Hill, Moss, Tigers, Lions - Friday Wrap Up

Grant Hill Returns To The Palace

Grant hill returns to the Palace tonight for the first time since signing with the Orlando Magic. Hill has finally overcome ankle problems that have plagued him since breaking it -- and playing on it -- during the 2000 Eastern Conference playoffs. Hill is averaging 19.2 points per game.

There has been much talk of this anticipated return. Most of it centers around boos and cheers. Dumars and Hill have a bet going. Dumars believes he will get more cheers, while Hill believes he will get more boos.

I think it would be a shame if he didn't get cheers. Not only did he agree to a sign-and-trade deal that brought us Ben Wallace and Chuck Atkins, he also played his hardest to get the Pistons a playoff victory, and putting him on the sideline for nearly four years.

I would personally like to see him welcomed back with an ovation, then rooted against once the ball is tipped.

Game time is at 8 PM. Orlando comes in 19-15, and Detroit is 20-14. The Magic rely more on offense, and the Pistons on defense. It will be quite a matchup. I would expect Hill to have a great game.

Pistons Talk To Utah About Arroyo

Could the Pistons' guard problems finally be solved? No word on who would be traded to Utah, but one thing is clear, Arroyo's presence off the bench could help the Pistons.

Remember what Mike James did for Lindsey Hunter?

Who would be a good trade candidate? I've mentioned Hunter, and was met with unpopular protest. Jenkins maybe? A draft pick along with him?

Harrington release? No, Says Mooch

Reports from Tom Kowalski of the Detroit News and Free Press have the Lions considering the possibilities of releasing Joey Harrington. The Lions have denied it, and Mooch said we two free agent backup quarterbacks, who would play QB? The mascott?

This is obviously not going to happen. The Lions would do more harm than good in releasing their QB.

Moss Fined, Laughs At It

Randy Moss received a $10,000 fine for his "mooning" of the crowd in Green Bay this past weekend.

In typical Moss fashion, he said "Ain't nothing but 10 grand. What's 10 grand to me?"

Well, gee, Randy, that's a fine attitude. Have you ever thought about anything before you said it? Are you above the rest of us so much that you think $10,000 is nothing? Even to someone making $5 million per year, $10,000 is something. If you don't want or need the money, why don't you give it to a charity that needs it. There are plenty out there that need the funding to continue doing work that matters. While sports do matter, what you personally do does not, and never will as long as you continue to say things like this.

Gomez Sent To Toledo

The Tigers have outrighted the contract of outfielder Alex Gomez to Toledo. Gomez was claimed off wires from Kansas City on October 1, and was designated for assignment on January 6.

Gomez, who hit .251 with 34 RBIs in AAA last year, will attend the Tigers Spring Training as a non-roster invitee.

This should come as no surprise to anyone. The plan for Gomez was Toledo from the beginning. He is not ready for the big leagues at this stage in his career.

Tigers Talk To Ordonez

The Tigers have talked with the agent of Maglio Ordonez about him coming to Detroit. While no deal is close, don't count them out yet. The Tigers are trying to gauge the health of Ordonez, who suffered knee woes last season.

While Ordonez could be a health risk, his numbers speak volumes. He has five years of over .300 hitting with 29 or more homerunrs, and 99 or more RBIs. He certainly would give the Tigers a nice option in the outfield, and bring power to the plate.

If it doesn't cost too much, and set back any other plans, why not give him a shot? Before 2004, Ordonez played in 153 games for five consecutive seasons. If the Tigers' medical staff can clear his knee of further issues, he could be a good fit for the them.

Steroids In MLB

So they finally agreed to be tested. The MLBPA has given in to testing. Wow, and look at it. They still have no real penalties for testing positive, and you're still not out for the season until your fourth offense.

What kind of a policy is this? All the suspensions before that are "up-to", and measured in days rather than games. Then after you appeal, which means you can play for a while longer, you'll just end up with a 10 day suspension reduced to three days. Heck, if you time it just right, you have it setup to where you have a day off, play a game, and another day off, and only miss one game. Wow! What a great deal!

Good job, Bud, I'm proud of you. You used steroids to hurl the game back into popularity, then signed some stupid agreement as a P.R. kick to make you look better. I commend you. Not even Commissioner Kennesaw Landis was that dirty.