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 Thursday 3.9.17 .  This was a week filled with all sorts of drama and ups and downs. In the "D":    
Lions:  The Detroit Lions got involved in the NFL Free Agency on the first day signing OT Wagner, DE Spence, DE Washington CB Hayden and LB Worrilow.  Between the NFL combine that just finished and Free Agency that just started, GM Bob Quinn will have his hands full. Quinn needs to address many glaring holes in the Lions during this off season and also has to figure out which Lions players that can opt for Free Agency the team wants to try and bring back.  There is also the huge cloud hanging over the lions as to what to do in regards to QB Matt Stafford and his expiring contract next season. Are they ready to make him one of the highest paid players in the league and lock him up for years to come or do they want to franchise tag him and pay him big money for a season at a time? Will they go after Free Agents to fill holes in the secondary, LB, DL, OL and WR? Will they trade for some immediate help? Will they take a stud RB to ease the pressure off of Stafford? This is a huge off season for GM Bob Quinn who already made his first big decision in retaining HC Caldwell before the playoff game in Seattle and watching the team end the season on a 4 game losing skid. The 2017 football schedule is out and the Lions have 21st toughest schedule in the NFL for next season. .
Red Wings:  The Red Wings are heading into the final 20 games of the season and they are currently in last place in the NHL East Conference Atlantic Division.  The trade deadline has come and gone and Detroit was a seller, trading 4 of their top players. The main problem is that the Red Wings got no higher than a 3rd round draft pick for any of the players they traded away, meaning the picks in the 2017 and 2018 drafts from the 3rd round will take a few years at best to develop these young players.  There are also other over priced underachieving players and their big contracts that need to be addressed in the off season as well as having to leave a player(s) off the protected team for the upcoming expansion draft this off season. I have to question whether GM Ken Holland did enough to save his job. The Red Wings have always been a loyal organization to a fault, but I wonder if Holland, as it was with former Head Coach Mike Babcock has run his course in Detroit and a fresh set of eyes is needed in Detroit as the new GM? The Detroit Red Wings who have made the playoffs a record 25 straight years in all probability will see that streak end this season.   
Pistons:   The Pistons are currently in 7th place in the NBA Eastern Conference with a 32-33 record. The NBA trade deadline has also come and gone and the Pistons who tried to shop all their players stood pat and did nothing! The problem is that the 2 players they signed to huge ridiculous contracts (Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson) no one wanted and they both know they were shopped around the league.  Even worse is the fact that both of these guys are now on the 2nd unit for the Pistons and yet the highest paid under the regime of Stan Van Gundy.  The team still doesn't play defense, lives and dies by the 3 ball as most NBA teams do nowadays and Free throw shooting has become an issue for this team. Detroit which has all their starters and backup guys healthy and have decided that they want to run and gun their way to wins and not play any defense. This has become problematic for HC Stan Van Gundy since he came to Detroit a few years ago, his teams seem to never want to play defense at all.  Opposing teams are met with little to no resistance as they go to the basket. This team is too soft especially in the middle and would be wise to bring in some of the Bad Boys from previous Piston teams to learn how to let opposing players and teams know if they go to the basket they should expect a hard foul to follow. HC Van Gundy needs to be held accountable for He has assembled a team of players that do not like to play hard on defense. Until this team learns to play any semblance of defense, expect the Pistons to hover around the .500 mark the rest of the season. Playing in a league of parity they just might sneak into the playoffs again but will get beat soundly as they did last year if they continue to play as they have all season. The Detroit Pistons announced they will move back to the City of Detroit next year and play in the new Little Caesars Arena with the Detroit Red Wings starting next season.
Tigers:  Season opener is 24 days away.  The Tigers spring training and Grapefruit League play is underway.  So far in Spring Training, the Tigers pitching is getting rocked and the bats have been very silent and not scoring any runs or getting allot of hits. Veterans and rookies are trying to make the ball club. Detroit has so many unanswered questions going into the season. Most importantly is their pitching staff which could be a big surprise or could end up being a dud again.  The starting pitching could be the strong part of this team while the bullpen once again could end up being pitching by committee as it was for most of last season.  Detroit which many have finishing no higher then 3rd in the MLB American League Central Division still has one of the highest payrolls in all of baseball with many aging high priced players who underachieved the past few seasons.  The Wild Card for the Tigers bullpen will be rookie Jiminez who could be the key to making this a potential contender this season. Offensively, the Tigers still are very imposing but one would be foolish to expect the older veterans such as Miggy and V Martinez to stay healthy all year and Detroit also needs JD Martinez and Upton to have great years as well.  Starting catcher McCann needs to rebound after a terrible hitting season in 2016 and Castallenos needs to continue to improve on the break out year he had last season.  Defensively and baseball fundamentals haunted the Tigers last season and needs to be addressed such as hitting cutoff men, base running, bunting, advancing the runner and doing the little things that the Tigers failed miserably to do in 2016. This is a huge gamble for the Tigers going into the 2017 baseball season.  How the Tigers won 86 games last season is beyond me but they will have to win 90+ this year which will be tough as both the Indians and the Royals got better and the Twins with all their young draft choices are getting much better, that leaves both the White Sox and the Tigers as teams that need everything to go right to have a shot in the Central Division this year. Only 32 days until Opening day in Chicago against the White Sox. 
Spartans:  Head Coach Mark Dantonio and the football team may be facing some serious problems as 3 of its players and a student coach have been accused of sexual assault and the MSU Public Safety has send in warrant requests in regards to this situation.  MSU which has some of the toughest guidelines for colleges has a zero tolerance policy in regards to sexual assault. More to come as an investigation has begun into this serious matter. The Spartans football team is working on fixing all of the mistakes and problems from last years disappointing 3-9 record. In in a year where MSU  started and played more freshmen and sophomores then any other time under Head Coach Mark Dantonio. This team was short on talent this season has also had very questionable play calling on both sides of the ball and if the Spartans look to rebound next season and remain an Elite team, they need to put a top OC and DC in place.  I admire HC Mark Dantonio's loyalty, but it has come with a high price that has cost the team at least 2 games last season. Players love playing for him so He needs to do the right thing and bring in top Coaches to round out his Coaching staff.  His decision to bring in top Coaches could haunt the program for years to come.  The Spartan basketball team looks like a 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament as Coach Izzo has been starting 4 true Freshmen and trying to overcome season ending injuries to his 2 big men before the season starting and losing Sr. Guard Eron Harris to a season ending knee injury 2 weeks ago. Michigan State crushed Penn State in the 1st game of the B1G Tourney and should be a shoe in for the NCAA Tourney.  MSU has challenged itself to perform with the hardest non conference schedule in the Country. Injuries have been a big part of the lack of wins so far but the Spartans also lack the mental and physical toughness of previous Izzo teams. Also the lack of a Big Man in the middle hurts them as well. Head Coach Tom Izzo knows what it takes to win and I see them always as a dark horse in the NCAA Tournament to get into the Sweet 16.
Wolverines:  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. Harbaugh also has tried to hire the parents of a 4 star recruit in hopes of landing the recruit at Michigan. Harbaugh also went after SEC commentator Paul Finebaum in regards to remarks Finebaum made against Michigan and Harbaugh. I would of expected Harbaugh to take the high road and dismiss the remarks but Harbaugh once again let his ego get the better of him and decided to use social media to get back at Finebaum. Also, a smack in the face to the NCAA, Harbaugh decided to take the whole football team to Rome 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 has punched its ticket to the NCAA Tourney and should be an 8 or 9 seed. The Wolverines can play with anyone at home but have a hard time on the road and away from Ann Arbor.Michigan should be able to win a game or 2 in the NCAA Tournament and has a good chance of challenging in the B1G Tourney as well.
Sports beyond the "D":
NFL:   NFL Free agency has started and players are switching teams and the Owners have opened up their checkbooks in hopes of finding a player or 2 to help them to get to the playoffs. Big name players such as Adrian Peterson, Brandon Marshall, James Charles, Alshon Jeffrey are just a few that will be looking for a new team. The NFL has an off season coming up to work on the many issues that it is dealing with; especially its declining viewership, players pushing for marijuana to be legalized, the moving of the Raiders to Las Vegas and the Chargers to Los Angeles. 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.  The NFL Pro Bowl game is just a shell of what it once was, where now players do not want to play for fear of getting hurt and also for no real incentive to play in the game. It is time for the NFL to revamp the game to give it new meaning among players and fans alike. 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:  Spring training games are into their 2nd week for all MLB teams and the MLB Season is approaching quickly. Excitement is building for fans and players and teams alike as another Season is just around the corner. Teams all think before the start of the season that this might just be their year and some teams have spent a lot to acquire players they think will lead them to the World Series, other teams stood still and others shed payroll while trying to rebuild for a few years down the road.  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. They also are tinkering with putting a lead off man on 2nd base with no outs starting in the 10th inning to allow extra inning games to be decided rather quickly. This is a stupid idea!! Also the WBC (World Baseball Classic) begins today as teams from many Nation compete to see who is the best. Many MLB Players will not be playing for their respective Countries due to illness or injury or they werent granted an insurance waiver from the MLB team they are playing for.
NCAA:  With more and more coming out from the Baylor sexual assault scandal, it seems that Baylor has allowed the football program to run amuck for years and police itself and cover up all its wrong doings. what is even more ludicrous is Baylor's Women Basketball Coach Kim Mulkey addresses the crowd and actually tries to justify the wrong doings at Baylor and then states that all colleges have the same issues as Baylor. The mindset of those at Baylor is truly baffling, I do not know how Kim Milkey still has her job and in hearing this why anyone would want to send their child to Baylor anymore. Baylor also now tells the NCAA infraction committee they have it all fixed and do not see a need to be punished for these alleged crimes. If the NCAA does not issue the death penalty to the Baylor football program, not only will the NCAA lose the little credibility it has left, it will send a message that the bigger schools can do what they want when they want and are above the law.  This isn't Baylor's first time with huge issues and they tried to cover up transgressions within the basketball program and now numerous transgressions within its football team.  The NCAA has no choice but to give the Baylor football team the death penalty.  The NCAA passed a law prohibiting Spring football practices such as the one the Michigan Wolverines had in Florida last season. The ordinance takes place in August, so as an insult and a slap in the face, the Wolverines are taking the whole football team to Rome, Italy under the premise of studying and learning, yet also practicing as well. Also, Michigan is the first Public Institution to pay 3 assistant coaches more than a $1M a year. With Universities paying Coaches more than some NFL teams do, it is time to pay the student athletes a stipend and a big one at that as they are the ones making the Universities the money. Also, the Poinsettia Bowl is no more and I for one am happy to see the elimination of this Bowl game as we need to still reduce the number of Bowl games which currently now stands at 40. Also, it is time for Louisville to pay the piper and accept the punishment that the NCAA will hand down in regards to the Basketball team and lack of compliance and also North Carolina and its academic cheating scandal that has dragged on way too long. .
NBA and NHL: 
    The NBA trade deadline has come and gone and no major trades took place outside of the Sacramento Kings sending DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans for a package of players and draft picks. The Lakers and Owner Jeanie Buss cleaned house and she brought in Earvin "Magic" Johnson as President to run the Lakers. A move that could benefit the Lakers or continue to cause their downward spiral. Magic got going on his first day sending their leading scorer and 6th man to the Rockets to ensure they tank the rest of the year and get a very high chance at the #1 draft choice. We have also had current and former NBA Players using Social Media as a platform to go at each others such as Charles Barkley and LeBron James, and the biggest was Shaq and current Warriors player JaVale McGee in which also Warriors players and Coach Steve Kerr came to JaVale's defense. The thing that amazes me is that his Mother also chimed in and wanted Shaq to be fired. JaVale McGee is his own man and He needs to fight his own battles, more and more we see Mother's and Father's using social media to help fight their child's battles. If JaVale was a child that would be fine, but He is a grown man!  I am also amazed that the Knicks owner, James Dolan who is disliked by many of the current and former Knicks players has allowed Phil Jackson to make his team the laughing stock of the NBA. Also, Dolan's handling of the Charles Oakley incident was bad for the Knicks, himself and the NBA. Just another black eye.  I wrote an article on my blog called, "NBA Dynamics have come Full Circle" a must read discussing how the NBA is now run by the Players and not the Owners anymore. see it at www.cupofjoeinthed.blogspot.com          
     In the NHL, the trade deadline also has come and gone and while there were some trades made, most teams sat pat. Scouts and Analysts report that this years upcoming draft is the weakest they have seen in many years. Also it is time for the NHL to revisit their point system for wins. Teams are playing to tie games in regulation knowing they will get at least a point no matter what. I think as many do, that a win in regulation should be 3 points, 2 points for a win in OT or a shootout. This would offer incentive to teams wanting to win in regulation.  The NHL also announced expansion into Las Vegas in a few years and Seattle is the next potential city to host an expansion team. I cannot understand the rationale of expansion when their are quite a few team struggling financially right now in the NHL. 
Miscellaneous;   Its is now March, which means March Madness is just a little less then 2 weeks away. Conference Championships have started and on Sunday, March 12th, the 68 teams will be announced and the 3 weeks of frenzied wild zaniness will begin.  Both Men's and Women's NCAA Tournaments will begin and the Champions will be crowned in early April. Brackets and Pools and hours of lost production will once again happen upon corporate America as millions take part in this yearly ritual. The Daytona 500 was run a week ago and so many crashes happened as over zealous race drivers caused many unnecessary crashes that luckily there was no one seriously injured. Nascar changed their point scoring system and it seems allot of back lash has already begun against the new scoring system. Also, key top Drivers have recently retired over hte last year or so as it seems the common denominator is how careless the drivers have become and crashes are the new norm and injuries and concussions have come to the front. Until Nascar admits to itself that is has this image and does something to change it, the start drivers one by one will continue to retire. 
PGA:  Dustin Johnson wins WGC-Mexico Championship NASCAR: Brad Keslowski wins at Atlanta
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