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Taking part in the non-contact portions of Monday afternoon’s Cavalier practice, rookie point guard Kyrie Irving appears ready to return to the floor for the Wine and Gold.  Having missed the last three games with a concussion suffered via the knee of Miami’s Dwyane Wade, Irving took part in several team drills in what was dubbed a “very light practice.” “He did everything that had to do with non-contact,” said Cavaliers coach Byron Scott on Monday. “Five-on-none stuff, running up and down... Read Full Story

Following their loss to the Michigan State Spartans , the Ohio State Buckeyes fall to sixth-overall in the most recent release of the NCAA men’s basketball AssociatedPress’ Top 25 Poll. Entering the week ranked third overall, the Scarlet and Grey barely topped the Purdue Boilermakers before having their 39-game home winning streak snapped by the Spartans — this was the second-longest such streak in the nation. In said loss, Buckeyes center Sullinger had 17 points and 16 rebounds, but shot... Read Full Story

With both Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III off of the board, SB Nation’s most-recent mock 2012 NFL Draft has the Cleveland Browns selecting running back Trent Richardson with the fourth-overall selection. Conventional wisdom nowadays says never to draft running backs near the top of the first round. Richardson, however, is the exception that proves the rule. He is a multi-talented athlete who runs with power, explosion and straight-line speed. He is a complete running back that will... Read Full Story

Though Byron Scott will likely roll out Semih Erden with his starting five, it appears that the committee approach to replacing an injured Anderson Varejao could rest heavily on the shoulders of rookie Tristan Thompson when the opportunity presents itself. Per The Plain Dealer’s   Tom Reed, Thompson will start to see a vast increase in his minutes as he appears fully recovered from an ankle injury which forced him to miss several games. The No. 4 overall pick in the draft, Thompson has... Read Full Story

Before the Indians had decided to re-sign Grady Sizemore it seemed like one of the promising options for the Tribe was Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.  His raw ability to hit seemed like it might be the perfect antidote for a Tribe team in need of right-handed outfield help.  Well, now it appears that Cespedes has agreed to terms on a deal with the A’s . Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes has agreed to a four-year, $36 million deal with the Oakland Athletics, sources told ESPN The... Read Full Story

League-wide free agency begins March 13th. The Browns have stated all along they prefer to build the team through the draft, but will take a look at the players available in free agency. Previously we looked at the receivers available . Then a glance at the linebackers . Next, we stared longingly at offensive tackles before finishing last week with quarterbacks . Today, we look at the pass rush specialists on the d-line. Last year the Browns sought to improve their struggling defensive line... Read Full Story

I love Hot Stove talk. Pitchers and catchers report in less than two weeks and it appears as if the Indians are still looking to improve their roster . With Asdrubal Cabrera signing his one-year deal on Friday avoiding arbitration, the Tribe has everyone under contract for the 2012 season….and that’s it. It’s now the worst kept secret in town, but the Tribe literally has nobody signed past 2012. Of course, they control the rights to many of their young players as well as club option years... Read Full Story

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com. “If the Indians stick with their four man bench setup like in years past (12 pitchers, 13 position players), then barring injury the bench looks close to being set right now with catcher Lou Marson, infielder Jason Donald, outfielder/first baseman Shelley Duncan all but guaranteed... Read Full Story

The Cleveland Indians are apparently looking to corner the market on soft-throwing, location-based right handers as the team is reportedly in the mix for veteran starting pitcher Jon Garland. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that the Indians are “working on” a deal for Garland, 32, with apparent hopes of providing another inning-eating starter on a relative discount.  The 10th-overall selection in the 1997 amateur draft, Garland spent the bulk of his career with the Chicago White Sox... Read Full Story

Well, I didn’t want to watch the Cavs lose to the Heat in the first round anyways. Whatever playoff hopes the Cavaliers had, losing Anderson Varejao to a wrist injury has dashed them considerably. It’s such a shame, as Anderson was having his best season and was finally getting some  recognition  for his  invaluable contributions . But even in their best-case-scenario, these young Cavaliers had such a slim margin for error. Cleveland is a  top heavy team with a decent, if unspectacular... Read Full Story