Luke Waltons Forehead presented by the Sports Dude.

- Well, there has been a lot of love for Joey Harrington out there in sports blog as of late. I am glad that Joey at least has a few fans here and there, but the dude just doesn't have it. He was overrated in college and no way in hell should have ever been a number three pick. By using the last two games of the season as measuring sticks, there is only one thing that you really need to notice about those games - the Lions still lost. He is not a leader, he would look better holding a clip board, and his ass should be on the bench come game #2. The Lions had better get a back up QB that can at least come in and play, whether it be Brad Johnson or Jeff Garcia, it really makes no difference to me. Bottom line is that when Joey fails again this year, and I am sure he will, they need to have someone behind him to step in and perform. They never had that before (my analogy of the Lions QB's - Harrington and McMahon - was always this - compare a Chevette to a Ford Festiva - they both are pieces of shit, you just hope one has something left in the tank to at least get you home) and if they have someone behind him maybe it will push him, or most likely, at least we got another guy that actually knows what it means to be a QB. Look, I hope I eat my words on Harrington, I would love for him to have "Drew Brees Syndrome" this year - like I said as Joey goes the Lions go. If Joey succeeds and I eat my words I would be fine with that because that means the Lions made the playoffs. But, for the record, I don't see it happening, the "Drew Brees Syndrome" for one reason - Brees went to college in a conference (Big 10) that actually plays defense, so all his numbers in college were earned and real. Joey went to college in a conference (Pac-10) where defense is an afterthought at best. Enough said - Joey is a bust and right now I pick the Lions to finish, at best, 7-9 with him. If they get a real QB, even a rust bucket like Brad Johnson or Jeff Garcia, I could see 10-6 or better because they have the talent everywhere - except QB. Done.

- Dan Miller replaces Mark Champion, the voice of the Lions for 16 years. It make sense, but it is still sad. Champion will land on his feet and Miller really is enjoyable to listen to. Done.

- The Pistons make a quick road trip to Boston tonight, their first time playing the Celtics since they reacquired Antoine Walker. Hopefully the Pistons will start up another nice win streak, but I think the #2 seed is all but theirs. Which is fine, because like I said before, in a seven game set against Miami, home court or not, I don't see the Heat being able to beat the Pistons four times. Done.

- Lastly, my boys over at U of M have revealed their new student shirt for next years fans to purchase and wear to the games. It is not maize this time, which is kind of sad, but it does high light what is, to me, the most important thing about playing at "The Big House" - running out on the field and jumping to touch that banner. Here is a link to the shirt. Done.

That is all I got for now, have a good weekend. Later - the sports dude.

All right, let me get this straight. The last time I checked, we were still fighting in Iraq, right? We still have people without health care, people dying in the streets, drug problems, crime, guns, and violence. We have a country that is dire need of social security reform, the national debt is at an all time high, the economy is moving along slowly at best and the last time I checked Osama was still out there somewhere. Am I forgetting anything major there? Please, if I am then help me out, I am begging. What is that you say? I forgot something major? Oh yeah, steroids in baseball – better call Congress. Let’s get the big boys of Congress together, forget the war, and forget the kids in schools who don’t have books, let’s talk about a serious issue up there on Capitol Hill – steroids in baseball. That’s right folks, we the people, we the very officials that you voted in, the very people that don’t vote on anything unless it involves a pay increase for ourselves, are forgetting all the other issues that are plaguing society in favor of the MLB steroid issue. Quite frankly, it sickens me to the point where I don’t even want to go on, but I will.

First we will start with a small link to an article provided by ESPN talking about the players that were subpoenaed to go before Congress. We have a perennial All-Star line up folks here with Giambi, McGwire, Sosa, Thomas, Palmerio, and Canseco. Noticeably missing is Mr. Barry Bonds, but maybe Congress figures he will only plead the fifth or flip out on them anyway. The point is this – what the hell is the point of all this? Can’t Congress find something better to talk about, can’t they find some other issue to convene over and get involved with? Personally I would rather them find ways for all the kids to read and write in this nation, for them to find a way for me to stop paying into social security and investing it somewhere “real” instead of trying to figure out who is and who isn’t on the juice. Furthermore, what if all these guys plead the fifth, they have that right you know? There is no evidence that any of them did or didn’t because there is no test to prove it. I can’t imagine that Mark McGwire is going to get in front of Congress and just snap, saying that yes, Canseco did put a needle in my ass! We all know Giambi did it, we all know that at least McGwire was taking a human growth hormone (which was legal at the time), what else is there to say? There really is no good, or bad for that matter, that will come out of this. The real truth is not in Canseco’s book, but in each one of these guys and I truly doubt that Congress is going to find out anything of real significance anyway.

Let me bring up that damn book real quick, if you all don’t mind. For all the controversy the damn thing has caused has it really been worth it? Seriously, how many of you really believe that the damn thing is 100% true? There is no way in hell I do, and I hope the majority of people out there feel the same. Do I think that there are steroids in baseball? The answer to that is yes, I think they are there. Do I think they are around every corner, in every locker like a bunch of Flintstone vitamins like Canseco claims? Hell no, that is about as polite an answer as I can type. I think Canseco is simply a demented, twisted, flat out broke money seeking whore who just needed to get some cash. I think there may be some truth to his book, like where he says he uses steroids and where he says there are steroids in baseball, but the damn thing is easily 95% “holly wooded” up to make him some cash. Period, point blank, end of god damn story. Seriously, he has said in interviews that he feels steroids not only are good for your health but can make you live longer. And you all are going to believe a book from this guy? Give me a break; I think he has been putting the needles in his skull and not his butt, dumb ass.

Lastly, here is my opinion on steroids in baseball – who the fuck cares!!!! If these guys want to be dumb enough to juice themselves up, take some years off their lives, etc. just to make millions and hit the long ball, I say let them! What the fuck do I care for? See, now I have gone and gotten all riled up, and for what? Because Congress is stupid, Canseco has got needles on the brain (literally!) and I haven’t eaten yet today so I am cranky. Let me pose this question to you and then we will leave it at that. Let’s say you are a middle of the pack baseball player, decent numbers with a lot of potential but you just aren’t there yet. Now, some guy comes up to you and offers you a pill and tells you to take it. Then, for the next five years you continue to take it and work out like a machine. All you are going to do, maybe, is take a couple years off the end of your life – you know, the “good” years where we are all losing our minds and pissing our pants again! But that is not even a guarantee; there may be no long term effects. But take this pill for the next five years, get a multi-million dollar contract and then stop – you will be set for life. Basically, five years of juice for a lifetime of wealth – what are you going to do? Me personally (and being honest here) am not too sure what I would do, it would be a tough call.

My whole thing on steroids is this – the government, my god damn elected government, has more important things they should be doing than this. I listed the ones I could think of above, I am not doing it again. Leave the steroid issue to the commissioner and stay out of it. You don’t see Bud Selig walking up to the White House going “You know here is what I think we should do about Osama…” He knows where he belongs and the government should know there are bigger fish out there to fry, bigger things to concern themselves with then the size of Barry Bonds head and Canseco sticking needles in McGuire’s’ ass. Later – the sports dude.

P.S. - a moment here to self promote me, a little shameless plugging if you will. Today marked a milestone for the sports dude, visitor #3000. I guess that means I am up for an oil change or something, huh? Thanks for helping me keep this up everyone and allowing me to enjoy it and not get bored. Much appreciated and I look forward to the next 3,ooo! Adios!!!!

I don’t talk college basketball too often, but I think I will today. There are many reasons why I don’t get into college basketball anymore, mostly because the team I root for (the Wolverines) are stuck somewhere in hell. When I first started playing basketball, when I really started to get into it, is when the Fab Five hit the scene in Ann Arbor. To me, the black socks, the baggy shorts, just the damn arrogance – those five cats changed the scene of college basketball as we know it. I am not going to get into the NCAA scandal, which is not why I soured on college basketball. I could care less if they were guilty or innocent, no one will ever know. It is a shame that they no longer truly exist, all their records, banners, etc. were all but removed from U of M in an attempt to “right the ship” in Ann Arbor. That is a little depressing, seeing how no one can argue that college basketball is the way it is today because of the Fab Five, but in my heart and in many a peoples hearts they still exist. What soured me on U of M basketball and then college basketball as a whole because I had no team to root for, can be summed up in two ugly words – Brian Ellerbe.

He was Tom Goss’ buddy, Tom Goss’ pal and Tom Goss’ pick. To me, Brian Ellerbe did more to screw up U of M basketball then Steve Fisher or Chris Webber combined. The guy got the job for the wrong reasons, was hand picked by a guy (Tom Goss) who was brought in to fire Lloyd Carr and was under qualified at best. Yes, that is correct – the only reason why Tom Goss himself was ever hired was because he was supposed to have the balls to fire Lloyd. So what does Lloyd do? He wins the National Championship the following season, which was suppose to be his last, and outlasts Goss in the end. Goss hand picked Ellerbe, turned the other way when Ellerbe fucked the program to all holy hell and was eventually fired because he was a fuck up as well. Basically, the whole U of M basketball program went to hell in a hand basket because the University of Michigan hired a guy (Tom Goss) to fire Lloyd Carr. And that same guy hand picked Ellerbe to run the basketball program, even though at the time there were two candidates readily available and more qualified to take over – Brian Dutcher (who was Steve Fisher’s top assistant and had been there longer than Ellerbe) and Perry Watson, who was rumored to be interested in coming back. But Goss picked Ellerbe, who ran the program into the ground with a bunch of hacks and thugs, and I could no longer watch. Basically I soured on the program as a whole because Goss picked “his guy” who I knew was going to be a joke. What happened in the end? U of M is now short scholarships, was ineligible for post season play for a couple seasons and, most importantly, no one wants to come here. They are viewed by recruits as a second tier program in the state behind the Spartans and that never should have happened. Ellerbe really fucked this place up and now Amaker is trying his best to right the ship. What is the moral of this story? Never fuck with U of M football if you know what is good for you.

For what it is worth, last year I began to watch U of M basketball again, but it is still not the same. I am cautiously watching, but not fully yet. I used to be so addicted to U of M basketball that I got into a fight with my mom one year because she planned my birthday party on the night U of M was playing Jamal Mashburn and Kentucky in the Tourney. I told her that there was no way in hell I would miss that game, so she had better either reschedule my party, have it early, tell the guests to just bring gifts and leave me alone or just skip it all together. I still got to watch the game, but it was on in the background. Let’s just say it still ended up being the shortest birthday party I ever experienced! But that is the passion, geeky or not, that I use to feel for U of M basketball. I remember the Fab Five feeling, the 1989 team, all of it – and Ellerbe just pissed on all of that like a cheap suit and let it all become tarnished. I never really blamed Webber or the other Fab Fivers, I always laid the blame for all the mess on Ellerbe and Goss, period. They ruined it all for me and it has not been the same sense. Seeing how I had no team to root for in college basketball (even in all my hatred of U of M hoops, I still would never root for Sparty) I just gave up on college ball all together.

But now Amaker is there and I really like him and I hope he gets the chance to coach here. I think if he gets that extra scholarship back it will help immensely. Crap, he lost his two most important pieces this year in Horton and Abrams, as well as other injuries during the season that stung, and not having depth hurt them. I mean, they had walk-ons starting and playing significant minutes, not just mop up duty. I think if Amaker is given the time he deserves, and I believe he will, then he will continue to move this program in the right direction. I like the guy, I think he is a respectable man who brings credibility to the program, something it lacked fully with Ellerbe. I think they would have made the Tournament this year if the injury train (and Horton’s choking issue) would have given them the pieces they needed. But, without their best players and no depth, they were all but hog tied into a losing season. Next year, I think will be the season we see what Amaker is all about and what he brings to the table as a coach and person.

Anyway, here are a couple articles from the Detroit Free Press about some college basketball type stuff, both of which I thought were good reads. This one is about the pressures of coaching and how the “win now” motto sometimes takes its toll. The other is a small feature on the Spartans Chris Hill, who has been the target of Spartan fans everywhere. All though he is a Spartan, I will say that the garbage these student athletes have to put up with sometimes is unfair and I feel bad for the dude. Just ask John Navarre, whom I always liked, about being treated like shit. I thought Navarre was a hell of a QB and an even bigger man for taking all the garbage and just setting it aside and doing his job. The same can be said for Chris Hill, whom has persevered in the same way.

Well, that is all I got for today – later – the sports dude.

The Lions signed two players yesterday, TE Marcus Pollard and Safety Kenoy Kennedy. Here is the ESPN link to an article describing the signings.

Ironically enough, it was another case for the Lions where they had a free agent visit and would not let him leave town. Unlike last year with Damien Woody, however, this year it was the players choice. With Woody last year, if I remember the story correctly, the Lions all but kidnapped him and kept him here until he agreed to sign on the dotted line. With Kenoy, the guy was at the airport ready to board a plane to Miami and he decided to stay, returning to the Lions practice facility in Allen Park in the midst of the Pollard introduction. He said he knew this is where he wanted to be and didn't need to continue his free agent tour. I am sure Miami must be loving us - again if I remember correctly when we kidnapped Woody last year his next stop was Miami, now Kenoy does the same.

Briefly on Kenoy, we know the Lions were targeting a safety and it seems they got a good one. He might not be the best in coverage, but he plays the run well and seems to be a BIG hitter. If his presence in the secondary is enough to frighten some receivers going over the middle then that will be a good thing, now all we need to do is get Dick Jauron to "bend" a little on his "bend but don't break" style of defense. This appears to be a good signing, and unlike the Tigers, at least our football team appears to be a place that players want to play. All in all I like the signing and it appears again the Lions did the necessary things to help shore up a need on their team - the safety position.

Really brief on Pollard, he is a recognizable name at the tight end position and he comes from a winning program and got to play with one hell of a QB - Peyton Manning. It is unfortunate for him, however, that he has to be downgraded to a receiver that now catches passes from Andre Ware, I mean Joey Harrington. I still hope and pray that there is some miracle in Mooch's and Millen's back pocket that will get them another QB, a real one for that matter. I originally was pulling for Garcia, but have now soured on him. I really liked Warner and him going to Arizona kind of surprised me, but it is what it is. Brad Johnson remains an option, but he is a weak one at best. Jay Fielder is out there, but that is not exactly a great option either.

Unfortunately for us Lions fans, it appears that we are going to be stuck with another year of lousy Joey ball and another year of mediocracy. I like Mooch and I think if he ever gets a QB that is good and that he can trust then the Lions have the talent on offense and the tools to succeed. But as long as Joey is there we really have no chance, regardless of the talent we have at tight end, receiver and running back. Oh well, that is Lions football for you. You know, Rodney Peete got released by the Carolina Panthers - what the hell, anything at this point is better than Joey. Later - the sports dude.

Finally, the sports dude decides to talk about something besides Pistons basketball or the NBA in general. Hey, what the hell do you want me to say? Basketball is the sport I grew up playing, so excuse me if I lean more towards that then some of the other major sports here in Detroit – the Lions and the Tigers. So finally, with opening day fast approaching, I have decided to turn my attention to something beside my beloved Pistons – the Tabbies.

There are so many questions, so many damn little things that could still go wrong with this team. But in that same breathe, and because I love to contradict myself, there are just as many reasons for certain things to FINALLY go right. There are a number of things I would like to hit on in this post, mainly those that I feel are the keys to making a run at the Central Division and some meaningful baseball in the “D” come September. I know it may be hard to believe, but there may be some reasons to believe that this ship is finally heading in the right direction and not fighting the current. There are pieces in place, there are young players that seem like they belong and there is something that has been lacking for quite awhile in this baseball town… HOPE!

The bullpen:
The Tigers blew 28 saves last year and were a MLB worst 12-27 in one run games. To the Tigers defense, all though I hate making excuses, some of those can also be attributed to the loss of Urbina when he left the team last year to deal with his mother’s kidnapping. That issue, however, was quickly taken care of this off season by signing Troy Percival to take over the closer duties. In that one signing it took one of the worst bullpens in baseball and turned it into one of the better. Percival is an experienced closer and his self-proclaimed “bulldog” attitude out of the pen should instantly make the whole group better. They finally have a veteran in the bullpen for the younger guys to answer to and I can not see anyone of the younger kids in the pen giving Percival too much flak – can you? It allows for Urbina (whom I hope they keep until at least the trade deadline if not all year) to fill another role that was inadequate at best last year, set up man. The newly acquired Farnsworth seems like he has a cannon of an arm and could be key to some long relief, once Cluck gets a hold of him. The bullpen is all but set, with Trammell already saying he would prefer to keep only 11 pitchers on the 25 man roster. When was the last time you heard a Tigers manager not say the words “12 pitchers just to have an extra arm.”? They finally have enough legitimate arms to keep only 11 and have that extra position player on the bench, something they have not been able to do in the past. Figuring out the 11 is fairly simple, with nine spots already taken (starters Johnson, Maroth, Bonderman, Robertson, Ledezma, and Percival, Urbina, Walker, and Farnsworth); it is the last two that may be the toughest decision. There are three guys competing for the last two spots, all of which are out of options and must clear waivers before being able to report to the minors – Gary Knotts, Steve Colyer and Franklyn German. Quite frankly I am not going to pick, I would hate to see any of the three go, but if it was me I would cut ties with Colyer. The jury is still out on German and Knotts is a fairly dependable long reliever and spot starter. I would cut ties with Colyer, even though it shorts your bullpen a lefty, but he seems to be the only one of the three that has shown me nothing since he has been a Tiger. The bullpen is much improved and I could easily see them making a difference for about ten more victories this season.

The starters:
As listed above, the rotation all but seems set with Jason Johnson, Mike Maroth, Jeremy Bonderman, Nate Robertson and Wilfredo Lidezma. They sought a big name pitcher in the off season (see Carl Pavano) but failed to lock one up. For what it is worth, if the four young guys continue to grow and Jason Johnson at least pitches .500 then the rotation will take care of itself and get the Tigers into later innings, helping save the bullpen. I think Bonderman is the ace of the future, but I agree with Trammell in the fact that he has to earn it. Trammell doesn’t want to rush the kid and weigh him down with expectations that are premature and unfair. Let the kid work at it, let the kid mature, but more importantly let him “grow” into an ace instead of throwing him to the wolves. His time will come and the Tigers seem to have finally grown their first legitimate pitcher since Jack Morris 400 or so years ago! I still am a Mike Maroth slappy, he reminds me so much of Frank Tanana and the fact that Nate Robertson lives in a city about 15 minutes from me is just really damn cool. Living large with the rest of us middle class people – thanks for keeping it real Nate! (That is, until you sign your first big contract someday and move, but hey, for now it is cool at least!) Lidezma, to me, seems to be the wild card, but he had success in the minors and some relative success in the bigs, but that is why I say keep Knotts in the bullpen for that insurance. My prediction for the starters is that both Bonderman and Maroth will finish with +.500 records, Johnson will flirt with .500, Robertson will be at .500 and Ledezma will be in the bullpen by all-star break. But, that all being said, the starters will be much improved over last year and get the Tigers more wins themselves.

Bobby Higginson:
What the hell are we suppose to do with this guy? No matter what happens, the Tigers are still going to have to pay him. If they trade him it will be to someone for a minimal prospect, at best, but I am sure the team that takes him will force the Tigers to pay the majority of his salary. If they release him, ala Damion Easley, then they have to pay all his salary while he gets to play for another team. The best case scenario is that someone takes him off the Tigers hands, they get a decent player in return and they don’t have to pay a dime for it. Can anyone really see that happening? Not me, that’s for sure. This is why I say you keep him, even if it means sending a younger, more impressive guy like Marcus Thames down to the minors. If you are forced to pay him no matter what then keep him on the bench for three reasons – a left handed bat off the bench, he still has the best arm out of any of your outfielders (late inning defensive replacement) and he is a decent enough insurance policy in case any injuries come up during the season. Look, we all hope that Maggs knee is fine, but no one knows for sure. We all know Rondell White has aging knees and needs rest, plus I still think that White would be a better guy to trade in the long run anyway. For what it is worth, seeing how we are going to have to pay him if we trade him or release him, I say hold onto him for the above reasons and just deal with it the best you can. He will be off the books next year, as will White, and Thames, Granderson, and Monroe can become more “everyday” then. The bottom line is, whether I like it or not, I just can not see eating his salary if it can be avoided, and I think it can.

Alex Sanchez:
Another “what the hell do you do with this guy?” situation. Look, I am not too sure how to even answer this one. To me it seems quite apparent that no one in the Tigers organization thinks this guy is the answer in centerfield. By offering him the one year arbitration contract, it seems that the Tigers are just using this season as a “rental year” with him, one last opportunity to see if maybe he might pan out. He did have a nice average last year, but the majority of that was because the dude can flat out bunt his way on to base. His defense in centerfield is suspect at best and he draws very few walks. He is a genuine speedster, but gets picked off and thrown out to often and too easy. It seems the Tigers are ready to turn the reigns over full time to this Granderson kid next year, unless he has a stellar spring this year and they feel he is ready now. So, for the time being, it seems that Sanchez will get one last look in center to make sure that the Tigers are not over looking something here. If Sanchez falters this year and doesn’t show anything, the Tigers do have some other options, but they may be short term as well. The Tigers were at least impressed enough with Nook Logan to continue mentioning his name, all though his bat is still a work in progress. Craig Monroe did play some in centerfield last year and was not all that bad, but his speed and range is a better fit in one of the corner outfield positions. Yes the outfield is a “cluster F” for the Tigers this year, but next year the picture should be a lot cleaner once Rondell White and Bobby Higginson come of the books (both are in the final years of their contracts). If everyone stays healthy next years outfield, as it stands right now, appears to be Maggs in right, Monroe in left, Granderson in center and Marcus Thames as the spare outfielder on the bench, with possibly Nook Logan as well. All things considered, Sanchez or not, things look bright and a lot less clustered for the future.

Carlos Pena:
Look, the guy showed some serious flashes in the final months of last season of what he could be if he just stops thinking and just plays. His defense was horrible in the first half of last year, but in the final months the errors were almost none existent. He finally started hitting for power, finishing the year with 27 HR’s. 82 RBI and a .241 batting average. The Tigers again did the one year rental thing with Pena, signing his for just this season and nothing more. If Pena can just get his average up, say even to a modest .275, there is no doubt in my mind that the kid can be the answer at first base the Tigers have been looking for. The question is can he do it for an entire season and not just the second half? That is why he only got a one year contract and why the Tigers are just taking it a season at a time. The potential seems to be there, now he just has to discover some consistency.

Infante and Inge:
Of all the Tigers, from Percival to Pudge, Maggs to Bonderman, these two to me are the wild cards of the entire season. People have been asking the question, talk radio has been discussing it, “Who are the most important Tigers this season for the team to have a chance?” Well, as strange as it may sound, those two guys are the answer for me. Yes, the starting pitching may still be young, but we all know that and we all know the Tigers are going to have to score to win. Yes, Percival was a HUGE addition, but at least we (as of right now anyway!) have Urbina as a back up closer. Yes, center field and first base are some what suspect, but there are other options in center (as mentioned above) and although they may not be perfect at least they are options. If Pena struggles at first we all know that at least Dmitri Young can play there and there even is that Chris Shelton kid floating around the organization. But what if Inge slides off this year? What if Infante was just a one year fluke? Who do they have, anywhere in the organization, that can actually play third or second? The names Jason Smith and Martinez are the only ones that come to mind. You can’t count Dean Palmer because the jury is still out and Fernando Vina is all but retired. So where do you turn? The answer is no where. With all the outfield depth there is at least someone. With the revamped bullpen there are at least enough arms, so it seems, by committee to get it done this year. The starters we all know are still learning and growing, but there is no one I see anywhere in the organization that can replace those infield guys if they falter. Do they have to have all-star seasons? No, that is not the point and I think it would be a pipe dream at best anyway. All the Tigers can hope for is that they, bare minimum, duplicate their numbers from last year, play sound defense and continue to grow game in and game out. I think they will and I can honestly say I feel comfortable with both of them as the everyday players in those positions. The wild card for each of my wild cards, if you will, is that Inge was a shortstop in college so he is at least familiar with the infield and Infante will only get better with the help of his fellow South American double play partner, Carlos Guillen. I think the Tigers finally have a respectable, but more importantly young, infield to grow and watch and enjoy.

Well, that is all I got for now. Leave some comments, let’s talk a little Tigers baseball for a change. I don’t know about you guys, but opening day can not get here soon enough for me. Later – the sports dude.