Life in Michigan

Ah yes, nothing like waking up to the furnace chugging away, switching over to the air conditioner by mid-afternoon, then hoping the heat comes back on before one climbs into the sack again to call it another day. Only in Michigan.

The Red Wings seem to be like that. They're hot, they're cold, they're as unpredictable as Michigan weather. Whether they'll beat the Anaheim Ducks in Game 7 of their playoff series is a coin flip. Does it really matter in the whole scheme of things? Other than owner Mike Ilitch getting a few more serious cha-chings for the home games at Joe Louis Arena another round of playoff action would bring --- not really.

Could the Red Wings actually win the Stanley Cup? Sure, they've got a chance, though not a very good one. There's a lot of teams that are better than they are, but hockey's a funny game. If a team gets "hot", and the puck bounces their way often enough, anything can happen. Unlike football or basketball, there's really no such thing as an "upset" in hockey. A couple pucks rattling off goal posts here, or a couple being deflected off skates, bodies, or sticks into the net there, for improbable goals -- and it's pretty much a crapshoot -- especially in the playoffs. One team can carry the play for most of the game, but if they catch a couple bad breaks -- they might very well lose. It's just the way it goes.

Barring a slew of major injuries, the Detroit Tigers should cruise to become the AL Central Division winners again. When the playoffs start, it's another crapshoot. Are they the best team on "paper"? Possibly, but that doesn't matter either. Over the course of a long season, good pitching and good hitting will add up. But a lot of luck is involved in winning baseball games too, particularly in a playoff series. If the hitters are smacking the ball, but right at defenders, instead of "where they ain't", sometimes the best team doesn't always win either.

The Detroit Pistons? If you've been watching the NBA playoffs, ask yourself one question. Do you really honestly think the Pistons are anywhere remotely close to being able to compete with these teams? As other young teams get better, the Pistons are still floundering, and they can't even seem to find somebody to be the head coach!

The Detroit Lions? What can you say that their history hasn't already? Their latest claim to fame is they've signed all their draft choices. Well congratulations boys. Things are looking up. Right. This is a team that didn't win a single game within their own division last year, and stumbled and bumbled their way to a 4-12 record. They've got a pass-happy quarterback, one terrific wide receiver, and not much else. Ask yourself another question. Do you really, I mean REALLY think that team will get anywhere near sniffing a Super Bowl any year soon? If you do, then the Ford family loves you, but yours truly strongly suggests you consider checking out another Ford. Like Betty Ford's rehab center. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.

At that, after 4 years at the helm, head coach Jim Schwartz has compiled a 22-42 record. He's still cocky. Worse yet, the hard-core Honolulu blue and silver faithful, incredibly enough, still think this guy is great. Ask yourself yet another question. Do you think proud NFL franchises like Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Minnesota, Chicago, San Fran, Dallas, etc., would give such a coach a contract extension after posting a 4 year record like Schwartz? Of course not. He'd be gone.

Only in Michigan.

But hey, the furnace is almost 30 years old, and it just kicked on again.

Things could be worse.