Yardbarker: George Foster

[Lions] Lions OT George Foster Not Expected To Play Sunday

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:51:18 -0500

Right tackle George Foster, who backed up Gosder Cherilus against San Francisco, suffered a hyperextended knee and is not likely to play Sunday....

[Lions] Lions OT George Foster Not Expected To Play Sunday

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:51:18 -0500

Right tackle George Foster, who backed up Gosder Cherilus against San Francisco, suffered a hyperextended knee and is not likely to play Sunday....

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions: Final thoughts - That SUCKED

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 22:42:41 -0500

I try not to put my final thoughts about any Lions game till I've had a few hours to let my emotions simmer down a tad. Otherwise I'd post in an insane rage nothing but "FUCK THE LIONS," over and over and over again, in 72 point font, till I blew up Blogger's servers.

Now that I've reached a mellow state again, I can sum up my thoughts about another FUCKING DEBACLE! I HATE THOSE GOD DAMN SON OF A BITC....Deep breaths, Al. Simmer down, blogger boy. It's only a game, it's only a game, it's only a game.

Christ, the Lions sure can harsh my mellow.

1. Jon ~~Shitna~~ ~~Pickna~~ Kitna put the FU in AWFUL today. His 4th quarter was as ugly as it gets with 3 picks, 2 returned for TD's. Overall, Kitna was only 50% on the day, ending with a QB rating of 58.6. I don't know how the NFL comes up with their convoluted beyond belief or common sense QB ratings, but bad is bad, and Kitna was B.A.D.D., BAD.

HEEEEEELP me Jebus!

He wasn't the only reason the Lions lost, but he was a BIG reason why. The Evangelist is also one of the main reasons why the Lions find themselves where they are tonight, at the bottom of the standings with fans at the end of their ropes. All due to Rod Marinelli hitching himself to Kitna's backside, Hell or high water. When it comes to Mr. I'm Going To Heaven And You're Not, Marinelli's wearing blinders. Kitna's the guy, period.

Before the start of the season I thought Kitna might have a decent year because the Lions' offensive plan was to run the ball more, and not ask Kitna to do near as much as Mike Martz's offense demanded from him. With the Lions going down 21-0 in both games, that strategy has gone right out the proverbial window. Kitna had to become the main focus of the Detroit offense, and win games with his arm. Asking Kitna to win games is like asking me to sing the praises of the the ~~porn 'stached goon~~ Matt Millen. It's not going to end well.

The hue and cry is going to come from the fanbase to bench the God Warrior, but I have to bring up the question those fans forget to ask. Replace Mr. It Was A Miracle with who, exactly? Dan Orlvosky is still untested after being in the NFL what seems like a decade. (Actually, it's 4 seasons) In very limited garbage time against the Packers, he didn't show much. He never has.

What about Drew Stanton? He's not healthy (HA! Stanton hasn't been injury free since elementary school), and he's not ready anyway. He's at least a year away, maybe more. The day the Lions moronically placed Stanton on the IR last season is a day they will long regret. Losing of year of football is never a good thing.

Hell, it's all moot. Changing QB's won't happen anytime soon, as it would mean the Lions would have given up on the season. Even though we may feel the season's over, I'm sure Millen and Marinelli don't. Not after 2 games. 2 ugly, embarrassing games.

One question was answered today. We know for sure who's the best QB in the NFC North. Jon ~~Shitna~~ ~~Pickna~~ Kitna = Old and busted. Aaron Rodgers = The new hotness.

2. As the losses begin to pile up (1-10 in their last 11 regular season games), you have to begin wondering about Marinelli's job status. His post-game pressers are becoming high drama, with the media pressing him for answers he doesn't have, and what answers Marinelli does give are dripping with anger and condescension.

I'm a defensive guru! The master of the Tampa 2!

Listen to me, dammit!

The honeymoon is over. Marinelli's now catching heat from all sides. The media, the fans, and ownership (that's not a given, though it should be). Unfortunately for Marinelli, there is no one else he can scapegoat. It's all on him, He canned his defensive coordinator after year 1, and his offensive counterpart after year 2. He's had talented players considered malcontents (Dre' Bly, Shaun Rogers) traded away, and brought in several former Buccaneers to preach the Marinelli way.

The result? A team with a 10-25 overall record, in salary cap Hell, one of the oldest rosters in the NFL with a league worst defense, and a fanbase ready to revolt (again). At this rate, I can't see how Marinelli gets another season at this rate. But when William Clay Ford is involved, for all we know, he's having an extension readied as I write this...

I can't wait to hear how Marinelli spins this loss in the Monday presser. People are fed up with hearing bullshit like "pounding the rock" and "we'll go back to work" after every loss. God forbid he goes on and on about tackling "angles" and "playing high" like last week. Marinelli sounds like a position coach in so far over his head he reverts using to the only thing he really knows, defensive jargon.

3. Despite all the pain, there were a couple of bright spots for the Lions.

Gosder Cherilus finally got to play, replacing George Foster after half time, and had an uneventful 2nd half. That a GOOD thing for an offensive lineman, as you can't say the same about the other tackles. Foster gave up a pair of sacks, and Jeff Backus had a pair of extremely untimely, drive killing, holding penalties.

Why it took the coaching staff halfway through the 2nd game of the season before they realized Cherilus was their best lineman is another one of those bizarre mysteries (Why Leigh Bodden wasn't starting last week, the disappearance of Jordon Dizon, their insistence on "rotating" inferior players into the lineup rather than keep their best players on the field) that never get answered.

There's only 2 of you to try and stop me? As if!

As for Calvin Johnson, there's aren't enough superlatives to describe his vast talent. His season has been no less than excellent. 2 games, 236 yards receiving, 2 TD's. Magatron is as close as there is to an unstoppable force in the NFL. If only he had someone like...say...Aaron Rogers throwing to him.

It's not stretching the truth to say Johnson alone carried the Lions to their short lived 4th quarter lead. The first 7 minutes of the 4th quarter were essentially the Calvin Johnson Show. Johnson wasn't perfect, as shown by his dropping a pass, but he was the best player on the field...for both teams.

We may finally have our Barry Sanders replacement.In other words, Calvin Johnson is our only reason to watch the Lions, even though they blow, and blow hard.

4. The Lions' claining the Atlanta Falcons just may have been better than originally thought proved to be as lame as their performance against them. Tampa Bay soundly beat last week's one win wonders, 24-9.

The 2 Falcons who had career days against the Lions came back down to earth when facing a legitimate NFL team. No Sportscenter highlights this week...

Matt Ryan: 13-33-158-0 TD's, 2 INT, 29.6 rating.
Michael Turner: 13 carries, 43 yards, 1 catch, 6 yards.

I'd laugh if I weren't stifling back the tears...

It's official. It's confirmed. Stamp and date it. It's done. Book it. The Detroit Lions are the worst team in the NFL.

5. I'll have more tomorrow. Right now I'm fed up with everything Detroit Lions.

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NFL News and Fantasy Football Views - Week 1

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:37:02 -0500

Week 1 is upon us folks and with that brings great excitement and intrigue as all teams start fresh with a 0-0 record. There is not another sport out there to where year after year new teams pop up out of nowhere to contend for the title as the balance of talent in the NFL for the most part is outstanding. But, those of you reading this are more interested about what is going on in the NFL that could have an affect on your fantasy football player's values, and that is why the Bruno Boys offer to you on a weekly basis the Newz and Viewz column. Bruno Boys Larry and Bruno Boys Ziza are no strangers to talking football, as they have argued for years on many NFL topics amongst each other. Some times they will agree, other times you will laugh your butt off as they rip into one another, good naturedly of course! And much like football, each topic usually has one winner and one loser! So let us know what you think about each of their arguments! All comments are welcome! This week the dynamic duo will be discussing the release and then quick signing of RB Rudi Johnson, Kurt Warner being named the starter in Arizona, which powerhouse NFL team contributes the most to fantasy football, as well as a good hearted story about the city of New Orleans. So nestle snugly into your computer chair, close the doors, and turn off the phones! It is time once again for another edition of Newz and Viewz from two whacky, insane, Detroit Lions fans, Bruno Boys Larry and Bruno Boys Ziza! ------------------------ Arizona Cardinals HC Ken Whisenhunt has named Kurt Warner as the starting quarterback over Matt Leinart for Sunday's game versus the San Francisco 49ers. Which of the two quarterbacks will have more fantasy value this season? Bruno Boys Larry Viewz: The obvious answer would appear to be Kurt Warner.... To read more, click the link.

The Running Game will still suck Lions Fans

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:18:00 -0500

3 minutes after Rudi Johnson signed with the Lions, I got an excited text from my resident Lions slappy friend. "Did you hear Rudi signed with the Lions" You could literally see him getting wood through my phone about what Rudi could bring to the team. And while I admit Rudi is a definite upgrade over Rookie Kevin Smith, in the end, it won't matter.

Fantasy Football Librarian - Fantasy Football Advice

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:20:32 -0500

You are in for a treat today Bruno Boys Nation! Right now we are joined by Sara Holladay, better known in the fantasy football world as the Fantasy Football Librarian. She is a College football and NFL enthusiast who spends her time helping other fellow fantasy footballers out by blogging about Fantasy Football on her webpage found at Fantasy Football Librarian. Sara is an avid researcher and has already written a few articles that dive deep into statistical analysis on positions that many people don't want to spend the time thinking about! And those columns, my friends, will give you a HUGE advantage over your competition on Draft Day! This is why the Bruno Boys are proud to have Sara as a guest columnist on a weekly basis! So take advantage of the wisdom that this lady shares with us and read her articles on www.brunoboys.net. And, without further adieu, keep your eyes peeled as you don't want to miss a single word that this fantasy football vixen has to say! To read the article, click the link...

Gameday thread: Detroit Lions (1-0) at Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:44:56 -0500

Game Information Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. EDT Stadium: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH Television: WWJ-TV 62/CBS Play-By-Play: Gus Johnson Color: Desmond Howard Sidelines: Matt Shepard Lions Radio Network: 97.1 FM The Ticket (WXYT-FM) Play-By-Play: Dan Miller Color: Jim Brandstatter Sidelines: Tony Ortiz 2008

Pregame linkage: Detroit Lions at Cincinnati Bengals

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:53:25 -0500

I have the Lions' "unofficial" depth chart going into Sunday nights game. Just click to enlarge. The only major changes come from a pair of players who've been activated from the PUP list. Dan Campbell is now the starter at TE in front of Michael Gaines and Shaun McDonald, instead of Devale Ellis,

Lions - Giants day after thoughts: The QB’s rocked and FIRE KWAN

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:58:12 -0500

For my in-game thoughts, head here to check out my stream of conciousness style of live blogging. For the league approved highlights, NFL.com has you covered. For the New York POV, head on over to G-Men HQ. I usually try to have my thoughts about any Lions game posted a couple of hours after the final gun. With the God damn tape delayed broadcast wrapping up here in the D around 12:30 AM Friday morning, it wasn't going to happen for the first exhibition. So here are my several hours delayed post game thoughts on the Detroit Lions 13-10 victory over the New York Giants. 1. The QB's played well. Extremely well, in fact. Jon Kitna was extremely sharp in his limited time. Despite the media rumblings in the off season, he's unquestionably the starting QB. What I really liked from Kitna was his throwing to the big wide outs, Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams, rather than his slot receivers. If this game is any indication (and it's a bit of a stretch to come to any conclusions after the first exhibition), CJ and Roy are going to have BIG seasons. In the battle for the number 2 QB, Dan Orlovsky didn't look quite as good as the Holly Roller, but was better than Drew Stanton. Not that Stanton was bad, far from it. It's Dan O is more polished at this point of his career. The big difference between Dan O and Stanton was Orlovsky would look to throw downfield while Stanton would dump off or just run. As for the pride of Sparty grads everywhere, we finally got to see Stanton in action after his being moronically mothballed for a year. He lead the Lions on the game winning drive, and didn't have any "deer in headlights" moments. Stanton had a solid overall game, but did have the rookie (He's essentially a rookie on the field) tendency of not looking for other options, while being far too quick to pull the ball down and take off. You don't want QB to be your leading rusher, as was the case with Stanton. Though you could see what the Lions were thinking in drafting Stanton, as he's FAR more mobile than either Kitna or Dan O. I think Dan O is locked in as the number 2. Stanton has to make up for a lost season of doing jack shit. Thanks, Martz! 2. If the Lions commit to the running game in it's current state, the coaching staff should be committed. The zone blocking scheme was a huge disappointment, as the backs struggled to find holes. A 2.4 YPC is not going to cut it anytime, anywhere. Take away Stanton's scrambles, and the YPC gets uglier. Speaking of the backs… In the minus column, Tatum Bell showed me absolutely nothing (as expected) and Brian Calhoun showed me even less. He is not long for this team. More impressive was Kevin Smith, who showed he's the most talented back on the roster in his limited time. He found cracks and moved piles. (That doesn't sound good, does it?) Give the kid some blocking, he'll make something happen. As for Artose Pinner and Aveion Cason, they are what they are, special teams wedge busters/3rd string backs. The only difference being the Lions (For some ungodly reason) think Cason can return kicks, which is laughable. Pinner played decently, but did get bailed out when replay overturned what first appeared to be a drive ending fumble late in the 4th. I know it's early to make conclusions, but I really do think Smith ends up as the starter over Bell by the time the preseason ends. 3. The offensive line is a work in progress. Run blocking was nearly non-existent. The pass blocking was better, but the play calling had much to do with it. The coaching staff seems to realize their line has shortcomings, and mitigated the Giants' rush by having the QB's roll out early and often to buy time. Someone needs to take 1st round pick Gosder Cherilus aside, and inform him that George Foster is NOT someone to model your game upon. A pair of false starts and a holding call made for a very inauspicious debut for Cherilus. Not that Foster was any better, as he was nailed for…you know it, you expect it… procedure as well. Overall, the o-line was easily the least impressive of the Lions' units. 4. Defensively, I kept hearing a few names. LB Leon Joe made several tackles, same for LB Buster Davis. Joe is going to have a very tough time making the team, but he did impress last night. Rookie Jordon Dizon had a couple of big hits in what was an OK debut for the LB corps. One eyebrow raiser was the starting LB lineup of Alex Lewis, Paris Lenon and Tony Cannon. Uh, that's not gonna cut it, guys. Ernie Sims did not play, and Dizon is currently buried deep on the depth chart thanks to his rookie status, which explains the bizarre starting LB corps. There's not a playmaker in the bunch when Sims isn't playing, though Dizon shows promise. The d-line was less impressive, as the pass rush left something to be desired. The only sack credited to a lineman was by rookie DT Andre Fluellen. Admittedly, it was a big sack, as it came during the Giants' futile final drive of the game. The other rookie lineman, Cliff Averill, did get some pressure on the QB, but would make the rookie mistake of running himself past the qb, and out of the play The d-line wasn't much better than the o-line, and considering Marinelli's background, it's damn disturbing. The play has got to improve, and soon. The rebuilt starting defensive backfield held Peyton's little bro (2-6-19) in check, which was extremely encouraging. Considering the money spent and the talent traded in order to fix the ailing d-backfield, it was good to see. Unfortunately, the depth isn't there yet. Anthony Wright (9-13-116) and David Carr (10-13-104) picked apart the 2nd and 3rd teams. (The DB's weren't helped by the lack of a pass rush) One player probably packing his bags is CB Devonte Edwards, whom the Giants made a point to continually throw his way over and over and over again, to much success. After one game, it's already pretty damn obvious the Lions cannot afford an injury to any of their starting corners or safeties. Their defense is as deep as a kiddie pool. 5. I've long railed on Rod Marinelli for his game mismanagement and in-game decision making. Last night was one of his better games on the sidelines. There were no time management issues, an appropriate challenge was made, resulting in a costly fumble being taken off the board and the Lions didn't abandon their game plan after a handful of running plays failed. Save for Cherilus and Foster, penalties were kept to a minimum. Marinelli may finally be growing into the job. "May"being the operative word. The (not so) special teams were a major weakness last season, and from what we witnessed last night, is still a weakness this season. The Stan Kwan coached (not so) special teams has major kick coverage issues and the kick returns were laughable. The Giants' returners continually made Detroit's first coverage wave miss, setting up decent field position. As for their own returns, the Lions are DESPERATE for someone, anyone, who could at least be average. They kept throwing different bodies on the field and not a single threat to do anything more than catch the ball was seen. Players like Cason returning kicks will not cut it. For a team with a long heritage of excellent kick and punt returners, it's sad to see. Even worse than coverage and returns was the news the Lions' long-time MVP, Jason Hanson, strained his thigh. No word yet as to how long he's out. God forbid it's anything that lingers long-term. When it comes to the (not so) special teams, all I can say is…FIRE KWAN!

Gameday linkage: Detroit Lions vs New York Giants

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:23:56 -0500

I have the "unofficial" Lions depth chart going into tonight's game. Just click to enlarge. The only thing that really stands out to me is Marinelli's not having any rookie higher than 2nd string. Considering his well-known aversion to giving rookies major responsibilities, it's to be expected. I doubt players like Gosder Cherilus, Kevin Smith and Jordon Dizon will remain low on totem pole for much longer. The NJ Star Ledger lists their 3 things to watch for on the Giants side of the ball: The passing game, the progress of the G-Men's 1st round pick, safety Kenny Phillips and their backup QB battle. For more of the Giants POV, head over to Fan Sided Blogs' G-Men H.Q. I have a feeling they are expecting a walkover tonight… Mlive's list of things to watch is pretty much the same as their sister paper. It includes watching for the progress of Keith Smith and Jordon Dizon, how the new defensive backfield holds up and the backup QB battle between Dan Orloxsky and Drew Stanton. The Detroit News mentions much the same items as Mlive (Smith, Dizon, the QB's), and adds the OT position battle between 1st round pick Gosder Cherilus vs. illegal prodecure specialist George Foster and the revamped d-line post Shaun Rogers. Personally, I'm most interested in seeing Kevin Smith. I fully expect the 3rd round pick from Central Florida to carry the rushing burden this season. The Lions claim they have a renewed commitment to run the ball. Tonight is our first opportunity to see if they can do more than just talk about a good running game, and actually develop one. As for what's up tonight at SLR, I'm live blogging the game on a tape delay basis (God damn draconian NFL broadcast rules!). As this is my first gameday as lead blogger, I'll be using the exhibition season to see what works and what doesn't in blogging the Lions. It's my preseason too! See you in the gameday thread, which will be going live shortly.

The Yankee Stadium All Star Game: 1977 vs. 2008

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:52:31 -0500

In case you haven't been paying attention to the rampant stretches of white columns that have been terrorizing New York landmarks in the commercials airing on Fox, next week happens to be the MLB All Star Game which is being played for the final time at the current version of Yankee Stadium.

The last time the All Star Game was hosted by the Yankees was 31 years ago in 1977, years before it "counted". Lots has changed for the mid-summer classic since those days. In 2008 we have the whole "winner takes home field" scenario, the phenomenon that is Internet voting, the phenomenon that is Japanese people taking full advantage of Internet voting and two days before the game we get to see a softball exhibition that features baseball legends, celebrities and occasionally Kevin James. We have an underwear company as the title sponsor, a four-hour Homerun Derby and of course we have the Best Damn Red Carpet Special which features the coveted record for longest red carpet in the history of man.

With all that, you have to assume Bud Selig is beaming with pride at what he's created.

But does all the fluff make for a more enjoyable game? You can dress it up as much as you'd like, but ultimately the quality of the game itself is going to depend on the quality of the players playing. With that in mind, how would the 2008 All Star Lineup stack up against its 1977 counterpart?

With roughly 73 players on each roster, for brevity's sake our comparison was kept to starting lineups only. And trust us, that was not a decision made lightly since a couple of fellas by the name of Goose Gossage and Dennis Eckersley were on the bench in '77. We don't bypass easy mustache jokes often.

First Base
Steve Garvey, Rod Carew vs. Lance Berkman, Kevin Youkilis
In 1977 Rod Carew finished the season batting .388, hit a career high 14 homeruns, won the MVP and presumably did it all while occasionally sporting an Olivia Newton John headband. Opposite him was Steve Garvey, he of the multiple paternity suits and celebrity bill-fishing tournaments that featured the sheriff from Murder She Wrote.

The 2008 lineup brings us a man who calls himself The Big Puma hitting .344 with 22 bombs as we approach the break (Lance Berkman) and Kevin Youkilis, the Greek God of Goatees That Look Like They Could Used As Belt Sanders. Berkman's comparables on baseball-reference.com at this point in his career include Albert Pujols and Hack Wilson. Youkilis' comparables include someone named Wayne Nordhagen.

Verdict: 2008 ? Because if Steve Garvey were to host a celebrity Puma hunting tournament, he'd get mauled.

Second Base
Joe Morgan, Willie Randolph vs. Chase Utley, Dustin Pedroia
Both the old-timers have their own set of issues in 2008, as Randolph just got canned from his job with the Mets two years removed from an NLCS appearance and Morgan has become best known for being a stubborn, stats-hating announcer who really doesn't watch much baseball despite it being his job to. As players, neither had any problems with Morgan winning two MVP's in leading the Big Red Machine and Randolph, while not quite the equivalent of his counterpart, appearing in five All Star Games, four of those coming as a Yankee.

If any modern day player could warrant comparisons to Joe Morgan, it might be Chase Utley. Both have a unique combo of power, average and quality defense from a premium position. If only Chase could start spouting off idiotic commentary and motivate someone to start a site called firechaseutley.com we might not be able to tell them apart (besides Utley's precious locks). Pedroia is only in his second season so there's no real way to predict if he'll surpass Randolph in his career, so we'll call that matchup a push.

Verdict: 2008 ? Maybe we just can't get past Joe Morgan: Professional Announcer.

Third Base
Ron Cey, George Brett vs. Chipper Jones, Alex Rodriguez
Let's do this one by nicknames:

Ron Cey = The Penguin
George Brett = Mullet
Larry Jones = Chipper
Alex Rodriguez = A-Rod

So you've got The Penguin and Mullet (seriously, apparently George Brett was known as "Mullet" early in his career; the guy was so far ahead of his time) versus Chipper and A-Rod. The MLB Nickname Selection Committee was clearly much more creative in the 70's.

Verdict: 1977 ? Because Chipper sounds like the type of named that should have been retired after being mocked in 5th grade gym class.

Shortstop
Dave Concepcion, Rick Burleson vs. Hanley Ramirez, Derek Jeter
In 1977, Rick Burleson was a starter on the All Star team after posting a .298 average, 2 homeruns and 28 RBI, and that was the good half. He inexplicably made a repeat appearance in the All Star Game the next year in a season which he wound up hitting .245/.295/.339 with 5 homeruns and 49 RBI. In '77 and '78 he finished 22nd and 36th in MVP voting respectively, proving once and for all that it's really sort of pointless to count all the way to 36th place in MVP voting. But damned if this guy wasn't camera friendly.

Of course, rugged handsomeness aside, all this means that Dave Concepcion is pretty much on his own in taking on rising star Hanley Ramirez and New York legend Derek Jeter. Those two have both the hype and the performance covered. Sorry, Dave, you lose.

Verdict: 2008 ? But we think that Burleson could give Jeter a run for his money in groupies if he were in his prime today.

Catcher
Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk vs. Geovany Soto, Joe Mauer
Soto is quickly establishing himself as close to a lock for the NL Rookie of the Year and Mauer has a batting title and vintage "Brandon Walsh from 90210" sideburns to his credit, but c'mon they're up against Carlton Fish and Johnny freaking Bench, two of the greatest catchers to play the game. Maybe in ten years this will be closer, youngsters.

Verdict: 1977 - And just so you know, Mauer, you aren't the first catcher to strap on some sideburns.

NL Outfield
George Foster, Dave Parker, Greg Luzinski, vs. Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, Ryan Braun
Screw baseball, the combination of George Foster, Dave Parker and Greg Luzinski could beat the ever-living shit out of the entire 2008 roster without so much as putting a scratch on Foster's tinted pimp shades. And they might be motivated to do so when they saw that Japanese voters somehow got Kosuke Fukudome voted in as a starter.

Verdict 1977 ? Greg Luzinski scares me.

AL Outfield
Carl Yastrzemski, Reggie Jackson, Richie Zisk vs. Manny Ramirez, Ichiro Suzuki, Josh Hamilton
Let's assume that the two legends of the Red Sox franchise ? Manny and Yaz ? pretty much cancel each other out. One is a Hall of Famer, the other is going to be, both are beloved in Boston, one was the last player to win a Triple Crown, the other looks like he hasn't washed his hair in ten years, blah, blah.

That leaves us with Reggie Jackson and someone named Richie Zisk for the old timers, and Ichiro and Josh Hamilton for the newbies. In Hamilton, the game has its feel-good story - a former phenom turned crackhead turned phenom again who leads the Majors in RBI at the break. In Jackson, you have a phenom turned combatant with Billy Martin turned potential assassin of the Queen of England. Both have overcome their share of problems en route to their success.

I would go over why Ichiro Suzuki is superior to Richie Zisk, but frankly I have no idea who Richie Zisk is.

Verdict: 1977 ? Crack is one thing, being robotically programmed to kill the Queen of England is another.

As for the pitchers, it's not official who will be named starters for the 2008 game, but it is probably a safe bet that both leagues won't be sending future Hall of Famers to the mound. That was the case in 1977 when Jim Palmer started for the AL and Don Sutton started for the NL. Yeah, that's right, a man who wasn't afraid to be photographed wearing nothing but a glove and a g-string went up against one of the best white jheri curls the league has ever seen. Advantage 1977.

Overall
Even in spite of Bud Selig's laundry list of intended improvements to the All Star Game, according to our very pragmatic viewpoint, it still appears as if the 2008 game will have slightly less star power than last one to hit Yankee Stadium. It's tough to duplicate a game that featured nine eventual Hall of Famers in the starting lineups alone. With eight more on the benches, the grand total of players who ultimately got plaques in Cooperstown on hand at the 1977 All Star Game was 17.

Not even the world's longest red carpet can make up for that gap in talent.

Detroit Lions draft review, day one: Needs were filled, but where they filled with the right players?

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:54:21 -0500

On day one of the 2008 NFL draft, the Lions filled needs. Glaring needs. Huge needs. Needs that could no longer be ignored. But they players they selected, Gosder Cherilus and Jordon Dizon, were both thought to be reaches by NFL draftniks. The Lions believe they ended up with a pair of players who will be number one on the depth chart at their respective positions when the '08 season starts. I'm just not sure if it means the players the Lions drafted are that good, or the Lions are that bad. 1st round (17th overall) Boston College OT Gosder Cherilus: Cherilus fills a huge need, as right tackle was nothing but a revolving door in 2007. A revolving door that couldn't pass block, run block, or remember the snap count. Obviously, Churilus was the fall back plan with Derrick Harvey and Jerod Mayo went off the board early in the 1st round. With the defensive help they desired no longer available, the Lions traded back 2 spots in the 1st round, determining Cherilus was the better fit than the higher rated tackle going into the draft, Jeff Otah. From most accounts, Cherilus was considered a low 1st to early 2nd round talent, so he was a bit of reach by Millen and Marinelli. Cherilus is a solid player, and should start immediately as a rookie at right tackle. So did left tackle Jeff Backus, who has been a solid pro, entrenching himself as the starter since his 1st NFL game. But he's not a Pro bowl talent, yet the Lions are paying him like one. With Cherilus getting 1st round money, it gives the Lions bookend tackles who are decent, but not elite, yet are being paid as such. As long as Cherilus remembers the snap count (George Foster, anyone?) and doesn't eat his way out of game shape after getting a big money contract (Damien Woody, FTW!), the right side of the Lions offensive line will be in better shape in 2008 than in 2007. How much better is yet to be determined… 2nd round (45th overall) Colorado LB Jordon Dizon: You cannot deny Dizon was a great college player, a Big 12 tackling machine. The question is, will his effectiveness carry over into the NFL? As he'll be the Lions starting middle linebacker sometime before the end of the '08 season, let's hope so. At 6?-0?, 229 lbs, many NFL running backs and wide receivers are bigger and faster than the undersized Dizon. (For example, Lions 3rd round pick, RB Kevin Smith, is 6?-1? 217 lbs) You also have to wonder if he can fend off offensive linemen who are 100-125 lbs heavier. Dizon was another reach for the M & M boys, as he was believed to be a 3rd round talent. But his "football intangibles," the sort of thing Marinelli laps up like a cat does milk, are off the charts. Dizon is the anti-Boss Bailey, who was a great athlete, with size and speed to burn, but a lousy linebacker who couldn't tackle. Dizon may not have near the same measurables, but his play on the field speaks volumes. Still, he can't help but be an upgrade over incumbent MLB Paris Lenon, who should not be starting in the NFL. In describing Dizon, I've heard comparisons to former Lions mainstay Chris Speilman, another over achieving linebacker. We can only hope Dizon, and his "intangibles," allow him to have a Spielman-like career. Intangibles or not, you can't teach size. And size is something Dizon lacks, and will have to overcome. Overall grade: B- It's a big leap forward for the Lions, hoping to get more substance than sizzle in the draft.Thanks to the 1st two rounds alone, the Lions are better team today than they were last Friday. How much better depends on Rod Marinelli, as this draft has his fingerprints all over it. The fact they drafted to fill obvious needs, needs continually patched or outright ignored during the Millen era, bumps their grade up a tad. It was refreshing to see after years of drafting skill player after skill player. But the fact both Churilus and Dizon could be considered marginal reaches at best, and huge mistakes in personnel judgment at worse, keeps me from getting too excited over the 1st two picks. Next: The 3rd round picks

NFL Draft 2007: What Would Matt Millen Do?

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 06:14:47 -0500

With talk of the NFL Draft increasing, the Detroit Lions may have the largest amount of ground to make up. After another season of sub-par football played well below expectations and hopes set by people across Detroit, Matt Millen may finally see his job is in jeopardy. Which position will the Lions take with the #2 overall selection?