Detroit Tigers offseason

By: Kenneth W. Paczas

Dave Dombrowski loves to play chess. He sits in his office during lunch and just plays. All the moves he has made during the past year or two have been pointing to this offseason.

2010 was supposed to be a throwaway year. Detroit wasn't expected to compete. The Damon and Valverde signings certainly made for some interesting conversation, but people still pointed to 2011.

That's the year Detroit would have more than $65 million to add proven talent to a young, gifted roster ready to take the next step. The year Dave Dombrowski's career-threatening signings -- Bonderman, Robertson, Willis -- stopped backing the front office into financial corners.

Well welcome to 2011. Problem is, some of the guys you thought would fill holes (Scott Sizemore, Alex Avila) have fizzled. The Tigers have a number of pressing problems that will have to be addressed this offseason -- and, it doesn't seem like they'll have the time or the money to answer each question. And so, instead, it seems that they'll have to place a value on each problem. (Is having a hot-hitting catcher more important than adding a left-hander in the starting rotation?).

It’s why I believe signing Brandon Inge, was the right move. You don’t have a third base prospect that can play right now. The rest of the free agent class is terrible. Getting Inge for 5.5 a year, is the right move for this team right now. Now you have 60 million to play with, and if you pick up Jhonny for 6 million as expected, you are looking at 54 million.

So if we are assuming that, your team looks like this. 1^st-Miggy, 2^nd- Rhymes, 3^rd- Inge, SS- Jhonny, C- Avila, RF- open, CF- Jackson, LF- Raburn, DH - Guillen. Also assuming Sizemore/Worth, Santiago, Boesch, is in the back up roles. That leaves two spots, Right Field, and Catcher as your two open position spots.

Your starting pitchers are Verlander, Max Scherz, Porcello, and I guess Phil Coke. Valverde, Perry, Zumaya, Bonine,  Schlereth, and Weinhardt are in your bullpen. That leaves one starter and one reliever spot to fill.

With that extra money, this is exactly what they should do. They need to sign Jason Werth, Victor Martinez, Ted Lily, and Matt Guerrier to fill those four holes.

I would love to have Carl Crawford, but the amount of money it would take would out weigh what else you could do. Werth is a cheaper option and a more realistic option. Martinez adds a big bat, and someone who can play first base if Miggy would find himself needing a day off. Lily is a left handed starter who would be the perfect spot for the fourth starter. Finally MG would be a great 7^th inning guy, as Perry works his way into that set up role.

Imagine this opening day lineup.

1 - Austin Jackson - CF
2 - Carlos Guillen - 2B/DH/DL
3 - Victor Martinez - C/DH/1B
4 - Miguel Cabrera - 1B/DH
5 - Jayson Werth - RF
6 - Ryan Raburn - LF
7 - Jhonny Peralta - SS
8 - Brandon Inge - 3B
9 - Will Rhymes/Scott Sizemore/Brennan Boesch

Your pitchers would be Verlander, Max, Porcello, Lily, and Coke.

As long as Zoom Zoom could stay healthy, you’re looking like a team ready to compete.

You like chess Dave, well it’s your move.

No title Game for Boise St.

BY KEN W PACZAS

People ask me all the time. .

”Why do you hate Boise State? They are the little team that could and everyone loves an underdog story.”

Well to me, this just isn’t the case. Boise St. is a fraud to the system that I hold dear, and here are four reasons why Boise St. will never play for the national title.

#1 - The College Football Establishment has too much to lose

The BCS is controlled, almost entirely, by the "Big Six" conferences. Those leagues have the most direct path to the championship, and they take the biggest slices of the revenue pie. The BCS is a finite universe - for every team that gets in, many get left out.

A national championship means millions of dollars for the University and Conference. Since the BCS went to the five game formats, with the exception of the Big XII last year, every conference represented in the title game has also had a team playing in one of the traditional BCS bowls. The inclusion of Boise State likely means one of the existing BCS conferences loses the prestige and revenue of an extra BCS assignment. Going back to 2001, at least one of the conferences represented in the national championship game was also represented by an extra BCS team. These are millions of dollars on the line for some school and conference.

Selecting a team like Boise State (or TCU) for a "traditional" BCS game carries less danger. A non-BCS league team has been included in five of the last six BCS years and multiple bids were still preserved for other conferences. Last year a deserving Florida team sat home while TCU and BSU played under the brightest lights. There was a feeling that the BCS would do it "this time" with the hope that putting two in this one time would placate the critics and preserve the status quo. Now the status quo might be turned on its head, and the prize on the line is the only one the BCS leagues absolutely do not want to give up.

If 2009 was the year of realignment, it's not that hard for 2010 to be the summer of Independence. Some of these concerns are overblown - not everyone can go independent. In fact, there is room for less than a handful of independent programs that compete on a truly national level. Some programs could make that decision, however, and follow the BYU model to financial and competitive independence. Schools like Texas, Florida, Ohio State, Michigan, LSU, USC and others who believe they should be on a "championship level" every year can reassess the situation, take a disproportionately higher payout from an agreement with a cable network, and craft for themselves a competitively easier road to the title. If Boise State can play for a title after playing a two-game schedule, why can't Texas? Why shouldn't Texas? The folks in the league offices know this, and they have everything to lose. Make no mistake, any league is significantly devalued if their marquee program decides to go it alone, and those marquee programs are precisely the ones who are in a position to make that kind of move.

If, on the other hand, the existing forces rally to tell Boise State those two games just isn't good enough - that the rigors of two games can't compare to the gauntlet of the SEC or Big Ten - then the incentive to go it alone is significantly reduced.

The conferences know that the big BCS money exists not because of schools like BSU and TCU - ESPN won't pay this kind of money for them - but because of the national interest in programs like Texas, Ohio State, Florida, USC and the "power" leagues. Giving them a shot (and potentially a title) means the leagues have to give away what is rightfully earned by them - big money. They have everything to lose.

#2 - The Public Backlash

College Football is extremely provincial. The popularity of the sport exists not because of generic national interest, but because of more traditional interest centered on individual schools and conferences. Sure, there is bandwagon fans that ship their allegiances from school-to-school, coast-to-coast based upon the fortunes of a given season, but by and large college football is tied to home. Unlike the NFL, whose support is based somewhat more on generic support for the league and game in general, college football fans are more likely to group themselves according to more specific allegiances.

The hardcore sports geeks - the guys calling into afternoon sports talk - want the best possible matchups. The bulk of the viewership, however, is tied to a team or league in a much more specific way. While college football, on the whole, far outdraws the NFL at the turnstiles, TV viewership is but a fraction of what the pro game enjoys. The generic "watch whoever is playing" draw is much less significant amongst college fans. They want to watch their team and the teams they are most familiar with, not an upstart from far away whom they know relatively little about.

Right now there is an element, amongst the media, of playing the story. Boise State brings controversy and a passionate response - look at reaction of MSU fans to the thought of being excluded because of BSU - and controversy drives ratings. At some point, however, pissing off the bulk of college football fans will prove to be an inefficient method of driving ratings. As the public sentiment, centered on the big leagues that drive the big ratings, turns, and so will the commentary out of Bristol and elsewhere. Once that turns, the Harris voters and Coaches will be impacted.

#3 - The System Won't Allow It

The BCS formula is comprised of computer polls, the Harris Interactive Poll, and the Coaches poll.

BSU will always take a lump in the computers for the very reason people are opposed to their admission to the title game. They play a weak schedule and pay a penalty for it.

The Coaches Poll is the wild card here. Will the Coaches give a chance to an up-start, or will they vote for their own provincial interests?

The most recent list of voters I could find is several years old. It was 63 names long. Of those 63 voters, greater than 2/3 of the voters come from the traditional BCS leagues. When the coaches (read: SID's) sit down to complete their ballots, who are they likely to over value and under value? A team whose interests are aligned with their own (and those of their league) or those of a league of less prestige?

Lower coaches ranking combined with a penalty in the computer polls could doom Boise State.

#4 - ESPN

The college football world takes a dramatic turn this season. In the past, the loudest opinion in the room was a bystander when it came to title time, just like the rest of us. Now ESPN has a vested financial interest in the championship game. They have ratings to deliver, ads to sell, and impressions to deliver to advertisers. They must do this while convincing the college football audience that they are a proper steward of the game's biggest stage.

Right now, the BSU storyline drives ratings. It gets folks from Tuscaloosa to Texas excited and upset. At some point, however, ESPN will realize where their interests are.

The TV ratings for games involving non-BCS league teams have historically been very low. Last year the TCU/Boise State game was the 2nd lowest rated game of the BCS (behind small-state Iowa and no-fan base Georgia Tech). The year before, Utah's appearance in the BCS also attracted the second-lowest rating in the BCS, less than half the viewership for the title game and only about 2/3 the viewership of the other games. (Va Tech/Cincinnati attracted the smallest audience in BCS history that year). In 2008, Hawaii's BCS appearance set the low-water mark for the year, while the Boise State-Oklahoma game that everyone remembers as the ultimate David-vs-Goliath BCS story was the second lowest rated game of its season. In 2005, Utah's appearance was the lowest rated game of the year by some distance.

In the history of the BCS, the highest rated game involving a "non-AQ" team was the 8.4 rating delivered by the BSU/Oklahoma game. I can't find hour-by-hour (or better yet, quarter-hour) number, so my suspicion that the ratings skyrocketed late in that game is without support. Meanwhile, the lowest rated title game is the 13.7 earned by the USC/Oklahoma game in 2005.

Considering the history of non-AQ teams in the BCS, and BSU in particular, there is little reason to believe that BSU vs. anyone would pull the kind of ratings ESPN needs to deliver in year one of its new BCS contract. Remember, however, their goal isn't to deliver whatever they can - it is to deliver the maximum audience possible. Disney has paid a large fortune for these games, and the way they make money on the deal is by having the highest rated game possible. Almost any title matchup without BSU (or TCU) would outdraw any title matchup with them.

I’m not a hater against Boise, but I know what’s best for college football. A one loss Alabama, or Ohio St., still should go over this Boise team. It’s why Boise St. will not play in the national title game.

Now sit back and wait for Jan 10, 2011. The Championship Game will be on TV. Maybe you can fly to Boise and watch it with the Broncos.

Red Wings 2010-11 Preview

By: KEN W PACZAS

Cory sits in his room, lying in bed staring at the ceiling. He has been a life long hockey fan, pouring his heart into hockey night in Canada. His Red Wings could do no harm. Then last year happened and his world came crashing down.

The Detroit Red Wings opened training camp Sept. 18 in Traverse City, Mich., looking to rebound from an early playoff exit last season. Their second-round loss to the San Jose Sharks last spring was the earliest the Wings were ousted from the postseason dating back to the 2005-06 campaign. Throw in the fact that Canada and Sid the Kid won the Gold medal in the Olympics and last year was not a fun year for fans like Cory.

Many will argue Detroit's Stanley Cup window is closing as there are eight core players on the roster 35 years of age or older. However, they should not be counted out just yet.

Detroit looks on paper to be the best team in the NHL, led by a very powerful offense that has players all in their prime or entering their prime.
Detroit will have the best 12 forwards up and down their roster, better than any other team besides possibly the Washington Capitals.
The Wings added the all-time leading American scorer Mike Modano to their lineup, penciled in as their third-line center.
Adding Modano gives Coach Mike Babcock the flexibility to reunite Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Tomas Holmstrom on a line again, which propelled Detroit's offense in the early years after the lockout.

Their second line will consist of Filppula, who had a great second half and figures to have a breakout year finally, centering playoff sensation Swedish Mull Franzen, and an aging Todd Bertuzzi.

Modano, who doesn't have the speed that made him such a fearsome center in the 90s, will have blazing wheels on his wings with Hudler making his return to the NHL and gritty speedster Cleary. Modano hasn't lost his hockey IQ or passing skills, so he should still be able to produce on a line with a lot of speed.

Of their forwards, Datsyuk and Zetterberg are figured to gain well more than 80 points each, Hudler and Franzen at 60-70, Filppula and Cleary 50, Bertuzzi and Modano around 40. That's a very potent offense.

Their defense hasn't changed and the extra month will greatly benefit the 40-year-old Lidstrom, who struggled the first half of the season, but soared during the second half. Even though only Red Wing fans will call him “elite”, Lidy is still a good defenseman, and if he can stay healthy should play at a high level.

Jimmy Howard will look to prove that he wasn't just a shot in the pan last year after being nominated for the Calder trophy. Howard turned out 37 wins with a 2.24 GAA and a .924 SV percentage.

Howard struggled in the beginning of the season, but as the Wings lost more bodies and were running on fumes, Howard kept them in most games and really stepped up to salvage the season until the Wings got healthy.

Howard looked out of gas in the playoffs and didn't play great against San Jose. Although, their first three losses were by a goal, it didn't help that he let in four in each of those three games.
The Wings finished with 102 points, aren't losing anybody significant, and have upgraded their roster.

Giving that no one in the Central got any better only worse, the Wings should have no problem regaining their crown, as well as fighting for the President's Trophy.

The Wings will break 50 wins for the fifth time in six seasons; produce 116 points and either win the President's Trophy or fall by a point or two. This season looks like the Wings could add their fifth Stanley Cup in 14 years.

However, they will lose, once again, to the Pittsburgh Penguins, in the Stanley Cup finals.

I can just picture Cory now, sitting in bed, throwing darts at pictures of Malkin and Crosby….
“Damn You PITTSBURGH!!!!!!!!”

Michigan vs. Michigan State

By: Ken W Paczas

A Michigan State fans asks a Michigan grad, "Doesn't it suck not having a mascot?"
The man replies "It's better than having one that wears a dress."

So it is on, another year of Michigan vs. Michigan State trash talk. However, this time, it’s different. Both 5-0 overall and 1-0 in the conference, the rivals enter this contest unbeaten for the first time since 1999. Usually it’s one down ridden fan base just hoping to beat their rival. This year, both clubs expect their team to win, making the trash talk louder than ever.

A farmer was walking in his fields near Ann Arbor, Michigan and he heard the sound of distant singing. Confused, he tried to follow the sound. It led him to a group of his cattle and surprisingly to the rear end of one little calf. He bent down and lifted the tail so he could hear clearer and it was the University of Michigan Fight Song!

Amazed, the farmer loaded his calf into a trailer and drove into town. He went to see his vet and explained what he had discovered. The vet said "well, bring em out and we'll take a look." So the farmer led the calf out of his trailer and up the vet. The vet bent down, lifted the tail and calmly stood back up. "Sure enough, that is the University of Michigan Fight Song."

The farmer was ecstatic. "Doc! Why aren't you more excited!? This is amazing! Unheard of! We gotta tell people!"

The vet, a third generation Michigan State University grad said, "Hell Bud, I'm a Spartan - I have been listening to assholes sing that song my whole life.

The Spartans come into this game with all the confidence in the world. They are coming off big wins against Wisconsin and Notre Dame, and their defense is ranked in the top 20 nationally. However, they have their hands full this year.

Michigan is second in the nation in total offense (565.0 yards per game), third in rushing (324.4) and ninth in scoring (41.4 points per game). Most of those numbers come courtesy of Robinson, the sophomore quarterback who leads the nation in rushing (181.0 yards per game) and is second in total offense (382.6).
Robinson, who did not attempt a pass and was held to minus-9 yards on three carries in the Wolverines' 26-20 overtime loss at Michigan State last season, is 95 rushing yards from 1,000 this year and 87 away from 2,000 total yards.

How do you keep a Michigan Wolverine out of your yard?
Put up a goal post and paint Roses on the grass beneath it.

Even as powerful as Michigan has looked on offense, their defense has been subpar. On Saturday, Michigan must be prepared to stop a balanced Spartans' offense led by Cousins, who has thrown for 1,132 yards and nine touchdowns this season. The junior threw two interceptions and no touchdowns against the Wolverines in 2009, but rushed seven times for 75 yards. Running backs Edwin Baker and Le'Veon Bell have combined for 1,007 yards and 12 touchdowns this season for the Spartans, who rank fourth in the conference averaging 220.2 rushing yards.

A guy walks into a bar and says, "Hey barkeep, did you ever hear the one about the Michigan State Spartans?" Four huge men stand up and approach the man. One of them says, "We play football at MSU, you wanna tell that joke to us?" The guy replies, "What? And have to explain it four times?"

So on Saturday, in front of a record crowd of over 113,000 people, these two teams battle for the right to say they are the best in the state. Wolverines vs. Spartans.

Only one of them can have the last laugh.

Notre Dame Football

By KEN W PACZAS

A Lady saw me wearing a Notre Dame shirt in Las Vegas and asked me, “What do you think the future holds for the Irish?” At first I thought she was talking about the Civil Wars being fought in Ireland but then realized what I was wearing and it made me think, “What does the future hold?”

(AP Photo)

Well for a Notre Dame fan, ever since 1993, where Notre Dame finished second in the AP poll, it has been a pretty bumpy ride. First, Dr. Lou Holtz gets forced into early retirement. His replacement, Bob Davie, is a complete disaster. His replacement, George O’Leary, lied on his resume and is fired without ever coaching a game. Tyrone Willingham comes in as the first African American coach in Notre Dame History, and wakes up the echoes with an 8-0 start. However, after losing three of his last four games, the goodwill was gone. After two very subpar seasons, he was let go and the critics came out in full force. “They only fired him cause he was black,” or “Only three seasons, how can you get rid of a coach after just three years?” were  the two common things being said around the nation. You could tell, these were not fans who watched the games. Even when Willingham won, it was usually very ugly. His system just didn’t work at Notre Dame, and that’s why he had to go.

Next up was the Super bowl man, Charlie Weis. Big Charlie came in with guns blazing, talking about the attitude he was going to change on this team. His first two years were BCS bowls, and was rewarded with a 10 year contract. However, a weak recruiting haul greatly left his team thin, and after key players graduated, he just could not get the team back to where it needed to be. During his last two years, constant questionable coaching calls left us fans shaking our heads, and eventually Notre Dame lost faith and moved into a new direction.

This time its Brian Kelly’s turn to return the university to glory. His first game was a success against Purdue, but the next three were rough. Against Michigan, they lost their starting Quarterback for half the game, and still only lost on a last minute touchdown. Against Michigan State, the Spartans needed a trick play on the last second play to pull the upset. Stanford just whooped the Irish, but they are a top ten team in the country,

A 1-3 team, traveling to Boston College, might have been trouble in the past, but Kelly got his boys ready, and they man handled the Eagles 31-13.

This is what gives me hope. In the past, a team who suffered a couple bad breaks, having to go on the road, would not have been a recipe for success. However, Kelly can flat out coach, and he did that this week.

Will Notre Dame Win their first national title since 1988, no, but they are definitely headed in the right direction. A sign of that, could be Notre Dame signing three 4 star recruits over the weekend, recruits that are in the top 100 in America, and yet they want to play for this now 2-3 team. That is very promising.

So how is the future for the Irish? “Simply Golden”.