Friday, February 11, 2005

No Contest, Jones Honored, Horton Woes

No Contest

Alvin Shackelford Jr has changed his plea to no contest in his part of the brawl at the Palace on November 19. No Jail time has been recommended and he faces a $500 fine.

RB Jones Honored

Detroit Lions running back Kevin Jones has his second Fan's Choice Award for best newcomer.

Horton's Trouble Worsens

The girlfriend of Michigan Wolverine point guard Daniel Horton has told police that he abused her several times before the incident that brought charges against him.

The girl claims that Horton often pushed her and drug her across the floor. If these allegations are true, Horton's career at Michigan could be over. He's been on suspension since he was charged. The suspension is indefinite.

A Healthy Woopin'

The Los Angeles Lakers visited the Palace for a match-up between last year's NBA finals teams. Tayshaun Prince led all scoring with 25 and Rasheed Wallace put up 23 points and 15 rebounds for his finest game of the season. Lamar Odom led the Lakers with 17 points and nine rebounds. Detroit took care of the Lakers 103-81.

The much anticipated rematch ended in the same fashion as the NBA finals. The only difference was on the court. Out was Phil Jackson, Shaq (traded), Rick Fox (retired), Gary Payton (traded), and Karl Malone (opted out). Oh yeah, Kobe Bryant is still on the team, but he was sidelined with a sprained ankle. Detroit looked a bit different also. Corliss Williamson is gone, Mike James is gone, and Elden Campbell is gone.

"There's no comparison," Rasheed Wallace said. "It's two different teams. Just same uniforms."

Detroit pulled a half game ahead of Cleveland and extended their record to 29-19. They have been playing better lately, and appear ready to make a second half surge into the playoffs. Their bench is finally coming together now that Carlos Arroyo is getting more minutes, and Carlos Delfino should be coming back soon.

Up next is Washington. They'll play host tomorrow night at 7:30 PM at the Palace. Washington has seen the same success as the Pistons this year and have turned things around. It will be a crucial game for the Pistons. They've been criticized for losing to lesser teams. Some would argue the Wizards are just that.

It's Over

As if it wasn't before, the end of the NHL season is immanent. After only four hours of "negotiations", the NHL talks have again ceased and nothing is planned in the near future. Bettman is talking season cancellation on Monday. Goodenow says they're trying to triple cap the player's salaries. Both of them should go.

It's been clear from day one that Bettman wanted to cancel the season. He wanted to make some landmark statement and he's going to take his spotlight. Goodenow, now talked about among the Donald Fehr hating club, has not been any better. He's been adamant on not accepting any type of permanent cost certainty and has instead opted to roll back time and prepare for another massive increase in salaries.

So where do we go from here? Should we hope they clutter up the UHL with NHL players? No way. They shouldn't allow them to play in that league, or any other league, where they are taking roster positions from other people. It's bad for the game of hockey. It's bad for the future of hockey.

Thursday, February 10, 2005

NHL/NHLPA Talks Resume

TSN is reporting that the NHL talks have resumed. The meeting began at 11 AM in Toronto. Bettman had announced that the season would be cancelled if there was no deal this weekend.

If an agreement can be reached, the season would be a 28 game season. It would start later this month and kickoff with conference rivals playing a home-and-home series.

This is obviously a last ditch effort on both sides to get things going. ESPN.com's Scott Burnside has a good analysis on Bettman's negotiation methods. He raises valid points. Maybe it could work.

AmericaJR.com: Ordonez Signs, Strengthens Tigers

My new weekly column on AmericaJr.com is about Ordonez and the Tigers.

The signing of Ordonez sent many messages throughout the Tigers’ organization. They first made a statement showing that they want to compete and are willing to spend money. It was also made abundantly clear that Bobby Higginson’s days as a starting outfielder may be over. But the most important message was that the Tigers are clearly a much better team than they were last year.

Read more: AmericaJR.com: Ordonez Signs, Strengthens Tigers by Dan Joseph

Replay Recommended, Horton Hearing Delayed

NCAA: Replay Recommended

The NCAA committee has recommended that instant replay be incorporated into all college football games for the 2005 season so that they can continue to study it.

"The response to video replay nationally and in the Big Ten was overwhelmingly positive," said Chuck Broyles, the coach at Pittsburg State and chairman of the rules committee. "When we have the ability to correct a potentially game-changing error, and we have the technology to do so, we feel this improves the fairness of the game and directly improves the student-athlete experience."

Of 43 Big Ten calls questioned, 21 were overturned in the 2004 season test. Other conferences have since asked for the replay.

NHL Lockout Update: Deadline: Weekend

The NHL has given a timeframe on the end of the hockey season. This weekend.

"It is clear to me that if we're not working on a written document by this weekend, I don't see how we can play any semblance of a season," Bettman said. "Obviously we will listen to everything the union has to say, but we've given all we can give and gone as far as we can go."

Manny Legace was asked about the deals offered. He said they were a triple-cap system and didn't offer anything to work off of.

They were offered a salary cap with a floor and a ceiling. They were offered revenue sharing. They turned it down without trying to add changes of their own. I have no sympathy for the players anymore.

Lakers Visit Detroit

With the Lakers coming to town, Detroit Free Press writer Perry Ferrell says the Lakers are a mess.

Malone is gone. Payton is gone. Shaq is gone. Kobe is there, but he's hurt. They replaced Shaq with Divac, but he's hurt. Their coach had to quit because the job was killing him. Yes, they are a mess.

Horton Gets Delayed

Suspended Michigan point guard Daniel Horton's hearing has been delayed until next week.

Horton faces charges after he allegedly choked his girlfriend. Horton has been suspended indefinitely from the basketball team pending further information.

Hills Steps Up

Michigan State got some help from an old friend. The old incarnation of Chris Hill showed up at the Breslin Center last night and helped lead the Spartans to an 83-69 victory over the Buckeyes.

Hill led all scoring with 26. He added 4-4 freethrow shooting, and 8-10 field shooting. Maurice Ager added 18 points of his own on 6-7 shooting. Both players cam off the bench. Overall, Michigan State shot 51.9 percent from the field and 73.9 percent from the free throw line.

On the Buckeyes side, Terence Dials scored 22 and Ivan Harris scored 13. The Buckeyes shot 48.2 percent from the field, but only 52.9 percent from the free throw line.

Michigan State is hoping for a late season surge into the NCAA tournament. They have the talent to secure a number two Big Ten position, and the talent to make an impact in the tournament.

You can read a full recap on the game here at ESPN.com.

NHL To Finally Cancel?

The NHL might actually set a drop-dead date. That's right, after months of pretending they want to strike a deal, the NHL is reportedly set to mark Tuesday as the drop-dead date for any kind of season salvage.

Why was this not set in the first place? Why would Bettman not want a tool to work with to pressure the NHLPA to see it his way? Why do teams still not have a full roster?

The answer: The owners wanted to cancel the season in the first place.

Lakers Visit Tonight

The Lakers come to the Palace tonight for a rematch of last year's NBA finals. Although both teams have glaring differences from last year, the match-up will still be much anticipated, especially on the Lakers' side.

Detroit comes into the game in first place with a 28-19 record. L.A. enters the game in third place with a 24-22 record, and without their top player -- Kobe Bryant. Bryant is out with a badly sprained ankle.

All indications are the Pistons should win this game. Unfortunately, that's not how things always turn out. The Lakers are without Payton, Shaq, Malone, Kobe, and Fisher. Arguably a better combination than the one they've cooked up this year.

The Pistons must be at the top of their game. Expectations will be high form the Lakers' front office to win this game. The Pistons must overcome their tough in New Jersey last weekend.

Lions Add New Coach

Fred Graves will be the new wide receivers coach for the Detroit Lions. Last year's coach Kevin Higgins was not retained.

This comes as sort of a shock to me. I didn't see a coaching problem at this position.

John L Smith New Adds Coach

The Spartans hired Kent State assistant Ben Sirmans to be their new running backs coach.

"The pieces are beginning to come together for (Michigan State coach) John L. Smith, and I believe he's attracting the kind of talent it takes to compete for a Big Ten championship," Sirmans said.

Good move for the Spartans. Last season their only running threat was their QB. Hopefully they can find decent recruits for Sirmans to work with.

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

Detroit Sports Wrap

Calm Down, Larry

Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press says "Cut it out, Larry" in his latest column today.

Rosenberg suggests that his quest for perfection is jeopardizing his greatness. He also lays out a list of events for us.

Wings/Leafs alumni Game

Marcel Dionne and Igor Larionov will be among the players attending the Red Wings alumni vs. Maple Leads alumni game Saturday night at Joe Louis Arena.

Former Wings defenseman Lee Norwood, the Red Wings alumni president, is one of the game's organizers. He has been lobbying for an Original Six alumni game for several years.

Bill Dow has more on this in his Ex-stars eager to renew rivalry column today in the Free Press.

Free Press Goes Around The Horn

The Free Press News Services gives us "AROUND THE HORN: Pudge shocked by accusation". Pudge is apparently not happy about the steroids accusations by Jose "Nutcase" Canseco. They also give us a quickie from around MLB.

Big Ben Upset

He's upset, but not at Larry Brown this time. Big Ben Wallace has been named to the All-Star team, but will be the lone rep from the Pistons.

"I am a little disappointed by that," Wallace said. "I thought maybe Rip (Hamilton) and Chauncey (Billups) would be going down there with me. It's disappointing, but those guys are professionals. They will continue to do what they've been doing and hopefully we will put ourselves in a position to win the big prize (NBA championship) again this year."

Chris McCosky of the Detroit News talked with Ben. You can read about the conversation here.

MSU Tix Hiked For In-State Rival Game

Michigan State has decided to capitalize on Michigan's presence in the Big Ten. Dave Dye of the Detroit News reports that "MSU increases ticket cost for U-M game".

Tigers Swap Novoa For Farnsworth

The Associated Press reports the Tigers acquire RHP Farnsworth from Cubs.

"Kyle Farnsworth is an established major league relief pitcher," Tigers president Dave Dombrowski said in a statement. "He can pitch in many roles out of our bullpen and is a quality addition to our pitching staff."

I applaud this move. Farnsworth could be a good addition to the bullpen. Novoa was obviously headed for a minor league position at best.

WOW

That was the word that I stated when I turned on the Michigan/Illinois game last night at half time. I decided to go out to dinner and to Home Depot rather than watch Michigan get crushed on their home court. Needless to say, I was shocked when I returned home.

My first impression was in the second half. I didn't see a dominate Michigan team, but I did see a strong defensive Michigan team. With the score low, the Wolverines were able to keep the game under control. It wasn't until 12 minutes left in the second half that Dee Brown finally took control of the game, and put the Illini ahead for good.

Michigan shot pretty good last (19-39). They were also good from the three point line (6-14). They continued to struggle with free throws (7-14) and turned over the ball when they couldn't afford it the most.

Dion Harris led Michigan scoring with 21 points. Courtney Sims added 15 and Chris Hunter added 15. With two of their top starters out, Michigan has had to rely more on these guys. They haven't disappointed, but a shallow team has not been able to win games.

Michigan's losing streak is now seven games. They face number 12 Michigan State and number 21 Wisconsin next. After that they play host to Indiana. Head coach Tommy Amaker is going to have to make more adjustments to avoid extending his streak to 10 games.

Here's a recap from ESPN.com:

ESPN.com: Brown keys second-half comeback

Tuesday, February 08, 2005

Wallace See Stars, Tigers Get New Conditioner

Big Ben Heads To Denver

Ben Wallace has been selected to play in the All-Star game.

"I'm always excited about going to the All-Star Game," Wallace said Tuesday. "I'm just disappointed that I'm going alone."

Hamilton and Billups were hopefuls for the game, but when you have a head coach that can't see past his own players, Wade, you can't expect to get the call.

Freep.com: Detroit's Ben Wallace among NBA All-Star reserves

Gillett Joins Tigers

The Tigers have a new strength and conditioning coach. His name: Javair Gillett. Gillett held the same position at the minor league level last year. Exiting the job is Dennie Taft, who has resigned stating personal reasons.

Freep.com: Tigers hire Gillett as strength and conditioning coordinator

Tuesday Morning Update

Brown Calls On Delfino

Delfino, out injured, is being summoned by coach Larry Brown. Stating that he needs him to be back by the All-Star break, Brown can't see how he can work him in to the lineup and have him help the team during the playoff stretch if he isn't back by then.

"I am hoping to come back as soon as possible, maybe after the All-Star game," he said. "But we don't know how the knee will respond to when I start to run the floor, and push."

And could it be that even Ben Wallace won't make an All-Star appearance? "In terms of big guys, I have no clue," Brown said. "Some (coaches) really like (Cleveland's Zydrunas) Ilgauskas, and others like (Wallace). That may impact our guys...The way I look at it, with Shaq (O'Neal), Ben and Ilgauskas, I don't know if you can take all three."

DetNews.com: Brown sets own Delfino timetable

With Ordonez Comes Power

A new clean-up man is in town. Outfielder Magglio Ordonez officially signed with the Tigers yesterday. With Ordonez comes power hitting, a boost the Tigers desperately needed.

DetNews.com: Tigers get power boost

Illinois Visits Ann Arbor

The number on ranked and undefeated Illinois pulls into Ann Arbor for a match-up against the Michigan Wolverines.

"They're playing as well as anybody in college basketball has for a number of years," Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said. "No pressure should be on the shoulders of our kids. We're going to be excited about playing that caliber of an opponent."

MLive.com: Illinois comes back to Michigan — still undefeated

Monday, February 07, 2005

Tigers Call Press Conference

The Tigers will introduce Magglio Ordonez at a 3 P.M. press conference this afternoon. For more details, stay tuned to MLB.com.

Ordonez Could Solidify Tigers

The Tigers will introduce Magglio Ordonez as soon as today. The Tigers agreed to pay $75 million over five years making Orodonez the highest paid player on the team. But is he worth it?

Ordonez has a history of being a solid hitter. He's .307 average that hits around 30 homeruns and 100 RBIs each season. His only downfall is a knee condition, but if it acts up again, Detroit can opt out of the contract.

The Tigers have some questions that needed answering in the outfield. Would Higginson be a factor? Who would win right field, Monroe or White? With the signing of Ordonez, two could be left out. Bobby Higginson and Craig Monroe.

Monroe is a solid developing young outfielder. He hits well and fields well. He has trouble with outfield assists, but his improving each year.

Higginson is in the last year of a disappointing contract run. He's lost his edge at the plate, but is their strongest defensive outfielder. He's also become bitter towards the organization and the fans.

As it stands today, expect Ordonez in right field, Alex Sanchez in center field, and Rondell White in left field. I also have to question whether or not White can keep Monroe away from his job. White has become a liability in the outfield in recent years. He's not a quick fielder, but he is a strong bat in the lineup. If Monroe can produce the same batting numbers, the fielding job could be his.

However the lineup pans out, one thing is clear, the Tigers have improved. They have a consistent element at third base with Brandon Inge. They added Percival to close out games. Urbina is a potential strong setup man. Some even say this could be the year Pena finally shows up.

Pistons Fall in Jersey

The Pistons fell to the Nets on Saturday 107-85. Vince Carter scored 41 points to lead the Nets. Tayshaun Prince led the Pistons with 17.

Pistons can't stop the Vinsanity as streak ends

Michigan Continues Skid

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Terence Dials scored 19 points and Tony Stockman added 16 to lead Ohio State past Michigan 72-46 on Saturday, the most lopsided win by the Buckeyes over their rivals in 37 years.

The outcome was never in doubt after the Wolverines (12-11, 3-6 Big Ten) failed to get off a shot in the first 3:45 while Ohio State raced to an 8-0 lead.

Ohio State 72, Michigan 46

Spartans Win

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- Tom Izzo offered Steve Alford sympathy after the Iowa coach endured one of his toughest weeks. But the sympathy came just moments after Izzo's Spartans made the week a little tougher for Alford.

Hawkeyes lose first game since Pierce's dismissal