The Martin Mandate: Week 14

Note: I was unable to post the Week 13 Mandate due to some technical issues. For reference, it was St. Louis +8.5 over the Bears.

The revenge factor was front and center as the Mandate bounced back last week with a win. Looking at this week's slate, I am tempted to go with a game that I actually like. I could probably rationalize a revenge pick against the Bears again and take that Packers  -2.5, but that really isn't in the spirit of the Costanza Method. Instead, I will pick a team that can start Matt Moore at quarterback and not experience a big drop-off in talent across the board. Oh yes, this week's Martin Mandate is...

Carolina Panthers +13.5 over NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

The Patriots' struggles will continue as the Panthers come in and play them tough at home. Even with a playoff spot on the line, Brady and Belichick will come up short against the ferocious...

Wait, what the hell am I saying? This can't be right. I must look to my mentor for guidance. George, help me!

"Jerry, just remember, it's not a lie if you believe it."

Granderson Trade

I am distraught. The more I think about this trade, the better I feel about the player-for-player end of things. Coming out of this deal, the Tigers will control Max Scherzer and Phil Coke for 5 years each, and Austin Jackson and Daniel Schlereth for 6 years each. Curtis Granderson is 29. He has peaked. He is not going to get appreciably better than he is right now. In Yankee Stadium, he will be a 35-homer guy who hits .275 and struggles against lefties. He is a gold-glove caliber centerfielder and has good, but not great, base-stealing ability.  I liked Edwin Jackson, but I think I like Max Scherzer just as much. I need to think about this more, but right now, I am depressed that we are losing Curtis, but I feel good about the direction of the team moving forward.

The Martin Mandate: Week 12

I'm making the pick from the road this week, as I am back in Detroit for Thanksgiving. But if you need to get in touch with El Mandator, just wait for the beep...

"Believe it or not, George isn't at home. Please leave a message at the beep. I must be out, or I'd pick up the phone. Where could I be? Believe it or not, I'm not home!"

The obvious choice this week seems to be Cincinnati over Cleveland. The Bengals are coming back home angry after a terrible loss to the Raiders, Cleveland is coming off of a heartbreaking loss to the Lions. But this all makes too much sense. Instead, let's go with a team whose quarterback has proven time and time again that he is anything but dependable. That's right, this week's Martin Mandate is...

Chicago +10.5 over MINNESOTA

The Vikings have been steamrolling over weak competition for the last couple of weeks, but the Bears will provide a much tougher challenge. Jay Cutler will outperform Brett Farve and the Bears will make this a close one in Minnesota.

More on Matty

I just read Peter King's glowing review of Matthew Stafford's performance on Sunday and it has only deepened the admiration that I have for this kid. As reckless as it is for him to run back on to the field with a probably dislocated shoulder, it shows that he wants to be the leader of this team and will do anything and everything necessary to gain the trust and respect of his teammates. It is enormously disappointing to think that the whole country won't be able to see Matty lead the Lions on Thanksgiving Day, but for this team, it was worth it to get the win on Sunday.

Theeeeeeeeeeee Lions Win!

I know I might encounter some disagreement on this, but let me just confirm one fact before I get going. The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team. Yes, I know, sometimes it doesn't seem possible, but the Cleveland Browns are indeed made up of men who are paid large sums of money to play and coach football. Knowing this, let's move on.

Detroit Lions, I am very proud of you. Any team that doesn't fold up the tent after going down by 3 touchdowns in the first quarter has my respect. Any team that can come back form that deficit, nearly blow the game, and then come back again? That team has earned my admiration, regardless of who they played against.

We knew going into this year that the Lions did not have the talent to make the playoffs. In seasons like this, it's all about making progress. For Jim Schwartz, tt's about finding out what you have, installing your system, creating a culture that breeds winning, and putting down the stepping stones that will eventually lead to future success. That's what wins like this are. As a team, this kind of win builds trust between the players and the coaching staff. On an individual level, the amount of confidence that a rookie quarterback like Matthew Stafford can draw from a comeback like this is immeasurable. Sure, Stafford made mistakes, throwing back-breaking interceptions in the first and fourth quarters and taking a sack in his own end zone, but his 5 touchdowns (thrown to 5 different receivers) demonstrated the full suite of throws in his arsenal. In no particular order, Matty tossed TDs on a screen pass, a play-action rollout, a 75-yard bomb, and a check-down before squeezing a bullet between two defenders for the game-winner.

Not to focus completely on Stafford, but this win further cements what I talked about in my last post about the Lions' quarterback. Aside for all the obvious physical gifts, it is becoming more and more apparent that Matty has the mental makeup to be a successful NFL quarterback. For the first time in my life (I'm 24), I have some measure of confidence in the quarterback of the Detroit Lions.

Now, let's keep this in perspective. Do the Browns suck? Of course they do. Is this a feather-in-the-cap win for Jim Schwartz anyway? Fuck yeah it is.

The Martin Mandate: Week 11

Week 10 was again a success for the Martin Mandate, but I must remain humble. As Mr. Costanza says,

"I'm against all "it's me"s. So self-absorbed and egotistical. It's like these hip musicians with their complicated shoes!"

With that in mind, on to the Week 11 pick. The most obvious choice seems to be the red-hot Bengals -9.5 over the hapless Raiders. As much as I would like to go against a team that is starting Bruce Gradkowski at quarterback, I can't go with my gut. Instead, this week's Mandate will be a team going on the road, without its best player, against a division-leading rival facing a must-win game.

This week's Martin Mandate is...

Washington +10.5 over DALLAS

In the absence of Clinton Portis, backup running backs Ladell Betts and Rock Cartwright will get the ground game going and the Redskins will keep it close against the Cowboys. Also, as noted in this blog before, Tony Romo is an average quarterback, and should make enough mistakes to keep the Cowboys from running away and hiding in this one.

"You're Just Jimmy's Type..."

Chris Osgood's bout with the flu is the best thing that ever happened to Jimmy Howard. Along every step of his development, Howard has never been under real pressure to live up to expectations. Whenever he faltered, there was always a safety net of supporters telling him that he was still young, still developing, and that everything would eventually work itself out. Up to this point, Howard has been allowed to develop his game at the lower levels, far away from the toughest job in Detroit, the starting goaltender for the Red Wings.

We all knew Jimmy Howard. He was that guy that everybody said was supposed to be the next great Wings goalie. He was like Dick Clark, he never seemed to age. I swear the kid has been 23 years old since 2004. He was the perpetual light at the end of the tunnel for any Hasek-hater or Ozzie-basher. Howard was widely known as a can't-miss superprospect, but nobody ever seemed to raise the most obvious of questions: "If he's so great, why the hell is he still playing in Grand Rapids?"

In the salary cap era of the NHL, that question has been answered. Teams like the Red Wings don't have the luxury of paying a veteran backup $1-3 million a year to keep the seat warm for a developing youngster. More than ever, young NHL players are being thrown right into the fire because their teams can't find a financial reason to explain why the kid they just paid $15 million should be wasting his skills in Sault Ste. Marie.

Now, Jimmy Howard is no longer a prospect. He is 25 years old. He has plenty of minor league experience. Ozzie is out, it's Jimmy's job for now. It's time for Howard to show us something, and he has. Statistically, Howard has been more than solid in the last few games, but I wasn't 100% convinced until I watched him last night. He was terrific. The Wings allowed far too many odd man rushes (I won't even get started on that), but Howard bailed out his defense on multiple occasions. One of the goals was complete luck, and another was a seeing-eye shot from the point that Howard never saw. Aside from that, he could have stopped the 3rd period goal, but it was by no means soft. All in all, Howard has played well and, aside from last night, the Wings have been winning. Let's not go assigning nicknames or anything, but it's safe to say that the early returns on Jimmy Howard are looking good.

Quick note: How ironic is it that Howard's birthday is March 26, the same day of my greatest Red Wings memory, the 6-5 overtime beatdown (literally) of the Colorado Avalanche that spurred the Wings on to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships? Weird...

I Love NHL on the Fly

Recently, I have begun a nightly habit of falling asleep to NHL on the Fly, the NHL Network's answer to SportsCenter. To be fair, the show has nowhere near the in-depth analysis, witty banter, production value, or "Scott Van Peltiness" of SportsCenter, but NHL on the Fly does have one thing that has drawn me to it over the Worldwide Leader. Rather than showing a condensed, 30-45 second highlight with studio announcers voicing over the action, NHL Network dedicates 2-3 minutes to each game and shows cuts of the most important plays (not just the goals), leaving in the original announcer voice-overs. After the all of the game action has played out, they kick it back to the studio for analysis from Canadian dudes with mullets (Brian Engblom, et. al.). Seeing highlights in this format, you really get a sense for the flow of the game as a whole. It's a whole new perspective. If I may combine two of my greatest loves, sports and bar food: When you have all become used to digesting your sports in the form of small plates at the SportsCenter tapas bar, the hearty meals at the NHL on the Fly gastropub are a welcome respite.

Red Wings v. Stars, 6:30PM Tonight on NHL Network!

Call your local cable/satellite operator and tell them "I want NHL Network!"

I Really Like Matthew Stafford

Let's put all of the cards out on the table; the Lions are not a very talented football team and it was plainly on display during Monday's beatdown at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings. The front seven couldn't tackle, the secondary couldn't cover, the o-line couldn't block, and the receivers couldn't catch. It was a well-rounded, horrible team performance. Except for one bright spot.

Matthew Stafford is one tough dude.

He is a gutsy leader who shows command of his team. He has a cannon for an arm and knows it, but for the most part, does not force throws have no chance to succeed. He seems to have a good grasp of the offense and the full support of the team and coaching staff. In the face of all of the hits he's taken this year, he plays the position with tremendous confidence and not an ounce of fear. And even more than everything that he does, the thing I like most about Matthew Stafford is what he doesn't do. He has absolutely no sense of entitlement, something that has become all too common with top draft picks. Stafford knows that as the quarterback, he needs to be the leader of his offense, but at the same time, he recognizes his status as a rookie. Yesterday, when Calvin Johnson dropped a pass that would have resulted in a big gain at a key point in the game, Stafford didn't yell and scream at him, he patted Megatron on the back and they calmly discussed the play on their way back to the huddle.

After about half of a season, it has become patently clear that Matthew Stafford is everything that the Lions' last rookie quarterback, Joey "Blue Skies" Harrington, wasn't. Matty has all of the physical tools and seems to have his head on straight as well. The Lions still have serious concerns on the offensive and defensive lines, but for the first time in a long time, they seem to be headed in the right direction at quarterback.

A Fair Trial for Belichick

I have absolutely no problem with Bill Belichick's decision to go for it on 4th and 2 from his own 28-yard line against the Colts last night. The Pats defense was clearly not going to stop Peyton Manning, and if New England had converted that first down, the game would have essentially been over. But this is not what I want to talk about in this post.

I am elated that Belichick went for it and failed. This has nothing to do with my team allegiances; I very much respect and admire Bill Belichick and I have no ill will toward either the Patriots or the Colts. I am elated because the situation allows for this call to be evaluated without bias.

The fact that this call was made by a coach with tremendous prestige, who has won enough to be given the benefit of the doubt in nearly every situation, allows each member of the media to fairly evaluate the decision, rather than just reacting to the outcome. The fact that he failed means that media members can logically fall on both sides of the argument. Had it succeed, I guarantee that everyone would be praising the call as another Belichickian stroke of genius. As it is, this is a rare situation where a neutral observer can fairly develop an opinion on the merits of the coach's decision, not the result.

Too often coaches are judged on the outcome of their decisions, which as Tom Brady reminded us, is out of their control, rather that the quality of the decision itself. Although it is unfortunate that such an unlikely confluence of circumstances was required for this to happen, it is refreshing to see a coach ripped/praised for something that was actually under his control.

Root, Root, Root, Against the Home Team?

I am conflicted. After seeing the terrific display of ineptitude last Saturday in South Bend, I don't know what to think about my beloved Fighting Irish. On the one hand, I always want to see Notre Dame succeed, and I am always going to be disappointed if they don't, but on the other hand, it was become quite clear to me that this team is not going anywhere under Charlie Weis, and I don't want a couple of meaningless (in the grand scheme of things) wins to muddle the situation. This brings up a larger question: Is it ever acceptable to root against your favorite team?

On the positive side, you can never be sure about what the future holds, and a true fan would never hope for his team to fail. You continue to root on your boys every game and trust that everything will work itself out in the end. On the opposite end, there is The Old Yeller Theory. You are still hoping for the best for you team, but you realize that wins in the present might hinder the change necessary for long-term success, which generally comes in the form of a coaching/administration change. So you take Old Yeller out behind the woodshed and put him out of his misery, which in this case means hoping for you team to lose. Both sides certainly pose strong arguments. This is a toughy...

As angry and disappointed as I am with Charlie Weis right now, I cannot bring myself to root against Notre Dame. I wish that Weis could just be fired now, but that simply isn't an option. All of the coaches that Notre Dame would consider are under contract at another school (Yes, I am aware that this rules out Jon Gruden), and promoting an interim coach from within would only complicate the situation further. ND Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick is a smart guy, and I have to trust that he saw exactly what I saw against Navy, a team that got outcoached and a coach that knew it. The most frightening thing is that instead of admitting his own failures, Weis preached "accountability" while throwing his team under the bus. Irony anyone? Charlie Weis has become so blinded by ego that he is no longer fit to run this team. So tonight when the Irish take the field against Pittsburgh, I will play Iago to Charlie Weis' Othello, hoping for success while ultimately plotting his demise...

The Martin Mandate: Week 10

As a counter to my buddy Jordan's "Levinson Lock o' the Week", I debuted the Martin Mandate, my NFL pick each week, earlier this year. So far, I have taken it on the chin, going a robust 2-5 over the last 7 weeks. But, in Week 9, I discovered the secret. The Constaza Method.

Based on the Seinfeld episode in which George gets a smoking hot girlfriend and a job with the Yankees by doing the opposite of every one of his instincts, the NFL version of The Constanza Method dictates that I eschew what seems to be an obvious choice for the game of the week and instead pick a team that, on the surface, has no chance to cover. This team need not be an underdog, just a pick that seems intuitively wrong.

Last week's debut of The Constanza Method was a success, with the Texans covering on the road against Peyton Manning and the undefeated Colts.

"I was free and clear. I was living the dream. I was stripped to the waist eating a block of cheese the size of a car battery."
- George Costanza

That was me on Sunday (except for the nakedness and giant piece of cheese) as I celebrated The Costanza Method's initial triumph. Needless to say, I have already purchased a hefty brick of asiago in anticipation of this week's matchups.

My initial thought was to take New Orleans on the road, giving 2 touchdowns at St.Louis. This one seems like a layup, but it can't be that easy. The Costanza Method dictates that I choose a team with a far more difficult road to victory. How about a team that won only 4 games last season going to for a sweep of the Super Bowl Champions on the road?

The Martin Mandate for Week 10 is...

Cincinnati +7 over PITTSBURGH

Chad Ochocinco, Cedric Benson and the rest of the Bengals will roll into Heinz field and stomp the Steelers (or at least lose in a close one) in a clash of 6-2 divisional rivals.

Please Keep Curtis

I am very worried. Scratch that, I am downright depressed. If the Tigers trade Curtis Granderson, I don't know what I'm going to do. Just reading about the possibility today, it got a bit dusty in my cube at work...

I understand that financial implications, I really do, but I just can't fathom how you can trade a guy who has made a connection to a community that craves interaction with its sports stars. It has been such a long time since Detroit had an elite player (truthfully, that might be a slight overstatement for Grandy) that actually had the desire to be in the public spotlight. Nothing against Barry Sanders or Steve Yzerman, but the last two great athletes that played in Detroit tended to shy away from the public eye. Granderson provides the Tigers with a unique opportunity to build a relationship with the city on a whole new level. Anybody who saw a game at Comerica Park this summer can vouch, there was a special connection between the team and its fans, and much of that is built because of Granderson's role and the face and voice of the organization. There is not a better ambassador for baseball playing in MLB today, and it would be a terrible shame for the Tigers to lose that. For baseball reasons, I don't want to see the Tigers trade away any of their promising young players, Jackson, Verlander, et. al., but losing Granderson would be an even more crippling hit to the PR side of things, something that is of paramount importance for a team battling for its chunk of Detroit's waning disposable income.

Most importantly, it would spell the end for "The Rio Granderson", the only fantasy baseball team name that I have ever known.

AL Gold Gloves

Mark it down, at 3:13 PM Central Standard Time on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009, I have officially given up on the Gold Glove. It has now joined the Grammys, Emmys, and every other non-Oscars entertainment award in the "Promise Ring Memorial Home for Irrelevant Awards". It's shiny and it's a nice gesture, but when that hot girl across the party winks at you, that ring doesn't mean shit. After hearing the AL winners today, that's how I feel about the Gold Glove. Derek Jeter won? Seriously? The guy plays three steps on to the outfield grass, and still has no chance on anything in the hole. He is bailed out by having a former shortstop with fantastic range at third, and a tremendous defensive first baseman across the diamond. Jeter's defense is the equivalent of Adrian Grenier's acting in Entourage; he sucks, but you don't notice how crappy he is because of the talent surrounding him.

Ok, I'm getting too riled up. I should lay off Jeter, he did have a very good all-around year and I really shouldn't be surprised that his defense continues to be overrated. That rant was probably a bit uncalled for, and I apologize to any Jeter-lovers out there (especially you, Lyla Garrity). The real reason that I am bringing this up is that multiple Tigers were wronged here.

First off, just to show that there is no homerism in this post, I will admit that Placido Polanco probably stole one. His defense was solid this year, but he was not the best second baseman in the league. Polanco is exceptionally steady, and makes all of the plays that he is supposed to make, but at this point in his career, he doesn't make enough spectacular defensive plays to warrant the Gold Glove. I'm glad that he was recognized, but this award is a bit questionable.

Homer time: Curtis Granderson and Gerald Laird got screwed! Granderson has more ground to cover than any centerfielder in the AL and in addition, is almost always flanked by at least one crappy corner outfielder that needs a bit of extra help. Watching other centerfielders struggle with the wide expanses of Comerica Park's outfield is a daily reminder of how important Granderson is to the Tigers' defense. There is no way that Torii Hunter is a better defensive outfielder at this point in his career. Laird's gripe is even more warranted. What more could he have done? He completely shut down the running game, throwing out well over 40% of opposing base-stealers, he was a rock behind the plate, routinely blocking errant balls in the dirt, and he brilliantly handled a very young pitching staff, coaxing double-digit wins out of both Edwin Jackson and Rick Porcello. The fact that his average didn't top .250 for the season has no bearing on his defense. The Gold Glove award is a DEFENSIVE award, although the fact that it went to AL batting champ Joe Mauer seems to indicate otherwise...

Ok, for real this time

Shit, I need to write more often...

I realize that at this point I am making promises to a nonexistent audience, but I promise that I am going to pick this back up again and write shorter, more frequent posts. I really like writing this blog, I just feel the need to perfect everything that I write, it ends up taking forever, and I never have time to do it. It's a vicious cycle. Anyway, a few quick thoughts today on the Aubrey Huff acquisition:

1. Love it. Get a guy who can really help the team for just the cost of a low-level prospect and $1.5 million.
2. I read Drew Sharp's column today and I am horribly disappointed. I understand, and frankly agree with, the sentiment, but nobody has ever gotten ahead by pissing off the baseball player's union. What future free agent is going to want to sign with the Tigers if we screw Mags out of 18 million bucks this year? Of course it sucks that we have to overpay him in his twilight years, but I still maintain that it was a great contract. Had he gotten hurt, the Tigers would have been completely off the hook. He ended up not getting hurt and giving the Tigers 3 fantastic years, including a trip to the World Series. I would say that's worth overpaying a bit on the back end.
3. I think the Tigers will win the division this year, and with the pitching staff that we have, we can certainly make some noise in the playoffs, but for the future, the gaping hole in left field must be filled (preferably with a left-handed power bat). Marcus Thames has proven that he is not an everyday player and the Tigers need to accept it. Whether it's Clete Thomas or someone from outside the organization, the Tigers need somebody new to man left field.

Here's where we stop, for now...

I am going to punch Rick Sutcliffe in the mouth

Usually, I look forward to watching Tiger games on ESPN. It's interesting to see the takes the likes of Johnny Miller and Steve Phillips have on what the Tigers are doing. Today, I have learned that unless he is drunk (if anybody hasn't seen it, here it is), Rick Sutcliffe's take is not very interesting. In fact, he is making me wish the the migraine I had this afternoon would come back. Early in the game, Sutcliffe began praising Jason Varitek's handling of a pitching staff. No issues here. Then he talked about how Varitek has caught 4 no-hitters, which would have been fine, until he insinuated that Varitek deserves a bit too much credit for those gems. At this point, I'm a bit miffed, but it hasn't ruined my game experience yet. Then, that bastard crossed the line. Talking over footage of Varitek holding ARod back from attacking Bronson Arroyo a few years back, Sutcliffe, and I am not exaggerating this at all, gave Varitek credit for keeping the Yankees from winning a World Series since 2000. If I may borrow a line from another Red Sox lover, Seth Meyers...REALLY? At this point, I'm pretty sure that if Josh Beckett finishes the no-hitter that he is currently working on, Sutcliffe will jump down from the booth a make out with Jason Varitek. I will now give myself credit for successfully jinxing Beckett's no-no. Go ahead CJ! Anyway, I am periously close to driving to Detroit, ripping off Rick Sutcliffe's stupid mullet, and choking him with it. Come on back migraine....

The Kronwall Call

I have to agree with Gerard here. That call was pure bullshit. Just because a player gets hurt does not make the hit illegal or dirty. My pee-wee coaches always told me if you put your head down, you're going to get hurt, and they were right. Watch the tape - the puck was in his skates, Kronwall hit him with his shoulder, and he didn't leave his feet (his feet did come up, but that was a result of the collision). The hit was textbook. If I was coaching defensemen now, I would have them watch the tape of Kronwall's check.

What really upset me was how the none of the refs had their hands up, and the penalty was called waayy after the play took place (also, nothing happened to the guy who cross checked Kronwall on top of Havlat). That shows me that it was a he got hurt call. I could understand a late charging call just to calm the situation down, but an after the fact 5 minute major and game misconduct is ridiculous. If you're going to play in the NHL and skate with your head down, you're going to get your clock cleaned, its as simple as that. If you don't like it, watch tennis.

PS) I do hope Martin Havlat recovers from his injury. I never like to see a player get hurt.

Terrible Officiating

I was at the game last night, I saw the hit in person. I saw it on SportsCenter when I got home. I saw it 15 times in the last 5 minutes on YouTube. I have seen Nicklas Kronwall knock Martin Havlat's head off many many times, but my opinion of it hasn't changed since I saw it in real time. It is one of the worst calls I have ever seen, in any sporting event, ever.

If the officials had called charging, that's fine. Kronwall did leave his feet a bit. Maybe his elbow came up? Fine, call elbowing. Shit, call roughing if you want, but don't insult the intelligence of everybody watching the game by calling interference when the puck was right between Havlat's skates. The ref might as well have gotten on the PA and said "Marty Havlat is out cold and we feel bad for him...5 minute major!" If that hit had occurred in Detroit, rather than in front of 22,000 whining Blackhawk fans, there is no way that Kronwall gets 5 minutes. The NHL should be embarrassed.

I never want to see anybody get hurt, and I hope that Havlat makes a full recovery, but you can't call penalties based on the aftermath. It was a clean hit, regardless of whether Havlat had gets up and skates away, or if he's carried off the ice on a backboard. A clean hit is a clean hit. You can't reward a team because one of their players doesn't have the sense to keep his head up. If you skate around looking down at the puck, somebody is going to knock you out, that's hockey. On the flip side, you shouldn't penalize a team beacuse one of their opponents got hurt. This isn't Little League, it's the National fucking Hockey League. Grow some balls refs, and call the game fairly.

NHL On TV

One of the perks of working at the Anchor Bar is I get to watch the Wings games while I restock the beer coolers. A second perk is that I don't have to listen to the morons that call the game for NBC and Versus.

I know I've bashed them before, but I'm going to bash them again. Doc Emrick - his annoying growls drive me up the wall. Brian Engbloom - a poor man's Barry Melrose with a really stupid looking haircut. Keith Jones - always sits sideways and gives utterly useless commentary. One time I was watching the Wings on Versus and the announcer (not Doc Emrick, evidently there is a B crew underneath him) commented after one of Pavel's slick moves that "Pavel Datsyuk must have graduated valedictorian of Awesome School." He seriously said that, and I wanted to throw my Labatt Blue at the TV.

Of all the bad news you read about the Motor City these days, the silver lining is I get to watch hockey on CBC's broadcast. On CBC, I get the Racicot Chrysler and Windsor Lighting boutique commercials. On CBC the announcers don't try to get me fired up with their voice - they let the game do that. Lastly, on CBC I get to watch Ron McLean, who is my favorite (or should I say favourite) in studio sportscaster. Not only does he keep Don Cherry in check, he asks good questions and he provides good analysis himself. His interview of Gary Bettman a few years back just showed what kind of guy he is. He didn't back down from Bettman - he asked tough questions and tougher followups. But he also asked them in a colegial and measured manner, not raising his voice like a cable news anchor would. Also, if you're watching the CBC broadcast, notice how the in studio analysts talk to each other as opposed to the camera. I think the more conversational tone of Kelly Hrudy and Ron McLean talking two each other makes for better TV than Keith Jones reading off of a teleprompter.

Overall, I'm happy with the Wings play this series. Ozzie has played well, and the Wings D has looked sharp. I still want Datsyuk, Hank, and Marian to get it going, but I'm happy that players like Sammualson, Cleary, and Hudler have stepped up. Hopefully the big guys get it going sooner than later.

Wings and Kitties

Wings won game 7, so I still have my job at the Anchor for another series. Also, gotta talk a bit about my Motor City Kitties. Without further adieu, here it goes.

First - glad to see the Wings win game 7, and more importantly glad to see the game winner goal was a garbage goal by Dan Cleary. It wasn't even a rebound, he more so just pushed Hiller's pad into the puck. Who cares though. As any coach says, good things happen if you throw the puck on net and crash the crease, and that's how the Wings got that goal. I would like to see more of this and I would like to see Pavel and Hank show up in the upcoming series.

Second - I really like Darren Helm. Every shift he makes a good play. Its not always a goal. Sometimes its a big check, a takeaway in the neutral zone, or a strong forecheck where he gets the puck back. Either way, the man is scoring a bit now and I couldn't be happier for anyone else on the team. His goal in game 7 showed on grand display his speed, which will be his greatest asset as his career blossoms as a Wing. Weird and depressing to know that he's two years younger than me.

Third - so we're playing the Hawks. Finally we have a good old fashioned Original 6 match up. And as much as I hate the Hawks, I'm glad to see their relevant again. Getting liqueured up at Marge's over the Preds and Blue Jackets just wasn't the same. Either way, I'm happy that I can hate the Hawks again without feeling guilty about how shitily run an organization (say it in Canadian: Org inn I zaa shun) they are. Fuck Chicago and fuck the Hawks. Fuck Eddie the Eagle, fuck Steve Larmer, fuck Chicago style dogs(not as good as Coneys), fuck Old Style (never as good as Stroh's), fuck Fall Out Boy (from Chicago), but don't fuck Chris Chelios. Never thought I'd ever say such nice things about Chelios.

Quick hits - in regards to the Tigers, it appears Dombrowski is back to his old tricks. He is getting undervalued players for nothing, and watching them blossom into stars. Edwin Jackson appears to be the heist of the century so far. I realize he loaded the Tigers up with some big contracts that weren't worth the paper they were signed on (Sheff, Dontrelle, Big League Nate), but he knows how to spot talent in the lower levels, and the Tigers have a good one in Edwin Jackson.

The Jumpshooting Hockey Team

Here comes a game seven folks, and I must admit I am a little nervous. Afterall, my job as a bartender at Detroit's Anchor Bar kindof depends on the Wings. Here are my thoughts on the last game and the game 7 coming up.

First - A lot of complaints in regards to the officiating this series have been voiced on Valenti and Foster. Certainly there were some missed calls, and the officiating could be more consistent. I was not thrilled with a lot of calls and more importantly a lot of non calls. However, in regards to the game last night, I don't think the officiating really cost the Wings the game.

Second - Last night, one team clearly wanted it more than the other. Once team clearly had more jump in their step. Once team clearly beared (did I spell that right?) down and won the little battles. And that team was the Ducks. The Wings looked sluggish, tired, and listless. Their passes were not crisp, and their shots missed the net. I don't know if it was laziness, arrogance, or if it just was one of those nights, but they sure did not look good. Most troubling to me was how little they crashed the net. Once again, they peppered Hiller with shots, but they were easy shots to stop. Instead if creating traffic, blocking his vision, and getting garbage goals, they're shooting the hockey equivelant of jump shots. Just like how if you don't get to the line in basketball you're not going to get far, the same goes with hockey.

Third - the Wings two homegrown horses have got to pick it up. Hank and Pavel have been noticebly quiet this series, and that has to change. I know the Mule has played great, but theres a reason your big guns are your big guns. For Stanley to to come back to Detroit this year, our two best players must start playing like they're our best players. The Defense is handling its business. Two goals is not an insurmountable amount, but you can't win if you start scoring and getting pressure on with 5 minutes left in the third period. I think the first period of game 7 will be key to deciding which Red Wings team shows up, and who advances to the next round.

Quick Hits - Just watched Curtis Granderson hit a triple then induce Twins pitcher Jesse Crain into a BALK. Curtis Granderslam (I think that should be his nickname, its punchy and is a good play on words) is my Tiger, and has come through in the clutch twice the past couple weeks. While I was in a really good mood after seeing that, I had to watch one of those stupid Lady Janes commercials right afterwards. Not wicked awesome at all.

Great series for the Tigers

I cannot imagine watching a more confidence-inspiring series than the one that the Tigers just played in Cleveland.

Think, in general terms, about what happened this weekend. The starters allowed 1 run in three games (20 innings). The ace of the staff pitched a 2-hit, 11-strikeout, complete game shutout. The bullpen was solid, except for a hiccup from the closer, who was pitching in a non-save situation on back-to-back days. The offense was far from spectacular, but provided timely hits and just enough run support. The prospective gold-glove centerfielder was outstanding, especially with an otherworldly, game-saving catch. Throw in that the series was on the road, against a division rival, and there really isn't much more that you can expect from a baseball team hoping to compete for a playoff spot.

I feel great about the Tigers. The pitching and defense are leaps and bounds ahead of last year and although the offense has struggled, the fact that the Tigers can win in spite of it just give me more confidence. The leaders (Verlander, Cabrera, Granderson) are out front, and this team is coming together.

I'm Back and the Wings are too

Sorry it's been so long everybody (and by everybody I mean the four people that might actually read this). You can attribute my long break from writing to forgetfulness and laziness. From now on I'm going to try to keep my posts shorter, as opposed to writing the 6 page anti-Bettman manifestos that make up my previous work.

First - gotta talk about the no goal call. I was so mad I couldn't sleep for hours, but after some thought and watching the replay in the morning, I'm not as upset. The ref was in the right position, and made the right call to blow it dead. What really burns a hole in my pantyhose is that the call was not reviewable. The other on ice official should be able to overrule such a call if he had a better angle, and all those cameras should have been put to use in Toronto. I still think hockey is the most difficult game to officiate, so much respect to the refs. However they're human, they make mistakes, and they should be able to review goal calls like this (for the love of God though, do not use replay for penalties and other stuff, just goals.)

Second - glad to see the Wings finally show up and start playing hockey again for three periods. I saw glimmers of hope in that third period in game three, but for the first time the Winged Wheelers had their foot on the gas the whole game. They finished their checks, set the tone for the game, and more importantly they crashed the net. During the past couple games, the Wings turned into the hockey equivalent of a jumpshooting basketball team. Sure they got a bunch of shots on Hiller, but they were weak and easy for him to see.

Third - really happy to have Marian Hossa going now. You could see the "about time" look of relief on his face while he celebrated his first goal. In Rod Allen terms, he had been scuffeling all series, and maybe was starting to press a bit. It's good that he got the scoreless in this series monkey off his back, and I hope Datsyuk with his eyes by Dr. Rahmani gets it going soon too.

Quick Hits - So most of the actors from the Mighty Ducks have not gone on to win Oscars, but you still see them around. The Captain Charlie Conway, played by Joshua Jackson, has gone on to play Pacy in Dawsons Creek and now has a part on Fringe. Jesse Hall, played by Brandon Quintin Adams, also appeared in one of the greatest baseball movies ever, The Sandlot (he's the pitcher that throws the heater.) You even see Goldberg in that Castrol commercial where he orders fries and a shit ton of oil falls on his car. However, the imdb connection that stunned me was realizing that my beloved Connie Moreau, played by Marguerite Moreau, grew up to play the call girl Vicky in Mad Men (Season 2, ep. 4, Three Sundays.) Connie got hot.

Baxter signs Foote

The Lions have officially signed linebacker Larry Foote to a 1-year contract. Not exactly an earth-shattering move, but this is the kind of signing that can the lift sloppy drunkard that is the Detroit Lions up off the barroom floor and drag them slowly toward the front door of respectability.

Signings like Larry Foote are what take teams from last place to the playoffs. Obviously, I'm not saying that the Lions are going to make the playoffs this season, but I am saying that veterans like Foote are invaluable to the development of players like Ernie Sims, Jordan Dizon, and Louis Delmas. Rebuilding teams can't be made up completely of "unready" young players, nor can they be made up of only "past-ready" players. In order to rebuild, you need to stock the pantries with young talent and then supplement that with guys who can keep the seats warm until the young guys are ready to take over. Foote isn't going to be a great middle linebacker for the Lions, but he will be good enough to force younger players to the bench, and ultimately aid in their development. Although this one kind of fell into his lap, I've got to give Martin Mayhew credit for yet another surprisingly smart move.

Once again, good boy Baxter.

Since when is Ed Hochuli reffing NHL playoff games?

The NHL needs to do something about quick whistles. For the most part, they are harmless, but when they start costing teams playoff games, something has to be done. In last night's Red Wings/Ducks game, it should have been as simple as going to the replay, which clearly showed that the puck was still loose when the whistle was blown, and then giving Marian Hossa his goal and sending the game into overtime. Watching the replay, it wasn't a situation where play stopped right at the whistle and Hossa scored because everyone else had stopped playing. Everyone on the ice except the men in black and white saw that the puck was still alive and kept on playing.

This error is frighteningly Hochuli-esque. In fact, it's exactly the same issue. The referee made an incorrect call and blew the whistle too early, screwing one team out of a game-altering play. So why can't the NHL just fix this the same way the NFL has? Instruct referees to wait on the whistle until they are absolutely sure that they play is dead. If a goal is scored and there's a question that the puck may have been covered, go to the replay. Like I said before, when a bad rule starts costing teams playoff games, it needs to be fixed. As much as I hate to rely on Gary Bettman for anything (I wouldn't trust that moron to deliver a fucking pizza to my house), it's on him to fix this problem. We're screwed.

The Cure for Rabies

In the past, I have always been a fan of Ryan Raburn, but unfortunately, my man-love for Rabies burns no longer. He needs to go back to Toledo. Now.

Raburn doesn't have much talent in terms of raw power, speed, or athleticism, but he was useful in the past because although he didn't bring a whole lot to the table, he never took anything off of it. Quick aside, Rod Allen just quoted MC Hammer, I feel that it is necessary to point this out. Anyway, Raburn is now removing items from the table faster than Wojo (I miss WDFN...) at an all-you-can-eat buffet. He isn't hitting, which would be acceptable if he was providing his usual steady defense in the infield and outfield, but he has been nothing short of atrocious this season on the defensive side of the ball. He has cost the Tigers at least one game so far by simply dropping routine fly balls and in a division that will almost certainly come down to a few games in October, you can't afford to give away games in April. Raburn used to be valuable because of his ability to play in the infield and the outfield, but with Gary Sheffield gone, the Tigers have room to keep both a strong defensive outfielder, Josh Anderson, and a strong defensive infielder, Ramon Santiago, on their bench, which significantly cuts down the value of Raburn's versatility. With his defensive usefullness accounted for by other players (who are both outhitting him by the way), Raburn must earn his keep with his bat. Excuse me for impugning somebody's job performance in this tough economy, but 1/11 with 4 strikeouts is just not going to get it done.

This whole discussion might seem like a moot point, because Marcus Thames will eventually take this spot back when he recovers from his injury, but with so many divisional games coming up in the next couple of weeks, it is absolutely paramount that the Tigers send their best 25 on to the field every night. Until Thames gets healthy, wouldn't Jeff Larish be a hell of a lot more useful for the Tigers? Assuming that he can at least equal the job that Raburn has done defensively, which at this point I think could be handled by a drunk chimpanzee, Larish provides left-handed power off the the Tigers' bench, something that the Tigers really lack with their current team. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see Rabies succeed, but that this point, he looks like the definition of a 4A player and somebody who is not capable of helping a big league club.

Wait, that Vinny Del Negro?

Wow. Yes, this blog is devoted mostly to opinions on the sports endeavors of Motown, but today, I feel compelled to make an exception, because that Bulls-Celtics game last night was fucking ridiculous.

Of course, we must first give credit to the players on both sides for this great series. Ben Gordon, Ray Allen, Derrick Rose, and Rajon Rondo have been nothing short of transcendent. But really, we need to give credit for last night's game to one man: Vincent Joseph Del Negro. Yes, that's right, the man who brought Uncle Jessie-style haircuts to the NBA. If anybody but Vinny Del Negro is coaching this Bulls team, this series probably never makes it to Game 6 and Game 6 damn sure never makes it to triple overtime. Derrick Rose could get to the hole whenever he wanted, and for some reason, throughout the series, especially during the overtimes last night, Del Negro refuses to realize that the Celtics cannot stop Rose from beating his man off the dribble and scoring or creating for a teammate. In the first half, the Bulls took the lead because Rose was slicing the Celtics defense to ribbons, scoring and distributing at will. This seemed to work for the Bulls, but for some reason, as the game wore on, Rose ceased to be the focal point of the offense. At first, this made sense, Ben Gordon is the best clutch scorer on the team, of course he should be getting the majority of the offensive touches in crunch time. But then Gordon fouled out. One would think that this would cue the arrival of Rose as the go-to offensive player, but alas, Mr. Del Negro thought that John Salmons (who actually had a really nice game), Brad Miller (ugliest man in the NBA?), and Kirk Hinrich were all better options. How can someone who sees Derrick Rose play ON A DAILY BASIS not realize that there is nobody on the Celtics that can guard him! Eventually, Rose just took it upon himself to ensure victory for Chicago, with his Stretch Armstrong-esque block of Rondo on the Celtics second-to-last possession.

All in all, as much as Vinny has driven me crazy, he has ensured that this series is going to a Game 7 and he was invaluable comedic tool in NBA Jam. You will always have a place in my heart...

Who the fuck is Jonas Hiller?

The Wings and Ducks will begin their Western Conference Semifinal on Friday and as I look over the lineups for both teams, I am left wondering only one thing: Who the fuck is Jonas Hiller? What happened to the days of Mighty Ducks (yes, they were still mighty back then) goaltenders with goofy French-Canadian names? Where are Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Guy Hebert? Seriously though, outside of this Hiller fella, these Ducks look all too familiar. The Niedermayers and their magnificent playoff beards, Getzlaf, Perry, Pronger, and the ageless Teemu Selanne headline for the Ducks, just as the did a few years ago, when the Ducks knocked the Red Wings out of the playoffs. They are feeling great, coming off an upset of the Joe Thornton (hockey's answer to Arod) and playing a team that they have beaten in the past. One might think that these Ducks would be primed to make this upset...

That said, the Ducks are not going to be able to push the Red Wings around like they did the Sharks. The Wings have always been widely considered a finesse team, and they certainly don't drop the gloves as often as some other squads, but that doesn't mean that they aren't tough. Most of the time, the Wings choose not to throw their weight around, because they don't have to. The Wings are the most skilled team in the league and smartly, they play to their strength. But do not confuse skill and speed with a lack of toughness. There is no team with more playoff experience than this Red Wings team, and consequently, no team with more collective mental (and testicular, for that matter) fortitude. This makes me think that this series might be shorter than the experts think. The Red Wings are clearly the more talented team, they know it, and they will act accordingly. There are absolutely no distractions. The Wings are in the familiar role of Stanley Cup favorite, there is no other juggernaut left in the Western Conference, so there is nothing for the Wings to look ahead to, and although the Wings and Ducks have played in the playoffs before, there really isn't much of a rivalry factor in this series.

Although these two organizations (please use the Canadian pronunciation) have battled in the playoffs in the past, the animosity isn't exactly bubbling over. This isn't Wings/Avs in the late 90's. The Ducks have no Claude Lemieux or Patrick Roy to serve as a target for the ire and octopi of Red Wing fans. The Wings/Ducks conflict is simply familiarity, with a light dusting of dislike. Early on, the Ducks will try to escalate the rivalry and turn this series into cage fight, because they know it's the only way they can win. A lesser team might get sucked into a fist fight, but Mike Babcock will not allow his Red Wings to lose their focus. After a tough Game 1, the Wings will establish themselves as the superior team and take control. I see this series turning out just like the '97 Conference Semifinal between the Wings and the then-Mighty Ducks. The Ducks forced three of the four games into overtime, but were still swept. I don't see a sweep coming in this series, but I think Detroit takes out Anaheim in a hard-fought 5 games.

Bring on the Blackhawks.

On second thought...

Think about this possible trade:

Team A gives up a 24-year old outfielder who has 20+ homer power, but hasn't yet proven he can hit consistently against big league pitching.

Team B gives up a 25-year old starting pitcher who has high-90's heat with a power breaking ball and won 14 games in the toughest division in the baseball the year before.

Wouldn't this trade be a no-brainer win for Team A?

If you haven't noticed by now, the above hypothetical is the Matt Joyce for Edwin Jackson trade that Dave Dombrowski and the Tigers pulled off this winter. My first reaction to this trade was to mourn the loss of Joyce (and the arrival of Carlos Guillen to leftfield), but I don't think I ever put the acquisition of Jackson into proper perspective. In terms of raw stuff, Jackson at this best is on the level of 'Stang, and the Tigers only gave up an unproven fourth outfielder to get him. Don't get me wrong, young left-handed hitters with Joyce's raw power aren't exactly a dime-a-dozen, but they are certainly easier to find than 25 year-old pitchers with high-90's heat (as I type this, Jackson just hit 97 on the radar gun) and a big league breaking ball who have been successful on the major league level. The real thing that changed my perspective on this trade was the move to acquire Josh Anderson, giving the Tigers another young lefty to play the outfield, albeit with a vastly different skill set, and bringing the E-Jax deal full circle.

The more I see of Jackson, the more I love his makeup almost as much as I love his stuff. He has been excellent so far in his first season as a Tiger, and it doesn't exactly hurt Double D's reputation when Joyce gets off to a 1-10 start in Tampa, although his one hit was a home run. What do you think it would take to get him back in a Tiger uniform....

Good boy, Baxter

Although it's been three days, I still thought should submit my opinion on Baxter's (that's the Lions if you haven't read this before) haul in last weekend's 2009 NFL Draft...

First Pick: Matthew Stafford QB Georgia
As SEC quarterbacks go, he reminds me more of Rex Grossman than Peyton Manning...which is unfortunate. There's no debating that all of the physical tools are there, but Stafford definitely has a little Favre in him, and not the good kind. He knows that he has a cannon and consequently tries to fit the ball into places that he shouldn't. Either way, I can't really argue with the pick, it seems like the Lions coaches really like this kid. I would have rather taken Aaron Curry or Jason Smith this year and then looked to draft Colt McCoy or Dan LeFevour next year, but like it or not, we are stuck with Stafford.

Second Pick: Brandon Pettigrew TE Oklahoma State
I did not see this pick coming at all, but I love it. Pettigrew strikes me as a guy with tremendous talent, but who is drafted later than he should be because of the position that he plays. If Pettigrew turns out to be the blocker and receiver that Mel Kiper says he is, he is going will help out all of the Lions top offensive players. He can help Stafford in pass protection and as an safety blanket on third down (also giving me an excuse to make a Stafford/Linus from The Peanuts joke), he can help Kevin Smith turn 5-yard runs into 15-yard runs by sealing off the edge and opening up the outside, and he can help Calvin Johnson get more one-on-one coverages by occupying the middle of the field and drawing the attention of the opposing teams' safeties. Honestly, I was hoping for Michael Oher with this pick, but from what I have seen and read so far, I am really excited about Pettigrew.

Third Pick: Louis Delmas S Western Michigan
On looks alone, he seems to have some Bob Sanders in him. Jim Schwartz needs a ballhawk on his defense and I think Delmas can be just that. The Lions' secondary was putrid last year, and it needed to be addressed. I have absolutely no problem with the Lions passing on Rey Maualuga. I understand they have a huge need a middle linebacker, but that can be partially covered up by Julian Peterson and Ernie Sims and at the strong-side and weak-side linebacker positions, respectively. The more important thing to consider here Schwartz needs a smart leader (ala Keith Bulluck) to call the signals on his defense, and Maualuga is not that. He is a very instinctive player who plays with fantastic intensity, but he isn't the brightest bulb in the lamp. He scored in the low teens on the Wonderlic, which I understand is only a small part of the evaluation process, but even so is really alarming for a guy who has to run the show for your defense. Maualuga might be the better player, but Delmas is a great fit for Baxter's back four.

Of the Lions' other picks, people tell me that Sammie Lee Hill is going to be a force in the middle of the line, but the one that jumped out at me was Derrick Williams. I think he can contribute as a slot receiver, but even more so in the return game. After Rod and his Shovel completely ignored the return game (I am not exaggerating this, he told his returners to fair catch every punt for fear of penalties or turnovers), it's great to see a defensive who actually recognizes the effect that a great returner can have on field position. What a novel concept! A defensive-minded coach who understands that field position is his most important commodity...Who knew?

Anyway, I'm pleased overall with Baxter's picks. They added some potential stars on offense and some nice depth on defense. The one glaring omission is a top-flite left tackle, but come on, we have Jeff Backus!

I totally called it

How about the 'Stang? 7 strong with 9K's? Not too shabby. Mustang had it all working tonight. Fastball in the upper 90's (he touched 99 at least 5 times) and a knee-buckling curveball. This is hopefully what the Tigers are going to get from him for the rest of the year. Yea, I don't really have a whole lot to say, just that I TOTALLY CALLED IT!

Jimmy is pleased

I love the way that Jim Leyland is managing the Tigers so far this season. With last year's team, there was really nothing to do but set the lineup and the beginning of the day and hope for a couple of big innings. With a nice mix of power, speed, and average sprinkled throughout this year's everyday lineup, Jim Leyland is managing like a stoner in a 711; there are so many options, why not take advantage of all of them? Hit-and-runs, squeeze bunts, pinch runners; Leyland is happily emptying his bag of tricks on a daily basis. And it's working. The bottom of the Tigers' order is manufacturing runs and providing a perfect complement to the thump at the top of the order. I am certainly a subscriber to sabermetrics and preserving as many outs as possible, but I can still appreciate the stuble excellence of a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt. The Tigers are playing the game the way Leyland wants it to be played and it's led to the best run differential in the division.

Why I'm not worried about Justin Verlander

Quick Note: I'm pretty sure I'm wasting my time because nobody reads this fella anyway, but I am going to write more often. I promise. Pete will write more too. Right Pete? Also, we might rename the blog, but that probably won't happen anytime soon. Ok, on to the delicious content...

First of all, Justin Verlander needs a nickname. Power pitchers are not great until they are referred to as "The Rocket" or "The Express", and at this point, all Verlander has is JV, which is a pitiful intersection of unoriginality and general teribbleness (which Firefox kindly just told me isn't a word, but I'm going to keep it in here anyway). The point is, we Tiger fans can no longer go on referring to our ace by the same initials that we use to categorize 5'2" unathletic 15 year-olds. My idea: "Mustang". I know it's not great and I welcome any suggestions, but the basic idea is that a power pitcher in the city that created the American muscle car had better have an nickname that can burn up a set of steel-belted radials. Mustang captures this and also has the added bonus of being easliy shortened to 'Stang, and it's always nice to have a one-syllable nickname option. For the record, the rest of my top 5 was "The Vette", "Camaro", "Model V", and "GT". From now on I will refer to Mr. Verlander as Mustang in this space.

The Mustang hasn't exactly sprinted out of the starting gate this year, as evidenced by his not-so-stellar 9.00 ERA and 1.71 WHIP through three starts. These numbers paint a pretty terrible picture, but there are certainly some mitigating circumstances. Last night, Kendry Morales' 3-run homer never would have happened, but Ryan Raburn horribly misplayed a routine line drive a couple of batters earlier. Even then, Raburn's misplay was scored as a hit, and Verlander was charged with 3 earned runs in the inning. Overall, the Tigers have played poor defense behind Verlander, leading to his bloated ERA. Look at his periferals, 10.71 K/9, 2.73 K/BB. This guy is missing bats and pounding the strike zone at the best rates of his career. His opposing BABIP is an absurd .387, which is nearly 100 points higher than his career average. Over the course of the season, it's going to even out.

But for the most convincing argument in favor of a Verlander comeback, just watch the dude pitch. Last night, Rod Allen was mistifyed by how well opposing hitters were doing against the "stuff that Verlander was featuring" and rightly so. Mustang's fastball was consistently in the 93-95 mph range, and he touched 96-97 mph when he needed it. Uncle Charlie was definitely in the house, especially for one knee-buckling strikeout that made Torii Hunter look like a young Carlos Pena. I know it sounds crazy to say that the starter in a 12-10 game pitched well, but Mustang really did.

Anyway, I'm not worried. This is not a Chien-Ming Wang situation in which a pitcher just loses his stuff, Verlander has simply been unlucky. 'Stang is ready to be an ace, believe it.

Ken Holland is the Greatest GM Ever

By Pete McGrath

Back in college, the only people who seemed to care about hockey were the guys on the JCU Bluestreak's club hockey team. They were pretty good buddies of mine and they were the only guys in my whole dorm that I could talk hockey with. Whenever an argument would come up about the Red Wings, they usually lumped my beloved Red Wings into the same catagory as the eeeevil New York Yankees. The simalarities did exist, with the limitless payroll (78 million bucks for a hockey team!) and the ability to always land one more all-star at the trade deadline.

However, the comparason at the time was not completely accurate. While the Yankees by far and away had the highest payroll in baseball, the Wings payroll was pretty close to the Rangers, who never went anywhere. I also pointed out that as much as the wings spend on free agent players, the core of those Wings teams were homegrown guys. Yzerman, Fedorov, and Lidstrom were all drafted and developed by the Wings. After the lockout, it seemed the Wing's party was going to be over. Kenny Holland was good at putting a team together, but it seemed like anybody could with Illitch's wide open checkbook. Now that the salary cap would be in place, the Wings would have to draft and develop their team from within, and would have a tougher time keeping guys around. Man did I underestimate Ken Holland.

Datsyuk, Lidstrom, and Hank Zetterberg are all locked up for the forseable future. There is a possibility of enough room for Franzen and Hossa to stick around. While certain players might have to retire or get traded, I have the full confidence that Ken Holland has the players in his farm system to replace them. The next generation of Val Filpula, Jiri Hudler, Datsyuk and Zetterberg type players are probably already working on their game in Grand Rapids.

What this man has accomplished is astounding. With a payroll that was practically cut in half, he has rebuilt the Wings into the dominant team in the league. Plus this was accomplished without a Florida Marlins style fire sale. There is no other GM in sports with this strong a resume.

Playing for Pride

Drew Sharp wrote an interesting piece today in the Detroit News about what this weekend (Celtics on Friday, Cavs on Sunday) means for the Pistons. Basically, Sharp wrote that this weekend means nothing, since the Pistons have no shot at a title this year (which I agree with) and are already ramping up for a revival in 2010. On the surface, this isn't a terribly earth-shattering statement, but take it a step further, and Drew Sharp seems to be advocating giving up on the rest of the season. He is saying that, if success is measured by championships, then this season is already a failure (again, I can't argue) and as a result, the results of the rest of the season don't matter. If the Pistons are going to make the playoffs and lose in the first couple of rounds, who cares if they are a 4-seed or an 8-seed? My answer: The players...I hope. One of the most important, yet oft overlooked factors in team success is pride, and the rest of the Pistons' season is all about pride.

Take a look at the 2008 Boston Celtics. They didn't win the title last year because of the play of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce. They won the title because of the play of Kendrick Perkins, Rajon Rondo, James Posey, and the rest of their supporting cast. They won because Perkins went from bust to beast in the span of one season, Rondo tapped his potential to be Tony Parker on offense and Tim Hardaway on defense, and Posey latched on to the opposition's best offensive player every night like a rabid bulldog. Why did these players suddenly take their games to the next level? Pride. Garnett instilled an attitude that anything less than your best on every play was unacceptable. The whole team embraced this attitude for the entire season, bringing the same effort against the T'Wolves as they brought against the Lakers. Perkins and Garnett defended the rim relentlessly, swatting away opponent's shots even after the whistle blew.

Why am I bringing this up? The Celtics' example is the reason why the Pistons cannot tank the rest of this season. Bad habits die hard and there is no worse habit in sports than giving less than 100% effort. More than anything, I am worried about Rodney Stuckey. No matter who the Pistons acquire in the summer of 2010, Stuckey is going to be the foundation of this team for the next 10 years. If he learns that it's ok to stop showing up for every game this year when the Pistons aren't so good, why would he magically start playing his balls off every night in 2010 when the Pistons become contenders again?

Editor's Note: Just to clarify, I have no reason to think that Stuckey will stop showing up for every game, I'm just painting a picture of the worst-case scenario.

Need another example? Look at the 2003/2004 Pistons, that team was fueled by pride and a commitment to leave everything on the floor, every night. After they won the title, the Pistons collectively throttled back and lost some of that pride; that's why they have turned into the NBA version of the Philadelphia Eagles, looking great in the regular season and flaming out in the conference finals. They thought they could "flip the switch" and only bring their best effort on nights when they really needed it. The hard truth is, the "switch" only works in one direction. Once you turn it off, no matter how many times you flick it back on, that light is never going to burn as brightly as it once did. Maybe they need to lose a pick-up game to some kids in South-Central LA, ala Team USA in D2: The Mighty Ducks, but whatever it takes, if this Pistons team has any hope for being successful in the future, they need find a way to restore the pride they had in 2004.

Still Misfiring

The results of last few games have made it patently clear that the Pistons are far from finished with the much-needed overhaul of their franchise. Another thing that seems to be patently clear is that nobody not named LeBron is going lead a team to the Eastern conference title in the next couple of years. The Pistons’ window is closed for now, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t reopen in a couple of years if some necessary changes are made. This offseason, Joe Dumars needs to let Rasheed Wallace, Allen Iverson, Walter Hermann, and Kwame Brown go, freeing up just under $41 million in salary cap room (which I will discuss in a later post) as well as giving the coach the opportunity to retake control of the team’s psyche. Will Michael Curry be that coach? That all depends on his relationship with one player: Rodney Stuckey. As the point guard and the team’s best player (if he isn’t already, he definitely will be next year), Stuckey will be the de facto floor leader of the 2009-2010 Detroit Pistons. Successful NBA coaches from Phil Jackson to Doc Rivers have shown that the most important quality in a head coach is the ability to earn the respect of his stars and keep them happy. Stuckey is a star in the making and if Curry can build a healthy relationship with him while showing any kind of a talent for X’s and O’s, he would earn my full endorsement. Let’s see what he can do.

The Pistons are Misfiring

In his weekly NBA Power Rankings on espn.com, Mark Stein absolutely nailed the problems that are plaguing this year’s Pistons. Stein writes, “Blame it all on Iverson's arrival if you wish. Our theory is that the Pistons know management has its eye on the future and have caved as a result. Either way, they're just not firing. Too often, Detroit no longer brings it.” I couldn’t have said it better myself. In my immediate praise of the forward-thinking Iverson trade, I neglected to consider the fragile psyche of this team. I don’t blame guys like Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace for easing off of the throttle; honestly, that’s exactly what I would expect them to do. There’ nothing wrong with them, they just aren’t exactly self-motivated guys. This is the forgotten factor that Chauncey Billups brought to the table, his ability to keep the combined craziness of Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace in check. Though he was often criticized for being too calm and cool in trying times, Billups always kept the team focused and prevented Wallace and Hamilton’s insanity from infecting the rest of the squad. Now that he’s gone, the Pistons are ruled by headcases. Nothing against Allen Iverson, he is a great leader, but he isn’t the type of leader that Billups was. Iverson leads by example, by pouring his soul out on to the floor every night, but he isn’t the type of leader that will pull his teammates aside and rip them a new one when they act like a 6 year-olds with stubbed toes. The Pistons need at least one vocal leader who commands the respect of his teammates, most notably Rasheed Wallace. Ideally, there would be both a player and coach who can gain Wallace’s respect. This was the case with Billups and Larry Brown when the Pistons won the 2004 title. Even during the last few seasons, when Flip Saunders was Rasheed’s personal doormat, Billups still kept his mates on task. Michael Curry was supposed to be the respected father figure for this year’s team. Unfortunately, he has turned out to be more like a fun uncle, afraid to deal with his nephews’ tantrums, and content to let them run the show. He has completely failed as a leader.

Lately, Curry has been undeservedly credited for taking Rip Hamilton out of the starting lineup. Michael Curry didn’t force Rip to come off the bench, the Pistons’ 5-game losing streak did. Curry was afraid to piss Hamilton off, and refused to send him to the bench, even in the face of tremendous statistical and physical evidence. Curry was only able to alter his starting five after Rip himself realized that the 3-guard lineup wasn’t going to work. If not for those losses, the Pistons would still be starting three players out of position.

In addition to his inability to handle egos and his paralyzing fear of alienating players, Curry has struggled as a tactician. Almost halfway through the season, Curry seems light years away from settling on a concrete rotation. All 12 Pistons average more than 8 minutes per game, but Amir Johnson, Kwame Brown, Walter Hermann and Will Bynum have all piled up at least 5 DNPCD’s. There is some talent on the Piston bench, but there is no team in the NBA that can successfully go 12 men deep. In Curry’s defense, he is in a tough situation with 3 guards who demand 30-plus minutes per game, but that does not excuse the debacle over which he currently presides. He hasn’t found a rotation that works, but even if he did stumble onto something successful, he doesn’t seem willing to stick to anything. With the acquisition of Iverson and a rotation that is constantly in flux, the Pistons have absolutely no semblance on continuity on either end of the floor. Without a consistent rotation, Curry cannot maintain any kind of a strategic direction. He sends out three guard lineups, but then plays a man-to-man defense rife with mismatches and refuses to use his quickness advantage to run a fast-breaking offense. He insists on playing Rodney Stuckey and Allen Iverson at the same time, when it would make more sense to separate his slashers and surround each with catch-and-shoot players like Hamilton and Arron Afflalo.

This is only one example of the Pistons’ coach dropping the ball, but at this point, there’s really no reason to chronicle each of Curry numerous tactical blunders. After all, he is a rookie coach and I understand that he might be struggling to develop a system that best suits his fairly eclectic roster. But that does not excuse the complete lack of effort put forth by the Pistons in their last two nationally televised embarrassments. Curry has lost this team and I don’t think he is going to get it back. Since this season is already a lost cause, I do not advocate firing Curry at this point and actually, I am not 100% sure that I would advocate firing Curry even after the season. More on this tomorrow…

Sign Ben Sheets

Last week, Jim Leyland announced the Tigers’ starting rotation: Justin Verlander, Armando Galarraga, Edwin Jackson, Jeremy Bonderman, and either Nate Robertson, Zach Miner, or Dontrelle Willis. In simple terms, the Tigers’ current 2009 rotation consists of a solid young pitcher, a ground bal machine, a Rick Vaughn-esque talent with crappy control, a first inning nightmare/injury risk, and one hell of a question mark. Do you know what’s missing from that list? An ace. I, along with every other diehard Tigers fan hope and pray that Justin Verlander will turn into the anchor that stabilizes the Detroit rotation for the next 10 years, but based on what happened last season, that is far from guaranteed. At this point, it is certainly not a stretch to say that Detroit has the worst rotation in the Central division. The offense will be strong again and the bullpen will be improved, but the Tigers are not winning the Central if their starters don’t carry their weight.

I read a great piece today on espn.com in which Buster Olney talks about how the economy has hurt the value of pitchers like Ben Sheets. Three years ago, Sheets would probably have already signed a 4-year $60 million contract with somebody, but this year, he is left teamless going into February. The only team that is taking a hard looks at signing Sheets is the chronically pitching-starved Texas Rangers, who have made a 2-year $16 million offer. Pardon my crass language, but are you fucking kidding me? I understand that Sheets is an injury risk, but when A.J. Burnett, who has the pain threshold of a teething infant, gets $84 million, Sheets is certainly worth more than $16 million. That said, his worth is whatever that market says it is and the Tigers need to take advantage. Sheets’ agent is probably too smart to allow his client to be locked in at a discount for any more than 2 years, but even so, this is a move that Dave Dombrowski needs to make. I don’t think he will make it, and I completely understand his rationale for doing so, but I must disagree with it.

Sheets will not be a Tiger because he is a type-A free agent, which means that the team who signs him must hand over a first or second round draft pick to his former team, in the case, the Milwaukee Brewers. An argument can be made that a first round pick is more valuable for the Tigers than an injury-prone ace, as the Detroit farm system is in dire need to replenishing and Dave Dombrowski has a long and distinguished draft record. For the future, the better move is pass on Mr. Sheets, but looking at how the America League Central division lays out for 2009, it’s anybody’s game. The White Sox, Twins, Indians, and Tigers are all bunched at the top and adding a proven ace like Sheets could be the additional push that catapults Detroit to a division title. Generally, I am always in favor of what’s best for the future, but with a team with key players that only have a few years left (Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen), you can’t walk away from a move that could win you the division and get your team into the playoffs where as the Phillies and Rays showed last season, anything can happen.

Lyon and Tigers

I have decided that this year’s Tiger offseason is the absolute antithesis of last year’s. Last year, the Tigers failed to address needs and tossed cash around like Pacman Jones at a strip club. This year, they have shied away from huge contracts and are addressing the biggest problems from last year’s embarrassing failure of a squad (I’m a little bitter…). The Brandon Lyon acquisition is a perfect example. It’s true, Lyon certainly had his flaws last season for Arizona, but even so, he is a great fit for the 2009 Tigers. Lyon has experience as both a closer and a setup man, something that can’t be said for the Tigers’ former closer, Todd Jones. I will always defend Jonesy, he was a solid pitcher who got a bad rap from the Detroit fans, but he was far from versatile last season. With pitchers like Fernando Rodney, Joel Zumaya, and Freddy Dolsi showing flashes of closer potential, Jones was a roadblock on the position. Moving another pitcher into the closer’s role would have rendered Jones useless. Brandon Lyon demonstrated last season that he can still be a useful cog in a bullpen, even if he is replaced as the closer. Picking up Lyon eases the pressure on Zumaya and Rodney, while adding to the overall depth of the bullpen. Needless to say, I love this move. The one-year contract gives Lyon incentive to perform, while adding minimal financial risk for a team whose payroll already far exceeds the market value of its roster. Along with Lyon, the Tigers seem to be pursuing a few similar moves, signing Scott Williamson to a minor league contract and talking with Juan Rincon about a minor league deal. There types of low-risk moves are exactly what this franchise needs right now. There is a very good chance that Williamson and Rincon will be contribute absolutely nothing for this team, but a one-year minor league contract is certainly worth the risk. Overall, it looks like Dave Dombrowski has learned his lesson, namely that the bullpen problems need to be his top priority. Jim Leyland has said that he does not think that the Tigers are finished making moves this offseason, and given how the Tigers have executed their offseason plans so far, I hope he’s right.

Farewell to WDFN

Yesterday, I turn on WDFN at work over the internet and was slightly surprised to hear some crappy Fox Sports radio show, but then I just figured that Stoney and Woj had just taken the day off to observe Barack Obama's historic inauguration ceremony. This morning, when I attempted to flip on Sean Baligian, I found an under construction message on wdfn.com. After checking the Free Press website, my worst suspicions were confirmed. WDFN is dead. This is a tragedy. Sean Baligian, Mike Stone, and Bob Wojonowski were the voices of reason in Detroit sports. The cheered with us, the cried with us, they screamed incredulously with us. They gave us Prick 3 and the top 64 condiments tourney. They gave us an outlet to vent frustrations and sing praises. They carried me through drives home from U of D, to drives home from Notre Dame, to drives home from summer jobs, until finally carrying me through my work days here in Chicago. WDFN was the pulse of Detroit sports talk.

All is not lost, we still have the ticket (Boombayeh), but WDFN was the first and the best sports radio station in the Motor City. I'm sure that Stoney, Wojo, and Sean will all land on their feet; my only hope is that those feet are still in Detroit. Congratulations on 14 fantastic years, you will be sorely missed. Fuck this economy.

Winter Classic

The NHL has done well two years in a row now in regards to the Winter Classic. Wrigley Field may not have had the best sight lines, but I don't think anybody in the crowd cared.

I do consider myself a uniform buff, and both teams looked really sharp this year in the throwback sweaters. The Olde-English D was a nice toss up to the Wings history before they were the Red Wings- they were actually the Detroit Cougars at the time. The Wings unis were completed by some pretty kickass bumble bee socks. Hopefully in the future, the Wings don these and the old Detroit Falcons jerseys for a couple games a year. The Hawks jerseys looked sharp as well, with the big chest stripe and the old school logo crest. Even the coaches on both clubs got into the act, wearing old fasioned looking varsity jackets. However, the best dressed not has to go to the Red Wing's bench. As much as I love Coach Babcock's gloriously blowdried coif, it was a really nice touch to wear the fedoras. Hopefully they bought them at Henry the Hatter.

I initially was upset at the league for putting the game on New Years Day, but I now think it was great idea. New Years is a day where nobody is at work, and everyone is at home hungover and looking for something to do. If you're a hockey fan, you're going to watch anyway. If you're normally a football fan, you might stumble upon the game for the first time and see how cool it is. My only question is if maybe the league should make it an all day thing, such as the NFL's Thanksgiving lineup. This way you have all day to capture the channel surfers, and more cities are involved.

In conclusion, it seems the NHL has a hit on its hands. It's a cool idea, and for once under Gary Bettman's reign of terror an event has been marketed well. I raise an ice cold Labatt to the NHL for this one.