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.