My Sports Recap and Thoughts from the "D" and Beyond..

My weekly review post of Sports and My Thoughts as they pertain to the "D" and Beyond for the week ending Tuesday 8.28.18 .  This was a week filled with all sorts of drama and ups and downs. In the "D":    
Lions:  Detroit is playing Preseason game #4 this week and is just 13 days away from its opener on MNF against the NY Jets.  The Preseason which is filled with meaningless games comes to an end on Thursday night. The Lions haven't showed much at all during the previous 3 preseason games and I am sure much of that has been by design. Many of the questions that dogged the Lions since the end of last season are still dogging them now. The OL hasn't shown any physical prowess that is expected of them and the DL and Front 7 has been knocked off the ball for the most part. The OL and DL have been badly beaten in the trenches. Even the secondary, which is one of the Top 10 in the NFL has been beaten on a regular basis during the preseason. HC Matt Patricia has his hands full in his first season with the Lions as Detroit has the 2nd toughest schedule in the NFL. The Lions went out in the past few days and signed FA DE Robert Ayers and then released him the next day and traded for LB Eli Harold from the 49ers. These moves will help boost depth on the defense. The defense is a work in progress and the players are still getting used to the new schemes. The keys for the Lions this year will be establishing a running game to compliment Matt Stafford and the potent passing game and a defense that must be able to get off the field after 3rd down. I see good things for the Lions as the season progresses but I also see the team relying on Stafford's arm and a few shootouts especially early on. Many sport pundits have the Lions going 7-9.. If the Lions can establish a running game, stop opponents on 3rd down and stay relatively healthy,  I see them as a surprise team going 10-6. See my previous Blog post on NFL Team Predictions and Power Rankings.
Red Wings:  The Red Wings opener is just 37 days away. Detroit had a very good draft this past off season and took 2 elite young players that have a chance to be stars in the NHL.  There is an air of optimism in the Detroit locker room now even as Detroit missed the playoffs for the 2nd consecutive season, and yet chose to keep GM Ken Holland and HC Jeff Blashill.  A big question mark for the Red Wings is, will Captain Hnerik Zettererg be able to play this season after ongoing back issues that could end his career. It may be a few years before Detroit makes it back into the playoffs. The Red Wings have been saddled with aging over priced and under achieving players and Detroit could be in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for a 3rd year. But the future is looking up for the first time in a couple of seasons. The Red Wings also announced that the Hockeytown Logo at center ice will no longer be there as they want to concentrate just on the Winged Wheel.
Pistons:   The Pistons will open up the season in 51 days against Brooklyn. New HC Dwayne Casey inherited a roster of misfits and also hindered with huge ill advised contracts from the Stan VanGundy era and will be challenged to turn the losing around and try to make the playoffs.  In an average at best NBA Eastern Conference, if the Pistons can win 45 to 48 games next season they have a chance at making the playoffs.Without a 1st round pick in 2019, Detroit will have to continue to develop some of its younger players and play some defense to win close games. I see the Pistons making the Playoffs as a 6 or 7th seed.
Tigers:   The Detroit Tigers are 53-78 and are currently in 3rd place in the AL Central, 21.5 games behind 1st place Cleveland.  The Tigers are in possibly the worst Division in all of baseball this year  and will now be lucky to win 70 games. Although the lineup is void of top MLB talent, this Tigers team hustles and doesn't seem to give up. Not a power hitting team, the Tigers rely on speed and trying to do the small things to win games. Suspect pitching and weak bats hurt the Tigers, but playing in the AL Central boosts their chances to play decent baseball the rest of the season.The Tigers starting pitching has been surprisingly above average but the bullpen struggles and the offense is woeful at best. The teams batting average as of Sunday was .241 and on some days outside of Castellanos bat, the team average is closer to .230. The rebuilding of the Tigers started 2-3 years later then it should of and don't look for much success or a team that will challenge for the AL Central until 2022 or maybe later. On a side note, with the season having just a little over a month left, this is the farewell stretch for Victor Martinez. Martinez is now 39 years old and in his 17th season and has indicated he will retire at the end of the season. He was a force in the middle of the Tigers lineup in his prime.
             Last Sunday, the Tigers retired Alan Trammell's #3 to go along with Jack Moris's #47 a few weeks before as both players were enshrined in MLB's HOF in Cooperstown in early August. Congrats to 2 Tigers greats. Now it it time for the HOF to elect Lou Whitaker to join them!
Spartans:  The Spartans open the 2018 season this upcoming Friday against Utah State. MSU is coming off a 10-3 season and looks to continue with another 10+ win season. The football team looks to build on last seasons success and the schedule is favorable this season for them to make a serious run for the Big Ten Championship.  Many including myself see them winning 10 or 11 games this season and once again they should have a Top 5 ranked defense to go along with a very talented QB in Brian Lewerke. How quick the offense jells will decide how far Michigan State will go this season. If the Spartans beat Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State, look for a potential CFB Playoff for them.   The Spartan basketball team which made the Tournament for the 21st straight year, saw an early exit once again. The Spartans will be loaded again heading into the upcoming season and will make the NCAA Tourney for the 22nd consecutive season under Head Coach Tom Izzo. Look for the basketball team to once again be a favorite to win the Big Ten and they will be a Top 10 team in the Country and should make a deep run during March Madness
Wolverines:  Michigan will be a Top 15 team coming into the collegiate football season but the real question will be, can the Wolverines and Head Coach Jim Harbaugh win the big game(s)?  Michigan opens the season at Notre Dame on September 1st in South Bend. The defense will be elite again. The Wolverines are stacked with 4 and 5 star recruits who cruise thru the season and then lose a close game they should not loose. Transferring QB Shea Patterson should help an offense that at times had trouble scoring last season. The real question is can a Harbaugh led team beat in State rival, MSU and also Penn State and Ohio State, who all three, have had their way with the Wolverines the past 5+ seasons. The Wolverines once again have made waves across the NCAA. First off, Michigan is the first Public Institution in the Country to pay 3 football coaches over $1M a year and that doesn't even include Head Coach Jim Harbaugh's $9M a year paycheck.  Also, Harbaugh decided to take the whole football team to Paris for football practice and very debatable studying abroad. I think if the football team is able to go at whatever price it is costing them, then every other student athlete at Michigan should be afforded the same opportunity at no cost to them as well. Since there seems to be no limits to the Wolverines football teams athletic budget, this makes all the more case as to why student athletes should share in all the revenue the school makes from them. The Wolverines basketball team which had another great season and made it to the NCAA Championship Game locked up head coach John Beilein for years to come. Beilein is recovering from double bypass heart surgery but will be ready to coach the Wolverines in the upcoming season.  The Wolverines will have a good returning class for next season and Coach John Beileins team should make another deep run into the NCAA Tournament. John Beilein is a well respected Coach but under appreciated by many.
Sports beyond the "D":
NFL:   NFL season is 9 days away.  Week 4 of the NFL Preseason is upon us as teams have one more meaningless game before they all have to reduce their rosters to 53 players.  Some players have been MIA such as Rams DT McDonald, Steelers RB Bell and Raiders LB Kahlil Mack just to name a few. Bell looks like the only one to report before the deadline. Also, NY Giants WR Odell Beckham signed the richest contract yesterday for a WR. It was for 5 years and 95M with 60M guaranteed. Teams and fans and sport pundits alike are filled with excitement about how their teams will fare this upcoming season. The NFL Owners and the NFLPA are still working to finalize what they will permit players to do during the singing of the National Anthem. The NFL has an off season coming up to work on the many issues that it is dealing with; once again what is a Catch, its new revised Helmet Rule, its declining viewership, players pushing for marijuana to be legalized, shortening games, revised OT, and dealing with player incidents and black eyes on the NFL. The new Helmet rule which forbids a player for leading with his helmet when tackling is going to decide and cost teams games this season.  Also the new kickoff rule makes no sense at all. Severe injuries, especially concussions are rampant nowadays as almost all the replays show that either a players head is being driven into the turf and also so many head to head deliberate hits as well as hitting defenseless players in the head. And it seems the NFL with all their new Concussion Protocol Procedures, they still cannot get it right in regards to protecting a Player safely.  Entitlement is the new word for both the Owners and the Players nowadays and that leaves the fans to pay the price for this so called "Entitlement.  As if the Owners and the NFL do not have enough money, the NFL is now going to play games in China as well as the UK and Mexico. The NFL should concentrate on making the game better and dealing with its current issues instead of trying to dilute the game and water it down with thoughts of global expansion on the horizon just to make more money
MLB Baseball:  The MLB season is in the "Dog Days" of Summer with 6 weeks remaining in the season. Many trades were made before the Trade deadline and the RedSox have the best record in baseball. Also, MLB is trying to find a way to speed up the games so they don't last over 3+ hours for a 9 inning game but they are just kidding themselves, baseball games are becoming increasingly long and boring and many games last way over 3 hours for a 9 inning game.  The games are not being monitored by the umps as players continue to go in and out of the batters box before each pitch like it is a wait until I want to swing the bat. The only thing being kept up is the times a team came go to the mound in a game. Replays are the norm now and why it takes so long to review a call is beyond me. No doubt as to why viewership is going down as today's fans do not want to sit and watch games go on and on and on for no reason. Will the Astros and Dodgers repeat as World Series opponents?
NCAA:  CFB season has officially begun. The Polls are out and Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Wisconsin and Washington are the Top 5 to begin the season.  College football took a huge hit when Ohio State chose wins and $$$$ over doing the right thing and firing Urban Meyer for his role in the Zack Smith Domestic Abuse scandal. The school gave Meyer a 3 game slap on the wrist and thus will have this scandal looming over the University for years to come. The NCAA also took a black eye on the scathing report on college basketball. The findings were fully expected and the changes implemented may or may not work. Addressing the one and done rule with the NBA was a step in the right direction.  On the football front, it took years for the NCAA to finally do the right thing and allow its athletes to transfer schools without the athlete having to sit out a year.  It also now allows schools to go after other schools players with no recourse. It will be interesting to see the sharks of the Big Time Schools and how long it takes them to go after Mid Level schools and it talent. Also, it was a joke that UCF's self proclaimed National Title after going undefeated. No doubt they had a great year but their record was inflated by a cream puff Conference schedule whose other Conference teams would get crushed week in and week out in the Power 5 conferences.  For UCF to be taken seriously, they need to move to a tougher elite Power 5 Conference. See my previous Blog post on CFB Top 25 as the season begins.
NBA and NHL: 
        The NBA  season starts in 50 days and once again the Golden State Warriors are the favorites to win the NBA Championship. After all the hoopla, LeBron James chose to sign with the LA Lakers. Teams continue to throw crazy money at players as it is now a Players first league where players tell the Owners where they are going to play. Prices continue to skyrocket for fans to go to games as the Owners and Players get richer and richer at the expense of the fans.   
        In the NHL, the 2018/2019 season opens on October 4th. The Washington Capitals who won their 1st ever Stanley Cup last season are the favorites to repeat this season. The biggest surprise of last season was the success of the Las Vegas Golden Knights playing in their inaugural season. The Golden Knights chose players that all NHL teams put out on a list to choose from. These players jelled together under Coach Gerard Gallant and made it all the way to the Stanley Cup.  If I was the President or GM of most NHL teams, I would be looking over my shoulder as the Owners of the NHL teams have to be asking how could the Golden Knights, taking these players, put together a top team in the NHL in its 1st year.   
Miscellaneous:
    The Nation is in morning after the passing of Sen. John McCain who was a Veteran and Hero and respected Senator from the State of Arizona.  Senator McCain and President Trump didn't see eye to eye and the President often took to Social Media to mock or degrade McCain. President Trump is not attending McCains funeral but both past Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush will give the eulogies.  President Trump reached a tentative deal with Mexico on trade and put more tariffs on China. Also, He cancelled a meeting with North Korea as they have seemingly backed out of the so called agreement on Nuclear Arms. The stock market continues to rally and break new records which President Trump has had allot to do with but it was already on the upswing long before He took office.  Other issues still at the forefront of the Trump Administration are the Russian Collusion, Trump Tower Meeting, Manafort found guilty, Cohen singing like a canary to the Feds, possible indictment of Donald Trump jr. and the potential releasing of Trump tax returns. Not to mention Immigration reform, Supreme Count Nominee, Racial Inequality, Gun Control and of course the upcoming November elections which could turn the tide in Congress.
Other Sporting Events:
    PGA:  Bryson DeChambeau won The Northern Trust.   NASCAR: Kurt Bush wins at Bristol.

twitter; @thecupofjoeinthed   email; cupofjoeinthed@gmail.com    www.cupofjoeinthed.blogspot.com 

NFL Conference Championships Preview

      The NFL Conference Championships open this upcoming weekend with 2 Games on tap. These third round games should be very interesting and entertaining. The first 2 round of playoff games have been pretty boring except for the Packers last second win over the Cowboys and the last 4 minutes of the Steelers and Chiefs game. The carousel of Head Coaching vacancies has finally been filled and teams not in the playoffs are looking towards the NFL Draft and also potential Free Agents. We will also be swearing in the 45th President of the United Stated today, President elect Donald Trump. Here is a quick breakdown of the games this weekend.
      In the first game Sunday, it is the Green Bay Packers at the Atlanta Falcons.   This game has every indication of a high scoring who has the ball last shootout. But as we have seen in the past, sometimes games like this are a relatively low scoring game. Injuries will play a big role as both WR Jordy Nelson and WR Davonte Adams appear to be out and the Packers defense is heavily banged up especially in the secondary and a couple of starters on the OL too. The Falcons appear in much better shape although WR Julio Jones has been battling a sprained toe and missed most of the 2nd half of last weeks win over Seattle. This game also features 2 of the hottest and best QB's in all of football. Aaron Rodgers for Green Bay and Matt Ryan for Atlanta.  The running game will play a big part in this game and the edge goes to the Falcons. Turnovers and penalties will also play an important role in this game. I expect a barn burner repeat of earlier this season when Atlanta edged the Packers 33-32 on this same field. This is will also be the last game ever played in the Georgia Dome as the new Mercedes Benz stadium will be ready for next season.
      The second game on Sunday features the New England Patriots hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Another game which should feature a potential shootout although the run game is very important for both teams as it sets up play action passing. This game also features 2 of the best QB's in all of the NFL in the Patriots Tom Brady and the Steelers Ben Roethlisberger. New England cruised through their Divisional game while Pittsburgh put up a lot of yards but failed to score a TD in their game. Injuries do not look like they play a major factor in this game but reports have the Steelers this week having more than 15 players on its team fighting the flu bug. This could cause issue late in the game when players need to be hydrated and not fatigued. These teams played earlier in the year in Pittsburgh and the Patriots won that game 27-16. This game also is mired in controversy as Pittsburgh WR Antonio Brown sent live video out of the Steelers post game win over the Chiefs last Sunday that captured Head Coach Mike Tomlins speech and his bashing of the NFL and favoritism towards the Patriots as well.  These 2 teams have a huge dislike for each other and the team that keeps their composure and limits the turnovers and penalties and can run the ball the best should come out the winner and move onto Super Bowl 51 in Arizona
      Cooper the NFL Analyst was 189-65-2 in his picks during the season, he was 1-3 in the Wild Card games and also 3-1 in the Divisional Games and is 4-4 overall. We will record his picks and how He does throughout the NFL playoffs.   twitter; @cupofjoeinthed    email; cupofjoeinthed@gmail.com

Cooper NFL Analyst relaxing after making his NFL Conference Championship Picks

	NFL Playoffs Conference Championships  Cup of Joe Cooper Green Bay at Atlanta ATL ATL Pittsburgh at New England  PIT NE

 

Hey America? Time for Change is Now!!

     I woke up this morning with a pit in my stomach after another restless night of trying to sleep. I am living in the greatest Country in the World and yet right now I do not feel proud to be an American. The racial divide is growing bigger and bigger in America and yet all I see is allot of People talking the talk but not walking the walk.  Community Activists and Church Leaders using the problem of racial divide for their own agendas and not truly doing what is needed to come together and discuss and find common ground for a solution. Time for Change is Now!!!
     This past weeks shooting of 3 African American Males by White Police Men  as well as the ambush by an African American Man of White Dallas Police has heightened tension all over America. This isn't the first time both these incidents have happened but I truly hope and pray to God that they will be the last! We need to mourn for them and to pray and comfort those hurting as well. It sickens me to see this great Country being torn apart by deep racial tensions and differences that continue to happen and grow and tear apart the Communities We all live in nowadays. We now have Cops all over the Country going to social media both black and white, ranting on and on about Black Lives Matter as well as Church and Community Leaders and everyone else having their own opinions on this too.  Again talk is cheap, the time is now for Action and plenty of it.  All Lives Matter!!! Not just Black or White or any other ethnicity!!
     The elephant in the room is that no one really wants to sit down and discuss what needs to be discussed.  The Lack of Race Discussion is what is wrong and everyone knows this but few really want to sit down and discuss it openly and with a frank dialogue. Neither side wants to concede or admit or even budge when it comes to these discussions so the divide grows even more so by the day. The time is Now to change Police Policies in every department in America from the Federal Government all the way down to the smallest of Communities or Cities. Changing Policing in America should be first and foremost as a step to start to bridge racial division.  I keep hearing in the Media and by President Obama and others that We as a Nation have racial bias and we are dealing with these issues better now then any other time. While I agree with President Obama somewhat, I see us taking one step forward and three steps back nowadays in dealing with racial issues. Peaceful Demonstrations are no longer peaceful, violence always seems to come to the front of these Demonstrations. Some think violence is the only way to deal with this issue but deep down we all know violence will not do anything but incite and rile everyone up where nothing gets done. And for the most part those that suffer the most are the Mom and Pop store Owners who are the Cornerstone of Our Communities who are either damaged, pillaged or burned to the ground.  We as a Nation are great at raising our voice, getting all riled up but then sitting back and letting the momentum die down as time goes by, this happens all too frequently. Social Media is a great tool to get people involved but it also too quickly moves onto the next big news topic without regards to the current ones. The Time for Change is Now!!! Not next week or next month or next year!!
     We need to make the issue of racial divide a Top Political Issue in this years Presidential Election and not let the Presidential Candidates or the GOP or DNC off the hook or let their public relations groups spin this as all the other topics they do not want to talk about. Lets make this a Priority in this Presidential Race and nail down the Candidates to precise plans on how to deal with this issue!  Today, President Obama and ex President George Bush along with many other dignitaries will be in Dallas for an Interfaith prayer gathering to mourn the victims of the Dallas Police Tragedy. This is an important step but just a baby step in healing this racial divide. We as Americans need to do much more to start the healing process.
     Here are my thoughts and solution to healing this great Country and moving forward as One People not just Black, or White, or Asian, or Muslim, but One People who Love and treat each other with Dignity and Respect and see each other as a mirror of themselves and not the color of their skin! Start walking up to those you see on the streets or in a Mall or a restaurant and say hi, shake a hand, give a hug, be polite and courteous. Lets treat each other as We want to be treated! We need to come together as a Community and as a Church. One Unified Voice with a clear and concise vision of clearly wanting to deal with this ugly racial divide across America.  It is simple, I call on the Leaders in every Community and City, no matter how big or small,  these People need to come together and talk and start the change from within their Communities. Churches need to have interfaith services not churches of one color but churches for all religion and faith and ethnicity to be welcome and to come together. Power in numbers.  Community Leaders and Church Leaders need to stop trying to be the Alpha Person and learn to coexist and get along and find common ground to help diffuse and work towards a common goal and solution of racial divide. Mayors and Governors and State Officials need to also let go of their petty differences and agendas and help on a broader platform to start the change of Policing Policy and race division within each State. On the Federal Level, the President and Congress and the GOP and DNC need to bury the hatchet and stop with all the political and party rhetoric  and take a stance and do what is right to fix this racial divide that has been going on for far too long!!! Time for Change is Now!!!
    How many more lives of all ethnicity have to be lost or injured before We as the great Nation We are, stand up as One UNIFED VOICE and say Enough is Enough and demand change to happen now!!!  Our Nations Police forces have a very hard job of protecting and keeping all of us safe. Many times it is a thankless job. When you see a police officer go up to them shake their hand or give them a hug and a simple thank you for all you do. We need to mourn those who have lost their lives and also those affected by these senseless tragedies and pray for them and help them if We can. It is Now Time for Change and to let the healing begin!  We need to make America a Proud Nation again filled with Love, Respect and Dignity towards one another not hatred and anger. There is enough of that in the World!! Lets take back our great Nation and be an example for all Nations as One Nation with One Unified Voice and start now to fix this racial divide. I want to be able to start waking up once again in the morning with a smile and a Heart glowing of being a Proud American once more! The Time for Change is NOW!!!!!
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