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Oliver Bjorkstrand has found consistency and may be the Columbus Blue Jackets best player

Embed from Getty Images That shot! That unbelievable, beautiful shot! It is a weapon Columbus Blue Jackets forward Oliver Bjorkstrand has always possessed. It forces defensive players to overcommit while goalies hope it does not find the back of the net. Bjorkstrand is a finesse hockey player. He needed to find a physical edge to his game and improve in the defensive end. Oliver Bjorkstrand has done that.

Columbus Blue Jackets head coach, John Tortorella has seen the Danish forward take a huge step forward in his game. Bjorkstand who in previous seasons would be hesitant to jump into the mix on the boards now leads the charge. He is playing the puck harder.

In 2017-18 Oliver Bjorkstrand’s first NHL season, he put up 11 goals, 29 assists in 82 games played. The 2018-19 season the young forward had 23 goals and 13 assists. The reason, Bjorkstand was asked to pass less and shoot more. After all he is a pure goal scorer.

Oliver Bjorkstrand, projected as a 30 goal 60+ point player when he was selected by Columbus in the third round of the 2013 NHL draft. He carried the Cleveland Monsters (Blue Jackets minor league affiliate)  to the Calder Cup with 15 points in 16 games played during the 2015-16 AHL season.

The always smiling Bjorkstrand has been called “The cold-blooded Danish assassin” by his Columbus Blue Jackets teammates. Oliver was challenged to step up by the Blue Jackets coaching staff. Bjorkstrand got to work. His intense work ethic and drive to be even better has lead to Bjorkstrand beginning to live up to his draft day projections.

This is good news for the Columbus Blue Jackets, as I said before, Bjorkstrand has the ability to put the team on his back and carry them. He is that good and that talented.

In a league full of good young talent, fans of other teams are taking notice of Bjorkstrand. His game has come so far in a short amount of time. The sky is the limit for Oliver Bjorkstrand and the young Columbus Blue Jackets.

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Why the Detroit Lions should not fire Matt Patricia

Embed from Getty Images While I have given reasons for the Detroit Lions to fire head coach Matt Patricia, I would like to flip the coin and explain why Patricia should not lose his job. While he does make some head-scratching in game decisions at least once a game, he actually has the Lions on the right path.

Despite the disappointment after high expectations, Detroit Lions head football coach Matt Patricia has his team showing progress. It is not the kind of progress that shows up in the win column. Patricia was quoted as saying “I’m always disappointed when we don’t win, I also know that this is a process. I know there’s a lot in play that we are going through, and trying to build.”

The Detroit Lions have had numerous injuries, every NFL team does. The Lions roster depth has been tested to largely mixed reviews. The Lions fan base is up in arms that Patricia who by all accounts was a very good defensive coordinator has that unit playing so poorly this season.

Matt Patricia says the defensive issues are based on poor fundamentals and not the scheme he likes and has the Lions currently playing in. Patricia sights a lack of fundamentals, that is hurting the overall production of the defense.

The Lions head coach is correct on this matter. Fundamentals are a lot of pieces that make a big difference. It is pad-level, hand placement, footwork, dropping into zone coverage, reading the quarterback getting a break on the ball, tackling, taking good angles and other ingredients that make or do not make a team.

Patricia has acknowledged he and the Detroit defensive coach’s need to do a better job. The Detroit Lions players are all backing their head coach. No one doubting Patricia’s ability in the locker room. Which is good news.

There seems to be both truth and traction to players speaking highly of the teams coach. That reason is this, the team has played hard for the coaching staff all season. The Detroit Lions have had the lead in every game they have played in this season and have seen the lead washed away.

I believe Matt Patricia should get another year as head coach based on the fact his team is grinding and hanging in games. The team has played better as the season has gone along, leading me to believe  a breakthrough is coming.

 

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Disney Plus’s ‘The Mandalorian” is the top streaming TV show

Embed from Getty Images It was never going to be easy to dethrone Netflix original streaming show “Stranger Things,” which enjoyed a 21 week run as the top streaming show. Yet, in three short weeks Disney Plus has stuck gold with the Jon Favreau, created Bounty Hunter show “The Mandalorian”  from some place in the Star Wars galaxy.

Parrort Analytics measures “demand expressions,” it is a company that standardized TV-demand. The company looks at desire, engagement and viewership as weighed by importance.

From November 17 through November 23 “The Mandalorian” had over 100 million viewers. Compare that to Netflix’s 81 million viewers for “Stranger Things.”

The Jon Favreau hit show is offering Star Wars fans some real hope as to the future of the beloved franchise. As Favreau and Dave Filoni, are said to be taking over all things Star Wars.

“The Mandalorian” is not simply a hit with Star Wars or Disney fans. It is a hit with critic’s as well. The streaming show has a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes through three episodes.

The show which premiered November 12, shot up the streaming chart, due in large part to a solid story and a strong cast. Die-hard Star Wars fans like the fact that a different story is being presented. It is a total departure from any of the franchises films to date.

Sure there are Jawa’s. Not the kind in the movies. “The Mandalorian” Jawa’s have red eyes and wear charcoal colored cloaks, not the yellow eyes and brown cloaks we see in the Star Wars films. Then there is the baby Yoda character that has put the fan base in a frenzy.

Again, to say Star Wars fans are pleased that Disney is handing the galaxy over to Favreau and Filoni, is an understatement. These two director, animator, actor are HUGE Star Wars fans and make no bones about it. In my opinion, this is both a solid move and a move that will help drive Star Wars into a brighter future.

If you have not seen “The Mandalorian,” you need to. The Force is strong with it.

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Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines look to crack the Buckeyes

Embed from Getty Images Ohio State has won 14 of the past 15 meetings, that is well documented within the Michigan Wolverines football team and fan base. Yet, Jim Harbaugh made a tough, yet honest assessment of his offense, and he brought in first-time coordinator Josh Gattis. Harbaugh, made it clear Monday he knows the rules. Until he wins this game, his record is partly hollow.

Jim Harbaugh told a sideline reporter for ESPN that his Wolverines were “about to have their finest hour.” A very daring statement to make considering the Wolverines trailed Penn State by 14 at the time.

The Michigan fan base sounded off. Jim Harbaugh, doesn’t worry about such noise he never has. He was not a mad scientist,crazy or delusional the Michigan Head coach had seen something in his team three games after losing badly at Wisconsin. Harbaugh also had seen something in his team during practices. That his team was close to finding itself.

Now looking back Harbaugh was clearly was on to something, and he knew it.  On Monday Jim Harbaugh was asked about his team, he used his favorite word to describe it. “Ascending.”

The smooth play of quarterback Shea Patterson as well as the Wolverines wide receivers have given the offense a lift. Will it be enough against Ohio State? That is a good question.

The Buckeyes have one of the best defenses in college football.  Yet,  Ohio State has not seen an offense as good as Michigan’s. They also have not seen a defense playing as well as the Wolverines. Something that was unthinkable four or five weeks ago, But Michigan should be able to compete with the mighty Buckeyes.

Jim Harbaugh was not hired to take Ohio State into the fourth quarter and compete. He was hired to beat Michigan State and the Buckeyes and get to the Big Ten title game and take Michigan to the College Football Playoff.

While the team will not hit those two goals this season, a win over the Buckeyes is critical. A changed offense and defense and Michigan is right where it’s head coach said they would be.

Harbaugh’s Wolverines, are playing it’s best football of the season, as ready as it they ever been heading toward Ohio State. Harbaugh told everyone this was coming. This Saturday at noon in Ann Arbor, Jim Harbaugh gets his chance to make good on that statement.

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Michigan, Ohio State week

Embed from Getty Images 62-39, you do not have to tell anyone associated with the Michigan Wolverines football program. 62-39, players, coaches, media, fans all know it. 62-39, it was put up in the Wolverines locker room by head coach Jim Harbaugh as a means of inspiring his team to get to the next level. For those who do not know, or may have forgotten, last season in Columbus Ohio, the Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Michigan Wolverines 62-39.

In what could have very well been a “trap game”, the Michigan Wolverines went into Indiana and beat the Hoosiers soundly, 39-14. That was refreshing to see. Jim Harbaugh had his team locked to the task at hand.

Next Saturday, unbeaten Ohio State pays a visit to Ann Arbor with a lot on the line. Sure the Buckeyes have secured a spot in the Big Ten title game. The team had a close game at home to Penn State. Penn State kept in close by running the ball up the middle and quick outs to the receivers.

The Michigan Wolverines quarterback Shea Patterson has thrown for 750 the past two weeks. He returned to Michigan for his senior year because of 62-39. “There is no way in hell I’m leaving this place on that note.” Patterson last December.

Jim Harbaugh is winless against in four tries against one of the schools rivals. They have not beaten Ohio State since 2011 when Luke Fickell was named head coach for the fired Jim Tressel.

This seasons game promises to be another hard fought game. If Michigan can run the ball like Penn State right at the heart of the Buckeyes defense and get the ball to the outside to the playmakers, it should be a close game.

One thing to watch for is Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, who has had a very good season to date. There is one small glitch in his game though. Fields takes too many sacks. That is not just me saying it. Ohio State coaches have been saying it. Ohio State fans have said it is frustrating at times and he should throw the ball away.

The Michigan Wolverines, use different defensive formations to hide the blitz. It is something to watch for.

62-39, can Michigan wash the bad taste out of their mouth? We will soon find out.

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Some names to remember for the Detroit Lions 2020 draft

Embed from Getty Images As many of you know, I do not like mock drafts. They are rarely accurate. Oh sure people nail the first pick in the draft, shoot they may even nail the first three picks. Then it falls apart. I like to look at team needs, general manager tendencies as well as organizational needs. That lead me to accurately zero in on the Detroit Red Wings first round draft pick Moritz Seider, right here at “The District a sports blog.”

The 2019 Detroit Lions short comings are well known and most stem from the defensive side of the ball. Be it player personnel or scheme. So in next spring’s NFL draft who could the Lions be looking at for the teams first round draft pick? Let us take a look.

With Darius Slay both getting older and having a dip in play, the team could look to corner back. Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State, may fit the bill. At 6′ 1″ 194 pounds, Wade has both the size and length to be a solid NFL defensive back. While he plays the slot, Wade is projected to move to the outside in the pros. He is a shutdown corner and very aggressive on run support.

Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State, If the Detroit Lions choose to move on from offensive tackle Rick Wagner, Cleveland checks all the boxes. 6’6″ 311 pounds, with long arms and has plus athleticism, Ezra Cleveland is sound in both pass and run blocking, something the Detroit Lions need more of.

Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A & M, this is a player I really like. I can not stress that enough. He is a perfect fit for what the Lions are trying to do on defense. First and foremost he is an edge rusher. For his size 300 pounds, Madubuike has incredible flexibility and a plus rating in power and balance, that allows him to consistently fill the gaps and generate pocket pressure for himself and his teammates. With both A’Shawn Robinson and Mike Daniels set to be free agents, Justin Madubuike is a name to watch.

I believe, Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn (if he is not relived of his duties) will go defensive heavy in next springs draft. If there is an offensive tackle worthy of a top-ten draft slot Quinn could go that route. But, given last seasons desperate need for a tight end, watching how Quinn attacked that, I fully expect his to use that same aggression for the defense.

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A new report has Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni taking over Star Wars

Embed from Getty Images Is current LucasFilm President Kathleen Kennedy exiting Disney? It sure looks and sounds that way. Yesterday afternoon, reports circulated that Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni will likely take over the creative direction of Disney Star Wars. Which is fantastic news for the future of Star Wars as well as the fan base.

Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, creator’s of the new Disney Plus streaming service smash hit “The Mandalorian” are set to be named over all things Star Wars. The Mandalorian  is getting rave reviews from fans.

To this point no one is entirely sure where Star Wars films will go once The Rise of Skywalker arrives in theaters next month. Jon Favreau is newer to Star Wars. Meanwhile his probable new partner, Dave Filoni helped revive Star Wars with the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Filoni also directed the debut episode of The Mandalorian, and produces the series with Favreau.

It has been reported the next Star Wars film will be released December 2022, with Favreau and Filoni calling the shots. This is a time for Star Wars fans to exhale. Star Wars is in very good hands moving forward.

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Detroit Lions nickel cornerback Justin Coleman thinks the defense is close to breaking through

Embed from Getty Images Justin Coleman said Monday he feels the Detroit Lions defense is close to being what head coach Matt Patricia intended for it to be, “One of the most terrifying defenses you can go against.” How can that be you ask yourself? Let us take a look.

The Lions rank 30th in the NFL in total defense, the team gave up a season high 509 yards of offense to the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday. The Lion rank near the bottom of the league in every major defensive statistical category and are dead last in interception rate in the NFL, but Coleman said he is confident the Lions are close to terrifying opponents.

“Nobody wants to sit there and go against man coverage all day,” Justin Coleman told reporters. “And I feel like we cover pretty well and we’re just going to have to finish, that’s all. We just got to finish.”

The Detroit Lions showed signs of being a very solid defensive unit last season, when they posted one of the NFL’s best run defenses in the second half of the season. This season started rough. But against two of the NFL’s best running backs Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley, the Lions run defense shown some teeth. Holding the two elite rushers to a combined 109 yards rushing on 35 carries at 3.1 yards per attempt.

Getting off the field has been difficult for the Detroit defense this season. The Lions are averaging more defensive plays per game 67.9 than any team in the NFL. Last season the Lions were able to make the issues that hampered the defensive unit.  Lions played fewer defensive plays 942, or 59.9 per game than any team in the NFL in 2018.

Coleman said Patricia delivered a pointblank message to his defense Monday  during team meetings. His message was simple“He said, ‘Find a solution. ” The team’s improved run defense will help some. The team must find a solution to the elephant in the room, a horrible pass rush.

It is safe to say much like Bob Quinn went out of his way to improve the tight end position after last season, Quinn will look to revamp the Detroit Lions defensive line this coming off season.

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The Detroit Lions are a mess and difficult decisions are going to need to be addressed

Embed from Getty Images Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn decided 9-7 was simply not good enough and fired Jim Caldwell. He brought in his own head coach, Matt Patricia to get the team over-the-hump. Two seasons later Bob Quinn’s decision has netted the Detroit Lions a 9-16-1 record.

Putting an NFL team together  is a difficult task, nobody would argue with that. Draft picks can be hit or miss, the same can be said for free agents. Roughly two years ago bob Quinn said, “I think we have more than a competitive team to be competing for championships.”  Quinn missed the mark.

“At the end of the day, it’s wanting to take this team to the next level,” he said, explaining his decision to move on from Caldwell. “To me, that’s winning championships, that’s winning playoff games and that’s winning the Super Bowl.” Quinn placed the blame directly on the shoulders of Jim Caldwell.

Now that the Detroit Lions, Bob Quinn’s version and vision of the Detroit Lions is a failed product, Who will Quinn point the finger at? As of today the Detroit Lions are a whole lot further from the Super Bowl than just two years ago.

Odd’s are good Quinn will not point the finger at Matt Patricia, he would have three pointing back at himself.  The problem was Bob Quinn thinking Matt Patricia was  as good as Bill Belichick maximizing the talent on the team.

Emulating successful coaches as well as franchises is fine in theory. The Lions have one of the worst four defenses in football, by almost any metric. This is the absolute worst Lions defense perhaps in team history. Even during losing seasons the team was at least able to compete. Not this season.

The Detroit Lions defense can not get any pressure on quarterbacks. Three man rushes are a joke. NFL quarterbacks have all the time they need to find the open receiver. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott told reporters after the game Sunday that sometimes he had enough time to read through his progressions TWICE.

That Quinn thought his roster was better than nine wins. The number Caldwell won his last season, which is also the same number Patricia has won in 26 games.  Shows how much Quinn’s estimations were off.

Detroit Lions owner Martha Ford, has some soul searching to do. She must decide if the Lions stay on the current path or not.

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Michigan vs Michigan State, what we learned

Embed from Getty Images For one quarter it looked like many past Michigan Wolverines vs Michigan State Spartans football games. Rough, physical and draining. After the first quarter, the wheels fell off for the Spartans. Meanwhile Michigan was just getting warmed up.

It was the tail of two tapes. Michigan who suffered a questionable loss to Penn State has not looked like the same team since halftime of that game. Leaving many to wonder what was said in the looker room in Happy Valley? The Spartans fall from Big Ten power has been a sharp decline for at least two years now.

Yesterday at the Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan, The Wolverines played like a bully waiting for it’s victim. Michigan was brutally physical, dynamic on offense, defense and special teams. What is more important, Michigan played fearlessly.

Michigan State played the role of the victim taken by surprise. The Spartans looked scattered, extremely reckless, and were  clearly shaken. This beautiful rivalry has come full circle. Rivalries always do. Make no mistake about it, Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh wanted to humiliate his in-state rival.

The 44-10 thumping the Spartans took came with deep intention and for Michigan implications, this is a win that grabs attention. Not just of the fan base, not just of the Spartans and the fan base in East Lansing, but the rest of the Big Ten.

At 8-2, Jim Harbaugh’s team is building something for the future. The rough transition from Josh Gattis’s new offense is now humming along. The switch in defensive philosophy from big defensive players to smaller quicker players has also paid high dividends.

For the Spartans and the man who has headed that program up for 14 years, after the game Mark Dantonio looked and sounded weary. Perhaps losing by 34 points, which happens to be the worst loss a Dantonio lead Spartan team has ever suffered, will do that to a person.

Jim Harbaugh, said he wanted the Wolverines to reclaim the in state rivalry and set that as priority one when he took over the Wolverines football program. He talked about how it would help in recruiting. Mission accomplished. Much like his days at Stanford, Harbaugh set the first target on the school that hampered recruiting. Then set a new target.

Now that Michigan has bullied the rivalry back from Michigan State, there is little question Harbaugh will now make another school top priority. That school is the one they play in two weeks. As I mentioned before, Harbaugh has a good history of making good on his vision for his program wherever he has been. It is safe to say he will do it again. Be it this season, next season or the one after that.