Lions: The Lions are awaiting word from Calvin Johnson if He is going to officially retire or possibly play another year. The Lions also have to make some decisions with their own roster as it relates to making cuts, looking at Free Agents and also the upcoming draft in a few months. The Lions have a new President and GM but have many huge glaring needs to fill before the start of the upcoming football season.
Red Wings: The Red Wings are playing good hockey and are currently in second place behind the Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. While it looks like they will make the playoffs for the 25th straight year, there are concerns as the Red Wings continue to blow 3rd period leads and still are having a hard time scoring more than a goal or two every night. Goal tending is superior with Petr Mzarek now the starting goalie. Injuries are starting to mount up as well and could be a big factor as the season progresses.With the trade deadline looming, the Red Wings should be in the market for a top scorer to help them. Also in the coming weeks, we should find out the new name of the Red Wings arena which is scheduled to open for the 2017/2018 season.
Pistons: The Pistons are 27-27 and currently in 9th place in the weak Eastern Conference and just a game out of the last playoff spot. The have lost 3 games in a row in a season which sees them win 3 or 4 in a row then turn around and lose 3 or 4 in a row. Defense has been a huge issue for the Pistons all season long, they just do not play it. Since Stan VanGundy took over last season, his teams can score but playing defense is not at the top of their list. Currently they live and die by the 3 ball and running an up tempo offense but when the game is on the line they can't stop their opponents. If they played any semblance of defense so far this year, they would easily have won 10 more games.
Tigers: Spring training is a week away and once again their is a buzz of optimism and great expectations for the Tigers to get to the World Series this year. After a dismal season last year, the Tigers made huge splashes in the Free Agency market and filled many needs. They also just signed JD Martinez and avoided arbitration in locking him up for the next 2 seasons. The Tigers huge splash in this crazy off season of free agency was the signing of SD Padre LF Justin Upton and SP Zimmerman from the Washington Nationals. With these deal the Tigers now are over the $200M salary payroll and will have to pay the luxury tax for over spending. Tigers owner Mike Illitch has never shied away from spending money in attempts to build a winner and he thought he needed another big bat in the lineup this season. If the Tigers do stay healthy, they will have a very fearsome and opposing batting order that should score many runs this year.
Spartans: The Spartan basketball team is currently ranked #8 in the Country with a 5 game winning streak including going into Ann Arbor last weekend and pounding the Wolverines at home. On Tuesday, the Spartans lost to Purdue at Purdue in OT. Suspect shooting and some bad calls by the refs late in the game cost the Spartans a much needed road win. Injuries are playing a big factor along with a team that runs hot or cold shooting and defensively they are no where they need to be for the NCAA tournament. Izzo always has the Spartans ready for March madness and this season will be no different. The Spartans football team is readying itself for the 2016 season and signing day was last week. The Spartans had another great recruiting class finishing 3rd in the B1G and #12th Nationally. The Spartans relish being the underdog and this year in the early preseason polls are ranked anywhere from #18 to #12.
Wolverines: Michigan's basketball team rebounded last night by winning in Minnesota for their 18th win of the season. It was a much needed win for the Wolverines after getting hammered at home by both MSU and Indiana in consecutive games. The Wolverines are looking at a possible NCAA berth to the Big Dance as long as they can beat a few more top ranked teams and have a good run in the B1G tournament. Harbaugh and the Football team are getting ready for next season and are had the #3 ranked recruiting class in the Country. While it looks like Harbaugh is turning around the football program, he is raising many eyebrows with the way he is doing so, including sleeping over 5 recruits homes to get them to sign with his team and also had a Signing Day event that many, including myself thought was more for His huge Ego than for the school or the recruits. To me this is absurd and I question this tactic, but this is what recruiting and having to win at all costs now does to football coaches.
Sports beyond the "D":
NFL: Super Bowl 50 was last Sunday and congrats to the Denver Broncos and Peyton Manning. The favored Carolina Panthers lost both on the field and after the game in their post game interviews. The NFL needs to address this along with how bad of condition the field was in, that their officials do not know what is a catch and what isn't a catch, and the taunting and self expression after every play made needs to stop too. The biggest fiasco for the NFL was a bad halftime show and even worse for the NFL was that they allowed Beyonce to do her routine which included numerous references to the Black Panthers. Also Johnny Manziel allegedly hits his ex GF numerous times and yet He is neither arrested nor suspended by the NFL. When will the NFL and the NFLPA take domestic violence as a very serious matter and do the right thing? Bills RB McCoy allegedly gets into bar fight with 3 off duty cop in Philly, 2 are hurt..
MLB Baseball: Spring training is just around the corner and as teams prepare for the upcoming season, fans alike all think their teams will make the World Series. MLB decided to uphold the lifetime ban of the greatest hitter of all time, Pete Rose in a decision that is both idiotic and dumbfounding to Me. No one questions what He did but the lifetime ban is just wrong in so many ways. He has been punished long enough and it is an abuse of power by the MLB Commish to take this stance. I know many of you will disagree with Me on this, but I do not care if you do or not. I feel very strongly on this issue!! The off season started off with a bang as the biggest contracts ever in free agency being given out. The Owners seem to think they are playing with Monopoly money in signing these free agents but once again it will be the fans who will pay the price for this outlandish and foolish spending in increased ticket prices, parking prices, concession and team apparel. When will it ever stop?Also teams seem to only care about what a player can do on the field to help them win and not what kind of person the player is off the field. Example; the Yankees trading for Chapman from the Reds even after knowing about his off field incident but not caring at all.
NCAA: The NCAA which over the past few years has become powerless against the bigger schools when it comes to levying sanctions and penalties for violations seems to have their hands full right now. Southern Miss and Ole Miss were hit with numerous serious violations by the NCAA and as all Colleges do, they deny any wrong doing even though they know they have committed violations. The University of Tennessee was the latest to be charged but besides serious alleged violations within their football program they were also charged with and also sued for a Hostile Sexual Environment and Sexual harassment. Again, they have denied any wrongdoing but as it was with the University of Oregon, we are seeing a pattern of Colleges brushing these incidents and violations and sexual harassment under the rug and also going after the victims and not those who were responsible in the first place! Even more absurd is the announcement by the University of Louisville announcing they are giving themselves a self imposed post season ban for the pay for sex with escorts relating to their basketball program. The Head Coach, Rick Pitino still denies any wrong doing even though the University who just months ago said the allegations were made up, now think imposing a slap on their own wrists will be enough, should be looking over their shoulder as the NCAA should do what is right and give the school a 3 year ban, lose of scholarships, at least a year long suspension to Pitino and more.
NBA and NHL: The NBA has had a great start with the defending Champions, the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers having the best records in the NBA right now. The Cavaliers fired their Head Coach, whose team was in first place and had a 31-11 record. The Cavaliers front office wanted everyone to believe that they made the choice to fire David Blatt and that LeBron James wasn't aware of their decision. They must have thought we were all stupid when they said this. Everyone knows that James calls all the shots with the Cavaliers just as He did when He went to the Miami Heat.We are halfway thru the season and the LA Lakers and Philadelphia Sixers are by far the 2 worst teams in the NBA. .And Kobe Bryant announces his retirement at the end of this Season. The NBA All-Star Game is this weekend. In the NHL, the Washington Capitals and the Chicago Blackhawks are the 2 best teams so far, each leading their Conferences in points and the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames have the worst records in the NHL..The NHL also finished their All Star weekend and went to a new 3 on 3 format which was very entertaining and a big win for the NFL. Miscellaneous; Congrats to Anquan Boldin for being this years NFL Man of the Year. Also a nice touch for the nFL to bring in the Super Bowl MVP's for all the other 49 Super Bowls. and on the NFL Network there is a great documentary called "Before they were Pro's"detailing NFL players when in high school and early years as well. It is on 2/12 at noon and also 2/13 at 8am A must watch!!!
See My MLB and NFL Draft updates and upcoming CBB Top 25 at www.cupofjoeinthed.blogspot.com .
@cupofjoeinthed
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