Trent Richardson, rated as the top running back in the NFL draft, went back to the prom.

APTrent Richardson

If the Cleveland Browns draft Alabama running back Trent Richardson, here's a sign that Richardson is one of the good guys.

Richardson accompanied a high school senior and cancer survivor, Courtney Alvis, to her prom on Saturday night. Richardson, in this article on AL.com, said the move was made in part to honor his mother, who is also a cancer survivor.

The gesture made national headlines and the couple was followed by ESPN.

LeCharles Bentley's case against the Browns will be handled in county court.

PD fileLeCharles Bentley

WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court won’t hear an appeal from the Cleveland Browns in the team’s attempt to force into NFL arbitration a lawsuit by former center LeCharles Bentley over his career-ending staph infection.

The high court’s decision Monday keeps the case — and lawsuit — in Cuyahoga County court in Cleveland.

The team had appealed a July ruling by an Ohio appeals court that said the issue isn’t related to the NFL collective bargaining agreement and can be handled in county court.

Bentley says he contracted the infection while rehabbing from a 2006 knee injury at the team’s suburban Cleveland facility. The team is accused of failing to tell Bentley about unsanitary conditions and other players who contracted staph.

The team argued that state and federal laws support arbitration over litigation.

The Indians offense exploded this weekend in Kansas City, sweeping the Royals. Talk about it live with Bud Shaw, Dennis Manoloff, Glenn Moore and special guest Paul Hoynes today at noon.

Watch PD Sports Insider live at noon every Monday and Thursday on cleveland.com

Today live at noon on PD Sports Insider, brought to you by Ed Tomko Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram in Avon Lake, join Bud Shaw, Dennis Manoloff and Glenn Moore along with special guest, Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes live via Skype, to talk Tribe baseball.

They will discuss the Tribe's weekend and preview their West Coast trip, which includes stops in Seattle and Oakland. Tune in and get your comments and questions read on-air.

Be sure to also like PD Sports Insider on Facebook.

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 email their video questions during the week.

Waite Hill angler Frank Sinito Jr., 14, caught the trophy blue marlin of a lifetime recently while fishing off Maui during spring break.

Special to The Plain DealerFrank Sinito Jr. of Waite Hill did a lot of posing with a 760-pound blue marlin caught while on a Hawaiian spring break holiday with his parents. Sinito's cousins, Logan and Zachary (right) Milano admire the trophy catch, the largest marlin caught in recent years off Maui.

Frank Sinito Jr. is a tall, lanky young fisherman who has caught plenty of fish in his short career.

Lake Erie’s walleye couldn’t prepare the 14-year-old for a 760-pound blue marlin he hooked off Palaoa Point along Hawaii’s Maui Coast on a recent trip during spring break.

“I saw the monster fish hit the fake squid swimming behind the boat, then jump out of the water,” said Sinito, a University School student from Waite Hill. “The reel started to scream as line ran out, so I grabbed the rod and reel and sat in the fighting chair. I tried to reel, but the huge fish kept taking out line and jumping.

“The fish was going crazy. It must have jumped 10 times in the first few minutes, but it was pretty far out so I couldn’t really judge its size. All I knew was that the captain [Dave Hudson of Finest Kind Charters] kept yelling ‘big fish.’ ”

Sinito, a quarterback on his school football team who also plays baseball and basketball, quickly figured that out. The blue marlin had the upper hand and, after he battled it for more than an hour, Sinito’s hand was bloody from rubbing against the heavy fishing line.

“I was strapped into the fighting chair, but after a while my knees were shaking and the mate was dumping water on me and the fishing reel to cool us off,” said Sinito.

The three other anglers aboard the boat began to take turns fighting the huge fish as it headed to deep water to continue the battle. Sinito took over again toward the end of the third hour, hauling a very tired marlin to the boat. It was the largest marlin caught off Hawaii’s coast in recent years and the largest ever landed on a Finest Kind charter boat.

“I knew the marlin was big, but I didn’t know how big of a deal it really was,” said Sinito. “When we got back to the dock, there were more than a hundred people waiting to see our catch.”

That included his mother, Malisse, younger brother Tommy and the rest of the family.

“We were celebrities,” said Sinito, with a laugh. “Everyone wanted to have their picture taken with the fish.”

Sinito’s parents own Lockkeepers restaurant in Valley View. Frank Sinito Sr. is responsible for his son’s avid interest in fishing.

“Frankie started fishing with me when he was only 4 or 5 years old,” said Sinito Sr. “We regularly fish for Lake Erie walleye and perch, as well as steelhead trout in the rivers, bass in local lakes and ponds and head to Michigan for salmon and trout.”

Their vacations, he said, seem to lure them to great saltwater fishing environments like the Cayman Islands and Florida coast.

Years ago, Frank and Malisse Sinito spent their honeymoon on Maui and fished aboard the Finest Kind.

“Frankie and I have caught lots of fish in a lot of places over the years, but this was a once-in-a-lifetime catch,” said Sinito Sr. “It’s a story we’ll both be telling for a long, long time.”

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: degan@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

The Cleveland Browns are split over what to do with the No. 4 pick in the draft

Chuck Crow | The Plain DealerGeneral manager Tom Heckert.

The Cleveland Browns are split when it comes to which player they should select with the No. 4 overall pick, writes Peter King on SI.com.

The Browns are the pivot point of the first round at No. 4. You have the big quarterbacks going 1-2, and then Minnesota is praying it can stir up interest at No. 3. 

When it comes to the Browns, King said he heard GM Tom Heckert loves WR Justin Blackmon and that would be his pick; president Mike Holmgren is still trying to decide with finality if QB Ryan Tannehill is the franchise quarterback worth taking here.

More Cleveland Browns

Scott Fujita meets with the NFL about bounties in New Orleans (Cleveland.com).

The wheels are turning in Berea (CantonRep.com).

Ohio.com's NFL Mock Draft. Guess who is No.4 for the Browns?

The Browns should build a roof (WFNY.com).

PD columnist wonders whether lack of sellouts is a sign of a larger issue. Watch video

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

The Indians completed a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals over the weekend. Is that a sign of things to come. That's our question in today's Starting Blocks poll.

Today's guest on SBTV is Plain Dealer columnist Bill Livingston, who says it was good to see the Tribe offense come to life and the long ball return to its offensive arsenal. Livy also talks about his column last week and why he thinks Tribe starting pitcher Justin Masterson has such a strong foundation.

And he also discusses a column that will appear in Tuesday's paper, in which he asks whether pro sports is reaching a tipping point.

SBTV will return Tuesday with local MMA fighter Jessica Eye talking with Chuck about Friday's Bellator 66 at the I-X Center.

The Indians are 1-2 to start the season, while the Cavaliers are stumbling towards the end of their season. Watch Paul Hoynes, Bud Shaw and Dan Labbe talk Tribe and Cavaliers with you on today's show. Watch video

The Tribe's offense exploded this weekend in Kansas City, sweeping the Royals and improving their record to 4-4.

On today's PD Sports Insider, brought to you by Ed Tomko Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram in Avon Lake, The Plain Dealer's Bud Shaw, Dennis Manoloff and cleveland.com's Glenn Moore were joined by Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes and they talked about the Tribe's sweep of the Royals over the weekend.

Click on play to watch the guys discuss:

- What will the Indians do when Johnny Damon joins the team?

- Is there a no-trade clause in Damon's contract?

- Is the Travis Hafner of old coming back, and can he do this the whole season?

- Is what we’ve seen from the offense so far what we can expect all season?

The crew also talked about Peter King's article about the Browns plans for No. 4 and their interest in Ryan Tannehill.

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 email their video questions during the week.

Be sure to also like PD Sports Insider on Facebook.

Pro sports, event the NFL, have reached a tipping point. There are signs that the NFL, the country's colossus, has begun to decline in some markets.

AP photoCincinnati Bengals fans have grown weary of the fiscal policies of team president Mike Brown.

Sports as we know them are at a tipping point.

I'm not talking just about the NBA. I'm not even talking about LeBron James.

How close to the last straw was the argument made last week by witless superstars Ray Allen of Boston and Dwyane Wade of Miami that NBA players need to be "enticed" with additional money in order to play for their country in the Olympics?

Wade started backing up almost as soon as he said it, possibly because not even James -- the former Cavalier for whom Wade serves as a virtual chaperone in post-game interviews -- was self-absorbed enough to say that. Wade might even give Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen a run for the golden dunce cap.

The whole incident was shocking because the honor of representing one's country, while seemingly self-evident, largely escaped both Allen and Wade. But it was also a tipping point because, in the cockeyed, twisted world of the NBA, with its apologist commissioner and its television lackeys, Allen and Wade seemed to be two of the good guys.

I believe any distance either player has managed to create between himself and the remarks was a result of public backlash, not of honest re-consideration. I think both said exactly what they meant. I'm not sure if I'd rather lose without them than win with them. But if I had a say in Team USA's make-up, I'd consider it strongly.

Major League Baseball won't be whole to me until a new commissioner comes along to set a realistic records policy for the steroids era, which made worthless the one thing baseball had over all other sports. That was the sanctity of its biggest numbers.

Current commissioner Bud Selig isn't going to do it. It would be an admission that much of his stewardship of the game was built on the biggest lie in sports since East Germany.

That leaves the NFL.

Could Cleveland become the next Cincinnati in terms of vanishing fan support?

Maybe it will never happen because Cleveland is a football town and Cincinnati is a baseball town. But both franchises have been victimized by years, yea, decades, of poor management.

The Bengals were blacked out locally in six of their eight home games in 2011, despite having a young team that put up a 9-7 record and made the playoffs. They also actually found a quarterback in the draft in Andy Dalton, and in the second round (35th overall) at that!

Bengals fans weren't buying it for a lot of reasons, including past player misbehavior and dissatisfaction with owner Mike Brown's fiscal policies.

In 2010, seven of Oakland's eight home games were blacked out in a season in which the Raiders went 8-8. The Browns would be strutting their stuff after such a season.

When does that tide lap the lakeshore?

After a feckless off-season of trying out, wooing and eyeing wistfully several college quarterbacks, then saying believe what we say about Colt McCoy, not what we do as far as trying to find his possible replacements?

After the realization that the Browns might as well not have hired Mike Holmgren if he's not going to be a magnet for glamour free agents?

The NFL season as a whole is in danger of becoming over-exposed, over-long, over-wrought and over-done, and I'm not even talking about the over-kill of the NFL Draft. The coming season opens on a Wednesday, includes Thursday night games for 13 weeks, and also plays on Saturdays, Sundays and of course Mondays. At some point, more becomes too much.

There is also the integrity of the game, which is currently wobbly.

The New England Patriots a few years ago might have won a Super Bowl through a systematic policy of illegal spying.

A major, inherent tension in the NFL might never be resolved. That is the one between the violence and the players' courage in the face of it, which popularized the game in the first place, and the intent of Commissioner Roger Goodell, under pressure from lawsuits by former players with serious disabilities, to clean it up.

The New Orleans Saints' bounty system and the video of their disgraced former defensive coordinator Greg Williams' repugnant pre-game speech only made public what has been common practice with some teams for years.

Few people, least of all those running and selling the NFL, wanted to face the dangers of concussions and the repugnance of bounty systems until forced to confront them.

Now will fans love a sanitized game as much?

Is it reasonable even in the NFL to expect continued sellouts in a bad economy, given the price of tickets, parking and concessions. Not to mention the competitive disparity here.

Even when the NFL seems to be riding high, has it begun to slip?

If it tips, will any sport ever grip us as tightly as it once did?

Former Cav Terrell Brandon won the honor in 1997

View full sizePD FileCleveland Cavaliers Antawn Jamison has been named a finalist for the NBA's Joe Dumars Sportsmanship Award

Here are what blogs from Cleveland and around the country are saying about the Browns, Cavaliers and Indians.

Here are what blogs from Cleveland and around the country are saying about the Browns, Cavaliers and Indians.

Associated PressWill Browns fans riot if the team selects quarterback Ryan Tannehill at No. 4?

"Just a few short months ago, Tannehill was a largely-anonymous quarterback prospect caught in the backwash of Andrew Luck’s and Robert Griffin III’s exhaust.

But Tannehill -- despite not playing in the Senior Bowl because of a broken foot and despite not working out at the NFL Scouting Combine – has since soared up draft boards. Some analysts advocate the Browns selecting him fourth overall, assuming Miami doesn’t listen to the other analysts encouraging the Dolphins to trade into the third spot to nab Tannehill there."

"In addition to that, it gives Cleveland a venue to host more events. I won’t pretend that the concert industry is doing well or anything. The number of stadium acts that can play rock concerts isn’t high. Still, if you add a festival and a couple of country acts per year that would be nice. In addition you can host high school playoff football like they do in Indianapolis. Point being that it could turn into a public hub for activity double as many times per year as it does right now pretty conservatively without much issue."

John Sleezer, Kansas City StarShelley Duncan, right, was a big part to the Tribe's success this weekend in Kansas City.

"19 out of your 32 runs scored came with a two-out hit. That's well over half and well done if you ask me. The one game the Indians didn't score a majority of them with two outs was Saturday and in that one, it took til the 10th inning when Choo hit the double for them to get any. When you score 9 without two outs, then you're doing something right before hand."

"In a small market, building a young core of players that can develop together—and hopefully win together—is important. Certainly the Indians have proven that they don’t build their team through the free agent market, but through trades and minor league development. Keeping their current nucleus for as long as possible is a recipe for contention for several years.

The message to begin to build a long-term core has rippled through the organization. “It sends a message we’re trying to keep our good players for a long time,” Manager Manny Acta said. “It’s comforting to know these guys aren’t going anywhere for a while.'"

AP Photo/Rich PedroncelliJ.J. Hickson has played for Sacramento and Portland this season.

"A crazy weekend ended with the Cavaliers losing 100-84, dropping their record to 20-39 on the season. 20 wins means that the Cavaliers earned more victories this season in a shortened season than they did all of last season.

Going 1-2 on the weekend was just enough to keep Cavalier fans happy. Cleveland will travel to Detroit to take on the Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

"JH: As far as Sacramento, there wasn’t, and isn’t, any bad blood on either side there as far as me, the organization, and the team are concerned. There wasn’t any animosity there on either side at all, and I wish their team the best of luck. It just wasn’t a good fit for me there. I don’t have anything negative to say about that team, it just wasn’t a good fit for me, as far as my game is concerned, and I’m happy now to be a Portland Trailblazer. I’m glad to be in this situation, and I’m just focused on trying to make the most of it."

With the 13th pick in the first round, the Arizona Cardinals select....Who do you say? This is another pick -- by voting in a poll -- made by you in Cleveland.com's fans' mock draft.

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerOhio State's Mike Adams, despite a so-so performance at the NFL scouting combine, is still regarded as one of the premier offensive tackles in the draft.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns and NFL fans, it's time for you to say who all of the teams should pick in the first round of the draft on April 26.

Through April 22, via polls, we're asking you every day to make first-round picks for each of two teams. The polls go up on cleveland.com at approximate 12-hour intervals, around 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. each day. We list 10 prospects for you to pick from in each poll. On April 23-24, you'll be asked to make the picks for each of three teams (at approximate eight-hour intervals) both days, completing the 32-pick first round.

Here's who the fans have selected so far:

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

3: Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, Southern Cal

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne, CB, Louisiana State

6. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

9. Carolina Panthers: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

11. Kansas City Chiefs: David DeCastro, guard, Stanford

12. Seattle Seahawks: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

The 13th pick in the first round of the draft belongs to the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals finished the 2011 season with an 8-8 record.

The Cardinals' primary needs include the offensive line, linebacker, cornerback and defensive line depth.

Continue to check The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com for Browns and NFL coverage.

The Buckeyes have 10 scholarship players for next season, with another transfer still possible.

APJ.D. Weatherspoon

COLUMBUS - Ohio State sophomore basketball forward J.D. Weatherspoon announced today that he is transferring.

The Columbus native played at Northland High School with former Buckeye Jared Sullinger, who is also leaving Ohio State for the NBA Draft, but never found a consistent role in college.

His transfer leaves the Buckeyes with 10 scholarships players, and with the transfer of fellow sophomore Jordan Sibert still possible, Ohio State could be looking at nine scholarship players for the 2012-13 season.

They don't have any players currently signed in this year's recruiting class, but guard Amadeo Della Valle plans to visit Ohio State this week and remains in play for the Buckeyes. There are 13 scholarships available in men's college basketball.

Weatherspoon played in 25 games this season, averaging 6.3 minutes and 3 points per game. He was probably best known for some high-flying dunks late in blowouts. As a freshman, he played in 10 games and averaged 1.8 points before missing the second half of the season after he was ruled academically ineligible.

For now, the Buckeyes' 2012-13 roster includes big men Amir Williams, Evan Ravenel and Trey McDonald; forwards Deshaun Thomas, LaQuinton Ross and Sam Thompson; and guards Aaron Craft, Lenzelle Smith, Shannon Scott and Sibert. Alex Rogers also is on the roster as a walk-on transfer, which means that even if Sibert leaves, the Buckeyes should have enough bodies to go five-on-five in practice.

"Why would you pick a QB who isn't the best at his position coming out, but NOT pick who is clearly the best RB in the draft? That makes no sense! Tannehill isn't the answer. If you draft Richardson at #4, and either MIchael Floyd or Kendall Wright at #22, you fill TWO key offensive positions probably for at least the next 5 to 7 years." - CALUAL87

View full sizeAssociated PressOne cleveland.com reader would not be happy if the Browns select Ryan Tannehill at No. 4.

"Why would you pick a QB who isn't the best at his position coming out, but NOT pick who is clearly the best RB in the draft? That makes no sense! Tannehill isn't the answer. If you draft Richardson at #4, and either MIchael Floyd or Kendall Wright at #22, you fill TWO key offensive positions probably for at least the next 5 to 7 years.

Unless the QB has the name of Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin in the first round, I don't want him. I'd rather go with West Coast-ready Brandon Weedon in the 2nd round, AFTER picking Richardson and a Wide Receiver in round 1."

For his first time as a head coach, Pat Shurmur kicked off an offseason program.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerBrowns coach Pat Shurmur didn't have an offseason program last year to install his scheme.

After beginning his head coaching career last year with no off-season program because of the NFL lockout, Pat Shurmur got his first taste of one as a head coach Monday when the Browns' workouts kicked off in Berea.

"It's exciting," Shurmur said on a conference call. "For coaches to see players back, that's an exciting thing. So I'm looking forward to it. I understand and realize how important these [workouts] can be, so that you can get your systems in place, to refine. The players have a chance to work together and start to develop a winning chemistry."

Shurmur was impressed with the attendance at the voluntary workouts.

"There's a couple of guys that weren't here and I knew why," he said. "[But] it was a great turnout in my opinion."

One player not there was linebacker Scott Fujita, who was in New York meeting with NFL officials about the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal and other league matters. Fujita, a member of the NFL Players Association executive committee, admitted to Sports Illustrated's Peter King last month that he paid defensive teammates in New Orleans for big plays, but not for hurting players and not as part of the bounty program.

Goodell is expected to decide soon on the penalties for the players that were involved in the scheme.

"I don't know any details," Shurmur said about Fujita's situation.

As for the turnout in Berea, Shurmur said it bodes well for the season.

"I think that's an important thing to remember," he said. "It tells me that they're excited to get back to work. So No. 1 that's an important thing. It says a lot about the direction this team wants to go."

Shurmur stressed the benefits of having this time to fine-tune the schemes that were installed last year on the fly. He met most of his players last season when training camp opened in late July.

"From what I saw, the players are looking forward to revisiting the things we did well last year and making improvements on the things that we didn't do well," said Shurmur. "You get to work with some of the new coaches and some of the new players. For me, I just have a much better view of what our team is and the areas we need to improve in to get ourselves in a position to play in the playoffs and compete to play in the big game. And I think that's what we're looking to do."

It's also the first off-season program under the restrictive rules of the new collective bargaining agreement. The program is split into three phases: Phase I, which lasts two weeks, includes conditioning and meeting with coaches but no on-field work. Phases II and III include 10 on-field organized team activities and one mandatory full-squad minicamp. The program can run for 10 weeks, with one week off. Shurmur has chosen to work for the first nine weeks and then give the players the final week off.

Dates for upcoming practices -- which are all closed to the public -- are as follows:

•Rookie minicamp: May 11-13.

•OTAs: May 22-24, May 30-June 1, June 12-15.

•Full-squad minicamp: June 5-7.

After deferring questions about the draft to General Manager Tom Heckert, Shurmur addressed a number of other topics.

•He said he met with Colt McCoy Monday morning, but didn't feel compelled to address the team's pursuit of Robert Griffin III and other quarterbacks. "I didn't think that was necessary," said Shurmur. "We talked about what we want to accomplish in the off-season."

•On linebacker Marcus Benard, who's recovered from a hand injury suffered in a motorcycle accident: "He looks actually good. I'm hoping to see the best of Marcus, and he looks good. I've seen him a couple of times through the off-season and he was there today. I didn't get a chance to watch in the weight room. I'm not allowed to be in there yet, but from what I heard, he performed well."

•On the possibility of moving Benard back to linebacker: "No, our thoughts are to keep him at defensive end and have him in there competing."

•On the impact of having running backs Montario Hardesty and Brandon Jackson healthy this year: "I think it's important. You have to have your running backs performing at a high level. And to do that, they've obviously got to get themselves trained and stay healthy. Of course, we've seen over short periods of time that those players you mentioned, Brandon and Montario, can play at a high level, so I'm hopeful they'll get themselves better and improve like the rest of the players."

•On his involvement in the draft: "I'm very heavily involved and I talk to Tom every day."

•On being pro-active about making sure there are no bounties: "There has been education. Really, it was initiated by us. Of course this will be a point of emphasis. I'll talk to the team about it."

MORE FUJITA: Fujita was one of several members of the NFLPA executive committee, including Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who met with league officials Monday. NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith was also there. The NFL Network's Albert Breer reported that the two sides didn't make much progress on what sanctions should levied on players involved in the bounty program. . . . NFL.com's Jason LaCanfora reported that Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma is bracing for a two- to four-game suspension.

EXTRA POINTS: The NFL Schedule will be announced Tuesday at 7 p.m. on the NFL Network and nfl.com. . . . Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill visited the Browns on Sunday night and Monday and then headed to Buffalo, which has the 10th overall pick in the draft. . . . SI.com's King reported he's hearing Browns President Mike Holmgren is still trying to decide if Tannehill is a franchise quarterback and that Heckert likes Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon.

Ohio State's Samantha Prahalis is the sixth overall pick in the WNBA Draft.

APSamantha Prahalis.

The Phoenix Mercury made the best point guard in the country, Ohio State's Samantha Prahalis, the sixth pick in the WNBA draft.

Prahalis will teammate up with guard Diana Taurasi.

On SBNation.com:

This past season Prahalis stepped up as more of a scorer averaging a career high 20.1 PPG showing the versatility in her game. She is a pass-first point guard that gets teammates involved, but can turn it on and get her own when called upon. This is something the team may lean on with the loss of last seasons second leading scorer and more importantly, the teams leading distributor Penny Taylor.

Prahalis is more than a distributing point guard. She has the flash and ability to score the ball as she put up 42 points against Minnesota on the teams senior night.

Her skill set fits right in with the up-tempo Mercury playing along side Taurasi, which she is very excited to do, "I am looking forward to playing someone who hates losing like I do."

Former NBA great Thomas was fired by the Panthers on April 6 after going 26-65 in three seasons, including 8-21 this past season.

Associated PressRichard Pitino (right) as an assistant coach at Florida during the 2009-10 season.

MIAMI, Florida -- Richard Pitino has been hired to replace Isiah Thomas at Florida International, signing a five-year contract Monday afternoon to take over a program that has not posted a winning season in 12 years.

The 29-year-old Pitino is the son of Louisville coach Rick Pitino. The younger Pitino spent this past season as Louisville's associate head coach under his father, helping the Cardinals reach the Final Four.

Pitino's base salary at FIU is $250,000 per year.

"I can't wait to get started," he said in a statement. "I will pour my heart and soul into this program. FIU and the South Florida community are extremely attractive to student-athletes. I know we have a lot to offer both in classroom and on the court. The sky is the limit with this university."

Thomas was fired by the Panthers on April 6 after going 26-65 in three seasons, including 8-21 this past season.

Richard Pitino spent the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons under Billy Donovan at Florida, who also raved about FIU's hire.

"It is great to have Richard back in the state of Florida," Donovan said. "FIU has hired a tireless worker and an excellent recruiter to build their program."

Richard Pitino was a Louisville assistant from 2007 through 2009 and has worked at Duquesne, Northeastern and the College of Charleston.

Thomas' firing has created a sense of disarray around the Panthers' program. Two of Thomas' verbally committed players said late last week they would play elsewhere because of his dismissal, and an unknown number of FIU players have asked Garcia to be released from their scholarships so they can enroll at other schools. The players say FIU has declined those release requests.

"Good series. KC has good hitting but poor pitching. Concerned a little about Jimenez but KC seems to hit most everyone. Jimenez needs to throw more strikes. I don't know how a guy can throw 112 pitches in 5 innings. Glad to have another day off. Bullpen will be rested before the next series." - joedean

View full sizeAP photoMany cleveland.com readers were happy to see the Tribe sweep the Royals this weekend and show some life.

"Good series. KC has good hitting but poor pitching. Concerned a little about Jimenez but KC seems to hit most everyone. Jimenez needs to throw more strikes. I don't know how a guy can throw 112 pitches in 5 innings. Glad to have another day off. Bullpen will be rested before the next series. Need to have Masterson and Lowe get us into the 8th inning ( or at least the 7th). Batting averages beginning to even out and rise to where they will eventually approach career averages, Glad to have a win that was not so close at the end. Glad to get back to .500. Choo's big hit last night and today got us on track (also Duncan's big homer today)."

"I like the idea of the Cav's getting Mayo, he plays good defense and is a guard who can create his own shot. I believe he is hungry and wants to start. I also think it would allow Grant the chance to concentrate on a small forward and center. The 2 2nd round picks would really allow us to have a nice bench if we get the right players." - rome

View full sizeAP Photo/Wilfredo LeeOne cleveland.com reader would like to see O.J. Mayo on the Cavs roster next season.

"I like the idea of the Cavs' getting Mayo, he plays good defense and is a guard who can create his own shot. I believe he is hungry and wants to start. I also think it would allow Grant the chance to concentrate on a small forward and center. The 2 2nd round picks would really allow us to have a nice bench if we get the right players."

Tim Warsinskey Plain Dealer Reporter te; "Competitive balance" might have seemed like "voodoo economics" to many high school sports fans, coaches and administrators in the last year.

Tim Warsinskey Plain Dealer Reporter te; "Competitive balance" might have seemed like "voodoo economics" to many high school sports fans, coaches and administrators in the last year.

On Monday, the Ohio High School Athletic Association took a step toward transparency and clearing the air. It posted on ohsaa.org a simulation demonstrating how a proposed competitive balance referendum would affect each school in football and seven other team sports, if the formula were in use today.

High school principals are to vote on the referendum from May 1-15. If passed, it would take effect August 2013. The OHSAA did not release the simulation before a similar vote last year, and the referendum failed by a narrow margin.

One significant change already has been approved: A new, seven-division football playoff format is to go into effect August 2013.

Of note, the new Division I football alignment combined with the proposed competitive-balance formula would have just seven nonpublic schools, including St. Edward and St. Ignatius.

Recent private school state football champs Bishop Watterson (Division II), Cardinal Mooney (III), Bishop Hartley (IV), Youngstown Ursuline (V) and Delphos St. John (VI) would not change divisions.

Glenville, Willoughby South, Massillon and Canton McKinley would drop to Division II.

In volleyball and girls basketball, Bay, Beaumont, Lake Catholic and Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin would switch from Division II to Division I. Walsh Jesuit's powerful girls soccer and volleyball programs also would step up to Division I.

The numbers in the simulation are subject to change because the OHSAA recalibrates every two years with updated enrollment figures, and that also will take place August 2013.

Competitive balance applies three factors to a school's enrollment figure to arrive at an "athletic count" used for division assignments:

• A boundary factor for public and private schools can add 4 to 10 percent.

• A tradition factor would increase an enrollment figure by as much as 10 percent depending on recent tournament success.

• The socioeconomic factor takes into consideration the number of free-lunch participants and can decrease the enrollment figure.

According to the OHSAA, about half of all schools would see an increase in their athletic count due to the boundary factor; and almost 86 percent would see a decrease due to the socioeconomic factor. The tradition factor would affect very few schools.

Plain Dealer reporters Joe Maxse and Bob Fortuna contributed to this story.

A routine that started last offseason has kept Cavaliers veteran Antawn Jamison healthy through the rigors of this shortened, condensed NBA season.

Mark Duncan, Associated PressWhile many of his younger teammates have missed games this season with injuries, veteran forward Antawn Jamison says off-season conditioning and a good in-season routine have kept him on the court for all but one game for the Cavaliers.

According to Antawn Jamison, getting fit for this season started not long after last season.

"My biggest thing is -- and a lot of people don't realize it -- but the off-season really dictates how healthy you can be throughout the season," Jamison said.

Until Cavaliers coach Byron Scott gave him a night off Saturday at Washington to rest, Jamison had started every game for the Cavs in this crazy, condensed season, which is pretty impressive for a guy who will turn 36 in June. Jamison is the second-oldest player on the Cavs' roster behind Anthony Parker, who will turn 37 in June, but they're spring chickens compared with Kurt Thomas, the oldest player in the league at 39.

The schedule has taken a toll on players throughout the league -- especially those heading into the playoffs. Coaches have had to monitor the minutes of their veteran players carefully, although some aren't above giving a little dig while doing so. San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, for instance, rested 35-year-old Tim Duncan against Philadelphia on March 25, and Duncan's line in the box score read, "DNP -- old."

Scott hasn't needed to do that, or had that luxury. Jamison has played more minutes than anyone on the team this season, and as the team foundered, the coach had to make sure either Jamison or rookie Kyrie Irving (before he sprained his right shoulder) was on the court in order to provide some stability.

But with the exception of some fatigue before the All-Star break in late February, Jamison has maintained that he feels pretty good and has been offering advice to the Cavs' young players about how to approach the final push of this season, including three games in three nights during the past weekend.

"I'm telling these young guys, the most important thing is to not change your routine -- to get rest, not only this weekend but this month in general, is going to be tough," Jamison said. "Right now, it's more mental. Your body, no matter what, is going to be fatigued and sore. But now it's mind over matter."

Last summer, though, it was less mental and more physical -- as it always is. Jamison said he didn't vary his normal summer routine in thinking the lockout could push back the start of the season.

"I always pay attention to making sure I'm in shape and not getting too much out of shape," said Jamison, whose playing weight of 235 is just 12 pounds more than the 223 he was listed at as a rookie coming into the league 14 years ago at Golden State. "I take a month and a half off. After that, I'm lifting, doing cardio all summer, inside and outside. I've got a guy who does a lot of on-court and off-court stuff with me in Charlotte, [N.C.]."

In addition, he's got a physical therapist, a masseuse and a yogi. He does yoga two or three times a week in the off-season and gets a massage a couple of times a month. During the season, he drops the yoga but increases the number of massages, along with cold-tub therapy every day and he uses a number of machines that help rejuvenate the legs.

"Technology is keeping the older guys able to perform at a high level," he said with a smile.

Getting enough rest is key, and nutrition plays an important part, too -- even for a junk-food junkie such as Jamison. He doesn't eat pork or beef but favors other lean proteins and vegetables. At least he tries to.

"I still get my snacks in," he said. "I still get my sweets in. I've probably been out to eat three times since the season started. I eat home-cooked meals. I really believe in eating the right way . . . not to say I don't have my dessert."

Or his favorite, Snickers.

Still, since being traded from Dallas to Washington for the 2004-05 season, this system has served him well.

"That's pretty much my routine," Jamison said. "I feel comfortable doing that. I think it gives me an advantage as far as, you know, the older you get, you have to maintain a little bit more. It has been successful."

Jamison honored: Jamison is one of six finalists for the 2011-12 NBA Sportsmanship Award and the Joe Dumars Trophy, named after the Hall of Famer and former Detroit Pistons great. The other finalists are Dallas' Jason Kidd; the Los Angeles Clippers' Chris Paul; Miami's Shane Battier; Minnesota's Luke Ridnour; and New York's Jeremy Lin. Each team nominated one of its players for the award, and a five-member panel of former players -- Greg Anthony, John Crotty, Antonio Davis, Eddie Johnson and Kenny Smith -- selected one player from each NBA division. The award goes to the player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court, and is voted on by NBA players. Jamison was the winner in the Central Division. The NBA will announce the winner after the regular season. The Cavs' Terrell Brandon became the first player to win the award in 1997 after Dumars received the inaugural award in 1996.

Irving is clutch: ESPN Insider Tom Haberstroh has calculated that Cavs rookie Irving leads the NBA in clutch situations. A "clutch situation" as described on NBA.com is when the score margin is five points or less in the final five minutes of the game.

Writes Haberstroh of Irving: "He normally uses 'just' 27.9 percent of his team's possessions, but when the going gets tough, Irving gets going. In clutch situations, Irving raises his usage rate to 47.2 percent, which is tied for the highest in the NBA, along with Carmelo Anthony. And he's not just chucking up shots like Anthony -- Irving has made just as many crunch-time shots [31-of-57] as Anthony in 28 fewer attempts [31-of-85]."

Irving's shooting percentage on those shots is 54.4 percent.