UPDATED: Cleveland Indians score four in seventh inning off Justin Verlander to rally for 5-3 victory at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — It came fast and furious, not unlike the rain that pelted Progressive Field and delayed first pitch for 26 minutes. When it was done, the Indians received an ovation befitting a contender, not a pretender.

In arguably their best inning of the season, given the circumstances, the Indians stunned the Tigers and ace Justin Verlander with a four-run seventh to rally for a 5-3 victory Thursday night. Paid attendance: 34,579.

The Indians (50-49) won two of three in the series and are 7-2 against Detroit. The Tigers (53-46) had won 16 of 21 before coming to Cleveland.

"It was a huge win because of whom we were playing and the situation we're in,'' Indians manager Manny Acta said. "Our guys have gotten after it all season.''

Verlander cruised into the seventh with a 3-1 lead. It evaporated in a hurry.

Carlos Santana pounced on a high fastball and ripped it an estimated 419 feet to right-center. On the next pitch, Travis Hafner powered a fastball over the wall in right -- the third time the Indians have hit back-to-back homers this season.

"As a hitter, you have to stay aggressive,'' Acta said, "and if the pitcher makes a mistake, capitalize. Our big guys stepped up and hit homers on two fastballs.''

Santana said: "It was exciting. I couldn't believe it was two pitches. It was so exciting to see the team come back.''

Jose Lopez, eager to make it three straight, drilled the next pitch foul. Two pitches later, he lined a single to right.

Progressive Field kept going wild. Verlander, the reigning AL Cy Young and MVP, might as well have been Marvis Frazier taking one on the chin from Mike Tyson.

After Casey Kotchman and Shelley Duncan flied out, Shin-Soo Choo singled to left. Asdrubal Cabrera dropped the barrel on a fastball and ripped it to right for an RBI single, Lopez scoring from second. Jason Kipnis singled off shortstop Ramon Santiago to make it 5-3.

"You've got to give it to our guys for being able to come back against Verlander,'' Acta said. "We were aggressive early in the count all game and got him late.''

Verlander (11-6, 2.60 ERA) allowed the five runs on nine hits in seven innings, walked two and struck out four. He slipped to 0-2 against the Tribe this season.

"Horrible execution of pitches,'' he said. "I didn't hit my spots at all.''

Chris Perez worked the ninth for his seventh save in seven opportunities against Detroit. There was a tightrope element, the Tigers putting runners on first and third after Austin Jackson was called safe on a potential game-ending double-play grounder. Perez struck out Quintin Berry, leaving Miguel Cabrera on deck.

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the first. After rain delayed the start, Jackson led off with a dribbler toward third. Lopez charged and made the barehanded pick but threw wildly past first, Jackson advancing to second. Score it an infield single/error third baseman.

Indians right-hander Zach McAllister, working deliberately, struck out Berry with a fastball and the ultra-dangerous Cabrera with a full-count slurve. Prince Fielder, instead of trying to swing for the fences, went with a tailing fastball and punched it through the hole at shortstop for an RBI single.

McAllister walked Delmon Young and fell behind left-handed hitter Brennan Boesch, 2-0. Three pitches later, Boesch grounded to first. The half-inning lasted 14 minutes, but McAllister had given up just one unearned run.

Choo led off the Tribe half. The previous time the Indians faced Verlander, May 24 at Progressive Field, Choo blasted the third pitch of the game an estimated 444 feet for a homer. Verlander had hung a change-up.

This time, Choo attacked the first pitch, a fastball, and drilled it off the wall in center for a double. Choo advanced to third on Cabrera's grounder to second and trotted home on Kipnis' fly to Berry at the left-field wall.

A scout from the Pittsburgh Pirates was among those in attendance. The Pirates, seeking a leadoff batter and power, reportedly are interested in Choo.

Detroit regained the lead in the fourth. Alex Avila led off with a single and scored from second on a two-out single to left by Jackson. Third baseman Jack Hannahan cut the throw and trapped Jackson in what ended up as a 7-5-3-4-5-3-2.

Young gave Verlander a two-run cushion with a homer to right leading off the sixth. Jackson drew a one-out walk in the seventh on McAllister's 112th pitch. After Berry singled Jackson to third, Acta signaled for Joe Smith. Cabrera grounded into a 5-4-3 double play.

"I said before this series that we're confident against the Tigers,'' Smith said. "We play well against them in this park.''

McAllister allowed three runs (two earned) on nine hits in the 6 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out seven.

"McAllister was great again,'' Acta said. "He went toe-to-toe with Verlander and held Detroit to three runs. Every five days, he continues to give us an opportunity to win.''

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dmanoloff@plaind.com; 216-999-4664

On Twitter: dmansworldpd

Hernandez threw 66 pitches, 44 for strikes. For the most part his velocity ranged between 89 and 92 mph.

EASTLAKE, Ohio -- There was no name on the back of Roberto Hernandez's uniform Wednesday night as he threw his warmup pitches at Classic Park. He was wearing a different number as well, 48 instead of 55.

It was the perfect disguise for a man who lived a lie for the last 11 years.

Hernandez worked methodically in the pen, throwing two and four-seam fastballs. St. Edward's Alex Lavisky caught him as fans hung over the railing high above the bullpen watching the big man sweat.

He threw several minutes out of the windup before taking a break to towel off on the hot night. Then Hernandez pitched out of the stretch. When he finished, he was going over the signs with Lavisky when a kid named Dannie Green yelled something in Spanish that started with "Roberto."

Hernandez turned and flipped him a ball as he walked toward the Class A Lake County Captains dugout. Green leaned over the rail and made a nice catch, out-stretching the guy standing next to him.

"I just used the Spanish from the Taco Bell commercial," said Green, with a laugh. "Instead of Taco Bell, I said baseball."

Hernandez, arrested in the Dominican Republic on Jan. 19 for identity fraud, pitched at Classic Park in 2003 when everyone knew him as Fausto Carmona. He won 17 games that year for the Captains. Three years later he won 19 for the Indians, who finished one victory shy of the World Series.

He has been up and down since, but never lower than he was after his arrest. He was forbidden to leave his country, his career in danger. On Saturday, six months after his arrest, he was finally allowed back into the United States.

Wednesday night, while serving a three-week MLB-imposed suspension, he took his first step toward returning to the mound for the Indians. Hernandez, whose age jumped from 28 to 31 when he was outed by Dominican authorities, pitched five innings against the West Michigan Whitecaps, Detroit's Class A team.

He allowed three runs, one earned, on four hits. He struck out four, didn't walk a batter and induced eight ground-ball outs.

"You expected to see some rust, but there wasn't much," said Carter Hawkins, the Indians' assistant director of player development. "It shows you the amount of work he did in the Dominican. That's a good sign."

Hernandez threw 66 pitches, 44 for strikes. For the most part his velocity ranged between 89 and 92 mph. He topped out at 93 and dropped to 85 in the fourth and fifth innings.

"That's what he's thrown the last couple of years," said Hawkins. "He can get major-league outs with that. It's just a matter of command."

Hernandez earned the win in the 5-4 victory. It was his first victory since he beat Chicago in the first game of a doubleheader on Sept. 20. The soonest Hernandez can join the Indians is Aug. 11. He'll probably make three or four more starts before that happens.

"I felt good," said Hernandez. "It felt to great to be out on that mound. I've pitched here a lot of times here and I remember everything."

Hernandez said he was happy with his pitching line. "I focused on keeping the ball down, making ground balls and throwing strikes," he said.

Two of the three runs he allowed came on a first-inning homer by Aaron Westbrook. The runs were unearned because of an error.

"It was a sinker that didn't move," said Hernandez. "It stayed on the plate. The first inning the ball was a little bit up."

Hernandez will throw a bullpen for Lake County on Saturday. Then he'll make another start, either with the Captains or Class AA Akron.

"I don't know where I'll go after I throw the bullpen on Saturday," said Hernandez. "I'm happy. This is a second opportunity for me. I'm very, very happy."

Hernandez watched the Indians beat Detroit, 5-3, in the clubhouse after he left the game.

"I'll be back [there] soon," he said.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Also, the Lake Erie Crushers split a doubleheader with the Pennsylvania Road Warriors.

View full sizePD file photoThe Clippers' Tim Fedroff.

Fourteen months after a barn fire, Boyd Martin and his horse, Neville Bardos, are a comeback story like none other at the London Olympics.

View full sizeAP fileBoyd Martin rides Neville Bardos during the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Ky. Neville Bardos was saved from a 2011 fire on Martin's property and is the rider's backup in the Olympic competition.

LONDON -- His barn was on fire. His horses were inside. Olympic equestrian rider Boyd Martin really didn't consider any other option.

He ran toward the flames.

"At the time it was pretty ugly," Martin said. "The building's on fire and you feel pretty helpless. Your whole livelihood is in there. You decide to have a crack at it. I put in a bit of fight [with firefighters], got through and ran in there to see what I could do."

The Memorial Day 2011 fire at Martin's Pennsylvania farm raged through the two-story structure that housed two employees and 11 equestrian horses Martin trained, owned or rode in competitions.

His staff escaped and called the fire department and Martin, who lived down the road and rushed to the scene. Among the horses trapped was Neville Bardos, one of the best equestrian horses in the country who already owed his life to his owner.

Martin ran into fire with his coach, Phillip Dutton, and found Neville Bardos deep in his smoke-filled stall, 75 feet beyond the barn's entrance.

"You couldn't see anything. There was smoke everywhere and the top of the roof was burning. The whole building was ablaze," Martin said. "There was hay on the floor. It was pretty horrific.

"He was in the corner of the stable. I got hold of him and dragged him out. [Dutton] managed get behind the horse and push him out with his shoulder.

"Thirty seconds later and it would have been too late."

The barn collapsed. Six horses died.

Neville Bardos had been previously saved him from the dog-food factory when Martin purchased him in his native Australia for $1,000 several years ago.

Fourteen months later, Martin and Neville Bardos are a comeback story like none other at the London Olympics. Neville Bardos is here as Martin's backup horse. Another horse that survived the fire, Otis Barbotiere, is the primary mount Martin rode to qualify for the Games, and will be his lead horse as he begins competition Saturday in individual and team eventing.

The fire, however, doesn't begin to describe the depths from which Martin emerged in the last year.

"Funny enough, my father got killed two weeks after that fire," Martin says in a thick Australian accent that somehow takes the sting out of the worst news. "That was an awful thing to hear. He was in a bike race in Sydney and got hit by a truck and was on life support. He lived for about four or five days and I managed to go back and say goodbye to him."

Martin's parents were Olympians. His father, Ross, was a cross country skier for Australia, and his mother, Toy, was an American speed skater. They met competing during the 1969 Winter Games.

Martin also lost his father-in-law to cancer last summer. Martin's wife, Silva, is a Grand Prix dressage rider from Germany who recently became a U.S. citizen. Boyd Martin's dual citizenship enabled him to move to the U.S. in 2009 and begin his road to being an American Olympian.

The Olympics will carry some heavy reminders. Riding the horses he rescued reminds him of those he lost. Being an Olympian with his mother reminds him of his father's absence.

Martin said he feels ready to compete.

"I think I'm through the worst of it," he said. "But it's something you don't forget about. It's something you think about every day, and every day gets a bit easier.

"It's like anything, you go through something horrific and it always stays with you. But you either let it defeat you, or you move on and push on and look toward the future."

On Twitter: @TimsTakePD

Highlights include Indians at Minnesota and the Olympics opening ceremony (on tape).

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerJosh Tomlin gets the start for the Indians as they visit the Minnesota Twins tonight at 8:10. The game will be televised on SportsTime Ohio and broadcast on WTAM/1100-AM.

Lots of heroes in the Tribe's 5-3 victory over Detroit, everyone from starter Zach McAllister, to the bullpen to those back-to-back blasts by Carlos Santana and Travis Hafner.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerChris Perez celebrates following the final out of the Indians' 5-3 win over Detroit on Thursday night.

1. Did you see this coming? Did anyone? Certainly not Detroit's Justin Verlander, who still can't figure out how he was 2-for-2. That's 2-for-2 on two fastballs ripped into the seats by Travis Hafner and Carlos Santana.

2. Before the game, both General Manager Chris Antonetti and Manny Acta said the Tribe wasn’t going anywhere unless those guys hit.

3. When I was in Tampa Bay with the Tribe, I wrote a story about why the team was not ready to send Santana to the minors. Namely, they didn't want to replace him with Luke Carlin and Lou Marson. They thought Santana was working hard and making progress in terms of adjustments. In the 10 games starting that day, he is 11-of-30 (.367) with three homers and eight RBI. He also has walked seven times, fanning only five times.

4. I know Hafner hit two homers this week, but that knee is still not 100 percent. Hard to know how productive he can be this season, and Acta will have to watch his playing time.

5. After those homes tied the game, the Indians kept hitting: Four more hits to take a 5-3 lead.

6. Vinne & Chris. Two innings. Book it. Save. Hard to ever remember being more confident about two Tribe relievers than Vinnie Pestano and Chris Perez. Yes, Perez is 29-of-31 in saves, Pestano leads the AL with 29 "holds." The Indians are 40-4 when they have a lead after six innings.

6. Zach McAllister battled Verlander for 6 1/3 innings, 117 pitches on a sweat-soaked night when no one gave him or the Tribe a chance. Can he become a front rotation guy, a 12-15 game winner? In his 10 starts this season, McAllister is 4-2 with a 3.18 ERA. He has allowed more than three runs only once (four runs in seven innings at Boston). In 62 innings, he has 59 strikeouts and 16 walks.

7. Yes, it was Austin Kearns for McAllister. Yes, Chris Antonetti made that deal, too. I mention this out of fairness as I’ve been critical of him often since the Ubaldo Jimenez deal last July 31. Bet the Yankees (and it's fun to fleece New York) wish they had that deal back. While Antonetti wasn't officially the general manager in 2010, Mark Shapiro was giving Antonetti freedom to make deals as Antonetti was being prepared to take over as G.M.

8. The Indians are 10-5 at home vs. Detroit since opening day of 2011.

9. The Indians are only one of two teams (Tampa Bay, 2010) to beat Verlander twice in the same season – since opening day, 2010.

10 Do I think the Indians can beat out the Tigers? No. But they are 7-2 vs. Detroit this season. And I’m feeling good enough to dream this morning, especially if they can do something with the rotation. Derek Lowe looks worn down, and the Indians can't go much longer with the veteran unless he has a dramatic turnaround. The Tribe really likes the progress made by Corey Kluber at Columbus.

Browns owner Randy Lerner said today he's in negotiations with Jimmy Haslam about investing in the Browns.

AP Photo/Simon DawsonRandy Lerner is talking to investor Jimmy Haslam about a partnership in the Browns.

Updated at 12:53 p.m. with source confirming sale is close to being finalized and includes a clause preventing the team from moving to another city.

CLEVELAND -- The Browns are close to being sold to Tennessee businessman Jimmy Haslam, a minority owner of the Steelers, and there's a guarantee the team won't move from Cleveland.

"An unconditional guarantee was given that the Browns would not move before talks could even start,'' a league source told the Plain Dealer.

Browns owner Randy Lerner, who shot down rumors over the past few months that the Browns were for sale, released a statement today saying he's in negotiations with Tennessee businessman Jimmy Haslam, a minority owner of the Steelers.

 The following is Lerner's full statement: 

"In connection with current rumors and press inquiries, I can report that I've been approached by Mr. Jimmy Haslam, who is interested in making an investment in the Cleveland Browns.  We are currently in negotiations and both sides have agreed to keep that dialogue and its details private.  Given that any transaction would require League approval, care has been taken so that this process will not be disruptive to the organization, in particular the football team, as it prepares for the upcoming season. We will share further details or make an announcement if it becomes necessary."

Haslam is President of Pilot Flying J Travel Centers, the nation's largest retail operator of travel centers and truck stops. He is the brother of Tennessee governor Bill Haslam.

Howard Eskin of NBC 10 in Philadelphia is also reporting that he's hearing former Eagles president Joe Banner is one of the people involved with the group trying to buy the Browns. Eskin first reported in May that the Browns might be on the block, a report the team denied.

Lerner didn't specify whether he'd be willing to sell the team outright or just a portion of it. Lerner also owns Aston Villa of the English Premier League, but a Villa insider told the Plain Dealer's Tom Reed that rumors Villa is for sale are false.

Reed also reported that Villa lost $58 million and $85 million over the past two seasons.

At a press conference last month, Browns President Mike Holmgren said "the Browns are not for sale.''

 The Cleveland Browns, owned by Randy Lerner, are ranked by Forbes as the 30th most valuable sports team in the world, with a worth of $977 million.

The Browns' value, however, is just the 20th highest among the NFL's 32 teams.

Forbes ranks the 50 most valuable sports teams in the world. The two richest values belong to the famed soccer teams Manchester United ($2.23 billion) and Real Madrid ($1.88 billion).

The top American teams are tied at No. 3: MLB's New York Yankees and the NFL's Dallas Cowboys at $1.85 billion each.

The Browns, of course, have not been an artistic success in recent years, as Forbes notes.

About the Browns' ranking, Forbes.com writes:

The Browns have lost 67% of their games and made the playoffs just once since the franchise was reborn in Cleveland in 1999. The only team that has lost more games since is the Detroit Lions. Browns fans remain among the most loyal supporters in the NFL, allowing the team to charge one of the highest radio rights fees in football. The Browns hope stud running back Trent Richardson--the third pick in the 2012 draft--can turn around the team's fortunes.

The Browns were 4-12 last season; the Lions, with a team considered one of football's most promising, were 10-6.

MLB's Cleveland Indians and the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers are not included in the top 50. However, no team from the Indians' American League Central Division nor the Cavs' Eastern Conference Central Division are on the list.

The Browns' American Football Conference North Division rivals are all in the top 50: the Baltimore Ravens ($1.09 billion), 18th overall, 10th among NFL teams; the Pittsburgh Steelers ($1.02 billion), 21st overall, 13th among NFL teams; the Cincinnati Bengals ($875 million), 37th overall, 25th among NFL teams.

The Ravens, of course, were the original Browns. Former owner Art Modell moved the Browns from Cleveland to Baltimore following the 1995 season.

"They are pumping him up in advance of trying to trade him. Expect to hear increasingly optimistic perspectives on Colt's performance through the preseason as they try to find a team to bite. Too bad, in my opinion, as I believe he'd be a much better backup than Wallace." - bayareadawg

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerColt McCoy.

"They are pumping him up in advance of trying to trade him. Expect to hear increasingly optimistic perspectives on Colt's performance through the preseason as they try to find a team to bite. Too bad, in my opinion, as I believe he'd be a much better backup than Wallace."

Trent Richardson is confident in his ability.

AP fileFormer Alabama running back Trent Richardson.

The Cleveland Browns, like most teams in the NFL, could use a dose of toughness when it comes to play on the field.

There's not much room for nice guys when it comes to playing the game, especially in the AFC North with no-nonsense defenses of the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

So it was not only a breath of fresh air when the Browns drafted running back Trent Richardson because of his running ability, but because Richardson is as tough as they come.

Quite often, it takes more than one player to bring him down.

Off the field, Richardson is the type of player who sets high goals when it comes to his performance. He's set some high goals coming into his rookie NFL season, but reporter Barbara Bruno of The Bleacher Report writes how Richardson's goals may have been set too high, when he said the sky's the limit in his game, and that he wants to be the best to ever play the game.

Those goals are too high, writes Bruno, because Richardson has to face some of the toughest defenses in the league -- within his own division.

The defenses of the Ravens, Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals are some of the toughest against the run in the league, but why shouldn't Richardson aim high when it comes to confidence in his ability?

Maybe this refreshing attitude will permeate throughout Berea. 

More Browns and NFL news

Former Browns lineman Eric Steinbach signs with the Dolphins (Ohio.com).

Browns coach Pat Shurmur is eager for his second training camp (The News-Herald).

What the Browns must do to matter in the league (CantonRep.com).

Will the Browns be watchable (CantonRep.com)?

Left tackle Bryant McKinnie didn't show up at Ravens' camp (ESPN).

Dre Kirkpatrick will miss all of training camp with the Bengals (Cincinnati.com).

Steelers celebrate return of assistant coach (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).

James said he hopes to watch track and field, swimming, women's basketball and water polo, among other events. Watch video

“I'm here for one thing, and one thing only, and that's to represent my country at the highest level,” James said. “I'm not much of a sightseer.”

Asked about the pressure on Team USA to win, James smiled and said that's nothing new.

"It's the same for me personally. I can't lose, period. Me. So I'm in no different boat than what I would be if I was back in the NBA."

A few more Ohioans get early starts to the Games on Saturday, with the first fight for middleweight boxer Terrell Gausha, while fencing competitor Lee Kiefer, who lived in Cleveland Heights until she moved to Kentucky at age 2, will have her individual competition in foil. But Saturday night, the 17-year-old could have an Olympic medal.

First, tonight's Opening Ceremony, with bookmakers in England getting a lot of action on Roger Bannister, who broke the 4-minute mile barrier in 1954, to light the Olympic flame.

So pumped I got to meet another ohio olympian @kingjames #boss twitter.com/AbbyLJohnston/…

— Abby Johnston (@AbbyLJohnston)

"Great to win 2 of 3 from Detroit, but we can't let down. We need to go to Minnesota and KC and seriously take care of business. The inconsistency of this team concerns me -- or should I say the consistency worries me. They win 1, lose 1, win 2, lose 2. How about a good old fashioned winning streak?" - WSorBust

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerTravis Hafner and the Indians came from behind to beat the Tigers on Thursday night.

"Great to win 2 of 3 from Detroit, but we can't let down. We need to go to Minnesota and KC and seriously take care of business. The inconsistency of this team concerns me -- or should I say the consistency worries me. They win 1, lose 1, win 2, lose 2. How about a good old fashioned winning streak?"

Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner released a statement today saying he's in negotiations with a potential investor. Both sides have agreed to keep that dialogue and its details private.

View full sizeAP PhotoRandy Lerner.

Randy Lerner likes being a fan of the Browns, but he's never wanted the spotlight or the responsibility of building a winner.

David I. Andersen, The Plain DealerThere's never been any doubt about Randy Lerner's love for the Browns. But that doesn't mean he's in love with being the owner.

CLEVELAND -- Randy Lerner's heart has always been in the Browns, just not in owning the Browns.

He likes being a fan. He's never wanted the spotlight or the responsibility for building a winner. He only half jokes that it's given him ulcers.

That was true when his father, Al, passed away. It remained true through knee-jerk hires and impatient firings of head coaches and front office personnel.

So when the Browns released a statement Friday saying Lerner was in "investment" negotiations with businessman Jimmy Haslam -- reacting to a report on 850 WKNR -- it couldn't have come as a surprise to anyone.

The only surprise was the timing -- on the cusp of a training camp that, for once, carries legitimate hope that the team is on the right course. But that shouldn't affect the Browns in 2012.

Haslam lives in Knoxville, Tenn. That he is part owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers will cause consternation among Browns' fans but it's really immaterial.

He'll divest himself from that. Dan Gilbert's love of the Detroit Pistons hasn't stopped him from being all in as owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

As for Lerner, the belief was he'd own the team as long as his mother, Norma, wanted the family to own the team.

Lerner gets a pass from some Browns' fans for his willingness to spend money. But in a salary cap league where owners make money hand over fist that's not high praise. He's been a much bigger part of the problem around here since 1999 than part of the solution.

When Lerner turned the franchise over to Mike Holmgren -- letting Holmgren decide whether he wanted to coach or become team president -- it was viewed as another spare-no-expense move by him.

In reality, it was an indicator that he wanted to remove himself even further.

I don't know anything about Haslam. But looking at Lerner's record as owner, Haslam has two selling points.

He wants to own the Browns.

And it can't get much worse around here.  

Billionaire Lakshmi MIttal, chairman of ArcelorMittal Steel, contributed $30 million toward construction. Watch video

LONDON – Some say it looks a little like a roller coaster stuck in a blender, and love it or hate it, the ArcelorMittal Orbit is the most recognizable structure at the London Olympics.

It checks in at 377 feet – taller than the Eiffel Tower, which is not a coincidence – and contains 2,000 tons of steel. It also has a strong Cleveland connection. ArcelorMittal is a steel company with more than 1,300 employees at its Cleveland foundry, according to the company's web site.

ArcelorMittal Chairman Lakshmi Mittal was a major benefactor for the project. During a chance encounter in a bathroom at the 2009 World Economic Summit in Switzerland, flamboyant major Boris Johnson persuaded the billionaire Mittal to provide $30 million of the $35 million construction costs.

There has been speculation it will house the cauldron for the Olympic flame, which is to be lit during Friday night's Opening Ceremony. The location of the cauldron is a secret.

The Orbit was designed by artist Anish Kapoor and engineer Cecil Balmond.

Trips to the top cost 15 pounds, or about $23.50

Hard to imagine the Haslam family being only minority owners of the Cleveland Browns.

CLEVELAND -- We know the family of Jim Haslam is negotiating to be at least part owner of the Cleveland Browns. We don't know if they will have controlling ownership, or be part owners.

But we can guess that this family will not settle for being in the background.

Jimmy Haslam (Jim's son) has had a minority ownership in the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2008, so it makes little sense to want a small piece of another AFC North franchise.

The Haslam family owns 550 Pilot and Flying-J truck stops and convenience stores across the country. In 2011, Forbes Magazine rated Pilot Flying J as the 11th-largest privately held United States company with $18 billion in revenue and 19,000 employees.

The Haslams have given millions to the University of Tennessee, including a $32 million donation for the Haslam Business Building on the Knoxville campus.

Jim Haslam played football for Tennessee, starting on the Vols 1951 national championship team. Before going into the gasoline business, he considered being a high school football coach.

Another of Jim's son -- Bill Haslam -- is governor of Tennessee.

Given this basic information, isn't it fair to assume the Haslam family would want controlling interest in the Browns?

So they are a big business family, a political family and a football family.

They have enormous influence in their home state of Tennessee, and they are well-known to the NFL because of their part ownership of the Steelers.

It's a good guess the NFL will approve this sale, or it would not be this far along. They would have to divest themselves of their Steelers stock. As for them moving the team to their hometown of Knoxville, it's hard to imagine the NFL approving that, especially with the Tennessee Titans in nearby Nashville.

It's an even better guess the Haslams will be driven to win, considering what they have done in business, politics and at the University of Tennessee.

What will this mean for Browns fans?

You can also surmise this ownership group will be far more public than Randy Lerner, who admits to being painfully shy.

It's too early to know what will be different about the Browns if they are sold. But this much seems certain -- things will change, at least in terms of ownership style.

Practice begins at 2 p.m. and runs through 4 p.m. Get updates from @MaryKayCabot and @treedpd on Twitter or on this page.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerBrandon Weeden and Trent Richardson will be joined by their veteran teammates this afternoon in Berea.

Learn more about the Knoxville, Tenn., native who wants to buy into the Browns.

View full sizeAssociated PressJimmy Haslam III, a Knoxville, Tenn., native and CEO of Pilot Corporation, is in talks to become at least a part owner of the Cleveland Browns, the team confirmed today.

Here is some insight on Knoxville, Tenn., native Jimmy Haslam III from Roger Harris, business editor of the Knoxville News-Sentinel:

Haslam is the CEO of Pilot Corporation, a chain of convenience stores and travel centers across the United States. He is a big sports fan. He's a major supporter of the University of Tennessee, where he and his family have donated millions of dollars and where there are campus buildings that hold their name.

He completed a deal for a minority interest in the Steelers in 2009, his first financial venture in pro football. "He had met the Rooney family members and they kind of hit it off, I'd guess you'd say. They found they had common business and sports interests.

"He's a businessman, first and foremost. He's very intent on growing the company that his father founded. He's very focused on what he does for the company, Pilot Flying J. It is definitely one of the major business success stories in Knoxville."

His younger brother, Bill, is governor of Tennessee after being elected mayor of Knoxville twice.

On Haslam's love of Tennessee sports: "He's more low-key. He's not going to paint his face orange."

Asked how Haslam wound up being a minority owner of the Steelers, Harris quoted from a story his staff ran at the time: "It was all luck," Haslam told the paper. "About 10 years ago, we were meeting with some investment bankers in Knoxville concerning some business opportunities and there was a guy there who didn't say much at the end of the table." The man turned out to be a Morgan Stanley investment banker with a connection to the NFL.

On whether Haslam was merely handed the business by his father: "That's not the case here. From my vantage point, the company is going to grow -- and has grown -- under Jimmy's leadership. He's a terrific businessman. He has been determined to build the company that his dad started."

Haslam also is a detail guy. For instance, the company is investing $49 million to upgrade the showers at its truck stops, outfitting them with iPod listening stations and other perks.

In the statement, the city issues a reminder about the Browns lease requirements and that the city would make sure those commitments are honored.

Mary Kay joined Andy Baskin and Jeff Phelps to talk about the news of a potential new owner for the Cleveland Browns.

Mary Kay Cabot.

Gausha landed in the portion of the draw with the No. 3 seed, a Romanian he could meet in the quarterfinals. Watch video

LONDON – Cleveland's Terrell Gausha will make his Olympic debut against an Armenian fighter at about 8:30 in London on Saturday, which is 3:30 in Ohio.

The boxing draw conducted on Friday set the format for the 32 fighters in each weight class, with the top four boxers seeded. Gausha is not seeded and landed in the portion of the draw with the No. 3 fighter in his class, Bogdan Juratoni, a 22-year-old Romanian. They could potentially meet in the quarterfinals.

First, Gausha will fight Armenia's Andranik Hakobyan, who is ranked No. 23 in the world by the International Boxing Association. The television schedule calls for boxing to be shown on CBNC on Saturday, so Gausha's fight should be on live around 3:30 Eastern time.