4 Blogs for the price of 1.
By Kyle Bauer
THE TIGERS
The other day ,the Tigers acquired veteran left handed outfielder Jauqe Jones from the Cubs for Omar Infante in a straight up move.
I like the deal because he'll be a solid 7th or 8th hitter in the line up that can hit for average (.285 last season,) who will be here for the short term likely, without spending any extra money.
The only thing I don’t like about it is that I am a Infante fun but obviously him and Leyland could never see eye to eye. His time here simply ran out. With Raburn and Santiago playing so well he became expendable too.
So there’s your left fielder. Jones is in the final year of his 5 million dollar contract so that’s why this is a short term deal. Unless he hits .300 or there’s another snag in the development of Maybin, I don’t see the Tigers resigning him after this season. Great move by Dave Dumbrowski.
If you were wondering about Timo Perez and Marcus Thames, I believe all 3 will be given a honest shot at being an everyday left fielder in spring training but Jones will come out on top. Thames will likely go back to platooning at first base as he did in the beginning of the 2007 season and if Timo is left on the roster he'll be back up in left field. If anything happens to Jones the Tigers have 2 solid back ups.
With the Tigers only having to take 5 million in this deal, they had plenty of room to resign Todd Jones (a must) to a 1 year 7 mil. deal and will have room to spare for Rogers.
THE RED WINGS
are off to a resounding start. Going 13-4-1 and just the other night seen their franchise record tying 9 game winning streak come to an end.
To some Henrik Zetterberg opening the season with a 17 game point streak, while also putting up a league leading 27 points is a surprise. It's not nessacerly one to me.Though I missed my opportunity to predict it in this blog I believed coming into the year, barring injury Zetterberg would have a true break out season. Zetterberg was already in the second tier of elite players in the NHL but I knew if he could stay healthy that he would transcend into the top 5 among Thorton, Heatly, Crosby and Ovecheckin. He’s done just that.
The main key to his success so far this season has been his paring with Holmstrom and Datsyuk. There is a valid argument that scoring will be better distributed if at least Datsyuk and Zetterberg are broken up. It's a valid argument but not one I buy into.These 3 work best and will out produce any line in the NHL if kept together. This line could lead the Wings to a Stanley Cup, just by them outscoring teams. Sure that makes the Wings top heavy and that’s not typical Red Wings hockey but if this team takes a new philosophy or direction it wouldn’t hurt. Obviously by the Wings and Zetterberg start, it hasn’t been a bad move so far.
I would also like to see Aaron Downey in the line up on a regular basis. He wont score you any points but say someone takes a cheap shot at Zetterberg, Downey will go out there and let the other team know that he wont let it happen again. With so many smaller, flashy, offensive minded players on the Wings, younger bigger teams such as St.Louis, Calgary, San Jose will beat on and try to intimidate the hell out of say Datsyuk. As we seen last year, teams will try to run these players off the ice.
The Wings need someone to stand up for the little guys on this team and Downey can be that guy. We do have Drake, who has 3 or 4 fights and that’s great but Downey has a better track record as an actual enforcer, along with being much younger and less injury prone. Having a true enforcer seemed to have brought in fans during the mid 80's with Probert and Kocur. Maybe Downey can revive the long Wings tradition of Tiger Williams, Probert, Kocur, Grimson and McCarty, bring some fresh blood back into a post scrap torn jersey baring the Winged Wheel.
Kopecky and Ellis should join the lineup regularly with Downey and form a new grind line. When these guys are given the opportunity the work harder than any other players on the ice. They skate well, don’t take shit and they understand their role. When combining these 3 it could provide one hell of a spark down the stretch. I’m willing to sacrifice Maltby and Drake in this regard. I know it wont happen but I think it should.
THE LIONS
At the beginning of the year you heard 10-6 to 6-10. From the boastings of John Kitna and Corey Hagood to the grumblings of most Detroit sports media and yours truly. I had many doubts about this years Lions for 3 very simple reasons.
1. Offensive Line, mainly Backus and Foster who might be the two worst offensive tackles in the NFL and they both were starters at the beginning of the year.
2. The secondary is littered with inexperience and scrubs from past teams. While this can strike some hunger, which cannot be discounted, I never believed the speed, size and just plain talent was there to cover most offenses in the NFL.
3. Marrinelli inherited a team full of horrible, undisciplined attitudes, questionably injury prone players and for the most part average at best talent. It's going to take more than 2 years to mold this team into a division contender, even in a weak conference. He has a lot of work to do and I’m willing to give him to time and as he would say, take it one step at a time.
You can argue whether it be the weak first half schedule or just a really good team, the Lions got off to a surprise (to some) 6-2 start, looking to reach that polarizing 10 wins number. Lions fans were excited, calling in WDFN and 97.1 screaming “playoffs, 12 wins, this could be a Superbowl team.” God bless Detroit sports fans, especially Lions fans so obnoxiously fickle.It's always a game by game prognostication, one extreme to another. As many of the football guru's that were calling 12-4 after the blowout against the Broncos, were coming back the next week after the blowout (loss) in Arizona and shouting almost in tears, “6-10!!! NOTHINGS CHANGED, SAME OLD LIONS!!!!”
Well they’re right, same old Lions, they did lose another winnable game on the road, in Arizona, another venue of many they just cannot win in. But this isn’t the same old Lions of the Millen era, maybe the Wayne Fonts era.
After the win in Denver I sat back and viewed how the team has played. They’ve been winning games the right way, with defense and a strong run game. If Shawn Rogers isn’t too fat and tired, we have one of the better defensive lines in the NFL. Ernie Simms has played great and the secondary, though being torn up by any QB that touches average, have at least stopped 6 quarterbacks. Kevin Jones and TJ Duckett have added a balance to this offense that makes it 10 times more effective since their return. Jonathan Scott has proved to be invaluable being that he keeps George Foster off the field.
Still I seen this team greatly underachieve. Playoff teams don’t normally get blow out twice, even on the road. There’s always a poise about a playoff team, a pride and readiness for every game that prevents such from happening. Yes, there’s always exceptions to the rule and this is a horribly mediocre league but still its never a good sign. I would argue that the Lions are really better than the Eagles, Redskins and Cardinals, but given the opportunity they did'nt come close to showing it.
I see a defensive package that gives up way too much over the middle and underneath. The Tampa 2 doesn’t seem to be able to handle a west coast offense at all, or any type of short passing game. Teams being able to go underneath so often has caused the Lions deficiency in time of possession (aside from failing to establish the run in 5 games so far.)
I see Shawn Rogers, a player with enough talent to be the best defensive tackle in the league, take plays and quite frankly games off. When he cannot get penetration it shuts down any effectiveness of the Lions defensive schemes and quarterbacks’ have all day, running backs have no fears.
I see John Kitna being hit and sacked more than any QB in the NFL and no legit backup. With Jonathan Scott likely out for at least 4 or 5 more weeks with a hand injury, it kills the Lions offense due to the revolving doors that are Backus and Foster.
Taking all that into account after the Denver game, I said 9-7. With the Lions schedule, it will be tough to get more than 10 wins and I would even take 3 in the second half. That should get them a playoff spot so they can go to Green Bay or Dallas and get destroyed but I'll take it this year. Look at this team with a level head Lions fans. They’re better than some of us thought, but not as good either. This team isn’t good enough to go 5-2 the rest of the way but they’re too good to go 0-7.
OHIO STATE VS. MICHIGAN
Not going to say much about Ohio State-Michigan is (YAWN!) Alright another Big 10 title on the line, another trip to get embarrassed in the Rose Bowl on the line as well. Neither of these teams have a chance against Arizona State or USC. Well the “Luckeyes” better than Michigan, just because their defense is much faster and more talented.
I’m normally a diehard Michigan fan but I guess I wasn’t that diehard. I’ve been apathetic since the Oregon massacre.
It's the same story every year. The same team. The same template. The same 3 or 4 losses. The same loss to Jim Tressel. The same loss in a bowl game.
I’m sick of Lloyd Carr and I’m sorry but anyone who was calling for him to be coach of the year before the Wisconsin loss is a retard.Once Carr finally retires (or is asked too, not that its the Michigan way) and hopefully Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly is hired, I'll start watching, I'll be a fan again and I'll be interested in this game like it will actually be relevant come January 2nd.
Ok, huge blog, sorry. Next one, more on the Wings and Haseks struggles. I promise some stuff on the Pistons. If the Tigers make another move I'll be on it. Of course fallow up on the Lions too.
You can hear me doing the pre game and intermission reports for OU hockey aswell as on the OU hockey show every Wednesday from 5 to 6 pm.
THE TIGERS
The other day ,the Tigers acquired veteran left handed outfielder Jauqe Jones from the Cubs for Omar Infante in a straight up move.
I like the deal because he'll be a solid 7th or 8th hitter in the line up that can hit for average (.285 last season,) who will be here for the short term likely, without spending any extra money.
The only thing I don’t like about it is that I am a Infante fun but obviously him and Leyland could never see eye to eye. His time here simply ran out. With Raburn and Santiago playing so well he became expendable too.
So there’s your left fielder. Jones is in the final year of his 5 million dollar contract so that’s why this is a short term deal. Unless he hits .300 or there’s another snag in the development of Maybin, I don’t see the Tigers resigning him after this season. Great move by Dave Dumbrowski.
If you were wondering about Timo Perez and Marcus Thames, I believe all 3 will be given a honest shot at being an everyday left fielder in spring training but Jones will come out on top. Thames will likely go back to platooning at first base as he did in the beginning of the 2007 season and if Timo is left on the roster he'll be back up in left field. If anything happens to Jones the Tigers have 2 solid back ups.
With the Tigers only having to take 5 million in this deal, they had plenty of room to resign Todd Jones (a must) to a 1 year 7 mil. deal and will have room to spare for Rogers.
THE RED WINGS
are off to a resounding start. Going 13-4-1 and just the other night seen their franchise record tying 9 game winning streak come to an end.
To some Henrik Zetterberg opening the season with a 17 game point streak, while also putting up a league leading 27 points is a surprise. It's not nessacerly one to me.Though I missed my opportunity to predict it in this blog I believed coming into the year, barring injury Zetterberg would have a true break out season. Zetterberg was already in the second tier of elite players in the NHL but I knew if he could stay healthy that he would transcend into the top 5 among Thorton, Heatly, Crosby and Ovecheckin. He’s done just that.
The main key to his success so far this season has been his paring with Holmstrom and Datsyuk. There is a valid argument that scoring will be better distributed if at least Datsyuk and Zetterberg are broken up. It's a valid argument but not one I buy into.These 3 work best and will out produce any line in the NHL if kept together. This line could lead the Wings to a Stanley Cup, just by them outscoring teams. Sure that makes the Wings top heavy and that’s not typical Red Wings hockey but if this team takes a new philosophy or direction it wouldn’t hurt. Obviously by the Wings and Zetterberg start, it hasn’t been a bad move so far.
I would also like to see Aaron Downey in the line up on a regular basis. He wont score you any points but say someone takes a cheap shot at Zetterberg, Downey will go out there and let the other team know that he wont let it happen again. With so many smaller, flashy, offensive minded players on the Wings, younger bigger teams such as St.Louis, Calgary, San Jose will beat on and try to intimidate the hell out of say Datsyuk. As we seen last year, teams will try to run these players off the ice.
The Wings need someone to stand up for the little guys on this team and Downey can be that guy. We do have Drake, who has 3 or 4 fights and that’s great but Downey has a better track record as an actual enforcer, along with being much younger and less injury prone. Having a true enforcer seemed to have brought in fans during the mid 80's with Probert and Kocur. Maybe Downey can revive the long Wings tradition of Tiger Williams, Probert, Kocur, Grimson and McCarty, bring some fresh blood back into a post scrap torn jersey baring the Winged Wheel.
Kopecky and Ellis should join the lineup regularly with Downey and form a new grind line. When these guys are given the opportunity the work harder than any other players on the ice. They skate well, don’t take shit and they understand their role. When combining these 3 it could provide one hell of a spark down the stretch. I’m willing to sacrifice Maltby and Drake in this regard. I know it wont happen but I think it should.
THE LIONS
At the beginning of the year you heard 10-6 to 6-10. From the boastings of John Kitna and Corey Hagood to the grumblings of most Detroit sports media and yours truly. I had many doubts about this years Lions for 3 very simple reasons.
1. Offensive Line, mainly Backus and Foster who might be the two worst offensive tackles in the NFL and they both were starters at the beginning of the year.
2. The secondary is littered with inexperience and scrubs from past teams. While this can strike some hunger, which cannot be discounted, I never believed the speed, size and just plain talent was there to cover most offenses in the NFL.
3. Marrinelli inherited a team full of horrible, undisciplined attitudes, questionably injury prone players and for the most part average at best talent. It's going to take more than 2 years to mold this team into a division contender, even in a weak conference. He has a lot of work to do and I’m willing to give him to time and as he would say, take it one step at a time.
You can argue whether it be the weak first half schedule or just a really good team, the Lions got off to a surprise (to some) 6-2 start, looking to reach that polarizing 10 wins number. Lions fans were excited, calling in WDFN and 97.1 screaming “playoffs, 12 wins, this could be a Superbowl team.” God bless Detroit sports fans, especially Lions fans so obnoxiously fickle.It's always a game by game prognostication, one extreme to another. As many of the football guru's that were calling 12-4 after the blowout against the Broncos, were coming back the next week after the blowout (loss) in Arizona and shouting almost in tears, “6-10!!! NOTHINGS CHANGED, SAME OLD LIONS!!!!”
Well they’re right, same old Lions, they did lose another winnable game on the road, in Arizona, another venue of many they just cannot win in. But this isn’t the same old Lions of the Millen era, maybe the Wayne Fonts era.
After the win in Denver I sat back and viewed how the team has played. They’ve been winning games the right way, with defense and a strong run game. If Shawn Rogers isn’t too fat and tired, we have one of the better defensive lines in the NFL. Ernie Simms has played great and the secondary, though being torn up by any QB that touches average, have at least stopped 6 quarterbacks. Kevin Jones and TJ Duckett have added a balance to this offense that makes it 10 times more effective since their return. Jonathan Scott has proved to be invaluable being that he keeps George Foster off the field.
Still I seen this team greatly underachieve. Playoff teams don’t normally get blow out twice, even on the road. There’s always a poise about a playoff team, a pride and readiness for every game that prevents such from happening. Yes, there’s always exceptions to the rule and this is a horribly mediocre league but still its never a good sign. I would argue that the Lions are really better than the Eagles, Redskins and Cardinals, but given the opportunity they did'nt come close to showing it.
I see a defensive package that gives up way too much over the middle and underneath. The Tampa 2 doesn’t seem to be able to handle a west coast offense at all, or any type of short passing game. Teams being able to go underneath so often has caused the Lions deficiency in time of possession (aside from failing to establish the run in 5 games so far.)
I see Shawn Rogers, a player with enough talent to be the best defensive tackle in the league, take plays and quite frankly games off. When he cannot get penetration it shuts down any effectiveness of the Lions defensive schemes and quarterbacks’ have all day, running backs have no fears.
I see John Kitna being hit and sacked more than any QB in the NFL and no legit backup. With Jonathan Scott likely out for at least 4 or 5 more weeks with a hand injury, it kills the Lions offense due to the revolving doors that are Backus and Foster.
Taking all that into account after the Denver game, I said 9-7. With the Lions schedule, it will be tough to get more than 10 wins and I would even take 3 in the second half. That should get them a playoff spot so they can go to Green Bay or Dallas and get destroyed but I'll take it this year. Look at this team with a level head Lions fans. They’re better than some of us thought, but not as good either. This team isn’t good enough to go 5-2 the rest of the way but they’re too good to go 0-7.
OHIO STATE VS. MICHIGAN
Not going to say much about Ohio State-Michigan is (YAWN!) Alright another Big 10 title on the line, another trip to get embarrassed in the Rose Bowl on the line as well. Neither of these teams have a chance against Arizona State or USC. Well the “Luckeyes” better than Michigan, just because their defense is much faster and more talented.
I’m normally a diehard Michigan fan but I guess I wasn’t that diehard. I’ve been apathetic since the Oregon massacre.
It's the same story every year. The same team. The same template. The same 3 or 4 losses. The same loss to Jim Tressel. The same loss in a bowl game.
I’m sick of Lloyd Carr and I’m sorry but anyone who was calling for him to be coach of the year before the Wisconsin loss is a retard.Once Carr finally retires (or is asked too, not that its the Michigan way) and hopefully Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly is hired, I'll start watching, I'll be a fan again and I'll be interested in this game like it will actually be relevant come January 2nd.
Ok, huge blog, sorry. Next one, more on the Wings and Haseks struggles. I promise some stuff on the Pistons. If the Tigers make another move I'll be on it. Of course fallow up on the Lions too.
You can hear me doing the pre game and intermission reports for OU hockey aswell as on the OU hockey show every Wednesday from 5 to 6 pm.
posted by Kyle Bauer at 1:33 PM
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