According to an article in the Detroit News Bill Ford jr. says Matt millen should resign. It appears that the son of the Lions owner reads my blogs. Okay maybe not. Here is what JR said:
"It's embarrassing," Ford told The Detroit News Monday on the sidelines of the Detroit Economic Club. "The fans deserve better, and if I had the authority I'd fire the general manager."
No #### Sherlock! If I had the authority I would have done it years ago!
Ford Jr. is vice chairman of the Lions and son of franchise owner William Clay Ford, who purchased the team in 1964. Ford Sr. has final say on Millen, and his son has not intruded publicly on his father's domain.
The Lions can sit and stew over their 0-3 start during the bye week this week. The Lions next play the Chicago Bears at home. If Millen is not out by then you can guarantee the Lions fans will be protesting outside and wearing bags on their heads on the inside. Stay tuned on this developing story.
It is time for Bill Ford jr to assert himself into this situation. He may one day be the owner himself. Is this the type of organizational nightmare he wants to inherit? We will see.
Well it took just two weeks this year for many fans to become utterly disgusted with the disaster that is called the Detroit Lions. Usually the Motor City is given some hope towards the future early in the season. With each new coach has come new promises and optimism. The reality is that this team is in year 51 of a (insert number) year rebuilding project. The Lions last won an NFL Championship in 1957 and have won only one playoff game since. Thankfully most of us were alive when that happened because that may be all Lions fans ever get!
Where to start with this catastrophe the Lions have defecated onto their loyal fan base is where everything starts, the top. Owner William Clay Ford (WCF) bought the team in 1964 for $4 Million dollars. Now it is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But he won’t sell it, not in a Millen years!
Capitol gained from the Lions franchise might be enough to bail out his other failure of an enterprise Ford Motor Company. Ford is another American car company that has sent thousands of jobs overseas and eliminated thousands here in the states. But they can’t figure out why no one is buying their cars anymore. Well Mr. Ford they aren’t buying cars because they don’t have jobs anymore. If those thousands and thousands of Americans don’t have jobs then that effects millions of other Americans who relied on the American auto workers monetary trickle down effect. Well at least the Ford family and their stock holders made a profit because that is much better for everyone right? Lewis Black, maybe the Ford’s are the real "Root of All Evil"! Although I am not or ever was an economic major either.
Team President Matt Millen has racked up a whopping 31 wins against 83 losses in his tenure. Every coach he has hired and fired have all had last names starting with the letter M. He showed up in 1999 and fired interim head coach Gary Moeller only to hire first time coach and future disaster Marty Mornenwheig, then replaced him with Steve Mariucci before turning to the ranks of first time head coaches once again and hired current head (cliche machine) coach Rod Marinelli. Will Marinelli work out in the long run? Not in a Millen Years!
Fire Millen chants have never been louder at Ford Field and around the city of Detroit. Most football people agree that you win games in the trenches. If you can control the line of scrimmage you can win a ton of football games. Even Rod Marinelli knows that. He said it when he was hired. He said we need to be able to "pound the rock". So Matt Millen brought in rock pounding offensive guru Mike Martz? Maybe he just liked the double M’s in his name.
It doesn’t end there either. The Lions wanted to be able to run the ball effectively so what did they do? They drafted four wide receivers in the top ten instead! Not once in the top ten has Millen drafted a lineman or a runningback. However all three first and second round offensive lineman he has picked (Jeff Backus, Dominic Raiola, and Gosder Cherilus)will all be starting this Sunday. Will they change the draft philosophy? Not in a Millen Years!
Last Sunday at Ford Field was another very Lionesque performance but actually was a bit different. After trailing once again 21-0 the Lions came all the way back by taking the lead 25-24 at the 5:49 mark of the 4th quarter. Only to see Green Bay come right back and kick a field goal. Then in Jon Kitna like fashion he threw not one but two pick sixs only to see the Lions lose 48-25. How many crazy losses have the Lions had like this? A lot in the Millen years.
Enough is enough. How could anyone justify sticking around an organization that they know they are pushing further and further into the ground. Couldn’t anyone have these results? It isn’t like it could get worse could it? There must be 100 or more front office people in the NFL that could come in here and do a better job. Unfortunately the Ford family doesn’t understand this because they also ran at a negative operating expense last season with the Lions. Former head coach Daryl Rogers who coached the team in the eighties lost 8 straight games. After the 8th loss he said "what does a guy have to do to get fired around here"? It is evident that nothing has changed. So will the Ford’s fire Millen? Not in a Millen Years!
Matt Millen actually spoke this week to reporters during a Lions practice. When asked about the state of the team: "I believe in the guy I hired (head coach Rod Marinelli) and I believe in the staff we put together and I believe in the players we have on the field. If you want to point a finger at anybody for that stuff, it's on me. I'm fine with that because I believe in what's out there.'' If Matt believes what he just said he needs to do the right thing and step down! He is to stubborn to do that, he wouldn’t ever do that. Not in a Millen Years!
Remember the Millen Man March and the Lions fan walk out during the last game of the season against Cincinnati? The March outside of the stadium was good. But the walk out was a horrible idea other than it brought more attention to the situation. Before it happened I wrote that instead of walking out you shouldn’t be walking in! It is imperative that the fans of the Lions make their voices heard if anything is ever going to change. This may be the case this season as it appears there is a chance that a few games may not sell out. It has been over ten years since that has happened in Detroit. I didn’t think that would happen, Not in a Millen Years!
So what about the fans of the Lions? Where do they get a return on their investment both monetary and emotionally? Even through all the bad years of Lions football and all the blown draft picks, the players who were discarded only to come back and have career days against the Lions, the bad coaches, the terrible draft picks, the blown calls, the penalty ridden teams, and the missed field goal by Eddie Murray. The Lions fans have been there buying tickets, jerseys, and watching them on TV. What do the fans have to say about this? Well I asked them these two questions:
Do you think the only way the Lions will ever change the direction of the franchise for the better is if it WCF sells the team to an owner who is more suited to be an NFL owner?
Bill from Flint is a fan of over 50 years- I am at a loss in to justify Fords ownership....Last year, during our 2nd half collapse, I suggested that we take up a collection to hire moving vans and planes to move the entire Lion organization to Los Angeles with the comment that the LA lions had a nice ring to it. It was done with tongue in cheek at the time. Now I am reviving the idea with no reservations. The only way wwe long suffering fans will get any respite is if we start over with a new team. 30 some years of failed ownership proves that WCF and staff just don't care. In the past we always had a player or players to wrap our hopes around i.e. Barry Sanders, Billy Sims, Herman Moore, Joe Schmidt, Jack Christianson, Mike Lucie, etc.. Whom do we Now? I'm waiting! That’s right nobody. And that falls directly on the shoulders of Millen (no need to ad to his thrashing). Fords choice.
Dan from Webberville has been a fan for 30 years- used to be one of those guys who would bleed Blue and Silver….but they have destroyed that. Now I just expect them to lose…and laugh at the comments on the radio all week. It will never change. The Lions are the NFL’s Washington Generals (the team the Globe Trotters always played). Everyone has a career game against them. It’s just disgusting. It would have been nice over the past 30 years or so…to see our Horse #### of an owner down on the sidelines ala Jerry Jones….but he is as invisible as Matt Millen.
Steve from Novi is fan of over 25 years- This team is purely a business venture for the Ford family, one in which is much more successful then the Big 3 right now. Have people overpaying for an inferior product! Hell why not take advantage of it! This team will NEVER be any better if it is purely treated as a business venture. We need a FOOTBALL family in town!
Tomas from Lincoln Park is a fan of over 25 years- As long as us diehard Lion fans keep putting money into the WCF's bank account week in and week out...he will view this team as nothing more than a business venture...remember he was born into this so he looks at this as a business..nothing more nothing less.
Also regarding this season. Will it only get worse before it gets better? They play former offensive coordinator Mike Martz this week and are staring at 0-3 going into their bye week.
Bill - Get worse before it gets better?... IMO it can't get any worse. We may or probably will beat the 49er's but that is not anything to base the hopes for the season on. Although I can see the fans being sucked in with a victory as the ship has righted itself.
Dan - I truly….HATE these Detroit Lions. Will I ever love them again….winning heals all wounds
Steve - I actually believe that they will go into the bye week 1-2, however that could just be wishful thinking. They’ve kicked me in the berries enough in the past, hell why not one more time!
Tomas- I have a feeling that next week will be a disaster with playing San Francisco cause unlike Detroit...they have an actual NFL franchise that has won multiple super bowls before and ownership knows what it takes to win. Im not ruling them out yet cause ive seen a few teams bounce back fro 0-2 starts....granted those teams had(have) more talent than Detroit but anything is possible. I hope they have Bill Cowher's number on speed dial.
And there my last point , Bill Cowher. The Lions should be courting him starting last year. The Bengals blew it with him. The Bengals had the choice of Bill Cowher or Mike Shula to be their next head coach, and the rest is history. The Lions should not be the next team to pass on him without letting him run the operations and be the next head coach. I think he would do a much better job. Although I think a lot of people could do a better job. However will that happen? Not in a Millen Years!
From the weird to the odd, from ythe very old to the last month there are some really odd stats. I grabbed some from all over the map looking through baseball stats through out history. I may have left out some of the best because they aren’t stats that everyone has heard before. These can get you some knowledge points at work or amongst your friends. Most of these are from pitchers.
-In 2006 pitcher Scott Mathieson threw just 6 pitches before leaving the game with an arm injury. The odd stat is the box score. 0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
-This July (2008) the San Diego Padres had only one stolen base for the entire month. That stolen base came from recently traded Greg Maddox.
-C.C. Sabathia won his 8th game in a row for the Milwaukee Brewers. He is 8-0 and only one win from matching Doyle Alexander's 9-0 run for the 1987 Tigers as the best start by a pitcher who switched teams midseason in the last 90 years. The Tigers traded minor leaguer John Smoltz to make a run only to lose to the Twins in the ALCS.
-In over 140 years of baseball there have been zero players to play on two sides of two cities. In other words, no player has played for the Mets, Yankees, White Sox, and Cubs in their career.
-In almost every season since 1872 there have been at least one 20 game loser until 1980. After 1980 it took until Mike Maroth accomplished the feat in 2003. The best 20 game losing season (record wise) was by pitcher Bill Hutchinson in 1890. He pitched for the Cubs that season compiling a record of 42-25 with a 2.70 ERA. In 1890 there were exactly 20 pitchers who had 20 or more losses.
-In 1879 pitcher Will White of Cincinnati pitched 75 complete games in one season. He went 43-31completing every game started with an ERA of only 1.99 pitching a whopping 680 innings. Six pitchers have completed 70 or more games in one season, however they all did it before 1885. In 1885 the president of the United States Grover Cleveland was elected to the white house for his first term. The weird stat for Cleveland is he is the only President elected to two non-consecutive terms.
-It has happened every season this decade, but not yet this year. In 2008, no pitcher has come into a game, thrown 1 pitch and earned a loss. However 18 pitchers have done it since 2000. In 2006 it didn’t happen until August 29. With the exception of Jimmy Gobble and Ray King all of the others apear to be walk-off homeruns.
-Former Cubs, A's, and Pirates hitter Matt Alexander or should I say runner played nine seasons. In all of his nine seasons he only had more at bats than games played just once! In 1974 he played in 45 games and had 54 at bats. In 1978 he didn’t even get an at bat in the seven games he played in. Alexander had 103 career stolen bases and only 168 at bats. He played in 374 games for his career. From 1978 to 1980 he played in 88 games only batting 16 times.
Mathieson only faced one hitter and struck him out -- but still gave up an earned run and, according to the box-score gods, recorded more strikeouts (one) than outs (zero).
Yes, now you have heard of them all. Diets are as American as Credit Cards. Most Americans try at least one diet every year. Some seem to try a new one every month. From counting calories to counting points all diets have a system.
Unfortunately the part of the diet most leave out is the most important one. That would be the exercise portion. There is a diet out there that doesn’t work without it. Well except the "Hollywood diet". That diet is a liquid you drink for 48 hours to drop 10 pounds in two days. Too bad that liquid comes back out violently!
The 12,000 calorie diet consists of these meals:
Breakfast- three fried egg sandwiches with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fried onions, and mayo, one five-egg omelet, a bowl of grits, three slices of French toast with powdered sugar, and three chocolate chip pancakes washed down with two cups of coffee.
Lunch-a pound of enriched pasta and two large ham and cheese sandwiches slathered with mayo on white bread - capping off the meal by chugging about 1,000 calories worth of energy drinks.
Dinner- another pound of pasta, an entire pizza with another 1,000 calories of energy drinks.
This diet works! It only works though if you are training for the Olympics. This is the diet of the greatest Olympic Champion of all-time, Michael Phelps. However if you aren’t training you would actually gain four pounds per day. This is also equal to 20 Big Macs. Phelps burn approximately 1,000 calories per hour when he is training.
The next time you want to try a new diet, go for it. I would recommend swimming for the exercise portion of your diet though. That must be why I was so skinny as a kid!
Getting ready for your fantasy draft can be confusing and overwhelming. There are a few things to remember before making your picks. First you must qualify the player for each round. The old rule of thumb was to take two running backs in the first two rounds. However things have changed. Things have changed but fantasy owner draft strategies really haven’t. Until this year.
In the past most tight ends get drafted in rounds 4 and 5. Hopefully for you this will hold true. This year there are enough tight ends available in the same points range that you may be able to hold off until rounds 7 and 8, maybe later.
Also In the past few years tight ends Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzales were drafted early and often. This year there are at least 10 players available that are worthy of being a top pick at tight end. Also keep in mind that Gates had foot surgery in February.
Here is this years top ten picks for your tight end position. Keep in mind that tight ends are capable of having big weeks any week but could also be a no-show for a week or two. A defense that is a good fit for tight ends to play against is the cover two or Tampa 2 scheme a few teams are running this year.
The Top Ten:
1. Kellen Winslow-Browns- Kellen had a wide receiver type of season last year having caught 82 balls. He is coming into his own as a player and is part of a up and coming Browns offense that could finally do some real damage in 2008. He is certified fantasy stud.
2. Jason Witten- Cowboys- Witten has a top tier fantasy quarterback throwing to him. Romo found him often last year and both are looking to take the Cowboys all the way this season. Witten can score big points in a given week.
3. Dallas Clark – Colts- Clark is a vital cog in the Colts offense. With Marvin Harrison a question mark for 2008 Clark will be looking for another big year in Indianapolis. However Manning needs to get healthy before he is really worthy of #3. Clark could actually fall out of the top ten and is a very shaky #3.
4. Antonio Gates- Chargers- Although he did have off-season surgery he may be a slow starter. However he still has the same quarterback and runningback lined up with him so he will be a big time threat no matter what.
5. Tony Gonzalez- Chiefs- Tony may not be the tight end he once was, he is probably the best receiving option the Chiefs have. Gonzalez needs runningback Larry Johnson to have a big year to open up the passing game.
6. Jeremy Shockey- Saints- Shockey will be looking to silence all the critics who said the Giants were a better team without him. They may have been, but Shockey has upside to his fantasy potential being in New Orleans. Drew Brees passes as much as any quarterback in the league and he will be looking to make Shockey a Pro-Bowl caliber tight end.
7. Chris Cooley- Redskins- Cooley is now part of the west coast offense with Jason Campbell leading the charge. Campbell had his biggest year in college under the WCO and is looking to have another huge year. Cooley was already a top tight end but in the WCO many tight ends have turned in their best years.
8. Heath Miller- Steelers- Miller has been a solid tight end most of his career. Ben Rothlisberger had arguably his best season last year as well. Look for Miller to put up solid numbers once again.
9. Owen Daniels- Texans- Daniels is a vital cog in the Texans attack. He had the highest rating of first downs per catch last season and quarterback Matt Shaub is poised to have a solid second season in Houston.
10. Alge Crumpler – Titans- No longer a fantasy stud Falcon he finds himself the target of another mobile quarterback that likes to hit the tight end on the run. Crumpler has a knack for getting open in spots to help out a scrambling QB. Crumpler may have a huge year in Tennessee.
The NFL has an abundance of good tight ends. Some of the better tight ends you may be able to snag would be Bears end Greg Olsen, Denver’s Tony Schefler, Patriot Ben Watson, and Rams tight end Randy McMichael. All of these players would be good late round picks.
One tight end that will be drafted high in many leagues to stay away from is the 49er’s Vernon Davis. He is a very good tight end. He may be one of the best in the league. However he is now under new offensive guru/knucklehead Mike Martz. In Detroit Martz’ offense made the tight end/H-back position nonexistent. Not to mention the QB battle has come down to former NFL Europe and back up Lions QB J.T. O’Sullivan ahead of a struggling Alex Smith. Also don't forget, there is areason why Mike Martz has been fired from his last two jobs, and it wasn't because he was an offensive guru.
Another set of TE that may fall into waiver wires after the draft is Jets TE Chris Baker and Dustin Keller. Either may be a very good player with Brett Favre now running the show. It is a camp battle worth looking at. In 2007 Baker almost averaged (71%) a first down per catch.
One last item is that on average per week the difference between the top TE and the bottom is not always that great. The main thing to look for is consistency. But hey, maybe I am wrong about everyone of these guys. Opinions are like behinds, everyone has one and most of the really stink!
The most common draft strategy used by many fantasy team owners is to draft running backs in round one and two. Some even take backs in the first three rounds. But if everyone does this how would anyone separate their team from other teams besides injuries? This year there are four QBs you should consider in the first round as well. This doesn’t mean to skip RBs all together, but consider other options.
This year is the year you can finally get an edge. This doesn’t mean you need to draft a kicker in round three, you still should be drafting your kicker dead last. What you may need is a new strategy. If everyone is using the same strategies usually the only thing that separates your team from theirs is dumb luck.
The era of the three down back is over. In 2007 the NFL saw it lowest total of 300 carry backs (6) since 1999. There are a lot of quality backs you can get after the RB draft frenzy is over. In fact there are only a few backs worthy of round one status. Lets break it down.
Round 1 RBs
1. LaDanian Tomlinson – he is healthy and a fantasy stud, he is worthy of a number one overall pick.
2. Adrian Peterson – Peterson is unstoppable at times and can rack up monstrous fantasy numbers against any team any week. Worthy of a top 5 pick.
3. Steven Jackson – Jackson was injured in 2007 and the Ram offense was a non-factor. In 2008 big things are expected from Jackson and unless he holds out for a long period of time he is worthy of your round one pick in the 4-8 range.
4. Joseph Addai- The Colts offense is predicated on the ability of Peyton Manning to be able to run play action passes. This makes Addai’s role very important again in 2008 and he should deliver as well. Addai is a "inside the 5 guy" as well (see below)He is worthy of your round one pick in the 4-8 range.
5. Brian Westbrook – Westbrook does it all in Philly. He runs well, catches the ball, and blocks. Westbrook and McNabb should both have good years, but Westbrook is the key to it all and they will use him as such. He is also worthy of your round one pick between 5-10.
Round 2 RBs
Frank Gore had a bit of a down year after his breakout season in 2006. But with a new offense coordinated by Mike Martz Gore should flourish once again. Gore could be yours at pick 10-13. Larry Johnson is back and ready to go. He is rated low this year based off of last years stats. Last season he held out almost all of camp and then was injured. The Chief’s offense has a bright spot and it shines on Johnson. He may fall all the way to the end of round 2 or even into round 3.
Clinton Portis is now under the West Coast offense in Washington. Portis will get more catches and should be better in 2008 with a healthy shoulder. He should go early in the 2nd round.
Marshawn #### is the number one back in Buffalo and could have another good season. He was a surprise as a rookie and should be able to build on that to haveyet a n even bigger 2008. #### should go in the 2nd round for sure.
Marion Barber is now the featured back in Dallas. With an offense like the Cowboys have he could have yet his biggest season yet. He hasn’t been at his best as the featured back in the past when Julius Jones was out, but Jones is gone now and Barber doesn’t have a choice but to be the man. Barber may go early in round 2 but he would be better late in round 2 or early round three.
Best of the Rest
Jamal Lewis is part of a very potent Cleveland attack. He was one of the better RBs last season but is still ranked too low in pre-draft rankings. You could snag him as late as round 5!
Matt forte is a rookie in Chicago this year and is going to be the featured back. First Cedric Benson was arrested twice and then swiftly cut. Then the Bears brought in former Lion Kevin Jones but he is still hurt yet again from last season. Forte may slip under the radar onto your roster in round 4 or later.
One-Two Punch
These are the players that if you draft one you need to get the other.
Willie Parker is still the one in the one-two punch in Pittsburgh. Parker will get the bulk of the load ahead of rookie Rashard Mendenhall.
Kevin Smith is a rookie in Detroit where they team has changed from a pass happy offense to a run oriented zone blocking scheme used in Denver. Tatum Bell is the veteran of the duo. Bell started the first 5 games last year until Kevin Jones returned. However once Jones did return, Bell was deactivated in all 11 weeks after.
Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor may actually have better numbers as a duo in 2008 with the additions to the already stout defense. The offense should be on the field even more so they will be solid picks once again. Don’t Forget Backs
Brandon Jacobs, Darren McFadden, Edgerin James, Rudi Johnson, Ronnie Brown, Thomas Jones, Julius Jones, TJ Duckett, Reggie Bush, and Michael Turner should all be available after you have filled your other starters at every other position.
RBs to Stay Away from Early
Laurence Maroney- The Patriots use so many backs and Maroney has been injured so many times that you should pick him with caution. He should be a late round find instead of an early round buster without the rhymes.
Willis McGahee is highly ranked and lowly productive. The Ravens offense is terrible and the QB situation may change every week making Willis a weak pick. Hope that another fantasy owner goes bananas and drafts him in the 2nd round.
Handy Dandy Chart
Here is another way to look for a RB late in your draft that can have an impact on your season. With so many teams running by committee it is very important to have the back that teams go to in the red zone. Although some of the players didn’t rack up a ton of points last year that doesn’t mean they won’t in 2008. You should seriously consider these numbers when determining one player ahead of another.
Here are the top ten go to backs when it matters. They may not be your franchise back but they each had at least 200 carries.
NFL camps open soon. Here is a preview of what to look for throughout camp and preseason for the Detroit Lions. In no particular order.
10 days until the Lions realize Drew Stanton can't play in the NFL.
14 days until the Lions find out the O-line and D-line still dream of being mediocre. Everyone knows games are won in the trenches. This has been the secret to Matt Millen's failures.
8 days until John Kitna says something crazy again about the Lions winning in Green Bay or making the playoffs then looks at everyone else like they are crazy.
20 days until the Lions remember why they deactivated Tatum Bell for 11 straight games. Although they resigned him anyway. New zone blocking scheme doesn't give Tatum bigger hands to hold on to the freaking rock!
4 months before the Lions defense figures out who is going where and covering which areas. Likeley to happen two weeks after they are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.
15 days until Roy Williams says something weird or reveals he doesn't tip at restaurants either. Look for him to be serving coney dogs later in November.
8 days until Rod starts cranking up the cliches about clawing walls and smashing mouths.
12 days until Kitna accidentally says "in Rod we trust"
1 month before "Fire Millen" chants, articles, blogs, songs, books, commercials, rallyies, and websites get going again in full swing!
Just a little primer by the numbers to get you ready for Lions training camp and preseason. The serious season preview will be published just before the season starts.
So many names fly under the radar in everyday conversation. The main reason could be that the names aren’t spelled exactly the way they sound. Another reason is that the names are in sports so the association isn’t made when saying the names. This is by far not the type of work I am most proud of but I just had to say something didn’t I?
Below is a list of names. They are separated by starters and bench players from all type of sports. The starters are the athletes with the best names most likely to have robes and special colognes off of the field. The bench players are close but should be happy to be on the team. The list could have been called pitchers and catchers but that may have been to much innuendo.
All the names below are current athletes and their names are real. I know I missed someone so let me know by commenting below. I would hate to leave anyone out. You may also have to click on some of the names to allow the names to show up. The names are in no particular order.
Starters:
"The Big Unit" Randy Johnson
Kerry Wood
Grady Sizemore
Albert Pujols
John David Booty
Kosuke Fukudome
B.J. Upton
Chase Headly
Reggie Bush
The Bench:
Pudge Rodriguez
Nick Swisher
Rich Harden
Jake Long
James Hardy
Nick Harden
Johnny Dingle
Dominique Foxworth
Assistant coaches are very important too. Which is why the list has former MLB players Rollie Fingers, Rusty Kuntz, and #### Pole along with former "baller" Magic Johnson. #### Butkus is the assitant to the traveling secretary.
Of the four major pro sports Hockey, Baseball, Football, Basketball in the United States and Canada only eight teams actually have a color as part of the mascot. Soccer was not included because it is lower than bowling and poker on the sports food chain in America. Simply looking at the four sports and the 122 pro sports teams there is one thing obvious, if you are a team of color you better have "red" in the name.
Teams with the name "red" include the Redskins, Red Wings, Red Sox, and Reds. These teams comprise 50% of the list known as the "A list". The Browns, White Sox, and Blue Jays represent the other 50% of the list known as the "B list".
The Red teams have a combined 27 Championships between them. The Red Wings have won 11 Stanley Cups, the Red Sox have won 6 World Series, the Reds have won 5 World Series, and the Redskins have won 5 Super Bowls. This is why they are the "A list".
The other #### teams have only 12 combined Championships. That is why they are on the "B list". They are not new franchises either. These teams have been around a long time. In fact every team of color has been around a long time. The newest team on the list is the Toronto Blue Jays whose franchise began in 1977 which is relatively young in comparison to the other teams on the list.
Teams of color are old school. You will probably never see another team name including a color as part of the name. But if your city gets one, they better make the name have "Red" in it!
The entire list of most championships by pro teams of color:
Red Wings 11
Red Sox 6
Reds 5
Redskins 5
Browns 4
White soxs 3
Blackhawks 3
Blue Jays 2
The Breakdown:
4 teams were from MLB
Zero teams were from the NBA
Chicago has 2 teams on the list
2 teams with Indian names on the list and 2 about colors of Sox.
2 teams of color left off the list the St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets have never won a Championship.
Of all teams "Blue" only a combined 2 Championships
Here is a the rest of the story. He was raised in a small town in Michigan. He was the all American kid. He served his country during Vietnam. He later married, helped raise two kids, and worked a lot of hours. He believes in doing things right and doing the right thing. He cares about other people and loves to talk to people every where he goes.
As his son got older and started getting into sports he supported him all the way. He went out of his way to be involved with his son and his teams. He coached him in almost every sport. He usually spent most of his free time throwing a ball around the yard with his boy than anything else. One time he tore his ACL. It happened in the 80's when arthroscopic surgery was still somewhat new. During October, football season for his son and for NFL, his son’s birthday fell on a beautiful October Saturday. He spent almost the entire day playing all time QB and throwing passes to all his son’s party guests as they played two hand touch football, all while having a cast from his foot to his hip on. It is these days that are always remembered so fondly.
His son was a wrestler as well. He wrestled for so many years it was a second family. In wrestling there is a lot of travel involved much like hockey parents. The weigh-in times are always very early so it meant getting up even earlier on Saturday’s and Sunday mornings. The thing was he was a truck driver who had difficult hours. He was very low in seniority so he had the toughest of everything. Some days on call he would go back 8 hours after his last shift. This means he somehow found a way.
He went to the practices, went to every tournament, and coached all the other kids as well. He made it so many times without any sleep but never complained once. He was very vocal and passionate as a coach as well. All the other wrestlers liked him. Almost twenty years later his son still gets asked how his dad is doing every time he runs into someone from the past. He has left an impact on so many lives and doesn’t really know it directly.
Earlier this year he was diagnosed with Cancer. But like the man he has always been he kept his head up. Instead of saying "why me!" he said "Why not me?". He had insurance, some money, a good job, a supporting wife, a supporting family, and he isn’t very old. He has chemotherapy every other week and they only get harder as they go. The chemicals really impact the body. The numbness in the fingers and extreme sensitivity to the cold and touching colder objects along with the laundry list of other side effects.
He has always been there for smart advice, coaching his son, keeping his class clown of a son in line, supporting his family, and is now a very proud grandpa! He is my father Dan Green! I wanted to put this out for Fathers Day because I go to wrestling camp on fathers day and I know I will be thinking of many fond memories on the mats as I now take his place in kids lives through coaching. Thank you dad for making me the man I am today!
In the fews years I have been writing I have never written off sports topics. But with the extreme prices in gas these days I have unearthed some information that will help you and everyone you know get the most out of every gallon you pump. Make sure you read it all because this all should make a big impact! It isn't what you know but who you know. This is just another example of that simple life lesson. The information was passed along from someone who works in the business of gasoline and oil. Here is what they said:
"Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose , CA we deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline. One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and premium grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.
Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role.
A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.
When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3)stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.
One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.
Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom. Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.
DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!
WHERE TO BUY USA GAS, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW. READ ON
Gas rationing in the 80's worked even though we grumbled about it. It might even be good for us! The Saudis are boycotting American goods. We should return the favor.
An interesting thought is to boycott their GAS.
Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money into the coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just buy from gas companies that don't import their oil from the Saudis.
Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I fill-up the tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill me, my family, and my friends.
I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil companies are the best to buy gas from and which major companies import Middle Eastern oil.
Citgo gas is from South America, from a Dictator who hates Americans. If you do the math at $30/barrel, these imports amount to over $18 BILLION! (oil is now $90 - $100 a barrel
Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern oil:
If you go to Sunoco.com, you will get a list of the station locations near you. All of this information is available from the Department of Energy and each is required to state where they get their oil and how much they are importing. But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of gas buyers. It's really simple to do.
pass this page along to everyone you know so they too can get the most out of the pump and to try to reverse trend of dependence on middle eastern oil.
One subject that many, including myself, have done for so long is give top ten lists of pretty much everything under the sun. Sports fans really like to make these lists. But what many readers don’t realize, unfortunately, is that 99% of top ten lists are nothing more than an opinion. Some of the writers don't realize it either though.
Some of the more popular lists I have done would include the top ten baseball players of all time, top ten hottest WNBA players, and the big one, the top ten most overrated sports moments which I wrote earlier this year.
A marketing firm compiled data and fan feedback from all 122 pro sports franchises. With this list it is based on many items. This list is not my list. This list was done by two companies as well.
The list is called the "Ultimate Standings" by Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon and Markitecture INC. The list was published in the May issue of ESPN the Magazine.
The data used to figure all this out was put together with these factors included. Most of these factors included: Ownership, Coaching, Players, Fan Relations, Affordability Stadium Experience, and ####-for-the-Buck.
So who are the Top Ten Franchises and who are the Bottom Feeders? Here are the lists.
Top Ten Sports Franchises:
10. Arizona Diamondbacks
9. Jacksonville Jaguars
8. Detroit Pistons
7.Detroit Tigers
6.Los Angeles Angels
5. Anaheim Ducks
4. Green Bay Packers
3.New Orleans Hornets
2. San Antonio Spurs
1. Indianapolis Colts
The Bottom Feeders:
113. Memphis Grizzlies
114. Baltimore Orioles
115. Cincinnati Bengals
116. Seattle Supersonics
117. Oakland Raiders
118. Minnesota Timberwolves
119. Atlanta Falcons
120. Detroit Lions
121. Toronto Maple Leafs
122. New York Knicks
Notables and other numbers:
The city of Detroit had three teams in the top 12 and one in the bottom. The Detroit Red Wings came in at 12th.
No New York team ranked higher than the Giants at number 48. New York has seven pro sports franchises which is more than any other city.
The New England Patriots were ranked as the 11th best franchise.
The Chicago Cubs were ranked 95th. I guess without any living fans from the last World Series it is hard to rank higher. The Cubs have only won two World Series’ and they were back-toback in 1907-08.
The number 100 team is the New Jersey Nets.
The Indiana Pacers just missed the Bottom Feeder list at number 112
In MLB the Boston Red Sox ranked 89th while the New York Yankees ranked 65th. The Tampa Bay Rays ranked 75th while the Toronto Blue Jays ranked 67th and the Baltimore Orioles were ranked 114th. The AL East is not a good franchise division apparently.
Surprises on the list were the Milwaukee Brewers who were 13th and the St. Louis Blues were 14th.
The NFL has operated far too long with the current type of Collective Bargaining Agreement. The most obvious problems involve guaranteed contracts and ridiculous rookie contracts. These two issues will be at the forefront of the next contract as negotiations at a snail pace toward 2011 as well as revenue sharing between players and owners.
As it stands now NFL owners can pull out of the present collective bargaining agreement with the players on November 8, and it appears that the owners are heading in that direction. If the owners pull out of the CBA, there is no salary cap the final year of the agreement (which is in 2010). If the players pull out, players would only receive free agency after six years of service — not four. In 2010 the NFL could operate without a cap. But that would not remain for long. Teams looking for one year success could reap big rewards if they target that year for a run. It would be a big year for one year contracts and the best teams would have the advantage because they would already have the incentive for veteran players looking to win a Super Bowl.
The first obstacle is a must for NFL players. Get guaranteed contracts. It is amazing in a league that has the highest revenue and has the highest risk of injury that there are not guaranteed contracts. What the owners may want in place to cover the expenses is two more regular season games. They would likely change two preseason games into regular season games. Every other sport has guaranteed contracts why doesn’t the NFL?
The second change is another glaring need in the NFL. A rookie salary cap like the NBA has. The guaranteed money to top tier rookies has been insane for a number of years now but has taken an even bigger jump over the last four years. Teams with high draft picks are already bad teams, they don’t need to pay top dollar to players that have not even played yet. If a player is a bust it cripples teams for many years. Matt Millen is an easy target for this issue.
Some other needs in this deal are better pension plans with health insurance for former players. How can a league discard the players that made the league what it is today.
According to a story from ESPN.com there is a lot more to what the owners want as well-"Beneath the surface of this increasingly rancorous dispute is the bargain the players and the owners made in March 2006, an agreement that provided significant increases for players in salaries and bonuses. Instead of 55.5 percent of NFL revenues, the players now are entitled to 60 percent. The salary cap has jumped from $85.5 million per team in 2005 to an expected $123 million per team in 2009, an increase of 43 percent.
Although the owners agreed to those increases, they are not happy about their decision. A number of owners claim their profits have dropped from 10 percent each year to only 4 percent since the 2006 bargain was struck." - Lester Munson ESPN.com
Also of note from the ESPN.com article from Lester Munson: "Upshaw and others involved in NFL labor issues expect the owners to announce that the players will be locked out of training camps, putting the 2011 season in jeopardy. An NFL lockout would come six years after the National Hockey League locked out its players, which killed the 2005-06 NHL season.
The NFL's union, according to Upshaw, will counter with decertification, which means it will give up its role as the official labor organization of NFL players and become a trade association.
"How can they lock us out if we are not a union?" Upshaw said.
Jeffrey Kessler, a union attorney who was a leader of the court fight that led to the 1993 restructuring of the NFL, added: "If you lock out players who do not have a union, it is an antitrust violation."
The battle will lead to the same kind of litigation that began after the players' unsuccessful strike in 1987 and led to the 1993 settlement that allowed owners and players alike to prosper for 15 years. It will be a high-stakes struggle, as the players will seek to duplicate their triumphs in the early '90s with demands for triple damages and injunctions."
This does not look like it will be pretty if this is already starting. With all the egos involved the only real losers will be the fans who are treated to court room drama, lawyer speak, and replacement players. There really isn’t anything like Billionaires arguing with Millionaires! It doesn't look good but there is still hope that this can be taken care of before doomsday in the NFL. This may come down to the final hour. There are a lot of layers to this and one can only hope that they will make sense of all this and get the new deal done.
Every pundant with a computer, google, and watched the NFL draft has given their grades to NFL teams for last weekends drafts. We all know you can't judge a book by it's cover, it is the same with the draft. It is comical to me to see that many in the Detroit Media and many fans give the Detroit Lions and Matt Millen a C+ and even as high as a B+ for their draft.
Some of the comments I have read are that the Lions seem to have filled so many holes in their roster. Another is that the Lions finally drafted players that want to play football. If that has been the problem than why did it take eight years to figure out? I think anyone learns on the job faster than that. I think I could learn knee surgery faster than Millen learned how to draft and he hasn't really even done that yet either. The thing is, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE SO MANY HOLES IN THE ROSTER IF MATT MILLEN WOULDN'T HAVE CREATED SO MANY HOLES IN THE LIONS ROSTER IN THE FIRST PLACE!
Another thing I found ironic was that Matt Millen, the guy who had to get rid of as many of Bobby Ross' players when he came in, drafted one. Bobby Ross was the coach that first brought S Caleb Campbell into Army football. Now there is actually people critical of Campbell's patriotism for heading to the NFL instead of Iraq? Are you kidding me? This is a great PR move for the Army and a great recruiting tool.
I wonder just how many of these people have ever served our country themselves? Funny how I have only heard 100% support for Campbell from other military brats. It is like people who rip on the President of the United States but don't even vote.
"It's embarrassing," Ford told The Detroit News Monday on the sidelines of the Detroit Economic Club. "The fans deserve better, and if I had the authority I'd fire the general manager." 
Well it took just two weeks this year for many fans to become utterly disgusted with the disaster that is called the Detroit Lions. Usually the Motor City is given some hope towards the future early in the season. With each new coach has come new promises and optimism. The reality is that this team is in year 51 of a (insert number) year rebuilding project. The Lions last won an NFL Championship in 1957 and have won only one playoff game since. Thankfully most of us were alive when that happened because that may be all Lions fans ever get!
Team President Matt Millen has racked up a whopping 31 wins against 83 losses in his tenure. Every coach he has hired and fired have all had last names starting with the letter M. He showed up in 1999 and fired interim head coach Gary Moeller only to hire first time coach and future disaster Marty Mornenwheig, then replaced him with Steve Mariucci before turning to the ranks of first time head coaches once again and hired current head (cliche machine) coach Rod Marinelli. Will Marinelli work out in the long run? Not in a Millen Years!
Last Sunday at Ford Field was another very Lionesque performance but actually was a bit different. After trailing once again 21-0 the Lions came all the way back by taking the lead 25-24 at the 5:49 mark of the 4th quarter. Only to see Green Bay come right back and kick a field goal. Then in Jon Kitna like fashion he threw not one but two pick sixs only to see the Lions lose 48-25. How many crazy losses have the Lions had like this? A lot in the Millen years.
Remember the Millen Man March and the Lions fan walk out during the last game of the season against Cincinnati? The March outside of the stadium was good. But the walk out was a horrible idea other than it brought more attention to the situation. Before it happened I wrote that instead of walking out you shouldn’t be walking in! It is imperative that the fans of the Lions make their voices heard if anything is ever going to change. This may be the case this season as it appears there is a chance that a few games may not sell out. It has been over ten years since that has happened in Detroit. I didn’t think that would happen, Not in a Millen Years!
So what about the fans of the Lions? Where do they get a return on their investment both monetary and emotionally? Even through all the bad years of Lions football and all the blown draft picks, the players who were discarded only to come back and have career days against the Lions, the bad coaches, the terrible draft picks, the blown calls, the penalty ridden teams, and the missed field goal by Eddie Murray. The Lions fans have been there buying tickets, jerseys, and watching them on TV. What do the fans have to say about this? Well I asked them these two questions:
Bill from Flint is a fan of over 50 years- I am at a loss in to justify Fords ownership....Last year, during our 2nd half collapse, I suggested that we take up a collection to hire moving vans and planes to move the entire Lion organization to Los Angeles with the comment that the LA lions had a nice ring to it. It was done with tongue in cheek at the time. Now I am reviving the idea with no reservations. The only way wwe long suffering fans will get any respite is if we start over with a new team. 30 some years of failed ownership proves that WCF and staff just don't care. In the past we always had a player or players to wrap our hopes around i.e. Barry Sanders, Billy Sims, Herman Moore, Joe Schmidt, Jack Christianson, Mike Lucie, etc.. Whom do we Now? I'm waiting! That’s right nobody. And that falls directly on the shoulders of Millen (no need to ad to his thrashing). Fords choice.
Steve from Novi is fan of over 25 years- This team is purely a business venture for the Ford family, one in which is much more successful then the Big 3 right now. Have people overpaying for an inferior product! Hell why not take advantage of it! This team will NEVER be any better if it is purely treated as a business venture. We need a FOOTBALL family in town! 
and ownership knows what it takes to win. Im not ruling them out yet cause ive seen a few teams bounce back fro 0-2 starts....granted those teams had(have) more talent than Detroit but anything is possible. I hope they have Bill Cowher's number on speed dial.
From the weird to the odd, from ythe very old to the last month there are some really odd stats. I grabbed some from all over the map looking through baseball stats through out history. I may have left out some of the best because they aren’t stats that everyone has heard before. These can get you some knowledge points at work or amongst your friends. Most of these are from pitchers.
-C.C. Sabathia won his 8th game in a row for the Milwaukee Brewers. He is 8-0 and only one win from matching Doyle Alexander's 9-0 run for the 1987 Tigers as the best start by a pitcher who switched teams midseason in the last 90 years. The Tigers traded minor leaguer John Smoltz to make a run only to lose to the Twins in the ALCS.
-In almost every season since 1872 there have been at least one 20 game loser until 1980. After 1980 it took until Mike Maroth accomplished the feat in 2003. The best 20 game losing season (record wise) was by pitcher Bill Hutchinson in 1890. He pitched for the Cubs that season compiling a record of 42-25 with a 2.70 ERA. In 1890 there were exactly 20 pitchers who had 20 or more losses. 
-It has happened every season this decade, but not yet this year. In 2008, no pitcher has come into a game, thrown 1 pitch and earned a loss. However 18 pitchers have done it since 2000. In 2006 it didn’t happen until August 29. With the exception of Jimmy Gobble and Ray King all of the others apear to be walk-off homeruns. 
Unfortunately the part of the diet most leave out is the most important one. That would be the exercise portion. There is a diet out there that doesn’t work without it. Well except the "Hollywood diet". That diet is a liquid you drink for 48 hours to drop 10 pounds in two days. Too bad that liquid comes back out violently!
This diet works! It only works though if you are training for the Olympics. This is the diet of the greatest Olympic Champion of all-time, Michael Phelps. However if you aren’t training you would actually gain four pounds per day. This is also equal to 20 Big Macs. Phelps burn approximately 1,000 calories per hour when he is training.
The Top Ten:
One tight end that will be drafted high in many leagues to stay away from is the 49er’s Vernon Davis. He is a very good tight end. He may be one of the best in the league. However he is now under new offensive guru/knucklehead Mike Martz. In Detroit Martz’ offense made the tight end/H-back position nonexistent. Not to mention the QB battle has come down to former NFL Europe and back up Lions QB J.T. O’Sullivan ahead of a struggling Alex Smith. Also don't forget, there is areason why Mike Martz has been fired from his last two jobs, and it wasn't because he was an offensive guru. 
It is a camp battle worth looking at. In 2007 Baker almost averaged (71%) a first down per catch.
The most common draft strategy used by many fantasy team owners is to draft running backs in round one and two. Some even take backs in the first three rounds. But if everyone does this how would anyone separate their team from other teams besides injuries? This year there are four QBs you should consider in the first round as well. This doesn’t mean to skip RBs all together, but consider other options.
Best of the Rest
14 days until the Lions find out the O-line and D-line still dream of being mediocre. Everyone knows games are won in the trenches. This has been the secret to Matt Millen's failures.
15 days until Roy Williams says something weird or reveals he doesn't tip at restaurants either. Look for him to be serving coney dogs later in November.
"The Big Unit" Randy Johnson 
Assistant coaches are very important too. Which is why the list has former MLB players Rollie Fingers, Rusty Kuntz, and 
Teams with the name "red" include the Redskins, Red Wings, Red Sox, and Reds. These teams comprise 50% of the list known as the "A list". The Browns, White Sox, and Blue Jays represent the other 50% of the list known as the "B list".
His son was a wrestler as well. He wrestled for so many years it was a second family. In wrestling there is a lot of travel involved much like hockey parents. The weigh-in times are always very early so it meant getting up even earlier on Saturday’s and Sunday mornings. The thing was he was a truck driver who had difficult hours. He was very low in seniority so he had the toughest of everything. Some days on call he would go back 8 hours after his last shift. This means he somehow found a way. 
Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being
The Bottom Feeders: 
119. Atlanta Falcons
The NFL has operated far too long with the current type of Collective Bargaining Agreement. The most obvious problems involve guaranteed contracts and ridiculous rookie contracts. These two issues will be at the forefront of the next contract as negotiations at a snail pace toward 2011 as well as revenue sharing between players and owners.
Some other needs in this deal are better pension plans with health insurance for former players. How can a league discard the players that made the league what it is today.
MATT MILLEN WOULDN'T HAVE CREATED SO MANY HOLES IN THE LIONS ROSTER IN THE FIRST PLACE!