Leelanau Sports Guy at sportspig.com

Opinions on five current sports topics from yours truly and amazingly one isn’t about our 6-2 Lions…

1. Detroit Tigers Playoff Run – I had a blast following the Tigers bid for the World Series. Although they fell a bit short, it was a great season and the Tigers have a promising future. The rotation remains a strength and if they can get consistency from Rick Porcello and find a reliable fifth starter (Jacob Turner?) then I think they’ll compete again. As far as second base, not much to pick from out there, but maybe a platoon involving Ramon Santiago will make due! I’ll miss Carlos Guillen and Magglio Ordonez, but both will be remembered for having great Tiger careers.

2. Tony La Russa – As much as I love Sparky Anderson, I have to say Tony La Russa is the best baseball manager of my lifetime. All he’s done is win, in the era of free agency no less, and then changed the way the bullpen is managed to create favorable matchups. Congratulations to Tony La Russa and the Cardinals!

3. NBA Lockout – I know I’m not the only NBA fan who just doesn’t seem to care they aren’t playing right now? or actually, if they ever do again? I don’t know how to explain it, but the NBA just doesn’t really excite me much anymore.

4. Michigan/Michigan State Football – Two strong seasons so far on the gridiron and it’s looking like two warm weather bowl games for both the Wolverines and Spartans. I think both teams still have alot to work on, but I like where both programs are. MSU is maintaining a high level and Michigan is almost back!

5. Diet Time – Started the old diet again (Weight Watchers, yeah!) and now just need to come up with a good workout program!

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!

If you ask any bingo player today what is the one thing they look for at an online bingo site before they sign up, they will tell you with no hesitation that it is the no deposit bingo bonus offer. The simplicity of the answer lies behind the fact that a player will get to enjoy free online bingo games before they make their first deposit at the site, thus experiencing firsthand what the site has to offer.

Bingo Find, by far one of the oldest online bingo directories in the industry, that reports on anything from bingo news stories, stunning bonus offers and other competitions, has amalgamated a special page to list all the bingo sites, primarily UK bingo rooms, that offer such great bonuses. In addition, they have a bingo promotions page that lists some of the best ongoing promos players can find at reputable bingo rooms.

But before everyone goes ahead and registers an account to simply play free bingo, they should have a look at the bingo reviews page and take five minutes or so to read what Bingo Find has to say about the site they plan to open an account with. They will get to see what bingo variants they can play, what sort of side games and casino games are available, and most importantly what bonus offers they can expect. Some sites offer a first deposit bonus and one reload bonus, while other tend to offer a special bonus on every subsequent deposit made after the initial deposit. Make sure you make an educated decision before you start to play bingo.

Opening Day. Those two words are enough to excite baseball fans around the world and particularly the state of Michigan. It’s another day the Detroit Tigers are tied for first place and the talk of division titles and World Series Championships rings in the air. Trying to predict where the Tigers will finish is anyone’s guess, and you can see some of the experts predictions here. I’ll post mine as number five.

1. Starting Pitching – The Tigers will only go as far as the starting pitching takes them. Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Ryan Porcello are the big guns, but Brad Penny and Phil Coke will need to pitch well for the Tigers to have a chance. In my opinion, Porcello is the key. If he can rebound from last season and pitch better on the road, the Tigers will have a chance.

2. Miguel Cabrera – How much is the offseason troubles Cabrera got in going to linger into the season. If he gets off to a good start, all will be well in the Motor City. The one position player the Tigers need more than any other to stay healthy and produce.

3. The Bullpen – I was very excited when the Tigers signed Joaquin Benoit as a set-up man to closer Jose Valverde. Benoit was very good last year for the Tampa Bay Rays posting a 1.34 ERA in 63 innings of work. He’s basically been perfect in 9 innings of work this spring for the Tigers. Benoit and Valverde finishing games could give the Tigers a big edge in tight games.

4. Victor Martinez – Lost in the shuffle of spring training talk (at least to me) was the addition of catcher and DH, Victor Martinez. A big bat in the lineup to help protect Cabrera will also make all the Tigers hitters better. Martinez can be that bat, plus add some offense to the catching position, something the Tigers haven’t had in a while, no offense Gerald Laird.

5. My Prediction – Although the Tigers will be improved over last year in my opinion. It’s hard to predict a division title for them with the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox both to contend with. I can see the Tigers finishing over .500, but will it be enough to win the division or clinch a wild card. Probably not. I think the Wild Card will come out of the East, so that leaves only one spot for the playoffs between the Tigers, White Sox, and Twins. I’m guessing 88 wins tops for the Tigers, which would be 7 more than last year, but still 6 less than the Twins 94 which won the division last year. I will add this, if the Tigers pitching holds up and Porcello bounces back, and Coke and Penny can be solid, they’ll have a shot at 90+ wins and the division crown. My prediction is 88-74, and second place to the Twins. I’m hoping for more, hey, it is opening day after all!

Righthanded Pitcher Agrees to Three-Year Contract

DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers today announced the club has agreed to terms with righthanded pitcher Joaquin Benoit on a three-year contract, a contract that runs through the 2013 season.

Benoit appeared in 63 games for the Tampa Bay Rays during the 2010 season, posting a 1-2 record, 1.34 ERA (60.1IP/9ER) and 75 strikeouts. He limited opponents to a .147 batting average (30×204), while he issued 11 walks.

“Joaquin is a solid addition to our bullpen,” Tigers President, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager David Dombrowski said. “One of our off-season goals was adding an established late inning arm to our bullpen and Joaquin has had success pitching in critical situations late in the game and he fits that role for our club.”

http://www.inplaymagazine.com/blogs.php?blog=Detroit-Tigers

STATEMENTS REGARDING THE PASSING OF SPARKY ANDERSON

DETROIT – The following are statements regarding Hall of Fame Manager Sparky Anderson:

The following statement is attributable to Michael Ilitch (Michael Ilitch owns the Detroit Tigers
and Michael and Marian Ilitch are co-owners of Little Caesars Pizza, the Detroit Red Wings,
Olympia Entertainment and several other businesses):
“The baseball world lost one of its best today with the passing of Sparky Anderson. Marian and I and our entire organization extend our condolences to Sparky’s family and friends. Those of us who had the privilege to know Sparky personally know how much he loved American’s favorite pastime and how proud he was to be associated with baseball. His success as a manager, both with the Detroit Tigers and the Cincinnati Reds, was about far more than wins and losses, it was about the character of the man. He cared about his players, he loved the fans and he put his heart and soul into the community. He will always be a favorite among Tigers fans and an important and memorable part of this incredible sports town.”

http://www.inplaymagazine.com/blogs.php?blog=Detroit-Tigers

We just got an advanced copy of Bob Probert’s book that he was working on entitled “Tough Guy.” Will be reading and posting tidbits from each chapter. Just started reading but the prologue gives you a detailed first hand account of what happened July 5th, 2010, the day Bob passed away. VERY, VERY SAD!

Chapter 9 – “Probe, I’ve had it with you. You don’t wash your underwear. You’re eating a hamburger, you’re not taking this serious, and I’ve just had it.” – Red Wings Assistant Coach Colin Campbell.

Wings dressing room…
Friend of Bob’s: “You’re the greatest.”
Campbell: “Why are you saying stuff like that to Probe? He’s a mess!”
Friend: “God gave him gifts. He’s the man”
Campbell: ” You’re right. God did make him, because no man could create such a piece of shit like this.”

So many great stories!!!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/In-Play-Magazine/66828874928?ref=ts

New Deal To Keep Head Coach Behind Detroit’s Bench Through 2014-15 Season.  More here.

By AJ Petronzi
In Play Magazine

In a goal scoring affair, the Detroit Red Wings have defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4 in Chicago.

Chicago broke out to an early lead with goals from Duncan Keith and Andrew Ladd. Then, after a Chicago goal was called back, the Red Wings scored five goals from Brian Rafalski, Nicklas Lidstrom, Jason Williams, Valtteri Filppula, and Pavel Datsyuk. Chicago came storming back with a pair of goals from Ladd to give him a hat-trick, but they couldn’t catch the Wings.
This game was all Detroit after the goal by Dustin Byfuglien was called back because of incidental contact (A bad call that was almost identical to the goal called back on Detroit on Monday against Colorado). Detroit played a great game in the last 40 minutes, but the first 20 were terrible. Todd Bertuzzi left the game with a lower body injury in the second after an odd, but clean, check from Ben Eager.

In Play! Man of the Game: Todd Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi, although leaving with an injury, was the only Red Wing who played well in the first. He was also very active offensively, setting up three goals although he only was credited with two assists.

I heard on ESPN around the middle of February that it was okay to start talking and thinking about March Madness. Well, I’ve been able to almost make it to March, so now it’s time to start thinking March Madness Predictions.

Here’s my top five teams to watch during March Madness 2010!

Kansas – I had a hard time, picking between Kansas and Kentucky, but I went with Kansas because of the experience factor. The Jayhawks have been dominant at times this year with only one stumble, a loss at Tennessee in early January. Lots of weapons on offense and a defense that can apply shut-down pressure, the Jayhawks look like a lock for the Final Four!

Michigan State – Coach Tom Izzo is one of the best at preparing his team for opponents during the tournament. That being said, this year his team has been up and down and lacks experience on the frontline that has been a staple of Spartan teams in the past. I still like there chances and they are most likely looking at 3, 4 or 5 seed depending on how the rest of the season shakes out.

Rhode Island – Not alot of people know much about the Rams this season, but they are quietly putting together a terrific season. A couple of losses to top-25 ranked Temple have kept them out of the rankings, but they are right on the edge. A deep team with explosive offensive capabilities. A very possible 10, 11, or 12 seed who could make a run to the Sweet Sixteen.

Pittsburgh – I love the physical teams, but this isn’t your ordinary physical team. The Panthers can score points, lots of ‘em, and play that up-tempo style some physical teams don’t like to play. A well-coached team and battle-tested from the tough Big East competition, I think Pitt is peaking at the right time this year and has a successful March ahead of them!

Purdue – I know, I know two Big Ten teams? Are you crazy? The Big Ten was very solid in the tourney last year and Purdue might be better then any of those teams last year. A experience front-line and a team with great leadership, look for Purdue to match-up well with anyone they meet in the tourney and with their current 9-game winning streak, they are gaining confidence and momentum at the most crucial time of the year.

Wow! That was a word I was using alot in the 4th quarter of the Class D Quarterfinal game between Ellsworth and defending state champion Muskegon West Michigan Christian at Traverse City Central on Tuesday night. Overcoming a 24 point third quarter deficit with a never quit attitude and some clutch shots, the Ellsworth Lancers cut the lead to 3 with 1:17 to go. I don’t believe I have ever seen a team play harder then the Lancers did and I give them tons of credit for that. Muskegon WMC also impressed me very much, especially their clutch free throw shooting and big-time 3-point shots in the first half.

When the score was 49-33 at the half in favor of WMC, the only thought on my mind was if the Warriors would make it to 100 points. Needless to say with Ellsworth’s half court trap and some scrappy rebounding they made it a game and had the entire gym on it’s feet.

Ellsworth was led by Jarod Steenwyk’s five early three-pointers (he finished with 22 points) and Jared Danbert with a game-high of 24 points. All-Stater Tyler Ingalls finished with 18 points, all in the 2nd half. Muskegon WMC was led by Evan Bruinsma’s 23 points (including a couple of big 3-pointers) and London Burris’ 20.

Congrats to both on a great game, I’m glad I got to see it.

Read Ellsworth’s late rally falls short in the Record Eagle

Join the Yahoo! Sports Bracket Challenge to go up against the best sports minds in Leelanau County (at least in our own minds) in our annual Leelanau March Madness Pool.

Just click the following link to register, you’ll need a yahoo! account…

http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/register/joinprivategroup_assign_team?GID=157885&P=county

Enjoy March Madness!

Leelanau Sports Guy

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