Belated Detroit Grand Prix Pics

Even though these are a week late, I did want to share some of the pictures I took from the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix. Keep in mind that I am not a photographer. This one is of pit lane.

Voting For Bonderman

When the "Who's Your Tiger?" is posed, I give Curtis Granderson serious consideration. I've always been a Sean Casey fan, too. How can you not love Justin Verlander? However, the answer to that thought provoking query for me is Jeremy Bonderman.

As such, when I learned that Bonderman was overlooked for the American League All-Star Team, I was disappointed. Not shocked, as a number of A.L. starters are having big seasons, but still disappointed for the guy.

When I found out that Bonderman could still land in San Francisco, via MLB's wonderfully contrived The Final Vote, I headed straight to the ballot box. Now, I will follow the Tigers lead and encourage you to send Jeremy Bonderman to S.F. Get out and vote for My Tiger.

Draft Day Just Got More Interesting

Dre' Bly got his wish. He's out of the Honolulu Blue and Silver. Detroit's Pro Bowl cornerback will now apply his craft for the Denver Broncos. In return for shipping the disgruntled Bly to the Rocky Mountains, the Lions received RB Tatum Bell, OL George Foster and a fifth round draft pick. Which, in all honesty, is about two players greater than what I thought Bly would command in the trade market.

Now, I have concerns about Bell. He might be a product of that Denver running scheme which might make me a 1,000 yard rusher. And, if I recall correctly, Bell has a fumbling issue. Not exactly what you want from a guy you hand the rock to. As for Foster, I know only two things. 1) The standard information about his background that all of you have read today. 2) He's got to be better than the offensive linemen the Lions employed a season ago. Then again, had the Lions acquired a 300 lb. block of swiss cheese, I might be tempted to say the same thing. The fifth rounder, that's just a bonus.

While this trade appears to fill two voids on the Lions roster, the truly interesting part of this deal is how it may alter the Lions draft strategy. (Insert joke about using the terms Lions and draft strategy here.) Before the deal, it seemed like Detroit was destined to take OT Joe Thomas. Now, having obtained a tackle via Denver, drafting Thomas seems less likely. Bell's arrival diminishes the chances of the Lions contemplating the selection of Adrian Peterson. Who does that leave?

Well, boys and girls, that's the fun part. The Lions would appear to be more likely to select a quarterback, LSU's JeMarcus Russell, or wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Yes, another wideout. This deal just made the improbable become possible. Only the Lions.

There are rumors about that the Lions may ship out the freshly acquired Bell and Foster to purchase more draft choices. That would seem kind of odd as both players fill pressing voids that the Lions would need to address in the draft anyway. However, we are talking about the Lions here so everything is in play.

The scenario that makes the most sense is keeping both ex-Broncos and drafting the fill other spots. That's where drafting a quarterback, a year after signing both Josh McCown and Jon Kitna to big deals and only a few weeks after claiming they didn't need a quarterback, comes into light. I'm not sure the Lions have the courage to use their top pick in the draft to select a QB only to have him hold the clipboard for a season. When you need lots of immediate help, it's going to be difficult to select a player for the future with your top draft choice. Which brings us to Mr. Johnson.

The Georgia Tech standout not only had a fine college career, but just dazzled scouts at the cattle call that is the NFL Combine. If he wasn't before, Johnson is now at the top of many team's draft boards. His size, speed and overall skills have nearly all the football geeks in an uproar. He's simply the best player in the draft. Only one problem, though. Matt Millen hasn't had much success in taking wide receivers high in the draft. And, oh, has he had experience with that.

This is where Millen's shoddy draft record really comes back to bite him and the organization. If he had chosen anyone other than Charles Rogers, Roy Williams or Mike Williams in any of those drafts, we wouldn't have an ounce of controversy surrounding the possibility of landing Johnson in the draft. But, instead, three first round wideouts later -- one unemployed, another soon to be -- the Lions might be faced with having to take yet another pass catcher with their top pick. You have to love this team. They can't even take the best player in the draft because they've screwed up so many past drafts.

There is even one more plot I haven't discussed. Regardless of whomever the Raiders select with the top choice, the Lions opt against Thomas (we have OT's), Johnson (not going the WR route, again), Russell (can't afford to draft a player to sit) and Peterson (we have our RB's, thank you). They go completely off the top four playmakers and pick someone I'm not discussing. Oh, what fun talk radio will be the Monday after that.

I have no idea if today's trade makes the Lions a better football team in 2007, but I do know that it has opened some doors I thought were closed -- drafting either a QB or WR -- and, thus, makes their draft even a bit more compelling than it already was.

You Should Be Reading

If you aren't already, you should be reading the Detroit Free Press' Carlos Monarrez' weekly golf column. Not only is his regular golf piece funny, insightful and often thought provoking, it's anything but your standard golf fare. His Quick 9 segment is one of the best list features in all of sports. Even if you don't follow the PGA Tour, I think you'd enjoy the quality of work Monarrez provides each week.

I know as a blogger there is an unwritten rule against praising traditional media guys, especially sports writers. Yet, I have to go against the grain on this one. While reading his column today, I was reminded just what a quality writer Monarrez is and that we should enjoy his work while it's right here in our own backyard.

Redding Move Seems Short Sighted

I don't like the Detroit Lions using the franchise player tag on Cory Redding. I understand he's starting to look like a better than average player. Yet, I still can't justify the Detroit Lions giving him the franchise tag. To be more specific, I can't see giving him franchise tag player money. He's not an elite D-lineman. Could he be? Someday, I suppose. Could he also be a player who plays well when his contract expires? Yep.

To commit to Redding seems like another short-sighted move on the Lions part. They would argue to the contrary and I've read the thoughts of some who like the move, but the Lions have now tied up elite lineman money on a guy with one good season under his belt. It's the Jeff Backus move, Part II.

Giving Backus top dollar because he was the best of a sorry lot is about to backfire. The Lions with the second overall pick in the draft appear unlikely to draft a quarterback, although we all know they need one, and can't possibly draft WR Calvin Johnson no matter how tremendous he will be because Matt Millen has already wasted three first round picks on wideouts. So, that leaves tackle Joe Thomas as Detroit's most likely choice.

We all agree the Lions need O-lineman. That's not the issue. The problem is that Thomas is a left tackle -- the highest paid position on the offensive line. If they grab Thomas, the Lions will have to pay him top dollar. Then, they will have to move either Backus or Thomas to right tackle. In which case, the Lions will be paying LT money to two guys instead of one. In a salary cap league, on a team in need of help at so many spots, how can they justify paying two left tackles?

Giving Redding top dollar, even if it's only for one season, inhibits the Lions ability to not only spend on other positions, but limits their choices. They might have to opt for the fourth best linebacker on the free agent market instead of the top two because they can't afford the elite level player. Maybe they can't afford a free agent running back at all because they've got too much money tied up in left tackles and defensive linemen.

I realize the Lions are desperate to keep anyone that resembles a NFL quality player. I'm desperate for them to play like a NFL quality team. Yet, it seems unlikely for them to make much progress on that front when they continue to throw good money after bad.

OU Prevails

Oakland University beat Oral Roberts 85-84 in OT tonight. Forgive my partisan view, but it's a huge win for the Golden Grizzlies. ORU is the dominant power in the conference and Oakland has struggled to hang with them. To pull off a win, even a tight, perhaps controversial, home win is a step in the right direction.

Now, it's onto the Mid-Con tourney where the Golden Grizzlies will be the second seed. (Oh, those last two road losses hurt now.)

We Have A Race

Since the announcement was made that the Detroit Grand Prix was returning, I've been waiting for a website to pop-up. Earlier this week, I finally found it. Detroit GP.com lives. It's offers your standard options -- race map, ticket information, sponsorship opportunities, etc...

Now, the question becomes do I volunteer to work this event or pay the money and attend? Obviously, I want the race to succeed, but is lending a helping hand the best way to do that? Or is providing the IRL and the City of Detroit with ticket money the better option?

Why I Love The Internet

Here is today's reason to love the internet. (You may have to hit the "play" button.)

Chicago State?

(Editor's Note: I realize that most of you care as much about Oakland University basketball as you do soccer and curling. However, as I write about the other two, allow me this moment to type briefly about my school's basketball team.)

Let me see if I have this correct. Oakland is up 17, on their home floor and lose? To mighty Chicago State no less? That, boys and girls, is one stinking bad loss. One so bad that I had to express my disappointment.

Thank you for your patience. I now return you to your regularly scheduled, non-Golden Grizzlies related, three times a month posts.

Harbaugh On The Farm

I just read that former Michigan star and ex-NFL QB Jim Harbaugh is going to be named Stanford's head coach tomorrow. I think selecting Harbaugh is an excellent move on the part of The Cardinal administration. Harbaugh is a younger coach with a solid background and ties to the program. I'm not a fan, in general, of hiring retreads and handing Harbaugh the keys is definitely a bold decision.

The former Wolverine will have his hands full on The Farm, though. Stanford football has been mediocre historically and below that since Ty Willingham took the Notre Dame job.

One does wonder if Harbaugh has success at Stanford, if his next head coaching gig might be in Ann Arbor?

Part Of My Detroit Lions Makeover Plan

Just in case someone from the Ford Family stops by, I want them to know that if I was named as Matt Millen's replacement with the Detroit Lions, I do have a plan heading into the 2007 season. For the sake of this discussion, I'll limit my thoughts to player acquistion via the draft. However, don't think for a moment that the coaching staff would automatically be safe. They wouldn't. (More on that later.)

However, as we all know the Lions need better players and more of them. To that end, here's what I would look to do heading into the 2007 NFL Draft.

Attempt to trade Shaun Rogers for a first round draft choice. Yes, Rogers is the Lions best defensive player. The problem is, of course, that's only on the days Mr. Rogers wishes to be a dominant interior lineman. Alas, that's not every Sunday. Rogers has also been around the losing for too long and a change of scenery would appear appropriate. If I can get a first rounder for him, even a low first rounder, he's bye-bye.

Then, I peddle Dre Bly. Again, a decent defensive player, but not as good as many think. Nor am I too impressed with his willingness to point fingers and toss teammates under busses. He's another guy I want gone just to clear the air in the lockeroom. If another NFL team wants to give me a second round pick, Bly would be an ex-Lion, as well. I might be willing to settle for a third rounder, too.

If the Lions land the first pick overall, as it appears they will, I'm looking to move down and trade the rights to Brady Quinn. I want a couple of first rounders, minimum. I'm not expecting a Herschel Walker deal, just one that gives me as many high draft picks as possible.

Let's assume, I'm able to pull all this off. Presuming Millen hasn't already traded away some early Lions picks in 2007, Detroit should have, at minimum, three first round picks in this draft. The Lions should also have two seconds. Or a second and two third round picks. That's the kind of immediate overhaul that needs to take place on this roster.

With those picks, and those that follow, I select only offensive lineman and defensive players. Nothing else. Not to the point of stupidity, of course. If there's a quality WR available in the third round and he grades out higher than any lineman, we take the WR. I just want to focus our attention on building the defense and a new offensive line. This strategy will hold true for the 2008 draft, as well.

If Artose Pinner's three TD, 100 yard afternoon revealed nothing else, it showed that nearly anyone can look good behind solid offensive line. The Lions OL has to improve significantly. Detroit almost needs five entirely new lineman, but one step at a time. Let's see how many we can get in the '07 draft.

You might say, "Brian, why trade away two of your better defensive guys and then draft all kinds of D?". Well, boys and girls, I still believe you win games on defense, even in this offensive-freindly league. Like everyone else, I'm underwhelmed with the Lions D. It's needs even more work than the less-than-impressive offense does. I also want players who haven't been around this debacle for years. The Lions need to bring in some desire and speed on the defensive side of the ball. I'm willing to trade off one or two good pieces for the opportunity to acquire several new faces and revamp the defense and the organziation in the process.

"What if you can't unload Rogers, Bly and trade down?" A good question, Mr. Ford. Then, after a long discussion with the football people I bring in, I defer to their opinion. However, I'm not opposed to going against my overall draft strategy for one pick and selecting young Mr. Quinn with the first overall choice. (Again, my focus is the D and OL, it's not a blind committment.)

At some point, the Lions need to stop this merry-go-round with their signal callers. I don't buy for one moment that Jon Kitna's the end-all, be-all. I don't care what Rod Marinelli or Mike Martz tell me about Kitna. Four turnovers a game from a thirty-something QB whose been mostly a back-up or temporary fill-in throughout his career, isn't going to be a consistent player. The mere fact both the head coach and the o-coordinator sing the praises of Kitna only makes me wonder about their collective sanity.

Yet, once Mr. Quinn is in the fold, it's back to nothing but O-lineman and defensive guys, even if Rogers and Bly stay put. Barring an injury, Quinn sits the bench in '07 and Kitna does what he has always done -- hold down the fort until the kid is ready to play. Then, we try to find young men who will block and tackle with passion. It's the essence of the game and we all know the Lions fail on the most basic aspects of this game routinely.

Mr. Ford, also be aware that I'm probably going to cut a few guys, as well. Josh McCown is one of them. If our back-up QB can't beat out our starter when the first team guy is coming off back-to-back four turnover games amidst a two win season, he's never going to play. With drafting Quinn a possibility and McCown seeing more time at wideout than QB, it's time to go.

This is only a brief glimpse into my plan to re-vitalize the team. I'd probably change any number of things, from the kind of hotdogs sold to the scheme on the ticket design. Mr. Ford, if you are still reading this, I'd probably dismiss some people who have been with the Lions for years. That probably won't sit well with you, but maintaining the status quo is no longer an option. This organization needs to act like a classic, professional football team even when the results on the field don't reflect that.

Tigers Need To Sign Bonderman Now

Don't the Detroit Tigers need to sign Jeremy Bonderman, pronto? After seeing the Texas Rangers shell out $33 million over three years to Vincente Padilla and amid rumors that Ted Lilly could command ten million a season, I believe the Tigers can't get Bonderman to sign an extension quickly enough.

I can't see allowing Bonderman to go either the arbitration or free agency route. Even with whatever perceived shortcomings he has, Bonderman has four big league seasons under his belt (45 career wins), a 1-0 record in the post-season, a ton of talent and hasn't reached his twenty-fifth birthday. If Padilla, who is 29 and has 66 career wins in eight years, can get $11 million on season on the open market, what is Bonderman worth? $12 million a season? $14 million? More?

Ask yourself these questions: Who would you rather have in 2007, Padilla or Bonderman? How about in 2010? Or 2012? I'd take Bonderman. If my guess is right, so would every single general manager in Major League Baseball. That would make Bonderman very, very popular on the open market. The Tigers shouldn't even contemplate that thought long. They should sign the Bonderman as soon as is possible.

Here's another way of looking at it. If Bonderman were on another team, wouldn't you want him on the Tigers? Wouldn't he be the kind of young, yet big league tested, power arm the Tigers and every other team are in constant search of?

Certainly, a big money, long term deal is a risk. Any number of things can derail a pitcher's career. However, in light of the market on pitchers, signing Bonderman long term is a risk well worth taking.

Head(band) Case?

Let's see, Ben Wallace's minutes are declining, as is his performance, he and his coach can't agree on headwear and the Bulls, once thought to be one of the up-and-comers in the NBA, are heading straight downward. While Wallace's former employer, the Detroit Pistons, look utterly beatable every night and might not be able to stop me from driving the middle. Yeah, that decision seems to be working out well.

It's hard to view this one as anything but greed over intelligence. Wallace could have stayed here, playing primarily defense and rebounding, boosting his Hall of Fame status and keeping the Pistons closer to the NBA elite. Of course, he would have had to settle for millions of dollars over millions and millions of dollars. Instead, Wallace opted for Chicago's ridiculous cash offer and has been a complete disaster thus far. Combined with his last few seasons in Auburn Hills, where he feuded with Larry Brown and Flip Saunders, Wallace is quickly painting himself as a coach hating headcase whose career is in rapid decline. So much for that "Goin' To Work", team-first attitude Wallace became so closely attached with.

Do I think the entire headband-gate thing is stupid? Yeah, it is. I don't see what Skiles gains from such a policy. In a league where they worry about players showing up every night (and taking firearms on the road), should coaches really concern themselves over headbands? Probably not. However, is it asking Wallace, or anyone else, too much to give up the headband? Does it help him play better? (I thought we were told that it was the shoes?) In giving Wallace fourteen million this year, perhaps his employer has a right to enforce a dress code. It's not like it's breaking a constitutional amendment or anything. Just don't wear the thing. Consider it a professional courtesy.

In watching the Pistons this year, I keep thinking, "If Ben were here that guy would not be getting a lay-up right now". I also think "Maybe the Pistons wouldn't look so average, had Wallace stayed". Then, I see what is going on in Chicago and think that Joe Dumars made the right decision regardless of what happens down the road. Wallace's pouting appears to be more consistent than his play and that's just not worth the headache. Or the money.

Full Disclosure: DIBS Award

I'm going to come clean about my voting in the annual DIBS Tigers Awards. I know all of you were waiting for this revelation. My Tiger of the Year was Carlos Guillen. Second place went to Justin Verlander, third was Magglio Ordonez. Guillen won the DIBS Award.

My Tiger Pitcher of the Year went to Verlander. Kenny Rogers was second and third place went to Jeremy Bonderman (which I attributed to Bonderman being my current answer to the "Who's Your Tiger?" question) . I debated swapping Rogers and Verlander, as I could have for the Tiger of the Year. Both were terrific and if you feel Rogers was more deserving than Verlander, I wouldn't argue. Obviously, my DIBS-mates thought Rogers was the choice, as he claimed the most votes.

My breakout player? I'm thinking you've followed my train of logic here and guessed correctly that I picked Verlander. Joel Zumaya came in third and Marcus Thames was my third place choice. I never imagined Thames jacking out over 20 HRs. Verlander won the DIBS award.

Now, my Playoff Performers would have been, in order, Rogers, Sean Casey and Craig Monroe. Unfortunately, I failed to read the part of the email that said to vote for the Playoff Performer. Geez, I'm just clueless. Anyway, Rogers won the award, so my vote would not have swayed a thing.

It's Time

Fire Millen.

It's been a chant. A desperate plea. A rallying cry. It's even become a bit of a cultural phenomenon -- having arisen at sporting events not only in Detroit, but throughout the country.

Now, it's taken the next step. It's the only logical course of action.

I cannot give you a single reason to retain Matt Millen in the Detroit Lions front office. I don't think you can, either. My guess is that even Mr. Millen himself would struggle to find a solid reason for him to remain in his current position. Conversely, the list of reasons for the Lions and Millen to part ways is longer than the one Santa Claus finds himself faced with this time of the year.

You don't need me to rehash history here. You know what the Lions record is since Millen took charge. You all know about Millen's failings in personnel decisions -- both in terms of players and coaches. You are well versed in the off-field issues, ranging from players with substance abuse problems to coaches with DUIs. It's time the Ford Family stopped ignoring the obvious. It's impossible to categorize the Millen regime as anything other than a failure.

The Lions will head into 2007, the 50th anniversary of their last NFL Championship, with yet another high draft pick. Quite possibly, the first pick overall. With history as our guide, I can't expect Matt Millen to make the right decision with that choice. Of course, with history as our guide, I can't expect the Ford Family to make the right decision regarding Mr. Millen, either.

Update: The local media have joined the parade. Terry Foster is saying Millen has to go, but suggests the Lions GM might not be the only one shown the door. Long-time Detroit News scribe Jerry Green thinks the writing is on the wall, too.

If, as Foster suggests, the entire Lions front office is sacked, could anyone blame the Ford's for making such a radical move?

Bring On Round Two

I understand that when presented with the possibility of an Ohio State versus Michigan rematch in the national championship game, Florida head coach Urban Meyer suggested that if such a game took place the NCAA should immediately institute a playoff format for this year. I hate to rain on Meyer's pity parade, but does he really think a playoff system is going to eliminate rematches? I've got some bad news Coach, a playoff format will only increase the odds of second encounters.

To provide an example, let's Meyer's idea into action. We will assemble the top ten teams in the land for a playoff. For the sake of this discussion, I'll use the Associated Press poll, but use any poll that makes you feel better. You've got OSU, Michigan, USC, Florida, Arkansas, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Louisville, LSU and Wisconsin. Now, we know the Buckeyes and Wolverines have seen each other once. Michigan has also played the Irish and Badgers. Notre Dame is about to face USC and the Trojans beat up Arkansas months ago. The Razorbacks are going to run into Meyer's Gators in two weeks. The Gators and LSU have already met and WVU and Louisville butted heads weeks ago.

Do you see a (very literal) repeating theme here? There are eight potential rematches in this proposed playoff system. It doesn't help if you include a few more teams, either. If you sneak down the polls a bit further, you also open the door for schools like Auburn (who has seen Florida, Arkansas and LSU in person), Oklahoma and Texas (who play in a pretty big game annually themselves). A playoff format doesn't diminish the odds of a Round Two. In fact, it would seem to increase the odds of second chance encounters all over the place -- including, by default, the title game.

In addition to Coach Meyer, I'm surprised so many in the media are against this possible rematch in the championship game. If this were college basketball's greatest rivalry going to a second meeting, would anyone really be complaining? Again, just for the sake of my post, let's say Duke/North Carolina is the hoops version of Ohio State/Michigan. The Blue Devils and Tar Heels collide twice a year in the regular season, right? That's no problem. They often meet in the ACC Tournament. If they were the top two ranked teams in the land and played Volume III in the conference tournament final, would anyone be lamenting it?

Then, just to finish the thought, if Duke and UNC advanced to the National Championship Game, having gone through the regular season ranked 1-2 and having faced each other three times, would anyone mind seeing a fourth encounter? Okay, the folks at NC State, maybe not so much, but wouldn't the mainstream media be cranking the hype machine up full blast for Round Four of Duke and UNC?

The media big boys love the Yankees and Red Sox match-ups, no matter how often they run into one another. Same with the NFL. Teams like the Patriots and Colts can run head long into one another two or three times a year, sometimes for several years in a row, and it's the story of the weekend, but Michigan and Ohio State twice in the same year? Oh, no, can't have that.

In the end, I suspect neither the wide spread complaining or my confusion over their objections will be worthy the energy. USC will probably drop Notre Dame and UCLA and surge past Michigan in the BCS standings giving them the opportunity to play the Buckeyes for the national championship. Hey, wait a minute. Hasn't USC played in the championship game the last three years in a row? Didn't they lose to Texas last year? Do we really want to see them, again? Why should they get four shots at the title?

The Sheff Deal

It's hard not to like the Detroit Tigers acquisition of Gary Sheffield. While, Sheffield has never been one of my favorites, he's a great hitter. Not a good hitter. A great hitter. When your career average is .298 and you are only forty-five homers short of 500, you qualify as a Hall of Fame caliber slugger. Yes, the Tigers did relinquish three prospects. However, let's consider two things.

First, how often can you get a middle of the lineup hitter with Sheffield's numbers? Teams that have them are usually not willing to give them up. The second thing to remember is that the Tigers made this deal and their starting rotation hasn't been altered. Do you think the Tigers could have landed a Manny Ramirez or even Mark Teixeira without sending Jeremy Bonderman or Nate Robertson the other way? The first thing I thought when I heard Sheffield was a Tiger? "Who's gone? Bonderman or Robertson?" Much to my continuing happiness, the answer was neither.

Now, the Tigers new clean-up hitter does come with baggage. His ego will arrive in Lakeland a full week ahead of his body. We all have reasons to be wary of Sheffield's ongoing unhappiness. However, I often believe these things get blown out of proportion. Let me give you an in-house example.

Last year, Pudge Rodriguez and Dmitri Young tossed Alan Trammell and, in turn, their teammates under the bus. They were clubhouse problems all season long and it probably cost Tram his job. This year, Jim Leyland arrives and keeps Pudge happy. Young runs into problems off-the-field and the Tigers finally see enough and ship him out. The two problem children of 2005 are no longer an issue in '06.

Want another Detroit example? Need I point out our very own, Rasheed Wallace? Arguably the NBA's poster child for bad behavior prior to his Detroit trade, Wallace has become a fan favorite here and his image has improved during his tenure in Auburn Hills. While his technical fouls continue at an astronomical pace, he's hardly the league's most hated player anymore. He isn't loved around the league, but his once famous antics haven't really materialized here.

Now, this isn't to say that Sheffield won't whine. The odds are overwhelming that he will. It's just that some of Sheff's attitude could be minimized in the right situation. Perhaps, reuniting with Leyland and Dave Dombrowski will help that. Perhaps, getting out of the Big Apple will diminish the amount of time Sheffield spends talking to the media, thus decreasing the odds of him saying something publicly the Tigers will cringe at. Maybe, just maybe, Sheffield can pull a Rasheed Wallace and find Detroit to his liking.

Let's also keep in mind the great panacea for all clubhouse problems -- winning. If the Tigers can continue to contend, Pudge, Sheffield and everyone else will find a way to make nice. That or we will downplay Sheffield's tantrums (think of Boston's "Manny being Manny" mantra) as long as the wins keep piling up. If Sheff is hitting .295 with 35 homers and 110 RBI on a Tigers team that is in first place, it's going to be hard to criticize the trade even if the three prospects are doing well.

And what of those three prospects, you might ask? What if one of them is the next John Smoltz? Well, let me start with some advice. STOP WORRYING ABOUT THE NEXT JOHN SMOLTZ. Geez, must we dwell on that one move forever? Do you want to trade in the 1987 A.L. East title? It's not like Doyle Alexander came to town and stunk the place up.

Just remember that everyone was worried about the Juan Gonzalez trade, too. The Tigers gave up too much. Justin Thompson could be great. Oh, Francisco Cordero is a star in the making. Frank Catalanotto can really hit. Thompson's arm blew out, Cordero had a few nice seasons in Texas but didn't tear up the league and Cat can still hit, but he's not a difference maker. (A side note. I wouldn't be overly surprised if Cat returned here this winter. Sheff's arrival might diminish the odds of Cat's second tour of Detroit, but for the right money, his lefty bat could help.)

I remember when Jeff Weaver got shipped out, too. Oh, the cries from Tigertown. While Weaver got his revenge on Dombrowski and company in Game Five, his career hasn't exactly lived up to our expectations. He's on team number five, at least. The Cardinals grabbed him this summer after the Angels decided it was back to the minors for the former Tigers pitcher of the future. I'll take Jeremy Bonderman, thank you. (And this if from a guy who's Tiger was Weaver, back in the day.)

For every one John Smoltz prospect there are countless hundreds of prospects that don't amount to more than a line in the Baseball Encyclopedia. The honest to goodness truth about prospects, from the uber-variety to the bargain bin models, is that they rarely pan out. Most never even make The Show. Sure the really hyped ones, especially those making good coin, do usually appear, but success is far from assured. Any number of factors -- injuries, roster logjams, not learning another pitch or inability to hit off-speed stuff, reaching the ceiling of their potential before reaching the majors -- can deter a player's career permanently.

The Tigers sent the Yankees a pitcher with a spotty minor league record prior to 2006 with a history of injuries. They also sent two Class A pitchers. The distance between Class A and Major League Baseball is quite a bit longer than the drive from Lakeland to Detroit. While the three prospects the Tigers sent to NY all have potential, you do have to give up something to make a trade. Yet, the success of all three young players is far from guaranteed. Their big league careers are hope. Conversely, Sheffield's is fact.

Without harming a World Series roster or giving up your number one prospect (Andrew Miller) the Tigers obtained a player who instantly becomes their most dangerous offensive threat. I may not be a Sheffield fan, but even I can appreciate how fortunate the Tigers are to pull of such a deal -- attitudes, risks and all.

Rose Rises In Phoenix

Jalen Rose has spurned offers from Detroit and Miami to play in Phoenix. Per usual, I have questions. When did Phoenix get involved in the Rose Sweepstakes? I had only heard the Heat and Pistons mentioned. Why do the Suns need Rose? How long can the Rose hang with the run and gun and run some more Suns? Isn't he going to get worn down by the pace Phoenix plays its best basketball at?

Captain Azinger

Paul Azinger, one of my favorite all-time golfers, is going to be named captain of the 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup team. It's a great gig. It's also a no-win situation. Kind of like being manager of the New York Yankees or a goalie for the Detroit Red Wings. Win? Well, that's expected. Lose and your an idiot.

Azinger will have one thing in his favor, it's not like any of the other recent captains have fared very well. Lose and he will just be following suit. Oh, he will get hammered, but not as much if it was the first U.S. loss in years. If he wins, however, he will come off looking like a genius.

I should also mention that I think Larry Nelson was wronged by the PGA. Nelson, a Golf Hall of Fame member, three time major champion and the only American ever to go 5-0 in a Ryder Cup, deserved the captaincy (at some point) and it now appears his window for that chance has closed. I'm happy for 'Zinger, but disappointed Nelson may never get the opportunity.

Hockey: One Month In

I know this surprises the majority of inhabitants of Hockeytown, but the NHL season is underway. I kid you not. The NHL has been playing games for weeks. Who knew, right? Well, I have to admit that I have been paying a bit of attention.

I'm sure my interest in pucks is directly related to the fantasy hockey league I was asked to participate in. Although, we all know this isn't exactly my first fantasy hockey league team. I also suspect my NHL viewing habit is about to be overtaken by a basketball habit. (I'm more gym rat than rink rat.) In light of this expected transition, allow me to make a hockey related post. Who knows when the next one might occur?

It's difficult to have any NHL discussion right now without starting in Buffalo. The Sabres are smokin'. They are 11-0-1. Boston had them down last night, but the Sabres came from three behind in the third and beat the B's. According to all the experts I hear and read, this Buffalo team is perfectly suited for "The New NHL". They are the favorites to win the East and have certainly looked the part since opening night.

Speaking of how the Sabres look, the boys in Buffalo have a new uniform. I'm not sure I like it. I'm not sure I don't. I do like the nod back to the team's original color scheme, but that stylized Buffalo noggin? I've heard plenty of negativity about the new logo -- some have wondered aloud when Buffalo became the squirrels-- but, the new design is leading the league in sales. And wins. I do think it's better than its red-eyed predecessor.

I guess Brendan Shanahan was right about moving on. Shanny is third in the NHL in points with 18, twelve of which are goals. That mark leads the NHL.

I've seen the Detroit Red Wings a few times and I can definitely say these are not the Red Wings most fans have grown accustom to. Some of the usual suspects remain in place, but I think the average Wings fan is going to wonder who many of these guys are.

What on Earth has gotten into the New York Islanders? After the Isles front office follies and 15 year contract to keeper Rick DiPietro this off-season, most hockey fans (on Long Island and elsewhere) wrote off yet another season before it began. Surprisingly, the Islanders have winning record and are 6-2-2 in their last ten games.

Even more of a shock, Alexi Yashin is just piling on the points. Three assists in last night's 5-2 win over New Jersey. If Ted Nolan gets effort out of Yashin, he should be coach of the year regardless of where the Isles finish in the standings.

I think it's safe to say that the Sedin Twins have arrived. Vancouver's twins, Henrik and Daniel, are amongst the league's top 25 in points and are making Taylor Pyatt look like an all-star. This comes one season after making Anson Carter a thirty goal scorer and land him a big free agent contract. Yes, the Sedin boys are good.

Another line making waves is Toronto's top unit. Mats Sundin, Darcy Tucker and Kyle Wellwood are off to a terrific start. Sundin and Tucker each have fifteen points and are amongst the league leaders in that category. It might be quality television to turn into Hockey Night in Canada tomorrow as the Leafs host the Sabres.

You cannot listen to any hockey related banter for more than about ten minutes without the speaker referring to "The New NHL". I'm not sure if I've actually heard a definition, but it has to do with eliminating obstruction and less fighting. Or, at least, that's what the talking heads have me believing.

There are plenty o' whistles under the new rules. I've seen a few games where even the thought of tripping lands you in the box. And actually using your stick to impede a player? Just tap the guy and head off, because that ain't allowed.

You remember Pittsburgh's championship years. The teams that featured a cast of stars including Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, Bryan Trottier, Paul Coffey and Jaromir Jagr. Well, here come the Penguins, again. The next wave of superstar talent has arrived in the Steel City. Sidney Crosby leads the charge, but he's getting plenty of help from Marc Andre Fluery, Evgeni Malkin, Ryan Whitney and Jordan Staal. I wonder if the franchise will stay in Pittsburgh or if another North American town is going to enjoy watching this team grow up and win? (Of course, they are winning now. They sit atop the Atlantic.)

That's all the hockey for now. Perhaps, a second hockey post might emerge before the holiday season concludes. Or not.