Detroit Sports:A year in review

We are almost done with the year 2004 and we will soon be moving into the year 2005. This year in Detroit Sports we saw a lot of interesting things happen. We saw a championship, a horrible brawl, two awesome rookies, some big name players signing in Detroit, and a lot more. Here is my take on what each team in Detroit did in the year 2004.

This past year in Detroit Sports the team that had the most news happen to them was the Detroit Pistons. Last season they finished the regular season strong and stormed into the playoffs looking to win a NBA Championship. In the first round of the playoffs they beat the Milwaukee Bucks in 5 games. In the second round they faced the New Jersey Nets. New Jersey swept them in the Eastern Conference Finals the year before. The Pistons went into the series with revenge on their minds. They were down 3-2 in that series but they came back and won game 6 on the road and then won game 7 at home to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year. In the Eastern Conference Finals they faced the Indiana Pacers. This series will be most remembered for Tayshaun Prince's block on Reggie Miller, as he tried to score on a layup, at the end of game 2 preserving the win for the Pistons. The Pistons finished off the Pacers in 6 games to move unto the NBA Finals to face the LA Lakers. A lot of people thought the Pistons would give the Lakers a decent fight but barely anyone thought they would actually win the series. The Pistons not only beat the Lakers to win the NBA Championship but they just plain destroyed them. They won the series in 5 games. It was their first championship since 1990, and it was Detroit's first championship since the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in 1998. Even though the Pistons won the title, a few monthes later early into this season, they were involved in the biggest brawl in NBA history with the Indiana Pacers. People are still talking about it. It left a scar on Detroit and its fans. It was horrible and it never should have happened. Other than the brawl, the Pistons still had a great year. They won the title and during this past offseason they signed Antonio McDyess. Hopefully his signing will help them defend their title. They have started this season off slow but they have been picking it up of late. The Pistons should be a good team for years to come.

The Detroit Tigers finished last season with a 72-90 record. That would be a horrible record for most teams but for the Tigers it was great. The Tigers have not had a winning season in a long time. Before this past season the Tigers finally spent some money. They signed Ivan Rodriguez and some other good players. Rodriguez was one of their biggest signings ever. He brought some much needed leadership to the team. He made the allstar team and won another Gold Glove as a catcher. The Tigers also traded for Carlos Guillen during the offseason. Before this past season, Guillen was just an average shortstop with average stats. In his first year with the Tigers he was awesome. He had a career numbers in almost every major catagory. He hit .318 and drove in 97 runs. He was even an alterate on the all-star team....The Tigers look to be getting even better. They have a young pitching staff that could be very good. They have some players who can hit and field. They can only get better in 2005. This offseason they signed Troy Percival. They have went after a lot more players but everyone has turned them down. They still have a shot at signing Kevin Millwood, Derek Lowe, Carlos Beltran, and a few others. Even if the Tigers don't sign any more players; I still think they will be even better this upcoming year. Their younger players should continue to develop and Percival will help the bullpen. They should be fun to watch in 2005 and beyond.

It is hard to tell if the Detroit Lions are in another downfall or, for once, an upside. They are currently 6-9 and are about to end another losing season against the Titans this weekend. The NFC is very weak this season, and if the Lions would have won maybe 2 more games then they probably would have made the playoffs. They lost a lot of very close games that they should have won. The biggest losses that stick out in my mind are both the games against the Vikings and the game in Green Bay against the Packers. The Lions really underachieved this season. They should have been at least 500 with the young talent that they have. Although the Lions did not play up to their potential, they showed us some hope for the future. We saw Roy Williams and Kevin Jones have awesome rookie seasons. Williams has ended the season weak(mostly due to injury) but he still has 7 touchdowns and he is already the Lions best receiver. Kevin Jones started the season bad but he ended it awesome. He has over 1000 yards rushing and 6 total touchdowns(5 rushing, 1 receiving). He is going to be an alternate in the Pro Bowl. Both of these players will be awesome for years to come....The main story of the Lions season was the play of Joey Harrington. Harrington starting the season very good but he rapidly went down hill after the Lions great 4-2 start. In the last few games he has picked it up a little but there are still a lot of doubters in this guy. I said before this season that it was his do or die year but actually I now think that this upcoming season will be his time to do or die. The success of the Lions rests mainly on his shoulders. If he comes back with a strong season then the Lions should be able to sneak into the wild card spot. His numbers have gotten better each season that he has been in the NFL and that trend should hopefully continue next season.

The Detroit Red Wings had the least happen to them this year because of the NHL lockout. Last season, before the lockout, the Wings were knocked out of the playoffs by the Calgary Flames in 6 games. It was tough to see them lose but they have been Detroit's best sports team in the last 10 years. They won 3 Stanley Cups in 6 years and we can not complain. Hopefully the NHL will resolve this mess and have the players play at least next season. If they do come back next season; the Wings will have to rebuild. They are an older team and they must get some younger players. However, the future of the the Detroit Red Wings and the NHL is unknown.

The Michigan Wolverine football team had a much better season than people probably expected them to have. Coming into this season they were without John Navarre, Chris Perry, and others(all seniors). They started freshman quarterback Chad Henne all season and freshman running back Mike Hart for most of the season. Henne and Hart were awesome all year. Both of them led the Wolverines on offense. We have them for at least 2 more years each and it will be very exciting to watch them get even better. Michigan finished the season with a 9-2 record. They lost to Ohio State in the final game of the season but they still were Big Ten champs. They play 5th ranked Texas in the Rose Bowl on the 1st of January. Michigan is ranked 12th but they still should give Texas a great battle. Look for Michigan to compete for the championship next season or the one after that.

There you have it, that is my take on the year in Detroit Sports. If you have any thoughts on 2004 then leave a comment or email me. It was an up and down year for Detroit Sports but it was an exciting year still the same. I have been writing on this site for almost a year and I hope to run it for years to come. It should be even more fun to cover Detroit Sports in 2005. Happy New Year everyone!

Pistons Shaping Up

Could it be possible? Could the Pistons finally be emerging as the same team we saw cause the demolition of the Lakers as we knew them? Could it be simplifying the offense was all that was needed?

"I think it's made a big difference, we cleared out a lot of junk and made things clearer," Hamilton said Tuesday. "We're moving better, getting the ball moving, too. We're on the fast break, which works really good for us. This is what we're supposed to be doing."

I agree.

The Pistons came into the second half of their game against the Nets on Monday behind 10 points. They finished the regulation tied, and went on to win 100-90, fueled by a 13-3 overtime run.

What was the difference in the two halves? They played good ole fashion offensive basketball, while taking care of things on defense.

Rip Hamilton lead the charge with 37 points behind 12-19 shooting, and a couple three pointers. Prince backed him up with 18 points and 7-14 shooting.

So what really got into the Pistons? I don’t think there is one thing to talk about, or one moment, or one game. They did play a good Christmas game against Indiana. Detroit won the game, and looked pretty consistent over the course of the game.

I think what we’re witnessing is a team that is finally coming together, and learning how to shoot better, and transition better. They’re learning how to balance solid defense, and quality shooting.

Tonight the Pistons travel to Washington to face a 15-11 Wizards team. Lead by Gilbert Arenas, the Wizards have been playing well, but have not faired all that well against the better teams of the NBA. They’ve scoring 100 points per game, and giving up 99.

The Pistons could exploit this by sticking to the same play we’ve seen from them the last two games. Good transition, quality shooting, and good defense.

I look to Ben Wallace for the rebounding title. Rip Hamilton will need to take care of scoring. Chauncey’s best interest would be to keep the ball moving. Prince needs to play the perimeter on both ends of the court. Rasheed needs to be that second inside threat, with a viable mid-range shooting threat.

If the Pistons can continue to work on their game, and continue to grow their bench strength, we won’t need to wonder if they are going to beat a team like the Wizards.

A gift

The Detroit Lions received a nice belated Christmas gift from the refs on Sunday when they beat the Bears 19-13. The Bears were driving late in the game when Chicago threw a long pass into the endzone. The Bears' receiver caught the ball inbounds with a Lion all over him but the refs reviewed the call and turned the call over saying it was not a catch. The Bears could not score after that and the Lions got the victory. The Lions played a great first half but again they played a bad second half. They can never seem to play a complete game. They should not have won this game but I guess we will take the win.

Kevin Jones had another strong game with over 100 yards rushing and a touchdown. He now has over 1000 yards rushing in his rookie season. Expect huge things from this guy next season.

Now that the holidays are almost over, Dan Joseph and I will be posting on a more regular basis hopefully. Happy belated Christmas everyone!

12/23 Notes

The Detroit Tigers again lost out on a big name free agent. This time it was J.D. Drew who signed with the Dodgers. The Tigers showed some interest in Drew but apparently not enough. The only big names left on the free agent market are Derek Lowe and Carlos Beltran(and that's if the Astros do not resign Beltran). We have a shot at Lowe but I highly doubt the Tigers could afford Beltran. We will just have to see what happens.

Three Detroit Lions were picked to play in the Pro Bowl. Defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, kick returner Eddie Drummond, and cornerback Dre Bly will represent the Lions in Honolulu....Shawn Rogers is having an awesome year with 63 tackles, 4 sacks, and 5 deflected passes. He really stepped it up this year after a slightly bad season last year....Before Eddie Drummond ended his season with an injury he was having a great season. He returned 2 kickoffs for touchdowns and 2 punts for touchdowns. He also led the NFL in punt return average(13.2 yards) and kickoff return average(26.6 yards)....Dre Bly had a subpar year. He had 4 picks this year but his numbers were down from last season. He was burned a lot this year and I do not understand how he still made it....I think James Hall was snubbed the most on the Lions. He had 11.5 sacks this season, fourth in the NFL, but he still did make the Pro Bowl. He was the Lions best defensive player and he should have made the Pro Bowl.

The Detroit Pistons lost again, this time to the Bulls. They are now 500(12-12) on the season. Dan Joseph will talk more about their bad play later this week.

Pistons Look For Better Transition Against The Bulls

The Chicago Bulls invade the Palace tonight to take on the Detroit Pistons. Chicago enters the game 8-15, sporting a pretty decent core group of players. Among them are Eddie Curry and Kirk Hinrich, both of which are averaging 15 points per game.

There was a point where I considered the Bulls the second worst team in the NBA. Lately, though, I’ve had a slight change in heart. The Bulls have been playing well, and have won six of their last 10. Their rebounding has gotten better behind Tyson Chandler, and they are holding teams to only 94 points per game.

One not-so-positive note on the Bulls is their 2-8 road record. Detroit could be in a good position to get another win, and calm Larry Brown down. Brown has been unhappy with his team’s transition play and lack of scoring as of lately. "Our transition defense would improve more if our offensive execution were better.”

One of the keys to playing good transition basketball is going to have to rest on the shoulders of Chauncey Billups. As the point guard, it is his job to command the offense. His perimeter shooting has been sub-par this season, and correcting some of the bad shots, and maybe moving the ball a little better, can help fix this.

Billups isn’t the only Piston with shooting woes. The Bench has been struggling to come in and generate points. With the departure of Rick James and Corliss Williamson, the Pistons seem to have lost some bench support. Antonio McDyess has started stepping up his role lately, but has battled injuries. McDyess should see an increasing role in the offense, often joining the Wallaces on the court.

The Pistons have looked like champions at times, and like a mediocre team at other times. They’ve walked into Dallas and handed them one of their worst defeats of the season, then came home and lost by 16 to the Hawks.

All is not lost in Detroit quite yet.

McDyess looks to be healthy the rest of the way, and the bench is starting to take form. Carlos Delfino is back on the injured list for a while, and that will give Ronald Dupree time to work his way into the rotation. Once the bench situation stabilizes, they should become more productive.

There are three keys to tonight’s game. They must play a solid transition game. Defense must be solid, but not so much that it takes away from the energy on the other side of the court. The bench must come out and establish their place on the scoreboard early. There is no room for missed opportunities anymore.

Beating the Bulls is no longer automatic. The days of the Bulls coming to Detroit and losing by 45 are over. If the Pistons want to win, they are going to have to execute their game plan, and not get caught in scoring ruts.

Hotstove Notes

The Detroit Tigers announced that they have resigned Brandon Inge and Alex Sanchez to one year deals but they did not offer Eric Munson a contract making him a free agent. Brandon Inge, who was supposed to be traded after the Tigers signed Pudge last offseason, had a very good year hitting .287, with 13 homers and 64 RBIs in the 131 games that he played in. Alex Sanchez will have to prove himself this season now that the Tigers have signed him. He hit .322 last season but he drew only 7 walks while being the Tigers leadoff batter. He has his chance now to redeem himself and he can not let it slip.

It appears as if the Tigers are still trying to decide if they should strongly pursue Derek Lowe. Lowe is coming off a down year. He went 14-12 with a 5.42 ERA. He is 31 years old. I think the Tigers should go after him because he is one of the best free agent pitchers that is still on the market. The Tigers need to stop hesitating and go after this guy. He is a big name player and that is something that the Tigers need.

A whole new site

My website is under a big transformation. If you did not notice, this is a slightly different site design. The only different thing(regarding my site design) is the new banner done by Evan at Fireband of the AL.

The new site design is exciting for me but I am more excited about my new writer. It is a fellow Detroit Sports blogger named Dan. Dan currently runs Dan Joseph. He has been running it for a little while and I have enjoyed reading his site. I was talking to him online and I asked him if he wanted to become my Pistons writer. He said he would want too. I have not written in a long time about the Pistons and it will be great to finally have some coverage on them. I don't know how long he will cover the Pistons for me but we will see how it goes. I will let him tell more about himself in his first post which will be right below this.

I hope you all enjoy the changes!

Dan Joseph's First Post

Pistons Woes Continue but Fixable
First, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Dan Joseph, new Pistons
blogger, and current owner of www.danjoseph.blogspot.com. I'll do my best to
keep you up to date on the Detroit Pistons year-round.

The Pistons are coming off what I consider to be a rough weekend.
They started off poorly in the first half against the Cleveland
Cavaliers, and then pulled it together for an 81-69 win. The score
really doesn't show how much the Pistons struggled in the first half.
They trailed by 10, and looked like they were going to give up another
win to LeBron and company. They couldn't buy a basket, and looked out
of sync. By the end of the third quarter, they were up 52-47, never
looking back.

Saturday night wasn't much different. They were down by eight at the
half, 10 after three, and made a fourth quarter run that left 'em with
a one point loss. They shot 31% from the field, and 73% from the free
throw line. Too little, too late.

The Pistons won't win more than 45 games if something doesn't change.
They lack scoring power, and seem to have a hard time getting the game
going. They do bizarre things such as walk into Dallas and blow them
out, then lose by 16 to Atlanta at home. I think their problems are
easily solved.

Chauncey Billups is the first item to work on. Chauncey shows us in
the playoffs each year that he can be a solid shooter from the
perimeter, and hit clutch shot after shot. During the regular season
he often waivers between good and bad, scoring anywhere from 10 to 25
points. If Billups can learn to score consistently from the
perimeter, control his shots, and set up more plays properly, it could
add 10 points to the score each night.

The bench needs more depth. Sure, they have the bodies, and on
paper, they can go 10 men deep; however, when you put them on the
court, they are often unproductive. Hunter is having a below average
season, Coleman is getting older, Delfino is battling injuries, Dupree
is green, and McDyess just returned. I think McDyess and Hunter are
the two keys to this bench. McDyess is proving that he can be a
factor. Add Hunter's usual 8-10 points per game, we should see
pressure come off the starting five, and add more consistency to the
game.

Start fixing those two areas, and we'll see the same Pistons team that
ran half the Lakers out of town last summer.

Again that was Dan Joseph's first post.

A great game

The Lions lost to the Vikings 28-27, but in my mind it was one of the best games they have played this entire season.

The Lions were down by 8 points in the fourth quarter. Joey Harrington had just thrown an interception that had led to a Vikings touchdown. When the Lions got the ball back Joey Harrington led them down the field. He threw a short touchdown pass to Roy Williams to put the Lions down by only 2. On the 2 point conversion Harrington made a clutch pass in the endzone to tie the game at 21. Once the Lions scored, the Vikings got the ball back and came back down the field and scored a touchdown with just 1:37 left. Detroit got the ball back, and Harrington again led them back down the field. The Lions drove 80 yards in just over a minute. The drive ended when Harrington hit Roy Williams again in the endzone for a one yard touchdown pass. It looked as though the Lions were going to send the game into overtime. That was not the case as the snapper for the Lions snapped the ball bad during the extra point causing the holder to drop the ball. He could not get the ball into place in time and he was tackled ending any bid for a comeback.

This game showed me a lot. It was still a loss but the Lions did not back down as they came back to tie this game twice in the fourth quarter. Even if they would have sent the game into overtime the Lions still probably would have lost. Also, even if they had won this game the Lions still would have had to win out and they still would probably not have made the playoffs.

Joey Harrington played one of the best games of his career. He was sick with the flu before this game but he played at a high level. He threw for a career high 361 yards. He also threw 2 touchdowns as he led the Lions back into this game twice. I thought that once he threw that interception in the fourth quarter that he would fold but he came back for more. He has played terrible for a lot of games in a row and it was nice to see him have a great game.

Roy Williams also came back with a very nice game. He was injured after his hot start and has not been the same. Against the Vikings he caught 7 passes for 104 yards along with 2 touchdowns.

Kevin Jones continued his strong play. He ran for 79 yards and a touchdown. He also caught 4 passes for 35 yards. He now has 938 rushing yards on the season. He has 2 games left to get 1000 rushing yards in his rookie season.

Az-Zahir Hakim caught 4 passes for 108 yards.

Hotstove Notes

The Detroit Tigers have really tried this offseason to land some of the star free agents on the market. They started the offseason good by signing closer Troy Percival. Since signing Percival they have went cold. They were in the running for Carl Pavano, Troy Glaus, Steve Finley, and others but they all went on to sign with different clubs. The Tigers have made aggressive offers in trying to sign these players,but the players just aren't siging the deals. The Tigers need to just keep on trying. They are showing interest in Derek Lowe, Adrian Beltre, J.D Drew, and a few others. They really need to sign a good starting pitcher to help their young rotation. Lowe could be the starter that they need. He has won 52 games in the past 3 seasons for the Red Sox. They also need a third baseman and another quality hitter. Beltre is a third baseman who is very good. He hit 48 homers last year and he is only 25 years old. They probably won't sign Beltre because the price would be too high but it looks like they have a decent shot at Lowe or Drew. If the Tigers could get either Lowe, Beltre, or Drew it would be great. They still have time but time might be running out sooner than they think.

Update
Beltre going to the Mariners
Here are some good articles about the Tigers offseason.
The not so hot stove
Tigers, Boras could still strike a deal
Boras' boys biding time

Exactly!

I said earlier in the day that the Lions would not beat the Packers at Lambeau Field. I was exactly right as the Lions lost to the Packers 16-13. The game was over when Ryan Longwell kicked a short field goal with only 2 seconds left in the game.

The Lions really shot themselves in the foot early in this game. In the first quarter they had the ball on Green Bay's 3 yard line. They had 3 chances to score but they could not do it and they had to settle for a Jason Hanson field goal....The Lions took a 10-0 lead later in the half when Kevin Jones ran in a touchdown. The Lions finished the half with another field goal to take a 13-0 lead going into halftime.

The second half was a different story from the first half. As expected, Brett Favre took over the game in the second half. In the second half Favre threw for 160 yards and a touchdown. He led the Packers back as they tied the game at 13-13. The Lions got the ball late in the game and could not do anything with it. They then punted the ball to the Packers and the Packers drove it right threw the Lions' defense. Longwell kicked a short field goal to win the game with only 2 seconds remaining.

Joey Harrington played horrible yet again. He threw for just 47 yards on 5 of 22 passing. Just pathetic.....

Kevin Jones had a awesome game yet again. He ran for 156 yards on 33 carries along with a touchdown. He was the Lions' lone source of offense. His great performance goes to waste though. The only thing he can look forward to this season is seeing if he can reach 1000 yards, something that looks like he will achieve.

This was the game for the Lions to brake out of their slump on the road against the Packers. They should have won this game and they should be thinking of maybe sneaking into the playoffs but instead they are thinking of next season. This is what I was expecting from the Lions. They ended the game like trash just like they are ending their season like trash.

Do or Die Time

The Lions go into Green Bay today to play the Packers with their playoff hopes on the line. The Lions are 5-7 and the Packers are 7-5. If the Lions win they will be just a game back of the division lead. The Lions' final three games after this one are against the Bears, Vikings, and Titans. The Lions would be in a good spot if they won this game but let's be honest, the Lions are not going to win this game. The Lions have not won in Green Bay since Brett Favre has been the Packers' starting quarterback. However, if the Lions somehow win, the victory would be their biggest road win in a long time.

Hotstove Notes

The Detroit Tigers are trying to make a big slash this offseason by trying to sign some big name players. They have already signed Troy Percival and they are going for more star players. Here are some articles about what the Tigers are trying to do this offseason.


Tigers wooing Glaus, Finley

Agent says Tigers didn't make $40-Million offer

Tigers seek Finley for center field

Update
Tigers lose two, in hunt for more

Williams and Jones

Before the 2004 NFL season started the Detroit Lions selected running back Kevin Jones and wide receiver Roy Williams in the first round of the draft. The Lions were hoping for big things this season out of both of them even though they are both rookies. I think both Williams and Jones have done a great job in helping the Lions win a few games.

The Lions drafted wideout Roy Williams with the 7th overall pick in the draft. Roy Williams started the season off great. Through the first 5 games he played in he caught 24 passes for 362 yards and 5 touchdowns. He was injured around the 4th game and he has missed 2 full games because of his injury. Since his injury he has not looked quite the same but he still has been affective. Since week 7 he has caught 14 passes for 236 yards and zero touchdowns. Even with his decrease in stats, he is already the Lions' best receiver. He leads all Lions' receivers in yards, touchdowns, and catches. His highlight game was against the Eagles when he caught 9 passes for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns. Although Williams has not looked as good lately, he is still having a great season for a rookie. He should end the season with around 750 yards and 7 touchdowns. Expect great things out of him in the upcoming seasons.

The Lions' other rookie star is running back Kevin Jones. The Lions drafted Jones with the final pick in the first round of the draft. Jones started the season very slow only rushing for 227 yards in his first 7 games. At that point it looked like Jones was not going to have a good season. Some Lions' fans might have even thought that he was a wasted first round draft pick. Since his bad start he has rushed for 477 yards in his last 4 games. He has bumped his yards per-carry up to a 4.8 on the season. He has only scored 3 touchdowns this season(2 rushing and one receiving) but he also has not fumbled the ball all season. Jones' best game was this past Sunday when he rushed for 197 yards and a touchdown. Jones has done very well this season. He has 703 rushing yards and he has 4 more games to reach 1000 yards for the season. A Lions' running back has not gotten 1000 yards in his rookie season since Barry Sanders did at the start of his career. Like Williams, Jones looks like he will a star in this league for years to come.

These two players are young and hungry for regular season and playoff success. They will have to play major roles if the Lions want to be contenders.

Trash beat Trash

The Detroit Lions beat the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday 26-12, ending the Lions five game losing streak.

Detroit's rookie running back Kevin Jones had a career game rushing for 196 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. Jones had a 74 yard run, the longest run by a Lions' running back since Barry Sanders was on the team. Jones now has 703 rushing yards on the season.


Joey Harrington had a decent game throwing for 196 yards along with a touchdown and an interception. He play good enough to win this game but he still did not play that great.

Jason Hanson kicked 4 fieldgoals on the day for the Lions.

The Lions' defense won the game for them. They picked off fomer Michigan quarterback John Navarre 4 times. Dre Bly had 2 of those picks. James Hall had one inteception and one sack on the day. The sack gave him 9.5 on the season.

The Lions did play a pretty good game but they beat a bad team. The Cardinals are horrible and this game was in Detroit. We can't get carried away and think the Lions have now turned it around and will somehow sneak into the playoffs. They go to Green Bay next week where they have not won since Brett Favre has been the Packers starting quarterback.

Carl Pavano coming to Detroit?

The Detroit Tigers are currently trying to get another big name player to sign with them. This time it is pitcher Carl Pavano from the Florida Marlins. Pavano went 18-8 with a 3.00 ERA last season. Pavano turned down a three-year, $21-million deal to remain in Florida and he didn't take it. It has been rumored that Pavano is going to sign with the Red Sox or the Yankees. It would be huge if the Tigers could sign him. He would instantly become the Tigers' number one pitcher. If the Tigers signed him then it would also possibley draw other big name free agents to come to Detroit. We can't get too excited about something that probably won't happen, but it is still nice too hear the Tigers being talked about as one of the teams going after players during this offseason.