The NFL Draft - I am in a NFL Draft contest again this year (last year I got 1 right) and I have absolutely no idea who is going where. The Lions have many options and they have to wait to see what the Raiders are going to do before they can get really serious about the draft. I like the Lions to trade down to #4 and then get Gaines Adams. It’s the position they need the most and Adams appears to be an impact player. Read Dan Wetzel’s column The misadventures of Millen if you want to laugh and be scared at the same time!

Maggs - Is it me, or is Magglio Ordonez quietly having a great start to 2007. He’s first on the Tigers in RBI’s, 2B’s, Runs, OBP, SLG & OPS, and he’s second in HR’s and BA, but no one’s talking about him. This is the Maggs that people weren’t sure we would ever see again, but he appears to be healthy and back to normal. I now it’s early, but Maggs playing like this is huge as Sheffield and the bottom of the order struggle.

Wings vs. Sharks - The Wings are in for a tough series, that should go seven games, and I like there chances with home-ice. They struggled against the Sharks during the regular season, losing 3 of 4, but they played two very solid games to finish off Calgary and will hopefully carry that momentum into tonight’s game. On the other hand, I wouldn’t be surprised if they lost tonight either. It’s just going to be that kind of series.

Pistons vs. Magic - If Detroit is going to lose one, tonight’s the night. I just don’t see it happening. I think they will sweep the Magic and get some rest for the Bulls. Chicago is going to be the toughest team (and series) in the Eastern Conference.

High School Baseball - If you aren’t busy on Saturday, head over to Wuerfel Park to watch Lake Leelanau St. Mary take part in the inaugural Beach Bums Division 3 & 4 Invitational Tournament. The Eagles face Traverse City St. Francis at 10 AM, followed by Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart and Gaylord St. Mary’s at noon. A consolation and championship game will follow. Tickets are $5 for the entire day, and let me tell you Wuerfel Park is not a bad place to watch a game!

Random Stuff - Could less people be excited that Barry Bonds is now at 741 home runs? Seriously, no one cares outside of San Francisco. There’s not much better than Fantasy Baseball. Winning or losing, it’s just fun! I can’t wait for the Beach Bums season to start, it was exciting (and well played) baseball to watch last summer, and I look for more of the same as the Bums have added some good talent along with their “new” coach! Lots of people have Drew Stanton going very high in the draft, and I think be a good pick and could be a legitimate starter in the NFL!

Opinions on five current Leelanau and Northern Michigan sports topics from yours truly…

1. Leelanau Enterprise Sports - The Leelanau Enterprise has revamped their website and now will be posting more stories online, including sports! Check out their sports department! I of course will be linking to them often as they provide another way to follow our favorite Leelanau teams.

2. Leelanau Classic - I only wish this event would have been around when I was coaching! Lake Leelanau St. Mary defeated Suttons Bay 4-1 to capture the baseball title and Glen Lake cruised to the softball title with a 17-0 win over Suttons Bay in the championship game.

Read Korson sparks Eagles to title in the Record Eagle

3. Beach Bums ready for 2007 - Opening Day for the Beach Bums is one month from today (at Kalamazoo Kings on May 23rd) and plenty of new things are on tap as they start their second summer in Traverse City. Lots of new faces, including a new manager, should make for another exciting season in the Frontier League. See what the Beach Bums have in store for 2007!

4. NHL & NBA Playoffs - It’s never hard to get a prediction in Leelanau County for the Pistons and Red Wings. The Pistons are a popular choice to be crowned NBA Champions this summer, and the Wings well who knows. The Wings did get out of the first round, and did play pretty well, in 4 out of the 6 games. If the Dominator can hold up, they have an excellent chance in my opinion. Whatever happens Hockey Town North is buzzing with playoff excitement right now!

5. The Season Switch - Nick Edson of the Leelanau Enterprise reported last week that longtime volleyball coach Laurie Glass will be stepping down, at least for the time being, as she can’t coach and follow her daughter Alisha at Penn State because of the girls volleyball season being moved. My opinion is that it’s a shame that a few people can ruin a good thing for many. The seasons seemed to be working just fine for 99.9% of the athletes, but a couple of parents couldn’t handle their kid’s not getting scholarships.

If you want to let the me know what you think, you can always send me an email at leelanausportsguy@sportspig.com or post a comment!

A group called Beyond the Scoreboard is putting on a workshop for parents and coaches on April 14th at Harbor Springs Middle School to talk about sportsmanship and character involved with playing, coaching and watching sports.

At the morning workshop, parents will share their ideas about what they want their children to get out of youth sports and learn how they can help. Parents will also gain insight into the training some area coaches are receiving to become “double-goal coaches” — coaches who want to win and also develop the character of their players.

The “double-goal coaches” philosophy will be the topic of conversation in the afternoon workshop. Presenters will talk about striving to win and preparing your team to play at its highest level while at the same time teaching life lessons (teamwork, dedication, bouncing back from mistakes, etc.).

For more information contact Jack Taylor (231-548-2424) or Scott Cochran (231-526-4820).

Read Group promotes character and sportsmanship in the Record Eagle

Opinions on five current Detroit & national sports topics from yours truly…

1. Opening Day - What a day, Ian calls it The Best Sports Day of the Year!, and that’s hard to argue, especially this year. The Tigers were raising a 2006 AL Pennant and Mitch Albom says fans are expecting more this season. The crowd was pumped and ready to roll, but then the first inning happened. Jeremy Bonderman struggled giving up 3 early runs and it proved to be too much for the Tigers to overcome as they fell 5-3 in 10 innings to the Toronto Blue Jays. It should be a fun season for Tiger fans, but there will be games like this, especially when you play 162 of them. I was just thinking how nice it’s going to be June or July when Kenny Rogers comes back for the 2nd half of the season. That could be just as nice as making a trade, provided the Tigers can stay in it with the steady veteran.

2. Wolverines hire Beilein - It hasn’t been officially confirmed by U of M yet, just by everyone else. It’s a move that makes sense, but I think the Wolverines settled a bit and could have tried to go after a bigger name. John Beilein is coming off an NIT Championship with West Virginia and the Wolverines do frequent the NIT so that could be good combo.

3. Girls High School Season Change - My opinion is right on with Mick McCabe’s so you might as well just read this to see how I feel as well. It’s going to be a tough adjustment, ultimately it will work out, but short-term there just won’t be enough good officials and coaches.

4. Pistons/Wings Ready for Playoffs - Both teams are getting healthy and readying for the stretch run as they battle for the top seeds in the playoffs. I like the chances of both as they are playing at a high level and winning playoff style games.

5. Florida Repeats! - I lost $5 on the championship game, as I took Ohio State for some crazy reason. Well, it’s not that crazy, I cheer for the Big Ten, if MSU or Michigan is out, but still Florida is just awesome! Now we just wait and see how big of a check Billy Donovan is going to cash.

With April Fool’s Day falling on the weekend, I just completely forgot about it. Luckily some others didn’t.

If you want to let the me know what you think, you can always send me an email at leelanausportsguy@sportspig.com or post a comment!

The Freep’s Son of Swami loves this time of year and he has his annual semifinals predictions all set! He likes the Bellaire Eagles to advance to the Class D finals with a victory over Cedarville. The Eagles will have their hands full, but if they play like they did in the Quarterfinal the other night, they will be tough to stop.

I had never been to a game at Traverse City West with a better (or bigger) crowd. The atmosphere was electric and both teams played well. Bellaire’s Cody Bock was the difference as he drained 6 3-pointers from all over the floor and single-handedly kept the Eagles in the game.

Should be a fun time for the Eagles, my prediction is Bellaire 54, Cedarville 49.

The other northern Michigan team still alive, Charlevoix, takes on a tough Saginaw Nouvel team. SOS doesn’t like their chances, but don’t count them out!

Read SOS can’t get enough of E. Lansing in the Freep
Read It’s back to the Breslin for Bellaire in the Record Eagle

You can follow all the action at MHSAA.com and listen to webcasts of the semis and finals!

Dennis Chase of the Record Eagle takes a quick look at the final week of the boys basketball regular season. Only one team really stand out in the county and that’s Leland. The Comets clinched the Cherryland Conference title on Friday. Suttons Bay, with a little help, could still clinch a share of the Northwest title with a win over Frankfort and a Kingsley loss at Glen Lake.

Read Parity in preps makes for wild league races in the Record Eagle

This looks pretty cool, plus they have Bob Probert! Need I say more? Okay, I will. Michigan In Play! Magazine and president Jack Rosenberg have put together what appears to be a talented staff of writers and photographers to bring all kinds of Michigan sports coverage to you! It looks like there isn’t anything they won’t tackle! I’ll let them explain it to you…

Our Secret Weapon Is Our Content…Once You Read An Issue, You’ll Be Hooked!

Feature stories - each issue explores sporting and leisure activities (the list of possibilities is endless) in great detail… it may be Lions, Wings, Tigers, Pistons, boating or dog sledding in the U.P. We strive to bring you the very best Michigan has to offer.

It’s available at over 365 locations around SE Michigan, and best of all, it’s FREE!

So there you have it, just go to www.michiganinplay.com and check it out for yourself!

Lake Leelanau St. Mary will join Traverse City St. Francis, Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart and Gaylord St. Mary in the inaugural Beach Bums Division 3 & 4 Invitational Tournament. The tournament is set for Saturday, April 28th, 2007 at Wuerfel Park. Game 1 will feature the Eagles and Glads at 10 am, followed by Game 2 between Sacred Heart and Gaylord St. Mary at noon. A consolation game will be played at 2 pm and the championship at 4 pm.

Tickets will cost $5 per person for the entire day and a portion of the ticket proceeds going to each of the participating schools. You can purchase tickets from any of the schools or at the Beach Bums box office at (231) 943-0100.

My View: I was waiting for the Beach Bums to start hosting these kind of events. It’s a beautiful ballpark and it will be a thrill for the players and coaches to play on it. A few years ago I was coaching when St. Mary traveled down to the Sacred Heart Tournament and we played one of our games at Central Michigan University’s Theunissen Stadium. It was a great experience and a whole lot of fun.

The Beach Bums have alot to offer area baseball fans and players, and there will be lots of winners, regardless of the scores, at Wuerfel Park!

Nick Edson of the Leelanau Enterprise is asking for your votes and opinions on the top 10 boys and girls basketball players in the history of Leelanau County. You can also vote for the Top 5 county coaches of All-Time as well.

The ballot is available in the January 25th edition of the Leelanau Enterprise or you can send Nick an email with your choices. Please include the players/coaches names and schools. Ballots are due by Friday, February 9th.

Now I have to start compiling my list, but here’s my #1 for each team…

Boys Basketball All-Time Top 10
1. Sander Scott - Northport

Girls Basketball All-Time Top 10
1. Julie Polakowski - Leland

Coach All-Time Top 5
1. Larry Glass - Leland

Let the debating begin…

Mitchell becomes 8th Wildcat to reach milestone
Senior Drew Mitchell scored 31 points to pass the 1,000 career point mark in a 66-53 win over Boyne Falls. Mitchell also pulled down 13 rebounds, grabbed 4 steals, and made 2 blocks. He now has 1,002 career points. Cody Brown added 17 points and Nathan Scherrer 10 as Northport evened it’s record at 5-5. Congrats Drew!

Photo by Anne Marie Mitchell

In other games…

Leland improves to 9-3
Marcus Whittaker led Leland with 21 points to help lift the Comets to a 72-57 win over Manistee Catholic in a non-conference matchup. Matt Lichty scored 16 and Jordan Gibson added 10.

Lakers fall to Elks
Glen Lake fell below .500 with a 46-39 loss to Elk Rapids. Ryan Dyksterhouse led the Lakers with 14 points as Glen Lake’s record falls to 5-6.

Read Prep Roundup in the Record Eagle

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

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

The Traverse City Beach Bums Baseball Academy is set to host two Northern Michigan Baseball Showcases at Wuerfel Park on Friday, June 22nd, 2007 and Saturday, June 23rd, 2007.

Here’s what the showcases are all about…

The Showcases will be an opportunity for the best high school baseball players in all of Northern Michigan to get in front of college coaches and professional scouts, who will be invited to the event from throughout the Midwest.

For more information Academy or Showcases, contact Director Jason Wuerfel at jason@tcbeachbums.com.

Read Northern Michigan Showcases Announced at the Beach Bums Academy’s Official Website

Leland tops Northport, Eagles fall to Sabres
Erica Breen scored 21 points to lead Leland to a 55-30 win over Northport in the Class D District Semifinals at T.C. Christian. Christian eliminated Lake Leelanau St. Mary 68-33 to advance to the District Final. Sarah Schaub led the Eagles with 15 points.

The District Final is set for Thursday (11/16) at T.C. Christian. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM.

Read Sabres, Comets advance to district final in the Record Eagle

Norsemen top Lakers to advance

From the Leelanau News Blog…

Glen Lake & Suttons Bay squared off in Class C action at Kalkaska Monday night, and the Lady Norseman emerged with a 46-32 victory. They will face Fife Lake-Forest Area tonight (Wednesday, Nov 15) at 8 PM in Kalkaska with the final Friday night at 7.

Read Kingsley topples Blazers in the Record Eagle
Read Girls Basketball District Tournaments in the Leelanau News Blog

Boys Football: A preview of Suttons Bay’s matchup with Calumet
Mark Urban of the Record Eagle breaks down the matchup in the Division VI Regional Final between Suttons Bay and Calumet. Kickoff is set for 9pm on Friday at the Superior Dome in Marquette.

Read Defensive test for Norse in the Record Eagle

Boys Soccer: Suttons Bay’s Darling, Northport’s Brown named first team All-State
Suttons Bay defensemen Ben Darling and Nortport forward Cody Brown were named to the Division IV All-State first team in boys soccer. Leland’s Eric Larsen, and Suttons Bay’s Alex Dingrando earned third team honors. Honorable mention went to Leland’s Brad Dunklow, Northport’s Ryan Blessing, and Suttons Bay’s Jesse Wright, Kent Eikey and Matt Ness.

Congrats to all!

Read Townsend is the tops in the Record Eagle