The Soriano Rumors

I'm not sure if I want the Detroit Tigers to add Alfonso Soriano or not. One thing I am absolutely certain of, however, is that I do not want him on the Chicago White Sox. The rumor du jour is that Washington will gladly take Brandon McCarthy off the Sox hands in return for Soriano. I'm sure the White Sox will have to pony up more than the just the righthander to land the All-Star slugger, but they can probably afford to part with one of their prized arms in order to make another title run.

This rumor does make me wonder why so many are balking at the notion of sending Humberto Sanchez to the Nats as part of a Soriano deal. If the White Sox are willing to part with a top prospect for Soriano, why shouldn't the Tigs? Yes, the John Smoltz trade of 1987 still rubs folks the wrong way, but is anyone missing Justin Thompson? Francisco Cordero had a couple of solid years for Texas, but would he have made a big impact here?

Prospects are prospects until proven otherwise. Tigers fans, perhaps, more than anyone else, should be aware of this. Has anyone seen as many non-prospect prospects as we have?

Now, I'm not about to send Washington the entire Detroit farm system for Soriano, who most likely will end up a rental, but as the old saying goes "you have to give up something to get something". The Tigers do have a number of young quality arms in the system--Jeremy Bonderman, Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya, Nate Robertson and, hopefully, Andrew Miller--so it's not like Sanchez is the be-all, end-all. Besides, whose to say that the Tigers couldn't make a play for Soriano beyond '06?

If the Tigers were to make some post-season noise, Soriano got to see this town at it's baseball crazy best, the Tigers clear some more salaries off the books (as more contracts expire) and Mr. Ilitch actually makes some money this year, whose to say the Tigers couldn't sway Soriano to stay in the Olde English D?

Even if Soriano jumped shipped on Detroit, wouldn't the Tigers be in line for some compensatory draft picks for losing a top tier free agent? Two more picks in the top 40 or so prospects is also a way to ensure another wave of strong arms fills the Tigers' system

Having said all this, do I want Soriano in Detroit? Maybe. For the right price. One thing I do know, is that no one in Tigertown can feel very good about the notion of Alfonso Soriano joining the already impressive lineup in Chicago.

Landis Is Back?!?!?!

A day after everyone in the cycling community wrote off Floyd Landis, he's back. Landis entered yesterday's daunting climb through the Alps as the favorite to win the Tour de France. He was already wearing the yellow jersey and had just finished strongly at L'Alpe d'Huez, the event's most storied mountain climb. Then came the Wednesday's stage.

By nearly all accounts, Landis hit the proverbial wall yesterday. That or the wall hit him. Either way, the result wasn't pretty. Landis found himself not only out of the yellow jersey, but a shocking eight minutes behind the race leader. That's a significant chunk of time late in the race. If Landis was out of gas after Wednesday's trek upward, it didn't seem likely he could gain back much time in today's final jaunt through the mountains.

So what did the Team Phonak rider do? Landis came back to win today's stage. The American cyclist is now in third place only thirty seconds behind the race leader. If Landis can stay on his bike tomorrow and can duplicate his earlier time trial performance Saturday, a discipline neither of his competitors is quite as good at, Landis could actually win this race.

Now, for my one reader who is still here after three paragraphs of Tour de France talk, let me add why this is noteworthy beyond the race's own prestige. Landis is scheduled for hip replacement. Not just ordinary hip surgery, as if that wouldn't be bad enough. No, Landis is looking at a new hip after the race. We talk about an athlete's courage, but Landis' performance today may have re-defined gut check.

I know what you are thinking. Brian, buddy, it's bicycling. Yeah, well, I get winded thinking about pedaling up the 7-11 to grab a Slurpee and this guy is win racing through the Alps? I doubt too many of us could even manage to climb up the Alps on a bike and a guy whose about to get a new hip wins a race through the mountains? Come on. That's plain embarrassing. Fine, it's embarrassing, for me. You, I'm sure, could navigate such terrain easily.

None of you are going to watch the Tour. And fewer even care. I realize that. It's not everyone's cup of tea. But, Floyd Landis exhibited all the things we admire about athletes and sports today--courage, determination and effort. He also won, something else we all prefer. His ride today deserves some attention. Mine, anyway.

Feeling Better?

Well, that sure feels better, doesn't it? Finally, the Tigers get a rather decisive win against the Chicago White Sox. Tonight's 5-2 victory should temporarily ease some of our collective paranoia about the defending World Champions. The Tigers can, indeed, prevail over Chicago's South Side ballclub.

I, for one, feel a bit better about the Tigers at this moment. Why? In large part, because Jeremy Bonderman, perhaps my answer to "Who's Your Tiger?", did what top flight starters are supposed to do--stop losing streaks and beat upper echelon teams. He had exactly the kind of performance--two runs in seven innings on four hits with six K's vs. the World Champs--that we've all hoped Bonderman would produce someday.

I'm also feeling better because, honestly, I just don't much care for the White Sox. I just don't. Oh, they were ok when Harold Baines was in rightfield and Chet Lemon manned center. Was that Claudell Washington in left or Ralph Garr? Can't remember. Anyway, I think I became turned off when as a Tigers season ticket holder (96-98), it seemed I saw the White Sox every week. Like eating the same thing everyday, I got real tired of Chicago's A.L. entry, real fast.

So, this current run of ChiSox dominance over the Tigers hasn't made me very happy. Conversely, beating the Sox makes me very pleased. Another reason for optimism this evening.

Finally, I'm hoping the Tigers are starting to believe they can hang around with the baseball big boys. Wins like tonight's can only help their confidence. I don't care how many times the Tigs thump Tampa or Kansas City, they will eventually need to beat baseball's elite. May as well start today.

Now, one game does not a season make, but we can all feel a bit better about tonight's triumph. Well, at least, I do.

Tiger Fever...Catch It

Tiger Fever, once thought to be completely eliminated, has reappeared in Detroit. The last reported case was documented in the late 1980's. Although some claim their may have been a few infected as late as the early 1990's, but there is no solid evidence of that. However, I am here to report that the rumors are indeed true. Tiger Fever is back in Detroit and is spreading at an alarming, if not unprecedented, rate.

Ok, so it's not exactly breaking news that Detroit has rediscovered the Tigers, but I got a first hand glimpse of the revival Saturday. I was at the old yard new yard Saturday night. Sure, the 40,000 in attendance were a big stinkin' clue that the Tigers might not just be the summer punchline around the Motor City anymore. However, it wasn't just the sellout that was evidence of the latest Tigers craze. The thing that caught my attention was the amount of Tigers apparel both being worn and purchased during the 6-0 pasting of the poor Kansas City Royals.

I was caught off-guard by the amount of Tigers merchandise being adorned by the local and suddenly faithful. It wasn't just your traditional Olde English D stuff, either. Although, there was plenty of that, too. I saw jerseys and t-shirts with the names and numbers of Rodriguez, Ordonez, Granderson, Verlander, Zumaya, Shelton, Robertson and Inge, to name a few. Tigertown has not only warmed up to their baseball team's success, but have apparently embraced their marketing campaign, as well. A large number of fans made it quite obvious just "Who's Your Tiger?".

For a team that's success has been all of three and a half months, I was completely surprised to see so many plunk down so much money on an still relatively unknown product. Honestly, how many of these friends of ours really knew who Curtis Granderson or Joel Zumaya were 365 days ago? Can you name how many of your buddies were debating that Brandon Inge authentic jersey? Sure, after years of sustained success--including championships--Red Wings and now Pistons jerseys dot the Detroit landscape. Yet, with only a winning record in mid-July to their credit, the ballpark was filled with fans proudly wearing their Tiger's name and number.

If the quantity of baseball apparel on display Saturday night is any indication, Tigers merchandise has to be the hot item in The D. I couldn't have counted the bags filled with Tigers related products if I had tried. With the profit from merchandise, frozen daiquiri and eight dollar beer sales on Saturday night alone, the Tigers ought to be able to land Alfonso Soriano and sign him long term. It's fairly obvious that this city has bought into the Tigers--literally.

You know the Tigers must be moving product as both newspapers now promote their Tiger coverage. Local radio is pumping up the Motor City Kitties, too. The Tigers flagship station, WXYT 1270AM (I have no idea what their moniker du jour is), talks about how much they talk about the Tigers when the Tigers aren't playing. Having a total grasp of the obvious, the local media have jumped upon the Tigers bandwagon, as well. No reason to let this unexpected opportunity slide past. (Think TV20, who just happened to sign on for a few games this year, is happy about this?)

In my own place of work, I've seen people come down with Tiger Fever right in front of me. People who have never been to Comerica Park have just gone or are about to make their initial visit. Even those co-workers who could name every Red Wing and admit to not being baseball fans are talking about heading down to the CoPa. People who know I'm kind of a baseball geek are asking me semi-serious baseball questions. This thing is spreading fast.

More wins. More ticket sales. More sellouts. More merchandise sales. More media coverage. More Tiger talk around the old water cooler. Yes, friends, Tiger Fever is back and just about everyone has come down with it.

Painting By Numbers

Yeah, I'm playing with the color scheme around here. Be patient. HTML color coding is like painting by the numbers, but with tons of alpha-numeric options. However, I feel the place needs a new coat of paint, so you may see some stranger than normal color patterns. Of course, I may just leave it as is for a while.

Feel free to criticize at will.

Today At The World Cup

You just kind of knew England was in trouble when Wayne Rooney got that red card. Down a man, with David Beckham already subbed out due to an injury, it just didn't look good. I'm just your basic casual footie fan, but, geez, that seemed like stupid move on Rooney's part.

As for France's latest triumph over Brazil, I thought the defending champs were almost too respectful of Zidane. Oh, the guy is an all-time great, but I haven't seen the French midfielder look quite that good in the year or so I've been watching his club team (technically his ex-club team due to retirement), Real Madrid.

Playing Catch-Up

Since my blogging has been lacking as of late and I cannot decide what to write about first, how about I do what I usually do--take it all on at once. In small doses, of course.

* Larry Brown is filing a grievance? Are you kidding me? Shouldn't Knicks fans be the ones filing a grievance against Brown? Or Isiah Thomas? Or both? It's fairly clear that neither Brown or his agent have a shred of dignity.

* Greg Eno is all behind Danica Patrick. Me? I can't decide. I don't root against her. I don't root for her, either. She's great for the IRL and open wheel racing, as she brings in new fans and increases interest, but I think it's the media overkill that stops me from embracing her. It's just too much and also makes very good drivers--Dan Wheldon, Helio Castroneves, Sam Hornish, Sebastian Bourdais, to name just four--seem insignificant.

While, as Greg points out, Patrick appears to merit her ride, I do wonder what affect the possible IRL/Champ Car merger might mean to her chances of success? Simple math says if the boys from Champ Car are added into the mix, the field of quality race car drivers increases, thus Patrick's chances of winning decrease. Will America continue to support a middle of the road open wheel racing queen?

* I realize that as a member of the vaunted Detroit Independent Baseball Scribes, I've been strangely silent on our remarkably successful baseball club. What can I say about the Tigers that hasn't already be said? Remember I was the one who had some optimism about the Motor City Kitties in March?

At this point, my pre-season thoughts are almost scary in how close they are to being dead on. Although, I never could have envisioned the overwhelming success the Tigers have enjoyed thus far. Regardless of how the remainder of the season plays out, the first three months of this baseball season have been nothing short of spectacular.

* Who is your Tiger All-Star? That's the question I've been pondering for a couple of days. Kenny Rogers might make the team. Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman (especially if Bonderman can get to win number ten next time out) also deserve serious consideration in a crowded field.

Curtis Granderson's numbers probably aren't quite good enough, although I doubt any Tiger fan would argue that he's been their best everyday player. Magglio Ordonez has the numbers to get his name into the OF logjam, but I think Ozzie Guillen might still hold a grudge no matter what he says in public.

Carlos Guillen would have to be shortstop number three behind traditional stars Miguel Tejada and Derek Jeter, both of whom I just assume play in Pittsburgh this year. Pudge Rodriguez has a similar dilemma as Jason Varitek will probably win the vote and Joe Mauer would be the likely number two catcher on the junior circuit roster.

I would like to think at least two guys with Olde English D's on their caps play in the Steel City come July 11. My guess is that it's Rogers and Guillen.

* I couldn't help myself, but I had to skim through SI.com's Michael Silver's ratings of NFL owners. If you want to know where Mr. Ford ranks, as if you couldn't guess accurately, head towards page three of his article.

* I've yet to purchase a single NFL or NCAA Football preview magazine. I wouldn't quite equate this feat to someone laying off cigarettes, but it's a difficult habit for me to break. Normally, I would have, at least, one of each lying around the house by now. Yet, last year, I promised no football magazines would be obtained prior to MLB's All-Star Game.

Why am I setting such clearly ridiculous standards? Because in recent years, I've become overdosed on pigskin long before season's end. I love football, but our national obsession has become too obsessive for even me. I need the off-season to be an off-season a little while longer. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

So far, I've been able to maintain last year's objective. No magazines have made it into the house or even into the checkout lane. Oh, I've looked, but have not purchased. I've even refrained from joining the one fantasy football league I've been invited to join. Football must wait. (One caveat-These rules do not apply to the CFL that is already underway. I have watched a portion of a CFL game.)

* I'm not sure what it says when I am more familiar with the names of the players taken in the first round of the MLB Draft than the names of those taken in the same round of the NBA Draft?

UPDATE: So, I'm a moron. I could have sworn Bonderman had nine wins heading into the weekend, not seven. Wishful thinking? Perhaps, either way, it's incorrect information and seven (or even eight) wins will keep Boderman from making his first all-star appearance this year. Hey, it's a blog, isn't passing along wrong information standard operating procedure?

U.S. Stumbles Out Of World Cup

It's difficult to be anything less than very disappointed with the United States Men's National Soccer Team's performance. In fact, I'm struggling to be anything less than angry. No wins. One tie. Two losses. And an early exit from the 2006 World Cup. It's unacceptable.

Plenty are going to call for Bruce Arena's job and I suspect Arena might oblige them tomorrow. There is simply no question this wasn't Arena's finest hour. The team appeared to lack chemistry. They lacked fight. They lacked many things that lay at the feet of their head coach. Thus, Arena will probably step aside.

However, Arena is far from the only culprit of this debacle. The players are as much to blame as their coach. In particular, Claudio Reyna, Landon Donovan and DeMarcus Beasley seemed to collectively slip between invisible, barely visible and visible, but making us wish they were invisible.

Some have suggested the PK before the half did the U.S. in today. If it did, then shame on both Arena and his captain, Reyna, for not getting the team's mind back into a WC match they trailed by only a single marker with a half to go. That's why we pay a coach, that's why a guy gets to wear the armband.

As for Donovan and Beasley, they were simply dreadful. One of them really needed to become the offensive centerpiece and neither was up to the challenge. Of course, Arena could easily be blamed for putting both players in positions that made it difficult for them to succeed. And I do. However, in futbol, like any other sport, your stars have to play like stars in order for you to win. For the USMNT, their stars failed to do so. That's why they are done in World Cup '06.

Great Sports Weekend

I love this time of the year. We've got Major League Baseball in full flight. College baseball's super regionals are televised all weekend long. World Cup soccer is going to be part of my steady diet for the next several weeks. There's IRL racing tonight, I'm guessing the NASCAR boys go at it tomorrow, too. Although, I must admit to not being sure about that.

The Stanley Cup is up for grabs (but does anyone still believe Edmonton has a chance?) and, of course, The Finals of the NBA are underway. Golf is certainly in swing and tennis only gives us a major--The French Open. Outside of, perhaps, October, this is probably the best time of the year for sports fans.

I could sit in front of the old television all day long. Yet, responsibility calls. Guess I can't sit in front of the PC any longer, either. Enjoy the weekend.

The New Drug Frontier

I have to clear something up. Sports are never going to be clean again. Ever.

This is something that we as fans need to understand. Yes, it's depressing. It makes you wonder what is really and what is fake. It makes sports' records even harder to compare. It makes us worry if every youngster is going to have to inject chemicals into his/her system to compete at the highest level. There is nothing about the current drug climate that make any of us feel real good about where sports have gone. Yet, that is where we are at.

We also need to understand that a whole bunch of handwringers want us to believe, or make believe, that more staunch testing will alleviate the problem. (Insert the Napoleonic Dick Pound, head of the World Anti Doping Agency, and a whole bunch of sportswriters here.) This group is about to launch it's usual assault on Major League Baseball for it's lackluster drug testing policy without providing all of the details. (Thank you, Jason Grimsley.)

What none of these folks is willing to confront is that performance enhancing drugs, and the chemicals used to conceal them from detection, are far superior to the tests we now have. That doesn't mean we should stop testing. It just means that Mr. Pound, the International Olympic Committee, the United States Congress, and anyone else that is trying to "clean up" sports is selling us a bill of goods.

Sports will never be clean again. They can legislate to their hearts desire. They can pass more strict penalties. They can even start using blood tests, too. And while some will get caught, some will not and we will not know the difference.

Those who feel compelled to take the issue of performance enhancers head on are leading people to believe that other sports are somehow "clean" in comparison to baseball. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Everyone from NFL lineman to Tour de France cyclists to Olympic swimmers are taking something illegal. Does that mean all of them are? Of course, not. Yet, I cannot tell the difference and, if they are on the right designer drug, neither will any test we mandate they take.

I am completely in favor of testing for steroids, human growth hormone or whatever other drug comes along to make athletes abnormally bigger, faster and stronger. I support strong penalties for those caught using any or all the above. I encourage both notions as I'm actually concerned about the long-term health affects of these drugs. I'm also enough of a romantic to think that hard work and talent should prevail over laboratory created cocktails.

However, neither you or I should be naive about where we are at. We need to comprehend that no matter how many more tests are instituted or how much tougher the penalties get, sport will never be clean of chemically enhanced performances again. Ever.

Tigers Draft Day

I'll be to the point. I love the Detroit Tigers draft thus far. Now, I caution both my readers. I have an affinity for college baseball and the Tigers have gone heavy towards the college players so far, so that alone would please me. However, I do have a somewhat more rational reason for liking the college kids--they tend to get to The Show quicker.

This group also has something the Tigers might be lacking on the farm--quality hitters. Not that the Tigers' minors are void of such players, but they could stand to use a few more. Couldn't everybody?

In spite of the hitters, let me start with Andrew Miller. I was listening to the draft on the radio and when the Tigers selected Miller, I just about cheered. This guy was thought to be the first pick overall. If not, he was certainly not going to fall to number six. Yet, there he was.

Yes, Miller wants too much money. Yes, he needs a change-up. However, the lefty from North Carolina also has allowed all of one homer at a level where everyone is using a metal bats. He's got a 2. something ERA. He's 12-2. Miller has done this all in one of the better baseball conferences in the land--the ACC.

Oh, by the way, Miller can throw a 92 mph fastball with accuracy and one 95 mph, only he's not as sure where that one might land. He's also got a nasty slider according to those who have gotten a good look at it.

Of course, he could fail. Most prospects never live up to the hype, but the Tigers probably selected the most polished pitcher in the draft. (I haven't exactly seen all the others, so I'll take the "experts" word on that.) Regardless of how this plays out, in terms of his success and his contract demands, I think the Tigers did the right thing in taking the player with the best combination of ability, production and playing at the highest possible level.

For comparison, think of this as the Lions unexpectedly landing the quarterback with the most pro-ready game, with lots of upside, who has won a ton of games playing in one of the top flight football conferences in the country. Imagine how most fans in Detroit would act right now. That's about how I felt when I heard "Detroit selects Andrew Miller, pitcher, University of North Carolina".

On to a few other names that caught my attention. First, Ronnie Bourquin from Ohio State. As you may have heard, I do a bit of blogging about Big Ten baseball and I've seen Bourquin in person about five times this year. He's only looked dominant once, but there is simply no arguing his numbers.

As has been pointed out everywhere else, Bourquin paced the Big Ten in batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage to name just three things. (A fact you would all know if you visited my other site. Sure, it's a shameless plug.) I also concur with those who question whether Bourquin will remain at third. His defense isn't what I'd like at the hot corner, so I do envision a move elsewhere.

The easy comparison is to ex-Buckeye Nick Swisher. I'm not sure Bourquin's quite as good as Swisher. It seems to me that Swisher exhibited more power. Bourquin might make a bit more contact, but that's just an impression off the top of my head, I haven't gone back to compare numbers.

I don't know that much about Brennan Boesch and I have not seen him play. I like the thought of drafting a centerfielder, though. Not that I don't like Curtis Granderson, I do. I also like the thought of a pure CF roaming Comerica Park's spacious outfield. I'm going to have to do some research on Mr. Boesch.

Conversely, I have seen Ryan Strieby. I'll say this about the Wildcats 1B, he can flat rake. He's a JUCO transfer to Kentucky who walked into the powerful SEC and grabbed Player of the Year honors. Strieby's coach at UK believes in plate discipline. If you are on the OBP bandwagon, both Bourquin and Strieby should appeal to you.

This is another random observation, but Strieby seems like a more dynamic force that Bourquin. Now, any number of reasons could account for that including I may have seen Strieby on his good days and Bourquin on his off nights.

I'm not sure if he will stay at first, my inclination is that he will, but I still think drafting as many top flight college hitters as you come across is a good thing no matter what position they play.

Yeah, yeah, aluminum bats. I know. The guy could be a product of the bat. He could also be an all-star caliber slugger. The draft is a crap shoot and you try to play the odds. I figure if Strieby can pound SEC hurlers the odds of him hitting at the pro level have to be reasonably good.

Like the Scott Sizemore pick, too. Yes, he's had a down year, but he's a secondbaseman with power who hit in the Cape Cod League where they use wood bats. Again, I embrace selecting middle infielders who can hit with some pop.

The Tigers have selected a few more college players that intrigue me, but I've got to move on to the next task. Like checking the Tigers/Sox score. Bottom line is that if this were the Lions draft people would be very excited. For now, I will be excited for everyone else.

Yes, I'm Still Here And What About The Pistons?

Hi. You remember me, right? I'm the guy that used to post here. As Ian graciously observes, I've been blogging, but just not at Beyond Boxscores. I hope to be back on a more regular basis soon, but I've got some unfinished work do to at the other place, so posting should increase here, but in rather sporadic fashion.

Let me take a moment to thank the both of you who continue to stop by here, either lost or patiently hoping for me to regain my senses and leave college baseball behind to post something of note at BB. I have to admit that I am surprised and a bit humbled that some of you persist in coming here even when I don't. Thank you.

I make only one apology--to those who have so kindly linked here. A number of bloggers have listed BB in their link section and to them, I am sorry for not maintaining my end of the bargain. I hate dead links and blogs that don't try to keep pace. BB has become one of those over the last thirty days and I apologize to you for providing your readers with, well, nothing.

I can't say that I'm sure what direction either blog will take, but I do want keep you informed. Please consider yourself informed, but enough about me. What have you guys been doing to the Pistons, while I've been gone?

I'll cut to the chase on this one. I think the Pistons have fallen prey to their own egos. I hate to even type that sentence, but I think it's true. This team believes it's better than it is. It believes it can win without it's "A" game. It believes it knows more than its coaches, past and present. I believe they are willing to blame anyone and everyone for their shortcomings but themselves.

This team may prevail this evening and give us hope, but all I see now is whining, finger-pointing and poor basketball with an unhealthy dose of self-confidence tossed in. It's not exactly the recipe for success.

Lions Draft Recap, 2.0

I just erased about eight paragraphs giving a blow-by-blow recount of my perspective on the Detroit Lions draft. I got into paragragh nine when I realized I was spending far too much time talking about our Lions. We've seen all this Lions silliness before, so why ramble on? Here's my bottom line. The Lions draft, thus far, is mediocre. I expect the "experts" to give them a "C" grade.

My single biggest problem is first round choice Ernie Sims. Why did they take a linebacker with a history of concussions? This wasn't a value pick. It was the ninth pick in the entire draft. You want to shop for value? Please wait until round three. In the first round, especially in the top ten picks, I prefer healthy, productive players. Call me nuts, but I think it's a problem to have a guy with a history of brain trauma playing a position where his job is to run into people--often head-on.

As I stated at the start, I could go on for days. I won't. I will refer you to this fine post at Lionbacker.com. I'm not Matt Leinart crazy, but the overall point isn't lost on me. Trading down was clearly the best option, taking a d-lineman was the second best option, painfully enough, taking one of two uber-QB prospect was the third best option when the Lions were on the clock. Instead, the Lions chose: D) none of the above.

There's A New Team In Town

The anti-soccer readers amongst you (that would be most of you, as you've told me) won't be happy, but I'm here to report that Detroit has a new soccer entity. The Detroit Ignition have joined the Major Indoor Soccer League. While we all know I enjoy soccer and follow far too many "B" list (and several "C" and "D" list) sports in America, I've met this announcement with mixed emotions.

I wish the Ignition all kinds of success, and I like their logo, but I don't consider the indoor version of the world's most popular sport actually soccer. Maybe I'm ill-informed about the indoor game. It's usually a pretty good bet that I don't know what I'm talking about. However, it just doesn't strike me that the indoor and outdoor games are remotely similar.

Boards? Boards in soccer? Don't they have penalty boxes, too? In soccer? Penalty boxes in soccer? It just isn't right. And don't even get me started on artificial surfaces. Comparing the two versions of soccer is like comparing Arena Football to the NFL. They just aren't close. They are so diverse that I must admit, I just can't embrace the indoor game (in either sport).

Now, veteran readers here can protest as I love the Canadian Football League. It's not the NFL, either, but I enjoy it for what it is. What's up with that? A solid point. One I can't argue. Maybe I'm just a soccer snob?

No, that can't be it, either. Because if I was a true soccer snob, I'd stick the leagues overseas that play at a much higher level than Major League Soccer. While I do watch the Premiership and other Euro leagues, I enjoy MLS (DC United fan here). As unlikely as it now appears, I would love to see Detroit get a MLS franchise. I'd even debate season tickets, if such an event occurred (and I had the cash). So, if I was a true soccer snob, would I embrace a Detroit MLS team? Probably not. I'd just hope for more EPL matches on television.

This is why I remain conflicted about the Ignition's arrival. I'd like to see Detroit become a bigger player in the pro soccer, but I'm just not crazy about the indoor version. I want to promote soccer on this blog (just as I do college baseball, curling, open wheel racing, etc....), but I'm not sure I'm going to watch the MISL with any regularity even with a Detroit team.

This said, how about we make a deal with our new team? We'll watch. Once. Ok, maybe twice, but only for as long as we can stand it. We aren't going to give up the Tigers, Pistons, Wings, Lions, Wolverines or Spartans to watch, but we'll find a time when we can sit through a game. Then, if we don't find it interesting, we'll politely move on.

If we like it, great. The team will have a new fan or two. I'll take credit for expanding your sports horizons. Maybe one of us can start an Ignition blog. (Stop pointing your finger at me. I'm one over my limit at two, thank you.)

With The Ninth Pick In The NFL Draft The Detroit Lions Take....

If you are a Detroit Lions fan, don't you have one huge fear for NFL Draft Day 2006? The fear is that when the Lions are on the clock, one of the big three quarterback prospects remains available. If eight picks roll past, and I use the term "roll" very loosely as their is nothing about the NFL Draft that moves quickly (Mel Kiper's mouth being a notable exception), and the Lions find that Matt Leinhart, Vince Young and/or Jay Cutler have slipped down to them, aren't we all going to hold our collective breath?

A week from Saturday, when Commissioner Paul Taglibue steps away from the podium after announcing the Lions' fifteen minutes is underway and Leinhart, Young or Cutler is still around, aren't we all going to have the same set of notions? "They can't take a QB, can they?" "Millen can't take a QB. He can't." "Oh, they'll go in a different direction. They can't invest more money into the quarterback position. It makes no sense." "If they take a QB, I'm not rooting for them anymore." "Holy crap."

For roughly fifteen minutes, as few teams seem to take less than the maximum time allowed, every single Lions fan listening or watching is going to be nervous. Very nervous. No, it doesn't make any salary cap sense to take another signal caller. Yes, the Lions need help all over. Yet, if any of the three big name college QB's are still on the board, we are all going fear that when Taglibue comes back to the microphone he announces that with the ninth pick in the NFL Draft the Detroit Lions have selected..........a quarterback.

After drafting wide receivers in the first round for three straight seasons, would anyone really be shocked that Matt Millen opts to take a college quarterback even though he just signed two veteran free agents to replace the soon-to-be-Dolphin Joey Harrington? As soon as my laughter subsided, probably sometime in the midst of the first game of the year, I wouldn't be surprised at all.

Does anyone have great confidence in Josh McCown or Jon Kitna? The term retread would seem to apply to both. Kitna never took hold of the Seattle job and got bumped, rightly so, by Carson Palmer in Cincinnati. McCown, who to me appears to have more potential, for both success and failure, couldn't keep the signal caller duties in Arizona. Arizona. What does it say for the Lions' plight when they are taking on the Cardinals' failed projects?

Yes, Mike Martz could wave his magic wand and turn either or both into Pro Bowl caliber quarterbacks. (Again, McCown would seem more probable to me.) Couldn't the same be said of Leinhart, Young or Cutler? All of whom, at least so far, haven't failed as NFL throwers elsewhere. All of whom are younger. Any of whom could lead this franchise for a decade something I'm not sure we can say about any of the incoming veteran QB's.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not at all promoting this concept. I'd feel much better if the Lions traded down and got two later first round picks. I totally embrace the idea of trading up and taking a D'Brickshaw Ferguson or A.J. Hawk. I'm fairly comfortable with them staying put at nine and taking someone not a quarterback, as well. Although, if the draft plays out as some have predicted, I'm not overly excited about the Lions' potential choices at that spot.

It just happens that I think the scenario where one of these three elite quarterbacks falls into the Lions lap is possible. I also think it's plain frightening, in a football sense. The Lions can't intelligently justify selecting a quarterback, yet after spending fifty years searching for Bobby Layne's heir, can they be blamed for considering a highly touted college arm no matter who is on the roster currently? Every ounce of common sense tells you there is no reason for the Lions to draft a QB in the first round. Yet, what if a future Hall of Fame signal caller is staring at them when they are on the clock?

If the guy who slips down to the Lions choice turns into the next Dan Marino or Ben Roethlisberger and the Lions go elsewhere, Millen will get blasted for not making a good decision. Take the QB who slides to nine and get hammered for committing too much money in one position, for creating a three-headed QB controversy and, if the QB fails, for revealing your perceived lack of football smarts. Basically, take him and you're an idiot. Don't take him and you're, well, an idiot. Sounds like the proto-typical Lions scenario to me.

Now, all of this can be alleviated if Leinhart, Young and Cutler have found homes before the ninth pick. Then, we can just focus on the players at positions the Lions don't have millions tied into free agents. (That would be all the other positions, but that's a different post entirely.) Our worry can then be limited to the upside of whatever newcomer is chosen, instead of trying to figure out which QB camp we want to be in--Kitna's, McCown's or First Round QB's.

In light of his recent draft day decisions, I have serious doubts that Matt Millen would have the courage to take Leinart, Young or Cutler. For all the reasons I've previously mentioned, I believe Millen has to go in a different direction even if one of the top QB's is available when the Lions pick arises. He has to, right? Of course, isn't that what we thought a year ago when there was no way Millen would draft a wideout three years in a row?

Just Release Him, Already

I have some unsolicited advice for Matt Millen. Look, Matt, Joey Harrington is going to be a member of the Miami Dolphins. It's just a matter of when, not if. So, do us all a favor and just release the guy.

Oh, sure. You can try to make a trade, but you have zero leverage. You aren't going to get a first rounder (what Harrington was). You aren't going to get a second rounder. Third and fourth rounders seem pretty unlikely, too. To save face, you might plead with Miami and land a seventh round choice, but who are we kidding? That's window dressing, not a trade.

The problem is the Dolphins, and everyone else in the world, knows what's going on here. Harrington doesn't want to be here. Your new coaching staff doesn't want him here, either. You've already moved on by acquiring not one, but two guys to replace him. You also don't want to pay him his big bonus that comes due before camp opens.

Knowing this, as everyone in the world does, why on Earth would the Dolphins send you anything in return? They can just sit back and wait. Eventually, with your shiny new replacement quarterbacks already signed on the dotted line, you are going to have to cut Harrington to avoid paying out that bonus money. Then, the Dolphins can get their new back-up QB for nothing. No bonus. No old contract. No traded draft picks.

Stop the dog and pony show, Mr. Millen. Let Harrington walk. Don't drag it out just to land a draft pick that probably won't even play in the CFL, let alone the NFL. Try to do something with a degree of class and just release him. Cut your losses. Cut his losses. Start anew.

TV Guide

Pro Beach Volleyball. That's what is on Fox Sports Detroit this moment. Pro Beach Volleyball. Did I mention the Tigers are playing the Indians right now? So, instead of seeing our local baseball team, the one with 100 years of history behind it and, oh by the way, has a winning record currently, our Fox Sports affiliate is broadcasting volleyball.

Of course, the game is being broadcast in Cleveland, so Indians fans can watch. It's also on the MLB Extra Innings package, so the rest of the U.S. can see it. And it's on MLB.tv, so the rest of the world can see it. Tigers fans actually in Detroit, however, cannot see it without a ticket. Does this make any sense?

Opening Day Blogging

Having not subjected you to a post here in over a week, I've got a number of thoughts to pass along. However, it's Opening Day. Does anything else really matter? Oh, some might think so, but they would be horribly misguided.

This is going to be my first attempt at live blogging. O.k., semi-live blogging, but you get the idea. (Think NBC Olympic coverage.)

12:59 pm- The hot dogs are cooking and the Washington vs. New York Mets game is first up. I've got MLB Extra Innings again this year, so I'll be flipping channels. Hope that doesn't bother you.

1:01 pm- Do I have any Mets or Nats on my fantasy league teams? I'm in four fantasy leagues this year. One doesn't really require much brain power from me, as I'm running the Arizona Diamondbacks. I have all their players and I cannot acquire anyone not in purple and teal.

1:06 pm- Mets are starting Tom Glavine. I've always been a Glavine fan, he's one of my all-time favorite pitchers, but if he's the Mets second best starter, they might be in trouble. Glavine isn't exactly close to his peak. Which feed do I watch: Mets coverage with Keith Hernandez (another of my all-time favorite players) with some guy I don't know or the ESPN feed with Chris "Back, Back, Back" Berman and Jeff Brantley? Hmmm.

1:12- I've got Gary Majewski and Jose Guillen on different fantasy teams.

1:15- Glavine K's Jose Vidro.

1:17- Glavine gets Guillen to fly out. A flip of the channel reveals that we have three two o'clock starts--Red Sox @ Rangers, Pirates @ Brewers and Cubs @ Reds.

1:22- First hot dog of the season. Mustard only, thank you.

1:25- Second time I've seen the Lou Diamond Phillips PSA. Lou is wondering if we know what our children learned in math class. Nice of Mr. Phillips to care.

1:27- Mets 2B Anderson Hernandez makes a sparkling backhanded play.

1:28- I love those Washington road uniforms. Caps are even better.

1:30- Alfonso Soriano steals second proving I should have drafted him. Mets catcher Paul LoDuca drops his glove and the ball attempting to throw out Soriano. Strange.

1:33- Did Jeff Brantley just use the term "hisself" instead of "himself" about three consecutive times or is my hearing getting worse?

1:45- Flip on light in kitchen, blow fuse. It happens to be the same fuse the television is on. Uh oh.

1:50- All is fine. TV is working, light bulb in kitchen is replaced.

1:58- It looks like Glavine's batting helmet is two tone. The helmet appears to be primarly black with a large blue portion in front where the NY sits. The blue portion flares out towards the back and fades into the black. It almost looks like a Marvel superhero mask design. (I'm more a DC Comics man, myself.) Oh, Glavine singles.

2:00- Flip to Red Sox @ Rangers. No satellite feed as of yet.

2:01- Paul LoDuca singles in Xavier Nady. We have scoring! Soriano misses catching the ball on the hop as he tries, unsuccessfully, to grab the ball with his bare hand. No damage done as his centerfield is behind him. I think we can assume Soriano will commit nearly as many errors in the outfield as he did in the infield.

2:02-Back to Sox @ Rangers. MLB Extra Innings is having technical trouble with the feed. Pirates at Brewers is up and running as is Cubs @ Reds.

2:05- President Bush is in the Reds dugout. He's wearing a Reds jacket. His ceremonial toss is high and outside.

2:08- Sox @ Rangers is on ESPN2. Steve Stone is doing the game, which I consider to be a bonus. Finally, a game in bright sunshine! I'm probably all but done with Nationals at Mets.

2:15- David Ortiz flys out, channel flip follows. Carlos Lee misplays a flyball that nearly plunks him on the melon. Another channel flip. Todd Walker drives in Juan Pierre, Cubs, 1-0. I have to stay with Cubs/Reds game as Derek Lee is coming up. Yeah, I've got Lee on one of my fantasy teams. Hey, it's a sixteen team league. Lee is vital to my success. Anyway, his at bat is uneventful.

2:26- Back to Texas. Manny Ramirez is a blonde today. Seems appropriate.

2:30- A Roger Clemens sighting. The Rocket is in Arlington taking in the game between two of his rumored suitors.

2:32- Prince Fielder fans on three pitches. Did I mention I flipped over to the Bucs/Brew Crew game? No? Sorry.

2:40- Debating second hot dog.

3:00- Second hot dog? Long gone. Tampa @ Baltimore joins the fun.

3:05- Jason Varitek doubles in two Red Sox runs.

3:07- Pondering when to don my Tigers road jersey.

3:15- Tigers road jersey is on.

3:30- Flipping through Detroit Free Press Tigers Preview. There seems to be three repeating themes. Verlander, Zumaya and Leyland. Big Papi goes deep-Red Sox, 5-0. Schilling has looked good.

3:34- Channel flipping finds Johnny Gomes homering for Tampa. It's the D-Rays, 2-0.

3:45- Over to Tigers pre-game. The Detroit lineup is being introduced to the K.C. faithful. Pudge looks like he has lost more weight.

3:50- I wonder if I'll get the LA feed of the Dodgers vs. Atlanta game? I'd like to hear Vin Scully on Opening Day.

4:05- Tigers game heads to commercial break before first pitch. I may be gone for a while.

Ok, it's now 5:57 pm. The Tigers are up 2-1 behind two Chris Shelton homeruns. The Tigs have just chased Scott Elarton from the hill. Kenny Rogers has looked pretty good today. By the way, I still want to visit Kauffman Stadium someday.

In other things that happened while I was gone, I received an MLB.com catalog in the mail today. Nice timing on their part. I flipped through all the other games and found most to favor the hitters today. I did indeed get the L.A. feed, so I heard Vin Scully for the first time in '06. Red Sox won. Derek Lee has driven in two for the Cubbies. Did I mention I've got Shelton in a 12 team fantasy league I'm in?

I think I'm going to stop my plausibly live blogging here. I hope to stick with the Tigers game until the end and I've got about three other things I need to do today, so that will be it for this post. Thanks for reading.

Tiger Optimism

I think I've mentioned this before, but I have a general rule about the Detroit Tigers. On January 1 of each year I attempt to let last year go and focus in on reasons to look forward to the upcoming baseball season. (Beyond better weather, hot dogs, sausages and my life long love of the game, of course.) I try to find reasons, no matter how difficult they may be to uncover, to be optimistic about our local baseball club. This attempt to rejuvenate my Tiger interest almost never fails. Somehow, though, this year the positive vibes took much longer to arrive.

Truth be told, I became optimistic about the 2006 Tigers sometime in the middle of this past week. I can't say there was a specific moment when my '05 negativity relinquished it's control, but I have unquestionable made the transition from the disappointing end of last year to being upbeat about the '06 season. Four months tardy, I admit. But, hey, I made it, right?

Now, I could continue to opt for the traditional sky is falling routine. You know the bit. It goes like this: Dave Dombrowski is a moron, the Tigers farm system still stinks, the big league club is filled with overpaid, injury prone veterans and Jim Leyland isn't going to help. That's an easy and, perhaps, accurate assessment. However, from now through Opening Day, I'm going to take the opposite approach.

Even if Pudge Rodriguez, Magglio Ordonez and Dmitri Young don't produce up to their full potential, couldn't they still contribute significant numbers? If Carlos Guillen and Placido Polanco produce close to their potential, wouldn't the Tigers offense be rather formidable? What of Chris Shelton and Curtis Granderson? Couldn't full seasons from them be better than what the Tigers got out of their firstbase and centerfield spots a year ago? The potential for a strong offense is there and I'm not even tossing in Craig Monroe who had his best season ever in '05. (I honestly just take any offense Brandon Inge provides as a bonus. I like the guy, but an offensive force, he's not.)

Then comes the wildcard in all of this--pitching. No, I'm not crazy about Kenny Rogers. However, he does seem to win games. Sometimes lots of them. No, Jeremy Bonderman hasn't lived up to the hype yet, but how many other big leaguers have his stuff at his age? It's a very short list. Mike Maroth is steady, if unspectacular and Nate Robertson isn't horrible, either. In fact, I'm not quite sure what Robertson's upside is. Let's just assume that Rogers gives Detroit 15 or more wins and the younger arms make normal progress, is it that hard to figure the staff could be very much improved?

Then toss in the just promoted Justin Verlander. You've read the articles. You've heard the Tigers' brass fawn all over him. You know the guy's got (if I may borrow Sam's terminology) wicked stuff. Sure, Verlander could have a typical up and down rookie season. Or he could be in the running for Rookie of the Year. If it's the latter, just how much improved would the staff seem then?

This rotation has three lefties. Two of them--Maroth and Rogers--are the soft tossing variety. Robertson has more velocity and then there's the righties. Bonderman and Verlander just throw nasty hard stuff. Come on, admit it. They might not end up as terrible as we think.

The bullpen is a tad scary. Todd Jones is your basic "Smoke three packs of cigarettes per batter" type of reliever. Calling Jones a reliever is a misnomer. He doesn't provide much relief at all. In fact, Jones creates far more anxiety than relief. He also saves quite a few games, which is his job.

The bullpen guys we know for sure are coming north are Fernando Rodney, Jamie Walker and the other pitching phenom, Joel Zumaya. While all three are question marks in my mind--Rodney still recovering his surgery of two years ago, Walker because he make me as nervous Jones, and Zumaya because he's a rook--they have all shown enough to make me believe they can, if properly used, be an effective lot.

The primary reason for my optimism on the bullpen is Zumaya. Again, here's another youngster we've heard tons about. The organization and scouts rave about just how hard he throws. If Zumaya's electric stuff can stun batters for an inning or two prior to Jones' arrival, then maybe Jones stuff will look that much more confounding to the opposing batters.

Even with all of my bubbling optimism, I'm not calling for a World Series, division title or even a wild card run. Nope, I just have the hope that the 2006 Detroit Tigers can be a fun baseball team. Maybe even a winning one. Crazy talk? Yep, but what's wrong with some high hopes a week before the opener? We'll have the rest of the season to think otherwise.

Fantasy Baseball And A Request For Advice

I run two fantasy baseball leagues--the Harry Heilmann League and the Gehringer-Greenberg League. This year, I've had some difficulties filling both leagues. Honestly, I'm having some off the blog field issues. My life for the last month or so probably qualifies as a country music song. The hot water tank leaked, the furnace broke, the last wind storm we had pulled a storm door almost complete off my house and, finally, my pick-up truck wouldn't start. Now, if that ain't sounding like country music hit, I don't know what is.

In addition to these messes, my employer sent about 200 people home for good about a month ago, I've been visiting my doctor semi-regularly, I'm apparently attempting to hold up the entire economy on my mediocre salary and I've got the usual assortment of adult responsibilities that are keeping me from important things like blogging and organizing my fantasy baseball leagues.

However, I would like to get both leagues off the ground. (Things are so backwards right now, that even the email I composed to about every blogger I know making this offer disappeared. Thought I had it in my drafts. However, it's nowhere to be found.) Now, as the season begins a week from Monday, time is an issue. I would post the specific details here, however, I want to know that you are truly interested in participating in one of these leagues. So I ask that you please email me if you are interested.

The Heilmann League is pretty straight forward and is a Yahoo! online draft. The G-Men League Draft has always been old school--we get as many participants as we can together in one room to hold the draft. Antiquated notion, I admit, but there's still something unique about a face-to-face draft. That may not be an option this season, but some traditions die hard with me.

In the end, neither league may take flight in 2006, but I had to attempt to get one of them kick started. I thank you for considering it.

Finally, I have a request for help. I received an email asking me if I would be interested in writing a weekly college baseball column. The question I pose to you is "Would that be a good idea?". You are probably thinking, "Why shouldn't you, Brian?". Have you seen my posting around here as of late? Not exactly consistent. It's even worse at my college baseball blog. I missed all of this past week.

Can I really take on two blogs, plus a weekly column? Seems like I might be biting off a bit more than I can chew. Sure, I like the idea, but there are clearly obstacles. And, no, I do not believe compensation is being offered. So, what do I do? Bill? Greg? Ian? Anyone?