It's long been suspected the governing body of world soccer (FIFA) hasn't exactly been squeaky clean when it comes to finances. Given recent revelations, or at least allegations, it appears the scope of the corruption borders on mind-boggling. Countless millions of dollars have allegedly changed hands in bribes or payoffs. The fat cats at the top have been living lives of luxury befitting kings and emperors while deigning to grant certain "favors" -- if the price is right. Allegedly.
Now the US Attorney General has jumped in and indictments are flying every which way. Ironically, this happens to be a black lady named Lynch. Loretta's evidently mad as hell and won't take it any more. Many, both domestic and abroad, applaud her efforts to finally bring these "crooks" to justice. They are sick and tired of the tyranny FIFA honchos have long visited on the world while lining their pockets with vast riches.
It's further assumed Lynch and company have only scratched the surface. As the feds keep digging it's entirely possible, perhaps probable, the list of "wrong-doers" will grow exponentially and the dragnet greatly widen. If it's not already, the FIFA affair could morph into the biggest sports scandal the world has ever known.
Sure, if American citizens are involved in this whole mess (and apparently several are), than the Attorney General has every right to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the (US) law. If the suspects are living abroad, they can be extradited to face the relevant charges in America.
But then things might get a little sticky. Lots of foreign nationals have also been indicted. The US is seeking to bring them to the States as well.
Thing is, even if Lynch's merry band of prosecutors gets them on American soil -- what can they charge them with?
If, say, a FIFA exec from Trinidad and Tobago took a few million in bribes from, say, South Africa, then what business is that of the United States? In what sort of court or jurisdiction could they lawfully proceed? And what would be next? Indicting somebody that robbed a French bank or printed counterfeit Euros in Italy? This world cop thing has its limits.
Now there are rumblings about taking the already awarded World Cups away from Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022 due to how they may have gotten the nods in the first place. There must have been corruption and bribes involved -- right? Well, good luck following the money trail in either one of those places.
Russia recently showed they can sucessfully host a mega-world event. Try the winter Olympics a couple years ago.
But Qatar seems to be a very strange choice. First of all, temperatures routinely approach 120 degrees during the time of year the World Cup is played. That might be fine for natives of tropical zones and, yes, World Cup soccer players are in tip-top shape, but 120 is 120. That's damn hot to be running around for hours. And what of the teams from colder weather climates like the Scandinavians? It hardly seems fair.
Secondly, the country Qatar isn't exactly "stable" these days. It's a hot bed of various sects with various agendas. Let's just say most of them aren't going door-to-door selling thin mint cookies. What the landscape will look like in 2022, seven years from now, is anybody's guess. But currently, it's a security nightmare. And this is where they want to bring teams from all over the world to compete in a sports competition that encompasses the same fervor as some radical religious beliefs ? Really? If things stay the same -- good luck with that.
Nevertheless, here's wishing Loretta Lynch well on her own crusade. Whether or not she and her minions have the authority to proceed in some cases remains to be seen.
And I always have liked her signature song. Nothing wrong with being a coal miner's daughter. Say what? That was a different Loretta? Whatever. Lynn, Lynch, what's the difference? If she can prosecute foreigners for foreign crimes, than that's close enough as well.....
Monday, June 8, 2015
Saturday, June 6, 2015
A phenomenal day in sports
In the Stanley Cup Finals, Tampa Bay defeated Chicago to even up the series at 1-1. Who will eventually win is anybody's guess, but the hockey itself has been outstanding. Fast paced, skilled players galore, lots of hits, and nail-biting action. Even the goal-tending has been excellent, but not so much that the games turn into 1-0 yawners. Both teams have found ways to put the puck in the net. This is really good stuff.
American Pharoah became the first horse to win the Triple Crown since some peanut farmer named Jimmy Carter sat in the Oval Office. How many undeclared wars and recessions ago was that? Methinks the prized colt will have the proverbial harem of Grade A fillies offered up for his pleasure when he's likely put out to stud in the near future. Ah yes, life is good for a Triple Crown winner. Successfully going the extra mile -- or is that a quarter-mile -- sometimes has a way of getting one over the hump -- or is that on the hump? Whatever. Ahem.
The Detroit Tigers finally won a game to break their long losing streak and poke their noses above .500 again. It's something.
And speaking of Tigers, one Tiger Woods went off the deep end today at Jack Nicklaus' Memorial tournament in Ohio. After barely making the cut on Friday, Eldrick shot the worst round of his professional career on Saturday. Sometimes this is called "moving day". Indeed it was for Tiger. He moved into the basement while carding a 13 over par 85. That not only put him in last place, but a whopping 8 shots behind the next worst competitor.
How bad was it? He's dead last in driving percentage regarding hitting fairways. There's goes one into the drink. See Tiger chump a short chip shot that would roll right back down to his feet. See him duff the next one into a bunker a few feet away. See him blast out of one greenside sand trap, fly the green, and land in a trap on the other side. Oops, there goes another sploosh. Oh my, that one's headed into the woods. This is how bad it was. He looked like ME playing golf.
At the end of the third round Tiger now finds himself a colossal 27 shots behind the leader. This, at a course he's oh-so familiar with and has won at 5 times before. And also after having taken another few weeks off since he last graced the tour with his presence.
It's downright embarrassing, and it will only get worse on Sunday. Due to an odd number of players making the cut, and given Sunday rounds are always played in twosomes, Tiger would be the first to tee off in the morning. And he would have to play by himself. That's if he even bothers to show up. Though he appeared fine physically, it would come as little surprise if Woods found a reason to bow out of the final round. There's only so many different ways the politically correct folks and apologists can spin his recent play. The hard truth is -- he's been average on his good days, but flat-out stinks on his bad ones. An 85, 27 behind the leader, and 8 behind the next to last place guy? Really?
Look for Tiger to go back into hibernation to "work on his game". But rest assured, he'll show up at the U.S. Open in a couple weeks. Typically, those courses are super-tough and the rough is ridiculously high and brutal to players that can't hit the fairways with their tee shots. Did I mention Tiger is dead last in driving accuracy? That could get ugly.
And Serena Williams won another major in tennis. No great surprise there, but her act is wearing a bit thin. When behind, Serena will typically make painful faces like Adrian Peterson just gave her a good switching, or hold a cold compress to her head as if she's on the verge of passing out from exhaustion or just got tased. Poor thing. But when she gets ahead, not to mention winning, all of a sudden she's jumping around like a zoo chimpanzee on some serious roids. God bless her and may she continue to do well, but c'mon. This woe is me, I'm gonna die any second, but oops, I'm winning now, so it's a miracle, I'm magically healed and ready to compete in a triathlon is definitely getting old.
Enjoy the well-deserved accolades, but quit with the drama already......
American Pharoah became the first horse to win the Triple Crown since some peanut farmer named Jimmy Carter sat in the Oval Office. How many undeclared wars and recessions ago was that? Methinks the prized colt will have the proverbial harem of Grade A fillies offered up for his pleasure when he's likely put out to stud in the near future. Ah yes, life is good for a Triple Crown winner. Successfully going the extra mile -- or is that a quarter-mile -- sometimes has a way of getting one over the hump -- or is that on the hump? Whatever. Ahem.
The Detroit Tigers finally won a game to break their long losing streak and poke their noses above .500 again. It's something.
And speaking of Tigers, one Tiger Woods went off the deep end today at Jack Nicklaus' Memorial tournament in Ohio. After barely making the cut on Friday, Eldrick shot the worst round of his professional career on Saturday. Sometimes this is called "moving day". Indeed it was for Tiger. He moved into the basement while carding a 13 over par 85. That not only put him in last place, but a whopping 8 shots behind the next worst competitor.
How bad was it? He's dead last in driving percentage regarding hitting fairways. There's goes one into the drink. See Tiger chump a short chip shot that would roll right back down to his feet. See him duff the next one into a bunker a few feet away. See him blast out of one greenside sand trap, fly the green, and land in a trap on the other side. Oops, there goes another sploosh. Oh my, that one's headed into the woods. This is how bad it was. He looked like ME playing golf.
At the end of the third round Tiger now finds himself a colossal 27 shots behind the leader. This, at a course he's oh-so familiar with and has won at 5 times before. And also after having taken another few weeks off since he last graced the tour with his presence.
It's downright embarrassing, and it will only get worse on Sunday. Due to an odd number of players making the cut, and given Sunday rounds are always played in twosomes, Tiger would be the first to tee off in the morning. And he would have to play by himself. That's if he even bothers to show up. Though he appeared fine physically, it would come as little surprise if Woods found a reason to bow out of the final round. There's only so many different ways the politically correct folks and apologists can spin his recent play. The hard truth is -- he's been average on his good days, but flat-out stinks on his bad ones. An 85, 27 behind the leader, and 8 behind the next to last place guy? Really?
Look for Tiger to go back into hibernation to "work on his game". But rest assured, he'll show up at the U.S. Open in a couple weeks. Typically, those courses are super-tough and the rough is ridiculously high and brutal to players that can't hit the fairways with their tee shots. Did I mention Tiger is dead last in driving accuracy? That could get ugly.
And Serena Williams won another major in tennis. No great surprise there, but her act is wearing a bit thin. When behind, Serena will typically make painful faces like Adrian Peterson just gave her a good switching, or hold a cold compress to her head as if she's on the verge of passing out from exhaustion or just got tased. Poor thing. But when she gets ahead, not to mention winning, all of a sudden she's jumping around like a zoo chimpanzee on some serious roids. God bless her and may she continue to do well, but c'mon. This woe is me, I'm gonna die any second, but oops, I'm winning now, so it's a miracle, I'm magically healed and ready to compete in a triathlon is definitely getting old.
Enjoy the well-deserved accolades, but quit with the drama already......
Friday, June 5, 2015
Cleveland Cavs. It's over
You've got to give the Cavs credit for what they've accomplished this year. They're in the NBA Finals. This, despite an apparently clueless coach in David Blatt, and a rash of injuries to key players.
Lebron James is often said to be the "best player on the planet". He might well be, except a whole lot of knowledgeable basketball people disagreed with that over the past season. After all, Steph Curry was voted MVP of the league, and James Harden came in second. It's pretty tough to claim you're the best in the world when your peers don't think you're in the Top 2 in your own league. And who knows? Maybe there's some 8 foot wundkerkind hoopster in Bangladesh or the Amazon rain forest that can put them all to shame but hasn't been discovered yet.
Nevertheless, the Cavs can now pretty much kiss any thoughts of winning this year's NBA title good-bye. Star guard Kyrie Irving is out for the remainder of the series with a broken left kneecap.
One should remember that the Cleveland Cavs were already playing seriously short-handed. After all, big man Anderson Varejao and prized free agent acquisition Kevin Love had already gone down for the season.
And Golden State did have the best record in the entire league over the regular season in a much tougher western conference. Besides that, the Warriors are healthy and held home court advantage. They were rightfully favored to win the Finals anyway.
With the additional loss of Irving, it's become almost reminiscent of Lebron's first go-round in Cleveland. Sure, he can single-handedly dominate a game, because he's just -- that -- good. But against a championship caliber team, one guy can't get it done.
To his credit, Warriors' head coach Steve Kerr has employed a clever strategy. Like with James Harden of the Houston Rockets in the western conference finals, Kerr refused to double-cover Lebron. These guys are going to get 30 points anyway, so put a single tenacious defender on them and make them work hard for them. In the meantime, take away all the easy passes that led to lay-ups and dunks by their teammates. If they get 40+ as Lebron did in Game 1 of the Finals, so be it. But don't give their teammates any gimmes.
Granted, the Cavs took the Warriors to overtime in Game 1 before falling, hardly a blow-out, but the loss of Irving in the process is likely a fatal blow to any hopes of a title. Never say never when it comes to Lebron, but if he and whoever's left on the Cleveland roster can win 4 out of the next 6 against a Golden State team firing on all cylinders -- it would be a monumental upset.
Given the latest turn of events, this series might well wind up being a sweep. Lebron's going to do superhuman duty and might score 40 or 50 a game, but without sufficient help, it won't be nearly enough. Golden State is just too good all over the court.
What will be interesting is next year. Assuming Kyrie Irving, Anderson Varejao, and Kevin Love return and are 100% healthy, and given they will have had another season to "gel" as a team -- plus the bench has been getting invaluable experience this year due to injuries against high-caliber competition -- King James might well win a title for his beloved Cleveland.
But it ain't gonna happen this year. They're still good, but when Kyrie went down, so did Cleveland's last hope.
Turn out the lights, get the fat lady warmed up, and bring on Yogi Berra to declare it official.
It's pretty much over.....
Lebron James is often said to be the "best player on the planet". He might well be, except a whole lot of knowledgeable basketball people disagreed with that over the past season. After all, Steph Curry was voted MVP of the league, and James Harden came in second. It's pretty tough to claim you're the best in the world when your peers don't think you're in the Top 2 in your own league. And who knows? Maybe there's some 8 foot wundkerkind hoopster in Bangladesh or the Amazon rain forest that can put them all to shame but hasn't been discovered yet.
Nevertheless, the Cavs can now pretty much kiss any thoughts of winning this year's NBA title good-bye. Star guard Kyrie Irving is out for the remainder of the series with a broken left kneecap.
One should remember that the Cleveland Cavs were already playing seriously short-handed. After all, big man Anderson Varejao and prized free agent acquisition Kevin Love had already gone down for the season.
And Golden State did have the best record in the entire league over the regular season in a much tougher western conference. Besides that, the Warriors are healthy and held home court advantage. They were rightfully favored to win the Finals anyway.
With the additional loss of Irving, it's become almost reminiscent of Lebron's first go-round in Cleveland. Sure, he can single-handedly dominate a game, because he's just -- that -- good. But against a championship caliber team, one guy can't get it done.
To his credit, Warriors' head coach Steve Kerr has employed a clever strategy. Like with James Harden of the Houston Rockets in the western conference finals, Kerr refused to double-cover Lebron. These guys are going to get 30 points anyway, so put a single tenacious defender on them and make them work hard for them. In the meantime, take away all the easy passes that led to lay-ups and dunks by their teammates. If they get 40+ as Lebron did in Game 1 of the Finals, so be it. But don't give their teammates any gimmes.
Granted, the Cavs took the Warriors to overtime in Game 1 before falling, hardly a blow-out, but the loss of Irving in the process is likely a fatal blow to any hopes of a title. Never say never when it comes to Lebron, but if he and whoever's left on the Cleveland roster can win 4 out of the next 6 against a Golden State team firing on all cylinders -- it would be a monumental upset.
Given the latest turn of events, this series might well wind up being a sweep. Lebron's going to do superhuman duty and might score 40 or 50 a game, but without sufficient help, it won't be nearly enough. Golden State is just too good all over the court.
What will be interesting is next year. Assuming Kyrie Irving, Anderson Varejao, and Kevin Love return and are 100% healthy, and given they will have had another season to "gel" as a team -- plus the bench has been getting invaluable experience this year due to injuries against high-caliber competition -- King James might well win a title for his beloved Cleveland.
But it ain't gonna happen this year. They're still good, but when Kyrie went down, so did Cleveland's last hope.
Turn out the lights, get the fat lady warmed up, and bring on Yogi Berra to declare it official.
It's pretty much over.....
Detroit Sports. The Lions
Lions fans might as well consider last year a mirage -- because that's basically what it was. Yes, the Lions went 11-5 and lost a playoff game to Dallas. Many Detroit fans screamed their team was "jobbed" by a pass interference infraction that didn't get called, and they might have had a point. But they fail to see the larger picture.
That was a bad break for the Lions, but during the 2014 season, just about every other break imaginable went their way. Consider....
Due to their horrid 2013 showing, which led to the firing of Jim Schwartz, the NFL handed the Lions a patsy schedule last year. Besides their mandated home and away dates within their own division, the Lions really only had two tough opponents out of the remaining 10 games. Eventual Super Bowl champion New England and Arizona. I'll get back to that.
Even within their own division, Green Bay was the only serious competition. At that, Aaron Rodgers was dinged up for part of the season. The Vikings were without Adrian Peterson and had a rookie QB in Teddy Bridgewater. The Bears floundered about on both sides of the ball, and they've yet to figure out if QB Jay Cutler is really good -- or really bad. Let's just say he has his days -- both ways.
During the season the Lions made several improbable comebacks to win games they likely should have lost. The glass half-fullers would say this was due to their poise under pressure and will to win. The glass half-emptiers might counter with -- these guys were incredibly lucky. As an example -- in the game in London against Atlanta, the Lions got a second last second chance to win on a penalty against THEMSELVES. They had lost, but then they won? Has that ever even happened before?
Against New England and the Brady Bunch, the Lions were predictably blown out. When they faced Arizona, the Cards' starting QB Carson Palmer had gone out for the season the week before. Still, the Lions were defeated in the desert.
Their 11-5 season most likely should have been more like 8-8, but the Lions seemed to be blessed last year. If there was a break to be had, Detroit caught, dare I say, the Lions' share of them.
But 11-5 is good news and bad news. The good news is the Lions have been rewarded with several "feature" games in the coming year. Besides their traditional Thanksgiving day game, they'll be on Monday and Thursday night prime-time broadcasts as well. Lots of exposure.
The bad news is a playoff team the year before is going to get slapped with a much more difficult schedule. And the Lions have. But hey, if you want to be considered amongst the best, then you're supposed to be able to beat the best.
Idle thought: Given the quality of play in last year's Super Bowl between Seattle and New England, does anybody really think the Lions could have played at that level -- even given the chance?
Let's take an objective look at the Lions.
QB Matthew Stafford has overcome his former "china doll" syndrome and can certainly throw the football. One way or the other, he's going to get his 4500 -5000 yards and likely 20+ TD passes.
Calvin Johnson remains one of the top receivers in the league, but the Megatron is beginning to show signs of wear. As they say, he's not getting any younger, and he's taken a beating over the years from hauling in so many balls thrown into double and triple coverage. When your star receiver is too banged up to practice through the week but still goes out and takes his licks on Sunday -- it does not bode well for his future. Golden Tate was a marvelous free agent addition, though why he left a Super Bowl champion team in beautiful Seattle to come to the crime-ridden wasteland of Detroit doesn't exactly speak volumes as to his overall smarts. Beyond those two, the Lions receiver corps is iffy at best.
The Lions always seem to have a bevy of tight ends, but none of them seems to be a complete player. This one can't catch and that one can't block. It's always something.
Their offensive line is a rework in progress. How that will turn out is anybody's guess.
Their defensive line was gutted with the loss of Suh and Fairley, and maybe the new guys work out -- or maybe not. But despite their pesky little attitude problems, it's hard to believe the Lions D-line will be as good as they were last year.
The linebacker corps is average at best. Some of these guys could play for other teams, and others likely not.
The defensive secondary remains a crapshoot. One has 13 years of NFL experience under his belt. Experience is good, but with it comes age and eventually slower reflexes. Others continue to show "promise", and sometimes they play very well. That's if they can stay healthy.
The main reason Matthew Stafford has thrown for such gawdy yardage in recent years is because the Lions have lacked a reliable running game. Whether this is on the O-line not opening holes or the backs not being up to snuff is an open question. Let's just say Stafford and the Lions have been much better off with a pass-happy offense. Reggie Bush didn't pan out and in the recent draft the Lions selected Ameer Abdullah, a running back from Nebraska in the second round. Will he be any good at the NFL level, especially on the Lions? We'll see. Beyond that, the Lions have had a few ball carriers that could generously be called "serviceable". In other words, they couldn't get anybody better and somebody has to do it.
Getting place kicker David Prater was a terrific move. Though normally amongst the lower paid players, who would dispute a reliable long range field goal kicker often makes the difference in winning or losing a game?
The management side of the Lions is interesting. Since the recent death of long time owner William Clay Ford, nobody seems to know exactly who's in charge. Perhaps his widow Martha, who is nearing 90 years old herself. She came from the Firestone family and married into the Fords. How much can she be expected to know about football? Their son, Mustang Billy, seems to be quite busy running the automobile company. So who's calling the shots at the top?
As the GM, Martin Mayhew seems to be in charge of player personnel, be it the draft or free agents. He replaced another M&M named Matt Millen, whose 8 year reign of incompetence is legendary in Lions lore. And when it comes to the Lions and their many foibles over the decades, perhaps being considered the biggest dope of all-time is quite an accomplishment, if not necessarily complimentary.
Tom Lewand is the president of the Lions. He assumed the "oval" office (note the reference to the Ford car logo, and the color blue) right after the team had gone 0-16 in 2008. Though it is said Lewand oversees all aspects of the Lions organization, by most accounts, he's pretty much the bean counter.
Second year Lions head coach Jim Caldwell presents a mixed bag when it comes to coaching history. After his college playing days were over at Iowa, JC bounced around from one school to another in various coaching capacities. He finally got the head job, no snickers please, at Wake Forest. Over 8 years his teams would go a dismal 26-63. He was fired. On to the NFL under head coach Tony Dungy of the Indianpolis Colts. In those days, the Colts were a powerhouse. Before Dungy even retired, Caldwell had been named his successor-in-waiting. Indeed, in Caldwell's first season as head coach the Colts would go 14-2, but he had inherited the house Dungy built. In the very next season, the Colts plummeted to 2-14. Caldwell was promptly fired again.
On to the Baltimore Ravens where Caldwell was the defensive coordinator under head coach John Harbaugh. They won a Super Bowl.
In the meantime, after another loose-cannon bonehead year, the Lions finally fired Jim Schwartz. And who did they hire? Yup, Jim Caldwell.
He promptly led them to the 11-5 record of last year. Thing is, Caldwell's entire coaching history suggests he makes a capable lieutenant under other field generals, but he and his teams crash and burn quickly when JC assumes the reins of command. Given the tougher schedule, and all their flaws, we shall see indeed how well Caldwell's boys perform in 2015.
The Lions's ever-present glass half-fullers are predicting they'll go anywhere from 10-6, to 12-4 this year. The half-emptiers are talking more like 8-8.
Here's a scenario the Honolulu blue and silver faithful don't want to hear. Given all the above, yours truly can easily see the Lions going 6-10, and if all the breaks they caught last year go against them in 2015, maybe even 4-12.
The Lions' chances of competing for a Super Bowl? If all goes right, it's theoretically possible. So is Bruce, or is that Caitlyn Jenner being elected our next President to succeed the BO man.
But I wouldn't bet on it.......
That was a bad break for the Lions, but during the 2014 season, just about every other break imaginable went their way. Consider....
Due to their horrid 2013 showing, which led to the firing of Jim Schwartz, the NFL handed the Lions a patsy schedule last year. Besides their mandated home and away dates within their own division, the Lions really only had two tough opponents out of the remaining 10 games. Eventual Super Bowl champion New England and Arizona. I'll get back to that.
Even within their own division, Green Bay was the only serious competition. At that, Aaron Rodgers was dinged up for part of the season. The Vikings were without Adrian Peterson and had a rookie QB in Teddy Bridgewater. The Bears floundered about on both sides of the ball, and they've yet to figure out if QB Jay Cutler is really good -- or really bad. Let's just say he has his days -- both ways.
During the season the Lions made several improbable comebacks to win games they likely should have lost. The glass half-fullers would say this was due to their poise under pressure and will to win. The glass half-emptiers might counter with -- these guys were incredibly lucky. As an example -- in the game in London against Atlanta, the Lions got a second last second chance to win on a penalty against THEMSELVES. They had lost, but then they won? Has that ever even happened before?
Against New England and the Brady Bunch, the Lions were predictably blown out. When they faced Arizona, the Cards' starting QB Carson Palmer had gone out for the season the week before. Still, the Lions were defeated in the desert.
Their 11-5 season most likely should have been more like 8-8, but the Lions seemed to be blessed last year. If there was a break to be had, Detroit caught, dare I say, the Lions' share of them.
But 11-5 is good news and bad news. The good news is the Lions have been rewarded with several "feature" games in the coming year. Besides their traditional Thanksgiving day game, they'll be on Monday and Thursday night prime-time broadcasts as well. Lots of exposure.
The bad news is a playoff team the year before is going to get slapped with a much more difficult schedule. And the Lions have. But hey, if you want to be considered amongst the best, then you're supposed to be able to beat the best.
Idle thought: Given the quality of play in last year's Super Bowl between Seattle and New England, does anybody really think the Lions could have played at that level -- even given the chance?
Let's take an objective look at the Lions.
QB Matthew Stafford has overcome his former "china doll" syndrome and can certainly throw the football. One way or the other, he's going to get his 4500 -5000 yards and likely 20+ TD passes.
Calvin Johnson remains one of the top receivers in the league, but the Megatron is beginning to show signs of wear. As they say, he's not getting any younger, and he's taken a beating over the years from hauling in so many balls thrown into double and triple coverage. When your star receiver is too banged up to practice through the week but still goes out and takes his licks on Sunday -- it does not bode well for his future. Golden Tate was a marvelous free agent addition, though why he left a Super Bowl champion team in beautiful Seattle to come to the crime-ridden wasteland of Detroit doesn't exactly speak volumes as to his overall smarts. Beyond those two, the Lions receiver corps is iffy at best.
The Lions always seem to have a bevy of tight ends, but none of them seems to be a complete player. This one can't catch and that one can't block. It's always something.
Their offensive line is a rework in progress. How that will turn out is anybody's guess.
Their defensive line was gutted with the loss of Suh and Fairley, and maybe the new guys work out -- or maybe not. But despite their pesky little attitude problems, it's hard to believe the Lions D-line will be as good as they were last year.
The linebacker corps is average at best. Some of these guys could play for other teams, and others likely not.
The defensive secondary remains a crapshoot. One has 13 years of NFL experience under his belt. Experience is good, but with it comes age and eventually slower reflexes. Others continue to show "promise", and sometimes they play very well. That's if they can stay healthy.
The main reason Matthew Stafford has thrown for such gawdy yardage in recent years is because the Lions have lacked a reliable running game. Whether this is on the O-line not opening holes or the backs not being up to snuff is an open question. Let's just say Stafford and the Lions have been much better off with a pass-happy offense. Reggie Bush didn't pan out and in the recent draft the Lions selected Ameer Abdullah, a running back from Nebraska in the second round. Will he be any good at the NFL level, especially on the Lions? We'll see. Beyond that, the Lions have had a few ball carriers that could generously be called "serviceable". In other words, they couldn't get anybody better and somebody has to do it.
Getting place kicker David Prater was a terrific move. Though normally amongst the lower paid players, who would dispute a reliable long range field goal kicker often makes the difference in winning or losing a game?
The management side of the Lions is interesting. Since the recent death of long time owner William Clay Ford, nobody seems to know exactly who's in charge. Perhaps his widow Martha, who is nearing 90 years old herself. She came from the Firestone family and married into the Fords. How much can she be expected to know about football? Their son, Mustang Billy, seems to be quite busy running the automobile company. So who's calling the shots at the top?
As the GM, Martin Mayhew seems to be in charge of player personnel, be it the draft or free agents. He replaced another M&M named Matt Millen, whose 8 year reign of incompetence is legendary in Lions lore. And when it comes to the Lions and their many foibles over the decades, perhaps being considered the biggest dope of all-time is quite an accomplishment, if not necessarily complimentary.
Tom Lewand is the president of the Lions. He assumed the "oval" office (note the reference to the Ford car logo, and the color blue) right after the team had gone 0-16 in 2008. Though it is said Lewand oversees all aspects of the Lions organization, by most accounts, he's pretty much the bean counter.
Second year Lions head coach Jim Caldwell presents a mixed bag when it comes to coaching history. After his college playing days were over at Iowa, JC bounced around from one school to another in various coaching capacities. He finally got the head job, no snickers please, at Wake Forest. Over 8 years his teams would go a dismal 26-63. He was fired. On to the NFL under head coach Tony Dungy of the Indianpolis Colts. In those days, the Colts were a powerhouse. Before Dungy even retired, Caldwell had been named his successor-in-waiting. Indeed, in Caldwell's first season as head coach the Colts would go 14-2, but he had inherited the house Dungy built. In the very next season, the Colts plummeted to 2-14. Caldwell was promptly fired again.
On to the Baltimore Ravens where Caldwell was the defensive coordinator under head coach John Harbaugh. They won a Super Bowl.
In the meantime, after another loose-cannon bonehead year, the Lions finally fired Jim Schwartz. And who did they hire? Yup, Jim Caldwell.
He promptly led them to the 11-5 record of last year. Thing is, Caldwell's entire coaching history suggests he makes a capable lieutenant under other field generals, but he and his teams crash and burn quickly when JC assumes the reins of command. Given the tougher schedule, and all their flaws, we shall see indeed how well Caldwell's boys perform in 2015.
The Lions's ever-present glass half-fullers are predicting they'll go anywhere from 10-6, to 12-4 this year. The half-emptiers are talking more like 8-8.
Here's a scenario the Honolulu blue and silver faithful don't want to hear. Given all the above, yours truly can easily see the Lions going 6-10, and if all the breaks they caught last year go against them in 2015, maybe even 4-12.
The Lions' chances of competing for a Super Bowl? If all goes right, it's theoretically possible. So is Bruce, or is that Caitlyn Jenner being elected our next President to succeed the BO man.
But I wouldn't bet on it.......
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Detroit sports. The Pistons
First of all, the organizational chart makes no sense whatsoever. Stan VanGundy is both the head coach and the president, with a couple general managers in between. How can it be that a coach reports to a couple GMs and they, in turn, report to him as president? And what other team has two GMs anyway and nobody seems to know just exactly what it is they do or are responsible for? It's nuts.
Relatively new owner Tom Gores spent a few million bucks spiffing up the Palace where the Pistons play. That's great. What's not so great is the state of the team itself.
Around the NBA, various teams rise and fall. The San Antonio Spurs are getting old and their time is likely coming to fade. The Celtics are in all-out rebuild mode. The once mighty Lakers have become a laughingstock. Teams like the Bulls, Clippers, Rockets and Grizzlies are very good, but second best. The Atlanta Hawks have improved and the OKC Thunder might be a force if Kevin Durant can ever get and stay healthy.
What can you say about the Cleveland Cavs and the Golden State Warriors? They're in the Finals, and both have rookie head coaches. If they can keep their team together, the Warriors could be a major force for years to come. And hey, Lebron and Kyrie are getting it done with a clueless rookie head coach and such notables as Anderson Varejao and Kevin Love on the shelf with injuries. Look out for the Cavs in the next few years as well.
Meanwhile, the Pistons seem to be in purgatory. They're not quite bottom-feeders, but not nearly contenders either. Problem is, they win just enough games to be semi-respectable which also means they don't get a top draft choice. Let's not kid ourselves. Annually, the list of potential draftee "difference makers" can be counted on one hand. Sure, there's lot of "good" players available with later picks, but the Pistons already have several B players on their roster. Adding another one every year is never going to get them to the promised land. Nor are free agent cast-offs from other teams.
For that matter, even if the Pistons were in a salary cap position to go after a "superstar", there's no guarantee such a stud would want to come to the Detroit area. After all, the NBA season is played during the winter months -- snow, ice, freezing temperatures, etc. Throw in arguably the worst roads in the country, Michigan's much higher than average taxes, and it's entirely possible, if not probable, a player would settle for a few less bucks to go somewhere else with a much better overall climate. Especially considering the current state of the team he would be coming to.
The last time the Pistons won a championship was in 2004 when they upset the favored Lakers. (Yours truly watched the deciding Game 5 from a motel room in a little town called Laconia, New Hampshire. It was, and still is a major annual motorcycle run and while the other bikers were out and about further checking out the beautiful countryside/wildlife, and thought I was crazy, I wanted to see the game -- dammit).
Looking back at it, the Pistons winning the NBA title that year could be considered an anomaly. It probably shouldn't have happened. That team was pretty much cobbled together.
Chauncey Billups was a cast off from Denver. The Pistons got Richard Hamilton in a trade few thought wise at the time. They'd picked up Ben Wallace who had been a fringe player at best in his past. Tayshaun Prince was a second round draft choice. Rasheed Wallace, thought to be a loose, if gifted cannon, came on board. Stir in a few other B players, mix it all together, and there's no logical way the Pistons should have won the NBA title. But somehow they all came together, went "to work", and pulled it off.
It can happen with the right mix and the right coaching. But it's unlikely the modern-day Pistons can duplicate such an effort in the near future. They can work, work, work, but these days flat-out talent pretty much rules the day. Those who have it win. Those who don't aren't destined to go far. The Pistons would be in the latter category. And there doesn't appear to be a way the Pistons can get out of the mediocre mode any year soon. Some of their better players are nearing the end of their rookie contracts, and might well bail for greener pastures, in more ways than one.
Teams like the Celtics and Lakers may be in the pits right now but, rest assured, they'll come roaring back in a few years. Some franchises can't be kept down for very long. They will find a way. Others will rise and fall over the years. Look at the Miami Heat.
But most everything about the Detroit Pistons franchise, from the front office on down to the roster, suggests they're going to have a very tough time fighting their way out of mediocrity any year soon.
And it might well get a whole lot worse.....
Relatively new owner Tom Gores spent a few million bucks spiffing up the Palace where the Pistons play. That's great. What's not so great is the state of the team itself.
Around the NBA, various teams rise and fall. The San Antonio Spurs are getting old and their time is likely coming to fade. The Celtics are in all-out rebuild mode. The once mighty Lakers have become a laughingstock. Teams like the Bulls, Clippers, Rockets and Grizzlies are very good, but second best. The Atlanta Hawks have improved and the OKC Thunder might be a force if Kevin Durant can ever get and stay healthy.
What can you say about the Cleveland Cavs and the Golden State Warriors? They're in the Finals, and both have rookie head coaches. If they can keep their team together, the Warriors could be a major force for years to come. And hey, Lebron and Kyrie are getting it done with a clueless rookie head coach and such notables as Anderson Varejao and Kevin Love on the shelf with injuries. Look out for the Cavs in the next few years as well.
Meanwhile, the Pistons seem to be in purgatory. They're not quite bottom-feeders, but not nearly contenders either. Problem is, they win just enough games to be semi-respectable which also means they don't get a top draft choice. Let's not kid ourselves. Annually, the list of potential draftee "difference makers" can be counted on one hand. Sure, there's lot of "good" players available with later picks, but the Pistons already have several B players on their roster. Adding another one every year is never going to get them to the promised land. Nor are free agent cast-offs from other teams.
For that matter, even if the Pistons were in a salary cap position to go after a "superstar", there's no guarantee such a stud would want to come to the Detroit area. After all, the NBA season is played during the winter months -- snow, ice, freezing temperatures, etc. Throw in arguably the worst roads in the country, Michigan's much higher than average taxes, and it's entirely possible, if not probable, a player would settle for a few less bucks to go somewhere else with a much better overall climate. Especially considering the current state of the team he would be coming to.
The last time the Pistons won a championship was in 2004 when they upset the favored Lakers. (Yours truly watched the deciding Game 5 from a motel room in a little town called Laconia, New Hampshire. It was, and still is a major annual motorcycle run and while the other bikers were out and about further checking out the beautiful countryside/wildlife, and thought I was crazy, I wanted to see the game -- dammit).
Looking back at it, the Pistons winning the NBA title that year could be considered an anomaly. It probably shouldn't have happened. That team was pretty much cobbled together.
Chauncey Billups was a cast off from Denver. The Pistons got Richard Hamilton in a trade few thought wise at the time. They'd picked up Ben Wallace who had been a fringe player at best in his past. Tayshaun Prince was a second round draft choice. Rasheed Wallace, thought to be a loose, if gifted cannon, came on board. Stir in a few other B players, mix it all together, and there's no logical way the Pistons should have won the NBA title. But somehow they all came together, went "to work", and pulled it off.
It can happen with the right mix and the right coaching. But it's unlikely the modern-day Pistons can duplicate such an effort in the near future. They can work, work, work, but these days flat-out talent pretty much rules the day. Those who have it win. Those who don't aren't destined to go far. The Pistons would be in the latter category. And there doesn't appear to be a way the Pistons can get out of the mediocre mode any year soon. Some of their better players are nearing the end of their rookie contracts, and might well bail for greener pastures, in more ways than one.
Teams like the Celtics and Lakers may be in the pits right now but, rest assured, they'll come roaring back in a few years. Some franchises can't be kept down for very long. They will find a way. Others will rise and fall over the years. Look at the Miami Heat.
But most everything about the Detroit Pistons franchise, from the front office on down to the roster, suggests they're going to have a very tough time fighting their way out of mediocrity any year soon.
And it might well get a whole lot worse.....
Sepp Blatter and FIFA
Near as I can tell, FIFA stands for Futbol Is Freaking Awesome. Such is the way the sport of soccer is perceived by much of the world.
Yet in America, it might as well stand for Fine In Foreign Arenas. Despite the push that keeps going on, Americans have yet to adopt soccer as a mainstream sport. Yes, it's a big deal from first grade right up through high school, socccer moms everywhere, but after that it pretty much disappears in the US. You haven't seen college soccer tournaments on many TV stations. That's likely because Americans have sporting interests elsewhere and only so many bucks to spend on them. With Major League Baseball, the NBA, NHL, and the ever-present gorilla in the room called the NFL, Americans have never warmed up to soccer at its highest levels in a big way.
Once every 4 years something called the World Cup happens. Americans get interested -- a little. Their men's team is never any good but the ladies make a good showing. And then it's over. Nobody cares about what's going on in foreign soccer leagues despite the 4-letter network force feeding us scores involving teams we never heard of.
But to each their own.
It is interesting Sepp Blatter just stepped down after being elected FIFA President for a fifth term. As is well known, many high-ranking international futbol officials have been recently indicted by the US on various corruption charges. So why would Blatter, 79 years old, go to all the trouble of getting re-elected only to step down? The latest reports say Mr. B hasn't been implicated in any wrong-doing.
The knee-jerk answer is -- maybe the authorities have some dirt on dear Seth after all and have quietly given him an ultimatum. Either step down, ala Richard Nixon of Watergate notoriety, or we'll jam you up in ways you can't even imagine. Could be.
It's also interesting to see such mega-sponsors of FIFA such as Coca-Cola, Visa, McDonald's, and Adidas hedging their bets. They keep trying, trying, TRYING, to make soccer a mainstream sport in the US, but it's not working, and likely never will. Then again, all these corporate behemoths have vast interests abroad selling their wares in various international futbol crazy markets. With the turmoil and criminal charges currently involving the powers that be at FIFA, they likely don't know what to do. The world over, everybody likes cola, a handy-dandy credit card, being super-sized and sneakers are a must. They must be careful about acting too hastily, lest they get it wrong and alienate their foreign clientele they make billions off. And don't tell me the likes of Pepsi, MasterCard, Burger King, and Nike wouldn't quickly jump on the FIFA bandwagon if they smelled big bucks to be made.
The bottom line? Two things.
However this turns out, most Americans still won't care about soccer at it's highest levels.
And much more importantly, yours truly, for one, is happy to see Sepp Blatter step down, whether or not he's guilty of anything.
Just hearing or reading the name itself -- Sepp Blatter -- always had a way of making me have to go urinate for some reason. Had to do it twice while I was writing this.
Good luck Sepp, and I hope your successor doesn't turn out to be some person named Dior Rhea. That could be problematic as well.
Yet in America, it might as well stand for Fine In Foreign Arenas. Despite the push that keeps going on, Americans have yet to adopt soccer as a mainstream sport. Yes, it's a big deal from first grade right up through high school, socccer moms everywhere, but after that it pretty much disappears in the US. You haven't seen college soccer tournaments on many TV stations. That's likely because Americans have sporting interests elsewhere and only so many bucks to spend on them. With Major League Baseball, the NBA, NHL, and the ever-present gorilla in the room called the NFL, Americans have never warmed up to soccer at its highest levels in a big way.
Once every 4 years something called the World Cup happens. Americans get interested -- a little. Their men's team is never any good but the ladies make a good showing. And then it's over. Nobody cares about what's going on in foreign soccer leagues despite the 4-letter network force feeding us scores involving teams we never heard of.
But to each their own.
It is interesting Sepp Blatter just stepped down after being elected FIFA President for a fifth term. As is well known, many high-ranking international futbol officials have been recently indicted by the US on various corruption charges. So why would Blatter, 79 years old, go to all the trouble of getting re-elected only to step down? The latest reports say Mr. B hasn't been implicated in any wrong-doing.
The knee-jerk answer is -- maybe the authorities have some dirt on dear Seth after all and have quietly given him an ultimatum. Either step down, ala Richard Nixon of Watergate notoriety, or we'll jam you up in ways you can't even imagine. Could be.
It's also interesting to see such mega-sponsors of FIFA such as Coca-Cola, Visa, McDonald's, and Adidas hedging their bets. They keep trying, trying, TRYING, to make soccer a mainstream sport in the US, but it's not working, and likely never will. Then again, all these corporate behemoths have vast interests abroad selling their wares in various international futbol crazy markets. With the turmoil and criminal charges currently involving the powers that be at FIFA, they likely don't know what to do. The world over, everybody likes cola, a handy-dandy credit card, being super-sized and sneakers are a must. They must be careful about acting too hastily, lest they get it wrong and alienate their foreign clientele they make billions off. And don't tell me the likes of Pepsi, MasterCard, Burger King, and Nike wouldn't quickly jump on the FIFA bandwagon if they smelled big bucks to be made.
The bottom line? Two things.
However this turns out, most Americans still won't care about soccer at it's highest levels.
And much more importantly, yours truly, for one, is happy to see Sepp Blatter step down, whether or not he's guilty of anything.
Just hearing or reading the name itself -- Sepp Blatter -- always had a way of making me have to go urinate for some reason. Had to do it twice while I was writing this.
Good luck Sepp, and I hope your successor doesn't turn out to be some person named Dior Rhea. That could be problematic as well.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Detroit sports scene. Not pretty
The last time a professional Detroit area team won a world championship was in 2008. The Red Wings skated off with the Stanley Cup. Four years prior, the Pistons had upset the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA crown. The Tigers haven't won the World Series in 30 years (1984), and the Lions, well, their sorry history speaks for itself.
Granted, in this day and age of free agency and salary caps, hence parity, the difference between "really good" teams and "not-so-hot" teams isn't that great. Pretty much anybody can beat anybody else on any given day. Throw 30+ teams into the mix in the four major professional leagues, and winning a championship almost becomes a crapshoot. The supposed "best" teams don't always walk away with the "iron" and have a parade when the season is over, though a wealth of talent certainly helps.
That said, it doesn't appear Detroit will be winning a championship any year soon. Consider the four major teams....
The Tigers.
They started out 6-0, and then 11-2. Since then they've gone 17-23. What was once thought to be a minor injury to Justin Verlander has dragged on for two months. The former ace and Fastball Flakes man was merely a journeyman pitcher last year, and now he has arm problems with no end in sight.
Aging slugger Victor Martinez is on the shelf. The V-man was nothing more than a one dimensional player anyway. He could hit. Period. He couldn't play a defensive position and was slower than molasses on the basepathes.
Miguel Cabrera keeps rolling on with his bat.
J.D. Martinez had an out of his mind year in 2014, but has thudded back to reality this year.
Catcher Alex Avila was never much with the bat, but known for being a pretty good, not great, defensive catcher. He's out too.
Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, and Doug Fister are gone.
Anabel Sanchez was terrific last year, but is getting lit up this year.
David Price was a great addition, despite being a maddeningly slow worker. Price averages over 25 seconds between pitches. With runners on base, it gets ever longer. One can likely polish off a James Michener novel at the ballpark on the days Price starts and gets into the late innings.
The other starters are basically cast-offs from other teams. They started out OK, but in recent weeks have been rocked and rolled by opposing hitters. There's a reason these guys were available to come to the Tigers.
Anthony Gose, the speedy centerfielder, has spent most of the last 7 years bouncing around in the minor leagues. Draw your own conclusions.
And the bullpen is still an Amtrak train going into a curve WAY too fast. Maybe it hangs on -- or maybe something bad happens.
Given all the above, and more, it's no great surprise the Tigers have fallen several games behind in their own division. Their collective defense is iffy at best, and lately they seem prone to making bone-headed plays, both in the field and on the basepathes.
Could they get healthy, smarten up, go on a run and eventually win the World Series? Sure, it's possible. But the odds are highly against it. The Tigers and their fans can boast of this and that, but they're no more than an average team. It's also possible things could go the other way, with the Tigers being woefully out of contention by Labor Day.
The Tigers came close a couple times, even making it to the World Series. But that's horseshoes and hand grenades. Nobody cares who came in second.
The Red Wings.
Once again, the winged wheelers were quickly bounced out of the playoffs.
Long-time coach Mike Babcock hit the road to take over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sure, Babcock's a Canadian by birth and the Leafs gave him a mind-boggling long term contract, well more than twice what the Wings had offered, but still -- the Leafs? They're been horrible in recent years and haven't sniffed a Cup since the Viet Nam war was going on. How long ago was that?
But maybe Babs saw the handwriting on the wall. His core of former super-stars like Zettenberg, Datsyuk, and Kronwall are getting old. Future Hall of Famer Nik Lidstrom retired a while back. The Wings have a bunch of kids that maybe or maybe not will turn into good players. Plus, they have an unsettled situation at the goaltender position. If I'm Babcock, I take the money and go back to my native country too. Why not?
Yep, the Red Wings gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a run for their money in the playoffs this year, but there can be no doubt the better team prevailed. After going on to dispatch the Montreal Canadiens and the favored New York Rangers, Stevie Y's boys are going to the Cup Finals, while his counterpart in Detroit, Ken Holland, has a lot of sorting out to do -- and the future for his Wings looks to be trending downward rather than up. Yes, the Wings can rightfully claim to have the longest streak of any pro team making the postseason, some 24 years. But given half the teams qualify for the playoffs, a team has to be pretty bad NOT to make it. Even mediocre gets a team in the playoffs these days. It's called more games, filling more arenas at playoff ticket prices, more TV and ad bucks. Basically, it's a huge cha-ching on several fronts.
Ironically enough, those same 24 years represent how long it's been since the Detroit Lions racked up their one and ONLY playoff victory in the Super Bowl era. George H. W. (read my lips, no new taxes and a thousand points of light) Bush was President when that happened. How long ago was THAT?
A look at the Lions and Detroit Pistons next time out......
Granted, in this day and age of free agency and salary caps, hence parity, the difference between "really good" teams and "not-so-hot" teams isn't that great. Pretty much anybody can beat anybody else on any given day. Throw 30+ teams into the mix in the four major professional leagues, and winning a championship almost becomes a crapshoot. The supposed "best" teams don't always walk away with the "iron" and have a parade when the season is over, though a wealth of talent certainly helps.
That said, it doesn't appear Detroit will be winning a championship any year soon. Consider the four major teams....
The Tigers.
They started out 6-0, and then 11-2. Since then they've gone 17-23. What was once thought to be a minor injury to Justin Verlander has dragged on for two months. The former ace and Fastball Flakes man was merely a journeyman pitcher last year, and now he has arm problems with no end in sight.
Aging slugger Victor Martinez is on the shelf. The V-man was nothing more than a one dimensional player anyway. He could hit. Period. He couldn't play a defensive position and was slower than molasses on the basepathes.
Miguel Cabrera keeps rolling on with his bat.
J.D. Martinez had an out of his mind year in 2014, but has thudded back to reality this year.
Catcher Alex Avila was never much with the bat, but known for being a pretty good, not great, defensive catcher. He's out too.
Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, and Doug Fister are gone.
Anabel Sanchez was terrific last year, but is getting lit up this year.
David Price was a great addition, despite being a maddeningly slow worker. Price averages over 25 seconds between pitches. With runners on base, it gets ever longer. One can likely polish off a James Michener novel at the ballpark on the days Price starts and gets into the late innings.
The other starters are basically cast-offs from other teams. They started out OK, but in recent weeks have been rocked and rolled by opposing hitters. There's a reason these guys were available to come to the Tigers.
Anthony Gose, the speedy centerfielder, has spent most of the last 7 years bouncing around in the minor leagues. Draw your own conclusions.
And the bullpen is still an Amtrak train going into a curve WAY too fast. Maybe it hangs on -- or maybe something bad happens.
Given all the above, and more, it's no great surprise the Tigers have fallen several games behind in their own division. Their collective defense is iffy at best, and lately they seem prone to making bone-headed plays, both in the field and on the basepathes.
Could they get healthy, smarten up, go on a run and eventually win the World Series? Sure, it's possible. But the odds are highly against it. The Tigers and their fans can boast of this and that, but they're no more than an average team. It's also possible things could go the other way, with the Tigers being woefully out of contention by Labor Day.
The Tigers came close a couple times, even making it to the World Series. But that's horseshoes and hand grenades. Nobody cares who came in second.
The Red Wings.
Once again, the winged wheelers were quickly bounced out of the playoffs.
Long-time coach Mike Babcock hit the road to take over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sure, Babcock's a Canadian by birth and the Leafs gave him a mind-boggling long term contract, well more than twice what the Wings had offered, but still -- the Leafs? They're been horrible in recent years and haven't sniffed a Cup since the Viet Nam war was going on. How long ago was that?
But maybe Babs saw the handwriting on the wall. His core of former super-stars like Zettenberg, Datsyuk, and Kronwall are getting old. Future Hall of Famer Nik Lidstrom retired a while back. The Wings have a bunch of kids that maybe or maybe not will turn into good players. Plus, they have an unsettled situation at the goaltender position. If I'm Babcock, I take the money and go back to my native country too. Why not?
Yep, the Red Wings gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a run for their money in the playoffs this year, but there can be no doubt the better team prevailed. After going on to dispatch the Montreal Canadiens and the favored New York Rangers, Stevie Y's boys are going to the Cup Finals, while his counterpart in Detroit, Ken Holland, has a lot of sorting out to do -- and the future for his Wings looks to be trending downward rather than up. Yes, the Wings can rightfully claim to have the longest streak of any pro team making the postseason, some 24 years. But given half the teams qualify for the playoffs, a team has to be pretty bad NOT to make it. Even mediocre gets a team in the playoffs these days. It's called more games, filling more arenas at playoff ticket prices, more TV and ad bucks. Basically, it's a huge cha-ching on several fronts.
Ironically enough, those same 24 years represent how long it's been since the Detroit Lions racked up their one and ONLY playoff victory in the Super Bowl era. George H. W. (read my lips, no new taxes and a thousand points of light) Bush was President when that happened. How long ago was THAT?
A look at the Lions and Detroit Pistons next time out......
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