A Little Pistons Respect

While TNT forgot to mention the Pistons last night in their East preview and Yahoo! "experts" forgot that the Pistons usually make it to the conference finals every year and decided to leave them out of that series, there is some respect out there.

Mike Kahn of Fox Sports picks the Pistons to win it all!

That's all I'm going to say right now. I have mixed reactions. It's very nice to see some respect to a team that I believe is better than last year's Pistons. It's also nice to see that this year's version should have a reason to have a chip on their shoulder, something they haven't legitimately had since the 2004 run.

Meanwhile here's a recap video of last season. Quality isn't great but still fun to look back.

Lions defense key in victory over Bears

Over the past 6 years the Lions defense, especially their Pass defense, has been ranked at or near the bottom of the barrel. It didn't look like anything had changed this season when the defense gave up 56 points to Donovan McNabb and the Eagles in Week 3. This week though you would never have been able to tell, in fact you would have though the Lions were known for their defensive prowess, a far cry from the truth.

The Lions secondary held Bears QB Brian Griese to 208 yards and forced 4 interceptions, after he had thrown for over 300 yards and only 2 INT's in the past two weeks. Greise looked lost on almost every passing down, under-throwing several short passes to his running backs and wide receivers.

The Lions corners played exceptionally well, holding WR's Bernard Berrian and Mushin Muhammed to 45 and 23 yards respectively. Fernando Bryant and Keith Smith both had key interceptions in the final minutes, while Kennoy Kennedy and rookie Gerald Alexander both recorded INT's in the end zone. The only member of the starting secondary held without an INT was Travis Fisher, who was injured during the game.

The running game was once again very effective, with Kevin Jones going over the 100 yard mark for the first time since November 6th, 2006. This is a great sign, seeing as both times Jones has carried the ball 15 times, the Lions have won the game. Roy Williams also took a break from delivering pizzas to have a nice day with 8 catches for 77 yards.

At 5-2 the Lions are looking like a contender for the NFC north crown, but with a very tough schedule coming up with games against Denver, the New York "Football" Giants, and the Green Bay Packers, they will have to put up or shut up if they want to reach Jon Kitna's prediction of 10 wins.

On The Reel 10/29

- Mason not the most likely candidate when it all began
- Jarvis Hayes bringing excitement to the bench
- The Lions are legitimately pumped up!
- Outside of The D perspective on the Lions great start
- A Wings update
- Kris Draper will stick around for three more years

No games for your Detroit teams today.

Stuckey's Impact

As most Detroit sports fans have heard, Rodney Stuckey, the Pistons first pick in the 2007 draft will miss six weeks due to a broken finger he suffered in the final pre-season game vs. Washington on Wednesday. So what does this mean for the Pistons?

His teammates have said repeatedly that Stuckey is getting better in each game, making better decisions and commanding the point better. To me though, he is still a rookie and, in the end, this will hurt his speed of development than the team itself. By the time April comes around, will this really affect the team? I really don't see it. If he comes back healthy by the end of November he has plenty of time to learn the speed of the NBA to contribute.

Stuckey will be missed, but this will also give Aaron Afflalo and Flip Murray a chance to contribute and that could be blessing to get Afflalo in there. I was just as excited as anyone to see Rodney play some great basketball, but I think we will just have to wait a little while and everything will be back to normal.

Keep checking back as a season preview will be posted next week before the first game vs. the new look Miami Heat!

Torre Gives Steinbrenner the Finger!

I know what you're thinking, this has nothing to do with Detroit sports. This is a site totally devoted to Detroit sports isn't it? Now you think I have some incredibly witty and interesting way of tying events in New York to Detroit. Well you are wrong...All of you.

The fact is I just couldn't let something like this go unwritten about. For almost forty years (if I'm doing my math right) George Steinbrenner has ruled the Yankees organization with an iron fist, overseeing the franchise's most successful years and having the monetary deficit to prove it. The boss has seen such names as Reggie Jackson, Billy Martin, Rickey Henderson, and Derek Jeter, pass through his organization and perform under his immense scrutiny. Never during the course of his historical ownership has any player, manager, or employee gotten the best of George. If you were on the Yankees it was because he wanted you, if you were not it was because he did not.

In New York no one is bigger than the Yankees, and in the Yankees organization no one is bigger than Steinbrenner (thus by the theory of reasoning we can deduce that no one person in New York is bigger than George Steinbrenner). However in a most drastic turn of events former Yankees manager Joe Torre, in turning down a monetarily loaded contract extension, actually walked away from the team with something that few of his predecessors had, dignity, honor, and (most importantly) fan support. Simply put Torre left on his own terms and he didn't give Steinbrenner the chance to drive him out of New York. He played his hand perfectly and didn't look back.

Never has George Steinbrenner lost a battle in such grand fashion. Torre seemed to be playing his part the entire time. He acted respectfully to the organization after a season full of criticism and employment termination threats, he politely entertained contract extension talks after the end of his post season run, then in most daring style walked out on Steinbrenner, told his true feelings about the Boss during a nationally covered press conference, and successfully portrayed himself as the victim in the matter, garnering support from all across the nation.

So what does this mean? I'm inclined to say that we are witnessing the end of the Steinbrenner era in New York. Perhaps George will pass the torch to his children, but the fire at the top of the Yankees organization will never be the same. There never has been nor will there ever be another owner quite like Steinbrenner. Even if you don't like the way he has conducted his business you cannot argue with the yielded results. Joe Torre exposed the weakness in the Yankees organization, now it is a glaring hole in on a team previously thought to be invincible.

Smitty's Week 8 Picks

Back again, sorry about last week my Mom was getting married so we'll call it a bye week.

Here we go.

Indianapolis Colts (6-0) vs Carolina Panthers (4-2)
- The Colts are coming off an impressive Monday Night thrashing of the Jags and seem to be as good, or better, than they were last year when they won the Super Bowl. The Panthers are a surprising 4-2, but with turnover-prone David Carr at the helm things could get dicey. Carolina must come out with a lot of energy and hope Indy is looking ahead to Week 9. I don't think that'll happen.
Pick: Colts 24-13

Detroit Lions (4-2) vs Chicago Bears (3-4)
-Tommie Harris thinks the Bears will win, but he could be mistaken. The Bears have gone down once already to the Honolulu Blue and if they don't get a big game from Brian Griese they could be in trouble. Look for Kevin Jones to play a major role, regardless of the outcome. Whoever wins takes a big step in the NFC north.
Pick: Lions 31-30

Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) vs Cincinnati Bengals (2-4)
-The Steelers suffered a heartbreaking loss last week as they were Jason Elam's 3rd victim so far this season. Cincy is coming off a very close win over the Jets. Whichever team comes out with more heart should win this one. Could be a very high scorer if the Steelers play defense like they did last week.
Pick: Steelers 31-28

New York "Football" Giants (5-2) vs Miami Dolphins (0-7) Wimbley Stadium, London
-The first ever NFL game overseas probably won't be the best of match-ups. Miami is 0-7 and looking worse and worse every week. The Giants have won 5 straight and look to be a serious contender in the NFC. Cam Cameron could be on the hot seat halfway through his first season, yikes.
Pick: Giants 34-13

Philadelphia Eagles (2-4) vs Minnesota Vikings (2-4)
- This game is a must-win for both clubs. For the Eagles, they can't afford to fall any further behind any of the 3 teams ahead of them in the NFC East, and for the Vikes it's time to see some progress from Tarvaris Jackson, or the Andre Woodson/Brian Brohm/Matt Ryan Era could begin in the land of 1000 lakes in 2008.
Pick: Eagles 17-10

Cleveland Browns (3-3) vs St. Louis Rams (0-7)
-It pains me to watch these Rams. Even with Steven Jackson back in the lineup, this one will be ugly. Derek Anderson runs an efficient ship and this week will be no different.
Pick: Browns 34-16

Oakland Raiders (2-4) vs Tennessee Titans (4-2)
- The Raiders can't score. The Titans get Vince Young back. You could see JaMarcus Russell in this one before its all said and done.
Pick: Titans 13-6

Buffalo Bills (2-4) vs New York Jets (1-6)
-This is an ugly one and if it gets too ugly for the Jets it could mean the end of the Chad Pennington in the Big Apple. Buffalo should be able to run the ball effectively and get Marshawn Lynch his first 100 yard game of his career. Pnding a Trent Edwards meltdown the Bills should take this one, but it'll be close.
Pick: Bills 14-13

Houston Texans (3-4) vs San Diego Chargers (3-3)
-The Bolts seem to have found their stride and the Texans seem to have lost theirs. Sage Rosenfels had a great game last weekend but it doesn't translate into wins, especially against a very stout San Diego D. LT should have a monster game, again.
Pick: Bolts 31-24

Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2) vs Tampa bay Buccaneers (4-3)
-Both teams are coming off bad losses but the Bucs only lost the game, the Jags lost their Quarterback. Quinn Gray will make his first NFL start and judging by the way he played against the Colts in the second half monday night he is far from ready. If Tampa can limit their turnovers then they should win this one close.
Pick: Bucs 14-10

Washington Redskins (4-2) vs New England Patriots (7-0)
-Joe Gibbs called his team "the biggest underdog in the history of sports" it may be exaggeration but not by much. Belichick won't let his team look ahead to a Week 9 showdown of unbeatens, rather he will run up the score on Washington simply to shut the media up. Skins D could cause problems with their versatility, but Brady is so good right now none of that will matter.
Pick: Pats 38-17

New Orleans Saints (2-4) vs San Francisco 49ers (2-4)
-A matchup of two very disappointing teams in this one. Although the Saints seem to have turned it around, the Niners have looked particularly pathetic these last two weeks. Alex Smith is back so that should help, but Reggie Bush (4 total TD's last time these two met) will give this defense fits. NO continues their run back to respectability.
Pick: 'Aints 31-17

Monday Night Game
Green Bay Packers (5-1) vs Denver Broncos (3-4)
-The Broncos won yet another nail biter last week against the Steelers but they'll have to be more prepared this week when Favre and the Pack come calling. Favre is having a very effective season throwing the ball and the Bronco's heralded pass D has severely underachieved. Denver can't stop the run, but the Pack aren;t the best running team. Whoever wins the battle through the air should win this one.
Pick: Pack 31-28

Smitty's Record: 7-6

Arenas Running His Mouth

THIS JUST IN!
Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac, and Wayne Simien along with conditional first-round pick traded to T'Wolves for Ricky Davis and Mark Blount. My opinion...the Heat just got really nasty, and by nasty I mean in a bad, dirty way.



We all know that Gilbert Arenas likes to talk a lot. Well, according to Chris McCosky, he's buried the Pistons chances of being a contender this year. I agree with McCosky's response. I also lose respect for the comments when he doesn't give Maxiell's actual height and, like McCosky said, forgets to mention McDyess and the possible contribution of Amir Johnson up front.

I'll put up a preview next week but to preview that preview, I like this Pistons team better than last year. If nothing else, it will be much more fun this season to see the young additions that have been made.

The Lions Have a Running game, Who Knew?

In this past weeks victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the Lions entire offensive arsenal on display. Usually I would just be talking about Roy Williams, Mike Furrey and Co. but no, not this week. This week the Lions unveiled a whole new weapon, a running game!

Bizzare, I know but nonetheless it worked. Kevin Jones and T.J. Duckett carried the ball very effectively, racking up 106 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries between the two. The biggest surprise came from Calvin Johnson who ripped off a 32 yard TD run on an end around, easily the most exciting play of the year for the Lions offensively.

Johnson showed why he was the #2 overall pick in last year draft when on his way to the endzone he mercilessly threw Cato June to the turf with a stiff arm allowing him to break off another 30 yards and score what turned out to be the deciding touchdown in a hard fought game.

Kevin Jones seems to have reclaimed his crown as the starting running back from Tatum Bell, who registered exactly zero carries in Sunday's affair. T.J. Duckett proved that he can be a brute force when he is running at close to 100 percent, and as long as Mike Martz doesn't remember his gameplan Duckett could continue to get 5-10 carries a game and really wear down opposing defenses.

At 4-2 with a semblance of a running game our Lions could be poised for a shot at the NFC North title if this keeps up.

In Rod I trust.

This week: at Chicago (3-4)

On The Reel 10/22

- Calvin Johnson is the man!
- Wojo on the impact of KJ.
- Okay, I'll calm down about the Piston's Texas roadtrip a little.
- Can we agree that J.R. Smith is not what the Pistons want or need?
- Breaking down the Pistons roster.
- I disagree about the Kobe situation. I am biased though, especially about CB1MVP.
- Little known Aaron Downey of the Wings making an important impact.
- Why Dan Cleary fits in Detroit.

No games tonight for your professional D-Town teams. Two games tomorrow including the last pre-season game for the Pistons vs. Washington.

Kobe to the East?

Well, Drew Sharp isn't my favorite columnist of all time, but an interesting article on Kobe possibly coming to Chicago scares me. Don't get me wrong, I have all the confidence in the world in this Pistons team, but let's just sit back and think of playing Kobe in our own division. Whether you love him or hate him, Kobe Bryant is arguably the best player in the league. When you're going up against teams in the Central you would then have Kobe, Lebron, and the Pistons.

It's a long shot still, but it got me thinking that the Pistons will need to make a move next off-season depending on how the 06-07 campaign goes. One move like Kobe to Chicago could shift the power to the East and specifically the Central division. Now, they would have to give up a hell of a lot to get Bryant. I still don't like going up against him. Look at what Lebron did last playoffs with the crap team that the Cavs were. Sorry, it's true. The supporting cast was awful and Lebron singlehandedly tore apart my beloved Pistons.

The Pistons lost by a total of 52 points in the Texas roadtrip Friday and Saturday. Seriously guys? I am not too worried because it is pre-season. That doesn't look good though.

Games Today:
Lions vs. Bucs (1et)

On The Reel 10/18

- Good interview with Roy Williams. I didn't realize Garcia stunk in Detroit!
- KJ finally getting to officially start vs. the Bucs.
- Joey Ballgame out in Atlanta.
- Stuckey an early candidate for rookie of the year? That would be a beautiful thing.
- Recap of the pre-season win vs. the Nuggets in Grand Rapids. Go Meijer! (That's free this time CP, your welcome.)
- To follow the Rob Parker article a few days ago it seems that Osgood is playing better than Hasek.

Today's Games:
Red Wings @ Sharks (10:00pm) - Stupid Western Conference!

NFL Trade Deadline Passes, No Trade for Tatum

The NFL trade deadline passed yesterday and Tatum Bell is still a Lion. Now the real question is "Is that a good thing?"

At this point in the season it probably doesn't matter, for several reasons.

First, the Lions don't run the ball. Period, End of story. For some reason we all thought that by trading for Bell Mike Martz would forget all about his days in St. Louis and turn into a run-first coach. For that, we are all looking pretty stupid right now. Bell is averaging only 8.8 carries per game, one of the lowest per game averages for a starter in the NFL. He does catch the ball well out of the backfield, but so does Avieon Cason.

Second, when he carries the ball he is highly ineffective. Despite his lofty 4.4 yards per carry, he has only 182 yards and 1 TD. He is averaging only 36.4 yards per game, some of this can be attributed to his lack of carries but most of it can be attributed on his inability to forget that he is not in Denver and that he is going to have to make more than one cut when getting past the offensive line.

Finally, Kevin Jones appears to be healthy. When KJ is healthy he is by far the best running back on the Lions roster, both running and catching the ball. Jones has been getting the bulk of the carries, if there is such a thing in our offense, the last two weeks. The disparity was especially noticeable last two weeks ago against the Redskins when Jones got 11 carries to Bell's 4.

Bell has been nothing short of a bust so far this year and while trading him for a mid-round draft pick may not sound too smart with Duckett still not running at full speed, it might not have been a bad idea. Chalk up another brilliant move for Matt Millen.

A Long Awaited Arrival

I have finally arrived amidst a wonderful world of sports. In my first post I would love to speak of the great teams in our sports town, but the Pistons and Tigers are both in the off-season and I don't know enough about hockey to offer even a small bit of insight or a semi-convincing argument. As a result I suppose the Lions, off to a surprising 3-2 start, will provide the topic for this discussion.

Although no one likes to begin on a sour note I feel compelled to issue this warning to Lions fans:

Do Not Fall Into the Lions' Trap

Believe me I would like nothing more than to sit back and watch our football team finish with a 10-6 record and make the playoffs. However the disappointment of previous seasons prevents this idea from becoming rooted in my head. Not since the departure of Barry Sanders after the 1998 season and the 9-7 finish in the 2001 season have Lions fans had any real hope for their team. Each year since has been marked by disastrous records, poor coaching, and even worse management.
Every year we anxiously await the start of another football season, foolishly hopeful that our hometown team will return to the glory days of the 1950's. Instead, with overwhelming consistency, the Lions always find a way to lose and in doing so cause us the let down that so naively set ourselves up for.

Kool-Aid

Please do not start drinking the Lions form of this beverage, even with our above .500 record. Although the Lions are second place in the division and, as of now, competing for a playoff berth do not be fooled by the quick start. In the 2004 season the Lions began their year with a 4-2 record resulting in former coach Steve Marriucci(currently a contributor to the NFL network) and current general manager Matt Millen (formerly a contributor to Fox NFL Sunday[maybe there is some sort of trend here]) being hailed as heroes and franchise saviors. Following this audacious six game stretch the team preceded to lose 5 straight games and complete the season with a 6-10 record, resulting in many solemn vows to never fall into this trap again.
Yet here we are 3 years later and seemingly no more intelligent. We sit at the edge of our seat during each game, collectively sipping on our Honolulu blue flavored kool-aid in a vain attempt to rid ourselves of the one blemish on an otherwise flawless sports society. Trust me do not get your hopes up for the playoffs.

This Year's Lions (perhaps now some optimism)

Contrary to the opinion of Jon Kitna and Mike Furrey the Lions will not finish 10-6. Although the schedule is much easier than previous years the team is not nearly consistent enough to win ten games. That is the main problem with this team, consistency.
As we have seen thus far the team has yet to bring their best both offensively and defensively to any one game. The defense has been hurt largely by the defensive line, its key component, which has performed poorly and put very little pressure on the quarterback largely due to the inconsistent play of Shaun Rogers.
The offense, quarterbacked(I hesitate to use this as I am not sure it is a verb or a word at all) by Jon Kitna has shown much flash and the ability to put points on the board, however the lack of a running game has been exploited in the two Lions' losses and will continue to be a weak spot this entire year. A more pressing matter may still be the offensive line, if they cannot keep Kitna healthy it will be a very long season indeed with J. T. O'Sullivan at the helm.
All in all the Lions hot start should sputter to a halt. However as long as Kitna is on the field expect them to be in many games with the high powered offense.

Record Prediction 7-9 (this is the optimism)

Familiar Faces at the top of the Big 10

Despite all of the parody in college football this season the Big 10 seems going as planned, sort of.

Once again Ohio State and Michigan are at the top of the Big 10, despite possibly the biggest upset in NCAA history. As we all know UofM fell victim to the Mountaineers of Appalachian State in week one and then followed that up with a 39-7 home loss to Oregon, despite that however the Maize and Blue have reeled off 5 straight wins and are 3-0 in conference, a record only matched by #1 Ohio State. OSU really hasn't had a challenge as of yet, but they simply have won the games they are supposed to win.

The #1 ranking is not necessarily indicative of who the best team in the country is, Ohio State is the 3rd team to claim the top spot so far this season. Nonetheless OSU and UofM are potentially set up for yet another last week showdown for the Big 10 crown and a trip to the Rose Bowl. But they both have big tests this upcoming Saturday.

This week Ohio State's defense will be put to their first true test of the season when the Spartan of Michigan State come calling. The Spartans boast a high-powered offense led by HB Javon Ringer, that has put up over 500 yards of offense each of the last 3 weeks. Ohio State's claim to the top defense in the conference will really be proven this week if they can pull out the win at the Horseshoe.


Michigan will have to be weary of another upset down in Champaign this week against a tough Illinois squad. UofM cracked the AP top 25 this week for the first time since the Pre-Season but their re-introduction could be short lived if Ron Zook watched enough film of Dennis Dixon and Armanti Edwards. If Michigan does not find a way to contain the mobile Williams, and shut down True Freshman Phenom Arrelious Benn, they could be in for a long night under the lights.

If both teams can escape this weekend then we could be well on our way to another great game at the end of this Big 10 season.

On The Reel 10/15

- Polanco and Ordonez get some respect.
- Roy Williams may deliver your pizza.
- Tatum Bell now backing down on the trade talk.
- Zetterburg off to a great start and the league #3 star!
- Filppula has issues that sound like me. I was always pass first kind of player, Filppula needs to shoot more I guess.
- Rip down, others down, when does this preseason end!!

Tonights Games:
Red Wings @ Ducks (10pm)

Attendence...hockey or the economy?

It's a sad day for me when I have to finally admit that Hockey is starting to die out. After the Cup win in 2002 I slowly drifted away from the Wings. I still cared, but would rarely put them on the tube, especially if the Pistons were playing. The last two years have changed my opinion though and I'm a pretty dedicated fan again. Unfortunately, society has clearly stated that hockey is not on their minds and it really is too bad.

For those of you who remember, the Stanley Cup wins in 97 and 98 were amazing. The city of Detroit was hopping, and everyone was enthusiastic about every goal that was scored! So what has changed? I'm not going to blame the lockout a couple of years ago. Sure, that didn't help anything, but I refuse to admit that the lack of buzz is because people are still upset about the lockout. I've always said that hockey is a tough game to promote. For me, it's the most exciting sport out there. The fast pace, the tension in every attack, and the creative moves that are coming out every game brings be back for more. Still, it doesn't seem to do it for the majority of sports fans out there. So what is it that caused the first non-sellout in 396 games at Joe Louis Arena on opening night? I have found four possible reasons.

1) The struggling economy. While it makes some sense, I have to put this one aside. I agree, Olympia Entertainment or whoever runs the Joe needs to cut the prices down and soon. To me, the people who have owned season tickets are doing just fine for themselves to begin with that if they wanted to, they could easily renew or get new tickets.

2) Hockey is boring to many people. I don't understand this one because I have heard it from people who watch soccer for pete's sake! So I would love to hear why it is boring. After the lockout they have done a good job implementing rules that have sped the game up and cut out unneccessary stopages in play.

3) The game is not promoted well. This I agree with. You have to search hard to find information on the Red Wings. Did you know that the Wings lost Schneider and picked up Rafalski this offseason? Do you know who Rafalski is? Both those answers will probably be no unless you are like me and have simply worked hard at finding information. It's hard to get people interested when the NHL games are on "HDNet" and "VS." (For the record VS. does a pretty good job with their broadcasts.) On the flipside, most of you reading this easily knew that the Pistons picked up Jarvis Hayes, traded Delfino, and drafted a young talent named Rodney Stuckey. Simlarly, people don't know the players. Again, you have to search to find out who these people really are. Casual hockey fans will know who Lidstrom, Draper, and Maltby are. You know why? These players were around when hockey was a top story in the 90s.

4) The fighting is gone. Simple but true. What you don't have anymore is the hated rivalries of the 90s and before that. Everyone was watching when the Wings took on the Avs is anybody watching as the Wings take on the Blue Jackets? Who cares? The answer is clearly noone.

5) Finally, my number one reason is that people are too lazy to watch a game of hockey. Sorry to say it, but hockey is not like basketball. You can watch a basketball game and never have played a game personally. Hockey has so many subtleties to it that to really appreciate it you need to be close to the game by playing or really watching. My advice to all you who say that hockey is boring is to watch an entire game with someone who knows the game. Watching five minutes could be boring. From personal experience, I am not into a game if I turn it on for a couple of minutes in the second period.

These are all reasons why people may be losing the thrill of going to the Joe. There's no hype over this extremely talented and exciting team! Oh and it might be time for two things. One, lower the ticket prices, and two, BUILD A NEW STADIUM! Many people are way to attached to the legend that is Joe Louis Arena. I'm sorry, but I would be much more excited to go to an arena that is state of the art, clean, and sells good food. The Joe is a dirty, old building. It's the truth.

It's a sad day, but unless hockey does a better job of promoting the greatness of the game, or even it's players, we may have already seen the NHL's prime are now on a downhill ride to the bottom.

On the Reel

- Is A-Rod too costly for the Tigers?
- Someone read my post about someone needing to step up on the defensive boards I guess.
- Why Chris Osgood is so valuable. (I know it's Rob Parker, but I have to admit he makes a few good points)

That's all for now. I know the Lions won't lose this week and that makes me happy!

Smitty's Week 6 Picks

Here are my picks for this weeks games in the NFL.

St. Louis Rams (0-5) vs Baltimore Ravens (3-2)
- The Rams once-prolific offense has really struggled this year and is now under Gus Frerotte's control, yikes. The Ravens Defense will be far too much for them to overcome.
Pick: Ravens 20-6

Minnesota Vikings (1-3) vs Chicago Bears (2-3)
-Tarvaris Jackson is back, just in time to face an angry Bears defense. Uh-Oh.
Pick: Bears 21-7

Miami Dolphins (0-5) vs Cleveland Browns (2-3)
-Derek Anderson keeps putting up the numbers, despite his 3 INT's last week against the Pats,
and the Dolphins have been borderline AFL all season long.
Pick: Browns 31-13

Washington Redskins (3-1) vs Green Bay Packers (4-1)
-Favre faces a tough pass defense after enduring his first loss of the season, while the Skins are firing on all cylinders after a big win against the Lions. Good match-up for Joe Gibbs' club
Pick: Skins 21-10

Houston Texans (3-2) vs Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1)
-Matt Schaub gets Ahman Green back for some assistance against a very stout Jags D (only 10 yds allowed last week vs Larry Johnson). While David Garrard is putting together a nice season and has yet to throw an INT. Close game, Kris Brown makes the difference.
Pick: Texans 23-20

Cincinnati Bengals (1-3) vs Kansas City Bengals (2-3)
-Despite the records, Cincy is the better team and they'll really prove it this week. Houshmanzadeh and Ocho Cinco will be far too much for the KC secondary. Could get ugly fast.
Pick: Bengals 38-17

Philadelphia Eagles (1-3) vs New York Jets (1-4)
-Bad memories for McNabb at the Meadowlands where he was sacked 12 times against the Giants. However he gets Westbrook and LJ Smith this week and those weapons will be far too much for seemingly overwhelmed Jets team.
Pick: Eagles 24-13

Tennessee Titans (3-1) vs Tampa Bay (3-2)
-All Vince Young does his win. Tampa's D will be tough but VY will pull it out.
Pick: Titans 14-13

Carolina Panthers (3-2) vs Arizona Cardinals (3-2)
-Vinny Vinny Vici is still playing somehow. The Cards D should have a field day. If the Cards O-Line can protect Kurt Warner from a tough Panthers defensive front, they should win going away.
Pick: Cards 24-10

New England Patriots (5-0) vs Dallas Cowboys (5-0)
-Should be a great one. The Pats high-flying offense is going to be on display against a decent Cowboys secondary, while their counterparts will struggle to beat a very complex Pats D. The Duel in Dallas will come down to Tony Romo's ability to figure his way through that Belichick defense.
Pick: Patriots 31-23

Oakland Raiders (2-2) vs San Diego Chargers (2-3)
-If LT can do what he does this Oakland team doesn't stand a chance. Their offense is not equipped to overcome any sort of deficit. Oakland's D will decide this one.
Pick: Chargers 21-7

Sunday Night Game
New Orleans Saints (0-4) vs Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
-New Orleans has been incredibly disappointing but they have a chance to breakout and get a W. Seattle's defense has been suspect and their offense has been really bad as well, the los of Ironman Mack Strong doesn't help.
Pick: Saints 31-13

Monday Night Game
New York "Football" Giants (3-2) vs Atlanta Falcons (1-4)
-The loss of Vick really crippled this Falcons team and its not going to get better any time soon. The G-Men have played good football recently and with the return of Brandon Jacobs they could be in for a good week
Pick: G-Men 27-14

Rebounding: The word for 07-08?

Last year, the Pistons had to deal with the loss of Ben Wallace. They lost the outstanding blocking ability, the hustle plays, but most of all the rebounding. Well, is this going to catch up to them this year? In the last two pre-season games they have allowed 46 second chance points. It is clearly unacceptable. It comes as no big surprise. Sure, McDyess is now starting, but he's never been known for his rebounding ability. Rasheed will most likely get his 10 or so rebound per night (given he stays in the game) but, after that, who is doing their job boxing out on the defensive end? Nazr Mohammad was supposed to be that guy, but he still hasn't shown me he's worth anything more than heating up the seats on the bench. Jason Maxiell has a ton of talent, but (and I hate to burst everyone's bubble) he is still only 6 foot 7. Yea, he's a Ben Wallace prototype, but I don't see him being quite as dominate on the boards as Wallace was in his prime, which was 3 years ago but that's besides the point.

The next tallest player after 'Sheed, supposing rookie Cheikh Samb doesn't make the roster, is Tayshaun Prince. Don't get me wrong I love Mr. Prince. He is not going to be gobbling up the defensive boards, however, when we need them.

There are a lot of ifs right now for the big men of this team. Nazr, it has been said, will be up for the challenge of playing 20 minutes per night as a backup. Maxiell is supposed to become the next Ben Wallace this year. Amir Johnson is hyped to be one of the best young players in the league. These are all ifs because we really haven't seen any of these guys play substantial minutes either for the Pistons or in the NBA! Let's be optimistic and say that all of the above is true. It still doesn't give me much hope in fixing our defensive rebounding woes because let's face it, this team doesn't have a true center.

If there's one thing I get worried about going into the season, it's the big men and there defensive rebounding ability. Hopefully, the pre-season is just that, the pre-season. We cannot expect to win the Central division for the fifth out of six years if we are allowing over 20 second chance points per game.

On The Reel

- Nobody likes quitters, especially when Chris Cooley recognizes it.
- 'Sheed is "passionate" in preseason games as well I guess. It's hard to have his back sometimes.
- Delfino knew he wasn't getting it done in Detroit, just like everyone else. I tried to back him up for three years, but it just never happened.
- Damn, another Western Conference travel year for the Wings.
- I can't watch the Wings without realizing how good Datyuk and Zetterburg are and what an important player Holmstrom has become over the years. They were in top form Wednesday night.

Games Tonight:
Red Wings vs. Blackhawks (7:30)
Pistons vs. Jazz (7:30)

Yankees Cast-Off's Could be Main Targets in Tiger's Offseason Plans

The Tiger's Wish List for this off-season is pretty straight forward: Relief Pitching and a good defensive shortstop. And believe it or not, Joe Torre could ultimately factor into the Tiger's off-season as much as Dave Dombrowski.

Recently Mariano Rivera has said that Torre's release will factor in his decision to either return to the Yankees or become a Free Agent this upcoming winter. Despite these threats, it still seems imminent that Torre will be manging another team come spring 2008 (my money is on the Card's), and this could lead to the greatest closer of all time becoming one of the top Free Agent's in this years class.

Other players such as Jorge Posada, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettite and Roger Clemens could also be directly affected by his departure. If these players leave, 3 of them (Rivera, Rodriguez and Pettite) soar to the top of the Tiger's Wish List.

Rivera would be an incredibly welcome upgrade of Todd "Let's Make This Interesting" Jones in the closer role and would allow for the use of Joel Zumaya, Fernando Rodney and Jones in a 6-7-8 kind of role. A-Rod is A-Rod and while it looks like this offense could not get any better, adding him would make it one of the best possibly ever. On the defensive side, A-Rod was once a Gold Glove shortstop with the Mariners and would surely welcome a move from the hot corner, pushing Carlos Guillen to First Base, and allowing for Sean Casey to be a DH/1B type of utility man. Pettite would also be a welcome upgrade over Nate Robertson and his very disappointing season. At the very worst he is a tremendous long relief pitcher.

Price is a major factor, but Ilitch has never been one to shy away from offering major contracts (see the $140 Million Juan Gonzalez offer). If Ilitch is willing to pony up the cash hopefully A-Rod and Rivera will be willing to trade in pinstripes for the olde english D.

Peiser's Song of the Week!

Why not at some music to this thing, spice things up.

First up, we have a song that is top 10 in my favorite rap songs probably from the little known Keith Murray. "The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World" came out in 1994. This makes the cut for this site especially because he's wearing a Red Wings jersey through most of the song. Gotta love Keith...





While I'm on the Keith Murray bandwagon right now, here's his single of his newest album "Rap-Murr-Phobia." This album is a must have for any fan of real hip hop. The song is "Nobody Do It Better"



Check back next week for more enlightening thoughts from Peiser.

On the Reel

Yea, that's what I'm calling these posts from now on! If you hate it and have a better idea let me know.

- Interview with Lions LB Ernie Sims.
- Lions offensive line talk.
- Even the boys on the ice notices the lack of attendance.
- Pistons optimistic about their guards.
- At least some respect goes to what the Pistons have done.

Games tonight:
Red Wings vs. Calgary Flames 7:30 (FSN)

Articles for fans of The D

Here are a few articles that might spark some interest for Detroit sports fans.

- Yes, Dunkin' Darvin is dunking again.
- Roy Williams a delivery man?
- A-Rod to the Tigers! Okay, not yet at least, but good ole' Drew Sharp makes a case.
- Now this has to bring you to the Joe right?
- Being old is cool. Especially if your name is Chris Chelios

That's all for now. Enjoy!

Pudge is back and a Red Wing injury

Tigers catcher, Ivan Rodriguez is back for at least one more year in a Detroit uniform. It doesn't come as too much of a surprise, and seemed necessary. One thing I think everyone can agree on is that this guy is starting to slow down. He batted a measly .281 with 11 home runs. Still, he is known for being a great defensive catcher as well and to have to have that position secured has to be a good feeling for the franchise. Personally, I still think this guy's got what it takes, and the leadership he brings can help take this team to high places. Sorry, but even though Rabelo did hit one home run in the last game of the season in Chicago, it's not quite good enough for me!

The Red Wings are in full swing and off to an exciting start. After winning in a shootout against the Ducks, they promptly lost to the Blackhawks in a shootout of their own. Last night, the Wings were able to take care of business in a 4-2 win over the Oilers. On a somber note, forward Johan Franzen went down with a MCL sprain and will be out for about a month. This is too bad for a guy who looked like he might have a breakout year. Still, his confidence shows that he can come back and do everything he's expected to once he comes back. The first few games have shown us some great hockey. If nothing else, you can either watch Datsyuk and Zetterburg work their magic, or watch a legendary defensive pair in Lidstrom and former Badger Rafalski. People have noticed a lack of buzz for "hockeytown's" team unfortunately.

Lions Season Report Card (Through Week 5)

We have just past the quarter mark here in the 2007 NFL season and it has been a wild one so far for the Lion faithful. From giving up 56 points to the Eagles to scoring 34 in the fourth against the bears, we have seemingly seen it all in just these first 5 weeks.

Seeing as this is the Bye week and there will be no game preview, here's my 1st Quarter (and 1 week) Lions report card by position.

Quarterbacks:

Kitna has been the Kitna we love, (8 total passing td's and 245+ yards in 4/5 games) and the Kitna we hate (6 Int's through 5 games). Basically everything we have come to expect. In his only appearance J.T. O'Sullivan looked like he might have needed another season in NFL Europa (R.I.P), throwing 2 Int's and looking completely lost for the majority of his stay. Dan O has yet to make an appearance and Stanton is on IR.

If Kitna can cut down on the turnovers this grade will climb otherwise it will probably fall.

Grade: B

Halfbacks:

We haven't seen enough of any of these HB's to know what to expect for the rest of the season. Why you ask? Because they don't touch the ball. Tatum bell had 15 carries in game 1 but since he has had only 1 week where he broke the 10 carry threshold. He's been reasonably effective out of the backfield, notching 5 catches in week 3, but nothing much since. Kevin Jones is healthy but is splitting carries so not much can be said about him, except that he does not yet have 100 total yards rushing 5 games in. T.J. Duckett is admittedly still running on a bit of a flat tire so the jury is still out on him. Calhoun is on IR and Aveion Cason is Aveion Cason

Grade: C

Wide Recievers/Tight Ends:

The Wideouts are playing very well so far this season. Roy Williams is making all his catches (7 for 111 in week 2, and 9 for 204 week 3) and serving as a huge distraction when he isn't. Calvin Johnson has been a little banged up but when he has played he's been an elite red zone jump ball target notching 2 td's in his first 2 NFL games. Mike Furrey has been a solid 3rd receiver with 5 receptions in each of the first 4 games. But the most pleasant surprise has definitely been Shaun McDonald, he knows the offense inside and out and has become Kitna's check down reciever, a role that got Furrey 98 catches last year. The tight ends haven't done much but they aren't expected to in the Martz offense. Casey Fitzsimmons onside kick return was nice though. Overall, they have been a solid corps so far.

Grade: A-

Offensive Line:

This group has been pretty bad so far giving up 26 sacks through 5 games. Most of the onus can be placed on Left Tackle Jeff Backus however, he has been simply out-manned in every game this season. Last week against the Redskins he looked particularly vulnerable, giving up a sack and a forced fumble to DE Andre Carter. Mark Anderson also made him look foolish. George Foster is looking like maybe he should have stayed on the Bronco's bench as well. He has been pulled twice in favor of second-year Tackle Jonathon Scott. The Guards and Raiola have played decent but Tommie Harris really exposed them the other week though. Bottom Line: you should not be cycling in offensive lineman. And if the sacks arent cut in half, we may be looking at a J.T. O'Sullivan led Lions team...yikes.

Grade: D+

Defensive Line:

This group has been tremendous so far. They have applied serious pressure to the Quarterback throughout most of the last 5 weeks and most of that can be accredited to 2 major differences from last year in the line. 1) A healthy Shaun Rogers - when he is on he is one of the best in the league hands down, paired with Corey Redding they may be the best 1-2 DT tandem in the NFL. 2) Dewayne White. He has brought some much needed pressure from the DE spot and is looking like a Free Agent steal. His production, coupled with the big guys on the inside has really opened things up for Kalimba Edwards as well. He has been a disappointment for much of his career but is having a solid season so far. Jared Devries has also had a nice season as a situational pass rusher notching 3 sacks through his first 5 games.

Grade: B+

Linebackers

Ernie Sims has been a stud as usual, registering 44 tackles through 5 weeks, good for 4th best in the league. But outside of Sims this position has been iffy. Paris Lenon was playing pretty well before he got hurt last week. Bailey and Lehman have been O.K. but neither are great run stuffers and the Lions rush D has paid the price, giving up 115 yards per game on the ground. None of the LB's are too great in pass coverage, including Sims, and it's very visible when watching receivers going over the middle. Ernie Sims' Former Florida State Seminole teammate MLB Buster Davis is patiently waiting for his shot down on the practice squad and we here at Welcome to the D can't wait. Go Buster Go.

Grade: C

Secondary

Daniel Bullocks' injury really hurt this team, he was a major factor on the defense last year and was seemingly poised for a breakout season. But those high hopes came crashing down when he went out with a season-ending injury in the pre-season. The end result has been a second round rookie from Boise State, Gerald Alexander, having to start at a key position in the cover 2 scheme and a 30th ranked Pass defense giving up 284 yards per game through the air. Fernando Bryant, Travis Fisher and Keith Smith have been sub-par in coverage despite their high tackle totals, and Stanley Wilson has not been much better. Idrees Bashir has been his journeyman self and Kennoy Kennedy's career with the Lions was pretty much summed up last week when he was demolished by Mike Sellers. This group needs to get it together ASAP if this team wants to compete for a division title.

Grade: C-

Special Teams

Troy Walters has been a pleasant surprise averaging 23.6 yards per kick return and 10 per punt return, easing the loss of Eddie Drummond. Brian Calhoun was putting together a nice Kick Returning season until his season ending injury and Nick Harris has been his Pro-Bowl self averaging 44.9 yards per punt. Jason Hanson has also been solid, if unspectacular, hitting 7 of his 10 attempts.

Grade: B


Overall

To quote Denny Green "They are who we thought they were!" (Sorry, I can't pass up a Denny Green rant reference). The offense has been solid but erratic, and the defense has been shaky at best. The difference this year is the attitude, this team seems to feel like they can win and they have proven they can come back and win in the fourth quarter. If Kitna can cut down on the turnovers and the defense can step up to the challenge this team could go places. If not, we could be in for another long year. In the end we are 3-2 and I think we can all agree that it's nice to be over .500 for a change.

First Quarter (and 1 week) Grade: B

Pistons Preseason Game 1 Reaction

Unfortunetly, nobody was able to watch the game from home and I was unable to listen to the broadcast, but from what I can see it was a very solid showing. The thing to be most excited about if you are a Pistons fan has to be the young talent that seems to be able to play at an NBA level. In the middle of the first round Detroit went with little known Rodney Stuckey. I had no idea that this guy is ready to step in. He finished with 15 points on 5-7 shooting in 19 minutes. The rest of the team averaged around 20 minutes and it looks great. Aaron Afflalo finished with 9 points on 2-4 from the field and 5-5 from the free throw line.

Okay, let's calm down, this was against a crippled Miami Heat team who played nobody in their regular rotation it seemed other than Jason Willimas and Michael Doleac. We can't really judge this team until the season starts, but this Pistons team could have that hop to their step that's been missing. Think about it, take what you had last year, get rid of the poison that seemed to be Carlos Delfino and add young talent around the perimeter and down low. Did I mention Amir Johnson didn't play yet? I have been talking this guy up since his 360 slam during his rookie campaign, and, while he's been a little overhyped in my opinion, the sky's the limit for this talented 20 year old. Rasheed is 20 pounds lighter and supposedly getting along with Flip. All signs point to a great season!

Here are two things I'm looking at in this preseason.
1) Like I said before, the youth on this team has incredible talent and it will be fun to see how well they can play at the professional level.
2) What's going on with Webber/Mohammad. Chris McCosky has different ideas about both that might sound weird. Is Webber as good of an influence as we thought? Is Mohammad still in the dog house?

Welcome to the D!

Welcome to the D everyone! My name is Scott Peiser and I'll be here with Austin Smith bringing you all the great stories and opinions on all the teams that make up the greatest sports city in the country. Detroit has been somewhat successful in all four major sports recently. (The Lions are still successful in my mind because they still are a huge story every week) In the future more contributers may be coming in to help make this a legitimate stop for you to come every day to look for new and interesting information. We here at "The D" are committed to Detroit sports and have so much to look forward to.

It all begins now!