According to a report over the weekend from the Twin Cities, the Indians inquired about acquiring Kansas City's Zach Grienke. As an aside within the discussion that the Twins are still looking to add to their rotation, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune drops this one:

The word on Zack Greinke, who was dealt by Kansas City to Milwaukee, is that the Royals never wanted to talk to the Twins about a trade within the AL Central. Cleveland apparently reached out to Kansas City about Greinke and also was shot down.

Wait...what?

Certainly that's the first that has been reported about the Indians having any interest in Grienke, who would have had to waive his no-trade clause to join the Tribe, something he did to go to Milwaukee. It is possible that this is a throw-away line and merely represents the Tribe doing their due diligence on seeing what it would take to nab Grienke, only to be “shot down” by virtue of being a division rival.

Nevertheless, it does qualify as the first item we've seen about the Indians attempting to be active on the trade market as a player like Grienke, under contract through the 2012 season, would represent more of a long-term fit (and a pretty attractive one at that) compared to the dregs of the FA market that we keep reading about.

To the general surprise of none, Eric Mangini was fired today after amassing a 10-22 record over the first 2 years of his contract.  He was relieved of his duties with 2 years still remaining.

Browns President Mike Holmgren announced the decision this morning after his scheduled meeting with Mangini, stating:  "This decision was not easy for me, and it was one into which I put a great deal of thought.  Although we have made improvements this season, my responsibility is to ensure that we establish a program that will allow this team to compete at a championship level. That will continue to be our goal in everything we do. I want to thank Eric for all of his contributions to the Cleveland Browns, and wish him and his family the best of luck in the future."

Mangini also briefly had his say:  "The experience coaching the Cleveland Browns the past two years has been tremendous.  I appreciate the opportunity that the Lerner family gave me. I have a deep respect for the players that I have coached the past two years and how they have made a profound difference in changing the culture - a tougher, smarter, more competitive, selfless team that never gave up. Our goal was to build a team for long term success. The core characteristics we were dedicated to, I believe, will help achieve that goal, and have provided a strong identity for this football team and have helped to create a positive foundation upon which the organization can continue to build.

"I feel strongly that the Cleveland Browns are headed in a very positive direction and greatly value the commitment and exceptional efforts of the coaches, players and everyone in the building that I’ve worked with in trying to help achieve our goals. My family and I have thoroughly enjoyed living in the Cleveland community and appreciate the support and passion of the fans. I know Mike and Tom are also dedicated to building a championship caliber organization and wish them nothing but success."

If you like to wax poetic and embrace great sadness over the possible fate of Kicker Phil Dawson at the end of the season, man, does Tony Grossi have the article for you.

Included are such doom-portending passages as:

Phil Dawson senses that Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers will be his last as the Browns' kicker.

He will be 36 on Jan. 23, but he's far from retiring.

"They're going to have to kick me out the door," Dawson said of eventually hanging up his cleats.

But that's kind of what the Browns are doing to the only full-time kicker they have employed since 1999.

Dawson's contract ends after this season. The Browns have made no meaningful attempt to re-sign him. When a player of Dawson's stature finishes a season unsigned, he is as good as gone in free agency. The Browns know that.

This may be true, but the Free Agency period hardly starts on Monday.  But there's more!

It will be the unavoidable realization that he is kicking for the last time wearing a Browns uniform.

"It doesn't change my job responsibility," Dawson said. "I have a job to do. I signed my name on the dotted line. Until that's no longer the case, I'm going to continue doing my job. The challenge this week is to embrace the rivalry and block out whatever distractions there may be and, in this case, possibly being my last game [with the Browns]."

Does anyone remember when Josh Cribbs had played his last game with the Browns?  The media ate that up too... Onward!

Dawson said he's not bitter or upset about his career in Cleveland seemingly coming to an end.

"I'm just appreciative to be able to play for the Cleveland Browns," he said. "I'm not emotional but I am sentimental. I'll soak it all in."

I hope you don't mind, Phil (and Tony), but personally I'll wait to write the obituary until you're actually gone.

After five Ohio State players were suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season, many Buckeye fans were wondering about the status of Terrelle Pryor, DeVier Posey, Boom Herron, Mike Adams and Solomon Thomas for next week's Sugar Bowl matchup against Arkansas. Earlier today, Tressel spoke to the media, saying the suspended student-athletes could compete in the Sugar Bowl if they promised to return for their senior seasons. All five suspended players will suit up for the Buckeyes, meaning all five players have promised to return for their final year. 

In the short term -- this means Ohio State will be at full strength from the first possession of the game to the last during the Sugar Bowl. In the long term, it's conceivable that any of the five players could break their promise and enter the draft, but if these guys want to remain in good standing with the university and Buckeye Nation as a whole (and try to restore their reputation), they should keep their word. 

Cleveland Browns left tackle Joe Thomas was named to his fourth straight AFC Pro Bowl team on Tuesday.

The Browns announced that the 4^th year tackle from Wisconsin is the first Browns player since Frank Minnifield to play in four straight Pro Bowls.

Peyton Hillis, offensive linemen Alex Mack and Eric Steinbach were named second alternates, while kick return specialist Josh Cribbs special teamer Ray Ventrone and fullback Lawrence Vickers were selected as third alternates. Rookie defensive back Joe Haden was named a fourth alternate.

For the Browns full press release on the Pro Bowl selections click here.

The hits just keep coming for Cleveland sports fans. Just six months after the Cleveland Cavaliers lost LeBron James to the Miami Heat via free agency comes word that Jawad Williams has been waived by the team a few weeks before his 2010-2011 salary would have been guaranteed.

The team also assigned Samardo Samuels to the NBADL team in Erie. Clearly Cleveland’s loss is Erie’s gain.

While many Cleveland fans are hoping Browns coach Eric Mangini gets Mike Singletary'd at the end of the season, there are others hoping he gets to stick around for another year. Ravens coach John Harbaugh falls in the "don't fire him!" category. 

After Baltimore defeated the Browns 20-10 yesterday, the Ravens head coach talked about Eric Mangini and the browns, "This is a legitimate football team. How many close games have they played in? You just go down and look at the scores and you’re like, ‘oh my goodness.’" He continued by mentioning Cleveland's convincing victories over New England and New Orleans, two of the NFL's best teams. As a final endorsement, he added, "I think they’re really well-coached on both sides of the ball and special teams."

Later in his postgame remarks, he mentioned how the Browns team looked very focused and highly motivated during pre-game warmups. The conversation turned toward Browns running back Peyton Hillis, who ran for 144 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries in their first matchup against the Ravens in week three. Linebacker Terrell Suggs said that the Ravens voted for Hillis to go to the Pro Bowl. "Yes, we did vote for him for the Pro Bowl,'' Suggs said. "I think he's one heck of a back."

With the frigid winter cold gusting off Lake Erie and filling the streets of Cleveland, it's nice to feel the warm, tender love that the Baltimore Ravens feel toward the Browns.

NOT. 

Terrelle Pryor, DeVier Posey, Dan Herron, Mike Adams and Solomon Thomas have been suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season for violations of NCAA rules related to their selling of rings, university apparel, and other items. All will be eligible to play in the Sugar Bowl.

OSU self-reported the violations about two weeks ago, and asked for reinstatement for the bowl game. The players will have to make donations to charity in the amounts of the value of the merchandise. Pryor, for example, will have to repay $2500 for selling his Big Ten Championship ring and his 2008 Gold Pants (the award for beating Michigan)

Obviously, this will affect the players decisions about whether or not to return to OSU for their senior seasons (all five have one year of eligibility remaining for 2011)

Excuse me while I go get sick.

EDIT: OSU Athletic Director said "the sanctions are severe" and said OSU will appeal the penalties to the NCAA. He also said  "These young men went into these decisions with the right intent, to help their families.”

Here's Tim May's report in the Dispatch

Colt McCoy sat out of practice today (Wednesday) with an undisclosed illness.  Sources described it as the flu, or, more specifically, flu-like symptoms, since we all know that it could seem like the flu and really be the Bubonic Plague.

How this will affect his availability for the Ravens game is unknown.  One would hope that Colt wouldn't let a little thing like the flu (or the plague) keep him out of the game, especially when someone like Brett Favre would probably take the field even if his leg had just been bitten off by a tiger.

One thing is for certain - it can't HELP.

After the devastating news that CB Eric Wright was done for the year, the Browns certainly didn't need to hear that Scott Fujita was joining him on IR.

Fujita (Fu-jee-tah, not Fu-hee-tah) had been playing great ball when he got hurt in the Jets game, a knee injury that was supposed to keep him out several weeks, but not the year.  Guess that prognosis was wrong.  Which is unfortunate, since his absence has been keenly felt on Run Defense.

Fujita & Wright were replaced by Travis Ivey - a DT from the Practice Squad - and Steve Octavien - some LB I've never heard of before.  But he's got a pretty cool last name, so he should be able to replace Fujita admirably in at least that department.