The disappearing and lunacy of boxing

Since maybe the time of WWI, up until maybe the 1980s, boxing was a big deal in America. Over the years people gathered around their radios, black and white TVs, and later on even big screens set up at movie theaters or other venues to watch the action between two notables slugging it out.

The early days were "for free". Then somebody figured out a lot of money could be made by charging people to watch it. And they came, for years. Cha-ching. Your truly included.

All along, there was a lot of back-room wheeling and dealing, shady characters, and even shadier shenanigans afoot that most people knew little, if anything, about going on.

Without a doubt many pugilists became very famous for their skills and prowess in the ring. 

Jack Dempsy, Gene Tierney. Joe Louis. Ray Robinson. Jake LaMotta. Cassius Clay/Mohammed Ali. Joe Frazier. George Foreman. Ray Leonard. Marvin Hagler. Tommy Hearns. Roberto Duran. And Mike Tyson, to name a few.

And then the "sweet science" seemed to quickly lose favor, at least in the public eye. People don't pay near as much attention to boxing as they once did. 

Perhaps it had something to do with the lunacy of pro "wrestling". Sure, we all knew it was pre-choreographed, aka "fake", but the characters in these productions became fan favorites -- or enemies. Good guys and bad guys. A very old theme that has always worked on the idiots. Throw in a lavish production, replete with outrageous costumes, nicknames even comic books of old would have been ashamed of, a few pretty girls prancing around, and -- presto -- next thing ya know you've got a hit on your hands. Plenty of dough too. Oh lord, did the money roll in. 

Nowadays "mixed martial arts" has taken center stage. Unlike wrestling, this is the real deal. People really do get hurt in the octagon. About the only thing that's illegal is biting, or punches/kicks/strikes to the groin area. 

In boxing, when a contestant gets knocked down, the opponent is instructed to go to a neutral corner while the referee checks on the fallen, and begins giving him a "count". Even if he pops right back up, he has to take a "standing eight". 

Not so in MMA. When somebody goes down, the opponent will try to further beat him to death until the referee stops it, lest he might actually kill they guy. Did I mention "real deal"? 

Sometimes it's ludicrous. Like when Floyd Mayweather took on Conor McGregor. Some called it a "fight". But it was no such thing. It was pitty-pat boxing, hands only, Mayweather style. Had this taken place in an octagon with the aforementioned "no holds barred" rules, Mayweather would have been beaten into submission within a minute, not emerge victorious after another of his bore-a-thon performances. 

True, they both made a ton of money off those willing to pony up the ridiculous pay-per-view price. Did I mention idiots?

Fast forward to the present. Does anybody even know who the boxing heavyweight (or any other weight class) champion of the world is these days? Oh wait, that's right. It depends. There's so many different sanctioning bodies around nobody can keep up with them all. Did I mention shady characters and shenanigans?

Turns out, a couple guys named Deonte Wilder and Tyson Fury will be duking it out for some kind of title(s) on December 1. Unless it's called off, of course, due to a last minute injury, another one of those pesky drug results testing positive at the eleventh hour, or somebody's grandma taking deathly ill -- the same one that supposedly died a few years back. 

Nonetheless, these two brutes have impressive records indeed. Wilder is 40-0, with 39 KOs. Fury is 27-0 with 19 KOs.

Something's gotta give.

Time out. How perfect are the names Wilder and Fury for a couple of behemoths set to try and beat each other's brains out in a boxing ring? Yet is appears those are their actual birth names. Go figure.

Thing is, like boxing across the rest of its spectrum, few even know who these guys are. And most could probably couldn't care less.

So why, tell me WHY, are the powers that be going to charge potential viewers $75 to watch the, ahem, fight, on TV? Did I mention lunacy?

Sure, I get it, at least by their twisted reasoning. Because these guys are the best of the best, both undefeated, and it's a, double ahem, classic showdown. Did I mention SUCKERS?

Yet in reality, most people wouldn't tune in if it was shown for free on network television, unless it was in prime time and nothing else decent was on. Who's kidding who?

Worse, even if one was still one of the few boxing fans around, if they couldn't afford the $75, they probably wouldn't even find out who won the dang thing unless they went on-line and did a search a couple days afterwards. TV, radio, and the papers will likely make no mention of it.

It's sad boxing has come to this. Oh how I miss the heady days of Iron Mike biting Evander's ear off.

Or Ali being too chicken to give buy my grill (I did, love it) George a rematch. That rope-a-dope thing was only going to work once. Wasn't this the same Ali that called himself "the greatest"? And he got beat up by Leon Spinks -- LEON SPINKS -- in his prime?

Ah well, It is what it has become.

But once upon a time, it (boxing) was a big deal.

Alas, no more.

Michigan needs to shut up

The University of Michigan is a first-rate school in many aspects. Academically and athletically. Undergrad and post-grad. Countless numbers of their graduates have gone on to achieve great things in the various aspects of life. My own dentist went to their dental school, and he's the best one I've ever had. They've even got their own world-class hospital.

But it would seem they have an ongoing problem. Arrogance. They just don't know when to shut up, especially the jocks.

Running back Mike Hart became instantly (in)famous for his "little brother" comment towards cross-state rival Michigan State back in 2007. The Spartans would own the Wolverines on the gridiron for the next decade.

Back in the early 90's, it's basketball team featured the Fab Five -- all freshmen. Oh lord, could they talk trash. But in two years together, they would always come up short in the end.

And it would seem they're constantly over-rated. Even this year, it's football team was talking smack. It was all about the "revenge tour". Last year they had suffered losses at the hands of Michigan State, Penn State, and Wisconsin. So they were out to "get" them this time around. Sure enough, they knocked them all off. Thing is, none of those teams were nearly as good this year as last. For various reasons (graduations, pro draft, etc) they had collectively regressed.

Nonetheless, UM had improbably risen to #4 in the national rankings. Talk, and there was a lot of it, was about getting into the national championship playoff. All they had to do was complete their revenge tour and knock off those pesky Buckeyes of Ohio State, which has owned them as well for over a decade. And c'mon, OSU had got clobbered by lowly Purdue to the tune of 30 points worth, PURDUE!!! So how tough could they be?

After that it was off to the Big Ten Conference championship game for a rematch with Northwestern, whom they had already beaten on the road this year. Glory was within reach.

Yet as to how tough could the Buckeyes be? Turns out -- plenty.

The Wolverines were absolutely hammered, embarrassed, humiliated, on the losing end of a 62-39 beat down. Wasn't this the same UM that was supposed to have one of the best defenses in the country? And they gave up 63 points? The Buckeyes were going through them like water through a screen door on a submarine.

UM was roughly a 4 point favorite going in -- and got blistered by 23? As in over three touchdowns worth?

So much for completing the revenge tour.

And that Big Ten title that seemed almost automatic? Gone. They won't be playing in that game. That honor was transferred to Ohio State, also a one conference loss team. But by virtue of their head-to-head victory over UM, that "tie" is obviously broke.

Poof went any national championship aspirations. After being lit up like that on national TV, forget about that #4 ranking as well. The Wolverines could easily tumble out of the top ten, and deservedly so.

So yes, once again, off they'll go to some bowl game that will mean absolutely nothing except a cha-ching for the schools and a chance for the marching bands to strut their stuff in a faraway place. No doubt, it will be hyped to the max like most things Michigan, but in the end a win or a loss will be of little consequence.

Maybe it wouldn't have made any difference if UM showed a little humbleness for a change. As in play and win first. Talk trash if you just have to -- after it's over. Not before.

You'd think they'd learn, but they never do.

And they wonder why so many people around the country consider them arrogant, pompous, blue-blooded gasbags that can never seem to back up their words with actions.

Well duh. For supposedly turning out so many great minds, UM can sure be dense sometimes.

Especially the jocks. 

Watch Phil and Tiger? Barf

Granted, with all the thousand of TV channels and streamings, a whole lot is available in the world of sports to watch. You name it and it's probably being shown somewhere. Croquet in the Yukon? Cornhole in Zanzibar? It's gotta be on somewhere. Plus there's the dreaded pay-per-view outlets. Which brings me to....

The Phil and Tiger show. Also a question. Who in their right mind would pony up $19.95 to watch a couple of over-the-hill linksters play for nine million bucks? And who's dumb enough to put up all that dough? Make that two questions.

I wouldn't watch this farce if they gave ME $19.95. 

In the red corner we have Philip Alfred Mickelson, now 48 years old and ranked #27 in the world.

In the blue corner we have Eldrick Tont Woods, soon to be 43, and generously ranked #13. Very generously.

Out of all the hot shot golfers on the planet, they came up with these two? Really?

This is trash sports at its finest/worst. A money grabbing scam designed to play upon dim-witted people desperate to watch any sort of competition.

I might consider watching curling in the Congo, or maybe even the ever-popular marathon for those over 100 years old (though it does seem to drag on for quite a while).

But not this.

ANYTHING but this.

And they have the unmitigated gall to actually charge people for it?

Puh-leeze. 

Detroit Lions and Forest Gump

Maybe it's something in the air. Maybe it's an incurable disease the Detroit Lions have had for a long time and passed down through the generations. That might explain the over half-century of futility and, at times, Keystone Koppish ways of the franchise from ownership on down through the front office, to the parade of clown coaches, to the players over the years.

Over fifty Super Bowls played and the Lions have never even appeared in one, let alone win it? A grand total of one -- count it -- ONE playoff victory in all that time? Something must be going on here.

And it appears to have become contagious. How else to explain the recent Forest Gumpish behavior of some of their opponents?

In a game against Green Bay a few weeks ago, the Packers' long reliable place kicker, one Mason Crosby, missed three field goals from inside forty yards -- and an extra point to boot. That's ten points the Packers would normally have had almost automatically. The Lions won that game by 8. Poor Crosby evidently caught the brain-freeze virus from the Lions and it cost his team a game.

Fast forward to the Carolina Panthers game. Its place kicker, Graham Gano, hadn't missed a kick ALL YEAR. Until the Panthers faced the Lions. Then GG wigged out and not only missed a 33 yard field goal attempt, a chip shot, but an extra point as well. The Panthers would lose that game by a single point.

Worse, the retardation apparently set in with Panthers head coach Ron Riveira. In the waning seconds of the game, after a touchdown brought his team within a single point of the Motown Puddytats, incredibly, he went for the two point conversion. What the HELL was he thinking? Or was he capable of it at all?

It failed, of course, and the Lions got yet another improbable win they didn't deserve. Hey, in that situation you take the tie every time and go into overtime, especially when you're clearly the superior team.

In the Thanksgiving day game played earlier, at Detroit, the Chicago Bears went into mental shutdown as well. Only in the first half, Da Bears had scored a touchdown to take a 9-7 lead. Then they became Duh Bears. Instead of kicking the extra point to make it a three point (field goal) margin, they -- you've gotta be kidding me -- went for the two point conversion. And naturally failed. What in the name of Forest Gump were you guys doing? Any five-year-old knows better than that.

I just knew that one point would come back to haunt them.

And as the game went on, it appeared that might indeed come to pass.

Were the Lions about to get yet another win in a game they should have lost, because the other team developed a severe case of special teams stark raving madness?

As it turned out, not.

Enter Lions' quarterback Matthew Stafford, who's been around for almost a decade, has a career losing record, and is yet to win a playoff game, though his salary is among the highest in the entire league. See front office non compos mentis, mentioned above.

Somewhat fittingly, he handed the game right back to the Bears. As the Lions were driving for what could have been the deciding score, their version of the Georgia Peach pulled a bone-head and threw a pick-six. An easy one. A short out pattern a Chicago safety saw coming all the way, swooped in and, presto, touchdown Bears. Piece of cake, when the other guy starts playing as dumb as they cause opponents to get.

So now the Lions are 4-7, bringing up the rear in their division. Even with the "dumb" luck factor on their side, it anybody really surprised?

On to the good news/bad news. The good news is the Lions, having played on Thursday, get 10 whole days off before their next game.

The bad news is two-fold. 1). Their next opponent is the LA Rams, arguably the best team in the league, and 2) they had a bye week this week. Having played on Monday night against the KC Chiefs, the Rams will get 13 days off.

The chances of the Lions beating the high-flying Rams? Logically, probably zero. It should be a blow-out. A romp.

But ya never know when the Lions will give the dreaded instant brick or potted plant syndrome to an opponent again.

Thankfully, after being afflicted, other teams seem to defeat the insidious disease after they get away from the source -- the Lions.

But the Motowners appear stuck with it for life.

Well over fifty years and counting speaks for itself.....

REALLY dumb things

Overheard on the Sunday night game between the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings: "When you've got defensive linemen coming free around the ends, and tackles rushing unblocked up the middle -- that's a problem for the quarterback".

Well dang, Cris Collinsworth, you're a GENIUS!!. Give that man a raise, or at least a gold star on his forehead. We'd have NEVER figured that out.

Next thing ya know, CC will be telling us a tornado setting down in the middle of a trailer park doesn't always produce the optimum results for the residents there. A regular Einstein in the making, that one.

A local sports columnist, himself a grad of Michigan State, penning a Sunday article about how Michigan didn't look so good while defeating Indiana by only 11 points, but totally ignoring his alma mater getting unceremoniously dumped at lowly Nebraska. Ah yes, he can deny it all he wants but that green blood still courses through his veins.

And I know he reads this blog, because all too often in the past, the gists of my posts seem to magically appear under his byline a day or two later, tweaked ever so slightly. Can you hear me now CP? Once or twice I can pass off as coincidence. Perhaps even "great minds, ahem -- lol -- think alike".  But after 10, 15, 20 times, I began to smell a rat. Didn't they teach you anything about crediting your sources in journalism school? Bet I don't see this one showing up in your column any day soon.

So OK, Lebron James made the big leap to LA-LA land. No doubt, he'll get paid another bazillion dollars, hang out with movie stars, and probably get a few roles of his own.

But if he thinks he can whip that rag-tag bunch into any sort of NBA title contenders, he's dumber than the whole premise of this post.

Speaking of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, consider Hue Jackson and Marvin Lewis. The former has been a loser his entire life, starting way back when he was player at Pacific. After bouncing around losing organizations in the NFL, we know him from his infamous reign as head coach of the Cleveland Browns. In three years, he compiled a record of 3-36-1, by FAR the losingest percentage in the history of the league. Finally, mercifully, for their fans at least, the Browns finally gave him the boot. No matter who they brought in next, he couldn't possibly be worse than THAT guy.

So what happened? Enter Marvin Lewis, long-time head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals. Dear Marv's been there fifteen -- count-em -- FIFTEEN years -- and hasn't won a playoff game. Even the sad-sack Detroit Lions don't put up with incompetence for that long. (Though they'll just hire the NEXT incompetent, bound for the trash heap in a few years).

Lewis then -- incredibly -- took Jackson in as a "special assistant" to himself. How in the world hiring a lifetime loser can possibly help another long-time underachieving coach and team would seem to be a very good question.

Or maybe it's just plain dumb.

REALLY dumb.

And I think that's where I came in, so.....

I'm out.

Rams and Chiefs. Insanity

Last I looked the over/under on the Monday night game pitting the LA Rams against the KC Chiefs was around 63. That's a whole lot of points in an NFL game.

But anybody that watched it saw a final score 54-51, with Rams prevailing. Even my feeble brain can do that math. 105 points?

It's rare when ANY NFL team scores fifty. But BOTH of them? Insanity.

They blew by the "over" after three quarters of play.

Which would seem to beg the question ---

Can either one of these teams play a lick of defense?

Sure, we've seen a bunch of rule changes that have given offenses greater advantages. Nobody seems to know how to tackle a quarterback any more without getting penalized. Can't hit him high. Can't hit him low. Can't fall on him. Breathe on a receiver running his route and the defender will be called for holding or pass interference.

Yes, it's fun to watch a shoot-out like this one, though it probably gives defensive coordinators nightmares. And it could well be this game was a Super Bowl preview. Both LA and KC are among the best in their conferences, but ya never know come playoff time. Those pesky Patriots will be there. (Has there ever been a division as pitiful as the rest of the AFC East -- Buffalo, Miami, and the NYJ, for so long?). As will the ageless Drew Brees and the newly rekindled New Orleans express. Never count the Steelers out.

And injuries to key players are always a crap shoot. Again, ya never know when disaster might strike.

A lot of stuff can happen between now and mid-January -- and probably will.

But for now, dang. 54-51?

Bet we won't see another spectacle like that for a while. If ever.

But the fans had to love it.

It surely beats a 6-3 snooze fest in a blizzard.

A sucker bet and -- SAY WHAT??

The people that set the wagering "lines" for sports games should have known better. Any idiot could see they got it horribly wrong.

That would be Indiana getting a whopping 28 1/2 points in the recently concluded game against Michigan. When yours truly saw that particular line, it jumped out at me and said -- here's some easy money.

Now, I'm not much of a wagering man any more, though I used to be. Won a few, lost a few. Goes with the territory. But this was too good to pass up. Michigan beating Indiana by over 4 touchdowns? Not a chance.

Let me list the reasons why.

1). Michigan, playing at home against a blah team, was likely taking this game as a lay-up, and already looking forward to their big showdown with Ohio State next Saturday. An underwhelming performance could almost be expected.

2). Sure, UM is ranked #4 in the country and has a shot at the national playoffs if they stay clean their next two games. But Indiana's not that bad.

3). In recent times, the Hoosiers have a history of playing the Wolverines tough. True, UM always seems to win the games, but they've been close, typically within the 6-8 point range. A far cry from 28 1/2. That's a whole lot of points.

So I jumped on it. Gimme Indiana and the points. Easiest C-note I've made in a long time.

Elsewhere, massive stupidity was on full display.

In the Michigan State/Nebraska game, the Huskers had beaten the Sparties in a snowstorm in Lincoln. All that remained was for their quarterback to "take a knee" as the remaining seconds wound down off the clock.

So why -- tell me WHY -- was the Nebraska QB taking snaps in the shotgun formation instead of under center? Say what? The latter is a failsafe play, but the former has risk involved. And sure enough, it almost happened. See the center's snap go way high. The QB had to leap for it to snag it down. If they fumble there, and MSU recovers, they get another shot at pulling out the game.

What kind of idiot coaching was this on the part of Nebraska? Didn't their QB know how to take a snap under center?  The most basic of quarterbacking basics? No wonder the Huskers stink at football any more.

Speaking of Michigan looking forward to their big showdown next week -- the Buckeyes almost got caught napping as well.

We all remember not long ago Ohio State got absolutely trashed at lowly Purdue. Good-bye any national championship aspirations.

But there they were at lowly Maryland, another Big 10 bottom feeder. And they almost got beat. Probably SHOULD have got beat.

It took the Buckeyes going into overtime to finally overcome the Terrapins. And their defense was shredded throughout. It seems as if ever since Nick Bosa, younger brother of Joey, walked away mid-season -- heretofore unheard of -- to prepare for the NFL draft -- the wheel have come off the once mighty Buckeyes. Can one defensive lineman really have that much of an impact? Or have they been over-rated all along?

Beats me. But if they've still "got game", you can bet it will all come out against Michigan when they show up in the Horseshoe next Saturday.

Should be a dandy.

Huh. Wonder what the spread will be on that game?

But I think that's where I came in. And no, I won't be placing a wager on that one. I'll take my Franklin this week and be happy.

Like the Outlaw Josey Wales once famously said -- A man's got to know his limitations.

Detroit Lions. Season on the brink

Though they all count the same, it seems some games are more important than others. Such would be the case with the upcoming Detroit Lions/Chicago Bears showdown this Sunday.

If the Lions lose that game, and they're roughly a touchdown underdog, they can pretty well kiss the 2018 season good-bye. Not that this will be anything new, far from it, given their sorry history, but there were those that thought maybe, just maybe, they'd find a way to get into the playoffs this year.

However, if they go down in flames in Chicago, the Lions would find themselves at 3-6 and a full three games behind the Bears in the NFC North with only seven games left to play.

The following week paints an even more grim scenario when the Carolina Panthers come to Detroit. Cam Newton and Co. had been rolling right along at 6-2, in the thick of the playoff hunt. And then they went to Pittsburgh -- where they were absolutely thrashed 52-21 by the Steelers.

Needless to say, Carolina is likely a little pissed off right about now and will be wanting to take it out on somebody. And let's face it, they're a better team than the Lions anyway.

On top of that, the Panthers, having just played on Thursday night, will get an extra three days rest (and game planning) before they lock horns with the Motown Puddy Tats.

If the Lions were to lose that one, entirely possible, if not probable, they'd be 3-7 and even the most koolaided Honolulu blue and silver folks would find it difficult to see any salvation in sight.

True, later down the road they have a couple "patsy" games against the likes of the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals. Both those teams stink.

But they also have to play the LA Rams, whom many think are the best team in the entire league. Chances of winning that one? Mighty slim. Plus a rematch with the Minnesota Vikings, another superior team, and a trip to Green Bay, always an ordeal, especially in the dead of winter (Dec. 30) when it will likely be absolutely frigid. The Lions being an indoor team doesn't help them any in such environs.

So yes, the coming game with the Bears would appear to be the brink for the Lions. If they win, they're still technically "alive". But lose, and things start looking mighty ugly.

No pressure.

Then again, they ARE still the Lions, right?

So who in their right mind would expect much of them?

History, over a half century of it, says otherwise. A grand total of one measly playoff victory since Super Bowls started way back in 1967. When Lyndon Johnson was still President. The Vietnamese "Tet Offensive" hadn't happened yet. Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were still alive. How long ago was that?

One of only four teams to have never even reached the Super Bowl, let alone won it. And the other three are/were "expansion" teams.

So yeah, in that respect, it's just another year for the ever sad sack Lions.

Yawn.

More idle thoughts

He prattles on about them enough. I wish somebody would give Scott Van Pelt a "bad beat". Or at least make him tap out on the air. Just once. Old peanut head is WAY overdue for a serious go-round in the woodshed.

There's that stupid commercial again hawking a certain brand of cars. "These are real people, not actors", it claims. What a bunch of hooey. By reading from a script written by others, that MAKES them actors. And they're "real people" as opposed to what? Klingons? Cocker spaniels? Potted plants? Please.

Is Bryce Harper nuts? How else to explain anybody turning down a 10-year deal worth $300,000,000? Guaranteed money at that. The only thing yours truly can figure is he must want out of Washington D.C. -- BAD. Could he get even more from another team? Maybe. Maybe not. Still, the dude hit .250 this last season. Since when is that worth mega-bucks?

Or maybe it's the Nationals that have gone plum loco. Harper's now 26  years old. The next 4-5 seasons should theoretically be his "peak" years. But who's to say he won't get seriously hurt, perhaps as early as next year? He could blow out a knee, get beaned at the plate, any number of things, and never be the same. Ya never know. Yet the Nats are betting big bucks he'll still be a super-star all the way through age 35. And he's not even that status now. Just a good looking dude that hits maybe 20 homers and drives in 75 runs a year. Good, but hardly great. .250? What are they thinking?

Don't look now but Dez Bryant, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, just fell into a proverbial rose garden, without the thorns. After Big D cast the former receiver supreme into purgatory (and this has Jerry Jones written all over it), Dez woke up in New Orleans with the Saints. And now will have Drew Brees (arguably the best passing QB ever ) throwing to him. If he fits in, and Sean Payton is a no-nonsense type of head coach, the Saints just went from very good to formidable. Definitely Super Bowl contenders.

Didn't they just knock off the LA Rams, who many think are the class of the NFC? Although one is left to wonder just how, pray tell, they managed to lose their opener, at home no less, to the lowly Tampa Bay Bucs. But look out for these guys now if everybody stays healthy.

Cam Newton. This guy's quite the piece of work. He can be sensational on the field. Or stink it up to hog heaven. But at this writing the Carolina Panthers are sailing right along at 6-2.

The thing about Cam is --- his wardrobe. Many say he's quite the dapper dresser. A regular fashion plate.

Yet others could easily claim some of those outfits he's been seen wearing evince a totally different persona. We've all heard of Playboy and Playgirl magazines. Is there one out there called Playpimp? If so, Cam would fit right in as a cover boy for such a rag. GQ? If it stands for Gangstas Quarterly, Mr. Newton is their guy when it comes to off the field attire. Some of that stuff is blinding.

I keep seeing this internet article about what to do if your dog eats grass. That's one thing. But it's REALLY time to worry if you catch the pooch smoking it.

Uh oh. The Panthers/Steelers game is on. Two good teams. Gotta go.....

Detroit Lions and the usual delusions

Though I used to be one -- long suffering at that -- I quit cold turkey on being a Detroit Lions fan roughly 20 years ago. I honestly can't remember how many of their games I went to at the now demolished Silverdome, but it was a lot. Maybe 40 over the years? And yeah, I was there when they trounced the Dallas Cowboys back in 91 or 92, I forget, for the only playoff win in their sorry history.

But when Barry Sanders had seen enough of the incompetence and losing ways, and took a hike while leaving countless millions of dollars on the table -- not to mention the all-time NFL rushing record well within his grasp -- that was good enough for me. I walked with him and haven't looked back. If anything, I root against them these days. Mostly just chuckle at their on-going ineptitude. And oh my, I've save countless thousands of dollars by doing so. No regrets.

Yes, I used to be one of the sappies that thought every year was going to be THE year. But it never was, of course. Like a mirage in the desert or the end of a rainbow. Easy to believe in, but always staying out of reach.

So it comes as no great surprise to yours truly that the Motown Puddy Tats currently find themselves with a 3-5 record with yet another season poised to go on the ever-growing scrap heap.

First they got absolutely torched -- at home -- by the lowly NY Jets. Then off to San Fran, where the not-so-good 49ers handed them another L.

I'm still flabbergasted that they somehow, incredibly, managed to defeat the New England Patriots in Week 3. Were Brady/Bellichick and Co. under the influence of mind altering drugs? How in the hell did THAT happen?

Then down to Big D, where another so-so at best Cowboy team beat them.

That should have been just about enough.

But no. The Green Bay Packers and, in particular, their place kicker, were going to hand the Lions a miracle win the following week.

Mason Crosby, one of the longest tenured kickers in the league, and arguably one of the most reliable, somehow managed to miss three easily makeable field goals, and an extra point try to boot, no pun intended. Did he get into whatever it was that made the Pats go goofy in Detroit?

That's 10 points the Packers would normally have had. The Lions would win that game by 8.

After a win against a still, and seemingly always lousy Miami team, Lions fans had hope -- again. Sigh. Suckers.

Until the Seattle Seahawks smacked them down the following week. Again at home.

The recently concluded Minnesota Viking game showed just how terrible the Lions remain.

Vaunted QB Matthew Stafford couldn't even manage a single touchdown?

And he got sacked ten -- count-em -- TEN times? In ONE game?

Dang.

The Viking defensive front is OK, maybe even pretty good. But it's not like they're the Steel Curtain Pittsburgh once had, the Doomsday D featured by Dallas long ago, the Killer Bees of the Dolphins, Da Bears awesome 46 defense of 1985, or even the Purple People Eaters the same Vikings had way back in the 70s.

Ten sacks? Who or what were those guys in the three-point stance in front of Stafford on every play? Professional offensive linemen, or cardboard cut-outs of same?

Ten sacks? The next guy to be sacked ought to be the O-line coach.

But you just know what's going to happen.

The Lions will win a couple more games, just enough to give the sappies another shot at "hope".

They've still got home and away games against the Bears, though the Chitown brutes seem to be showing a bit of spunk this year.

And a couple of truly awful teams in the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals later on.

But c'mon. Get real. They're still "the same old Lions".

They made a General Manager out of Bob Quinn that was never more than a scout for New England. It's showed.

They hired a President that was -- wait for it -- a handler of estates. You know, wills, inheritances, trust funds and the like. And put him in charge of the whole operation, though he freely admitted he didn't know squat about the workings of an NFL team. This has also showed.

Just about the time George W. Bush was coming into the presidency, another disaster waiting to happen -- it did -- the Lions had their golden chance to turn their sorry ways around. A man named Bill Parcells was out there, and available. They should have offered him whatever he wanted. Complete control, name his salary, and sign him to a long term contract. Give him 10, 20 million a year. Who cares? It's not like the owning Ford family couldn't afford it. And there's no salary cap on coaches or front office personnel. Parcells knew NFL football through and through.

But no. They went out and got Matt Millen. And stuck with him for eight years. He didn't know anything, just talked a mean game. And the sappies bought it. It was the equivalent of throwing a depression on top of a recession. Down the tubes they went -- even further -- again.

Receiver supreme Calvin Johnson played a decade for the sad sack Lions and never knew what it felt like to win a playoff game. Poor dude arrived just in time for an historic 0-16 season. Welcome to Detroit Megatron. Are you having fun yet? He finally took a hint from Barry and walked in his prime as well, with enough dough in the bank and his body still healthy. Smart guy.

Matthew Stafford, for all the gaudy passing stats he's racked up over the years -- still hasn't won a playoff game. And his career record is well under .500. In fact, at 63-73, and about to turn 31 years old, it's doubtful he'll ever get above that mark. Especially with the sorry state the team, in all respects, remains.

Their local media peddling the usual snake oil/koolaid aside, the Lions are not a good team.

Not even close.

But it's just another year. After over a half-century of bumbling in every way conceivable, does it really even matter?

Michigan football. In the playoffs -- for now

You could almost see the proverbial handwriting on the wall. Michigan, ranked #5, was going to move into the magical top four when the day was over.

Dispatching (and avenging last year's loss) Penn State in their Big House by the tune of 42-7 was quite an impressive show. Sort of. The Nittany Lions were obviously over-matched and UM still runs the same boring offensive plays, blows time-outs for no good reason, takes way too many stupid penalties, and lacks a decent place kicker. Just the usual for the Wolverines.

But their defense is pretty good. So far, against the teams they've faced to date, none of which has been particularly stalwart. Save the opener against Notre Dame -- which they lost.

Yet other things fell in place for them. Predictably, #1 Alabama not only defeated Louisiana State -- but thrashed them 29-0 -- on the road no less. The former #3 Tigers will certainly fall in the rankings, especially with this being their second loss.

Yep, #2 Clemson absolutely pummeled a hapless Louisville team 77-16. SEVENTY SEVEN POINTS? Wow. Yours truly can't remember ANY team scoring more than that. Needless to say, their #2 ranking remains safe.

#4 Notre Dame managed to get by an unranked and pretty much blah Northwestern team 31-21. But it's Notre Dame. Any excuse to keep them alive for the playoffs will do, and after all, it was a win.

So add it all up and what do you have?

Michigan is now in the top four -- or at least should be.

Next, they face lowly Rutgers on the road, then back home for always patsy Indiana. If the Wolverines can keep away from their sometimes nasty habit of dropping a game they should otherwise win handily, it will set up the biggie.

Ohio State on the road, Nov. 24.

True, the Buckeyes themselves have already blown their playoff chances. Once mega-stud defensive lineman Joey Bosa took a midseason hike to prepare for the draft (has anybody ever done that before?) the wheels seemed to come off. How else to explain the beat-down they took at Purdue? Four touchdowns worth? To the Boilermakers? Ouch, Urban Meyer. That had to smart.

And the Buckeyes had their hands full with mediocre at best Nebraska, before finally escaping with a ho-hum 31-21 win. Didn't matter. After the Purdue fiasco, OSU is a non-factor, except for...

The Michigan game. No matter what else has happened, you just know the Buckeyes will be sky high and geeked when the Wolverines come to town.

And Jim Harbaugh has never beaten Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes.

If the Maize/Blue crowd wants a shot at the big dance, this is the game they absolutely have to win. Their big chance at potential glory -- or at least a spot in the national semi-finals. The odds of them knocking off either Bama or Clemson at that point would appear to be mighty slim, at best. But first things first.

It will be a tall order in Columbus.

When it rolls around in three weeks, we shall see.