Raise your hand if you knew the Detroit Lions are 1-6.

Put your hand down Mr. Ford, Sr. You, too, Mr. Millen.

The only reason I'm aware of this fact is because I'm a die hard sports fiend. I check preseason basketball box scores. I watch Tuesday night college football on ESPN. I skip family members' birthday parties to tailgate at MSU. I pray that my wife doesn't go into labor during the Final Four.

But there are hundreds of thousands of Metro Detroiters who have no clue how bad the Lions are (Again!!!). And it's because of the 25 guys who played the best baseball I've ever seen up close steps away from where the kittens - I won't call them Lions until they win more than six games in a season - will lose their next game.

The Detroit Tigers battled their way to the 2006 World Series. Let me say that again: the TIGERS are in the WORLD SERIES. Whudathunkit? Before this summer, there were four things I was certain of: Death, taxes, the kittens sucking the life out of thousands of people every Sunday and their Montcalm-mates doing the same for six months.

I'm still sure about three of those things. But the events of the summer of 2006 have completely changed my perspective on the latter.

I went to five games this summer. The Tigers won four of those contest. That may not sound significant, but consider this: during the summer of '03 - when Detroit posted an American League record 119 losses - I took in more than 20 games as an intern at FOX 2 in Southfield (I add that because I would have not spent a dime on the Tigers that summer). Detroit won maybe three of those.

The Tigers won 43 games that year. My mom has more than 43 pairs of shoes. I have about 43 CDs in my car. Yea, that number sounds like a lot when it comes to a number of things - just not wins over a 162-game season.

Seems like ages ago, now, doesn't it? The Tigers finished the 2006 season with 95 wins. They had the best record in the majors until August. They got me to go to Comerica Park for a reason other than the women.

And they made it to the World Series.

I was three in '84, so I have no recollection of that 4-1 series win over San Diego. But I'll have fond memories of '06.

I'll remember the Yoda-like wisdom of Jim Leyland.

I'll remember Craig Monroe, Carlos Guillen and Ivan 'Pudge' Rodriguez hitting walk-off home runs more than 350 feet over the fence in left field.

I'll remember the man crush I developed for Curtis Granderson.

I'll remember all the national pundits saying the Tigers had no shot against the Yankees or the Athletics.

I'll remember listening to one of my best friend's cry over the phone for 10 minutes after Magglio Ordonez' walk-off homer put the Tigers in the World Series.

I'll remember the atmosphere of Metro Detroit on the Saturday of Game One.

Sadly, all things come to an end. The magical summer has concluded and one of those sickeningly cold Michigan winters is set to rear its hideously ugly head.

And the kittens will be at the Detroit sports forefront.

Hey, who knows, if we're lucky Pistons games will get scheduled or moved to 1 o'clock for the next nine Sunday afternoons.