Bring on Another Young

Tigers acquired Delmon Young from the Minnesota Twins in a trade on Monday. They gave up Lester Oliveros (who was the player to be named later) and Cole Nelson, a single A reliever... So who cares?

Clearly it was a salary dump for the Twins, they decided to get something for Young while they could before he went to arbitration, which he's eligible for next season.

The Twins placed Young on waivers and the Tigers claimed him. The Twins then worked out a deal with Detroit and here we are.

Ironically enough, Young made his debut against said Twins. And in his first Tiger at-bat, he homered. Young in his first series as a Tiger showed that he can make an impact with his bat. And frankly anyone out in right field is a better option than Magglio... except Raburn...

But this move is an absolute perfect move for the Tigers. Young was a former number one pick, he's only 25, and last year had a pretty damn good year hitting .298 with 21 home runs and 112 RBIs.

Young has struggled so far this year and has been hampered by injuries, but there's no doubt that hitting front of Cabrera will help Young get those numbers back up.

This move makes the Tigers an even greater front runner for the AL Comedy Central, so long as Leyland doesn't over-manage us out of another division title.

Rewarded for What?

Earlier this week, Mike Illitch decided that Dave Dombrowski nd Jim Leyland have earned themselves contract extensions. A four-year extension for Dombrowski and a one-year deal for Leyland.

But warranted this extension? What did they do to earn it?

Well let's see... The Tigers have been in first place for a month... And that's about it.

That apparently is good enough for the Tiger organization. But it's not good enough for me, and it shouldn't be for you.

Let's look at this like we're Wings fans (which we are in Detroit.) Would you accept one postseason trip, no championships from the Wings? Would accept One division title in 20+ years? Would accept constant second half collapses? The answer to all these questions is NO.

Okay, I know the Tigers and the Red Wings are two different franchises with two different standards... But why can't we expect our team to make it to the playoffs? Why can't we expect the Tigers to with the AL Comedy Central? With guys like Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander and our high payroll, we should demand success.

Yet there seems to be an acceptance of "almost" succeeding. It wasn't too long ago the Tigers were the worst team in baseball, I get that. But those days are gone. We have legitimate talent and should be in the postseason and should win division titles.

Before I rip these two apart, I will give them credit for turning this franchise around. Dombrowski has made plenty of mistakes, and he'll get a pass in this blog because he's showing he wants to win this year with the moves he's made. (Yet giving him the four-year extension was premature) But the moves he's made prove he's trying to earn it.

But on the other hand, there's Jim Leyland. If I ran this team he would have been fired last year, but I don't. His antics and hunches paid off in '06, and too many Tiger fans I here gave him a pass, he got us a taste of "success" that we're not used to and he's got us in some pennant races.

But he hasn't won anything. Every Tiger team under Leyland has underachieved, and every Tiger team under Leyland has collapsed in the second half.

Let's look at 2008, shall we? We tied the Twins that year. What did Leyland do down the stretch? He rested Polanco. He rested a guy who was lights out at the plate in a pennant chase...

What's he doing this year? His same crazy insane resting schedule expect now it's worse than ever. We trade for Betemit, and rarely plays, yet all he does is get the job done. He sat four regulars in the series finale against Texas, basically throwing the game. We see the best line up we have about once a week.

He refuses to get Magglio out of the three hole despite his lack of speed, hitting, power, and everything else that matters. He insists on playing Andy Dirks, Ryan Raburn on "hunches." He has one of our best hitters this year hitting 8th in Avila, he gives star players too many days off. Peralta, Martinez, Betemit, and Boesch need to play almost every day and Miggy needs to be in the line up everyday.

His over-managing is clearly costing us games. Every Tiger fan knows it. He rests guys despite having an off day the next day, he takes out Betemit, a switch hitter, for Don Kelly because of "match-ups" and he'll play guys like Dirks and Raburn on "hunches."

Some say the best managers manage with their gut. I can agree to a point... I say, the best managers play their best line up and play the guys that are producing. The best managers WIN.

Bottom line, giving these two contract extensions before we've won anything is a mistake. Their jobs should have been in limbo until they actually closed the deal and won the pennant. I can see the division lead dwindling, and as September rolls around... I fully anticipate Leyland and the boys continuing their annual tradition of abismal performances when it matters.

Crash and Burn... The August Tradition

Bob Bradley Gets Das Boot

On Thursday, US Soccer announced that it was relieving Bob Bradley of his duties. Not too much of a surprise, but to me it still was surprising.

The timing is what confused me. I think it's better for teams to have the same coach for the four years leading up to a world cup, so if Bradley were to be let go, it should have been after the 2010 World Cup.

But I think I know why US Soccer made the decision it did and when it did... They finally made an agreement with Juergen Klinsmann, the perfect fit to lead US Soccer to it's full potential.

He wasn't hired after Bruce Arena probably because back then US Soccer wasn't willing to give him as much control and power as he wanted. But now, Sunil Gulati is willing to give him the keys and drive the car.

Klinsmann has got a great resume, winning a World Cup as a player with Germany in 1990 and leading Germany to a third place finish in 2006. He brings that World Cup experience that no one in US Soccer has and it will be an invaluable piece to getting this team to compete with the big boys of the world.

It's the perfect hire for US Soccer, and it shows that we are taking soccer seriously, and are looking to take it up to the net level. Klinsmann is the perfect man at the helm to get the job done.

Lockout Over, Free Agent Frenzy Follows

The lockout is over (HOOOORAY) and the free agency frenzy has been well underway. There have been a ton of a moves, and a lot of moving and shaking over the past few days, but how involve were the Lions?

The Lions didn't make any big splashes, but that made some good moves. They weren't going to get Nnamdi Asomugha, Jonathon Joseph wasn't out of the question, but it would have really limited what the Lions could do to fill other holes.

Detroit Lions Offseason Grade: B (thus far)
The Lions did a good job of filling holes on defense and bringing in quality guys. Justin Durant is a solid linebacker, but has had some injury problems, not somebody I wanted, but they got him for a fair price (I guess.) Rashied Davis is a signing that makes me go "meh." We needed a veteran 4th wide out, but there were other guys I would have liked to see us pursue (Brandon Stokley in particular.) Eric Wright is a guy that showed some talent, but was abysmal last year in Cleveland. But the best signings were Steven Tulloch and the resigning of Chris Houston. Without those two signings, the offseason would be an F. That's how much I like that these signings.

I would have liked to have seen the Lions sign these guys instead (all guys signed for doable contracts) Brandon Stokley, Barret Ruud, Nick Barnett, Chris Houston, and one of the veteran corners that were cut, like a Nate Clements.

Obviously, I am not a GM, I don't know what it would have taken to get those guys, some or all, but those were guys I would have liked to see in Detroit next season.

But the Lions did a good job of addressing needs with good value guys. Expect them to be competing for a potential playoff spot next year.

Justin Verlander is Really Really Good

Justin Verlander is a stud.

Now that the obvious is out of the way, let's seriously look at Verlander's career for a bit.

When he came up in 2006, we all knew he was special. He won the American Rookie of the Year Award, posting an impressive 17-9 record. He was an integral part in that magical team that made that surprising run all the way to the World Series.

He didn't hit that sophomore slump, posting an 18-6 record with a solid 3.66 ERA in 07. He also threw a no hitter against the Brewers.

08 Was a blip on the radar (11-19) 09 he put up a career best 19 wins, and then last year he put up 18 wins.

He's got the numbers, but what's been missing from Verlander's career? He's never been one of the elite, like a Roy Halladay, a Cliff Lee, a Roger Clemmons back in the day.
*DISCLAIMER* I AM NOT SAYING THAT HE ISN'T OR WASN'T GREAT, all I'm saying is that he never was one of the elite pitchers in baseball. But he's always had the stuff to be a top five pitcher, but he always seemed to be missing that mean streak. When Verlander was on the mound, you expected great things, but it wasn't a lock that he would mow down hitter after hitter.

But this season, we've seen the Verlander we've all been waiting for. He's finally dialed it up a notch and now has joined the ranks of the elite. He's now being talked about as a Cy Young candidate. He's now taking the jump into the elite.

Verlander is 15-5 with a 2.24 ERA, a 0.87 whip, 178 strikeouts in 181 innings pitched. Those are the numbers you expect from a true ace, from an elite pitcher. Teams that want to win and compete for championships need an ace that can put up numbers like that. Every time Verlander takes the mound, you expect to win. It's what all Tiger fans have been waiting for from him.

Verlander has been absolutely dominate lately, including throwing a now hitter through 7 2/3 today against the Angels, out dueling Jered Weaver. He threw his second no hitter of his career against the Blue Jays, and has taken a no hitter into the 8th three times this year. He's been simply amazing this year, and we should expect this for years to come.

Oh, and I am gonna go out and say it, Justin Verlander will win the 2011 Cy Young Award.

The Moments of Glory

There are so many things about sports that make them great. How they unite us under one cause, or how they give us an escape from our everyday lives. There is no greater thrill in the world of sports for a player or a fan than those moments, where everything is on the line. And when the stakes are so high, there is bound to be a hero with his moment of glory that shall never be forgotten and forever revered by fans everywhere.

Recently, I'd been looking back at some great moments that stick with me, and it got me to thinking... What is my favorite sport's memory. What moment will forever stick with me no matter how old I become. Every sports fan has that moment they will never forget (except for Cub fans, well they don't have good moments anyways) so why not take a look at some...

My first great sports memory and one of my favorites of all time is without a doubt, this one: Darren McCarty's magical goal in Game 4 of the 1997 Stanley Cup finals.


I'll never forget this goal. I may have been just a tike, but I will never forget this. I was uncontrollably excited. I knew what the goal did. One of the greatest moments in Red Wing History.

Staying with the Wings... This is something that made me cry. I will never forget this, and it will stick with me forever. He was my favorite player. Vladimir Konstantinov getting the cup.


I'll never forget this one... I used to be a Tiger nut (admittedly my passion for them as gone down out of sheer disappointment) but back then I watched every game that I could. And when my Tiger walked up to the plate, I said to my friends "This one's over. Home Run, chalk it"

We then ran around the neighborhood with brooms yelling "SWEEP SWEEP, WORLD SERIES BOUND, THE TIGERS ARE WORLD SERIES BOUND"

Of all these moments, this one may be my favorite, it was definitely the most emotional. The United States World Cup victory over Algeria
I had to stream this game at work on my computer. We (I, my brother, and Jam {coworker}) have our own little room that's no where near anyone else and was closed off. Jam and I were huddled up to my computer, both of us hoping for that game winning goal.
It was stoppage time, and the US needed a goal. I felt like someone had ripped my heart out and stomped on it. I knew the odds were against us getting that essential goal. We had one called off that was CRUCIAL. I felt completely deflated. Then Tim Howard made an easy save, and made an excellent throw to midfield to Landon Donavon who had space. As the build up grew, so did my feeling of hope and anxiety. I watched... Donavon went wide to Jozy Altidore, who played a ball in, Dempsey denied at the door step. I felt like someone punched me in the gut... Then I saw a streaking Donavon making a run at the ball. And here's how it went down...


When Donavon burried that goal I wanted to jump and run around screaming and celebrating, but remembering I was at work, I didn't. But you guys know me, I had to do something... I high-fived and hugged Jam, I jumped up and down, quietly going "YESSSS GOAL GOAL GOOOOAL" and did a little shimmy to cap it off. I was so ecstatic, I couldn't believe it.

And for those of you that want to make fun of me for being that invested in soccer, watch this video. It gives me chills and tears me up every time. If only there had been a camera in my office, I could have been in it. Oh well.


So now, I ask you, the readers, I tweeted earlier that this was going to be a fun one and I want you to participate. So here's your chance. In the comment section, I want you to write in your favorite sports moment. Was it one of the ones I included? or was it some other moment. Tell me, what were you doing, where were you, all that fun jazz. Maybe your favorite sports moment has nothing to do with a championship but just the people you were with, that's cool. But I encourage you to leave a comment telling me your "Moment of Glory" story and have some fun with this.

Wings Down, But Not Out

Our beloved Red Wings find themselves in a similar position as they did last year; down 0-2 to the Sharks heading back home in round two, needing a win in the worst way. Last year, San Jose beat Detroit in five games, with all four losses coming by just one goal. San Jose won the first two games by, you guessed it, one goal.

Last year, Detroit lost the first game in Detroit by a goal, pretty much sealing their fate. This year, Detroit needs to find away to get this series back to San Jose tied 2-2. The question is, can they do it?

Yes.

There is one key difference to this year's team and last year's team: Jimmy Howard. Last year, Howard was weak in the playoffs and weak against San Jose. This year, he's the only thing the Wings can hang their hat on. If there's one thing I'm never worried about coming around, it's our goal scoring. The home crowd will help, and we're shaking off the rust.

Franzen and Zetterberg needs to get going. Without these two producing at the level they're capable of, we stand no chance. Zetterberg had the only goal in game two, and will only get better with more playing time. As for Franzen, Babcock needs to consider letting him sit out a game. The ankle injury is affecting his play dramatically and is clearly still not 100%. Maybe it will never be, but he may need to sit out a game. But the games are far too important at this time to willingly take out such an important piece to our offense. This is why I don't want Babcock's job.

Game Three is the most important game of the Wings' season so far, and they need to come out of it with a win. We haven't seen much in the first two games to give us hope, and if the hockey gods were in our favor we could easily be at 1-1 or even 2-0. But them's the breaks.

The Detroit Red Wings will come out hungry and rejuvenated by the home crowd, however, the Sharks will be able to match their intensity. I'm taking Detroit in a tight one, 3-2.

LET'S GO RED WINGS

Fairley Ridiculous

Real quick, I don't have much time before I need to head up North, but I want to tell you guys my thoughts on the pick of Nick Fairley...

I don't like it. I know where it makes sense, having two guys up front in Fairley and Suh for years to come is a great plan, but there are other positions needed to make a great defense, one of those being corner. Prince Amukamara was the guy I wanted and the guy I felt the Lions needed to pick. They have one of the worse corners and secondary in the NFL, and it needed improvement.

Fairley was the best talent available, however Prince was right there with him and he filled a need. I don't agree with picking a guy that's a stretch (like Jimmy Smith if he were the best corner left) just to fill a need, but Prince is no slouch, rated 10th on Mel's big board I believe.

What concerns me is that Fairley slid for a reason. He was top five talent that went 13th overal and I don't know why. I also don't like the fact that he played under Gene Chizick, was a JUCO transfer, and really was a one year guy like Cam Newton (13 games played his first year, 2 starts.)

Prince has the potential to be a damn good corner, and I still feel that he was the better pick.

Look for the Lions to address linebacker or cornerback in round two, my money being on Brandon Harris, the corner from Miami. But if Akeem Ayers (LB UCLA) or Aaron Williams (CB Texas) if they're still there when the Lions pick.

Best First Round Ever

Hockey playoffs are something I look forward to every year. Every year I predict the Wings to win the Cup, this year is no different, and every year I'm never disappointed by all the great hockey. Okay, so 2009 was a huge disappointment, but hey, the Stanley Cup going seven games, does it get any better?

Round one of this years postseason has been beyond the shadow of any doubt, the best first round in my lifetime and probably many people's lifetime. It had everything a hockey fan could ask for. Tight games, tight series, heated games filled with emotion, it had everything.

Let's recap things real quick.

Wings took care of business and swept the Coyotes, who reportedly have played their last games there. (Read a story, can't find it, saying that Phoenix is moving, announcement Friday I believe.) Detroit get's the much needed time off to get guys healthy.
Washington took care of the Rangers in 5, the games were good and tightly matched in this series and Lundquist played fantastic in every game.

Those were the boring series, now let's get to the good stuff. Real quick fun fact though, the first round featured 9 straight days with a game going to overtime. Does it get any better than that?

We saw the near collapse of Luongo at the hands of Chicago. The Blackhawks continue to be the bane of Vancouver's existence. The Habs and Bruins met in the first round... again... and The road team won the first four games, then the home team won the next three, advancing Boston to the second round.
San Jose went to overtime three times in their six game series with LA. LA went 0-3 at home, and I blame the jerseys.
Tampa Bay rallied from down 3-1 to beat the Crosby-less Penguins in 7. Nashville took out the Ducks in 6 in a series I was excited about, but could rarely watch. Buffalo almost pulled off the round one upset over the Flyers, they lost game six at home in overtime and then got destroyed 5-2 in game seven.

Four of the Eight first round matchups went seven games, and every series was filled with great hockey that was fun to watch. One can only hope this continues on to the next round. And on a side note, I got 7 out of 8 round one winners right, so I got that going for me which is nice.

Real quick round two predictions.

Washington-Tampa Bay: Capitals in Six: Key Matchup: Ovechkin vs Stamkos. Stamkos started to show up, but he's been absent for the most part going on 30+ games. Alexander, however, has been doing his thing. In round one he didn't carry the load because he didn't have to, but he will if need be. Tampa won't stop him.

Boston-Philadelphia: Boston in Six: Key Matchup: Boston special teams vs Flyer Goalie situation: Both of these were awful in round one, the Flyers goalies being worse of the two. Boston needs to get the powerplay going to win this series.

Vancouver-Nashville: Canucks in Six: Key matchup: Luongo vs Rinne. Will Roberto collapse, and can Rinne stand on his head because he will have to if Nashville wants to pull off the upset.

Detroit-San Jose: Detroit in Six. Key Matchup: Lidstrom and Stuart vs Thornton line. Also key to watch here is the play of Jimmy Howard. If he plays like he did in round one, we'll be fine. But the matchup to watch is Lidstrom's pairing verse the Thornton line. San Jose is loaded with other weapons, but if this line gets going, the Wings are in deep trouble. They also have to do a better job at staying out of the box and a better job of killing penalties. That was the one thing they did poorly in round one and it will kill them against the Sharks. However I'm taking the Wings. I think they're a better team, and I'm counting on San Jose to do their thing and collapse in the post season.

Don't you guys love playoff hockey?

Eastern Conference Preview

The East... Everything crazy that happens in the playoffs comes out of the East... A 7 vs 8 in the Conference Final, the Flyers coming back from 3-0 to beat the Bruins. Every year it's something different from the East. But one thing remains the same every year... It's going to be one entertaining postseason.

With all the wild and crazy Hockey that goes on in the East, predicting this mess is going to be tricky... but damn it sure will be fun! Let's have at it, shall we?

Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers: Capitals in 6
A pretty interesting 1-8 matchup, Rangers got the last spot over the Cam Wards and as their reward, they get the Alexander Ovechkin's. I stated in another blog that I usually go for the team with the better goaltender... but I can't pick against the Caps (yet.) They're peaking at the right time. Henrik Lundqvist is one of the leagues best and is capable of stealing games, but is he good enough to steal the series? Yes, but not this one. The Caps offense is too strong.
Key Matchup: Capitals Powerplay vs Rangers Penalty Kill/ Lundqvist
Washington had one of the best powerplays... last season. This year it inexplicably struggled. Ovechkin struggled running the point, then they traded for Dennis Wideman and Jason Arnott, which was supposed to allow Ovechkin to no longer need to run the point. But with an injury to Wideman, Ove finds himself right back on the blue line. The key here is can they get the powerplay going or will it continue to struggle. The Rangers have a solid penalty kill (10th in the league at 83.7%) and if they can shut down the Caps powerplay, they have a chance.

Philadelphia Flyers vs Buffalo Sabers: Flyers in 6
To be honest, I am completely unimpressed with the Flyers. They're a solid team, a good team. Jeff Carter is a damn good player, and they've been playing good most of the year. But who's in net for them? Seriously? Which goalie are they going with? Bobrovsky? Leighton? Boucher? Worst goalie situation in the playoffs. Then we look at Buffalo, who has the best goalie in the NHL between the pipes. But they have zero offense. They made a great turn around, but they aren't good enough to make it past the first round. Miller will steal a few games.
Key Matchup: Bobrovsky vs Miller
Bobrovsky doesn't have to out perform Ryan Miller, because he won't but if he struggles the Flyers will lose. As for Miller, if he doesn't stand on his head and play like the best goalie in the league then the Sabers will lose. One goalie needs to be average, the other needs to be amazing.

Boston Bruins vs Montreal Canadiens: Canadiens in 6
I told the boys at the OU hockey show I liked Boston to win the East, but I was mostly sticking to my preseason prediction. Now that we have the match-ups, I have to go with the Habs. Despite my feelings of Carey Price he has had a fantastic year, the I love the Habs style of play. This one is mostly a gut feeling, no big reason why besides I like the way the Habs have been playing and don't think the Bruins are good enough lines 1-4.
Key Matchup: Tim Thomas vs Carey Price
Will Tim Thomas be able to keep up the play? Will Carey Price crumble under the pressure like usual. Whichever goalie maintains their solid play will determine the winner of the series.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Tamba Bay Lightning: Lightning in 7
This is probably going to be the best series of the first round. Both offensive minded teams with a young core, this should be a series filled with exciting action and a lot of goals. Why am I picking Tampa? No Crosby, No Malkin. Oh and that Steven Stamkos guy is pretty good.
Key Matchup: Pittsburgh Defense vs Stamkos line
THe Penguins only shot at winning this series depends on how their defense handles the Stamkos line. If that line is allowed to get rolling and start scoring. Game Over.

Western Conference Preview

Hello my friends, tis I, the Beard(less) Fellow. I am indeed clean shaven, but that's because it's time to shave and grow a new beard for the playoffs. It's been far too long since I've posted, but those are details not meant to be expanded upon in this post.

You know you all want to know my take on the playoffs, so let's do this, who's going to win it all? Who's going down in flames? And who will grow the fiercest beard?

Let's start in the West, because that's the conference that shall yield the Stanley Cup Champion: Yeah I said it, deal with it.

Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks: Vancouver in 5
Vancouver has been the best team and most consistent team in the NHL all year long. The powerplay is the definition of damn near perfect. Chicago will not be able to stop the Canucks powerplay. They lost much of their core from last year, so this is a much different team, also factor in a rookie goalie, and you're looking at a quick and quiet exit from the defending champs.
Matchup to watch: Sedin twins vs Seabrook and Keith
During the Wings game this pairing was on the ice for almost every one of Datsyuk's shift. Expect the same treatment.

San Jose Sharks vs Los Angelas Kings: Sharks in 6
This was a tough series to call. I could easily see the Sharks dropping to the Kings. But I believe the Sharks take one in LA and win all three at home. Should be a good series though. The difference is Anze Kopitar, or lack there of. Without him, the Kings will fight, but ultimately not advance.
Key Matchup: Drew Doughty pairing or Jack Johnson pairing vs Thornton line
Doughty and Johnson are both talented young defensemen, which ever pairing goes against Jumbo Joe's line will be tested all series long. If they stop that line, they can stop the sharks. (Key is stop the LINE, not just Jumbo.)

Anaheim Ducks vs Nashville Predators: Predators in 7
4-5 match-ups are always interesting. This series is one I will be watching closely. Both teams are tough, physical teams and are always tough outs for their playoff opponents. The Ducks have been red hot lately, and will come out hot in this series. I want to pick the Ducks, but when I looked at the teams, there's one big difference between them: Goaltending. Pekka Rinne is far superior to Jonas Hiller. Won't be shocked if the Ducks win, but I have to take the team with the better goalie.
Key Matchup: Pekka Rinne vs Jonas Hiller
Hiller has shown some signs of brilliance (Switzerland vs Canada) but is overal, inconsistent and an average goalie. Rinne is one of those guys that can stand on his head and steal a game or two, or even a series. This series will be decided by which goalie plays better.

And the only series you guys really care about...

Detroit Red Wings vs Phoenix Coyotes: Wings in 5
Last year these teams met in a thrilling 7 game series in which the Wings won. Now we have a rematch, and this time Detroit has home ice. All match-ups in today's NHL are relatively even, and that goes for this one too... However having said that, Detroit is the deepest team in the NHL, in my humble opinion... Sure they've struggled lately, but this is the time that we get things together. Hank being out hurts, but we can survive without Hank for a couple of games, but Kronwall is back which will help sure up the blue-line, which has been sloppy to end the season. Call me a homer if you must, but I do believe that Detroit is going to hit their stride and make a deep run. It starts with this series, and I believe Detroit is a better team in almost every key area than the Coyotes.
Key Matchup: Red Wings powerplay vs Ilya Bryzgalov
The Red Wings have this nasty habit of running into a hot goaltender in the playoffs. The key to this series will be Detroit's ability to get goals on the man advantage. If they don't have a successful powerplay against Phoenix and Bryzgalov starts making big saves, it could spark the Coyotes and propel them to a few wins.

Let the Madness Begin!

AAAAAHHHHH YES, it's that time again. Grap your lucky Number 2 Pencil, your lucky pair of underwear, and your official copy of the NCAA TOurnament 2011 Bracket, because it's time for some good ol' March Madness...

As defending champ, it'd be wise to take my advise, but I'm not here to give you guys my bracket, but rather just a bit of insight into the genius that is my brain... But all kidding aside, I've gotten the past few national champions right, and usually I am right, but I'll be honest, what I say isn't gold, and will probably be wrong, but let's just have some fun, shall we?

Before I start telling you guys my favorites, sleepers, and frauds, let's take a gander at the field... and who didn't get invited to the party.

Right off the bat, UAB and VCU have no business being in, and leaving out Va Tech, Colorado, and St. Mary's are all unforgivable crimes of snubbery. UAB, VCU and USC should not be in, and the three mentioned above should. It's a no brainer. I want to be on the selection committee because I want to know how they decide these things. I listen to the experts, look at all the resumes, look at quality wins, road wins, SOS, RPI, all that good stuff... and yet the last teams in and the teams that are snubbed never make any sense to me... Those three teams got shafted, no doubt about it.

But let's look at who's actually in. BEfore we do that, actually I want to point out that MY prediction of the four one seeds was right and Lanardi's was WRONG. Check it, there's proof on my Facebook AND Twitter of my prediction. Lanardi had Notre Dame, and so did almost every other "expert." Chalk one up for the Bearded Fellow...

But that's enough tomfoolery, let's get down to the niddy-griddy... I'm not going to go game-by-game, but I will give some predictions, upset specials, and some other insights of the bracket... I haven't filled out a bracket yet, so no, I won't tell you my Natty Title Favorite, but I will probably Wednesday.

Predictions:
Big Ten will go 7-0 in round one.
I like everyone's match up in round one. State got a great draw of UCLA, Penn State has winnable matchup verse Temple, Michigan can easily beat Tennessee. Tennessee is short and relies on the three, perfect match up for them. Illinois also got a good draw playing UNLV. The other 3 are all favored, so it will be a good round for the Big Ten.

Upset Specials:
Oakland vs Texas
I loved Oakland no matter who they were playing, but Texas is a bad draw for them... having said that, Oakland can still definitely win this. Keith Benson is the best player you've never heard of, and he can dominate a game in the paint. Don't be surprised when the Golden Grizzles surprise the Longhorns.
Missouri vs Cincinnati
Cinci is one of those 11 teams in from the Big East, so that means they're good right? Wrong. Well Wrong to an extent, they're solid, you have to be to finish with a good record in that conference, but they are very beatable in this matchup with Missouri. If you're looking for an upset, this could be one.
Kansas State vs Utah State
If there is any game in this field that screams upset, it's this one. Kansas State underachieved, then overachieved. They are a one man team, and they live and die with Jacob Pullen, a recipe for disaster. Utah State is better than their seed, they will win this game, calling it right now.

Toughest Region: East Region
Ohio State, North Carolina, Syracuse, Kentucky... Enough said right?

Easiest Road to the Final Four: Pittsburgh
Pitt is in the weakest region, the Southeast Region. Pitt is the one, and the two seed, what's supposed to be their toughest competition... Florida... HOW IS FLORIDA A TWO??? Kentucky destroyed them in the SEC tournament and Florida is a two... that makes sense. BYU and Wisconsin are the next highest seeds, so yeah, Pitt is in the Final Four.

Sleepers:
Michigan State: They benefit from an easy draw with UCLA, then probably Florida, tehy could surprise a few people and bust some brackets, like Doug Gottlieb's (He has Florida in the Final Four, EW)
Duke: They're a one seed, but I don't hear anyone talking about them. Two great seniors, one great coach, and a deep team that is very versatile. They will make a run.
UCONN: They will go as far as Kemba will take them, and Kemba can take them far, he is a great player, and the team is solid around him.

Avoid at All Cost:
Notre Dame: FRAUDS! I've been saying it all year. THey take bad shots, and rely on Ben Hansborough, who takes way too many bad threes. But what will really be their downfall is their 7 man rotation.
BYU: Come on, do I really need to put this team on here? Jimmer will not take them to the promise land, they're too weak, especially without Davies.

A Different Kind of Consequence of Sex

We all know the risks of sex right? STDs, babies, awkward encounters for the rest of your life, maybe she lied about her age, blah blah more witty answers. But how about getting kicked off a team? You're probably thinking, "Oh, must have slept with the coaches daughter..." Well I guess he may have, if the coaches daughter is also his girlfriend.

Brandon Davies, a sophomore forward at Brigham Young University, has been dismissed from the team for having sex with his girlfriend. I can't make this stuff up people.

And it's not like Davies is a scrub, he's arguably their second best player, and on Wednesday New Mexico proved that they need more than just Jimmer to win, beating BYU 82-64. BYU was in the driver's seat for a one-seed, one that this blogger feels they did NOT deserve.

But how can a school or a team kick a player off for having sex, you ask? We have freedoms, right? Well right off the bat, BYU is a private school, so no on the freedoms. Trust me, 12 years of private school have taught me that.

But BYU can kick him off the team because by having premarital sex violated the schools Honor Code. Yes, BYU has an honor code that all students must comply with. This honor code, which you can check out, includes such gems as no profanity, no use of alcohol or tobacco, living a chaste and virtuous life, and my favorite a dress code.

Coincidentally, I learned by reading this honor code that I am in violation of BYU's code. "Men are expected to be clean-shaven; beards are not acceptable." Oh darn...

Well, I guess I have to give credit to BYU for sticking to their guns. With so many programs allowing their players get away with pretty much anything and still allowing them to play, it's refreshing to see a university implement rules and actually enforce them, as absurd as the honro code may be, at least they're sticking to it.

Bearded Bracketology

As selection Sunday nears, everyone is asking the same questions, who's in and who's out. But quite frankly I find none of Lanardi's last four in and last four out to matter because they change literally everyday. But since some of you want to know and have asked for my take on things, it's time for some Bearded Bracketology. Let's do this...

Teams In: Three teams that went from my bubble or even out of the dance that have played their ways in the tournament and pretty much can't play their ways out:
Georgia: 19-9 (8-6) 35 RPI, 27 SOS, 3-9 vs RPI top 50
They are a team that seem to be randomly having a good year, but with a good season and some pretty good resume numbers, Georgia will be dancing.

Kansas State: 21-9 (9-6) 22 RPI, 6 SOS, 3-6 vs top 50
The way they were struggling I thought they were going to be a huge disappointment with high preseason expectations, but with recent huge wins over Kansas and Texas and the Wildcats taking care of business verse bad teams, they find themselves safely in the tournament.

Michigan State: 16-12 (8-8) 40 RPI, 5 SOS, 2-8 vs top 50
I said a few weeks ago I didn't think they'd make it, because I honestly thought any tough game they'd lose and they were playing so poorly it looked as though the team has given up. But now they're playing witha purpose and look like a dangerous team.

Last Four In:
Michigan 18-12 (8-9) 57 RPI 23 SOS 2-8 vs RPI top 50
I feel like they have some more work to do, make some noise in the Big Ten Tournament, but if selection day was today, the Wolverines would be in. A team that had zero expectations to start this season, the fact they are even on the bubble is a testamant to John Beilein's great coachign job this year.

Memphis: 21-8 (9-5) 34 RPI 42 SOS 5-4 vs top 50
Sure, they play in a weak conference that they aren't going to win, but those numbers are good, and if it were an ACC team with those numbers, then they'd be in for sure. Memphis gets the nod.

Colorado: 18-11 (7-7) 77 RPI 82 SOS 5-6 vs top 50
Those numbers aren't spectacular, but the 5-6 vs the top 50 is impressive. They are in right now, but I think the winner of the season finale between Colorado and Nebraska determines which of these two will go to the dance.

Richmond: 22-7 (11-3) 62 RPI 170 SOS 1-3 vs top 50
I love the RIchmond Spiders, the SOS is weak but I feel that they are a solid team deserving of a NCAA bid.

First Four Out:
Alabama: 19-10 (11-4) 87 RPI 156 SOS 2-3 vs top 50
Ignore the record and look at strength of schedule. With an SOS that weak you cannot afford to be in "bubble talk" because you won't get in. Bama does not deserve a bid, they can help themselves by beating Georgia, but they should not be dancing.

Nebraska: 19-10 (7-8) 72 RPI 59 SOS 3-6 vs top 50
They are a win over Colorado away from dancing, this was a tough cut but right now, I have them out.

Baylor: 18-11 (7-8) 78 RPI, 48 SOS, 2-5 vs top 50
Beat Texas and you'll be in, but honestly, nothing about Baylor has impressed me this year. No dance for you!

Clemson: 19-9 (8-6) 69 RPI 108 SOS 2-4 vs top 50.
That SOS is very weak, but they are a win over Duke away from playing themselves into the tournament. But otherwise, they haven't impressed me enough to get into the big dance.

NHL Trade Deadline WInners and Losers.

The NHL trade deadline has come and gone, and quite frankly, it was kinda boring. No big deals and no deals made here in Detroit. Rumors were out there of a deal with the Atlanta Thrashers that would send us Zach Bogosian for Jiri Hudler, Jonathan Eriksson or Jakub Kindl and a 1st rounder. Personally, I would have done this deal, but I can never honestly say that Ken Holland made a mistake; I'm not sure if I can ever question him. He's been right so often.

But other teams were wheelin and dealin at the deadling, let's take a look at the Trade Deadline: WInners and Losers

WInners:
Los Angelas Kings:
Picking up Dustin Penner is a great move. Penner will bring a little extra to an already good team and perhaps give them an extra push as they try to win the division and get home ice in the first round. I really like the extra offensive threat Penner brings and am curious to see where LA puts him

Washington Capitals:
Picking up Jason Arnott as a pig forward that can run a point on the powerplay will really help for the Caps as they push for a cup. Washington's powerplay ranks 25th this season, and I imagine with the addition of Arnott, Ovechkin will no longer be running a point on the powerplay. They also need some production from the second line center, and they think Arnott is their guy. We'll see. I also like the acquisition of defenseman Dennis Wideman from Florida, should help solidify the blue line.

Pittsburgh Penguins:
The deals they made leading to the deadline for Alexi Kovelev, James Neal, and Matt Niskanen will go a long way to improving the injury-ravaged Penguins.

Aaaand the Losers:
New York Rangers:
They banked on Brad Richards, didn't get him. On top of that, Marty Biron broke his collarbone... big who cares right? Well Piere thinks that's a big deal... Anyways, they didn't improve and didn't get Richards. Losers.

Minnesota Wild:
They are in a logjam playoff race in the Western Conference and they sit on their hands. This could be a very costly mistake and I think it will be. With Kovu out for a while, they needed to try to pick up some scoring and instead they did nothign while teams chasing them improved, big mistake.

Montreal Canadiens.
WIth all the injuries to their blue line, they needed to make moves to add blue line depth. Brent Sopel isn't going to cut it.

The Ducks WIn!

I forgot to blog yesterday, there's also a lot of other things I forgot, but the important thing is I'll be blogging twice today so it's all good.

Anyways, let's get rolling shall we?

Last night the Mighty Ducks look to rebound after a heart breaking 2-1 loss when they took on The Turf Munchers. Yes, we had all the same preconceived thoughts about the team that you do by reading their name...

The Ducks found themselves 0-2 after a blowout 10-2 defeat (six Ducks were missing) and a tough 2-1 loss last Wednesday night. This was a must win game to salvage a .500 season.

The Ducks only had seven guys, that's one sub, to start this game but they picked up an extra man who volunteered to play. This guy, Dave, ended up being a huge pick up for the Mighty Duck squad.

The Ducks got off to a fast start, jumping out to a 2-0 lead with goals by Dave (the ringer) and Josh Andaloro. Andaloro's goal was a beautifully hit left-footed volley from a distance that found top cheddar.

But what help solidify the DUcks 2-0 and eventual 3-0 at the end of the first half was solid play at the back by both the Duck defenders and Keeper Dave Cobb.

Several players can be heard describing his play from the bench, including Erik Grodus, who just said to the Bearded Keep "Dude you're in the zone!"

And he was, he made some beautiful saves, including a one-handed snag on a one-timer from up close. But the young Keep will credit his defense before his own play."

"The guys at the back were great that first half, and most of the game," said Cobb, "If it weren't for plays from guys like Matty Smith and Max (Washko,) then it would have been a totally different game.

The game was the tale of two halves. The Ducks dominated the first half, going into the break with a 3-0 lead. But the second half was a goal fest for both teams.

The Turf Munchers scored on their first opportunity when a defensive lapse allowed a shooter to get a clean look from inside the box. Followed closely by a bad goal off of Duck Defenseman Dan Buhlinger's head which somehow found it's way into the net (I still maintain that ball hit the net and should have been a corner.)

The Ducks eventually found themselves in a tie game 5-5 after a mental collapse from their Keeper with under five minutes left in the game. But after a hand ball, Washko and the Ducks had a free kick from up close.

"Honestly, I thought the free kick was dumb, from my vantage point it looked like there was no way to find a hole," said Cobb, "Maybe the keep was out of position, or maybe Max is just that good, which he is, but by God, he blasted that ball bottom left and I knew we weren't falling apart for once. And we were going to win this game."

The Ducks managed to scored two more goals before the final whistle, securing their first win of the season and first win of the franchise's indoor history.

"It feels nice to win one," said Captain Cobb.

A Look at Classic Sport Titles

Recently I purchased MVP Baseball 2004, that's the one with Albert Puljos on the cover. Oh yeah, classic game. With the likes of Nate Cornejo, Mike Maroth, Jeremy Bonderman, Omar Infante, Eirc Munson, Bobby Higginson and DEAN PALMER, still on the Tigers roster.

This got me thinking... what are some of the great sports games of back in my childhood days... There were tons of classics, and I'm in a reminiscing type mood. Plus their sport games, so the Bearded Fellow is permitted to speak on this. Anywho... ;et's get crackin, and these are in no particular order.

The MVP Baseball Series (03-05)
MVP Baseball is by far the best baseball franchise I have ever played, followed closely by another game that will be mentioned later... The games were easy, fun, and had the absolute BEST music in any sports game I ever played. It had songs on there before they were popular that later became popular (Honest Mistake- Bravery, C'mon C'mon- The Von Bondies, Please- Maxeen, Swing Swing- All-American Rejects.) The game was fun, it wasn't veery in-depth with fancy features, but it was quick, simple and the game-play is the best of any baseball game I've played. The 2k Series has better presentation, but MVP Baseball is stil my favorite baseball game of all time.

All-Star Baseball
There were two all-star baseball games on the xbox that I had, I don't recall their years, but they were fun. They were the Derek Jeter equivilant to Kobe Byrant's Courtside games for the N64. All-Star Baseball was a fun game with a cool feature of an expansion team. You can create a team and go through the process of an expansion draft. Obviously you didn't get to pick the best guys, but it was fun and interesting way to play the game. It was a fun feature that I personally believe more games should use. Classic game that I do believe I still own somewhere... I gotta find it.

NHL 2001
NHL 2001 for the PC was probably the best hockey game I have ever owned. It was amazingly fun, it had the awesome feature of hitting the refere through he glass, you know it's legit when you can do that. But my favorite feature was the expansion draft. You could take over Minnesota and Columbus and do their expansion drafts for them, a feature that was absent in the playstation 2 version. This was a great feature, and it made the game even more fun. Fantastic game.

NCAA Football 2003
Now this was my game, with Joey Ball Game on the cover. No real outstanding features, just a fun football game that I played for years. This was the only NCAA football game I owned for the Xbox til 06, and why would I need a new one with such an amazing game. I had a dynasty in which I got fired from Harvard. Then I took a job at Eastern Michigan, and after only a few seasons of mediocre football, I made them a powerhouse. Won about, oh 12 national championships in a row maybe? What a fantastic game.

There are many other sport games that didn't get mentioned here, every blitz and hitz game ever made, Madden 64, actually now that I mention it, Madden 64 deserves to be in here. It was amazing. The fantasy draft was the best feature ever. So much fun... But I leave out some great games because I want you, the reader, even though I know you won't... to write a comment of your favorite all time sports game and why. Do it, I know you can...

Pistons Embarrass the City

Now you guys know how I feel about the NBA, and would love not to write about it, but what's going on in our own backyard is just too significant to ignore. It has been no secret that the players and "veteran leaders," have had issues with the way Coach John Kuester.

This is a disgrace to the city, to the team, to everyone involved. Rip Hamilton yells at Kuester at a practice, then Kuester benches him for a month or so, and now we have this fresh bit of news.

Apparently, the Pistons pulled an Allen Iverson and decided that practice doesn't matter. Only six guys showed up for the morning shoot around. Dajuan Summers, Will Bynum, Charlie Villanueva, Ben Gordon, Jason Maxiel, and Greg Monroe, showed up for practice. Austin Daye and Rodney Stuckey showed up late. Tracy McGrady had a "head-ache" and Tayshaun Prince had a "stomach-ache." My favorite is Chris Wilcox, he overslept. That leaves Mr. Richard Hamilton, who had no excuse, no reason for missing practice, other than he hates playing for the Pistons apparently.

This is an absolute joke. I'm telling you right now Prince was not sick. I don't see why T-Mac would protest, maybe he was, but Rip and Tayshaun were for sure protesting. I'm not buying their excuses.

But it gets worse... Kuester decides to only play the six guys that showed up for shoot around, something I actually agree with. But where things get worse is when Kuester gets ejected and players are seen laughing on the bench. You know you command respect when your team is laughing at you as you get ejected.

The Pistons failed when they didn't dump the dead weight at the deadline. Rip blocked a trade with Cleveland (good thing, Pistons would have lost their first round pick,) but Tayshaun could have been traded to Dallas for Caron Butler and a 1st round pick. But they decided not to trade Prince, for whatever dumb reason.

They need to fire Kuester, hire an interim coach, or Dumars should take over. But at the end of the year, get rid of Rip, get rid of Tayshaun, bring in Bill Lambier to take over this team. No nonsense guy who take over this team. This team is a joke in serious trouble.

With One Bank Shot, so Ends the Wolverines' Tournament Hopes

Photo Credit: CBS Sports

Wednesday night, Crisler Arena, Underdog Michigan Wolverines look to upset the #12 Wisconsin Badgers. Huge game for Michigan's tournament chances. With a win, I predicted the Wolverines to make the dance. Not just because of this win, but I felt if they won this one they'd beat Minnesota and possibly beat Michigan State at home.

Michigan played one it's best games all year against the favored Badgers. Good enough to win on most nights. An even game throughout, Michigan had a 31-30 edge at half time and kept on fighting in the second half, even when they went cold late in the second half, they fought back and took the lead.

Michigan had a two point lead with very little time left. They had the opportunity to go to the free throw line after a defensive stop. There was no time left on the shot clock. Darius Morris had a 1 and 1 situation, a potential four point lead in his hands. But unfortunately for the young superstar, he missed the front end.

On the ensuing possession, Michigan opted to use all it's fouls it had to give, a wise move, leaving Wisconsin 6.9 seconds left and the ball down two. What happened next was the unthinkable...

They inbound the ball to Jordan Taylor, who then gets a screen from Josh Gasser. Stu Douglas, who was guarding Gasser, opts to double Taylor, leaving Gasser wide open. Instead of hedging and rolling back to his man (which he was supposed to do) Stu stayed to force a double team.

Gasser was able to get into a position to receive a pass from Taylor, and heaved up a prayer... his prayer was answer as he banked, yes banked, in the game-winning three. An absolute dagger to the gut of any Wolverine fan.

But what does this do to Michigan's tournament chances? Damn near kills them. Yes, this win wasn't expected, but if they got it they'd be golden. But now let's look at what they need...

Michigan needs to beat Minnesota AND Michigan State. Not one or the other, both. Then, Michigan needs to impress people in the Big Ten Tournament. No one and done, no beating of a scrub in the first round then losing. They need an impressive win in the B10 tournament if they want to go dancing in the big one.

Quite frankly I don't think they can do it. They'll beat Minnesota but they will lose to MSU. MSU is playing too good and too hungry now. And frankly, I don't see them winning more than one game in the B10 tournament either.

Sorry Michigan fans, this season is NIT bound, but chin up, because the NIT is a whole lot better than anyone predicted, including myself.

Spartan's Unsung Hero: Mike Kebler

Okay, maybe he's not the most important Spartan, but Mike Kebler plays an important role for this years Spartans. Yes I may have a strange love affair for him, but nonetheless, his new found importance has had a bigger impact than the average fan may know. But just watch Kebler play, and you will see the impact he has on games.

Kebler's found himself in the starting lineup with Durrell Summers struggling as much as he is. The former walk-on senior used to play just garbage time minutes, but over the past two season, Kebler has seen his role increase to a pretty important role.

Last year, Kebler started as just a garbage time guy. But he made his presence noticed as a lock-down defending, often guarding a team's best player down the stretch. There was a particular game I remember last year against Penn State. I was attending this game at the Breslin, and it was much closer than anyone anticipated. Taylor Battle had been scoring with relative success all game until down the stretch when Izzo brought in his ace up his sleeve, Mike Kebler. Kebler shut down Battle down the stretch and the Spartans held on to win.

Efforts like that are what impress out of players. Sure, guys like Kalin can drop 27 points and have huge days, but honestly, I expect them to play big in big games. But those guys who go from garbage time minutes to playing a key role late in key games are the guys that grab my attention. Because to go from garbage time to important minutes, you have to make an impression. How do you make that impression? Hard work, perseverance, and dedication, that's how.

At the beginning of this season, Kebler's role was back to where it was before the end of last season, mostly garbage time minutes. With guards like Summers, Appling, Lucious, and Lucas, there really wasn't a spot for Kebler to get in the lineup, even for his lock down defense.

But now, Lucious is gone, Durrell is struggling offensively, and let's face it, has always been kind of a defensive liability, and now Kebler finds himself in the starting lineup. Hard work and dedication goes along way kids.

THe thing I love about Kebler is that he's worked his way into the lineup by becoming a lockdown defender, something that's overlooked in today's basketball. The NBA has zero defense and doesn't even pretend to want it. Defense never makes the highlights, unless it's some thunderous and miraculous block. But that hard nosed, in your face, defending is an art that's forgotten in basketball nowadays. It's refreshing to see a guy who's role is to bring that defensive intensity. He's not out there to score, in fact he rarely shoots, sometimes passes off to a fault and turns it over, but he knows his role. He's out there to play defense and make plays with his defense.

The Spartans have turned their play around as of late, and with efforts like Kebler's they'll be fine. I always tell people that offense scores points, but runs start with defense. MSU's defensive attitude has changed recently, and it's when Kebler was inserted into the starting lineup. Good move Izzo.

Miguel Cabrera Arrested for DUI

Photo Credit: bitandbound.com

Well I honestly didn't expect to be writing about baseball while there was still snow on the ground, but here we are, Mr. Miguel Cabrera's got himself in trouble with the law again, and yes, he was drunk again.

Police investigated Cabrera's car when they saw it on the side of the road smoking. Inside was Miguel drunk as a skunk with a bottle of scotch with him.

According to reports, Miguel said to the officers when they asked him to step out of the car "What er you doing, do you know who I am?" Then took a swig from the bottle of scotch. I do not in anyway condone his behavior... but isn't that the best arrest report you have ever heard? It cracked me up.

Anyways, this is a huge hit for the Tigers and for Miguel. Who knows what's going to happen, it's not like this is first time getting drunk and getting in trouble with the law, so clearly there's an issue.

Magglio Ordonez had the best comments of any Tiger, calling out Miguel to "act like a superstar" and realize he's the face of the organization and he needs to learn how to behave himself.

An update on the situation, Miguel's arraignment is set for March 16th, so remember that date folks.

30 Day Challenge: Day One

Yes, those stupid 30 day challenges on Facebook Facebook where people just post 30 different pictures of themselves, that is what I'm referring to, except this challenge is cooler. 30 days, 30 blogs, 1 a day. BUT WHAT IF YOU MISS A DAY DAVE???? Well then I'll do a two-a-day blog style. But this is a challenge that my roommate thought of as a way to get me back into the blogging game. So let's do this... DAY 1

Red Wings Find Groove

After struggling for a stretch, the Red Wings are on a roll, winning five in a row after a 2-1 shootout victory over the Minnesota Wild yesterday afternoon on Hockey Day in America. On a side note, this as Todd Bertuzzi's 1,000th NHL game and he scored the clincher in the shootout, so congrats go out to Bertuzzi.

This Wings have struggled as of late, but guys like Dan Cleary, Tomas Holmstrom, and most importantly Pavel Datsyuk are back in the lineup healthy and contributing right away. Getting those guys back has clearly made a big impact right away. Also getting Brad Stuart back has really helped sure up the blue line and penalty kill. His presence was clearly missed.

THe Red Wings find themselves five points back of the top spot in the west, but they have a game at hand. In layman's terms, it means Vancouver has played one more game than Detroit. So the wings are five points back with a game at hand, so potentially only three points back.

At this time last year everyone was in panic freak out mode, and I know who you guys were so if I see any of you tell me "Nooooo I wasn't panicing" then you're a liar in denial. But isn't it nice to see the WIngs playing like they should? Modano comes back on Friday so that will be a great addition.

The trade deadline is approaching, and I don't expect the Wings to make a splash because frankly they don't need to. Would I be shocked? No, but don't expect Detroit to be involved in a big deal.

The Fall of the Spartans

There is one question being asked in East Lansing... What the Hell is going on?!?!?

The fans have watched their preseason national championship favorite Michigan State Spartans, who started off number two in the country, have collapsed and fallen apart beyond repair.

Maybe they aren't as good as we thought they were? Well clearly they're not, but there is more to it than this. There are many theories out there, and of course I have my own.

Hondo has said on his show that there is a lot of turmoil going on with this team, and ever since he's pointed this out, it's become blatantly obvious to me as well that there is something going on behind the scenes. Players to coaches, coaches to players, players to players and coaches to coaches, it just seems like everyone is caught up in the turmoil.

What's going on with the Spartans goes beyond just not having enough talent. They aren't as good as we all thought, that's clear. They have no low post game and that really hindered the Spartans early on in the season, before everything fell apart as bad as it has.

This team has fallen apart. But why? It has all the talent in the world. Is it Izzo? Is it the players?

Frankly both deserve some of the blame. But here's what I think...

I think that Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers coming back was a nightmare in disguise. It's something I never would have considered until I heard multiple people on Hondo's show, most recently Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press, say this exact same thing.

But how can two guys of such great talent hurt the team by coming back? They don't want to be there. They both were going to make the jump to the NBA after last season, whether or not they would have been drafted, but Kalin suffered the ankle injury in the NCAA tournament. They both were gone. Durrell goes where Kalin goes, and if Lucas didn't get hurt, they were NBA bound.

Having two senior "leaders" back that don't want to be there hurts the team in so many ways. Having anyone there that doesn't want to be there hurts morale, but having two "leaders" and two of your best players there that clearly don't want to be there is enough to kill any team.

I think Lucas and Summers's attitude combined with the bad losses have led to the team as a whole quitting. I don't see any effort from the team, they constantly and consistently look sluggish. They're playing with no pride right now and it shows.

But not all the blame goes onto the players, the coaches also have to take blame here. It is the coaches job to unite a team, to get a team to play together as a unit, and Izzo is not doing that. But I also feel like Izzo's making game-plan and strategy mistakes, beyond just the inner turmoil of this team.

Yes, Izzo deserves some blame for the turmoil, but let's look at in game coaching for a moment. Why doesn't State work the post more? Why is Draymond allowed to constantly spot up? Why doesn't Garrick Sherman get more playing time? These are questions I've had all season long and it doesn't make sense to me. They need to get a post game working, and they aren't even trying to get one going.

The season is done. They cannot salvage this season. Too many tough games are left on the schedule and this team is showing no signs of improvement. They're last two losses are by a combined 46 points, which includes a 20 point loss to Iowa, the worst team in the Big Ten.

This season is a disaster, and that's being polite. There isn't a lack of talent, but a lack of leadership, a lack of pride. And that's why the Spartans find themselves in a tail spin, with no signs of righting the ship.Stick a fork in em, cuz they're done.

GO PACK GO! Green Bay Wins Super Bowl XLV

Photo Credit: USA Today

Super Bowl Sunday has come and past, and the Green Bay Packers are your SUper Bowl XLV Champs. Congrats to the Packers organization on bring the Lombardi trophy back to historic Green Bay. The way Green Bay fought this season, not another team in the NFL deserves this title. They were 8-6 on the outside looking in, and they fought back and not only got to the playoffs, but won it all. Not to mention the 16 guys on injured reserve that they had to overcome.

Green Bay came out ready to play right from the start, taking a 14-0 lead early on a nice touchdown drive followed by a pick six by Nick Collins. The Packers decided that they were going to just throw the ball all game and dare the Steelers defense to stop them. Pittsburgh couldn't do it.

Green Bay looked destined for a blowout win, jumping out to a 21-3 lead, but Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers on a touchdown drive to end the first half, to pull within 11. The Packers took a 21-10 lead into the locker room.

The Pack suffered three key injuries in the first half, seems to be their theme of the season. Charles Woodson, Donald Driver and Sam Shields all left the game due to injury. Shields did return and got significant playing time, but Woodson was done.

Woodson tried to give a halftime speech, but was too emotional and couldn't speak. Reportedly, players shouted "We got you," to the emotional Woodson, who is an important member of their defense and a team leader.

The Steelers came out hungry and focused int he third quarter, and started to make a come back. They took advantage of the Packers inability to move the ball in the third, and started to gain the momentum back.

The key play of the game was Rashard Mendenhall's fumble at the start of the fourth. Had Pittsburgh scored a touchdown, they would have taken the lead. But Mendenhall's mistake proved costly as it led to a Green Bay touchdown.

Anywho, Steelers score, go for two, get it, Packer field goal on a key drive, and Pittsburgh gets the ball back with two minutes and a chance to win, but Green Bay stops them on a 4th and 5 pass attended for Mike Wallace. The Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl.

It was a fantastic game, and it came down to the end, what more could you ask for? Rodgers had a phenomenal game, and he did something Brett Favre never did: win Super Bowl MVP.

I will say... that I had picked the Steelers... BUT, my preseason Super Bowl pick was the Packers, so I feel pretty good about that, little victory for the Bearded One. Yeah but I changed at the end, but c'mon I had good reasoning, the Steelers were more balanced than the Pack.

Congrats once again to the Green Bay Packers on this win, a much deserved win. Congrats to Rodgers for getting the Favre monkey off his back, and congrats to Charles Woodson, for getting that Super Bowl ring that the Tom Brady tuck rule stole from you.

Michigan Ends the Streak

Photo Credit: annarbor.com

The Spartans and the Wolverines met at the Breslin Thursday night, and the heavily favored Spartans were handed a surprising 61-57 loss at the hands of their bitter rivals, the Michigan Wolverines.

This game was huge for both teams, as they both were struggling. One team started over-achieving, but was losing games by falling apart late, and the other was trying to salvage what little was left of a season that was supposed to end in a national championship. This was a must win for both teams.

Michigan came out ready to play, and the Spartans continued to start off sluggish, like they had pretty much all season. Michigan controlled the tempo for most of the game, until the end when the Spartans started to rally.

We had seen it twice already this season, where State plays sluggish and sloppy all game, until they make a huge rally and win. (Wisconsin and Northwestern.) But it was not to be when State missed a go ahead open three then let Stu Douglas get a look from downtown for the dagger.

Michigan wins for the first time in the Breslin in 14 trips.

Darius Morris and Zack Novak light up the three point line in the victory over State. Kalin Lucas dropped 27 in the loss.

What does this say for the two teams?

For Michigan, this could be a turning point. They had been close against good teams, but fell apart late. They hadn't been putting together full games. They had been showing up in stretches, but then disappearing. The classic sign of a young team (Michigan has no seniors, and two juniors.) This game could give the young Wolverine squad the confidence to make a run at a NCAA tournament bid. They already have more wins than many expected, but it's going to take a lot if they're going to dance. Unlikely, but this win is a nice one on any resume.

On the other side... This loss really puts the Spartans in a bad spot. On paper, MSU should have won by 15, at least. But the talented Spartans just continue to underachieve. Players and coaches are both to blame with the failure of this season. I understand State has the toughest schedule in the country, but losing to teams like Penn State and Michigan are unacceptable.

They followed this up by beating a bad Indiana team by one at home in overtime. There is something seriously wrong with this team. Obviously they aren't as good as everyone expected and losing Raymar Morgan clearly has had a bigger impact than anyone could have expected, but with all the talent still on this team, the performance thus far is unacceptable.

They'll get into the tournament on reputation alone if they are even close to the bubble, but for a team that's "national champion or bust," that's not good enough, and this season is disaster thus far. It will take a huge turnaround to salvage this season for the Spartans.

A Plethora of Bearded Thoughts...

Photo Credit: Bestsportsphotos.com

There have been a few stories that have caught my eye recently in the world of sports, and in a perfect world I would have been able to address them individually... but alas, we do not live in a perfect world. So let the fun begin...

I would like to start with a story last week from women's high school basketball when a school beat another school 108-3. The team with 108 used all nine of its players, never used a full court press, and never stopped running it's offense. It didn't slow the game and just pass the ball around, because let's face it, that's kind of insulting to a team.

But I don't know what's most absurd with this story. Is it the fact a high school women's team dropped 108? Is it the fact that they didn't press, nor tried to run the score? Or is it the fact the other team only managed to make one basket in four quarters of basketball? Take your pick, but this is just absurd no matter what your take on it.

Here's the story on it.

Now how about the story about a West Virginia player quitting in the middle of a game? I haven't found anything on his side of the story, but apparently he used to start, was benched, and was getting virtually no playing time. But he got up, went to the locker room, and wasn't seen again.

As absurd as that is, based on Bob Huggins's comments after the game... he and Danny Jennings didn't get along... Here's the link to the story where you can see Coach Huggins's comments.

Gil Meche is retiring. Big who cares right? Some of you probably don't even know who he is... He's a pitcher for the Royals that got a giant contract for having a kinda sorta good season, and has been bad ever since. But why is he retiring? Because he doesn't feel he deserves his guaranteed $12 million. He said when he signed his contract he wanted to earn it, but feels like he's not earning it.

I gained a whole new respect for Gil Meche, and I wish more athletes had integrity like Mr. Meche here. When you walk away from your contract because you feel bad for not earning it, then you know you were playing the game for the right reasons.
Click Right Here

Lastly another baseball guy is retiring. Former Tiger starter Mike Maroth announced his retirement from baseball. Yes, the same Mike Maroth that lost 21 games when the Tigers lost 119. But Maroth was apart of the turn around here in Detroit, and he was a very solid starter, not good, but solid. He had an injury shortened season in 06, but he was big part of the Tigers' turnaround.

Maroth was traded from Detroit to St. Louis in 07, and that was the last time he was in the majors. He tried making it with the Royals and Blue Jays, but Maroth couldn't get back to the majors.

Mike was my boy, I thought he could have been a solid starter, nothing great, but solid and serviceable... Too bad... Official Story Link is Right Here.

Tate Forcier Leaves Michigan

Phot Credit: MLive.com

I wanted to address Tate Forcier. This happened awhile ago so I'm sure you all know, he's leaving Michigan. My cousin was a TA in one of the classes that he was in, and she told us back in December he was failing. Apparently Forcier decided that you didn't need to go to class to pass. And as teh Maize Rage told me last night, he apparently would still be in at State. I doubt that, but okay.

Anyways, here's Tate's tweet feed, which by the way is how he announced his departure. It started around midnight on January 20th...

-Immediate Press/Sports Release: January 20, 2011- Robert “Tate” Forcier University Of Michigan Sophomore Quarterback

Why do we all wait until we are at our lowest point to seek God’s help?

I’ve been kicked, pushed, knocked down, publicly berated, belittled, emasculated and more.

There are plenty of legitimate reasons to give up or feel the victim.

The humility of it all is indescribable and that is exactly my point.

I had to reach rock bottom in order to see the light, and for that, I am thankful.

It was not until then, I realized that it was my lack of accountability and maturity and not to pass blame.

I do hope all my young fans forgive me and benefit from my lessons that I have learned.

Don’t wait to ask God into your life as he will help you see things clearer.

In summary, I believe, I will become a better student and a person of stronger character from these experiences at Michigan.

I can proudly state,“I worked hard on the practice field, in the film room and at meetings” after all, football is my passion.

I had fun celebrating with the fans.

I even competed hard while injured as a true freshman through the last (8) games in 2009, but I always played the game giving it my all

I am proud to have been part of Michigan Football history and will always cherish the memory.

The last few weeks I worked extremely hard to catch back up.

I really wanted to stay. I was not giving up on Michigan, but in the end, it was made clear they had given up on me.

With that being said, its time for me to go.

I promise the Michigan family and fans I will make you proud again.

Tate Forcier #5 - A Michigan Man Forever - Go Blue

Well wasn't that cute? A "Michigan Man" forever. If the words of his tweets are true, he's finally showing some maturity. But to announce your departure in a tweet feed, and talk about how you have been "kicked, pushed, knocked down, publicly berated, belittled, emasculated and more," that's a bit much Forcier, and not the way to handle a serious matter.

It's too bad he's leaving and couldn't stay on top of his school work, because frankly I felt that he was the best pure QB on the team, and definitely the best fit for Brady Hoke's offense. Denard is a tremendous athlete, but just looking at the skills of a quarterback I feel that Tate is better with his decisions and accuracy. He also has more composure in the pocket than Denard. But Tate wasn't all there mentally. He got lazy in the summer, and got lazy with school. He wasn't mature enough to be the quarterback at Michigan, and now he's gone.

Korie Lucious Kicked Off the Team

Photo Credit: mlive.com

Breaking news out of Spartyland, as it was announced last night that Korie Lucious has been suspended by Izzo for the rest of the season for "conduct detrimental to the team." It hasn't been released exactly what he did, and I honestly don't expect it to be released. Something may slip out, because that just seems to be the world we live in, but nothing official is out.

An East Lansing District Court clerk said today that there are no pending cases involving Lucious, according to a tweet by Larry Lage this morning. So as far as we the public know, it's not legal trouble.

An interesting thing I read involving this story was Larry Lage retweeting and quoting a tweet from Korie Lucious himself. The tweet from Korie said, "Man did I really mess up this time...off 2 the gym I go!" According to details in Larry's tweet, this tweet came before the announcement of Korie being kicked off the team... Intriguing, isn't it?

Lucious will be transferring, and Izzo will help him find a new school, according to Korie's mother, Latonia Guider, in an interview done with Spartan Nation's Hondo Carpenter.

This will be a tough loss for the already struggling Michigan State Spartans. I will admit, I am not the biggest Lucious fan. His play on offense has been poor lately, and his defense has always been lackluster, but he always has the potential to be an offensive spark, and now the Spartans are losing that.

But maybe this will give someone a chance to step up. Someone who hasn't been getting very many minutes will now get more time, and step up. Maybe an Austin Thornton, maybe a Mike Keibler? Who knows? But despite his poor play as of late, this loss hurts the squad.

I wish Korie Lucious the best of luck on his endeavors, and where ever life takes him, may he find success, on or off the court.