Jahvid Hopeful he will play on Sunday

The Detroit Lions could get a huge boost Sunday against the Green Bay Packers because rookie running back Jahvid Best, who was named the NFL's Rookie of the Month on Thursday -- said he hopes to play in the game.
Best, who has scored five touchdowns this season, didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday because of a turf toe injury but hopes to practice Friday.

"My toe is doing good. I've got to take it day by day,'' Best said. "I'll give it a go tomorrow and see how it feels. It's gotten a lot better -- better than I thought it was going to get. It's looking real good right now.''

by  Tom Kowalski from Mlive.com

Stafford Closer to Returning

 Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford will take an important step this week in his recovery from a shoulder injury, and he could be closer to returning to action.

Stafford was not available to reporters Monday, but he said during his weekly appearance on Mitch Albom’s radio show on WJR-AM (760) on Monday that he plans to begin throwing a football on the advice of medical staff.

“They’ve told me that I need to try to do some light throwing this week and see how it feels, and I’ll kind of take it from there,” Stafford said. “I’ll throw a little bit probably tomorrow or the next day and see how it feels.”

Stafford suffered a sprain in his right throwing shoulder in the opener at Chicago on Sept. 12. He has lightly juggled a football during practice since then, and he has demonstrated range of motion in his right shoulder. But Stafford said he has not truly attempted to throw a ball since he suffered the injury.
“I haven’t really given it a full-on go,” he said.

Because of the throwing hiatus and the nature of his injury, Stafford said he did not know how his shoulder would respond to throwing.

“It’ll be interesting to see how it feels,” he said. “Obviously, in the off-season I’ll probably go two weeks here and there without throwing the football. But it seems to come back to me pretty quick. But I’m also not dealing with an injury those times.

“For me it’s a whole new process. I’ve never really injured my throwing arm or anything like that. So I’m just taking it step by step, just trying to do what the doctors are telling me to do to get back as soon as I can.”
Stafford said it has been difficult to watch the Lions struggle to an 0-3 start.

“It’s definitely hard,” he said. “Sunday’s the worst day of the week for me right now when I’m not playing. It’s so hard to watch those guys fighting so hard to try to get a win and I can’t do anything to help them.”
The Lions provided little news on the injury to their starting running back. Rookie Jahvid Best suffered sprained ligaments in his right big toe in the first half of Sunday’s 24-10 loss at Minnesota. Best also injured his left big toe two weeks ago.

“He had sort of had one a couple weeks before,” coach Jim Schwartz said. “It really hadn’t been much of an issue. He went and had a great game the next week. We’ll see going forward how that affects (him).
“But we had a hard time running the ball without him. Again, the dimension he gives us a little bit different because he can go zero, zero and bust off a 16-yarder or even more.”

Best had 26 yards on seven carries and left Sunday’s game midway through the third quarter. Without Best, the Lions gained 5 yards on six carries in the second half. Schwartz did not put a timetable on Best’s return, but NFL.com reported that Best is “day-to-day.” Schwartz did say running back Kevin Smith is making progress on the knee injury that has sidelined him for the first three games.

“Kevin’s been chomping at the bit, and he’s ready to go,” Schwartz said. “But sometimes you need to look at it objectively. I know this: He’s a lot closer now than he was in preseason.”

Running back Aaron Brown also suffered an injury Sunday when he broke a finger in his right hand while making a block late in the game.

By CARLOS MONARREZ from freep.com

Mark Dantonio to coach from press box

Michigan State's Mark Dantonio plans to coach his team Saturday when the No. 24 Spartans host No. 11 Wisconsin, two weeks after he was hospitalized following a mild heart attack.

Looking upbeat and even wisecracking about eating more vegetables, Dantonio announced his intentions Tuesday after showing up at the team's weekly news conference.

"I'm going to ease back into this much like anybody would after any injury," Dantonio said. "I'm going to listen to our doctors, but I am going to ease back into this and do something daily with our football team."

Dantonio said he expects to be in a coaching box during the game, although later in the day he indicated the staff would work out logistics as the week goes on. The 54-year-old Dantonio was taken to the hospital early Sept. 19, shortly after his daring call for a fake field goal in overtime gave his team a thrilling victory over Notre Dame.

Offensive coordinator Don Treadwell took over for Michigan State's 45-7 win over Northern Colorado on Saturday.

"I would expect to be in the box on Saturday. I just think walking around out there for three hours might be a little bit tiring," Dantonio said. "That would be my initial plan at this point."

The heart attack highlighted the health hazards of coaching. Afterward, many coaches admitted that taking care of themselves can become an afterthought in their high-stress jobs with long hours.

Dantonio's heart attack comes less than a year after Florida's Urban Meyer was hospitalized with chest pains after the Southeastern Conference championship game. Meyer resigned for 24 hours, then decided to take a leave of absence after being diagnosed with esophageal spams.

Dantonio was released from the hospital a week ago and visited the team at practice Friday. He said he was in the office Monday.

"There are guidelines I have to follow based on my family, my doctors and my wife, my other coaches," he said. "I'm going to do it the right way."

Dantonio said he's had medication for genetic cholesterol, and he shed some light on how his diet is being affected by last week's scare. Dantonio had surgery to put a stent in a blocked blood vessel leading to the heart.
"At last check, I think I've had six of my eight helpings of vegetables," he said Tuesday. "I guess I won't eat any ribs on Mondays. Wings on Mondays at lunch are out."

The aftermath of the Notre Dame game was frightening, but Dantonio went to the hospital quickly and his procedure was a relatively common one.

"I really didn't know what was happening at that point in time. I've always been in great health," he said. "I was scared, just like anybody would be scared, but I think the key will be moving forward and getting a little stronger every day."

Michigan State (4-0) opens Big Ten play Saturday in a matchup of unbeaten teams. Wisconsin (4-0) is coming off a 70-3 win over Austin Peay. The coach clearly wanted to talk about that instead of his health.
"I think it's very, very important that we focus on Wisconsin -- that the focus go from Mark Dantonio and that night to Wisconsin and what we have to get done this weekend," Dantonio said.
Dantonio watched the Northern Colorado game at home.

"I will say it was a little bit surreal watching the game at home," he said. "I had no chips. I wasn't allowed. It was different. You see your football team, or our football team, playing, and you're not there, and you've been there for four years."

From ESPN.com by The Associated Press

Photo of the Day

Go Blue!!

Matt Millen no longer a scapegoat for Detroit Lions' troubles; point the finger at Jim Schwartz

 It's time to stop blaming Matt Millen for what is going on with the Detroit Lions today. He was fired more than two years ago.

Millen had nothing to do with the Lions' horrible game plan, even before second-year quarterback Matthew Stafford got hurt in Chicago, or the awful play calling we keep seeing with an offense that isn't using its weapons.

Millen is not to blame for the Lions blowing double-digit leads in the first two games and a seven-point lead Sunday. He has nothing to do with Detroit not using Calvin Johnson in the first three games until the team is down big.

It isn't on Millen that the Lions get into the red zone twice late in the Vikings game but throw only once in the direction of Johnson.

Millen wasn't responsible for bad clock management just before halftime Sunday that prevented the Lions from taking a couple of shots to the end zone.

Instead, the coaches did what all Lions coaches have done for years, settle for the field goal.

Millen is not on the clock for allowing the Lions linebackers to disappear or for a defensive-minded head coach, Jim Schwartz, being on the job for 20 months and not finding competent linebackers and secondary help to make his team respectable.

Let's all stop blaming Matt Millen. We all know he was the worst NFL front office executive in history. Question is, how much better are the Lions today?

Jan. 15, 2009, was the day Jim Schwartz was hired.

You would think with a huge bank account, two free-agent periods, and two high pick drafts in the past 20 months, the Lions could be better than 2-17 with Schwartz as their head coach.

You would think after almost two calendar years on the job he would know how to take advantage of the few superstars he has. That he would know how to use a clock to give him more chances to score a touchdown.

Schwartz is unproven as a head coach and I see no in-game growth with his teams. I know he is a nice guy who says the right things, but I don't see that translating to Sunday afternoons with his team.
This nice guy theme I keep hearing people mention when they talk about Lions players and coaches only happens in Detroit. The NFL is about wins and losses.

I think Ndamukong Suh, Jahvid Best, Johnson and Stafford are great guys to root for.

Problem here is that if they eventually don't win, the culture of the Lions and their losing ways will break even the most likable players.

Excuses have to stop with the fans when it comes to the Lions.

The injury excuse is valid at times but even before Stafford got hurt, you could see Schwartz didn't know how to use his stars and still allowed inferior talent to be on his defense.

Watching the defensive line work so hard and then the back seven look so lost is on the head coach. He has been the coach for almost two years. He sees these guys seven days a week and we can see on the first three Sundays this year the entire back seven would never even crack a starting lineup with another NFL team.

Where is the speed rush of linebacker Julian Peterson? I thought Louis Delmas was a big hitter and playmaker? What plays has he made this year? Are we waiting for next year on every single player and coach in the Lions organization? We say this every year.

No other NFL city gives bad football a free pass like they do in Detroit. A 3-40 record in 43 regular-season games would mean most football franchises would fold and leave town. It is amazing how many of us still have this fire for this Lions team burning in our bellies.

I think all of us just want an NFL team where the coaches know what they are doing, NFL-caliber players who never lay down, a front office that knows talent more than just high draft picks, and Sundays where we are proud of them for their effort.

Where the Lions go wrong is that you have a coach still learning on the job. The Lions should be winning more football games with a coach on the job for 20 months. His ability to recognize quality free agent talent should have this 2010 team better right now.

I'm worried his in-game coaching and game preparation are like another former assistant who is not making the transitional upgrade to being a winning head coach. These stories are and have been a part of the NFL since the league started.

The Lions rolled the dice on Schwartz after getting rid of Millen two years ago. At 2-17, he is not moving this franchise forward.

It's time to stop blaming Millen for bad players and hold Schwartz and his staff accountable for what happens on and off the field with the Lions.

Twenty months is enough time to put competent players in all 22 starting slots.

 By Bill Simonson from Mlive.com

Top 25

AP Top 25
RK	TEAM	RECORD	PTS	PVS
1	Alabama (57)	4-0	1496	1
2	Ohio State (2)	4-0	1431	2
3	Boise State (1)	3-0	1356	3
4	Oregon	4-0	1276	5
5	TCU	4-0	1269	4
6	Nebraska	4-0	1158	6
7	Florida	4-0	1132	9
8	Oklahoma	4-0	1095	8
9	Stanford	4-0	891	16
10	Auburn	4-0	858	17
11	Wisconsin	4-0	852	11
12	LSU	4-0	804	15
13	Utah	4-0	790	13
14	Arizona	4-0	722	14
15	Arkansas	3-1	721	10
16	Miami (FL)	2-1	597	19
17	Iowa	3-1	503	18
18	USC	4-0	466	20
19	South Carolina	3-1	406	12
20	Michigan	4-0	396	21
21	Texas	3-1	374	7
22	Penn State	3-1	199	23
23	North Carolina State	4-0	163	NR
24	Michigan State	4-0	146	25
25	Nevada	4-0	120	NR

Tigers Close out Comerica with a Bang

 

The 2010 Detroit Tigers have swept the Minnesota Twins to finish out the 2010 home schedule.  The Tigers really needed to finish on a positive note after the rough season they had.  Hopefully they can take this momentum into the off season.

Jeremy Bonderman not expected to return

  Jeremy Bonderman is looking forward to proving he can stay healthy again next season while figuring out a way to be more consistent.

Does he expect that to happen with the Detroit Tigers?
"Honestly, probably not," Bonderman said Sunday before Detroit's home finale against Minnesota. "It's part of the business. The Tigers have a good farm system."
The Tigers aren't ready to reveal their plans with Bonderman.
"Will address his situation at a later date," team president and general manager Dave Dombrowski wrote in an e-mail.
Bonderman is 8-9 with a 5.18 ERA in 28 starts this season. He had 111 strikeouts, gave up 181 hits and 56 walks in 166 2-3 innings.
The right-hander proved he could remain in the rotation all season after pitching in just 20 games the previous two years because he needed shoulder surgery.
He won 14 games with a 4.08 ERA in 2006, made three solid starts in the playoffs to help Detroit reach the World Series and was rewarded with a $38 million, four-year deal.
After having a winning record for a third straight season in 2007, a blood clot in his right shoulder the next year stunted his career. He was 3-4 in 12 starts in 2008 and 0-1 in eight games last season.
Bonderman bounced back well enough to rank third on the team in starts and hopes another team will give him a shot to be in its rotation next year even if he has to sign a one-year, incentive-laden contract.
"You can't be picky when you're trying to prove everybody that you can still do it," he said. "I proved I'm healthy, but it's a matter of being more consistent. I have had games I've dominated and games like [Saturday]."
Bonderman gave up seven runs -- for the second time in two months -- on Saturday night to the Twins. He allowed only one run in two starts since August.
"I'm still young. I'm only 27," he said. "I just want to go play. I know somebody will give me an opportunity, it's just a matter of who."
Oakland drafted Bonderman in the June 2001 draft, making him the first U.S. resident to be drafted after his junior year in high school. Bonderman, who is from Pasco, Wash., skipped his senior year in high school after earning a general equivalency diploma.
The Tigers acquired Bonderman in 2002 as part of a three-way deal that sent pitcher Jeff Weaver to the New York Yankees. He was a 20-year-old rookie the next year, going 6-19, when Detroit lost an AL-record 119 games.
"I've got a lot of friends here, a lot of memories," Bonderman said. "Yeah, it is [unfortunate] I'll probably never see the inside of this clubhouse again. But I don't really look at it like that."

From ESPN.com by The Associated Press

Facebook Down

Service Unavailable - DNS failure

The server is temporarily unable to service your request. Please try again later. Reference #11.4fec54b8.1285274825.69534f

Funniest Tweets while Facebook was down...... 

@kathrynlopez I think facebook going down is part of Obama's effort to jump-start the economy.

Yesterday twitter; today Facebook. @danicrino thinks DNS FAILURE: Facebook is down which means 9 months from today, many children will born.

#Facebook temporarily shut down... I feel like I'm in the late 1900's again.

Thank god facebook isn't working. Burn it down forever, I like the site and all but it will do humanity some good.

Facebook is down, now what do we do??

When Facebook is down, everyone tweets it. When Myspace goes down... Nobody cares... :-p

Facebook is down...which means millions of Americans aren't goofing off at work.

Facebook Down... Now people are actually looking at people on the train and smiling. lol no distractions...of course unless you have Twitter

If Facebook stays down & never comes back, I'll switch from being a Yankees fan to a Red Sox fan.

#Facebook down; over 230 million acres of Farmville crops and special animals die from inattention. 

 

Favre Gives Respect to Detroit D-Line

This week the Detroit Lions line up against a familiar foe in quarterback Brett Favre.

While the majority of the match-ups between Favre and the Lions happened while he was with Green Bay, the same rules apply.
“The thing that’s amazing is that he still has that 65-yard arm strength,” said Head Coach Jim Schwartz.

“He looks about the same as he has always looked. He’s a little bit ageless when it comes to his arm and his enthusiasm for the game. All those things are still there.”

While Schwartz and the Lions are looking at the consistency of Favre and what he brings to the table, Favre is seeing a Detroit defense that looks different than it has in years past.

“When you turn on the film, right away they get after you, they really do,” said Favre.

He paid his respects to the Lions’ defensive line, noting that they are able to get the kind of pressure they get simply by rushing four.
“It’s not rocket science here,” said Favre. “That means seven guys are back in coverage and there’s only a few holes to throw it in. You’d have to at some point help out in protection, by keeping a tight end in or a back.”
If Detroit is able to pressure with its front four, it will create mismatches and will also help in the backfield, where the Lions have been inconsistent in regards to giving up chunk plays.

“They got after Cutler, they got after Vick,” said Favre. “Vick made a lot of plays with his legs – not many guys (can) make those types of plays, so he was able to get himself out of a couple corner blitzes.
“It’s a lot different as far as the intensity that maybe people have seen (out of) some of these guys in the past. Vanden Bosch has got maybe the highest motor in football.

“If you take a play off, he’s going to make you pay. So guys feed off of that. I could just go on and on. So it’s a different football team.”

By Chrissie Wywrot from DetroitLions.com

Best part of being in the Big Leagues

When ask what is the best part about being in Major League Baseball, Will Rhymes replied "Without a doubt it is my bathrobe." This is a tradition started in Detroit this year be Johnny Damon.

Lions Player of the Game

Best finished the game with 232 all purpose yards today and 3 TD's

Tigers Mathematically Eliminated

The Tigers' success in spoiling what remains of the White Sox postseason hopes ended up doing nothing for their own mathematical playoff chances. They finally ran out of the playoff race on Saturday, when victories from the Twins and Rays officially eliminated Detroit from postseason contention.

It's a fate Detroit effectively knew at least a month ago, when the combination of an injury-depleted lineup and inconsistent pitching sent the club falling out of the division race. With a 9-7 record in September, however, it isn't something to which the Tigers were necessarily resigned.

"I agree with what [White Sox manager] Ozzie [Guillen] was saying: You try to win as many games as you can, no matter what your situation is," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "You're not thinking about 2011. You're thinking about finishing out as good as you can, win as many as you can. We have a lot of time to think about 2011."

They've had plenty of time to look at potential pieces for next season, with so many rookies in the lineup. Detroit started four rookies Saturday, and brought in two more as pinch-hitters. The rookies combined for eight of the Tigers' 12 hits and four of their six RBIs, including Scott Sizemore's go-ahead three-run homer as a pinch-hitter.

The Tigers still technically have a chance to move up in the standings. Their back-to-back wins over the White Sox the last two days whittled the gap to five games between second and third place. Detroit has finished second in three of the last four years.

By Jason Beck from DetroitTigers.com

D Rob "Shoelace" Interview

Dantonio has emergency heart surgery after OT win

Michigan State head football coach Mark Dantonio underwent emergency heart surgery this morning after having symptoms consistent with a heart attack, the school confirmed today in a news release.

Dantonio was admitted to Sparrow Hospital early this morning, the school said.

He is expected to make a full recovery.

“He is young, in excellent shape, and the damage to his heart was minimal. Coach Dantonio made the right decision to come in and get checked out immediately,” Dr. Chris D'Haem, the physician who operated on Dantonio, said in the release.

Michigan State will hold a news conference on campus at 1 p.m., associate athletics director John Lewandowski wrote in an e-mail sent to media members.


BY SHANNON SHELTON from www.freep.com

MSU vs Notre Damn Last play

Michigan Holds on for Win

Denard Robinson accounted for 345 yards and three touchdowns to help No. 20 Michigan overcome its poor defense in a 42-37 win over second-tier Massachusetts on Saturday.

Robinson was 10 of 14 for 241 yards, connected with Darryl Stonum for TDs 45 seconds apart late in the first half and had an interception. He ran 17 times for 104 yards and a score that put the Wolverines (3-0) ahead 35-17 midway through the third quarter.

The Minutemen (2-1) scored to get within five points with 2:05 left, but their onside kick went out of bounds and Michigan ran out the clock, avoiding another embarrassing upset by a Championship Subdivision team.

The FCS team led by 10 early and had a chance to stun college football's winningest team just as Appalachian State did three years ago.

Michigan's Michael Shaw had career highs with 126 yards rushing and three TDs.

The Wolverines needed to another great day on offense to avoid a setback that would've stunted their momentum after opening with wins against Connecticut and at Notre Dame — a start that earned them a place in The Associated Press Top 25.

Kyle Havens was 22 of 29 for 222 yards — often throwing to wide-open teammates — and had two TDs and an interception for UMass, which gave the ball to Jonathan Hernandez for 114 yards rushing and two scores.

Michigan's kicking game was as shaky as its defense.

Seth Broekhuizen, who beat out Brendan Gibbons during a wide-open competition to kick field goals, missed a 38-yard kick that could've made it 10-all in the second quarter.

Michigan had a punt blocked late in the game, giving UMass comeback hopes, and the Wolverines struggled to soundly return punts.

But they held off the Minutemen and improved to 2-1 against FCS teams. They also avoided joining their 2007 team that lost to Appalachian State and this year's Virginia Tech — beaten by James Madison earlier in the month — as ranked teams to lose to lower-tier foes.

By LARRY LAGE AP Sports Writer

We miss you Bo

Permanent Lights to be Installed at Michigan Stadium

The University of Michigan Board of Regents approved today (Thursday, Sept. 16) the request for permanent lighting at Michigan Stadium. The athletic department will have the lights installed prior to the playing of the "Big Chill at the Big House", an outdoor hockey game between Michigan and Michigan State, on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010.

"The addition of permanent lights will improve the quality of viewing experience for our fans," said Athletic Director Dave Brandon. "We take great pride in having the best game day experience in college football and this will further enhance that position.

"Short term there will be a cost savings on the rental fee associated with bringing in lights for the Big Chill and long-term it eliminates the need for lights to be brought in every time we play a 3:30 p.m. football game," added Brandon.

The permanent lights will allow the Michigan Athletic Department to have the lights already in place for 3:30 p.m. games. It will eliminate the need for shutting down lanes of traffic on Main Street to utilize rented cranes to hoist lights onto the facility and gets rid of the generator along the concourse, thus improving the foot traffic and parking issues in and around the stadium.

In addition, the lights will allow the football team to practice at the Big House in the late afternoons and early evenings during the months of October and November. They can also practice at the venue in preparation for road night games.

The total cost of the project is $1.8 million. Funding will be provided from Athletic Department resources.

Michigan will play its first-ever night game at the Big House against Notre Dame on Sept. 10, 2011. The Wolverines have never played a prime-time game at home in the history of the program. All 33 previous night games have been played on the road or at a neutral site.

From MoGoBlue.com

U of M New Basketball Class

It's probably not a good sign for the future of Michigan basketball that there may be more star power in the stands at Crisler Arena next season than on the court.

Jordan Dumars, son of ex-Pistons star Joe Dumars, will be a sophomore at Michigan this season. Jon Horford and Tim Hardaway Jr. are part of this season's incoming freshman class. And then on Tuesday, class of 2012 wing Glenn Robinson III, son of former Purdue star Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson, announced that he has committed to the Wolverines.

"I just talked to my mom and dad and coaches and everybody in my family," the younger Robinson told UMHoops.com. "Yesterday I just started to like it more and more and I figured there was no point in waiting. Michigan is where I want to go. They have a great academic program and basketball program. I just like everything about Michigan and that's where I want to be. I think I'll fit perfectly."

Big Ten fans might be curious why Robinson wouldn't attend Purdue like his father, but the answer is because the Boilermakers haven't shown much interest so far. In fact, Michigan was the only Big Ten scholarship offer Robinson had along with the likes of Colorado, Valparaiso, Missouri State and others.

If recruiting the sons of NBA players is going to be coach John Beilein's unusual niche, then maybe the greatest irony is the lone legacy he tried to bring to Michigan but failed to land. That would be Glen Rice Jr., the son of the former Michigan star who now starts at guard for Georgia Tech.

Even without the Rices, a father-son exhibition game at Michigan would draw a lot of fans the next few years. Maybe the kids will improve with time, but right now the smart money would be on the elders.

By Jeff Eisenberg from rivals.yahoo.com

Lions closing in on sellout for home opener

It looks like the Lions home opener will be on TV.

As of noon Wednesday, the team had just 3,000 tickets left unsold for Sunday's game against the Eagles at Ford Field, making it almost certain the game will be sold out by Thursday's 1 p.m. blackout deadline.

Advertisement

Detroit was blacked out for half its home schedule, four of eight games, during last year's 2-14 season.

Reported by the Detroit News

Reggie Gives up the Heisman

When asked about giving up the Heisman Reggie Said "Now that this is behind me I look forward to the future and winning more awards and championships here in New Orleans! Who Dat!, I hope that kids and upcoming youth can look at me and use this story as an example and learning tool. Challenges are a part of life." - Reggie Bush

Stafford does not need Surgery

"QB Matthew Stafford has second-degree separated shoulder; planning to visit Dr. James Andrews as early as this week. Out this week at least."





"Former Bears cornerback Nathan Vasher, whom San Diego released last summer, is signed with the Lions."

Reported by Adam Schefter on Twitter

The luck of the Irish was not enough

When going to the stadium, I always felt a little like Rudy when he said I have been waiting for this my whole life. If you are a football fan, there are certain stadiums you must go to as part of your sports bucket list and the Notre Dame Football stadium has to be high up on the list. Luckily for me I won Tickets from on online contest done by Every Game counts. The day started with a short 2.5 hour drive from just outside of Ann Arbor to South Bend. Luckily for me, my sister in law went to St. Mary’s so I got a few insider secrets about going to a game. This was more than just my first Notre Dame game; it was also my first away University of Michigan football game. I could not think of a better place to go for my first away game or a better stadium to go to. The best place to park by far is St. Mary’s. It is right off of 80/90 and the best part is when you are getting off the highway it says general admission parking to the left, ND hang tag to the right. This works out great because the line is shorter going to right because of this and there are a lot of spots open at St. Mary’s because of it. They let you tailgate in the parking lot and even have an area where you can park in the grass and this makes it even more fun to tailgate when you have a football with you.


After parking, there is a short walk that is about 15 minutes from the stadium. One may end up stopping a few times between their car and the stadium for some before the game festivities. There are always great tailgates that you can buy tickets to. The best ones are around $125 and have everything for you from ribs to brats. If you want to go the budget route, there are some great places to stop and get a burger, hot dog or brat. Check out the prices though, one stand had hot dogs for $2 and brats for $3 and an identical stand on the other side of the quad had hot dogs for $3 and brats for $4. Everything was $1 more per item. After getting a good brat and dog, we headed over to the Knights of Columbus tent to grab a steak sandwich. Man, this was awesome! It was so tender and juicy and it came straight off the grill and had a marinade that kept the steak juicy until they put it on your bun. It was definitely worth the $6 with a drink included.


While grabbing some great grilled food, we also came across some of the pre-game activities. We had just missed the Notre Dame Football players making their famous walk from the Cathedral to the stadium. If you are unsure what time any of these pre-game festivities are, just ask someone walking by. It seems like most everyone has been to a ND game before and they have the schedule memorized in their head. Luckily for me, I was wearing a zip up hoody over my Michigan jersey so I was not told the wrong directions. Everyone was so nice and helpful. Walking down the quad, even 30 minutes before the game, you could hardly tell there was a game going to be played that day. There were good signs of it though with the Marching band playing in the background and fans playing catch in the grass. It was interesting to me how many people walking in twos were split between one person wearing Notre Dame gear and the other wearing University of Michigan gear.


The golden dome was a cool place to go check out both inside and out. It was also where I found out where seasoned veterans use the restroom instead of waiting in lines elsewhere. There is a pretty remarkable painting inside the golden dome which was pretty breathtaking. The golden dome acts as a campus compass when walking around. If you are lost, just find the golden dome.

One of the highlights before the game was going to Badin hall to check out the band. Luckily, I was able to follow a couple of students working there up to the front and was able to see everything and capture the Irish fight song as a video. The Notre Dame Fight song has always been special to me because it was my high school’s fight song. I guess it is the band geek in me.


After catching what we could before the game, we hurried and made our way to the stadium. Walking in, you could feel the presence of something great. The Irish have won the most national championships in college history and you could tell this by walking around the stadium. You really felt special being there the moment you walked into the gate. Tradition was in the air with every step you took. The stadium had interesting ways to add more seats without putting in suites like most stadiums have sold out for. The University of Michigan finally sold out and upgraded their stadium. Sometimes I think tradition is disregarded and the only item of importance is how to make the most money. One cool way they added more seats was by having field seats. Most stadiums have a ten foot wall around them. Notre Dame does also but right in front of the wall are bleachers at each side of the end zones. I could hear people talking about it fondly, “I got those seats once”, they would say. The seats are not fancy and padded, they are all bleacher seats made out of wood. This is all you need when you only sit during TV timeouts which Brian Kelly negotiated with NBC to be 15 seconds shorter this year. One of the things I liked most about the stadium is that they had a concession stand and bathroom under the bleachers for every three sections. It made it a lot more organized and you were able to run down and grab something or go to the bathroom during one of those famous TV timeouts and not miss a lot of the game waiting in line. The prices were not even that bad. $4.50 got you a brat and it was definitely worth the extra price compared to grabbing one from one of the student organizations. You could tell the taste difference in a real Johnsonville brat. For 6 bucks, you could get a huge souvenir cup that was probably as big as a big gulp.


Now for the game, it was one of those remarkable games that you could never forget with Michigan winning 28 to 24. It was special to be able to see Nate Montana, the son of Joe Montana, who was a senior that had walked onto the team 4 years earlier, be able to play when the starting quarterback was out with a concussion. You definitely cannot forget about Denard Robinson’s 502 all-purpose yards with 258 of those being rushing yards. Denard put himself into the records books recording the longest rushing play at Notre Dame Stadium, running 87 yards for a touchdown. Now most of the day it was raining and part of the way through the game the sun decided to come out and there was a rainbow. The Irish were at the 5 yard line and had 95 yards to go and the person behind me said, “Look, there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and that pot of gold is the end zone”. The very next play, Kyle Rudolph snuck behind the Michigan Defense and scored a 95 yard touchdown. Then I heard my son say “Where did the rainbow go?” To my amazement, as soon as Notre Dame scored that touchdown, the rainbow had disappeared. With the Irish up 24 to 21 and about 3 minutes left in the game, a part of me thought the game was over because Michigan had not scored since it was 21 to 7 at halftime. Denard Robinson proved he was a Heisman candidate when he marched the Wolverines down the field and scored his 3rd touchdown of the game.


It was truly a game to remember and if you get a chance you should go to a game at Notre Dame. It is one of those experiences that you will never forget. After the game, we were able to hang out with the players leaving the field and even got Rich Rodriguez to take a picture in front of Touchdown Jesus.


-Michigan Sports Guy

Michigan Vs Notre Dame

Thanks to Every Game Counts for sending me to the Michigan game today with your online contest. Go Blue!!

Football Tradition

When Michigan and Notre Dame are the two most talked about teams in a week, football is where it should be. These football programs have the highest percentage of wins in all of college football and both of them are trying to turn around a few bad years of football. As each team gets better, they will work together to be back on the top of football. It is crazy to think that it has been 16 years since these two teams were both ranked in the top ten while playing each other yet this remains a constant rivalry. Notre Dame is a program that you have to have respect for even if you are true blue through and through if you are a college football fan. From Rudy to Joe Montana to Knute Rockne this organization is all about football being played the right way. I leave you with a video of a famous speech from a very good football coach.



-Michigan Sport Guy

The NFL is Back

Are you ready for some football? The NFL regular season starts tonight @ 8:30 EST when the Minnesota Viking go to the New Orleans Saints. The game is a special Broadcast by the Sunday night football team on NBC. This should be a great game to kick off the NFL 2010 regular season.

-Michigan Sports Guy

Notre Dame vs University of Michigan

This rivalry should be fun with both teams trying to put some bad seasons behind them.

Lions Quietly Improve Their Roster

In the midst of trimming the roster down to 53, the Detroit Lions made additional moves to bring in three new players.

Detroit claimed two players off waivers, one being Spencer Havner who was released from Green Bay.

At 6-3, 250 pounds, Havner practiced Monday at linebacker, but he can also play tight end and fullback.

“We can use him in a lot of different roles,” said Head Coach Jim Schwartz on choosing to practice him at linebacker. “We’re just getting him up to speed in a lot of different places.”

Mayhew found watching Havner throughout the preseason interesting considering he got time at linebacker, tight end, fullback, H-back and special teams.

“He’s a guy that can play spots where we have some numbers issues right now,” said Mayhew. “At linebacker, with Levy’s injury and at tight end, without (Dan Gronkowski) here.”

Gronkowski is now in Denver following Detroit’s trade to acquire second-year cornerback Alphonso Smith.

Smith was selected by Denver in the second round (37th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft out of Wake Forest.

“He’s a guy who we really liked in college coming out,” said Mayhew. “We felt like he was a young guy with upside and potential. He’s worth a look as a developmental guy to try to bring along. He may give us more than just development, but he’s a guy that definitely has ability – there’s no question about that.”

Schwartz likes the fact that Smith already has a year of NFL experience under his belt.

Though Smith is still a young player, he has a frame of reference that rookies don’t have and he has played in a defensive scheme at the professional level.

“He’s got a great attitude and we just need to get him up to speed quickly,” said Schwartz. “I like a lot of things about him – he’s got a nose for the ball. I think one thing is when you look at DBs, interceptions are a little bit like sacks on the defensive line. You either have it or you don’t. He has the ability to find the ball in the air.”

Another position the Lions added a new player to is return specialist, claiming second-year pro Stefan Logan to the roster.

Logan spent his first NFL season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009 after bouncing around different organizations the previous two years.

He spent time with the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins in 2007 before a season in the Canadian Football League in 2008.

He caught on with the Steelers and set a team single-season record with 1,466 kickoff return yards.

“He’s a dual returner – returns kicks and punts,” said Schwartz. “He has really good speed and the ability to go the distance. Even though he’s short, he doesn’t play small. He plays tough.

“And I think it adds a different dimension to us as he’s a sure-handed guy, who’s real natural at catching punts. He gets himself squared up really well, but also adds a little bit of explosive ability there, and has the chance to make a big play.”

By Chrissie Wywrot from DetroitLions.com

Tate Forcier: "All you need to know is, I'm out."

St. Pierre gets the Call

Brandon Inge has been in the Tigers system since Detroit drafted him in 1998. Ramon Santiago signed that summer and made his way to the states the next year. The only player still in the system who predates them is Max St. Pierre, who was a teammate of Santiago in the Tigers farm system and went to Spring Training alongside Inge just about every year.

So when they found out Tuesday night that St. Pierre had been recalled, it was big news for them.

"That's awesome of the organization right there," Inge said. "It's really cool when you reward a guy who has worked his tail off for that many years. Just for his determination, his persistence, just to tough it out, I'm very pleased for him to get up here and get a little piece of the pie and for the organization for sticking with a guy like that and giving him a reward.

"That's a great story. I'm so happy."

Inge said he was proud of the organization as well as the player for sticking it out with each other, including a reunion a few years ago after St. Pierre left for a season to try to see if he could make it elsewhere.

"It's an amazing story. He's been playing for a long time," Santiago said. "He played most every day with me when I was down in the minor leagues. I'm really happy for him."

For what it's worth, when Tigers president/general manager confirmed the news Tuesday night, he mentioned that they had come close to calling him up a couple different times in recent years. The circumstances, he said, just never worked out.

This Article is from Beck's Blog