The Detroit Transplant

I've Moved!

2010-11-10T10:11:00.000-08:00

I decided to make the switch and move to WordPress. Thanks to everyone who supported me here at Blogspot, and I hope you'll continue to support me at WordPress. Same stuff, same style, just a little cleaner interface that's easier to navigate.

Make sure to update your bookmarks, and if you've got me blogrolled, update that too.

Click here to jump over to the new site.

Thanks again,

Doug (the Transplant)

Hindsight is 20/20: Ranking the Top 5 Offseason Moves

2010-11-08T17:36:00.000-08:00

In light of a lot of crazy happenings this NFL season, let's take a look at the best moves NFL teams made this offseason. Listed after the trade are the picks that the second team received, if applicable. Below the trade details are the results of the new players this season, or picks that have yet to be used. Without further ado:

5. New York Jets trade S Kerry Rhodes to Arizona Cardinals (4th in 2010, 7th in 2011).
Cardinals: Kerry Rhodes-- 50 tackles, 44 solo, 2 INTs, 131 INT return yards, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 touchdowns.

Jets: 4th round selection Joe McKnight-- 4 carries, 12 yards.
2011 7th round selection.

This one has been marginal so far, but Kerry Rhodes really has come alive to help a Cardinals defense that really has struggled. He's emerged as one of the defensive leaders for this team. The Jets, on the other hand, really have missed Rhodes' presence: their pass defense is 18th in the NFL right now. For those who are wondering, yes, the Jets had the best pass defense in the NFL last year. Joe McKnight hasn't shown anything this year, but in his defense, he's buried on that depth chart. Look for Rhodes to emerge as an underrated star on a weak Cardinals defense before the season is over-- unless his injury this Sunday hampers that.

4. Denver Broncos trade WR Brandon Marshall to Miami Dolphins (2nd in 2010, 2nd in 2011).
Dolphins: Brandon Marshall-- 52 catches, 618 yards, 1 touchdown.

Broncos: 2nd round selection--> 1st round selection (from Baltimore) Tim Tebow-- 0 attempts, 0 completions, 10 attempts, 26 yards, 2 touchdowns.
2011 2nd round selection.

Tim Tebow's a great kid, but you can't deny the value of Brandon Marshall. Sure, the Broncos got what they needed-- another QB on an already crowded depth chart-- but the Dolphins upgraded their top receiver from Davone Bess to Brandon Marshall. Immediate impact. In evaluating this trade, you have to look at the impact it has had this season. Tim Tebow, pretty much nothing, but Brandon Marshall is the Dolphins leading receiver, and he's averaging 12 yards a catch. Dolphins (for now at least) made out pretty well in this trade.

3. San Francisco 49ers trade QB Shaun Hill to Detroit Lions (7th in 2011).
Lions: Shaun Hill-- 1,309 passing yards, 9 touchdowns, 61.1% completion percentage.

49ers: 2011 7th round selection.

It's hard to really argue that San Francisco got the crappy end of the stick on this one-- Hill was on his way out. It's also hard to argue that the 49ers wouldn't be using him right now in light of the horrific state their offense is in.Hill has lead the revival of the Lions defense in lieu of yet another Stafford injury. He may not have been our first choice, but he has given the Lions a pretty good look in the games he has started. He's a definite upgrade at #2 QB, and all we had to give up was next year's 7th round pick.

2. Arizona Cardinals trade WR Anquan Boldin/2010 5th round pick to Baltimore Ravens (3rd & 4th in 2010).
Ravens: Anquan Boldin-- 40 catches, 546 yards, 5 touchdowns.
5th round selection-- Arthur Jones hasn't played yet.

Cardinals: 3rd round selection Andre Roberts-- 4 catches, 67 yards, 88 return yards
4th round selection--> 4th round selection (from New Orleans) O'Brien Schofield hasn't played yet
4th round selection--> 6th round selection (from New Orleans) Jorrick Calvin cut in offseason

If this isn't borderline highway robbery, I don't know what is. I think part of that has to do with the Cardinals inability to draft past the top 2 rounds in recent history, and that makes this trade look even worse for them. The Ravens got one of the best receivers in the NFL, got a 5th round pick, and gave up relatively nothing. They already have a good squad, so the picks were a small price to pay to acquire Boldin. Part of the issue this year is the QB carousel, but the Cardinals only have 3 receivers over 100 yards, and are 3rd last in the NFL in passing offense. Think Boldin's departure has something to do with it? At least a little.

1. Denver Broncos trade FB Peyton Hillis/2011 6th round pick/conditional pick to Cleveland Browns for QB Brady Quinn.
Browns: Peyton Hillis-- 133 carries, 644 yards, 7 touchdowns, 4.8 yards/carry
2011 6th round selection
Conditional selection

Broncos: Brady Quinn hasn't played yet.

FX's The League really describes this trade quite well in their first season term, "trade rape." First of all, who wants Brady Quinn? I can see Kyle Orton being a question mark, but why not go for someone who's had some success at one point in time? Well, lucky for Cleveland, Hillis has emerged as one of the top rushers in the NFL (11th overall in yardage), oh and he's 3rd in the NFL in touchdowns. Brady Quinn? He hasn't set the clipboard down yet this season. And just in case Denver wasn't already upset about the deal, Hillis torched the Patriots for 184 and 2 touchdowns this weekend. How's that for a running game, Denver?

Something Has to Change

2010-11-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

The Lions are the highest scoring team in the NFC. All their games have been decided by 8 points or fewer, with the exception of 3 games. And yet, they're 2-6. How does that work? When a team is this talented, and still finds ways to lose, you start looking at the little things. Today provided quite a bit of insight into the reason for our deceptively bad record.

Offensive play calling:
Scott Linehan, he probably is the most conservative play caller in the NFL, and it kills me. You look at our skill players, and wonder how the heck Johnson doesn't have 5,000 yards this season. Obviously, an overexaggeration, but you get the point. 2 yard our routes, drags, flat routes, routes that barely go 10 yards-- it's not what the team was built for. We have a cannon-armed QB, and a ton of fast receivers. You don't run go routes every time, but a lot more posts and flags and corners would be ideal. Hitch and go? Pump isolation? Nope. Not in Linehan's house.

Most teams in the NFL try to pass these on 3rd down.

Coach decision making:
Today was a microcosm of what we've seen all year. Not taking field goals when we had the chance, running short routes when we need 10 yards, or the now infamous Drew Stanton rollout "thing." Lest we not forget, Danny Crossman's awesome "let's have Suh kick the XP" moment. Just a word to the wise, Crossman, there's a guy on your bench called the "punter." He also kicks the ball, and probably has more experience kicking field goals than Ndamukong Suh, a defensive tackle. I really can't understand or try to justify how difficult they make "no brainer" decisions. 3rd and 1? Run play. Not a bunch of drag routes that don't even pass the line of scrimmage.

Offensive line play:
If there is one weakness, it's our offensive line. Clearly, the secondary looked to be an issue, yet somehow it's working. Today, there were several penalties that (albeit suspect calls) were on the offensive line, and took away momentum/drives. Why Raiola double pumped the snap on 4th and 1 in field goal position is beyond me, and refer to the previous category for why we weren't kicking a field goal in the first place. This upcoming draft needs to be 75% offensive linemen. The way we're playing, shouldn't be an issue getting a high pick. Keep Sims and Raiola, get rid of everyone else. They've overstayed their welcomes. Another side note, Stafford wouldn't have to run all over the field and get hit like he did today, and every other time he's gotten hurt.

Discipline:
If there's one thing specifically that has killed this team all year, it's penalties. And it's not player discipline, it's the coaches who handle that. Obviously, if you get a guy like James Harrison, you get penalties with his big plays. But the Lions are shooting themselves in the foot with holding, personal fouls, and how many chop blocks were called today? It's despicable, and Schwartz needs to tighten the lugnuts if he wants to keep his job.

More of this may help the discipline aspect.

What to do this season:

Keep Schwartz. It's hard to say, but I like the guy's attitude. If worst comes to worst, let's move him to defensive coordinator, he's done a fair job building a team here. There's no need to can him.
Fire Linehan, or light a fire under his ass. The Lions playbook is so pathetic, I can't even think of words to describe it. How many times do we throw past 15 yards a game? 3, 4, 5? It needs to be like 15. Look at Calvin Johnson. It's what he and Stafford are meant to do, not a step-slant route for 2 yards. Johnson was a non-factor today because Linehan was scared to throw on Revis. This is what we do not need.

Linehan's favorite 3 and long play.

Start trying out some QBs. Even if it is eventually for 3rd string, Hill broke his arm, and Stafford's shoulder is suspect. Stanton, I love you, but I can't stand the way you play right now. We need a legitimate stand-in when someone goes down, like today.
On that same wavelength, try out some O linemen. Preferably young guys that we can get into the system this year and get ready for the end of this season and next year. Consistency is key at that position.
Change the mindset. We are a team that can win. We can do it, so why are we trying to run the time out when we're up 10 with 10 minutes left? Keep playing. That needs to be a point of emphasis for the coaching staff and players. It's sad I even have to say that.
Don't give up on Johnson. He was targeted four times today. For a guy that has 247 yards and 4 touchdowns his last two games, 4 targets is not nearly enough. When your running back and tight ends are getting double the looks, something is wrong with your offensive play calling-- for example, it's too conservative.

We're tired of losing, and we're even more tired of losing the close ones. Today was a golden opportunity to get a big win for this organization, and yet we wound up (as usual this season) killing ourselves with conservatism and bad play calling. We're still one good draft from being a legitimate threat, and the fact that we're getting close is a good sign. But at this point, we should be 6-2, not 2-6. Something has to change.

What to Expect: Week 10

2010-11-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

We won. We won. We won. How great it feels to say that, and on a depressing sidenote, it made up for MSU's performance on Saturday. Why'd we win? Two reasons: defensive line pressure, and consistent offense. Consistent in gaining 1 yard on 1st down? Yes, but at least it wasn't a loss. I handed out game balls earlier this week, check that out while you're here.

I was mildly impressed with Stafford's play last week. He made some "rusty" throws that should have been TDs, but what can you expect from a guy who had his throwing shoulder immobilized for 7 weeks? One thing that really impressed me was his pocket presence-- he navigated and avoided the rush like a champ last week. You could see it still bothered him on a few throws, like when he underthrew Scheffler when he could've run, or when he underthrew Megatron on the deeper route. Those will come to him in time, we have to remember that Stafford is only starting in his 13th NFL game this weekend. Another thing I liked last Sunday was Kevin Smith's running. He was determined, and he did not give up. I think having Best in the backfield is going to create a bit of a friendly rivalry, which (hopefully) will reap us great rewards.

As for the defensive side of the ball, I was highly impressed. Suh got a ton of pressure, KVB was in McNabb's face all afternoon, and Avril had what was really the game-clinching sack. There were grumblings from a few Lions reporters that made me a bit agitated. One claimed to have played safety before, but he blamed Smith for not covering over a seam route? Brown jumped the under route, so Armstrong was wide open. Things like that happen, it's not a poor reflection on the defense, but rather a well-drawn-up play by the offense.

This week we get the drama queen Jets. I'm sure Rex Ryan has said something stupid this week already, I just try to avoid thinking about them-- it makes my brain hurt. Darelle Revis already said that Calvin Johnson is "Forrest Gump fast." Whatever the hell that means? Stick to modeling Darelle. In all honesty, we match up quite well against this Jets team, who are ranked 18th in the NFL against the pass. They're 3rd best against the run, and averaging over 150 yards on the ground a game, so that's where the Lions will have to focus this week.

We did a good job of neutralizing Ryan Torain last week. Granted, he's no LT, but we have had a hard time against the run this year, so a small victory is a victory nonetheless. We are one spot behind the Jets in pass defense (shocking, I know) and 7th in the NFL in passing. I think this is going to be one of the more underrated matchups of the week.

Key Matchups

Calvin Johnson vs. Darelle Revis Not to state the obvious or anything, but come on. Revis is the "best" cornerback in the league (which I obviously disagree with), and he's covering who I would consider the most naturally-talented receiver in the NFL. It's a marquee matchup, and I think Johnson will honestly get the better of it. He's got the height and the speed, and only one of those Revis can make up for. Linehan, I want at least one pump ISO this week if they are covering our WRs tight.
Battle of the Young Guns
Drafted the same year, picks apart. And I'm glad we got Stafford. He's proven tough, and he can win with a seriously talent-depleted team. Sanchez made the playoffs, but how much of that was his fault? Ryan barely let him hang on to the ball long enough to hand it off. This matchup should finally show the public that Matt Stafford deserves some recognition, and I hope he gets it. The key this week will be minimizing mistakes on both sides of the ball.

Predictions
This one is legitimately tough to call. My head is telling me to pick the Jets, my heart wants the Lions, and my gut is telling me that it's going to be a close one. The game really hinges on the defensive line play. Neither secondary is what I would call stellar, and there are some young QBs in the backfield with explosive backs. If the defensive lines can get pressure, it's going to force a lot of throws-- leading to mistakes and/or big plays. With the Jets playing a lot of one-safety looks this Sunday, that's going to force a lot of man coverage, which sets up any kind of isolation route for Johnson/Burleson. Based on that theory, I think the Lions have a legitimate chance. With that being said, I think Tomlinson is going to be a handful, and he's going to be what kills us this week. I think the Jets will win a close one.

Lions 17 Jets 24

Ranking the Best: NHL Uniforms

2010-11-03T23:10:00.000-07:00

Once again, Andy and I (from Fight Night at the Joe, and Norway) have collaborated to break down the aesthetics of athletics-- only this time it's the best jerseys. In lieu of coming up with a cool "brand" for our co-ops, I found this thing, which will serve as the placeholder. Stay tuned for an actual logo on future co-ops. Sit back, and enjoy the read.

T-1. Wings Current:

Doug: Did you think you could come to a Detroit blog, written co-op with a fellow Red Wings blogger, and see something other than the Wings at #1? The bias is obvious, but has there been a more stable jersey design in all of sports? The jersey has literally been almost exactly the same since the inception of the winged-wheel in 1932-- aside from the few number-style changes, logo orientation/size, and material changes. The jersey says "hockey." Can you think of a team more synonomous with hockey in America? The jerseys go hand in hand with that perception, because of their classic-factor. It's simple, yet elegant. It's in-your-face, but respectful. It's Hockeytown.

Andy: Aside from the fact we might be biased, the other reason the two Wings jerseys are "above" the real ranking is that they were tied in our voting. I had this one first, and the Winter Classic one second, Doug the opposite. I'll admit that there is no way to differentiate. Both are pure awesome. Anyway, this jersey is amazing. Even if I wasn't biased I'd put it at number one. Just look at it. The red and the white is such a classy, classic combo. Not glossy, not tacky, but not boring either. Just pure beauty and class. The Reebok version is modernized, making the jersey more streamlined in its look, but keeping the classic feel. It fits the times. Which is why we used it over these, which also were great. Actually it is hard to find a single bad jersey in Wings history, but this might be the perfect one. The Winged Wheel is better at center, where it has been for 30 years now and as I say, I love how it looks modern and classic at the same time. As for the Winged Wheel itself, it's the most beautiful logo in pro sports. Sleek, detailed and brilliant. Representing the Motor City.

T-1. Wings Winter Classic:

Doug: I own one of these for a reason. We flip-flopped our favorites, which is why there's a tie, but how could you not love this thing? It's a nod to the rich history the Wings have, and it's still the same kind of elegance and simplicity that the regular jerseys feature. Winter Classic jerseys have left a lot to be desired lately, but this is easily the best one we've seen thus far. It's almost a direct translation from the Red Wings first ever jersey, when they were the Cougars back in 1926. For that reason, I like it even more. How many teams have that much history behind a jersey? Not many, if any at all. These are just clean, historical, and overall awesome. I wish they'd adopt these as alternates.

Andy: Remembering how the Pens dug up the worst jersey in the history of the franchise and made it worse might have made Wings fans nervous about what the Winter Classic jersey would look like. Luckily, there is only one bad jersey in franchise history and luckily they avoided it, the 1930-32 Detroit Falcons jersey and landed on something inspired by the 1926-27 Detroit Cougars threads instead. And it was brilliant! I've already raved about the red and white here and it is very nice on this jersey. The broad red stripe is classy in it's simplicty and I love the simple design. The Wings are the kings of that. It's always so simple, so brilliant and so beautiful. Like a piece of art. Speaking of art, the logo, a simpler version of the olde English D is amazing. A simple, classic look for a classic franchise. The Wings hit a home run with this one.

2. Habs current:

Doug: Another classic to love. The Habs haven't endured much change over the years either, and I think that's why this jersey gets the high score. Classic is awesome, and the Canadiens have had some of the neatest jerseys in the NHL for a long time-- they're always in the top 5 for me, every season. As much as I may detest the fan base in Montreal for booing our national anthem, I can't hate on the jerseys, they're sweet.

Andy: This is one of my favourites. The Habs red, white and blue is just such a nice classic look. The colours, fitting for a Francophone franchise, are beautiful and they fit very well on the Reebok format. Like the Wings jerseys, the classicness survived, while the jerseys also become more modern looking. The stripes, especially on the home jerseys are a nice touch too. They make the jerseys interesting, without making them busy in any way. And the logo is a simple classic. This is just a brilliant jersey and it makes you wonder why the team would ever choose to wear pre-NHL throwbacks like these in heritage games. And yeah, since you asked (I know you did in your head), I love a jersey that is simple, yet interesting.

3. Blues current 3rd:

Doug: It's about time someone else in the Red Wings' division gets a third jersey right. I've always liked their color scheme, but this one seems to fit a little better. Ever since they got rid of the red, their jerseys have gotten way better, but this one tops them all. The arch in the crest is a nice touch, and the yellow contrasts much better with the darker blue. It's just an overall cleaner look.

Andy: After this you'd be tempted to never let the Blues make a third jersey again, but they actually hit a home run with their current third jerseys. I'll admit that I like their new Reebok style regular jerseys too, but this one is their best. I had this further down, in 9th place on my ballot, but it's a great looking sweater indeed. The dark blue is a pretty beautiful colour and it goes surprisingly well with the yellow. The stripes are nice touches and I love the classic feel of the logo with the team name, the normal logo and the city's famous Gateway Arch in the background. This is another simplistic jersey that captures a classic feel, while looking modern. I love it!

4. Wild current:

Doug: I have to say, these things are sharp. I've always hated the Wild's white and green jerseys, then they came out with the red ones, and they stole my heart (awww). Something about the sharpness of the colors and the way they contrast really catches my eye. You can't help but love the originality of the color scheme as well, taking two common colors, and adding the tan color to make a truly new color scheme that no one really has tried (and succeeded) in using before. The crest gives the jerseys a classic feel, something that Minnesota should really have in their uniforms, even though the Wild are a young team.

Andy: This is all Doug. I didn't have these on my ballot. I actually had their third jersey in tenth place though. Still, this is a pretty nice one. I find the away jersey bland and boring, so I'll write about the home jersey, which I like. You'd think the wine red and green would kinda clash, but somehow it has sort of a fresh feel to it. The design and the striping is pretty discrete. And I love how they, like the Blues put a circle with the team name around the logo. It looks good and it also make their god-awful tacky sundown scene-shaped like a wild animal's head-logo much smaller, which is nice. I don't think it's a top 10 jersey by any means, but they could have done much, much worse.

5. Rangers current home:

Doug: It really bothers me that Andy and I have a lot of teams we don't like in this countdown. I swear, it's not envy. That being said, these are sweet classic-looking jerseys. I've never been fond of the diagonal font down the front, I personally enjoy the lady liberty logo myself, but for some reason, I can't hate these things. The tie-ups are awesome (I think every jersey should have them). They're simple, bold, and aggressive; all the colors pop off the ice. It's too bad they can't win anymore, though.

Andy: Now THIS is a JERSEY! I'm not fond of the Rangers, but there is no doubt, this is by far my favourite non-Wings NHL jersey. This jersey is pretty perfect. The deep blue is beautiful and, like the Habs jersey, perfectly matched with red and white. The striping is discrete, complimenting the blue, rather than taking any attention away from it. Some people might find the lack of a logo boring, but I love how they just have RANGERS written on their jerseys. It's such a classic and there is nothing else to call it than beautiful. Perfection in jersey making. And I also love the threads in the neck. Such a nice touch.

6. Bruins 24-25:

Doug: Hating this jersey would be like hating your grandparents. It's a timeless classic. The old-school sweater, the horrible brown and yellow, and the bad graphics. Those were the days that hockey was emerging as a sport. It's a sight to behold, and apparently it's also very expensive. Maybe the bruins should just bring these suckers back, eh?

Andy: This is an obscure favourite of mine. It kinda looks like a sweater you'd wear on a cold winter day. Which I guess kinda is what it was. I'm not a big fan of brown, but on this it works. It's such an old timey, nice brown and it works well with the yellow, creating a colour scheme that makes me dream back to the time when hockey was just starting up. The logo is simple and not too graceful, but again it captures the era very nicely. I love this uniform.

7. Lightning current 3rd:

Doug: The reason I ranked this so high I think is for two reasons. Steve Yzerman, and so many years of looking at this-- which remind me of something you'd make in MS Paint. The blue is awesome, the "BOLTS" is different, and the overall feel of the jersey is just sharp. I will agree with Andy on the inclusion of grey, it's not necessary. More white and black would really make this thing pop even more.

Andy: Another one Doug brought on to the list. It is no doubt much better than this catastrophe and better than their regular ones too, but to me they are nothing special. I can appreciate the simple design. Discrete stripes, pretty beautifully executed. And the blue is pretty nice. But the inclusion of grey and black irks me. It just makes this boring in a way. And the BOLTS across the chest is just wrong. It's not the team's name and it looks bad, where the Rangers make it look good. All in all it's a pretty neat jersey, but not among the best, in my eyes.

8. Leafs 63-67:

Doug: Another historical hockey jersey, simple, clean, and elegant. Here's a closer look at it. The thing that does it for me on this one is that the maple leaf is detailed. I like that because now it just seems too modern, and they're one of the only original six teams to make such a drastic logo change (and by drastic in the original six, I mean minor). On a side note, I found a very representative concept logo of the team's current state-- shattered.These jerseys just say classic hockey to me.

Andy: The Leafs always had nice jerseys, but these do the trick for me. The knock on the Leafs jerseys is that blue and white can look a bit bland alone, but on these it works pretty nicely, maybe thanks to a darker blue than on some of their more recent ones. The striping is, like on most of the jerseys I like, pretty nice and discrete, giving life to the jersey, without being imposing in any way. And the old logo, with more detail than the new one, is really beautiful. It's a classic look. The leaf with the team name on it. I get nostalgic just looking at it. The tieable threads in the neck are nice too. This jersey is everything hockey nostalgia is about. Funnily enough it is also the last jersey the Leafs won a cup in.

9. Hawks current home:

Doug: Again, with the hated teams. It's hard to hate on a team that steals our color scheme, so I guess that's why they made it in (similarities much?). All joking aside, these are pretty sweet. They have the classic look to them, and they have the bold colors that make a great jersey. You can't deny that red is the best color for a hockey team, it just screams intensity. You can really see the deepness of the red in this picture of Jonathan Toews. It's just too bad Chicago has to wear them.

Andy: It pains me to say this, but the Hawks have some pretty fucking sweet jerseys. The red might not be as nice as the Wings' red, but it still is beautiful. The striping is yet agains simple, and complimenting the red. I am usually skeptical towards black with red, but here it kinda works. This is another jersey that takes a classic design and keeps it classic, while also making it look modern. Which I really love. And as much as I despise their logo, it is undeniably nice. It is detailed, but in a way that isn't busy. It is easily the best Indian logo in pro sports. Is the logo racist? Maybe, but we're not discussing that here. I think this is a really nice jersey and I hate that our rivals get to wear it.

10. Coyotes current third:

Doug: Mind you, I grew up in Arizona watching teams skate around in Picasso jerseys with a horrific mix of purple, forest green, maroon, tan, black, you name it, I think every color was in there. So I appreciate the simplicity. This one beats their home/away jerseys easily because of my conspiracy theory-- the Coyotes re-branded so it would be less embarrassing when the Wings come to town, a lot less obvious with red as one of their colors. So, by default, anything that looks better than those jerseys-- a classic with a new logo slapped on-- get a vote in my book. They say southwest, and they're modern looking. Perfect for a team that is trying to re-position itself.

Andy: This one is a big "meh" for me. Black, white and burgundy works decently enough, but it's not a beautiful scheme in any way (not ugly either). The striping is simple, but not that elegant. It's a bit busy and it just feels a bit off to me, though yet again, they aren't that bad. The logo is nice enough. Not tacky in any way, though not beautiful or scary either. Just a simple coyote. Which is okay. I hate the fact they have two different shoulder patches though. Looks bad. Anyway, I have no feelings about this one. It is okay, no less, no more.

Honorable mentions:

Doug: I am personally a fan of the Blackhawks' Winter Classic jerseys, something about the colors I really like, that and the less-flamboyant logo. I'm also a big fan of the Flyers' classic look, and the Islanders old alternates. Something about the orange really looks nice on the ice. Finally, I really enjoy both the Kings' and 'Canes' current alternates, the black jerseys are clean, and a nice contrast to their "everyday looks."

Andy: I don't know why, but the Wild's third jersey looks nice to me. The deep forest green fits the name and is a really nice look. It's really a pretty beautiful colour. The white works well with it and the striping is of the simple, non-imposing sort that I love so much. The logo isn't exciting, but it is elegant. I also like the nice, simple design of the 76-77 Cleveland Barons, though the logo is a bit weird and it looks a bit minor league-ish. The current Caps one is also a nice and elegant design.

A big thanks to Hockey Uniforms Database for making this search a lot less exhausting.

Randy Moss: Divin' Off the Deep End

2010-11-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

The wide receiver: typically the most vocal player on the team, and has a lot of swagger. Randy Moss: idiot.

All that was on TV this morning was Randy Moss' comments and how the Vikings somehow (and to my pleasant surprise) are tied with the Lions at 2 wins and 5 losses. The last thing a coach wants is a distraction when your team has fallen off the deep end mentally, and are one of two teams that are consistently mentioned as respective "failures" this year.

Randy Moss made sure he was a distraction this week. A few quotes from him:

"...Alright. I really haven't had a chance to talk to the guys, so this is no disrespect to the Minnesota Vikings and their organization. The captains, Wilfolk, Tommy Boy, Mayo, Kevin Faulk, man I miss them guys, man, I miss the team. It was hard for me to come here and play..."

"...The bad part about it, is you have six days to prepare for a team, and on the seventh day, that Sunday, meaning today, I guess they come over and say, 'Dag Moss, I guess you was right about a couple plays and a couple schemes they were going to run.' And it hurts as a player, that you put a lot of hard work in during the week, and at the end of the week, Sunday, when you get on the field, that's when they acknowledge about the hard work that you put in throughout the week. That's actually a disappointment..."

"...But like I said, they played a good game. I wish we could have had that three at the end of the half. Maybe it could have been different. Maybe not. I don't know how many more times I'm going to be up here in New England, but I'm going to leave the New England Patriots, Coach Belichick, man, with a salute. Man, I love you guys. I miss you. I'm out."

Say what? Is this guy for real? I really don't blame Childress and the Vikings for dumping Moss on his sorry butt after this press conference. I also cannot think of a better way to be a team distraction than to go up onto the podium, and verbally fellate the team that just beat you. I don't care if you loved the team, city, fans etc. You don't do that.

So now the question becomes (and ESPN's discussion for the next month), where's Randy off to next? An even bigger question I'm asking now is, who even wants him? Here's the criteria for a team that would fit Moss in my mind:

Doesn't need a receiver
Doesn't play the Patriots for the rest of the year (obvious reasons)
Has the money to afford the contract
Already has drama-causing players
Is not the Vikings, Patriots, or Lions (I would die if we signed him)
Can put up with a player who puts in 50%, 80% of the time.

That's a lot of criteria, and most of it makes for a messy situation. But would you want Moss on your beloved team? He's proven to be a cancer in recent history, and he's finally paying for it. Watch his highlights from yesterday's game; the guy doesn't try if he's not happy. He barely ran yesterday, and got 8 yards on the day. That's an embarrassing performance from a "top tier" NFL receiver.

I read an article listing ten teams that may be interested in acquiring Moss through the waiver wire or free agency. Here's the list:

Colts
Patriots
Chiefs
Redskins
Seahawks
Chargers
Titans
Bears
Dolphins
Rams

Okay, looking at that list (not sure if it's sheer guessing or substantiated), there's not a team on it that even needs a guy like Moss. They're all respectable at the very least in the passing game, and pretty much none of them need the headache. Talk about some culture mismatches: Colts, Chiefs, Redskins, Seahawks, Chargers, Titans, Bears, Dolphins, and Rams all can do without the celebrity hype that Moss brings. Many of them are young teams that don't need the distraction. New England he tried once, and it obviously didn't work.

So what's Randy to do? Easy answer: retire. But he's not going to do that, he's too strong-willed to do so. After yesterday, the best option for him is to re-focus and get his crap together. It can be done-- look at Mike Williams. The real question is going to be whether or not Moss can bring himself to change his act. If Moss can do that, I think he's got quite a few years ahead of him as a successful wideout. If he can't, I think we're seeing the beginnings of a dying star. Let's just hope he gets out before it's too late-- unlike Brett Favre.

Game Balls: Win #2

2010-10-31T16:41:00.000-07:00

Yeah, something I wanted to do all season but really didn't pay to much attention to, because of all the, uh, losing. But today was a different game. I liked what I saw, and really, a lot of guys played their best games of the season today. Let's hand out some game balls:

Defense:
Defensive Line- Suh played possessed today-- the touchdown at the end was just a cherry on top. He was in McNabb's face all day, getting consistent pressure without a blitz. Avril sealed the first "last" drive with a huge sack. Vanden Bosch was in McNabb's face early and often, and both he and Avril contributed to the game-sealing forced fumble.

Offense:Matt Stafford- Sure, he had an average day, with a few bad throws. What do you expect from a guy who sat out 7 weeks, only one of which he could throw in? The kid played his butt off today, and he avoided the rush nicely. Keep in mind- he doesn't even have a full season's worth experience yet. That's right, 12 games. Not to shabby for the kid, eh? Also noteworthy: he's been responsible for at least one TD in every game he's started in his career-- except for week one in Chicago.

Calvin Johnson- What else do I need to say? 3 TDs and he was a force out there. I noticed how angry the secondary was getting with him, because Stafford could just throw it up and he'd come down with it. Says a lot for your team when you can come in from a 7 week off period and toss up 3 easy TDs-- if I were a QB I'd envy Stafford having Megatron to throw to.
Overall:Kevin Smith- Sure, he didn't score. But he played like he wanted his job back today. I can think of specific plays where he ripped off big gains that should've been nothing, but he somehow got 10 yards out of it. The play that stuck in my mind though, was the play where he cut down Baker and Haynesworth on a blitz to save Stafford and allow him to get a 1st down toss to Johnson. That's the kind of unselfish play that makes this a great team.

Mike Shanahan- He should get the biggest game ball of them all for putting Grossman out there with the game on the line. I really don't know if something was hurt on Donovan, but I didn't see any trainers around him. You leave a guy on the bench for 58:40, and then suddenly throw him in because your starter threw an INT? Bad coaching, and (fortunately for us) it cost them the game. From the looks of it, Shanahan just wanted to give us the game-- that or he's delusional.

Osgood Gets #398

2010-10-31T15:43:00.000-07:00

There's something to be said for the guy. I'm happy for him. I grew up playing some form of hockey until I left for college, and every time I played goalie, I was the kid shouting "Osgood!" when I made a big save. He's the goat in Detroit lately, and I really don't see why, other than people are just taking uneducated stabs at whoever they can.

I'm not going to get into an autobiography, that's what Wikipedia is for. I just thought I'd voice my appreciation for the Wings' backbone, and really one of our best players in my lifetime. He's consistently posted a save percentage of around 90%, and has been one of the best backups in the NHL when he's been a backup.

I get that we're always looking for a reason to complain, find a culprit, whatever. But Chris Osgood is a great guy, and has been a part of the franchise for a long time-- even when he was in New York or St. Louis, I knew he'd be back.

He may be getting older, but he is still a capable goalie, and he is certainly not the reason we've been in close games this season. I'm looking at you defense.

Congratulations to Chris Osgood, one of the class acts in our organization, on win number 398. I'll be rooting hard for you for every win that is to come-- you deserve it.

What to Expect: Week 8

2010-10-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

Last week, bye week. The week before, loss at the Giants, Shaun Hill broke his arm, and yet again penalties killed us. Calvin Johnson had a monster game, and Drew Stanton filled in for Hill pretty well considering the circumstances. The penalties have got to stop though. 91 yards, those are yards we're giving to either their defense to stop us, or their offense to score on us. 2 fumbles and 1 INT aren't so hot either, but since it was a sloppy game, I'll ignore those for now.

This week, we face the Redskins. And for once, there is a gaping hole in a team that favors us. The Redskins are second-last in the NFL against the pass. We're 7th in the NFL in passing offense, and are returning one of the best young-guns in the NFL this week. That being said, with Deangelo Hall's destruction of the Bears' passing game last week (classic Jay Cutler), this could prove to be a much closer game than most people think.

The Redskins have the classic case of being able to put up 400 yards in a game, but only score 10 points. I don't know how they do it so consistently, but it has hurt them this season. One might say turnovers, but they have the best margin in the NFL with +8 (Lions are 6th with +1). A closer look reveals two things: McNabb has thrown 7 INTs to 6 TDs, and Graham Gano is only hitting 72.2% of his field goals this season-- in other words, they're having trouble converting.

To the Lions, this should be a good sign, because this is where they seemingly were last year, and no longer are. We'll see this week with Stafford, but the team has been firing on all cylinders this year, in spite of a misleading 1-5 record. If the defensive front can generate pressure, and the secondary can continue to hold up, this game can go the Lions' way.

Key Matchups:

Calvin Johnson vs. Deangelo HallI'd be crazy not to mention this matchup. Clearly, Johnson is a favorite among Lions QBs, and he's going to have a hungry cornerback on him this week. If I'm coach Schwartz, I'm running at least one hitch and go with a pump-fake on the hitch to test Hall early. He had 4 picks last week, he's cocky, he'll bite.
Jeff Backus vs. His ConscienceYes, I went there. The kid's back this week, and Backus better stay off his back if he wants to keep his job (and his head in Detroit). Stafford has consistently been hit since he came to Detroit (causing "expert analysts" to call him injury prone), but it needs to stop soon. Backus needs to focus, play his butt off, and keep Stafford healthy. When you're guarding your QB's blindside, you have to be on your A game.

Predictions

Alright, the team is finally going to be mostly healthy this week, which means that we'll get to see what the Lions are actually made of. A week off is just what the doctor ordered, and I can honestly see this being a favorable matchup for the Lions as long as we execute the game plan and limit costly penalties. I think Matt Stafford is going to go off this week, I don't want to sound overly optimistic, but he was shredding teams in the preseason, and was playing really well before he got hurt in week 1. Let's hope that trend continues.

I can also see Ryan Torain running all over us, but the return of a healthy Levy may help prevent that-- either way Torain isn't going to carry that team, he's not a 3 TD kind of back like AP. McNabb should see a lot of pressure, and I think Cunningham will bring a lot of blitzes his way. If he doesn't, we're in trouble. McNabb doesn't get rattled on 3 or 4 man rushes like a rookie would. The way to force him to make mistakes is to get quick pressure early and often, beat him up a little, and he'll start hurrying and making mistakes

Overall, I think this Lions team has a good chance to get some more impressive wins this year, especially with a healthy Stafford. I think this week counts as one of those weeks.

Lions 31, Redskins 24

Ranking the Worst Jerseys of the NHL: International Edition

2010-10-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

Andy (from Fight Night at the Joe, and Norway) and I decided that the NHL really has a bevy of horrible jerseys, and has had quite a few in the entire history of the league. The next logical step? Make our top lists and humiliate the teams, obviously. The scoring scale went like this: our top vote got 10 points, second got 9, etc. Andy did the math for us, and here's the list of our (least) favorites:

1. Predators 2001-2007 (Third Jersey)

Sabre-toothed tiger? Spicy brown mustard? We've got your jersey.

Doug: On the plus side, you can spill spicy mustard from your hot dog on it and not notice. The logo itself was okay, but from the horrible olivy-mustard color of the jersey, to the awkward stripes on the cuffs, this thing was just hideous. It reminds me of a standard color for an AMC Pacer, and no, that's not a good thing. I'm glad they ditched this monstrosity, but they really just need a new logo altogether.

Andy: Seriously. What kinda of shit were they on when they designed this? This is easily the ugliest jersey that has ever seen NHL ice time (seeing as this piece for the Blues is even worse, but Mike Keenan vetoed it, so it was never used). What makes this jersey so terrible is the colouring. Look at it! Black is okay, the silver isn't terrible, but seems a little pimp for an NHL jersey. And the mustard yellow? Looks like puke. Or something worse. It's the most horrendous colour in the world. And they decided to use it is a the main colour. To top it all off, they chose a bad, less intimidating version of the already terrible sabre tooth tiger as the logo. This jersey is pure fucking epic terrible in every way. It's so tacky it hurts. Kinda fitting for a city that calls itself Smashville.

2. Islanders 1995-1997

MMMMM, Fishsticks.

Doug: "Trust the Gorton's fisherman" should've been their team motto for these two years. Two things: I hate teal on NHL jerseys, and what's with the wavy names and numbers? Teal should never be on an NHL jersey (looking at you San Jose, at least Anaheim got the hint). Awkward, ugly, femme: these are a disgrace of epic proportions towards NHL tradition in jerseys.

Andy: What on earth were the Islanders thinking when they decided to throw out the jerseys they were known for and won Stanley Cups in, and exchange them with these in 1995? Yeah, I get it, you're from and island. Island people fish. You play hockey. So putting Gorton's fisherman with a hockey stick in front of a goal is a good idea then? Not exactly. It might be the most ridiculed logo in NHL history. And it is by far the worst jersey to ever make it as a team's home/away jersey. To make matters worse they introduced an awful shade of teal to their colours. Teal is NEVER a good idea and here it even clashes with the other colours. And the striping... I get that they are supposed to be waves and a mix of waves and a sailor's collar on the top, but they make me sea sick. People on Long Island should thank God every day for their team realizing their mistake and getting rid of these.

3. Lightning 1992-2007

If I didn't know any better, I'd think they're both laughing at these things.

Doug: And there's a special emphasis on the 1996-1999 3rd jerseys. The look like minor league team jerseys, but my biggest gripe is the logo. Both fonts look like Windows '97 default fonts, and the logo was created using the "futuristic" 3D feature with WordArt. Don't even get me started on the lightning sleeves and black/grey sprinkle jersey. It's like they were inspired by an 80's biker gang, and then they just did whatever the hell they wanted with the rest of the jersey.

Andy: I'm gonna be honest here. The reason these are so far up on the list is Doug had them in first place on his ballot. They aren't in my top 10. They are bad, but not that bad. That said, there is a lot to criticize here. Matted black, blue and white aren't colours that are horrible together, but it's not fresh in anyway. It is boring and kinda stale in a way. The logo is okay enough, but pretty boring too. And everything is so square and linear. These are just really fucking boring! They are not even 90s tacky! The only tacky (and terrible) things about them are the weird victory stripes underneath the arms and the awful lightning on the side of their pants. The new Rebook jerseys are definitely much fresher than these, but still not good. Still, I don't think these are anywhere near top 3 on this list, but they are bad.

4. Seals 1974-1976

So many things wrong with this picture.

Doug: Again with the teal. And yellow? And white. Someone never learned what contrast was. Quick, open paint and draw yellow, cyan, and white lines. Hurts your eyes, huh? Imagine watching that on skates for 60 minutes a night. I really don't know what you're thinking when you decide on a team's colors being 3 colors that do not contrast each other. It's like making the team's colors black, forest green, and navy blue (except that would be less of a headache).

Andy: My eyes! I don't even know what the name of this colour is. I guess it is a blue with a little teal in it, but I bet there is a fancy name. The seals had finally gotten rid of the Seal logo that looked like a bird. And then they go with this. The logo is boring as hell, just the name written in slightly weird lettering. But the colours... I just wanna poke my eyes out.

5. Dallas 2003-2006 (Third Jersey)

Poor Marty, Poor Dallas.

Doug: Okay, being a creative mind, I can see where this idea was going. Not only was it horribly executed, it also got it's most publicity from Marty Turco being destroyed by Pavel Datsyuk. So for that reason, I love it. The constellation, cool idea (although not for a jersey). The bull, representative of Dallas, okay. the red shooting star on the right horn? Pushing it. So what do they do? Put it all on one jersey. It's like they had 15 ideas and said, "screw it, let's use them all."

Andy: The legendary Mooterus! I get it. You're from Texas and Texas has the Longhorns and there are Rodeos and stuff. But still, you are the Stars and a bull has nothing to do with that. And then, by adding some sort of star constellation to it it really ended up looking like a uterus. Add a shooting star and you might have the worst logo of all time. Green, red and black isn't an especially delicious colour scheme either. And the slight hint of gold makes it perfectly awful. It's not exactly hard to understand why this was scrapped.

6. Kings 1995-1996 (Third Jersey)

Couldn't find many images of the team in this. Maybe they caught on?

Doug: I really don't know what was going through NHL jersey designers this year. It was a terrible year for 3rd jerseys. This one, though, stands alone as the worst. The swoops, the Burger King logo (although we'd have to give Burger King crap for stealing the Kings idea, imagine that), and Windows '95 numbers really don't make this thing look like a composed idea. It's half MS Paint creation, half baseball jersey.

Andy: I had this third on my list and it could easily have made number one. There is nothing right about this jersey at all. The Kings have had many really bad jerseys, but this one is mindblowing. Let's start with the colours. White, grey, purple and gold. First of all, white and grey is really boring, and the use of different shades of grey is just tacky. And the throwback purple and yellow were never a good idea anyway and it really clashes with the boringness of the other colours. Then, the striping. Asymetrical, weird striping. It's not even the same on each arm! It makes this jersey look terribly busy. And when you top it off with the king from Burger King as the logo, well then you have a jersey so terrible it is shockin that Wayne Gretzky ever wore it. But then again, he did go on to coach a hockey team in fucking Phoenix, so his judgement might not be the best on earth.

7. Thrashers 2008-2010 (Third Jersey)

Face removed for safety.

Doug: The red was smart, but the Thrashers have never had good jerseys. And then they made these ones with the basketball numbers on the front. The heads on the shoulders... the socks... the... just everything is ugly. I swear, these are like hokey versions of the Hawks' jerseys. It's just a design that does not belong in hockey.

Andy: Another one that wasn't on my list, but that is pretty bad. The colouring on these, a kind of burgundy I guess isn't the worst, but I don't think it is the best idea for a hockey jersey. And the fact the only logo they use is THRASHERS written in a "cool" font and then they have the jersey number under, is pretty boring. Leave that too football jerseys. I'm not a big fan of the shoulder logos either, but what bothers me about these jerseys is the striping. There are so many stripes. In so many directions. It looks way too busy. But at least it doesn't have the weird thing where one arms is different like the home jersey has.

8. Coyotes 1998-2003 (Third Jersey)

Wishes he was in Winnipeg.

Doug: Okay, Andy really didn't like this one. Maybe I was numbed, living in AZ. I liked them when they came out, but I think that's because the regulars were so hideous. Now when I look at it, I laugh. The desert scape thing on the sleeves and waist... Just wow. The head logo was okay, but the rest was just tacky, and very what I like to call "stereotypical Arizona."

Andy: I had these pretty high up on my list. I mean, the original home and away jerseys were bad enough, but this one, this one is pure fucking horrible. Let us start with the logo. The simple head might actually be better than the full Coyote logo of the original home and away jerseys. It is still very weird, square and Picasso-esque in a bad way. And the close-up emphasizes the weird eyes of the Coyote. On to the colours: A very dull green, orange-brown, black and purple. Does this sound like a good idea for a colour scheme to you? Anyone? What really makes this sweater though is the extremely tacky desert scenes. Why? WHY?? Cacti and a tacky full moon! That screams HOCKEY! I don't wanna know what drugs the people who designed and approved this were on.

9. Flames 1998-2006 (Away/Third Jersey)

Logo design fail.

Doug: That horse thing, I never understood it. I understand the motive, since they're the Flames, but go with a more, uh, normal looking horse thing. Maybe a mustang, a unicorn? Anything would look better. Then again, Calgary has never been one know for their jersey designs, and this year it isn't going to change.

Andy: The Flames always had bad colour schemes, but the orangey red, black and orangey yellow on these are as good as any other Flames jersey. But still bad. What makes this jersey so bad though, is the ridiculous horse with a flamey mane and flames breathing out of its nostrils. A HORSE THAT BREATHES FIRE! COOL! Uh.. no.

10. Canucks 1978-1986

Watch for cars, children.

Doug: Man oh man. These things leave me speechless. It's like the Canucks let school crossing guard ladies make their uniforms using construction vests and the most literal uniform symbol ever (the V). And yet, somehow I find myself liking these for the novelty factor (much like the Houston Astros throwbacks).

Andy: Black, red and yellow. It screams and burns your eyes. And to imagine how long the Canucks held on to this colour scheme. It's amazing. Combine that with the V-thingy on the front that is in fact NOT a v-neck and the lack of a proper logo up front and you have a truly terrible hockey jersey.

Dishonorable Mentions

Doug:

Buffalo 2010-? (Third Jersey)

Weird font and awkward road lines. Yuck.

Another horrible baseball-esque jersey. The stripes give me a headache, and the logo is just old western-looking. I was okay with the royal blue throwbacks last year, but these are just ugly. It concerns me that someone came up with something this ugly in 2010, and actually let the team wear it on the ice.

All Star Jerseys (Everything but 2002-2003)

Look at all the stars! Get it?

I don't know who designs these things, but it leads me to think that it was Gary Bettman the entire time. Click here (scroll to bottom on the left) for a look at all of them.

Also: The Hamilton Tigers of 1924 make me dizzy with this little number, pretty much everything by the New York Americans, especially this, and some of the worst All Star jerseys ever. Also, what the hell was Anaheim thinking? Oh yeah, they weren't.

Andy:

Every damn teal jersey of the Sharks. The colour is so bad. The Canucks 95-97 third jerseys were based on the horrible black, red and yellow ones with the boring round logo on. And then that colour scheme? Barf. The Penguins baby blue Winter Classic jerseys are the most feminine and least intimidating I have ever seen on ice. Laughable. And last, but not least, a shoutout to the Pittsburgh Pirates' 1929 logo which looks like it was made in MS paint.

We're doing a top 10 best jerseys soon, stay tuned.
Special thanks to NHLUniforms.com for making this ranking a lot easier.

Big Ten Roundtable: Midseason Edition

2010-10-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

1. Who's going to win the Big Ten?

Joe: While I'd love for it to be Wisconsin, the way I see it playing out has Michigan State firmly in the driver's seat.

Norm: This is set up perfectly for Iowa-every big game for the Hawkeyes is at home the rest of this season, starting this weekend with the Badgers coming to town off an emotional win over that team from the Worst State Ever.

Doug: MSU. As long as Dantonio keeps us on track, Iowa is beatable, and Penn State isn't nearly the threat they seemed to be at the beginning of the season. I'm just concerned that we'll pull a "same old Spartans move." I don't think that's this year's team though.

2. Where is your team at now compared to what you expected from their season?

Joe (Wisconsin): About where I thought they'd be. I'd flip the loss to Ohio State from Michigan State, but other than that, we're just about where I expected.

Norm (Michigan): Right where I thought they would be-on a course for 7-5.

Doug (Michigan State): I would be lying to you if I said that I expected to be 7th in the initial BCS standings. I figured we'd be competitive, but not this competitive. Regardless, I'm happy about the way the season has played out so far.

3. Who gets your Heisman vote?

Joe: I'd give the Heisman to whoever can keep Oregon from wearing those bright yellow jersies. Seriously, though, Darron Thomas wins the thing if Oregon stays unbeaten.

Norm: Oregon RB LaMichael James. As much as I'd love to keep Denard Robinson up here I can't do it. It's still possible for Shoelace to pull it off but he'll need some extraordinary performances (and stealing a win or two where one isn't expected) to get there.

Doug: I still can't believe people are ignoring Kellen Moore. A, his team's undefeated. B, have you seen his numbers? 16 TDs to 1 INT? That is inhuman. He's been shunned for 3 years, it's about time the kid gets the nod. He's a hell of a QB.

4. If you had to pick one, scariest place to play?

Joe: Michigan. I saw our collective, uh, guts shrivel the moment something went wrong there, and we caved in way too easily to a 3-9 team the last time I was there.

Norm: Columbus, OH-biggest collection of boorish fans (I'm being nice) in college sports (I've gotten into a fight every single time I've been there for a game), but they make the 'Shoe one of the loudest and most intimidating venues for a game. To quote Star Wars, "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." In the movie, Obi Wan Kenobi was talking about Mos Eisley spaceport but I know better. He meant Columbus.

Doug: Since I'm not confined to the Big 10, I'm going to go with Oregon. OSU easily for the Big Ten, but I think the Autzen Zoo is a madhouse, and Oregon plays like a machine while they're there. Not to mention all that yellow, it's blinding.

5. Which ESPN Gameday analyst bothers you most?

Joe: Kirk Herbstreit. Every time I see him, I just chuckle and remember that we beat them in Ohio when our team was still getting out of the crater that was the Don Morton experience.

Norm: Lee Corso. I'd say Chris Fowler here but he doesn't really qualify as an analyst.

Doug: As I discussed in my Big Ten report card, it's clearly Kirk Herbstreit. He's got a BFF Club that he only talks about every Saturday, and the president is Terrelle Pryor. How about talking about someone else for a change?

An Open Letter to Sherri Thornhill of Associated Content

2010-10-22T18:08:00.000-07:00

Many of you read her post, and I hate to give her more traffic, but you guys need to read it too. Here she is.

Miss Thornhill:

It has come to my attention through your amazingly written list of "why you hate the Red Wings," that you do, in fact, hate the Red Wings. Since I am the "obnoxious, octopus-throwing" type of fan, I decided to just give you a little insight into why we are the greatest team in the NHL, and that your points are... invalid. Before I start though, don't credit Dallas with the creation of "Dead Wings," Detroit came up with that in the 15 years between 1967 and 1982 (11 years before your team was even in Dallas, mind you).

1. Mike Modano plays for the Red Wings. He sure does. Don't hate us, hate your team. You said it yourself-- Dallas didn't want to resign him. That's not our fault. Ken Holland knows what he's doing, so he picked up Modano. I attribute this mostly to jealousy.

2. The Red Wings are not the Yankees of the NHL. I don't know if you come from a place where they have this thing called a "farm system" and "scouts," but we have them in Detroit, and we utilize them. Let's run down the list of players that we "bought" that won us championships:

Steve Yzerman- drafted as a Red Wing in 1983, retired a Wing in 2006. Longest tenure as an NHL captain ever.
Nicklas Lidstrom- drafted as a Red Wing in 1989, still plays for us. 6 Norris trophies.
Brendan Shanahan- traded to the Red Wings in 1996, won three Stanley Cups with the Red Wings.
Chris Osgood- drafted as a Red Wing in 1992, still plays for us. 10th in all-time wins as a goaltender, 2 William M. Jennings trophies.
Kirk Maltby- acquired in a trade in 1995. 4 Stanley Cups, over 1,000 career games in a Wings uniform.
Kris Draper- traded to the Red Wings for a dollar. Yes, a dollar. over 1,000 career games in a Wings uniform, 4 Stanley Cups.
Henrik Zetterberg- selected 210th overall in the 1999 draft. Yes, that means the Stars passed on him multiple times. 2 Stanley Cups. Lowest drafted player to win a Conn Smythe.
Pavel Datsyuk- selected in the 6th round of the 1998 draft. Again, the Stars passed on him. 2 Cups, 4 Lady Byngs, 3 Selkes.

Need I really continue? If you watch hockey, you know the "big dollar signings" Detroit completed really have nothing to do with our success. We draft well, and utilize the AHL well. Again, jealousy. Notice how every single one of those players have more Cups than the Stars? And we didn't "pay big bucks" to sign a single one.

3. We are arrogant.We are ass holes. We donate time and energy to the surrounding community. Our owner donates time and significant amounts of money to help rebuild the community. Nick Lidstrom is the meanest guy you'll ever meet. Same with Steve Yzerman. They've never done anything nice. Get off your high horse, lady. These guys are class-acts that play for a class-act organization. They're not smug, they're confident and respectful-- then again I could see that coming off as rude to someone with such a huge inferiority complex.

4. We play boring hockey? We play fundamentally sound is what I think you meant to say. Sure, we don't score from our rear-ends like Ovechkin, or play in shootouts every other night like the Coyotes, but we win by playing sound hockey. Boring to you is exciting to people who understand the game. We hit, but there are more important things in the game of hockey, like "winning." Ask Marty Turco, we can play exciting.

5. Our fans, they're horrible aren't they? We do things like pass tradition down from generation to generation (i.e. the octopus, which I guarantee you have no idea what it stands for without using Wikipedia), and support our team. We travel to support them-- how horrible. You can call us "wannabe hockey fans" but the fact remains, we've been able to keep a team in a failing economy for how many years? Fans generate revenue, revenue keeps a team where it's supposed to be. You should be thankful for teams without fans, it's the only reason you have the Stars.

Alright, so in conclusion, Miss Thornhill, you have this thing called an inferiority complex. As a fellow blogger, I'm sure you can appreciate the use of numbers and factual statements to back up your opinions, as I have done here. I understand that the Stars may have great fans, but you just did them all a disservice by disrespecting (albeit rather poorly) the best hockey franchise in the history of the United States.

I'll go ahead and preemptively accept your apology, seeing as how it must have been a mistake.

Hockey: Can It Really Work In Phoenix?

2010-10-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

I've been hard on the Coyotes lately, and I think it's time to clear something up: it's nothing personal, it's just such an underdeveloped market and fan base. With that being said, can hockey continue to exist in a market like Phoenix?

My short answer: it can, and I hope it does.

The Coyotes entered a market loaded with baseball (spring training) and basketball fans. Football was horrible at the time, and half the state didn't even know what hockey was (let alone an ice rink). Why do the sports we cared about matter? I would qualify baseball and basketball as a "low-contact" sport, and football as "high-contact." People weren't used to (or interested in, for that matter) fast-paced, hard-hitting sports in Phoenix at the time.

It's so much more than that, though. Behind the scenes of every professional sports franchise, there are the people that bring you closer to the team: the marketers.The Coyotes have never had a significant market presence in this state in my opinion, but I think there's a logical explanation for that. Phoenix is one of the most crowded markets in the United States in terms of message delivery. Allow me to explain:

For those of you who have never taken a marketing course, there are (now, debatably) 4 P's of marketing. Price, Product, Promotion, and Place. These are the four things that you are responsible for, and need to focus on in marketing. Up until recently, the Coyotes were failing miserably in all 4 areas, now it's just 3-- AKA still failing horribly. Their product-- the team-- has improved dramatically, and they are making tremendous strides in the right direction talent-wise. They have one of the best head coaches and goaltenders in the NHL.

That being said, let's cover price. The Coyotes knowingly jack up their ticket prices when big teams come to town-- which is all fine and dandy-- but it says something about your fan base when the crowd is almost entirely the colors of the opposition (read: Detroit Red Wings fans). This brings me to my next point, price elasticity of demand. Fans are finicky, now more than ever. When you're developing a fan base, the last thing you want to do is toy with that elasticity within the markets you're advertising to-- meaning people respond dramatically to a change in price when they've got elastic demand for the product. If you want fans in the stands for the big games, keep ticket prices the same all year round, and keep them affordable. and $55 for upper-level seating is not "affordable."

Promotion. This is probably the biggest hurdle the Coyotes have to metaphorically jump. First off, I find the marketing plan for this season to be a bit (how could I phrase this nicely)... dull, uninspired, and confusing. "Don't Blink" not only invites criticisms from other fan bases (insert Winnipeg joke here), but it needs a lot of explaining to make sense. I get the idea: hockey is a fast paced sport, and if you blink, you may miss something exciting. Anatomically speaking, it's impossible to miss something in the game of hockey within the time it takes to blink your eye, but that's beside the point. At first glance, most people wonder "what the heck is that supposed to mean?" And that's exactly what you don't want from a marketing campaign.

Secondly in terms of promotion is the market they're advertising in: one of the most densely crowded advertising markets in the United States. Let's take a look at a diagram of marketing communication:

Information source is the person sending the message, with transmitter being their media for sending it (internet, TV, radio, etc.). Receiver is what the destination (end consumer) receives the message on. What's noise, though? Noise is a fancy term for "other companies and advertisements," and that's where the Coyotes have an issue. A, they're fighting with huge corporations for one of the largest media markets in the States just to get some exposure; B, have you driven on a freeway in Phoenix? Billboards won't work; and C, they're the 2nd youngest team in this city, and the only one without a recent legitimate title run-- bandwagon or not, this generates fans through media exposure.

Place is another bad one for the Coyotes. Don't get me wrong, Jobing.com Arena is beautiful-- but it's an hour away from the Coyotes' fan base-- yet another no-no for a team growing a following. There's not much else you can say about it, it's a bad location for a team thirsty for fans.

Bottom line in terms of their marketing-- they've got some work to do. It's going to take time, but in the long run (as long as they stay in Phoenix, anyway), it will be worth the investment. Phoenix has never been the diehard fanbase type of city, but the Coyotes have a lot of potential to get there. I've noticed more diehard fans at Coyotes games than any of the other 3 big teams out here when they were playing their worst.

Hockey generates crazy fans, it's the nature of the sport. Instead of trying to become the "next big thing" with abstract ideas and things that require thinking (leave that to the more established franchises), stick to the roots. Get people interested in the sport, show them that the experience is both fun and exciting, and stick your neck out there. The Coyotes have never really done anything that would be considered "risky" to gain public awareness. I think that's exactly what they need to be doing now.

They're fresh off a playoff push (which no one expected), and their following now is probably higher than it ever has been. The time to stimulate the market and encourage people to come to games is now. Use promotional strategy, they hire big marketing gurus to think of stuff like this. Me? A college student with a realistic approach to it, making $7.90 an hour.

So what's better? "Don't Blink," or generating a fan base that will understand "Don't Blink" in a few years?

The Coyotes can survive in Phoenix, they really can. But the biggest issue is going to be their ability to rise up and bring awareness to the market they reside in. Use coupons and incentives to come to games, like more "family packs" and giveaways. They're a cheap way to get numbers, but of the people that take up the offers, someone's going to enjoy it enough that they come back. What a novel concept!

In no way am I suggesting that this market can ever reach the likes of any of the Canadian teams, or Detroit, or Boston. But there is potential there, the Coyotes just have to tap it the right way-- and that's by starting with the basics.

Hockey in Phoenix can work. But it's going to depend on how the guys upstairs market the team-- sparkly and fancy? Or gritty, edgy, and exciting? For the sake of my sanity, and many others in this state, I hope hockey in Phoenix is around for a long time. This team deserves some loyal fans and some wins. The business-end has to do with one of them, make it happen.

Striking Out: The MLB Playoffs Aren't Exciting

2010-10-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

The title is misleading, I know. But what is the point of all major leagues in the US (besides making money)? The playoffs. Who has the worst playoff system in the history of sports? Baseball. And it's not just the fact that the Yankees make it every year, and that it's been ages since a team that is pretty good-- like Toronto-- made the playoffs. It's the fact that they play 162 games in a season, and 8 teams of the 32 make the playoffs.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but we're talking about the worst ratio in sports if I'm not mistaken.

NFL: 37.5%
NHL: 53.3%
NBA: 53.3%
MLB: 26.6%

The numbers above are the percentage of teams that make the playoffs in the league. Some may argue that letting too many teams into the playoffs is a bad thing, but how many 7 or 8 seeds give the "top teams" fits in their respective playoffs? Others may argue that the NHL and NBA let too many teams in, but we saw last year in the NHL playoffs how dangerous lower seeds can be.

I've always loathed the idea of baseball playoffs, really. I feel like they're drawn out, but there's practically no teams involved. 4 series, 2 series, 1 series. Less baseball, less excitement, but even more importantly-- less fan involvement. If Bud Selig thought it out, he'd see that the only reason baseball is as popular as it is is because of low ticket prices, and a massive number of games. The NHL and NFL have mde tremendous strides in closing up holes in their leagues and making them competitive and available to most of their fans.

Baseball is getting slower, more advertisement-drowned, and less competitive than its other 3 "big sport" competitors. It needs a big shift, and if that shift means splitting up the Yankees and Red Sox, so be it. They'll still play each other. Baseball "purists" need to face facts and realize that their game is falling behind in interest and competition, it won't survive long without some form of new interest, like more teams making the playoffs.

Think about it.

Excessive Celebration? Bring It Back Please.

2010-10-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, I saw a penalty this weekend that made me flip out. Unsportsmanlike, excessive celebration on Miles Austin of the Cowboys (more on the actual call in a minute). I hate Dallas, so I wasn't really complaining, and after all, they shoot themselves in the foot more than anyone I can think of (though the Lions have more total penalties on the year). Holding on the game winning TD in Washington? Mark Colombo's excessive celebration FTL the week prior to this one? They do it a lot. But that's not why I'm writing this. I'm writing this because the NFL is getting a little too serious about the "excessive" in excessive celebration. I understand that taunting is "unsportsmanlike," but come on-- their job is to catch a ball. How serious can your job be? (Thanks Daniel Tosh)

I say screw it. These guys are professional entertainers. This is a sport that fans watch to be entertained. Randy Moss mooning Lambeau? Classic. Steve Smith's canoe? Genius. T.O. serving dinner? Original. Joe Horn's cell phone call? Legendary. The point is, we remember a lot of these just as well as we remember "The Catch," or the "Immaculate Reception." Remember when Chad Ochocinco (or Johnson, as I still call him) would have a new celebration every week? Now we never see that. It's drop the ball, nod your head, chest bump, and go back to the sidelines. Yawn.

I want dances, I want role plays. I want the bowling ball celebration, or the team photo celebration. Is that so hard to ask, Roger Goodell? I love what the man has done with the NFL, I really do. He's turned it into a monster (in a good way) and it's finally taking over as America's #1 sport. But the celebrations, they've got to come back.

First, let's look at the penalty that was called Sunday. Excessive? No. Amazing, yes. Contrary to the official's call, the NFL's VP of officiating says the actual penalty was on Sam Hurd for signaling the other "Hook 'Em Horns" hand sign. The rule states that anyone coordinating a celebration can be flagged for excessive celebration-- so isn't the leapfrog a coordinated effort? Get the rules right, NFL.

Here's some of my all-time favorites:

Randy Moss with the classy move.
Steve Smith rows the boat.
Whatever the hell this is from Chad Johnson (Ochocinco).
How could you not like this one?
Joe Horn's legendary cell phone call.

You get the idea. We need this back as a part of football. Players are so constricted by rules and playbooks, it's like the one thing they get to do creatively on the field. Plus, it's super entertaining to watch, am I wrong?

A Journey Into the Coyotes Den

2010-10-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

Many of you have never had the experience of seeing the Red Wings in an away building, let alone in Phoenix. Over the years, I've gone to all but 2 regular season games against the Coyotes out here since they became a franchise. And over those years, I've noticed that the hostility towards Red Wings fans in general has grown. It's like a fan base with an avid inferiority complex-- sad really.

Last year was easily the worst. The team was winning, we destroyed them, and Coyotes fans were enraged. Someone shouted at me, "Hey! The Red Wings suck!" as I was leaving the building after the game, to which I replied (calmly): "11 to 0." I don't think he really understood the comment, because this was probably his first hockey game (like a majority of the people in the stands). Nonetheless, it confused him enough to shut him up.

I went to the game this Saturday expecting serious hostility, especially since there were fights in the crowd in the playoffs last year, and we knocked them out. To my surprise, I only heard one "go back to Detroit!" and not much else-- other than a few dirty looks.

Comedy moment of the night: it was fan trivia time, and a guy had a chance to win really "cool" prizes. The best question was: Which of the following players was a Vezina candidate last season? A. Ed Jovanovski B. Ilya Bryzgalov C. Shane Doan? Thankfully, he got it right. But if that question doesn't show you the difference in the level of hockey intellect between us and them, I don't know what will.

The game itself was kind of blah until the 3rd period. We gave up a crap goal after a huge save by Howard, then got one back on a fluke. There was practically no intensity until the overtime period with under two minutes left, when there was an interference call in front of the net (which was booed obviously, but a good call nonetheless) and then everyone broke out into fight. Who emerged from the heap? Pavel Datsyuk with his jersey off and over his head. That's two this year!

Then, Kronwall scored off that PP. I'll admit, I was cheering for the shootout, but Bryzgalov was playing lights out-- I'll take the win any day. In case you missed it, here's highlights.

But the real reason for writing this was as an ode to the lunacy that is the Phoenix Coyotes fan base. We know that there are always idiots in the stands during hockey games (there's always at least one Blackhawks fan in the crowd, anyway). Every time I'm in the stands at a Coyotes game, I am shocked at the things people cheer/boo over. I was chastised last spring for ripping on their IQ as a fan base, but seriously.

Crowd erupts in a yeaaaahhh--ohhhhh when someone is within 5 feet of the net on a shot. One guy had his daughter held up high, and she started climbing the glass during game one last year-- the officials literally had to stop the faceoff and tell him to get his daughter off the glass. But the lady next to me this Saturday, lord almighty.

Anyone out there watch South Park? This lady was the real life Miss Crabtree. Everything, I'm not kidding, she screamed at the top of her lungs. Even things that didn't make sense. Like the double minor for high sticking because it drew blood? "HE'S FAKING THE BLOOD! YOU SUCK REF!!" Could I make that up? Holmstrom stands in front of the crease to screen Bryzgalov? "THAT'S GOALIE INTERFERENCE! COME ON!! MAKE THE CALL!" Every time someone skated into the zone untouched, "COME ON, PUT A BODY ON HIM!!!"And I mean literally, every time.

So by the time we left, my voice was gone from screaming "JIMMAHH" and "Come on (insert made up hockey nickname here)!!" and my right ear was ringing from this crazy lady screaming into it.

I don't know how it sounded on TV, but when Kronwall scored the game winner, the arena erupted in cheers. People don't think about how many Michiganders live out here-- there's a reason why it's called the Joe Louis Arena of the Desert: because the Red Wings and their fans kick ass, no matter where they go.

What to Expect: Week 6

2010-10-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

It feels good to get the monkey off our backs and get that first win. Now that we've had time to enjoy it, we play one of our toughest games since the season starts-- thanks NFL. It was a big win for this organization, and it put our point differential per game at +2.8. Obviously, that doesn't translate to a winning record, but it shows that the team is turning the corner, and learning to make games close again.

Reason we won last week? No turnovers. When's the last time you could say that for this team? The penalties were still there (11 for 78 yards) and we were outgained on the ground, yet again. Shaun Hill played a solid game, and the defense looked possessed. They need to keep that going. Special teams helped too, and it's nice to see Logan finally pan out for us.

This week, we face a bipolar Giants team. It's hard to say which team will show up, but they've had two good weeks in a row, so I'm going to err on the side of caution and say they'll be good this week. They've beat two solid teams back to back, and Bradshaw is coming unto his own carrying the rock-- a bad sign for a Lions team that has given up 100+ yards to a single back in 3 of their 5 games. Their x-factor is going to be Eli Manning, who makes mistakes when he's pressured-- so getting in his face early and often is a huge key to this game for the Lions.

As for the Lions outlook this week, the loss of Calvin Johnson could be huge. The fact that he's a game-time decision concerns me. Instead of dwelling on yet another huge injury, let's look at the positives-- we're ranked 6th in the NFL in passing. I would've scoffed at that idea prior to this season. Hill has been a machine this year, and this week is going to be a big test for his decision making. The Giants defense has the best defense against the pass this year, and are 9th against the run-- this is going to be a big test for the Lions offense.

Key Matchups

Shaun Hill vs. Giants Secondary It goes without saying that Hill has torched mediocre secondaries all season. This team has possibly one of the best we'll play all season, and Hill needs to prove his worth. He needs to prove that his numbers are real, and that this Lions team has an offense that defensive coordinators finally have to worry about.
Eli Manning vs. Pass RushWe saw last week what Suh can do on the rush-- picking off Bradford's pass as he tried to get rid of the ball. Suh lined up outside next to KVB, and created pressure to generate yet another turnover. This kind of pass rush needs to happen if we're going to beat the Giants this week.

Predictions
The Lions obviously are heavy underdogs in this game, but that's nothing new to them. To go along with the +2.8 point differential, they are 4-1 against the spread (with the 1 loss coming from the huge win over St. Louis)-- meaning they are defying the odds this season, to everyone's surprise (and oddsmaker's chagrin). This is going to be their biggest test of the season.

I see the Giants winning this game, not handily, but by a few points. The Lions do have a chance though. If they can generate the turnovers from their defensive strength (the pass rush), and stop the run enough that it isn't a factor, they can win. Limiting turnovers and penalties helps too.

Unfortunately, given past experience with the team, I don't see them pulling this upset off. I can be optimistic, but it wouldn't be realistic. We're a year from being a legitimate contender, but this game could prove to the NFL that despite our 1-4 record, we're a force to be reckoned with. That's ultimately the point of this game, so I hope they can pull it off.

Lions 24 Giants 31

Big Ten Midseason Report Card

2010-10-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

It is (sadly) already the middle of the season, for most teams anyway. I forget how short college football season is. I thought I would break down the Big Ten season thus far, and give out some midseason awards.

Illinois
Grade: B+

They've played a hell of a season so far, one that includes a victory over the media-adored Penn State University, and they actually held Ohio State down-- and only lost by 11 to the #1 team in the country. Their biggest game of the season comes this week against Michigan State. We'll really see what they're made of this weekend.

Indiana
Grade: C

And the only reason they get a C on this report card is the fact that they hung with Michigan until the end. They haven't beaten anyone sizable, and they got reamed by Ohio State this last weekend. Chappell and Doss/Belcher make quite a nice trio for the Hoosiers, but they still have a lot of polishing to do-- and recruiting too-- before they're competitive.

Iowa
Grade: C+

C+ because they beat the overrated Nittany Lions, and lost to the tragically overrated Arizona Wildcats. I can't figure this team out. They're dominant against bad teams (obviously) and 50/50 against decent to good teams. You don't know which team Ferentz is going to put out on the field. C for the inconsistencies, + for the talent.

Michigan
Grade: A-

Don't get too cocky Michigan fans, I'm just impressed that they have a winning record this season. I'll admit, I had them losing to Connecticut, and Notre Dame-- but who would've predicted Denard Robinson would go from Drew Henson to Tom Brady (NFL-wise) in the offseason? No one. But we saw how dangerous it can be to rest your success on one guy last week (and no defense), and that's why they get the minus.

Michigan State
Grade: A+

I'd be crazy not to give them this grade. Has there been a more consistently stable team in the Big Ten this season? 3 of the first 4 games were garbage, but the heart-stopper from Dantonio, combined with wins over Wisconsin and Michigan (when everyone picked Michigan to win) are starting to get Sparty some notoriety across the country. If they beat Iowa and Penn State, assuming there are no hiccups, we could be looking at at least a share of the Big Ten title.

Minnesota
Grade: D-

There are only two gimme-games on their schedule thus far this season, and they lost the one they were most likely to win. They lost to an FCS school who isn't even that good in FCS. So why the D-? Two reasons, one is the reason we just discussed (1-5 overall), and the other is that they're drastically under-performing for the talent they have. Losing Eric Decker shouldn't translate to a bad team, and yet somehow it has.

Northwestern
Grade: B+

People never understand why I rate them so highly. They're a great football team. Not elite, but upset-worthy-- and in the Big Ten, that can have implications on the National Championship/Rose Bowl. They lost a heartbreaker to Purdue off (surprise!) Stefan Demos' foot, but other than that, they've played quite well this season, and they've put up a top-20 passing offense. If I'm a Big Ten team, I don't take these guys lightly-- they've got a lot of potential to go places this year.

Ohio State
Grade: B+

Let's be real here-- they haven't been tested, nor have they really impressed me. Miami was supposed to put up a fight, but Harris (Herbstreit's favorite under-achiever) threw away the game with 4 interceptions. If you don't win that game, you deserve to drop back down to FCS. Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan should give them a run for their money, but only time will tell.

Penn State
Grade: F

Beating Youngstown State by 30, squeaking by Temple, and shutting down Kent State don't qualify as a good start. Granted, they had no chance against Alabama, but Penn State should be putting up better numbers than tied for dead last in the Big Ten with Minnesota and Indiana. Come on, Joe Pa. Get your boys together, you have a better team than this.

Purdue
Grade: C

Another identity crisis. They're 3-2 with losses to Notre Dame and Toledo. Neither team is really that great, so I'm having a hard time finding where this team fits in the Big Ten, even though they're tied for 2nd right now. The bad teams they have played, they've barely beaten. So once the dust settles, I see them towards the bottom.

Wisconsin
Grade: B+

They've played some uncomfortably close games, but they're a great team and only have one loss to arguably the best team in the conference right now. This team has serious potential to do some damage in the conference, especially against #1 this week. Watch out for the Badgers, the best is yet to come-- as long as they can keep it together.

Awards

Best (so far) in the Big Ten: Michigan State

One of two undefeated teams in the conference, and definitely the more tested of the two. I may be biased, but MSU has also played much tougher opponents than anyone else in the conference. Dantonio has this machine rigged to spoil the conference, and with this year's schedule omitting Ohio State, it's a definite possibility.

Best Player: Denard Robinson

I mean, who else would it be? There's no contest here. Before the season, I would've laughed at this suggestion, but he has admittedly gotten much better than he was last year. He's the only reason Michigan is 5-1, no one can argue that.

Biggest Surprise (team): Michigan

It's a toss-up between Illinois and Michigan for this one, but of the non-conference games both have played, Michigan has been a bit more impressive in their wins for one reason-- Denard Robinson. I saw them with a losing record coming into this week, so 5-1 is a pretty good start.

Biggest Freshman Impact: Le'Veon Bell, Michigan State

I couldn't find a freshman other than Robert Bolden that had done more for his team, and since Bell has played so consistently, the award goes to him. 71 carries for 549 yards (or 7.7 yards a carry), and 8 scores are second only to Denard Robinson in the Big Ten.

Best Defender: Ryan Kerrigan

So far, he seems to be the best impact on defense for any team in the Big Ten-- with a conference-leading 5.5 sacks, a safety, and a forced fumble this year. Unfortunately for him, he isn't getting the publicity because he plays for a sub-par Purdue team.

Biggest Letdown: Penn State

Joe Pa's team has really stunk up the joint this year. Granted, their 2 of their 3 losses are to ranked teams, but they're just not performing up to where they should be this year-- barely beating bad teams and getting smoked by good teams is not what we expected from this year's Penn State squad.

Best Coach: Mike Dantonio

Michigan State is getting a lot of love. It's not because I'm a fan, they're just playing great football and exceeding everyone's (including mine) expectations for the season. His call against Notre Dame was one of the best calls all year, and he's been through hell and back (heart attack, blood clot) to stand by his team and coach when he wasn't in the hospital.

Now, the fun ones:

Flyin' Under the Radar Award: Kirk Cousins

He's 9th in the country in passer rating, 11th in completion percentage, and 6th in yards per attempt. Who does ESPN talk about? Terrelle Pryor and Denard Robinson. That's flyin' under the radar.

Kirk Herbsreit's BFF Club Award: Terelle Pryor

No matter how crappy he does, Herby still insists on naming him the Heisman winner preemptively. He's not even the best QB in the Big Ten, get it right Herbstreit.

OMG You Had to Be There Award: Rufus the Bobcat

I know, Ohio is a MAC conference team. But Rufus beat the crap out of Brutus the Buckeye, so he gets this award. Missed it? Check it out here.

Most Hospitable Old Man Award: Jim Tressel

Look at him, he'd probably bring you a Werther's and an afghan on a cold winter day-- and the sweater vest is an added bonus. Joe Pa is way too mean looking to get this award.

Quit Talking About It Already Award: SportsCenter and the Jim Tressel Look-a-like

We get it, and it was ironic the first time. But after hearing about it the whole week, I got tired of it. Denard Robinson finished 2nd for this award.

Comments are always welcomed.

The Calm Before the Storm: MSU v. UofM

2010-10-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

Alright, going off last week's theme, lucky me got to go head to head with one of my best buddies in the blogosphere, who (unfortunately) happens to be a Wolverines fan. He and I and Joe (our mediator and resident Badger fan) decided to have a debate of sorts yet again. Without further ado, here she is:

1. Why will your team win this week?

Norm: Simply put: Denard Robinson. Look, I know you want to say that one man can't beat a team, but while everyone seems to be so focused on his ability to run huge chunks of yards faster than a Spartan football player organizes a group to beat up students at Rather Hall, everyone seems to forget that Robinson can throw the ball as well. The offensive line has opened up holes for him to run, and they've also given him time to complete passes to an exceptional (and overlooked) group of speedy receivers. QB Spy all you want, but complete enough passes early enough and the defense will be forced to drop players back into coverage-and that's when Shoelace & Co. can really do their damage. Of course this all depends on how competent Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez (DickRod) is when drawing up the gameplan. Can you tell I'm still not a fan of his?

I'm not going to bother trying to defend Michigan Defensive Coordinator Greg Robinson's defense (he can't defend it either), so I expect nothing less than a track meet from both sides.

Doug: As we saw last week, MSU has a balanced offense-- much to Joe's chagrin. This week, I don't see Michigan's defense playing much better than they did against Indiana. Michigan has been making a living using the last few minutes to win a game, unfortunately MSU has the running game to kill the clock, and the passing game to put up big plays against that weak defense. Before we argue that statement, how many yards did they give up through the air to Indiana? 480.

Michigan State can make the few stops it will take to beat Michigan-- which most teams haven't been able to do this season. I blame their success largely on having not played a sizable opponent all season, and they remain to be tested. This Saturday will be "the test."

I agree with your game plan, it's what they'll do. But Robinson and teammates haven't faced a single good defense this year, so it's really hard to judge the extent of their offensive talent and potency. Robinson can chuck it, there's no doubt-- but I can guarantee you Dantonio will have some coverages to bait Robinson into throws he shouldn't make. Let's not kid ourselves here, the guy had a 38% completion percentage last year.

I like what I've seen from Robinson, but he isn't the second coming of Jesus as many people have made him out to be. We'll see that as the season progresses. Comparatively speaking, we beat a team better than them handily last week. We need to be cautious, and as long as we execute the game plan, Sparty will come out on top.

2. Everyone's been talking about Denard Robinson, Kirk Cousins, and Greg Jones. Name a player on your team that the other team should be fearing as well.

Norm: WR Junior Hemingway. He'd been limited by injuries at the start of the season but stepped up in a big way last weekend in Bloomington. Combined with the other threats at the position (Roy Roundtree and Darryl Stonum) he can get open against the Spartans' secondary.

Doug: Common theme here-- Keshawn Martin. He hasn't blown me away with his numbers, but he's broken games open, and as we saw last week, it can have a huge impact on games. He's a beat returning any form of kicks, and a threat to run/catch the ball on offense. He's averaging over 10 yards per carry/catch this season, he's going to be a gamebreaker again this Saturday.

3. What pisses you off the most about the other team?

Doug: Two things, and neither really relate to the team per se. One, I've known a few UofM grads in my life time, and they've all been snobby/rude to me. That drew the association from a young age, not that that's the norm (pun intended) of the people that go there, I'm assuming I was unlucky.

Number two: media attention. It never fails that ESPN is all over the University of Michigan having a decent start, when State has played just as impressively. We can blame this largely on history, and that's something I just get used to. Take this year for example. We just beat the #11 team in the country, and who does ESPN talk about? Denard Robinson leading a comeback win against freakin' Indiana.

That's what pisses me off about the University of Michigan.

Norm: Doug, you were unlucky-there's usually more of us that are arrogant. (I kid, I kid).

Here's what pisses me off: the few that believe you have to have attended or be a grad of the university to root for them or you're not a 'real fan'. But they'll then turn a blind eye to the ones that do root for their university (and for the record, I'm all for root for whatever team you want, but there's a special place in hell for those that change university allegiances based on the sport). I won't go so far as to call it an inferiority complex from those that drop the "But did you go there?" line (Yes, so f'ing what?) but that's by far what pisses me off most about some of the Michigan State fanbase. Every fanbase has their share of assholes (some more than most-I'm looking in your direction, Columbus), but I've never seen one with an inferiority complex.

4. What are your predictions for the game?

Norm: A close game with lots and lots of points, possibly more than when the two basketball teams meet up a few months from now. Denard Robinson seals the victory for the Wolverines with a late touchdown drive (well he has to: the defense can't stop anyone and I wouldn't trust the kicker to boot anything beyond extra-point range).

Doug: Tie game at half, Michigan State by 10 at the end. I think it will be high scoring, and the game-sealing field goal will be kicked with 2 minutes to play. MSU is going to destroy Michigan's defense, and MSU's defense will be able to make the few stops they need to in order to beat this team. Giving up 480 yards to a decent QB is not a good sign for a defense facing one of the best passers in the Big Ten in Kirk Cousins. I think once again, Dantonio will have a balanced game plan with a heavy mix of running and passing-- and both games will succeed. This is going to be one hell of a game that's going to come down to the end.

Week 5: What to Expect

2010-10-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

So close, yet so far. We look at that game last week and say "hey, we almost won that!" but in reality, we lost that game for ourselves. How? Poor execution and bad penalties. The closing drive, we couldn't stop their fullback to save our lives. We gave up 13 penalties for 102 yards. Receivers ran the wrong patterns, and Hill threw 2 interceptions. These are all typical mistakes for the up-and-coming Lions, but at some point, they have to stop. This week would be a great time to fix that.

As we sat back and complained about the 0-4 start, Shaun Hill has 991 yards passing-- which ranks 8th in the NFL. To put it in perspective, he's ahead of Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, and Tom Brady. In fact, he's generated more offense than 4 teams in the NFL this season-- including Minnesota and the shockingly-undefeated Chiefs. He may have 7 picks to only 5 touchdowns, but you can't complain about a 7th place passing game, and a 14th ranked offense. Last year as a team, the Lions ranked 21st and 26th in those categories respectively.

Unfortunately, it's not all good things in Detroit-- the defense currently ranks 26th, and they haven't really been able to stop teams from scoring at will consistently. There are some bright spots though, mainly in their takeaway numbers. The Lions lead the NFL in takeaways with 11, and though it's nothing to build a defense on, it certainly helps them get back into/stay alive in competitive games. The turnovers have helped the Lions keep up in their games, and because of that, the point differential for their 0-4 start is a mere 24 points, or 6 points a game. What was it last year after our 1-3 start? 51 points. This team is much more competitive.

This week, we're facing the Rams. Last year, that would've been a godsend. This year, it's a bit of a different story. They've got a Matt Stafford at QB too, only his name is Sam Bradford, and they're (miraculously) 2-2, and should be 4-0 to be honest. They've got the running game to keep the rookie steady, but here's my issue with their success so far: they're super inconsistent. Their two losses came to teams with horrible personnel, and somehow they've beaten the two teams that should've killed them thus far.

The Rams are a middle-of-the-road team, so I'm not entirely sure how this one will play out, being that the Lions have played teams so far with a combined record of 9-6, while the Rams have only played teams with a combined record of 7-9-- in other words, much more marginal teams. St. Louis has the run game, but you can bet the Lions will use their front 4 to frustrate and confuse Bradford to the max.

Key Matchups

Calvin Johnson vs. (insert poor guy's name here)The Rams have a decent pass coverage game. They've also played teams that are highly one-dimensional this season. Calvin Johnson is a nightmare to defend, and Shaun Hill is on fire. Johnson has 4 inches on their RCB and 6 inches on their LCB, not to mention the 43" vertical leap. I'm looking for him to have a big day Sunday.
Lions' Depleted LB Corps vs. Steven Jackson

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see this is the gaping hole in the Lions' defense, nor does it take one to guess what the Rams' strategy will be. Big play from whoever starts at linebacker is going to be critical to getting the offense back on the field, otherwise it's going to be a long day for the defense.

Predictions
I respect the Rams, I really do. But this week, I think it's the Lions turn. Shaun Hill can command this offense, and Best (should he be 100%) is a monster on home turf. The Rams have the rookie issue that the Lions had last year, and at some point it will show. This may not be the week, but I definitely see the Lions in command of this game early. The key for holding that early lead is going to be staying tenacious, and not playing like you're ahead (looking at you Linehan). I think Best will have a pretty good day, but Hill and Johnson will have huge days against this weak secondary. I like Johnson's chances of getting his second career 2 TD game this week.

St. Louis 21 Detroit 31

Asking For the World Without Giving It

2010-10-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

I read an article today by Tom Kowalski of MLive.com, and I'm a bit disturbed to be honest. I always enjoy reading what he writes, but he's going a bit far on this one. It is a fact that Schwartz now has the worst 20 game record in Lions head coaching history, there's no denying that. But the tone Kowalski took to the situation kind of infuriated me.

I like Schwartz, I think he has the kind of mentality the Lions need at head coach. I also think that he was handed the reigns in the absolute worst situation the team had ever been in-- unhappy players, an 0-16 season, new management, and a lot of expiring contracts on skilled guys that didn't want to stay. That being said, I find the use of the tag "worst ever" a bit drastic. It takes more than one and a quarter seasons to turn a team that bad around and make it a winning one again.

Reporters like Kowalski even said at his hiring that it would really take two years to see any improvement, so why are so many people calling for his head? I can't say that I really understand, other than the fact that so many people are growing impatient with the team and its progression. Being a Lions fan for the entirety of my life, I can say it has taught me to be forward-looking and patient (and that can be taken sarcastically and seriously).

Yes, the facts and numbers state that he has had the worst 20 game start in team history, but I can assure you he's a better guy, and a better coach than Mornhinweg or Marinelli. He's the guy we need in that seat right now. Give us another offseason to get the Millen-ites out of Detroit, and let Mayhew build the team from the ground up, as he's planned to since day one. Then, and only then, can we judge Schwartz.

You wouldn't call a Porsche a piece of crap if it was missing its two rear wheels, would you?

NHL Season Preview

2010-10-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

Ah, yes. It is finally October, and that means hockey. And with hockey comes excitement-- the city of Detroit awakens from its Lions-induced coma, and gets excited about the only winning team they've had in the last 20 years. It's truly one of the best times of the year, because hockey is one of the best sports in existence, but chances are if you're reading this, I don't have to convince you of that.

I hadn't initially planned to do one of these, but I read ESPN's "expert" picks for the year and I was legitimately shocked at some of the choices. So, I'm doing my own version. Let's get started with division winners and runners-up:

Central Division
1. Detroit Red Wings
2. Nashville Predators

No shocker here. Following Chicago's yard sale this offseason, I really can't see them competing at the level they did last year. Turco is not a replacement for Niemi, and they lost a lot of defensive talent by matching Hjalmarsson's contract to keep him there. On the other hand, Detroit added some 3rd line scoring strength with Modano, and got another decent blue-liner in Salei. Assuming health isn't the issue it was last year, the Wings should have a relatively solid season. The Predators really impress me every year. They continually succeed with not a lot of big-name guys in a big-name division, and this year they added a Kostitsyn and Matthew Lombardi-- which are two people that will surely help bolster their scoring. Pekka Rinne was lights out for them in the playoffs, and I think he can hold his own this year too.

Northwest Division
1. Vancouver Canucks
2. Colorado Avalanche

This division was a tough call-- for second place anyway. Vancouver is clearly the best team in this division.There's no denying that. They get all kinds of scoring from all over their roster, and they've been running away with the division (like they did last year). Colorado is a few scorers away from a legitimate threat. They've got a great core of players, and Craig Anderson has quickly transformed into one of the best goaltenders in the game. The youth of this team is going to be either its strength or weakness. Their best players are their youngest, which a lot of times can lead to inconsistencies-- and that's something Anderson is going to have to get used to on the other end. Low scoring contests need good goaltending, and he fits the bill.

Pacific Division
1. Los Angeles Kings
2. San Jose Sharks

You're delusional if you think the Coyotes can repeat what they did last year. They lost some of their best players, and I'm not really convinced that Bryzgalov can repeat what he did last year. As we saw in the playoffs, he can be extremely inconsistent-- and in this super-competitive division, that's not what you need. I like LA because of their youth as well. They have some of the best young players in the NHL, and two up-and-coming netminders. The Sharks didn't lose much this offseason, except for the entire reason they made it so far in the playoffs-- Evgeni Nabokov. Don't get me wrong, Niemi and Nittymaki are decent backups, but I don't think they're near Nabokov's caliber.

Atlantic Division
1. Pittsburgh Penguins
2. New Jersey Devils

The Penguins scare me. Michalek was a big signing, and they've got a lot of scoring talent-- which scares me more. Their Achilles heel, as usual, is going to be goaltending-- as we saw in the playoffs. Fleury has a lot of hit-or-miss streaks, and that's not what you want for a deep season run. I wanted to put the Flyers at #2, but I just don't see their magic happening again this year. Leighton shouldn't be as successful as he was in the few games of the playoffs, and Boucher is going to get old sooner or later. They didn't make any remarkable signings either, so I think they're a one-and-done team like Chicago. New Jersey has the talent and the goaltending to make a deep run in the season. I also think that they're a team built for the regular season, and not the playoffs-- as we saw last year.

Northeast Division
1. Buffalo Sabres
2. Boston Bruins

This is easily the toughest division to call. 4 teams made the playoffs from this division last year, and I can see that happening again this year (sorry, Toronto, not you). The Sabres are obviously favorites because this is their division, and has been for some time. Ryan Miller keeps them in games, and they have a never give up attitude that helps them make it through the season. I went with Boston as #2 because of what I saw in the playoffs last year-- and no, not the 3-0 collapse. Tuuka Rask showed me a lot in the playoffs, and I think he can transfer that to this season. Assuming they don't lose guys to injury like they did last year, these guys could be dangerous.

Southeast Division
1. Washington Capitals
2. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Caps should run away with this division again. It's such a uneven division it's not even funny. This should change pretty soon though, now that Steve Yzerman is the head man in Tampa. I'm not saying a new dominant force in the division, but more of a contender than Atlanta or Florida. Carolina will be decent too, but I think Tampa will edge them out with their young scoring talent. In the NHL youth= ability to play a longer season. And I think Tampa Bay is going to be able to make that happen this year. They're going to be dangerous.

Now that I've covered the divisions, let's dive into the award predictions:

MVP
As much as I hate to even say this, I think it's going to be Alex Ovechkin. He's the leader of one of the most potent offenses in the NHL, and he barely missed the league lead in points, goals, and +/- last year. He should have yet another monster season with his supporting cast only getting better.
Honoable Mentions: Steven Stamkos, Joe Pavelski, Henrik Sedin

Vezina
Yes, a Red Wing is going to win this award. Jimmy Howard has the drive, and in his rookie season, he was only a few points shy of the league lead in GAA and save percentage. The kid is in a tough spot, but he played his butt off last year to get the wings from out of the playoffs to a higher seed. I don't expect much of that to change this year.
Honorable Mentions: Ryan Miller, Tuuka Rask, Martin Brodeur

Norris

There's the sexy pick of Drew Doughty apparently, and then the been-there-done-that pick of Nick Lidstrom. But I'm going to go a bit off the board here and take Shea Weber with my Norris pick. The man plays possessed, and he was just named the Preds' captain. And to be honest, I just like the guy. Besides, how many players in the NHL have you seen shoot a puck through the net?
Honorable Mentions: Drew Doughty, Nicklas Lidstrom, Mike Green

Selke
Who do you think I'm going to pick here? Pavel Datsyuk. He's the best two-way forward in the NHL easily, and he's amazing with his stick on defense and offense. He's a turnover-generating machine-- I mean seriously, he had 49 more takeaways generated than the next guy, Ryan Kesler.
Honorable Mentions: Ryan Kesler, Chris Drury, Jamie Benn

Rookie of the Year

This is a tough call for me, as I admittedly do not follow the AHL nearly as much as I should. So I have to go based on hype and what I saw last year from the youngin's. And based on last year, I have to go with my gut and say P.K. Subban should get rookie of the year. He helped shut down some of the best offenses in the NHL last year, and was a largely unnoticed key to their success in the playoffs. I hope for this guy's sake that it happens again this year.
Honorable Mentions: Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin

Adams
I usually see this award going to the coach who shocks the world and has a team rise from the ashes and have a miraculous season (read: Dave Tippett), but this year I think it will be a coach of a team that just plays solid hockey straight up. And I think that guy is going to have to be Mike Babcock. Obviously, I'm biased, but he had an Adams award last year if the Coyotes weren't so good. He's one of the best coaches in the NHL-- if not the best-- and he should get the Adams this year.
Honorable Mentions: Lindy Ruff, Joe Sacco, Bruce Boudreau

Playoff predictions will come at a later date, I'm not gutsy enough to put them out there yet. But I will say this-- I see the Red Wings legitimately chasing number 12 this year.

Disagree? Feel free to leave me a comment!

Week 4: What to Expect

2010-09-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

Last week was painful to watch. Especially after the first two weeks of good play, I think last week was a step backwards. This week hinges on two things-- the secondary and our ability to rebound. The secondary for obvious reasons-- Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are going to be throwing it all over the field against us, because they can't get the run going (and hopefully that doesn't change this week). The ability to rebound is even more important to me though. Over the years, we've heard a lot of talk about players becoming "lionized" (read: Shaun Rogers, Roy Williams, Mike Williams, etc.), and this kind of game is something that is going to be dangerous for that mentality, especially coming off our worst loss of the season.

Last week just felt to me like we took a step back, with penalties, play calling, and overall play. The officiating didn't help either. This week can be a big week, and I feel like the Lions really can catch the Packers off guard, especially if they put up that many penalty yards again and help us into the game.

Looking forward to this week, the passing game should get better: Nate Burleson should finally be back. Shaun Hill is going to start, but we should see something changing in the near future. Some people expect him to be back against the Rams. In my opinion, unless he's 100%, we shouldn't consider it. He did start light throwing, but that's not even close to ready. Kevin Smith should also be back-- but who knows how helpful he'll be.

I'm excited for Shaun Hill. He's played exceptionally well given the circumstances, and he's made the Lions a legitimate top-half of the league passing team-- something it's been years since I could say. Would you believe me before the season if I said one of our QBs could be at 1000 yards by week 5? Probably not, and especially not Hill.

We're catching Green Bay at the right time-- coming off a tragic loss to Chicago in which penalties killed them. Sound familiar? Green Bay has the offensive weapons to make fireworks, but we've also seen it become fairly inconsistent this season. The defense has been stellar, but they haven't faced a passing attack as dangerous as Detroit's.

Key Matchups
I'm noticing a trend here, my matchups are usually the reason we're competing or getting killed. Let's keep that up this week.

Secondaries vs. the NFL RulebookHow many times are we going to see momentum-killing penalties and drive-extending calls? This has been a recurring theme for both teams, something that I'm seriously starting to get tired of. The accuracy on some of these calls is astounding. The definition of pass interference has become so convoluted in the officials' eyes, it's about as opinion-based as it has ever been.
Pass Rush vs. Aaron RodgersAaron Rodgers was the best QB against the blitz last season. It's up to KVB, Avril, Williams, and Suh to make things happen this week. Let's get some pressure on the Packers, and knock Rodgers around a bit-- see what that can do. It has kept us in games all season, from the goalline stand against Chicago, to the rush that limited Vick.

Predictions
I'm going to have to be honest here, we are serious underdogs. According to ESPN's AccuScore, we are underdogs 88% to 11% (in terms of chances of winning). Rodgers is probably licking his chops looking at our secondary right now, and I think he's going to have a huge day. If Hill and Best can keep up the pace on offense, we may have a shootout-- and I think that's Detroit's best chance of winning.

Detroit 21 Green Bay 31

Officiating is Interfering

2010-09-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm no big fan of people who cry about the refs. But I saw some things today that completely blew my mind. And last week, and the week before that. I'm not sure if the officials (for some reason) hold Detroit teams to a higher standard or what, but we've been robbed on many occasions-- in just the past year.

Jim Joyce. Penalty minutes against San Jose. "The Catch."

It's getting to be a bit much, honestly. About everyone and their mother thought Calvin Johnson's "catch" was in fact a catch. I haven't seen so many people say "the Lions got robbed" at once... ever. Last week, Jeremy Maclin got away with one of the biggest push-offs I've seen this season, and we didn't get a call. This week, Brett Favre threw a backwards pass, Vanden Bosch recovered, but Ed Hochuli called it an incomplete pass, in spite of what replays showed. Later in the game, Jonathan Wade got called for pass interference when he went for the ball on a back-shoulder fade-- and it clearly was not a penalty by the definition of the rule.

The issue with these calls? They're all game-changing. They're not a bad holding call, they change the outcome of the game. Give Johnson the TD, take away Maclin's TD-- we're 2-0 heading into this week. Give us the fumble, call Wade's coverage clean, we're in the game easily.

There has to be some leniency somewhere. The NFL knows the Lions have struggled to get where they are today. I'm not saying to give them a break on calls, but I really think that there is some bias out there on the field. Like the referees expect the Lions to get trounced, so when they make a good play, "they must have cheated."

It disgusts me, and it's making me hate the NFL this season.

Week 3: What to Expect

2010-09-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

Alright, two weeks in, and we should be 2-0. But we aren't. Why's that? Officials, health concerns... blah blah blah. It's none of that. To be honest, I'm impressed with the way we've played thus far, but who's satisfied with a winless record? If I had to pin the actual final scores down on absolutely one thing, it has been decision-making from the coaching department. I can think of a specific example in both games that could've changed the outcome of the games, and even season.

Game 1- Sit on the ball before halftime with a 4 point lead. Don't throw the ball. They did, Stafford is now out for who knows how long.
Game 2- Take the points later in the 4th on 4th and 1. Don't run the same play twice, kick the field goal. We lost by a field goal.

So, not much is going to change over the course of the season in my opinion, these guys aren't used to winning and thus will probably get excited when they have the lead or potential to come from behind. We're seeing that now, and as the season progresses, hopefully we'll see that less.

I was impressed with the defensive line play last week, we kept Vick in check most of the time. My key matchups last week pinned Vick against our back 7. We held Vick to under 5 yards a carry, but gave up a brutal 284 yards to a run-first QB. Not over 300 yards, but close. I can't expect the world from a thrown-together secondary, but we have a right to expect some pass defense.

Other matchup last week was Shaun Hill vs. the doubters. Sorry, doubters, but Shaun Hill slayed you last week. He threw 2 INTs, but one of them was Scheffler running the wrong route-- which pulled the safety in front of Johnson-- so it's hard to blame that on Hill. He racked up the most passing yards this team has posted since week 9 of last season, and made some impressive throws. I would take Hill over any of our previous QBs (with the exception of Stafford, obviously).

This week, Detroit plays falling-apart-at-the-seams Minnesota. Which team will show up is anyone's guess, but I'm going to assume that Minnesota will turn it on at some point. Brett Favre is finally showing signs of age, and Minnesota absolutely cannot get it together on offense. Their defense has played pretty well over the past few weeks, but they've also played 2 teams that haven't clicked on offense entirely yet either.

Detroit-- in defiance of God's will-- has posted the 11th best passing attack this season. Don't ask me how this has happened without Stafford, but I'm okay with it. Haven't been so hot running the football, but Best has made it count when he has carried, and he's leading the NFL in touchdowns because of it. The defense clearly has been suspect this year, and we've been stuck trying to out-gun the opposition-- but with these weapons it's doable.

Key Matchups

Louis Delmas vs. Visanthe Shiancoe

Brett Favre's favorite weapon this season is going to require special attention this week.Percy "Migraine" Harvin is probable, and so is Bernard Berrian. Rice is out... So who's healthy? Favre said something today about the fact that he'd be lying "if he told you he knew what was going on." Good sign for the Lions, but that also means Delmas better stick on the Vikings healthiest receiver like glue. He gets open, and he makes big catches.

Calvin Johnson's Coverage vs. Everyone Elses

Abstract, yes. But we saw the effects of it last week. Johnson was covered like white on rice by Asante Samuel and had safety/linebacker help to go along with it. This, however, left Jahvid Best open for 154 receiving yards, and Brandon Pettigrew open for 108 yards. This can easily reflect on linebacker play, but a lot of their catches were downfield in the secondary, where plays would've been made if the defense wasn't so keyed-in on Calvin.

AP vs. The Linebackers

If ever there was a time to stop the run, it's this week. Neither Levy or Delmas are on the injury report this week, so let's hope that's a good sign. Avril may even play this week, which would return us to full-power on defense. Adrian Peterson is a beast, and the front 7 need to be on their A game this week to stop the run and have a chance. If anything, we need to generate turnovers-- as we've done the first two weeks-- which will give us a better chance of stopping the run, too.

Questions
Can the Lions stop the run? That's my biggest concern heading into this week. Levy will finally be back, but will he be in optimal playing shape? Let's hope so, we need good play at LB right now. Another huge question is what Vikings team will show up? Everything we've seen this season looks like the Browns or Rams could beat the Vikings, and let's hope that keeps up. Watching Around the Horn today, I noticed that no one believes we have a team still. This is the perfect opportunity to prove 'em wrong.

Predictions

I think the Vikings are going to turn the ball over quite a few times. This doesn't bode well for them, obviously. Hill will be riding high, and Best is coming off a career game. This Lions team is damn hungry for a win, feeling robbed the last two weeks. I think Hill will have another big day and Peterson will thrash us on the ground-- that's just the nature of the beast. Even with Peterson gaining 150+ yards, no help and a few INTs from Favre should prove to be the difference, swinging things in Detroit's favor. No blow out this week, but the Lions should finally get into the win column.

Detroit 24 Minnesota 17

NCAA Round Table, Part IV

2010-09-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

Part four of our ongoing roundtable series-- we discuss dark horses and Broncos, and the Best. Norm runs an entertaining blog, Far From the Norm. Joe runs the (mostly) sports blog, Joe Knows Stuff. Welcome to our round table, stay a while?

1. At this point in the season, do you have a dark horse pick to win the Big Ten?

Joe: If I had to pick a "dark horse," excluding Wisconsin, Ohio State, Iowa, and Penn State, for about a night before I heard about D'Antonio's illness, it would have been Michigan State, but I'm going way off the board to say Northwestern. They always seem to have an offensive attack that gives us fits, they play well at home, and if they can pull off a few upsets, they're right up there. They're at Penn State and Wisconsin, and host Iowa and Michigan State. They avoid OSU. Wisconsin is the last week of the season, so you'd better believe they'd be amped up if they had the conference title on the line. I can see it happening.

Norm: Not really, no. It still looks like a three-horse race between Wisconsin, Iowa, and that other one. You know which one I'm talking about, I try not to mention them by name and I keep my swearing down to a minimum when I'm writing on other blogs.

Doug: I'm obviously pro-MSU here. I think Wisconsin, OSU, and Iowa were the top teams before last weekend. Iowa lost to Arizona, and thus really lost a lot of my respect, and Wisconsin looked uncharacteristically flimsy. At this point, about 50% of the teams in my opinion have a decent shot at winning/tying for a conference title, with the "darkest" horses being Michigan State and Northwestern.

2. What did you like/dislike about how your team played this week?

Joe (Wisconsin): Liked: The offensive playcalling. We set up ASU a few times early in the game for plays that came late in the game just as we needed them.

Disliked: The "special" teams. They almost cost us the game. Also hated the whiny bitch ASU fans that sat behind us and lost their pacifier about mid first quarter.

Norm (Michigan): Liked: Michigan's offense finally found a running game from someone other than Shoelace, the offensive line was steady and the receivers were solid too. Robinson really showed some nice touch on his passes as well and to me that is the most encouraging development yet.

Disliked: Everything else. I looked to see if I had any eligibility left so I could try out for kicker, no dice. I could say more about the defense, but with 9 plus hopefully a bowl game left I want to spread out all my material on just how crappy Greg Robinson's defense is.

Doug (Michigan State): Liked: The game ending play. My god, talk about gutsy. The running game carried us yet again, and Cousins (aside from his horrific INT) looked pretty solid too, completing almost 70% of his passes. It's the second time this season both running backs haven't surpassed 100 yards-- but Baker missed by just 10 yards this week.

Disliked: Defense. Defense. Defense. Yet again, our pass coverage was horrific. We made Crist look like Clausen. Other than that, I was impressed by the stoutness of the team, not giving up when they had a chance to win.

3. What do you think about Boise State's national title hopes?

Joe: Boise State has NO room for error. They have to throttle just about everyone on their schedule, and at least win handily against their toughest opponents. They also need some breaks, and probably have to be the ONLY undefeated team. I can't see it happening.

Norm: What national title hopes? The ones that lasted all of five days before James Madison stomped on them by beating Virginia Tech, those ones? Like Joe said they have to win big the rest of the way and hope that everyone else loses...and even then I wouldn't be surprised to see a one-loss Alabama playing a one-loss Oh...Texas in the Championship. I bet the NCAA powers-that-be can't wait to give us Boise St./TCU III though; I'm sure they've already written it down.

Doug: This is what sucks about the BCS. We know Boise State can compete. They have a system that works, and they have talent. Unfortunately for them, Virginia Tech is the most overrated team in the country this season (had issues with ECU last week even), and they beat them in come-from-behind fashion. This week's Oregon State game is more important than initially thought to be, they need to destroy OSU to even have a glimmer of hope, I think. They will make the title game if they make it to #2 and go undefeated. Otherwise, don't see it happening.

4. Which college player is surprising you at the NFL level this year?

Joe: I've like what I've seen of Jahvid Best so far, and Morgan Burnett has stepped up and is our starter at safety right now. Off the board, I think Sam Bradford's done very well for it being this early in the year and with the craptacular team he has around him.

Norm: Jahvid Best and Ndamukong Suh. There was one play from the Lions/Eagles game last weekend where the dog killer [Vick] got flushed out of the pocket, and running stride-for-stride with him was Suh until the QB ran out of bounds. I don't think he would've caught him but he was keeping up with him, and that blew me away. I haven't seen a Lions defender do that since...well, does Chris Spielman ring a bell?

Doug: A clean sweep for Jahvid Best. The guy is a nightmare to defend, and we're seeing that this season already. If anything, he's yet another weapon that Stafford will have to pull coverage off Johnson-- which is what contributed to his success this week. Guess who leads the NFL in touchdowns? Best.

5. What did you think of Dantonio's play call in overtime?

Joe: Once I saw the fake, I knew it was going to work, as ND looked like they were coming. I blame the ND coaching for not having a deep safety, as the possibility for a fake on a long field goal is much more than a chip shot. I think Dantonio kicks it if not for the sack.

Norm: Dantonio made a brilliant call, and I'd say that even if it failed. In my opinion (no, I'm not an expert) it was also the correct call. I'm no Spartan slappy by any means but get well soon Coach.

Doug: Talk about reinvigorating a fan base. It's sad about the heart attack, but thankfully he's okay and will be back for the Wisconsin game. For a super-conservative coach, I have to say it even shocked me as a loyal MSU follower. Fun fact: Aaron Bates' passer rating this season: 673.60.

Kenny McKinley-- A Wake Up Call For America

2010-09-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

Sure, we hear about suicide all the time. It's in our music, it's in movies, it's on the news. It's a growing issue in today's society, and more and more people are suppressing the idea that they have this medical condition.

Kenny McKinley committed suicide on September 20th, 2010. He was alone at home, in his room, in bed-- and he shot himself.

Not many people have been here, nor will they ever understand what it feels like to truly be depressed. The feelings are intense, and they don't go away. I, myself, was suffering with depression for about 4 years before I finally decided enough was enough. It takes a lot to seek treatment, and this is the issue with this condition. When you're depressed, finding the motivation to do anything-- let alone seek help for your problems-- is slim to none.

Not everyone experiences depression the same way, either. I was an aggressive-depressed person, the kind that lashes out on what seemingly was nothing. Mood swings, crying, laughter, shaking because I was so angry-- these were normal occurrences. And like McKinley, I was always happy around friends, so no one could tell.

But when I was alone, it was a different story. And in Kenny's case, it pushed him over the edge.

I can't begin to explain how intense the feelings of worthlessness and the "it's never going to end" thoughts that passed through my mind when I found myself alone with nothing to do. They're strong, they're persistent, and until a few months ago, they almost never went away. To people that have never experienced depression/anxiety, this seems like something you could just "get over." But it doesn't work that way.

As Woody Paige said, "Break your leg, you can tell. Break your brain, and it's not so evident."

I feel for the family and friends around McKinley, because like my friends and family-- I'm sure they had no idea. The feelings of worthlessness surrounding depression sufferers often lead them to not care to mention their suicidal thoughts or extreme feelings of sadness/anxiety. I never mentioned anything about it until my girlfriend talked to me about it about 5 months ago.

The real reason I'm writing this, though, is to encourage people to get to know each other better. I'm not saying to go out and ask everyone you see if they're depressed. 99/100 people will deny it.What I mean is to look for signs, and just tell yourself that you want to help that person get better. It's an overly ambiguous idea, but the more caring people in that person's life, the more likely they are to seek help and get better.

The more you get to know a person, the more you break down that superficial wall, and you realize that no one is perfect, and not everyone can deal with their emotions how nature intended us to. It's becoming a part of life. Realizing you have the condition, and seeking help for it are two entirely different concepts. To a person who has never had depression, it seems like a simple task. As I've stated several times, it's near impossible to get help when you aren't motivated-- because the pain and sadness feel like they're never ending.

Do me a favor, and read Woody Paige's column in the Denver Post. It hit me hard, and I hope it gets to some of my readers too. His case is the perfect example of why seeking help could turn your life around. You'd never guess Woody was suicidal if you watched him on Around the Horn. And that's the scary thing about depression. Luckily, he had those few people around him that cared enough to see he had a problem, and that's what saved his life.

Don't force the issue, but be open. Be able to handle what this person may tell you. Be ready to hear some crazy stories-- that otherwise would seem absolutely ridiculous-- and comprehend them. Depression is a chemical imbalance, most of the people suffering from it cannot see the reality of their situation.

Be a hero, be there for your friends. Get to know people, and listen to them. You could save a life.

1987-2010

Rest in peace, Kenny McKinley.

Matt Millen the Football Genius

2010-09-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

I haven't really sat back and realized how spoiled we are as Lions fans the last two years. You say, "Why would you say such a thing? We're 2-16 under Mayhew." I say we're spoiled because we had an idiot running our team, and as the face of our organization. I just (forced myself to) read the Wikipedia entry on Matthew George Millen. And I was a bit shocked, because I've always known him as a colossal idiot, but apparently he actually used to be a football great, and a class act guy.

Winning 4 Super Bowls as a player, and also making 1 Pro Bowl-- and Joe Paterno coached the guy. You think: "wow, what a great candidate for a team president." And so William Ford bought into the idea, and there ensued the turnaround of the Lions organization.

Over his tenure as a team president, Matt Millen earned 3 prestigious titles. He posted the worst ever 8 year record recorded by a team president, was the president of the first team to go 0-16 in an NFL season, and was effectively replaced as a curse word in several homes. He brought national recognition back to the Lions.

Okay, I can't do it anymore. The guy was a moron. I tried to put a positive spin on it, but it pains me. He easily was the worst president in the history on the NFL, if not sports entirely. Granted, he had to work with Ford to get stuff done, but still.

So why, in God's name, is Matt Millen still allowed to talk about football on TV? We had the Johnnie Morton "faggot" incident, the "devout coward" incident, the "polack" incident and then that 8 year incident called "The Detroit Lions." Some people may view him as a scapegoat, but when you're the guy making the decisions upstairs, it's your fault. Let's take a look at a few graphics:

Graphic #1: Matt Millen's draft success. The four dots on the left represent Calvin Johnson, Drew Stanton, Dominic Raiola, and Jeff Backus. The 47 on the left represent Matt Millen's other draft picks. These include gems like Artose Pinner, Joey Harrington, Charles Rogers, Roy Williams, and Shaun Rogers. Most of the people on the right no longer play in the NFL.

Graphic #2: Needs no explanation.

Okay, so I think I've given sufficient reason as to why I can't (and all of Detroit) can't stand Matt Millen. So, tell me, why is he still allowed to talk about football on TV? Clearly, draft coverage isn't for him (see above, Graphic #1), but ESPN still let's him come on the air and call Jaworski a "polack." He's allowed to talk during the Michigan-UConn broadcast, since he knows so much about football... I mean really?

I do owe him a thank you, though:

Thank you, Matt Millen, for giving the Lions the horrible name they currently have. It makes us look way better when we recover from the 8 year hurricane you ran through our organization.The city of Detroit will always welcome you back for an ass-kicking.

So please, NBC, Fox, ESPN, whoever is covering these football games. Get Matt Millen off my TV screen. Or you're paying for the repairs.

Brutus Got What He Deserved

2010-09-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, let's be honest. No one likes Ohio State. Their mascot looks like a turd with eyes in a sweater. I mean, really, how do you personify a buckeye? The correct way is to turn to something completely irrelevant to your school's nickname and make that your mascot. See Stanford:

Okay, maybe not the best picture, but you get the point. Their nickname is a color, what are they going to do, make a paint swatch costume? The idea of making a nut into an animal-human-thing is asinine to me, but perfectly in line with the university's normal thought process.

Anyhow, in under-the-radar news, Rufus (Ohio's mascot that actually exists in nature) completely mauled Brutus the Buckeye-thing. If you missed it, here's the video. I would feel bad for the guy (inside Brutus), but in typical OSU fashion, he stood up and acted like an idiot-- brushing his shoulders off. Rufus wasn't satisfied with round one, so he came back for more. And that's where we get this picture:

What is more concerning (for Brutus anyway) is how not one single person on that field came to his rescue. The players had their heads down, and the cheerleaders just kept running. Wow.

I've seen a few mascot fights in my day, some even at my high school. I would say this was the worst, but this is Brutus getting beat up-- of course it's my favorite mascot fight ever. All I've got to say, Brutus, is be glad Michigan doesn't have a mascot, and you don't play Michigan State this year. Sparty is the champion fighter of all mascots-- look at those guns:

Heart-Stopping Goodness From Sparty

2010-09-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

Man, I can't remember the last time the Battle for the Megaphone was a blowout, in fact, the last time the game was decided by more than 20 points was 1999. In recent memory, I've got to say that this is one of the best, most even rivalries in college football (that involves good teams).

I'm sure I don't have to remind many of you how dreadful the team was under John L(oses Consistently) Smith. Ever since D'Antonio came aboard we've seen a different animal-- consistent offensive play, a bit more aggressive play calling, competing against Michigan, and most importantly, national recognition.

Watching the game on Saturday, I noticed how far State has come in recent years. We have play makers now that we never had before. And for once, I feel like MSU has a fighting chance to take home a share of the Big Ten title this year, thanks in part to an easier-than-normal in-conference schedule.

MSU didn't look like the college version of the Lions (as I've grown to known them over the years) this weekend. They fought, and they never gave up. And when it came down to it, D'Antonio wasn't afraid to make a gutsy call to push the Spartans ahead to 3-0 this year. Those are the kinds of calls that distinguish winners from losers.

Charlie Gantt catches the game winner from punter Aaron Bates

Watching that final play made my heart race, followed by jumping and screaming at what I had just seen. Such an exciting moment for Michigan State football. So exciting, Mike D'Antonio's heart stopped-- literally.

Keep your eyes open for the Wisconsin-MSU game coming up on October 2nd, and then UM-MSU the following weekend. Those two games will determine our Big Ten title hopes, and how "real" the team is. If we keep the running game up --now ranked 16th nationally-- I see big things for Sparty.

Lions Are On the Turn Around

2010-09-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, yesterday's game was a huge letdown at the end-- but there are definite signs of change on the horizon. The fight the Lions showed yesterday proves that they are headed in the right direction. I saw a few concerns yesterday, though, so let's go through those first.

Scott Linehan's play calling: Way too conservative for my tastes. He rarely is letting the QB go downfield at this point. I understand because it's Hill and Stafford, neither of which have done a lot of passing in the NFL-- but we have Calvin Johnson for a reason. He's as dangerous a deep-threat as anyone. The plays we scored on yesterday (with the exception of Johnson's TD) were conservative plays that broke open. You're not going to get that lucky every week.

Not taking the points: I know, hindsight is 20/20, but all things considered, it would've made it a one possession game at the time. And looking back on that, we wouldn't have had the pressure on that last drive to score. We could've won the game if we didn't run the same play twice and get stuffed on 4th and 1, and rather just kicked the field goal.
One guy got all the touches: I'm not complaining that Best tore up the Eagles. I love it. But the fact of the matter is, we have more weapons that Best. And from what I saw, most of the plays went to him. This goes back to Linehan's play calling, because he's not opening up the playbook to get some throws down field, which allows for safeties to step forward, and leaves Hill with the FB/RB check down routes to throw to. Between carries and targets, Best had 31 total, while the rest of the team had 40 combined.
Big plays on defense: We failed to capitalize quite a few times on big chances on defense. Quite a few sacks Vick slipped out of, and there were some deep throws (namely Jackson's second big catch) that should've been stopped. This is characteristic of a poor secondary, so we may just have to suck it up for a year.

Now let's move on to the things that I liked, and lead me to think that the Lions are on the fast track to turning around:

Hill played pretty well: People think of the 2 INTs immediately, but the last time the Lions hit 300+ passing yards was the infamous week 11 game that Stafford had last year. He completed more than 50% of his passes and had 2 receivers with more than 100 yards. These typically are not stats put up by a backup QB, especially not in the Lions franchise.
Jahvid Best is roaring: Think about it, he's been responsible for 5 of our 6 offensive touchdowns this year. It's a good sign, the last time someone put up numbers like this was Billy Sims in 1980, also scoring 5 TDs in his first two games as a rookie.

Suh played fullback: I mean, come on. Suh at fullback. On goal lines this could be dangerous, he caught TDs in college out of this formation. Plus, he's a behemoth, and thus a hell of a fullback.
Vanden Bosch has scary eyes: Look at them! How could you not be intimidated?

Penetration was perfect: Sounds dirty, I know. But the line consistently pressured Vick, and I can assure you that this is going to mean big things against the NFC North as the season progresses. The Lions are tied for first in the NFL in sacks right now. That's a big change, and one that we were expecting from the front four.
We didn't roll over and die: There's been reports of players becoming 'Lionized' in the past few years, the best example I can think of was Roy Williams. There were grumblings this offseason that Johnson had suffered the same fate. We saw some glimpses of it last week on the "TD" and this week on some lazy attempts, but he came through when it mattered this week. Not just Johnson, but the entire team. It was nice to see the defense step up and get the ball back to the offense in a timely fashion. As a friend put it, last year the final score would've been 42-17. But this year it was 35-32. Change is on the horizon.

Obviously, I'm optimistic. But most people can see that this is not the 'same 'ol Lions'. They now have more than one explosive weapon, and once Levy, Delmas, and Stafford return from injury, they're going to be a force to be reckoned with. If the Lions had Stafford for the entirety of the first two games, I have a good feeling they'd be 2-0 right now. But that's why they play the game, right? Hopefully Matt only has a shoulder contusion as it has been suggested, I know I'll be following the news closely for updates.

After yesterday, I'm fairly concerned that this team is on the right track towards becoming a winning franchise yet again-- restoring the roar.

NCAA Round Table, Part III

2010-09-18T22:46:00.001-07:00

Joe's hosting this week, go check it out! Click here.

Wear What the Pros Wear

2010-09-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

Alright guys, I'm not the type to plug you for money, just thought this would be a good opportunity to give you guys the chance to save big on your favorite players' jerseys. My cousin can get jerseys for amazingly low prices, and he's passing that savings on to you and I. He can get pretty much any jersey in the four major leagues, so the best thing to do it to contact him about availability first.

Pricing:

NBA Jerseys $95 Regular Price $160
MLB Jerseys $120 Regular Price $175
NFL Jerseys $135 Regular Price $275
NHL Jerseys $150 Regular Price $350

Shipping:

Shipping will be $20 to anywhere in the US. Orders are placed twice a month.

Selection:

As mentioned before, he can get a majority of the jerseys from the major four US leagues: NHL, MLB, NBA, and NFL. Here are some samples of the jerseys:

MLB

Brand new with jock tag
100% Polyester
Button-front closure
Tackle twill team graphics
Names and numbers embroidered
$120 each jersey

NHL

NHL licensed jersey
Brand new with tags
Worn by the pros on the ice
All numbers, names, and logos are sewn on
High quality double stitched embroidery of team name, player's number and player's name on the front and the back of jersey
High quality embroidery of team logo
Top quality heavyweight fabric
$150 each jersey

NFL

NFL licensed football jersey
Brand new with tag
All numbers, letters, and names are sewn on and embroidered
High quality double stitched embroidery of team name, player's number and player's name on the front and the back of jersey
High quality embroidery of team logo
Sewn NFL Equipment shield on front collar
Made of 100% heavyweight mesh nylon
$135 each jersey

NBA

NBA licensed jersey
Brand new with tags
All numbers, logos, and names are sewn on
High quality double stitched embroidery of team name, player's number and player's name on the front and the back of jersey
High quality embroidery of team logo

100% authentic

$95 each jersey

Contact Info

To contact Brandon, send e-mail to jerseysfromborr[at]yahoo[dot]com. Let him know Doug sent you! Remember, contact him to see the availability he has. He can get quite a few varieties/colors, as you can see above. If he can get the Winter Classic jersey, he can get pretty much anything. So feel free to ask him about the availability of your favorites. He can send you photos (as he did to me) to verify that that is the jersey you wish to purchase.

Week 2: What to Expect

2010-09-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

So, the season didn't get off to the start we had hoped for. For all intents and purposes, I'm calling the team 1-0. Obviously the score says to the contrary, but we won that game. The momentum gained from a call like that can equal a win if it's harnessed correctly. For the sake of the team, I'm assuming here that they do take that anger and channel it towards this week's game.

This week, we get the Eagles. After seeing both teams play, I'm confused. The Lions looked great for a half, then fell apart in the second half (most likely due to Stafford's injury), while the Eagles pulled a flip of that-- Mike Vick leading the charge of course. With that said, it scares me a bit that the Eagles now have a dual threat at QB. Kevin Kolb is a lot easier to handle-- he's no McNabb, and he's nowhere near as much of a double threat as Vick.Basically what I'm saying is the injury to Kolb may have hurt our chances this week.

The run defense last week was fairly solid, only surrendering 101 rushing yards (15th in the NFL right now). The pass defense was abysmal, giving up 362 yards through the air, second worst only to Houston who gave up over 400. In context, this would help our chances this week, but in reality, I'm concerned. We held a marginal at best running game to 101 yards, and a above-average passing game put up 362 yards through the air. If I had to rank the Eagles, I'd say good running game, and above-average passing game; much better chances for the Eagles than the Bears.

Key Matchups

Michael Vick vs. The Lions' Back Seven

Let's face it: the Lions' defense is not fit to defend a dual-threat QB. The linebacking corps is depleted, and the secondary is too. Levy may be back this week, but he and Delmas are not going to be at 100%, which doesn't help matters. The thing to look for here is Gunther Cunningham's ability to get a scheme together that will help keep Vick in the pocket-- where he is not his best. He's struggled his whole career with accuracy, and this may help the defense make up for its lack of depth.

Shaun Hill vs. The Doubters

Hill was recently interviewed about his playing time in Detroit, and he said he's okay with being a backup, and the job stability it creates. I like where his head is at, and I hope Linehan can put a more aggressive scheme on the field this week to complement the maturity in Hill's decision making. Last week's second half was ugly, but you can't blame that on Hill, Linehan (with the exception of the very end of the game) barely let either QB go deep down field much. We have Calvin Johnson. Use him. As for the doubters, everyone knows the backup can't win the game-- but I think we have one of the best backups in the game in Hill, and it's up to him if he's going to let that bother him.

Questions
The obvious question is 'do the Lions even have a chance?' but let's be a little more optimistic, because they do. If the defense can get after Vick early and often, he's going to be forced into the pocket QB role, where he is his weakest. Doing so makes the Eagles less dynamic on offense, and gives the Lions a better chance to win the game.

Another less obvious question will be whether or not the Lions can create the turnovers they did in the first game. The Lions game was a rare one in the sense that they had fewer turnovers than the opposition and still lost. If we can force Vick to stay in the pocket and keep him uncomfortable, the odds of an interception on an overthrow are tremendously higher. The trend won't continue this year; if the Lions can generate turnovers and hang on to the ball, they'll win games.

Predictions
I was right about last week being a defensive struggle, and I think this one will be too. Vick has the big play potential, and that's where they're going to score on us. As far as the bread and butter offense goes, I think the Lions can stop it just fine, the biggest concern is going to be spying the quarterback. With any luck, the Lions will keep their penalty yards down, and the Eagles will continue to struggle, but most teams aren't penalized that much consistently.

I need to remain optimistic here, so I see the Lions making a game of it. We'll get on the board first, and that will help keep the momentum for the game. I see KVB and McBride getting some good pressure around the edges (Avril isn't playing this week), with Suh plugging the gaps up the middle. If we can build the defense on that foundation, this Sunday will be ours. Philadelphia doesn't have the height at WR, so they rely on speed to get open. Pressure on Vick will cause quite a few bad throws, and possibly some turnovers.

If the Eagles turn the ball over 3 times, we will win. Linehan is going to run a lot, and Hill should be able to have a solid outing with the intermediate passing game. As long as we hang on to the ball, and take some shots down field to Johnson, we should have a great shot at winning against the Eagles.

Detroit 24 Philadelphia 21

Don't Blame the Referees, Blame Backus.

2010-09-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

I think people are finally settling down about "the catch that wasn't," and so I felt the time to write this was right now. Ladies and gentlemen, the NFL and its officiating crews are not responsible for the Lions loss in Chicago. I'm not a fan of placing blame on one single person (unless our defense counts as 'a person'), but this week I can't think of a single person on that field that was more responsible for our downfall than ol' Jeff Backus. If there was one mission that he had, it was to make sure Julius peppers does not destroy Matt Stafford. And, he did.

You may make the argument that I'm making a stretch by placing that all on his shoulders, but think about it: Stafford was 11 of 15 at the time, and we were riding a 14-10 lead with a lot of momentum. Then, everything went black-- Backus stepped aside, let Peppers gain some speed, and Matt Stafford went down in a crumpled heap. He gets up holding his arm, and Detroit, in unison, screams "NOOOOOOOO!" Nothing kills momentum and a team's spirit like watching your franchise QB getting drilled and leaving the field injured.

Thank you, Jeff Backus.

I found an interesting article on Bleacher Report from last season. Someone found a site that you could rank players on in terms of offensive lineman statistics-- the only real stat to track is sacks allowed. And guess who was number 32? Jeff Backus with 7.47 sacks allowed a season. Bryant McKinnie was 31st and was more than a whole sack behind him.

It's really sad that it's going to take Matt Stafford being turned into a defensive punching bag for the front office to notice, but uh, hey guys: it's time to upgrade the offensive line. We skipped out on Jeff Otah for Gosder "Useless" Cherilus. Right now, Raiola and Sims are the only two that could probably start on any other NFL roster. Jansen got cut, and Peterman is also lacking in the skills area. Jason Fox didn't show much promise in the preseason, but at this point I'll take youth/bad over old/bad.

Let this be a lesson to you Mayhew: it is time to bring in some better players to protect your two most valuable assets-- Best and Stafford.

Making Sense of Stafford's Shoulder

2010-09-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

There have been several reports out there circulating today and yesterday about Matt Stafford's shoulder. Ranging from not missing time, to season ending (which is completely and utterly ridiculous to assume). Falling on your shoulder like that hurts, and I've actually separated my own shoulder twice-- he won't be back for a little bit if I had to guess.

Adam Schefter reported today that Stafford in fact has a second-degree separation, which is a type II separation. Now, I'm no doctor, but I did some research on the injury in the past. The good news is: no surgery needed. In fact, it's the same injury he had last year when he got dropped against Cleveland-- just less severe. A type II separation includes the complete tear of the acromioclavicular ligament, and a sprain or partial tear of the coraclavicular ligament. The ligament separation limits movement because of pain and swelling, not weakness. The treatment for this injury is typically putting the arm in a sling and limiting movements, while taking anti-inflammatory drugs. In Stafford's case, this injury is fairly minor, considering the severity scale goes from 1-6 (with 4-6 being severe and requiring surgery).

The downside now, though, is that Stafford could be out anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Based on the nature of the injury, I would find it unbelievable if he made it back in 4 weeks, especially since it is his throwing shoulder we are talking about-- an AC tear limits movement by making it extremely painful to hold/lift the arm above parallel to the shoulder.

Some have said that Stafford is "injury prone." First off, no he's not. And I can explain why not: a 260 pound force falling on your shoulder is going to separate it. No matter how strong you are, it will happen. Unfortunately for Stafford, the offensive line has failed him yet again, and now he has to watch from the sidelines for a few weeks.

Now, it comes to Shaun Hill, who I find to be actually a pretty solid backup. He's obviously no Matthew Stafford, but he's also a lot better than Culpepper.

Hopefully we find out more about the nature of this injury in the next few days, but being the tactile league it is, I highly doubt we'll find anything super specific out about his shoulder-- Schwartz obviously wants to limit the ability of the opposition to game plan one way or another. Schwartz and Stafford have already been very secretive-- and borderline optimistic-- about his playing time being affected. Stafford made the comment that he doesn't know how much he'll miss, "if any." Schwartz said “we’ll probably look at that if the situation dictates, but we’ll make that decision later on down the line.”

Basically, no one is revealing their hands yet, and it has only been one day since the injury. Stafford is getting a second opinion on his shoulder in the coming days. Based on what we know from Adam Schefter, this could sideline Stafford for at least a few games. Let's hope it's not as serious as he reported.

"The Runner Did Not Complete the Catch During the Process of the Catch"

2010-09-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

Say what? That's what every Lions fan heard as euphoria changed to a sinking feeling-- to sheer anger in one play. A lot was said about that specific referee that made the call, but I think the problem goes deeper than that. Of course, this is on par with the referee that called the leaping penalty on Simeon Rice in 2003. The wording of the rule validates the penalty, but the official that called it made a game-changing call that has probably happened before-- he just had to be the guy to actually call it.

Article 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 1 of the NFL rulebook states that:

“If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact with an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.”

So really, the question becomes more of a "did he make a 'football move' while making the catch"? My short answer, yes. He got both feet down, lunged away from the defender, landed on his rear, and then as he was turning around to get up, he left the ball on the ground. And apparently that last part cost him the catch, and the Lions the game.

The idea of the catch-- as defined in the rule-- is to maintain possession when you hit the ground. This rule clearly is written to help clarify diving catches that pop out, and the like. The referee can certainly justify his call on the field with this overly-ambiguous writing, but let's face the facts: Johnson caught the TD on that play, and the NFL should allow some room in their officiating to use discretion.

Let's run through the "process":

Step 1: The catch.

Step 2: 1 foot, 2 foot. The catch is made.

Step 3: Johnson falls towards the ground.

Step 4: Johnson's hand hits the ground.

Step 5: Johnson's hindquarters and (we can logically assume) his left knee contacts the ground as well. This is contact with the ground, which completes the catch. Clearly, as shown by this still frame, he has full possession of the ball.

Step 6: Johnson's hands and knees all touch the ground before the ball does. Notice the space between the ground and the ball. This furthermore completes the already completed catch.

Step 7: Johnson gets up to celebrate catching the game winning throw. Being that the pass was completed, there should be no concern with leaving the ball on the ground.

So then, tell me, why is this not a catch? You read the rule. Obviously both sides can argue their rulings based on the frustratingly-open, yet restricting definition of a catch. If it looks like a catch, especially in this situation, it should be a catch. It's great that the NFL has a big giant rule book that can justify the decisions of their officiating crews, but this shows the dangers of it. You get that one guy who read the rule book last night, and wants to make a call. Unfortunately in this case, it was the Lions.After viewing the video over and over, I still cannot understand how this was not a catch. Sure, if Johnson had not fallen on his rear post-catch, and just rolled over to get up and then dropped the ball-- I could understand the ruling. But based on the rules, he contacted the ground with his rear, knees, and left elbow, and all of those things signify contact with the ground, ending the play.

At this point, the NFL isn't going to change their ruling-- in fact, they'll probably spend a bunch of money convincing people that the correct call was made like they did with previous bad calls. The fact of the matter remains: NFL officials should not influence the outcome of a game. Today, they did.

NCAA Roundtable, Part II

2010-09-10T19:14:00.001-07:00

This week, it is being hosted by Norm. Head over to his blog and check out out. Here's the link.

It's Time For a New Stadium

2010-09-10T17:26:00.000-07:00

Joe Louis arena has become a symbol of the Red Wings franchise crawling out of the "dead wings era" in the last 20 years. One would think, then, that a team being as successful as the Wings would have no issues securing a new home for themselves. Unfortunately, this is not the case-- and the Wings now find themselves in a position that I find borderline insulting. Right now, we know that the Red Wings will probably play their 2010 season at Joe Louis Arena. We also know that they could potentially play at the Palace of Auburn Hills if need be.

Understandably so, building a facility that will cost millions of dollars in the middle of a downtrodden city may upset some, and seem infeasible to others. To me though, and many other Wings fans, this is something the team deserves. What kind of precedent are we stting by giving the league-worst Lions and Tigers brand new facilities, but leaving the league-leading Red Wings out to dry with a facility that can't hold all of its fans for playoff games?

The time has come for a new arena. I'm not talking about expanding Cobo, or adding on to the Joe. It's time to build the Red Wings a new venue-- state of the art-- because they are worth it. The sentimental opposition to it I can understand, but we tore down Olympia, didn't we?

What is really important to me (and a lot of other Red Wings fans) is that they have a home arena. The Joe has that atmosphere, undoubtedly, and with a new arena we can give it even more of that. Simple touches like display cases that are at every seating entrance (not like we don't have enough history to fill them), to the simple things like the red glass dividers in Washington.

If I had to pick a team to get a new arena in Detroit, it wouldn't have been the Lions or Tigers. It would have been the Red Wings. I really think Ilitch can get us that new stadium we deserve.

Many of my readers have never seen the inside of a state-of-the-art arena. Being that I live in Phoenix, I get to see the Red Wings win in one twice a year. The venue: Jobing.com arena. It opened 7 years ago (boy does time fly), and it is a beautiful facility inside. There is not a bad seat in the house, and the atmosphere allows you to get really into the game. Though this stadium is a bit older, it makes me wonder what it would be like if the Wings could get into a new facility like the one out west.

It's a tough battle, but Ilitch can win it. Not only do you gain the potential to fill more seats, but you add another wonderful concert venue downtown. In terms of appeal, perhaps it could spark the beginning of a construction revolution downtown. I'm optimistic, obviously, but it's not that far-fetched of an idea.

And wouldn't it be fitting to win number 13 in a new building? 12 is a given this year.

Week 1: What to Expect

2010-09-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

Football season is upon us, and I'm going to start up a regular segment of What to Expect from the Lions each week. Recap won't be so necessary as you can all watch/listen to games-- and I'm assuming most of you have ESPN.

This week, we get the underwhelming Bears. Why underwhelming? Because they continue to leave massive gaps in their team's structure unfilled. Those gaps consist of wide receiver, offensive line, cornerback, and coaching staff. This offseason, they added Chester Taylor to their already strong batch of running backs, and Julius Peppers to an already loaded defensive line/linebacking corps (relative to the NFC North). They also signed Mike Martz, a failed Lions coordinator, to coordinate their offense-- alongside 0-16 coach, now defensive coordinator, Rod Marinelli.

Reading about the matchup, a few relative stats caught my eye in the scope of this game. The Bears offense scored on just 3 of its 16 drives in the preseason with Cutler at QB, and gave up a league-worst 19 sacks. I know it's just preseason, but the Bears clearly are having issues. They went 0-4 in the preseason, and played teams that I would consider sub-par. It was the preseason, but by game 4, you shouldn't be losing to the Browns 10-13.

Last year, the two games played against the Bears were so-so. The first game-- immediately after our streak-ending game against the Redskins-- was actually a pretty good game that fell apart at the end. It was a two-score game until Matt Stafford went down in the 4th, twisting his knee on a sack, and forcing Culpepper into the game (a bad sign for any Lions fan). Before that, Stafford had a game-high 296 passing yards, 133 of which went to Calvin Johnson. The second game, Culpepper started, and that's where the game ended.

Key Matchups
This game is going to be an aerial assault. Both teams have solid play in the box, and lots of questions in the secondary. To me there are two matchups to watch:

Calvin Johnson vs. Zack Bowman, Charles Tillman

Matt Stafford is a year wiser, and thus more patient. He and Johnson have developed quite a chemistry in the preseason, and Stafford is learning that the height he has over opposing corners can be used to his advantage. Look for a few deep fades to Johnson, Stafford is beginning to throw that route like a magician.

Johnny Knox vs. Chris Houston, Jonathan Wade

Depending on which side Knox is on, we're going to have to watch him. I'm not too worried about Hester-- his hands are suspect. Knox has the speed to burn the secondary, and Cutler has the arm to get it to him down field. Houston should be matched up with Knox most of the game because of the speed match.

Questions
My biggest concern heading into this game is if DeAndre Levy is going to play. He's missed practice almost the entire preseason and still is missing practice. Another concern is the running game. Will the running game sustain life for the first time in Detroit since you-know-who was here? Best tore up the field in the preseason, but can he make it happen against the Bears?

On the Bears side of the ball, the question is simple: when will the Bears pick up Mike Martz's scheme, and will it work? The Lions can get a lot of pressure on Cutler with their front four, and with a league-leading 19 sacks against in the preseason, the outlook is not so bright.

Predictions
The game should be tight, with the last minutes being a (somehow) defensive struggle. I think the Lions really have a good shot in this game, as long as they hang on to the ball, and do not commit foolish penalties (keep your hands off the facemask, Suh). I'm expecting at least 1 interception from Jay Cutler, and 2 sacks for the Lions defense. Jahvid Best should have at least one monster run, and I expect 2 touchdowns between Stafford and Johnson.

Detroit 28 Chicago 17

Lions Announce Captains, New Acquisitions

2010-09-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

Matthew Stafford was fighting for a job last year at this point. Now, he's a captain-- along with Jason Hanson, Dominic Raiola, and Kyle Vanden Bosch. If I can, for a minute, point out that a kicker as a captain is completely useless to the team. Sure, Hanson is (and has been) our most stable player over the years of sub-mediocrity, but he's also a kicker. My picks for captains? Probably Raiola, Vanden Bosch, Stafford, and Delmas. That would give us the balance of 2 offensive captains, and 2 defensive captains. Captains basically go out and shake hands before the coin toss, but captain to me holds more weight than that. A captain is going to be the emotional leader of the team too. Hanson just doesn't seem like that kind of character-- not on the level of Delmas.

Worthy of captaincy, he's got the swagger it takes.

In other news, the Lions acquired a few new guys this week after cutting some impressive talent. Perhaps we're still having drinking issues in the front office. Alphonso Smith is a cornerback (God knows we need them), Spencer Havner is a utility guy at both LB and TE, and Stefan Logan, a kick returner from Pittsburgh. I like that these three signings are going to go exactly where the three biggest holes on the team are.

Alphonso Smith looks like a pretty solid cornerback, he hasn't had much NFL experience, but is only one year removed from being drafted. He's got breakaway 4.4 speed, and he can break on the ball fairly quickly. Here's a few highlights from the Senior Bowl practice/games.

Spencer Havner was signed as an undrafted free agent to the Redskins practice squad in 2006, before that he was a top talent for an average UCLA defense. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers, and made his official debut in 2006 as well. The Packers focused on making him a versatile player, and succeeded-- he has a career 7 catches for 112 yards and 4 tds for them. Here's a highlight of Havner's hitting power, and his receiving ability.

Last but not least, Stefan Logan. He's a short guy (5'6"), with a lot of speed and cutting ability. He played a year in the CFL, and then signed with the Dolphins in 2007. He most recently played for the Steelers. He has a career return average of 26.7 yards, something the Lions definitely could use. He's a force on kick coverage, and a great returner as well.

Overall, I like these three signings. They're young, talented, and can contribute in the areas where the Lions are currently under-staffed.

What If Nike Liked the Big Michigan Schools?

2010-09-07T16:26:00.000-07:00

After exploring the awesomeness that Nike put on the field last night in terms of jerseys, I wondered-- what if they liked the Michigan big name schools a little more? I know Adidas now sponsors Michigan football, but for the sake of argument, I'm assuming here that they're still on board with Michigan.

If you missed them, you can look at Nike's site here where they feature all of the teams that got new "looks" for a few games this year. Personally, I think it's genius marketing by Nike, and especially when the game turns out to be as thrilling as it was last night-- the jerseys are shown again and again on replay, and people will remember them as "Nike's cool jerseys."

Personally, I feel that there is a divide in college football these days. There are the schools that are relatively new to FBS, and thus do not have history to derive from when it comes to Nike's new Pro Combat series. Schools like TCU, Boise State, and West Virginia do not have near the amount of football history that and Ohio State or Alabama have, and the history shows in their designs for those schools.

With that being said, both major Michigan schools have had programs since the late 1800's, and thus a lot of history to draw from in these designs. Since Nike finds no interest in our poor schools, I took it upon myself to design some. Mind you, they're nowhere near as cool as the layouts that Nike provides us with, but they're still pretty damn cool. Clicking on the photos will enlarge them.

Michigan State- Game of the Century
The Game of the Century inspired this jersey. It was at the pinnacle of their dominance in the mid-60's, and was the mark of their 2nd straight national title. This jersey is modeled after the look that those championship teams sported. The back of the helmet features the phrase "go green." For more information on the Game of the Century, click here.

University of Michigan- The Mad Magicians
In 1947, Fritz Crisler came up with the idea to create both defensive and offensive specialists, instead of having players play both sides of the ball. Coach Crisler's use of the single wing formation gave the team the nickname, "mad magicians," because the formation was so foreign to other teams, and thus effective. The theme of this jersey focuses on the colors and designs that the 1947 team wore. The back of the helmet features the phrase "mad magic," a nod to that 1947 team.

Like what I did with them? Want to see something else? That's what the comment box is for.

MSU/UM Recaps

2010-09-04T16:58:00.000-07:00

I figured I would cater to more fans by trying to hate on Michigan less, and try to write some more about them too. Today I didn't have as hard a time watching them-- most likely because of their recent fall from dominance-- it's kind of like watching a team that finally is getting it together. With that said, I'll start with a recap of the MSU v. WMU game.

MSU 38 WMU 14
Looks like I was wrong on the dynamic running back duo in State's backfield-- it is in fact a trio. My bad. Le'Veon Bell was the true freshman that no one saw as the leading rusher for this team coming into the season, but what I saw today tells me otherwise. He looked sturdy, he's a big kid at 6'2" and 230 pounds-- and that's perfect size for getting out of tackles and breaking big runs like he did today. Baker also looked great today, posting 6.9 yards a carry on 17 carries. The entire State team averaged 8 yards per carry today, not too shabby. To go along with the running game, Cousins was hitting some tight holes and making great throws, including an amazing acrobat-catch by Keith Nichol.

Things that concerned me: penalties, drops, and the secondary. The penalties were just stupid. A hard count on the goal line and you false start? Bad to see, I hope it's just first week jitters. The drops, mostly from BJ Cunningham, were hard to watch too. These are catches that should be made. I hope D'Antonio addresses this, and isn't afraid to make some changes if it turns to habit. The secondary rivaled the Lions' today-- that's all I need to say about that.

Michigan 30 UConn 10
Man, did Michigan look good. Last season, they ran the "black and white" offense as I termed it. Forcier in to throw, Robinson in to run. Hopefully you get the joke there. Looks like Forcier really had some issues in the offseason, falling from #1 to #3 on the depth chart. I think part of it is Rodriguez's deal with the speedy quarterbacks, but it sucks to see a guy with solid talent fall like that. The big question this year is this: can Robinson run all season like that? He looked good on his throws, but this was also against an under-prepared UConn team. The Big Ten has defenses that can stifle an average passer, this will be interesting to follow throughout the season.

It's hard to assess Michigan's play today though, they really could've had a much tighter game if UConn hadn't all eaten Orville Redenbacher before the game with their gloves on. That being said, it will be interesting to see if Rich Rodriguez's hybrid scheme can stand up to the Big Ten, or if it is better suited in a less bulky conference like the ACC or Big East. It's a fun style to watch, but I question the sustainability of a basically 85% QB running scheme in a hard-hitting conference like the Big Ten. Michigan also lacks that big play back that Rodriguez had in Steve Slaton at West Virginia. I'm expecting to see a roulette at running back this season, Rodriguez needs to find that guy for this scheme to work.

Round Table NCAA Preview

2010-09-03T21:15:00.001-07:00

Norm sat down and decided that we should do a round table and preview some aspects of the Big Ten this year. Norm runs an entertaining blog, Far From the Norm. Joe runs the (mostly) sports blog, Joe Knows Stuff. Welcome to our round table, stay a while?

Who is going to be the best defensive/offensive player this year?

Doug: Don’t mean to toot my own horn here, but Greg Jones will be the best defensive player in the Big Ten and NCAA this year. He’s a beast on defense, and he’s on a defense that is steadily improving, but needs his help. He’ll get in on a lot of blitz packages, and get sacks that way too. He’s a vastly underrated NFL prospect in my opinion, mostly because he doesn’t go to a media-whoring top-talent school.

Greg Jones is a force to be reckoned with.

Offense wise, there are a lot of options. I like Quizz Rodgers as much as the next guy, and I think we’ll see another solid season from John Clay. But the one guy that I think is going to absolutely dominate this year is Kellen Moore. He’s a safe pick, I get that, but the guy is just a pure passer. 431 attempts, 39 touchdowns, and 3 picks. 3 interceptions? He’s averaging 13 touchdowns per interception, that’s not even realistic. Heisman trophy, watch out. It’s about time Boise State gets some respect.

Norm: Defensively, I really wanted to go with DE Robert Quinn from North Carolina here but seeing that it’s more and more likely he’ll be ruled ineligible due to associating with an agent (as well as half of that Tar Heel defense…STUPID), as much as it pains me to highlight a Spartan of all people I have to go with LB Greg Jones. He’s a tough gritty linebacker that can cover the field. Watch out for DE Adrian Clayborn out of Iowa as well. Good pass rusher that will make the Iowa defense tough to beat this year.

Offensively, RB Jacquizz Rodgers out of Oregon State (if you really thought I was going to put tOSU QB Terrelle Pryor here you honestly don’t know me-hi, hate isn’t a strong enough word to describe how I beel about the $uckeyes). Rodgers is another fun RB to watch, and could be a guy Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz will be looking for videos of on those late nights down the road.

Joe: Jake Locker is a good bet for offensive player of the year, and if he gets the Huskies past USC, he may be in the Heisman running as well. As for defense, you've got me on that one. I couldn't even wager a guess with all the turnover and turmoil happening this past offseason.

What team has the most potential to upset Ohio State?

Doug: Talk about a hot and cold schedule. They play the worst teams in the Big Ten, and the top 3. I’m looking specifically at next week’s Miami game and the Wisconsin game. Why? They are coming off cupcake games, and probably not going to be really prepared for tough opponents— a proven recipe for disaster with top-rated teams. Personally, I think Miami is a bit overrated, but they can still hang with OSU. Wisconsin at home is the biggest potential for upset this year, and they shouldn’t overlook PSU and Iowa at the end of the season either.

Norm: The team that shall not be named has a loaded schedule this season no doubt and a loss to Miami (FL) next weekend could have a negative impact on the rest of their year (even with Jim Tressel coaching that squad). Either way though I actually see the team from Cowdumbus dropping at least two conference games this season, at Wisconsin and at Iowa. Not really big upsets since both of those teams are also contenders, but two losses in the conference will surely end their streak of Big Ten championships.

Joe: If we're talking Big 10, I don't think they get out of Iowa undefeated. I'm not going to mention Wisconsin, because I'm much too biased to see clearly about that matchup. If we're not limiting ourselves to the Big 10, I think Miami has a real shot at taking them down.

Upset special-worthy?

What team scares you?

Doug: Of course I vaguely worded the question. I’m taking it from the angle of scary in terms of “I don’t want to play this team.” This year, that team is going to be Wisconsin. Tolzien really impressed me last year, and Clay is always a threat. They boast a stout defense, and the potential to choke teams and then score on them—taking them out of the game. Exactly what they did to MSU last year.

Norm: I’m a Michigan man that has a coach on the hot seat and a bunch of freshmen starting at skill positions all over the field. The team that scares me is quite simply my own.

Joe: Besides Ohio State? Going way off the board here, UNLV could take us down if we're not careful. It's happened before.

Which team is most overrated?

Doug: I could go down the list and say all the teams that are, because AP has it all wrong this year. They’re ranking teams based on last year’s performances, and not how the teams potentially could perform this year. Texas rated that high with a completely new QB is ridiculous. Florida, I can see, but they’re still not a top 5 team yet. North Carolina is always a top 25 team—until they play a game. We saw this with Pitt against Utah. A number 15 against an unranked opponent they have more talent than, and they lose.

Now that I’ve gone on my tirade about overrated teams that the media loves, I’ve got an early (and virtually irrelevant this season) favorite as the most overrated team. USC looked like garbage last night. Sure, they won the game, but their defense gave up 588 total yards of offense to the less-than-stellar Hawai’i. In the Pac-10, you can’t do that. Scoring wasn’t an issue, but my flag football team could’ve scored on Hawai’I last night. This will be an interesting season for Lane Kiffin.

Norm: The popular pick is Alabama, but I actually think they’ll win the BCS Championship again so no. My pick is Texas. As crappy a pro QB Colt McCoy is looking like, he was still one hell of a leader on the collegiate level and the Longhorns are going to miss that. I also think outgoing Nebraska will be looking to pound Texas in Lincoln as a going away gift, and it’ll happen. Plus Texas killed all the superalignment talk during the summer, and a potentially fun summer of alignment talk got boring pretty fast. I’m still ticked about that.

Joe: Besides Ohio State? I think USC is in for a tough ride.

How do you feel about the expansion?

Doug: The expansion was obviously purely financial. Personally, I liked the idea of Missouri coming to the Big Ten, for geographical and athletic reasons. Nebraska is as boring to watch as their fans are annoying to listen to. Plus, they add another Penn State to Big Ten basketball—irrelevant and totally useless. At least Missouri would’ve brought a marginal team to the court.

Norm: We all know why this was done: so the fat cats can make even more dollars than they already do. That being said, I’m happy with it. I’ve wanted to see a conference championship game in the Big Ten for awhile, and now we finally will have one. I also think the days of the 14-16 team superconferences will be here within the next five years…just the way it is.

Joe: I love expansion. The divisions suck, though.

Should there be a title game?

Doug: For the Big Ten, there most definitely needs to be a title game. Raise your hand if you hate seeing Ohio State take the title every year? Okay, that’s everyone. Someday, we may see an OSU UM title game—definitely not happening anytime soon—but someday. That’s pure Big Ten football right there. In the meantime, I’m excited by the prospect of having teams fight for the title in a division that lacked it for so long—and needed it. Ohio State won’t have it so easy any more.

Norm: Conference, yes. As for a playoff leading to a ‘true’ NCAA champion, no. It’s more fun seeing debate after debate about which is the ‘real’ #1 continuing for weeks/months/years on end. Look at college hoops: there’s no debate at the end of a championship game, and quite frankly it’s boring. Yet in college football, 13 years later you can still find delusional Cornhuskers fans that think they would’ve beaten Michigan in a championship game. Ha, they’re still so amusing to listen to-it’s a gift that keeps on giving.

Joe: Isn't that the point of the expansion? More money means better programs. Better programs means the SEC people shut up. A win-win for everyone involved.

We'd all like to see some more of this.

Should Suh Be Suspended?

2010-09-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

Simple answer, no. I read a post today that infuriated me (from bleacherreport, so no surprise there), which you can read-- and enjoy my argument-- here. Comparing Suh to Roethlisberger... enough said.

Now let's actually look at the play from a non-subjective standpoint. If you missed the play, here it is. Watch closely as Suh engages Delhomme, and as Delhomme attempts to scramble, Suh reaches and gets the facemask. Suh has no clear view of the ball at this point, and no whistle was blown, so he continues to attempt the sack. He's an aggressive player who never gives up on a play, and this is something the Lions have lacked over the years-- it's good to see.

Goodell sent the message that the facemask was malicious, which I can handle-- because it was-- and thus he was fined. The throw afterwards is what people are up in arms about. I don't see it. He's a good kid, there's nothing wrong with his demeanor. If you question that, do some research.

My take on this is that he got excited, reached, got the facemask, and then decided to exercise his brute strength on Jake Delhomme. People complain about this, I didn't hear a whimper about Dante Wesley's hit last year (who is coincidentally a Lion now).

Keep it up Suh, don't let the fine constrain you. Please, bleacherreport bloggers, read a rule book. Suggesting that Suh be suspended for a facemask that happens probably once a game is absurd. The aggressive tackle afterward is a part of the game. This isn't the NBA, contact is legal.

Leinart vs. Anderson

2010-09-02T21:56:00.000-07:00

Being that I am a "transplant," I find it necessary sometimes to talk about the Arizona teams I deal with. Most of you that follow the NFL know that the Cardinals are in a quarterback peril-- and they have every reason to be. Matt Leinart vs. Derek Anderson. Both have tried, both have failed. But who's the right choice?

My answer is simple, but I have found (for some reason) that Cardinals fans are partial to the tried-once-but-failed-Leinart. Why, I don't know. Obviously, my choice would be Anderson.

Let's look at it this way: Leinart had his shot, he sucked it up, so they brought in Warner. A logical path out the door for a quarterback. Anderson is coming into a fresh system where Leinart has failed previously (and continues to this preseason). Leinart doesn't seem to understand why on earth he's being benched. I'm a firm believer in the "it's time to sit down" theory. It is your time Leinart. Since he-- and many of my friends-- don't see why, let's dig deeper.

Leinart, in my mind, is the product of a system. He played with stellar athletes on a superior team. He played with Reggie Bush, which alone accounts for tons of yards in passing on flat routes and flies. His college numbers were astronomical because of this.

Anderson, on the other hand, had one guy. Steven Jackson was his only superstar, and that didn't entirely count for many passing yards. Anderson excelled in his system as well, but was more of a leader than a pawn in the system that the coach drew up.

Anderson was drafted late, Leinart high-- perhaps contributing to the expectations that Leinart would be the next, uh-- first cardinals star at quarterback. Obviously, this didn't happen. Over the years, Leinart has never thrown more touchdowns than picks, while Anderson led the Browns to a truly unexpected 10-6 season. That season, he threw for 3,787 yards with 29 touchdowns and 19 interceptions-- with Braylon Edwards as his #1. Leinart had Fitzgerald and Boldin, and has never even hit half of Anderson's career season numbers. My argument here is that Derek Anderson has has at least one successful season, something Leinart cannot say.

On a personal observation note, I have never seen a solid outing by Leinart. He is consistently over-- or under-- throwing receivers, and being extremely indecisive on the field. Anderson made the best of a terrible situation, and seeing him first-hand was magical. his command on the field, and his accuracy were stunning. I was actually in attendance of the Insight Bowl victory over Notre Dame. Without his star running back, he led the team to a solid comeback.

Point here being, Matt Leinart has never panned out. He's never had a good season, and frankly, the Cardinals would never have made the Super Bowl with him at the helm. Derek Anderson has the intangibles the Cardinals need for a suddenly-rebuilding franchise, at least the intagibles to hold them over for another season until they find a starter.

Don't be sad Phoenix, you're not losing much if Leinart leaves-- besides a headache.

The face just says it all.

The Risk Factor

2010-09-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

The way the Big Ten has been the last few years-- Northwestern somehow becoming a bowl team, OSU not giving up the title, random teams rising out of the ashes as contenders (Illinois, Minnesota, MSU, Purdue), etc.-- it got me thinking, what are the risk factors for your team to upset (or be upset) on any given Saturday?

Obvious statistic here is wins. But there's more: the ability to win on the road, the ability to beat top teams, and your coach's preparedness. Scoring more than the opposition (obviously) wins you the game. What I have done is developed an index to rank teams based on these factors. Each category has a different weight to it. The scale goes as such:

Wins= 20%
Losses= -5%
Points For (avg)= 10%
Points Against (avg)= -5%
Quality Wins (wins over top 25 teams, last two years)= 20%
Big Ten Record= 20%
Road Record= 10%
AP Top 25 Record (vs.)= 15%
Head Coach Record= 15%

Head coaches may not be as much of a factor in other conferences, but if you look at the Big Ten, you see the best teams with the best coaches-- hence the 15% weight on an otherwise meaningless category. Let's get to the results:

Illinois .119
Indiana .157
Iowa .449
Michigan .270
Michigan State .292
Minnesota .191
Northwestern .367
Ohio State .588
Penn State .538
Purdue .243
Wisconsin .448

The higher the number, the better chances a team has to win big games. With this index, a team that is within 0.100 of your team has a legitimate chance at an upset (assuming they're higher than your team on the scale). It should come as no surprise that Illinois and Indiana are the worst teams coming into this season in terms of upset-ability. Minnesota is a bit more surprising, but given the loss of Decker, their offense may hurt a little. Based on these numbers, the Big Ten would finish right around where it did last year, with Ohio State (sadly) edging out Penn State for yet another title.

I don't see that happening this year, but we'll get into that in the roundtable I'm doing with Norm and Joe.

Big Ten Preview: Michigan State

2010-08-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

Looking for University of Michigan? Check here.
Looking for University of Wisconsin? Check here.

It has been a long time coming, Michigan State football is back. Or at least it seems to be. Last year's team faced quite a bit of adversity in losing so many players to injury, and still came out with a solid season. There was also the drama of fights, assault, and arrests that seemed to plague the team last year. Let me be the first to say that I commend D'Antonio for sitting those guys for the bowl game. It sent a message, and hopefully will clear up any more of the issues we may face this year. It also ushered Keith Nichol's transition to receiver, being that half the receiving corps was suspended for that game-- he played, and quite well. Nichol moving to receiver solidified Cousins as the #1 guy at QB.

Let's preview the offense first. MSU is returning every single receiver, except for Blair White, from last year's team. Yes, that's right. Good thing for Cousins. Biggest guys to look out for are going to be Mark Dell, BJ Cunningham, and Keshawn Martin. But the biggest piece to the passing game puzzle is not a receiver, it's Charlie Gantt. Charile Gantt has spent his entire college career as a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th string guy-- until his breakout season last year. Now he's a senior, and probably one of the best tight ends in the Big Ten.

Kirk Cousins had an amazing year last year too. Posting a 61% completion percentage and a 142.6 passer rating on the year with 19 touchdowns and only 9 interceptions. Highlight of the year was easily MSU's win over Western Michigan, where he completed 88% of his passes for 353 yards and 2 touchdowns. Cousins is an extremely accurate passer, and with a lethal running game behind him, leads one of the most explosive offenses in the Big Ten.

Baker, left, and Caper, right.

Possibly the best two-back combination in the Big Ten resides at Michigan State. Edwin Baker and Larry Caper are two names you're going to want to watch for this year. Larry Caper is a tough tackle, as shown in the second half of this video. Baker has the speed and quickness that Javon Ringer brought to State. The plus here is that they're both sophomores, and both are looking to get expanded roles on the team this year.

If MSU is going to play well in the Big Ten, they need a balanced attack from Cousins and the combination of Baker/Caper.

As far as defense goes, I'm not expecting much. Chris L. Rucker and Greg jones return for senior seasons, and both had decent years last year. Jones was 3rd in the NCAA in tackles, and is 2nd in the nation in total career tackles (359) and tackles per game (9.2). You can read the laundry list of accolades and statistics here; basically Greg Jones is our best player. MSU has never been know for their defense, so this year I'm not really expecting too much-- but I think the run-stopping game will impress some people. Jones and Gordon, paired with some playing time with blue-chip prospect William Gholston, can bolster a big but young defensive line with some of D'Antonio's blitz schemes-- in the Big Ten this is critical.

Greg Jones laying down some hurt.

Special teams suddenly became a strength of MSU last year after years of the John Goss "types." Unfortunately, Swenson is gone and we now have 2 new kickers. On the plus side, one of the top punters in the country-- Aaron Bates-- is returning. That's all fine and dandy, but what I'm really excited about is Keshawn Martin's returning ability. He has the talent to play a bunch of skill positions (3rd on the team in rushing yards and 4th in receiving yards), and is a threat returning kicks. From MSU's sports site: 1,451 all-purpose yards, averaging 18.1 yards every time he touched the football (80 total touches). That's an explosive player.

Keshawn Martin has been nominated by many as one of the best returners in the country.

As far as schedule goes, I see a good season ahead for Sparty. We got lucky in facing only 3 ranked Big Ten teams-- none of which are named the Buckeyes. We have very winnable games early on, including FAU, WMU, and Northern Colorado (school that is bad in the division my school is in, the Big Sky). As typical with State's schedules, it gets tougher the farther in we get, including Wisconsin, @ Iowa, Purdue, and @ Penn State. I do, however, think that all of these are winnable for State, though it is never logical to predict a team running the table in the Big Ten. Of those four games, I see us winning one. For some of you, looking for a prediction, I say MSU will finish 8-4 this season. With that finish, they could (finally) make the Insight Bowl, and I can go see them. Win-win.

Because I am so into the aesthetics of athletics, I also think it's worth mentioning the uniform transition this year. They added a little variety, so I like these. There was quite a bit of controversy this offseason about Nike changing the logo, and the Facebook group garnered enough attention that the AD decided against it, thankfully. Here's the new unis:

And the proposed "new logo"

Ugly, huh? I'm glad they stuck with the old one.

The (Not So) Special Teams

2010-08-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, we've discussed the potential high-points (offense) and the potential low-points (defensive backfield/linebackers). Let's get to the ugly-- special teams. I only say ugly because the Lions the last few seasons have been absolutely horrific on special teams. The big plus to special teams is Jason Hanson, so let's start with him.

Kicking
Jason Hanson is a stud, and has stuck it out with his team through every single terrible year. He continues to be a fan favorite, and one of the best kickers in the NFL, despite being vastly underrated. Hanson had a career year in 2008, posting a 95.5% accuracy total. In 2009, we saw those numbers fall-- mainly because of the amount of 50+ yard attempts he had. Regardless, he's about as automatic as they come on XPs, posting a 98.6% career accuracy on those. With that being said, Hanson is not my largest concern this season-- as long as he's healthy.

Don't worry about Steven Hauschka, he should be released when Hanson comes back, or bumped down to practice squad.

Punting
The Lions were 20th in punting average last year. Not so hot, but not the usual "32nd in the NFL" statistic. Nick Harris really hasn't done much to impress me, but it's hard to hate on a punter who plays for a team with that many 4th downs. Which leads me to my next point-- his average likely suffered because of the number of punts he had. 18th in the NFL in number of punts taken, again not the worst, but more than any coach wants to see. This leads me to this year's already improving team. So far the Lions average is hovering right around where it did last year per punt. But here's the key statistic: 9 punts in the preseason. And guess where that ranks? #1. Let's keep Nick Harris off the field, sounds like a good plan.

Returning
This is the tricky part. No one has the position of kick/punt returner down yet, and I'm starting to see someone emerging as that guy. I would love to see Best as a returner, but I don't want to chance the injury, and I know Schwartz won't either. So my early pick for returner is Aaron Brown. Last week, he looked good, and Derrick Williams has the speed, but not the average. Tim Toone would be my other pick, and next to Aaron Brown, they can pose quite a return threat in terms of explosiveness. Brown has the highest team average this preseason, and has been getting most of the work in-- a sure sign that that's who Scwartz is going for. But if they run the traditional two-returner formation, I vote Toone as the second guy.

So, not that many negative points to this season-- in spite of the dark cloud hanging over our special teams the last few years. We don't have the explosive return guy, but as long as Brown and Toone can hang on to the ball and consistently make it out to the 20-25-30 yard line on returns, that will work. Hanson is solid as our kicker, and really hasn't given anyone much reason to be concerned with his advancing age. As long as the offense gets into position enough to attempt field goals, and hangs on to the ball as they have been in the preseason, Harris will have a light workload this year.

My biggest gripe, however, with this offseason has been the signing of Danny Crossman. Of all the idiotic signings over the years, this is one of those "what the hell was management thinking" signings. Crossman led an abysmal Carolina special teams last year. So, after firing Stan Kwan, we hire this guy. Not really a smart move in my mind-- but it's an upgrade over Kwan. Only time will tell.

Stafford's Dream Comes True: Passing Game Review

2010-08-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

Matt Stafford didn't have a lot to be excited about last season, but he still went through the motions and had a decent season. Before you argue that, look at Mark Sanchez's numbers-- they're nearly identical. This is merely a supporting cast situation.

This offseason, Mayhew decided that it would be a good idea to maybe give Stafford someone to throw to other than Calvin Johnson, who was consistently triple-teamed. Novel concept. My overview is optimistic, I know this-- but with all the weapons, this is an explosive offensive team. It's already showing in the preseason. Let's go over some of the main elements in this new group.

Wide Receivers
Calvin Johnson is a beast, and clearly Stafford's favorite target. They have a kind of telepathic connection on the field, and Stafford has the guts and arm to launch the ball wherever he sees Johnson breaking open in the slightest. We saw this last night when Stafford gunned the ball into a maybe-two-foot hole to Johnson for a 13 yard gain. The speed of Johnson and the arm strength of Stafford make this one of the most dangerous duos in the NFL, and probably the one with the most potential.
Predictions: 90 receptions, 1150 yards receiving, 10 tds.

Nate Burleson is probably going to get a lot of attention from Stafford this year. He's got quicks too, and he's going to be the first guy open in a two tight-end set with a spy or double cover on Calvin. I think that's why Linehan took the time of day to go visit him and convince him to come to Detroit; to help open up the offense. I'm looking for big things from Burleson this year.
Predictions: 62 receptions, 650 yards receiving, 6 tds

Bryant Johnson was not a good fit as the #2 receiver last year. He wasn't in Arizona, so it was unreal to expect him to be a solid every-down receiver. Although, I do feel that he made strides last year to become a better receiver-- especially when Calvin was out. Those improvements-- mostly in route running and catching on the run-- have made him a legitimate threat back in the Z position, as we saw yesterday with his miraculous catch in the endzone. I think we'll see him in a lot of red zone packages running fades with Calvin.
Predictions: 45 receptions, 420 yards receiving, 6 tds

Dennis Northcutt I'm not his biggest fan, but as a #4 guy, I can't complain to have the veteran talent this deep in the position. He's a good slot guy with decent hands, and could get some action from Stafford in shotgun formations. Put it this way, how many 3rd string corners match up well against a solid passing team? Not many. This is where Northcutt will get his work in.
Predictions: 15 receptions, 200 yards receiving, 1 td

Derrick Williams is someone I'm still waiting to see a lot from. He's got the quicks, and he's a decent outside guy. But the only time he will get touches is when Calvin, Nate, and Bryant need breathers, or on special teams--unless he decides to prove himself to the coaches at some point. I'm expecting maybe two big plays from him this year, not too much else.
Predictions: 10 receptions, 95 yards receiving, 0 td

Rookies
Tim Toone has great hands as a slot guy (think Furrey), and he's got a drive that a lot of receivers do not have. It's a little bit like a Hines Ward kind of drive, willing to fight for the extra yardage. For this reason, I hope Toone gets some touches. For all intents and purposes, I'm assuming here that he makes the squad, and gets about as much PT as Northcutt in passing situations.
Predictions: 12 receptions, 205 yards receiving, 2 tds

Mike Moore is a speedster that played college ball with Stafford (a definite plus). He's a freak of an athlete, but I think he's going to get buried on this depth chart because of all the speed guys we already have. He was an undrafted free agent, so I think he'll make practice squad. I would say special teams, but it's looking like that's Aaron Brown's job.
Predictions: Practice Squad

Tight Ends
Brandon Pettigrew is still not really a hands guy, but he has the height and quick enough feet to get open and make big catches. As long as he fully recovers from his injuries last year, he'll be another legitimate threat in the passing game.
Predictions: 30 receptions, 380 yards, 5 tds

Tony Scheffler is a huge addition to the offense. He brings the hands and speed that seem to be Pettigrew lacks. I expect quite a bit of two-tight end sets this year, and this will bring lots of opportunity for Scheffler. He's a hands guy, so goal line will be a big area for him to get touches.
Predictions: 20 receptions, 250 yards, 4 tds

Will Heller is buried under all the talent of the first two strings, but this isn't a bad thing considering the injuries both guys have had over the last year. Heller has great hands, and can work out of the backfield as a pass-catching FB. There are some formations in goal line that the lions run a play action boot with Stafford, Heller comes out of the backfield and runs a flat for a TD catch on the goal line twice last year. It's his specialty.
Predictions: 20 receptions, 200 yards, 3 tds

Dan Gronkowski and Jake Nordin expect practice squad, at least until the tight end situation clears up a little, or someone gets injured. Gronkowski has the raw talent to be a receiving tight end, but he's lacking some of the basic fundamentals. Nordin hasn't really done much or been around long enough to even get a solid assessment.
Predictions: Practice Squad

Quarterbacks
Matt Stafford is poised for a big year, obviously I have lofty expectations for the kid. He went through a lot last year, and he came out a leader-- something i expect to heavily impact the offense this year. Over the course of the last year, Stafford slowly learned that he cannot be forcing throws to make things happen, and he has admitted that. We're seeing it in the preseason now, he is still taking some risky throws, but they're for big plays (like the almost-TD to a leaping Johnson sprinting into the endzone against Pittsburgh) and not because he's going to get sacked. His release has gotten quicker, and he's going to have more freedom under center to audible and make changes that he wasn't really allowed to last year. This can translate to big numbers for Stafford if he stays healthy, gets run support, and stays confident.
Predictions: 615 pass attempts, 355 completions, 36 tds, 22 ints, 3,750 passing yards

Shaun Hill brings the experience and skill we've needed at the backup spot for years. At times, it has been one or the other (mostly experience, not skill). Hill has lead a team before in San Francisco, and can make some gutsy throws as well as move around the pocket. I don't expect him to get much PT as long as Stafford stays healthy.
Predictions: 60 pass attempts, 38 completions, 1 td, 2 ints, 350 passing yards

Drew Stanton will continure to be a fan favorite, and for that reason I hope he stays with Detroit when his contract is up. He's got a winner's mentality, and is completely okay with where he's at on the depth chart. He'll get some snaps (not many) in a QB running situation if I had to guess, and break a few big plays that add yet another small plus to this offense.
Predictions: 10 pass attempts, 4 completions, 0 td, 0 int, 30 passing yards, 65 rushing yards, 2 rush tds

Preseason in Full-Swing

2010-08-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'll try to keep this one brief, but I noticed a few things today that are really going to bode well for the Lions season.

Defensive line play was absolutely amazing today. Sure, there was Suh's facemask grab, but other than that they created havoc and generated 2 fumbles with the aggressive play.

Running game seems to be magically repaired. Kevin Smith was horrific today, but Brown and Best's play was absolutely stunning, and the offensive line generated a lot of push to open up holes for them.

Stafford. Plain and simple, the kid has made this his team, and he already looks like a leader. I like that he's taking risks to make plays happen-- and the risks this year seem much more calculated.

Return game really picked up today too, Aaron Brown obviously wants that as his spot on the team, and at this point I'm okay with it.

Watching ESPN, I noticed something to keep an eye on. As most of you know, the schedule is generated by division, and then each division plays another two divisions. The division that I'm licking my chops over right now is the NFC East. That's right, possibly the most loaded division in the NFC, and they're playing like garbage right now. The Cowboys can't score, we saw that again tonight. But the stat that shocked me was the QB ratings of the QB's in that division. Here they are:

Romo 64.3
McNabb 71.2
Kolb 63.7
Manning 50.2

Matt Stafford's is an amazingly-high 106.4. I know it's the preseason, but these guys are getting more reps this week and not getting any better. Obviously the first week doesn't do much, you throw 3 times and have a low QB rating. We're getting heavy into reps here, and the play hasn't improved. If the passing issues persist, it bodes well for a Lions team with a horrific secondary. The teams are going to be forced to run the ball more, and the Lions are in the upper 50% of the NFL in rushing yards against this preseason (gasp).

Interesting Tidbits
Lions are in the top 10 in points, yards, and rushing yards per game this preseason. You can blame 17th in passing yards on the running back competition. Stafford has played extremely well this preseason.

Turnovers are going to fuel this team. Though Dre Bly has the only pick of the preseason, the team has forced 6 fumbles, which is 2nd in the NFL right now. Remember the Bengals team that was interception-happy, which lead to a solid season? Last years New Orleans Saints ring any bells? I'm not saying we have that talent, merely drawing the comparison and link between turnover-generating defenses and team success.

More on the Lions tomorrow.

SWOT Analysis of the Lions

2010-08-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

Being a marketing major, I hear a lot about the SWOT analysis. For those of you unfamiliar, a SWOT analysis is a detailed observation of a company's business environment. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Now that you know everything I learned in MKT 333, let's move on to more exciting things.

The Lions are sitting pretty this year. Last year, we knew they were going to suck. We had zero talent in the secondary, and we had no defensive line. No one knew if Kevin Smith could stay healthy for a season, and no one knew who this guy Matt Stafford was. One year later, we have answers (mostly) to all these questions. There must be new questions, right? Of course, because the Lions are never that solid talent wise. But let's look at some positives first.

Strengths
For the first time in what seems like my entire life, we don't have a question about who the quarterback is going to be. I consider that a strength in many ways. One, he has a year of experience in a horrific system that is steadily improving. Two, he cemented himself as a true leader with this series of events. The kid has guts, and he's a winner. We need to get the rest of the team to this point.

Somehow, the receiving corps was absolute abundance of inconsistencies last year-- in spite of Matt Millen's insisting on drafting a receiver every year because they shared favorite colors (not true, but it could be). This year, with the addition of one guy, everyone seems to be in the right place. Bryant Johnson was never a #2 guy, and don't get me started on Dennis Northcutt playing at Y or Z. Derrick Williams seemed destined to fail, so there really wasn't any options for Stafford beside the untested Pettigrew and Calvin Johnson. This year, with the addition of Burleson, Scheffler, and Best, the Lions have a plethora of pass-catching options. Bryant Johnson is finally where he belongs (#3), and Northcutt--with any luck-- will be too; on the free agent list.

The defensive side of the ball offers little to be excited about, with the exception of the line. From what we've seen in the preseason, the push generated from those monsters up front is creating some waves that are disrupting offenses. Ndamukong Suh is an absolute terror (exhibit A, and exhibit B) to defend, and Corey Williams was a nice addition. On the ends, KVB and Avril are speedy enough to get around the corners and hit some QB's in the backfield, a lethal combination of weapons.

Weaknesses
Okay, there's no ignoring the fact that the secondary is absolutely a huge question. Dre Bly will probably be expected to lead the cornerbacks, and Delmas the safeties. I read that Amari Spievey was moved to safety, and I like that move-- here's why. Spievey is a tackle guy, not a coverage guy. He lead Iowa in tackles in college, and I think that physical presence is something that's more appreciated at the safety position than corner. Hopefully the move pays off, but the kid's a rookie and anything can happen.

Chris Houston is basically getting a fresh start, and hopefully that means good things. Jonathan Wade played for the Rams, we all know what that means. What I'm saying is that there are a lot of "hopefully"'s and pretty much zero guarantees other than Delmas will start. Check that, he's injured...

When was the last time the Lions had a good special teams guy returning kicks and punts. Not Az Hakim, not Williams, not any of those guys-- it's been a while. This year there are contenders, but no clear-cut starter. Toone, Williams, Brown, and Best all look like they could have decent talent, but none of them have shown consistency. The Lions had one of the worst special teams groups last year, so hopefully bringing Crossman in can change that around a bit.

Opportunities
This year may be the year we go .500 in the division. It has been years since that has happened, and here's why I think it can happen this year: injuries and unintelligent GMs. Chicago has glaring holes on the offensive line, at wide receiver, and in their coaching staff. It only makes sense that this offseason they sign a defensive end, no receivers, and hire another ex-lions coach who failed miserably. In Minnesota, Brett Favre is back, but it's looking like he'll have no one to throw to the way the receivers are dropping like flies. To me, that's worth a game in this division. In Green Bay, nothing has changed. They'll be the toughest competition this year. Basically, I think the Lions can take two from Chicago, and one from each Minnesota and Green Bay.

A rookie of the year on both sides of the ball? Not in Detroit. But maybe this year, where Jim Schwartz (apparently) is aroused by Jahvid Best's abilities. This kind of infatuation can translate to carries and more offensive involvement which, for a running back as explosive as Best, is a good thing for him and the team. I shouldn't have to convince you of Suh's impact and contention of the DROY, they should just give it to him now.

The Lions also have the opportunity this year to play a hand in the division. I'm not suggesting they win it, but with the way the season ends (at home vs. Minnesota), we may have a chance to spoil their season and launch Green Bay into the playoffs. A small victory for the Lions, beating up Brett Favre is never a bad thing.

Threats
Injuries are the biggest threat. The Lions--being a rebuilding franchise-- have a serious lack of depth in a lot of areas: DT, DE, LB, CB, and S. Basically the entire defense. I would list QB here, but I think Hill is a capable backup with NFL experience-- and not named Daunte Culpepper. If we get the injury bug again this year, it could spell trouble with the lack of depth.

Headhunting defensive ends are next on my list for the reason listed above-- Peppers, Allen, and the newly emerging Cullen Jenkins are probably going to rake in the sacks this year (I expect KVB and Avril too, as well). The Lions, being one of the most sacked teams the last decade, are going to have to really protect Stafford this year, or else (see video of A/C tear above). Stafford could also take the Orlovsky route as well.

Wrap Up
Overall, the Lions are poised to have a positive season. The way I see it, the team went 7-9 with a tougher schedule, a terrible coach, and less talent. 7-9 this year would be amazing, given that we'll be two years removed from an 0-16 season. Coach Schwartz has made the moves this offseason, and in turn has brought in some change-makers in KVB and Burleson. Those moves bring veterans to a young team, and a winning attitude that should be contagious.

Fun Stuff
I'll leave you with a few short videos and facts to make you more excited for this upcoming season:

Calvin Johnson is part beast, animal, and man. A bemanimal. Megatron is a fitting nickname.
Jahvid Best is explosive and shifty.
Ndamukong Suh had 4 career interceptions in college.
Matt Stafford scored a 38/50 on the Wonderlic test. Vince Young got a 16/50.
He is also apparently pretty good with the ladies.

On the Hot Seat & Breakouts: Lions

2010-08-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Lions' edition of on the hot seat & breakouts; my little way of delving deeper into the team, and finding guys who are poised for a great season along with guys who better have one. I'll start with the hot seat guys.

On the Hot Seat

Kevin Smith
I personally feel bad for the guy, he's never really had a good line to run behind. At the same time, neither have a lot of big stars at times in their careers. With that being said, Kevin Smith needs to have a career year this year. The Lions picked up Best in the draft, and I think moreso than adding depth, they're putting pressure on Smith. If he has a bad day, here comes Best. How's that for zero tolerance? Kevin Jones got the same treatment, and Smith is about to too. The Lions haven't really had a consistent RB since Barry, and judging by Schwartz's borderline-creepy comments on Best, I think he's the direction the future of the franchise is headed in. It's Smith's job to get a place in that future this year.

DeAndre Levy

The Lions traded away Ernie Sims and didn't resign Larry Foote. Which leaves the linebacking corps at 1 solid starter in Julian Peterson. I liked what I saw from Levy last year, he has good instincts and a heavy hitting power. The biggest question here is: can Cunningham get him ready to start 16 games and play the way he did towards the end of the year last year? We went from a team with one of the best linebacking corps to one with the most questions. Levy could help sway that back in the other direction, but this is a lot to expect from a 2nd year player.

Gosder Cherilus
Kind of the same situation here as Smith, Jason Fox was drafted to fill a tackle position. With his super inconsistent play-- especially as a 1st rounder-- he's on the fast track to riding the pine once we get a solid tackle in the door. I still wish we would've taken Jeff Otah.

Dre Bly
Welcome back, Dre. And now you're supposed to save our secondary. As the veteran in the defensive backfield, I think Bly is going to get a tough job in trying to get the entire secondary on track. He can do it, and if he can, I think Detroit will fully welcome him back. After all, he is the only mentionable corner the Lions have had in as many years as I can remember.

Gunther Cunningham
I've never been a fan. The guy has consistently put terrible defenses on the field, and this year it needs to stop. I hope Lewand (when he's done with all his DUI fun) and Mayhew catch on to this and have a sit down with Schwartz. Changes need to be made if he can't take the talent he now has and produce even a top 20 defense.

Poised For a Breakout

Ndamukong Suh
If you've seen him play, you know he is. He instantly makes the Lions a better team, and he adds to a revamped line that should hide the secondary quite well with adequate pressure. It's been years since the Lions had a candidate for DROY, so this is a huge step up. Suh will have a monster year.

Calvin Johnson
Huh? He's already a star. Yes he is, and he's going to get better this year. he's obviously Stafford's favorite target, but now defenses have much more to worry about. With the additions of Burleson, Scheffler, Best, and even Toone, defenses don't have the man power to load up 3 guys on Johnson. We already know how good he can be when it's only double coverage, just wait and see what single coverage looks like.

Matt Stafford
This goes right in the same reasoning as Calvin Johnson. He has a running game (ideally) and a ton of options. Just think, a 2 tight end set with Best in the backfield and Burleson/Johnson on the outside. Talk about optimal options for a QB. The running back situation is helping Stafford more as well, as you can look 4 deep on the depth chart and see hands guys. Lots of deep threats, and lots of check downs-- a dream for Stafford.

Chris Houston

This is more of a hopeful pick, but I like the speed he brings to the secondary, and the experience-- even though it is only a few years in ATL. Houston gets a fresh start for a defensive-minded coach, and is basically handed the starting job. In a pass-heavy division with premium defensive ends, there will be a lot of hanging passes and mistake throws. Houston adds a speed dynamic the Lions haven't had for quite some time, and that is excellent seeing as how he'll have to cover some speedy guys in Knox/Aromashodu, Harvin/Rice/Berrian, and Jennings/Driver/Jones at least twice a year. He's getting his training camp reps against Calvin Johnson, and doing quite well despite the obvious talent gap. Good place to start for a good year.

What Being a Detroit Fan Means to Me

2010-08-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

Since I can remember, I have been a loyal Detroit fan. Loyal to me means that you stick with your team no matter what. If they're sucking, you still tune in. I watched 9 of the Lions 16 losses in 2008, and I don't even have local Detroit cable-- yes, online feeds to watch the futility. If they're out, you cheer against their rivals. Who in their right mind would cheer for the 'Hawks anyway? If they're contending/competing, you're out in front of the crowd reminding everyone that your city's team is superior, and you're proud of it. I've worn a wingnut hat and Red Wings jersey to every Coyotes/Wings contest I've ever been to in AZ; when the fans start cheering "Let's go Coyotes, Red Wings suck," I flip it right back around and yell as loud as I can. Detroit sports are a culture.

I wanna walk down memory lane (and I'm assuming many of you have been here too). I still have my first Wings jersey (size kids small) in my closet, and I still have all the pennants from my room when I was 3; old school Pistons logo and all. My dad was always a casual observer, and I think they were really just forcing the masculinity factor on me from an early age-- but something sparked with me. I noticed how true to their teams Michiganders are, and that-- to me-- was enviable, and something I wanted to partake in. I had everything you can name handed down to me over the years, from Bless You Boys shirts from '84, to the '89 Bad Boys Championship shirts. Basically, I grew up in Arizona rooting for teams that were thousands of miles away.

Being a fan of Detroit sports is obviously not easy. Luckily, in my entire lifetime, the Wings haven't missed the playoffs since I was two years old. Unfortunately, the fun stops there. We had the Pistons championship and Eastern Conference Championship run to get excited for, and that one time the Tigers didn't have a losing season. The Lions, well... I can't remember the last time I was legitimately convinced they'd make a title game. And of course, Sparty and the Tom Izzo era, something to envy (and I am by many of my friends). But the championships are not what defines Detroit sports.

The fans define Detroit sports. Fans that stick with a team through thick and thin, and are there to finally be excited when the team has a title run. The fans that deserve it. Living in Phoenix most of my life-- and through my more-conscious adult life-- I've noticed that fairweather fans aren't hard to find. The Diamondbacks title run, the Cardinals title run, and the Suns years of glory, all brought people flocking to the stadiums because suddenly the sports meant something to them. But this year was a real eye-opener.

The Coyotes-- by divine intervention, and the firing of Gretzky-- finally made the playoff push that their fan(s) had hoped for all these years. And suddenly, everyone was a fan. And because I was a Wings fan, I was suddenly a douche. We know how this story ends.

Poor guys, only fans for two weeks and already disappointed.

My point is, true Detroit fans have been there since the beginning. I know I'm not the only one who had a Red Wings blanket, or a "my first Tigers shirt" onesie. Almost every Detroit fan I know can talk about March 26th, 1997... or the statue of liberty... or Joey Harrington. Detroit has the long-lasting legacy of tradition and history that is passed down from generation to generation, and you can damn well be sure that my kids are going to be a part of it. We've been there, we've faced the doubters, we've hated our teams for failing, but guess what? We stuck with them, because we love them.

And that's more than Chicago fans can say.

The Running Back Situation

2010-08-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

After watching last night's game, I've decided that for the first time in years, we have a running game "situation." And no, I'm not talking about TJ Duckett and Kevin Jones type situation. This one is actually real.

DeDe Dorsey really impressed me. And right now, I think he's 4th on the depth chart. It wasn't so much the running game that impressed me, but his footwork in open space. He was the check down guy for Hill most of the night, and wound up leading the team in receiving yards because of it. That being said, I liked how open he got on simple routes and made the most of the opportunities he got. It wasn't catch and go down, it was more like catch and dash around (in a forward direction, unlike Reggie Bush) to fight for extra yards. I like to see that.

I still haven't really seen much from Kevin Smith, so it's hard to make an assessment. I did see a few of his runs last night and he looked healthy, but he also didn't entirely look like a #1 running back. He made some solid cuts and was working hard, but he continues to be unable to make space for himself.

Which leads me to Best. He can be the future of this team at running back. A solid mix of him and (insert name here) this year will definitely yield great results for him, and that showed a bit last night. He's flashy, quick, and can make plays for himself when the line breaks down-- something that I anticipate happening a lot this year. He's also excellent as a receiver, and as we saw last night, that can break down a defense fairly quickly when you have a pass-catching RB.

Future of the running game?

Aaron Brown, I still don't know about. I feel like Jahvid Best is what they expected from Brown but never got. He's alright as a returner, and that may be the only reason we keep him on the team.

If I'm Schwartz, I'm running a 3-back system this year for two reasons. One, who knows who's going to get hurt. Cutting down carries for all three and spreading them out will reduce the likelihood. Two, they all obviously have talent, and can be used in different situations. Best should be the primary back. When he gets a few carries, Smith would ideally come in. But if I'm in an obvious passing situation, I would use Dorsey. We know all three can catch, but I have liked Dorsey's hands the most so far.

This is the first time in years that we've had these options. I just sure hope Schwartz sees it the way I do.

My Most Hated Detroit Athletes

2010-08-20T18:19:00.000-07:00

It may be tougher to top 10 this list, so I'm going to just list them out as they come to me. Feel free to add on!

Rasheed Wallace

Classic 'Sheed.

Whether it was running his mouth and getting T'd up, or missing threes to get us out of the game, I never really liked the guy. Larry Brown thought he could "tame" him, and we all saw how that worked in the long run.

Marian Hossa
I think he may be my most hated Detroit athlete. Most disloyal, money-hungry player out there... and I'm mad he got a cup out of it. I think every loyal Wings fan will agree with me on this one.

Darko Miličić
"The next Dirk Nowitzki." Enough said.

Roy Williams
Roy was more interested in being a showboat than making the team better. It's rare that a receiver has more drops than receptions, but that's how I seem to remember him.

Todd Jones
One whom I affectionately called "Warning-Track-Fly-Ball Jones," he was responsible for a fair share of heart attacks in the city of Detroit. He got us to the World Series (somehow), but he got us out of a lot more games.

Dontrelle Willis

It's okay, Dontrelle. Don't cry.

Who goes on the DL for emotional distress? I thought we were getting a pitcher in the trade, not a steaming pile of emotional distress. Have fun, Arizona.

Az-Zahir Akim
What a great signing! Help the return game, etc. Not. Then again, it was Matt Millen, so...

Shaun Rogers

Rogers' one "big" play.

A nice (large) lazy piece of crap who had one good play as a Lion, and fans worshiped for some reason. Never really liked the guy.

Jason Williams
Almost entirely for killing San Jose last year, and then sealing our fate against them in the playoffs last year. Worst slapshot I've seen in my life. Worse overall than Eaves' shootout attempt. Even better: lead to an odd-man break that lost us the series.

Making the Case for Instant Replay

2010-08-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm not going to lie. My top two sports (in terms of favorites) use replay. Baseball would be in a tie with basketball, a tie containing two sports that are slowly losing my interest because of their ever-obnoxious inability to adapt to modern demands. What demands am I talking about? More realistic gameplay, less referee involvement, etc. Referee involvement has ruined a countless number of games in my recent memory, and unfortunately, most of them lie within the realms of the NBA and MLB. I am a Tigers fan, obviously, so I hate the fact that Galarraga was robbed of a perfect game because Jim Joyce got excited and messed up. I've seen a lot of questionable calls in the NBA, with foul counts in some games being astronomically contrasted-- along the lines of 20-2.

Then I came across this article. I'll let you go and read the article to find out the study, but the gist of it is this: MLB umpires miss 1 in 5 close calls. Granted, there's an average of 1.3 per game, but that 1.3 falls into the Jim Joyce area. The one close call that game was wrong, and it cost the kid his chance at history.

The nay-sayers all complain that it will "slow down the game." It is already slow, so I don't see the argument there. People said the same thing about using instant replay on home runs, hasn't really changed a thing now, has it? I think it is also worth mentioning that a few people made the case for human error in the game of baseball. The argument really negates the point of having an officiating crew. Errors are a stat tracked for players, not officials. Officials are supposed to call the game accurately.

I agree with people who are against replay at the World Cup: soccer is probably one of the oldest sports on the planet, and there's a certain level of antiquity that keeps the sport interesting. But baseball is almost entirely an American sport (in terms of major leagues), and is nowhere near as old as soccer. Baseball purists need to face it, times are changing. If it was a sport that never changed, we'd still have players that look like this:

1869 Harper's Weekly-- Cincinnati

It's time to face the music, Bud Selig. Baseball needs a replay system for close calls-- not to be abused, but to be used in critical, game-changing situations. If what it takes is another terrible call in the playoffs to change his mind, then so be it. It just better not be my Tigers.

My Favorite (All Time) Detroit Athletes

2010-08-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

It's the offseason for the two sports that I religiously follow, so I feel compelled to write about this-- there are no current events to discuss really. Of course, I will forget people. That's what happens when you love sports in a town with hundreds of years of history combined. With that said, let's take a trip down memory lane.

10. Chauncey Billups

Mr. Bigshot will always have a place in my sport-loving heart. He introduced me to a new breed of Piston basketball, and renewed the faith of the city with his play and clutch shooting. Then for some reason, Joe Dumars thought "Hey, let's trade the cornerstone of our franchise for a washed up veteran!" Great idea. Years later, he's leading the Nuggets to the playoffs every year. We miss you, Chauncey.

9. Brendan Shanahan

The dude was a beast, he could score and he could hit. I liked the style he played with, and I think it's something the Wings need now. Regardless, Shanny knew how to play the game and was involved in the rebuilding of the franchise. Truly underrated in my opinion.

8. Gordie Howe

How could anyone not like this guy? He's the original badass in hockey, hence the name "Mr. Hockey." He was ambidextrous, and Bobby Orr called him the greatest player in the NHL. I (obviously) never got to see the man play, but as a Hockeytown legend, he had to make the list. A true hockey athlete.

7. Curtis Granderson

I can't believe he's gone, I still hate the trade. The guy brought a true CF to the roster, instead of the revolving door of speedsters that couldn't hit to save their lives. The combination of power, speed, and smarts really made me like the guy, and I still wish he was a Tiger.

6. Nicklas Lidstrom

He is (in my humble opinion) the best defenseman in the NHL, and has been for the span of his entire career. He plays the game smart, and he plays it with a cool attitude that makes me love him more every time I see him play. Plus, he's damn sexy.

5. Chris Osgood

As much as I hated him last season, he brought Hockeytown back. He was dominant for so many years, and still has flashes of greatness. The Wings at times had nothing more than Osgood to save them, and he kept us in a ton of games from 1998-2008-- for almost that entire span-- all while remaining vastly underrated. How many cups do you have, Nabokov?

4. Calvin Johnson

The man is a goddamn beast. That needs no saying, but I feel like he is what will start the resurgence in Detroit. He has consistently wowed me with his speed and catches, and he has the winning attitude that the team needs. Plus, how many WRs have you seen do this?

3. Pavel Datsyuk

He invented the shootout deke, and the man is poetry on skates. Watching him play gives me chills. I love his style and awkward demeanor, and I think he gives 110% every time he hits the ice. Anybody who consistently humiliates goalies in public deserves the #3 spot.

The final two really need absolutely zero explanation.

2. Barry Sanders

1. Steve Yzerman

That was actually kind of tough. I left out a lot of good guys. Maybe I'll expand it to 20, some day. Before that though, my top 10 least favorite Detroit athletes. Stay tuned.

My Expectations For the Lions' Season

2010-08-13T20:21:00.000-07:00

As most of America has, I have been playing Madden 11 religiously the last two days. It got me to thinking (after a 9-0 start) is that even fathomable? Of course not. We have 2 wins in the last 2 seasons, and 9 in the last 3, it's not reasonable to expect a 12-4 season. In my entire life, I've never expected that much from a Lions team.This year, it feels a tad bit different though.

After the "Matt Stafford show" during the game against the Browns last season, I found a renowned sense of pride in my team. I have always worn Lions gear, talked them up to people, and slowly quieted down over the course of the season as the losses continued to pile up. But watching that game (then and now) gives me goosebumps. The amount of leadership a 21 year old kid showed on that field that day was amazing. I think it provided a lift to everyone on the team, and gave a lot of fans something to look forward to.

Michael Vick-esque (in his glory days, of course)

Carrying into this season, I look to see a lot of the same thing. He has a full offseason under his belt, and the year of NFL experience to boot. He's surrounded with weapons, and got a bit of an upgrade at the guard spot. So the question this year in my opinion is not the offense, but the defense. I think Stafford knows what he is doing considerably more this year than he did last year. He admits that he had tried to force a lot of throws to make things happen (and thus threw a ton of INTs).

I kind of want to step outside the discussion here and draw a comparison of two similar stories with very different settings. Mark Sanchez and Matt Stafford. Drafted 4 spots apart, one went to the playoffs, the other got destroyed by sacks and finished the season with a bombed shoulder. One had a running game to build the offense on, one was last in the NFL in runs of 20+ yards. One had a defensive line that bolstered an untested (for the most part) secondary, the other had the worst opposing passer rating in the NFL. Bottom line, Matt Stafford was a gem in a dump-- a dump full of transient players vying for a roster spot to resurrect/start their careers. Mark Sanchez was the new kind on the block in a system that was getting ready to make it big time. The management surrounded him with talent that he could rely on.

Let's get back to today's Lions. Matt Stafford is healthy, and has had a full offseason to learn/grow in this system. He now has Jahvid Best behind him, which should fix the 20+ yard run situation. On the opposite side of the ball, team management has taken tremendous strides to erase Rod Marinelli's "defense," and build one that actually works. It takes more than one offseason to build a team from ground zero, but I'm liking what I'm seeing so far.

End of the running game woes? Yes.

What do I expect from the season? 4 wins would be nice. 6? Yeah, I'd like that. 8? This guy is crazy. I think the sky is the limit for this squad. We know we're in a rebuilding mode, and we know that people aren't expecting a Su(h)per Bowl: in my opinion, the best attitude to have for a young team like the Lions. Schwartz knows how to motivate these guys, and there's a lot of upside to a lot of the talent on this team. Having an offseason to fix the revolving door at CB, G, and WR may be just what the doctor ordered.

Adding Burleson to the crowded (but inexperienced and streaky) receiving corps makes more sense than most think. Adding Scheffler makes even more sense. Let's run down the list now at WR: C. Johnson, Burleson, B. Johnson, Williams, Northcutt, Clark, and Toone. TE: Pettigrew, Scheffler, and Heller. RB: Smith, Best, Morris, Brown. Lots of speed, lots of talent-- even more important though is more experience than any of these positional groups have ever had. Stafford must seize the tremendous opportunity set before him.

Finally has some talent in his positional group. Can you say breakout season?

Now, I don't think I should have to justify my lofty opinions, but for you naysayers, I will. Let's run through the schedule:

Week 1- @CHI Great way to start the season would be with a win. But I don't see it happening here, unless the preseason is just absolutely amazing, and the defense gels nicely. This should be a hot contest though.

Week 2- PHI Kevin Kolb is the new guy on the block, and they have our old garbage in Ernie Sims. They don't have their leader, and they don't really have a receiving corps to mention. Should be another tight one, but I give the edge to Philly.

Week 3- @MIN Hinges entirely on two things. How healthy are the receivers, and is Favre playing? Positive on both, we lose. Negative on both, we win. One or the other? 50/50.

Week 4- @GB I feel like this is going to be a loss, but I can never really sell myself on the Pack. They killed us last year, I think it'll be closer this time-- still give the edge to GB.

Week 5- STL This is the first sure home run of the season, the Rams will be no real contest for us. Bradford may/may not be playing. Steven Jackson-- their savior last time we played-- will have to deal with the stout D-line. We match up tremendously well against them.

Week 6- @NYG Ugh, we're looking at maybe a 1-5 start. I think that's where we'll be at, barring some solid performances. New York just has way too much talent.

Week 7- BYE

Week 8- WSH I like our chances in this game. Washington is not much of a solidified team, and they have a lot of holes. 2-5 after this week.

Week 9- NYJ This game can go one of two ways-- Lions hang in there because the Jets' run game sucks, or we get run off the field. I think the latter, unfortunately.

Week 10- @BUF Buffalo is terrible. We should win this game, because 3 running backs do not make up for a complete lack of a defense, QB, or offensive line.

Week 11- @DAL The Cowboys are Super Bowl contenders, we are not. Unless the defense is amazing this week, and Stafford throws for like 350 yards, we're toast.

Week 12- NE The Patriots have our number, but that may change this year. Thanksgiving day games, we play different for some reason, and I think it could give us the edge this year in front of an excited crowd.

Week 13- CHI We got em this time. Cutler has 20 INTs at this point, and Mike Martz is an alcoholic. Lions win in grand fashion.

Week 14- GB I think Green Bay will beat us again, but it will be closer this time.

Week 15- @TB Tampa Bay is also terrible, and we should beat them in a fairly easy fashion.

Week 16- @MIA This should be a good game. I hate Chad Henne, and Brandon Marshall. We have our own version in Stafford/Johnson. We should out gun them in a close battle. Running game will determine this one.

Week 17- MIN Who likes to end the season with a loss? Not this guy, and I don't think the Lions will lay down either. At home against Minnesota with (possibly) a chance to ruin the division for a bitter rival, everything is set for a beautiful upset.

To sum up, that's 6-6 with 4 "sway" games. Realistically, 6-10. Ideally, 8-8. Unfathomable? 10-6.

Suh Can.

2010-08-13T16:55:00.000-07:00

The Lions' secondary is absolutely abysmal with the exception of one player: Louis Delmas. The rest remains to be seen, we're bringing back Dre Bly, trying out the failed Chris Houston, have a revolving door at the other safety, and another untested corner in Spievey. So honestly, who knows how this year will pan out for the worst pass defense in the NFL. Before the free agency, I would have said, "Wow, we're screwed this year." Things have changed since.

Most (intelligent) football people will tell you the game is won and lost on the line-play. O-line, D-line-- it's where you have to start when you build a team. Obviously, Matt Millen thought drafting wideouts by the dozen and ignoring the positions would fix the issue. However many years later and we're left with one of those wideouts, and still (what I would call) sketchy line play. I think we may have found a game changer, though.

Ndamukong Suh can make the defense. KVB, Williams, and Avril better bring their A-game as well. I think running effective blitz packages with Follett, Peterson, and Levy will make worlds of difference. And hopefully, this makes up for our (complete lack of a) secondary. Granted, we are in the division of passing, but defensive line play can make all the difference (with the exception of Aaron Rodgers, who has the best passer rating under pressure). A well-timed blitz can disrupt anyone's offense, and with Suh up the middle, linemen are going to have to decide whether to pick up the blitz and leave the QB open to get ripped by Suh/Williams, or leave our extremely fast LB's open around the edge.

Regardless, the addition of Suh creates an issue for opposing offenses on a defense that one year ago may as well have been a JV high school defense going through tryouts. They no longer can just sit back and pass all over us (and have 10 seconds in the pocket to make it happen). Ndamukong Suh will add a level of fear to opposing offenses, and hopefully bring enough disruption in their passing games to make up for the inexperienced secondary.

Ndamukong Suh pictured with the Lions' secondary.

Salaries That Make You Cry

2010-08-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many of you have visited ESPN's Salary Crunch app, but I do it frequently to remind myself how ridiculous salaries are in the major leagues (not to mention daydream about how nice it would be to make what they do). It makes me wonder, why do these guys need this kind of money? I'd be okay with the NFL minimum $310,000-- which is more than roughly 98.5% of the people in this country make. Now that I've saddened you, lets dive a bit deeper.

Let's start with Jonathan Toews. I'm using $40,000 as the salary for this, being that it is the "median income of the average Joe." Let's break it down:

It takes Toews .22 goals, .22 assists, .44 points, and .52 games to earn $40,000. That's about one goal every five games. He could play one game in a single year and make twice your income. I hate him more now.

Lebron James? It only gets worse. .19 games, 5.62 points, 1.43 assists, and 1.6 rebounds to make $40,000.

Let's look at someone who we all can feel, err, bad for. JaMarcus Russell needs .1 games, .06 touchdowns, 12.68 yards passing, 1.1 completions to make $40,000. Those weren't his career stats, by the way. I suddenly don't feel so bad for the guy's NFL flop.

Let's round it out with our dearly beloved, Miguel Cabrera. 3 innings, .06 home runs, .2 RBI's, and .38 hits to make $40,000. It's ok Miggy, I still love you.

It is quite interesting to look into the salaries of players, however depressing it may be. To sum up, on $40,000 a year it would take you:

157.50 years to make Toews' annual salary
458.75 years to make Lebron's annual salary
322.06 years to make Russell's annual salary
525.00 years to make Cabrera's annual salary

What a cruel, cruel world we live in.

Marketing to the Wrong Crowd

2010-08-10T17:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, I love hockey, and I love the NHL. But sometimes, I feel like Gary Bettman is the guy that is trying to make your best friend into someone in the "cool guy" group, even though you know your friend doesn't want to be there. Obscure reference aside, I really hate where the NHL is headed. As discussed earlier, hockey is not a frilly girl sport, so we don't need bedazzling. And Gary Bettman is bedazzling the NHL.

The thing I really like about the modern-day NHL is that we get the Winter Classic. In my mind, this is exactly where the game needs to be: in touch with the origins of the game. Until this year, when Bettman decided to dedicate the game to two teams that are full of media whores, teams which-- in my opinion-- have absolutely no business being in a game like this. At least not before teams like New York or Toronto. Granted, they don't produce the quality of game that Cindy and Ovi produce, but this is exactly what concerns me.

Gary Bettman is heading towards the NBA-syndrome, as I so affectionately call it. Pumping the air-waves with Lebron this, and Kobe that... David Stern has made me hate the NBA. Gary Bettman is feeding the media-whore appetite by making this the Winter Classic this year. It's one little thing, but it's going to lead to more "little things" like a less involved fan base that inconsistently shows up to games. Need proof?

Phoenix- the market that hockey never belonged in, but was dragged here because of people like me. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing the Wings win twice a year in person, but the fanbase is about as stable as Zimbabwe's currency. And because of this, look at the issues the team is now facing. New stadium, new jersey/logo, young players, new coach, playoffs-- and now they are barely selling season tickets. This is the issue with marketing a cherished game to the masses.

Typical night at Jobing.com Arena

Believe me, I think it's great that the NHL is in so many cities. It can only grow from here. But I hate the fact that Bettman is basically ignoring the historical aspects of the game but once a year. Advertising hockey as this fancy-pants shiny game is not the way to go about it, and it will only attract the finicky consumers that leave once their team loses-- see Colorado.

Get back to the roots Gary, get rid of the trapezoid zone, the head-shot rule, and the bedazzled jerseys. I understand certain elements need to be in place as the game evolves, but selling out and losing sight of where the game originated-- on frozen ponds, fighting to get a win for your team-- is not what the NHL is about.

The Ladies' Jersey Dilemma.

2010-08-10T14:09:00.000-07:00

I've seen quite a bit of buzz, and even a few other blog posts about it, so I thought I would weigh in. Here is the jersey in question:

First of all, it is atrocious. But this needs no mention. Who the hell designs this stuff? I do not know one single Detroit Red Wings female fan that would wear this. And by fan I mean person that is not trying to look "cool" by wearing this jersey to the one game they go to a year (that's what the Coyotes are for). I have a major issue with the way the NHL is marketing to females. This is borderline degrading to women, especially considering the fact that the collar is bedazzled. This jersey represents absolutely nothing in hockey, with the exception of the NHL logo and the Wings logo.

Here's where the NHL needs to go with this. Cut the fancy pants BS. Ladies cut jerseys? Okay, I can handle that. Sometimes a woman likes to showcase her figure, or doesn't want to wear the standard "dress" that a mens jersey creates. The NHL is going the wrong way with their marketing. When I see this game and this league, I think of the storied history of so many of its franchises. "New" is not the way to go with the NHL. The NHL is not "trendy." It is not the overly-endorsed and commercialized game that the NBA and NFL produce.

Go back to your roots, NHL. And please, for the love of God, no more bedazzling.

"I promise, the future of the NHL is the bedazzled jersey."