My weekly review post of Sports and My Thoughts as they pertain to the "D" and Beyond for the week ending Sunday 10.19.15 . This was a week filled with all sorts of drama and ups and downs. In the "D":
Lions: The Lions finally won their first game of the Season. It wasn't easy and took a late FG in OT to win. A week after the lions were questioned by fans for quitting and giving up against Arizona the Lions and especially Stafford played well and finally showed a glimmer of hope for the remaining season. The Lions are beleaguered with injuries, still have too many costly turnovers and miscues and penalties and let Chicago move down the field with only 21 seconds left on the clock and tie the game up late in the 4th quarter. Something that should never happen. Stafford rebounded after the worse game of the year by throwing for over 400 yards and 4 TD's. It was a much needed win and they will try to build on this win this week when they host the 3-2 Vikings.
Red Wings:The Red Wings opened the Season winning 3 straight games before losing the next two and showing they will be a good team this year but are young and inexperienced and will have a learning curve this season. They should make the playoffs for the 25th straight year but it will be a struggle at times for them.
Pistons: The
Pistons will be an interesting team this year. They drafted Stanley
Johnson and traded for Ersan Ilyasova and signed guard Reggie Jackson to
a huge contract even though He hasn't proven himself yet in the league.
Stan VanGundy resigned Jackson to this contract and it could be a great
deal or one that will come back and haunt the Pistons as did the
signing of ex Piston Josh Smith last year! Hopefully this team will
learn how to play defense this year and not live and die with the 3
ball. I look for the Pistons to win 35 to 40 games this year.
Tigers:
The Tigers finished the Season and for the first time in a few years
are sitting out this years Post Season. The Tigers were a huge
disappointment as the team displayed many glaring holes that need to be
filled during the off season. The Tigers often played uninspired and
lackadaisical. The were not fundamental sound as they missed cut off
men, were terrible on the bases, couldn't bunt or play short ball and
looked like they were just going through the motions in many games this
year. The Coaching was bad and I like many do not understand the
rationale of bring back Manager Brad Ausmus for another year, in his
second season he seemed to get worse instead of better and some of his
decisions cost the Tiger at least a dozen games this past season.
Spartans: The Spartans remain undefeated and #4 in the Country with an unbelievable finish to an epic battle with Michigan. In a last second play that is one for the sports history books, MSU blocked a Michigan punt and ran it back for a TD to defeat the Wolverines on the last play of the game. The Spartans came into the game banged up and with injuries to many starters and they started freshmen but as they have in all the games played this year, they played for 60 minutes and won another close game. MSU has developed into a College football powerhouse where they do not win pretty or blow out many teams, but they play hard and physical, have great team chemistry and resolve and they never ever quit on the team or each other. The Spartans control their own destiny and possible National Championship playoffs if they run the table.
Wolverines: The Wolverines and Jim Harbaugh had everyone drinking the Harbaugh Kool aid and after 3 straight shutouts against average teams, Michigan was ranked #12 and heavily favored against MSU. In a back and forth hard fought game it was clearly evident that Harbaugh relied on his defense and trusted his QB very little for the whole game. But when he had a chance again to rely on his defense for one more play he choose to punt the ball and he cost his team the game and the season is pretty much over for the Wolverines. Harbaugh after the game chose his customary complaining and whining as he has done for so long with the 49ers as well as when he was at Stanford. See more on Harabugh and the game at www.cupofjoeinthed.blogspot.com
Sports beyond the "D":
NFL:
The NFL continues to have a Black Cloud over it, as once again the
Officials caused the outcome of a game to be called into question as
none of its officials in the game made a call that was suppose to be
called and it cost a team a potential winning touchdown. This has become
the norm as in a playoff game last season the Officials also blew a
call that cost a team a win. The NFL seems to do what they want when
they want for the NFL is a money making machine that makes the Owners
money hand over fist! The NFL also needs to stop being patsies when it
comes to dealing with the NFLPA and needs to put very detailed strict
consequences to an offesne or violations by players or teams that are
not negotiable! There needs to be a fair and just disciplinary agreement
that stops the NFLPA from going to federal Court every time they want
to but also deals with the violations in a fair and timely manner!
MLBaseball: The Post Season is now down to the final four teams where the Blue Jays and Royals are facing off in the AL and the Mets and Cubs in the NL. Should be a good World Series this year.
NCAA: The
NCAA seems to becoming more and more than nothing but the oversight of
college athletics that just collects money. The NCAA investigates
allegations and violations and hands down punishments and disciplines
which most of the time are against athletes for a team violation or
potential violation for taking money or making money and the NCAA
suspends the athlete at its will which is wrong.There needs to be a
defined detailed process for these issue. On the other hand a College is
charged with violations and it is stripped of scholarships and maybe a
playoff suspension depending on what the violation was, but then the
College usually challenges it and the NCAA backs down. SMU and its Coach
Larry Brown were handed down a punishment for violations of NCAA rules
and SMU is no stranger to NCAA wrong doings and now they want to
challenge the discipline. Syracuse and its head B Ball Coach Jim Boeheim
want to challenge his 9 game suspension because he now wants to have
his discipline compared to what the NCAA gave to Larry Brown even though
the suspension of 9 conference games for Jim Boeheim was nothing more
than a slap on the wrist for the transgressions that occurred under his
watch at Syracuse. He should of been suspended at least 1 year for what
happened! And now just this week it has come to light that an assistant
coach at Louisville under Head Coach Rick Pitino hires escorts to have
sex with players and recruits for 5 years. If this is true, the NCAA
should make an example of Louisville and show the other Universities it
means business and penalize the Basketball program for 3 years taking
away scholarships and give them a post season ban and possible removal
of the head coach as well. It is time to let everyone know that even as
athletics have taken over as big business at the college level the rules
and regulations have to be followed and if you break them they are
serious consequences that will be instituted.
NBA and NHL: The NHL opened up its season this week and we are less than a month away from the NBA opener!
See my weekly NFL Power Rankings and weekly NFL Picks and My weekly CFBTop25 and CFB weekly picks at www.cupofjoeinthed.blogspot.com .
@cupofjoeinthed
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