The Cleveland State Vikings fell to Loyola of Chicago, 67-55, at the Wolstein Center on Wednesday night after a long scoring drought in the second half.

With 13:39 left in the game, CSU took a 46-33 lead on Devon Long's free throw. The Vikings would only score nine points the rest of the game.

"We let one slip away today," said Vikings head coach Gary Waters. "In a four minute span, the whole game got away from us. I'm afraid we can't score 65 points."

The Vikings (10-11, 2-5 Horizon League) have only scored 65 points twice in the past 12 games. They scored 77 points against Division II Notre Dame College on Dec. 19 and scored 72 points in their upset of Detroit on Jan. 12.

Loyola (12-7, 2-4 HL) used a 15-2 run to tie the game at 48-48 on Ben Averkamp's dunk. Then CSU's Bryn Forbes and LU's Ben Averkamp traded three-pointers.

CSU would get a jumper from Charlie Lee and a dunk from Marlin Mason to take a 55-51 lead.

That would be the Viking's last basket of the game, as they went the final 4:58 without a point. LU scored the final 16 points to steal a rare road win in Cleveland.

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It seemed like just a week ago that Ben Francisco had an explosive first career start for the Cleveland Indians, clubbing a game-winning home run in in the bottom of the ninth to give the Indians a 2-1 win and Shawn Camp a teary-eyed bed time.

It's sad I remember that.

Ah shoot, the Rays were the Devil Rays too many years ago for me to go anywhere with this joke. But the trade of Ben Francisco to the Philadelphia Phillies does not feel that long ago.

What do you mean it was Cliff Lee that was traded to the Phillies? No no no, I distinctly remember that it was Ben Francisco, who is Cliff Lee?

Either way, today is a new day and on this day, in addition to making the Ryan Raburn signing official, the Indians brought in another outfielder to the bench mix, signing Ben Francisco to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league Spring Training.

Here's my question for you on this Monday afternoon. What would you have thought you'd see first after that Lee trade to the Phillies a few years ago? Jason Knapp in an Indians uniform or Ben Francisco in an Indians uniform?

What a kick in the face that is. 

Francisco has traveled the globe in three short years. He spent the rest of 2009 and two more seasons in Philadelphia, carving out his own small valuable role with the Phillies as a reserve outfielder and pinch hitter. In 2011 the Phillies traded him during the offseason and last year, he was traded two more times during the season. Toronto held onto him for half the year, before dealing him in the mega-swap of players you know nothing about between the Jays and Astros.

After that the Astros sent him in a post-non-waiver deadline deal to the Tampa Bay Rays. And since he's been traveling the world looking for a team that doesn't want to trade him. Not really, but at least he's been traded multiple times and not waived multiple times. Russ Canzler envy.

Francisco is a career .257 hitter with a .326 on-base percentage, 49 home runs, 189 RBI, and 30 stolen bases. Last year he played in 82 games between the three squads, hit .240 with a .285 on-base percentage, and two home runs. 

Ohio State had battled the tough Michigan State home crowd and an even tougher Spartans team all night, but with the seconds ticking down, the Buckeyes had a chance to tie the game.

Instead of going to the hottest hand on the team in Deshaun Thomas, Shannon Scott threw up an off-balanced 3-pointer that had no chance of going in as the Buckeyes fell 59-56 in East Lansing.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo was happy to see Scott take the final shot instead of Thomas, "I was relieved."

Thomas scored 28 points, connecting on a career-high six 3-pointers Saturday night, but that wasn’t enough to get a victory as Ohio State dropped its fourth game of the season.

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According to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian, the Cleveland Indians have signed former Detroit Tiger Ryan Raburn.

That'll show 'em!

No not really. But Raburn comes to the Indians a year after fizzling out with the Tigers. He can play many positions, but not necessarily all of them very well. He'll be coming over on a minor league deal with an invite to spring training.

In fact the utility man was pushed around the diamond last year when the team signed Prince Fielder to play first and assigned Miguel Cabrera at third and had too many outfielders to keep Raburn there full-time. So they made him a second baseman. 

He comes to the Indians are someone who will likely see most of his time in the corner outfield spots if he makes the club. Raburn is a perfect piece to slide into that spring training bench competition. And everything else considered, he's a right handed hitter. He has similar numbers against both right-handers and left-handers, showing some solid consistency. He should be able to be someone who can just come off the bench and play and give you some decent at-bats.

Raburn was a solid player for the Tigers up until last year. His numbers have steadily declined in terms of his average as he's seen more playing time, but he's good for 15 home runs, 20 doubles, 50 RBI and a decent on-base percentage in around 100 games at his best. Last year he hit a dismal .171 with a .226 on-base percentage in 66 games before the Tigers optioned him to Toledo in May. He would have stood to make a good chunk of change had the Tigers not non-tendered him.

He'll join the fray for a final bench spot, which is rather open right now, and could even garner some DH at-bats given that the position is still wide-open for the taking.

The Indians swapped Jeanmar Gomez for an outfielder on Wednesday after they had designated the starting pitcher for assignment last week to claim Russ Canzler. 

Cleveland received Quincy Latimore from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Latimore was drafted in 2007 out of High School and will turn 24 next month. He has yet to play above Double-A, having spent 2012 and 2012 in Altoona for the Pirates. In his two seasons with the Curve he has hit .245 with a .308 on-base percentage, 30 home runs, and 130 RBI. 

He is not big, but touted as someone who has some good power and had to rebound in 2012 from a bad April. 

Gomez meanwhile goes to a team where he could perhaps have more of a chance to provide depth to in the starting rotation. He has simply fallen down the line of starting pitching options, which of course resulted in him being designated for assignment. The Indians clearly had no use for him with the trade and can now hope they've acquired a decent prospect with some potential as a corner outfielder.

It has been a quick down-turn for Gomez who started 2012 in the Indians starting rotation after impressing enough to win a spot in spring training. Gomez went on to have an decent first few months, having stayed afloat and actually been a main reason for the Indians early contention. But then the wheels fell of and since, Gomez has been an afterthought. He couldn't adjust back in Columbus and is now on his way to a new organization.

Gomez went 5-8 with a 5.96 ERA in 20 games and 17 starts for the Indians last year. In 2011 he went 5-3 with a 4.47 ERA in 11 games and 10 starts. Gomes is very much a guy who needs to rely on control, and while he had it in 2012, having only walked 34 hitters in 90 innings, he could not get away with having been hit, giving up 15 home runs.

Meanwhile, the acquiring of Quincy Latimore ups the number of people named Quincy from 0 to 1 in the organization, but unfortunately gets rid of the Indians only Jeanmar. That is unfortunate, yet exciting.

The hay was in the barn.  Done deal.

That's what we all went to bed on Friday believing, or at least we were instructed to believe that was the truth.  By Sunday night, the whole thing had gone up in smoke.  On Thursday, Browns fans watched the Oregon Ducks, rooted for their savior-to-be Chip Kelly best the #5 Kansas State Wildcats 35-17 in the Fiesta Bowl.  Chip went back to the team hotel, got what we hope was a good night's sleep, and started talking to Jimmy Haslam III and Joe Banner on Friday afternoon in Scottsdale.

Aside from firing Pat Shurmur earlier in the week, this was pretty much the first act that the new braintrust had on their agenda, despite the Mr. Haslam receiving the keys to the kingdom back in October.  This was about hiring the head coach, but really it was finding someone to drive the darn bus after Mike Holmgren was told to abandon ship as the Team President in November.  Rumor had it that they were looking for someone to be the everything guy as the Head Coach, then find a more hands-off General Manager that would fit everyone's vision, after the fact.  Of course, all of that was built on the inevitable hiring of Chip Kelly.

Regardless of what claims you'll hear out of the new bosses in Berea, the interview was about Chip Kelly listening to a lucrative NFL offer, but it was all about Kelly interviewing the Browns, to see if the job was good enough for him to leave his cushy gig in Eugene, Oregon.  The reputation for college coaches making the jump to the NFL ranks is sketchy, at best.  Really, Jimmy Johnson is the only relevant name to win at both levels, but Kelly does not possess an actual title, despite his undeniable success with the Ducks.  At first glance, Browns fans remember the Butch Davis experiment, then cite Bobby Petrino and Nick Saban as examples what could go wrong with this notion.

From where I sit, I like to point out Jim Harbaugh, Pete Carroll, and Greg Schiano.  The jury is still out on Schiano, but in the combined five years that Harbaugh and Carroll have been with their current teams, they have four playoff appearances between the two of them.  Kelly is an innovator, but unlike the NFC West kings of the headset, Chip Kelly has never worked with the NFL in any capacity, and that scares people.  That alone makes him a risk, sure.  However, what's easy to lose sight of is how long Harbaugh and Carroll had been in the college game, and how much the NFL has changed in that time.  In my eyes, that made the former University of New Hampshire Offensive Coordinator worth a roll of the dice.  Frankly, it isn't like things could get all that much worse for the Cleveland Browns.

BREAKING: Chip Kelly is close to a deal to become the #Browns coach, according to a source informed of his situation.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 4, 2013

Unlike the Chiefs, who interviewed Andy Reid last week and hired him before he could leave town, the Browns let Kelly out of their sight.  He met with Philadelphia on Saturday, and ultimately made the decision on Sunday night to return to Eugene.  The Bills were set to interview Kelly as well, but hired Doug Marrone, the Head Coach of Syracuse that was widely believed to be Plan B for the Browns.

In the early AM hours on Monday, the Browns and Eagles are without a coach.  Word is that the Browns are interested in Montreal Alouettes Head Coach Marc Trestman, who has NFL experience, but will also interview with Chicago.  What remains to be seen, through no fault of their own, is how Haslam and Banner rebound from this PR mess that's been created.  Cleveland fans, admittedly quick to overreact, have drawn comparisons between Kelly's choice to decline any offer (if one was made) and LeBron James televised decision to shun Cleveland for the Miami Heat in 2010.

Bottom line: No Chip Kelly for the Browns this time around.  It appears that the Browns put their eggs in one basket, but that basket didn't have the heart to leave the University of Oregon.

Stay tuned...

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com is reporting that the Cleveland Browns and University of Oregon coach Chip Kelly are close to a deal that would make Kelly the Browns' sixth head coach since the franchise returned to the NFL in 1999.

Rapoport says the deal is close, citing a "a source informed of (Kelly's) situation."

Kelly, who has never spent a minute working in the NFL in any capacity, would bring a sense of offensive excitement to the Browns, but also brings along as many questions as answers.

But for a Browns team that has tried everything - and failed - since firing Marty Schottenheimer as coach after the 1988 season, it may be time to try something new.

Of course, nothing is official until Kelly actually signs on the dotted line. At this time last year, Kelly and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were finalizing a deal for Kelly to coach the Buccaneers before Kelly changed his mind and returned to Oregon for a fourth year.

So Browns fans may want to hold off on buying those souveneir visors for just a few more days.

Chris Antonetti started off the New Year by bolstering the Indians' starting rotation with a proven veteran on a short-term deal. The one-year deal with a club option was first announced by Gene Frenette, a reporter for the Florida Times-Union in Myers's hometown of Jacksonville. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com was the first national writer to confirm the report. The official announcement is pending a physical. Financial terms have yet to be released. Myers, who appeared in 70 games last season as a reliever for the Astros and White Sox, is 32 years old and has made 249 Major League starts, making 30 or more in a season seven different times.

Myers posted a 3.31 ERA last season in relief. In 2011, as a starter for the Astros, Myers posted a 4.46 ERA over 216 innings. In 2010, Myers had his best season, throwing 223.2 innings with a 3.14 ERA. With Myers, the Indians are getting versatility, an experienced arm, and a guy who has shown the ability to eat innings. Myers made it clear earlier this offseason that he wanted to pitch for a team that would make him a full-time starter. Paul Hoynes said on Twitter that the Indians will use Myers in the rotation.

Myers does have some character concerns, being accused of domestic violence in 2006 and being involved in an altercation with a media member in 2007. But, the trade-off to his occasional attitude problems include a career 2.9 BB/9, nearly 1700 innings worth of experience, and a World Series ring with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008.

Expect the Indians to make a few more moves before the start of the season, including another starting pitcher and a left handed reliever.

Over the past few days the Indians have made a few minor roster moves that should be of note. The first helps facilitate the official signing of first baseman Mark Reynolds to his one-year, $6 million dollar contract. 

To make room for Reynolds on the 40-man roster, the Indians made the semi-surprising decision to designate Russ Canzler for assignment, making him available to other teams. The Indians could retain his rights, and would probably like to, but the move is a little surprising considering Canzler not only played, but was given a meaningful opportunity at the tail end of 2012, where as someone like Thomas Neal, was just there.

It isn't the end for Canzler, but it does dent his chances for winning a roster spot, which is something that is definitely up for grabs with the Indians still not having signed an option for designated hitter or right field. With Canzler being able to play in left, it could have helped him, but the lack of roster spot could make him a little more than an afterthought, unless he wows the staff in spring training.

Meanwhile, the contract details on Mark Reynolds have come to light a little more. We knew he would have the chance to earn a little more through incentives, up to $1.5 million more in fact. All of that can be earned in plate appearances, with him being able to earn the full amount if he reaches the 600 plate appearance mark.

In addition to designating Russ Canzler, the Indians have brought in a few veterans as depth options for them to stash at Columbus and fill out their spring training roster. One name is very familiar, as they've brought back Joe Martinez on a minor league deal with an invite to spring training. Martinez returns after a year in the Diamondbacks system. He spent 2011 with the Indians, earning Triple-A International League Playoff MVP honors in the Clippers last title run. He filled a valuable swing role for the Clips and is someone the Indians can turn to if they need a reliever or a starter at any point.

They also signed catcher Brian Jeroloman, formerly of the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Jeroloman can fill the backup or even starting catcher role in Columbus in 2013, or extreme last resort catching option if both Carlos Santana, Lou Marson or Yan Gomes all somehow cannot play. Luke Carlin was able to fill the Indians role as second backup in 2012 and was a member of the Clippers squad for a few seasons until he signed a deal with the Angels this offseason. He saw some time when Carlos Santana had suffered a concussion last year, so if there was ever a need, right now it looks like Jeroloman is that guy.

Two more roster moves of note on this Friday evening for the Cleveland Indians. One is the continuation of a move made a few days ago and another is the fruition of a report from some time ago.

First things first, it did not take long for the Toronto Blue Jays to pounce on Russ Canzler. The new-look Jays have been involved in a flurry of moves this winter, and even a few have involved them trading some players with the Indians. Not only did the teams complete the swap for Mike Aviles, the Indians claimed Toronto's Mike McDade off waivers and in return, the Jays claimed Cleveland's Russ Canzler on Friday.

Canzler had a real opportunity to play at the major league level in September this past season. What he did, .269 average with three home runs and 11 RBI, combined with his 22 home run, 79 RBI season for the Clippers, apparently was not enough for the Indians to keep him around on the 40-man roster when they signed Mark Reynolds.

And now, Canzler is property of the Toronto Blue Jays. The man I like to call Crusty Rusty seemed to have an edge on the competition in a roster spot this spring, but with Rule V pick Chris McGuiness and McDade, the pool of those types of corner guys with power potential got a little crowded. Now it's a little more open, with Matt LaPorta perhaps also being in the mix.

As for the signing the Indians made, it comes exactly a month after ESPN's Buster Olney reported that the Indians, among other teams, scouted left-handed starterScott Kazmir in winter ball. Now the Indians have signed him to a minor league contract and will slot him into their rotation battle. Will he win a spot? He'll have to come in and impress, but he certainly has the opportunity to reclaim his potential.

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