Today’s Top Sports Stories
Palmer to attempt comeback with Tigers
Dean Palmer whose tenure with the Tigers started out strong with back-to-back 100 RBI seasons is going to try a comeback. He says he feels fine and wants to try to make the Tigers roster in spring training. [Free Press article by Mark Francescutti]. I hope he does. It would be a great story and if he somehow could stay healthy and return to play third base that would fill one of the Tigers holes at least short-term.
Darko continues to make headlines
Here’s todays Darko article. For a guy not playing he sure can get headlines.
Darko: Hit or myth? Free Press article by Michael Rosenberg
My View: I am still of the opinion he is going to be a solid player. Maybe never an All-Star caliber, but good enough to help a team win. He wants to play which is good, but does he want to improve, that’s the real question. Give it a couple of more years before you judge the Pistons for drafting him.
Detroit/Michigan connections in the NFL Playoffs
A neat article in the Free Press about players still alive in the NFL playoffs with ties to Detroit and Michigan. Lots of great stories and guys to still cheer for!
Local Ties that Bind - Free Press article by Free Press staff
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January 20th, 2005 at 11:58 am
I would like to see Palmer make it back as well, that would be a nice story. He went out on terms that were not his own, due to injury, and if he was healthy and able to contribute why not? Even if he is only 75% of the guy he used to be, he would be strong off the bench in a back up role and spot duty. It would also give Inge some time off at third, Pena at first, and a strong bat for DH duty as well. Anything is possible and if the dude is healthy, good for him and for the Tigers.
As far as Darko is concerned, I still like the pick. He just needs to keep quiet and work hard in practice. Also, the minutes he gets, whether mop up duty or not, he has to put forth some effort. He gets out there and looks like a kid pouting, not an NBA player that is demanding minutes. Needs to earn them and needs to show he belongs. I mean, look at who is in front of him - Ben, ‘Sheed, Dice and even Elden, who doesn’t get a lot of minutes and isn’t complaining about it. He needs to learn from those guys and from Larry Brown and show he should be out there by playing harder. He is still young and I think his time will come, believe it or not. I still like the pick, I still like the kid, but he needs to understand minutes are earned, not given, especially on a team that is deep like the Pistons. For the record, and I posted on it before, in that draft there are only two guys I would have taken instead of Darko - Lebron and Dwayne Wade. But we all knew Lebron was going #1 so it was never an option and Wade I don’t think any of us knew at that time he was going to be this good. Carmelo, sorry, don’t like the dude - and especially not over Tayshaun, whom I think is underrated and playing great right now.
Yes, it is always nice to see the “hometown” connections in the league, especially when our hometown team never seems to get there!
January 20th, 2005 at 2:31 pm
I would like to thank you for the kind words, I posted a comment on my site in return for yours. It goes a little more in depth and such, but not much, so feel free to check that comment out when you get bored, get a chance, etc. As far as “letting you at them”, that may not work because they have a link to you on their site and you link to them in your “sports blog” section. Also, like I said in my other comment to you, I really don’t want to get into a blog war! Not that you really are gonna go get them, but it really doesn’t matter! Their site is serious, mine is off the wall, whacky and unclever! But I read that article at lunch about the home town ties, lots of familiar faces! I love Dhani Jones - he was always one of my favorite characters on the Wolverines - good for him! Thanks again and keep up the good work - T.S.D.
January 20th, 2005 at 2:56 pm
Jermaine O’Neal sat the bench for four years in Portland. Look at him now. Darko could learn something from that.
I think part of the problem in today’s world is we want results now, and we’re just not going to always get them. When we don’t, we started to yelp around a bit.
Darko should be fine. Pending his inability to defend, and his tendency to foul out in 10 minutes, Darko should start seeing playing time sometime next year.
January 20th, 2005 at 4:41 pm
Great stuff Sports Dude. Did you hear Dhani Jones on the Huge Show the other day (monday or tuesday?). He was pretty funny.
Also great stuff as always Dan Joseph. I always forget Jermaine O’Neal wasn’t an overnight success. Getting out of Portland was the best thing that ever happened to him.