The "Favored" Curse

There will be no championship parade through Downtown Detroit for the Tigers. On Friday night, the World Series ended with the crowing of the St. Louis Cardinals as the new champions of Major League Baseball. They win the series 4-1.

What a disappointment. This was a painful series to watch for a Tiger fan, which- in the interest of full disclosure- I am not because I don't like baseball. But as a Detroit native, I became a semi-fan when the Tigers jumped out to the best record in baseball early in the season. They did fade down the homestretch, but found themselves and momentum when the playoffs started. They stunned the favored New York Yankees in the ALDS. Then shut down the Oakland A's in an ALCS sweep. The City of Detroit was elated to be in the World Series for the first time in 22 years and most of the baseball pundits had the Tigers as heavy favorites to win the title. Maybe that was the kiss of death.

Home field advantage disappeared in Game One. The Tiger bats went stone cold against the Cardinals' red hot pitching. Detroit's pitching went South. Kenny Rogers produced the only win and that was marred by "Dirtgate." The biggest disappointment-- all the defensive mistakes Tiger players made. They committed eight errors in the five games. The majority of those errors were charged to pitchers. It was downright embarrassing. I don't want to take anything away from the Cardinals, who played a terrific series. So, I won't say Detroit handed them the series. But Detroit handed them the series. The mistakes basically left me feeling like the Tigers didn't want to win the series. They weren't ready for the pressure of playing for all the marbles.

C'est la vie. My late grandfather was sitting by the radio in the kitchen of his heavenly mansion with a huge smile on his face when Brandon Inge whiffed on the final pitch of Friday night's game. My dad was probably happy, too. Earlier in the week, he told me he was pulling for St. Louis to win. Congratulations to the Cards.

The Tigers now become the third professional team in Detroit to be heavily favored to win their league title this year and not claim the prize. The '05-'06 Detroit Red Wings had the best record in the NHL and failed to win the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They didn't even make it out of the first round. The '05-'06 Detroit Pistons had the best record in the NBA and failed to make the NBA Finals. Now, the '06 Detroit Tigers, after holding the best record in Major League Baseball until the final weeks of the season, failed to win the World Series. When it comes to Motor City teams, it's obviously a curse to be favored to win a title and the Detroit Shock prove the point. They did not have the best record in the WNBA and were not favored to win the title, but the 2006 WNBA Finals trophy resides at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Oh, Good Evening!

Another Loss

I am running out of things to say about losing. I was traveling on Sunday and did not see the game, but I followed the score with my Pocket PC and was disappointed to see that we were down two touchdowns in the first quarter. It also appeared that our defense was back to not being able to stop drives because every time the Lions scored to reduce the deficit, the Jets would get the points right back. From my viewpoint, we were better off last season with Dick Jauron's defense that we are this year with Donnie Henderson's.

Anyway, we have two weeks to think about being 1-6 and get ready for the recharged- thanks to their overtime win over Pittsburgh- Atlanta Falcons who come to Ford Field on November 5.

Oh, Good Evening!

Fall Classic Rubber Match

Five days after winning the American League Championship Series, the Detroit Tigers know who's coming to town on Saturday for Game One of the 2006 World Series. I'd say "rematch" is the word. The St. Louis Cardinals will fly into town after winning the National League Championship in almost the same dramatic fashion as the Tigers' win over Oakland last weekend. The stage is now set for a sequel to the 1968 Fall classic between the Tigers and Cardinals which Detroit won and the 1934 Fall classic which the Cardinals won.

As I have repeatedly stated, I am not a big baseball fan. But, I must admit, it has been great watching this post-season. The games-- both American League and National League-- have been great. The drama and suspense has been exhilarating. And, FOX Sports has done a fantastic job of broadcasting the games, adding great perspective and insight to the game through the announcers, field reporters, and the use of graphics.

I will watch this year's World Series with great interest since the Tigers are my hometown team and the Cardinals are my father's hometown team. I must find out who he plans to pull for. This could make for an interesting family rivalry.

Oh, Good Evening!

Back to Work

Lost in all the hoopla over the Detroit Tigers winning the American League Championship is the return of the Pistons to action. The NBA preseason is in full swing and the Pistons are looking pretty good as they get ready to launch another campaign. This one without Ben Wallace holding down the center position. Wallace decided to defect to Central Division rival Chicago during the off season. Nazr Mohammed replaces him and seems to be filling the shoes quite well.

I think Detroit will have another stellar season though I don't see them jumping out to the kind of start they had a year ago. I also don't see them finishing with the best record in basketball again and that would probably be a good thing. That seems to jinx teams. The Shock won their title without having the WNBA's best record. The Tigers are doing quite well having not finished with MLB's best record. Let's see what happens for the Pistons this year.

I look forward to seeing the Pistons when they come down to Charlotte to play the Bobcats on December 3. My ticket is already in hand. GO PISTONS!

Oh, Good Evening!

Simply the Best

I have always enjoyed watching the news on television. While growing up, I often drove my family crazy sitting at the table, reading the newspaper out loud as if I were anchoring the evening news. I was always imitating my favorite local anchor Bill Bonds. For years, Bonds was the king of Detroit television news anchors and I have always watched WXYZ's Action News because of Bill Bonds.

Bill Bonds has long since retired from doing the news. He now does commercials for a local business. But, I still watch Channel 7 Action News whenever I come home to Detroit. Hands down, Action News is the best. They have the best anchors, reporters, set, graphics, and more.

I've watched a lot of newscasts across the country over the years and none has matched WXYZ's Action News in my opinion. Diana Lewis, Stephen Clark, Robbie Timmons, Jerry Hodak, and Don Shane are tops! I'm not big on Michigan winters so I'm in now hurry to come work in Detroit. But, if I were to move home, WXYZ is where I'd want to work!

Oh, Good Evening!

Mom's New Ride

This was the last full day of my visit to Detroit and Mom and I had planned to go to Great Lakes Crossing to do some shopping, grab something to eat and catch a movie. We did make it to the GLC for the eats and the movie. But we did our shopping several miles to the north at Saturn of Clarkston.

As I mentioned in a previous posting, Mom's current lease expires next month and she was hoping to make a decision on her next vehicle while I was home to help her do the shopping. She's been driving Buicks since 1989 and really enjoyed them. She's had several models over the years: A 1989 Riviera; a 1997 Regal; a 1999 Century; a 2002 Rendezvous; and a 2005 Rendezvous. They were all great cars which she didn't have an ounce of trouble out of. She wanted another Buick and we test drove the 2007 Lucerne on Friday. But when the salesman ran the numbers for Mom, she realized the Lucerne was a bit more than her budget will stand. Since we eliminated another Rendezvous because it no longer offers all-wheel-drive and is set to be discontinued after this model year, we considered a Chevrolet Impala. Mom has a friend and fellow GM retiree who drives an Impala and she likes it. But, we couldn't find one that totally met Mom's desires. Namely, leather seats with no rear deck spoiler.

I started looking for other options and suggested the Saturn Aura sedan or a VUE SUV. At first, Mom wasn't interested in a Saturn because the dealership isn't as conveniently located as the Buick or Chevy dealerships. But as we were headed to Great Lakes Crossing mall, which is north of Mom's house on I-75, she said, "the Saturn dealership is just off the freeway a bit north of here, let's go." So we did.

We arrived at Saturn of Clarkston around 4:00 PM and, after test driving an Aura and a VUE, we departed at 8:20 PM having left a deposit on the shiny silver sedan. Mom loved the way it looked, classy and European, and loved the way it drove. I was impressed with the ride and gave my hearty stamp of approval. Mom takes delivery on Thursday.

Also, everything you've heard about Saturn dealerships and their sales teams is absolutely true. This was, by far, the best car purchasing experience I've ever been associated with. From the moment we arrived on the lot, not an ounce of pressure. After looking at a couple of models in front of the store, we walked in and were politely greeted by a receptionist. She promptly summoned a salesman for us and he proceeded to help us make the right decision for Mom without ever pressuring her to drive, let alone buy, anything on the spot. From start to finish, this was a great buying experience. All car dealerships should be like Saturn dealerships.

Oh, Good Evening!

We Won!

Finally, the Detroit Lions managed to beat somebody. Of course, the Buffalo Bills aren't much better than the Lions but I'll take the win. Particularly since I paid good money for two tickets so Mom and I could go. We both kept talking about how we hope to see the first win. We got our wish.

The Lions were much better in the first half of the game. Kevin Jones took his first carry 52 yards and ended the game with 127 yards rushing, the first 100+ yard rushing performance for the Lions in more than 20 games. Roy Williams had 99 yards receiving in the first quarter on his way to a career high 161 yard day including a touchdown.

Detroit was up 17-10 at half and came out rather flat after the intermission. They managed only a Jason Hanson field goal at the beginning of the fourth quarter and barely hung on for the win. BUF 17 DET 20.

Not surprisingly, Ford Field was not full. Yes, the game was officially a sellout but there was not a capacity crowd on hand. There were a lot of empty seats inside the stadium, many of them premium club level seats.

Speaking of club level seating-- it's very comfortable. The leather cushioned seats are much better than the hard plastic regular seating in the lower level, most of the upper levels, and the end zones. We had seats in the North Club where the lounge was nice with blue collar feel. Just right, if you ask me. Detroit is a blue collar town with serious blue collar football fans. Some of those fans can be a bit too blue collar. I could have done without the three guys sitting near us in the lounge at halftime dropping f-bombs, m-f-bombs, and b-s-bombs continuously.

Anyway, the Lions won. We were there. And, so was my sister, though she didn't get to see the game. Kathy was working one of the concession stands, raising money for a local charity. Mom and I bought our halftime goods from Kathy's stand to help the cause.

Overall, it was a great Sunday. The perfect cap to a great sports weekend. Michigan beat Penn State in college football; the Tigers won the American League penant and will have home field advantage in the World Series; and the Lions got their long overdue first win of the season! GO BLUE! GO TIGERS! GO LIONS!

Oh, Good Evening!

Sunday Brunch with Mom

Mom and I are going to the Lions vs. Bills game at Ford Field. But we must eat first, so we're going to the Roaring Lions Sunday Bruch at the exclusive Renaissance Club. The RC is on the 36th floor of Tower 200 at General Motors World Headquarters at Renaissance Center.

I'm a member of the Capital City Club in Columbia which is an afilliate of Club Corp. The Renaissance Club is also an afilliate so I can visit. This should be nice. We'll be there with other members, dressed in our game attire (authentic #34 Kevin Jones home jersey for me, nice new Lions t-shirt for Mom), getting geared up to see the Lions win their first game of the season. (We certainly have our fingers crossed.)

Maybe the Lions will feed off of the energy and excitement of the Tigers winning the ALCS last night at Comerica Park, right across the street from Ford Field, and produce a big win of their own this afternoon. GO LIONS!

Oh, Good Evening!

We're In!

Bottom of the ninth inning, two outs, two men on base, game tied at three. Magglio Ordonez steps to the plate, having already homered earlier in the game to even the score, and sends more than 42,000 fans in Comerica Park and about a million more throughout Metro Detroit into pandemonium. A long fly ball to deep left-center field that was out of the park the moment it left the bat.

Game over! The Tigers are in the World Series!

Ironically, it was 22 years ago today that Detroit won the 1984 World Series in five games over San Diego. I was 20 years old, in the midst of my third semester at the U.S. Naval Academy.

I was a mere four years old when the Tigers won the 1968 World Series over the St. Louis Cardinals. My father, a St. Louis native, tells me he and his best friend sat right behind home plate at one of the games. I didn't even know what baseball was then.

The Cards and New York Mets are playing Game Three of the NLCS as I write this. Since I don't remember the '68 series, it sure would be cool if history could repeat itself with a Detroit-St. Louis series.

Oh, Good Evening!

Snow in Mid October?!?

So, I arrive home in Detroit on Thursday hoping for sunshine and decent fall temperatures. I got gray skies, snow flurries, and temps in the 30's! Everyone knows I hate cold weather so you know I wasn't pleased. But, what could I do? And, things didn't get any better today. More 30's and high winds. It felt like it was in the 20's with the wind chill factor.

Mom and spent most of the day getting her computer back in operation. We obviously succeeded because I'm typing this entry on it. First, we had to go to Best Buy to see about a new monitor. We were hopeful the Geek Squad would be able to repair her old monitor which had been on the blink for more than a month. No luck. We bought a new, bigger monitor.

After leaving Best Buy, we drove down Rochester Road to Shelton Buick/Pontiac/GMC to check out new car possibilities for Mom. Her current lease on a Buick Rendezvous ends next month. She wants a Buick Lucerne sedan so, like two idiots, we walked the car lot in blustery, very cold conditions and looked at various models. Then, when we couldn't take the cold anymore, we went inside the dealership and talked to her salesman, Jeremy. He hooked us up with a nice silver Lucerne and said, "take your time, have a nice test drive, I'll see you when you get back."

Nice car! The Lucerne is basically a Cadillac DTS for a lot less money. Mom would get the V6 model which wouldn't have the power of a DTS but the ride is still wonderful. The car doesn't come with all-wheel-drive but we found out AWD is no longer available on Rendezvous models either. In fact, 2007 will be the final year for the Rendezvous so Mom's not interested.

She likes the car but the monthly payments will be more than her current deal, which was a steal two years ago. We'll see how things work out. Time to go home, warm up, and eat!

Oh, Good Evening!

I'm Coming Home!

It's time for my annual October trip home to Detroit to visit Mom! I leave Thursday afternoon on a flight from Atlanta and will be in Motown for six days.

The preliminary plan calls for a little car shopping. Mom wants to pick out her next vehicle since her current lease is just about up. She wants another Buick though possibly not another Rendezvous. However, if the Lucerne does not come in an all-wheel drive model, she'll likely end up in another Rendezvous. Mom has a steep driveway and needs AWD to get into her garage.

We're going to see Aunt Myrt. She's 92 and still walking and talking like she's 52. She's a hoot. We'll also stop by to see my sister Kathy and her family. My niece, Kayla, is so sweet.

On Sunday, we're going to Ford Field to see the Lions take on the Buffalo Bills. We hope it will be Detroit's first win of the season.

Oh, Good Evening!

No Comparison

The October 2, 2006 issue of Auto Week includes a Drivers Log entry on the 2007 HUMMER H3x written by special projects senior editor Kevin Wilson. The vehicle was in the magazine's test fleet September 11-18. He writes, "the H3 is not particularly comfortable... The ride is very trucky."

Hey Mr. Wilson-- IT'S A HUMMER! The last time I checked, HUMMER models (H1, H2, and H3) are trucks. Luxury or not, it's a truck, and a rugged one at that. So calling the ride "very trucky" is like calling water "very wet."

I drive a 2005 H2 and love it for its "truckiness." I test drove the H3 when shopping and liked that model, too. I chose the H2 because it's the concept vehicle I fell in love with at the 2000 NAIAS in Detroit. When the production model debuted, virtually unchanged from the concept, I was sold. Also, with its 3.5 liter, I-5 engine producing 220 hp and 225 lb-ft of torque, the initial H3 felt a bit weak under the hood, which is what most auto journalists also wrote about the vehicle. (The new 2007 H3 has a 3.7 liter, I-5 engine producing 242 hp and 242 lb-ft of torque which is reported to be an improvement.)

Wilson also writes of the H3x (the "x" indicates a special luxury trim package), "It's also loud; a shape this blocky is bound to stir up wind noise, but there was also significant road noise from the fat tires and suspension bump-thump."

Most trucks with fat, off-road capable tires produce more road noise than touring tires. When you buy a truck, you know and accept that fact.

Then, Wilson compares his experience in the H3x with a previous test drive in an Infiniti FX45. He cites the FX's better performance on the highway at higher speeds and the same fuel economy. That's like comparing apples to oranges. The FX is roughly 200 pounds lighter, sits lower to the ground, and is more aerodynamic than the H3. That explains the better highway feel and fuel economy, not to mention the FX's platform, shared with the G35, and its V-8 engine lifted from the Q45.

I've driven a friend's FX35 (V6 model) and it's a nice vehicle, but it's no HUMMER in my mind. Folks who buy HUMMER vehicles know exactly what they're buying-- TRUCKS. That's what we want, that's the performance we expect, and that's what we get. If we wanted car qualities, we'd buy a crossover.

Oh, Good Evening!

Record Should Outweigh Title

The Detroit Tigers begin the American League Championship Series with the Oakland A's tonight. My lack of general enthusiasm for baseball accounts for my lack of general knowledge of the particular nuances of the Major League Baseball playoffs system. I was disappointed to learn that Oakland has home field advantage simply because they won the AL West and Detroit, though its regular season record was better than Oakland's, is the AL Wild Card. What's the point of playing the regular season if your record is meaningless in the post season? The NFL gets it right. The NBA gets it right. MLB needs to get it right and change the system to award the teams that work hard through the entire 182-game season to secure the best record with home field advantage through their respective league playoffs. MLB should also rescind the decision to give home field advantage in the World Series to the team representing the winning league from the All-Star Game. That's a crock!

Oh, Good Evening!

Great Prescription

This is an abbreviated transcript of a hilarious faux commerical someone sent me by email. It's much funnier if you can hear it but I can't load the actual mp3 file on this blog so the transcript will have to do. Imagine that you are hearing a commerical for a new pharmaceutical on the radio when you read this.

Do you have feelings of inadequacy? Do you suffer from shyness? Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive? If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Tequila.

Tequila is the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions. Tequila can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just about anything.

You'll notice the benefits of Tequila almost immediately and with a regimine of regular doses, you can overcome the obstacles preventing you from living the life you want to live. Shyness and awkwardness will be things of the past and you'll discover talents you never knew you had.

Stop hiding and start living with Tequila!

Tequila may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use Tequila. However, women who wouldn't mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.

Side effects may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration, erotic lustfulness, loss of motor control, loss of clothing, loss of money, loss of virginity, delusions of grandeur, table dancing, headache, dehydration, dry mouth, and a desire to sing karaoke and play all night rounds of strip poker, Truth or Dare, and Naked Twister.

So, what are you waiting for? Stop hiding and start living with Tequila!

Oh, Good Evening!

Natural Woman

I was checking out the latest postings on my boy Greg's blog and found myself rolling on the floor laughing. Click on the link and you'll see why. Holding On To Dear Life

Oh, Good Evening!

It's Official: The Lions Do Totally Suck!

I've gone back and forth on this issue, but after watching the Lions blow the game against Minnesota this afternoon, there really isn't much else to say beyond the headline above. We led 17-3 when the fourth quarter started. We lost 26-17. We had a 98-yard Eddie Drummond kick return for touchdown negated by a penalty. A Jon Kitna fumble was recovered and returned for a Vikings touchdown. Then, while driving to regain the lead, nobody is open on fourth down, Kitna starts running for his life and throws an interception that gets returned for a touchdown. Game over. It's downright depressing. Detroit is 0-5 and sinking fast. If that's possible.

Oh, Good Evening!

Three Down, Eight to Go

Another convincing win for the Detroit Tigers as they eliminated the New York Yankees from the playoffs today. NYY 3 DET 8. The Tigers got one hell of a pitching performance from 23 year old Jeremy Bonderman. He went 8-1/3 innings giving up just five hits and one run. The players are so pumped, they're back on the field spraying the fans with champagne. And it's not cheap champagne. No, sir. No J. Roget or Cook's for this party. We're spraying some good stuff-- Mumm Cordon Rouge!

Detroit is 8 wins away from its third ever World Series championship. Bring on the Oakland A's. The ALCS begins next week! Go Tigers!

Oh, Good Evening!

Go Tigers!

After evening up their division playoff series with the New York Yankees in Game Two, the Detroit Tigers returned home and took care of business in Game Three. NYY 0 DET 6. Friday night's performace was a joy to watch if for no other reason than I'm from Detroit and I enjoy seeing our teams play well. The shutout made it even better.

It's been 19 years since playoff baseball has been in the Motor City. So, it was also great to see a sell out crowd- or what looked like a sell out crowd- packed into Comerica Park in Downtown Detroit. Go Tigers!

Wow, I actually watched two baseball games today.

Oh, Good Evening!

I May Hate Baseball, But I Love the A's!

I watched Game Three of the American League Division Series between the Minnesota Twins and Oakland A's with great interest this afternoon. An Oakland win and the series is over. A Minnesota win keeps the series going. I didn't care if we saw a Game Four, but I definitely did not want to see a Game Five because that would have forced a postponement of Sunday's scheduled Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings NFL game until Monday night.

Oakland wins! Series over! Lions vs. Vikings is Sunday afternoon at the Metrodome! The football gods prevail.

Oh, Good Evening!

Mucho Dinero!

I've never been much of a tequila drinker. The Margarita is far from my favorite drink and other than a Long Island Iced Tea, which I do like, I can't think of another drink that includes tequila. So, a few months ago, when a good friend offered me a shot of Patron Silver one night, my immediate response was, "thanks, but no thanks." But she insisted and since I was already a bit "loose" from my preferred vodka, I said, "what the hell!" Smoothest, best tasting shot of liquor I've ever downed! And I don't do shots often.

Okay. Fast forward to this afternoon. I'm sitting in a room and hear a story that I just have to share. You won't get any names, I must "protect the innocent" as the saying goes. But this is good.

This guy goes on a buisness trip and ends up in the hotel bar after a long day of meetings. He opens up a tab and orders a shot of Patron. Followed by another. And, another. Other colleagues join him at the bar. He buys drinks for them. They're all having a great time. About four more shots later, one of his colleagues asks the guy in reference to the tequila, "do you know how much money you're spending?" "Twenty-eight dollars a shot," the colleague continues. Mucho dinero! The guy's eyes bug. He had downed at least seven shots which would come to $196 just for his drinks.

For those of you who don't know, Patron certainly is not cheap. Even I had no idea how much the stuff costs until I went looking for it at the liquor store. I was ready to get some on the spot until I saw the prices. A fifth costs about $45! The big bottle, 1.75 litres, is roughly $80. That wasn't in the budget that day so the Patron stayed on the shelf.

Back to the story. Fearful that he's about to put something in the range of a house note on his credit card, the guy says he sheepishly goes to the bartender and asks to see his tab. In addition to his own drinks, he'd been taking care of others so he was expecting to possibly see a one followed by a few zeros on the bill. The bartender looks at the guy and says, "oh, a gentleman named Steve came by and took care of everybody's tabs." To that, the guy says, "whew!" I say...

Oh, Good Evening!

Time Out

UPDATE: MORE GOOD RECOVERY MOVES

On Tuesday, Albert Haynesworth got through to Andre Gurode on a cell phone and personally apologized for his actions on Sunday. Haynesworth also said he will not appeal the NFL's punishement. A decision that goes against the wishes of the NFLPA, but a decision that is right!

Oh, Good Evening!

========================

This photograph shows Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (#92) stomping on the face of Dallas Cowboys center Andre Gurode during Sunday's game. It happened early in the third quarter and got Haynesworth ejected from the game. On Monday, the egregious act also earned Haynesworth a lengthy "time out." NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has supsended Haynewsorth for five games without pay- the harshest punishment in league history for on-field behavior.

After the game, Haynesworth expressed remorse for his actions to reporters, apologizing to Gurode, calling what he did "disgusting."

Haynesworth said, "It doesn't matter what the league does to me. The way I feel right now, you just can't describe it."

Considering what he did, and what he said after the game, can anybody explain why NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw is planning to appeal the punishment?!?!?! Is he on crack?!?!?! What the hell is there to appeal? The cameras caught Haynesworth stomping on Gurode's face. Those same cameras also caught ghastly images of blood dripping from Gurode's wounds onto the field. The man has 30 stitches in his face and forehead as a result. Haynesworth readily admits what he did was "disgusting," and says he is ready to accept whatever punishment the league decides to impose. Well, Commissioner Goodell has imposed that punishment and despite it being unprecedented, most people think it isn't harsh enough. Some people think Haynesworth should be in jail for what he did.

Gene Upshaw needs to let this one go. In the words of Tyler Perry's character, Madea, "Go somewhere and sat down!" Just forming his lips to say he's thinking of appealing makes Upshaw look and sound like a total idiot. If he actually follows through and files an appeal in this case, he is a total idiot.

Oh, Good Evening!

Another Reason for Me to Hate Baseball

I just read that if Major League Baseball's American League Divisional Series between the Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics goes to a Game Five, the NFL will move Sunday's game between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings to Monday night. If that becomes necessary, I hope they also move the television coverage to ESPN or the NFL Network so that I can still see the game. Anytime a game gets moved like that, it reduces the number of game I have access to through NFL Sunday Ticket on DirecTV. Considering I subscribe to NFL Sunday Ticket for the sole purpose of being able to see every Lions game, you understand my concern.

DON'T MESS WITH MY WEEKLY NFL/DETROIT LIONS FIX! Why can't baseball move Game Five of that ALDS series to Monday? I have my fingers crossed that Oakland or Minnesota win that series in four games.

Oh, Good Evening!

Lions Lose, Again. (Sigh!)

Okay, so we don't totally suck as I've written before. But, the football gods have apparently decided that the Detroit Lions are not supposed to win. DET 34 STL 41.

This was an exciting game to watch with all of the scoring that was going on, but Detroit really needed to beat St. Louis and get a notch in the win column. We are now 0-4 and going nowhere fast.

The offense, under Mike Martz, is starting to gel. Kevin Jones is running well. Roy Williams is making plays, Mike Furrey is proving to be a dependable addition to the receiver corps and Jon Kitna is impressive under center, though he was responsible for all three of Detroit's turnovers- two interceptions and a fumble- today. It's the defense, under Donnie Henderson, that needs to really step things up. The Lions have no interceptions, no defensive touchdowns and just five quarterback sacks through four games.

I can tell things are improving for the Lions under new head coach Rod Marinelli but the bottom line is we aren't winning yet. So, it's same result, different system.

Oh, Good Evening!

Tanking Tigers

Since I am not a baseball fan, the Detroit Tigers are the least important of the Motor City sports teams to me. Despite that, I was rather impressed to see the team break out to the best record in baseball and hold that position for most of the season. Then September hit and Detroit started fading fast. They clinched a playoff spot, which was great, but then proceeded to let their lead in the American League Central Division slip away until they ended up giving up the best record in the AL to the New York Yankees and finished second to the Minnesota Twins in the division. What a disappointment. So much for finishing strong.

Oh, Good Evening!