Sunday, December 05, 2004

I May Be Crazy, But.... (Extended Version)

I've been away from the old PC too long and there is lots to comment on. As always, I'll provide you with some advanced warning: not all the items below pertain to sports. I may be crazy, but....


... Cal not getting the Rose Bowl berth is terrible. I'll admit that the Texas-Michigan match-up will pit two of college football's traditional powerhouses, and will be much anticipated around here, but I still think Cal should have gotten the nod. Cal doesn't have the 'Horns prestige, but what more could the Bears do to merit a trip to Pasadena? Their appearance would have kept a Big 10-Pac 10 confrontation in place, as well.

...Every time I see the EV1.net Houston Bowl or the Capital One Bowl I long for the Blue Bonnet Bowl and Citrus Bowl to return. Even the Cherry Bowl sounds better.

...If Adrian Peterson doesn't win the Heisman Trophy, and he probably won't, there should be an investigation. Forget all this "freshman can't win" garbage, Peterson deserves the hardware.

...I remain amazed that Urban Meyer isn't going to Notre Dame. Shouldn't this be a warning sign to the school and its supporters? If Meyer is willing to pass up his dream job, what is going on in South Bend?

...I still think Carl Pavano will end up with Boston. He grew up in the area and was a Red Sox farmhand. I think the lure of playing for the champions will be too much to resist. It was nice to see him pay Detroit a visit, though.

...I still expect the Tigers to be very active this winter. A big name pitcher would be great, but the team is still short on hitters, too. Detroit will almost definitely land one more free agent and for some reason I expect Dave Dombrowski to make a trade.

...I don't think there is much Major League Baseball can do about Barry Bonds' records. The game never banned the substances Bonds, Jason Giambi and others used. If it wasn't against MLB rules, then how can they strike the marks or place an asterisk on them?

Even if they could, where do you begin? If the rumors about 50% of the league using some type of performance enhancer are true, how do you determine whose stats get an asterisk and those that don't? They didn't even start testing for anything prior to this season.

Who do I blame for this mess? The Players' Association. They, even more than MLB, should have demanded stringent testing for the health of the players. Aren't they the ones entrusted to look out for the players? However, the MLBPA opted for cash over health and honor.

Right now, the problem is limited to public relations. Fans, the media and even U.S. government aren't too happy about the way this looks. All will call for action. However, it's not going to stay that way. The real nightmare for the MLBPA is going to come when those using steroids start getting serious health problems or die young. That will leave much greater mark than any asterisk.

...My Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot: Ryne Sandberg (should have been in last year), Wade Boggs, Bruce Sutter and Rich Gossage. I could be convinced about a handful of others, but without giving it much thought, I'd vote for these four.

...I told you I expected a Detroit Lions victory today. I couldn't see any of today's game, but I hear Kevin Jones finally exploded. That's a great step forward. Of course, I didn't start Jones on my fantasy league team. Brilliant!

...I'm sure the Lions' playoff talk will abound tomorrow, but I'm not sold yet. (I was wrong, again. The playoff talk started today.)

...A number of Pittsburgh Steelers deserve Pro Bowl spots, but I hope MLB James Farrior gets one of them.

...Is anybody else wondering about Tommy Amaker's squad? The basketball Wolverines are not one of the top 64 teams in the country today. There is plenty of time for improvement, but conference play is going to be quite a challenge unless Michigan plays much better.

...Michigan State still looks like a pretty good team despite the G.W. and Duke defeats. Tom Izzo should have his team ready for a nice tournament run by March. They aren't a Final Four squad now, but might be by season's end.

...I don't understand the interest in Paris Hilton. Really. I don't.

...Those Old Navy holiday commercials are beyond annoying. The only purchase the pretentious cast is making me ponder is blunt objects. Not that I am encouraging violence, of course.

...Those running the city of Sterling Heights should be recalled immediately. The city just built an English-styled roundabout in front of its' city offices. Annoying, trendy, probably dangerous (especially with a senior citizens center nearby) and certainly not worth the cost of renovating a functioning intersection.

As if that's not enough, the city is building an even larger roundabout at 18 1/2 Mile Road and Van Dyke. What? One public safety hazard in the city isn't enough? I doubt the money for these unnecessary projects came from private funds or the city itself. That means it's state or federal tax dollars at work. In a metropolitan area overrun with terrible roads, couldn't that money have been better spent?

...If we are going to pick-up an English custom, how about a midday tea break? It makes more sense than driving around in circles.

On a serious note, goodbye to the Little Professor Bookstore in Dearborn. You will be missed.

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