Meet this week's top performers in high school sports from Maple Heights, Garfield Heights, Chagrin Falls, St. Edward, St. Ignatius, Hudson and more.

Ross Palazzo

Hudson

Sport: Swimming

Class: Sophomore

Age: 16 Ht: 5-10

Wt: 155

What Ross did last week: In a dual against Brunswick, he set the Hudson pool record with a clocking of 1:04.12 (meters) in the breaststroke. The record had been held by Olympian Mark Gangloff of Firestone since 1999 at 1:05.27.

About Ross: Volunteers with “Make a Splash” and Special Olympics. Has done triathlons. Favorites include the University of Michigan, Ryan Lochte, football, movie “The Blind Side,” pasta and history class. Has visited Zion National Park.

Phil Black

Maple Heights

Sport: Basketball

Class: Senior

Age: 18 Ht: 6-1

Wt: 175

What Phil did last week: In a little more than six quarters in wins over Max Hayes and Warrensville Heights, the guard had 44 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists. In a 29-point effort against Max Hayes, he made five 3-pointers.

About Phil: Regarded as one of the top guards in the area. Lists the Maple Heights teams as his favorites and LeBron James as his favorite player. Other favorites include Buffalo wings and BW3 restaurants, “Martin” television show, “Chronicles of Narnia” book, Instagram website and the movie “Step Brothers.”

Richard Parker

Garfield Heights

Sport: Basketball

Class: Senior

Age: 18 Ht: 6-1

Wt: 175

What Richard did last week: Led the Bulldogs to impressive wins over Shaker Heights and Dayton Dunbar, a pair of state-ranked teams. The guard had 13 points, including a game-winning 3-point shot with 1.2 seconds left to beat Shaker, and he followed the next night with a 20-point effort against Dunbar. In the two games, he was 7-for-11 on 3-pointers and had seven rebounds.

About Richard: Enjoys going to the movies, and his favorite is “Paid In Full.” Other favorites are the Miami Heat and Ray Allen, “Martin” television show, Applebee’s and Chipotle restaurants and math class. His favorite spot visited is Las Vegas.

Aneisha Hardin

Beachwood

Sport: Basketball

Class: Junior

Age: 17 Ht: 5-7

What Aneisha did last week: In victories against WRA, Cardinal and Richmond Heights, the guard averaged 21 points, seven rebounds, 4.6 steals and 2.6 assists.

About Aneisha: Plays on the All Ohio AAU team. Favorites include the Los Angeles Lakers, Candace Parker, movie “Transformers,” “T.I. & Tiny: A Family Hustle” TV show, Nike.com, the Bible, chicken alfredo, Benihana restaurant, Nike clothes and math class. Will remember winning the CVC title as a freshman.

Hallie Thome

Chagrin Falls

Sport: Basketball

Class: Sophomore

Age: 16 Ht: 6-4

What Hallie did last week: Center had 11 points, 10 rebounds, five blocked shots, one steal and one assist in a 33-31 Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division overtime win over Kenston.

About Hallie: Also plays on the volleyball team and AAU basketball. Pregame ritual includes eating pasta, listening to music and team dance. Fan of the Cavaliers, Cierra Bravard and loves the skillet meal at Fresh Start Diner. Enjoys chemistry class, and the movies “Despicable Me” and “Pitch Perfect.” Has visited Alaska, but her dream vacation is Australia. Would like to try scuba diving, and her best school memory is beating Kenston.

Colin Heffernan

St. Edward

Sport: Wrestling

Class: Senior

Age: 17 Ht: 5-10

Wt: 138

What Colin did last week: Hit 12 takedowns in a 25-10 technical fall against Nate Henkie of St. Paris Graham to help the Eagles tie, 29-29, against the top team in Division II. He is 22-2 this season.

About Colin: Will attend Central Michigan, where he plans to major in education. Member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Favorites include golf, baseball, song “Sinners Like Me,” “Workaholics” TV show, “The Departed” movie, book “The Edge” by late St. Edward coach Howard Ferguson and history class.

Dylan Kager

Crestwood

Sport: Wrestling

Class: Senior

Age: 18 Ht: 5-7

Wt: 138

What Dylan did last week: Improved to 27-0 as he set the school record with 145 pins for his career.

About Dylan: Undecided on college plans. Favorites include the Browns, the movie “Ted” and the “Duck Dynasty” TV show. Favorite book is “Lord of the Flies.” Has a taste for blue crabs and loves to go to Red Lobster. Likes snowboarding, wakeboarding and fishing.

Mason Pastorius

Springfield

Sport: Bowling

Class: Sophomore

Age: 15 Ht: 5-11

Wt: 140

What Mason did last week: Averaged 197 for six games in wins over Norton, Crestwood and Ravenna. He had a high game of 249 and a series of 464 against Crestwood. Is averaging 177 on the year.

About Mason: Plays saxophone in the band and enjoys reading and dabbling in website coding. Is a fan of Peyton Manning, “Lord of the Rings” movie, television show “Friends” and the song “Under Pressure” by Queen. Enjoys math class, eating at T.G.I. Friday’s, playing “Assassin’s Creed” video game and wearing hoodies. Dream vacation is seeing all of Ireland.

Joe Malone

St. Ignatius

Sport: Hockey

Class: Senior

Age: 17 Ht: 5-8

Wt: 165

What Joe did last week: The defenseman helped the Wildcats post three shutouts in five winning games as they won their fourth straight Meadville (Pa.) Invitational tournament. He had two goals and four assists and was named to the all-tournament team.

About Joe: Will play golf at University of Rochester. Favorites include the Colorado Avalanche, golfer Dustin Johnson, “Gladiator” movie, “Breaking Bad” TV show, song “Something To Be Proud Of,” “FIFA13” video game, book “Lords of Discipline,” firecracker shrimp, Rio’s restaurant, Polo clothes and physics class. Has been to Spain and wants to golf at Augusta National.

Lauren Heller

Walsh Jesuit

Sport: Swimming

Class: Freshman

Age: 14 Ht: 5-7

What Lauren did last week: At the Medina dual, she won the individual medley, butterfly and was on winning 200 and 400 relays. At the Barberton Invitational, she won the 100 free in a meet-record 52.69, the individual medley and was on the winning medley and 200 free relays.

About Lauren: Volunteers for “Make a Splash” and enjoys water and jet skiing. Eats sushi before a meet. Favorites include the U.S. Olympic Team, Tim Tebow, “Soul Surfer” movie, song “Girl on Fire,” book “Through My Eyes,” Luigi’s restaurant and algebra. Wants to vacation in Hawaii.

New procedure for Players of the Week

Nominations for high school Players of the Week will now be accepted through an online form instead of phone calls. Access the form at cleveland.com/potw. Nominations, which must be submitted by coaches, are due every Monday by noon.

Players of the Week win a free SAT or ACT class with College Review. To arrange, call 216-831-2557 or visit collegereview.org.

Hornets owner Tom Benson is changing his team's nickname to the Pelicans and said the switch will create a bond with the city that could lead to a championship.

NEW ORLEANS — Hornets owner Tom Benson is changing his team's nickname to the Pelicans and said the switch will create a bond with the city that could lead to a championship.

The Hornets announced Thursday they are going ahead with the name change. The NBA still has to approve it, but Commissioner David Stern has said he wouldn't object to any name Benson chose. The league is expected to expedite the change at the start of next season.

The new color scheme is blue, gold and red, a departure from the Hornets' teal, purple, gold and white.

The Hornets have been in New Orleans since moving from Charlotte for the 2002-03 season, although they were relocated temporarily to Oklahoma City from 2005-2007 due to Hurricane Katrina. Benson, who also owns the Saints, bought the team last spring.

The nickname Hornets "didn't mean anything to this community," Benson said. "The pelican represents New Orleans, just like the Saints. They have incredible resolve. If they can do that, the team can do the same."

The brown pelican is Louisiana's state bird and has become identified with efforts to restore Louisiana's coast, which has been damaged extensively by the 2010 BP oil spill and erosion from Katrina and other storms. Images of the pelicans covered with oil were plentiful after the oil spill.

The brown pelican was taken off the endangered species list in 2009.

"We're raising an entire generation to be very mindful to what happened to our coastal restoration," said Rita Benson LeBlanc, Benson's granddaughter and vice chairman of the board for the Hornets and the Saints. "Give it time, and I think everyone will be inspired (by the name change). It's for a greater purpose."

The team also unveiled five new logos. The primary one has a red background with the words New Orleans and pelicans written in white, a red pelican's head and bill, a gold basketball and crescent and a red fleur de lis at the top.

"It's a strong looking logo. that's what I was most worried about," coach Monty Williams said. "I was hoping it was dynamic and strong, and when I saw the colors and the angles of it, I thought it was great. It's going to be great to see kids around the city in their pelican jerseys and hats."

Benson owns the rights to the name Pelicans, which was the nickname for a former minor league baseball team that played in New Orleans for more than 70 years.

"When kids grow up, they're going to identify with New Orleans Pelicans here," said New Orleans head of basketball operations Mickey Loomis, who also is the Saints general manager. "It's really New Orleans' team. I think from the very beginning for Mr. B when he bought the team, he just wanted to make sure that I'm a local owner and this is a local team."

The Hornets are New Orleans' second NBA team. The Jazz played here from 1974-79 before leaving for Utah, and current Jazz owners have said they had no interest in giving up the name so New Orleans could have it back.

There is a small campaign in Charlotte to "bring back the buzz" to North Carolina.

Before they were the New Orleans Hornets, the franchise was located in Charlotte from 1988-2002 — then George Shinn moved the Hornets to the Big Easy. The Bobcats are doing market research to find out if the name change is worth it. Charlotte has hired Harris Interactive, a nationally prominent polling company, to survey current Bobcats customers and the Charlotte sports market to get their input on possibly changing the name.

"We are aware of the impending change regarding the team nickname in New Orleans," said Bobcats president and COO Fred Whitfield. "We are currently in contact with the NBA and conducting our own due diligence relative to this matter."

Don King joined cleveland.com's Glenn Moore and Dan Labbe during their live video show from the reception. Watch video

The stars were out at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards Thursday night at the Renaissance Hotel downtown.

Northeast Ohio's top professional, amateur, collegiate and high school athletes were honored at the 2012 Greater Cleveland Sports Awards last night. Check out D-Man's Twitpics from the event.

 Northeast Ohio's top professional, amateur, collegiate and high school athletes were honored at the 2012 Greater Cleveland Sports Awards last night.

The 13th annual ceremony, held at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, raises money for the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, which works to bring world-class sporting events to the area.

The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff covered the event. You can read his story here and check out his Twitpics below. Follow D-Man on Twitter at @dmansworldpd.

Check out photos from those in attendance at Thursday night's Greater Cleveland Sports Awards.

Kyrie Irving won Professional Athlete of the Year last night at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer  

Former Cleveland Browns linebacker Frank Stams joined cleveland.com's live broadcast at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards Thursday night. Watch video

Former Cleveland Browns linebacker Frank Stams joined cleveland.com's live broadcast at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards Thursday night.

Defensive coordinator Ray Horton makes it plain when it comes to which defense the Browns will utilize next season.

Ray Horton says the Browns will play a 3-4. AP file  

CLEVELAND, Ohio - So it looks like coach Rob Chudzinski's claims of a "hybrid" defense when it comes to the 4-3 and the 3-4 was only smoke and mirrors.

If you believe new Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton, the Browns will play in the 3-4. Mary Kay Cabot writes on Cleveland.com about Horton's recent radio interview about his plans.
 

"It'll be a 3-4 defense, the same defense we ran (in Arizona),''
Horton told 910 AM in Arizona. "It won't be a hybrid unless you're
playing golf."

He also said his scheme will mirror that of the Steelers, where he
worked from 2004-10 under defensive genius Dick LeBeau, who runs an
attack-minded 3-4.

But Chudzinski re-iterated Thursday night at the Greater Cleveland
Sports Awards that the Browns will run both the 3-4 and 4-3, more of a
hybrid of the two fronts.

The reason it's an issue is because some key
players, such as defensive end Jabaal Sheard and tackle Ahtyba Rubin,
are more suited to the 4-3. Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson has also excelled
in the 4-3.

New offensive coordinator Norv Turner receives kudos from a former player (Cleveland.com).

Coach Rob Chudzinski has no problem handing over offense to Norv Turner (Ohio.com).

The Browns are making a big mistake with Brandon Weeden (Rant Sports).

News and notes from the Senior Bowl (Fox Sports Ohio).

Here are some news and notes when it comes to the NFL (CantonRep.com).

Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey is rooting for the Ravens in the Super Bowl (Tribune Review).

Former Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader waiting on decision of her libel lawsuit (ESPN).

St. Louis Rams hire former Browns DC Rob Ryan (ESPN).

Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed does not plan to retire (Baltimore Sun).

Harbaughs marked by family loyalty (SFGate.com).

Brandon Weeden's arm should give him a chance in Norv Turner's offense (ESPNCleveland).

Eagles' Chip Kelly could use Jimmy Johnson's tenure with Cowboys as blueprint (Yahoo Sports)

New Orleans Saints fire DC Steve Spagnuolo (CBSSports).

The Browns make two more assistant coach hires (Cleveland.com).

"I liked the way the 4-3 D was working last year. Now we'll have to draft lots of LB's. Hopefully he can get the NEW D to jell very quickly. I'm tired of all these constant changes." - C-Town

With Ray Horton switching to a 3-4 defense, the Browns will have to draft more linebackers says one cleveland.com reader. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)  

"I liked the way the 4-3 D was working last year. Now we'll have to draft lots of LB's. Hopefully he can get the NEW D to jell very quickly. I'm tired of all these constant changes."

At Senior Bowl, Robinson was held out of contact the the first two days of practice by nerve damage in his elbow that accelerated his change from quarterback.

Senior Bowl North Squad wide receiver Denard Robinson of Michigan talks with reporters following Senior Bowl football practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. AP  

MOBILE, Ala. -- Denard Robinson's transition to wide receiver includes some new habits and adjustments.

The former quarterback has to get better at running routes and getting separation, but he's not about to start tying his shoes.

During his Michigan career Robinson was known for his speed, long runs and untied shoes. All those traits have been on display heading into Saturday's Senior Bowl -- even his position coach has taken to calling him "Shoelaces."

"A couple of offensive linemen in the huddle are like, 'Your shoes are untied,'" Robinson said. "I thought he was playing but he was like, 'No, seriously, your shoes are untied.'"

Robinson insists he's not about to start tying his shoes.

However, everything else about his game is changing.

His future in the NFL won't be as a quarterback, whether he lines up in in the Wildcat position, fields kicks or catches passes. Or all of the above.

Robinson was limited to non-contact the first two days of practice by nerve damage in his right elbow that accelerated his position switch since he finished his college career playing running back and some receiver.

He said receiver is where he wanted to be for the Senior Bowl.

North coach Dennis Allen of the Oakland Raiders said Robinson's explosiveness and ability to run with the ball has been evident on the practice field.

His openness to learning is another positive.

"He has a lot of confidence in his ability but at the same time he understands that he doesn't know everything that he needs to know about playing the wide receiver position," Allen said. "But he's very willing to learn. That's the biggest thing, is guys understanding and being willing to put forth the effort to try to learn the position."

Robinson said North teammates like Baylor's Terrance Williams have helped him along the way. He's also gotten calls from Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner, receiver Roy Roundtree and cornerback J.T. Floyd with advice.

Floyd's message, Robinson said: "You've got to be smoother coming out of the breaks."

He said the biggest lessons he has gotten concern how to use his hands to get separation from defensive backs off the line.

"I want to be good already," said Robinson, who is also working as a return man. "I want to be great already, so of course I thought I could be better. I'm always striving to be better."

North Carolina State quarterback Mike Glennon's early glimpses of Robinson as a receiver were promising, even restricted by the elbow.

"He's a heck of an athlete," Glennon said. "I've seen him on TV plenty of times, and he can really play. Just the way he moves, I'm sure he'll make the transition well."

Robinson's running abilities were on display throughout his college career. His 4,495 rushing yards broke Pat White's NCAA record for quarterbacks.

White stayed put at quarterback during the 2009 Senior Bowl and was named the game's MVP before being drafted in the second round by the Miami Dolphins. He was cut after one season.

Robinson is hoping his career turns out more like Antwaan Randle El and Green Bay's Randall Cobb, who began his Kentucky career as a quarterback but has thrived as a receiver and return man.

Randle El, then the major college career leader for QB rushing yards, made the switch at the 2002 Senior Bowl and wound up catching 370 passes for 4,467 yards and 15 touchdowns in his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins.

Robinson seems to have maintained a positive attitude about the position move.

"I don't live my life with regrets, he said. "I made this choice and I've got to make the most of it."

Former Cleveland Cavaliers great Larry Nance joined cleveland.com's live broadcast from the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards Thursday night. Watch video

Former Cleveland Cavaliers great Larry Nance joined cleveland.com's live broadcast from the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards Thursday night.

At Thursday's Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, the Browns drew most of the sentiment as the team with the chance to get there first.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - On Thursday night at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards at the Renaissance, Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff asked some of the distinguished guests which Cleveland major professional team they think will win a championship first:

The past several years have been especially painful.

Since LeBron James made "The Decision" in summer 2010, the Cavaliers are a combined 51-140, the Browns 14-34 and the Indians 217-269 (including the full 2010 season). LBJ's 2009-2010 Cavs are the most recent Cleveland team with a record of .500 or better.

. . . A straw poll of luminaries and fans at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards on Thursday night leaned heavily toward the Browns, by a 2-to-1 margin, to win the Super Bowl before the other teams reach their respective championship series.

St. Ignatius football coach Chuck Kyle picked the Browns, but he said fans will have to be patient:

"It's going to be a while for all three of the teams, because they're all still rebuilding," Kyle said. "I like the Browns because of the leadership at the top and a young, talented roster. They've got cap room, and their division is getting old. It's tougher for the Indians, who are in the small-to-mid-market situation and have the tight windows before the good players sign elsewhere. The Cavs are young and have Kyrie Irving, but they keep getting injured."

So which Cleveland pro sports team do you think will be the first to hoist a championship trophy?

Even in aftermath of trade with Memphis, Cavs could do more prior to Feb. 21 trade deadline. Cavs in much better shape than two years ago, when they lost 36 times in a 37-game span. More Cavaliers story links.

Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant has stockpiled first-round draft picks for the team with a series of trades, and maintained salary cap flexibility at the same time. Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Milwaukee Bucks tonight, the Cavs led by their first-time all-star, 20-year-old point guard Kyrie Irving.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Cavaliers coverage includes Jodie Valade's story on Irving being named to the Eastern Conference all-star team; a video of Irving talking about his all-star selection; Dennis Manoloff's "Twitpics" from Thursday night's Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, including some Cavs-related; Greater Cleveland Sports Award Instagram photos, again, some with Cavs personnel.

Earlier this week, the Cavaliers traded forward Jon Leuer to the Memphis Grizzlies for forward-center Marreese Speights, guards Wayne Ellington and Josh Selby and a conditional first-round draft pick. The particulars of the deal allowed Memphis to improve its luxury tax status and the Cavs to maintain salary cap flexibility.

The NBA trade deadline is Feb. 21. Sam Amico writes for FoxSportsOhio.com that, even in the aftermath of the Cavaliers-Grizzlies trade:

With salary-cap space to spare and an array of movable contracts, league sources have pinpointed Houston, Cleveland and Phoenix as three teams aggressively seeking a move as the Feb. 21 NBA trading deadline approaches.

What, if anything, these teams might do, however, still seems to be anyone’s guess.

“It’s way too early to know,” one source dialed in with league-wide phone conversations told FOX Sports Ohio.

And, Amico -- referring to what the Cavs acquired in the trade with Memphis and to guard Daniel Gibson -- writes more on what Cavs general manager Chris Grant might consider doing :

The Cavs could very well flip one of the pieces obtained in that same deal. They are constantly on the lookout for more draft picks. At the same time, they are extremely open to moving the first-rounder they received from Memphis, as well as the expiring deals of Gibson and Luke Walton.

Cavaliers story links

How much progress the Cavaliers have made since two years ago at this time, when they were in the midst of a 26-game losing streak -- and, by the way, 36 losses in a 37-game span. (By Conrad Kaczmarek, Fear The Sword)

A preview of tonight's Cavaliers home game against the Milwaukee Bucks. (nba.com/cavaliers)

Comparing how the Cavaliers are tracking through this season to what the Okalahoma City Thunder did during the 2008-09 campaign. (By Jacob Rosen, WaitingForNextYear)

Detailing the draft picks the Cavaliers own through 2019. (By Joe Gabriele. nba.com/cavaliers)

Kyrie Irving is named an all-star and receives the Professional Athlete of the Year Award at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards on the same night. (By Jim Ingraham, News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal)

Kyrie Irving is the sixth-youngest player to make an NBA all-star team. (By Jason Lloyd, Akron Beacon Journal)

Kyrie Irving becomes one of the youngest players to make the all-star team. (By Rick Noland, Medina County Gazette and Elyria Chronicle-Telegram)

Breaking down the Cavs-Grizzlies trade and a look ahead to the NBA draft. (By Kevin Hetrick, Cavs: The Blog)

Things to watch for during the remainder of the 2012-13 Cavaliers season. A slideshow. (Bleacher Report)

Comments on Kyrie Irving's all-star selection and on tonight's Tristan Thompson Bobblehead night. (By Brendan Bowers, Stepien Rules)

"Good to see Zeller being praised for his very nice play lately. Happy to read his coach is very happy with Zeller play and improvement and has committed to him starting the remaining 40 games. And that should continue for many years." - ByPolar

Does Tyler Zeller deserve praise for his recent play? One cleveland.com reader thinks so. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)  

"Good to see Zeller being praised for his very nice play lately.

Happy to read his coach is very happy with Zeller play and improvement and has committed to him starting the remaining 40 games. And that should continue for many years."

It's long overdue for former owner to head to Canton, Ohio, with other legends of the game, writes Baltimore Sun columnist.

Art Modell belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the time is right to make that happen, writes Baltimore Sun columnist Peter Schmuck. AP File  

BALTIMORE, Md. - There is little question that Art Modell would be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame by now if he had not uprooted the financially strapped Cleveland Browns and moved the franchise to Baltimore almost two decades ago.

The rest of his legacy as one of the NFL's most visionary owners is unquestioned, and no one can look at the amazing popularity and profitability of the sport and deny that Modell's fingerprints are all over it.

So, here's hoping that when Hall of Fame voters fill out their ballots next Saturday in New Orleans, enough of them put a check next to Modell's name to finally allow him -- at least in spirit -- to return to Ohio in triumph instead of ignominy.

Maybe, just maybe, enough time has passed for Clevelanders to let go of their anger and bitterness, let Modell rest in peace and allow their once-beloved franchise to mine every ounce of history and magic out of this unlikely Super Bowl run.

The Ravens have confounded the experts by pulling off big playoff upsets against the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots. They are on the verge of putting the ultimate postscript on the career of legendary linebacker Ray Lewis. And there's an outside chance that Modell and all-everything offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden could be elected to the Hall of Fame on the day before the Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers for the rest of the marbles.

It isn't the fans in Cleveland who are standing in the way of that, of course, but they – and their media surrogates – have done a masterful job over the past 16 years of making Modell's one civic transgression overshadow the rest of a football life that was lived with grace, humor and great distinction.

For the voters who have long scorned Modell for the way he departed Cleveland all those years ago, it is time give back that pound of flesh. The debt has been paid. Modell passed away in September without receiving the recognition due him for the role he played in merging the NFL and AFL, expanding the television lineup into prime time and – for that matter – all of his philanthropic efforts in the state that now holds him in such low regard.

It's hard to ask passionate sports fans to look at the bigger picture, but the Browns are still in Cleveland and the fans there no longer have to trudge into the cesspool known as Cleveland Municipal Stadium to watch them play. They didn't have to cringe as their team colors were paraded through another city or listen to NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue console them after their failed expansion effort by advising them to "build another museum."

The whole Modell/Robert Irsay comparison is just sour apples and oranges. Modell was a pillar of the community in Cleveland, and cared enough about the fans there to leave their colors behind in anticipation of a new franchise and the sparkling new stadium the old Browns were never promised.

Irsay was a dislikable character who was never embraced by the people of Baltimore and was blamed for the way one of the NFL's most storied franchises declined after he acquired it in 1972. He spirited the Colts out of town in the dead of night and never looked back, taking the team's history and its beloved horseshoe with him.

There's no point in replaying everything that led to Modell's departure, except to say that he bore responsibility for the sad state of the team's finances and the city of Cleveland left him with only two choices -- sell the team that he considered his family for 35 years or move it to a place where the economics were more favorable. The only reason that was a hard decision was because Modell truly loved the people of Cleveland and went to his grave hoping they would someday forgive him for it.

"I leave my heart and part of my soul in Cleveland," he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1996. "But frankly, it came down to a simple proposition: I had no choice."

Modell has moved on, but the football fans of Cleveland still have a choice. They can put aside the petty bitterness and let go of all that anger. They can remember the good times and listen to the great Jim Brown, who has implored them to focus on all the good Modell did for the NFL and Northeast Ohio.

"I would hope so because the game today is a reflection of people like Art," Brown told the NFL Network soon after Modell's death last September. "It's a tremendous game today. It generates tremendous fun for people, they love it. The game is great. The players are fantastic. The money is awesome, and Art was a part of that great vision."

It isn't just time for Art Modell to be inducted in the Hall of Fame. It is long overdue.

The late Art Modell, the man who moved the Browns, is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for a second time. However his backers are selling his legacy, voters shouldn't buy it.

Art Modell has again arrived, this time posthumously, at the doorstep of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He rose to fame and fortune as the owner of the Cleveland Browns, later relocated for no good reason except Modell's poor business sense, to Baltimore and renamed the Ravens.

Modell perhaps benefits from sympathy votes after his death in September. He was also a finalist in 2001, a year after the Ravens, the AFC champions this season, won their only Super Bowl. He was a semifinalist seven times between 2004 and 2011. Voting will take place next weekend before the Super Bowl in New Orleans by a committee of football writers.

Because there is always a chance new voters don't know the real reason for the move, the story should begin with the fact that Modell was always a salesman, although his wares were not championship rings.

In 1961, he bought a Browns franchise that had been a dynasty. Except for an NFL championship in 1964, won with the players of the legendary coach, Paul Brown, whom he had fired the year before, he turned it into a franchise that, at best, was a near-miss. The Browns lost the 1965 NFL title game and lost five other times when victory would have given them their first Super Bowl appearance. From 1970 through 1995, when the franchise moved, his teams had a record of 194-195-3.

A high school dropout in New York, his stock in trade became Arthur Bertram Modell. As Willy Loman said in "Death of a Salesman," "Personality always wins the day."

Modell got a foot in the door of the revolutionary new television business as producer of "Market Melodies," one of the first regularly scheduled daytime shows. Playing on TV sets mounted on shelves in grocery stores, it gave housewives something to watch while waiting for the butcher to trim the rump roast.

With only $250,000 of his own money, he bought the Browns for $4 million. He took loans of $2.7 million and sold the idea of owning a piece of a pro football team to enough partners to make up the rest.

The selling job became harder after he fired Paul Brown in 1963. In Brown's autobiography, the coach savaged Modell, writing that there were two ways of doing business -- "One was based on knowledge and experience. The other from a complete lack of either." Many Browns fans considered Modell an arrogant carpetbagger after Brown's firing.

With a quick wit and often engaging personality, Modell managed to connect with some media members, fans and, more importantly, members of the NFL elite. Any conversation with him included laughs. His personal friendship with the transformative NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, which developed when both were bachelors with a taste for good food, drink and companionship, gave Modell the unofficial title of the "NFL's second-most powerful man."

"I never have to wait in line to see a buyer. "Willy Loman is here!" That's all they have to know, and I go right through," said Arthur Miller's doomed salesman.

Modell's role in the negotiations that created a mass television audience for the NFL, however, was that of a facilitator. Rozelle was the "closer," not Modell. At Rozelle's funeral, ABC-TV programming visionary Roone Arledge said, "The way to get a television deal done was to have lunch with Pete."

In the end, Modell's long association with network executives fossilized his perception of the changing business. He wanted to offer rebates to the networks in 1991 when ratings slumped. Hard-driving Dallas owner Jerry Jones instead struck a deal with the upstart Fox Network for $1.6 billion over four years to broadcast the big-market NFC games in 1993. It was some $100 million per year more than a complacent CBS had offered. It legitimized Fox as a national network and led Modell to resign from the TV committee.

For year, Modell had been out there, selling the game. He staged exhibition doubleheaders here. "Monday Night Football," Arledge's baby, became a cultural phenomenon after Modell's Browns agreed to play host to the first one.

Modell was never able to sell a new stadium to the fans or civic powers here, though. It became a priority when he took over crumbling Cleveland Muncipal Stadium, a move driven by thoughts of the rent he would collect from the tenants, the Indians. The building became a money hemorrhage instead.

By the mid-1990s, with the Indians becoming a great power after the sin tax-funded construction of Jacobs Field, Modell was no longer selling. He was only hoarding his power. He clung to the Browns because the team gave him his sense of self. Facing bankruptcy, he never attempted to sell to a local buyer who would keep the team here. He took a lease-breaking, sweetheart deal from Baltimore instead.

The move tore the heart out of the city, crushed fans who had supported his mediocre teams, and cast him forever as Cleveland's biggest villain.

Willie Loman, like Modell, never knew what the real, enduring values were in life. That is why Willie's suicide in the play is not really a tragedy.

The best chance for Modell to be inducted into the Hall of Fame was always going to be after he died, when passions had quieted. But a triumph enabled by death and marred by years of financial trouble, mediocre play and betrayed loyalty will always be a diminished one.

To reach Bill Livingston:

blivingston@plaind.com, 216-999-4672

Previous columns online: cleveland.com/columns

The Cleveland Cavaliers have coveted Marreese Speights since the 2008 draft. In a trade this week, they finally got the power forwadr they have long sought.

Portland Trail Blazers' J.J. Hickson, right, is fouled by the Memphis Grizzlies' Marreese Speights on Jan. 4 in Memphis. The Cavs drafted Hickson at No. 18 in 2008, but have always coveted Speights. They finally got the 6-10 power forward this week in a trade. Danny Johnston/Associated Press  

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Marreese Speights has known for a while that the Cavaliers like him. Coming out of Florida in 2008, the 6-foot-10 power forward spent several days in Cleveland working out for the Cavaliers before the draft. He had a good feeling. He liked how he fit in with the Cavaliers.

But Philadelphia picked Speights at No. 16, and the Cavaliers were left to choose J.J. Hickson at No. 18 in that draft.

Still, the Cavaliers have remained intrigued. Now, with the trade with Memphis officially final, the organization will get a chance to see Speights in a Cavaliers uniform.

Coach Byron Scott is hopeful that Speights can provide immediate relief for a thin frontcourt that lost center Anderson Varejao for the season earlier this week when a pulmonary embolism was discovered. In five seasons -- three with Philadelphia and two with Memphis -- Speights averages 7.4 points on 47 percent shooting, and 4.3 rebounds.

"He can flat-out shoot the ball for a big man," Scott said.

Speights said he's excited not only for a fresh start, but specifically to come to Cleveland.

"Cleveland's always been a team that wanted me and a team that I wanted to come to," he said.

In Memphis, Speights saw his playing time dwindle to the point of aggravation. In 2011-12, he started 54 of 60 games, averaging 22.4 minutes. This season, he had started two of 40 games, averaging only 14.5 minutes per game.

"It was kind of frustrating," Speights admitted.

Which is why Speights is ready to play immediately, even if he doesn't know the full Cavaliers playbook, yet.

"The league really is all the same plays with different names," Speights said. "I ran some of the Princeton offense in Philly three years ago, so I should be all right."

Carolina connection The other player obtained in the Memphis trade, Wayne Ellington, has a connection to the Cavaliers, too: Tyler Zeller. The two are North Carolina products, with Zeller's freshman year coming when Ellington was a junior.

Ellington flashed a broad grin when asked about his relationship with Zeller on Friday.

"It's great for him to be on my team again," he said. "He's come a long way. From seeing him come into college to now seeing him come into the pros."

All-Star Irving Kyrie Irving had about 24 hours to bask in the news that he was an All-Star when he admitted that earning a spot on the team has been a goal that he had trouble even admitting to himself.

"Earlier in the year, if you guys would have asked me if this was my goal, I would have said no," Irving said Friday. "But in the back of my mind, it was absolutely there."

No TV: The NBA announced that the Cavaliers-Orlando Magic game Feb. 23 no longer will be televised on NBA TV. The Milwaukee-Atlanta game replaces it.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jvalade@plaind.com, 216-999-4654

The Ohio State men's basketball team plays at Penn State at noon today, on ESPN2. It is the Buckeye's first game since nearly blowing a 24-point lead at home Tuesday to Iowa.

Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas drives to the basket against Iowa's Aaron White Tuesday in Columbus. Ohio State won 72-63. Jay LaPrete/Associated Press  

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- You might be concerned. After Ohio State nearly blew a 24-point lead in a nine-point win over Iowa on Tuesday, you might have questions about the No. 14 Buckeyes (14-4, 4-2 Big Ten) as they visit Penn State today.

Questions like:

Q: Does Deshaun Thomas look tough?

A: Ohio State's leading scorer, with a small bandage over his right eye to cover a cut that required six stitches, actually turned to teammate Evan Ravenel during interviews Friday and asked that question.

Ravenel wasn't that impressed, especially since Thomas said the stitches, required by the elbow he took from teammate Shannon Scott during Tuesday's win, were the first of his life.

"The first time I got stitches I was like 4 or 5 years old. It was bad, bro," Ravenel said.

Thomas, who ranks first in the Big Ten and 12th in the nation in scoring at 20.5 points per game, has lived a more charmed life, previously managing to avoid the perils of rough-and-tumble basketball.

"In high school, people barely touched me," Thomas said. "The Big Ten is physical. They try to do anything to knock me off my path and try to do anything to frustrate me. But that didn't frustrate me.

"I'm always down for a war wound."

Thomas was held to 16 points against Iowa after five straight games of 20 points or more. It's easy to figure he'll get back on track against the Nittany Lions, but he was fine spreading the scoring Tuesday.

"My teammates hitting like that, I love that," Thomas said.

Q: Are the Buckeyes still tired?

A: After the Iowa win, Thad Matta said his players were "exhausted," in part because he'd pushed them as hard in practice as any team he's ever coached. After an off day Wednesday, Matta said, "we've had pretty good freshness the last couple days."

Q: Are they better in practice?

A: After Tuesday's win, point guard Aaron Craft said this team was better at practicing than the team that went to the Final Four a year ago. That point was confirmed Friday, the main change being the current sophomores going harder than they did as freshmen last season.

"Guys want to prove themselves this year, guys want to show coach they can play," Ravenel said, "and last year some of the younger guys didn't take it as serious because they kind of felt like they weren't going to play."

"If you don't come to practice to play, you're going to look real bad," Matta said. "And I think guys have kind of caught on to that."

As Thomas pointed out, the bigger issue this year is carrying good practices over to the games.

Q: Will they be consistent?

A: Maybe not. In their last three games, the Buckeyes nearly lost big leads against both Michigan and Iowa, yet still hung on to win at home, while they fell behind 10-0 at Michigan State and nearly came back to win. Don't expect a solid 40 minutes yet, even against Penn State.

"In the last 80 minutes of basketball, we've played 66 pretty good minutes," Matta said.

Q: Is there another collapse on the road ahead, like in the 19-point loss at Illinois?

A: No. The Buckeyes still don't understand what happened in that game. But they also still use it as a reminder.

"We talk about it every day," Matta said.

Q: Should you be worried?

A: No. Matta is drumming up the Nittany Lions (8-11, 0-7) as a scrappy underdog, but it's a hard sell. With All-Big Ten pick Tim Frazier lost for the season with an injury, Penn State is having trouble competing. The closest the Nittany Lions have come to winning in the Big Ten is a nine-point loss at Wisconsin and a four-point home loss to Nebraska, a game which serves as the Cornhuskers' only conference win.

So Matta, searching for motivation like any good coach, went to the history books.

"Penn State knocks off a Top 25 team every year at home," Matta said.

"He doesn't want it to be us, and we don't want it to be us, either," Ravenel said.

Actually, it's not every year. But the Nittany Lions have beaten a ranked team at home in four out of five previous seasons. They actually have eight home wins over ranked teams in the last five years. Of course, overall Penn State is 11-36 against ranked teams since the 2008-09 season.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Jim Caldwell enjoys his job as offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, and he's quite good at it. Before taking over in early December, Caldwell had never held the position at any level, yet the Ravens' attack has flourished under his direction. Quarterback Joe Flacco has looked sharp, the play-calling has been unpredictable and Baltimore...

View full size Ravens offensive coordinator and former Colts head coach Jim Caldwell. Patrick Semansky, AP  

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Jim Caldwell enjoys his job as offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, and he's quite good at it.

Before taking over in early December, Caldwell had never held the position at any level, yet the Ravens' attack has flourished under his direction. Quarterback Joe Flacco has looked sharp, the play-calling has been unpredictable and Baltimore has scored 90 points in three playoff games to earn a berth in the Super Bowl.

Caldwell's success prompted head coach John Harbaugh to ask him to retain the post in 2013. Caldwell appreciates the opportunity, but he has no intention of making "offensive coordinator, Baltimore Ravens" the last line on his r sum .

The 58-year-old Caldwell wants to be a head coach. He did it in Indianapolis from 2009 to '11 and is itching for another crack at the top job in his profession.

"At some point in time, if the Lord wills it, I'd love to be able to do it again," Caldwell said Friday. "But it may not happen. Everybody in our profession is looking for an opportunity to run their own program, and I'm no different than anybody else in that regard."

Caldwell might have gotten the chance to at least interview for an opening if he wasn't so busy helping the Ravens earn a date with San Francisco in next Sunday's Super Bowl.

"I had a couple of GMs tell me, 'If it weren't for your guys' success in the playoffs and continuing to play, then he would have been someone we would have interviewed,' " said Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome. "Hopefully, next year, we're in the same spot, and it will be tough for him to get interviews again. Really, though, I can see him getting that opportunity a year from now."

Caldwell is certainly a viable candidate for a head-coaching job. He took the Indianapolis Colts to the Super Bowl in 2009 and was instrumental in the development of quarterback Peyton Manning. He's also provided the Baltimore offense with a boost after replacing Cam Cameron, who was fired Dec. 10.

Some coaches are fiery. Some break clipboards to get a player's attention. Caldwell does none of that.

"Man, he is so humble, laid-back," said Baltimore receiver Jacoby Jones. "But he's a smart man. He reads a lot of books, gives you a lot of quotes. He's so diverse."

The NFL's Rooney Rule was designed to provide diversity among NFL head coaches and GMs, but if Caldwell -- an African American with impressive credentials -- can't get an interview, then maybe it's time to fix the process.

"I do think that it's something that certainly needs to be revisited and is going to be revisited," Caldwell said. "I'm not one of the individuals that started that particular drive to do so. There's been a lot of very intelligent men that have looked at this thing and talked about it in depth, so I think that's going to happen."

In the meantime, Caldwell is preparing for the Super Bowl, while dozens of other coaches are at home looking forward to next year. So despite not getting an interview, he has no regrets.

"None whatsoever. I'd certainly rather be right where I am right now, with you asking me this question," he said. "It just doesn't happen that often in your career to be fortunate enough to have this opportunity. I'm thankful. The other things, they'll take care of themselves somewhere down the road."

Caldwell deserves plenty of credit for Baltimore's surprising run to the Super Bowl. In the six games since he's taken over, the Ravens have averaged 26.2 points and 406.2 yards of offense per game. During the playoffs, Baltimore has scored touchdowns on eight of 10 trips inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

"What coach Caldwell has done has kept the offense simple and basic," said running back Ray Rice. "He put the game into Joe Flacco's hands, and Joe has done a great job -- phenomenal job -- of leading us to where we needed to be. We are right here where we want to be right now."

And maybe, so is Caldwell. For now, anyway. He expressed genuine appreciation and thanks Friday when talking about being asked to return in 2013.

"I'm excited about it. Certainly very honored and humbled as well," he said. "It's a great opportunity for me, in particular, working within this organization. I'm looking forward to it, but right now, I'm looking forward to this next ball game we've got coming up. That's the most important thing."

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Andy Murray was taking deep breaths, trying to recover from his exhausting win against Roger Federer. Pain was very much on his mind. The U.S. Open champion defeated Federer, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2, in a four-hour Australian Open semifinal Friday night. It was Murray's first victory against the 17-time major winner at a...

View full size Andy Murray celebrates Friday after beating Roger Federer in the semifinals of the Australian Open. Dita Alangkara, AP  

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Andy Murray was taking deep breaths, trying to recover from his exhausting win against Roger Federer. Pain was very much on his mind.

The U.S. Open champion defeated Federer, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2, in a four-hour Australian Open semifinal Friday night. It was Murray's first victory against the 17-time major winner at a Grand Slam event.

But with the clock about to strike midnight, Murray already was thinking about Sunday's final against two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic, who is on a 20-match winning streak at Melbourne Park. This will be a rematch of their U.S. Open final.

"Every time we play each other, it's normally a very physical match," Murray said. "I'll need to be ready for the pain. I hope it's a painful match -- that'll mean it's a good one."

Murray had a 10-9 record against Federer, but he had lost his three previous Grand Slam matches to the Swiss star. One of those defeats came at Wimbledon last year. Murray said the disappointment of that loss triggered his run to the gold medal at the London Olympics, then his drought-breaking triumph at the U.S. Open.

"You know, I've obviously lost some tough matches against him in Slams," Murray said. "So to win one, especially the way that it went tonight, yeah, [it] was obviously nice."

Murray ended a 76-year drought for British men at the majors when he beat Djokovic in five sets in the final at New York's Flushing Meadows.

He's hoping the step-by-step manner in which he has crossed career milestones off his to-do list will continue Sunday. He lost four major finals, including two in Australia, before winning a Grand Slam title. He lost three times to Federer in a major before beating him. Even then, he wasted a chance to serve out in the fourth set Friday night as Federer rallied.

"Those matches . . . have helped, obviously, mentally," he said. "I think going through a lot of the losses that I've had will have helped me as well. Obviously, having won against Novak before in a Slam final will help, mentally."

In the Murray-Federer semifinal, 15,000 people packed Rod Laver Arena, including Laver himself, to see if Federer could reach a sixth Australian final. The 31-year-old Swiss has won four of his 17 titles at Melbourne Park.

He showed flashes of his customary genius but also rare bursts of anger. Murray showed his frustration as well. The crowd started to turn on him after he challenged a call in the eighth game of the fourth set, booing each time he complained to the umpire. His unforced error into the net on the next point prompted a huge cheer.

In the 12th game of the fourth set, Federer appeared to yell across the net after Murray stopped momentarily behind the baseline during the rally.

Murray shrugged it off and seemed to dig in. He'd won that point but lost the game and was taken to another tiebreaker, which he lost.

"We were just checking each other out for a bit," Federer said. "That wasn't a big deal for me -- I hope not for him."

Murray said "stuff like that happens daily in tennis," adding that it was "very, very mild in comparison to what happens in other sports."

When Federer got break point with Murray serving for the match at 6-5, the applause was so prolonged that Murray had to wait to serve. And when Federer got the break to force a tiebreaker, the crowd stood and roared as Murray slammed a ball into the court in anger.

The crowd cheered for every Murray error in the tiebreaker. One man yelled, "Andy, don't choke!"

He didn't.

Rather than wilting under the pressure in the fifth set, Murray hit his stride. He allowed Federer only four points in the first three games of the fifth set, bolting to a 3-0 lead and carrying it through to the end.

The Cavaliers won two games in a row for the second time this season, and they now have won three of the last four games.

The newly crowned All-Star was on the bench, watching. The ones who started the game were cheering boisterously from the sidelines.

And the new guys and the reserves stayed on the court chipping away throughout the fourth quarter.

By the end, it was a ragtag group of Cavaliers reserves and two newly acquired players that overturned a monstrous deficit, locked down on defense and helped Cleveland outlast Milwaukee, 113-108, in front of 15,098 at The Q on Friday night. It was the Cavaliers' second straight victory, a feat that has only been accomplished one other time this season, and it pushed them to 12-32.

And it came with Kyrie Irving sitting for all but four minutes of the fourth quarter, watching as the Cavaliers' never-seen lineup of reserves rattled off a 15-5 burst to seize the lead, then outscored the Bucks, 32-18, in the final quarter, in all, to secure the outcome.

They had trailed by 20 in the third quarter.

Daniel Gibson. Shaun Livingston. Wayne Ellington. Luke Walton. Marreese Speights. These were the Cavaliers' stars in the fourth quarter, the players Cavaliers coach Byron Scott rode as long as he could because they were playing so well.

"Luke was about to fall out," Scott said of his 33-year-old elder statesman. "And I think Shaun was about to fall out, so I said, 'OK, I better get these guys out of there.' They've done an unbelievable job of getting us this lead."

Not to mention that Speights and Ellington didn't know until Friday morning that they would play.

The two newcomers were freshly arrived from a trade with Memphis, and have yet to practice with the Cavaliers. But Scott decided to make both available for playing time when he reassessed his typical "practice-before-playing" rule because neither player had suffered an injury.

It was a key decision. Speights, a 6-10 power forward, proved dominant in the low post, scoring eight of his 10 points in the final quarter. He added six rebounds and two steals.

Meanwhile, Ellington hit only 1 of 4 attempts, but it was a key 3-pointer that pushed Cleveland ahead, 96-95, with 6:31 remaining -- erasing what had been as much as a 20-point Milwaukee lead midway through the third quarter.

"I was very happy with the way both those guys played," Scott said. "They really helped us win the game."

And both only knew about three Cavaliers offensive sets. It was enough.

"You had a bunch of guys out there who had a wealth of experience that know how to play," Scott said.

While Speights and Ellington acclimated, Livingston directed the squad, finishing with a season-high 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting. And Walton dished out seven assists to go with five points and five rebounds -- the second consecutive game Walton has tallied that many assists.

And playing hard and active, the Cavaliers reserves' limited the Bucks to 28 percent shooting in the fourth quarter, overturning what had been a disastrous defensive performance until then.

"All of us are a little older, we've been in the league for a minute, so we've all got an idea of how to play defense, how to share the ball and get easy buckets," Speights explained.

Still, it's not as if the Cavaliers didn't need Irving, their newly named All-Star reserve. He led Cleveland with 35 points on 12-of-17 shooting, his sixth game scoring 30 points or more this month.

Irving had 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the third quarter, and sank both 3-pointers he attempted.

It was the culmination of a pretty good week for Irving, who also shed his protective face mask that he has worn for the past 19 games. Still, the Cavaliers needed more than Irving.

"Thank God for our second unit," Scott said.