Giants ruined what would have been the Patriots' perfect 2007 season, defeating them, 17-14, in the Super Bowl. New England is now on a 10-game winning streak since a 24-20 loss to the Giants on Nov. 6.

Associated PressPatriots quarterback Tom Brady (left) and Giants quarterback Eli Manning (right) meet on the field before the 42nd Super Bowl, won by New York, 17-14. Brady and Manning remain the QBs for the teams that will again play for the championship, on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The matchup for the 46th Super Bowl is set.

It's the New England Patriots against the New York Giants, meeting on Feb. 5 in Indianapolis.

New England advances to the NFL's championship game with its 23-20 AFC title game win over the Baltimore Ravens, as reported by The Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi from Foxborough, Mass. Grossi also writes his AFC Championship Insider.

The Giants reach the Super Bowl thanks to their 20-17 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship contest, as reported by the Associated Press.

Earlier this season, on Nov. 6, the Giants won at New England, 24-20. Remarkably, the game was scoreless at halftime.

New York, which made the playoffs by winning the NFC East, is 12-7 counting its three playoff wins. New England, which won the AFC East and earned a first-round playoff bye, is 15-3, and on a 10-game winning streak since its loss to the Giants.

Patriots vs. Giants is a rematch of the 2007 season Super Bowl. New York earned a 17-14 win over New England, ruining what had been a perfect season for the Patriots. Tony Grossi covered the game, played on Feb. 3, 2008 in Glendale Ariz., for The Plain Dealer, and wrote the game story. A breakdown of the game statistics is on pro-football-reference.com.

New England has won three Super Bowls (2001, 2002 and 2004 seasons), all with Bill Belichick as its coach. Belichick, of course, coached the Browns from the 1991-95 seasons. Ironically, his first playoff win as a head coach was the Browns' last. And, ironically, it was against the Patriots. Cleveland.com's Browns history database includes Plain Dealer game stories on every regular season and playoff game in Browns history through the 2010 season. The Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot wrote about the Browns' 20-13 playoff game win over the Patriots on Jan. 1, 1995.

Besides the 2007 season Super Bowl loss to the Giants, New England has lost two other Super Bowls (1985, 1996).

The Giants also have three Super Bowl wins (1986, 1990, 2007), with one loss (2000).

Who's going to win this time?

Here's today's sports listings on TV and the radio for the Cleveland area.

Associated PressNashville Predators goalkeeper Pekka Rinne (right) stops a shot by the Columbus Blue Jackets' Tomas Kubalik (left) during Nashville's 3-0 win at Columbus last Thursday. The Blue Jackets play at Nashville tonight at 8 in a game televised by Fox Sports Ohio.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today on the air

(Click on to links for more team or event information)

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

7 p.m. North Carolina A&T at Coppin State, ESPNU

7 p.m. Syracuse at Cincinnati, ESPN (Game preview)

9 p.m. Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Prairie View A&M, ESPNU

9 p.m. Texas A&M at Kansas, ESPN (Game preview)

NBA

7:30 p.m. Orlando at Boston, NBATV

8 p.m. New Jersey at Chicago, WGN (Game preview)

10:30 p.m. Memphis at Golden State, NBATV (Game preview)

NHL

7:30 p.m. St. Louis at Detroit, NBC Sports Network* (Game preview)

*Formerly Versus

8 p.m. Columbus at Nashville, Fox Sports Ohio (Game preview)

TENNIS

7 p.m. Australian Open, quarterfinals, Tennis Channel

9 p.m. Australian Open, quarterfinals, ESPN2

3:30 a.m. (Tuesday) Australian Open, quarterfinals, ESPN2

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

7 p.m. Tennessee at Notre Dame, ESPN2

7:30 p.m. Michigan State at Purdue, Big Ten Network

Four years after New York stunned previously undefeated New England in the Arizona desert, the Patriots and Giants are going at it again at the Super Bowl — this time in Indianapolis.

New York Giants' Hakeem Nicks celebrates after overtime of the NFC Championship NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers Sunday, Jan. 22, 2012, in San Francisco. The Giants won 20-17 to advance to Super Bowl XLVI. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

A Super Sequel.

Four years after New York stunned previously undefeated New England in the Arizona desert, the Patriots and Giants are going at it again at the Super Bowl — this time in Indianapolis.

Brady and Belichick. Eli and Coughlin. Both teams rolling through the playoffs.

Yep, here we go again.

New England, which lost to New York 24-20 in early November, opened as a 3-point favorite for the Feb. 5 game. The Patriots have won 10 straight, with their last loss being to — you guessed it — the Giants.

"We know they're a great team," Giants quarterback Eli Manning said. "We played them already this year. They've been playing great football recently."

It's familiar territory for Tom Brady and the Patriots (15-3), who are playing in the Super Bowl for the fifth time in 11 years.

"Being in this situation is a great moment," Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork said. "You have to cherish this moment."

It's the Patriots' first appearance since Manning and the Giants (12-7) upset New England's pursuit of perfection in 2008. Back then, New England was a 12-point favorite, but New York's defense battered Brady, and Manning connected with Plaxico Burress on a late touchdown to win the Giants' third Super Bowl.

That TD came, of course, a few moments after one of the biggest plays in playoff history: Manning escaped the grasp of a few Patriots defenders and found David Tyree, who put New York in scoring position by pinning the football against his helmet for a jaw-dropping catch.

New England hopes to avoid that sort of drama this time around. Unless it goes in the Patriots' favor, as it did in the AFC title game.

Brady was unusually subpar in the Patriots' 23-20 victory over Baltimore, throwing for 239 yards with two interceptions and, for the first time in 36 games, no TD passes. But he got some help from the Patriots' much-maligned defense, which made some crucial stops down the stretch.

A few mistakes by the Ravens helped greatly, too, as Billy Cundiff shanked a 32-yard field goal attempt with 11 seconds left — soon after Lee Evans had a potential winning touchdown catch ripped out of his hands in the end zone.

"Childlike joy. It's all about childlike joy," linebacker Jerod Mayo said. "Last night felt like the day before Christmas for me and I haven't had that feeling in a long time."

New England last won the Super Bowl in 2005, a long drought after the Patriots took home Lombardi trophies three times in four years. There are only a handful of players left from that team, with guys like Corey Dillon, Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison replaced by young up-and-comers such as Mayo, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

"It doesn't even feel right, especially playing with the veterans here," Gronkowski said. "I watched them go to the Super Bowl as I was growing up, and now I'm part of it? It is an unreal moment."

The constants, though, are Brady and Bill Belichick. And that's been a winning combination for New England.

Belichick did perhaps his finest coaching job, piecing together a defense that ranked second-to-last in the league during the regular season. That led to plenty of shootouts, and Brady was more than up to the task, throwing for a career-high 5,235 yards while tossing 39 touchdown passes.

"They're an amazing team," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. "They're a great brotherhood; they're a family."

The Giants appeared on the verge of collapsing with Tom Coughlin's job status in jeopardy just a month ago, when they fell to 7-7 with an embarrassing loss to the Washington Redskins on Dec. 18.

"We've been here before," linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka said at the time, "and we'll get back."

Boy, was he right.

"I'm just proud of the guys, what we've overcome this year, what we've been through, just never having any doubts, keep believing in our team that we could get hot and start playing our best football," Manning said.

The Giants were facing elimination the following week against the rival Jets and Rex Ryan, who boldly declared that his group was king of New York. Well, Coughlin's crew silenced Ryan with a 29-14 victory. The Giants followed that with a 31-14 win over Dallas in the regular-season finale to clinch the NFC East and get to the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

New York dominated Atlanta at home in the opening round. Then came another stunner: a 37-20 victory at Green Bay — knocking out the defending Super Bowl champions.

Manning extended the best season of his career with one more solid performance. Specials teams proved the difference in overtime, as Jacquian Williams forced a fumble on a punt return and Lawrence Tynes kicked the Giants past the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 for the NFC title.

"Hats off to Eli, offense, defense," Tynes said. "Great win."

And now, it's off to Indy. Giants-Patriots, one more time.

For more Cinesport video, go here.

As Fisher made his way back into the NFL Honcho Room, the Indianapolis Colts’ Jim Caldwell made his way out. If they bumped into each other, Caldwell might have reminded Fisher how uneasy lies the headset that wears a coaching crown, writes Norman Chad.

AP PhotoJeff Fisher was hired by the St. Louis Rams last week.

The St. Louis Rams hired Jeff Fisher as their head coach last week — no firing date has been set.

Oh, and he will be fired.

As Fisher made his way back into the NFL Honcho Room, the Indianapolis Colts’ Jim Caldwell made his way out. If they bumped into each other, Caldwell might have reminded Fisher how uneasy lies the headset that wears a coaching crown.

In 2009, Caldwell went 14-2 in his first season as the Colts’ coach. In 2011, Caldwell went 2-14. Bye-bye.

In fact, before the 2009 season, 11 new head coaches were hired, and already nine have been fired — only the Jets’ Rex Ryan and the Lions’ Jim Schwartz remain.

It’s pretty simple:

When you get hired as a coach, you are signing up to get fired.

(Similarly — and I hate to state the obvious here, but, what the heck, it’s my job — when you get married, you are signing up to get, uh, unmarried. Note: I don’t use the “D” word anymore. Plus, this time around, with Toni, aka She Is The One, it’s “till death do us part” — of course, in our case, she might end up killing me, but, hey, that’s technically still “till death do us part,” so I’ll take it.)

Sure, this NFL season, 49ers first-year coach Jim Harbaugh has been the flavor of the month, but you still don’t know if he’s going to be the next Joe Gibbs or the next Jim Haslett.

The late George Carlin used to say: “When you buy a pet, you know it’s going to end badly. You’ve just purchased a small tragedy.”

Coaches are essentially human pets.

The exception was Connie Mack, who managed the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 baseball seasons (1901-50), making him the longest-tenured coach or manager in U.S. pro sports history.

The secret to Mack’s success? He owned the team. I mean, even a bankrupt Donald Trump wouldn’t fire himself.

Others haven’t been as lucky. Everybody gets axed, some sooner than later.

In the NBA, the Sacramento Kings recently dismissed Paul Westphal after a 2-5 start. It tied for the second-fastest firing since the NBA-ABA merger — the Indiana Pacers fired Jack Ramsay in the 1988-89 season after a 0-7 start. The fastest firing? In 1977-78, the Philadelphia 76ers fired Gene Shue at 2-4, one season after he had led the team to the NBA Finals.

In the 2008-09 season, an NBA-record six of 30 coaches were fired before Christmas. Of course, this was when the NBA actually played games before Christmas.

In Major League Baseball, only one man — the Angels’ Mike Scioscia — has managed the same team since before 2005. In 1988, the Baltimore Orioles fired Cal Ripken Sr. after a 0-6 start. In 2002, the Detroit Tigers fired Phil Garner after a 0-6

start.

In the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings’ Bill Gadsby won his first two games of the 1969-70 season — and was fired. (Detroit’s a tough town.)

But no one in coaching annals has suffered the ignominy of Marty Schottenheimer, the star-crossed, sixth-winningest coach in NFL history.

With the Cleveland Browns — after no losing seasons and a 32-15 record in his final three years — he was fired.

Then, with the Kansas City Chiefs — where he had nine winning seasons out of 10 — he was fired.

Then, with the Washington Redskins, he was fired after one season in which he won eight of his final 11 games.

Then, with the San Diego Chargers, he was fired after his fourth year, a 14-2 season.

(Look at those last two jobs again, with the Redskins and the Chargers: Schottenheimer was fired after winning a combined 22 of his final 27 games.)

And now Schottenheimer has expressed interest in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ head-coaching opening. Really? He hasn’t had enough? I’m no shrink, but I figure the guy must like getting fired.

Ask The Slouch!

Ask The Slouch!

Q: In keeping with the anomaly of Europeans and Asians dominating professional sports circuits, should we expect a PBA winner from the Ivy League? — John Swope, Irwin, Pa.

A: Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe the Pro Bowlers Tour bars Harvard grads and guys in J.Crew wear.

Q: Why would the St. Louis Rams agree to play a regular-season game in London in each of the next three seasons? — Dan Harper, Chicago

A: Rams owner Stan Kroenke mentioned the importance of NFL growth in Britain, but I assume he just needs the frequent-flier miles.

Q: If Glen “Big Baby” Davis dropped his shorts at a poker table, what would you do? — Allen MacDonald, Cheney, Wash.

A: At that point, it wouldn’t matter what my cards were — I would probably fold.

Q:Why doesn’t Uriah Heep get any airplay on classic-rock radio stations? — Jeff Hazle, Woodbridge, Va.

A: Was just wondering about that myself the other day while listening to Blue Oyster Cult.

Q: Did State Farm insure against a Green Bay one-and-done run in the NFL playoffs by taking out a policy with Allstate on its Discount Double Check ads? — Steve Casey, Ashburn, Va.

A: Pay the man, Shirley.

You, too, can enter the $1.25 Ask The Slouch Cash Giveaway. Just email asktheslouch@aol.com and, if your question is used, you win $1.25 in cash!

Norman Chad is a freelance writer in Los Angeles.

Watch and chat live at noon as Bud Shaw and Dennis Manoloff are joined by Hoynsie to talk about Fausto Carmona as well as size up the Super Bowl matchup.

Watch today live at noon.

It's the Giants and Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. The Indians are trying to sort out the Roberto Hernandez Heredia/Fausto Carmona situation.

Today live at noon on "PD Sports Insider," join Bud Shaw, Dennis Manoloff along with special guest Paul Hoynes to talk NFL Playoffs, Indians baseball and more on 'PD Sports Insider.'

Note: To turn off audio alerts in the chatroom, click on the round button on bottom left of the chat room, then preferences. Uncheck all audio options and save.

About the show: "PD Sports Insider" airs live every Monday and Thursday at noon. Co-hosted by Bud Shaw and Dennis Manoloff, the show features a timely and lively debate of the biggest sports topics of the day and gives readers a chance to interact directly with PD sportswriters and columnists.

Viewers have to the opportunity to ask questions and post comments in a live chat room during the show. They can also Skype in or email their video questions during the week.

Peyton Manning has the individual records, but is Eli better?

APEli Manning

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is one victory away from accomplishing something his record-setting brother Peyton has not accomplished.

Eli will play in the Super Bowl next month against the New England Patriots. A victory means Eli will have two Super Bowl rings and Peyton will have one, including a loss to the New Orleans Saints in 2010.

Eli is also the only quarterback in NFL history with five road wins in the playoffs. So if you're all about individual records, Peyton is your man. If it's about titles (and if Eli wins his second ring), than Eli is No. 1.

So who do you have?

Hauck, who played defensive back for Green Bay from 1991-94, will replace Jerome Henderson, who left to take the secondary job in Dallas.

View full sizeTitans/NFLNew Browns secondary coach Tim Hauck.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tim Hauck made a lasting impression on Browns President Mike Holmgren and defensive coordinator Dick Jauron when he played safety for them in Green Bay.

Hauck, who was hired Monday as defensive backs coach to replace Jerome Henderson, played four of his 13 NFL seasons in Green Bay (1991-1994), where Holmgren was head coach and Jauron was defensive backs coach. Hauck was a hard-hitting safety who played for seven NFL teams after signing with New England as an undrafted free agent out of Montana.

From 1999-2001, Hauck played in Philadelphia, where Browns head coach Pat Shurmur was tight ends/offensive line coach during those years. Browns General Manager Tom Heckert also spent the 2001 season with Hauck in Philadelphia after he joined the team as director of player personnel that year.

Henderson left to join former Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan in Dallas. In 2011, Henderson -- who spent three seasons with the Browns -- coached the Browns pass defense to a No. 2 ranking, with an average of only 184.9 yards allowed. However, the Browns were tied for second to last in the NFL with nine interceptions.

Hauck most recently was assistant secondary coach of the Titans under Jeff Fisher in 2009-10. Prior to that, he spent five years as a college assistant at his alma mater, Montana (2004-07), and at UCLA (2008).

During Hauck's 13-year playing career, he had stints with New England (1990), Green Bay (1991-94), Denver (1995-96), Seattle (1997), Indianapolis (1998), Philadelphia (1999-2001) and San Francisco (2002). He played 183 regular-season games in addition to eight playoff contests. As an Eagle in 1999, he made the tackle on Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin that ultimately ended Irvin's career with a spinal cord injury.

Hauck is the second assistant added by the Browns. Last week, they hired senior offensive assistant Nolan Cromwell, who formerly worked for Holmgren. Cromwell replaced Keith Gilbertson, who retired.

The Browns are still interviewing offensive coordinator candidates and will talk to some this week in Mobile, Ala. during Senior Bowl festivities. Two names on their radar are Mike Sherman and Brad Childress, but both are also being considered for other jobs. Sherman is a candidate to become Dolphins' offensive coordinator under new coach Joe Philbin, and is also a candidate for the Tampa Bay head coaching job. Childress has mentioned in connection with the Bucs and Colts head jobs.

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

 SOLON, O. - Solon senior and three-year starter Tres Barksdale has given Georgetown his oral commitment.   The 6-2, 173-pound receiver/defensive back, accounted for 22 receptions, good for 260 yards and three touchdowns.

 SOLON, O. - Solon senior and three-year starter Tres Barksdale has given Georgetown his oral commitment. 

 The 6-2, 173-pound receiver/defensive back, accounted for 22 receptions, good for 260 yards and three touchdowns.

"Sherman can develop the WC Offense here and bring along a young QB. If Shurmur doesn't grow into the head coaching job in the next year or two, Sherman can be elevated to head coach and Cromwell can take over as OC." - jdunne

View full sizeAP Photo | Mike RoemerSome fans would like to see Mike Sherman as Browns' offensive coordinator.

"Sherman can develop the WC Offense here and bring along a young QB. If Shurmur doesn't grow into the head coaching job in the next year or two, Sherman can be elevated to head coach and Cromwell can take over as OC."

Manning threw 15 fourth-quarter TD passes this season, and another eight overall in three playoff wins. His Giants defeated the Patriots in the 2007 season Super Bowl, and at New England this season. Links to more Super Bowl stories.

Associated PressGiants quarterback Eli Manning (right) is congratulated by Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (left) after the Giants' 24-20 win at New England on Nov. 6.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The New England Patriots will play the New York Giants in the NFL's 46th Super Bowl on Feb. 5 at Indianapolis.

It's a re-match of the 2007 season Super Bowl, when the Giants upset the Patriots, 17-14, ruining what would have a perfect season for New England. The Plain Dealer's Cleveland Browns beat writer, Tony Grossi, wrote the game story on Super Bowl 42.

The Feb. 5 Patriots-Giants game will feature two of the sports' elite quarterbacks. Tom Brady has been at the helm for New England in each of its three Super Bowl wins (2001, 2002, 2004 seasons).

New York's Eli Manning has shed any questions about his status as among the league's best. He began to do so by engineering the dramatic drive that gave the Giants their Super Bowl 42 win.

John Czarnecki writes for FoxSports.com that when New England and New York play, it's no longer assumed that the Patriots have the better quarterback.

(We are assuming that when Czarnecki writes that Manning has a "lot better resume" than Brady, he is referring to this season, and not the quarterbacks' respective careers. The Giants won at New England this season, 24-20, on Nov. 6)

Czarnecki writes:

Nothing against Tom Brady, but Eli Manning is the best quarterback playing in Super Bowl XLVI.

Manning enters his second championship duel with a lot better resume and a fearless attitude. While attempting 64 passes against a heroic San Francisco defense, Manning was hit 20 times, knocked down 12 times and sacked six times. There was more than one play where he seemingly had eyes in the back of his head as he dodged pocket pressure and somehow delivered another pass.

Elite, you say?

Eli said he belonged before the season began and he definitely removed any doubts with his performance down the stretch, holding this offense together. Not only did he throw 15 fourth-quarter touchdown passes this year, but another eight in three playoff games. Plus, he beat the supposed two best teams in the NFC in the Packers and Niners.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Super Bowl coverage includes Tony Grossi's game story, from Foxborough, Mass., on the Patriots' 23-20 AFC championship game win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Also, Grossi's AFC Championship Insider; a Starting Blocks poll on who will win the Super Bowl; a Starting Blocks poll asking if Eli Manning or his brother, the Indianapolis Colts' Peyton Manning, is the better quarterback; Browns' beat writer Mary Kay Cabot's interview on Starting Blocks TV.

About the Super Bowl

Super Bowl 46 storylines, by Will Brinson for CBSSports.com.

Ten questions about Patriots vs. Giants. By John Clayton for ESPN.com.

The Patriots have re-discovered a missing championship element. By Andrew Perloff for Sports Illustrated's SI.com.

These Giants are better than their 2007 season Super Bowl champion team. By Clifton Brown for SportingNews.com.

Giants vs. Patriots storylines. By Jason Cole for Yahoo! Sports.

Former Patriot Rodney Harrison says his ex-teammates haven't forgotten the Super Bowl 42 loss to the Giants. By Michael Hiestand for USAToday.com.

Analysis of the AFC and NFC championship games, by Matt Bowen for the National Football Post.

"No one likes the way LeBron left Cleveland. However, don't put that on these young kids who had friendships with him before he left. Everyone is entitled to be friends with whomever they want. As long as they perform and take care of business while wearing the wine and gold, I couldn't care less who they talk to on the phone." - Cleveland Joe in Virginia

View full sizeKyrie Irving and Anthony Parker sit on the bench during a recent Cavaliers loss.

"No one likes the way LeBron left Cleveland. However, don't put that on these young kids who had friendships with him before he left. Everyone is entitled to be friends with whomever they want. As long as they perform and take care of business while wearing the wine and gold, I couldn't care less who they talk to on the phone."

"The Twins went 0-14 in Slowey's 8 losses and 6 relief appearances. But before last year, Slowey was a pretty decent pitcher for several years. The guy may have been a clubhouse problem last year, but a team going 0-14 whenever he was on the mound might have led the guy to a breakdown, otherwise it would mean he did not care. Plus, the Twins were missing their regular outfielders and possibly some of those losses came from the replacements not getting to balls or making the right play in key situations. I think it's a good pick up." - MyTribe

View full sizeJim Mone / APSome Tribe fans want to give new Tribe starter Kevin Slowey a chance after last year's rough season with the Twins.

"The Twins went 0-14 in Slowey's 8 losses and 6 relief appearances. But before last year, Slowey was a pretty decent pitcher for several years. The guy may have been a clubhouse problem last year, but a team going 0-14 whenever he was on the mound might have led the guy to a breakdown, otherwise it would mean he did not care. Plus, the Twins were missing their regular outfielders and possibly some of those losses came from the replacements not getting to balls or making the right play in key situations. I think it's a good pick up."

Two mistakes on punt returns led to 10 late New York points in the Giants' 20-17 win at San Francisco. Kenny Williams says his son Kyle received threats on social media outlets.

Associated PressSan Francisco's Kyle Williams throws his helmet to the ground after losing a fumble on a punt return during overtime of the 49ers' 20-17 loss to the New York Giants.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- San Francisco's Kyle Williams, whose two miscues on punt returns proved costly in the 49ers' 20-17 NFC championship game loss to the New York Giants on Sunday, received death threats after the game, says his father, Kenny Williams.

Kenny Williams is the general manager of the Chicago White Sox and a former major league baseball player.

Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com writes that Kenny Williams says his son was threatened after the game:

Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams questioned the "culture of sports" after his son Kyle received death threats on social media outlets following Sunday's NFC Championship Game.

Williams' son is the San Francisco 49ers wide receiver and kick returner who made two glaring miscues late in Sunday's game that helped the New York Giants advance to the Super Bowl.

Kenny Williams also said that his son was playing with an injured left shoulder Sunday, an injury that happened in the third quarter. Kenny Williams added that his family does not make excuses and did not blame his son's miscues on the injury.

Injury or not, some people were apparently outraged enough to wish harm to Kyle Williams after his two turnovers, the second of which led directly to the Giants' game-winning field goal.

The 49ers had Kyle Williams return punts and kickoffs against the Giants because Ted Ginn Jr., one of the NFL's premier returners, missed the game with a knee injury.

In the fourth quarter, Williams had a Giants' punt glance off his knee. New York recovered at the San Francisco 29-yard line and went on to score a touchdown for a 17-14 lead. During overtime, Williams fumbled a punt, recovered by the Giants at the 49ers 24. Four plays later, New York's Lawrence Tynes kicked the game-winning 31-yard field goal. 

Padilla also writes, quoting Kenny Williams:

"I'm used to the years of criticism and threats on my life from time to time, but I have to hear about threats on your son's life while you're watching TV and it certainly makes you question our culture of sports as it stands," Kenny Williams said.

Williams broached the subject of the death threats on his own after he was asked if Sunday was the toughest day he had ever experienced in sports. He said it was by a long shot.

"I told his mother on the way out exactly what was coming," Kenny Williams said about the threats. "That's the nature of the beast."

Kenny Williams said that NFL security swiftly moved into action and that all threats were being taken seriously.

Joe Paterno was the leading example of a coach who was bigger than his university. Unfortunately, he will not be the last.

View full sizeGene J. Puskar, Associated PressA mural on the outside wall of a Penn State student bookstore had its artwork enhanced on Monday. Will Paterno be the last of sainted coaches at major college football programs?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Joe Paterno was the Lion King. His reign lasted from the 1960s until he was fired at Penn State in November.

There won't be another quite like him, due to Penn State's geographic isolation, his success and his astonishing longevity with the Nittany Lions in a win-now world. No big-city media organizations focused on the Nittany Lions on a daily basis. Central Pennsylvania was almost Paterno's personal fief, to run as he saw fit.

In 2004, after a 4-7 record, Paterno's second straight losing season, former Penn State president Gordon Spanier went to Paterno's house to tell him it was time to retire. Paterno told Spanier to take a hike.

Ohio State president E. Gordon Gee made himself the butt of jokes when he quipped in the midst of the memorabilia sale scandal that he worried Jim Tressel might dismiss him. But when Ohio State's reputation was at stake, Gee forced Tressel out, albeit by changing his resignation to a "retirement" with a sweet benefit package.

The rebuff of Spanier, who, along with Paterno was sacked in the fallout from the child molestation scandal at Penn State, showed how secure was Paterno's job. He had become the symbol of the university and the keeper of his own flame.

Paterno not only built the football program, he also built Penn State. He raised untold millions of dollars and donated lavishly to an expansion of the school library. Penn State's reputation as a research institution expanded almost on a par with Beaver Stadium, which more than doubled in size on Paterno's watch. That, along with two national championships, should have been enough of a legacy for any man.

But instead Paterno hung on, declining several opportunities to retire with grace and dignity. He felt coaching still gave his life purpose, but he was so desperate to stay in the game that he delegated much of the actual coaching and game management to his newly hired and more aggressive assistants. In his last years, he was a figurehead, just as his friend Bobby Bowden had been in his final years at Florida State.

Bowden had wanted one more year. Paterno wanted three more Saturdays and the chance to finish the past season. Neither got their wish.

The Big Ten has announced its plans to look into whether concentrating so much power in one program and one person constituted lack of institutional control at Penn State. (Answer: Of course it did.) But the conference will want Penn State, one of its most attractive teams in terms of television ratings and bowl selections, to get off the mat as soon as possible. The investigation will probably be more for public relations than anything else. A paper Lion, if you will.

Superstar coaches, like Paterno, become untouchable, except in the most flagrant cases of abuse of power.

It took the child-molestation scandal, the worst in college football history if the charges are proven, to bring Paterno down.

It took punching an opposing player to bring Woody Hayes down at Ohio State.

It took years of temper tantrums and bullying to bring Bobby Knight down at Indiana.

All were bigger than their schools.

So is Mike Krzyzewski at Duke. So is NCAA scandal-scarred Jim Calhoun at UConn. So is Jim Boeheim, who has brushed aside a child-abuse scandal allegedly involving a fired aide, at Syracuse.

Tressel was close to that big. Urban Meyer, without a single game under his belt at Ohio State, is the most glamorous coaching name in the state.

Once a school lands a superstar coach, and once he hoists the crystal football symbolic of the BCS national championship or cuts down the nets at the Final Four, he becomes a fixture on campus. Skewed priorities don't seem to matter, even when a coach such as Meyer earns $4 million a year in a time of budget cuts, tuition hikes and economic stagnation.

Nor does the regret last when great universities, supposedly places that inculcate wisdom and dispense learning, are found to have ignored embarrassing incidents, downplayed cheating, or become complicit in hiding the darkest secrets of human behavior.

Ultimate victory is too enjoyable. Winners are so much more fun to cheer for or write about. It is, God help us, what we want.

On Twitter: @LivyPD

Syracuse, which was in first place for the last six weeks, dropped after losing at Notre Dame. Missouri is now No. 2.

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerOhio State's Buckeyes, with All-American forward Jared Sullinger, are No. 4 in the AP Top 25 and No. 3 in the Coaches rankings.

The Kentucky Wildcats, the only team in last week's top four not to lose over the weekend, is back on top of The Associated Press' college basketball poll.

The Wildcats, who were ranked No. 1 for two weeks earlier this season, moved up one place Monday after receiving 61 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel.

Missouri, which got two No. 1 votes, jumped from fifth to second, while Syracuse, which was in first place for the last six weeks, dropped to third after losing at Notre Dame, its first loss this season. The Orange were No. 1 on two ballots.

Ohio State and Kansas moved up two places to fourth and fifth and were followed by Baylor, which fell three places after losing two games last week, North Carolina, Duke, Georgetown and Michigan State. Duke dropped four places after losing to Florida State at home.

(The AP, USA Today/ESPN Coaches and RPI rankings. Ohio State [17-3, 5-2 in the Big Ten] is No. 3 in the Coaches poll. The Buckeyes next game is on Wednesday night, when they host Penn State [10-11, 2-6] in Columbus)

Murray State, the lone remaining unbeaten team in Division I, is 11th.

Florida State, which beat North Carolina and Duke in its four-game winning streak, moves back into the poll at No. 23. Wisconsin, which has won four straight after losing three in a row, is back at No. 25.

Illinois, which lost to Penn State and Wisconsin last week, dropped out from 22nd. Louisville, which reached as high as No. 4 this season but has lost five of eight, fell out from 23rd.

North Carolina is the only other team to be ranked No. 1 this season, holding the spot in the preseason Top 25 and the first poll of the regular season.

Despite their current losing streak, the Cavaliers insist this team is better than last season's.

Tony Dejak, Associated PressTristan Thompson could miss Tuesday's game at Miami.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Antawn Jamison says the past is the past.

Asked about the Cavaliers' three-game losing streak, which includes back-to-back blowouts against the Bulls and Hawks heading into Tuesday's game at Miami, the veteran power forward refused to revisit the struggles of last season.

"Last year is last year and that [expletive] is not going to happen," Jamison said emphatically after practice on Monday. "This is a different team. This is a better team, so what happened last year happened last year.

"The biggest thing for us is that we're 6-9, we're tied for seventh in the Eastern Conference and the most important thing is to stop the bleeding as quickly as possible."

Jamison called the effort against Chicago and Atlanta unacceptable, and he especially did not like the way the Cavs responded after Friday's 114-75 home loss to the Bulls, the worst home loss in franchise history.

"We realize the last three games is not who we are," he said. "We need to get back on track."

Guard Daniel Gibson says the fact that the Cavs are facing LeBron James and the Heat is incidental.

"We just lost two games by a substantial margin, so our focus is getting back to playing the type of basketball we were playing to start the season," said Gibson, who missed Saturday's game at Atlanta after a death in his extended family. "It's definitely a big game for us -- because of what's happened the last two games. We really want to go out and play well."

Gibson echoed Jamison's contention that the team is not headed into another tailspin. Last season, it seemed as if the Cavs never recovered from losing to the Heat in the first game against James with his new mates.

"We plan to get it back on track," Gibson said. "We're not worried about what happened last year. We definitely feel like this team is a better team and we're playing a lot better than we were last year. So our focus is really and genuinely getting it together and getting back to playing basketball the way we were playing and giving ourselves a chance to win -- taking care of the ball, playing good defense. That will give us a chance to win any game."

Coach Byron Scott said he was pleased with Monday's practice, especially with rookie Kyrie Irving. Scott has been riding Irving about his defense and benched him early in Friday's loss to Chicago after C.J. Watson, in for the injured Derrick Rose, blew by him.

"Today, I thought, was his best day defensively," Scott said of Irving. "He understands the mistakes that he's making. He has to correct them. But from an effort standpoint, I thought today was great. He's understanding what he has to do on that end of the floor and that he has to get better.

"Like I keep saying ... he's 19 years old. It's going to take some time. But I think he's headed in the right direction on that end of the floor."

Scott said he did not plan to change his lineup, rotation or approach.

"We have two bad games and everybody wants to panic and make all these changes," he said. "Like I told our guys today, we've had two bad games, and if the playoffs started today, we'd be in the seventh spot or the eighth spot. So it's not all that bad.

"We've just got to make sure that we go back to the basics and do the things we did the first 13 games, which was compete on the defensive end, play hard. Our effort was unbelievable. We had second and third efforts. The last couple games we haven't been getting that. It's just getting back to the little things we were doing the first 13 games."

Watch that screen: Gibson said he was trying to help Irving learn the ins and outs of the NBA.

"That's my little man," Gibson said. "We talk all the time. He knows a lot about the game of basketball so any opportunity I get to just give him a little something he soaks it up like a sponge. I've been trying to tell him about screens in this league. The guys are big. When they hit you on those screens, it's very easy to get stuck. So I've been teaching him some tricks that I've learned over time.

"He'll get better. He's athletic enough and he's already a good defender. At this level you've got to be smart, too."

Thompson questionable: Scott said rookie Tristan Thompson, who sprained his ankle in the fourth quarter at Atlanta, did not practice and just received treatment. He called him questionable for Tuesday would likely be a game-time decision.

Eyenga back: The Cavs recalled guard/forward Christian Eyenga from the Canton Charge. Eyenga was assigned to Canton on Jan. 4 and played in nine games (eight starts), averaging 8.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24.6 minutes.

Eyenga was sent down to work on his defense, but apparently didn't work as hard as he did on Monday.

"I'm so tired," he said. "This is my first practice in, like, a month. We practiced but not so hard. I'm just really, really tired."

Heckert likes to have as many picks as he can accumulate. Links to more Browns stories.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerGeneral manager Tom Heckert will be in charge of his third draft for the Browns.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- During the offseason, and as the April 26-28 NFL draft approaches, continue to keep track of the Cleveland Browns and the NFL with The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Browns coverage includes Mary Kay Cabot's story that the Browns have hired Tim Hauck as their defensive backs coach; and, Cabot's interview on Starting Blocks TV.

Figurin'

Trading up in the draft wouldn't be typical of Browns general manager Tom Heckert, Marla Ridenour writes for the Akron Beacon Journal.

Ridenour notes that there is speculation the Browns, who own two first-round picks -- numbers 4 and 22 overall -- would be interested in trading up to be assured they could draft Baylor's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Robert Griffin III.

She writes, though:

But I’m still not convinced the Browns would pay the steep price required to trade up to get him.

Heckert covets picks, the more the better. The Browns have more than one draft’s worth of holes to fill. Their choices at Nos. 4, 22 and 37 in April could bring loads of help for the league’s 29th-ranked offense.

Using the draft trade value chart some general managers consult before making a deal, the Browns would have to give the Rams at least the 22nd pick and a sixth-rounder to move up from No. 4 to No. 2. That doesn’t really sound like much, but No. 22 could be a No. 1 receiver.

Also.... 

Browns president Mike Holmgren was an excellent coach, but his record as a front office executive isn't as good. By Lane Adkins for Scout.com's Orange and Brown Report.

A report card for the Browns defense. By Kevin Nye for the blog "Dawg Pound Daily."

The Browns' top five draft blunders since their return to the NFL as a franchise in 1999. A Bleacher Report slideshow.

Former Browns coach Sam Rutigliano remembers former Penn State coach Joe Paterno, who died on Sunday. By Steve King for clevelandbrowns.com.

Talk of the Browns ugrading at wide receiver. By Daniel Wolf for the National Football Authority.

The first-round draft order is complete for AFC North teams, now that the Baltimore Ravens' season is over. On ESPN.com.

The playoffs show that building teams is tough work. By Craig Lyndall for the blog "WaitingForNextYear."

Spring training is coming and here's an early look at where the Indians starting rotation stands following the arrest of the pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona and the uncertainty that has caused on the pitching staff.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerWhen and if he arrives in Arizona to begin spring training, Fausto Carmona/Roberto Hernandez figures to have a major impact in the Indians' ability to build a reliable starting rotation in 2012.

(Editor's note: This is the first of a four-part preview of the Indians with spring training looming next month. Tomorrow: The bullpen.)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When the Indians traded for Derek Lowe after the World Series, it was hard to get past the 17 games he lost last season with Atlanta. The one thing that made those defeats tolerable was that in Lowe the Indians were adding a fourth potential high-inning starter to a rotation that included Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez and Fausto Carmona.

The last time the Indians had three pitchers top 200 innings in a season was 1997 with Dave Burba, Bartolo Colon and Charles Nagy. The last time they had four 200-inning pitchers was 1955 with Early Wynn, Herb Score, Bob Lemon and Mike Garcia.

So much for Plan A.

Carmona's arrest last week in the Dominican Republic for using a false identity has weakened a critical part of the team. The Dominican government says Carmona is really Roberto Hernandez Heredia and that he's 31 instead of 28. Carmona has been Carmona since signing with the Indians in December of 2000, so this is like one of those TV shows where police unearth an SDS radical from the 1960s selling insurance in the suburbs 30 years after he blew up the dean's office.

If Hernandez -- Spanish experts say the proper use of Carmona's real name is Roberto Hernandez, Heredia being a reference to his mother's family -- can untangle his legal mess and convince the U.S. government to let him go to work before the end of spring training, well, maybe it's not that big of a problem. How likely is that?

The Indians acquired right-hander Kevin Slowey from Colorado the day after Hernandez's arrest, so what does that tell you?

Along with the right elbow injuries that have knocked out Carlos Carrasco and Hector Rondon for the 2012 season, and the Jimenez trade that sent starters Drew Pomeranz and Alex White to the Rockies, the Indians had little choice but to seek reinforcements. With that in mind, and pitchers and catchers scheduled to open camp on Feb. 20 in Goodyear, Ariz., it's time to take a position by position look at the team.

Today it's the rotation.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerThe Indians are counting on a solid spring from Ubaldo Jimenez, helping him rebound from a disappointing 2011 in his first full season with the Tribe.

Last year, Indians starters went 53-61 and finished 10th in the American League in ERA at 4.51. They used eight different starters and finished 10th in innings pitched at 961 1/3. Tampa Bay led the AL with 1,058 innings.

The Indians were 11th in strikeouts with 631 and batting average against at .272. They showed improvement in walks, going from the second-worst in the league in 2010 at 362 to 10th last year at 287.

Here's a look at the Tribe's starters and potential starters for this season:

• RHP Masterson, 26, 12-10, 3.21: Topped 200 innings (216) for the first time last season. Underwent surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder at the end of the year. Over 80 percent of his pitches were fastballs. Average velocity 93 mph.

• RHP Jimenez, 28, 10-13, 4.68: He went 4-4 with a 5.10 ERA in 11 starts after the Indians acquired him from Colorado. New pitching coach Scott Radinsky will have a full spring to work on his mechanics. Struck out 180, walked 78 and allowed 186 hits in 188 2/3 innings. Average velocity 93.5 mph.

• RHP Josh Tomlin, 27, 12-7, 4.25: A sore right elbow prematurely ended his first full season in the big leagues. Led AL with fewest walks allowed per nine innings at 1.14. Expected to be healthy for spring training. Average velocity 88 mph.

• RHP Lowe, 38, 9-17, 5.05: He's made 32 or more starts every year from 2002-11. Velocity is between 88 mph and 90 mph. Hasn't pitched in the AL since 2004 when went 14-12 for Boston. Average velocity 88 mph.

• RHP Slowey, 27, 0-8, 6.67: Limited to 14 appearances, including eight starts, for the Twins last year because of right shoulder bursitis and an oblique injury. Twins traded Slowey to Colorado in December. Throws fastball, slider, curve and change. Average velocity 89 mph.

• RHP Jeanmar Gomez, 23, 5-3, 4.47: Will compete with Slowey for fifth spot. Lefties hit .319 (36-for-113) against him. Won five straight starts after third call-up last year. Relieves on fastball and slider. Average velocity 90 mph.

• LHP David Huff, 27, 2-6, 4.09: Another candidate for the fifth spot. Went 9-3 at Class AAA Columbus, but 2-6 in 11 games, including 10 starts for Tribe. Average velocity 91 mph.

• LHP Scott Barnes, 23: He was 7-4 with a 3.68 ERA in 16 games, including 15 starts, at Columbus before tearing the ACL in his left knee. He'll be in the major-league camp this spring. Struck out 90 in 88 innings at Columbus. Average velocity 92 mph.

• RHP Zach McAllister, 24, 0-1, 6.11: Put in a good year at Columbus, going 12-3 with a 3.32 ERA. Made four starts, the first of his big-league career, with the Tribe. Will compete for fifth spot or could help during the season. Relies on his fastball and slider. Average velocity 91 mph.

• RHP Corey Kluber, 25, 0-0, 8.31: Made three relief appearances with the Tribe last year, but was 7-11 with a 5.56 ERA in 27 starts at Columbus. Lefties hit .400 (6-for-15) against him. Average velocity 92 mph.

Names to remember: Right-hander Austin Adams, a former college shortstop, hit 100 mph last year while going 11-10 with a 3.77 ERA in 26 starts for Class AA Akron. Lefties Matt Packer (9-12, 4.31) and T.J. McFarland (9-9, 3.87), who pitched with Adams at Akron last year, could help in the next couple of years.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Monday marked the start of seniors' final semester, and a new beginning for Anderson, who was back in school for the first time since a cancer diagnosis and the start of aggressive treatment in April.

KENT, Ohio -- It could not have been a more dreary Monday morning. A hard, cold rain turned melting snow into gray slush all around Ryan Anderson's home, so he was extra careful as he climbed into his red sport utility vehicle. It hardly seemed the appropriate backdrop to a triumphant moment for Anderson and a community that has passionately supported and been deeply inspired by him the past 10 months.

Anderson sat nervously behind the wheel as he steered into a long parade of headlights flowing through the dark toward Kent Roosevelt High. He was glad to be going with the current again after defeating a rare form of bone cancer that robbed him of a promising football future, but spared him his life and his rebuilt right leg.

Monday marked the start of seniors' final semester, and a new beginning for Anderson, who was back in school for the first time since his diagnosis and the start of aggressive treatment in April. Anderson, an old soul at 18, firmly grasped the moment's irony.

"Everybody is wanting to leave," he said of his 330 classmates, "and here I am wanting to come back."

Anderson spent most of the day trying to act like it was just another day, but inside, he knew it wasn't.

"Everything changed when I started treatment," he said. "Being able to be a part of school like everybody else is a big deal. I've missed the people. It's been so long."

It was a big deal. From the moment he walked through the glass doors, out of the dark and into the brightly lighted cafeteria, there were high-fives and hugs all around from teachers, administrators, close friends and casual acquaintances.

"I had forgot he was coming back today. Seeing him just made my day," said junior Raquel Wiggins, the first of many girls enveloped in the 6-5, 330-pound Anderson's still muscular arms and thick chest.

Sweat gleaming from his bald head -- he lost his dark brown hair during chemotherapy -- he smiled broadly as he plunked down at a table. A dozen kids quickly surrounded him.

"It's good to see him happy," said longtime friend and fellow lineman Curtis Black.

Anderson's return Monday seemed to have a calming effect on some of his peers.

"I haven't had much experience with cancer. It was an eye-opener that it can happen to young people, too," said senior Alex Rios. "Even now, this hasn't changed him at all. He has always been a very uplifting person, and even when he was sick, he was never down."

Perhaps no one was happier than his girlfriend of three years, senior Rachel Rosche, who was at Anderson's side throughout his treatment. They held hands as they walked toward their first-period classes. They paused in a swirl of students and kissed before parting ways.

"It's really exciting," she said. "I know he's excited. He loves school."

He also loves football.

More to life than football

"It was college; it was maybe the NFL," his mother, Sharon Zurbrugg, said wistfully as Ryan walked out the door Monday. Tears welled in her eyes. It was a big day for her, too.

Roosevelt coach John Nemec said in his 30 years of coaching, Anderson was one of two or three players for whom he could foresee a clear path to the NFL. Following his junior season, the big tackle received numerous college scholarships offers, which are all gone now.

Before beginning chemotherapy last year, doctors removed his right knee and six inches of his femur affected by cancer. He now has an artificial knee attached to a steel rod.

Anderson appears to have moved on from football quicker than some of those close to him.

"People thought football was my whole life," he said. "It was a misconception. There's a lot more to Ryan Anderson than football. I love school. I love football. I always thought that football is a terminal experience. You can't play forever. But you never, ever stop learning."

Anderson, who has a 3.4 grade-point average, kept up with school from home and will graduate on time in June. He plans to study business at Bowling Green this fall. It was clear Monday he hadn't lost any of his in-class ability to charm teachers and advance a discussion. In Pam Harr's Public Speaking II class, he was quick to offer astute critiques.

Anderson is one of those students whom teachers pull aside and suggest a career in education because of self-confidence mixed with humility, intelligence and an ability to relate to every type of student -- not to mention his inspirational qualities. Harr said she would like Anderson to speak at graduation.

That's why Anderson's diagnosis last spring -- osteogenic sarcoma -- came as a shock to the school. In 1992, another Roosevelt football player, Benny Cowgill, lost an arm to the same diagnosis. He became a kicker, but eventually lost his life to the disease. A statue of Cowgill, with one arm, stands inside Roosevelt's football stadium.

Anderson maintained from the start there would be no second statue. Nemec said that belief never wavered as Anderson suffered through surgeries and brutal chemotherapy treatments.

"'Suffered' is the perfect word," Nemec said. "Here was this positive, talkative, wonderful young boy who was suffering terribly. He didn't complain."

Nemec once tried to hold Anderson's head while he vomited during treatment, and Anderson yelled at his coach, telling him he could handle it on his own.

Anderson's physical limitations are decreasing daily. His leg strength and range of motion are in recovery mode. He walks with a slight limp. He admitted he still has sharp pains in his leg and feet. A side effect of chemotherapy was painful nerve damage, called neuropathy, in his feet.

While football is out of the question, Anderson harbors intentions to throw the shot put during track season. He has not received medical clearance.

He said the hardest part of being back in school now is endurance. He was tired by lunch. "It's kind of hard to pay attention," he said.

Many former cancer patients would call themselves survivors at this point. Anderson said he agrees with the label, to a point.

"I never thought anything else would happen. It never crossed my mind," he said.

On Twitter: @TimsTakePD

James has returned to the role in which he's most accustomed -- being his team's undisputed No. 1 option.

View full sizeAP photoWith Dwyane Wade out of the lineup, LeBron James has returned to his ball-dominating ways familiar to Cavaliers fans as he greets his old team to Miami on Tuesday night.

MIAMI -- LeBron James is playing some of his best basketball since joining the Miami Heat a season ago. All it took was an injury to the superstar who helped woo him from Cleveland in the first place.

It's foolish to suggest the Heat are a better team with Dwyane Wade out of the lineup -- although a 6-1 record in his absence is eye-opening. But with the shooting guard nursing a sprained right ankle, James has returned to the role in which he's most accustomed -- being his team's undisputed No. 1 option.

He's dominating the ball and the running the Heat offense from the wing, something Cavaliers' fans watched for seven seasons at The Q. They will likely see it again Tuesday night as the Heat (11-5) play the Cavaliers (6-9) in American Airlines Arena.

Miami coach Erik Spoelstra gave his club the day off Monday and James was not available prior to Sunday's 91-82 loss to Milwaukee, denying out-of-town reporters a chance to broach the subject. Needless to say, it's a sensitive topic for the high-profile club and not a new one.

Since the Big Three was birthed a year ago, questions have persisted as to whether James and Wade could coexist in the same offense. The fact they came within two wins of an NBA title is a compelling argument for the affirmative. But there's not another star tandem in the league with such a similar skill set. James and Wade are each slashers capable of carrying ateam offensively.

Wade already has won a title and is somebody who, despite the Finals setback against Dallas, enhanced his reputation as clutch playoff performer. James is missing both credits from an otherwise impressive portfolio. Chris Bosh, the Heat's third wheel, did James no favors in arecent GQ interview in which he said Wade is the teammate who should be taking the big shots at crunch time.

Why?

"Because of his success in the past, given what he's done," Bosh said. "He's a champ. He's an MVP, and he's hit a bunch of last-second shots. That's the time you have to put pride aside a little bit, and do what's best for the team. He's quickest, and he's gonna get a shot off. He relishes those moments."

James isn't going to alter that perception until he thrives in June and makes good on his promise to deliver championships. Until then, he can only keep building on his regular-season dominance. James is off to one of the finest starts of his career -- averaging 29.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists and shooting 56.4 percent from the field. All those numbers exceed his career totals.

In his second season, teammates say James is also more relaxed in his surroundings a year removed from The Decision and the astonishing publicity it generated.

"He's a lot a more comfortable, a lot more himself," Heat center Joel Anthony said. "Obviously, it was a whirlwind of a season last year."

Added Mario Chalmers: "He's not thinking as much on the court and the big thing is he's more energetic. [Getting through last season] has taken a lot of pressure off him. He doesn't seem to be worrying about what people say about him."

James told ESPN in the preseason his goals were to have more fun and eschew a villain's role born from a nationally-televised breakup with Cleveland and perpetuated by his post-Finals South Beach diatribe to his detractors: "They have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. ... They have the same personal problems they had today."

Wade's ankle will be rehabilitated before James' image, but his coach appreciates how hard the Akron native continues to work.

"He's very committed and very focused as he was last year," Spoelstra said. "What I've said is if he happens to do that with a smile on his face this year I don't have a problem with that. ... He put a lot of time in over the summer to improve his game. Not many two-time MVPs really have that mindset to [say] 'Hey, I want more and to get greedy and improve more facets of his game' and he's arguably the most complete player already in this game for a long time.

"That has set a tone, a strong message to the rest of the team not to be satisfied with our Finals appearance last year."

The Cavs get their first look at James this season on Tuesday. With his friend and teammate still on the mend, it's a look that resembles the player who flourished in a wine-and-gold uniform.