Marcin Gortat finished with 22 points and eight rebounds, and rookie power forward Markieff Morris came off the bench to add a season-high 22 points.

View full sizeLisa DeJong, The Plain DealerAlonzo Gee finds some driving room during the first quarter of Sunday's game against Phoenix at The Q. Gee had nine points in the 108-83 loss to the Suns.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cavaliers coach Byron Scott was worried about trying to match up against the Phoenix Suns inside, and with good reason.

Starting center Marcin Gortat finished with 22 points and eight rebounds, and rookie power forward Markieff Morris came off the bench to add a season-high 22 points and five rebounds to lead the Suns to a 108-83 victory over the Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon at The Q.

Kyrie Irving had 16 points, while Omri Casspi added 14 and five rebounds for the Cavs, 17-29, who lost their third straight and their sixth in seven games.

At halftime, with the Cavs trailing, 59-38, a Phoenix writer looked up from his computer and asked no one in particular, "What happened to the Cavs team that beat the Suns [101-90] in January?"

Scott, no doubt, was wondering the same thing as his team was never in this game. Gortat scored the first 10 points for Phoenix and the Suns, 25-24, went on to their biggest victory of the season.

At least the Cavs can say it wasn't their worst loss. That distinction still belongs to the Chicago Bulls, who beat the Cavs, 114-75. That might be the only good thing they can say on Sunday.

It was Woods' first PGA Tour victory since a sex scandal at the end of 2009 led to one of the greatest downfalls in sports.

View full sizeGary W. Green, Orlando SentinelTiger Woods was never seriously threatened in the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Sunday, claiming a five-shot victory that was the largest on tour since Rory McIlroy's eight-shot triumph in last year's U.S. Open.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Tiger Woods finally brought the buzz back to the very thing that made him famous -- winning.

Two weeks after another injury scare, and two days before his former coach's book goes on sale, Woods looked dominant as ever Sunday in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

It was his first PGA Tour victory since a sex scandal at the end of 2009 led to one of the greatest downfalls in sports. And with the Masters only two weeks away, Woods looks more capable of ever than resuming his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus in the majors.

Woods closed with a 2-under 70 for a five-shot win over Graeme McDowell.

The question two weeks ago was when he could play again. Now, it's whether he can rule the sport like he once did.

New Orleans may have the Final Four coming up, but when you compare Cleveland with the Big Easy in several categories -- well, it's no contest.

View full sizeAdrian Johnson, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Next weekend, the Final Four plays out in New Orleans, home of Bourbon Street parties, Mardi Gras soirees and jazz festivals. We thought it would be a fine time to compare the cities. How do they stack up? As March Madness is in full swing, we decided to look at what each city offers, bracket-style. You might be surprised at the results. Our critical analysis shows the superiority of Cleveland.

The Jayhawks will face Ohio State in one of Saturday's national semifinals. The Buckeyes lost to Kansas, 78-67, in Dec. 10 meeting.

View full sizeCharlie Riedel, Associated PressTyshawn Taylor led Kansas with 22 points Sunday against North Carolina, including this emphatic dunk in the second half of the Midwest Regional final in St. Louis.

ST. LOUIS -- Nothing personal, Roy.

Tyshawn Taylor broke out of his slump in a big way Sunday, scoring 22 points and leading Kansas back to the Final Four with an 80-67 victory over former coach Roy Williams and top-seeded North Carolina.

The second-seeded Jayhawks (31-6) will play Ohio State on Saturday in their first appearance in the Final Four since 2008, when they won the national championship. And how's this for symmetry? Kansas began this year's tournament in Omaha, Neb., same place as four years ago.

As the game ended, Taylor -- much maligned for his shooting struggles during the first three games of the NCAA tournament -- ran to Kansas fans and raised both arms in the air.

"There's no way to put into words the way we feel," Williams said. "There's no way to put into words the way I feel. ... It's the NCAA tournament. One team wins and one team loses, and that's what we have to understand."

Taylor led five Jayhawks in double figures. Player of the year candidate Thomas Robinson added 18 points and nine rebounds, and Elijah Johnson kept up his blistering pace in the tournament with 10 points, including a 3-pointer with 3:07 to play that sparked Kansas' 12-0 run to end the game. Jeff Withey made two monster blocks to deny the Tar Heels during the run -- including one that set up a big three-point play by Taylor.

• National semifinal matchups: At Louisiana Superdome, Kentucky vs. Louisville, 6:09 p.m., Saturday; Ohio State vs. Kansas, 8:49 p.m., Saturday.

Taylor came up with the rebound after Withey swatted away a shot by John Henson and streaked downcourt for a layup, getting fouled by Stilman White in the process. As the Kansas-heavy crowd roared, Taylor butted his head into Robinson's chest. He made the free throw to give Kansas a 74-67 lead with 1:59 left, and the Jayhawks cruised from there.

James Michael McAdoo scored 15 for the Tar Heels (32-6), who played better in their second game without injured star point guard Kendall Marshall. But North Carolina couldn't overcome a 5:46 field goal drought to end the game.

"It was a game of runs," Williams said. "And we didn't answer the last one."

This was only the second time Williams had faced Kansas since leaving the school where he spent his first 15 years as a head coach, taking the Jayhawks to the NCAA title game twice -- they lost in both 1991 and 2003 -- and two other Final Fours. Though Kansas fans have softened some -- Williams was still greeted with a chorus of boos -- Williams said Saturday that facing his old team will always be unpleasant.

"Too emotional for me. That's the bottom line," Williams said, calling Kansas his "second-favorite" team. "I don't think it'll ever feel good for me, regardless of the outcome. I don't think I'll ever feel comfortable with it."

At least this one went better than the first meeting, at the 2008 Final Four, where the Jayhawks walloped North Carolina on the way to winning the title Williams never could at Kansas.

Jeanmar Gomez's scoreless streak ends at 13 consecutive innings as the Cubs score three runs against him in the third.

View full sizeMark Duncan, Associated PressJason Kipnis can't reach an errant pickoff throw by Indians catcher Carlos Santana in the seventh inning of Sunday's game against the Cubs. Chicago's Edgar Gonzalez (55) eventually scored when Felix Pie mishandled the overthrow in the outfield. Both Santana and Pie were given errors on the play.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Jeanmar Gomez allowed his first runs of the Cactus League season Sunday as the Cubs beat the Indians, 6-2, at Goodyear Ballpark.

Gomez extended his scoreless-inning streak to 13 through two innings before the Cubs scored three times in the third to take a 3-2 lead.

"My slider has been working good all spring, but not today," said Gomez.

Starlin Castro had an RBI grounder, Alfonso Soriano a sacrifice fly and Brian LaHair added an RBI single in the third for the Cubs.

Gomez is competing to be the Indians' fifth starter. If he doesn't make the rotation, the Indians might keep him in the bullpen.

"Very impressed with the way Gomez battled," said manager Manny Acta. "He didn't have his fastball command all day. He was still able to fight through it. That's what you have to do when you don't have your best stuff. It turned out to be another good outing for him."

Gomez allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings. He struck out three, walked three and threw 80 pitches, 47 strikes.

The Cubs put the game away with three runs in the seventh, two of them coming on a Soriano homer off Rafael Perez, who has missed most of spring training with a sore left shoulder. The third run scored thanks to two Indians errors. Catcher Carlos Santana tried to pick off Edgar Gonzalez at second base. Gonzalez scored as Santana's throw sailed into center field and Felix Pie ran past the ball.

The Indians jumped Rodrigo Lopez for a 2-0 lead in the first. The Indians loaded the bases on a Jason Kipnis double, Asdrubal Cabrera single and a Shin-Soo Choo walk. Grounders by Santana and Travis Hafner delivered the two runs.

Pitcher's worst outing of the spring actually makes a strong argument why he has won the battle for the fifth spot in the rotation.

View full sizeMark Duncan, Associated PressJeanmar Gomez didn't have his best stuff in allowing three runs in five innings to the Cubs on Sunday, but Terry Pluto says he's clearly the best choice to complete the Indians' starting rotation.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- If I'm running the Tribe, Jeanmar Gomez is in the team's starting rotation.

I write this after watching the worst outing of the spring for Gomez, who allowed three runs in five innings on Sunday, facing most of the Cubs' regular lineup.

Gomez didn't have anything close to his best stuff. The man who had allowed only seven base-runners in 11 scoreless innings before Sunday found himself surrounded by more runners than the guy with the starter's pistol at the Cleveland Marathon.

Gomez gave up seven hits. He walked three. He committed a throwing error on a slow roller, and he even hit a batter. Add it all up, and that's a dozen men on base. But he allowed only three to score, and that was in the third inning.

He pitched out of one inning with the bases loaded, two more innings where the Cubs had two runners on base.

"I like how Jeanmar battled when he didn't have good command of his fastball," said manager Manny Acta. "It's interesting to see how far he's come as a pitcher. We've not penciled in [any names] for the rotation, but he's making a case for himself."

The case should be closed; the fifth rotation spot should belong to Gomez.

Early in his career, he had trouble pitching out of jams and keeping his composure. That began to change last season when Gomez was 10-7 with a 2.55 ERA at Columbus. He then was 5-2 with a 4.28 ERA after the All-Star break for the Tribe.

Compare that to these numbers: 0-8, 6.67 ERA. That was Kevin Slowey's record with Minnesota last season. Here's the asterisk: Slowey had a couple of minor injuries that led to trips to the disabled list. The previous three seasons, he was 35-20 with a 4.38 ERA, and is only 27.

Here's reason for concern: After the season, the Twins traded Slowey to Colorado, which shipped him to the Tribe for Zach Putnam five weeks later. The Twins usually don't trade away good pitchers unless they are creeping up to free agency, and the Rockies were more interested in a prospect reliever (Putnam) than seeing if they could fix Slowey.

As Gomez was facing the Cubs' big-league team, about a quarter mile away, Slowey was on the mound for Columbus, giving up three runs in six innings to the Reds' Class AAA team on the nearby minor-league fields. In big-league spring games, Slowey has allowed 19 hits and nine runs (6.75 ERA) in 12 innings. Gomez has a 1.69 ERA.

The Indians are paying $1.25 million of Slowey's $2.5 million salary. He does have a minor-league option left, so the Tribe can send him to Columbus. This much is certain, Slowey can't relieve. The Twins put him in the bullpen last year, and he hated it -- and thought that could have led to some of his physical problems.

So Slowey either starts in Cleveland, or for the Clippers.

The Indians have seriously discussed keeping Gomez as a reliever. They very well may need a good long man as rotation members Josh Tomlin, Ubaldo Jimenez and Slowey have had shaky springs. Gomez said he doesn't care if he starts or relieves, and Tribe officials believe he can fill either role.

The right-hander turned 24 on Feb. 10. He has upgraded his status as a starter as he's developed a sharp slider.

"He used to throw mostly 2-seamers (sinkers) and some change-ups," said Acta, then discussing how the new pitch has made Gomez into a new and improved pitcher.

One deserving to be in the Tribe's rotation.

Palmer, 82, was to be hospitalized overnight as a precaution, says his business manager.

View full sizeJohn Raoux, Associated PressArnold Palmer signed pin flags for fans on Saturday at his PGA Tour event at Bay Hill in Florida. Sunday, he was taken to a nearby hospital after doctors detected an increase in his blood pressure.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Arnold Palmer was hospitalized Sunday afternoon because of high blood pressure from new medication, missing the trophy presentation at his tournament when Tiger Woods won for the first time in 30 months on the PGA Tour.

Palmer was being kept overnight as a precaution.

"Nobody is overly concerned about the prognosis," said Alaistair Johnston, vice chairman at IMG and Palmer's longtime business manager.

Johnston said Palmer had been advised to monitor his blood pressure throughout the day because of some issues with new medicine he was taking. He said one last test about 15 minutes before the tournament ended showed an increase in blood pressure.

"It wasn't anything to do with any ailments or any discomfort he felt," Johnston said. "The blood pressure was at a level where the doctor involved suggested that he go immediately to get more intensive evaluation at the hospital."

His absence was noticeable. One of the biggest thrills at the Arnold Palmer Invitational is to have The King standing behind the 18th green, waiting to congratulate the winner. Woods won for the seventh time, this time without being able to share a handshake and a hug with Palmer.

"Get well soon, Arnie," Woods wrote at the end of a tweet.

Graeme McDowell, who played in the last group with Woods and finished five shots behind, noticed immediately that Palmer in his pink shirt wasn't at the 18th at Bay Hill.

"I was surprised to see him not around, and when we just heard the news on the side that he had been taken to the hospital, of course we were very upset and certainly praying that everything is going to be OK," McDowell said. "That really puts a little bit of a damper on the spirits on 18th green when Tiger is going to pick up his trophy."

Sam Saunders, Palmer's grandson, tweeted, "For all concerned my granddad is doing fine and will be good to go tomorrow. Thank you for all of your nice comments and concern."

The Cavs are playing like they know they don't have a chance, and if they continue playing like this, they don't.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Maybe the notion of the Cavaliers making the playoffs this season was crazy from the start.

After all, this was a team that finished 19-63 last season and set the NBA record for consecutive losses with 26.

Yes, they added two top-four draft choices and got back the services of Anderson Varejao and Antawn Jamison after injuries cut short their 2010-11 campaigns. But it's an awfully big leap from the outhouse to the penthouse, especially relying on such young talent.

No. 1 pick Kyrie Irving has exceeded all expections, and No. 4 pick Tristan Thompson has shown flashes of why the Cavs selected him so high, although he has been forced into playing center for the Cavs with Varejao out again with a broken wrist. Alonzo Gee has blossomed and could get votes for Most Improved Player _ at least he will if coach Byron Scott has anything to say about it.

WIth the start of the season delayed and 66 games crammed into four months, it was possible anything could happen. But now it looks as if the best teams from last season, and the ones that made the fewest changes, likely will be the best teams again this season.

The Cavs are playing like they know they don't have a chance, and if they continue playing like this, they don't.

Sullinger has been leading the Buckeyes after putting distractions aside. Now he gets his shot at Kansas after missing the December loss to the Jayhawks with a back injury.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain Dealer"As long as I play and show emotion and play with energy, this team should be where we were when we were beating teams by 15-plus points," says OSU's Jared Sullinger.

BOSTON -- When the second half started Saturday night, Ohio State got its All-American back. When the Buckeyes needed him most in the last month of the season, they got him back then, too.

After first-half trouble stuck him on the bench, Jared Sullinger's 15 points in the second half of the East Region final against Syracuse -- made by drawing fouls through the Orange defense and hitting skilled post moves over it -- carried Ohio State into the Final Four, where the Buckeyes will face Kansas on Saturday at about 8:50 p.m.

In the last week, Sullinger has defiantly called out anyone who had doubted the Buckeyes, but a month ago there was no guarantee this Sullinger would be showing this game again. Even coach Thad Matta intimated that Sullinger wasn't engaged as he needed to be, but his ability to get back to his former ways helped put the Buckeyes on this new path.

"He understands now how he fits into the maze," Sullinger's father, Satch, said Sunday. "Everything's clicking right now for everyone. I call it one heartbeat."

Frustrated after a loss to Wisconsin on Feb. 26 in which he'd scored just eight points on 4-for-10 shooting, Sullinger came back two days later with an old lease on life after a talk with Matta and the coaching staff. He vowed to put the distractions of officiating and the outside world behind him.

"At the end of the day [Matta] told me this team goes as I go and just play my game," Sullinger said on Feb. 28, the day before he scored the game-winning basket in the final seconds at Northwestern. "As long as I play and show emotion and play with energy, this team should be where we were when we were beating teams by 15-plus points.

"I know I've probably been dogged by a lot of people who are saying I'm not as good as I used to be. But at the end of the day, it's not about what they think, it's about how we can win basketball games."

Now striding menacingly across the court after the big baskets and leaping from the bench to cheer his teammates when he's in foul trouble, Sullinger isn't giving anyone a chance to question how much he is into, and influencing, games. Since the Wisconsin loss, he is averaging 20 points, 9.9 rebounds and shooting 56.9 percent from the field and 83.6 percent from the foul line. His scoring, rebounding, assists and shooting are up, and his turnovers are down.

Any questions about the back injury that kept him out of two games in December, and any mentions of foot problems, are gone. The Buckeyes will get a rematch with the Jayhawks after losing at Kansas, 78-67, in December when Sullinger sat as a precaution with his ailing back. At the time, Matta said Sullinger could have played if it was an NCAA Tournament game.

Now it is.

"Sometimes you take a step back when you're trying to get healthy," Sullinger said. "With my back problems -- I had a back problem, but I don't have it [any] more. I had plantar fasciitis at the beginning of the year, but now everything is starting to disappear and I'm moving forward.

"It was bothering me, but with me getting healthier and me being able to elevate a little bit more, that's big time."

So after playing just six minutes in the first half against the Orange and scoring four points, the strategy for the Buckeyes in the second half was obvious.

"We went into the big fella, and he led us," said Deshaun Thomas, whose development has made things easier for Sullinger.

In the second half, Sullinger made three of his five shots and nine of 12 free throws while grabbing four rebounds and not turning the ball over. He finished with a game-high 19 points, the sixth time in the last nine games he led the Buckeyes in scoring, and was named the most outstanding player of the East Region.

"He played hard. He was attacking the basket," Syracuse's Kris Joseph said. "He was getting positioned down low and when you were guarding a big body like Sullinger's, it was tough for anyone to do something. Either he's going to get fouled or he'll have a chance to score two points. Our bigs did as good a job as they could have against him. He made some tough shots, and he's a great player."

Yes he is. No question about it.

With so many holes to fill on the roster, the Browns can't go wrong with their No. 4 in the upcoming NFL draft. But who is the right pick? The Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot and Dennis Manoloff, along with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore weighed in their opinions on what the Browns might do in the NFL Draft.

View full sizeAP photoCould the Oklahoma State combo of Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon, right, be coming to Cleveland?

Among other topics discussed:

• Mary Kay Cabot has the Browns drafting Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon in her first mock draft.

• Breaking down each scenario for the Browns, including trading down and taking specific players at No. 4.

• If the Browns do draft a quarterback in the first couple rounds, will he be looked upon to start next season?

• Are the possibility of the Browns trading down greater than taking a playmaker at No. 4?

From now until the draft, read what Mary Kay (@marykaycabot), D-Man (@dmansworldpd) and G-Mo (@GlennMooreCLE) have to say on Twitter.

You can download the mp3 or listen with the player to the right.

Follow our coverage on Twitter

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Many observers didn't expect the Buckeyes to get to the Final Four for the 11th time in team history.

John Kuntz, The Plain DealerOhio State coach Thad Matta reacts to a key Buckeyes' play during their 77-70 East Regional title win over Syracuse on Saturday. An assistant coach behind Matta has the same reaction.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's Ohio State's Buckeyes versus the Kansas Jayhawks in a Final Four game on Saturday night in New Orleans.

The Ohio State (31-7) vs. Kansas (31-6) winner will play for the national championship on Monday night, April 2, against the winner of Saturday's other national semifinal, matching Kentucky's Wildcats (36-2) against Louisville's Cardinals (30-9). 

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Ohio State coverage and March Madness coverage includes Doug Lesmerises' his story on Buckeyes All-American forward Jared Sullinger; his NCAA Insider; his game story on the Buckeyes' 77-70 East Regional championship win over Syracuse; Bill Livingston's column highlighting Buckeyes guard Lenzelle Smith; Livingston's four thoughts from the Ohio State-Syracuse game; Lesmerises' four thoughts from the Buckeyes-Orange contest; and more.

Ohio State, like the other Final Four teams, is the subject of much national coverage.

About the Buckeyes

It wasn't easy for Ohio State to get to the Final Four. By Dana O'Neil for ESPN.com.

This hoped-for trip to the Final Four is why Jared Sullinger didn't go to the NBA after last season. By Jeff Goodman for CBSSports.com.

Buckeyes point guard Aaron Craft keeps his brother in mind. By Jack Carey for USAToday.com.

The Buckeyes take a cue from their coach, Thad Matta. By Dan Wetzel for Yahoo! Sports.

The Buckeyes save the Final Four from the messy Syracuse story. By Greg Couch for FoxSports.com.

Lenzelle Smith bounces back to help the Buckeyes to the Final Four. By Sean Deveney for SportingNews.com. 

Ohio State won in a fashion that many expected Syracuse to. By Andy Glockner of Sports Illustrated's SI.com.

Getting this far seemed so unlikely for the Buckeyes. By Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch.

Ohio State still hasn't played to its potential this season. By John Kampf for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal.

So far, the Tribe is pleased with what they've gotten from their new first baseman.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerAn effective on-base percentage -- and his expected sturdy defense at first base -- is what the Indians are looking for from first baseman Casey Kotchman, who lacks the typical power of corner infielders.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Scribbles in my Tribe notebook...

1. If the Indians can receive in the regular season what Casey Kotchman has delivered this spring, they'll be thrilled. The first baseman is hitting .296 (.752 OPS). He has played well defensively. He has two doubles, no homers. He's not going to hit for power. He batted .306 (.800 OPS) for Tampa Bay last season. The free agent market for him was thin because he doesn't hit homers -- he had 10 in 500 at-bats. What the Indians need is for him to avoid a year such as 2010 (.217, .616 OPS).

2. The Tribe's hope is that Kotchman at first along with Jack Hannahan at third will upgrade the infield defense. The Indians had 12 errors from various first basemen last season, while Kotchman has made only 11 in 727 major-league games.

3. Part of the reason the Indians are talking about keeping Jeanmar Gomez in the bullpen is that many of the veterans they imported on minor-league contracts have struggled: Chris Ray, Robinson Tejeda (injured), Chris Seddon and Dan Wheeler. The Indians like Wheeler, and he had his fourth outing in a row without giving up a run. He has a strong chance to make the team.

4. The rookie in the bullpen who has been impressive is Nick Hagadone, who has allowed only two runs in nine innings. In the past, control was an issue -- but this spring, he has walked only one. His fastball is in the 93-96 mph range. He looks much better than several of the reclamation projects signed by the Tribe.

5. Jason Kipnis (.263, .751 OPS) is having a decent spring, but Manny Acta thought Kipnis had been pressing a bit. He stressed again, "Kipnis is our second baseman," and affirmed he has been pleased with Kipnis' improvement in the field.

6. Asdrubal Cabrera still looks a bit heavy and a step slower. He is working on losing weight -- no one will say how heavy he arrived at camp. I had to badger a few officials to get them to admit Cabrera was heavy when I wrote it for my Sunday notes about a month ago. But Cabrera has to watch his weight, because he has a stocky build. He also wants a long-term contract, but staying in shape is key to being able to remain a shortstop. Cabrera is hitting only .211 this spring.

7. He won't make the team, but 27-year-old Gregorio Petit is a very good shortstop. He had been in the Oakland system and did have 54 at-bats for the A's (.266). Hitting is the key for him, as he batted only .266 (.694 OPS) in the minors. He missed all of last season with a knee injury, but should provide infield depth at Columbus.

8. Acta said he will play regulars quite a bit in the last week as he prepares to open the season.

We expected an exclamation mark from the man. Exuberance. Excitement. All we got was exasperation. Ours.

View full sizeGary W. Green, Orlando SentinelTiger Woods let out his emotions for a brief moment after sinking the final putt of Sunday's Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando. Then, as is his way, he flat-lined the rest of his day when questioned by the media.

George Diaz

The Orlando Sentinel

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Least Interesting Man on the Planet won a golf tournament Sunday.

Tiger Woods. You might have heard of him.

It was a pretty cool thing, especially since Mr. Woods had not won on the PGA tour in 924 days, that number being roughly a small fraction of the jokes about Perkins waitresses, putters and porn stars that have plagued Woods since his driveway implosion on Thanksgiving week of 2009.

Tiger crawled his way back defiantly through a marriage that unraveled, the humiliation, the shame, the jokes on Letterman and Leno, and the physical sting of various injuries.

One of the most iconic sports figures on the planet proved his resiliency, and bounced back after 30 months of controversial chatter to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

Jeer or cheer, it's a fabulous story. Tell us how you feel Tiger:

"Yeah, it's nice."

Earlier, he did acknowledge that "it was pure joy," oddly showing no emotion when he was saying those words.

Introspection isn't in Tiger's golf bag. Never has been. It's not a felony; not even a misdemeanor, to share candid thoughts. But you would think that maybe once, Tiger would let the iron curtain down, just to let us take a peek.

Instead, Tiger led the media through a monotonous 10-minute Q&A, the most engaging point coming when he challenged a media member who asked him how to address critics who said that "you may never win again."

"Well, it's my second win," Tiger said, bringing up the inconsequential Chevron World Challenge in December 2011, which is a slight upgrade from winning a Pro-Am event at Dubsdread.

That's the odd deal with Tiger, and why his appeal is 99 percent game and 1 percent graciousness.

He can't even embrace an 'attaboy.'

Frankly, most of the world has gotten past Tiger's sexual indiscretions. America is great at forgiving and forgetting, as Woods found out Sunday as an army close to 1,000 strong followed him to the 18th green to celebrate the long road back.

"What you do at work is one thing and what you do outside of work is another," said Stanya Taylor of Irvine, Calif., who happened to be in Central Florida on business. "This is his game. This is his life, and I'm glad."

There might be a few folks still stuck on the mortality play angle, but I didn't hear or see any Sunday afternoon. They were there to celebrate Tiger's greatness, and he didn't disappoint.

He began the day with a one stroke lead over Graeme McDowell. Tiger tripled that in a hurry after McDowell bounced into bunkers twice for a double-bogey. From then on, there was rarely any pressure on Tiger but to hold serve on a windy day. He shot a 2-under 70 to win by five strokes, doing as he usually does -- closing on Sundays. This marked the 48th time in 52 PGA tour events that Tiger has held onto a lead on Sunday.

Tiger did set the I-Robot personality free briefly, when he said "(bleeping) yeah!" to caddy Joe LaCava as they approached the 18th green. After a par putt on 18, he punched LaCava's chest, and tipped his Nike cap to the crowd chanting "Ti-ger! Ti-ger!"

Perhaps the presence of golf's greatest ambassador, Arnold Palmer, might have allowed Tiger to embrace the moment, but Palmer had to be rushed to a local hospital because of high blood pressure. He was to stay overnight as a precautionary measure.

Seven victories at Bay Hill is a great thing. Breaking a 923-day drought on the PGA tour is fabulous. So is shooting under par in all four rounds since he returned to play after the Thanksgiving meltdown in the 2010 Masters.

Winning a tournament two weeks before the Masters will surely generate a huge buzz.

Tiger is back baby!

We expected an exclamation mark from the man. Exuberance. Excitement. All we got was exasperation. Ours.

The Least Interesting Man on the Planet is back in business.

Ohio State plays Kansas on Saturday in the Final Four, a national semifinal game at New Orleans.

John Kuntz, The Plain DealerOhio State guard William Buford (44) will be a key to the Buckeyes' hopes in their national semifinal game against Kansas.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio State's Buckeyes will play the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday night in a Final Four game at New Orleans.

The winner will play in the national championship game on Monday night, April 2, against the winner of Saturday's other semifinal, Kentucky vs. Louisville.

The Buckeyes are 31-7. Their NCAA Tournament wins, in order, have been over Loyola, Md. (78-59), Gonzaga (73-66), Cincinnati (81-66) and Syracuse (77-70).

Kansas (31-6) has tourney wins over, in order, Detroit (65-50), Purdue (63-60), North Carolina State (60-57) and North Carolina (80-67).

Ohio State will play in its 11th Final Four. The Buckeyes are 1-4 in national championship games. Featuring the brilliant starting lineup of Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek, Larry Siegfried, Mel Nowell and Joe Roberts, Ohio State defeated California, 75-55, in the 1960 national title game.

This will be the 14th Final Four appearance for Kansas. The Jayhawks are 3-5 in title games. Forward Clyde Lovellette led them in 1952, when they defeated St. John's, 80-63, for the championship. In 1988, forward Danny Manning keyed an 83-79 title win over Oklahoma. In 2008, with guards Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush and forwards Darrell Arthur and (former Cavalier) Darnell Jackson, Kansas rallied for a 75-68 overtime championship win over Memphis.

Indians vs. Brewers on radio and Blue Jackets at Red Wings on TV among the highlights.

Associated PressRick Nash and the Columbus Blue Jackets visit the Detroit Red Wings tonight at 7:30 in a game that will be televised on Fox Sports Ohio.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Monday's sports TV and radio listings

BASEBALL

1 p.m. MLB, Boston vs. Philadelphia, ESPN

4 p.m. MLB, Colorado vs. L.A. Angels, MLB Network

4:05 p.m. MLB, INDIANS vs. Milwaukee, WTAM/1100-AM

(Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Indians coverage)

9 p.m. MLB, Cincinnati vs. Texas, MLB Network

COLLEGE BASEBALL

7 p.m. North Carolina State at North Carolina, ESPNU

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL

7:30 p.m. Powerade Jam Fest, ESPN2

HOCKEY

7:30 p.m. NHL, COLUMBUS at Detroit, Fox Sports Ohio

7:30 p.m. NHL, Tampa Bay at Philadelphia, NBC Sports Network

10 p.m. NHL, Los Angeles at Vancouver, NBC Sports Network

NBA

8 p.m. Denver at Chicago, NBATV

10:30 p.m. New Orleans at L.A. Clippers, NBATV

SOCCER

2:55 p.m. Premier League, Fulham at Manchester United, ESPN2

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NCAA Tournament

7 p.m. NCAA, Baylor vs. Tennessee, ESPN

9 p.m. NCAA, Stanford vs. Duke, ESPN

"I'm honored and humbled to be a Jet and thankful that they wanted me," Tebow said. Story includes video.

Tim Tebow officially became a member of the New York Jets on Monday and passed his first big test as an NFL quarterback in the Big Apple—by saying all the right things in front of the New York media.

Although Tebow is expected to be the Jets' backup and situational QB behind Mark Sanchez, he handled the initial podium pressure just like he did as the high-profile starter for the Denver Broncos. All smiles, Tebow couldn't hold in his excitement about joining the Jets.

"I'm looking forward to my time here in New York," Tebow said at his introductory news conference at Jets headquarters in Florham Park, N.J. "I'm honored and humbled to be a Jet and thankful that they wanted me."

The Broncos no longer needed Tebow — the quarterback who led them to an AFC West division title and a wild-card victory last season — after signing four-time league MVP Peyton Manning last week.

AP PhotoTim Tebow says he is a "football player first" and expects to have a strong relationship with Jets starter Mark Sanchez.

The Jets wanted Tebow as a change-of-pace passer and runner to put in the Wildcat formation, an offensive wrinkle with which coordinator Tony Sparano had success with the Miami Dolphins.

While Tebow says he is working to improve as an all-around quarterback, he's also willing to help the Jets in any capacity.

"Whatever my role is, however I can expand my role, I'm going to do that," Tebow said. "However I can make a difference—I will be open to it."

A few times during the news conference, Tebow was asked, considering his unrelenting drive and work ethic, whether he could settle for playing second fiddle to Sanchez. Tebow sees the combination of him and Sanchez being more collaboration than competition.

"The exciting thing is me and Mark have a great relationship," Tebow said. "I think we'll have a lot of fun together."

"Mark and I can be stronger together than we are apart."

Tebow also offered the biggest reason why he wanted to be dealt to the Jets over his hometown team, the Jacksonville Jaguars—the Jets' coaching staff. Calling himself a "football player first," Tebow is focused on the role for which he was acquired.

Although he doesn't offer the same speed as the player the Jets most recently used as their Wildcat quarterback—current Buffalo Bills wide receiver Brad Smith—Tebow has potential to be more of a balanced run/pass option when taking direct snaps.

"When you have a great offensive coordinator like Coach Sparano that can put together packages and plays and not have tendencies, I think it can be effective," Tebow said.

As for his past on-field actions that haven't been football-related, he's been amazed with how his faith has turned into a national phenomenon.

"I'm not the first athlete that's gotten on his knee and prayed," Tebow said. "But somehow it's known as 'Tebowing' and I'm not sure why."

Whether it's the person or the verb inspired by him, those covering the Jets aren't likely to tire of Tebow soon, despite his status on the depth chart. Now that Tebow has won over the media once again, here comes the hard part in New York—winning over his new teammates.

-- Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News

Parcells did say, however, that Saints coach Sean Payton has spoken to him about how to handle the season.

Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerIf Bill Parcells has been approached by the Saints, he isn't telling.

Bill Parcells said Monday that the New Orleans Saints have not contacted him about possibly coaching the team in the wake of Sean Payton's one-year suspension, which still could be appealed.

Parcells did say, however, that Payton has spoken to him about how to handle the season.

The Saints have yet to announce their future coaching plans, and Payton's agent, Donald Yee, said "no decisions have been made about an appeal."

"Sean fully supports the league's player safety goals," Yee said. "Given this, he probably won't address the entire league" when he arrives at the NFL owners meetings, which are under way in Florida.

Asked if anyone in the Saints organization had talked to him about coaching the team in 2012, Parcells said: "No."

Reporters confronted Parcells before the New York Mets' spring training game Monday against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Saints spokesman Greg Bensel said Payton would speak later this week. NFC coaches are scheduled to meet the media Wednesday morning.

General manager Mickey Loomis will serve an eight-game suspension for Bountygate, the system that paid Saints players for big hits on targeted players. Former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has been suspended indefinitely. Williams left the team in the offseason to join the St. Louis Rams.

Last Friday, Payton apologized for the bounty system, taking "full responsibility" for the program that operated for three years under his watch.

Read more: http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2012-03-26/bills-parcells-says-saints-havent-contacted-him-about-coaching-team#ixzz1qFlk8FVa

One national columnist writes about the Browns and their first-round, No. 4 overall pick: "The Browns have a lot of different options sitting in the spot where this draft starts to get interesting, but I don't sense they're in love with any of them."

Associated PressAlabama running back Trent Richardson is a candidate to be drafted in the first round by the Cleveland Browns. Would they use their No. 4 pick to select him?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns own two picks in the first round of the NFL draft.

The Browns are scheduled to make selections with the fourth and 22nd overall picks, and to follow those up with a prime second-round spot, at No. 37 overall.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Browns coverage includes Mary Kay Cabot's story that Cleveland general manager Tom Heckert says the Browns won't trade up for the No. 3 overall pick, but would consider trading No. 4 and moving down "a few spots" to build their draft-pick stockpile; Dennis Manoloff's interview on Starting Blocks TV, saying that the Browns should draft Oklahoma State wideout Justin Blackmon; Cabot's story that the Browns (unsuccessfully) pursued wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan in free agency.

Heckert told Cabot that there are a few players the Browns would be happy to draft at No. 4, implying that at least one of them might still be on the board a few picks later.

Don Banks, in a mock draft for Sports Illustrated's SI.com, speculates that -- with quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III the presumed first two picks -- the Browns might think no player on the draft board would be the ideal fit for them at No. 4.

Banks writes (referring to Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill and Louisiana State quarterback Morris Claiborne):

The Browns have a lot of different options sitting in the spot where this draft starts to get interesting, but I don't sense they're in love with any of them. They seem to think it's too high to take Tannehill, and are going to hew back to Colt McCoy as the answer at quarterback. Claiborne would make sense here, but how do you go defense with your first-round pick when you've got a crying need for an offensive playmaker who can help out McCoy's game? Alabama running back Trent Richardson seems to be the popular choice here, and he could be their guy. But I'm going with Blackmon on the logic that there have been more top-10 impact receivers of late than running backs. Because of that, Richardson could fall into the teens.

Banks has Cleveland taking an offensive tackle at No. 22.

More mock drafts

A cornerback and wide receiver head to Cleveland as first-round picks. So says mynfldraft.com.

Browns try to solve their need for offensive playmakers, picking a running back and wide receiver in Round 1. From WalterFootball.com.

Browns select a cornerback and outside linebacker in the first round. A mock draft by Charles Davis for the NFL Network and NFL.com.

The Browns surprise by going all-defense in the first round, picking a cornerback and end. On DraftSite.com.

A running back and wide receiver become Cleveland Browns' first-round draft picks. On drafttek.com.

A running back, and a different wide receiver, are picked by the Browns in the first round. On nfldraftseason.com.

The Browns were awarded four compensatory draft picks for a total of 13 this season.

PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The Browns were awarded four compensatory draft picks today for a total of 13 this season.

The Browns' four are tied for highest this season with Green Bay and the New York Jets. All told, 32 picks were awarded to 15 teams.

The Browns' 13 picks are tied for most since they had 13 in the expansion year of 1999. They used 11. It's also tied for their most since the draft was reduced to seven rounds in 1994.

The Browns will receive two extra sixth-rounders (204 and 205) and two extra sevenths (245 and 247). They also have an extra first-rounder this year (No. 22) and an extra fourth from the trade with Atlanta.

Compensatory picks can't be traded.

From 1994 when compensatory picks were first awarded until 2011, the Browns had received a total of two. 

Compensatory picks are awarded on the basis of a team's net loss in free agency the previous year: unrestricted free agents lost vs. unrestricted free agents signed.

  In 2011, the Browns lost Abe Elam, Matt Roth, Chansi Stuckey, Jason Trusnik, Lawrence Vickers, Floyd Womack and Eric Wright.

They signed Brandon Jackson, Dimitri Patterson and Usama Young. 

"If we had a Quarterback to get them the ball then maybe a receiver would consider coming to Cleveland. ITS THE QUARTERBACK !! A good QB will make average receivers good. A good receiver won't make an average or below average QB good." - overinpa

AP photoCould the quarterback issue be the reason why free agent wide receivers don't want to sign with Cleveland?

"If we had a Quarterback to get them the ball then maybe a receiver would consider coming to Cleveland. ITS THE QUARTERBACK !! A good QB will make average receivers good. A good receiver won't make an average or below average QB good. Lets just waste another year before somebody figures it out. So what if #4 is too early for Tannehill ......#22 will be too late and if he turns out to be very good then it really doesn't matter .......... unless Holmgren and Heckert have a plan B, and I'm sure they do."