Hoff On Sports

The Darkside of the NBA Draft

2009-06-26T00:31:00.008-04:00

The NBA Draft is filled with blessings and hard work. With that though comes sadness. The end of a journey or a beginning of a new journey depends on how you want to look at it.

With only two rounds in the NBA Draft and 60 players being taken many players are left on the outside looking in.

We’re going to take you through a list of players who would like to forget the night of June 25, 2009.

The following players decided to leave school early and declare for the NBA Draft. None were taken in the NBA Draft tonight and now they must look for alternative options. Either try to make it as an undrafted free agent in the NBA and play in the summer league in three weeks. Or they can pack their bags and go sightseeing overseas like many college players do when not selected in the NBA. A player can make a nice living over there playing professionally- one thing is for certain though, good luck keeping tabs on them. They will fall off the radar.

What were they thinking! Leaving school early. Maybe they just didn’t want to go to class!

Brandon Costner: Junior PF (NC State) – a former McDonald's All-American may not be in America much longer as most expect him to depart overseas to continue his basketball career.

Eric Devendorf: Junior SG (Syracuse) – off the court issues and character problems forced Jim Boeheim’s hand at pushing Devendorf out the door. So much for another McDonald’s All-American who played at the Oak Hill Academy.

Daniel Hackett: Junior PG (USC) – Money overseas was too good for Hackett to pass up. Not much was coming back to the Trojans with Demar Derozan and Taj Gibson departing plus coach Tim Floyd.

Paul Harris: Junior SF (Syracuse) – A player who made leaps and bounds from his first two years this past season. Apparently tried to take one too many leaps. Will have a good chance of getting signed as an undrafted NBA free agent because he is a hard worker. But how motivated will he be to stay in the states playing possibly in the NBDL.

Shawn Taggart: Junior C (Memphis) – Coach Calipari left and so did Taggart. Not wanting to go back to classes much like Costner. Most likely another college player you’ll forget about playing overseas.

Dar Tucker: Sophomore SG (DePaul) - The most disappointing decision to leave early lies in Tucker’s hand. A former High School standout in the State of Michigan. He has lots of potential and the most talented player of this bunch of poor decision makers. He couldn’t take losing anymore in Conference USA, maybe he should have made a better college choice. Hopefully we see his name on an opening day roster next October in the NBA.

Here are some very good college seniors who were unfortunate on draft night 2009.

These four players all chose to declare for the 2008 NBA Draft before making good decisions by withdrawing and returning for school for their season seasons. Each of them got one more year in the spotlight and got a chance to play in another NCAA Tournament. Something the guys above missed out on!

A.J. Abrams: PG (Texas) – Has size problems playing in the NBA. That’s the reason he didn’t get drafted tonight. He is a specialist- a sniper from beyond the arc. Teams need shooters. He get a chance to show his game in the summer league.

Josh Shipp: SG (UCLA) – A lack of athleticism hurts Shipp’s game plus he is injury prone. Great basketball IQ and can do a lot of solid things on the court. A player similar to Danny Green (who did get drafted in the second round) but less explosive and not as efficient defensively. Should get a look by a few NBA teams come July.

Jerel McNeal: SG (Marquette) – A guy who knows how to win, just has been inconsistent throughout his career. Certainly has a career waiting for him overseas or he can take the Travis Diener (former Marquette Golden Eagle) approach and fight his way onto an NBA roster.

Jeremy Pargo: PG (Gonzaga) – Pargo would have been better to stay in the 2008 NBA Draft in my mind. He got exposed the more he played in the NCAA. Sometimes it happens to players although most don’t have a brother in the NBA. Should get a look by some teams because of his toughness on the floor as a floor general.

More seniors who will have to battle to make an NBA roster or who could be in for a long flight across the Atlantic.

Dionte Christmas: SG (Temple) – June is not Christmas time. A scorer who can flat out get to the rack in college. Scouts questioned whether or not he could continue to do that if he got to the league. He can create his own shot and he will make it on a summer league team as a result.

Luke Nevill: C (Utah) – Has great size but just didn’t show up on a nightly basis in the NCAA. Inconsistent play in the WAC will get you undrafted. A career overseas is waiting for the Australian born player.

Kyle McClarney: SG (Notre Dame) – Went through emotional ups and downs collegiately in South Bend. Can shoot the rock from well nearly 30 feet out. A contract is waiting for him overseas.

Justin Dentmon: PG (Washington) – A draft full of point guards wasn’t for Dentmon. He will have to fight in summer league to show his skills. Certainly has quickness and a basketball IQ. But sometimes becomes a ball hog and only looks for his own shot.

Josh Heytvelt: C (Gonzaga) – Another player who had off the court issues and run-ins with drugs. Has a lot of potential because of his size and skill around the hoop. Just has to find the determination and bring the effort every day. That’s because he will be a practice player for a couple years if the NBA comes calling. His career is up in the air.

Jeff Adrien: SF (UCONN) – A hybrid player playing the small forward or power forward spot. He is the ultimate tweener and it hurt him when it came time for the league. Does everything solid but nothing great. A perfect game for the Euro league.

Marcus Landry: SF (Wisconsin) – His brother plays in the NBA much like Jeremy Pargo. Fight is something Landry can do because that’s all he did in the Big Ten every night. He brings toughness to a team and will get an opportunity to play some summer ball for NBA teams to show if he can do more.

These guys stayed in school and withdrew from the 2009 NBA Draft. College basketball has to be happy about it and for some of these players they could wreak the benefits.

Devan Downey: Junior PG (South Carolina) – A small point guard at 5’9. He can score and is a tough point guard. It’s going to be tough to make the league at his height but it’s possible i.e. Earl Boykins (only 5’5). One last year as a Gamecock as he tries to lead his team to an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Luke Harongody: Junior PF (Notre Dame) – Dajuan Blair is a decent comparison. The closest one I could come up with in this years draft. He has an attitude and a toughness about him that any team would like to have especially the Fighting Irish. They have a good team coming back with a pair of transfers in Scott Martin and Ben Hansbrough becoming eligible during the 2009-2010 season. Martin from Purdue and Hansbrough from Mississippi St (younger brother of Tyler).

Damion James: Junior SF (Texas) – James is very similar to Mitchell except a better shooter. James has to improve his shot selection and be more consistent in the Big 12 this season. I like him getting taken in the late first to early second round in next years draft.

Tasmin Mitchell: Junior SF (LSU) – Mitchell has been through injuries. He is another hybrid forward who will need to continue to improve his shot and defense on the perimeter. I like his game and think he can be a late first round pick next year.

Patrick Patterson: Sophomore PF (Kentucky) – A highly talented player coming back for college basketball next year. Woo-hoo goes Dick Vitale! I applaud Patterson for coming back to school. The Kentucky Wildcats are loaded next season and have as good of a chance as any to reach the Final Four. Patterson can score, block, rebound, and has a lot of improvement left in his game. Expect the lottery to be calling his name this time next year.

Scottie Reynolds: Junior PG (Villanova) – A great college player, but his game doesn’t translate to the NBA level quite the same. He needs to continue to improve his quickness and decision making with the basketball. I still like him to get drafted next year in the early second round because he is too good of a scorer.

Tyler Smith: Junior SF (Tennessee) – I’m a big Smith fan and I really like his game at the next level. He is a tough minded player with a great basketball IQ plus he’s a great passer. He will need to continue to improve his shot from the outside but I like him to go in the late first round of next years draft.

Jarvis Varnado: Junior PF (Mississippi St.) – If your looking for a shotblocker – you have found your man. Varnado has a flurry of potential. His skills are raw and I am excited to see what he can do during his senior season. He is trying to make the Bulldogs relevant next year. Varnado will be relevant during the 2010 NBA Draft as I would expect to see him go in the lottery.

Greivis Vasquez: Junior PG (Maryland) – A tough minded player who will be ready for a good senior campaign. Vasquez is a really good college player and could be the best point guard in the ACC entering next season.

Michael Washington: Junior PF (Arkansas) – A player who really improved this season. Needs another year of improvement in order to hear his name selected in the 2010 NBA Draft.

Nic Wise: Junior PG (Arizona) – He’ll have to deal with another head coach in Sean Miller. But at least he will be playing basketball in the states on TV next year. Something that wouldn’t have happened if he kept his name in the hat for the draft this year.

If you enjoy this check out the my sports talk radio show called the Sports Inferno every Monday and Thursday from 4-7 p.m. EST throughout the summer. Listen live on http://thewhale.org and search Sports Inferno on Facebook.com for more details!

Bullpen Report

2009-06-11T11:58:00.020-04:00

Coming into the season there were a lot of question marks surrounding the Tigers bullpen. After two months of play, many of those questions still remain.

Do the Tigers have a dependable closer? Do they have the tools to be successful during late innings? Many experts have their opinions on both of those questions.

In a few months these questions will be answered by the players on the field.

(Note: grades will be based on expectations most experts had at the beginning of the season.)

The Good

Joel Zumaya (Age 24) 2009 Salary (735,000 Million)
Current 09 Stats 3-1 Record 3.60 ERA
Projected Season Numbers 8-3 Record 3.60 ERA

Zumaya has returned from injuries the past two seasons and appears to be healthy. He is throwing 100+ mph again, so lots of things are hopeful. The question is just how long will it last? Plus, Zumaya still doesn't have secondary pitches that can keep hitters guessing. He gets in predictable counts and just tries to throw heaters by players. As you can see with his ERA, even though it isn't bad, he has run into trouble from time to time. Lots of questions remain with Zumaya. Can he be a MLB closer? No one really knows the answer to that besides Zumaya.

Glaring stats-has collected 18 strike outs in 20 innings pitched. Zumaya is four innings away from surpassing last years innings pitched total.

Grade: B-. They will need him to continue to play well as the setup man for Rodney. The Tigers will be happy if Zumaya can stay off the disabled list the rest of the season. He just needs to keep producing month after month in an effort to get his confidence back to where it was during the 2006 season.

Bobby Seay (Age 30) 2009 Salary (1.3 Million)
Current 09 Stats 0-1 Record 4.76 ERA
Projected Season Numbers 0-3 Record 4.76 ERA

Seay does his job. He is the left-handed specialist coming out of the bullpen. Nothing Seay does is pretty, but he is usually quite effective. He does what he is asked to do and that is get left-handed batters out.

Glaring stats-has not given up a home run this season in 17 innings pitched. Seay did not give up a run in 11 innings pitched in the month of April. Has posted a 2.70 ERA at home this year and also has tallied up a 2.08 during night games.

Grade: B-. Seay has been a mainstay in the bullpen because he is a specialist. The Tigers will need to get hitters like Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau from the Minnesota Twins out down the stretch.

The Bad

Fernando Rodney (Age 32) 2009 Salary (2.7 Million)
Current 09 Stats 0-1 Record 4.68 ERA
Projected Season Numbers 0-3 Record 4.68 ERA

Rodney has had a solid season as the closer of the Tigers. He has converted on all 11 of his save opportunities this season. That is the number one goal of any closer, although as of late he has looked erratic with signs of the old Rodney coming back. The old Rodney is wild, inconsistent, and cannot throw fastballs for strikes. He has always had an incredible changeup, but his fastball has been anything thing but that over the last few years. I see signs of Rodney's wheels turning off so to speak in the last two weeks.

Glaring stats-Is 11 for 11 in save opportunities this season. Is only three saves away from surpassing his record of saves during a single season (13). In May, Rodney posted an 1.38 ERA in 13 innings pitched. June hasn't been so nice to Rodney as he is 0-1 with 13.50 ERA in five games. During day games Rodney has posted a 2.57 ERA.

Grade: C+. With Rodney the question has always been consistency, can he throw fastballs for strikes? Can Rodney be a full time closer at the big league level over a full 162 game schedule. I have my doubts, Rodney will get a chance to answer them over the next few months.

Zach Miner (Age 27) 2009 Salary (438,000)
Current 09 Stats 3-1 Record 4.74 ERA
Projected Season Numbers 8-3 Record 4.74 ERA

Miner has been the long relief pitcher coming out of the pen this season. He has started a few games this year, but currently is on the outside looking in as far as the rotation is concerned. He may get another opportunity in a few weeks if the struggles of Willis and Galarraga continue. I like Miner in his role out of the pen currently, because he can get outs. He is a sinker ball pitcher and is made for the 6-4-3 double play behind him.

Glaring stats-has not given up a home run against a left-handed batter this season. Is 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA on the road while he is 1-1 with a 7.94 ERA at home. In the month of May, Miner posted a 1-0 record with a 3.07 ERA.

Grade: C+. Every player is important on the 25-man roster and the same can be said for Miner. He may get an opportunity to jump back into the starting rotation and if he does he must take full advantage of it. As of now though, he is a crucial part of the bullpen being the long reliever.

Nate Robertson (Age 31) 2009 Salary (7 Million)
Current 09 Stats 1-0 Record 5.19 ERA
Projected Season Numbers 3-0 Record 5.19 ERA

Robertson has the same job as Miner-long reliever. Robertson is a lefty coming out of the pen and is helping this year as a left-handed specialist as well. I like Miner in the role as a long reliever. Robertson is a starter, a No. 5 starter at best, but that is what he does. He has made it clear to the Tigers organization that he is not happy coming out of the pen and wants to start. I completely understand him, but he just has to do the best he can with the situation he's in right now. If given the opportunity to start, he has to have a good outing.

Glaring stats-Has not given up a home run at home or against a right-handed batter this season. During the month of May, Robertson earned an ERA of 1.13 in eight innings pitched. This is Robertson's first season in the MLB that he has not started a game.

Grade: C+. Robertson's season has been interesting thus far. It could get more especially if he gets traded to a different club. It may be in Robertson's and the teams best interest for him to go elsewhere. We'll see if he gets traded, gets the starting nod, or continues to be coming out of the pen the rest of the year. One thing is for certain stay tuned.

The Ugly

Brandon Lyon (Age 29) 2009 Salary (4.25 Million)
Current 09 Stats 2-3 Record 4.66 ERA
Projected Season Numbers 5-8 Record 4.66 ERA

Lyon has had a rough season this year. The ERA is not extremely high, but not where he would like it. As for the wins and losses. Lyon has blown two saves this season, both ending in a Detroit Tigers loss. Lyon has not been a clutch pitcher, he has reminded me all too much of Todd Jones. He throws strikes but most often too many strikes to the point where they end up as hits. Sometimes it's okay to walk people or pitch on the corners, Lyon doesn't do that. He will need to pitch better this summer if the Tigers pen is going to get better.

Glaring stats-Lyon had two seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks where his ERA for a season was under four. Lyon originally came up in the big leagues as a starter with the Toronto Blue Jays. Lyon is 0-2 with an ERA of 18.00 on turf this season. In the month of May, Lyon had an ERA of 8.10.

Grade: D+. Lyon was signed to a one-year deal in the offseason so he is playing for a contract if not with the Tigers the rest of the MLB. He needs to take over the 7th inning role and flourish in it. Perry is going to be battling him all season for that spot, and personally I think Perry will win it. If that happens don't expect to see Lyon in a Tigers uniform come next season.

In Minors

Ryan Perry (Age 22) 2009 Salary (400,000)
Current 09 Stats 0-1 Record 3.13 ERA
Numbers in Minors N/A

Perry showed a lot of promise with his 23 innings of work this season with the Tigers before he was sent down to Toledo to make room for Jeremy Bonderman on the roster. One thing is for certain, Perry will be back. The question is when? I feel he could be back as soon as late June or sometime just before the All-Star break. He has a power fastball that can go as high as 99 mph. His problem at the big league level was his walks. He collected 22 strikeouts and surrendered 19 base on balls. Clearly that is something that he can work on down at Toledo. I was surprised to see him go down, but in the same token I understand why it was him. He will have a chance to harnish his skills more and get more reps in the closer's role. A role which he will have an opportunity to earn and flourish in for the years to come with the Tigers.

Clay Rapada (Age 28) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Numbers in Minors 1-1 Record 2.18 ERA

Rapada has had a terrific season with the Toledo Mudhens so far.Earning more than a strikeout per inning. He is a left handed pitcher who specializes in getting left-handed batters out. Like every left-handed specialist they usually need to work on getting right-handed batters out. He has been progessing with that since last season where he spent some time with the Tigers. If the Tigers didn't have Bobby Seay or Nate Robertson in their bullpen--Rapada would be up their. Right now their is just no need for another left-hander in the pen. So he must just continue to work hard and continue to play well. You never know when your number will be called especially with a long summer ahead.

Fu-Te Ni (Age 26) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Numbers in Minors 2-0 Record 2.63 ERA

Ni is from Taiwan and he has come over to the states to perform well. That he has done with the Toledo Mudhens this season. The combination of himself, Rapada, Dolsi, and others have made the Mudhens very formidable in the International League. Ni is still learning, but taking things in like a sponge. He is in the same position as Rapada, waiting for his call up. It could happen if some players from the big league club get injured or traded away. Both Rapada and Ni are paying close attention to Robertson who could be on the trading block.

Freddy Dolsi (Age 26) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Numbers in Minors 2-2 Record 4.91 ERA

Dolsi has not had the season so far that he dreamt. He came in as the closer for the Toledo Mudhens this year but struggled early on. He had some success with the Tigers last season and I'm sure Dolsi was hoping to be back with the big-league club by now. It just hasn't happened yet. Inconsistency has plagued him and until he can find some balance on the rubber he will be staying in Toledo. He has a power arm, something other teams would be interested in getting in return of a possible mid-season trade. Dolsi's services could be going elsewhere if the Tigers look to acquire a big bat before the July 31 trade deadline.

Starting Rotation Report

2009-06-11T11:58:00.014-04:00

During the 2009 season the starting pitching has played the most important role in leading the Tigers to their current spot atop the AL Central standings.

A few players have stood out head and shoulders above the others. While some are trying to work hard on shaping current performances like past ones.

(Note: grades will be based on expectations most experts had at the beginning of the season.)

The Good

Justin Verlander (Age 26) 2009 Salary (3.68 Million)
Current 09 Stats 7-2 Record 3.02 ERA
Projected Season Numbers 19-5 Record 3.02 ERA

Verlander has had a spectacular season this year in Detroit. He continues to excel as the summer months are nearing. Verlander has taken over the leadership role of the pitching staff for the Tigers. He is a leader by example and what an example he is showing out on the mound. He started off the season rough, but showed that he can fight through adversity. With that he showed everybody what kind of character he is made of. Cy Young kind of character. With the most recent stretch he has put together since the end of April he has surged in the discussion for AL Cy Young Award winner along with Zach Greinke of the Kansas City Royals and Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Glaring stats- leads the AL in strikeouts with 106 in 13 starts this season. Has pitched two complete games and thrown one shutout. Is well on pace to break his innings pitched and strikeouts thrown during a season. Has not given up a home run to a right handed batter all season. Verlander is 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA at home. During day games he is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA. In the month of May he was 5-0 with a 1.52 ERA in six starts. Verlander is currently on a remarkable streak--has thrown nine consecutive quality starts.

Grade: A. The leadership role he has stepped into and really has taken advantage of for the starters contributes to this grade. The talent, poise, and confidence he possesses on the mound is putting Verlander in the class of the top five to ten pitchers in the game today. Verlander will need to continue to toe the rubber at a high level if the Tigers plan on making a run come October. Verlander could win 20 games for the first time in his career.

Edwin Jackson (Age 25) 2009 Salary (2.2 Million)
Current 09 Stats 6-3 Record 2.25 ERA
Projected Season Numbers 16-8 Record 2.25 ERA

Wow is how you sum up Jackson's season thus far. He is currently ranked second in the AL in ERA just behind Zach Greinke (who leads just about everything pitching besides wins--but come on look at his team the Royals). Jackson was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of a high school and was touted as a can't miss prospect. But when he came to the Dodgers and was more like couldn't hit (as in strike zone) because he walked too many batters. Jackson has come a long ways since then and his control problems seem to be history. Jackson had his best year of his career last year with Tampa Bay Rays. Good thing for Tigers fans--he is having an even better one this year. Jackson and Verlander have become very good friends and seem to be feeding off each other. As in they are trying to match each other start after start. With the numbers these two have been putting up lately--they have single-handedly kept the Tigers in contention every game out.

Glaring stats-had his seventh consecutive quality start snapped by the Chicago White Sox this afternoon. Has yet to hitter a batter this season. Has thrown one complete game and is 3-2 with a 1.55 ERA on the road this season. During starts at night, Jackson is the only Tigers starter with an ERA of less than two.

Grade: A. Jackson has been there for Verlander every time out in an effort to show MLB teams that they have a 1-2 punch in the rotation. Jackson must handle the summer months which can be long and hard as a big league pitcher in the humid Detroit air. He has the tools to do it, but can he get his mind right to maintain focus start after start. If the Tigers have a chance at being the best team in the AL this season it's imperative they have a starter who can stay close to Verlander's performances. Jackson has done it so far. Will he keep it up?

Rick Porcello (Age 20) 2009 Salary (2.1 Million)
Current 09 Stats 6-4 Record 3.98 ERA
Projected Season Numbers 16-11 Record 3.98 ERA

Coming into the season nobody knew how good Porcello was going to perform in a Tigers uniform. Not even he could be sure. At the ripe old age of 20 and in his first professional season, the pressure was mounting. That is if you feel pressure. Porcello does not. He is as calm as they come and it shows with his mound presence out there. That presence helps maintain Porcello's confidence. He has that look in his eye that he has been here before. But yet we know he hasn't because he isn't even legal to drink alcohol. Porcello has cemented himself as the No. 3 starter and is here to stay for a long time to come in the big leagues.

Glaring stats-was 5-0 with a 1.50 ERA in the month of May--which gave him even better numbers than Verlander in that very same month. Has yet to throw more than 100 pitches in one game this year.

Grade: A-. He is off to a great start, he has had stellar performances already. The thing I like about Porcello so much is he stays even keel. When bad things happen--he doesn't get too down. In turn when good things happen--he doesn't get too high. That is something that has carried Verlander and if Porcello can maintain that it will go along way in his MLB career. Can Porcello keep up throughout the summer? Or will the Tigers have to shut him down due to tiredness or just being cautious with him? The Tigers won't take any chances with this rookie phenom--at the first sign of struggle he will be shutdown during the 2009 season.

The Bad

Armando Galaragga (Age 27) 2009 Salary (435,000)
Current 09 Stats 3-6 Record 5.19 ERA
Projected Season Numbers 8-16 Record 5.19 ERA

The sophomore slump can hit everybody in their second season in any sport. Some players can get through it while others get caught up in it. Galarraga is in the midst of that skid right now. He is battling and fighting doing all he can to show the Tigers he should be in the starting rotation. After winning 13 games last season and posting an ERA of 3.73 in 28 starts last year he deserves every right to have some patience. He was one of very few bright spots during the 2008 campaign, one in which most Tigers would like to forgot about--excluding Galarraga.

Glaring stats-leads the Tigers in home runs given up this year with 13. During the month of April, Galarraga was 3-0 with a 1.85 ERA. May was a month he would like to forget about as he went 0-5 and posted an ERA of 8.49. Even with all his struggles this year, he has managed to put together six quality starts in 12 games started. During day games Galarraga is 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA. But during night games he is 0-6 with a 6.37 ERA.

Grade: C- The six losses and high ERA hurt. Although Galarraga has shown signs of turning it around and Jim Leyland is going to give him a chance to turn it around. It doesn't hurt that Bonderman and Willis aren't exactly lighting up batters either. Galarraga will at least get one more start. He needs to make the most of it, or else he could be moving to the bullpen, or even worse--taking a trip to Toledo.

Dontrelle Willis (Age 27) 2009 Salary (10 Million)
Current 09 Stats 1-3 Record 6.60 ERA
Projected Season Numbers 3-8 Record 6.60 ERA

Ups and downs pretty much sum up Willis' season this year. First he was placed on the disabled list due to a social anxiety disorder. He first made it back on May 13 against the Minnesota Twins in which he gave up four runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Willis has been shaky with some good starts and some starts he would like to forget about since that time. He has to improve his control over his next start, needs to focus on throwing more strikes, which will ultimately lower his pitch count so he can go further into games.

Glaring stats-Willis has put together two quality starts in six opportunities. he has walked ten batters in his last two starts. Against right-handed batters this year he has walked 15 and struck only eight. Has yet to surrender a home run at home.

Grade: D+. Weather or not Willis wants to think about it. This is a pressure packed season for him. If he strings together two or three bad starts, their is a decent chance he could be sent down to the minors or released altogether. It's a make or break year for the D-Train with the Detroit Tigers. It promises to be an interesting ride. Will it be a memorable one for Willis?

The Ugly

Jeremy Bonderman (Age 26) 2009 Salary (12.5 Million)
Current 09 Stats 0-1 Record 13.50 ERA
Projected Season Numbers 0-3 Record 13.50 ERA

Bonderman has had a dismal season thus far. Sure it has been brief with the Detroit Tigers as he only lasted four innings this past Monday in his season debut against the Chicago White Sox. He gave up six earned runs on eight hits in his start. But when you include how long it took Bonderman too recover from his shoulder surgery which ended his season last year in June. It's been a shaky ride and Bonderman still isn't 100 percent. At least he is pain free. The velocity on his fastball is down to the upper 80's topping off at 90. Talk about a change from the guy who pitched 200+ innings back in 2006. At that time Bonderman's fastball ranged from 94-97 mph. A drastic difference and one that Bonderman will have to adjust too. It was announced yesterday that Bonderman will head to the bullpen as Willis will be the No. 5 guy in the rotation for the time being. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Only Bonderman will be able to decide that as needs to just focus on getting better everyday.

Glaring stats- Bonderman has never won 15 games in a single season. Along with that Bonderman has never scored an ERA of less than four in any one season. Bonderman is only 26 years old but he has pitched nearly 1,000 innings and has started 164 games in his career so far.

Grade: F. For a guy who is making 12.5 Million during the 2009 season. Both Mike Illitch (owner) and Dave Dombrowski (general manager) will be expecting big things from Bonderman during the second half of the season. Tigers fans have been expecting big things from Bonderman for a long time now. His talent and star power have now been surpassed by three pitchers who are performing better in Verlander, Jackson, and Porcello. Forget asking the question of whether or not Bonderman can be an ace in the big leagues. Can he be a quality starter again? Anytime a player goes under the knife, the question must be raised.

In Minors

Chris Lambert (Age 26) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Numbers in Minors 2-5 Record 5.14 ERA

Currently down with the Toledo Mudhens at the Triple-A level. Lambert has had a tough season thus far in 11 starts with the Mudhens. Although Lambert does lead the team in strikeouts with 54 this season. Lambert is reaching that age where its go time, meaning he must make it to the big league level soon or else he could just be known as a Triple-A starter. Lambert is a pitcher who throws in the low 90's and could be included in a possible mid season trade along with a Ramirez and other prospects. Lambert was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals for Mike Maroth in 2007.

Luke French (Age 23) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Current 09 Stats 0-0 Record 0.00 ERA
Numbers in Minors 4-3 Record 3.53 ERA

French got a chance to make his big league debut coming out of the bullpen with the Tigers this season in mid-May against the Oakland Athletics . French is a left-handed starter with the Toledo Mudhens. French was originally drafted back in 2008 by the Tigers in the eighth round, so he has been in the minors for a while. It's taken French some time to adjust to professional hitters coming out of high school but he seems to be improving every season. Look for French to have a possible opportunity to play a role in the Tigers bullpen as a left-handed specialist in years to come.

Eddie Bonine (Age 28) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Numbers in Minors 0-3 Record 4.08 ERA

Bonine is known as a strike thrower because that's exactly what he does. Your not going to see too many walks being drawn when Bonine is manning the rubber. He is currently a starter with the Toledo Mudhens. Bonine got a chance to showcase his skills with the Tigers last season for a couple starts in the summer months and he posted a record with a ERA. He is not a bad option as a spot starter and with the right opportunity he could be a fifth starter at the MLB level. Don't expect Bonine to get that opportunity anytime soon though with the Tigers because their is a logjam at the position currently.

Infielders Report

2009-06-11T11:57:00.008-04:00

Every role is big on the team. This year the Tigers have been much better defensively thanks to their infield.

It's given the Tigers a better chance to win ballgames. Inge is producinglike an All-Star but Polanco is producing like a dud.

The Tigers will need a lot more from their infield as far as offensive production is concerned over the next few months. They must get on base so Cabrera can drive them in.

It all starts with Polanco. The Tigers have a lot of minor league infield players that are playing well throughout the organization. We'll take a look at a few.

Brandon Inge (Age 32) 2009 Salary (6.3 Million)
Current 09 Stats .273 AVG 13 HR 40 RBI
Projected Season Numbers .273 AVG 35 HR 108 RBI

Inge is having his best season as a major league player this year. Inge is producing power numbers like a top five third baseman in the league. No one has seen this from Inge throughout his MLB career. He has changed his swing some and it is wreaking havoc on AL pitchers this year. Defensively he is as good as they come down at third base, his range is phenomenal along with his tremendous arm. Inge has been the best infielder on the Tigers this season. He has also produced the best power numbers on the team. Inge is making a bid for an All-Star reserve spot at this years Midsummer Classic. If he gets that average up to .290 and continues this power surge their is no reason why he won't be suiting up for the AL team in St. Louis.

Glaring stats-Tied with Granderson for the most home runs on the team this season (13). Leads the team in rbi's at 40. Has struck out 59 times which is the most on the team. Was batting .327 back on April 27 and hit seven home runs in that very same month. Inge is batting .367 against left-handed pitchers this year. Has hit seven home runs in 49 at bats against left handed pitching. That means he has hit a home run every seven at bats against southpaws. Inge has hit 11 home runs during night games this season.

Grade: A. Inge has had a terrific season. Can he continue to play this well over a course of 162 games? That is the question, I think he can, this season Inge looks like a different player.

Miguel Cabrera (Age 26) 2009 Salary (14.38 Million)
Current 09 Stats .329 AVG 11 HR 39 RBI
Projected Season Numbers .329 AVG 30 HR 108 RBI

Cabrera got off to a terrific start this season which in turn was much different than last season. Over his career, he has been known as a slow starter, but once the summer comes around. Look out. Cabrera can slug it with the best of them. Cabrera is a prototypical cleanup hitter and if the Tigers can get more runners on (Polanco) he will have more rbi's. Cabrera is the most feared hitter in this linuep but is currently not getting the protection in the order in which needs to be at his best. Ordonez needs to start living up to his contract and driving the ball in the outfield.

Glaring stats- Cabrera was batting .406 back on May 5. Leads the team in slugging percentage at .535. Leads the team in hits this season with 70. Second on the team in doubles (11) and in rbi's (39). Third on the team in home runs (11).

Grade B+. Cabrera is doing his best to represent the Tigers in the All-Star Game. He is going to have to get hot to do so. Cabrera is the best hitter on the team and can do the most damage. How much damage is the question? They will need him to play like an All-Star this summer in hopes of making a push towards October.

Ramon Santiago (Age 29) 2009 Salary (825,000)
Current 09 Stats .287 AVG 4 HR 21 RBI
Projected Season Numbers .287 AVG 18 HR 92 RBI

Santiago has thrived this year in sharing shortstop duties with Everett. Leyland has done an excellent job putting Santiago in positions where he can succeed. In very limited at bats, Santiago is putting up very nice numbers. If you add up both Santiago and Everett's numbers they will match any AL shortstop out there. So this tandem has worked so far this season both offensively and defensively.

Glaring stats-has hit the same amount of home runs (4) this year as last season. Santiago is batting .308 versus right-handed pitching this year. Santiago is batting .385 this season at home. During day games he is batting.429 while in night games he is batting .182.

Grade B+. Santiago has had a very good year. He is doing what is asked of him, taking advantages of the opportunities given, and performing on the baseball diamond.

Adam Everett (Age 32) 2009 Salary (1 Million)
Current 09 Stats .272 AVG 2 HR 24 RBI
Projected Season Numbers .272 AVG 7 HR 82 RBI

Everett is a classy baseball player. He is good in the clubhouse with leadership, he is a veteran who knows what it takes to win from his time with the Houston Astros. When he was in his prime with his double-play partner Craig Biggio in Houston they were one of the best duo's in baseball. Everett just know how to play the game, he has been a cheap addition to the Tigers. He is living up to his contract and that is great to see during this time in the economy.

Glaring stats-has already surpassed his rbi total from last season with the Minnesota Twins. Everett was batting .311 on May 21. Everett is batting .333 against left-handed pitching. While he is batting .411 in day games and during night games he is batting .175.

Grade B. He has a good season thus far. Hopefully this duo of Everett and Santiago can continue to play well and push each other to get the maximum performance out of their bodies everyday.

Gerald Laird (Age 29) 2009 Salary (2.8 Million)
Current 09 Stats .221 AVG 2 HR 14 RBI
Projected Season Numbers .221 AVG 6 HR 42 RBI

Laird is doing about what I expected him to do when they signed him this offseason. He is a very good defensive catcher, throws out a lot of would be base stealers, and calls a good game behind home plate. One thing he doesn't do so well at is hit the baseball. He doesn't have much power and at times he doesn't make contact with his bat. Is he an everyday catcher? Well Texas didn't think so and I don't either. I feel Laird is a very good backup catcher. He is having an opportunity this year to start and really isn't taking advantage of it offensively.

Glaring stats- Laird was batting .195 back on May 15. Laird has yet to hit a home run at home. During the month of May Laird had a .178 batting average.

Grade: C. Admirable pretty much sums up Laird's play this year. He isn't the biggest problem in the lineup but then again he is no Pudge Rodriguez offensively. He must pick it up over the summer months in hopes to get his average to climb to the .240 range.

Placido Polanco (Age 33) 2009 Salary (4.6 Million)
Current 09 Stats .249 AVG 1 HR 24 RBI
Projected Season Numbers .249 AVG 3 HR 68 RBI

Polanco is not having a typical year. His average is way down from past seasons. This is very strange to see from a player who is a career .300 hitter. It's Polanco free agent year as he will be just that during this offseason. Maybe he is trying too hard and feeling the pressure of struggling now after a few months of play. He just needs to go back to the basics of what made him a .300 hitter. The Tigers need him to bat .300 out of the No. 2 hole in the lineup. They need to runners on base when Ordonez and Cabrera come up to bat. All too often this year the runners haven't been on base.

Glaring stats-was batting .273 on May 7 and has dropped 24 points since. Polanco is batting .314 versus left-handed pitchers. Polanco has only been above .300 for three days in early April. Leads the team in doubles with 16 this season.

Grade: C-. It's do or die time for Polanco. He will not be resigned to the Tigers during the offseason if he continues to play at this level. The Tigers need more out of him and he knows it. Polanco must play better over the next couple months.

Dane Sardinha (Age 30) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Current 09 Stats .097 AVG 0 HR 3 RBI
Projected Season Numbers .097 AVG 0 HR 31 RBI

Sardinha is a Triple-A catcher at best. I'm not trying to rip on the guy, I'm just being real. He can
throw well and call a good game but that is about it. He is one of the worst hitters in MLB currently and yes that includes pitchers throughout the league. His career average currently stands at .125. So every time you see Sardinha collect a hit-act surprised because you will be.

Glaring stats- has 10 career hits in 80 career at bats during his big league career. Has never hit a home run in his MLB career. Sardinha has not collected a hit on the road or during a night game this season. While he is batting .273 at home this season.

Grade: D+. Offensive production has not been there, I feel it's only a matter of time before Dusty Ryan gets promoted to the big league club. He is performing well down in Toledo and his number will be called very soon.

Matt Treanor (Age 33) 2009 Salary (750,000)
Current 09 Stats .000 AVG 0 HR 0 RBI
Projected Season Numbers .000 AVG 0 HR 0 RBI

Treanor was supposed to be the backup catcher heading into this season. Until he got injured that is, he is out for the entire season now due to injury. He signed a one-year deal with the Tigers and don't expect him to get resigned. This was the first of many disappointments for the Tigers this season.

Glaring stats-only had 13 at bats this season and did not collect a hit during the 2009 season. Only played four games this year.

Grade: D-. We'll see what the backup catcher's position looks like the rest of the season. I expect a change coming with Ryan up and Sardinha back down to the Toledo Mudhens.

In Minors

Jeff Larish (Age 26) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Current 09 Stats .216 AVG 4 HR 7 RBI
Numbers in the Minors .296 AVG 2 HR 5 RBI

Larish has been with the Tigers this season for quite a few games. He didn't get as many at bats as he would have liked. That was in part to has average and his strikeout numbers. Their is no secret that Larish has struggled with breaking balls at the big league level. He is a dead fastball hitter and until he corrects his deficiencies he is going to be on the outside looking in with the Tigers. Larish had a terrific college career with the Arizona St. Sun Devils. He was a highly touted prospect coming out of college, but just has never lived up to those expectations. You only get so many chances and then teams decide to leave you alone. Larish must correct his swing and when given another chance take full advantage of it. Because it could be his last with the Detroit Tigers organization.

Brent Dlugach (Age 26) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Numbers in the Minors .284 AVG 6 HR 26 RBI

Dlugach is the starting shortstop for the Toledo Mudhens. He is having a pretty solid season. He is someone to keep an eye on down at Triple-A Toledo especially with Iorg struggling at Double-A Erie. Dlugach may get an opportunity to showcase his skills come September.

Dusty Ryan (Age 24) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Numbers in the Minors .246 AVG 7 HR 21 RBI

Ryan got off to a horrendous start this year with the Toledo Mudhens as their starting catcher. He was batting around .180 for the entire month of April. That is why the Tigers chose to go with Sardinha over him as the backup catcher in the big leagues. Ryan has taken notice since then and has really picked up his offensive numbers. I still feel that Avila is the catcher of the future but Ryan is the backup. Ryan is better than both Laird and Sardinha offensively. He could make a large presence in the Tigers lineup especially at this time when they are struggling so much. Look for him to get a callup very soon.

Don Kelly (Age 29) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Numbers in the Minors .339 AVG 3 HR 22 RBI

Kelly has been a prototypical Triple-A player he gets called up to the big leagues every once and a while but never stays. He produces in Triple-A but struggles to find consistency at the major league level. Kelly brings versatility to any lineup because he can a play a number of positions from third base, second base, first base, and any of the three outfield positions. Kelly may get another shot in the big leagues, but his time is limited as he is 29 years old.

Cale Iorg (Age 23) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Numbers in the Minors .215 AVG 5 HR 15 RBI

Meet Iorg one of the most highly touted prospects in the Detroit Tigers organization currently. Iorg is proclaimed as the future Tigers shortstop. Not if he continues to struggle at the plate. Iorg has great range and a terrific arm. Although, he is going to have to find his swing to get promoted. Iorg still has some time as he is very young. I feel the Tigers would like to see him as their everyday shortstop in two years. Let's hope Iorg finds his swing for the rest of the summer.

Scott Sizemore (Age 24) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Numbers in the Minors .306 AVG 9 HR 33 RBI

Sizemore plays second base currently with the Erie Seawolves at Double-A. Sizemore has had a spectacular season at that level. You would think with these numbers he will get promoted to Triple-A soon and compete with Dlugach. There is always competition going on as no spot is safe especially in the minor leagues where you are just a number as a prospect.

Alex Avila (Age 22) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Numbers in the Minors .295 AVG 5 HR 26 RBI

Avila is the future of the Detroit Tigers at the catchers position. He doesn't really have too much competition within the Detroit Tigers organization. Ryan is very good offensively and has a lot of power. Avila has it all though, solid power, great average, calls a great game, and is excellent defensively. He is young and just needs time to mature at the minor league level. I look for Avila to be the everyday catcher at the start of the 2011 season. He should get called up in September of this year and may see time with the big league club next season. Avila is the real deal and could have a very good career at the major league level. I compare him to Yadier Molina catcher of th St. Louis Cardinals except for the fact that Avila bats left-handed.

Ryan Strieby (Age 23) Salary (league minimum)
Numbers in Minors .289 AVG 14 HR 43 RBI

Strieby is a first baseman with the Erie Seawolves. If you are looking for power, you have it with Strieby. He was named the best power hitter in the Detroit Tigers organization by Baseball America. He was also named the 2008 Detroit Tigers minor league player of the year. He hit 29 home runs last year homering in every 14.52 at bats at the Single-A lakeland. Look for him to get promoted to Triple-A very soon.

Outfielders Report

2009-06-11T11:55:00.009-04:00

As we continue are good, the bad, and the ugly series. We'll start off taking a closer look at the Detroit Tigers outfield during the 2009 season.

It's been a group of players that had the opportunity to showcase their skills during the 09 campaign.

Not two outfielders are the same on the Tigers. Many of these players bring a different set of skills when it comes to the game of baseball.

We're going to look at their current numbers, ages, 2009 salaries, projected stats, analysis based on their play and finally I am going to give them a grade on their season thus far.

(Note: grades will be based on expectations most experts had at the beginning of the season.)

The Good

Curtis Granderson (Age 28) 2009 Salary (3.5 Million)
Current 09 Stats .267 AVG 14 HR 37 RBI
Projected Season Numbers .267 AVG 38 HR 100 RBI

Granderson has manned the center field position for the Tigers the past three seasons. He continues to improve as a player as he is about to head into his prime years of his career. This season he has really improved on his power numbers from past seasons and is on pace to break his record for homers in a season (23) and rbi's (74) which he put together back in the 2007 season. Granderson has been a true backbone of this team willing to due whatever is necessary for team success. This year manager Jim Leyland has moved Granderson around in the lineup with him batting third, fifth, sixth, and of course leadoff. Leyland has never tried to hide the fact that he sees Granderson as a prototypical number three hitter in the lineup. The only problem is right now the Tigers don't have a leadoff hitter and Granderson is their best bet until they find one.

Glaring stats-only batting .223 at home and .227 during day games. Granderson only has two triples this season. Back in 2007 he collected 23 three baggers and tallie up 13 last year. No errors through 59 games this season. Ranks ninth in the American League (AL) in home runs.

Grade: A-. The reason for this grade is Granderson has been stellar in the outfield this season and has produced terrific power numbers. Granderson needs to continue to improve his batting average in an effort to get it near .280. as well as his hitting against left handed pitchers. Granderson has come a long way from his days of playing college ball at the University of Illinois-Chicago. The Tigers will need him to continue to play well in hopes of returning to the playoffs in the 2009 season.

Clete Thomas (Age 25) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Current 09 stats .237 AVG 4 HR 17 RBI
Projected Season Numbers .237 AVG 16 HR 70 RBI

Thomas has been a solid contributor to the Tigers team this season both offensively and defensively. No hit was bigger for him in his career than his grand slam against the Los Angles Angels on June 7 which powered the Tigers to a much needed series victory. Defensively Thomas has the best arm in the outfield on the team showing both strength and accuracy. He also runs the bases well, can lay down a bunt, and can spray the ball all over the field. He will be a solid backup outfielder at worst for the Tigers for years to come. If he can stay out of hitting slumps, Thomas could start for the Tigers on a consistent basis starting next season.

Glaring stats- On May 11 he was batting .306 and after last night's game on June 10 he stands at .245. Thomas has a better batting average versus left handed pitchers at .259 compared to his .241 average versus right handers. Not a usual statistic to see for a left handed batter.

Grade: B. Thomas has had a solid second year season with the Tigers. Thomas has to consistently get better at the plate and continue to make adjustments throughout the second half of the season. He brings versatility in the outfielder and youthfulness something Magglio Ordonez nor Carlos Guillen have.

Josh Anderson (Age 26) 2009 Salary (400,000)
Current 09 stats .252 AVG 0 HR 10 RBI
Projected Season Numbers .252 AVG 0 HR 32 RBI

Anderson has been a nice pickup at the start of the season from the Braves. Anderson is undoubtedly the best base stealer on the team. Right there with Thomas and Granderson as the best base runners on the squad as well. Anderson is a versatile player who has a lot of tools to help manufacture runs. He can bunt, run, and as we have talked about steal.

Glaring stats- Anderson's next steal this year which will be number 11, will be his career high in a season. His average has dropped from .341 on April 29 to .252 now. Anderson is batting .421 in day games in 36 at bats this season.

Grade: C. Anderson still has a long ways to go in order to be a consistent everyday player. Anderson fits the mold of a leadoff hitter but doesn't quite have the tools yet to be a successful one.

Ryan Raburn (Age 28) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Current 09 stats .229 AVG 3 HR 13 RBI
Projected Season Numbers .229 AVG 14 HR 60 RBI

Raburn has the most power at the plate of the three backup outfielders (Anderson and Thomas) but he has the less range in the outfield than those two. So as a result Raburn is not as dependable in the outfield. Raburn does one thing they can't do. That is play multiple positions in the infield. Raburn could play every position there if need be including first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and catcher's role.

Glaring stats- All of Raburn's three home runs have come against left-handed pitchers. Raburn batted .300 in the month of May in 40 at bats.

Grade: C. He has been relegated to a utility player in the major leagues. He just has to take advantage of every opportunity he gets and make the most of it. It appears that if Guillen comes back? Yes that is a big if. Raburn would be the likely one to get sent down to Triple-A Toledo.

The Bad

Magglio Ordonez (Age 35) 2009 Salary (18.97 Million)
Current 09 stats .279 AVG 2 HR 21 RBI
Projected Season Numbers .279 AVG 6 HR 62 RBI

It's been a disappointing season for Ordonez thus far especially for a player who is nearly making 19 million during the 2009 season. The power numbers stick it like a sore thumb. Ordonez is a player who has hit 20+ home runs eight times and hit 100 rbi's seven times during his career. He is not on pace to do either of those this season, a year in which he will make more money than any other previous one during his 12 years of Major League Baseball (MLB). He did have a 16-game hitting streak going in the month of May. That showed some signs of improvement, although during that same streak Ordonez failed to hit a home run.

Glaring stats- His average has jumped from .241 on April 29 to .279 now. Ordonez hit .315 in the month of May but did not hit a home run. Has not hit a home run since April 27.

Grade: D+. This is based on his power numbers in combination with the amount of money he is making this season. He has not lived up to that money so far. Tigers fans must hope Ordonez finds his groove as the summer months arrive. They will need him if the Tigers have any chance of making some noise come October.

Marcus Thames (Age 32) 2009 Salary (2.3 Million)
Current 09 stats .297 AVG 1 HR 3 RBI
Projected Season Numbers .297 AVG 10 HR 29 RBI

This season has been a tough one for Thames. He has only played in 11 games and missed seven weeks of baseball due to a rib injury in which he sustained in mid-April. This injury came after the announcement that the Tigers were letting longtime designated hitter Gary Sheffield go. Thames had to think it was his season to breakout with finally collecting 500 at bats and having a chance to hit 30 home runs on top of possibly driving in 100 runs. Then he got injured.

Glaring stats-Thames has only played one game in the outfield this season. Has played in five straight games since coming of the disabled list. Thames is batting .375 during home games this season.

Grade: D. During a year where the Tigers were ready to depend on Thames, he hasn't produced. Thames will get an opportunity to produce numbers throughout the summer. Will it be enough for him to come back another year with the Tigers? He is a free agent this offseason.

The Ugly

Carlos Guillen (Age 33) 2009 Salary (10 Million)
Current 09 stats .200 AVG 0 HR 6 RBI
Projected Season Numbers .200 AVG 0 HR 32 RBI

Currently Guillen is on the disabled list. An all too friendly place for Guillen's career. Tigers head athletic trainer Kevin Rand and Jim Leyland do not know when Guillen will be back. They have moved on from him defensively. They are clearly missing his bat though. A career .288 hitter who has hit 19+ home runs and 80+ rbi's three times in a Tigers uniform

Glaring stats-In 90 at bats this season Guillen has yet to hit a home run. At home this season Guillen is batting .136. Has not played since May 4.

Grade: F. Forget Ordonez and Thames, Guillen has had the most disappointing seasons among them. Before the season it was announced Guillen would play left field. Many people were skeptical, he had a lot of critics to prove wrong, and has yet to prove anything other than the fact he is injury prone. His career could possibly be coming to an end due to injury problems. We'll see when and if Guillen can come back to the Tigers lineup this year.

In Minors

Wilkin Ramirez (Age 23) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Current 09 stats .333 AVG 1 HR 1 RBI
Numbers in the Minors .275 AVG 6 HR 18 RBI

Ramirez made a brief appearance with the Tigers this season back on May 20 against the Texas Rangers. In his third big league at bat, Ramirez hit his first MLB home run. Currently he is playing in Triple-A with the Toledo Mudhens. Ramirez is a player who has the capability of being a five tool player. Meaning he can excel at hitting for average, hitting for power, baserunning skills and speed, throwing ability, and fielding abilities.

Ramirez has also stolen 18 bases in 43 games with the Toledo Mudhens. He will bring great speed to an outfield when he becomes an everyday MLB and base stealing threat to every big league pitcher out there. Ramirez must cut down on his strikeouts though. Right now in my mind Ramirez is the No.1 prospect in the Detroit Tigers organization. I the Tigers look to pick up a big name player at the trade deadline this year, look for Ramirez to packaged in because many teams will be interested in talking then.

Brent Clevlen (Age 25) 2009 Salary (league minimum)
Numbers in the Minors .250 AVG 5 HR 20 RBI

Clevlen is currently with the Toledo Mudhens and has played for them during the entire 2009 season. Clevlen has had three separate stints with the Detroit Tigers ranging from the 2006-2008 seasons. Clevlen excelled in limited at bats back in 2006 but due to inconsistency he could never stay up with the big league club. In his career he has compiled 73 big league plate appearances in 55 games. Clevlen has always been great in the outfield and has an arm on the same level as Clete Thomas. Although he has struggled with slump after slump at the plate. Clevlen may be best suited for a change of scenery with a fresh start with a new MLB team. He may get that chance during the trade deadline this year.

State of the Tigers After June 8th!

2009-06-08T21:49:00.004-04:00

The 2009 Detroit Tigers have been one of the most inconsistent ball clubs in the majors this year. They have had some performances in which they look like they could contend for the World Series in October. While other times the Tigers look like they could go on a skid and fall out of the race in the American League (AL) Central.

Let's start with the good, then we will go to the bad, and finally we'll finish with the ugly.

The good-- the pitching staff. They have carried the club so far this season with an ERA as a team of 3.98 which ranks them second in the AL to the Seattle Mariners. They would not be in first place in the AL central at 31-26 without the staff. Let's look at Edwin Jackson and Justin Verlander first. They are most likely the only Detroit Tigers representatives at this time that would make the 2009 All-Star Game in St.Louis, MO.

Verlander and Jackson both had excellent pitching performances in the month of May. Verlander has put together eight consecutive quality starts. A quality start is when a starting pitcher pitches at least six innings of work while giving up less than three earned runs in a game. No small feat in Major League Baseball (MLB) especially for eight consecutive starts spanning over three months. During the month of May, Verlander went 5-0 with 1.52 ERA and notched 56 strikeouts in six starts. That month has helped place Verlander currently first overall in strikeouts at 97 in the AL. Verlander is 6-2 with a 3.52 ERA this season.

As for Jackson he currently ranks second in the AL in ERA at 2.16 only trailing Kansas City Royals pitcher Zach Greinke. Jackson leads the Tigers in innings pitched at 83.1 which ranks him fifth in the AL in that category. Jackson has compiled nine quality starts in 12 games started this season. Jackson is coming off of his second career complete game and first as a Tiger this past Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels. It's safe to say Jackson has made GM Dave Dombrowski a very happy man for acquiring him in an deal during the offseason from the Tampa Bay Rays for outfielder Matt Joyce. If you want to know the winner of the trade--the numbers don't lie. Joyce is batting .207 with three home runs and six runs batted in with 29 at bats this season with the Rays.

When talking about the Tigers pitching staff you can't forget about 20-year old rookie phenom Rick Porcello who has been lights out so far this season as a first year player. The bullpen has also been very productive with Fernando Rodney taking control of the closer's role this season and converting on all 11 of his save opportunities. Joel Zumaya and Ryan Perry have been quite effective in the setup relief duties over the past two months as well. Although Ryan Perry got sent down to Triple-A Toledo before tonight's game against the Chicago White Sox to make room for pitcher Jeremy Bonderman on the roster. With that said expect to see a lot more of Brandon Lyon in late game situations for the Tigers. As a result you may want to go to your local pharmaceutical store as soon as possible to get some high blood pressure medication!

The bad-- the offense. It's been atrocious at times, just mediocre in some, and better than average in a variety of contests especially during day games where the Tigers are 16-5 this season. Brandon Inge currently leads the team in runs batted in at 39. Inge has had a great season but with all due respect to him--when Inge is leading the team in that category you have a problem. Curtis Granderson and Miguel Cabrera have had very good seasons thus far as well. It's guys like Magglio Ordonez, Placido Polanco, Marcus Thames, and Carlos Guillen who have all struggled and need to step up the production for the summer run.

Ordonez is starting to raise his average which stands at .284 currently. The disappointment comes when you look at his power numbers. Two home runs and 21 runs batted in. Two years ago Ordonez put up a monster year of 28 home runs with 139 rbi's while batting .363. Currently Ordonez is on pace to hit six home runs and drive in 65 runs. For a guy who is set to make nearly 19 million during the 2009 season those statistics would be abysmal.

As for Polanco he is a career .300 hitter but not looking anywhere close to it during the 2009 season. He is batting .249 right now and has been below .300 since April 15. Over the past six weeks his average has consistently dropped as each week has gone by.

With Thames and Guillen they have both been hampered by injuries. Thames is back in the lineup and he must produce immediately especially with the long ball. The Tigers rank 9th in the AL in home runs with 56. As for Guillen he has had an injury plagued career at times. The only position it seems that he can play now is DH (one where it doesn't involve him going out in the field). It's a sad reality but it's absolutely true. There is no timetable set for Guillen's return to the Tigers lineup, but Tiger's fans can only hope it's sooner than later.

The ugly--inconsistency as a team. Like I said before it's just been an up and down season of sorts for the Detroit Tigers. Just when you think they have turned the corner as a team they start to fall back and let the rest of the AL Central back into the race. They currently lead the Minnesota Twins by 3.5 games in the Central Division.

The more telling stat is that the Tigers are currently ranked in fourth place in the AL standings as a whole trailing the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Texas Rangers. Sure it's early in the season but this team has high expectations to fill and if they can somehow maintain a level of consistently playing good baseball for a long stretch their is no reason why they can't be in first place overall in the AL come August.

Jim Leyland is in the last year of his contract as Tigers manager and the Tigers need to play like a desperate team because you never know how many opportunities you will have as a franchise to play in the World Series. They may have to acquire some pieces to get there such as an Adam Dunn or Matt Holliday who could both be on the trading block come July. Although with the pitching they have picked up so far this season, if the offense could due their part their is no way in telling how far the Tigers could go come October.

If you want to take a closer look at some individuals who have performed good, bad, or ugly. Look for a new column coming out in the next few days!

Bonderman "With a Lot to Prove"

2009-05-17T23:15:00.004-04:00

Can Jeremy Bonderman live up to the expectations he once put on himself a few years ago when a reporter asked him in spring training what kind of pitcher he could be -- “Roger Clemens like” he responded.

It’s safe to say Bonderman hasn’t lived up to that yet. Bonderman, 26, has a lot of future left in the Major Leagues if he can get over two hurdles. Staying healthy and pitching well on a consistent basis.

The first hurdle is health. It’s a big one.

He was trying to answer that question last night as he pitched at the Fifth Third Ballpark for the Tigers Single-A affiliate West Michigan Whitecaps. Bonderman was pitching in his first rehab assignment since coming off shoulder surgery last season.

Bonderman picked up the win, throwing 94 pitches (64 strikes), in seven innings while giving up two runs and striking out four.

He was quite effective on the mound even though the velocity on the fastball was way down ranging from 80-86 mph. That didn’t hurt him in this game at the class A level but Major League hitters would love to see his heater come to the plate in the mid-80’s. It was quite clear that Bonderman has a ways to go as far as velocity is concerned to get back to the low to mid 90’s like he pitched two years ago.

I spoke to him after the game in the Whitecaps dugout for a TV interview and I came away with mixed feelings.

When asked about the velocity he said its sometimes 90 one day and then 80 the next. As far as his thoughts on the Tigers team “I have only seen them play twice this year, once in person and once on TV.” Come on Bonderman you mean to tell me you are getting paid 12.5 million to watch the Nickelodeon channel instead of your boys in Motown.

He then went on to say he looks forward to joining his teammates again and battling for first place in the AL Central. He also said he loved both catchers in Gerald Laird and Dane Sardinha even though they both have struggled at the plate. Maybe Bonderman wasn’t a big Pudge fan. When asked about what kind of adjustment new pitching coach Rick Knapp would be to him he stated “I don’t know I haven’t talk to him yet.”

Bonderman seemed more enthusiastic than usual in the interview, but he just seemed like he has been uninterested in everything Detroit Tigers the last two months. Yes he has been rehabbing and trying to recover from shoulder surgery. After doing the interview, I just felt like my grandma could tell me more about the Tigers this year than him. Let’s hope Bonderman can get reacquainted with his teammates and the city of Detroit very soon.

Although it’s going to take a couple weeks I feel as many expect Bonderman to pitch at least one more time in the minors. His next start is slated for Thursday for the Triple-A Toledo Mudhens as they take on the Gwinnett Braves in Lawrenceville, Ga. The Tigers do not have to pull up Bonderman to the big leagues until June 16th which is 30 days from his first minor league rehab start. The sooner the velocity climbs on the fastball the sooner he will be back in the old English D.

When he does come up to the Big Leagues the Tigers will have a decision to make as an organization. Who gets pulled from the starting rotation Dontrelle Willis, Armando Galarraga, and Rick Porcello?

Willis is trying to turn around his career. He had an admirable performance against the Twins Wednesday night going 4 2/3 innings while giving up four runs on eight hits in a no-decision. The most important stat was allowing only two walks and throwing mostly strikes in his season debut. He will need to continue making improvements if he wants to stay in the rotation. He at least earned another start which will come Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers, a team that has won seven straight games and is nine games over .500 leading the AL West.

As for Galarraga, he is struggling the most of all three pitchers right now. He is having that dreaded sophomore slump, this coming off a great April performance this year on the mound. It’s been the tail of two months as May has proven to be abysmal for Galarraga on the rubber. Today Galarraga couldn’t even make it out of the first inning giving up five runs to the Oakland Athletics. Galarraga has given up at least five runs in all four starts in the month of May. His ERA has risen from 1.85 on April 26 to 5.62 after today. Something has went awry with his pitching, we’ll see if he will have enough time to turn it around before Bonderman arrives.

With Porcello, he has really started to settle down and is pitching effectively the last few starts. Most notably his last start which came against the Athletics on Saturday night giving up only one run in six innings of work. Porcello has had a great month of May posting a 3-0 record with 1.00 ERA in three starts on the hill. Confidence was never a problem for Porcello and once he gets in a groove he is hard to stop even at 20 years old. Because of Porcello’s age he may be on a short leash to go to the minors if Galarraga, Willis, and Bonderman can all pitch effectively in the rotation at some point.

My guess is on Galarraga or Willis moving into the bullpen. They will need one of these guys or a combination of Zach Miner or Nate Robertson to take over for Porcello once August comes around. Porcello will most likely be shut down for the season as the Tigers organization will watch his innings pitched like a mom watches her baby at the grocery store.

For Bonderman though, getting back into that rotation is one thing, but asserting himself once he gets there is another. He will have to pitch consistently well something he has had trouble with over the past few years. Bonderman goes in slumps; he will combine three starts of seven plus innings of work followed by dismal efforts of less than four innings. This year he cannot allow that to happen with a very young staff around him.

Bonderman has pitched in the big leagues for six seasons and has been with the Tigers since 2003. Only four other players can say that third baseman Brandon Inge, shortstop Ramon Santiago, pitchers Nate Robertson and Fernando Rodney. He needs to be the veteran presence in the clubhouse for the pitching staff especially since there is no Kenny Rogers to look to.

Back in 2006, Bonderman had his best year like most Tigers which was a recipe for success in leading the Tigers to the World Series. Bonderman was 14-8 with a 4.06 ERA while pitching 200+ innings and strikeouts in 34 starts. When Bonderman goes the Tigers roar. Will we hear a roar soon at Comerica Park as the summer nears?

Jeremy Bonderman will have a lot to say about that. Let’s hope he can get through the first inning in 2009.

D-Train's Last Chance as a Tiger

2009-05-09T17:13:00.003-04:00

It very well could be for Dontrelle Willis!

To think you could say that about a guy who is only four years removed from finishing second place in voting for the 2005 National League Cy Young Award is hard to fathom. Plus the same pitcher who was named National League Rookie of the Year back in 2003.On top of all that Willis is only 27 years old.

Willis will make his season debut Wednesday night for the Detroit Tigers against the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Willis has missed the first month and half of the season due to anxiety disorder which most believe to be called a social anxiety disorder which also plagued Kansas City Royals pitcher Zach Greinke (who just so happens to be pitching with a 6-1 record with 0.51 ERA after seven starts this season). Tiger fans can only hope Willis can rebound as well as Greinke has.

How long has Willis had a problem?

Who knows, maybe it just started or it has been going on for quite sometime. I have spoken with a friend of mine who has this same anxiety disorder. He feels it has been with Willis for a few years now, he said typically it hits people just after they turn 20 years old due to a heightened stress.

That stress may have been living up to expectations which were placed on him as soon as he got to the big leagues. Growing up in Oakland, California, Willis made it to the big leagues at the ripe old age of 21 with the Florida Marlins. He instantly had success in his first major league season going 14-6 while posting a 3.31 ERA in 27 starts and pitching two complete game shutouts. Then came the playoffs in October, the leg kick and the windup became a popular scene on ESPN’s Sportscenter all the way to the World Series where the Marlins were crowned 2003 World Series Champions. He was also crowned the National League Rookie of the Year.

In 2004, Willis didn’t have as much success going 10-11 with a 4.02 ERA in 32 starts. Willis had what most experts in the sports world like to say “A sophomore slump.” Hitters in the National League knew Willis better and attacked his weaknesses. Willis had to make adjustments and he did just that during the next season.

In 2005, the D-Train was created. He had a magnificent year throwing seven complete games with five shutouts for the Marlins. He threw over 236 innings that year and posted a 22-10 record with a 2.63 ERA while striking out 170 batters. It was his year; those numbers were all career highs and earned him quite a bit of praise among voters for the National League Cy Young in 2005. Willis finished second to the St. Louis Cardinals Chris Carpenter. Many experts thought D-Train would have many more opportunities to take home the Cy Young crown in years to come.

It just didn’t happen.

The next year in 2006, Willis pitched very well for the Marlins even though the wins and losses didn’t show that. He was 12-12 with a 3.87 ERA while throwing 223 plus innings. He tallied 160 strikeouts and collected four complete games with one shutout. There were some alarming stats though that year. He walked a career worst 83 batters and surrendered 21 home runs.

During the off-season in 2006, questions started to mount. Could Willis ever put together a Cy Young award season again? Willis had to answer these questions and it had to get him thinking. Can I ever do it again?

Well something happened between the 2006 and 2007 season with Willis’ mindset because he wasn’t the same pitcher on the rubber. He wasn’t as confident, he wasn’t pitching like he had done this before. He was timid, easily rattled, and started to question himself. The pressure was mounting and maybe this where the anxiety disorder developed. He started altering his windup and changing his mechanics.

During the 2007 season Willis threw over 200 innings for a third consecutive season. He was 10-15 with a 5.17 ERA that season. Willis gave up 29 home runs in 07. He also walked a career high 87 batters.

His name became to swirl amongst the league in trade rumors from the west coast to the east coast.

Then on December 7, 2007 Willis was traded along with teammate Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers for a flurry of players including highly touted prospects Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller.

In a Detroit Tiger uniform, many fans had high hopes for Willis in his first season. Things did not work out or him in 2008. Willis went 0-2 with a 9.38 ERA while starting 7 games only compiling 24 innings pitched. He walked 35 batters and he made his last start of the 08 season on May 23 because of his control problems. He spent the rest of the season down in Lakeland, Florida working on his pitching. As for Cabrera he batted .292 along with leading the Tigers in both home runs (37) and runs batted in (127)

With Willis’ struggles many fans categorized this trade as a bust--maybe not so fast Tiger fans.

Maybin and Miller have had their own problems flourishing at the major league level in Florida. Miller is currently on the 15-day disabled list coming off of a less than stellar 08 season. Miller was 6-10 with a 5.87 ERA last year. As for Maybin he just recently got demoted to Triple-A New Orleans. Maybin had been batting .202 with one home run and three runs batted in. He has really struggled at the big league level with this alarming stat telling it all. Maybin has struck out 31 times in only 84 at bats this season in a Marlins uniform

So by looking at those numbers I would say the Tigers came out of this trade as the winners if you had to make a decision right now in 2009.

Willis could really help the Tigers cause in this trade by performing at the level he did as a Florida Marlin between the 2003-2006 seasons.

By the numbers

2003- Florida- 14-6 record 3.31 ERA
2004- Florida- 10-11 record 4.02 ERA
2005- Florida- 22-10 record 2.63 ERA
2006- Florida- 12-12 record 3.87 ERA
2007- Florida- 10-15 record 5.17 ERA
2008- Detroit- 0-2 record 9.38 ERA
Career Totals 68-56 record 3.91 ERA. 15 complete games and 8 shutouts.

This is the type of person who you wish nothing but the best of luck to. In a matter of days we will see how far Willis has come and if he can return back to his 05 ways. Tiger fans stay tuned.

NBA Playoffs Conference Semifinals

2009-05-04T18:06:00.006-04:00

Well the first round of the NBA playoffs are over with little to no surprises.

The No. 6 seed Dallas Mavericks defeated the No. 3 seeded San Antonio Spurs. Although they were only separated by a few games in their overall records during the regular season.

It's now on to the second round of the 2009 NBA playoffs. These are the following matchups.

Eastern Conference Semifinals

(4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (1) Cleveland Cavaliers

(3) Orlando Magic vs. (2) Boston Celtics

Western Conference Semifinals

(5) Houston Rockets vs. (1) Los Angeles Lakers

(6) Dallas Mavericks vs. (2) Denver Nuggets

Let's preview each series starting with the Hawks vs. Cavs. The Cavs got here by torching the Pistons in four games. They have had numerous days off to prepare for the second round opponent. Although they didn't know if it was going to be the Hawks or Heat. The Hawks came out victorious in the series thanks to two keys depth on the front line with Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Marvin Williams. As well as their ability to play well on their home court.

As for this series the key for the Hawks will be shutting down Lebron James' supporting cast. they will have no answer for Lebron. He will be able to get an easy 30 to 40 points each game if need be. The other guys on the Cavs like Delonte West, Mo Williams, Wally Sczerbiak, Joe Smith, Zydrunas Illguaskas must be maintained and kept out of the double figure scoring column. That will not be easy to do for the young Hawks team. Hawks Head Coach Mike Woodson has done a fantastic job of bringing his team along the past couple of years with very little veteran presence. The one veteran they did acquire last season in Mike Bibby must play well in this series along with fellow backcourt mate Joe Johnson. They are just going to have to outscore the Cavs and outplay them on the rebounding end to be able to stand pat with the Cavs in this series. I just don't think the Hawks have enough firepower to do that. The Cavs should win this series with little to no adversity. Cavs in 6

On to the other eastern conference semifinal the Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics. This series has seven games written all over it no matter how you slice it up. The Magic defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in six games in the first round but it didn't come easy as they struggled early on losing the very first games of the series at home in Orlando. As for the Celtics they had an all out battle with the Chicago Bulls. It took a decisive seventh game to decide that series which was filled with body hits, bloody mouths, last second shots, and most of all an unprecedented seven overtime periods.

This series will come down to two things. The Celtics backcourt vs. the Magic frontcourt. Whoever is more dominant for their respective teams should be the deciding factor in this series. Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce have all made their presence known early on in this playoff. Rondo not as much offensively as the others, but he is the floor general and brings a great toughness to the floor. Down low for the Magic it's all about Dwight Howard who was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2009. He will be battling Kendrick Perkins of the Celtics and it's safe to say Perkins will need some help. The role players are always key when it comes to the playoffs and this series will be no different. Celtics will look for big contributions from Perkins, Glen Davis, Eddie House, Stephon Marbury, and Brian Scalbrine. While the Magic will look for Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Rafer Alston, J.J. Redick, Courtney Lee, Mikael Pietrus all to play big roles. Lewis and Turkoglu are key players who are cabable of scoring 20+ points in any one game. I feel the Celtics have too much talent and will not be denied a chance to play the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals. Celtics in 7.

Now to the western conference. I feel the Houston Rockets vs. the Los Angeles Lakers will be the most interesting series played in this round. The Lakers got here by beating the Utah Jazz in five games while the Rockets defeated the Portland TrailBlazers in six contests. Everyone feels the Lakers are a sure pick to reach the Finals. But don't move too fast just yet. The Rockets will have something to say about that and they may just have the right recipe.

The Lakers are the second best team in the NBA overall in my mind to the Cavs. Although, the Rockets are playing very well as of late. They have so many role players who do just that play their specific role. They are a complete team right now with one exception a go to player down the stretch who can really score the basketball-- Tracy McGrady would help out here. Then again maybe he wouldn't, maybe they don't need a go to guy. They are what a team is supposed to be. Stars like Ron Artest and Yao Ming will create problems for the Lakers. Second-tier players like Shane Battier, Aaron Brooks, and Luis Scola could wreak havoc. Scola in my mind is the most underrated player in the NBA. He is very crafty on the offensive end and finishes at the hoop at a high percentage. Scola is also better than advertised on the defensive end especially when rebounding the basketball. Chuck Hayes, Carl Landry, Von Wafer, and Kyle Lowry will also have to play well for the Rockets to win this series.

With all that said the Lakers are a terrific team with the second best player in the NBA on the team in Kobe Bryant. The Lakers have a complete team with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol up front. Lamar Odom must play well in this series for the Lakers to win and I feel he will. Derek Fisher, Trevor Ariza, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, and Shannon Brown will need to hold their end of the bargain and contribute when called upon by hitting some open shots. Having Kobe makes all the difference in this series. He can score at will in most games. He is just that good and on some nights he can score 40+ points. He is going to be the difference in this series along with the play of Lamar Odom. Lakers in 7.

The other series in the western conference is between the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks. The Nuggets got here by dismantling the New Orleans Hornets in five games. They played outstanding and really impressed me in the first round. The Mavs did the same against the Spurs by torching them in five games. The Spurs looked overmatched and nearly played as bad as the Detroit Pistons in the first round which is pretty embarrassing. This should be an interesting series but one would have to think the Nuggets are a far more superior team than the Mavs.

Chauncey Billups has been the best thing that has happened to the city of Denver sense the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup back in 2002. He has been the key to keeping the Nuggets in line and focused on winning this season. Carmelo Anthony must play like a star in this series and beyond if the Nuggets are too advance much further. Kenyon Martin and J.R Smith must fulfill their role and make contributions. Nene, Linas Kleiza, Anthony Carter, and Chris Andersen could be big in the series. For the Mavs they have been here all too often. I'm not convinced this team is any different rom the teams prior which had early exits. They have some very good players in Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki. They just don't have enough of a supporting cast around them with aging veterans in Jason Kidd and Jason Terry. After those two players can you name another contributor--try Erick Dampier or maybe not. Mavs won't be answering any bells. Nuggets in 6

So after the semifinals it's all chalk. With the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds surviving in both the eastern and western conferences. It will be one of the better conference final championships we have seen in recent past. We'll see how it all shakes out.

Red Wings vs. Ducks 2nd Round Preview

2009-04-29T19:04:00.005-04:00

It only took 4 games for the Wings to advance to the second round. The Columbus Blue Jackets were in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history and it showed against an experienced Red Wings team in round one. The second round promises to be a tougher one as the Anaheim Ducks come to town.

The Ducks got here by beating the No. 1 seeded San Jose Sharks in six games. It was a shock to myself and many experts across the country who all felt like the Sharks would raise Lord Stanley come June. That will not happen now and one of the biggest reasons why is Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller. Hiller outplayed opposing goalie Evgeni Nabokov of the Sharks in their first round series. This is just yet another instance where a goaltender can win you a series come playoff time. A critical matchup in this series will be Hiller vs. Chris Osgood. Whoever wins the battle of the net minders will certainly give their teams a leg up in the outcome of the series.

Another big battle will be between Detroit's top scoring line and Anaheim's big physical defenseman. The line of Marian Hossa, Tomas Holmstrom, and Pavel Datsyuk have been terrific this year and have given opposing teams nightmares in the scouting reports. As for the Ducks they have longtime veteran Chris Pronger and Francois Beauchemin as their last line of defense. Pronger has seen the Wings numerous times in the playoffs from his time with the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, and Ducks teams over the years. At 6'6 220 pounds, Pronger is still one of the top defenseman in the league even at the age of 34. If the Ducks can stop this top line from scoring they could very well make this series go the distance which is seven games.

The Wings have enough firepower to still score goals even if their top line isn't scoring. Their second line of Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, and Mikael Samuelsson must step up if the first line doesn't produce offensively. Third and fourth line guys like Darren Helm, Valtteri Filppula, and Jiri Hudler could also chip in with some scoring. Those players will need to step up with the absence of Kris Draper for at least the first two games.

Defensively for the Wings they looked incredible in the first round against the Blue Jackets. Nick Lidstrom seemingly never ages and is a Norris Trophy candidate year in and year out. Brad Stuart and Nicklas Kronwall must play continue to play well in this series. Youngsters like Jonathan Ericksson and Bret Lebda just need to play solid limiting turnovers or silly penalties. It will be interesting to see if Brian Rafalski will play for the Wings in this series, he is out for the first game with an upper-body injury. Will Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock call on Derek Meech or the grisly 47-year old veteran Chris Chelios. If it's Chelios expect him to pick up less than ten minutes of ice time per game.

As for the Ducks their tam is quite different from the one that raised the Stanley Cup a few years back. Yes they still have top centerman Ryan Getzlaf who is arguably their best player at the ripe old age of 23. Also the Neidermeyer brothers still run rampant in the Ducks powerplay along with Teemu Selanne. But for the most part the Ducks are made up of some emerging stars like Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan, Ryan Cater and Ryan Whitney. They have veterans sprinkled in with youngsters. They may just be a few years from contending for another Stanley Cup championship as they young players continue to develop in the NHL playoffs.

In the end this series will be highly competitive and very physical. The Wings just have too much firepower offensively for the Ducks to keep up with. The Ducks will try to outplay the Wings and try to frustrate the top line for the Wings by being physical. But the wings have seen that before and it's going to take a little more than that to end the Detroit Red Wings request for another Stanley Cup championship.

Overall the Wings have the most talent and experience left in the playoffs. Sure the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals all have star power. They just don't have the same experience and our not coached by one of the best coaches in the NHL in Mike Babcock. So the Wings should handle the Anaheim Ducks in six games.

Lions 2009 Draft Review

2009-04-26T21:59:00.006-04:00

So everyone knows who the Lions drafted No. 1 overall. How about the guys behind Stafford.

This is the following list of all the Lions 2009 NFL Draft picks

Round 1 (1st pick overall) QB Matthew Stafford (Georgia)

Round 1 (20th pick overall) TE Brandon Pettigrew (Oklahoma St.)

Round 2 (33rd pick overall) S Louis Delmas (Western Michigan)

Round 3 (76h pick overall) LB DeAndre Levy (Wisconsin)

Round 3 (82nd pick overall) WR Derrick Williams (Penn St.)

Round 4 (115th pick overall) DT Sammie Lee Hill (Stillman)

Round 6 (192nd pick overall) RB Aaron Brown (TCU)

Round 7 (228nd pick overall) OT Lydon Murtha (Nebraska)

Round 7 (235th pick overall) LB Zach Follett (California)

Round 7 (255th pick overall) TE Dan Gronkowski (Maryland)

Let's go over each pick (with the exception of Stafford) and play GM for a bit as I go over what I would have done if I was the Lions in the war room. After analysing their selections I gave the Lions a draft grade of a C+. I'll tell you why.

First off every year you see some players fall in the NFL Draft to spots where you didn't think you could get them. Offensive tackle (OT) Michael Oher (Ole Miss) was one of those guys in the first round this year. Most draft experts expected him to get drafted somewhere between 10-14 but he slid for whatever reason. As a result he was available to the Detroit Lions at No. 20 overall. The Lions needed a lot of help on the offensive line especially at the left tackle position. That position is currently held by Jeff Backus but there had been talks leading up to the draft that they would slide Backus over to left guard if they selected a tackle in the first round. In any event they chose to go a different route and passed on Oher.

They chose tight end (TE) Brandon Pettigrew (Oklahoma St.) who was the consensus No. 1 TE in the draft. Pettigrew is an exceptional run blocker who can also be a reliable possession receiver by throwing his 263 pound frame around the middle of the field. I like what Pettigrew brings to the team but by choosing him you say that Michael Gaines a free agent you signed last off season was a bust. Thank you Rod Marinelli and Matt Millen yet again as we have a backup TE who is extremely overpaid to sit the bench.

I just felt like you had to go with Oher at No. 20 because the left tackle position was more of a need than TE. Although GM Martin Mayhew must have felt otherwise. One thing the Lions could have also done if they were in awe of Pettigrew, they could have pieced together the No. 33 pick along with a fifth or sixth round choice to move up to the middle 20's to select Pettigrew. They missed on that option and that was just one of the reasons they didn't have the best draft in the NFL.

Then came the No.33 pick in which the Lions chose safety Louis Delmas (Western Michigan). Detroit chose to go with Delmas over the likes of linebackers Ray Maualuga (USC) and James Laurinaitis (Ohio St.) as well as defensive end Everette Brown (Florida St.) That would have never happened with me as GM. Safety was a position where I felt you had the most depth at on the defense with Gerald Alexander, Kalvin Pearson, and Daniel Bullocks. I felt Bullocks was the second best player on the defense last year behind Ernie Sims. Pearson also asserted himself very nicely toward the end of the season. He showed he can make contributions in the secondary by making open field tackles.

Delmas by all reports should be able to come in and start right away. Some experts have compared him to Troy Polomalu while others didn't really have them on their radar. The jury is out on him and we shall see what kind of impact he can have on the Lions as the summer wears on. He will be in action as soon as this weekend in Allen Park at the Lion's team facility for rookie minicamp.

Now let's go to the third round selections where the Lions chose linebacker DeAndre Levy (Wisconsin) and wide receiver Derrick Williams (Penn St.). I really liked both of these picks because both players could be big contributors two or three years down the road for the team. I especially liked the Williams selection because he not only had a great college career but he projects well as a No.2 receiver in the NFL and would be great to see lined up next to Calvin Johnson for years to come. Williams also can help in the return game while Levy gives you more depth in the linebacking core and helps sure up the special teams unit for Detroit.

Then in the fourth round Detroit drafted defensive tackle Sammie Lee Hill (Stillman) who is from a division II school but he brings a lot of size. That is a much needed selection, somebody who can stop the run and be a stop gap in the middle of the Lions defense. It could take a few years to see Hill full potential come out though. So Lion's fans must be patient with him. Then in the sixth round the Lions drafted running back Aaron Brown (TCU). Brown has exceptional speed out of the backfield and can play in the slot if needed. Brown also can help out in the return game along with Williams. This was something the Lions lacked a lot last season-- a return game.

The last three selections will not see much time on the field and will probably not even make the 53 man roster come September. They will most likely get cut or get thrown on the practice squad. In any event the three players they selected in the 7th round are offensive tackle Lydon Murtha (Nebraska), linebacker Zach Follett (California), and tight end Dan Gronkowski (Maryland). I am very surprised it took the Lions seven rounds before they drafted an offensive lineman. They must be seeing something I'm not with their current offensive line.

With all of these selections the team did improve one must think. How much of an improvement is the question? An 0-16 team needs a lot of improvement to come back to respectability. It's going to take more than one season before that happens. I was just disappointed with the Lions and GM Martin Mayhew for passing on guys like Oher, Maualuga, Laurinaitis, and Brown. Most of all I felt like the Lions could have taken a quarterback in next year's draft instead of drafting one this year because they would have been more of a complete team 365 days from now.

Lions Hand Keys to Youngster

2009-04-26T20:49:00.004-04:00

The Detroit Lions have been on the clock since mid-November when it seemed the Lions only outcome during the 2008 season was setting an unprecedented 0-16 losing record.

From there the Lions decided to create a new logo and throw together some new jerseys along with a whole new coaching staff. I really liked the coaching moves by bringing in Jim Schwartz as the new head coach. Along with Scot Linehan as the new offensive coordinator and Gunther Cunningham as the defensive coordinator. Things looked bright in the Motor City for once up until draft day that is.

The Lions don't draft like many teams, they consistently have selections in the top 10 due to their lack of productivity out on the football field. The Lions have had bust after bust and it gets harder to watch each and every time. This year they decided to hand the keys to a 21-year-old QB in Matthew Stafford from Georgia by selecting him with the No.1 overall draft pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. A risk that could bring great rewards but in turn could also become a massive train wreck.

New GM Martin Mayhew has some courage that is for sure. He made the sexy pick, one that could potential put fans in the stands to start out the year during these tough economic times. The key is they could have went with a much safer (sure fire) pick with OT Jason Smith from Baylor or LB Aaron Curry from Wake Forest. If Mayhew fails like most feel he will, the media will look back at this pick as the key ingredient.

I like Matthew Stafford as a QB and feel he can be successful in the NFL under the right circumstances. The 2009 Detroit Lions are not the right circumstance for a QB who is so young he can't even grow facial hair. Now many ESPN analysts like Trent Dilfer, Cris Carter, and Tom Jackson have all said this will only work if the Lions bring Stafford along slowly. Dilfer said if the Lions place Matt Stafford as the savior or messiah of the franchise this will turn into an utter failure. Does this bring back memories --Joey Harrington?

Stafford is a QB, he was the No.1 overall pick, he signed a 6-year contract which entails $41.7 million guaranteed on a team that went winless the year prior. With all that said, I don't see how they can't point to him as the savior of the franchise. Fans will be looking at him that way and that is why I feel this situation will destroy him mentally on and off the field. Fans in Detroit want to win badly, they care about the Lions more than any other professional franchise in the city.

A few more things to keep in mind about Stafford. Majority of the ESPN NFL experts felt QB Mark Sanchez from USC would be the better QB in the long run because he has the "It" factor in which you just can't teach. If that is so, how do take a guy like Stafford ahead of him? It's a risk, something they could have put off until next season when a trio of QB's come in the 2010 NFL Draft with Colt McCoy (Texas), Tim Tebo (Florida), and Sam Bradford (Oklahoma). By that time the Lions would be improved and showing signs of progression one must think. I mean come on do you really feel the Lions won't be drafting in the top 10 next year? Most likely they will be in the top 5 and would have had the option to pull the trigger on one of those great QB's a class that is much better than the one we just saw go by the wayside yesterday.

The Lions took a risk, they have been one of the worst franchises in professional sports in recent past. If this pick doesn't work out you can cement them in that spot for another five years. This was a pick that didn't have to be made at this point in time in the rebuilding process. The Lions did it though and now we must wait and see how they handle Stafford. Let's hope it doesn't end up with him on his back 5+ times against the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 of the 2009 season.

Wolverines on the Verge of History

2009-03-15T15:26:00.004-04:00

Shortly after 6 p.m. tonight on CBS, the Michigan Wolverines will have their name announced and will be in bracket pools across the country.

This will mark the first time the Wolverines are in the NCAA Tournament since 1998. That’s 11 long years. In the Big Ten, Michigan has the longest drought of any team except for Northwestern. The Wildcats have never made the tournament.

Michigan did what they had to do this season picking up signature victories against Duke, UCLA, Purdue, Illinois, a road win versus Minnesota, and a near upset on the road against UCONN who just happened to be the No. 1 team in the land at the time. They also avoided too many bad losses with their worst loss coming at the hands of Iowa in Iowa City. This was the game where Manny Harris was benched in the overtime period. Most fans remember that one.

The key to this year’s success was focus, drive, coaching, the effectiveness of the role players, and the two stars who the ball went through time after time with Harris and Deshawn Sims. I feel like Michigan played their best basketball down the stretch with a near road win against Wisconsin, a win on the road against Minnesota in the final regular season conference game, and a win in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament (BTT) against Iowa.

Although, Michigan lives and dies by the three point shot as they showed you in their second round loss to Illinois in the BTT. ESPN Analyst Jay Bilas said it best today on College Gameday “If Michigan makes their shots they can beat anybody, but if they don’t their rather easy to beat.” This will determine how far the Wolverines will go in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

Michigan is expected to be a No. 10 seed tonight by most bracketology experts on the web including ESPN.com bracketologist Joe Lunardi. That means Michigan would see a No. 7 seed in the first round followed by most likely a No. 2 seed barring an upset from a No. 15 seed.

Teams I feel would cause problems for Michigan in the tournament would be Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Louisville, Memphis, Wake Forest, Gonzaga, Arizona St, Tennessee, and Texas. Now some of these teams would cause problems for any team in the tournament. You have heard it thousands of times your success in the Big Dance is determined by matchups. Michigan doesn’t match up well against teams who have athletic big men down low that can score the basketball or teams that run a fastbreak offense with full court pressure defense. All of the above mentioned teams have one of these two qualities.

Teams that I feel Michigan could upset would be UCONN, Kansas, Oklahoma, Duke, Villanova, and Xavier. Michigan’s first round matchup could be against the following teams: Tennessee, Texas, Butler, Boston College, Texas A&M, Oklahoma St, Marquette, West Virginia, Utah, BYU, Siena, Utah St, USC or California. One of those teams will see the Wolverines and as you can see the first round game isn’t going to be easy for Michigan.

Michigan has shown they can play with anybody this season but they could also lose to anybody on any given night. Which Michigan team will show up? One thing is for sure they have exceeded expectations this year and any wins in the NCAA Tournament will just be icing on the cake!

A Bid on the Line

2009-03-06T21:51:00.019-05:00

It's less than 15 hours before the 2008-2009 Michigan Wolverines basketball team plays their biggest game in the last decade. Yes it has that much significance because of one reason and one reason only. An NCAA Tournament berth!

Sure other Michigan teams in recent years have been close to making the tournament and have picked up significant wins against top opponents, but none have punched their ticket into the NCAA Tournament. It's been the NIT or as many used to call it the Tommy Amaker Invitational Tournament (TAIT).

Michigan has the opportunity tomorrow as they head to Minneapolis, Minnesota to play the Minnesota Golden Gophers at the Barn. It's a tough place to play no doubt and Minnesota is trying to secure a spot in the tournament as well. The Golden Gophers are also trying to avenge a loss against Michigan from February 19th at Crisler Arena where they lost 74-62.

Michigan played one of it's best games on that night under must win conditions, the same conditions many bracketologists place under the Wolverines tomorrow afternoon. According to ESPN.com bracketologist Joe Lunardi Michigan is the second to last team into the tournament as of right now. That's right now, but if Michigan loses tomorrow, they will back on the outside looking in. That's a place where Michigan basketball fans are all too familiar with.

With a win tomorrow and a win in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament next Thursday they will be a near lock for the tournament. Who they would play in the first round of the tournament has yet to be determined. As of right now they would take on Northwestern, but there is a scenario where Michigan could get a bye in the first round but it's very unlikely.

So with all that said. Michigan controls it's own destiny, something they haven't been able to say too many times this late in the season. Looking back a few years, the old Michigan teams used to collapse in the month of February. By the time March came around they were already on the outside looking in to the tournament and they never did themselves any favors by exiting the Big Ten Tournament early.

Michigan can not afford to do that this year either. It didn't show up in the stat column, but in my opinion I feel Michigan played their best road game of the season this past weekend against Wisconsin. They nearly won at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin a place where head coach Bo Ryan is now 48-0 at against unranked Big Ten opponents during his career.

That game told me a lot, the effort, concentration, desire, and focus were all at a place where they needed to be at this point in the season. Only two things were missing, the experience of doing this before and the execution late in games. That comes with experience, the young Michigan team must learn fast from last weekend's game to beat Minnesota but I feel they will.

No one player makes a team. Although for tomorrow, the game will be won or lost as it lies in the hands of Manny Harris and Deshawn Sims. These two are the most talented players on the team. They are the scorers who must show poise and execute during the last five minutes in order to leave on the right side of the win column.

These two are trying to accomplish what many have tried but failed to do at Michigan in the recent past which is getting Michigan back to the NCAA Tournament. It's been 11 grueling years for most Michigan fans. Players such as Lavell Blanchard, Bernard Robinson Jr., Leon Jones, Chris Young, Daniel Horton, Dion Harris, Lester Abram, Courtney Sims and many more laid there heart on the floor over the years. They just couldn't get over the hump for whatever reason.

We must not forget those players, as the past is what leads us to the future. Those players efforts will be celebrated when Michigan makes the NCAA Tournament and it could very well happen this year.

If Michigan does not win tomorrow, their hopes are not over. They would then need to at least pick up two victories in the Big Ten Tournament. As it stands now, they would play Northwestern in the first round and Michigan St in the second. If they could find a way to pick up those two victories they would be dancing in my estimation. Although if they play a lesser opponent in the second round, they would need to win the third round game as well.

You have to take a wait and see approach into these games much like the rest of the nation teams vying for an NCAA Tournament bid.

One thing is for certain. When adversity strikes, stars are born, there are a lot of naysayers out there saying Michigan is NIT bound or going to choke again. Well that remains to be seen. For me a media member who grew up in the city of Ann Arbor. I will always stick behind the University of Michigan athletic programs under all circumstances. I will be cheering away tomorrow at noon in my apartment while watching possible Wolverine history being made on ESPN.

Listen to my sports talk radio show on Sunday night from 8-10 p.m. as we go over the results from tomorrow's game. Listen live at http://thewhale.org/

Big Ten Basketball Preview

2008-12-30T13:59:00.005-05:00

Well as we bring in the New Year, conference play is upon us in college basketball as Big Ten play starts this week.

So who is going to win the Big Ten conference in 2009?

That question is harder than it appears especially since the start of the season. Most experts liked Purdue and Michigan St to win the Big Ten with Wisconsin making a run at them as well.

Certainly the experts were right about those teams contending for the title, but they just forgot to mention Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio St, and Illinois as all having a chance to reign at the top at the end of conference play. Michigan and Minnesota have both really improved from last season. As a result both teams are currently ranked in the Top 25 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls.

This is how I see things stack up when it’s all said in done in the Big Ten conference

1. Michigan St.
2. Purdue
3. Michigan
4. Minnesota
5. Wisconsin
6. Ohio St.
7. Illinois
8. Penn St.
9. Northwestern
10. Iowa
11. Indiana

It’s never easy to predict the standings for a conference where six to seven teams could end up winning the conference. The Big Ten this year has surprised many experts, ranking 2nd currently in the RPI only trailing the ACC.

I feel the Big Ten is the 3rd best conference in college basketball this year with the possibility of seven teams punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament come March.

Michigan St and Purdue bring back the most experienced teams and that is why I ultimately choose them to finish in the top spots. Michigan St. clearly has the most talent of any team in the Big Ten with the ability to have a Final Four type run come March. As for Purdue they are solid in every aspect of the game and are almost a lock for the sweet 16 come tournament time.

As for the rest of the pack, I see team finishing from three to seven in the conference as being very close in overall talent and ability. I have Michigan and Minnesota finishing 3rd and 4th respectively. This may surprise some but both teams have excellent coaches and are off to a great start. The big question for both teams will be to see how they handle adversity within conference after some tough losses. Then at five through seven I like Wisconsin, Ohio St. and Illinois. I feel all these teams are solid but just don’t scare you when it comes to scoring the basketball. All seven teams I just mentioned have the opportunity in my mind to make the NCAA Tournament and it’s been a long time since the Big Ten has had seven teams go so that would be a huge lift for a conference that usually takes a lot of blows by the experts.

Finishing 8th through 11th in my mind will be Penn St, Northwestern, Iowa, and lastly Indiana. Penn St has some nice pieces but I don’t see them protecting their home court like the top seven teams and they just don’t have the same type of talent that the other teams have. Northwestern always will surprise some teams with their unorthodox style of the Princeton offense, but can they defeat teams on the road? As for Iowa they have a lot of youth and are just too young of a team to contend for much of anything this year in the Big Ten. Then you have Indiana who has an extremely depleted roster with a lot of MAC level talent getting major minutes. Thank you Kelvin Sampson, he has set the Hoosiers back a good 3 years with all of his past violations.

Let’s breakdown each team looking at their seasons so far and looking ahead as Big Ten conference play starts.

1. Michigan St. (ranked No. 10 in AP and No 15 in ESPN/USA Today Polls) Results-The Spartans are 9-2 on the season with a big win over then No. 5 Texas on Dec. 20 at a neutral court (although the game was played in Houston). The Spartans do not have any other resume wins right now, but they have done an important thing and that is avoiding the bad loss. Spartans only losses came to Maryland in the Old Spice Classic down in Orlando back on Nov. 27 80-62 and to North Carolina in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge at Ford Field on Dec. 3 98-63. Now maybe being blowout by UNC constitutes as a bad loss, but the ability to rebound from that game and avoid the hangover effect to win their last five has been huge. Question marks- MSU will have to continue to get better as the season wears on, they just have to play to their overall abilities. Right now I really like the play of Durrell Summers, Kalin Lucas, and Goran Suton. I feel that Raymar Morgan has to assert himself more on the offensive end and they have to continue getting good production from Marquise Gray, Delvon Roe, Travis Walton, and Chris Allen. MSU is the deepest team in the Big Ten with the ability to go 12 to 13 deep. Can Tom Izzo get everything out of his players and make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament? First game- MSU starts out playing at the undefeated Minnesota Golden Gophers on Wednesday at 12:00 p.m on the Big Ten Network.

2. Purdue (No. 9 in the AP and No. 11 in the ESPN/USA Today Polls) Results- Purdue stands at 11-2 on the season. Matt Painter has done a tremendous job of turning this program around from Gen Keady’s last few years. He has recruited talent and has done an excellent job of coaching over his tenure with the Boilermakers. Purdue has two nice resume wins over Boston College and a win over then No. 20 Davidson a week back. Much like the Spartans, the Boilermakers have avoided the bad loss even though some may consider getting blown out on your home court to No. 4 Duke as a loss that will affect their seeding come March. Purdue’s other loss came at the hands of the Oklahoma Sooners in the NIT Season Tipoff Championship back on Nov. 28. The Boilers are led by Robbie Hummel and E’Twaun Moore both averaging 14 plus points. Question marks- Can JaJuan Johnson continue to get better as the season wears on. Big guy are key when it comes to Big Ten play and that won’t change with Johnson. If Nemanja Calasan and Marcus Green can play more consistently up front the Boilers should be in good shape. Can the boilers continue to get good play from Keaton Grant, Lewis Jackson, and Chris Kramer? Can the Boilers hold serve at home and come up with some wins on the road? First game- You don’t have to wait long to see the Boilers in action as they host Illinois tonight at 7:00 on ESPN2.

3. Michigan (No. 23 in the AP and No. 24 in the ESPN/USA Today Polls) Results-Michigan is currently 10-2 on the season. Last night’s victory over North Carolina Central marked Michigan’s 10th win of the season, which in turn matched last season’s win total. With that said the Wolverines have surprised many so far in this young season. The big surprises have been the ability for the Wolverines to show up during big games. They did just that by defeating both UCLA and Duke early on in the season. Both teams were ranked No. 4 when they took on the Wolverines. The thing that impressed me the most was the fact they defeated Duke after losing to them earlier on in the season. You ask what? Yes that is correct Michigan has played Duke twice. They matched up with them in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic on Nov. 21 and lost 71-56. Then two weeks later defeated Duke at Crisler Arena 81-73. Much like Purdue and MSU, the Wolverines have avoided the bad loss so far this season. Michigan other loss came in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge when they traveled on the road to play Maryland losing 75-70. The play of Manny Harris and Deshawn Sims has been phenomenal so far this season. Harris is nearly averaging 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. As or Sims he may be the most improved player and has really developed a low post game averaging 17 points and 9 rebounds per game. Question marks- Can Michigan first off sustain this early season success during the Big Ten schedule? They still are a relatively inexperienced team and a team that has yet to face adversity during this season. Can Michigan find that 3rd scorer, Laval Lucas-Perry is looking like he could be the guy or will it be Zach Novak or Stu Douglass. Can Kalvin Grady continue to play as well as he is right now? Does Michigan have enough big men to play in the Big Ten? Freshman Ben Cronin had to be red shirted due to a hip injury he sustained before the season. What kind of effect will the live and die by the three have within the Big Ten conference? First game- Michigan hosts Wisconsin on Wednesday at 2:00 on ESPN 2.

4. Minnesota (No. 21 in the AP and No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Today Polls) Results- Much like Michigan, Minnesota has improved tremendously from last season. Minnesota is actually believe it or not the only remaining undefeated team in the Big Ten conference at 12-0 on the season. Tubby Smith has done an excellent job in turning around this Minnestoa program. Minnesota’s marquee victory came against No. 9 Louisville back on Dec. 20 by the score of 70-64 on a neutral court. That win shocked a lot of people and definitely made people take notice of the Golden Gophers. But besides that Minnesota has played a soft schedule and I don’t think we truly know how good of a team they are yet. They just haven’t been tested, their next best win is against Virginia who is in the bottom third of the ACC. One thing that stayed the same as far from last year is Lawrence Westbrook, he impressed a lot of people last year and continues to do so this year. Don’t sleep on Damian Johnson, Blake Hoffarber, and Al Nolen. I feel Al Nolen is the X-factor on the team and if he continues to play well the Golden Gophers are going to be a tough out. Question marks- How will Minnesota do when they face adversity? This question has to be raised since it has been a while since the Golden Gophers have had a chance to contend for a Big Ten Championship? How will frontcourt players like Colton Iverson and Ralph Sampson III play in the tough Big Ten conference? Can role players like Travis Busch, Devoe Joseph, and Jamal Abu-Shamala make clutch shots when they are needed to be called on? First game-Minnesota will get tested on Wednesday as they play MSU at 12:00 on the Big Ten Network.

5. Wisconsin Results- The Badgers stand at 9-3 overall right now. I feel most would say Wisconsin has had a disappointing season thus far with their best win coming against Virginia Tech in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge back on Dec. 1. It’s not like the Badgers haven’t had a chance to win some marquee games, they have just come up short in them. They have lost to Connecticut 76-57, Marquette 61-58, and most recently to Texas 64-59. Texas and Marquette were winnable games but Wisconsin just failed to execute down the stretch. With all that said, Wisconsin will be a tough team to beat in the Big Ten like almost every year. Bo Ryan is one of the best coaches in America and he always gets the most out of his players. There is also no team tougher to beat at home in the Big Ten than the Badgers. They are led by guard Travon Hughes and Marcus Landry. Both are experienced players that bring great leadership to a fairly young Badger team. After Hughes and Landry the Badgers have Joe Krabbenhoft, Jason Bohannon, and Jon Leuer. After that though, Wisconsin has trouble finding scoring off the bench. Question marks- Will the lack of depth effect this team during Big Ten conference play? Can Wisconsin find enough scoring late in games to pull off victories against Top 25 teams? Without guys like Michael Flowers or Brian Butch will the Badgers have consistent play from their leaders on the team? First game- Wisconsin gets their shot at a marquee win on Wednesday at 2:00 on ESPN 2 as they travel to Ann Arbor to play the Wolverines.

6. Ohio St. (No. 24 in the AP and No. 23 in the ESPN/USA Today Polls) Results- Ohio St. is 9-1 on the season. The Buckeyes suffered their first loss at home against West Virginia by getting blown out 76-48. This was an alarming score to see since the Buckeyes came into this game undefeated and looking to stay that way heading into the Big Ten season. Ohio St. has had big resume wins over No. 22 Miami (Fl.), No. 7 Notre Dame in early December and most recently Butler. They were fortunate to get the Miami victory because Hurricanes star Jack McClinton got thrown out of the game against Ohio St. due to a bonehead play. But the Buckeyes certainly aren’t giving back any wins, recently though Ohio St. has learned they will be without two players in their rotation. Junior David Lighty has been nearly two weeks due to an injury and is expected to be out for at least the next month. Also freshman PG Anthony Crater just decided to transfer due to a lack of playing time. With these effects players like Jon Diebler, Jeremie Simmons, William Buford, B.J. Mullens, and Dallas Lauderdale must step up to help take the scoring load off star Evan Turner. Ohio St. start Turner is averaging 16 points per game. Question marks- Will Ohio St. have enough to overcome the loss of Lighty and Crater? Can B.J. Mullens pick up his game, as he has not lived up to his big expectations? Can the Buckeyes rebound from some adversity they are facing right now after coming off their first loss of the season? Will the lack of depth hurt the Buckeyes as the Big Ten season wears on? First game- Ohio St look to get back on track as they take on Iowa at home at 4:00 on the Big Ten Network Wednesday.

7. Illinois- Results- The Fighting Illini currently stand at 11-1 overall on the season. The Illini have yet to win a marquee game but they do have solid wins against Vanderbilt, Gerogia, and Missouri all teams that could potentially be bubble teams come March. Back on Dec 2. Illinois nearly came up with an important win at home against Clemson, but came up just short 76-74. Illinois has avoided the bad loss and with that said they have an opportunity to punch their ticket into the NCAA Tournament with a good Big Ten conference season. Illinois has a relatively young and inexperienced team that is certain to face some struggles in the tough Big Ten schedule in 2009. The Fighting Illini is led by Trent Meacham, Demetri McCamey, and Mike Davis. Also expect to see contributions from Mike Tisdale, Chester Frazier, Calvin Brock, Dominique Keller, and Alex Legion. The sophomore transfer Alex Legion from Detroit, Mich. is expected to make a big impact and is another threat from beyond the arc. Legion originally committed to Michigan, then decommitted, then signed a letter of intent to go to the University of Kentucky, then mid-season last year decided to transfer to Champaign. Question marks- How will lack of frontcourt depth and experience effect the Illini during the Big Ten schedule? How will Legion be used in the Illini lineup and can he make a big impact? Can Mike Davis sustain his early season success? First game- Illinois plays at Purdue tonight at 7:00 on ESPN2.

8. Penn St. - Results- The Nittany Lions are 11-2 on this young season. That is an impressive record for a Penn St. team that has struggled mightily over the years. But I feel it is misleading since the Nittany Lions have had an extremely soft schedule. Their two losses came against Temple and Rhode Island, two teams that are probably looking at the NIT Tournament come March. Their best win came against Georgia Tech on the road on Dec. 3 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Although Georgia Tech will be in the lower third of the ACC conference this year and are without two of their top leading scorers from last season due to injury/suspension. Leading Penn St. in scoring is Talor Battle with 19 points per game and he is shooting a blistering 43% from the beyond the arc. This makes him one of the best shooters in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions also have Jamelle Cornley and Stanley Pringle who combine for 29 points per game. Question marks- Can Penn St protect their home court during the Big Ten season? Can Penn St. finally climb the latter of the Big Ten standings during 2009? Will this be Ed Dechellis’ last season if they don’t? Can Penn St. win on the road? Can Penn St. find enough production off their bench? First game- Penn St. opens up the Big Ten season at home Wednesday at 12:00 against Northwestern on ESPN2.

9. Northwestern Results- The Wildcats are 9-2 overall on the season right now. Much like Penn St. this record is misleading because Bill Carmody’s group has played a relatively easy schedule. There biggest win is over Florida St. on the road during the ACC/Big Ten challenge. Don’t get me wrong it was a good win against a bubble team on the road. They just don’t have enough of these types of wins. They came up just short against Butler losing 57-53 back on Nov. 26. and to Stanford 65-59 a week ago out in California. If they win both of those games my feelings about the Wildcats heading into the Big Ten season would be different. Don’t get me wrong if you don’t come to play against Northwestern or Penn St. on a given night you will get beat especially this year since both teams are no slouches. The Wildcats are led by Kevin Coble and Craig Moore who both average over 13 points per game. Michael Thompson and John Shurna both are significant contributors for the Wildcats as well. Question marks- Can Northwestern get enough scoring off their bench? Can Coble and Moore raise their level of play when they take on the top teams in the Big Ten this season? Can Northwestern protect their home court and find some wins on the road? First game- Northwestern travels to Penn St. to play Wednesday at 12:00 on ESPN2.

10. Iowa Results- The Hawkeyes stand at 10-3 entering the Big Ten season. Iowa’s three losses have come at the hand of West Virginia, Boston College, and Drake. Their biggest was against Kansas St. back on Nov. 29. Iowa is a very young team under second year coach Todd Lickliter and that will show this year in the Big Ten. Although they are young, they do have some talent and will be tough to beat at home especially if you don’t come to play. The talent starts with freshman Anthony Tucker who leads the team in scoring with 13 a game. Matt Gatens, Jeff Peterson, Jake Kelley, Cyrus Tate, and Jermain Davis will all make contributions to the Hawkeyes this season during Big Ten play. Question marks- Can they play spoiler for other teams within the Big Ten? How much will they improve under Coach Lickliter during his second season? Can they protect home court? Can they find a scoring presence down low? First game- The Hawkeye open up Big Ten play by traveling to Columbus to play the Buckeyes at 4:00 on the Big Ten Network.

11. Indiana Results- Currently the Hoosiers are the only team in the Big Ten under .500 with a 5-7 record overall. The Hoosiers have had a tough season to say the least under first year ehad coach Tom Crean. Everybody knew it was going to be a tough year because they only returned one player from last year’s team in Kyle Taber. But I don’t know if anything prepares you to just exactly how tough. They defeated Chaminade (Division II opponent) in the seventh place game of the Maui Invitational by two points. If that doesn’t tell you how tough it is how about losing to Northeastern and Lipscomb on your home court this past week. They also have been blown out by Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Gonzaga, Kentucky, and Saint Joseph’s. The Hoosiers are led in scoring by Devan Dumes and Tom Pritchard. Good news for Hoosier fans two very good recruiting classes are on their way in 2009 and 2010, for Tom Crean they can’t come soon enough. Question marks- Can the Indiana Hoosiers play spoiler in the Big Ten conference to some of the top teams? Can the Hoosiers finish 10th place or higher in the Big Ten standings, everybody is predicting them to finish dead last? Can the Hoosiers win 10 games this season? First game- The Hoosiers do not start their Big Ten season until Saturday as they travel to play Iowa at 4:35 on the Big Ten Network.

Like any year in the Big Ten conference the thing that will separate the good from the great teams will be the ability to take care of home court and find a way to get victories on the road. Any win on the road is a plus, but in order tow in the Big Ten conference this year contending teams will have to beat teams 8-11 (Penn St, Northwestern, Iowa, and Indiana). The teams that don’t come up with the victories will be on the outside looking in as far as the Big Ten Championship is concerned. What it will take to get you in the NCAA Tournament? It’s going to take 9-9 in my mind to get you in the breath and possibly may take 10-8 to get in the tournament. Overall a lot will depend on the types of wins these teams get and avoiding the bad loss.

I can’t wait to see the Big Ten in action. There is a tremendous amount of talent in the Big Ten and I hope the rest of the country takes notice. The Big Ten has the opportunity to have 6 to 7 teams compete in the NCAA Tournament. Catch the Big Ten in action all season long on the Big Ten Network, CBS, and the ESPN family of networks.

Lions are no Saints!

2008-12-22T11:13:00.003-05:00

Who is the worst team in NFL History?

Well that question will be answered after week 17 on December 28, 2008. The Detroit Lions 2008 team will go down as the first team to ever go 0-16 during a season. Humiliating, embarrassing, shameful – all the above basically describes the Lions this season.

With everything that has gone on in the State of Michigan with the automakers and the economy. Fans didn’t need this, but the Lions delivered and as a result Ford Field is half-empty on Sundays. Fans continued to support this team during all the bad times since 2001 when Matt Millen took over as general manager. Fans have finally had enough of the losing and have stopped showing up.

Everyone from the coaching staff, to general management, and down to the players are accountable for this mess. I point to Rod Marinelli as not getting the job done, but most of the blame of course goes to Matt Millen for all the failed draft picks over the years. Who can forget wide receivers Charles Rogers and Mike Williams or Joey Harrington in 2002. Then there are a handful of first or second round picks that are on longer with the team like: linebackers Teddy Lehman and Boss Bailey, running back Kevin Jones, defensive end Kalimba Edwards, and wide receiver Roy Williams.

As for Marinelli, he isn’t a head coach, he is a drill sergeant – he came here from Tampa Bay where he was the defensive line coach, from day one with Marinelli the Lions were destined to fail. On top of that, Marinelli decided he wanted to bring in some former Tampa Buccaneers to help out his cover two defense. Players like Dwight Smith, Brian Kelly, Kalvin Pearson, Dewayne White, Corey Smith, Ryan Nece, and Chuck Darby all have contributed to giving up the most points in the NFL this season at 486. How about that defense?

"I thought we were fighting, but we didn't today,'' Lions coach Rod Marinelli said. “We've been fighting and practicing but it didn't show today and there are no excuses for it. Our defense never gave us a chance to get in the game. We couldn't get them stopped on third down. If you can't do that, you can't win."

Marinelli is likely coaching his last game for the Lions this Sunday against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field to try and avoid 0-16. What a storyline huh? Well all you have to do is look at the past to tell what the result of this game will be. The Lions have not won at Lambeau Field since 1991 and under Marinelli the Lions have lost their last 22 of 23 games. That is an unbelievable or unforgettable stat that all the Lions would like to forget about.

"We sucked today,'' quarterback Dan Orlovksy said. "We've only got one game left and it's do-or-die.''

Orlovosky summed it up right there, everything is on the table for people to remember this team for years to come. Some players will go on to a new team, but can expect to be heckled by fans for the rest of their careers. General Managers and Presidents will be questioned by the media and fans as well for bringing in a player from the 2008 0-16 Lions.

"Nobody else did this but us," center Dominic Raiola admitted. "There's no feeling sorry for ourselves. No one is going to remember 1-15, but they'll remember 0-16. We hope that doesn't happen. No one wants to be tagged with that. It's a big nightmare. We just want it to end."

“Nightmare really”, think about what it has been like to be a Detroit Lions fan ever since they you grew up and started watching football. It may be time for Lions fans to get a new team, because let’s remember who the owner of the Lions is William Clay Ford Sr. and he is fine with losing as long as he is making money. Maybe Ford Sr. can give back to the fans.

"We gotta want to win more than we don't want to lose," rookie running back Kevin Smith said. "I think the fans deserve (something to cheer about). The way we played today we should be buying their Christmas presents."

There’s an idea buy fans Christmas presents Mr. Ford. We know that’s not going to happen, but how about this instead, buy us a head coach who has head coaching experience and buy a general manager who actually knows what he is doing in player personnel.

Don’t expect Mr. Ford to listen because Lions fans haven’t had a present to see on the football field since Barry Sanders.

Michigan Basketball is Back!

2008-12-21T20:11:00.004-05:00

Yes, I said it after 10 games during the 2008 season, Michigan basketball is back in my mind. They are 8-2 on the season. They defeated two teams that were ranked No. 4 in the nation when they played (UCLA & Duke). They have no bad losses, they have a new addition as of yesterday in Laval Lucas-Perry (nickname Lava) and most of all a genius of a head coach in John Beilein.

It's John Beilein's second season at the helm of Michigan and he has done the unthinkable bringing the Wolverines back so quickly to respectability. On Monday December 22, 2008 the Wolverine basketball squad will likely be ranked in the top 25 for the first time in a few years. Unlike the last time though, this team has a sense of direction and confidence that I haven't seen from a Michigan squad since the days of the "Fab Five".

How did Beilein turn it around so quickly? Well he recruited players that would fit into his system. Shooters, that is what his system requires, if you can't shoot, you are of no need for Beilein. Names such as Stuart Douglass and Zach Novak have been huge this season. They barely average 10 points combined, but it's role players like these two that compliment Michigan's two best players Deshawn Sims (nickname Peedi) and Manny Harris (nickname Fresh).

Let's start out with Harris, an all around player who can slash in the line, penetrate and kick to find the open man, hit the three, finish on fastbreaks, make free throws, defensive leader, and overall a player with a great basketball IQ. Can you say NBA player? He is without a doubt, but he has one concentration right now and that is getting Michigan back to the NCAA Tournament. Harris is my prediction for the Big Ten player of the year in 2009. He is that good, better than Robbie Hummel, Kalin Lucas, Evan Turner, Raymar Morgan, Trevon Hughes, and others because he can do so many different things. Expect Harris to only get better which is scary, also expect him to not enter the NBA draft until after his junior season. Michigan fans would hope to see him all four years, but he may be too good.

As for Deshawn Sims, he has become a complete player this year. He is manning the center spot on the team at 6'8, but it's his toughness that makes him effective defensively. A few improvements he has made is one, he now knows how to finish around the rim, he also knows his game better. He has become a dual threat with his post-up game and his outside shooting. He has a mid-range shot, knowing that he doesn't have to shoot all those three's like last year. He continues to get better and is destined for a great Big Ten season as a junior.

So Beilein recruited shooters, has Harris and Sims, but how else did he turn this program around. He kept teaching, he loves to a coach, it took time for players such as Kelvin Grady and Jevohn Shepherd to learn the system. Beilein is one of the best X's and O's coaches in America. That means when you need a score he can draw up a play to get the job done. He has great poise and makes great decisions from the sidelines as far as substitutions and timeouts. Only a few years back, a coach by the name of Tommy Amaker just got out coached 75 percent of the time by the opposing coach. He took players out who had the hot hand. You didn't see that from Beilein in yesterday's game against Oakland. Stuart Douglass made his first three 3-pointers on the day and he kept shooting. Same with Lucas-Perry he was 4-4 from beyond the arc and he kept shooting until he missed.

Kelvin Grady has really developed into a very solid PG this year. He is playing with a bunch of confidence and reminds me of his days at East Grand Rapids High School. He plays wild, that is just his style, on a rebound or a turnover, lookout give Grady the ball and fill your lanes. This is exactly what Michigan is doing, they are becoming a fastbreak team and Grady is becoming a vital part of the Michigan program. Shepherd brings depth, he stands only at 6'5 but he is playing the PF spot because of Michigan's one Achilles heel, lack of depth in the front court. He was a widely touted recruit from Canada who just has never lived up to his potential. This year though, he is letting the game come to him and is becoming a solid contributor for the Wolverines. Michigan will need both of these players to continue to play well in order to stay in the top 25 and compete atop the Big Ten conference.

There's more who can forget, David Merritt, C.J. Lee, Anthony Wright, and Zack Gibson. Michigan has become a deep team this year with as many shooters as any other team in the country. Merritt plays with a tremendous amount of poise and self-confidence. He doesn't make bad plays, he sets the offense up, plays solid defense, and has great basketball IQ. He is like a coach on the floor. C.J. Lee is similar, he plays good defense and can make the 3-point shot, can spot Harris some minutes from time to time. As for Anthony Wright, he is a player who is struggling right now especially with his shot, he is not letting the game come to him, he will be needed because he has the bulk to play in the Big Ten, defensively he needs to just play solid, and rebound well to make a contribution to the Michigan squad. Zach Gibson, does some good things and sometimes does some bad things. Overall he is a nice role player who needs to just keep knocking down mid-range jumpers and playing good post up defense.

Michigan has the ingredients to compete atop the Big Ten conference this year with the likes of Michigan St, Purdue, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ohio St. It's about going through your two best players in Harris and Sims. Along with that it's about Beilein's system working magic with backdoor cuts and open shots created from beyond the arc. If the players make shots, play their hearts out, and listen to the genius named John Beilein they will make the 2009 NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.

One thing we must not forget about are the players who tried to turn this program around but just didn't get enough help from the coaching staff that included head coaches Brian Ellerbe and Tommy Amaker. Names like Lavell Blanchard, Leon Jones, Chris Young, Bernard Robinson Jr, Dion Harris, Courtney Sims, Lester Abram, and most of all Daniel Horton. Without these players, believing and trying their hand at turning the program around Michigan wouldn't be where it is today. So let's say thank you to all of them!

It doesn't just stop this year. Things will continue to get better with the following recruits coming in next year: PG Darius Morris, SG Matt Vogrich, PF Jordan Morgan, PF Blake McLimans. Morris is the best recruit since Harris to come to Michigan, but Morris comes from the State of California. Vogrich will be the best shooter on the team next year, even better than Lava we shall see. Both Morgan and McLimans bring post depth and the ability to different things as big man on the team.

2010 has the possibility to be even better with names like Trey Zeigler, Moses Morgan, Will Regan, Tim Hardaway Jr. (former NBA player Tim Hardaway's kid), Ray McCallum and many more all looking at committing to Michigan. Don't stop there 2011 has a PG from Detroit by the name of Brandan Kearney who has ties to Michigan with the Edwards family. Recruiting is a key in winning and Beilein is showing that he can recruit the best, but can he finish the deal by getting them here?

Stay tuned for more updates about the Michigan basketball team!

SPORTS INFERNO Thursday November 6th

2008-11-08T22:17:00.002-05:00

I talked about Daunte Culpepper with the possibility of him starting on Sunday against the Jaguars for the Lions. I also went through my picks from the past weekend and made my predictions for this weekend. I talked Michigan and MSU football, MLB free agency, looking ahead to what the Tigers have to do. I also talked about the BCS controversy saying there should be a playoff ASAP even Obama said it. I also gave my thoughts on Allen Iverson coming to the Pistons. check it out. Remember to listen to the http://thewhale.org every Sunday night from 8-10p.m. and every Thursday morning 9-11a.m to hear the Sports Inferno.

Click on this link to listen to Thursday's show
http://www.sendspace.com/file/3gt0cm

SPORTS INFERNO Thursday October 30th

2008-10-31T14:07:00.005-04:00

Check out my show from yesterday as thankfully I had no recording problems this time. I now do shows from 9-11a.m. on Thursday mornings and 8-10p.m. on Sunday nights both can be heard live on http://thewhale.org/. Yesterday's show I shared my opinion on the World Series, talked about the Pistons season opener, Greg Oden's injury, College football this weekend with the big Texas Tech vs. Texas game, gave my NFL predictions for this upcoming week of games, shared my thoughts on the possibility of Daunte Culpepper becoming a Detroit Lion, talked NASCAR as only 3 races remain in the chase, and much more on the Sports Inferno give it a listen. Shoot me a comment or send me an e-mail at hoffj@student.gvsu.edu. As always thanks for listening.

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SPORTS INFERNO October 26th

2008-10-27T02:32:00.006-04:00

http://www.sendspace.com/file/p7f41g

This is the first Sports Inferno in which I recorded on October 26, 2008. It is 1 hour 30 minutes, I had some recording issues, so the Lions segment got chopped off pretty much, also there is about 5 minutes where the audio is kind of bad just to prewarn you. Other than that it sounds really good. Listen to the Sports Inferno every Sunday night from 8-10 on http://thewhale.org/. Join my facebook group by searching Sports Inferno to become one of over 500+ members to learn more about the show. THANKS FOR LISTENING, tell me what you think of the show.

Who wins 2008 World Series?

2008-10-22T17:42:00.002-04:00

This could be one of the most unwatched World Series' ever? With that said who would have expected the Rays vs. Phillies....NOBODY. This is just like George Mason making the Final Four a few years back. I like the Tampa Bay Rays in this matchup in 6 games. I feel they have a better manager, have more momentum, better starting pitching, and obviously home-field advantage.

Tampa Bay is in a much better league first off and had a better regular season. Now how much of that means something in the World Series. I don't know, it didn't help the Tigers back in 2006. Then again the Tigers had a week off, the Rays just played on Sunday night. B.J. Upton has 7 home runs this postseason which is second only to Carlos Beltran's 8 from a few years ago when he was in Houston. Carl Crawford is back, Evan Longoria is the real deal, Carlos Pena can swing it when he is on a roll as most Tigers fans know. I feel the key though is the great pitching of the Rays. Scott Kazmir, James Shields, and Matt Garza= enough said. They are all young studs who can throw it. Kazmir doesn't have overpowering stuff but he is the Tom Glavine of this era. Last time I checked Tom Glavine had a pretty damn good career.

The Fighting Phillies have some good stars as well with Cole Hamels, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard. I just don't think they have enough especially with Brett Myers and Jamie Moyer pitching in Games 2,3 respectively.

Either or, I don't know if I can watch this series, I wanted to see the Dodgers vs. Red Sox. Let's just start watching preseason NBA basketball instead of this series. I can't believe I am saying that about the World Series. Rays in 6

Who do you got?

Big 10 Predictions for the weekend

2008-10-22T17:19:00.003-04:00

Some big games are taking place this weekend in the Big 10 conference. Penn St. travels to Ohio St. and Michigan St. goes to Ann Arbor to play the Wolverines. Who wins the games this weekend? One thing thing is for sure they should be close games that will go a long ways in deciding who the Big Ten champion is going to be in 2008.

In the first one, I like Ohio St. over Penn St. in a close one. The Buckeyes are starting to hit on all cylinders especially with Terrelle Pryor at at quarterback ask Spartans fans. Pryor is the real deal and he always was. Did you ever see his highlight tapes on YouTube? Check them out, he has the confidence, the skill, the drive, and the team to be one of the best quarterbacks in recent history. I think Pryor is so good he could have went to Michigan and Penn St. having just as much success. It was his choice to go to the Horseshoe and if he can lead the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title in 2008 it was a real good one.

Ohio St. is better coached than Penn St, plus the game is in Columbus which makes a big difference. Beanie Wells is finally getting closer to 100%. Brian Robiskie is becoming an elite receiver in the Big Ten and Brian Hartline isn't far behind. James Lauranitis is a sure Butkus award candidate and has great potential in the NFL next year. Don't get me wrong Penn St. is good, but they didn't finish off Michigan till the 3rd quarter while Ohio St. took out Michigan St. after midway through the 1st quarter.

As for the Michigan St. vs. Michigan game this is going to be a hell of a game. Michigan has showed signs of life throughout the season but have yet to put together 4 good quarters in a football game. Will this be the week? Does a rivalry game bring out the best in the Wolverines? What about being at home against the Spartans? I think it brings out the best and I feel the Wolverines will beat the Spartans by less than 7 points.

I love Javon Ringer and I feel he is a candidate for the Heisman Trophy and would be going to New York at the end of the season if his team was better. Brian Hoyer has always concerned me and what happens if he or Ringer gets injured this weekend? Question marks certainly are there for the Wolverines but these same marks have to be raised to the Spartans after their performance against Ohio St. The Spartans schedule has been pretty weak to this point with their biggest win coming against the Northwestern Wildcats.

All in all, both of these games will be close. I like Ohio St. and Michigan in a dogfight this weekend. Don't worry Mike Vick is still in jail.

What's your take?

Will the Lions go 0-16?

2008-10-21T13:13:00.003-04:00

I think it's a fair question to ask. Currently they stand at 0-6 overall and their schedule is only going to get tougher as the season wears on. Can these misfits they call NFL players really do the unthinkable and forever be known as the worst team in NFL History?

Yes, I feel they will go 0-16, they play virtually all playoff teams from here on out with the exception of the Vikings. The Vikings played horrible back in week 6, just squeaking by the Lions with a 12-10 score. The Lions only chance for a win might come on December 7th when they tangle with the Vikings at Ford Field. The Lions have been outscored by 90 points through six games in the season. They have 6 of their last 10 games at home but none tougher than the Tennessee Titans which they see on Thanksgiving Day. In other words, start eating that turkey early Lions fans because your going to want to fall asleep for this one.

Let's look at the Lions remaining schedule; Washington, @Chicago, Jacksonville, @Carolina, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Minnesota, @Indianapolis, New Orleans, and finishing off the season @Green Bay. Talk about a tough schedule, it may be one of the toughest left in the league. Could you imagine if the Lions are 0-15 heading to the frozen tundra on Dec. 28th, that would be a nightmare. Realistically their could be two 0-16 teams at the end of this season with the Bengals and the Lions. Cincinnati is almost as bad as Detroit. They both will have a common agenda heading into the off-season with replacing their head coach.

Yes, Rod Marinelli should be fired, I don't care when, but he should not see the field for the Lions next year. Marinelli should actually inquire about the defensive line position for East Grand Rapids High School. There he can turn kids into men, something Marinelli has tried to do with the Lions for the past 3 seasons. This franchise finally made a good move by firing Matt Millen, next is getting rid of the entire coaching staff including Mr. naked himself Joe Barry (referring to his drive-through incident where he forgot to put clothes on). The biggest problem with firing Marinelli is the fact he brought in a bunch of his old players from Tampa Bay. Guys like Brian Kelly, DeWayne White, Chuck Darby, Kalvin Pearson, and Dwight Smith who will all be expendable once the new coach is hired. Talk about a salary cap hit. This will set the Lions back another 2 years because they will not have a chance to spend money on quality free agents.

One positive is the number of draft picks they have available for the 2009 NFL Draft. The problem is we lost part of our dynamic duo at the wide receiver position in Roy Williams. If the Lions make good picks then the trade will be a wash. Although if the Lions miss on the picks, the trade will be bad just for the fact that Williams could have been lured to stay by the new coach after next season. I feel Roy is just starting to hit his prime of his career and we just sent him to Dallas.

One of the key characteristics to a losing season is bad quarterback play. The Lions have had every bit of that with Jon Kitna and Dan Orlovsky playing quarterback. Kitna got benched and then got put on the IR to end his season. Kitna basically got screwed, but some Lions fans feel the same about paying money to see him play. Orlovsky forgot the most simple rule in football, you can not step out of the back of the end zone or it's a safety. He looked decent against Houston this past weekend but that is Houston, a team that will not win more than 6 games this season at best.

Lions have a lot of work to do to avoid making history this season. Even though they have played terrible there has been a few bright spots in Calvin Johnson and Kevin Smith. Johnson has led the Lions in receiving in 5 of the 6 games and Smith has led the team in rushing in 5 of 6 games as well. They have to build around those two players. On defense they have to build around Ernie Sims and Daniel Bullocks. What about Gosder Cherlius and Jordan Dizon are we going to see them play much more for the rest of the season? A bright spot will be when the off season comes around and Lions fans realize they don't have to watch this pathetic football team.

If you want to see a team make dumb mistakes and be apart of history tune in to watch the Detroit Lions. They have been the worst team in the NFL since 2001 and they will have a chance at making history in the 2008 season. They are truly two words "consistently terrible."

Recap from week 1 in the NFL

2008-09-10T18:07:00.013-04:00

Week 1 brought lots of surprises around the league with upset victories and a season-ending knee injury to arguably one of the best players in the NFL. We got to see Brett Favre compete in his first regular season game as a Jet and he did a solid job leading the Jets to a 20-14 victory over the Dolphins. Despite all the pressure Aaron Rodgers came out on Monday Night Football to throw 18 for 22 in the game to beat the Vikings 24-19.

Clearly those were just a few stories that surrounded the NFL this weekend. Some people might wonder why football is the most popular sport in America. Well I'll tell you, it's because of three main reasons in my mind there are an endless amount of headlines from week to week. Another reason is parity, it is so high in the NFL and any team can be beaten in any particular week. The last reason is because it is the most violent sport out of the 4 main sports. All Americans like violence, it's fun to watch, and who doesn't like to hit somebody every once in a while.

Let's continue with the stories starting first in the AFC. Tom Brady just underwent season- ending knee surgery, which promises to shakeup the AFC quite a bit for the rest of the season. Shawne Merriman decided to have season-ending knee surgery as well on Tuesday. Now can Matt Cassel the backup quarterback for the Patriots carry the load for New England for the remainder of the season? I don't know if he can, he hasn't started a football game since High School. In College he backed up Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC. One thing is for sure, even without Brady the Patriots are still a playoff team.

Vince Young left Sunday's game against the Jaguars with a knee injury. On Monday Young's family was worried about his emotional state of mind. So with no word from Young for over 4 hours, his family ended up calling the police to find him. Cause for concern? I would say it's a big concern, remember rumors came out about a year ago saying Young wanted to retire then. Is his mind right and does he still have the passion to play football week in and week out? Those are some of the questions I have and only time will tell to see what the answer is.

As for teams that impressed me on Sunday from the AFC. The Buffalo Bills took care of business against the Seattle Seahawks dominating them 34-10. Pittsburgh defeated the Houston Texans 38-17, Steelers in my mind are my favorite to go to the Super Bowl this year if I had to pick today. Along with the Jets good game, the Denver Broncos came out and pounded the Raiders 41-14. The Broncos looked very strong, it seems Jay Cutler is ready to lead his team to an AFC West Division crown.

As for the teams that disappointed me on Sunday in the AFC. It has to start with the Indianapolis Colts, they opened up their brand new stadium against the Chicago Bears. Well the Bears cam out even with Kyle Orton at the helm defeating the Colts 29-13. Is this just a fluke I'm not sure but it's safe to say the Colts did not look good in their new stadium. The Cleveland Browns didn't look so good against the Cowboys losing 28-10. I mean the Browns should have at least contended for the victory in their home opener. San Diego came out and laid an egg at home in their season opener against the Carolina Panthers. Now Carolina is good, but San Diego should win this game when it's played out west. I wouldn't be too concerned about the Chargers just yet, they started out last year 1-3 on the season before turning it around to make the playoffs. How about the Jaguars? I felt like they were going to come out and make a statement against the Titans. They ended up losing 17-10 and lost both starting offensive guards for the season.

In the NFC the headlines aren't quite as extensive as the AFC. San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith is out for season with a broken shoulder according to team sources from the 49ers. Saints wide receiver Marquez Colston is out 4-6 weeks with a thumb injury. Also Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting quarterback Jeff Garcia is out for this weekends game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Let's go to the NFC now with teams that impressed me after Week 1 of play. I really liked the way the Cowboys came out and played at Cleveland winning 28-10. In my mind they are primed for a long run in the playoffs this year even if Jessica Simpson opens her mouth. I was very impressed with the Philadelphia Eagles in their beat down of the St. Louis Rams 38-3. I also liked the way the Giants and Saints competed in their victories from the first week. Who can forget the Bears? Chicago went to Indy and finished coming home with a 29-13 stunner over Peyton Manning's Colts. Carolina came away with a big victory over the Chargers out west. The Falcons stunned all the Lions fans with their blowout vs. Detroit with Michael Turner's running ability.

Now I will finish out with the disappointments from the NFC in week 1. This has to start with the Detroit Lions, they stunk it up, and clearly forgot how to tackle players who carry the football. For more on the Lions read my article just down on my main blog page. The Minnesota Vikings didn't look very good either, especially Tavarius Jackson in his first game of the season. Washington, Seattle, and St. Louis all looked awful this past weekend. Washington couldn't move the football down the field against the Giants only scoring seven points. Seattle got blasted by the Buffalo Bills on the road by 24 points. The Rams probably played the second worst football game in the NFL this weekend only scoring three points vs. the Eagles. Of course the Lions played the worst because they lost to the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are arguably the biggest franchise in disarray right now coming off of Vick and Petrino.

Overall it was a fun week of football and it's great to get the opportunity to watch football on Sunday until February now. Lots of uncertainty remains for the rest of the season in the NFL. Football is a dangerous sport and expect more injuries to come. For your own teams just hope an impact player doesn't get injured. Stay tuned for a preview of week 2 in the NFL coming soon.

Notre Dame Weis "To hell with Michigan"

2008-09-09T20:42:00.007-04:00

Way back in April at a spring game in South Bend, IN. Charlie Weis muttered these exact words when asked about what he thought about the 2008 schedule. After San Diego St in week one "Then we'll listen to Michigan have all their excuses as they come running in, saying how they have a new coaching staff and all those changes," he added. "To hell with Michigan." Wow, talk about locker room material. This fired up players throughout the Michigan team and they will be sure to remember it on Saturday when they take field against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

These words might actually have some more meaning if it came from a proven coach. As far as I'm concerned Charlie Weis shouldn't be calling out anyone this early in his coaching career. If Weis is to call out anyone maybe it's the person in the buffet line who ate the last portion of the roast beef. I mean come on Charlie let's be serious, they do sell such a food called salad. Yes I am a Michigan fan and one by heart since I grew up in Ann Arbor. Weis needs to let his record do the talking and based off last years 3-9 record, Weis needs to shut up.

I mean come on Notre Dame lost to Air Force and Navy last year. They defeated UCLA, Duke, and Stanford. They ended up losing to Michigan last year 38-0. The year prior Weis had a good season going 10-3 losing games to Michigan, USC, and LSU. They lost to LSU in the Sugar Bowl 41-14. Basically Weis just has not gotten the job done as head coach of Notre Dame in big games. Back in 2005 Notre Dame went 9-3 under Weis but once again lost to USC and lost in the Fiesta Bowl to Ohio St. 34-20. So with all that said Weis is 23-15 overall at Notre Dame as head coach but has struggled mightily in the big games against powerhouse schools.

So with the kickoff set for 3:30 in South Bend this weekend, a lot is on the line for Weis. Even with a victory over Michigan this weekend, Weis must have a good season to show he can recruit and coach among the powerhouse schools across the nation. Michigan has struggled this season without a good option quarterback. I feel as the season wears on Michigan will improve, how much is the question. Knowing this is the first road game of the season, lots of uncertainty lies on the field Saturday.

So with all that said, by no means am I predicting a victory for the Wolverines Saturday against the Irish. I expect to see a close game between two teams who have rich traditions and lots of fans throughout the country. You would think Notre Dame would have the advantage with the game at home. Although with that bulletin board material in the Michigan locker room who knows when they hit the field Saturday. Let the players with the pads decide what happens and not the person with the big fat mouth. Treat everyone with respect and in return you will gain respect. Charlie Weis has not shown that to Michigan and in return I do not respect him whatsoever. GO BLUE!

Blackout Possible this Sunday

2008-09-09T19:41:00.006-04:00

For the first time ever for the Lions at Ford Field, their may be a local television blackout. This is due to the fact the Lions still have 4,500 tickets to sell before Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers. Wow it's about time fans stop showing up to Lions games to support this team. They have lost for years and fans have continuously came out to support the team. I hope this weekend's game is a blackout because that is the only possible way William Clay Ford will fix this franchise is if he starts feeling it in his pocket some.

Wow is all I had to say while watching the Lions get thrashed by the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The Falcons were the worst team last year coming off of terrible situations with Mike Vick and Bobby Petrino. Vick got sent to prison for dogfighting and Petrino decided college was the way to go as he left for Arkansas. Yet even with a first year head coach in Mike Smith, new running back Michael Turner, and first round overall pick in Matt Ryan playing his first ever NFL game the Lions still lost. This was an unacceptable loss for the Lions. It's despicable to lose to a team like Atlanta, which is rebuilding for the next 2 or 3 years, because of the turmoil from last year's team.

How can the Lions continuously get high picks in the draft year in and year out but never get any better record wise? Most of us know the answer to that question, it's Matt Millen and the scouting department for the Lions. Then you look to the coaches, they don't get the most out of their players, they don't have enough experience to lead their team. I never felt good about hiring a head coach who's last job was to manage four guys on the defensive line for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sorry Rod you have a 53 man roster here in Detroit and you know very well if they don't play well it's going to come back on you resulting in a firing. This organization needs to start fresh once again but this time make sure Millen is the first one out the door.

Let's analyze Sunday's game a little, first off they allowed 318 yards rushing which was embarrassing. Missed tackles throughout the game on defense were led by Paris Lenon, Alex Lewis, Travis Fisher, Ernie Sims and others who helped Turner get so many yards. How about the Lions defensive line, did you see some of the holes the Falcons offensive line created? My grandma could have ran through them. In the secondary they played decent accept for the fact they fell asleep on Matt Ryan's first pass play which resulted in a 62 yard touchdown to Michael Jenkins.

Let's turn to the offensive side of the ball, Jon Kitna looked about as mad as I have ever seen him on the sidelines Sunday. It clearly sunk in to Kitna that they were losing to the Atlanta Falcons. Kevin Smith looked good in his first NFL start which was surprising because he knew very well his offensive line was terrible Sunday. False start Foster was trying to hold down the right tackle position but of course that was too much to ask for him. Jeff Backus has been stealing money from the Lions for years with his less than stellar run blocking ability. How about Jon Kitna himself, talk about a guy who needs to win now. Kitna at 34 years old, knows the end of his career is coming soon, so he needs to win now before he hangs his cleats up for good. Receivers Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams both looked good but clearly need to be a bigger part of the offense. Don't worry boys, that's not coming because Rod Marinelli wants to pound the football with the running game. Although he only has two on the roster, does that sound smart? No it's just another bad decision by a coach who lacks experience having 11 defensive lineman on his active roster and only two running backs.

Let's look ahead and try to figure out what to expect from the Lions this weekend against the Packers. Well as an optimist you might say it's a new week and the last game is behind us. Well as a follower of the Lions for years I know the trends. With one playoff victory in over 40 years of the franchise, things look pretty bleak. I expect the Lions to come out and play better this weekend against the Packers. Although after watching the Packers on Monday Night Football against the Vikings last night it's going to be tough for the Lions to get the victory on Sunday. I really don't care if they play better, it's about winning football games that counts. I feel they are going to come up just short against the Packers. Green Bay is better in so many facets of the game. Better coached, more experienced, can actuall tackle runners, can block the opposing team, have very good special teams, and have more all-around talent on their roster.

So after two weeks I feel the Lions will be 0-2 with a trip to San Francisco on their mind. Oh by the way the San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback is J.T. O'Sullivan a former backup for the Lions. That should be interesting to say the least, how about another headline. Can former Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz beat his old team as the new coordinator for the 49ers. Well with the way the Lions tried to tackle Michael Turner this past week; Frank Gore shouldn't have any problems finding his way into the endzone. All I have to say is I hope I am wrong and the players/coaches step up more than I could ever imagine this week against the Green Bay Packers.

2008 Detroit Lions Season Prediction

2008-09-07T10:46:00.007-04:00

It's that time of the year again Lions fans. Week 1 brings the anticipation of the season and after a an undefeated preseason many fans are buzzing about the prospect of a good season in the D. Before you get too excited you need to remember what the Lions history has been like and what recent teams have brought us as far as in the victory column. Don't be surprised if this team follows that trend and the Lions have yet another disappointing season again.

In my mind I feel this year the Lions will go 6-10. This is based on the toughness of the schedule and the inexperience throughout the Lions team. The schedule is very tough especially for the last 10 games playing against multiple teams that have the potential to go to the playoffs this season. The Lions are still 1 or 2 years away from making the playoffs. Although if the Lions fail to win 6 games this season Rod Marinelli may get fired. In that case the Lions will be set back another 2 to 3 years just because we have so many Marinelli like players on the roster. Most of these guys play on defense to play the cover 2 system. This season is a pivotal one for the Lions in order to get to the next level in the years to come.

As the opener starts this afternoon, one thing that is very concerning to me is the fact neither one of of our first two picks in the 2008 NFL Draft are starting in the opener. Let's face it the Lions were a average team last year with quite a few needs on the roster. Especially at the offensive tackle and linebacker positions. Jordan Dizon and Gosder Cherlius have both disappointed me mightily. I don't buy the fact that if you start a rookie you are instantly giving up on the season. These are not skilled positions they are playing. When you can't beat out Paris Lenon and George Foster for the starting position it is embarrassing. This just shows how bad last years draft was, you might think I am overreacting but seriously Dizon and Cherlius need to step it up ASAP.

So with all that said, I really like the fact the Lions went out and signed running back Rudi Johnson after the Bengals cut him last week. This shows the Lions are at least trying to help out the team this year. They didn't appear to want to do that when they let the San Francisco 49ers out bid them for linebacker Takeo Spikes. That was inexcusable because Spikes is a former All- Pro player and the Lions are terrible at the linebacker position with the exception of Ernie Sims. Alex Lewis is a great special teams player and that's about it. Ernie Sims is legit linebacker who has the ability to go to the Pro Bowl year in and year out. But Paris Lenon should be suiting up for the Grand Rapids Rampage, sorry he is awful and should not see the field in the NFL.

Things will be interesting for sure this season with lots of ups and downs like always. I can't wait to comment on the Lions on my radio show which airs Sunday nights 8-10 p.m and Wednesday afternoons 11-1p.m on www.thewhale.org starting this next week. I will have many insiders coming on the show to talk about the Lions. One last thing be sure to get your TUMS out as you watch the Lions play this season.

2008 Michigan Football Prediction

2008-08-30T11:40:00.005-04:00

With all the anticipation surrounding this years Michigan football squad. Everybody is asking how many wins will Michigan get in 2008? Well I don't feel anyone can answer that including Coach Rich Rodriguez. One thing I can say is the games they need to win, should win, could win, or won't win throughout the season. I will take you through each week of the season and give you my prediction on how things will turn out.

The first game starts in about 3 hours against Utah. The University of Utah brings a lot of experienced players into the Big House today. Utah is ranked 28th in the USA Today Poll, the same poll Michigan is ranked 24th in. I feel Michigan will get the victory today. It's the home opener for the Coach Rodriguez regime and all the young freshman. I feel they will come out with a lot of energy and feed off the crowd for a close victory over the Utes of Utah. As of early this morning a report from WZAM Nick Sheridan will start today.

Second week brings the Miami(Ohio) to town, Michigan should have no problem taking out a mediocre MAC team especially being at home. So with the win Michigan moves to 2-0 in my mind. Next up Michigan travels to South Bend, Indiana to take on the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. This will be a big test for the young and inexperienced Michigan squad. I feel they lose this one in a tight game coming down the stretch to pick up their first loss of the season.

Game #4 brings Wisconsin to Ann Arbor. Wisconsin is a top 25 team and I feel they are the second best team in the Big Ten Conference this season. Michigan will lose this game by 10+ points and drop to .500 at 2-2 on the season.

The next game Michigan will come out with a lot of passion and they will need it against Heisman Trophy Candidate Juice Williams of Illinois. The Fighting Illini are a very good team. Although, I feel after two losses Michigan will have just enough firepower to pull out a close victory in a barn burner of a game.

With Michigan now at 3-2 Toledo comes to town just from down the road. I don't think anyone will be betting on this game, as Michigan has too many athletes for Toledo to handle for four quarters. Michigan improves to 4-2 and now they travel to Happy Valley to take on the Penn St. Nittany Lions. Penn St. has a very good team and should remain in the Top 25 throughout the season. Penn St. should take this one by two touchdowns to drop Michigan to 4-3.

At 4-3, Michigan now has Michigan St. coming into town for the big rivalry game on October 25th. This should be a great game, I give the nod to Michigan because it's in Ann Arbor and I just feel Michigan has more athletes/speed than Michigan St. Now at 5-3, Michigan will play a veteran-laden team in Purdue in West Lafayette. Purdue should come up with the victory in a close game. As you can tell I expect their will be a lot of close games in 2008 for the Wolverines, but with a new coach and new team for the most part they will be some disappointing finishes for Michigan fans.

Now at 5-4 Michigan's heads to Minnesota, they will have no problem beating the Gophers who I believe are the worst team in the Big Ten in 2008. So at 6-4 Michigan heads back home to play the Northwestern Wildcats. Michigan will enjoy beating the Wildcats by two touchdowns and improve to 7-4 on the season.

Next up is the Big Showdown between Ohio St. and Michigan. This game is down in Columbus and it won't be pretty for Michigan fans. I expect Ohio St. to beat Michigan by 17+ points in this November 22nd game. Don't worry though I feel Michigan will be a Big Ten contender in year 2 and a BCS contender in year 3 of the Coach Rodriguez era.

So the 2008 season will be very exciting with a lot of ups and downs. In my mind Michigan will end up 7-5 on the season. I feel if Michigan wins more than 8 games in 2008 it will be a spectacular year for the team and Coach Rod. If Michigan wins less than 6 games in the 2008 season I feel it will be a disappointing year for everyone at Michigan. Remember it is a transition year, you must take a step back before you move forward. So expect 6-8 wins in 2008, my prediction is 7-5, we shall see where that holds up before we play in our bowl game come December.

Michigan Football Season Preview

2008-08-26T21:11:00.008-04:00

The makeup of the 2008 Michigan roster is much different than last years or any recent year for that matter. Michigan fans are going to get to see a variety of freshman get significant playing time this season. We have the spread offense with plenty of small quick players running it. Offensively there are plenty of question marks but there is potential at the skill positions to be productive as the season progresses. As for the defense, they are fast and strong at a variety of positions. The defensive line is the best in the BIG TEN in my mind. So with all that said I am going to give you the projected starting lineup and tell you other players you can expect to see contribute this season.

The major problem this team has is having no proven quarterback. There are two players currently competing for the quarterback position. Two local kids, one from Saline, MI in Nick Sheridan who is a walk-on redshirted sophomore. The other is Steven Threet who is from Adrian, MI. Threet transferred from Georgia Tech and was a highly touted recruit coming out of High School. Threet is a redshirted freshman and is my pick to get most of the snaps this season as the starting quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines. I grew up in a small town called Clinton which is between both Saline and Adrian. I heard a lot about Threet when I was in High School and there is no doubt in my mind he can be a productive quarterback in the Big Ten as he gains more experience.

At the running back position Michigan looks pretty solid with 5 players expected to see action this season. Juniors Carlos Brown and Brandon Minor should get the bulk of the carries as the season starts. Expect to see freshman Sam McGuffie and Michael Shaw get some action as well throughout the year. McGuffie as many have witnessed is the You Tube highlight star.The one outcast in the backfield is redshirted junior Kevin Grady. After being injured last season and not seeing any game action. Grady picked up a DUI this off season and has been in the "doghouse" so to speak with the entire Michigan coaching staff since. So with 5 options in the backfield this season, expect to see a little bit of everyone.

At the wide receiver position there are many options as well as far as who will be starting. Junior Greg Matthews should get the nod because of experience, although Coach Rodriguez likes to have small and quick receivers line up in the slot. With that said, expect to see freshman Martavious Odoms (nicknamed Lil Wayne by his Wolverine teammates) get plenty of touches. Two other freshman will be expected to contribute right away as well in Daryl Stonum and Terrance Robinson. So get ready to learn some new names and let me just tell you these freshman are very quick and elusive.

At the tight end position expect to see redshirted junior Carson Butler get most of the action. Coach Rodriguez also will play another freshman out of Ohio in Kevin Koger and senior Mike Massey at tight end from time to time. As for the offensive line, this is a revamped group with right tackle Stephen Schilling leading the group. The rest of the offensive line is made up of Mark Ortmann, (left tackle) Tim McAvoy (left guard), David Molk (center), and David Moosman (right guard).

Now let's switch sides and go over the defensive squad for the 2008 Michigan Wolverines. They have a very good defensive line with a lot of leadership up front. 320 pound senior defensive tackle Terrance Taylor leads this group. Along with Taylor, fifth year senior Will Johnson is the other defensive tackle. On the defensive end Michigan has Brandon Graham and Tim Jamison. This is a formidable group with a lot of familiar names who should all make some noise in the coming weeks.

As for the linebacking core Obi Ezeh is your middle linebacker, in my mind he is going to have a breakout season in 2008. Michigan's strong side starting linebacker is senior Austin Panter from Athol, Kansas. At weak side linebacker expect to see sophomore Marell Evans from Richmond, Virginia. Also expect to see freshman J.B. Fitzgerald from New Jersey get some playing time.

Let's now move to the secondary which has doomed us in recent bowl games. This season's secondary is pretty solid. Sophomore Donavan Warren stands out in the group. After starting last season as a true freshman, Warren has a year under his belt and his confidence continues to rise. At the other corner position Michigan has Morgan Trent who seems like he has played on the team since they year 2000. Trent brings plenty of experience and will be able to help out the younger players in the secondary throughout the season. At strong safety senior Brandon Harrison will need to help out junior free safety Stevie Brown back there in the secondary.

As far as the special teams unit. Redshirted junior Zoltan Mesko will be Michigan's punter this season. Mesko had a very good season last year and expect to see the same from him in 2008. Fifth year senior K.C. Lopata will handle the kicking duties, he had a good year as well in 2007. The team is deep but young on special teams, that will be shown with inconsistency from time to time.

Check out my next post where I will give you my prediction for wins and losses for the 2008 Michigan Wolverines.

Chase for the Cup Update

2008-08-19T20:24:00.001-04:00

With only 3 races remaining until the Chase for the Cup starts I will tell you who is and who isn't going to make the Chase.

The 3 races that remain are Bristol, California, and Richmond. Then the playoffs begin for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Bristol and Richmond are both short tracks. While California is much like this past weekend's Michigan International Speedway a 2 Mile Oval. Heading into the Chase it appears that it's a two man race between the Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards for the 2008 Sprint Cup Championship.

Busch has won 8 races and picked up 14 top 5's during the season. He has had a remarkable run and is going to be tough to beat for the championship. But if anyone can do it, Carl Edwards has to be your man. He has 5 victories on the season and he held off Kyle Busch this past weekend at Michigan to win the 3M Performance 400. I was at the race on Sunday since I only live about 10 miles from the track (lucky me right). Carl had a great race car and deserved to come out on top after 400 miles. Edwards even won the Nationwide series race on Saturday so I got to see two back-flips this weekend from "Concrete Carl." The winner down the stretch remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure they will both be in the chase and have had great seasons thus far.

As for the competitors they must step their game up to compete with Edwards and Busch. These are the current standings listed below after 23 of 36 races.

Kyle Busch
Carl Edwards -222
Jimmie Johnson -302
Dale Earnhardt Jr. -345
Jeff Burton -349
Tony Stewart -558
Greg Biffle -575
Kevin Harvick -617
Jeff Gordon -638
Matt Kenseth -646
Kasey Kahne -673
Denny Hamlin -694

Drivers outside of the Chase right now with a real chance to get in our Clint Bowyer and David Ragan who are both 26 points back of Denny Hamlin for the last spot in the Chase for the Cup.

One interesting statistic is drivers 6-10 in the points standings have not won a race all season. For any of these guys to contend once the chase starts they must pick up a victory. It would be hard to imagine a season going by without a victory from Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, or Jeff Gordon. I'm sure that will not be the case but something I thought I should point out.

As I get back to who is and who isn't going to make the Chase for the Cup। I like everybody in the Top 10 in points currently to make the Chase। I feel Kahne and Hamlin are two drivers who both could fall out of the Chase if they are not careful. I also feel Clint Bowyer has a real good shot at making the Chase. I heard Rusty Wallace say on NASCAR NOW today on ESPN that he feels Bowyer will make the Chase and Hamlin will fall out of it. It's tough to disagree with Rusty Wallace but one thing is for sure Denny Hamlin can race at Richmond which is the final race before the Chase starts. With that said and the fact Kasey Kahne ran so poorly at Michigan this past weekend. Look for that to continue at California for Kahne with Michigan being a similar track. Ultimately I think it will be close between all three drivers. My final take is Hamlin in, Bowyer in, and Kahne out. One thing is for certain it will be fun to watch as the Chase for the Cup nears closer.

West Michigan Whitecaps Prospect Update

2008-08-19T17:51:00.008-04:00

With the season coming to a close for the Single-A West Michigan Whitecaps, I am going to take you through the team and tell who to watch out for in the coming years. Also just recap the season that was for the West Michigan Whitecaps to this point in this season. Overall the Whitecaps are a mediocre team right now with a handful of good pitching prospects and a good catching prospect.

They have lost a variety of players throughout the season. A handful of players have been promoted up the Detroit Tigers organization to teams like Lakeland, Erie, and Toledo. These players include the likes of outfielder Casper Wells and pitcher Alfredo Figaro. That is a good thing for the organization, a concept West Michigan has been accustomed to for losing players after they play well at Fifth Third Ball Park in Comstock Park, MI.

Although the Whitecaps fans here in West Michigan got to see two big league players suit up this season in Caps uniforms. Curtis Granderson played a few games with the club. As well as Magglio Ordonez coming to play in early July which stirred up a ruckus in West Michigan. Those were some exciting times that definitely stick out to me when I think about the Whitecaps season.

Let's get to the prospects who we could see move up soon in the organization and may very well see in a Tigers uniform in a couple years. Pitcher Jonathan Kibler has to lead this list. Kibler is from Michigan St. and is a 22 year-old 6'5 left-handed pitcher having a lot of success with the Caps. He is 14-4 with a 1.63 ERA in 22 games started on the season. He has piled up 121 strikeouts in 149 innings. He has only given up 31 walks, 4 homers, has pitched two complete games (one in which was a shutout). These are impressive numbers for sure and I'm sure Dave Dombrowski has taken notice even if they are numbers put up at the Single-A level.

The next prospect is Scott Green who is a 23 year old 6'7 right-handed pitcher from Kentucky। Green was drafted in the 3rd round in the 2008 MLB players draft by the Tigers. Green is a reliever and has only pitched 14 innings for the Caps in limited action. Another very good relief prospect is Brett Jacobsen who the Tigers drafted in the 4th round of the 2008 MLB players draft. Jacobsen is 21 year-old 6'6 right hander who has pitched 23 innings with the Whitecaps who improves each and every appearance. Jacobsen has tallied up 26 strikeouts and has an ERA of 1.96.

I have two more pitching prospects I want to talk about in Charles Furbush and Mauricio Robles. Furbush is a 22 year old left hander who stands 6'5 and has pitched really well at West Michigan. He is a starting pitcher with 4-1 record and a 2.17 ERA on the season. In 45 innings he has struck out 46 batters and walked only 11. Furbush was selected in the fourth round by the Tigers in the 2007 player's draft. As for Robles he is a bit of a wildcard player. He is only 19 and from Venezulea. He was signed as a non-drafted free agent back in 2006. He is a starter and definitely a player to watch with a 4-3 record and posting a 2.58 ERA on the season.

Now to the Whitecaps most prized position player. Alex Avila is the Tigers best catching prospect in the minors right now. Avila was drafted in the fifth round this year out of the University of Alabama. He is a left handed batter who is pretty good behind the plate. He reminds me of Dionar Navarro of the Tampa Bay Rays a lot in how he plays. He could possibly be a career backup at the major league level if his doesn't start to hit for pop. He is batting .300 in 180 at bats, has driven in 17 runners, but doesn't have a home run yet. One thing that sticks out to me is he is a patient hitter and he is a gap hitter. He has 17 doubles on the season so far so that is impressive.

A few other players you should watch out for our shortstop Brandon Douglas and Pitcher Joey Hamilton. Douglas is currently playing with the Oneonta Tigers in New York which is another Single-A affiliate of the Tigers. Hamilton is playing in the Gulf Coast League for the Tigers down in Lakeland, FL.

Overall the Tigers have some pretty good pieces down at the Single-A level currently. Most of these guys will never see Single-A ball after this season in my estimation. Some may never see a Detroit Tigers uniform which is alright, we can use them as trade bait to help our roster in the end at the major-league level.

So just remember next time you are at Fifth Third Ballpark keep an eye out for some of the guys I suggested to watch for.

Olympics "Not the same as it once was"

2008-08-19T13:39:00.000-04:00

After two weeks of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. I came to one conclusion the Olympics are clearly not as fun to watch this year in comparison to the 96 Olympics in Atlanta or the 04 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

The headlines, there are only two that are of any real importance to the typical sports fanatic in America. Michael Phelps and his quest for 8 Olympic golds. As well as the U.S. Olympic basketball team reclaiming the top spot among the world by winning the gold medal. Other than that, I don't know what else to say, sure you have the incredible 100 meter dash World Record by Jamaican Usain Bolt and the the story of a 41 year old swimmer getting back in the pool to compete among the World's best in Dara Torres. There are no marquee names that came into this years Olympics except the one's mentioned above. Names like track stars Michael Johnson and Marian Jones are missing here. What about wrestler Rulon Gardner or gymnast Kerri Strug who all made huge headlines in past Olympics.

Usually the names change but the headlines remain. Not this year. How about knowing everything you are watching is tape delayed, never something you want to here about. Or what about the fact every time you watch the Olympics during the day, the actual athletes you are watching are sleeping over in Beijing. Those are just a few things to think about as you make your decision whether or not to watch the remaining weeks of the Olympics.

Now don't get me wrong, the thought of the Olympics is great. Bringing countries together throughout the world to compete in a variety of different competitions is the ultimate sports event. I am so happy when I see the United States athletes take the gold and defeat other countries. I am proud to be an American for a variety of reasons and if you know anyone who knows me they could tell you that in an instant. I just don't get excited over the Olympics and really don't care to watch it.

I mean I will watch preseason football on Monday Night between the New York Giants and the Cleveland Browns instead of watching the Olympics. That should say it all, I sure hope this is not a sign of things to come for me and the rest of sports fans across America for the next 3 to 4 Olympic summer games.

The whole Michael Phelps experience was great. He did thee unthinkable winning 8 gold medals breaking Mark Spitz' longstanding record. He won close races, he blew out the field in some and he truly showed that he lives in the aquarium so to speak. That story is over though, what else can we expect to see for the rest of this Olympics?

With football season upon us, I have turned the page. See you at the next Olympics, on second thought maybe I won't watch that one either.

Favre to the Jets

2008-08-07T08:49:00.000-04:00

What is this? The Jets, they play in the AFC East. This is not a team he can make the AFC Championship with. They were 4-12 last season and play in a division that is much improved from last season. The Patriots will be a 12 or 13 win team this season. The Bills are getting closer to a playoff berth and probably destined for .500 season. As for the Dolphins, well they couldn't get much worse than last season. With Bill Parcells on board they will at least play hard for 60 minutes and could surprise some teams this season.

At least this means the Favre saga is over. Wow, ESPN was living off this for the past 3 weeks. Every sports fan got to know names like Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson way too much. Mike McCarthy didn't look to stressed in his press conference earlier this week. Unless he deals with stress by eating everything he can possibly swallow. Where's nutrisystem when you need it? The point we can all take from this was Favre retired when he shouldn't have, he tried to fix it and it just wasn't meant to be. Sorry the Packers used a first round pick 3 years ago on a QB and had to move on sooner or later.

Yes I know the pick was on Aaron Rodgers, but come on he was a highly-touted player coming out of California and Heisman Trophy winning candidate. They had to move on at some point and it was a sticky situation and I am just happy it's over.

The question I have is why the Jets and not the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Tampa would have been a good fit, they have Joey Galloway, Cadillac Williams, Jon Gruden, and a strong defense. Tampa made the playoffs last season. With the addition of Favre they would be a top 2 or 3 team in the NFC instantly. Plus in week 4 he would get payback on those Green Bay Packers at Raymond James Stadium. I just see the Bucs as a much better situation for Favre. Maybe we will soon find out why he didn't end up in a Bucs uniform.

It would have been great to see Favre go to the Vikings or the Bears. Then he could have played at Lambeau Field in another teams uniform. Now wouldn't that have been a sight to see! Ultimately as stupid as Ted Thompson appeared, he wasn't that dumb to trade a living-legend to a division rival. If Favre would have went to the Vikings, they would've instantly been my pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

Oh well, I am just glad this is over. Let's talk about some other things that matter this year in the NFL. Will the Patriots repeat a performance like last year? Can the Giants and Eli Manning get back to the Super Bowl without Michael Strahan? Can PacMan oops Adam Jones help take the Cowboys back to the promise land? Will the addition of Jason Taylor and a new head coach make the Redskins a contender in the NFC? How will Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Packers react to this whole Favre situation on the footballl field? Will the Lions take a step back this season? Will Steve Smith knockout another Panther teammate? How much will Jeremy Shockey help the Saints this year? How much better do the Dolphins improve in their first year with Bill Parcells in charge? Will Chad Johnson survive another season with the Cincinnati Bengals? How about those Cleveland Browns, can they take the next step with Big Baby Shaun Rogers? These are just some of the questions I have and topics that should be interesting to watch unfold throughout the season.

All in all, no more Brett Favre talk, I am sick of all this. Favre makes the Jets a possible Wild card team but that is about it. Favre in a green #4 will never be the same.