Leelanau Sports Guy at sportspig.com

The Detroit News has compiled a list of the Top Michigan athletes by jersey number. Check it out and let them know of any they missed…

Read Top 99 Athletes in the Detroit News

My View: Here’s some of my favorite jersey numbers from the list above…

#20 – Billy Sims is the main reason, but Barry Sanders has something to do with it too.

#19 – My all-time favorite Red Wing.

#52 – Hey, she’s from Leelanau County, plus she’s a great player!

#11 & #4 – They will always be together in my book as the duo led the Pistons to their first two titles.

#3 – My all-time favorite Tiger.

Steve Kerr has the Detroit Pistons ranked #5 in his latest NBA Power Poll behind the four Western Conference favorites. Kerr likes the defense the Pistons are showing, as do Pistons fans, as they move up a spot from the previous week.

Read Jersey swamp at Yahoo! Sports

The Traverse City Record Eagle continues it’s countdown of the top 10 sports stories of 2006 with a story about the Suttons Bay Norsmen football team’s shutout streak.

Read Suttons Bay’s defense: Seven straight shutouts in the Record Eagle

I finally got around to listening to a Pistons game last night, and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s not to say I haven’t been paying attention, just hadn’t actually caught a game yet.

Here’s what I think of the 2006-07 Pistons…

• First things first, sign Chauncey Billups to a long-term deal as soon as you can! Seriously, he is the Pistons best player and once again proved it last night. He struggled early but came up big in the 4th quarter. Lock him up!

• I love the bench. With Rasheed’s injuries, some other guys have gotten time, most notably Jason Maxiell. I love Maxiell, he’s looking like he will be a solid contributor and has made me forget about Big Ben alot faster than I thought I would. He’s undersized, but is a wide-body and can score. Not a bad combination. Plus, that dunk last night was awesome!
• Carlos Delfino is going to be a solid player in this league. It might end up being somewhere else, where he could possibly get more minutes, but he is a player.
• I like that Flip is using his bench and getting the young guys in the mix. The more he can rest the starters, the better. The Pistons offense has been up and down at times, but the defense seems to be cranked up a bit compared to times last season. I didn’t think I would say that with the loss of Big Ben, but I think it’s true.
• Best record in the East. This does surprise me. The Pistons are one of the favorites, if not the favorite, at this early point in the season and will be a tough out for any team in the East. If they stay healthy, they can reach the finals.

So needless to say, I am going to try to start catching more games!

Read Pistons control finish in the Detroit News

The Traverse City Record Eagle is starting it’s countdown of the top 10 sports stories of 2006 with a story about the Suttons Bay Norsmen golf team’s run to the state championship.

Read Sit-down meeting sparked Norse to title in the Record Eagle

Jason at Detroit Sports Snobs has posted links and info in the comments of my post – It’s football season, so it must be “Fire Millen” time! about the Fan Walk Out scheduled for Christmas Eve versus the Bears. They are calling for fans to leave the game at the 8:00 minute mark of the second quarter.

My View: I am not sure this is going to accomplish as much as simply not going, but these fans love their Lions and want to see a winner. At this point it’s worth it to try anything. I will be paying attention to see what happens, hopefully the Fords are paying attention too.

I loved the Gary Sheffield trade. Extending Brandon Inge’s contract was smart. Signing Jose Mesa to a 1-year deal, well we’ll see, but it looks good on paper. What do all of these have in common? They are all moves that make the Tigers better, and without adding a bad contract to the roster.

Exactly why the Jeremy Bonderman contract extension was a great move by Dombrowski and the Tigers. He is still young, getting better every year, and has shown he can pitch in big games. He is a steal at 4 years and $38 million.

Read Bonderman deal bargain for Tigers at MLB.com

Here’s a great article by Greg Eno about the possible grooming of Joel Zumaya as a closer, and his opinion of it. I have to say, I agree!

Read Zumaya A Closer? NO! NO! NO! at Out of Bounds

The Onion never ceases to leave me laughing so hard it hurts. Here’s the latest gem…

Read Lions Claim They Spoiled Patriots’ Season at The Onion

Dennis Chase of the Record Eagle breaks down the incredible fall for the school’s in the Northwest Conference. State titles and strong teams made it one to remember! Plus he takes a look at the future of the conference…

Read Northwest shows it is the best this fall in the Record Eagle

Absolute Michigan has put together a great page with links, photos and more about the “Fire Millen” craze. Check it out, lots of great memories there, plus fun facts!

Read Fire Millen, a Michigan Tradition at Absolute Michigan

Saw this neat article at MLive about one NFL scout’s take on the Lions…

Read Scouting analysis: What one likes and dislikes about Lions at MLive

The Pistons have quietly won 7 games in a row, making fans forget the sluggish start, after defeating the Miami Heat 87-85. The defense came up big, especially Rip Hamilton on Dwayne Wade, but Fox Sports Charley Rosen takes a deeper look at a familiar site for Pistons fans.

Read Pistons seem to be regaining defensive pride at FoxSports.com