At halftime of the Michigan game on Saturday, Section 36 row 57 was about the last place I wanted to be. With 0:00 left on the clock, I didn't want to leave.
Bob Griese said he may have never seen momentum shift so drastically, so quickly. Meanwhile, I didn't think I could imagine a crowd's attitude shift so quickly.
At halftime, the team ran into the locker room; running hoping to find shelter from the boo's.
In the third quarter Steven Threet found Greg Matthews for 13 yard pass and a first down; in what felt like the first moving of the chains since the Lloyd Carr era. This time, the crowd gave no boo's, but they may as well have because the praises were overwhelmingly sarcastic.
But, then Brandon Minor gave us a glimmer of hope with a big TD run. The crowd was tentatively excited, until John Thompson, surrounded by about 8 winged helmets, fell into the endzone with a game changing pick-6. It was the loudest I have ever heard Michigan Stadium. Louder even, than that Penn State game I witnessed, in 2005 when Mario Manningham caught that last second, game winning TD. It was as if everyone finally exhaled and let loose after 10 months of anxiety.
I tell you this story to make a point (I promise). No, I am not claiming this victory will be some sort of beautiful building block towards a great season. But what I do want to tell you is that the atmosphere was different. The students still did their traditional cheers and the season ticket holders still listened in on their personal radios, but the whole stadium didn't sit down for a quarter and a half. The only real time that stadium was quiet during that period was to hear what the call was on the first two-point conversion attempt.
I think, that is a direct reflection on Rich Rodriguez.
He puts exciting players on the field, the offense is fast paced, and its fun to watch (when it works). There is no more running up the middle for 3 yards, instead there is fake hand offs that lead to 60 yard gains by the quarterback. Rich Rod has started something, something not just to the team, but also to the Big House atmosphere. It won't be done overnight, but it is starting already.
It may have been just a big game or a big comeback, but the third and fourth quarters felt like a totally different Michigan football game.
So while I got to see the second Michigan biggest comeback in person, I also got to see, first hand, the beginning of what i believe to be a new atmosphere at the Big House, and that may have been just as special.
Michigan Victorious.
Week 4 Picks
Picks Week 4:
Nate's Picks
Tennessee over Minnesota
Denver over Kansas City
San Francisco over New Orleans
Arizona over New York Jets
Green Bay over Tampa Bay
Atlanta over Carolina
Jacksonville over Houston
Cincinnati over Cleveland
San Diego over Oakland
Buffalo over St. Louis
Dallas over Washington
Philadelphia over Chicago
Baltimore over Pittsburgh
Elliot's Picks:
Bengals over Browns
Titans over Vikings
Broncos over Chiefs
Saints over 49ers
Cardinals over Jets
Packers over Bucs
Panthers over Falcons
Jaguars over Texans
Chargers over Raiders
Bills over Rams
Cowboys over Redskins
Eagles over Bears
Steelers over Ravens
Brian's Picks
Cleveland over Cincinnati
Tennessee over Minnesota
Denver over Arizona
New Orleans over San Francisco
Arizona over New York Jets
Tampa Bay over Green Bay
Atlanta over Carolina
Jacksonville over Houston
San Diego over Oakland
Buffalo over St. Louis
Dallas over Washington
Pittsburgh over Baltimore
Dave's Picks:
????
Was William Clay Alive That Whole Time?
Look at this picture. WIlliam Clay looks like he has been operated on by a taxidermist. Maybe the real reason Millen had a job so far was because Millen actually has excellent ventriloquism skills!
Lets look at the facts. Anybody with an ALIVE and FUNCTIONING brain would have fired Millen long ago. But you don't have a those cranial characteristics when you are DEAD!
In addition, those close to William Clay says he refuses to have meetings unless he can sit on Millen's lap. Why else? So Matt Millen can control him like a puppet/dummy.
In addition, William Clay is almost never seen in public. Millen is worried that if he takes his Matt 'n' Willie show on the road, or in public, people will realize that he is using the remains of a human as entertainment. Instead, he just continues to trick the Lions management.
I can see it now:
Matt: Ford said I get a 5 year extension
Lewand: WHAT!?!
Matt: Look Ill show you. [Millen props up body, ala Weekend at Bernies]
[Matt begins talking without mouth moving too much]
William Clay's Body: Yep 5 more years!
[Millen does victory dance, forges a Ford signature, and does a little jig]
[Lewand considers suicide]
Its so simple, it was until Wednesday when Bill Jr. realized William Clay was dead that Millen was fired.
Good thing somebody finally checked is pulse, because now the Millen debacle is over!
New Lions GM; Counter-argument
What kind of law student would I be if I didn't analyze both sides of an argument? So lets go through it.
Mitch Albom refuted my argument straight up by saying he would like anyone BUT a former coach testing the waters of general management for the first time. The other bit of factual background comes from Floyd Reese's (former Tennessee Titan GM, and now ESPN analyst) statements campaigning for the job of Lions GM.
Just like any job that which matters most is experience. Grades, degrees, and recommendations are all meaningless once you get far enough in your career. So, perhaps NFL management experience is exactly the place to start.
Matt Millen had absolutely no experience. He had experience playing and broadcasting, but not running a football business. Floyd Reese had experience drafting, winning, and running a successful operation.
The initial name I suggested was Bill Cowher, a name who probably has absolutely no interest in the job. But, I still think he could handle the job, especially in the scouting, drafting and personnel recruiting. But, like any high end job, general manager of an NFL team probably has a lot more too it that just those three things. Having the experience in the every day stuff is probably just as valuable as being a good scout; we as fans just don't get the opportunity to see it in the same light because, frankly, it doesn't really concern us.
So while I think a former coach would be a good option, unlike Mitch Albom, a guy who has been there and done it is probably even more valuable. I just didn't think guys like Floyd Reese had any real interest in such a crappy job.
After looking at the facts, Reese is perfect. He has a relationship with William Clay Ford already because he was the Lions strength and conditioning coach in the seventies. He drafts well (27% of his 1st round draft picks have been named rookie of the year). He has gotten his team into the deep into the playoffs; something no Lions executive has been able to do since the 50's. Plus, most importantly, he WANTS to come here!
While I still think Bill Cowher could be a good fit, he might be an even better fit on the field... I'll leave that to another post, however.
So, hopefully Bill Ford, Jr. reads the Free Press or listens to the radio, because Reese wants the job. Give it to him!
Scouting matters, but I think experience trumps it.
Millen is Gone! A Look into the Decision and the Future
Today was the day I have been looking forward to for about four years. Nothing could bring me down today because the Lions fired Matt Millen.
Despite your natural tendency to celebrate, I am sure you are still asking yourself, what does this mean for the Lions in the short and long term? Lucky for you, I wrote this blog to answer that very question.
My first observation is simple. Any Lions fan knows that the Lions have been terrible. Year in and year out they put out a sub-par team and yet still manage to pack Ford Field. The Lions organization has survived by getting fans hopes up. The organization has deceived us with fabrications in a pathetic attempt to get fans excited about the upcoming season, even though logic and common sense tells us fans not to believe these lies. I will admit that I fell for it too, until this year; and I wasn’t alone. The Lions have had serious trouble selling tickets this year. But now, the Lions have another piece of ammunition win back the fans faith. Knowing Detroit sports fans (the best, and most loyal fans in the world) they will buy it. Tickets will sell, fans will watch this pathetic team lose, and what’s more, it will carry over to next year. But the fact is fans are going to watch the Lions, just because of this change in management. So perhaps, the combination of these two facts is what finally convinced William Clay Ford, Sr. to fire Millen.
Second observation is more exciting. The Lions super bowl has always been played in April; only this game is played by men in suits instead of men in pads. Excitement for the 2009 draft is going to be through the roof. Because of the horrible 0-3 start and the likeliness that this will continue, the Lions are looking at a high draft pick, possibly even first overall. With a change in management, this high pick is perfect timing, provided the next GM knows what he is doing. Any reasonable football fan can see that the middle linebacker play has been pathetic. Paris Lenon belongs on a practice squad, not starting for an NFL team. Of course Millen screwed created this linebacker dilemma by taking Drew Statnton (QB MSU) instead of David Harris (MLB U-M) last year, so it is a position of need still today. USC’s middle Linebacker Rey Maualuga is a fantastic option. A tandem of Ernie Sims and Rey Maualuga could be a great young linebacking core for the future. Another option could be to take a defensive end, and Michael Johnson from Georgia Tech is a possible option there too. Maybe for the first time ever, the Lions could actually address needs and find gems in the late rounds of the draft.
Of course my theory that the Lions could make skilled and valuable draft picks is completely based on the premise that the Lions hire a qualified new general manager. While I am sure that William Clay Ford will want to hire Joe Buck or Mike Tirico to continue his trend of hiring of NFL announcers to run professional football teams, I will throw out a reasonable name: Bill Cowher. Cowher saw first hand how a great organization ran because the Steelers are one of the best organizations in the NFL and always have been. While hiring him as coach might be a pipedream, he might be willing to come out of retirement for the job of general manager. The Dolphins hired Parcells, the same could work if the Lions hired Cowher.
The real problem is would he come here? Hopefully, the challenge of trying to revive the worst organization in sports is enough to pique his interest. If you think this line of reasoning if faulty, look at the comments made by Joe Theismann
Whoever the next GM, he needs to have the skill to evaluate YOUNG talent out of college. No free agent wants to come to Detroit. It’s not ideal for living a lavish lifestyle, and our history of losing makes it even harder to coax good players to come here. Indianapolis realized it had the same problem and built through the draft. As I have mentioned in previous posts, all 22 of the Colts starters last year were drafted by the Colts. The draft success of the Colts is exactly what the Lions need to emulate. While the occasional free agent signing is nice to fill holes, the Lions are not going to acquire free agents like Asante Samuel, Joey Porter, or Alan Faneca. If scouting and recognition of potential are mandatory skills for the future general manager of the Lions, my description of the most qualified applicant seems like a former coach. A successful coach knows what skills are needed to succeed in this league, has seen those skills in practice and on the field, and should be able to identify the players possessing those skills. My conclusion furthers my belief in Bill Cowher,
While talking about the next GM gives us lofty expectations and aspirations for the future of the Lions, it must be considered that the man hiring the new GM, is the same guy who hired the old, incompetent GM. I have been consistent with the other authors of this blog that William Clay is just as big of a problem as Millen. But, lets look at the recent facts. Bill Ford, Jr. announces on Monday, “I would fire Millen,” and two days later, his dear old Dad does exactly what Jr. said. Those close to the organization have also said that other higher ups have also wanted Millen out. My guess is that William Clay isn’t listening or deciding anything; he is just being masqueraded as the decision maker. It looks like there is shifting in power. My guess is that Bill Ford, Jr. and others high up have far more of a say in the decision of naming the next GM than before. The less power William Clay Ford, Sr. has the better off the Lions organization will be.
It should also be recognized that Bill Ford Jr. did recommend Millen for the first job, but I think Jr. is a man who can realize his mistakes. He admitted that he wasn’t the best option for CEO of Ford, and hired Mulally. He will realize his mistake with Millen, seek advice for who would be best, and hire that potential executive.
However, is Bill Ford Jr. any better than William Clay Ford Sr.? Well, Bill Ford, Jr. did something that Sr. could never do: have success and rise up within the family company. Keep in mind, Ford, Jr. was CEO in a time of real competition from European and Japanese auto companies, while Sr. worked during the glory days of the American auto industry. Is he the next Mike Illitch? Probably not, but he is contemporary and willing to admit mistakes: two things our current, horribly unsuccessful owner does not have. Bill Ford Jr. knows the Lions are a cash cow and hopefully will make better determinations for what happens to the Lions. In my mind, these conclusions should lead to better results.
I just hope he cares about winning. William Clay never cared about winning, he wanted to pack the stadium and make money. If Ford Jr. cares about winning he will let the new GM find the players and coaches who best fit and hopefully get results. Not just draft the flashiest player they can to try and fill seats. Hopefully he will realize winning sells tickets a lot faster than a superstar does. To prove this I give you the Pistons. Sold out like what 250 straight games without a superstar? Just win, and to win you need to draft to win.
So, what would a Nate Sportel post be without a prediction? My guess is the Lions will still be mediocre for some time, and much of this prediction will be a reaction of whom Millen’s successor will be. The real prediction, if I can call it that, is that there will be a continued shift in power from William Clay to Bill Ford, Jr.
Here is another prediction because I am in such a good mood. Say goodbye to Jon Kitna. Ford Jr. should be smart enough to realize that fans are somewhat excited about Drew Staton, especially those who wear green on Saturdays. The Lions probably wont win more than 3 games, but Drew Stanton will be the one leading the team to those losses.
So while today might be glorious and joyful, Sunday afternoons still wont be. But, there is a glimmer of hope in the combination of our faceless future GM and Bill Ford, Jr.
A Silver Lining for the Lions...
Todays post is brought to you courtesy of my favorite band in the world, Nickelback. Genius lyrics, talented musicians and a wide display of diversity are just a few things this band does absolutely worse than every other band in the world. Save Three Days Grace.
Unless you are living in a sports gossip vacuum I am certain you have heard the instantly popular words out of William Ford Jr.'s mouth yesterday: I would fire Matt Millen if I were in charge of operations here. Does someone in that organization actually have a brain? Actually care if the team wins or loses? Doubtful, but I think Bill Jr. is realizing that the team's performance is going to hit them where it counts, their pocket book. I doubt there will be another Gardner-White to bail them out of another potential black out game. So the real question is: does firing Millen improve the Lions chances at being a NFL contender once again? The answer.....can it really hurt?
To start things off we can all save the thought that the Fords are ever going to sell this franchise, its theirs and it makes them a lot of money, and lets face it, owning a professional team of any sort just screams baller.
Currently it would take three straight undefeated seasons for the Lions (under Millen) to climb their way back to a .500 record. Under Millens reign the team, based upon win percentage, is the worst team in the league, and during this time teams like the Arizona Cardinals have gone from historically one of the worst teams in all sports to a real contender. Hey if they can do it Millen can too right??? As GM of the Lions Matt Millen is directly responsible for the talent on the team whether that be draft picks, contract extensions, free agent signings and team coaches.
Lets take a look at Millens draft day decisions.
-Joey Harrington
-Charles Rogers
-Mike Williams
-Kevin Jones
-Shaun Rodgers
ALL of these players are no longer with the team and 4 out of 5 of them are first round picks. What do the Lions have to show for them? Leigh Bodden...a cornerback who just got a starting role on possibly the leagues worst defense. I also can not forget what happened on draft day a year and a half ago, second round begins and we have already taken Calvin Johnson and David Harris is still available. Eager with anticipation I look at my roommate and distinctly remember saying Harris is the guy...he has to be...I swear even Millen can't screw this one up. He did. The Lions select Drew Stanton. Great so what does that mean? Paris Lenon is the starting middle linebacker and could quite possibly be the most incapable one in the history of organized football. Out of every draft that Matt Millen has been involved with the ONLY players that really worked out are Calvin Johnson, Ernie Sims, and Roy Williams. Its a little early to tell but Kevin Smith should work his way onto that list as well.
Onto contract extensions. Jeff Backus? Corey Redding? These guys are some of the highest paid players at their respective positions and probably would be sitting on the bench on any contending NFL team. There are countless more, but these current ones really drive me crazy.
Really what this all boils down to is that the "talent" Millen is providing just isn't cuttin' the cheese so to speak. Using this year as an example, players are often in the right position and are making good decisions, but not executing. To the average person this looks like a coaching problem and I would have to differ. The Lions have had 5 coaches under Millen and these execution problems haven't changed, even with a coach like Rod Marinelli who preaches fundamentals and displays them by wrestling a bear similar to the way Will Farrell does it in Semi-Pro. Folks, this is the NFL and every guy on any team is there because of how good they were in college or in another lesser football league, they all know how to make plays; some are just better than others. It is Matt Millens job to discern between these players who exactly is cut out for a starting role on an NFL team and which ones are destined to be NFL journeymen because their talent is never really up to par. Congrats Matt, your draft day success is somewhere around 5%.
Will the firing of Matt Millen make this team do a 180 and compete to be one of the best teams in the NFC? No. But like I said earlier, it sure can't hurt. It would give the fans something to reside in for another year of embarrassment. A shining light could be at the end of this seemingly endless tunnel of pitch black.
Hey, I hear Marty Shottenheimer is lookin' for a job...
Until then, GO CHARGERS!!! Even though my heart will always be with these lowly lovable Lions...
Weekly NFL Picks!
We are starting a friendly competition between the contributors in a year long (sorta) weekly picking contest. Each week we will pick the winners of the NFL games and keep track of our records for the year and see who wins. Should be fun!
Elliot's picks:
Atlanta over Kansas City
Buffalo over Oakland
Chicago over Tampa Bay
Tennessee over Houston
Carolina over Minnesota
New England over Miami
New York Giants over Cincinnati
Washington over Arizona
Denver over New Orleans
Detroit over San Francisco
Seattle over St. Louis
Baltimore over Cleveland
Pittsburgh over Philadelphia
Indianapolis over Jacksonville
Dallas over Green Bay
San Diego over New York Jets.
UPDATE: Pick Results.
T-1. Nate: 10-6; Elliot: 10-6;
T-2. Dave: 8-8; Brian: 8-8
Tigers Offseason Suggestions and College Rivalries
Todays post is sponsored by the phenomenon of getting a song stuck in your head for days at a time. If you can successfully do this there is no need for an Ipod...how do ya like that Apple???
Instead of heading into the playoffs leading the AL Central, the Tigers are wavering somewhere between third and last in the division. Instead of scoring over 1,000 runs this year like Jim Rome predicted they are currently 12.5 games out of first in their league and its the Texas Rangers scoring the most runs in the league. Baseball, such a predictable sport huh? The truth behind the season is that the Tigers still did score a ton of runs, but as all of us know they also have given up even more. Even though I predicted the Tigs to win the world series (absolutely no homerism in that choice) I would beg to argue that this type of season was somewhat predictable.
Heading into the year Curtis Granderson was injured and that proved to be a far bigger problem than anyone of us could ever envision. The starting pitchers were Justin, Kenny, Jeremy, Dontrelle, and Nate. Justin really is the only solid pitcher of the five and that was obvious from the beginning, on top of that I personally am not to keen of him being the Ace. Kenny is getting old, Jeremy is soooo hit or miss, Dontrelle was a huge mystery (even more so because Florida basically gave him away to us), and Nate is a fifth starter who never should have left the bullpen. Not exactly a recipe for a great pitching staff. Don't even get me started on the bullpen...if ANYONE has seen a Tigers game this year I am certain you all are well aware of their "struggles."
So how does Dave Dombrowski go about fixing this beautiful mess? I would like to propose a few options. First, keep Curtis, Miguel, Polanco, and Justin; everyone else should be tradeable. See exactly if you can pick up a second starter from a team who needs some pop in their lineup. I would certainly trade Maggs at this point for a pitcher in the likes of A.J. Burnett or Joe Saunders. Second, I would take a look at my payroll in comparison to where it was at a year ago. Jonesy will be gone (take away 7 mill), Pudge is gone (10 mill), Edgar hopefully will be gone (6 mill). Just with those three players alone roughly 23 million dollars is off the payroll. Now if my observations are correct and that the Tigers have ZERO reliable lefthanded pitchers on staff (this assumes they have to resign Kenny which I feel is VERY unlikely) there is obviously a HUGE hole to fill in that rotation. Maybe Dave should try to find a HUGE type of left handed pitcher to fill that void and make a serious run at C.C. Sabathia. This guy is just a freakin' stud and is a free agent at the end of the year. You know the Brewers can't afford his new contract and we are losing a very large chunk of our payroll. This IS a serious option, but out bidding the Yankees is a minor problem. Not only would we pick up an Ace relieving Justin of that spot, we wouldn't significantly alter the payroll from a year ago. This would give us C.C. as one of our lefties and the other spot would go most likely to Dontrelle or Nate, maybe not the best option but they would be a fourth starter and the other could find a nice home in our bullpen significantly bettering that department. If all else fails, Derek Lowe is a free agent and from Michigan. He would also be a great addition.
The other problem which will still exist is the role of closer, which I think is the most over-rated position out on the baseball field. Again this could be addressed by trade but most likely not. Unfortunately I don't have a great answer to this simply because I truthfully believe that ANY major league pitcher should be able to get three outs fairly easily. If a trade is not possible I reluctantly wish to stay the course here. This years draft was specifically geared toward the bullpen and the Tigers picked up some really good players here including a kid who can throw "103" and has 3 different pitches. Blaine Neil, our AAA closer had a heck of a season this year and was the closer on the olympic team. And, lets not forget just how dominant Zumaya and Rodney were in that 2006 campaign.
So, what would the team look like offensively? Ramon Santiago would most likely start at short and really thats all that would change from right now saying no trades were made. Our pitching staff would be FAR ahead of where it is now and contending for the AL Central crown would be a far more fiable option based on the newly acquired offensive and pitching balance.
So put this in stone, without offensive and pitching balance, the Tigers will never contend and staying the course keeps them WAY behind the curve set this year by the White Sox and Twins.
As you also know Michigan has three main rivals: OSU, Notre Dame and Michigan State. Local radio was talking about ranking them in order of "importance" to Michigan fans. Obviously OSU is far ahead of the other 2 so the real debate is which one is second most important. Notre Dame or Michigan State? Right now in the present day I would say that Notre Dame is more important for a few reasons: State just hasn't been competative, I hate Charlie Weis, I hate Jimmy Clausen, and Notre Dame has actually beaten us a few times in recent history. In these two rivalries, to me, competativeness is the deciding factor. If State was more competative lately I don't think for a second that anyone would rank Notre Dame ahead of them but that just hasn't been the case. Home state bragging rights and just a 45 min. drive away is what sererates the two schools (other than a history of winning and national respect.)
Michigan is the only school in the nation with three ligitimate rivals and the really tough part of it all is that the three schools involved don't really have another rival. Notre Dame kinda does with USC but lets face it that hasn't been competative since the late 80's when Lou Holtz was still coaching. Fast foreward twenty years and there is now a statue of Lou even though the golden domers basically ran him off their property all but tarred and feathered. Every State and OSU fan completely despises Michigan strictly because they have no other rival.
Michigan has to bring their absolute best for three games a year, take three times as many massive hits and try to come out victoriously in all three just to retain bragging rights for the year. Simple task huh? What does this mean for this year and for RR's first go at these teams? I think it means to win one. Wolverine fans have accepted this years fate as to not be up to par with years past, but we all have too much pride to be able to sit well with an 0-3 record against our rivals this year. Thanks to turnovers, poor officiating, and inclimate weather ND is out of the picture. So please Rich, beat one. Just for me?
Joe Dumars : Overrated
"Everybody is in play. There are no sacred cows here." - Joe Dumars
Remember those words? Remember how those words gave you hope, gave you excitement, and renewed your belief in Joe Dumars? I do.
Well those words were uttered on June 3rd. Today is September 19th. The NBA season starts in 39 days. And those "unsacred" cows are still here.
Chauncey, Rip, Tay, Sheed, all still wearing Blue and Red. The only new face has a horrible case of eczema. (I mean seriously, Kwame Brown looks like the black version of Norv Turner. Plus he has worse hands than Mike Williams.) This is our huge change?
The point I am getting at is that once Joe Dumars was a god in the city of Detroit. Once? I should say twice. He was king when he won multiple championships, including a finals MVP trophy. And once again, he was exalted as executive of the year when the 2004 Pistons won a championship.
But now, Joe Dumars is exposed for the fraud that he is. That's right. Fraud.
People in Detroit and the Detroit media love to give Joe all the credit in the world. Nobody there is calling him a fraud as I am so unafraid to do. Just look at Rob Parker, who sleeps at the end of Joe's bed like James Woods did in the episode of Family Guy entitled "Peter's got Woods." The "Man of the People," Terry Foster, would never say a bad thing about Joe. In addition, Drew Sharp, if you can call him a journalist, believes the only thing better than Joe Dumars is the last Drew Sharp column.
Joe got such amazing praise for the Ben Wallace trade. But remember that Joe traded local hero Grant Hill for Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins. What few people actually know is that Joe didn't want Ben; he wanted John Ameachi. Joe didn't see this diamond in the rough, instead he got lucky because the Magic wouldn't give up the guy who is most famous for coming out of the closet.
Joe is equally commended for taking a chance on Rasheed Wallace, and using him as the piece that got us over the top. While remains true that Joe ripped off Hawks by sending them Bobby Sura, Zeljko Rebraca, Lindsey Hunter and Chucky Atkins; it should also be noted that the asking price for Wallace was very low. Wallace had a history of bad behavior and attitude, and was being paid 17 million dollars that year. The Hawks would have given the guy away. Any idiot would have know that Detroit needed more, why not take the risk on a guy who costs you nothing?
The Rip trade was completely a result of Jerry Stackhouse wanting so badly out of Detroit, and no GM in their right mind would have believed that Chauncey Billups would have turned into what he did.
All this is without mentioning Joe Dumars HORRIBLE draft record. Lets look at some of his "better" first round draft picks.
Darko Milicic (Over D-Wade, Chris Bosh, Carmelo...)
Mateen Cleaves
Roddy White
and who could forget Walter Sharpe
Joe may not be the worst GM in the world, but he is certainly far from the best. His record is proof enough. The real fact is, he gets the benefit of the doubt because A) he was a local hero when he played and B) his stupid moves get dwarfed by the even worse GM inhabiting Ford Field.
Turning to this year, this should have been the year where Joe made the big trade to silence the doubters and allow people to praise him for a bold move. In fact, this is really the second straight year where he has stood pat on a team proven to be subservient to the elite NBA teams. But instead, Joe has done nothing with a team he knows can't win it all. They are close, but he can't re-discover that trade making magic when he needs it most. If no one is a sacred cow, then why are they all still here? Does he really believe that a guy with no coaching experience is gonna take the existing Pistons team over the top, Joe? Logic speaks otherwise. I mean seriously, nobody wanted some package of our starting five? The Hawks lost Josh Smith for nothing, we couldn't offer Tay and Amir? Seriously Joe? Take a risk! If you were a good GM, you would have gotten us a player to get this team over the top, not just run the same guys out there with a new, "hip," coach.
Time tells us that it is two years to late for this core. As a result, another early playoff exit is foreseeable.
The upcoming NBA season give me no hope, no excitement, and a renewed doubt of Joe Dumars. Its the same story for the 4th straight year. Its time to see the real sacred cow left in Detroit is Joe Dumars.
Blown Call
In my Evidence class, my professor told our class that the first rule of objecting during trial is: Don't do it. Shocking as this might be to those of you who are familiar only with TV courtrooms, this rule makes sense because nothing is more frustrating to the jury than a lawyer who constantly interrupts a witness's interesting testimony and narrative with boring legal jargon they do not understand. I bring this up because Referees should be taught this exact same rule when it comes to making calls, especially near the end of a game. Don't do it! Much like the courtroom, nothing is more frustrating to a fan of the team or of the NFL than a referee making a call at the most exciting part of the game. Plus in some circumstances, it does more than just frustrate fans, it affects the standings.
Because referees do not seems to be taught the "Dont do it" rule, a lone whistle decided the winner of what might have been the game of the year.
I am not sure if any of you got to watch the Chargers-Broncos game, but hopefully you got to see highlights of a truly great game. Basically, it was a great comeback by the Chargers until there was about 30 seconds left, and the hard fought battle ended in what might be the worst blown call all year.
I mean, haven't we come a long way since the dreaded days of the Tom Brady "tuck" rule?
Say what you will about shoulda's and woulda-s, the game was over the minute the men wearing black and white gave Jay Cutler one more shot. The Chargers thought they had won the game; this time prevailing over a last minute, threatening drive. But, you could just see the wind being taken out of their sails when the call was ruled incomplete and there was nothing they could do about it. Overcoming a call like has to be harder than finding a job with more security than the Lions general manager position.
If you watch that play where Jay Cutler fumbles the ball it is so clearly a fumble that it baffles me that a referee could possibly think otherwise. I mean his throw practically went backwards. But, the point is, even if it were a much less clear cut play, the referee still should not have blown the whistle because that play is only reviewable one way, and that is if he determines the action to be a fumble.
A similar play happened in the Michigan-Miami game, however they decided that "by rule" the play would be replayed. This option makes even less sense. I suppose the only real option would be my initial suggestion. Don't do it.
The Chargers are now 0-2 because of a whistle that never should have been blown.
They could still win their division, but that isn't the point. 16 games is not a lot of games in a season, and any more than zero blown games is completely unacceptable, especially in the video review era.
So, when it comes time in March for the NFL to take a look at rule changes, maybe the first rule they should suggest is don't blow the whistle. Then, just like the future lawyers who took my evidence class, the referees might learn the right way.
Fire Matt Millen?
We've all seen the "Fire Matt Millen" signs and heard the chants. Every sports talk radio show and station seethes, wondering how he still has a job. I hear once a day from someone that "if I was as terrible at my job, and my performance was as bad as his, I wouldn't last 7 days much less 7 years!" The brown bags over fans heads' in the stands, the 29-83 record from 2001 through today and the Lions inability to sell out their home opener without a miracle buyout of the remaining 3500 tickets by a furniture company are other good examples of the sad franchise that is our unbeloved Lions.
And yet I can't get around the fact that . . . . . it's not Matt Millen's fault. You heard me. And no, I do not have a history of mental illness, I have not been in any recent car accidents that caused blunt force trauma, and I have not been admitted to any psych wards. At least that I can remember. . . . . . . . . . .
Before you throw your computer screen out of your window in disgust and wonder how anyone of sound mind could utter such blasphemy, I'd like you to consider what I have to say. Obviously I am putting myself out there for major backlash from the reading public and deserve a punchers chance to explain my thought process.
Let's get right to it. While firing Matt Millen would fill us all with warm fuzzies inside and give us a small ray of hope for the future, it would be a false hope. The ray that we would consider hope would actually be the oncoming headlight of a train bearing down on us at full bore. And Lions failures are as inevitable as trying to stop that train by standing in front of it. The Ford family is the parasite that is eating away at our souls who desperately want the Lions to succeed.
The comedy show that is the Lions organization is just an elaborate ventriloquist act. That family has their hand so far up Millen's hindquarters that if he sneezed, William Clay Ford would have to wash his hands. The extent of Millen's duties are to be the mouthpiece and act on what the family thinks is best when they aren't making terrible cars. So while I do think that Millen is a coward, and is willing to put his "legacy" on the line for millions of dollars per, I don't necessarily believe that if given the opportunity to make front office decisions he would necessarily be a bad CEO, and firing him would only placate the masses until the next 3-13 season.
Why would I believe that Millen has made ZERO decisions as a CEO and that the Ford family is the sole corruptor of all our hopes and dreams? There are many clues throughout the course of the new millenia of Lions debauchery that should lead you to believe the same way I do. The most obvious fact is that Millen still has a job. Everyone wonders how someone so inept is able to hold down such a prominent position. The fact that he still does after such a devastating run as CEO should lead a reasonable man to believe that none of the decisions actually made were his. How do you fire someone for doing what you tell them to?
Also, Matt Millen was a linebacker and a 4 time Superbowl champion. He won a championship with all three teams on which he played for (thanks Wikipedia!). Millen knows what a championship caliber team is and how it is constructed. As a linebacker, he knew that winning games was simple. Win at the line of scrimmage. That's it. A great defensive line clogs running lanes, and sacks and hurries the quarterback into bad decisions which lead to interceptions. And he also fought day in and day out with the best offensive lines in the National Football League. Those offensive lines blew holes in his defenses for long runs, stifled his attempts at blitzing the quarterback, and gave their signal caller plenty of time to make good throws out of the comfort of a cozy pocket.
All of which leads me to believe that Matt Millen has not been able to draft a SINGLE player, except for possibly Ernie Sims, that he knew should be their draft pick. Charles Rogers? Roy Williams? Mike Williams? Even Calvin Johnson? Players that the Ford family hoped would wow the Lions fans with a big play here and there to distract the fans that the Lions were actually a terrible team not willing to construct a roster in the right way. This is what I call the Barry Sanders affect. During Sanders era, everyone watched the Lions. Not because they won ANY postseason games, but because we were entertained by the amazing abilities of one man. And that was fine with the Ford's because they filled the seats at the Silverdome and got good ratings and jersey sales, and made plenty of money. Money. Not wins. The Ford family does not care about wins.
There is also talk of firing Rod Marinelli. This just gets better and better eh? Everyone else seems to get the blame for the Fords' fumbles. How might Marinelli get this team to win? Hoping and praying that Kitna has time to throw the ball, or that Kevin Smith might just have a hole to run through, or wishing on a prayer that we might pressure the opposing quarterback into an errant throw is all he can do. Marinelli can only coach what is given to him. And while I'm not saying that Marinelli is a great coach with Hall of Fame potential, he would only be another "fall guy" to take the heat off of the true instigators.
In fact, I believe firing Marinelli would have an adverse affect on the Lions. We have gone through so many coaches, schemes, and philosophies, that the players are no longer playing. They are trying to remember what year it is and which scheme they are supposed to be running. By the time a coach has implemented a system and the team has learned a playbook and has the right personnel, a new coach is brought in with another philosophy which doesn't correlate with the personnel the Lions have in place. If you need an example, you could look at UofM right now. Enough said. Marinelli is addition by consistency, and should not be removed.
Until the Lions ownership is changed (which will never happen), or the Ford's take a decade long vacation where there are no cell phone towers, Lions fans will never have a team they can be proud of. Would Millen be able to bring them back from the abyss? I don't know, but I'd like to find out.
More Football...
Welcome all...this post is brought to you by Prozac. Somewhat self explanitory if you watched U-M or the Lions last weekend.
Well as I said in my previous post, I would be shocked if we lost to ND and I still am shocked that it happened. As much as it pains me to say it, congratulations are in order for them to perservere in a game played in some of the worst possible conditions. Not self imploding is the only thing that won the game for them and to be honest, in a game like that, it may just be the most important thing.
Michigan is now 1-2 and I am really struggling to see how they are going to keep their streaks alive (bowls and winning seasons.) Lets take a look at the positives. Sam McGuffie?!?!?! At least I can say I predicted this one right. Did he ever have a hayday! I hope that this was his breakout game and he can continue to impress like this. I am not asking for 200 yards out of him every game because he will face FAR better defenses in games to come but seriously, he was a man among boys out there.
Congratulations also should be in order to Steven Threet. As wolverine fans wanted, he stepped up to the challenge in a big way. Took control of the team and made some serious D-1 throws downfield. Miscues happened and will continue to happen but this team is his now. Steven really showed signs of leadership and also proved on the field that he has the talent to quarterback this team this year and also be a factor in the starting QB for next year.
Furthermore I would also like to commend Rich Rodriguez. He basically has half of his offense as true freshmen and is somehow still able to find offensive innovation. The turnovers from the game are strictly because of inclimate weather and freshmen nerves, this will change. When this team matures and learns all the ins and outs of RR's offense they will really be a force to recon with. Aside from his coaching prowless, RR is also doing one hell of a good job recruiting. Filling major needs left and right all signs point to a very successful campain for years to come.
This loss hurts, even more so because its to a hated rival, but I have never watched such a sloppy loss and walked away more confident than I did last saturday. Not to say that I think the team will rebound this year and contend, but just knowing that things are headed in a very good direction for the future.
On another note, I am SO glad USC kicked the crap out of Ohio State. What the heck was Tressel thinking not playing Pryor more?!?! Coaching decisions like that are exactly what keeps them far from competative against other conferences. Tressel was stubborn to a flaw and unless he fixes it it will ultimately be his undoing.
Out.
A bunch of things...
Welcome. This post is brought to you by our frost advisory last night??? Seriously dude...its September.
To reserve myself from blairing out obscenities about why Michigan Football has blown chunks so far this year I waited until the ND game to speak openly about my feelings. First and foremost, I will honestly be shocked if we lose to them. Did you watch any of their game??? SDSU looked like a normal respectable MAC team! Sam McGuffie and Michael Shaw should have a hay day against ND's torrid defense.
But on to the real issues. After reading Nate's post about Steven Threet, like usual, I agreed with 90% of what he said in there. My opinion on the matter is a little different though. Steven Threet was the higher rated passer heading into camp and I think that we as fans get ourselves wrapped up in who is supposed to be better rather than who IS actually better. Steve has the size, the look, the moxie even, but has he really performed well enough to just hand the starting job over to him? No. Has Nick "The math nerd" Sheridan drastically played worse than him? No. The truth of the matter is that if either QB has done anything to seperate himself from the other there would not be a dual QB system. They just don't work. Either Steven or Nick has to step up to the plate and make a few plays and stop over throwing every wide reciever out on the field. I mean is it just me or does Steven's whole throwing motion just look terrible? Upon being recruited that was supposed to be one of his best qualities. Some one please just step up to the plate and just "manage" the game, get the ball to one of our many playmakers and good things WILL happen.
That brings up another point. Since Mark Oortman decieded to get injured Michigan has to start a walk on left tackle for up to a month. This is about the worst possible news the offensive line could recieve. The most important part of the line, blocking the QB's blind side, is going to be held down by a walk on 6'9" flag pole of a white kid. His height would be fine if he weighed like oh maybe 100 lbs. more! This is just a recipe for disaster against ANY team with a decent defensive end. I really hope he works out better than logic says he will. This really leads to a new QB having severe issues being able to just manage the game. So please, don't just huck the ball up in the air to the middle of the secondary for anyone to intercept it.
I am reluctantly staying with my prediction of 8-4 but only because I don't want to renig on my earlier decision. What I am honestly hoping for is a winning season and a bowl birth just to keep up our streak. Meanwhile I will eagerly anticipate the arrival of Shavodrick Beaver and Tate Forcier to come to the rescue of our beloved Wolverines.
Onto my next topic...the USC v. OSU game. While I was listening to sports talk radio this morning I heard a local radio guy say that he is rooting for OSU for the good of the Big Ten. This is fine but only considering he is a state fan. He was asking his audience though, if there were any Wolverine fans who would root for the spawn of satan OSU against the Trojans. Having been a Michigan fan for my whole life I was instantly reminded about the 2002 BCS Title game featuring none other than OSU and Miami. In a brief nostalgic moment I recalled a huge desire to want the game to end in a tie with all the players severely injured to end the game. That didn't happen and OSU won. Since then across the nation Tressel is viewed in the same light as Pete Carrol and all that has happened to us Michigan fans is a bunch of hopes and dreams (2006) washed down the drain. So I ask myself can I root for OSU on Saturday? The answer in a word? NO! Don't get me wrong I want the Big Ten to get some national credibility back but if that credibility hinges upon the shoulders of Jim Tressel I would rather root for a team in the likes of Miami or, in this case, USC. Find me one Michigan fan who is a true blue fan who honestly wants OSU to win saturday, and I will find you a liar. Hopefully all night on Saturday, the only thing I hear is "Fight On" and all I see on TV is a gorgeous student section all with V's for victory lifted high in the air.
Steven Threet
Steven Threet looked every bit a first year starter on Saturday.
Michigan barely pulled off a victory against a lowly MAC team by the score of 16-6. Threet started off great. Not only did he hit receivers quickly but he effectively ran the ball, his supposed weakness. But then the second and third quarters happened. Threet cooled down in a hurry as he over threw about every open receiver, as if emulating Andre Ware wearing Honolulu Blue. He struggled after he seemed to have ended the controversy with his solid performance against Utah.
The fact is, Michigan does not have a great option at quarterback in this offense, but Threet could be at least decent. Sheri-nerd, who probably got an A in his Java class, has done nothing to show me that he is a good option. He really doesn't have a better running ability than Threet from what I have seen. And, his arm really just doesn't compare to Threet. Plus I'm pretty sure I saw him turn his back and cower when Threet was playing catch with him, eerily similar to the habit of George Michael Bluth in the show Arrested Development.
So here is the call out. Threet, you need to find that accuracy and heart you had against Utah and bring it with you to South Bend.
But, I'm not totally blaming you.
Therefore, here is my second call out. Rich, seriously, neither quarterback is going to get comfortable in the game, or seeing defensive schemes, or really stepping up if they keep getting interchanged.
Didn't Threet prove to you that he can add just as much of a second dimension of running as Sheridan did? So he missed a few wide open receivers, is he suddenly gonna find that accuracy in a pot of gold stored underneath the bench?
I may be speaking out of my line of understanding, but it seems to me that a young quarterback needs to have the confidence of the coach in order to thrive. Threet has a lot of potential to be a very solid NCAA quarterback, and I don't think anyone would refute me on that. But, he isn't going to dazzle us overnight. He needs to improve through baby steps, like anyone.
What I want to see is a press conference from Rich Rodriguez where he says "Steven Threet showed to us in both the game against Utah and the first few drives against Miami that he can be a good quarterback in this schemes. He is our undisputed starter and we will fail or succeed on his shoulders. And personally, I think he will lead us to success." I think a vote of confidence like that would do worlds for his confidence and he could really play well against Notre Dame. Improve one week at a time, but just keep improving. That is what Michigan's offense needs.
So while Threet may still at times look like a first year starter, and frustrate Michigan fans, and especially his coach, he isn't going to improve by sitting on the bench. More importantly, he isn't going to improve by splitting time and wondering every 3rd down if this is his last snap of the game. Instead let him use each punt as motivation to do better next series, not wondering "will I get a chance to do better next time?"
So in honor of the blog theme I offer this bit of prediction. Michigan can get to a bowl game riding the arm of Steven Threet, but only on on his arm. That means him taking all the snaps, not 50-50, or none. You can put that in stone.