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ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith calls Steelers a ‘disgrace’ after loss to Browns - cleveland.com

The NFL's Wild Card Weekend closed out with the Browns' upset over the Steelers Sunday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio Shock probably resides on both sides of the Steelers-Browns outcome Sunday night. But depending on which side of the fence youre on, a feeling of surprise was accompanied by joy or anger. ESPNs Stephen A. Smith was full of disgust. Smith took to Twitter during the Browns stunning 48-37 playoff win over the Steelers. Im sick to my damn stomach over these Steelers, Smith wrote. What a damn disgrace. Smith wasnt the only member of the ESPN crew who had an opinion on the game. Analyst and former Steeler Ryan Clark spent the night interacting with fans on Twitter. At one point, Clark tweeted out, This has been too ugly to be hype about a comebackIm finna call off from work in a second. But Clark did eventually show the Browns some love. The Browns played extremely well under [some] difficult circumstances, Clark wrote. They earned this win. The Steelers didnt give it to them. This was huge. And No, Clark did not call into work.

Trump Cabinet members discuss invoking 25th Amendment, reports say - cleveland.com

There also have been calls for impeachment of Trump after he helped spur a day of violence at the nation's Capitol by his supporters.

WASHINGTON, D.C. A disturbing day of violence in the nations Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump has some members of his cabinet discussing the use of the 25th Amendment to remove him from office, according to multiple reports. ABC News reports that multiple sources said there have been discussions about using the 25th Amendment among Trump cabinet members. However, they say its unclear how extensive the conversations have been and whether Vice President Mike Pence would agree to the action. CNN reports that four cabinet members have suggested having Trump removed, while at least two Republican legislators want to impeach the president. Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota announced she is drawing up articles of impeachment. We cant allow him to remain in office, its a matter of preserving our Republic and we need to fulfill our oath, Omar said in a tweet. U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat from Niles, Ohio, says Trump should lose his job. I think he needs to be removed from office, because we cant trust him over the course of the next couple of weeks not to continue to try to undermine our democracy in a very violent and significant way, Ryan told reporters as police cleared demonstrators from the U.S. Capitol. Somebody died today. Members of Congress were on the floor in the House of Representatives, with gas masks on. ... That is unacceptable. According to CNN, a former senior official with the Trump administration says that even though Trump has less than two weeks remaining in office, he must be removed. I think this has been a huge shock to the system, the former official tells CNN. How do you keep him in place for two weeks after this? Axios and Margaret Brennan of CBS News also is reporting that Trump Cabinet members are discussing using the 25th Amendment. CNBC reports that Jay Timmons, the head of the National Association of Manufacturers, a group representing 14,000 companies in the U.S., is calling for serious consideration of Trumps removal through the amendment. The 25th Amendment was ratified in 1967 after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. It allows for replacing the president in the event of death, removal, resignation or incapacitation.

Ryan Day on Ohio State football’s Sugar Bowl roster: ‘The plane’s a bit more full than it was a week ago’ - cleveland.com

Ohio State football arrived in New Orleans on Thursday afternoon for Friday's Sugar Bowl against Clemson.

NEW ORLEANS Ohio State football coach Ryan Day continues to avoid specifics, but he again hinted Thursday that the Buckeyes will have more players available Friday for the Sugar Bowl against Clemson. Ohio State played without 24 players in the Big Ten championship game victory over Northwestern on Dec. 18. Many of those players were out due to coronavirus testing protocols, though others were sidelined with injury. ESPNs Maria Taylor asked Day if the Buckeyes would have starters back for their College Football Playoff semifinal after Day departed the plane in New Orleans on Thursday. As you know theres a protocol to come back, Day said. A lot of those guys are back in the protocol, and theve gotten stronger as the weeks gone on. But you dont just jump onto the field after being out for an extended period of time. The planes a little bit more full than it was a week ago. Various OSU players are visible departing the plane behind Day in the video above. The Buckeyes touched down at 4:12 p.m. local time and bused to the Superdome for a walk-through. Watch the full interview above, and subscribe to Ohio State football on cleveland.com on YouTube for analysis and commentary throughout the postseason. New Ohio State face masks for sale:Heres where you can buy Ohio State-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection. A 3-pack is available on Fanatics for $29.99. Fanatics has released Ohio State Buckeyes Adult Face Coverings. This 3-pack of adult masks, retails for $29.99. More Buckeyes coverage Ranking the coaches that annoy Ohio State fans the most Can OSU defense match Clemsons explosive offense in the Sugar Bowl? Wyatt Davis reaches consensus All-America status with FWAA selection Can Buckeyes find an answer to Clemsons pressure offense? Film analysis Clemson OC Tony Elliott will miss Sugar Bowl due to coronavirus protocols Outrageous Predictions: Fields, Lawrence battle it out, for better or worse Blake Miller latest Ohio recruit snagged by Clemson -- whats his view on Tigers-Bucks? Hype trailer for Ohio State-Clemson Xavier Nwankpa and Kadyn Proctor could open Iowa recruiting pipeline

Browns game vs. Steelers ‘not in jeopardy’ of being postponed because no evidence of COVID-19 transmission in - cleveland.com

The Browns game Sunday vs. the Steelers is not in jeopardy of being postponed because of COVID-19 positives.

CLEVELAND, Ohio The Browns game Sunday vs. the Steelers is in no jeopardy of being postponed because theres no evidence of COVID-19 transmission inside the Browns facility, NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills said Wednesday. The Browns had another player and staff member test positive Wednesday morning, bringing the total of players on the COVID-19 reserve list to 10. But seven of them are high-risk close contacts who have been testing negative, and could be available for the game. As for Wednesdays positive tests, the player is a practice squad player, and the staffer is a coach. The Browns facility is closed while they conduct contact tracing. To date we dont see any connection among the recent positive cases with the Browns, so theres no evidence of transmission within the facility,' Sills said. But obviously were going to continue to work through that, continue to monitor the test results on a day-to-day basis. The clubs been incredibly cooperative and theyve been very proactive and obviously were all working very hard around that issue and contact tracing from the latest positive cases from today is ongoing as we speak right now. But as of this moment, no evidence of any transmission within the facility.' Dawn Aponte, NFL Chief Football Administrative Officer, said as of right now well just continue to monitor and gather information as we go through the contact tracing and we will assess and adjust accordingly if need be. But at this moment, were planning to play on schedule and well take it from there.' Sills said it should come as no surprise that the Browns are having some community-acquired cases because unfortunately right now the county the Browns play in [Cuyahoga] is in one of the highest incidence rates around the league, so that just means that players, coaches and staff are going to have more exposure in the community and therefore more susceptibility to positive tests.' According to figures released Wednesday by Gov. Mike DeWine, Cuyahoga is 26th among Ohios 88 counties in terms of COVID-19 cases. Coach Kevin Stefanski said he addressed the recent COVID-19 incidences with this player. Throughout this season since we got together, there have been constant reminders that we are going to follow the protocols and keep everybody safe,' he said. By and large, the guys have done a very nice job of that, and there are situations that we can learn from. We will continue to do that. We will continue to preach to all of our staff and players to make the right choices, and I think guys are doing that and will continue to do that. Browns linebacker B.J. Goodson tested positive for the virus Saturday, and five players were identified as high-risk close contacts: receivers Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and KhaDarel Hodge, and linebacker Jacob Phillips. NFL Network reported that the contact occurred in the recovery pool area, and that video showed one interaction where one of those players was not properly wearing a mask. On Tuesday, three more players were added to the reserve list: tight end Harrison Bryant and safeties Andrew Sendejo and Karl Joseph. Of those three, Bryant and Joseph are high-risk contacts, and Sendejo is possibly a positive because hes already been ruled out for the Steelers game. If all goes as planned, the Browns will have their seven close contacts back for the game, with the receivers and Phillips due back in practice on Thursday. The Browns are also hoping to have left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. back from his illness. He has not tested positive for the virus to this point. - New Browns face masks for sale: Heres where you can buy Cleveland Browns-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection for adults and youth, including a single mask ($14.99) and a 3-pack ($24.99). All NFL proceeds donated to CDC Foundation. More Browns coverage Browns place Bryant, Sendejo on the COVID-19 reserve list for a total of 8 overall Ben Roethlisberger will sit out Steelers-Browns season finale Browns a 10-point favorite after Steelers name Mason Rudolph starter Myles Garrett is the NFLs most gifted pass rusher (and theres no argument): Podcast Why a Baker Mayfield sneak is better than a Nick Chubb or Kareem Hunt run Why Browns red-zone efficiency makes them a threat vs. any AFC team Should the Steelers play their starters on Sunday? Podcast

Browns’ Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones, KhaDarel Hodge, B.J. Goodson, Jacob Phillips o - cleveland.com

Browns' Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and B.J. Goodson are all on the COVID-19 list and will sit out the Jets game.

NEWARK, N.J. Browns receiver Jarvis Landry battled through a hip injury all last season and fought his way back from offseason surgery to keep his cherished 110-game streak alive, only to have it end on Sunday against the Jets by being placed on the COVID-19 reserve as a high-risk close contact. Landry is one of five players the top four receivers and a starting linebacker who were placed on the list Saturday evening as close contacts of linebacker B.J. Goodson, who tested positive for the virus. All six players must sit out Sundays potential playoff-clinching game against the 1-13 Jets, and Goodson will also miss next weeks season finale against the Steelers because players who test positive must remain away from the team for at least 10 days. The others placed on the list as high-risk close contacts of Goodsons are receivers Rashard Higgins, KhaDarel Hodge, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and linebackers Jacob Phillips. In addition, the club has elevated (Contagious Disease Addendum) receiver JaMarcus Bradley, linebacker Montrel Meander and receiver Derrick Willies from the practice squad. The only active receiver left on the roster before the practice-squad call-ups was Marvin Hall, who was claimed off waivers Dec. 7th from Detroit. A source said the players did not celebrate Christmas together. A league source said the game is still being played because the NFL has determined that its safe for other players and coaches to participate and theyre not a medical risk. The close contacts must isolate for five days and can return on the sixth day if they continue to test negative, meaning they can likely return to practice on Thursday. The Browns thought they might be out of the woods when rookie left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., who was placed on the COVID-19 reserve Thursday as a close contact of someone outside the organization, was activated off the list and penciled back into his starting spot for the Jets game. The game is huge for the Browns because they have a chance to clinch their first playoff spot in 18 years with a victory and a loss or tie by by Ravens, Dolphins or Colts. Landry, whos come on strong the last four weeks with 29 receptions and three TDs after not scoring his first 10 games, weighed in on the matter on social media. ANNOYED,' he tweeted. The Browns not only have to replace Landry on his routes and pre-snap motions, theyll also miss his arm. I knew he could throw the ball really well,' offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said Thursday. I didnt probably pay enough attention to the type of route runner he was and the ability to separate versus tight coverage, make contestant catches and all of that. I am pretty sure he hit the Bengals with a nice throw down the right sideline against us a few years ago so I obviously knew he could throw it well. The Browns were gearing up for their afternoon flight to New Jersey on Saturday morning when they got word that Goodson, the Browns starting middle linebacker, had tested positive. At that point, they closed the facility, conducted meetings virtually and delayed their 2:45 p.m. flight while they conducted contact tracing. They also worked closely with the NFL on the appropriate next steps. Losing Goodson was a big enough blow, because hes the inspirational leader of the defense, leading the team with a career-high 91 tackles and being tied for first with two interceptions. If the Browns beat the Jets and the 11-3 Steelers lose to the 10-4, Colt, the Browns will have a chance to win the division in the season finale for the first time since 1989. B.J. does a good job,' Stefanski said on Dec. 7th, a day after Goodson helped the Browns beat the Titans 41-35. Hes definitely the emotional leader of the defense. You hear him before you see him. He rallies the guys at practice and during the games. Hes making big plays in these ball games to help us win.' With Goodson and Phillips out, Mack Wilson will have a chance to redeem himself after being benched last week, presumably for performance. Phillips started in his place, but Wilson could be pressed into service either at middle linebacker or at his usual weak side spot. The Browns also have Malcolm Smith and Tae Davis ready to step in. When the contact tracing news hit, it couldnt have been much worse unless Baker Mayfield had been on the list. Playing lights out the last four weeks and climbing to No. 12 in the NFL with a 99.4 rating, Mayfield will have to rely heavily on his tight ends and on running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. In his past four games, Mayfield has thrown 10 touchdowns against only one interception, completed 70% of his passes and earned a 117.7 rating. Fortunately for Mayfield, hell be going against an injury-ravaged Jets secondary thats playing a second-team rookie cornerback, a third-team safety and a third-team nickelback. By 7 p.m., the Browns departed for New Jersey, four hours and 15 minutes later than anticipated. By then, there were many empty seats on the flight and six key contributors at home wondering what hit them. The hard part will be potentially not having the receiving corps back until Thursday with possibly a playoff berth or the AFC North crown on the line against the Steelers. The players must also continue to test negative to be able to return. To date, more than 25 individuals throughout the NFL indentified as high risk contacts have turned positive. The Browns have already been dealing with COVID-19 on a weekly basis with Myles Garrett still taking breathing treatments and fighting through lingering effects of the virus. He had a coughing fit after last weeks 20-6 victory over the Giants and is hoping to be closer to his usual self by the playoffs if the Browns get in. - New Browns face masks for sale: Heres where you can buy Cleveland Browns-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection for adults and youth, including a single mask ($14.99) and a 3-pack ($24.99). All NFL proceeds donated to CDC Foundation. More Browns coverage B.J. Goodson tests positive for COVID-19, will miss Jets and Steelers; Wills Jr. activated The Browns scorching offense and 3 other things to watch against the Jets Christmas gift for fans? A good draft from a smart organization Terrys Talkin Browns vs. Jets: Darryl Slater of NJ.com previews Sundays game (Video) Are there positives in working remotely? Is the future at safety set? Browns takeaways Landry: Browns fans deserve the success and the promising future

Kevin Stefanski discusses Jarvis Landry, Baker Mayfield in conference call: Transcript - cleveland.com

Kevin Stefanski answered questions from the media Monday after reviewing the Browns' Week 15 win against the Giants.

CLEVELAND, Ohio Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski answered questions from local media via video conference call on Saturday. Heres a transcript, as provided by the Browns media-relations department: Opening statement: On the injury front, (T) Chris Hubbard has that knee injury. He will miss significant time so he will be out this week and then more updates pending. (DT) Sheldon Richardson with the neck injury should be OK. (S) Andrew Sendejo is progressing through the concussion protocols. (G) Wyatt Teller is really still week to week so we will kind of take it as this week progresses, but I would say he is unlikely for this week. Talking about last night, like we talked about last night maybe it was this morning; I cant remember a really good team effort across the board. The guys played really hard. I was proud of them for that. Offensively singling guys out, like we talked about (QB) Baker (Mayfield) was really, really sharp. (C) Nick Harris going in there on the second play and performing at a high level, it is possible I was not surprised by that. Defensively, (S) Karl Joseph really played well, making a lot of tackles. He ran our punt team for the first time with Sendejo being out, and he recovered an onside kick. He made a big impact last night for us to get that victory. On if Hubbard will be out for the remainder of the season with the knee injury: We will see. I am not ready to go that far, but he will be out this week. On if Hubbard will need surgery following the knee injury: I do not have the answer to that just yet. On if Harris will play RG if Teller is out this week: Yes. On how Harris played last night: Did his job. Played hard. Assignment sound. Got people on the ground. Really pleased with how he performed. On confidence the Browns will be focused heading into the NY Jets game, given the teams record: We are just getting started on the preparation for the Jets, but I have watched the game from yesterday, and when our players see that tape, they will understand the challenge that that is in front of us. On how focused the Browns have been throughout the year: That is part of it. All of that preparation that goes into the workweek, it is important to understand your job, understand your opponent and all of that, and then on top of that, you have to block out anything that is going on around you. The guys have done a nice job of that, and they have to continue to do that. On if S Ronnie Harrison Jr. could come off of IR this week: We will see. I cant comment on that yet, but we will see. On factors for Mayfields increased completion percentage and accuracy: Completion percentage is not a perfect stat to tell the whole story. No. 1, we did not have any drops last night and we had some contested catches so that plays into it. Teams playing big zone where you are working the underneath zones at a high clip plays into that. We have seen over the course of a bunch of ballgames he has fit the ball into tight windows I think of Jarvis touchdown last night. It is an all-encompassing stat that really is a team stat between Baker and the guys on the receiving end. On if Mayfield is throwing more accurately: I would have to really study it over the course of the season. That is one of his strong suits is his accuracy. On if Harris has practiced at G this season, given WR Jarvis Landry said postgame that he was unaware if Harris had practiced at G: Jarvis does not pay a lot of attention to the interior offensive lines rotation (laughter). Yeah, we work him in there. On if he reviewed the TV copy of Landrys taunting penalty: The TV copy is not in there yet. I will look at it, but I will stick with what I told you guys last night you cant hurt the team. On LB Jacob Phillips performance last night: He was active. Physical around the ball. Never perfect. He is a young pup, and he is getting better with each rep. On Landrys resurgence in recent weeks with increased production and how much Landrys health is a factor: I do not think there is one answer to that. I think his health certainly plays a factor into it. I just think the games and how they have unfolded have obviously played a factor. He is a very reliable target for the quarterback. Again, I will point to the touchdown catch. He is covered, and Baker makes a great throw and Jarvis makes a great catch, a strong catch. He made a strong catch on the seam route later in the game. I just see a very dependable player, but to comment on a resurgence, I would be giving an incomplete answer without studying the whole thing. On NFL Network reporting that Hubbard will have knee surgery this week and the severity of the injury: I will wait to give a complete update, but like I said before, significant time. I should mention Hub has given us great reps not good reps, great reps as a versatile player. He is an outstanding teammate. We will miss him in the time that he misses, but in terms of the whole picture of the injury, I will wait to put out something official. On how important Landrys versatility is to the Browns offense: It is hugely important. To have a versatile player at that position that you can move around speaks to his skillset, but I also think it speaks to his intelligence. He is a guy who can handle that. There are some guys who would not be able to handle moving around the formation, lining them up in the backfield and those type of things. You see a veteran player who is very, very smart and understands the game so he gives me great confidence as we design plays and gameplans to move him around the formation. On if he was aware of Landrys versatility before the season: No, I did not have a ton of familiarity with him. You study the tape and you see what you see, but until you are around guys, at practice, talking to them and seeing how they see things, that is so valuable to me and our offensive staff in understanding how we can use them. On Josephs performance last night: He played well last night. Made a lot of tackles. Made plays on the football that we needed him to make. Running the punt team is no small feat. I know it was only three reps, but he had never done it in his career. He took it very seriously and spent extra time with Prief (special teams coordinator Mike Priefer) to make sure he knew the whole operation. To make a play on the hands team, we have had a lot of moments in hands, and to have guys continually coming away with that ball is a very big deal. On S Sheldrick Redwine performance last night: Sheldrick played well, also. Solid tackling. A lot of times at that safety position, you have to be the eraser and get the guy on the ground and lets not make a bad play worse. Sheldrick did a nice job of that. Had a big play there on that fourth down play hitting the running back with a high-surface tackle and knocking him back. On if Richardson will be able to practice this week: I do not know that yet, but long term, I think he will be OK. On who will be the backup at G moving forward if Teller is unavailable and Harris starts at RG: We will work through that. I think (G) Michael Dunn is ready to play a versatile role for us. He does a great job out here at practice. We move him all over the line, as well. He is one guy, but we will work through all of the roster moves this week. On DE Myles Garrett talking about the continued impact of the COVID-19 recovery process and if he will ease up on Garrett during the practice week: We are mindful of that and have been mindful of that since he has been back. He is cleared to play. He is working through it. He is battling through it. We have been smart about it, and we will continue to be smart to monitor him and make sure that he is at 100 percent. On how imperative it is to get off to a fast start against the NY Jets this week: We try to get off to a fast start every week. That does not always happen. We turned the ball over on downs on our first drive last night. It is always a focus for us. We try to practice fast and start fast at practice and think that that carries over to the game. It will always be a focus for us. Again, I will talk more about the Jets on Wednesday, but my initial peek at that game from yesterday, that is a team that plays really, really hard. On if he will scoreboard watch on Sunday with other AFC games having playoff implications: No, I will look at the scoreboard of the Browns versus the Jets. On if he is having fun and enjoying the ride this season, given the 1-0 mentality each week: Yeah, the fun in this business is winning. We enjoy it. I promise you, our staff and our players enjoy it. That feeling in that locker room is hard to replace. Then quickly win, lose, or draw, you have to get over it because there is a lot of work to go into it. On if he saw LeBron James shout out to him on Twitter: I did not. On James shouting him out on Twitter last night: I appreciate it. On the Browns TEs contributions last night: Those guys were pretty good last night. They all play a role. We are moving them around and putting them in different spots. Obviously, Baker has great trust in all three of those guys. They have proven to give us a bunch of valuable reps here this season. On how Landrys passion affects the rest of the team: It can be infectious. His nickname is Juice. Especially in a stadium with no people in there, which is strange, we knew that we were going to have to B.Y.O. Jarvis is a player that they guys feed off of his energy, and we will have to continue to do that this week, as well. On if most teams need at least one player like Landry who brings that level of passion: You just hope everybody is being themselves. I can promise you, Jarvis is being himself. I think that is what the guys feed off of more than anything. On challenges in sustaining an eight-minute offensive drive: It is probably hardest on the offensive line because you are subbing in running backs, tight ends and wide receivers and on defense, they are waving in defensive lineman. Those are the guys that do not get subs. On long drives, it is great to see those guys fighting, straining and finishing. For us to finish with a (RB) Nick Chubb touchdown where it was just your basic goal line play and knocking people back, that was really a great reflection on the offensive line. On if it difficult as a play caller to throttled down when necessary like when building an eight-minute offensive drive: I do not think so. I am just trying to put our guys in position to make plays. I am very, very lucky in the offensive staff that we have. We have great dialogue throughout the game and great dialogue throughout the drive so I am fortunate. On if he is eager to see which Browns players will be selected to the Pro Bowl tonight: I want our guys to have individual success. I want the accolades for all of them. I know we have plenty of guys that are deserving, but at the end of the day, I think those guys understand that those individual accolades really are a reflection of their teammates of this team. Ultimately, that is what we are about here, but it does not mean I do not hope for our guys to be recognized. On what LB Mack Wilson needs to do to get back into the LB rotation after being inactive last night: We will see how it goes this week. Nothing that anybody else has to do. Practice hard and be ready to go. - New Browns face masks for sale: Heres where you can buy Cleveland Browns-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection for adults and youth, including a single mask ($14.99) and a 3-pack ($24.99). All NFL proceeds donated to CDC Foundation. More Browns coverage Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns knock off New York Giants, 20-6: See social media reaction to Sunday nights game Grade Baker Mayfields performance against the Giants in Week 15 (poll) Baker Mayfield ascends, keeps Browns pointed in right direction: Quick Thoughts How Austin Hooper had his best day as a Brown versus the Giants secondary -- Film Review Baker Mayfield sets team completion percentage record in 20-6 victory over the Giants, moving the Browns to 10-4 Browns methodically took apart Giants, look like a team ready for January -- Dan Labbe Cleveland Browns beat the Giants in what was a boring (and enormous) win: Doug Lesmerises Can you say 10-4? Can you smell the playoffs? Isnt it fun to be a Browns fan? Terry Pluto

Agreement with Tegna means local AT&T, DirecTV subscribers can watch the Browns on NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Footba - cleveland.com

If you’re an AT&T or DirecTV customer in Northeast Ohio, you’ll no longer have to look for an alternate way to watch the Cleveland Browns on “Sunday Night Football.”

CLEVELAND, Ohio If youre an AT&T or DirecTV customer in Northeast Ohio, youll no longer have to look for an alternate way to watch the Cleveland Browns on Sunday Night Football. AT&T and Tegna, which owns the local NBC affiliate WKYC, reached a multi-year retransmission consent agreement Sunday, meaning the channel is available again on AT&T U Verse, AT&T TV Now and DirecTV. The channel had been dark on AT&T-owned stations since the start of December due to a dispute over carriage fees. All Tegna stations are returning today to any impacted AT&T homes, a news release from AT&T states. AT&T and Tegna regret any inconvenience to their customers and viewers and thank them for their patience. If for some reason youre still struggling to find the game tonight, there are a few ways customers can get around the blackout and watch the game. The Browns will take on the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on NBC at 8:20 p.m. Read related stories on cleveland.com: Why does Baker Mayfield continue to take so much heat nationally? Hey, Mary Kay! Jedrick Wills gets to show Giants what theyre missing: 3 Quick Pregame Thoughts Why Donovan Peoples-Jones should make you feel good about the Browns coaching staff

Ryan Day’s message to critics of Ohio State’s College Football Playoff worthiness: ‘That’s their problem’ - cleveland.com

Ohio State football coach Ryan Day on Wednesday said the Buckeyes may have only played six games after the Big Ten championship game but have overcome other obstacles to contend for a College Football Playoff berth.

COLUMBUS, Ohio Ohio State football coach Ryan Day mentioned no one by name Wednesday while defending his programs worthiness for the College Football Playoff. Some of the shade has come from other prominent coaches, including Clemsons Dabo Swinney and Floridas Dan Mullen. Even when not specifically mentioning Ohio State, one could easily extrapolate to whom they were referring when they lamented teams who have played half as many games as theirs making the playoff. Alabama, Clemson and Notre Dame will play their 11th game Saturday in their respective conference championships. Ohio State will be 6-0 if it beats Northwestern in the Big Ten championship game. When asked Wednesday why that would be enough to prove his team worthy of the playoff, Day pushed back against the notion the Buckeyes have had an easy road. Weve had disappointments. Weve had games canceled. Weve had the season canceled. We went through so much, Day said. Yet to see us play the way we did against Michigan State, and know our best football is still ahead of us and we have really talented young men who stuck together. If some people cant see that, then thats their problem. A total of 18 scholarship players were unavailable for that 52-12 victory at Michigan State, many of them due to positive tests or contact tracing. Even if you blame Ohio State for the cancellation of the Illinois game due to its own COVID-19 outbreak, the overall lack of games was outside of the Buckeyes control. Two other games were canceled because opponents could not play those weeks. The Big Ten also started its season later, established a shorter number of games and left no room in the format for postponements. Ohio States influence, from the athletic department to head team physician Dr. James Borchers, helped ensure the season happened at all. Day himself tested positive for COVID-19, and he and three assistants did not attend the Michigan State game. Weve had an amazing amount of challenges way more than anybody else in the country, in my opinion, up here in the north, Day said. The minute we went back inside in November, December, the numbers just jumped through the roof. Were in a county thats purple right now. It has been for a long time or at least it has been for a good portion of the last month. Ohio State was the preseason No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, behind only Clemson. The Buckeyes slipped as low as No. 5 in that poll while some voters declined to vote for idle Big Ten teams, but have been in the top three for the past seven weeks. The CFP selection committee has ranked the Buckeyes No. 4 in each of their four in-season reveals. (The playoff set no minimum games requirement prior to the season and never established one.) Swinney and Mullen tried to make a point that playing a full season exposes teams to more potential upsets. Swinney specifically mentioned 2017, when Clemson lost to what became a 4-8 Syracuse team but still ended up as the No. 1 seed. Day did not bring this up, but the opposite argument also has merit. Playing fewer games allows no leeway to take a loss or at least less opportunity to offset that setback with other victories. Would a 4-1 Ohio State team really still be in the top four? Day made no mention of any other teams CFP resume. He also noted the Buckeyes resume on Wednesday is meaningless if it does not defeat the No. 14 team in the rankings Northwestern to win its fourth consecutive Big Ten championship. Weve all been through different things, Day said. Weve always felt like we had a special team. Weve never really been at full capacity, and we havent had the opportunity to play in as many games. But I can tell you that we can play with anybody in the country. Now, weve got to do that on Saturday. New Ohio State face masks for sale:Heres where you can buy Ohio State-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection. A 3-pack is available on Fanatics for $29.99. Fanatics has released Ohio State Buckeyes Adult Face Coverings. This 3-pack of adult masks, retails for $29.99. More Buckeyes recruiting coverage 21 things to know about the 2021 recruiting class Former OSU commit Tunmise Adeleye commits to Texas A&M National Signing Day 2021: Live updates, news and notes about Ohio State, college football Kyle McCord will compete for starting QB job this spring, Ryan Day says Jack Sawyer paved the way for a historic recruiting class Watch Ryan Day break down the 2021 signing class 2021 recruiting class: Meet the new Buckeyes Signing Day 2021: Who has the Big Tens best recruiting class? Early Signing Period 2021: Who has the best recruiting class in the country? National Signing Day 2021: Where did the nations top high school football players commit? 2021 TE Sam Hart may need to make an early impact at potentially depleted position Emeka Egbuka National Signing Day 2021 player profile Zen Michalski National Signing Day 2021 player profile WR recruiting success a result of elite players choosing NFL development over stats What 2021 recruits are expected to enroll early? Buckeyes Recruiting More Buckeyes coverage Can Northwestern hang on Saturday? 5 players who could give Wildcats a chance OSUs continuing search for defensive stars reflected in All-Big Ten voting Shaun Wade, first Buckeye named Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, still improving Ohio State not receiving CFP red carpet treatment, and USC explains why

President Trump uses tweet to lament Cleveland baseball team’s plan to change name from ‘Indians’ - cleveland.com

The president goes on Twitter to complain about 'cancel culture' after learning of the Cleveland baseball team's intent to change its name after the 2021 season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio Reports of the Cleveland baseball teams intent to drop its longtime nickname of Indians after the 2021 season caught the attention of outgoing President Donald Trump. The president, using his favorite medium, Twitter, sent out a tweet late Sunday night criticizing the planned name-change, calling it Cancel culture at work! The New York Times first reported Clevelands intent to change its name. A source confirmed to cleveland.com that the club will announce this week its intention to play under the same name and uniforms through 2021, but will drop Indians after the upcoming season. A new name has not yet been decided. Cleveland.coms Paul Hoynes reports the name change should not be a surprise as the team signaled that it was likely to happen back in July. However, the team is moving more quickly than expected. This is not the first time Trump has reacted to a name change. In July, he again used Twitter to criticize the Washington Football Team when it dropped its nickname, complaining of political correctness. Trump also defended the former Washington nickname with tweets in 2013.

Ohio State football’s College Football Playoff case and the nonsense arguments from the SEC: Doug Lesmerises - cleveland.com

Doug Lesmerises on why the Buckeyes really will be in the playoff with a win over Northwestern, even though is making noise after Florida's loss on Saturday night.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 6 Florida was upset by LSU on Saturday night, which helped No. 4 Ohio States College Football Playoff cause by eliminating the one real scenario that could have rationally kept out the Buckeyes, if they are undefeated Big Ten champs. That scenario was Clemson, Notre Dame, Alabama and Florida all finishing 10-1 with the Buckeyes at 6-0. Now that cant happen, as the Gators absorbed their second loss. That should clear the deck for the Buckeyes if they beat Northwestern in the Big Ten Championship on Saturday. Yet the SEC spin machine was cycling after the Gators loss. In the last week, Ive verged towards sounding like an Ohio State homer in my attempts to defend the Big Ten adjusting its own rule to allow the Buckeyes to play in the Big Ten Championship, and in stating the case for not penalizing Ohio States playoff bid because of missed COVID games it couldnt control. But Im just fighting for logic, common sense and flexibility in strange pandemic times. So heres my list of talking points that would support Ohio State as a playoff team -- not over undefeated Alabama, undefeated Notre Dame or one-loss Clemson -- but over any other contender out there. 1. Its a pandemic. You cant get hung up on a specific number of games when teams are at the mercy of a virus that has upended the entire world. Flexibility allowed this season to happen. If youre stuck on a set number of games a team needs to play, youre allowing the virus to beat a team that did its best and took care of business on the field. If youre truly saying, yep, sorry, but the virus did that, ask yourself if youre being that inflexible with virus issues in other parts of your life. Sure, if Ohio State was finishing the season 3-0, that wouldnt be enough. But the Buckeyes arent 3-0. So lets focus on what they are, which is 5-0 with another game ahead. 2. If you agree to some flexibility, and you dont have a set number of games, then youre going by feel. Would you have required Ohio State to play every game on its Big Ten schedule to get to 9-0? If not, would 8-0 have done it? Were you open to 7-0? Because now youre not keeping Ohio State out because it missed three games, since you were OK with them missing one or two. Now you might be keeping them out only because Michigan, a 30-point underdog to the Buckeyes, got COVID late in the season. Thats it. And thats not enough. 3. Eye testmatters. When I voted in the AP poll, I went by resume more than any voter in the country. But in a pandemic, with fewer games to go by, you have to change your thinking. It cant be just resume. 4. There were three clear top teams before the season, based on talent and recent past performance: Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State. Past seasons shouldnt normally affect current voting, but those three teams werent looking to prove something this season; they were looking to confirm something. It is different to evaluate 6-0 Ohio State as opposed to if Indiana was 6-0. Everyone knows that Ohio State isnt a flash in the pan. That might be a fear with a surprise team. Its not like you dont know what Ohio State is about. That factors in at least a bit in a pandemic season. If Florida, now 8-2, is still on your radar and you think losses are part of the deal when you play a lot of games, lets remember that Ohio State over the last three regular seasons is 28-1. Just for context. 5. Thats why undefeated Ohio State is in a different place than USC, which is also 5-0. The Trojans have won three of their games by scoring the winning touchdown in the final 80 seconds. USC was also 8-5 last year. Normally, that wouldnt matter. But the Trojans had to prove something much more than Ohio State did, and while that doesnt mean the Trojans dont have a playoff case, theyre behind Ohio State in the pecking order. 6. SomeSEC people are now preparing a case for 7-1 Texas A&M to make it over Ohio State, while the No. 5 Aggies only top-25 win is over Florida, which was No. 6 but will fall after losing. Ohio States only top-25 win is over No. 12 Indiana. Losing to Alabama by 28 is not a plus for the Aggies. If you dont want to penalize them too much, fine, but they dont get bonus points for a loss. Texas A&M, which wont play again, beat seven teams whose combined record is 25-42. Ohio State has beaten five teams with a combined record of 16-21, and if the Buckeyes beat Northwestern to move to 6-0, they will have beaten teams with a combined record of 22-23. And Ohio State will have a conference championship and Texas A&M wont. And I cant believe Im even arguing this, but this SEC studio host made me do it. 7. If Florida somehow beats Alabama in the SEC Championship, Alabama, currently the dominant No. 1 team, would still make the playoff. So what about a two-loss conference champ? Its been left out before. In 2016, Penn State was the two-loss Big Ten champ, and one-loss non-champ Ohio State made the playoff instead. That would be the case here with Alabama in and Florida out -- not both in. 8. The SEC cant make an equal playoff case both when a team wins or when it loses. Every SEC win is proof another SEC team belongs ... but so is every SEC loss? Again, its this SEC Network studio host. Maybe its a shtick. Because it doesnt feel real. Its like a teenager arguing that making curfew is proof they dont need a curfew, and missing curfew is proof they shouldnt have a curfew. Im not buying that act. Go to your room. 9. I dont think the committee will want to pair Clemson and Notre Dame for a third time in a semifinal, so heres what I expect for the final rankings after next weekend. If Alabama and Ohio State win, and Notre Dame beats Clemson, giving the Tigers their second loss: 1. Alabama 2. Notre Dame 3. Ohio State 4. Clemson/USC (With Cincinnati or Texas A&M making long shot arguments) If Alabama and Ohio State win, and Clemson beats Notre Dame: 1. Alabama 2. Clemson 3. Ohio State 4. Notre Dame Either way, the Buckeyes wouldnt get Bama in a semi. 10. Dont worry about coaches like Floridas Dan Mullen and Clemsons Dabo Swinney talking down the Buckeyes for not playing enough games. Theyre just publicly politicking while hoping to sway a single playoff committee member even a bit. Ohio States Ryan Day would do, and will do, the same thing. Its just that Mullen and Swinney are more straight forward about it. But remember, Mullen was Urban Meyers right-hand man as an offensive coordinator before Day was. So Mullen was willing to talk down his old friends favorite team. 11. Ohio State, currently No. 4 with the latest playoff rankings coming out Tuesday night, will make the playoff with a win. No. 5 Texas A&M didnt play this week, No. 6 Florida lost, No. 8 Cincinnati didnt play, Nos. 7, 9, 10 and 11 have two losses, and USC is No. 15. So there really isnt a debate. Just SEC spin. New Ohio State face masks for sale:Heres where you can buy Ohio State-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection. A 3-pack is available on Fanatics for $29.99. Fanatics has released Ohio State Buckeyes Adult Face Coverings. This 3-pack of adult masks, retails for $29.99. 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