The general manager said the club always is looking to upgrade the roster, but added: "if we end up where we are, we're in a pretty good place."

View full sizeTony Dejak, Associated PressCavaliers head coach Byron Scott (left) and GM Chris Grant are on the same page when it comes to focusing on draft picks and youth -- rather than free agency -- to rebuild the Cavaliers. "We're not into taking bad deals," Scott said. "We have a pretty good game plan with what we want to do."

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Kevin Durant won 20 games as rookie in the 2007-08 season. He won just 23 times the following season.

As fans marvel at how rapidly the Thunder has become a championship contender, they sometimes forget the only major move the franchise made in Durant's formative years was from Seattle to Oklahoma City. There were no free-agent splashes or acquisitions of veteran players with designs on winning immediately.

Thunder General Manager Sam Presti, a product of the San Antonio organization, showed patience and discipline in building through the draft and shrewd trades. That's not easy when you have a big star in a small market. Sound familiar?

"There is so much pressure to turn things around quickly in this league," said former Cavaliers coach Mike Fratello, a Turner Sports analyst. "Nobody goes out to make a bad deal, but sometimes they see voids on their rosters and try to fill them quickly."

Cavaliers GM Chris Grant fielded his share of questions at media day on Monday shortly after announcing the re-signing of shooting guard Anthony Parker. He spoke of the potential of first-round draft picks Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson and young swingman Omri Casspi. Eventually, someone asked Grant about adding pieces through trades and free agency. The general manager said the club always is looking to upgrade the roster, but added: "if we end up where we are, we're in a pretty good place."

It's not the kind of talk that sells tickets or energizes a fan base following a 19-win season and a 149-day lockout. Especially at a time when everyone else seems to be wooing free agents and engaging in three-way trade discussions.

NBA Commissioner David Stern is rejecting Chris Paul deals to every Los Angeles basketball team except UCLA, while the Cavaliers seem content with their lineup. They have a $14.5 million trade-player exception set to expire Friday and hundreds of fans on message boards and Twitter begging them to use it.

Maybe the Cavaliers have misplaced the number to the NBA office fax machine. Or, maybe they are just committed to a plan.

"As a coach, obviously, your job is to win basketball games," Byron Scott said. "I think we understand that. But I also think, as a coach, you have to understand our culture and the way we want to build. You have to be patient.

"I know it's a frenzy going on right now. [But] you don't want to jump in that fire and get something you really don't want just because everybody else is out there doing stuff."

Like the New York Knicks giving center Tyson Chandler $58 million over four years? Or, the Los Angeles Clippers matching Golden State's offer of four years, $43.2 million to retain DeAndre Jordan? A mediocre free-agent market has been sprung on lots of NBA teams with money to spend. It's a wicked combination.

Grant could get into the bidding for a veteran guard like Jamal Crawford. But is he willing to overspend for the sake of maybe eight to 10 more wins? This would appear to be a season about development, not about writing enough checks to secure 11th place in the Eastern Conference.

"We're not into taking bad deals," Scott said. "We have a pretty good game plan with what we want to do."

Grant views free agency as a complementary tool in rebuilding the Cavs. It's about drafting and acquiring assets through trades, a blueprint the Thunder has followed since Presti's arrival in 2007.

It might be the right call, but not one that figures to get the Cavaliers back on national television any time soon.

It's also difficult to preach no shortcuts to a fan base that watched LeBron James and Chris Bosh join forces with Dwyane Wade in Miami a season ago. But the Heat are the exception -- just as Phoenix Suns were in 2004 when they signed Steve Nash, who became a two-time league MVP. For every free-agent move that jump-starts a franchise, there are countless others that don't produce the desired results and handicap teams financially.

In 2008, the Philadelphia 76ers gave Elton Brand nearly $80 million for five years. A season later, the Detroit Pistons awarded five-year contracts to Ben Gordon ($55 million) and Charlie Villanueva ($35 million). These are the kind of toxic deals that sunk Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns.

The teams have a combined three playoff wins -- all by the Sixers -- to show for the investment.

The Cavaliers don't have to look into their distant past to find a free-agent crop that never met expectations. The franchise overreached in acquiring Larry Hughes (five years, $60 million), Donyell Marshall (four years, $22 million) and Damon Jones (four years, $22 million) in the summer of 2005. The Cavs did so in part to convince James to sign a contract extension. He stuck around for a few more years before joining one of the "super teams" that are all the rage.

The ability to select Irving and Thompson has kick-started the franchise's rebuild. They also have at least six first-round picks over the next four years. None of it guarantees success, especially if the Cavs make draft mistakes. Grant has to remain aggressive in the trade market. If there's a young player that fits their needs -- might that have been Rudy Fernandez? -- he has to act.

Grant might say he's in a "pretty good place," but he knows he must get closer to the one Presti occupies.

Are the Browns only better than two-win teams Minnesota and St. Louis and winless Indianapolis? Links to more Browns stories.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerBrowns defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin (right) sacks Colts quarterback Kerry Collins during Cleveland's 27-19 win at Indianapolis on Sept. 18. It was the first of four Browns' wins this season, all of them against teams with losing records.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns are one of six NFL teams with a 4-9 record.

Some observers would consider the Browns as the worst of those struggling clubs.

That's what ESPN.com feels, ranking Cleveland 29th-best, or fourth-worst, among the NFL's 32 teams in the new power rankings.

Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, looking at how AFC North teams stand in the rankings, writes about the Browns:

This is how bad it's gotten for the Browns: The only teams under Cleveland are two two-win teams (Minnesota and St. Louis) and the winless team (Indianapolis). Cleveland played Pittsburgh tough and still lost to the Steelers and an injured Roethlisberger by 11 points. To update from last week, half of the Browns' wins have come against teams who have since fired their head coaches (Jacksonville and Miami).

The Browns, who have lost eight of their last 10 games, visit Arizona to play the Cardinals (6-7) on Sunday. Arizona, which began the season 1-6, has won five of its last six games.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Browns coverage includes Tony Grossi's story that the NFL has suspended Steelers' linebacker James Harrison for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy, causing McCoy's concussion, and that league and union doctors meet with the Browns about the team's response to McCoy's injury; Bud Shaw's column that team president Mike Holmgren needs to step forward in matters such as the controversy over McCoy's concussion and the Browns' response to it; Grossi's scouting report on the Cardinals; a Starting Blocks poll on the Browns-Cardinals game; and much more.

Goal to goal

How Browns running back Peyton Hillis affects the team's 2012 draft strategy, by Brian Murtaugh for the Bleacher Report.

Don't blame Colt McCoy or coach Pat Shurmur for the concussion controversy, Jeff Schudel writes for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal.

The Browns should be motivated to play hard in their final three games, Vic Carucci writes for clevelandbrowns.com.

Mike Holmgren is silent when the Browns need him most, Jim Ingraham writes for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal.

With the possibility that Seneca Wallace will start at quarterback in place of Colt McCoy, due to McCoy's concussion, Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Repository writes about some of the other Browns' backup quarterbacks since the team's return to the NFL in 1999.

James Harrison has only himself to blame for his one-game suspension, Jamison Hensley writes for ESPN.com.

Browns notebook by Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.

The Cardinals, the Browns' opponent on Sunday, seem to have finally turned the corner with their defense. From Scout.com's AzRedReport.com.

The Cardinals are reluctant to talk about their slim playoff hopes. By Bob McManaman for the Arizona Republic.

Harrison's immediate reaction after the suspension was to tweet "Lol!" Soon after, he told a reporter about the helmet-to-facemask smash he put on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy last Thursday, "If I would have really hit him, I would have close to knocked him out."

By Jim Litke
Associated Press Sports Columnist

Steelers linebacker James Harrison has been suspended for one game without pay for his hit last week on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy. NFL executive vice president Ray Anderson said Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011, the suspension is the result of Harrison's fifth illegal hit against a quarterback in the past three seasons. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Even after he became a star with the Pittsburgh Steelers, James Harrison lugged around the equipment bag from his NFL Europe days with the Rhein Fire until it fell apart. The way the story gets told is that Harrison did it to remind himself how difficult the trip had been. In light of recent developments, it also suggests he has a hard time letting some things go.

Take Harrison's most recent run-in with Commissioner Roger Goodell. It was the result of his fifth illegal hit on a quarterback over the last three seasons — a span in which he also had two other fines for unnecessary roughness — but the first to get him suspended. Harrison's loss of a game check will cost him $73,000 or so and that's on top of the $125,000 he's already forked over. If you think he was chastened, think again.

Harrison's immediate reaction after the suspension was to tweet "Lol!" Soon after, he told a reporter about the helmet-to-facemask smash he put on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy last Thursday, "If I would have really hit him, I would have close to knocked him out." Later, Harrison posted another tweet, "Thank you to all my fans and supporters, I'm just going to move on from here and get ready for my next game."

Barring a successful appeal that won't be Monday night, when Pittsburgh plays San Francisco with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger trying to make do on a gimpy ankle and the Steelers competing with the Ravens for the top spot in the AFC North.

"We're disappointed. We're disappointed for James because we know how hard he's worked to play within the rules," coach Mike Tomlin said. "We accept the judgment rendered by the league office and we'll move forward."

Not so fast. The Steelers have already been fined at least 13 times for illegal hits this season. They were also the only team in the league to vote against the new collective bargaining agreement in August, unhappy with the appeals process in place regarding fines and suspensions. It was a pet peeve of Harrison's long before that. After previous run-ins with the league's disciplinarians, he has threatened to retire rather than change the way he plays and called Goodell "stupid," ''a puppet" and "a dictator" in the course of an interview with Men's Journal during the lockout. At the last Super Bowl, he used the stage to taunt the commissioner for trying to legislate against the vicious hits Harrison specializes in.

"We'll lay a pillow down where I'm going to tackle them, so they don't hit the ground too hard, Mr. Goodell," he said.

By Harrison's twisted logic, he was "all for player safety," including his own. But in the next breath, Harrison confided he'd suffered several concussions, hadn't reported any of them to team officials in the past and had no plans to start.

"You shouldn't be able to come back in the game," he said. "But if they don't know, they don't have that decision to make."

Whether McCoy was as forthcoming with the Browns after the collision with Harrison remains something of a mystery. Cleveland coach Pat Shurmur has been coy about whether the team complied with the league protocol and tested McCoy, who returned to the game but remembered little about it afterward.

The league is running low on able bodies as it is, and levying stiffer fines and suspensions for any player who knocks another one out won't help keep more of them on the field. When Harrison hammered Cleveland's Mohamed Massaquoi in October 2010, the receiver's agent stated the obvious: that fines, no matter how stiff, aren't enough to make players change.

"Harrison has made $20 million over the past three years, and they only fined him $75,000?" agent Brian Ayrault said. "To me, that's not going to be a deterrent. The Browns are probably going to be without a starter this week. I don't think that fine is a deterrent or fair to competitive balance."

The suspension makes Harrison the first player to miss game time under new league rules aimed at curtailing "devastating" hits. It's a good first step, but still on the light side, considering Harrison is the NFL's biggest repeat offender, Tomlin and the Steelers coaching staff either can't or won't convince him to lower his aim on hits, and if a one-game suspension doesn't do the trick, the next one is going to have to be long enough to get the message across.

The last thing the NFL can afford at the moment is more players trying to tear each other's heads off.

___

Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke@ap.org. Follow him at Twitter.com/JimLitke.

Paul Haynes wanted to join the SEC so bad that he put Ohio State in his rearview mirror.

(Lynn Ischay/The Plain Dealer)Urban Meyer

Paul Haynes didn’t need much time to make the decision to leave Ohio State to become Arkansas’ defensive coordinator.

Or maybe he didn't have a choice because Urban Meyer had someone else in mind, but whatever the case, Haynes needed to affirm his desire to coach in the Southeastern Conference and reunite with Bobby Petrino, writes the reporter in this AP story.

Haynes was hired at Arkansas on Friday night and introduced Monday. He replaces former defensive coordinator Willy Robinson, who resigned last week.

“You kind of go through this college football thing, and you see where college football has gone ... That this is the best conference in college football,” Haynes said. “So I think when you have the opportunity to coach in it, and the opportunity to coach with someone you know, and that opportunity comes, you jump on it.”

Haynes spent the last seven seasons with the Buckeyes, serving as the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach last season.

More Ohio State Buckeyes

Deshaun Thomas tries to fill in while Buckeyes are without Jared Sullinger (Cleveland.com).

Gator Bowl ticket sales are slow (Columbus Dispatch).

Moral victories don't count (Toledo Blade).

OSU women best start under Jim Foster (Columbus Dispatch).

Sales are not going well for the Gator Bowl, why should OSU fans care?

APLuke Fickell

The Ohio State Buckeyes didn't have a great season (6-6 overall, 3-5 in the Big Ten), played a season in limbo (still waiting on the NCAA's decision), and the team will play in the Gator Bowl with coach Urban Meyer waiting in the wings.

Fans, at least in Buckeye country, are not buying up tickets to the Gator Bowl game against Florida.

So why should OSU fans watch the game? Simply because the Buckeyes are playing, or for another reason?

Things could change by Friday when it comes to the Cleveland Cavaliers backcourt, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald. There's a logjam at point guard, and that could get cleared up if the Cavaliers use their amnesty provision on Baron Davis. A thinning of the ranks would benefit Sessions, who started 38 games last season. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder averaged 13.8 points,...

The Plain DealerRamon Sessions goes for the basket.

Things could change by Friday when it comes to the Cleveland Cavaliers backcourt, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald.

There's a logjam at point guard, and that could get cleared up if the Cavaliers use their amnesty provision on Baron Davis.

A thinning of the ranks would benefit Sessions, who started 38 games last season. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder averaged 13.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists in a team-high 81 games.

If Davis is waived, as expected, Sessions will assume his customary role of backup point guard. If the Cavs decide to keep Davis, which is unlikely, Sessions could be the odd man out.

Sessions is not worried about it. Finnan also writes how Sessions doesn't appear to be backing off from any challenges.

"When you've got a lot of guards, everybody can play," he said. "We're competing day in and day out, just having fun getting back out here to play basketball.

"Nobody's worried about getting traded. We're in Cleveland for now, and we're planning on being here. There's a lot of excitement for camp, just trying to get our team going and getting ready for the season."

More Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers will not make a deal just to make a deal (Cleveland.com).

Ryan Hollins enjoys time on television (Ohio.com).

Shooting woes doom Canton Charge (CantonRep.com).

Turmoil rules after NBA lockout (Columbus Dispatch).

Kyrie Irving is drawing praise (The Chronicle-Telegram).

Shooting guards providing interesting tidbits (WFNY).

The Cleveland Browns and the Arizona Cardinals have several similarities.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerCoach Pat Shurmur

The Cleveland Browns and the Arizona Cardinals each have struggling offenses, a defense that has improved with the guidance of a new coordinator and a starting quarterback with a concussion whose status for Week 15 is uncertain, writes Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com.

But the directions in which the two teams have recently been heading are quite a contrast.

The Cardinals (6-7) have won five of their past six games and still have a long shot at making the playoffs. The Browns (4-9) have lost six of their past seven games and have been mathematically eliminated from qualifying for the postseason.

Ulrich's article includes this interview with Kent Somers, who covers the Cardinals for the Arizona Republic.

Q: What should the Browns worry about when they face the Cardinals?

A: “They need to worry most about handling the pressure from this defense, especially given their offensive problems. Really what they need to worry about on defense is [wide receiver] Larry Fitzgerald. Like the Browns, the Cardinals have really struggled on offense and they’ve been up and down and they’ve had some horrible games, but Fitzgerald’s playing as well as he ever has. He has over 1,000 [receiving] yards for the fifth straight year. He basically won the game for them last week against the [San Francisco] 49ers with a great catch on a touchdown and another 53-yard catch that set up another score. That’s the guy you really have to worry about and devote whatever resources you [have] to stop him. And they need to worry about Patrick Peterson in punt returns. He’s amazing, and if he gets a little bit of space, he’s scary.”

More Cleveland Browns

Mike Holmgren is not living up to his name (Cleveland.com).

Scouting report on the Arizona Cardinals (Cleveland.com).

Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald is a superstar (azcentral.com).

A turnaround for the Cardinals defense (azcentral.com).

Injuries have led to changes over the years for the Browns (CantonRep.com).

Did the Browns fear a QB controversy (Fox Sports Ohio)?

"I don't understand the reason for all of the doom & gloom from Cavs fans," -- submitted by timinflorida

AP PhotoRookie Kyrie Irving is running coach Byron Scott's 'organized chaos' offense.

Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott came to town last season with his much-ballyhooed "Princeton Offense." It was met, however, with a collective "Huh?" and Scott was forced to scrap much of it. A few days into training camp this season, Scott is doing it again, instead opting for an offense he describes as "organized chaos."

Plain Dealer Cavs beat reporter Tom Reed's story on this topic has sparked a debate on cleveland.com between the glass half-full folks and the glass half-empty crowd.

Representing the optimists, timinflorida writes,

"I don't understand the reason for all of the doom & gloom from Cavs fans. We just landed the #1 overall pick who has the talent to be a franchise-changing player. I don't care how weak last year's draft was - he still would have most likely gone #1 if all of the other top freshman came out also. I'm excited to watch this kid play. He's already impressing his teammates with dynamic play in just a few practice sessions. I think the Cavs are going to be much better than people think this year. I'm thinking 25-30 wins are very possible. I'm going to get my league pass and enjoy the ride. Should be an interesting season."

Representing the glass half-empty bunch, geddy counters by posting,

"The doom and gloom comes from having heard all this before. Last year it was how incredible this Princeton offense was going to be in moving the ball around and getting everyone involved. That quickly devolved into a focus on defense, before fizzling out with an effort to get the players just to act like they cared at all. And i won't believe a word about Kyrie that comes out of training camps...they were speculating on Eyenga's athleticism leading to big things at one time as well. Lord Byron has this team firmly entrenched in a position to garner another top pick, which I guess given the circumstances is all we can hope for."

What side of the debate are you on? Post in the comments section below.

"He's supposed to be a "football genius." He's supposed to be the experienced football man who has seen it all. Yet, that's not what the Browns have gotten from Holmgren." -- submitted by joebordonaro

Lynn Ischay, The Plain DealerMike Holmgren, left, was hired as the credible football leader of the Browns in 2009.

While the Browns are under investigation by the NFL and players union for their handling of Colt McCoy's concussion, Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw wonders where Mike Holmgren has been during all of this. Wasn't he hired to restore credibility to the franchise, Shaw asks in his column.

This has been a hot topic among cleveland.com readers like joebordonaro, who writes,

"Holmgren deserves all the criticism. You can't blame Randy Lerner for hiring Holmgren when everyone was telling him how great Holmgren is. It's not fair to criticize Shurmur a first year head coach whose first year was a strange strike/lockout? year. It's not fair to blame Colt McCoy who is giving all he's got to win. But it is fair, and you can blame Holmgren for the poor performance and management of the team. He's supposed to be a "football genius." He's supposed to be the experienced football man who has seen it all. Yet, that's not what the Browns have gotten from Holmgren."

What do you think of Holmgren's leadership thus far? What can he do to restore your trust in him and the franchise? Post your comments below.

Browns President Mike Holmgren will meet with the Cleveland media today at 11:45 a.m. in Berea. Get updates here via Twitter.

Browns President Mike Holmgren will meet with the Cleveland media today at 11:45 a.m. in Berea. Holmgren will answer questions about the team's handling of Colt McCoy's concussion and the NFL and NFLPA's investigation.

Get updates in Tony Grossi's live blog or on Twitter via the box below or by following @marykaycabot.

Holmgren hasn't spoken formally in a press conference since Oct. 21.

Plain Dealer FileMike Holmgren

BEREA -- Browns President Mike Holmgren has scheduled a surprise appearance in the team media room for 11:45 this morning.

It will be Holmgren's first formal press conference since Oct. 21. At that time, running back Peyton Hillis' contract dispute was a hot topic and Holmgren was fending off criticism for appearing on a Seattle radio show while shunning local media.

Now, Holmgren has been criticized for remaining silent while coach Pat Shurmur has struggled to explain the club's handling of quarterback Colt McCoy after he suffered a concussion late in the Pittsburgh game last Thursday.

Mike Holmgren's press conference coverage:

• Tony Grossi's live blog

• Follow Mary Kay Cabot on Twitter

Dwight Howard should avoid being compared to LeBron James.

PD FileCleveland Cavaliers' Manny Harris scores over the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard.

Rumors persist that Dwight Howard will get traded to the New Jersey Nets, or the Los Angeles Lakers.

Rumors also persist that Howard may remain in Orlando and leave town via free agency.

Bill Reiter of Fox Sports writes directly to Howard with:

That's good, Dwight. Very good. Keep faking it. Keep pretending all's well.

Just remember these words when it comes time to actually pull the cord and bail on Orlando: In your rush and excitement to get to whatever sexy place you're going, do not become the next LeBron James.

Let's not pretend, writes Reiter, because Dwight Howard, the biggest catch in next year's NBA free-agent class, is almost certainly not going to stay in an Orlando Magic jersey for long. That means that regardless of what the Magic are saying for the moment, and regardless of what Howard is saying in the interim, he will almost certainly be traded before the March 15 trade deadline.

So while he says there's no place he'd rather be than Orlando and his team says they're putting the brakes on any possible trades, allow us to repeat: Dwight, don't go the way of LeBron James.

More than any other athlete, Howard runs the risk of accidentally falling into the chasm LeBron created when he blew up his own brand and reputation with The Decision. LeBron's blunder opened fans' eyes to what it looks like when athletes exit a place that loved them with enough arrogance to fuel the private jet ready to spirit them to some bigger, brighter place.

Holmgren: "Why wasn't a SCAT test administered at that time? ... Their reaction to the way Colt was reacting did not dictate that. They did not see the play." Watch video

BEREA -- Media room filling up fast for Mike Holmgren's first press conference since Oct. 21.

A point of interest: The appearance was unscheduled until 10:53 this morning when the Browns electronically sent a media advisory.

Coach Pat Shurmur's regular Wednesday press briefing was set back till after today's practice.

*        *         *

To set it up ...

the Browns were visited on Tuesday by two doctors representing the NFL and the NFLPA. Their mission was to review the Browns' handling of Colt McCoy after the quarterback suffered a concussion on a hit by Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison in the Thursday night loss in Pittsburgh.

Holmgren has been criticized for not making any public comments on the controversy and letting Shurmur speak for the organization.

*       *       *

Holmgren enters the room six minutes late, smiling, in Browns sweat suit. 

*      *       *

Says he met with NFL to get some sort of closure on what happened with Colt. Reason they waited, he said, is to have those other meetings before seeing the media.

Also said the schedule of how we have these "is going to be our decision, not your decision."

Was McCoy examined and tested for a concussion?

"No, he was not," Holmgren replied.

*    *     *

Holmgren said the doctors and trainer did not see the impact of the Harrison play because they were all working on other players. They heard the crowd reaction and saw McCoy was down and also Alex Smith down.

"Our medical staff and our training staff -- we have the best in football. There's no doubt in my mind. These guys are really good."

One of the things troubling to me is they're getting slammed pretty good, along with the head coach, he says.

*    *    *

Holmgren taking us through the details of what happened. Said McCoy "was not unconscious" and was responding to every question.

Holmgren: "Why wasn't a SCAT test administered at that time? ... Their reaction to the way Colt was reacting did  not dictate that. They did not see the play. ...

"If you see the hit, you'd say, 'Goodness gracious.' But they didn't see the hit."

*     *     *
Holmgren extremely defensive and intermingling admonishments to media that "It's not business as usual with the Cleveland Browns."

*      *      *

"You people in the press box of having the luxury of seeing the replay."

*      *       *

Holmgren says the trainer goes to the head coach, based on how Colt responded, and says, "He's good to go."

"No coach that I know would ever overrule a doctor and put a kid in a game. Pat will never do it. So understand that up front."

After the game is over, Holmgren said McCoy still showed no symptoms. First thing they did was X-ray his (left) hand.

Holmgren said McCoy was put through the concussion tests by Dr. Waters after that.

*      *      *

Holmgren said McCoy passed the test, but made a remark about hearing a loud noise in the shower. He also asked for the lights to be dimmed.

When he came back the next day, he still had a headache.

Holmgren said all these events in this timeline were detailed in the NFL review.

"I don't expect anything to happen in a punitive way. What could we have done differently? They followed protocol. We did what we had to do.

"Colt is home today. We're following the league protocols by league standards. He still has a headache.

*     *      *

So, what were you thinking when McCoy went back in?

"I'm not going to second-guess Pat. Pat's in the front lines. He's got to make the decision. (as a coach) if I feel the quarterback's good to go, then he's back in the game. That's his call."

What about McCoy laying on the ground?

"That came up in the meeting yesterday. It seems inconceivable but nobody alerted anyone. So how do we do this so the doctors get the information they need. Best thing we could come up with is putting in a process to have somebody say something."

*    *     *

"I saw the hit on replay and I go, 'OK, that's not good.' But I've also seen hits that look bad and you just let them go.

"It didn't start to show (symptoms) until a good time in the locker room."

*      *      *

Was Shurmur told not to answer question about getting tested for concussion?

"I think before you can answer those questions truthfully, you have to get the doctors in the room."

*     *      *

What about coaches in the booth? Didn't they see the hit?

"By the time the replays were going, (McCoy) was on the bench. If they (doctors) had that information, there was a hit, I can't say for sure anything would be different because he didn't display the normal (symptoms). It wasn't there."

You don't expect any penalties? What type of feedback did you receive?

"I think it was a very healthy meeting. From league, union and club standpoint, how can we make this a little bit better. Have an observer, perhaps? It wasn't a condemnation of how we handled the situation."

*     *     *

Holmgren said Brad McCoy's story that Colt couldn't remember the play did not jive with Colt was saying during the game.

Holmgren said he has not talked to Colt

*    *     *

He declines to comment directly on the James Harrison one-game suspension.

Holmgren is asked about Shurmur's job.

"Absolutely (will be back). He'll be the head coach."

*    *    *

Holmgren refuses to answer why Seneca Wallace was not kept in the game or his feelings about it.

"Ask Pat," is all he'd say. "Ask Pat."

*    *    *

Holmgren on his role: "My definition of my role is hire good people and support them the best I can. That's why I don't do press conferences. That's why I don't have a radio show. I've done that for 25 years. I support my people behind the scenes. We have a very competent young coach who will be here for a long time."

 *         *            *

Holmgren admits he may have wasted a year by waiting to change coaches, but says he doesn't regret doing it. He is very, very defensive today. "You're either with us or you're not. I'll be honest with you ..." He stops himself from saying something he didn't want to say.

 *   *    *
"If we'd just snap the damn ball and catch some passes, we'd be 7-6."

*    *    *

Holmgren declines to evaluate Colt McCoy until after the year.

Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren speaks about quarterback Colt McCoy's concussion during a news conference at the NFL football team's headquarters in Berea, Ohio Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011. Holmgren says McCoy was not checked for a concussion while he was on the sideline after helmet-to-helmet hit by Pittsburgh's James Harrison. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Pressed to comment on McCoy, he declines again.

*     *    *

Holmgren says he didn't want to see Browns teammates retaliate against Harrison. "Two wrongs don't make a right. That's not how I want my team to be. Do I want them to remember? Yeah. Do I want them to do that in a game? No."

*    *     *

Holmgren said "We've talked to Brady McCoy." (Not pleased.)

*      *     *

After repeated questions about what's going wrong with the season, Holmgren reiterates he'll talk about those things after the season.

*    *    *

"I'd like to win a couple of these down the stretch. I had a year in Seattle, 4-9, Hasselbeck was new and had three playoff teams (to play) and we won all three. Matt kind of established himself and it really was the springboard for the future. They also removed me as general manager after the last game, which to this day I don't agree with."

***

Holmgren clarifies that he did not speak to Brad McCoy but somebody in the organization did. Said he feels the air was cleared.

*           *            *

Towards the end, Holmgren is more conciliatory and less defensive. Folding his arms and leaning back, he says it would have been premature to comment before today.

"We're trying to be better, far as transparency and dealing with (media). ... Sometimes, unlike years past, when you needed two sources, stuff comes out immediately. In our rush to judgment on things, I would ask you to believe me a little bit and trust me on how we're doing things around here. I'm not going to lie to you. We will try to get you the proper message at the appropriate time."

The Big Show is over. In closing, he lauds Shurmur as a good man and says he's going to be the head coach here for a long time.

An instant classic.

Plain Dealer OSU reporter says the Buckeye brand, dynamic new coach make an impressive combination. Watch video

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

The Ohio State Buckeyes are preparing for their Jan. 2 Gator Bowl matchup against the Florida Gators. Why will you watch the game? Or will you watch it? That's the question in today's Starting Blocks poll.

Today's guest on SBTV is Plain Dealer Ohio State reporter Doug Lesmerises. He says one reason to watch is to see the ongoing development of Buckeyes QB Braxton Miller.

Doug also discusses the Buckeyes' recruiting surge since the hiring of head coach Urban Meyer; and whether the Buckeyes basketball team might benefit in the long term as they have been learning to play without injured star Jared Sullinger.

SBTV will return Thursday.

Cleveland Browns President Mike Holmgren talked with the media about what happened Thursday night concerning the hit on Colt McCoy by the Steelers James Harrison and the resulting concussion. McCoy was sent home today still suffering from a headache. Watch video

Indians sent Alomar -- coming off a brilliant 3-year run -- and 2 youngsters to the Mets for Matt Lawton, Alex Escobar, Billy Traber, Jerrod Riggan, and Earl Snyder. Alomar quickly faded, but it seemed he was at his peak when dealt.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerSecond baseman Roberto Alomar, now in the Hall of Fame, was coming off three brilliant seasons with the Indians when they traded him to the New York Mets on Dec. 11, 2001.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Some Cleveland Indians fans are frustrated that general manager Chris Antonetti hasn't made a move that makes the Tribe roster look more like that of a contender.

The Indians traded minor league pitcher Chris Jones to the Atlanta Braves for 38-year-old right-handed starting pitcher Derek Lowe, who has had a fine career but slumped badly during the Braves' late-season collapse that cost them a playoff berth.

Cleveland will pay Lowe $5 million of his $15 million salary for 2012, the final year of his contract.

The Indians will also pay center fielder Grady Sizemore $5 million next season, re-signing him as a free agent after declining the option year on his contract that would have paid him $9 million.

Sizemore, who has played sparingly the last three years because of five various surgeries, can make up the $4 million difference with various plate appearance incentives. The compensation will not be based on performance -- which could prove fortunate for Sizemore, who has hit .238 in a combined 832 at bats with 212 strikeouts over the last three seasons. Gone for good, maybe, is a part of his game that helped make him a three-time all-star: speed on the basepaths. Sizemore did not steal a base in 71 games last season.

At least publicly, there seems to be little sense of urgency on the Indians' part to address a glaring deficiency: right-handed hitting. Cleveland's 40-man major league roster is shockingly over-loaded with left-handed batters. The lack of righty bats seems virtually unprecedented.

Antonetti was vice president of team operations for the Indians when current team president Mark Shapiro was the general manager in 2001. Ten years ago last Sunday, on Dec. 11, 2001, the Indians stunned baseball by trading second baseman Roberto Alomar to the New York Mets.

Alomar, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame last season, had played three seasons for the Indians, hitting .323 with season averages of 121 runs, 21 home runs, 103 RBI and 35 stolen bases in 40 attempts.

Alomar, a switch-hitter, was 33 when the trade was made. But he was coming off a 2001 season during which he hit .336 with 20 homers, 100 RBI, 113 runs scored and 30 steals in 36 tries. He had made his 12th straight all-star team, won his 10th Gold Glove and finished fourth in the American League Most Valuable Player voting.

Tony Lastoria of Indians Prospect Insider breaks down at length how the trade played out, writing, in part:

A lot of people point to the Brandon Phillips debacle in April of 2006 as one of former GM Mark Shapiro’s worst decisions, but his worst move was his handling of the Robbie Alomar trade and the lack of talent that resulted from that trade.

The Indians traded Roberto Alomar, Mike Bacsik, and Danny Peoples to the New York Mets for Matt Lawton, Alex Escobar, Billy Traber, Jerrod Riggan, and Earl Snyder. Four years later, none of the five players obtained from the Mets were still in the Indians organization.

When you trade a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer who came off a very good 2001 season and arguably the best three-year run in his career, you better nail it with the players acquired in the deal. The Indians’ intent in the deal was to get some good, young Major League ready talent in return, but in the end not even one core player came from that trade.

The fact the Indians never had anything to show from the Alomar trade is mind-boggling. Forget that Alomar’s career plummeted at a ridiculous rate upon being traded and he really did nothing once he left the Indians. The fact is, at the time of the trade, he was the best second baseman in baseball and one of the game’s elite players who was still performing at a high level.

The Indians weren't exactly lucky in how the deal played out, as Escobar -- probably the top prospect in the trade -- was sidetracked by injuries. It was never found out how good a player he could have become. Yet, to get in return for Alomar just one proven big leaguer -- and he, Lawton, not of star-caliber -- was baffling.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Indians coverage includes Paul Hoynes' report that the Indians have offered contracts to all of their seven unsigned players, all of whom are eligible for arbitration but not for free agency.  

TeePee talk

Checking Indians trade rumors, by Stephanie Liscio for the blog "It's pronounced 'Lajaway.' "

Feature story by Tony Lastoria of Indians Prospect Insider on a highly-regarded Indians prospect, catcher Roberto Perez.

Answering readers' questions about the Indians. By Jordan Bastian on MLB.com.

The 2012 Indians payroll chart, on Indians Prospect Insider.

Tracking major league baseball free agency, trades and signings, on MLB.com.

The link to an MLB.com video on the Indians' pitching:

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=20030091&topic_id=26016984&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_20030091&v=3

Harris believed to have been accidently burned at a NIke camp in November

View full sizeAP photoCavaliers guard Baron Davis is sidelined indefinitely, the team says, with a bulging disc in his backa

Western Michigan wide receiver Jordan White, from North Ridgeville High School, makes third team. Lone players from Ohio universities are Cincinnati defensive tackle Derek Wolfe (second team) and Ohio State defensive tackle John Simon (third team).

Associated PressLSU's Morris Claiborne (17) celebrates with teammate Tyrann Mathieu (7) after intercepting a pass during the Tigers' 41-17 win over Arkansas on Nov. 25. Claiborne and Mathieu are AP's first-team All-American cornerbacks.

NEW YORK, New York -- LSU's Tyrann Mathieu and Morris Claiborne were selected to The Associated Press All-America team, making the top-ranked Tigers the first school with two cornerbacks on the first team.

Mathieu, a Heisman Trophy finalist, and Claiborne were joined on the All-America team by Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III of Baylor and finalists Montee Ball of Wisconsin and Trent Richardson of Alabama.

Heisman runner-up Andrew Luck from Stanford was the second-team quarterback.

The team released Wednesday was selected by a panel of 16 AP poll voters.

No. 2 Alabama had the most first-teamers with four. Richardson was joined by tackle Barrett Jones, linebacker Dont'a Hightower and safety Mark Barron. Tide linebackers Courtney Upshaw and corner Dre Kirkpatrick made the second team, giving Alabama the most players selected overall.

The LSU corners were joined on the first team by Tigers punter Brad Wing. LSU guard Will Blackwell was a second-team selection and defensive end Sam Montgomery made the third team.

LSU will play SEC West rival Alabama on Jan. 9 in New Orleans in the Allstate BCS National Championship.

Since the AP began selecting both an offensive and defensive team in 1964, no team has put a pair of cornerbacks on the first team.

Few teams have had two cornerbacks as talented as Mathieu and Claiborne.

Mathieu, also known as Honey Badger, has been a mayhem-maker for LSU on defense and special teams. He forced five fumbles, intercepted two passes and scored four touchdowns -- two on punt returns, two on fumble returns. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound sophomore also had 71 tackles and was versatile enough to be moved around the defense at times.

Claiborne is a prototypical shutdown corner. The 6-1 junior made six interceptions and averaged 29 yards per return, with a touchdown.

"We have one of the best defenses in the country," Mathieu said. "We've got a lot of NFL talent in our secondary, and our defense as a whole."

The talented tandem was a major reason why LSU (13-0) heads to the BCS National Championship Game against Alabama with a pass defense ranked third in opponents' efficiency, ninth in yards allowed per game and second in fewest touchdown passes allowed.

No. 3 Oklahoma State also had five selections on the three teams, including wide receiver Justin Blackmon, who is one of two players to be selected to the first team for the second straight season.

Blackmon caught 113 passes for 1,336 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, the nation's leading tackler with 15.9 per game, is the other two-time All-American on this year's team.

Griffin, who is second in the nation in total offense at 396 yards per game, won the Heisman Saturday, beating out preseason favorite Luck, and the All-America voting went much the same way.

Luck, the Heisman runner-up for the second consecutive year, was a second-team All-American for the second straight year.

Richardson was third in the Heisman voting and Ball, who is one touchdown away from tying Barry Sanders' single-season record of 39, was fourth.

Mathieu finished fifth in the Heisman voting and USC quarterback Matt Barkley, a third-team All-America, was sixth.

Barkley's favorite target, sophomore receiver Robert Woods, was a first-team AP All-America selection. USC tackle Matt Kalil also made the first team.

Clemson also had two players on the first-team, with tight end Dwayne Allen and freshman Sammy Watkins, selected as an all-purpose player.

Watkins and Wing were the only freshman picked to any of the three teams.

The rest of the first-team line had Stanford's David DeCastro and Wisconsin's Kevin Zeitler at guard and Michigan's David Molk at center.

Groza Award winner Randy Bullock of Texas A&M was the All-American kicker.

On defense, three Big Ten defensive linemen made the All-America team: 300-pound tackles Devon Still from Penn State and Jerel Worthy from Michigan State, along with Illinois end Mercilus Whitney, who leads the nation with 14½ sacks.

South Carolina's Melvin Ingram was the other defensive end. Georgia had two defensive All-Americans in safety Baccari Rambo and linebacker Jarvis Jones.

Seven of the 11 All-America defensive players were from the Southeastern Conference, befitting its reputation as the best league in the nation.

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

Quarterback - Robert Griffin III, junior, 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, Baylor. Running backs - Montee Ball, junior, 5-11, 210, Wisconsin; Trent Richardson, junior, 5-11, 224, Alabama. Tackles - Barrett Jones, senior, 6-5, 311, Alabama; Matt Kalil, junior, 6-7, 295, Southern California. Guards - David DeCastro, senior, 6-5, 310, Stanford; Kevin Zeitler, senior, 6-4, 318, Wisconsin. Center - David Molk, senior, 6-2, 286, Michigan. Wide receivers - Justin Blackmon, junior, 6-1, 215, Oklahoma State; Robert Woods, sophomore, 6-1, 180, Southern California. Tight end - Dwayne Allen, junior, 6-4, 255, Clemson. All-purpose player - Sammy Watkins, freshman, 6-1, 180, Clemson. Kicker - Randy Bullock, senior, 5-9, 212, Texas A&M.

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

Ends - Melvin Ingram, senior, 6-2, 276, South Carolina; Whitney Mercilus, junior, 6-4, 265, Illinois. Tackles - Devon Still, senior, 6-5, 310, Penn State; Jerel Worthy, junior, 6-3, 310, Michigan State. Linebackers - Luke Kuechly, junior, 6-3, 237, Boston College; Jarvis Jones, sophomore, 6-3, 241, Georgia; Dont'a Hightower, junior, 6-4, 260, Alabama. Cornerbacks - Morris Claiborne, junior, 6-0, 185, LSU; Tyrann Mathieu, sophomore, 5-9, 175, LSU. Safeties - Mark Barron, senior, 6-2, 218, Alabama; Bacarri Rambo, junior, 6-0, 218, Georgia. Punter - Brad Wing, freshman, 6-3, 184, LSU.

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

Quarterback - Andrew Luck, junior, Stanford. Running backs - LaMichael James, junior, Oregon; David Wilson, junior, Virginia Tech. Tackles - Jonathan Martin, senior, Stanford; Nate Potter, senior, Boise State. Guards -Will Blackwell, senior, LSU; Austin Pazstor, senior, Virginia. Center - Peter Konz, junior, Wisconsin. Wide receivers - Ryan Broyles, senior, Oklahoma; Kendall Wright, senior, Baylor. Tight end - Tyler Eifert, junior, Notre Dame. All-purpose player - Joe Adams, senior, Arkansas. Kicker - Caleb Sturgis, junior, Florida.

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

Ends - Frank Alexander, senior, Oklahoma; Vinny Curry, senior, Marshall. Tackles - Joe Vellano, junior, Maryland; Derek Wolfe, senior, Cincinnati. Linebackers - Courtney Upshaw, senior, Alabama; Lavonte David, senior, Nebraska; Manti Teo, junior, Notre Dame. Cornerbacks - David Amerson, sophomore, North Carolina State; Dre Kirkpatrick, junior, Alabama. Safeties - Markelle Martin, senior, Oklahoma State; Antonio Allen, senior, South Carolina. Punter - Ryan Allen, junior, Louisiana Tech.

THIRD TEAM OFFENSE

Quarterback - Matt Barkley, junior, Southern California. Running backs - Ronnie Hillman, sophomore, San Diego State; Bobby Rainey, senior, Western Kentucky. Tackles - Levy Adcock, senior, Oklahoma State; Cordy Glenn, senior, Georgia. Guards - Ryan Miller, senior, Colorado; Gabe Ikard, sophomore, Oklahoma. Center - Grant Garner, senior, Oklahoma State. Wide receivers - Jordan White, senior, Western Michigan; Patrick Edwards, senior, Houston. Tight end - Coby Fleener, senior, Stanford. All-purpose player - Tavon Austin, junior, West Virginia. Kicker - Quinn Sharp, junior, Oklahoma State.

THIRD TEAM DEFENSE

Ends - Sam Montgomery, sophomore, LSU; Andre Branch, senior, Clemson. Tackles - John Simon, junior, Ohio State; Fletcher Cox, junior, Mississippi State. Linebackers - Tank Carder, senior, TCU; Sammy Brown, senior, Houston; Emmanuel Acho, senior, Texas. Cornerbacks - Nigel Malone, junior, Kansas State; Brodrick Brown, junior, Oklahoma State. Safeties - Josh Bush, senior, Wake Forest; George Iloka, senior, Boise State. Punter - Shawn Powell, senior, Florida State.

AP All-America team selection panel: Bob Asmussen, Champaign (Ill.) News-Gazette; Greg Auman, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times; Robert Cessna, Bryan-College Station (Texas) Eagle; Chadd Cripe, Idaho Statesman; Seth Emerson, The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph and Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer; Erik Gee, KNML-AM Albuquerque, N.M.; Eric Hansen, South Bend (Ind.) Tribune; Mike Herndon Press-Register. Mobile, Ala.; Joshua Kendall, The State, Columbia, S.C.; Rob Long, CBS Radio 105.7 Baltimore; Dave Matter, Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune; Sam McKewon, Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald; Dave Reardon, Honolulu Star-Advertiser; Kyle Ringo, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.; Keith Sargeant, Home News Tribune, Somerville, N.J.; John Shinn, The Norman (Okla.) Transcript.

How the Browns offense operates if Seneca Wallace is the QB Sunday can shed some light on Colt McCoy's season. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In Holmgren, you trust?...

You better hope Mike Holmgren is right about head coach Pat Shurmur, because the Browns president doesn't sound like a guy who's going to admit to a mistake any time soon.

You're either with the Browns or you're not, Holmgren said matter-of-factly in Wednesday's press conference -- as if blind loyalty from a tortured fan base and media cheerleading are reasonable requests by any organization, let alone one that's 9-20 in the new team president's first two years.

What does that self-assuredness portend for Colt McCoy's future? Maybe the starting job again in 2012? He, like Shurmur, was handpicked by Holmgren, after all.

One difference between Shurmur and McCoy is there's no backup head coach to judge Shurmur against whereas McCoy's work can be compared for better and worse. Maybe a week or two of Seneca Wallace behind center can provide some context to McCoy's difficult season, if not for his prospects of returning as the starting quarterback in 2012.

You may have noticed -- from weapons at wide receiver to having a veteran mentor constantly at his side -- the organization hasn't exactly given McCoy a rock-solid support system. Last year he had a willing advisor in Jake Delhomme. This year, public evidence of Wallace propping up McCoy has been more rare than Holmgren press conference sightings.

Maybe Wallace asked to be McCoy's secret Santa? Maybe they pore over film together behind the scenes? Wallace is supposed to know the offense better, having had a jump start on its intricacies in Seattle, so a good relationship would benefit McCoy and the Browns, no?

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerSeneca Wallace has seen precious little time on the field for the Browns this season -- including this play as a receiver against St. Louis -- so his performance on Sunday will be an interesting comparison to how he runs the West Coast offense compared to Colt McCoy, says Bud Shaw.

At this point in his career, Wallace can't vault himself into the starting quarterback picture for 2012. But how good or bad the offense looks Sunday might help frame McCoy's candidacy.

If McCoy sits out the Arizona game -- really, they have to err on the side of over-caution, don't they? -- we'll get to see what the offense looks like with a different hand on the controls. Was McCoy holding the ball too long? Did he keep more plays alive than not? Were the wide receivers all along really better than Eric Mangini and Brian Daboll thought they were last season when Holmgren gave them a vote of confidence?

Does Shurmur call the game differently with a veteran West Coaster behind center?

Of course, the Browns will tell us what we need to know when Holmgren determines we need to know it. But just the same, Sunday looks like an opportunity to gather more information on one of the most important decisions a team can make.

As for another critical decision -- head coach -- no worries. Holmgren's got that one covered.

And on the seventh day, God watched the Broncos?...

Tim Tebow's pastor at the Summit Church in suburban Denver believes there's a simple explanation for the Denver Broncos' turnaround season.

Their defense? Nice try, but no. John Fox? Keep going. Tebow's mobility and big-play knack? Not exactly. Good fortune?

"It's not luck," Wayne Hanson said, according to TMZ. "Luck isn't winning six games in a row. It's favor. God's favor."

God as a Broncos fan is not a tough sell in this town, but Hanson's take is even more specific than that. God, Hanson said, "has blessed [Tebow's] hard work."

That seems like a rather simplified view, given that Tebow credits his teammates at every turn. But look at this way. Did you ever think TMZ would be a platform to spread The Word instead of simple gossip?

Maybe all things really are possible.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerNow, according to his wife, it can be revealed -- Albert Pujols really has a direct connection to The Man Upstairs. After all, he's an Angel.

Is the Man Upstairs spending more time in the world of sports than President Obama does welcoming championship teams to the White House?...

The wife of Albert Pujols says she had to get over being "mad at God" for the turn of events that took her husband out of St. Louis. Deidre Pujols said the Cardinals initially offered only five years and $130 million, calling it an "insult." Pujols eventually signed to play in Anaheim for $250 million over 10 years.

You may think the money was the reason. Or the chance to stay productive longer playing in the American League where the designated hitter is used. And, of course, you'd be right.

Just not according to Deidre Pujols, who said, "It's just like God to put us on a team called the Angels."

HE SAID IT

"If somebody's holding me out and I know I can play and help the team and at the end of the day some jerk trying to save his butt knows protocol but doesn't know me as an individual or my pain tolerance or my threshold, it's not fair for him to hold me out." -- Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown, arguing against having an independent neurologist on the sidelines while making a great case for having an independent neurologist on the sidelines.

HE SAID WHAT?

"Chemistry is something that you don't just throw in the frying pan and mix it up with another something, then throw it on top of something, then fry it up and put it in a tortilla and put in a microwave, heat it up and give it to you and expect it to taste good. You know? For those of you who can cook, y'all know what I'm talking about. If y'all can't cook, this doesn't concern you." -- Kevin Garnett, on the rushed NBA training camps due to the lockout.

Fans of obtuse analogies especially get it.

YOU SAID IT

(The Expanded Midweek Edition)

"Hey Bud:

"I seem to remember at Mike Holmgren's introductory press conference he stated 'I'll sell hot dogs if they want me to.' Is that what he's been up to? (I think I saw him in section 528)" -- Butch Schramm, Strongsville

You just blew any chance of hitting up the Browns' president for playoff tickets.

"Bud:

"I know they say everything in Texas is bigger, but have you seen Rob Ryan lately?" -- Harvey

And his strategy to coach in a stadium so big it makes him look small seemed so foolproof when he went to Dallas.

"Bud:

"I don't really read your column. Someone told me you stated you have been married 20 years. Does the woman you claim you have been married to know you are going around saying that about her?" -- Dan Coughlin

As a rule I don't share personal information in columns, let alone information specific to an inflatable doll I may or may not have wed in a private ceremony.

"Bud:

"For a different spin on the annual Charlie Brown/Lucy football gag, what do you think of incorporating Ryan Pontbriand as their long snapper?" -- Bob H, Medina

I've always said sarcasm is the reason for (the Browns') season.

"Bud:

"LeBron James told ESPN he expects no apologies this year based on how he was treated last season. Are you as relieved to hear that as I am?" -- Vince G., Cincinnati

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

"Bud:

"Who do Seneca Wallace's parents meet with about playing time?" -- Andy Clyde

Repeat winners get post-column ice cream.

"Hey Bud:

"I didn't catch the details of Mitt Romney's $10,000 bet. I'm guessing he wanted the Cardinals this week giving the points." -- Bob H., Medina

Repeat winners also don't get playoff tickets from Mike Holmgren.

On Twitter: @budshaw

USTREAM coverage begins at 7 p.m., with the Bowerman Award ceremony slated to begin about an hour later. Beard, a Texas A&M sprinter, is one of three finalists.

Associated PressTexas A&M's Jessica Beard (left), a 2007 Euclid High School graduate, is one of three finalists for track and field's top award.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jessica Beard, a 2007 Euclid High School graduate, will find out tonight if she is the winner of the Bowerman Award, the top honor in college track.

Live video coverage of the Bowerman, courtesy of USTREAM, can be seen starting at 7 p.m. on the website of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Plain Dealer reporter Tim Warsinskey is scheduled to talk with Beard, a Texas A&M sprinter, after the Bowerman Award ceremony, which begins around 8 p.m. He intends to post a story on cleveland.com some time tonight.  

USTREAM's live coverage will include the USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame Induction at 10 p.m.

Beard's list of accomplishments at Euclid included four Division I state championships in the 400-meter run.

Warsinskey wrote about Beard and the Bowerman Award on Monday, including: 

Fan voting that concluded in August figures into the selection for the award conducted by a panel of media, statisticians and collegiate administrators. Beard won the women's online vote with 20,301 votes (49 percent), followed by Louisiana State sophomore sprinter Kimberlyn Duncan (42 percent) and Arkansas junior pole vaulter Tina Sutej (9 percent).

As a senior in 2010-11, Beard became the third female in NCAA Division I history, and first since 1999, to win both 400 indoor and outdoor national titles in the same year, and run on both winning 4 400 relays. She recorded the world's fastest indoor 400 time (50.79) at the NCAA meet. Outdoors, Beard won in 51.10. In the 4x400, she anchored with a meet-record 49.13 split, and the win clinched the Aggies' third straight team championship. Beard was a 16-time All-American.

At the USATF Championships, which are not considered part of the collegiate season, Beard placed fourth in the 400 (51.06). She won her second career world gold medal as part of the winning 4x400 relay at the World Championships in South Korea.