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The Detroit Tigers were off Thursday. Chad Durbin as been struggling as a Tiger starter.
I wonder why manager Jim Leyland didn’t skip Durbin in the rotation? He could have kept the other four starters on their normal rest and had Nate Robertson, Justin Verlander and Mike Maroth pitch in a big series against the White Sox.
In my column in Thursday, I write about how the Detroit Red Wings get shafted by being in the NHL’s Western Conference (See Thursday’s Evening News sports section for details).
I could not stay up for Tuesday night’s game with the alarm clock set to ring at 5 a.m. Luckily, I don’t work Friday morning, so I can stay up for tonight’s game.
How have you adapted to these late-night games? Do you try to stay up?
One friend told me lose sleep over the Wings until they get into the later rounds of the playoffs.
The Detroit Pistons will open the NBA Playoffs Saturday against the Orlando Magic.
I would have rather seen the Pistons draw Washington, which heads into the playoffs without injured superstar Gilbert Arenas, but Orlando is a good matchup for Detroit. The Pistons wen 4-0 against the Magic in the regular season and Orlando might be happy just to make the playoffs.
Orlando is the youngest team in the NBA has not make the playoffs since 2003.
What do you think of the Pistons’ playoff chances?
My friend and colleague Jeff Meade wrote an interesting colum Tuesday listing his choices for the ten most influential people in the history of sports. He went with Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Knute Rockne, James Naismith, George Mikan, Joe Namath, Roone Arledge, Muhammad Ali, Jesse Owens and Jim Thorpe. (See his column in Tuesday’s Evening News for the rationale for his choices.)
Not bad choices, but there were a couple others I would have liked to see on his list.
In basketball, he lists Naismith and Mikan. They were pioneers, but a couple of more modern figures who shaped the game where John Wooden and Magic Johnson.
In addition to building a dynasty at UCLA that never will be matched in college basketball, Wooden influenced a whole generation of coaches with his strategies and coaching style.
Many credit Michael Jordan with being the greatest player in the history of the NBA, but, in a sense, he had it easy. Johnson and his Larry Bird had already saved the league, transforming it from a bunch of drug-addled, disinterested players into a cultural phenomenon.
I also would like to see a woman somewhere on the list, but no one jumps into my mind as the No. 1 candidate.
And finally, he might not qualify now, but at some point Tiger Woods probably belongs on the list. If he isn’t already, he someday will be considered the greatest golfer of all time. And, on top of that, he is largely responsible for the surge in golf popularity. Love him or loathe him, TV ratings skyrocket any time Tiger is in contention in a tournament.
What do you think? Who would be on your list?
I wrote in my column Evening News column Sunday that the Red Wings could not afford to let up in the second game of their series against Calgary.
I doubt if any of the Detroit players read that, but they seemed to take it to heart. They came flying out of the gate and grabbed a 2-0 lead before the Flames had a chance to get settled in. It was an impressive display of hockey.
It’s way too early in the playoffs to draw any conclusions, but this Red Wing team appears focused on making a long playoff run. Tuesday night’s game in Calgary will be telling.
Another thing to watch for: Will the Wings be the beneficiary of the same types of calls from the referees that they got at home.
What has been the most impressive aspect of this fast start for you?
Saturday’s chilly conditions may have numbed the fingers of St. Mary Catholic Central baseball coach Jim DeSana, but it could not numb his sense of humor.
When calling in Saturday night to report that the finals of the Homer Invitational has been postponed due to cold weather, DeSana quipped that the game has been called due to “global cooling.”
I was happy to see former Michigan basketball coach Tommy Amaker land on his feet at Harvard. That seems like a good fit for the cerebral Amaker.
I always liked Amaker as a person, but he just could not generate any passion from the Michigan players. I hope he fares better at Harvard.
If Joel Zumaya needed any references for his qualifications to assume the closer’s job for the Detroit Tigers, he should just ask the Toronto Blue Jays.
They had to be duly impressed after Zumaya nailed down his first save of the season Wednesday night. Zumaya was a little shaky in the eighth inning, but was dominant in protecting a one-run lead in the ninth. He mowed down the heart of the Blue Jay batting order, striking out Matt Stairs, getting Vernon Wells to pop out to shortstop and retiring Frank Thomas on a weak roller to second base. All the while, he was firing 100 mph bullets at the Jays.
Todd Jones has been doing a great job as the Tiger closer, but he can’t afford to stumble. Zumaya is breathing down his neck.
Why did Detroit open at home the first week of April? Why did the Cleveland Indians open four days later against a team with a dome (resulting in an entire four-game series being snowed out)? Why are Toronto (with a retractable roof) at Tampa Bay playing each other in week one? Do the schedule-makers not realize it gets cold and snows in the north in early April? Would it not make more sense to schedule more game in cities with moderate climates.
It’s obvious the schedule is put together with no provision made for geography. That’s ludicrous.
Canada hasn’t produced a Stanley Cup champion since Montreal won in 1993. The drought will end this year. The Ottawa Senators will skate away with this year’s Stanley Cup. It’s etched in stone.
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