Pavlik leaves boxing with a 40-2 record, with 34 knockouts.

View full size Kelly Pavlik said he didn't have the same motivation to fight in announcing his retirement Saturday. AP file  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After 42 fights over 12 years, Youngstown's Kelly Pavlik -- a former middleweight boxing champion of the world -- announced Saturday night that he was retiring from the sport.

The Youngstown Vindicator reported that "Pavlik said there wasn't one overriding reason for his retirement, but cited his family ('It would be selfish for me to stick around with my health on the line,' he said), his luck (he has never been knocked out and his 194 career rounds are low for a fighter with 42 bouts) and his desire ('I don't have the same drive anymore,' he said)".

"This is not a sport like baseball, where you can do it even if your heart is not in it 100 percent," he told the Vindicator. "This is a sport where you're getting your head smashed in. I've been fortunate enough in my career to not get beat badly.

"I talked to my parents, my friends, my wife, and they were all very supportive of this decision, which is always good. It makes it easier.'

• Click here for Youngstown Vindicator coverage of Pavlik's retirement

• ESPN's report on Pavlik's decision.

Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes sorts through this week's mailbag.

View full size Kenny Lofton fell off the Hall of Fame ballot after getting just 3.2 percent of the vote earlier this month. Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer  

Hey, Hoynsie: I was disappointed that Kenny Lofton did not receive enough votes to remain of the Hall of Fame ballot. He posted a career on-base percentage of .372 (only 16 percentage points lower than Tony Gwynn), stole 622 bases at an 80 percent success rate, and was one of the best defensive center fielders of his generation. Do you think the voters improperly evaluated his candidacy? -- David Bruno, Chicago

Hey, David: I voted for Lofton because of his rare skills as a leadoff hitter and center fielder. I thought he could affect a game like few other players and he was a winner. Wherever he went, he usually ended up in the postseason.

I think he probably got overlooked a bit, especially being on the ballot with so many votes being split by so many steroid guys.

Hey, Hoynsie: I don't understand why the Tribe payroll is tapped out. The owners are even wealthier now thanks to the STO sale. STO was funded to the detriment of the baseball team and successful for the owners because of the team and fan viewership. Do you expect the local media to finally stop the financial excuses for ownership? -- R.B, Baltimore

Hey, R.B.: STO was one of the few things keeping the Indians afloat during its existence. It certainly wasn't a detriment. It's estimated ownership received about $230 million from Fox for STO. Did you really expect the Dolan family to use all of that to improve the Indians? It would have been nice, but that's not the real world unless you happen to own the Dodgers.

Hey, Hoynsie: Have you heard anything new about the Tribe and Travis Hafner? If he's willing to come back on a minor-league deal, I think he's worth it even for 66 games. With Delmon Young and Jason Kubel not realistic possibilities considering the Tribe's finances, I'm really hoping Hafner ends up coming back. -- Jack Bacevice, Cleveland

Hey, Jack: There's a chance that could happen, but it might not be until late January or early February. It depends if he gets other offers.

Hey, Hoynsie: Is there any evidence to suggest that teams such as the Indians which train in Arizona do worse than teams which train in Florida once the season begins and they are no longer playing in the desert air? The park in Goodyear is much nicer than the one in Winter Haven, but at what cost in terms of performance? -- Jim Wensits, South Bend

Hey, Jim: Of the four teams that have appeared in the last three World Series, San Francisco has won two World Series and Texas has lost two. They both train in Arizona. So it ain't the desert air that's been holding back the Tribe.

Hey, Hoynsie: Would you trade Chris Perez to the Nats for Michael Morse and then rotate the DH spot so Morse, who does not like DH, would only do it about 50 games a year? Adding him gives the Indians a legit offense. Do you think he would sign a one-year, $10 extension so we would have him for two years (same as Perez)? -- Joe Eversole, Pelham, Ala.

Hey, Joe: As you know, Washington traded Morse to Seattle last week in a three-team deal that included Oakland. The Mariners sent part-time catcher John Jaso to Oakland.

If you had traded Perez for Morse straight up, you would have given up too much. Not sure about that $10 million extension for 2014 either. Morse has been brittle the last few years. The Nationals received prospects from Oakland, including A.J. Cole, whom they traded to the A's last year for left-hander Gio Gonzalez.

Hey, Hoynsie: Now that Justin Upton has vetoed the trade to Seattle, would the Tribe trade Asdrubal Cabrera to Seattle for Taijuan Walker, Nick Franklin and prospects? The M's are desperate for a bat and Walker is a guy who could be No.1 or No.2 rotation guy for the next six years. -- John Cassell, Parma

Hey, John: The Mariners already got their bat in Michael Morse. Walker, by the way, went 7-10 with a 4.69 ERA at Class AA Jackson last year.

Hey, Hoynsie: So far the 2013 Indians are without a true DH. Why not take a chance on Delmon Young, a right-handed hitter with some thump to hit in the middle of the order? It might take a little extra money, but why remake the lineup (which has been great) without finishing it, one through nine? -- Bill Drummer, Wauseon

Hey, Bill: As I've said before, Young's asking price and character issues seem to be hurting him with more than one team.

Hey, Hoynsie: Don't know if he can hit a lick, but is Quincy Latimore the best Tribe name ever? Sounds like something out of a Dolemite film. -- Jim Weber, Columbus

Hey, Jim: Not bad, but does it roll off the tongue like Leroy Purdy Smith III? Don't think so.

Hey, Hoynsie: Does the change of control from Larry to Paul Dolan mean anything at all to the fans? -- Tom Goodsite, Kirksville, Mo.

Hey, Tom: Strictly a paper move. Paul Dolan has been handling the day-to-day activities of the club for the last several years.

Hey, Hoynsie: What did you take away from the Nick Swisher press conference? I've heard some (gasp!) very positive things come from various journalists in the preceding days. Is there really hope in Cleveland sports? -- Gareth Harris, Westlake

Hey, Gareth: My biggest impression from the Swisher press conference is that I finally saw a guy who was as happy as I would be if I'd just signed a four-year, $56 million deal.

Hey, Hoynsie: Liked that Paul Dolan claims to be committed to Cleveland and winning a World Series. Has he expressed how he intends to give back by extension to the viewers that supported STO (that was sold to Fox)? Will proceeds go to the ballclub, community programs? -- K.G., Cleveland

Hey, K.G.: Not sure what Dolan owes to the viewers of STO. If they didn't like the station, they didn't have to subscribe. I have no idea how much of the STO sale price will be put into the team or the community. I do know Nick Swisher just signed for $56 million and that Cleveland Indians Charities has always supported good causes throughout the Cleveland community.

-- Hoynsie

The rest of the Buckeyes also scored just 28 combined and Shannon Scott missed an off-balance 3-pointer in the final seconds. Watch video

View full size Michigan State's Keith Appling finds room to drive past Ohio State's Aaron Craft during the second half of the Spartans' victory Saturday night in East Lansing, Mich. Al Goldis, Associated Press  

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- After 40 minutes of wailing on each other Saturday ended with an off-balance 3-pointer off the side of the backboard and a 59-56 Michigan State win over Ohio State, Buckeyes coach Thad Matta spun and gawked at his bench in disbelief.

Deshaun Thomas walked around the court in frustration, the look on his face making it obvious he believed in the moment he may have had a better shot for the win.

Shannon Scott, who forced the jumper with just under four seconds on the clock and didn't come close, pulled his jersey over his face.

And Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, after beating the Buckeyes on his homecourt at the Breslin Center for the first time since 2009, said he looked down the floor and caught Matta's eye.

“To be honest with you, he almost laughed and so did I,” Izzo said. “It was one of those games where both our guys made some plays that weren't real great and both of them made some great players. When you play that hard, it's going to happen.”

After going down 10-0 at the start of the game, the No. 11 Buckeyes (13-4, 3-2 Big Ten) played hard enough to pull off a 17-3 run after that rough start, and played hard enough to tie the game again with three minutes left after trailing by seven in the second half.

They all played hard. But only Thomas played smooth.

The result was the most lopsided yet nearly effective example yet of the junior forward turning into a one-man offense.

With two steals in the final 90 seconds, Aaron Craft's defense kept Ohio State in the game. And Lenzelle Smith's 3-pointer with 13 seconds left gave the Buckeyes a final chance after Craft missed an open three for the lead with 23 seconds to play.

But Thomas carried an offensive load that bettered what the rest of his seven teammates did on that end of the floor. Thomas made half his shots and finished 10 of 20 for 28 points, the highest-scoring Big Ten game of his career. The rest of the Buckeyes made a third of their shots and finished 9 of 27 for 28 points. Smith was the next highest scorer with six.

“We got a shot to win at the end,” Craft said, acknowledging that the imbalance nearly knocked off the No. 18 Spartans (16-3, 5-1 Big Ten). “That's nothing to look down on. But to beat Michigan State, we're going to have to get more balance.”

“I'd obviously like to have everybody in double figures and all that,” Matta said. “But he was smooth and he was efficient tonight. And it was a tremendous effort by him.”

Thomas was so good, he made he choice in the end too obvious. And he changed an 18-year head coach.

In that situation of being up by three points late in a game, some coaches choose to foul the shooter before a 3-pointer can be attempted. Not Izzo. Asked how often he's done it in his career, he said, “Never.”

But Saturday was different. He was going to let the other Buckeyes shoot it. Not Thomas. He was getting fouled.

“I wasn't going to get him take it unless he was up there on a mountain or something. But it still might go in,” Izzo said. “It wasn't a normal guy. It was him. At 6-7, I didn't want to give him nothing.

“I just had that much respect for him.”

Despite Izzo's no-foul rule, the other Buckeyes were preparing for the Spartans to foul them, too. And though Scott didn't talk to reporters after the game, Thomas said the Buckeyes were told to try to get a shot up if they saw a foul coming, and that's what Scott tried to do. Thomas trailing Scott down the left side of the court after inbounding on the baseline, and if Scott instead had stopped and flipped it back to Thomas, he may have been able to get off a decent 30-footer before a defender got to him. That's what Thomas was expecting as the play developed.

“But in the heat of moment, in this environment, he was just trying to listen to what coach said,” Thomas said. “I felt like I was knocking shots all night. But it was one of those moments he tried to listen to the coach.”

Matta said the Buckeyes wanted a drive and kick there, but he wasn't sure what Scott was thinking. But the sophomore has played much better and with more confidence this season, with the offense picking up when he's at the controls, and Matta went out of his way several times to say the last shot didn't decide the game. He wasn't going to lay this at Scott's feet, especially with how upset he looked after it happened.

“I'd much rather him care about missing that shot and probably not making the best decision,” Craft said of Scott, “rather than slough it off. That means he's a competitor and he wants to win the basketball game. It's good to see that.”

The next time, if they can manage, it would be better to see Thomas get that last look. Maybe he'll get one later this season.

“I don't want it to be a last-second shot. I want to be up 20 or 10 and we can get the game over. I don't like these close games,” Thomas said. “But if it does come down to it, if I'm feeling it that night, coach is going to draw something up for me.”

In his last three games, he's averaging 23 points and shooting 51 percent from the field and 52 percent from 3-point range. He did get one solid shot from the corner with 29 seconds left, a 3-pointer that would have given Ohio State a one-point lead.

He missed it. And he didn't get another shot. Tom Izzo said he would have made sure of that.

Utah coach Tyrone Corbin thinks C.J. Miles is looking more comfortable in Cleveland.

View full size Averaging better than 11 points a game, C.J. Miles is on pace to have his second double-digit scoring average in eight NBA seasons. Tony Dejak, Associated Press  

SALT LAKE CITY -- Tyrone Corbin has been with C.J. Miles from the beginning.

The former Cavalier was an assistant coach to Jerry Sloan when Miles started his career here as a second-round pick, No. 34 overall, in the 2005 draft, and then became the Jazz head coach when Sloan retired in 2011.

Perhaps no one knows Miles' game better. Corbin watched Miles early this season and then watched him more intently while preparing for Saturday's game against the Cavs.

"I think he's getting comfortable," Corbin said before Saturday's game. "C.J. has to find his way in the system, and from looking at him early in the year ... I think he's getting more and more comfortable.

"He's a guy once he finds his comfort level and where can be who he is in the system, he plays better."

Corbin also has watched former Cav Mo Williams for most of his career, starting as a Jazz assistant one year after Williams was the 47th pick in the 2003 draft. After spending time with Milwaukee, Cleveland and the Los Angeles Clippers, Williams was traded back last summer and played in 24 games before hurting his right thumb around Christmas and then having surgery.

"He's was doing good," Corbin said. "He was getting better acquainted with what we needed him to do, how we needed to play and how we needed to use his speed, getting more and more comfortable back in our system after he was drafted here.

"It's a big loss for us, because he was the point to create the speed for us, now different guys are giving us speed in different ways."

Corbin said Williams is expected to get the splint off his right thumb on Feb. 15 and then begin the rehabilitation process that, hopefully, will allow him to return this season.

Gentry reaction: Scott said he was surprised the Phoenix Suns fired Alvin Gentry on Friday after the team got off to a 13-28 start.

"I thought Al was doing a pretty good job with what he had," Scott said. "I'll give him a call in the next couple of days to see how he's doing. Al was a friend of mine, somebody I've known for a long time and respect."

The last word: From Miles, sitting with an ice bag on each knee after practice on Friday after Tuesday's visit to U.S. Cryotherapy outside Sacramento, where temperatures in the therapeutic ice chamber reach minus 166 degrees: "This is a day at the beach."

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

For Cavaliers fans who'd just as soon put James out of their minds, it has not been an easy week.

View full size LeBron James wasn't the only sports story of a particularly busy week, but it's hard to avoid the former Cavalier in anything involving the NBA. Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press  

SALT LAKE CITY -- It seems as if LeBron James is everywhere.

Turn on the TV or radio, there's LeBron. Open a newspaper, there's LeBron. Go to the Internet, more LeBron.

For Cavaliers fans who'd just as soon put him out of their minds, it has not been an easy week.

First he became the youngest player to score 20,000 points. Then he was voted in as an All-Star starter again. Through it all, there was talk about whether he'd come back to Cleveland if/when he opts out of his contract in the summer of 2014.

Much of that talk this time around was prompted by a story by Jason Lloyd in the Akron Beacon Journal last Sunday, although no one is more surprised at the reaction than Lloyd, who was writing about how the Cavs are unlikely to make a trade at the trading deadline this season now that Anderson Varejao is out after surgery. He did make a mention that the Cavs don't want to take on any bad contracts so they can keep their options open in the summer of 2014 when James could be a free agent, but that was not the focus of his story.

James, of course, opened this can of worms last season when he told reporters in Cleveland he'd be open to returning. Since then there have been other baby steps that could hint at a reconciliation. James changed agents to Benedictine graduate Rich Paul, who also represents Tristan Thompson. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert said he regretted saying the Cavs would win a championship before James, although he has yet to say James' name, calling him "the player who left."

Presumably, that would have to change when -- and if James -- actually decided to come back. Until then, it's going to be a long 18 months of speculation about The Decision II.

The Monsters (22-16-2-1) have won three games in a row and finished a stretch of six straight road games at 5-1.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Bill Thomas scored his second goal in two games, Thomas Pock had a goal and an assist, and Calvin Pickard made 29 saves to lead the visiting Lake Monsters to a 4-2 win over the Syracuse (N.Y.) Crunch on Saturday.

The Monsters (22-16-2-1) have won three games in a row and finished a stretch of six straight road games at 5-1.

Lake Erie took a 2-0 lead Saturday on second-period goals from Paul Carey and Pock. The Crunch (24-10-2-3), which has lost three straight games, tied it before the end of the period with a pair of goals from Ondrej Palat.

Thomas put the Monsters back ahead, 3-2, on a power-play goal with 3:01 left to play.

Joel Chouinard potted an empty-netter -- his first goal of the season -- with one second left for the final margin.

Lake Erie next plays Thursday, when the Toronto Marlies visit The Q. Puck drops at 7 p.m.

ALLIANCE, Ohio -- The measuring stick is different for guys such as Nathan Tomasello. He's a three-time state champion and two-time national champ. He looks at wrestling from a different angle than most who wear singlets.

ALLIANCE, Ohio -- The measuring stick is different for guys such as Nathan Tomasello.

He's a three-time state champion and two-time national champ. He looks at wrestling from a different angle than most who wear singlets.

The 120-pound senior from Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy who lives in Parma didn't come into this weekend's Top Gun wrestling tournament looking for his third tournament title. He wanted more. He wanted five pins in five matches.

He settled for four straight pins and an 18-7 title-match major decision against Massillon Perry junior David Bavery, a returning Division I state champ. Tomasello was named the Outstanding Wrestler.

Three weeks ago at the Medina Invitational, Tomasello won four technical falls before beating Bavery, 12-5, in the final. Tomasello considered that a subpar performance, and he has spent this month working on arm-bar and half-Nelson pinning combinations.

"It kind of bothered me a little bit to get all techs at Medina," Tomasello said. "The ultimate goal is to get pins, and I really want to get pins. I really worked on it the last three weeks."

Tomasello is 24-0, with 151 career wins, and is a favorite to win his fourth state title in March. CVCA coach Dave Bergen said he'll pick up the intensity for his prodigy during the next six weeks, and that makes Tomasello smile.

"He wants me to get to the top level, wrestling at my best at states, and that's my goal, too," said Tomasello, an Ohio State recruit. "I'm happy he's going to put even more intensity on me and it's going to be really tough, but it's worth it."

Tomasello hit nine takedowns against Bavery.

"He's always in the right position," Bavery said. "You have to fight and try to get him out of position, and that's something that's really hard to do."

Tomasello was unable to expose Bavery's back. Tomasello kicked him out again and again, looking for a different opening, but Bavery's strength is on the mat. Bavery is a junior with seven losses, six to wrestlers ranked in the top 10 nationally, including three to No. 1-ranked Tomasello.

"He likes to try to keep matches close," Tomasello said. "Last time, it was 12-5, and I wanted to open up the gap even more this time."

Tomasello led CVCA to third place (1821/2 points) behind champion Claymont (2241/2 points) and runner-up Massillon Perry (196), which was missing three key starters for disciplinary reasons. Six-time defending champion St. Paris Graham was home Saturday against St. Edward in a dual meet.

CVCA had eight placers, including runners-up sophomore Ryan Bennett (113 pounds) and senior Josh Decatur (126), who both lost championship bouts to Claymont wrestlers. State qualifier Dustin Warner beat Bennett, 5-3, and the difference was an early near fall. State runner-up Cody Burcher dominated Decatur in a match that ended, 6-2.

Riverside senior 220-pounder Evan Rosborough won one of the most entertaining finals, 4-2, at 220 pounds against Pennsylvania two-time state-placer Evan Dailey of Fort Leboeuf. Rosborough hit a takedown in the first period, but gave up a reversal in the second while trying to protect an injured left knee.

Tied, 2-2, going into the third, Rosborough scored a reversal just before the pair rolled out of bounds with 41 seconds remaining. He narrowly averted a defensive pin in the final seconds.

"He was a big, strong guy, and [in the third], I tried to keep myself in better position," said Rosborough, a Lake Erie College recruit.

Field junior Zack Ladich got the first takedown in the 145-pound final but lost to West Holmes' Max Rohskopf, 8-2. A third-period takedown was the difference in Ravenna senior Logan Reaser's 3-1 loss to Marysville senior Chase Boyd in the 160-pound final.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: twarsinskey@plaind.com, 216-999-4661

On Twitter: @TimsTakePD

The Browns -- surprise -- dominate this week's notes column from Terry Pluto.

View full size The early decisions that Rob Chudzinski has made give fans reasons for optimism, says Terry Pluto. Lonnie Timmons III, The Plain Dealer  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the NFL determines its Super Bowl teams Sunday, there's plenty of reason to be talkin' ...

About the Browns coaching staff...

It seems rookie head coach Rob Chudzinski is doing exactly what a rookie head coach should do -- hire experienced coordinators.

The biggest name is Norv Turner, a long-time head coach in the NFL with three different teams. He also has been a very successful offensive coordinator, along with being a mentor to the 44-year-old Chudzinski. But Chudzinski also wisely kept Chris Tabor as special teams coach.

Confession time: At the end of 2011, I thought Tabor should have been replaced by a more experienced coach. Tabor had a rocky rookie year, to put it kindly. Kicks were blocked, snaps were botched, coverage was iffy.

But in 2012, the Browns special teams were ranked No. 2 by Football Outsiders. Six other teams asked permission to talk to Tabor about becoming their special teams coordinator. He figured out the job, and the Browns would have been foolish to let him leave.

Now, they have added Ray Horton as defensive coordinator. In 2011, Horton was named Arizona's defensive coordinator, taking over a team that had ranked 29th in defense. In the next two years, the Cardinals rose to 18th and then 12th in 2012.

Remember that Arizona had the NFL's worst offense, meaning that the defense had to be on the field -- a lot. So the No. 12 ranking is impressive, and they were fifth against the pass.

Chudzinski talked about wanting an "attack" defense. That's Horton, whose Cardinals ranked No. 2 in the NFL in blitzes -- on 42 percent of the plays. No. 1 was Houston (47 percent), and the Browns ranked No. 17, blitzing on 27 percent of the plays.

View full size Ray Horton, the Browns' new defensive coordinator, brings the aggressive coaching strategies that Rob Chudzinski has focused on since taking over the head coaching position. AP file  

Horton has been an assistant for 19 years, including coaching defensive backs for the Steelers from 2004-10. While he plays a 3-4 defense, it's considered a "hybrid," meaning he'll also use four defensive linemen. He stressed that he "coaches the men," fitting his defense to the talent. So Chudzinski has surrounded himself with experience. Furthermore, Horton interviewed for several head coaching jobs this month, so other teams have noticed him.

In 2011, Pat Shurmur became a head coach for the first time. He made the mistake of serving as his own offensive coordinator. He hired Tabor, who was a rookie special teams coach. Only Dick Jauron on defense was the steady hand that a rookie coach needed.

Last season, Shurmur added former head coach Brad Childress as offensive coordinator, and the staff was much stronger. Now, it seems Chudzinski comes to Cleveland backed by veterans.

About the front office...

While it's easy to figure out how the key members of the coaching staff will function because everyone except Chudzinski has a track record in their current jobs -- the same is not true of the front office. I asked CEO Joe Banner how the major decisions (drafting, free agency, etc.) would be made. Here's how it should work:

1. It starts with four people -- Owner Jimmy Haslam, Player Personnel V.P. Mike Lombardi, Banner and Chudzinski. Banner declined to say who has "control" of the roster. Since Chudzinski is a rookie head coach who had no other coaching offers, he didn't worry about roster control. Lombardi hasn't been in the league for five years (He comes from NFL.com and other media outlets), so roster control isn't an issue with him.

2. By default, it appears the roster is under Banner.

3. Banner said earlier that the head coach would determine who will be active on game day, so Chudzinski will make those decisions. He also will have a major say in the final roster.

4. Banner said the group of four will "collaborate and we're going to strive to reach a consensus." His goal is to not "get into a 'Who has final say?'" debate.

5. Banner said the Pro Player Personnel Director would be a fifth decision maker if the subject was a pro acquisition, and the college director would be there for the discussions on the draft.

6. The last draft where Lombardi had any say was in 2006 with Oakland ... he was leaving as the 2007 draft was underway. As team president, Banner was in the draft room for the Eagles, but former coach Andy Reid and his general manager (such as Tom Heckert) seemed to make the major picks.

7. So it will be interesting to see how this works. This is a huge draft for the Browns, who have the No. 6 pick overall and no second-rounder (Josh Gordon became that pick).

About NFL coaches...

View full size Jon Gruden remains a talking head on NFL coverage, and not a coach. Does that mean the Browns didn't botch their coaching search? AP file  

1. Remember how the Browns were slammed for not hiring a "big-name coach" with sizzle? All eight teams have hired coaches, and who signed a big name? Where will Tony Dungy, Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden be coaching this season? They stayed on TV. How about Nick Saban? Oh, he stayed at Alabama. If you consider Chip Kelly a big name, OK. But I had no interest in him from the moment the Oregon coach's name was mentioned for the Browns.

2. A lot of the big names don't want any part of the NFL. Cowher (last coached in 2006), Dungy (in 2008) and Gruden (in 2008) have now been out a long time and have discovered that doing TV is a lot more fun and less stressful than the sidelines. All of these guys are mega-millionaires from their coaching days, and are well-paid by the networks. Jimmy Johnson last coached in 1999 (Miami), and retired at 56 to do television.

3. Of the eight coaches hired, only Andy Reid (Kansas City) has been a head coach in the NFL before for a full season. Marc Trestman (Chicago) was a head coach in the CFL. Kelly has zero NFL experience. The other five are NFL assistants. Only Gus Bradley (Jacksonville) was a defensive coordinator (Seattle). Yes, new Arizona coach Bruce Arians was 9-3 as an interim with the Colts this year, so with 12 games, he has the second-most experience.

4. The point is seven of these men are gambles, in terms of having any significant track records as head coaches. Reid is coming off a disappointing last two seasons with the Eagles (12-20), and his stock has been sinking. So when you look the Browns hiring of Chudzinski, is it really a reach compared to what the other teams did?

About the Tribe...

View full size Michael Brantley has been a bit sporadic at the top of the order as an Indian, but he's the most logical choice to start Terry Francona's 2013 batting lineup. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer  

1. New manager Terry Francona will probably use Michael Brantley in the leadoff spot. Brantley opened 2012 there, but batted only .227. In an effort to shake Shin-Soo Choo out of a slump, former manager Manny Acta moved Choo to the top of the order -- and he was terrific (.310, .881 OPS) before being traded to the Reds in the Drew Stubbs/Trevor Bauer deal.

2. Brantley had an excellent season, hitting .288 (.750 OPS) with six homers and 60 RBI. He mostly batted fifth, where he was a .307 hitter (.794 OPS). Brantley was a leadoff hitter for much of his minor-league career. He is a .263 hitter as a leadoff man in the last three seasons with the Tribe.

3. Brantley is the only regular left from the C.C. Sabathia/Cliff Lee deals. Also in those trades were Lou Marson and Matt LaPorta, who will be in training camp but not expected to start. Then there's Carlos Carrasco (elbow surgery), who the Tribe hopes is ready to take a spot in the rotation.

4. I'd forgotten the Indians also sent Ben Francisco to the Phillies in the Lee deal. He is a free agent, and the Tribe is considering bringing the outfielder back. He hit .240 (.670 OPS) with four homers and 15 RBI in 207 at-bats for the Phillies last season. He is a career .257 hitter (.751 OPS) who at the age of 31 could help the Tribe as an extra outfielder.

5. Francona has said he'll put up with the strikeouts from Mark Reynolds in exchange for 35 to 40 homers. He had 23 homers for the Orioles last season, but that still would have led the Tribe as Carlos Santana (18 homers) was tops in 2012. From 2009-11, Reynolds averaged 35 homers, 91 RBI and 210 strikeouts, batting .228. The Indians would gladly take those numbers in 2013.

6. With Stubbs, Jason Kipnis, Santana and Reynolds (all struck out at least 100 times in 2012), the Tribe knows it could be near the league lead in Ks. Last season, the Indians had the third fewest strikeouts in the AL, but ranked only 13th in runs scored. So they hope adding Reynolds and Stubbs -- who could combine for at least 50 homers -- will add to the run total.

7. Tribe third-base coach Brad Mills recently visited Cord Phelps, talking about how the second baseman could learn to play some other positions to make the team. He does have a minor-league option left. Phelps is stuck behind Kipnis at second. Not sure what will come of this, as the Tribe tried to have Phelps play some short and other positions a few years ago and then dropped the idea in 2012.

8. Francona not only likes the idea of Mike Aviles being able to play every infield spot, but also may use Aviles in left or right field. Aviles has played only five games in the outfield in his big-league career. He's played 280 at shortstop, 144 at second base and 61 at third base. He played in Boston for Francona in 2011, and Francona believes Aviles (.250, 13 HR, 60 RBI, .663 OPS) will be a very valuable player. And yes, he does give them depth if they trade shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera.

9. Ah, to be a big-league player eligible for arbitration. Stubbs batted .213 with 14 homers, 40 RBI, 30 steals and 166 strikeouts for the Reds. Yet, his salary increased from $527,000 to $2.85 million as arbitration loomed for the first time. Justin Masterson (11-15, 4.93 ERA) had the worst year of his big-league career, yet his salary rose from $3.85 million to $5.7 million.

10. As of now, the Tribe has no intention to sign a full-time DH. It's possible they may add one right before training camp for a very cheap price. But the current plan is to alternate different players in the spot. It would be a way to keep Santana's bat in the lineup, but give him a break from catching.

About the Cavaliers...

View full size Making sure Kyrie Irving remains a Cavalier is the prime motivation in the franchise's payroll decisions -- regardless of a certain talent that plays in South Florida. Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer  

1. Until LeBron James makes yet another decision in the summer of 2014, there will be rumors about him coming back to the Cavs. Given that James loves free-agent speculation, loves attention and knows it's a great way to market his shoe business -- he'll act like he might play in Cleveland, Los Angeles and maybe even Rawlings, Wyoming.

2. But please don't think all the Cavs are doing is Waiting For LeBron. Those reports about how they have "no contracts" on the books for the 2014-15 season are silly. Consider these players and salaries: Kyrie Irving ($7.1 million), Tristan Thompson ($5.1 million), Dion Waiters ($4.1 million) and Tyler Zeller ($1.7 million). All are team options -- and you can assume the Cavs will pick up all of those deals. Anderson Varejao has a $9.78 million contract for 2014-15, with $2.5 million guaranteed.

3. Why will the Cavs be careful not to overload their salary cap with big contracts starting in the summer of 2014? Because that's the first time they can offer a maximum contract to Irving, and you can be sure they will do just that. They also can offer an extension to Thompson of some type. Irving and Thompson can't become restricted free agents until the summer of 2015. They can become unrestricted in 2016, assuming they don't sign any extensions.

4. Obviously if James continues to play even close to his current level and if he really has a desire to return, the Cavs would want to make it work. James will be 30 in the summer of 2014. My guess of his next destination is the Lakers, where he'll play a year or so with Kobe Bryant, and then take over as the star attraction.

5. The Cavs do need to add a few veterans starting in the summer of 2013, along with having a good draft. It's not just about showing Irving that they are serious about winning, it's about a team that needs to reach the playoffs so the young players know what it takes to compete in the post-season.

6. In January, Thompson is averaging 14.3 points and 12.0 rebounds. This is the player GM Chris Grant imagined when he grabbed Thompson with the No. 4 pick in 2011.

The only way for this Browns' regime to prove it's not business as usual is on the field, Bud Shaw writes in his Sunday Spin.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- OIC famously stands for "Only in Cleveland," but "Only in Berea" has made a real name for itself.

Browns press conferences have provided some of the strangest theatre this side of Quentin Tarantino over the years. Friday's introduction of Mike Lombardi was just another episode.

The sheer volume of coaches and general managers coming and going since 1999 increases the odds for memorable moments. It's more than simple math, though. Since the Browns don't win on the field, even more attention is paid to those occasions when they dress up and try to convince us it will be different this time.

Over the years we've seen the room cleared of TV cameras and radio recording equipment for Randy Lerner's entrance. Dwight Clark draped an arm around an uncomfortable Chris Palmer and belted out a few jaunty bars of "Side by Side." We've seen Phil Savage read his lines from index cards.

On the grand occasion of Eric Mangini's hiring, the coach was introduced by a Browns executive who had to first introduce himself. We've seen Mike Holmgren threaten to withhold playoff tickets when the Browns' postseason contention was a third-and-26.2 miles to go proposition.

Media opportunities gave us Carmen Policy massaging a bad night gone wrong by sharing that the Pittsburgh police called Gerard Warren one of the nicest guys they ever arrested.

It's hard to keep hits like that coming without a cast of script writers. Friday wasn't quite up to those standards but it had its moments.

It featured Jimmy Haslam claiming that some of the "most respected" people in the NFL told him he should hire Mike Lombardi immediately, even though Lombardi wasn't interviewing anywhere else. And even as CEO Joe Banner was acknowledging "going out on the limb myself by hiring Mike."

How can those both be true?

History repeats itself. Browns history is known to mock itself.

Haslam's contention was reminiscent of the late Al Lerner introducing Clark as one of the bright young executives in the league when so many in the NFL knew what recommended Clark was primarily his friendship with Policy.

I'm comparing the scenarios, not the credentials of the people. Lombardi has much more personnel experience than Clark had. But those respected NFL people Haslam cited somehow fought the urge for five years to hire Lombardi, who hasn't worked in the league since 2007. Why so much restraint?

Did they not believe Lombardi's claim that he's a changed man, no longer the reputed disingenuous climber of years gone by? Not sure I've ever seen a Browns hire at his opening press conference get grilled over issues dating to the late 1980s and early 1990s. Or one who came prepared to make a plea for a fresh start as part of his opening remarks.

By the nature of introductory press conferences, the fresh start is usually a given. Not Friday.

Lombardi looked like Banner's choice all along. His hiring was more a foregone conclusion than the product of a no stone unturned open talent search. Certainly that doesn't prevent Banner's organizational plan from working. You could even make the case he's looking for organizational fit, not an All-Star at every position.

Fans have no choice but to give another regime a fighting chance. But not long ago Holmgren railed that what was happening under his watch in Berea was not "business as usual." Haslam and Banner no doubt believe the same thing.

After Friday's announcement, only winning will convince the rest of us.

SPINOFFS

View full size Coming soon to a minor-league ballpark near you ... a Lance Armstrong Lawsuit night, where you too can be sued by the disgraced cyclist -- only to get an emotionless and uninspiring apology. LM Otero, Associated Press  

• Curt Schilling's bloody sock worn during the 2004 World Series is up for auction and expected to sell for $100,000. Please, don't tell any of our soldiers returning from the Middle East about this.

• Minor-league baseball has responded predictably to the scandals of the day.

The Lake County Captains are poking fun with a scheduled Lance Armstrong Night in 2013. An independent league team in Kentucky, the Florence Freedom, will hold a Manti Te'o Girlfriend Bobblehead Night. The bobblehead box will be empty, of course. There will also be a pretend Kiss Cam and an air guitar contest.

Because if anyone is in good position to scoff at performance-enhancing drug use and people falling for fake identities it's baseball. As I was just saying to Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Fausto Carmona and Leo Nunez.

• Appropriately enough, for a team whose playoff chances died a long time ago and is hoping to find a second life in this dismal season, Cavaliers players are using cryotherapy to promote healing.

• Mike Lombardi says he doesn't remember using the term "panicked disaster" about the Browns' decision to move up to draft 29-year-old Brandon Weeden in the first round. Which is a sign that Lombardi might, in fact, be a changed man. The old Mike Lombardi might've said he misquoted himself or claimed the media "misremembered" it.

• Eight NFL head coaching openings and no minority hires. A handful more GM openings, no minority hires. Ridiculous.

If I'm Dan Rooney, I put the naming rights for the Rooney Rule up for sale immediately just to disassociate myself from any future NFL talent "searches." The last time an African-American head coach was hired from outside an organization was Mike Tomlin in 2007. What did he do to justify that hire, other than win a Super Bowl?

• Jim Nantz, calling himself a friend of Lombardi, went on 92.3 FM Friday and blasted a Cleveland media member for having a "personal" agenda against the Browns' new VP of personnel.

Apparently personal agendas like coming to a friend's defense are A-OK.

• Nantz also said nobody in the NFL has a bad word to say about Joe Banner. On the same day Banner's childhood friend, Philly owner Jeffrey Lurie, accused Banner of anonymously undermining his team in the media.

View full size Gullible or conniving, there isn't much room for any other description of Manti Te'o this week. Ryan Jones, ESPN via AP  

• Call me a pushover but I empathize with Manti Te'o. I attended two imaginary high school proms and on both occasions my dates still spent the night dancing with their girl friends.

• Now that Andy Reid has changed jobs, Bill Belichick has the longest coaching tenure in the league. Why didn't Belichick ever hire Lombardi?

On 92.3, Nantz scoffed and called that a "fan question." I believe he meant to say "fair question."

• I don't want to say Lance Armstrong came off dispassionately in discussing how he tried to ruin people's lives through lawsuits, but I felt like I was watching him sit down with his tax guy.

I refuse to watch any Armstrong interview that doesn't include a polygraph technician as the third party.

HE SAID IT

"Football is football" -- Chip Kelly on whether he'll be able to make the adjustment to the NFL as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

OK, so I was wrong, maybe this guy is the next Steve Spurrier.

YOU SAID IT

(The Expanded Sunday Edition)

"Dear Bud:

"I thought only sportswriters had made-up girlfriends." -- Jim O, Chardon

You're missing a whole other category: non-inflatable.

"So Bud:

"Do we root for the team (Baltimore) that used to be here, or for the coach (Belichick) who used to be here?" -- Bill Weekley

I'll be rooting for the outcome that brings the network coverage of Ray Lewis as a great American treasure to an end.

"Bud:

"Since the Browns are now hiring people with media backgrounds for football jobs, will you be submitting a resume? What position will you apply for?" -- Mal, North Ridgeville

Same one I held in high school. Tackling dummy.

"Hey Bud:

"Does this mean Lance Armstrong won't be able to get into the Baseball Hall of Fame?" -- Mike H

Nothing changes. He still has as good a chance as Mark McGwire.

"Hey Bud:

"My make-believe wife thinks I'm having an affair with my imaginary girlfriend. Any suggestions?" -- Dave Graskemper

It's best to clear out of town in a case like this. Tell both of them you're taking a trip to watch the Browns in the Super Bowl.

"Bud:

"Did any of your non-existent girlfriends leave you before you left them?" -- Michael Sarro

I lost most of them at "Hello."

"Bud:

"So [Tom] Heckert had to go because he couldn't land the big fish. Maybe Banner hasn't completely unpacked?" -- Frank Bruno, Westlake

First-time "You Said It" winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection.

"Bud:

"Could someone faking their own funeral, as in the case of Manti Te'o's girlfriend, be penalized for 'intentional grounding?'" -- Jim Corrigan

Repeat winners get flagged.

On Twitter: @budshaw

Sorting through this week's Cavaliers mailbag.

View full size With just 10 wins so far this season for Kyrie Irving and the Cavaliers, optimism is at a premium for some fans. Mark J. Terrill, Associated Press  

Hey, Mary: Night after night, game after game, the other team (no matter what its record) almost always seems to beat the Cavs. Are the Cavs that bad or are they that close to being a competitive team once again? -- Fred Corrigan, Orlando

Hey, Fred: Learning how to win is one of the toughest lessons for a young team. Unfortunately, the only way to get better at it is to go through the kind of struggles the team is experiencing now. But everybody from owner Dan Gilbert on down is expecting to see progress next season, so a return to competitiveness may not be that far away.

Hey, Mary: With coach Mike Brown being fired after only three games of running the Princeton offense in Los Angeles, and the national media blowing up on how bad the Princeton offense is, is there any concern over the offense that Byron Scott is running? -- Sam M., Old Brooklyn

Hey, Sam: A number of coaches, like Rick Adelman, have had considerable success running the Princeton offense, and it worked for Scott when he took the New Jersey Nets to the finals in back-to-back seasons and when he turned the young New Orleans Hornets into a playoff team. While it's still the offense Scott prefers, the Cavs actually run very little of the Princeton offense, instead using a compilation of basic NBA plays.

-- Mary

You have to start someplace in boxing, and you need to stick with it. Da'Nary Brown and Anthony Cannella will attest to that after climbing into the ring Saturday night at Slovenian National Home on St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland. While it wasn't in the realm of Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns, the amateur fighters gave the standing-room-only crowd of nearly...

You have to start someplace in boxing, and you need to stick with it.

Da'Nary Brown and Anthony Cannella will attest to that after climbing into the ring Saturday night at Slovenian National Home on St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland. While it wasn't in the realm of Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns, the amateur fighters gave the standing-room-only crowd of nearly 500 plenty to cheer about.

While the learning curve goes upward for both, 152-pound Cannella earned his first victory in four outings as he proved to be in better condition than first-time novice Brown, who ran out of gas midway through the three-round affair.

"I got over that initial rush," said Cannella, of North Olmsted, who works at Horseshoe Casino. "I landed a couple body shots and stayed relaxed. I didn't rush him because I've been getting in trouble in the past."

Boxing out of Cleveland's Turner Recreation Center, Brown got off to a good start as he pushed the pace as the aggressor. But after a good opening round, fatigue proved his undoing as he kept moving away from the action.

Brown, 20, received a warning and then a penalty from referee Wilfredo Osorio for ducking, then he had two more points deducted in the third round as he obviously spit the bit.

"I was real nervous because I didn't know what to expect," said Brown, who works at United Parcel Service. "I'm disappointed, but I did what I had to do. I definitely plan on doing it again."

Cannella, 24, was also tiring down the stretch but stuck with it to move forward and do his best to land punches out of his left-handed stance.

"It's his first win, and he's working hard at it," said coach Bill Godhard, who works with Cannella at his West Side Boxing Club. "I told him to let the kid punch himself out. We'll give up the first round and win the second and third."

That's just how it went down.

In a crowd-pleasing slugfest, Sir-William Cofeld of Cleveland PAL/Thurgood Marshall got the decision against novice Andy Greziak, of Bay City, Mich., at 152 pounds. Greziak ran out of gas down the stretch after both fighters traded shots for much of the bout.

Novice Antonio Ortiz from the Valley Forge Boxing Club won a featherweight decision against Justin Sykes, of Toledo, at 125 pounds. Heavyweight Jeff Hughes, of Canton, got the nod in his match against novice Jonathan McNeil from Zone Recreation.

First-time fighter Martrell Adams from Al Jones B.C. was victorious in his debut, as he won on points against Joshua Taylor of Zone Recreation in a subnovice affair at 132 pounds.

In a bout between junior fighters at 165 pounds, Carmen Gore of King's Gym in Nordonia caught Nicholas Baker from Brickhouse Boxing in Twinsburg at the end of the third round to put him on the canvas. Referee Doug Patterson called it at that point.

Alex Rodriguez from Raul Torres Boxing Academy, Justin Aviles from West Side B.C. and women's boxer Ahara Archie from Empire B.C. also won on points.

SALT LAKE CITY -- After his Cavaliers lost to the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena on Saturday night, 109-98, to complete this five-game trip 1-4, coach Byron Scott was asked how he would assess the 10-day trip. "It was OK," he said as the Cavs fell to 10-32, 6-20 on the road. "We had some games where I thought...

SALT LAKE CITY -- After his Cavaliers lost to the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena on Saturday night, 109-98, to complete this five-game trip 1-4, coach Byron Scott was asked how he would assess the 10-day trip.

"It was OK," he said as the Cavs fell to 10-32, 6-20 on the road. "We had some games where I thought we played three quarters really well. We never really put four quarters together in any of the games on this road trip. In Portland, we got kind of lucky in the fourth quarter and were able to pull that one out.

"Overall, there's still a lot of growing pains, that's for sure."

Rookie Dion Waiters, who missed Saturday's shootaround because he didn't feel well, recovered nicely and had 23 points, including 10 of 12 free throws.

Kyrie Irving had 18 points and nine assists, rookie Tyler Zeller had 13 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, and Tristan Thompson had 12 points and 11 rebounds.

C.J. Miles scored 12 points on 4-of-11 from the field in his first return to Utah after signing as a free agent with the Cavs last summer. He spent his first seven seasons with the Jazz.

He got a nice hand when he was introduced at the start of the game.

"It surprised me a little bit," Miles said. "It was a little louder than I thought it was going to be. It was cool. I'm glad they've got love for me still."

But Miles had 10 of his points in the first half as, once again, he and the Cavs struggled in the second half. They were within 53-48 at halftime but were outscored, 31-20, in the third quarter.

They are 1-20 when trailing at halftime, and 9-12 when leading or tied at halftime.

"I thought the second half they just played harder than we did . . . a lot harder," Scott said for what seemed like the 20th time. "It seemed like they wanted it a lot more than we did.

"At halftime, I said we had to come out in the third quarter with a sense of urgency, and I didn't see it. I didn't see it whatsoever."

Randy Foye had 20 points -- 11 in the decisive third quarter -- as Utah won its third straight to improve to 22-19, 13-4 at home.

Derrick Favors had 19 points. Utah outrebounded Cleveland, 46-40, and held a 46-36 advantage in points in the paint.

Scott had warned his young big men what to expect.

"This is going to be a very physical basketball game," Scott said before his team's shootaround Saturday morning. "If you wait until 7 o'clock tonight to say, 'All right, I'm going to play physical,' then you're probably a little too late. You better start to think about it right now."

The Cavs seemed to get the message and did a decent job keeping the Jazz out of the paint in the first half. Each team had 18 points in the paint in the first 24 minutes.

Irving had nine points and five assists in the first half, but two slams by Waiters electrified the crowd.

"I was just being aggressive," he said. "That's all I was doing -- looking to attack. I took what the defense gave me."

Cleveland jumped to a 16-10 lead, but Utah tied the game at 18 on a 3-pointer by Foye, and led after the first quarter, 26-23. The Jazz pushed the lead to 36-29 and 43-36, but the Cavs came back to tie the game at 43 on a 3-pointer by Irving.

Then came the second half.

"I thought the second half we were overmatched," Scott said.

Again.

It's not exactly shocking that beat writer Mary Kay Cabot's mailbag is overflowing this week.

Hey, Mary Kay: Do you think maybe Joe Banner thought he was hiring Vince Lombardi instead of Mike Lombardi? Is this not the guy who drafted "Touchdown" Tommy Vardell? Do you think this was a good move for the Browns? -- Bob Price, Erie, Pa.

Hey, Bob: Joe Banner thinks the world of Lombardi, considers him one of the best talent evaluators in the league and thinks he's one of the smartest personnel men he's ever worked with. He's also convinced that Lombardi is a better man than the one Banner worked with in 1997-98. Banner is counting on Lombardi to make the Browns a contender, and if he's right, the Browns should be in the playoffs within a couple of years.

Hey, Mary Kay: Does the hiring of Lombardi and Horton change the focus of the Browns' first pick from cornerback to linebacker? -- Rich M., Schaumburg, Ill.

Hey, Rich: I do think the Browns will need to add some linebackers to stock their new 3-4 or hybrid defense, but I don't necessarily think they have to use their first pick on one. They also have to determine if Brandon Weeden is their starting quarterback, and if they think there's a quarterback worth taking with the No. 6 pick.

Hey, Mary Kay: Do you think the front office is aware of how much Norv Turner is disliked by fans in San Diego? -- Dale Klima, Berea

Hey, Dale: I think more than anything, the Browns are aware of how well-respected Turner is as one of the brightest offensive minds in football. Hall of Famer Troy Aikman described him recently as the best playcaller in the game, bar none. Turner provides new head coach Rob Chudzinski with 38 years of coaching experience in his top offensive assistant, including 15 years as a head coach. The ability to attract Turner and other top assistants was a big selling point for Chudzinski.

Hey, Mary Kay: I am able to find the home opponents, but every year I have trouble finding out who they play on the road. Can you tell me where to find this information? -- Jim Pierotti, Kane, Pa.

Hey, Jim: Here they are -- Home: Baltimore, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Jacksonville, Miami, Pittsburgh. Away: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Green Bay, Kansas City, Minnesota, New England, New York Jets, Pittsburgh.

Hey, Mary Kay: With the current hiring of new coaches, what do you think the draft and free agency plans for 2013 will be? -- Al Parker, Atlanta, Ga.

Hey, Al: I think the No. 1 priority will be to determine if a QB upgrade is needed. If so, they'll scour the free-agent market and look at trades. Will they be able to get their hands on 49ers QB Alex Smith, who played for Turner in 2006? They'll also look at quarterbacks in the draft. I think they'll look to sign a good veteran receiver in free agency and possibly add a linebacker or two. They'll need to add a top-tier cornerback one way or the other.

Hey, Mary Kay: Tell me why I should feel good about Chud's selection. Just because he's been a Browns fan all of his life won't be good enough. Why can't we hire an accomplished coach with a proven record of leading an NFL franchise as storied as ours? Is it because we can't pay him enough or is it because nobody with those credentials wants to coach our beloved Brownies? -- Monty Chase, Columbus

Hey, Monty: Chudzinski was a major reason the Browns went 10-6 in 2007, their only double-digit victory total in the new era. He also fit all the criteria the Browns were looking for: strong leadership skills, the ability to hire a quality staff and articulate his plan, and the ability to get players to buy in and perform. He's surrounded himself with good coordinators in Norv Turner (offense), Ray Horton (defense) and Chris Tabor (special teams). Banner's last big coaching hire, Andy Reid, had no previous NFL head coaching experience.

View full size Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner (28, defending against Notre Dame's DaVaris Daniels in the BCS title game) has drawn the attention of Browns fans looking for a second shutout cornerback. Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press  

Hey, Mary Kay: How do you feel about the Browns' chances of getting back into the second round by trading down in the first? I can see them going a number of directions with the first pick. Both OL Chance Warmack and CB Dee Milliner from Alabama would work, as would any of the outside linebackers/defensive ends. Seems like we'd be able to get a good player even if we moved to 12 or 13. -- Jamie Vitonis, Boston, Mass.

Hey, Jamie: I'm sure the new regime would love to have a second-round pick (used last year in the supplemental draft on Josh Gordon) if they can get it. They must determine if they love six players in this draft enough to stay where they're at. If not, they can always try to trade down. When a new group comes in, they want as many of their own new players as they can get. You can't bet they won't be as enamored with some of Tom Heckert's picks as he was.

Hey, Mary Kay: With Chudzinski's return to Cleveland and a new front office, any chance the Browns look to bring back Kellen Winslow? Winslow went to the Pro Bowl with Chudzinski as the offensive coordinator and the reason he left was because of a fallout with the front office. An intriguing possibility. -- Jeff Weingart, Baltimore, Md.

Hey, Jeff: Winslow loves Chud and the two ex-'Canes have a great relationship dating back to their days together at the U. But Winslow, who signed with the Patriots last season, played in only one game and then asked for his release. Winslow is reportedly still suffering from tremendous pain in his knee from the 2005 motorcycle accident. It's unknown how much more he can coax out of the knee.

Hey, Mary Kay: Is Chud hoping Marc Trestman gets the Bears job and offers them their No. 1 pick for Weeden? Would you make the deal? -- Karl W., MDI, Maine.

Hey, Karl: Trestman did get the Bears job, but there's no way they'll give up a No. 1 pick for Weeden. Trestman does like him, though, after prepping him for the NFL Combine last year.

Hey, Mary Kay: Will Weeden be the Browns starter in 2013? If Chudzinski can get Derek Anderson to the Pro Bowl, shouldn't he be able to do wonders with Weeden by unleashing his talent? -- Steven Cunningham, Beavercreek, Ohio.

Hey, Steven: I do think that Turner and Chudzinski can have a tremendous impact on Weeden's career, and that his skill set is suited to their vertical passing game. But he must improve his accuracy downfield and demonstrate better instincts. Plenty of young quarterbacks, including Aikman, credit Turner with getting them on track, and this duo should be able to get the best out of Weeden.

Hey, Mary Kay: Do you think that Jimmy Haslam and Banner regret letting Tom Heckert go knowing that they could have gotten Chudzinski without having to unleash the GM. I know I'd feel a lot better about the new coach if Heckert were still here. Do you think they're going to give coach Chud final say over the roster? -- Josh Reed, White Oak, Pa.

Hey, Josh: I don't think the Browns regret letting Heckert go. I think from the moment CEO Joe Banner walked through the door, he planned to clean house and start fresh with his own people. I think he truly believes that Mike Lombardi is a significant upgrade. You can bet Lombardi will do everything possible to prove him right.

Hey, Mary Kay: I feel one of the Browns' strengths has been its depth at D-line, conversely its weakness the depth at linebacker. With the rumors of Chud moving to a 3-4, it seems we are moving away from our strengths. How would the Browns current D-line and LBs fit? -- Matt, Columbus

Hey, Matt: Ray Horton is excited about the talent he has on defense, and he'll evaluate what he's got. If he can't run a 3-4 this year, he'll stick with the 4-3 or play a hybrid of the two. He'll take the best players he has on the front, and put them in the best spots to be successful. If Jabaal Sheard can play outside 'backer, he'll consider moving him. The good news for Horton is that he's got plenty of talent to work with. A switch to a 3-4 could probably be completed with two or three key additions to the front.

-- Mary Kay Cabot

Here are six things to watch – three for each of Sunday's NFL conference championship games – as four teams battle to determine this year's Super Bowl matchup.

Here are six things to watch – three for each of Sunday's NFL conference championship games – as four teams battle to determine this year's Super Bowl matchup:

NFC Championship: 49ers at Falcons, 3 p.m. EST

1. Kaep-tain Chaos

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) runs against the Green Bay Packers during an NFC divisional playoff game in San Francisco, Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)





 

What else can be said about Colin Kaepernick's playoff debut against Green Bay last week? San Francisco's young quarterback threw for 263 yards and a pair of touchdowns while running for 181 yards and two more scores in the 49ers' 45-31 victory over the Packers. He was simply scintillating.

Since supplanting Alex Smith as the starter midway through the season, Kaepernick has elevated the 49ers offense from capable to captivating. He was a big-play machine against the Packers, averaging 8.5 yards per pass and 11.3 yards per rush.

But can Kaepernick wreak the same kind of havoc on the Atlanta defense? It may not be so easy. Atlanta faced a similarly mobile quarterback last week in Seattle's Russell Wilson and held him to only 60 yards rushing in the Falcon's 30-28 win. Kaepernick also won't have the luxury of crowd support this week in his first career road playoff game. The fans at the Georgia Dome won't be welcoming, and the crowd noise – which caused some problems for the Seahawks offense last week – is sure to border on deafening.

2. Tony Gonzalez

It's hard to believe that Atlanta tight end Tony Gonzalez is 36 years old. The future Hall of Famer caught 93 passes for 930 yards and eight touchdowns during the regular season – his best year since surpassing the 1,000-yard mark for Kansas City in 2008. Gonzalez remains Matt Ryan's security blanket on third down and the quarterback's go-to receiver when the Falcons get down near the goal line.

Gonzalez had 51 yards and a touchdown on six catches in the Falcons' win over the Seahawks last week, and the perennial Pro Bowler was extremely emotional after securing his first playoff victory in six career chances. Gonzalez has said several times that he'll most likely retire after the season. You think he doesn't want to go out on top?

Gonzalez will be a man on a mission in this game. If the 49ers get swept up in defending Falcons wide receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White on the outside, Gonzalez could do some serious damage in the middle of the field.

3. Frank Gore vs. Falcons defense

Atlanta's front seven was impressive against the run last week. The Falcons defense played aggressively at the line of scrimmage, swarming Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch seemingly every time he took a handoff. The Falcons held Lynch, who finished third in the NFL in rushing this season, to only 46 yards on 16 carries – an average of just 2.9 yards per tote.

Frank Gore presents a similar challenge this week. The San Francisco running back, like Lynch, is a physical runner and adept at pounding the ball into the heart of a defense. Gore gained 1,214 yards on the ground during the regular season and added 119 and a touchdown in last week's win over Green Bay.

If the Falcons can stuff Gore the way they did Lynch, it will allow them to focus on clamping down on Kaepernick. But if Gore forces the Atlanta defense to stack the box in an effort to slow him down, Kaepernick will run wild on the perimeter and find more room to get the ball to his receivers downfield.

• Watch NFL analyst Cris Collinsworth discuss the 49ers' chances and the Falcons' "dome-field" advantage in the latest episode of "Football Inside Out":

AFC Championship: Ravens at Patriots, 6:30 p.m. EST

1. Keeping up the pace

After the performances these two teams put on last week, you have to expect this matchup to turn into a track meet. If the Ravens and Patriots duplicate their offensive outputs from the divisional playoff round, Sunday's game will feature about 140 offensive plays, more than 900 yards of total offense and 80 points scored.

If they're destined for a shootout, it would seem Tom Brady and the Patriots' uptempo attack have the advantage. Can the Ravens beat them at their own game? They did it once already this season, beating the Pats 31-30 in Week 3. In that meeting, Baltimore's offense proved it could be every bit as potent as New England's. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco threw for a season-high 382 yards and three touchdowns, wide receiver Torrey Smith caught six passes for 127 yards and two scores, and running back Ray Rice finished with 101 yards rushing – becoming the only opposing running back to surpass 100 yards against the Patriots defense all season.

The Ravens will need to duplicate that effort on Sunday and continue to make the kind of big plays in the passing game that Flacco, Smith and Jacoby Jones engineered in last week's impressive win over Denver.

2. Gronk-less, again

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) warms up before an AFC divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013. Gronkowski went to the locker room with a broken arm midway through the first quarter, and did not return. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)





 

For the second time this season, the Patriots have lost Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski to a broken left arm. Gronkowski, who only just returned from the same injury in time to play in the regular-season finale, broke the arm again early in last week's 41-28 playoff win over Houston.

Much like the first time he went down, Gronkowski's absence didn't seem to slow the Patriots offense much. In five games without Gronkowski during the regular season, Tom Brady averaged 313 yards passing and 2.2 touchdowns per game. Those numbers were actually better than Brady's overall season averages of 301 yards and 2.12 TDs per outing. Brady didn't miss a beat without Gronk in last week's win over the Texans, finishing with 344 yards and tossing a trio of scoring strikes.

A healthy Aaron Hernandez, who had six catches for 85 yards against the Texans, should help the Patriots overcome the loss of Gronkowski. Hernandez sat out the Patriots' Week 3 loss to Ravens while nursing an ankle injury. Still, no offense improves by losing an All-Pro player. The loss of Gronkowski means one less weapon that the Ravens need to defend. Is that enough to give Baltimore the edge in what could be another down-to-the-wire affair between these teams?

3. Not-so-special teams

Both the Patriots and the Ravens were able to overcome issues with their kick coverage units last week. But giving away points on special teams could prove fatal in this game, where neither of these teams figure to need any help scoring.

Texans kick returner Danieal Manning averaged 54 yards on four returns against the Patriots last week, including a 94-yard return on the opening kickoff that set up a Houston field goal.

Denver's Trindon Holliday, meanwhile, made the Baltimore coverage teams look downright inept. Holliday returned a kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown and brought a punt back 90 yards for a TD. Those breakdowns almost cost the Ravens the game.

Fixing those coverage issues was no doubt a focus for both teams this week, and it certainly should have been. One big return in this game could be the difference between playing in the Super Bowl and watching it on television.

• Watch Russ Lande of the National Football Post break down the Ravens-Patriots tilt and reveal which team he believes will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl:

At one time the Indians didn't have internal options at shortstop and second base. Now they have plenty.

View full size Nevaeh Kessler, 3, of Canton can barely reach over the table to receive an autographed ball from Indians infield prospect Francisco Lindor during Saturday's Tribefest at Progressive Field. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Baseball teams, like armies, win or lose based on the quality of their supply lines. In baseball, supply lines consist of players, lined one behind the other from the big leagues all the way back to the Dominican Summer League.

For a while the Indians' supply line for middle infielders was stretched thin. They had Asdrubal Cabrera, but what they really needed was a Cabrera clone. Cabrera opened the 2008 and 2009 seasons at second base. He moved to shortstop in 2010, which was OK except for the hole he left behind at second.

Last year the Indians tried to fill it with converted outfielder Jason Kipnis. They have been pleased with the results to date, but what about the players stacked behind Kipnis and Cabrera? Are the supply lines still at risk?

Ross Atkins, Indians director of player development, said it wasn't necessarily a plan, but at the moment those lines look robust. They have six middle infielders who offer hope for the future. Measuring how close that future might be is difficult, but the fact that Cabrera has been the target of trade speculation all winter is not lost on anyone in the line.

View full size The development process in the minor leagues hasn't always been smooth for Francisco Lindor (left, making an error in 2012) and fellow Lake County teammate Jose Ramirez, but the Indians have seen far more reasons for optimism from their young middle infielders. Lonnie Timmons III, The Plain Dealer  

The Indians, starting in November of 2009, have used the draft, trades and free agent signings to acquire an interesting array of shortstops and second basemen. Francisco Lindor, a high school shortstop, was their No.1 pick in the June draft in 2011. Tony Wolters, another high school shortstop, was their No. 3 pick in 2010. Juan Diaz was acquired from Seattle along with outfielder Ezequiel Carrera in 2010 for Russell Branyan. The Indians signed Dorssys Paulino (2011), Ronny Rodriguez (2010) and Jose Ramirez (2009) as international free agents in the Dominican Republic.

Baseball America ranked Lindor (first), Paulino (second) and Rodriguez (eighth) among the Indians' top-10 prospects entering the 2013 season.

"It wasn't a unique strategy," said Atkins. "But if you look at the history of baseball, guys move to the corners [of the diamond], they don't typically move to the middle, unless you're Jason Kipnis. Typically they're moving off the center of the diamond.

"If you take an elite bat and he can also stand in the middle of the diamond, he's going to be one of the best players in baseball. As you try to acquire talent, you look at the center of the diamond first and then factor in the bat. Then you balance the two."

Lindor, based on his draft status and $2.9 million signing bonus, gives off the most heat of the six. The 18-year-old switch-hitter spent last season at Class A Lake County, where he hit .257 (126-for-490) with 24 doubles, three triples, six homers, 42 RBI and 27 steals.

Look for him to advance to Class A Carolina this year.

"I want to improve on everything," Lindor said last week at the Indians' winter development program in Cleveland. "I want to be the greatest player I can possibly be."

Ramirez, another switch-hitter, was Lindor's double-play partner for the second half of last season. He hit .354 (98-for-277) with 13 doubles, four triples, three homers, 27 RBI and 27 steals. Signed as a free agent in November of 2009, the 20-year-old Ramirez hit .312 (44-for-141) with five doubles, one triple and 22 RBI this winter in the Dominican Republic.

"For a long time, he was leading the Dominican winter league in hitting," said Atkins. "He's a great story."

Ramirez could follow Lindor to Class A Carolina this year.

The Indians signed Paulino, 18, for $1.1 million on July 2, 2011. A lot of experts said they overpaid for the 6-0, 175-pound right-handed shortstop. Paulino, however, hit .355 (61-for-172) with 42 runs, 14 doubles, six triples, six homers, 30 RBI and nine steals in 41 games last year for the Class A rookie league team in Arizona.

He was promoted to Class A Mahoning Valley, where he hit .271 (16-for-59) with five doubles, one homer and eight RBI.

"He can hit, he can field," said Lindor. "He's going to be one of the best prospects coming through this organization."

Atkins didn't know if Paulino would be able to stay at shortstop as he matures, but that might not matter.

"The most exciting thing about Dorssys is that every single baseball person that lays eyes on him and watches him take batting practices says the exact same thing. They say 'Wow, this guy has a chance to do really special things,'" said Atkins.

If Paulino makes a full-season club coming out of spring training this year, it would be Lake County.

Rodriguez and Wolters spent last season sharing shortstop and second base at Carolina. Rodriguez played 80 games at short and 45 at second, making 33 errors. Wolters played 61 games at short and 63 at second, making 24 errors.

The Indians signed Rodriguez, 20, in 2010 after he was suspended for a year by MLB. Rodriguez, who bats right-handed, dropped out of high school in Boston and returned to his native Dominican Republic. He signed with Chicago Cubs in 2008 and spent five months in their academy. MLB voided the contract, ruling that he should have been eligible for the June draft.

"When I was suspended I spent the whole year working out with my uncle, who reached Triple-A with the Cubs," said Rodriguez.

View full size Juan Diaz was the first of the Indians' young infield prospects to see game action in the big leagues, batting .267 in five games in 2012. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer  

Last season the 6-0, 170-pound Rodriguez hit .264 (120-for-454) and led Carolina with 19 homers and 66 RBI. The Indians sent him to the Arizona Fall League, a showcase for a team's top prospects, where he hit .239 (16-for-67) with three doubles, three triples, seven RBI and six steals.

"In Ronny Rodriguez you have a supreme athlete who has played very little organized baseball and is already knocking on the door of Class AA," said Atkins. "He's shown power and shown a well-above average arm. He has the hands, the range, the feet. He has all the attributes it takes to be a ... shortstop or second baseman."

With so many middle infielders, the Indians knew some would be placed in a league above their abilities. Wolters, 20, struggled in the first part of last season, but righted himself and hit .291 (73-for-251) with 17 doubles, seven homers and 31 RBI in the second half at Carolina. He led the Carolina League with eight triples and finished ninth in runs scored with 66.

Wolters, who bats left and throws right, had some problems at second, but enjoyed it.

"Going back and forth every day with Ronnie last year was awesome," he said. "It was a great experience for both of us. Getting better on both sides makes us more valuable as players."

Rodriguez and Wolters could be sharing short and second this year at Class AA Akron.

Diaz, 24, is the only one of the six on the 40-man roster. He's expected to open this season at Class AAA Columbus. Diaz made his big-league debut last year, hitting .267 (4-for-15) in five games at short.

"We have a lot of good guys," said Wolters. "Going to spring training is awesome. It doesn't feel like competition when we're all together. We're all buddy-buddy and diving for ground balls. I feel all of us are big-league caliber players."

After a disappointing first half of the season, Byron Scott hopes his team can find some consistency in the second half.

View full size Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving says the Cavaliers must "get better every single day and find a way to put these wins together. ... We just have to figure out what works for us and what doesn't." Don Ryan, Associated Press  

SALT LAKE CITY -- At the end of a five-game trip, Byron Scott rightly counted Saturday night's 109-98 loss at Utah as the first game of the second half of the season.

At this point in his third season, the Cavs are 10-32, including 4-12 at home. Their best player, Anderson Varejao, is out at least another five weeks after surgery to repair a split in his right quadriceps. Defensively, they're last in opponent's field-goal percentage (47.3), and offensively they're second-to-last in field-goal percentage (41.9) and assists (19.3 a game).

While there was some misguided playoff talk in training camp, this team actually is only slightly better than the team that lost an NBA-record 26 games in a row in Scott's first season. That team was 8-34 after 42 games.

"I don't know if I'm surprised," the Cavaliers' head coach said. "I think it's more disappointing. But it also shows how much experience does play a part in winning in this league."

The Cavs do have one of the NBA's youngest teams, featuring two rookies and two second-year players in key roles. Although they have veterans Luke Walton and Daniel Gibson, they are without the steadying influences of Antawn Jamison and Anthony Parker, who played crucial leadership roles the past couple of seasons. And, of course, Varejao.

• Cleveland Cavaliers team page on Cleveland.com

The Cavs have elected to build through the draft, and this is what happens.

"We have a lot of young guys who have to learn how to play basketball," Scott said. "I still think we're doing it the right way. We're going to bite the bullet here a little and take our lumps, but I still think we're doing it the right way."

The record, he said, doesn't concern him.

"It's not embarrassing," he said. "We still know we're trying to build something here, and we're trying to do it the right way. Is it going to take a little bit longer than people expect? Yeah, probably so. But I'm not embarrassed with the team we have here.

"I see the promise, I see some of the players we have and I know we're building it the right way. It's just a matter of these guys getting that experience. That's what a lot of them are getting right now. They're getting some valuable experience right now."

View full size Byron Scott wants his team to reject "that feeling of coming out trying not to lose -- which is almost a soft, laid-back mentality -- instead of trying to win, which is an aggressive go-get-it mentality. We have to get that go-get-it mentality." Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer  

Scott was asked what his team needs to develop in the second half.

"The biggest thing we have to work on is consistency," he said. "That's really in the effort department because we have great efforts at times and then we have our little lulls. Like I said the other day, that feeling of coming out trying not to lose, which is almost a soft, laid-back mentality, instead of trying to win, which is an aggressive go-get-it mentality. We have to get that go-get-it mentality."

It's no surprise that on the 1-4 road trip, Scott criticized his players' lack of toughness, and point guard Kyrie Irving twice said the Cavs were soft, including in the second half of Saturday's loss at Utah.

Asked about getting tougher, Scott said, "that ain't going to happen overnight. I don't think that's going to happen in the second half."

He added that it might not be possible to teach players to be tough.

"Either you have toughness or you don't," he said. "I don't think you can teach it. I think you can surround that guy with tougher guys, I don't mean just physically but mentally as well. From a mental standpoint, you probably have a better chance of teaching it than a physical standpoint. That's how I look at the whole situation. Mentally, as well as physically, do we need to get tougher? Yeah, we definitely do."

As tough as he plays, Irving admitted he's still trying to figure out when to be aggressive. He was asked if he needed to look for his shot more in the third quarter, when his team typically fades.

"Honestly, I'm still figuring that out, just trying to figure out what my team needs me to do in that exact situation," he said.

Asked about the team's needs, Irving said, "Just continue to get better every single day and find a way to put these wins together. Obviously, we can play with any team. We've proven that on a night-to-night basis. We just have to figure out what works for us and what doesn't. It's more or less timing. We're a young team, still trying to figure out what we need at specific points in the game."

Other players have other ideas about what's wrong and how to fix it -- including how to improve in the second half of games.

"Play like the first half," C.J. Miles said. "That's how we fix it. I think we get a little stagnant in third quarter. In the second half, we depend too much on us trying to play one-on-one, trying to make the plays. We made the game hard on ourselves, especially when we're down.

"The biggest thing we've got to do is continue to try to play as a team and keep that ball movement and keep sharing that ball."

Rookie Dion Waiters agreed, sounding wiser than his years.

"We've got to play together, believe in each other, share the ball, play defense, have each other's back out there," he said. "That's the biggest thing -- having trust for one another out there and knowing we've got each other's back."

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

Columnist writes "personnel side will be driven by a business-guy-turned-football-guy and a Player Personnel guy who has not worked in Player Personnel since he volunteered in Denver five years ago." Lombardi helped run successful '98 Philly draft. More Browns story links.

(Left to right) Browns CEO Joe Banner, Vice President of Player Personnel Mike Lombardi and owner Jimmy Haslam during a press conference on Friday. Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Things have quieted down on the Cleveland Browns' front since Friday, when -- as reported by Plain Dealer Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot -- it was announced that the team had hired Ray Horton as the defensive coordinator, and introduced Mike Lombardi as Vice President -- Player Personnel.

Pat McManamon, writing for FoxSportsOhio.com, sums up what many fans think of the Browns' recent moves:

At this point, the team's front office structure as it comes to football comes down to Lombardi and CEO Joe Banner making personnel decisions along with coach Rob Chudzinski. Chudzinski's wishes will be heard, of course, and the team will certainly try to build a roster to fit his system, but he's never been a head coach and never been involved in personnel. Which means the personnel side will be driven by a business-guy-turned-football-guy and a Player Personnel guy who has not worked in Player Personnel since he volunteered in Denver five years ago, a guy who has had two front office job interviews the past five years, one with the Browns.

Browns story links

Mike Lombardi's work on the 1998 Philadelphia Eagles' draft influenced Browns' CEO Joe Banner in the hiring of Lombardi as Vice President -- Player Personnel. (By Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal)

To break free from their losing ways, the Browns need to be right in the hiring of Mike Lombardi. (By Fred Greetham, Orange and Brown Report)

Inner workings in the naming rights deal for FirstEnegy Stadium, the Browns' home. (By Betty Lin-Fisher, Akron Beacon Journal)

There will be lofty expectations for the NFL's new head coaches, including the Browns' Rob Chudzinski.  (By Jason La Canfora, CBSSports.com)

Commentary on Mike Lombardi and a look at his background. And, notes on Ray Horton. (By Steve Doerschuk, Canton Repository)

Browns' tight end-fullback Brad Smelley remembers playing in the Senior Bowl a year ago. (By Matt Florjancic, clevelandbrowns.com)

The Browns' organizational shake-up is nearly complete. Now, much of what happens with the team will be based on the decisions made by Rob Chudzinski, Norv Turner, Ray Horton and Mike Lombardi. (WaitingForNextYear)

Mike Lombardi, while working as an analyst for the NFL Network, was critical of Brandon Weeden. Now, Lombardi will take another look at the Browns quarterback. (By Jeff Schudel, News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal)

Former Browns head coach Pat Shurmur is expected to be named offensive coordinator of the Eagles. Does he fit in with the offense of new Philadelphia head coach Chip Kelly? (By Dan Graziano, ESPN.com)

Playing the Bill Belichick Tree card has been a tired and unproductive exercise in Cleveland for a while now, writes sports columnist Bud Shaw.

View full size At some point, NFL teams are going to figure out that the best branch of the Bill Belichick tree is ... Belichick, says Bud Shaw. AP file  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bill Belichick endorses Mike Lombardi, though he never got around to hiring him in New England.

So much to do, only 12 years to do it.

What does the absence of a Belichick job offer somewhere along the way mean? Nothing pertinent to the Browns' situation. Lombardi might well be the exact fit Joe Banner is looking for in Berea -- Banner obviously can't sell his head coach/front office search (John Hart style) as an "All-Star at every position" -- but can we at least agree that Belichick connections are pretty lame as predictors for success?

Banner made risky moves in hiring Rob Chudzinski and Lombardi. Then again, lots of things look risky in the NFL -- a Canadian Football League coach in Chicago, a (reluctant?) Chip Kelly in Philadelphia -- until they work.

Banner is so self-assured it was odd (and a little concerning) that he felt the need to outsource platitudes about the Lombardi hire. In bolstering the case for Lombardi to a town pre-disposed to snarling and white-eyed fits at the very sound of his name, the Browns shared glowing words about Lombardi from Belichick. Lombardi also received a rousing endorsement from that other giant of NFL organization building ... Jim Nantz?

What do those recommendations mean? Nothing pertinent to the Browns' situation.

Lombardi could work out in his role. He won't be asked to wheel and deal with $40 million in cap money. Banner will mind the vault and will have final say in all things football. The organization isn't in the hands of a guy who hasn't worked in the league since 2007. It's in the hands of a non-football guy who decided against hiring a traditional GM. Feel better?

Whatever, to play the Belichick card in Cleveland so many years after he coached here, and after so many of his disciples have landed face-first falling out of his tree, is tired and pointless. That criticism is directed at the Browns in this case, but to all of us in general.

View full size There was a time when Scott Pioli seemed to carry the championship aura of Bill Belichick's New England teams. But after a failed stretch in Kansas City, Pioli was just one more branch that withered after falling off the tree. AP file  

A few years ago, the Belichick shadow made a popular GM candidate out of Scott Pioli. Some of us lobbied for it. Count me in that group. How'd that turn out in Kansas City?

Banner is hiring Lombardi based in part on an excellent draft when they were together in Philly in the late '90s. He trusts his judgments. Fine. You'd think that's good enough for Banner. The rest of us can only wait and see.

Why the need to connect Lombardi to Belichick when so many other Belichick associations -- Romeo Crennel, Charlie Weis, Pioli, Josh McDaniels, Brian Daboll, Phil Savage, George Kokinis, Eric Mangini, Nick Saban (in the pros) have proved so disappointing as solo acts?

Am I missing anybody? Oh yes, Lombardi, too. The '90s were too long ago to hold those Browns drafts against Lombardi. I know. Lots of top-10 picks, one Pro Bowler -- safety Eric Turner. Let it go. It was too long ago to be pertinent. Good or bad.

League-wide, teams have tried to find success by collecting Belichick DNA on those he's touched. The rate of return is better in college by far (Saban, Kirk Ferentz) than it is in the NFL.

There wasn't much to recommend the Mike Holmgren Era aside from a roster revamp from old and mediocre to young and promising. That's no small feat for sure. We did manage to at least take a few years off from the false hope that Belichickian disciples might show us the way.

Mangini might be the only one that came minus a Belichick endorsement because the two were feuding. We've seen enough to know there's only one Bill Belichick (and one Tom Brady).

Jimmy Haslam hired Banner because of the work he did in Philly. Banner is hiring Lombardi for the work he did in the short amount of time they spent together in the Eagles organization. Even as Haslam claimed may respected NFL people told him to hire Lombardi immediately, Banner likened the hire to going out on the limb.

And old limb from the Belichick tree doesn't doom the hire to a free fall.

But it certainly doesn't make it any less risky.

On Twitter: @budshaw

If Selection Sunday was today, the top four seeds would like come out of Duke, Indiana, Michigan, Kansas and Louisville.

View full size Trey Burke (12, driving against Minnesota's Julian Welch in the Wolverines' road victory last Thursday) and the Michigan Wolverines have been a top-five team in the national rankings in every week of this college basketball season. Paul Battaglia, Associated Press  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There will be a new No. 1 team after Louisville's loss to Syracuse this weekend, but it will come from among 2013's usual suspects.

Since the beginning of the season three teams have been No. 1 in the weekly AP Poll -- Indiana, Duke and Louisville -- and 10 teams have reached the Top 5. One team, Kentucky, was immediately exposed as a fraud after opening No. 3 in the preseason poll. The Wildcats have since dropped completely out of the rankings.

Out of the preseason top five -- Indiana, Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio State and Michigan -- three teams have held up very well. Michigan, at 17-1, has spent all 11 weeks among the top five, while Louisville has been included for 10 weeks and Indiana eight. Ohio State has been in the top five for four weeks and is currently 11th.

The steady riser now is Kansas. The Jayhawks lost by three points to Michigan State in the second game of the season, dropped to No. 12 by Week 3 and have been climbing ever since. They will get their share of No. 1 votes this week.

If Selection Sunday was today, the top four seeds would like come out of Duke, Indiana, Michigan, Kansas and Louisville. The Wolverines are the only team that has spent the entire season in the Top 5 without once reaching No. 1, but they might be the top seed in the tournament.

Around the state: In most seasons Ohio can look forward to five or six teams advancing to the NCAA. After the first two weeks of conference play it appears only Ohio State (13-4, 3-2 Big Ten) and Cincinnati (16-3, 4-2 Big East) have certain invitations.

Either Akron (13-4, 4-0) or Ohio (13-5, 4-0) -- but not both -- seem likely out of the Mid-American Conference. Xavier (11-6, 4-0 Atlantic 10) is a possibility and Wright State (13-5, 4-1 Horizon) is a dark horse. That's it. Most Division I teams around the state are doing their best to get above .500.

Checking the box scores: Of the 58 games played Wednesday night, 29 teams scored fewer than 60 points. Bad teams in bad leagues? Not quite. In the Mountain West, Fresno State defeated Wyoming, 49-36; in Conference USA Tulsa defeated UTEP, 45-42; in the A-10 Temple defeated George Washington, 55-53; in the ACC Maryland defeated North Carolina State, 51-50; and in the SEC Alabama defeated Mississippi State, 75-43.

The 3-pointer and the shot clock was supposed to boost scoring, but Saturday proved this might be a trend to keep an eye on. In the Top 25 alone, No. 18 Michigan State defeated No. 11 Ohio State, 59-56; Wyoming defeated No. 15 San Diego State, 56-45 and No. 10 Florida defeated No. 17 Missouri, 83-52.

On the Horizon: Cleveland State (10-10, 2-4) has only won once (at Ball State) away from the Wolstein Center. If CSU aims to play in a postseason tournament it needs some road wins to counter the three small-college (Alabama-Huntsville, Notre Dame College, Rio Grande) wins that don't count when tournament selections are made.

Injury-riddled CSU can expect to get 6-9 Aaron Scales (concussion) back soon, perhaps for Wednesday's home game vs. Loyola. With Valparaiso (15-5, 5-1), Wright State (13-5, 4-1) and Detroit (12-7, 4-2) the clear league favorites, CSU has the spoiler role. The Vikings have already defeated Detroit in the Wolstein Center and have home games against Valpo (Feb. 9) and Wright State (Feb. 20).

MAC attack: With Akron and OU established as the favorites in the MAC Tournament, five teams now sitting at 2-2 in the league must battle for the three remaining conference byes. There is an extra bye this year because Toledo, also 2-2, will not be part of the MAC tournament field due to its NCAA sanctions.

Of those five teams only Kent State (11-7), and West contenders Western Michigan (10-7) and Central Michigan (9-8) have winning overall records. The Golden Flashes, due to four games vs. Akron and OU, vs. two for CMU and WMU, have the tougher road to a bye.

Frank Gore ran for a pair of second-half touchdowns and the 49ers rebounded from a 17-0 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 28-24 in the NFC championship game Sunday, sending San Francisco to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995.

San Francisco 49ers' Frank Gore reacts after a touchdown run during the second half of the NFL football NFC Championship game against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)  

ATLANTA -- Frank Gore ran for a pair of second-half touchdowns and the 49ers rebounded from a 17-0 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons 28-24 in the NFC championship game Sunday, sending San Francisco to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995.

The top-seeded Falcons (14-4) tried to pull out another season-saving drive at the end, but Matt Ryan's fourth-down pass for Roddy White with 1:13 remaining was knocked down by San Francisco linebacker NaVorro Bowman.

The 49ers (13-4-1) will meet the winner of the AFC title game between New England and Baltimore. San Francisco will be trying to join Pittsburgh as the only teams with six Super Bowl championships.

The victory was sweet redemption for the 49ers, who lost an overtime thriller to the New York Giants a year ago in the NFC title game.

The 49ers pulled off the biggest comeback victory in an NFC championship game, according to STATS. The previous NFC record was 13 points -- Atlanta's victory over Minnesota in the 1999 title game, which sent the Falcons to what remains the only Super Bowl in franchise history.

In the AFC, the record is 18 points, when Indianapolis rallied New England in 2007.

Gore's 9-yard run midway through the fourth quarter completed the comeback from a 17-0 first-half deficit. The run came at the end of a short 38-yard drive set up by Ted Ginn Jr.'s 20-yard punt return.

Gore had a 5-yard touchdown run to cap an 82-yard drive to open the second half.

The high-scoring pace of the first half continued as the 49ers began their run of points. Colin Kaepernick had passes of 21 and 17 yards to Randy Moss in the drive. The 17-yarder moved the 49ers to the Falcons 5, setting up Gore's scoring run.

Matt Ryan threw three touchdown passes in the first half, including a 10-yard toss to Tony Gonzalez with 25 seconds remaining in the half. The score answered San Francisco's two straight touchdowns as Atlanta led 24-14 at halftime.

Ryan also threw touchdown passes of 20 and 46 yards to Julio Jones.

Ryan was hurt by two third-quarter turnovers. His pass for Roddy White was intercepted by cornerback Chris Culliver early in the third quarter. The 49ers couldn't take advantage of the game's first turnover when David Akers' try for a 38-yard field goal hit the left upright.

Later in the third quarter, Ryan fumbled a shotgun snap. Again the 49ers were denied when receiver Michael Crabtree fumbled at the goal line when stripped by Dunta Robinson. William Moore helped on the hit and Stephen Nicholas was credited with the recovery.

The Falcons led 17-0 following Ryan's 20-yard touchdown pass to Jones on the first play of the second quarter.

Kaepernick threw a 4-yard scoring pass to tight end Vernon Davis and LaMichael James had a 15-yard touchdown run as the 49ers charged back.

Trailing 17-0, the 49ers answered with a long drive that consumed almost 7 minutes. The drive began with four straight runs by Gore.

On third-and-7 from the Falcons 42, Kaepernick completed a 27-yard pass to Davis to the 15. Following an incomplete pass on first down, James ran right behind a block by Davis for the touchdown.

The 49ers then went on an 82-yard touchdown drive. Big plays included Kaepernick's 19-yard pass to Davis and a 23-yard run by the dual-threat quarterback.

Falcons linebacker Nicholas helped the 49ers with a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness.

On first down from the Falcons 4, Kaepernick rolled right before throwing to Davis for the touchdown.

Ryan opened the game with three straight scoring drives, including two touchdown passes to Jones. Ryan capped the Falcons' opening drive with a 46-yard touchdown pass to Jones.

Matt Bryant's 35-yard field goal capped the Falcons' second drive.

Ryan moved the Falcons 80 yards on seven plays on Atlanta's opening drive. Ryan completed passes of 13 yards to Jones and 16 yards to White on the drive.

On second-and-9 from the 49ers 46, Ryan faked a handoff to Jacquizz Rodgers. San Francisco safety Dashon Goldson bit on the fake, allowing Jones to run past Goldson. Jones was open for the deep pass as safety Donte Whitner trailed on the play.

Ryan completed a 27-yard pass to Jones to set up Bryant's field goal to end the Falcons' second drive. Jones beat Goldson on the catch.

On the first play of the second quarter, Ryan threw to Jones in the left corner of the end zone. Jones was closely covered by 49ers cornerback Tarell Brown. Jones made the catch over Brown and then looked down as he made sure he touched the end zone with both feet.

Jones' second foot was close to the back of the end zone, but the officials' review confirmed the touchdown.

Ryan completed 18 of 24 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns in the half. Jones had seven catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns.

The Falcons had a strong start for the second straight week of the postseason. They led Seattle 20-0 at halftime in last week's divisional playoff game and lost the lead before winning 30-28.