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