Saturday, December 04, 2004

FOXSports.com - MLB - Pavano visits with Tigers

I'm still trying not to get overly excited, but it's really hard. Here is yet another very positive article following the Carl Pavano Tour.

FOXSports.com - MLB - Pavano visits with Tigers

-Dan Joseph

ESPN.com - NCB - Recap - Michigan State at Geo Washington

In our pilot edition of this new blog format on Dec 1, we talked about MSU and how they must improve their defense. I think this game has redefined that need. "Their fast break was very good, but when you don't have anybody back it makes it easier," Izzo said. "I'm going to have to find lineups that play harder. The best players don't always play the hardest." Below is a recap on today's biggest upset. George Washington 96, (9) Michigan State 83.

Will there be changes, or is this another Izzo ploy to motivate his players?

ESPN.com - NCB - Recap - Michigan State at Geo Washington

-Dan Joseph

TheWolverine.com - Carr Denounces Retirement Rumors

TheWolverine.com reports that Lloyd Carr will coach Michigan in 2005. Doug karsch of AM 1270 The Sports Station on friday said he wouldn't be surprised to see Lloyd Carr coach until A.D. Bill Martin retires, then take that position. Maybe by then Urban Meyers would be ready to move to the Big Ten?

TheWolverine.com - Carr Denounces Retirement Rumors

-Dan Joseph

Agent says Tigers didn't make $40-million offer

Reports came out Friday that the 4 year offer to Pavano was $40 million. This is apparently not true. This article found in today's Detroit Free Press gives a glimpse of hope. Take special note to the line talking about ongoing negotiations.

Agent says Tigers didn't make $40-million offer

-Dan Joseph

ESPN.com - NFL - Irish call, but Mariucci to remain with Detroit

This should squash any rumors about Mooch bolting for College...

ESPN.com - NFL - Irish call, but Mariucci to remain with Detroit

-Dan Joseph

ESPN.com - NCB - Recap - Notre Dame at Michigan

Michigan edged (19) Notre Dame today. Here's that win against a ranked team I was looking for.

ESPN.com - NCB - Recap - Notre Dame at Michigan

-Dan Joseph

Free-agent pitcher Pavano visits with Tigers - 12/04/04

Here's a positive article in today's Detroit News talking about Carl Pavano's friday visit with the Tigers.

Free-agent pitcher Pavano visits with Tigers - 12/04/04

-Dan Joseph

Friday, December 03, 2004

Big Ben returns!

There is a LOT to talk about today. Carl Pavano is in town. The NHLPA wants to talk. Pistons and Lions play this weekend.

Let's start with the Pistons game in San Antonio tonight...

After a six game suspension, Ben Wallace will return to the Pistons' lineup tonight for a match up against the Spurs in San Antonio. Wallace's defense and energy will be needed to help stop Tim Duncan, who is averaging 23.4 points per game, and 12.9 rebounds behind a Spurs team that is averaging 96.9 points per game.

The Pistons didn't have much luck last year against the Spurs in San Antonio. They lost 84-75, and had trouble containing Ginobli, who came off the bench to score 17 points. This year the Pistons must score more consistently and stop the perimeter game to contain the Spurs.

My predictions for this game are simple. Ben Wallace is back and will want be itching to make some noise. Pistons win 97-84.

I don't really have anything to say about their game at New Orleans other than the Hornets are awful. The Pistons will win 98-74.

Moving on to the Lions as they host the Cardinals...

The Detroit Lions will not win another game unless they can come up with a passing game. I do not care how "bad" Arizona is perceived to be, they have a rookie QB with good arm strength, accurate passing, and his chance to win his first NFL game 40 miles east of where he spent the three previous seasons starting at QB for Michigan. With the aging Emmitt Smith out, the Cardinals will split the carries between Larry Croom and Josh Scobey.

One of the hardest blows for the Lions was the loss of Eddie Drummond. Drummond was the only consistency you could count on from the offense. I would expect Reggie Swinton to get the returns. At best, we can hope that Swinton at least brings it up to the 20 or 30 yard line each time.

Joey Harrington will have a short leash on him this week. The Fords...er...Mariucci isn't ready to give the starting QB position to McMahon yet, but I would expect that after the first quarter if the Lions aren't on the board with a TD, McMahon will get the snaps. Do I think McMahon can make a difference in this game? Not really. The QB position must be addressed during the off season.

My prediction for this game is Arizona 27, Detroit 16.

The NHLPA...

Maybe I will just rant, and then talk sensibly. The NHL players must accept that the only way they are ever going to get back on the ice is to accept some form of a hard cap. There is not going to be talks of luxury tax, or exceptions, or anything. WAKE UP AND CLEAN YOUR EARS, GOODENOW! While you're at it, why don't you wash your brain too! What is wrong with you! Oh wait, you asked to talk. Why is that? Do you want to propose a $45 million cap? Do you want to show how they can only lose $100 million instead of $200 million? Do you want to be an ... well, maybe I'll stop short of calling him an idiot.

Ahem... Thanks... I needed that...

The NHLPA has asked the NHL to meet them in Toronto next week for a chat. The NHL said "OK". So next week they're going to talk. I wonder what will be proposed. Chris Draper of the Detroit Red Wings was heard saying that the players might be willing to hear about a cap set at $45 million, but not $31 million. Maybe they're going to propose that? It's a start. I do not believe that the NHL will take anything above the high 30's, but hey, 45 could be the start of a negotiation. BTW, have there been negotiations yet? No. There have been proposals, and demands. No compromise. No talks. Nothing.

Detroit is officially on a Carl Pavano watch...

That's right. You read it right. Carl Pavano is in town, and has a 4 year deal in front of him that was significant enough that his agent says that Detroit is in the uppers of their list of places to sign with. I wouldn't get too excited yet, but the last time a pitcher came to town to have dinner with Mr. Dombrowski, he ended up signing. The Tigers apparently have a deep pocket book, and a class organization. This is something we hadn't seen for a few years.

If (maybe when) the Tigers sign Pavano to that 4 year deal, this could be the one signing to kick off a fun winter. Maybe Steve Finley will sign, and Beltre or Glaus would follow. Finley would make a great center fielder until Granderson is ready to take over. Glaus would give the Tigers the option to move Inge and his rocket arm to the outfield, where they have 3 unanswered questions. Who will play LF? Who will play RF? Who will play CF? I guess for now Higginson will have to play. Yay.

Monday we will recap the Pistons games, the Lions game, update the Pavano watch, and talk Steroids.

-Dan Joseph

Thursday, December 02, 2004

Big Ten not up to the challenge...AGAIN

Before we get into our Michigan football talk, I'd like to talk to about the lack of winning we've seen from the Big Ten in the ACC - Big Ten Challenge, and one bright spot.

Scoreboard:

(1) Wake Forest 73
(3) Illinois 91

(11) North Carolina 70
Indiana 63

(25) Virginia 48
Northwestern 44

Let's start with the bright spot...

Last night I watched #3 Illinois put on as fine of a performance against #1 Wake Forest. They had everything. Scoring. Defense. Rebounds. You know name, it they executed it, and executed it well. There was even one point where they were up by 30. Next Monday we will see a new #1 team, and I have no doubts in my mind that will be Illinois. Score (at least) one for the Big Ten.

Indiana vs North Carolina wasn't too bad of a game. I don't think Indiana ever had a legitimate chance of winning the game, even when the managed to get within 1 or 2 points throughout the game. I also went into the game expecting UNC to win by a much greater margin, so I wasn't disappointed. I do have one thing to say about UNC over the last two seasons. Big offense, limited defense. Indiana recognized their main force was scoring, and limited that. They also realized they could score a fair amount of points, and did so. UNC must add more defense to their game, and learn how to play against stronger defenses to win in March.

I turned on VA and NW late in the game. I was surprised to find such a close game. It appeared to me that NW was trying like crazy to win. I give them credit for the effort. It'll either hurt VA in the next rankings, or help them get some votes.

My final thoughts on the ACC-Big Ten Challenge are simple. The ACC has more talent. Plain and simple, they are the better conference. Unless the Big Ten gets life back into programs such as Michigan and Indiana, it will be another few years before the Big Ten can think about winning the challenge.

Let's move on to Michigan Football...

My August 26, 2004 prediction for the Wolverines ended up not to far off. The team finished 9-2, shared the Big Ten title, and is on the way to the Rose Bowl. I had also brought two questions to the table. Let's go back and talk about those.

Will Underwood land the RB job, and will he be as affective as Chris Perry?

Underwood did in fact land the job. Unfortunately, he was no where near as effective as Chris Perry. He was down right awful to be honest. Michael Hart started taking some of the runs, and by week three, Hart was carrying the ball 25+ times per game. Hart was the biggest surprise to me in the Michigan offense this year. I did not expect a FRESHMAN RB to accumulate over 1300 yards in 9 games. Is there a Heisman in his future? Time will tell.

QB, Henne or Guitierrez?

Henne. Less than one hour before game one, it was announced that Guitierrez was injured, and Freshman QB Chad Henne would get the call. The first thing that flashed through my head was "7-4". I was pleasantly surprised. Chad Henne threw 2516 yards, and 21 TDs. Some say he deserved MVP considerations. Others are talking future Heisman winner.

The Rose Bowl is January 1, 2005, and our Wolverines are the only lock so far to be there. It appears as if California will be the opponent, but there are some BCS factors that could play a role in alienating them. I am some what torn between saying Michigan can or cannot win this game, if they play Cal. Cal is a solid team that will be playing close to home in their home state in front of a lot of their home fans. Michigan has never played well 3000 miles from home. I would love to hear from people whether or not they think Michigan can win.

My final thoughts on Michigan football is the MVP. Braylon Edwards won MVP honors at both the team and conference levels. Do I think he deserves it? No. If I were the one in charge of handing out this award, I would have given it to Michael Hart. Michigan's team is built for running the ball. No one could get the offense going until Hart stepped up and started forcing tough TDs, and gaining first downs when they needed it most. I simply saw Edwards drop the ball to many times when the he needed to catch it. There were also two other WRs that made as much of an impact as he did. I do not mean this to take anything away from Braylon Edwards, he has been a fine receiver for Michigan. I just do not feel he was the MVP.

Tomorrow we'll talk about the Lions, Pistons, and I'll rant about the NHL.

-Dan Joseph

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

Hoops in Detroit ends grey for November

November 30, 2004 is going to be known as a dark point for college hoops in SE Michigan.

Here are the scores from last night's games:

Michigan (3-3) 68
(4) Georgia Tech (4-0) 99

(9) Michigan State (3-1) 74
(10) Duke (4-0) 81

Let's start with Michigan:

Michigan seems to have an inside game; however, they can't seem to get the ball inside. This is by far their biggest fault. Their second flaw is their weak perimeter game. They were just 4-15 from the 3pt line, compared to GT's 13-23. If they can start working the 3pt percentage up to the 35% mark, they should start to see an increase in scoring, and be able to compete better with superior teams. Combine that with an inside game, and you might even see them contend for the #3 spot in the Big Ten.

Another factor to their downfall is their experience. They are mostly sophomores with some Juniors, some Freshman, and 1 Senior (their best bench warmer). We should start to see them at the bottom portion of the Top 25 next year, and in the big dance in March. I originally thought they would go to the NCAA tournament this year, but am more convinced lately that another NIT run might be inevitable.

One bright side that I see in this Michigan team is defense. Even though they gave up 99 points last night, they were able to make some stops against a team with a solid running and shooting game. If you look back to the game against (17)Arizona (61-60 OT loss), you will remember a team that kept themselves in the game by stopping their opponent when they struggled to score. If they had a stronger inside game, they might have won the game 62-61.

Michigan State:

Tom Izzo appears to have his team back playing at the level all of Lansing expects. One area of concern are free throws. Not so much the entire team, but from Paul Davis. Davis went 3-8 from behind the line last night, while shooting 7-14 from the field, with 10 rebounds, and 17 points total. I also saw a lot of rushed shots, such as a long 3 point miss from 5-6 ft behind the 3pt line.

There must also be a focus on improving defense. At one point, MSU led Duke 19-9. Duke showed poise, and shut down the MSU scoring, to pull ahead by 7, never looking back. MSU did not show the ability to stop the 3pt shooting, or the inside game. Improving on these will give MSU a chance to contend for the Big Ten title with Illinois.

Looking at MSU in a positive way, I did see good ball movement, and good shooting from the field. I also believe that Izzo has recovered from his guard blues, and has found a good rotation that can get some points for his team throughout the game. I predict MSU will finish #2 in the Big Ten, and make it through 2-3 rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

There was a positive point in SE Michigan basketball last night, the Detroit Pistons...

The story of this game was Antonio McDyess. McDyess looked like his old self last night putting up 19pts, and pulling down 11 boards. McDyess has been proving lately that he has overcome his injuries, and is ready to continue where he left off 2 1/2 seasons ago. He is also working himself into the Champ's system more and more each game. With the return of Ben Wallace on Friday night against San Antonia, I expect McDyess to return to his bench position as the new sixth man of the Pistons. His energy off the bench should fuel the Pistons in each quarter of each game.

Carlos Delfino made his return last night. Delfino put up 9 points in 14 minutes to help his Pistons route Houston 93-72. Detroit led 25-18 after the first quarter, and never looked back. Hamilton and Billups scored 19 and 18 respectively. This is the best playing I've seen this year from this team, and by far the best without Big Ben.

Some of the credit might also go to Coach Larry Brown. Brown questioned his team before the game. He badly wanted them to start winning, and playing better. Could the message have worked, or will this be a one game thing? Time will tell. With Ben Wallace back in the lineup, Detroit has a chance to beat the Spurs in their next game. Look for my predictions on the game Friday afternoon.

Looking ahead to the weekend, former Michigan QB John Navarre makes his first NFL start against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field sunday. Pistons will be at San Antonio friday night, then New Orleans on saturday night. Also notable, Carl Pavano will visit the Tigers on friday.

Tomorrow we'll talk Michigan football, the Rose Bowl, and why Braylon Edwards is not the MVP.

If you have anything to add, please feel free to post a comment.

-Dan Joseph