Monday, September 12, 2011

September 12, 2011 - For What It's Worth

Monday, September 12, 2011. For What it’s worth.

Sure wish we could share yesterdays Lions victory with Tom “Killer” Kowalski. I know he was watching and enjoying every minute of it.

Jose Valverde is the best Tigers closer ever. Is there a debate? Who are you going to pick? Todd Jones? Mike Henneman? Sure, Willie Hernandez won the Cy Young and MVP in 1984, but I’ll still rank Valverde ahead of him. John Hiller? Aurelio Lopez? Give me Valverde and call it good.

I think the Big Ten should be going after Kansas and Kansas State. One is a football school and the other a basketball school. Let’s take them both. That’ll put the conference at 14 teams. Go with that for a little while, and see how the landscape of college sports changes. Maybe in a few years look at adding two more.

Notre Dame – Michigan had a TV rating of 4.81. Cowboys – Jets TV rating 16.9. The country loves its NFL!! Guess which one, of the two, I watched? Yup. I was in the minority. The 16.9 from the NFL game does not include me.

Which New York Quarterback is more overrated, Eli Manning or Mark Sanchez? Sure he won a Super Bowl, but I’m going to take Eli on that one. Wow is he bad…

Speaking of quarterbacks, after watching the Vikings game on Sunday, it may be time to invest in Christian Ponder rookie cards!

Very chilling story of how legendary basketball coach, John Thompson, was supposed to be on the doomed 9/11 flight that crashed in to The Pentagon –
http://college-basketball-blog.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26283066/31923777

Is Alex Avila the best catcher in baseball? Steve Berthiaume of ESPN thinks so - http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/16055/best-catcher-of-2011-alex-avila

Who is your Rock & Roll Mount Rushmore? Mine is Johnny Cash, Freddie Mercury, Jimi Hendrix and Jon Bon Jovi. Mock me, but make sure you tell me yours so I can tell you how much worse than mine yours is. Also, if you tell me Johnny Cash doesn’t count as Rock & Roll you’re wrong.

Thinking about Jose Valverde got me wondering about free agent signings and Detroit. Who is the best free agent signing ever in Detroit history? Todd Jones? Kenny Rogers? Scott Mitchell? Pudge Rodriquez? Magglio Ordonez? Brett Hull? Brian Rafalski? Fernando Vina? Az Hakim? Cecil Fielder? Let me know your thoughts. Surely there has to be someone I’ve left off the list that is better than these guys. Yes, I know that Mitchell, Vina and Hakim are on the list of worst free agent signings in Detroit history, right after Charlie Villanueva.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

She Said I Know I Look Tired But Everything Is Fried Here In Memphis

Ben Wallace says he wants to come back for one more year.  Do the Pistons retire his number when he retires?  That’s a tough one.  He’s been a great Piston, and was nothing when he left here.  He came back, and has been a solid contributor.  I’d probably have to flip a coin to decide, and be happy with it either way.
 
Here's my biggest baseball tip for the month.  Jump on the Nationals bandwagon now, while there's still room.  Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Jordan Zimmermann, Tyler Clippard, Michael Morse, Drew Storen, Jayson Werth and Stephen Strasburg.  Plus I keep hearing they are going to be in the mix to sign Prince Fielder.  Jump on now my friends, before it’s too late!
 
Oh good Lord…  Brandon Inge says he is ready to come back from his rehab assignment.  Heaven help us. 
 
Best $.79 you can spend at Speedway?  Grandma’s Vanilla Sandwich Crème Cookies.  Ten awesome cookies, $.79.  Enough said.
 
If you have not heard ‘Repo Man’ by Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs, do yourself a favor and download it.
 
Someone remind me to check out Tune In Radio on the iTunes store.
 
If you didn’t see my Facebook status earlier, I’m coming out of retirement to play softball for the church team on Sunday.  I’m nervously excited about it.  Wish me luck!!
 
Take care of each other.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Tuesday Afternoon...

Saw something at Kohl's the other night that I filed under "Freaking Brilliant" and "Why Didn't I Think of That?" Postage paid greeting cards. The envelope comes with pre-paid postage. That, my friends, is brilliant!

Did you see that Disney is registering a trademark for “Seal Team 6”? That’s the group that went in and took out Usama Bin Laden. I wonder what Disney is going to do with it. Action figures? Movies? TV series? Lunchboxes? Once again, why didn’t I think to apply for a trademark for “Seal Team 6”?

The Tigers have not had a winning streak of more than seven games since 1984. That’s remarkable to me.

This will be the first NBA Finals without Kobe, Shaq, or Tim Duncan since 1998. That’s remarkable to me.

Still looking for suggestions for my bucket list.

Friday, May 6, 2011

It's Friday I'm In Love!

Happy 80th Birthday to the Say Hey Kid, Willie Mays!! 
 
With it being his birthday, I got to thinking about old time baseball players that I never got to see play.  I’m trying to come up with a list of players that I never saw, that I really wish I had seen play.  I got my list, and then tried to narrow it down to the top five.  It was a lot harder than I thought.  But, here it goes.
 
#5 – Willie Mays
 
#4 – Ted Williams 
 
#3 – Roberto Clemente 
 
#2 – Al Kaline   
 
#1 – Mickey Mantle 
 
Sure, I could have gone really old school and said Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Shoeless Joe Jackson or Cy Young, but I decided to stick with this list.
 
What about a list of great baseball players that I have seen play in person?  Reggie Jackson, Rod Carew, George Brett, Cal Ripken Jr., Andre Dawson, Ryne Sandberg and Ichiro are the ones that come to mind.  I once saw Nolan Ryan at a game, although he didn’t pitch, he was there walking from the bullpen to the dugout.  Same with Pete Rose, I saw him as manager of the Reds, but never as a player.
 
What’s that you say?  Some other greats that I’ve seen from other sports.  Well…  I could go on all day about hockey players, Gretzky, Lemieux, Yzerman, Hull, Shanahan, Hasek, Bourque, Roy, LaFontaine,  Sakic, Lidstrom, Robitaille, Crosby… 
 
I’ve not been to a lot of pro football games, but I did see Barry Sanders set his career high in rushing yards on a Sunday night against the Bucs.
 
I saw Hall of Famers Magic Johnson, Chris Mullin, Isaiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Patrick Ewing, Larry Bird, David Robinson and Charles Barkley play. 
 
It’s fun being a sports fan!!
 
I just heard Indigo Girls covering Uncle John’s Band, which was originally done by Grateful Dead.  Oh.  My. Goodness.  I pray that I never hear that again.  I wanted to change the station, but it was like a train wreck and I had to stay there and listen to it.  Wow was it bad.
 
Liberals love jobs, but hate the employers that provide the jobs.  How does that work?
 

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Whole World Smelled Like Burning Tires The Day John Henry Died

Thinking of Ernie Harwell today, on the one year anniversary of his passing. I hope you're enjoying the games from up there, old friend!

Hey Skipper, see what happens when you listen to me? Remember, I’m the onethat suggested you bring up Scott Sizemore and send Will Rhymes to Toledo. First game after you finally did that, the Tigers beat Captain Cheeseburger and the Yankees. Now, when will Phil Coke go back to the pen, Brad Thomas get his release and Charlie Furbush be brought up??

Sounds like Kris Draper is in the lineup for the Wings tonight at the ‘expense’ of Drew Miller. Nice move, but I’d prefer it was Mike Modano in the lineup and not Draper. However, I’m hoping Drapes can find his magic for some keyface-offs tonight.

The LA Times is reporting that the Dodgers don’t have enough cash to meet payroll at the end of the month. Seriously? I never imagined that the Dodgers wouldhave these problems. However, with the way baseball salaries are, I’m thinking the Dodgers won’t bethe last.

Two songs getting a lot of love on my iPod this week are ‘This Is Why We Fight’ by Decemberists and ‘L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.’ by Noah & The Whale. Check them out if you have the chance.

If you haven’t been to Quaker Steak & Lube for all you can eat wings on Tuesday night, what are you waiting for??? They have some pretty incredible wings and sauces. I like to warm up with Louisiana Lickers sauce and then go right to Buckeye BBQ. Those are my two favorites. Awesome flavor with just the right amount of heat for me.

Surely I cannot be the only one celebrating the fact that I don’t have to hear the April in the D song on Fox Sports Detroit any more. I think that’s my favorite thing about May, is no more April in the D!

My bucket list is small. I have added learn to play the ukulele to it. I’d also like to zipline in Hawaii. I’ve got those two. Any suggestions of things I can add?

Monday, May 2, 2011

I Rode The Bus With 27 Jennifers

Congrats to the brave Navy Seals that took out Usama Bin Laden last night.  I have mad love and respect for you.
 
Three songs that I love, that you've never heard –
            ‘Hopscotch Willie’ by Stephen Malkmus
            ‘Tokyo’ by Bob Schneider
            ‘Nautical Disaster’ by Tragically Hip
 
How was your weekend?  Mine was good, but I’ve come to realize that something needs to change.  Well, several things need to change, starting with me.  I’ve started a workout program today.  I plan to get up every morning and either get on my treadmill or go outside and go around the block.  Wish me luck and keep your fingers crossed for me.  It’s just time for me to get healthy.
 
The next thing that needs to change is the manager of the Detroit Tigers.  I’m 100% fed up with the antics and managerial style of Jim Leyland.  Sure, the guy got us to the World Series in 2006, but that honeymoon is long since over.  For goodness sake, the guy has no clue how to use a bullpen, or anything along those lines.  
 
Let’s look at the game from yesterday, for example.  Top of the ninth inning, down by two.  Austin Jackson got on base, bringing up Will Rhymes.  Will Rhymes, are you kidding me?!?!  I know he’s been struggling this year, but don’t you think maybe using Maglio Ordonez as a pinch hitter would have been a good idea there?  Rhymes flies out to center…  After Ryhmes, we got to see Ramon Santiago.  Ramon Santiago, are you kidding me?  I know he’s been struggling this year, but don’t you think that maybe using Casper Wells as a pinch hitter would have been a good idea there?  Santiago walked.  First and second with one out.
After Santiago we got Don Kelly.  Don Kelly!  Are you kidding me.  Since Leyland didn’t pinch hit for Rhymes or Santiago, surely he’s going to use Ordonez or Wells to pinch hit for Kelly.  Right?  Nope!  Kelly pops out to the shortstop.  The freaking shortstop.  Miguel Cabrera singles, scoring Austin Jackson to cut the lead to one.  Then Brennan Boesch flew out to center to end the game. 
 
Hey Darren Helm, it’s called a deke.  Look it up.
 
Uncle Mike, far be it from me to tell you how to coach the Wings, but let’s put Mike Modano in the lineup for Wednesday.  We brought him in for the playoffs, so let’s give him a chance.  He played in one game in the first round and provided some instant spark.  Let’s see if he can do it again.  I think we can probably survive with sitting Drew Miller in his place. 
 
Hey Zero, have you noticed that gas prices are up again?  It’s $4.299 in my neck of the woods.  You just sit back there in your office at the White House and watch it go up higher.  Heaven forbid you try to do something about it.
 

Thursday, April 28, 2011

The Royal Wedding Is Like The Super Bowl For Cat Ladies

Thoughts and prayers to those in the south dealing with the aftermath of the storms from Wednesday night.
 
Today must be opposite day on my iPod that I was bragging about yesterday.  I think I was reminded why I put it away.  There's some real garbage music on it.  Stuff that I used to like (Paramore) but cannot handle listening to any more.  Thank goodness for the forward button.
 
I know you've been waiting, so here it is.  My mock NFL draft for tonight. 
 
#1 Carolina -  Cam Newton, QB Auburn
#2 Denver – Marcell Dareus, DT Alabama
#3 Buffalo – Blaine Gabbert, QB Missouri
#4 Cincinnati – AJ Green, WR Georgia
#5 Arizona – Patrick Peterson, CB LSU
#6 Cleveland – Von Miller, LB Texas A&M
#7 Houston – Anthony Castonzo, T Boston College
#8 Tennessee – Andy Dalton, QB TCU
#9 Dallas – Tyron Smith, T USC
#10 Washington – Robert Quinn, DE North Carolina
#11 San Francisco – Jake Locker, QB Washington
#12 Minnesota – Julio Jones, WR Alabama
#13 Detroit – Nick Fairley, DT Auburn
#14 St Louis – Corey Liuget, DT Illinois
#15 Miami Dolphins – Mike Pouncey, G/C Florida
#16 Jacksonville – Aldon Smith, DE/LB Missouri
#17 New England - JJ Watt, DE Wisconsin
#18 San Diego – Ryan Kerrigan, DE Purdue
#19 New York Giants – Mark Ingram, RB Alabama
#20 Tampa Bay – Da’Quan Bowers, DE Clemson
#21 Kansas City – Nate Solder, T Colorado
#22 Indianapolis – Gabe Carimi, T Wisconsin
#23 Philadelphia – Adrian Clayborn, DE Iowa
#24 New Orleans – Danny Watkins, G Baylor
#25 Seattle – Prince Amukamara, CB Nebraska
#26 Baltimore – Marvin Austin, DT North Carolina
#27 Atlanta – Jimmy Smith, CB Colorado
#28 New England – Justin Houston, DE/LB Georgia
#29 Chicago – Derek Sherrod, T Mississippi State
#30 New York Jets – Phil Taylor, NT Baylor
#31 Pittsburgh – Brandon Harris, CB Miami
#32 Green Bay – Muhammad Wilkerson, DL Temple
 
There you have it.  The 2011 NFL Mock Draft as compiled by Dennis Lake
 
I don’t really think it’ll go like that.  I can see someone like Oakland trading up to get back in the first round (#28 from New England) to draft Colin Kaepernick.  I’m also sticking with my guns that Carolina won’t take Newton number one, but everything I’m reading/hearing today says that they will.  If they don’t take Newton, all bets are off, although he’ll go #3 to Buffalo.
 
Peyton Hillis on the cover of Madden ’12.  Seriously??  Unless you play fantasy football, you’re probably asking yourself who Peyton Hillis is. 
 
I mentioned the name Mitch Daniels yesterday.  Today, we find out that Indiana is on the verge of cutting funding to Planned Parenthood.   This, my friends, is the kind of leadership we need in Washington!!  Why does the government fund Planned Parenthood??? 
 
Alex Avila is leading the Tigers in RBI.  Who had that coming out of spring training?  By the way, nice way to follow up the sweep of the White Sox.  Could you have laid a bigger egg against the Mariners? 
 
The thermometer on my desk reads 76.8º.  Seriously??  I sit in a high traffic area in the office, and I think it’s going to drive me berserker than I already am.  Oh, it just dropped to 76.1º!  Must be a cold front just moved through.
 
“The Royal Wedding Is Like The Super Bowl For Cat Ladies” someone posted on Twitter today.  That’s just funny.