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...