Lions Keep Thanksgiving Game in 2009

During a news conference friday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the Detroit Lions are not in danger of losing the Thanksgiving Day game for 2009. However, he also mentioned that owners will discuss having other teams host Thanksgiving Day games "as we get later into the year."

Detroit has hosted Thanksgiving Day games since 1934 and it has become a tradition. As bad as the Lions are, I think they should be able to keep the game. What I would like the NFL to take away from the Lions is owner William Clay Ford Sr.

New Logo & Colors for the Lions?

The Detroit Lions recently held a "town hall meeting" at Ford Field with season ticket holders. Team president Tom Lewand suggested that there could be some possible changes to the team's logo and uniforms by as early as the 2010 season.

When my home town team goes 0-16 in the previous season, I could care less what uniforms they come out in, just as long as the players in those uniforms are better then last year. This is exactly what is wrong with this franchise. They didn't beat a single team last year, the defense is a disaster, the o-line is the equivalent of 5 tackling dummies and we don't have a solid QB... yet what are the Lions' brass worried about? Changing the uniforms and logo. Unbelievable.

Mel Kiper Looks Like a Vampire

Mel Kiper has been predicting that the Detroit Lions will be indeed selecting Georgia Bulldog QB Matt Stafford with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft, much to the dismay of many fans in Detroit. As noted in a recent ESPN poll, while much of the nation believes the Lions should take Matt Stafford, the state of Michigan desperately wants an O-Lineman.

I, myself think the Lions should draft Andre Davis out of Alabama, and am hoping the Lions are smarter then to select a QB with the first pick before they even have a serviceable offensive line to protect him. I am also hoping that the Lions use a lot of their picks in the draft to bolster their defense, which was the NFL's worst this past season.

If the Lions want to select a QB in the 3rd round or later, fine, but personally I think they need to use rounds 1 & 2 to improve the lines and middle linebacker.

High School Double Alley-Oop

Very few high school teams would be both coordinated AND athletic enough to pull off a play like this one. Below is video of Ike Nwamu and Deuce Bello of Westchester Country Day School executing a designed double alley-oop in a recent high school game.

Northwestern = Basketball Powerhouse

Spartan basketball had been on a roll. They had not lost since being drubbed by North Carolina on December 3rd. They had won 28 games in a row at the Breslin Center. They also hadn't lost to an unranked team in the regular season during a span of 80 games. Well, that all came to an end last night when the Northwestern Basketball Wildcats came to East Lansing and beat the Spartans on their own court.

Certainly NW has a much improved team this season (10-6 overall) with a couple of big ten wins and a couple of other big ten heartbreak losses. Sure Raymar Morgan had the flu and played only 18 minutes. Those are excuses. The Spartans once again started slow in the first half, turned the ball over at will (18), and couldn't solve the Wildcats 1-3-1 defense. Tom Izzo went as far as calling the team "dysfunctional." That would be a fitting description of what fans watched last night.

It will be interesting to see how the team responds on Sunday whey travel to Columbus to take on the 24th ranked Buckeyes (13-4).

WDFN Liquidated

Yesterday at noon Clear Channel Radio eliminated all of the regular on air talent at WDFN -Sports radio 1130, in a cost cutting measure. Only a couple of update reporters were retained by the company.

Gone from the Detroit radio waves are Matt Shepherd, Sean Baligian (It Is What It Is), and long time radio fixtures Mike Stone, and Bob Wojnowski (Stoney & Wojo). The Stoney and Wojo show has been a 3-6PM staple since April of 1995.

The station will now incorporate more nationally syndicated shows into the open time slots formerly held by local talent.

This is a real shame for Detroit sports fans. Although 97.1 FM "The Ticket" has taken control of the ratings over the past year, WDFN was a Detroit original and still had the best team coverage of our local teams despite being the flagship station for only the Pistons.

With any luck the very talented radio personalities will be picked up by another station here in Detroit so we can once again listen to them.

Cunningham Newest Detroit Lion

From Mlive.com by Tom Kowalski

The Detroit Lions have hired Gunther Cunningham to be their new defensive coordinator and coach Jim Schwartz is expected to make an announcement shortly. Cunningham, who will also hold the title of assistant head coach, was believed to be Schwartz's No. 1 target.

Cunningham coached linebackers in Tennessee for three years while Schwartz was the defensive coordinator there. Schwartz's search will now turn toward an offensive coordinator and special teams coach.

Greg Robinson in as New Wolverines Defensive Coordinator

Michigan Wolverines Head Football Coach Rich Rodriguez has hired in Greg Robinson as his new Defensive Coordinator to replace Scott Shafer.

Robinson was fired from his Head Coaching position at Syracuse University last fall after four years and a 10-37 record. Previous to his stint at Syracuse, Greg served as a Defensive Coordinator with the Texas Longhorns, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets and Denver Broncos.

Robinson's Texas defense ranked No. 18 nationally in scoring defense, and No. 23 in total defense. I think this will end up being a great hire for Michigan as he has proven experience in this position previously at a top program (Texas).

However, anything would be better then the poor job Schafer did with a fairly talented group on defense last year.

I Have a Dream

Pistons Lose 5th Straight

The Pistons lost focus in the 4th quarter yet again and it cost them their 5th straight loss. The Pistons are on their longest losing streak since the 2003-04 season, when they lost six in a row.

In the game previous to this one against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Pistons let their opponent start the 4th quarter with a 13 - 0 run, the Pistons decided to do something similar against the Hornets last night. The Pistons gave up a 9-0 run to New Orleans to start the 4th quarter this time, which of course led to another loss for the Pistons.

Detroit was led offensively in the game by Rip Hamilton’s 19 points. Jason Maxiell who apparently has fallen out of favor with the Detroit coaching staff this year for some reason, was dusted off and had 11 points and eight rebounds.

Kangas's 39 Carries OU over IPFW

From OUgrizzlies.com

Senior Erik Kangas scored a career-high 39 points, going 8-for-13 from long range, junior Johnathon Jones scored 20 points with eight assists, and sophomore Will Hudson finished with a career-high 16 points with nine rebounds to lead Oakland University (11-9, 4-3) past IPFW (7-11, 2-5) in Summit League men's basketball action on Saturday inside the War Memorial Coliseum.

"It's a good win for us and one that we had to have if we were going to stay in this race," said OU coach Greg Kampe. "He (Erik Kangas) really had it going tonight. The thing that I like is he was really looking for it. We put a few things in for him, and he really liked the new things we put in for him."

Oakland will host a pair of Summit League games this weekend inside the Athletics Center O'Rena. The Grizzlies will take on IUPUI this Thursday night at 7 p.m. and Western Illinois on Saturday at 6 p.m. The Golden Grizzlies-Jaguars game will be regionally televised on FSN Detroit.

Peterson to be Retired to the Rafters

Morris Peterson's #42 will soon be hanging in the rafters of the Breslin center in recognition of his contribution to the basketball program. The Spartans will retire his number at a ceremony 20 minutes before today's 4 p.m. game against Illinois.

Morris was quoted as saying:

"I remember going into the Breslin the first time, looking up to the rafters and seeing all the great guys who have been through Michigan State," Peterson said Friday. "To have my name mentioned with those guys is just a tremendous honor.

Peterson was an All-American and All-Big Ten selection after averaging 16.8 points and six rebounds per game as a senior. He is ranked 10th on MSU's all-time scoring list with 1,588 points, after playing on three Big Ten championship and two NCAA Final Four teams.

Schwartz on the Prowl for Coordinator

Newly appointed Lions leader, Head Coach Jim Schwartz is wasting no time in getting a staff in place. Per Chris Mortensen of ESPN, at the top of his Offensive Coordinator list are Broncos quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates and Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

Side Note: I am 28 years old and this is a franchise that has won one playoff game in my life time. I think my only hope may be if they hire Jesus as their next coordinator, because it will take a miracle to turn this team around.

Lions Name Schwartz New Head Coach

From Mlive.com by Tom Kowalski

The Detroit Lions have confirmed that Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will be their new head coach. There will be a news conference to introduce Schwartz in Allen Park on Friday.

"After an extensive search that included several highly-qualified coaches, we are thrilled that Jim Schwartz will become our team's head coach,'' said Lions president Tom Lewand in a prepared statement. "(General manager) Martin (Mayhew) and I believe that Jim's qualifications and vision will lead this organization on the field toward our goal of becoming a championship football team."

Schwartz was a finalist, along with Miami Dolphins assistant coach Todd Bowles. Schwartz and Bowles are the only two candidates who are believed to have had a second interview. That second interview included a meeting with owner William Clay Ford.

Derick Nelson Out for Season

Oakland University Head Coach Greg Kampe announced that Derick Nelson (arguably OU's best player) will miss the remainder of the 2008-2009 season due to an ankle injury he suffered back on Nov. 13th and will take a medical redshirt which will make him eligible for next year.

"He experienced a great deal of pain in the State game, and afterwards he told me he couldn't go," said Kampe.

"We knew that it was going to be a long healing process. The bottom line is that it just hurts him too much and we are not going to do anything that would jeopardize his career. He is going to take the redshirt and come back next year, and I don't want to think about next year yet, but obviously it's going to make us better next season."

Golden Grizzlies Stomped Out by Centenary

OU can't keep losing to teams like Centenary College, who are in the bottom rung of the Summit League if they expect to be true contenders come conference tournament time. Oakland is usually one of the more talented teams in the Summit Conference, but you never can be sure of how they will play on the road. Prior to losing to Centenary, they had also lost the conference opener at Southern Utah, another team they are more then capable of beating.


From OUgrizzlies.com

After handing Centenary College its worst loss inside the Gold Dome (36 points) last season, the Gents (3-13, 1-3 Summit) returned the favor with a 20-point victory over Oakland University (10-8, 3-2 Summit), 80-60, on Thursday night inside the Gold Dome. The Golden Grizzlies shot just 10 percent from long range (2-19), while the Gents connected on 58 percent (11-19).

"We missed two easy buckets at the start of the game and it was like 5-4 through the first four minutes," said OU coach Greg Kampe. "Then (Nick) Stallings made some shots and they scored on like eight straight possessions and that was it. Tonight was the first time our freshman played like freshman."

Senior Erik Kangas led the way with 15 points, while sophomore Keith Benson tallied his third double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman Drew Maynard had nine points with a career-high 10 rebounds and junior Johnathon Jones finished with 13 points and three assists.

CC's senior Nick Stallings scored a game-high 26 points, 20 in the first half. Junior Chase Adams finished with 17 for the Gents and sophomore Gary Redus was the final player in double figures with 14.

Centenary's bench outscored Oakland's bench 42-17 in the game. The Gents also scored 27 points off 16 OU turnovers and held the Grizzlies to a season-low 24 points in the first half.

The game started slowly with six lead changes and the final one coming at the 14:14 minute mark with the Gents on top 9-8. Centenary then outscored the Golden Grizzlies 25-3 run over a seven-minute span to build a 26-point lead and led by 21 at the break.

That deficit proved to be too much for Oakland as the Grizzlies never got within 14 points, creeping within 15 at the 15-minute mark. OU finished the game just 33 percent from the floor (19-57).

Marinelli to Seahawks?

From ProfootballTalk.com

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reported it on Sunday, and it’s gaining some traction in the Seattle media.

Former Lions coach Rod Marinelli could be joining the Seattle Seahawks as a member of Jim Mora, Jr.’s staff.

Per the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, KCPQ reported on Sunday night that Marinelli is in Seattle.

The connection to the team comes from Marinelli’s ties to Seahawks president Tim Ruskell, who worked in Tampa when Marinelli was the team’s defensive line coach.

Per Schefter, Marinelli could become the defensive coordinator, replacing John Marshall.

But since Marinelli never actually worked as a defensive coordinator before becoming the coach of the Lions, and since many former head coaches find the “coordinator” title to reflect too much of a demotion, we continue to think that Marinelli could land somewhere as “assistant head coach/defensive line.”

Unlike many former head coaches, Marinelli likely won’t be perceived as a potential threat to Mora. Marinelli is this generation’s Rich Kotite, and they both have roughly the same chance of becoming an NFL head coach as I do.

Last week, Marinelli visited with Bears coach Lovie Smith. The meeting was downplayed by Marinelli’s agent, who also represents Smith and the Bears’ current defensive coordinator, Bob Babich.

Even though Marinelli did a terrible job as a head coach in Detroit, I hope he hooks on somewhere in a lesser role. He is still a good guy that kept a locker room together while having the worst NFL season of any team ....EVER That has to count for something I suppose.

I do like how the article above does point out that even as a former Head Coach, Marinelli being brought in wouldn't be perceived as a threat. YA THINK? Even though the Seahawks are aweful, Marinelli did such a bad job leading the Lions that he isn't a threat to anyone. That is kind of funny.

Wolverines Drop from Top 25

After starting the Big Ten season with a loss to Wisconsin and then following up with a win against the Illini, the Michigan Wolverines have dropped from the Top 25 after being previously ranked #24 against Wisconsin two games ago.

The Wolverines are now 11-3, 1-1 Big Ten and have dropped three spots to the No. 26 rank in the nation.

Michigan will soon have a chance to get back into the Top 25 though, as three of their next four games are against highly ranked opponents: Indiana (184), Iowa (48), Illinois (19) and Ohio State (16).

Billick Not Interested in Lions?

From Tom Kowalski of MLive.com

"This is a rumor that just won't die. It is now being reported that Brian Billick has been contacted by the Detroit Lions in connection with their head coaching job but my information continues to be that Billick is not a candidate.

The Lions recently had a couple of interviews with candidates, including Steve Spagnuolo (Giants defensive coordinator) and Jim Schwartz (Titans defensive coordinator).

The Lions are expected to have several more interviews this week, including Mike Mularkey (Falcons offensive coordinator), Leslie Frazier (Vikings defensive coordinator) and Todd Bowles (Miami assistant head coach/secondary coach).

The Lions might also be interested in interviewing Rex Ryan (Ravens defensive coordinator)."

... And I don't blame him, why would anyone who has a perfectly good life going for themselves want to ruin that by joining a hapless organization like the Detroit Lions?

Millen Takes Responsibility for Lions Losing Ways

Ex-Lions GM Matt Millen appeared on NBC's NFL pre-game show on Saturday and among many things said that he should receive all the blame for the team's 0-16 season. The Detroit News captured a few highlights of the interview below...

The Detroit News, January 3: "Completely responsible," he said. "I mean, you were head of football operations, you throw it back on me. You can say something about the coaching, you can say something about the players. But inevitably, I'm responsible for them. And so I'm completely responsible for it in my mind."

And he admitted it was tough to watch the last few months.

"Oh, it was brutal," Millen said. "Obviously, knowing everybody up there and being so intimate and knowing (and) understanding the detail and watching it unfold, it was probably harder watching it from home than it was when you're up there. Because at least when you're up there, you have some interaction. At home, you're just sitting

Do a Little Dance...

Rey Maualuga, star linebacker of the USC Trojans snuck up behind sideline reporter Erin Andrews for a little victory dance after dominating Penn State in the Rose Bowl.

Cass Tech Standout to Join Wolverines

Detroit Cass Tech Defensive Line standout, Will Campbell originally committed to the University of Michigan and then dropped his commitment to the football team in early September to consider other options, which turned out to be LSU and Miami.

However, late in the third quarter of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Campbell finally made his decision of where he intends to enroll. With hats from LSU, Miami and Michigan laid on a table in front of him, Campbell picked up the Michigan hat and put it on his head. The 6-foot-5-inch, 310-pound Campbell, who played at Detroit's Cass Tech High School, has said he intends to enroll in college for the winter semester.

Rivals.com ranks Campbell as its No. 25 player overall nationally, and its No. 4 defensive tackle.

This commitment should help ease the sting of the recent decommitment of Shavodrick Beaver. Beaver, who decided to attend Tulsa rather than Michigan, is one of several Michigan recruits who changed their minds about coming to Ann Arbor after a poor 2008 season.

Golden Grizzlies Drop Summit Pre Season Favorites

The Oakland University Golden Grizzlies beat pre-season Summit League favorite North Dakota State at the O'Rena on Friday, 77-76. OU was down by two points with just 23 seconds left, when long distance sharp shooter Erik Kangas came off a screen and nailed the game winning 3-pointer with five seconds left to give Oakland the "W".

"What a shot," said OU Head Coach Greg Kampe "Finally at the end, during the last five minutes, I thought, well, we might as well give him that five minutes and see what he can do. His being on the floor helps us. The reality of it is we won against the preseason favorite in the league, a very good team."

Keith Benson led the Golden Grizzlies with 17 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Freshman Drew Maynard kicked in 15 points while junior Jonathon Jones scored 13 points which put him over 1,000 points for his career.

With the win the Golden Grizzlies improve to 3-1 in league play and 9-7 overall.

Tom Lewand, Please Stop Talking

In case you missed the Detroit Lions press conference on Tuesday, here are some great quotes from Tom Lewand, who apparently hasn't been paying any attention to the happenings and roster moves in the NFL recently...

While explaining the flexibility that coaches must have when entering an organization where things already are being done a certain way, Lewand had the following insights to share:

According to Tom Lewand, Pittsburgh Steelers' Head Coach Mike Tomlin came to Pittsburgh not from Minnesota, but from Tampa Bay. Ummm that would be false.

Also, Lewand commented that the Steelers allowed “Greg Lloyd” to sign with Miami. I believe Tom meant Joey Porter, as Greg Lloyd has been out of the league since 1998!!!

Lastily, Lewand proclaimed that the Falcons’ only significant free-agent acquisition this year was “Michael Bennett.” Hmmm... how about Michael Turner, their star running back? I mean he is ONLY a pro bowl reserve this year. No big deal I guess.

Can someone please keep Lewand away from the microphone from here on out?