The Back Page

Eating the Justin Verlander Taco Bell combo

2012-01-16T16:35:00.000-05:00

It doesn't actually exist on the menu (yet), but Oakland Press reporter Dave Phillips took on the "Justin Verlander" meal deal Monday. It costs almost $11, which might vary by location. Watch below:

End of the NFL blackout rule too late for Lions fans

2012-01-16T13:30:00.003-05:00

How many Sundays were Lions fans left to watch reruns of "Cops" or bull riding while their team played behind the curtain of an NFL-imposed blackout? While it's true fans may not have wanted to see all eight of those home games the season the Lions went 0-16, but there have been times when local affiliates don't even show an alternate game in this market.
In that infamous 2008 season, five of the final six home games were blacked out. The only exception being the heralded Thanksgiving Day game. But Turkey Day isn't always a guarantee, at least not at the Silverdome, where there were 15,000 more seats to sell than the Lions' current home at Ford Field.
There have been numerous Lions blackouts through the years, including Thanksgiving Day (1994) and the playoffs (1993, Brett Favre to Sterling Sharpe anyone?)
(Fun fact: I attended the first blacked out game in Ford Field history Oct. 26, 2008, of course a loss, to the Washington Redskins.)
The Lions had just two blackouts in Matthew Stafford's rookie season in 2009, and just one in 2010. There were, of course, no blackouts in 2011, as the Lions were actually interesting enough for fans to shell out hard-earned dollars, making the previously-scapegoated recession seemingly disappear (but not from national broadcasts).
Each NFL game since the 1960s has been broadcast on national TV. Today, four networks pay $20.4 billion for the privilege of showing the product. That number increases to $39.6 after the 2013 season, in a new deal recently agreed upon.
"The television rights to the NFL are the most expensive rights of not only any American sport, but any American entertainment property," Wikipedia says.
The current rules are actually an upgrade. Prior to 1973, all home games were blacked out in attempt to get more fans to their respective city's stadiums, regardless whether the game was sold out. What league could get away with treating its fans that way? Congress had to step in to rule the league use it's current 72-hour sellout policy.
In the Internet age, fans are much more savvy. Armed with laptops, HDMI cables and big flat-screen TVs, they find pirate sites carrying the national broadcast, projecting the ill-gotten broadcasts onto their big screens regardless of Draconian NFL measure. But should it even be that difficult? No.
The league's antiquated blackout rule, contrived when attendance was the driving force behind revenues, not TV deals; appears to be on its way out. While it's a welcome change, it's too late for Lions fans. And that's another good sign.
(Photo above from Time magazine, taken during a 2009 preseason game vs. Atlanta. There were just two blacked out games that season, Matthew Stafford's first.)

Justin Verlander: Regular guy in the Taco Bell drive through

2012-01-12T13:02:00.001-05:00

Justin Verlander has always seemed like a nice, fun, and most importantly "regular" guy through his five plus years with the Tigers. He brought the same presence to the studio for last night's episode of "Conan" with former NBC late night host Conan O'Brien.
During their chat, the two actually covered a lot of material, but most notably, Verlander's pre-game meal for games he starts: Nearly 100 grams of fat (nearly twice the recommended amount in a 2,000 calorie diet) worth of Taco Bell. Whatever is in there, it helped Verlander to be come the Tigers' first 20-game winner in decades (24-5), pitch the second no-hitter of his career (and several near-misses), his first (of likely many) Cy-Young Award as well as an improbable AL MVP award.

While most athletes push whatever brand they happen to be in cahoots with or whatever their trainer feeds them, Verlander touted the benefits of the fast-food lifestyle. Verlander's biggest-named endorsements right now come via Reebok and Rawlings, according to Crain's Detroit Business. But his marketability was said to skyrocket pending the results of award season, which went swimmingly for JV.
If Tigers fans were annoyed by the endless stream of TBS cross-promotion during the playoffs, so was Verlander, who got annoyed at the sight of the orange "Conan" blimp above Yankee Stadium.
The overpowering righty also talked about the upcoming MLB 2K12, on which he appears on the cover.
There are few athletes with personality willing and able to transcend the playing field and make fans feel like he or she is one of them. Verlander has that gift. Among many others.
(Watch the episode in its entirety here.)

Why do athletes resort to insulting 'poor' fans

2012-01-11T18:13:00.002-05:00

Following the latest Lions playoff loss, Aaron Berry, who spent much of the game getting lit up by Drew Brees and the Saints, he insulted Lions fans' income and disposition (the phrase "broke and miserable" was used) via Twitter. That makes me wonder, why, when athletes are looking for a social media retort, they instantly think to insult the income of "regular" people. Is that how they see the world, in dollar signs? How quickly they forget that fans help pay their salaries with those same hard-earned dollars and unconditional loyalty. How much money would those same poor fans have left in their bank accounts if they never chose to be your fan.
Wouldn't it be easier to think of a logical response before firing away? And if you can't handle the heat on social media, I'd suggest getting out of the business. Dealing with fans' criticisms is part of the job you signed up for.

Things have gotten so bad at The Palace, security isn't even 'goin to work'

2012-01-11T12:55:00.003-05:00

Apparently things have gotten so bad at The Palace, where they drew a messily 10,000 fans to see the defending NBA champion Mavs, marketing and promotions has made bench seating available. These two bearded fans found their way next to one-time superstar Vince Carter and an array of other Mavericks late in Tuesday night's snoozefest, won of course by the Mavs.
Just listen to George Blaha's bewilderment (above). That's coming from an announcer who didn't blink an eye at a 30-point leads in the third quarter.
The guys were apparently seated with the Mavs for quite a while and a hunch leads me to believe it's a stunt by owner Mark Cuban. There's no way those guys get down there for that long without someone saying something to security, right?
We've seen what can happen when fans enter the playing field as a danger to the players and coaches, but the Mavs seem right at home with these two, further cementing the idea they're friends of the team.
And it has to be against some regulation to have alcohol on an NBA bench, right? And out of curiosity, how much would you pay to sit on the bench with the reigning NBA champs and Vince Carter?
UPDATE: SB Nation Detroit points out that those seats were actually VIP seats and the gentlemen were not likely guests of Cuban, but rather the Pistons.

Light buzz killing Pistons' attendance

2012-01-06T18:58:00.000-05:00

Anytime you watch Pistons highlights these days, you might notice something besides Jonas Jerebko's reemergence -- the empty seats behind him.
After beginning the season with a sellout crowd of 22,076, attendance at Pistons games has been sparse. While The Palace has the largest seating capacity in the NBA, they might need to think about partitioning off the upper deck, as was common with Detroit Shock games (remember those?)
The Pistons have drawn fewer than 10,000 fans each of the past three home games, games they could and should have drawn better.
Last Saturday was the Pistons' second game against the Pacers that week. Devoid of any superstars, the Pacers drew a crude 8,824 fans on the same night Detroit's most consistent team of the past 20+ years, the Red Wings, packed the house for their traditional New Year's Eve game against the Blues.
Think it can't get any worse? Wrong. Two days later, with the Pistons going against Dwight Howard and the Magic, they drew just 8,120 fans.
Okay, so it was Jan. 2. People were just getting back into the groove after the holidays. Give them a pass. Wednesday, reigning MVP Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls came to Auburn Hills. Oh, and a guy named Richard Hamilton, one of the greatest Pistons of all-time, was visiting for the first time after leaving for the Windy City in free agency.
Attendance -- 9,125. A little better.
The miniscule crowds are becoming a joke among beat writers, who routinely point out the lack of fans seated in the upper deck.
Typically, Pistons marketing goes hard to draw for superstars. They're not getting any help from a shortened schedule which doesn't include the "other" team from L.A., the upstart Clippers, who added even more star power to the lineup obtaining Chris Paul to go with young hot shot Blake Griffin.
Help will come in the form of the Miami Heat, which visits twice, Jan. 25 and March 23. Surely the hated Miami Three can draw, even if the Pistons don't win another game until then. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers don't visit until March 6.
For the remainder of the season, though, it's a wonder what Palace Sports and Entertainment comes up with to draw at the games in between.
Opening night against the Cavs, it seemed new owner Tom Gores gave the orders to "L.A." things up a bit. Fans seemed to be enjoying themselves, but it was a bore on TV, as the pregame festivities were nearly 20 minutes long. Then, the Pistons laid an egg against an equally unexciting Cavaliers.
Gores and Co. can take a lesson from Mike Ilitch's two teams -- put a winner on the playing surface and fans will come. (That of course doesn't apply to the Ford family, as we all know we'll pay, maybe even top dollar, to watch even the worst football team.)Until that day comes back around for the Pistons, expect trinket giveaways, jersey retirements and anything else that helps fans forget the team on the court hasn't made the playoffs in two seasons.
(The photo above comes courtesy of CNBC's Darren Rovell)

Could you pass the Sugar?

2012-01-04T21:42:00.001-05:00

Some astute observers may have noticed ESPN's Holly Rowe ungracefully pushing a beat writer out of the way so she could have the exclusive interview with Michigan coach Brady Hoke following Tuesday's night's Sugar Bowl victory. Who was that pour soul unceremoniously shoved out of the way on national TV? It was none other than Angelique Chengelis of the Detroit News jockeying for position in the aftermath of Michigan's first BCS bowl victory in 13 years.

So who's at fault? Rowe? ESPN? Chengelis? Hoke? The BCS computers?
The answer is it's ESPN's fault. If they have exclusive rights tied into their TV coverage, they should have had personnel assisting their reporter in getting Hoke's attention. Also, Rowe could've popped the mic in Hoke's face during Chengelis' questions and presumed to butt in for the next question, as TV personnel are known for arriving late on the scene with the bright lights.
Bonnie Bernstein, herself a veteran of the trenches defended Rowe's antics.
"It’s one of ESPN’s perks, if you will, for forking out $125 million a year for the BCS and this courtesy is customarily extended to ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX or any broadcast entity that pays a rights fee to put an event on its air. In a perfect world, someone from the Michigan sports information department or a Sugar Bowl media rep (or both) is helping Holly round-up Hoke and keeping other reporters briefly at bay. But, inevitably, there are breakdowns amidst the madness ..."
Regardless, it was an interesting game of "I know that reporter" Tuesday night.

Red Wings' captain will get a pass after foreign car advertisement because he's Nick Lidstrom, among other reasons

2012-01-04T16:34:00.001-05:00

If you watched the Winter Classic Monday, chances are you didn't thanks to MSU's triple-overtime win in the Outback Bowl. But, if you were watching, wondering what venue might make a great locale for Detroit's supposed introduction to the now five-year-old novelty game, you may have seen the ad above featuring Red Wings captain Nick Lidstrom. Potentially more disturbing than Lidstrom appearing with "rival" Ducks player Corey Perry is the fact the ad is for Honda.
First, Lions DT Ndamukong Suh spurns the team's namesake for Chrysler. Then, wideout Calvin Johnson goes to Acura. Now, Lidstrom, wearer of the Winged Wheel, in a Honda ad? And don't the Wings have some alliance with Dodge now?
Well, not so fast. It seems the ad is for the NHL, not just Lidstrom and Perry.
An individual sponsorship is one thing, but this appears to be a deal the league has with Honda.
If that weren't enough, it's possible fans would just let it roll off their backs because of Lidstrom's years two decades of servitude or the fact he's so beloved or the fact he's not even American.
All that aside, nice move by Honda incorporating the octopus. It's nice to see there is still someone who appreciates the throwing of the hallowed sea creature.

Ironic look back at 'Going to work' era Pistons

2011-12-26T17:14:00.003-05:00

First, I must admit I get some good blog material from ESPN the Magazine. That being said, I enjoy the magazine, that's why I renewed my expensive ($26/year) subscription while dropping other mags (Men's Health).
In the most recent issue, which features a child in full football pads locked behind a gate in the wake of recent child molestation/rape scandals in sports, there is a refer encouraging readers to buy their favorite old covers. The selected thumbnail image appears to be from the 2004 championship Pistons, featuring Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace and Richard Hamilton.
Whomever selected the image for publication must have a sense of humor. When the magazine was heading to press, Billups was busy becoming a pawn in his second superstar trade in as many seasons, Hamilton was leaving the Pistons (with whom he had a well-documented poor relationship the past few seasons) for the Bulls and Wallace (who himself left the Pistons for the Bulls in free agency in 2006) was getting off with just probation and community service and no jail time after getting a DUI while carrying a licensed gun.
This had to be an inside job.

Celebratory headlines finally used for Lions

2011-12-26T17:01:00.001-05:00

Few words describe the joy of a Lions playoff berth better than "Hallelujah," which was our headline on Sunday's sports front. I believe we also used it when the Lions snapped their losing streak stemming from the epic 2008 season. Cliff Avril's touchdown celebration says it all, as the Lions snapped snapped a 10-year playoff drought.
At left, you see how the Detroit Free Press played on the holiday angle and at right is their front page. (The Detroit News and Free Press publish a shared Sunday edition.)

Detroit Lions hit a 'Speed Bump'

2011-12-07T16:27:00.001-05:00

Wonder which team these guys play for? I have to think they're on the fictional Detroit Lions. I can't place the No. 88, it could be a red haring. But No. 20? Barry Sanders. Look at No. 911. Bald-headed big guy is clearly Kyle Vanden Bosch, who actually wears No. 93. And the 9-1-1 allusion — Lions No. 90 Ndamukong Suh was involved in a well publicized car accident over the weekend. And which guy is always hurt? Of course — it's quarterback Matthew Stafford (who, surprisingly, has only suffered a broken finger on his throwing hand)!
This could all be nothing. This could be a comic about a college football team or another NFL team wearing blue, but the clues line up. Kudos to the artist.

First insult to Spartans' injuries

2011-12-04T14:04:00.001-05:00

Twelve hours after Michigan State lost a disappointing Big Ten Championship Game, a pop-up ad appearing on the Spartans' website (pointed out by CNBC's Darren Rovell), was offering B1G championship gear.
After visiting the site, I couldn't confirm the ad's presence (because I run ad-blocker plus), but it's the ultimate kick in the teeth when your team loses and then memorabilia representing what could have been is paraded in front of you and your uneasy stomach.
It's not quite as bad as the seemingly inevitable full-page newspaper ad for championship gear, which The Oakland Press was a victim of during the Red Wings' 2008 Cup run. (They lost Game 5, but a full-page ad for a retailer advertising championship gear ran on the wrong day. The same ad ran again, appropriately, following the Game 6 clincher.)
Spartans fans should take it with a grain of salt being that the BCS rankings, which will likely not include Michigan State in a BCS bowl, will be released late Sunday.

'Hockey Night' a significant casualty of cord-cutting revolution

2011-11-30T20:38:00.001-05:00

Anyone who knows me well has heard all about my adventures in cable-cutting. I got rid of my cable last summer after the NBA Finals, something I never thought I would do. Here were are well into the fall slate I still haven't renewed my subscription. I'm doing pretty well, but one thing I've struggled with is finding live sports.

Sure, every Lions game is on network TV and their Monday Night Football game on ESPN was simulcast on WXYZ-7 in Detroit, an ABC affiliate. So there's really no lapse in coverage on that front, but I work on Sundays anyway, so I'm not home to see the games.
The Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons are all on Fox Sports Detroit these days. The last time I remember not having cable, all three teams were still being broadcast on UPN-50 (now CW-50), available over the air.
As an avid fan, I subsist by watching ESPN for Xbox Live, an underrated way to go, which has live college basketball and football and replays from the ESPN family.
There were a few times the Tigers were the Fox game of the week on Saturday this summer and I got to see much of the ALCS on the network as well.
Often I'm at work or the gym, both places which have cable, during many of these teams' games, so I'm not completely missing out. But the rub comes with "Hockey Night In Canada," a CBC staple that sometimes features the Red Wings. (I would watch games that didn't have Detroit matchups.) I recall getting CBET-9 from Windsor over the air even in rural Springfield Township as a kid, so when I installed my new super antenna, I assumed I would be sitting pretty this hockey season. Wrong.
Over the summer, CBC stations went through the digital transition that was mandated by the FCC more than two years ago in the U.S. It took a few weeks for me to find out why I could no longer receive my target signal, but I got an answer from the network earlier this week via email:
"The digital coverage area is somewhat smaller than that of the discontinued (analog) signal."
So that's it? No more HNIC freebies for Michiganders without cable? It's a sad realization.
There have been some nice things about my adventures sans proprietary service provider, for instance not having a cable bill every month. Also, over-the-air broadcasts come in high definition, so I'm still seeing the same picture (even better in some cases). But the loss of "Hockey Night in Canada," something I've watched since I was a child, is the most significant casualty in my television transformation.

Factual errors, grammar mistakes prove stores should stick to their niche

2011-11-30T20:15:00.001-05:00

Last week, CNBC sports business guru Darren Rovell tweeted the first images of a Victoria's Secret t-shirt prototype for a Michigan State t-shirt. If you haven't noticed, leagues are signing over their rights to designers, likely making serious loot in the process. Victoria's Secret, already with a line of NFL items, is making its foray into the college market.
The problem with the planned t-shirt from the company known for its ladies underthings was that it said "Hail to the victors," which, of course, is the slogan of the Spartans' chief rivals at the University of Michigan.
A mistake for sure, but what did you expect on merchandise produced by the world's top lingerie maker? Maybe that shirt will be worth money one day. Probably not, though.
You may remember a controversy over the summer, where a line of Old Navy college tees, including a U-M shirt, read "Lets Go!" above the teams' logo. This is a common mistake, but "let's" is actually a contraction meaning "let us."
That brings us to this week. Old Navy goofed again, this time, it's listing the incorrect founding years of different college institutions. Last straw for some, just another point for me to make.
If you're buying your college and pro gear at these types of clothing stores rather than a place with "sports" or "locker room" in its name, you've already screwed up and you get what you deserve.
Victoria's Secret needs to stick to what it does (very) well — bras and underwear. Old Navy should continue to supply us with low-cost (and sometimes low-quality), factually-correct clothes. We should all pretend these shirts don't exist and their licenses should be revoked by the NCAA.
(Photo courtesy of Darren Rovell/CNBC)

New series looks at athletes' real lives

2011-11-30T19:53:00.001-05:00

Local TV studio CMN in Troy is producing an interesting series exploring what the transition period for athletes go through while assimilating to "normal" life following their playing careers. The show has already featured former Detroit high school basketball standout Derrick Coleman and will feature Michigan State heroes Greg Kelser and Mateen Cleaves, as well as former Pistons Bad Boy Rick Mahorn.
The series has been picked up by PBS and will begin airing nationwide in January.

Suh stomp gets Taiwanese send up

2011-11-29T14:32:00.001-05:00

Watch below, as Suh is portrayed assaulting what is presumably Bears quarterback Jay Cutler in a fashion similar to that used in the video game Mortal Kombat. He also tears the arms off a Packers lineman before being forced into a cage by a lion tamer wearing an NFL uniform. Most appropriately, Suh is seen flushing money down the drain, as he was suspended for two weeks without pay.

UFC deserves mainstream attention

2011-11-16T14:02:00.001-05:00

Many fans feel that way and columnist Pat Caputo agrees:

UFC on Fox will eventually draw new business to local bars

2011-11-10T15:40:00.001-05:00

Several area establishments seemed unaware Saturday's UFC on Fox is not a pay-per-view event like the league's other bouts. Saturday's is the first of the league's seven-year contract with the network.
Typically, only certain bars carry the fights, presumably because of the purchase cost of the event, which is calculated by the venue's seating area. With the Dos Santos-Velasquez bout being free on Fox for the first time, many bars seem to be missing the boat on siphoning UFC crowds away from Buffalo Wild Wings, the established home for that crowd.
While the pre-fights will be available online via Fox Sports and Facebook, the main bout will be carried live on FOX. Network coverage begins at 9 p.m.
"Fox believes millions of uninitiated viewers will get their first taste of the violent, growing sport by tuning into the one-hour show from Anaheim, Calif.," according to the Associated Press. The report estimates UFC is forgoing a $40 million take on the event by shifting to Fox.
The Waterford BWW is, of course, carrying the fight and expects a crowd similar to those for pay-per-view events, which is standing-room only.
"We have a lot of fight fans who come here no matter what," one manager said.
Steve Estmont, assistant general manager of the Troy BWW location, thinks some fans may opt to stay in Saturday and watch from home.
"It's our first experience with a Fox event," he said, adding Saturday's have been lucrative thanks to traffic from surrounding businesses.
Bullfrogs in Ortonville, a safe-haven for UFC fans until recently, will be carrying the fight. The venue used to carry the PPV events until the end of the summer and expects to resume its carriage when business picks up next summer.
"It's not as busy anymore and (UFC) doesn't bring in as much business as it used to," one manager said. "It's not cheap by any means."
Shark's Club in Waterford has never carried a UFC event. It's 17,000 sq.-feet seating area likely comes with an incredible price tag. Sister-location Overtyme in Waterford doesn't carry the events, either.

The Lodge in Keego Harbor doesn't normally carry UFC fights, but will be showing the event because it's on Fox. Lodge personnel said people typically call inquiring about the bar carrying the fight in the days leading up to the event.
Sure, Saturday's coverage on Fox is only an hour, but the network plans on expanding coverage in the future and this would be a good way for other locations to assume some of the traffic that typically goes to Buffalo Wild Wings. UFC plans to have four events per year on Fox when its new deal actually begins in January. As the sport gets more mainstream, which is the purpose of this pact, more establishments will treat the fights like NFL or college football games and plan their business around the event.

Nothing more American than Nickelback on Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-07T20:02:00.001-05:00

The above mentioned band hails, like many, from our neighbor to the north, Canada. And despite the protest against them playing the halftime show of the Lions' Thanksgiving Day game, which has nearly 45,000 online signatures, there's nothing more American than their presence on that stage: Promotion to push your new product.
It would seem more relevant to pick a Detroit or otherwise American act. Some names tossed around include: Kid Rock, Bob Seger, Jack White, formerly of the White Stripes. How about Grammy winnter Eminem? Ann Arbor's Mayer Hawthorne, a musician, not a politician, has even declared himself eligible for the gig.
So why pick Nickelback you ask? Are these other artists unavailable? Maybe. Was that even considered? It's possible. What you may not have considered it the fact Nickelback is set to release its latest effort Nov. 21, three days before the fateful game. That alone makes them a credible act to grace the stage in honor of America's finest day of excess — Thanksgiving.
The holiday is set aside for eating too much and honoring the mentality that ultimately led to Manifest Destiny.
And of course, it's set aside to give thanks for the blessings in your life, but I assume there aren't too many Americans who would take a second to give thanks to Nickelback, regardless if they perform at Ford Field.

Dramatic World Series doesn't translate to ratings

2011-10-31T21:15:00.001-04:00

Despite the Game 6 theatrics, the recently completed Series was the third-lowest rated ever, according to TV Sports Ratings. Men 65 and up dominated the ratings. There are a few reasons Fox's coverage earned low marks with the younger male demographic.

Late start times — Each first pitch was scheduled for 8 p.m., meaning many viewers likely didn't bother to watch because they had to get up for work.
Unsexy matchup — The series was devoid of a major market, although Dallas-Fort Worth is No. 5 in the nation, according to Neilsen, St. Louis is 21st. Last season saw a 5-6 matchup when the Rangers lost to the Giants. Having already seen their team lose the Series just 12 months ago, were fans disinterested this season?
Baseball is for old people — The numbers seem quite evident of the game's waning popularity among younger Americans. TV Sports Rating said via Twitter the median age of viewers was 53, tying for the oldest audience ever.
More options — Americans have a bevy of television options at their immediate disposal, not to mention movies and video games.
Shameless cross promotion — It's prevalent in sports broadcasts these days, but Fox was especially tacky, choosing stars of its programs to sing the national anthem, while Dallas hero Dirk Nowitzki was denied a chance at the mic.
Joe Buck — Some people claim to hate the man's voice (not me). His showing up to work could have turned off viewers.

Why do you think people failed to watch what people are calling the most exciting World Series of all time?

DirecTV-Fox do si do ends in agreement

2011-10-31T19:52:00.001-04:00

Just as it appeared talks between Fox and DirecTV had broken down, word comes late Monday a deal has been reached, avoiding a coverage lapse for customers of the satellite provider.

"We both know the past ten days have been challenging, but we’re pleased that both sides could eventually come togetherto ensure our viewers continue to enjoy Fox programming," Fox said in a statement.

An interruption would have begun Tuesday, affecting all Fox networks, including its regional sports networks and local affiliates.

DirecTV, according to the LA Times, was asking for a 40-percent increase in carriage fees, a figure Fox called "ridiculous."

If you tuned into World Series on Fox, you couldn't escape the network's advertisements alerting customers of the impending stalemate with the provider.

Dish Network customers suffered through a month-long blackout of Fox networks last year before an agreement was reached.

Newspapers go 'Tebowing,' create desktop Suhvenirs

2011-10-31T18:15:00.003-04:00

The touted matchup between Denver quarterback Tim Tebow and Lions DT Ndamukong Suh finally came to a head Sunday, with Suh and the Lions the clear-cut winner. Keep those scissors out, because the Detroit Free Press is offering readers a chance to keep a little bit of the national sensation deskside with a Suh cutout available in the Sunday edition. If you didn't pick up a copy, they have made it available online and it's available for download below.
C41811761028

The Denver Post last week created a similar Tim Tebow cutout.
Having now completed a trial run, I would advice printing on 11x17 paper rather than 8.5x11 like I did. Use extreme patience and a modest amount of tape. Good luck!

ESPN might rethink 'Plan B' issue the morning after

2011-10-20T18:00:00.001-04:00

This week's issue was supposed to be the NBA preview for ESPN the Magazine. With that premise made obsolete by millionaire greed, ESPN scrambled, like a quarterback even, and picked Tim Tebow as the coverboy for its "Plan B" issue. The latest installment hits newsstands Friday and is already in subscribers' homes.
The issue is said to feature "a sermon on back-up-turned-savior Tim Tebow in 'Tebow 10:23.' "
We all know Tebow to be a God-fearing man, so much so he appeared in an anti-abortion Super Bowl commercial in 2010 with his mother, touted as her "miracle baby."

"Plan B" is typically referred to as a backup plan. Hence it is the nickname given to the so-called "morning after" abortion pill, a fact ESPN obviously overlooked in its effort to further canonize Tebow, who has played in 12 games and was recently declared Broncos starter.
So, given his history and past endorsements, is Tim Tebow the right guy for the cover? Think they're going to need a backup plan for the backup plan.

Lunch with Caputo

2011-10-19T19:29:00.000-04:00

Each Monday at 12:30 p.m., we hold a live chat with columnist Pat Caputo at TheOaklandPress.com where readers can ask questions and watch them being answered via live video. Here is an excerpt from Monday's show with clips from press conferences from Brady Hoke and Mark Dantonio.

Millen era Lions satirized

2011-10-14T19:00:00.000-04:00

Matt Millen left the Detroit Lions nearly three years ago, but his presence is still felt every time anyone mentions "0-16" or "Preseason Champs." The rare time he's mentioned in a positive light is when it's mentioned he drafted wide receiver Calvin Johnson, one of numerous high draft picks used on the position.
Funny or Die, a site known for spoofing videos, released "MillenBall," their take on the Brad Pitt film "MoneyBall," based around Millen's tenure with the Lions.
You'll hear dialogue similar to that of the Billy Beane inspired flick, with the inept concepts heard during the Millen regime.
Subjects revisited: Failing to interview a minority candidate for the head coaching position seemingly instantly given Steve Mariucci; later hiring a defensive coordinator as head coach (Rod Marinelli) and his poor drafting decisions. And there's the infamous 0-16, which occurred mostly after Millen's firing in 2008.

Millenball - watch more funny videos

If that's not enough, Millen's name was the subject of a an Onion Sports story: "Sight Of Matt Millen On TV Simply Too Much For Nation’s Unemployed To Handle."

"When approached for details, ESPN initially refused to comment on its hiring practices or reasons for employing Millen, who was a catastrophic failure at every level of football that did not involve tackling and is perhaps the man most synonymous with football-related ignorance in living memory. Sources at the network also refused to comment on the wisdom of showing the flagrantly employed Millen during broadcasts watched by many of the nation's jobless," The Onion says.

It's safe to say that even though he's being spoofed, Matt Millen is still unwelcome in Michigan.

Postseason Tigers, undefeated Lions mean good ratings for networks

2011-10-12T15:58:00.006-04:00

Monday's Lions-Bears game was pretty popular, as it should have been, becoming ESPN's top-rated MNF game of the season and the network's best-rated game of the season, according to the Detroit News.
ESPN reported MNF's return to Detroit reached 16.4 million viewers per minute, the fifth-largest cable TV audience in 2011 behind 4 other ESPN telecasts.
The Detroit News also said the game drew a 36.4 rating in the Detroit market with ESPN's coverage figures were added to those of local ABC affiliate WXYZ-7, which simulcast the game.
Yahoo columnist Dan Wetzel, who canonized the Lions after the game, hypothesized NBC might attempt to get the Lions (5-0) on Sunday Night Football Dec. 4, when they visit New Orleans.
The Lions Wednesday announced their eighth consecutive sellout for Sunday's game against the 49ers (4-1). TipIQ says the second-hand ticket market has seen a 46-percent increase in price for Lions tickets this season.
Earlier in the day Monday, the Tigers' Game 2 loss in the ALCS was the best in its time slot (the game aired on Fox from 4-9 p.m. roughly).
Tuesday Game 3 numbers, however, marked postseason highs in Detroit (29.3 rating) and Dallas (23.9), with Detroit leading all markets in watching the Fox broadcast.
It's a good time to be a Detroit sports fan, even if you can't make it to the games.

Despite coverage shift, FSD keeps Tigers fans connected with game tracker

2011-10-11T20:02:00.006-04:00

If you're not able to leave work early to get home before the first pitch of a 4 p.m. playoff game or if you have to work all the way through the evening's festivities, Fox Sports Detroit has you covered. Game Connect, launched this summer, is a modern twist on a common game tracker. Its biggest improvement is the addition of social media streams near the bottom of the console.
The "Game Talk" feature harnesses relevant hashtags, i.e. "#Tigers," and allows you to tweet from the Game Connect console.
A mobile version of Game Connect is available for iPhone and iPad users and also available for Red Wings coverage. A demo video is available below.

How long can ESPN continue to produce top-notch MNF intros

2011-10-11T18:12:00.004-04:00

ESPN wasted not time making Hank Williams Jr. look outdated with their Barry Sanders intro Monday night. I wasn't home in time to see it, but it has finally surfaced:

The intro was well thought out and much more appropriate than the antiquated Williams song given the Lions' absence from Monday Night Football and the city's struggles. The high quality of the initial short leaves me to wonder if other cities' will get similar treatment and how long ESPN can keep up the production value.

If there's one thing TV people know, however, is story lines.

Track my journey through the Monday doubleheader

2011-10-11T13:29:00.000-04:00

Too much attention too soon?

2011-10-10T15:19:00.004-04:00

We all remember the Tigers' infamous 2009 second-half swoon. It reached a crescendo as the Tigers hit the cover of Sports Illustrated. As you may have heard, the Lions graced the cover of last week's SI after a second straight come-from-behind win on the road. They became 4-0 for the first time in more than 30 years with the victory and tonight's Monday Night Football game took on much different aura.
Time will only tell if the Lions are getting more love than they can handle, but everyone will readily admit they've earned it.

Monday Night Football game exciting for Lions fans; nation may continue to yawn

2011-10-09T15:36:00.013-04:00

Ever since NBC began its Sunday Night Football coverage some five years ago, the Olympic Network has been getting noticeably better matchups than its Monday night counterpart, ESPN. So, while it's great for Detroit fans to see their team on the national stage, the rest of the country might beg to differ.
The Lions haven't played in prime time since a Sunday Night game in 2005 vs. the Packers, which they lost, 16-13 in OT.
The Lions haven't played a Monday night contest since the program was still on ABC. They were shut out by the Rams in 2001, 35-0, at the Silverdome.
The point I make is this: Monday Night Football is still a big deal, but it doesn't get the ratings NBC gets for its sexier matchups.
The Lions' accomplishments in the grand scheme of things notwithstanding, the upstart Jim Schwartz gang is actually drawing buzz around this game with their 4-0 start.
Think people aren't making this into a bigger deal than it is? Fans were clamoring for attention.
Monday Night Football tickets sold out in less than an hour in August.
Look at the shirt I saw on the rack at Gameday Detroit, a retailer at Great Lakes Crossing. "Historic Rivalry" it says. Don't these teams play twice every season? (It is designed well, I admit.) Haven't they both been in disarray, minus a Super Bowl appearance for the Bears in 2007, for a long time?
The Bears are actually on MNF twice this season.
And speaking of Super Bowl, Lions president Tom Lewand estimates a larger crowd could fill Ford Field than did Super Bowl XL (68,206) in 2006.
ESPN did end up saddled with a Tampa Bay-Indianapolis game last week, but it was still better than the MLB playoffs on TBS, proving yet again football is king.
"So the Colts-Bucs game, which was notable mostly for a star player who wasn’t on the field (Peyton Manning), drew far more fan interest than Yankees-Tigers. This represents just one more datapoint demonstrating the NFL’s dominance over the American television landscape," wrote Pro Football Talk.
Sunday Night Football is the No. 1 program in prime time. And its ratings grow every season.
If football is king and NBC's Sunday night program earns the best ratings, does that make Monday Night Football the prince?
Wow your friends with this stat: The Lions are 11-13-1 all-time on Monday Night Football and owners of one of just three ties in the program's history.
It's cool the Lions are on Monday Night Football for the first time in eons. And Barry Sanders will be introducing them in Hank Williams' Jr.'s absence. But the game just isn't the same marquee it used to be, but their invitation is yet another sign the Lions are on the right track.
(FYI: Monday's game will be simulcast on WXYZ-7 for fans who don't have cable or satellite, or those who just prefer local commercials.)

A Michigan Brand for a Michigan stadium

2011-10-04T14:46:00.013-04:00

There is some uncertainty to whether naming rights for The Palace of Auburn Hills are indeed up for sale, as reported by Sports Business Journal and Crain's Detroit. Pistons personnel are now saying the proposal is off the table.
Crain's points out The Palace is one of only five NBA arenas without a corporate sponsorships.
Naming rights are something nearly as old as sports itself, so it stands to reason the residence at Six championship Drive (why is it still called that BTW?) would get into the game with new ownership.
What should it be called? Rock Financial and PNC are the Pistons' most recent presenting sponsors, so there's that link.
Comerica Bank already has a 30-year deal in place to the tune of $66 million to name the Tigers' home stadium, so, as a banking rival, it would make sense for PNC. However, PNC already pays for the rights to the Pittsburgh Pirates' home stadium.
Ford paid $40 million over 40 years for naming rights of the neighboring dome. Perhaps General Motors, on its way out of a bankruptcy funk, takes a stab.
Crain's suggested a sponsorship could land as much $3 million per year in the coffers of Tom Gores and Platinum Equity.
Joe Louis Arena, which is owned by the city of Detroit, would become the only Detroit area arena without a corporate sponsorship if The Palace got a new name.
So what other companies could take the plunge?

Little Caesar's — Former Pistons owner Bill Davidson once spurned an offer for a combined downtown arena to share with the Red Wings in favor of The Palace. Sour grapes then? Maybe. Hard feelings now? Not likely. But it would gain the pizza chain more national attention and give them another venue to sell $5 Hot and Ready pizzas.
Belle Tire — Who doesn't love the dancing tire? (Me for one). Like Little Caesar's, Belle Tire is a Michigan company that gets its hands in sponsoring youth sports and many other things, so why not put that big Michelin Man impostor on the sign?
Vernors, Faygo, Better Made, Sanders, Stroh's, Kars, Made in Michigan Consortium — All Michigan companies but unlikely to be able to sustain a long-term agreement for naming rights. Solution: Pool their funds together in some combined naming rights venture called ... "Made in Michigan."
Rock Financial or FatHead — One of Dan Gilbert's companies should get in on this. Rock Financial used to sponsor a convention center in Novi, previously presented the Pistons, and could get back in on the naming rights action here. Gilbert, a Michigan State grad, owns the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit-based Quicken Loans, which sponsors the Cavs' home arena. The exposure would be great for Livonia-based FatHead, which produces stickers of sports and entertainment's finest in all shapes and sizes. After all, their slogan is "Go Big. Go Real Big."
"Pure Michigan" — Nothing would be more Pure Michigan than hearing Tim Allen's voice on everything throughout the arena. He could soothe concertgoers in the bathroom line. Ease your troubles as you wait for an overpriced concession.
Koegel's Meats, Kowalski Sausage, Dearborn Brand — Another possible consortium, this sponsorship deal would likely add to the variety for the carnivorous fans packing The Palace.

Those are just some of the ideas being kicked around the newsroom and through my head. What are some of yours?

My first visit to Michigan Stadium

2011-09-19T14:31:00.001-04:00

Division champion Tigers: Then and now

2011-09-18T14:06:00.004-04:00

Michael Jackson was still "Bad" in a good way, "The Simpsons" made their first appearance and I was 5. The Tigers clinched their last division title, then the AL East, Oct. 4, 1987. The circumstances surrounding the Tigers' comeback to take the division, as well as the stadium they called home, were much different. So was pop culture and the cost of living.

Then — Now
Local TV: WDIV-4 (over the air) — FSD (basic cable)
Local radio: WJR-AM (760) — WXYT-FM (97.1)
Manager: Sparky Anderson — Jim Leyland (similar in appearance, though)
Owner: Tom Monaghan — Mike Ilitch
Home field: Tiger Stadium — Comerica Park
Winningest pitcher: Jack Morris (18) — Justin Verlander (23)*
Record: 98-64 — 88-64*
Biggest trade: John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander — Charlie Furbush, Casper Wells and others for Doug Fister

In life, things were pretty different, too.
Population: 242,288,918 — 307,006,550
Life expectancy: 74.9 — 78.7
Unemployment% 7 — 9.1
Inflation%: 3.78 — 2.87*
Gas/gallon: $0.95 — $3.62
Milk/gallon: $2.28 — $3.50 (organic > $)
First-class stamp: $0.22 — Why not email?
Med. cost home: $104,500 — $221,800
top grossing movie: "Three Men and a Baby" —
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"*
Best-selling record: "Slippery When Wet," Bon Jovi — "21," Adele*
Information base: Library — Internet
Popular gadget: Walkman/pager — Tablet computer/smartphone

*Year/season to be continued

Big Ten Network drops the ball using computer software to write game recaps

2011-09-14T21:35:00.010-04:00

It's a subject I've opined before on this platform: Should journalism outlets be using computer-generated copy, Narrative Science, in particular? A list exposed the Big Ten Network for using the software, but BTN, which runs Associated Press content, adequately labels the NS content as such in its quarter-by-quarter recaps. Chances are, however, that most people have no idea what Narrative Science is. BTN links to the service's homepage, but once there, the site gives no appearance that it's a computer generating stories about human activities. Instead, it looks like a site based in agriculture.
This is the awkward lede to the NS story:
"Denard Robinson threw for 338 yards and four touchdowns, leading Michigan to a 35-31 victory over Notre Dame on Saturday at Michigan Stadium."
This is the lede to the AP story we ran:
"Denard Robinson threw a 16-yard pass to Roy Roundtree with 2 seconds left, lifting Michigan to a 35-31 heart-pounding win over Notre Dame on Saturday night."
Notice the difference?
Here's another graceless paragraph:
"The Wolverines operated their air game to perfection in dismantling Notre Dame’s defense. Michigan’s air attack couldn’t be contained, as it torched the Fighting Irish for 338 yards and four touchdowns. Robinson completed 11 of 24 passes for the Wolverines. Michigan racked up 452 total yards."
I might just sound like some curmudgeonly writer, but I don't want some computer hack taking my job, especially if it can't do the task equally well. And even if they perfect the software, it seems a human proofreader should still be on hand to double-check and add a human touch.
Here's a visual of the game in case you forgot about the latest thrilling end to a Michigan-Notre Dame tilt. There's no confusion in the broadcast.

FINAL THOUGHT: The Big Ten Network can't find ANY students writers at one of the 12 schools underneath its expansive umbrella to craft games stories rather than showing J-school students why they shouldn't even bother with the art?

Tiger Stadium's rebirth stunted by growth council

2011-09-14T19:47:00.004-04:00

Chevrolet seemed to have a grand idea to help resuscitate Tiger Stadium, taking a cue from the fans' whose tireless grassroots effort has been used to remove and cut, grass and roots, growing on the lot which has been reduced to basepaths and the center field flag pole. The automotive giant laid out its plans to maintain the field which would then be used for youth baseball games. Seems reasonable enough, since the stadium hasn't seen much in the way of attention, except for the fans' efforts and the bulldozers a few years ago, since shuttering after the 1999 season.
MLive reports the city, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation in particular, was less than enthused about the proposition.
"The site you refer to is a valuable piece of property for redevelopment because of its size and location, ... It is being reserved for a comprehensive development that will bring a substantial investment and new economic activity to the city."
Hmmm. More than 10 years later and the site sits vacant and would be completely overgrown, save for the flag pole of course, if not for the assistance of unpaid weekend volunteers? It seems more than acceptable that the site be used for youth sports and not stashed for potential "economic activity to the city."
(Click here to join a Facebook group for the Tiger Stadium Conservancy.)

Fans won't have to choose between Lions and Tigers postseason

2011-09-14T16:23:00.005-04:00

It shouldn't come as any surprise, but tickets to the Tigers' potential opening round playoff series, the first in five years, sold out in less than an hour Monday. Fans were quite aroused by a then nine-game winning streak that included a Brandon Inge walk-off home run Saturday. Also unsurprisingly, the Lions' Week 1 win at Tampa Bay garnered nearly three times the television ratings as the Tigers' 2-1 series-sweeping victory over the Twins. It was the Lions' best audience for an opening week since 2003, when Joey Harrington threw four touchdown passes, two of which rookie Charles Rogers caught in his NFL debut.
It's a good thing for fans the Tigers' potential clincher, Saturday against Oakland, will be broadcast on FOX after all. (Originally the game was scheduled to have no television coverage.) Hopefully they get it done that day, rather than holding out until Sunday, when the Lions host the Chiefs, which will be shown on CBS. Staggered start times mean there would be little head-to-head competition Sunday, but what would the ratings show if the Tigers happened to play on Sunday during the postseason?
Fans likely won't have to pick between their teams. The two wouldn't play on the same day until Game 4 of the World Series (Oct. 23, time TBA), if the Tigers were to make it that far. No games of either American League Divisional Series is scheduled for a Sunday and the one Sunday game of the ALCS (Oct. 9) is the week the Lions host the Bears in Monday Night Football.
(Tigers beat writer Matthew B. Mowery compiled fans' reactions to Tigers playoff ticket sales below.)

New era of programs is interesting, but not viable

2011-09-07T17:19:00.005-04:00

Desmond Howard specialized in making tremendous catches in his career at Michigan. Now, one of his most famous, a 1991 fourth-down touchdown catch from Elvis Grbac against Notre Dame, will be further immortalized. Saturday's printed game programs will be laced with a special chip that includes new audio as well as the familiar call below:

"Open the program and you'll hear three unique perspectives of the play as it happened" the program description reads.
Included is coach Gary Moeller's on-field reaction, as well as Brent Musberger and Frank Beckmann on the TV and radio broadcasts. To further commemorate the TD snag, the audio chip insert folds out into a photo of "the catch" signed by Howard.
Howard went on to win the Heisman Trophy that season and was recently inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame. He'll be honored for the accomplishment Saturday.
Fans don't have to fight the crowds at Michigan Stadium's first night game to buy the special section. The programs can also be ordered online and feature a QR code which, when scanned, will redirect smartphone users to even more audio from that day.
CNBC's Darren Rovell says 1,000 copies of the $15 commemorative programs have already been sold. The sports business guru predicts Michigan will sell out of the 15,000 stock or pre-printed keepsakes, which will revitalize the game program industry. I agree with his first assessment, but not the latter. There may be a spike in multimedia programs, but it's a matter of time before the fans' interest is gone and the commemoration market collapses.
Also, the production cost of a commemorative program with an audio chip is higher than that of traditional print, driving the cost up for the fans. Diehards will always find money for these special products, but that doesn't mean it's going to be worth the cost and effort to keep producing them.

The proper way to remember Tom Kowalski

2011-09-01T12:06:00.011-04:00

Fans and Friends are invited to remember MLive/Booth Newspapers Lions beat writer Tom "Killer" Kowalski at a public memorial at Cheli's Chili in Detroit at noon Friday. But how will he be remembered during the football season?
Commemorative patches and stickers permeate pro sports. The Tigers are wearing one in honor of hall of fame manager Sparky Anderson. The collar of Pistons jerseys have recently been emblazoned with "Mr. D." The Red Wings wore a "VK+SM" patch through the 1997-98 season after a post-Cup celebration ended in tragedy. The Lions wore a "61" sticker after Mike Utley was paralyzed on the field.
It's time for the Lions to wear another. This time to remember Kowalski, who died Monday at 51. The outpouring of emotion was all over the news that evening and the residual feelings are still being felt on social media.
I took some flak from sports editor Jeff Kuehn when I suggested via Twitter at 11:30 p.m. Monday:
"Is it unprecedented for a team to wear a commemorative patch for a beat writer?"
The next day, I saw a tweet from another fan request a retweet to get the Lions to commemorate the writer they called "Killer."
Today came news from Pro Football Talk that Facebook fan page has been started to petition the Lions to wear a commemorative patch this season. The proposed design isn't intrusive, a simple "TK" in the distressed font already used on Lions jerseys.
Columnist Pat Caputo has an idea: Name the Ford Field press box after Kowalski and other legendary beat writers.
"It would be like taking a page out of the Lions' play book when they retired the jersey No. 20 for Lem Barney, Billy Sims and Barry Sanders," he writes.
Either honor sets a precedent I would be proud to one day be remembered by.

New ESPN app for XBox Live looks great, lacks content

2011-08-28T20:26:00.005-04:00

It's not the preferred way to watch ESPN, yet, but the redesigned ESPN Xbox Live application got a facelift recently. Powered by the content of ESPN3 and delivered by select Internet service providers (AT&T, Comcast included), the program now appears more like the traditional ESPN with the addition of a real-time score and schedule ticker.
Just in time for college football season, the four-letter network added a specific college football scoreboard. But the most significant addition has been the ability to watch picture-in-picture games. That's also where the rub comes in. It's not clear whether ESPN is going to put ALL the games it covers on Xbox Live and which ones they will re-air through the service.
Having recently become a cable cord-cutter, I've been relying on ESPN for Xbox Live to get my fill of game and program highlights with the occasional live action. Most of the live content comes from fringe sports such as Aussie Rules Football and the Canadian Football League, but ESPN does provide coverage of its own events i.e. golf and tennis majors, Little League World Series and MLB coverage to name a few.
The previous version of the software (I'm not sure exactly when it was upgraded, but within the past two weeks for certain) used to have excerpts from various ESPN programming within its library. "E60" and "Outside the Lines" are two of my favorites, but it's not clear if that content will be available as it was previously. The highlight feed regularly includes clips from "Mike and Mike in the Morning," "SportsNation" and "1st and 10," but not of its more highly regarded news programs.
ESPN for Xbox Live is available to users with a gold membership to Xbox Live at a cost of $42 per year. That cost is barely a fraction of what you're paying for cable, so it's worth a try if you're want on-demand highlights and the live user experience it can offer.

Finally dumping your AM simulcast, that's The Ticket!

2011-08-23T17:31:00.006-04:00

For the past four years, if you ventured to AM dial, you could find the simulcast of 97.1 FM, better known as The Ticket and home to popular afternoon show "Valenti and Foster." CBS Radio, the stations' owner, has decided to end the AM facsimile after four years in favor of conservative talk radio.
WXYT-AM (1270) will feature the likes of Glenn Beck and Laura Ingraham, as well as local personality Charlie Langton (of Fox 2), who will begin the day from 6-9 a.m. beginning Sept. 12.

The Ticket's website has already been updated with 1270's new logo and states:
"Home to lively conversation and debate, the talk station will focus on the issues affecting Americans with an edge that doesn’t exist in Detroit Talk Radio today."
That's all fine, but I have to ask — why wasn't this move made four years ago when the station moved to FM or shortly thereafter when the move was deemed a success? I can't, for the life of me, think of the benefit to carrying the same programming found on FM only with a shakier reception. (If you know the reasoning behind the delayed format change, please share).
CBS Radio, which also has WWJ-AM (950) in its stable, has the ability to air multiple games in a single night. The Free Press notes 1270 AM will still carry "overflow" games, as it's been used in recent overlapping seasons. Typically, the Lions supersede the Tigers for FM carriage and in the winter, Red Wings and Pistons coverage varies.
It will be fun to see which team gets FM honors if the Tigers are in the playoffs on a Sunday this fall. Other than that, the only question in this move is why did it take so long?

Preseason football churns up startlingly positive TV ratings

2011-08-22T19:13:00.011-04:00

The Lions typically play the same preseason opponents year in, year out. Buffalo. Cincinnati. Cleveland. There it is. The battle for the barge trophy (assuming it's meant to imply garbage), took place Friday in the home of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.
Meanwhile, in Detroit, the Tigers got the first win of a three-game sweep hosting the Indians at Comerica Park.
In a head-to-head battle, the Tigers had a slight ratings edge, but overall, the Lions game got more attention from fans. It makes sense the Tigers, embarking in a pennant race against their nearest division contender, would win the head-to-head battle. But the Tigers had the edge by just 1/10 of a percent (although I'm sure that means much more to advertisers than it does to me)! The Lions were playing their second preseason game, in which starters get a little more action than the first, but not as much as the third or fourth. And it was against the Browns, a franchise that, in its new life, has been as futile as the Lions.
The Tigers held just a 1 1/2 game AL Central lead entering Friday. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth. The Lions have played the Browns in the preseason each of the past nine seasons. The Lions trailed 28-13 early in the second half, when starters have long been removed.
The Tigers' ratings peaked from 9:30-9:45 p.m., when the game was heating up. Again, the Lions' peak rating an hour later was higher than its baseball brethren.
The AL Central showdown should have been a clear-cut winner in the ratings battle. But it wasn't.
The only reason the Lions could have proven more watched may have been that the Tigers are broadcast on basic cable by Fox Sports Detroit, while the Lions were on WXYZ-7 locally. The thought being the 10 percent of Americans holding out on cable had access to to the Lions (and will continue to do so all season long).
If the locales were reversed, how would the ratings have shaken out? It was reported that more than 44,000 took in the game at the CoPa. A crowd of 56,000 was reported at Browns Stadium. Nearly 43,00 (the same night as a Kid Rock concert at Comerica Park) saw the Lions whip the Bengals in "Week 1" of the preseason and Saturday's kickoff with Tom Brady and the Patriots has been sold out and will be seen on national TV. The Tigers are at the Twins earlier in the evening, on regional TV. I don't think this week's ratings will be so close.

.... It should also be pointed out Lions receiver Nate Burleson had a salute Browns fans could identify with, slapping his hands together like LeBron James used to do before games in his time with the Cavaliers.

Videos to get you ready for college football

2011-08-22T17:29:00.003-04:00

Muskegon-based alt-rock group Pop Evil is ready for Michigan to take the field under Brady Hoke. Just listen to their anthem:

If you really enjoy the track, ESPN's Page 2 blog says it will be available for download next week.

In another selection, a trailer has been made touting quarterback Denard Robinson's Heisman candidacy. I'm sure it will only get better as the season goes on.

Is a Dennis Rodman documentary in the works?

2011-08-15T14:10:00.003-04:00

Dennis Rodman earned rave reviews for his cathartic induction speech Friday at the Basketball Hall of Fame. He spent much of his time apologizing to his family and reflecting on the other avenues his life could have traveled if not for the NBA. Sporting a customizing blazer similar to what he wore to his Pistons number retirement, Rodman acknowledged both the Pistons and the Bulls in his attire.
One of the more interesting tidbits came when Rodman turned to the crowd acknowledging director Penny Marshall (he reportedly paid $60,000 to fly Marhsall, Howard Stern and other friends to the ceremony), who Rodman said is working on a film about the hall's newest Bad Boy.

"She's doing my documentary," Rodman says near the 2:35 mark. "I hope to be living by then."
Searching the Internet turns up no mention of such a project, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. (There appears to be nothing even on Rodman's self-promotional website, either.)
Rodman has starred in films (terrible ones) and been the subject of documentaries and the 1998 small-screen adaptation of his biography "Bad as I Wanna Be."
Marshall, of "Laverne and Shirley" fame, produced and directed the 1992 women's baseball flick "A League of Their Own." She also produced 2005's "Cinderella Man," so it seems she's not shy about venturing into sports.
I'll pass along more info if and when it becomes available.

#girlbehindtheplate more entertaining than 14-inning snoozer

2011-08-11T19:44:00.002-04:00

The Tigers-Indians game Tuesday night wasn't much of a thriller, going into in the 14th inning tied 2-2 after a lengthy rain delay earlier in the night. Around the ninth inning, the most exciting event of the night occurred when a fan (not sure what else to call her) found prime real estate behind home plate. And thus the Twitter trend #girlbehindtheplate was born.

Viwers of the telecast were quite taken with her distraction and dismayed at her removal. No matter your take on this annoyance/distraction, the legend of #girlbehindtheplate grew the next morning.

The performance even sparked an idea for a rule book pertaining to fans in the background.
Chances are, #girlbehindtheplate will quickly fade from our collective memory, save for a T-shirt or random blogs, but she was just the distraction fans needed at the time.

With Bad Boy legacy, Rodman entering Hall as a Bull confusing

2011-08-10T18:55:00.006-04:00

Even though former Bad Boy teammate Isiah Thomas swore Dennis Rodman would be going into the Hall of Fame as a Detroit Piston, it appears The Worm has elected to be predominantly featured as a Chicago Bull in his HoF exhibit.
Some would suggest Rodman was a bigger star with the Bulls. Others have hypothesized his best friends with the Pistons organization had passed away nearly within the same year, leaving Rodman without a present-day connection to the franchise that took a chance on him in the 1986 draft.
Rodman has tabbed former Bulls coach Phil Jackson to introduce him at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, although it's assumed Daly would have been speaking if history had unfolded differently. Rodman, who famously held his 50th birthday party in an NYC strip club, has reportedly promised to be on good behavior Friday.
(It's also worth noting numerous pieces of Rodman's clothing and possessions were up for auction Monday.)
Thomas also mentioned during Rodman's Pistons jersey (No. 10) retirement that Rodman chose to wear No. 91 with Chicago as a testament to Detroit's infamous walk-off during the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals. That event famously came against the hated Bulls.
Rodman, who played in Detroit for seven seasons, was traded to San Antonio in 1993-94 and left after the following season. He then played three (apparently more notable) seasons with Chicago, beginning in 1995-96.
The other two stars of those three-peat Bulls (Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen) of 1996-98, as well as their aforementioned coach, have had their numbers retired by the organization. Rodman, has yet to see his number raised to the roof. Perhaps it's because the Bulls haven't been as liberal as the Pistons in terms of laying numbers to rest, but if enshrinement in the Hall of Fame hasn't pushed them to do it, what will? And if the Bulls organization doesn't regard Rodman as highly as the Pistons clearly do, why then is Rodman forever to be remembered as a Bull?

CoPa home to inspirationless trespassers

2011-08-09T20:27:00.002-04:00

This might be exactly what stadium personnel would love to see if there has to be fans running on the field — a trespasser lacking motivation. One such turned up recently at a Tigers game, but it's unclear which game the fan made the leap to the playing field, except to say it's a day game.

After wandering aimlessly, the man appears to surrender by lying on his stomach in center field. It's almost as if he never expected to actually make it onto the field.

To his credit, it's also unclear through the video how long he had already been on the field.

One thing is certain. In the era of handheld cameras and smartphones, there's literally nothing that won't be captured on video.

Hip hop connection to sports on full display in new 'Quest' film

2011-07-26T01:29:00.006-04:00

Comedian and New York fanboy Michael Rapaport jumped behind the camera to produce the recent documentary about alt-rap pioneers A Tribe Called Quest. The group seems to be the only thing Rapaport supports more than his hometown Knicks and Yankees. Rapaport has appeared on ESPN's "The Next Round" to talk sports and he appeared at the end of the "Winning Time" 30 for 30 about Knick killer Reggie Miller.
Hip hop's link to sports culture is nothing new. It even inspired David Stern to call for a dress code in the NBA. Athletes have also been known to rap themselves.
Jalen Rose, himself an acknowledged hip hop fan, credits the art with inspiring the brash Fab Five in a recent ESPN documentary. Rose and the Fab Five starred at Michigan during hip hop's ascension to the forefront of public consciousness. Baggy shorts and swagger aren't alien anymore, thanks to Rose and Co. as well as hip hop.
Quest member Phife Dawg, the party responsible for some of hip hop's most notorious lyrics, routinely fused athletics into his rhymes, i.e. "Come up with more hits than the Braves and the Yankees" on Quest's 1993 hit "Award Tour."
Rapaport had the following to say to ESPN's Page 2 blog about the similarities between rapping and sports.
"I think hip-hop is not a sport, but it does have a sports mentality. In terms of being the best, kicking ass, it definitely has that mentality. Especially the golden era of hip-hop, the great MCs battling. L.L. (Cool J), you know, 'I wanna crush you.' Wanting to be the best. Michael Jordan to Joe Namath to Willie Mays to Joe DiMaggio to numerous other people, I think the similarity in mentality of it is the same."
In the new film "Beats, Rhymes and Life," Phife, in every scene, is decked out in athletic gear. Jerseys, hats, shorts, shoes, you name it. His fandom knows no allegiance to team, nor sport. In fact, the only time he wasn't matching between his hat and his shirt was the day he went to the hospital for a kidney transplant. That day, he wore a Pittsburgh Pirates hat with an Ohio State hoodie. The rest of the film, he's matched well, even when it comes to repping a prep basketball program he scouts for.
Certainly hip hop's influence on sports can be traced further and will likely continue to influence stars of tomorrow, from their fashions to headphones, but the "Quest" film highlights a key era in its rise.

Remember Zubaz? Tigers offering animal print leisure pants for 80s Night

2011-07-25T20:47:00.002-04:00

Call it Zubazpalooza or an excuse to fill the seats in early August (staying in first place sort of accomplishes that anyway, though), the Tigers will be giving away pairs of Zubaz with tickets to 80s night Aug. 3 against the Texas Rangers.
What's is/are Zubaz? If you don't recall the animal print leisure pants of the late 1980s and early '90s, this informative video might remind you.
Ticket packages are $23 and include these awesome retro duds. They can be purchased here.

'Pure Michigan' spoof attacks inexplicable love for Brandon Inge

2011-07-25T20:27:00.006-04:00

Fans sure do love Brandon Inge. Well, at least until the past few weeks. After Inge was sent to Toledo for reassignment, a Pure Michigan spoof (you've seen those, right?) surfaced about fans' undeserved love for the weak hitting third baseman.

What the video manages to do, however, in a not-so-subtle fashion, is lambaste the Tigers' fanbase for their support for a largely underachieving Inge, rather than more accomplished Latino players. The subject even spurred a Twitter debate between beat writers following Inge's demotion.
Some argue Inge's popularity remained constant because he's an English-speaking white player. I think more of his favoritism comes from his playful nature and the fact he's been with the organization for more than 10 years. He was part of the not-so-lovable losers of 2003 and got bounced around like a pinball in the early years. He fought off trade rumors numerous times and never took it out on fans who chided him for his poor hitting. He's a comeback story. If you know anything about Americans, they like the underdog. That's Pure Brandon Inge.
Whatever you want to believe about Inge's popularity, there's still a strong chance he returns thanks to his hefty contract and the fact nobody else wants him. Except for Tigers fans, that is.

Detroit players show off happy feet

2011-07-20T16:23:00.006-04:00

It must be something in the air. First, Tigers catcher/DH Victor Martinez uses his dance moves to avoid the tag at home plate on Tuesday, then later in the night, video of Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh surface of him dancing to Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold" in his living room.
Below, Martinez explains the thought how to creatively score against A's catcher Kurt Suziki.
The play was rightfully SportsCenter's top play of the night.

Sports Illustrated opted to keep Solo, U.S. women's team off cover

2011-07-13T21:33:00.007-04:00

It was a busy week for Sports Illustrated to narrow down their cover art. Ultimately, as you can see below, Yankee captain Derek Jeter again got the front-page treatment, while the American women's soccer team was bumped inside.
The raw emotion on the faces of the American players following their shootout victory would also have been far more compelling than what we have today.
There was also the death of a fan going for a souvenir to give to his young son. Don't forget a case could be made for the tragedy at the Ballpark in Arlington.
The American women's team won what is being dubbed an instant classic game over Brazil in the World Cup quarterfinals.
Reportedly, the Americans' potential defeat in Wednesday's semifinal was reason enough to bump the ladies, who already had already done an SI photo shoot prior to the Cup opener.
It seems hard to justify, given Hope Solo's instant popularity, that the powers that be would opt instead for Jeter with the single-copy (retail) sales that could be had putting a the attractive goalkeeper on the front. Perhaps the potential backlash was enough to land Jeter the cover spot.
Also, think about it: An attractive woman on the cover sells copies to men, while having a women's team on the cover could attract female buyers. Also consider where magazines are purchased: Grocery stores, drug stores, book stores and other centers of commerce. Not to generalize, but women have a reputation for shopping for, well, anything and everything.
Yahoo Sports blog Dirty Tackle argues: "The U.S. men's loss to Ghana last summer didn't really make Landon Donovan's goal against Algeria any less spectacular."
It then goes on to point out the expectation for the American women is very high and a quarterfinal win then does not usurp a player on the most famous of all baseball teams reaching a rare milestone.
This is, of course, far from the first time Jeter has graced SI's cover.
So, in terms of merit, sure, the Jeter moment should win. But if you're talking about making money, which most publications are, Solo and Co. may have been the way to go.

How to keep fans in the seats

2011-07-13T14:27:00.002-04:00

In the latest installment of "Dude Talk," Dave Phillips and I discuss ways to keep fans safe from themselves at baseball stadiums. Some of the ideas we kicked around included electric guardrails. I've since added seatbelts, but I don't think anything could prevent a guy from leaning on/over a railing more than the thought of his private parts are being electrocuted.

In another episode, I thought the 23-year-old cell phone store employee who caught Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit should have kept the ball, while Dave argues the ball belongs to Jeter.

FSN Detroit takes you behind the scenes

2011-07-13T14:15:00.006-04:00

While the Tigers begin the second half for better or worse Friday against the Chicago White Sox on Fox Sports Detroit, viewers will have a split-screen view of the behind-the-scenes crew. The TV magic can be seen on the network's FS Plus channel (check local listings).

"Tigers Live" host John Keating will lead viewers on a tour of the various functions that make a telecast go 'round such as the details of the production booth, camera wells, replay rooms etc.
FSD is planning monthly alternate telecasts during the second half of the season, with the next to come in mid- to late-August. FS Detroit personnel say the next installment is likely to be a camera isolated on each player position throughout the game.

Hockey blog raising funds to get a Commodore 64

2011-07-11T14:41:00.003-04:00

A Yahoo! Sports blog claims to have more than $6,000 pledged in an effort to persuade new Red Wing Mike Commodore to wear No. 64 as a tribute to the legendary computing system.
The blog, Puck Daddy, pledged to give $64 to the charity of Commodore's choice if he wears the jersey number.
You can offer your own donation by emailing puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com.

Missing the Great Impostor

2011-07-09T13:48:00.003-04:00

It's a shame Barry Bremen, aka the Great Impostor, wasn't more widely recognized following his most famous exploits of the 1970s and 80s. After his heydey, it's almost as if he didn't exist. I for one, had only heard a few things. And those came from the Great Burzini, county historian and general know-it-all Scott M. Burnstein, who knew Bremen as a family friend.
Sure, there's no way a character like him could exist. Sneaking into all-star games, Super Bowls and the U.S. Open. There's too much security in our post-9/11 society, as there should be. But we need another character like him. Someone who can play havoc with the establishment and make you do a double-take like 'Did that just happen?'

I feel ashamed I never knew about Bremen until he was gone. Maybe it's because he spent the last 20 years out of the limelight. The only person I can compare him to is comedian Andy Kaufman. Guys like that go out of their way to infect your conscience and it will be a long time before we see another.
Read more about Barry Bremen, the Great Impostor
Below is an interview I did with Burnstein after news of Bremen's death spread through the newsroom.

The best baseball movies of all time

2011-07-08T02:43:00.002-04:00

I spent several hours recently compiling photos for a slideshow spanning the greatest baseball movies of all-time. It's similar to the other lists you've read, but much more enjoyable to watch. Enjoy!

Tiger manages to shout out biggest backer Nike in new Japanese commercial

2011-07-05T17:20:00.004-04:00

Last week on "Dude Talk," we told you about Tiger Woods' new advertising deal. Well, here it is in all its glory. Note the Nike Tiger Woods brand hat prominently featured in this ad for a completely unrelated product. Nike must be proud of his ability to sneak a swoosh into Japan.

It makes sense, right? Nike after all, is the company that stuck with him through it all and even made that excellent, but not-so-well perceived commercial with snippets of patriarch Earl Woods.
Nike has long been willing to throw itself into controversy and recently leaped back into the fire by re-signing Michael Vick. It's no surprise they let Vick go in the first place, but given what Tiger's been through, it's no surprise they got him back.

LeBron only gets dunked on or dunks on campers from Detroit

2011-07-04T01:15:00.006-04:00

Way back in 2009, seemingly eons prior to "The Decision," when LeBron James got dunked on by Xavier guard and Detroit native Jordan Crawford. Team Nike leaped onto the situation, quickly confiscating any video recording device in the vicinity.

Well, fast forward to this week, and it was James dunking on Troy 17 year old Evan Mahone in a game of lightning, or knockout, as they're calling it on the Internet. Much was made of the reparations: Autographed LeBron shoes.

This is what Mahone had to say on Facebook after the incident: "Got dunked on by Lebron :( but he gave me his shoes so its alll good broo ;)"
Popularity spreads fast. Mahone already has more than 1,500 friends as of Sunday night and his account is no longer accepting friend requests. It's safe to say he had a few hundred of those before the video leaked, but it's also safe to say several hundred more came with Mahone's 15 minutes of fame. I wonder how many people are going to pick up on the story once the preps season gets under way.

How much do you remember about the last NBA lockout?

2011-07-03T04:18:00.009-04:00

The recently imposed NBA lockout is expected to be lengthy like the last work stoppage that shortened the 1998-99 season to just 50 games, all played in 1999. The Spurs won the first of their four quasi dynasty titles that season. It was fitting that Spurs center* Tim Duncan and the Pistons' Grant Hill, in full teal uniform and all, were seen in Sprite commercials making fun of the labor strife.

Dime looked back at some of the commercials from the last NBA lockout. (There's some classics in there.)
In hindsight, those commercials were pretty funny. But the lockout was not. And neither is this one. It's being projected to be equally lengthy, and some pundits are suggesting the entire season could be wiped out. It's the NBA's Armageddon.
Nothing has changed more during this impasse than the emergence of social media. Teams are allowed to continue following their players during the lockout, but they cannot tweet or retweet anything the players say. If they do, it's a $1 million fine. Pretty steep. Put that into context, it's about a $20,000 fine for criticizing officials.
And have you noticed a lack of relevant material on NBA.com and its affiliate sites? That's another no-no. Webmasters spent months figuring out how to make the league's stars disappear as if they had never been there.
Well, at least there's still the ever-profitable WNBA, which will continue to air for the rest of the summer both on the NBA's website and the league's TV channel. Enjoy your summer with no real hope to see the best basketball on the planet come fall.

NBA's website is locked out, too

2011-07-01T04:53:00.005-04:00

Have you been to the NBA's website since 12:01 a.m., the first minute of the league's latest lockout? The site has a complete FAQ about its labor status and more info than you would ever need about the current happenings in the WNBA. That's pretty much it. No links. No pictures of players. No highlights. No team logos.
The league's website is also subject to the lockout, frozen in time and full of no particular useful information. The league's "web guys" have been hard at work for weeks carefully removing images and redirecting pages so as not to violate the rules.
“We're going back to the stone ages of the Internet," one team website administrator told ESPN blog True Hoop. "It's all going to be very dumbed down.”
In the meantime, staffers are going through thousands upon thousands of subpages, looking for any representations or mentions of NBA players.
Likewise, on the Pistons' homepage, you'll only see images of retired players (Dennis Rodman, John Salley) and non-players.
Never fear basketball junkies, it appears the NBA pages on ESPN, Yahoo! Sports and Sports Illustrated seem to be fully functional.

Tiger Woods' image's comeback going better than his golf game

2011-06-29T23:18:00.003-04:00

I sat down with Dave Phillips Wednesday to discuss Tiger Woods' new endorsement deal for a Japanese healing balm. Enjoy.

Sheen was hooked on 'Major League' like crack; admits to juicing during production

2011-06-29T21:55:00.008-04:00

Charlie Sheen isn't likely the one you would suspect, but there's no reason to think he was lying when he told Sports Illustrated he was "juicing" while filming "Major League" in the late 1980s. Sheen played relief pitcher Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn in the classic film where a Cleveland Indians team is stacked with "has beens and never-will-bees" in order to play poorly enough to earn a relocation to Miami. Sheen's character fit that mold, coming off a stint in the California penal league (if you can make it in prison ball, you can make it anywhere) and unaccustomed to civilization.
Sheen said steroids took his fast ball up from 79 to 85 mph while taking the drugs for 6-8 weeks of production.

In addition, Sheen compared to the script to the cult classic to crack and couldn't put it down once it reached him.
"I was going to a premiere, and I had a meeting with David Ward in the morning, so I had the script in the limo, and I was late because I couldn't put it down. Then I sat in the driveway for an hour to finish it. It was probably as good a script as "Platoon," seriously. There are films you look at and say, That was a perfect movie because every element found itself."
Apparently it takes more than potentially seeing a disenfranchised female owner naked behind a jigsaw puzzle to get Sheen amped up.
Sheen goes on to call Vaughn's entrance in the final game one of the best of all-time, except it took place at 4 a.m. after most people had already gone home. He took a swing at real-life "Wild Thing," former Phillies closer Mitch Williams.
"Mitch Williams, that f---ing guy never gave me credit. Come on, dude; you're coming out to the Wild Thing song? You changed your number? Can I get a little nod?"
Motown Lowdown points out Sheen, an avid baseball fan, took note of Tigers outfielders current and former in Matt Joyce and Brennan Boesch.

SI: It seems like you're a guy who takes this sport seriously.

Sheen: I do, man. It's not just a hobby, it's a religion. All I watch is MLB. I don't care what's going on in the friggin' world. This is what's going on in the world. Baseball is all that matters. Matt Joyce destroyed a ball in Tampa! Who the f--- is Matt Joyce? There is an incoming wave of talent that is just unbelievable. This kid Brennan Boesch, he's f------ gnarly."

Read the full conversation here
JUST ADDED: What would admitted steroid user Jose Canseco say to Sheen about his habit? Also, more actors who could have juiced for their film roles.

Cameras catching Miggy in curious positions

2011-06-22T19:50:00.005-04:00

Miguel Cabrera has a reputation as a clown in the clubhouse, and it seems with productive numbers pushing his offseason indiscretion to the back of everyone's mind, he can get back to the business of making people laugh. Sports Illustrated turned up this gem in a recent slideshow:

There are a few other things this photo says:
"Wow, this hoop makes me look skinny"
"This is good exercise for burning off those lbs"
"Skip said this would keep me limber"
And then Wednesday, as the Tigers hit four home runs in beating the Dodgers in L.A., Miggy seemed to say "Feed me" as he neared home plate:

What do these photos say to you?

Ain't no rep, like a Detroit reputation

2011-06-16T22:10:00.002-04:00

It was interesting seeing others do what the outside world expects from Detroit carried out by Canadians, who are, for the most part, considered to be friendly and docile. One-hundred fifty people were arrested in Vancouver during Wednesday night's riot following Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final, not coincidentally a Canucks loss. Conversely, seven were arrested in Boston, the home city of the new champions.

Of course, we can't talk about a riot without mentioning Detroit, as actor Rainn Wilson from "The Office" did on Twitter, calling "Vancouver the Detroit of Canada." He got quite a bit of flack for that one, responding by saying he would turn over his Toyota Prius for penance.
While Vancouverans used social media to brag about their late-evening conquest, Detroiters shielded themselves from undeserved comparisons as the grandfather of riots. That may have been well-earned moniker once upon a time, but the Detroit area has hosted world class events with with little disturbance.

2005 MLB All-Star Game
2006 Super Bowl XL
2004 Ryder Cup
2009 Final Four
1994 World Cup
2006 World Series
Annual North American International Auto Show
Six Stanley Cup finals (four championships)
Five NBA Finals (three championships)

So what exactly is it going to take to repair Detroit's image? Is it beyond repair at this point. If a large riot in a place known to be a nice vacation spot with breathtaking views is capable of this violence and Detroit, which isn't necessarily either of those, keeps the peace, I don't know what will.
Newspapers suffered an identity crisis, struggling with which images to use on the front page. The Vancouver Providence did well with its "Mayhem" cover.

UPDATE: Wilson said about his tweet the next day: "Man I have a new-found respect for Detroit after the angry shellacking I've taken for my crack this AM. U guys sure rally for yr city!"
Also, according to ESPN's Page2 blog, there apparently was a riot after the Pistons won their 1990 NBA championship. The melee was described as "worse, albeit less memorable" than the 1984 Tigers riot.

U-M fans have a new shirt to taunt Ohio State*

2011-06-13T15:43:00.003-04:00

While it can't replace all the losses at the hands of Jim Tressel and The Ohio State, Michigan fans have a new shirt they can wear, pointing to the licit nature of the Buckeyes' success. Tom Leyden debuted the shirts on "Sports Update" Sunday night on WXYZ-7.

LeBron, Heat's loss in newsprint

2011-06-13T13:43:00.006-04:00

You may have noticed our sports front didn't have a "Mavs win the title" headline because of our early Sunday deadline, but we did run one of my favorites from the Twitterverse in the Macomb Daily (which we produce on Sundays) "Big D, not Big 3."
I also liked:

"Dallas in Wonderland"
"The King is speechless"
"King without a ring"

Here are the fronts from the Miami Herald and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

The Dallas Morning News also went the easy route, from what I saw on TV Sunday night. Also, the NY Post took the gloves off, as it tends to do, with "Beach Bums" over top a photo of LeBron and Dwyane Wade.

Also, the Miami Herald, which seems to be common place in Finals series, ran a Macy's ad for Heat championship gear.

My question is, Sunday's Game 6 couldn't have been a clincher for the Heat. So why was that ad even in their system? Sometimes those things happen when dealing with two different entities running the show.
Welp, barring a "Decision Part II," that could be the last LeBron headline fun for the summer.

It was a good day for U-M publicity

2011-06-10T21:38:00.008-04:00

You may have noticed Google has outfitted its homepage with a recordable tribute to legendary guitar maker Les Paul for his birthday. CNBC's Darren Rovell tweeted a link to early Friday to a rendition of "The Victors," though it wasn't clear if he created the song. I suppose it's fitting the computer giant would be capable of such a song, seeing how it has an office in Ann Arbor.
That wasn't Michigan's only interaction Friday with a legend, as the school unveiled its new throwback, or "Legends," jerseys it plans to wear against Notre Dame in this season's night game meeting Sept. 10 at the Big House.
Thanks to Rovell for the pics of the jerseys.
Quarterback Denard Robinson said people initially disliked the stripes over the shoulder, but he really likes them.
"These jerseys are crazy sick," he said in a video posted on the school's website. "To be part of something like this at the University of Michigan with throwbacks on, that's crazy."
The video goes on to say the adidas jerseys "are a compilation of years and eras recognizing the tradition and history of Michigan football."
The accompanying helmet appears to stay intact, with each player's number added to the side.
Watch video of the unveiling here. Order a jersey, which costs $80, here.

Tigers aren't the only ones letting nepotism reign

2011-06-09T22:30:00.003-04:00

Much was made of the fact the Tigers had enough picks to draft Al Kaline's grandson, Alex Avila's brother and the sons of Fox Sports Detroit broadcast duo Mario Impemba (Brett, Oakland University) and Rod Allen in the latter rounds of the recent MLB Draft. They're not the only ones sticking with popular names.
Some other familiar last names who were drafted:

Shawn Dunston Jr. (Cubs)
Dante Bichette Jr. (Yankees)
Brandon Bonilla (Rockies)
Ryan Garvey (Phillies)
Trevor Gretzky (Cubs, and his namesake didn't even play baseball!)

Let's be honest. The MLB draft is the biggest crapshoot of any of the major drafts, and the NHL's draft goes pretty long, too. For a full rundown of familiar last names joining the Tigers' organization, click here

Even Jim Leyland is a prankster

2011-06-07T22:07:00.004-04:00

He doesn't seem like he has much of a sense of humor, but Tigers manager Jim Leyland tried to pull a fast one on hitting coach Lloyd McClendon Monday against Texas. It's pretty easy to joke around when your up-and-down, mostly sub-.500 team is beating up on the American League's best.

Thanks to SB Nation Detroit for paying attention.

The Microwave's 0.07 shot gets further immortalized, in Legos

2011-06-02T03:55:00.004-04:00

As it has been known to do, Tauntr.com has produced a video of the top five moments in NBA Finals history - in Legos that is. Among them, Vinnie Johnson's shot in Game 5 of the 1990 NBA Finals that gave the Pistons their second consecutive championship.
The Pistons took the ball out of bounds with 20 seconds remaining and Isiah Thomas dribbled the clock down before passing to Johnson. "The Microwave" as he was known, got the ball with about three seconds remaining and drained a 14-footer with just 0.07 remaining to all but secure the Bad Boys' second title.

Also canonized are Gar Heard's turnaround jumper from 1976 and Michael Jordan's famous push-off from 1998.
Tauntr also recently Legoized Chris Webber's infamous timeout in the 1993 national championship game.

This beats the coolest trading card you ever got as a kid, guaranteed

2011-06-02T03:11:00.003-04:00

You didn't expect trading cards to stick to cardboard forever, did you? Panini, the basketball card manufacturer not the sandwich has created a new series of cards with a built-in video player with a 2 GB flash drive. That has to top all the special series holograms, game-worn jersey swatches and mail-in redemption cards.
The Panini HRX sounds impressive, but apparently it's not that wild to Blake Griffin. The guy dunks over small foreign cars after all.

Not only is this card autographed, it comes with a video of highlights that include the player signing the card.
The cards will be available for particular players such as Griffin, Washington's John Wall and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant. They are reportedly going to debut this month, costing $20 for a pack of five, but of course, not every pack is going to have an HRX, so most buyers will still get the same feeling buying cards 20 years ago. But there's always a chance, right?

What was the coolest card you ever pulled? To this day, my best is a Kobe Bryant jersey swatch, which, ironically, I got in a pack during the 2004 NBA Finals when the Pistons beat the Lakers.

Galarraga, Joyce banned from seeing each other on their special anniversary

2011-06-02T02:47:00.005-04:00

This was news to me when I read it, but "Motown Lowdown" on SB Nation is reporting via ESPN that MLB has banned umpire Jim Joyce, he of the infamous blown perfect game, from working on the umpire crew of any game pitched by former Tiger Armando Galarraga, said pitcher of blown perfecto. Why, after Joyce continued to work Tigers games following one of the worst calls in the history of baseball? Because apparently, the two are the co-authors of a new book set to release on the one-year anniversary (has it been a year already!?) of the dirty deed.

An MLB spokesperson said the move was made so as "to give the appearance of any impropriety." Really? Joyce already jobbed the guy out of a perfect game, I don't think he really plays favorites.
Rather than posting a clip of the blown call, I'll find one of Galarraga raging on reporters following a recent outing (with a special appearance from Detroit hero Kirk Gibson). The "Lowdown" report goes on to mention Galarraga is currently in Triple-A, so reuniting with Joyce might not be such a scheduling nightmare it sounds like.
If you really feel you need to read this book, click here.

Another Memorial Day remembrance

2011-05-30T22:23:00.003-04:00

This may have been overlooked, as it should have, on Memorial Day, but Monday was also the 20-year anniversary of the end of the Bad Boys era, marked by the Pistons' walkoff with seven seconds remaining in the final game of a four-game sweep at the hands of the Bulls.

Michael Jordan, who had just gotten finished bad-mouthing the Pistons to the press, went on to lead the Bulls to three-straight titles, "retired" and played minor league baseball, and came back to win three more championships.
Noted Piston Bad Boy Dennis Rodman, who wore No. 91 in Chicago in reference of the Eastern Conference Finals diss, according to ringleader Isiah Thomas, was a member of the latter trilogy.
The New York Times noted the similarity between the Pistons' exodus and the two-time defending champion Lakers at the hands of the Mavericks.

'South Park' compares student-athletes to modern-day slaves

2011-05-26T22:02:00.004-04:00

If you saw the PBS Frontline program a few months back titled "Money and March Madness," you could see the similarities in last night's "South Park," a show I've long been a fan of and especially appreciate when they cross over into the sports realm.
In the Frontline episode, we learn just how much the NCAA makes off its student athletes and that former UCLA star Charles O'Bannon sued the organization over video game image rights.
Eric Cartman, the same character who last year attempted to drive in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, compares NCAA student-athletes to modern-day slaves.
As the founder of the Crack Baby Athletic Association, or CBAA, Cartman is exploiting the young babies for his league's financial gain. There are several parallels between the Frontline episode and the fictitious CBAA, with a bit of info regarding Guns 'n Roses guitarist Slash you may have never realized.

Crack Baby Athletic Association
Tags: SOUTH
PARK Eric Cartman,Kyle Broflovski,more...

The de facto "30 for 30" on Michigan's Fab Five focused heavily on the group's indignation toward Nike, among other companies profiting off their image.
The idea of playing student-athletes is gaining more steam every week, but the ideas how to distribute the money evenly, while not trouncing on Title IX are hard to come by.
As we've found under Jim Tressel's watch at Ohio State, student athletes are taking matters into their own hands, selling merchandise and gifts bestowed on them for their athletic ability, rather than having a reliable stipend with which to buy their tattoos and jewelry.
Each episode, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone take aim at any subject they feel topical and the NCAA was just the latest to walk into their cross-hairs. Maybe they rejected the idea for college BaseketBall.

CAPTION THIS: Robert Horry hits GW 3-pointer in 2005 NBA Finals

2011-05-23T20:56:00.003-04:00

There aren't many Detroit sports fans who don't remember Robert Horry's (aka Big Shot Bob) 3-point dagger against the Pistons in Game 5 of the 2005 NBA Finals at The Palace. Of course, Rasheed Wallace accepted the blame for the blown coverage, the defending champion Pistons missed a chance to step on the Spurs' throats and later lost in Game 7 after stealing a Game 6 victory in San Antonio.

Flash forward six years later, an advertisement for the Finals on ABC/ESPN in the new ESPN the Magazine has caption bubbles above the heads of each player (and the ball) in frame on that particular play. The only person, though, it doesn't "quote" is Wallace.
What do you think it should say?

'Don't believe the mascot promos;' life is not what ESPN portrays

2011-05-20T16:09:00.017-04:00

The four-letter network is having trouble keeping its talents' misdeeds out of the media, and soon the disarray within the Bristol, Conn., compound will be exposed when "Those Guys Have all the Fun, Inside the World of ESPN" is released Tuesday.
(Just to clarify, The Oakland Press was apparently left off the publisher's distribution list for promo copies.)
Deadspin has been all over this since the promo copies were released for reviews and some sites have even leaked excerpts, detailing some of the legendary in-fighting that has taken place. Reportedly, there's a portion dealing with the debacle that became LeBron's narcissistic exit interview with the Cavaliers known as "The Decision."
My favorite passage comes from former "SportsCenter" anchor Jack Edwards:
"A team is where you have your teammate's back regardless of what happens; you defend them and you sort out any dirty laundry quietly behind closed doors. There was almost none of that at ESPN. There was no encouragement, because the atmosphere was one of stick the knife in his back, climb the corporate ladder. It was a very, very negative place to work. Don't believe the mascot promos. Life is not like that at 'SportsCenter.' "
We also learn Mike Tirico might not be as nice of guy as we've been led to believe by his friendly smile and soft, golf-friendly voice.
Know anybody who watched the Erin Andrews peephole video? Employees at ESPN did. Readers also learn (maybe for the first time) what a tortured-genius, rabble-rouser type Keith Olbermann was during his time with the network. Apparently, nothing has changed for Olbermann.
The book is more than 700 pages and tells the history of the network (can you believe it didn't begin until 1979?), according to former ESPN employee Darren Rovell, now a sports business analyst for CNBC.
"If you want the highlights from the guys who brought you the highlights, all the essentials are there," Rovell said.
For the stories straight from the guy who interviewed a hell of a lot of ESPN personnel current and former, listen to an interview with author James Andrew Miller in a Sports Illustrated podcast.
This has PR nightmare written all over it, and from what I've read, the network has been in crisis control mode since excerpts began leaking. Can't wait.
(Click here to pre-order)

Debunking viral Longoria 'catch' video

2011-05-20T15:45:00.006-04:00

If you haven't seen it yet, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria appears to "save" a female reporter from an errant flyball during an interview.

Reason's why it's fake:

I read as much about the first time I saw it.
Gillette is the only sponsor visible in the park, really?
Who does an on-field interview during BP?
Who takes nighttime BP outside of Jake Taylor?
Aren't all those trick shots fake except for those guys that were on "E:60?"
But Longoria is wearing the official Rays jersey. If it was an advertisement, that would be forbidden. Not so fast. MLB and Gillette have "the longest-running" endorsement deal in pro sports. Use of MLB licensed logos and apparel would be acceptable.

Regardless, still a good video and halfway believable with a Gold Glover like Longoria taking part. Are there any other reasons you could call out this video as a hoax?
UPDATE: Tech site Mashable points out the interviewer's microphone has no mic flag, which wraps around the microphone and typically identifies which network or station is conducting the interview. Another good catch.

You're nobody 'till somebody skewers you

2011-05-16T02:48:00.007-04:00

As they tend to do, The Onion went after a real person, this time in the form of Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, after the hurler threw his second no-hitter in Toronto.

The story jokingly portrays JV's parents as non-baseball people in "Justin Verlander doesn't bother telling parents difference between no-hitter and perfect game," as they wonder what's so great about a no-no if it's not a perfect game?
"A frustrated Verlander, who threw his second career no-hitter last Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays, said his parents Richard and Kathy had asked if he would be receiving some kind of promotion for his accomplishment, if this meant he would finally be allowed to hit during the games, if he would have received a promotion had he thrown a perfect game instead, why he 'slacks off' and throws some pitches slower than others, and whether or not he needed any money."
Later in the story, a fake quote from Verlander makes the pitcher happy for his younger brother who "gets it."
The real dig comes near the end, when the story says JV's parents would really only come to understand and follow their son if he were in pinstripes.
"Verlander, who signed a five-year, $80 million contract extension in 2010, told reporters his parents had never really understood his job as a starting pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, and said they would only be truly proud of him if he played for the New York Yankees."
Before they could get off the phone, Ma Verlander "reportedly" asked her son if she could simply tell her friends he threw a perfect game anyway.
Read in full detail

It's a stretch to compare Pistons' and Lakers' playoff exits

2011-05-16T01:28:00.008-04:00

(First off, I know I'm a week late on this, but I just found this story link buried in my email.)
Since we're approaching the 20th anniversary of the infamous Pistons walk-off in the Eastern Conference Finals, it's worth noting the New York Times saw a similarity between the Pistons' exit and the way with which the two-time defending champion Lakers went out - like goons - last weekend against the Mavericks.
Detroit's 1991 loss marked the end of the Bad Boy era, but was precipitated by a smattering of trash talk from Bulls star Michael Jordan in regards to the Pistons' well-noted physicality. Those comments have long been the held as the reason for the Isiah Thomas-led walkoff with seven seconds remaining.

Like Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom's frustration fueled antics, the Pistons shoved Bulls star Scottie Pippen to the ground, a tag-team effort between Bill Laimbeer and Dennis Rodman. That was the only noted flareup of that Game 4. The fire had already been extinguished.
Thomas noted at Dennis Rodman's Pistons jersey retirement that Rodman chose to wear No. 91 during his stint with the Bulls from 1995-98 to symbolize the event.
"I bet you didn't know that," Thomas said.
Rodman said that night that former Bulls coach Phil Jackson asked Rodman prior to the Hall of Fame rebounder's time in the Windy City, to extend an olive branch to Scottie Pippen for the hard fouls Pippen, also a Hall of Famer, had to endure during the rivalry with the Pistons.
It was a different time when the hard-nosed Pistons refused to shake hands with the upstart Bulls. It's a different era where Bad Boy-type fouls are assessed with varying degrees of intent, but the Pistons and Bulls had a rivalry going back at least four consecutive years where they met in the playoffs. Lakers-Mavs doesn't convey anywhere near the same hatred. Those Laker outbursts were (mostly) unexpected and definitely uncalled for. At least the Bad Boys could claim they were going for the ball.
That's why the exits of these three-time consecutive conference champions differ. The Lakers' demise looks worse than the egress of a group of playground-style ruffians who had long played the villain. That's hard to do.

MSU game could be played on same carrier used in bin Laden burial

2011-05-12T15:23:00.000-04:00

Next season’s aircraft carrier game between Michigan State and North Carolina, the two teams paired in the 2009 NCAA championship game at Detroit’s Ford Field, was already a notable matchup, but could gain added notoriety if a particular vessel is available for the game.
Why would they choose to play on that particular vessel? The game is scheduled on Veteran’s Day.

The USS Carl Vinson, the same ship used in the sea burial of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden nearly two weeks ago, is one of the two carriers that could be used for the historic game, according to Yahoo! Sports.

If you can’t snag one of the 7,000 seats onboard, which are reserved for military and big wigs, you can watch the game like everyone else on ESPN.

Livonia home attempts to replicate Joe Louis Arena

2011-05-11T22:01:00.000-04:00

CBS Local is calling a home in Livonia decked out with replica Stanley Cups on the lawn and Red Wings banners on its side the "Ultimate Red Wings House."
Also, to no one's surprise, local fans think the Red Wings will win tomorrow's Game 7 in San Jose.

Where else would Dennis Rodman have his 50th bday party?

2011-05-10T19:17:00.002-04:00

While the Pistons retired his No. 10 jersey April Fool’s Day, April 1, former Bad Boy Dennis Rodman mentioned his age and the fact he was nearly 50 years old. He also, except for a few curse words, behaved himself during the event.

Well, his 50th birthday party plans sound more like the persona America came to meet once Rodman left the Pistons and began expressing his flamboyant side while remaining one of the best defensive players in NBA history. Rodman plans to turn the half-century mark at a New York City gentleman’s club Wednesday — and he wants his jersey to hang their permanently, according to the New York Post. Dancers at the club will also be dressed in Pistons jerseys.

Little things remind you why it's awesome to cover sports for a living

2011-05-09T21:50:00.004-04:00

A recent clip of a Kansas City beat writer taking an 80 mph fastball is pretty funny to watch. If he can take it, why can't I? I've always thought it would be fun to do a video where I try and accomplish what the players are going through. The closest I've come is a getting beaten badly by Oakland guard Blake Cushingberry at a game of Around the World.

As the KC writer grimmaced in pain, it reminded me of the Sunday night program "Dare Don" on WXYZ Channel 7 in the late 80s and early 90s (estimate), where readers would submit ideas for sports anchor Don Shane to carry out. I even remember him playing goalie for the Red Wings for a brief period, but I can't recall if it was Tim Cheveldae who was coaching him from the side.
Executors of the "Sports Show with Norm MacDonald" website immediately followed with a video of a reporter getting checked into the boards.
It's the little things like this that remind you how cool it really can be to cover sports.

An NYC perspective on JV's no-no

2011-05-09T03:51:00.004-04:00

News spread fast of Justin Verlander's second-career no-hitter Saturday night vs. the Blue Jays. Here's what the scene looked like in Times Square in New York City (thanks to WXYZ-7's Tom Leyden via Twitter).
Oakland Press beat writer Matthew B. Mowery thinks the no-no could be a sign Verlander has his timing back, let's hope so.
From a hilarious balk to a no-hitter, what a wild month it's been for the former AL Rookie of the Year winner.

When is a Kia Optima worth $26k?

2011-05-09T03:42:00.003-04:00

It's hard to fathom, but yes, there is a Kia on the market currently selling for that price. And it might get even higher! How could it cost that much you wonder? Does it come with a slew of autographs from the reigning NBA rookie of the year and slam dunk contest winner? Check. Was it leaped over in a single bound while being used as a prop on all-star weekend. Check.
The now famous ride from which Griffin's teammate Baron Davis poked his head out to hand Griffin a ball while the latter was in midair is up for auction. It hasn't quite reached the stakes of the Wayne Gretzky rookie card auction, it still has a few days. And come on, it's still a Kia. I'm pretty sure my boss got a buy-one, get-one deal on those a couple years back.

Octopi throwing is fun, but how creative is it really?

2011-05-04T14:50:00.005-04:00

Things are looking bad for the Red Wings right about now. Down 0-2 about to play Game 3 in their Western semifinal. Any hint of Wings rally will likely be met with an octopus toss, which could spell doom for the Sharks.
We all know throwing octopi on the ice is a fun way to show team spirit, but how creative is it, really? It's a tradition spanning more than 50 years that simply takes super bravado and a subdued gag reflex, as the mollusk swishes around your person until its departure.
The Sharks have only been around since 1991, so their traditions, unless playing the Wings, has been flaming out of the playoffs in an infamous blaze. So you have to give props to anyone thinking outside the box.
This Sharks fan is getting some airtime for his originality, after dressing up as Red Wings fan BEING EATEN by a shark.

Wolverines nation takes to the sky with disdain for Tressel

2011-05-02T13:33:00.003-04:00

Somebody, presumably in the Ann Arbor area, has had a billboard made voicing the Wolverines' collective feelings of the one they call "Sweater Vest." This signage was reportedly spotted along I-94, but no more info was available.
Thanks to Deadspin for the post.

Ryan Raburn finds himself in the weirdest positions

2011-04-29T03:31:00.005-04:00

How does Tigers outfielder Ryan Raburn keep finding himself in these odd positions against Seattle? Tuesday, Raburn made the worst outfield blunder since Jose Canseco head-butted a fly-ball over the fence, when he seemingly pushed a ball out of the field of play with his glove in an effort to make a so-so catch as far as highlights are concerned.
Raburn was unavailable for comment after the game, but manager Jim Leyland did his best to work sympathy.
"He didn't really see the ball," Leyland told MLB.com. "It was tough to see for him. He didn't see it, and it hit off the heel of his glove and went over the fence. I mean, that's baseball. I don't have any problem with that."
(Watch the play again here)
If you recall, when the Tigers visited Seattle nearly two weeks ago, Raburn became the first player to hit a ball that reached the roof of Safeco Field, when his foul pop nailed a truss.
Safeco Field's site says the following of such a hit:
"A batted ball hitting a roof truss in foul territory is a foul ball, regardless of where it lands or is touched by a fielder. If caught by a fielder, the batter is out and the base runners advance at their own risk."
Wonder how many in attendance knew the verbiage of that one without checking. Safeco Field has been open longer than Comerica Park and this has never happened.
Can you guess who nearly caught the redirected foul ball? Miguel Olivo. The same guy who benefitted from Raburn's blunder at Comerica Park earlier this week.

Game creators attempt to redirect 'Madden Curse' by giving cover to non-star

2011-04-28T21:59:00.007-04:00

By now, you've heard Cleveland running back Peyton Hills (who again?) will grace the cover of the latest installment of the Madden football video game franchise, as voted by fans.
Despite the relative no-name status plaguing the Hillis choice, the game will still sell. It's one of the best-selling video game franchises ever. So it didn't matter if he, or Eagles QB and former Madden cover boy Mike Vick won the vote.
Vick, famously featured on the 2004 edition of the game, broke his leg six days after the game debuted in 2003.
Lions legend Barry Sanders was shown in the background of the iconic franchise's cover for the 2000 edition, then faxed in his resignation before the 1999 season.
These guys aren't the only ones. This Sports Illustrated gallery helps digest the injuries and other career-altering events.
Some may argue the Madden curse doesn't exist or is purely an indictment of the perilously short nature of the careers of NFL players, stars or otherwise. And it's easy to blame the system. We've seen playoff rosters in other sports reward the the washed-up superstars who rely on name recognition to earn the fans' votes (I'm looking at you in 2003 MJ or AI in recent years).
Let's be honest: Who cares about Peyton Hillis? I'm assuming nobody voted for their own team's stars because of the legendary hex the game (and Sports Illustrated covers) bring on their centerpiece (or faint background image in Sanders' case).
Lions behemoth defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was even in the mix, but thankfully lost in the early going.
If something derails this burgeoning star, it would just be another bad break for Cleveland fans.

If the Tigers were a rapper, they'd be ...

2011-04-26T21:40:00.003-04:00

You would think the easy pick would be Eminem or early '90s era Kid Rock. Because I enjoyed the poll on Gossip Sports so much, I'm not going to fault them for such an obvious oversight, but the site says the Tigers are like pioneer LL Cool J.
"Decent skill, big budget, but still impossible to be taken seriously."

Since Marshall Mathers couldn't rep Detroit, they picked him to be most relevant to the Boston Red Sox:
"Disproportionate percentage of female and white fans. Extremely loud and overbearing, but often with skills and budget to match. Was, at one point, the most outsized and recognizable face in the industry, now settling uneasily back into past-its-prime adequacy."
Jay-Z was, of course, the Yankees.
They went through the entire MLB, division by division with intimate knowledge of the rap industry. Here's what they said about division rival Cleveland, which was compared to Cypress Hill:
"Stormed the scene in the early-to-mid-90s with manic, fast energy and quality skills. Since then has vanished in a cloud of smoke."
I'd say the list is pretty humorous and not completely far-fetched. Worth a read if you have the time.

Wearing a Red Wings jersey to court won't get you out of a fine for throwing octopi

2011-04-26T21:30:00.003-04:00

A Farmington man is fighting the disorderly conduct charge levied against him for throwing an octopus onto the ice at Joe Louis Arena during a March contest vs. Pittsburgh, reports WDIV-4.
Charlie Graves said will be back in court in July, long after the Stanley Cup final, but says he will throw another octopus if he can get playoff tickets.
"The city of Detroit takes pride in their tradition, and if the (NHL commissioner Gary Bettman) thinks we are going to go down without a fight, he is wrong," Graves said.
A now-notorious fan exposed the masses to the renewed vigor the overzealous NHL has for busting octopi tossers, after telling Deadspin he was fined $500 for his heave during Game 1 of the Red Wings' series against Phoenix.

Lions players don't know where their paycheck comes from

2011-04-26T19:04:00.002-04:00

What is the deal with the Lions organization and the Ford Family allowing players to advertise with auto companies besides Ford?
First, it was Pro Bowl wide receiver Calvin Johnson for Acura. While it's understandable the Lions wouldn't want to give him another reason not to re-sign after next season, the Ford Family has to have some respect for itself.
What a slap in the face this is. Sure, I've never signed anything prohibiting a deal with the Detroit Free Press or News, but I still wouldn't do it. It's also common practice reporters can't write for competing media. This is just common sense, which is what Johnson should have used when Acura came calling. He should know by now where his paychecks come from.
Then, just last week, Chrysler announced it was going to attempt to get the same dynamic punch in sales the Lions' defensive line got from Ndamukong Suh, featuring him in their ads. That was an even bigger blow in my mind, because Chrysler is another brand in the Detroit Three — what I would consider more direct competition than Acura's parent company Honda.
The Lions told Don Shane from WXYZ-7 at the time there was nothing in a player's contract to forbid shilling for an adversary. There doesn't need to be. It should just be common sense.

Octopi rally song

2011-04-21T21:43:00.002-04:00

It took more than a week, but the Red Wings' octopi rally cry is here, set to the tune of "I Will Survive." Plenty of digs at NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, as expected.

Everyone loves the Cee-Lo hit "Puck You" in an ode to Bettman here: (Warning: As expected, it's explicit, but still funny)

The Eminem Chrysler ad, now with more Red Wings

2011-04-20T20:43:00.002-04:00

Everybody loved the Chrysler 200 Super Bowl ad with Eminem. Like many successes, it spawned knockoffs. Here's another, infused with Red Wings highlights.

They took our jobs

2011-04-19T19:07:00.003-04:00

I've long recited that phrase from an epic episode of "South Park," but never imagined in this field I would bemoan computer software that could one day replace writers of my ilk.
Narrative Science, wrongly accused by Deadspin of scripting a baseball game story which neglected the fact there was a perfect game pitched, is a program that takes the nuts and bolts and crafts an entire article.
The company says:
"We tell the story behind the data. Our technology identifies trends and angles within large data sources and automatically creates compelling copy. We can build upon stories, providing deeper context around particular subjects over time. Every story is generated entirely from scratch and is always unique."
Narrative Science says it can cost-effectively create:

Sports Stories
Financial Reports
Real Estate Analyses
Local Community Content
Original Web Content
Other Industry Coverage

It wouldn't be so bad so long as legitimate news reporters were needed for follow-up and feature stories, but there's no telling what types of stories this computer program is capable of.
In this day and age, where professional teams hire their own staffs of writers, photographers and videographers, it's another bad sign for the legion of sports reporters who've seen newsroom staffs dwindle in the past decade.
Maybe I'm making something out of nothing. I hope that's the case.
We can only hope readers step to the plate on this and demand human-generated stories by writers actually present for or familiar with the situation they're expected to write about.

Verlander's comical balk

2011-04-18T22:47:00.003-04:00

Like many fans (and reporters for that matter), I have a limited understanding of the MLB's balk rule, but it was plain to see whatever Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander did Saturday night against the A's couldn't have been legit. It's worth a good laugh, even. Verlander said he realized he couldn't go to first and his instinct forced him into the quick-pitch situation where he even hit the batter, David DeJesus.

ESPN enters new age of transparency

2011-04-18T22:18:00.005-04:00

It's still odd to me that journalists could carry enough cache to earn endorsement deals, but such is your career if you work at sports juggernaut ESPN. The four-letter network, under heat in recent months because of revelations centering around their reporters' other meal tickets, announced last week it would be creating a more transparent atmosphere in relation to the moonlighting. The list debuted Monday. Some highlights:

Erin Andrews: Reebok
Chris Burandt (Who is this guy BTW?): Monster, Polaris, Slednecks, Klim, HMK, Starting Line Products, Holz Racing Products, Fox Racing, Snox, EGT, VCHK, 509, Boon Docker Performance, RSI, RPM, Sled Solutions, Better Boards, Timbersled, Sledez, Edge Products
Urban Meyer: Nike
Jalen Rose: AEG sponsored by Nike
Scott Van Pelt: Titleist
Lee Corso: Nike
Mike Ditka: Under Armour
Kirk Herbstreit: Nike

Of course there were several caveats to these deals, where ESPN takes responsibility off its shoulders.

Deadspin, ever critical of the move, composed a mash-up of ESPN personalities' endorsements, leading off with Erin Andrews' deal with Reebok, which was reportedly established AFTER she railed on Nike football cleats during bowl season.
The network said:
"ESPN’s relationship with sports fans is critical and this document focuses on protecting the integrity of that relationship. We are asking all recipients to recognize that this document will never be a finished work. The world will evolve and these guidelines will have to evolve with it."
One particular section of the document, a short and easy read for the layman (see below), seems to be in direct response to the Andrews contract, which was pre-approved by the network, but will not be renewed.
"Any endorsement related to apparel, footwear or athletic equipment used for training, playing or participating in any sport or event ESPN may cover including the companies that manufacture and distribute any such material (may be subject to review and a "strong presumption that they will not be approved."). Provided, however, that in assessing
apparel, footwear and equipment, exceptions will be granted to players, coaches and administrators who are engaged as analysts and for whom such endorsements are part of the sports coverage/reporting landscape."
ESPN also nixed any deals that may involve political endorsements, firearms, lottery or gambling.
Ironically (or not), the network's new guidelines don't even once mention the word "journalism," or ethics, but the incredibly brief outline does mention integrity once, as seen above.
Legendary newscaster Bill Bonds is the only person I can readily remember shilling products on TV outside of a newscast. He had built such a report in his time, his star shines while repping for Gardner White and Better Made potato chips. He's also been on the silver screen, making a brief appearance in a sequel to "Planet of the Apes." Bonds also has a popular mixed drink after his namesake that's quite popular in Metro Detroit.
Let's be clear about the ESPN hacks, though: Most of those people wouldn't have this side work without ESPN. It's not like your typical cops and courts reporter is going to get the chance to spot for a bail bondsman, nor should they.
How could it have taken the network this long to realize they might have an ethical quandary on their hands as thick as the barbecue sauce on "SportsCenter" host Dan Patrick in a 1990s spot for TGI Friday's.

Endorsement_Guidelines_F

Tossing octopi at the Joe: Tradition or cash grab?

2011-04-14T22:03:00.005-04:00

In my previous post, I understood why those Wings fans got in trouble for launching octopi — they were in Glendale, Ariz.
Deadspin today tells the tale of one unfortunate Red Wings fan who hoisted an octopus in last night's win over Phoenix and was sent to jail and faces a $500 fine.
The offender claims to be an avid Wings fan with a near flawless attendance rate, who, was ushered up to the glass when he presented his eight-legged projectile.
"Walking from the upper deck to the lower, every guard and security person let me down and said 'go.' I walked down 25 seats and tossed it on the ice during the stoppage after the goal and they were cheering me," said the fan, "Tommy B." in the Deadspin report.
"All of a sudden, a guy from there said, 'You're going to jail. Come with me.' "
His citation says he was being reprimanded for throwing an object that could cause harm onto the playing surface of a sporting event.
The reason "Tommy" was cited for his toss while other patrons were left alone makes me wonder if he wasn't conspicuous enough during the deed or maybe this is an easy cash grab by the DPD. Surely we'll find out in the next couple games.

Don't expect men to wear women's jerseys anytime soon

2011-04-14T21:05:00.005-04:00

Hip hop and sports culture have fused into a world of shared admiration, where rappers wear hats and jerseys to support their favorite teams and players — some of whom are actual, real-life friends — and athletes in exchange give the cunning lyricists a popular figure to adore in rhyme.
Lil' Wayne may have made a first recently in rap sports apparel fashion, donning a Notre Dame women's basketball jersey bearing the name of sophomore star Skylar Diggins.
Diggins rose to fame with the Fighting Irish's run to the NCAA women's basketball championship game, which they lost to Texas A&M.
Granted, the concert was in Bloomington, Ind., about 200 miles from Notre Dame, but I suspect most would just as soon opt for an ND football jersey. Given the flirtation between the two on Twitter, it's a wonder he didn't have the location for his tour stop rerouted. He could always add a stop on the end though.
Wayne did take a second in this explicit video to give Diggins a shout-out.
I wouldn't expect this trend to catch on, as many male sports fans are too large to fit into women's-sized jerseys. Wayne, on the other hand, doesn't have that problem. Estimates place him around 5-foot-6 and 140 pounds.