Lions Surprise Us All

Suffering through the 3 weeks of Stafford wearing that silly glove and throwing 9 INTs while only throwing 5 in the rest of his games combined, we see a whole new Lions team against San Diego last week. By far the best game they and Stafford played all year. At the perfect time.

Stafford went from throwing the 9 INTs to throwing 9 TDs and 0 INTs in the 3 crucial wins that clinched a playoff birth for the first time in 12 years. Now already in the playoffs they don't have time to look at free dating sites, but need to look at trying to win that 5th seed and avoiding New Orleans in the first round.

A Lions win on New Year's Day, or an Atlanta loss clinches the 5th seed and gives them the AFC East winner. Playing in Green Bay it is going to be a tough task. GB has nothing to play for at 13-1 so they may rest a lot of guys and the Lions could steal one. 11-5 could be in the mix. They play like they did against San Diego they can beat anyone.

Dad Suggested

Thanks for the guest post by Esteban Vinson

My dad suggested we get Hughes Net Internet for the new house because I had been complaining about how isolated I felt way out here in the country. I don’t know that I was ever cut out to be a farmer’s wife but at the end of the day when you marry someone you marry their hopes and dreams, too, and Chris had always dreamed of having his own cheese making operation. I’m getting used to all the strange smells and noises out here but the goats still freak me out – it’s hard being so far away from the conveniences of town like restaurants and shopping and mail that comes every day and to your house. I mean, I guess I just never imagined that at 30 years old I would be living in the middle of nowhere running a farm like this one but it’s all part of life, you know? You can’t predict where things are going to take you and I guess this is as good an adventure as any other I could imagine!

Lions Road to 8-8

I don't think there is much more than an 8-8 season in the works for the Lions now. After starting 5-0 and then 6-2 they have looked anything but playoff bound. Getting torched by both our division rivals Chicago and Green Bay we just look lost.

With 5 games left expecting to win more than 1-2 of these is a longshot. New Orleans will outscore us. Easily. Minnesota might be the only game left that we do win. Oakland is possible, but it is on the road and there is little confidence I have in winning it. San Diego is a loss. Green Bay there is a guaranteed loss. Triangle Direct has more chance of making the playoffs than we do.

At best we're 9-7. Does that get us a playoff spot? Doubtful. Bears will be around there. Giants should be around there too. Atlanta will also be there. 4 teams fighting for 2 spots and the Lions have arguably one of the toughest finishes in the league. It doesn't look good.

Suh Sucks

After our latest embarrassing T-Day game I think it is safe to say that we no longer have to listen to Suh lovers defend him for his idiocy anymore. Pulling a Haynesworth and kicking a guy on the ground was top notch dirty play. Most fans will turn on him because of their sense of fair play. Me? I don't care. Sammie Lee Hill can do his job the way he is playing this season. Detroit had no reputation that was positive before this. It changes nothing. No personalized pins with catchy slogans can hide the fact that the Lions are still a national embarrassment.

This was the biggest game for the Lions in probably 20 years. That's how pathetic they are. This season is done folks. Don't bother with the playoff tickets. Bears will finish better. Atlanta will finish better and has the tiebreaker. The Giants will likely finish better. Those are the only 3 teams that matter. By the end they may be so far back that 7 may still be their number of wins.

New In Town

Author: Theresa Guerrero

A girl that I work with just recently moved her from California. I was talking to her about all the adjustments she is having to make. She said that she has adjusted pretty well so far and that she has most of her stuff moved in as set up. One of the things she did have set up was her tv. She was not sure which company to use. I told her to go to http://www.cannonsatellite.com/ to research what is available. I told her that she can compare prices and packages to find what would be best for her. I know that it is probably hard moving across the country without knowing anyone. I am trying to help her adjust as much as a I can and she seems to be really grateful for my help. Apparently she is not used to people being so friendly and willing to help. I just know that if I were new in town, I would want someone to reach out and help me. Letting her know what her options for tv packages is just a simple way I can help.

Personalized Rosary Gifts

Looking for something to give someone for their First Communion, a Baptism, or a Confirmation? Well look no further. Giving them something personalized is the way to go. To help them with their faith you can give them the tools to keep their faith strong. Check out these personalized rosary gifts and give them something that they can use and cherish for many years to come.

Pure Michigan: Detroit Lions Redux

Oops...guess I forgot to post this on here when I was spreading it around the internet a couple weeks ago. Since this is a bye week and I'm bored out of my mind, I guess I will repost it here to make sure I have it when I need it.

Not sure if I like this better than the original, but I have to say it is still amazing. Taking everything from a loss as a negative doesn't always happen. We at least got to see Schwartz go crazy and try to fight Harbaugh right? Listen to the moronic media call him crazy, and then make it sound like he was out there stabbing fans while mooned the fans. Detroit went from media darlings to hated I guess that week. I'm sure it didn't help to see Tulloch Tebowing Time Tebow after a sack a couple weeks later either....It's not like he looked like he was dragged a crossed alloc laminate flooring by game's end, or anything.

Lions on a bye, No Basketball, Baseball Done...What am I to do?

It has been a rough month or so for me following all the Detroit teams. HAd such high hope for the Tigers to make it at least to the World Series. Texas ended that dream. I give them credit. Their bullpen shut us down. Of course we couldn't hit bad pitching either so that is a double whammy.

Right aroudn the time the Tigers got knocked off the Lions showed that they still have a lot of work to do. After a 5-0 start they immediately lost 2 straight. San Fran was a good team and appears to be headed towards the playoffs. Still a game they played poorly in and the old Lion fan mentality began to creep back in. 2 straight losses and we're hearing chicken littles everywhere. Good thing we have that pool safety fence or I may have jumped into the pool with the cover still on it.

Then they go on to rape Denver right before the bye to end up at 6-2 in the first half of the season. Denver looked awful, and God Tebow looked even worse.

Taking a lot from that beating may not be all that impressive. That was the second time this year (KC being the first) that the Lions put a serious beating on a time, however. This is nothing common for us Lions fans. Last year they whooped on St. Louis with the rookie Bradford at the helm, but before that it had to have been several years since we have seen one. While the opponents in all these games were clearly not having good days it says a little bit I guess about where we are. We can actually beat teams we should now, and do it convincingly. It's nice to see.

OK...enough rambling. I guess I just wanted to say that it was a rough month, and that trouncing of Denver gave me a little hope back at least. :)

Jerome Harrison Not Traded: Failed Physical Due to Brain Tumor

IF a player ever had reason to be thankful for being traded it is Jerome Harrison. After all, if it hadn't been for him being traded this week to Philly, his brain tumor may not have been discovered.

The Lions had traded him to Philly earlier this week for Ronnie Brown in light of Jahvid Best's recent concussion. One that is troublesome on its own, but nothing compared to finding out a guy has a brain tumor.

Looks as if the Lions will have to use the usual suspects this week in Mo Morris, and maybe even Stephan Logan since this trade has fallen through. No word on if the Lions will pursue the trade again with another player. cell booster home

Let's just hope this trade saved Jerome's life.

Tigers Beat Yanks in ALDS Again to Move On!

I don't know about you, but that 2011 ALDS 5 game series felt like it went on for a month. Game 1 started off with a rain out in the middle of the 2nd inning that was played from that point the next day (something that in the regular season would just start over, and this was a random rule from a couple years ago).

Then the Tigers took games 2 and 3 to steal back home field with a win in New York. Everyone figured Detroit was a lock in game 4 since AJ Burnett was considered an easy guy to walk all over and ready to take on a Help Desk Specialist Jobs

. Of course nothing played out like it should have and the Yankees won forcing a Game 5 back in NY.

Game 5 was a rematch of Game 1.2 with Fister vs. Ivan Nova. Fister got kncocked around a bit in that game after lookign filthy for his first few innings. Nova was wild the entire game and the Tigers never took advantage. Just like the rest of the series with guys like Sabathia even walking 6 batters in his start. Tigers just couldn't put any of them away to get to the bullpen early.

This time Fister was sharp for most of his time out, and Nova gave up back to back HRs in the 1st inning to Don Kelly (hitting 2nd for some reason) and Delmon Young (3rd of the series left early with an oblique issue).

Both teams had all kinds of chances to make a run in the game, but neither could get any big hits when they needed them. NY had the bases loaded twice and only scoring 1 run on a walk. Tigers got a late RBI from VMart to go up 3-1 and it ended up being the game winner with the Yankees getting another run late. Valverde shut down the heart of the order and struck our A-Rod to end the game as he did to Jeter in Game 3.

This is the 2nd ALDS the Tigers have won against NY in the last 5 years. 2006 was the other when they lost the World Series to St. Louis.

Sports and Outdoor Shopping Search

If you look at a basic search engine and want to find results for a certain line of products you won't find it listed very well. You may be able to find a single product, or a slew of stores that offer similar products, but they aren't really designed to search for the best shopping results. Plus they are loaded with hidden ads inside them that make the results a bit skewed and not in your best interest.

Not only that, but you can't find listings for every category there is and general "hot products" listed either under the categories you want with the best deals. Sporting Goods could encompass things that have no business being in the sporting goods and outdoor searches. Places like Become.com go out of their way to make sure that if you search for airsoft vests you aren't going to find a
trailer hitch cargo carrier listed among them. You will actually find a page of listings for the triax bike you searched and the best price for it rather than a bunch of ads for companies trying to poach a website visit for something that may be similar, but not what you want. Become.com t is not a problem. It is about the easiest way to search for products of ANY sort on the web.

2011 ALDS Begins! Tigers @ Yankees

This has been one of the most perfect seasons for the Tigers that I can remember. 2006 was a great year, but I think this season we found much more excellence along the way. We didn't fade at the end and end up with a Wildcard bid. The Tigers completely dominated the division down the stretch and went on a massive tear to close out the year looking like a team on a mission. Fully deserving of a Black and Mild.

While Justin Verlander got most of the headlines with his 12 game winning streak and his MVP consideration, Doug Fister may have been more dominant over that time than he was. At one point during his reign of terror since being acquired by Detroit he had as many wins himself as Boston did. You know, that team that went 9-30 to finish the year and drop a 9 game lead to miss the playoffs. Detroit on the other hand went 30-9 over the same time frame.

Miguel Cabrera was just as amazing. Hitting over .400 from August 1st through the final game of the season. Hitting over .430 in the month of September to cruise to the batting title. While Verlander got most of the MVP talk over the last couple months, Cabrera is just as worth, if not more. Compared to all the other MVP candidates at the plate, Miggy was by far the most valuable of them all when it mattered.

Going into the series at New York tonight we will face a Yankees team that has C.C. Sabathia having another great year, while a bunch of other household names having "off" years. Texiera, Jeter, Posada, and A Rod all are having poor seasons, yet we know what they are all capable of.

Of course you can't talk about the Yankees without mentioning our old favorite Curtis Granderson. An MVP candidate himself that hit over 40 HRs this season in that lineup, although barely hitting over .260. While I'd like to see him succeed as much as anyone, I have no love for my ex-favorite Tiger this week. When he dives and steals a double from Avila I will not cheer. :)

Soccer pro

Guest written by our friend Mason Abbott

A year ago one of my best friends was drafted into the MLS. He and I played soccer together in high school. We both went on to play in college as well. He played at a major university, and I played at a small college. Even though we went to different schools, we remained close. I was a groomsman in his wedding two years ago. When he was drafted by Major League Soccer, I hoped to watch him play. However, he now lives across the country, and I live in a rural area in the southeast. Because of our location, we were having great difficult with our internet service. I looked into satellite internet at www.satellitestarinternet.com. I have been much happier with this service, and I am now able to follow him through the team’s website. We also talk on the phone every two to three weeks. I always dreamed of playing professional soccer, but I did not have the talent to realize that dream. However, it is pretty awesome to see a teammate and close friend live out his dream in the professional ranks. I know it is tremendously taxing physically and mentally at the professional level, but his hard work and dedication to the sport has finally paid off.

The Lions Are For Real!

After the Tampa Bay win last week, I was pretty confident in the team. I could see clearly that they have the tools to be a good team. They are well coached, and prepared to play their games, which doesn't always seem to be the case early on around the league. So I was a little skeptical after the game as I've seen teams year after year get a big win week 1 that really wasn't that big a deal. Then this week...wow.

48-3 over Kansas City. You read that right. The Lions beat a team 48-3! I can't remember a beating like that can you? It has been so long to see us handle a team like that I am not sure I was even alive. We are good folks!
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Matt Stafford is a beast. Beast mode QB that looks like he has been around for a decade. Quickly looking at all his reads and making decisions. Throwing darts through coverage on target for big plays.

What makes me the most happy is just how often he goes to Calvin Johnson. Remember last year how almost every week we were askign why the hell isn't Calvin getting more looks? I think it was fear. Hill doesn't have the arm for it. Stafford does. He also doesn't have any fear.

70% of teams that start 2-0 make the playoffs since the Super Bowl system has started kids.

Verlander up to 24 Wins

The debate still rages on about who the AL MVP award will go to, but I think it is pretty obvious who the AL Cy Young Award will be going to. Verlander won his 24th game and 12th in a row today going 8 scoreless innings and lowering his ERA to 2.29 with a WHIP of 0.91.

The Tigers have already clinched the division title for the first time in over 20 years. They are now trying to hold off Texas , Boston, and Tampa Bay for the 2nd best record in the AL. N is still up a bit on the Tigers and it would take another very nice winning run to catch up to them and win the best record in the AL this year for home field up to the World Series.

Just 10 more games to go and the season is over with the Tigers heading for the playoffs! The Lions look awesome too so this is turning out to be a great year for Detroit. Getting life insurance quotes is at an all-time high for the impending excitement.

Titus Young May Not Be Worthless After All

Through 4 preseason games and one week of the regular season we had seen almost nothing out of the 2nd round draft pick Titus Young. In fact today he had not just his first pro catch, but he had some big ones. Mainly a first down grab that was all him stretching out on a 3rd and 24.

In Detroit's 48-3 pummeling of the Kansas City Chiefs, Young hauled in five passes for 89 yards, including a 43-yard bomb on a 3rd-and-24, despite being blanketed by Chiefs safety Kendrick Lewis.
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"I leaned in after he made that catch and said, 'That's the catch of the game in my eyes,'" fellow wide receiver Nate Burleson said. "It really opened up the door. We were on the way to making it a convincing game, but that play right there, digging us out of that third-down hole, was huge."

"When that happens, your other guys have to make plays, and Titus did that today," Schwartz said. "Third-down-and-long and (he makes) a huge, huge play going over the middle and out-jumping a defender. That was a big-time play."

Detroit Lions Destroyed the Pats Saturday

You can call it a preseason game all you want, but one thing was certain: Detroit came to play. New England looked like they didn't realize there was a game going on until the middle of the second quarter. The Lions were not just stopping them at all points and scoring at awill, they were mean about it.

The defense has one goal it appears this year. FEAR. QBs around the league need to fear them. Suh even mentioned in an interview during the game that they wanted to earn some respect last year, but this year their goal was to make the league fear them. The way he plays I think some will. HE is pushing it to the breaking point of getting tagged with a flag every series he goes out there. This was with KVB and Fairley not even playing yet choking down fat burners to keep from getting husky.

The big story of this game though was obviously Matt Stafford. The kid looks like a veteran elite QB in the preseason. This game in particular he looked as comfortable as I've ever seen a QB for the Lions. He finished the game completing 12 of 14 passes (1 was dropped and the 2nd was a great defensive play) for 200 yards and 2 TDs with no INTs. The Lions were moving the ball at will and making big plays routinely.

Can't wait for the season. Stafford is a GOD.

Tigers All Business Against Indians

This may seem odd to say, but until this series I am not sure the urgency was there for this team. It's like they didn't realize they were in a pennant chase. Leyland didn't even care enough in most series' to play the best lineups in the final game and gave half the team the day off.

The first 2 games of the series the Tigers played about as well as you could play. Great starts from Scherzer and finally a real good start from Fister. Scherzer's last two starts have been excellent. Real tough pitching from him even when he got into some trouble. First game of this series he got a lot of bad breaks in his final inning with a blown KO call to end the inning, an error, and a past ball. HE buckled down and finished it off with over 120 pitches for his 2nd straight start. Benoit and Valverde went in the 8th and 9th to just like you draw it up.

TODAY...still going on, but the Tigers came out and scored 7(!) runs in the 4th inning. Porcello once again came out and pissed it away like he did last game he pitched against the Indians. They scored 5 runs right after that and now in the 8th inning the Tigers are only up 8-7. Leyland actually made a good move though pulling him right away. He got ejected later on a blown call at 3B where Betemit was safe.

Regardless, this series the Tigers have shown they are ready to win this thing. Best I've seen them play and most focused all year.

Looking for a new motorcycle helmet

One of my buddies just bought a 2010 Yamaha YZ450F and is now pretending that he is a serious motocross champ. Since I'm a nice guy I figured I would get him a couple new motorcycle helmets so he can at least look like he knows what he is doing. Thinking I might go with something rather plain that matches the white and blue of the bike for the pro look, and then something that makes him look like he is a motocross hero, striking fear into all of his (imaginary) opponents out in his back lot that he dumped a few tons of dirt into.

That's right...he decided that he was going to turn his back field into a motocross course with absolutely no idea how to go about it. Right now his course is consistent with what most would call a "pile". The dirt has sat there since May and hasn't been moved. He hasn't even bothered to look into any equipment to rent to start on the job.

Anyways, to help with the motivation a little I am going to pick up a couple motorcycle helmets and then tell him that he can't use them unless he gets rolling on the track. Either that, or I have myself a couple motocross helmets I won't let him use, but I will let him watch me ride his bike around his dirt hill.

Prince Amukamara ALSO Out Indefinitely With Foot Injury

A great many Lions fans were hell bent on drafting a CB this year. While we weren't going to be able to pick up the "Sure thing" lock-down CB Patrick Peterson from LSU, many still believed that there was much talent to be had at the CB position regardless, and the #2 guy on many charts was Amukamara.

With news that our 1st round pick Nick Fairley would be out for an extended period with a foot issue of his own, many were complaining still about not taking a CB. Today we found out that Prince Amukamara himself is basically going to be our for several weeks as well, so in the end it appears that every road would have lead to failure with out 1st round draft pick this year. Hopefully neither are found needing to do motorhome repair anytime soon with injury plagued careers.

"@NYPost_Schwartz
Paul Schwartz
Prince Amukamara fractures fifth metatarsal in left foot. Needs surgery, Out indefinitely. There goes his rookie season. #NYG"

New Era For Lions, or More Curse of Layne?

You can't possibly be a Lions fan if you aren't more excited about this season, and the Lions' potential this year than you have been for at least a decade. While only winning 6 games last year, we won the last 4, but competed throughout the year for what seems at least 10 years.

The drafting on Ndamukong Suh last season changed the entire feel of the team. The guy is a star. Hopefully an investment in buy morgan dollar coins was already made to make sure he stays here long after his first contract is up.

While him coming here has changed the way this team feels on the field very visibly, everything about the franchise seems to be running in a positive direction. Martin Mayhew in the front office is making good moves that while not always glamorous, seem to be exactly what a GM should be doing. Even small moves being made are making the team better. When a random guy gets cut and is brought in, Mayhew has seemed to find someone that is an upgrade over what was there before. It feels good to see someone actually look like they have a plan for once. Of course when the talent level increases the ability to make those final right moves becomes increasingly more difficult.

Everything just felt like it was going to work this year. Until...our first 2 draft picks already found themselves injured. Gloom and Doom starts to set in. The old Lions fear of being cursed somehow. That feeling of "are you ****ing kidding me?".

The big difference this year, however is that depth is much greater than it was last season. Something that I was well aware of going into the year, even though I thought the team could be competitive. The depth not being there ensured that we would have major holes in spots all year when an injury happened. This year, maybe not so much. Just need Stafford to show he isn't a bust and we may be in for a great year.

Leyland: Tired of Talking About Lineups

Really? Me too! Tired of HAVING to talk about how absurd yours are! Other than wondering if Miguel Cabrera will be hitting in the 3 hole like he should, or spending time at alcohol rehab treatment centers, I shouldn't have to scratch my head every single day when I look at the box score and the lineup card.

"I wrote down mine, and I think that’s my best lineup tonight," Leyland said. "That’s what I’m going to do. I’m not going to discuss guys not playing, who’s playing, why aren’t they playing. I’m not going to discuss that."

Leyland hears the second-guessing when he rests players, but he said it is an important part of keeping them fresh.

"If you see somebody that’s treading water, you’re making out the best lineup by not playing him that night," Leyland said. "Trust me when I tell you, because you’re putting somebody in there with energy that’s not tired, and it’s probably going to give you a better chance to win the game." More

Impending Downfall Start Early This Year for Tigers?

If you recall, I mentioned the 5-6 weeks before the AS break as a great opportunity for the Tigers to take a stranglehold on the division. Playing such weak lineups and sub-.500 teams as Arizona, Seattle, Colorado, and the Mets. Unfortunately they ran through about 8 series of easily winnable matchups (2/3 wins to take series) with roughly a .500 record. Certainly not good enough for a team that had division title aspirations.

You could argue that they set the downfall up early this year and while they went into the break in 1st place they have quickly shown just how easy it is for this division to turn them into a 4th place team within a couple more weeks of poor play.

Opening the 2nd half against the team that is most likely to cause them trouble the rest of the way, Chicago, they have immediately dropped the first 2 games of the series and I predict they will be in 3rd place by the middle of next week behind both Cleveland and Chicago. They may shortly be in 4th place with Minnesota still hanging around, and we all know that Minnesota isn't going anywhere.

Carlos Guillen was back today and hitting 7th in the lineup. Pushing the all-star Alex Avila back to a familiar spot of 8th in Leyland's circus lineups this season. With 4 men hitting .300 in the lineup the team should have all it needs to produce runs. Unfortunately they can't do it when they need to lately and the pitching is getting slimmer and slimmer.

We are in for a long second half if Dombrowski doesn't bring in some more talent that is for sure. Chicago is playing with a bunch of guys that are having their worst career years and they are within a couple games of first place. Tigers are overachieving at this point. The only silver lining is that we may finally be rid of Leyland after this year. HE should start reading garmin golf gps review because it is time to retire.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries For Men

Sick of having greasy chicken wings, heart attack burgers, or the old standard grape jelly sauce meatballs at your sports gathering? What? You like that horrible cheesy chili dip and stale tortilla chips? Of course not. Time to try something new. Check out these Chocolate Covered Strawberries for Men.

They don't have to be pretty either...well unless you are with your lady. You can get those too, but they also have an interesting design that are still good enough for the guys. Sports designs on the chocolate covered strawberries is a nice option when bringing over something to a get together. While I like to pull up with a few bags of crab rangoons, something like this is definitely a new idea for you.

Movie Night

This guest post from Lewis Beck

I like a lot of different movies. One of my favorite movie genres has to be horror and I absolutely love watching horror documentaries most of all. The last time I watched a documentary of that kind, I was watching it on my satellite tv, that I got after seeing this http://www.directstartv.com, and I absolutely loved everything about it. I made sure to set my alarm when the movie was coming on and I got some popcorn and sat down for a very fun time to watch some good quality movies that I knew I was going to love. I recently set up a date for all of my friends to get together to watch movies on Friday nights.

So far, we've had three dates and they keep getting better each and every time. The last movie we watched was about a serial killer and the other was about some type of haunted house. My friends love coming over because I really set the scene. I cut all of the lights and make sure to make some creepy noises while the movie is playing. We have ice cream floats and popcorn and just a really fun time. After the movie is over, we sit and discuss it on all different aspects. Sometimes we'll say we liked it and others we'll say that we should have watched a different movie on another channel.

Jhonny Peralta Added as 5th Tigers All-Star

When you look at the Tigers' lineup you see a lot of good things. You also see a ton of very bad things. Not jsut players, but how the lineup is set up everyday by Leyland. The good things are good enough to get to the All-star game, however.

Jhonny Peralta was added to the AS team as a replacement for Jeter who shouldn't be on the team anyways (hope he didn';t throw away his bridal shower invitations) to make the 5th for the Tigers this year. Justin Verlander, Closer Valverde, Alex Avila, and Miguel Cabrera also make the team.

As many have noticed the Tigers have a lot of very good players, and a lot of really bad ones. Just nobody else in between to keep things level. Cleveland is a joke team and should have no business in 1st place. Tigers are mismanaged to the point of a joke at times, and their lack of depth also makes them pretty weak to finish the division on top without a move. Chicago is most likely to overtake them both and blow past them. I expect Chicago to sweep the first series against Detroit after the AS break and put Detroit on its annual second half spiral once again.

My How Things Change

If you would have told me coming into last season that Lions were even a possibility for the huge superstar FA CB Nnamdi Asomugha I would have laughed at you. Even after the season I still was. Nnamdi Asomugha had stated many times that he wanted to play in a big market. Detroit isn't that market. He also is a guy everyone wants, and everybody would be willing to pay him what he wants. So it probably wasn't going to come down to money since everyone would be maxing it out.

Today I read an article by Gil Brandt of MLive (Honestly, not sure where this guy came from as he is their new dog there I guess) that says the Lions are in the "Top 3" destinations for Nnamdi Asomugha now. Do I buy it? Not at all, but just that he is mentioned in any article slightly positive with the Lions you have to hold out a little hope right? Of course we sign him and he'll be collecting disability insurance for 4 years I'm sure.

Detroit Tigers Finally Win Another Game

Going into this stretch about a week ago I looked at the schedule through the All-star break and was rather excited. A string of games against lower end teams in both the NL and AL that the Tigers should be able to make a great run against. Teams that were mostly under .500 so far on the year. Basically teams with a lot of holes. Some of these teams have a couple nice starting pitchers, or they have a few hitters that can win a game for them, but overall I looked at this month a head as a time to make a serious move for the Tigers and bury the struggling Indians.

So far? The Tigers have been miserable. Other than Clayton Kershaw the Tigers haven't even hit most of the elite pitchers I was expecting. Yet, they struggled mightily on this inter-league road trip. Anyone that follows the Tigers knows exactly why too. Leyland is way too cute.

His lineups this year have been in a word: ridiculous. Not only does he rarely (meaning less than 5 times if even more than 1 I can think of) put Cabrera in the 3 hole. IT's a running joke on most boards I go to counting how many times Cabrera leads off the 2nd inning as the cleanup hitter. This I consider a major issue, but probably not as much as the rest of these lineups where Avila and Peralta who are hitting 7th and 8th most of the time. These guys are both having career years, but we get Don Kelly hitting 2nd, and Brennan Boesch hitting 3rd (arguably having an OK year, but he's a streaky man). Just run lineups through some computers and play these guys.

So on this trip, with the pitcher now entering the lineup, Leyland decides to try Avila out at 3B to keep his bat in the lineup with Cabrera and Victor Martinez. He has an error in his first game and the next 5 games either him, VMart, or Miggy gets a day off. That's right. Miggy got a day off! This comes with a day off for the team already for Thursday. Who plays instead? Oh the great Raburn, or the great Casper Wells, or whatever other platoon minor leaguer Leyland loves to ""get ABs".

I have been indifferent to Leyland most of his time here, but he is just done this year. I cannot justify the madness this guy must be in. His lineups are the most ridiculous things I have ever seen, and I am genuinely confident that we have no chance to win the division the way he manages them.

Get Hand-Dipped Cherries Online

With the NFL growing closer and closer to making a deal and us possibly getting to see the Lions win again, it may be time to start celebrating with some fancy treats. Something that caught my attention the other day was this place that let's you Get cherries online.

Not just regular old cherries, but hand-dipped and fancy cherries. Hand-dipped designs that aren't just pretty, but fun. They are called "sports cherries", but that probably doesn't tell ou a whole lot. The cherries are hand-dipped in various chocolates and are colored to resemble various sports balls. Basketball, football, and baseball hand-dipped cherries look fun and would fit in at any big sporting event.

Cavs Offer to Take our #8 Pick and Rip for...Nothing

Ok let's look at this trade for a second. Cleveland is a dump of a team since LEbron left. They got "lucky" and ended up witht he #1 pick int he draft. They have more picks from other trades and want to deal the #8 (ours) and #4 picks to mve up to #1 and take the best 2 players in the draft. Fine and dandy.

So what do we get out of this? nothing. They take Rip Hamilton and his current contract which has 2 years left. For this favor we get to give them our #8 pick in the first round. We get nothing in return.

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This makes no sense. Unless out goal is to try and lose as many game as possible next year that is. The Pistons aren't going to sign anyone significant int he off season. So getting rid of Rip's deal for no return does nothing for us. Our only real chance to get back is to hit the lotto int he draft. Even if this draft is considered "weak" we still are better off holding Rip, and the pick, and then dealing Rip in his expiring year for some other pieces.

If we were going to do this deal Cleveland should be tossing in their 1st rounder for 2012, or 2013 to seal it. Rip isn't exactly a slouch over here. The guy is a great player and would be a nice fit on a playoff team if his contract wasn't so huge.

Tigers Trade Scott Sizemore

Quite a bit of roster and positional maneuvering on Friday. Scott Sizemore was traded to the Oakland Athletics for relief pitcher David Purcey. A left-hander that according to Dave Dombrowski: “We've tried to get David Purcey for a long time."

Purcey, has played most of his career in Toronto, and with an ERA over 5 for his career you may wonder just what the heck Dombrowski saw in the guy. Purcey was drafted int eh 1st round in 2004, and was slated to be a starter. He pitched as a starter for his first two years in the majors, but was converted to a reliever sometime in 2009. Last year he pitched 30+ innings in that role only and posted an ERA of 3.71 with a K/9 hovering right around 9. This year he had an ERA in the low 2s for Oakland before being dealt to Detroit. He actually started the year in Toronto and had an ERA over 11 in just about 2 IP before being traded to Oakland.

The deal with this guy is that he just wasn't starter material. His draft preview seems to be similar to Ryan Perry in that he has a good arm and was supposed to be a starter, but issues with some pitches and his ability to keep hitters off balance for extended periods just weren't what he was cut out for. As a RP it appears he may be finding his groove, and this may be what DD has seen in him all along. The jury is still out obviously on the 29 year-old.

The move means that Ryan Perry has been demoted once again to the minors. With the departure of Scott Sizemore Ryan "KO" Raburn is said to be taking over 2B. This likely means that Dirks, Casper wells, or even Don Kelly will be playing out in LF. Obviously not much of a downgrade in the hitting department anywhere here as they all are pretty much worthless.

Sizemore just never got it together in the big leagues while in Detroit. After putting up a solid average in the minors while here he couldn't adjust to MLB pitching.

“We couldn't get him over the hump from an offensive perspective with us,” Dombrowski said. “Maybe a change of scenery will help him.”

Sizemore, who is expected to report to Oakland's Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento, hit .408 with Triple-A Toledo in 23 games this season. At least he can eat some more exotic foods like african mango extract over there.

Purcey has a 3.60 ERA in 14 games this season with Toronto and Oakland. He had a 2.13 ERA while striking out seven in 12 2/3 innings with Oakland following an April 18 trade from Toronto to Oakland.

Purcey was a first-round selection by the Blue Jays in the 2004 draft. He has a 5-10 record with a 5.17 ERA in 68 appearances -- including 21 starts -- in the majors.

“He's a hard-throwing left-hander,” Dombrowski said. “He's got an above-average arm, a good breaking ball and a good changeup. He does have a three-pitch mix having been a starting pitcher before.”
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Red Wings vs. Sharks 2011 Series

I know I never talk about hockey. Frankly, I rarely watch it so there is no reason for me to do so. It's not that I don't enjoy it, but it just isn't a high priority in my sports viewing. Especially the time of year it is on. It runs during the NBA, NFL playoffs, and into the MLB season. Their playoffs coincide with the NBA as well. I can't keep up with this much crap!

I'm always a homer through and through so I support the Red Wings regardless. I try to catch a game here and there, but at least watch most of the playoffs only to see them have some issue such as the best goalie int eh playoffs knock them off, not being able to buy a goal with out-shooting the other team 2 to 1, or just plain a barrage of injuries. This year was no different.

This series though is worth talking about. The Wings were down 0-3 in this series and forced a game 7. I don't want to go into great detail on it, but I still wanted to mention that I was proud of the team for how hard they played all the way to the end. That 7th game was real tough loss too since they lost half their forwards in the game and I think only had 19 guys active by the time the game was over. That's when inetsoft performance management software comes in handy I guess.

Running With my Mother

Guest post of the week by Darrin Avery

Getting my mother to go running with me and change her life around was one of the best things that I have ever done for not only her, but also for myself. For a very long time I have been very worried about my mothers health and how she was taking care of herself. Although she wasn't overweight so much, it was the fact that she wasn't getting any cardiovascular exercise that bothered me. First I was able to get her to go walking with me, and after a few months she decided on her own that she wanted to start running. Now at 61 years old my mother is able to run 3 miles, and she runs about 3-4 times a week. As long as she sets her home security alarm (Brinks) when she leave! s and she makes sure to grab some water as well, I feel great knowing that she is out there making herself healthier. Not only is she going to be able to live longer, but I am going to be able to be with her longer as well.

Have You All Seen the Light With the Victor Martinez Signing Yet?

Looking back at the VMart signing this year I remember hearing a lot about how we were way overpaying for a DH. While I assumed that at some point in the year he would take Alex Avila's job as the everyday catcher, I still was happy to have a REAL DH on our team for once. Alex Avila playing like an all-star catcher is certainly welcomed so we cannot complain about that, but VMart was almost assured to take that job over if he had struggles like he has the last two years at the plate. We can only hop[e the 24 year-old can continue this breakout campaign so we can keep VMart fresh and in the line up. vga to hdmi cables

As for VMart being a part-time catcher and full-time DH I think we have to realize that we haven't had a DH of this quality in recent memory. Other than that half a year of Gary Sheffield before he whined about playing DH, and maybe a little time with Dmitri "Da Meathook" Young", or even Sean Casey at times we really have not had a true threat at DH. This is a huge hole in the line up when your DH spot is basically used to give guys a day off, or to be forced into using your 4th OFer, or utility guy there almost everyday.

Other than possibly Carlos Guillen, who is beyond decline, and rarely here, we have little to no chance to fill that slot with anyone that can consistently hit well. While people claim that paying him as a DH is too expensive, there are plenty of teams that have middle order hitters at that DH spot. David Ortiz, Travis Hafner when he was good and now good again, etc. These guys were clean up hitters and have even won MVP awards at the spot. This isn't a throwaway, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a power hitter her either.

VMart is a guy that makes a difference. Hitting on either side of Cabrera is a big deal, and it needs to have a very good hitter. VMart is that guy. Hitting .300 over his career with an .800+ OPS you can't really complain about his production. HE put up these numbers as a catcher and other than Joe Mauer he is the most consistent and offensive catcher around the last 5 years. Consistently hitting close to 20 HRs and putting up RBI numbers of guys that hit 3-5 in the order.

After coming back from his injury he has been on fire with an 11 game hitting streak that raised his average from .200 to .333. Racking up 10 RBIs in his last 10 games. Going 3-4 in his last 3 games for the Tigers while igniting the Detroit offense. Not piddly little singles either. Plenty of doubles and even HRs.

When we signed this guy you should ahve expected this though. With him hitting in the middle of the order tat 3, or 5 he should be good for a .300 average, 15-20 HRs, and likely 80-90 RBIs at least. Who wouldn't take that at their DH spot? Tigers fans certainly would. It's a lot better than watching Don Kelly, Ramon Santiago, or Clete Thomas play DH isn't it?

2011 NFL Draft Lions 5th Round: Doug Hogue

So after all the picks being traded away the Lions next pick didn't come until the 5th round.

Doug Hogue OLB, Syracuse

So it looks like for the casual, blackheads on nose fan of the Lions took their first position of real need here. Before that arguments could be made that they didn't, although we know better that those were still needs. Just not top of the list.

Doug Hogue is an interesting prospect. He was brought to Syracuse as a RB. He played his first two years there as a RB. Then he was asked to jump over to the other side of the ball and play the other position he played in high school: LB. So when he was drafted he had only been playin gLB for 2 years at the college level, and boy did he play.

Hogue made the Big East All Conference 1st team in his second year playing the position. A feat that I think most can respect him for at the very least. It shows that he is a good athlete and a football player to switch positions and play at such a high level.

Most argue that he was the best player on the Syracuse defense, and it is hard to argue. In his first season there he put up phenomenal numbers behind the line of scrimmage. Along with 72 tackles he had 9.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss. His second year he had 94 tackles with 10.5 TFL and 3 sacks. When he left Syracuse he was 9th on their all-time list with 26.5 TFL in only 25 games played.

Numbers like that have to get you a little excited no? Playing behind our beast DL you have to love that this is a guy who spends so much time in the backfield.

I have also read that he is an above average coverage LB, and is good at taking on HBs out of the backfield. Good in open space. I have also read that he might have tackling problems though. Something that is a detriment to a LB.

This guy is clearly a project. He will likely make the team as a STer this year, and maybe he will improve enough to earn a role on the defense. I like the pick and the possible upside at least. The guy did a lot in little time and I think that shows he has a very good chance to improve, but he was a 5th rounder so we aren't out if he doesn't.

Detroit Lions 2011: Draft Round 2

This was the round where all the real action took place. The Lions ended up with 2 picks in this round after a trade up from their 3rd rounder. The trade ended up costing the Lions their 3rd and 4th round picks as well as swaps with Seattle of their 5th and 7th rounders. This had the Lions jump up to the 57th pick while no longer having any picks in the 3rd, or 4th round.

Titus Young WR, Boise St.

The first pick for the Lions in the 2nd round was likely the more controversial of the two, and most controversial of the 2011 draft for the Lions. First of all, most fans probably saw the position of WR selected and made a collective sigh. Titus Young out of the offensive juggernaut at Boise State was the man that was called with the Lions 2nd pick of the draft.

I have to admit that even after reading glowing reviews about Titus that I still am not on board with taking him in the 2nd round. I'm sure this guy has all kinds of potential and surely we needed another WR. Fact of the matter is that we took a #3 WR in the 2nd round. Not a #2. That is Burleson. Of course Burleson has injury history so it isn't as bad, but it was still a #3 WR.

Scouting reports say he is a complete burner with good hands, and can play both outside and in. I have seen him compared to DeSean Jackson at the high end, and that he is an explosive WR. Why did he last until the 2nd round then? According to those that are high on him it was his size. 5'11" and 175 pounds. Not exactly the prototypical 1st rounder anymore with that size obviously. He certainly will never need to know does oxyelite pro work?

A lot of people say we are going to love him. He has drive and attitude. I disagree with this pick, but I will support the guy until he gives me reason not to. This quote here warms me a little:

--- Young, on his first meeting with Lions receivers coach Shawn Jefferson:
"I remember Shawn Jefferson, the first day of practice at the Senior Bowl, he told me 'Hey, you're dropping the ball because you're not getting your hands around quicker. In the NFL, the ball's going to come quicker.' I listened. I've always loved a coach who watches me and for him to make me better. The next day, I don't think I had a dropped pass. I said that to say this - I knew he saw something in me. I looked in his eyes and said, "This man wants me and I want to play for him because he made me better in two seconds.'''

Mikel LeShoure RB, Illinois

Big Ten fans are probably a lot more familiar with this guy than Young. I am also much less negative on this pick. In fact I actually kind of like it all things considered of the trade up cost.

If we look at our RB corps right now we literally have no "starting" RB in my opinion. Mo Morris is again, and serviceable, but hardly a game breaker, or an every down back. Jahvid Best is electric, but he is not a 25 carry a game back either. He's more or less a guy that is used as a Reggie Bush back, or as a 3rd down back and long yardage. Kevin Smith is gone, cut. He won't be back now for sure. So RB was actually a relatively big need in the off season.

LeShoure was highly rated in this draft by quite a few. In fact there were some that considered him the best RB in the draft. Charley Casserly (highly respected within NFL circles as a former Super Bowl winning GM), made the statement that LeShoure was the best RB in this draft, by far. Casserly went so far as to compare him to Steven Jackson of the Rams.

LeShoure has a lot of skills, and is probably a complete RB. One of the things that young backs rarely have going for them when they come into the league is the ability to pass protect. LeShoure has above average skills in this area for a RB. This is typically one of the major things that holds rookie RBs from becoming a legit every down back in their first couple seasons.

Here is a description I found on a message board from a supposed scout. I can't confirm who it is, nor where it came from, but it is pretty accurate for the high end cornbread fan of this guy:

"LeShoure is a bigger back with tremendous strength. He is a one cut runner with nice elusiveness for a man his size. He loves contact and has the ability to run over or around defenders. He is a complete back. Very quick feet. LeShoure is a good receiver and does not have to be removed in passing situations. He's a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield and has the ability to stay on the field in pass pro. LeShoure has very good vision and instincts. It's apparent when watching him play he is a natural runner. He only lasted until round two because of the position he plays. There is tremendous depth in the RB position this year and not many teams are willing to spend a high pick but in my opinion LeShoure is special and a first round talent that Detroit acquired in round two. In most other years he is gone in the top 25 picks."

At the end of the day I think we got 2 real nice playmakers, and if you buy Mayhew's explanation all 3 of the Lions first 3 picks were right in line with their draft board. Meaning that they took the best player available on their board at every slot. A strategy that I have always been a fan of. If you think the guy is the most likely player to succeed in the NFL tha tis left on the board that guy is probably your best pick. Of course I take a bit of a mixture of BPA and positional value into account if I were going to draft. For example, if I see a WR that is roughly as valuable as a CB, or even LB I would probably take either the CB, or the LB over him. Unless you are getting that elite #1 guy at those spots, but the 3rd, or 4th best one there who would be good, but not great I am not falling into the draft for need camp.

Reaction To Lions Draft? 1st Round thoughts

I think it is safe to say that most fans were scratching their heads for all 3 of the picks in the first 2 rounds of the draft. After a couple days many have come around like they always do, but many just think that taking Fairley was something they couldn't pass up, while the other two of WR Titus Young and RB Mikel LeShoure were more of a head scratcher. Let's take out the utility knife and cut into the picks.

Let's go with the main complaint first that the Lions drafted to strengths and more or less passed on positions of need through the first 2 rounds. The 1st pick of Fairley we can all see that if it pans out makes our DL just all that more dominant, and literally feared around the league as extremely dangerous. Fans of other teams reacted this way right off the bat and the NFC North fans were even more worried about the combination of Fairley and Suh in the coming years.

We didn't get a LB in the first 4 rounds of the draft, but look at it this way. With the dominant front four we are going to have there would be very little needed to convince a "name" LB like Tulloch that he could put up career numbers behind these maniacs. Besides drawing more attention to FAs we are actually going to get better play out of lesser LBs playing behind these guys. While having a stud out there along with them would be incredible, we improved the LB core either way. Now it is just easier to sign guys that we know will start day 1 in FA.

There are a lot of naysayers that REALLY wanted to draft the CB from Nebraska, Prince Amukamara. Our own DROY Suh wanted his old teammate more than anyone. I haven't heard his reaction to this pick at all, but I'm sure he will get over it if Fairley pans out.

I really don't know what to make of a lot of the negative thoughts on Prince that came up leading into the draft. Stats that made it look like he was a bit weaker than some of the later guys that would get taken such as Harris that we could have also drafted in the 2nd round. The Giants decided to take them both so I guess they wanted to lower risk. Mayhew was a defensive back in the NFL so there must have just been something about him that he wasn't convinced of, and that Fairley was the best player they could get. He was definitely one of our top needs while Fairley seemed more like a luxury pick to many.

The Lions had no thoughts that Fairley would be there when they drafted. They felt it was a gift from the draft gods, although many teams passed on him for attitude and laziness. These are red flags, and you never know what the league is trending to year to year in drafts with problem players.

This year seemed like there were a lot of teams that shied away from any player that had negative character issues of any kind. Ryan Mallet the best QB in the draft in my opinion, and maybe the 2nd best CB in the draft of Jimmy Smith both fell like bricks. Smith went to Baltimore with some real mean bastards and Mallet went to New England. Both places that I would consider very good situations for problem players to go and get the supervision they need. Teams with solid leadership.

We have to hope that Fairley will benefit from guys like Kyle VandenBoesch and even Suh to keep him in line. If he can learn the NFL from guys like that he could be a serious talent in the NFL and live up to the top 5 talent that some said he has. Only time will tell, but I am quite excited to see if this works out and can't complain one bit.

Tigers Hot, Coke Falling Apart

After his first two starts it looked like Phil Coke was a nice find for the Tigers starting rotation. He still may be, but his last two starts have been quite ugly when all was said and done. Both came against Seattle, so maybe, just maybe they have his number and he can shake it off against the rest of the league.

Seattle was last in the American League with a .226 batting average and 12th with 11 homers and 78 runs scored during an 8-15 start. Watching this series last week and looking at the 2 lineups you wondered if either team would even score a run. The Tigers were not exactly tearing the cover off the ball a couple weeks ago.

But they got to Coke for seven runs on eight hits, including two homers. One by catcher Miguel Olivo was helped over the fence by left fielder Ryan Raburn, but more on that later. Just add another error to the cordless barcode scanner for Raburn.

The Mariners also feasted on Coke last week at Seattle and have scored 13 runs (nine earned) on 14 hits in eight innings against Detroit’s left-handed starter. They have batted .350 against him, and every other hitter seems like Ichiro Suzuki with that productivity.

"They probably had confidence after facing him last week," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said.
Coke said, "It’s the same team, so what. The job is to get them out. I’ll be all right, though."

Good attitude. Bad pitching.

Miguel Cabrera Made it Through Spring Training

Wonder how many of you thought that Miggy wasn't going to be able to keep it together much longer and just go overboard? Well...it appears he is at least going to be ready for the start of the season after his DUI a couple months back. So you don't have to worry about get rid of whiteheads due to stress of him not playing anytime soon.

He was close to MVP last year and I'm sure he will be right there again this year. Hopefully he at least decides not to party with rivals when it matters this year.

Opening Day Eve!

Sports hve been awful for a few months now for Detroit fans. That is of people that don't watch hockey and are disgusted with the Pistons and can't wait for them to get sold.

When the Pistons suck my first few months of the year for sports are rather lame. I don't care about other teams. I don't go to sneaker stores and pick up Lebron James shoes because I don't care about him. I am a homer through and through.

So when opening day happens I get pretty excited. Baseball may not be as exciting as the NFL, but I love to watch and listen to it on the radio. It's such an amazing experience to me to hear how detailed the play by play is as well as the random classic stories they tell with so much down time between pitches. Nothing says summer like baseball.

Our hometown Tigers are heading off to New York to play the Yankees for the opener this year. Good. get them out of the way before they can trade their entire minor leagues for a legit pitching staff. C.C. Sabathia will go against us, which isn't really a bad thing as we seem to have his number most of the time.

GO TIGERS!

Reminder Why Letting the CPU Auto-draft Your Fantasy Team=Bad

This year I really had no interest in my fantasy team. Kind of growing out of fantasy sports I think, but this year especially I didn't want to research at all. In fact I got the idea that I cared so little I would just let the CPU at CBS auto-pick my entire draft without even ranking my players.

Just a note here.We keep 5 players a piece and I had Pujols, Braun, Ryan Zimmerman, R. Weeks, and A Gonzo as my 5 going in so I was pretty well off in that regard.

Anyways, pull up a chrome step stools and listen to my tale. I have played fantasy long enough to know what the trend was going to be by making this decision, but sometimes you need the reminder of just how awful that trend really is. First off we are in a category H2H league and we don't go by points. We have 20 categories and every category is worth a W/L so nothing is really a huge boost to go after categories like all the Roto leagues are set up, and basically how players are ranked for Roto and points leagues.

You know what the rends are. The CPU deems Saves and SBs as the most important categories there are. Closers are typically all ranked in the top 30 in the rankings. I assumed I'd get 4 pretty great ones, but alas I got Wilson, Bell, Uhera (?), and Sale (?) as my 4 RPs selected. Sale is ranked higher than almost all of the hitters on my team for some reason.

SBs was the main culprit of my draft. The CPU drafted 9, that's right 9 (1) players who are projected to steal more than 20 bases. The first player selected for me in the 6th round (first non-keeper round) was Ichiro. Not that I mind this. Why he got dropped in a 60 keeper league is surprising, but he hurts in a few categories in this league, although in H2H his plethora of hits in a season more than make up for his lower OPS numbers.

After that it was all downhill. I received Furcal, D. Span, Brian Roberts, Andres Torres, Shane Victorino, COCO CRISP, and some due with the last name Young (or some dude that got sent to the minors already). Number of these guys I am happy with. Brian Roberts. I would not have drafted one single player her e in this list if I had been there unless it was a last resort at SS, or something.

Rest of my hitter picks were Kurt Sukuki at C, Y. Molina, Mike Aviles.

At SP I didn't get one drafted until the 11th round...LOL It was Trevor Cahill. He was one of my 5 SPs that were drafted and include Daniel Hudson, Brett Myers, Colby Lewis, and Edwin Jackson.

So kids, it is apparent that the people who run fantasy websites have no ****ing idea what they are doing unless it is a ROTO league.

Who Are the Missing Locks In The Tiger's Line Up? LF, 2B, DH, and C?

IF you asked me I think that the best line up would feature V-Mart as the regular catcher, Ryan Raburn in LF, and Guillen at DH with possibly Scott Sizemore playing 2B. Avila will get his time the other days at catcher, and V-MArt can hit up DH on those days. Guillen could field 2B on those days as well. This would easily be our most lethal offense in my mind. Not as good defensively, but we aren't great anyways so who cares right? Hitting trumps defense everyday for me. Pitching can handle that job.

What are we hearing though? I think LF is still a bit open to interpretation. Raburn I believe is the best choice there for the everyday guy due to him being able to hit both LHP and RHP about the same average. A nice thing to be able to do for an everyday player obviously. Makes him less likely to need to be in a platoon situation. He also has about 30 HRs in a little over 700 ABs so the power is certainly there as well to go along with a .280 or so average. He has never played everyday, and many think he is an awful fielder, but I say give him the shot and he may also get better playing ONE position all the time.

According to MLive: "He [Dombrowski] reiterated that the job belongs to Carlos Guillen if healthy, and that Will Rhymes, Scott Sizemore and Danny Worth are in a “quiet competition” for the spot while Guillen is out."

I'm really not against Guillen playing 2B, but I feel having him at DH would keep him in the line up much more this year than him actually playing everyday. I most certainly don't want Rhymes playing a lot. OF course he may be alright. He just has no real skills at the plate IMO. He's Everett with a few more lucky hits last year. That's what those guys are. Little slap hitters that are subject to the baseball gods and balls sniffing open infield. Nobody is going to be hanging banners off of chandeliers because of guys like him being in the line up.

Porcello Unleashed

I don't know if I have posted about this before, but I have always been waiting for Rick Porcello to be allowed to expand his pitching arsenal. His first couple of years ahve been focused more on his main fastball and sinker to get him by with a little dash of this, or that. Now it sounds like we may finally get to see a bit more variety.

As an article on MLB.com posted a couple weeks back (I completely missed it actually until a couple days ago), Porcello is much more than a 3 pitch guy. When he was drafted he had a few more pitches at his disposal, but the Tigers made him into that groundball pitcher his first season, and he was quite successful. Then last year he began to have a bit of trouble keeping the sinker down and his ratios went to hell as well as all his other stats.

At this point he has the sinker, a curve ball, and a slider as his non-standard pitches. The kind of arsenal, that if able to be used effectively puts him on a completely different level.
While both the slider, and the curve ball seem to be still in the tinkering phases, it is said there that he has improved both quite a bit, and we should be seeing a much larger assortment of pitches this year. This has been my dream since he was drafted. a 4-5 pitch guy. Can you imagine if he can keep all these pitches under control?

It's not like that is the extent of it either. He has a bit of a cutter on his fastball he throws at times too with a slightly different speed than his top heat. Throw a bit of a change up in there and this guy with control of even half this arsenal is dangerous. I can't wait.

Looks Like Kevin Smith is On His Way Out

Lions didn't offer a tender to Kevin Smith this week, which makes him a free agent. Lions did a bit of green cleaning this week and tried to hold the 2 most important ones of Avril and Houston at least. While I have no problem with this, and I don't exactly want to go out of our way to bring him back, it is a shame he couldn't stay healthy. I guess all those carries in college caught up to him immediately.

I have posted before that I thought both KS and Mo Morris had better years than Best did. We are going to give Best the benefit of the doubt since he was supposedly injured all season with "turf toe", and we have seen his explosiveness at times. We still have Mo Morris to run that job that KS would have had as well, and he's probably more seasoned in the things that RBs don't get much credit for as well, and cheaper.

The only real negative I see coming from this is that the Lions decide to jump on a RB early in the draft, but I am optimistic it won't happen. Smith after all was the 1st pick in the 3rd round. He was a smart and safe pick at that point.

What we don't want to see again is the Lions patented trade up from the 2nd to take a RB in the first again. This is just not something I buy into much. Best I don't think cost us too much so I wasn't that upset with it, and he could be really great as a committee back. I just don't want to see it AGAIN.

Good luck, KS. Miami may want you.

Gores in Final Stages of Pistons Purchase

According to NBA commissioner David Stern, Tom Gores is in the final stages of acquiring the Detroit Pistons.

Between his time forcing players to wear suits and get tattoo removal Stern said: “I'm going to catch up with Mr. Gores either tonight or tomorrow to say hi. I met with him at my offices, where he met with our entire senior staff, and we know that there are very intense negotiations going on, which are in their final stages, which means either there will be a deal or there won't be a deal within the next week.

“And every indication is that there will be a deal, and we'll see how that goes.”

Just get it done. This is such an abortion since the old man died. We need an owner ready to throw some money around.

Monroe Not Flashy, but Effective In Rookie Challenge

Justin Rogers had an article about Monroe's game in the Rookie Challenge that pretty much sums it up. He said that Monroe didn't really fit in with the guys that played in this game that are more showing off than playing hoops, but Monroe showed why he is right for Detroit.

He's right, but that doesn't mean we still wouldn't have loved a guy that could be the man when needed. Monroe works hard, and plays hard. Tries to play fundamental. These are things that are part of Detroit basketball, or we want them to be. Guys that grab board, set picks, box out, and play some D. Monroe finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds in the game that the rookies won 148-140.

There may be people out there that like these games, but for me it epitomizes just how poorly kids are taught how to play basketball in the era that Jordan built. Something that everyone that tried to emulate MJ forgot was that he actually knew how to do a lot of things other than just fly. Most of these guys coming out after one year of college are pretty much starting from scratch when it comes to playing in a until it seems. Always being on teams where they are the entire focus, and the offense. They are always let to go with their own devices. Having so much more talent than their peers they don't really NEED to learn a lot of these skills until they get to the NBA, but it is nice seeing guys that actually have some of them. Some learn and become great. Others are looking for slimming wraps after they decide they got paid and don't wnat to put in the work.

The rookies outplayed them as a team. Of course watching Blake Griffin was the only real reason to watch this game and he did what he does.

Bieber 4 MVP

Haha...is this guy the most popular person in the history of the world, or what? Not only did his "movie" come out this week, and garner an astonishing level of hate by crazy people to give it a 1.1/10 rating on IMDb.com, but he played in the Celeb Game at the NBA All-star weekend.

And he won the MVP!

Of course this was a fan vote sort of thing so it isn't like anyone else had a chance. Game was completely sold out by all his little fangirls on diet pills and his fans gave him the win easily.

He didn't look awful. Seemed to be able to dribble a bit at least. Made a couple 3s.

The insanity of this whole thing is off the charts. This video below has at this posting 453 likes, and 3,404 dislikes. Humanity is in deep, deep trouble. The kind of crap you see said about this kid, who is 16 years-old by the way is scary. Like psycho crazy scary.

NFL Owners and Player's Union Agree To Mediation

Typically when someone brings in a mediator they are saying that they can't agree, but they are willing to accept the suggestions from the mediators to reach a deal. The NFL and its players' union agreed Thursday to mediation in their labor dispute, two weeks before the collective bargaining agreement expires.

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, an independent U.S. government agency, will oversee negotiations in Washington beginning Friday.

After holding separate discussions with representatives from the league and the union, FMCS director George H. Cohen said both sides agreed to have the agency get involved in the stalled talks.

Negotiations broke down last week, leading to the cancellation of one planned session. The players are expecting the owners to lock them out with no roadside assistance if the CBA expires on March 3 without a new agreement.

''Due to the extreme sensitivity of these negotiations and consistent with the FMCS's long-standing practice, the agency will refrain from any public comment concerning the future schedule and/or the status of those negotiations until further notice,'' Cohen said.

Miguel Cabrera: Drunky Drunky Aresty Arresty

So...who had the date in the pool? After Miggy got in trouble for being wasted and arguing with his wife over a year ago you had to know that something else would come eventually right? I mean he blew well over a .20 that time, and later on he was quoted as saying he "didn't have an alcohol problem".

Obviously, this is up for debate, but we can probably at least consider that he may have a bit of a problem with the demon drink. Either that, or he just doesn't have enough common sense to chill out.

He was booked at the St. Lucie County jail at 12:20 a.m. Thursday and was released at 7:45 a.m. after posting a $1,350 bond. Sheriff’s officials also issued Cabrera a citation for open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle.

The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office said Cabrera's car engine was smoking when a sheriff's deputy spotted the 27-year-old's black 2005 Land Rover before 11 p.m., according to records released Thursday.

According to the arrest report, Cabrera smelled of alcohol, had "heavily slurred" speech and grabbed a bottle of James Buchanan Scotch and began to drink in front of a deputy.

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2011/02/tigers_miguel_cabrera_charged.html

Classic arrest I suppose. Look at his mugshot. Amazing laptop reviews:

Monroe Finally Breaks 20 Points Tonight

Following the Pistons the last few years can best be described as brutal, and disappointing. Not only have we watched guys like Billups and Sheed leave, we are now waiting for Rip to be traded while he rides the pine every night. It's just a disaster.

We sing a guy like Ben Gordon for too much money while we keep Rip last year for no reason at all. Se we could watch another season of worthless 3 guard line ups and the lack of big men.

In comes Greg Monroe. A guy that is not expected to be a star. Ever. A decent #4 probably on a good time in the long run. a 15/9 guy hopefully I would say. Certainly has the ability to be close to a double double guy and you can see some improvement in his defense here and there.

Suffice to say, he finally hit the 20 point mark for the first time in a Piston's win that halted a 4 game skid. They played the Nets that haven't won a road game since mid-November. They have lost 22 of their last 23 road games. Yeah they won't have anyone at a microphone anytime soon except the coach after he gets fired.

Astonishingly, the Pistons are still in the hunt for a playoff spot. That's right. The NBA is complete trash. Especially the East. It is just plain horrible to watch some of these teams the league is so watered down right now. There may be a handful of teams worth watching and that is being nice.

Suhmanji Wins Another NFL Rookie of the Year

Ndamakong (yay I can spell it now without double checking) Suh has won the NFL Rookie of the Year award from the fan vote at NFL.com. Beating out Sam Bradford who the Lions put a severe beating on in their matchup earlier this season in the first Lions ass whoopin' I believe I can remember off the top of my head since beating Dallas in the playoffs 100 years ago. Like RipVanWinkle and his mattress I may finally be able to peak open an eye a bit here.

Surprising to see a ROY given to a defensive guy over a QB in a fan vote. In fact it is the first time a defensive player has won the award in the fan vote. Amazing accomplishment for our big man that's for sure.

Suh is racking up rookie awards, and deservedly so. He already won the Defensive Rookie of the Year from the Associated Press. A great thing for us Lions fans to have a little optimism on the defensive side of the ball for once.

Joke Of the Week: Kevin Smith Thinks He Has Some Clout

Don't get me wrong. I like Kevin Smith. When he plays. Unfortunately for us he has missed a lot of time since being drafted. HE has finished the last 2 seasons on the IR, and has sustained injuries to pretty important places like the knees. His yardage has gone down the last 2 seasons as well.

Regardless of this I thought he looked better than Best did for most of the season while he was playing. He has a different style and if he could stay healthy, and Best could be healthy at the same time it isn't a bad duo. Maurice Morris filled in admirably as well this year as well and looked better than Best most of the year too. We're going to assume Best's injuries of "turf toe" were more debilitating than would expect for a guy that played every week and just giv ehim the benefit of the doubt.

Back to Smith. According to a story in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Smith was in Miami working out on his own when he asked a reporter to deliver a message to the Miami Dolphins: "Come get me.'' Maybe he could get a deal showing people how to get rid of belly fat, but he isn't going to get traded.

First off, he's a 3 year vet and would be a restricted FA regardless of the new CBA. Second of all, believing that he has that kind of value is a bit silly. Miami would have to compensate Detroit to get him, and frankly there are a lot of RBs available at all times that probably offer similar services as KS has at this point. Maybe even better.

Lions said they were ready to use him a lot next season with Best and have a true duo back there. Odds are that is still going to happen because nobody is going to pay to get him. Just another Lion spouting off with nothing to back it up. Remember...Smith has been one of those that has in the past guaranteed 10 wins for a Lions team that ended up losing double digits.

Tigers Agree to $2.3 Million Contract With Armando; Designate For Assignment

Armando "28 out perfect game" Galarraga is a guy that has had an up and down run with the Tigers. HE has had a decent season, and a couple mediocre to awful ones. The latter being most of 2010 except for his perfect game.

By tendering Galarraga a contract last month, the Tigers had already committed to sign him for 2011. The amount would either be negotiated (as it was) or would have been determined in arbitration. These deals are not guaranteed, so if the Tigers end up releasing Galarraga, they would owe him only a fraction of the $2.3 million.

The Tigers now have 10 days to trade or release him, or send him outright to the minors. Not as absurd I guess as it sounds on its face, but it is still strange.

Any trade will get us very little. Maybe a RP, or a spec that we can't use this year. Of course stranger things have happened, and someone might just love him enough to make it worth our while. At the same time the Tigers have at least 2 rotation spots that you really can't depend on. Armando was a little bit of insurance for Coke who has never pitched as a starter for a full season, or newly signed Brad Penny who is oft-injured. Regardless having him as a 6th starter he likely would have had about 10 starts this year no matter how it went. best diet pills

I guess what it comes down to is if the Tigers think they have better options, or they can get something of real value for Armando. I am not exactly a huge fan of having the guy in the rotation anytime soon, but he has the experience. He certainly could be in the long relief role too and be a spot starter all year. Again I am not really fussed about this, but it does seem like an odd move on its face. Hopefully something of consequence comes from it.

The post to get off 666 posts

My last post was post number 666 on this blog. While the debate will rage that 666 isn't really the number of the beast, it is an ominous number none the less and must not be tampered with in my opinion. Unless that is you want to make a deal with the Devil, and it appears that maybe I do.

Just have a gander at what my last post was about. IF you are even too lazy to do that I will tell you. It was my optimism for the Detroit Lions off-season. Yup...I inadvertently have set myself up where I have to decide if a deal with the Devil is the way to go, or to anger him mightily by saying no.

This could prolong the curse for 50 more years if I do not make the right call here. After a positive end to the season we may find the NFL gets a lockout and the Lions lose a precious rebuilding year. So many things could go horribly wrong if I do not make the right decision.

I may just need this waterproof digital cameras in the coming year because I will be ON FIRE.

I think we all know what I will choose. >:)

Haven't Been This Optimistic About a Lions Off-season In My Life

Obviously, I wasn't this big of a sports fan that I paid this much attention to it more then that last 10-15 years or so. I remember Barry playing and yes I have always been a huge fan, but I was never a sports freak until about the mid 90s. We didn't have access to the kind of coverage we do now with the internet either before that so information was based on pretty much crappy newspaper articles and weekly magazines.

Now I can get news whenever I want and ever outrageous rumor I hear actually sounds somewhat feasible this year for the first time. Things like Killer Kowalski saying "I wouldn't be shocked if the Lions went after Albert Haynesworth". Sure we all know he's Shaun Rogers with even less interest in playing most series, but the thing is still out there and it actually makes some semblance of sense now.

People talk about free agents like Champ Bailey possibly, and I think "why not?" The media is gonna be in love with Detroit this off-season and all we have to do is make it happen.

I shall be talking crazy this off-season so be prepared. You will have to take it with a grain of salt and you may begin to wonder if I am sitting here in wedding dresses and drinking out of a cowboy boot. I am just genuinely excited for the first time about the Lions with reasonable degree of actually having something positive happen that I don't think is a ridiculous move for a team that has no chance.

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Lions Win 4 in a Row!

What a great way to end the season. I couldn't have been more ecstatic with how the Lions finished. Even the last game I didn't fear them blowing the game at all. It was just plain amazing.