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.