Hey Gang--

Has anyone been paying attention to some of the moves that NBA teams are making lately????  The Knicks just cleared a ton of salary cap space by trading Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph........ The Pistons have cleared space by dealing Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson..... and other teams are probably planning moves too, all in the hopes of getting into the LeBron James lottery when he becomes a free agent in 2010......... The question to you is,  Where do you think "King" James will end up??? In the Big Apple with the Knicks?????  Still with Cleveland??? In New jersey with rap mogul Jay Z and the Nets??? Miami with D-Wade??? Motown??? What do you think????

--W.

 It's getting to the point, where I'm beginning to dread making my weekly picks in the Lions pre game show on Fox 2 football Sunday.  As most of you know by now, I am a paltry 2-8. Hardly the stuff that inspires people to listen to my opinion on pro football.  But I challenge any of you to try and go against me head to head for the remaining six games of the year - against the spread, and you'll see just how frustrated I become each and every week trying to anticipate which Lions team (or defense) will show up - or not show for that matter.  As it stands today, Detroit is once again and not surprisingly a home dog this week against the Bucs.  But it's a pretty big number at eight and a half. I'm pretty sure that Daunte Culpepper will be feeling more comfortable in his third straight start and that Kevin Smith has finally figured out this zone blocking scheme they run and can bust off another 100 yard day. Oh wait - these are the same bucs that have allowed the 4th fewest points in the league this season and held Adrian Peterson to just 85 yards.  Jeff Garcia still has a chip on his shoulder and he isn't about to forget how the Lions handed his team a loss here at Ford Field last season.  So I'm waffling my way to picking the Lions to cover for no particular reason, but  that all might change by 11;30 am Sunday when push comes to shove and my record and credibility are once again on the line.  Now for the games I'm much more certain about  - here are my picks for the week:  Central will beat Ball State and I for one, even as a Western Grad, can't wait to see another MAC Game televised!  Michigan against Ohio State is an underdog of a different coat.  I don't give the Wolverines a chance to upset this year's Buckeyes team, let alone I wouldn't put it past "The Vest" to run up the score on Rich Rod - just cuz he can.  So I'll take the Bucks to cover the 20 and a half.  As for the Spartans, I think they'll keep it a little closer than people give them credit for against Penn State. Not that they'll leave Happy Valley  very happy, but they should be able to do some good things if they have a 14 and a half point spread to work with!  So there you go. My picks for the most exciting week of the regular season in college football.  No guarantees and no refunds here.  Just a little bit of insite and a whole lot of honesty!  Afterall, as the saying goes . . . . "On any given Sunday - or Saturday".

Gotcha!!!!  I'm guessing you were looking for your pitchforks and torches when you read the headline here.  Look I am not saying that Rod Marinelli deserves any slack for the teams abysmal showing this year.  He doesn't.  He is the head coach and he signed up for a business in which you are judged by wins and losses.  Right now we all know where that measure of his performance stands.

What I am saying is enough already with the weekly reviews of his press get togethers.  I for one think it's admirable that he stands up there, takes the blame and refuses to throw any of his players or coaches under a bus.  That is leadership.  Leaders don't publicly pass the buck to somebody else so as to clear themselves.  I think coaches that do that are garbage. 

Look, this team is bad, there is nothing he can say to change that.  Who gives a hoot what he says on Monday?  The ONLY thing that matters is what his team does on Sunday.  I've had this argument with some of my media brothers.  Some agree, some don't.  I just think it's ridiculous that we have gotten to the point where we review his performance every Monday and submit that as substance around which we can build programming or content.

If you want Rod fired because of the teams failures.  I won't argue.  Frankly I don't think he would either.  He doesn't want to go, he'd rather stay and try and turn this around but he understands what the measuring stick is for men in his position.

Ask yourself this.  If your child ever is put in a position of leadership and has to speak to the public.  Would you want him/her to say "we are failing because I haven't done my job?"  Or would you rather he/she says "hey you know I'm doing my job but employee A, B and C are slackers so blame them."

I think Rod's results have been bad.  I think his willingness to keep himself in the crosshairs and not hide from the teams shortcomings has been an example of what a stand-up person does in times of crisis.

I know we all want the team to win, short of that...What do you want him to say that's going to make anybody feel better?   

I’m no sports nuts (despite the fact that I did date a professional football player and my current beau is a football nut).

But I know a little something something about the game and I was shocked to hear that there could be a tie in football.

 I’ve never heard of that happening even almost happening and I think they said this is the first time.

What’s yanking my chain is that fact that they’re making fun of Donovan McNabb who admitted that he didn’t know about it either.

So what he’s got so much wins under his belt that it makes him look like he has dunlap. Has it occurred to you – the sports writer – that when the NFL was shaking money in his face to get him to sign a contract, no one sent him to NFL university or given him a workshop on NFL 101.

Heck, shake a million at me and see if I click past the rules, terms and conditions. (I think I did that when I signed up for this blog account.) Who reads the fine print anymore and who else – except the rule makers, administrators and people making money from this sport – actually knew there was a tie.

Special night puts bow on exceptional '07-'08 season

By: Michael Niziolek

for In Play! Magazine

           "It was exciting for us, of all the celebrations we've had since we won it's kind of the climax of it all," Red Wings' Goalie Chris Osgood says. "For us it was just awesome seeing the banner go up and you know you should never take things like that for granted. It's very very hard to win in this league."

             That was the sentiment throughout the Red Wings' locker room on opening night and even their 3-2 loss to the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs following their championship celebration couldn't dampen Detroit's sprits.

Opening night festivities included a new NHL promotion called NHL Rocks which included a Def Leppard concert at the Fox Theatre, raising the championship banner to rafters at the Joe and celebrating the franchise's 11th championship with a sell-out crowd of Red Wings' fans and alumni including Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsey, Alex Delvecchio and Dennis Hextall.

Mickey Redmond and Ken Daniels narrated the ceremony, with music accompaniment from the Wayne State Symphony Orchestra, taking players and fans through highlights of last season's Stanley Cup run, along with video packages of Detroit's award winners from last season.

All seven trophies Red Wings' players received last year were on the ice, with the Stanley Cup taking center stage, creating an impressive display of hardware.

The real highlights of the night were the banner raising and presentation. The Red Wings' alumni on hand and a group of fans dubbed the "Citizens of Hockeytown" brought the banner out and presented it to the current Wings for them to raise into history.

   "When the banner was coming out and going up I got goose bumps," left winger Tomas Holmstrom says.

Link to cover story

#16 Dave (Jack) Hanson...Old Time Hockey At Its Best!

By: Michael Niziolek

for In Play! Magazine

 “Slap Shot” was just a job during the offseason for Dave Hanson who played #16 Jack Hanson of the Hanson Brothers in the cult classic Slapshot, before that he was a hockey player and well traveled one at that. After his role in the sports comedy he continued his ten-year playing career racking up 300 points and nearly 3,000 penalty minutes.

 Hanson jokes that even though the movie stared three good looking, intelligent guys he and his friends Steve and Jeff Carlson had no idea the film would become arguably the greatest sports movie ever made.

 Now, thirty years later, Hanson is telling tales about his career, the film and its sequels in his book “Slap Shot Original: The Man, The Foil, The Legend.” In-Play! Magazine got a chance to catch up with Dave before his tour to talk to him about the book, movie and hockey.

 IP: Let’s start out with the book “Slap Shot Original: The Man, The Foil, The Legend” - why did you decide to write it?

 DH: I got a call a few years ago from a writer out in Minneapolis who was writing a book about the code of hockey. It had to do with fighting in the game, how players approach it and what they think about it. After we got done speaking, through the interview process with him, he was like geez you got some stories you ought to put in writing.

  I laughed it off, but as time went on I started thinking about it and I thought it might be a fun thing to do. I had no idea how to approach it, but I figured I would just start at the seed and continue through till now. That’s kind of how I wrote and Triumph Books outside of Chicago liked the idea and decided to publish it for me. I had no idea where it was going to go, but I just tried to go chronologically through when I was born, through my childhood, my hockey playing career, the movie was part of that, and to now.

Link to article

Behind the Scenes Spotlight: Al Sobotka

By: Michael Niziolek

for In Play! Magazine

 Not many building managers have developed into cult heroes, but with his Zamboni driving and Octopus twirling Al Sobotka, Building Operations Manager for Olympia Entertainment, has become a hugely popular figure for Red Wings' fans.

 For 38 seasons Sobotka has been part of Olympia Entertainment and after graduating high school in 1971 worked his way over the years from the midnight cleaning shift to building manager overseeing…well everything.

 "I'm in charge of the ice - putting that in, maintenance of it. All the people that are hired to clean the building, painting, things like that," Sobotka explains. "Hundreds of little things every day."

 For Sobotka, and his crew, the day starts at around nine in the morning getting the ice ready for the morning skate by both the Red Wings and visiting team than repeating the process after practice. Sometimes they will even have a show or event in-between that they'll have to clean up after. 

Link to article

SPARTANS BASKING IN THE GLOW OF PROPER DECISIONS

By Fred Heumann

for In Play! Magazine

(EAST LANSING)  -   Tom Izzo has been an icon at Michigan State for some time now, but even his remarkable presence in East Lansing was not enough to shed the image of a University in athletic disarray.

            Enter the two Marks.

            First it was Mark Dantonio, and then it was Mark Hollis.

            Dantonio was happily molding a program at the University of Cincinnati when he was wooed and eventually hired by Hollis, then the MSU Athletic Director in waiting(with Izzo’s help & blessing).

            “I remember contacting Mark (Dantonio) when we first had interest in him,” Hollis recently recalled. “He told us he wasn’t interested in even talking to us until his season was over.”

            Perhaps it was then that the powers that be at MSU realized they had their man. While George Perles, Nick Saban, John L. Smith & company may have all been fine coaches in their own right, had a similar call been made to any of them during any stage of their coaching careers, they would have hired a human slingshot to get to town and check out the new opportunity.

 Link to article

Pistons Begin Curry Era With A Changing Of The Guard

by Steve St. Pierre

for In Play! Magazine

The Pistons are on a mission to prove to their fans that they still have what it takes to compete for an NBA Championship. 

  They came into this season with only one significant change in the hiring of Michael Curry, Pistons Head Coach. Fans voiced their displeasure after the team produced only minor changes to the roster. That was until Nov. 3, when the franchise announced its acquisition of superstar guard Allen Iverson.

  Coming over from the Denver Nuggets, Iverson was traded in exchange for guard Chauncey Billups, forward Antonio McDyess and center Cheikh Samb. McDyess is expected to be released by Denver and could re-sign with Detroit following a 30-day wait.

   “We are pleased to welcome Allen Iverson to the Pistons organization,” says Joe Dumars, Pistons President. “Allen has proven he is one of the elite players in the league and we like what he adds to our roster at the guard position.”

 With Billups vacating the starting point guard spot, Iverson is expected to step right into the role and should have little trouble establishing himself as the new face of the franchise. The Pistons are also excited about the debut of Curry, who appears to have already won over his players with his philosophies and approach to the game.

 “I have gotten nothing but positive feedback from each and every (player) about playing for our new coach,” Dumars says.

 “Michael Curry is more of an in-your-face type of coach…” adds forward Amir Johnson. “…If you don’t play hard, you come down and sit on the bench.”

Prior to the Iverson deal, the team had made only minor changes. Since drafting rookie Walter Sharpe in June, the Pistons signed only reserve free agents, inking guard Will Bynum, center Kwame Brown and re-signing forward Walter Herrmann and guard Alex Acker. Detroit also announced contract extensions for veterans Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo, Jason Maxiell and Rip Hamilton.

Link to article

9 Weeks, 9 Losses, Four Quarterbacks, Two Blackouts and Zero Wins…

By: Michael Niziolek

for In Play! Magazine

            Despite some progress towards the end of October, the Lions took a huge step backward against the Jacksonville Jaguars in November losing their third game at home this season by more than 20 points.

 The Lions got manhandled on both the offensive line (giving up seven sacks) and defensive line (giving up 150 yards) by the sub .500 Jaguars. The Lions used two quarterbacks, Daunte Culpepper and Drew Stanton, but neither was able to show anything approaching consistency.

 In just his first week with the Lions, Culpepper was thrown into the fire after QB Dan Orlovsky was ruled out during the week because a hand injury he suffered against the Chicago Bears in Week 9. Culpepper rebounded after an early interception, but only managed five completions for 104 yards.

 His one highlight came on a 51-yard strike to Calvin Johnson, but a 31 point deficit led to Stanton replacing him in the fourth quarter.  Stanton's big moment came earlier in the game when he replaced Culpepper on a goal line situation and threw his first NFL touchdown. In the fourth quarter he led the Lions on one drive down the field, but struggled with avoiding pressure and was sacked five times.

Link to article

Hi there----

I rarely do this, but I feel that the Lions are so bad that EVERY Carolina Panthers player is a must start this week in Fantasy Football......... No Exceptions!!!!  Steve Smith--- IN!!! Jake DelHomme--- IN!!! DeAngelo Williams---IN!!! even the injured Jonathan Stewart--IN!!!!  Look for monster numbers as Carolina rolls to a 41-14 win........ you might even get a good tight end selection there too!!!!

--W

Hi Gang--

The answer man is here again and he's got the answer to Lions head coach Rod Marinelli's monday metaphor........ You don't need a light to get out of a buried alive situation..... according to survivalists, all you need is SPIT!!  That's right, saliva...... all you have to do is spit on one of the walls of your underground prison and let gravity show you which way to dig..... DIG!!?  Even with no light, this method works.... put your hands an estimated distance apart and spit in between..... when the saliva hits your hand, you'll know which way is up!!!!  Instead of digging blindly like the head coach--- can you see how a game plan points you in the right direction!!!  Seems to work in this case doesn't it??....... We'll see if Detroit has any saliva on sunday.....

-- W.

Hi Kids!!!

Speaking of children, the Lions must think that we're all in pre-school..... I heard the comments from the head coach on monday and was shocked silly!!!  What kind of double-talk was that anyhow??? Shovels and pick-axes??  Give me a break!!!  The comments from Tom Lewand to Drew Sharp after sunday's game were just plain insulting...... Don't stand there and play like you don't understand the questions "Mr. 'Acting' G.M."..... Step up and own up that Marinelli isn't the answer!!!  At 0-9 does it matter that no-one else on the staff has head coaching experience????  NO! So blow him out!!! Put Kippy Brown in charge---- it can't get any worse....... 

Or CAN IT???  If this squad goes to 0-16 with no changes, perhaps the current coaching staff will wear that mark like a scarlet letter..... forever banning them from any meaningful football relationship--- I'd go for that too.......

And finally, I have the answer to Marinelli's "buried in a dark hole with no light" metaphor..... but I'll give you fans the chance at it before I reveal my answer....... Good Luck!!!!  

Allen Iverson may be the answer for the Pistons - and I have not doubt that he will be, whether its on the court in June or after his $21 million dollar salary drops off the books next summer Joe Dumars knew what he wanted, understood that it made sense and confidently sought to accomplish a great trade for the present and future of his team.   Needless to say, similar thought and calculation is not being observed in Allen Park .... where the only thing the two organizations have in common is the name "Allen"!  I can only imagine what Daunte Culpepper must be feeling like in his first week in Detroit.  The day following his first practice with the Lions the headline in the local morning paper showed him in a photo with injured former starter Dan Orlovsky with a camption that read "SERIOUSLY"? That was followed up by Friday's morning friendly article that included an 0-8 team's mid-term grades with the headline "FLUNKIES". Talk about buyers remorse?  I can only imagine what is going through his head as he's about to be thrown into the fire by a coach who doesn't have a clue how to live up to his job title.  If you think I'm being harsh consider his most recent moves with his quarter backs - the presumed leader of his team.  First they throw Jon Kitna under the bus with what they said was a season ending back injury - Kitna told me it wasn't, but he made one major mistake that landed him out of a job.  He dared to complain about the miserable play calling of offensive coordinator Jim Colletto. Bye, bye Jon.  It's hard to imagine what will happen next to Dan Orlovsky, who in my estimation has given the Lions at least a better chance to win than they had the first four losses of the year.  It can only be described as ironically convenient for those calling the shots, that Orlovsky suffered a serious thumb injury (which they lied about in the first place) on the same weekend in which they ushered in his replacement without even a courtesy call to say, "Hey, you know we're not getting what we want out of the QB postition so we're gonna go in another direction." Instead, Orlovsky who has been a good soldier through the entire mess had to learn about his demotion on the bottom line of the ESPN sports ticker.  That's a fine way to treat your presumably most valuable employee.  Now that he is injured, the table is set for Marinelli and his underlings to throw Orlovsky under the same bus that just dragged Jon Kitna by and cast him off to the great abyss that is injured reserve.   Just to get you up to speed, that means he'll no longer participate in practices with his team and any chance he had of developing or improving from his first four games will be all but impossible.  But hey, why should we worry about that happening to D.O. afterall Marinelli said he'll carry four quarterbacks into Sunday's game against the Jags, meaning Orlovsky still has a roster space for now.  I suspect that the Lions will continue the shrewd path of player relations they've employed up to this point and just hang on to Orlovsky long enough to find out how much tread Culpepper still has on his 31 year old tires - young for that position according to Marinelli - then cast him off when they see they no longer need him as a stop gap.  For those of you waiting to see Drew Stanton, keep waiting. Word is he hasn't done anything to impress anyone ..... even his teammates who failed to come to his defense when Colletto said he didn't want to embarrass him by throwing him out there into a game.  Anyway, good luck Daunte. I know you are a nice guy with some nice skills, but you have yet to take a snap as a member of the Detroit Lions.  And more often that not, when that happens most players turn into a shell of their former selves and then get hit by a bus!