He is still targeted as a punchline among NFL fans, but Lions President Matt Millen appears to finally be getting an idea of how to run a football team.

Lions president Matt Millen still has the final say in all personnel moves, but first-year coach Rod Marinelli has been given greater influence in those decisions than past coaches. Millen has such regard for Marinelli’s strategy for rebuilding the team that he agreed to get rid of two of his favorite players: QB Joey Harrington and DT Dan Wilkinson. Another big decision could be coming involving WR Charles Rogers, who is at a crossroad. Millen is convinced Rogers can be a productive player, but if Marinelli wants to get rid of Rogers after training camp, Millen is not expected to stand in his way.

Millen is going to really benefit from Rod Marinelli being the head coach and I believe his hiring will go down as the best thing Millen ever could have done for the Lions franchise.

Read Inside Dish: Owner wants Young to start on Dec. 10 at Yahoo! Sports

Angie Schlueter finished 5-5 including a double in the ninth inning that scored 2 runs to give Lake Leelanau St. Mary the lead for good as the Eagles defeated the Glen Lake Lakers 9-4 to capture the Division 4 Softball District title at Leland. St. Mary had advanced to the final with a 17-1 win over the host Comets.

Read Eagles fly past Glen Lake in nine in the Record Eagle

Yahoo! Sports Fantasy guru Brandon Funston breaks down a very early season look at fantasy football and the quarterback position. He likes the possiblity of either Jon Kitna or Josh McCown in a Mike Martz offense being a solid choice as a No. 2 quarterback on your fantasy roster.

I know for me it’s never too early to start thinking fantasy football and I am a sucker for my hometown players! I am sure I will have either Kitna or McCown on at least one of my teams!

Here’s what he had to say…

Detroit: The thought of Mike Martz at the helm of the Lions offense has substantially increased the early draft values of Detroit’s skill position players, with the exception of the QB position, where Jon Kitna and Josh McCown are set to battle it out for top gun honors. Drafts held before August may not offer the benefit of clarity to how this situation is going to play out. Once a winner is determined, that player stands to become an enticing No. 2 fantasy option given Martz’s system. As of now, though, it’s guesswork as to who that player will be, although Kitna has been working with the top unit and claims that he is the starter. I think McCown, with his running skills, might have a little higher upside, but I’d be very comfortable with Kitna as a backup if I knew he was clearly the Lions No. 1.

Read At a Glance: Quarterbacks at Yahoo! Sports

I hadn’t looked at the Freep this morning, but they have a nice article on Martz and some of his early thoughts on the Lions…

Read Lions’ Martz: Players grossly out of shape in the Freep

I know, I know they just lost four in a row and almost were swept by the Yankees. But as I was listening to the end of the game last night on my way to the big city for some grocery shopping I began to realize they are a little different. Our old Tigers would never have taken advantage of the situation that was presented, namely that Mariano Rivera was injured and unavailable to pitch, and they were able to come from behind to win. Three consecutive singles did the trick and it was a nice way to head into a series with the AL East’s other monster, the Boston Red Sox. Sure some will call it lucky that Rivera was hurt, but still the Tigers came from behind and won it.

Just yesterday I heard people saying this series with the Yankees is showing us the real Tigers and their fast start is done and ultimately they won’t make the playoffs. I have to think a win like last night’s can send the team in the opposite direction and give them confidence that they can come back from any deficit!

Read Tigers rally by Rivera-less Yanks in 9th at Yahoo! Sports

The Detroit Insider just email me this…

Maroth out until late July with bone chips in his elbow.

Just what the Tigers didn’t need, a major injury to one of their starters.

Read Maroth to undergo elbow surgery at MLB.com

Although the shooting percentage of everyone not named Antonio McDyess or Tayshaun Prince was still low(I mean very bad), the Pistons were able to stay alive after winning game 5, 91-78 and sending the series back to Miami. We should have come to expect that our Pistons would show up and win, they always do when their backs are against the wall.

Everyone is talking about the block as the big play of the evening and it would be hard to argue. Must find a TV to watch game 6! Go Pistons!

Read It’s not over! in the Detroit News

For Laker Bryan Sevensma, the Record Eagle honor roll couldn’t have been much better. He won the 110-meter high hurdles in a school record 14.39, captured the 300-meter high hurdles, and ran a leg on the Laker 400-meter relay team which also set a school record.

“I had a feeling I was going to get it today — just because I was only four one-hundredths of a second off it at our last meet (Northwest Conference finals at Frankfort),” Sevensma said. “I knew this was a fast track and there would be better competition. So I had a feeling. I just didn’t think I’d beat it by three-tenths of a second.”

Sevensma is the #1 seed in the 300-meter high hurdles at the state meet on Saturday.

Read Sevensma hurdles into record books in the Record Eagle