Detroit Sports Unleashed

New Location

2005-11-26T20:55:00.000-05:00

I swear this is the last time we'll move.

Sure, the new template is great, but I think I've found a new home at Word Press. Unfortunately, I can't move the old posts over there, so this blog will stay in tact with this message at the top forever as the archives. The little blog that couldn't. Sure, maybe the template is a lot more basic at the new blog, but it has loads more features, and it has categories. Something I've wanted for a long time. Go ahead and continue reading. Our new address: http://sportsunleashed.wordpress.com/. You can still leave comments without being a member of the blog, and we'll still have RSS - for posts and comments! This is for the best. Check us out.

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[Center Court] Pistons to Debut New Alternates Tonight

2005-11-23T18:50:00.000-05:00

First off, a fall off to Sacramento interpretation of the City of Detroit. The league issued fines quite some time ago, and the Kings were only hit with a $30,000 fine. The incident occurred while the Pistons were being introduced. Images of burned-out cars, abandoned buildings, and piles of rubble did little to affect the Pistons, as they rolled over the Kings.

Tonight the Pistons take on the Denver Nuggets at the Palace and will be adorned in some new uniforms: red alternate jerseys (pictured upper right, courtesy NBAE/Getty). The team will wear them 6 times this year, starting tonight as a part of the team's "A World Without RED" campaign.
Pistons (8-1) vs. Nuggets (7-5) | 7:30 PM in Auburn Hills, MI | TV: WB20
Dennis Rodman has a new home - for two games, at least. He signed a two game contract with the Cedar Valley Jaguars (in Iowa) of the IBL. He is expected to play on May 19-20. Hey, at least if it doesn't work out he can buy some corn.
LeBron James has become the youngest player in NBA history to score 4,000 points in his career. The Cavs (9-2) are currently on an 8 game winning streak and trail only the Pistons in the Central Division.

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Posted by ripi$money to Center Court at 11/23/2005 06:35:00 PM

[Blueline] Wings Fischer Doing "Very Well" After Seizure

2005-11-23T14:34:00.000-05:00

The Red Wings' last game against Nashville at Joe Louis Arena never ended. Instead, it was postponed, without a make-up date, after Red Wings defenseman Jiri Fischer's heart stopped on the bench. In the first period, Fischer suddenly collapsed on the Detroit bench. Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan had to skate onto the ice to alert officials of the situation. Shanahan also helped escort Fischer's fiance across the ice to him. Before being removed from the arena on a stretcher, Fischer was resuscitated with an auto-defibrillator and given CPR. Video

From ESPN: On Tuesday, Colucci said the defibrillator indicated that Fischer's heart may have been experiencing ventricular tachycardia, which is a racing type of heartbeat, or ventricular fibrillation, a heart fluttering.

Both can cause death, and ventricular fibrillation is a common cause of sudden cardiac arrest.

When asked how long Fischer's heart had stopped, Colucci said: "Sometimes when you're feeling for a pulse you can't really say did it stop, or does he have a very weak, thready pulse."

Colucci said he didn't know when Fischer could play again or how long he will remain in the hospital. He many things could have caused Fischer's collapse, but he believed the problem was "cardiac in origin."

"We're going to evaluate him on a daily basis," he said.

The Red Wings next game is tonight against the Colorado Avalanche at the Joe Louis Arena. The Wings are currently tied for first place in all of hockey with 32 points (15-5-2). Henrik Zetterberg is 2nd on the team with 22 points, trailing only Pavel Datsyuk (23 points: 9 goals, 14 assists). In Other News:

If you care, you've already heard, but former Red Wing Sergei Federov has been traded from the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He now plays for the Columbus Bluejackets. In 5 games for Anaheim before the trade, he had just one assist.
Steve Yzerman is not enjoying the new NHL as much as many others. He ripped the new rules, saying that the new game is Not Hockey: "There are penalties all over," he told the newspaper. "I'll just use Mathieu Schneider's penalty as an example. He steps up and takes his guy out, and his stick gets caught and the crowd cheers so the referee puts his hand up. There has to be some discretion. The referees have to use some judgment on what is a penalty and what is not. They've taken judgment out of it and I think it's somewhat made it easy on the referees just to call anything, because there is no judgment. "Good referees used to have good judgment. Now they've taken that out of the game. I'm not saying I'm blaming the referees for it, I just feel the whole thing has to be adjusted and they have to look at this seriously. They can't continue to call irrelevant things that have no business being called."

-- Posted by ripi$money to Blueline at 11/23/2005 02:34:12 PM

My NBA All-Star 2006 Picks

2005-11-23T13:21:00.000-05:00

All Star Voting for the 2006 NBA All Star game is in progress right now! You can vote once every 24 hours. This year, let's make sure no Pistons get cheated out of a spot. They've been to the Finals that last two years, and it's time we got some respect. I picked Memo and J-Rich out of the West. Let's make this year's a Detroit All Star Game.

Vote for the NBA All-Star starters on NBA.com: http://www.nba.com/allstar2006/asb/eng/ballot.html?referrer=email

Here are my starter selections for NBA All-Star 2006:

Western Forwards: Elton Brand, LA Clippers Kevin Garnett, Minnesota

Western Guards: Steve Nash, Phoenix Jason Richardson, Golden State

Western Center: Mehmet Okur, Utah

Eastern Forwards: Tayshaun Prince, Detroit Rasheed Wallace, Detroit

Eastern Guards: Chauncey Billups, Detroit Richard Hamilton, Detroit

Eastern Center: Ben Wallace, Detroit

New Look

2005-11-19T20:19:00.000-05:00

Today I took the new DSU template out of Beta and put it up on the real site. This is pretty exciting, since you don't see many blogs hosted by Blogger that use customized templates. Just in case you guys were wondering, the template is a modified (very slightly) version of Sinorca 2.0. It didn't work as well as the actual template, partly because of Blogger code issues, and the fact that the CSS file isn't uploaded, but actually in the source you need to place in the single "Template" portion that is required to change the asthetics of your site. I hope everyone enjoys this, and that it works out well. You can check out possible future designs of Detroit Sports Unleashed here & here. The template was also applied to the forums, but in order for them to just appear in the main content frame and keep their styling, I had to remove the header, so just the sidebar appears. Leave comments-a-plenty!

[Gridiron] Eagles Done with T.O.

2005-11-17T16:32:00.000-05:00

The Terrell Owens saga is almost over. After allegedly fighting with an Eagles teammate, the Eagles organization struck back at their star receiver by suspending him for the remainder of the season and saying he will never play another game in a Philadelphia uniform. Even if he was released, there wouldn't be many teams interested, especially now, when he has developed the reputation as the NFL's worst locker room player.
The Eagles also extended the contracts of running back Brian Westbrook and kicker David Akers. Both players are now under contract through 2010.
After Donovan McNabb was hurt in the Eagles Monday night loss to the Cowboys, former Lion starter Mike McMahon will get the nod in the next Philly game. McNabb's long list of injuries this season appear to have caught up to him, and now, doctors are telling him to undergo season-ending surgery to repair a sports hernia.
The Chicago Bears will be without new running back Cedric Benson for 3-6 weeks after he sprained his MCL. Thomas Jones (on my fantasy team, alright!) will now take the vast majority of carries.
Another player on my fantasy team, kicker Neil Rackers of the Cardinals, was rewarded with a four-year extension.
In the Colts game against Houston, Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison became the first QB-WR combo to hook up for 10,000 career yards. That is a major feat, and even though Peyton hasn't won a Super Bowl, after he beat the Pats this year, the Colts are undoubtedly the favorites to win Super Bowl XL in Detroit's Ford Field. This could be a historic event for both the city of Detroit & the National Football League.
Either the 49th or 51st Super Bowl will go to the Kansas City Chiefs. Arrowhead Stadium must add a rolling roof to cover the field from the February cold. The roof in itself could cost over $100 million, and the Chiefs say they need an additional $300 million in stadium improvements. Seems like it would be easier to build a new stadium for an extra $250 million or so.
Daunte Culpepper has underwent a surgery to repair the torn liagments in his knee. His rehab will begin, and he is on the long road to recovery.
Roy Williams made his triumphant return to the football field against the Cardinals, and the Lions got a much needed win. Joey Harrington made the start, and didn't throw 5 interceptions. Instead, he and Roy Williams hooked up for 3 touchdown passes. Williams caught 7 passes for 117 yards. The Lions ended up winning 21-29, although the scoreboard makes it seem much closer than it really won. The season is now more than halfway over, and the Lions still trail the Bears in the NFC North. Unless the Bears manage a collapse and the Lions can keep it up, it looks like another season without playoffs in the D.

-- Posted by ripi$money to Gridiron at 11/17/2005 04:10:00 PM

Kings Insult Pistons, Detroit

2005-11-13T18:20:00.000-05:00

The Kings sure know how to start out a game. Not only by introducing the players, but by showing their city as well, only in negative aspects, including pictures of burnt out cars and abandoned buildings. One could argue that these things are also in every other big city, and although the Pistons players did not see this display on the jumbotron, when they were told, they were upset. Flip Saunders did see the display, and was insulted even though he has only been a Detroiter for 3 months. The NBA is currently investigating, and fines should be issued eventually. The Kings ownership had nothing to do with the pictures, and the Pistons did defeat the Kings. I can't wait for Sacramento to come to the Palace. Maybe we can give them a taste of their own medicine.

[Around the Bases] McDonald Sent Back to Jays

2005-11-11T19:49:00.000-05:00

The Cy Young Award Winners have been announced. In the American League, it was Bartolo Colon (California Angels). In the National League, Dontrelle Willis just missed out when the award went to the Cardinals' Chris Carpenter.
The Detroit Tigers traded utility infielder John McDonald to the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday for "cash considerations." McDonald will return to the team that traded him to the D in the first place, effectively evening out the deal. Basically, the Tigers borrowed him for a half season. McDonald hit .260 over the course of 31 games for the Tigers.
Former Tiger Ugueth Urbina was charged with attempted murder and he will be jailed until his trial. The reports came from his ranch in South America, where he allegedly formed a group and attacked 5 workers with machetes and doused them with gasoline.
After lying to Congress, Rafael Palmeiro will not be charged with perjury. I feel so sorry for all the millionaires. Maybe he didn't know they were steroids... People these days are stupid, and it's high time somebody did something about it. But the government really shouldn't be governing professional sports. That's just ridiculous. Palmeiro now claims that a shot of vitamin B12 "might have been the cause" of his positive test. He still believes that he has never intentionally taken steroids. Whoops. I guess he fell into a bed of needles and accidentally drank some pills instead of his coffee. I guess he's not a morning person.
Rocco Baldelli will be a Tampa Bay Devil through 2011 after he signed a 6-year contract worth $32 million. Last April, his teammate Carl Crawford signed a similar 6-year deal. It looks like the Devil Rays are trying to rebuild around these two players, and with good reason. But they better get the gears in motion. The Tigers have been rebuilding for 10 years, and they apparently still aren't finished.
The Yankees declined the option on Tino Martinez, which means the popular first baseman will become a free agent. Although he wasn't the regular starter, he hit a mediocre .241 with 17 home runs as an insurance policy for Steroid Boy (aka Jason Giambi).
Finally, the end is near for old Busch Stadium. Opened in 1966 and closed in 2005. The stadium took its first blows from the wrecking ball Monday after a lucky fan won a raffle to hit the button to send the first destruction to the facility. The raffle raised over $66,000 for charity causes including the United Way of Greater St. Louis. Originally, the club was going to implode the park, but fast construction has allowed a more conventional demolition. 250 other raffle winners also got to see it happen from atop one of the Cardinals' parking structures.

Posted by Ripi$money in Around the Bases

[Around the Bases] ChiSox Buy Out Big Hurt

2005-11-05T20:49:00.000-05:00

37-year-old Frank Thomas exercised a $10 million mutual option, which gave the White Sox just 5 days to decide whether the best power hitter in the team's history should return or not. It was the latter. Thomas was bought out by the World Champions for $3.5 million last week. Thomas is a career .307 hitter with 448 homers, but this season, injuries forced him to miss much of the year, and his numbers reflected it, as he finished the year with a .219 batting average and just 12 homers in 34 games.
Also in the division, the Indians picked up Ronnie Belliard's $4 million for 2006, so he is good to go. Belliard held the 5th best fielding percentage among AL 2nd basemen this past season. He played in 145 games for the Indians in 2005, so he should be an important part of the team as they will attempt to replicate the results they got at the end of this season, when they almost put the ChiSox into the books for blowing the biggest lead.
Busch Stadium's demolition will begin Monday at 4:00 PM (3:00 Central). A lucky Cards fan will get to trigger the wrecking ball. The old Busch needs to be razed before the new one can be finished, as the two overlap. The demolition process is expected to take 60 days, and the new stadium is scheduled to open on April 10.
The Padres traded starter Brian Lawrence and cash to the Nationals for Vinny Castilla.
With the departure of Jason Johnson, the Tigers are looking for a free agent pitcher that can top him, and give the bullpen some relief. Right now, they are starting to pursue AJ Burnett. Don't get too excited. There is currently no visit scheduled for Burnett to visit Detroit, and "probably 70% of baseball" has shown interest in signing Burnett, who went 12-12 this past season. The Tigers were believed to have been the runners up in the Carl Pavano race last offseason. Could Burnett reunite with the GM that traded for him in Florida? Wait and see.

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Posted by ripi$money to Around the Bases at 11/05/2005 08:49:07 PM

[Center Court] Pistons Start With Bang; Shaq Out

2005-11-04T22:29:00.000-05:00

The Detroit Pistons made their presence known in their first actual game since the Spurs knocked them off in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last season. The Eastern Conference Champions banner was raised, and Flip Saunder's new squad took no time getting down to business. Despite 6 assists and 31 points by Allen Iverson, the Pistons managed to top the Sixers 108 to 88. Rip Hamilton led the team with 37 points, and the Pistons as a whole had 30 assists. Darko Milicic played the first game that mattered in his career, and he scored a field goal and made a monster block. The Pistons are 1-0, and in 5th place in the Central (tie). All teams in the Central Division are undefeated. The Bucks & Pacers are 2-0, and the Bulls & Cavaliers also have 1-0 records. The Pistons will try to match Indy and Milwaukee tonight as they head into Boston to take on the Celtics (1-0). Hamilton led all scorers (except Paul Pierce) with 26 points, but he coughed up the ball 8 times. Darko watch: 1 block, 1 jumper. Without those 4 points in differentials, the Pistons could have lost.
In the Pistons 2nd game in Boston, they did all they could to give Boston a victory. Despite the refs missing a Paul Pierce travel (resulted in an And-One) and a Mark Blount double-dribble, the Pistons were able to get a Rasheed Wallace tip to take the lead by one point in the closing seconds. The Celtics were bailed out, after Blount failed to catch the ball, but knocked down a 15 footer with :00.8 left. In the clutch, Rip was money coming off of that screen, and the Pistons (2-0) won it in Boston (1-1) with a buzzer beater.
Next Game is on Saturday, November 5, 2005 | 7:30 PM: Pistons vs. Raptors | TV: WDIV, NBA TV
Tayshuan Prince agreed to a 5-year extension before the Halloween deadline, and will make $47 million over the course of the deal. Prince was drafted #23 overall in the 2002 NBA Draft, which also included standouts Amare Stoudemire, Yao Ming, & Carlos Boozer.
Jason Collier's autopsy has revealed that the Hawk's center had an abnormally enlarged heart. The official cause of death was sudden heart rhythm disturbance. Collier's teammates will wear black patches and will leave Collier's uniform in his locker this season.
Also getting a 5-year extension (worth $44 million) was Warrior's forward Mike Dunleavy. Dunleavy was the #3 overall pick in 2002. Unfortunately for the Warriors, they didn't select Tayshaun Prince, and Mr. Dunleavy is now extremely overpaid. Last season, his spotty defense and poor perimeter shooting led to under 12 points per game.
The Indiana Pacers will waste no time retiring Reggie's jersey. #31 will be retired in Conseco Fieldhouse sometime in March. Miller retired last season after the Pacers fell to the Pistons in the conference semifinals.
Nene is likely out for the season after tearing up his knee in the Nugget's season opener Tuesday. In last season's opener, the Nuggets lost swingman Voshon Lenard. Maybe they should just forfeit their first game each season...
Finally, the Miami Heat have somehow managed to play their games with all those players and only one ball, but they will be without their anchor. After overhauling the roster this summer, Shaq and D-Wade were still the keystones. Shaq will miss 2-4 weeks with a sprained ankle.

-- Posted by ripi$money to Center Court at 11/04/2005 10:29:24 PM

[Gridiron] Harrington Will Start Sunday

2005-11-04T18:16:00.000-05:00

After sitting out two straight games because of the return of Jeff Garcia, Joey Harrington will once again take the helm of the Lions' offense, now ranked 29th in the NFL. Garcia still isn't fullly recovered from the broken leg and ankle sprain he suffered in Week 6 of the preseason. Before being replaced, Harrington had the NFL's lowest QB rating. Garcia's ability to run and improvise brought wideout Scotty Vines into the picture, and although an ill-advised pass led to an interception and a loss to the Bears, Garcia still remains the number one QB on the Lions, at least in my book.
With the return of Joey Harrington also comes another receiver to throw to. Charles Rogers will have his first game back from his 4-game drug suspension. Although Vines and M. Williams are likely to start Sunday against the Vikings, Rogers doesn't seem to mind the backup role this time.
The Lions' opponent this Sunday, the Vikings, will be without starting QB Daunte Culpepper for the remainder of the season. Culpepper left last week's game in a loss to the Panthers. Culpepper tore ligaments in his right knee after being hit low following an 18-yard run for a first down. The starting QB this week will be Brad Johnson. The Vikings had been projected to be one of the top teams in the NFC North, but instead have fallen to a lowly 2-5 record.
Tom Brady and G eneral Motors have settled a case in which Brady did not receive a car he was supposed to after being the Super Bowl MVP, and having his likeness used in ads after his endorsement contract expired. Read here.

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Posted by ripi$money to Gridiron at 11/04/2005 06:16:07 PM

[Around the Bases] 12th Player Suspended for Steroids

2005-11-04T04:28:00.000-05:00

But first, some good news. Placido Polanco was named the Tiger of the Year. Polanco played 86 games for Detroit, and in those games, he had a batting average of .338. Every 22.04 plate appearances he struck out, one of the hardest to strike out in the majors, and he had almost a .400 average during home games.
Jamie Walker is the only consistent reliever the Tigers have. And it's a good thing they picked up his $1.25 million option for the 2006 season. He'll remain one of the Tigers' lefties, as he has been since Mid-season in 2002 when he was first called up.
Finally, what we have all expected has come true... sort of. A Yankee player has been suspended for steroids. Not A-Rod, not Derek Jeter, nor Jason Giambi. But Matt Lawton, the former all star outfielder acquired from the Cubs became MLB's 12th player to be suspended since the beginning of the 2005 season.
After taking the Astros to the World Series, manager Phil Garner had his contract extended through 2007. Remember? He used to be the manager of the Detroit Tigers. Of course, Tigers players always seem to go into the spotlight after leaving. Think Kirk Gibson's hobbled homer, Jeff Weaver's success in LA, and now Phil Garner won a pennant.
Eli's Cheesecake gave Manager Ozzie Guillen and the owner of the Chicago White Sox some just desserts: a 400 pound cheesecake. Nothing beats Chicago's cheesecake. And they make a mighty fine pizza-pie, too.
Another former Tiger, Mark Redman (pitcher), has exercised his $4.6 million option, and will return to Pittsburgh in 2006.
The Yankees hired the 2003 AL Manager of the Year, Tony Pena (formerly of the Royals), to be their first base coach. At least at his new job, he won't be the owner's primary target if things go astray. You never know with Steinbrenner.
Carl Lindner has agreed to sell his majority stake in the Cinncinati Reds to a group of local businessmen. The sale must be approved by MLB.
The Mariners have picked up Eddie Guardado's 2006 option, so he will continue to close in Seattle. Last season, his 36 saves ranked fourth in franchise history.
John Thomson will remain in Atlanta, after the Braves picked up the pitcher's $4.76 million option. This past season, he missed about 3 months after straining a tendon in his middle finger.

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Posted by ripi$money to Around the Bases at 11/03/2005 08:07:58 PM

[Gridiron] Bears Top Lions, NFC North

2005-10-31T18:30:00.000-05:00

The Detroit Lions just can't seem to hold on to a good thing anymore. Jeff Garcia again got the nod, and again, the Lions scored 13 points. It was enough to take them deep into the game, and then go to overtime against the Bears. But, lets compare to our last matchup. This time, we only threw one interception, albeit a game-deciding one. And the Lions made it to the endzone and held the Bears under 20 points. Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Thomas Jones didn't rush for 100 yards, and Jason Hanson had two field goals. Although, he did miss his first attempt, and it would come back to haunt the Lions in the end, as the game was sent into an extra session. Hey, they did one more thing right than the last OT meeting against the Bears: when we won the coin toss, at least we elected to receive. After punting, the Bears took their series nowhere, and on our 2nd possession on a third down with pressure, Jeff Garcia threw a pick to Charles Tillman who ran it all the way back for a touchdown. And just like that, our hopes were dashed again. If we had won, we would've finally had a legitimate lead over the NFC North. We were so close, and yet so far away. At least there weren't any significant injuries in this game, perhaps the first time that has happened this season. Jeff Garcia got laid out several times, and again, ended the game barely able to walk. A valiant effort and a heartbreaking defeat. It's just too bad that close doesn't cut it in a game of inches. Bears 19, Lions 13 | Final from Ford Field Team Leaders (DET) Passing: Jeff Garcia, 23/35 for 197 yards, INT Rushing: Kevin Jones, 18 carries for 66 yards, TD Receiving: Scotty Vines, 5 catches for 61 yards Kicking: Jason Hanson, 2/3 FG, 1/1 PAT Tackles: Earl Holmes, 8 tackles Up Next: The Lions will face a Daunte Culpepper-less (tore knee ligaments yesterday, out for remainder of the season) Vikings team that has struggled without Randy Moss and is surrounded by controversy after the alleged boat sex party and Whizzinator scandal. -- Posted by ripi$money to Gridiron at 10/31/2005 06:30:27 PM

[Center Court] Pistons, Prince Complete Deal

2005-10-31T16:12:00.000-05:00

Tayshaun Prince will continue to rule the Palace of Auburn Hills for at least 5 more years after he and the Detroit Pistons agreed on terms to a new contract just hours before a deadline at the stroke of midnight on Halloween. Prince's new 5 year contract kicks in after this season, and is worth somewhere between $45 and $50 million total. Prince was the 23rd pick in the 2002 draft, and selected the jersey number 22 to remind him of all the players drafted before him.
The Pistons open the season Wednesday against the 76ers on ESPN. The Sixers will be without Samuel Dalembert for around 10 days after he re-injured his quads.
Freddie Jones of the Pacers will become a restricted free agent at the end of this season, reports the Indianapolis Star.
In response to the new NBA dress code, Stephon Marbury will be outfitting his New York teammates with a Joseph Abboud custom-designed suit. Marbury appeared in a spring ad for the clothing designer, which also recently acquired the endorsement of Red Sox outfielder Johnny Damon.

-- Posted by ripi$money to Center Court at 10/31/2005 04:03:00 PM

[Blueline] Wings on Best Start in Franchise History

2005-10-30T11:23:00.000-05:00

After twelve games in the new NHL, the Red Wings are 11-1, the best start in their storied history. For those of you who don't want to watch hockey anymore, this is a good chance to redeem yourselves. Their 11 wins is good for 22 points, and that leads all teams in the NHL. Manny Legace was solid in goal, and now Chris Osgood is back. For the most part, the Wings are staying healthy, so this is shaping up to be a another great season in Hockeytown, and if it's Yzerman's last, what a season it will be to remember. The Wings are 4 points ahead of the 2nd place Canucks, and their team is shaping out great, with Shanahan leading the team with 7 goals, and Zetterberg leads the team in points (15). So sit down, grab some Canadien treats, or some chips, and watch some hockey. It is truly back with avengence.
Former Red Wing Sergei Federov has been placed on the Mighty Ducks' injured list. He has not played since October 10, and has one assist in three games this year.
Another former Red Wing, Curtis Joseph, had some good news. By defeating the Flames, CuJo picked up win number 400 of his career.
"It was better sooner than later, because sometimes milestones get tougher and tougher to get once you start talking about them," Joseph said after making 13 saves in a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night. "I'm happy we came out and arguably played our best game of the year."

-- Posted by ripi$money to Blueline at 10/30/2005 11:23:50 AM

[Around the Bases] ChiSox-Astros Series Lowest Rated ... Ever

2005-10-29T12:06:00.000-04:00

Just in case you've missed the last few posts, the Chicago White Sox became the 2005 World Series Champions after sweeping the Houston Astros. Hey, you probably didn't watch it. The ratings were 30% lower than those of last year's World Series between the BoSox and Cardinals. The final game did manage to have the highest prime time rating for Fox since an American Idol in May, but it couldn't salvage the overall viewership.
Larry Bowa is now the third base coach for Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees. He previously was the manager of the Phillies (2001-2004), but also has some experience there, as he was the Phillies' third base coach from 1988-1996.
Speaking of the Phillies, they will be moving their left-center field wall back this summer. Citizens Bank Park was the 6th most hitter-friendly park this season.
Manny Being Manny. Now he wants out of Boston ... again. Ramirez's contract calls for $19 million this coming season, $18 million in 2007, and $20 million in 2008. The large contract size (that also includes two club options for extra years at $20 million a pop) would make it very difficult to trade him. Why can he just accept the fact that he is on a great team, and go out an play?
The slew of free agents began filing for their free agency yesterday, and some big names put themselves up on the block. Names include: Rafael Palmeiro (steroid boy), Kenny Rogers (the media menace), Johnny Damon, and Kevin Millwood are some of the most notable. Of 200 eligible players, 115 have already declared themselves free agents, and the remaining have until November 10. After that, teams and players are free to talk money.
The new Busch Stadium is well under construction. These pictures are quite interesting. They are basically building the new stadium right where the old one is, and interior demolition has already began, just weeks after the Cards were eliminated. It wasn't as old or historical as Tiger Stadium, but this is the end of an era. All of the Cookie Cutter Stadiums are now just pictures in books and stories. Of those stadiums, nowhere was better than Busch, where the sea of red engulfed all who entered throughout its gates.

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Posted by ripi$money to Around the Bases at 10/29/2005 12:06:34 PM

[Center Court] Deadline for Tay Approaches

2005-10-28T15:46:00.000-04:00

Tayshaun Prince of the Detroit Pistons has until midnight on Halloween to re-sign with the team, or else he will become a restricted free agent at the end of this season. Rumors have swarmed of a 5 year extension in the works, but still no official announcement has been made.
Former Piston Dennis Rodman will play anywhere from 6-10 games in the ABA for the Tijuana Dragons at age 44. Rodman last played in the NBA in 2000, and is supposedly in "the best shape of his life."
The Orlando Magic will be without former Piston great Grant Hill for anywhere from 3-6 weeks after he has surgery for his sports hernia. Last season, Hill's comeback was the best story of the All Star Weekend, as he finished the season as Orlando's 2nd best scorer at just under 20 points per game.
After suffering a severe fall, Chris Duhon of the Bulls is listed as "probable" for their opener against the Bobcats on Wednesday.
Kirk Hinrich will stay in the Windy City through the 2006/07 season after the club picked up his option.
Earlier, we reported on the Bobcats new arena. Charlotte's ballers have finally moved into their new digs with a practice. The practice court is at street level, and many fans peered in on the practice, eager to see what the second season in franchise history will bring.
Carmelo Anthony will stay in Denver until the end of the '06/07 season after the team picked up the fourth year option on his contract. Anthony was in the top three players from the draft that also included a fellow named LeBron James and Dwayne Wade a few years back.
Finally, some Central Division heat. The Bucks traded Desmond Mason (and a 1st rounder in 2006) to the Hornets for all star center Jamaal Magloire. Mason was not pleased with the move, but New Orleans should be. Mason will be some high-energy action in the form of slam dunks, although the move leaves them without a post presence of any kind.

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Posted by ripi$money to Center Court at 10/28/2005 03:29:00 PM

[Gridiron] Lions Lose 3 More to Injuries

2005-10-27T17:26:00.000-04:00

The Lions' "star" wide reciever, Kevin Johnson (who was like 1st string after Roy Williams & Charles Rogers) is out for the remainder of the season because of a ruptured achilles that he suffered in the 13-10 win over Cleveland on Sunday.
'Dre Bly suffered a dislocated wrist, after colliding with his own teammate. His status is uncertain because it is still to be determined whether he needs surgery or not. Bly was still able to snag one of the Lions' three picks in the game before becoming injured.
Shaun Rogers, arguably the best player on the defensive line for the Lions is week-to-week after suffering some minor damage to his MCL.
Charles Woodson will be out of the Raiders' secondary for at least 2 months after breaking his leg. Woodson is currently designated as the Raiders franchise player.
The Pack are experiencing a season in the eyes of a Detroit Lions fan. First, their record is just plain horrendous, and now they have some major injuries, just like the Lions! Now Ahman Green is out for the season after rupturing his right thigh tendon.
Some crazy guy has been fined $300 for impersonating Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger in order to try and win over two women he wanted to date.

To summarize, the Lions receiving core was already bad enough in Cleveland without Roy Williams (injury), Charles Rogers (suspension), and Eddie Drummond (injury). Now they are without Kevin Johnson. Oh, how quickly good seasons can be sent down the toilet! -- Posted by ripi$money to Gridiron at 10/27/2005 05:26:15 PM

'Stros Swept, MLB Cries Foul over Commercial

2005-10-27T15:20:00.000-04:00

Just weeks ago, we were all ready for the biggest collapse in the history of sports, as the Indians almost caught the ChiSox, but they held on, and made it all the way to the World Series, where they were able to sweep the Houston Astros, winning their first championship since 1917.
Former Tigers pitcher Ugueth Urbina is under some heat, after employees on his ranch alleged that he attacked them with machetes and set fire to them after a gun was discovered missing. It seems pretty far-fetched for me, but Urbina could have had a reason for concern if a gun was missing after that family kidnapping. It is so crazy, it just might be true. Wait & see.
Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz won the 2005 Roberto Clemente Award, which acknowledges excellence on and off of the field. Smoltz was presented with the award before an 18-inning loss by the Astros during Game 3 of the World Series.
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have long been known for terrible play and a domed stadium, but now while you're watching Carl Crawford burn other teams on the base paths, you can enjoy your own food from home instead of purchasing $5 hot dogs and $12 nachos.
Brian Cashman has been offered a 3-year contract to stay with the Yankees that could be worth over $5 million. Cashman was the GM during the famous A-Rod trade, as well as the man behind the signing of the Iron Chef.
The latest commerical in the "Got Milk?" campaign mocks the steroid scandal by depicting an athlete slamming home runs because he was juiced ... on milk. Hey, it builds bones and stronger bodies, but MLB says steroids are no laughing matter. They should take a chill supplement or something and leave ads that are comically inclined alone.

[Around the Bases] WHITE SOX SWEEP ASTROS

2005-10-27T15:06:00.000-04:00

The Chicago White Sox have ended an 88 year championship drought, as they swept the Houston Astros for their first World Series Title since 1917. The ChiSox were able to not only sweep one of the best teams in the National League, but also finish them off in front of their own fans. Maybe it was because the roof was open... As many may have heard, MLB ordered Minute Maid Park's retractable roof open for Game 3, while the Astros argued that closing it increased crowd noise and helped the home field advantage. Jermaine Dye took home the World Series MVP Award, after he broke a 0-0 tie in the 8th inning in Game 4 with a two-out RBI single. He also scored Chicago's first run of the series. The Astros were the first team in over 50 years to be in the World Series without a black player, which just shows how far we have come. America's sport has had its doors open to people from all walks of life, and maybe now, there won't be as many Cubs fans in Chicago. If the Cubs can manage to recover, who knows, maybe we could have a Chicago vs. Chicago World Series sometime in the near future. That probably won't happen, but anyways, congratulations to the 2005 Major League Baseball Champion Chicago White Sox for sweeping the Houston Astros and giving their city the first ChiSox championship since 1917.

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Posted by ripi$money to Around the Bases at 10/27/2005 01:29:00 PM

2005/2006 Detroit Lions

2005-10-24T13:46:00.000-04:00

Team Information Founded 1930, Moved to Detroit in 1934 Team Owner: William Clay Ford, Sr. General Manager: Matt Millen Venue: Ford Field (Detroit, MI) Colors: Honolulu Blue, Silver, Black Retired Jerseys #7 Dutch Clark* #20 Lem Barney* #20 Barry Sanders* #20 Billy Sims #22 Bobby Layne* #37 Doak Walker* #56 Joe Schmidt* *Denotes a Hall of Famer. The Lions have 12 Hall of Famers to date. NFL Championships 1935, 1952, 1953, 1957 2005/2006 Schedule Sorry, currently unavailable. 2005/2006 Roster Sorry, currently unavailable. Coaching Staff Head Coach: Steve Mariucci Offensive Coordinator: Ted Tollner Defensive Coordinator: Dick Jauron Full List

[Center Court] Duncan: Dress Code "Basically Retarded"

2005-10-23T21:19:00.000-04:00

Tim Duncan sez: "I think it's a load of crap. I understand what they're trying to do with the hats and do-rags and jerseys and stuff. That's fine. But I don't understand why they would take it to this level. I think it's basically retarded.

Although Timmy is pretty pissed off by this, many players are taking acceptance to it, while others think it is racist. ESPN lists their reactions.

The Pistons finished are 4-2 in the preseason, good for a tie for 2nd place in the Central, behind only Indiana (4-1). Oh, and by the way, home games on WB20 and WDIV 4 will be in High Definition this season. Start saving your pennies (and hundred-dollar-bills).
The Atlanta Hawks attended teammate Jason Collier's funeral on Wednesday, as news of a heart abnormality have surfaced. No autopsy results have been released as of yet.
The Charlotte Bobcats finally have a new home. It is a $265 million state-of-the-art downtown arena. Seating 19,000, the arena features great views of the city and 4 humongous 16 x 28 foot LED screens on its scoreboard. Charlotte Bobcats Arena. No corporate sponsor, it seems ... yet.
Vlade Divac's retirement is now official. He will work as a scout for the Lakers in Europe.
Another injury to Grant Hill. And this time, it isn't the ankle. The team sent an MRI to a specialist to determine whether a torn muscle is causing his sore abdomen.

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Posted by ripi$money to Center Court at 10/22/2005 11:27:16 PM

[Gridiron] End of an Era? Lions Win as Garcia Takes Helm

2005-10-23T17:43:00.000-04:00

The Detroit Lions are on top of the NFC North after beating the Cleveland Browns 13-10 today. The thing is, they are just .500, with a 3-3 record, and only won by 3 points. Every great team must start somewhere, and the Lions may have started today, holding the Browns offense to just a field goal (they had a 90 yard kickoff return TD), and proving that their defense is still running strong with three interceptions. Jeff Garcia replaced Joey Harrington as the Lions' starting quarterback, and he showed why, going 22/34 for 210 yards and one rushing touchdown. You got that right, no interceptions. Joey Harrington's season QB rating was at 55, and Jeff Garcia just reinforced why his experience and history of winning should lead the Lions this year. His audibles at the line were accurate and led to good decision making, and despite missing Kevin Johnson, Charles Rogers, and Roy Williams, he involved everyone wearing Honolulu blue, and was able to move the chains. Plus, he can move. Any time a play breaks down, it is not over with Jeff Garcia. Scotty Vines made a living today by coming back to the ball and getting receptions off last-minute scrambles. But, it was truly a coming out party for Mike Williams, who caught 5 passes for 95 yards, overshadowed only by a fumble. The Browns just made too many mistakes to win, looking like the Lions from years past, with key penalties in the final two minutes and dropped passes throughout the game. Their only bright spot was their tailback, Rueben Droughns, who averaged 5.3 yards per carry and gained 100 rushing yards throughout the game. Overall, it was another big game for the Lions, as they bounced back from last week's loss to Carolina.

Lions 13, Browns 10 Final

Detroit Leaders:

Passing: Jeff Garcia (22/34, 210 yards, 1 rushing TD)
Rushing: Kevin Jones (21 carries, 74 yards, 3.5 yds/c)
Receiving: Mike Williams (5 catches, 95 yards, 1 fumble)
Receiving: Scotty Vines (5 catches, 34 yards)
Kicking: Jason Hanson (2-3 FG: made 47, 50; missed 47; PATs 1-1)
Interceptions: RW McQuarters, 'Dre Bly, Andre Goodman (1 each)
Tackles: Boss Bailey (5 tackles, 2 assists)
Sacks: Dan Wilkinson, Jared DeVries (2 each)
Injuries*: Kevin Johnson (torn Achilles), Shaun Rogers, 'Dre Bly (hand), Roy Williams DNP, Charles Rogers DNP (suspension)

*Official injury report in a few days

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Posted by ripi$money to Gridiron at 10/23/2005 04:30:00 PM

Syndicate to Detroit Sports Unleashed

2005-10-23T00:55:00.000-04:00

Detroit Sports Unleashed has several XML feeds available for you:

Detroit Sports Unleashed - The Big Kahuna. This feed covers the whole field.
DSU: Around the Bases - This feed delivers you the latest on our national passtime.
DSU: Gridiron - This is your home for Sundays, giving you reactions and the latest on key injuries.
DSU: Blueline - Hockey is back with avengence, and this feed is for the Wings fans.
DSU: Center Court - The NBA is ready to go, and if you're ready as well, subscribe to this one.

About RSS and XML feeds: The XML feeds that Detroit Sports Unleashed uses are basically the same thing as RSS (Really Simple Syndication), the same technology that Yahoo and Google use on their personalized homepages to bring you the latest news. The same applies here. Whenever new content is posted, the XML feed is updated, and you can read the latest news easily. How to Use DSU's XML:

If you use a browser (i.e. Mozilla Firefox) that supports integrated RSS, you can create a live bookmark that uses a drop-down menu to show you the latest.
Otherwise, you can use an RSS Reader. I recommend Bloglines, but there are a number of alternatives. The newest is Google's Reader, which is another free utility from Google. No matter what you choose, the services are free at least 99.9% of the time.
Some Email applications also support RSS. Mozilla's Thunderbird (similar to Outlook) can handle email as well as RSS, so it is a good option as well.

All of the XML readers I suggest are 100% free.

[Around the Bases] ChiSox Take First Game of Series

2005-10-23T00:53:00.000-04:00

The Chicago Whitesox haven't won a World Series since 1917, and they made sure that their return this year would be memorable. They took game one from the Astros 5-3 in front of 41,000 of their own fans. Joe Crede broke the tie in the 4th inning with a home run, and the White Sox pitching held strong.
The Tigers have completed their coaching staff. Chuck Hernandez is the new pitching coach. Hernandez had been the Tampa Bay pitching coach from 1997-2003, and that should give him a leg up on working with young pitchers. Only in this case, the Tigers pitchers are much further along, and some (a la Bonderman) are already complete. If he plays his cards right, he'll just have to polish Bondy up a little bit, and we can just forget about that terrible ending the entire team underwent.
A new survey reveals that 8 of 10 fans think umpires do a great job, and that nearly 70% think that the designated hitter should either be in both the AL and NL or just be scrapped from both. Personally, I think it's great the way it is. The two leagues are called "leagues" for a reason. They are different, and have been for a long time. Baseball is a very tradition-based game. Keep it that way!
The Milwaukee Brewers have opted for their $8.5 million option on Carlos Lee for next season. Lee had 114 RBI and 32 homers for the Brewers in 2005, but an average under .270.

-- Posted by ripi$money to Around the Bases at 10/23/2005 12:53:33 AM

[Gridiron] Joey or Jeff? Lions Still Not Talking

2005-10-21T22:21:00.000-04:00

Jeff Garcia has split snaps evenly with Joey Harrington this week in Lions' practice. Coach still won't unbutton his lips and name a starter. After severely spraining his ankle and breaking his leg in the preseason, Garcia was out 6-8 weeks. It has now been 6 weeks, and it is more than likely that Mariucci will go with the QB he had success with in San Fran. The ball is still up in the air.
Could Cory Schlesinger be near a return? By the looks of it, he is working hard and doing lots of drills. Next he just needs to put some licks on people, and he'll be ready for action. Then we can have a real fullback again. Just think about what that will do for Kevin Jones. Nothing better than the best fullback in the game to do some serious blocking and open up some lanes for you.
Pro Bowl center Kevin Mawe will miss the rest of the season for the Jets after suffering a torn triceps in the 3rd quarter of a Jets loss when another player fell on his elbow.
The Bucs will probably be without Brian Griese for the remainder of the year after he tore his ACL and MCL when Zach Thomas of the Dolphins rolled into his left leg.
To replace Griese, the Bucs acquired former 49ers starter Tim Rattay. All the Niners asked for in return was a conditional draft pick. Now that is some serious confidence that Alex Smith is the future of that team. Those were the days, weren't they, when Joey Harrington had high aspirations to lead our team into the playoffs and out of the village of NFL laughingstocks.
8 months ago Tedy Bruschi was in pretty bad shape. Now, after his minor-stroke, he has returned to the practice field for the Patriots. He was doubtful he'd even play this year, but he's back. The Patriots have a bye this week, and their next game isn't until October 30. It is possible he could return then, and if not, probably the following week.
A whirlwind of controversy is surrounding the Saints. After being evacuated from their home city because of Katrina, they have been relocated to San Antonio, and Texas supposedly wants to keep them their, but the Saints deny this. The Superdome could be ready by next season, but the Saints could argue that the damage to their stadium and practice facility make them unusable, which would mean they could escape from Louisiana without paying an $81 million penalty. Hmm... I think it would be disgraceful if they abandoned their faithful. Everybody deserves something to hope for, even if it only happens once a week. I challenge everyone in America to make sure the Saints don't move, and if they do, go to their games, and boo any mention of San Antonio that might arise.

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Posted by ripi$money to Gridiron at 10/21/2005 10:21:42 PM

[Blueline] Wings off to the Races

2005-10-21T20:16:00.000-04:00

Former Detroit Red Wing Brett Hull has retired. After playing just 5 games and having his father's number un-retired for him, he quit as the third leading goal scorer in the league's history. Never afraid to speak his mind, he was one of the NHL's greats, and the time he spent in Detroit was enjoyed. The bonanza of goals that Hull scored will go untouched for quite some time.
Chris Osgood has recovered from his injury and is in the minors for conditioning. His first game will be Saturday (10/22) for the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL). Until his return to the Wings, Jimmy Howard will continue to back up Manny Legace.
Kris Draper is day-to-day after getting hit in the eye with a puck. Several players have already been struck this season, bringing back the age old debate for many: to wear a visor, or not.
After starting the season without a team, the 36 year old Jason Wolley is back with Detroit. He brings with him, the return of veteran experience at the defense slot.
Pavel Datsyuk nearly left the Wings. So far, he has 4 points, but his friend Henrik Zetterberg (you know, the future of the entire franchise) is leading the team with three goals and six assists. That's 9 points for you math wizards. Plus, he has a decent shots-to-goals ratio (24%), and has no penalty minutes thus far.
In the Western Conference's Central Division, the Red Wings are currently in second place with 12 points. They are 6-1-0, and trail the Predators who are undefeated through 6 games. St. Louis is 7 points back. If the Red Wings keep up their pace, they will make the playoffs, as they are tied for 2nd place in the whole conference right now.

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Posted by ripi$money to Blueline at 10/21/2005 08:16:45 PM

[Around the Bases] Last Game at Busch?

2005-10-19T18:59:00.000-04:00

The White Sox are already in the World Series after cruising through just 5 games with the Angels. Houston is up on St. Louis 3-2, and the Cardinals need to win Game 6 (tonight, 8:28 PM on Fox) in order to stay alive. This marks the last season at Busch Stadium. The last big "Cookie Cutter" stadium, Busch's sea of red is symbolic to St. Louis, as the new stadium is being constructed right next door. Should the Cardinals lose tonight, it will be the last game at the old Busch Stadium.
Former Tiger's manager/shortstop Alan Trammell has interviewed with the Tampa Devil Rays. Supposedly, his sales pitch was that he's good with young ball clubs. I have my doubts after his tenure over a club of almost all young players, particularly his most recent one.
The Orioles have made Perlozzo their official manager, dropping the interim part of his title, and signing him on for three years.
Another steroid suspension. This time it's a reliever from the Mets, Felix Heredia. In one season of baseball, 11 players (including Felix) were suspended for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy.

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Posted by ripi$money to Around the Bases at 10/19/2005 06:58:48 PM

[Center Court] NBA Announces "Business Casual" Dress Code

2005-10-18T15:21:00.000-04:00

As expected, the NBA released its new dress code. The new code requires injured players on the bench to wear at least a sport coat, and all players cannot wear shorts, sleeveless shirts, medallions on the outside of clothes, or sunglasses indoors at team functions (like after practice). Headphones are only allowed in the locker room and in the team bus/plane. No more throwback jerseys for Rasheed. Bummer. I don't know who the NBA is trying to impress. They are entertainers and athletes, and I think forcing them to wear dress clothes is just plain stupid. They don't work in cubicles or at desks, and they should have a little freedom to reward the countless hours they put in at practice, at games, and addressing the nosy media.
Larry Brown will not have one of his assets when the season starts. Former Piston guard Allan Houston has retired, after nagging knee injuries. He played 12 seasons, though the past two were hindered by injuries. The move leaves Larry Brown's Knicks without an adequate perimeter shooter. They could move Quentin Richardson or Jamal Crawford to fill the vacant guard position left by Houston.
Tayshaun Prince has been plagued with sore knees since two-a-days in training camp. He had just returned from his honeymoon with his new wife. The trainer suggested he change shoes, and Prince reverted to last year's model, which seems to be helping. He is expected to be available tonight against Dallas (7:30 PM, Fox Sports Detroit).

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Posted by ripi$money to Center Court at 10/18/2005 03:20:56 PM

[DSU: Center Court] Hawks Center, Collier, Passes Away

2005-10-15T22:54:00.000-04:00

Another strange, sudden death of an athlete. First the NFL, and now Jason Collier of the Atlanta Hawks has passed away, at the age of 28. It is possible that he died of cardiac arrest, but until an autopsy, no cause can really be determined. Apart from his knees, the 7-foot center had no health problems show up in his preseason physical. I wish the best for his family, friends, and teammates.
Darko Milicic was released on $100 bond after being taking into custody for some unpaid traffic violations. He was pulled over in his Audi for having tinted front windows, and then arrested for driving with a suspended license. His license was suspended after two violations, a speeding ticket, and an unspecified equipment violation. The news surprised Milicic, who went without incident, and will take care of the unpaid tickets promptly, if not already so. There will be no team action taken.
The Sonics had a $42 million deal on the table for Vladimir Radmonovic, who turned it down, and signed a one year contract with Seattle, hoping to get more money at the end of this season as a free agent.
Flintstone Charlie Bell finally has an NBA deal. He signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, so Flint townspeople can probably catch him during one of the Pistons vs. Bucks divisional meetings. Bell is now 26, after spending a few years in the NBA, then playing in Italy for 3 years. Last season, he scored more points than anyone else in Spain (27/game). It was a multi-year contract, so expect Bell to play ... eventually.
Oh, and don't sweat the talk about NBA's golden boy, LeBron James, being in the hospital. He was released after being treated for pleurisy. Yeah, I don't know what it is either. Some sort of infection in the chest. He's cool, and will be ready for action. Honestly, I could care less, since it wasn't serious, but everyone just needs to know about the only player in the NBA. He's great, but wait until the playoffs this year, when he finally has the supporting cast (a la Larry Hughes) that he needs, okay. I don't want to hear about this for the whole regular season.

That was my first post with links to stories. Hope you enjoyed it.

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Posted by ripi$money to DSU: Center Court at 10/15/2005 10:53:54 PM

[DSU Gridiron] Standings: Lions Still on Top

2005-10-13T19:54:00.000-04:00

The NFC North has been known to house teams like Brett Favre's Packers, and the once dominant Vikings. Although everything is still up for grabs, the Lions are in first place after Week 5, and should approach Week 6 in a manner that could make or break the season. Somehow, a .500 team is in first place. Hmm. Consider the NFC East, where the defending NFC Champion Eagles are in last place - with a winning record. Maybe the Lions will make the playoffs, but it would be a Cinderella story to make it to Super Bowl XL in Ford Field.

NFC North

Detroit Lions: 2-2
Chicago Bears 1-3
Minnesota Vikings 1-3
Green Bay Packers 1-4

NFC East

New York Giants: 3-1
Washington Redskins: 3-1
Dallas Cowboys: 3-2
Philadelphia Eages: 3-2

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4-1
Atlanta Falcons: 3-2
Carolina Panthers: 3-2
New Orleans Saints: 2-3

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks: 3-2
St. Louis Rams: 2-3
Arizona Cardinals: 1-4
San Francisco 49ers: 1-4

AFC East

New England Patriots: 3-2
Miami Dolphins: 2-2
Buffalo Bills: 2-3
New York Jets: 2-3

AFC North

Cincinnati Bengals: 4-1
Pittsburgh Steelers: 3-1
Cleveland Browns: 2-2
Baltimore Ravens: 1-3

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts: 5-0
Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-2
Tennessee Titans: 2-3
Houston Texans: 0-4

AFC West

Denver Broncos: 4-1
Kansas City Chiefs: 2-2
San Diego Chargers: 2-3
Oakland Raiders: 1-3

Surely, the game against the Ravens was a memorable one. Just one penalty away from an NFL record for one team in a single game. A franchise record 21 penalties for the Ravens sealed a Lions' victory, after two Ravens were ejected for making contact with officials. Maybe they didn't set a new record, but surely, penalty-wise, it was the poorest showing of sportsmanship in the history of the NFL. Unfortunately, our receiving core got beaten down, but the Lions stayed on top and kept their composure.

Sunday's Big Hits

Seeing all of those pissed Ravens get 15 yard let me lmao, if I may borrow some AIM terminology
Kevin Jones is a Beast with a capital B. He took some major head-to-head shots from Ray Lewis, and came off the field only after a dozen or so of those hits when the Lions were on the Ravens' one yard line.
R.W. McQuarters took the Ravens to school on special teams.
Kevin Johnson makes a solid go-to receiver.

Missed Tackles

We lost Roy Williams (leg strain), and with Charles Rogers (drugs) out, the only two receivers the Lions have that count for anything are Mike Williams & Kevin Johnson. Eddie Drummond bruised his shin, Scotty Vines sprained his ankle...

RW McQuarters and 'Dre Bly said they'd be receivers if the Lions need them.

Joey Harrington still isn't leading the team, after under 100 yards passing and a pick that let the Ravens back into the game.
Nobody really knows who would've won if not for the Ravens' 5 game misconduct penalties and 2 ejections.

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Posted by ripi$money to DSU Gridiron at 10/13/2005 07:54:20 PM

[DSU: Around the Bases] Tigers Lose Pitchers Knotts, Douglass

2005-10-11T18:30:00.000-04:00

The Tigers released pitcher Gary Knotts from their roster. Knotts went 10-14 for the Tigers over two seasons, but was on the injured reserve for the entirety of this past season.
After breaking even with a 5-5 season, Sean Douglass did not clear waivers, and was picked up by the Indians. Douglass made 16 starts and 2 appearances from the bullpen this year for the Tigers.
Five Tigers cleared waivers: pitcher Matt Ginter, pitcher Jason Karnuth, pitcher Doug Creek, pitcher Vick Darensbourg, and infielder Kevin Hooper. The Tigers outrighted them to AAA-Toledo, but all 5 of the players opted for free agency instead, and will leave the Motor City.
Jim Leyland named every one of his coaches, except one. Lloyd McClendon, the former Pittsburgh skipper, will join the likes of Andy Van Slyke , Don Slaught, and Rafael Belliard.
Also on the staff will be ex-Tiger catcher Gene Lamont, who was selected 13th in the amatuer draft of 1965. He played parts of seasons from 1970-1972, and 1974-1975.

Other MLB News

The Angels beat the Yankees in Game 5, moving on to the American League Championship Series against the ChiSox. (Game 1: 8:00 PM tonight on Fox from Chicago)
The Cardinals will face off against the Astros in the NLCS. (Game 1: 8:00 PM Wednesday on Fox in Busch Stadium)

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Posted by ripi$money to DSU: Around the Bases at 10/11/2005 06:29:59 PM

[DSU: Around the Bases] Sox Battle Goes to the Windy City

2005-10-08T00:26:00.000-04:00

As the other divisional series go to four or five games, the White Sox can sit back and watch the games on their, no doubt, huge televisions after completing a sweep of the defending 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox. It was the first time the BoSox were swept since 1995 after losing game 3 at Fenway Park 5-3. After the ChiSox took the lead, the BoSox loaded the bases with nobody out, but failed to score. Manny Ramirez went deep twice in the loss, as Frank Thomas of the White Sox watched from the dugout with fracture of his left navicular that is healing. No matter who wins between the Yankees and Angels, it will be a great ALCS.

Other Series

AL: Yankees trail the Angels 2-1 in the best of five series.

Last Time: Angels 11, Yankees 7 @ Yankee Stadium (WP: S. Shields, LP: A. Small)
What's Next: Game 4 at Yankee Stadium. (Washburn @ Chacon)
Series winner faces White Sox in the ALCS

NL: Cardinals lead Padres 2-0 in the best of five series.

Last Time: Cardinals 6, Padres 2 (WP: M. Mulder, LP: P. Astacio)
What's Next: Cards head to Petco. (Morris @ Williams)

NL: Braves and Astros are tied at 1 game each in the best of five series.

Last Time: Braves 7, Astros 1 in Houston (WP: John Smoltz, LP: Roger Clemens)
What's Next: Jorge Sosa takes the mound for the Braves against Roy Oswalt in Houston.

MLB News

Rich Harden (Oakland A's) had surgery on his non-pitching shoulder. He should be healthy by Spring Training.
Despite a broken rib, Jake Peavy thinks that he could possibly make his start if the Padres go to a fourth game.
The Oakland A's also sacked their manager, Ken Macha, who couldn't agree to terms. Contract expired, and now his 7 years in Oakland are over for now.
Stuart Sternberg took over the Devil Rays, and promptly fired the general manager, Chuck LaMar. LaMar had been with the franchise for its entire history.
The Comeback Players of the Year

AL: Jason Giambi. Hit 32 homers and racked up over 80 RBIs, but still hit only .271 for the Yankees. I still will never respect his steroid infested body.
NL: Ken Griffey Jr. He almost retired because of his injuries, but he stuck around for this year, and posted 35 home runs, and over 90 RBIs for the Reds. Plus, he hit over .300, which is a very good mark for a power hitter. These were the kinds of things we had expected of him all along.

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Posted by ripi$money to DSU: Around the Bases at 10/08/2005 12:26:34 AM

[DSU: Center Court] Lakers Waive Divac

2005-10-08T00:02:00.000-04:00

The LA Lakers waived Vlade Divac. It is likely that he will retire after the Lakers declined his one-year option worth $5.4 million, and as a result will instigate an automatic buyout of $2 million.
The Sonics continue to lock up their current players, as they picked up the 2006/2007 options on the contracts of Luke Ridnour and Nick Collison . Both played in all 82 games last season, as Ridnour averaged 10 points a night as the Sonics' starting point guard.
George Lynch was kicked out of Hornets camp, and it appears that both Lynch and the Hornets would like a trade.
The Knicks and Bulls are good-to-go on their trade, as Eddy Curry has reportedly passed his physical, and that will put him in the Big Apple.

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Posted by ripi$money to DSU: Center Court at 10/08/2005 12:02:01 AM

[DSU: Around the Bases] 2005 Season Wrapup: Tigers Fail to Meet Expectations (Again)

2005-10-07T15:02:00.000-04:00

After a vast improvement, the 2004 Tigers headed into the offseason, and picked up Magglio Ordonez and veteran closer Troy Percival. Things started out well, with an opening day at Comerica Park in which Dmitri Young hit three homers against the evil KC Royals. Maggs went 0-3, and had some discomfort, but no one thought much of it. The Tigers took the series, lost a series against the Tribe, and headed into the Metrodome 3-3, a .500 record. The Metrodome has always been nothing but trouble for the Tigers. They got swept, and lost Magglio Ordonez to a hernia. He had been playing through pain, but finally, they had to operate. Maggs didn't return until late in the season. Next, Troy Percival strained his forearm. He missed a week or two, but was right back into action. He came back too soon, and re-injured the arm, requiring season - and possibly career - ending surgery. That left the Tigers with the same lineup that they had the year before. Throughout the season, Rondell White provided some relief, hitting .300, and he was the only player on the team that was consistent for the entire season. But still, the Tigers couldn't get above the .500 mark. They'd lose a bunch, and then win a few, bringing them within one game of a winning record. Things got even worse, as the White Sox jumped out of the gate and led the majors in wins. The Tigers ended up trading Urbina to the Phillies for Placido Polanco. Urbina had come into the season as the 7th or 8th inning guy, behind Kyle Farnsworth and Troy Percival. Polanco put the Tigers in good shape up the middle, with solid fundimental defense and consistent offensive at-bats that usually resulted in base hits. As Polanco went on a tear, he signed an extension, loving life wearing an Olde English D. Kyle Farnsworth assumed closing duties, and he had a stellar season as well. Posting some of the best numbers of his career, he made any Tigers lead a guaranteed victory, assuming they could hold on until the late 8th inning. Just a few games after a great tackle during the Royals-Tigers brawl, Farnsworth, too, was shipped, this time to the Atlanta Braves. In return, the Tigers got 3 prospects. Only one would make it to the bigs that year, and Roman Colon failed to impress. He could have a future ahead of him, but we've thought of the future enough. It is high-time we started to think about now. More injuries continued to plague the Tigers. The list of names just went on and on. Pudge broke his hand when a foul tip went between his legs, and somehow hit his hand, but he never missed a game because of the injury. Carlos Guillen's surgically repaired knee held up well, but the muscles around it structually weren't strong enough, causing him to miss the last part of the season as he added to its strength. Rondell White had a shoulder issue, and never returned. At the beginning of the season, the Tigers had expected to start (in no particular order): Pudge, Brandon Inge, Carlos Pena, Rondell White, Craig Monroe, Magglio Ordonez, Omar Infante, Carlos Guillen, and Dmitri Young. Instead, for the majority of the season, they ended up with a lineup like this: Pudge, Inge, Shelton (improvement), Craig Monroe, Nook Logan, Random Minor Leaguer, Polanco (improvement), Omar Infante (SS). Sure, injuries aren't any excuse, and all that crap, but the team was completely different by season's end. Chris Shelton came up from Toledo, and tore it up, after Carlos Pena was shipped down after he failed to meet expectations. He did come back, with authority, but by that time, it was too late for the Tigers. They did have the closest point they've been to the playoffs in a long time, with a 49-49 record, just 5 games out of the AL Wild Card. All downhill from there. This is just another season to forget in the tenure of Mike Ilitch's ownership. Final record ended up at 71-91, 28 games behind the White Sox. Sure, they had the best record, but that is still ridiculous. We did, however, manage to come within 22 games of the 2nd place Indians who almost made the playoffs, and we beat the Royals by 15 games. The Tigers couldn't even equal 2004's record (72-90), which helped lead to the firing of Alan Trammell once the season was over. Hits +Chris Shelton can hit, and will be hitting for quite some time +Polanco wanted to stay in Detroit, so he is locked up for several seasons +At one point, Jeremy Bonderman was 11-6, and almost made the All Star team. +Bobby Higginson's $8.5 million salary is no longer on the payroll, as this was his last year under contract. +With the NHL salary cap, Ilitch's wallet is $40 million thicker (minus Higgi salary=$48 million to spend!) +Next season there shouldn't be any Detroit injuries, since we had more than our fair share. Misses -Pudge and Dmitri Young both struggled to get on base this year, with declines in their numbers. -Bonderman went 1-7 in his last 8 starts, and finished just 14-13. -Need a closer, after trading two away (one successfully), and one becoming old and crippled -Everyone good was injured What to Watch For Now that Mike Ilitch has $48 million extra to spend each season from now on, look for the Tigers to hunt the free agent market, again having to overpay to attract people to come. But, if everyone can stay healthy and Jim Leyland takes the team to the next level, look for a possible AL Wild Card race that somehow involves the Tigers. Maybe new faces in the dugout will help the team. Who knows? The next season is really up in the air, but the Tigers could finally jump the hurdle, and win a game in the Metrodome. Kyle Farnsworth also said he "hasn't ruled out" a return to Detroit, but it is very unlikely. After this season, it will be tough for the Tigers to deal Dmitri Young, after he ruined many-an-inning with his "swing at everything" approach. Please, take a pitch or two! Reportedly, Magglio doesn't want to be here, but the odds of the Tigers trading Pudge or Magglio are very low, especially after the high investment they made in each of those players. When both are healthy, it is a lethal one-two punch, as we saw in the few games they played together. After two straight seasons of broken promises, the excitement for the beginning of the 2006 season might not be as high as it was the past two seasons, but there isn't anywhere to go but up. If another losing season ensues, Mike Ilitch could very well sell the team, after all the fan hatred (me included) that he is beginning to receive. Ilitch: destroying Detroit baseball tradition since 1992. Seriously, a move into 2nd or 3rd place in the AL Central is not out of the question. Stay tuned, but the free agent market won't have as many superstars in it as the past two years. 'Till next year. -- Posted by ripi$money to DSU: Around the Bases at 10/07/2005 03:02:18 PM

[DSU Gridiron] Rogers Out With Suspension

2005-10-07T12:44:00.000-04:00

In the days following the aftermath of a game in which the Lions nearly won on two separate occasions in the last minute, the Lions still can't catch a break. Marcus Pollard caught a touchdown, and despite no indisputable video evidence, it was overturned. Another time, just inches separated a foot from landing in bounds, and out. Now, Joey Harrington will have one less receiver to throw to. Charles Rogers was suspended for four games after violating the NFL's drug policy. Rogers has played 3 years, and made just 27 receptions. But, injuries cut his first two seasons short, and now a suspension will put him out of action.

Rogers' statement: "I will make no excuses for what I did, and I accept full responsibility for my actions. I let down a lot of people, mainly myself."

The next game he will be available will be November 6th against the Vikings in Minnesota.

Also in the NFL

Terrell Owens sold his NFC Championship ring from his Superbowl run with the Eagles to benefit the victims of Katrina. Owens' ring ended up selling for $48,200. Experts say that materials in the ring amount to a value of somewhere around $3k. Similar conference rings usually sell for under $15k, but who wouldn't want a piece of NFL history? Who ever said that T.O. had issues?

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Posted by ripi$money to DSU Gridiron at 10/07/2005 12:43:50 PM

[DSU: Center Court] Hunter Could Miss Entire Camp

2005-10-06T18:42:00.000-04:00

Lindsey Hunter played all of last playoffs with a badly sprained left ankle. He underwent arthoscopic surgery on the ankle this week, and could miss all of training camp. There is a possibility that he could return for the end of camp. Hunter (35) and his injury will open the gate for Carlos Arroyo to take a premiere spot in Flip Saunder's rotation. Stay tuned.
Former Piston Rodney White, the overrated draft choice that ended up sucking, signed with the Clippers.
Joe Dumars is trying to negotiate an extension with Tayshaun Prince before the end of this month. If no agreement is reached, Prince will become a restricted free agent after this season. Possible terms could be in the range of 5 years at $10 million a pop.
More extension news: Amare Stoudemire signed a five-year extension with the Suns that is worth $73 million. Stoudemire's contract now has an opt-out option in the 2009/2010 season. The Suns won the most games in the NBA regular season last year (62).
Dwayne Wade signed a multi-year contract with Gatorade, so he can be advertised with colored sweat just like other NBAers such as Kevin Garnett, Vince Carter, and the likes.
After the Bulls insisted that Eddy Curry take a DNA test to look for a heart problem, they shipped him and Antonio Davis to the Knicks in exchange for Tim Thomas, Michael Sweetney, and Jermaine Jackson. Curry said the test would've violated his privacy, while the Bulls argued that there is a possibility of a fatal heart condition.
A former Piston bulldog that helped us win a 2004 NBA Title is headed to division rival Toronto. Mike James was traded by the Rockets to the Raptors in exchange for former streetballer Rafer Alston.
Reggie Evans was re-signed by the Sonics for one year.
Finally, the NBA is proposing a dress code that would force players to dress up (i.e. suits, ties, sports coats, no jeans, etc.) for all team functions. This would include plane rides to and from away games, and public appearances.
Josh Childress: "I understand where they're coming from. We all need to be neat and professional. But to ask us to wear suits everywhere, even at a hotel at 2 a.m. I think that's a bit much... Listen, if they wanted to do this thing gradually I could understand that. Say you want us to wear slacks and a shirt this year, and then next year add jackets and whatever. But to do it all at once is just more than I think is necessary, to just jump up and say wear suits or you get fined is nuts."
I seriously don't care about what the players are wearing. The NHL made changes to its rules, but the NBA is worried about off-court attire. Maybe they should re-examine their priorities.

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Posted by ripi$money to DSU: Center Court at 10/06/2005 06:29:00 PM

Red Wings Open Season with Thrilling Victory

2005-10-06T15:39:00.000-04:00

Finally, the wait is finally over. Last night, everything the NHL wanted happened, as all 30 teams played in the big comeback night. There was more goal scoring, and higher fan attendence than the beginning few days of last season. It truly is a bigger, and better game with the addition of the new rules. Beginning the new reign of the CBA was a great matchup between the Wings and the Blues, which ended up as a 5-1 blowout. The Wings got 37 shots on goal, leaving the Blues wondering whether they could even come close to winning. 17 months after the last games of hockey were played, better than 20,000 fans filled the Joe Louis Arena in a sellout crowd that graciously welcomed back Hockeytown to the city of Detroit. Just hours after firing Alan Trammell and talking about how the Tigers could really start winning (for like the 20th time), another one of Mike Ilitch's teams was in action, as the Red Wings never looked rusty in their return. Pavel Datsyuk, Lang, Schneider, Mikael Samuelsson, and Brett Lebda had goals, leaving no challenge at all for Wings' goaltender Manny Legace, who only faced 14 shots, and stopped all but one. One of the best nights hockey has had for years. Plenty of scoring, action, and old faces in new places, and new faces (Sidney Crosby fits right in). More as the season develops. For now, rematch tonight, Red Wings @ Blues on Fox Sports Detroit (8:00 PM). Watch it and give hockey another chance. It's back.

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Posted by ripi$money to DSU: Blueline at 10/06/2005 03:27:00 PM

2005/2006 Detroit Pistons

2005-10-06T14:00:00.000-04:00

Team Information Founded 1941, Joined NBA in 1948 Team Owner: Bill Davidson General Manager: Joe Dumars Venue: The Palace of Auburn Hills (Auburn Hills, MI) Colors: Red, White, Blue Minor League Affiliate: Fayetteville Patriots Retired Jerseys #2 Chuck Daly (Former Head Coach, won back-to-back NBA Titles) #4 Joe Dumars #11 Isiah Thomas #15 Vinnie Johnson #16 Bob Lanier #21 Dave Bing #40 Bill Laimbeer All Time Leaders Scoring: Isiah Thomas (18,882) Games: Joe Dumars (1018) Rebounds: Bill Laimbeer (9430) Assists: Isiah Thomas (9061) Blocks: Ben Wallace (1116) Steals: Isiah Thomas (1861) Players in bold are still active NBA Championships 1988/1989, 1989/1990, 2003/2004 2005/2006 Schedule

	Opponent	Time*	TV
11/2/05	Philadelphia	8:00pm	WDWB/WB20, ESPN
11/4/05	@ Boston	7:30pm	FSN Detroit
11/5/05	Toronto	7:30pm	WDIV, TSN
11/8/05	@ Sacramento	10:00pm	FSN Detroit, NBATV
11/10/05	@ Phoenix	10:30pm	--
11/11/05	@ Portland	10:30pm	FSN Detroit, ESPN
11/15/05	Boston	7:30pm	FSN Detroit
11/18/05	@ Houston	9:30pm	WDWB/WB20, ESPN
11/19/05	@ Dallas	8:30pm	WDIV
11/23/05	Denver	7:30pm	WDWB/WB20
11/25/05	Washington	8:00pm	FSN Detroit
11/26/05	@ Milwaukee	9:00pm	WDWB/WB20
11/30/05	@ New Jersey	7:30pm	FSN Detroit
12/2/05	New York	8:00pm	WDIV, ESPN
12/3/05	@ Chicago	8:30pm	FSN Detroit, NBATV
12/9/05	@ Golden State	10:30pm	FSN Detroit
12/11/05	@ L.A. Clippers	9:00pm	WDWB/WB20
12/12/05	@ Utah	9:00pm	FSN Detroit
12/14/05	Sacramento	7:30pm	FSN Detroit
12/16/05	Chicago	8:00pm	WDIV
12/17/05	@ Charlotte	7:30pm	FSN Detroit
12/19/05	@ Memphis	8:00pm	FSN Detroit
12/20/05	Portland	7:30pm	WDWB/WB20
12/23/05	Golden State	8:00pm	WDWB/WB20
12/25/05	San Antonio	12:30pm	ABC
12/27/05	Toronto	7:30pm	WDWB/WB20
12/29/05	Miami	8:00pm	TNT
12/31/05	@ Cleveland	1:30pm	FSN Detroit, NBATV
1/3/06	Orlando	7:30pm	FSN Detroit
1/6/06	Seattle	8:00pm	WDWB/WB20
1/7/06	Utah	7:30pm	WDIV
1/10/06	@ New Orleans/Oklahoma City	8:00pm	WDWB/WB20
1/12/06	@ San Antonio	8:00pm	TNT
1/14/06	Charlotte	7:30pm	FSN Detroit
1/16/06	Boston	3:30pm	FSN Detroit , NBATV
1/18/06	@ Atlanta	7:00pm	WDWB/WB20
1/19/06	@ New York	8:00pm	TNT
1/22/06	Houston	6:00pm	FSN Detroit
1/24/06	@ Minnesota	8:00pm	WDWB/WB20
1/25/06	Milwaukee	7:30pm	FSN Detroit
1/27/06	Memphis	8:00pm	FSN Detroit
1/29/06	L.A. Lakers	6:30pm	WDWB/WB20, ESPN
1/31/06	@ New Jersey	7:30pm	FSN Detroit
2/1/06	Minnesota	7:30pm	WDWB/WB20
2/3/06	@ Philadelphia	8:00pm	FSN Detroit, ESPN
2/4/06	@ Indiana	8:00pm	WDIV, NBATV
2/7/06	@ Atlanta	7:00pm	FSN Detroit
2/8/06	L.A. Clippers	7:30pm	WDWB/WB20
2/10/06	@ Orlando	7:00pm	FSN Detroit
2/12/06	@ Miami	3:30pm	ABC
2/14/06	New Jersey	7:30pm	FSN Detroit
2/21/06	Atlanta	7:30pm	FSN Detroit
2/23/06	Indiana	8:00pm	TNT
2/24/06	@ Chicago	8:30pm	WDWB/WB20
2/26/06	Cleveland	12:00pm	ABC
2/27/06	@ Cleveland	7:00pm	WDWB/WB20
3/1/06	@ Denver	9:00pm	WDWB/WB20
3/3/06	@ Seattle	10:30pm	FSN Detroit
3/4/06	@ L.A. Lakers	10:30pm	WDWB/WB20, NBATV
3/8/06	Chicago	7:30pm	FSN Detroit
3/11/06	@ Washington	7:00pm	FSN Detroit
3/12/06	Charlotte	6:00pm	WDWB/WB20
3/15/06	@ Toronto	7:00pm	WDWB/WB20
3/17/06	@ New York	7:30pm	WDWB/WB20, NBATV
3/18/06	@ Charlotte	7:30pm	WDIV
3/20/06	Atlanta	7:30pm	FSN Detroit
3/22/06	Miami	8:00pm	WDWB/WB20, ESPN
3/24/06	@ Indiana	7:00pm	WDWB/WB20
3/26/06	New Jersey	3:30pm	FSN Detroit
3/28/06	Dallas	7:30pm	FSN Detroit, NBATV
3/29/06	@ Philadelphia	7:00pm	FSN Detroit
3/31/06	Milwaukee	8:00pm	WDWB/WB20
4/2/06	Phoenix	1:00pm	ABC
4/2/06	New Orleans/Oklahoma City	7:30pm	FSN Detroit
4/6/06	@ Miami	8:00pm	TNT
4/7/06	@ Orlando	7:00pm	WDWB/WB20
4/9/06	Indiana	1:00pm	ABC
4/12/06	Cleveland	8:00pm	FSN Detroit, ESPN
4/14/06	@ Toronto	7:00pm	FSN Detroit, TSN
4/16/06	New York	6:00pm	WDWB/WB20, NBATV
4/17/06	@ Milwaukee	8:00pm	WDWB/WB20
4/19/06	Washington	7:30pm	FSN Detroit

Schedule via Detroit Pistons Official Website. All games broadcasted on 1130 AM radio coverage. *All times given in Eastern Standard Time. 2005/2006 Roster Sorry, but due to technical difficulties, the roster is not currently available. Coaching Staff Head Coach: Flip Saunders Assistant Coaches: Sid Lowe, Don Zierden, Igor Kokoskov Trainer: Mike Abdenour

Around the Bases: Meet the New Skipper

2005-10-05T18:41:00.000-04:00

The Detroit Tigers found their man less than 24 hours after firing Alan Trammell. Jim Leyland will take the helm for the club starting this season, after signing a contract that covers the next three seasons with the Tigers. Leyland was signed by the Tigers in 1963 as a farmhand, but now, just 42 years later, he is finally up with the big club, and is ready to take a stab at the American League. He hasn't managed for the past six years, and is 60 years old, but maybe a change in faces and styles will spur the Tigers to perform like we haven't seen in over a decade.

Leyland: "There's two kinds of pressure: Good pressure and bad pressure. Good pressure is going to Spring Training with a club that's supposed to win. Bad pressure is when you go into Spring Training with a team that you think might not win. Good pressure is when you've prepared for the test and all of a sudden you're in that situation, pitcher against hitter. Bad pressure is when you haven't prepared yourself right.

"Believe me when I tell you, I hope I have a lot of pressure on me in the near future, because that means you've got a club that's expected to win. I don't want to go into Spring Training without some kind of pressure."

The last club Leyland was with was the Colorado Rockies, and they went just 70-92 that season, similar to the records the Tigers have been in for the past two years. Nowhere to go but up, right?

Tigers Disappointed in Trammell's Departure
As players reacted to Trammell's firing, most said that it was not his fault, and that just the players contributed to the absence of any improvement between 2004 and 2005. In a season plagued with injuries, the Tigers did not meet expectations, and at one point were just 5 games out of the AL Wild Card, but they floundered down the stretch, and by the last week of the season, rumors flew that Trammell was to be fired. And he was, at 1:00 PM Monday at a meeting the day after his final game as a Tigers manager. So long, and good luck.

In other news, Jack McKeon also is finished managing, after his Marlins rallied to win his final game at the helm of the Fish.

Blueline: Wings Open Season Tonight

2005-10-05T18:11:00.000-04:00

Starting in the goal for the Wings will be long-time backup Manny Legace. Finally, he is free from being behind Curtis Joseph and the Dominator as he starts the season this year at the #2 behind Chris Osgood, who will miss the first two weeks of the season with a partially torn groin.
The Wings had finally found a cheap defenseman with game in Niklas Kronwall, but fans will have to wait several weeks before seeing him in action, after he suffered damage to his ACL and MCL in a preseason game.
After it looked like the Wings would have to make a 180 and go in a totally different direction, Pavel Datsyuk did not go to Russia, and instead signed a two-year contract with the Red Wings that will pay him $3.9 million each year. Just 27 years old, he is a good candidate to stay in a red jersey for years to come.
Former Red Wing great Brett Hull will be presented his father's number 9 on October 8th, as the Coyotes un-retire the jersey for Bobby Hull's son. In 18 seasons playing for the NHL, Hull is the active leader with 741 goals.
Couldn't find tickets (or the money) to go to tonight's season opener at the Joe Louis Arena? Catch all the action as the arch-rival St. Louis Blues head into town. 7:30 pm, Fox Sports Net Detroit.

Stay tuned for a post highlighting the NHL's newest rules later this week!

2005/2006 Detroit Red Wings

2005-10-05T15:13:00.000-04:00

Detroit Red Wings
Team Information
Team Owner: Mike Ilitch
General Manager: Ken Holland
Venue: Joe Louis Arena (Detroit)
Colors: Red, White
Minor League Affiliates: Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL), Toledo Storm (ECHL)

All Time Leaders (Points)
1. Gordie Howe - 1809 Points on 786 goals and 1023 assists (1687 games)
2. Steve Yzerman - 1723 Points on 678 goals and 1045 assists (1453 games)
3. Alex Delvecchio - 1281 Points on 456 goals and 825 assists (1549 games)

Stanley Cups
1935/1936, 1936/1937, 1942/1943, 1949/1950, 1951/1952, 1953/1954, 1954/1955, 1996/1997, 1997/1998, 2001/2002

2005/2006 Schedule


10/05/2005	Wed	St. Louis Blues	7:30 p.m.	FSN
10/06/2005	Thu	@ St. Louis Blues	8:00 p.m.	FSN
10/09/2005	Sun	Calgary Flames	4:00 p.m.	FSN
10/10/2005	Mon	Vancouver Canucks	7:30 p.m.	FSN
10/13/2005	Thu	@ Los Angeles Kings	10:30 p.m.	FSN
10/15/2005	Sat	@ Phoenix Coyotes	10:00 p.m.	FSN
10/17/2005	Mon	San Jose Sharks	7:30 p.m.	FSN
10/21/2005	Fri	Anaheim Mighty Ducks	7:30 p.m.	FSN
10/22/2005	Sat	@ Columbus Blue Jackets	7:00 p.m.	FSN
10/24/2005	Mon	@ Columbus Blue Jackets	7:00 p.m.	OLN
10/27/2005	Thu	Chicago Blackhawks	7:30 p.m.	FSN
10/29/2005	Sat	@ Chicago Blackhawks	8:30 p.m.	FSN
11/01/2005	Tue	Chicago Blackhawks	7:00 p.m.	OLN
11/03/2005	Thu	Edmonton Oilers	7:30 p.m.	FSN
11/05/2005	Sat	Phoenix Coyotes	7:30 p.m.	FSN
11/06/2005	Sun	@ St. Louis Blues	7:00 p.m.	FSN
11/09/2005	Wed	Los Angeles Kings	7:30 p.m.	FSN
11/11/2005	Fri	Minnesota Wild	7:30 p.m.	FSN
11/13/2005	Sun	@ Vancouver Canucks	10:00 p.m.	FSN
11/16/2005	Wed	@ Calgary Flames	8:30 p.m.	FSN
11/17/2005	Thu	@ Edmonton Oilers	9:00 p.m.	FSN
11/19/2005	Sat	St. Louis Blues	7:30 p.m.	FSN
11/21/2005	Mon	Nashville Predators	7:30 p.m.	FSN
11/23/2005	Wed	Colorado Avalanche	7:30 p.m.	FSN
11/25/2005	Fri	@ Anaheim Mighty Ducks	4:00 p.m.	WJBK
11/26/2005	Sat	@ San Jose Sharks	10:30 p.m.	WJBK
11/28/2005	Mon	@ Los Angeles Kings	10:30 p.m.	FSN
12/01/2005	Thu	Calgary Flames	7:30 p.m.	FSN
12/04/2005	Sun	NY Islanders	5:00 p.m.	FSN
12/06/2005	Tue	New Jersey Devils	7:30 p.m.	FSN
12/09/2005	Fri	@ Washington Capitals	7:00 p.m.	FSN
12/12/2005	Mon	Pittsburgh Penguins	7:00 p.m.	OLN
12/13/2005	Tue	@ Atlanta Thrashers	7:00 p.m.	FSN
12/15/2005	Thu	@ Florida Panthers	8:00 p.m.	FSN
12/17/2005	Sat	@ Tampa Bay Lightning	7:30 p.m.	WJBK
12/20/2005	Tue	Columbus Blue Jackets	7:30 p.m.	FSN
12/23/2005	Fri	@ Chicago Blackhawks	8:30 p.m.	FSN
12/27/2005	Tue	@ Dallas Stars	8:30 p.m.	FSN
12/31/2005	Sat	Columbus Blue Jackets	7:00 p.m.	FSN
01/03/2006	Tue	Minnesota Wild	7:30 p.m.	TBD
01/05/2006	Thu	St. Louis Blues	7:30 p.m.	FSN
01/06/2006	Fri	@ Nashville Predators	8:00 p.m.	FSN
01/08/2006	Sun	Dallas Stars	5:00 p.m.	FSN
01/10/2006	Tue	@ Carolina Hurricanes	7:00 p.m.	OLN
01/12/2006	Thu	Philadelphia Fliers	7:30 p.m.	FSN
01/14/2006	Sat	NY Rangers	2:00 p.m.	NBC
01/18/2006	Wed	@ Columbus Blue Jackets	7:00 p.m.	FSN
01/21/2006	Sat	@ Colorado Avalanche	2:00 p.m.	NBC
01/23/2006	Mon	@ Nashville Predators	8:00 p.m.	FSN
01/24/2006	Tue	Nashville Predators	7:30 p.m.	FSN
01/26/2006	Thu	Vancouver Canucks	7:30 p.m.	FSN
01/28/2006	Sat	@ Dallas Stars	2:00 p.m.	NBC
01/30/2006	Mon	@ Minnesota Wild	8:00 p.m.	FSN
02/01/2006	Wed	St. Louis Blues	7:30 p.m.	FSN
02/04/2006	Sat	@ Colorado Avalanche	2:00 p.m.	NBC
02/08/2006	Wed	Nashville Predators	7:30 p.m.	FSN
02/09/2006	Thu	@ Nashville Predators	8:00 p.m.	FSN
02/12/2006	Sun	Colorado Avalanche	5:00 p.m.	OLN
02/28/2006	Tue	@ San Jose Sharks	10:30 p.m.	FSN
03/01/2006	Wed	@ Anaheim Mighty Ducks	10:30 p.m.	FSN
03/04/2006	Sat	@ Phoenix Coyotes	9:00 p.m.	FSN
03/07/2006	Tue	Phoenix Coyotes	7:30 p.m.	FSN
03/09/2006	Thu	Los Angeles Kings	7:30 p.m.	FSN
03/11/2006	Sat	Chicago Blackhawks	7:30 p.m.	WJBK
03/12/2006	Sun	@ Chicago Blackhawks	7:00 p.m.	FSN
03/15/2006	Wed	Anaheim Mighty Ducks	7:30 p.m.	FSN
03/18/2006	Sat	@ Edmonton Oilers	10:00 p.m.	FSN
03/19/2006	Sun	@ Vancouver Canucks	10:00 p.m.	FSN
03/21/2006	Tue	Nashville Predators	7:30 p.m.	FSN
03/23/2006	Thu	San Jose Sharks	7:30 p.m.	FSN
03/25/2006	Sat	Columbus Blue Jackets	7:30 p.m.	WJBK
03/27/2006	Mon	@ St. Louis Blues	8:00 p.m.	OLN
03/31/2006	Fri	Chicago Blackhawks	7:00 p.m.	FSN
04/02/2006	Sun	@ Minnesota Wild	3:30 p.m.	FSN
04/03/2006	Mon	@ Calgary Flames	9:00 p.m.	FSN
04/07/2006	Fri	Columbus Blue Jackets	7:30 p.m.	FSN
04/08/2006	Sat	@ Columbus Blue Jackets	7:00 p.m.	FSN
04/11/2006	Tue	Edmonton Oilers	7:30 p.m.	FSN
04/13/2006	Thu	@ Chicago Blackhawks	8:30 p.m.	FSN
04/15/2006	Sat	@ St. Louis Blues	7:00 p.m	FSN
04/17/2006	Mon	Dallas Stars	7:00 p.m.	OLN
04/18/2006	Tue	@ Nashville Predators	8:00 p.m	FSN

Schedule from the Detroit Red Wings' Official Website
*All times given in local Eastern Standard Time

2005/2006 Roster

#	Player		Age	HT	WT
24	Chelios, Chris	Defense	43	6.1	190
11	Cleary, Dan	Left wing	26	6.0	203
13	Datsyuk, Pavel	Center	27	5.11	181
33	Draper, Kris	Center	34	5.10	190
2	Fischer, Jiri	Defense	25	6.5	235
39	Franzen, Johan	Center	25	6.0	207
96	Holmstrom, Tomas	Left wing	32	6.0	210
35	Howard, Jim	Goalie	21	6.1	204
55	Kronwall, Niklas	Defense	24	6.0	195
20	Lang, Robert	Center	34	6.3	217
22	Lebda, Brett	Defense	23	5.10	195
34	Legace, Manny	Goalie	32	5.9	165
5	Lidstrom, Nicklas	Defense	35	6.2	190
3	Lilja, Andreas	Defense	30	6.4	222
18	Maltby, Kirk	Right wing	33	6.0	190
44	Mowers, Mark	Center	31	5.11	190
30	Osgood, Chris	Goalie	32	5.10	178
4	Rivers, Jamie	Defense	30	6.0	190
37	Samuelsson, Mikael	Right wing	28	6.1	205
23	Schneider, Mathieu	Defense	36	6.0	187
14	Shanahan, Brendan	Right wing	36	6.3	220
29	Williams, Jason	Center	25	5.11	185
19	Yzerman, Steve	Center	40	5.11	185
40	Zetterberg, Henrik	Left wing	24	6.0	180

Trammell, Tigers Part Ways

2005-10-03T15:38:00.000-04:00

In a press conference at one o'clock today at Comerica Park, the Tigers announced the firing of manager Alan Trammell. Despite winning a World Series with the Tigers as a player in 1984, he couldn't transfer that success to the club as a manager, particularly this season, when he had the most talent to try to build a winning club. This season's record was even worse than the last, as after Sunday's season ending loss, will stand in the books as 71-91. Last season, before the additions of Magglio Ordonez, Placido Polanco, and the homecoming of Chris Shelton, the Tigers won 72 games. Trammell's overall record with the Tigers ends at 184-302. Usually, the Tigers go out with style, winning their season finale, but this year, they ended their homestand and overall season with a 5 game losing streak. They also had streaks of 8 and 9 losses in September. Late July, the Tigers could've made a run, when they stood at 49-49, just 5 games out of the AL Wild Card. From there on out, the Tigers went 22-42 for the rest of the season.

GM Dave Dombrowski: "You will not find a more dedicated, hard-working and respected individual that cares more about the Tigers and his coaching staff. However, for the Tigers to reach the next level, I feel it is appropriate to make a change at this time."

Trammell has been offered a new position with the club, as a "Special Assistant" to the General Manager.

Look for a season wrapup later this week.

Michigan Knocks off #11 Rival MSU

2005-10-02T18:26:00.000-04:00

It was Michigan State's big opportunity to show that they were for real, and that they would be a force to be reckoned with for some time to come. But they blew it, losing again to Michigan in the annual faceoff, this year going into only one overtime. By no means was it a blowout, but State was ranked #11, while Michigan was unranked for the first time in over 7 years, and Michigan sprung back into action. The win was all because of the return of tailback Michael Hart. He just exploited a weak Michigan State defense, keeping the Wolverines in contention. Then, a Garrett Rivas missed field goal sent the game into overtime, where he redeemed himself by kicking a game-winning field goal in overtime. Michigan State's kicker narrowly missed his attempt in overtime, ensuring a Michigan victory. Micheal Hart ran for 218 yards and a touchdown, more than making up for the absence of Steve Breaston. Michigan improved to 3-2 (1-1), knocking off the undefeated Michigan State (4-1, 1-1). Chad Henne threw all of his 3 touchdown passes in the first half, and overall, gained 282 passing yards, 98 of which were gained via one of Jason Avant's 10 receptions. Final Score: Michigan State 31, Michigan 34 (OT)

Center Court: Pistons Finalize Coaching Staff

2005-10-01T18:26:00.000-04:00

Joining new coach Flip Saunders on the bench will be Ron Harper, who will be returning to NBA arenas for the first time since he retired in the 2001/2002 season. After playing for 16 seasons, Harper won 4 NBA titles, and swiped his 1500th steal against the Pistons in 1998.
The Pacers have changed their jerseys and logos for the new year. I suppose they want to change their image, since most Detroiters still think of Indiana punching fans in the face when you mention the Pacers. Gone from the NBA is Reggie Miller, and so are Pacer pinstripes. Their jerseys will be much cleaner and sleek, to carry them to many 2nd place finished in the Central Division for years to come.
Andray Blatche is in good condition after being shot during a carjacking. The Wizards rookie was selected 49th overall in this year's draft, straight out of high school, and into a two-year contract.
Former Piston Bob Sura will have surgery to try and fix cartilage damage, which is leaving his legs bone-on-bone. Sura has said retirement is not out of the question, but Rockets' officials remain confident for his return to action.
After 14 seasons in the NBA, former Michigan State guard Steve Smith retired yesterday. He had started off last season with the Bobcats, teaching the younger players how the players play, but got dealt to Miami midseason, where he had started his career way back in 1991.
Just weeks after Bobcats rookie Sean May underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee, Michigan State product Alan Anderson had the same procedure. Anderson averaged better than 13 points per game as a senior with the Spartans, and was picked up by Charlotte as an undrafted free agent.
I had been waiting all summer for this to happen. Gerald Wallace was re-signed by the Bobcats to a 3-year deal. He was 9th in the NBA with 1.6 steals per game.
Walter McCarty is now a Clipper. Now we don't have to hear about him when we play the Celtics anymore...
Pleading no contest to a misdemeanor assault charge from the basketbrawl, David Harrison of the Pacers was sentenced to one year of probation.
Mickey Mouse could be a Globetrotter! Now that I've got your attention, Disney bought 80% of the team. Next year will be the Harlem Globetrotter's 80th Anniversary.

Around the Bases: AL Playoff Races Heat Up

2005-09-30T22:50:00.000-04:00

Obviously, the Tigers have to let go of Alan Trammell after this season. Coming into the final series of the season, the Tigers had just 70 wins, two less than last year. If the Tigers go out with a bang and sweep the Twins. But they've already lost tonight, so the best they can do is tie last year's team. Look for our baseball wrap-up, D-Town Style!, coming pretty soon! Although it isn't official, it really wouldn't make sense to keep Trammell around anymore. He did what was expected of him, made us semi-respectable, and now it is time to go another wrung up the ladder, like the Pistons firing Carsile and hiring LB. Hey, monkey see, monkey do...
Lou Piniella will not return to mange the final season on his contract in Tampa. Instead, the team bought out the final year of his contract for $2.2 million. Hey, I wished that when I get fired, they'd give me a cool two mill...
Adding a left-hander to the bullpen were the Red Sox, as they ready themselves for the series that will determine the AL East Champions, and that will, in turn, also determine the AL Wild Card. The BoSox picked up Mike Stanton to face his former team, the Evil Empire, but should the Sox make the postseason, he will not be eligible for action.
Could steroid penalties increase in severity? Players offered to increase the steroid suspensions, from 10 games to 20 for a first time offense, but that falls well short of Bud Selig's plan for 50 games initially, and then 100 games, and finally a ban from MLB.
Dan Haren and the A's restructured, and it will keep the pitcher in Oakland and their crappy stadium for another 4 years. This season, he went 13-12 for Oakland.
BoSox pitcher David Wells will "probably" have surgery this off season, after he acknowledged that he has received three cortisone shots in his right knee.
The Braves will indeed miss Mike Hampton for the entire 2006 season, as he just underwent Tommy John surgery, and will miss the entire '06 Braves Campaign while rehabbing.
Eric Chavez will be checked out after the season to see whether or not he will need surgery on his shoulder.
In that AL East series, the BoSox took game one, and the AL East is all locked up. It's up to the final two games to decide the winner. If not, a tiebreaker will be played...
In: Chicago White Sox (AL Central), LA Angels of Anaheim (AL West), Braves (NL East), Cardinals (NL Central), & Padres (NL West)
Still competing:

AL East: Yankees, Red Sox tied @ 94-66. Cleveland (93-66) is 1/2 game back in the Wild Card (since NY or BOS is in a wild card spot right now). If Cleveland wins, then they will take the lead in the Wild Card, since someone in the east will lose.
NL Wild Card: Houston (87-72) leads Philadelphia (86-74) by 1.5 games

Giridron: Are the Lions Ready for Week 4?

2005-09-30T14:44:00.000-04:00

After the Eagles-Falcons Monday Night Brawl, the NFL has started a neutral zone before games. Teams can only go to the 45 yard line, and the 10 yards in between is neutral. If a player enters the zone, he will be warned, and if he comes back or never leaves, the refs assess their team a 15 yard misconduct penalty when the game starts. Can't we all just be friends?
The Lions thought they were going to have a great season. After losing to Chicago, things looked bad. Now they look worse, as cornerback Fernando Bryant is out for the remainder of the season with a "dislocated left clavicle" (aka collarbone) from when he and Kenoy Kennedy collided hitting a Chicago receiver on a touchdown.
The Eagles' kicker could miss this Sunday's game, as David Akers will try to recover quickly from a torn hamstring.
After never missing a game in his 7-year career, Takeo Spikes will miss the remainder of the season with a torn right achilles.
Chad Pennington's torn right rotator cuff will endanger his entire season, so the Jets brought Vinny Testaverde back. Sure, he's 41, but he has to be better than a certain Detroit QB...
Even with an abdominal strain (sports hernia) so bad that it will require surgery, Donovan McNabb is still listed as probable for this Sunday's game. Not only will he fight through that, but McNabb also has soreness in his chest, and a shin contusioin. Who doesn't want to be an NFL quarterback?
The Jets and Giants have agreed to a joint effort, making their new home to be the first venue in the NFL owned and operated by two teams. The new 80,000 seat stadium is projected to possibly be open by 2009, and the site is near where the current Giants Stadium is, which is one of the NFL's oldest venues.
Patriots' safety Rodney Harrison is on the IR, and out for the rest of the season with torn ligaments in his knee. He is expected to have surgery in 4-6 weeks to repair his ACL, MCL, and PCL.

Around the Bases: Bonderman Done for Season

2005-09-24T11:58:00.000-04:00

The Tigers had a promising outlook coming into this season. All hope is lost now, as they are coming off a devastating sweep by the Royals, baseball's worst team. The bad news just keeps on coming, too. Jeremy Bonderman will miss the remainder of this season with a sore elbow. He had also missed his two previous starts. Bonderman had been on pace to rack up some major victories, but went 1-7 in his last 8 starts. The Tigers currently have 67 victories. At the end of last year, they had 72...
Guess what! Good news for the Tigers. After an entire season of negotiations, they have finally gotten their big draft pick, Cameron Maybin to sign a contract that comes with a signing bonus over $2.5 million. Maybin has also added upper body strength since he was drafted, and since, has run a personal best for the 40-yard dash (6.374).
The Atlanta Braves always have good pitching. Now they'll have a little bit more difficulty, as Mike Hampton will undergo surgery on his elbow, and will not be able to play this coming season, so mark your calendars for his return in 2007.
Brian Roberts of the once-promising Baltimore Orioles will undergo surgery to repair ligament and tendon damage in his elbow. He will miss at least 6 months.
Lou Piniella might not return to Tampa Bay. Rumor has it that he will seek a $2.2 million buyout of his contract at the end of this season. Piniella will not comment until the season is over.
Finally, after going a whole season with 2 crippled knees, it is official: Keith Foulke is out for the season. The Red Sox are expected to use Mike Timlin in the closer's role.

Blueline, 9/24: Datsyuk to Play with Wings After All

2005-09-24T11:52:00.000-04:00

Detroit has offered a contract worth $3.9 million per year for 2 years to Pavel Datsyuk. He has agreed to those terms, according to his agent. Datsyuk had a breakout season in 2003/2004 when he tied for the team lead with 68 points.
Back in Detroit, Chris Osgood is out for 2-3 weeks with a groin injury.
Milan Heduk is expected to miss 4-5 weeks after undergoing knee surgery. In your face, Coloardo.
Concussions have forced Adam Deadmarsh to retire after a 10 year career that included a Stanley Cup and 2 appearances with the US Olympic Hockey Team.

Center Court, 9/23: NBA Finalizes D-League Affiliations

2005-09-23T16:08:00.000-04:00

The NBA Farm system is finally in place. Each team doesn't have a minor league team, but they share one with other teams. The Pistons' team is the Fayetteville Patriots. Here's the list in its entirety:

Albuquerque Thunderbirds: Suns, Kings, Sonics, Jazz
Arkansas Rimrockers: Hawks, Cavs, Grizzlies, Raptors
Austin Toros: Nuggets, Spurs, Clippers, Rockets
Fayetteville Patriots: Pistons, Bobcats, Knicks
Florida Flame: Celtics, Heat, Timberwolves, Magic
Fort Worth Flyers: Mavs, Warriors, Lakers, Blazers
Roanoke Dazzle: Nets, 76ers, Wizards
Tulsa 66ers: Bulls, Pacers, Bucks, Hornets

The rules for designating players for assignment:

The player must have no more than 1 year of service (only freshman and sophmores)
No one player can have more than 3 assignments in a season. No time limit for each assignment.
During the 2005/06 season, no NBA team will have more than 2 players in the minors at the same time.
When on assignment, the player will be on his team's inactive list.

Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest, and Stephen Jackson were sentenced to one year of probation today. All three avoided jail-time for one of America's most violent sports brawls.
The Hornets have found a new home, at least for this season. They will play 35 of their 41 home games in Oklahoma City and 6 in Baton Rouge. Their OC games will be in a 19,000 seat arena, so they still have room for a fan base. Problem is, they didn't have too big a base in the Big Easy to begin with...
The Heat continue to shop around, adding yet another player. This time Gary Payton will suit up for Miami to the tune of one year and $1.1 million.
Sean May, the 2005 Draft's 13th pick, has undergone surgery on his right knee, and will not be ready for action when training camp starts for Charlotte.
The Nets have found a new home in Brooklyn. An 8.3 acre railyard in Brooklyn was sold to the Nets owner for $100 million. Eventually, the Nets will move to New York away from their horrid fanbase in the Meadowlands. They hope to be playing in their Frank Gehry arena by November of 2008.
Vlade Divac has hung it up. He will join the coaching staff of the Lakers as an assistant and scout.
The Heat re-signed Shandon Anderson.
Signed to a long-term contract with Chicago, was restricted free agent Tyson Chandler. The 7'1" center's deal is belived to be 6 years.
Vladimir Radmanovic was signed to a one-year qualifying offer by the Sonics.
Before his Converse contract expired, Dwayne Wade re-upped. His first big shoe release will be the Wade, coming to a shoe store near you in November for $90.

WNBA Season Recap: Monarchs Reign

2005-09-21T19:19:00.000-04:00

The Sacramento Monarchs took the 2005 WNBA Crown on September 20, the first in their franchise's history. Yolanda Griffith was named the Finals MVP, scoring 14 points and snagging 10 rebounds in the clinching game. The Monarchs defeated the Connecticut Sun of the east by a final score of 62-59, winning the 5 game series in four games. In the 1st half, the Monarchs trailed by as many as 11, and had to hold their breaths, but the Sun air balled a trey that would've sent the game into overtime.
Chicago has been awarded a WNBA Franchise: The Chicago Sky. They will play in the UIC Pavilion , just two blocks from Chicago's Shedd Aquarium. It is a good arena for WNBA basketball, and will be easy to sell out, since it holds only 6500 people. They will wear blue and gold eerily similar to the same colors worn by the NBA's Denver Nuggets.

My NFL Fantasy Team ... Still Winless

2005-09-20T18:54:00.000-04:00

Things just aren't going so smoothly. A week after I forgot to check the box next to Tom Brady to start him after acquiring him in a trade (I went in with no QB, that cost me like 23 points), all my picks didn't start out to good. The Lions-Bears game was the one huge mistake that cost me the win. Thomas Jones just plain sucked in Week 1, so I went and claimed Larry Johnson (Priest Holmes' backup) to start, since he had a monster game Week 1. Big mistake. Jones torched the Lions with almost 140 yards, and nearly 7 yards per carry. Also, I didn't start Roy Williams (DET) or Muhsin Muhammad (CHI), both receivers. Hey, you can't laugh at me! It was a Lions-Bears game! I thought the Lions would win like 9-3 with field goals like they usually do. I never expected Chicago to score over 30 points, and I sure didn't expect Marvin Harrison to only catch 3 passes. I also picked up Keyshawn Johnson, figuring that on the Monday night stage with Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells, he would rise to the occasion. Bledsoe did. But Johnson failed to, scoring only 2 fantasy points, with just two receptions for 26 yards, highly dissapointing. My Week 2 Opponent:

Drew Bledsoe (90.2 passer rating, 19 fantasy points)
RB Carnell Williams (18 fp)
RB Willis McGahee (3 fp)
WR Patrick Crayton (0 fp)
WR Chad Johnson (21 fp) (the Bengals need to stop - seriously, this is the second week one of their players has whooped me!)
TE Antonio Gates (8 fp)
PK Lawrence Tynes (12 fp)
Defense - Bills (2 fp, last week, they got me (must have been traded) for 18 fp!)
Total Score: 83

Honestly, I don't think they were all that great... My Team, and my crappy picks:

QB Tom Brady (15 fp) - He really got held in check this week.
RB Larry Johnson (10 fp)
WR Keyshawn Johnson (2 fp) Step it up, big boy!
WR Marvin Harrison (3 fp) What was up with Peyton this week?
WR Donald Driver (18 fp) Not only did he have a good game, his team lost, so the Lions are still tied for first!
TE Tony Gonzalez (4 fp) Why is a kicker outscoring a Pro-Bowl TE?
PK Adam Vinatieri (6 fp)
Defense - Patriots (10 fp) That's more like it!
Total Score: 68

Here is what I could've had:

QB Matt Hasselbeck (22 fp)
RB Thomas Jones (26 fp)
WR Donald Driver (18 fp)
WR Muhsin Muhammad (14 fp)
WR Roy Williams (17 fp)
TE Tony Gonzalez (4 fp)
PK Adam Vinitieri (6 fp)
TMD Patriots (10 fp)
Woulda Coulda Shoulda Fantasy Total: 117

So now I'm still in last. Not quite sure who I'm going to start next week, but I'll have to check out the matchups. Maybe I'll go with 2 RB, since Roy Williams has a bye. This game coming up is a battle of the winless, and they only scored 58 points in Week 2, so unless everyone I pick sucks again, I'll be okay. 'Till next week!

Harrington Disgraces Entire City of Detroit in Loss to Bears

2005-09-19T22:28:00.000-04:00

Everything was going the Lions' way. Their QB stepped it up in the preseason to levels we'd never seen from him before, and they opened the season with a win over the annual division rival Green Bay Packers in a dominating win. Their backup QB broke his leg, but everything was still great. It was a time when I'd never been prouder to be a Detroit Lions fan, at least for the first time in years, and everything just went downhill from there. Jason Hanson has probably scored the most points of any Lion in the last 10 years, but he strained his hamstring in the win, and failed to recover in time to play against the Bears in Soldiers Field on Sunday, ending a streak of consecutive games played (209), that, at the time, was even higher than Brett Favre's. The Lions were completely steamrolled in their loss. Harrington threw 5 interceptions, including one on the opening drive that turned into a Chicago touchdown. Harrington remained sharp, however, and threw a touchdown pass to Roy Williams (who I didn't start on my fantasy team... more on that later). The Lions' replacement kicker was Remy Hamilton out of Michigan. I love their program, but quite frankly, their kickers aren't all that great. His PAT was so low, that even the 300 pound linemen didn't even have to jump to block it. Those 6 points were the end of the scoring for the Lions, as the Bears led by one, and extended the lead into blowout proportions soon after. I will give Harrington credit, however, on one thing: he really only threw 4 picks. Roy Williams ran a bad route in the endzone, which could've been a touchdown, but instead was another Lions' turnover. Mike Williams made a spectacular 44-yard one handed catch, but was assininely accused of offensive pass interference, when in all actuallity, his arm wasn't even in contact with the defender. The Lions never recovered after that. Thomas Jones (also benched on my fantasy team) was just plain bananas, running 20 times for two scores and 139 yards. Marucs Pollard, a go-to-guy target for Harrington in Week 1 was never really thrown to, and suffered a concussion in the 4th. Fernando Bryant has a "severe clavicle injury" and could miss some major time. Lions' Leaders

Tackles

Earl Holmes (12 tackles)
Terrence Holt (8 tackles)
Boss Bailey (7 tackles, 1 assist)

Sacks

Boss Bailey (1)
Shaun Rogers (1)

Passing

Joey Harrington (19/37, 196 yards, 1 TD, 5 INT)
Dan Orlovsky (2/6, 20 yards)

Rushing

Kevin Jones (8 carries, 22 yards)
Paul Smith (2 carries, 11 yards)

Receiving

Roy Williams (5 catches, 96 yards, TD)
Kevin Johnson (6 catches, 32 yards)
Charles Rogers (3 catches, 31 yards)
Marcus Pollard (2 catches, 31 yards)

Kicking

No FG Attempts, Hamilton (0-1 PAT)

Returns

Kickoffs: Eddie Drummond (6 for 159 yards, 26.5 avg.)
Punts: Eddie Drummond (2 for 20 yards)

On a final note, Jeff Garcia is getting his cast taken off, if it's not off already very shortly. X-rays show that his broken fibula is healing nicely, and the sooner we get him back, the sooner we can throw less than 5 interceptions in one game!

Blueline, 9/17: Wings Ink Forward

2005-09-17T23:29:00.000-04:00

Today, the Red Wings announced that they had signed Mike Samuelsson to a one-year contract. He has been playing forward since he was drafted by San Diego in 1998, and since has played for the Rangers, Penguins, and Panthers. In 188 NHL games, he's scored 19 goals and 30 assists.
NHL phenom Sidney Crosby has signed his contract with Pittsburgh. He will remain with the Penguins for at least three seasons, making $850,000 each year. There are, of course, performance incentives that could potentially double his earnings. His first game will be against the New Jersey Devils on October 5th. I'm just going to assume it will be on TV, so mark your calendars.
25 seasons, 1756 games (11 short of Gordie Howe's record), and 1887 points (second only to Wayne Gretzky). Those are the bottom line of the career of long-time Ranger great Mark Messier, who retired after winning 6 Stanley Cups, and appearing in 15 All-Star Games.
Keeping with the theme of retirement, Ron Francis of the Hurricanes has also hung up his jersey. He has played 1731 games, third, behind Messier and Howe; scored 549 goals; and recorded 1249 assists (2nd in NHL history).
Also retiring was Vincent Damphouse. Lost the stats on that one, but they all retired within three days, making it a retirement kind of weekend last week for hockey.
Patrik Elias of the Devils will miss the beginning of this season as he fights hepatitis A. He contracted the virus while playing in Russia during the lockout. He had lost 30 pounds, and had also been hospitalized in the Czech Republic for a month. Hepatitis A affects the liver. Elias is 29.

Around the Bases, 9/16: Percival's Career Might Not be Over

2005-09-17T11:06:00.000-04:00

We'll get to the strange, ugly, and just plain weird news in a bit... Read on!

After finding that his right elbow will not require surgery, Tigers' closer Troy Percival, could begin rehab shortly, and then possibly start to throw in December. Percival only made 26 appearances with the Tigers this season, with 8 saves in 11 opportunities, and an ERA over 5.
Fox Sports released an "All Washed Up Team", and one of our hometown "heroes" is on it! Guess who (Hint: It's my favorite player, and yes, that was sarcastic). It's Bobby Higginson, who has a total of 26 at bats this season, and makes a salary of $8.85 million. Luckily, he got injured, freeing up his roster spot for Curtis Granderson, Nook Logan, and other, younger, and more talented Tigers. Also on the list were Baltimore's Sammy Sosa ($17 million salary, slugging percentage of .376) and Rafael Palmeiro (2 for 26 since returning from his steroid suspension when the article was written.
For a while, it looked like the 2003 Tigers were better than this bunch. Luckily, we've woken up, and are once again competing, after winning Friday night's game against LA Angels of Anaheim, and then losing by 1 in 12 innings last night, leaving the Angels the sole leader of the AL West. During the losing streak, a pissed Tiger fan at CoPa was ejected by the home plate umpire for some profanity directed at the Tigers, who broke a 27-inning scoreless streak in the 9th inning of the game after Brandon Inge got a triple...

Plate Umpire Bill Hohn: "I know the Detroit Tigers are not playing that good right now, but there's no cause for that. With children sitting there, I told one man to knock it off. I turned my back, and that's when he said another cuss word, so I said, 'That's enough.' I got him and another guy. Security was fantastic, getting rid of the people."

Major League Baseball is apparently not content with being America's Pastime, and they are currently checking into venues to play in during the 2007 season. The leading candidate to host a game or two during the '07 regular season is a cricket field in south London. Also possibilities: Rome, Italy; Munich, Germany; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Red Sox outfielder Gabe Kapler tore his Achilles tendon while rounding the bases - on a home run by teammate Tony Graffanino. After a 5 minute delay, a pinch runner finished up rounding the bases.
Barry Bonds has returned. We've seen many different moods from him this season, and about a thousand different possible return dates, but it finally has materialized. Bonds' first game back, he was 1-4 with a double. Last night, however, he hit his first home run of the season, career homer 704 in a Giants 5-4 win over the Dodgers. It came almost exactly one year after the night in which he hit #700 last season.

My Fantasy Team: GB Bobcats Blanked in Week 1

2005-09-13T19:28:00.000-04:00

Yey! This fantasy season so far has just completely sucked! I draft-to-play, but I can't be there for the draft, and didn't know about all the auto-pick options available, so my team ended up not so great. I had Peyton Manning at QB, and Larry Johnson at RB, but I traded them away for Tom Brady and Thomas Jones (I wanted a starting running back, since I figured he'd put up better numbers). Brady did alright. Problem was, I forgot to set him as starting after I acquired him, and I only had 7 players selected, with no QB. I played some Rkl144 team, or something like that, and they scored 82 points on me, good for 2nd most in the conference. I'm in last place for the entire league! Jones didn't post spectacular numbers, and I just applied to re-sign Larry Johnson (has to clear waivers, no problem, I have 1st picks at anybody on the wire), who put up good numbers backing up Priest Holmes. My opponent did have a 1-2 punch like no other: LaDainian Tomlinson and Peyton Manning. Plus, one of his wideouts had a monster game for San Diego. Pretty much, I'm screwed for the rest of the season.

Here were my starters:
RB - Thomas Jones (CHI) 10 Points
WR - Marvin Harrison (IND) 12 Points
WR - Donald Driver (GB, hey, I figured the Lions secondary would suck...) 4 Points
WR - Roy Williams (DET) 1 Point
TE - Tony Gonzalez (KC) 5 Points
K - Adam Vinatieri (NE) 6 Points
Defense - Patriots (NE) 4 Points

I forgot to start a QB (Tom Brady), that would've given me an extra 23 points. I'll never live that one down. I still would've lost though...

My Team: 42 (I could've had 65, if I'd started a QB)
Other Team: 82

Up next, I've got a team that scored 91 points last week! Holy crap. I wonder if I'll be the only team in my league to go winless this year...

Their lineup:
QB Carson Palmer (last week: 20)
RB Willis McGahee (last week: 12)
RB Clinton Portis (last week: 12)
WR Chad Johnson (last week: 10)
WR Rod Smith (last week: 9)
K Lawrence Tynes (last week: 10)
Defense: Bills (last week: 18)

I picked good game players, but this guy knows the formulas to calculate the points, and knew his stuff! A kicker scoring 10 points?!?!? Ridiculous I say. And the Bills defense having 14 more points than my Patriots? I guess the stops that don't show up in the stats won't help me. If I'm lucky, I might get a win or two. Detroit, meet your newest 2003 Lions!

Lions Survive Opener, Lead Division

2005-09-12T15:10:00.000-04:00

If the NFL playoffs started today, guess who would the representative from the NFC North? You guessed it: The Detroit Lions. After the Chicago Bears and the Vikings of Minny bowed to their opponents earlier in the day, the Lions and Packers took center stage in the division when the game kicked off at 4:15 PM at the Home of Superbowl XL, Ford Field. Eventually the Lions had to snap their streak against Green Bay, where they had won only one of the past nine meetings. And they did on Sunday, as the defense held Green Bay without a touchdown. Sure, the Packers made too many mistakes to count, but the Lions capitalized and showed why some experts thought they would rise to top the NFC North. Favre went 27-44, and his counterpart, Joey Harrington went 15-28 for 168 yards & 2 TD (notice the absence of an interception). Not spectacular, but things could've been a lot worse against a team so powerful that the waiting list for their season tickets is over 65,000 people strong. The two additions that had played alongside Peyton Manning were solid, with tight end Marcus Pollard scoring a touchdown, and becoming Harrington's go-to-guy with 5 receptions. Terrence Holt sealed the game when he interecepted Brett Favre's pass in the endzone with 23 seconds to go. Mike Williams only got one catch, but it was a 3 yard touchdown, a great start to his NFL career. Another good sign for the Lions: Charles Rogers escaped a full game without a season-ending injury. Packers 3, Lions 17 Final Lions Leaders

Tackles:

Andre' Goodman (6 tackles, 1 assist)
Fernando Bryant (6 tackles, 1 assist)

Sacks:

Shaun Rogers (1)
Kalimba Edwards (1)
James Hall (1)

Picks:

Kenoy Kennedy (1)
Terrence Holt (1)

Passing:

Harrington (15-28, 167 yards, 2 TD, 95.4 QB Rating)

Rushing:

Kevin Jones (25 carries, 87 yards, longest rush: 7 yards)
Joey Harrington (3 carries, 14 yards, longest rush: 15 yards)

Receiving:

Marcus Pollard (5 catches, 58 yards, TD, long:18)
Kevin Johnson (2 catches, 38 yards, long: 25)
Charles Rogers (1 catch, 31 yards, no injury)
Roy Williams (2 catches, 13 yards)
Mike Williams (1 catch, 3 yard TD)

Kicking:

PK: Jason Hanson (1/1 FG, 2/2 PAT, 5 Points)
Punt: Nick Harris (7 punts, 41.85 avg.)

Returns:

Punt Returns, Eddie Drummond (6 returns, 12 yards)
Kickoff Returns: Eddie Drummond (2 returns, 29 yards, long: 15)

Center Court, 9/12: Jones Probably Last "Big" Signing of Summer

2005-09-12T14:57:00.000-04:00

With the summer winding down, and the Pistons' Season/Home Opener against Philly on November 2nd fast approaching, it looks like all the big free agents have been signed, and the remaining signees could be a little too miniscule to merrit a post on the blog.

Damon Jones is a former Pistons, and most recently, we saw him being defeated by his old team in the 2005 Eastern Finals, but he will follow the trend, and move to Cleveland. He will be paid $16 million over 4 seasons, but he adds what Cleveland lacked: a 3 point shooter. Last season, he made 225 treys with the Heat.
Once upon a time, New Jersey didn't suck too bad (and now they do) ... But they've added Scott Padgett and Lamond Murray, and... They'll still struggle to keep up with Detroit and Miami.

Notable Remaing Free Agents Kevin Willis, Gary Payton, Gerald Wallace*, Tyson Chandler*, Tractor Traylor, Wesley Person, Elden Campbell, Darvin Ham, Ronald Dupree, Kerry Kittles, Christian Laettner, Latrell Sprewell, Walter McCarty, & Mateen Cleaves (only mention for the Flintstones). * Restricted Free Agent No one else is worthy of writing about. Sorry, but that's the truth.

Center Court End of Summer Blowout: Pistons Finalize Deals

2005-09-07T15:18:00.000-04:00

After the Kings failed to match the offer sheet Detroit signed to Maurice Evans, the Pistons finalized the deal with a press conference yesterday. Evans will call Detroit home for the next three seasons.
Dale Davis also was introduced as a Piston at yesterday's press conference. The Pistons' starters all will be returning, but now will have a deeper bench.
Hopefully, the veteran leadership of Evans and Davis will help develop young players like Darko and, more specifically, Tayshuan Prince. The Pistons are currently working on an extension for Tay. Yey!
The Finley Sweepstakes Winners: The San Antonio Spurs. Finley wanted to go somewhere that would have a good shot at the title. The Pistons got fed up with waiting, so they added some depth to the bench, and the Heat, despite being able to offer him a starting spot, were both unsuccessful in trying to woo Finley. Finley should receive about $2.5 million in salary this season, but it will probably increase later.
The Spurs also locked up Nick van Exel. Nick the Quick is 33 years old, and last season posted some of the lowest stats in his career with the Jailblazers.
Not that anybody cares, but the Hawks re-signed Tyronn Lue.
The Nets had hoped to add some help in the paint, but did not sign Robert Traylor after he failed a physical.
Good old Chris Webber had to pay a $100 grand fine, the maximum possible, after his crime was deemed a misdemeanor, not a felony.
Former Piston loser Mikki Moore signed with the Sonics. I don't know about you, but I expect him to be a healthy scratch just about every day...
Yao Ming won't be leaving T-Mac behind any time soon. The Rockets locked him up through the 2010/2011 season, which is way to far in the future for me to even guess what anything on this Earth will be like.
After Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans, the Hornets have set up shop in Houston. The NBA will determine where games will be played, presumably close to the Big Easy.

NFL Summer Wrapup: Garcia Breaks Leg, Herrion Update, & More!

2005-09-06T17:28:00.000-04:00

Yey! I got lazy, so I'm going to catch up on a lot here. If you don't like reading, then read on, because you probably were too lazy to read about all the stuff that went on in the papers.

The Lions won their last preseason game! Not only that, but Jeff Garcia broke his leg! (That wasn't a happy exclamation on the latter.) The Lions had signed the veteran QB to reunite him with Mooch, and give Mr. Harrington a little competition. And no doubt that Joey stepped up his game for once, but should he falter during the first 8 weeks of the season, Garcia won't be there to break his fall. A broken left fibula will sideline him for 6-8 weeks, along with a severely sprained left ankle (both from the same play). Dan Orlovsky, the third stringer, has been thrust into the backup position, and should something go horribly wrong, Kevin Johnson (WR) is the worst-case-scenario QB.
The Lions did wrap up the preseason, and will open the season against the division-rival Packers, who will head on over to Ford Field on September 11 at 4:15 PM. Don't miss it!
Finally, a word on Thomas Herrion has arrived. He passed away shortly after an earlier 49ers preseason game after collapsing in the locker room. No drugs were in his system, with the exception of those administered to him during attempts to revive him. Heart disease was the official cause of death. Herrion's right coronary artery was blocked, which caused the death of his heart muscle.
The Pack was able to rework a deal with Bubba Franks after he held out and refused to sign a one-year deal worth around $2 million. Franks will instead make $28 million over the course of the next 7 seasons.
The Broncos released Maurice Clarett. No comment.
Jerome Bettis will miss the season-opener for the Steelers because of a bum leg.
Peerless Price no longer will call Atlanta home, after the team released its former #1 wideout.
Another big player was released. Former #4 pick Peter Warrick was released by the Bengals.
Peyton Manning has a new teammate. Corey Simon, former Eagles defensive tackle, will head to Indy to try and record more sacks after the Eagles removed the franchise tag from him, and sent him into free agency.
More former Eagle news. Freddie Mitchell, the loud-mouthed wideout, was released by the Chiefs because of concerns for his knee.
After the devestation caused by Hurricane Katrina, the Saints know there is no possible way they will play any games in New Orleans this season. No doubt, the field in the Superdome is ruined, and the stench of human waste may haunt the building for the rest of its life, a haunting reminder to the terrible tradegy that has struck the Big Easy. It is possible the Saints will play their games in San Antonio, which is where they are practicing right now. The NFL has moved their home game against the Giants to a Monday Night game in Giants Stadium. The owner of the team would love to see his team play in Baton Rouge this year in Tiger Stadium (on the LSU campus, not in the D).

Blueline, End of Summer: Datsyuk Leaves Detroit

2005-09-06T17:20:00.000-04:00

The Red Wings had a future. They had young players like Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk to blaze a trail into the new CBA and the coming season. But Datsyuk has officially left, signing a contract to play in the Russian Super League. His team is called the Avangard Omsks, and his contract is for one season. But, it does contain a clause that would allow him to opt-out and play for his current NHL home. The Wings had offered him between $3 & 4 million to stay, and right now, have roughly seven million dollars remaining before they reach the cap. This could be double-trouble for Detroit, as it was rumored that Henrik Zetterberg was waiting for Pavel to sign.

Red Wings' GM Ken Holland on this past Thursday: "We're nowhere near a deal with either player. We've made a number of offers and they've made offers, but we still have a long way to go to reach deals. From a club's perspective, if a player doesn't reach your projections in terms of performance, it really will have a negative impact on your ability to compete in the future So, we have to be careful. From a player's perspective, they're looking for the best deal they can get because you can't renegotiate under the terms of the new CBA."

This could be the end of an era for Detroit hockey. The Wings still hope to sign four or five players with their $7 million. With a payroll that was halved by a salary cap, one must wonder how the 2005/2006 season will work out for the boys in red.

Center Court, 8/26: Pistons Seeking Help for Prince

2005-08-27T00:38:00.000-04:00

Looking for a backup to Tayshaun Prince (aka a small forward), the Pistons signed Maurice Evans to an offer sheet. Since he's a restricted free agent, the Kings had 7 days to match the offer to keep him, or the Pistons will have a veteran backup to Tay. Wow, a forward on the bench. That's a new one, considering we haven't had one for over a season now. During the three playoff games he played with Sacramento, he scored an average of 6 points, snagged 2.3 boards, and dished out 1 in a little under 19 minutes. The Pistons will be through the waiting period for the Kings' opportunity to match the offer (which is unlikely), which is a multi-year deal believed to be around the alley of $1.5 million per season.
Division rival Chicago will see the return of Othella Harrington to the team. In his history with the Bulls, he has averaged 8 points and just over 4 rebounds.
John Paxson: "Othella was a valuable contributor in many different ways last season. Having him back will add to the continuity of the team and further facilitate the development of our young big players."
The Sonics re-signed two players, as Vitaly Potapenko returns to Seattle. He missed the first 6 weeks of last season with a fractured right hand. Also returning to play for the Supersonics is guard Damien Wilkins, when Seattle matched an offer sheet from Minnesota.
The Pacers will get a second round pick in the 2008 draft from the Suns in return for trading restricted free agent James Jones to the desert.
After winning an NBA-best 62 games with the Suns, head coach Mike D'Antoni has been signed to a two-year extension. He will remain the head coach of Steve Nash & co. through the 2008/09 season, assuming he doesn't slip up and find a pink slip on his desk.
If you're in Finland on November 6th, you should probably go see Dennis Rodman play. He will play in a 9,000 seat arena in Helsinki for Torpan Pojat (ToPo) against Honka (most likely). The Worm really went to the nut house after starring with the Pistons, and then playing alongside MJ (not Michael Jackson) in Chicago.

Around the Bases, 8/25/05: White's Season Over

2005-08-26T13:46:00.000-04:00

This has been a terrible season for the Tigers. They've put together a decent team, but rarely get an opportunity to use all of their talent in one game. With Guillen out, and Pudge with a hip flexor that may have finally healed, the Tigers lost their only consistent player this season. Rondell White has a torn rotator cuff, not a dislocated left shoulder. He really has been the only consistent Tiger since the start of the season, and has an average that never has been lower than .299.
White: "They said it sometimes takes 5-6 months of rehab, but it's not my throwing arm, so it might be faster for me. Some people heal faster than others, too."
Sure, he'd pitched out of the bullpen and had an easy opponent in Kansas City, but Curt Schilling's return to the Red Sox rotation was anything but stellar as he allowed 6 runs in his 5 innings of work in a loss to KC.
The Mets took a blow when they learned that Mike Cameron will miss the rest of the season recovering from his awful collision with Carlos Beltran.
Also out for the remainder of the season, Cardinals' third basemen Scott Rolen. He has a torn labrum in his left shoulder, and will need six months of rehab after the surgery.

Steroids in Hockey?

2005-08-26T00:21:00.000-04:00

We've all heard about steroids. Some believe they are not used as widely because of stricter testing, and threats of suspensions. But many people believe the majority of athletes use them, which I believe is wrong, or we'd see more health problems. Although these "performance enhancing drugs" are usually associated with baseball or football, it appears they've made their rounds in hockey after a member of the Buffalo Sabres admitted to using them to make the team just two years ago (one season ago). Defenseman Andrew Peters says he used the supplement androstenedione to help him make the squad. At the time, this was not against the rules in the NHL, and he stopped usage after the FDA banned its sale (April 2004) according to his agent. This is the same steroid that was used by Mark McGwire and has since been banned by Major League Baseball.

Peters on steroids: "No one said you can't, so why not? We didn't do anything illegal. It was a supplement. We weren't hiding anything. I had nothing to hide. My girlfriend at the time knew. My parents knew... At the time, I thought it was totally harmless, so I would've recommended it to anybody. Now I wouldn't recommend it. For two summers now, I haven't taken it."

It appears he is telling the truth, coming clean for past usage, but he's stopped. And he makes a valid point. If no one tells you that you can't, and it looked like it would've helped, why not use a perfectly legal (by the book, anyways) supplement to improve your game? But after the huge tirades of media on the "scandal", most of which has never been proven, athletes who admit to usage deserve our respect, because the only way we will ever really know who uses/used and who doesn't is if they come clean. Whenever a player is able to confront the certain negative consequences he is about to endure and come clean with it, that is a huge step forward, and this is regarded as the first NHL player to ever admit to using performance enhancing drugs. That season, he gained 20 pounds, and finished with a team high in penalty minutes (151). The supplement he used is converted into testosterone inside the body.

Blueline, 8/25: Wings Add Lilja

2005-08-26T00:06:00.000-04:00

The Wings were able to secure a blueline addition, when they signed defenseman Andreas Lilja for one year. At 6'3" and 228, Lilja posted career bests in '02/03 with 4 goals, 11 assists in 73 games with the Kings and Panthers.
Don MacLean signed a one year deal with Detroit as a center. He has played three games with Columbus (one against the Wings) with a +/- rating of -1.
A two-year contract was accepted by returning Red Wing center Matt Ellis.
Goaltender Jimmy Howard signed a three year contract with the Red Wings after being selected 64th overall in the '03 draft. He starred at Maine, where he allowed under 2 GPG in 3 seasons.
Sure, he didn't leave by his own will, but isn't it great when former players end up in trouble? Darren McCarty (now with Calgary) is being sued for $1.52 million by Huntington National Bank for an unpaid business loan, that had it's deadline for repayment extended several times. We wish him the best.
The defending Stanley Cup Champions got a boost when their leader, Martin St. Louis re-signed with the team for the long haul. St. Louis inked his name onto a contract that spans six seasons and covers $31.5 million in salary.
Peter Olvecky, the young wing from Minnesota, signed a rookie contract with the team. He had been selected in the third round of the 2004 draft.
Andrei Markov signed a two-year agreement with the Montreal Canadiens, where he will play his 5th season at defense for the club.
One year, and $3.2 million. Those are the figures on the new contract for Roberto Luongo of Florida awarded to him by an arbitrator after he rejected a five-year offer that would've paid him $5 mill each season.

Gridiron, 8/23: Moss Says "I Have Used Marijuana"

2005-08-24T09:59:00.000-04:00

Now Oakland Raider Randy Moss has admitted to maijuana use before in his previous seven NFL seasons, and says that he still uses it... "I might. I might have fun. And, you know, hopefully ... I won't get into any trouble by the NFL by saying that, you know. I have had fun throughout my years and, you know, predominantly in the offseason.
Moss when asked if he still smoked pot: "I might. I might have fun. And, you know, hopefully ... I won't get into any trouble by the NFL by saying that, you know. I have had fun throughout my years and, you know, predominantly in the offseason. But, you know, I don't want any kids, you know, watching this taking a lesson from me as far as 'Well, Randy Moss used it so I'm going to use it.' I don't want that to get across. Like I say ... I have used [marijuana] in the past. And every blue moon or every once in a while I might."
After ending his holdout, and then signing a six year deal with the Chargers, TE Antonio Gates still will have to miss the season opener as a team punishment handed to him for trying to holdout. Gates had been told the team would not negotiate unless he reported.
Colin Branch, the safety from the Carolina Panthers, will miss the entire 2005/2006 NFL season because of a torn ACL and MCL in his knee, both sustained during a preseason loss to the NY Giants.
The SF 49ers no longer will start their top pick, as veteran Tim Rattay has won the starting job. Smith went only 5-16, while Rattay got the team into the endzone 3 separate times, and went 13-19 tossing the ball.
After Thomas Herrion collapsed and passed away shortly after a 49ers preseason game in Denver, the autopsy still yielded no clues as to what may have caused the sudden incident.Toxicology test results should arrive in 3-6 weeks, but the NY Times is reporting that the Herrion family has a history of heart problems.

Blueline, 8/23: Heatley, Hossa, Leclerc All Dealt

2005-08-24T00:18:00.000-04:00

Marian Hossa inked a deal with the Senators today to the tune of $18 million over 3 seasons. Just hours after signing, Hossa was sent to Atlanta along with defenseman Greg de Vries in exchange for 24-year-old Dany Heatley. Hossa had scored 36 goals, with over 40 assists with the Sens in the past season, while Heatley tallied 41 goals and 48 assists in the '02/03 campaign. Last season, injuries from a fatal car accident that killed teammate Dan Snyder kept him out of the lineup for all but 28 games.
Teemu Selanne will return to play for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, for one year and just a million dollars. In his 12 NHL seasons, he has averaged 37 goals a year.
In another move for Anaheim, left winger Mike Leclerc was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for a conditional pick in the 2007 NHL Draft. Since being drafted in the third round by Anaheim in 1995, Leclerc has scored 54 goals and racked up 78 assists (298 games) for his former club. He only played 10 games last season, as he recovered from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

Center Court, 8/22: Sprewell to Rockets?

2005-08-23T00:03:00.000-04:00

Latrell Sprewell had reportedly narrowed his choices between Houston and Detroit, but seeing as the Pistons have agreed to terms with Dale Davis, unless they get to work trading, or releasing players, they don't have the roster space, so it seems Spree will join Yao, T-Mac, and Houston's other newest free agent pickup (below).
Derek Anderson, one of the amnesty releases, signed with Houston for two seasons, where he will join Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, and, possibly Latrell Sprewell, as the Rockets are quietly putting together a quality offseason.
Reduced from 6 years to 4, was Antoine Walker's contract with the Heat after they expressed concerns over his knee (or maybe they think his attitude from the end of the season will disappear, and he will return to the team-killer of old...)
Finally, the Hawks managed to settle their little governor dispute, but not before going to court, and having David Stern add his two-cents. Joe Johnson will head to Hotlanta in a sign-'n-trade with Phoenix, which rids the Hawks of Boris Diaw and two conditional 1st round draft choices. Was Johnson worth all of this commotion? Not to me, he's solid, but not the "most talented free agent acquisition since Dikembe Mutombo." That would be Al Harrington, even though he was traded (I believe).
Aaron McKie signed with the Lakers for $5 million over two years, which fills the gap for point guard, so the LA Bryants can rest in piece, as the free agent market is beginning to deplete itself of guards.
The Nets signed Robert (Tractor) Traylor, he just has to pass a physical, which, apparently, is difficult in New Jersey, since he's pretty big. Remember that Mr. Rahim can tell you all about trying to pass a physical for the Nets...
Eddie Griffin re-signed with Minnesota, but now that they didn't even make the playoffs, who cares? Somebody must, or I wouldn't have reported it. Perhaps the bigger news is that KG is retaining a teammate.

That's a wrap as far as news goes. As for Michael Finley, he did meet with the Heat today, and they have already put posters of him in a Heat uniform next to their arena, so I think it would be hilarious if he went to Denver, where he would most definitely start, but he'll probably start at forward with Miami, just not at guard. This reminds me of the Lakers (I think) who once filled the rafters with balloons and were prepared to celebrate prematurely and had instructions for the fans and everything. They were defeated, and all the balloons were for nothing. I seriously would laugh my ass off if Finley went anywhere but Miami. For added bench depth for the Pistons, things aren't looking too good. They've beefed up their front line with Maxiell and Davis, but unless one of their late 2nd round picks step it up, Carlos Arroyo and Lindsey Hunter will have a lot on their hands. Or we could play Rip 3936 minutes (all 48 minutes for all 82 games). He is really fast, and never tires...

Dale Davis to Ink Deal With Pistons

2005-08-22T23:35:00.000-04:00

The Detroit News is reporting that foward Dale Davis has agreed to a two-year contract with our Pistons in principle. Davis is expected to put his John Hancock on the deal sometime tomorrow, when it will become official. Davis had been waiting for a decision from Michael Finley to decide whether to play in Cleveland with Z and LeBron or head to Detroit. He will take the place of veteran Eldon Campbell and backup Rasheed and Ben Wallace. If Davis signs, the Pistons will not have an open roster spot for Finley, which means that Finley is about a 99.9% shoe-in for conference rival Miami, who have already made tons of moves this offseason, trading Eddie Jones, acquiring Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, and now (probably) Michael Finley. Davis is 6'11" tall, and weights 252 pounds, which is 10 pounds heavier than Ben Wallace (20 more than Sheed), but still not as much as incoming rookie Jason Maxiell (260), but it is likely that from the bench, Davis will be the most effective Shaq-stopper on the team.

Blueline, 8/9-21: Wings Add Delmore

2005-08-21T12:42:00.000-04:00

Things have slowed a little bit in the NHL as teams have begun to finalize their rosters. Pretty quick, the preseason will have started, and then we can finally return to hockey.

Defenseman Andy Delmore will play for the Red Wings for at least one-year as he inked a deal that brought him away from Buffalo. He will add to the power play, but usually doesn't do too much scoring from an offensive standpoint.
Darryl Bootland re-signed with Detroit to a one year contract. Bootland played 22 games in the '03/04 season as a rookie, scoring one goal, one assist, and over 70 penalty minutes.
Also re-signed for a year, Jason Williams, who probably will receive much more playing time now that the salary cap has kept the Wings from signing every available star in the market with a phat contract.
NY Islanders resigned Mike York and Trent Hunter to avoid arbitration.
John LeClair was released by the Flyers to clear salary cap space, but now, he will play in a Pittsburgh uniform alongside Ziggy Palfy and Sidney Crosby.
Former Red Wings' goaltender Curtis Joseph has headed to Phoenix, where he will play net under new coach Wayne Gretzy. Cujo is 9th all-time in the NHL's list for wins, and is 38 years old.
The Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning resigned their leader, Vincent Lecavalier to a four year contract that is worth around $27.5 million. Lecavalier was the #1 overall pick in the 1998 NHL draft.
Brenden Morrow can continue to be hated by Detroit fans everywhere, as he re-signed with the evil Dallas Stars, to a two-year contract.

Around the Bases, 8/18: Bonds Saga Continues...

2005-08-19T12:17:00.000-04:00

Carlos Beltran will not have surgery on the small facial fracture he received as a result of his collision with Mike Cameron. Instead he will try to wear a protective device, like a mask, which means that Beltran will not miss the extra two weeks he would've had he decided to have surgery.
Also pondering surgery was Scott Rolen, but he has decided for it. His left shoulder will require surgery for a torn labrum, which can be a career ending injury for pitchers. Rolen is expected to miss six months.
White Sox center fielder Scott Podsednik has 11 days left (minimum) on his stay on the DL for a strained muscle in his left leg. So far without him, the White Sox are 0-3.
Barry Bonds' website is reporting that his rehab is going a lot better, and there's a possibility that he could return for SF this year. The news came as a surprise to the Giants organization (considering, but nothing really surprises them any more) because even they have to look on Barry's site to hear the latest news.

Bonds on his knee: "Two weeks ago things didn't look too promising, but the past 10 days my rehab has taken a turn for the better. My strength and endurance have increased and my knee is feeling much better. I have been playing catch and in the next few weeks I hope to be in the cage doing some hitting. There is a good possibility that I could be back in September with the team, but, if not, I will definitely be in the 2006 lineup."

Center Court, 8/18: Finley to Detroit?

2005-08-19T00:54:00.000-04:00

After Brian Grant was let go by the Lakers for his high salary coupled with low production, the Phoenix Suns snatched him up for just $1.67 million, but he is still being paid around $30 mill by the Lakers over the next two years (doesn't count towards salary cap). Grant can now play among the likes of Steve Nash and Amare Stoudamire.
The Pistons' opening night opponent, the Philly 76ers, lost Willie Green for 6-9 months after he had successful surgery on his left knee this past Tuesday. Green is currently a restricted free agent.
Doug Christie's agent is reporting that Christie will sign a contract with the Mavs, after he was waived by Orlando for the amnesty exception. As of tonight, details of the contract are unknown.
Alonzo Mourning, 35, will return for at least one more year, continuing his stay in Miami with Shaq and new Heat players Jason Williams & Antoine Walker. The 2005/2006 campaign will be Zo's 15th season in the Association.
After Michael Finley was waived for the amnesty clause by the Mavs, there were a few teams in the hunt to sign the biggest of the players released in the one-time exception. Although, it looks like Detroit and Miami, the two teams that squared off in this year's Eastern Finals, are the most likely candidates. Finley has been coached by Stan Van Gundy before, at Wisconsin University, and to me, I think he'd rather hang with Dwayne Wade, Shaq, 'Toine Walker, and Jason Williams. But Detroit could offer him more playing time, and that's a plus for Finley. Should Miami (or another team) get Finley, the Pistons will most likely pursue Latrell Sprewell.

Gridiron: TO Returns to Practice, 8/18/05

2005-08-18T14:07:00.000-04:00

After the Philadelphia Eagles wrote Terrell Owens a letter addressing behavioral issues, TO arrived back from his week suspension and practiced with the team. This is starting to turn into one of the biggest jokes among the sports community, and anyone drafting fantasy would probably let him slide by (unless you find him available late in the draft)
Jerry Rice has found a spot on the Broncos depth chart: #3. Here we go, he enters his 21st season in the NFL with Denver. Wow.
Tennessee finally signed their top pick, Adam Jones (Pacman), ending his holdout. But relax, he only missed 20 days of training camp. Sheesh. I'll go and play for like a quarter of that money, and I would holdout either. Anyways, the contract is 5 years and around $13 million in guaranteed money.
The Steelers saw a holdout end, as Hines Ward returned to camp, hoping that maybe Pittsburgh will negotiate with him now that he is with the team and fork over s'more moolah.
The Dolphins signed no. 2 pick Ronnie Brown to a five year contract. No comment.

That's a wrap. Besides that the Lions are screwed once again... Schlesinger is out for 6-8 weeks with his broken shin, and Fernando Bryant left practice the other day after he was kicked in the shin (uncertain for Saturday's game). New Lions' signee RW McQuarters will take his place should he be unable to play...

World Champs Bow to Tigers

2005-08-18T13:52:00.000-04:00

Other than the fact that the Tigers did win two of their three games against Boston in Comerica Park over the past three days, nothing could've been much worse. Rondell White's separated shoulder left him on the DL, replaced by Curtis Granderson. Carlos Guillen was placed on the 15 day DL before Wednesday's matinee, and Carlos Pena made his return to the big leagues, but did not play. Omar Infante's sore throwing shoulder left him with throws that were less accurate and lacked the zip of his other throws. And Pudge's hip flexors made it difficult for him to squat or run, leaving him out of the lineup for all three games against the defending world champions. Game 1 Starting for the Tigers was Sean Douglass, who had been the Tigers' secret pitching weapon, flying right under the radar. But against the best offense in the AL, Douglass struggled, allowing five runs in his four innings of work. Perhaps the biggest story of the game for Detroit was Roman Colon, who gave us our first extended look at his stuff. Although he wasn't overpowering, he got the job done, allowing just three hits in four innings (one was a solo homer from David Ortiz). The Tigers trailed 6-3 heading into the 8th. Inge got a single, and advanced to second on Omar Infante's groundout. Infante didn't initially run on the play, thinking it was foul. This resulted in John McDonald coming out to replace him for defense (and offense) in the 9th. Vance Wilson drove Inge home with an RBI single up the middle. In the 9th, the BoSox sent in Curt Schilling to close it out with a two-run lead. The Tigers went to work, right away. Placido Polanco led off with a single, and then Chris Shelton popped out. Dmitri Young showed why he is still in the lineup by lacing a tripe to deep left-center field, scoring one run, and placing himself in order to tie the game, just 90 feet away from home. Nook Logan came on to pinch-run, and Magglio drove him home with a single. Craig Monroe got a base on balls, moving the winning run into scoring position. John McDonald, Omar Infante's late replacement, promptly took an 0-2 splitter up in the zone, and drove it past Manny Ramirez, scoring the winning run. Red Sox 6, Tigers 7.

WP - Jamie Walker (4-3) | LP - Curt Schilling (4-5) | BS - Schilling (2)

Game 2 Nate Robertson looked to get his second win at Comerica Park this season, as he took the mound for the Tigers. He pitched a gem of a game, going through 8 innings, using just 90 pitches. He managed to hold the explosive offense of Boston to just two hits and two earned runs. Fernando Rodney came on for the save, but Big Pappi drilled a low-and-inside pitch to right field for a solo homer to tie the game. What followed was an amazing display of offense, from both teams. The Tigers were unable to score in the bottom of the ninth (the BoSox didn't put in Schilling) and Boston began going off in the 10th. Craig Dingman, Jamie Walker, and then Franklyn German combined to allow 7 earned runs on as many hits, as David Ortiz and Jason Varitek both went yard. The Tigers faced an almost insurmountable 7-run deficit, but didn't give up. Mike Remlinger walked two batters with two outs, and the Tigers' leader in RBIs stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded. Craig Monroe hit a Grand Slam into the bullpens in right field, bringing the Tigers within 3, but that was as close as they would get. An 11-run 10th inning powered the Red Sox to victory.

WP - Chad Bradford (2-0) | LP - Craig Dingman (1-2) | BS - Rodney (4)

Game 3 turned out to be the deciding game, and during a daygame that was on ESPN nationwide, the Tigers showed why it was just an accident Boston had put up so much offense on their bullpen the night before. David Wells and Jeremy Bonderman started, making it a great pitching matchup, the rising young star against the seasoned veteran. Wells had been 3-0 at with an ERA under 2 at Comerica Park, but the Tigers quickly put an end to that as they notched 5 runs in the first inning, including a bunt on a squeeze play by John McDonald that turned into a single. Six consecutive hits greeted Wells, all of them singles, except for 2-RBI double by Craig Monroe, which gave him 6 RBIs in his last 2 innings of play (GS in 10th day before, double Wednesday). Wells managed to keep the Tigers off the board for the rest of the game, with the exception of an opposite-field solo blast from Chris Shelton. The Red Sox were never out, as they lurked within striking distance for the entire game, but never managed to take the lead. Fernando Rodney came on for his 5th save opportunity in 4 days, and completed the effort, giving the Tigers a refreshing series win.

WP - Jeremy Bonderman (14-9) | LP - David Wells (9-6) | S - Fernando Rodney (5) Holds: Darensbourg (1), Dingman (2)

After the Tigers' series win against the World Champions, Detroit stays at home to battle Toronto in a weekend series that ends with a Troy Percival (retirement) bobblehead giveaway on Sunday. Craig Monroe now leads the team with 75 RBIs, with Dmitri Young coming in second with 58. The Tigers' record improves to 57-62 (47.9%), 6.5 games behind the second place Indians and 17.5 games behind the MLB leading White Sox. Good for 4th in the AL Central, only ahead of KC (38-81, 31.9%). Up Next The Blue Jays, who come to Comerica Park third in the AL East, behind Boston and those damn Yankees. Game 1 - Comerica Park Friday, August 19 at 7:05 PM RHP Dave Bush (2-6, 4.59 ERA) @ LHP Mike Maroth (10-11, 4.61 ERA) Game 2 - CoPa Saturday, 8/20 at 7:05 PM RHP Dustin McGowan (1-0, 5.95 ERA) @ RHP Jason Johnson (7-9, 4.24 ERA) Game 3 - CoPa Sunday, 8/21 (First 10,000 Fans Get a Troy Percival Bobblehead) at 1:05 PM LHP Gustavo Chacin (11-6, 3.44 ERA) @ RHP Sean Douglass (4-2, 4.65 ERA)

Fantasy Football

2005-08-16T15:42:00.000-04:00

I have just signed up for a free (three cheers for cheapskates!) fantasy football league with AOL. This is my first experience with this sort of thing, and the draft is tomorrow at 4 pm. So I figure that if I can do better than Matt Millen, I'll be okay. My team is the GB Bobcats and I'm ready for this draft! I've read all the fantasy stuff, and I haven't learned a thing, so I'll just go on my limited NFL knowledge of who went where, who is already good, and who got talent around them that makes them ready for a breakout season (Joey Harrington, this means you! Fail and you'll pay the ultimate price...). I'll post my roster tomorrow after the draft. Until then, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

NBA Recap Aug. 15: Shareef Heads to Sacramento

2005-08-16T00:38:00.000-04:00

Minnesota guard Sam Cassell took a first round pick from Minny when he was traded to the Clippers for Marko Jaric and Lionel Chalmers.
When the Nets backed out of a sign-and-trade for Shareef Abdur-Rahim because of concern for the health of his knee, he signed with the Sacramento Kings. Abdur Rahim joins a Kings squad that has lost many of its players, and only Peja and Mike Bibby remain from the Kings squad from two years ago.
The retired Reggie Miller was released for the amnesty clause by the Pacers, which will save them $6 million in luxury taxes in the future.
The "Allan Houston" rule turned out not to affect the player that had a rule nicknamed after him, as the Knicks used the amnesty clause to rid themselves of Jerome Williams. Houston makes the second most in the NBA ($19.125 million) behind only Shaquille O'Neal ($20 million).
The Nets waived Ron Mercer (amnesty) to save $1.76 million in taxes, and will pay him the remaining one year's salary left on his deal.
Bucks center Calvin Booth was waived for the amnesty rule as well.
After the Raptors signed an offer sheet to Chris Duhon, the Bulls matched, and Chris will remain in the Windy City. In last season, he averaged a rookie high 4.9 assists per game.

Tigers Sweep Doubleheader, Get More Bad News

2005-08-14T23:59:00.000-04:00

Game 1 to begin the doubleheader looked promising from the start. The Royals were entering on a 13-game losing streak, and the Tigers took the lead early on a Magglio Ordonez RBI single, followed by a dagger 3-run homer by Rondell White in the first inning alone. Eventually, the Tigers tacked on another, and the Royals got on the board, and the Tigers led 5-1. Everything was looking great! In the third inning, Rondell White tried to make a diving play on a fly right on the left-field line. He missed, and also dislocated his shoulder. He will must likely be placed on the DL, and either Marcus Thames or Curtis Granderson will come up from Toledo. Unable to get the ball, and with help having to travel all the way from center, the ball turned into a solo inside-the-park homer. The Tigers still cruised, scoring 8 runs. But they looked back a few too many times. Detroit never trailed, but KC was able to tie the game twice, and the Tigers scored the winning run on a pinch-hit double by Omar Infante. KC's 14-game losing streak tied the longest for any team that was playing in Kansas City.

WP - Craig Dingman (1-1) | LP - Ambiorix Burgos (1-5) BS - German (1) | S - Fernando Rodney (3)

Game 2 didn't feature as much offense as the one that preceeded it. A pitcher's duel between Mike Maroth and former Tiger Jose Lima. Lima had a spectacular outing, posting a complete game, his first since August 11 of 2001. Lima allowed just one run, but it was all the Tigers needed, as they won 1-0. Mike Maroth went 8 2/3 innings for a win, giving the Tigers a .500 road trip.

WP - Mike Maroth (10-11) | LP - Jose Lima (4-11) | S - Fernando Rodney (4)

Although the Tigers won the doubleheader, there was more bad news than good. First off, the Tigers barely were able to close out the worst team in the major leagues, first blowing a huge lead, and then being dominated by a pitcher, but luckily, their pitching was also way over par. Carlos Guillen played neither game because of his sore knee, which wasn't at all helped out by the plane ride or the artificial surface in Toronto. White dislocated his right shoulder, which means that both of his shoulders will be quite sore. Both Guillen and White face the possibility of heading to the DL. Pudge returned from his business that he took care of during his suspension a day late, but Friday and Staturday's games were rained out. The other game will be made up on September 20 (I think, if it's wrong, comment...). Up Next: The Tigers head home for a 9 game homestand. Hooray, now the Tigers' ailing players can go see some doctors. They'll tip things off by facing the World Champion Boston Red Sox, who come in leading a tough AL East division. The series caps off with a matinee on National TV that features Jeremy Bonderman and David Wells. If the Tigers' offense can get into gear, and manage to fill the voids left by Carlos Guillen and Rondell White, it should be an entertaining series. And even if the Tigers don't play good, you can always see some championship baseball (as long as you aren't rooting for Beantown...). Monday, 8/15 vs. Boston 7:05 PM @ Comerica Park on FSN Detroit RHP Bronson Arroyo (10-7, 4.28 ERA) @ Sean Douglass (4-2, 4.08 ERA) Tuesday, 8/16 vs. Boston 7:05 PM @ CoPa on FSN D RHP Jonathan Papelbon (0-0, 3.38 ERA) @ Nate Robertson (5-10, 4.10 ERA) Wednesday, 8/17 vs. Boston 1:05 PM @ CoPa on ESPN LHP David Wells (9-5, 4.43 ERA) @ Jeremy Bonderman (13-9, 3.96 ERA)

Harrington Silences Critics in Preseason Opener

2005-08-13T00:12:00.000-04:00

Joey Harrington has been criticized by the masses, both by the national media and his own hometown fans, and booed at open practice sessions. During Friday night's game in New York against the Jets, I would assume he was booed there as well. Harrington threw nine passes, and completed each one of them in his playing time, which was just under two quarters. Not only 9 completions, but also for 100 yards, and that averages to a first down on each completion. That is how you drive the ball down the field. Joey has temporalily silenced his critics, at least me, anyways. That is how you are to perform, even if it is the preseason. Despite the stellar effort by their starting QB, the Jets won, with an average performance from their QB, Jay Fiedler. He threw only 7 of 9, for 69 yards. The Lions made it to the red zone three times, and twice to the goal-to-go range, but failed to score a touchdown. The Lions won time of possession, and yards per play. But they were unable to get it when it counted. As far as rushing went, the Lions were decent. Kevin Jones only was in for the opening series where he got three carries, and six yards. Detroit was led by Mr. Pinner who put up 19 yards on seven carries. Final Score from New York Lions 3, Jets 10 Preseason, Week 1 Lions 0-1

Tigers Delayed in KC

2005-08-13T00:02:00.000-04:00

The Tigers have been slumping badly. The Royals have just plain sucked. The Royals are in the midst of a 13-game losing streak, that could end, as the battered Tigers stagger into Kansas City. Game one had been postponed due to rain so the Tigs can battle their division rivals later when KC has ended their slump as the battle for the bottom continues. The Tigers came from Toronto where they suffered three straight losses after winning the first game of the series. Prior to the Jays, they were swept in a three game series by Cleveland. Overall, the Tigers have lost all but 4 of their past 16 games. It's time to stop making excuses. With Pudge slated to return to the team, and Rondell White returning to the field, it's now or never for Detroit. The bleak light of a possible Wild Card race involving the Tigers have all but vanished in just over the past two weeks. Round the Bases:

After a collision with centerfielder Carlos Beltran, Mike Cameron will undergo surgery. A broken his nose, multiple fractures of both cheekbones and a concussion all added up to a trip to the 15-day DL for Cameron. Beltran also had a concussion, and a small fracture in his cheekbone, but is only expected to be out for this weekend's series against the LA Dodgers.
The results of Rafael Palmeiro's drug test were submitted to Congress by Major League Baseball on Friday. Raffy's suspension officially ended Thursday, but he did not play in his return. Congress could charge Palmeiro with perjury, after he claimed to have never taken steroids. Period. In the earlier hearings.

Pistons Name Assistants to Flip

2005-08-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

Flip Saunders finally has some help. Remaining with the organization is Igor Kokoskov, who will embark on his third season with the Pistons. Sidney Lowe and Don Zierden also will be on the bench with the team. Lowe last held an assistant position to Saunders in Minnesota and has three other years of experience combined with the Griz and Cavs. Don Zierden had spent the better part of the past five years as "director of player development" with Minnesota.
Milwaukee resigned Dan Gadzuric, and top draft choice Andrew Bogut says that he can handle playing for the Australian National Team in addition to playing for the Bucks.
$1.8 million of two years has greeted Miami pick Wayne Simien. His 6'9", 255 lb. frame will play in the middle alongside Zo, Shaq, Michael Doleac, Antoine Walker, and Udonis Haslem, in addition to a couple others who probably will never see an NBA bench minute in Miami.
Doug Christie has reportedly accepted a $3 million deal from Dallas that will span through only this season. The deal, however is oral, and subject to change...
Detroit's opening night opponent, the Philadelphia 76ers, will come into the Palace without a former Piston. Aaron McKie was released through amnesty (no luxury tax in the new CBA on him).
Philly also signed Steven Hunter to backup C-Webb and Dalembert.

Former UMich Receiver Edwards Reaches Agreement

2005-08-12T10:45:00.000-04:00

Last season's college Biletnikoff Award (best wideout) winner, Braylon Edwards signed a deal that gives him a garaunteed $18 million over the next five seasons. The deal ended a two week holdout. In his career with the University of Michigan, Edwards grabbed 252 receptions for 3,542 yards and 39 TDs.

Classic TO. He was suspended for a week by head coach Andy Reid. More noise and hassel from a premeire wideout. It raises the question: is he worth it?

Blueline: Lewis Becomes a Scout for Detroit

2005-08-12T10:34:00.000-04:00

Dave Lewis accepted an offer from the Wings to be a scout. Lewis never managed to get the Red Wings deep into the postseason, despite very good regular seasons. He was fired from the head coach position, and replaced by Mike Babcock in June.
The Maple Leafs finally have their man. Yesterday, Eric Lindross was signed to a one year deal. Lindross played only 39 games last season with New York, but scored 32 points. Lindross has had problems after a long series of concussions.
Another big name, this time staying with his team, the Boston Bruins. Joe Thornton signed a three-year contract that pays $6.6 million for each season. Thornton, 26, couldn't have made more than 20% of his team's payroll, which would've been $7.8 million.
Steve Moore on Todd Bertuzzi's reinstatement: "It's difficult to see that he's able to play again when I still have a long way to go, and not just in hockey, but with my health ... I'm better than I was two months ago, better than I was six months ago, and certainly better than I was 17 months ago...The concussion is more of the issue, for sure. The neck feels pretty good."
Goalie Roman Turek has retired after just 8 seasons in the NHL (he is 33). He will continue to play in the Czech Republic. Turek managed to win a Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999.
Twin brothers Henrik and Daniel Sedin signed one-year contracts with Vancouver. In the 2003/2004 season, they had a combined 96 points.

Pistons Sign Second Round Picks

2005-08-11T23:54:00.000-04:00

The first contract signings since Joe Dumars got his extension yesterday were Pistons' draft picks. Amir Johnson and Alex Acker will both contribute to the depth of the Pistons' bench, as they try to recover from a devastating Finals defeat to the Spurs. Johnson came straight from high school in California, where he averaged better than 20 points per game, 15 rebounds, and 8 blocks. 8 blocks is a lot at any level, at least to me. Acker scored just under 15 a night for Pepperdine University. Center Court Other news from around the NBA, coming up and coming towards you fast! Quick, duck!

The Lakers have waived Brian Grant, who was one of the players acquired in exchange for Shaquille O'Neal. As part of the amnesty clause, his salary will not count towards the luxury tax. Second on the LA Bryant's payroll (after Kobe), Grant put up less than stellar numbers last season.
Former Piston Jon Barry re-upped with the Rockets, and will continue to play alongside T-Mac and Yao.
Doug Christie and the Magic separated, as he was released, which means Orlando will not have to pay luxury tax on the $8.2 million Christie will make this season.
The Nets have a backup for Jason Kidd, and it's Jeff McInnis. You may remember him better as "LeBron's teammate". The deal is just two years, and McInnis still wants to be a starter, and says the short deal will give him the chance, whether it's with New Jersey, or somebody else.
The cops would like to talk to MJ (not Michael Jackson) to see whether he has any info on the starting of a fire adjacent to the golf course him and his party was playing at.
Keith Cullom, Santa Barbara County Fire Dept. Spokesman (to ESPN): "While we do not believe Mr. Jordan is personally responsible for starting the fire, our investigators have been told that members of his party could have started it, and we would like to speak to Mr. Jordan or his managers to learn more about their group. So far, we are not getting any cooperation from him... Jordan was not at the hole where the fire started, but it is believed he would know who was involved. While we're not asking Michael to pick up the phone and call us, it would be appropriate for his managers or representatives to assist in our investigation, and so far they are not."

Pistons' GM Justly Rewarded

2005-08-10T23:51:00.000-04:00

Not even a formal team announcement made the resigning of Joe Dumars official. The mastermind behind the Pistons' fiery return to the red, white, and blue will stay with the Pistons as President of Basketball Operations (fancy NBA wording for "GM"). Since there was no official announcement, and Dumars acknowledged the new deal without a lot of details, salary and length are unknown as of now. Dumars returned the Larry O'Brien trophy to the Pistons in the 2003/2004 season, and then brought them to within a quarter of a repeat against the Spurs. He was the one who ridded the team of unhappy (and severely injured) Grant Hill and gave us the best defender in the league. The architect behind the league's best backcourt with the signing of Chauncey Billups (aided by Chucky Atkins) and trading Jerry Stackhouse for young speedster Rip Hamilton (hence ripismoney). Under Dumars, attendence has skyrocketed, and the team leads the league in attendence, and has a large sellout streak going (no idea where it's at now, I lost count). Prior to Dumars' retirement, just several years ago, the Pistons wore maroon and teal, the ugliest jerseys in the league, for the one of the league's worst teams. Despite the talent of Stackhouse, Lindsey Hunter when he was young, and Grant Hill, the team failed to deliver, and the Pistons struggled to give tickets away. Now, the Motor City is in debt to the man they call Joe D. The extension is quiet, without an announcement or party, even though both are deserved. But he is rapidly building his reputation, with the drafting of rising star Tayshaun Prince, trading for Rasheed Wallace, and signing Pistons' Sixth Man Antonio McDyess. Tip your hat in silent salute to Joe Dumars, as he continues to bring the team forward as the General Manager.

Star Power: NFL Notes, August 6-9

2005-08-10T20:19:00.000-04:00

Actually some stuff you guys will care about here. We've got Eagles and Ty Law, and don't forget about Daunte Culpepper. The triumphant reader bounds ahead...

Quarterback Rich Gannon announced his retirement from the Raiders on Saturday. He missed most of last season with broken vetebra in his neck. Gannon had played 18 NFL seasons and retires at age 39 (I wish I could retire that early...).
Gannon on his retirement: "As far as the decision to retire, it was an easy one for me. It really was not my decision. I was not able to continue to play physically. That really takes all the guess work out of it for a player like myself, who still feels that he's got enough left in his tank and enough left in his arm and his legs to continue to play."
Eagles news aplenty, not all of it good. Wide receiver Todd Pinkston will not play in the 2006 NFL season. Pinkston ruptured an Achilles tendon Friday as a result of being tripped up while running a sideline route. This weakens a receiver spot that already lacks depth on the Eagles. Although TO seems superhuman at times, it helps to have more than one receiver on your team so your #1 option is quadruple-teamed.
Brian Westbrook took a page out of Terrell Owens' book on Monday, ending his holdout. Westbrook still wants a contract that will keep him in Philly for multiple seasons, after signing a one-year $1.43 million deal.
Terrell Owens missed his third practice in four days Monday, with a nagging groin injury.
Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper has his contract restructured. One of the league's best quarterbacks has added some more bling to his wallet when he signed a new contract Sunday, which will give him a raise from his $102 million deal. Culpepper will remain in Minnesota until 2013, unless he pulls a Randy Moss...
The New York Jets have added a premier star for their lineup, straight from one of their fiercest rivals. Former Patriot Ty Law will now defend the end zone for the Jets, and will make up to $50 million doing it. The deal will reportedly keep him in the Big Apple for as many as seven years for $50 million, and $28.5 million over the first three years.

NHL Roundup: August 6-9

2005-08-10T10:11:00.000-04:00

Lots of stuff has gone on, so I vow to keep it short - unless it involves the Wings in some way.

Lets start off with Detroit. The 43-year old Chris Chelios will return to the Red Wings for his 22rd season. Chelios' contract is only for one season, and then it is a possibility he will retire.
Welcome back Ozzy! The Red Wings' goalie competition is now shaping up like the race for Lions' QB between two solid players. Not only Manny Legace, but Chris Osgood rejoined the team for one year and $900,000
Former Red Wing Ray Whitney will go to Carolina for two years, making his stop at his 6th NHL team.
Reinstated by the NHL, Todd Bertuzzi, 17 months after his cheap shot sent Steve Moore to the hospital with a broken neck. Moore's injuries will make a return to hockey improbable.
Brendan Morrison inked a three-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks. In the '03/04 season with Dallas, he scored 60 points.
The Flyers traded Jeremy Roenick to the Kings along with a 2006 third-round pick for future considerations, and the cap room needed to tie up Peter Forsberg.
Ziggy Palffy left LA for Pittsburgh, and he will stay there for three years and $13.5 million. He will join Mario Lemuix and Sidney Crosby in an effort to revitalize the worst team from '03/04.
Columbus signed Rick Nash for five years. Last season, he scored 41 goals. This will be his 3rd NHL season.
The evil Avs resigned Milan Heduk for five seasons, and also locked up former Wild player Andrew Brunette for two years.
Paul Kariya will play for his third team in as many years, signing a two-year contract with the Nashville Predators worth $9 million.
Nikolai Khabibulin, the goaltender from the Stanley Cup Champion Lightning is packing his bags and moving to Chicago for $27 million over four years.
Scott and Rob Niedermayer both signed four-year deals with Anaheim. Both brothers live in British Columbia. Prior to this season, Scott had played 13 NHL seasons, all with New Jersey.
Wayne Gretzky is officially the coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. He moves to the desert town and takes the experience of 9 NHL MVP awards with him.
After losing their star goaltender, the Lightning were quick to sign goaltender Sean Burke for two seasons.
Simon Gagne accepted an offer from Philly to play for $2 million.

NBA Free Agency Rolls Onward

2005-08-09T23:33:00.000-04:00

Lots has happened since my last post, so I'll try to keep it short, and get to the point. Period.

The Nets have backed out of their trade efforts to acquire Shareef Abdur-Rahim from Portland after he failed a physical last week. Since the sign and trade contract was nullified, Abdur-Rahim is now a free agent. The Nets acquired Marc Jackson of Philly along with cash considerations, in return for draft considerations. (Basically for free).
Zeljko Rebraca was resigned by the Clippers last Thursday for a multiyear contract.
The Warriors and Raptors each reached agreements with some of their draft picks, Chris Taft, and Jose Calderon, respectively.
After trading point guard Jason Williams to Miami, the Memphis Grizzlies found a replacement when they signed former Trailblazer Damon Stoudamire to a four-year contract.
Today, the Timberwolves increased their depth by signing forwards Mark Madsen and Nikoloz Tskitishvili.
Sixers guard Willie Green will undergo arthoscopic surgery on his knee, after his left knee in a pickup game. He was reportedly to sign a six-year $20 million deal to end his term as a restricted free agent.
The Raptors have signed an offer sheet to Chris Duhon, but the Bulls say they are willing to match the offer.
Former Maryland basketball star Chris Wilcox had his gun charges dropped, so he can continue playing solid mediocre ball for the Clips.
The Bucks are hoping to get back into the playoff hunt with the signing of guard Bobby Simmons, for around five years and $47 million.