Let's make Turducken

It’s Thanksgiving Week and the Lions and Pistons are a combined 5-15 (pending the Pistons loss to the Celtics tonight).  This dumpster fire is getting bigger by the day and come Thursday when I’m relaxing back in GP ready to stuff my face with turkey, I know I’ll shake my head all the way to the dinner table after Houston drops 50+ on the Lion D.

The Lions can’t close a game and the Pistons can’t win a game. Lions will miss the playoffs and finish under .500 and the Pistons will struggle to get to .500.  The lone bright spot from either team comes from Auburn Hills and it’s regarding a roster spot.  Kyle Singlar played one season in Spain and has decent success.  Charlie V and Austin Daye have sucked their entire time with the Pistons.  Singler gets a couple tune ups and already surpasses both of these bums on the roster putting up 15/5 numbers for Singler and a bunch of DNP-CD’s for Charlie and Austin.  Glad to see Piston Brass got that one right.  My hope by the end of the year is this starting lineup: BK, Singler, Maggette, Moose and Drummond

Since it is Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season is upon us, I wanted to take an opportunity to ask what Detroit Sports moment are you most thankful for.  There are a lot of options to choose from but let me know your moment either as a comment in this blog or on facebook (sportsinthe313).  Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving!

For Mike Pachla

Wow, my apologies for letting this blog fall by the wayside for as long as it has.  Pachla, you’ve been requesting an update so while I watch the Lions dismantle the Jags, here goes nothing.

The NBA is underway and the Pistons are winless.  My only hope for them this year is they play Drummond, Singler and English early and often.  See what you have in your youth.  The combo of Greg “The Moose” Monroe and Brandon Knight are the future.  Gone are the days of exceptional defense from Tayshaun Prince and whatever anyone thought Stuckey would bring to the table.  Anyone else on the roster not in their first or second year is just adding to the dumpster fire the Pistons team is.  The playoffs are a (slim) possibility. I’ve told enough of my friends (@ddiggy209, @chaps07 and Pachla) that I do believe they sneak in as a 7-8 seed.

Lions have crawled back to .500 with a win against the lowly Jags.  A trap game? Yes. A game that was a must win?  Definitely.  They’ll need some help the rest of the way if the Leo’s want to make it back to the playoffs this year.  I still think they’ll fall well short of the season expectations.  Their drafting has been shotty the past couple of years and they don’t have a real dependable defense.  But a win is a win and getting back to .500 is impressive as they head into the meat of their schedule. 

Now normally I don’t comment on my Alma Mater but since I do reside in the 989, let me comment on the Mighty Chips of Mt. Pleasant.  The chips dropped another rivalry game against Western yesterday.  They squandered a 9 point lead to lose 42-31 in a game they fumbled away.  Now I’m not a coach or claim to be but I tell ya, the play calling for the Chippewas is an embarrassment.  Enos hasn’t worked out as the successor for Butch Jones and the steep drop off from the LeFevour era has really crippled this program.  I don’t believe it’ll be another 3-9 year, mainly because 2 of our last 3 games are against team with a combined total of 1 win.  Sure, there may be some improvement record wise, but it’s not the Chippewa football I or my friends from CMU are used to seeing.

A bit of a housekeeping note, I forgot/lost my account info for @sportsinthe313 so please check out @ajcoopdeville for the latest and greatest. Until then, Cooper out.   

Relax Hockeytown - Everything's Alright

Many of you may be wondering, why haven’t the Red Wings had a big time free agent signing this offseason? Doesn’t Ken Holland see the need for some new talent on a team that hasn’t won a cup since 2008 and that quickly approaching the five year mark?  Well Wings fans, I don’t think there is any cause for concern right now because there isn’t the talent out there that I’d want the Red Wings to spend their dollars on. Guys upfront like Filppula, Helm and Emmerton will have to provide some scoring power and on defense you're going to see some new faces who'll have a great opportunity to step up. 

My opinion, I'm glad to see that they didn't make any high profile signings.  I'm intrigued by the fact they've got some young talent in the works that will have the opportunity to have significant ice time this season.  Brenden Smith, Gustav Nyquist Jan Mursak and Jakub Kindl could be the future for the Red Wings.  In past years, playing time has been at a premium but that's changed.

Sure, if they would have added Parise and Suter then we’d be talking about a whole different ballgame.  However, just because they didn't sign either of those two and didn’t waste their money on the likes of Alexander Semin or Jaromir Jagr or Matt Carle doesn’t signal the end of their playoff streak.  I still see the Wings as a dominate team in the Central.  Just by process of elimination they are still on top.  The Predators and Jackets lost key players and the ‘Hawks and Blues but I'm not worried - this division is very much winnable. 

The extra dollars Holland has to work with allows him to reassess the situation and play free agency the right way and not the Joe D way (cough cough 40 million for Charlie V cough cough).  Rest easy Hockeytown, all is well western front. 

For Pachla and Chando

I haven’t written one of these in a while so the next few posts, allow me to touch on some past events that I’ve been meaning to discuss.

Pistons Draft Recap

Joe D for the third consecutive year has had the best player on the board for the Pistons fall right into his lap.  Andre Drummond, the seven foot center from  UCONN  will anchor the middle for Detroit this
fall.  As many of you know already, I do really like this pick.  The ‘stones are going to have a very formidable young nucleus of players in Monroe, Knight and Drummond that should help the front office to build around these three musketeers.

Drummond will provide much needed help side defense for Monroe and be a more typical shot blocking center.  He has Tayshaun-like wingspan and is already big in size.  I see all too often young centers out of
college getting drafted that are talented but lack the body mass to go up against NBA centers.  Though very green, Drummond already has the size at 270 lbs. which will help him heading into this season.
Now the question begs, do the Pistons make the playoffs? Well, with the way this offseason has been, the likelihood of them getting a 6-8 seed is plausible.  It still doesn’t change the fact that they need
quality players around their young core.  The Pistons do not return to a playoff calibur team unless one of two things happens. 1. The threesome of Monroe-Knight-Drummond are actually really good and Joe D puts some average to above-average players with them or 2. They tank, get another high pick and strike it rich with the next Kevin Durant and build around that marquee talent.

Since 1984 only 8 teams have gone on to win the NBA championship.  There isn’t much parity in the NBA and this nonsensical GM approach has eliminated any competitiveness in the league.  Look no further to this Dwight Howard trade for a reason why nothing has changed in this league.   The Pistons have history on their side so it’s not an impossible quest for another championship.  They weren’t supposed to do it in ’04 so who’s to say they couldn’t do it again sometime in the next 5-10 years.

Check back tomorrow for a Red Wings season preview.  Mike Pachla and Dan Chandonais have really been pressuring me to get another blog published.  If you see them on the street, be sure to say HI and thank them for their endless support.

Fire up CHIPS – I live in Mt. Pleasant

C's and D's get Degrees

Blah blah blah...that's what I've thought about the Red Wings off season so far.  I'm not really surprised either.  Zach Parise and Ryan Suter were the targets and we struck out on both of them.  They signed with Minnesota for 13 yr. 100 million dollar deals that makes the Wild good enough for an eight seed next year.

I think the problem with the Wings is that they've lost all their cache that they once had in the league.  This isn't 2002 anymore and the salary cap has handcuffed the Wings.  They can no longer go out and get every top free agent available and we've seen how difficult it's been for the Wings to sign top free agents the past 5-6-7 years.  The Red Wings are an Original Six organization, tops in the league but what does it say when the oldest teams in the league like Toronto, Montreal and Detroit cannot get the top talent?

I'll give this off-season a C.  Losing Hulder is fine with me because he's making more than he's worth with the Flames.  Acquiring Samuelsson and Tootoo fill roles but are not high impact signings.  Samuelsson will help on the powerplay and he shoots a shit ton but he's old.  Wings fans that clamor for toughness will get it from Tootoo but he's nothing more than a poor mans Darren McCarty - just lacking any offensive skill.

I've had people ask me whether or not this season is the one the Wings finally miss the playoffs.  Hate to say it, but there's no way they don't make it.  The Wings are just one of those organizations that are destined for success.  In hockey it's easier, my opinion to sustain a high level of success.  It also helps that they've got the best front office in the league.

UPDATE from Mt. Pleasant! - so I survived my first week and already halfway thru the second.  Making a lot of cold calls and i've set up 7-8 meetings so far.  Still lookin for that first sale but I got a feeling it's coming soon.  I also got my keys to Kelly/Shorts and McGuirk so anyone wanna play????

also - sleeping on an air mattress sucks - off to GP this weekend to celebrate my good friends Bryan Ramberger and Trisha Monahan who are gettin hitched.  Looking forward to the celebration!

Live from Mt. Pleasant

I know I know, it’s taken me damn near forever to update this blog and I’m sure you’re all clamoring for the latest and greatest.  Well before I get into it, let me tell you the reason I’ve been away.  I recently have taken a new job with IMG College as an Account Executive with Central Michigan.  I moved back up to good ol’ Mt. Pleasant on Sunday and started my new career.  In my downtime since leaving MA, I spent an awesome week in Port Austin slamming Hams (beer not the meat), doing shots of Root 100 (terrible idea) pounding vegas bomb after vegas bomb and building the biggest man made slip-n-slide Port Austin has ever seen.  All in all a great final week in metro Detroit but I am now back “home” in Mt. P.

Now on to the pressing questions…and I’ll be short and sweet. 

Pistons draft pick Andre Drummond – I LOVE it for 2 reasons.

He fills a need.  Greg “The Moose” Monroe needs help on the weak side and although he’s a kid, Drummond is already 280 and has a Tayshaun-like wingspan. 

Name me another GM that for 3 straight years manages to have the player of their dreams fall AGAIN so the Pistons can draft them.  Monroe, Knight and now Drummond all were players that weren’t supposed to be there.  Joe lucked out again and I think it’ll really pay off.

The next step for Joe is to amnesty CV31, play the hell out of the young guys and clear as much salary space as possible so Joe has the funds to go out and get real gamechangers than can help the Pistons return to form.

Tigers will be fine.  The AL Comedy Central is a joke. The White Sox and Tribe are not as good as advertised and the Tigers will win this division.  Pitching has come around, hitting has DEFINITLEY come around and though their defense still sucks, I’m not worried.  The trade deadline will come and go, Tigers will not make a move and we’ll be just fine in the second half of the season.

I'm very excited about this opportunity and I'm looking forward to what lies ahead.  Stay tuned for the latest sports chat.  Feel free to drop me a line and suggest a topic.  Until next time, same bat place same bat channel - #FIREUPCHIPS

Lions be Drinkin' Lions be Smokin'

I’m not going to be the first one to say how bad of an offseason this was for your Detroit Lions.  Two players, two different positions and two arrests each this offseason may have sealed the fate for both Mikel Leshoure and Nick Fairley.  Adding to this laundry list, Johnny Culbreath also was arrested for a dope charge.  It’s really sad to see these young promising players show their true maturity levels in their childish acts this offseason.  These guys are professional football players.  They are paid to perform, not to smoke pot or drink and drive.  Add these arrests to the issues with Titus Young in the past couple of weeks and you’ve got some high draft picks turning into an unmitigated disaster. 

There will ultimately be suspensions for these players.  Leshoure and Fairley for sure will receive suspension, although there is no telling the amount.  My guess is at least four games for Leshoure and maybe eight for Fairley.  Commissioner Goodell has been playing Conan the Barbarian lately, dropping the hammer on the participants in “Bounty-Gate”.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the penalty for the Lions wasn’t a bit stiffer than what we anticipate. 

I don’t mind if this team has the reputation of being the “bad boys” of the NFL.  Play hard, hit harder is just fine with me, but do I want this team to be the Bengals 2.0? Absolutely not.

This team needs players on the field in order to win games.  The Lions gave this fan base ten wins last year.  The benchmark has been set now and there has to be improvement on last year for this team to trend upwards.  Anything less will be considered a failure.  The Lions will be without these players for part of the season and it will hurt them.  How does management steer this ship and right the course? Does the team lack leadership? Does Jim Schwartz change the game plan? Any way you look at it, this offseason has definitely cast doubt on the hopes for this upcoming season.

Let me know how you think this offseason has gone for the Lions.  Are they the Bengals 2.0? Leave a comment, hit my Facebook page http://on.fb.me/INlTqF or get at me on twitter @sportsinthe313 

Panic in Tiger Town

We are now a quarter of the way through this season and the Tigers are 20-21, three games out of the division lead in the AL Central.  I didn't expect a below .500 record 40 games into this season that is filled with World Series promise.  The offense, defense and pitching have all come under fire in the first quarter and all three have contributed to this sub-par record.  Some are ready to write the Tigers off. I won't go that far because I still believe they win the division but take a look at these stats and you tell me if it's surprising that the Tigers have struggled.

1. The Tigers rank 11^th in the MLB in team batting average hitting .257
2. They are 23^rd in the MLB in Team ERA with a 4.17
3. They are 21^st in the MLB in Fielding with a .981

Now by no means should this be surprising and here’s why. 

1.  This is a softball team; plain and simple.  Against pitchers that came from Liberty Park, the Tigers will put up monster power numbers.  If they face a pitcher with talent, they’ll suck.  Dirks has been a nice surprise and Cabrera and Prince are back above .300 and getting hot.  If Avila and Peralta can be 80% of what they were last year and we get the Austin Jackson of his rookie year, this team will be just fine.  I’ve got no worries for this offense as it’ll come around sooner or later.  Unfortunately I can’t say the same for their defense. Let me repeat myself, this is a SOFTBALL TEAM.  At the corners, Miggy and Prince are not known for their defensive skills.  Peralta is a traffic barrel and Rugburn shouldn’t be on the team.  The worst thing this team can do is hit.  No one expects them to be a gold glove caliber team but we should expect much more out of them offensively.  Just score runs.  I don’t care if they give up 10, as long as they score 11. 

2.      As Max Scherzer goes, so do the Tigers.  He is the X-factor this season no question.  If he pitches like he did on Sunday (7 IP, 4 H, 15 K, 1 BB) this team will run away with the division.  If not, then it’ll be a long 5 months of consistently inconsistent baseball.  Their bullpen also needs to right itself.  I don’t want to see Luke Putkonen or Colin Balester anymore.  I don’t want to see Papa Potato doing his dance moves after every out and I don’t want to see games lost because our relievers can’t hold a lead.  Verlander was two outs away from a third no-hitter and he’s looking more and more like the Cy Young winner from last year.  Fister and Porcello need to stay the course and if the Tigers can get 8-9 wins out of Smyly, they should be happy.  

40 games in and there plenty of season remaining.  The Tigers have a big series with Cleveland starting tonight.  Valverde and Jackson should be back and I expect them to take two of three from the Tribe.  This team in the long run will be fine; it’s just frustrating how they've played through the first quarter of the season.  

Let me know how you think the Tigers have done by leaving me a comment, checking me out on Facebook or tweeting @sportsinthe313

State of the Pistons Address

Another season gone by and another season down the drain for the Pistons.  A sad 25-41 record in a shortened 66 game season has the Pistons yet again heading to the NBA Draft Lottery and it should’ve been worse.  In the only professional sports league in the U.S. where losing is actually winning, the Pistons delusional front office manages to win just enough to put themselves on the outside looking in. 

Why win games in the NBA when your team is inferior compared to their opponents?  Let’s be real here for a moment.  The NBA is made up of six elite teams, a handful of good ones and then the rest are just garbage.  Your Detroit Pistons are in that last category.   It’s the blind leading the blind in Auburn Hills where a brand new owner has allowed a GM to resign the entire team to multi-year contracts which prevents money being spent on any talent going forward. 

I will give credit to Joe Dumars for winning a championship and I’ll give him credit for a couple drafts picks but other than that, he’s been living on easy street.  I think Dumars has gotten a free pass since he won that title back in 2004 and since then hasn’t done a damn thing.  Horrible drafts, awful trades and a merry-go-round of head coaches have resulted in a 121-191 record since 2007.  Sure, Joe drafted the building blocks for the future in Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight but I’m even critical of those picks.  I say that because both those players fell to the Pistons.  It would have been foolish for him not to select them.  He hasn’t had to make any tough decisions in the past two drafts and that worries me because you can’t bank on the fact a quality player is going to fall to you  every time.

The Pistons have two players to build around.  Outside of that, I’d be fine if they get rid of the entire team.  There is no future with Tayshaun and Stuckey and Big Ben.  They’ve got wasted contracts in Charlie V, Austin Daye and Maxiell.  The only way a team can start the rebuilding process is by cleaning house and starting fresh.  Unfortunately they missed the mark again this year.  We’ll have to stick out another dumpster fire of a season and hope they really suck to have better chances of drafting top talent. 

The state of the Pistons isn’t good.  They suck.  Lose some games, get some more ping pong balls and hope that the Detroit Pistons grab the number one pick of the 2013 NBA Draft.

Let me know what you think by leaving me a comment, hitting me up on Facebook or checking me out on twitter @sportsinthe313

laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaater

All Smiles for Drew Smyly

Let's meet Drew Smyly                                                                                          

6-3, 190 lbs. Throws: Left

Drafted in 2010 in the 2^nd round out of University of Arkansas

2011 Tigers Minor League Pitcher of the Year

In 2012, third best prospect in the Tigers organization behind Jacob Turner (P) and Nick Castellanos  (IF)

Pitched for the Lakeland Tigers (A) and Erie Seawolves (AA) last year

Throws four pitches (four seam fastball, slider, cut fastball and changeup)

The Tigers have a very right-hand dominated rotation.  With World Series hopes on the line this year, I didn’t like that the Tigers had an all right handed rotation and was lacking a lefty presence.  It also didn’t help that Doug Fister had been on the DL since April 7^th because that posed the Tigers with an early challenge.  But things are starting to turn around for the Tigers, and I attribute that to Drew Smyly and his ability to string together some solid starts to close the back end of that rotation.

In Smyly’s last three starts, he’s pitched 18 innings, giving up a total of 14 hits and has only given up a mere four earned runs.  Over those 18 innings, he’s amassed 21 strike outs and has walked four.  Now he may only be 1-0 on the season but he’s got a solid 1.61 ERA which is tied with Jared Weaver for best in the AL and a WHIP of 1.18 which is top 20 in the AL.

I want Smyly to mature and develop with  the Tigers. He's young and can learn the game from his teammates which will help his development throughout the season..  I’m sure there are going to be growing pains along the way and that’s expected.   Since Fister’s return from the DL, all of the sudden, the Tigers rotation looks a lot more complete heading into the summer.  Now we can wait for their offense to come around and this division will be ours.  Smyly’s next start is tonight against the Mariners.  I don’t expect to see this guy slow down at all because he's got the resources not many other young arms have.  Its unknown how he will look in September but for what we've seen of him so far, I'd say he's put smiles all over the faces of Tiger fans.  If you don't believe me, check out these game highlights against the Yankees.

As always, follow me on twitter @sportinthe313, “Like” me on Facebook and come back next time for a “State of the Pistons” recap as they head towards another draft. 

Detroit Sports Mount Rushmore

Detroit has had so many amazing athletes through the years and now it’s your chance to tell me who you think should be on the Mount Rushmore of Detroit Sports.  There are no restrictions on this poll.  I want to know who you think belongs and why.  Your explanation doesn’t have to be long and reasons don’t have to be justified.  Just tell me what you think. 

I’ll start it off and give you my picks.

 

Steve Yzerman: Is there a guy that better exemplifies Detroit Sports?  Yzerman spent all 23 years of his illustrious career with the Red Wings. He won three Stanley Cups, was a ten time NHL All-Star and had his number 19 retired by the Red Wings in 2007.  Stevie Y came to Detroit as a young 18 year old kid and turned into one of the most beloved Detroit sports figures of all time.

Alan Trammell: Tram was another guy that played his entire career with one team.  He spent 19 years with the Tigers highlighted by the 1984 World Series Championship and was a part of one of the best middle infield in all of baseball.  He and Lou Whitaker were the Thunder and Lightning of the Tigers during their time together.  He earned three Silver Slugger Awards (1987, 1988, 1990) and four time Gold Glove (1980-81, 1983-84). Tram will forever be synonymous with Detroit Tiger Baseball.    

Barry Sanders: I could not make list without Barry being included.  Probably the best Lion of all time, Barry left the game way too early and had so much more to give.  He won the hearts of this city with unbelievable touchdown runs and his speed and agility made defenders look stupid.  His number 20 was retired by the Lions in 2004, he owns 10 team records and I consider him to be the greatest Lion of all time and one of the best running backs the NFL has ever seen.

Dennis Rodman: Yes I know, it would have been easy to pick Isiah or Dumars but c’mon, the Worm was AWESOME! Rodman was a badass throughout his entire career, won two championships with the Pistons and earned NBA Defensive Player of the Year twice in 1990-91.  Rodman will go down as one of my favorite Bad Boys of all-time.

 

Now I want to know what you think.  Leave a comment or find me on Facebook (http://on.fb.me/INlTqF) and let me know who you think belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Detroit Sports.

Make sure to follow me on Twitter @sportsinthe313 and like me on Facebook.  Until next time, Cooper OUT  

The Ghost of Millen Past

I thought that the days of Matt Millen were over! I mean I spent ten years scratching my head on draft day wondering what in the hell was he thinking. Now the Lions are Millen-free, went 10-6 last year and made the playoffs. The real work for Martin Mayhew starts today as he takes his third draft class into the 2012 season and tries to build on last year’s momentum. Mayhew has drafted Stafford and Suh, two players that are the prized pieces for the Lions on offense and defense and then he’s also drafted bunch talentless nobodies that can’t hack it in the NFL.  2012 proved to be an important draft class for a team on the brink of success.


Results from the 2012 Draft
This year’s draft reminded me of a college beer pong game. The people that are playing are doing a fine job and then you have one of your drunken friends ask to throw a celebrity shot that completely misses the table. The Lions drafted 23^rd overall, a position that isn’t going to garner the sexy pick. Picks outside the top 20 are position addressing picks that fill a need on the field instead of filling a stadium. But the Lions, I’m convinced, were visited by the ghost of Matt Millen. It’s the only way I can justify the players that they chose.
The Lions spent their first two picks on, surprise, offensive players. They took O-Tackle Riley Reiff from Iowa and (I’m shaking my head in disgust while typing) Wide Receiver Ryan Broyles from Oklahoma. It makes no sense why they went that direction. This team has needs on defense, not offense. Matt Stafford is great and Megatron is the best receiver in the game (On a side note, I think he will break the Madden Curse). Their offense will keep them in most games but it’s their defense that will win those games. Blatantly ignoring the teams most pressing needs at Linebacker and Defensive back does not bode well for a team already thin in those positions.  I thought the Lions draft plan was simple, draft defense, defense, and more defense. What do they do instead, spend their top two picks on an Offensive Tackle and a (wait for it) WIDE RECEIVER! Welcome back Matty! We haven’t missed you one bit!

I’m disappointed (to say the least!) in the way the draft went this year. I would have liked it a lot more if the Lions addressed their needs in the secondary with the 2^nd round pick. It’ll be important for them to take some chances on undrafted free agents, a lot of whom are very talented players. They still need a running back and I wouldn’t be opposed to them signing a defensive end, one that they could pair up with Willie Young and have opposite of Cliff Avril.  I guess Mayhew and the rest of the Lions brass weren’t watching the same games as me last year.
Overall grade: C-. What is it going to take for the Lions brass to realize that defense wins championships? Top picks are meant to be starters, not works in progress.  I understand that picks in the 3rd-7th rounds were all spent on defense and I’m sure Mayhew is hopeful one or two of them pan out. My problem is that their offense wasn’t an issue last year.  Stafford threw for 5000 yards and Calvin had an MVP type season.  The Lions failed to address their most serious team needs on defense picks in 1^st and 2^nd rounds and it’ll show this season when they’re getting bombed because their defense can’t get off the field.
Make sure to follow me on twitter @sportsinthe313, like me on Facebook and check back next time when I do a special Pistons Recap for my dear friend Dan Chandonais.

Welcome to Bizarro World

The Weekend Recap from the past weekend in Detroit Sports; the Tigers continued to struggle offensively and defensively as they dropped three of four games against the Rangers and the Red Wings were bounced from the playoffs by the Predators and

A curious story coming out of Tigers camp is how the Tiger fan base has completely turned their backs on Brandon Inge.  I mean, I don’t blame them.  He’s hitting .056 heading into tomorrow’s series with the Seattle Mariners and yet Leyland still trots him out in a shower of boos from the fans.  I wish the Tigers would put him out of his misery.  It would benefit Inge and Tiger fans alike but I don’t see it happening anytime soon, and that is what’s so bizarre. Inge is absolutely delusional and the only reason he plays is because Ilitch loves him.
The Tigers dropping three of four to the Rangers in the big picture is not a problem.  It’s April (in the D), the Tigers don’t have a healthy pitching staff and their offense will come around, it’s just a matter of time.  This division is still theirs to lose and in the end I don’t see that happening but the Inge distraction has to go.  This is a World Series caliber team and the fans do not deserve to watch players who have averages below .200 when they come to the ballpark.  Call up Danny Worth and give the kid a shot.  He was a 2^nd round pick and at this point, what do the Tigers have to lose?  

Moving on, I want to put this Red Wings season behind me and keep this short and sweet.  The Wings are old, the Wings are too cozy and the Wings are in need of a major shakeup before the start of next season.  Here’s a critical question for Wings fans.  Finish this sentence, The Red Wings off-season needs to be __________.  My answer; their off-season needs to be daring!  I don’t think the Wings can afford be anything other than daring because they going to have to veer off the course that has taken them to the playoffs all these years.  This team is in need of a young and big defenseman to replace the loss of Brad Stuart and they need some forwards, especially wingers to anchor their first and second lines.  Zach Paraise, Ryan Suter, Alexander Semin and Teemu Selanne would all be great off-season acquisitions that would greatly help them next season.  If you have thoughts or an answer to my critical question, leave a comment or hit me up on twitter. 

As usual hit me up on Twitter @sportsinthe313, share me on Facebook and check back on Wednesday when I’ll take a look at the Detroit Pistons and what a dumpster fire that franchise has become.

With the 23rd Pick in the NFL Draft

As the NFL Draft nears, I wanted to provide everyone with my projections at what I think the Detroit Lions will do in their first three picks for this year’s draft.  The Lions used a hot start last year to finish the season 10-6, make the playoffs for the first time since 1999 and captivate a city that was in dire need of a winning football program.  This fan base has taken a 180 degree turn and there is some serious excitement heading into the season.

With the draft only days away now, the Lions find themselves in an unfamiliar position because they actually had a winning season and made the playoffs.  They won’t have a pick inside the top 20 for the first time since 1994 and despite the fact that Martin Mayhew has hit on some franchise players in recent years, the Lions personnel are really going to have to work their big board when making their first selection.
This year I hope the Lions draft Defense, Defense and more Defense.  That is the major area of concern and the side of the ball that needs to be addressed before the start of the season.  They’ve resigned their entire team so far only losing CB Eric Wright who signed with Tampa Bay for a ridiculous amount of money.  This draft needs to focus on three positions of need; Linebacker, Defensive Back and Offensive Lineman.
The Lions no longer need to take the best available player because they need talent.  The Lions can focus on areas of need and really address positions that they lack skill in.  In this best case scenario, here are the three guys I think could be there for the Lions in the first three rounds of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Round 1 Janoris Jenkins CB North Alabama

You can’t teach talent and that is exactly what Jenkins possesses.  He’s got quick feet; he’s fast and has elite cover skills.  This is what the Lions need.  At 5-10 193 lbs, Jenkins is a great value pick with experience.  He played his college ball at Florida but was dismissed from the team due to drug related arrests and transferred to North Alabama for his senior season.  Jenkins plays physical bump and run football and sticks with receivers like glue.  The Lions schedule this year is loaded with Pro-Bowl receivers and they Lions will need the services of Jenkins to neutralize the passing game of their opponents.

Round 2 Mike Adams OL Ohio State

The Lions have to address their aging offensive line.  Jeff Backus is no spring chicken and it’ll be smart for the Lions to draft a young, powerful tackle to anchor to their running game and provide Matthew Stafford with protection.  At 6-7 323 lbs., Adams is very athletic for size.  He played for Ohio State and has experience playing in big time opponents in big time games.  His size and quickness would help in his dominance against defensive linemen and would be a great step for the Lions in revamping their offensive line.  Again, Adams is a great talent and if available, the Lions would be very smart to take him with the 54^th overall pick in the 2^nd round.

Round 3 Josh Robinson CB Central Florida

The Lions need another Cornerback to solidify their defensive backfield.  Robinson provides another potential answer for the Lions and gives them some sort of hope for finding a defensive back that actually is an NFL quality player.  At 5-11 199 lbs., Robinson probably has the best speed of 4.33 (40 yard dash) and the second highest vertical (38.5) of the draft.  Robinson in college played in a man-coverage defense and was an All-Conference USA selection.  He had a great combine and the Lions hope he somehow falls to them with the 85^th pick overall in the 3 round.

So there you have it, three guys that would fit the Lions tremendously for this upcoming season.  The Lions are in a position where they can focus on areas of need instead of the best available player at a position they may not need or want.  This is a sign they Lions are actually on the upswing heading in the right direction and in order to build on that momentum, the Lions should make these picks if possible.

As usual, don’t forget to follow me on twitter @sportsinthe313, like me on Facebook and come back tomorrow for Monday’s Weekend Recap where I touch on the Red Wings early exit and the Tigers troubles with the Rangers.      

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

That’s right, we are exactly one week out from one of my favorite days of the year; the NFL DRAFT. Its been a busy week for the Lions. The 2012-13 schedule was released and I’ll be the first to tell you, I’ve got the Lions having an identical record to last year, 10-6. For those of you that had a chance to take a peek at the schedule, I love the fact that the Lions are starting to play more nationally televised games because it’s a sign that the NFL sees the Lions as an up and coming team. They have a very tough road schedule with match-ups against San Francisco, Tennessee, Arizona, Philadelphia, and Jacksonville on top of their in-division opponents. Their home dates include match-ups with St. Louis, Seattle, Atlanta, Indianapolis and a Thanksgiving Day showcase against Houston with the remaining games inside the division. This schedule is no cake-walk by any means. They will be facing the eventual champion of the AFC South (Houston) NFC West (San Francisco) and NFC East (Philadelphia) and the Packers twice. That easily could be 5 losses so they’d have to be perfect the rest of the way to best last year’s record.

CONCERNS? Well, duh! To name a few, they are getting the televised attention that team with winning records receives. The Lions on the other hand have done anything but win in the last 20 years, and frankly you would be an idiot (http://bit.ly/Jivzyt) to think that the Lions are anywhere close to being NFL Elite. NEWSFLASH they have the exact same team as last year and unless they hit a homerun in the draft (DEFENSE DEFENSE DEFENSE) I do not see them improving on last year’s win total.

My thought process is based on the Lions schedule. Aside from having to face the Packers twice, the Bears bolstered their receiving core by reuniting Jay Cutler with Brandon Marshall and the Vikings Percy Harvin is no cake walk. On top of that, the Lions face Larry Fitzgerald, Kenny Britt, DeSean Jackson, Andre Johnson and Roddy White throughout the year. When I look at that line-up of Pro-Bowl caliber receivers and I look at this Lions roster which is already weak in their secondary, I do not see how they improve from last year without major improvements.

This is all the more reason why the draft is so important. Martin Mayhew has done a great job since taking over the Matt Millen era. He’s made sound draft choices and has done well with free agency and trades. Mayhew needs to stay the course and draft defense. It’s the only way the Lions start to earn these nationally televised games. The offense will be there. Matthew Stafford is the quarterback of the future and Megatron is the best receiver in the league. I will admit there is a hole at running back but that position has now become a “dime a dozen” spot where a team can call a guy who’s sitting on his couch one week and make him their starting running back the next week (Oh wait, the Lions already did that, right Kevin Smith?)

Stay tuned for my draft special this weekend where I breakdown potential fits for your 2012-13 Detroit Lions. As always, hit me up on Twitter @Sportsinthe313, like me on Facebook and drop me a comment!

So the Titanic sunk this past weekend...100 years ago

Since blogging is still fairly new to me, I'm trying to incorporate some sort of schedule so there are some consistencies with my posts. Monday posts will be "Weekend Recap" where I touch on all 4 sports and give a little rant about each. I also am going to incorporate more pictures and links to videos pertaining to my posts. So without further adieu...

As I mentioned, the grandest ship of them all sunk 100 years ago on April 15, 1912. On that same day, 100 years later we watched the Detroit Red Wings playoff hopes sink with the same shock and awe as they squandered a chance to reclaim home ice advantage. It's really a shame too because this isn't even quality hockey to watch. This team is good, but not great and what's even worse is that Nashville isn't much better because otherwise they'd be up 3-0 right now. The Wings are a 1 man team. They should be called the Detroit Datsyuk's because he's the only guy that is playing anything remotely close to Detroit Hockey. Franzen, Homer, Filppula, Hudler, Bert, even Zetterberg have all been non-factors in this series so far and it's extremely frustrating to watch, especially when you have the Flyers/ Pens and Rangers/Senators Circus. Now those are perfect combo series where they are high scoring (Wings have scored 7 total goals in 3 games and the Flyers have put up 16 in the last 2 games) and violent games. Big hits+Fights+Goals = great NHL game. And for all you hockey elite out there, save yourself the trouble and don't tell me that the Wings/Preds series is a great watch because it's real hockey. That's a load of crap and you all know it. This team needs a big shakeup this off-season regardless of what happens the rest of this series and beyond. They've made the playoffs 21 straight years having the same team year in and year out. Ken Holland will have to make some tough decisions and I hope we say goodbye to some familiar faces because this team has become too cozy. Tomorrow is a make or break and I don't need to go into that because it's pretty obvious. Get it together Wings or you'll be hitting the golf course much sooner than you want. I'm ready to hop on the Stamkos train - Stevie Y we're coming for him!

Moving on, well this will be short and sweet. I'll revisit the Lions as draft time approaches. It'll be non-stop speculation until then so I'm going to take time off from blowing that team up in smoke. Oh wait, the Lions has already been. (I know, corny joke that's been told over and over but hey, I wanted my opportunity)

Ah I'm just going to skip over the Pistons. I mean what's the point, the team sucks, the NBA sucks and until they realize that tanking is the only way to get better, this team isn't going anywhere. It'll also take a franchise player (found in the draft) to get this team back on David Stern's radar and ultimately back in the NBA.

Tigers, Tigers, Tigers. They take a 5-1 home stand to start the season and then blow 2 of 3 against the White Sox because they...couldn't score runs and couldn't play defense (Thanks Delmon Young but this isn't Dancing with the Stars). I guess they're starting pitching hasn't been too bad but considering that none of their starters (sans Por-cheezy) has a decision, I suppose there may be cause for concern. Verlander goes tonight against the Royals so things are looking up and with the tornado's in the Kansas City area, even Brando Inge could hit one out (scratch that, he'd just strike out, like he did yesterday). And so here it is, my big Inge-tirade. It's on the radio enough and its in the news enough that I don't need to beat the dead horse...again and again but I will say this. I thought it was funny today on the radio when I heard that another player for another team that had some rehab starts to start the year went something like 8-13 with 3 home runs and 7 RBIs in a could minor league games and good ol' Inge went 1-9 in the same span. All of these at bats are against kids, has-beens and never haves and all Ingey says is that they're aren't throwing him anything to hit. What a joke. Ilitch wants him to play because he's supposedly good at defense and Leyland plays him at DH and then to make matters worse, when was the last time any of you watched a MLB game and saw the DH get pulled with the bases loaded. It's become an embarrassment. Ryan Rugburn better start hitting or they better start playing Santiago more. A team with World Series potential cannot be dealing with Inge throughout this season. I say ship him over to New York so Inge and Tebow can have joint press conferences. Now how crazy would that be??

There's no whining in hockey

So playoff hockey is upon us and our Detroit Red Wings start another quest for the cup. Round 1 is against Nashville, a team that I wanted to avoid since the trade deadline. They've done much more to their lineup than the Wings and this is their one shot at really making a run for the cup. Nashville is going all in now because if they don't the next time they have a shot at the cup will be when they're playing in Quebec (fingers crossed). The Wings on the other hand have dealt with injury after injury and honestly their lineup just isn't that great. They have too many "role-players" and not enough plain talent. The drop off from Pavel Datsyuk to Danny Cleary is huge and sure, I like a player like Darren Helm but he's nothing more than a younger version of Kris Draper.

The matchup with the Predators is all wrong. Aside from the experience factor, I think the Pred's have a better line-up than the Wings. They're bigger on defense, better in net and their forwards may not have the street cred that the Wings have but look at the series right now, 1-0 Nashville. The bottom line is the Wings should have avoided this first round matchup at all costs. If Pavel doesn't score the game tying goal in the last regular season game, the Wings are prepping for the Coyotes, a team they've dominated in the playoffs.

Game One last night was a garbage fire of a game, not only for the Wings but for the NHL. You've got referees calling every ticky tack play, disrupting the flow and making for an overall poor showing on the NHL's behalf. I know Bettman was in the crowd, CBC and FSD telecasts both made note of it but that doesn't mean the game is meant to suffer. 13 penalties called, no momentum, no flow, just a tough watch.

But this is what Wings fans wanted. They wanted Nashville, they wanted to not have to travel to the left coast, they wanted Datsyuk to tie the score in the final game of the season to secure the fifth playoff spot. This is what you all wanted and that is why I don't want to hear any of the excuses for why the Red Wings lost that game last night. Don't blame it on Bettman, don't blame it on the officials, don't blame it on bad luck - no blame yourselves.

I don't like picking against my own teams, but I can read a scenario and know that facing Nashville in the first round with a Red Wings team that's been fighting injuries and just isn't as complete as the Predators is an uphill battle. The Wings need to buckle down and play Detroit Hockey. Tomorrow's game is a great chance to steal the series as it heads back to Detroit this weekend. Play hard, play fast and play smart and after tomorrow the next time the Wings play in Nashville they could be a game away from advancing to the second round.

Hit me up on twitter or check me out on facebook, I'm going for a run - I'll check you guys tomorrow.

-Cooper