The Detroit Sports Project

Fan Reactions to Landon Donovan's Heroic Goal

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 03:38:00 +0000

Michigan State Football Promo Video - 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 05:35:00 +0000

Spartan Shannon Brown Amazing Dunks in NBA Finals

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 02:42:00 +0000

Jozy Altidore Destroys English Tea Party

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 05:52:00 +0000

2010 Michigan State Spring Game Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:44:00 +0000

Armando Galarraga's 28 Out Perfect Game

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:37:00 +0000

Pavel Datsyuk Amazing Shootout Goal vs Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:23:00 +0000

Matt Stafford Featured on NFL Films Uncut

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:16:00 +0000

MSU Athletics Unveil New Uniforms

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Fri, 07 May 2010 23:26:00 +0000

Click Here for a Closer Look at Each Team's New Look

Franzen Carries Red Wings to Game 4 Victory over Sharks

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Fri, 07 May 2010 23:02:00 +0000

Johan Franzen Scored 4 Goals and Added 2 Assists for a Red Wings Playoff Record of 6 Points

Game Recap
Tonight's Playoff Action

Spartans Headed to Second Straight Final Four!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 23:56:00 +0000

They will meet the Butler Bulldogs in Indianapolis next Saturday.

MSU-Tennessee Recap
Video Recap

Austin Jackson Showing Potential in Spring Training

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:43:00 +0000

Tigers 9 Nationals 4
Recap
Jackson Displays Speed, Hits 400-Foot Home Run --- MLive

Jackson is hitting .538 with 5 walks so far this spring

Red Wings' Howard Has Shot To Capture Calder Trophy

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:31:00 +0000

When the medals are handed out and the Olympic hockey tournament comes to an end, the race for the NHL playoffs will be just getting started. At the beginning of the season, most Red Wing fans probably didn’t think that Jimmy Howard would outplay Chris Osgood, the starting goaltender from last year’s Stanley Cup Finals, and snatch the starting goaltender position away from him. With his strong play Howard has, and with that strong play also comes another tremendous opportunity. The opportunity to join former Red Wing’s goaltending greats, Terry Sawchuck, Glen Hall, and Roger Crozier as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year and Calder Trophy Winner.

In order to put himself in a position to contend for the Calder trophy, Howard has put together 21 wins in 43 games. Those 21 wins are most among rookie goalies and fifteenth among all goalies. League leader Jonathan Quick has 35 wins, but has also played in a whopping 55 games. Howard’s 2.28 GAA (Goals Against Average) places him second among rookie goalies, only behind Boston’s Tuukka Rask who holds a 2.08 GAA, and sixth in the entire NHL. Howard’s .927 save percentage is also second behind Rask, who is barely ahead at .928. At .927, Howard is sitting in fifth among all NHL goalies. Because Howard has seven more wins and has faced 529 more shots than Rask, he should hold the advantage over Rask in the Calder voting at this point in the season.

To define what Howard needs to do after the Olympic break to capture the Calder, his stats can be compared to last year’s Rookie of the Year, goaltender Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Last season, Mason played in 61 games putting together a 33-20 record with a 2.29 GAA and a .916 save percentage. With 21 games left in the Red Wing’s season, Howard would have to play all but 3 of those games in order to match Mason in games played. Whether this happens or not will be dictated by Howard and the Red Wing’s play as they make a playoff push. In order to get to 33 wins, Howard would have to win twelve of those 21 games. If the Red Wings want to make the playoffs this season, they will have to win more then twelve of the final 21. With the team getting healthier, they should accomplish this, and Howard should surpass Mason’s 33 wins a year ago. Howards’s GAA is only slightly below Mason’s mark last season and his save percentage is better.

Howard’s Rookie of the Year competition for the rest of the season should come from Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene, New York Islander’s left -winger John Tavares, and Buffalo Sabres’ defenseman Tyler Myers. Before Mason won the Calder in 2009, the title was held by right-winger Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks who finished the season with 25 goals and 45 assists for 70 points. Right now, Duchene leads all rookies with 42 points (20 goals, 22 assists) and in order to be near Kane’s mark of 70 points, he would need to average more than a point a game for the rest of the season. To put Duchene’s task in perspective, before Kane won the Calder, Alex Ovechkin won it by putting up 106 points and Evgeni Malkin won it with 85.

In Myer’s case, the last defenseman to win the Calder came in 2003 with Barret Jackman of the St. Louis Blues, who won it in most part because of his +23 plus/minus rating. Myers has a tremendous 32 points, which is already 13 more than Jackman had in all of ’03, but Myers also holds a -5 plus/minus rating, which can sometimes be a determining factor for defensemen in awards races. Other position players that are capable of making a run at the trophy are Jamie Benn from Dallas, T.J. Galiardi from Colorado, Michael Del Zotto from the New York Rangers, and Evander Kane from Atlanta.

As it stands right now, Howard is making a strong case for the Calder Trophy while playing in Detroit, which has a reputation for being extremely tough on it’s starting goaltender. Not to mention, playing for a Red Wing’s team that has struggled to find consistency, and is giving up far more shots then normal due to a devastating number of injuries and lineup changes. Not bad for a young guy who spent four years in the AHL, not sure if his chance to be an NHL caliber goaltender would ever come.

The Michigan-USA Hockey Connection

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 18:18:00 +0000

Former Michigan Wolverine Jack Johnson celebrates with teammate with Bobby Ryan

While a good section of the American public sits at home and watches Team USA compete in the Olympic Hockey tournament in Vancouver this Winter, many people may be asking themselves, "where are these kids from?" or might be saying, "that kid's an American? I definitely thought he was Canadian." Well, they aren't in fact Canadian, they're Americans, and a large number of them have roots right here, in Michigan. Here's a quick look at the stars of USA hockey that have connections to the state of Michigan.

Ryan Miller - G Buffalo Sabres

USA's starting goaltender, Ryan Miller was born in East Lansing Michigan and comes from a family that has a great hockey history with Michigan State University. Miller spent three years at MSU where he was named CCHA goaltender of the year in all three seasons and became the second Spartan to ever win the Hobey Baker award (College Hockey's MVP). His cousin Kip Miller is the other Spartan that won the Hobey. Miller was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 1999 and since then has solidified their starting goalie position. His brother Drew also played three years at MSU and is currently a member of the Detroit Red Wings.

Tim Thomas - G Boston Bruins

USA backup goaltender Tim Thomas was born in Davison Michigan and raised in Flint. He played is college hockey at the University of Vermont. After college, Thomas spent several seasons playing in international leagues and lower level North American leagues, including one season with the Detroit Vipers. Thomas finally broke through with the Boston Bruins during the 2005-06 season and has been their starter since then.

Brian Rafalski - D Detroit Red Wings

Brian Rafalksi, from Dearborn Michigan is one of the few veterans on the US olympic team and is serving as one of the team's alternate captains. Rafalksi played his collegiate hockey at the University of Wisconsin before moving on to play internationally. Rafalski made his NHL debut for the New Jersey Devils during the 1999-00 season and since then has played in five stanley cup finals, winning the championship three times. Rafalski was signed by his hometown Detroit Red Wings in 2007.

Erik Johnson - D St. Louis Blues

Born in Bloomington Minnesota, Erik Johnson is one of the few Americans to be selected first overall in the NHL entry draft (2006 - St. Louis). Although he is from Minnesota, Johnson did most of his preparation for professional hockey in Ann Arbor Michigan, playing with the US National Team Development Program. He played one season for the University of Minnesota before signing with the Blues.

Tim Gleason - D Carolina Hurricanes

USA defenseman Tim Gleason is from Clawson Michigan. Gleason spent four seasons near Detroit, with the Windsor Spitfires before being drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 2001. Gleason has spent the past three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Former Honeybaked Hockey and US National Development Team Member Patrick Kane

Jack Johnson - D Los Angeles Kings

Jack Johnson, born in Indianapolis Indiana was originally drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes but his rights were traded to the Los Angeles Kings in a deal that involved USA teammate Tim Gleason. Before joining the Kings, Johnson played two seasons with the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor. Johnson was also the only American NHL player to take part in the opening ceremonies in Vancouver.

Patrick Kane - F Chicago Blackhawks

21 year old USA forward, Patrick Kane was born in Buffalo New York. Kane began his professional development as a member of the Honeybaked AAA hockey club in Detroit before joining the US National Development Program in Ann Arbor. Kane already has a bronze and gold medal as a member of the USA World Junior team. After playing one season with the London Knights of the OHL, Kane joined the Chicago Blackhawks.

Phil Kessel - F Toronto Maple Leafs

Phil Kessel is another one of the numerous American NHL stars who was a member of the US National Development program in Ann Arbor. After playing there he joined the Minnesota Golden Gophers for one season. Kessel's NHL career began with the Boston Bruins, before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kessel was born in Madison Wisconsin and his father Phil Kessel Sr, played college football at Northern Michigan University before being drafted by the Washington Redskins.

Ryan Kesler - F Vancouver Canucks

Ryan Kesler, born in Livonia Michigan began playing competitive AAA hockey as a member of Detroit Honeybaked. From there he joined the US National Development program in Ann Arbor, before playing one season with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Kesler played one season with the Manitoba Moose before becoming a superstar as a member of the Vancouver Canucks.

Jamie Langenbrunner - F New Jersey Devils

Veteran and team USA captain Jamie Langenbrunner was born in Cloquet Minnesota. His only connection to the state of Michigan came in 1995-96 as a member of the Michigan K-Wings in the IHL. His impressive performance with the K-Wings provided a call-up by the Dallas Stars of the NHL and Langenbrunner has been in the NHL ever since.

Team USA hockey is full of veteran and young, up-and-coming talent that has connections to the state of Michigan and the tremendous Amateur, Collegiate, and Professional programs in Michigan. The U.S. world junior team captured the gold medal earlier this year by defeating Team Canada in Saskatchewan, proving that the US National Development Program has become one of the elite programs in the world. Look for USA to try and bring home another gold with a little help from the state of Michigan.

2010 Detroit Lions Mock Draft Number 2

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:28:00 +0000

Our Last Mock before the Combine. Check it out and leave us your input. If you want to read our first Lion's mock draft before moving on to this one, you can see it HERE.

Round 1 Pick 2:
DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
The Rams are in need of a franchise QB but I'm not sold on Jimmy Clausen and I don't think the Rams are either. Look for them to take the best player available, which right now is Suh out of Nebraska. Although I think it would be great to see Eric Berry and Louis Delmas at the safety spots for many years to come, McCoy is exactly what the Lions need right now.
First Mock Choice: S Eric Berry, Tennessee

Round 2 Pick 2:
CB Kyle Wilson, Boise State
The Lions need help in the secondary and if they don't take Berry, they should take Wilson here. The coaching staff really liked what they saw out of him in the Senior Bowl and he should be a good fit. I think that Idaho G Mike Iupati will go somewhere in the late first round, but if he doesn't then I think the Lions would grab him here.
First Mock Choice: CB Patrick Robinson, Florida State

Round 3 Pick 2:
RB/WR Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss
In our first mock I had the Lions taking McCluster in the fourth round but his stock is rising and I think he would be a great pick here. McCluster is explosive and would bring more versatility to the Lions offense. He would also bring some depth to the RB position where Kevin Smith's injury problems may be an issue. As selected in the first draft, DT Mike Neal is also a possibility here either to add depth to the DT spot if the Lions take Suh or McCoy, or to have a shot to be a starting DT if the Lions take Berry.
First Mock Choice: DT Mike Neal, Purdue

Round 4 Pick 2:
G John Jerry, Ole Miss
If the Lions don't get a shot at Iupati then here is a good chance to grab a talented guard that the Lions desperately need. Another option here would be WR Eric Decker out of Minnesota or Safety Myron Rolle from Florida state if both Berry and Wilson are passed on. O-Line is top priority at this point though.
First Mock Choice: RB/WR Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss

Round 5 Pick 2:
DE O'Brien Schofield, Wisconsin
Most mocks I've looked at have Schofield somewhere in the 3rd, 4th and 5th rounds. If he's available here in the early fifth then he would be a great addition to the Lions defense. Other options here could be DE Alex Carrington from Arkansas State and DE George Selvie from USF. I originally went with an OT here but for right now, it seems as though the Lions coaching staff is going to stick with Backus and Cherilus, and bringing in a G like Jerry could help those two take less heat from opposing defenses.
First Mock Choice:
OT Will Barker, Virgina

Round 5 Pick 15 (From Denver):
WR Freddie Barnes, Bowling Green
Everytime I saw Barnes play, he screamed out NFL Wide Receiver to me. Doesn't have blazing speed but can make all the catches and runs nice routes. Would be a nice addition to a weak receiving squad outside of Calvin Johnson. If they don't go earlier, Local WR's Antonio Brown (CMU) and Blair White (MSU) might also be good options here.
First Mock Choice: DT John Fletcher, Wyoming

Round 6 Pick 2:
QB Sean Canfield, Oregon State
I've read columns saying that the Lions should take a good look at RB LeGarrette Blount from Oregon late in the draft. He's rated around the #12 RB in the draft but because of character issues may drop down here. Every time I watched him play it seemed as if he were running in slow motion and if the Lions get McCluster then a back won't be needed here. I took some heat for having the Lions select a QB here but I'm going to stick with it until they decide on bringing back Stanton as a number 2 or 3 and I want to see if they sign a veteran free agent to replace Culpepper. Round 6 isn't a bad spot to grab a QB with possible NFL talent, in case of emergency.

Round 7 Pick 2: Traded to Buffalo

Undrafted Free Agent Signing:
K Brett Swenson, Michigan State
I think the Swenson has a chance to be drafted very late, but if he doesn't then the Lions should grab him. He has a good leg with great accuracy. Jason Hanson has had a tremendous career but this past season he really showed signs of aging. Another option could be K Hunter Lawrence from Texas.

Lion's Avril, Delmas, and Cherilus Among the Many Affected by Haiti Earthquake

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:25:00 +0000

Safety Louis Delmas

Donate to the Haiti Relief Effort

The devastating damage done in Haiti by an earthquake that registered at a 7.0-magnitude hits way too close to home for

Cliff Avril, Gosder Cherilus, and Louis Delmas, who all have close ties to the small country.

Avril was born in Jacksonville, Florida, but both of his parents are from Haiti and moved to Florida before he was born. He says his family is incredibly emotional right now considering he has five cousins still there with no way to contact them.

“We don’t know what’s going on – we can’t get in contact with them,” he said. “So they are basically out on their own.”
Avril says he heard about the earthquake an hour or so after it happened from people sending him text messages.
“I turned it to CNN and I saw all the crazy stuff going on,” he said. “I’ve been to Haiti quite a few times, but I don’t know the areas that well. I was listening to my mom and my aunt – they were talking about later on in the day – and they starting hearing things and they started telling me that it was near their house is at.”
Avril’s aunt, who is currently staying at his mom Marie’s house, is visiting from Haiti. She is a schoolteacher in Port-au-Prince where the earthquake occurred, and has heard that the school she teaches at has collapsed.
“She is supposed to leave Thursday,” Avril said, “but she’s actually not going to go back for awhile now, until she figures out what’s going on.”
Though the earthquake lasted just 10-15 seconds, the damage is unfathomable. Countless buildings have collapsed, injuring, killing or trapping civilians.
Even the National Palace was destroyed.
“It’s weird to see the Palace collapse,” said Avril, who has visited Haiti seven or eight times throughout his life. “That’s the prettiest part of Haiti.
“It’s just crazy to see that and to see the main hospital in Haiti – that collapsed also. If the main hospital collapsed and these people are all hurt, where are they going to go?”
Because most of the homes in Haiti are made from brick, they haven’t been able to withstand the earthquake. There were even reports of houses continuing to go down into the early hours Wednesday morning.
Despite the difficult circumstances, Avril and his family have their hands tied.

“A lot of people are either stuck inside a building or it collapsed on top of them. We’re just hoping maybe my cousins weren’t inside a building during the earthquake,” he said.
“There is a help line, but it’s still going to be hard to get in contact with five people. I don’t even know how they would tell us where people are.”

Avril is also planning to help in some capacity, but says it’s hard to know what to do right now since they haven’t been able to communicate with anyone in the country.
Cherilus, whose grandmother still lives in Haiti, is trying to orchestrate something with his foundation to help.
“I definitely want to help out in some way,” said Avril. “But we don’t know what steps to take just yet.”

By Chrissie Wywrot
Main Article

Defensive End Cliff Avril

Helm and Abdelkader = Dumb and Dumber?

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 03:44:00 +0000

The Red Wing's Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader have been nicknamed Dumb&Dumber by their teammates. Read on for the full story.

LOS ANGELES -- There's little question Darren Helm is fast -- but to teammates, he is also, hilariously, dumb. Or Dumber, actually.

Helm and Justin Abdelkader joined the Red Wings full-time in September, and as with hockey players, they immediately became known by monikers based on their last names -- Helmer and Abs.

A few months later, they're now known within the team as Lloyd Christmas (Helm) and Harry Dunne, the delightfully bumbling best friends of the movie "Dumb and Dumber."

The nicknames were bestowed by Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby, who sounded like a comedy routine as they laughed and explained their reasoning.

"Well, sit beside them and you'll find out," Draper said.

"Do a piece on them where you have to spend a lot of time with them, you'll see," Maltby said.

"But you know, we actually changed the movie to 'Dumb and Dumbest,' " Draper said. "They're Harry and Lloyd, and you know what, the more of these road trips we're on, they live up to the billing."

But Helm and Abdelkader, who room together on the road, take the ribbing in stride.

"I think they're jealous in a way," Abdelkader said. "I think they're a little jealous because they wish they were educated like I was. But we're young and can't really say anything about it."

Helm agreed, saying, "I think they're just trying to pawn their own image on somebody else, because I clearly think that story was written about those two."

---Helene St. James
Detroit Free Press
http://www.freep.com/article/20100109/SPORTS05/1090362/?imw=Y

Download Free MSU Desktop Wallpaper

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:04:00 +0000

Download Here:

1200x800 (Best Quality)

1024x768

1440x900

Created By E.M.B

The DSPs First Detroit Lions Mock Draft

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:31:00 +0000

With another disappointing season of Detroit football coming to an end, it's time to look ahead to the NFL draft. The Lions have locked up the number 2 pick. Without taking trades, free agency, and the combine into consideration, here is our first Mock Draft.....

Round 1 Pick 2

Eric Berry S Tennessee

If the Rams decided to take Suh over a franchise quarterback, then Berry or Gerald McCoy should be the pick. If the Rams do take a Quarterback then Suh is the obvious choice for the Lions. Some may argue that the Lions should take Russell Okung the OT from Oklahoma State, but it appears as though the Lions are committed to Jeff Backus and Gosder Cherilus, even though Backus is terrible. Although we desperately need D-Line help, the thought of Berry and Delmas at the safety spots for years to come is kind of exciting.

Round 2 Pick 2

Patrick Robinson CB Florida State

If the Lions take Berry, they will still need D-Line help but I think Robinson has better value then any of the D-Lineman available at this point in the draft. This will be an especially good pick if the Lions end up taking Suh or McCoy. The Lions have a pretty good LB core but this might not be a bad spot to trade down and grab LB Brandon Spikes or DE/OLB Sergio Kindle and then CB Javier Arenas.

Round 3 Pick 2

Mike Neal DT Purdue

Here is where the Lions can grab their big DT. Another good choice here could be DE George Selvie from USF, DE O'Brien Schofield from Wisconsin, or DT Lamarr Houston from Texas.

Round 4 Pick 2

Dexter McCluster RB/WR Ole Miss

McCluster is a quick versatile back who can catch the ball. With Kevin Smith blowing up his knee this season, this might be a good time to pick up another back. Other possibilities here include Alterraun Verner CB UCLA, OG John Jerry from Ole Miss, and WR Erick Decker from Minnesota.

Round 5 Pick 2

Will Barker OT Virgina

Other options here: Sean Canfield QB Oregon State, Freddie Barnes WR Bowling Green and QB Tim Hiller Western Michigan.

Round 5 Pick 24

John Fletcher DT Wyoming

Round 6 Pick 2

Zac Robinson QB Oklahoma State

Round 7 Pick 2

Blair White WR Michigan State

If Blair falls to the late rounds and the Lions are unable to get somebody like Decker or Barnes, this would be a great pickup. A local guy who works his tail off and runs great routes. Reminds me of Wes Welker.

Undrafted Signing

Brett Swenson K Michigan State

Jason Hanson is getting old and he struggled this season. Swenson is one of the one or two kickers who may get drafted, but if he doesn't the Lions should give him a shot.

Reactions to the Tiger's Trades and Off-Season Activity

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:08:00 +0000

This past week, Tigers’ GM Dave Dombrowski has shown that he neither fears change, nor losing seasons. In the interest of trimming the Tigers’ expenses, he’s traded Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson, failed to retain Placido Polanco and Brandon Lyon, and said that we’ll probably lose Fernando Rodney as well. This may sound like terrible news, but there’s an upside to everything. So fear not Tigers fans, I’m going to show you that for every negative that has come out of the Winter Meetings for the Tigers (i.e. every single one of these deals), there is a positive aspect that you may not have considered:

Con: Curtis Granderson, a fan favorite in Detroit, has been traded off to the Evil Empire. It’s going to be horribly depressing to see Grandy in those ugly Yankee pinstripes next year. I mean, how can you not like the guy? He’s one of the most intelligent players in all of baseball (both of his parents were teachers), he’s a natural leader in the clubhouse, and he’s a stand up member of the Detroit community (he runs sports clinics for inner-city kids in his free time). And if you’ve ever heard him talking to the media you know he’s one of the nicest and most humble guys around. On the field he’s known for hitting clutch home runs and making superhuman diving catches. He’s a great all-around player and it’s a damn shame he’s being traded, especially since many of the New York sports writers are already bitching about how the Yankees don’t need him.
Pro: The only upside to this trade is no longer having to watch Granderson strike out against left-handed pitchers. This was always a problem, especially late in games. All the opposing team had to do was call up the bullpen for a lefty and it was a guaranteed out most of the time. So, no longer will you have to restrain yourself from throwing the remote at the TV when there’s two men on in the eighth with one out and Granderson whiffs on four southpaw pitches. Seriously though, Curtis, you need to work on that in the off season or the crazed horde of jackals that is the New York sports media will be calling for you to get sent down to the Charleston River Dogs (what the hell’s a River Dog, by the way?)

Con: In another brilliant move the Tigers declined to re-sign Placido Polanco and he’s now headed back to Philadelphia. I know it would’ve been expensive to keep him, but he’s worth every penny. The guy went all of 2007 without committing an error, he’s won two Gold Gloves, and he’s one of the few players we could rely on in the clutch last year, bringing in 72 runs all by his lonesome. That’s almost 10% of the Tigers’ anemic offensive output last year. Placido is going to be nearly impossible to replace in the short run.
Pro: You’ll no longer have to stare in horror at the man’s giant goddamn head. Seriously, that thing is enormous! It’s like a f***ing moon, with its own geography of hills and valleys. With his batting helmet off, he looks like some sort of comic book super villain. I don’t think I would be all that surprised if someday, after a strikeout, his bulbous cranium started pulsating and he lit the umpire on fire with his mind.

Con: Further proof of Detroit’s financial woes can be seen in their failing to re-sign Brandon Lyon, who was one of the few bright spots in the bullpen last season. Making matters even worse, Dombrowski has commented that re-signing Fernado Rodney would be a “long shot” at this point. This just seems to be putting our already shaky bullpen in a situation where they have the power to cause f***ups of epic proportions.
Pro: Get ready for Pitching Prospect Musical Chairs, everybody! With the possibility of an abysmal bullpen comes the opportunity for a different bright-eyed youngster to try his hand at The Show every night. Imagine the possibilities! Will this eager young lad’s arm give out after a month? Or will he simply suffer a mental breakdown before a live TV audience? Maybe he’ll fuck up in some way that you never even thought possible! The possibilities are endless and the chances for exciting wild pitches are numerous.

Con: With the departure of Edwin Jackson, the Tigers starting pitching could be less than great next year. We’ll still have Verlander and Porcello, hopefully, but the rest of our possible starters don’t give me much hope. Willis would probably have trouble hitting the strike zone if he were throwing underhand in the Beer Leagues, Galarraga seems to take perverse pleasure in blowing games with multiple-run innings, and Bonderman can’t seem to stay healthy (probably due to the massive amount of tobacco he chews and always being pissed off). Robertson only started a few games last season and wasn’t all that impressive. The prospect of Bonine and Miner getting more starts doesn’t make me all that excited either.
Pro: Free seat upgrade! All you have to do is go to Comerica on a night that Verlander or Porcello aren’t pitching and wait until the third inning. Whatever sorry excuse for a starter we’ve put in that night will probably have been torn a new asshole by now so people will be leaving in droves. That $5 obstructed view Skyline seat that you bought has now been upgraded to a $70 On-Deck Circle seat! Who cares if you’re watching the Tigers go down in flames, you’re sitting in the lap of luxury like a stone cold playa’. Maybe you’ll even get on TV! So put your feet up, take a long pull off of your $8 Bud Light, and be happy that at least you don’t have to be out on the field getting lit up by the f***ing Royals.

Nike Pro Combat Close Up Part 5: Personal Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:41:00 +0000

Both the Florida State Seminoles and the Missouri Tigers have way outside the box Pro Combat uniforms, and I think they are the best of the group.

Missouri Tigers
Traditional Road Uniforms:

Nike Pro Combat Road Uniforms (View Full Size)

I always liked the traditional Mizzou uniforms. Their striping is done in a different but cool way. I thought that if they went to black pants with maybe a yellow stripe instead of all whites that they would look even better. Not only did Nike add the black pants, but they added some other cool touches as well. According to Nike, these Mizzou uni's are in "Beast Mode." If I'm not mistaken, that's from the cartoon Transformers: Beast Wars. Not sure why they're using that but it's cool with me.

The helmet is mainly what does it for me. Black on Black on Black. Easy to see from the stands? No way. But really cool. You never see anything like this with uniform design. The numbers on the uniform remain black but have a slick leather look to them. The same goes for the stripes on the black pants.

In college football today, white everything seems to be the most popular. The Mizzou Tigers flipped that upside down by putting black, black, and more black on their jersey's and I think they look really cool.

Florida State Seminoles
Traditional Home Uniform:

Nike Pro Combat Home Uniforms (View Full Size)

Who needs Gold? I don't even know how to describe these, they're are so good. Look for yourself.

I was always a big fan of the Nole's spear head helmet, but turning it black just took it to a whole new level. Awesome.

Final Judgment: In this case, I have to say screw tradition. These are so well done that it would be a shame for the Seminoles to not roll out in these next season. I can't even imagine how cool it would be if they made them black on black with gold and red accents/feathers. I often think black on black is just a lame plot to fire up a team but those would be seriously intimidating. Two thumbs up.

Check our poll to vote for your favorite Nike Pro Combat Uni's!

Nike Pro Combat Close-Up Part 4

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:11:00 +0000

Florida Gators
Traditional Home Uniform:

Nike Pro Combat Home Uniform (View Full Size)

The Gators have two primary home uniforms, blue on white as seen above and blue on blue. Nike decided to upgrade the blue on blue uni's. For the Pro Combat's, the traditional striping on the shoulders and pants has been removed and replaced with a small orange stripe (shoulders), and a HUGE white stripe surrounded by a small orange stripe (pants). The chest numbers are very much the same and the Gator logo has been moved from the chest to the pants.

The helmet is major change from the traditional orange helmet with script "gators" written across it. The middle stripe has been changed from blue and white to blue and orange. This is a modernized version of the helmet worn in 1966, which has been used as a throwback.

Final Judgement: The blue on blue works well for Florida and I like the modernized-throwback helmet. What I don't understand is the giant white stripe on the pants. Combined with the white stripe on the lower-back, it looks like the Gators are running downfield wearing ass-less chaps. Just because Tim Tebow might wear them in his spare time does not mean that they should be put on a pair of football pants.

LSU Tigers

Traditional Road Uniforms:

Nike Pro Combat Road Uniform (View Full Size)

A major color change here for the LSU Tiger's. Instead of wearing a goldenrod color, they're wearing a true gold color. This makes sense because their colors are purple and gold, but now they just look like Washington, which is strange. Instead of a vertical stripe, the shoulders now have a horizontal stripe, the stripe on the pants is more stylized and an L can be seen right above it. The pants have also been changed from colored to white. The helmets remain the same design, but are now true gold and have a single purple stripe instead of purple and white stripes.

Final Judgment: The true gold color is an homage to the LSU teams of the 1940's, so it's understandable why they did this, but I don't like it. This uniform says Washington to most if not all football fans in today's world. I also think that they would be better off with the traditional colored pants. I do however really like the styling of the stripes on the pants, pretty cool. Instead of having a block of white, Florida should have done something similar to this. For LSU and Nike, not bad but not great.

Nike Pro Combat Close-Up Part 3, Canes and Horns

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:26:00 +0000

Miami Hurricanes
Traditional White Uniform:

Nike Pro Combat White Uniform (View Full Size)

For the Pro Combat uni's, The Canes dropped the green striping on the front of their jersey's, changed the numbering from green with an orange outline to a half orange-half green atrocity, and switched from orange pants, to white. The green and white pant stripes were dropped in favor of one green and one orange stripe. Yet another example of a team going to all white. Here's a closer look:

Final Judgment: I can't think of any other word to describe these than awful. The traditional "U" helmet is fine but the two-colored numbering and the two different color stripes is just terrible (even if they're meant to mimic the "U" logo). Miami typically has some strange uniforms but the 2009 away white's weren't too bad at all. These are a huge step backward.

Texas Longhorns
Traditional White Uniform:

Nike Pro Combat White Uniform (View Full Size)

The Nike Pro Combat version of the Texas road uniform is simply a slight upgrade. There are very few changes. The chest numbering and "Texas" is basically the same. The all-white pants are the same, and the shoulder striping is the same.

A pretty noticeable change comes here with the helmet. The large numbers that are usually on the back of the helmet have been moved to right above the longhorn logo.

Final Judgment: Although I think I've made it clear that I'm not a huge fan of all-white uniforms, Texas is one of the first teams that I can remember doing this. I don't feel strongly for or against these uni's because there aren't any significant changes. As far as the helmet goes, why mess with greatness? UT has one of the best looking helmets in college football. Leave the numbers on the back where they belong.

Am I crazy, or is the Cane's Pro Combat uniform terrible? Leave a comment and let me know.

Nike Pro Combat Close-Up Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:31:00 +0000

Oklahoma Sooners
Traditional Away Jersey:

Nike Pro Combat Away Jersey (View Full Size)

As you can see, the color scheme of the Oklahoma jersey and pants has remained the same. As with the Hokies, the Sooners went from a dark colored helmet, to a white helmet to complete the look.
Here's a detailed description from friends of the program:

Nike designers immersed themselves in Oklahoma Sooners history and lore to bring inspirational cues to the look and direction of the Nike Pro Combat uniforms.
The uniforms respect the past of Sooner football, drawing inspiration from Bud Wilkinson’s famed “fast break offense” that led the nation in scoring and won National Championships in 1955 and 1956. An all-white helmet is a nod to the teams that played during that era (1946 to 1956), as are the clean lines on the jersey and pant.
Oklahoma’s team mantra “Sooner Magic” is printed on the inside of the jersey collar and on the cuff of the Nike Vapor Trail 2.0 gloves the team will wear.

Final Judgement:
I love the fact that Nike stuck with tradition (both recent past and way back) with these jerseys and I also really like the bold clean lines on the jersey and helmet. I think the helmet should include the OU symbol and I think it would look better as maroon with a white stripe and a white OU. Unlike Virginia Tech, these all-whites are done well. Not perfect, but a pretty good looking uni.

Ohio State Buckeyes
Traditional Away Jersey:

Nike Pro Combat Away Jersey (View Full Size)

The color scheme for the Buckeye's Pro Combat jersey's is very much the same as their traditional look. They gray of the pants and shoulder stripes is slightly darker, and the scarlet used looks a bit more bold. The black stripes on the pants, jersey and helmet have been moved to only surround the chest numbers. These uni's are paying homage to the Ohio State teams of the 1950's.

The helmets are essentially the same as the Oklahoma Pro Combat's, with a slightly different red, and the addition of the player numbers. The color white replaces the traditional silver. The team logo makes an appearance on the pants, as well as two stripes instead of the traditional three.

Final Judgement: Just like the Oklahoma Pro Combat's, the Buckeye's are very well done. I like the boldness of the colors, the numbers on the helmet and the sleek, two stripe design on the pants. I like the white helmets with the black numbering but I think a silver version of these helmets would look good with the gray pants. These are a combination of new technology and throwbacks and actually look much better then the bland away whites that Ohio State wears today.

What's your take on the Buckey's and Sooner's Pro Combat Jerseys? Leave us a comment and let us know!
Explore the Nike Pro Combat Jersey's at the Official Site

Nike Pro Combat Football Jerseys. Ridiculous, or Ridiculously Cool?

noreply@blogger.com (Matt G) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 04:28:00 +0000

As the College Football season came to a close, I noticed that several teams were sporting the new Nike Pro Combat uniforms. Typically I like teams that stick to tradition, but I'm also a big fan of the third jersey. According to Nike, these uniforms are supposed to make athletes "faster, more violent and explosive." I'm assuming that these teams are just taking them for a test run and that they will return to tradition next season but there is the possibility of some of these teams making the change. Here's a look at the Pro Combat series.

TCU Horned Frogs
Traditional Dark Jersey:

Nike Pro Combat Dark Jersey (View Full Size)

For the Pro Combat Jerseys the helmet color was changed from purple to silver/black and a red stripe was added. The red stripe is supposed to symbolize the blood released from the horned frog's eyes when under attack. The actual picture of the horned frog was not placed on the Pro Combat helmet but it does feature a replication of the horned frog's skin. I like the color change, and the blood red stripe is something that looks good and has meaning, but I would like to see the actual horned frog back on the helmet.

There's an addition of black and silver frog skin to the sides of the jersey, as well as the black stitching on the shoulders. The Pants have a black stripe and a purple stripe with the silver frog skin pattern being the dominant color. The horned frog logo appears here on the pants.

Final Judgement:

I like the changes, EXCEPT for the frog skin pants. It looks really cool on the helmet but with those pants on it looks like the players are wearing some skin tight/snake skin/hair band pants. Move the pants back to all black with the purple stripe, maybe throw in small frog skin silver stripe and we have a winner. No football team should wear purple, but the Pro Combat changes make it look kinda cool.

Virginia Tech Hokies

Traditional White Jersey:

Nike Pro Combat White Jersey (View Full Size)

The Hokie's away uni's are terrible and the Pro Combat version isn't any better. Lately the trend of matching a white helmet to all white uniforms has become popular for teams who have a colored helmet. As you can see, the Hokie's are following this trend. In my opinion, the white hat just doesn't work for them. The team usually wears white on white, so there's no change there.

The shoulder stripes, pant stripes, and the numbering on the jersey are made up of dots and the numbers fade from orange to maroon. The team lettering and logo also show up on the pants. The terrible font that VaTech uses for their numbers appears to remain the same.

Final Judgement:

If you ask me, these are atrocious. Color fading has no place in the world of football, and what's with the dots? Although I love the all-white look of the Oregon Ducks for some reason, and I'm a big fan of the white helmet that USF added, it just doesn't fit with the Hokie's color scheme. The half color shoulder look of the traditional uni's looks bad, but the Pro Combat look is worse. These throwbacks are by far the best looking away jersey's that the Hokies have and they should stick with them.

Give us your opinion of the TCU and Virgina Tech Pro Combat Uni's! Love 'em, hate 'em?

Check out the official Nike Pro Combat Site