Author: brian wallace

Detroit sports fan for life!!
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Michigan State head football coach Mark Dantonio’s big bet

Embed from Getty Images Michigan Wolverines head football coach Jim Harbaugh heard the rumblings and chose to change. Harbaugh went outside his comfort zone and hired an offensive coordinator. From Alabama. The Spartans Mark Dantonio is and was not as bold.

 

Change is good. Change in sports can push a team or program forward. Lack of change can smoother and impede progress. New blood in coaching and to a staff breathes fresh life. Mark Dantonio chose to stay in house and shuffle his coaching staff.

 

Brad Salem, who was the Spartans quarterbacks coach was promoted to offensive coordinator. While co-offensive coordinators Dave Warner and Jim Bollman were reassigned to quarterbacks coach and offensive line coach respectfully.

 

Mark Dantonio called it his most significant change in his 12 years in East Lansing. Michigan State fans and alumni are not happy. They say that rival Jim Harbaugh was willing to go big and he hit a home run. Dantonio simply reshuffled his coaches. Which seldom works in a positive way.

 

From a distance Dantonio has not evolved. Nor has he adapted to the modern college football landscape. With only 10 points in their last two games (7 against Nebraska, 3 against Oregon) more than a switch was and still is needed.

 

Dantonio stated loyalty when asked why he stayed in house and did not bring in new blood. There in lies the problem. Dantonio is unwilling to change. He is unwilling to move his program forward.

 

Losing recruits to Jim Harbaugh is killing the Michigan State football program. The fact that everyone but the head football coach sees it is alarming.

 

Dantonio said “I believe in digging in when things get tough with people I know.” That is a bold statement to make. Because sticking with the same coaching staff for 12 years is not working the way it once did.

 

That is good and all. Unless he and his buddies are digging their own grave.

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Detroit Tigers pitching prospect Casey Mize is the No. 2 rated prospect

Embed from Getty Images Pitching is generally not an issue in Detroit. The next wave of great Tigers pitchers will arrive in Motown over the next two years. Leading the way is last June’s No. 1 overall draft pick. Casey Mize.

 

MLB Pipeline last Tuesday released their annual top 10 prospects. Detroit Tigers fans should be both happy and excited to find form Auburn University and top Detroit Tigers pick Casey Mize came in at No. 2. Over some big names.

 

Casey Mize has the highest floor in the top 10. Standing 6′ 3″ 220 lbs, Mize has the most combination of stuff and polish. His unhittable split finger fastball gives way to a 97 mph fastball and a slider in the mid-80’s. Last season while at Lakeland with the Flying Tigers, Mize added a cutter to his already above average offering.

 

This is great news for the rebuilding Detroit Tigers. Many are thinking Casey Mize will arrive at some point this Summer at Comerica Park. Tigers general manager Al Avila has said only if he is ready. Look for Mize to start the season at Double-A Erie with the Seawolves.

 

This is absolutely the right move to make. The team is still two years away from jumping back into competitive play again. No need to rush any prospect. Allowing a prospect time to grown and gain confidence is important to longevity as well as overall performance.

 

Tigers fans will also be happy to hear that pitching prospect Franklin Perez is sitting just outside the top 10. Until the Tigers are ready to roar again, fans need to keep close tabs on the minor leagues to get an ideal of how good this team is going to look very soon.

 

For some this rebuild seems to be taking a long time. When in reality it is not. Savvy trades and smart draft picks have actually sped up the painstakingly long task of gutting a team and building a new one.

 

The Detroit Tigers future is bright and will get even brighter as the team begins to sign big name free agents most likely starting next season to put around their young talent.

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Detroit Tiger fans can circle 2020

Embed from Getty Images The Detroit Tigers in the midst of a rebuild are getting closer to competitive baseball again. While the Detroit front office is and has remained tight lipped about a time table there are some clues that point to 2020.

 

While it has only been a year since the Detroit Tigers have embarked on a full-blown rebuild they have chips in their minor leagues. Solid drafts and wise trades have brought the Detroit Tigers closer to the end. It has the makings of being one of the fastest rebuilds in recent times.

 

After the 2020 MLB baseball season the Detroit Tigers will have around $50 plus million coming off the books. That will free up cash for free agents. It is a safe bet that owner Christopher Ilitch will give the green light to go after and sign top tier free agents.

 

Starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann $50 million is off the books. The $20 million the Tigers owe the Huston Astros as part of the Justin Verlander trade is gone as in the $20 million owed the Texas Rangers for taking Prince Fielder. That is a nice chunk of change.

 

That will leave the Tigers Miguel Cabrera as the only big contract left. The Tigers boast 5 starting pitching prospects ranked in the top 100. They also have two outfielder in Christian Stewart and Parker Meadows who will be full-time Tigers very soon.

 

Kody Clemens and Issac Paredes will sure the Detroit infield up the middle at second base and short stop. It is safe to say that after next season Christopher Ilitch and Tigers general manager Al Avila will sit down and take and in depth look at the rebuild.

 

Should the Detroit Tigers be where they are projected by many, Ilitch will open the wallet and Comerica Park summer nights will be fun again. The Tigers currently hold the #6 pick in the first round of this June’s MLB draft. Where they will be able to add another impact player.

 

The Tigers will have holes to fill in the outfield, first base Miguel Cabrera should be a full time designated hitter and utility player off the bench. They could and most likely will address those needs in free agency.  Unlike 2006 when the Tigers came out of a dark decade of bad baseball this return will be both swifter and last longer as the team has pledged to keep and not trade their young talent.

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Detroit Lions: season review

Embed from Getty Images It was a rough transition for the 2018 Detroit Lions. Going from a steady head coach in Jim Caldwell to new head coach Matt Patricia. What was not mentioned was the team was rebuilding on the fly. What happened was a disaster. A 6-10 record set the team back.

 

Lions general manager Bob Quinn is going to have to stand before the media and explain why this season did not go as planned. He needs to start with himself. Quinn overvalued his roster. Quinn also failed to provide the roster with quality depth.

 

Injuries piled up. Sure football is a rough sport and there are injuries throughout the season. But the body count in Motown was too much to over come. The general manager is at fault for not making in season additions to help the roster.

 

Quarterback Matthew Stafford was awful. For the first time  in his career Stafford did not lead a come-from-behind victory and regressed to the point his future in Detroit is cloudy. 10 years in a two playoff appearances and no playoff wins does not translate well.

 

Sure Patricia made some boneheaded calls as most first time head coaches do. His defense showed tremendous growth and will enter next season a top defense in the NFL. Patrica’s missteps were not so much that a fully healthy roster could not have overcome.

 

Quinn traded the Detroit Lions best wide receiver Golden Tate during the season. That is hard to argue with as they got rid of an older player on an expiring contract for a third round draft pick. So that was a good value trade. But it killed any hope of a playoff run.

 

As the season ended Patrica announced offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter would not be brought back. Perhaps Detroit should look at getting rid of Stafford. Start fresh and really grow the team in a positive direction.

 

Patrica wants a ball control offense. There is no need for a gun-slinging quarterback when running the ball takes center stage. A player like Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (who is a free agent after the season) would be a better option for Patrica’s vision. The Lions already have promising rookie running back Kerryon Johnson.

 

They also have another building block in wide receiver Kenny Golladay. They need to build around these two p[layers in free agency and the 2019 NFL draft. A draft that will see the Lions pick at #8 in the first round.

 

This is a HUGE off season  for Bob Quinn and Patricia. Quinn must invest salary cap money into impact players. Patrica must nail the hire and bring in the right offensive coordinator. Otherwise, both could be shown the door.

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Detroit Pistons head coach steadying the team during recent funk

Embed from Getty Images Dwane Casey has been the calm the Detroit Pistons have needed as the team is currently going through a rough patch. Showing why he is an NBA coach of the year.

 

The old saying is everyone is happy when things are going good. Which is why it is interesting that the Pistons players and coaches are happy during a December slump.  Players and coaches are not freaking out.

 

Dwane Casey said he refuses to cuss out a player because it would be counterproductive. Instead Casey has been working one on one with players who have hit an in season slump. That is the mark of a good coach.

 

While other teams coaches have been seen screaming at players. Casey meets them on the sidelines crouches down in front of them and talks to them followed by a hair ruffle or pat on the shoulder. Part of what has endeared him to his players.

 

His calming influence has been welcomed from Detroit basketball players since day one of training camp. Despite shooting woes and bad fouls the Pistons are still in good shape to make a bottom seeding in the NBA playoffs.

 

It is true the Pistons have things they need to clean up. As do many teams. The ace-in-the-hole is indeed Dwane Casey who has successfully maneuvered teams in similar positions the Pistons are in right now.

 

This is why he was brought to the Motor City. There is little doubt that Casey can not work his magic and get the Pistons back on track.

 

Sometimes it is coaching and sometimes it is letting players play through slumps. There is no magic potion or formula. It is a player by player need. Casey has a good beat on his team and the players absolutely love the coach.

 

Fans just need to trust the process. It is better to hit a December slump rather that late February-March slump. It is not about how you start or what happens/happened in the middle. But it is about how you finish. Dwane Casey understands this.

 

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Detroit sports media is a joke

Embed from Getty Images Never in my life have I seen such a negative response to a coach. Never in my life have I seen sports writers who are a joke and quiet frankly and embarrassment to their profession.

 

Two Detroit Lions beat writers who work at the same news outlet seem to have a vendetta against Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia.

 

With two (now one) game remaining on the 2018 season they could write about how Golden Tate is doing in Philadelphia. They could write about how Lions general manager Bob Quinn overvalued his roster and depth. They could write about free agency fits for the team.

 

Was that the focus? No! If it was they would seem like solid reporters. So what did the two Bozo’s write about? Matt Patricia’s tardiness to team meeting and press conferences. No, seriously. Absolutely nothing else to report on.

 

The two even went on to talk to a former Detroit Lions player. This is like a third grader who saw something and went and told the teacher. What are these two morons trying to get exactly.

 

They must have a master plan. After all it has been all the talk in their publication for three days. So they must have a prize or something they are gunning for.

 

Speaking of the publication. Shame on them for not only running the stories. But for allowing these two unprofessional writers to then carry on  social media.

 

A coach is late this is headline news?

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Michigan State football with a lot to play for

Embed from Getty Images The Michigan State Spartans did not have the season they envisioned. Inconsistent play met with injuries derailed the Spartans.  With a December 31 showdown against the Oregon Ducks in the Redbox Bowl. Michigan State has a lot to play for.

 

Fresh off early signing. Michigan State was able to add much needed depth to the offensive and defensive lines. The lack of depth has hindered the Spartans for two seasons now.

Unable to overcome injuries and inconsistent play the newly acquired depth should give the Spartans a much needed boost. They still have plenty of room for growth.

 

Head Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio and his staff need to let the team know that new recruits will be watching the Redbox Bowl. That no matter how the regular season went it is important to finish strong.

 

Recruits and their families will gather to watch the school they chose to attend. The recruits will want to see a football that fights and can leave a disappointing season behind.

 

If the Spartans can rally and beat a tough Oregon team. It will set the mark for 2019. If they do not and get beat Dantonio will have his work cut out for him. He will not only have to clean up the mess from 2018 but begin to prepare for 2019 and incoming freshmen.

 

That is no easy task. Michigan State has struggled recently against rivals. They need to get back to playing fundamental football. Getting pressure on the quarterback, forcing turnovers and solid tackling while on defense.

 

Offensively, Michigan State has gotten away from what worked for three seasons. Running the ball consistently throwing the ball a little. Seems outdated? Perhaps, But this is what Michigan State use to do very well.

 

They got away from what worked and the results have shown. Dantonio, needs to remember what made him successful. When Michigan State gets back to being who they started out as that is when they will return to the top of the Big Ten.

They can being to take those steps Monday, December 31 at the Redbox Bowl.

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Detroit Tigers: winter meetings

Embed from Getty Images As MLB general managers and owners gather in Las Vegas the Detroit Tigers needing a short-stop may be willing to listen to offers on a few of their other players.

 

Day one of the 2018 MLB winter meetings bring rumors that teams are asking Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila if outfielder Nick Castellanos is available for a trade.

 

Castellanos, is a gifted hitter who was going to draw a lot of interest. It is and is not surprising that teams are checking in on him day one. The Atlanta Braves showed interest last season and are said to be the first team to ask.

 

Castellanos, is 26 years old and is under team control for one more season before being able to become a free agent. Teams looking for a middle of the order power hitter have turned to the young Detroit budding star.

 

Nick has the most to offer teams and will bring in a solid group of prospects if and when he is dealt. It seems almost certain he will be.

 

I do not think the Tigers are looking to trade pitcher Michael Fulmer at this time. It seems (for good reason) they would like him in the rotation after the rebuild for a crop of young pitchers to learn from. That is a wise move.

 

Out side of a short-stop and possibly moving Nick Castellanos the Tigers figure to have a pretty quiet winter meetings.

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Michigan State to play December 31 in the Redbox Bowl

Embed from Getty Images Michigan State was forecasted to have a good season. Injuries and inconsistent play were too much for the Spartans to overcome. So off to Santa Clara California they head.

 

Fresh off a 7-5 campaign Michigan State will face off against the 8-4 Oregon Ducks from the Pac-12. In a 3 p.m. Fox sports televised game.

 

The two teams last squared off in 2015. A game that saw the Spartans come away with a 31-28 victory. The two teams are 3-3 against each other all time.

 

After a few seasons out of the spotlight Oregon is back in a Bowl game. Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio has a 5-5 Bowl record.

 

Bowl games are important as they set up recruiting season. It is a selling point for would be athletes to see a school they may attend in action.

 

All time in Bowl games Michigan State is 12-15. From 2007-2015 the Spartans set a school record with 9 consecutive Bowl appearances.

 

Michigan State and Oregon are evenly matched. Both teams have had defensive issues mostly due to youth. While both teams starting quarterbacks have struggled both in play and with health.

 

Look for the Spartans to try to establish a running game and grind out the clock while giving their young defense a break.

 

Oregon is well the Oregon of old. They can score in a hurry. They try to out score teams with little defense as is the case with much of the Pac-12 schools.

 

It should be an interesting game. December 31. Be sure to tune in.

 

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Detroit Tigers: one more really bad season and then………….

Embed from Getty Images As the Detroit Tigers enter another phase of the rebuild. Tiger fans want to know when they will begin to see light from the darkness. Here is a hint. One more really bad season.

 

As both game attendance and t.v. rankings dropped. The Detroit Tiger forged ahead with a rebuild that seemed was going nowhere. It will feel like it again at the start of the 2019 season.

 

By the time the 2020 MLB season rolls around the Detroit Tigers will begin to emerge from the bad baseball and begin to resemble a young talented team.

 

In all 5-7 years of bad baseball will come to a halt. That is the price Detroit must pay for keeping a winning team on the field for  years.

 

Heading into 2019 new faces Christian Stewart (OF) and Grayson Greiner (C) will be in the every day lineup. I think Detroit Tigers fans will also see the arrival of pitchers Beau Burrows and a few relief pitcher.

 

2020 the rest of the franchises top prospects will arrive. Franklin Perez, Casey Mize, Matt Manning will be starting pitchers in what will be a nasty rotation.

 

Also expect to see Isaac Paredes, Willi Castro, Cody Clemens and Jake Rogers. Will be inserted into the playing field at some point in 2020.

Then the lumps will come. The kids will need to grow up. That means taking their lumps as they learn everyday MLB play. It is absolutely needed.

 

It goes without saying the Tigers will be signing big name free agents by 2021. Tiger fans can also count on general manager Al Avial to make a trade or two.

 

When the dust settles the Detroit Tigers will be made new. Young and more athletic. Then the wins will begin. Hang in there Tiger faithful. The reward is going to be great.