The family and the day job has taken up all of my time as of late, but I plan on posting regularly (or at least as regular as I ever post) soon. That doesn’t mean I haven’t paid any attention to the ups and downs of our trusty Detroit teams…

Detroit Pistons
That was a big win in Game 4 without Chauncey Billups, and I thought it had basically clinched the series, then Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson went and guaranteed a victory. I believe that will wrap it up as all of us know only one person does guarantees around here! Now about the MVP of Game 4, Antonio McDyess, I’ll let Greg Eno tell you about that!

Detroit Red Wings
Chris Osgood and Johan Franzen have been the two great stories of this year’s playoffs, and it’s been fun so far for the Wings. It looks like Pavel Datsyuk is trying to join the party with a hat trick to lead the Wings to a 5-2 win in Game 3 and a 3-0 series lead. I’ve been listening to the Wings when I can (remember no TV here!) and I have to say I am more and more impressed with Mike Babcock every game. The guy is a terrific coach and gets everything he can out of everyone on the roster.

Detroit Tigers
Ugly. That’s the word we’ve used to describe the Tigers play after most of their games this season. It hasn’t been pretty, but it is showing signs of turning around. Luckily for the Tigers everyone else in the A.L. Central has been almost as inconsistent as them, so they are right in the thick of things. If Justin Verlander and the rest of the starters can figure out how to make it through 6 innings anytime soon, then the Tigers will be in great shape. The offense is picking up and some players (like Gary Sheffield) are finally swinging the bats better. It’s still going to be a fun summer at Comerica!

Detroit Lions
Nothing too exciting about the draft and that’s probably one of the best things for the Lions. They drafted Rod Marinelli-type guys and should be faster and hopefully tougher next season. A more dangerous than it looks schedule doesn’t do them any favors, but I do an improvement on the 7-9 record of a year ago. Will it be enough to make the playoffs? In the NFC you just never know.

Well that’s it for now, I’ll be bringing you Traverse City Beach Bums updates as they begin their 3rd summer in TC. I was just told my Aunt will have her company tickets in hand this week, so I’m looking forward to picking out my games. I hope to make the All-Star Game and skills challenge, I think that will be fun!

I love The Onion and the made-up news stories, so it’s only fitting that I would love the fake sports stories as well. The editor from eTrueSports.com, sent me this little gem…

Read Sheffield Wins $5,000 A Month Sweepstakes Prize at eTrueSports.com

My View: Great stuff, very funny! I liked this one, too!

I usually keep the posts related to our great state of Michigan and this one is loosely, if I mention ex-Spartan Maurice Ager and ex-Piston Jerry Stackhouse were traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the New Jersey Nets for Jason Kidd. Ager and Stackhouse, along with Devin Harris, Devean George, Desagna Diop, $3 million, and TWO future 1st round draft picks now belong to the Nets. The Nets threw in Malik Allen for fun, but seriously this trade is very one-sided, and a big advantage to the Nets. Devin Harris is an up-and-coming star in this league and to get rid of the headache of Kidd (that’s not what I meant!) and get 4 players, cash and two 1st round picks, well, great job Rod Thorn!

Read Kidd traded to Dallas in latest blockbuster deal at Yahoo! Sports

UPDATE
Apparently Devean George has blocked the trade for the short-term. Jerry Stackhouse’s mouth might have blocked it for the long-term!

Read League to look at Stackhouse’s comments at Yahoo! Sports

Opinions on five current sports topics from yours truly…

1. Lions vs. Packers - This is definitely what a Thanksgiving matchup should be! Two division rivals squaring off. The division is virtually locked up for the Packers, but a Lions win keeps some hope alive. Plus you need to watch in case Roy Williams does get 300 yards receiving!

2. Michigan State Football - That was a big win against Penn State for many reasons, but the way the Spartans did it impressed me the most. Down 24-7, they didn’t quit and that says more than anything else to me about Mark Dantonio and his staff. The future at MSU is very bright.

3. Lloyd Carr - I always enjoyed his conversations at halftime with sideline reporters, I would not have wanted to be in their shoes. He will be missed, but it was time for him to step down. I know alot of U of M fans that are happy, but if I was a Michigan fan, I wouldn’t be. He ran a great program and really coached some high-quality kids. They had better make the right decision about the next coach, and I’m not sure that means Les Miles.

4. Football at The State - Michael Moore has opened up the State Theatre in Traverse City on Saturday morning and will be showing Traverse City St. Francis playing for a state title. A great idea for those who can’t make the trip. I am sure it’s going to be a packed house.

5. Leelanau Sports Guy’s World - I plan on spending some more time getting things cranking again, so look for a new design and more frequent posts in the near future. Thanks to all who visit and send me emails, I appreciate it!

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!

*No, not really. Although after reading what he wrote over the weekend, it sure would be interesting!

I was out of town this weekend for a wedding and missed this article by Chris McCosky…

Read Bloggers just aren’t journalists in the Detroit News

He basically calls out the bloggers and offers his opinion on what it takes to be a journalist. Last time I looked I don’t remember any of the bloggers I read ever claiming to be journalists, so not sure where McCosky is going with this. Maybe he’s jealous, or threatened, either way, it’s a big world, can’t we all just get along!

You can read responses from some of my fellow Detroit bloggers, led by Billfer at The Detroit Tiger Weblog.

Read Newsflash: Reporter hates bloggers at The Detroit Tiger Weblog

Opinions on five current sports topics from yours truly…

1. Eagles hammer Lions - The Lions never play great in Philly and it looks like that trend continues. I think they can rebound with a victory over the Bears (I wouldn’t of said this a few weeks ago) and try to keep pace with the Packers. Chicago is starting Brian Griese over Rex Grossman, but the biggest key could be the injuries on Chicago’s defense. I like the Lions “O” to finally back up Roy’s talking!

2. State is 4-0 - We’ve seen this before, but I think Mark Dantonio is different from some of the previous coaches. He’s building the Spartans around defense and the running game, something lacking since George Perles left. What that means is they will be able to be more physical and keep up the intensity needed for the Big Ten. I’m not predicting a win this week, but I wouldn’t be shocked.

3. Michigan is 2-2 - I’ve been telling everyone who will listen that Michigan is still going to win the Big Ten. They have a nice schedule and Henne is coming back (although some would argue that is a minus).

4. Tigers season almost over - No playoff run this year. Sure I’m a bit disappointed, but it was still a great season that still has a shot to finish with 90 wins! It’s been a great two years to be a Tiger fan and I think it’s going to continue. Watch out in ‘08!

5. Asterisk Wins - I voted to send it like it was to the Hall of Fame, but at least it’s not going to space!

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!

They are calling it the The Final Countdown it’s basically a…

A recap of yesterday’s best stories, photos, fan posts, YouTube clips and other notables

Go check it out!

Read THE FINAL COUNTDOWN: A recap of yesterday’s best stories, photos, fan posts, YouTube clips and other notables in the Freep

Opinions on five current sports topics from yours truly…

I’m not including it in the five, but my overall Beach Bums record with me in attendance is now 6-1 as I attended the season finale, a 8-5 loss in 11 innings to the Windy City Thunderbolts. I thought I was going to keep my perfect record as the Beach Bums rallied for a 5-4 lead after 8 innings, but they couldn’t hold on. Congrats on another fun season in Traverse City!

1. Wolverines upset by Mountaineers - If you say it that way it doesn’t sound as bad because I could be referring to West Virginia. I am still in shock of this outcome, but I can’t say I’m disappointed, and as a State fan I loved this…

In East Lansing, after plowing for four touchdowns in Michigan State’s 55-18 beatdown of Alabama-Birmingham, Spartans running back Jeehu Caulcrick said, “It felt like we won two games today.”

Here’s a great article on the game from Michigan Football Saturdays.

2. Spartans look good in Dantonio’s debut - Mike Dantonio has some big plans for Michigan State and his Spartans got off to a good start with a 55-18 win over UAB. Lots of power football and great passing from Brian Hoyer led the way to victory. The Spartans will struggle to finish .500 this season, but Dantonio should lay the foundation for a nice turnaround in East Lansing.

3. Tigers continue to struggle - It’s looking more and more like 2007 isn’t going to be the Tigers year. They can’t seem to get a winning streak going. Inconsistent pitching, injuries, and the lack of clutch hitting have all played a big part. Rogers returns tonight and Sheffield tomorrow to hopefully give the Tigers a spark for one last run at the Indians.

4. Norsemen vs. Lakers - The Leelanau County rivals go head to head this Friday for bragging rights for the following year. Suttons Bay is off to a 2-0 start including a big win over Traverse City St. Francis. Glen Lake is 1-1 and coming off a loss. Kickoff is Friday at 7:00 in Suttons Bay.

5. Michigan In Play Magazine - Check out their latest issue featuring 2007 Roberto Clemente Award Winner Curtis Granderson on the cover. I just emailed Jack Rosenberg and told him to keep up the great work. This magazine is a great source for Detroit and Michigan sports fans!

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!

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

1. Calvin Johnson - He’s finally signed! Yeah! This is great news and finally we can get excited about the prospect of Williams and Johnson (and Furrey, I didn’t forget you Mike!) lining up in Martz offense. It was inevitable, but still, it’s good to have the contract done!

2. Drew Stanton - Ouch, done for the year! His knee injury is serious enough to have the Lions shut him down for the season. It basically ends any chance of him challenging for a starting spot next season.

3. Tigers - Tonight would be a nice time to start playing better at home and get on a nice winning streak. Alot of people are upset the Tigers didn’t make any trades, but I’m not and am glad they didn’t give up too much (re. Maybin) for average bullpen help. Zumaya and Rodney will be enough, but if the starters don’t recover from their recent lackluster performances the 7th, 8th and 9th innings won’t be as important anyway. Plus this Gary Sheffield shoulder thing might be the biggest problem.

4. Garnett - Not exactly where I wanted him to end up and it does make the Celtics better, but the favorites in the East? Let’s see how those old legs of Ray Allen hold up, and what, if any, kind of bench they can put together. I still like the Pistons, Bulls and Cavs in the East, in that order!

5. Barry Bonds - I agree, just hit them already!

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 Major League Baseball All-Star Break is actually a little past the midway point of the season, but I thought I would give my two cents on some surprises and disappointments on this 2007 season. Most of the are obviously Tigers related, hey it’s my blog!

Top 5 Surprises

5. Curtis Granderson’s 15 Triples - The number doesn’t surprise me except that he has hit most of them on the road and not in spacious Comerica Park. Granderson is really coming into his own as a potential All-Star.

4. Dmitri Young - I still have some love for Young from his Tiger days and to see him hit almost .340 and help the Nationals is great. I thought he might be done, but he’s proving he can still hit for average and power.

3. Justin Verlander - It’s not a surprise to many, but it is for me. I thought he might have a “sophomore slump” after winning last year’s rookie of the year award. Was I ever wrong. He’s thrown a no-hitter, might get the start in the All-Star Game and has been the Tigers best pitcher this year. He’s a great pitcher who is on pace to win 20 games in only his second season.

2. Milwaukee Brewers - The N.L. Central might be the worst division in baseball, but the way the Brewers jumped out of the gate to take control impressed me. They have some great young players led by Prince Fielder and a solid pitching staff, so I think they could be this year’s Tigers. The Brewers have slowed as of late, but still should hold on for the division crown.

1. Magglio Ordonez - This was an easy one. I knew having Gary Sheffield batting in front of him would give him some good pitches to hit, but I didn’t expect a .370 batting average and among the league leaders in just about every offensive power category.

Top 5 Disappointments

5. No Tiger Games In Person - I’ve also only been to one Traverse City Beach Bums game so far as well. I have to get my act together.

4. Roger Clemens - I’ve never been a Roger Clemens fan, I admire his career and he seems to have a great work ethic, but to keep coming back for what amounts to a little over half a season, making a ridiculous amount of money drives me insane. Just call it a career and you can ride off to Cooperstown quicker! He’s 2-3 and just lowered his ERA to below 5 with 8 solid innings against the Twins, but enough is enough.

3. Andruw Jones - To think that Jones is batting .199 and making Brandon Inge look like a batting champ is beyond me. Usually guys blow up in contract years but Jones has done the exact opposite. I still think he can have a strong second half, but to think that the career .263 hitter can’t get to .200 is baffling.

2. Tigers Bullpen - One of the teams strengths last season has become their biggest weakness this year. Todd Jones has been inconsistent, although as of late he is coming on stronger. Joel Zumaya’s injury and Fernando Rodney’s inconsistency (and now injury) have put some young pitchers into roles they weren’t used to. I don’t know if a major trade is out there, but I think the Tigers need to try to bring in a veteran just in case both guys don’t come back healthy and regain their magic of 2006.

1. New York Yankees - That payroll along makes me sick, but to think they are under .500 paying that amount of money is insane. Take away A-Rod and they might be 10 or 15 games under .500.

Opinions on five current sports topics from yours truly…

1. Marissa Treece - The Glen Lake senior captured 3 more state titles on Saturday, giving her 10 in her track/cross-country career. She heads to Notre Dame this fall and we will follow along as she looks to star at the NCAA level.

Read Ten titles for Treece in the Record Eagle

2. What’s next for Pistons? - Lots of ideas are being talked about by fans including: Firing Flip, Trading Sheed, trying to trade for Kevin Garnett or Zack Randolph, and on and on. Not sure what Joe D is going to do, but I would definitely call Minnesota and see what they want for Garnett.

3. Beach Bums - A slow start to the season has the Bums in last place in the Central Division, 5.5 games back. It’s not going to get easier with 4 games against Kalamazoo looming, but the Bums are playing better and have lost a couple of close games.

4. Lions Scouting Reports - I don’t know if you have been following Killer Kowalski’s scouting reports as he is scouting a different Lion player every day, but I have and it’s been some great info. Kevin Jones is today, go check it out!

5a. Tigers finally beat Indians - Now everyone can relax a bit as the Tigers took the final two games in Cleveland to get within 2 1/2 games of Cleveland in the A.L. Central. The Tigers are showing what they are made of as they battle with injuries and keep getting big performances from Maggs and Sheffield.

5b. Two Near The Dugout, Please - Great article by Gren Eno looking back at some run-ins with Eric the ticket taker on his trips to Tiger Stadium.

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!

I’m not entirely shocked the Detroit Tigers are clinging to first place in the A.L. Central over the Cleveland Indians with the Chicago White Sox not far behind, but I am shocked at how they have done it. With injuries to some of the starters, a struggling bullpen, cold bats, and Jose Mesa pitching, they have been able to put together a strong case to make it back to the World Series. Sure they just lost 3 out of 4 to the A.L. East leading Boston Red Sox, but the bats just weren’t clicking in Beantown. They did manage to take 2 out of 3 from the A.L. West leader, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

I don’t look for the standings to change much before the All-Star Game.

I still think the Tigers will claim another American League Pennant, but who their opponent is going to be is anyone’s guess. My top 3 picks for the National League rep in the World Series are: New York Mets - the most balanced team in the NL; Atlanta Braves - looking to return to the postseason; and Milwaukee Brewers - are they this year’s Tigers?

The 2007 season isn’t even a third of the way done, but some of the teams above are flexing their muscles. It should be a great summer! Don’t forget if you are looking to catch a game at the ballpark this year, visit Ticket Solutions to secure top-quality tickets for your favorite team!

Brian Wittkop Sr. loves electric football, so much that he wants to start a league in Northern Michigan. Wittkop has 25 game boards and teams from the NFL and college, many he painted himself.

Electric football pits two players head-to-head using plastic players with bases (some can be adjusted) that will move them in a desired direction. Little foam footballs can be thrown or carried by the players and field goals can be kicked. I had better settle down, or I won’t be able to work this afternoon.

“There’s a quaintness to this and it’s social,” said Wittkop, 48, who belonged to a league when he lived in Monroe.

Wittkop is among tens of thousands of people who now play it, said Ira H. Silverman, a spokesman for Miggle Toys Inc. of Highland Park, Ill., which sells the sets and accessories online and elsewhere.

“When the Internet came around, guys in Florida, Texas or Michigan started talking to each other about it,” Wittkop said. “I keep in touch with guys all over the country. I have an e-mail list of about 200.”

I have many fond memories of playing electric football and I still have my field in the basement, the 1985 Super Bowl Bears vs. Patriots edition. I might just have to set it up soon and play a game. Maybe even practice up enough to join the NMEFL (Northern Michigan Electric Football League).

Read Good vibrations on the gridiron in the Record Eagle
Purchase Electric Football Sets/Equipment at Miggle Toys
Visit Brian Wittkop Sr.’s Electric Football Web site

You can even watch video of Electric Football action…

My bracket isn’t even horrible, it’s worse than that. I did pick Georgetown correctly, but so has everyone else, so that’s not saying much. Ohio State vs. Georgetown, and Florida vs. UCLA should make for an exciting Final Four!

Right now the folks at BetUS.com have Ohio State and Florida as the favorites. They are the #1 seeds, so that makes sense, but I think Georgetown and UCLA could easily win it all, but again, don’t listen to me!

You can bet reliably, securely and legally at BetUS.com and use their handy betting section for March Madness, including a podcast, to help you make an informed bet! Check them out!

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

1. March Madness - My brackets are decorated with lots of red X’s but I still have my champions left (Kansas in my “A” bracket and Georgetown in the “B”). I admit I haven’t watched any games yet, and for some reason gave up listening to sports radio for Lent (I clearly wasn’t thinking), but I just haven’t been that excited about it. Not many upsets and some blowouts don’t keep people on the edge of their seats.

2. Justin Verlander - He has struggled this spring, but I think everyone can relax as he didn’t throw much over the winter. He will be back to normal by April 1st. I like him to win 17 or 18 games again this year as he continues to learn how to pitch…

3. Todd Bertuzzi - His debut is now here, but Babcock isn’t expecting much right now. All eyes will be on Bertuzzi in the playoffs though as by then he should have some games under his belt and be moving close to full speed. He was a great addition and should help the Wings stay physical in the playoffs.

4. Chauncey Billups - This injury could be a blessing in disguise as Billups get some rest before the playoffs. A fresh, healthy Billups will guarantee the Pistons a trip to the Finals. Now about Rip’s struggles…

5. Michigan Basketball - I am a huge Spartans fan, but I would just love to see Tom Crean get the job just to go head-to-head with Tom Izzo. You would have two terrific and competitive programs. That would be something to see. If I was hiring right now, I would be looking towards West Virginia for my next coach…

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!