Finally over!!!

Where do you start when talking about an 0-16 football team? You can go into so many directions, like what went wrong, who is to blame, how do you fix it, and what is the outlook for next year. What I would like to do is give you my grades on the players. I'm going to leave the coaches out of it. None of them should be back after an 0-16 season. I will say this though, even though all the coaches deserve an F, I'd actually give Rod Marinelli a D. I don't know how he did it, but the players played hard all year, and never gave up. Marinelli is a leader, just not a good football coach.

So here are my grades on the players on the 2008 Detroit Lions. If I left anybody out, they must not have been here long enough to leave an impression, but lets just give them an F anyways. (Players in bold are on the 2009 roster)

OFFENSE

QB - Jon Kitna (D), Dan Orlovsky (B), Daunte Culpepper (D), Drew Stanton (INC)

RB - Kevin Smith (A), Rudi Johnson (C), Avion Cason (D)

FB - Jerome Felton (C), Moran Norris (C)

WR - Calvin Johnson (A), Shaun McDonald (C), Mike Furrey (C), John Standeford (B), Brandon Middleton (F), Keary Colbert (INC)

TE - Michael Gaines (D), Casey Fitzsimmons (D), Dan Campbell (INC), John Owens (D)

OT - Jeff Backus (F), Gosder Cherilus (C), George Foster (F)

OG - Edwin Mulitalo (D), Stephen Peterman (D), Damion Cook (F), Manny Ramirez (F)

C - Dominic Raiola (D), Andy McCollum (F)

K - Jason Hanson (A)

DEFENSE

DT - Cory Redding (D), Chuck Darby (D), Shaun Cody (C), Andre Fluellen (C), Langston Moore (D), Landon Cohen (INC)

DE - DeWayne White (B), Jared DeVries (B), Cliff Avril (A), Corey Smith (C), Ilaika Alama-Francis (D)

LB - Ernie Sims (C), Paris Lenon (C), Alex Lewis (F), Ryan Nece (D), Jordon Dizon (INC)

CB - Brian Kelly (F), Leigh Bodden (F), Travis Fisher (D), Keith Smith (F), Ramzie Robinson (D)

S - Daniel Bullucks (C), Dwight Smith (F), Gerald Alexander (INC), Kalvin Pearson (D)

P - Nick Harris (A)

LS - Don Mulbach (A)

So there are a lot of grades here, and some people might disagree with them, but my thoughts are that to have a successful team you need a lot more A and B grades. Those players are the playmakers. This team didn't have enough of them.

Coming up I'll start to discuss where this team has to go as far as management and coaching, and what they should do with their draft picks. 5 picks in the top 88 should give the Lions a good start. Obviously though, this roster needs an overhaul.

making a case for prince

In a year where the Detroit Pistons have made changes, and have had various twists in the road, Tayshaun Prince's play has been a constant. In fact his play has improved. Tayshaun is averaging 14 pts a game up from a career average of 12.5. Michael Curry has switched lineups around, even moving Prince to power forward, and Prince has responded. He is averaging 7.3 rebounds a game up from a career average of 4.7. These numbers, plus Prince's continuous defensive prowess, could lead Prince to an all star selection.

In the early voting process the starters for the East look like this, Allen Iverson and Dwayne Wade in the back court, and LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, and Dwight Howard up front. Now that the starters are established by the fans, the coaches can select the rest of the team. 7 players to choose. Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, and Antwan Jamison are previous all stars who are having good years. The 4 remaining selections are where you have to start dissecting players seasons. Devin Harris has really stepped up for New Jersey. He's averaging 24 pts and 6 assists. Another guy who has emerged this year is Danny Granger from Indiana. Granger is one of the top scorers in the league averaging 24 pts and 5 rebounds. That leaves 2 guys to pick. A handful of guys are possibilities such as Joe Johnson, Caron Butler, Rajon Rondo, Jameer Nelson, and Tayshaun Prince. As I have stated above, Prince has stepped it up this year, and the east needs another front court player. Rondo would be my last choice, playing on the best team, and having a career year.

Tayshaun Prince has been an improving player every year, working hard on his game. He won a gold medal this summer for the United States, and an all star selection would add to an already great year individually.

Hudler making it a tough decision

Ken Holland the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings is currently working on getting the roster settled for next year. He wants to have an idea of what it will look like, and if he needs help, where that might be. He'll have around 15.5 million to sign 6 forwards, 1 defenseman, and 1 goalie. Top priority is Henrik Zetterberg. Let's say that Zetterberg takes 7 million. That leaves 8.5 for the rest of the guys. Seeing that a few young guys will make the team, such as Darren Helm 600,000, Jimmy Howard 700,000, and Jonathan Ericsson 900,000, that leaves 6.3 million. Now that you have filled your need for a goalie, defenseman, and 1 forward, the Wings just need 4 forwards to sign.

Before you go any further the next major decision is do you try and move some guys and give a nice size contract to Marian Hossa, who's fit in great this year, or do you keep Johan Franzen, and watch him continue to grow into an elite player in the league. The Wings can't keep both. What makes the decision even more difficult is the play of Jiri Hudler. He's a restricted free agent next year, meaning the Wings will have to match any offer another team gives him, if they want to keep him. If the offer is above 2.5 million the Wings would receive a 1st round draft pick. That could prove to be too steep of a price for Hudler. Hudler has made great strides this year though. He's playing a more all around game. He'll never be known as a defensive forward, but he's keeping his position better this year. Through 33 games this year he has 13 goals and 15 assists, very productive.

I'd like to think they could resign Franzen to a longer deal at around 3 million per year. Franzen would have to agree to a hometown discount to take that amount, but staying with the Swedes might make his decision easier. The Wings are then left with 3.3 million. Resigning free agent Tomas Kopecky, who has yet to live up to his full potential could be an idea. He makes 500,000 this year, and surely would sign for that again. That's 2.8 million and 2 forwards to go. Ville Leino has had his ups and downs in Grand Rapids this year, but he has offensive potential. He could end up on the top 2 lines eventually. Resigning him to his current amount would leave around 2 million to give Jiri Hudler. Again being a restricted free agent will allow the Wings to control the negotiations to a point. I think though, that these scenarios could happen. That would make the Wings look like this next year.

LW C RW

Filppula Datsyuk Holmstrom

Franzen Zetterberg Hudler

Leino Helm Cleary

Kopecky Draper Maltby

D D

Lidstrom Rafalski

Kronwall Stuart

Ericsson Lilia

G

Osgood

Howard

This roster will give the Wings another great team, with probably the youngest team they've had in years. 9 players will be under 30 years of age. Holland will have to convince a couple of guys that playing on the best team, and going for the cup, is better than an extra couple of hundred thousand dollars. It's a tough assignment, but he is the best GM in all sports.

coming all together

Today the Michigan State Spartans upset the 5th ranked Texas Longhorns. The game was close all the way through with Durrell Summers hitting a late 3 pointer to seal the deal. What was key to today's victory was the stability that Goran Suton brought to the floor. When Suton is in the game, that allows Coach Izzo to play Delvon Roe at power forward, and have Raymar Morgan at small forward. Earlier in the season Morgan was having to play power forward where he was at times over matched and got into foul trouble early. When Morgan gets to play against some smaller opponents he makes the most of his mismatch.

Suton has grown into a reliable scoring option. He has a post game and can hit the occasional outside jumper. Even though today he didn't hit the boards to hard, usually he is always the team leader in rebounds. Having Suton back also allows Marquise Gray to play off the bench and bring his energy to the game in spurts.

We all know that the Spartans are a deep team, but having the right pieces in place is what the Spartans need to have a successful run in the tournament. Izzo has recruited certain players to fill certain roles, and having everyone healthy will allow him to take advantage of each player's strength.

a right fit

While the Detroit Pistons are definitely in a transition year, the emergence of Rodney Stuckey has been a bright spot. The Pistons are 6-1 with Stuckey in the starting lineup, and he is proving that he can handle the point guard duties. He's averaging 10 points and 5 assists per game, and the assists are really starting to pile up. Stuckey is leading the team on the floor, knowing when to set up his teammate and when to take the ball to the hole.

With Stuckey, Richard Hamilton, and Tayshaun Prince locked in as starters for the future, Joe Dumars now has the financial flexibility to add the remaining pieces in the off season. Chris Bosh or Carlos Boozer would both look really good next to those guys. Also having Aaron Affalo and Jason Maxiell on the bench in upcoming years will give the Pistons the role players that every team needs.

Rodney Stuckey's improvement this year will be key to the Pistons quickly getting back to the Eastern Conference finals, and hopefully the NBA finals.

Bring him back

After watching the Detroit Lions lose their 14th game of the season today, I finally came to the conclusion that the Lions need to bring back Dan Orlovsky next year so he can fight for the starting quarterback job. Watching Orlovsky will not bring up ideas that he could be Peyton Manning, but he is good enough to lead a team to the playoffs. He doesn't make mistakes, he doesn't turn the ball over, and he has enough arm strength to get the ball down the field. Remember what I said though, let him fight for the job, not hand it to him. What I don't want the Lions to do is draft a quarterback in the 1st round.

If this team is going to start picking up the pieces, and have a chance to compete next year, it doesn't matter who the starter is at quarterback, the defense needs an overhaul. New linebackers, new defensive lineman, and new defensive backs. Sounds easy right? The draft needs to be directed at this problem. Go ahead and help the offensive line out also. What has become clear is that Orlovsky has the weapons in Calvin Johnson and Kevin Smith. Those two guys have been the only highlights on offense this year. With more experience they will get better, and the offensive will be able to put more points on the board. Draft a couple of playmakers on defense, and with better coaching this ship will turn around!

MLB Winter Meetings

So we all knew Dave Dombrowski had some work to do at the Winter Meetings. On his list was a closer, shortstop, and help at catcher. Because of trades made in the past few years, the farm system's talent has dwindled down. There are still some really good young players down there like Rick Porcello, Ryan Perry, Wilkin Ramirez, Jeff Larish, Cale Iorg, and Casper Wells, but the quantity may not be there anymore.

Dombrowski's first move was acquiring Gerald Laird from Texas for a couple of pitching prospects. He gave up a couple of good arms, but needed a veteran catcher to pair up with Dusty Ryan. Laird is good defensively, and works well with the pitching staff. Next Dombrowski added shortstop Adam Everett by way of free agency. Ramon Santiago and Everett will battle for the starting job, with the backup getting considerable playing time. Finally Dombrowski last night traded reserve outfielder Matt Joyce for 14 game winner Edwin Jackson. Jackson has a golden arm, but last year was his only good one so far in the big leagues. Joyce has potential, and a ton of power, but when was he going to play on this team? Jackson is immediately put into the 4th spot of the rotation, and while Dombrowski has yet to find a closer, this move could lead to the Tigers being less dependable on their bullpen.

So where do the Tigers go from here? Right now Fernando Rodney is slated to be the closer. I'm scared just thinking about that. They could make a trade for George Sherrill of Baltimore, or Matt Capps of Pittsburgh, but they can't deplete their farm system. That leaves free agents like Trevor Hoffman, Brandon Lyon, Chad Cordero, and Brian Fuentes as possible targets. Fuentes would be the obvious choice, but he might creep out of the Tigers price range.

Dombrowski has made minor moves this year, unlike last year, but last year proved that too many all star type players might be a bad thing, and every team needs role players. Let Laird, Everett, Santiago, and Inge be those types of players, and get back to winning baseball.

MSU on shaky ground

I don't know how the rest of the college basketball season will play out, but after watching MSU get crushed by North Carolina, and Michigan upset Duke in the past week, one thing is becoming clear, the Spartans are on shaky ground.

Tom Izzo has a good squad this year, and looking into his roster, some of his top players are from Michigan. Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers, Goran Suton, and Marquise Gray are just some of the talented players that Izzo has landed with ease. John Beilein's first year made me think that he was going to have scrape for recruits in this state, but watch out now, if Beilein lands his team in the tournament, Izzo will have to start fighting for the state's best.

This year's matchup between the two teams will be very exciting. MSU is deeper, but right now Michigan is playing better basketball, and has a better system. What this year's game will come down to is can Manny Harris and the emerging DeShawn Sims outplay MSU top two players, Raymar Morgan and Kalin Lucas?

I've always admired the rivalry between Duke and North Carolina in basketball. In state schools, not far apart, that every year play classic games. That's what I want. I really don't care who wins. The state of Michigan, rich in basketball needs this rivalry to be just as good.

Stop somebody please

This picture says it all from yesterday. Chris Johnson running with no Lions around him. I just can't believe that management doesn't force Rod Marinelli to fire his son in law Joe Barry the Defensive Coordinator. The Lions are the worst against the run. They're in the wrong place at the wrong time, they can't tackle, and they get out muscled up front.

Here's a list of some of the days the runningbacks they've played against have had.

Michael Turner Atlanta 220 yards

Frank Gore San Francisco 130 yards

Jonathan Stewart Carolina 130 yards

Clinton Portis Washington 126 yards

Matt Forte Chicago 126 yards

Chris Johnson Tennessee 125 yards

DeAngelo Williams Carolina 120 yards

Adrian Peterson Minnesota 111 yards

LenDale White Tennessee 106 yards

Warrick Dunn Tampa Bay 90 yards

Steve Slaton Houston 80 yards

Maurice Jones-Drew Jacksonville 70 yards and 3 touchdowns

These guys aren't pounding the rock either. They're getting 6, 7, and 8 yards a carry. You can blame Ernie Sims for having a bad year. You can give the excuse that losing Shaun Rogers in the middle of the defensive line has really hurt them, but the fact of the matter is that the coaches have not found a way to plug the holes and stop the bleeding. Change things up. Bring the safeties to the line. You have to be able to stop the run, and they just can't do it.

Ghosts after Halloween???

The Detroit Pistons are 8-5 this year, but the team is not as good as in recent years. Since the big trade sending Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess for Allen Iverson, I've been watching to see how the players would mesh together. It's early still, but one guy in particular has struggled with the change.

Rip Hamilton is shooting 38% from the field and 26% from the 3 point line. These numbers are down from last year. Hamilton seems to be having a hard time finding his shots with Iverson on the floor. Hamilton is a scorer. He's not a strong rebounder or defender, so if the ball is isn't going in the basket he's not contributing much.

Another thing that is obvious is that early on the young guys who were supposed to improve this year, have actually regressed. Rodney Stuckey, Jason Maxiell, and Amir Johnson were going to provide the Pistons with a powerful bench this year. However the Pistons are getting outscored greatly in the 2nd quarter of games when these guys are usually in. Maybe as the season goes on they'll get out of this rut, but right now they are hurting the team when they're on the court.

Michael Curry has his work cut out for him. He has 4 players in his 9 man rotation who are invisible right now. They're ghosts out there! Curry needs to tinker with the rotation. Personally I'd like to see Rip start the games, because he deserves that, but have Aaron Afflalo come in early for him. Afflalo would give the team another defender on the floor, and he's been hitting the open jumper. Plays don't need to be ran for him, leaving the shots on the floor for Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace, and Iverson. Bring Rip back in with the 2nd unit, letting him be the #1 option with that group. Build up his confidence which has taken a hit, and give the young guys mentioned above, the veteran stability they obviously need. McDyess coming back will also give that 2nd group a jump start.

I'm not waving the white flag yet, just trying to stress the point that some minor changes need to be made.

surprise in the Big Ten

On Thursday night the Michigan basketball team upset the #4 rated UCLA Bruins in a shocking surprise. Michigan had a horrible year last year, and John Beilein had a difficult time installing his offense and defense. His philosophies are to shoot a lot of 3s, and mix in a 1-3-1 zone defense. This year it looks like the returning players understand better what to do, and it was evident in the win against UCLA.

The team is not going to play for the Big Ten title this year, but they have some talent to be in the mix for a spot in the Big Dance. Manny Harris is the key. Through 4 games this year he is averaging 26 points per game, and even though the first 2 games were against weak competition, he is a player. The question is can he get a little help from his teammates. There will be times when he has an off night, or the opposition really keys on him, so guys like Deshawn Sims, Zack Gibson, and when the Big Ten season starts, Laval Lucas-Perry, need to be ready to add some scoring.

With Beilein recruiting players to fit his style, instead of 4 and 5 star recruits, the Michigan basketball team will continue to be a thorn in the sides of the teams in the Big Ten. They create matchup problems, and headaches for opposing coaches. Finally turning the basketball program around at Michigan will be a huge accomplishment for Beilein.

End of the season for the Steelers!

The Steelers flag football team's season ended on October 25th, and in my opinion we had a very successful season. That might be hard to believe since we didn't win a game all year, yes I can say that now, but all of the kids improved, and exceeded my expectations from the start of the season.

This season I had 3 or 4 kids who knew the game and were able to run plays and defend with little coaching. The other 7 or 8 challenged myself and my assistant coaches, but as the season went along they understood more about the game.

As far as Jack goes, my hopes were answered in that he became interested in football. He learned how to be a teammate, and that in this sport you have to rely on others to be successful. He's only 5 but to see him enjoy the game was great. He now wants to play catch outside everyday, where as before the season he just wanted to run around and play.

I would tell anybody who's going to coach little kids, to not be afraid to ask some other dads to help. The kids at this young of an age have a very short attention span, and even though it might be a simple concept you're trying to teach, they aren't always receptive. However, like I said, to see kids improve and enjoy themselves is what its all about.

Rod, you're just not good enough!

If I met Rod Marinelli, and he had never coached the Lions, I would think he's a great guy. He's a solid individual. He's hard working, honest, and has characteristics that are respectable. That being said, Rod, you're just not good enough!

Listening to this week's press conference, after the Lions' 9th loss, Rod says the same things, blaming himself, going back to work to teach the systems, and how he's staying the course. His problem is he doesn't see that his systems aren't working, and the talent around him is brutal. I respect his determination. You can tell he's not going to give up, he never will, but someone above him needs to pull the trigger at the end of the season.

The roster here needs an overhaul, and maybe in the right situation Marinelli's philosophies would work, however it will be a long time before that situation comes in Detroit. Rod you need to stay in coaching, but find a team that you can join as an assistant. Teach your fundamentals to the defensive line, and be happy with that.

the Pistons "Answer"???

When Allen Iverson was acquired last week for Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess people sized up the trade right away. Was it good for Detroit? Could Iverson mesh with his new teammates?

Iverson is a pro, and is hungry for a championship. While he might take a lot of shots, and even demand the ball at times, the Piston were winners in this trade. It's hard giving up Billups, but in my opinion he was a step slower, and inconsistent in the playoffs. With 3 years remaining on his contract, Joe Dumars had to pull the trigger. Not to mention the development of Rodney Stuckey. Iverson is on the the last year of his deal, and freeing up that cap money could be huge with the caliber of free agents in the upcoming years. Hopefully McDyess will make his way back to the Pistons. They miss him already, and he is a very important piece of the puzzle here.

So after two games the Pistons have two losses with Iverson. Watching the games though, it's not his fault. While Iverson and Stuckey will take the ball to the whole, the rest of the team has settled on too many jump shots. And when they're not falling, the Pistons aren't winning. Another big problem I have noticed is Michael Curry's on the job training. His idea of wholesale substitutions is ridiculous. Play the matchups, but mix the players in better. He is going to have to get better for this team to have a chance to get to the Finals.

Iverson will fit in, it's going to take 10 or 20 games to really gel together, but there is a lot of basketball to still be played. These guys need to find their roles, and stick with them.

something special!

It's rare to follow a sports team, and know something special is about to happen for the upcoming season. Just like the Detroit Red Wings, the Michigan State men's basketball team is about to start an exciting season. Even though the team lost a leader in Drew Neitzel last year, the current roster is loaded with players who played in the tournament, and more importantly have the talent to shine in it. Kalin Lucas, Raymar Morgan, and Goran Suton are the leaders of this team. Yes, Tom Izzo is a great coach, and his wisdom will be useful through out the season, but it's the guys mentioned above, and others like Chris Allen, Travis Walton, Durrell Summers, and Marquis Gray who will be counted on to fight for a Big Ten Championship.

It takes more than being a brilliant coach to have a top ten program in the nation. Izzo is a recruiter. He's set up a system of making players better, and producing NBA players. He cares about his kids, and I'm sure every parent who is thinking about sending their son to play for him, respects that. This years freshmen will have a huge impact on the season. Delvon Roe the prize of the group, is recovering from an injury, but Izzo is giddy about him. Roe could begin the season in the starting lineup. Draymond Green and Korie Lucious will also help out.

So why the low down on the roster? Because this team is deep. It has it all, shooting, defense, and rebounding. They'll need it against early opponents like North Carolina, Texas, and Kansas, not to mention the cream of the crop in the Big Ten, Purdue and Wisconsin. This schedule will give Izzo a barometer on how his team will hold up for the tournament. Something special is going to happen this season for the Spartans. Our job is to sit back and watch!

10 games in!

So 10 games in and the Detroit Red Wings have 7 wins even though they are far from playing their best hockey. Some of the players are clicking already, like Marian Hossa, Pavel Datsyuk, and Tomas Holmstrom. Hossa has fit in nicely with 5 goals and 9 assists. He leads the team in scoring, creating great chemistry with his linemates. Johan Franzen started well also, but a knee strain has put him out of action for a few weeks. There will always be injuries, so its nice to see players like Dan Cleary and Valterri Filppula stepping up when needed.

The defense has been slow to come around. Nicklas Kronwall and Brad Stuart haven't started great, and I never feel safe when Andreas Lilia and Brett Lebda are on the ice. I still think that the 5th best defenseman on this team is playing in Grand Rapids, Jonathan Ericsson. We'll see if he gets his chance later in the season.

Goaltending has been up and down. Ty Conklin has proved he was a good signing, but Chris Osgood is still feeling his way through the early part of the season. What's great to see is that even though the team isn't putting it all together, they are clearly better than the majority of the league most nights. The Wings are the class of the NHL and us fans in Detroit are lucky to have them.

Another Loss

Let's get this out of the way, the Lions lost on Sunday to the Texans 28-21. It's like ripping off a band aid, do it quick and it won't hurt as bad. What was the defensive game plan against the Texans? They couldn't stop Steve Slaton and Ahman Green on the ground. Those two backs were getting good chunks of yards. Matt Schaub was equally impressive through the air. He found the open spots in the Lions zone, and ran the bootleg play to perfection. It looked like the linebackers and defensive line were out of place, losing containment on every play. A few positives were the play of Dewayne White and Daniel Bullucks. These two have played better than Ernie Sims, supposedly the Lions best defensive player, for a few weeks now. The Lions also played some of their youngsters on defense. Alama-Francis, Avril, and Fluellen all made some plays during the game.

On offense the Lions couldn't block well enough to give their young quarterback any time. Orlovsky had his happy feet for a second straight game. When the announcers are even pleading with the Lions to get the ball to Calvin Johnson, you know the Lions game plan is ridiculous. Calvin needs to be thrown to at least 10 times a game. He got 4 looks I think, not enough. Kevin Smith did a good job the few plays he was allowed to run the ball, but when you're behind 21-0 you won't be running too much.

Players were allowed to be evaluated in this game, so hopefully whoever takes over this team was paying attention, because there is a lot of fat that needs to be cut on this team. The Lions need young, hungry players, who in the right schemes will be able to compete in this league, and that sure isn't happening right now.

flag football game 5

Today we were down 1 assistant coach, and 2 of our 1st graders. That gave us 3 1st graders and 6 kindergartners for the game. With us having to cancel our last 2 practices due to rain, I didn't know what to expect. We played the Giants this week and they have a couple of real burners on their squad. They ended up scoring 3 touchdowns. We were shut out of the end zone even though we moved the ball consistently all day. The Steelers even completed 2 passes today, our first 2 completions of the season. We gained a lot of YAC on those 2 plays, yards after catch.

Jack played his best game of the season. He ran the ball once, gaining 20 yards on the play. On defense, he played cornerback all game and had 2 flag pulls, once again a career best. He did great! Jack did get injured a little because of the Giants aggressive blocking, but he stayed in and hung in there.

One game left on the schedule, so I'll give our final update next week.

Game 4 of flag football

When I showed up for our 4th game of flag football, I knew something was up as soon as I saw our youngsters. These kids were bursting with energy, and I don't mean in a controlled way. They must have had a ton of sugar for breakfast, because it took everything I had to handle a couple of them.

We were playing the same team we faced in week 1, the Titans. In that game we struggled on offense due to lack of cohesion, and the fact that their team had older kids on it, or should I say more of them. Well in this game we made it closer losing 2 touchdowns to 1, but the kids had fun. We just had a tuff time blocking on our line. Their defensive line penetrated ours way too many times. We tried to make a few adjustments, but it did not help in the end. The boys who have understood the game from the start did real well, especially on defense. 3 of them, who I won't mention, had outstanding games, one boy even picked off a pass and took it to the house. Pretty impressive for a 1st grader.

I gave Jack the opportunity to play center, and he did a real good job. Outside of the end of the game when he started calling out the count, instead of the quarterback, he did everything right. He got to carry the ball once also. On that play, we were close to our own end zone, and when he got the ball, the defense was already on him. He proceeded to run backwards out of the end zone. While I was blowing the whistle to stop the play, he turned it around, and ran 50 yards for a touchdown, in his mind. He was happy, and while I told him to run forward right away, instead of going backwards, I told him nice run. He was excited!

Good Luck!

In recent years there hasn't been much to cheer about at Lions games, but Roy Williams at least brought some excitement to the field. His antics were always on display, if it was a close game, or if like most of the time they were down by a couple of touchdowns. Williams was a productive player on a bad team. Yesterday, Williams was traded to the Cowboys, for a 1st round, 3rd round, and 6th round pick in the 2009 NFL draft. Seeing that Roy was a free agent at the end of this year, and it was a good possibility that he was leaving anyways, the Lions, and more specific Martin Mayhew made the right move, and traded him to the Cowboys. Is this a sign, along with Jon Kitna going on I.R. for the year, that the Lions have given up on this year? Yes, if you are only looking at wins. But as I have previously stated, this team's lone objective after 5 straight losses to start the season, is to evaluate the current roster. So good luck Roy. You got what you wanted, a chance to make the playoffs, and Lions fans got what they have wanted for 7 years, a sound decision by the front office. I'll miss that 1st down gesture though, standing up in my seats, along with Roy, hand pointing out, shouting 1st down!!!

On the move????

Could Jon Kitna be traded today by the 4 p.m. deadline? Maybe? Trades usually don't happen in the NFL. In other sports the trade deadlines are exciting times, players on the move, teams getting better. Not in the NFL though. I think the deadline for one is too early in the season, even the Lions think they still can pull off a good season. The NFL should move the deadline forward 2 weeks. Make it halfway through the season. Players traded could still come in and learn schemes before the playoffs, and this would lead to more activity and excitement.

Back to Kitna, the Lions are obviously not heading to the playoffs, and need to start evaluating all of the players on the roster. That includes Dan Orlovsky and Drew Stanton. Orlovsky looked nervous on Sunday filling in for Kitna, but he needs more game experience, before he can be correctly assessed. I'd like to see Stanton get some snaps in a game, but we have to remember this past week was his first real practice with his teammates. I don't want to just throw him in there without the proper knowledge of the offense. But don't get me wrong, he should play at the end of the season.

Kitna has some value. He could come in and backup a young starter, giving his leadership and experience to a new team. What could the Lions get for Kitna? A 4th or 5th rounder probably. The Lions have players who could be traded. Brian Kelly, Roy Williams, Shaun McDonald, and Corey Redding would be players of interest. We'll have to wait til this afternoon to see if any move are made.

Steelers game 3 results

The great thing about our 3rd flag football game is that you could see the improvement in our kids. The more we practice and let them get the repetitions, the better they are. The kids were enthused for the whole game. On offense we moved the ball a little better than the previous week. I believe we only scored once, but had a couple of drives where we gained some decent yards. Our blocking was better, and the decision to play just 2 quarterbacks, and have them rotate at center when they're not the quarterback, seemed to work. I'd like to get more kids behind the center, however I don't think all of the kids can handle it. The great thing is those kids who can't handle it, are getting the ball on a couple of carries. I definitely don't wish the games were any longer, but it would be nice for the kids to get a couple more carries per game, not just one or two each.

On defense we gave up 3 scores, but stopped them on a few drives. The team blew up a few plays in the opponents backfield, which excited them. It's great to see the team celebrating their accomplishments.

Jack had another good game. He ran once, and was stopped, but he's getting the idea about blocking. On defense he mixed it up, and chased the kids, getting their flags. I'm real proud with how he is doing.

The kids are still a challenge to consistently put them in the right position, and do the right thing, but I continue to have fun coaching them, and enjoy seeing their improvements.

Disaster!!!!

What a train wreck today was. They lost another one, this time to the Bears 34-7. I'm the Lions fan who always talks about the glass being half full, but enough is enough. This team has regressed every game! Sure they fired Matt Millen, and I'm happy about that, but that doesn't matter on the field. I knew that it wouldn't, but I thought the team would at least play with more energy, and emotion, after the bye week. Rod Marinelli can take the blame all he wants, it sounds like he wants to be fired, but the rest of the coaching staff, and the players have to be held accountable.

Joe Barry and Jim Colletto are pathetic as coordinators. Neither coach has a grasp on what their side of the ball is doing. If they did, and they didn't correct it, they should be fired. Marinelli is going to cover for their short comings, but he has enough of his own, to take theirs. On offense there is so much miscommunication, and mental errors, they can't move the ball consistently. And on defense they make average quarterbacks look like pro bowlers, and running backs look like hall of famers.

Here's what happens every game, I'll paint you a picture. The teams will rip your heart out for 55 minutes, only to show you glimpses in 5 minutes of what kind of players they could be. Take for instance my poster boys for this post, Roy Williams, and Calvin Johnson. At times they make catches that lead you to believe that it's gonna be a mismatch all day long, but then the drops come, or the bad pass patterns. This is all too common. I'm sick and tired of being led to believe that we have an NFL team in Michigan. Get rid of the owner, fire the coaches, and cut the players. A clean slate is what the fans need!

New blood

Outside of adding Kwame Brown and Will Bynum, the Detroit Pistons roster remained intact. My initial thoughts on this were that the Pistons were scared to make a move, and that this team would not get back to the NBA Finals. The East has improved, Elton Brand makes the 76ers better, Jermaine O'Neal makes the Raptors better, Michael Beasley and a healthy Dwayne Wade make the Heat better, and any conference with LeBron James and the defending NBA champs the Boston Celtics will be difficult to run through. However after Joe Dumars explained that no trades were out there, and he was sticking with his roster, it was evident that those starters who have led the Pistons to the playoffs, and won a championship will not be the deciding factor in this season's outcome.

The success will be determined by 3 young, and upcoming players Amir Johnson, Rodney Stuckey, and Jason Maxiell. All three will be given more minutes, and in return be asked for more productivity. These are the additions to this team. Yes, its the same players by name from last year, but their continual improvement will allow the Pistons more flexibility, and reduce those starters minutes who have carried us all these years. I'm excited to see this new blood, Amir causing havoc in the paint, Stuckey taking the ball to the hole, and Maxiell bringing his energy off the bench. Hopefully these guys will lead the Pistons back to the Finals.

Earn your paycheck!!!

I know we all have the idea in our heads that professional athletes are overpaid, but I have never seen a team underachieve the way the 2008 Detroit Tigers did. To have a payroll of $139 million dollars, and to finish with a record of 74-88 is inexcusable. Jim Leyland has come out in recent days accepting some of the blame, but also pointing out that he's not the only one at fault. The Tigers have already gotten rid of one major problem in my opinion, and that was Chuck Hernandez. As a pitching coach he has not improved the staff at all. Actually the staff has regressed under his watch. However the players are the real culprits for this bad baseball. These guys for the most part all underperformed this year. It's not one or two guys, it was the whole team. Yes, Miguel Cabrera, Armando Galaragga, Curtis Granderson, Magglio Ordonez, and Placido Polanco all had good years statistically, but as a team they failed.

Looking forward to 2009 Dave Dombrowski has already stated that they won't be major players in the free agent market, but he also has to understand that he can't go into next year with this same group of players. The real changes have to be made to the pitching staff. Verlander, Galaragga, and Bonderman are locks for the rotation, but between Nate Robertson, Dontrelle Willis, Zach Miner, and hopefully a mid level free agent such as Randy Wolf, Derek Lowe, or even Freddy Garcia, two of these guys have to step up and fill the back end of the rotation. Rick Porcello is also a pitcher to remember if the Tigers want to push him to the majors.

The bullpen was a disaster from the beginning of the season to the end. Joel Zumaya is unreliable for next year. Hopefully he will be a bonus to the bullpen, and stay healthy. Fernando Rodney is not a closer, please don't give him the job. Let him work the 8th, which is also important. Some of the guys this year like Lopez, Seay, Rapada, Glover, and Dolsi, let them fight for a spot next year with some new blood. I believe Dombrowski has to look outside the organization for a closer. K-Rod will be too expensive, but how about guys like Kerry Wood, Brian Fuentes, or Brandon Lyon. Spend any money you have on one of these three relievers. Ryan Perry the Tigers 1st round pick is at least a year away, but keep an eye on him also.

As far as the position players go the Tigers have said they are looking for a catcher and a shortstop. Good luck. The only catcher worth mentioning is Gregg Zaun, and he's 38 years old. Looks like Dusty Ryan will really have to step up and learn on the job. I know Dombrowksi is high on minor leaguer Cale Iorg, but he won't be playing shortstop for the Tigers next year. He needs a couple of more seasons in the minors. They could bring back Renteria with a reduced salary, or go after Rafael Furcal, Orlando Cabrera, or David Eckstein. My hopes are that they overpay to get Cabrera.

I'm going to sit back and watch closely this off season. Dombrowski is going to have to work some serious magic, to please the fans, and his owner. The Tigers cannot have another season like this, or all the momentum from the 2006 season will be lost.

Tough decisions

The Detroit Red Wings are in the middle of their preseason schedule trying to finalize their regular season roster. Ken Holland, Jim Nill, and Mike Babcock have some tough decisions to make. The fact is that they have to probably cut 4 or 5 players who could play, and more importantly, contribute on this team. In my opinion Holland has to make a trade or two, getting rid of a couple of players from the championship team. This might sound foolish, but the problem is he's done a great job drafting, and there are some young guys knocking on the door. Darren Helm and Johnathan Ericsson need to be on this team. Lets rephrase that they should be on this team. Both players are young and exciting. They also each bring elements to the ice that this team needs. Helm is a speedster who can really play both ends of the ice, and Ericsson is a large defenseman who has a 100mph slap shot.

So who goes? Like I said there are too many qualified guys already. If I were the general manager I would keep these forwards.

Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Hossa, Franzen, Filppula, Holmstrom, Hudler, Draper, Cleary, Kopecky, Helm, and Downey.

That makes 12 forwards with a 13th going to either Kirk Maltby or Mikael Samuelsson. One of these 2 need to be traded. I would try to move Samuelsson. He is more attractive because of his offensive ability. Helm just adds too much speed and tenacity to have him back in Grand Rapids. Sure he might play more there, but I think his ice time would grow in Detroit.

Here are the defensemen I would keep.

Lidstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall, Stuart, Lilia, Ericsson, Chelios, and Meech.

Brett Lebda has shown what he will be, and Kyle Quincey can't crack this lineup. Trade both of these guys for draft picks. Could you imagine a pairing like Lilia and Ericsson, pretty imposing. Ericsson needs the minutes, and the Wings might send him down to start the year, but they can't deny his talent anymore. He's good enough to make a Stanley Cup contender, and that's saying a lot.

Hopefully these two will start the year in Detroit, but either way the Wings are destined for another lengthy run for the Cup!

Game 2 improvements

Yesterday we had our 2nd game of flag football. The Steelers took on the Giants. Just as last week our opponents scored on their 1st play. The 1st half was the same as last week, we played good defense excluding a couple of long touchdown runs, and struggled on offense. We still had trouble with the snaps and hand offs. In the 2nd half we started to move the ball. I'm not saying it was pretty, but it was effective. The team continued our strong play on the defensive side of the ball. In the end we scored two touchdowns, and greatly improved from last week.



As far as Jack goes he had fun once again, and this time played the whole game. He carried the ball once, and was stopped in the backfield. The thing with all kindergartners on the team is that they are slow in their reaction time. So Jack is right in line with everyone else. We are looking forward to the next game. Go Steelers!!!

Starting from scratch

Did you ever think this day would come? I'll start off by giving Matt Millen credit. He has passion for the game, he's a fighter, but you have to know when enough is enough. Matt Millen was fired today, probably 3 years too late, but the deed is done. Now this team starts from scratch. Sure this year will be lost. The Lions will wait until the end of the year to hire a new general manager, but hopefully Rod Marinelli will receive the command to play the young guys to see what talent is actually on the roster. Marinelli is now put in a difficult situation, but if he's a team player, he'll listen, and get the young guys on the field.

Can you believe the last 24 hours for Detroit sports? What will the fans chant or complain about next? We've been told by new coach Michael Curry that Rasheed Wallace will play in the post more often. Check. We've heard the announcement today that the "roller coaster" Todd Jones is hanging up the spikes. Check. And now the fans of the Lions can no longer chant "fire Millen". Check. I guess the only thing the fans of Detroit can do now is clap. What a day!

Talent & Execution

If the Detroit Lions were on America's Got Talent, even David Hasselhoff would tell them to go home and find another career, you're not good enough! The Lions loss their 3rd straight game with a horrific 31-13 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers. Once again the team was down early, and had no chance for a comeback. On offense they made too many mistakes, dropping passes, missing targets, and taking bad penalties. Turning the ball over is also not going to keep you in the game. Jon Kitna played a bad game, got hurt, and now his job should be in question. Rudi Johnson came in for Kevin Smith, who was benched, and actually had a decent game. Probably the one bright spot for the offense. On defense the Lions could not stop the run, or rush the passer. Come on can you at least take care of one! If not you will continue to get the same results week after week.

So the Lions go into the bye week with many questions, and doubts about this team. Can anything be salvaged? When is it time to throw Marinelli off the boat? He didn't help himself by mismanaging the game clock at the end of the 1st half. Sure, I agree, he has changed some things around there for the better. I believe the players are more professional, and have the proper attitudes to succeed. However their execution, which falls on the coaching, is not there. I don't care what they do in practice, if they can't translate it into the games! Let's not fool ourselves, there isn't much talent on this team. Thanks Millen! How is this guy keeping his job? Let's look at the past 4 drafts. All that remains from the 2005, 2006, and 2007 drafts are Calvin Johnson, Dan Orlovsky, and Drew Stanton on offense, and Ernie Sims, Daniel Bullucks, Shaun Cody, Ilaika Alama-Francis, and Gerald Alexander on defense. 8 players, are you kidding me! That's not to mention that Orlovsky and Stanton don't see the field, and Alama-Francis has been a bust. So let's agree for arguments sake that really only Johnson, Sims, and Bullucks have truly contributed to this team. It's too early to judge the 2008 draft, but only Gosder Cherilus and Kevin Smith have gotten any significant playing time. Most of the guys from that draft were deactivated for the 49ers game. The fact is Millen hasn't produced the talent for any coach to succeed.

The Lions had better start scouting the college ranks because it looks like another top 3 pick is on the horizon. Of course their track record doesn't really lead me to believe that the player they pick will do anything different. You have to love Monday mornings if you're a Lions fan!

Was there a full moon last night?

Last night I was listening to the Tigers game on the radio. Dan Dickerson and Jim Price had an interesting conversation for a change. Finally Jim Price had a point that was worth while. He talked last night about how this team is too nice. Yes, it comes a night after Gary Sheffield was involved in a fight, but in general this team is soft. Everyone is diplomatic when talking to the media about other teams, other players, and even about their own team. Guys like Curtis Granderson, Justin Verlander, Brandon Inge, and Nate Robertson who all seem to be interviewed a lot are too nice. And I don't know if its the Latino aspect of this team, but Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Guillen, and Magglio Ordonez don't say much because of their language barriers, making them seem "soft" or too nice. On the field these guys temperaments don't change, once again a bunch of "Mr. Niceguys".

If this team is going to change, and improve next year, it's not just talent that we need more of. We need more guys like Gary Sheffield and Kenny Rogers. Guys with attitude, who are willing to challenge other players. Maybe it's on the field, or maybe in their own clubhouse. Now I don't think fighting is the solution, but the Tigers have to have players who will speak their minds if something isn't right. And trust me there were plenty of situations this year where it seemed no one spoke up.

Let the flags fly!!!!

Get your terrible towel out, cheer on the Steelers! No not the team in Pittsburgh, the flag football team in Jackson, Michigan. My son Jack is part of an 11 man squad featuring 5 1st graders, and 6 kindergartners, including Jack. Their first game is this Saturday at J.C.M.S. The league is full of Catholic kids from Jackson. Now I haven't mentioned that I'm his coach. This is where it gets complicated. Have you ever tried teaching football to kids this young? I've coached soccer, and it's nothing like it. Coaching soccer is about teaching a few fundamentals, and then letting them go, and get the ball. Football is about discipline, and these kids don't have it. The first practice was brutal. My assistant coach and myself were pulling out our hair trying to teach them some basic concepts of football. Kids don't like standing around, because if they do, they'll start horsing around. So for our second practice we decided to play a few games with the kids, basically slipping in fundamentals around this. So here comes our first game tomorrow, and we haven't learned any plays, and don't know where to lineup. Can I give Bill Cowher a call? He knows how to lead the Steelers! Anyways wish us luck, and God willing, we'll score a touchdown.

What were you thinking?

What were you thinking Jon Kitna? Did you think that you were a quality starting quarterback in the NFL? Mr. Kitna you are sadly mistaken. I can't believe that after that great comeback by the Lions, Kitna could blow a game like that. The Lions were down 21-0 and turned it on in the second half. A couple of stalled drives cut the league from 21-0 to 21-9. A safety, and 2 great plays by Calvin Johnson gave the Lions a 25-24 lead with 6 minutes left in the game. Ford Field went from a stadium of disgust, to a stadium of joy after watching the comeback. Fans were going crazy, people were starting to believe. Then Kitna took over. One throw for a pick and return, then another interception, then another pick for a touchdown. The air deflated at Ford Field. People left the stadium bitter, asking why us? You know why? Because we continue to be fooled into believing that we could be that team that makes a run. We could be that team that upsets the powerhouses in the NFL. We could be the team that other teams fear. Then players like Jon Kitna, Brian Kelly, and Leigh Bodden take over. Yeah, I didn't have enough energy to mention how bad the Lion's secondary played. Rod Marinelli will tell us he'll study the tape. Save your time Rod, this team can't put it together for 60 minutes. I don't know if they ever will.

Heisman hopeful

Going into this year Javon Ringer's name was mentioned when talking about the top running backs in the country. So far Ringer hasn't let anyone down. This year Ringer was told he would get the majority of the carries and he's lived up to the challenge. 216 yards and 7 touchdowns after just 2 games is a good start. He will have to keep it up to keep his name up there with some of the other top backs in college football. Knowshon Moreno and Beanie Wells are the other 2 backs everyone is talking about. However with Wells trying to come back from an injury, not to mention facing a tough USC team this week, Ringer could vault himself to the top. Now when mentioning him for the Heisman, you have to remember the other candidates out there. Tim Tebow, Chase Daniel, Sam Bradford, and Mark Sanchez are all quarterbacking top teams this year so they will definitely get some consideration. I believe though, that during the year, with the Spartans relying so much on Ringer, that he will at least get his name mentioned. And when the season is over we'll see if his stats enable him to get an invitation to New York for the Heisman ceremony.

Lions frustration after week 1

Okay my predictions didn't turn out to be too accurate. Matt Ryan looked prepared for the NFL, and the Lions defense did not. I said the game would be a 24-13 Lions victory. I was wrong. The offense did pretty much what I thought they would. Struggle with the run a little, but make some plays in the passing game. It was the defense that shocked me. I know in the preseason they shut down their opponents, but I wasn't expecting the 1985 Bears defense to be out there. I was expecting them to tackle better though. Way too many missed tackles. They've practiced too much for this to be an issue. After a couple of days of regrouping my Lions thoughts, I've realized that they just don't have the talent on defense. Sure everyone will say they knew this before the season started, but I was hoping a couple of guys would play above their heads. Guys like Corey Redding, Dewayne White, Leigh Bodden, Brian Kelly, and Paris Lenon I thought would be leaders on this team. Showing the youngsters the right way to play. Once again I was wrong. The only player on defense that other teams wish they had is Ernie Sims.

Now I'm not as down on the Lions as my friend Empty Coconuts. He's given up on the season, which he probably should do. As a season ticket holder, I want to find something positive in this mess to justify my purchase. If the Lions are going to win any games this year it looks like they will have to put a lot of points on the board, especially early in games. We can't count on the defense to win any games for us. So my positive spin is that after the 1st quarter down 21-0, the Lions won the next 3 quarters, outscoring the Falcons 21-13. It's weak yes, I know, but those tickets are expensive, and I have to have some kind of faith, or the next 3 months will be brutal.

Lions vs. Falcons week 1

The Lions start the season in Atlanta today with hopes of starting the season on the right note. The Falcons are a young team, who is rebuilding, and has lots of holes in their lineup. Their defense is starting two young corners, and Jon Kitna should be able to move the ball down field, throwing to Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams. The Falcons also are starting a rookie middle linebacker, so Kevin Smith might be able to get the ground game moving. All of this sets up the Lions to have a pretty good day on offense.

On defense today the Lions will be facing a rookie quarterback in Matt Ryan. He has some talent around him in Roddy White and Michael Turner. Those two guys could make the game interesting if Ryan has time, and makes the right reads to get the ball to White, and Turner can gain some yardage on the ground. The defensive line, especially Dewayne White will have a good opportunity to get to Ryan. Today's game will be a great introduction to the NFL for Matt Ryan. Things are dumbed down, and slower in the preseason. He's never seen anything like this before. My prediction is that the Lions win 24-13.

Repeat???

The Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings will start their training camp in 3 weeks. While the team has stayed mainly intact. I thought the time was right to go over 5 pressing questions going into the upcoming year.

Question 1 - How does Marion Hossa fit in?

With Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Tomas Holmstrom keeping their line and chemistry intact, I would think that Hossa joins Valterri Filpulla, and Johan Franzen on the 2nd line. Hossa will play the right wing. If Franzen can build on to what was a fantastic playoff run, this line could actually be as deadly as the Datsyuk group.

Question 2 - Who will be the backup goaltender?

Chris Osgood is once again the talk of the town. He has cemented himself as the number one goalie on the Wings. However the number two job is up for grabs. For years now the Wings have been grooming Jimmy Howard to take over in net. He will finally get a serious shot at making the team. Ty Conklin will be standing in his way though. Conklin comes over from the Penguins with an opportunity to back up Osgood. My guess is that Howard wins the job, and gets in 15 to 20 games this year.

Question 3 - Who emerges from the 4th line competition?

Can a team have 5 lines? If they did the Red Wings would show their depth. There are a lot of guys trying to crack that starting lineup. Veterans like Kirk Maltby, Darren McCarty, Aaron Downey, and even Jiri Hudler will try to hold off the youngsters, such as, Tomas Kopecky, Darren Helm, Ville Leino, and Justin Abdelkader. Downey and Abdelkader are likely destined for Grand Rapids. I see McCarty and Kopecky as extra forwards wearing suits most nights. Hudler deserves to be on the line, but a trade could be in his future. Leino is the wild card. He comes from Finland with a ton of talent, but will have to adjust to the game in North America. I think the 4th line will consist of Hulder, Helm, and Maltby. Leino while talented, should start in Grand Rapids. After one month if they can't fit him in Detroit, he will probably go back to Finland.

Question 4 - How easy does new assistant coach Brad McCrimmon fit in?

McCrimmon has played here before so he knows the culture of the Wings. Being a player and a coach in this league will help his transition on this team. Losing Todd McLellan hurts because he was a very good coach, who Babcock relied on, however Babcock still is the man in charge and there shouldn't be any bumps in the road.

Question 5 - Is there any let down from winning the Cup?

No. Not with veterans like Nicklas Lidstrom, Kris Draper, Chris Chelios, and others who know what its like to win and also how hard it is to get back. They will be mentally strong this year, and another run at the Cup is very likely.

Rough start to the season

On Saturday both major schools from the state of Michigan lost their season openers. Michigan was beaten at home by Utah 25-23. Michigan State traveled to Cal and was beaten 38-31. After watching both games these schools started of shaky, only to make games of it in the 2nd half.

Rich Rodriquez clearly proved he doesn't have the players to fit his system. Nick Sheridan started the game at quarterback and he showed that he cannot make the throws consistently on the college level. Steven Threet played the 2nd half and sparked a comeback for the Wolverines. He definitely has the better arm. I was surprised to see Brandon Minor not start, but found out later that he had been held out of some practices. Carlos Brown the other returner in the backfield played sparingly because of a groin injury. This opened the door for freshmen Sam McGuffie and Michael Shaw to get significant playing time. These two each scored but could not move the ball on the ground. Michigan ended up with 36 yards rushing. That's ridiculous! Their offensive line did not open any holes and sustain any blocks. This is the number one area of concern.

On defense they let Utah pass the ball down the field in the 1st half. I was surprised that they didn't blitz Utah's qb after watching him pick apart the secondary. The front four had a couple of sacks but did not standout the way I thought they would. The bright spot of the defense had to be Obi Ezeh. He was all over the field and ended up with 15 tackles and 1 interception. While Michigan struggled in the 1st half stopping Utah, they came out and played hard in the 2nd half. Overall Michigan was exposed for the weaknesses we thought they had. Inexperience on offense is their flaw and hopefully the 1st game will give them some tape to watch and work on their mistakes.

The Spartans played against a strong opponent on prime time and had high expectations. However Brian Hoyer their senior qb did not play like a returning starter and leader on this team. While he played better in the 4th quarter, he missed too many passes and made too many bad decisions. I was expecting a lot more from him. MSU did what we thought they would do on offense, pound the ball with Javon Ringer. He didn't break any big runs but kept the chains moving. The biggest surprise on offense had to be Mark Dell. The sophomore receiver had a career day with over 200 yards receiving. He stepped up in that number one receiver role.

Mistakes on special teams and not stopping the run on defense hurt the Spartans. The long snapper was shaky from the get go, and that has to be addressed in practice this week. The defense did not fill the holes that Cal opened in the running game. I thought Greg Jones was active but had an up and down game. Otis Wiley proved to be a play maker in the secondary. Two picks, one going back for a score carried the defense. MSU made the game close, and showed some fight, but Hoyer and that offense has to limit mistakes for this team to win this year.

winner, winner chicken dinner!!!!!

I was asked by a couple of people to post my fantasy football teams. What do you think of my chances this year?

Westchester Wind
QB - Drew Brees
RB - Marion Barber
RB - Darren McFadden
WR - Calvin Johnson
WR - Santonio Holmes
TE - Vernon Davis
K - Rod Bironas
D - Cowboys

Bench
QB - Marc Bulger
RB - Jonathan Stewart
RB - Ladell Betts
WR - Bernard Berrian
WR - Ted Ginn Jr.
WR - Kevin Walter
TE - Zach Miller
D - Cardinals


Jackson Jailbirds
QB - Drew Brees
RB - Brian Westbrook
RB - Michael Turner
WR - Marques Colston
WR - Lee Evans
WR - Roddy White
K - Josh Brown
D - Jaguars

Bench
QB - Phillip Rivers
RB - Rudi Johnson
RB - Justin Fargus
RB - Correll Buckhalter
WR - Vincent Jackson
TE - Antonio Gates
TE - Tony Scheffler


Silver Foam Saints
QB - Tony Romo
RB - LaDainian Tomlinson
RB - Maurice Jones-Drew
WR - Torry Holt
WR - Calvin Johnson
WR - Jerricho Cotchery
TE - Jeremy Shockey
K - Ryan Longwell
D - Redskins

Bench
QB - Brett Favre
RB - Selvin Young
RB - Kevin Smith
RB - Ray Rice
WR - Bernard Berrian
WR - Justin Gage
TE - Zach Miller
D - Eagles

Wolverine season preview

What's the saying, sometimes you have to take one step back to take 2 steps forward. The University of Michigan football team is doing exactly this. Rich Rodriquez is part of a major overhaul at Michigan. He is changing some traditions in the hopes of bringing Michigan up to level that some of their rivals have already reached.

On offense Michigan lost a lot of players to graduation and the draft. Gone are Chad Henne, Mike Hart, Mario Manningham, Adrian Arrington, Jake Long, and Adam Krauss. This is a total rebuilding project on this side of the ball. Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan have battled all spring and summer for the starting quarterback position. Rodriquez has not committed to either one, meaning that both guys will get their turn under center. The running back position is one of the few strengths on offense. Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown are returning this year. Both players showed last season that they could provide a decent running attack. Throw in freshmen Sam McGuffie and Michael Shaw and this position will be solid all year long. Greg Matthews is the only returning receiver to make an impact last season. With more 3 receiver sets, Michigan will need some of their young freshmen to step up. Finally the offensive line will have many new faces on it. Steve Schilling returns to lead a group of inexperienced, but quicker, offensive linemen than they have had in the past.

Rodriquez wants his defense to step up this year. He needs his players to play with more intensity and make quicker decisions. His defensive line will be the strength of the defense. Terrance Taylor and Will Johnson will clog up the middle, with Brandon Graham and Tim Jamison rushing from the end position. Even freshman Mike Martin will get significant playing time this year. The linebacker core is young with Obi Ezeh being the only player who made major contributions last year. He will be asked to lead this inexperienced group. In the secondary the Wolverines have some play makers. Morgan Trent and Donovan Warren have played in big games, and Brandon Harrison is growing as a player. This defense will need to help out a young offense with keeping their opponents off the scoreboard.

Rodriquez will be scrutinized all year as his many changes go in affect. However if Michigan wants to start playing for National Championships again this is the guy with the plan. 8 wins this season would be a great first year for Rodriquez. With a really good recruiting class coming in next year, fighting Ohio State, not to mention some of the up and coming teams like Michigan State, Illinois, and Wisonsin in the conference for the Big Ten title, Michigan will again become a powerhouse in college football.

Interest Lost

With nothing much on last night, the Tigers were in a close game against the Indians. Armando Galarraga was pitching, so I new the Tigers at least had a chance. I tried to watch the game, I'm a huge Tigers fan, but I found myself turning the channel looking for something else. I found out this morning that the Tigers lost in 10 innings 4-3. Am I surprised? Not this year.

There were so many expectations this year, and all this team has provided is disappointment. How many guys can you have on one team underachieve? From Dontrelle Willis to Gary Sheffield, this team has too many players who haven't earned their pay this year. The only injury you can really blame for this season's failures is Jeremy Bonderman's. Even writing this frustrates me! I could handle this team stinking if they were supposed to be bad. I have found out what true disappointment is this year though.

As a Tiger's fan the only thing you can hold on to, is next year. Miguel Cabrera in the second half has shown why he is one of the top players in baseball. Curtis Granderson and Justin Verlander have also shown glimpses of why they are also so highly regarded. But next year is next year, and I still have a month of watching this tragedy.

Gold Medal

Anyone who thought the USA Men's Basketball Team would roll over Spain in the gold medal game had a rude awakening this morning. Spain had been beaten by team USA by 37 points in an earlier meeting in these Olympics, however this time they had a few tricks for team USA. Juan Carlos Navarro, Rudy Fernandez, and Pau Gasol all gave brilliant performances, but they could not match the energy that Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade gave team USA in their thrilling 118-107 victory in the gold medal game. Wade dominated the 1st half leading the team with 27 points. Bryant made clutch shots in the 4th quarter to finish with 20 points.

The United States has earned their 1st gold medal since the 2000 Olympics. Sure that doesn't sound like a long span of time, but for a country who is known to dominate the game, team USA had something to prove. This morning team USA had problems with their defense, but foul trouble early led to some key reserves stepping up. Tayshaun Prince, Chris Paul, and Chris Bosh all played great. In all, the whole team stepped up when it mattered, bringing home the gold medal to the United States.

So should we start thinking about 2012? Current players like LeBron James, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, and Chris Bosh should all be asked back. Inserting the likes of Andre Iguodala, Kevin Durant, Kevin Martin, Josh Smith, Greg Oden, Rodney Stuckey, and Brandon Roy would keep this team as one of the best in the world. But the best is what we all want right? Other countries will continue to get better, and this tournament will be harder to win in 2012.