"Too late for this season, but Masterson has to go back to the 'pen in 2011. He doesn't have enough quality pitches to get through Major League lineups multiple times. He was a better than average reliever. Is this team so loaded that we can't use that?" - centerfield6

View full sizeLisa DeJong | The Plain DealerJustin Masterson has had his moments as a starter this season, but hasn't convinced fans he should stay in the rotation.

In response to the story Baltimore Orioles play long ball, roll over Cleveland Indians, 14-8, cleveland.com reader centerfield6 thinks the Masterson-as-starter experiment should end after this season. This reader writes,

"Too late for this season, but Masterson has to go back to the 'pen in 2011. He doesn't have enough quality pitches to get through Major League lineups multiple times. He was a better than average reliever. Is this team so loaded that we can't use that?"

Jake Delhomme, slated as the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback, didn't look so good last Saturday in a team scrimmage. Ohio.com columnist Marla Ridenour writes about the flood of criticism Delhomme got locally on sportstalk radio. Criticism, writes Ridenour, mostly centered on a few Delhomme passes that lacked zip and his workmanlike effort, even though it appears the 12-year veteran will...

PDQB Jake Delhomme

Jake Delhomme, slated as the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback, didn't look so good last Saturday in a team scrimmage.

Ohio.com columnist Marla Ridenour writes about the flood of criticism Delhomme got locally on sportstalk radio.

Criticism, writes Ridenour, mostly centered on a few Delhomme passes that lacked zip and his workmanlike effort, even though it appears the 12-year veteran will be directing a workmanlike offense favoring running backs and tight ends.

Is Delhomme washed up at age 35?

In Northeast Ohio, fans cannot get past Delhomme's 18 interceptions and eight touchdowns in 11 games last season, continuing a slide that began with a five-interception performance in a 2008 playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals. Some analysts suggest he hasn't been the same since undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery in 2007, despite leading the Carolina Panthers to a 12-4 record in '08. An ESPN.com fantasy football Web site has dubbed him ''Jake the Quake.'' Even President Mike Holmgren's pre-training camp praise of Delhomme's exemplary leadership skills did nothing to reassure the masses.

And Ridenour wonders if there's an over-under on how long Delhomme retains the starting job? Right now, Browns fans will take the under.

Hey Joe

Eric Wright suffered a right leg injury during Tuesday's practice, so that means rookie Joe Haden is the likely starter on Saturday at Green Bay.

It may not be much of a drop off with Haden in as the starter. Haden, writes ESPN's James Walker, is starting to look more comfortable in Cleveland's 3-4 defense.

Haden received all of the first-team reps Tuesday after Wright went down. Haden's learning curve will increase even more if he starts Saturday's preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers, who should have one of the NFL's top offenses this year.

"I'm real excited," Haden said of the potential opportunity. "It definitely means a whole lot more playing time, and that's just more time to make plays."

The news wasn't all good for Haden this week.

Cleveland players have made headlines recently with their Twitter accounts. Haden added to the list by recently tweeting that a teammate was fined for a cell phone going off in a team meeting. Browns head coach Eric Mangini was disappointed because he had just warned the team on Monday about using social networking irresponsibly.

No sour grapes

An NFL official recently admitted blown calls in Super Bowl XL between the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren was the coach of the Seahawks, the team on the losing end.

"Of course I was disappointed at the time, and because it was the Super Bowl, I still think about it on occasion," Holmgren said in a statement Tuesday. "But like anything in this business, if you let it linger it's going to have an adverse effect on what you do moving forward.

"We didn't play our best football that day. Had we played better and coached better, those calls might not have made a difference. Everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes, and you can't hold one person accountable for the final outcome of that game."

 

"The only thing I want to hear from you is why you quit on the owner, your teammates and the fans in the middle of playoff basketball? Why, in game five, the biggest game of the year, you mailed it in? What about the elbow injury? You had a right to leave, even though you could have accomplished the same things that you are chasing in Miami right here in Cleveland. You didn't have the right to quit. All this bravado about taking mental notes should have taken place last May." - doctor3dee

View full sizeAssociated PressMany mysteries, including LeBron's elbow, remain unanswered following LeBron's departure from Cleveland.

In response to the story LeBron James plans to get even with critics, cleveland.com reader doctor3dee doesn't care about LeBron "taking notes." He wants answers for some other things. This reader writes,

"The only thing I want to hear from you is why you quit on the owner, your teammates and the fans in the middle of playoff basketball? Why, in game five, the biggest game of the year, you mailed it in? What about the elbow injury? You had a right to leave, even though you could have accomplished the same things that you are chasing in Miami right here in Cleveland. You didn't have the right to quit. All this bravado about taking mental notes should have taken place last May."

"See the guy in person and you'll be a believer. He is a monster and, mark my words, this guy is going to have a breakout year. He's going to get a long term deal, hopefully here. If he honestly wants to be a Cleveland Brown, we're very fortunate." - liferpart2

View full sizeTracy Boulian | The Plain DealerMatt Roth turned out to be a pleasant surprise for the Browns in 2009.

In response to the story Eric Wright injury will likely give Joe Haden extended playing time vs. Packers: Browns Insider, cleveland.com reader liferpart2 is excited to see what Matt Roth can do this season. This reader writes,

"See the guy in person and you'll be a believer. He is a monster and, mark my words, this guy is going to have a breakout year. He's going to get a long term deal, hopefully here. If he honestly wants to be a Cleveland Brown, we're very fortunate."

"If Michigan again gains national respectability, then this rivalry will only get better with a potential meeting in a conference championship game. But for now, it feels like Browns-Steelers: one-sided. The SEC rivalries have not suffered due to a second meeting in their championship game. They have only become more intense." - rossman1970

View full sizeMarvin Fong | The Plain DealerFans are divided on what a potential rematch in a conference championship game would mean for the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry.

In response to the story Big Ten realignment could dilute the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, says Doug Lesmerises (Starting Blocks TV), cleveland.com reader rossman1970 thinks an OSU-Michigan rematch in a championship game would only help the rivalry. This reader writes,

"If Michigan again gains national respectability, then this rivalry will only get better with a potential meeting in a conference championship game. But for now, it feels like Browns-Steelers: one-sided. The SEC rivalries have not suffered due to a second meeting in their championship game. They have only become more intense."

LeBron James and all of his cute commercials and cool antics on the sidelines during the basketball season have all faded to black. Once the darling of the NBA, LeBron is now looked upon with disdain. ESPN's J.A. Adande gives us a summary of LeBron's summer. Quick summer summary for LeBron: creates a show to announce his free agent...

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerLeBron James

LeBron James and all of his cute commercials and cool antics on the sidelines during the basketball season have all faded to black.

Once the darling of the NBA, LeBron is now looked upon with disdain. ESPN's J.A. Adande gives us a summary of LeBron's summer.

Quick summer summary for LeBron: creates a show to announce his free agent choice, gets roundly criticized for both the choice and the format; takes out an ad to thank his hometown of Akron and gets criticized for not mentioning Cleveland or Cavaliers fans; tweets his reaction to all of the criticism and gets criticized for that.

At this point there’s nothing he can say that will make it better, no way he can get back in the good graces of all of the fans he lost this summer. He should either keep quiet and stay off Twitter for the rest of the summer or just go all in and make as many antagonizing comments as he can.

Adande writes how he hopes LeBron is taking mental notes. He hopes he is storing it in a mental database and preparing a mental PowerPoint presentation for every pregame this season. Adande doesn't want LBJ to be nice and turn into Clint Eastwood at the end of “Unforgiven.”

If LeBron can live up to all of the additional pressure he created for himself than he will unleash one of the greatest campaigns in NBA history.

Radio Joe

Joe Tait will receive the Curt Gowdy Media Award on Thursday evening when he's inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

In a recent interview with Rick Noland of Medina-Gazette.com, Tait is pleased with the honor but he was surprised on how things transpired with LeBron James. Tait said part of James’ struggles in Cleveland’s Eastern Conference semifinal loss to Boston stemmed from the fact he already knew he was headed elsewhere.

“He knew what was going to happen,” Tait said. “He knew he was leaving. He knew for two years.”

The 73-year-old stopped short of saying the two-time league MVP quit, but added James was not himself in the series.

“The way Boston was playing, he may have awakened to the fact we weren’t going to beat them,” he said. “He lost the eye of the tiger, so to speak.”

Tait will retire after the 2010-11 season.

LeBron James hires rabbi

Miami Herald reporter Luisa Yanez and Jaweed Kaleem writes how LeBron James has hired a New York rabbi with South Florida ties for business and spiritual guidance, the entertainment website TMZ is reporting.

Baseball has nothing on the NBA when it comes to power teams, PD sports writer says.

Associated PressThe new-look Miami Heat with Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James: Superteam powers - activate!

Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, our Web video show about what's going on in Cleveland sports. Today's show is hosted by beach bums Chuck Yarborough and Branson Wright. On to the highlights:

• NBA commentator Jeff Van Gundy said this week that he believes the Miami Heat will break the league record of 72 regular-season wins by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. Do you think LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh can lead their team to the record? Vote in the poll now posted in the Starting Blocks blog.

• Today's guest, Plain Dealer sports writer Dennis Manoloff, says he thinks the Heat can break the record. He also says that these NBA 'super teams' can't be good for the league, and that smaller-market teams like Milwaukee and Sacramento have no hope of winning a title anytime soon. D-Man also contends that Major League Baseball, which has had way more cities win championships in recent years than the NBA, is held up as the model of imbalance, while the NBA gets a free pass.

SBTV will return Thursday morning with Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw as the guest.

Racing engine builder Roush Yates plans to buy Ford EcoBoost engines made in Brook Park for use in American Le Mans racecars this year.

Lola Cars InternationalBritish racecar maker Lola plans to use Ford EcoBoost engines made in Brook Park for vehicles that could be on the track later this year.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- No question about it, Ford's EcoBoost engine is a powerful V-6 in its Taurus SHO and upcoming F-150 pickup. But some racing experts think they can do better.

North Carolina racing engine builder Roush Yates plans to start buying 3.5-liter turbocharged engines from Brook Park this year, upgrade them for racing and ship them to British racecar builder Lola. If everything goes according to plan, the engines will be racing in the American Le Mans series by the end of this year.

"We think it's a good platform. We just need to get down the line with our development to see exactly where we can go with this," said John Maddox, engine program director at Roush Yates.

The American Le Mans series uses production engines in race cars, but they don't stay production-grade for long. The engine company will replace dozens of components including the crankshaft with custom-built pieces designed for the rigors of racing. Maddox said he doesn't plan to replace the engines turbochargers, but he will have to reprogram the computer controls because race rules limit the amount of boost that turbos can offer.

Roush Yates will also have to shave some size off of the 3.5-liter engine.

Race rules allow a maximum engine size of 3.2 liters. The Roush Yates-altered Ford engine will be racing against an altered Honda 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6 and racing versions of other companies' engines.

"We haven't used turbocharged V-6s in the past, so this is going to be interesting," Maddox said.

Roush Yates won't be buying enough EcoBoost engines to make a difference on employment or capacity in Brook Park, but wins in the racing series could give workers bragging rights.

Former Cleveland Indians second baseman Brandon Phillips helped ignite the latest baseball brawl. Phillips, now with the Cincinnati Reds, didn't have kind words for the St. Louis Cardinals. And as expected, the feud was on when the two teams played after Phillips' comments. So what are some of the best fights in baseball? And who said hockey does all the...

Former Cleveland Indians second baseman Brandon Phillips helped ignite the latest baseball brawl. Phillips, now with the Cincinnati Reds, didn't have kind words for the St. Louis Cardinals.

And as expected, the feud was on when the two teams played after Phillips' comments.

So what are some of the best fights in baseball? And who said hockey does all the fighting.

Buck Showalter's Baltimore boys bash the Indians.

View full sizeAP FileBuck Showalter, captured during a home game in Baltimore soon after taking over the Orioles, has led the team to a 7-1 mark since then. That includes Tuesday night's 14-8 pounding of the Indians at Progressive Field.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Was it coach-pitch night at Progressive Field last night? The Baltimore Orioles, who are playing as if they have Boog Powell, Brooks Robinson and Paul Blair from the 1970 World Series champions team in the lineup, flat unloaded on the Tribe, 14-8.

It was the season-best offensive showing for the Birds, who are hardly playing as if their 39-74 record is the worst in baseball. You can probably credit new manager Buck Showalter for that. But even Buck bobbles, as he did in a pregame talk with the Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec:

Asked before Tuesday night's game about how the Orioles could maintain the momentum that they built on the previous homestand, a grinning Buck Showalter said: "Pitching would be a good start. Then probably pitching."

The Orioles' new manager didn't mention anything about hitting, which looked like a glaring oversight several hours later when his team put together its biggest offensive outburst of the season -- and had a fine time doing it.

Trailing by two after starter Jake Arrieta allowed five fourth-inning runs, the Orioles leaned heavily on the long ball and scored 10 consecutive runs at one point to overwhelm the Cleveland Indians, 14-8, before an announced 13,541 at Progressive Field.

Not sure, but Starting Blocks thinks almost every one of those 13,541 went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI against Indians pitchers.

Baltimore still doesn't have the talent needed to compete in the AL East, but Showalter will get more out of his club than his predecessors did, his track record of building winning ballclubs speaks for itself. The Orioles will be much improved going forward once their plethora of talented, but young, pitchers begin to learn the art of pitching in the majors, and if Showalter can turn Matt Wieters and Adam Jones into the players they could become, Baltimore could return to relevance as early as next season.

Baltimore's owner, Peter Angelos, has more often than not gotten in the way of rebuilding efforts in the past, but he seems to be allowing GM Andy MacPhail to do things the right way this time. Adding Showalter might not have been MacPhail's first choice (the are rumors that MacPhail preferred Eric Wedge), but Showalter has the ability to light a fire under his team. And Baltimore has been sorely lacking a disciplined manager for quite some time.

Now admittedly, there's a fair amount of "at least the Indians aren't as bad as Baltimore" around these parts. But if a good manager can start a turnaround, maybe there's hope for the Tribe as well. And the real plus is that the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays are not in the AL Central.

Battered up

And the hits just keep coming for the Indians. Unfortunately, they're not the kind of hits that show up in the box score. We're talking hits in the gut. John McLennan, writing for sbnation.com says attendance at Major League Baseball is down, down, down, maybe a million fans overall this year . . . and the Indians are, sadly, among the leaders in losers.

At the other end of the spectrum, major drops -- and we're talking from 250-315,000 so far -- come from the Indians, Blue Jays and Mets in the East.

Some of that is to be expected -- the Mets got the "new field boost" last season. But the Indians have simply been hemorrhaging fans over the past few seasons. The per-game number is more than 10,000 down on when they went to the playoffs in 2007, and is on pace to be the lowest for Cleveland since 1992, before they moved into Jacobs/Progressive Field. The Blue Jays are worse off still - the last time they averaged less than 20,000 per game was 1982.

At this rate, it's going to be about as easy to get a seat now as it was in the old Municipal Stadium days.

From The Plain Dealer


Beat writer Paul Hoynes, who's endured the bulk of the Tribe's 66 losses so far this season, and the Indians themselves thought maybe this would be the "easy stretch" of the schedule. Wrong. The beauty of baseball is that usually, even in a debacle like last night's loss to the Orioles, some bright spot shines. In what should give hope to Indians faithful, that came from Asdrubal Cabrera.

Here's how how Hoynsie described it:

(Justin) Masterson walked Nick Markakis to start the fourth. (Ty) Wigginton sent a double-play ball to third baseman Luis Valbuena, who couldn't handle the ball for an error. (Former Tribe farmhand Luke) Scott hit an RBI double, Adam Jones grounded out and then Cabrera made the play of the game, grabbing (Felix) Pie's deflection off Masterson's leg barehanded while sitting on his rear end after skidding to a stop. He looked back Scott at third and threw out Pie for the second out."

There's more, but it goes into how the numbers for the Orioles grew about as quickly as pages being ripped from a calendar in a bad film noir movie, so we'll just let you read it there.

In his Indians Insider column, Hoynsie notes that the guys dealt by the Indians haven't exactly lit the league afire:

• Jhonny Peralta, Detroit: .214 (9-for-32) two homers and four RBI. He's started five games at third, five at shortstop and one at DH.

• Jake Westbrook, St. Louis: He's made two quality starts, but the Cardinals are 0-2 in those games. Westbrook has pitched to a no-decision each time, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits in 13 innings. He's struck out 16 and walked two.

• Kerry Wood, Yankees: He's made four appearances with no record and a 2.08 ERA. He's allowed one earned run on four hits in 4 1/3 innings. He has seven strikeouts and three walks.

• Austin Kearns, Yankees: He's 1-8 with two strikeouts. He's played four games in left field.

ESPN's Jemele Hill wonders if LeBron James in Miami will mean the end of his relationship with his girlfriend Savannah Brinson. Brinson, writes Hill,  prefers to stay in Cleveland with the children instead of Miami. And LeBron makes some major missteps when characterizing his relationship with his longtime girlfriend and the mother of James' two sons, LeBron Jr., 5, and Bryce,...

APLeBron James and Savannah Brinson

ESPN's Jemele Hill wonders if LeBron James in Miami will mean the end of his relationship with his girlfriend Savannah Brinson.

Brinson, writes Hill,  prefers to stay in Cleveland with the children instead of Miami. And LeBron makes some major missteps when characterizing his relationship with his longtime girlfriend and the mother of James' two sons, LeBron Jr., 5, and Bryce, 3.

James tells the magazine that with or without a wedding ring, he believes Brinson will always support him.

Yeah, and Cleveland fans will welcome him warmly when the Miami Heat play there.

"A person like myself always needs a great sidekick and a person you can rely on no matter the circumstances. And she's that," James told Harper's. "She's got my back, and I love her for that."

Sidekick? Ouch. So does that mean his kids are his assistants?

 So Jemele Hill wants to know if the Miami relationship curse will claim another couple?

It got Shaq and Dwyane Wade. Brinson and James, better watch out.

The Browns confirm the injury to his pectoral muscle, but have no new information to report.

D'Qwell Jackson was looking good in camp after recovering from October surgery on a pectoral muscle.

The Browns confirmed that linebacker D'Qwell Jackson injured his right pectoral muscle -- not the one surgically repaired last season -- at Tuesday's evening practice, but a club spokesman had no new information.

Neal Gulkis, vice president of public relations, said that Jackson will need more tests to determine the severity of the injury. He said no new information was expected to be released today.

Jackson was coming back for a torn pectoral muscle suffered in a game at Pittsburgh Oct. 18. He had surgery in the offseason and declared himself 100 percent recovered at the start of training camp.

If the other pectoral was torn Tuesday night, Jackson likely would be lost for the season. A lesser injury would enable him to play at some point this year.

Denver Broncos linebacker Elvis Dumervil, who led the NFL in sacks in 2009, recently tore a pectoral muscle and is likely out for the season.

Joe Bauserman is getting some competition in the fight to see who will back up Terrelle Pryor.

View full sizeMarvin Fong,
The Plain DealerJoe Bauserman is Terrelle Pryor's backup at Ohio State, but he's being pressed by Kenny Guiton and Taylor Graham.

Columbus, Ohio -- Terrelle Pryor, who's now a leader instead of a punk, at least according to beat writer Doug Lesmireses and safety Tyler Moeller, is the starting quarterback for Ohio State. Now the fun comes in figuring out whether Joe Bauserman will be, as expected, No. 2 on the depth chart. Ken Gordon, who covers the Buckeyes for the Columbus Dispatch, had this observation after Tuesday's practice:

Coach Jim Tressel has thrown (Kenny) Guiton and (Taylor) Graham into the mix alongside Bauserman as candidates to be quarterback Terrelle Pryor's backup. This is a departure from 2009, when Bauserman was the only real option if something happened to Pryor.

"It's competition," Bauserman said, shrugging. "I have no control over it. I can only do what I do."

Guiton, the last player offered a scholarship in 2009, redshirted last season as a true freshman. He emerged this spring, though, capped by an impressive spring game.

This summer, Graham arrived as a freshman. He's the son of former Ohio State quarterback Kent Graham.

(All three apparently had good practices on Tuesday.)

"It's always heated," Bauserman said of the competition. "Some days, (Guiton) is better than me; some days, I'm better than him. Some days, Taylor is better than all of us. It goes around."

You know, for all of us sports fans and sports writers who talk about competition being good for the team, Starting Blocks has to wonder: How would we fare knowing that there was some kid waiting in the wings who might type just a little faster, respond to a client's question just a little quicker and, being younger, might recover from a bad day just a little easier?

Oops, that's called real life. Never mind.

The words "tight end" and "shine" don't often find themselves in the same sentence when talking about the Ohio State offense, unless it is in reference to how well the glorified offensive lineman blocks. After all, the most productive tight end -- scoring-wise -- this decade from the tight end position was Ben Hartstock, who caught five touchdown passes from 1999-2003.With the multitalented redshirt sophomore now manning the position, all sorts of opportunities have arisen. Early indications are the Buckeyes appear ready to re-incorporate the tight end to the passing game."Yeah, we did a lot in the spring," Stoneburner said, "and we've done a lot in (preseason) camp, so I don't know why that would stop. Terrelle (Pryor) loves to throw to me and we're pretty good friends. He has confidence in me."

As Kampf noted, a tight end hasn't led the Buckeyes in receiving since Jeff Ellis caught 40 passes for 492 yards in 1988. With those kinds of numbers, it's almost a wonder really that Ohio State has had the success that it has in this air-it-out erea. But if Stonerman becomes the target he expects to be, the OSU offensive arsenal just got bigger.

"I think when he first got here, I don't think too many people liked him, really. He was kind of a punk. But now I have the utmost respect for him. He's a great player and a great leader and I'd follow him into battle any day."

Moeller's words didn't come under the gun, forced in response to a direct questions he couldn't avoid. They weren't words that slipped out and then were corrected on second thought. They were an honest assessment from a player who was taken away from football for more than a year after suffering a head injury when assaulted in a Florida restaurant last summer.

It would be hard to find a player on the roster who loves the Buckeyes more than Moeller or who understands better how important football is to him."Playing here is everything to me," Moeller said. "To come back and be able to play and contribute to this team, it's everything to me."

Turner was one of coach Rich Rodriguez's highly touted recruits last year and then redshirted last season as a freshman.

University of Michigan J.T. Turner would have had an opportunity to start this season for Michigan at cornerback.

Ann Arbor, Mich. - Michigan cornerback J.T. Turner is no longer a Wolverine.

The school said Wednesday that Turner asked for and was granted his release.

He had a shot to start this season after cornerback Donovan Warren chose to skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

Turner, who is from Massillon, Ohio, was one of coach Rich Rodriguez’s highly touted recruits last year and then redshirted last season as a freshman. He was ranked as the No. 3 safety in the nation for the Class of 2009 by the Internet scouting service rivals.com. He turned down Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State, Pittsburgh and West Virginia when he picked the Wolverines.

Pavin says Golf Channel report by Gray that Pavin would certainly pick Woods was wrong. After news conference, Gray told Pavin he's a "liar" and "you're going down," says Pavin's wife.

Jae C. Hong, Associated PressU.S. Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin (left) and European captain Colin Montgomerie at a news conference today at the site of the PGA Championship, Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

Sheboygan, Wis. – There's still no guarantee Tiger Woods will be in Wales for the Ryder Cup.

U.S. captain Corey Pavin would only say Wednesday that the world's No. 1 player is high on his list as a wild-card pick if Woods doesn't qualify after the PGA Championship.

Pavin says a Golf Channel report that quoted him as saying he would pick Woods because he's the best player in the world was wrong.

After Pavin's news conference, Jim Gray of The Golf Channel approached Pavin and wagged a finger toward his face during a heated argument. According to Pavin's wife, who was standing next to him, Gray told Pavin that he was a "liar" and "you're going down."

SI picks Ohio State as the No. 2 team in the preseason, just as the coaches poll did.

SI

Sports Illustrated's college football preview, with Ohio State featured on a regional cover, picks the Buckeyes as the No. 2 team in the preseason and predicts Ohio State to go 12-0 during the season.

The magazine also has Boise State going 12-0 and Alabama going 12-0 before winning the SEC Championship over Florida to go 13-0. That's a scenario that should create some postseason controversy. It's hard to imagine Ohio State being kept out of the title game if it goes undefeated over a schedule that includes four top 15 preseason teams in Iowa, Wisconsin, Miami and Penn State.

So Boise State is rooting for the magazine to be wrong about either the Buckeyes or the Crimson Tide.

The Mid-American Conference signs a six-year deal to keep both the men's and the women's basketball tournaments at Quicken Loans Arena.

Plain Dealer fileKent State celebrates its 2008 MAC Championship at The Q. The league today announced an extention that will keep the men's and women's tournaments in Cleveland through 2017.

The Mid-American Conference and Quicken Loans Arena are keeping the MAC Basketball Tournament in Cleveland at least for another six years through 2017. Eight teams for men and eight for women will continue coming to The Q instead of the entire conference field.

The contract extension guarantees the continuation of the conference tournament at the same neutral site since 2000.

The 2011 tournament will be March 9-12.  Eight men’s and women’s teams will advance to the quarterfinal rounds (women on March 9; men on March 10) in Cleveland. The format will continue with the semifinals (women and men on March 11) and championship games (women and men on March 12).

 “The Mid-American Conference is extremely pleased to extend our partnership with Quicken Loans Arena and the Cleveland Cavaliers for our First Energy Men’s and Women’s Basketball Conference Tournament,” MAC Commissioner John Steinbrecher said in a release.  “This partnership provides our student-athletes and our fans the finest basketball facility in the country for our conference basketball tournament.”
 

Cleveland Browns President Mike Holmgren has been motoring about in a golf cart during training camp in Berea because he had off-season foot surgery. He often takes the time to drive around the facility to talk with fans and sign a few autographs.

Cleveland Browns President Mike Holmgren has been motoring about in a golf cart during training camp in Berea because he had off-season foot surgery. He often takes the time to drive around the facility to talk with fans and sign a few autographs. He plans to be on his feet for the regular season.

A four-team deal sends guard Darren Collison and forward James Posey to the Indiana Pacers.

Associated PressNew Orleans guard Darren Collison will be directing the offense for the Indianapolis Pacers after a four-way deal involving the Pacers, Houston and New Jersey.

Indianapolis -- The Indiana Pacers have acquired point guard Darren Collison and forward James Posey from New Orleans in a four-way trade that also includes New Jersey and Houston.

The Pacers also announced Wednesday they have dealt Troy Murphy to the Nets, who sent guard Courtney Lee to Houston. To complete the trade, the Rockets shipped swingman Trevor Ariza to New Orleans.

Indiana was searching for a point guard since T.J. Ford fell out of favor last season with coach Jim O'Brien. The Pacers get a good young one in Collison, who played well when Chris Paul was injured. He averaged 12.4 points and 5.7 assists as a rookie last season, including 18.8 points and 9.1 assists in 37 starts.

"We're excited to add Darren to the strong core of young players already on our roster," Pacers president Larry Bird said in a statement. "He's a dynamic young point guard and we believe that he will be a key piece of our goal of building a team that the fans in Indiana deserve."

Murphy played in 262 games for the Pacers, with averages of 13.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.

"Troy is a terrific professional and has been a really good player and teammate during his time with us," Bird said. "Obviously, we wish him well and hope this works out for all of us."

The Nets get a good rebounder in the 6-foot-11 Murphy, a New Jersey product who is an excellent outside shooter for his size. The former first-round pick from Notre Dame is a career 39 percent shooter from 3-point range.

"We are very pleased to add Troy to our roster," Nets general manager Billy King said. "He is a quality power forward who has the ability to stretch the floor, and we feel that he will be a very positive addition to our frontcourt rotation."

Posey has spent 11 seasons in the NBA with career averages of 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Last season, he averaged 5.2 points and 4.3 rebounds. The cash-strapped Hornets were able to move the remaining two years and more than $13 million remaining on Posey's contract.

The Rockets were looking to cut salary after re-signing point guard Kyle Lowry and power forward Luis Scola, both restricted free agents, and picking up backup center Brad Miller.

Ariza was due to make about $6.3 million this season, the first of four years left on his contract. Houston acquired Ariza in July 2009, when free agent Ron Artest decided to join the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Rockets envisioned the 6-8 Ariza developing into a dependable scoring threat on the wing. He averaged a career-high 14.9 points in 72 games last season, but shot 39.4 percent from the field and 33.4 percent from 3-point range.

The 6-5 Lee averaged 12.5 points in 71 games for the Nets last season, including 66 starts. He shot 43.6 percent from the field last season and will likely back up shooting guard Kevin Martin with the Rockets.

Lee and Ariza are both on the move again after brief stints with their teams. The Nets acquired Lee from Orlando on draft night in 2009 in the Vince Carter deal, while Ariza joined the Rockets as a free agent after helping the Lakers to that season's NBA championship.

Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson will get a second opinion from his New York surgeon.

UPDATED: 7 p.m.

Tracy Boulian | The Plain DealerEarly prognosis is that D'Qwell Jackson could be back in 4-8 weeks, but he'll get a second opinion.

BEREA, Ohio -- The early prognosis on the Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson is that he could be back in 4-8 weeks from his right pectoral injury, but he'll get a second opinion from his New York surgeon, a league source told The Plain Dealer.

 If Jackson returns in four weeks, it's conceivable he could be back in time for the opener Sept. 12 at Tampa Bay. If it's eight weeks, it would be closer to the Oct. 10 game against the Falcons.

 But Jackson will proceed cautiously until he hears back from his surgeon, Dr. Frank Cordasco of The Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, the source said. He's hoping to know more by Thursday.

 Cordasco, who specializes in knee and shoulder surgeries, repaired Jackson's torn left pectoral muscle last October after it tore away from the bone in a game against the Steelers. Jackson missed the final 10 games of the season, but worked tirelessly on his rehab and was looking good in training camp. He recently said the repaired area was "feeling great.''

 Cordasco will review Tuesday's MRI to determine if surgery is necessary or if Jackson can return in a month or two, as estimated by the Browns medical staff, the source said.

By comparison, Broncos linebacker Elvis Dumervil tore a pectoral last week and is expected to be out four to five months. If Jackson can return in 4-8 weeks, it will be a huge relief for the Browns, who have had him starting at inside linebacker all of training camp.

Jackson left the field midway through practice on Tuesday night and walked very slowly to the locker room with his head down. When he returned, teammates approached him one-by-one to express their concern.

While Jackson was out Tuesday night, Eric Barton, Chris Gocong and Kaluka Maiava rotated with the first team inside.