Jimi Morrison's Head

More Rumors of Tayshaun Prince for Carlos Boozer

2009-07-16T15:35:00.002-04:00

While the Pistons have been rumored the entire off season to be going after Carlos Boozer, it doesn't appear that anything is happening in that regard. While I have little to no love for Carlos Boozer, the Pistons have put themselves in a position that they have neither money to spend, nor a big man on the roster worth a damn.

So...we are all resigned to the fact that either Tay, or Rip is going to have to be dealt at some point to get us one. With the signing of Ben Gordon as the free agent period opened almost everyone had to think that a Rip Hamilton trade would be forthcoming. While Gordon says that he wouldn't mind being the 6th man if Rip stayed, is that how it will eventually shake out?

Tayshaun seems to have a bit more value in that he is one of the most versatile players in the league, a superior defensive player, and I have heard him labeled a top 25 talent in the NBA before. While I love both Tay and Rip, I would not be against trading Tay away for the simple fact that he is going to wear down faster than any other player we have. HE has played more minutes than anyone in the NBA the last 6 seasons I would guess if you asked me this question. 6 Eastern Conference Finals, 2 NBA Finals, and even a few minutes in the Olympics. HE also has averaged nearly 40 minutes a game over that span, and hasn't missed much time to injury at all. HE definitely has the sound of a guy that could use some eye cream with all the sleepless nights he probably has.

So...the rumor now is that the Pistons along with both Portland and Utah may be looking at a 3-team swap that would send Tay to Portland, and Boozer to the Pistons.

While I wouldn't mind having Boozer for the season, I am definitely not enamored with the idea that trading for him will cost the Pistons a long-term contract starting at $14 Million per season. Boozer just isn't that good. We go from having the ability to sign ANYONE next year to basically not being able to sign anyone after this off season with the pick ups of Gordon and Charlie Villenueva.

Welcome back the teal jerseys. This team is gonna suck for a while.

Inge Gets Embarrassed in HR Derby, Granderson Scores Winning Run in All-star Game

2009-07-15T09:50:00.003-04:00

While I didn't expect Brandon Inge to have much of a showing in his first Home Run Derby appearance, I expected him to hit at least ONE homer. HE did not. Brandon Inge had ZERO HRs in the HR Derby. He was the only one to accomplish this task so I guess that puts him in some elite company with guys like Mike Piazza who I believe did it twice.

On the brighter side, Curtis Granderson made his imprint on the All-star game itself. The speedy fat burner rifled a triple off the bottom of the left-field wall in the 8th inning to set himself up to score the game winning run on an Adam Jones sacrifice fly.

The AL won for the 1th year in a row. That's right. 12 straight years the American LEague has beaten the NL in the mid-summer classic.

Great news for us Tigers fans as the AL winning the AS game gives the AL home field advantage in the World Series. With the Tigers leading their division at the break there is a chance that it could come into play for us.

Justin Verlander did not pitch in the game, but Edwin Jackson became part of the run for the AL that retired 18 straight pitching one scoreless frame.

Tigers Roll into All-star Break on top of Division

2009-07-12T23:11:00.003-04:00

While we really didn't know what to expect out of the Tigers this season, we have been pleasantly surprised by the position they are in. Worries about our starting pitching staff, and even more worried about the Tigers bullpen and us wondering if the team could even finish above .500 for the year. We all expected the team to hit well, but even that hasn't turned out the way we had imagined it.

So through the first half of the season the Tigers are in first place with a 48-39 record by 3.5 games over the White Sox and 4 games over the Minnesota Twins.

So what has happened that put them in this position. The #1 reason is the trade that brought us Edwin Jackson. In his first year with Detroit he has made it into his first all-star game and has dominated since day 1 leading the team in ERA at 2.52. Justin Verlander has also dominated in stretches this season, and really has been so good in spots that he has been unhittable while striking out 144 batters already at the break.

Then we come to the rookie Rick Porcello who has continued to give solid innings to the Tigers at the ripe old age of 20. He has pitched well enough to win 8 games this season already. Just 1 behind team leader Justin Verlander at 9.

After a very rough start of the season for almost 2 months Armando Galararaga was looking as if he was no longer a pitcher. Even he has turned it around recently and is keeping the Tigers in position to win whenever he steps on the mound.

The bullpen has been quite steady this season as well. A few bumps in the road here and there are expected, but we have gotten some great pitching ourt of the pen all year from closer Fernando Rodney who goes into the break at a perfect 19/19 in save opportunities. After losing the closer's role to Rodney, Brandon "Detroit" Lyon has been very steady the last several weeks. Joel Zumaya is back and has dominated at times, but he still has a few bumps along the way. Bobby Seay has gotten a lot of clutch outs and may be the most consistent of the bunch, while Zach Miner continues to pitch in any way they want as a starter or reliever.

The hitting has been quite weak this season with the loss of Carlos Guillen for most of the first half and the possible swan song of Magglio Ordonez in Detroit. HE is relegated to platoon duty at the moment to see if he can find his bat again or if he will be selling wholesale computers in the near future.

Brandon Inge has been the biggest shock of them all. He will be participating in the HR Derby this week for the first time. Never having even 30 HRs in a season he is at 21 (after 2 today) at the all-star break. He also has a few memorable hits this season that have given the Tigers some wins.

Another big reason is the defense for the Tigers. Although the error count may not show it the Tigers have definitely improved their infield and outfield overall this season. The addition of Adam Everett at SS, and Inge moving back to third has widened the range over there significantly.

The OF has had many faces this season. Playing for Maggs, and for Guillen while he has been on the DL. Clete Thomas, Ryan Raburn, Josh Anderson, and Jeff Larish are a few that have all played quite a few games. They have all had some clutch hits this season and played well enough in the field to save us from some losses.

While the hitting hasn't been spectacular in the first half, Carlos Guillen may be returning soon to help out. There has also been rumblings of a possible trade coming that would get the Tigers another power bat. Adam Dunn and Aubrey Huff have both slipped into rumors as of late so we may see even more improvement int he second half.

Inge to be in HR Derby

2009-07-12T23:00:00.002-04:00

Who would have ever thought that our Brandon "Strikeout Machine" Inge would ever make it to a home run derby? I certainly didn't and I would have offered to drive you to the nut house if you suggested it paying for the long distance movers if necessary to get you there.

Surprise, surprise. Inge is heading to the all-star game as the last man vote din AND he will be participating in the HR Derby. Can you believe this?

So...what do you think he will do at the competition? I am not real optimistic he can compete with the likes of Pujols out there, but maybe he will shock us all.

My prediction for Inge is 2 HRs in the first round, and an exit.

Brandon Inge Becoming Mr. Clutch

2009-06-28T18:12:00.002-04:00

Brandon Inge is a Tiger that I have given A LOT of grief over the years, and deservedly so I would point out, but he has had some big time hits this season.

Brandon Inge came through again today with a 2 run Home Run in the top of the 9th inning against the Houston Astros with the Tigers trailing 3-2 with 2 outs and Thames on 1st. The blast coming out loud over my home theater gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead, and paved the way for another win as Fernando Rodney saved is 17th game in 17 chances.

Inge has been with the Tigers for several years and has played nearly every position on the field for the Tigers. Last year he went back to laying catcher, his original position, for the first time since the 119 loss season back in 2004.

Now back at 3rd base, he is hitting HRs like he did in the magical 2006 World Series run season, although at an even stronger pace. 17 HRs already through 73 games this season, but he has a few real clutch ones.

We don't have to go too far back even to see his last clutch dinger. While it didn't win the game, it should have. HE hit a 2 run bomb against the Cubs on just a couple days ago on June 23rd and gave the Tigers the lead again in the 7th before surrendering it. Of course Ryan Raburn came through in the 9th with a 2 run walk off HR himself to seal the deal.

Just a couple weeks earlier on, Inge singled in the winning run in the 9th on June 8th against the White Sox. A huge division win.

Back on May 22, Inge hit his 12th HR, but drove in the winning RBI in the 8th on a ground out.

His season has been up and down in the average department, as well as in the clutch moments, but he has some big time hits this year. Game breaking HRs late, and stellar defensive plays that have made me sort of lay off the guy for now....

Rick Porcello Wins Game With Arm AND Bat in MLB Hitting Debut

2009-06-13T11:33:00.002-04:00

Not all was bad out of Detroit yesterday for sports. While the Wings were choking away the Stanley Cup, we also got to see something I doubt many of us have ever seen.

It is a sad state of affairs for the Detroit Tigers offense when the MVP at the plate for a game is a starting pitcher. Not just any starting pitcher either. Rick Porcello, a rookie, taking his first ever major league at bats.

Rick Porcello, the rookie phenom pitcher, did his thing on the mound and shut the Pittsburgh Pirates down for 7 innings last night allowing just 1 earned run. That wasn't his most impressive feat of the day, however.

In Porcello's first career MLB at bat, he got himself a hit and an RBI to give himself a 1-0 lead. The alarm systems started to sound and we were put on alert that this kid might actually be able to hit.

He didn't stop there though. His next AB he worked the count to 3-1. He got hosed by the umpire then unfortunately, and had a strike called that was clearly out of the zone and should have resulted in a walk. He struck out.

Of course that was his only mistake at the plate. Trusting that the umpire would call it straight. Instead of waiting on a bail out, in his 3rd AB he laced another hit down the line and got himself his 2nd RBI of the night. Guess what the score was. 2-0. Both on Porcello RBIs.

So in his MLB hitting debut the rookie pitcher went 2-3 with 2 RBIs. Should have been 2-2 with a walk, but 2-3 is just fine.

Porcello finally surrendered a run in the 6th, and then left after 7 innings with a 2-1 lead. The Tigers bullpen was able to hold onto the lead for him and he ended up with a win of his own making 3-1. Brandon Inge homered to give them a little breathing room in the 8th.

Going to be a great memory for the kid. It also let us at least give Pittsburgh one loss yesterday, albeit one that matters little compared to the pitiful loss by the Red Wings for the Championship.

Red Wings Choke Away Repeat Stanley Cup

2009-06-13T11:06:00.003-04:00

Well...the confidence, that could be read as cockiness, from the New York Yankees of the NHL, Detroit Red Wings was destroyed last night. The Pittsburgh Penguins took it to the Wings from the drop of the puck to win the Stanley Cup in a rematch from last year's finals by outplaying the Wings in every facet of the game.

The Red Wings took a 2-0 series lead and looked almost a guarantee to win their 2nd straight Cup against the Penguins. The Penguins then went on to win 4 of 5 and embarrassed the Wings on their home ice.

It wasn't like the Wings put up much of a fight either. After handing out a 5-0 drubbing in Game 5, the Wings looked outmatched in every way during the final 2 games of the series. The Penguins got to every puck, made every play, and took advantage of the MANY turnovers the Wings coughed up in their own zone.

It was pathetic. The Penguins deserved the win. They outplayed the Wings when it mattered, and it wasn't even close even if the score would indicate it.

So now...we get to hear about Crosby 24 hours a day for winning a cup and being the best player in the league. Of course he had little to do with them winning the cup in the series as the Wings practically shut him out, but he's the NHL poster boy so he will get the credit for what the rest of his team did. Crosby got injured in the 2nd period of Game 7 and only played 1 shift the rest of the way. I hope he fails a test for taking too many top rated diet pills next season and gets banned.

Jeremy Bonderman Has Impressive Start in Toledo

2009-06-01T02:43:00.002-04:00

Although the Tigers pitching staff is among the best int he league statistically to this point in the season,that doesn't men we couldn't always use another arm for the rotation, or in the pen. Jeremy Bonderman missed much of last year with a blood clot that ended his season.

Sunday night for the Toledo Mud Hens, he pitched eight shutout innings against the Charlotte Knights, allowing five hits and no walks.

Bonderman struck out five, and 66 of his 98 pitches were strikes.

With Armando Galaraga struggling he may just find himself in the rotation there, and Armando may have to go figure out what is going wrong.

Willis had a couple of great starts after his return, but wasn't as effective in his last start, however.

Both Willis and Armando are going to get more opportunities of course, but Bonderman may take a start from one of these guys at some point just to see if he can help the squad. If everyone is looking good then all the better. Someone can pull bullpen duty and we are even better off, or deal for some more help. At least we don't have Bartolo colon cleanser as one of the guys we have to depend on ;).

Wings go up 2-0 on Penguins in Stanley Cup Finals

2009-06-01T00:49:00.002-04:00

In one of the oddest things I have ever seen in professional sports, the Wings and Penguins played back to back playoff games. I can't think of any pro sport where I have ever seen Finals games played on consecutive nights.

Didn't matter though. The game went the same as the first. Both teams played pretty closely, but the Wings just squeezed 2 more goals into the net than the Penguins could.

The man from my hometown Muskegon, Michigan, Justin Abdelkader scored his second of the series in the third. Both goals putting the Wings up 3-1 and icing the win.

The odds favor the Red Wings in their bid to become the NHL’s first repeat champion since they did it in 1997 and ’98. Teams that win Games 1 and 2 at home have captured the Cup 31 of 32 times. Pretty good odds, but as we know odds are meant to be overcome, and this series has been played much closer than the 2-0 lead would indicate. The Wings do have some good insurance online though since they only need to win 2 out of the next 4.

Tigers are Rolling

2009-05-26T21:09:00.002-04:00

Who would have though going into this season that the starting pitchers would be this good? Who would have though that the worst of them would be Armando Gallaraga? He looks like he is about to lose his job.

Everyone knows that Justin Verlander has been maybe the best pitcher in baseball over the last month. The guy is destroying teams lately. His strikeouts are incredible, which hasn't been the way he has had a lot of success in the past.

Now we get a real gift with Dontrelle Willis seemingly being a real pitcher again? He has had 2 great starts since his return and looks very good. Control is solid, and he seems to have overcome the "anxiety" disorder he supposedly had.

Also, we are getting a ton of help from guys nobody was hoping to get anything from. Anderson has come in to play well in the field, decent at the plate, and an actual stolen base threat.

Clete Thomas, Raburn (Lately anyways), and even Larish at times has provided some solid contributions when they get their chances. Santiago has bee awesome off the bench playing for Everett when he was out.

And Adam Everett? Are you kidding me? Thought this guy would hit .230 here and have 20 RBIs. He is leading the team in BA with runners in scoring position last I checked. Laird has gotten out of his slump and is even contributing at catcher.

Oh yeah...Mr Mendoza Line Inge...dude is playing at an All-star level!

IT is a great year so far to lounge on the patio chairs and catch a game on the radio that's for sure.

Sports Illustraded Wide Receiver Rankings

2009-05-17T14:36:00.002-04:00

This should piss off all the Lions fans. Not only is Calvin "Megatron" Johnson not in the top 5, but he isn't even in the TOP 10!

Sports Illustrated's ranking of the top 20 WRs is a bit off in my opinion. Some are real head scratchers. Like orur old boy, Roy Williams being ranked #11 above Roddy White AND Housmandzadeh who are ranked 15 and 18 respectively and behind some Mesothelioma lawyers most likely the way this list goes.

#1 you get no argument from me with Larry Fitzgerald.

Rest of his top 10:

2. Andre Johnson
3. Reggie Wayne
4. Anquan Boldin
5. Randy Moss
6. Terrell Owens
7. Braylon Edwards (You kidding me after last year?)
8. Lee Evans
9. Greg Jennings
10. Steve Smith (So underrated all the time)

Brandon Pettigrew

2009-05-05T12:32:00.002-04:00

A lot of people were upset with this pick from the Lions in the 2009 draft at #20 overall. A Tight End when people wanted that offensive tackle still sitting there in Michael Oher who is the popular pick because every loves his attitude and determination. A great story of coming up hard and willing himself to be good enough to get to the NFL rather than be robbing Outer Banks homes, or some other silly troubles.

I wasn't particularly upset at all actually. I rather liked the pick. The guy was by far the best TE int he draft and we haven't had a real TE in decades. Waht I liked most about him wasn't that he was an offensive catching threat, but that he is a superb blocker in both the run and pass game. He becomes more or less a dual threat for the team. A guy that can move the chains as a safety valve because he does have those skills too, but more importantly a guy that can move defenders out of the way in the run game as well (Pettigrew started 45 of 47 games at Oklahoma State, recording 216 knockdowns with 30 touchdown-resulting blocks).

I could talk about Pettigrew all day, but the draft report at CBS.com for him is superb. I found the "Game Analysis" sections particularly interesting as it gives a brief recap of his performance in every game he played.

We Get Excited About Larry Foote in Detroit

2009-05-05T11:26:00.003-04:00

Yes...the Detroit Lions faithful are so desperate for a real middle linebacker that we are excited about getting Larry Foote at the end of his career. He was released by the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburg Steelers yesterday, and was heard actually saying that he would like to play for the Lions.

Foote is from the Detroit area and played some ball for the Wolverines. Compared to Paris Lenon I think I could be an upgrade at MLB so this is a good move for us if he comes cheap. It would give us a starting LB corps of Ernie Sims, Larry Foote, and Julian Peterson (acquired via trade this year). Not too shabby considering what we've had in the past. Too bad out D-Line is still garbage, but the football gods were not kind to us by giving us the golden DE, or DT in our draft at #1. Raji is a 3-4 player BTW in case you are thinking we could have taken him. We run a 4-3 ;).

So...we get overly excited for a guy closer to collecting social security than making a pro bowl, but we should be I guess. Someone that actually says they want to play here? Now you have to wonder about his sanity.

Allsup has a 98% success rate for those who complete the SSDI process with their team. Allsup provides financial and healthcare related services to people with disabilities. Since 1984, Allsup has helped more than 110,000 people receive their entitled social security disability Insurance and Medicare benefits.

Who Says Stafford Isn't Accurate?

2009-04-20T00:51:00.003-04:00

Here's one for the Stafford lovers to rub in the faces of the Stafford haters. Potential #1 Overall pick in this year's NFL Draft for the Detroit Lions, Matthew Stafford appeared on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (You should really take the best appetite suppressant before watching this awful show) last week and took part in a bit of an exhibition.

Stafford was required to throw a football at flying plates. See for yourself how well he did :).

Stafford Football Skeet Shooting

Welcome to Detroit Matt ;).

Detroit Tigers Rick Porcello Get 1st Career MLB Win

2009-04-20T00:34:00.003-04:00

Our next big time prospect earned his keep today against the Seattle Mariners as he won his first Major League game. Porcello pitched a very efficient 7 innings, only throwing 86 pitches, 56 of which were strikes, before he was taken out of the game enjoying a 5-1 lead. Porcello allowed just 1 earned run on 5 hits ann no walks. He struck out 3 as the Tigers won 8-2 and took the series 2-1 on the first of the west coast road trip.

The other pitching prospect up in the bigs for the Tigers Ryan Perry also saw action in relief. He had a bit of a shaky outing, however. Although he was not int he game when his run scored he made a crucial defensive error that allowed the inning to continue and was pulled right after. He had given up 1 hit, but had 2 outs. He got Ichiro to gorund out to 1st, but took his sweet time getting over to cover the bag and Ichiro beat him there prolonging the inning.

Another big game from Ramon Santiago. Santiago got the first RBI of the game on single in the 2nd. He added another RBI on a FC in the 4th. He was able to break the game open in the 8th with a 3 run double off the wall. HE finished 5 RBIs and has been on a tear since replacing the injured starting SS Adam Everett. He should have been starting since the season opened while Everett was enjoying stint with some other scrub team.

Pistons Start Playoffs Today

2009-04-18T15:44:00.002-04:00

OK...this is going to be a post from a fan and not from a guy who actually subscribes to reality.

Boston lost to the Bulls today so it looks like that will be a series missing KG. So what is going to happen?

Simple. Pistons will beat the Cavs, and the Bulls will beat the Celtics. Pistons will then play Orlando who they own. So we will make the ECF for the 7th year in a row.

While it may appear that I need to look for a healthcare career rather than discuss sports if the Pistons can pull of the unthinkable and beat the Cavs and the Refs they are a shoe in for the ECF because the MAgic can't play with us. Dwight Howard is not a true Superstar. Don't buy into it. He doesn't have the heart, or the killer instinct of any of these other guys like Lebron, Wade, Kobe, etc. HE is a joke. See you in the Finals...:)

Mayock says Lions Should Take Monroe

2009-04-15T13:38:00.002-04:00

Mike Mayock, the draft analyst for the NFL Network thinks the Lions should take Eugene Monroe, OT from Virginia. Monroe has been overshadowed in the post season hype by a few guys. Jason Smith came up and stole the show at the combine, although I have always believed he in no way fit what the Lions are trying to do, nor is he really even deserving of the talk around him. He may not even be on of the best 3 OTs in this draft.

HE says he prefers him over Smith as well because he has the "best feet of any tackle in the draft".

While most Lions fans are eating edible plants to forget about last year, most agree on one thing: They are scared to take Stafford. Monroe has always been my pick as the OT to take this high after Andre Smith blew it at the combine. To me it only comes down to Monroe and Stafford. Curry lovers can forget about him. IT woudl make zero sense to take the guy #1 overall.

Allen Iverson Done For the Year?

2009-04-05T18:00:00.003-04:00

Of course he is...that was what he wanted. What AI wants AI gets I guess. After openly complaining about coming off the bench, and "being hurt" last week, Joe Dumars gave AI just what he wanted. HE told us that AI would not play the rest of the year and covered it up by saying it was because of his back.

Hey, at least he didn't fail a drug test because of some Lipovox diet pills, or get suspended for too many techs like Sheed always does. He just pretty much ruined the team chemistry from the day he arrived.

This was one of the most excruciating seasons I can remember, and I remember the "Teal" days. Besides the total lack of team chemistry we had all year, the new coach Michael Curry is one of the worst team managers I have ever seen. We can blame the players for a lot of it, but Curry never figured out what to do with this team. Although Rip, AI, and others were hurt at times to disrupt this a bit, Curry not once found a reliable line up to run out there every night. I can understand that getting a player like AI was going to change things, but after a month, or 2 there should be some consistancy. Not here.

As for AI. This guy can go to hell. He talked about how he'd do what was best for the team all year. While he was recently hurt. Then 2 days back and he is whining to the pres about how he would rather retire than come off the bench. NEWSFLASH: AI has never won a damn thing. He is not a good team player no matter how hard he plays. HE doesn't make anyone around him better. We lost Chauncey and got AI. That was it. Denver is the 2 seed in the West now and we are close to missing the playoffs and winning at least 20 less games than we would have if Billups were still here.

GOOD RIDDANCE AI! Go play somewhere else and jack up 50 shots a night and "get yours". That shit don't play in Detroit, pal.

Pistons Finally Win a Game

2009-03-28T23:24:00.002-04:00

While head coach Michael Curry is probably more concerned about leads for insurance to pay his family off after fans get a hold of him, today the Pistons got back Rip Hamilton. In doing so they also picked up a win after a 3 game losing streak.

While it is pretty unlikely that the Pistons miss the playoffs, it is pretty likely that they will end up as the 8th seed. You know the spot reserved for teams that wouldn't have finished in the top 15 in the west. A sub .500 season with no playoff hope. A owner dies, and a coach that may be the worst in decades. A trade for a super star that super sucks.

What a great year!

Tigers lose Robertson and Everett

2009-03-28T23:02:00.002-04:00

Both Nate Robertson and Adam Everett were hurt this week in spring training games. Neither was hurt off the field playing with toyslike another relief pitcher that hasn't played for about 3 years.

Shortstop Adam Everett hobbled off the field after he sprained his left ankle while sliding into second base on the very first play of the afternoon. Then Nate Robertson was hit on his left (pitching) thumb by a throw from Danny Worth -- Everett’s replacement -- during an attempted double play.

Neither are expected to miss a lot of time and probably be back before the start of the season.

End of the season if these guys don't play IMO. Yeah I couldn't type that with a straight face ;).

Pistons Without 3 All-stars

2009-03-20T23:00:00.003-04:00

The Detroit Pistons are playing with out 3 all-stars. rasheed Wallace, Allen Iverson, and Rip Hamilton. This comes at a terrible time for the team as the Pistons are currently 2 games from falling to the 8th and final spot for the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Pistons have adcvanced tot he Eastern conference Finals for the past 6 seasons. This year with the loss of such key players, it may be difficult for them to even make the palyoffs.

Of course Antonio Mcdyess is playing out of his mind. All other palyers tak enotice. Dice will eat your children. While other player asre stepping up instead of possibly doing an admin job search for a day job when they get demoted McDyess is clearly the reason the Pistons have a chance.

Who Should the Detroit Lions Take at #1?

2009-02-21T18:58:00.005-05:00

As bad as this franchise has been, surprisingly they have rarely been the worst. Picking #1 overall isn't as common as you would think for this franchise. Sure a handful of top 5 picks and even more top 10 picks have been there, but never #1 overall.

So...other than a trade down scenario which every single person who talks about #1 always says is their first choice, but occurs about once in a blue moon, who should the Lions take int he draft? Sorry no toll free to call. Just the comment form :).

The consensus is that the Lions will take Georgia QB Matthew Stafford. The Lions have never had a real good QB in my lifetime. Ever. The best single season a QB has had is the Scott Mitchell offensive outburst season where we had THREE 1,000 yard WRs. Remember who they were? Johnny Morton, Brett Perriman, and Herman Moore. Those were the days, and we didn't draft them all in the top 10 like the 45 ones we have since Millen was here.

Remembering Joey Harrington has a lot of people worried about taking a QB. Namely Stafford since many claim he is too inconsistent to succeed in the NFL. Only a Jr. as well. Pointing to his less than stellar completion percentage as well as his age brings up comparisons to all the other Jr. QB busts. Other than the rocket arm the comparisons to Ryan Leaf seem to come out a lot as bust potential,b ut he is nothing like him.

Then you have the other camp. The old "build the lines" camp. Now don't get me wrong. I consider DE, and OT the franchise building blocks most of the time although I also consider QB as the other one. It's the right thing to say when talking about building a team. Who do we have out there at #1?

Looks like there are 3 guys that are vying for the slot right now at OT. Andre Smith, who as recently as this week has lost a lot of credibility with his combine fiasco. Not being smart enough to make an excuse as to why he couldn't lift, and then missing 1/2 a day going AWOL. He was the consensus #1 OT for the majority of the Bowl Season and now is being questioned as even top 3.

Eugene Monroe made a run at the #1 slot, but it appears that Jason Smith out of Butler is making a very strong push for that top OT spot in the draft. An athletic OT, that was a TE before he became an OT. He is saying all the right things, has a reputation for hard work, and by far the most athletic of the 3. Of course all 3 have question marks. Mostly whether or not they are truly a franchise OT, or possibly just an OG.

There are also a few rumblings about there about DT B,J. Raji from Boston College. He has improved his standing significantly since the end of the season. We do NEED a DT very badly and it appears we aren't going to sign Albert Haynesworth :(.

Then we have the great Aaron Curry. OLB from Wake Forrest who is considered the "safe pick" in the draft. He is considered the bust-proof player this year, but can you take a LB #1 overall? Much less a guy that isn't even a MLB? I certainly have no argument for doing it. He'd be one of the highest paid LBs int he league, and although he is said to have the ability to play MLB, that is a pretty big IF for taking a guy #1 overall. Would I be upset with this? Not particularly, but I also don't see it happening either.

I've been on the Stafford bandwagon for a few months now. I think it is the way to go. While I take the criticism of him into account, I see a lot of talent here. I see a guy that is a bit a head of others who are touted as the next big QB. He has the rocket arm of course, but what makes him stand out to me is his ability to look off DBs, and go to 2nd and 3rd options better than any of these other guys. Bradford the Heisman winner is terrible at this. He stares his WRs down and looks like an INT machine in the making. Please watch him play and forget the hype on him.

I know a lot of people worry about Stafford, but that is who I;'m going with. I have no interest in Sanchez out of USC. I think he may have an average career int he NFL, but the guy just has way too many question marks. Many more than Stafford. He also is being touted as so great because of his ONE bowl game. Stafford is getting a lot of his negatives from his ONE bowl game as well, but we'll disregard that today. He only is ranked this high because the other 2 big names stayed in school in Colt McCoy and Bradford. HE was ranked behind all of them all season until all of a sudden he had a big bowl game and was the only other name QB in the draft.

I'm taking Stafford #1 overall and drafting defense the rest of the way. We have 2 OTs that aren't going anywhere as much as people want to wish Backus to the cornfield. He isn't going to play OG either no matter how badly we want to think it. We don't need O-Line as badly as people think we do, but we do need some OGs VERY badly. We take Stafford and ALL defense the rest of the way with maybe an OG thrown in, or a WR that hopefully can return kicks.

A-Rod to Join Barry Bonds as Cheater

2009-02-09T04:16:00.003-05:00

Unless you have half a brain I suppose you could probably just assume that every player in Major League Baseball has used some sort of steroid at some point in their careers. At least all of the ones that are great. Apparently there must have been a steroid dispenser in every locker room before a couple years ago because Alex Rodriguez has been busted as well according to reports of his failed drug tests a few years ago.

Let' snot focus on the guys that do use them though. Let's try and think of the only 2-3 players in the league that DON'T use them. I believe that at least 2 of them play for the Tigers, although one of them I wouldn't be surprised to learn they did.

First is Adam Everett. There is NO WAY this guy has used roids. He can't hit a lick, and you would need a 100 MPH wind behind one of his fly balls to see it sail out of the park. Maybe a few weight loss pills here and there, but roids? I sure hope not. It is like Alex Sanchez getting busted.

The other guy has to be Brandon Inge. This guy I have doubts about though. As little as he makes contact with the ball he still hits a fair number of HRs. He even hit 27 back in 2006 so he might just be on the juice. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he doesn't use them.

Anyone else? Off the top of my head I'd say no.

Matt Cassel to Detroit Lions?

2009-02-09T03:41:00.002-05:00

Saw this little blurb from KFFL.com earlier:

Lions | Could be a landing destination for Cassel if traded

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:15:57 -0800
Judd Zulgad, of the Star Tribune, reports the Detroit Lions could be a potential destination if the New England Patriots decide to trade QB Matt Cassel, according to the NFL Network's Adam Schefter.

Obviously this is complete BS, and filler news. Sounds like it is just some guy theorizing what could happen with Cassel after finishing his last bottle from his wine of the month club, and considering that the Lions are thought to be targeting Georgia QB Matt Stafford at #1 overall int he draft they are just throwing mud on the wall to see if it sticks.

Odds of this are extremely low I would guess. Remember that earlier this year the Patriots were even talking about Franchising Cassel to keep him around for another year just in case Tome Brady wasn't ready for next season.

Any number of things can be said about this. Next Scott Mitchell, saves us drafting a QB, et. etc. When it all is sorted out this is still the Lions and no matter what they do will end up being a mistake ;).

Should Michael Curry Be Fired as Pistons Coach?

2009-02-09T02:56:00.004-05:00

OK...so we have had a couple months to see what Coach Curry is able to do with the team now, and it seems as if they are no closer to being a good team. Ever since the trade for AI this team has been at best inconsistent. The defense is the worst we have seen since maybe the teal days, and maybe not even that good.

For a guy who made his playing career as a defensive player, it would have been logical to assume that when he was named head coach that this would be the main focus of the team. We have not been rewarded with great defense in any instance. It is almost painful to watch AI try to play defense. He may be one of the worst defensive players I have ever seen.

It begs the question when we have seen so little improvement in team chemistry over the last couple months whether Curry is the right man for the job. It appears to me he is clearly not ready to be a head coach, and that he has no ability to coach. These guys look like they are getting worse instead of better. The players have already been quoted (anonymously of course) as saying things such as how little they believe in him as head coach. This of course is nothing new in Detroit. We have a lot of whiners on this team. Nothing is ever their fault, but the Swatch watches are ticking anyways on this head coaching career in Detroit once you start hearing that he is losing, or has lost the team already.

Even though he probably wasn't going to win us another title, and it was time for someone to go, Billups would be a sight for sore eyes to many fans I think. At least we'd have a leader, and a coach on the court. Something that I would have a hard time believing if any of you tried to convince me someone on the current roster is a real leader.

I can't watch this trash anymore. These guys are the most frustrating team I can remember. They have a ton of talent, but can't seem to beat very inferior teams most nights. They play well against Boston for a bit, then get blown out of the gym. Same with the Cleveland Cavaliers only to get outscored by TWENTY points in the fourth quarter.

Where the hell is this team going? I have no idea. I assume that some of them may be going to a new address soon. Sheed most likely I would guess. As much as I love Sheed he is the most frustrating player in NBA history. Unguardable, but would rather chuck 3s instead of post up.

Rip is also kind of gotten into a strange habit of thinking he is a great iso player. Dude, you are a shooter, and you thrive on coming off of screens. You should never have the ball leading the offense.

Ugh...this team is going nowhere.