The Facts: Following up on the ongoing story. ... HC Mike Pettine said Tuesday that Gordon's looming suspension is impacting the club's preparations for the season. "There's certainly a level of frustration because we've known the news for so long," Pettine said. "It's just a holding pattern and I understand that the league has a process that they have to go through and there's other things that they're dealing with and we respect that. But at the same time it is difficult because it really will affect our preparation for the season.'

Diehards Line:Pettine said the club has met about it and "we're prepared for all of the eventualities, but the waiting is difficult." Gordon, who's facing an indefinite ban for at least his third violation of the league's substance abuse policy, participated in individual drills Tuesday but was held out of 11-on-11s. According to Plain Dealer staffer Mary Kay Cabot, Pettine acknowledged that Gordon sometimes doesn't hustle as much as he should in practice. "It is something we've talked about and from what I understand he's made some improvement, but it is a work in progress," Pettine said. "I'm a big believer in quality of reps versus quantity of reps. If I'm a player and I know that I'm going to be out there for 40 full-speed team snaps I may have a tendency to pace myself. There still needs to be improvement there but we're aware of it. ..." Depending on the length of Gordon's suspension, they'll likely have plenty of time to hone the wideout's work habits.