Seeing as Thanksgiving, the day to stuff yourself full of turkey (or, as John Madden calls it, Thursday), is tomorrow, and I haven't done a list in some time, and I have some free time, and I just wrote the world's longest run-on sentence, let's go through a list of the ten things I'm most thankful for:

10. I'm thankful for the Detroit Pistons and specifically Joe Dumars: Yeah, I make fun of their coach, Michael Curry (just say it a few times and realize how ridiculous it sounds), and I question their heart, but at the same time, they usually win. Which is more than I can say about some other teams. Dumars is one of the best execs in the NBA for a reason; unlike fellow backcourt mate Isiah Thomas, Dumars didn't go willy nilly with cash to sign big-name, bad-teammate players (Starbury says it all); he traded Grant Hill at the peak of his value, and literally stole Ben Wallace for spare parts. The same for Rasheed in 2004. Dumars is a keeper, for sure.

9. I was thankful for Matt Millen: Without him, I wouldn't have had comedy material for nearly two years. Thanks, Matty! Maybe FOX will hire you back in the booth. Or not.

8. I'm thankful for Stephen A. Smith's mouth: (shifts to Smith mode) BECAUSE HE MAKES ME FEEL SMARTER! SLAVA MEDVEDENKO!

7. I'm thankful for half of Mike Illitch: As owner of the Red Wings, Illitch has built the ideal hockey franchise, and has taken a team from the depths of despair to four Stanley Cups during his tenure. Now, if only he could channel that for the Tigers...

6. I'm thankful for the Madden video games: Once you mute the commentary, the game itself is great. There's only one rule that I follow; never, under any circumstances, play as the Lions! Oh, I almost forgot; never play Franchise mode as Matt Millen (ZING! I knew I could find a Millen joke there!).

5. I'm thankful that I can mock other sportscasters: I've skewered Smith and Madden here, but I skewer other people too: Tony Kornhieser (little Madden), Skip Baseless, er, Bayless, Chris Berman, Kenny Mayne, etc. I'd go on, but (in Berman mode) I...DON'T...WANT...TO...GO...ALL...THE...WAY!!! The end.

4. I'm thankful I can mock sports channel lineups: The posterchild; ESPN Classic. Or, as it is now known, the 24-hour boxing, bowling, pool, poker and car auctions network! I'd rather watch when NBA TV or NFL Network shows a classic game; Classic should do what NFL Network does and show the game virtually unedited for time. That would be cool. But then again, how would some unknown fight from Showtime in 2006 get its due? Sike!

3. I'm thankful for being able to do this list: And I'm also grateful to anyone who reads it. Thanks to anybody who can tolerate this drivel and have fun doing it.

2. I'm thankful for the troops: I can have some bad days in my life, but I know that the troops overseas have it much rougher than I do. They have a truly hellacious job, and their courage and patriotism are unmatched. God bless all of them, and I earnestly hope you guys and gals come home real soon!

1. I'm thankful for my family and my health: As I said before, life can get rough. And though my dating life absolutely stinks, my immediate family is a huge comforting factor for me; my dad recently returned from upper Michigan, and it's fun to have him back (except when he sings). My aunt is only six years older than I am, so we relate very well and can confide any secrets we have to each other. And my grandmother, who recently turned 70, is the most caring individual I've ever seen; it's a shame they don't give medals for her kindness. And a special thanks to all the doctors who, in the past five years, took me from near death with pancreatitis to being almost normal (except for the bald patch on the back of my head, but that's a minor quibble); you guys are amazing!

Thanks again to everyone who reads this, and to everyone on the FOX blogs, have a safe and happy Thanksgivimg! Now, I must prepare for the Lions game I'm going to tomorrow; the key word for the game is "DUCK!"

Today marks my second anniversary of the day I decided to unleash my cynicism on these blogs. Yes, November 23rd, 2006, I signed up for this blog, and I remember the first post well. It was about the NFL, and it invloved the Thanksgiving day games.

That night, I wrote that the NFL should consider changing its lineup for the Turkey day games. At the time, the Cowboys were not playing spectacularly, the third NFL Network game featured the Colts destroying the Vick-less Falcons, and the Lions were, well, the Lions. They were the feature of my post, as I said they should not have a mandatory game on national TV when they lost frequently. The next day (which was Thanksgiving), Joey Harrington and the Dolphins ripped them, and the Lions showed no class by playing Billy Joel in mock of Harrington and singled him out for intro just so fans could boo.

Well, two years later, things haven't changed. And now, even the major sports networks agree with me. Today, Mike Ditka put the entire NFL in the doghouse for continuing to allow the Lions to dirty up Turkey day. So, the question I have is the same one I asked two years ago; should the Lions be removed from Thanksgiving?

The answer, in my opinion, is the same; yes, they should! Why would the NFL want to 'showcase' an 0-10 (soon to be 0-11) team? And against a team (Tennessee) who could be 11-0 that same day? It's a frickin' massacre waiting to happen! I don't want to see that! Give me a game with meaning. Please, not the Lions!

And this isn't my bias against the Losers, er, Lions here; the NFL shoud want to have the best matchups they can muster here. There's an easy solution to this problem; flex the Thanksgiving matchup! Here's how you do it; the week before the games, if (or should I say when) the Lions stink, you tell a better matchup (call the two teams therein) and say "You're playing on  Thursday". This gives you enough time to save Thanksgiving.

It seems ironic that I celebrate two years by doing the story I wrote on that first night here. But, as the title says, some things never change. The sky is always blue, the taxes have to be paid, and the Lions will lose a lot. Until the Fords (who apparently can't run any franchise) get serious about this team, they'll remain a disgrace to the league. And, to recall my first title post, there are too many turkeys on Thankgiving, and that shouldn't be the case. It's time for a change.

Last night, NBA fans saw yet another showcase for the team that won last year's title and very likely will have another chance at the brass ring this year. The Boston Celtics handed the Detroit Pistons their lunch again last night, winning 98-80 in Beantown (after an 88-76 loss at the Palace), dropping them to 8-4 and to 6-4 since trading for Allen Iverson. Clearly, the Celtics are the better team, and the Pistons may be #2 in the East, but the gap is more significant than most would expect.

The Pistons don't have the ideal chemistry right now, and it showed last night, when the offense stagnated after a decent start. I said before that Iverson, as a traditionally isolation-based player, would be a fly in the ointment for the motion O the Pistons preferred, and it was yesterday. And his lack of D must be spreading; the C's shot 49% from the field, and had five guys in double figures (led by Rajon Rondo's 18). Getting back to the O issue; Iverson's assist-to-turnover ratio was 1:1 (four assists, four TOs), which would indicate sloppy play. And Richard Hamilton is clearly struggling (4-9 shooting, just 12 points), and I'll be very interested if/when he starts to sulk about his role with the team.

Let's face it; the East is Boston's to lose. Though they don't always resemble last year's team, as Charles Barkley said last night, the East has a lot of trash in it. No team in the conference can match Boston's Big Three, and no one can match their desire to win again. That said, I won't say that they should repeat; the West champion (likely the Lakers, but I digress) will give them fits, and the depth on this team isn't good, but the Celtics should still be playing in June.

As for the Pistons, they should also be playing in June. Yep, they should be playing golf! The Pistons will rank right up there with the 1977 Trail Blazers and the 1983 76ers, among others. Great for one glorious season, and then consistently good, but never as good as they were for one stretch where nothing could stop them from winning it all. One must wonder what could have been had they simply cared about winning when it counted. Now, I must observe the inevitable trainwreck that should happen when AI doesn't like his role, and he, Hamilton, and Michael Curry (I still can't call him "Pistons coach" without laughing) clash. That should be fun! Until next time, be thankful that they at least aren't the Lions!

I haven't posted on the site too much this month, mostly because I have been swamped at school, but also because there hasn't been anything I felt interested enough in to write. Then, yesterday, I found inspiration from a familiar source. That's right; everyone's favorite losers, the Lions! Yesterday's press conference was easily one of the best I've seen this season.

For those who didn't pay attention (so basically, everybody), head lame duck, er, coach Rod Marinelli had a heated discussion with Detroit News (and ESPN FirstTake) scribe Rob Parker. Parker asked him, in essence, how was his mood after another loss (31-22 to the Panthers, making the Losers 0-10), whether he was disgusted or encouraged. Marinelli said he had complete faith and confidence in his players, and that he had to work harder to get into the win column. When Parker then wondered how he could be encouraged by this team, Marinelli tried his best to turn into Jim "Playoffs!" Mora or Denny "They are who we thought they were!" Green, and tried to insinuate that Parker was just trying to create a story.

The comdedy didn't end there, though. Parker later appeared on Sports Final Edition on Channel 4 here in Detroit, and defended his actions, and then said that the Lions should fire Marinelli because it's doing no good to keep him when it's obvious to most that he will get canned at season's end anyway. Instantly, Detroit had its version of Ozzie Guillen versus Jay Mariotti.

Where do I, an unabashed Lions basher, stand on this? I am in 100% agreement with Parker; Rod's ship has sailed on him. When former Lion Lomas Brown said on the same SFE show where Parker said the Lions should fire Rod that the team hasn't quit on him, I say "Really?". This team does play hard at times, but never for a full game. And isn't it lovely that the 10 million ex-Buccaneer players he brought in have, for the most part, stank!? So too has his son-in-law (and ex-Bucs coach) Joe Barry. Hell, Rick Barry would have been more able to run this D! Consider that Carolina rushed for 264 yards, and both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart rushed for over 100 each. Then consider that nearly 200 of those yards came after the 1st hit. Shoddy tackling has been the hallmark of these Lions since Marinelli took over, which is ironic for a former D-line coach.

And if Marinelli considers himself a motivator, he needs to get more bran in his diet; even my seventy year old grandmother, who knows very little about football, thinks he's an ####! I haven't had faith in his ability since he took over! So, why would this team give any effort to him? He needs to go. And before you say "It's too late in the season to do it", consider this; the Lions fired Darryl Rogers and replaced him with Wayne Fontes with four games to go in 1988, and fired Steve Mariucci after the Thanksgiving game a few years ago. So why not make it  Rod-gone!

So, Rob, while your appearences on ESPN may grate at times, you're correct here; Rod should be fired. And fire his son-in-law as well, so the fam can get the hell out of Detroit!

By now, everybody who is an NBA fan or loves malcontents knows that Allen Iverson has become the newest Detroit Piston after being acquired from Denver for Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess essentially. Many NBA fans have opinions of it, and not many are flattering. Before I give you my opinion, here's a part of my last post (Random Sports Thoughts: Mostly NBA Edition) where I bemoaned the lack of change in Detroit:

"Speaking of my hometown team: Still no changes in Bridesmaid town. They won't need to worry about crying after the conference finals; they won't get there. I'm begging Rasheed Wallace to erupt, just so it can hasten his departure. Wait; he has! Dammit!"

Basically, I said that the Pistons would not return to the Eastern Finals, much less the NBA Finals, because the same team that failed in the last three Eastern Finals was back without a change except for new coach Michael Curry (hold your laughter). Now, a week later, they have made that major move. So, you say, have I changed my mind?

The answer is "No, I haven't". This team still won't get it done when it counts because:

1. Iverson is all about, well, Iverson: I usually couldn't care less about anything Skip Bayless says, but when he calls AI "Me, Myself and Iverson", it rings so true. Iverson has either been "The Man" or "The Man with Carmelo" since he started playing ball, and now he's gonna change with the Pistons? Curry doesn't have the track record Larry Brown had in Philly that at least made Iverson willing to listen slightly, and he won't change in Detroit. And for those who say "Joe Dumars will change him", stop it; Dumars doesn't coach, and Iverson won't change.

2. He'll stagnate the offense: The Pistons aren't exactly an offensive juggernaut, but they were good enough to win a lot of games because no one hogged the ball. And Iverson wants to shoot everytime he touches it. Can you say "disaster in the making"? Everybody, from Richard Hamilton to Rasheed to Prince and the rest will struggle to integrate AI into the flow, so expect at least early trouble.

3. Rodney Stuckey gets no break: I love it when I hear people say that Billups was dealt for Iverson to clear room for Stuckey. It's complete BS; Iverson will actually hold back Stuckey because he doesn't defer to anybody, whereas Billups did give Stuckey some slack. The only way that's true is if Iverson leaves after the season. Sorry, Rodney!

But, after all of that, I'll admit that this was a necessary evil. The Pistons had to shake this foundation and move on; the title team was almost 5 years in the past, and this unit had gone as far as they could possibly go. So, I applaud Dumars for making the move. Now, if only we let Rasheed's contract expire, and wait until 2010, we could make a push for LeBron James (sorry, Joker!). But the Pistons today are no better off than they were Sunday, and yet I'm glad they aren't, if only because it finally signals the end of the redundant losers (and the end of the overrated Billups; if the refs didn't give him a thousand foul shots, he'd barely be serviceble! But I digress). Thank goodness!

Here's another round of random thoughts about sports. More specificly, basketball thoughts as the NBA season finally starts tonight. Here are my thoughts, with some other issues sprinkled in:

The Lakers and Blazers meet in the TNT nightcap. Four words about the Blazers' chances: Keep Greg Oden healthy!

As for the Lakers, we'll see if the return of Andrew Bynum really is the missing link there. Number of games played before Lakers fans panic: two if they lose both, three if they don't.

The Celtics also tip off tonight against the LeBrons, er, the Cavs. Don't give me that Maurice Williams stuff; he isn't enough to get Cleveland over the figurative hump.

The Celts are my favorites in the East. Why? Five words: "new Pistons coach Michael Curry".

Speaking of my hometown team: Still no changes in Bridesmaid town. They won't need to worry about crying after the conference finals; they won't get there. I'm begging Rasheed Wallace to erupt, just so it can hasten his departure. Wait; he has! Dammit!

Let's go to baseball for a moment: The Phillies/Rays game won't end until Wednesday. If the Phillies had won that 'game' yesterday because of the weather, that would have been the most embarrassing thing to happen to MLB since, well, Jose Canseco.

Back to the NBA: Mike D'Antoni hates the Knicks' practice habits, and Eddy "Hefty" Curry is out of the rotation. D'Antoni has found out quickly what can happen without Steve Nash or any good athletes.

First coach to be fired/resign: Larry Brown, Bobcats. Why? He still has half the NBA to coach!

League MVP: Kobe. And to those who say LeBron: think CSAJTSHL. Translation: He Can't Shoot A Jumper To Save His Life! He's too incomplete to be an MVP.

And finally; Skip "Manu's Boyfriend" Bayless has jumped off the Spurs' bandwagon and jumped on the Hornets' one. Gambit, you'd better be careful; whatever Skip touches turns to ####, so I'm scared about the Hornets.

That's all I have today. I'm so gald that the NBA begins, so I don't have to talk about the Lions anymore! Take care!

There really hasn't been much going on in the world of sports that would inspire me to write a full post on them, so to shake off some rust, I'll just run off some questions that have eaten at my mind recently:

1. Can the Lions go 0-16!: The short answer is "yes". Their schedule (including home games with the Redskins, Titans, Bucs, Saints, Jaguars and Vikings that I, unfortunately, have tickets for) is brutal, and they have little left to play for; the coach is a goner, the GM is already gone, and many players may not be here in 2009. And I say "Please tank this year!", if only for a few laughs.

2. Was yesterday's Lakers/Bobcats preseason game really bad, or was it me?: Maybe it was good Kobe sat out with his knee injury; that game was disgusting to watch. Fortunately, it's only preseason, but I think that all sports leagues should reduce preseason games and rates charged, so that fans who normally can't afford it can go to a game.

3. Has anybody else gotten tired of the Cowboys-palooza?: First, it was perennial troublemaker TO. Then, it was perennial troublemaker Pacman. Then, it was the non-stop Tony Romo injury coverage. Then, it was the "should Wade go?" stuff. Now, it's Wade taking over as defensive playcaller. Enough, already!

4. Speaking of, what about Brady?: I heard so much about Brady's complications from his ACL surgery, that I think I could perform the surgery myself! Look, I know Brady has won three Super Bowl and dates a supermodel, but that doesn't mean I need to know every angle about his surgery. Enough!

5. Is Manny Ramirez worth $27.5 million?: No. Nobody really is. Only in baseball can we discuss this with a straight face, and Manny wants six years, which would make him 42 when the deal ends. Um, Manny, you better settle for three years max, because you won't be productive at 42.

6. Will I win in any of my fantasy basketball leagues?: Of course I will! If you go into a fantasy league thinking you'll fail, you'll, well, fail. Look out to all three leagues!

Well, that's it for the questions! Hopefully, I have some better material after I attend the Lions-Redskins bloodletting, er, game! Take care!

It's been awhile since I blogged on the old Fox blog, so I'll break that today with some random sports thoughts. Here goes!:

The Patriots destroyed the Broncos yesterday. And honestly, after that performance, I can say that... the Pats still aren't that good. Matt "Jon Kitna" Cassel went down faster than the stock market early in that game. Not a good sign.

The Bronco defense had more holes than swiss cheese last night. Apparently, they took tackling lessons from the Lions, since their 73% completion rate would top the old record (70% by last year's Lions). Shameful.

The 49ers fired Mike Nolan after a 2-5 start and hired Mike Singletary. Can he still play D?

Speaking of which; Nolan's canning was the third during this season alone. Why is that significant? Because Herman Edwards and Rod Marinelli still have their jobs with less wins than Nolan! Wtf!?

Big time PGs Baron Davis, Steve Nash and Deron Williams have suffered injuries in the preseason. On Nash, it was bound to happen. It's called the "curse of Shaq"! Or could it really be the "curse of getting old"?!

Pacman Jones entered a alcohol rehab center. With Jones, the old cliche "less is more" applys; the less production, the more we talk about him.

The dramatic Rays-Phillies series begins. This is about as exciting as watching a documentary on gingivitis, isn't it, Rick Reilly?

Did you see that umpire tackle South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia in the SC-LSU game? Sign him up for the Lions!

Is it me, or does "1st and Ten" suddenly seem tolerable without Skip Bayless? Of course, Screaming A. Smith is there just to keep things irritating until Skip comes back, so nothing has changed.

According to the News & Globe (Toronto; I hope I'm attributing right), the NHL is talking about adding a second Toronto team. Sure; like Canada likes keeping their teams, anyway. Two words, Toronto; Vancouver Grizzlies!

Finally: I enjoyed seeing Chris Berman say he's "disgusted" after the Mike Nolan firing. Wasn't that the most original thing Boomer has said in more than twenty years?

Well, that's all the randomness for now! Until next time, may you have a boss like William Clay Ford; one who will never fire you, regardless of your bad judgment! Take care!

Forgive me for being a little tardy on the competition post; I was at a journalism intern fair at college, and it got pretty busy. Now then; the post makes it abundently clear what the topic is. What current NFL coach is feeling the burn the most? Who has such shaky security, that working for Al Davis would look like fun? Who wishes they had William Clay Ford for an pwner? Here are my top five, and the reasoning behind it:

5. Wade Phillips, Cowboys: I'm not saying that Phillips will be fired tomorrow; I mean to look at what he must do to stay beyond this year. He must overcome Tony Romo's thumb injury, placate two primadonna WRs in Terrell "Team Obilterator" Owens and Roy "That Annoying #### First-Down Signaler" Williams, fix a defense that has major secondary problems, wonder about Pacman's future, and take the 'Boys to the Super Bowl after not winning a playoff game since 1996. Easy, isn't it?

4. (tie) Eric Mangini, Jets & Romeo Crennel, Browns: Monday's impressive win not withstanding, the Browns were expected to be better than 2-3 at this point. Crennel was on the hot seat prior to last season, when the Browns went 10-6, because players seemed to be on the verge of mutiny against his Belichick-ian ways. Crennel must make the playoffs to keep the wolfs at bay, since his QB entered Monday as the NFL's lowest rated passer, and the fans could still pine for Brady Quinn. Meanwhile, Mangini is under even more pressure than Crennel, considering that the Jets brought in Brett Favre and several other prominent FAs to make a run right now. Mangini has come under fire for being too conservative, and it could get hotter if the Jets lose.

3. Herman Edwards, Chiefs: In a previous blog competition post, I said that the Rams were the worst team in the NFL because they fought more than the Hatfields and McCoys. Well, look at the dissention in KC; Tony Gonzalez wanted out, but is still there (the countdown to him becoming Shockey has begun), Larry Johnson was charged with assault, and the Chiefs don't have a quarterback. Combine that with a terrible stretch of play (1-13 if my math is correct) and the lack of imagination (quote of the year; I heard someone say "Edwards should realize that Army isn't #1 anymore) and you've got some major heat.

2. Marvin Lewis, Bengals: Speaking of dissention, Lewis is another example of getting bitten in the rear by bad apples. The Bengals began their offseason with both Chad Ocho Cinco and T.J. Houshmanzadeh pining for new homes/new contracts, and their lack of conditioning has been evident. Granted, injured QB Carson Palmer has barely played, and Ryan Fitzpatrick has been terrible, but neither play defense, which was supposed to be Lewis' forte, and has stunk in Cincy throughout his tenure. But at least he has won in the past, which I can't say for...

1. Rod Marinelli, Lions: I'm not looking through this with rose-#### glasses! Marinelli is the only coach I think right now should be fired on the spot! The Lions invent new ways to lose each week; last week, they chose simply to rip the heart out of the few fans they had left by showing abysmal clock management and allowing the Vikings to kick the winning field goal. They traded Williams to Dallas for draft picks in a draft without a legit star at the top, and then they treat Jon Kitna (who I don't really care for) like #### by ending his season with an 'injury' that would heal through rest! Why stop someone who is lightyears better than Dan "Where's the Out of Bounds Area?" Orlovsky and Drew "Injury Waiting to Happen" Stanton? Marinelli should be fired, plain and simple.

There's my coached on the hot seat. What coaches do you think should be feeling the heat? Just let me know in a comment. Until next time, may these coaches feel really lucky that I don't own a team!

There once was a team from Detroit. They said they were Lions. But real fans could see through them; only fools were really buying.

Everybody blamed Millen for the losing. No one disagreed. That the NFL was the horse, and the Lions were the feed.

So Millen was gone at last. There was a big celebration. Then they played in Minnesota, and it quickly turned to exasperation.

Jon Kitna was hurt. The fans got their choice. Then Dan Orlovsky played worse than that, and initially showed no poise.

There still was no running game; Kevin and Rudi stunk. Then again, both offenses did seem to be in a funk.

Adrian Peterson had two fumbles. He later let out a sigh. And then he said "For God's sakes, the only way this offense moves is by I."

But the Lions saved the Vikes. They suddendly heard a bell. And they showed their losing off again, by the foot of Ryan Longwell.

Many might blame the refs. That pass interference call on Leigh Bodden. I say just the opposite. The Lions are simply downtrodden.

Now they are 0-5. They've got Houston next. And the way they're coached, Marinelli should resign by a text.

You see, he is gutless. He simply seems to bail. And by doing that all the time, he sets his team up to fail.

I am a season ticket holder. It must have been humid. Because the only thing I think of now is "Boy, I was stupid!".

Well, that's it for this poem. I hope you were impressed. Now, until next time, may the Lions continue to be undressed!

I'm here today to try and fill my fantasy basketball league on Yahoo. We currently stand at seven members, and I need three more to fill it up. So, here's the info (written correctly this time):

League Name: DDFBL

League ID#: 41368

Password: nbapistons

Let's fill this league up with basketball fanatics who are ready to roll without the TNT-esque drama! Take care!

As I woke up this morning, I had all the intention in the world to write a post about Rod Marinelli and why he should be fired. After writing two posts yesterday, I deemed it unnecessary to write a third. However, the events of recent days have made me decide to put aside that post and write one completely from the heart. Be forewarned; this might not be pretty, and it might upset some people, but I MUST write it.

Lately, there has been a concerted attempt by the site managers to 'gag' members and prevent them from being seen among the most commented blogs on this site. Personally, I haven't run afoul of the administrators yet, because I have been careful not to say anything directly hurtful or what they wouldn't like. I just don't like when hatred and bias comes into play, and that's where I make my stand.

Many of these 'offenders' are blogger friends of mine, such as gambit, SRM, Nique and Jokerswild. Look, I could understand if they had come out and said "I hope (said figure) would pass away!", but what exactly have these bloggers done wrong? I read all of their work every time they post and I log on, and I can say, without exception, that nothing I read was intentionally hurtful or biased in a negative way towards anybody! Joker does a political post, and it gets gagged. I'm sorry, but that's a load of ####! He wasn't advocating for a revolution! He simply stated his views, and that's bad. Bull!

And now, you're making these very talented people leave for other sites that don't have the restrictions placed upon them. That really sucks (forget the ####!)! I have to chase to keep up with my friends like gambit and SRM simply because you have a problem with something they said! And your tech support sure doesn't offer much support; I tried to figure out why my Youtube video didn't play in one since-deleted post, and all I got was the same message TWICE saying "We know your problem; we'll fix it" essentially! Wow! Thanks!

I don't want to make war, but this borders on old-fashioned communism. Restricting speech you deem offensive because you don't like them! Hell, Oliver Stone is about to release a George W. Bush film that ridicules him, and I don't see Bush saying "Ban it!". In a strange way, you acting just like Marinelli; he realizes the problem before him, but he chooses to do nothing to because he is too cowardly to confront and fix the problem! You are better than that, Fox, and I really feel sorry for those who have been gagged.

With that in mind, I'm going to ask anybody who is leaving/has left this site who likes me to try and keep up with me. I won't say that I'm leaving, but I will go where my friends are. I have a new blog up on "THE Blog" sponsored before I was there, and I'll contribute there and here. And to those I mentioned by name; if indeed you guys are through here, you can send me e-mails at davidadowns@msn.com. Thank you, and, to close, I make this earnest plea; reinstate these bloggers and be more open to other opinions. Because, as Marinelli will find out soon, not being cognizant of problems will eventually be your downfall.

You read that right: I have set up a fantasy basketball league on Yahoo.com, and I need six more people to sign up and fill the league before the draft later this month. So far, I have gambit, Ubershorty and Nique in the league, and I will warn you now that, while I expect some friendly trash-talk during the season, I don't want TNT-esque drama from the participants. So, if you don't intend to simply have some fun, don't apply. Now, here's the info needed to join:

League name: DDFBL

League ID: 41368

Password: nabpistons

Hope to see you there!

The Miami Dolphins were not expected to be very good coming into the 2008 season. After all, they went a putrid 1-15 last season, the front office and coaching staff were overhauled coming into the season, and they had jettisoned long-time veterans Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas, among others. It seemed that, even with the venerable Bill Parcells in charge, it would take at least two to three seasons to turn it around.

But, after starting with two losses, the Dolphins have come back with stunning and impressive victories over the defending AFC champion Patriots (38-13) and the team they beat for the AFC title, the Chargers (17-10). Highly impressive stuff for a team nobody expected to compete. The Pats victory saw the Dolphins play the college single-wing with Ronnie Brown, who scored 4 TDs and threw for a fifth. The Chargers game saw them hold LaDainian Tomlinson to 35 rushing yards and the explosive Chargers’ O to 202 yards. So, after that, are the Dolphins a legit contender in the AFC? I don’t think that they are. Here’s why.

 1. They don’t have legit pass weapons, and Chad Pennington doesn’t have the arm to keep defenses on their toes: The top receiver so far is Greg Camarillo, who has 17 catches and 214 yards. Only Anthony Fasano has more than 1 TD receiving, and Pennington’s best passing day was 251 yards in the season opener against the Jets. Those same Jets traded for Brett Favre and released Pennington in part because he didn’t have the arm to throw deep and keep defenses honest. Further evidence of a team wasting a good running game (like the Dolphins have with Brown and Ricky Williams) is the Vikings, who despite having Adrian Peterson, are 1-3 entering Monday night. Unless Pennington can improve the pass attack, teams can stack the box and limit the Dolphins’ effectiveness.

2. Gimmick offenses work for only so long: After surprising the Patriots with the single-wing offense (leading to Brown’s big TD day), the Chargers did a better job against it, as Brown gained just 49 yards on 11 plays from the formation (although one of the plays led to the decisive touchdown). Teams will eventually have game film of this offense to plan defenses against, and the Dolphins will be forced to adjust their gameplan, which could be bad for Brown, who has just recovered from a severe knee injury. That connects to #1, since once the run offense cools, can the pass O step up?

 3. The defense doesn’t force turnovers: While the Dolphins don’t commit many turnovers (just 2 all year), they haven’t forced many, either. The Dolphins have just one INT (only the Lions have fewer INTs than they do) and two fumble recoveries; the three turnovers forced ranks ahead of only the Lions (2), Rams (2) and Giants (2) in the NFL. Unless they become more opportunistic, they won’t put their uncertain offense in good field position, and points will thus be harder to come by.

 4. The schedule has pitfalls: The Dolphins have some favorable matchups (they face the winless Rams & Texans, plus the struggling Raiders and Chiefs, albeit on the road except for Oakland), but there are some difficult matchups, such as the Bills (who shouldn’t give up 41 points again) twice, the Pats in a return trip (and likely thirsty for revenge), the Broncos, the Ravens, and the Jets in the season finale. The Dolphins’ inability to force turnovers and lack of passing makes it to where they must play a near-perfect game to win those games. That’s too high of a standard for any team, much less a young team, to live up to.

 5. The AFC East is tough: As stated above, they still have four games left within their division. They play Buffalo twice, the Pats at home, and the Jets on the road in the finale where the playoff hopes of both teams could be hanging in the balance. Being a young team, they could be exposed in those games, and finishing third in a division with other contenders like the Colts, Ravens and Chargers jockeying for those two wild card spots probably won’t cut it.

 So, after all of that, how will the Dolphins fare? The Texans next week could allow them to be 3-2, but a stretch against the Ravens (home game), Bills (home game) and Broncos (road game) is going to be a make-or-break stretch. If they can win at least two of those games, then they have a great chance to win 9-10 games and compete for the playoffs (assuming they beat Houston). If not, then the best they can hope for is 7-9 and a look ahead to next year. 

Here comes another batch of my musings from around the wide world of sports (thanks, ABC!). It's time for more Random Sports Thoughts!

The Cubs lost 10-3 yesterday night. That's sad. Now pass me some more billygoat-black cat-Bartman stew!

It's just too bad that the Cubs or Brewers aren't playing in Arizona. After all, they're used to big holes.

Speaking of the Brewers, C.C. Sabathia finally ran out of gas. Now the know-it-alls are complaning that he's not money in the playoffs. Funny; it never stopped A-Rod from buying seventeen countries.

The Rays won their first ever playoff game. Let that be a lesson to all pro teams; the Houstons Rockets-lose a lot-get high picks strategy does work!

I've got a fantasy basketball league on Yahoo.com. I need ten more owners, so if you're interested (about one person), the league name is DDFBL, the league ID is 41368, and the password is nbapistons (yeah, I know that will turn off some, but I'm from Detroit, so I couldn't realistically do nbalakers!).

How come the NHL season starts before the NBA season? Makes absolutely no sense to me.

Tommie Harris of the Bears was suspended for the game against the Lions for violating team rules. The Bears got sad for a second... then remembered they're playing the Lions, and laughed.

I'll be at Ford Field for that game Sunday (insert groans, laughter and dismay here).

Chad Ocho Cinco said he ought to start drinking and acting a fool, since the Bengals won that way. Funny; didn't he act up without enhancers?

Chad also said he'd kiss the Dallas Cowboys star after he scored a touchdown Sunday. Never mind he's only scored once this year, and Carson Palmer may not play. I'm glad Chad's here, so I can make fun of him and his sorry #### team!

Wait, I just heard a Cubs fan scream and curse. Heard it a lot from near my house last night; damn drunks!

New Pistons coach Michael Curry said he liked what he saw from his team at their first practice yesterday. Never mind how funny it sounds to say "Pistons coach Michael Curry"; he already sounds like Rod Marinelli! Next thing you know, he'll say after a loss "We just need to practice harder and play better"!

Phil Jackson shaved his 'stache, while Gregg Popovich returned from his Mormon pligrimage with a mountain-man look. I didn't know Ulysses S. Grant coached the Spurs, and Alex Trebek the Lakers!

Saw parts of Pete Maravich's 69-point game from 1977 against the Knicks on NBA TV. See; even in the past, the Knicks played no defense!

Sam Bowie, er, Greg Oden, tweaked his ankle and was held out of practice. At least Michael Jordan wasn't in this draft. (Sorry, Orman, if you're looking at this later!)

Finally, Cedric Benson signed with the Bengals recently. Perfect place for a player with legal troubles, isn't it, Chad?

That's it's for now. Take care, everyone!