U of M Recruiting Coverage

I am working on a big U of M recruiting day wrap up that I will post at MSG on Thursday/Friday. National Signing day is Wednesday, and so much can change in the last few days, I don't want to count any chickens before they hatch. For those not familiar with NSD, it's like the college version of free agency, with 10 hours of live ESPNU coverage. Although many players commit before NSD, it's not binding until they sign their letter of intent. College basketball has an early signing period, but football does not.

So to get a rundown of Michigan's next wave of freshman, be on the lookout for it at MSG.

A few Lions Draft Targets

This is the first time since 2008 that the Lions' first draft pick is somewhat of a mystery. Last year it was Suh unless St. Louis passed on a QB, in which case it would have been Gerald McCoy. In 2009 it was Stafford, and whoever at 20. In 2008 they didn't pick until 15, and then traded down to 17. So I will highlight a few picks at positions of need that represent good value at 13. This is all subject to change after the combine where some unknown runs a 4.3 40, and gets 33 reps at 225. But I hate workout warriors, so let's hope the following guys don't get hurt. I am also going on what I feel are the biggest needs. This list is also under the assumption that guys like Patrick Peterson, Prince Amukamara, DaQuan Bowers,Robert Quinn et al are off the board. And I am excluding Julio Jones and A.J. Green due to their position.

Akeem Ayers- Ayers is an OLB from UCLA. He is also projected to Detroit on 90% of mock drafts I have seen. His best asset is his speed, which will help get more pressure on the quarterback. He has the size to occasionally line up at DE in passing downs.

Cameron Jordan- Jordan is a DE from Cal. He is big at 6'4'' 285 lbs. He would probably be best suited in a 3-4 due to his size, but would also excel on the other side from Cliff Avril. He has the potential to move up to the top 5 with a good showing at the combine/Pro day.

Brandon Harris-Harris is a CB from Tha U. Please punch me in the face if I ever refer to Miami as "Tha U" again. Harris will no doubt call his alma mater "Tha U" due to his demeanor. He think's he's the best player on the field, and is right more often than not. Opinions are split on him, and he is not considered a lock to go in the first round. After Peterson and Amukamara, there is no consensus #3 CB. Harris is in the running.

Mark Ingram-The 2009 Heisman winner is a RB from Alabama. He is from the Flint area, and is the son of Mark Ingram Sr.. I personally don't think RB is a big enough need to draft at 13, many people do, and Martin Mayhew has shown that he will draft the best player available. Let's hope he doesn't think this highly of Ingram.

Nate Solder-Solder is a skyscraper OT from Colorado. His size is impressive at 6'9'' 314 pounds. This is again a position that I think could wait, but Solder has huge upside. Most years I would be screaming for Mayhew to draft him, but the back 7 of the defense has soooooo many holes.

Aldon Smith-DE from Missouri. Another player with big upside. The problem with these guys, is their propensity to bust (see Gholston, Vernon and Maybin, Aaron). If it weren't for Vanden Bosch's injury concerns, I wouldn't bother to list so many DE prospects.

That's about it this early. Again, guys will break out at the combine. Some guys that could rise this far that fit needs are...

1. Jimmy Smith, CB Colorado
2. Martez Wilson. ILB Illinois
3. Tyron Smith, OT USC

I'm sure I'm missing guys. I am also like 99% of fans who want the Lions to trade down, and stockpile picks. I just know how hard it can be, so I can't begin to attempt to predict it happening. More to follow as background checks, Wonderlic scores, and torn ACLs shake up the draft.

Bahahahahahaha

AHHHH hahahahaha ha
1,181 days sinc.... AHAHAHAHAHA

Yes it was one game, but MSU was a preseason top-5 team, and Michigan didn't return anyone who averaged more than 7.4 points. Also,

Fantasy Baseball

I am thinking of putting together a fantasy baseball league for friends/readers. It will be free, and at least ten teams.  E-mail me if you are interested, and if you have any preferences in regards to AL/NL Only, categories, site, etc... If I have enough interest, I will start planning a time to hold a life draft.

E-mail semichigansports@gmail.com

Michigan State to Play UNC on an Aircraft Carrier

UNC head coach Roy Williams has confirmed that his Tar Heels will play the Spartans on an Aircraft Carrier. Seriously. This will obviously cause ballast issues when Draymond Green attempts to come aboard, but there is plenty of time to get those issues worked out by Veterans Day. Despite the recent struggles, MSU/UNC will be a huge draw. Let's just hope that they travel to international waters, to avoid any legal obstacles.

More Site News

I am still working on the new site, so regular posting will be on hold for a bit longer. A few things happened this weekend that warrant posts, so I will quickly touch on them...

Armando Galaragga was traded to Arizona for two low-ceiling prospects. I hate to see him go, but I touched on this briefly. To get anything for him was a good move.

Green Bay and Pittsburgh will be in the Super Bowl, which is the match-up I was hoping for considering the four teams left. Go Pack. I want the Lions to be able to say they at least beat the Champs. What's that? Rodgers didn't play? Thanks Buzz Killington.

And on to the site news. I have signed on to be a weekly contributor to michigansportsguy.com . I will be writing a weekly feature on the Wolverines once the transition to the new site. Make sure you check it out, and while you are at it, check out the other sites I follow. I wouldn't recommend them if they weren't great.

Movin' On Up

The site will be moving to semichigansports.com in the next few days. I decided to bite the bullet, and keep all the ad money for myself. Nothing should change content wise (sorry to disappoint you), although I have a few new ideas. I know next to nothing about setting up a website, so it will probably take a few days. 

He's Just Not That Into You

The Tigers recently signed Armando Galaragga to a one year deal, avoiding arbitration. They did this right after signing Brad Penny. Ok, maybe Galaragga would slide to the bullpen, or pitch in Toledo, and lay in waiting until someone got injured. Well, he's been designated for assignment. As in, we are going to try to trade you, or just let you go. Or something. Either way, it seems fishy/sketchy. Kurt at Bless You Boys has a great wrap up. Go read that. Go ahead, I'll wait.
...
...
...
My biggest question is did Mando know he would be DFA'd when he signed the deal, or did he blind-sided? I also believe Dombrowski when he says he wants Galaragga to start and will do his best to put him in that situation. It just seems like this could have been handled better. Maybe delay the announcement until a trade was in place? I dunno, man. I feel for him.

Red Wings Trying to Land Nabokov

Everyone is reporting that the Wings are attempting to sign goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. He's 35, but is still pretty good. Could this be a sign that Osgood is hurt worse than they thought? His hernia surgery was just over a week ago.



Anywho, Nabokov is a big enough name that I know who he is, so he has that going for him. He's also Russian, which makes him good at hockey if Sergei Federov taught me anything. Plus when he does something bad, the headline of "Nabok-it-ov Already" writes itself. Seriously, I didn't type that.

Tate Forcier to Transfer

The Detroit News is reporting that Forcier intends to transfer. This is as surprising as seeing Wendy Williams at a urinal. His brother, Jason, transferred to Stanford when Ryan Mallett arrived in Ann Arbor. His brother Chris, transferred from UCLA to Furman. The Forcier family dog transferred from ABC Obedience School to Roll Over, Rover, a private school in Colorado.

This does little to the depth chart, except thin it out. Denard Robinson will be a true junior this season. Devin Gardner is applying for a "medical redshirt" and will have plenty of time left either way. I'm also assuming  Hoke and Borges are recruiting a QB for this class, so the depth chart will have 3 scholarship players on it.

Either way, Good Luck to Tate wherever he ends up. He gave us hope in 2009, and his run against ND was the shit. Good night, sweet prince.



Let's just hope this doens't linger over Hoke's head like the Rodriguez/Mallett fiasco.

EDIT-For more, see the amazing work over at Midnight Maize.

Hide Yo Kids, Hide Yo Wife

I had talked myself out of mentioning this when it first came out, since these cases are often times without merit, but it keeps coming to light, so here it is. A Lions player is being accused of improperly contacting a 22 year old at a holiday party at the Ironwood Grill in Plymouth. I will let you click the first link for the details, but this can't be good. There are a few members of the defense we can rule out, like Julian Peterson, since the young lady would have gotten by untouched like everyone else he tried to grab this season.

Let's hope this is just a misunderstanding, and no one was seriously hurt, and no one will find themselves in prison. Cuz if this is as bad as it sounds, We gon' find you. So you can run and tell that.....Homeboy.

Nicklas Lidstrom Named All-Star Captain

So the NHL is pulling out all the stops to keep from filing bankruptcy. Their latest Hail-Mary is to have their all-star game resemble a pick up game. Instead of East/West, North America/World, or the ill fated 1979 Challenge Cup, they have selected a pool of players and 2 captains. Well Detroit's own Nicklas Lidstrom has been named as a Captain. Seems legit, right?

I am willing to bet that the caveat was that Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin had to be on separate teams. The other captain is Eric Staal, and he plays hockey. I will still never claim to be a hockey expert, but this reeks of desperation. If next year isn't Rock n Jock Hockey, I will eat my hat. (The bacon hat I am currently crocheting, not a real hat.)

But congrats to Lidstrom anyway. He is one of the greatest defensemen in NHL history, and I bet Bobby Orr never got a chance like this.

Tigers sign Galarraga

The Tigers have reached a one year deal to avoid arbitration with Perfecto* Galarraga. Armando was the last remaining arbitration eligible player the Tigers had to deal with, so those headaches have been avoided.

Baseball wise, I guess this makes sense. The rotation is far from set, so Galarraga still has a chance to beat out Penny or Coke. A MLB team can also always use a swing guy that can pitch in long relief, and start in a pinch without a month of being stretched out.

Sentimentally, this was a great signing. After the perfect game* and way he handled everything...

he should be a fan favorite for as long as he wears the Olde English D, and longer. And besides, at least they didn't sign Andres Galarraga.

Big Ten Coaches React to Hoke Hiring

I recently completed a four day road trip to interview the head coaches from the other Big Ten schools to gather their opinions on Michigan hiring Brady Hoke. The following are some of the highlights...

Ron Zook, Illinois- Coach Zook would not answer any specific questions about Hoke, but did drop down and knock out 40 one-handed push ups. I can only assume he was trying to intimidate me.....or court me, I haven't been able to figure out which. Since our meeting, he has sent me 15-20 strongly worded texts a day.

Bill Lynch, Indiana- I was chagrined to learn that Lynch was fired. He had a tumultuous relationship with Rich Rodriguez, and was hoping for some insight. New coach Kevin Wilson was busy recruiting, and was unable to meet with me.

Kirk Ferentz, Iowa- After being a rumored candidate to replace Lloyd Carr during the last fiasco, Kirk Ferentz holds unique insight into the workings of a Michigan coaching search. He was unable to comment on David Brandon, since his dealings were with Bill Martin. He did however offer me a scholarship to play RB.

Mark Dantonio, Michigan State- I mistakenly wore Maize and Blue as I walked into Coach Dantonio's office. Big mistake. He would not let me record the conversation, but if memory serves me right, he uttered the following phrases.

• If Michigan were battling prostate cancer, he would root for the cancer
• He rhymed Hoke with "choke, joke, smoke, poke, and broke". I mentioned that he forgot "toke", and Charles Rogers appeared out of thin air. Dantonio also chucked a stapler at me.
• He was afraid that Michigan could no longer be considered the "little brother", an obvious reference to Hoke's size.
• He offered a moment of silence for the U of M program.

He then excused himself, explaining that he needed to pick up his new starting RT, and that traffic in Jackson can be hectic.

Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern- Coach Fitz was another supposed candidate for the vacancy in Ann Arbor, so I was looking forward to meeting with him. Unsurprisingly, as an NW alum, his answers were bland and filled with big words. In a nutshell, he was complimentary to Brandon, and wished Hoke well. He looked forward to continuing the rivalry with Michigan both on and off the field.

Bo Pelini, Nebraska- I figured I should get the Cornhusker perspective, since both Hoke and Pelini would be making their Big Ten debuts in 2011. He said he had just started to watch tape of Michigan's offense the day Rich was fired, and was gathering tape on SDSU as we spoke. I asked if he had ever run into Hoke on the recruiting trail, and he proceded to poke me in the chest, and call me a pussy for suggesting such a thing. I ran away, and decided to never step foot in Nebraska again.

Jim Tressel, Ohio State- Apathetic, or maybe unconcerned would best describe the 35 or so seconds we spoke. He welcomed Coach Hoke into the Big Ten, saying "Michigan succeeding was good for Ohio State, The Big Ten, and the NCAA". As I took a sip of water and pondered my next inquiry, I tripped over a box in the hallway labeled "Scarlet Vests" and spiiled some of my water on him. His head started spinning around, and smoke billowed from his ears and he slumped to the ground. Minutes later, the IT department introduced me to the real coach of the Buckeyes.

BXDG7799, Ohio State- I don't speak binary, but this is what printed from his robot mouth..."010001100111010101100011011010110010000001001101011010010110001101101000011010010110011101100001011011100010111000100000010010010010000001101000011011110111000001100101001000000111010001101000011001010010000001100101011011100111010001101001011100100110010100100000011100110111010001100001011101000110010100100000011000100111010101110010011011100111001100100000011101000110111100100000011101000110100001100101001000000110011101110010011011110111010101101110011001000010110000100000011000010110111001100100001000000111010001101000011011110111001101100101001000000110011001100001011101000010000001100011011010000110100101101100011001000010000001101101011011110110110001100101011100110111010001100101011100100111001100100000011001000110100101100101001000000110111101100110001000000100000101001001010001000101001100101110"

Joe Paterno, Penn State- "I remember when the Hoke family first stepped off the Mayflower. I was just starting at Penn State, and had a terrible case of Chilblains, and couldn't find my wooden spoon. I told George " Things are going to be tough for the horses this winter, maybe I should eat a sandwich". Well, Bill had gone to the well, to fetch a pail of..Llama's once abducted my favorite sweater, so I shot a bald eagle with a feather pen." At that point, I smelled feces, and Coach fell asleep. I let myself out.

At this point, I realized that, like most Michigan fans, these coaches had no idea what to expect. I canceled my trip to Purdue. Coach Bielema from Wisconsin happened to be in my area, and stopped by, but once again offered little in the way of insight. He did get his haircut 3 times during our 15 minute meeting, which I found odd.

All in all, it was a fun trip. I have seen these coaches on TV, but never in person. Coach Fitzgerald was extremely nice, and the Ohio State thing was strange. Coach Dantonio asked me to accompany him on his "recruiting trip", but only if I would swallow these strange balloons. I declined, and he parted with words that will haunt by nightmares.....

Brett Favre Files Retirement Papers

ESPN is reporting that Brett Favre has shown his penis to Erin Andrews filed papers with the NFL announcing his retirement. He also filed the papers following the 2008 season, so I won't believe it until he's on Dancing With the Stars. Here's to hoping, though....

This Week in Great NBDL Names-Booker Woodfox

Booker Woodfox is a guard for the Texas Legends of the NBDL. He is averaging 12.7 ppg, and recently won the NBDL 3-Point Contest, beating former Wisconsin player Marcus Landry in the final round, 32-20.

Woodfox attended Creighton, where he was named 2009 Larry Bird MVC Player of the Year. And here I thought Fox and Birds were mortal enemies. Crazy. Crazy like a fox!

Tigers sign Joel Zumaya

According to Yahoo, the Tigers have resigned relief pitcher Joel Zumaya to a one year, 1.4 million dollar deal. That is a $485,000 raise. For Joel Zumaya. The oft-injured Joel Zumaya. The 101mph throwing Joel Zumaya. The victim of a Guitar Hero incident, Joel Zumaya. The pitcher who hasn't reached 40 innings since 2006.

The pitcher that....ok, i digress. But he's a hometown guy, so I gotta hope he overcomes the insurmountable almost insurmountable odds, and becomes the flame-thrower we all remember from the World Series run in '06.

Why can't I throw 100? I can barely hit 70 at Cedar Point, and those things are rigged. FML

Denard Robinson to stay at Michigan

Well, I am man enough to admit that I was wrong about this one. This is the happiest I have been to be wrong in a looong time. I assumed that a coach bringing in an offense designed to be different from RRs, would mean the end of the "Shoelace" era. Well, he's staying according to Hoke, The Wolverine is reporting.

Al Borges has enough experience that he should be able to adapt Denard into any offense, while evolving it back to a more conventional Pro-Style, NFL training ground that Michigan fans are used to. Also, RB commit Justice Hayes is hinting on twitter that more commits are coming, and to watch the next few days, so keep an eye out.

All in all, I must say I may have slightly over-reacted in my initial criticism of the Hoke hire. Recruiting will be the biggest sign of success in the short term, so the next few days could be very telling.

Ndamukong Suh Named Rookie of the Year

The Sporting News has named Ndamukong Suh the NFL Rookie of the year. In other news, ice is cold.

Sam Bradford had a good year, but was not in the top 10 quarterbacks when you look at the numbers. Suh was easily one of the top DTs in the NFL. He led all NFL 4-3 DTs in tackles, led all DTs in sacks, and was one of 3 defensive linemen to return a fumble for a score.

Suh was named to start in the Pro Bowl, but elected to have surgery on his shoulder to be prepared for next season, and recently tweeted that his surgery was a success. (hat tip to Pride of Detroit for that one)

In other local news, The Sporting News also named former Michigan punter Zoltan Mesko to its all rookie team. This must be a nice honor, but as Space Emporer (of space), he is probably used to the spotlight.

Tate Forcier not enrolled at U of M

The long standing transfer rumors appear to be gearing up again. The Michigan Daily is reporting that Tate Forcier is not enrolled in classes as of this morning.  The deadline for enrollment is January 25th, so nothing is certain, but it seems odd to wait this long.

If Forcier is indeed gone, that leaves Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner on the roster along with a couple of walk-ons. There are still a few Pro style quarterback prospects that have yet to make a commitment to another school, so there's still time. As I type this, Dave Brandon just said that fitting Denard Robinson into Al Borges' offense has been talked about, so maybe Shoelace will still be around.

And as I type this, Brandon says that "Forcier is still not with the team". It doesn't sound like there will be a definitive answer until the entire coaching staff is in place.

Michigan Hires Brady Hoke

MGoBlue.com is reporting that Brady Hoke will be the next head coach at The University of Michigan. He has accumulated an overall coaching record of 47-50, and a bowl record of 1-1 at stops at Ball State and San Diego State. His best year was 12-1 in 2008 at Ball State. He was then hired to coach SDSU and missed his team's bowl loss. That 2008 team featured BSU's all time leading passer, their number 2 and 3 career receiving yardage leaders, and a RB who is now their #2 rusher.

Prior to becoming the head man at Ball State, he served as the DL coach and associate head coach at Michigan from 1997-2002. The recurring theme, if you hadn't noticed, is that David Brandon wanted a coach with Michigan ties. Harbaugh, Miles, and now Hoke.

This will never be considered a glamorous hire, but maybe it is what Michigan was looking for after the Rich Rod experiment.  This is a move that can't be measured for a few years until he gets "his guys" in the mix. He is accustomed to running the more pro-style offense Michigan is used to. There aren't any options on the roster at QB, and with signing day less than a month away, it may be a tough 2011 season if he tries to run his offense with this roster. Think of it as a bizzarro  2008 with Tate playing the role of Threet/Sheridan.

At least its over with. There is closure for the fans, and well there's the bright side.

Les Miles to remain at LSU

Ahem...

FUCK FUCK SHIT BALLS ASS FUCK

Multiple sources are reporting that Les Miles will not be taking his talents to the Huron River.

Next on the list......Brady Hoke?

FUCK SHIT DONKEYTAINT ASS SHIT

EDIT-To the person who found their way to my little corner of the internet by googling "donkeytaint"....

1. I'm pretty sure its two separate words.
2. I'm sorry you didn't find whatever it was you were looking for.

Tigers sign Brad Penny

The Detroit Tigers have signed pitcher Brad Penny to a one year deal worth 3 million dollars. He was 3-4 last year with a 3.23 ERA with the Cardinals.  He then missed time with a shoulder injury, and will turn 33 in May. Thats pretty intriguing for a possible 5th starter. He doesn't have a high k/9 rate at 6.3, but he has the potential to be a top 3 pitcher in a good rotation when healthy. Assuming he beats out Galarraga for the 5th spot, the Detroit rotation will look something like this....

1. Justin Verlander, RHP-18-9, 3.37 ERA, 8.8 k/9
2. Max Scherzer, RHP-12-11, 3.5 ERA, 8.5 k/9
3. Rick Porcello, RHP-10-12, 4.92 ERA, 4.6 k/9
4. Phil Coke, LHP-7-5, 3.76 ERA, 7.4 k/9
5. Brad Penny, RHP-3-4, 3.23 ERA, 6.3 k/9
6. Armando Galarraga, 4-9, 4.49 ERA, 4.6 k/9

When you take into account how good Scherzer was after his trip to Toledo, Porcello's age, and Armando's flirt with perfection, this could be a great rotation. Or Scherzer could revert back to his beginning of 2009, Porcello could not take the expected leap forward, Coke can crack under the pressure of starting, and Penny could deal with injury issues or continue his struggles in the AL.

So basically, who knows? With this much uncertainty at the end of a rotation, its best to have as many wild card options as you can gather. Every year there are surprises both good and bad, so backup options are nice to have.

Penny is also engaged to Dancing With the Stars star, Karina Smirnoff. Any semi-legit reason to post half nekkid ladies is fine with me...

She also dated Mario Lopez, so an Albert Clifford Slater-Brad Penny confrontation is an intriguing option.

Was the 2010 NFL Draft the best ever?

I was perusing the results of the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft recently, and noticed something strange. A large amount of the teams that picked in the top ten improved dramatically this year. Here's a look at the top ten from last year, along with their 2009 record...

1. St. Louis (1-15)
2. Detroit (2-14)
3. Tampa Bay (3-13)
4. Washington (4-12)
5. Kansas City (4-12)
6. Seattle (5-11)
7. Cleveland (5-11)
8. Oakland (5-11)
9. Buffalo (6-10)
10. Jacksonville (7-9)

So taking a look at that list, here are their final 2010 records...

1. St. Louis (7-9) Missed playoffs by one game.
2. Detroit (6-10) Ended on 4 game winning streak, robbed in at least one game.
3. Tampa Bay (10-6) In playoff hunt until the very end.
4. Washington (6-10) Still a mess, but improved by 2 games.
5. Kansas City (10-6) Made playoffs.
6. Seattle (7-9) Improved by two games, and made playoffs.
7. Cleveland (5-11) Same record, but beat the Saints and Patriots.
8. Oakland (8-8) Went 6-0 in their division.
9. Buffalo (4-12) There had to an exception.
10. Jacksonville (8-8) One game improvement.

So those ten teams went from a combined 42-118 for a winning percentage of 26.25 percent, to 71-89, or 44.38 percent. The winner of the NFC West had a winning percentage of 43.75 percent. I'm not sayin, I'm just sayin...

So was it the players selected, or that long standing myth called "parity"? Of the top five candidates for the Pepsi Rookie of the Year, 3 were top ten selections. Here's a quick rundown of the top ten players selected...

1. Sam Bradford-Finalist for ROY, led Rams to near-playoff berth.
2. Ndamukong Suh-Voted as Pro Bowl starter, dominated at times.
3. Gerald McCoy-3 sacks in a solid year. Overshadowed by fellow rookies Blount and Williams.
4. Trent Williams-Started 13/14 games at Left Tackle.
5. Eric Berry-92 tackles,2 sacks, and 4 INTs.
6. Russell Okung-Played in 10 games. Suffered ankle injury.
7. Joe Haden-Tied for 3rd in NFL with 6 INTs.
8. Rolando McClain-Finished 5th in tackles by a rookie in 15 games started.
9. CJ Spiller-Disappointing year for the only team to finish with a worse record.
10. Tyson Alualu-Started all 16 games and finished with 3.5 sacks.

So once again, Buffalo is the only exception/disappointment. When you add in players from outside the top ten like Devin McCourty, Mike Williams, LaGarrette Blount, and the New England tight ends, and this was an amazing draft. If you can think of any drafts with a better immediate impact from the top 10, let me know.

This Week in Great College Football Names-Justin Cabbagestalk

Player Bio Here uhm.....

Justin Cabbagestalk is a redshirt freshman OL for Vanderbilt. He was a 2 star recruit, and the number 86 guard prospect according to Scout.com.  He has yet to play for the Commodores, but has a bright NFL future. With the uncertainty of the NFL Labor agreement, his projected salary of some magic beans will make him a sought after player on the free agent market.

What is a Johan Petro, and Why Do I Want to Kiss Him on the Mouth?

Johan Petro is apparently a 2.13 meter tall, 112 kilo Center currently playing for the New Jersey Nets. According to his wiki, he is a French National Team member of Guadeloupean descent. But Chris Mannix from SI.com informs us that he is the key to getting out from under Rip Hamilton's contract. The latest news on the 15 player/3 team trade has the Pistons getting rid of Rip and receiving Troy Murphy, Johan Petro, and a first round draft pick. Troy Murphy is important because his contract expires after this year, and fills the big, goofy, white guy quota missing since Jonas Jerebko went down. Or he seeks a buy out, and we don't have to deal with him at all.

This is just the next step in my plan of World domination. Check out my holiday wishlist...This would be 3/3. This would give the Pistons 2 first rounders in the 2011 NBA Draft, and taking a quick peek at an early mock draft, those two picks would be Harrison Barnes and Josh Selby, though the Lithuanian in me would want Donatas Motiejunas. I realize the Nets pick wouldn't be as good, since their team would improve with Chauncey, Rip, and Melo joining Lopez, but its all there is to go off of. It would also allow Ben Gordon to earn his contract, which is a good thing.

These things tend to fall apart with so many teams/players/contracts/agents involved, but sources say its fairly close. We just can't forget about Matt Geiger costing the Pistons Allen Iverson when he was still good in 2001.

Remember Me? Dan Gladden

Dan Gladden was an outfielder for the Tigers during the 1992 and 1993 seasons. He came over from the Minnesota Twins where he was a decent threat to steal 20 bases. He averaged 6 in his two seasons on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. He did hit a career high 13 homers in 1993, before winning a championship with the Giants in 1994. The Yomiuri Giants.

He scuffled around as a scout until 2000, when he became an analyst for the Twins, where he still works today. He will always be remembered for this play in the 1991 World Series...

Obligatory Michigan Coaching Search Post

Well we know Jim Harbaugh isn't coming, so I guess I am in the majority of fans worried about the future. So where does that leave us?

Les Miles- Current LSU coach, former Michigan player and assistant coach under Bo. Here is the EDSBS rundown of Miles' year.  He may not get along with Pizza honcho Dave Brandon, however...

Click on image for the goods...

Brady Hoke- Another former Michigan assistant coach. He has done well in his stops at Ball State and San Diego State, but is that enough of a track record? He also looks like Jeff Garlin from Curb Your Enthusiasm...

Jon Gruden-Super Bowl Winner who recently met with Dave Brandon. He would probably cost a couple of draft picks, but the Super Bowl Ring could work better than Snake Oil. He also has movie star looks...

Gary Patterson-He has turned TCU into a National power, but has turned down offers from BCS conference teams before, and now has TCU headed to the Big East which, hold on let me check......Yep, is still a BCS conference. He doesn't have many funny pictures, which excludes him in my book, but he does share a name with an illustrator with an unhealthy obsession with weiner dogs. I would like him, but its a longshot at best.

Chris Peterson-Excelling at Boise State, but doesn't seem inclined to leave his small pond. He also shares a name with another Michigan employee, which could lead to problems with payroll and health care benefits. I also don't see the fan base (i.e. donors) giving the "O.K." to change the color of the playing surface. I also have concerns about his defensive skills, as he couldn't stop Oregon RB LeGarrette Blount from punching his way through the defense....

Hat Tip to LSUFREEK, who is a .gif master

Surprise candidate no one is mentioning right now-Probably overrated, and will want way too much money. Not a "Michigan Man", and is not ready for Big Ten Football.

If I had to put percentages on it, I would go....

Miles-45%

Hoke-25%

Gruden-10%

Patterson/Peterson 1%

Surprise Guy-10%

Jim Harbaugh-5%

Urban Meyer-4&

I am holding out hope that Harbaugh pulls an extended practical joke on us all, or Urban Meyer has a change of heart, and gets the urge to coach again.

Either way, I hope this is cleared up soon, and by soon I mean Monday or Tuesday. Michigan is already losing recruits at an alarming rate, and one bad class can mean no bowl game down the road.

A quick recap

There have been a few interesting tidbits the last few days, but nothing really worth its own post, so I will lump them all together here:

The Michigan coaching search is still a circus with Jim Harbaugh going to the 49ers. The latest rumors have them linked to Les Miles. He's batshit crazy, but has a better track record than Hoke, so I would be ok with that.

Speaking of Michigan, the first and certainly not last signs that the coaching situation is going to affect the long term success were announced on National TV yesterday at the Army All American Bowl. Three players, who were at one time thought to be Michigan leans committed elsewhere. Kris Frost, a WR/LB from NC committed to Auburn. FL S/OLB/Valedictorian Wayne Lyons declared for Stanford. Previously committed Army Player of the Year RB Dee Hart officially announced his intentions to go to Alabama. Rivals.com calls Michigan the "biggest loser" of the Army Bowl. Add to that the wavering commitments of other recruits, and, well, fuck....

On to brighter news. Lions Rookie of the Year candidate Ndamukong Suh (Vote for him here) will not be playing in the Pro Bowl due to a shoulder injury. It sucks, but I'd rather him be healthy for next season.

The Pistons are starting to get included in trade scenarios, citing their desire to shed salary. This one has Rip leaving, and Troy Murphy's expiring contract coming. I would jump on that. And if you think Detroit is giving up too much talent, add in Chris Wilcox or Jason Maxiell. ZING!!!

The Tigers are still being linked to Starting Pitchers. The most intriguing option I have heard is Brad Penny.
Verlander, Porcello, Scherzer,Penny, and Coke/Galarraga is a strong rotation. With Matt Garza going to the Cubs for a huge prospect package...umm....package of prospects, the trade market is looking expensive.

The Michigan Basketball team takes on the Semi-pro team, the Kansas Jayhawks today at 4:30 on CBS. I am receiving word that despite the recent transgressions, Kansas is still considered an NCAA team. My bad. They feature the Morris twins, Marcus and Markief, freshman guard, Josh Selby, who missed nine games for violating NCAA rules, and freshman guard Royce Woolridge. Woolridge is only averaging 3.9 minutes per game, but is the son of former NBA player and Detroit Piston, Orlando Woolridge. He was on the receiving end of a nasty posterization by Michael Jordan in 1990...



In non local news, what a crazy day in the NFL yesterday. I will sum it up with Marshawn Lynch's run...

Unacceptable

What happens when a once successful coach brings a program to levels not worthy of its history of success? He gets fired, right? Its time for Tom Izzo to go. He has a team many thought were NCAA title contenders sitting at 10-5 after losing to Penn State yesterday. I will allow you to catch your breath at this breaking news....Yes, Penn State has a basketball team.

This is Michigan State, dammit. He has already tarnished his "Saintly" image when he broke NCAA rules last month (though he thoroughly punished himself and the program by serving his suspension in the game against Prairie View A & M) and has shown a "Lack of Institutional Control" by allowing players accused of rape to remain with the basketball team. At least he didn't have his players practicing too much. 

Izzo may not have shown his emotional side by belting out some Josh Groban, he prefers to give his son the middle name of a former player. 

Hand Check!!!

I hope you realize by now that this is hyperbole. I am a fan of Izzo, but am sick of his bulletproof standing in sports.