Detroit Sports Thread

[ALinChainz]

Originally posted by BITEYOASS
Well it's been a while since I've been back home in Michigan. But I sure as hell haven't stopped being a fan of these teams. Of course it sucks that I can't get television coverage of my favorite teams. I just have to check out the box scores once in a while.

But I sure as hell am glad the Red Wings are on top once again and that the Pistons right now are 6-0! It's pretty damn good considering Larry Brown and Scotty Bowman aren't coaching those teams any more. I sure as hell was pissed when I saw the Pistons lose at the last minute to the Spurs while I was in Iraq!

Thanks to BITEYOASS and Warham.

Pistons and Wings are off to hot starts, while the Lions are Tigers are tame.

Big win today for the Lions though. Everyone in our crap division got a win today.

[ALinChainz]

Lions 29 Cardinals 21

By LARRY LAGE, AP Sports Writer

November 13, 2005

DETROIT (AP) -- Roy Williams found a way to silence his critics.

Williams caught a career-high three touchdown passes from Joey Harrington to lead the Detroit Lions past the Arizona Cardinals 29-21 Sunday.

Playing an entire game for the first time since Oct. 2, Williams had seven receptions for 117 yards and caught TD passes of 7, 21 and 29 yards. The last Lion to catch three TDs in a game was Herman Moore in 1995.

Williams had been out with a quadriceps injury until returning last week, when he was in for three plays. Early in the season, teammate Kevin Jones screamed at him on the sideline for a route he ran, and Williams publicly lamented a lack of chemistry with Harrington.

"Winning cures all," Williams said with a grin.

The second-year receiver might be forgiven after his latest performance, in which he made Harrington look good by making tough catches.

"You don't have to be perfect with him," Harrington said. "A guy like Roy can make plays that aren't there."

Harrington was 22-of-32 for 231 yards with three TDs and no interceptions. He started his second straight game in place of the banged-up Jeff Garcia and didn't hear many boos at home for a change.

"You complete balls and people tend to keep the boos in their pocket," Harrington said.

Detroit (4-5) ended a two-game losing streak and Arizona (2-7) lost its third straight.

The Lions led 19-3 at halftime and by 15 with 8:35 left before Arizona came back.

The Cardinals pulled to 29-21 with 2:24 left on Kurt Warner's 8-yard pass to Larry Fitzgerald. After not recovering the onside kick, Arizona got the ball back at its 18 with 1:01 left. The Cardinals' hopes ended at their 39 with a deflected pass on fourth down.

"It was obviously good to see everybody fought in the second half and put ourselves in a position to win," Warner said. "But I guess when you spot someone 30 minutes it's tough to battle back in this league, no matter who you're playing."

Unlike Arizona, the Lions had some success running the ball with Jones gaining 81 of Detroit's 157 yards rushing.

Cardinals coach Dennis Green said his defense had its worst tackling game of the season.

"We didn't really make any big plays on defense," he said.

Warner started for the Cardinals over Josh McCown and completed 29 of 45 passes for a season-high 359 yards with a TD and no interceptions. Fitzgerald had nine receptions for 141 yards and a score.

The Cardinals had their first TD rushing this year when J.J. Arrington scored from 1 yard in the third quarter, but they had just 38 yards on the ground.

"They throw the ball well, but when we can take away the run it makes them one-dimensional," Lions coach Steve Mariucci said.

Despite Harrington's performance, Mariucci wouldn't say if he would start next week at Dallas.

Arizona had to rely on its kicker to be a bright spot, as usual. Neil Rackers connected from 51 and 28 yards, making him 28-for-28 on field goals this season. He also made two tackles on kickoffs, one that might've prevented a TD.

"He's like a safety," Detroit's returner Eddie Drummond said.

The Lions had a pair of 16-point leads before Arizona mounted a failed comeback in the final minutes.


Notes

Lions WR Mike Williams (knee) was not active, but WR Charles Rogers caught a pass for 4 yards in his first game since Oct. 2 after serving a four-game suspension and not traveling to Minnesota last week after a bad week of practice. ... Arizona was without WRs Anquan Boldin (knee) and Bryant Johnson (shoulder). ... Already missing its top two CBs, Detroit was without its third best, Andre Goodman (hamstring). ... Cardinals OG Reggie Wells (ankle), LB Karlos Dansby (groin), TE Eric Edwards (head) and Detroit LBs Boss Bailey (ankle) and Earl Holmes (knee) left the game with injuries. ... Detroit DT Dan Wilkinson had his first career safety.



AP Story

[ALinChainz]

Wings down 3-1 now to Vancouver at the moment, just into the 2nd period.

[BITEYOASS]

LOL Arizona is a joke team anyway. An easy defeat.

[ALinChainz]

WINGS CORNER: Flames' rise a hot topic with Wings

November 16, 2005

BY HELENE ST. JAMES

FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER


CALGARY, Alberta -- When he hasn't played or practiced hockey the past few days, Red Wings center Kris Draper has watched hockey. Specifically, he has watched the Calgary Flames.

They look, quite frankly, very different from the team the Wings manhandled, 6-3, in the third game of the season. That team was in the midst of a 1-3-1 start, seemingly unable to convert despite being loaded with talent. Now they've risen to tie Vancouver atop the Northwest Division, thanks to a seven-game winning streak.

"They're playing with a lot of energy," Draper said Tuesday. "It's a fast team, it's a team that's going to get on you. They're really tenacious forecheckers. We're going to have to come out and play at a high level, not wait and see what they're going to bring. We keep talking about tests, and we didn't do too well in Vancouver, and it's time for this team to step up and win a big game."

The Wings lost, 4-1, in Vancouver on Sunday, one of several good teams they're playing this month after seeing a lot of cupcake teams in October.

"As the level of competition picks up, we've got to play better," Steve Yzerman said. "You've got to elevate your play playing against these better teams. I think we've played pretty good -- even in Vancouver, losing, 4-1, we did a lot of good things."

Yzerman was sidelined by a groin injury during the first Flames game, but he isn't surprised to see how Calgary has since surged.

"I think everyone around hockey considers them a strong team," he said. "It took them a little while to get going. ... They're an excellent team. I expect them by the end of the year to be a top club."

The Flames gave the Wings nine power-play chances last time around; that's unlikely to happen again tonight. They're a much more disciplined team; there was proof of that Monday night when they overcame a two-goal deficit to beat Minnesota.

"They're playing hard, they're pursuing the puck, and they're a physical group," coach Mike Babcock said. "They make you compete against them. I'm real excited about the game."

NOTEBOOK: Yzerman gave his standard "I'll decide at the end of the season" reply when asked by Calgary reporters about how much longer he'd play. As a follow-up, he was asked if he'd keep playing for love of the game, or the guys. "Well," Yzerman said with a laugh, "if you knew the guys, you'd know that's not the case." ... Kirk Maltby was back on a line with Draper and Yzerman after spending a few games on the fourth line. "I think Malts has played better, and he's an important part of our team," Babcock said. "Draper and Malts have had a long time together, and if they can play well together, we'd like them to play together." ... Defenseman Jason Woolley, sidelined 10 games by a groin injury, practiced opposite Chris Chelios, a further indication he'll be back tonight.




Freep Stroy

[ALinChainz]

PISTONS CORNER: Pierce says Prince's D is overrated

November 16, 2005

BY KRISTA LATHAM

FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER[/i]


Tayshaun Prince, overrated defender?

Yup, according to Boston Celtics small forward Paul Pierce.

Pierce said in a Boston Globe article this week that the only reason he's not on the all-defensive team is the Celtics' lack of a top-five shot-blocker, citing the Pistons small forward as an example.

"Even Tayshaun Prince," Pierce said in the Globe. "I don't think he plays great defense. He has two of the best shot-blockers in the game (Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace). If a guy blows by you, then the shot-blockers block the shot and you call that great defense."

Probably not a great time to make those remarks, considering coach Flip Saunders likes to keep Prince on Pierce whenever the teams meet, as they did Tuesday night.

Before the game, Saunders defended Prince's defensive efforts, which won him a spot on the All-NBA Defensive Second Team.

"He does what he does," Saunders said. "He's long. He contests shots. I know one thing. Three years ago, one time Doc Rivers, when he was coaching Orlando, he said that Tracy McGrady had said that in the Eastern Conference there were two guys who gave him problems: Tayshaun and Trent Hassell. That's a pretty good recommendation from a pretty good player."

GET THE MAN HIS CHICKEN: Saunders says he's not superstitious. He just likes his rituals, that's all.

"You're used to doing the same thing, you get into a pattern, and you don't like to break it," he said.

Especially amid a six-game win streak, eh? That's why before Tuesday night's game against the Celtics, Saunders made his ritualistic trip to Kentucky Fried Chicken. He stops there for dinner before every home game.

"I get the same thing every time," he said. "Get a meal, that's it. I've done that since I was in the CBA. Started winning, just kept with it -- and I like chicken."

Other superstitions -- or OK, rituals -- include listening to Barry White on the car ride to the arena for each home game.

And his nature showed on the team's West Coast trip last week. Instead of doing the typical NBA thing and flying home from Portland through the early morning on Saturday, Saunders elected to keep the team there for the night, wake up early and fly home. He figured that way they'd stick to their ritual of sleeping at night and waking up early.

But he said he stops short of taking his lifestyle too far.

"Sometimes you have those baseball players and they don't change their socks or their underwear," he said. "I'm not like that. I carry it to a certain point. Food, things like that, that's about it."

NOTEBOOK: The Pistons and their flagship radio station, WDFN-AM (1130), announced Tuesday that they had renewed their partnership with a multiyear contract extension.


Freep Story

[Brett]

Paul Pierce is a lousy player, I am wondering when people will start realizing that.

[ALinChainz]

He's a decent offensive player, but not as effective since Walker left, and that's pretty bad when a lot of your game relied on him.

He has a nice shot and seems to be able to create a lot of his own looks.

I've seen worse, but he's not as good as he thinks he is.

[Brett]

He shoots way too low of a percentages and settles for too many 3-pointers and bad shots. I've just never liked his game at all, if he had to play in a real system he'd be screwed. Plus he gives you nothing defensively.

[ALinChainz]

Thursday, November 17, 2005


Leyland already 'fired up'

New manager, 60, takes stock of Tigers, wishes spring training would start right away.

By Lynn Henning / The Detroit News


DETROIT -- Jim Leyland was at his desk Tuesday in the Tigers clubhouse. No one had to mention he is the fourth manager in four years to sit at that post. Simple math that confirms the Tigers' problems for too many seasons have been anything but simple.

"If everything were perfect here, I wouldn't be sitting in this chair," Leyland said as he prepared to meet with his boss, general manager Dave Dombrowski, during a two-day stop in Detroit. "But I'm fired up. I'm probably the only guy in the organization who wants to go to spring training today."

Leyland is six weeks into his new job. One of baseball's more recognized managers, he ended a five-year vacation from clubhouses to take on a new challenge at age 60.

He has been studying his new team and visiting with players. He and third-base coach Gene Lamont returned last week from a trip to the Dominican Republic, where Leyland visited with winter-baseball attendees Curtis Granderson (Leyland is impressed) and hotshot young Tigers right-hander Eulogio de la Cruz.

Leyland has no idea what might happen during the offseason in the way of trades or free agency. He is approaching 2006 as if the current roster is the group he will greet three months from now in Lakeland, Fla.

But tentative plans already are taking shape. They include -- unless the players prove otherwise -- greater roles for outfielder Nook Logan and infielder Omar Infante. A four-man rotation in the outfield (Craig Monroe, Magglio Ordonez, Logan and Granderson) would be matched by a similar shuttle in the infield between Carlos Guillen, Brandon Inge, Placido Polanco, and Infante, who also is being analyzed by Leyland as a part-time outfielder.

"I like Logan a lot," said Leyland, speaking of a super-fast center fielder and switch hitter whom he mentions in tandem with Granderson. "I think we should be blessed there. It looks like we have two pretty good players in those two. The reason I've talked a little more about Logan is that we don't have a lot of speed."

Neither have the Tigers gotten excess hitting from Logan, whose legs make him a natural as a leadoff hitter and center fielder. It's his offense (.258 batting average in 2005, .305 on-base percentage) that causes concern.

"If we can utilize that speed - and I know everyone's tried it -- we could have a pretty good player there," Leyland said. "I don't know any secret remedy, but I have talked with Don Slaught (Tigers hitting coach) and he's analyzed his swing and thinks he can work with it."

The edge a better-hitting Logan might give the Tigers is obvious, in Leyland's view.

"This guy can be a game-breaker in a lot of ways," he said. "I've looked at a lot of guys. And he could be a piece to the puzzle."

Infante, too, is headed for more playing time in 2006 -- if he meets the new manager's demands -- as Leyland ponders a four-man, interchangeable-parts approach to third base, shortstop and second base, mostly as a way to keep players fresh and lock into the daily lineup Infante's talent and potential.

"I think Infante is a real interesting guy for us," Leyland said. "He can play infield, he can play outfield. He can play second base, shortstop and third.

"Are Inge, Guillen and Polanco important? Yes. But so is Infante.

"He's got pop in his bat," Leyland said of Infante, who turns 24 on Dec. 26. "This guy should be a regular player in the big leagues. There is no doubt he has the potential to be an everyday player."


Young can hit


Understanding that his personnel could change, perhaps dramatically, by the time trades and free-agent pursuits have settled, Leyland has early thoughts and leanings, all of them subject to change. Among them:

• He has a high opinion of Dmitri Young's hitting skills -- and is equally insistent that Young lose weight during the offseason.

"Dmitri Young can really hit, and I know he has a big heart," Leyland said. "I know that. Dmitri Young can be a real key to this team. But no question, I can't say it more plain or simple, he has to come to spring training in shape to do the things he can best do. In a perfect scenario, he'll (report) in great shape so we can play him some in left field, as well as at first base.

"I need him to put his nose to the grindstone, because this guy can hit."

• Leyland has spoken briefly with Pudge Rodriguez and was pleased by Rodriguez's commitment to "play hard for any manager."

"The rest of that story is it's not enough to talk about playing hard," Leyland said. "With all due respect to Pudge -- I've admired Pudge Rodriguez for many years -- when a player says he plays hard, well, I can take a team like the Lakeland Tigers (the Tigers' Class A affiliate) and they all play hard.

"It's not enough to play hard. You've also got to play smart. You've got to do what you must do to comply with all that it takes to win ballgames. I played hard, too, and I never got out of Double A."

• He is not concerned about Magglio Ordonez's diminished power numbers in 2005 (eight home runs, 46 RBI in 305 at-bats). He believes Ordonez's first-half hernia surgery probably was at work there. Nor does he especially care about Ordonez's home-run total.

"I'm not as interested in that as everybody else," Leyland said. "This guy's a great hitter. What we need is for him to be a run-producer. What I want to emphasize with him and Rodriguez, both, is knocking in big runs with big hits. I don't care so much about home runs."


More discipline at plate


He understands the 2005 Tigers were appalling when it came to taking walks and backing off bad pitches.

"It certainly shows, statistically, when you look at the ballclub," Leyland said. "One of the problems is that guys were probably swinging from their heels too much, and this is a ballpark that's not conducive to that kind of hitting.

"At the same time, there's a very fine line there. Normally, in RBI situations, you're going up there to hit. A lot of it is simply discipline."

One of Slaught's primary assignments is to make the Tigers better at selecting and hitting better pitches.

Leyland believes, along with many in baseball, that the Tigers have a potentially fine rotation. His take is that the Tigers starters -- as well as their late-innings bullpen corps -- were hurt more than anything by their youth.

"It's hard for anyone to win with real young starting pitchers," said Leyland, adding that concern about youth wouldn't prevent Justin Verlander -- Leyland has seen him pitch and is a believer -- from getting a solid shot at making the 2006 rotation.

Leyland agrees that Jeremy Bonderman could become a premier pitcher, that Mike Maroth's 14 victories last season said everything about his skills, and that Nate Robertson's second-half struggles in previous seasons might be a sign that he shouldn't carry an overly heavy load early in a season.

He understands Jason Johnson (210 innings in 2005) probably will pitch elsewhere in 2006. But, Leyland said, he is not overly impressed by innings pitched as the Tigers seek another reliable starter.

"Yeah, a guy might give you 200 innings, but if he's getting his (tail) beat, what good is that?" said Leyland, speaking in general of workhorse pitchers. "We need quality innings."


Getting better vs. the best


Leyland understands he is competing in what could be baseball's best division -- the American League Central, home of the World Series champion Chicago White Sox, not to mention the Cleveland Indians, the pick of many scouts as the best team in baseball heading into 2006. The Minnesota Twins' presence and pitching means the Tigers will take on some of baseball's best-equipped teams next season.

"I look at that another way," Leyland said. "What we're trying to do is become the best, and we can't become the best unless we can beat the best. Three of the top four teams in pitching in baseball are in the Central. It's not gonna be easy, but it makes it more worthwhile when you beat 'em."

Leyland has talked regularly with manager friends and baseball gurus who follow the sport intimately and have a bead on the Tigers: Lou Piniella, Bobby Cox, Dusty Baker, Tony La Russa, Jimy Williams, Don Zimmer, etc.

"I haven't talked with anyone who's said, 'Why did you take that job?'" he said. "One team thought the Tigers were the second-toughest lineup to pitch against next to Boston. It wasn't the case, but they thought it should be.

"The consensus from everybody I've talked to is that there is some talent here, that the pitching is young, and that they probably need more depth in their bullpen. Trying to win games with young starters and young closers is tough."


Attitude change


Leyland understands the Tigers clubhouse in 2005 was, too many times, baseball's version of a hornet's nest. He views the problem as natural when a team with high expectations slams into setbacks.

But he will look to change attitudes and -- ultimately -- performance levels in 2006. And that will start from the first moment of camp at Lakeland -- weeks after he and Lamont will have arrived to put in place a regimented camp that sticks to strict, by-the-minute times for drills and workouts.

"We're not gonna get beat because we didn't do things right," Leyland said of his 2006 vision. "This game's played by human beings and, sure, there are going to be times when someone throws a bunt away.

"But there are some rules and expectations they (Tigers players) are maybe not used to. That's not ego, or being hard-nosed. It's pretty simple, really. And I won't settle for less."

Detroit News Story

[BITEYOASS]

Them Tigers sure as hell need get better with Leyland managing! Unlike the piss poor record losing season 2 years ago!

[ALinChainz]

We need another big time starter and are back in the market for a closer also.

Another bat wouldn't hurt.

[ALinChainz]

Lions file grievance against Rogers

By STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Sports Writer

November 20, 2005

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- The Detroit Lions filed a grievance against Charles Rogers, though the team wasn't specific about the claim against the wide receiver who played his second game Sunday since returning from a suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

Team spokesman Bill Keenist acknowledged the grievance after the Lions' 20-7 loss at Dallas. He refused to give more details or answer questions, though it appears to be about money.

"Due to the personal nature of contracts, we will not comment any farther," Keenist said.


Coach Steve Mariucci refused to talk about the grievance, saying he doesn't comment on contracts, and spoke only about the play of Rogers, who had a season-high four catches for 41 yards.

"I thought he played well," Mariucci said. "I think he made a good statement today."

Rogers was suspended for four games by the NFL on Oct. 5, but missed five games. When he was eligible to return, the Lions didn't take him to Minnesota on Nov. 6, then he had just one catch for 4 yards against Arizona last week.

After pushing his season totals to 10 catches for 122 yards in five games, Rogers said Sunday he wasn't worried about the grievance. He referred questions about it to team officials.

"If it was on my mind, I wouldn't be able to perform," said Rogers, who again wasn't in the starting lineup. "I did what I was supposed to do on the field today. I want my spot back. We'll see what happens."

The Lions signed Rogers to a six-year contract with a $14.4 million signing bonus after drafting him second overall in 2003.

Rogers' first two receptions his rookie season were touchdowns, and he led Detroit with 22 catches for 243 yards and three scores after five games before breaking his right collarbone in practice and missing the rest of the season. He broke the same collarbone on the first offensive series in 2004 and missed the rest of that season.

Under terms of the NFL's substance abuse policy, a player is suspended for four games without pay because of a second positive test after he enters the program. If Rogers has another positive test, he will be suspended for at least one year.

[Warham]

They sucked today.

[ALinChainz]

Bad official ... bad coaching ... more penalties than they've had since 1970 ...