still lacking something. Packers, 27-21.

N.Y. Giants at Dallas, 8:20 p.m.

TV: WKYC Channel 3.

Early line: Cowboys by 3 1/2.

Tony's take: Don't like the way Cowboys play and coach in big games. Giants, 27-23.

Indianapolis at Baltimore, 1 p.m.

Early line: Ravens by 16 1/2.

Tony's take: Baltimoreans love Colts' misery. Ravens, 33-10.

Kansas City at N.Y. Jets, 1 p.m.

Early line: Jets by 10 1/2.

Tony's take: Chiefs score less than Browns. Jets, 24-13.

Minnesota at Detroit, 1 p.m.

Early line: Lions by 10.

Tony's take: Onward Christian Ponder. Lions, 35-24.

New Orleans at Tennessee, 1 p.m.

Early line: Saints by 3 1/2.

Tony's take: Saints due for one of "those" games, but survive. Saints, 23-20.

New England at Washington, 1 p.m.

Early line: Patriots by 8.

Tony's take: Mike Shanahan should have stayed retired. Patriots, 30-20.

Atlanta at Carolina, 1 p.m.

Early line: Falcons by 3.

Tony's take: Falcons don't look like they're going to make it. Panthers, 27-24.

Tampa Bay at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.

Early line: Bucs by 2.

Tony's take: Jaguars' defense depleted by injuries. Bucs, 24-13.

San Francisco at Arizona, 4:05 p.m.

Early line: 49ers by 3 1/2.

Tony's take: 49ers can beat teams that don't score. 49ers, 20-10.

Chicago at Denver, 4:05 p.m.

Early line: Broncos by 3 1/2.

Tony's take: Bears' offense will cost them playoff berth. Broncos, 10-6.

Buffalo at San Diego, 4:15 p.m.

Early line: Chargers by 7.

Tony's take: December is Norv Turner Appreciation Month. Chargers, 32-20.

GROSSI UPDATE:

Last week overall: 9-7 (.563)

Season overall: 129-63 (.672)

Last week vs. spread: 8-8 (.500)

Season vs. spread: 103-85-4 (.547)

Don Cockroft project a Kardiac thrill for Browns fans: NFL Insider

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Don Cockroft's new book on the Kardiac Kids is an encyclopedia of the magical 1980 Browns season.



CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Anyone who experienced the Kardiac Kids of 1980 still equates Christmastime with the climax of that remarkable Browns season.

The Browns in the playoffs,

Dave Logan leapin',

Doug Dieken blockin',

DeLeone a hikin' ...

cockroft-kick-71-browns-pd.jpgView full size"I think in our efforts to win games, it brought such a hope to the city of Cleveland and Browns fans," former Browns kicker Don Cockroft said of the 1980 team. "That was a very difficult time. I think it was just a miraculous season."

The Twelve Days of a Cleveland Browns Christmas was the No. 1 hit on every radio station in town as the Browns pulled out last-gasp wins seemingly every Sunday. As the team caught fire, the city fell in love.

Don Cockroft, the kicker on that magical team, has completed a four-year project that produced "The 1980 Kardiac Kids -- Our Untold Stories." The 672-page volume, co-authored by Bob Moon, includes more than 650 photographs and a DVD of the Twelve Days song produced by Cockroft's son, Matt.

The entire package, tipping the scales at 5.6 pounds, is a veritable encyclopedia of that special team and season that lifted the spirit of Cleveland during typically rough economic times.

Cockroft also sought memories from fans who lived the season. He said he received about 350 emails during his work on the project.

"And I would say one-third or more were people saying they remembered The Twelve Days of a Cleveland Browns Christmas most," Cockroft said.

The Kardiac Kids a-winnin',

Darden interceptin',

Newsome a-catchin',

Both the Pruitts' moves.

kardiac-book.jpgView full size

The staying power of that season is now 31 years and not letting up.

"I think in our efforts to win games, it brought such a hope to the city of Cleveland and Browns fans," Cockroft said. "That was a very difficult time. I think it was just a miraculous season. Dave Logan said we just caught lightning in a bottle.

"I talk to fans who were at the '46 games, when [the Browns] all started, and I ask if there was any season that compared [to 1980] in excitement and drama. Everybody agrees that season was absolutely extra special."

The book wasn't supposed to be so large and encompassing, but Cockroft got lost in it during 140 hours of recorded interviews with every living player and coach. In the book, players talk vividly of the throng of some 10,000 fans who descended on Cleveland Hopkins Airport following the conclusion of a 17-14 win in Houston on Nov. 30. (I was among them and can still envision fans pulling their cars off the freeway, locking their doors and sprinting to the concourse to greet the Browns' return home.)

"What was amazing is we just went one game up in the division race [with that win]," Cockroft said.

Alzado attackin',

Brian Sipe a-passin',

Don Cockroft kickin',

On a Rutigliano Super Bowl team.

The Super Bowl never came, of course.

In a playoff game on an Arctic day on the Lakefront, Brian Sipe's ill-fated pass, intercepted in the end zone by Oakland's Mike Davis, sent the Raiders to the AFC Conference Championship in San Diego the next week. Had the pass on second down been thrown "to the blonde in the mezzanine," as Sam Rutigliano frequently recounts, Cockroft would have trotted on for a chip-shot field goal to win the game.

"There were no guarantees," Cockroft said. "Up till then, I was 17 for 17 in my career with PATs and field goals with games on the line. I don't think I would have been 17 of 18."

Cockroft doubts that the incredible fever pitch of that season could be duplicated by anything short of a Super Bowl championship for the modern-day Browns.

"I don't think it will ever be the same because of the connection with the players in those days," he said. "We shopped in the shopping malls and our kids went to school with their kids. So I don't think it will ever return in that regard. But I truly believe something spectacular would absolutely occur if the team won a championship."

The book and DVD, priced at $54.95, is available at thekardiackids.com. A schedule of book signings can be seen on facebook.thekardiackids.com.

North nuggets

Baltimore's Ray Rice is one of several running backs playing in the final year of his contract. (Peyton Hillis, Matt Forte and Michael Bush are others.) But Rice's contract situation has not been a messy one. "I figure if you take care of the game, the game will take care of you and I'll be a Baltimore Raven next year," Rice told the Baltimore Sun. Great advice for future players in disputes. ...


Research by Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer revealed some startling facts about the much-maligned Browns expansion tandem of Tim Couch and Kevin Johnson. They combined for the most receptions (57) and yards (859) of any rookie quarterback-receiver duo since 1991. Bengals rookies Andy Dalton and A.J. Green are on pace to eclipse the unofficial mark. Green/Dalton have 47 receptions for 777 yards with four games left. ... Listen to Houston coach Gary Kubiak and name the player he is speaking of: "He's a winner. You watch him play and he makes all of the throws, he buys himself time, he bails his team out of tough situations in terms of protections and those types of things. I just love the way he competes. When you're watching young players play at that level it's fun to watch." ... It's Dalton ...

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he never thought of kicking the field goal in the fourth quarter after the Browns had stopped Rashard Mendenhall three times inside the 2 on Thursday night. "Absolutely not," Tomlin said to reporters. "If we cannot get in the end zone from the 2-yard-line, four shots running, then we deserve to potentially lose."

Stat of the week

One win gives New England 10, marking its ninth consecutive year with 10 or more. The streak is second-longest to San Francisco's 16.

On Twitter: @TonyGrossi

Kent State rallies late, nips Western Carolina, 58-56

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Kent State (7-1) trailed, 55-51, with 2:36 to go before the Golden Flashes scored seven straight.

CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- Michael Porrini scored five of his 11 points in the last 1:38 to help Kent State edge Western Carolina, 58-56, on Saturday.

Kent State (7-1) trailed, 55-51, with 2:36 to go before the Golden Flashes scored seven straight.

Porrini had a three-point play with 1:36 left, and after he missed a layup, Justin Greene came up with the offensive rebound and scored with 53 seconds left to give Kent State a 56-55 lead.

Porrini then made two free throws to put the Golden Flashes up, 58-55, with 12 seconds remaining.

Kent State had the biggest lead for either team at eight, 41-33, with 13:52 left.

Carlton Guyton had 13 points and Greene had 12 for the Golden Flashes, who won their fifth straight. Greene also had one block for 100 in his career.

Harouna Mutombo led the Catamounts (5-6) with 21 points, and Trey Sumler had 19.

Waters pleased by sweep of NE Ohio rivals: Cleveland State Insider

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With their 69-66 victory over Akron on Saturday, the Vikings completed the sweep of their rivalry series with the Zips and Kent State. CSU topped Kent, 57-53, late in November.

csu-harmon-drive-akron-jk.jpgView full sizeCleveland State's Tre Harmon drives past Akron's Chauncey Gilliam during the second half of Saturday's CSU win. Harmon led the Vikings with 16 points.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the second straight year, the broom belongs to Cleveland State.

With their 69-66 victory over Akron on Saturday, the Vikings completed the sweep of their rivalry series with the Zips and Kent State. CSU topped Kent, 57-53, late in November.

"I feel pretty good about beating Kent State and Akron," CSU head coach Gary Waters said. "I knew today would be a struggle for us because we've been on the road and we played two days ago."

Akron had a week to prepare, but was missing leading scorer and 6-7 Benedictine High product Nick Harney (10.6 ppg), who was suspended for a violation of team rules.

Grady and Ndaye: Anton Grady, the 6-8, 215-pound freshman from Cleveland Central Catholic was recruited as a combo forward, capable of playing either the small or power forward positions. But 10 games in, he has morphed into the backup center behind Aaron Pogue.

That chore was expected to go to Luda Ndaye, but the 6-9, 230-pound sophomore has played more than 10 minutes only once since the second game of the season and that includes a "DNP-coach's decision" at Detroit and two minutes at Robert Morris. Since a seven-point, seven-rebound game against Rio Grande, Ndaye delivered a total of eight points and six boards over the next eight games.

In the eight games before Saturday, Grady averaged 17.6 minutes with a total of 45 points and 34 rebounds. Against Akron, Grady played 18 minutes with six points and four rebounds. Ndaye played nine minutes with two points and two boards.

In the rafters: Before Saturday's game, the Vikings hung banners from last season on the west end curtain. One represented advancing to the second round of the NIT Tournament. The second was for the Horizon League Championship, a tri-title the Vikings shared with Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Butler.

In the house? A young man (about 6-11, 250) wearing Oregon State sweatpants was sitting behind the Cleveland State bench. He fit the description of Chris Brown, a sophomore for the Beavers from Houston. Brown has not played in a game this season at OSU, but would be a valued transfer if the Vikings can land him, perhaps at the semester break.

Up in smoke? The Zips' once-promising season could be fading unless the Zips quickly turn it around. Harney became the third Zip to miss at least one game due to suspension, with his status for Thursday to be determined.

There is more. Late last week it was learned that starting point guard Alex Abreu had a meniscus tear in his right knee. At some point, it will have to be operated on, and when that happens, he could miss one to three weeks.

The schedule presents a possible opening for treatment with an eight-day window between home games with North Carolina A&T (Dec. 21) and Virginia Commonwealth (Dec. 29). But if the rehab extends longer, it would reach into the opening of Mid-American Conference play, when the Zips open with three of four on the road.

"It is a dilemma just what to do," Akron head coach Keith Dambrot said. "[Jeremiah] Wood had the same injury. He was much bigger and came back within 10 days. But he did not have the quickness and speed issues that Alex does. We'll see."

Abreu had seven points and three assists vs. CSU.


Scott Raab's "Whore of Akron" probes the darkest regions of sports fandom: Bill Livingston

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"The Whore of Akron," displaced Clevelander Scott Raab's searing, raw, fascinating re-telling of one of the most repugnant stories in the city's sports history -- LeBron James' desertion of it.

whore-akron-book-cover.jpgView full size"Whore of Akron" author Scott Raab represents both Cleveland poles, says Bill Livingston, the fierce commitments and the savage recriminations. He is at his best describing the desolation with which he copes.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- I once yelped, quite loudly, "Oh, my God!" in a press box. It wasn't after I had hot coffee spilled down my back, either. I am ashamed to say it was after LeBron James hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat Orlando in the playoffs.

I'm more ashamed that it was a hosanna to James than that I raised my voice in praise, although that is a serious lapse in sports journalism, too. It was pretty much swallowed up by the roar of the crowd at The Q, but it showed how thin is the membrane of objectivity in which reporters try to wrap our fan impulses.

It was always a flimsy construct, the idea that a reporter could live in a city for decades or grow up in a city and work there, yet still approach sporting contests with strict objectivity and flat-lined emotions. The difference is that we write from a perch that is a step removed from the sharp pain or joy of those cheering or booing in the crowd. Mostly, reporters root for the best story. It usually is the wisest policy.

Then along comes a book such as "The Whore of Akron," displaced Clevelander Scott Raab's searing, raw, fascinating retelling of one of the most repugnant stories in the city's sports history -- James' surrender on the court, defection from the city and revelation of "The Decision" on an insulting ESPN show.

Raab's torment over the betrayal is the worst I have seen. And I have talked to Drew Carey about Cleveland's passion, indeed, its near obsession, with sports.

The Cleveland comedian once did public-service announcements urging fans to put the city's sad sports history in perspective, telling them not to let how their team fared on the field or court affect how they saw themselves. It was a lesson Carey had to learn the hard way.

"I took losing hard. I took it hard all the way through 'The Drive' in 1987. That was the last time I got so upset I cried after a game," said Carey, who was 29 when John Elway drove Denver through the wind, cold and flying dog bones.

I stood on the worn, green-painted dirt of old Municipal Stadium in 1995, after the last home game before Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore. People ripped out their seats as souvenirs. The players, most of whom never wanted to leave, embraced the sobbing fans. Former Browns center Mike Baab stood near the Dawg Pound, taking photographs of the lamentations. So many hundreds of fans had taken the Browns' pictures throughout the years, but Baab sensed that it should have been the other way around. There was no greater portrait of "family" and "loyalty" in sports than in the grief of the fans that day.

The words with the quotation marks are deliberately chosen because they are tattooed on James' rib cage. Raab, a writer at large for Esquire magazine, brings those inconvenient tats up during his 300-page search for James' soul. Not surprisingly, he doesn't find one.

Raw, rough and raging, "The Whore of Akron" is as much about sports obsession and Raab's own wounded self-image as it is about James. It is a fierce, at times brilliant, passage through a landscape blighted by defeat and dominated these days by the self-proclaimed "Worldwide Leader," the NBA house organ and James' apology factory, ESPN.

After 40 years on deadline at three different newspapers in the Southwest, East and Midwest, I remain awed by the power of sports, for both good and bad. Raab represents both poles, the fierce commitments and the savage recriminations. He is a proud Clevelander, and so he is at his best describing the desolation with which he copes. It is hard to do bleak without seeming barren, but he pulls it off.

I don't root for career-ending injuries to players, James included. Raab does. My position is not a morally superior standpoint. I take it because I have seen how hard it is for young players to let go of their dreams when they are only teenagers.

Windowpanes might be put in press boxes to mute the thunder and weaken the storms the fans feel out there in the roaring community of the stands. Raab's rant, infused at times with great tenderness when he writes about his son, is a compelling read. His passion is vast and sprawling, an awesome thing to behold.

Still, the next time, I will simply tweet, "OMG."

On Twitter: @LivyPD

Baylor's Robert Griffin III wins Heisman Trophy

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The junior quarterback known as RG3 became the first Heisman winner from Baylor by a comfortable cushion over Stanford star Andrew Luck.

griffin-heisman-2011-vert-ap.jpgView full sizeWith past winners Jim Plunkett (left), Ohio State's Archie Griffin (rear, center) and Tony Dorsett, Baylor's Robert Griffin III poses with the Heisman Trophy Saturday night after winning college football's most famous individual honor.

NEW YORK -- Robert Griffin III beat out preseason favorite Andrew Luck for the Heisman Trophy Saturday, dazzling voters with his ability to throw, run and lead Big 12 doormat Baylor into the national rankings.

The junior quarterback known as RG3 became the first Heisman winner from Baylor by a comfortable cushion over the Stanford star.

Griffin started the season on the fringe of the Heisman conversation, a talented and exciting player on a marginal team, while Luck was already being touted as a No. 1 NFL draft pick. Draft day might very well still belong to Luck, but Griffin diverted the Heisman to Waco, Texas, to a school that has never had a player finish better than fourth in the voting -- and that was 48 years ago.

Right before his name was called, Griffin took a deep breath. When it was announced he broke into a bright smile. Then it was hugs all around, for his coaches, his parents, his sister and his fiance.

He took a few long strides up to the stage and let out a laugh when he got there, making a joke about the Superman socks -- complete with capes on the back -- he was wearing before going into his acceptance speech.

"This is unbelievably believable," he said. "It's unbelievable because in the moment we're all amazed when great things happen. But it's believable because great things don't happen without hard work.

Griffin received 405 first-place votes and 1,687 points.

"Everybody associated with Baylor has a reason to celebrate tonight," he said.

Luck received 247 first-place votes and 1,407 points to become the fourth player to be Heisman runner-up in consecutive seasons and first since Arkansas running back Darren McFadden in 2006 and '07. He was also first to congratulate Griffin

"Very much well deserved," Luck said.


Alabama running back Trent Richardson was third with 138 first-place votes and 978 points. Wisconsin running back Montee Ball (348 points) was fourth and the other finalist, LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (327) was fifth.

Griffin's highlights were simply spectacular -- his signature moment coming on a long, cross-field touchdown pass with eight seconds left to beat Oklahoma -- and he put up dizzying numbers, completing 72 percent of his passes for 3,998 yards with 36 touchdown passes and a nation-leading 192.3 efficiency rating.

More importantly, he lifted Baylor (9-3) to national prominence and one of the greatest seasons in school history. The 15th-ranked Bears won nine games for the first time in 25 years, beat the Sooners for the first time ever and went 4-0 in November.

That was after winning a total of four November games in their first 15 Big 12 seasons. And the last three games? Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas.

Luck was the front-runner from the moment in January he surprised many by returning to Stanford for one more season instead of jumping to the NFL to become a millionaire. He didn't disappoint, with 3,170 yards receiving, 35 touchdown passes, a completion percentage of 70 percent and a rating of 167.5.

Griffin put up better numbers and, essentially, out-Lucked Luck, who became a star by lifting a forlorn program at a private school out of the shadows of its powerful conference rivals.

Luck made a sensational one-handed catch early in what turned out to be a blowout victory against UCLA. Nice. Griffin made a 15-yard reception in traffic to convert a key third down on the game-winning drive in Baylor's opening 50-48 victory against TCU. Better.

The 6-foot-2, 220 pounder with sprinter's speed -- he was an all-American in the 400-meter hurdles -- grabbed plenty of headlines and attention with that first Friday performance against the Horned Frogs and ended the first month of the season with more touchdown passes than incompletions. He was an early Heisman front-runner, but he faded in October as Baylor lost three of four. Griffin continued to pile up video game numbers, but not enough to compensate for the Bears' leaky defense.

He finished with a kick and shot up the Heisman charts on Nov. 19, when Baylor beat Oklahoma, 45-38. Griffin passed for 479 yards and four touchdowns against the Sooners, including that sensational 34-yard, game-winner to Terrance Williams in the closing seconds.

He stated his case one last time -- emphatically -- on championship Saturday, capping his season with 320 yards passing and two TD passes and two touchdown runs in a 48-24 victory against Texas. It was the second straight year Griffin led the Bears past those longtime bullies from Austin. At that point it become obvious that quarterback Don Trull's fourth-place finish in 1963 would no longer be the Heisman standard at Baylor.

Landing Griffin, the son of two U.S. Army sergeants who settled in central Texas, was a recruiting coup for Baylor, though it was something of a package deal.

Griffin had committed to Houston and coach Art Briles, but when Baylor hired Briles away, Griffin switched up and followed the coach to a program that hadn't even played in a bowl game since 1994. He started 11 games as an 18-year-old freshman in 2008 and tore a knee ligament three games into the 2009 season.

He returned last year as good as new and with a newfound commitment and love of football. He threw for 3,501 yards and led Baylor to a 7-6 record and its first bowl appearance since 1994.

This season, his passing has improved and he's still a dangerous runner (644 yards). He has left little doubt that he's a pro prospect, though he's got one more game -- the Alamo Bowl against Washington on Dec. 29 in San Antonio -- to show his stuff.

An aspiring lawyer who is working on a master's degree in communications, he holds 46 school records and adoring Bears fans are praying he comes back for more.

Caution was Thad Matta's decision when it comes to Jared Sullinger: Ohio State Basketball Insider

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Jared Sullinger would have played in an NCAA Tournament game Saturday, but keeping him out for a second straight game was coach Thad Matta exercising caution. Watch video

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- So why didn't Jared Sullinger play on Saturday in such a big game, the Buckeyes' first road test of the season against a top 15 team like Kansas?

OSU coach Thad Matta said that if Ohio State had been playing an NCAA Tournament game, Sullinger would have been on the court.

"And make sure you write that this was not an NCAA Tournament game, so people understand that," Matta said.

After the No. 2 Buckeyes' 78-67 loss at No. 13 Kansas, Matta seemed as if he didn't like any implication tied to the "big game" idea. Even though Sullinger made progress this week while working through an aggravated disc in his back that kept him out last Saturday against Texas-Pan American, and though talk during the week certainly left the impression Sullinger could be out there, in the end it wasn't worth it to Matta to push his star.

"I don't think that way," Matta said. "This is one game. Nobody hurts more than Jared does. You see the students out there, and that's the kind of thing that gets him going, this environments excites him. But it's one game out of 40, and I didn't feel comfortable, to be honest with you, for the long haul."

Point guard Aaron Craft said he thought from early in the week that Sullinger wouldn't play, then added that Sullinger has "looked great" recently and "I think he'll be back as soon as possible." Forward William Buford said he didn't know until Saturday morning. Matta said the final call was made Saturday morning, though Sullinger was "trying as hard as he could to convince us."

Wearing black pants and a black sweater on the bench, Sullinger wasn't walking as gingerly as he was a week earlier, when he sat out his first game against Texas-Pan American. There was no definitive word about whether he may play against South Carolina-Upstate on Wednesday, or at South Carolina next Saturday. Matta said they want to continue to monitor how Sullinger bounces back after practices.

Weis appears: New Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer didn't make an appearance at the Ohio State-Duke basketball game two weeks ago to speak to fans after his hiring. But the Buckeyes did get an appearance by a football coach on Saturday.

Former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis, who was supposed to face the Buckeyes in the Gator Bowl as Florida's offensive coordinator, took the court at halftime to speak to the Kansas fans one day after being named the Jayhawks' new football coach.

Walking with the help of a cane because of a hip problem, Weis went right to the rivalry well, taking on Kansas State without mentioning the Wildcats by name, and telling the fans Kansas has to stop neglecting the fact there is a rival in-state.

"We're 2-10 and the other school in this state is 10-2. Why?" Weis asked. "We've got to figure out a way to beat their butts. We have to win the state first and worry about the rest of the country next."

Weis heard "Charlie" chants from the Kansas fans and then, with the Jayhawks leading 35-29 at the half, ended his remarks with, "Let's go whup Ohio State."

More injuries: Kansas was dealing with a pretty serious injury as well on Saturday. Starting guard Tyshawn Taylor tore the meniscus in his knee in a Tuesday practice, but delayed surgery, with the OK of his doctors, until after Saturday. He now should miss a few weeks.

"He said there was no way he was sitting out," Kansas coach Bill Self said.

Thomas played 35 minutes, with pain tolerance the main issue with his knee, and scored nine points on 3-of-9 shooting. He also had seven turnovers, but Self said the Jayhawks wouldn't have won without him.

Could Asdrubal Cabrera be a possibility at first base for Cleveland Indians? Hey, Hoynsie!

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In every Indian fan there's a GM waiting to get out ... as Paul Hoynes learns in this week's mailbag.

asdrubal-cabrera.jpgView full sizeWith the emergence of a solid bat, could Asdrubal Cabrera help fill the Indians' need for a first baseman, with utility infielder Jason Donald taking over a shortstop? Well ... Paul Hoynes isn't buying.

Hey, Hoynsie: With a starting rotation heavily geared with ground-ball pitchers, plus the need to improve the offense, the Tribe needs upgrading at both defense and first base. To solve both problems, why not move Asdrubal Cabrera from shortstop (below-average defense) to first, and use Jason Donald (superior defender) as the regular shortstop? -- Jack Tomasik, Chandler, Ariz.

Hey, Jack: I like Jason Donald. Good player, who swung a hot bat when he got his chance last season. But if you want to move your best defender from short to first, we've been watching two different teams.

Hey, Hoynsie: If Micah Owings is non-tendered, would you sign him as a long reliever? He had a great year last year and is a heck of a hitter too. His career BA is .286 with power and an RBI every six at-bats. He could relieve and also be a right-handed bat off the bench. Perhaps he could even play some first base in an emergency. -- Joe Eversole, Pelham, Ala.

Hey, Joe: Nice thought, but I think the Indians have bigger concerns.

Hey, Hoynsie: Any chance the Indians would be interested in signing Lastings Milledge to a minor-league deal? He would provide outfield depth and get a chance to play every day once Grady Sizemore goes on the DL again. -- John Hart, Grant, Ala.

Hey, John: Milledge played for manager Manny Acta in Washington so there is a connection. They've had a couple of chances to claim him on waivers, but it hasn't happened.

Hey, Hoynsie: Grady Sizemore's contract was not performance based as many fans believe, but based on at-bats. I think it will be easy for him to collect $9 million if he continues his trend of hitting .230 and striking out 175 times. -- Randy Tolen, Lyndhurst

Hey, Randy: Sizemore's contract is performance-based. His guaranteed salary is $5 million for one year with the ability to earn $4 million more based on plate appearances, not at-bats. A position player can earn performance incentives based only on plate appearances, at-bats or games played. Hits, doubles, homers, batting average, runs, walks or steals cannot be used.

To earn his entire incentive package of $4 million, Sizemore would have to reach 650 plate appearances. Based on his injury history over the last three years and the fact that GM Chris Antonetti said he will not play 150 to 160 games, Sizemore would have to play at an extremely high level even to approach his incentive levels.

Hey, Hoynsie: Can you tell me why the small, mid-market owners do not seek parity? Are they owning teams to simply enrich themselves? -- Dustin Potter, New York, N.Y.

Hey, Dustin: I think they did seek parity in the new basic agreement and got some. The hard slotting system in the first 10 rounds of the amateur draft will not allow big-market teams to cherry pick the top picks as they have in the past. The hard cap in the international draft should also level the playing field.

The basic agreement also introduced tough new rules to regulate how teams receiving revenue-sharing money can spend it.

buehrle-marlins-2011-horiz-ap.jpgView full sizeFlanked by team president David Samson (left) and owner Jeffrey Loria, former White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle has cashed in with the free-spending Marlins.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why are the Florida Marlins allowed to sign top free agents like Jose Reyes, Heath Bell and Mark Buehrle? Aren't they designated a low-payroll team like the Indians? -- Ben Crane, Canton

Hey, Ben: Didn't you get the memo? It's the Miami Marlins. There is no salary cap in baseball. Teams can spend as much or as little as they want on payroll.

The Marlins' spending spree last week was prompted by revenues they believe will be generated when they move into their new ballpark this coming season.

Hey, Hoynsie: Have the Indians considered trading for OF/1B Carlos Lee? The Astros have made it known that he is available and are willing to pickup a portion of his salary. He is right-handed and a legitimate run producer. -- Bill Drummer, Wauseon

Hey, Bill: Houston has talked to the Indians about Carlos Lee. The Indians are interested, but the Astros would have to eat a massive part of his $18.5 million salary for 2012. As an aside, how could someone pay Carlos Lee that much money?

Hey, Hoynsie: You have written that the Indians have little money to spend in the off-season due to their trade for Derek Lowe and their re-signing of Grady Sizemore. Next off-season the Indians will have a lot of money coming off the books due to expiring contracts (Lowe, Sizemore, Hafner). Couldn't they Indians still sign a player to a multiyear deal while giving them less this year but more next year? -- Rich Smith, Columbus

Hey, Rich: Anything is possible. How about a multiyear deal that would pay a player $19.99, the price of an old school Veg-O-Matic, in 2012 and $10 million in 2013?

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think the Indians will make a push to acquire White Sox OF Carlos Quentin? Quentin would add a right-handed bat to the lineup, provide outfield depth, and could DH in place of Travis Hafner as needed. The White Sox are rumored to be dumping salary and in need of bullpen arms, so maybe there is a deal to be made. -- David Bruno, Chicago

Hey, David: I like Quentin's power, but he's had health problems and he's a free agent after the 2013 season. Indians and White Sox don't usually do business. Don't think the front offices are crazy about each other.

Hey, Hoynsie: How do the Twins and Tigers afford payrolls substantially higher than ours in the same type of market? Fans here have proven that if you put a winner on the field, they will come. If Larry Dolan won't spend on a level playing field with similar markets, why won't he just sell the team? -- Todd Runion, Fostoria

Hey, Todd: The Twins are still cashing in on their new ballpark, Target Field. Before they moved there in 2010, they had one of the lowest payrolls in the game.

The Tigers are owned by Mike Ilitch, founder of Little Caesars Pizza. He's a former minor-league pitcher for the Tigers and doesn't mind spending millions upon millions on his ballclub. In the last six years, the Tigers have drawn between two million and 3.2 million fans per year to Comerica Park. Over that same span, the Indians have topped two million twice. The Tigers have been to the postseason twice and the Indians once in that span.

Hey, Hoynsie: I was wondering with the lack of spending under the Dolan ownership, is it a possibility the team might be on the selling block soon? Or do you think the Indians should go back as a publicly traded organization to bring in more income to pay our high-profile players and free agents? It just doesn't make sense since Dolan is substantially richer than most owners. -- Chris Jenkins, Reno, Nev.

Hey, Chris: Haven't heard anything about the Indians being for sale. It seems the only ballclubs that hit the open market now are the ones that are bankrupt.

I think the only reason the late Dick Jacobs took the Indians public was as a cash grab before he sold the club to the Dolans. Would you buy shares in the Indians in their present state?

As for Larry Dolan being richer than most of MLB's other owners, you better check your facts.

-- Hoynsie

Gator Bowl offers a final chance at a win for frustrated Ohio State

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What's on the line in the Gator Bowl? Not much. But the Buckeyes are thankful to be playing at all.

brewster-simon-hankins-2011-mich-mf.jpgView full size"After the Michigan game, I felt like a lot of guys, myself included, were just exhausted," senior center Mike Brewster (left, with John Simon and Johnathan Hankins) said. "But the last two weeks everyone was getting their workouts in, and we're ready to go."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Urban Meyer won't be worrying about the Gator Bowl at all, since he's not coaching in it. But when asked about the balance between recruiting and bowl prep, Luke Fickell, who is in fact coaching the Buckeyes against Florida in 22 days, said he'd been all recruiting, all the time, lately, too.

"There hasn't been a whole lot of balance, to be honest with you," Fickell said, after getting back to the first practice of bowl season on Friday.

By most accounts, the recruiting seems to be going well. But what if there wasn't anything to come back to? What if Ohio State was all recruiting right now, and no practice? What if the Buckeyes were done?

As OSU players spoke to reporters on Friday, the win over Wisconsin from this season happened to be playing on flat screen televisions in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. At the time in late October, that 33-29 comeback win over the Badgers' seemed to put the Buckeyes back in contention for the Big Ten title. In the end, what it did was make them bowl eligible, at 6-6 right now instead of 5-7.

In some, much smaller, way, that wound up mattering, too. Ohio State football is a little strange right now, but it might be a lot stranger if the season was over.

"After the Michigan game, I felt like a lot of guys, myself included, were just exhausted from everything," senior center Mike Brewster said. "But the last two weeks everyone was getting their workouts in, and we're ready to go. It's definitely important to get this one. I think there's definitely a sense of urgency. We lost three straight and we don't want to end on a loss."

For the first time since 2004, and just the second time in 10 years, the Buckeyes aren't in a BCS bowl. The bowl gifts won't be as snazzy, but linebacker Andrew Sweat said he's fine with that.

"It's still been a pleasure to play for Ohio State and everything Ohio State stands for," Sweat said. "The season hasn't gone maybe as you dreamed and hoped but it's still a privilege to put on the scarlet and gray and have one more opportunity to go out there and play Florida."

Any idea of salvaging the season is the same kind of thing said before the Michigan game, that a win there could have wiped away some of the pains of this season. It applies again now, a do-over after a do-over.

"Everyone wants to end the season with a win," senior safety Tyler Moeller said. "It kind of washes everything that happened away, so we want to bust our butts and work hard for these next couple weeks and make sure we go out with a win."

There won't be a top 25 ranking on the line. There are trips to an amusement park and somewhere with video games and bowling on the schedule. But Jacksonville isn't New Orleans or Pasadena. The Gator Bowl isn't the Sugar or the Rose.

All that's left is football and a game that won't matter that much on the national scene, but seems to mean something to the guys on the field.

"It's great to have a sense of certainty that we're going to have one last game together," senior left tackle Mike Adams said. "Because it could have ended after Michigan. But we have one last business trip, and we've got to get it right."

Dan Gilbert opens his mouth, and the NBA inserts its foot: Bud Shaw's Sunday Sports Spin

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With some luck, the Cavs may someday be more entertaining than their owner but that day isn't here yet, Bud Shaw writes in his Sunday Spin.

gilbert-askance-portrait-jk.jpgView full sizeDan Gilbert threw around his email might once again, but his protestations about the proposed Chris Paul trade and David Stern's eventual rejection of the deal left the NBA with plenty of egg on its face, says Bud Shaw.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Dan Gilbert's seeing red again and this time it's Red Klotz...

In his latest, greatest epic statement, Gilbert is basically saying the Cavs and 24 other NBA teams are hopeless cases. And that somehow the New Orleans Hornets' attempt to become less of a hopeless case by trading point guard Chris Paul before Paul walks away in free agency -- the way Gilbert wishes he'd done with LeBron James -- cannot be allowed to happen.

"When will we just change the name of 25 of the 30 teams to the Washington Generals?" Gilbert asked in his letter to NBA commissioner David Stern.

Hear that Cavs fans? Now, go out and gobble up those season tickets. Buy now and get a free bucket of confetti autographed by the Harlem Globetrotters. Get on board now while the Cavs are building toward future ... eh ... let's call it future non-contention. What possibly could be keeping you?

Gilbert is saying this less than two years after guaranteeing you the Cavs would win a title before James did. Where's that bravado? That was long ago chalked up to his bitterness the night James announced he was leaving for South Beach.

This missive to Stern was just as passionate and illogical in its own right. With no sound reason to cite, Stern killed the three-way trade among New Orleans, the Lakers and Houston for "basketball reasons." Even though GM Dell Demps, working on behalf of the league-owned Hornets, got a good return for Paul. Even though the league had promised Demps job independence for the very reason that any meddling by a league representing 29 other owners would by definition constitute a conflict of interest.

Stern, of course, is too proud to admit he heeded the cry of Gilbert and other outraged owners. On the day they were asked to sign a collective bargaining agreement negotiated in part to restore competitive balance and prevent the players from dictating to them, here was one of the league's best players going to its most glamorous team.

stern-looking-stern-horiz-ap.jpgView full sizeDavid Stern, of course, is too proud to admit he heeded the cry of Gilbert and other outraged owners, says Bud Shaw.

The timing made the NBA look ridiculous. But Stern killing the trade made it look outrageous.

Passion knows no logical bounds. Gilbert's particular brand is even more off the charts, which is only part of the reason he's saluted in this town. He called the proposed trade of Paul "a travesty" even though it clearly wasn't. It cost the Lakers Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. You could argue it made them worse.

Gilbert wanted the Lakers punished in part because he thought the deal would lead to them also getting Dwight Howard. But how do you demand one trade get nixed for what might happen next? The team that risked getting injured most when Stern killed the trade was New Orleans -- of which Gilbert claims to be a concerned 1/29th owner. Paul isn't coming back to New Orleans after this season.

Gilbert told Stern all 29 owners should vote on the deal, but he could care less about New Orleans' stake in this. He just doesn't want another rich team getting richer.

Reports Saturday had the Paul-to-Lakers deal being re-worked for league approval. Meanwhile, Washington Generals owner Klotz has invited Gilbert to join the team when it plays the Harlem Globetrotters at The Q later this month. Gilbert is expected to decline, which is a shame.

He'd draw a crowd for sure.

Heck, in a town with so little to cheer, people would pack the place just to listen to Gilbert read emails from his "Sent" folder.

Mind the gap...

Not being as good as the Steelers and Ravens is hardly new for the Browns. But a friend points out that if management needs another reason to understand the impatience around town, take a look at the Browns and Houston Texans -- the league's last two expansion teams.

The Texans, who spotted the Browns a three-year head start, are 9-3 despite losing their best defensive player (Mario Williams) and their top offensive players (Andre Johnson and Arian Foster) for multiple games. They're down to their third-string QB and still winning.

The Browns, meanwhile, need a mighty effort in one of the final three games to match the 5-11 record of the past two seasons.

During the past four-plus seasons, the Texans are 40-36. Nothing meteoric but consistently near .500. The Browns are 28-49. The Texans got their QB and gave him playmakers. The Browns have gone out of their way not to find playmakers and still don't know if Colt McCoy is their guy.Mike Holmgren, you can hit the accelerator any time now.

SPINOFFS

Overheard an argument that Seneca Wallace should've stayed in Thursday's game because he was in "the flow." Two passes in four months? If that constitutes a groove, I guess I did date around in college...

daugherty-mug-bw-pd.jpgView full sizeIt was 20 years ago that the Cavaliers hoped to find success on the back of this young talent.

Pat Shurmur has left himself open to fair criticism more than once this season. But showing confidence in McCoy by putting him back in the game after the medical staff cleared him isn't one of those times. Not in a season where one of the unstated goals is to find out what they have in the second-year quarterback...

Charles Barkley has appealed to the Chicago Bears to end Tebowmania with a win against the Broncos, saying he likes Tim Tebow but that incessant media coverage of the Broncos' unorthodox quarterback has left him "Tebowed-out."

Somebody had to say it. When is ESPN going to get off the Tebow story and update us on Brett Favre's retirement? ...

Tom Herman, Ohio State's new offensive coordinator, is a member of Mensa. I know. You thought all people with high IQs were either Congressmen or sports writers...

irving-profile-mug-ldj.jpgView full sizeThis young Cavalier also made a college name in North Carolina, but can he point the way to a Cavaliers resurgence?

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

Kyrie Irving and the young Brad Daugherty -- Rich, Westlake; Marty T, Hudson

1944 Heisman Trophy winner Les Horvath and the young Paul Newman -- Amy, University Heights

HE SAID IT

"I hate [ESPN's] Skip Bayless more than any person in the world." -- Barkley, interviewed on the Dan Patrick Show.

Even Kim Jong Il thinks that sounds crazy.

YOU SAID IT

(The Expanded Sunday Edition)

"Bud:

"Did Phil Taylor play Thursday against the Steelers?" -- O. Bill Stone

I could be wrong but I believe he participated via Skype.

"Bud:

"I notice when you're on vacation the PD doesn't run a similar column in its place. How many years will it take before you have enough material to fill a 'Best of Shaw's Spin' column?" -- Jeff, Westlake

I am collecting columns worthy of a 'Best of' at the same breakneck pace the Browns are collecting wins.

"Bud:

"If the Baltimore Ravens wore throwback uniforms, would they look like the Browns or Colts?" -- Mike, Litchfield

I only know that if they were playing the new Browns at the time, they'd look like 17-point favorites.

"Hey Bud:

"Can you tell me if James Harrison's middle name is Ndamukong?" -- Larry Rose, Diamond.

Not sure. Judging by the Browns' lack of retaliation the past two years, there's reason to believe they address him as "Sir."

"Bud,

"Separated at birth: Browns fans and Herman Cain accuser Ginger White. Both have been taken advantage of for 13 years." -- Bob H, Medina

Allegedly, in her case.

"Bud:

"After I ate my tickets to the Rams game, I donated my seats for the rest of the season, through my girlfriend, to Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Would this act be considered humanitarian or criminal?" -- Harold, Jefferson

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

"Bud:

"So Craig Ehlo clears out his office at Eastern Washington before getting a firm offer to coach with the Cavs. The last time he did anything this premature was when he reserved the party room at the Roxy during a television timeout just before MJ nailed 'The Shot.'" -- Jim, Shaker Heights

Some repeat winners get posterized.

"Bud:

"Watching Pat Shurmur's expression at press conferences, is he known as 'Hang-Dawg?'" -- Michael Sarro

Other repeat winners get thrown an occasional bone.

On Twitter: @budshaw

Has Mike Holmgren had enough time to decide on Colt McCoy? Hey, Tony!

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There's another full mailbag of questions for beat writer Tony Grossi.

mike-holmgren-colt-mccoy.jpgView full sizeBrowns president Mike Holmgren may have been the force behind the drafting of Colt McCoy, but it's getting close to the time when Holmgren needs to make a franchise decision on the second-year QB.

Hey, Tony: Mike Holmgren made a decision on Brady Quinn after watching him in about 12 games. In '09, hobbled Jamal Lewis, Robert Royal (no adjective needed) and rookie Mohamed Massaquoi were his top options. Do you believe it is unfair or impossible for him to evaluate McCoy after 24 games with the current cast of characters? -- Tim Marcus, Des Moines, Iowa

Hey, Tim: Holmgren looks at video and sees him at practice every day. Twenty-four NFL games are a lot of games. Would he do better with a better cast around him? Of course he would.

Hey, Tony: If it's December, it must be time to think draft. Based on the current standings, the Browns would be picking right around No. 7 and No. 21 (Atlanta). What would you think about a draft that netted Justin Blackmon and David DeCastro? Scouts, Inc. has them as the best WR and interior lineman in the draft -- seems like that would be a good day for Cleveland. -- Mike Cady, Fairfax, Vt.

Hey, Mike: An interior lineman? I don't think so. Right tackle, maybe. But I still would concentrate on playmakers early.

Hey, Tony: In the NFL draft, when teams finish with the same record, what team drafts first -- the team with the weaker strength of schedule or the team with the stronger one? -- Ted Belak, Sierra Madre, Calif.

Hey, Ted: The team with the weaker strength of schedule would draft first.

Hey, Tony: Seems to me that the Browns are wearing down mentally with all the losing and injuries and ineffectiveness. Am I reading too much into the statements by Josh Cribbs and others? This will be the real test of Shurmur's coaching abilities if he has to motivate them to play out the string. -- David King, Joelton, Tenn.

Hey, David: Excellent point. Managing emotions and fighting the culture of losing is an essential task of every head coach. It's the task that often weighs down the Browns coach, no matter who holds the title. They played pretty hard in Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

Hey, Tony: If Colt McCoy is not the starting quarterback in 2012, do you expect the Browns to start a rookie, Seneca Wallace, make a huge splash in free agency, or sign a journeyman? -- Matt, Lakewood

Hey, Matt: I expect them to research all avenues. If they can't do better, McCoy will be the starter. I wouldn't expect a training camp competition. Holmgren has said he is against that.

Hey, Tony: Isn't it sad that the only direct move that Pat Shurmur can make is getting rid of the long snapper? The Browns are so lacking in every category that it defies description. So, Tony, what is next for the team? We fans are almost out of patience. -- Nancy Whitmire, Jacksonville, Fla.

Hey, Nancy: As much as I liked Ryan Pontbriand, I felt that move was fairly justified. You must also consider that General Manager Tom Heckert has authority on all player moves. As team spokesman during the season, the head coach has to sit up there and explain the moves to the media and fans. But the GM is the one responsible for making them, or not making them.

Hey, Tony: I know I asked a few months ago about Jared Gaither as RT. He was just released ... any chances now as out right side is a mess? What about Everette Brown, DE formerly of Carolina, with Jayme Mitchell up and down and his former replacement out for the season? -- Chris Zanon, Canton

Hey, Chris: Gaither has been released by two teams. He's no help. Brown, like Mitchell, can't help with the run. However, your overall point on taking stabs on veteran players at no risk is noted. The Browns don't seem interested in doing that.

Hey, Tony: While listening to Colin Cowherd, he mentioned how NFL teams often find the possibility of going undefeated burdensome late in the season because the team can lose focus on their "goals." He played an audio clip of Mike McCarthy stating how the Packers have goals in place and they are concentrating on just that. They'll worry about the rest after they meet these goals -- win the division, get home field advantage, etc. This makes me wonder, what were/are the Browns' goals? I'm positive Shurmer, Holmgren, and Heckert didn't realistically plan to win the division, so what goals were in place? Did the team meet them, or not? -- Justin Mitchell, Rio Rancho, N.M.

Hey, Justin: I think their goal was to make the team young overnight, set in place a foundation of players and then let them grow and develop together. The idea was to grow and win, not to grow and lose.

Hey, Tony: With the recent firing of Mike Sherman at Texas A&M, would the Browns have any interest in looking at him to fill the vacancy at offensive coordinator? -- Alan Stock, Orchard Park, N.Y.

Hey, Alan: Sherman obviously has ties to Holmgren and is part of the Bob LaMonte family of clients. Those two things alone make him a possibility. How strong, I don't know. You can put Brad Childress in the same category.

dawson-kick-vert-ap.jpgView full sizeThe goal posts need to be narrower to make field goals more challenging? Seems doubtful that will get a thumb's up from Phil Dawson.

Hey, Tony: What do you think about moving the goal posts closer together, making long field goals much more challenging? It would cause teams to go for it on fourth down more. It would also make extra points more exciting while putting the game back in the hands of the other players. How do you think it would affect scoring? -- Mike Aiello, San Diego

Hey, Mike: I posed this idea to a member of the league competition committee several weeks ago. He said at the time it has never been discussed and he doubted it would fly because the league does not want to tinker with dimensions of the playing field or goalposts.

Hey, Tony: Anytime a released or pending free agent becomes available on the offensive side of the ball you say they are not a good fit. Besides Jacksonville I do not think there is another team with less offensive firepower than the Browns. Give us somebody (not currently on team) with experience at the WR/TE/RB position that would be a good fit next year? -- Mark Snyder, Lansing, Mich.

Hey, Mark: I have not yet seen a comprehensive list of prospective free agents, so I will hold off until then. I can tell you that players with a history of pouting or quitting are not a good fit in my mind. So don't expect me to endorse the likes of Randy Moss, Terrell Owens or DeSean Jackson.

Hey, Tony: What do you think about Ndamakung Suh's two-game suspension? Albert Haynesworth got five games for his face stomp and Suh has a history of dirty play as evidenced by his attempt to twist off Jake Delhomme's head. Goodell is playing favorites because of Detroit's revival, putting ratings before integrity. -- Hoa, Los Angeles

Hey, Hoa: I don't know of anyone who thought Suh's suspension was too light. I believe Haynesworth's actions a few years ago were much worse.

Hey, Tony: Why do many readers, mostly males, write to you about how 45 other men are dressed on Sunday afternoons? Are these readers more concerned about what our Browns are wearing, over the draft, free agency, contract negotiations and extensions, holdouts, trade requests, injuries, etc.? By the way, does Colt McCoy exfoliate? Don't answer that. -- Paul Keiver, Pepper Pike

Hey, Paul: On a serious note, I understand the fans' passion is so feverish that they care about uniform style and color. I get that. When I first started answering uniform questions, I heard from so many people that disagreed with my opinions, or my answers, that it became a waste of time to field them anymore. When I'd point out the all-white look was the traditional style preferred by Paul Brown, they would quibble with the width of the stripes, the color of the facemask, etc. Thus, my moratorium on all uniform questions, with very few exceptions.

Hey, Tony: Despite Clay Matthews making the initial cut in Hall of Fame balloting, you have expressed your doubts as to his chances at this time. Which Browns alum, if any, are Hall-worthy in your opinion? -- Ashley Elder, Columbus

Hey, Ashley: All the serious candidates have been reviewed over the years and rejected during the nomination and voting process, so it would be difficult to resurrect any candidates. The most-mentioned Browns are coach Blanton Collier, receivers Gary Collins and Mac Speedie, and left tackle Dick Schafrath.

Hey, Tony: I'm trying not to be negative this year with the Browns having a new coach and a young quarterback, but that's over. Maybe it is the years of constant losing that have made us fans very impatient or the fact that teams like the Lions and Bungles have turned it around so fast. Is this franchise destined to be losers the rest of our lives? -- Matt Maurer, Troy, Ohio

Hey, Matt: I am asked the same questions by my soon-to-be 7-year-old son. The question that hits home is: "Daddy, are we going to have to move to see a Super Bowl?" I laugh and say no. Do I believe it? Sometimes. Sometimes not.

Hey, Tony: Since this seems like a cleanup year for the Hall, do you see Cris Carter, Clay Matthews or Paul Tagliabue making the final cut? To me this year Carter is almost a shoe-in, Matthews has an outside chance, and the former Commish might get in now that the labor issues are settled. What do you think? -- Doug Shaffer, Orange, Calif.

Hey, Doug: You've sized it up fairly well. Just about every year, though, I enter the meeting room with expectations and then leave it surprised by the discussions and results. It's truly a fascinating experience.

Hey, Tony: Not sure why, but a lot of people ask you about HOF-worthiness of Devin Hester. I don't feel returners are HOF worthy and it's a premature discussion anyway. But if he's worthy, shouldn't Eric Metcalf be, too? -- Jason Brunner, Elyria

Hey, Jason: Exactly. Which is why I don't think specialists should be elected solely on their specialty. They have to be complete players, in my opinion, to merit Hall of Fame induction. (I was not on the board when Jan Stenerud was elected.) The argument for returners is they score touchdowns and impact games. So Hester has 17 career return touchdowns. That's great for a returner. Not so great for a full-time offensive player under consideration.

Hey, Tony: I see Broderick Bunkley started his 11th consecutive game on the defensive line for the Broncos. What exactly was this injury he had that supposedly kept the Browns from signing him as reported by Mary Kay Cabot? He must be a fast healer! -- Randy Russell, Pepper Pike

Hey, Randy: Just know that he failed the Browns physical and that's why he wasn't signed. It is not uncommon for a player to fail one team's physical and pass another team's. Some teams also don't always require them before signing a player.

eric-mangini-092409.jpgView full sizeSure, he's now nice and comfortable in Bristol in front of TV cameras, but a certain devoted follower in Dover will be smiling as he gazes longingly at this photo.

Hey, Tony: You wrote several articles banging the drum for Steve Spagnoulo and Leslie Frazier. Classic Grossi revisionist history. -- Mike B, Dover, Ohio

Hey, Mike: Provide the proof and I will admit I was wrong. Otherwise, you will remain known as an unabashed fan of the previous coach -- perhaps a distant relative, for all I know -- impervious to rational thought. I have no idea why you consistently make false accusations.

Hey, Tony: How could you pick the Bengals over the Steelers and I'm taking the Dolphins over the Raiders, come on Tony. -- Mark Zarefoss, Cleveland

Hey, Mike: With an 18-game cushion over the .500 mark against the spread, I feel I can take a couple of stabs each week. Steelers fans also know I have been picking against them for several years now and have been saying -- famously incorrectly -- that their run of elite teams is over.

Hey, Tony: To call Jim Brown as the Browns' "greatest player"? While it is undeniable he was a great player and great athlete, shouldn't he be the greatest living player? Otto Graham played the most important position in football, arguably the most important in all of team sports. During his career he lead his team to 10 consecutive championship games, winning seven. To top it off, prior to the Browns he served his country during World War II. During his first year of retirement (1956) the Browns finished below .500, so the Browns' success wasn't all due to Paul Brown's genius. No football player, before or since, will ever approach Graham's record. -- Chris Zantopulos, North Royalton

Hey, Chris: I'm certainly not going to disagree with anything you wrote about Graham. You might have added that he was President John F. Kennedy's favorite player, also, and the reason Kennedy counted himself as a big fan of the Browns (according to biographers). Paul Brown himself named Graham the greatest player he ever had and named Marion Motley his greatest back. Elsewhere, however, Brown is almost unanimously regarded as the Browns' greatest player and frequently is regarded as the greatest player in NFL history, although he finished second to Jerry Rice in a top 100 ranking by NFL Network last year.

Hey, Tony: After reading the article on Colt McCoy's hazing, I have to ask "What the hell are the coaches thinking?" Rookie hazing by players (carrying pads, buying meals, etc.) seems fairly common across the league and somewhat innocuous. But coming from a coach? If I were anywhere in the management or ownership structure above [Brian] Daboll and learned about this, I'd fire him. Is this type of treatment by coaches common in the NFL? If this is isolated to Cleveland, is there any wonder the Browns have been consistently bad? -- Andy H, Chagrin Falls

Hey, Andy: Some form of hazing is not uncommon in the NFL. Just about every coach from the Bill Parcells-Bill Belichick coaching tree does the same thing, the extent of which varies. Mike Holmgren certainly had to be aware of the hazing McCoy has talked about -- and written about in his book -- and apparently did nothing about it.

Hey, Tony: I predicted that the Browns will go 4-12. If things continue as they have, we will have two major issues to address -- dropped passes and run defense. Everyone thinks we will draft a receiver with the first pick. Elite receivers aren't there as they were last year. If the Browns do go 4-12 they will have a top five pick and if Atlanta loses a couple more we will have their pick in the top 15 or 20 at worst. Do you think that the Browns would target RB Trent Richardson and LB Vontaze Bufict with the second pick in the first round? Next to Andrew Luck, Richardson is considered the safest pick and Burfict would finally give us Ray Lewis' attitude and allow D'Qwell Jackson to move to the strong side. -- Doug Furtado, Vermilion

Hey, Doug: First, congratulations on your season prediction. You may nail it. I was much more optimistic (7-9). Of course, I picked them to go 8-8 the year before this and watched them stumble to 5-11. On your draft scenarios, I suppose Richardson and Bufict are strong candidates. But I would say there are more issues to address than just dropped passes and run defense (quarterback, running game, right tackle, cornerback, safety, defensive end).

Hey, Tony: As I write this, Ladarius Webb is dancing in the end zone after returning a Brad Maynard punt for a score. Even after 12 years I still can't help but think that the Ravens should be my team. Ozzie Newsome should be my GM. Ray Rice should be my running back. Ray Lewis should be my future Hall of Fame linebacker, etc. That's the toughest part about supporting the Browns these days. I have no idea the point of my writing this. Just venting, I guess. -- Roy Lexnard, Cleveland

Hey, Roy: Bartender, give this guy a double -- on me.

Hey, Tony: My wife's Denver Broncos are 6-1 since Tim Tebow was installed at QB. The comparison between the successful Broncos to the disappointing, disturbing, disgusting, disheartening Browns is inescapable. Something is fundamentally wrong with Cleveland and its sports teams. Fundamentally wrong, beyond "not good-enough players," coaches who don't get it, cheap or reclusive ownership. Give us your candid and honest opinion and let the chips fall where they may. -- Wayne Hopewell, Colorado City, Colo.

Hey, Wayne: I'm not hiding anything. As far as free agents go, you have to realize that Cleveland is not the modern pro athlete's idea of paradise. So it's difficult to attract elite players. As for the Broncos, I maintain that coach John Fox hasn't gotten nearly the credit he deserves for adjusting his offense to fit Tebow. That situation will be fascinating to watch in the off-season because I just feel that Fox and team president John Elway are not entirely on board with Tebow over the long haul.

Hey, Tony: I am a former Clevelander now living in North Carolina. For the past two years, I have been driving down to a nearby bar to watch the Browns play every week. It seem like every week, win or loss, I feel so disappointed about our performance and effort. The worst part about living in N.C. is seeing and hearing how excited fans are about the Panthers. They are excited about Cam Newton. He brings excitement and hope that none of the Browns do for their fans. When does Cleveland draft the player that has that wow factor and brings back hope and excitement? -- Douglas Curran, Fayetteville, N.C

Hey, Douglas: I hear you. Newton has a phenomenal wow factor.

Hey, Tony: Looks to me like we need a stud safety, someone with some size, to help stop the run. Maybe try to get Taylor Mays and draft another. Your thoughts. -- SL Smith, North Canton Hey, SL: Although T.J. Ward doesn't have the size you desire, the Browns thought he was the stud safety to stop the run. I agree with you, though, that the void still exists.

Hey, Tony: First, I am not the ex-QB. Can you please tell me what the heck the Browns are doing? We have no fire, no drive, no passion. We run the West Coast Offense but all we seem to do is coast. There is a disconnect between fans and the Browns, all brought on by the front office. So what the heck is going on? -- Jim Plunkett, Tamarac, Fla.

Hey, Jim: First, tell us, what was it like to play for the Raiders and Al Davis? OK, now to your question. What the heck is going on? Not a whole lot of good, that's for sure. The disconnect between fans and the Browns, which was created by the move of the old franchise to Baltimore, seemingly is wider than ever.

Hey, Tony: Are there any legal obstacles to Randy Lerner moving the Browns to another city? If not, then I really do hope that he moves the team outta here ASAP. -- Ted Fawdington, Cleveland

Hey, Ted: When the expansion Browns were created in 1999, they signed an ironclad lease to keep the team playing in Cleveland Browns Stadium for 30 years. As for moving them after that, we didn't suffer three years without football and finance a new stadium to go through it again a generation later.

-- Tony


Westwardho Hanover dominates Cleveland Classic at Northfield

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Westwardho Hanover and driver Dave Palone demolished the field in Saturday night's $162,200 Cleveland Classic at Northfield Park.

NORTHFIELD, Ohio -- Westwardho Hanover blistered a fast track at Northfield Park on Saturday night to dominate the country's final 3-year-old pacing stakes of the year, taking the $162,200 Jay Auto Group Cleveland Classic with veteran driver Dave Palone in the sulky.

It was the third win in Westwardho Hanover's past four starts for new trainer Ron Burke of Canonsburg, Pa., as the rejuvenated sophomore paced a hot 1:51.1 mile to roar to a five-length victory. A 1-5 favorite, Westwardho Hanover paid $2.40, $2.10, $2.10. Mystic Desire was second, $3.40, $3; with Audreys Dream third, $4, in the 10-horse field.

Southwind Milo and Mystic Desire charged to the lead in the opening turn and kept Westwardho Hanover on the outside, but only until the backstretch. Westwardho Hanover took command in the straightaway, heading to the quarter-mile pole in 27.2 seconds, and was never challenged again.

"I didn't quite get out there very good at the start," said Palone. "I didn't mind, though. Westwardho Hanover is the class of the field, and I wanted him to be the last horse to take the lead."

Owned by the Westward Ho Stable of Frederickstown, Pa., it was the sixth win in 18 starts this season for the son of Dragon Again-Western Duel. The win pushed his season earnings to $485,588, with $432,468 coming after Burke took over as trainer in late September.

"We keep paying the supplemental fees to send Westwardho Hanover out there, and he keeps on going," said part owner Phil Collura of Carteret, N.J., who led a crowd to the winner's circle. "We really liked him at the sales as a baby, but the $90,000 price was too high. When we got the chance to buy him, we jumped at it."

It cost Westwardho Hanover's owners $15,000 to race him here.

North America's leading harness driver, Dan Noble, said he'll fly to Florida's Pompano Park for just one night to race during a New Year's Eve program, giving Noble one last chance to add to his victory total for 2011.

Noble sparkled on Saturday night at Northfield Park, notching four wins. Noble kicked off the program by guiding Awesome Andrea ($13.60) to victory in the first race and added wins with Scoot To Victory ($3.80) in the seventh, Torrington ($7.60) in the ninth and Go Cowboy Go ($6.00) in the 12th.

Plain Dealer Boys Soccer All-Stars 2011: Wildcats came to count on Foldesy's foot

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It may have looked easy, but winning a second straight Division I boys soccer state championship was anything but for St. Ignatius. Still, you aren't going to get any complaints from senior midfielder Matt Foldesy after he helped the Wildcats go 22-1 and win the school's fifth championship. Pacing his club with 20 goals and 18...

St. Ignatius' Matt Foldesy says:

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It may have looked easy, but winning a second straight Division I boys soccer state championship was anything but for St. Ignatius.

Still, you aren't going to get any complaints from senior midfielder Matt Foldesy after he helped the Wildcats go 22-1 and win the school's fifth championship. Pacing his club with 20 goals and 18 assists, they were just more winning numbers for The Plain Dealer's Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

"This year was a lot harder," said Foldesy, who was named Ohio's top soccer player by the state coaches' association. "Everything seemed to go our way last year. This year, we had three games go right down to the wire. The guys stuck with it."

The Wildcats had to win three overtime games, including the district final against St. Edward and the regional final against Mayfield. The latter provided Foldesy with a signature moment, as he went down the field to beat two defenders and the Mayfield goalkeeper for the winner.

"That was our scariest game," said Foldesy, who will play for Akron next year. "Not to disrespect anyone, but Mayfield was back and forth, and they had chances to put us away. That game was a relief."

After suffering their lone loss at home against St. Xavier Academy (Ky.) on Labor Day weekend, the Wildcats finished the season with 17 straight wins.

"Looking back, it did go fast," said Foldesy, named to play in the first high school All-American game in Birmingham, Ala., held Saturday. "During the season, it seems to be dragging, but it went pretty quick."

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

MATT FOLDESY

St. Ignatius

Senior midfielder

College: Akron.

Notable: Named Ohio player of the year by state coaches' association. He had 20 goals and 18 assists, finishing his two-year career with 42 goals, 31 assists and 16 game-winning scores. Wildcats went 45-1 with him on the field.

OTHER ALL-STARS

BRENDAN CASH

St. Ignatius

Senior goalkeeper

College: Undecided.

Notable: Took over the net full time this season, as team posted 12 shutouts. Played big part in team allowing only 14 goals all season. Played in just one defeat in two years.

TOM GRANOT

Hawken

Senior midfielder

College: Fordham.

Notable: Named to the Division III first team. Scored 27 goals and had 22 assists as the Hawks went 18-5 and reached the state title game. Totaled 84 goals and 68 assists in his career.

NICK KANE

Mayfield

Senior midfielder

College: Undecided.

Notable: Named to Division I second team. Finished with 18 goals and eight assists for club that reached regional final in going 16-2-3. Final loss was to St. Ignatius in a classic overtime affair.

CONNOR KLEKOTA

Amherst

Senior midfielder

College: Notre Dame.

Notable: First team Division I selection. Had 21 goals and 14 assists to finish career with school-record 72 goals and 46 assists. Team lost twice to one-loss Avon and state champion St. Ignatius.

TANNER MANFULL

Copley

Senior midfielder

College: Undecided.

Notable: Named to the Division I first team. Helped run the midfield with five goals and 10 assists as club went 15-3-4. The Indians put together a 14-0-2 stretch before losing to state champion St. Ignatius in the state semifinals.

ZACH MARTIN

St. Ignatius

Senior defender

College: Indiana.

Notable: Named to the Division I second team. Shutdown defender had four goals and two assists for Division I state champions, who allowed only 14 goals all season.

RYAN POYLE

Avon

Senior forward

College: Undecided.

Notable: Scored 25 goals to help club go 18-1-1 this fall. The lone loss was in regional semifinals.

COLIN ROMISHER

Revere

Senior forward

College: Undecided.

Notable: Named the Division II player of the year. He led the Minutemen to the state final, where they suffered their lone loss of the season to finish the season at 18-1-4.

ANDREW SOUDERS

Amherst

Senior defender

College: Akron.

Notable: National-level player joined Comets for senior season. Named to Division I first team. Finished with 12 goals and five assists as club reached district final in going 15-3-1.

SIMON SUGERMAN

Orange

Senior forward

College: Undecided.

Notable: Named first team in Division II. Scored 21 goals to finish career with 44 scores and seven assists.

COACH OF THE YEAR

MIKE MCLAUGHLIN

St. Ignatius

Record: 22-1.

Notable: The 1985 St. Ignatius graduate guided the Wildcats to a second straight Division I state championship. In 17 seasons, he stands 287-39-33 overall and 76-12 in the postseason. The Wildcats became the first school to claim five Division I state titles. He was named a coach for the first high school All-American game in Birmingham, Ala., held Saturday.

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

On Twitter: @JoeMaxse

Plain Dealer Girls Soccer All-Stars 2011: Strongsville's Ashley Meier leads Mustangs on a mission

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ashley Meier knew what she wanted to do more than a year ago. After losing to Walsh Jesuit in a 2010 state semifinal, the Strongsville standout and her teammates made up their minds to get the job done in 2011. That's just what the Mustangs did in winning the school's fourth state championship and first since...

Strongsville's Ashley Meier says:

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ashley Meier knew what she wanted to do more than a year ago.

After losing to Walsh Jesuit in a 2010 state semifinal, the Strongsville standout and her teammates made up their minds to get the job done in 2011. That's just what the Mustangs did in winning the school's fourth state championship and first since 2005.

With 17 goals and 13 assists, the senior midfielder did her part once again and has been named The Plain Dealer's Girl Soccer Player of the Year.

"I think that loss [to Walsh Jesuit], how close we were, I think we came out so much harder," said Meier, who will be playing at Virginia Tech next season. "We were a great team last year. But we were a lot closer this year. We had a very strong attack and a great defense."

The Mustangs (21-2) scored 79 goals and allowed 16 -- only two in the postseason. They suffered their two losses in September, which knocked them out of the No. 1 spot in the ESPN Rise national poll.

"You are going for that perfect season, but maybe it was good for us," said Meier, named the state's top player by the coaches' association. "We knew we had to come out and work harder and did not have that huge target on our back. It was a bump in the road, and we didn't want to have that feeling again."

The Mustangs didn't.

After the 1-0 loss to Dublin Coffman on Sept. 10, they reeled off 17 straight victories. The final was a 1-0 win over Dublin Jerome.

"I remember walking into Crew Stadium as a freshman," said Meier, whose club lost that final to Cincinnati St. Ursula, 1-0, in 2008. "I got to play two years with my sister [Alyssa, now at Pittsburgh], and that was good. But this year was the best.

"Walking into Columbus Crew Stadium with my best friends and teammates, it was an indescribable feeling."

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

ASHLEY MEIER

Strongsville

Senior midfielder

College: Virginia Tech.

Notable: Named Ohio player of the year by state coaches' association. Led the Mustangs with 17 goals and 13 assists for a two-year total of 41 goals and 24 assists. Strongsville went 41-4-2 during that span.

OTHER ALL-STARS

KATIE GEORGE

Walsh Jesuit

Senior defender

College: Akron.

Notable: Shutdown defender was named the Division II player of the year. Credited with helping the Warriors allow only six goals in going 18-1-2, with the loss in a shootout in the state semifinal.

KIM LEITCH

Rocky River

Senior goalkeeper

College: Undecided.

Notable: Holds school mark with 31 shutouts to best the career mark of sister, Molly. Kept the Pirates in the hunt as they lost only twice in a record-setting season.

 

SARAH MOLINA

Rocky River

Senior midfielder

College: Maryland.

Notable: National-level player earned Division II first-team honors. Capped four-year career with nine goals and 11 assists in helping Pirates go a school-best 18-2-1 and reach regional final.

ERIN O'TOOLE

Holy Name

Senior defender

College: Cleveland State.

Notable: Earned Division II first- team laurels as Green Wave reached district final. Played against top competition as shutdown defender for young club that went 12-4-3.

REAGAN ROBISHAW

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin

Senior midfielder

College: Illinois.

Notable: Moved into defensive role in scoring 10 goals. Named to the Division II first team and finished with 75 career goals. Will move on to Big Ten champion Illini.

LYSETTE ROMAN

Hathaway Brown

Junior midfielder

College: Undecided.

Notable: Scored game-winning goals in both the district semifinal and final as the Blazers went 11-6-2. She finished with nine goals and 11 assists in emerging as a team leader.

HANNAH SCHIPPERS

Solon

Junior midfielder

College: Miami (Ohio).

Notable: Paced the Comets with 17 goals, as they reached the district final to finish the season at 15-3-1.

ALLIE SENDER

Strongsville

Senior defender

College: Charleston.

Notable: Solid backliner was instrumental with strong defensive play in going against top offensive players. Named to the Division I second team.

ALYSON SMIGEL

Walsh Jesuit

Senior forward

College: Dayton.

Notable: Led the nationally ranked Warriors with 16 goals and 15 assists. Counted on to spearhead attack that produced 73 goals.

JASMINE WAUGAMAN

Brecksville-Broadview Hts.

Senior forward

College: Undecided.

Notable: Named to the Division I first team. Scored 12 goals and had three assists as the Bees went 14-2-2 and reached the regional semifinals.

COACH OF THE YEAR

JON FELTON

Strongsville

Record: 21-2.

Notable: Since taking over the program in 1997, Felton has had his teams in contention. Strongsville this fall became the first public school to win four Division I state championships, adding to the 1998, 2002 and '05 titles. The Mustangs have been runners-up three times (2003, '07, '08). The Elyria High and Bowling Green graduate has compiled a 258-38-28 record in 15 seasons.

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

On Twitter: @JoeMaxse

Abbotsford Heat completes season sweep with 3-1 win over Lake Erie Monsters

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Goalie Cedrick Desjardins stops 23 of 25 shots by the Heat.

lake erie monsters logoView full size

Forward Dustin Sylvester, who once played for Lake Erie, had key goal late in the second period Saturday as the Heat defeated the Monsters, 3-1, in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

The victory gave the Heat a four-game season sweep over Lake Erie.

The first goal came at 17:52 mark when Heat defenseman Brett Carson got a loose puck past Monsters goalie Cedrick Desjardins, giving Abbotsford a 1-0 lead.

Hugh Jessiman tied the game for the Monsters in the second with assists from Ryan Stoa and newly acquired Eric Lampe.

'"With 33 seconds remaining in the second period, Sylvester received a pass across the top of the goal crease from Quintin Laing and quickly snapped the puck into the Monsters' goal.

With 49 seconds left in the game, Lance Bouma scored an empty-netter for the Heat.

Desjardins (5-4-1) stopped 23 of 25 in net for the Monsters. Danny Taylor (8-3-0) stopped 24 of 25 for Abbotsford.

NFL considering 1- or 2-game suspension of James Harrison for illegal hit on Colt McCoy

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Cleveland Browns quarterback McCoy suffered a concussion from the illegal hit by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Harrison.

colt-mccoy-teammates.jpgBrowns quarterback Colt McCoy lays on the turf at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field as teammates check if he is alright after a helmet-to-helmet hit by Steelers linebacker James Harrison.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, who has built a reputation for his illegal hits on defenseless opponents, may pay a price for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy on Thursday night.

Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports about the potential consequences for the play that occurred in the latter moments of Pittsburgh's 14-3 win, and caused a concussion for McCoy:

The NFL is considering suspending Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison one or two games for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy, according to an NFL source.

The debate about whether Harrison will be suspended will continue at NFL offices Monday morning. But at the very least, he will be hit with a hefty fine for his latest controversial hit.

Harrison would be the first player suspended under the NFL's enhanced enforcement on player safety violations.

Ndamukong Suh became the first player suspended for on-field play earlier this season, and the league is strongly considering doling out its second suspension in two weeks.

Pittsburgh led, 7-3, when Harrison decked McCoy -- who had been flushed from the pocket -- with about six minutes left. McCoy, considered a ball-carrier because of his scramble, had delivered a short pass just before the hit.

A penalty was assessed on Harrison, giving the Browns a first-and-10 on the Steelers' 19. Backup Seneca Wallace replaced McCoy, who returned two plays later with the Browns at the Pittsburgh 5, and facing a first down play after Wallace had connected with Evan Moore for a 13-yard completion.

Then, on third-and-goal from the Pittsburgh 16, McCoy's pass into the end zone was intercepted by Pittsburgh's William Gay with 3:11 to go.

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