Just so you don’t forget that the state of Michigan is more than Detroit and that there are people here besides those playing in the Super Bowl, Absolute Michigan has created the Five Things You Need to Know About Michigan.

I am always amazed at this fact: “You are never more than six miles from water in Michigan”, it just blows me away.

Anyway, check it out and send them your thoughts!

Read Five Things You Need to Know About Michigan at Absolute Michigan

Up-and-coming men and women golfers now have a chance to improve their game without going south thanks to the Michigan Player’s Tour. The Tour will help bring developmental tour golf to the Great Lakes area.

The Tour’s primary goal is:

to create an environment in the Great Lakes region conducive to the development of professional players. Currently, the top players based in this region must move to other parts of the country to find a schedule of competitive tournaments to help develop their games to the level required for success at PGA Tour School.

Sounds like a neat opportunity for Michigan golfers. There are five dates set to for this first season including July 6th at the Grand Traverse Resort on The Bear.

Read Michigan Players Tour formed in the Record Eagle
Visit Michigan Player’s Tour on the web

Just got this email from the Insider…

“Don’t Know If You Heard But…………………………..

Jerome Bettis is from Detroit. Just in case you didn’t know.”

My View: This is awesome news! He is from Detroit and playing in his last game at the Super Bowl in Detroit! WOW!

Check this out: Jerome Bettis Ate Detroit at Absolute Michigan

Photo by Farlane

Farlane took a road trip down to see the Pistons/Grizzlies game on Friday and ended up with some bonus photos of Ford Field. Check them out!

Farlane’s Pistons/Grizzlies Photos from January 27, 2006

Farlane’s Super Bowl XL Photos

Post your Super Bowl XL photos at the Flickr Super Bowl XL Group

California Lutheran University named it’s new baseball field after former Tiger and Reds Manager Sparky Anderson. Anderson was a major player in helping with helping the school raise money for scholarships.

Read Cal Lutheran names new baseball field for Sparky Anderson at the Associated Press

Leland defeated Lake Odessa-Lakewood, the #2 ranked team in Class B to claim the Grand Rapids Northview Invitational. The Comets improved to 39-4 overall. Alisha Glass led the way with 91 kills, 31 aces and six blocks.

If you scroll down in the article below, you can also read about Glen Lake and Suttons Bay and how they did at the Charlevoix Invitational.

Read Leland nets tourney title in the Record Eagle

Also here’s a nice article on the Comets win (with kudos to Glass) from the Grand Rapids Press…

Read Leland star dominates Northview volleyball tourney in the Grand Rapids Press

Thanks to Bob Spaulding for directing me to the link!

Former Cadillac Viking Brian Snider continues to move up the career assist charts at Western Michigan. He has helped lead the Broncos to a 7-11 record, 4-4 in the Mid-American Conference. Besides 5.6 assists per game (among the top 30 in the country) he is averaging a career-high 12.1 points per game.

Read Snider can dish it out in the Record Eagle

I am having a hard time getting excited for the Super Bowl. Sure I am planning on having people over and making the normal game food menu, the Steelers are my second favorite team, it all sounds good on paper. The problem I keep running into is one way or the other, I just don’t care about the Seahawks. I don’t love ‘em and I don’t hate ‘em. Shaun Alexander, yawn. He’s a great player, but not one of my favorites. Matt Hasselback, another yawn. So it’s making it hard to get into the game.

Is anyone else having this problem? or is it just me?

Kingsley got a big block and then went on a big run to defeat Suttons Bay 25-20, 25-15, 25-12. Kingsley’s Jill Walton got a block with the score tied 15 all in Game 1, which started a 60-32 run the rest of the match. Leading the Lady Norsemen were Holly Orban with 13 kills and Kelsey Wick with 6.

Read Kingsley sweeps Suttons Bay in key Northwest showdown in the Record Eagle

Ali Drake won the slalom and giant slalom helping the Glen Lake girls ski team to a victory. Sarah Wiesen finished 5th in the slalom and 3rd in the giant slalom.

The Glen Lake boys finished fourth. Kris Marin lead the Lakers with a 5th place finish in the slalom and a 4th place in the giant slalom.

Read Glen Lake girls, Benzie boys prevail in the Record Eagle [you will have to scroll down a bit...]

Sports Dude, I just can’t win!

Read Horton, Michigan upset No. 11 MSU 72-67 at Yahoo! Sports

The more I read Michael Rosenberg, the more I like him. I will admit I didn’t like him much at first, but now I am starting to enjoy his writing. This is a great article and makes me realize how passionate and loyal Detroit fans are.

Read Detroit doesn’t deserve its reputation at FOX Sports

Jon Cahill has been named defensive coach for the Traverse City Beach Bums. He was the 2005 Frontier League Coach of the Year with the Ohio Valley Redcoats. The former shortstop was a draft pick of the Anaheim Angels in 2001.

Read Beach Bums add coach at OurSports Central

It’s finally here. Weather prevented Suttons Bay and Kingsley from playing earlier this month and now both will put their 3-0 conference records on the line in a battle for first place. Suttons Bay defeated Frankfort 25-15, 25-14, 25-19 to improve to 27-5-4 overall. Glen Lake remains in second place in the conference after a 19-25, 25-11, 25-5, 17-25 over Mesick. The Lakers are 8-10 overall and 3-1 in the Northwest.

Read Northwest showdown set in the Record Eagle

Read this on the Great Lakes IT Report at WWJ Newsradio

Sprint sweeps offers free Super Bowl tickets: Beginning today, Detroit-area football fans have a chance to win one of seven pairs of Super Bowl XL tickets by visiting the metro area’s 34 Sprint stores. The sweepstakes runs through Feb. 3. Sprint is giving six lucky store visitors a chance to win one of six pairs of tickets during store events in Novi, Northville, Woodhaven, Roseville, Madison Heights and Detroit. Between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on event days, visitors can stop by the designated Sprint store and place their names in the drawings. In addition to the designated store events, anyone who lives in Michigan or Ohio and visits any one of Metro Detroit’s 34 Sprint stores between today and Feb. 3 will also have a chance to win two of the highly coveted tickets. The winner will be selected from the combined stores’ ballots on February 3. The store events are today at 47480 Grand River Avenue in Novi; Thursday at 20095 Haggerty Road in Northville; Saturday at 23161 Allen Road in Woodhaven; Monday at 31100 Gratiot Ave. in Roseville; Feb. 1 at 535 W. 14 Mile Road in Madison Heights; and Feb. 3 at 19191 Telegraph Road in Detroit.