Finally, the Browns make a big move for a receiver by adding Gordon as a new target for Brandon Weeden.

View full sizeBaylor photoJosh Gordon brings prototype size -- if not a great amount of collegiate experience -- to a Browns team in need of quality receivers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Give the Browns credit for boldness in using a second-round pick in 2013 to grab Josh Gordon in the NFL Supplement Draft. They obviously believe Gordon is worth the gamble right now, despite sitting out last season after transferring to Utah.

I'm not going to offer any grand statement about Gordon the wide receiver. I didn't see him play. There are some video clips online where he obviously is an impressive physical specimen -- 6-3, 225 pounds and seems to have good hands and above-average speed.

He should be an excellent target for rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden. But is he NFL ready right now? I doubt it.

But I also said the same thing about Greg Little, who sat out a season at North Carolina before he was picked by the Browns in the second round of 2011. He had a strong rookie season, despite not playing for the Tar Heels in 2010 after accepting money from an agent.

Gordon caught 42 passes -- seven for touchdowns -- as a sophomore with Baylor in 2010. He ran into some trouble there and transferred to Utah in 2011. But he was able to practice with the team, which is a positive. He also apparently stayed out of legal trouble at Utah, despite not playing.

Browns General Manager Tom Heckert said: "I talked to a zillion guys at both Baylor and Utah. To be honest with you, I couldn’t find anybody to say one bad thing about the kid. I really enjoyed meeting with him. It’s something that is out there that we think we have done our homework on. But to say we’re 100 percent, we’re not 100 percent on anybody in the draft, but we felt good enough that we think he is going to be a positive influence on our team."

Heckert is not one to fall in love with receivers, as most Browns fans know. If anything, he seem to consider most of them to be created equal, giving his reluctance to sign them as a free agent or to draft them. So when he made this move for Gordon, he must believe the receiver is soon to become a starter.

"We were going to take him in the second, no matter what," said Heckert.

This fits into the Browns' pattern of targeting players they want and taking them, even if some media people and fans believe they were drafted too high. We'll know more in a year if they are right, but I like the aggressive direction that Heckert is taking the team.

"The Cleveland Browns stuck their neck out and risked taking me and put their faith and belief in me," Gordon said Thursday, "and I won't let them down."

View full sizeAP fileThe Browns spent a second-round draft pick from the 2013 draft to acquire former Baylor receiver Josh Gordon on Thursday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- New Browns rookie receiver Josh Gordon promised Thursday to stay clean and repay the Browns for taking a chance on him in the second round of the supplemental draft.

"Despite everything I've been through, despite being a kid with a spotty background, the Cleveland Browns stuck their neck out and risked taking me and put their faith and belief in me, and I won't let them down," Gordon said in a phone interview. "I'm grateful, and I know I can't go back to being the person I used to be."

Gordon's arduous journey to the Browns began in October 2010 when he was in the midst of a solid sophomore season for Baylor. Following a big victory, Gordon attended a party with teammate Willie Jefferson, and the two later were arrested on a misdemeanor marijuana charge after falling asleep in a fast-food drive-through.

The next day, Gordon tested positive for marijuana, marking the beginning of the end of his Baylor career.

"From there, it was just a whirlwind of bad things," he said.

Gordon was permitted to finish the season because it was his first offense, but Jefferson was kicked off the team because it was his second. Still, Baylor, a strict Christian university, took Gordon's test seriously even though charges were dropped.

"They put sanctions on me and placed me on a probationary period, with community service and biweekly drug tests," said Gordon. "They weren't going to stand for it, and I understood that."

Gordon (6-3, 224) remained drug-free throughout the season and finished strong, catching 42 passes for 714 yards and tying teammate Kendall Wright with a team-high seven touchdowns. But when he returned to the school in June after summer break, he tested positive again for marijuana.

"That was the last straw for them," said Gordon. "We had to part ways that summer."

The farewell broke coach Art Briles' heart, because he loved Gordon as a person and a player.

"It killed me, it really did, because as a coach, I think we're in the kid-saving business," said Briles, who's remained in close contact. "I know Josh's character, I know his heart, I know his mind, I know his soul and it's all good."

Gordon transferred to Utah, but shortly before leaving, his family's apartment caught fire, and they were forced to evacuate. Gordon fled early for Utah, taking his mom's car and his brother with him. His mother stayed behind but had to live in a hotel and drive rental cars.

"It was hard for all of us," said Gordon.

At Utah, Gordon sat out the season but still practiced with the team and submitted to drug tests.

"I was in a rehabilitation program with group counseling, and I saw a psychiatrist, like, three times a week," he said. "I had to report back to the team while I was practicing. But I never tested positive at Utah."

Every Saturday, Gordon watched as Baylor took the college football world by storm and Robert Griffin III made his amazing run toward the Heisman Trophy and toward becoming the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.

"It was hard watching ESPN every day, seeing the whole RG3 phenomenon take place, and I was like, 'Man, I was just there a year ago, this is crazy,' " Gordon said. "I was really happy for them, but it was hard."

After the year, Gordon had a decision to make. His brother couldn't find work, and they struggled to pay their rent. His mom was also back home struggling financially.

"I decided to go back home and try to enroll in the University of Houston," he said. "I wanted to alleviate the stress on my mom and brother."

As recently as June 27, Gordon still was trying to obtain a transfer hardship waiver to get into Houston. "But time was running out," he said. "I had to declare for the supplemental draft by June 29th. I had to make a lot of hard life decisions pretty quickly."

Coach Briles helped him make the decision to go pro.

"Having his belief in me and support helped motivate me," Gordon said. "I thought another year of college and film was what I needed and what everybody expected me to do."

The moment Gordon declared for the draft, the Browns pursued. They had already fallen in love with him during the 2010 season while scouting their 2011 first-round pick, Phil Taylor.

"Cleveland was the only visit I made," said Gordon. "I had a good feeling they were going to draft me, but I was still shocked when they jumped up to the second round."

The cost for the Browns was their second-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Browns General Manager Tom Heckert already had done his homework, talking to Briles, Taylor and Baylor assistant head coach Brian Norwood, the father of Browns receiver Jordan Norwood and a close associate of some in the Browns personnel department.

"I couldn't find anybody to say one bad thing about the kid," said Heckert. "I drilled him pretty hard when I was with him. He didn't back down, and he told me everything that I thought I needed to hear from him."

Gordon said he's not a drinker and never used other drugs.

"There was definitely a pattern there with the two failed tests, but marijuana has never had that strong of a hold on my life," he said. "I'm not an addict, and I shouldn't be treated as such. Being sober is not a struggle for me."

But he knows actions speak louder than words.

"I can tell people until I'm blue in the face, and there will always be naysayers that will say, 'I just don't believe him, I can't trust him.' But I know that I have no intentions or any ambition to try to go back and regress to what I was doing before -- testing positive or just being caught in a negative light."

He viewed fellow rookie receiver Justin Blackmon's recent DUI arrest as a cautionary tale.

"I've definitely learned from this," he said. "It's been a long road, but I'm seeing light at the end tunnel after today. Looking back, it was something that had to happen in order for this to even take place. I promise the Browns won't regret this."

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

Baylor coach Art Briles thinks new Browns rookie receiver Josh Gordon would've been a first-round pick this year had he played in 2011 and that he can start right away.

View full sizeAPBaylor football coach Art Briles saw what new Browns receiver Josh Gordon could do at Baylor with Robert Griffin III at quarterback. He thinks Gordon could be ready to play after four exhibition games.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Baylor football coach Art Briles has no doubt in his mind Browns rookie receiver Josh Gordon, taken in the second round of the supplemental draft Thursday, would've been a first-round pick this year and that he can start right away.

"If Josh had played in 2011, he definitely would've been a first-round pick, without question," said Briles, who was forced to suspend Gordon indefinitely at Baylor following the 2011 season after a second positive marijuana test.

Would he have gone around the same spot as his former teammate Kendall Wright, who went No. 20 the Titans? The Browns coveted Wright with their No. 22 pick and opted for Brandon Weeden there when he was gone.

"That's like asking me to compare my two sons," said Briles. "I love them both. "They're just great athletes and very skilled. Josh is more of an outside receiver, but they're but they're both extremely gifted and top-tier picks."

Briles, who speaks of Gordon like he's a son, is also convinced Gordon can start for the Browns right away despite sitting out at Utah in 2011.

"He was born ready," said Briles. "The guy's got the ability to play. He's got four exhibition games to prepare, and I'd get ready to turn that pencil to ink today.

Briles said Gordon's potential is unlimited.

"When you look at the ceiling and Josh is in the room, you're seeing straight to the sky," said Briles.

He said Gordon's combination of size (6-3, 224) and speed (4.5) sets him apart.

"There's not many people in football today with his strength and speed," said Briles. "The Browns did a great job of finding a diamond in the rough, and they're going to be extremely proud they got Josh Gordon."

Briles said quarterbacks will love throwing to Gordon, who caught 42 passes for 714 yards and seven TDs in his only full college season in 2010.

"Get it close and you're going to like what you see," said Briles. "It doesn't have to be spot on. With his range and his hands, he's catching the ball when other people are swatting at air."

Briles was sad to see Gordon leave Baylor, "but I'm happy for his journey. It wasn't a journey that we planned on when he first came here, but I felt like this day would come, without question. I've been in this business a long time, and very few people come around with the characteristics of being a great wide receiver like Josh."

He's also convinced he'll be a great pro.

"He'll be a person that will lead in a positive direction on and off the field in the Cleveland community and people will fall in love with him because of his gentle nature as a human being," Briles said. "I see nothing but good days ahead for Josh Gordon and the Cleveland Browns."

Browns General Manager Tom Heckert said the Browns planned all along to draft Gordon in the second round and think they got good value there. The team, which landed the second overall pick in the draft behind the Bills in the weighted lottery, gave up its second-round pick in 2013 to get him. Several other teams, including the Redskins at No. 7, were said to be very interested.

"That's where we thought he was going to go," said Heckert. "We weren't real concerned about who else was interested."

He said Gordon has the makings of a No. 1 receiver, "but we'll have to see" if he wins the job opposite Greg Little right away.

Contract update: Heckert said he expects unsigned rookies Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden to be signed in time for the start of training camp. "Yeah, I am sure they will," he said. "I don't know how many guys are left unsigned, but there's a lot. They'll start falling into place here pretty soon, right before camp starts. But yeah, they'll both be here."

On Twitter:@marykaycabot

Kevin Durant led all scorers with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

LAS VEGAS -- It was far from a polished performance, but the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team still overpowered the Dominican Republic, 113-59, in its first exhibition game on Thursday night at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center.

Kevin Durant, fresh off his appearance in The NBA Finals with Oklahoma City, led all scorers with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

The U.S. was never threatened, and there were plenty of the kind of dazzling plays expected by what is essentially an NBA All-Star team. But the U.S. clearly still has work to do to round itself into shape. No wonder the U.S. Select Team, featuring Kyrie Irving, won a few scrimmages against the Olympians earlier this week, earning the national team a stern talking to by coach Mike Krzyzewski, according to Irving.

The Dominicans weren't as competitive, and they had no answer for Durant. Taking advantage of the shorter international 3-point line, he had 21 points at the half, making eight of 10 shots, and five of six 3-pointers, as the U.S. built an insurmountable 50-27 lead. Although the U.S. looked ragged and shot just 47.2 percent, its defense limited the DR to 27.3 percent shooting (9 of 33) and forced 15 turnovers.

Griffin out: Clippers forward Blake Griffin missed Thursday's game with some left knee discomfort experienced after completing practice Wednesday. That is the same knee he injured as a rookie, when he needed season-ending surgery, and during Game 5 of the first round of the recent playoffs against Memphis, though he did not miss a game.

Griffin returned to Los Angeles for on MRI and is to be examined by Dr. Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic on Sunday. An update is expected after that. ESPN reported Thursday the injury was not believed to be serious.

Rookie Anthony Davis of New Orleans, the recent No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, was called in to take Griffin's spot on the roster for the time being, although a sprained left ankle limited him this week.

Important lesson: Irving was asked what he would take from his time with the U.S. Select Team that practiced against the U.S. Olympic team.

"A new aggressiveness, a new confidence," he said. "Being out here with these guys and playing summer league is totally different. Playing with superstars every since day is totally different. Going into summer league, [I have a] new attitude and I'm going to bring it to my team and bring it to my team next year.

"I'm always striving to be the best player I can be and to be great. Here I feel like it was a stepping stone. I just wanted to come out here and prove that I belonged here and why I was chosen to the select team and going forward hopefully USA team picks me in the future."

The last word: From Irving, on what he has been doing in Las Vegas, "I'm trying to stay busy out here. All I do is sleep, just catch up on sleep. I'm not 21 so I can't do anything."

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

Is Andy Gruenebaum an All-Star? We'll find out on Sunday.

AP File PhotoColumbus Crew's goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum is a big reason the Crew are tied with Sporting Kansas City for the fewest goals allowed in MLS.

Karen Peetz, chairwoman of the board of trustees, said the panel believes Paterno's "61 years of excellent service to the university is now marred" by the scandal. Phil Knight, the Nike founder who won thunderous applause with his passionate defense of the coach at his January memorial service, acknowledged Thursday that "it appears Joe made missteps that led to heartbreaking consequences. I missed that Joe missed it, and I am extremely saddened on this day."

Video: What will happen to Joe Paterno's statue on the Penn State campus? Can the NCAA reprimand the football program? CineSport's Noah Coslov and The Times-Tribune's Donnie Collins chat.

A young boy places a yellow rose at the foot of a statue of former Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno outside Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa., Thursday, July 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — A blistering report that claims Joe Paterno and other top Penn State officials concealed what they knew about Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse of children may prove to be an indelible stain on the beloved coach's 61-year tenure at the school where he preached "success with honor."

Paterno's supporters are legion, though, and some insist the late coach got a raw deal from former FBI Director Louis Freeh, whose 267-page report on the Sandusky scandal Thursday asserted that Paterno and senior Penn State officials made a decision to protect Sandusky to avoid damaging the image of the school and its powerful football program.

Penn State's internal investigation into one of the worst scandals in sports history is unlikely to settle the debate about Paterno's culpability — even as it showed him to be more deeply involved in the university's response to 1998 and 2001 abuse complaints about Sandusky than previously thought.

Damaging emails unearthed by Freeh and his team of lawyers and ex-law enforcement officials show the extent to which Paterno, Penn State President Graham Spanier, athletic director Tim Curley and senior vice president Gary Schultz fretted over what to do about Sandusky. Ultimately, they did nothing — and their inaction allowed the retired defensive coordinator to continue molesting boys, the report found.

Freeh also faulted university trustees for failing to exercise proper oversight and said a culture that showed excessive reverence for the football program helped protect a pedophile. Sandusky, 68, was convicted last month of abusing 10 boys over 15 years and will likely die in prison.

Freeh's report could impact the ongoing criminal case against Curley and Schultz, who are charged with lying to a grand jury and failing to report child abuse. It will certainly factor into any future discussion about Paterno and a Hall of Fame career that includes two national championships, 409 wins, and the coach's self-proclaimed "grand experiment" that tried to blend academics, athletics and right living.

Karen Peetz, chairwoman of the board of trustees, said the panel believes Paterno's "61 years of excellent service to the university is now marred" by the scandal. Phil Knight, the Nike founder who won thunderous applause with his passionate defense of the coach at his January memorial service, acknowledged Thursday that "it appears Joe made missteps that led to heartbreaking consequences. I missed that Joe missed it, and I am extremely saddened on this day."

Yet hours after the release of Freeh's report, people were still eating scoops of Peachy Paterno ice cream at Berkey Creamery on campus, Joe Paterno shirts still hung in stores across the street from the administration building, and many of those closest to Penn State and Paterno said their faith in the coach remained unshakeable.

"I don't care what anyone says, it doesn't change the fact that he's a great man," said Briana Marshall, a junior from East Stroudsburg.

Some students and alumni felt that Freeh turned Paterno into a scapegoat, and that there was little direct evidence that he took part in a cover-up. Paterno died before he could meet with investigators.

"It's easy to vilify or blame someone who's not alive to defend himself," said Tim Sweeney, president of Penn State's official Football Letterman's Club.

Freeh, who was hired by the school's board of trustees to investigate the scandal, expressed regret for any damage to Paterno's "terrific legacy." But he stood by his work.

"What my report says is what the evidence and the facts show," he said.

What they showed, the report said, was that Paterno, Spanier, Curley and Schultz "failed to protect against a child sexual predator," burying the allegations against Sandusky out of a desire to "avoid the consequences of bad publicity."

Freeh said officials had opportunities in 1998 and 2001 to step in.

In 1998, campus police investigated after a woman complained that her son had showered with Sandusky. The investigation did not result in charges. But the emails show Paterno clearly followed the case, Freeh said, and university officials took no action at the time to limit Sandusky's access to campus — a decision that would pave the way for Sandusky to victimize more youths.

Three years later, a coaching assistant told Paterno that he had seen Sandusky sexually abusing a boy in the locker room showers.

Freeh, citing emails and handwritten notes, concluded that Paterno intervened to stop a plan by Curley, Schultz and Spanier to report the 2001 allegation by graduate assistant Mike McQueary to child-welfare authorities.

According to the report, the administrators intended to inform the state Department of Public Welfare. But Curley later said in an email that he changed his mind about the plan "after giving it more thought and talking it over with Joe." Instead, Curley proposed to offer Sandusky "professional help."

In an email, Spanier agreed that course of action would be "humane" but noted "the only downside for us is if the message isn't (heard) and acted upon and we then become vulnerable for not having reported it."

Paterno "was an integral part of this active decision to conceal" and his firing was justified, Freeh said at a news conference in Philadelphia, calling the officials' disregard for child victims "callous and shocking."

In a statement, Paterno's family strongly denied he protected Sandusky for fear of bad publicity.

"The idea that any sane, responsible adult would knowingly cover up for a child predator is impossible to accept. The far more realistic conclusion is that many people didn't fully understand what was happening and underestimated or misinterpreted events," the family said. "Sandusky was a great deceiver. He fooled everyone."

Attorneys for Spanier, Curley and Schultz vehemently denied Freeh's conclusions and said there was no effort to hide Sandusky's behavior.

The report chronicled a culture of silence that extended from the president down to the janitors in the football building. Even before 1998, football staff members and coaches regularly saw Sandusky showering with boys but never told their superiors about it. In 2000, after a janitor saw Sandusky performing oral sex on a boy in the team shower, he told his co-workers. None of them went to police for fear of losing their jobs.

Reporting the assault "would have been like going against the president of the United States in my eyes," a janitor told Freeh's investigators. "I know Paterno has so much power, if he wanted to get rid of someone, I would have been gone." He went on to assert that "football runs this university."

Freeh said Thursday the janitors "were afraid to take on the football program. If that's the culture at the bottom, God help the culture at the top."

Attorneys representing Sandusky's victims say the report showed that Penn State failed the youngsters it had a responsibility to protect.

"The Freeh report is absolutely devastating to Penn State," said Andrew Shubin and Justine Andronici, part of a legal team that represents several victims in the case, including three who testified against Sandusky. "It confirms that at the highest level, Penn State officials, including the university president and head football coach, knew that Sandusky was a child predator, but made the deliberate and reprehensible decision to conceal his abuse. They chose to protect themselves, Penn State's brand and image, and their football program instead of children."

Key findings of the Penn St. investigation

Key findings and recommendations of the investigation into the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal led by former federal judge and ex-FBI director Louis Freeh.

Findings:

— Penn State officials including coach Joe Paterno and university President Graham Spanier concealed information of Sandusky's activities from authorities and the public to avoid bad publicity.

— Paterno, Spanier, Vice President Gary Schultz and athletic director Tim Curley "empowered Sandusky to attract potential victims" by failing to restrict his access to the university despite receiving two reports of illicit sexual contact involving him and children.

— Spanier failed in his duties as president by not informing the board of trustees about the allegations against Sandusky and the subsequent grand jury investigation.

— Once aware of the grand jury investigation, the trustees failed in their duty to the university by not pressing Spanier for details about Sandusky's situation.

— The trustees handled Paterno's firing poorly.

— There was no evidence to indicate that Sandusky's 1999 retirement was related to a 1998 police investigation.

Recommendations:

— Reinforce the commitment of all university officials to protect children and create a stronger sense of accountability and transparency among school leadership.

— Evaluate security and access protocols for all campus buildings and better track university programs involving children.

— Require and provide abuse awareness and reporting training to faculty, coaches and staff.

— Establish a policy for university police to seek assistance in sensitive investigations or ones where a conflict of interest may exist.

— Appoint a university ethics officer and an ethics council.

— Strengthen the university's human resources office.

Freeh report on the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State University

Lake Erie's walleye are still biting, and yellow-perch anglers are hovering over schools of near-shore fish.

D'Arcy Egan, The Plain DealerLake Erie's walleye are still biting, and yellow-perch anglers are hovering over schools of near-shore fish.

The sizzling summer temperatures have slowed fishing around Ohio, but only a little bit. Lake Erie's walleye are still biting, and yellow-perch anglers are hovering over schools of near-shore fish. On inland lakes, bass fishing has slowed noticeably, crappie have moved to deeper structure and catfish are biting everywhere, especially after dark.

Cleveland area

Yellow perch have moved to near-shore areas and are being caught in good numbers. The top spots include 36 to 39 feet of water off Lakewood's Gold Coast and 40 to 42 feet off Euclid Beach. Emerald shiner minnows worked on, or close to, the bottom are catching perch. Perch are being caught from Lorain's Beaver Creek area to the Rocky River in 37 to 40 feet of water.

The Fairport Harbor perch bite continues in 38 to 45 feet northwest of the mouth of the Grand River and in 46 to 48 feet of water off Conneaut.

White-bass fishing continues to be good around Cleveland Harbor for anglers casting from shore or boat. The top technique has been to cast a top-water agitator trailing a leader and fly, or jig and twister tail. Rock bass are biting around Cleveland Harbor rocks, taking small jigs and twister tails, or leeches.

Walleye fishing has slowed in deeper waters off Cleveland, but it has been good off Lorain. Anglers are targeting the west end of the Lorain Sandbar as well as the deeper waters around the weather buoy on the Ohio-Ontario border north of Vermilion. Walleye fishermen are still trolling spinner rigs tipped with night crawlers, relying on spinner blades with combinations of gold, orange, pink, purple and chartreuse. Reef Runner diving plugs are also catching walleye.

Walleye fishing has been surprisingly good in shallower depths of 15 to 30 feet from Huron to Vermilion, with good catches off Old Woman Creek. Walleye fishing has been good in 58 to 62 feet of water off Geneva and at 72 feet off Ashtabula.

Western Lake Erie

Walleye are still being caught west of Green and Rattlesnake islands and around Gull Shoal and Kelleys Island Shoal. The best fishing has been around Pelee Island in Canadian waters, and west and north of West Sister Island, especially around the Toledo Shipping Channel. Mayfly rigs tipped with night crawlers have been best for drift-and-cast anglers, while trolling fishermen are using spinner rigs and Reef Runner lures.

Perch fishing has been good south of G-Can off the Camp Perry firing range, south of Middle Island and southeast of Kelleys Island and east of the Kelleys Island Landing Field.

Inland lakes and reservoirs

The heat of summer has made largemouth bass fishing difficult. Anglers have had some success at Mosquito, LaDue and West Branch reservoirs using top-water lures, especially grass frogs, early and late in the day. During the day, bass have been suspended in deeper water and have been harder to find. Lake Milton has been a good stop for both smallmouth and largemouth bass, with some walleye caught from sandbars west of the Interstate 76 causeway.

The hot fishing has been catfish after dark, with small and large lakes giving up good numbers of lunker catfish. Mosquito Reservoir is a catfish hot spot, and they are also being caught at Pymatuning, Spencer, Mogadore and Wingfoot lakes. Work night crawlers or processed catfish baits on the lake bottom.

Crappie have moved to deeper structure and are being caught on small jigging spoons and minnows suspended under a float. Target offshore stumps and trees or sunken bridges. Berlin and Mosquito have been the top crappie lakes, with sunken beaver dams a crappie hot spot at West Branch.

Walleye are being caught while trolling deeper water at Pymatuning and Mosquito, but surprising catches are coming from shallower weed beds. Anglers are casting jigs tipped with pieces of night crawlers to weeds at 3 to 6 feet depths despite warming water.

The Dwight Howard saga continues and it's looking like Houston is the next possible destination for the All-Star center. Could Cavaliers be interested in Luis Scola if he's let go by the Rockets?

View full sizeAP Photo/John RaouxThe Dwight Howard saga continues, this time with rumors of the center heading to Houston.

The Indians have been last in MLB attendance all season. Will breaks on parking, public transporation and food entice more fans?

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerFans tell the Indians the two biggest hurdles to attending games is the price of parking and ballpark food.

The Indians, based on fan feedback, are offering new discounts for transportation, parking and ballpark food.

Indians President Mark Shapiro announced the programs at a news conference Friday at the Great Lakes Brewing Co. on West 25th Street.

In partnership with the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Ohio City Inc. and the City of Cleveland, the Indians will offer a "Free Transportation Weekend'' July 20-22 to coincide with the team's annual "Rock N’ Blast'' fireworks shows. The offer includes:

- Free parking - while supplies last - in the Gateway East Garage next to the ballpark with an advance ticket purchase, using the password "parking.''

- Free RTA Rail Service (Blue, Green, and Red lines) and the RTA HealthLine with a valid Indians game ticket when boarding.

- Free shuttle service to and from Ohio City, at the corner of West 25th Street and Market Avenue, near Great Lakes Brewing Co. and Bar Cento.

After the special transportation weekend, offers include the following:

- An RTA family fare of $10 round-trip for home weekend games with advance Indians ticket purchase at Team Shops and Indians.com. The fare is good for two adults and up to four children up to age 16.

- Indians Ohio City Shuttle for $1 round-trip every Indians home weekend. And a shuttle from Great Lakes Brewing Co. is available every game for $1.

The Indians are also offering discounted food and beverage deals for the second half of the season:

- A hot dog, one large popcorn and one 16-ounce pop for 8 - about a 40 percent discount.

- A brat and one 12-ounce beer also for 8 - roughly a 20 percent price break.

The Indians have ranked last among baseball's 30 teams in attendance this season despite fielding a team that's three games out of first in the American League Central Division.

Kobe Bryant challenges Cavs star Kyrie Irving to a $50,000 game of one-on-one, with the proceeds going to charity

APKobe Bryant doesn't think Kyrie Irving can beat him 1-on-1.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Kyrie Irving is too young to get into a casino here, but that doesn't mean he can't make a bet.

Apparently, Lakers veteran Kobe Bryant has challenged the Cavs 20-year-old star to a one-on-one contest for $50,000, with the proceeds going to charity. No date, time or location has been set, nor is there any indication it will actually happen.

"It's on the table,'' Irving says in a hilarious trash-talk filled video for DukeBluePlanet.com, now circulating on YouTube.

"I give him credit for his confidence,'' Bryant said. "It's 50 grand for my charity. Greatly appreciated. Easy money. Easy money.''

Irving played on the U.S. Select Team that practiced against Bryant and the 2012 U.S. men's Olympic basketball team at UNLV this past week. The video captures a light moment before practice, when Bryant teases Irving about his age after Irving says to him, "You think you're talking to a high school kid?''

Bryant: "You just came out of high school.''

Irving: "I came out of college. You came out of high school [to the NBA.]''

Bryant: "You played two games [in college.]''

Irving states his case for the one-on-one matchup by telling Bryant, "You have to guard. You're not going to lock me up. It's over.''

Bryant says, "You're going to need a pick to get me off you, sonny.''

Bryant gets the last word.

Irving: "You think you're playing Lil' Bow Wow?''

Bryant: "You're about the same size.''

"Another Weapon for Weeden, have to be positive. Would have been "okay" with a 3rd, wanted a 4th, but understand he would have been gone. It's high risk, but high reward if he pans out." - b00thamang

View full sizeBaylor UniversityMany cleveland.com readers believe Josh Gordon is the weapon that has been missing for the Browns' passing attack.

"Another Weapon for Weeden, have to be positive. Would have been "okay" with a 3rd, wanted a 4th, but understand he would have been gone. It's high risk, but high reward if he pans out. Got to hope that he has something to play for now, prove him self, especially in a situation where he can start immediately. I hope the year off didn't hurt him too much. Get in the room son, learn the play books, work your butt off, and become the NFL receiver no one said you could be.

Go Browns."

Browns new rookie receiver Josh Gordon assures fans he's as good as Kendall Wright, whom the Browns coveted with their No. 22 pick. "We're neck and neck,'' he said.

Baylor photoJosh Gordon thinks he stacks up with former Baylor teammate Kendall Wright, who went No. 20 overall.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Josh Gordon, the Browns' newest wide receiver, ranks himself with former Baylor teammate Kendall Wright, whom the Browns coveted with their No. 22 pick in the draft.

Wright went No. 20 to the Titans and the Browns took quarterback Brandon Weeden two picks later.

"I'd like to say our skill set is pretty equal,'' said Gordon, picked Thursday in the second round of the supplemental draft. "I'd definitely say me and him are neck and neck. If anything, it motivates me being in the league now to look up and see what he's doing, just to make sure I'm right there on his heels.''

Gordon (6-3, 224), is five inches taller than Wright.

"He's definitely more of a versatile guy,'' said Gordon. "He's quicker and works well in space. I'm more of a long strider going straight ahead and more of a deep threat kind of guy. But we're both playmakers.''

Gordon said he was arriving in Cleveland today to begin working toward his goal of becoming a starter this season.

"I feel like I could start right away,'' said Gordon, who sat out last season at Utah after being suspended indefinitely by Baylor last summer. "I feel like it would probably take a little longer than a week or so to shake off the rust and get going. In a starting role, I'm definitely ready to attack it with a full head of steam and embrace whatever role they give me.''

Gordon said he hopes to begin working with Weeden soon.

"He's a tremendous quarterback,'' he said. "We played him twice when I was at Baylor and he blew us away both times. I'm excited to play with him and I'm ready to start getting adjusted and learn some plays.''

Was the Browns gamble for Baylor wide receiver Josh Gordon a wise one? The Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot gives the move a thumbs up. Watch video

Cleveland, Ohio -- Welcome to the "Hey, Mary Kay" edition of Starting Blocks TV, hosted by Bill Lubinger, subbing for Chuck Yarborough and Branson Wright.

Today's guest on SBTV is Plain Dealer Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot, who believes the team's decision to spend a second-round pick in next year's draft on Baylor wide receiver Josh Gordon in the supplemental draft was a bold, aggressive move and a good one.

Cabot says Art Briles, Gordon's college coach, is so bullish on his former player that he believes the pass-catcher can step in right away.

Cabot also fields reader and viewer questions about the development of offensive linemen Jason Pinkston and Shawn Lauvao, compares rookie quarterterback Brandon Weeden with Cincinnati's Andy Dalton and offers her observations on how well the Browns will be able to plug the hole left by defensive tackle Phil Taylor's injury.  

Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott says coordinating a non-conference football schedule for 24 teams across two leagues proved to be too difficult.

View full sizeMarvin Fong, The Plain DealerThe proposal to have regular-season matchups between Big Ten and Pac-12 teams was officially pulled off the table Friday by the Pac-12, citing schedule conflicts among other reasons.

The Big Ten and Pac-12 have scrapped plans to schedule games against each other in all sports, with Pac-12 officials saying there were too many complications with football schedules to pull it off.

The leagues announced Friday that they've suspended the scheduling plan that both agreed to in December, well before a four-team playoff set to begin in 2014 was approved by a committee of university presidents last month.

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said the league recently learned from Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott that coordinating a non-conference football schedule for 24 teams across two leagues proved to be too difficult.

Delany said those complications included the Pac-12's nine-game conference schedule and previous non-conference commitments. The Big Ten will move from an eight-game league slate to a nine-game schedule in 2017.

"A great effort was made by both conference staffs to create football schedules that would address the variety of complexities, but in the end, we were just not able to do so," Delany said. "While everyone at the Big Ten is disappointed by the news, we look forward to continuing the historic partnership that we have with the Pac-12 and to working together on other matters in the future."

Scott said the Pac-12 wants to keep playing nine league games while maintaining as much flexibility in out-of-conference scheduling as possible.

Scott says the two leagues will continue a close relationship, which includes their long-standing partnership with the Rose Bowl.

"After extensive deliberation and consultation with member institutions, television partners and others, the Pac-12 and Big Ten have decided not to pursue the previously announced plans for enhanced scheduling collaboration across all sports," Scott said.

The Saints announced they had reached a five-year deal with Brees but did not release financial details of the contract.

Associated PressDuring the past six seasons, Drew Brees has not only led the New Orleans Saints to their only Super Bowl title, but has completed more passes (2,488) for more yards (28,394) and more touchdowns (201) than any other quarterback in the NFL.

Here are what blogs from Cleveland and around the country are saying about the Browns, Cavaliers and Indians. Featured today are the Stepien Rules, SB Nation and CBS Philadelphia.

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

AP PhotoJosh Gordon: Game changer?

"Gordon is going to need to learn fast, and he’s got a bunch of young new teammates to do it with. Brandon Weeden, Trent Richardson, Greg Little, Joe Thomas, and now Gordon provide the foundation for the future of this team, and the Browns need him to be a game changer.

Athletically, Gordon appears to be up to the task, and from what I have heard and read about his pre-draft interviews, he is a sharp kid. This is an exciting move for Browns fans, though they might be disappointed to not have the pick next offseason. Hopefully Gordon produces well enough to keep the fan base at ease."

AP Photo/Frank Franklin IIApparently, Hunter Pence grew up a big Tribe fan.

"I loved the Cleveland Indians when I was a kid. They had Kenny Lofton and Jim Thome and David Justice. They had Manny Ramirez. They were really good. They were an exciting team to watch,” Pence said in an interview with 94WIP’s Angelo Cataldi and The Morning Team on Thursday. “It’s definitely awesome, I told him.”

Pence went from idolizing Thome, to being able to share in a pre-game ritual. “He does the whole ‘light the cork on fire’ old school eye-black. Every time I put it on, I’m like, ‘I’m one of the Cleveland Indians!’ Back in the day with Jim Thome. It’s awesome. I’m like, ‘this is the war paint.’ We brought it to the Phillies, so it’s a lot of fun,” he said."

Gus Chan / The Plain DealerWill Tyler Zeller be the future at center for the Cavs?

"StepienRules: Do you think Zeller should've been Drafted higher, later, or is 17th overall right about where you expected he'd go?

Carolina March: That sounds about right. This year's draft had so many players that were hard to place and a few GMs that seemed intent on defying the conventional wisdom that anywhere from 10th to the end of the first round wouldn't have surprised me.

StepienRules: Are there any reasons for Cavs fans to be concerned about drafting Tyler Zeller in the first round?

Carolina March: Nope, I think you pretty much know what you're getting with him. There were a couple of early injuries in his college career that gave him a bit of a bad reputation, but they really were fluke collisions, and he's been the healthiest player on the team for the last two seasons."

Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff joined Bull and the Fox on WKRK FM/92.3 The Fan this afternoon to talk about the Browns and Indians.

Dennis Manoloff

Tribe trails the AL Central first-place White Sox by three games and leads the Tigers by a half game.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerJustin Masterson starts for the Indians tonight in Toronto against the Blue Jays.

You never know about wide receivers. But the Browns had to do something, and taking Josh Gordon should help. How can he not?

View full sizeRod Adyelotte, Waco HeraldEven if it takes Josh Gordon a little while to find his NFL legs with the Browns, he provides something that the team desperately needs, says Bill Livingston ... increased hope for the off-criticized receiving corps.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Baseball pitcher and philosopher Joaquin Andujar once said, "There is one word in America that says it all, and that one word is, 'You never know.'"

Joaquin could be branching out as a Browns receivers coach these days.

The Browns think they got a steal in Baylor's Josh Gordon, a former teammate of Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, in the second round of the supplemental draft Thursday. The Browns tried but couldn't land RG III himself, the perfect player to bail out their inept offense with his arm and legs. But they got something of a Greg Little act- and play-alike in Griffin's ex-teammate.

Gordon transferred from Baylor after testing positive for marijuana. He had to sit out last season at Utah. Like Little, who was suspended for his senior season in an agent scandal on the watch of former Browns coach Butch Davis at North Carolina (a.k.a., Cap'n Butch's House of Scamps), Gordon should have fresh legs.

Gordon's positive drug test occurred after he and a teammate were arrested when they fell asleep in a fast-food restaurant's drive-through lane, apparently readying for battle with the munchies.

Like Little (6-3, 220), Gordon (6-3, 225) is big and rangy. (So was Brian Robiskie.) Unlike Little, Gordon did not spend part of his college days at running back, which certainly should ease his transition to the NFL. Then again, he needs all the easing he can get after declaring so late for the supplemental draft.

"See the ball, hit the ball" was Pete Rose's secret. Browns fans will settle for "See the ball, catch the ball" with Gordon, not to mention Little. For a time, Little looked as if he was going to threaten Visine, the Smith Brothers and Braylon Edwards when it came to drops. But he wound up with 61 catches for 709 yards and two touchdowns, so his year was a success overall.

The brown-and-orange lining is that one must get open in order to drop the ball. Little is the No. 1 wide receiver going into training camp because of his high "ceiling" as far as further improvement goes. Mohamed Massaquoi is No. 2 because no one else is at the moment.

Frankly, the Browns were lucky that Gordon entered the supplemental draft. The most noteworthy things they had done to improve the receivers was draft in the fourth round a short and slight Travis Benjamin, who is so fast his drop times, as well his 40s, beat everybody else's, and to acquire quarterback Brandon Weeden's Oklahoma State security blanket, Josh Cooper, as an undrafted free agent.

I know what a lot of Colt McCoy fans are thinking: Where was this attention to the offense when he was behind center last season and the receivers sometimes seemed to be wearing opposing defensive backs as overcoats?

In the regular draft, the Browns acquired, along with a new quarterback in Weeden, a new right tackle in Mitchell Schwartz to replace struggling, often-injured Tony Pashos, as well as a presumptive standout at running back in Trent Richardson to replace fair-weather Peyton Hillis.

The argument from team president Mike Holmgren on draft day was that the "running back" would make the receivers better, and the "quarterback" [Weeden] would make the receivers better.

Reading between the lines, that's an indictment of McCoy's ability to put the ball where it needed to be on time and on target. Playing behind the offensive line last year was also an indictment of McCoy's ability to throw while lying flat on his back.

Now the Browns have added a wideout in Gordon whose athletic ability General Manager Tom Heckert called "elite." Heckert expects Gordon to start this season. It's an aggressive move, although the Browns had to do something, unless the theory of Weeden and his magic dust worked.

Still, after the 2007 season, television networks and national commentators thought Kellen Winslow, Edwards and Derek Anderson were going to make the Browns a team to watch. But Winslow was a diva; so was Edwards, with bad hands to boot; and Anderson was a flash in the pan.

The recent moves make the Browns better. But even so, with their schedule and in their division, given the inherent growing pains of so many key young players, they might win only four or five games.

But, of course, you never know.

On Twitter: @LivyPD

The Indians open up the second half of the season on the road in Toronto against the Blue Jays. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. Get game updates on Twitter from Paul Hoynes, @Hoynsie.

The Indians open up the second half of the season on the road in Toronto against the Blue Jays. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. Get game updates on Twitter from Paul Hoynes @Hoynsie or click here for a live game box score. You can also download our Cleveland Indians app for Android to get Tribe updates on your mobile device. Read on for a game preview.

View full sizeChuck Crow/The Plain DealerThe Tribe open up the second half of the season in Toronto tonight against the Blue Jays.