Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Detroit Lions will have a top 2 pick again this year

If I understand this correctly I think they still have a shot at #1 overall once again if St. Louis can win their last game. It goes based on Strength of Schedule and the Lions for the most part already have #2 locked up if they lose next week, which we know is a certainty.I believe that they have a worse SOS than STL so if they win the Lions will be right back at the top with another untradable pick at #1.

Everyone is calling for the Rams to draft a QB at #1, and most assume that they won't draft Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska. This would leave the Lions with what many are calling the best defensive player in the draft.

While I wouldn't be upset if they took Suh, I think people really overrate the importance of a defensive tackle in the NFL for defenses to click. Not saying they aren't important, but they are nowhere near what a great pass rushing DE would bring, and unfortunately it appears that most draft geeks don't think there is one dominate enough to take at our pick. Same thing every year. We never get a shot at a monster DE when we are top 5.

Many people love Eric Berry as well at Safety, but there is very little chance we would take him. HE is the next Ed Reed by all accounts, but considering that we just got Louis Delmas in the 2nd last year, there ie little chance we take him. We are taking Suh and that is pretty much guaranteed if STL doesn't take him.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

zzzzzzzzz....Lions have games left still?

Not sure how I can even pretend I want to watch any of these games the rest of the way. While I never really "get up" for a Lions game, I at least want to watch the games regardless.

Last week was just a snoozefest. I couldn't even find a whole lot to laugh about. Maybe the officials. They were quite bad. Looks like you have a first down...oh wait...Fooled You! Chain had a kink in it! HAHAHAHA

Oh hell, we can't get this first down stick to work right...screw it. First Down!

This week I'll probably spend moist of my time browsing on my iPhone looking for unique gifts for her, that are actually gifts for me. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Daunte Culpepper Starting Sunday

When you thought that you were to the point of not wanting to even watch the Lions anymore this year at all, even if Stafford was playing, it gets worse.

We are all pretty confident that the liklihood of another win this year is highly unlikely. So the only reason to watch was to see the rookie QB, and our other rookie draft picks play. Stafford has been hurt for about 4 weeks now and will finally miss a game because of it. He should have missed last week regardless. Brandon Pettigrew is out for the season already, our other first round pick.

So...what's to watch? Not much. We can watch Delmas, Lavy, and Sammy Lee Hill basically. Other than that there is little to nothing to care about. Thankfully, the Lions defense is so bad at getting the ball back, that we will get to see plenty of them the rest of the way.

As for Culpepper, I thought he should have started Week 1, but at this point I don't want to see him either. He still sucks. Let him run like a fullback or something I guess and throw pop flies every down. Don't want to see any short dump offs from the guy. Go deep every play and let the best fat burners on the team try and make a play. Go for it on 4th down inside your own 20. Who cares. Lose by 90.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Goodbye Curtis Garanderson and Edwin Jackson

Since the end of the season we have been told that the Tigers are in cost cutting mode. Basically because we have too many really old guys getting paid a ton of money still, and some total busts (Dontrelle Willis), and handsomely paid oft-injured (Bonderman, Nate Robertson, Carlos Guillen) players stuck on the roster as untradable. So...we have to sacrifice guys that actually HAVE the ability to be traded, and unfortunately some of our favorite players are out the door.

First, and I thought this was a mistake to begin with, Dombrowski didn't offer Placido Polanco arbitration. Not only did I want PP back for next year, I wanted him offered at least just in case someone else really wanted him and we could get a 1st round pick out of it since he is a Type A player. Dombrowski didn't want to take the chance that PP would actually accept, and he probably would I would guess since he isn't really a stickler I would guess. Doesn't really matter though as he is still a very good player and not THAT expensive for what he does. Instead he was let go for free and Philly decided to make him their new 3rd baseman.

Now we lose a perennial fan favorite, and my favorite Tiger, Curtis Granderson in a pretty big 3-way trade with the New York Yankees, and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Plus we traded Edwin Jackson in the same deal. While I said he is my favorite player I do not dislike this trade at all. We got a very good value for these guys in my opinion, and it satisfies the business side. Just sad to see him go. HE was a great representative for the franchise.

BUT, it is a business, and I am a fan that wants to win so I am not real upset about it considering what we got back. I am realistic enough to knwo that Grandy had some major flaws (can't hit a lefty to save his life, not great at getting on base anymore, and strikes out an insane amount of times).

In return for him and Edwin we got back 3 pitchers and a hitter. The main piece of this deal IMO is the SP Max Scherzer from Arizona, even if many will claim it is OF Austin Jackson from the Yankees. Scherzer effectively crosses out Edwin in the deal, and actually has some abilities that may make him better than Edwin is. He is a 9+ K/9 after all and we all love the strike out my friends. HE will be int eh rotation as the #3 this year regardless so we didn't lose a SP in our rotation getting him back which is important. He also doesn't make jack. HE is on a 4 year $4.3 million deal at age 25 that was given in 2007 so he is cheap.

Austin Jackson is the super prospect from the Yankess that gets a lot of the attention, but he really isn't all that impressive. He's an "athlete" that plays baseball. HE has a lot of talent and ability, but he really hasn't shown any above average qualities overall from a hitting standpoint. He was called I heard by some a "poor man's Adam Jones", and I can see the comparison. He has around a .290 minor league BA for the career, with a .300 BA this past season. HE showed very little power, and a tad of speed, but not a ton of speed. While he had only 2 errors this season in over 130 games, I couldn't tell you if he is a great fielder, or not. Either way he will be expected to take over in CF for Grandy this year and by all accounts could be a high end player eventually, but I have my doubts.

In addition to these 2 main cogs the Tigers picked up 2 relief pitchers. Both left handers, which gives them 5 on the roster. One from the Yankees in Phil Coke who had a very good year last season with the Yankees. The other from Arizona in Daniel Sclareth, who is more of a project, but onsidered to have some good potential even if he has had Tommy John surgery already.

Coke is a very good addition tho the BP regardless. HE made 72 appearances for the Yankees last year and pitched 60 innings. While his ERA was at 4.50, this tells very little. HE held opponents to a .219 BAA and his WHIP was only 1.07. HE did however give up 10 HRs last year, but that was in the new Yankee band box so we can hope for a little better I expect. HE is being talked about as a possible #5 STARTER next year as well, but he is on the team regardless. May be a LRP, or a spot starter at the very least. With the ugly back end of the rotation you can probably guarantee we see at least a few starts out of him.

Daniel Sclareth I don't know much about. HE is another lefty, and like I said has had Tommy John already. IT is said that he has closer stuff so we can only hope his massive ERA and WHIP from last year is just a bump in the road.

Overall, they got 3 players that will be on the team almost certainly next year while losing 2. They got a very good SP, that may be better than the one they traded, and they got a good RP/SP, and a top OF prospect. Plus a possible future closer. All of which make very little money, are young, and we have locked up for 3+ years with arbitration. Something like a total of 22 years of control on these 4 guys. Even if they do bust NONE of them are an albatross in the salary department either.

At the end of the day I can't complain about the trade, but I will miss Granderson. He came up through the system, and exceeded expectations by miles. HE was a role model in the community, and played as hard as you can ask a guy. Made some big plays here, and he will be missed. I wish him luck in New York and hope those fans don't destroy him.

As for Edwin, I liked him a lot too, but he wasn't around long enough to grow all that much attatched. I wish him luck as well and hope he figures out what his problem is in the 2nd half of the season every year. It is NOT tipping pitches as I have seen suggested in recent days. It's probably just stamina.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Well...At Least We Know the Cleveland Browns Are Worse Than Us

After the miracle win last Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, Matt Stafford was looking like the next big thing at QB in the NFL. Oh how things change in just 4 short days.

The annual Thanksgiving Day game started off rather well. Everyone thought that both Stafford and Calvin Johnson would miss the game. So we ere all rather optimistic seeing them take the field. The Lions got a fumble on the opening kick off and took an early 7-0 lead. They were even in it at halftime.

Well...at least they played a quarter well. Stafford went a head and went back to being an interception machine and the Lions defense spent probably 75% of the game on the field while the Packers strapped on their mounts and rammed it in.

Hey...at least we had that one good week.

Time To Go Back to College

With so little going on in the job markets these days there aren't many options out there other than going back to school and getting another degree. For me it is important that I find a place that can give me an online degree.

Personally, I plan to try and use as much financial aid as I can get, or I just won't be able to go back to school. Without a degree, a long cycle of dead end jobs are out there with little to no security. I plan on getting a degree in computers, but a friend of mine is looking into an online teaching degree from an online university called Western Governors University (WGU).

WGU specializes in teaching degrees, but also provides degrees in business, nursing, and technology. They are one of the first online universities to be approved U.S. Department of Education to offer federal financial aid. WGU is a non-profit and more affordable than other online universities, making the financial aid you might be eligible for stretch quite a bit further.


Western Governors University is nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). WGU is also regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, one of the major accrediting commissions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

From Euphoria to Blah: Stafford and Calvin to Miss Turkey Day Game

After being witness to The Legend of Matthew Stafford being born on Sunday, we are treated like Lions fans. Just like every time we see something good happen to the franchise we get rewarded by something bad. This time it is the squashing of the excitement surrounding our rookie QB.

As I'm sure you know after reading my article on The Legend himself, we couldn't get anymore excited about the Lions than we have been this week. Being a Lions fan, and having something positive to roll with never last long though. People are already talking about taking our Thanksgiving Day game away again even after our amazing victory Sunday. That's not the bad part though. Both Matt Stafford and our freak WR Calvin Johnson are expected to miss the Thanksgiving Day game.

Oh joy. another year, another Turkey Day of the Lions getting destroyed. At least when we have those 2 guys the Lions are interesting to watch. Won't be the case this year. May as well spend your time shopping for home insurance, or maybe you can spend some quality time with your family. You certainly won't want to be watching the Lions after half time.

Maybe, just maybe, we can get a Thanksgiving Day miracle?

The Legend of Matthew Stafford

The best saying about the NFL rarely ever fails us. If I remember correctly, this is one of the many tag lines spouted by Chris "I'm Past Annoying" Berman. "That's why they play the games".

When the Cleveland Browns @ the Detroit Lions game started showing up on the weekly NFL TV schedules every media outlet in the country made it into a national joke. Many went as far to say as this may be one of, if not the worst games ever played. That's why they play the games.

Both teams at 1-8 entering the contest with Cleveland having the worst offense in the NFL, and the Lions having the worst defense in the NFL. Nobody needed the best appetite suppressant available to lose any weight as fans of these teams. Old fashioned puking is all we need. Something had to give. It was the Lions defense. The Browns went a head and scored 24 points in the first quarter. That is more points than they had scored their last 4 games combined (23). They are coming off a game where they were shut out, and they looked like a junior college team. It was the first TD pass to a wide receiver for the Browns this season. They hadn't scored more than 20 points in a GAME all year.

If you were hoping that being a Lions fan couldn't get any more embarrassing, you were treated to a 24-3 deficit in the first quarter by the worst offense in the NFL. An offense many have said is the worst they had ever seen.

Then...it started to happen. A #1 draft pick that many said would never make it. A man that has always shown flashes of greatness, but the naysayers would call way to inconsistent too succeed. Matthew Stafford became an NFL QB. Not just a rookie QB, but a real, honest to God, NFL QB. Eat your heart out Mark Sanchez.

Trailing by 21, a number that was so common last year that games could have started with the Lions trailing 21-0 every week, and if you tuned in with 3 minutes gone from the clock you wouldn't have even blinked. It was time for the Lions to show just how bad the Cleveland Browns are.

Matthew Stafford. As we have always suspected, he was unfazed. No matter how many interceptions he threw (He had already thrown 1), or how far down the team would get, Stafford has never shown any signs of giving up. The question is not whether he would still be in the game, but whether he had what it took to make great things happen. He made more than something happen. He gave us the best game we have seen in a decade as Lions fans.

The first TD came on a 26 yard pass to Aaron Brown, a 3rd string RB that took it 26 yards to make the game a bit more interesting at 24-10 with 30 seconds left in the first quarter. The starting RB Kevin Smith made a fantastic catch down the middle of the field for the next TD, and the lead shrunk to 24-17.

Then...what we have all been waiting for since the day that Stafford was drafted. Calvin Johnson breaks free and gets by the coverage, but we've seen this before. Stafford has missed him before. Calvin has gotten up from being missed slumping his shoulders, with clear frustration, and has started to appear to sulk and ignore anything Stafford had to say. This time Stafford dropped a beautiful pass that went 50 yards through the air to Calvin in stride. Calvin proceeded to take it to the house on a 75 yard play, and did a reverse dunk over the goal post. Lions had tied it up at 24-24. Stafford had thrown his 3rd TD of the half.

Cleveland added a FG before the half on a very strange sequence, that was probably a sign of things to come. On 4th down with under 15 seconds left in that half at about the Lions 30 yard line they decided to fake a FG. They got the first down, but with under 10 seconds left just took the FG for a 27-24 halftime lead, and left us scratching our heads as to what the heck they were even thinking.

After a mostly Cleveland Browns, and Detroit Lions-like 3rd quarter of incredibly boring football, Stafford lead the Lions down the field on an 84 yard drive that capped off with a 1 yard TD pass to one of the Lions 35 tight ends. Will Heller. Lions took a 31-27 lead and Stafford had thrown his 4th TD on the day.

After a 3 and out by Cleveland we got to see a bit of Lions futility before the end of the 3rd quarter. With the ball inside their own 5, Stafford was surrounded in his own end zone. Flags had already flown. It was going to be a safety due to holding. Trying to do anything to avoid the sack he threw it into the ground, adding insult to injury with another flag on an intentional grounding call. Lions 31-Browns 29.

After trading punts, Brady Quinn had a little something to say about who was going to be the QB hero of the day. Cleveland drove 75 yards, with a huge and fantastic play by jack of all trades WR Joshua Cribbs that went 35 yards to get them down to Detroit's 4 yard line. Another week, another Lions loss in the making. A 2 yard TD pass to Ex-Lion TE Michael Gaines, and a rush by Jamal Lewis for the 2-point conversion gave Cleveland a 37-31 lead. 5:44 left to play.

After running about 2 minutes off the clock during their drive, the bad Matthew Stafford showed up. Trying to hit Calvin Johnson on a jump ball 40 yards downfield, Stafford had thrown his 2nd INT of the day, and the game was all but over. 3:40 left to play.

Needing nothing more than a couple first downs to seal their 2nd victory of the year Cleveland took over at their own 20. They got one first down, but the Lions defense was not ready to quit and forced a punt with just 1:46 left to play and no timeouts.

The Lions had the ball at their own 12 yard line with a rookie QB, no time outs, and trailing 37-31. IF you were forced to make a call I'm sure your call would have been another Stafford INT, and another Lions loss, but...

You would have been wrong.

Instead the Legend of Stafford was about to be born.

At the 29 yard line at 3rd and 6 with 1 minute left to play Stafford gets some pressure and has to scramble around for his life. He shows something here you don't expect from a Lion. Field awareness. Noticing that he might be about to go over the line of scrimmage, he steps back and runs down the line to avoid the penalty as he hits Calvin Johnson over the middle for a 17 yard gain and a first down. He gets up to the line and clocks the ball. 45 seconds left.

11 yard pass to rookie TE, and fellow 1st round draft pick, Brandon Pettigrew. Gets to the line and clocks the ball at the Cleveland 43. 27 seconds left.

Incomplete pass. 22 seconds left.

11 yard pass to TE Will Heller to the Cleveland 32. Clocked the ball. Just 8 seconds left.

They might have 2 more plays. They might have one. With 8 seconds left Stafford runs into trouble. He has to scramble. He dodges one tackle. Slips down to holding himself up with one hand. Gets back up and dodges another sack. Raiola pushes a man past him to give him that split second to throw. Then a lot of things happen...

The Cleveland Browns push Bryant Johnson out of the back of the endzone while the ball is in the air.

Calvin is undercut and tackled before the ball gets there.

Cleveland intercepts the ball.

Flags are everywhere.

Camera pans back to Stafford. He is down. He had just gotten crushed by defensive end CJ Mosley. He was hurt. Bad. He wasn't getting up.

Back in the end zone the officials were calling pass interference with no time left. Since a game can't end on a defensive penalty the Lions were going to get one more shot at the Cleveland 1 yard line to win the game.

Stafford gets up grabbing his shoulder (his non-throwing shoulder) and has to be taken out of the game. He will have to miss one play since he was injured. It looks like he had either popped his shoulder out of the socket, or he had broken a clavicle. Even worse than losing we may have lost our #1 overall draft pick for a long time.

The Lions should have been penalized a time out for having an injury with under 2 minutes left to play. They had none. They have the ball at the Cleveland 1 yard line.

Enter Daunte Culpepper. Hadn't thrown a pass all day. Hadn't even warmed up at all. Winning, or losing was all up to a very cold QB that hadn't played in weeks.

Cleveland calls a time out.

Lying on the ground on the sidelines Matthew Stafford is being examined by doctors.

Over the loud speaker he hears: "Cleveland has called a time out".

He knows that he can go back into the game since they called a time out. Cleveland nullified the one play rule by calling a time out.

He tells the doctors to help him up. They refuse. He yells for them to help him up. They do. They won't let him go back in the game. He eludes 4 doctors and the next thing we see is him heading back onto the field. He couldn't have been stopped.

One last play. QB who shouldn't be in the game because he probably has a serious injury.

The ball snaps.

Brandon Pettigrew runs straight to the back of the end zone.

Stafford throws and slips it between 2 defenders to Pettigrew.

Pettigrew catches the ball and the Lions have tied the game!

Stafford immediately runs off the field saying that he thinks his shoulder is out.

Fans are going absolutely insane. We are jumping off our couches. We have just seen the incredible. OUR rookie QB, who was crushed the play before, who had no business being on the field, coming in and throwing his rookie record 5th TD of the game and finishing off a comeback after being down 24-3 in the first quarter.

The Legend of Stafford has been born.

For video of the best game of the week, and the most exciting Lions game we have probably seen in 20 years head here:

Lions vs. Browns Week 11 2009

Saturday, November 21, 2009

So...Who Is Ready to Fire Rich Rodriguez?

We all knew that after Lloyd Carr left, and at the same time losing a ton of talent to the NFL and graduation that the program was going to take a step back. On top of that we hired Rich Rod, who is a completely different kind of coach than anyone in Ann Arbor is used to. Using a completely different kind of offense that calls for a different kind of player. Almost anyone on the squad that was recruited by Carr at QB was pretty much going to be useless in this system.

See: Ryan Mallett who transferred to Arkansas this past year, and is putting on a massive show for everyone in a real offense. He only has a QB rating of 165.05 going into today with 2885 yards passing and 23 TDs to just for INTs.In fact Tate Forcier had 4 INTs in his game against Ohio State today.

After last season Rich Rod got a bye. Nobody expect much, and weren't disappointed when Michigan had their worst season ever. Now this season they started out 4-0. They should have been 6-0, and probably should have beaten Iowa as well. OF course they did not and have just lost to Ohio State in a game that Forcier threw 4 INTs. That makes them a laughable 1-7 in the Big 10 this year, and finishing with a 5-7 record. They finished the year losing 5 games in a row and 7 of the last 8. This is Detroit Lions territory. Where you would rather pop in a bluray movie than watch these losers.

The offense is a disaster, but not as bad as the defense. Of course they have kept them in most of these games they have lost with big stops at the end only to have Tate Forcier try too much and throw another pick. Then we have the other QB they call SHOELACE that runs about 2 plays when he comes in. Direct snap, run. Direct snap, run somewhere else. If he passes his INT ratio is about on par with Tate.

This is certainly a season to forget, but Rich Rod is unlikely to be fired, so we could be in for another disaster next year. You can say he needs more time, but when you have the kind of talent that Michigan is capable of putting on the field, and you KNOW they have talent even after Hart and Henne left, you have to make a bowl game by your second year. Rich Rod has lost some of these games by his own work. IT isn't all on the players.

Highlight of the season:

Against the Michigan State Spartans the Wolverines were forced to punt from inside their own 20. Instead of actually punting, the punter decided that this was a good time to run a FAKE. They did not get it, and actually lost yards. Apparently, the punter has the option to fake it if he thinks it is there. While you can try and blame the punter here, it is clearly Rich Rod's coaching that caused this bonehead play. Giving the punter the option to do this is bad enough, but not telling him where on the field he is allowed to do this is unforgivable. That is flat out a coaching error.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Looks like a Detroit Tigers Fire Sale

Keep seeing rumors of the Tigers ready to deal off Curtis Granderson, Edwin Jackson, and probably Gerald lol Laird to save some money. Good thing that Maggs didn't reach that option...oh wait he did (Illitch said he wanted him too, so don't blame DD for this one. HE was untradable the day we signed him.), which is why all these guys are o n the block.

Quite a few teams seem to be interested in Granderson even with the horrible average against left-handed pitchers. HE's a top notch guy, and one of the best CFers in the league so you know why. Yankees, Angels, Mets, and Cubs are among the suitors looking to deal. From most of the rumors it sounds like the Tigers would be getting back a high end shortstop, or 3rd basemen prospect in any deal they make. The Cubs have the probable gem in all of this with the 19 year old SS Carlin Castro, who has been compared to Derek Jeter.

Dombrowski should have dark circles under his eyes by the time the season rolls around. I expect he is going to have to make a few trades, and they definitely need to sign a lot of low end garbage to fill the roster. Unless they go back to what he did his first year here and just run a bunhc of minor leaguers out there to see what we have AGAIN. The Florida Marlins special.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

So...How Bad Can the Lions Get?

At this point we have seen many records broken in regards to the futility of the Detroit Lions franchise. They are literally the biggest losers of all-time in the record department.

Since they started 6-2 during Rod Marinelli's last year where he hounded players to lose weight fast in his Hitler regime two years ago this week, they have won just 2 games. They went 1-7 the second half of that season, 0-16 last year (1-23 to this point), and have gone 1-7 so far this year to send that record to 2-30. They have even lost to the team I thought would be the worst in the NFL this year in the St. Louis Rams. That was the Rams only win this year.

Now as we look at the rest of the schedule , many thought that maybe we could still win that game against the Cleveland Browns, but even my optimism isn't that high anymore. There is a very real possibility that the Lions could end up 2-40 over the last 2.5 seasons. There are NBA teams that have lost less games in that time frame before and they play 82 games a year! I can't think of accurate numbers off hand, but I remember the Bulls went 72-10 one year. Odds are that they didn't lose oaver 40 in that time frame.

It isn't even a situation where it is "to the point that..." anymore. We have watched this for so long that there is no point. No point in watching, not point in paying for tickets, no point in paying for gear, and no point in supporting the team at all. It's basically a running joke, and incredibly sad.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Lions Could Actually win this week

It doesn't come very often when you can be sort of confident that the Lions have a shot at winning. This week they take on the lowly St. Louis Rams, so they have a chance...

That doesn't mean they actually will win. The Rams probably feel exactly the same way as we do about their chances. Their fans might be in need of even more safety products if they fail to win this game as it is likely their only major chance since they want to avoid being the next team to go 0-16.

The Rams are one of, if not the worst teams in an NFL this season that features some seriously bad teams. It may be the worst bottom of the league in history with the Rams and 2 other teams yet to win a game after Week 7. The Lions haven't fared much better, being 1-5. Sadly, being at 1-5 doesn't even put them as one of the bottom 5 teams. There are 2 other teams with 1 win, but they have yet to reach their bye week so they are 1-6.

This game is a battle of futility. Usually when games of this sort happen we see things like a 6-3 final score. Sometimes we get lucky and neither defense shows up so we get to see a high scoring game tat is a bit exciting. Let's hope for all our sakes this is the case tomorrow.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Lions Roster Looked Like the 4th Quarter of Preseason Against Packers

Man, what a brutal game. Lions came into the game losing about 75 games in a row to the packers and even more in Wisconsin. Then on top of it Stafford, Calvin, and half the D-Line was out. Culpepper after sucking more than a central vacuum motor pulled his hamstring in the middle of the 2nd quarter. That meant that the worst back up in the NFL, Drew Stanton was now the QB. His first pass of the game practically put Bryant Johnson in the hospital it was so bad.

After several more injuries the Lions refused to take advantage of the PAckers penalties that came every other play. Tackling was atrocious. Offense was laughable. They ended up getting shut out 26-0.

This might be worse than any game they played last year. It was a complete and utter disaster in every phase of the game.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Lions actually hang with Super Bowl Champs

A game that many thought would be a complete and utter blowout wasn't actually half bad. The Lions kept the game close and literally had an opportunity to send the game into overtime trailing 28-20 in the final minutes. The horrible offensive line decided they were done for the day, however and let Culpepper get sacked 3 straight times to go from inside the 30 to outside the 40.

The honolulu hawaii blue, were able to hold them in check on offense, but ultimately the Pit D took control when it needed to.

Worst play of the day: Ben Rothlesberger threw an interception early in the game. The referees called a personal foul saying that it was a knee hit. The call was absolutely horrible. Pit ended up scoring a TD after the penalty. Game over.

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Can Anyone Comprehend Manager Jim Leyland's Decisions in a MUST WIN Game?

We were all forced to accept the fact that the Detroit Tigers, and Jim Layland were going to subject us to starting a rookie in Alfredo Figaro on the mound on Saturday. While we all were likely scratching our heads that he would use a guy that had pitched a grand total of 15 innings in the majors. A guy that had a WHIP of 1.74 in those innings, and 8 walks to boot in a MUST WIN game where the Tigers were clutching to a very weak 1 game lead with 2 games to go. When the Twins were playing KC, and odds are that they were going to win a minimum of 2/3 against them, but possibly all 3. I'm sure they are already buying their victory cigars online to celebrate since the Tigers have been laughable at closing this out.

OK, we were forced to accept this going into the game. Now we get to the game and Figaro looks rocky right off the bat. Gives up a run in the first inning, and then proceeds to load the bases in the 2nd inning. Leyland then comes and pulls him at this point after pitching just 1 1/3 with 1 ER. He brings in Fu-Te Ni at this point to pitch to ONE batter and he proceeds to get a double play ground ball that Polanco proceeds to boot (Don't let the official scorer fool you. The tigers had 2 errors in that game whether they called them errors or not. They gave a hit out to a ball Becham of Chicago booted as well so the official scorer must be a fan of faking stats.) and a run scores on the play because of it getting only one out instead of 2.

Next...he decides to take Fu-Te Ni out after facing just ONE batter. This is the 2nd inning mind you and thoughts of a "First 50 fans get to pitch" night starts going through your head. So who does he bring in next? Armando Galarraga who used to be in the rotation, and actually has pitched in dozens of MLB games. yet he was horrible this year and we probably can't even remember the last time he pitched.

While this could have been another complete disaster, Armando came out and pitched exceptional. He was pitching perfectly fine. HE what an inning prolonged by a Maggs missed fly ball, and Perry proceeded to give up a run when he came in on Armando's stat line. The stat line is not the problem though. The problem was a couple of things. HE was pitching well and there was no reason to pull him, and he should have just been the starter in the first place if it was going to go down like this. A guy with something to prove, and a history of being able to pitch deep into games.

Leyland had 3 guys in his bullpen with significant MLB starting experience. Zach Miner, Jeremy Bonderman (He wasn't suspended yet. He appealed it.), and the aforementioned Armando Galarraga. Considering that Figaro was a very green rookie he went a head and used him instead of any 3 of those guys. Even with the incredibly short leash that Figaro was given, why exactly was he even starting in the first place? All 3 of those other guys clearly would have been a more logical choice.

Miner had pitched 12 straight scoreless inning coming into this game. He hadn't pitched since Sept. 30 and yet he was not used. The fact that I would have rather seen him start than Figaro is besides the point. Of all the guys you have to bring in when you need a guy to go 4-5 innings you don't even bring him in then. Instead you bring in Armando who has had an awful year. Armando stepped up for the most part, but the decision is still baffling.

When replacing Armando, he brought in another guy with serious control issues in Ryan Perry. Another very young and inexperienced pitcher. He proceeded to bean Quentin as his first batter, and then gave up a double and a run to Armando's stat line. He pitched OK for another couple innings, but the damage was done, and the decision to take Armando out was ridiculous.

On top of all this he didn't stop there. In the 9th inning, trailing by 3, he proceeded to bring in Fernando Rodney. The closer. A guy that has literally been destroyed in almost EVERY SINGLE NON-SAVE outing he has had this year. His ERA is literally close to 7 in non-save situations. Rodney of course sucked in this situation loading the bases and giving up the run they just got back in the 8th. HE ended up throwing 24 pitches, and probably made himself unavailable to pitch TODAY if he were needed.

On the other hand, we have the Minnesota Twins. The team breathing down their necks. Instead of throwing out a pitcher on Sunday that they don't think is ready for such a monumental game, what do they do? They list Pavano as their starter on short rest. 3 days rest actually. A guy that has been absolutely unhittable by the teams in the AL Central this year. If you don't understand what I am getting at here let me explain it. When you have a MUST WIN game you put a guy out there you can trust. Short rest, or not. You are in a do, or die situation, and using some unknown rookie with no experience should NEVER cross your mind. You didn't have to start Verlander yesterday, but of all your options, Figaro was probably the absolute last, and worst possible choice for the situation.

Now since this team couldn't get it done by losing 3 straight, we are forced to use Justin Verlander on the last game of the year to just try and win so they might be able to TIE Minnisota and force a one game playoff. The guy that should have been the starter opening the playoffs. Odds are we have the rookie Rick Porcello pitching in that one game playoff. At least he is the best option considering the other choices are Robertson who is a disaster in the making, and Edwin Jackson who has went from stud to stunted.

I don't even need to tell you how big of a choke job all of our hitters have displayed the past few games. I know people will try to defend him, but Miguel Cabrera (awesome season stats and all) has been an absolute choke artist with runners in scoring position, and every clutch situation he has been in during this disaster finish. Swinging at the first pitch every AB, and getting down 0-2 on more than one occasion. Getting down 0-2 every AB is Brandon Inge's job, and don't even get me started on him. All you Inge lovers can blow me. I knew he was garbage before the season, and he still is garbage.

We are all blessed now with Leyland getting an extension earlier this year and we get to see him for a while longer do some of the dumbest things a manger can do. A guy that uses small ball so poorly that you wonder how this guy ever managed to coach in the National League. His lefty/righty fascination is to the point that you almost expect a pitcher to hit at times just to adhere to this philosophy. LEYLAND SUCKS. Get rid of him and take Lloyd McClendon, and his best friend Marcus Thames with him.

Dombrowski hasn't been any better, but I'm not going to spend any more time on this disaster of a roster. I could go on for days, but it is early in the day and I don't want to be any more pissed than I already am.

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Tigers Just Want To Rip Our Hearts Out Don't They?

Going into the 4 game set with the Minnesota Twins I was slightly less that optimistic about the Tigers making it to the end of not just the season, but even the series in first place still. I was sort of happy that they just escaped with a split and were still up 2 games at the conclusion of that series with only 3 games left to go. Meaning that the Tigers had to win 2, Minnesota lose 2, or the Tigers win 1 and Minnesota lose 1 the rest of the way to clinch the division.

That all sounds well and good, but the Twins have the lowly Royals for the final 3 games. You have to just assume that they will sweep them unless Greinke wants to prove he sould wint he Cy Young on Sunday by shutting them down. So basically we have to go by the plan that the Tigers MUST win 2 of these last 3 games to win the division.

Friday they started out as painfully as possible. Edwin Jackson continued to struggle as he has late in the season to the tune of 7 ERs. Not only that but the Tigers put what I consider one of their best line ups on the field Friday (exception of Raburn not playing). thought Leyland would surely just give everyone the day off lie he is prone to do having you question why he doesn't spend more time on exam tables for brain damage.They proceeded to get shut out 8-0. Way to show up and take it Tigers. The Twins won and the lead is down to 1.

Now I am really not happy about what I have seen announced for Saturday. With a 1 game lead and 2 games to go the Tigers have announced that Figaro will be getting the start. Figaro is not in the rotation. He is a minor leaguer. One of the MOST important games of the year and we use a spot starter, while at the same time skipping Rick Porcello in the rotation. The Rick Porcello that for me has been the most consistent Tigers pitcher for the past few weeks. How can we possibly use Figaro in a game like this? WHY!? We HAVE to win this game. We HAVE to.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Detroit Lions Have a Shot at a Win Against Washington?

It appears that many think the Lions have a real shot to actually get their first win in 19 attempts this Sunday against a struggling Washington Redskins team. After Washington just eeked out a win over the miserable St. Louis Rams 9-7 last Sunday, people are actually giving the Lions a chance to win against them this week.

Let' snot get carried away with the Lions Kool-aid here folks. We ARE talking about the Detroit Lions. The team that kicks us in the nuts every Sunday, every year, every decade. Surely, there is no reason to be optimistic here. You'd be really setting yourself up for a major letdown if you tried to hold this kin of hope, and thought process this week because a disaster is on its way more likely than not.

I think people are just giving it a whirl because they realize that maybe this is the only possible win they can get before the bye week. The only other winnable game coming is maybe St. Louis Week 8. So...this is the one everyone is going to put their chips on? NEVER BET ON THE LIONS. When will you ever learn. Keep picking them to lsose until they actually win. How hard is this to comprehend?

I'd hate to be the business plan writers that focus on the stadium for this team and have to plan on the stadium for an NFL team that is half empty. NFL games don't go empty. The Lions will be blacked out again this week.

Can the Tigers Hold on?

The Tigers had a 7 game division lead about 2 weeks ago. After running into the Kansas City Royals buzzsaw (They actually suck) and Minnesota playing basically .500 ball they have dropped down to a 3 game lead, and only have a 3 game lead because they just swept Cleveland.

Now they have the Chicago White Sox, whom they are never good against. Tonight Bonine started against Jake Freakin' Peavy. Bonine had a no hitter going into the 6th, but just gave up a 2 run bomb to give the Sux a 2-0 lead while Michael Cuddyer is playing out of his mind for the Twins and making this a really, really iffy chance at the division now. They should be sweating and applying acne treatments to the stress zits they should be getting.

The MAgic number for the Tigers is 8 with 10 left to play. Meaning they have to get any combination of 8 more wins, or 8 Twins losses to take the Division.

Only problem? Tigers have 6 games against the White Sox. The Twins have 6 games against the lowly ROYALS. With a 4 game set against each other in between.

I am NOT optimistic even with the 3 game lead. Could be gone by Sunday.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Rosenberg Confronted (Played by Hitler)

You knew it had to happen. Someone just had to get another one of these Hitler sports videos out there. This time it is a University of Michigan Wolverines fan. Instead of Hitler just being a fan of the team this team, he does something new. He plays the role of Michael Rosenberg from the Detroit Free Press.

Since this is a HOMER blog about Michigan sports teams I assume you know who Michael Rosenberg is, and why Michigan Wolverines fans have reason to hate him so much, but I will give you a little background anyways if you are just wandering in.

A few weeks back, before the start of the 2009 season, Michael Rosenberg published this article (Can't seem to find the pretty one, just this archive), accusing U of M head football coach, Rich Rodriguez of violating the rules NCAA regarding "mandatory football hours" for his players. Stuff like lifting weights too long, too many film sessions, and probably sitting in the spa and clogging up the spa filters they were there so long. This was all mandatory of course according to Mr. Rosenberg.

Since the release of the article, ESPN, and all the other media outlets started to talk about it like they do, and even started to (gasp!) actually do some fact checking. In the end it was accepted that the original article by Rosenberg was short on facts, and just long on venom for the coach he hated. He is now the butt of many jokes, and deservedly so.

So...without further ado...Rosenberg Confronted (Played by Hitler)


Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Adrian Peterson vs. Detroit Lions Yardage Predictions

If you play fantasy football, the last 2 years have made you giddy with anticipation when any one of your offensive players has "DET" next to their name for the upcoming week. Heck...even if you play in a team defense league having DET next to that is enough to get you hyped and wonder why these guys don't require a background check to stay in the league after the points theft against the lowly Lions. It is so bad that I have seen over the last couple years that fantasy managers have gone out of their way to pick up as many players as they can get out of the free agent pool just so that they have a latch on to the points the Lions defense is going to give up only to just dump them back in the pool after the game as those players are nothing the rest of the way.

The biggest fear of fantasy managers when they see Adrian Peterson, or Drew Brees sitting a crossed the way on the match up scoreboard with the "DET" next to his name. Luckily I have Drew Brees, and got that benefit last week, but not this week. I am on the other end of the points free for all with AP on the other side. In fact I am so worried that I have put out a ridiculous deal in order to acquire AP for my own team to match up with Brees :).

So in that light I am going to put it out there for everyone to predict how many yards Adrian Peterson gets against the Detroit Lions this week. We are lucky enough to see this twice every year as they are in the same division. You may be a little surprised by how he hasn't rushed for 300 yards a game,b ut he hasn't exactly been shut down either.

Adrian Pertson career vs. Detroit:

2008 (2 games): 47 Rushes for 216 yards (4.6 YPC), 2 Rec for 10 yards), 0 TOTAL TDS
2007 (2 games): 35 carries for 182 yards (5.2 YPC), 2 Rush TD, 5 Rec for 62 yards

So through 4 games (2 road, 2 away) in Adrian Peterson's career thus far against the Detroit Lions he has averaged just under 100 rushing YPG at 99.5 rush yards per game. He has 7 receptions for 72 yards, so 117.5 TOTAL Yards averaged per game against Detroit.

So with that in mind just how many yards do we think we can expect from AP this year?

I am going with 96 yards rushing and 3 catches for 18 yards.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Detroit Tigers Get Swept by The Lowly Royals

Way to show you want to win the division boys!

After winning 6 straight and taking a 7 game lead on the Central Division in the American League the Tigers fall a part. They lose 3 straight to the last place Kansas City Royals and the lead dwindles to 5 1/2. The Tigers actually got lucky though as the Minnesota Twins didn't exactly take advantage. They split the series with Toronto and only got a game and a half out of it and didn't give the Tigers their notorious late season fat burners.

After the sweep the Tigers "Magic Number" to make the playoffs, and win the division stands at 18 with 23 games left to play. Minnesota has 22. Which means a total of 18 wins by the Tigers, 18 losses by the Twins, or any combination of the two that equal 18 wins them the division.

The Tigers have to play Minnesota 6 more times the rest of the way, and the Chicago White Sox another 7 times. Chicago seems to have given up by trading awayhalf their team the last couple weeks, but are still hanging around at just 6 games back after all the roster moves.

The Twins also get to play the Kansas City Royals 6 out of their last 10 games which doesn't bode well for the Tigers at all.

Washburn is garbage also. Trade has been a disaster.

Thursday, September 03, 2009

Tigers Sweep Indians to Take Division Lead to 5 Games

Thje Detroit Tigers have been clinging to a lead of anywhere from 2-4 games the last month or so, with both the Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins hovering around and waiting to strike. This week the Chicago White Sox have thrown in the towel and appear to be looking towards next season after getting rid of players such as Jim Thome, John Danks, and earlier, Clayton Richard.

The Minnesota Twins on the other hand have been sticking with the Tigers stride for stride as both have gone 7-3 over their last 10 games. Detroit winning today while Minnesota is off gives them a comfortable, but not far enough a head to dismiss the pesky Twins who year after year get no respect and torment the division leader until the end causing managers to pull out the colonetix.

With most games left the rest of the way in the division as well as 7 more with Minnesota head to head, the Tigers are in for a fight. This will likely come down to the last week of the season where the end against Minnesota and Chicago.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Brandon Pettigrew is Gonna Be A Monster

The Detroit Lions "other" 1st round draft pick this year, TE Brandon Pettigrew got his first start in the Lions pre-season game on Friday. Along with the core offensive stud, Calvin Johnson he saw his first NFL of the pre-season.

The guy looks like he can do it all. He could block, and he could catch. Did anyone notice that first time Stafford had them in the Red Zone when they tried to run on 1st and goal? He had his man 6 yards off the ball.

HE also made a couple nice catches, which many probably haven't seen much of since he didn't exactly make a lot of catches in college for a guy that goes #20 overall in the draft. IF you had seen him before you know that he doesn't exactly go down easily. This guy is gonna be great. I think it is safe to say he won't have to worry about getting rv finance since he is going to be making bank :D.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Man Washburn Sucks

Talk about a total letdown with this guy since getting to Detroit. We already have a guy that gives up 4-5 ERs in the rotation in Armando Galarraga. Did we really need another one?

Of course at the time I wasn't really upset with the trade, and actually liked it. Still do for that matter, but this tool better show some of what made him the quality start machine he was before he got here this year, or he definitely won't need any return of premium life insurance.

At least he didn't end up with he loss today as the Tigers came back from a 6-1 deficit to finally win the game in the 9th.

We'll see. This guy certainly has been a total scrub since winding up here with 1 decent start. OF course we all knew he was a scrub when we traded for him, but he was at least on a run, and Seattle's D isn't THAT much better than ours. Douchebag.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Tigers Take 3 out of 4 from White Sox; Lead Division by 2 Games

While the 4 game sweep and ultimately a 4 game lead in the division over the rival White Sox has a much nicer ring to it, it is hard to complain with the 2 game swing in the standings. The Tigers got the White Sox one day after Mark Buehrle threw just the 18th perfect game in MLB history, and started the series with a day/night double header.

Justin Verlander threw a complete game in the first game of the DH, while we got a nice start from the spot starter Luke French in Game 2 to sweep the double header. Then the magnificent Edwin Jackson shut the White Sox down on Saturday to take the first 3 games of the 4 game series.

Tonight, however the situation was a bit different. Rick Porcello pulled his best Jeremy Bonderman imitation and gave up 4 runs in the 1st inning on a Paul Konerko Grand Slam, and prompting me to turn my attention to shopping for free online backup. He settled down a bit and pitched into the 6th inning allowing only one more run, but the damage was done. White Sox went on to win and salvage one game from the series.

It appears that our rookie phenom Rick Porcello's days are numbered for the season. He looks to be wearing down quite rapidly. His pitches are straightening out, and he is having a difficult time with control by walking way too many hitters.

This is not good news, although Armando Galaraga seems to be back on track so it isn't as bad as it could be. Oh the dreams of getting Roy Halladay dance in my head so much now. If only we could get him for something like Rick Porcello, Ryan Perry, and junk. Of course only if he agreed to a long-term deal before the trade, but alas the dream is not gonna happen. The Jays are asking way more than Dombrowki is willing to give up I';m afraid.

So...he says we are staying pat, while the hitting is in the toilet, and our rotation may need some help. While we have a very good rotation the line up needs to start producing. Immediately. Carlos Guillen is back and should provide a spark, but it still feels like something is missing. Just give me a hot Miggy, Maggs, and Guillen and I will be happy.

NFL Draft Now 3 Day Event?

Now I'm really not sure how many people care that much about the NFL draft, but as a Lions fan it has become what is known as the Lions Super Bowl. We tend to watch the draft a bit more closely than some other fans considering that just about every player we take is either a bust, or someone that should be starting on Day 1.

The NFL announced this week that they will be making the NFL Draft a 3-day even now. The first round will be during Prime Time on Thursday nights, while the last 2 days will be on Friday and Saturday.

I have yet to see anyone that actually likes this idea. First of all the first round is the biggest draw. Putting it on a Thursday night seems to be a recipe for disaster. The length is usually 3-4 hours at least, and as much as 6 hours sometimes. I don't know about most of you, but I have to get up for work in the morning. If they plan on putting this on at say 7-8 PM on the east coast I just don't see how anyone can stay up and watch this until 2 in the morning. Of course as a Lions fan I should be in bed by 10 most years anyways since they are always in the top 10.

Either way I am not a fan of the change. Hardcore NFL fans are the only ones that really care about the draft, and I doubt most of us want to watch this during the week. As it is now most of us discuss and prepare to watch the draft for months and get ready for a lost weekend. Needing acne treatment to fix all the sitting at the computer over 48 hours.

Now we are being shafted for some perceived need to make this into a prime time event that literally only hardcore fans really want to watch. This isn't the NBA Draft here folks. You can't just throw it out there and get it done in 2 hours. This is a 7 ROUND draft and there are WAY more players int he NFL to know about than in hoops.

I guess it isn't up to us though so we have to deal with it. I say bite me Goodell you tool.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

More Rumors of Tayshaun Prince for Carlos Boozer

While the Pistons have been rumored the entire off season to be going after Carlos Boozer, it doesn't appear that anything is happening in that regard. While I have little to no love for Carlos Boozer, the Pistons have put themselves in a position that they have neither money to spend, nor a big man on the roster worth a damn.

So...we are all resigned to the fact that either Tay, or Rip is going to have to be dealt at some point to get us one. With the signing of Ben Gordon as the free agent period opened almost everyone had to think that a Rip Hamilton trade would be forthcoming. While Gordon says that he wouldn't mind being the 6th man if Rip stayed, is that how it will eventually shake out?

Tayshaun seems to have a bit more value in that he is one of the most versatile players in the league, a superior defensive player, and I have heard him labeled a top 25 talent in the NBA before. While I love both Tay and Rip, I would not be against trading Tay away for the simple fact that he is going to wear down faster than any other player we have. HE has played more minutes than anyone in the NBA the last 6 seasons I would guess if you asked me this question. 6 Eastern Conference Finals, 2 NBA Finals, and even a few minutes in the Olympics. HE also has averaged nearly 40 minutes a game over that span, and hasn't missed much time to injury at all. HE definitely has the sound of a guy that could use some eye cream with all the sleepless nights he probably has.

So...the rumor now is that the Pistons along with both Portland and Utah may be looking at a 3-team swap that would send Tay to Portland, and Boozer to the Pistons.

While I wouldn't mind having Boozer for the season, I am definitely not enamored with the idea that trading for him will cost the Pistons a long-term contract starting at $14 Million per season. Boozer just isn't that good. We go from having the ability to sign ANYONE next year to basically not being able to sign anyone after this off season with the pick ups of Gordon and Charlie Villenueva.

Welcome back the teal jerseys. This team is gonna suck for a while.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Inge Gets Embarrassed in HR Derby, Granderson Scores Winning Run in All-star Game

While I didn't expect Brandon Inge to have much of a showing in his first Home Run Derby appearance, I expected him to hit at least ONE homer. HE did not. Brandon Inge had ZERO HRs in the HR Derby. He was the only one to accomplish this task so I guess that puts him in some elite company with guys like Mike Piazza who I believe did it twice.

On the brighter side, Curtis Granderson made his imprint on the All-star game itself. The speedy fat burner rifled a triple off the bottom of the left-field wall in the 8th inning to set himself up to score the game winning run on an Adam Jones sacrifice fly.

The AL won for the 1th year in a row. That's right. 12 straight years the American LEague has beaten the NL in the mid-summer classic.

Great news for us Tigers fans as the AL winning the AS game gives the AL home field advantage in the World Series. With the Tigers leading their division at the break there is a chance that it could come into play for us.

Justin Verlander did not pitch in the game, but Edwin Jackson became part of the run for the AL that retired 18 straight pitching one scoreless frame.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Tigers Roll into All-star Break on top of Division

While we really didn't know what to expect out of the Tigers this season, we have been pleasantly surprised by the position they are in. Worries about our starting pitching staff, and even more worried about the Tigers bullpen and us wondering if the team could even finish above .500 for the year. We all expected the team to hit well, but even that hasn't turned out the way we had imagined it.

So through the first half of the season the Tigers are in first place with a 48-39 record by 3.5 games over the White Sox and 4 games over the Minnesota Twins.

So what has happened that put them in this position. The #1 reason is the trade that brought us Edwin Jackson. In his first year with Detroit he has made it into his first all-star game and has dominated since day 1 leading the team in ERA at 2.52. Justin Verlander has also dominated in stretches this season, and really has been so good in spots that he has been unhittable while striking out 144 batters already at the break.

Then we come to the rookie Rick Porcello who has continued to give solid innings to the Tigers at the ripe old age of 20. He has pitched well enough to win 8 games this season already. Just 1 behind team leader Justin Verlander at 9.

After a very rough start of the season for almost 2 months Armando Galararaga was looking as if he was no longer a pitcher. Even he has turned it around recently and is keeping the Tigers in position to win whenever he steps on the mound.

The bullpen has been quite steady this season as well. A few bumps in the road here and there are expected, but we have gotten some great pitching ourt of the pen all year from closer Fernando Rodney who goes into the break at a perfect 19/19 in save opportunities. After losing the closer's role to Rodney, Brandon "Detroit" Lyon has been very steady the last several weeks. Joel Zumaya is back and has dominated at times, but he still has a few bumps along the way. Bobby Seay has gotten a lot of clutch outs and may be the most consistent of the bunch, while Zach Miner continues to pitch in any way they want as a starter or reliever.

The hitting has been quite weak this season with the loss of Carlos Guillen for most of the first half and the possible swan song of Magglio Ordonez in Detroit. HE is relegated to platoon duty at the moment to see if he can find his bat again or if he will be selling wholesale computers in the near future.

Brandon Inge has been the biggest shock of them all. He will be participating in the HR Derby this week for the first time. Never having even 30 HRs in a season he is at 21 (after 2 today) at the all-star break. He also has a few memorable hits this season that have given the Tigers some wins.

Another big reason is the defense for the Tigers. Although the error count may not show it the Tigers have definitely improved their infield and outfield overall this season. The addition of Adam Everett at SS, and Inge moving back to third has widened the range over there significantly.

The OF has had many faces this season. Playing for Maggs, and for Guillen while he has been on the DL. Clete Thomas, Ryan Raburn, Josh Anderson, and Jeff Larish are a few that have all played quite a few games. They have all had some clutch hits this season and played well enough in the field to save us from some losses.

While the hitting hasn't been spectacular in the first half, Carlos Guillen may be returning soon to help out. There has also been rumblings of a possible trade coming that would get the Tigers another power bat. Adam Dunn and Aubrey Huff have both slipped into rumors as of late so we may see even more improvement int he second half.

Inge to be in HR Derby

Who would have ever thought that our Brandon "Strikeout Machine" Inge would ever make it to a home run derby? I certainly didn't and I would have offered to drive you to the nut house if you suggested it paying for the long distance movers if necessary to get you there.

Surprise, surprise. Inge is heading to the all-star game as the last man vote din AND he will be participating in the HR Derby. Can you believe this?

So...what do you think he will do at the competition? I am not real optimistic he can compete with the likes of Pujols out there, but maybe he will shock us all.

My prediction for Inge is 2 HRs in the first round, and an exit.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Brandon Inge Becoming Mr. Clutch

Brandon Inge is a Tiger that I have given A LOT of grief over the years, and deservedly so I would point out, but he has had some big time hits this season.

Brandon Inge came through again today with a 2 run Home Run in the top of the 9th inning against the Houston Astros with the Tigers trailing 3-2 with 2 outs and Thames on 1st. The blast coming out loud over my home theater gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead, and paved the way for another win as Fernando Rodney saved is 17th game in 17 chances.

Inge has been with the Tigers for several years and has played nearly every position on the field for the Tigers. Last year he went back to laying catcher, his original position, for the first time since the 119 loss season back in 2004.

Now back at 3rd base, he is hitting HRs like he did in the magical 2006 World Series run season, although at an even stronger pace. 17 HRs already through 73 games this season, but he has a few real clutch ones.

We don't have to go too far back even to see his last clutch dinger. While it didn't win the game, it should have. HE hit a 2 run bomb against the Cubs on just a couple days ago on June 23rd and gave the Tigers the lead again in the 7th before surrendering it. Of course Ryan Raburn came through in the 9th with a 2 run walk off HR himself to seal the deal.

Just a couple weeks earlier on, Inge singled in the winning run in the 9th on June 8th against the White Sox. A huge division win.

Back on May 22, Inge hit his 12th HR, but drove in the winning RBI in the 8th on a ground out.

His season has been up and down in the average department, as well as in the clutch moments, but he has some big time hits this year. Game breaking HRs late, and stellar defensive plays that have made me sort of lay off the guy for now....

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Rick Porcello Wins Game With Arm AND Bat in MLB Hitting Debut

Not all was bad out of Detroit yesterday for sports. While the Wings were choking away the Stanley Cup, we also got to see something I doubt many of us have ever seen.

It is a sad state of affairs for the Detroit Tigers offense when the MVP at the plate for a game is a starting pitcher. Not just any starting pitcher either. Rick Porcello, a rookie, taking his first ever major league at bats.

Rick Porcello, the rookie phenom pitcher, did his thing on the mound and shut the Pittsburgh Pirates down for 7 innings last night allowing just 1 earned run. That wasn't his most impressive feat of the day, however.

In Porcello's first career MLB at bat, he got himself a hit and an RBI to give himself a 1-0 lead.

He didn't stop there though. His next AB he worked the count to 3-1. He got hosed by the umpire then unfortunately, and had a strike called that was clearly out of the zone and should have resulted in a walk. He struck out.

Of course that was his only mistake at the plate. Trusting that the umpire would call it straight. Instead of waiting on a bail out, in his 3rd AB he laced another hit down the line and got himself his 2nd RBI of the night. Guess what the score was. 2-0. Both on Porcello RBIs.

So in his MLB hitting debut the rookie pitcher went 2-3 with 2 RBIs. Should have been 2-2 with a walk, but 2-3 is just fine.

Porcello finally surrendered a run in the 6th, and then left after 7 innings with a 2-1 lead. The Tigers bullpen was able to hold onto the lead for him and he ended up with a win of his own making 3-1. Brandon Inge homered to give them a little breathing room in the 8th.

Going to be a great memory for the kid. It also let us at least give Pittsburgh one loss yesterday, albeit one that matters little compared to the pitiful loss by the Red Wings for the Championship.

Red Wings Choke Away Repeat Stanley Cup

Well...the confidence, that could be read as cockiness, from the New York Yankees of the NHL, Detroit Red Wings was destroyed last night. The Pittsburgh Penguins took it to the Wings from the drop of the puck to win the Stanley Cup in a rematch from last year's finals by outplaying the Wings in every facet of the game.

The Red Wings took a 2-0 series lead and looked almost a guarantee to win their 2nd straight Cup against the Penguins. The Penguins then went on to win 4 of 5 and embarrassed the Wings on their home ice.

It wasn't like the Wings put up much of a fight either. After handing out a 5-0 drubbing in Game 5, the Wings looked outmatched in every way during the final 2 games of the series. The Penguins got to every puck, made every play, and took advantage of the MANY turnovers the Wings coughed up in their own zone.

It was pathetic. The Penguins deserved the win. They outplayed the Wings when it mattered, and it wasn't even close even if the score would indicate it.

So now...we get to hear about Crosby 24 hours a day for winning a cup and being the best player in the league. Of course he had little to do with them winning the cup in the series as the Wings practically shut him out, but he's the NHL poster boy so he will get the credit for what the rest of his team did. Crosby got injured in the 2nd period of Game 7 and only played 1 shift the rest of the way. I hope he fails a test for taking too many top rated diet pills next season and gets banned.

Monday, June 01, 2009

Jeremy Bonderman Has Impressive Start in Toledo

Although the Tigers pitching staff is among the best int he league statistically to this point in the season,that doesn't men we couldn't always use another arm for the rotation, or in the pen. Jeremy Bonderman missed much of last year with a blood clot that ended his season.

Sunday night for the Toledo Mud Hens, he pitched eight shutout innings against the Charlotte Knights, allowing five hits and no walks.

Bonderman struck out five, and 66 of his 98 pitches were strikes.

With Armando Galaraga struggling he may just find himself in the rotation there, and Armando may have to go figure out what is going wrong.

Willis had a couple of great starts after his return, but wasn't as effective in his last start, however.

Both Willis and Armando are going to get more opportunities of course, but Bonderman may take a start from one of these guys at some point just to see if he can help the squad. If everyone is looking good then all the better. Someone can pull bullpen duty and we are even better off, or deal for some more help. At least we don't have Bartolo colon cleanser as one of the guys we have to depend on ;).

Wings go up 2-0 on Penguins in Stanley Cup Finals

In one of the oddest things I have ever seen in professional sports, the Wings and Penguins played back to back playoff games. I can't think of any pro sport where I have ever seen Finals games played on consecutive nights.

Didn't matter though. The game went the same as the first. Both teams played pretty closely, but the Wings just squeezed 2 more goals into the net than the Penguins could.

The man from my hometown Muskegon, Michigan, Justin Abdelkader scored his second of the series in the third. Both goals putting the Wings up 3-1 and icing the win.

The odds favor the Red Wings in their bid to become the NHL’s first repeat champion since they did it in 1997 and ’98. Teams that win Games 1 and 2 at home have captured the Cup 31 of 32 times. Pretty good odds, but as we know odds are meant to be overcome, and this series has been played much closer than the 2-0 lead would indicate. The Wings do have some good insurance online though since they only need to win 2 out of the next 4.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Tigers are Rolling

Who would have though going into this season that the starting pitchers would be this good? Who would have though that the worst of them would be Armando Gallaraga? He looks like he is about to lose his job.

Everyone knows that Justin Verlander has been maybe the best pitcher in baseball over the last month. The guy is destroying teams lately. His strikeouts are incredible, which hasn't been the way he has had a lot of success in the past.

Now we get a real gift with Dontrelle Willis seemingly being a real pitcher again? He has had 2 great starts since his return and looks very good. Control is solid, and he seems to have overcome the "anxiety" disorder he supposedly had.

Also, we are getting a ton of help from guys nobody was hoping to get anything from. Anderson has come in to play well in the field, decent at the plate, and an actual stolen base threat.

Clete Thomas, Raburn (Lately anyways), and even Larish at times has provided some solid contributions when they get their chances. Santiago has bee awesome off the bench playing for Everett when he was out.

And Adam Everett? Are you kidding me? Thought this guy would hit .230 here and have 20 RBIs. He is leading the team in BA with runners in scoring position last I checked. Laird has gotten out of his slump and is even contributing at catcher.

Oh yeah...Mr Mendoza Line Inge...dude is playing at an All-star level!

IT is a great year so far to lounge on the patio chairs and catch a game on the radio that's for sure.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Sports Illustraded Wide Receiver Rankings

This should piss off all the Lions fans. Not only is Calvin "Megatron" Johnson not in the top 5, but he isn't even in the TOP 10!

Sports Illustrated's ranking of the top 20 WRs is a bit off in my opinion. Some are real head scratchers. Like orur old boy, Roy Williams being ranked #11 above Roddy White AND Housmandzadeh who are ranked 15 and 18 respectively and behind some Mesothelioma lawyers most likely the way this list goes.

#1 you get no argument from me with Larry Fitzgerald.

Rest of his top 10:

2. Andre Johnson
3. Reggie Wayne
4. Anquan Boldin
5. Randy Moss
6. Terrell Owens
7. Braylon Edwards (You kidding me after last year?)
8. Lee Evans
9. Greg Jennings
10. Steve Smith (So underrated all the time)

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Brandon Pettigrew

A lot of people were upset with this pick from the Lions in the 2009 draft at #20 overall. A Tight End when people wanted that offensive tackle still sitting there in Michael Oher who is the popular pick because every loves his attitude and determination. A great story of coming up hard and willing himself to be good enough to get to the NFL rather than be robbing Outer Banks homes, or some other silly troubles.

I wasn't particularly upset at all actually. I rather liked the pick. The guy was by far the best TE int he draft and we haven't had a real TE in decades. Waht I liked most about him wasn't that he was an offensive catching threat, but that he is a superb blocker in both the run and pass game. He becomes more or less a dual threat for the team. A guy that can move the chains as a safety valve because he does have those skills too, but more importantly a guy that can move defenders out of the way in the run game as well (Pettigrew started 45 of 47 games at Oklahoma State, recording 216 knockdowns with 30 touchdown-resulting blocks).

I could talk about Pettigrew all day, but the draft report at CBS.com for him is superb. I found the "Game Analysis" sections particularly interesting as it gives a brief recap of his performance in every game he played.

We Get Excited About Larry Foote in Detroit

Yes...the Detroit Lions faithful are so desperate for a real middle linebacker that we are excited about getting Larry Foote at the end of his career. He was released by the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburg Steelers yesterday, and was heard actually saying that he would like to play for the Lions.

Foote is from the Detroit area and played some ball for the Wolverines. Compared to Paris Lenon I think I could be an upgrade at MLB so this is a good move for us if he comes cheap. It would give us a starting LB corps of Ernie Sims, Larry Foote, and Julian Peterson (acquired via trade this year). Not too shabby considering what we've had in the past. Too bad out D-Line is still garbage, but the football gods were not kind to us by giving us the golden DE, or DT in our draft at #1. Raji is a 3-4 player BTW in case you are thinking we could have taken him. We run a 4-3 ;).

So...we get overly excited for a guy closer to collecting social security than making a pro bowl, but we should be I guess. Someone that actually says they want to play here? Now you have to wonder about his sanity.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Who Says Stafford Isn't Accurate?

Here's one for the Stafford lovers to rub in the faces of the Stafford haters. Potential #1 Overall pick in this year's NFL Draft for the Detroit Lions, Matthew Stafford appeared on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (You should really take the best appetite suppressant before watching this awful show) last week and took part in a bit of an exhibition.

Stafford was required to throw a football at flying plates. See for yourself how well he did :).

Stafford Football Skeet Shooting

Welcome to Detroit Matt ;).

Detroit Tigers Rick Porcello Get 1st Career MLB Win

Our next big time prospect earned his keep today against the Seattle Mariners as he won his first Major League game. Porcello pitched a very efficient 7 innings, only throwing 86 pitches, 56 of which were strikes, before he was taken out of the game enjoying a 5-1 lead. Porcello allowed just 1 earned run on 5 hits ann no walks. He struck out 3 as the Tigers won 8-2 and took the series 2-1 on the first of the west coast road trip.

The other pitching prospect up in the bigs for the Tigers Ryan Perry also saw action in relief. He had a bit of a shaky outing, however. Although he was not int he game when his run scored he made a crucial defensive error that allowed the inning to continue and was pulled right after. He had given up 1 hit, but had 2 outs. He got Ichiro to gorund out to 1st, but took his sweet time getting over to cover the bag and Ichiro beat him there prolonging the inning.

Another big game from Ramon Santiago. Santiago got the first RBI of the game on single in the 2nd. He added another RBI on a FC in the 4th. He was able to break the game open in the 8th with a 3 run double off the wall. HE finished 5 RBIs and has been on a tear since replacing the injured starting SS Adam Everett. He should have been starting since the season opened while Everett was enjoying stint with some other scrub team.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Pistons Start Playoffs Today

OK...this is going to be a post from a fan and not from a guy who actually subscribes to reality.

Boston lost to the Bulls today so it looks like that will be a series missing KG. So what is going to happen?

Simple. Pistons will beat the Cavs, and the Bulls will beat the Celtics. Pistons will then play Orlando who they own. So we will make the ECF for the 7th year in a row.

While it may appear that I need to look for a healthcare career rather than discuss sports if the Pistons can pull of the unthinkable and beat the Cavs and the Refs they are a shoe in for the ECF because the MAgic can't play with us. Dwight Howard is not a true Superstar. Don't buy into it. He doesn't have the heart, or the killer instinct of any of these other guys like Lebron, Wade, Kobe, etc. HE is a joke. See you in the Finals...:)

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Mayock says Lions Should Take Monroe

Mike Mayock, the draft analyst for the NFL Network thinks the Lions should take Eugene Monroe, OT from Virginia. Monroe has been overshadowed in the post season hype by a few guys. Jason Smith came up and stole the show at the combine, although I have always believed he in no way fit what the Lions are trying to do, nor is he really even deserving of the talk around him. He may not even be on of the best 3 OTs in this draft.

HE says he prefers him over Smith as well because he has the "best feet of any tackle in the draft".

While most Lions fans are eating edible plants to forget about last year, most agree on one thing: They are scared to take Stafford. Monroe has always been my pick as the OT to take this high after Andre Smith blew it at the combine. To me it only comes down to Monroe and Stafford. Curry lovers can forget about him. IT woudl make zero sense to take the guy #1 overall.

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Allen Iverson Done For the Year?

Of course he is...that was what he wanted. What AI wants AI gets I guess. After openly complaining about coming off the bench, and "being hurt" last week, Joe Dumars gave AI just what he wanted. HE told us that AI would not play the rest of the year and covered it up by saying it was because of his back.

Hey, at least he didn't fail a drug test because of some Lipovox diet pills, or get suspended for too many techs like Sheed always does. He just pretty much ruined the team chemistry from the day he arrived.

This was one of the most excruciating seasons I can remember, and I remember the "Teal" days. Besides the total lack of team chemistry we had all year, the new coach Michael Curry is one of the worst team managers I have ever seen. We can blame the players for a lot of it, but Curry never figured out what to do with this team. Although Rip, AI, and others were hurt at times to disrupt this a bit, Curry not once found a reliable line up to run out there every night. I can understand that getting a player like AI was going to change things, but after a month, or 2 there should be some consistancy. Not here.

As for AI. This guy can go to hell. He talked about how he'd do what was best for the team all year. While he was recently hurt. Then 2 days back and he is whining to the pres about how he would rather retire than come off the bench. NEWSFLASH: AI has never won a damn thing. He is not a good team player no matter how hard he plays. HE doesn't make anyone around him better. We lost Chauncey and got AI. That was it. Denver is the 2 seed in the West now and we are close to missing the playoffs and winning at least 20 less games than we would have if Billups were still here.

GOOD RIDDANCE AI! Go play somewhere else and jack up 50 shots a night and "get yours". That shit don't play in Detroit, pal.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Pistons Finally Win a Game

While head coach Michael Curry is probably more concerned about leads for insurance to pay his family off after fans get a hold of him, today the Pistons got back Rip Hamilton. In doing so they also picked up a win after a 3 game losing streak.

While it is pretty unlikely that the Pistons miss the playoffs, it is pretty likely that they will end up as the 8th seed. You know the spot reserved for teams that wouldn't have finished in the top 15 in the west. A sub .500 season with no playoff hope. A owner dies, and a coach that may be the worst in decades. A trade for a super star that super sucks.

What a great year!

Tigers lose Robertson and Everett

Both Nate Robertson and Adam Everett were hurt this week in spring training games. Neither was hurt off the field playing with toyslike another relief pitcher that hasn't played for about 3 years.


Shortstop Adam Everett hobbled off the field after he sprained his left ankle while sliding into second base on the very first play of the afternoon. Then Nate Robertson was hit on his left (pitching) thumb by a throw from Danny Worth -- Everett’s replacement -- during an attempted double play.

Neither are expected to miss a lot of time and probably be back before the start of the season.

End of the season if these guys don't play IMO. Yeah I couldn't type that with a straight face ;).

Friday, March 20, 2009

Pistons Without 3 All-stars

The Detroit Pistons are playing with out 3 all-stars. rasheed Wallace, Allen Iverson, and Rip Hamilton. This comes at a terrible time for the team as the Pistons are currently 2 games from falling to the 8th and final spot for the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Pistons have adcvanced tot he Eastern conference Finals for the past 6 seasons. This year with the loss of such key players, it may be difficult for them to even make the palyoffs.

Of course Antonio Mcdyess is playing out of his mind. All other palyers tak enotice. Dice will eat your children. While other player asre stepping up instead of possibly doing an admin job search for a day job when they get demoted McDyess is clearly the reason the Pistons have a chance.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Who Should the Detroit Lions Take at #1?

As bad as this franchise has been, surprisingly they have rarely been the worst. Picking #1 overall isn't as common as you would think for this franchise. Sure a handful of top 5 picks and even more top 10 picks have been there, but never #1 overall.

So...other than a trade down scenario which every single person who talks about #1 always says is their first choice, but occurs about once in a blue moon, who should the Lions take int he draft? Sorry no toll free to call. Just the comment form :).

The consensus is that the Lions will take Georgia QB Matthew Stafford. The Lions have never had a real good QB in my lifetime. Ever. The best single season a QB has had is the Scott Mitchell offensive outburst season where we had THREE 1,000 yard WRs. Remember who they were? Johnny Morton, Brett Perriman, and Herman Moore. Those were the days, and we didn't draft them all in the top 10 like the 45 ones we have since Millen was here.

Remembering Joey Harrington has a lot of people worried about taking a QB. Namely Stafford since many claim he is too inconsistent to succeed in the NFL. Only a Jr. as well. Pointing to his less than stellar completion percentage as well as his age brings up comparisons to all the other Jr. QB busts. Other than the rocket arm the comparisons to Ryan Leaf seem to come out a lot as bust potential,b ut he is nothing like him.

Then you have the other camp. The old "build the lines" camp. Now don't get me wrong. I consider DE, and OT the franchise building blocks most of the time although I also consider QB as the other one. It's the right thing to say when talking about building a team. Who do we have out there at #1?

Looks like there are 3 guys that are vying for the slot right now at OT. Andre Smith, who as recently as this week has lost a lot of credibility with his combine fiasco. Not being smart enough to make an excuse as to why he couldn't lift, and then missing 1/2 a day going AWOL. He was the consensus #1 OT for the majority of the Bowl Season and now is being questioned as even top 3.

Eugene Monroe made a run at the #1 slot, but it appears that Jason Smith out of Butler is making a very strong push for that top OT spot in the draft. An athletic OT, that was a TE before he became an OT. He is saying all the right things, has a reputation for hard work, and by far the most athletic of the 3. Of course all 3 have question marks. Mostly whether or not they are truly a franchise OT, or possibly just an OG.

There are also a few rumblings about there about DT B,J. Raji from Boston College. He has improved his standing significantly since the end of the season. We do NEED a DT very badly and it appears we aren't going to sign Albert Haynesworth :(.

Then we have the great Aaron Curry. OLB from Wake Forrest who is considered the "safe pick" in the draft. He is considered the bust-proof player this year, but can you take a LB #1 overall? Much less a guy that isn't even a MLB? I certainly have no argument for doing it. He'd be one of the highest paid LBs int he league, and although he is said to have the ability to play MLB, that is a pretty big IF for taking a guy #1 overall. Would I be upset with this? Not particularly, but I also don't see it happening either.

I've been on the Stafford bandwagon for a few months now. I think it is the way to go. While I take the criticism of him into account, I see a lot of talent here. I see a guy that is a bit a head of others who are touted as the next big QB. He has the rocket arm of course, but what makes him stand out to me is his ability to look off DBs, and go to 2nd and 3rd options better than any of these other guys. Bradford the Heisman winner is terrible at this. He stares his WRs down and looks like an INT machine in the making. Please watch him play and forget the hype on him.

I know a lot of people worry about Stafford, but that is who I;'m going with. I have no interest in Sanchez out of USC. I think he may have an average career int he NFL, but the guy just has way too many question marks. Many more than Stafford. He also is being touted as so great because of his ONE bowl game. Stafford is getting a lot of his negatives from his ONE bowl game as well, but we'll disregard that today. He only is ranked this high because the other 2 big names stayed in school in Colt McCoy and Bradford. HE was ranked behind all of them all season until all of a sudden he had a big bowl game and was the only other name QB in the draft.

I'm taking Stafford #1 overall and drafting defense the rest of the way. We have 2 OTs that aren't going anywhere as much as people want to wish Backus to the cornfield. He isn't going to play OG either no matter how badly we want to think it. We don't need O-Line as badly as people think we do, but we do need some OGs VERY badly. We take Stafford and ALL defense the rest of the way with maybe an OG thrown in, or a WR that hopefully can return kicks.

Monday, February 09, 2009

A-Rod to Join Barry Bonds as Cheater

Unless you have half a brain I suppose you could probably just assume that every player in Major League Baseball has used some sort of steroid at some point in their careers. At least all of the ones that are great. Apparently there must have been a steroid dispenser in every locker room before a couple years ago because Alex Rodriguez has been busted as well according to reports of his failed drug tests a few years ago.

Let' snot focus on the guys that do use them though. Let's try and think of the only 2-3 players in the league that DON'T use them. I believe that at least 2 of them play for the Tigers, although one of them I wouldn't be surprised to learn they did.

First is Adam Everett. There is NO WAY this guy has used roids. He can't hit a lick, and you would need a 100 MPH wind behind one of his fly balls to see it sail out of the park. Maybe a few weight loss pills here and there, but roids? I sure hope not. It is like Alex Sanchez getting busted.

The other guy has to be Brandon Inge. This guy I have doubts about though. As little as he makes contact with the ball he still hits a fair number of HRs. He even hit 27 back in 2006 so he might just be on the juice. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he doesn't use them.

Anyone else? Off the top of my head I'd say no.

Matt Cassel to Detroit Lions?

Saw this little blurb from KFFL.com earlier:

Lions | Could be a landing destination for Cassel if traded

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:15:57 -0800
Judd Zulgad, of the Star Tribune, reports the Detroit Lions could be a potential destination if the New England Patriots decide to trade QB Matt Cassel, according to the NFL Network's Adam Schefter.


Obviously this is complete BS, and filler news. Sounds like it is just some guy theorizing what could happen with Cassel after finishing his last bottle from his wine of the month club, and considering that the Lions are thought to be targeting Georgia QB Matt Stafford at #1 overall int he draft they are just throwing mud on the wall to see if it sticks.

Odds of this are extremely low I would guess. Remember that earlier this year the Patriots were even talking about Franchising Cassel to keep him around for another year just in case Tome Brady wasn't ready for next season.

Any number of things can be said about this. Next Scott Mitchell, saves us drafting a QB, et. etc. When it all is sorted out this is still the Lions and no matter what they do will end up being a mistake ;).

Should Michael Curry Be Fired as Pistons Coach?

OK...so we have had a couple months to see what Coach Curry is able to do with the team now, and it seems as if they are no closer to being a good team. Ever since the trade for AI this team has been at best inconsistent. The defense is the worst we have seen since maybe the teal days, and maybe not even that good.

For a guy who made his playing career as a defensive player, it would have been logical to assume that when he was named head coach that this would be the main focus of the team. We have not been rewarded with great defense in any instance. It is almost painful to watch AI try to play defense. He may be one of the worst defensive players I have ever seen.

It begs the question when we have seen so little improvement in team chemistry over the last couple months whether Curry is the right man for the job. It appears to me he is clearly not ready to be a head coach, and that he has no ability to coach. These guys look like they are getting worse instead of better. The players have already been quoted (anonymously of course) as saying things such as how little they believe in him as head coach. This of course is nothing new in Detroit. We have a lot of whiners on this team. Nothing is ever their fault, but the Swatch watches are ticking anyways on this head coaching career in Detroit once you start hearing that he is losing, or has lost the team already.

Even though he probably wasn't going to win us another title, and it was time for someone to go, Billups would be a sight for sore eyes to many fans I think. At least we'd have a leader, and a coach on the court. Something that I would have a hard time believing if any of you tried to convince me someone on the current roster is a real leader.

I can't watch this trash anymore. These guys are the most frustrating team I can remember. They have a ton of talent, but can't seem to beat very inferior teams most nights. They play well against Boston for a bit, then get blown out of the gym. Same with the Cleveland Cavaliers only to get outscored by TWENTY points in the fourth quarter.

Where the hell is this team going? I have no idea. I assume that some of them may be going to a new address soon. Sheed most likely I would guess. As much as I love Sheed he is the most frustrating player in NBA history. Unguardable, but would rather chuck 3s instead of post up.

Rip is also kind of gotten into a strange habit of thinking he is a great iso player. Dude, you are a shooter, and you thrive on coming off of screens. You should never have the ball leading the offense.

Ugh...this team is going nowhere.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Sports Gambling Virtual Money to Win Real Money

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Bet Against Me is just that type of service. In fact they hook you up with $10,000 in virtual cash and let you bet it on NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, college hoops and football, AFL, and even CFL games. All in a free sports betting forum.

What sets this place a part a bit from others who have tried it before is the depth at information they provide on the games you are looking to bet on. Not only do they have links on the betting page to injury reports, game logs, rosters, etc., but Bet Against Me has a lot more. One of the best looks at the upcoming game is the "Trends" pages. This gives you all the little tips on what this team is doing against the competition recently to give you an idea of whether they are moving int he right direction, and even give you some extra tools to find that upset. Add in the links to "Hot or Not", stats, and team reports, and you have a lot of information to make your decisions.

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Friday, January 23, 2009

Rip Hamilton Coming Off the Bench

Not sure how I feel about that change for the Pistons starting line up. Clearly the small ball line up they had been using of starting 3 guards was not going to win on most nights. It was a gimmick that made us extremely small and got us killed ont he boards. It appears, at least for now that Amir Johnson has replaced Rip in the starting line up.

If it were up to me I probably would have put AI on the bench instead of Rip, but we'll see how it goes. I think Rip fits better with Stuckey than he does with AI, but one thing I will say is that Rip has lost his game. He is not playing to his strengths anymore. He is not running marathons anymore like he is hopped up on Ephedrasil hardcore and seems to think that he is a great one on one player now. HE is not.

I wonder how he will adjust to this exactly. I get the impression that he has the mindset he is now a superstar in the NBA. A "go to" guy. He is the captain, but is neither a superstar, nor a go to guy. He is a guy that can score, and a very good player, but he is not the guy you go to so he can create his own shot. He's a mid-range shooter (may be the best in the league) that comes off screens, or spots up for the occasional 3. A future Reggie Miller if his range is more consistent behind the arc.

Rip has not adjusted well to AI coming to this team. He is missing Billups quite badly. At least he seems to be making an effort to miss Billups by not adjusting to the new game this team plays. He is becoming Sheed in a sense. What i mean by that is that he seems to go out of his way to play against his strengths. Sheed is a post up nightmare for anyone, but he would rather jack 3s. Rip is a guy that will kill you if you have to chase him around all night, but now he would rather try to prove he is an iso player.

You can blame Coach Curry as much as you want, and I do for a lot of things, but these guys are playing like idiots. Away from strengths, and selfishly it seems.