Stop somebody please

This picture says it all from yesterday. Chris Johnson running with no Lions around him. I just can't believe that management doesn't force Rod Marinelli to fire his son in law Joe Barry the Defensive Coordinator. The Lions are the worst against the run. They're in the wrong place at the wrong time, they can't tackle, and they get out muscled up front.

Here's a list of some of the days the runningbacks they've played against have had.

Michael Turner Atlanta 220 yards

Frank Gore San Francisco 130 yards

Jonathan Stewart Carolina 130 yards

Clinton Portis Washington 126 yards

Matt Forte Chicago 126 yards

Chris Johnson Tennessee 125 yards

DeAngelo Williams Carolina 120 yards

Adrian Peterson Minnesota 111 yards

LenDale White Tennessee 106 yards

Warrick Dunn Tampa Bay 90 yards

Steve Slaton Houston 80 yards

Maurice Jones-Drew Jacksonville 70 yards and 3 touchdowns

These guys aren't pounding the rock either. They're getting 6, 7, and 8 yards a carry. You can blame Ernie Sims for having a bad year. You can give the excuse that losing Shaun Rogers in the middle of the defensive line has really hurt them, but the fact of the matter is that the coaches have not found a way to plug the holes and stop the bleeding. Change things up. Bring the safeties to the line. You have to be able to stop the run, and they just can't do it.

Ghosts after Halloween???

The Detroit Pistons are 8-5 this year, but the team is not as good as in recent years. Since the big trade sending Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess for Allen Iverson, I've been watching to see how the players would mesh together. It's early still, but one guy in particular has struggled with the change.

Rip Hamilton is shooting 38% from the field and 26% from the 3 point line. These numbers are down from last year. Hamilton seems to be having a hard time finding his shots with Iverson on the floor. Hamilton is a scorer. He's not a strong rebounder or defender, so if the ball is isn't going in the basket he's not contributing much.

Another thing that is obvious is that early on the young guys who were supposed to improve this year, have actually regressed. Rodney Stuckey, Jason Maxiell, and Amir Johnson were going to provide the Pistons with a powerful bench this year. However the Pistons are getting outscored greatly in the 2nd quarter of games when these guys are usually in. Maybe as the season goes on they'll get out of this rut, but right now they are hurting the team when they're on the court.

Michael Curry has his work cut out for him. He has 4 players in his 9 man rotation who are invisible right now. They're ghosts out there! Curry needs to tinker with the rotation. Personally I'd like to see Rip start the games, because he deserves that, but have Aaron Afflalo come in early for him. Afflalo would give the team another defender on the floor, and he's been hitting the open jumper. Plays don't need to be ran for him, leaving the shots on the floor for Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace, and Iverson. Bring Rip back in with the 2nd unit, letting him be the #1 option with that group. Build up his confidence which has taken a hit, and give the young guys mentioned above, the veteran stability they obviously need. McDyess coming back will also give that 2nd group a jump start.

I'm not waving the white flag yet, just trying to stress the point that some minor changes need to be made.

surprise in the Big Ten

On Thursday night the Michigan basketball team upset the #4 rated UCLA Bruins in a shocking surprise. Michigan had a horrible year last year, and John Beilein had a difficult time installing his offense and defense. His philosophies are to shoot a lot of 3s, and mix in a 1-3-1 zone defense. This year it looks like the returning players understand better what to do, and it was evident in the win against UCLA.

The team is not going to play for the Big Ten title this year, but they have some talent to be in the mix for a spot in the Big Dance. Manny Harris is the key. Through 4 games this year he is averaging 26 points per game, and even though the first 2 games were against weak competition, he is a player. The question is can he get a little help from his teammates. There will be times when he has an off night, or the opposition really keys on him, so guys like Deshawn Sims, Zack Gibson, and when the Big Ten season starts, Laval Lucas-Perry, need to be ready to add some scoring.

With Beilein recruiting players to fit his style, instead of 4 and 5 star recruits, the Michigan basketball team will continue to be a thorn in the sides of the teams in the Big Ten. They create matchup problems, and headaches for opposing coaches. Finally turning the basketball program around at Michigan will be a huge accomplishment for Beilein.

End of the season for the Steelers!

The Steelers flag football team's season ended on October 25th, and in my opinion we had a very successful season. That might be hard to believe since we didn't win a game all year, yes I can say that now, but all of the kids improved, and exceeded my expectations from the start of the season.

This season I had 3 or 4 kids who knew the game and were able to run plays and defend with little coaching. The other 7 or 8 challenged myself and my assistant coaches, but as the season went along they understood more about the game.

As far as Jack goes, my hopes were answered in that he became interested in football. He learned how to be a teammate, and that in this sport you have to rely on others to be successful. He's only 5 but to see him enjoy the game was great. He now wants to play catch outside everyday, where as before the season he just wanted to run around and play.

I would tell anybody who's going to coach little kids, to not be afraid to ask some other dads to help. The kids at this young of an age have a very short attention span, and even though it might be a simple concept you're trying to teach, they aren't always receptive. However, like I said, to see kids improve and enjoy themselves is what its all about.

Rod, you're just not good enough!

If I met Rod Marinelli, and he had never coached the Lions, I would think he's a great guy. He's a solid individual. He's hard working, honest, and has characteristics that are respectable. That being said, Rod, you're just not good enough!

Listening to this week's press conference, after the Lions' 9th loss, Rod says the same things, blaming himself, going back to work to teach the systems, and how he's staying the course. His problem is he doesn't see that his systems aren't working, and the talent around him is brutal. I respect his determination. You can tell he's not going to give up, he never will, but someone above him needs to pull the trigger at the end of the season.

The roster here needs an overhaul, and maybe in the right situation Marinelli's philosophies would work, however it will be a long time before that situation comes in Detroit. Rod you need to stay in coaching, but find a team that you can join as an assistant. Teach your fundamentals to the defensive line, and be happy with that.

the Pistons "Answer"???

When Allen Iverson was acquired last week for Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess people sized up the trade right away. Was it good for Detroit? Could Iverson mesh with his new teammates?

Iverson is a pro, and is hungry for a championship. While he might take a lot of shots, and even demand the ball at times, the Piston were winners in this trade. It's hard giving up Billups, but in my opinion he was a step slower, and inconsistent in the playoffs. With 3 years remaining on his contract, Joe Dumars had to pull the trigger. Not to mention the development of Rodney Stuckey. Iverson is on the the last year of his deal, and freeing up that cap money could be huge with the caliber of free agents in the upcoming years. Hopefully McDyess will make his way back to the Pistons. They miss him already, and he is a very important piece of the puzzle here.

So after two games the Pistons have two losses with Iverson. Watching the games though, it's not his fault. While Iverson and Stuckey will take the ball to the whole, the rest of the team has settled on too many jump shots. And when they're not falling, the Pistons aren't winning. Another big problem I have noticed is Michael Curry's on the job training. His idea of wholesale substitutions is ridiculous. Play the matchups, but mix the players in better. He is going to have to get better for this team to have a chance to get to the Finals.

Iverson will fit in, it's going to take 10 or 20 games to really gel together, but there is a lot of basketball to still be played. These guys need to find their roles, and stick with them.

something special!

It's rare to follow a sports team, and know something special is about to happen for the upcoming season. Just like the Detroit Red Wings, the Michigan State men's basketball team is about to start an exciting season. Even though the team lost a leader in Drew Neitzel last year, the current roster is loaded with players who played in the tournament, and more importantly have the talent to shine in it. Kalin Lucas, Raymar Morgan, and Goran Suton are the leaders of this team. Yes, Tom Izzo is a great coach, and his wisdom will be useful through out the season, but it's the guys mentioned above, and others like Chris Allen, Travis Walton, Durrell Summers, and Marquis Gray who will be counted on to fight for a Big Ten Championship.

It takes more than being a brilliant coach to have a top ten program in the nation. Izzo is a recruiter. He's set up a system of making players better, and producing NBA players. He cares about his kids, and I'm sure every parent who is thinking about sending their son to play for him, respects that. This years freshmen will have a huge impact on the season. Delvon Roe the prize of the group, is recovering from an injury, but Izzo is giddy about him. Roe could begin the season in the starting lineup. Draymond Green and Korie Lucious will also help out.

So why the low down on the roster? Because this team is deep. It has it all, shooting, defense, and rebounding. They'll need it against early opponents like North Carolina, Texas, and Kansas, not to mention the cream of the crop in the Big Ten, Purdue and Wisconsin. This schedule will give Izzo a barometer on how his team will hold up for the tournament. Something special is going to happen this season for the Spartans. Our job is to sit back and watch!