Michigan Sports Guy

Ondre Pipkins commits to Michigan

2011-08-08T15:27:00.000-04:00

Michigan filled one of the few remaining needs when it picked up DT Ondre Pipkins from Park Hill high school in Kansas City, MO. Pipkins is a 4-star prospect ot 3/4 services. Scout has him as the number 12 DT and 102 player overall. Rivals has him ranked 19th at his position, and 246 overall. 24/7 is somewhere between the 2, while ESPN is the dramatic outlier.

Pipkins pledged to Michigan while spurning such schools as Oklahoma, Florida, Alabama, and Ohio State. He is a mountain of a young man at 6'3'' 320 pounds. He can move as well as any defensive line recruit in this class, so he's more than a space eater. He should be able to get to the quarterback.

There should be room for one more DT in this class, and most assume it will be Flint Powers Catholic
's Danny O'Brien. We'll see. Other needs ar at WR and RB, with another top notch CB and OL a nice addition.

Congrats Ondre, and Go Blue!

Chris Wormley commits to Michigan

2011-08-01T16:43:00.000-04:00

Michigan continued its impressive recruiting cycle, picking up Toledo, OH’s Chris Wormley from Whitmer High School. He has been considered a Michigan lean for quite some time, and he made it official at the Big House Bar B Que on Sunday. He is an impressive 6’4’’ 255 pound strong side DE. He becomes the 5^th defensive lineman in this class.

Wormley is a 4-star to every site but Rivals, who list him as a 3-star. I’m guessing he is close to 4 stars, since he is listed as the 22^nd DE. He picked Michigan over offers from Ohio State, Michigan State, and Cincinnati. He was long considered a lock to OSU or Michigan, so that may explain his lack of other offers.

He also has the potential to move inside and play DT down the line, if the need arises. He is that big and strong already. He can be a big time talent, and has the potential to be the best defensive player in this class. Yes, he’s that good.

Congrats Chris, and Go Blue!

Sione Houma commits to Michigan

2011-07-29T17:43:00.000-04:00

Michigan got a commitment from Utah FB Sione Houma on Monday. I totally forgot to give him his commitment post. Yikes. Houma is a 2-star recruit to Scout.com and unranked to everyone else. He had offers from Utah, Utah State, Washington, and Michigan. He chose Michigan.

There isn’t much out there on him at this point. He rushed for 1,211 yards and 9 TDs as a junior. He is only 6’0’’ and 210 pounds, so he needs to put on weight to play fullback. Don’t worry about his ranking, since fullbacks, punters/kickers, and centers are always under rated in high school. He was obviously a player Hoke wanted, and with limited spots for guys like Wormley and the DTs, he was deemed worthy of a roster spot.

Congrats Sione, and Go Blue!

Kyle Kalis commits to Michigan

2011-07-10T14:25:00.000-04:00

Number 19 has been a not so secretive, secret for a few weeks now. He is also a beast. He is Lakewood, OH OT Kyle Kalis. He is a huge get. He was originally committed to Ohio State, but didn’t want to deal with their shenanigans. Who would?

Kalis is rated as the #4 OT and 18^th best player in the country by Rivals.com, and the highest ranked 4-star. Scout has him as a 5-star, #4OT and #18 player overall. ESPN has him number 140 overall, which is why nobody listens to ESPN when it comes to recruiting. This makes him Michigan’s highest rated recruit.

Kalis joins Erik Magnuson, Blake Bars, Ben Braden, Caleb Stacey, and possible AJ Williams to form an incredible OL class. And Jordan Diamond is still out there. Wow.

Congrats Kyle, and Go Blue!

Jarrod Wilson commits to Michigan

2011-07-08T15:05:00.000-04:00

Lucky number 18 came on Friday afternoon when Akron, Oh S Jarrod Wilson gave his pledge to coach Hoke. Wilson is a 6’2’’ 190 lb. safety from Buchtel HS. Buchtel is coached by former Michigan RB Ricky Powers. I’m guessing his coach told Jarrod how great Michigan is. Another Buchtel player, WR Corey Smith has committed to Tennessee, so Coach Powers isn’t just sending his players to Ann Arbor.

Wilson is rated as a 4-star to both sites, and the number 10 safety to Scout.com, and the number 13 to Rivals. He had a final three of Michigan, Notre Dame, and Penn State. He also held offers from Stanford, UCLA, Tennessee, and Michigan State.

He becomes the second safety in the class, joining Allen Gant. This also confirms that S Jeremy Clark will be a greyshirt. I will have more on him next week. There are still some big fish circling the boat, and there could be news as soon as this weekend. I will be at a wedding this evening, so I will do my best.

Congrats Jarrod, and Go Blue!

Austin Hatch in serious accident

2011-06-27T14:08:00.002-04:00

I feel bad for taking so long to get to this, but I would be doing a great disservice to the story if I didn’t put this out there. 2013 Michigan Basketball recruit Austin Hatch was seriously injured in a plane crash on Saturday morning. He and another young man committed on June 23^rd, and I was planning a post on them this week. This takes precedence, so bear with me.

Austin was traveling with his father, step-mother from Fort Wayne to Boyne Falls, Michigan when the plane hit a pole. Austin was the only survivor. He suffered several serious injuries including a fractured skull, two punctured lungs, and several broken bones. He was immediately placed into a medically-induced coma to reduce the stress on his brain. He is expected to be removed from the coma this afternoon. Despite the severity of his injuries, he is expected to make it through.

The story gets worse. In 2003, he and his father survived another plane crash that claimed the lives of his mother, brother, sister, and dog. Wow. I really don’t know what to say.

This is one of those stories that involves sports, but not really. I have no idea if he will ever return to playing basketball, or even walking for that matter, but who cares. This young man has known pain, both physical and emotional, that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. This is bigger than Michigan basketball.

So please keep Austin in your thoughts and prayers. I will update the story as much as possible going forward.

Blake Bars commits to Michigan

2011-06-27T13:33:00.002-04:00

Michigan received their 17^th verbal commitment of the 2012 class from Nashville, TN OL Blake Bars. Bars is the 4^th Offensive lineman in the class, joining Caleb Stacey, Ben Braden, and Erik Magnuson. Stacey is the only prospect listed as a Guard or Center. There are also a few really good prospects that think highly of Michigan, so my guess is Bars and Braden switch to the interior at some point.

As for Bars, he is listed as the 34^th best OT and a 4-star by Rivals.com, and the 38^th best OT and a 3-star to Scout.com. His offer list is much more impressive than his rankings however. He turned down Florida, LSU, Penn State, and South Carolina in addition to lower level schools. He also comes from an athletic family. His father and uncle played at Notre Dame, his grandfather was a Spartan, and his brother is currently a DE at Penn State.

As I said earlier, this class is extraordinarily big for June. And there are a couple prospects that could commit at any second, so I’m guessing Bars wanted to secure his place in this class. Despite my beliefs that Michigan would only take 18-20, it is being said that the class will be around 26. That means there is more room for Hoke to stock up on OL and DL prospects. I will begin working on a new overview sometime this week.

Congrats Blake, and Go Blue!

Erik Magnuson commits to Michigan

2011-06-10T19:12:00.000-04:00

Michigan got its big OL commitment this afternoon as well. CA OL Erik Magnuson joined the class on his visit to Ann Arbor. Luckily the weather here didn’t deter him. This rain has been horrendous.

Magnuson is 6’6’’ 275 lbs. He is the 34^th ranked player in the country according to Rivals. Not 34^th OL, mind you. He is the highest rated 4-star player so far. He is legit. Scout has him as a 4-star, and the 16^th OT. He should be a good one, in other words. He held offers from some powerhouses as well. In addition to Michigan, he held offers from UCLA, Miami (FL), Oregon, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma. That list alone shows you his talent.

This is another example of Hoke maintaining a relationship from his SDSU days. My biggest worry about Hoke was his ability to recruit, and this shuts me up. This is the most impressive “get” for Michigan so far. The Michigan guys are very good too, but they are locals who grew up Michigan fans to at least some degree. Magnuson was a Hoke fan that will be playing in Ann Arbor because of it. Bravo Zulu, Coach.

Congrats Erik, and Go Blue!

Tom Strobel commits to Michigan

2011-06-10T19:00:00.000-04:00

Michigan is still hot on the recruiting trail as we approach the middle of June. The Wolverines picked up two commitments this afternoon. The first of which is OH DE Tom Strobel. Strobel is 6’6’’ 250 lbs and hails from Mentor, OH. He has the size to potentially move to DT down the road.

Strobel is a 4-star, top 250 player to both Scout and Rivals. This is backed up by his offer list. He chose Michigan over schools like Nebraska, Stanford, and Ohio State. He joins a crowded DL class, with Ojemudia, Godin, and Pharaoh Brown. That should attest to how highly the coaches think of him. Also, thanks Ohio State for basically delivering him up to AA. Hopefully the coaches can secure some top-flight offensive linemen for these guys to practice against. (This is called foreshadowing)

Congrats Tom, and Go Blue!

Anthony Standifer commits to Michigan

2011-06-01T23:19:00.000-04:00

The Wolverines picked up number 14 Wednesday evening in S/CB Anthony Standifer from Crete Monee HS in Crete, IL. Standifer was a late blossoming prospect that Michigan got in early on. The Wolverines were his first legit BCS offer. Once Michigan offered, schools like Iowa and Notre Dame followed suit.

He will be one of the lesser known recruits in this class since he raised his status in summer camps. He turned down ND and Iowa, and could have held out for even bigger offers. He obviously saw the spots available drying up, and decided to get on board.

There are limited spots for DBs in this class(I anticipate writing a very similar post tomorrow for a DB from Brooklyn) so this is a high upside/sleeper recruit based on the class so far.

Congrats Anthony, and Go Blue!

Allen Gant commits to Michigan

2011-05-31T09:26:00.000-04:00

Lucky #13 for Michigan is legacy recruit Allen Gant. He is the son of former Wolverine DB Tony Gant who played from 1982-1986. Rivals.com lists him as a WR, but he is universally known to be a safety. He is a 3 star recruit to Scout.com, and unranked by the rest of the recruiting websites. He picked Michigan over Stanford, Illinois, and West Virginia.

He is the second defensive back recruit in this class, joining Terry Richardson. I predicted Gant to be a member of this class a few weeks ago, so it comes as no surprise. With the OSU troubles, Gant moved up his timeline to secure a spot. Michigan could swoop in and lure a few Buckeye commitments ( cough, cough, Brionte Dunn, cough) when possible sanctions get handed down.

The recruiting train could keep rolling on Thursday, when DB Wayne Morgan makes his decision known. I will have more on him should the news be positive.

Congrats Allen, and Go Blue!

Michigan Recruiting Overview

2011-05-19T10:43:00.000-04:00

I have been meaning to write this up for a while, but the landscape keeps changing commitment wise. Michigan has 12 commitments before June 1^st, which is almost unheard of in Ann Arbor. And not only is there quantity, there is quality.

The Commitments

Name	Position	Scout	Rivals	ESPN

Joe Bolden	OLB	4	4
Ben Braden	OL	3
Pharaoh Brown	DE	3	4
Devin Funchess	TE	4
Matt Godin	DT	3
Royce Jenkins-Stone	ILB	4	4
Mario Ojemuida	DE	4
Terry Richardson	CB	4	4
Kaleb Ringer	ILB	4
James Ross	ILB	4	4
Caleb Stacey	OL	3
A.J. Williams	TE	3

That is one heck of a start. Considering last season's class, Hoke and his staff are killing the recruiting trail. Don’t believe me? Read this. Scout.com had 5 players with 4-star status. There are already 7 this season. I know there are still 9 months or so until NSD, and rankings fluctuate, but wow. That’s impressive. I’m still waiting on Rivals and ESPN to rank the rest of the players, but Iast year, Rivals had 6 4-stars compared to the 5 this year.

Who’s Left?

This is where things get tricky. The actual number of available scholarships is unknown, so I will use 20. 25 is normal, but I remember reading that this will be a small class (I can’t remember where, man am I getting old) so I will use 20. With 12 in the fold, spots are getting tight. There are also certain needs that haven’t been met yet. Namely, DT, OL, RB, WR, and Safety. If you are so inclined, you can add QB, but with Shane Morris already a member of the 2013 class, I don’t see it as a huge priority. But most coaches like to take at least one QB per class. I already covered the quarterback position in-depth, so I will skip it here.

The Candidates

Running Back

Running back is a lot like Quarterback, in that most coaches will take at least one a year. Michigan has offered some good prospects like Keith Marshall, OSU commit Brionte Dunn, and Greg Garmon. Michigan probably has <1% chance with Marshall, but is in good position with Dunn and Garmon. Dunn is nervous-pervis about the OSU “situation” and will be visiting Michigan quite soon. Although he is still a Buckeye commit, I would give Michigan a 45% chance with Dunn. If any sanctions come down, I am willing to bet that number will go up. Garmon is a guy that is wide open. He has tons of offers, but hasn’t declared any leaders (that I know of) to this point.

There are certainly more, but those are the high-profile guys at RB.

Wide Receiver

The number 1 player in the country is Dorial Green-Beckham. He is probably a bigger longshot than Marshall at this point, but it’s nice to dream. Realistic candidates are guys like Aaron Burbridge, Dwayne Stanford, and Jaquay Williams.

Burbridge is an interesting story. He is teammates with Mario Ojemudia and Devin Funchess. Like those two, he was always considered a MSU lean, but Michigan has made major inroads at Farmington Hills Harrison. He is now considered a favorite to end up at Michigan. If his grades are good enough. Unfortunately, that’s a big IF. He is an elite talent, and would be a huge pick up if he can meet admission standards.

Stanford is another interesting player. He grew up a Michigan fan, and is friends and teammates with DE Adolphus Washington. They are thought to be a package deal. Actually, just read this.

Williams is the longest shot of the three as a southern player with SEC interest. Again, there are more, but I am focusing on the big timers.

Tight End

Tight End is probably done for the class of 2012. Although A.J. Williams could and might move to OL, so maybe there is still room for Ron Thompson. Who knows.

Offensive Line

With Braden and Stacey in the mix, they are probably looking for 2-4 more players. There are some big targets still out there.

Jordan Diamond is thought to be a heavy Michigan lean. He was teammates with 2011 OG Chris Bryant. He will likely decide in early fall.

Zach Banner is the biggest of the big targets. How big? 6’9’’ 295 lbs worth of big. He is from Washington state, but maintains Michigan interest.

Andrus Peat is the number 2 OT in the nation. He has offers from everyone. He likes Michigan. Sounds great, right? Not so fast my friend. His brother will be a freshman at Nebraska in the fall.

Kyle Dodson is another 4-star OT that seems to really like Michigan. I could definitely see him as a member of this class.

Jordan Simmons is a huge guard from Encino, CA. I just want to make a bunch of Encino Man jokes.

Defensive Line

There are 3 commits so far, but there is probably room for 2 more. There are some big names left here as well. The aforementioned Washington is obviously one of them.

Chris Wormley recently named Michigan his leader, and could be deciding soon. He plays the strong side DE, whereas Ojemudia and Brown are weak siders.

Jarron Jones is the number 2 DT in the country, and is currently a soft commit to Penn State. He recently said he will visit Michigan anyway. He says he rushed into committing, which happens all the time. Michigan would welcome him with open arms.

Sheldon Day was thought to have committed to Michigan in April. Turns out, it was not true. Maybe. There is a shroud of mystery over Day’s recruitment. He could commit any day now. Or never mention Michigan again.

Danny O'Brien is from Flint and is a very good DT prospect. He loves Tennessee. He likes Michigan. Enough said.

Linebacker

Michigan signed anywhere from 3-6 linebackers last year, depending on position switches. I figured they would sign 2 this year. They have signed 4 so far. All four are very, very good players. I can’t see them taking anyone else here.

Defensive Back

Terry Richardson was the big fish. They landed him this morning. There is probably room for another CB and maybe a safety.

Armani Reeves,Anthony Standifer, and Wayne Morgan are the leading candidates at CB. Elijah Shumate, Jarrod Wilson, and Allen Gant are the options at safety.

Morgan could also play safety. Standifer was a “sleeper” up until Michigan offered. Since then schools like Iowa and Notre Dame have offered him. He is visiting soon. Jarrod Wilson is coached by former Michigan RB Ricky Powers. Allen Gant was recently offered. He is also Charles Woodson’s cousin. Family Values!

Predictions

Sticking with 8 openings, I would predict the class as:

1. Chris Wormley, DE

2. Aaron Burbridge, WR

3. Jordan Diamond, OT

4. Kyle Dodson, OL

5. Sheldon Day, DT

6. Jarrod Wilson, S

7. Allen Gant, S

8. Brionte Dunn, RB

That’s obviously a very optimistic view. This is supposed to be “best case” scenario. I’m sure the class ends up with some guys less highly touted than this. But if Michigan has success on the field, this is entirely possible. As Ron Zook has shown us, it doesn’t matter if you can recruit if you can’t coach on the field. Let’s hope Hoke can coach.

Go Blue!

Terry Richardson commits to Michigan

2011-05-19T08:16:00.000-04:00

Commitment #12 for the Wolverines is Cass Tech CB Terry Richardson. Richardson is the #10 CB in the country to Scout.com and a 4 star to both Scout and Rivals. He is another candidate to be the highest rated player in the state and continues the Cass Tech pipeline (Will Campbell, Teric Jones, Delonte Hollowell, etc..)

T-Rich, as he likes to be called, had the most impressive offer list of all the Michigan commitments. He had a final 5 of USC, Alabama, Notre Dame, LSU, and Michigan. He also held offers from Michigan State, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. So he’s kind of a big deal. He is best friends with Michigan commitments James Ross and Royce Jenkins-Stone.

Cornerback isn’t a huge need in this class, but you always take a local guy with an offer list like Richardson’s. He’s a typical Cass Tech CB, 5’9’’ 160 lbs. He has been well coached, since CT’s head coach is former UM player Thomas Wilcher. He said on WTKA this morning that he will continue to recruit players to Michigan, so this class could be huge.

Congrats Terry, and Go Blue!

Matt Godin commits to Michigan

2011-05-12T10:50:00.000-04:00

Michigan’s class just keeps on rollin’. Detroit Catholic Central (of Novi) DE/DT Matt Godin became the 11^th member of the recruiting class. He has been committed since the spring game a few weeks back, but waited to make it official until this morning.

Godin is 6’5’’ 260lbs and could play strong side defensive end or defensive tackle if he adds a few pounds. He is a 3-star recruit to Scout.com and is still awaiting evaluation by Rivals. Godin turned down such schools as Wisconsin, Missouri, Michigan State, and Boston College.

Expect another commitment soon, since they have come in pairs to this point. Worst case scenario, we group together Shane Morris with Godin. Best case, we have another commitment coming. Terry Richardson may be announcing next week.

This is another big pick-up for Hoke and Mattison. Godin is the kind of top in-state guy that RichRod caught so much heat for not getting. Godin has been a lifelong Michigan fan, so if he ended up elsewhere, the criticism of Hoke would have started.

Congrats Matt, and Go Blue!

Shane Morris commits to Michigan

2011-05-11T10:32:00.000-04:00

Michigan received its first commitment for the 2013 class yesterday when Warren De La Salle QB Shane Morris ended his recruitment extremely early. Morris will be a junior in high school in the fall, so he won’t be wearing the Maize and Blue for quite some time.

I covered this in the quarterback analysis, but getting Morris was kind of a big deal. He will be a huge recruit when the sites start ranking the 2013 guys, and it allows Hoke to not take a huge QB in this class. It’s also important because quarterbacks can be great recruiters, so Morris can talk to all the top prospects both in-state and at the various camps he attends. As a sophomore, he already held offers from Michigan (obviously), Michigan State, Cincinnati, Syracuse, and a few MAC schools. That, if you couldn’t tell, is impressive.

I hadn’t planned a 2013 recruiting chart yet, but it looks as if I’ll be starting one.

Congrats Shane, and Go Blue!

Pharaoh Brown commits to Michigan

2011-05-07T18:21:00.000-04:00

Within minutes of the news that Mario Ojemudia gave his pledge to Michigan, Ohio DE Pharaoh Brown joined in the fun. Brown is a 6’6’’ 220 DE from Lyndhurst, OH. He is rated as the #45 DE to Scout, but has a ton of upside. He is definitely a “sleeper” prospect. He chose Michigan over schools like Pitt, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Nebraska.

He was a bigger surprise today than Ojemudia, in that Ojemudia has been hinting about coming to Michigan for a while. I will put together a more in-depth recruiting post later this week, with prospects to keep in mind for the small amount of scholarships left.

Congrats Pharaoh, and Go Blue!

Mario Ojemudia commits to Michigan

2011-05-07T18:11:00.000-04:00

Michigan picked up its 9^th commitment today, securing a pledge from DL Mario Ojemudia. Ojemudia is listed on Scout as a DL, but others have him as a DE. At 6’2’’ 220lbs, I will go with DE. He is a teammate of fellow Michigan commit, Devin Funchess. He is a 4-star guy to Scout, and is unlisted on Rivals. He also held offers from Stanford, Illinois, Michigan State, and Iowa.

The in-state, defensive haul continues. All Michigan’s commitments have come in pairs, so I will see you shortly.

Welcome to Michigan, Mario. Go Blue!

James Ross commits to Michigan

2011-05-02T08:50:00.000-04:00

Since there isn't much going on around the world this morning, I figured I would hit on this early. Michigan picked up its 7th commitment this morning, getting a pledge from MLB James Ross. Ross is the #2 MLB prospect according to Scout.com, and is the 4th LB pledge in this class. When you add in the 2011 class, that's at least 8 linebackers.

Ross will likely be one of the top in-state players this year, and is a National recruit. Ross also held offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC, Nebraska, and others. I'm guessing Hoke is employing a Martin Mayhew approach, and taking the best players available instead of need. 4 linebackers seems excessive, but they are all great players.

Welcome to Michigan, James. Go Blue!

Steve Schilling drafted by San Diego

2011-05-01T12:02:00.000-04:00

The San Diego Chargers once again showed their intelligence, drafting former Michigan OG Steven Schilling with the 201^st overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He will join LB Jonas Mouton as rookies in San Diego whenever the lockout is lifted (again).

Steven Schilling was a 5 star OT prospect in the class of 2006, Michigan’s second highest rated recruit that year behind Brandon Graham. After redshirting his freshman year, he started for four years. He was supposed to join Justin Boren as the next in a long line of dominant Michigan Offensive Linemen, following guys like Jeff Backus, Steve Hutchinson, Jake Long, Dave Baas, et al.

Like Mouton getting drafted before Greg Jones, Schilling was expected to be drafted as the aforementioned Justin Boren. Boren was not drafted, and will have to pursue his NFL dreams via the undrafted free agent route. If not, there is always the snow plow business.

Anyway, good luck in the NFL Steve. Go Blue!

Jonas Mouton Drafted by San Diego

2011-04-30T10:14:00.000-04:00

Former Michigan safety/linebacker Jonas Mouton was selected with the 29^th pick in the second round by the San Diego Chargers. I follow the draft pretty close, and I never saw him ranked above a 6^th round prospect. This is most likely a situation of a guy impressing a team on an individual workout, and reaching to make sure they get him. Mouton was a five star safety recruit when he arrived at Michigan, but eventually outgrew the position and moved to linebacker. He led the Big Ten in tackles last season but seemingly lacked the speed to be an early draft pick.

Regardless, I wish him the best of luck in San Diego. Worst case, you can always say you were drafted ahead of Greg Jones.

Go Blue!

Joe Bolden commits to Michigan

2011-04-30T10:03:00.000-04:00

Michigan picked up commitment number 7 on Friday, securing a pledge from OLB Joe Bolden. He is the #27 OLB in the country according to Scout.com. Bolden held offers from Penn State (Linebacker U), Tennessee, Stanford, and North Carolina. He joins Royce Jenkins-Stone and Kaleb Ringer to most likely finish the linebacker class for 2012. This means James Ross from Orchard Lake Saint Mary’s will probably be going elsewhere.

Bolden comes from Cincinnati Colerain High School, home to former Michigan players B.J. Askew and Mister Simpson.

Welcome to Michigan, Joe. Go Blue!

Positional Analysis-QB

2011-04-25T10:01:00.001-04:00

Quarterback is a pretty big position of need in this year’s recruiting cycle. Hoke, Borges, and company need to get a guy that fits their system. After striking out on Zeke Pike, I decided to do an in-depth analysis of the quarterback position.

The Incumbents

Denard Robinson is one of the most exciting players in college football. He is probably too small to be a starting NFL quarterback, but he should be the starter in 2011 and 2012.

Devin Gardner was 7/10 for 85 yards as a true freshman in 2010. He will enter 2011 as either a redshirt freshman or true sophomore (his medical redshirt status is still up in the air) and the clear cut backup. Many are saying he is pushing Robinson this spring with his outstanding performance. He should see significant time the next two years since Robinson can’t stay healthy, and take over in 2013.

Russell Bellomy was the lone QB recruit in the 2011 class. He was “snake oiled” from Purdue less than two weeks before National Signing Day. He was the #39 QB recruit in the country, and should be a depth guy for his career at Michigan. Of course, me writing this means he will win back-to-back Heisman trophies.

The only other quarterbacks on the spring roster are walk-ons Steve Wilson and Jack Kennedy. I’m not sure what happened to a personal favorite of mine, Nader Furrha.

So Michigan is fairly set until Gardner graduates/gets picked number 1 overall in the NFL draft by the Raiders. But most recruiting gurus say you should take a quarterback every year. After Pike, there are a few quality recruits left and some fallback options. I will use the Touch The Banner offer list along with scout.com to put together a list.

The Blue-chippers

Gunner Kiel- The number 1 quarterback in the nation according to Scout, Kiel has offers from everyone that matters in college football. He is 6’4’’ 200 lbs. and is from Indiana. Most people believe he is Notre Dame’s to lose, which brings me to…

Maty Mauk-The other top quarterback with Michigan interest, Mauk is 6’2’’ 190. He is from Kenton, OH and is the brother of former Cincinnati QB Ben Mauk. Ben Mauk was coached by now-ND coach Brian Kelly. So Maty has ties to ND as well. He also put up video game numbers as a junior, amassing 5670 passing yards and 69 TDs.

Zeke Pike-I will still include him here because I have serious issues with letting go. That, and there are still 9 months or so until signing day. Anything can happen between now and then, especially with Auburns situation regarding Cam and Cecil Newton.

Bart Houston-Michigan hasn’t offered Houston yet for reasons I can’t understand. He plays for a famous high school, and has the size/arm that fit Al Borges’ system. I’m guessing he is offered at some point, I just hope it’s not too late. Hoke recruited him when he was at SDSU.

It might come down to getting Notre Dame’s sloppy seconds this year. In this instance, I would take it and be happy. The thinking is if Kiel doesn’t go to ND, he will go to the SEC. Mauk is more likely to stay in the Midwest regardless of which school he picks. In the event that Mauk picks ND, Kiel goes to Bama or USC, and Pike sticks with Auburn, there are some other good options in the 2012 class.

The Other Guys

Let me start by saying I mean no disrespect to anyone in this section. I am grouping them based on the recruiting sites. They will need big senior seasons or good camp showings to get a Michigan offer in most cases. I will list them alphabetically.

Austin Appleby- Big Kid from North Canton, OH with only MAC offers to this point. He has good size, and will likely receive BCS level interest by the time he finishes high school.

Chad Kelly-Former NFL QB Jim Kelly's nephew, he has offers from Alabama, Florida State, Michigan State, and Louisville. No Michigan offer yet, but he will probably be visiting soon.

Cyler Miles-I will list Miles because he is from the same school as Steve Watson and seems like a guy Michigan could swoop in on and get an official visit from. He’s a BCS level talent, and could fit in well.

Tyler O'Connor-Another kid with MAC level offers so far (plus Indiana and Vandy, which are MAC –level) from Ohio, he is probably a long-shot since he plans to decide by the end of July. If he decides to delay his decision, Michigan may become a factor if other options fall through.

Jake Rodrigues-The number 41 QB recruit currently to Scout, Rodrigues holds offers from Michigan and Washington, and lists USC, Oregon, and Boise State as other schools he’s interested in. It’s rarely a good sign when a California kid lists all west coast schools…..and Michigan. I’m guessing this is a residual thing from the SDSU days.

I wouldn’t be shocked to see one of these guys in maize and blue at some point in the future.

The Could Have Beens

The players in this section were better fits for the Rich Rodriguez offense, so they probably won’t end up at Michigan, at least not at QB. Alphabetical order as always.

Brian Blackburn-I will admit I haven’t heard much about Blackburn’s recruitment. He has good size at 6’6’’, but only has one offer (CMU) to date. He is from Detroit Crockett, so Michigan has that advantage if they develop interest.

Bennie Coney-He has offers from some high-major programs including Auburn, Florida State, LSU, and Notre Dame. He also has off the field issues, and is more of dual-threat QB than a pocket passer. I would be shocked if he leaves the south.

Devin Fuller-He is the #9 QB according to Scout, and holds offers from Alabama, Florida State, Notre Dame, and UCLA. He is only 6’ and 185, so his future at Michigan is probably at defensive back. I figure someone will give him a shot at QB, so I doubt he even visits.

Robert Gregory-Gregory is intriguing because he is teammates with 2011 signee Chris Bryant and 2012 recruit Jordan Diamond. I would guess that he only gets an offer to help lure Diamond to Ann Arbor. He would have been great in the old offense.

Nick Patti-Nick Patti would probably be a commit right now if RR was still around. He was teammates with WR/TE/Super Recruiter Ricardo Miller when he played in Florida. He was also a teammate of one-time Michigan commitment Dee Hart. He visited numerous times with Hart, and reportedly loved it here. But we all know what happened. Rich was fired, Hart went to Bama, and Patti never got an offer. I’m not sure if he’s a high-level quarterback, but Dr. Phillips high school is a nice place to have a recruiting pipeline.

I wouldn’t rule out these guys becoming Wolverines, I just wouldn’t bet much on it. Only Coney and Fuller hold offers right now, so they would be the most likely of the group. There is also a chance that Borges really takes a liking to having Denard, and adapts his offense to be more dual threat friendly. Who knows?

Looking (Farther) Ahead

If Michigan misses out on all the above guys, don’t fret. 2013 recruiting is already underway as well. Michigan has already offered 2 players from the class.

Riley Ferguson-Ferguson already holds offers from Michigan and LSU. He should be one of the top players in the ’13 class. He also attends the same school as former Wolverine Jamar Adams and swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker (I will not link to anything for her, this is a family friendly establishment)

Shane Morris-Morris is the top sophomore QB in Michigan (and probably top QB period) and will probably be a top 10 QB in the nation. He attends Warren De La Salle high school. I would be shocked if he isn’t a Wolverine.

Overview

Michigan is in pretty good shape at QB. Denard Robinson is a Heisman candidate with two years of eligibility remaining, and Devin Gardner can handle the position after he leaves. While a big recruit like Kiel or Mauk would be great, it isn’t necessary this year. Morris should be a Michigan lean when he is able to be formally offered.

I’m guessing a lot will depend on the on-the-field results for the top guys. If Michigan can get back to a bowl game, and show that Hoke is bringing the Wolverines back, they should be able to get the top quarterbacks again. Their history speaks for itself. Brady, Henne, Greise, Todd Collins…. Those are just some of the more recent examples.

If I had to guess, I would say either Mauk or Appleby join the class or 2012, and Morris is the first commitment in the 2013 class. Either way, the future is pretty bright.

(I also want to applaud myself for resisting the urge to call this “Assume the Position: Quarterback” since every blogger who has done a piece like this uses that title)

Playing catch-up

2011-04-23T12:28:00.000-04:00

There have been some smaller U of M related items the past couple of days that I figured I would cover at one time.

First, the bad news....

Point Guard Darius Morris has officially declared for the NBA Draft, but has not hired an agent. College underclassmen have until May 8th to withdraw their names provided they haven't hired an agent. This is a fairly common move for players who break out like Morris did. I would be surprised if he didn't return to Michigan, but it only takes one team to "guarantee" to take him in the first round. More to come as this develops...

On the football side, CB Cullen Christian has decided to transfer. He was a highly regarded recruit, but got passed on the depth chart by everyone who could spell "cornerback" last year. This is case 23,187,069 why recruiting is an inexact science. It helps open a scholarship, but will hurt the APR.

As expected, Zeke Pike ~~took the money~~ gave his verbal commitment to Auburn. He was a strong Michigan lean until he visited Auburn. He said "It was a God thing, I can't explain it" after committing. I'm sure Cecil Newton could explain it. Enjoy your vacated wins, Zeke. This leaves the big targets at QB as Gunner Kiel and Maty Mauk. There are a few "fallback option" guys as well. I may devote a whole post to this this week.

On to better news. As I mentioned , Michigan received two commitments yesterday. I wondered how they would affect Ron Thompson, but it looks like Funchess can play WR and Williams will be playing OT, so Thompson shouldn't get squeezed out. Funchess should also help with his FHH teammates Aaron Burbridge and Mario Ojemudia. I also really like saying and typing the name Funchess.

This is a great video. It chronicles the strange path of LB Marell Evans. I remember him as a recruit, forgot about him, then heard he was back on the team this spring. I am pulling for him.

Rich Rodriguez speaks on Michigan, calling coming here "a mistake". I believe the mistake was hiring Greg Robinson and Scott Shafer. I am still a fan of RR, but he should probably speak less.

This just goes to show that there is no "off season" in major college football. Go Blue!

Michigan picks up two TEs

2011-04-22T14:02:00.000-04:00

This will be quick since I was about to walk out the door when I heard the news. Michigan received commitments from two tight ends this afternoon. I like how the commitments are coming in pairs from the same position.

Devin Funchess is the #6 TE in the country and is from Farmington Hills Harrison. This is a school that always produces Division I talent. I would venture to guess that he will be primarily a pass catcher at 6'4'' 205. Funchess also held offers from Nebraska, Virginia, Illinois, and Michigan State.

A.J. Williams will be the blocking TE of the two. He is 6'6'' 260 lbs. He is from Cincinnati and picked the Wolverines over Illinois, Arkansas, West Virginia, and Michigan State.

I again apologize for the brevity, but this news came fast and furious. Michigan now has 6 known commitments. 2OL, 2LB, and 2 TE. The difference between the Hoke regime and the RR regime is already showing.

Go Blue.

Zeke Pike to Announce Today

2011-04-20T10:22:00.001-04:00

Today could be a huge day for the Michigan Football team. How huge? Around 6’5’’ and 235lbs. worth. Kentucky QB Zeke Pike will be making his college decision at 2:30pm today at his high school. Pike is the #2 QB in the nation according to Scout, and will be a 5 star to every recruiting service. He would be the highest rated QB to commit to Michigan since Ryan Mallett. But things aren’t looking that great for the Wolverines.

Pike has been one of the more vocal members of the 2012 class. He has stated his intentions of forming a “super class” with guys like WR Dorial Green-Beckham and RB Keith Marshall. He has said positive things about Michigan whenever he’s been asked, and has Michigan in his final 3. But he visited Auburn Saturday. And we all know how much they love their Quarterbacks down there, so we’ll see.

His final 3 consists of Auburn, Michigan, and Purdue. So yeah…

On a brighter note, Michigan picked up their 5^th commitment over the weekend. We just don’t know who. The player silently committed to the coaches, and won’t be making it public for a few weeks. The hints have narrowed it down to an in-state, non-linebacker, defensive player. So it leaves guys like DL Matt Godin, DE Mario Ojemudia, and CB Terry Richardson as the most likely candidates. Or the hints could be wrong/false and it could be anyone.

So tune in here after 2:30 for an extremely upbeat “Zeke Pike commits to Michigan post” or a quick update to this post cursing Auburn’s name. And if it somehow ends up being Purdue, I hope you enjoyed my time here as much as I have. I'm not sure I could go on.

Go Blue. Pike would be a huge catch. (Yep, I made a pun)

EDIT-As expected, Pike chose Auburn.

Royce Jenkins-Stone commits to Michigan

2011-04-17T11:58:00.000-04:00

The Wolverines got another huge pick-up Saturday, when Detroit Cass Tech LB Royce Jenkins-Stone gave his pledge to Brady Hoke. Despite Cass Tech being a Michigan recruiting pipeline, there was doubt that RJS would be Blue. Cass Tech has sent many players to U of M, but none with the offers of Stone. He chose Michigan over the likes of Alabama, Florida, Miami (FL), Michigan State, and Oklahoma. He is listed as the #7 OLB prospect according to Scout. He will team with Kaleb Ringer and probably one of either James Ross or Joe Bolden to give Michigan a superb LB class. He is also thought to be somewhat of a package deal with Cass Tech CB Terry Richardson. Richardson is the #8 CB with offers from Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, and USC.

It’s always great to get top in-state players, and RJS is among the best. Let’s hope the ball keeps rolling. It’s a great year in-state, but there won’t be many scholarships to give. This could end up being a high quality, low volume class.

Congrats Royce, and Go Blue!

Kaleb Ringer commits to Michigan

2011-04-13T13:46:00.000-04:00

Michigan will gain its 3^rd football commitment, Kaleb Ringer, “officially” on Friday around 6:00 PM. I say officially because he told the Dayton Daily News early, and they stole his thunder and leaked the story. Not to get on my blogger soapbox, but this is why people get their news from the internet. Anywho….

Kaleb Ringer is a LB from Northmont High School in Clayton, OH. As I mentioned previously, his name should be familiar. He is either the cousin or nephew of former Spartan and current Tennessee Titan RB Javon Ringer. There are conflicting reports on his exact relationship, but it matters not.

What does matter is that Ringer is a good player at a premium defensive position. He is listed as the #8 middle linebacker prospect in the country according to Scout. Rivals hasn’t gotten around to scouting him yet, but I would imagine he will be in the high 3 star to low 4 star range. He also held offers from Illinois, Indiana, Syracuse, and West Virginia.

This Saturday is also Michigan’s Spring Game. TomVH at MGoBlog has a comprehensive list of attendees. These events usually bring at least one commitment (which would have been Ringer) but could bring more this year.

Without any inside info, I wouldn’t be shocked if Michigan picked up another commitment in the next few days. Some players to keep an eye on are:

Joe Bolden-Linebacker from Cincinnati

Ron Thompson-Tight End from Michigan

Zeke Pike- Quarterback from Kentucky

This could be an exciting weekend, recruiting wise. Congrats Kaleb, and Go Blue.

(I know it seems weird to bash the Dayton paper for leaking the story before Friday, then posting this, but other sources are citing it now, and I already had most of this written)

Good Luck Michigan Hockey

2011-04-09T18:03:00.000-04:00

The university of Michigan is looking to win it's first National Championship in Hockey since 1998. Go Blue!!

Check out the AnnArbor.com article by clicking here

"For Sale" sign is gone!

2011-04-09T11:38:00.001-04:00

The "For Sale" sign is finally gone and the Pistons can finally move on and get back to winning. The organization has fallen apart since the decision to sell the team started and now we finally have an owner.

Read the whole story reported by the Free Press.... click here

Pistons' sale timeline

March 13, 2009: William Davidson dies at age 86 and, in his 19-page will signed a week before his death, appoints widow Karen Davidson as one of three beneficiaries. Media reports about the will later reveal details about the Davidson family's plans for the franchise. Before Davidson's death, while his health is failing for most of 2009 and the franchise is valued at about $430 million, he says repeatedly that he will not sell the team and wants it kept in the family after he dies.

Jan 20, 2010: Karen Davidson confirms in a one-sentence statement that the Pistons are for sale. News comes a day after The Detroit News quoted ex-minority owner Oscar Feldman as saying a potential Pistons sale was the "word around town."

Feb. 17, 2010: After 32 years in the organization, Pistons CEO and president Tom Wilson resigns and joins Ilitch Holdings a week later as CEO and president of the new Ilitch Sports and Entertainment. He's considered the point man for a possible new downtown Detroit sports arena the Pistons and Red Wings could share if Ilitch buys the NBA team.

March 12, 2010: Detroit mayor Dave Bing, a former Pistons player, tells reporters he hopes the Pistons' new owner moves the team downtown. Bing's interest in a Pistons move to Detroit prompts Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson to wage a fight to keep the team at The Palace in Auburn Hills.
April 13, 2010: Karen Davidson hires Citigroup to assess the franchise's value. Several experts say the team could be worth between $300-350 million.

July 16, 2010: Pistons and NBA officials deny a Las Vegas Sun report that claims the franchise could move to Sin City. The Sun story quotes Chris Milam, CEO of International Development Management LLC, as saying an unnamed team is "under contract" to relocate if "other pieces of the puzzle fall into place."

Aug. 9, 2010: Mike Ilitch and his family make it clear in a conference call that they will pursue buying the Pistons. "Detroit is our home," Ilitch said in a statement read by his son, Chris Ilitch. "When I read in the paper there was the chance that this great sports town could lose one of its professional sports franchises, I just didn't see how we could let that happen." Chris Ilitch said the family remains committed to a new downtown Detroit arena for the Red Wings, regardless of whether the family purchases the Pistons.

Aug. 13, 2010: Former NBA star and Michigan State legend Magic Johnson, a Lansing native, confirms in an interview with NBA.com he's been contacted by prospective Pistons owners about his interest in the franchise, and hints he is willing to explore the opportunity. "If Mike Ilitch or somebody — you've got a good guy back there already in Joe Dumars … if somebody said, 'Hey can you come and think about helping Joe Dumars?' then I would think about it," Johnson said.

Sept. 23, 2010: Karen Davidson, at a team charity event, said the sale is "progressing very well," and expects it to be finalized by the start of the regular season.

Oct. 6, 2010: The Detroit News reports Mike Ilitch is the frontrunner to purchase the Pistons and made a bid in excess of $400 million. Ilitch and his family decline comment. Businessmen George Postolos and Tom Gores, also believed to be bidders, decline to disclose their interest in the franchise.

Oct. 21, 2010: NBA commissioner David Stern, attending an NBA Board of Governor's meeting, tells ESPN.com he expects the sale to be finalized in November. "It's not as fast a track as Golden State (another pending sale)," Stern said. "But we're looking for something definitive to happen in the month of November."

Oct. 22, 2010: Johnson tells the Los Angeles Times he will talk to Mike Ilitch about a possible purchase of the Pistons, after speculation that the NBA Hall of Famer is involved in the sale. Johnson adds he will look at "every opportunity" to be a majority owner of a sports team.

Oct. 29, 2010: Karen Davidson tells reporters before a Pistons home game she will have no public comment about the pending sale when it's finalized. "I'm going to hand over the keys and walk away," she said.

Nov. 8, 2010: Mike Ilitch tells Yahoo! Sports he's "close — real close" to finalizing a deal to purchase the Pistons. Ilitch, attending a Hockey Hall of Fame ceremony in Toronto, also tells the website his company, Ilitch Holdings Inc., wants to build a stadium in Detroit that houses the Red Wings and Pistons.

Nov. 13, 2010: After failing to reach a deal during a 30-day exclusivity period, Karen Davidson reopens the bidding process, contacting other possible suitors, including Gores.

Dec. 16, 2010: A Forbes.com report asserts Mike Ilitch has reduced his bid to buy the Pistons from more than $400 million to $360 million.

Jan. 7, 2011: The Detroit News reports Gores has solidified his position as the frontrunner to buy the team and is granted a 30-day exclusive negotiating window.

Jan. 27, 2011: A Forbes magazine report said the worth of the Pistons has dropped from $475 million to $360 million in one year.

Feb. 9, 2011: Gores sits with Davidson in her Palace suite, fueling speculation a deal might be near.

Feb. 11, 2011: Despite incorrect reports that Gores had agreed to buy the team, Pistons officials announce that they have extended exclusive negotiations with Gores for two more weeks.

Feb. 26, 2011: The period of exclusivity has ended with Gores, but the sides continue to negotiate.

April, 8, 2011: Gores' firm, Platinum Equity, announces it has a "definitive agreement" to buy the Pistons.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110409/SPORTS0102/104090349/Pistons--sale-timeline#ixzz1J2bkoMDZ

Tigers show promise but lose 2 of 3 to New York

2011-04-04T23:22:00.001-04:00

The first game of the season is always full of emotion when your favorite team is involved. When the Tigers kicked off the 2011 season last Thursday I was filled with the anxiety of an off-season’s worth of anticipation and expectations as well as the grief off being stuck in a meeting from exactly 1pm until 4pm. Looking back on the opening series it’s easy to get caught up in a 1-2 start. Thankfully I’m blessed with the wherewithal to understand that we have 159 games left before the regular season is over. With that said, I think we all have our concerns.

Verlander looked ok through six but let his pitch count get away from him early. I think it’s going to be a tragic story when he blows his shoulder out after one 100+ pitch game too many. Thursday’s problem was the Tiger’s .19

4 batting average. The front of the lineup looked weak and no one else tried to step up.

Saturday saw Penny roughed up early and New York couldn’t miss the ball if they tried, and I think they did at one point. Watching Penny get knocked around gave me that uneasy feeling like when you buy a new car then you start realizing how much you don’t really like it. I hope it works out with him but a so/so spring and a bad first start puts him in kind of a hole so far as I’m concerned.

Sunday brought us our first win and man it was great to watch. Detroit put on an offensive firework display and it was finally enough that the Yank’s couldn’t catch up and pull ahead.

So here we are after the opening series. I think it’s a small bump at the start of the road and it’s going to take some time to get it together. We are heading to Baltimore who have been hot since last July, so let’s stay calm and see where we end up at the end of the week.

Not So Bold Predictions

2011-03-31T11:04:00.001-04:00

With everyone making those bold predictions I thought I would make a couple of my own. My bold predictions I like to call the not so bold predictions because I feel they will happen and are closer to an accurate prediction than a bold one. My three not so bold predictions for 2011 are…

Detroit Tigers win division
Miguel Cabrera wins MVP
Justin Verlander wins AL Cy Young

The race for the division in the AL central is always a fun one especially when they play that 163rd game to decide the division. I believe that the added experience the Tigers battling in this division and the additions of some key components put the Tigers ahead in the end. The Tigers were held to a higher standard last year and a lot of people called for Leyland’s head. I think what a lot of people always forgot was that going into last year it was always considered a rebuilding year. This is a good thing for the Tigers to be in, heading into the next season, having a .500 season in a rebuilding year and Leyland should be praised for that. In 2010 the Tigers focused on trimming the payroll and investing in player development. This was very important for many reasons; the biggest ones we are going to see happen this year. To get Porcello and Scherzer “straightened out” and to bring up some young players like Boesch and Avila to get some major league experience was crucial to the success of 2011.

Now with the added veteran experience and leadership of Victor, Benoit and Penny we have found the young player to veteran mix that has been a key to success in the past. Leyland has a track record of doing this in the past and it has paid off. The biggest difference is that in Detroit they have the added trust of their owner backing them up. Even when Dombrowsk hold backs and does not want to spend money you have the owner going, “why don’t we go after Cabrera”. Plus Illitch is not telling Dombroski to sell half the team in those rebuilding years like he was forced to do in Florida and he publically said broke his heart. On top of this the Tigers have players that are sitting in Toledo just itching to show what they are made of if anyone struggles or gets hurt. Leyland understands the importance of the 40 man roster instead of just the active roster. For all these reasons and many more I think the Tigers will be on top in the end in the Al Central.

Now for my other two predictions, Verlander and Cabrera, I think after coming off a second place spot in the MVP ballot last year Cabrera is primed to have one of those magical seasons. I think in the end he will fall just short of being the first player to win the Triple Crown since 1967. Cabrera has his head screwed on right and he is locked in and ready to go. With the added protection of Martinez protecting him in the 5 spot and Ordonez healthy in the 3 spot he might also lead the league in walks while being in a lot of situations where you cannot pitch around him.

Verlander is going to remind us why he is the Ace and he has a chance to show that in the MLB Opening day. The Tigers have the rare chance of being the very first Major League game in 2011 and this makes this CC versus Justin matchup even more special with you think that they could be pitching against each other at least two times in the postseason this year. Verlander could be the Tigers first 20 Game winner since Bill Gullickson back in 1991 on a staff that he leads by example on that could have 14 wins for each starter. In the end I see Justin Verlander overcoming his April struggles and winning the Al Cy Young award.

It is going to be one of those awesome Baseball Seasons in Detroit that I know all of us are looking forward to and will be able to remember for years!! Go Tigers!!

-Michigan Sports Guy

Do not forget to go to the Fan page and vote for who you think will win the Al Central Click Here

Michigan Update 3/27/11

2011-03-27T17:05:00.000-04:00

It has been a rapid-fire couple of days for Michigan fans. And for the first time in a while, it was all good news.

Men’s Hockey

The Men’s hockey team advanced to the Frozen Four by dominating Colorado College 2-1 last night. I know 2-1 sounds like a close game, but this one wasn’t. CC scored a late goal on a long scramble, but other than that weren’t competitive. The Wolverines outshot CC 43-21. They will play the winner of Denver/North Dakota on Thursday, April 7^th in St. Paul, MN.

Men’s Basketball

Despite having their season ended by Duke last Sunday, the team has added two new players since Friday. 2011 PF Max Bielfeldt committed on Friday, joining Carlton Brundidge and Trey Burke to give Michigan a great incoming class. Then the 2012 class got a boost when SG Nick Stauskas gave his pledge to Coach Beilein. On top of his talents, Stauskas attends St. Mark’s Prep, a very good basketball school in Boston.

Football

Just when people were getting worried about the lack of commitments for the 2012 class, Coach Hoke secured 2 players this weekend. One is a big OL, and the other is a big OL. Gone are the days of getting a bunch of 5’9’’ WRs. OT Ben Braden is from state powerhouse Rockford. I will point you to scouting report type things here and here. The next commitment came yesterday, and was somewhat of a surprise since he was on a visit to WVU. OG Caleb Stacey is from Cincinnati, and is big. More info at TTB and MGoBlog. You will notice I use those two sites quite often. I just know they are competent at scouting these guys, and follow recruiting much closer than I.

Not too shabby for late March. There are glowing reports coming from recruits visiting for Michigan’s first Junior Day. So commitments can happen at any time. Guys to keep an eye on are former Spartan RB Javon Ringer’s cousin, Kaleb Ringer and Detroit Catholic Central DL Matt Godin.

That’s about it for now, I will do my best to post these updates more regularly. Go Blue.

Michigan-Duke Preview

2011-03-20T13:52:00.000-04:00

I want to start off by apologizing for the brevity of this preview. I spent all my time scouting Hampton, and was left a little unprepared when Duke came out victorious. If you believe that, contact me at semichigansports@gmail.com, I have some ocean-front property in Kansas to sell you. The truth is, Duke is probably the best team in the tournament right now. And they just got Kyrie Irving back from injury. And they have tournament experience. And Mike Kryafdkbsdfkuhgski is looking for his 900^th career victory. And…… You get the point.

Frontcourt

The Blue Devils have 3 sure fire NBA prospects in the frontcourt, and a 4^th (Ryan Kelly) who could be a star with more playing time. They are led by senior Kyle Singler, a 6’8’’ 230 pounder from Oregon. He has been a star since his freshman year, and can score from anywhere. Ryan Kelly is 6’10’’ and could probably stand to gain some weight. He averaged 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds a game this year as a sophomore.

There is a town in Indiana called Warsaw. In this town there is a family. In this family there are parents. These parents, whom I have never met, have two traits. They are tall, and they are infatuated with giving their kids names starting with the letter “M”. Miles and Mason Plumlee are both 6’10’’ 230ish. They are skilled athletes and decent shooters for their size. Miles is a junior and Mason is a sophomore. Mason is the more skilled of the two, but both are probably first rounders. I mean if Kosta Koufous and Cole Aldrich can be drafted that early, the Plumlees should go #1 and 2. By now you’re probably asking yourself “Self? What will happen if Miles and Mason declare for the NBA draft? Who will fill the Plumlee void?” Have no fear dear readers; there is another Plumlee on the way. 6’11’’ high school senior Marshall Plumlee is committed to Duke. This may be reason enough to keep Mason and Miles around for one more year.

Josh Hairston and Todd Zafirovski are also forwards. If either of them gets into the game, something has either gone horribly, horribly wrong or horribly, horribly right.

Backcourt

Much like Duke’s big men, the guards are either NBA caliber or waiting their turn. Nolan Smith was the ACC player of the year after averaging 20.9 ppg. Kyrie Irving will be selected in the Lottery whenever he decides to leave for the NBA. Seth Curry isn’t quite the shooter his brother Stephen is, but he is still capable of taking over a game. Throw in sophomore Andre Dawkins and you realize that their backups would start for 98% of the teams in the NCAA, and lead them to the Sweet 16. The worst part is that next season their most talented player will be Austin Rivers. This isn’t so much a backcourt as it is an embarrassment of riches.

Coaching

Mike Krzyzewski will likely become the second coach in NCAA history to reach 900 career wins. He is currently 899-283. Aside from John Wooden, he is probably the best coach in NCAA history. He is one of a handful of coaches that can singlehandedly win a game for his team. I am a Beilein fan, but we are severely outmanned in this department.

Overview

So, I have two options. I can pick Duke and probably be right. Deep down, I think they will win. Most analysts think they will win. On paper they will win. If they played this game 100 times, I would venture to guess that Duke wins 90 of them.

Or I can risk looking like a homer and pick Michigan. I want them to win. I can see a few scenarios where Michigan can win. I love pulling for underdogs, and there is no more under a dog than Michigan right now. Plus I can’t stand Duke. I won’t touch on the Jalen Rose-Grant Hill situation, but as a kid from Romulus in 1992 and 1993, I learned to hate Duke. I loved the Fab 5, so Duke became the enemy. I hated Bobby Hurley. I hated Christian Laettner. I hated Thomas Hill. I especially hated Grant Hill. Then Hill was drafted by the Pistons, and I loved him. Like most kids my allegiances were based on who my favorite team was at the time.

So where does that leave me? I picked Duke to win it all in brackets. That’s what makes this so awkward. My favorite team is playing with house money right now. I never expected them to make the tournament this year, let alone make the second round. (Quick aside, I refuse to call these games the third round. Just because you add 4 teams to the play-in round doesn’t mean you can change everything else. If a team has only played one game to date, how can they be in the third round? And while I’m at it, I also refuse to call football teams FBS or FCS. It’s Division I and I-AA. Thank you for your time.)

I could also pull the old “Call for an upset and call myself a genius if I’m right, but make excuses if I’m wrong” card. I love when the TV guys do that. They go 8-8 on the day, but won’t shut up about picking one upset.

As tempting as this option is, I think I’ll pass.

In the end, I have to go with who I think will win this game. For the 7^th straight game, they are the less talented team. (Sorry Iowa) Duke has a roster filled with future millionaires, while Michigan’s is filled with future lawyers. I know talent doesn’t always equal wins (See: Butler) but there is just so much of it to compete with. Darius Morris and Tim Hardaway Jr. can hang with any backcourt in the country. I firmly believe that, and will argue that point until I’m blue in the face. But once again, the lack of depth in the frontcourt will probably be the difference. Jordan Morgan plays with so much energy that he picks up 1-2 unnecessary fouls a game. When he’s out, Evan Smotrycz becomes the center. He is going to be a great player, but he’s ill-equipped to handle a Plumlee. Blake McLimans isn’t much of a factor when he plays, so that leaves….Jon Horford?

I want to pick Michigan. The reason this overview section is so long is because I am trying to talk myself into picking them. I am having visions of this perfect scenario where Novak, Vogrich, Smotrycz, and Hardaway are all hitting their threes. And Morris drives to the lane on 12 straight possessions and draws 3 fouls a piece on Plumlee, Plumlee, Singler, and Kelly. And Nolan Smith and Kyrie Irving keep turning the ball over and running into each other as Yakety-Sax inexplicably plays in the background. And after Michigan wins by 75 points, Coach K tells us the real pronunciation of his last name. Sorry, where was I?

Final Score

Duke-82

Michigan-70

Michigan Beats Tennessee 75-45

2011-03-18T17:59:00.001-04:00

Wow. This win sets up a date with Duke on Sunday at 2:45. Michigan rode a dominant second half to a blowout victory. I seriously doubt Bruce Pearl is back after this game, and Scotty Hopson didn't exactly play his way into the draft lottery with a 1/5 shooting performance and 4 points. Tobias Harris was the only one who showed up for the Vols, scoring 19 in the first half and finishing with 19 points. What a way to start the weekend.

Michigan-Tennessee Preview

2011-03-18T10:11:00.000-04:00

The time has finally arrived. Granted, it’s a year earlier than I would have thought, but the Wolverines will take on Tennessee at 12:40 on truTV. The Volunteers are another team that has to be considered an overachiever this season. Tennessee are at 19-14 (8-8 in the SEC) and are coming off a loss to Florida in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. The Wolverines stand at 20-13 (9-9 in the Big Ten) and lost their last game to Ohio State in the Big Ten Semi-finals. Once again, Tennessee holds a large advantage in the “talent” department.

Frontcourt

The Volunteers only have two frontcourt players of note. Freshman forward Tobias Harris is a former McDonald’s All-American who is currently second on the team in scoring and second in rebounds at 15.2 and 7.3 respectively. At 6’8’’ 228lbs, he presents match-up problems for Michigan. I think Novak can slow him down, but he should still get his numbers. Manning the middle for UT is 6’10’’ 272lber, senior Brian Williams. Williams leads the Vols in rebounding and scored 7 ppg. Other than those two, they deploy tall guard/forward types. You will also see forwards like Steven Pearl, John Fields, and Renaldo Woolridge. They are role players that all averaged less than 12 minutes and 3 points per game.

Backcourt

The backcourt is also pretty cut and dry. There are three players of note and a bunch of “other: guys. We will start with their best player, Scotty Hopson. The junior is the leading scorer and third leading rebounder. He has the type of game that allows him to get his shot off whenever he wants. He is a future pro, and might want to make this his last college game. Michigan can’t allow him to go crazy. He’s 6’7’’ and 210 pounds, so maybe Hardaway Jr. can stay in front of him. He was only held to single digits 3 times this season, and they went 1-2 in those games. It’s safe to say that I am high on him.

The other two guards are 6’6’’ Cameron Tatum and 5’11’’ Melvin Goins. Tatum is a streaky player who has scored as high as 21 points, and was twice held scoreless. He struggled with t=his 3-point shot this year which probably explains his streakiness. He shot 38.9% from 3 last year, but only 27.7% this year. Hopefully Douglass can keep a hand in his face. Goins is their point guard, and vocal leader. He is a senior who spent his freshman year at Ball State. He is a pass first pg, who has ranged from 0 to 19 points this season. His job is to get the ball to Hopson and Harris, don’t turn the ball over, and hit open jumpers when teams double Hopson and Harris.

Other guards are former walk-ons Josh Bone and Skylar McBee and freshmen Trae Golden and Jordan McRae. Again, there is depth, but there is clearly a line between Hopson, Tatum, and Goins, and the rest.

Coaching

Along with Hopson (and possibly Harris) Vols head coach Bruce Pearl could be making his final appearance for UT. He has already been suspended for 8 games this season, and could be facing more trouble once their season has concluded. Legal issues aside, Pearl is a talented coach. He is no stranger to deep tournament runs, and guided Tennessee to a 9 seed this year after losing 3 starters. The question becomes whether the spotlight is on Pearl’s wrong-doings, or his team.

Overview

Tennessee is a team that relies heavily on their starting 5. They all average at least 7 points a game. No one else averages more than 3.3. If Hardaway and Morris can get to the rim and draw fouls, their depth can become a concern. They have capable players, but no bench players that scare you. Not allowing Hopson to score 30 will be another key. Doubling him and forcing Goins to hit open shots is probably the best way to attack them. I’m sure 33 other coaches had this game plan, and he still scored 17 and a half a game.

Prediction

Almost every prognosticator I have seen has picked Tennessee. After doing a little research, I’m not sure why. They are talented to be sure, but if one or two players get into early foul trouble, what do they have. I’m wary about picking Michigan, since I didn’t expect them to be here this season and I’m still not sure how they got awarded an 8 seed. If Michigan can hit its threes, this game won’t be close. I will predict a close game, with Hopson keeping the Vols in it. I have Duke winning it all anyway, so whoever wins will be One and Done.

Final Score

Michigan-58

Tennessee-55

Michigan-Ohio State Preview

2011-03-12T10:16:00.000-05:00

This side of the Big Ten Tournament bracket is unfolding the way most felt it would. Michigan rallied from a 12 point deficit to beat Illinois 60-55. The number one ranked team in the country, Ohio State, squeaked by Northwestern 67-61 in OT. The Buckeyes and Wolverines will meet for the third time this season this afternoon, playing for a birth in the Big Ten Tournament Final. The winner will advance to take on the winner of Michigan State/Penn State.

Overview

Ohio State is talented. They didn’t get the number one national ranking by accident. They probably have the best mix of depth/talent/balance in the country. Not many teams have at least 5 players that can single-handedly take over a game. The Buckeyes have at LEAST five. Sullinger, Buford, Diebler, Lighty, and Craft have all done it at times this season. Add in Deshaun Thomas and Dallas Lauderdale, and you have a championship contender.

Backcourt

Ohio State boasts one of the best backcourts in the country, and they go 4 deep. Aaron Craft was a top 100 recruit that came in and solidified the point guard position for OSU. His play allows William Buford to play off the ball to drive the lane and Jon Diebler to shoot threes. Diebler attempted 191 three pointers this season and shot an incredible 50%. He is probably the best pure shooter in college at this point, and is the Big Ten’s all-time leading 3-point shooter. Then you can add in G/F David Lighty. Lighty came in with the Greg Oden/Mike Conley class of ’06 that made the NCAA Final in 2007. He is their emotional leader, and brings a ton of experience.

Frontcourt

Jared Sullinger. Get used to hearing this name. Sullinger was named the Big Ten freshman of the year after averaging 17.4 points and 10 rebounds a game. He went 2-12 from the floor yesterday, and still managed 20 points. He will probably have his way in the paint against Jordan Morgan and Evan Smotrycz. If they try to go big, expect to see a lot of Dallas Lauderdale’s receding hairline. Lauderdale is a senior whose minutes and production dropped with Sullinger’s arrival. David Lighty should probably be listed here, since he will most likely use his size advantage to post up Novak. Deshaun Thomas is another freshman and former top 20 recruit. He would star on most teams, but has taken a backseat to Sullinger, Buford, Diebler, and Lighty.

Coaching

Thad Matta is another of the best coaches in the country. He led OSU to 30 wins this season after losing Evan Turner early to the NBA. Speaking of the NBA, has any school in the country sent so many players to the NBA that have flamed out? Let’s take a look. I will start with the vaunted 2007 class.

2007-Greg Oden (1^st overall)-BUST

2007-Mike Conley Jr. (4^th overall)-BUST

2007-Daequan Cook (21^st overall)-BUST

2008-Kosta Koufos-(23^rd overall)-BUST

2009-BJ Mullens-(24^th overall)-BUST

2010-Evan Turner-(2^nd overall)-BUST

Yikes. I know they are all still young, but which of those guys do you look at and say “Wow, I wish he was on (insert your favorite team here)?” None I can see, except maybe Conley. But Matta is still a heck of a coach, and knows how to win close games.

Prediction

Before yesterday, I would have been extremely torn on my prediction. Ohio State is extremely talented, but seem to be on cruise control, playing in close games when they are expected to blow teams out of the water. Michigan on the other hand, is young and not very deep. But they keep finding ways to win games they seem to have no business winning. Yesterday did nothing to change that. Ohio State wins every head to head matchup except point guard. They have experienced players and a battle tested coach. Everything on paper says OSU in a blowout. I don’t see it as that cut and dry. I think OSU wins, but it’s much tighter than it should be. I would love to be wrong on this one.

Final Score

Ohio State-71

Michigan-65

Michigan-Illinois Preview

2011-03-10T15:01:00.000-05:00

If you would have told me Michigan would be seeded 4^th in the Big Ten Tournament before the season started, I would have asked you “In which sport?” If you said “Basketball” I would have laughed in your face. After losing Manny Harris, DeShawn Sims, and Laval Lucas-Perry from a team that finished 15-17, most people had the Wolverines penciled in anywhere from 8^th(the optimists) to 11^th(the pessimists). I would have said 10^th, ahead of only Iowa. I would have been wrong. Very, very, wrong. A few facts about Michigan coming into the season:

Michigan’s leading returning scorer was Zack Novak. A generously listed 6’5’’ power forward. He averaged 7.4 ppg last year. No other team in the Big Ten returned less than 2 players who averaged more than 8 ppg.
Novak was also the tallest returning player. (Morgan and McLimans were on campus, but both redshirted)
Michigan only brought in one Top 100 recruit. Evan Smotrycz was ranked 98^th by Scout and 59^th by Rivals. Tim Hardaway Jr. flirted with Top 100 all year.
Darius Morris averaged 4.4 ppg and 2.6 assists per game. This year? 15.1 and 6.8 respectively.
The Wolverines returned 0 seniors.

So obviously being 19-12 overall and 9-9 in the Big Ten is surprising. Being firmly in the NCAA Tournament before the Big Ten Tournament starts is flabbergasting. So before Michigan plays Illinois, I will put together a little preview on the Illini, who beat Michigan in Champaign 54-52 in February.

Backcourt

Illinois is led by senior guard Demetri McCamey. McCamey was 3rd team All-Big Ten by both the media and coaches. He led Illinois in scoring, averaging 15.0 ppg. He also finished second in the Big Ten (and 9^th in the country) in assists with 6.1 apg. He will give Michigan fits, and scored 18 in the last meeting.

The other guards are all highly-touted, basically interchangeable guys. DJ Richardson (29 starts) and Brandon Paul (8 starts) are both sophomores capable of scoring in double figures on any given night. Crandall Head and Joseph Bertrand are freshmen who provide depth.

Frontcourt

This is the area that concerns me the most. Illinois has size, and lots of it. They have 5 players that stand 6’9’’ or taller. All five are talented. Then you throw in 6’8’’ McDonald’s All-American Jereme Richmond, and they create match-up nightmares all over the court.

Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale are the leaders up front. Davis plays power forward and averaged 12.2 ppg and 7.1 rebounds. He is extremely athletic, and worries me. A lot. Mike Tisdale is the biggest player on the roster at 7’1” and 250ish pounds. He was the 3^rd leading scorer and 2^nd leading rebounder. Other contributors include Bill Cole, sophomore Tyler Griffey, and true-freshmen Meyers Leonard and the aforementioned Richmond. The only bright spot is that Davis, Tisdale, and Cole are all seniors. They won’t be around next year to cast their shadows over the Big Ten anymore.

Coaching

Bruce Weber is one of the premier coaches in the Big Ten, if not the country. Or at least he used to be. He won Big Ten titles in 2004 and 2005, and reached the National Title Game in ’05. He hasn’t reached the Sweet 16 since. This team has to be considered a disappointment with the senior leadership and young talent. But he has another highly regarded recruiting class coming in next fall, so he should be around for a while.

Prediction

Michigan is one of the hottest teams in the country at the moment. They have won 8 of their last 11 games after losing 6 straight. When you look up “streaky” in the dictionary, you will see a picture of this team. They played teams like Kansas tough, played Syracuse to the wire, and swept Michigan State. They also lost to teams like UTEP, Indiana, and Northwestern. I would give the momentum edge to Michigan.

Postseason experience, however, is strongly in Illinois’ favor. Michigan has 2 players that have played in any postseason tournament. They are Stu Douglass and Novak. They were freshmen starters in ’09 when the Wolverines beat Clemson before falling victim to Blake Griffin. Illinois made the big dance in ’09 and the NIT last year. Add to that the four seniors, and it could spell trouble for Michigan.

These 4/5 matchups are supposed to be the toughest to predict. This game is living up to that. Everything is telling me to say Illinois wins. They have height, depth, experience, and talent. Michigan is undersized, young, and unpredictable. It’s almost a moot point, since the winner will play the survivor of OSU/Northwestern/and Minnesota. OSU is probably the best team in the country, so Michigan or Illinois will probably be one and done anyway. With all that in mind, I will trust ESPN.com writer Pat Forde and say Michigan wins.

Final Score

Michigan 68

Illinois 61

Small-town pitcher Duane Below making an impression on Tigers

2011-03-01T14:27:00.001-05:00

This following article is from Mlive.com, written by Steve Kornacki and can be found by clicking here

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- There is a pitcher nobody was talking about when spring training began who has been turning heads with the Detroit Tigers.

“We’ve got a lot of equipment in camp,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “…But how about Duane Below? He’s pitching great.”

Below threw two shutout innings Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays and struck out Rajai Davis, a proven major league hitter, and top catching prospect J.P. Arencibia. He followed Phil Coke to the mound and faced the Jays’ regulars in the third and fourth innings, and will come in after Coke again Wednesday against the Houston Astros in Lakeland.

“I was a little excited,” Below, 25, said. “I just wanted to get outs and slow myself down, keep the right tempo. To get that first one out of the way was good. They’re major league hitters -- the first I’ve ever faced -- but I just wanted to throw them strikes, put the ball in play and get outs. We have an amazing defense.”

Below could become one of those defying-the-odds stories baseball tends to produce. He attended tiny Lake Michigan College and was born, raised and resides in Britton -- population 699. The Lenawee County town is located 20 miles southwest of Ann Arbor.

“We’re real small for sure,” Below said. “The people back home are all pretty excited for me and enjoy coming up and talking to me about the Tigers. Since I’m in camp, some people think I am going to be with the Tigers. I tell them, ‘No,’ I tell them I might be in Erie and might be in Toledo.”

Below, a 19th-round pick in 2006, is rated the No. 15 prospect in the organization by Baseball America. The left-hander was 7-12 with a 4.93 ERA last year at Double-A Erie, and struck out 103 with 37 walks in 126 innings. He was Detroit’s minor league pitcher of the year with West Michigan in 2007, going 13-5 with a 2.97 ERA.

He is a power pitcher who led the Midwest League with 160 strikeouts in 2007 and topped the Florida State League with 126 strikeouts in 2008 before missing much of 2009 with a sprained left elbow.

Below got defending American League home run champion Jose Bautista to fly out in his first outing.
“I got away with a high changeup that Bautista hit foul,” said Below. “I was just thinking, ‘Don’t give him anything to hit out. Stay down in the zone.’ I learned from that.”

Go Duane!!

Tigers Spring Training

2011-02-26T19:33:00.001-05:00

The Tigers combined to allow only 5 hits against the Blue Jays today.

Things are rough in Detroit

2011-02-25T22:55:00.000-05:00

To top things off John Kuester got kicked out of the game tonight after half his team did not show up to practice and Tracy McGrady was caught laughing when their coach got kicked out of the game. I hope the sale of the team goes through soon so things can get back to normal in Detroit.

Enough is Enough Joe D

2011-02-25T18:23:00.001-05:00

OK, enough is enough. Joe D, you need to pull the plug. The saga with Kuester has gotten so out of control that, I as a fan, can’t deal with it anymore.

They never seemed to respect him just like they never respected Michael Curry. The season, which is now a total loss, has been a downward spiral since December. I understand that the franchise itself is in turmoil. I understand that, there isn’t really an owner per say. I get that it’s hard to make moves because no top name player wants to come to a franchise in such turmoil and Kuester has no power. The latest saga, top players have skipped practice in protest. Today, only Greg Monroe, Will Bynum, Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, Jason Maxiell and DaJuan Summers were full participants in the morning shoot around, per the Free Press. This team is no where near as talented as the top teams we had in the early to mid 2000’s, but it is not without talent. T-Mac may be over the hill, but he hasn’t played awful. We are still sitting Rip, for what appears to be a coach, fed up with players antics. Despite the fact that, that player has seemingly done nothing wrong, except for voice his displeasure over a coach who hasn’t really even done anything. I beg you Joe D, the fans of Detroit deserve better than this and Kuester needs to go. If this isn’t remedied, then you may need to go too. The Championship glow from 4 years ago has expired. The seat is getting warm Joe!

Bobby Garrott

"My impression is that he has very good stuff,"

2011-02-24T16:10:00.000-05:00

When Jim Layland was asked what he thinks of Duane Below he said "My impression is that he has very good stuff," Leyland said. "His equipment is tremendous."

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110223/sports0104/102230409/Tigers’-Clete-Thomas-A-OK-after-tedious-rehab-with-CPM#ixzz1EuebQKub

Below moving up

He'll be the second Tigers pitcher to see action, following Phil Coke to the mound on Saturday against the Blue Jays.
And for that reason, Duane Below of Britton, Mich., probably will get more attention than he would if he were the fourth pitcher in the fourth game.
The Tigers like Below, but he has not been "bumped up" because of an improving chance to make the team, if that's what you are thinking.
He's a lefty, which the Tigers might need one more of in their bullpen, but he's a starting pitcher (last year at Double-A Erie).

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110223/sports0104/102230409/Tigers’-Clete-Thomas-A-OK-after-tedious-rehab-with-CPM#ixzz1EufJi8W9

Detroit Tigers Spring Training 2011

2011-02-18T20:10:00.000-05:00

Go #64!!

An early start on 2012 Recruiting

2011-02-15T11:38:00.001-05:00

With the class of 2011 officially signed, it’s time to move on to 2012. I will start by highlighting some of the top in-state players who have already been mentioning Michigan. Along with the local guys, I will add a few players who have heavy Michigan interest, or who are teammates with a current Michigan player/signee. This should serve as a base I can add onto as more and more information emerges about potential targets. I will keep working on it, and add to it as necessary. Recruits are in random order for now. The players will be placed into position groups as it grows.

Name	Position	School	City, State
Stefon Diggs	WR	Good Counsel	Olney, MD
Terry Richardson	CB	Cass Tech	Detroit, MI
James Ross	LB	St. Mary's	Orchard Lake, MI
Dan O'Brien	DT	Powers Catholic	Flint, MI
Royce Jenkins-Stone	OLB	Cass Tech	Detroit, MI
Drake Johnson	RB/ATH	Pioneer	Ann Arbor, MI
Jordan Diamond	OT	Simeon	Chicago, MI
Ron Thompson	TE	East Detroit	Eastpointe, MI
Chris Wormley	DE	Whitmer	Toledo, OH

Stefon Diggs-Diggs figures to be one of the top WR recruits in the country for this class. He has good size and great speed. He’s listed here due to his teammate, 2011 Michigan signee, Blake Countess. He would be quite a coup for Hoke and Co.

Terry Richardson-Richardson is the latest in a long line of undersized corners from Cass Tech HS in Detroit. He follows Boubacar Cissoko, Teric Jones, Thomas Gordon, and Delonte Hollowell to get an early Michigan offer. Richardson is probably the most talented of the Cass Tech DBs, and isn’t the lock Hollowell was. Early offers from Alabama, LSU, USC, and Ohio State should tell you all you need to know. Luckily Michigan has quite a pipeline to CT, and their head coach is former Michigan player, Thomas Wilcher.

James Ross-Ross is an OLB from powerhouse OLSM. Another extremely talented kid from in-state at a position of need, Ross is extremely important to this class. He has an offer already, and could help with other recruits from Michigan.

Danny O'Brien-Another talented, in-state kid at a position of need (are you sensing a trend?) who is basically down to Michigan and Tennessee at this point. With Mike Martin graduating, William Campbell moving to OL, and missing out on Darian Cooper in 2011, DT is probably the biggest recruiting need.

Royce Jenkins-Stone-RJS is another Cass Tech Technician. Along with the above mentioned DBs, CT also produced Will Campbell to Michigan, Joseph Barksdale to LSU, Dior Mathis to Oregon, and Vernon Gholston to Ohio State. So, locking that school down is a pretty big priority. RR did a great job recently, so let’s hope Hoke-A-Mania runs wild through the halls of CT.

Drake Johnson-A local product, Johnson plays across the street from The Big House. He’s a track superstar who is sort of without a college position at the moment. He has yet to receive a Michigan offer, so this one is in wait-and-see mode.

Jordan Diamond-One of the best OL prospects in the Midwest, he is teammates and friends with 2011 OL signee Chris Bryant. He has said he wants to commit before his senior season starts, so this one could be over quickly. Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Wisconsin have also offered, so *fingers crossed*.

Ron Thompson-Thompson is a WR/TE tweener. He could make a huge WR in the red zone or a fast TE all over the field. He is coming on quickly, and is a Michigan fan. He has a good chance of being Michigan’s first commit of the 2012 class. He also went to the same high school as my cousins. I know, I know, Cool Story, Bro.

Chris Wormley-One of 429 good DE prospects from Ohio this year, Wormley is from Toledo (practically Michigan) and the same school as TE Kevin Koger. He also likes Ohio State, Florida, and Penn State. He has long been connected to Michigan, and OSU may be slow playing him in favor of other DE prospects.

Like I said, this is nowhere near an all-encompassing list. I will be working on it for a while before I post any updates. If you see any glaring omissions, feel free to e-mail me at semichigansports@gmail.com.

It is Spring Time!

2011-02-15T00:10:00.002-05:00

6 more days…

2011-02-07T13:05:00.001-05:00

Past Super Bowl Winners

2011-02-07T01:27:00.000-05:00

The Super Bowl winners of all Super Bowls ever played.

2011 Super Bowl XLV Green Bay Packers Pittsburgh Steelers 31 - 25 Fort Worth, Texas

2010 Super Bowl XLIV New Orleans Saints Indianapolis Colts 31-17 Miami Gardens, Florida

2009 Super Bowl XLIII Pittsburgh Steelers Arizona Cardinals 27-23 Tampa, Florida

2008 Super Bowl XLII New York Giants New England Patriots 17-14 Glendale, Arizona

2007 Super Bowl XLI Indianapolis Colts Chicago Bears 29-17 Miami Gardens, Florida

2006 Super Bowl XL Pittsburgh Steelers Seattle Seahawks 21-10 Detroit, MI

2005 Super Bowl XXXIX New England Patriots Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 Jacksonville, FL

2004 Super Bowl XXXVIII New England Patriots Carolina Panthers 32-29 Houston, TX

2003 Super Bowl XXXVIISuper Bowl XXXVII Tampa Bay Buccaneers Oakland Raiders 48-21 San Diego, CA

2002 Super Bowl XXXVI New England Patriots St. Louis Rams 20-17 New Orleans, LA

2001 Super Bowl XXXV Baltimore Ravens New York Giants 34-7 Tampa, FL

2000 Super Bowl XXXIV St. Louis Rams Tennessee Titans 23-16 Atlanta, GA

1999 Super Bowl XXXIII Denver Broncos Atlanta Falcons 34-19 Miami, FL

1998 Super Bowl XXXII Denver Broncos Green Bay Packers 31-24 San Diego, CA

1997 Super Bowl XXXI Green Bay Packers New England Patriots 35-21 New Orleans, LA

1996 Super Bowl XXX Dallas Cowboys Pittsburgh Steelers 27-17 Tempe, AZ

1995 Super Bowl XXIX San Francisco 49ers San Diego Chargers 49-26 Miami, FL

1994 Super Bowl XXVIII Dallas Cowboys Buffalo Bills 30-13 Atlanta, GA

1993 Super bowl XXVII Dallas Cowboys Buffalo Bills 52-17 Pasadena, CA

1992 Super Bowl XXVI Washington Redskins Buffalo Bills 37-24 Minneapolis, MN

1991 Super Bowl XXV New York Giants Buffalo Bills 20-19 Tampa, FL

1990 Super Bowl XXIV San Francisco 49ers Denver Broncos 55-10 New Orleans, LA

1989 Super Bowl XXIII San Francisco 49ers Cincinnati Bengals 20-16 Miami, FL

1988 Super Bowl XXII Washington Redskins Denver Broncos 42-10 San Diego, CA

1987 Super Bowl XXI New York Giants Denver Broncos 39-20 Pasadena, CA

1986 Super Bowl XX Chicago Bears New England Patriots 46-10 New Orleans, LA

1985 Super Bowl XIX San Francisco 49ers Miami Dolphins 38-16 Stanford, CA

1984 Super Bowl XVIII LA Raiders Washington Redskins 38-9 Tampa, FL

1983 Super Bowl XVII Washington Redskins Miami Dolphins 27-17 Pasadena, CA

1982 Super Bowl XVI San Francisco 49ers Cincinnati Bengals 26-21 Pontiac, MI

1981 Super Bowl XV Oakland Raiders Philadelphia Eagles 27-10 New Orleans, LA

1980 Super Bowl XIV Pittsburgh Steelers Los Angeles Rams 31-19 Pasadena, CA

1979 Super Bowl XIII Pittsburgh Steelers Dallas Cowboys 35-31 Miami, FL

1978 Super Bowl XII Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos 27-10 New Orleans, LA

1977 Super Bowl XI Oakland Raiders Minnesota Vikings 32-14 Pasadena, CA

1976 Super Bowl XSuper Bowl X Pittsburgh Steelers Dallas Cowboys 21-17 Miami, FL

1975 Super Bowl IX Pittsburgh Steelers Minnesota Vikings 16-6 New Orleans, LA

1974 Super Bowl VIII Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings 24-7 Houston, TX

1973 Super Bowl VII Miami Dolphins Washington Redskins 14-7 Los Angeles, CA

1972 Super Bowl VI Dallas Cowboys Miami Dolphins 24-3 New Orleans, LA

1971 Super Bowl V Baltimore Colts Dallas Cowboys 16-13 Miami, FL

1970 Super Bowl IV Kansas City Chiefs Minnesota Vikings 23-7 New Orleans, LA

1969 Super Bowl III New York Jets Baltimore Colts 16-7 Miami, FL

1968 Super Bowl II Green Bay Packers Kansas City Chiefs 33-14 Miami, FL

1967 Super Bowl I Green Bay Packers Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 Los Angeles, CA

-Michigan Sports Guy

Michigan Recruiting Recap

2011-02-02T17:46:00.010-05:00

To say the University of Michigan had a tumultuous couple of months would be an understatement. The earliest indication of that is in recruiting. Here is a quick look at the newest Wolverines.

NAME	POS	Scout	Rivals	ESPN	State
Chris Barnett	TE	3	5.8	78	TX
Russell Bellomy	QB	3	5.5	78	TX
Brennen Beyer	DE	4	5.8	79	MI
Greg Brown	CB	3	5.5	77	OH
Chris Bryant	OL	3	5.8	77	IL
Tamani Carter	CB	3	5.5	74	OH
Frank Clark	LB/TE	3	5.6	77	OH
Blake Countess	CB	4	5.8	80	MD
Justice Hayes	RB	4	4	79	MI
Keith Heitzman	DE	3	5.5	75	OH
Delonte Hollowell	CB	3	5.7	79	MI
Kellen Jones	LB	4	5.7	79	TX
Jack Miller	OL	3	5.5	78	OH
Desmond Morgan	LB	3	5.5	78	MI
Antonio Poole	LB	4	5.7	78	OH
Tony Posada	OL	3	5.5	78	FL
Thomas Rawls	RB	3	5.8	76	MI
Chris Rock	DE	3	5.6	78	OH
Raymon Taylor	CB	3	5.8	77	MI
Matt Wile	K	3	5.3	73	CA

Brady Hoke obviously saw what he believed to be major holes when he took over on January 11^th. The names shaded in Maize above made their initial commitments to Hoke and Co. The Recruits in Blue never wavered during the coaching transition. The purple shading indicate the players who committed to Rich Rodriguez, but needed reassurance from the new coaching staff before deciding to come to Ann Arbor. With that said, I will go into a little more detail on each player. I will not offer any in-depth scouting reports because, frankly, I don’t know much about the X’s and O’s when it comes to football. I was 5’9’’ 145 pounds when I graduated high school and have never played organized football. If you are interested in that sort of things, I can point you in a few directions, but my doing it would be disingenuous. Also a few notes before I begin:

Ø I do not subscribe to Scout.com, Rivals.com, or ESPN Insider. Any information given is freely found on the internet. I will never pass along “Insider” information to the best of my knowledge.
Ø Terms like “sleeper”, “over-rated”, or “under the radar” are my opinions only. These opinions may be based on several criteria such as highlight tapes, offensive/defensive system, or offer list.
Ø The links in a player’s name will be to their Rivals.com profile. I prefer their layout, and will use them for consistency’s sake.
Ø When I mention a player’s offers, I will only highlight the bigger names. The links provided will list all known college offers a player has accumulated.

Chris Barnett- The biggest example of how fluid the recruiting game can be. Chris Barnett is the 14^th ranked tight end in the class of 2011. He originally committed to Oklahoma and Arkansas before signing with Michigan on February 2^nd. He also held offers from schools like USC, Florida State, and Miami (FL), among many others. He was the biggest surprise in this class, and will be able to compete for playing time early on. He has good size at 6’6’’ 245 lbs.

Russell Bellomy- I assumed Hoke would bring in a QB to eventually move the offense to a Pro-Style system, but Bellomy is more of a dual-threat QB in the mold of a Tate Forcier. Bellomy was originally committed to Purdue, but got contacted by Michigan after the coaching change. He’s 6’3’’ 178 pounds, with a 40 time of 4.63. He is an obvious redshirt candidate with Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner ahead of him. Also held offers from Boise State, Colorado, and Minnesota.

Brennen Beyer-One of the earliest commits, Beyer committed in April 2010 and never looked back. A tall, lanky DE/TE (6’4’’ 220) from Canton, MI, he led his team to the state championship game as a senior. He gave his pledge to Michigan early, but still held offers from Michigan State, Notre Dame, Stanford, and UCLA. A year or two in the weight room will probably be in order to help fill out his frame.

Greg Brown- Brown is from the same high school as a certain former Michigan defensive back, and he certainly turned out well. His name is Charles Woodson. While no one is expecting a Heisman Trophy, he was Michigan’s only early enrollee, and is already working out with the team. The recruiting sites differ on his offers, but Scout lists him as having a Michigan State offer as well. Being on campus already, and the having watched Michigan’s secondary last year, he may get a chance to contribute early.

Chris Bryant- A big get out of Simeon High School in Chicago, IL, Bryant held offers from Stanford, Pitt, and the hometown Illini. Big as in he filled a need at guard, and big as in he’s 6’5’’ 335 pounds. He will be credited as a Hoke recruit, but he has been on the Wolverine radar for a long time. He is also teammates with 2012 OL recruit Jordan Diamond. A true freshman contributing as a true freshman is extremely rare in today’s game, so expect a redshirt.

Tamani Carter-The answer to the Trivial Pursuit question of “Who was the first player to commit to Brady Hoke at Michigan”, he came out of nowhere and decommitted from Minnesota. Carter has “sleeper” written all over him. His offers from Iowa, Stanford, and Arizona hint at his potential. Those schools are very good at uncovering DB talent flying under the radar. I wouldn’t look for him in any game action this year, but he may end up surprising some people.

Frank Clark- Believe it or not, Clark was one of the biggest gets for Hoke and Company. Clark is from Glenville Academy in Cleveland, OH. Glenville is one of the top producers of talent in the country. Due to a rift between Glenville head coach Ted Ginn, Sr. and Lloyd Carr reportedly involving Carr’s treatment of Pierre Woods, it is believed that Ginn refused to let any of his players come to Michigan. This was not only detrimental to Michigan; it was a coup for Ohio State. Ted Ginn, Jr, Troy Smith, Donte Whitner, among many others are notable alumni. Maybe Hoke can have a say in the top Glenville talent going forward. As for Clark himself, he is a TE/DE/LB tweener that will probably play defense now that Barnett is a Wolverine. Clark held offers from Michigan State, North Carolina, and Cal.

Blake Countess-One of the top rated prospects this year, Countess is expected to be a big part of the secondary for years to come. His offer list is outstanding, with Penn State, Tennessee, and Stanford among his list of suitors. He also comes from a very good high school program in Good Counsel out of Maryland. His talent alone should have him pushing for playing time early on.

Justice Hayes- Probably my favorite recruit of the year. He started out committing to Notre Dame, before deciding to stay in-state and verbal to Michigan. He then started recruiting players to come to Michigan. His attitude is outstanding, and his physical talent is evidenced by written offers from Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Michigan State, three schools that know RB talent when they see it. He was likely to play slot receiver for Rich Rodriguez, he will be a RB now. There is a glut of talent on the depth chart at RB, so he will need to really excel in practice to make noise in the fall.

Keith Heitzman-The most under the radar of Michigan’s signees. I follow recruiting pretty close, and had never heard of him until he committed in late January. His offer list is littered with MAC schools, and lower level Big Ten programs. He will hopefully be a good depth player and special teams contributor, with anything more being a bonus.

Delonte Hollowell-The first recruit to verbal to Michigan, Hollowell is the latest in a long line of Cass Tech alumni to sign with Michigan. His size is probably his biggest question mark at 5’8’’ 162 pounds. He committed to Michigan over a year ago, and will hopefully keep the pipeline to Cass Tech open for Royce Jenkins-Stone and Terry Richardson, 2 talented players in the 2012 class. He will probably need some time in the weight room, but with the secondary you just never know.

Kellen Jones-A linebacker out of Texas, Jones is the highest rated LB commit in this year’s class. He plays in the smaller division in Texas, so he will be making a big step up in competition, but his skills should translate well to college. His high school is also known to produce Division I talent, so maybe Kellen can help recruit Houston. He held offers from the likes of Boise St, Colorado, and Stanford. He should be ready to contribute in a year or two.

Jack Miller-A OL/DL prospect out of Perrysburg, OH, Miller will probably end up playing on the OL at Michigan. At 6’4’’ and 270 lbs., he can grow into any position on the interior line. Miller committed last June, and really hasn’t been heard from since. He was fairly quiet during the coaching situation, which was neither comforting nor worrisome somehow. He came out and said he never considered another school, and made himself many new fans by saying so. He chose Michigan over Michigan State, Pitt, and North Carolina.

Desmond Morgan-The other sleeper LB in the 2011 class, Desmond Morgan is out of Holland, MI. He is a big weapon for West Ottawa High School. He played QB as well, but projects to LB in college. He held offers from Northwestern along with a few MAC programs, but showed Rich Rodriguez enough to extend an offer. I can’t imagine a good scenario where he contributes much right away, but could start later in his career.

Antonio Poole-Another late to the party recruit, he was an early target, disappeared, then reappeared after Hoke took control. The #20 player from the state of Ohio chose Michigan over most of the Big East and the MAC. He is a player who may be under the radar, due to his lack of bigger offers, so Michigan might have gotten a steal here. His size/speed may allow an early contribution, but could probably use a year to get stronger.

Tony Posada-Posada fills many needs. He is a big OL prospect at 6’6’’ 315. He also comes from a very good high school program in Florida. He was thought to be lost after Rich Rod was fired, but Hoke and company did a good job retaining him. Missouri, Louisville, and Tennessee were all hoping to snag Posada, but he stayed Blue and could be a starter in a few years at either guard or RT.

Thomas Rawls-Rawls is a RB who just broke many of Heisman Trophy Winner Mark Ingram’s area rushing records. He has been a Michigan fan his whole life, and was destined to be a Wolverine. His offer didn’t come until last Saturday, and he allegedly broke into tears. His grades are rumored to be the issue, but he has obviously received the grades/test scores to qualify. His size is a plus at 5’10’’ 215, and could be a Mike Hart type sleeper.

Chris Rock-Rock is a big DE from the same high school as Patrick Omameh. He was an original RR commit that never decommitted or took other visits. He should be a redshirt candidate due to depth chart issues, but has the type of attitude that is hard to keep off the field. Rock chose Michigan over schools such as Oregon, Stanford, and Wisconsin.

Raymon Taylor-Raymon Taylor’s recruitment was strange when compared to many of his new teammates. He is from Highland Park, MI but never received much interest from Michigan early on, so he made a verbal commitment to Indiana. When Indiana had a coaching change, he opened his recruitment and started hearing from Michigan. Then Michigan changed coaches, and he waited to see who Michigan hired before officially visiting. He visited on 1/21 and committed on 1/22. He also called Michigan his “dream” school, so I guess it all worked out in the end. He also held offers from Wisconsin, Iowa, and Pitt. His athleticism could see him play DB or WR, and could put in in position to contribute in the fall.

Matt Wile-The latest to try his foot at kicker, Matt Wile was an Army All-American player out of San Diego, CA. He was recently ranked as the #4 kicker in America on Scout, and had offers from Washington, San Diego State, and Nebraska. Michigan’s kicking woes last season push Wile to the forefront of the depth chart, and should allow field goals to become a regular part of Michigan’s fans vocabulary.

All in all, Hoke did a pretty good job not only keeping this class together, but adding in guys like Barnett, Wile, and Poole. If I had to venture a guess, I would say the following see the field this season:

Ø Barnett
Ø Brown
Ø Countess
Ø Poole
Ø Taylor
Ø Wile

On its own, this class is probably a B- or B, but with a coaching change, and Michigan’s record the last 3 years, I will say B+. My next post will be on the misses of the 2011 class, and an extremely early look at the class of 2012. Go Blue!

Boxing returns to Michigan. Reception luke warm at best.

2011-01-31T17:31:00.002-05:00

Ever since I was little I remember watching boxing with my uncle. He raised me to be a boxing fan almost since birth and I was the only kid in school talking about Sugar Ray Leonard Larry Holmes instead of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. He took me over his brother's house to watch Mike Tyson unify the heavyweight title and in the process he got so drunk he forgot to take me home with him (I've long since forgave him for that). He would beam with pride while telling the story of the time he was stopped at a light and Tommy "hit man" Hearns pulled up alongside him and nodded his head towards him so as to acknowledge his presence.

When I got complimentary tickets from our friends at HBO for the Timothy Bradley/Devon Alexander fight at the Silverdome he was the only guest I even considered taking. With him in his late 60's now I was a little leery about dragging him to Pontiac in the middle of the night and even more so about dragging him down 60 stairs to get to our main floor seats. But despite all the worry I wanted to check back in on boxing. Years of bad matchups and disappointing performances forced me over to MMA land where I've been enjoying fierce competition and hand to hand wars once or twice a month.

I wanted this fight to be a hit. Not so much for the Silverdome or for the city of Pontiac but for the sport itself. Detroit hasn't had a main event fighter since Hearns ruled the middleweight division in the early 80’s. The closest we have is “The Contender” star Cornelius “K9” Bundrage who stopped Corey Spinks in the 5th during their fight last year. I wanted for Detroit to be a fight town again. I wanted to hear about fight parties and young kids to pick Bradley or Alexander to be their favorite and debate in class about who was better.

Not so much.

Gate attendance for the fight in the east corner of the Silverdome was just over 6,200. Had the fight been held in the MGM Grand Garden Arena that would have made for over 10,000 empty seats. While my uncle and I were enthralled with the lights and production value of a live HBO fight the rest of the crowed seemed disinterested at best. On the main floor people were more concerned about looking good and been seen than watching the chess match go on in the ring. In the stands hordes of families filled the sections and many were there thanks to free tickets given to fill the arena.

When the fight was stopped during the tenth round after an injury due to accidental head-butt most of the crowd got up and left, disinterested with the score up until that point or what the fighters had to say. While my uncle and I were pushing through the crowd to the ring to get a close-up peek at Larry Merchant during the post-fight interview most were picking up their fur coats and heading out the door.

What I took away from the atmosphere is that no one “got it”. Many didn’t know who was fighting or that they were two undefeated fighters who were fighting to unify the title. They didn’t know or care who the top contender was or if he was actually in attendance or not. Going online the following day no one had anything good to say about the fight or the venue. All in all the experiment failed. Boxing is going to have to wait it’s turn for Detroit’s attention. As for my uncle, he’s vowed to never walk up or down a stair again for the rest of his days.

Tiger guy finally arrives!

2011-01-27T22:26:00.002-05:00

Hey sports fans! Anyone else eagerly anticipating February 13th when pitchers and catchers report? I am, and that's a part of why I signed up to be the Detroit Tiger beat reporter on the Michigan Sports Guy blog. Wait a minute, did I really just say "Tiger beat" like the teeny bopper mag?? Not off to a good start I see.

Anyways, I was born and raised in Southeastern Michigan and currently reside in the downriver community. I grew up on the Detroit Tigers and while I learned to love some of the other Michigan teams I never lost the place in my heart for "the boys" as you'll hear a lot of old timers call them. I remember oh so vaguely at the ripe age of 6 driving up and down Evergreen and Warren roads in Detroit flailing streams of toilet paper out of the car window when Detroit won the series in '84 over San Diego and their eye-burning jerseys.

I also remember sitting up in section 343 at Comerica Park on a Sunday day game and almost being able to count the crowd in attendance head by head. I'm excited about the team this year and I'm excited to bring some good reading material to Detroit fans.

I hold an Associates and Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and Management from Baker College. In my role as Technical Supervisor for a large telecommunications company I draft proposals and project outlines on a daily basis. In other words: you might not like what I write...but I promise it will look good. Stay classy Detroit, talk to you soon.

Hello!

2011-01-27T00:31:00.000-05:00

If you haven't already heard, I have signed on to be the University of Michigan writer here at Michigan Sports Guy. I am a die-hard Wolverine fan, and have been blogging about sports for a few months at my other site semichigansports.com. I typically cover the major sports teams in Michigan, but my passion is U of M. A little background on myself, I have lived in Romulus or Ypsilanti for 97% of my life, and am a fan of all the local teams. I am recently married, and am going to college a little later in life than most. I got the idea to start blogging from being a commenter at sites like MGoBlog.com, Bless You Boys, and Midnight Maize, I appreciate any and all feedback whether it be here, my home site, on twitter, e-mail, smoke signal, or ESP. I look forward to providing the type of coverage you expect when visiting this site.

MichiganSportsGuy.com

2010-12-27T12:07:00.000-05:00

What started as an experiment to learn more about websites turned into a fun journey. I feel at this point I have taken this journey as far as I can without some help. I have created the platform for voices to be heard and now we need some voices. So if you are interested in writing for MichiganSportsGuy.com on a regular basis e-mail me at KevinBelow@michigansportsguy.com so we can get started.

Gator Bowl

2010-12-05T20:10:00.002-05:00

Picture of the day

2010-12-01T16:43:00.000-05:00

Jim Harbaugh

2010-11-28T21:50:00.000-05:00

Is it time to bring home a Michigan man?

Photo of the Day

2010-11-03T14:24:00.002-04:00

The Big Chill at the Big House

2010-11-02T14:32:00.000-04:00

Michigan vs. Michigan State

Arby's presents The Big Chill at the Big House
Saturday, Dec. 11, 2010 • 3 p.m. EST
Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, Mich.
> > > S O L D O U T < < <

Tigers decline option on Jhonny Peralta, work on deal

2010-11-02T12:18:00.000-04:00

In a move that was anything but a surprise, the Tigers on Tuesday declined their 2011 option on infielder Jhonny Peralta, even as they continue to work on a multi-year deal with a player who likely will be Detroit's starting shortstop in 2011.

The Tigers could have picked up Peralta's $7.25 million option and secured him for next season, but not beyond, and at a price steeper than his current market value.

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They instead will try to sign Peralta to a more affordable package of at least two years.

Peralta came to the Tigers in July in a trade for minor-league pitcher Giovanni Soto. With the Tigers, he batted .253 in 57 games, with eight home runs, seven doubles and 38 RBIs.

The Tigers and Peralta were mutually pleased after the trade, and the Tigers were particularly comfortable with Peralta's ability to play third base or shortstop.

But his option year was destined to be an expensive salary, even for a 28-year-old right-hand hitter with power and a deft fielding touch that helps compensate for his limited range.

"We remain optimistic that a deal can be worked out between Jhonny and the club," said Dave Dombrowski, the Tigers' president and general manager.

In eight seasons with the Indians and Tigers, Peralta has a .263 batting average, 111 home runs, 16 triples, 208 doubles and 494 RBIs.

Peralta is officially a free agent. The Tigers are free to sign him at any point following the wrap-up of the 2010 World Series.

by Lynn Henning from The Detroit News

Pistons' game against Bulls tonight is only untelevised game of the season

2010-10-30T14:11:00.002-04:00

Eighty-one of the 82 games the Pistons play this season are scheduled to be televised on FSD or ESPN. The game tonight between the Pistons and Bulls in Chicago is the one that will not be televised.

The website for the Chicago Bulls lists CSN-Chicago as the only network broadcasting the game.

Lions Claim McDonald from Waivers

2010-10-27T17:24:00.001-04:00

The Detroit Lions added some depth to their defensive secondary today by claiming cornerback Brandon McDonald off waivers. McDonald, who was recently released by the Arizona Cardinals, was a fifth-round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2007.

McDonald stayed with the Browns until he was released in the final cut in training camp this season.

McDonald has 27 career starts, including 10 last season with the Browns and 15 starts in the previous season. He has eight career interceptions, including a career-high five in the 2008 season.

McDonald has appeared in just two games with the Cardinals this season. The Lions needed to bulk up their depth because they only had four cornerbacks on the roster - Chris Houston, Alphonso Smith, Jonathan Wade and Nathan Vasher. Following Detroit's last game - against the New York Giants before the bye week - the Lions released two cornerbacks: Dante Wesley and Paul Pratt (who was re-signed to the practice squad).

McDonald drew the ire of Cleveland head coach Eric Mangini in training camp this season when he tweeted a derogatory remark about Cincinnati Bengals receiver Terrell Owens. McDonald said he was only trying to have some fun and apologized for the incident.

Owens had a little fun himself in responding to McDonald's tweet. "Who?'' Owens asked. "I don't even know who he is. Is he Ronald McDonald?''

Owens faced the Browns earlier this season and rang up 10 catches for 222 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown - but McDonald was already gone to the Cardinals.

It should be noted - for the sake of the rest of the Detroit defensive backs -- that the Lions don't play the Bengals this year.

by Tom Kowalski from Mlive.com

Tigers 'deeply interested' in soon-to-be free agent Carl Crawford

2010-10-27T15:57:00.000-04:00

Christmas might come early for Tigers fans wanting the team to sign Carl Crawford this offseason.

The Tigers are reportedly "deeply interested" in Crawford as a free agent, major-league sources told Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

Crawford, Tampa Bay's No. 1 draft pick in 1999, isn't expected to sign an extension with the Rays and will officially hit this year's free-agent market five days after the World Series.

The Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Washington Nationals are also expected to pursue Crawford, who could garner a multi-year deal worth more than $100 million. The New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves could be possible suitors for the left-handed hitting speedster, too.

As Rosenthal suggests, Crawford would likely play left field for Detroit and complement center fielder Austin Jackson in Comerica Park's spacious outfield confines.

Crawford, 29, is arguably the most prized free agent this offseason after hitting .307 this year with a career-high 19 homer runs.

by James Schmehl from MLive.com

Former Michigan guard Manny Harris starts his NBA career

2010-10-27T09:00:00.001-04:00

Byron Scott pulled Manny Harris aside after a practice last week. The Cleveland Cavaliers head coach had seen enough of the undrafted rookie from Michigan to deliver the news.

There wasn’t an official meeting, but the message was clear. Manny Harris, you made the team.

“It felt good but, at the same time, I know it’s one step in what I’m trying to do,” Harris said. “I would never get complacent or settle for just making it. It feels good, but I still know that there’s a lot more I want to do here to be a better player.”

After calling his mother, Merrick Harris-Carter, he went right back to doing what he did to make the NBA team in the first place. He worked.

Harris wasn't selected in June’s two-round NBA Draft, a scenario he was prepared for. Harris said his agent, Henry Thomas, discussed that possibility with him. Part of the reason was he hadn’t been able to show what he could do.

He injured his ankle and couldn’t participate in the NBA’s pre-draft camp in Chicago. Then, after the draft, he couldn’t play on Cleveland’s summer league roster, but earned a training camp invite.

The theme goes back further.

Harris said Monday that his hamstring, which he injured before the start of Michigan’s 2009-10 season, was never fully healthy throughout last year. He still led the Wolverines in scoring at 18.1 points a game, but the injury consistently nagged him.

He said he continued to play out of loyalty to his teammates.

“Last year, I knew how I was feeling and I was doing it more for our team,” Harris said. “There were times I knew I should probably just have sat down for a game or two. It would have helped me more to just sit down and not play a few games, but for the team, I felt it was better to be out there looking to win. I stayed on the floor.

“But the way my hamstring felt last year, especially in the beginning part of it, was awful.”

Once healthy and in the Cavaliers' camp, Harris' game -- the same one that impressed NBA coaches and scouts at the LeBron James and Paul Pierce camps before his junior year at Michigan -- began to re-emerge.

His goal during camp was to be first in everything in order to make an impression and to stick in the NBA.

“Even if it was just a running drill, I wanted to be first in the running drills,” Harris said. “I really focused on defending and not letting my man score. I took pride in that a lot.

“There were so many different things. Just tried to show a little bit of everything in my game, rebounding, getting assists, showing them I can score.”

Harris averaged 8.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and a steal during Cleveland’s preseason, including shooting 57.1 percent from the 3-point line. Then, when Cleveland waived Danny Green, Harris looked like he might make the opening day roster.

So when the Cavaliers open their season on Wednesday, he isn’t sure what is going to happen. All he knows is one thing: he’ll be in Quicken Loans Arena as a member of an NBA team playing the Boston Celtics.

“First game of my NBA career,” Harris said. “I don’t know what will happen. I don’t know if I’ll dress, I don’t know if I’ll be in a suit, I don’t know anything at all.

“So all I can do is control every day, just getting better.”

It’s the attitude that landed Harris on the roster in the first place.

By Michael Rothstein from AnnArbor.com

Kelvin Grady interviewed by ESPN about his Twitter use

2010-10-26T18:00:00.000-04:00

Kelvin Grady walked outside Michigan Stadium on Monday afternoon, looking down at his phone.

The junior slot receiver on the Michigan football team needed to do something he does often - when he walks to class, before he goes to bed, before he eats - he Tweets.

And his Twitter fascination also landed him an interview with "College GameDay" on ESPN.

“That’s an amazing experience,” Grady said after being interviewed by ESPN on Monday. “It was fun. You know how you watch the interviews and like you see the lights are dim, and I could see the ESPN background and stuff.”

Grady said he was interviewed for an upcoming story on Twitter and other social networking tools.

Twitter, with its 140-character, rapid-fire updates, is a way for college football players to communicate with fans and friends. Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor (@TPeezy2) does it and Kentucky do-everything star Randall Cobb (@rcobb18) called out fans after the Wildcats’ upset of South Carolina on the social networking tool. Boise State coach Chris Petersen banned his players from Tweeting in-season and Miami quarterback Jacory Harris deleted his account after receiving a racist message following a loss to Ohio State this year.

There can be fake accounts, too, as someone tried to pretend to be Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, but the school’s sports information department said the account didn’t belong to the sophomore.

Grady (@Mr_KelGrady19) is among a number of Michigan football and basketball players who frequently Tweet, including injured cornerback Troy Woolfolk (@TWoolf29), offensive lineman Elliott Mealer (@el_mealer), wide receiver Darryl Stonum (@CornellStone22) and freshman basketball player Evan Smotrycz (@EvanMSmotrycz).

And it landed the slot receiver, who converted from basketball to football a season ago, on the premier college football show in the country.

“It’s just all in fun,” Grady said. “It’s an opportunity to be on 'College GameDay.' ”

by Michael Rothstein from AnnArbor.com

MLB union head says expanded playoffs possible

2010-10-26T15:00:00.000-04:00

On the heels of our discussion about tinkering with the baseball playoff format last week, MLB Players Association chief Michael Weiner broached the topic in an interview with the Associated Press yesterday, before the start of the World Series. And his stance on the topic hinted at some of the things we were discussing - expanding the playoffs and shortening the regular season.

Weiner said there is "sentiment among a substantial segment of the players to consider expanding the playoffs," possibly by adding another wild card and/or making the Division Series a best-of-seven, instead of the current best-of-five format.

The collective bargaining agreement between the owners and players expires after the 2011 World Series, and any changes in the playoff setup would have to be part of the new CBA. Weiner acknowledged that shortening the regular season to allow for expanded playoffs would have "revenue implications for the industry."

My guess is, if the playoffs are expanded and the regular season is shortened, owners would push for some kind of central revenue fund from the extra playoff games or the TV rights to offset the loss of home dates in the schedule. If the schedule was cut back to 154 games, for example, each team would lose four home games.

Weiner also said there's a chance players will propose changes to the Super Two system, which has led numerous teams to leave prospects in the minors for the first two months of the season so the players wouldn't hit arbitration a year early. Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg made his major league debut on June 8 this season, though general manager Mike Rizzo said in June that arbitration was not a consideration in the decision about when to bring Strasburg up.

By Ben Goessling from masnsports.com

Pistons start season searching for answers

2010-10-26T11:45:00.000-04:00

In their heyday, the Pistons were known for their hard work.

There isn't much known about them now as they enter the 2010-11 season. There are more questions than answers, and the issues go far beyond the playing court.

A labor battle is pending and a league-wide lockout could be on the horizon. The team has been in flux since the death of patriarch William Davidson in 2009, and visions of the 2004 title recede more to the background, especially after a 27-win, injury-riddled showing last season.

Now, as the season tips off Wednesday in New Jersey, Detroit begins an 82-game journey during which it hopes to not only re-establish its true identity, but find some long-term stability — in more ways than one.
'Starting from scratch'

The Pistons are a collection of players no one can truly figure out, and the prognostications have not been kind — most are picking the Pistons to finish worse than last year.

For the players, it's a lot of intrigue, but a little bit of doubt, too.

"It's definitely different than in the past; I'd be lying if I said it wasn't," said guard Richard Hamilton, who along with Tayshaun Prince is the longest-tenured Pistons player (ninth season). "We all knew how we'd react to certain situations. Teams knew what play we were going to run but you couldn't stop it."

Hamilton is coming off his worst season in Detroit, and most fans assumed they had seen the last of him in red, white and blue. But he's still in Motown, at least for the foreseeable future.

"I never got caught up in it, never," Hamilton said of the trade rumors. "My first two or three years in the league, as a young kid, you worry about it. You wonder, 'How does that happen?' My last few years, I haven't worried about it at all."

He should be properly motivated. For six straight seasons, he helped lead the team deep into the postseason. Now, his team is back to square one. Miami, Boston and Orlando have replaced Detroit as the beast in the East.

"It's like starting from scratch, learning each other's positions, what guys like and dislike," he said. "You have so many guys in different places. I was hurt all last year and you know what? We're working on our chemistry every day. It's a learning situation."

Ben Wallace cautions against those ready to get rid of Prince and Hamilton, just for the sake of change.

"It doesn't work like that — just trade one or two guys and you're back to championship contenders," Wallace said. "We have to go out and get guys that fit this team and this system."

It's on second-year coach John Kuester to mesh talent, handle minutes and massage egos. And, he has to do all this while putting his team in the best spot to make a run for the playoffs.

"You have to manage the players, you've got to be able to communicate what you want done, but you have to be consistent," Kuester said. "They understand that if you aren't consistent, they won't buy in."

As for the roster, it's unbalanced, to say the least, but there's talent. The Pistons will be fighting, individually and collectively, to prove Detroit is not the land of misfit toys. Dispelling common beliefs will be the theme: Rodney Stuckey can't lead a team.

Ben Gordon is one-dimensional.

Charlie Villanueva doesn't care.

Tracy McGrady has nothing left.

Ben Wallace can't duplicate last year.

Richard Hamilton is too old.

Austin Daye's not ready yet.

They don't have a true big man.

"We know the difference between all of that (talk)," Wallace said. "We can't let the outside dictate what we're trying to do here."
'Nature of the business'

There are distractions in-house, too, though.

After Davidson's death in March 2009, his widow, Karen, put the team up for sale and Mike Ilitch announced his desire to purchase the franchise. There's been talk of moving the Pistons downtown.

One issue that hasn't been posed about the potential change is what happens to the team and resources devoted to putting a competitive product on the court. And what's longtime Palace Sports and Entertainment president Tom Wilson's role in this now that he works for Ilitch?

Until now, Ilitch, who owns the Red Wings and Tigers, has shown little interest in the NBA. Where would the Pistons rank on his totem pole now?

"Who's going to be the new owner? We can't control that," Wallace said. "Whether there's going to be a lockout (in 2011-12), it's out of our hands. What we have to do is come in and do our jobs, and that's to play basketball."

And, what does the future hold for Pistons president Joe Dumars?

He's been a part of the organization for 25 years, as a player and executive. He's played on or built teams that have gone to 11 conference finals and five NBA Finals, and won three titles.

Only Stuckey, Hamilton, Prince and Jason Maxiell remain from the team that last played in the Eastern finals in 2008, the last of six consecutive for the Pistons. Some believe Dumars' decision to hold onto Hamilton and Prince has halted this franchise's progress.

"That's the nature of the business. People always think it's something better," Wallace said. "People think you can replace a couple guys and things will be smooth sailing."

Seven teams have won titles the last quarter century, and the Pistons are in that class. Of all the contenders the past decade (Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, etc.), all went over the luxury tax to field a contender — except the Pistons.

People might not agree with the signings of Gordon and Villanueva, but one thing is certain: Detroit was not going be a major player in last summer's free-agent bonanza that included Chris Bosh and LeBron James in Miami with Dwyane Wade.

"We're looking at the bigger picture," Wallace said. "We're not where we need to be right now, but we're making strides."

Dumars has put the onus on Stuckey to be better than good, to mature into a leader. And, he's relying on Gordon to display the moxie that made him the most coveted big-shot maker free agent two summers ago.

After being counted out, he's looking for a bounce-back season.

But will it happen?
'You hear the rumors'

As uncertain as everything is for the Pistons on the court, there are long-term off-court issues brewing in the background. Will the 2011-12 season start on time?

"I think the one thing that we do here, we're basketball players," Hamilton said. "We're here to entertain, so we can't worry about the unknown."

Hamilton is an 11-year veteran, but even he doesn't know how to approach the external factors — like the labor issues threatening a lockout before next season. He was asked if he knew what to say to the younger players about the uncertainty.

"Not really, because I've never been through a lockout or never been around an ownership change," Hamilton said. "So you can't judge until you're a part of that."

The last lockout, in 1998, nearly devastated the league. Of those on the current Pistons roster, only Wallace and McGrady were in the league, and neither was an established player.

There's too much immediate terrain to be explored, Hamilton believes, for players to look beyond this season.

"You don't know how serious a lockout is, you hear the rumors," Hamilton said. "You take one season at a time and at the end, you really think about it more.

"You have so many games ahead of you right now."

Starting Wednesday in New Jersey.

by Vincent Goodwill from The Detroit News

Michigan football team shuffles linemen

2010-10-26T10:20:00.000-04:00

No quick fixes exist, Rich Rodriguez has said, when it comes to stocking a college football roster. So when confronting a lack of depth on the Michigan football team’s defense, the third-year coach got creative.

He essentially completed an intra-squad trade during the off week.

A need for defensive tackles arose after Rodriguez moved Will Campbell to the offensive line last week. Now, offensive lineman Quinton Washington heads from offense to defense.

Rodriguez made the switches during off-week practices. Although he cautioned they’re not yet permanent, he anticipated the two players would stick with the changes for the foreseeable future.

At 6-foot-5, 333 pounds, Campbell immediately became the team’s biggest offensive lineman.

“He actually approached us about trying it over there,” Rodriguez said. “He’s a pretty smart football player. His head will be spinning for a while, but I think he’ll be a natural at guard.”

Stephen Schilling, the Wolverines’ most experienced guard and an Outland Trophy candidate, is excited about welcoming Campbell to the position.

“I always thought he liked to finish us in practice instead of making tackles,” Schilling said. “It was exciting to see him play. He could be a really good offensive lineman.”

Craig Roh had a similar instinct about Washington, a 6-4, 315-pound redshirt freshman.

“I thought that Quinton should be playing defense about a month ago,” Roh said. “He’s got that aggressive manner that’s really good for defense. To a certain extent, he’s learning from scratch, and it’s going to take him a while to really become comfortable there.”

By Pete Bigelow from AnnArbor.com

Spartans Comeback Against Northwestern

2010-10-24T11:03:00.001-04:00

Last time Mark Dantonio coached a Michigan State game from the sideline before Saturday, he carved the words “Little Giants” into Spartans football lore with the most exciting play in college football all season. This time, the trickery was a fake punt dubbed “Mouse Trap,” which Dantonio did plenty to bait.

“We had to get them to take the cheese,” he explained.

It’s official now: Michigan State has something special going. You can’t make that claim with week after week of a home-cooked schedule, but you can when you exit the state, spot a good opponent a 17-point lead, then snap back and steal a 35-27 win, as the Spartans did Saturday against Northwestern.

They are 8-0 and increasingly reminiscent of a Big Ten predecessor, the 2002 Ohio State team, which Dantonio said he often recalls when contemplating these Spartans. Those Buckeyes were doubted for 14 consecutive games, and 14 consecutive wins, many of them downright astounding, and right through a disputed overtime victory against Miami for the national championship, with Dantonio as defensive coordinator.

Teams have to win games like these.

Some teams have to win a lot of them.

Champions win all of them.

When it was 17-0, all of that was in serious doubt. Even when the Spartans finally drew within 10 just before the break, halftime presented some ominous moments, which Dantonio addressed with his team thusly: “If you want to win big, if you want to win championships, if you want to go 8-0, we’ve got to do it the hard way at some point.”

Michigan State has. It did so against Notre Dame, in overtime, with that huge fake field goal for a game-winning touchdown, the play called “Little Giants.” It did so when confronted with Michigan star Denard Robinson, and after trailing at halftime against Illinois.

But nothing was quite like the daylong series of events that led to “Mouse Trap” and its aftermath.

From the start, it didn’t look good. Michigan State blew its first two drives when it couldn’t convert third-and-1. Dan Conroy, sitting on 13-of-13 field goals for the season, got unlucky and missed one. Aaron Bates, one of the finest punters in college football, got yippy and shanked one. Keshawn Martin, a valued return specialist and receiver, was injured early. The running game bogged down.

But there also were just enough season-salvaging plays interspersed: Tyler Hoover jarring a goal-line fumble which Johnny Adams recovered, two quick defensive three-and-outs in the third quarter, Joel Foreman’s offensive fumble recovery.

Then, there was “Mouse Trap.”

You probably know it well by now. The Spartans faced fourth-and-6 at the Northwestern 31, moving into a stiff wind, early fourth quarter. A field goal was out of the question. A punt was self-defeating, with favorable field position and a 24-14 deficit.

First, Dantonio left his offense on the field.

Then, seemingly reconsidering, he called timeout.

Then, he accepted a delay of game to get some extra space, and sent his punt team out.

Press-box analysts wondered where his head was, why he would waste a timeout to punt, and why he would punt at all.

Turns out we all took the cheese.

“We had to get it set up,” Dantonio said of the salesmanship.

Northwestern, knowing Bates could throw, had prepared for a fake.

“We talked all week that there was going to be a fake punt where they’re probably going to throw it, but did we expect that fake punt? No. We’d never seen them do it before, so kudos to them,” Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said.

Bates’ pass to Bennie Fowler covered 21 yards, setting up a touchdown one play later, and the Spartans closed the show from there, holding the Wildcats to a field goal, then scoring two late touchdowns.

To be sure, this is not the healthiest way to win. The Spartans scored 23 of their 26 points against Illinois in the second half. They scored 35 points in the final 33 minutes against Northwestern. They are a second-half team. If they were a four-quarter team, their lives would be easier.

But they have a coach who believes in his team and is “going to take calculated risks.”

“There’s a ripple effect, from the top down, throughout our program, that people believe in what’s going on,” he said.

Do you?

by David Mayo from The Grand Rapids Press

Kirk Gibson 'at peace' parting with treasures

2010-10-22T15:51:00.000-04:00

Kirk Gibson has the memories.

So you can have the memorabilia.

The popular former Tigers legend announced Tuesday plans to auction off several prized possessions from his memorable 1988 season with the Dodgers — including, most notably, the pine tar-laced bat with which he hit one of the most famous home runs in history.

And, no, he doesn't anticipate having any regrets.

"No, I don't. I mean, the moment and everything, all that, it's still there," Gibson told reporters on a conference call. "The accomplishment by the organization, the city, the team, I'll never forget that.

"I'm really at peace with what I'm doing with it."

Starting Oct. 27, up for sale will be the bat which made a hero out of a limping Gibson and a goat out of Dennis Eckersley in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1 of the World Series; the helmet he wore rounding the bases, still coated with pine tar; the white jersey he wore (and hasn't washed since!); as well as his World Series trophy and regular-season MVP plaque.

Proceeds from the MVP plaque and World Series trophy will benefit his foundation, which supports the athletic department at Michigan State, his alma mater, as well as scholarships at Clarkston and Waterford Kettering high schools, in honor of his mother and late father, who both were teachers.

"My goal is when I pass on, to have that foundation kicking," Gibson said. "I'm trying to grow it to a substantial level so hopefully I can give a full scholarship a year to both of those schools."

When asked Tuesday why proceeds from the bat, which figures to generate, by far, the most cash, weren't going toward the foundation, Gibson said, simply: "I have other things to do."

He got testy when asked if he has specific financial needs, calling it an "inappropriate question." He then said, "No, I don't."

Rather, Gibson, 53, who recently signed a two-year contract to manage the Diamondbacks, said, "I've never considered myself a collector," and labels the sale as housecleaning, of sorts.

Only the trophy and plaque have been displayed much; the others have been stored in a warehouse or, in the bat's case, a safe.

"The bat, I have actually kind of developed a phobia about keeping it," he said, "worried about protecting it, about it burning up in a fire."

So, instead, that bat — which the Hall of Fame, years back, requested, to no avail — will burn up someone's bank account. And while there's no telling just how much it will go for, SCP, the California auction house handling his lot, has a darn good track record. It once got $1.265 million for the bat Babe Ruth used to hit his first home run at Yankee Stadium.

And, frankly, few fans remember that like they remember Gibson's magical swing 22 years ago.

"There's only one of those," Doug Haase, manager of Detroit Athletic Co., a sports memorabilia shop on Michigan Avenue, said of Gibson's historic bat. "I'm sure there's somebody on the West Coast that will need to have that for their collection."

The only artifact more sought-after from that Oct. 15, 1988, game is the baseball, which Gibson doesn't own. He's never seen it, and nobody knows where it is.

"A lady sent me a picture of her leg. It hit her in the inner thigh, kind of high on her skirt, so to say," he said. "She was all black and blue. But I've never, ever seen the ball."

A few moments later, unprompted, Gibson said, "Wish I had that ball."

Gibson, once the auction ends Nov. 13, still will own plenty of memorabilia from his 17-year playing career, including a whole lot with Tigers ties — meaning everything associated with the clinching Game 5 of the 1984 World Series when he hit two home runs, including a memorable one off Goose Gossage that sent Detroit into a frenzy.

He has no plans to sell his Tigers collection yet, though he wouldn't say why.

"This is kind of a first step. We'll see how this goes," said Gibson, who was drafted by, and played 12 seasons for, the Tigers. "I just have my reasons. We'll leave it at that."

But this much is clear: The sale of prized possessions, plus his new busy life in Arizona, doesn't mean Gibson is abandoning his home state.

"We'll always keep a place in Michigan. It's home," he said. "It's still home."

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by Tony Paul from The Detroit News

Temple Bar and the New Arena

2010-10-22T08:29:00.000-04:00

The Temple Bar opened in Detroit's Cass Corridor during the Depression, and nearly 70 years later the surrounding neighborhood has collapsed.

The olive-colored bar front blends into an area of boarded-up structures, but its interior is clean and well-maintained. The bar still manages to attract an eclectic clientele. Across the street, though, the former American Hotel closed more than a decade ago. The former drugstore next door went out of business maybe two decades ago.

The neighborhood is so sketchy the front door of the bar is always locked — patrons have to be electronically buzzed in by the bartender.

The Temple Bar appears to be one of the last holdouts in a mysterious real estate buying frenzy, surrounded by 22 mostly empty or blighted parcels that have been bought or optioned since September 2008 by various entities.

While scant public information is available, the investors have paid as much as $670,000 for two derelict properties in an area where the median annual household income is $8,317.

Owner George Boukas seems willing to sell the property that his family has owned off and on since the 1930s and relocate if he gets the right offer. He was courted with a secretive offer, too, but now he's not sure where it stands.

"Of course, everyone assumes this is where the new arena will be built, but now I'm hearing (developer Al Taubman) wants to build a mall next to the arena. And last week, I heard someone got $2 million" for a nearby property, Boukas said. "I know all that sounds crazy, but look at all that unbelievable stuff that's gone on already. Someone is thinking big."

Metro Detroit real estate experts agree, saying the amount of land being accumulated in the area and the high sales prices mean someone is trying to get enough property to build something big — like a sports venue or even a light-rail line.

That includes the most recent sale of the former American Hotel, along with the weedy lot next to it, and the former drugstore. The blighted properties were bought by the same entity that paid $650,000 for another empty building in January 2009 on Temple Street, just around the corner from the bar, and made the seller sign a confidentiality agreement about the deal.

The hot spot is several blocks north of the Fox Theatre, headquarters of Ilitch Holdings Inc., and the Comerica Park and Ford Field stadiums. Next to the area being purchased or optioned is four empty blocks of Woodward owned by the city.

Mike Ilitch, billionaire founder of a pizza, sports and entertainment empire, has indicated he wants to build a new arena downtown for his Detroit Red Wings. And now Ilitch is the leading bidder to buy the Detroit Pistons, which could share a new arena with the Wings if Ilitch succeeds in buying the team.

The Ilitches control the Masonic Temple, which is a half-block away from the Temple Bar. The MotorCity Casino, owned by Marian Ilitch, is farther west of the bar on Grand River.

City of Detroit and Ilitch Holdings officials say they are bound by confidentiality agreements not to talk about the details of a possible new arena. There are no public plans for the swath of land around the Temple Bar.

Boukas' experience with negotiating with a real estate broker adds to the mystery of the surrounding property purchases. The offer was unsolicited and "aggressive," he said.

Earlier this year, a broker named George Mellish walked into the bar and asked Boukas what it would take for him to sell. Boukas had bought the bar back from a non-family member in 1988. The broker wouldn't say who he represented, Boukas said.

The offer was not just to buy the bar, but included finding a Midtown site for the bar to relocate and payment for the move, he said. The two sides were at odds about the relocation costs, and Boukas said he initially refused the offer, thinking he would get a counter offer.

Then Mellish died.

Since Boukas never knew whom Mellish represented, he doesn't know whom to contact. Now he is left wondering where he stands.

"I'm ecstatic of what's happening," said Boukas, referring to the acquisitions in the neighborhood. "I'm nervous as hell about what it means for me. But you can't be a world-class city if you can't attract new people or business."

Boukas has reason to sell. Many customers have moved away from the area, he said.

"There's not that much of an immediate neighborhood now" to draw from, Boukas said.

There aren't many details about the most recent sales near the bar. The former American Hotel and the former drugstore were sold by local developer Dennis Kefallinos, who said he worked through a broker. Kefallinos said he felt uncomfortable publicly identifying the broker.

The official buyer is listed as a Coldwater firm called Temple Commons LLC, according to Wayne County records. A purchase price wasn't disclosed. That LLC is traced back to CSC-Lawyers Incorporated Services Co., which has an East Lansing address.

by Louis Aguilar from The Detroit News

Detroit Tigers, Brandon Inge agree to two-year extension

2010-10-21T11:00:00.000-04:00

The longest-tenured Tiger can continue to call Detroit his home for at least a couple more years.

Third baseman Brandon Inge has agreed to terms on a two-year deal with the Tigers, which includes a club option for the 2013 season.

Exact terms of the contract have not been disclosed.

Inge, who recently established his year-round family home near Ann Arbor in Saline, has been with the Tigers since being drafted in 1998.

"The Tigers' organization is pleased to announce the signing of Brandon today," general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "Brandon is one of the top defensive third basemen in the game and a quality individual we are proud to have as a representative of the organization."

Inge, who hit .247 with 13 home runs and 70 RBIs, led all third baseman in the American League with a .977 fielding percentage during the season.

Inge, 33, has hit .237 with 201 doubles, 36 triples, 136 home runs and 564 RBI in 1,297games during his major league career with the Tigers since making his debut in 2001.

"I am absolutely ecstatic about it," Inge told MLive.com a few weeks ago. "This is where I want to play as long as they let me. ... I'm never looking to break the bank. I just want what's fair. And I don't foresee them not being fair. I'm a person who is big on loyalty."

by James Schmehl from Mlive.com

Go Blue!

2010-10-20T21:25:00.001-04:00

Even Adam loves U of M!!

JUDGMENT DAY FOR RICH ROD

2010-10-19T08:28:00.000-04:00

5-0, Heisman Trophy front running QB… It seemed like Michigan was ready to get back into the Big Ten title hunt. Alas, it is not going to happen. Michigan’s defense is ranked in the bottom 10 in the country, last in the Big Ten. They can’t stop ANYONE! Two losses to teams that we have OWNED in our storied history have left us exposed as vulnerable. Michigan is 5-2 currently. We need 6 but probably 7 wins to get to a bowl game. If we don't, consider it judgment day. People are already clamoring for Harbaugh to bring us back to the glory days of “Michigan Men” running the team. Losing records and NCAA sanctions have seemingly gotten the alumni off the already shaky bandwagon. Rich Rod just doesn’t seem to get it. He doesn’t seem to realize the 3-3-5 Defense doesn’t work in a run heavy conference. Our offense has come along nicely. But untimely turnovers and not being able to get a first down when we need it most have PLAGUED this team. Then there are the NCAA sanctions. This, to me, will most likely be the one thing that may push him over the edge. Michigan has always been a clean program. We continued to win while other teams such as USC, Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida, and many others have had programs plagued by NCAA sanctions and violations. While UM hasn’t paid players, the practice problem we’ve had is also very disturbing because it is done at the coaching level. They need to keep track of it. If someone takes money from an agent, a coach may not know, but they should always know how many hours they are practicing compared to what the NCAA says they need to. It’s just haphazard. So here’s to you Big Blue! I hope you win all of your games, but if you don’t win 7, then it may be time for a change.

-Bobby Garrott

Eastern Michigan jubilant after first win in two seasons

2010-10-18T14:54:00.002-04:00

Eastern Michigan finally had a reason to celebrate Saturday, ending an 18-game losing streak with a thrilling, 41-38, overtime win at Ball State.

The Eagles (1-6, 1-3 Mid-American Conference) showed their heart and character to come back from a 21-0 second-quarter deficit. Instead of making mistakes, they found a way to make plays.

Instead of a somber locker room, they were singing their school fight song. And, instead of a long bus ride home, the players were in upbeat moods and thinking about a brighter future.

That's what a win does … especially when you haven't had one for close to two years.

"Everyone was smiling ear-to-ear, jumping up and down and hugging each other," said sophomore quarterback Alex Gillett, who threw a 12-yard TD pass to senior tight end Ben Thayer after Ball State had taken a 38-35 lead with a 44-yard field goal. "It was great to feel that type of energy. We sang our fight song on the field and then again in the locker room. We doused Coach (Ron) English with Gatorade in the locker room. He was as excited as we were. He was smiling ear-to-ear too. He's worked so hard. It was great to pay him back for everything he's done.

"It was a long bus ride home, but the excitement didn't let up. Everyone was up and talking. I think this is a big steppingstone for our program. We got over the hump, and we know we can get it done if we play hard like that and never give up."

It was Eastern's first road win in more than two years — since a 24-21 win at Bowling on Green Oct. 4, 2008 — and first victory overall since a 56-52 upset win over rival Central Michigan in the 2008 season finale at Rynearson Stadium.

Eastern was close before, especially in the first two games of this season, losing 31-27 at home in the opener against Army, followed by a 28-21 loss at Miami the next week.

"Some people were saying the kids looked like they won the Super Bowl," said English, who experienced his first win as a head coach after suffering 18 straight losses. "I was happy for the kids. That's how you should celebrate. Wins are hard to come by in college football.

"The guys went and mobbed Thayer after the touchdown. Then, we sang the fight song on the field in front of the Eastern fans who made the trip to the game."

Gillett threw for 225 yards and three TDs. He also rushed for 189 yards on 35 carries, scoring two more TDs. His 414 total yards of offense was ninth best in school history.

No one could have expected Gillett's performance after his poor start. He was 0-for-5 during Eastern's first four possessions, including an interception leading to Ball State's third touchdown.

The Eagles had a chance to take command early, getting short fields to work with on their first two drives — on the Ball State 40 and 27 — but they came up empty both times after missed field goals.

"He showed great character," said English of Gillett. "We were concerned with how he would react after the interception, but he made some plays with his feet and then with his arm.

"We talked to the kids
… before the game about seeing who has character … who will be physical. And, that's what I'll never forget about this game. We were down 21 points (28-7) and came back and scored 28 unanswered points. That means our defense was making stops. It's so great to see the kids get rewarded for their hard work. I'm really happy for them."

By David Goricki from Detnews.com