Hmmm

Straight Bass Homey

Michigan State 54 Michigan 42

In the what was the ugliest game of the year for each team, Michigan State outlasted Michigan and held on for a 54-42 win in Ann Arbor. The Spartans improve to 20-4 (10-2) with a very impressive 6-0 Big Ten road record. The Wolverines, meanwhile, drop to 15-10 (5-7) and have their work cut out for them if they are to reach their goal of making the 65 team NCAA Tournament field.

Missed shots were the theme of the night. MSU shot 3 of 14 from long range. Michigan, which relies heavily on the three-point shot was only 4 of 24 from that distance. Couple all the missed shots with a combined 22 turnovers and it is easly to comprehend how this game was so low scoring.

Also contributing to the low scoring affair was what seemed to be an off-night by many of the games stars. Individual struggles were none more glaring than those of Manny Harris, who was harrassed by Travis Walton all night and finished with 7 points and 7 rebounds. He shot 2 of 10 and made 4 turnovers. Joining Harris in the game-to-forget category is Durrell Summers. His hot-streak came to a cold end in Crisler Arena, as he shot 3 of 8 and finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds. Goran Suton also put out a notably bare stat line, finishing with a measly 4 rebounds and 7 points on 2 of 7 shooting.

But there were some bright spots. Kalin Lucas had a serviceable if quiet game, and was an important ball-handling prescence. But three players stood out, and they are the three stars of the game:

• DELVON ROE - The first star of the game is the Freshman forward. He earned his first double-double as a Spartan, scoring 14 while grabbing 10 boards. He was 5 of 7 from the field and the main inside prescence for MSU. At one point with about 5 minutes left in the game I thought, "Delvon Roe is taking this game over." It was an impressive performance and a welcome sight for Spartan eyes, as this was the first glimpse of what a healthy Delvon Roe can do. From the opening tip it was clear Roe came to play and he established himself as the only inside threat the Spartan's had.

• DESHAWN SIMS - Michigan's only effective scorer is a fitting second star. He was great offensively, shooting 9 of 14 and scoring 18 points. Fouls limited him to only 25 minutes on the floor, but he thrived during those sparse minutes. He consistently created space inside against a deep MSU frountcourt, and was impressive in the paint. The blemish on his statline is an 0 for 3 from deep, and if he had hit one or two of those it would have been a spectacular night for Sims. As it stands, he was Michigan's only real threat and an impressive offensive weapon.
  


• TRAVIS WALTON - Somebody that didn't watch the game and only scanned the box score wouldn't understand Walton's inclusion on this list, but he definitely earned recognition after Tuesday night's defensive clinic. Manny Harris' 2 for 10 night can be directly attributed to Walton's defense, as he followed Harris all night and played great face-up defense. This isn't the first time Walton has shut down a prolific scorer, as AJ Abrams can attest. While Walton's game doesn't make Sportscenter highlights or garner mainstream recognition, it is just as valuable as having a prolific scorer. Make no mistake, Walton is as responsible for this win as much as anybody else on MSU's team.

What's Ahead:

MSU - Michigan State entreched themselves further as the conference favorite. They are 2.5 games ahead of the field in the conference title race, but face a tough road down the stretch. They will enjoy a week off before what is sure to be an overhyped game at Purdue. Their last 5 include 3 games at the Breslin Center, sandwiching a tough trip to Illinois and a game only two days later at Indiana. Barring a stumble, MSU should win the Big Ten. Don't expect them to win out, however. They will almost assuredly lose a few down the stretch, but still have positioned themselves to be a high seed come tournament time. A 2-3 seed is likely, but extreme successes or failures could bump them to a 1 seed, or down to as low as a 4.

UM - Michigan has dug themselves a deep hole. To reach their goal of an NCAA Tournament invite, they will have to win 4 of their last 6. Doing this will make them 9-9 in the Big Ten standings, and 19-12 overall. They will then turn their attention to the Big Ten tournament, where they may have to win one game to impress the selection committee enough to garner an invite. Winning 4 of 6 then going one and done will make them 20-13 with a .500 Big Ten record and a few marquee wins. It should be enough to get in. But 3-3 down the stretch or unacceptable losses to teams like Iowa/Northwestern will seal their NIT fate. First things first is a Sunday matinee at Northwestern, and unequivocally a "must-win" game. Even if UM falls short of the tournament, just being in the hunt is a positive step for the program.

MSU at Michigan Tonight

Michigan State travels to Ann Arbor tonight to meet Michigan in the season's only meeting between the same-state rivals. The two programs have had starkly different successes in the past decade, and there seems to be a talent gap again this year. Although the Wolverine's have improved greatly in John Beilein's second year, they will enter this game as home underdogs.

Michigan State is coming off a week that included 28 and 29 point wins. They have established themselves as the prohibitive favorites in the Big Ten, and now sit 2.5 games in front of the rest of the conference. They will put an unblemished Big Ten road record on the line tonight at Crisler, having won all 5 of their Big Ten road games to date. The Michigan team standing in their way split 2 games last week, and has lost 5 of their last 7. Saturday's loss to #1 UConn was a gritty loss, and although the existence of moral victories is debateable Michigan must have gained from confidence from going punch for punch with the top team in the country.

Michigan will pose some matchup problems for Michigan State. They will run a variety of zone defenses, and Michigan State has had great trouble with the zone at times this year. If UM forces MSU into long-range shots and they aren't falling, Michigan should have no problem hanging with MSU all game. Manny Harris also poses a bit of a matchup issue. Raymar Morgan will not play tonight, and although MSU has the athletes to matchup with Harris their depth is eliminated at that spot with Morgan's absence. Expect a variety of defenders to shadow Harris, including Durrell Summers, Travis Walton, and Chris Allen. All of those defenders will be shorter than Harris, and in Walton's case, 3-4 inches shorter. Harris could give the Spartans headaches if he can find a way to exploit individual matchups. But this game, as with most Michigan games, will come down to the Wolverine's long range shooting.

Everybody knows that Michigan chucks up a lot of 3's. Tonight should be no different, and whether the shots fall or not will affect multiple areas of the game. Made three's not only help out Michigan adding points to their score, but they will help keep points off the board for MSU. Michigan State loves to run the floor, pushing it at any opportunity. Missed three's will play perfectly into Michigan State's gameplan, as it will allow them to turn rebounds into instant offense, while Michigan is not afforded any time to organize defensively. If Michigan makes its three point shots, the extra second or two MSU takes to inbound the ball will slow down their fast-break game and allow Michigan to set its defense. And Michigan will shoot the three. MSU's man-to-man defense should force Michigan into a lot of pick and roll or kick and shoot plays, but Michigan will pull the trigger at every opportunity.

Las Vegas lists the Spartans as 4.5 point favorites in this game, but anything could happen. MSU is the more athletic and skilled team, but when Michigan makes its shots and plays great defense they have proven they can beat any team in the country. Add in the unique lighting of Crisler Arena and this game could be very close. Expect a tight game, with Michigan State's athleticism, depth, and superior rebounding to be the difference.

The Pick: Michigan State 64 Michigan 59

Today is the Height of My Confidence in the Tigers

( I only wish they'd sign her to a 10 year deal)

Hope springs eternal. Or something like that. Whatever the hell that means I think it was created to describe my hopes for the 2009 Detroit Tigers season. For some reason, I've become increasingly optimistic about their chances this summer. Just one month ago I was Debbie Downer, and I could have taken up 3 hours of your time destroying their pitching, hitting, fielding, and General Managing. But just as the snow and ice is beginning to melt away, my cold and dark exterior has been lifted and I have become a beacon of hope for our hardballers.

It may be because I've read numerous optimistic and good-news stories about the Tigers in the past week. It may be because preliminary reports on the rehab of Jeremy Bonderman, Joel Zumaya, and Gary Sheffield have been glowing. It may just be because I want to believe they have a chance. It's quite inexplicable, but I think they have as damn good of a shot as anybody. Let's take a very early, pre-spring training look at the Tigers.

Notable Additions: RP Brandon Lyon, SP Edwin Jackson, C Gerald Laird, C Matt Treanor, SS Adam Everett

Notable Losses: SP Kenny Rogers, RP Todd Jones, SS Edgar Renteria, OF Matt Joyce, C Ivan Rodriguez

Prospective Starting Pitchers: Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Edwin Jackson, Armando Galarraga, Dontrelle Willis, Nate Robertson, Zach Miner

Projected Starting Nine:

CF Curtis Granderson

2B Placido Polanco

DH Gary Sheffield

1B Miguel Cabrera

RF Magglio Ordonez

LF Carlos Guillen

SS Adam Everett

3B Brandon Inge

C Gerald Laird

Shockingly enough, that ain't bad! Look at the top 4 starting pitchers. They are actually good! And the defense is markedly improved this year. The left side of the infield is the best in the league, the infield as a whole is very good, Laird is a good defensive catcher, and Granderson is a great centerfielder. The corner outfield positions are a big question mark, and although I initially laughed at the idea of Guillen in LF, I've completely warmed up to the idea. He has good speed, a strong arm, incredibly high baseball IQ, and will work hard everyday to learn the position. I've convinced myself this team has a great defensive core.

The big fat elephant in the room remains the bullpen. It was the weak link last year, and besides Lyon, it hasn't been adressed in free agency. But upon closer inspection it won't be train-wreck terrible. Only 5 men can start, so they have Robertson, Willis, or Miner to add to the pen. They also have a few trade pieces depending on who makes the starting 5 cut. So they might not be done. And the players they have aren't bad. Joel Zumaya is supposedly 100% to start spring training. Fernando Rodney will be much more comfortable in the set-up role, as Captain Crooked Hat isn't made up to be a Closer. Freddy Dolsi looks to have a bright future. And the improved defense should help the starting pitchers to squeak out an extra inning.

While I'm not extremely confident in the bullpen, somehow I've become optimistic about this squad. I'm sure they will receive some heart-breaking injury news during spring training, or Joel Zumaya will blow out his shoulder waving to a girl or something, but now is the time for optimism. Like the weather, things are starting to look better for the Tigers.

One Week Late: Michigan's Tourney Chances Up In Flames

I had meant to write this blog over a week ago, but it remains true. Michigan can start preparing for the NIT. They will not be invited to the NCAA tournament, and only winning the Big Ten tournament will get them an invite. They have a couple of fantastic out-of-conference wins against UCLA and Duke, but they haven't done enough (anything) in conference play to warrant an invite. They have lost 5 of 6, and stand at 8th in the Big Ten with a 4-6 record. Oh, and after Penn State tonight, their next two games are at #1 UConn and vs. #13 Michigan State. Things are not looking good for the Maize and Blue in the near future, and they don't look great on the tournament resume. Here it is:

Record: 13-8 (4-6 Big Ten)

RPI Rank: 58

Strength of Schedule: 21st

vs. Top 25: 2-4

vs. Top 50: 3-6

Road/Neutral: 3-6

Conference RPI Rank: 2

Besides the two marquee wins, Michigan doesn't have much else to stand on. Now if they beat Penn State, UConn, and Michigan State this whole entry will be voided and Michigan will be in a good position to receive an invite. It's just unlikely. And a loss to Penn State tonight will eliminate any chance. Weeks ago I tried to tell the Michigan fans it was crazy to think their invitation was sealed, and they are now beginning to realize that. It will be an uphill climb for the Wolverines to make the big boy tournament field.

Michigan State Destroys Minnesota

Whoa. Michigan State completely destroyed Minnesota last night, effectively ending any question of the outcome with about 7 minutes left in the first half. Durrell Summers outscored Minnesota in the first half 17-16, leading MSU to a 42-16 first half lead. It was a beautiful display of dominance. Minnesota also played terrible. The game puts MSU 1 1/2 games ahead of the pack in the Big Ten race, and positions them well for conference title push.

There isn't much to dissect about this blowout, so I wanted to take a minute to examine some hypotheticals about MSU's NCAA tournament seeding prospects. ESPN's Joe Lunardi is the expert on the subject, and he's one of the few talking-heads with a track record of reliability. His latest bracket has MSU as a 3 seed in the Midwest, with Duke as the 1, Louisville as the 2, and Kansas as the 4 in that Region. Now, I would love this spot. They would play the early rounds in Minneapolis and the late rounds in Indianapolis, plus the Final Four is in Detroit. They would never have to leave Big Ten country. But things will almost assuredly change and we can wonder what will happen as their resume changes for better or worse. As it stands now, MSU has a very impressive tournament resume. Here it is:

Record: 18-4 (8-2 Big Ten)

RPI Rank: 4

Strength of Schedule: 2nd

vs. Top 25: 6-1

vs. Top 50: 8-1

Road/Neutral: 10-2

Conference RPI Rank: 2

So obviously MSU has a very nice resume. They are probably the highest rated 3 seed in Lunardi's bracket, and could make a case for a 2 seed as it is. But what will happen if they put together another long win streak and win the Big Ten tournament? I feel like a 2 seed will be their ceiling. The home losses to Northwestern and Penn State and the brutal loss to Maryland are all considered "Bad" losses. Although Penn State is a tough team this year, they still haven't changed their national reputation. If Michigan State wins out through conference play and wins the Big Ten tournament then they will obviously have a strong case for a #1 seed. But if it means they will have to travel West or South, then I'm not sure its for the best. I would rather them have a #2 seed in the Midwest than a #1 seed in the West. On the opposite hand if they stumble down the stretch finish in the 3-5 range in the Big Ten and lose early in the Big Ten tournament, they could drop as low as a 5 seed. It will be interesting to see how they position themselves as the season moves along, but they control their own tournament placement as it stands now.

How Bad Were The Refs in the MSU Game?

I'm a notorious referee basher. I know they have a difficult job, but I feel missing obvious calls is unacceptable. And they completely blew some incredibly obvious calls in the Michigan State-Iowa basketball game tonight.


They started things innocently and obviously enough with a ref calling a goaltending call on Raymar Morgan when he never touched the ball. ESPN never showed a replay, but I know this because I rewound the DVR and watched in slow motion 5 times. I can definitively say the ball was never touched, and I am sitting 600 miles away. For a ref to miss a call that happens 15 feet away and should be clear to him is bad, but not totally terrible.


The second amazing missed call happened on an Iowa made basket where their guard drove to the hoop and made an impressive shot over a few Spartan defenders. Or so it seemed. Upon closer inspection and after the replay, it was apparent the Iowa guard KARATE-CHOPPED Raymar Morgan in the face! He left-handed chopped Raymar in the face before laying the ball in. Amazing. Equally amazing was the official who stood not 10 feet away watching the play and just sitting on his whistle.


The third play was the most incredible blown call and it somehow didn't involve Raymar Morgan. MSU was running its offense on a normal possession inside 10 minutes of the 2nd half. The ball ended up in Goran Suton's hands at the elbow, and he pivoted a few times unable to find an open pass. He then put the ball on the court and dribbled starting to post his defender up when the official blew the whistle. Double dribble. But Suton hadn't dribbled yet! Bill Raftery was as shocked as I was, because it is an inexcusably bad missed call. You have to know if a dude dribbled yet while he's pivoting, its basketball 101.


Anyway, MSU dominated from the word go, and left Iowa City (great city, by the way) still undefeated in Big 10 road games. It's really an impressive feat for a team that went 3-6 on the road last year. Next up is Penn State at the Breslin Center, high noon on Super Bowl Sunday.

Red Wings Sign Zetterberg to 12 Year Deal

Well this is just more proof that Ken Holland is playing chess while the rest of the NHL is playing checkers. There are numerous benefits to the long 12 year $73M deal that Holland crafted for Zetterberg. The first important thing to note is that the final three years of the deal pay Zetterberg $3.35M, $1M, and $1M. So this is not a backloaded deal that will cripple the Wings down the road. Secondly, the length allows for a reduced yearly salary. Instead of a 5 year deal paying $8M a year, the Wings are paying on average $6M a year, and mostly between $6.5 and $7M throughout the contract. The annual $1-2M saved is no small thing, as it will allow them more financial flexibility with the rest of the roster. Third, Zetterberg is a franchise-type player, a complete two way talent who you can build a team around. This deal gives Holland peace of mind that he can acquire players to mesh with his core.

Holland now turns his attention to Hossa and Franzen. One is expected to be extended before the season ends, and the other is expected to hit it rich in free agency. Nobody thinks Holland can find a way to keep both. But never doubt this mad-wizard of a GM. Zetterberg just gave the Wings a hometown discount, freeing up cash to work in both. If either Franzen or Hossa decides its worth sacrificing $1M a year, then Holland might find a way to fit both under the NHL salary cap, which is a whole other story (does it go up or down?). It will undoubtedly be an intriguing summer for a Wings fan, but right now they can just enjoy the briliance of this deal.

Shane Mosley Destroys Antonio Margarito

I hate to toot my own horn, but toot toot! The overwhelming underdog, Shane Mosley, completely destroyed Antonio Margarito before stopping him with thunderous right hands in the 9th round. Margarito was favored by all. He was a 4 to 1 favorite in Las Vegas. You couldn't find ANYBODY picking Mosley, except yours truly. This is part of what I wrote yesterday:

The unanimous consensus seems that Margarito will be too much for the old fighter and will wear him down leading to a late round TKO. I'm here to pose another possibility. Mosley's speed should allow him to attack Margarito in the early rounds. His best defense will be his offense. Margarito is great at shrinking the ring and cutting off the circling game, so Mosley will have to use his jab-power combinations to force Margarito into respecting his space. Mosley should win the early rounds. In fact do not be surprised to see Mosley win the first 6 or so rounds. If this happens, Mosley can plan for the coming assault. Paul Williams used this exact game plan in a 2007 defeat of Margarito, winning the early rounds and surviving a vicious 11th round attack before Margarito tired in the 12th.

Well ladies and gentleman, this fight went almost exactly as I suspected. Mosley used his jab-power combination to establish himself as a force early in the fight. He won the first six rounds and possibly the first 8 (I scored only the 7th for Margarito, and it was close). His speed was undoubtedly the difference as he beat Margarito to the punch in every exchange. He also used the clinch perfectly, never allowing himself to be backed up by Margarito. I don't think anybody could have forseen a Mosley knockout, which is the main shock of the fight. But it is known that Mosley possesses elite power, and he showed it with tons of thunderous right hands all night, leading up to the 9th round finish.

The opening bell came and Jim Lampley provided the viewers with a very curious piece of information. The commissioner of boxing relayed the news that Margarito's hands were wrapped with an illegal hardening substance (probably Plaster of Paris) and it was discovered and his hands had to be re-wrapped three times. It obviously didn't have anything to do with the result tonight, but it does bring into question the result of the Margarito-Cotto bout from this past summer. The two were expected to rematch this summer pending results of their respective bouts, and while Margarito lost I expect they will still meet (providing Cotto beats Michael Jennings). It will be an intriguing backdrop to an anticipated rematch, and should provide plenty of rumor fodder and conspiracy theories about Margarito's power.

The road for Shane Mosley isn't as clear. One would expect a unification bout with either Joshua Clottey or Andre Berto to make the most sense, but they can be politically tricky. Maybe Cotto skips Margarito and gets a rematch with Mosley (who he has beaten) for the Welterweight Title. It will be interesting to see where Shane Mosley goes from here.

In all, it was a very impressive display by Shane Mosley. You can't say enough about him or trainer Nazim Richardson (one of my personal favorites) creating and executing a perfect gameplan. It was a great display of skill and power and focus, and one of the biggest upsets in recent boxing history. If you didn't catch it tonight, HBO is rebroadcasting it tomorrow at 9:45 AM on HBO, and at 12:45 PM on HBO2. Highly recommended.

Attn Captain Crooked Hat: Meet Brandon Lyon

Well the Captain Crooked Hat era has officially ended in Detroit before it began. The Tigers have agreed to a one year $4.25 M deal with Brandon Lyon, mercifully ending all speculative terror that has come with the Captain Crooked Hat era. Dave Dombrowski has said "We have not guaranteed Brandon Lyon the closers role." Well make no mistake about it, Brandon Lyon is guaranteed to be the closer. There is no humanly possible way that Captain Crooked Hat wins the job. Lyon would have to end up like the drummer for Def Leppard for Captain Crooked Hat to take the closers job.

Although Lyon isn't as exciting as K-Rod, Putz, Hoffman, Wood, or basically anyone else that was available, he was the best left. And they didn't have to break the bank for him, as it's only a one year deal for 4.25 Mil. And he can't get be any worse than what the Tigers would have had without him. Captain Crooked hat has proven that he cannot close games, but he is actually an effective set-up man. With The Captain of the Crooked and Joel Zumaya at the 7-8 and Lyon at the 9, the Tigers are beginning to resemble a Major League pitching staff. Now we just have to figure out if they have 5 capable starters...

Mark McGwire's Brother is a Scumbag

ESPN - A new book proposal, submitted by the admittedly estranged brother of Mark McGwire, claims the former major league slugger used both steroids and human growth hormone during his career. In the proposal, first reported Wednesday on Deadspin.com, Jay McGwire alleges that Mark used Deca-Durabolin and that he introduced Mark to performance-enhancing drugs in 1994. The McGwire brothers reportedly haven't spoken to each other for years. The book, "The McGwire Family Secret: The Truth about Steroids, a Slugger and Ultimate Redemption," is reportedly being sent by Jay McGwire to several publishing houses in New York. Deadspin.com said that it has been turned down by "many" publishers. "Mark is a man I think most would like to forgive because his reason wasn't nefarious -- it was for survival," he wrote, according to the proposal. "My bringing the truth to surface about Mark is out of love. I want Mark to live in truth to see the light, to come to repentance so he can live in freedom -- which is the only way to live. "

Alright Jay McGwire can cut the shit with the "This is out of love and repentance and shining light blah blah blah." EVERYBODY knows you're in it for the money, dude. Everybody. There can't be a single person in the world who really thinks Jay McGwire is heartlessly throwing his estranged brother under the bus "out of love." Yeah, love of a million dollar publishing deal maybe. And I can understand why the publishing companies are pushing this away like its a poop-on-a-stick. Because EVERYBODY knows Mark McGwire used steroids. Everybody. There can't be a single person who really thinks McGwire blew up like a balloon and starting jacking 600 ft homers 65 times a season based on a strict pilates program. This is probably the reason the greatest slugger of the 1990's can't even get 15% of the Hall-of-Fame vote let alone the required 75%. There is nothing startling or remotely intriguing about a "Mark McGwire Used Steroids" book. Now if it was about how McGwire threw steroid parties with Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and a handful of transvestite strippers, maybe it'd be worth a book deal... but not based on this lame-o 'exclusive'. I guarantee that Jay McGwire's estrangement and this book deal are because McGwire wasn't giving him money back then or now. Well Jay McGwire wasn't wowing America in a heated homerun chase with Sammy Sosa was he? So he can piss off, he never deserved money from Mark McGwire and certainly doesn't now.

Margarito-Mosley Should Be Fantastic

Let it be known that I am a big boxing fan. And tomorrow night we will all be treated to a rare title fight for free. The economic downturn paired with contract quarrels has led to this fight being broadcast on HBO. Regular HBO, no pay-per-view. It's not really free in a sense that you pay for HBO, but for those that do have HBO available, I highly recommend tuning into this fight tomorrow night... Antonio Margarito vs. Shane Mosley for the Welterweight Title.

The Ledgers:

Antonio Margarito

Age: 30

Title: WBA Welterweight (2008-Present, 0 defenses)

Height: 5'11"

From: Tijuana, Mexico

Record: 37-5 (25 KO)

Record in Title Fights: 11-2 (9 KO), 1 No Contest

Previous Titles: WBO Welterweight (2002-2007, 8 Defenses), IBF Welterweight (2008, 0 Defenses)

Current and Former World Champions Defeated: 4 (Andrew Lewis, Kermit Cintron (twice), Joshua Clottey, Miguel Cotto).

Current and Former World Champions Defeated by: 2 (Daniel Santos, Paul Williams)

Shane Mosley

Age: 37

Title: None

Height: 5'9"

From: Pomona, California

Record: 45-5 (38 KO)

Record in Title Fights: 14-5 (11 KO)

Previous Titles: IBF Lightweight (1997-1999, 8 Defenses), World/WBC Welterweight (2000-2002, 3 Defenses), World/WBC/WBA Jr. Middleweight (2003-2004, 0 Defenses)

Current and Former World Chamions Defeated: 8 (Phillip Holiday, John John Molina, Jesse James Leija, Oscar De La Hoya, Raul Marquez, Fernando Vargas, Luis Collazo, Ricardo Mayorga)

Current and Former World Champions Defeated by: 3 (Vernon Forrest, Winky Wright, Miguel Cotto)

Fight Breakdown

This fight matches contrasting styles. Margarito is a relentless puncher, throwing tons and tons of shots. He has a renowned chin and can take a lot of damage. He is a plodding fighter, usually stalking his opponent about the ring. Mosley possesses amazing raw talent. His combination of speed and power once captivated the world. Although he has since slowed a bit with age, he is still a great example of the prototypical combination of speed, skill, and power.

The unanimous consensus seems that Margarito will be too much for the old fighter and will wear him down leading to a late round TKO. I'm here to pose another possibility. Mosley's speed should allow him to attack Margarito in the early rounds. His best defense will be his offense. Margarito is great at shrinking the ring and cutting off the circling game, so Mosley will have to use his jab-power combinations to force Margarito into respecting his space. Mosley should win the early rounds. In fact do not be surprised to see Mosley win the first 6 or so rounds. If this happens, Mosley can plan for the coming assault. Paul Williams used this exact game plan in a 2007 defeat of Margarito, winning the early rounds and surviving a vicious 11th round attack before Margarito tired in the 12th.

However there is a lot at stake in this fight. Margarito has scratched and clawed to become part of the boxing's "Elite," and will not want to exit this group. Mosley has been in this group for the better part of 15 years. Will Margarito be the hungrier fighter? Additionally, this fight will occur in front of 20,000+ fans in Los Angeles' Staples Center; a great location for two Southern California based fighters. The atmosphere will be electric and the setting perfect.

It is very difficult to predict a fight where the fighters are so different, and where both possess one punch knockout power. I'll make a prediction knowing full-well that it could be completely wrong. I think that Mosley will win the early rounds before slowing and Margario taking full control of the fight. However, I expect Mosley to have such an advantage on the scorecards that he is able to plan for and avoid the assault. If he is standing at the end of the 12th round, it means he's outboxed Margarito and has won numerous rounds. I also make this pick to go against the grain a little bit... All signs point to Margarito overwhelming Mosley, but I think the old vet has one last run in him.

The Pick: Mosley by Decision

So definitely tune into this fight. It's a non pay-per-view title fight, and a good one at that. Even the undercard is really loaded (but I won't bore you). HBO 10 PM on Saturday.

Can Everybody Stop With the Lions Drafting a QB Talk?

(Georgia QB Matthew Stafford)

(USC QB Mark Sanchez)

(Alabama OT Andre Smith)

OK this pre-draft talk is getting really old. Add Mel Kiper to the long list of "experts" who have the Lions taking a QB with the #1 overall pick. This has to stop before it gains anymore steam. What a terrible waste of a pick any QB would be. Especially Georgia's keg-lifting QB Matthew Stafford. He has a great arm, they say. Yeah... so does JaMarcus Russell, how is that working out? So did Alex Smith and David Carr. USC's Mark Sanchez has gotten some talk, but I wonder where all his talk was before Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, and Colt McCoy chose not to declare eligibility for the draft. The fact is NOBODY considered Sanchez a top 10 pick until the other underclassmen chose to stay in school. The franchise's answer at QB is not in this draft. Besides the lack of QB talent worthy of a #1 pick, drafting a QB just doesn't make sense for the Lions.

For any rookie QB to survive and succeed, they must step into a well-managed situation. The Lions have a rookie head coach, a rookie GM, a sieve for a defense, a sieve for an offensive line, and they are coming off an 0-16 season. If Jesus Christ himself decided to enter the draft and the Lions picked him to play quarterback, he wouldn't succeed. The Lions are in complete rebuilding mode, and throwing a rookie QB on a terrible team would end in disaster, ask Joey Harrington.

The benefits of passing on the QB this year and selecting mammoth O-Tackle Andre Smith are plentiful. Andre Smith is a beast. He's allowed something like 2 sacks his entire career. He's widely considered the best OL in the draft. First Round Tackles have a very strong track record. Joe Thomas and Jake Long are two recent examples of top 5 OT's that have established themselves as pillars for many years to come. The Lions can immediately plug Smith into the LT position for the next ten years. They can move Jeff Backus to Guard and immediately improve two Offensive Line positions. Following the selection of Smith, they must turn to defense. Every draft pick by the Lions should be Offensive Lineman and Defensive players. Not a single skill position player should be drafted. If that happens and the kids can contribute, they will establish a TEAM where a young Quarterback could succeed...

In all likelihood, the Lions will be drafting in the top 10 again next year. And next year will provide a nice crop of QB's. Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, and Colt McCoy should all be available. All three are better prospects than Stafford or Sanchez. Why not build a solid team and wait a year to use such a high pick on a capable player? It makes the most sense.

So I'm here to say we must stop any and all talk of the Lions selecting Stafford #1. It will cripple the franchise even more and set them back another 5 years. It will be Joey all over again...

Lidstrom, Datsyuk Pull Out of All-Star Game

(Lidstrom's elbow pain was caused from lifting too much hardware)

Freep - Just a few days ago, Red Wings forward Kirk Maltby pointed out the irony of the NHL All-Star Game is that the players going are the ones their respective teams would most want to see get some rest. As it turns out, the Wings' Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk will spend the rest of the week getting refreshed, because both have pulled out of the Montreal festivities. "Both are due to ongoing and steadily worsening injuries," team spokesman John Hahn said via e-mail Wednesday. "Lidstrom has been suffering from elbow problems this season while Datsyuk recently experienced problems with a hip flexor."

The old elbow and hip flexor All-Star Game excuse. Look, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that neither Lidstrom or Datsyuk wanted any part of this game. They'd rather be laying around on some beach or sleeping in till noon on their time off than playing in a skills competition and a glorified exhibition. I aint mad at 'em. What I am mad at is the hockey media painting this as "bad for the game" because Versus is going to lose all the viewers in a huge market because no Red Wings are in the game! I wouldn't watch the All-Star Game if there were 10 Red Wings playing, and neither would you. And let's face it, Versus isn't losing any Detroit viewers because we all would have been watching the Canadian channel anyway. Give me the Skills Competion and nothing else NHL.

And haven't we been carrying this league for the last ten years anyway? So now Detroit must not only singlehandedly carry the regular season, playoffs, and everything else; but we're responsible for the success of an All-Star game. Here's an idea: Give us a damn All-Star game in Detroit and then we'll watch it.

Michigan State Loses to Northwestern

Michigan State lost its first Big Ten game of the year, its first home loss in 28 games, and snapped an 11 game win streak with a 70-63 loss to Northwestern at the Breslin Center. I’m usually one to say that no loss is a good loss, but I almost feel like this is a good thing for MSU. It’s never good to peak in January, unless you’re playing in the NFL, and MSU was peaking. They had also had gutted out the last few wins, with each one in question, and this should let them know that they are beatable. Undoubtedly, this will be a wakeup call for the Spartans.

The defeat doesn’t present only positives, however. MSU was completely baffled by a zone defense, just as they were against Penn State. I will even say they are exposed as a team that can’t handle the zone right now. Make no mistake, MSU is going to see a lot of zone after this. And guess who runs a 1-3-1 zone just like Northwestern? The boys down the road in Ann Arbor. That game just got a lot more interesting. The zone defense forced MSU into what seemed like 56 turnovers. Chris Allen (or Chris Hill if you’re Tom Hamilton,) turned it over around 40 times. Kalin Lucas was indecisive and ineffective all day, just lobbing errant passes around. MSU consistently passed to a spot, instead of a man, which lead to the turnovers.

On Northwestern’s side, Kevin Coble clearly sold his soul to the devil. He was unconscious, hitting every shot he chucked up. Raymar Morgan went back to his terrible defensive ways and was abused by Coble. Now I know that Raymar had the flu, but if he was too sick, Izzo would have benched him. If he’s playing you have to assume he is OK. Play he did, and abused he was. Raymar couldn’t even slow Coble down on his way to 31 points.

But this loss is squarely on the Point Guards’ shoulders. Here’s some key numbers: MSU wins rebounds 39-19, Field Goal Pct is NW 43% MSU 40%, 3 pointers made NW 9 MSU 5, TURNOVERS: NW 9, MSU 18! When the offense turns it over 18 times, the blame goes to the ball handlers: Kalin Lucas, Chris Allen, and Travis Walton. And I’ll throw some blame on Tom Izzo, who relied way too heavily on a small lineup and perimeter shooting when the inside game was where the success was. In fact Goran Suton deserves mention as the ONLY Spartan who played well.

In all, a loss is never good, especially to Big Ten bottom-feeders at home. But I think MSU needed a loss to get them hungry again, knock them down a few notches, and humble them a bit. I think this will be considered a good thing in March.

Michigan Continues Collapse

As stated in this very blog only two weeks ago, it was ridiculous for Michigan fans to think their invitation to the dance was sealed. And the chance to dance is very clearly slipping from the Wolverines with every loss. The latest in the three game losing streak was a 73-58 devastating loss at Penn State. The loss wasn't devastating in a nail-biter way, but more like a complete beatdown on the road to a Big Ten bottom-feeder kind of way. Big Ten road games are hard to win, but the ones at Penn State, Indiana, Iowa, and Northwestern have to be won. Make no mistake about it, this was a bad loss for Michigan. They are now 3-4 in the Big Ten, good for 8th place. They must go at least 2-1 in the Northwestern, @ Ohio State, @ Purdue stretch coming up to have any hope. It looks like they will battle Ohio State for the last Big Ten invite to the tournament.

The game provided us with the best college basketball play-by-play man, Gus Johnson. That was really all that was right, though. Michigan is learning it's hard to win with 5 Small Forwards. They were destroyed inside, for the third consecutive game. And they shot poorly for the third consecutive game. Not good things. There is no time to spend on the losses, however, as the season continues and each game becomes more important. Next up a must-win game vs. Northwestern at Crisler Arena.

Tonight: Keep an eye out for the MSU-Northwestern game-wrap.

Michigan State Comes Back to Beat Illinois

Quick thoughts and things to consider after MSU's come from behind win over Illinois:

• ESPN's announcing crew consisted of Doris Burke and Dave O'Brien. Now traditionally, I'm not the biggest fan of female announcers, but Doris Burke is one of the better basketball analysts out there. Many times during the game Doris tried to get into some hardcore b-ball x's and o's, historical discussions, or player technique talk; and it was clear Dave O'Brien couldn't hang.

• Michigan State can push the ball upcourt. If it wasn't clear before the game, it certainly is now, as MSU's second half comeback was thanks in most part to their relentless fast-break.

• The Izzone was rocking. After a few questionable calls to wake it up, the student section erupted down the strech, climaxing after Raymar Morgans score-and-foul when it looked and sounded crazy in the Breslin.

• Speaking of questionable calls, how bad was the shot clock/three pointer play? I understand that there was an inadvertent whistle, but didn't it happen after MSU grabbed the rebound? And if you were going to give the ball back to Illinois, why was there 1 second on the shot clock when the ball clearly hit the rim? Shouldn't there have been 35 seconds? Just a terrible sequence of events by the referees.

• Michigan State is proving themselves to be very mentally tough. They were dealt some really tough blows in this game, and many other teams would have folded and accepted the loss. But the Spartans kept at it, storming back and winning in the end. After the aforementioned shot clock play, Izzo's technical foul, their stretch of turnovers, the Spartans had numerous opportunities to quit and never did. They look to be a VERY tough out come tournament time.

• Illinois is definitely one of the better Big Ten teams. They are no worse than 4th best in the league. They will be one of the tougher tests the Spartans face the rest of the way when they travel to Champaign on March 1.

• Who lit the fire under Marquise Gray's ass?

• I hate to put a damper on MSU's current win-streak, but you hate to think they are peaking too early. You want to win every game you play, but I just hope they aren't hitting their stride 3 months too soon.

• Next up: Northwestern at the Breslin Center on Wednesday, and at Ohio State on Sunday.
  

Sharks Out Shoot the Red Wings 6-5

The Sharks outscored the Red Wings last night to win 6-5. Is there any doubt that this will be the matchup for the Western Conference Finals? Both teams will surely be seeded 1-2, so they won't be able to match up until the conference finals, and I don't expect either to lose until then. Last nights game was really competitive, as opposed to the last two meetings where the teams traded lopsided wins. The big point of discussion this morning is whether Patrick Marleau was offsides on his breakaway goal (he probably was), but it's the wrong thing to discuss. Once again it's defensive breakdowns that doom the Wings. For as talented as this team is, they have not been good defensively this year. Last years team was great defensively, limiting chances and forcing turnovers, this years team is just not a good defensive team. And everybody has been saying all year "They'll get it together..." but time is running out on that. At this point in the season, you are what you play like. And right now this team has problems on defense. It's hard to say what exactly the problem is, because the personel is identical from last year, and they've added a great defensive forward in Hossa. So it's hard to say, but the way things stand NOW they probably aren't good enough defensively to defend their title... But hey, they'll turn things around...

MSU Comes Back to Beat Illinois

Game wrap tomorrow...

Michigan vs. Ohio State 8 p.m. tonight. Game wrap tomorrow.

NFL Conference Championship Picks

Well after a disastrous 0-4 weekend, we pick ourselves up off the ground and keep on. At this point, who the hell knows what's going to happen this weekend? We are coming off a divisional round where the Cardinals went to Carolina as 10 point dogs and smacked around the Panthers, the Ravens went to big bad Tennessee as 3 point dogs and played mistake free yet again, and the Eagles went to the home of the defending champs and muscled them around. The only non-surprise was Pittsburgh taking care of San Diego, and by the time they kicked off all the other weird stuff had already happened and everybody who picked San Diego for an upset knew the pick was doomed. Unfortunately, the picks can't be posted at 4:10 on Sunday, and we have to guess what the hell is going to happen. Which leads us to Championship Weekend. Cardinals. Eagles. Ravens. Steelers... Get excited.

CARDINALS (+4) over Eagles

I obviously have no idea what is going to happen in this game. I don't think anybody does. What I do know is that EVERYBODY loves the Eagles, as evidenced by the line moving a full point towards them this week (never good), I know that the Arizona home crowd should be worth at least three points (it will be loud), and I know that I am absolutely terrified of the possibility of Kurt Warner turning it over 6 times. Absolutely petrified. Kurt Warner against Jim Johnson's blitzes? Yikes. There is a real possibility of Warner getting so shaken by the blitzes and subsequent fumbles, that he cannot overcome it and has a game like Delhomme's last week. In which case CARDINALS (+4) will look very bad. This is a real possibilty.

But I have hope, or something like it. I have seen this team make a drastic shift. We can no longer judge this Arizona squad on blowout losses they suffered in the regular season. It's a different team. Somehow, they completely transformed over the course of two weeks. And they are not running into a juggernaut in Philadelphia. This team went 9-6-1. They don't do anything great, they don't have a superstar at any position. They're obviously a good team, as they've made it this far. But 4 point road favorites are reserved for juggernauts, not for 9-6-1 teams. Which is why I say thank you, Vegas, and take the points. What else are you supposed to do in a game where nobody has any clue what will happen?

The Pick: Arizona 29, Philadelphia 23



Ravens (+6) over STEELERS

Again, thank you Vegas, I'll have the points please. This game is so much like the Ravens-Titans slobberknocker last weekend. Two teams from the same mold, great defenses, can run the ball, well-coached, blah blah blah. And they've played two great games this year. At Pittsburgh, 23-20 Steelers in OT. And at Baltimore, 13-9 Steelers (Santonio Holmes did he break the plane game). My question is, why is the line 6 points? Haven't these teams proven themselves to be dead even? I know the Steelers won both games, but the second win is very debateable, and the first ended regulation in a tie. Bottom line, these teams are even. So I find this line a little bit high. Pittsburgh did look fantastic last week, and the Ravens probably stole one from Tennessee, but this isn't the case of an ascending team versus a descending team. Both are extremely confident, both hate each other, both will come to play. There is no need to analyze this game from an X's and O's standpoint. The defenses will dominate, and points will be at a premium. And in a situation like that between closely matched teams, I'll grab the 6 points and hold on...

The Pick: Pittsburgh 16, Baltimore 13


In review, I'm taking the points this weekend and hoping for 1-1. That's the best any of us can expect at this point.

Great Video of MSU-Kansas Game...

You may recall in the postgame-wrap for the MSU-Kansas game a comment about a highlight of Tom Izzo being mic'd up was when an official hurt his foot and officials and coaches met at midcourt. Here is what was written:

• CBS mic'ed up Tom Izzo, which would have been cool except they only showed Izzo yelling very basic things. "Hands Up!" and "Push It!" and "Ray! Ray! Ray!". The highlight undoubtedly came when they had Izzo's audio up for the mid-court meeting between coaches and officials after the official got hurt. After hearing the injured official yell "Son of a bitch!" we were blessed to hear someone suggest they "Just put his ass in a chair at mid-court." Which would have made the official the most capable of them all...
  
  
  

We have now reason to believe the person suggesting they "Just put his ass in a chair at mid-court and it will probably be just as good" is Kansas coach Bill Self... Good stuff.

What Happened to Michigan's Shoes?

What is going on with Michigan's shoes? This is the school that invented the black sneakers, baggy shorts, and created the "hip hop culture" of modern hoops. Now they are wearing white shoes? I don't have a huge problem with the whites with their all white uni's (like vs. Iowa above)... but they looked terrible when they wore the blues against Illinois. First the football team puts yellow stripes on their road jerseys, now the basketball squad is wearing white shoes? Are they planning on changing the winged-helmet soon, or what? Let's just stick to the black shoes all the time.

Lions Hire Jim Schwartz as Head Coach

Well the Lions' head coaching search has ended with Jim Schwartz. The 42 year old former Titans' defensive coordinator has agreed to a 4 year deal. Out of all of the candidates that the Lions supposedly interviewed, and out of the two that they trotted out to pre-hire press conferences, Schwartz is the best man for the job. He provides a decade of experience running an NFL defense, and he has background as a scout under Bill Belichick in Cleveland. I think his age is also a great bonus, as it has been proven that coaches really decline around age 60, and he's a relative baby at 42.

Lions fans can now turn their attention to their own personal Super Bowl, the draft. Schwartz said in his pre-hire press conference (more on that later,) that "It's time to find the next Bobby Lane." Schwartz had better be sending smokescreens to other teams or had assumed Sam Bradford was entering the draft, because that is not the answer right now. First off, the available QB's are not worthy of the first overall pick. You can't use the first overall based on need, especially for a QB. Ask the 49ers and Alex Smith, the Raiders and JaMarcus Russell, or the Texans and David Carr. Secondly, a rookie QB would have no success in the Lions' current organization. This is the year to build a team. The Lions have 5 picks in the first 90, and none should be used on skill players. The first overall should be either an O-Lineman or speed rushing Defensive End, end of story. The next picks should all be O-Lineman and defensive players. If the Lions can put pieces in place they will be better suited next offseason when they are in all probability drafting in the top 10 again, and Bradford, Colt McCoy, and Tim Tebow are available. Now is not the time to use the #1 on Mark Sanchez because you need a QB.

But we have until April to dissect the draft, so let's turn our attention to the coaching hire. The Lions proved their ignorance by inventing the pre-hire press conference. Everyone assumed three days ago that Schwartz was the next coach when he concluded his second interview with a press conference. Uhhh, but we haven't named him coach yet, we all thought. Then the very next day Miami Assistant Todd Bowles held a press conference after an interview. Ummm, what exactly is going on guys? We all thought. And we are still wondering. The Lions coaching candidates were holding press conferences before being named anything, giving plans, answering questions... it was and is absolutely absurd. Just so mind boggling. But these ARE the Lions we're talking about. Anyway it's about as good of a hire as we could have hoped, but they all sound great until we start making moves and playing the games... Let's just hope he makes the right moves.

The Weekend Ahead

Tomorrow afternoon/evening we will post the NFL Conference Championship picks as well as any other relevant news.

Saturday we have MSU and Michigan basketball games to discuss. Saturday night also features a marquee Western Conference NHL showdown when the Red Wings play San Jose.

Sunday we will talk about the NFL games and take a very early look at the Super Bowl. Monday is Martin Luther King Day, and the King is lucky enough to have that day off of work, so we will be able to tie up any loose ends left over from the weekend.

Tigers Ink Marcus Thames and Captain Crooked Hat

Mlive.com -- The Detroit Tigers came to 2009 contract terms Wednesday with left fielder Marcus Thames and relief pitcher Fernando Rodney, avoiding contract arbitration with both players. The contract terms were not available for Thames, who made $2.75 million last season, or Rodney, who made $1.7 million.

As much as we make fun of Fernando Rodney on this blog, this is a good move by the Tigers. Both are one year deals, Rodney's is $2.7 M and Thames' is $2.75 M. Neither of those deals are too much money, and it's always good to avoid arbitration and the risk that comes with it. In Thames, you get a bonafide power bat, a player who can go deep at any time. You won't get much more than his .240 career BA, but you don't expect anything more. We know Thames will strike out or go deep on basically every plate appearance, there isn't much middle ground with him. And the new deal is the exact same dollar-wise of his deal last year.

As for Captain Crooked Hat, the guy got a $1 M raise! Imagine that you completely fail at your job, display wild emotional swings, allow the competitors to succeed due to your shortcomings, and get no votes of confidence from your boss. You would almost assuredly lose your job right? Well not if you're Captain Crooked Hat. If you're Captain Crooked Hat you get a million dollar raise and a promotion. As incredible as it is, it's not entirely bad for the Tigers. Rodney brings a great changeup, and comes with no surprises. Much like Thames, he's either great or bad. Although the Tigers and their fans will have a rollercoaster experience with Rodney as the closer, he is a valuable middle reliever. Unfortunately, Dombrowski has given all indication that Captain Crooked Hat will be the closer to start the season. Until any change is made, we will have to live with the idea of the Captain Crooked Hat era...

2nd Half Dooms Michigan

Michigan was outplayed in the second half, which made the difference in a loss to Illinois last night 66-51. Thanks to the whistle-happy officials in the MSU-Penn State game, I missed almost the entire first half and wasn't able to see the last 10 minutes of the second half. Therefore I can't go in depth and wax poetic about the game.

Michigan missed most of their three point shots (7 for 26), which will usually spell doom for them. They were extremely cold in the 2nd half, scoring only 20 points. Illinois Center Mike Tisdale scored 24 to lead the Illini. Manny Harris was again a bright spot for Michigan, finishing with 20.

Looking ahead, the Wolverines host Ohio State Saturday to kick of a 4 game stretch of very winnable games. The rule of the Big Ten is protect your home court and road wins are a plus, so Saturday's game is important for Michigan.

Michigan State Holds Off Refs, 78-73

Immediate reaction and things to consider while we all hear whistles in our dreams tonight...

• The Big Ten Network brought all that you would expect for a 6:30 game at Penn State, giving us some weak announcers. I'm not sure who was doing play by play but Tim McCormick blessed us with some great insight. Things got interesting right away when McCormick bet that "Goran Suton eats A LOT of bananas." Let's keep some things to ourselves, Tim.

• After a hot start by MSU, Penn State battled back thanks to the dribble-drive of Talor Battle. He absolutely killed Michigan State guards, who had no answer for his move off the dribble.

• Michigan State didn't really help themselves, as they passed up numerous open looks. Chris Allen led the way here, passing up a few wide open 3's and disregarding his deadly outside shooting.

• 1-18-09. Brace Yourself.

• The Big Ten Network will not win any TV Emmy's. One MSU possession went unseen thanks to a graphic comparing Michigan's Manny Harris and Illinois' Dmetri McCamey. Thanks, producers.

• Around the midway point of the first half, BTN advertised something on their website called "JACKED." This was fitting thanks to Penn State's Jamelle Cornley, who is jacked himself. If that guy is not on steroids then lets just say he has superb supplements. His strength was highlighted on one boxout where he hooked Draymond Green's arm and lifted him clear off the ground with one arm. This was ignored by the referees.

• Speaking of the men with whistles, what a showing for the second year in a row! They called constant off the ball fouls, weak touch fouls, and any other kind of foul. Penn State entered the double bonus with 9:26 left in the game. 9:26! That is incredible. But as bad as they were to MSU, they didn't help Penn State much either as they were called on the same mostly weak calls. The refs successfully dragged the game out for 2 hours and 15 minutes, and were probably the biggest reason for Penn State's comeback, aside from their zone defense.

• 1-18-09. Brace Yourself.

• Penn State's zone defense completely stifled the Spartans. At first, I didn't think it would be effective because MSU was shooting so well from outside, but they went cold as PSU switched to the zone. This played perfectly into Penn State's hands, and they methodically cut the lead down all the way to one with a minute left.

• The most spectacular play of the game was completely glossed over by the stellar Big Ten Network announcing team. Early in the second half, Raymar Morgan was fouled near half court on a 3 on 1 break. After the play was whistled, he passed baseline to Kalin Lucas who threw down a one-handed dunk! Who would have known that Kalin Lucas can throw down? I was shocked, angry, excited, and curious all at the same time and the announcers didn't even mention it.

• Penn State's crowd was generally clueless. Although they got loud near the end (and rightfully so,) they were getting excited for some worthless reasons throughout the game. They would cut the lead to 12 and go nuts! They should have changed their chant from "We Are Penn State! We Are Penn State" to "We Are Down 10! We Are Down 10!" because that's where they were most of the game.

• And while I'm on the subject of the crowd, can we just end the naming of every student section? The 'Nittany Nation'? Really? Let's wait until they start selling out games and taking over games (like their football crowd) before we name them anything.

• 1-18-09. Brace Yourself.

• Overall, I was glad that Penn State made a game out of it, because they could easily have let up and lost by 25. Their resilience should pay dividends this year, as they will win their share of home games in the Big Ten. As for MSU, it was a good road win, as any road win is in this league. They avoided what would have been a heartbreaking loss and have to be increasingly confident heading into the weekends game with upstart Illinois.

Keep an eye out for a game wrap on the Michigan-Illinois game that is underway. It will be posted either late tonight or more likely tomorrow morning.

College Hoops Double-Header Tonight

(Hows this for a double-header?)

We're looking forward to the Big Ten Basketball double-header tonight featuring Michigan State and Michigan. The Spartans travel to Penn State for a 6:30 tip off. Following MSU is Michigan on the road at Illinois, tip at 8:30. MSU will look to avenge last years upset loss at Penn State, while Michigan will look to beat Illinois for the second time after a 74-64 win on January 4th.

The King is swamped at work right now, so there may not be in-depth game previews, but be sure to stop back for post-game wraps. Let's also all pray that Gus Johnson does one of the games tonight... because Big Ten Network trots out some really bad announcers.

Pistons Lose to Bobcats

You won't win many (or any) games when you score only 10 points in the 4th quarter, which is exactly what the Pistons did. Tonight, the Bobcats scored the games final 9 points and stole a win from the Pistons. Although it is a bad loss, it's no reason to freak out. It is a long 82 game season and every team will have bad games. This Pistons team is staring straight at a 4/5 seed and a second round clash with either LeBron or the defending champs, if they can get past Atlanta, and they have given no indication that they are anywhere near on the same level as those teams. I still think this team has its best basketball coming, and Rodney Stuckey is improving way faster than anybody could have anticipated, so the future is not entirely dark. Their next 7 games are all very winnable, so don't write this team off after one bad loss.

Ni Fu-Te Has No Choice But To Sign With Tigers

Taiwan News - A spokesman for the Detroit Tigers baseball team announced here Tuesday that left-handed Taiwanese pitcher Ni Fu-te has signed with the team and has declined an option to join the Taiwan-based Chinese Professional Baseball League's (CPBL) Brother Elephants. During a press conference held in Taipei, Kevin Hooker and Tigers' Taiwan area scout Allen Lin ended weeks of speculation as to whether or not the 26-year-old would remain in Taiwan or try his hand overseas. By signing with the Detroit Tigers, Ni becomes the first CPBL player to sign with an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team. He had also received offers from various other American and Japanese professional baseball teams, including the Seattle Mariners. Ni posted a 5-12 record last season for the Chinatrust Whales, with a 3.34 ERA. He was recently selected by the CPBL's Brother Elephants in a special draft consisting of players from teams that were dissolved in the wake of a gambling and game-rigging scandal. Plagued with a long history of game-fixing scandals, Taiwan's struggling professional league will play the 2009 season with only four teams.



Ni Fu-Te really had no choice. Who would ever want to play for the Brother Elephants if they had a choice not to? I mean what kind of a team name is that? The Brother Elephants is such a bad name that even the Minnesota Wild are blushing. Elephants are great animals but what does their brother have to do with it? Or is Brother a city? It's just a terribly confusing team name. And I'm sure he immediately crossed the Mariners off the list when he realized that everyone was going to think he was Japanese and ask him Ichiro questions all day and who wants that either? He had no other option but to come to the great city of Detroit. And make no mistake about it, Ni Fu-Te is immediately an important piece of the puzzle for the Tigers. Because up to this point their bullpen has not been a priority, and it currently looks like a who's who of AAA baseball.

Ni Fu-Te put up a 3.34 ERA in the Chinese Professional Baseball League, which is a total mystery. Who can trust any statistics that happen in a league that is so riddled with game-fixing that every team but FOUR dissolved. Four teams. How do you play a season with four teams? Anyway who knows what that 3.34 means. Were the fielders behind him intentionally booting grounders and botching flyballs? Were shortstops sailing throws way over the firstbaseman's head on purpose? Or were the opposing batters swinging and missing to keep their run totals down? Just an impossible situation to read. Kevin Hooker, the Tiger's Taiwan-area scout better be on the inside here and know every player and every play that is fixed. Because how the hell can you scout a league where every other player is throwing the game? You can't.

Don't get me wrong, I'm just as excited for the Ni Fu-Te era as the next guy, but how the hell was he evaluated? Either way I will not be surprised when Fu-Te is on the opening day roster.

0-4 Disaster, The Week Ahead

Well the posted playoff picks suffered thanks to a wild weekend in the NFL Playoffs. I posted those picks with write-ups on Friday, however I also make picks early in the week. Well I checked on my early picks this morning expecting to see 0-4 and was glad to realize I had picked Baltimore (+3) and Pittsburgh (-6). So I went 2-2 for those (of course they aren't documented.) Apparently I talked myself out of Baltimore and into San Diego as the week progressed. Anyway the early picks that I went 2-2 are part of a season long process, and I am now currently 140-118-4 against the spread this year. It's quite respectable to be 22 games over .500 and without a disastrous 4-12 in Week 16 it would have been a remarkable year. That said, the posted picks were terrible. While the Baltimore-Tennessee game was sure to be close, nobody saw Arizona coming. Completely unforseen and an incredible turnaround. Next Sunday should be very interesting, and I hope to avoid another 0-fer.

Lookin ahead this week, Michigan and Michigan State play back-to-back games on Wednesday night. I am expecting the Lions to hire a coach sometime this week as well. The playing seasons of Jim Schwartz, Steve Spagnuolo, and Ron Rivera are all done, and the Lions can hire any of them now. I have a feeling that Jim Schwartz will be announced as the next head coach sometime later this week, but these are the Lions and ANYTHING could happen. They may love a candidate we've never even heard of.

Lastly, Mitch Albom wrote a column titled 'The Courage of Detroit' in this weeks Sports Illustrated. It's definitely worth your time, even if you aren't from Detroit. You can read it here.

Unless anything happens like the Lions hire a coach, the Tigers decide to get a pitching staff, or Barry Sanders unretires, we'll dink-and-dunk around with the Wings and Pistons until Wednesday.

Michigan Dominates Iowa 64-49

Quick thoughts and things to ponder while Tom Hamilton daydreams about a 27 rebound game...

• The Big Ten Network's crew was Greg Kelser and Tom Hamilton, not to be confused with Scott Hamilton.

• Hamilton was shocked that Iowa coach Todd Lickliter was calling timeouts in the first half. After each timeout Hamilton expressed excitement and disbelief about this. "Iowa has called ANOTHER timeout! Thats their third used timeout!" They are meant to be used, Tom.

• The game was officiated by Eddie Hightower and Dan Dorian, the same terrible crew that called the MSU-Kansas game yesterday (see game post below). Needless to say, we were not excited about the prospects for a well officiated game. It was surprisingly OK. Hightower's Look-at-me moment came at the end of the first half, where he whistled DeShawn Sims on a travel with 0.2 seconds left, then took an agonizing minute to explain the call complete with body motions to another official. To Hightower, it's all about him.

• The Big Ten's best player, Manny Harris, was again spectacular. The kid is everywhere on the court, rarely misses open shots, and is a beast on defense. He seemed to be involved in every Iowa turnover, and finished with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists.
  

• Michigan ran their offense through DeShawn Sims today. Iowa had no answer inside, and Sims hit some outside shots to key Michigan's big 1st half. Sims finished with 16 points.

• Iowa clearly missed Cyrus Tate. They didn't really have an inside game and Michigan grabbed 9 offensive rebounds.
  

• The game was never really in doubt and quite dull, and after Michigan went up double digits in the first half, Iowa never threatened. It was in stark contrast to Michigan's season trend of falling behind. This may have been Michigan's most complete performance of the season. They were effective offensively and swarming on the defensive side, running a mix of man-to-man, a soft 2-3 zone, and the 1-3-1 zone. This has to be a confidence builder heading into an intriguing game at Illionois on Wednesday and hosting Ohio State next weekend. Each game should be competitive and both are winnable. The Big Ten race is built on road wins so the game on Wednesday should be a good measuring stick for the Wolverines.
  

Marinelli Joins Bears

Like any man with a sharp shovel and a strong will, Rod Marinelli was in high demand. Road construction crews, grave diggers, landscapers, and sprinkler system installers were all clamoring at the opportunity to seize the sharp shoveled one. In the end, the Chicago Bears won out the bidding war and landed King Zero. Rod will enjoy this job much more than the last. He joins his great buddy Lovie Smith, presumably the main reason for joining Chicago. However, Lovie Smith is never confused with Bear Bryant and another losing season or two and Marinelli may be following Lovie out the door. Rod will also avoid the postgame press conference. Not many reporters care about defensive line coaches, albeit NFL record holding ones are special. No more "We'll have to watch the tape" or "Pound the rock" or "Proper pad level" or "We're a good team, we just have to take practice to the field." Nope. Rod will fearlessly lead his troops without the bother of the news media. And they will surely follow him. 0-16 instantly creates respect, admiration, and a sense of awe. In the end, expect the Bears line to flourish under Marinelli's tutelage. He will undoubtedly sign every Tampa Bay castoff, old and weathered or young and talentless, building his quarterback sackers to greatness. Indeed, the Lions should shiver at the thought of Marinelli leading a band of warriors within the division...

Michigan State 75 Kansas 62; Officials 0

Immediate reactions and things to consider while Verne Lundquist still struggles to say Idong Ibok's name correctly.

• In contrast to the last MSU vs. Big 12 clash (Texas), this game was really sloppy. Kansas turned the ball over around 134 times in the first half, and MSU seemed to return the favor in the second.

• MSU started slow but soon after asserted themselves as the more talented team. The late first half run wasn't so much an offensive explosion as it was consistent defense, limiting Kansas' shots and forcing them into turnovers. The Spartans also shot very well from beyond the arc to extend their lead.

• We all know official Eddie Hightower loves to take the game away from the athletes and put the spotlight on himself, but today was incredible. He and Dan Dorian decided to call everything and then some more, leading to the slowest second half in history. Both teams were in the double bonus by the 6:00 mark in the second, and the officials continued to blow their whistle like it was going out of style. What's most incredible is that the third official was out "with a foot" so the inordinate amount of fouls was called by only two refs! Both teams have legitimate gripes with the officiating. This all came to a climax with Hightower calling Travis Walton on a phantom shooting foul on an apparent Sherron Collins 3 point attempt. Hightower checked the replay to confirm that it was a 3 pointer, which clearly showed Collins' foot well over the stripe, yet Hightower proceeded to give 3 free throws. A fantastic display of poor officiating.

• I'm not sure how old Verne Lundquist is, but his last day can not be too far away. Instead of announcing the game action like a play-by-play man is supposed to do, most times Verne was telling anectodes, chatting with Clark Kellogg, or reminiscing about his glory days. He failed miserably at pronouncing Idong Ibok's name, instead consistently calling him "Ibong" all game; a combination of his first and last names. Verne even acknowledged his error early in the second half, then never corrected it and proceeded to call him "Ibong" the rest of the way. I guess that Gus Johnson was too much to ask for...

• CBS mic'ed up Tom Izzo, which would have been cool except they only showed Izzo yelling very basic things. "Hands Up!" and "Push It!" and "Ray! Ray! Ray!". The highlight undoubtedly came when they had Izzo's audio up for the mid-court meeting between coaches and officials after the official got hurt. After hearing the injured official yell "Son of a bitch!" we were blessed to hear someone suggest they "Just put his ass in a chair at mid-court." Which would have made the official the most capable of them all...

• Michigan State can not make free throws. It's something correctable, but usually that's what people say all year while they continue to miss. Make no mistake, missed free throws will be the reason for a loss at some point this year, and it's usually in March...

• It was good to have the Izzone back in action, but they were pretty vanilla most of the game. After getting fed up with some foul calls and after Kansas cut the lead to 9 they woke up for the end, constantly booing and harrasing Jayhawk players and making themselves be heard.

• The Izzone wasn't the only whiteout, as Izzo made a mass substitution with 12 seconds left. He emptied the bench and every last white guy came onto the court, creating a little unintentional comedy.

• Sherron Collins is a very talented player, and at first glance he had a great game. But he turned it over 8 times which really hurt the Jayhawks. He was their only real offensive threat and has great speed and finishing ability. I was a little surprised to see MSU covering him with a combination including Kalin Lucas, Travis Walton, and Chris Allen. I expected Walton to shadow him close, but they played off him mostly and he burned MSU with 25.

• Kansas' other threat, Cole Aldrich, wasn't really effective on the offensive side. MSU had plenty of bodies to throw at him and he seemed to be uneasy with the physical play. He was really good defensively though, blocking shots and grabbing rebounds. He finished with a quiet 14 pts, 11 reb.

• Kalin Lucas continues to impress. He was again MSU's best offensive threat, scoring 22 highlighted by 3-4 on three point attempts. He scored 9 of MSU's first 10 points which kept them in the game early, then spearheaded the run that put them up by double digits.

• While the game never really got close enough to worry, I'll bet more than one Sparty held their breath with 2:30 left when Sherron Collins threw up the 3 pointer that would have cut the lead to 6. He missed, and after Raymar Morgan made two free throws the game was over.

• Kansas has twin freshmen that have inexplicably similar names. Markeiff and Marcus Morris are very difficult to tell apart. The easiest way is to watch the game for a minute, and the one that picks up 3 fouls in that minute is Markieff, who fouled out today after 14 minutes. He is improving, however, because his record is 5 fouls in 7 minutes.
  

• Michigan State now turns to conference play at Penn State on Wednesday and hosting Illinois on Saturday. MSU lost at Penn State last year and Illinois is tough this year, so a 2-0 week would be very big for the Spartans. While it is almost a given they will lose before then, the Spartans may be favored in every game up until the road trip to Purdue on February 17th.