The energetic power forward was selected by Cleveland with the fourth overall pick in last June's draft. Links to more Cavs stories. And, a couple early NBA mock drafts.

Thomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerCavaliers rookie Tristan Thompson (with the basketball) has one rebound per every 3.2 minutes played this season, an excellent ratio.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are on a five-game winning streak and there haven't been many bright spots during the skid.

Rookie power forward Tristan Thompson, though, continues to show that he may prove worthy of being the fourth overall pick -- which the Cavs made him -- in last June's NBA draft.

The 6-9 Thompson is averaging 7.1 points and 6.0 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game. He needs to improve his shooting. Though most of his field goal attempts come from within a few feet of the basket, he's making just 43 percent of them. And, he's hitting just 48 percent of his free throws.

Thompson makes his presence known on both ends of the floor -- though he still has much to learn -- with his energy around the basket. And, chances are, his shooting will improve. Bob Finnan, in his "three points and NBA rumor mill," writes for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal that Thompson seems to work on his game:

It’s clear what the Cavs saw in Thompson. If he’s willing to work on his game, he could be a big-time player. From all accounts, he wants to be better.

Thompson's playing time has increased due to the absence of center Anderson Varejao, who has missed the last 11 games with a fractured wrist.

Thompson has played 24.2 minutes per game over the last eight games, and is averaging 8.5 points and 8.4 rebounds. Over that stretch, his field goal shooting has remained stuck at 43 percent. He has made 57 percent of his free throws (16 of 28).

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Cavaliers coverage includes Tom Reed's story on some of the Cavs' current problems; his "Hey, Tom!;' " Reed's NBA Insider, featuring how the Cavs' salary cap status gives them options; his Cavaliers Insider; his game story on the Cavaliers' 101-98 loss at Washington on Saturday night; and much more.

The Cavaliers host the Utah Jazz (17-19) on Monday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

Cavs post-ups

Bob Finnan of the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal writes more about Thompson, with some Cavs notes, too.

Observations on Cleveland's loss at Washington. From Cavs: The Blog.

As the March 15 trade deadline approaches, rumors continue that the Cavs could trade point guard Ramon Sessions. Mike Chiari, for the Bleacher Report, writes about the best possible scenarios for Sessions.

Fourth-quarter rally falls short. By Joe Gabriele for nba.com/cavaliers.

Washington ends its six-game losing streak by holding off the Cavaliers. By Carla Peay for the Washington Times.

A 2012 NBA mock draft, by draftexpress.com.

And, another mock draft, on nbadraft.net.

Gregg Williams ran the Washington defense from 2004-07 and the New Orleans' defense the last three seasons.

Associated PressGregg Williams (photo) was New Orleans' defensive coordinator the last three seasons and Washington's from 2004-07.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The NFL may have another "bounty program" problem to deal with.

The Washington Post reports that the league will investigate claims that Washington Redskins players were paid bonuses for making big hits on opponents between the 2004 and 2007 seasons.

Gregg Williams was Washington's defensive coordinator during those seasons. Williams, recently hired to run the St. Louis Rams' defense, was the coordinator for the New Orleans Saints the last three seasons, including their 2009 Super Bowl champion campaign.

The NFL announced on Friday that the Saints violated league rules by running a bounty program while Williams coached their defense. The league is expected to assess penalties, potentially significant ones, against the Saints.

Williams has apologized for his role in the Saints' "bounty program." Jim Thomas writes about Williams' apology for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Mike Jones writes for the Washington Post:

A former Redskins coach and five players said Friday that the team’s defense under Williams had a system to reward players with cash for hits that knocked opponents from games as well as other plays, including interceptions and fumble recoveries. Former defensive end Phillip Daniels, now the Redsksins’ director of player development, acknowledged the practice but defended Williams, saying the approach promoted “good, hard football.” Others spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Former Redskins safety, now commentator, Matt Bowen also confirmed the practice, describing the Redskins’ bounty program, along with the incentives behind it, in the Chicago Tribune on Friday.

If the Crusaders defeat Detroit on Tuesday, look for the profile of junior forward Ryan Broekhoff to soar during March Madness.

View full sizeTerry Gilliam, Associated PressValparaiso's Ryan Broekhoff induced Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas to join the NCAA paratroopers' club with this fake in a game last November. Broekhoff has been the dominant player in the Horizon League this season, and is one game away from an NCAA Tournament dance card.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Everyone's Cinderella, the Butler Bulldogs, will likely miss the NCAA Tournament field as an at-large team with a 20-13 record. But the Horizon League's top seed, Valparaiso, is one game away from reaching the dance.

If the Crusaders defeat Detroit on Tuesday, look for the profile of junior forward Ryan Broekhoff to soar. The sharpshooting, shaggy-haired blond is a highlight reel unto himself with his high-arcing jumpers and long-striding drives to the hoop.

The Horizon League Player of the Year put on a stellar performance in a dominating 65-46 victory over Butler Saturday. He scored 18 points with 16 rebounds, flying all over the court. If the Crusaders top the Titans, Broekhoff won't be alone as a story line. He will bring his coach, Bryce Drew, as well.

It was Drew who made an iconic last-second shot for Valpo in 1998 against Mississippi for one of the NCAA Tournament's major upsets. This would be Drew's first trip back to the NCAA Tournament since then.

Coach of the Year: Bill Self, Kansas; Frank Haith, Missouri and Jim Boeheim, Syracuse.

Sentiment for Haith for making a gourmet salad out of a team with absolutely no post play grew during the season. But down the stretch the Tigers (27-4) have had a few struggles, and an extended tournament run is now in question.

At this point in his career, Boeheim's coaching is taken for granted. But Syracuse has sat atop the Big East and inside the top five all season. He has clearly held it all together at Syracuse (30-1) amidst an ugly sex abuse scandal brewing around a former assistant, and very well could win it all in 2012.

But the pick is Self for doing more with less. This traditional Big 12 power was expected to be an also-ran in its conference. But the Jayhawks, playing in arguably the deepest league in the country, held up against Missouri, Baylor, Kansas State, Texas and Iowa State to finish the regular season strong.

Kansas is projected to be one of the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Should the Jayhawks avoid an early-round upset -- a nemesis over the years -- they would not be a surprise to land in the Final Four.

Player of the Year: Anthony Davis, Kentucky; Doug McDermott, Creighton and Thomas Robinson, Kansas.

To have Davis' defensive presence all over the court as a rookie is phenomenal. A 6-10, 237-pound junior, Robinson (18.0 ppg, 11.9 rpg) emerged from a role player into a legitimate star. Creighton's 6-8 sophomore, McDermott (22.9 ppg) carried a very good BlueJays team most of the season.

But here are the numbers for the 6-10, 220-pound Davis. He is averaging 14.1 points on 66.1 percent shooting, with 9.8 rebounds and 4.7 blocked shots. He has 13 double doubles. His signature blocks are not under the hoop, but while flying out on the wing to swat away 3-pointers.

Food for thought: One week from Selection Sunday, a few things to keep in mind.

The lowest RPI team outside of the big six conferences (ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big-12, SEC, Pac 12) not to make the 2011 NCAA Tournament field was No. 35 Harvard. The lowest RPI team from a big six conference to miss was No. 58 Boston College (21-13, 9-7). BC was also the only team from a big six league with a .500 league record that did not make the field.

But 2012 will be the exception to the rule. There are at least a dozen teams from major conferences with league records of .500 or worse considered NCAA Tournament worthy. Yet it is hard to see more than four or five getting an at-large berth. One conference, the Pac 12, is flirting with being a one-bid league.

Among the big schools on the bubble are defending national champion UConn, Texas, Northwestern, Mississippi State, West Virginia and Arizona.

Will Buford's last-second shot beats the Spartans and gives Ohio State a share of the Big Ten championship. "About time," he said.

View full sizeAl Goldis, Associated PressWilliam Buford didn't hold any of his emotions back after his last-second jumper gave Ohio State a 72-70 victory over Michigan State on Sunday.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The Ohio State players call William Buford "Willie B." They call him Will too, of course, but Willie B. is more to the point. Willie B. should be how fans, teammates, coaches and reporters frame the questions that surround the Buckeyes' only senior.

As in, Willie B. good? Or Willie B. be bad? Willie B. miss, make or leave no impression at all? Willie B. never learned to lead so well, but he can stroke the ball like ringing a bell.

Or not.

Anyway, the final shot of Buford's final regular season was a 20 1/2-footer, taken close enough to the 20-foot, 9-inch arc to first be called a 3-pointer, and it beat Michigan State, 72-70. It brought his team all the way back from dead except in the math, two games behind with two to play, 15 points behind Sunday in the first half, to tri-champions in the Big Ten along with Michigan State and Michigan.

Buford made seven of 10 shots in the second half and scored 19 of his 25 points. Asked what he thought when the shot was net cords-flying, go, Willie, go, Willie B. good, he said, "About time."

He has had these chances before, after all. Buford hit the 3-pointer that killed Wisconsin, redeeming a poor game and giving coach Thad Matta his first-ever victory in Madison. He saved the Purdue game with a career-high 29 points. He teased everyone into thinking he was ready for a big March run with 24 points at Minnesota.

He followed Purdue with four points in Columbus in the first game against the Spartans and followed Minnesota with six on Senior Day last weekend in Columbus against Wisconsin. Both were losses. He preceded Sunday's breakout with six points in the hairbreadth escape at Northwestern. He preceded his superb second half with a 1-for-4, six-point first half.

All OSU fans remember his 16th shot and 14th miss concluded the shocking two-point loss to Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 last season.

Players like Buford can drive coaches crazy because they never know what they are going to get. Still, Matta knew Buford had the hot hand, and -- since Buford was (see Kentucky) likely to shoot even if he did not -- the coach liked his chances.

After a timeout with 24.7 seconds to play and the shot clock turned off, Matta designed a double screen by Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas with the intent of freeing Aaron Craft from the tight defense of the Spartans' Keith Appling and creating a driving lane.

Ohio State got into the play late, as the screaming students packed into the Breslin Center's "Izzone," named for Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, reached a deafening pitch. Craft began his move with seven seconds left instead of 10, the desired time for a putback in case of a miss. Feinting and pulling back, Craft had no opening as the scream machine red-lined.

Buford came off the double screen, shaking his defender, Brandon Wood, and took Craft's handoff. Appling, five inches shorter at 6-1, switched to him.

Shooting is practice, but it is also rhythm. Buford took two quick dribbles to set up a shot sweet as a song's rhyme.

"I knew I had a smaller man on me, so I knew I'd get a good look," said Buford.

He didn't get that good a look. Appling's hand was right in front of the ball, just as Craft's hand had been obstructing the 3-pointer Brandon Paul hit to clinch Illinois' victory over OSU in Champaign. Buford had to fade slightly to get clearance. The clock read 0.8 of a second when the ball nestled into the net, but it was reset to a full second.

After four timeouts and a 30-foot heave that missed everything by Michigan State's Draymond Green, it was over. Great game, great theater, and still not really any indication of Willie B.'s play in the sequels to come.

"They love me when I make it. They hate me when I miss it," Buford said, shrugging. "All that matters to me is what my coaches and teammates think."

Sullinger is the most publicized Buckeye. What he said was a rebuke to those who questioned the Buckeyes' chemistry and their bond with one another.

"You don't have to like Will Buford. We do," he said. "At the end, it's how we feel about Will, and we trust Will with that shot all the time."

On Twitter: @LivyPD

Roe was forced by multiple knee injuries to end his playing career, but was brought back by coach Tom Izzo to wear the green and white again

View full sizeAP fileHis college career cut short by injury, former St. Edward star Delvon Roe had one more day with the Spartans on Sunday.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Senior Days were tough on the Big Ten this season. Only four of the 12 teams -- Purdue, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Indiana -- won their final home game of the season. Ohio State messed up three Senior Days -- their own, as the Buckeyes lost to Wisconsin last week, and Northwestern's and Michigan State's by beating the Wildcats and Spartans this week.

In fact, all three conference co-champs -- Michigan State, Ohio State and Michigan -- lost on Senior Day, with the Spartans falling to the Buckeyes, 72-70, on Sunday on senior William Buford's game-winning shot with one second left.

"His Senior Night got messed up," Jared Sullinger said of Buford. "He got to mess up somebody else's Senior Night. I thought it was awesome."

For Michigan State senior Delvon Roe, it wasn't possible for his final home game in a Spartan uniform to be ruined. The former St. Ed star was just thankful to be out there.

Roe was forced by multiple knee injuries to end his playing career before this season, but he was brought back on Sunday by coach Tom Izzo to wear the green and white again and take part in the entire day with his former teammates.

"It was probably a day that will be one of the greatest days of my life," Roe said on the Breslin Center court after the postgame senior ceremonies, during which he addressed the crowd with the rest of the seniors. "It was a very emotional day. To warm up with the team and be with the team the whole day, it was great. And it really showed how much Coach appreciated me and how much I appreciated Coach and how far our relationship has come."

Roe will graduate this spring with a degree in theater, and he is already well into his acting career and plans to move to Los Angeles. On Sunday, he was a basketball player again, the player who won two Big Ten titles and helped the Spartans to two Final Fours in the three seasons that he was on the court.

"I know the player I was coming out of high school, and I know I didn't live up to those expectations because of injuries," Roe said. "People might say, 'I feel sorry for you.' Don't feel sorry for me. I had the opportunity to do things a lot of people never had the opportunity to do in their lives, play in Detroit in the Final Four and Indianapolis in the Final Four.

"I'm happy."

Thankful Wolverines: Michigan won a share of its first Big Ten championship since 1986 when the Wolverines won at Penn State and then saw the Buckeyes beat Michigan State, forging a three-way tie at 13-5.

Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com wrote that Michigan's Tim Hardway Jr. said that watching the end of the Ohio State game, "the scene felt like Ohio State was our best friends."

Ohio State coach Thad Matta said after the game that he thought coming into the season even a 12-6 record might win the Big Ten, but "13-5 was god enough for three of us."

Asked if the Buckeyes gained some Wolverine fans Sunday, Matta said, "I'm sure we did. Congratulations to them and congratulations to Michigan State."

Michigan State's Draymond Green should edge Ohio State's Jared Sullinger for Big Ten player of the year.

View full sizeAl Goldis, Associated PressDraymond Green made his affection for Michigan State obvious with this gesture after Sunday's 72-70 loss to Ohio State at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The two leading candidates for Big Ten Player of the Year were a combined 11-for-35 with the conference title on the line Sunday.

In their first matchup earlier this year, Ohio State's Jared Sullinger and Michigan State's Draymond Green were a combined 10-for-31. So in two games against each other, Green and Sullinger took 66 shots and made just 21.

Honestly, both were rather good the rest of the season though, and that's why they are the leading candidates for the conference's top honors. The Big Ten will announce its award winners and All-Big Ten members on the Big Ten Network Monday at 7 p.m.

As a year ago, when Purdue's JaJuan Johnson was the Player of the Year, Sullinger probably must settle for a strong second.

Green was the do-everything leader for the Spartans, and his versatility and leadership will probably give him the edge over Sullinger's scoring and rebounding, especially since Sullinger had some rough games last week, including his eight-point effort against Wisconsin last Sunday. Sullinger himself said he'd vote for Green, and while his remark was gracious, it's probably also correct.

"He'll get my vote, and I'm not so sure that was the case at the beginning of the year," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said of one of his all-time favorite players, while also praising Sullinger and Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor.

Green was first on the ballot I submitted to the Big Ten on Sunday night (a little late, sorry conference officials), with Sullinger second and Indiana freshman center Cody Zeller third. An even tougher vote was for Freshman of the Year, where I voted for Zeller after giving Michigan point guard Trey Burke strong consideration. That race is a tossup.

Izzo, for sharing the title with a team that was ranked outside the top 25 in the preseason and picked to finish fourth, earned my Coach of the Year vote.

Joining Green, Sullinger and Zeller on my first-team All-Big Ten ballot were Purdue's Robbie Hummel and Northwestern's John Shurna. Burke headlined my second team, joined by Wisconsin's Taylor, Penn State's Tim Frazier, Iowa's Matt Gatens, and, after much consideration, Ohio State's William Buford.

Buford's 19-point second-half and game-winning shot moved him up.

Tournament talk: Michigan State is the No. 1 seed, Michigan No. 2 and Ohio State No. 3 for the Big Ten Tournament based on tiebreakers. But the team to watch in Indianapolis might be No. 5 Indiana.

The Spartans will be hurt without starter Branden Dawson, who tore his ACL on Sunday, but the Hoosiers are on a four-game winning streak after beating Michigan State and Purdue this week and could have quite a homecourt edge with fans fired up by this bounceback season.

Indiana does not get a first-round bye and opens with No. 12 Penn State. The team with the most on the line is No. 7 Northwestern. The top six seeds are safely in the NCAA Tournament, while No. 8 Iowa, No. 9 Illinois and No. 10 Minnesota are out unless they win the tournament's automatic bid.

Some think Northwestern just needs a win over Minnesota to get in, but the Wildcats very well may need another victory over No. 2 Michigan, a team they lost to in overtime twice in the regular season, to pad their resume.

Akron, Buffalo, Ohio and Kent State have byes to either the semifinals (Akron, Buffalo) or the quarterfinals (Ohio, KSU).

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Mid-American Conference begins its new postseason tournament format Monday, which is the basketball version of class warfare between the haves and have nots.

Akron, Buffalo, Ohio and Kent State have byes to either the semifinals (Akron, Buffalo) or the quarterfinals (Ohio, KSU), and have a shortened path to win the MAC's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

The have nots, including West Division champion Eastern Michigan and fast-improving Bowling Green, must win five games in six days. Here are the first-round pairings on campus sites, with winners advancing the The Q on Wednesday. All games are at 7 p.m.

No. 12 seed Northern Illinois (4-25) at No. 5 Eastern Michigan (14-17): EMU coach Rob Murphy delivered a Coach of the Year performance nursing the Eagles to respectability. NIU had its moments, but not many of them.

No. 9 Ball State (15-14) at No. 8 Western Michigan (12-19): Now healthy, WMU is capable of a long run. The Broncos held a second-half lead on every East power, both home and on the road, but could not finish. BSU has firepower for an upset.

No. 10 Miami (9-20) at No. 7 Toledo (16-15): The Rockets can score, but depth is a concern. Miami head coach Charlie Coles is back on the bench after a short hospital stay.

No. 11 Central Michigan (10-20) at No. 6 Bowling Green (16-14): BG was the toughest out in the league down the stretch, upsetting Kent State and extending both Akron and Buffalo. CMU is another MAC underachiever.

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

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerGuard Daniel Gibson and the Cavaliers will host the Utah Jazz tonight at 7 in a game that will be televised by Fox Sports Ohio and broadcast on WTAM/1100-AM.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today on the air

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

BASEBALL

3:05 p.m. INDIANS vs. Cincinnati, WTAM/1100-AM

(Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Indians coverage)

CYCLING

4:30 p.m. Paris-Nice, Stage 2 (tape), NBC Sports Network

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL

7 p.m. Wellington vs. Norwayne, WOBL/1320-AM

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

7 p.m. Colonial Tournament final, Drexel vs. Virginia Commonwealth, ESPN

7 p.m. MAAC Tournament final, Fairfield vs. Loyola (Md.), ESPN2

9 p.m. WCC Tournament final, Saint Mary’s vs. Gonzaga, ESPN

9 p.m. Southern Tournament final, W. Carolina vs. Davidson or Elon, ESPN2

NBA

7 p.m. Utah at CAVALIERS, Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM/1100-AM (preview)

(Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Cavaliers coverage)

8 p.m. Dallas at Oklahoma City, NBATV

8 p.m. Indiana at Chicago, WGN

NHL

8 p.m. Buffalo at Winnipeg, NBC Sports Network

TENNIS

11:30 p.m. Exhibition, Roger Federer vs. Andy Roddick (tape), ESPN2

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Noon MAAC Tournament, Fairfield vs. Marist, ESPNU

3 p.m. WCC Tournament, Gonzaga vs. BYU, ESPNU

5 p.m. Atlantic 10 Tournament final, St. Bonaventure vs. Dayton, ESPN2

6 p.m. Big East Tournament semi, West Virginia vs. Notre Dame, ESPNU

8 p.m. Big East Tournament semi, St. John’s vs. UConn or Rutgers, ESPNU

James will promote Dunkin's brands in China, Taiwan, India and South Korea through advertisements, online media and in-store marketing, Dunkin' said. James will also make personal appearances in Asia after the season ends in June.

View full sizeAssociated Press fileMiami Heat forward LeBron James (6) backs down on Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant during the first half of their NBA basketball game in Los Angeles. Dunkin' Brands Inc. said today that NBA superstar James agreed to promote Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins ice cream in Asia where the company has about a third of its stores.

SINGAPORE -- Dunkin' Brands Inc. said today that NBA superstar LeBron James has agreed to promote Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins ice cream in Asia where the company has about a third of its stores.

James will promote Dunkin's brands in China, Taiwan, India and South Korea through advertisements, online media and in-store marketing, Dunkin' said. James will also make personal appearances in Asia after the season ends in June.

Dunkin' executive John Costello declined to give the terms of the deal, but said it was multiyear and worth multimillions of dollars.

"I'm really excited about partnering with Dunkin' Brands and connecting with the huge community of basketball fans" in Asia, James said in a statement.

James, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, has the best-selling basketball jersey and shoe in China and has visited Asia four times. China is the NBA's second-biggest market after the U.S., and NBA players often visit Asia on behalf of shoe companies or other sponsors during the offseason.

Dunkin' is hoping James' popularity will help boost sales in a region where it has about 5,400 stores, or about a third of its global total. Dunkin' plans to add at least 250 stores in Asia during the next two to three years, Chief Executive Nigel Travis said.

Dunkin' opened its first restaurant in Vietnam in December and plans to open its inaugural store in India later this year, Travis said. South Korea has the most Dunkin' stores in Asia with about 1,900 while Japan has 1,087 -- all Baskin-Robbins.

The company plans to boosts its total shops in China by 100 over the next few years from a current 150, Travis said.

The James deal "is Asia focused and reflects our commitment to Asia," Travis told reporters in Singapore. "LeBron has a strong commitment to building his relationship in Asia so he's definitely planning multiple trips to Asia in the offseason this year."

The popularity of basketball in Asia has grown during the last decade, in part because of former Houston Rockets center Yao Ming of China, who retired last year. New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin has become an overnight sensation in Asia, especially in China and Taiwan. Lin, whose parents were born in Taiwan, is the first Asia-American player in the NBA.

Costello said Dunkin is happy to have snagged James, who has been an All-Star for eight seasons.

Lin "certainly is an exciting new player with 20 games to his history," said Costello, who is Dunkin's chief global marketing and innovation officer. "But LeBron James has had a fabulous nine years. We think the excitement around Jeremy Lin will actually create more awareness in Asia."

James, 27, is in his ninth NBA season since turning professional straight out of high school. His Miami Heat lost in last year's finals to the Dallas Mavericks.

Mike Tyson doing a live variety show might seem as likely as Henry Kissinger hosting a rodeo. But the man who once threw punches at the MGM Grand Garden Arena will now tell stories at the MGM Grand Hollywood Theatre.

APFormer heavyweight champ Mike Tyson's Las Vegas stage show should come as no surprise.

For a half-century, the biggest names in entertainment have headlined their own shows in Las Vegas: Sinatra and Elvis; Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.; Wayne Newton and Tom Jones; Liza Minnelli, Barry Manilow, Bette Midler and Celine Dion; Liberace and Danny Gans; Siegfried & Roy and Penn & Teller.

And now, Mike Tyson.

Tyson doing a live variety show might seem as likely as Henry Kissinger hosting a rodeo. But the man who once threw punches at the MGM Grand Garden Arena will now tell stories at the MGM Grand Hollywood Theatre.

“Mike Tyson: UNDISPUTED TRUTH — Live on Stage” is scheduled for a one-week run April 13-18. Of course, if every show sells out, maybe they will extend the run. On the other hand, if Tyson knocks himself out in 91 seconds, it might be a one-night stand.

Tickets in the 740-seat theater start at $99.99, with “special VIP packages” available for $499.99. For that price, you should get a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear.

The show is billed as a multimedia, no-holds-barred presentation of his life story, with an unfiltered Tyson peeling back layers of triumph and tragedy.

Why is he doing it?

Uh, he needs the money — despite career boxing earnings exceeding $300 million, Tyson declared bankruptcy in 2003. Coming soon to Caesars Palace: “Allen Iverson: DISPUTED TRUTH — Live on Stage.” Naturally, Iverson will hold no rehearsals.

Actually, Tyson, 45, might be rather engaging in a theatrical setting. In a city full of characters, Tyson is as eerily fascinating as any famous person in Las Vegas lore, other than, I suppose, Howard Hughes, whose entire life was a one-man show.

Besides, “Menopause the Musical” has been a Las Vegas staple at Luxor since 2006, so why not “ ‘Iron Mike’: Midlife Crisis”?

(Column intermission: My High School Team of Destiny, Springbrook of Silver Spring, Md., saw its state title hopes end with a hard-fought, excruciating 51-48 home overtime defeat to Sherwood in the region final. No one’s to blame, but I have grounded my stepson, Isaiah, a sophomore forward, until he’s 21. And in light of the gut-wrenching loss, I will now walk all the way back to L.A., unless someone wants to carry me.)

Will Iron Mike spin yarns and tell jokes like Garrison Keillor or Don Rickles? Maybe — he’s an engaging speaker with a sense of humor.

Will he sing? Perhaps — he warbled in “The Hangover Part II.”

Will he dance? It’s possible — he’s been on “Dancing With the Stars” in Argentina and Italy.

In truth, Tyson has morphed into an entertainment middleweight.

He has appeared in “The Hangover” and “The Hangover Part II” and has a role in next year’s “The Hangover Part III.”

He stars on Animal Planet’s “Taking on Tyson,” his pigeon-racing reality show. There was the documentary, “Tyson,” and now the upcoming Spike Lee-directed HBO series, “Da Brick,” based on Tyson’s life. That project evolved from a guest spot on HBO’s “Entourage.”

The man has three producer credits, for goodness’ sake. Heck, I can’t get a lunch reservation in Beverly Hills, and Tyson is taking pitch meetings at Warner Brothers!

Furthermore — for those doubting Tyson’s entertainment chops — there are certain similarities between putting on a boxing show and putting on a Las Vegas show. In the ring, you come out and try to knock your opponent senseless; on stage, you come out and try to kill the audience.

If nothing, the specter of disaster — sort of like watching the Daytona 500 to see if there is going to be a sensational jet-fuel fire — looms with any Mike Tyson moment. At the height of his boxing days, Tyson was a fearsome figure to behold. It was next to impossible to pass by a TV screen, see Tyson in the ring and not stop to watch.

For my money — well, to be honest, I’ll be looking for a comp — I believe Tyson will surprise us in his latest incarnation. Expect the unexpected.

Maybe Robin Givens will show up, like Lilith on “Frasier.”

Ask The Slouch

Q.The start of spring training in baseball is signified by the term “pitchers and catchers.” Is there a catchy phrase accompanying the start of your marriages?

— Mike Cortese, Cleveland

A.Prenups and cataclysms.

Q.Is regular household bleach a strong enough ocular disinfectant after mistakenly viewing Pete Weber’s post-U.S. Open victory tirade?

— Jim Amedeo, Middletown, Md.

A.Pay the man, Shirley.

Q.Instead of Senior Night for the last game of the season, wouldn’t it be more appropriate for John Calipari to hold Freshman Night?

— Scott D. Shuster, Watertown, Mass.

A.Pay the cynic, Shirley.

Q.My snob son insists on going to college. To counter the liberal indoctrination, should I insist he join the lacrosse team?

— John O’Brien, Pittsburgh

A.Pay the conservative, Shirley.

Q.If the BCS goes to a four-team playoff, won’t the fifth SEC team feel snubbed?

— Tom Krupinski, Gainesville, Va.

A.Pay the smartest guy in the room, 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.

Today live at noon on "PD Sports Insider", join Dennis Manoloff and Glenn Moore, with Mary Schmidt Boyer in studio to talk Cavaliers. Bud Shaw will be live from Goodyear, Arizona and talking Tribe.

Watch today live at noon.

What has been the main problem with the Cavaliers since the All-Star break? Should the Cavs look to next year or still compete for a playoff spot now? What position battles should we pay attention to during spring training?

Today live at noon on "PD Sports Insider", join Dennis Manoloff and Glenn Moore, with Mary Schmidt Boyer in studio to talk Cavaliers. Bud Shaw will be live from Goodyear, Arizona and talking Tribe.

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.

Is the NFL bounty issue a big deal?

David J. Phillip / Associated PressNFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

The NFL, a professional football league where players get hurt on a daily basis, is now investigating an alleged bounty system by the Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints under defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

Williams and several New Orleans Saints players employed an illegal bounty system, financially rewarding defensive players for big plays, including knocking opponents out of games during the 2009-11 seasons.

Bounty or not, football is violent and players get hurt. But news of a bounty does not sit well with commissioner Roger Goodell. Is he making too big of an issue out of this?
 

  Rarely has an athlete spun such notoriety from so little time actually competing. For “Don’t Put Me In, Coach,” Mark Titus essentially reproduces “Club Trillion,” his sporadically revealing blog about four years as a walk-on benchwarmer on Ohio State’s nationally ranked basketball team. (“Club Trillion” gets its name from the line on a basketball box score. When a...

The Plain DealerDon't Put Me In Coach, Doubleday, 257 pp, $24.95

For “Don’t Put Me In, Coach,” Mark Titus essentially reproduces “Club Trillion,” his sporadically revealing blog about four years as a walk-on benchwarmer on Ohio State’s nationally ranked basketball team. (“Club Trillion” gets its name from the line on a basketball box score. When a player plays one minute of a game but collects no other stats, his line score reads like the number 1 trillion.)

Of course, to even make a Division I roster takes considerable talent. On these pages, Titus plays himself off as a bumbling space-filler, but in fact he played standout high school and AAU ball in Indiana, the cradle of the game.

In 2006, Titus, who had visions of becoming an orthopedic surgeon, followed AAU superstar teammates Greg Oden and Mike Conley to Ohio State, a fallback choice when Harvard lost interest. His college playing career — which consisted of scoring 9 points in four years — began pathetically. He signed on as a team manager first before being asked to fill a vacant spot on the 2006-07 Buckeyes.

And he stuck around. Every good bench player knows his role, and Titus’ was comic relief. (He thanks Jimmy Kimmel in his acknowledgments.) Coach Thad Matta seemed to find him good for team chemistry. His wacky, unpredictable humor kept the team loose — at least when he wasn’t baiting exasperated teammates until they came after him.

Titus calls Evan Turner — the best college player in the country — “The Villain” for his temper and general moodiness.

The author lived for garbage time — the last minute or two of a blowout,
when he’d finally hit the hardwood. And fans connected with that, not just in Columbus, but throughout the Big Ten, where blog readers wore “Club Tril” gear and chanted his name.

Stylistically, “Don’t Put Me In” is stream-of-consciousness stuff pumped out of the locker room, as vulgar as you’d guess. (He includes a lewd color photo of himself, mugging with a trophy.) Worse is his rambling, run-on prose — a Red Bull-induced full-court press.

Nonetheless, after an interview with sportswriter Bill Simmons, editor-in-chief of Grantland.com, the career in medicine went on hold. Titus is now a Grantland contributor.

Beneath the goofiness and toilet humor are a few glimpses of candor. Titus actually longed to play and cried on senior night when his basketball career was through.

Back when Titus was a junior, Matta frankly told him that a walk-on would never get playing time over a scholarship player. “And so,” he writes, “when two years of giving it my all and playing the best basketball of my life didn’t get me anywhere, I decided to change my focus, just have fun, and stop giving anything that could even remotely be interpreted as a s¤-¤-¤-.” 

Lubinger is a sports reporter for The Plain Dealer.To reach Bill Lubinger: mail to books@plaind.com.

If not RG3, what about Ryan Tannehill of Texas A&M?

APRyan Tannehill

The Cleveland Browns are probably in search of quarterback when it comes to the upcoming NFL Draft, and it appears they have strong interest in Robert Griffin III. But what if the Browns pass up Griffin and take someone else?

Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald writes how Andrew Luck and Griffin III are not the only quarterbacks in the draft projected to have successful NFL careers.

What about Ryan Tannehill from Texas A&M?

Tannehill, 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, is bigger and stronger than Colt McCoy, but he has red flags sticking like post-it notes to his scouting report. He broke his foot in January, and he started only 19 career games at quarterback for the Aggies. McCoy had more than twice as many victories in college (45) than Tannehill had starts.

If Tannehill is Plan B for the Browns, they might have to take him higher than is he ranked by most draft analysts, but they wouldn’t have to use the fourth pick on him, writes Schudel.

So what would the Browns be getting if they have to settle for Tannehill? NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock says Tannehill is better than Jake Locker, who went eighth to the Titans last year, and Christian Ponder, who went to the Vikings with the 12th pick. Neither distinguished himself as a rookie last year.

More Cleveland Browns

The Browns are unwilling to trade their No. 22 pick to the Rams, writes Nate Ulrich on Ohio.com and Mary Kay Cabot on Cleveland.com.

Braylon Edwards is No. 1 when it comes to this list compiled by Steve Doerschuk of CantonRep.com.

Josh Cribbs says the CIA possibility for Peyton Hillis was created by Hillis' agent, writes Jeff Schudel on MourningJournal.com.

Here's some blog information on the Cleveland Browns in the Daily Dawg Chow.

Reduces list of premier wideouts the Cleveland Browns could have been interested in. During the last two seasons, Johnson became the first Bills player ever to record consecutive 1,000-yard receiving campaigns.

Associated PressStevie Johnson (with the football) has signed a five-year, $36.25 million contract extension with the Buffalo Bills.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — After the Buffalo Bills took a chance on Stevie Johnson, the flamboyant receiver decided to return the favor.

Johnson signed a five-year, $36.25 million contract extension on Monday with the Bills, a week before he was set to become an unrestricted free agent.

“I want to do all I can to make sure and let them know they didn’t make a mistake,” Johnson said. “I want to make sure they look good. This is where I started, and I wanted to remain loyal to them.”

Johnson, 25, was all smiles after he signed the deal that will keep him reunited with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. The two have developed a strong relationship, and are viewed as a key cog in the Bills’ youth movement.

“I’m fired up,” Fitzpatrick said in a conference call on Monday. “This shows a lot about Stevie, and this shows a lot about where the Bills are headed. Being our go-to guy in the receiving corps and being a huge playmaker for us, it was a must in terms of re-signing him.”

Bills general manager Buddy Nix was also happy to have signed his No. 1 receiver on the last day for teams to designate prospective free agents with the franchise tag. Applying the tag on Johnson would have cost the Bills about $9.4 million next season.

“It’s a good day for us,” he said. “Our football team got better. One of our philosophies coming in is that we wanted to keep our good players here. We were able to do that with Steve Johnson. It goes without saying what he’s done the past two years, and I think it’s just going to get better.”

After being selected in the seventh round of the 2008 draft, Johnson emerged in 2010 when he led the Bills with a career-high 82 catches for 1,073 yards and 10 touchdowns. He followed that up this past season with 76 receptions, and became the first player in team history to record consecutive 1,000-yard receiving campaigns.

He has 170 catches for 2,189 yards and 19 touchdowns in 48 games during his four-year career.

The Bills would have been dealt a big blow had they not re-signed Johnson. Perennially one of the worst offensive teams in the league, they began making strides last year in Fitzpatrick’s second year as the starting quarterback. Buffalo finished 14th in the NFL in yards gained, its best ranking since finishing 11th in 2002 under the direction of quarterback Drew Bledsoe.

Johnson has been a big part of that resurgence.

“We’ve developed a great relationship,” said Fitzpatrick, who signed a six-year, $59 million contract extension in October. “To be able to continue that and see that grow for the next few years is going to be great. Chan (Gailey) and Buddy have a plan in place and this shows that we’re on the right track. We’re going to keep the guys that perform, and continue upon what we’ve done.”

This past season was a turbulent one for Johnson. He fought through injuries to his shoulder, groin, and hand, and also landed in hot water for his over-the-top celebrations. He was benched for the final three quarters of the Bills’ finale at New England after being flagged a second time in six games — and third time in two years — for an excessive touchdown celebration.

But Fitzpatrick believes Johnson will leave the past behind as the two focus on taking their team to the next level.

“All the stuff with the celebrations and the penalties that happened last year — that stuff’s all done with,” Fitzpatrick said. “He’s a leader on this team, and he’s a guy that is concerned with the team and winning, and I think he’ll show that.”

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"I remember last year's Spring Training. Manny Acta was saying "we have a pretty good team and are out to win the division". Turns out, Manny wasn't as crazy as many who leave comments here thought he was. It's a long season and anything can happen. I notice this year, there are not as many naysayers as last year commenting. Perhaps the naysayers are unsure of themselves this year. Perhaps they are waiting for the first month of the season to be finished before pulling out the same old doomsday talk." - fliegeroh

View full sizeChuck Crow/The Plain DealerSpring training has started and one cleveland.com reader remains hopeful the Tribe will content this season.

"I remember last year's Spring Training. Manny Acta was saying "we have a pretty good team and are out to win the division". Turns out, Manny wasn't as crazy as many who leave comments here thought he was. It's a long season and anything can happen. I notice this year, there are not as many naysayers as last year commenting. Perhaps the naysayers are unsure of themselves this year. Perhaps they are waiting for the first month of the season to be finished before pulling out the same old doomsday talk."

The left field job is wide-open, with Michael Brantley slated to slide over to center field to replace the injured Grady Sizemore. Links to more Indians stories.

Associated PressAaron Cunningham can play left and right fields, and also center field if needed.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In no particular order: Shelley Duncan, Ryan Spilborghs, Matt LaPorta, Ezequiel Carrera, Russ Canzler, Fred Lewis, Felix Pie....

Any others?

Aaron Cunningham, for one.

The Cleveland Indians have a bunch of guys, including Cunningham, competing for a starting outfield spot -- presumably left field -- since it was announced that Grady Sizemore has been sidelined with a back surgery that also complicates his recovery from knee surgery.

Michael Brantley had been penciled in as the left fielder, but now he's slated to slide over to center.

Jordan Bastian of MLB.com writes about the right-handed hitting Cunningham, quoting Indians manager Manny Acta after Sunday's exhibition game: 

"He's a guy that we need to take a look at," Acta said after the Indians' 8-6 loss to the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark. "Everybody knows he came in a trade and he's out of options. He's very athletic. He can play the corners and he can stand in center field and play there, too.

"He's an interesting guy, so it was good to see him out there."

The Indians sent minor leaguer Cory Burns -- a relief pitcher with some promise -- to the San Diego Padres for Cunningham in an offseason trade.

Bastian also writes: 

This spring, the 25-year-old Cunningham is trying to convince Cleveland that his showing last season was more of an aberration than foreshadowing for future production.

In 52 games with San Diego a year ago, he hit just .178 with three home runs and nine RBIs. It was a drastic drop off from his showing at Triple-A, where he hit .329 with nine homers and 63 RBIs across 87 games with Tucson last season. In 2010, Cunningham had the opposite problem. That season, he hit .288 in the Majors and just .251 in the Minors.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Indians coverage includes Paul Hoynes' Spring Training Daily Briefing, and much more reporting from Hoynes as he covers the Indians' spring training from their Goodyear, Ariz. home and as they travel around the Cactus League.

Rounding third

Maybe Shelley Duncan will catch a break and get to play some more. By Susan Petrone for the blog "It's pronounced 'Lajaway.' "

The Indians like the addition of one wild card team to each league's playoff field, Sheldon Ocker writes for the Akron Beacon Journal.

The blog "Wahoo's on First" continues its countdown of the top prospects in the Indians organization. Geordy Boveroux writes about prospect No. 6, pitcher Jake Sisco.

Observations on various Indians' topics by Tony Lastoria of Indians Prospect Insider.

Starter Josh Tomlin is working on his pitch repertoire, Bill Ford writes for the Bleacher Report.

Comments about the Indians. From the blog "WaitingForNextYear."

Starter Ubaldo Jimenez is unconcerned about a one-inning outing, and other Indians notes, by Jordan Bastian for MLB.com.

Indians notes by Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal.

"Personally, I hope the Browns take Claiborne. Everyone keeps talking about how this is a passing league and what better way to play in a passing league is there than by having two top-notch corners? That would mean more turnovers, more three and outs, better field position, and more time for our offense to be on the field wearing out the competition's defense. Claiborne is rated HIGHER as a corner than Patrick Peterson and he won defensive rookie of the year last year!! " - bennyben

View full sizeAP fileMany cleveland.com readers believe the Browns should not trade picks to move up in the draft, but be content with drafting corner Morris Claiborne from LSU.

"Just give them the pick? That's pretty impulsive. I am in sales and I believe the Browns have more leverage than the Rams do. Why give in so quickly? The Rams know they can get their pick later and are trying to hamstring other teams to move down and save money. But if no one is buying, the Rams will overpay their pick and the Browns still may end up getting their guy anyway by simply staying put. The Rams are pressuring other teams before March 13th because they will lose even more leverage. The only reason to move up is to "guarantee" the Browns get their guy. But Griffin may not be their guy. gymbroun is right, who is going to blink first? There's no rush. Relax.

Personally, I hope the Browns take Claiborne. Everyone keeps talking about how this is a passing league and what better way to play in a passing league is there than by having two top-notch corners? That would mean more turnovers, more three and outs, better field position, and more time for our offense to be on the field wearing out the competition's defense. Claiborne is rated HIGHER as a corner than Patrick Peterson and he won defensive rookie of the year last year!! "

The Cavaliers take on the Utah Jazz tonight at Quicken Loans Arena. Get a preview and follow in-game updates from @pdcavsinsider on Twitter. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Cavaliers look to get back on the right track tonight as the Utah Jazz come to Quicken Loans Arena. Get Twitter updates from Tom Reed and Mary Schmitt Boyer @PDCavsInsider in the box below. Check out the in-game box score here. Read on for a game preview. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

View full sizeAP Photo/David J. PhillipAl Jefferson and the Utah Jazz come to Cleveland tonight to face the struggling Cavaliers.

The Indians have made peace with Albert Belle. At his finest, Belle hit for power and average like few who ever wore the uniform. He was never, ever dull. Watch video

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerThe affection was impossible to miss when Albert Belle (center, hugging broadcaster Rick Manning) visited the Indians' Goodyear spring training complex and spent time with (from left) team vice president Bob DiBiasio and former teammates Carlos Baerga, Manning and Kenny Lofton.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The recording of a ringing bell would stop when Albert Belle, who clanged through the big leagues like a danger signal, stepped to the plate.

He would hold one hand up, asking for time, while his back foot rubbed out the chalked rear line of the batter's box. That allowed him to stand a few inches farther back and buy a few more milliseconds to decipher the pitch. When he saw it and hit it, no one who ever played for the Indians did so with more power and consistency than Belle at his finest.

That was the Belle the Indians brought to spring training after years of mutual estrangement. Not the raging Belle, but the Belle of the ball. The idea was to restore relationships, to remind the kids of the proud times the franchise has experienced, to pass on tips, to represent. It is a generous move, and Belle seemed to appreciate it.

No one I have ever been around in sports on a daily basis was more committed to excellence at his craft than Albert Belle. No one subdued so many demons -- including alcoholism, a temper that could burn like a welder's torch and an unapproachable sullenness that discouraged friendship and denied him his just due. In the end, despite the damage he committed, Belle hurt himself with his tantrums most of all.

Those unproductive habits and emotions stopped in the batter's box. There, Belle was a predator, and the baseball had few avenues of escape. He kept detailed file cards of each at-bat; knew from them the situations and the tendencies of pitchers; and, in the year of the franchise's rebirth, in 1995, he almost never missed a mistake pitch.

Belle sought perfection, an impossible goal in a game in which error is officially assessed and tabulated. But Belle was not afraid of failing, either. He wanted the bat in his hands with the game on the line.

He played rough and angry, so he seemed like a throwback in a sport in which the commissioner wanted everyone to make nice after the 1994 players' strike canceled the World Series. Belle asked for no quarter and gave none. For serial indiscretions, he was suspended more often than a man on a flying trapeze.

The most serious incident came when he was found to be using a bat with more cork in it than a cellar full of vintage wine. Again, this was throwback stuff. Norm Cash of the Detroit Tigers won an American League batting title in 1961 with a bat adulterated with a mischievous mixture of sawdust, glue and cork.

Belle's impounded bat was stolen from a storage area at Chicago's Comiskey Park by Jason Grimsley, whose ninja skills in a ceiling air duct far outstripped those he possessed on the pitcher's mound. In the place of Belle's bat, Grimsley left a model belonging to first baseman Paul Sorrento. Omar Vizquel, in his tattle-tale book, said no clean Belle bat could be substituted because all of them would have bobbed in the turbulent seas of controversy, like corks.

The whole affair today has a quaint, roguish air. It was like a pitcher throwing an emery ball or spies stealing signs with the use of binoculars from peep holes in the scoreboard. Steroids and other designer performance-enhancing drugs were on the way. The greatest records in a game built on numbers would be trashed by a parade of artificially inflated musclemen.

When complaints by the Red Sox led umpires to confiscate another of Belle's bats in the 1995 divisional playoffs, umpires sawed the bat in half and found it was clean. Belle pointed angrily to his bulging biceps as the cause of the homer he had just hit. The muscles were legit. No hint of steroid abuse ever arose about him.

Belle (deep breath here) got thrown out of the Rookie League and the Mexican League; cussed out television reporter Hannah Storm before a World Series game; tried to make road pizza of two trick-or-treaters outside his home; winged a photographer with one baseball and a taunting fan with another; backhanded another man (Note to hecklers: Leave Albert alone!) with a ping pong paddle; busted up clubhouses; and was just an unholy distraction ... until it came time to produce with the bat. He should have won a couple of Most Valuable Player awards, but his personality prevented that.

The Indians remember his tunnel vision in the box. The fans remember his shots over the wall. I remember how little he cared about being loved, only respected and, undeniably, feared.

It wasn't fun covering Belle. But it was never, ever dull, and you can't say that about the team these days.

On Twitter: @LivyPD