Luke Waltons Forehead presented by the Sports Dude.

Friday, November 19, 2004 at 5:32 PM

The big game...

You can take all the hype, all the paper and throw it out the window. In fact, this is the first time in awhile I am actually scared of a game, plain and simple. U of M should win, on paper, by a large amount. But in this rivalry, anything can happen, and that is what helps make it so special. For once, I am not going to make a prediction about who is going to win or not. All I know is that if Michael Hart does what he has been doing, Chad Henne doesn't act like a scared freshman and Braylon gets enough touches to keep the defense off balance, then all will be well this weekend. It will be a slugfest, down to the wire, last second type game. No blow out here this weekend, that is for sure! All in all, it is going to be another instant classic in this rivalry and I hope, and pray, that my boys come out on top. And if Michael Hart keeps dazzling, if he gets his 150 to 200 yards on the ground, then all will be well in Ann Arbor this weekend and we can start ordering our Rose Bowl tickets come Sunday. Somewhere in the vicinity of a 26-20 game, close and not a lot of scoring.

No need to waste time on a Lions prediction, Joey still sucks and the Lions will still lose. End of story there.

Well, have a good weekend and god bless - the sports dude.

And, by the way, root for Iowa this weekend too! If U of M loses, we need Iowa to win - and I think they will anyway, for what it is worth.

at 1:53 PM

An old joke already, I am sure!

I am sure this has been written, said, or heard a million times already, but I feel that it would be a HUGE injustice not to put it here on this site. I mean, I am a sports blogger, therefore I must put things sports related in my posts. Anyway, here is the old joke, but still, none the less, just as funny the one millionth time as it is the first:

Steve Spurrier is now, truly, the biggest cock in college football, officially!

I know, I know, it is old hat by now, but I still find it funny all the same. I am a U of M lover and a any Florida school hater, and Steve Spurrier, to me, will always be a cock! Now he officially is! Got to love it! Come on, Steve, could you make it any easier for us to make fun of you? Probably not, but all the same, I got to laugh!

Well, that is all at this time, my BIG GAME predictions will be coming later. Until then, got to go - the sports dude.


Thursday, November 18, 2004 at 3:34 PM

Let the Ohio State bashing begin!

Well, not yet, but there is a funny band out there that I think you all should know about. They are a little known punk band from none other than the state of Ohio called The Dead Schembechlers. You can visit their website here. As the name obviously leads on, they are an anti-Wolverine punk band that dresses up like Woody Hayes when they plays! (Sorry, I couldn't resist the rhyme there, but anyway...) They just did an interview on the Stoney and Wojo show on WDFN the fan, and it was funny enough for me to do the research and look into the bands website. All in all the lead singer was rather entertaining, much like any self proclaimed Buckeye fan is this time of year. I think he was clearly under the influence of something at the time, after all he did say that Woody Hayes spoke to him and made him found the band! None the less, he was a very "clever" little fellow, and just like all Buckeye fans, easy to laugh at and make fun of.

I love this time of year, I have an aunt and uncle who live in Ohio, are unfortunately Ohio State fans, and this week is fun for us to trade jabs back and forth. Occasionally we will get together for the games, some years going to their house and others they travel up here, but this year we are staying home. In those years there are constant phone conversations throughout the game, as our long distance bill goes through the roof for the month of November! But that is what makes this game so fun, people like that, situations like that, where you can trade friendly jabs back and forth.

Well, I will dive more into the rivalry tomorrow, as well as make my predictions and all that jazz, until then I have to do some more research into this crazy little punk band, as well as start my own. What do you think the name should be:

- "Bring back the Coopers"
- "Buy me some recruits Tressel"
- "Jim Tressel and the Sweater Vests"
- "Woody Hayes Maize and Blues"

Post a comment if you think of any other funny ones and I will consider using it and letting you in the band! Until then, keep reading, keep breathing and keep laughing - the sports dude!

at 10:08 AM

Tigers at it again!

Well, they moved quickly and wouldn't let the guy out of town. I wonder what was in that steak dinner? None the less, the deal is done and the bullpen, in little time at all, is extremely better! Now, the question is this - what to do with Urbina? I say nothing, why make a move? You now have two guys that can close, which is security and smart if you ask me. You saw what happened last year when we had none - what was the total, 20 blown saves or something after Urbina left? By having two guys, you basically have a nice security blanket to fall back on. If one goes down, the other can step in. If one has been doing a lot of save work, throw the other in for a quick save here and there. Urbina also has worked as a set up man before in the past, so who is to say it won't be a good move now? If you keep Urbina, it is my opinion, that the bullpen work is done. You have your closer, you have your set up man ( and spare closer mixed in one ), you have your dominant left handed situational guy in Jamie Walker, and some guys for long relief coming back next year from injuries ( Chris Spurling most noticeably ). Plus, one of those starters - I would pick Wilfredo Lidezma, is going to get left out of the rotation most likely, because the Tigers need to get a "big gun" for that rotation, a number one guy - can I hear a Carl Pavano please? Remember, he has been quoted as saying he loved having Pudge behind the plate in Florida, hopefully that and a fat contract will be enough. Shoot, even Derek Lowe would be alright, he still has some miles left on the engine - but I prefer Pavano because he is younger and just coming into his prime, where Lowe, he has already hit it!

Anyway, I got off track about the bullpen, sorry! The point of all that was to say that the bullpen is pretty sharp now, especially considering that one of those starters has got to go somewhere. That is why I said Ledezma as a long reliever and situational starter, here is my point:

1 - Pavano or Lowe.
2 - Maroth.
3- Bonderman.
4 - Robertson.
5 - Johnson.

That is a solid rotation, and then you have two guys in the bullpen that can pitch long relief and be a spare starter - Gary Knotts the righty and Ledezma the lefty. You got your right and left set up guys, you got your closer, you have some other guys that are coming back from injuries, your bullpen is square and done.

So, with that being said, you dump the money into two places:

1 - the starter.
2 - one big bat in the line up.

The big bat appears to be coming, and it looks like a third baseman if you ask me. That will be fine and makes sense, because it fits our needs. That allows Brandon Inge to be a super sub and still play just about every damn day anyway! He will be the primary back up for Pudge, which means we only really need one "true" catcher on our roster, leaving extra space for another bat. We can even plug him in in center field duties, he did fine there last year! Plus, if Percival persuades his old Angel battery mate Troy Glaus to come to Detroit, he isn't exactly a spring chicken anymore! Inge is free to give relief to the guy at third when Glaus needs a break from the field. Point is, Inge will still play, and his versatility is great to the team because it allows them extra roster flexibility, during the season and off season as well!

If the Tigers do only those two other things all off season, a BIG GUN starter and another bat, then I say you are set and ready to go! Save the money for next year and ride the guys you have into the playoffs! The Tigers will make the playoffs if they make those moves, I guarantee it!

Well, I am off to call Dave Dombroski so I can tell him what I think, until then, when we will finally talk U of M versus OSU, the sports dude!

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 at 10:18 AM

New link added!

Just found another new site, Garage Poker the blog. I have no clue how to play poker myself, my card skills stop at Uno, Solitaire, War and Go Fish. However, the site is run by an old friend of mine so I figured I would give him a "shout out" just for the hell of it! From the looks of his site, maybe I can use it to learn a thing or two about garage poker, or poker in general, and enjoy this deep, dark underworld game that is growing more popular by the minute. It looks like the famous people have their fancy "Celebrity Poker", but we common, middle class folks only have the not so glamorous "Garage Poker". Well, that is fine by me, who wants all the fame, riches and TV time anyway? Not me, I will just stick to dark alleys, cheap bars and garages for my poker - if I ever learn. Check the site out here, and refer to the bottom of my links list to the right for the direct link. Sorry it is on the bottom, no offense to the site, I was just lazy and in a hurry today!

Well, more to come later - as always, enjoy and have a wonderful Tuesday, I am off to study up on the difference between a straight flush and a full house. All I know is, at least, I got the two of a kind thing down! Until next time, my faithful readers, the sports dude!

at 9:44 AM

Doing a good deed post.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation is a group founded by, none other, than cyclist Lance Armstrong. The foundation is dedicated to cancer awareness, as well as helping those deal with the tragedy of cancer itself. There are yellow "live strong" bracelets that can be ordered, and worn if you choose, to help raise money to go towards the fight against cancer. I just recently received, and am currently wearing, mine. The bracelets are relatively inexpensive, $2.00 individually if you find them for sale that way, or for a mere $1.00 each if you order multiple bracelets together here at the Lance Armstrong Foundation store. It is for a great cause, and the money itself is very little. Take the time to research and, during this holiday season, maybe go thru your change at home and order some for you and yours. Even if you choose not to wear them, they could always be displayed from the rear view mirror in your car or some other place that lets people know you care and you are trying to help "fight the good fight" against cancer.

Another bracelet that is floating around this holiday season is the "M Go Blue for Mott" campaign started by the athletic department at U of M and, most likely, inspired by the success of the Lance Armstrong bracelets. Here is a full press release explaining the background of the U of M campaign. You can order them here from the M-Den store, buy them in person at any local M-Den, and there are also some other local retailers carrying them for you to purchase as well. Unfortunately, at this time, I can not remember which ones they are, but they are out there none the less. The cost again is relatively small, a mere $2.00 here as well, and the money this time goes to help fund a new children's hospital ( Mott ) at the University of Michigan Health Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Again, another simple gesture, a very low cost, and an overall great deed.

The U of M bracelets are more local, but the Lance Armstrong bracelets are noticeable nation wide. If we all band together, use a little of the "spare change" we all have floating around our laundry rooms, dressers, cars, etc., maybe we can truly make a difference in a life, or more, come this holiday season... and beyond! Like I said, there is no reason to wear them if you choose not to, but the purchase is relatively easy on the pocket book and big in the fight against cancer and to help make sure that young children have the best hospital available to them anywhere in the world!

Plus, being a U of M fan and having both bracelets, together on my wrist the blue Mott bracelet and the yellow Lance Armstrong bracelet look great side by side - yellow and blue. That isn't the reason why I am wearing them, my life has been touched by cancer many times and my children have needed the resources at Mott, but it is a nice touch anyway!

That is all for now, remember you can help make a difference, if you so choose. Until next time, when we again talk sports, the sports dude says thank you and god be with us all.

Monday, November 15, 2004 at 4:44 PM

Tail of Two Tailbacks.

Let me start this argument by pointing you to this ESPN article about the weekend in college sports, which talks about tailbacks. Missing from this article is both backs that I would like to talk about - Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson and U of M's Michael Hart.

Next, I would like to point you in the direction of another ESPN article, the famed Heisman Trophy Watchlist. Missing from this list is, yet again, Michael Hart and even Braylon Edwards for that matter, but we are not here to talk about Braylon. We are here to talk about the disrespect shown to Mr. Hart.

Now, I am lazy, so again I am going to point you in the direction of ESPN for Adrian Peterson's season stats, as well as those of Michael Hart. Please take a moment to look them over, study them, and then proceed to the remainder of this post. Go on, it is okay, it will only take a minute. Okay, ready to go on now? Alrighty then, let the argument begin!

First, let us take a closer look at Mr. Peterson, shall we. We have 1431 yards rushing with 9 TD's and a nice, large receiving stat line 6 yards and no TD's. Plus, by doing the game by game breakdown, you can conclude that he has been the feature back in all 10 of Oklahoma's games. Also, I would like to point out that the guy handing the ball to Adrian is last years Heisman Trophy winner Jason White, who is having another stellar year and in Heisman contention again. Now, don't you think that helps a little.

Second, we shall look at Michael Hart. He has 1311 yards rushing with 8 TD's to go along with 194 receiving yards and 1 TD. Plus, being a U of M fan, I can tell you that Mr. Hart was NOT the featured back in U of M's first two games. In fact, Mr. Hart didn't get significant playing time until the third game and he wasn't even the starter then! He didn't get his first official start until game four of the season, the Big 10 opener against Iowa. I would like to point out here that Mr. Hart has another true freshman handing him the ball, Mr. Chad Henne, not an experienced QB to help take some of the offensive load off of him. But, to be fair for arguments sake, he does have Braylon Edwards out there to help give the defenses something else to think about.

Peterson has 120 more yards rushing, while Hart has 188 more yards receiving. They both have totaled nine TD's all together, with Peterson having all nine on the ground while Hart has 8 on the ground plus one receiving. If you take into consideration that Peterson had a head start on Hart, basically two games, and consider that if Hart would have started both those games and even just averaged 100 yards in each ( which is low for him ), Mr. Hart would have an extra 163 yards for a grand total, to date, of 1474. That would put him past Peterson by 43 yards. Throw in the fact that Hart has the edge in receiving yards as well, coupled by the fact that he is also a decent receiving threat out of the backfield, and the edge goes to Mr. Hart. Not to mention ( again ) he is doing this all while being paired with another true freshman in the back field, not the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.

Now, to be honest, I am glad that Michael Hart is not being mentioned as the "front runner" like Adrian Peterson, believe it or not. But could someone, somewhere, at least give the kid a mention? His dues? How about even an invite to the damn thing? Oh well, that I guess is just life in the Big 10. I wonder if the roles were reversed and Michael Hart was on OSU and U of M had Adrian Peterson, who would be getting all the mention then? I guarantee it would be Hart, not Peterson, that everyone is talking about. But, and I love the bad puns here at LWF, you gotta have "Hart" and I wouldn't trade him for all the Peterson's in the world, I guarantee that as well!

Well, that is all for Monday, check back tomorrow as I am sure we will talk again. Until then be safe, be smart and have fun - the sports dude.


at 11:47 AM

Monday Morning Quarterback.

Well, I couldn't find any rope and I was not around any rafters this weekend, so I could not go thru with my plan of hanging myself! Sorry to disappoint the guys who put those comments in my comment box earlier, but my life - and my blog - will go on. An insult is an insult, I could clearly see that, and there were no attempts to befriend anyone! Get over yourself and leave my blog alone! That being said, I am done with the hanging myself plot and am on to the blogging! Carry on....

Well, I didn't see too much of the game, I was busy taking care of outside chores at the house. It is a good thing because I think the first half would have put me to sleep anyhow and I would have missed the second half entirely because I would have been sleeping! All things considered, Mike Hart took care of business once again and Henne did just enough to not screw up, as predicted. Now, it is on to Ohio State and the Buckeyes for the season finale. I will preview that game, later in the week, but let me just say this - even though the Buckeyes are having an off year, they should NEVER be taken lightly! Even though OSU is having a crappy year, as it always seems to be, the Big 10 Championship still comes down to the greatest rivalry in the Big 10 - OSU versus U of M. More on that later in the week!

Now, I am not going to spend much time on the Lions, it doesn't even deserve the typing time! All I will say is this - please, Mr. Mooch, spare us the heartache - stop playing Joey Harrington! Put in Mike McMahon, we already know he stinks and, quite frankly, can it really get any worse? Send Joey packing, send him out of town, send him anywhere - just stop sending under center and out there in the huddle. It is time to stop the dream of Joey being a real QB, I have said it before and I will say it again, at best he is a decent backup QB in this league - nothing more, nothing less. I am done with that subject, just like the Lions should be done with Joey Harrington under center.

Well, I am out - just like Joey Harrington's QB skills! More on the OSU - U of M matchup later on this week, as well as my Michael Hart versus Adrian Pederson talk, until then take care and enjoy the week! The Sports Dude!

at 9:16 AM

Send me the sports blogs, my brethren!!!!

The Monday Morning Quarterback will be in the office later on today, he is busy doing other things currently and can not sit down and talk sports at the time. Here is a brief preview of the things he will say: U of M good, Lions ( mainly Joey ) bad, and Spartans - thanks! For now, you will just have to wait.

But this post is about an entirely different subject, and that is the need to add some fellow sports blogs to my side bar. I got a comment earlier from this gentlemen and his sports blog, Detroit Sports, is now added to my side bar - #7 from the top for those of you counting! The site is dedicated to sports, Detroit style, and appears to be even more informative and "real" than mine! Maybe I shouldn't add him, or others, to my links list - maybe it will be the destructive end of Luke Waltons Forehead! Oh well, I doubt it, so we will just add the shit anyway!

So, if you too have a sports blog, or any blog for that matter, and are interested in seeing it listed to the right, feel free to let me know and I will add it to my links. Just drop me a comment, leave me the URL, and away we go! Just do me the favor and do the same in return, a life for a life, I mean, a link for a link!

Well, the Monday Morning QB will be back in awhile, for now keep reading, keep breathing and give me some URL's my brethren! Until next time, hope your Monday is cheery and bright - the sports dude!




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