Regroup and Retool: Everyone Loves a Comeback

Regroup and retool.  Used to be the adage of a very influential basketball coach I played under in my youth.  First practice after every loss, "Time to regroup and retool."  We would then run our rear-ends off for half the practice, then finally touch a basketball or two.

Regroup and retool. After a loss, after a bad stretch in a game, after any setback I would incur "back in the day," I would hear, "regroup and retool."  It led to many great successes for me on and off the court.  I lived my youth by that montra. (I say that like I'm actually old or something... I feel so pretentious)

Didn't have a good game out on the court? Regroup and retool.
Didn't do so hot on that math test?  Regroup and retool.
Got dumped? Regroup and retool.
Rinse, wash, repeat, regroup, retool.

Somewhere along the lines, I no longer heard that voice in the back of my head telling me to regroup in retool.  It got drowned out in the noise of high school bull crap and the wild times of the college life.  (I use the term "wild" very lightly.)

Through all that has happened to me the past two years, that montra should have been ringing louder than ever before.  But it wasn't.  It was gone, almost completely wiped from memory as I became absorbed in self-indulgent apathy and self-sacrificing decisions.

Regroup and retool.  I suddenly hear Coach repeating that over and over again in my head again, just like it were St. Mary basketball all over again.  I even hear the whistle and I sigh thinking that it's time to run another "tear it down."

I have vowed comebacks and sworn change before, but never stuck to it.  Will this one be any different?  Who knows?  I can tell you one thing, those other times I started back up, I couldn't hear the voice in my head commanding me to run and blowing a whistle constantly.

Regroup and retool.  It's bout time I regrouped and retooled myself and get back to my roots.  No matter what I else I try, no matter where I may stray, sports are my thing.  I lost the passion along the way, tried to fool myself that I was beyond them.  I forgot the montra.  It's not regroup and start a new.  It's regroup and retool.

And fans, all... 3 of you?  I am regrouping and retooling.  And here's what's going down.
Every... Sunday?  I haven't decided the day, Sunday probably, I am going to do a weekly post, probably weekly wrap ups, or some interesting crap I decide to spew.   You know how I do.
I'm also reviving the Twitter dedicated to sports journalism.  I am going to (try to) keep the tweets mostly professional.  News, new posts, instant 140 character analysis, all the good shhhtuff the people like.
Guest bloggers??  Why the heck not!  I anticipate this to be done zero times, but if you have something you want to say and share to all my readers, I will gladly hook you up with some free publicity, I have like... 100 twitter followers sooooo I'm kind of a big deal (in my head anyways)

Here's what I'm going to be covering in my head right now:  Local Michigan sports (duh) noteworthy national stories, random sports stories that I can't resist, and I'm adding Barclay's Premier League soccer to my docket, now that DirecTV lets me watch Fox Soccer.

On the docket for tomorrow, I will write up about the Michigan and Michigan State games, other fascinating stories from the conference tournaments, aaaaaaaaaannnnd that's it. Probably.  I don't know.

Well anyways, thank you all for reading this.  I am sorry to have deprived you for so long, as a thank you, I'll be posting a piece for my late night readers right after I spread this throughout Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and other magically things on the internets.

(I need a cool sign off at the end of posts that are like this, not news, someone give me ideas, hit me up with comments or something)

Stay classy, intrawebs.

Michigan Beats Ohio State in Overtime Thriller

Michigan prevailed over bitter-rival Ohio State 76-74 in overtime Tuesday night in a must-win game for the Wolverines.

This game was all that was advertised and then some.  Both teams came ready to play and came out hard.  Michigan was fueled in the first half by the play of freshman center Mitch McGary, who scored 10 points in the first half and grabbed 6 boards.  But Ohio State led 31-30 at the half.

The Buckeyes started out strong in the second half, building their lead to as much as eight at 48-40.  That's when Tim Hardaway Jr. took over, making four straight three's on four straight Michigan possessions.

Then it was back and forth back and forth and we found ourselves with a chance to win it but Trey Burke took another step-back contested three at te buzzer and he missed it.  OVERTIME!!!!!!! 72-72.

Overtime comes and Burke hits this kind of disgusting three.  And then no one wants to score until Craft hits a layup with with 57 seconds left making it 75-74.  Then one of the most interesting, exciting plays of the game happened.  Burke tries to take Craft one-on-one again, gets stripped.  Hustles back and strips craft before he can complete the fast break layup.

Then, during OSU's ensuing possession, Craft gets a screen and separation and pulls up for a jumper in the lane that Burke blocks from behind.  Glen Robinson III gets the rebound and fouled.  Officials took a look at the play to see if it were a flagrant.  The play could have easily been called a flagrant one, but I agree 100% with the decision to not call it a flagrant.  GRIII makes only one of the free throws.  And here's where controversy sets in.

Craft has the ball and is guarded very tightly by Burke.  He goes to the hoops and THJ comes over and makes a block on the last shot attempt of the game.  Replay shows that it may have been cleaner than it looked live.

Here's my opinion on plays like these.  Let them play.  Swallow the whistle.  If it's not egregious, let it go.  This play was NOT blatant.  Let the players decide the outcome, not the zebras.  Or maybe I'm just speaking as a Michigan fan so that means I am not being unbiased.  But hey, OSU fans say foul, UM fans say no foul, refs say YOU TRY DOING THIS! (I have before, it's not easy)

This was a big win for the Wolverines in keeping their B1G title hopes alive.

It's 4:00 am guys, I'm going to bed.  Night y'all

Baby Buckets

Check this video out people.  I dare you to tell me this isn't the coolest/cutest sport related thing you have ever seen!

I mean come on!  First of all, he's wearing a Thomas the Tank Engine shirt, so props to the awesome parents on raising him right.

Secondly, Titus is already a better shooter than I ever was.  How young is too young to recruit?  I mean he's two or three and he's making shots on a 7ft rim!  That's impressive.  And the trick shots?  I am impressed.  I mean I'm sure there's a lot of off-camera coaching going on but come on, even then it's still impressive!

And the Chuck E Cheese ticket stack.  Impressive.  I never had that many tickets.  Those skills are taking him places.

And there's just something about kids, and this kid too, that I find unbearably adorable.  I mean look at him when he's making shots?  That look of pure elation.  How can you not appreciate it?

Must Win Game for Wolverines

Photo Credit:USA Today

We're all used to Michigan and Ohio State games having major importance for both teams.  Not only the for the sake of the rivalry but usually in Big Ten play.  But normally, they're playing football.  Not basketball.

Tonight, the Wolverines and Buckeyes meet for the first time as AP top 10 basketball teams (Michigan 3, OSU 10) and the implications of this game couldn't be much higher.

This year's Big Ten conference is incredibly competitive.  The Wolverines were usurped from their #1 ranking by the current #1 team Indiana after the Hoosiers won on Saturday.  Every conference game is crucial, with each team being so strong and the top of the conference so close in talent and standings.

Tonight's game is no different, with both teams touting a 7-2 conference record.  If both teams want to win the Big Ten, this game is an important one to have, but even more so for the Wolverines.

Michigan's two conference losses (and two losses on the season) are to Indiana and Ohio State.  If Michigan were to lose tonight to Ohio State, they would then lose the tie-breaker to the Buckeyes, meaning they would have to rely on other teams to keep their B1G title chances alive.

Michigan is also coming off a tough road loss, coming home against their rival, and have two very tough conference road games following this game.  Michigan cannot afford to drop this game.

Which is exactly why I am picking Michigan to hold off the Buckeyes tonight 72-66.  I expect them to come out stronger than the first meeting with the Crisler crowd behind them.  Expect Trey Burke to have a better all-around game than he did against Indiana.  Michigan cannot afford 20+ shots from their point guard.

GoBlue BEATohio 

NHL Lockout Finally Ends

Clown 1 and Clown 2

photo credit: michiganjournal.org

Yippie Hooray! The NHL and the NHLPA have finally (tentatively) agreed on a deal and the lockout is over!
But why am I not all happy and giddy lik a high school girl that just got asked to prom by the totally charming guy she's had a secret crush on since the beginning of the awful romantic-comedy movie starring interchangeable-teen-heart-throb?

Maybe it's because I'm still a touch bitter about not going to the winter classic, but it's probably because this is really a shallow victory.

Yes, we'll be able to watch some good ol' hockey.  The players will be playing again, the owners will make their money back, but most importantly the little guys who depend on the NHL for their livelihood will be working again.  (Even though I'm about to be negative, those little guys are the only people I'm happy for with this deal)

This is a shallow victory because it never should have happened.  Honest, hard-working people were out of work for far too long, wondering if they would have a job or not, while people who are set for life squabble over minute, mondane details.

This isn't like the last lockout, there was no huge, league-changing issue like whether or not the league should have a salary cap.  No, this lockout was argued over money, ridiculous player contracts, and other minor details that could have been pounded out in a couple weeks of true, hard, and good negotiating.

No, instead it became a pissing contest between two clowns who shouldn't be allowed to run a lemonade stand, let alone the fate of a professional sports league.

Everyone lost in this lockout.  Nobody won.  400+ games of hockey weren't played this season.  Two sides proved how stubborn they can be, making fools of themselves in the process.  The NHL took a substantial image hit during this lockout, and a "Thanks, Fans" message on the ice won't cut it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad hockey's back.  But this lockout was nothing short of a disgrace, fueled by the greed and stubbornness of both the owners and players.  This went on far longer than it needed to, and everyone knows it.

---- Personal Sidenote

Sorry about the long absence guys.  Finals and the holidays were extraordinarily busy and draining time for me.  I've got a couple more posts I'd like to do in the upcoming days, then I'll try to consistently be once a week.

Thanks for the loyal reading through the years, despite my sporadic posting frequency.  Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Years!

Here's to hoping 2013 is a great year for Michigan sports!

God Bless,
Dave Cobb, The Bearded Fellow

Tigers Resign Sanchez, 5-yrs, $80 mil

Photo credit: mlive.com

So the Tigers finally did what I've been calling for all offseason and dipped into the well and spent the big bucks.  Only one problem... It wasn't spent very wisely.  But that's just my in my humble, unintelligent, mildly-uninformed, certainly-not-professional opinion.

Anibal Sanchez has resigned with the Tigers for 5 years, $80 million total, that's roughly $16 mil per year.  This is even higher than I figured he would get on the open market (I guestimated $60-70 mil, Cubs apparently offered $75 mil)

Sanchez is a pretty talented pitcher.  He's got solid stuff and he's not that old.  But I have a few issues with this deal...

1. His numbers aren't $16 mil-per good.  He's got a 48-51 career record with a 3.75 ERA and 733 strikeouts in 869 innings over seven seasons.  Okay... Good even, but not great.  He went 4-6 with a 3.74 ERA with the Tigers.  ERA is solid.  What impressed me is the 1.77 ERA in the postseason.  He's got good stuff, it's not like we spent $80 mil on a bust, but I don't think he's shown nearly enough consistency to earn that kind of cash
2. Career NL pitcher.  All those numbers, except with the Tigers, are against the notoriously worse hitting National League.  Yes, we have a sample size that indicates he could hold his own against AL teams, but I wasn't $80 mil worth sold on it.  5 years is a long time, and in seven years he's put up solid numbers from a crap team, but it was also in a crap league.  It's a big risk
3. Long-Term, big money for a fourth starter.  I love bolstering a starting rotation as much as the next guy, in fact when I learned the Tigers were after Shields I nearly did a backflip for excitement, (Go ahead, debate me on whether he's worth the prospects we would have lost, I'll repeat my stance on prospects all day.) But here's my issue.  James Shields would have cost prospects yes, but his contract is A) Cheaper B)Riddled with options to get out of it f it doesn't work C) Not committed too long term.  Anibal is a Tiger for five years.  And his contracts bigger than the one JV signed three years ago, which brings me to my next point
4. Sanchez makes more than Verlander.  We have set a precedent that we will not be able to afford. Kiss Mad Max, or Twisted Fister, or even Verlander good-bye when it comes payday time.  Maybe one of them was going have to leave regardless, or want to leave, but just imagine the amount of money it's going to keep Verlander long term.  If Sanchez gets $16 mil per, what's JV worth?

If I were running the team, which God knows I am certainly not qualified and I am just a ranting raving fan who is as illinformed as everyone else that's not a GM, scout, owner, etc, I would have gone after a shorter-term option.  Well before signing a starter, I would have gotten a closer, but after that, I would have looked at the guys like Ryan Dempster, Edwin Jackson, Scott Baker, Dan Haren would have definitely been worth the one-year flyer in my book.

However, I will be the first to admit, I believe Sanchez is better pitcher than all of them.  So this signing does fit the win now motif.  And since I'm always a ray of positive energy, you guys know that :)  I shall end the negativity and share with you all what I do like about the deal.

1. Win now, win often.  Ilitch wants it, I want it, you want it, Detroit wants it.  Go get the best available (that doesn't hamper the futures of stars JV and Miggy) and bring in a ring.  Make it happen
2. Opens window on Porcello/Smyly trade.  Stop it.  Before you even say it, stop it.  One of them has to be traded now.  We are a win now team.  One can be our 5th starter, and the other can go get us a closer or a new shortstop.  Porcello has been around long enough to know that this is as good as he's gonna get.  People seem to think that a low age number just means they're going to keep magically getting better and better, drastically better.  It happens in guys, usually with guys that haven't been around the majors as long as Ricky P.  He hasn't gotten worse, hasn't gotten much better.  It's time to trade him.  We missed our chances at getting Halladay because we were buying what Ricky P was selling (See why I hate people who value potential over talent now?  Will Ricky P ever be Roy? Hell no.)  So why not hook up with the Pirates, who have a closer they want to move and a rotation that needs another starter.  It was a match made in heaven.
3. Best rotation in the AL, possibly majors.  Any rotation with Verlander will always be in contention.  But with four guys with as good as stuff as our four have, it's no doubt who will be feared when the playoffs roll around.

So that ended up being a lot longer than I wanted to be.  But I bullet pointed the important stuff :)  Bottom line, I don't think Sanchez is $80 mil good.  I know when we win the World Series, everyone (in particular one person, you know who you are) will be bringing this up, calling me stupid.  But when Verlander walks and goes to the Yankees, we all lose in the end.

Good pitcher, Ilitch win-now signing, but is it a wise commitment?  We'll see.

For some more positivity and a blogger much more reputable then me cuz he kinda also is a sports radio host, here's some linkage to a guy I enjoy listening to, Jeff Riger

Michigan is Silly Good

Photo Credit: Detroit News

Michigan basketball is really good, in fact, they're one of the top teams in the country.

Ya know in case you've been living under a rock this winter... And yes, I meant basketball, not football (although I miss the top 5 days of Michigan football.  Go to hell SEC and your  cheating ways.)

Well to make up for the SEC taking over football, the Big Ten has taken over basketball.  And Michigan is right up there with the best of them.  Although I think not a team in the country is as electric, deep, and flat out good as Indiana.

But Michigan will compete, and may just beat them at Crysler.  This team is extremely deep.  Ridiculously deep.  Absurdly deep.

Did I mention they're a deep team?

Michigan has been building a good program under Beilein, but the one problem they've had is a lack of all-around depth and a plethora of scoring options.  This team has that and then some.

This team could play a secondary line up and still beat teams.  (Okay, maybe not, but they could compete.)

Stauskas, McGary, Robinson III paint a bright future for this squad, and with veterans like Burke, Hardaway, and Morgan, this squad will make a deep run in March.

You heard it here definitely not first, but you read it here.  Michigan WILL be a Final Four Team.  Chalk it up.  This team is too good, and too deep.  Too many scoring options, and for once under Beilein, they have more than one post presence.

It's going to be a fun year Wolverines.  Buckle up and enjoy the ride.