Technically, spring sprung a few weeks ago. After a record-setting year for snowfall, all that nasty white stuff has finally melted and gone away. The early perennials are blooming, and the birds will be back soon from their southern migration. Trees will start sprouting their leaves anew, and the epic battle for supremacy in the back yard between the squirrels, chipmunks, and my toy yorkies is already in full swing -- again. Several marathons worth of 4-legged miles will be run in that yard over the next 6-7 months or so -- and that's a good thing. Alas, this also means the mosquitoes are likely hatching by the gazillions, and those beautiful leaves won't seem so pretty when they cover the yard again in October, but we'll worry about that later. Also, if this is spring, how come I can open the doors and windows one day for some glorious fresh air, but have to close them down the next while the furnace chugs away trying to get a little heat back in this joint? Only in Michigan, such as it is.
On to the sports front. The Red Wings were dispatched by the Boston Bruins in their opening round playoff series. No big surprise there. Will the Wings be better next year? Maybe, even probably, but genuine Stanley Cup contenders? Likely not. They appear to be going through one of those team phases (rebuilding?) where a lot of young guys need to get a couple more seasons under their belts before they finally gel and become a legitimate threat. Or not. Hard to say.
No word lately out of the Detroit Pistons camp. Long-time Prez Joe Dumars was relieved of his duties calling the personnel shots, but reportedly will stay on with the organization in another capacity, though nobody seems to know exactly what it is. Fairly new owner Tom Gores and his executive inner-circle have been silent as to who will take Joe D's spot. With the NBA draft coming up in June, the apparent need for a new head coach, and negotiating all those pesky contracts, while dancing around the salary cap -- it would seem Gores and company need to do something thing fairly soon.
The Detrroit Tigers once again sit atop the AL Central Division. Hey, while hope springs eternal, it's still April. A lot of things can and will likely happen in the next 5-6 months. Maybe the Tigers win the division by 20 games. Or maybe they don't win it at all. Right now they're playing slightly above average. No better and no worse. Here's what I DO know. Despite all the hype they continue to generate over such star players as Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Miguel Cabrera, and even recent free agent addition Ian Kinsler amongst others, they haven't won the World Series since Orwellian times. 1984. Thirty years ago. Lots of individual awards, but no championships.
And, of course, there's the Lions. No offense, Honolulu Blue and Silver faithful, but yours truly continues to find them a never-ending source of amusement. With the recent passing of long-time owner William Clay Ford, who's in charge anyway? His widow Martha? And just how much do you think she knows about football? She came from the Firestone family. Bet she doesn't know much about tires either. Mustang Billy has his hands full trying to run the Ford Motor company, but he remains some sort of executive vice-president regarding the Lions. And that's the same guy that convinced his pop that Matt Millen could ride into town and finally turn their long-hapless franchise around. How did that work out?
No doubt, Lions fans will be sitting on the edge of their seats when the NFL draft rolls around. Who should they take? A corner here, a safety there, another wide receiver, a tackle, linebacker, running back, or a backup to starting QB Matthew Stafford? Hey, the Lions have a lot of needs, including a place kicker.
Their fans will fret, stew, and second-guess the Lions' "brain-trust" regardless of who they pick. But it will certainly be hyped to the max, especially by their local media. And the fans will buy into the kool-aid yet again. We could be a contender.
Just one question. Do they really think their team will be better than the Green Bay Packers within their own division, let alone such teams as the San Fran 49ers and the reigning Super Bowl champ Seattle Seahawks next year? Please.
There's always hope, you say? Indeed. One can hope there will be no more wars or bloodshed anywhere -- ever. Everybody will just get along. Or every politician will be open, honest, and truthful. Or yours truly can hope a Pulitzer is headed my way soon for my brilliant writing in this forum.
But I wouldn't bet on any of the above, especially the latter.
Like the Lions, some things just aren't meant to be.....
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