LeBron James collected the biggest trophy of his career when the Miami Heat won the NBA championship. That title run netted him some more hardware at the ESPY Awards.

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James collected the biggest trophy of his career when the Miami Heat won the NBA championship. That title run netted him some more hardware at the ESPY Awards.

James won a leading three individual trophies, including male athlete of the year, and shared in another at the 20th annual show celebrating the year's best athletes and moments in sports.

He wasn't on hand to accept because he was in Las Vegas with the rest of the U.S. national team preparing for the upcoming London Olympics.

James outpolled tennis player Novak Djokovic, Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in fan voting for male athlete honors. He also won in the championship performance and NBA player categories, while sharing in the best team award, with Juwan Howard and Mike Miller accepting for the Heat.

"He's had a magnifying glass on him since he was 17 years old and I think he's handled himself really, really well," Miller said of James backstage. "Unbelievable teammate, unbelievable father, so those are the most important things. He's just a likeable guy. He's a great basketball player to boot."

Baylor basketball star Brittney Griner won two trophies, including female athlete of the year in which she beat out French Open champion Maria Sharapova, skier Lindsay Vonn and soccer player Abby Wambach.

Quarterback Robert Griffin III, who like Griner starred at Baylor, won male college athlete honors. Griner took female college athlete honors for leading the Lady Bears to a 40-0 record and the NCAA championship.

"Just excited. I wouldn't be here without Title IX," Griner said backstage. "Everything is just coming together, and it feels good to be here."

Los Angeles was well represented, with Kings goalie Jonathan Quick winning best NHL player after helping the franchise win its first Stanley Cup title, and Galaxy star David Beckham earning best MLS player honors. The Kings won for best upset after their run to the NHL championship as an eighth seed in the Western Conference.

Texas Rangers slugger Josh Hamilton won as best MLB player, while Rodgers earned best NFL player honors.

Mario Gutierrez, who rode I'll Have Another to victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, won as best jockey.

Skateboarder and snowboarder Shaun White won his fifth consecutive ESPY for male action sports athlete.

Host Rob Riggle of "The Daily Show" and "The Hangover" fame zinged some of the famous faces in his opening monologue.

• Related story: Rob Riggle pokes fun at Cleveland at ESPY Awards

He touched on the New Orleans Saints' bounty scandal in singling out quarterback Drew Brees, who won for record-breaking performance after shattering Dan Marino's single-season passing mark. Brees and the Saints are haggling over his contract with a Monday deadline looming.

"If only the Saints had some sort of fund that they could pull extra cash from to reward people for doing things on the field," Riggle cracked as Brees looked down from his seat, and the crowd roared.

Riggle teased Anthony Davis of Kentucky, the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft known for his connected eyebrows. Davis recently trademarked the phrases "Fear the Brow" and "Raise the Brow."

"It looks like two caterpillars just making sweet love on your forehead," Riggle told Davis. "Is that like one of those Mr. Potato Head eyebrows you just take on and off?"

Riggle skewered Jeremy Lin and the "Linsanity" he created playing for the New York Knicks, which won Lin the trophy for breakthrough athlete.

"What a heartwarming story," he said. "It's so refreshing to see a young Asian kid graduate from Harvard, move to New York and make a ton of money."

The Arthur Ashe Courage award went to former Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt, who revealed her diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's last August. She retired in April after 38 years.

Summitt's son, Tyler, escorted her to the stage to accept the trophy from Denver quarterback Peyton Manning, who went to college at Tennessee, while the Nokia Theatre crowd stood applauding.

"I am deeply touched," she told the crowd. "I'm going to keep on keepin' on I promise you that."

The Jimmy V Award for Perseverance was given to former Rutgers defensive tackle Eric LeGrand. He is recovering from a spinal cord injury that ended his playing career.

"My dream is to get back on my feet and walk again," he told the audience after a standing ovation. "You can best believe that I'll never give up."

Comedian Rob Riggle hosted the ESPY Awards last night on ESPN. Riggle, best known for roles in 'The Hangover,' 'The Office,' and 'Saturday Night Live,' got in a couple of digs in at Cleveland in his opening monologue. How bad was it?

Comedian Rob Riggle hosted the ESPY Awards last night on ESPN. Riggle, best known for roles in 'The Hangover,' 'The Office,' and 'Saturday Night Live,' got in a couple of digs in at Cleveland in his opening monologue. You can watch in the video above starting around the 2:20 mark or read the transcript below.

"Enough hating on LeBron. Come on seriously. Does it bother you that a young man wanted to move to Miami with all his best friends to play basketball for millions of dollars. Who wouldn't do that? Hell, I'd move to Miami with my worst enemies just to manage a car wash. Enough with the hate.

...

The only exception on chilling on LeBron might be Cleveland, OK. I get it. Cleveland, I get it. You guys get screwed non-stop. Look at how many great players have left your town to go on and win elsewhere. You got Manny Ramirez, Cliff Lee, CC Sabathia, your entire NFL franchise.

And they went to Baltimore because they thought it was nicer. Baltimore! Baltimore! Where they film 'The Wire!'

Oh my gosh, we've got a great example here, Jim Brown, everbody! One of the greatest football players of all-time. You retired at 29 so you could get out of Cleveland."

What was the reaction from Clevelanders to Riggle's monolgue? Check out what they were saying on Twitter, including one Tweet from Browns' receiver Josh Cribbs, who was in the audience with Joe Haden. Then tell us if you thought Riggle was funny in the comments section below.

Rob Riggle (AP Photo)

Related content:

• ESPY Awards: LeBron James, best in sports 2012 honored

• ESPY Awards 2012: Photo gallery

The once-revered former Penn State football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was convicted last month of 45 counts of sexual assault on 10 boys. The report is expected to answer many of the questions about how the university and certain officials initially handled the allegations against him.

View full size Centre Daily Times via APJerry Sandusky leaves the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa., after being found guilty in his sexual abuse trial. Sandusky was convicted of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years, accusations that had sent shockwaves through the college campus known as Happy Valley and led to the firing of Penn State's beloved Hall of Fame coach, Joe Paterno.

A report on once-revered former football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky's child sexual abuse on the Penn State University campus was released at 9 a.m. today.

Here is a copy of the press release (pdf). Here is the full report, with a timeline of events. (267-page pdf).

Lead investigator Louis Freeh is holding a press conference at 10 a.m. today. The PSU Board of Trustees is meeting in Scranton, Pa., today and will release a statement.

Sandusky was convicted in Centre County Court last month of 45 counts of sexual assault on 10 boys. The report is expected to answer many of the questions about how the university and certain officials initially handled the allegations against Sandusky.

"Our most saddening and sobering finding is the total disregard for the safety and
welfare of Sandusky’s child victims by the most senior leaders at Penn State," investigators said in their findings. "The most powerful men at Penn State failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized."

See our full account of the allegations, trial and Penn State's involvement.

The Patriot-News will be reporting from Philadelphia today, where Freeh is scheduled to give a news conference at 10 a.m.; Scranton, where Penn State's board of trustees are meeting; and State College. Here is their current report and analysis.

Find out all the answers to your questions here, from PennLive.com.

Early speculation today was that Louis Freeh would not recommend a thorough cleaning house of everyone involved in the scandal. Christine Brennan of USA Today was not optimistic about changes:

On Thursday morning, the Louis Freeh report investigating Penn State's response to the Sandusky child sex abuse scandal will be released, and it should demand a complete housecleaning of everyone in a position of power at Penn State during the Sandusky years, including the school's entire board of trustees. If Freeh doesn't do that, his report will have failed. The atrocities that turned into convictions against Sandusky are that horrifying.

But will Freeh do it? His investigation has been called "independent," but he is being paid by Penn State to conduct it. So how much can we trust this report?

NPR speculated today that the report would touch on a coverup.

Reading through the report, PennLive reporters found the same in comments from Freeh and investigators. 

"The evidence shows that Mr. Paterno was made aware of the 1998 investigation of Sandusky, followed it closely, but failed to take any action, even though Sandusky had been a key member of his coaching staff for almost 30 years and had an office just steps away from Mr. Paterno's," the report said. "At the very least, Mr. Paterno could have alerted the entire football staff in order to prevent Sandusky from bringing another child into the Lasch Building."

The late, Hall of Fame football coach Joe Paterno's family released a statement about the report on Wednesday.

Paterno played a large role in the investigation.

"The evidence shows that Mr. Paterno was made aware of the 1998 investigation
of Sandusky, followed it closely, but failed to take any action, even though Sandusky
had been a key member of his coaching staff for almost 30 years, and had an office just steps away from Mr. Paterno’s," investigators said today.

Last November, Plain Dealer reporter Doug Lesmerises wrote that although the charges against Sandusky and others at Penn State were unusual, "the culture at Penn State may not be so rare."

The apparent inaction of Penn State administrators when it came to talking to police about potential abuses may be the result of this particular collection of university and athletic department officials failing to act.

Or it could be a worst-case manifestation of university leaders getting swept up in the environment that college athletics reformers fear, where pressure and money and striving to maintain an aura of perfection adversely influence the decision-making of university officials. Tublitz called it "the athletic department above all."

Scroll down for a Storify account of reaction to the report this morning on Twitter.

A retrospective look at the Jerry Sandusky scandal and how it has affected Penn State.

View full sizeAssociated Press fileWhen this photo of Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno (right) with defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was taken on Aug. 6, 1999, Sandusky had already been the subject of a 1998 report by university police concerning inappropriate actions with a minor. Sandusky unexpectedly resigned his post after the 1999 season, but maintained an association with the school through The Second Mile nonprofit program for area children.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When a jury convicted former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky of 45 counts of sexual assault on minors, only one part of this stunning story had come to a conclusion.

An investigation conducted by former FBI director Louis Freeh was released today. It detailed how the university reacted -- or obstructed -- efforts to deal with Sandusky ever since the first whispers of improper behavior began in the late 1990s.

Here is a recap of how the story has evolved.

On Nov. 5, fully eight months after the Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot-News reported that Sandusky was the subject of a grand jury investigation for child sex abuse, he was arrested by state and county officials on multiple counts. In addition, Athletic Director Tim Curley and Vice President Gary Schultz faced perjury charges, accused of lying to a grand jury. Curley was fired by the university and Schultz accepted immediate retirement.

It took just four days for the fallout from the arrests to result in the termination of venerable head coach Joe Paterno and the reassignment of university president Graham Spanier, setting off student demonstrations around the State College, Pa., campus.

On the morning before his dismissal by the school's board of trustees, Paterno issued a statement saying he was "absolutely devastated" by the abuse case.

"This is a tragedy," Paterno said. "It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."

Those words responded to the growing questions of how much the legendary coach -- acknowledged as the true leader of the university -- knew about the Sandusky case. In particular, what he did, or did not do following a 2002 incident witnessed by then-graduate assistant Mike McQueary.

On campus, Plain Dealer reporter Bill Lubinger wrote of how the State College community, as it cleaned its streets from the initial student protests, was struggling to make sense of the staggering news.

"The sculpture of a turtle with a large sphere mounted on its shell stands on the terrace of Penn State's historic 'Old Main' administration building, near splotches of wax from last week's candlelight vigil for victims of sexual abuse by one of its own.

"Greek mythology has it that when Atlas grew tired of lugging the world on his shoulders, he would rest it on a turtle's back. The piece was a gift from the Penn State Class of 1966 -- the year Joe Paterno took over the football program and began building one of the most respected programs in the country.

"Now, amid accusations that Jerry Sandusky, his former top assistant coach and once a pillar in the community, sexually assaulted young boys, the people of this quaint college town nestled in the valley of the rolling Alleghenies bear the weight of the world -- with no turtle to rest it on."

On Nov. 14, Sandusky tried to explain his side of the story to NBC's Bob Costas in a televised phone interview.

In the days after the initial arrest, Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto wrote of the emails he was receiving from abuse victims and the apparent inability -- or disinterest -- from Penn State officials to do something sooner.

"The fact is Penn State approached all the allegations and stories about Sandusky from the wrong direction -- they gave him more than the benefit of the doubt, and they put who knows how many children at risk in the process.

"Children already at risk.

"According to the Department of Justice, about 3 percent of incarcerated men and 25 percent of women report being sexually abused as children. The state of Maryland found 1 in 3 women and 1 and 5 male inmates admitted being sexual abused as children.

"Based on a dozen years of weekly jail ministry in Akron, I'd guess at least 25 percent of males that I've encountered had some type of damaging sexual experience at a young age. Men hate to admit what happened to them as children.

"It does not excuse their crimes. But there is so much truth in the saying, 'Hurt people hurt people.'"

Less that two weeks after Paterno was fired, his family released a statement that the 84-year-old ex-coach was dealing with a "treatable" form of lung cancer. But his condition rapidly worsened. On Jan. 14, he spoke with the Washington Post's Sally Jenkins and addressed the question of why he didn't act more forcefully following the McQueary report of Sandusky and a naked youth in a Penn State shower.

“I didn’t know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was,” he said. “So I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did. It didn’t work out that way.”

Throughout the spring, preparation were made for Sandusky's trial, which was held in State College, not far from the campus. There were many names to follow as jury selection began.

The prosecution opened on June 12 with testimony from Victim 4, who told jurors that the 68-year-old Sandusky molested him in the locker room showers and in hotels while trying to ensure his silence with gifts and trips.

Over the next week, a series of young men testified -- often graphically -- to how they were mistreated by Sandusky, who did not testify in his own defense. The jury took little more than two days before reaching a verdict -- guilty on 45 of the 48 counts.

Within hours, a statement issued by Penn State said the university "accepted responsibility" for aiding the victims' recovery and would "provide a forum where the university can privately, expeditiously and fairly address the victims’ concerns and compensate them for claims relating to the university."

In the aftermath of the conviction, columnist Bill Livingston said putting away the perpetrator wasn't a cause for celebration for a community that had seen so much go so wrong.

"After the verdict was announced, Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly asked rhetorically, 'Who would believe a kid?' Her conclusion was that the prosecutors on her staff did. It was a moving statement, but it also was deeply flawed. For too long, most of it admittedly not on Kelly's watch, no one believed the kids," Livingston wrote.

"Kelly also said, 'After the cameras are off and the attention is lost, we need to shine the bright light in the dark places where the Jerry Sanduskys of the world are.'

"It was compelling imagery, but it didn't fit. For too long, Sandusky's secrets were hidden in plain sight. For too long, Sandusky was given free rein on campus even after he abruptly -- and, in retrospect, suspiciously -- retired to devote his time to a foundation that supposedly benefited disadvantaged kids, but instead exploited them.

"Former quarterback and assistant coach Mike McQueary thought he saw Sandusky sodomizing a boy in the showers on campus. That was 10 years ago. McQueary did not stop him. Say what you will about Woody Hayes, but the old, often angry, Ohio State coach would have reacted differently. They might have had to scrape Sandusky off the shower tiles afterward."

As more and more OSU fans wondered when the NCAA was going to drop the hammer on Happy Valley, columnist Bud Shaw said that was a misplaced concern.

"The criminal case against Sandusky and the civil suits to come are the right forums to exact justice on behalf of the victims. Not on the football field," Shaw wrote.

"Certainly the football program wasn't an innocent bystander. The decision to withhold sex abuse allegations from authorities came after Curley spoke to Paterno about the now infamous incident reported by grad assistant Mike McQueary.

"Further investigation may reveal Paterno played no role in the decision. But others point out the timing of the emails certainly raises questions given Paterno's status as the most powerful man on campus. Maybe unfairly, but it raises them nonetheless. That's another question for the Freeh investigation.

"The NCAA will watch that closely. The organization tends to look at whether schools take action against their own, though, and Penn State did that last November.

"Eliminating the football program might feel good because you just want it all to go away. It just doesn't help fix anything or help heal anyone."

Today, the Freeh Report becomes the latest chapter in a story that seems without end for now. Curley and Schultz continue to prepare for their trials and potential civil suits against Sandusky, The Second Mile charity and the university are yet to be finalized.

Reporting from The Plain Dealer, penn.live and the Harrisburg Patriot-News contributed to this report.

Today, live at noon, on PD Sports Insider, join Bud Shaw, Dennis Manoloff and cleveland.com's Glenn Moore, to talk about the latest Cleveland sports news. Mary Schmitt Boyer and Mary Kay Cabot will be today's guests.

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

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 Thursday at noon. Co-hosted by Bud Shaw, Dennis Manoloff and cleveland.com's Glenn Moore, 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.

The draft is almost like a silent auction, with teams submitting bids based on the pick they are willing to sacrifice in the 2013 draft. The order within rounds is determined by how teams fared last season.

Associated PressJosh Gordon caught 42 passes for 714 yards and seven touchdowns for Baylor in 2010, but missed the 2011 season after being suspended following a marijuana-related arrest.

Former Baylor wide receiver Josh Gordon is the focal point of today’s NFL supplemental draft, which will be held at 1 p.m.

The draft is almost like a silent auction, with teams submitting bids based on the pick they are willing to sacrifice in the 2013 draft. The order within rounds is determined by how teams fared last season. Only the team that acquires Gordon will surrender the draft pick that it bids.

In 2010, Gordon emerged behind Kendall Wright as quarterback Robert Griffin III’s next-favorite receiver at Baylor, catching 42 passes for 714 yards and seven touchdowns.

Gordon didn’t play last season. After a marijuana arrest, he was suspended by Baylor coach Art Briles. Gordon transferred to Utah, where he sat out the season because of NCAA transfer rules and has now declared for the supplemental draft.

Keep up with the latest on whether the Browns bid for Gordon with Mary Kay Cabot’s coverage today. cleveland.com/browns

PD Sports Insider: Watch live at noon and talk Browns with Dennis Manoloff, Bud Shaw and Mary Kay Cabot as the countdown to training camp continues.

Related: Robert Griffin III wants Washington Redskins to land former Baylor teammate Josh Gordon

"Paul, you made the case for playing Lopez and Marson more and Hafner and Santana less. Too bad we lost Chisenhall because we would not be playing Hannahan either. If Hannahan, Hafner and Santana don't hit over .260 with some power the rest of the way, we have no chance." - joedean

View full sizeAP Photo/Kathy WillensJose Lopez has been a bright spot for the Tribe so far this season.

"Paul, you made the case for playing Lopez and Marson more and Hafner and Santana less. Too bad we lost Chisenhall because we would not be playing Hannahan either. If Hannahan, Hafner and Santana don't hit over .260 with some power the rest of the way, we have no chance. Let Lopez play almost every day either at 3rd or DH depending on who is hitting better, Hannahan or Hafner and let Marson play a lot more unless Santana gets hot. Does not seem like rocket science when we see Lopez and Marson hitting and Hafner, Santana and Hannahan not. Make Hafner, Santana and Hannahan earn their way back into the batting order. I have not given up on Hafner, Santana or Hannahan but they have all regressed."

A team led by former FBI Director Louis Freeh releases its findings on the Penn State University's handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal today.

View full sizeAP file Former FBI Director Louis Freeh led the independent investigation into sexual abuse allegations at Penn State University.

A team led by former FBI Director Louis Freeh releases its findings on the Penn State University’s handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal today.

Sandusky is frequently observed in the Lasch Building working out, Freeh said at his news conference. "He's at bowl games with youth. Many of his colleagues reserve him showering with boys. He's showing up at these camps, camps that Penn State supported and contributed to. There's more red flags here than you can count over a long period of time."

At the very least, Freeh said this morning, Penn State should have limited Sandusky's access to university facilities.

Stefanie Loh of the Patriot-News reported today that Sandusky used his office in the Old Lasch building to store personal notes and documents, and university officials were unaware that there were numerous boxes of Sandusky's possessions in Old Lasch until the Attorney General's Office and Special Investigative Counsel found these documents in April 2012. They included communications between Sandusky and Victim 4 and several other victims.

Video: Louis Freeh's investigation of Penn State officials found that ex-president Graham Spanier, ex-coach Joe Paterno & others were aware of child abuse by Jerry Sandusky & took no action to stop it.

The Freeh Report not only irreparably damages Joe Paterno's legacy, it also provides a cautionary tale for other schools with coaches who become icons.

View full sizeGene J. Puskar, Associated PressThere's no question that Joe Paterno was perhaps the most famous example of a college football coach who was deified by his fans. Bill Livingston writes that Thursday's scathing criticisms of Paterno's inaction during Jerry Sandusky's abuse of children may hasten the end of such worship of football icons.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- "Johnny Majuhs! Johnny Majuhs! How long will we hear about Johnny Majuhs?" Joe Paterno said in his Brooklyn accent on Thanksgiving Night in 1974.

This was in Paterno's suite at a Pittsburgh hotel, hours after Penn State had beaten Pittsburgh handily at nearby Three Rivers Stadium under the lights. It was Majors' second season as Pitt coach.

"How long will he be at Pitt? In a few years, he'll go home to mama [Tennessee, Majors' alma mater]," Paterno said, accurately forecasting Majors' move to Knoxville in 1976 after winning a national championship.

"Me, I've got roots at Penn State. I came here with Rip [Engle, as an assistant coach] in 1950," Paterno said.

The longevity would eventually make him the King of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and then America's Coach. "Joe Paterno is one of our favorite coaches," a network executive told me decades ago. "He stands for all the right things."

Combined with his success on the field and his philanthropy, Paterno would become a football version of Huey Long, the governor who ran Louisiana as his private fief in the 1930s. Historians still debate whether Long was an idealistic populist or a dictator in the making.

When Penn State's puppet president, Graham Spanier, and its lackey athletic director, Tim Curley, told Paterno it was time to think about retiring in 2004 after four losing seasons in five years, he told them to get the hell outta here with that kinda talk. If he had wanted to, he probably could have had them thrown out of Centre County.

Name one other coach who could have done that. Indiana finally fired Bobby Knight for blowing his stack at one kid too many. Oklahoma fired Barry Switzer because his Sooners had become a renegade program with the behavioral standards of a band of Visigoths. Ohio State forced Jim Tressel out for covering up a scandal involving tattoos and lying about them to the NCAA.

After Paterno was fired in the Jerry Sandusky child-abuse scandal, students at Penn State rioted. They thought the coach had been made a scapegoat because he took only the required, minimal steps after he learned of the allegations against his former defensive coordinator. After Paterno died of cancer in January, Phil Knight, the Nike CEO, eulogized him at his funeral by defiantly saying that the coach was still a hero to him.

There is no more debate about the Paterno legacy now, though. Not in the wake of the Freeh Report, led by former FBI director Louis Freeh, on the Sandusky scandal released Thursday. Paterno was a dreamer, orchestrating a "Success with Honor" approach to sports, but he was also a dictator. The Freeh Report shatters much of his reputation.

The reaction can only be one of outrage at Paterno's role in the cover-up of child abuse and at the 13 years during which Penn State's officials enabled Sandusky's predations after learning of the first charges.

The evidence uncovered by investigators after an exhaustive probe indicated that Paterno was an active part, probably the decisive part, of the decision to conceal Sandusky's serial child molestation.

The Freeh Report said that Paterno and his football program so intimidated witnesses that they were too afraid of getting fired to come forward.

The Freeh Report said that protection of the powerful football program came first to Penn State's leaders, not that of defenseless children.

The roots put down by "JoePa," a paternalistic nickname that now seems a mockery, were deep, though. Conscience certainly couldn't tear them free.

It seems clear that there will never be another Paterno, because no one will ever again be a head coach at a major power for almost a half-century. But Penn State hardly stands alone as a place where football exists as almost an independent entity, played by what amounts to Hessians, with the leading figures in the program subject neither to the same laws nor the same consequences for breaking them as ordinary people.

Several schools have had coaches who were bigger than their programs in the revenue sports, including Pete Carroll at Southern California, Bobby Bowden at Florida State, and Woody Hayes at Ohio State. It seldom works out well.

Ohio State has a gigantic football program, one that dwarfs in size, interest, resources and revenue that of all but a few other mega-universities. Coach Urban Meyer has shown a firm hand with discipline so far. But he is beginning what can only be termed a reign. His impact statewide is already that of a rock star more than a mere coach.

Paterno is gone. Elvis lives.

On Twitter: @LivyPD

Webster Slaughter, Brian Robiskie and Lawyer Tillman are former wide receivers taken by the Browns in the second round. A look back at the full collection now that the Browns have used their 2013 second-round choice in the 2012 supplemental draft.

Plain Dealer filesFormer Browwns second-round picks include wide receivers Greg Little (top left), Quincy Morgan (top right), Lawyer Tillman (bottom left) and Webster Slaughter (bottom right).

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The selection of Josh Gordon in Thursday's supplemental draft marks the 13th time the Cleveland Browns have used a second-round pick on a wide receiver.

Also: Browns history archives

• Database: Every Browns game story published by The Plain Dealer since the team was founded in 1946
• Database: NFL draft archive with all picks since the first draft in 1936

Breaking down the three-game weekend series that starts the second half of the season for the Tribe.

View full sizeAP fileJose Bautista will be looking for his 28th homer of the season when the Blue Jays welcome the Indians to Rogers Centre on Friday night.

Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario

When: Today through Sunday.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WKYC/Ch. 3 on Sunday; WTAM AM/1100.

Pitching matchups: Indians RHP Justin Masterson (5-8, 4.40 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LHP Ricky Romero (8-4, 5.22), Friday at 7:07 p.m.; RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (8-7, 4.50) vs. LHP Aaron Laffey (0-1, 2.67), Saturday at 1:07 p.m.; RHP Derek Lowe (8-6, 4.43) vs. RHP Carlos Villanueva (3-0, 3.05), Sunday at 1:07 p.m.

Season series: Blue Jays lead, 2-1. They lead, 188-187, all time.

Indians update: They are 20-20 on the road. ... Masterson was terrific on Opening Day against Toronto at Progressive Field. Closer Chris Perez blew the save opportunity and the Indians lost, 7-4, in 16 innings. The Indians lost the next game of the series, 7-4, in 12 innings before winning the finale, 4-3. ... Masterson is coming off a rough outing against Tampa Bay (4 1/3 innings, eight runs). ... Tribe is 12-5 in one-run games. ... SS Asdrubal Cabrera and 2B Jason Kipnis are tied for the club lead in homers with 11. RF Shin-Soo Choo leads in total bases with 153.

Blue Jays update: They are 43-43, tied for last in the AL East. They are 23-19 at home. They have been hit hard by injuries, especially to the pitching staff. ... Laffey is a former Indian. ... RF Jose Bautista is hitting .244 with 27 homers and 65 RBI. Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion is hitting .295 with 23 homers and 58 RBI.

Injuries: Indians -- OF Grady Sizemore (back), LHP Rafael Perez (left lat) and 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (right ulna) are on the disabled list. RHP Carlos Carrasco (elbow) is out for the season. Blue Jays -- 3B Brett Lawrie (back) is day to day. RHP Drew Hutchison (elbow), RHP Dustin McGowan (shoulder), RHP Brandon Morrow (left oblique) and RHP Sergio Santos (shoulder) are on the disabled list. RHP Kyle Drabek (elbow), RHP Jesse Litsch (shoulder) and LHP Luis Perez are out for the season.

Next: Trip concludes with four-game series at Tampa Bay beginning Monday.

-- Dennis Manoloff

The Ohio Derby Day celebration at Thistledown sputtered under a sizzling summer sun, with a mediocre crowd wagering fewer dollars on a lackluster program.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerRacing fans at Thistledown took up all of the viewing area to see the Ohio Derby horses parade by before the start of the Ohio Derby in 2008, back when the purse was $300,000. Fewer fans showed up Saturday, when the purse was $100,000.

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio -- The Ohio Derby Day celebration at Thistledown on Saturday sputtered under a sizzling summer sun, with a mediocre crowd wagering fewer dollars on a lackluster program. The amount bet at Thistledown on the nine-race live program might have been the lowest in the history of Ohio's only graded stakes race.

Fans at trackside bet $103,709 on the card. Toss in simulcast wagering and the total jumped to only $627,960.

When Caesars Entertainment bought the 128-acre property in a bankruptcy sale two years ago, it promised to renovate the race track and promote thoroughbred racing. Horse racing fans now are wondering if the lack of promotion for Ohio's only graded stakes race was an indication casinos, not horse racing, are on the minds of Ohio's race track owners.

Triple-digit temperatures were an obvious problem. So was a race program featuring a field of just four horses for the Ohio Derby, including prohibitive favorite Prospective, and a 2-year-old stakes race. Many of the youngsters were making their first start, which is not an attraction for bettors.

"I was disappointed by what I saw while at Thistledown on Saturday," said Bill Murphy, the general manager at Thistledown from 1989 to 2006 and former president of Gulfstream Park. Murphy said Thistledown has good employees but lacks any help from ownership. Little was done to promote the Ohio Derby, he said, and even Ohio State Racing Commission officials skipped the track's signature stakes race.

Approximately three of four clubhouse seats were empty. Attendance is not available because of free admission.

"At the rate Thistledown and Ohio racing are going, it's doubtful there will be horse racing in the state by 2020," said Murphy.

The Ohio Derby purse shrinking from $300,000 in 2008 to $100,000 hasn't helped. Many of the big tracks around the country offer almost that much for a typical weekend feature. Caesars Entertainment prides itself as the best marketing outfit in the casino business. While the Horseshoe Casino in Cleveland has been a big hit, Thistledown has been sorely neglected.

Ohio State Racing Commission Chairman Bob Schmitz said OSRC members weren't invited to Ohio Derby Day by Thistledown officials.

"We just got our first chunk of money from the casinos, with $592,000 transferred to an OSRC account [to enhance purses at the Ohio tracks]," said Schmitz. The money will fund bigger purses for Ohio-bred races for thoroughbreds and standardbreds, not a stakes race like the Ohio Derby.

"With Scioto Downs' new racino online, $960,000 in revenue from the VLTs [video lottery terminals, or slots] will go to increased purses. But you just don't flip a switch and get better horses. We are going to emphasize racing Ohio-bred horses. The OSRC is trying to improve breeding stock in Ohio, and that takes three to five years. Ohio will never be like Saratoga or the Kentucky Derby, because we're not a destination like tracks with short race meets.

"The OSRC wants a minimum of 125 days of live racing at each of Ohio's seven tracks."

Caesars Entertainment will transfer Thistledown's racing permit to Rock Ohio Caesars in the next couple of months, said Schmitz. Thistledown will have to spend $150 million to improve its facilities in North Randall, or wherever the track is moved. Rules become effective in 90 days to enhance the transfer of racing permits from one location to another, Schmitz said, and the OSRC "will act expeditiously on that."

Catlaunch, "Reward" clash: Raise the Reward is chasing its second straight stakes win at Thistledown on Friday in the 33rd running of the $50,000 George Lewis Memorial Stakes, taking on old-timer Catlaunch in a field of eight. While Catlaunch seemed unbeatable last season, winning five stakes races in eight starts, this year, the 11-year-old is struggling to notch his first win in his fifth start of the season.

Raise the Reward has sparkled since being claimed March 7 for $8,000 by owner Mike Annechine. New trainer Jeff Radosevich has since gotten three wins in five starts from the 6-year-old gelding, including a victory here in the Rowland Memorial Handicap on May 26. Jockey Jacob Radosevich, the trainer's nephew, and Raise the Reward managed a length victory over Catlaunch in that six furlong event.

Completing the field for the 1 1/8-mile race for Ohio-breds are Beau Mec, Only Boy, Cradle Walk , Derby Day Storm, I'll Take Jacks and Tri Delta True.

The race is named after noted handicapper and sportswriter George Lewis, who covered horse racing at Thistledown for The Plain Dealer for more than four decades.

The Waterfowlers Boot Camp at The Cardinal Center in central Ohio is luring the country's best duck and goose callers to compete at the free show on July 21-22, and features its unique Kids Boot Camp.

View full sizeAP fileThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that successful breeding efforts have boosted duck populations across the country this summer.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The eighth-annual Waterfowlers Boot Camp is attracting some of the best duck and goose callers in the country on July 21-22 at The Cardinal Center in Marengo, Ohio, the home of the Ohio State Trapshooting Association just north of Columbus.

The annual Kids Boot Camp is Saturday morning. Youngsters must register at waterfowlbootcamp.com, which also has a full list of exhibitors, events and calling contests.

"We have a seven different duck and goose calling contests this year," said Dan Boone of the Ohio Waterfowl Association. "A couple of them have a $1,000 top prize, and winners qualify for the World Championships in Stuttgart, Ark. We expect 70 percent of the top callers from around the country to be here, including champions Jim Ronquist and Antonio Jones."

Boone said the show has been expanded, with all-day hunting and calling seminars and more than 75 exhibitors. The Hunting Retriever Club has retrieving dog events, and deer and turkey hunting exhibitors are joining the crowd. A unique competition is a 30-target Flurry Shoot for three-man teams of shotgunners, which sends a stream of clay targets flying all directions on a trap course.

Show hours are Saturday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., with free admission and parking.

Ducks plentiful: This year's waterfowl breeding season has been very good, with duck populations at record high levels, reports the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The USFWS estimate of 48.6 million ducks is significantly higher than the 45.6 million birds estimated last year, and 43 percent above the long-term average.

Kids' ponds need more fish: The successful Youth Fishing Ponds at the Akron district office of the Ohio Division of Wildlife have spawned four more youth fishing areas in state parks near metropolitan areas. Unfortunately for the kids, the new areas are a cut below the Akron ponds, which are stocked from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Fish are released only twice this summer at the state park ponds, not nearly enough to make them a magnet for kids with fishing tackle.

Show news: The Mid-America Boat & Fishing Show is shrinking to five days in 2013, and it won't be the only show around. The Lake Erie Marine Trades Association show is Jan. 18-23 at the I-X Center in Cleveland, a Thursday-Monday schedule taking advantage of Martin Luther King Day.

For the second year, the Cleveland Outdoor Adventure Show is a companion event at the I-X Center, a separate fishing and hunting show from Jan. 17-20.

The first edition of the Boat Show at Kalahari Resorts is being held in Sandusky on Jan. 18-20, stealing a few western boat dealers from Cleveland's boat show. The show producer is Chris Fassnacht of Expositions Inc., which held the now-defunct Cleveland Sportsman's Show.

The Outdoor RV Bargain Expo will park outside the I-X Center on Sept. 14-16, while the Ohio Gun Collectors Association hosts the state's largest gun show at the I-X Center, a members-only show on Oct. 27-28. The I-X Center will also host The Bowhunting Supershow in December, but has yet to announce dates, and Ohio RV Supershow in January.

Muskie tidbits: The Ohio Huskie Muskie Club has its 42nd annual OHMC Open Summer Contest on July 21-22 at Pymatuning Reservoir and the public is invited. There is a $20 entry for the trophies-only tournament, which includes a raffle for a big screen television.

The day-and-night tournament kicks off at 6 a.m. on Saturday and runs through 2 p.m. on Sunday. Registration on July 20 from 6-8 p.m. at the beach pavilion near the causeway, or Saturday morning from 6-8 a.m.

Out and about: The Ohio Decoy Collectors & Carvers Association is moving its 2013 show to the Strongsville Holiday Inn at Ohio 82 and Interstate 71 on March 9-10. ... A longear sunfish weighing just 0.41 pounds qualified as a state record for angler Kevin Shanks of Bellbrook, Ohio, who caught the panfish from a gravel pit. ... A seminar on river fishing for smallmouth bass is July 26 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Division of Wildlife, 912 Portage Lakes Dr., Akron. River Fishing for Smallmouth Bass Seminar, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Division of Wildlife, 912 Portage Lakes Dr., Akron. Pre-registration is required with Ken Fry, 330-245-3030.

New wardens: Recent wildlife academy graduate Aaron G. Brown, 31, of Rochester, Ohio has taken the Summit County post this week. Jesse Janosik, 21, of Warren was appointed the Cuyahoga County wildlife officer, with Brennan Earick, 25, heading to Ashland County, where he attended Hillsdale High School.

Here are what blogs from Cleveland and around the country are saying about the Browns, Cavaliers and Indians. Featured today are the Bleacher Report, Right Down Euclid and Did The Tribe Win Last Night.

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

AP Photo/Rod AydelotteJosh Gordon is now a member of the Browns.

"It was smart for the Browns to be aggressive once again. Adding Gordon to the receiving corps isn't just a vanity move—it's to add a very real upgrade at a position that desperately needed it. If Brandon Weeden is to be a successful rookie quarterback, he'll need dynamic playmakers to throw to, and despite Gordon's downtime, he's exactly that.

At 6'3", 224 lbs and boasting a 4.5-second 40 time (despite a quadriceps pull he suffered during that run), Gordon is nearly the prototype of an ideal No. 1 receiver. In 2010 at Baylor, he caught 42 passes for 714 yards and scored seven touchdowns. With Gordon now on board to complement Little, the Browns can finally have two field-stretching receivers on the field, something they sorely lacked in 2011."

Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerJohnny Damon has been leaving his mark on the Tribe.

"Once the calendar turned from May, Damon has seemed to become more of the ballplayer the Indians thought they were signing in mid-April. Since May 30, Damon is hitting .274 (23-84), with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and 12 RBIs.

While his offense has rebounded, he’s continued to work on playing defense, too. Damon has not played the field regularly since 2009, but has never let that aspect of his game go. He’s always continued to work to take fly balls and stay physically strong."

AP Photo/Tony DejakAnderson Varejao.

"There is no need for the Cavs to sign any free agent center. They have a young one in Zeller, a veteran hybrid in Varejao, and a young power forward in Thompson who can play the position when needed. If Zeller hadn’t been drafted, making a move for some one like Hawes or Gray would have made sense. If the Cavs want to add a center, Sasha Kaun (whose rights they own) would be a good move depending what his status is with CSKA Moscow in Russia."

Baylor head football coach Art Briles talks about wide receiver Josh Gordon and more during an interview with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore.

View full sizeAP Photo/Duane A. LavertyBaylor head football coach Art Briles talks about new Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon.

"I'll tell you first of all for the fans there, the organization has done a great job of finding a great football player, diamond in the rough so to speak. Because Josh is very unique. He's very gifted. There's not many times when a receiver can be that big, that long and that fast at the same time. And really that powerful. So, he's a definite first-rounder. To get him as the second pick in second round, I think is a bargain."

"You know, they're different. They're both different receivers. Kendall's an inside guy, that can play outside, that's very explosive, very productive and very gifted. Josh is more of an outside receiver that's extremely fast and powerful and very long. So they're both first round guys and basically, that's where they ended up going. So, there's not a whole lot of difference in them, other than Kendall had a longer career and a little more productive."

"He's a great person off the field. He's got a heart, great soul, great mind. You know, he made a mistake or two. If everyone wants to throw that first stone, let's open up all the chapters in everybody's lives and see where we are at. I'm just thankful and grateful for him that's he getting the opportunity and there's no doubt in my mind he's going to make the most of it, because of how intellectual and physically gifted he is."

"From a physical stand point, you can always improve, you can always find ways to get better. What he is going to have to do is buckle down on his nutrition, his conditioning and then his ability to understand the scheme of things they are doing on the offensive side of the ball in Cleveland. I think being in a football only environment will be very productive for him. He's a very intellectual, very articulate and very gifted physically and mentally."

Once central Ohio and former Ohio State diver Katie Bell fought back mentally and physically from her injuries, making the U.S. Olympic team felt like the easy part.

View full sizeElaine Thompson, APFormer Ohio State diver Katie Bell, competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials last month in Federal Way, Wash., overcame dislocated ribs, a collapsed lung and mental anguish from a dive at the Big Ten Championships in 2007 to qualify for the London Olympics.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- She's the second-smallest person on the 530-member U.S. Olympic team, 4 inches shorter and 35 pounds lighter than any other female American diver, but when 4-11, 95-pound Katie Bell got lost in a dive off the 10-meter platform and smacked the pool flat at the Big Ten Championships in 2007 -- dislocating her ribs and collapsing a lung -- it sounded like a gunshot.

And then the Ohio State diver and Clintonville native had to decide what would come next.

She almost transferred. She almost quit. She was out of the pool for months. She tried to practice and would come out of the pool crying. Her father, Chris, had a friend tell him Katie would never go up that tower again.

"Yeah, she will," Chris said.

Bell redshirted her next season with the Buckeyes. She met with a sports psychologist. She took the handstand dive on which she'd been hurt out of her set. She did come back, finishing fifth at the NCAA championships in 2009. But then she hurt herself again, this time her shoulder, tearing her labrum on a dive, probably because she was favoring her continually sore ribs, while still finishing third in a national meet at Ohio State in February 2010.

She had surgery. She'd climb the stairs to the platform wearing a brace, do the dive in her head, climb back down the stairs, get in the water, get out, get coached and go back up and do it again. She finished second at another national meet.

And then last November, Bell's friend Alison Wiswell booked a ticket to London. She was going to watch the Olympics. And to watch Bell.

"She laughed," said Wiswell, a 25-year-old Cleveland native who met Bell at Ohio State. "She was like, 'Well, I guess I have more pressure to make it.' But I'm sure it gave her a little boost of confidence, knowing that somebody thinks that highly of her."

And then last month, Bell, 24, was back on the tower at the U.S. Olympic Diving Trials just outside Seattle.

She'd already hurt her ankle as a kid in gymnastics and awkwardly landed her dismounts for a week before it was diagnosed as broken. She'd already lived in a home where her parents, Chris and Geri, had served as a foster family for more than 20 troubled teenagers, then earned her own degree in social work at Ohio State. She'd already realized only through the injury that almost ended her career that she, too, could accept that same kind of help from others. She'd already embraced the words of her OSU coach, Vince Panzano, now coaching his ninth Olympian, when he told her that the sacrifices required of elite OSU athletes meant she was not normal. She'd already talked it through with longtime friend and now fellow Olympic diver Abby Johnston.

"I felt like it made it all the more special this year when she got healthy and had some of the performances of her life," Johnston said.

She'd already rehearsed the dives in practice, Panzano telling her what scores she needed on this dive to make the Olympics. She'd already worked all year since her OSU career ended with the 2010-11 season just for this event.

"As a diver, a lot of it is mental, so coming back from all that and getting up there and doing that again, there's always the risk of getting hurt," Bell said. "I learned to think of all the positives that can come from it."

So now, all she had to do was dive.

In the months right after she'd smacked the pool in 2007, Chris Bell said at his daughter's worst moments, Katie wouldn't call him. Because he knew she'd be back, even when that wasn't what Katie wanted to hear.

"I knew her determination," he said.

He's cried every day since the trials.

"Aside from my kids being born, there's nothing like it," Chris Bell said.

After his daughter had finished second behind Brittany Viola, securing one of the two spots among the 10-meter platform divers that would send her to London, an old friend was the first to call Chris Bell. It was the friend who said Katie would never get back up on that tower.

Yeah, she did.

After reading the Freeh Report about Penn State, the NCAA must do something to penalize the football program.

View full sizeMatt Rourke, Associated PressA reporter downloads the Freeh Report before a news conference Thursday in Philadelphia.

Updated at 8:12 p.m.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- I'll acknowledge that the defenders of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno have a point.

It's doubtful everything in the Freeh Report about the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State is true. Former FBI Director Louis Freeh and his staff didn't interview Paterno (because he died). They also lacked subpoena power to make people talk to them.

But even if half of it is factual -- and that certainly seems to be the case -- this is the most appalling cover-up and scandal in the history of college sports.

And the NCAA must hit the Penn State football program -- hard.

Yes, this a criminal case -- Sandusky has been convicted of abusing 10 boys and is awaiting sentencing.

Former Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley and school Vice President Gary Schultz are facing perjury charges for their conduct in front of the grand jury in the Sandusky case. It seems others might face obstruction-of-justice charges, and authorities must be ruthless in their investigation of those at the top of the school when these rapes occurred.

That's because this is child abuse. It's rape. It's not just Paterno, but many others in trusted positions who failed to take decisive action to stop Sandusky.

And yes, the civil suits will pile up -- costing the university megamillions.

But this also is an NCAA issue.

Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel lost his job for failure to report NCAA violations having to do with eight players taking about $14,000 in cash and tattoos.

The NCAA banned the Buckeyes from bowl games in 2012 and took away three scholarships in each of the next three seasons. It would have been worse had Tressel not resigned under pressure.

The Freeh Report states Penn State's "most powerful men . . . failed to take any steps for 14 years to protect the children who Sandusky victimized."

They failed to report possible criminal activity at their football facility.

The report insists Paterno and others were aware of an incident between Sandusky and a boy in the showers of the Lasch Building (the football team headquarters), but no one from the athletic department even told Sandusky to quit taking showers with kids.

The report said Sandusky assaulted five more boys in those same showers and elsewhere on campus. It went on from May 1998 until he was finally told to stop bringing children to Penn State in 2001.

In 1998, Schultz wrote a note wondering: "Is this opening Pandora's Box? Other Children?"

At that point, they knew something was very wrong.

The report added that none of the top Penn State officials bothered "to even speak to Sandusky about his conduct on May 4, 1998, in the Lasch Building."

But in 1997, an agent was banned from the Penn State campus for buying a player clothes worth $400.

The scary thing is even after telling Sandusky not to shower with children in 2001 . . . and after assistant coach Mike McQueary reported to Paterno that there was some type of sexual contact between Sandusky and a child in the showers . . . no one from Penn State contacted legal authorities.

Freeh said Paterno was part of this "decision to conceal" Sandusky's actions, along with the three other top Penn State officials.

Talk about "a lack of lack of institutional control . . ."

What happened at Ohio State and at other football programs looks like jaywalking tickets compared to Penn State.

Freeh also wrote that Sandusky retired in 1999 at age 55 "not as a suspected child predator, but as a valued member of the Penn State football legacy."

And more boys were sexually abused in the football building after that event.

And Sandusky was paid a lump sum of $168,000 at his retirement.

While I'm not for the death penalty to Penn State's football program, the Nittany Lions should have no bowl trips for at least three years. Scholarships should be slashed.

There are those who say since no NCAA rules have been directly broken, the NCAA has no direct jurisdiction. But "lack of institutional control" is a wide road for them to drive when out to penalize a program.

This happened on the football coach's watch, along with the entire athletic department turning its back.

It happened in the football showers. And it happened for years and years, and hurt who knows how many young boys?

And for that, a penalty must be paid off the field and on it.

The odds are not favorable for the Cleveland Gladiators to make the Arena Football League playoffs.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerReceiver Dominick Goodman and the Cleveland Gladiators hope to catch a break from other teams to get into the Arena Football League playoffs.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Gladiators are having the type of season that perplexes a head coach.

The Gladiators have talent on offense, defense and special teams. Their know it, their opponents know it.

They are playing hard.

For all the ability and want-to, though, the Gladiators are 7-9 and on the outside of the Arena Football League postseason pool with two games remaining in their regular season. They visit the Utah Blaze (11-5) tonight in EnergySolutions Arena.

The Gladiators' only path to the playoffs is as one of two American Conference wild cards. The odds are not favorable:

They must win tonight and at home against Chicago next weekend; and they must receive help from multiple teams. Granting two division winners in the conference, there are four wild-card contenders.

"For whatever reason, we haven't been able to put all three phases together on a consistent basis for four, five games in a row," Gladiators coach Steve Thonn said. "When the offense is good, the defense is off, and vice versa. That's why our record is what it is. It's our own fault."

The Gladiators rode two three-game winning streaks to a 6-3 mark through May 19. Then they lost five in a row, including a forfeit to Pittsburgh at The Q because of a one-team players strike.

A microcosm of what has had Thonn scratching his head unfolded over the previous two weekends. The Gladiators halted their slide with a 69-32 victory over Milwaukee at home June 29. They overwhelmed the Rampage from the outset and eased up in the final quarter. But just when Thonn thought his team was poised to run the table, it stumbled to a 55-34 loss at Orlando on July 6. The Predators entered 2-13.

A team that is going bad often feels like it cannot catch a break. The defending East Division champion Gladiators might be asking what they did to offend the rest of the league, because opponents that have defeated them seemingly have gotten healthy, or gotten a clue, just in time.

Or, in the case of Orlando, the opponent has featured a player capable of making it look much better than its record. Quarterback Chris Leak, who helped Florida defeat Ohio State in the 2006 season BCS Championship Game, recently took over as the Predators' starter. He went 30-of-35 for 316 yards and eight touchdowns against Cleveland.

In the case of Utah, the offense is terrific. But defense made the Blaze vulnerable -- until the unit began playing much better the past several weeks.

The Gladiators' sub-.500 season is overshadowing a marvelous one by receiver Dominick Goodman. A product of the University of Cincinnati, Goodman caught 10 passes for 122 yards against Orlando and has 151 for 1,595 this season.

Will the White Sox's rebounding veterans be able to hold off the slugging Tigers and the inconsistent Indians for the division?

View full sizeDuane Burleson, Associated PressMiguel Cabrera (left) and Prince Fielder give the Tigers the best 1-2 punch in the AL Central, but pitching struggles and injuries have kept Detroit out of the division lead so far this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the calendar flipped to 2012, the Detroit Tigers were heavy favorites to repeat as American League Central champions. Then Victor Martinez, one of their biggest contributors the previous season, tore up his left knee during off-season conditioning.

Just when it appeared the Tigers might be forced to sweat a bit, their ownership shocked the baseball world in late January by signing first baseman Prince Fielder to a contract north of $200 million. As good as Martinez can be, Fielder joining third baseman Miguel Cabrera and right-hander Justin Verlander at the top of a deep club created another dimension in Motown.

The question became not whether Detroit would win the Central, but by how many games.

But injuries and substandard performances caused a series of fits and starts that resulted in a pedestrian 44-42 record in baseball's first half. It opened the door for the rest of the division.

Two teams have been up to the task -- the first-place Chicago White Sox (47-38) and second-place Indians (44-41). Two teams have not -- Kansas City (37-47) and last-place Minnesota (36-49).

Here is a capsule look at the Central teams to date, with a look at their chances going forward:

1. White Sox

View full sizeAP fileAlex Rios (51) and Adam Dunn have enjoyed bounce-back seasons in 2012 that have kept the White Sox atop the Central for much of the season. The two have combined for 37 homers and 110 RBI so far.

Optimistic view: The White Sox are no fluke. They have the run-scoring offense required to succeed in the AL, and their pitching is more than sufficient. Their veterans will not melt under the heat lamp of a playoff chase.

They are getting contributions from old and young, playing hard and relaxed for manager Robin Ventura. DH Adam Dunn has returned to his slugging self (25 homers, 61 RBI), RF Alex Rios is locked in (.318, 12 HR, 49 RBI) and 1B Paul Konerko, as usual, is superb (.329, 14 HR, 42 RBI). The payoff from 3B Kevin Youkilis, acquired in a pre-deadline deadline trade from Boston, has just begun.

Lanky LHP Chris Sale (10-2, 2.19 ERA) has emerged as an ace at 23. His stuff, delivered nearly sidearm, is filthy. The White Sox have another quality 23-year-old LHP in Jose Quintana (4-1, 2.04).

Pessimistic view: The White Sox will be under siege immediately out of the break, going on a 10-game trip to Kansas City, Boston and Detroit. They will be hard-pressed to sustain their across-the-board RBI numbers (seven players have at least 37). Rios, who hit .227 last year, cannot be expected to finish at .318. Konerko already has begun to come back to the pack. He was hitting .399 on May 27.

RHP Jake Peavy (7-5, 2.85) has been injury-plagued the past several years. Sale's workload will catch up to him (102 2/3 innings after 71 with the White Sox last year in relief). Youkilis, despite his recent surge, no longer is dangerous over an extended period.

2. Indians (3 GB)

View full sizePaul Sancya, Associated PressUbaldo Jimenez had a solid June for the Indians, giving reason to believe he can be a reliable performer down the stretch.

Optimistic view: The Indians have not played their best. Position players and pitchers have produced few unsustainable splits. Most of their resumes suggest they can perform better. C Carlos Santana (.221, 5 HR) is bound to rebound. He hit 27 homers last season. RHP Justin Masterson (5-8, 4.40) can be more consistent. The Indians survived injuries to DH Travis Hafner, 3B Jack Hannahan, RHP Josh Tomlin and LHP Rafael Perez. They might get OF Grady Sizemore (injury) and RHP Roberto Hernandez (identity theft) back in time to contribute.

The Tribe, guided by optimistic manager Manny Acta, is resilient. Its personnel has been able to quickly forget about "bad" losses.

Pessimistic view: The Indians, lacking stars, are playing to their capabilities. Their lineup does not have the power to run with the AL big boys. They are living dangerously with a run differential of minus-29. They do not match up well with the White Sox (4-8). Their lineup is left-handed-heavy, making them too easily neutralized by opposing bullpens.

Santana is caught in a down year, not a slump, just as Dunn was in 2011. RHP Derek Lowe was on fire early and sputtered. He is 39 and faded last season in Atlanta. Every team loses players to injuries.

Even though the Indians need help offensively and in the rotation, their front office probably won't be able to land a big name. There are many more buyers than sellers this season, and the Indians simply do not have enough prospects who wow potential suitors. Sizemore and Hernandez are wild cards, at best.

3. Tigers (3 1/2 GB)

View full sizeBrian Blanco, Associated PressBack healthy again, Detroit's Austin Jackson provides speed on offense and a solid glove in center field for the Tigers' shaky defense.

Optimistic view: The Tigers have too much talent to be mediocre. Their superstars will continue to put up huge numbers expressly because they are superstars. CF Austin Jackson lost time to injury but has emerged as a force offensively (64 games, .332 average, 54 runs). The trio of SS Jhonny Peralta, RF Brennan Boesch and C Alex Avila are better than they have shown. If those three contribute at 2011 levels, Detroit will be lethal.

RHP Doug Fister, so good last season after being acquired from Seattle, had injury issues and went 2-6 with a 4.75 ERA. He will resume being nasty.

Pessimistic view: The Tigers cannot expect to flip a switch for the second year in a row. They had numerous players perform over the heads in what was a magical season in 2011. Their infielders are not getting any quicker or faster, so shaky defense will continue to cost runs and games.

Verlander is not quite the same pitcher who went 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA last season and earned the AL Cy Young and MVP. RHPs Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello, a combined 14-10, are too inconsistent. Jackson is going to come back to earth offensively.

4. Royals (9 1/2 GB)

View full sizeDuane Burleson, Associated PressKansas City DH Billy Butler was a deserving All-Star representative, but the rest of the Royals' lineup have been inconsistent despite high preseason expectations.

Optimistic view: They are too good to start another half 3-15. They have threats all over the lineup, beginning with Billy Butler (.290/16/52). Among those who figure to be better are 1B Eric Hosmer (.231/9/39) and RF Jeff Francoeur (.251/7/25) -- assuming, of course, that Francoeur is not shipped to a contender. The Royals play the Indians six times in the final two weeks, so staying motivated will not be an issue.

Pessimistic view: They have too many teams to pass and too many games to make up. Even if the Royals were to get huge years offensively up and down the lineup, they would labor because of bad starting pitching. Their top two in starts, LHP Bruce Chen and RHP Luke Hochevar, each has an ERA over 5.00. Only a few relievers might make opposing hitters remotely nervous.

SS Alcides Escobar, a career .263 hitter, cannot be expected to sustain his .307. Hosmer, young and largely unproven, might be caught in a down year.

5. Twins (11 GB)

View full sizeDuane Burleson, Associated PressSure, Josh Willingham would look great in an Indians uniform, but are the Twins really going to deal away the producer of 19 homers and 60 RBI before the All-Star break?

Optimistic view: They are not nearly as bad as their record. In the final series of the first half, at Texas, they won, 5-1, and twice lost, 4-3, in 10 and 13 innings. As long as Ron Gardenhire is the manager, the Twins will not be an easy club to play, regardless of circumstance.

They feature three-time AL batting champion C Joe Mauer (.326 average in 77 games) and two players with 19 homers: LF Josh Willingham and 3B Trevor Plouffe -- who has done so in just 229 at-bats. Imagine where the Twins would be without Willingham (.261 avg., .536 slg., 60 RBI). Or, imagine where the Indians would be with him. The Indians and Twins were on Willingham's short list as a free agent last winter; he opted for Minnesota because they guaranteed him a third year.

Pessimistic view: They have too many teams to pass and too many games to make up. They have a run differential of minus-87. 1B Justin Morneau, derailed by a concussion several years ago, is not the MVP-caliber player he once was (.246 average, 11 homers). The staff ERA is 4.86.

On Twitter: @dmansworldpd

NCAA president Mark Emmert has told school officials that the organization would be examining the "exercise of institutional control" within the athletic department.

View full sizeAP fileNCAA President Mark Emmert has informed Penn State officials that "deceitful and dishonest behavior" by the university during the Jerry Sandusky investigation could lead to additional penalties against the athletic department.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA said Thursday it expects Penn State to answer a handful of crucial questions stemming from the child sex-abuse case against Jerry Sandusky, any of which could result in sanctions against the school.

Whether that could include the so-called "death penalty" -- where a program is shut down -- seems unlikely, at least for now. That has happened just once, against SMU back in the 1980s. Current NCAA rules limit the penalty to colleges already on probation that commit another major violation.

But NCAA leaders have indicated in recent months they are willing to use harsher penalties for the worst offenses. That includes postseason and TV bans, which haven't been used extensively since the 1980s.

Ohio State is banned from playing in a bowl game this season as a result of the "failure to monitor" charge that followed coach Jim Tressel's admission that he knew several of his star players were trading memorabilia for cash and tattoos in violation of NCAA rules and did not report it. The Buckeyes also vacated the 2010 season and were hit with NCAA probation and a loss of scholarships. Southern California was banned from the postseason for two years and stripped of 30 scholarships following the Reggie Bush scandal.

Still pending before the NCAA is the Miami case involving booster Nevin Shapiro.

NCAA president Mark Emmert told Penn State in November that the organization would be examining the "exercise of institutional control" within the athletic department, and said it was clear that "deceitful and dishonest behavior" could be considered a violation of ethics rules. So, too, could a failure to exhibit moral values.

A searing report, commissioned by Penn State, found that beloved coach Joe Paterno had helped hush up allegations of child sex abuse against a former assistant. The report by former FBI Director Louis Freeh concluded that Paterno and three former administrators -- President Graham Spanier, athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz -- "repeatedly concealed critical facts relating to Sandusky's child abuse."

Sandusky is awaiting sentencing after being convicted of 45 criminal counts for abusing 10 boys over a number of years. Paterno died of lung cancer in January.

"Like everyone else, we are reviewing the final report for the first time," said Bob Williams, the NCAA's vice president of communications. The "university has four key questions, concerning compliance with institutional control and ethics policies, to which it now needs to respond. Penn State's response to the letter will inform our next steps, including whether or not to take further action."

Likely of particular interest to the NCAA were the report's conclusions that the school had "decentralized and uneven" oversight of compliance issues -- laws, regulations, policies and procedures.

"Certain departments monitored their own compliance issues with very limited resources," the report found. Ensuring compliance with the federal Clery Act, which requires the reporting of crimes, was handled by someone with "minimal time."

"One of the most challenging tasks confronting the university," the report added, "is an open, honest and thorough examination of the culture that underlies the failure of Penn State's most powerful leaders to respond appropriately to Sandusky's crimes."

Dry stuff, perhaps, but potentially dangerous for Penn State's football program -- or athletic department -- should the NCAA decide there are major violations that are the result of a lack of institutional control or a failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance.

"The NCAA will, I'm sure as their statement indicates, be working through the report of Judge Freeh, and we'll have an opportunity to respond to the letter that I received from Dr. Emmert back in November," Penn State President Rodney Erickson said. "Now that we have Judge Freeh's report, we're in much better position to respond to the list of questions that Dr. Emmert sent us, at that point, and we will be doing so over the next couple weeks."

Hours after the report was issued, the NCAA again touted its eight-month old partnership with Stop It Now, a child sex-abuse prevention organization, to provide member schools with resources and "foster an environment in which that abuse is reported."