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Teckel puppy tracks like a veteran on first day of deer gun season

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8-week-old pup helps track down a buck in Harrison County.

out.JPG Jennifer Prusa with 8-week-old Ammo and the buck she tagged Monday.

Scio, Ohio -- The deer hunting stories were flying fast and furious around the campfire at Matt McCann's Crooked Horn Deer Camp on Sunday evening in northern Harrison County, but the best hunting tale occurred on Monday, the first day of Ohio's deer gun season.

McCann's longtime girlfriend Jennifer Prusa, an accomplished hunter, had taken a shot at a buck from her stand a few hundred yards behind the McCann lodge. The buck tumbled, and Prusa was sure she had scored.

"I saw where the buck fell, but when I climbed down from my stand and walked over to the tangle of brush where I'd seen it land, the buck just wasn't there," she said. "I searched the immediate area, but no buck was in sight."

It was time to call in the experts. McCann, a Macedonia sportsman, and Justin Richins, a Henefer, Utah, big game hunting guide, led the search party. Richins has had plenty of opportunities to round up white-tailed deer and mule deer, and he brought along his new assistant. It was Ammo, a tiny guy with a very talented nose.

Richins owns a Teckel, a type of European scent hound that weighs in at 17 to 25 pounds, and relies on the feisty dog when tracking wounded deer. McCann and his father, Charles, had seen Richins' dog in action in Utah. As a die-hard deer hunter, McCann knew he wanted a Teckel of his own.

"We had a litter of Teckel pups, so I came to Ohio to deliver Ammo to Matt McCann and to hunt Ohio whitetails," said Richins.

While everyone searched for the faintest of deer sign, little Ammo spoke up. With a high-pitched bark, the 8-week-old tracking hound discovered a drop of deer blood. Richins put his nose to the ground as well, trying to spot clues to where the buck had gone. Slowly but surely, he figured its circuitous path.

McCann knows every inch of his property and determined the deer crossed a dirt trail and either headed to a small ravine along a nearby creek, or to a brushy tangle where the deer often bed down. Underneath a tangle of branches along the little creek was a seven-point buck, ready to be field-dressed.

"That's my job," said Prusa, who teaches youngsters at the Lake & Trails kids' camp in nearby Carrollton County the fine points of field-dressing a deer. She quickly had the buck ready to load on an all-terrain vehicle for the ride back to the family lodge.

But first she tucked the precocious Ammo into her jacket.

"We need a few photos of Ammo's first deer," she said, with a laugh.

Deer are more than a hobby for McCann and Prusa. They donate a lot of time, energy and funding to the Whitetails Unlimited conservation group, focusing on the Tinkers Creek Chapter in Bedford and the Conotton Creek Chapter in Scio. They also are involved with the Lake & Trails movement that teaches youngsters outdoor skills, an award-winning program headed by Karen Metzger of Medina. McCann has been the group's treasurer since its creation a decade ago. Prusa is a volunteer instructor.

McCann's annual party the night before the deer gun season attracts friends from Cleveland, rural Harrison County and from around the country. Mountains of fries, chicken wings and local canned delicacies are featured, highlighted by a salsa concocted by Vinnie Gliozzo, a Ford plant worker from Sagamore Hills Township.

The characters included Robert Hendricks, the mayor of Scio and vice president of the Harrison Community Improvement Corp.

"That title means that I just try to make things better for everyone around here," said Hendricks, from behind his long, gray beard. Hendricks is likely the most notable resident of the little town where his parents still live, and where we sighted shotguns Sunday.

Hendricks regaled the crowd with his mandolin and fishing and hunting tales from Scio to Alaska. His serious side is working with kids. Hendricks dotes on his parents and still likes to farm but donates all of the income to the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and Lake & Trails.

"The kids need mentors," he said. "I mentor special needs kids. They need the most help."

After the recent Lake & Trails hunt camp weekend, Hendricks and other volunteers took a dozen boys and girls deer hunting during the Nov. 17-18 youth gun season. The kids tagged eight deer, including four bucks.

"Bob's a modern-day Will Rogers," said Whitetails Unlimited regional head Dennis Malloy. "He does so much for so many, and yet he's such a humble guy."

Stan Glover of nearby Bowerston, the chairman of the Conotton Creek Chapter of WU, helped put together Saturday night's Deer Hunters Ball in his town, a way to bring together hunters and landowners. But he said he couldn't miss McCann's annual party, bringing along his son, Mike Glover of Independence, and brother Brad Glover of Charlotte, N.C.

McCann's bash was lit up by cellphones displaying photos of large-antlered deer, and there were a barrage of deer stories around the campfire. But after Monday's adventure with Ammo, those tales will have to take a back seat for a while.


In an era of offense, defense can still prove a point for the Cleveland Browns: Bill Livingston

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For all the quarterback-centric view of Browns fans and media, defense wins. More often than not, it always will.

happy-brns-defe-2012-stllrs-jg.jpg The Browns' defense was flying high on Sunday against Pittsburgh, with Joe Haden celebrating with T.J. Ward after Haden's fourth-quarter interception. D'Qwell Jackson (right) and Tashaun Gipson are also enjoying the moment.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Quest for a Quarterback always dominates the newspapers and the talk shows. The NFL is a quarterbacks league, we are always told.

Isn't it wonderful that Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, Ryan Tannehill and -- Browns fans mutter, as one, "We hope, we hope, we hope" -- Brandon Weeden could be worthy successors to the graying generation of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees?

Offense sells in football, at all levels. Texas A&M's Johnny Football, freshman Johnny Manziel, jumped into the Heisman Trophy lead essentially off one big game and one big, bobbled-ball, touchdown throw against mighty Alabama.

Unbeaten Ohio State, its 12-0 season over, won games by scores of 63-38 and 52-49.

Mentor gave up 56 points in consecutive high school playoff games, to St. Ignatius in triple overtime and -- get this -- to St. Edward in regulation, and won both. There were 2,500 yards of offense and 232 total points scored in those two games.

The spread formation, the influence of coaching clinics at a young age for players such as Mentor's Mitch Trubisky, the allure of easy gains with one flick of the wrist -- offense, especially passing offense, rules everywhere.

Except when it doesn't.

Urban Meyer, spread guru, with a great running quarterback and adequate (at best) passing one in Braxton Miller, never argued that Ohio State was particularly worthy of its high national ranking until the defense came around.

"I've been blessed [with] a couple of championships, and the common denominator is not rushing yardage, passing yardage, blocked punts, whatever it is, it's great defense. And I'd say at this point in time Ohio State could go play with anybody in America," Meyer said Saturday after beating Michigan.

Meyer's formula for victory, as displayed on a board in the team meeting room begins, "1. Play great defense."

"I wouldn't say that five weeks ago," said Meyer. "But I think you've seen the growth, what we did [Saturday] and the growth of our defense, as long as you play great defense and you're very functional on special teams, [you can win]."

Defense-oriented Alabama, coached by Nick Saban, who was the Browns' defensive coordinator under Bill Belichick, is seeking a third BCS championship in four years. Top-ranked Notre Dame recalls the defense-first national champions at Ohio State 10 years ago.

In the high school ranks, Mentor went down, 62-34, in the state semifinals to Toledo Whitmer. Coach Steve Trivisonno went all Woody Hayes by criticizing the softness of those darn kids today, explaining the lack of defense to The Plain Dealer's Tim Warsinskey this way: "There's a lot more reaching and grabbing than smacking and running through people. It's a different society."

The Browns, for their part, sacked Dallas' Tony Romo seven times last week in a game they contrived to lose in overtime. They forced eight Steelers fumbles in a game they won Sunday, despite a plus-7 in turnover margin, by only six points.

This seems to show that the Browns were right to rebuild with big, tough guys in the middle of the front four, such as Ahtyba Rubin and Phil Taylor, while turning loose speed rushers Juqua Parker and Jabaal Sheard on the flanks. A shutdown corner such as Joe Haden also makes the ball remain in the opposing quarterback's hands longer. The Browns are 3-3 with Haden and 0-5 without him.

The caveats are that Romo was working behind a patchwork line and Pittsburgh's third-string quarterback, Charlie Batch, was from the Ken Dorsey school of horrendousness.

Still, the Browns have usually been an offense-first, quarterback-driven franchise, from the days of Paul Brown and Otto Graham to Blanton Collier and Dr. Frank Ryan, through Sam Rutigliano and Brian Sipe to Marty Schottenheimer and Bernie Kosar. Even defensive coaches like Schottenheimer and Bill Belichick couldn't change the culture.

Oddly, after Belichick later morphed into an offensive guru, the New York Giants held his space-age Patriots offense to 14 points in spoiling New England's perfect season in the Super Bowl. The Ravens won a Super Bowl without a quarterback (OK, Trent Dilfer stood behind center) because their defense was one of the greatest ever. Such prolific passers as Dan Fouts, Dan Marino, Warren Moon and Philip Rivers never won a Super Bowl, and only Marino, of that group, even played in one.

Coach Pat Shurmur came to the Browns as a specialist in the West Coast offense, which is much favored by departing team president Mike Holmgren. But Weeden, who sustained a concussion in the final minutes against the Steelers, seems to be either regressing or to have hit a plateau, and a not very high one at that. His QB rating (70.9) is actually lower than that of the benched Colt McCoy (74.5).

So, the breathless question is: Who starts next Sunday? Given the way the defense is playing, who cares?

Ohio State Buckeyes Basketball App: Get news, stats and more on your mobile device

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cleveland.com's Ohio State Buckeyes Basketball News apps give Buckeyes fans exclusive access to the latest news, videos and photo slideshows from The Plain Dealer. Download it from your iOS or Android device today.

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Marvin Miller, baseball's labor emancipator, dies Tuesday at 95

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Marvin Miller may best be remembered as the man who made the word "strike" stand for something other than a pitched ball.

miller-torre-72-bw-horiz-ap.jpg In 16 years as executive director of the Major League Players Association, Marvin Miller (with Joe Torre in 1972), Marvin Miller changed nearly everything in how big-league baseball (and later all sports) did business. The man who shepherded free agency into professional sports died Tuesday at age 95.

NEW YORK -- Marvin Miller, the soft-spoken union head who led baseball players in a series of strikes and legal battles that won free agency, revolutionized sports and turned athletes into multimillionaires, died Tuesday. He was 95.

Miller died at his home in Manhattan at 5:30 a.m., said his daughter Susan Miller. He had been diagnosed with liver cancer in August.

In his 16 years as executive director of the Major League Players Association, starting in 1966, Miller fought owners on many fronts, winning free agency for players in December 1975. He may best be remembered, however, as the man who made the word "strike" stand for something other than a pitched ball.

"All players -- past, present and future -- owe a debt of gratitude to Marvin, and his influence transcends baseball," current union head Michael Weiner said. "Marvin, without question, is largely responsible for ushering in the modern era of sports, which has resulted in tremendous benefits to players, owners and fans of all sports."

Miller, who retired and became a consultant to the union in 1982, led the first walkout in the game's history 10 years earlier. On April 5, 1972, signs posted at major league parks simply said: "No Game Today." The strike, which lasted 13 days, was followed by a walkout during spring training in 1976 and a midseason job action that darkened the stadiums for seven weeks in 1981.

Miller's ascension to the top echelon among sports labor leaders was by no means free from controversy among those he represented. Players from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, California Angels and San Francisco Giants opposed his appointment as successor to Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Robert Cannon, who had counseled them on a part-time but unpaid basis.

Miller overcame the opposition, however, due in part to his personality.

"Some of the player representatives were leery about picking a union man," Hall of Fame pitcher and former U.S. Senator Jim Bunning, a member of the screening committee that recommended Miller, recalled in a 1974 interview. "But he was very articulate ... not the cigar-chewing type some of the guys expected."

Miller recalled that owners "passed the word that if I were selected, goon squads would take over the game. They suggested racketeers and gangsters would swallow baseball. The players expected a 'dese, dem and dose' guy. The best thing I had going for me was owner propaganda."

ESPN on Marvin Miller's impact on baseball


When Miller made a tour of spring training camps in 1966, seeking support from the players, some coaches and managers who were members of the association at that time heckled him and disrupted his sessions.

"A lot of players figured that anyone the owners disliked that much couldn't be all bad," former club owner Bill Veeck said.

Miller was elected by a vote of 489-136 on April 15, 1966. Baseball had entered a new era, one in which its owners would have to bargain with a union professional.

The owners made it clear that Miller's election would bring an end to their financial contributions to the association, which had been formed in 1954 because players were disenchanted with the way their pension plan was being administered. Miller insisted he would have asked for the change in any event.

"I told them that if they wanted to make any real headway, they'd have to adopt an independent stance," Miller said.

The players' association consisted of a $5,400 kitty and battered file cabinet when Miller took the reins shortly after calling baseball's minimum salary of $7,000 "unreasonably low."

Today the biggest stars earn up to $32 million a season, the average salary is more than $3 million and the major league minimum is $480,000

Baseball salaries increased by nearly 500 percent under Miller's leadership, more than three times the rate at which manufacturing workers' wages rose.

Yet baseball's Hall of Fame repeatedly refused to vote him in.

"I and the union of players have received far more support, publicity, and appreciation from countless fans, former players, writers, scholars, experts in labor management relations, than if the Hall had not embarked on its futile and fraudulent attempt to rewrite history," Miller said after falling one vote shy in December 2010. "It is an amusing anomaly that the Hall of Fame has made me famous by keeping me out."

Miller's legacy -- free agency -- represented the most significant off-the-field change in the game's history. He viewed the reserve clause that bound a player to the team holding his contract as little more than 20th century slavery.

"I had seen some documents in my life, but none like that," Miller said in 1966 after reading a Uniform Player's Contract.

miller-color-03-featmug-ap.jpg "All players -- past, present and future -- owe a debt of gratitude to Marvin, and his influence transcends baseball," current union head Michael Weiner said. "Marvin, without question, is largely responsible for ushering in the modern era of sports, which has resulted in tremendous benefits to players, owners and fans of all sports."

He decided the reserve clause had to be tested. It was, when outfielder Curt Flood, traded by St. Louis, refused to report to Philadelphia in 1969. Three years later, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the validity of the reserve clause by a 5-3 vote, keeping intact baseball's antitrust exemption.

Still, the die was cast when Justice Harry Blackmun, in his majority opinion, wrote that baseball's exemption from ordinary law was an "aberration" that had survived since the court ruled for the game in 1922. The reserve clause would not survive its next test.

In 1975, Los Angeles pitcher Andy Messersmith and Montreal pitcher Dave McNally, with Miller orchestrating the attack, did not sign contracts and their teams invoked baseball's so-called renewal clause. That gave the team the right to renew a player's contract without his approval.

Players argued there could only be a one-time renewal, while management said the renewal could be invoked in perpetuity.

Arbitrator Peter Seitz sided with the players on Dec. 23, 1975. The owners appealed his decision in federal court, saying the reserve system was not subject to arbitration. Two months later, U.S. District Judge John Watkins Oliver upheld Seitz's decision, and teams then went to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which also upheld Seitz.

In negotiations later that year, the sides agreed to a labor contract that allowed players with six years of major-league service to become free agents. Free agency became a reality nearly 100 years after the first players were put under contract.

"Marvin possessed a combination of integrity, intelligence, eloquence, courage and grace that is simply unmatched in my experience," said Donald Fehr, a successor to Miller as union head.

"Without question, Marvin had more positive influence on Major League Baseball than any other person in the last half of the 20th century."

Miller was born in New York, the son of a salesman in the heavily organized garment district. His mother was a school teacher. He studied economics at Miami (Ohio) and New York University.

MLB Network's Bob Costas on Marvin Miller



He entered the labor field in 1950 as an associate director of research for the United Steelworkers Union. In 1960, he was promoted to assistant to union president David McDonald. When McDonald lost a hotly contested election to I.W. Abel, Miller began looking for a new job.

He and his wife, Terry, the parents of two grown children, carefully considered their options, and Miller accepted the directorship of the players' association even though he had some reservations at the time. In fact, he thought his union image had "put some of them off."

"I was surprised when they called me back and asked me to stand for election," Miller said.

In the end, Miller's reputation as a hard worker won over the players, many of whom considered him the consummate professional.

"Baseball is my racket," Pete Rose said. "When it comes to negotiating ... that's Marvin's racket."

Terry Miller died in October 2009. In addition to his daughter, Miller is survived by son Peter Miller and grandson Neil Satoru Miller. Susan Miller said her father, like her mother, wanted his body donated to research at Mount Sinai Hospital. She said the family had not decided whether there would be a service.

Cleveland Heights' Shelton Gibson to play in U.S. Army All-American Bowl: High School Newswatch

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Cleveland Heights wide receiver Shelton Gibson has been selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He will be presented with a jersey Thursday during an assembly at the school.

Cleveland Heights wide receiver Shelton Gibson has been chosen to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 5 in San Antonio. - (Allison Carey, The Plain Dealer)

Cleveland Heights wide receiver Shelton Gibson has been selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

He will be presented with a jersey Thursday during an assembly at the school.

The game, featuring 90 of the top players in the country, will be held Jan. 5 in San Antonio and televised live on NBC at 1 p.m.

Gibson has not yet selected which college program he will play for.

Chardon's Elswick advances to national meet: Chardon junior Nicholas Elswick placed 10th at the Foot Locker Cross Country Midwest Region Championships on Saturday in Kenosha, Wis., qualifying for the national race.

Elswick received the final berth, finishing in 15 minutes, 12 seconds. The winner was Jake Leingang of Bismark, N.D., in 14:56. The national meet is Dec. 8 in San Diego, Calif. Independence's Kyle Polman placed 46th (15:45).

Four local girls placed in the top 50, though nobody advanced to San Diego. The top local was Solon's Therese Haiss (29th, 18:19), followed by Chardon's Corinne Kule (34th, 18:27); Hawken's Alexandra Markovich (40th, 18:34); and Bay's Maddie Britton (42nd, 18:36).

Suns at Cavaliers: Game preview and Twitter updates

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The Cavaliers are back in action tonight as they return home to face the Phoenix Suns. Get Twitter updates from Mary Schmitt Boyer (@PDCavsInsider) and Jodie Valade (@JodieValade). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

The Cavaliers return home tonight as they take on the Phoenix Suns at The Q. Get Twitter updates from Mary Schmitt Boyer (@PDCavsInsider) and Jodie Valade (@JodieValade) in the box below. Check out the in-game box score here. Read on for a game preview. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.



SCOLA-ANDY.JPG The Cavaliers take on the Suns tonight at The Q.


(AP) -- The Phoenix Suns just came up short after making a late run.


That wasn't the case earlier this month against the Cleveland Cavaliers.


Phoenix will try to avoid its worst road start in a decade on Tuesday night when the Cavaliers look to bounce back from an 0-3 trip.


The Suns (6-8) briefly took the lead after trailing by 10 late in the third quarter on Sunday, but they fell 104-101 to Philadelphia to begin their season-high six-game trip.
Phoenix is yielding a league-worst 103.3 points per game, and its opponents are 22 for 45 from 3-point range over the last two contests.


"I thought we did a great job down the stretch, but if you go back in the game, you'll see we had plays where we just didn't execute defensively," coach Alvin Gentry told the Suns' official website. "The effort is great and we continue to compete, but we have to be able to make the plays that win games for you."


Phoenix hasn't done much of that outside the desert this season, dropping five of six to equal its worst road start since opening 1-7 in 2002-03. The Suns, though, have a chance to sweep this season series after overcoming a 26-point third-quarter deficit in a 107-105 victory on Nov. 9.


Shannon Brown, a former Cavs first-round pick, led that surge with 12 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter


"Definitely (Cleveland will have that game in mind). Any time you lose to a team you want to get revenge," Suns swingman Jared Dudley said. "... We know Kyrie Irving is gone (with a broken left index finger). We've got to put pressure on their guards. Any time we can get (rookie Dion) Waiters to slow down and keep (Anderson) Varejao off the boards, we have a good chance."


Waiters and Varejao paced the Cavs (3-11) with 15 points on Monday, and Varejao added 22 rebounds to lift his league-leading average to 14.7, but that wasn't enough in an 84-78 loss to league-best Memphis.


Cleveland was outscored 22-9 in the final 12 minutes after leading by at least eight points in the first two games of its trip.


"Sooner or later being in this situation this many times, we will find a way to break through it," coach Byron Scott said.


The Cavaliers, who have played a league-low four home games, will go for their first set of back-to-back wins at Quicken Loans Arena since Feb. 19 and 21. If Cleveland can match that, it will send the Suns to their first four-game road skid since Feb. 13-March 7.
Phoenix won its second straight in Cleveland on March 25, 108-83.


Markieff Morris, who scored a then-career-high 22 points for the Suns in that contest, is expected to make his fourth consecutive start in place of Dudley. Morris is averaging team highs of 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds since Gentry made that switch.


Morris, though, missed all nine of his shots and finished with four points and seven boards on Nov. 9.


Point guard Goran Dragic led the Suns with a season-best 26 points in that matchup, but like Dudley, he's expecting a more complete effort from the Cavaliers this time.


"They're a really competitive team," Dragic said. "They have a lot of young guys. They're playing at home right now, so we're gonna have to be focused from the beginning of the game and try to finish that game strong."

Rebuilding the Cleveland Browns can't be done by just one leader: Terry Pluto

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Lessons from Mike Holmgren's departure: The Browns should never expect one guy to save the franchise.

holmgren-depart-shadows-2012-gc.jpg As shadows surround the end of the Mike Holmgren Era in Berea, Terry Pluto is trusting that the new leadership team understands that no one man can successfully shape an NFL team.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It started with Butch Davis. Then came Eric Mangini and Mike Holmgren.

All three were supposed to save the Browns. A desperate Randy Lerner turned the franchise over to them with ever making it clear just what was their job.

Davis was hired as coach, and supposed to work with General Manager Dwight Clark. That didn't last long. Clark was gone, and soon Davis was making a mess of his the draft as he hired his former University of Miami recruiting coordinator Pete Garcia as his player personnel guru.

Mangini was hired as coach, then permitted to name his own general manager. That exploded in the middle of his first season (2009) when George Kokinis was fired.

Holmgren was recruited by Lerner in 2010 as team president and allowed to do anything -- coach, draft players, be the defacto owner. He had a 5-year, $40 million to be football emperor.

It didn't work. That's because great organizations are just that, great organizations.

New Browns owner Jimmy Haslam came from the Steelers, where they've had three coaches since 1970. They have had a few general managers. But the Steelers have not been about one man -- rather, one idea. They have a certain way of building teams, nurturing coaches, draft players. And they do it, decade after decade.

So far, Haslam has hired one man for the Browns -- Joe Banner. He is a former Eagles president, now the Browns CEO. We don't have to worry about Banner wondering if he should be coaching -- or even if he should have taken this job.

He's a sports executive who helped turn around one franchise, and wants to do the same again here. His business-like approach gives off a sense of "been there, done that ... and know what to do next."

That's a relief after what this franchise has endured.

Holmgren will never understand why he so frustrated and infuriated the fans and media. They wanted to hear his voice, but the only times he became reasonably accessible was in the last few weeks when he was leaving. He seemingly wanted the rest of the NFL to know that he may be interested in coaching again.

OK, he did several interviews with his buddy on a Seattle radio station, but refused to talk to local media during most of 2 1/2 seasons here. And he failed to comprehend why that became a problem.

No matter his intent, Holmgren's last few weeks have come off as very self-serving. His musing about missing coaching is embarrassing, because he had two chances to do it in Cleveland. The first was in 2010, when he kept Mangini as coach, knowing that had no chance to work long term. The next was 2011, when he fired Mangini -- but hired Pat Shurmur instead.

Mike, you we're making $8 million a year. You had Tom Heckert in place as general manager, and others were hired (some very good moves) to stabilize the organization.

You didn't coach because you didn't want to coach, period. That was your decision, so don't tell the public how much you missed coaching and expect any empathy from fans. Yes, you won a lot of games in Green Bay and Seattle -- and went to three Super Bowls -- but none of that happened here.

At his first farewell press conference (there were more), he discussed going to Hawaii, sipping umbrella drinks and riding his motorcycle. Fans were outraged, believing he never fully was engaged in the franchise.

So it was time for Holmgren to go, and let Banner handle the operation.

You can debate the merits of Heckert and Shurmur, but their commitment to the Browns is unquestioned. Heckert had heart surgery this spring, worked through it and put together an excellent draft. Just look at Shurmur's face after every game and you know this man is emotionally attached to his job.

The team does continue to play hard.

It's up to Haslam and Banner to decide on the general manager and coach for 2013. But most of all, they must hire people who know their roles, do them well and want to be here.

History has told us that no one man can save the Browns.

Winning just isn't the Oakland Raiders' baby: Dennis Manoloff's Scouting Report

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Just Win, Baby, the motto made famous by Al Davis, has been rendered an anachronistic punch line in Oakland for 10 years.

unhappy-raid-fan-2012-horiz-ap.jpg Without a winning record since a Super Bowl season in 2002, fans of the Oakland Raiders have been silver and black and frustrated by one of the NFL's iconic franchises.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Oakland Raiders brand continues to get mileage out of past hits such as Al Davis; "Just Win, Baby"; silver and black; The Black Hole; The Snake; Ghost to the Post; Holy Roller; Sea of Hands; NFL Films with John Facenda's voice-overs; and, for good measure, Al Davis.

Those images have romanticized the Raiders, as much as raiders can be romanticized. They also have served to distract -- at least where many NFL fans outside of Oakland are concerned -- from the sorry state of the franchise.

Just Win, Baby, the motto made famous by the late legendary owner Davis, has been rendered an anachronistic punch line in Oakland for 10 years. From 2000-02, the Raiders averaged 11 victories and made the playoffs each season. The 2002 team reached the Super Bowl, losing to former coach Jon Gruden's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since then, the Raiders have been a colossal mess on the field.

Not only did they fail to make the playoffs in any of the previous nine seasons, they did not manage a winning record. The closest the Raiders came to either were 8-8 teams in 2010 and 2011.

With five games remaining, the streak of non-winning records has reached 10. Barring their remaining opponents being forced to wear a black eye-patch, the non-playoff streak will get there, too. The Raiders are 3-8 entering Sunday afternoon's home game against the 3-8 Browns.

Even casual NFL fans know the Browns have been a losing outfit the last 10 years. But they might be surprised to learn that the Raiders, despite all the hype that surrounds their existence, actually have been worse. From the beginning of the 2003 season through last Sunday, the Browns are 50-105; the Raiders, 48-107. The Browns have one winning season (10-6 in 2007).

At the other end of the spectrum are the New England Patriots. Since 2003, they are 122-33 with eight playoff appearances and a ninth on the way.

As expected from teams that exclude themselves from the NFL's parity party, the Browns and Raiders have undergone changes galore. Two examples: The Browns have employed five head coaches; the Raiders, seven. The Browns have had eight quarterbacks lead them in passing yards; the Raiders, seven.

While the teams have identical records this season, they are headed in different directions. The young Browns have been competitive in every game and gone 3-3 since Oct. 14. The Raiders long ago dropped their compass in San Francisco Bay. They aren't just losing, they're losing big. Oakland is coming off a spectacularly awful November in which it fell to Tampa Bay, 42-32; at Baltimore, 55-20; to New Orleans, 38-17; and at Cincinnati, 34-10.

It is difficult in the NFL to lose three straight games by 21 or more points, but the Raiders have done so. In 11 months, they have gone from being one victory short of a division title (end of last season) to thinking playoffs (before this season) to scratching their helmets (today).

"It's been mind-blowing," defensive tackle Tommy Kelly told Associated Press. "I would have never, in my wildest dreams, thought we would be 3-8 right now."

Before the November swoon, the Raiders had won two straight, but those came with asterisks. The Raiders defeated the Jaguars and Chiefs, who enter Week 13 with a combined record of 3-19. Oakland's other victory came against the Steelers at home. The Raiders own the NFL's second-worst point differential. They have scored 218 and allowed 356, for a "diff" of minus-138. Only the Chiefs, at -140, are worse. The Browns are minus-39.

In their most recent meeting, the Raiders defeated the Browns, 24-17, Oct. 16, 2011, in Oakland. Browns quarterback Colt McCoy was 21-of-45 for 215 yards and two touchdowns. Cleveland's defense knocked out Jason Campbell, who was replaced by Kyle Boller. The Campbell collarbone injury triggered a series of events that led the Raiders to lure Carson Palmer out of semi-retirement and make a trade with Cincinnati to acquire him.

Offensive overview

palmer-raiders-sack-horiz-ap.jpg Carson Palmer has thrown 18 touchdown passes against 12 interceptions -- and been sacked 24 times so far in 2012.

Palmer, who played for the Bengals from 2004-10, rolled off the recliner and threw for 2,753 yards in 10 games for Oakland last year. In 11 games this season, Palmer is 271-of-449 for 3,181 yards and 18 touchdowns. He has thrown 12 interceptions and fumbled four times.

Browns fans know from Palmer's days with the Bengals how streaky he can be. When he is on, he throws the ball as well as anybody. His problem has been sustaining the hot stretches.

Palmer has been all over the board again this year. He has completed 57 percent or less in six games, 63.5 percent or better in the other five. Passing yards have ranged from 414 to 146. The 146-yarder occurred at a particularly inopportune time. With all eyes on him last Sunday, Palmer served up the clunker in his return to Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati led, 24-0, at halftime.

The Browns' red-hot defensive front no doubt is itching to face Palmer, whose veteran savvy and quick release only go so far in compensating for his lack of mobility. He has been sacked 24 times and had numerous throws altered by a strong rush.

Denarius Moore leads with 604 receiving yards and six TDs. Moore has caught 36 passes. Tight end Brandon Myers ranks first in receptions (55) and second in yards (591). Palmer and the Raiders have not been particularly good working downfield: On passes thrown 21+ yards, they are 8-of-36 with two touchdowns.

Because of his resume and the draft-pick price required to get him, Palmer is not in the backfield to hand off. The Raiders don't want to put the game solely in his hands, either. One of the coaches' challenges is to figure out exactly how the running game fits. The Raiders have not done a good job, as the overall record and rankings in total offense (15th) and rushing (29th) suggest.

Darren McFadden leads with 455 yards rushing, but he is averaging 3.3 yards per carry. Marcel Reece is second with 225 yards on 48 carries. McFadden and running back Mike Goodson have missed the past three games because of right-ankle injuries; Raiders coach Dennis Allen hopes both will practice this week.

Allen is seeking a role for third-string quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who has been inactive every game this season and has been on the field once in two seasons since being selected in the supplemental draft in 2011.

Defensive overview

bengals-sanu-raid-2012-horiz-ap.jpg Mohamed Sanu and the Bengals enjoyed their experience against Ron Bartell and the rest of the NFL's worst scoring defense last week.

The Raiders use a 4-3. They don't use it well. They lead the NFL with 356 points allowed. Against the Bengals, Oakland gave up 289 yards in the first half and 415 for the game. The Bengals were 9-of-17 on third down.

The Raiders have given up 51 plays of at least 20 yards, including an NFL-worst 13 touchdowns on those plays. Players say much of it is self-inflicted, whether from lack of focus or blown assignments.

Opposing quarterbacks have been extremely efficient, going 247-of-376 for 2,829 yards and 23 touchdowns. They have been intercepted six times and posted a passer rating of 101.9. The Raiders give them time to throw, registering a mere 13 sacks.

Opposing running backs have had just as much, if not more, fun. They have outgained Raiders rushers, 1,443-909, and are averaging a staggering 1.0 more yards per carry (4.7-3.7). Opposing rushers hold sizable leads on Raiders rushers in TD's (15-3) and first downs (70-49).

Defensive tackle Richard Seymour (hamstring) has missed the past three games. Allen hopes Seymour will practice this week.

Special teams overview

Oakland's kicker/punter combination can be lethal. Sebastian Janikowski is 23-of-24 on field goals and 19-of-19 on extra points. He opened the scoring in the second half at Cincinnati with a 55-yard field goal, his longest of the season. Shane Lechler is averaging 48.3 yards gross and 39.0 net on 56 punts. The return units are nothing special: Five players, led by former Brown Coye Francies, have combined for a 23.0-yard average on kickoffs and two players have combined for a 5.6-yard average on punts.


Chagrin Falls' Tommy Iammarino, St. Vincent-St. Mary's Dante Booker headline 2012 Division III All-Ohio football team

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here is the 2012 Associated Press Division III All-Ohio high school football team, based on the recommendations of a state media panel. DIVISION III

Chagrin Falls quarterback Tommy Iammarino is the Division III co-Offensive Player of the Year.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here is the 2012 Associated Press Division III All-Ohio high school football team, based on the recommendations of a state media panel.

DIVISION III

First Team

OFFENSE: Ends--Jordan Lauf, Napoleon, 6-5, 191, sr.; Matt Iammarino, Chagrin Falls, 5-7, 145, jr.; Nelson Perry, Peninsula Woodridge, 5-11, 155, sr.; Skylar Schwarzel, The Plains Athens, 5-10, 155, sr. Linemen--Steven Ericksen, Carrollton, 6-4, 275, sr.; Lucas Kolbe, Napoleon, 6-3, 235, sr.; Geno Zappa, Sandusky Perkins, 6-5, 275, sr.; Evan Grosel, Mentor Lake Cath., 6-4, 300, sr. Quarterbacks--Malik Zaire, Kettering Alter, 6-2, 190, sr.; Tommy Iammarino, Chagrin Falls, 6-0, 208, sr.; Mason Mamarella, Dover, 5-11, 165, sr.; Jalen Santoro, Bellevue, 6-0, 155, sr. Backs--Dymonte Thomas, Alliance Marlington, 6-1, 190, sr.; Layne Perone, Millersburg W. Holmes, 6-0, 205, jr.; Denzel Norvell, Dayton Thurgood Marshall, 5-9, 170, sr.; Jack Campbell, Chagrin Falls, 5-10, 210, jr. Kicker--Hunter Niswander, Peninsula Woodridge, 6-4, 218, sr.

DEFENSE: Linemen--John Stepec, Mentor Lake Cath., 6-3, 230, sr.; Brandon Flucas, Dayton Thurgood Marshall, 6-2, 230, sr.; Demetrius Farmer, Dover, 6-2, 265, sr.; Andrew Lorenz, Cols. Watterson, 6-3, 280, sr.; Gabe Snyder, Millersburg W. Holmes, 6-5, 210, sr.; Aaron Adkins, Akron SVSM, 6-0, 215, jr.; Bryant Schlade, Napoleon, 6-0, 191, jr.; Richard Johnson, Cleve. John Hay, 6-2, 240, sr. Linebackers--Ty Warnimont, Gallipolis Gallia Acad., 5-9, 170, jr.; Dante Booker, Akron SVSM, 6-4, 215, jr.; Quentin Poling, Elida, 6-1, 210, sr.; Courtney Love, Youngs. Mooney, 6-1, 230, sr.; Dan Kuenzig, Chagrin Falls, 6-0, 220, sr. Backs--Marcus McWilson, Youngs. Mooney, 6-0, 200, sr.; Fransohn Bickley, Akron SVSM, 5-6, 145, sr.; Brandon Poncsak, Bryan, 6-2, 163, jr.; Nick Raifsnider, Bellevue, 5-10, 155, sr. Punter--Jake Morgan, Sheffield Brookside, 5-9, 158, jr.

Offensive players of the year: Tommy Iammarino, Chagrin Falls; Mason Mamarella, Dover; Jalen Santoro, Bellevue.

Defensive players of the year: Brandon Flucas, Dayton Thurgood Marshall; Dante Booker, Akron SVSM.

Coaches of the year: Tory Strock, Napoleon; Craig Clarke, Zanesville Maysville.

Second Team

OFFENSE: Ends--Tyler Peterson, Uhrichsville Claymont, 5-11, 195, sr.; Noah Mallen, Canton South, 6-2, 180, sr.; Brandon Stinson, Elida, 6-3, 180, sr.; Trey Guilliam, Defiance, 5-9, 170, jr.; Tim Helton, Chardon Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, 6-2, 190, sr. Linemen--Jay Grote, Delaware Buckeye Valley, 6-0, 195, sr.; Conner Sharp, Beloit W. Branch, 6-4, 301, sr.; Johnny Glas, Norton, 6-1, 230, jr. Quarterbacks--David Fraley, Granville, 6-0, 185, sr.; Joe Burrow, The Plains Athens, 6-3, 170, soph. Backs--Brenden Wells, Beloit W. Branch, 5-10, 194, sr.; Vincent Rambo, Cols. Independence, 5-10, 165, sr.; Drew McArtor, Newark Licking Valley, 6-2, 180, sr.; Trae Williams, The Plains Athens, 5-10, 180, soph.; Brad Smith, Clyde, 5-8, 185, sr. Kicker--Ed Shelley, Chagrin Falls, 6-0, 182, jr.

DEFENSE: Linemen--Chance Weitz, Elida, 5-10, 165, jr.; Matt Markley, Chagrin Falls, 6-5, 235, jr.; Cole Clark, Circleville Logan Elm, 6-3, 229, sr. Linebackers--Zack Hofecker, Oberlin Firelands, 6-0, 220, sr.; Thomas Glick, Clyde, 6-1, 225, sr.; Aaron Mawhirter, Sandusky Perkins, 6-3, 220, sr.; Max Westhoven, Napoleon, 5-11, 189, sr.; Antonio Garnett, Cin. Taft, 5-10, 190, sr. Backs--Semaj Steele, Cin. Taft, 5-9, 165, sr; Chad Sonkin, Pepper Pike Orange, 5-8, 165, sr.; Shawn Kirk, Alliance Marlington, 5-11, 185, jr.; Mark Malone, Chardon Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, 5-8, 150, sr.; Andy Barbaur, Bay Village Bay, 5-9, 180, sr. Punter--Nathan Delozier, Philo, 5-9, 145, jr.

Third Team

OFFENSE: Ends--Jerald Spohn, New Lexington, 6-1, 175, sr.; Luke Vadas, Hunting Val. Univ. School, 6-1, 180, sr.; Will Carter, Pepper Pike Orange, 6-1, 170, sr.; A.J. Branisel, Chardon Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, 6-4, 225, sr. Linemen--Austin Perry, Bellevue, 6-3, 280, sr.; Alex Daoust, Bryan, 6-0, 213, sr.; Grant Lingafelter, Chagrin Falls, 6-5, 270, sr.; Frank Estep, Vermilion, 6-3, 310, sr. Quarterbacks--Alex Young, Wintersville Indian Creek, 6-4, 210, sr.; Wade Jarrell, Gallipolis Gallia Acad., 6-0, 160, jr.; Austin Schimmoeller, Bryan, 6-2, 175, jr. Backs--Dashon Redman, Steubenville, 5-11, 215, sr.; Tanner Lawrence, Urbana, 5-11, 175, sr.; David Stewart, Struthers, 6-0, 210, sr.; Nick Evans, Chardon Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, 5-9, 170, sr.; Scott Davidson, Jefferson Area, 5-8, 175, sr. Kicker--Pat DiSalvio, Cin. McNicholas, 5-11, 180, sr.

DEFENSE: Linemen--Shane Evan, Poland Seminary, 6-0, 260, sr.; Bennett Brown, Clyde, 5-10, 250, sr.; Tashaun Chavis, Pepper Pike Orange, 6-0, 230, sr. Linebackers--Trevor Hardesty, Cambridge, 5-11, 200, jr.; Josh Kenny, Canton South, 6-1, 225, sr.; Jake Jones, Bryan, 6-0, 200, jr.; Steve Burns, Bay Village Bay, 5-10, 185, sr.; Michael Dickey, Rocky River, 6-0, 190, sr. Backs--Jalen Fox, Cin. Wyoming, 5-11, 180, jr.; JD Demkowicz, Cambridge, 5-9, 155, sr.; Daivon Barrow, Cols. Eastmoor Acad., 6-0, 205, sr.; Sayyid Kanu, Cols. DeSales, 5-10, 175, jr. Punter--Quincy Colvin, Cols. Eastmoor Acad., 5-10, 208, fresh.

Special Mention

Ajay Alderman, Granville; Shaquille Upchurch, Cols. South; Devon Edwards, Cols. Eastmoor Acad.; Jacob Cotrell, Newark Licking Valley; Alex Klingel, Caledonia River Valley; Dustin Kuhlwein, Plain City Jonathan Alder; Christian Walker, Cols. Independence; Deone Lindsey, Cols. South; Nick Smith, Plain City Jonathan Alder; Luke Edmonds, Delaware Buckeye Valley; Jonah Hensley, Caledonia River Valley; Nathan McCown, Newark Licking Valley; A.J. Detwiler, Plain City Jonathan Alder; Brent Granger, Cols. Eastmoor Acad.; Oliver Grimard, Cols. DeSales; Clayton Plute, Granville; Steven Carpenter, Granville; B.J. Upchurch, Cols. Whitehall-Yearling; Dillon Sunnafrank, Cambridge; Jordan Hayes, Zanesville Maysville; Blake Atkins, New Concord John Glenn; Cory Contini, Dover; Trey Wallick, Dover; Ivan Gadson, Cambridge; Brock Macaulay, Millersburg W. Holmes; Brandon Brown, Cambridge; Levi Flesher, Wintersville Indian Creek; Joe Kelly, Zanesville Maysville; Luke McCourt, Steubenville; Mason Casto, Dover; Tyler Singleton, Millersburg W. Holmes; Brandon Bush, Zanesville Maysville; Ayden Howell, Cambridge; Kaleb Verhovec, Uhrichsville Claymont; Montel McClelland, Wintersville Indian Creek; Chase Hambel, Philo; Keaton Leppla, Millersburg W. Holmes; Mitch Soles, Minerva; Aaron Sergent, Dover; Dylan Evans, Zanesville Maysville; Shane Winland, Wintersville Indian Creek; Jordan Halasi, New Concord John Glenn; Josh Short, Dover; Josh Knight, Warsaw River View; Brady Arnold, Millersburg W. Holmes; Skylar Zeller, Circleville Logan Elm; Tyler McIntosh, The Plains Athens; Brandon Gilliland, Jackson; Casey Gilligan, New Lexington; Caleb Campbell, Gallipolis Gallia Acad.; Hayden Bottorff, Washington C.H. Miami Trace; Jake Ault, Washington C.H. Miami Trace; J.B. Brooks, Circleville; Tyler Riley, Washington C.H. Washington; Brandon Davis, Greenfield McClain; Casey Tyler, Circleville Logan Elm; Jimmy Stroker, Washington C.H. Miami Trace; Wade Jarrell, Gallipolis Gallia Acad.; Alex Bryant, New Lexington; David Burroughs, Circleville; Cory Heeter, Circleville Logan Elm; Tye Smith, Washington C.H. Washington; Roscoe East, Greenfield McClain; Connor Smith, Thornville Sheridan; Dillon Young, Circleville Logan Elm; Dylan Saunders, Gallipolis Gallia Acad.; John Keifer, The Plains Athens; Cedric Pettiford, Washington C.H. Miami Trace; Austin Gragg, Gallipolis Gallia Acad.; Morgan Landrum, Jackson; Hunter Cannon, New Lexington; Tanner Wood, The Plains Athens; Rusty Shull, Circleville; Josh Stewart, Lancaster Fairfield Union; Cameron Shaw, Washington C.H. Washington; Chris Sellman, Greenfield McClain; Andy Taylor, Circleville; Alec Osborne, Jackson; Cody Russell, Gallipolis Gallia Acad.; Thomas Schrader, Greenfield McClain; Sam Green, Lancaster Fairfield Union; Robbie Nash, Chardon Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin; Travis Corlew, Pepper Pike Orange; Peter Cvijanovich, Cleve. Benedictine; Justin Kravchuck, Mentor Lake Cath.; Desmond Filey, Hunting Valley Univ. School; Jerome Baker, Cleve. Benedictine; Carlin Ray, Cleve. John Hay; Joey Casarona, Chagrin Falls; Ben Kurtz, Cin. Wyoming; Tyler Powell, Urbana; Ben Place, Kettering Alter; James Frazier, Dayton Thurgood Marshall; Jake Quick, Urbana; Bryan Corpuz, Cin. McNicholas; Sam Kassem, Cin. Indian Hil; Alex McCrory, Springfield Shawnee; Haygan Blain, Springfield Shawnee; Greg Hart, Kettering Alter; Jackson Vandergriff, Kettering Alter; L.J. Henderson, Lewistown Indian Lake; Aaron Sidders, Urbana; Jase Farlow, Dayton Thurgood Marshall; Andrew Holderman, Eaton; Nathan Mays, Urbana; Jordan Hargrove, Akron SVSM; Josh Krok, Niles McKinley; Joe DeCapita, Youngs. Mooney; Brandon Craig, Ravenna; Stephan Yuhas, Niles McKinley; Dominick Orsini, Akron Hoban; Larry Scott, Hubbard; Brandon Olson, Ravenna Southeast; Eric Stone, Ravenna Southeast; Kyle Spellman, Ravenna; Andy Rodriguez, Ravenna; Tommy Duffy, Niles McKinley; Anthony Kosec, Poland Seminary; Kyle Kornbau, Ravenna; Patrick Hiznay, Poland Seminary; Kyle Robbins, Rossford; Mitchell Benkey, Sandusky Perkins; Ian Stolar, Rossford; Clark Etzler, Elida; Blake Yunker, Bryan; Jake Jones, Bryan; David Yunker, Napoleon; Dalton Jarvis, Bellevue.

Division IV All-Ohio football teams released for 2012 season

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here is the 2012 Associated Press Division IV All-Ohio high school football team, based on the recommendations of a state media panel. DIVISION IV

Streetsboro defensive back Dorian Williams was named to the Division IV All-Ohio first team.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here is the 2012 Associated Press Division IV All-Ohio high school football team, based on the recommendations of a state media panel.

DIVISION IV

First Team

OFFENSE: Ends--Frank Catrine, Middletown Fenwick, 6-0, 185, jr.; Dan Monteroso, St. Clairsville, 6-3, 180, sr.; Brady Berger, Creston Norwayne, 6-2, 195, sr.; Jacob Matuska, Cols. Hartley, 6-4, 240, sr. Linemen--Caleb Barb, Creston Norwayne, 5-11, 180, sr.; Brady Taylor, Cols. Ready, 6-5, 255, sr.; Jared McCray, Minford, 6-6, 310, jr.; Nick Keller, Genoa, 6-0, 235, sr.; Matt Samuelson, Ottawa-Glandorf, 6-3, 225, sr.; Quentin Horton, Lorain Clearview, 6-0, 220, sr. Quarterbacks--Trent Williamson, Williamsport Westfall, 5-10, 205, sr.; Matt Kinnick, St. Clairsville, 6-1, 180, sr.; Joe Dreher, Creston Norwayne, 6-2, 165, jr. Backs--Ja'Wuan Woodley, Cols. Hartley, 5-10, 220, sr.; Jon Zimmerly, Creston Norwayne, 5-10, 195, sr.; Tristan Parker, Ottawa-Glandorf, 6-2, 200, sr.; Kyle Nutter, Genoa, 5-11, 214, sr.; Chad Anderson, Lorain Clearview, 5-11, 190, sr. Kicker--Cody Pickard, Genoa, 5-8, 146, soph.

DEFENSE: Linemen--Trent Smart, Clarksville Clinton-Massie, 6-4, 235, sr.; Isaiah Blevins, Richwood N. Union, 6-4, 265, sr.; Aaron Stephens, Ironton, 6-3, 210, sr.; Wyatt Karhoff, Ottawa-Glandorf, 6-5, 250, sr.; Kalil Morris, Cols. Hartley, 6-3, 225, jr. Linebackers--Evan Nichols, Perry, 6-1, 205, sr.; Nick Pelegreen, Cadiz Harrison Central, 6-4, 210, sr.; Michael Ferns, St. Clairsville, 6-3, 220, sr.; Corbin Grassman, Johnstown-Monroe, 6-2, 205, sr.; Darrien Howard, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne, 6-2, 250, sr. Backs--Dorian Williams, Streetsboro, 5-11, 190, sr.; Caleb Siefker, Ottawa-Glandorf, 6-3, 190, sr.; Justin Taylor, Elyria Cath., 5-10, 165, soph.; Cody Schau, Martins Ferry, 6-3, 170, sr. Punter--Nick Peyakov, Akron Manchester, 6-3, 215, sr.

Offensive player of the year: Ja'Wuan Woodley, Cols. Hartley.

Defensive players of the year: Trent Smart, Clarksville Clinton-Massie.

Coaches of the year: Cliff Walton, Gates Mills Hawken; Brett McLean, St. Clairsville; Joe Harbour, Creston Norwayne.

Second Team

OFFENSE: Ends--Ty Black, Waynesville, 6-1, 175, sr.; Justin Sawmiller, Kenton, 6-1, 175, jr.; Gerell Williams, Lorain Clearview, 6-4, 170, jr.; Kyle Kearney, Wooster Triway, 6-5, 195, sr. Linemen--Jake Hanzel, Akron Manchester, 6-2, 235, jr.; Derek Reiman, Ottawa-Glandorf, 6-5, 290, sr.; Joe Mirabito, Gates Mills Hawken, 6-0, 200, sr.; Dakota Tallman, Elyria Cath., 6-4, 285, jr. Quarterbacks--Isaac Brabson, Piketon, 6-1, 180, sr.; Ryan Smoyer, Tontogany Otsego, 6-4, 195, sr.; Jeremy Holley, Elyria Cath., 6-5, 205, jr. Backs--Patrick Lewis, Ironton, 5-10, 175, sr.; Jaylon Brown, St. Clairsville, 5-8, 155, jr.; Bayle Wolf, Clarksville Clinton-Massie, 6-1, 200, jr.; Ryan Mosora, Brookfield, 5-11, 185, sr.; Donyelle Simpson, Heath, 5-11, 175, sr.; David Nay, Galion, 6-0, 205, sr.; Kicker--Callum Jones, Clarksville Clinton-Massie, 5-10, 145, soph.

DEFENSE: Linemen--Matt Fitchet, Ashtabula Edgewood, 6-5, 230, jr.; Michael Dieter, Genoa, 6-4, 278, jr.; Brad Topp, Carlisle, 6-2, 205, sr.; Troy Blair, Byesville Meadowbrook, 6-1, 250, sr. Linebackers--Sam Groff, Magnolia Sandy Valley, 6-1, 195, sr.; Chad Reed, Creston Norwayne, 5-9, 185, sr.; Tyler Smith, W. Salem Northwestern, 5-8, 180, jr.; Nate Cass, Galion, 5-11, 185, sr. Backs--Mitch Knieriem, Creston Norwayne, 5-9, 160, sr.; Luke Cline, Williamsport Westfall, 6-0, 152, sr.; Conner Riddell, Elyria Cath., 6-0, 145, jr. Punter--Cody Brewer, Massillon Tuslaw, 6-3, 195, sr.

Third Team

OFFENSE: Ends--Jamar Dukes, Akron Manchester, 6-4, 190, sr.; Dareian Watkins, Galion, 6-2, 195, jr.; C.J. Conrad, LaGrange Keystone, 6-4, 210, soph.; Alex Sommers, Brooklyn, 6-2, 170, sr. Linemen--Dylan Richards, Ontario, 6-2, 260, sr.; Dakota Crawford, Johnstown-Monroe, 6-3, 315, sr.; Tyler Schaffer, Cols. Hartley, 6-0, 225, sr.; Jake Weaver, Clarksville Clinton-Massie, 6-4, 225, sr.; Wesley Martin, West Milton Milton-Union, 6-3, 295, jr.; Aaron Honious, Brookville, 6-1, 250, sr.; Will Steur, Cin. Madeira, 6-5, 300, sr. Quarterbacks--Grant Sherman, Kenton, 6-4, 200, jr.; Jason Kish, Fairview Park Fairview, 5-11, 148, jr. Backs--Marcellus Calhoun, Cols. Hartley, 5-11, 175, sr.; Dylan McCaleb, Ashtabula Edgewood, 5-10, 190, sr.; Maurtice Hython, Cadiz Harrison Cent., 5-8, 205, sr.; Jake Davis, Gnadenhutten Indian Valley, 5-9, 209, soph. Kicker--Grant Brown, Amanda-Clearcreek, 5-10, 150, sr.

DEFENSE: Linemen--Ian Baker, Upper Sandusky, 6-2, 235, sr.; David Smith, Elyria Cath., 6-4, 275, sr.; Billy Miller, Perry, 6-1, 245, sr.; Andrew McDulin, Cin. Madeira, 6-2, 215, sr.; Jesse Simpson, West Milton Milton-Union, 6-2, 220, sr. Linebackers--Jimmy Quinlan, Brookfield, 6-2, 185, sr.; Tylor Pritchard, Upper Sandusky, 6-3, 200, jr.; Matt Bahr, Kenton, 6-1, 205, jr.; Anthonie Magda, Ashtabula Edgewood, 5-9, 180, jr.; Ramir Hollis, Cin. North College Hill, 6-2, 187, sr. Backs--Kelly Culbertson, Cols. Ready, 5-9, 165, jr.; Nick Sadinsky, Johnstown-Monroe, 6-0, 190, sr.; Robert Boston, Norwood, 6-1, 175, sr.; Ja'mel Sanders, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne, 6-1, 200, sr.; Nick Browning, Hamilton Badin, 5-9, 170, sr. Punter--Ian Kovacs, Elyria Cath., 6-1, 200, sr.

Special Mention

Tyler Sorg, Carroll Bloom-Carroll; Jordan Hamilton, Richwood N. Union; Connor Thrush, Heath; Tyler Thompson, Johnstown-Monroe; Cody Farley, Johnstown-Monroe; Clayton Bullard, Johnstown-Monroe; Shawn Gray, Sparta Highland; Adam Hunt, Heath; Zack Jude, Carroll Bloom-Carroll; Nick King, Cols. Hartley; Shawn Beltz, Sparta Highland; Marc Manning-Wallace, Heath; Charles Benton, Johnstown-Monroe; Rashaen Mitchell, Cadiz Harrison Central; Christian Kirkman, Byesville Meadowbrook; Cole Stephen, St. Clairsville; Zac Coole, Martins Ferry; Logan Ridgway, Gnadenhutten Indian Valley; Rhett Kuryn, Cadiz Harrison Central; Tom Parker, St. Clairsville; Zach Musilli, St. Clairsville; Tyler Rose, Cadiz Harrison Central; Corey Ernest, St. Clairsville; Luke Smith, St. Clairsville; Brandon Fox, Gnadenhutten Indian Valley; Tanner Cognion, Coshocton; Jerrid Marhefka, St. Clairsville; Josh Moore, Cadiz Harrison Central; Zach Farrar, Minford; Bobby Staten, Williamsport Westfall; Evan Ferguson, Piketon; Doug Hardin, Williamsport Westfall; Aaron Ward, Piketon; Cody Schmitzer, Williamsport Westfall; Adam Webb, Ironton; Brandon Hinkle, Chillicothe Unioto; Derek Hinkle, Chillicothe Unioto; Sean Berry, Minford; Collin Swackhammer, Chillicothe Zane Trace; Austin Carter, Minford; Johnie Charles, Portsmouth; Noah Massie, Wellston; Dillon Boyer, Pomeroy Meigs; Kyle Sowards, Proctorville Fairland; Willie Bevens, Waverly; Colten Williams, Piketon; Trevor White, Ironton; Tyree Ceasar, Proctorville Fairland; Maurice Phillips, Ironton; Jeremy Farmer, Piketon; Truman Love, Chillicothe Zane Trace; T.J. McCoy, Chesapeake; Marcus Mullens, Wellston; John Vanderpool, Chillicothe Unioto; Javon Thompson, Chesapeake; Austin Thompson, Minford; Chaz Bowman, Piketon; Roger Engle, Lorain Clearview; Nate Hamilton, Beachwood; Tim Cross, Andover Pymatuning Valley; Mark Murgiano, Gates Mills Hawken; Rob Goldberg, Beachwood; Caleb Fry, Middlefield Cardinal; Corey Schmidt, Fairview Park Fairview; Corey Jones, Beachwood; Noah Mitchell, Beachwood; Armani Smith, Beachwood; John Elenniss, Fairview Park Fairview; Mike Fields, Beachwood; Shane Sheredy, Wickliffe; Riis Smith, Ashtabula Edgewood; Ian Bell, Gates Mills Hawken; Lou Wisnyai, Ashtabula Edgewood; Ian Gearhart, Middletown Fenwick; Zack Jansen, Cin. Madeira; Tevin Brown, Cin. North College Hill; Timmy James, Cin. Madeira; Nick Marsh, Cin. Hills Christian Acad.; Nate Jackson, Dayton Northridge; Chad Robertson, Akron Manchester; Sam Creque, Streetsboro; DJ Hight, Youngs. Liberty; Jeremy Quinlan, Brookfield; Parker Carmichael, Wooster Triway; Sherron Walls, Youngs. Liberty; Andrew Vaughn, Sullivan Black River; Cody Scruggs, Creston Norwayne; Brandon Locklear, W. Salem Northwestern; Cody BuCher, Youngs. Liberty; Cory Stuffelbeam, Canton Cent. Cath.; Brandon Gency, Streetsboro; Malachi Nolletti, W. Salem Northwestern; Elijah Henderson, Cortland Lakeview; Collin Harkulich, Brookfield; Nate Hackworth, Tontogany Otsego; Andrew Garland, Lima Bath; Mike Hollis, Galion; Michael Deiter, Genoa; Cobi Brough, Oak Harbor; Caleb Halsey, Kenton; Jake Young, Genoa; Jeremy Crider, Ontario.

 

Northern Illinois QB Jordan Lynch deserving of MAC post-season honors

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It will likely be a two-man battle for MAC Offensive Player of the Year. The same holds true in voting for top defensive player and coach.

niu-lynch-qb-2012-ap.jpg Jordan Lynch has been a relentless offensive machine all year for Northern Illinois, and is a strong candidate for the Mid-American Conference's Offensive Player of the Year.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Time to hand out the hardware after a strong Mid-American Conference football season.

It will likely be a two-man battle for Offensive Player of the Year. The same holds true in voting for top defensive player and coach.

For Offensive Player of the Year, while much of the regional hype has gone to Kent State junior Dri Archer, nationally the bandwagon is behind Northern Illinois junior quarterback Jordan Lynch.

Archer -- despite his gaudy average of 9.7 yards per rush and 1,337 yards with 14 TDs -- has been slowed on occasion. That includes the final regular-season game, when the 5-8, 175-pound speedster failed to score a touchdown for the first time this season. That hasn't been the case with Lynch.

In the opening game of the season, Lynch had a combined 173 yards passing and rushing, and backed that up the next week with a combined 274 yards. He never had another game with fewer yards than that, including the meaningless season-ender in which he shared time with other NIU quarterbacks but still amassed 275 yards.

For the season, the 6-0, 215-pound Lynch has 2,750 yards passing, with 23 touchdowns and four interceptions. He has also rushed for a league-leading 1,611 yards and another 16 touchdowns.

Hardware II: The top defender will also likely come down to two players. Buffalo junior linebacker Khalil Mack is considered perhaps the best NFL prospect in the league and has 94 tackles and eight sacks on the season to solidify his claim.

But the fact that the Bulls struggled for most of the season will likely swing the sentiment toward Bowling Green senior defensive lineman Chris Jones. All season long, he ranked among the nation's sack leaders, finishing with 12.5. The fact he had only one sack in his final three games could lead some to take a second glance at Mack, but Jones' body of work with the conference's No. 1 defense stands.

Hardware III: The coaching award likely comes down to Kent State's Darrell Hazell and Ball State's Pete Lembo. Hazell is the clear favorite, based on Kent's East Division title and 10-game winning streak, which includes a home victory against Lembo's Cardinals.

However, it can be argued that Lembo's 9-3 record stands solidly beside Hazell's 11-1, considering wins against Indiana of the Big Ten and South Florida from the Big East. But Hazell should get the nod, based on a 6-1 road record that includes a win against then-No. 18 Rutgers, along with the East Division title and the BSU victory.

Latest numbers: After last weekend, there are 71 bowl-eligible teams for 70 slots, with two other teams, Pitt and UConn, still with a chance to become bowl eligible. The final number could be 70, if Georgia Tech loses the ACC title game and falls under .500.

In that case, all seven MAC bowl-eligible teams will be playing, somewhere.

Ohio State QB Braxton Miller named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year

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Miller was the first Buckeye to win the award since Troy Smith in 2006.

braxton-miller-indiana.jpg Braxton Miller was named the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year on Tuesday.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Urban Meyer had a list Monday of the areas in which Braxton Miller needs to improve. Kind of a long list.

Scrambling. Leadership. Comfort in the pocket. Accuracy.

Asked Tuesday how close he was to being the player he can be, Miller groaned a bit and said, “Not that close.”

What happened Tuesday then must just be a good start.

Ohio State's sophomore quarterback was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, earning the Graham-George Award in a combined vote of conference coaches and media. The offensive player of the year award has been handed out since 1990, and Miller became the fifth Buckeye to win it, joining Eddie George (1995), Orlando Pace (1996), Joe Germaine (1998) and Troy Smith (2006).

Teammate John Simon also won the league's Defensive Player of the Year award, while Urban Meyer was beaten out for Coach of the Year by Penn State's Bill O'Brien in separate votes of the media and coaches.

When it comes to personal awards, Miller said he thinks of what it means to his parents, Kevin and Kelly.

“I'm happy to make my parents and everyone back home happy that I'm doing good things with my life,” said Miller, a Dayton native. “Any parents want your kid to do well in every aspect of life, so to be doing good in sports and good in school and to be up for national awards, it's pretty exciting for them.”

Up next for Miller is the chance to be a Heisman Trophy finalist. The finalists, between three and five of them, will be announced next week, and Miller said he hopes to make it to New York.

“That'd be a nice little trip,” Miller said, “to be recognized as one of the best players in the nation.”

Miller could get there now, or maybe sometime in the next two years. He just needs to improve on a few things – like a nickname.

Miller called the “Johnny Football” nickname for Heisman front-runner Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M “smooth” and wrinkled his nose a bit at the nickname trotted out in some circles – XBrax 360.

So he can work on that, along with all the areas that Meyer has in mind.

“As athletic as he is, he's not a great scrambler,” Meyer said. “I'm going to do a study, because I don't think he had any yards this year scrambling. That's something we're going to work on. You see an opening take it.”

“I know what he's talking about,” Miller said, “when it's open field, and I'm rolling out and still looking for somebody down the field to get open and the whole space is right there. So I'm looking to throw the ball before I'm running. So that's what he's talking about.”

As a leader, Meyer said Miller, “still has a long way to go, but his growth was exponential. … I saw him call the team together and say some things to them.”

As a passer, Meyer said, “his accuracy in passing still has a long way to go but it has improved. His comfort in the pocket has a long way to go, but it has improved. … You can't see the ceiling. Pocket awareness and the fundamentals of throwing the ball, I don't see a ceiling yet. He's got that much further to go.”

On the passing game as a whole, Meyer gave his team a grade of C or C-.

“That's up a little bit from the year before, but nowhere near where we want,” Meyer said, “not even in the same hemisphere as far as what's expected, so that has to change and change fast.”

So when Meyer in a statement released by Ohio State after Miller won Tuesday's award said, “Winning this award is quite an achievement for this young man because he can still get better,” he wasn't kidding.

Meyer said Monday he already had questions for quarterbacks coach Tom Herman.

“Our quarterback wasn't the best quarterback fundamentally in America, so Tom Herman and I are going to have a chat. Why didn't that happen?” Meyer asked. “This is big boy football. That's your job. He did great work in other areas. Tom Herman did a fabulous job. But Tom Herman and Braxton Miller understand they have to get better. And Braxton fundamentally, if he becomes fundamentally the best quarterback in America, I think he will be the best quarterback in America. I think it'll be comical what he'll do. But he's not there yet.”

No, right now he's just the best offensive player in his conference.

Miller thinks he improved physically this season, getting faster and bigger, and he became more coachable. He said he still needs to let his receivers work more before he gives up on a route, and in the pocket he needs to “quit getting so antsy.”

So he'll take the award as a sign of what went right. And realize what still went wrong.

“I think you look at a game, like, 'Dang, I wish I could have done this differently,' but I'm going to fix some of those mistakes next year,” Miller said. “So I won't look back next year and say, 'Dang, I wish I wouldn't have done that.' I'll fix that.”


Ohio State's John Simon wins Big Ten defensive award, Urban Meyer loses out on coaching award

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An Ohio State coach hasn't won the Big Ten coach of the year award since Earle Bruce in 1979.


john-simon2.jpg John Simon won Ohio State's ninth Big Ten defensive player of the year award since 1990.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – John Simon earned his second greatest honor of the season Tuesday. The first was having Urban Meyer, after a September win over Cal, say he might name his next son after him.

“If we have another child I want to name him, what is it, Urban John Simon Meyer or something like that,” Meyer said then. “That's how much I love that guy. I'm not ashamed to say I love him. Love that guy.”

Tuesday night, Simon, the conference sack leader with nine who was called the Buckeyes' heart and soul by Meyer more than once, was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year in a vote by conference coaches and media, winning the Nagurski-Woodson Award. He became the ninth OSU winner since the defensive player of the year began in 1990, joining Steve Tovar (1992), Dan Wilkinson (1993), Shawn Springs (1996), Mike Doss (2002), Will Smith (2003), A.J. Hawk (2005) and James Laurinaitis (2007 and 2008).

Simon already had been named the league's defensive lineman of the year and a first-team All-Big Ten player by the coaches and media. After Ohio State suffered several snubs Monday when only three Buckeyes were named to the coaches' first team, while Wisconsin, Penn State and Michigan State each had five players, Ohio State won the two major player awards Tuesday. Quarterback Braxton Miller won the offensive award.

But the Buckeyes still didn't like all the voting. The Big Ten gives out two separate coaching awards, one given by the coaches and another by the media, and Penn State's Bill O'Brien won both of them ahead of Meyer.

That continued one of the most remarkable streaks in conference history. An Ohio State coach hasn't won a Big Ten coach of the year award since Earle Bruce in 1979. In that time, the Buckeyes have won or shared the conference title on the field 14 times, but neither John Cooper nor Jim Tressel nor Meyer this year won an award for it.

“How Coach Meyer doesn't get (coach of the year) is appalling,” senior tackle Reid Fragel wrote on his Twitter account Tuesday night, “What a joke. First Tress, now him. I guess winning too much is frowned upon.”

Both O'Brien and Meyer in their first seasons led surprising success after bouncing back from difficult circumstances. The Buckeyes at 12-0 had the better record and won at Penn State, but the Nittany Lions had a lot more to deal with before their 8-4 season. Both were worthy candidates.

But voting is an inexact science. In a preseason poll of 24 Big Ten writers, Wisconsin running back Montee Ball and Michigan State defensive lineman William Gholston were the projected players of the year. Simon got two votes, and Miller got one.


Byron Scott waiting for 'good things' to become wins: Cleveland Cavaliers Insider

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Although it doesn't count that the Cavaliers have been close in recent games, Byron Scott still is encouraged.

gee-dunk-cavs-suns-2012-to.jpg Alonzo Gee dunks for two of his 12 points in Tuesday's loss to Phoenix. The Suns' Marcin Gortat is too late to challenge the play.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This isn't horseshoes or hand grenades, so the fact that the Cavaliers have been close in their recent losses on the road doesn't count one bit.

It does, however, provide a glimmer of hope for the future.

In three losses against Orlando, Miami and Memphis, the Cavaliers entered the fourth quarter either tied (against Orlando) or with a lead. That tells coach Byron Scott something.

"It tells us that we're right there. We're close," he said before Tuesday's game with Phoenix. "We're doing a lot of good things. We're not getting the final results that we want, but we're doing a lot of good things."

What the young team still has yet to learn is how to close out the game in the end, how to play the fourth quarter as hard as the first three. Part of learning how to win comes from experience, which the Cavaliers lack. Part comes from simply doing everything more precisely, according to Scott.

"You've got to make harder cuts, better set-ups," Scott said. "You've got to run your offense with much more purpose in the fourth quarter than you do in the first quarter. Because teams like Miami, teams like Memphis, in the fourth quarter they buckle down and they heighten their awareness of what they've got to do on the defensive end. The intensity gets even higher."

In their last three losses before Tuesday, the Cavaliers have fallen by a combined 12 points. It's painful, Scott admitted, but also encouraging.

"As much as it hurts after a game, because you're a competitor and you want to win, when I wake up in the morning, I still think about the good things we're doing," Scott said. "We're making some real good strides. We've just got to keep moving forward."

Moving on up: Daniel Gibson passed Danny Ferry for fourth on the franchise's career 3-pointers list with his first basket against Memphis on Monday. Gibson hit two threes against the Grizzlies, giving him 545 treys with the Cavaliers.

Gibson was a late scratch from Tuesday's game with a sore right elbow that has bothered him for the past couple of weeks.

Broadcast news: Cleveland's home game against Chicago on Dec. 5 will no longer be televised nationally by ESPN. It will be shown on Fox Sports Ohio, and tipoff remains at 8 p.m. The Feb. 20 home game against New Orleans will be televised by ESPN, starting at 8 p.m. That game also will be broadcast by Fox Sports Ohio.

No family reunion: Although Tyler Zeller's older brother, Luke, was in Cleveland on Tuesday as a reserve for Phoenix, it wasn't a full family reunion. The boys' parents, Lorri and Steve, were in Bloomington, Ind., to watch youngest son, Cody, lead his Indiana Hoosiers against North Carolina.

The last word: Scott on Anderson Varejao: "To me, right now, he's the best center in the NBA. By far, the best center in the Eastern Conference."

Salute to OSU's 2002 champions includes emotional embrace for Jim Tressel: Bill Livingston

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Jim Tressel came home to Cleveland at the Ohio State Alumni Club banquet Tuesday night. But in a sense, he had already done so Saturday, when his 2002 national championship team was saluted.

Gallery preview

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For Jim Tressel, the former Ohio State coach who brought both great joy and great pain to the school and the state, his workplace was also, in a way, his home.

"I got a letter from a guy the other day who apparently had lived in the same house I lived in when I was an assistant coach at Ohio State," said Tressel, referring to his time as an aide to Earle Bruce in 1983-85. "Back in 1970, when they went from grass to turf, his family had replanted some of the old grass from the stadium in that lawn. So all the time I lived there, I had some of the stadium grass in my lawn."

The saying "Once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye" is certainly not true for everyone. Ohio State is too big, too rich, too arrogant for many. But it is true for Tressel and many others.

"Ohio State is bigger than any one team or any one [coach's] tenure," said Tressel. "Ohio State is such a part of our culture. It's not just about the people who went to Ohio State. It's everyone in the state. No matter where you went to college, part of you is a Buckeye."

Tressel joined players from his 2002 national championship team at the Cleveland Ohio State Alumni banquet at Windows on the River Tuesday night. The reception was warm, as would be expected for a Clevelander who, in that rarest of sports accomplishments around these parts, won it all.

A Baldwin-Wallace graduate who is now an administrator at the University of Akron, Tressel basked in fans' cheers at the Horseshoe Saturday, when the 2002 team was recognized at the end of the first quarter. He even received an impromptu ride through the north end zone on the shoulders of his players, with defensive tackle Kenny Peterson and offensive tackle Mike Stafford giving him the lift.

"I know [linebacker] Cie Grant was right there and [safety] Mike Doss, too. They never listened to me when they played and they didn't listen to me when I told them, 'Put me down,'" Tressel joked.

Tressel said he never expected Saturday's rousing greeting.

"Oh gosh, no. It obviously was one of those surreal moments. You're with your guys," he said. "They were, like 20 years old then, now they're 30, you get the chance to meet their spouses, see pictures of their families, hear them tell stories about what they remember and what they took away from their experience."

Asked if the end zone ride made him yearn to coach again, Tressel said, "Oh no. I just enjoyed being with them, enjoyed being with the fans. I didn't all of a sudden go back upstairs and feel like calling plays. I've made a commitment to the University of Akron."

His name continues to be mentioned for NFL and even collegiate job openings, although he has served only two of a five-year virtual ban on college coaching imposed by the NCAA.

Are the mentions flattering? "It depends on who's doing the mentioning," said Tressel, whose Akron job description is Vice President of Strategic Engagement.

"I enjoy what I'm doing there," he said. "It has all the same principles of trying to help kids, the school, the region, and the state. All the same components outside the Saturday afternoons. That was only a dozen times a year. I have 353 other days. I'm pretty darn fortunate."

The former coach said he saw similarities between the 2012 and 2002 teams, beyond both being undefeated. With the dynamic Urban Meyer taking over, the Buckeyes went 12-0 after a 6-7 slump, the first losing record since 1988, under interim coach Luke Fickell in 2011.

"Maybe the biggest similarity is that both the '02 and '12 teams were coming off disappointment that drove them. We were coming off 6-6, 8-4, and 7-5 seasons," said Tressel, although only the latter, in 2001, his first season, came with him as coach.

"That 2002 team wanted to be different from that. The 2012 team had obviously gone through a very difficult, emotional, tough year, in which they didn't come up with the record they wanted, and they were determined they were going to be like the very good Ohio State teams."

Tressel's rules violations, in knowingly playing ineligible players in the tattoo scandal, led to his ouster. It is the reason this year's team cannot play in a bowl game or compete for the Big Ten and national championship.

"Obviously, you feel terrible," said Tressel. "You always feel regrets for anything that didn't go the right way, especially when you were a part of it."

Yet even the players banned from a bowl this season seem to bear him no ill will. Many had tears in their eyes watching the salute to their old coach.

"It wasn't all Tress' fault that the team isn't playing in a bowl," said Doss. "If a bowl ban had been self-imposed last year, the NCAA might have acted differently. Why go to a bowl when you're 6-6, anyway?"

"Tressel turned that program around," said Dustin Fox, a radio personality in town now, who was a defensive back on the 2002 team. "He won a national championship. He beat Michigan nine times. And he was a father figure to his players."

"When you get away from the football uniform to the world of the authentic human being, you see how much he cares about developing young men," said Maurice Clarett, the star-crossed running back on the 2002 team.

The thunderous ovation Saturday probably appalled some observers, especially the Michigan fans at the Shoe. In a sport in which the players are so interdependent as in football, however, a team becomes a family. The fans, particularly at a school with the reach of Ohio State, see themselves as part of an extended family.

Families feud. Family members make mistakes, even father figures. But when you go home, family takes you in.

On Twitter: @LivyPD


Duke provides stern early-season test for Ohio State basketball

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Ohio State beat Duke by 22 last season, but should have a tougher road test against the Blue Devils Wednesday.

duke-plumlee-2012-ap.jpg Star forward Mason Plumlee is connecting on 67 percent of his shots and averaging nearly 20 points for Duke, entering Wednesday's matchup with Ohio State.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Whatever Ohio State did against Duke last year, the Buckeyes should do it again this year. But on the road instead of at home -- and with a young team still finding its way.

Plus, Duke is better.

So replicating it might be hard. But as the No. 4 Buckeyes (4-0) make their first trip ever to Cameron Indoor Stadium to face the No. 2 Blue Devils (5-0) Wednesday night, they have the memory of last year's 85-63 domination to fall back on.

Because that was good. Really good.

"I just think of it as a defining moment for our team," guard Lenzelle Smith Jr. said Tuesday. "Coach talks all the time about five guys being connected, and it doesn't matter what team we would have played that day, I don't think anyone could have beaten us. We were so connected, no one cared about anything other than winning that basketball game."

Like Wednesday, that game was a top-five matchup, with No. 2 beating No. 3. Mike Krzyzewski spoke afterward about his team being tired by travel from Hawaii while trying to explain a 22-point loss.

Now Duke already has two top-five wins over Kentucky and Louisville. The Blue Devils, whose last game was a win over the Cardinals in the Bahamas on Saturday, have lots of reasons to be confident and should be a little more rested.

Ohio State has four double-digit wins, with Deshaun Thomas averaging 24 points and 7.3 rebounds and Aaron Craft averaging 14.3 points and 5.3 assists, but the Buckeyes haven't been tested like Duke. In Matta's nine seasons, Ohio State is 4-4 in early-season non-conference games against top 10 teams, and they'll have to be connected again to get to 5-4.

With key players LaQuinton Ross, Amir Williams, Shannon Scott and Sam Thompson having never really been counted upon in an atmosphere like this, it will either show the Buckeyes what they can be, or what they aren't yet.

"As much as you want to look at tomorrow night, tomorrow night, tomorrow night, you're looking long-term," Matta said. "I felt last year with what we had lost going into that season, maybe that win helped us get a bit more connected and a little more belief in ourselves."

This game is one part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, and the Buckeyes are 5-5 over the years, including 2-2 on the road. Matta said one of the best, most high-energy games he's ever been a part of was the challenge game at North Carolina in 2006, when freshman Greg Oden wasn't yet healthy and without him the Buckeyes ran and played all night with the No. 7 Tar Heels in a 98-89 loss.

The Buckeyes may not get a win like last year. But if they can have that kind of experience, testing themselves in a wild environment against a great team, they could come out connected, regardless of the score.

"This game is going to show us who can handle adversity," Craft said, "and who can deal with things you're not used to."

Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita retweets letter condemning Tank Carder's homophobic comment

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Carder, a rookie linebacker, deleted the tweet and later apologized.

fujita.JPG Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita signs autographs before the season opener against Philadelphia in September.

BEREA, Ohio -- If rookie Tank Carder didn't realize the impact of his homophobic slur on some members of the gay community, one of his Browns teammates is reminding him through social media.

Browns linebacker Scott Fujita retweeted an open letter from a gay former college football player condemning Carder for his remarks posted Nov. 21 on his Twitter account, which have since been removed. The Browns' rookie linebacker, who primarily plays special teams, used his account to apologize Monday for the comment.

Fujita, sidelined for the remainder of the season with a neck injury, retweeted to his nearly 24,000 followers a post Tuesday night from Outsports.com, a Web site covering gay sports news. The post is written by Vince Pryor, a former football player at Texas Christian University, where Carder also played.

Pryor said he was supported by TCU teammates and coaches after revealing to them he was gay. As part of his letter on Outsports.com, Pryor wrote:

"I was in the stands at the Rose Bowl game in 2011 when you (Carder) were named defensive player of the game . . . and I admire you as an athlete. But I hope you can come to understand the impact your words can have on those who look up to you and the fear and pain your words cause."

Fujita, who signed with the Browns in 2010, is an advocate of gay rights.

Carder eventually deleted the Nov. 21 tweet after initially standing by it and writing he was "unapologetically strong." On Monday, Carder tweeted: "I want to sincerely apologize for the word I used! I did not in anyway mean to offend anyone! That tweet doesn't define me as a person!"

Cleveland Cavaliers lose fourth straight, fall 91-78 to Phoenix Suns

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The Cavaliers lost their fourth straight, but this time it wasn't even close. "Andy Varejao was fantastic," Byron Scott said. "Everybody else sucked tonight."

Gallery preview

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Learning how to close out a tight game will remain on the Cavaliers' to-do list for another day.

Not because Cleveland couldn't pull out another game in the clutch against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. They didn't have a chance to be that close.

Playing their fourth game in five nights, minus a veteran and valuable bench player, Cleveland fell to the Suns, 91-78, in front of a sparse 13,687 at The Q. The Cavaliers were so out of sync and the game so out of reach from the beginning that coach Byron Scott issued a stinging assessment afterward.

"Andy Varejao was fantastic," Scott said. "Everybody else sucked tonight."

Fairly succinct and accurate, it turns out. Varejao recorded 20 points and 15 rebounds, his sixth consecutive double-double and sixth straight logging at least 15 rebounds. He dominated in the third quarter, when he logged 14 of his points and helped the Cavaliers knot the game at 57.

A Dion Waiters layup gave the Cavaliers a 59-57 edge with 3:28 left in the third. However, the Suns scored 14 straight points to end that quarter with a cushion that lasted the remainder of the game. The Cavaliers dropped their fourth straight, their 10th game in their last 11, in falling to 3-12. Phoenix improved to 7-8.

The Cavaliers were without shooting guard Daniel Gibson, a late scratch because of a sore right elbow that has plagued him since Nov. 18. Gibson, who missed his third game in the last six because of the injury, will have an MRI on Wednesday to assess the injury.

Without Gibson, the bench shortened to eight meaningful players, and no veteran guard to lead the reserves. Gibson is averaging 9.1 points on 43-percent shooting.

"Boobie's one of our best perimeter defenders, he's been our best guy off the bench for the past couple weeks, as well," Scott said. "Those are things that you count on. It hurts."

To make matters worse, Waiters banged his left hand against the rim late in the second quarter. Although X-rays were negative, Waiters will undergo an MRI as well.

Varejao, for his part, tried to will his team to victory. Shortly after Scott called him the "best center in the NBA," the energetic frontcourt player did his best to prove it, hitting 10 of 15 shots to go along with his typical relentless rebounding. Only one other Cavalier has recorded six consecutive double-doubles (Jim Chones, 1978).

Without Varejao's shooting, the rest of the Cavaliers shot just 29 percent.

This game was to be the team's revenge for blowing a 26-point lead to Phoenix in the fifth game of the season, a loss that Scott reminded his team of just before tipoff. Instead, it was a display of heavy legs and bad decisions.

"We didn't play as a team tonight," Varejao said. "The fourth quarter was terrible. We didn't move the ball, we gave them too many easy fast breaks, and that's why they won the game. When you don't give yourself a chance to play defense, it's hard. And when you take bad shots, it leads to an easy fast break. We have to move the ball and play smart."

Cleveland Indians add Nick Hagadone to 40-man, drop Rafael Perez

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Left-handers Nick Hagadone and Rafael Perez exchanged places on the Indians 40-man roster. Hagadone was added to the 40-man, while Perez was dropped.

AX009_585A_9.JPG Nice Hagadone is back on the 40-man roster.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians on Wednesday reinstated left-hander Nick Hagadone to the 40-man roster. To make room, lefty Rafael Perez was designated for assignment.

Hagadone's grievance against the Indians is still active. After he broke his left wrist in a fit of anger following a bad outing last season, the Indians optioned him to the minors and placed him on the suspended list, which meant he did not get paid or receive credit for his service time.

The players association filed a grievance and Hagadone's salary was made whole, but the question of service time is still being settled between MLB and the players association.

Perez, who has spent his entire 11-year career with the Indians, was going to be non-tendered Friday when teams must offer all arbitration eligible players contracts for next season. The Indians have seven players still eligible for arbitration including Shin-Soo Choo, Chris Perez, Justin Masterson, Joe Smith, Jack Hannahan, Tony Sipp and Lou Marson.

Last season, Perez made only eight appearances with the Tribe. He was placed on the disabled list April 26 with a strained left lat muscle and never pitched again. He underwent left shoulder surgery on Sept. 26. Perez came out of spring training last season throwing between 80 and 85 mph. His normal velocity is 86-89 mph. Perez, who spent nearly six years in the big leagues with the Tribe, is 21-12 with a 3.64 ERA and three saves in 338 games. He made 70 or more appearances in 2008, 2010 and 2011.

Hagadone is currently pitching winter ball in the Dominican Republic. The 6-5, 230-pound lefty is expected to challenge for a bullpen job in spring training. He was 1-0 with a 6.39 ERA in 37 appearances last season with the Indians.

Perez is the third player recently dropped by the Indians who would have been eligible for arbitration. Kevin Slowey and Brent Lillibridge were also released. The Indians have 10 days to trade or release Perez. They cannot send him to the minors because of his big-league service time.

Scout's eyes: The Indians have made new hires and some changes in the scouting department.

Bo Hughes has been hired from the Angels to be a national crosschecker. He replaces Chuck Ricci, who took a similar position with Tampa Bay.

Scott Barnsby was promoted to national crosschecker, while Paul Cogan, in his 20th year with the Indians, was promoted to scouting advisor/crosschecker. Jason Smith was promoted from area scout (southern California) to West Coast crosschecker.

Jon Heuerman was hired as an area scout to cover Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. Carlos Muniz was hired as an area scout for central California.

Tribe elite: Kenny Lofton, Sandy Alomar Jr., Julio Franco and Jose Mesa appear for the first time on the just-released Hall of Fame ballot. They must receive 75 percent of the vote of the Baseball Writers Association of America to be elected to the Hall of Fame.

To stay on the ballot they must receive 20 percent of the vote. Players can spend 15 years on the ballot.

Name to remember: Indians prospects Dorssys Paulino, 18, was named to the Minor League Baseball-Topps Short-Season-A/Rookie All-Star team. Paulino hit .355 (61-for-172) with 14 doubles, six triples, six homers and 30 RBI in 41 games. Paulino had a 1.015 OPS.

After being promoted to Class A Mahoning Valley, Paulino hit .271 (16-for-59) with five doubles, one homers and eight RBI.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Kirtland benefits from Scouts' honor: Football Insider entering state finals

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It's not cliche to say two of Kirtland's most valuable football players are real Boy Scouts because they are -- and then some. Quarterback Scott Eilerman and tight end/defensive lineman Evan Brettrager both have attained the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor for Boy Scouts and one that requires an extensive service project to be created and led...

It's not cliche to say two of Kirtland's most valuable football players are real Boy Scouts because they are -- and then some.

Quarterback Scott Eilerman and tight end/defensive lineman Evan Brettrager both have attained the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest honor for Boy Scouts and one that requires an extensive service project to be created and led by the youngster.

Eilerman rebuilt Kirtland High's dilapidated long-jump pits, while Brettrager moved a forgotten memorial garden from a roadside to the entrance of the football stadium.

"Scouting is great, all the morals it instills in kids," Brettrager said. "It teaches them how to grow up to be good people. I know in today's society, that's kind of lacking a lot."

Both come from a long line of Eagle Scouts in their families, and they are members of the same Kirtland troop, No. 286.

"It means a lot to my family," Eilerman said. "When you have a big project and you have to lead it, it teaches you a lot about leadership."

Decision soon: Kirtland tailback/cornerback Damon Washington said he plans to announce his college commitment this week or next.

"It'll be a MAC school I'll commit to, for sure. It's very, very soon I'll try to make a decision," he said. "The MAC is on the rise. As a little kid, you dream of making it big and going to a big-time-offer school, but that's not that big a deal. I'll get my name out there."

Washington will play corner in college and declined to say which schools hold the most interest. Kirtland coach Tiger LaVerde said Miami and Ohio are among the front-runners.

On Wednesday, Washington was named the state's Co-Offensive Player of the Year for Division V, and LaVerde shared the coaching honor.

No surprises: One of the shocks from last year's Coldwater-Kirtland state final was Kirtland's ability to run almost at will, gaining 413 yards in 59 attempts in the Hornets' 28-7 triumph.

Kirtland is expecting Coldwater to be better prepared for its Stack-I option offense. Coldwater is allowing just 106 yards rushing per game and 189 total per contest.

"Last year, I don't think they were very prepared for what we threw at them," Brettrager said. "I think they'll be a lot more prepared this year. They'll rep our stacked-I in practice all week."

LaVerde said he's accustomed to opponents altering defenses to stop the run.

"Most teams put at least one extra guy in the box, so we go into games totally not knowing what the other team will do," LaVerde said. "So, every single week, we're completely on the fly with how they line up, but our kids know what to do against different fronts."

In the rematch, Kirtland is also getting a second look at 6-4 Coldwater quarterback Austin Bruns (3,528 yards, 47 touchdowns passing and rushing) and standout receiver Caleb Siefring (48 catches, 850 yards, 15 TDs). Washington will likely cover Siefring.

A busy guy: Joe Weber may not start Saturday when St. Vincent-St. Mary plays Bellevue in the Division III state championship at Canton's Fawcett Stadium. That doesn't mean the 6-5, 205-pound senior won't contribute.

If there is a man for all positions at SVSM, it's Weber.

During the past two years, he has played tight end, wide receiver, all three linebacker positions, safety, special teams and is the long snapper.

While Jordan Hargrove and Fransohn Bickley are the favorite targets of quarterback Clayton Uecker, Weber has made several big catches. None has been bigger than a reception last week. He made a sliding catch near the Dover goal line for a 17-yard gain that set up SVSM's first touchdown in an eventual 48-13 victory.

Glad to be here: Bellevue's trip to its first appearance in the state championship has been a wild one.

Three of its four postseason games were decided by one point, including last week's 34-33 victory against Dayton Thurgood Marshall, which finished the season ranked fourth in the state.

Bellevue, ranked seventh in the final state poll, also knocked off top-ranked Napoleon, 35-20. It trailed Elida early in its tournament opener but rallied for a 19-14 victory.

The following week, it defeated Sandusky Perkins, 28-27, when it scored on the final play of the game and kicked the winning PAT with no time left on the clock.

Last week, Thurgood Marshall had the lead and was marching toward another score when it fumbled and Bellevue recovered. Quarterback Jalen Santero scored his fourth touchdown of the game with 1:57 to go to tie the game, and Jake Strayer's PAT won it.

Statewide stuff: SVSM has a 28-12 record in playoff games and is 4-1 in state championship games. Newark Catholic, which plays Maria Stein Marion Local for the Division VI title on Friday, is 67-23. . . . MSML is a member of the Midwest Athletic Conference. So, too, is Coldwater, which plays Kirtland for the Division V title. It marks the 10th time since 1999 that the MAC has had two teams playing for state championships.

On the air: The SVSM-Bellevue state title game will be broadcast live by WARF AM/1350.

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