Comparing Matt Stafford to greatness

It was an honor to watch Drew Brees set the single-season passing record tonight. He is an amazing talent who has had an exceptional career.

But, along with Matt Stafford's stellar season, it makes me wonder where Stafford compares at this point of his career compared to the greats, like Brees.

Like usual when I get into one of these moods, I've decided to waste my time with countless research to try and prove a point. I want to compare Stafford's first 28 career games with Brees, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino and Tom Brady. Again, this is ONLY comparing the first 28 games of their careers. We will see how this goes ... and if my point is proven -- that Stafford compares favorably to some of the top quarterbacks to ever play the game.

(Writers' note -- playoff games are determined by how many each player had at the time of their 28th career game)

Matt Stafford -- 643 of 1,077 (59.7%) 7,320 yards 55 TD 35 INT (0 playoff games)

Drew Brees -- 540 of 909 (59.4%) 5,613 yards 29 TD 31 INT (0 playoff games)

Brett Favre -- 514 of 822 (62.5%) 5,346 yards 31 TD 30 INT (0 playoff games)

Peyton Manning -- 574 of 971 (59.1%) 8,951 yards 48 TD 42 INT (0 playoff games)

Dan Marino -- 548 of 884 (61.9%) 7,453 yards 68 TD 25 INT (4 playoff games -- 1 Super Bowl appearance)

Tom Brady -- 565 of 880 (64.2%) 5,942 yards 42 TD 23 INT (3 playoff games -- 1 Super Bowl victory)

It's clear that out of these six names, Marino is in a league of his own in every statistical category (other than yards). The touchdown to interception ratio is unbelievable, along with his playoff success. Right behind him -- and actually more successful in the playoffs -- is Tom Brady.

But, can you argue that Stafford has been just as good as any of these other quarterbacks? Of course. Don't forget that Stafford joined a Lions team that was coming off the worst season in NFL history and had to overhaul the entire roster (only 10 current players were on the 2008 team).

Is Stafford going to have the career that Favre, Brees, Manning, Marino or Brady have had? We won't know for probably quite some time. But, at this point of Stafford's career, he has shown that he may become one of the best to ever play the quarterback position.

Oh, and for those still doubting, these numbers should end any question whether the Lions got the first pick in the 2009 draft right.

We've waited 24 years for this; or for some of us, a lifetime

23 years, 3 months, and 19 days -- that is how long I have been alive. I've also had the enjoyment of being a Detroit Tigers fan that same amount of time. That's not an over-exaggeration either, as I can't remember any period in my life that I wasn't obsessed with this baseball team, that in all honesty, has done little in terms of rewarding fans during that time period.

Yes, in 2006 they made the playoffs as the wild card team and went on to reach the World Series. It was easily the most exciting season as a baseball fan in my life and being there for Magglio Ordonez's walk-off home run was a moment I will never forget.

The only problem with this is the fact that this has been the only season in my lifetime that they have made the playoffs. While it was an amazing season, it was five years ago and many things have changed -- most notably, there is not one starting position player left on the roster.

Brandon Inge, Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen have since had their workloads reduced to reserve players who play one or two times per week. Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco, Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez and Marcus Thames have all either been traded or released. Finally, Craig Monroe and Sean Casey are out of baseball all-together.

Only five of the players from the Tigers 25-man playoff roster in 2006 are still on the team and not all are guaranteed a spot on this year's playoff roster.

That's how much has changed in a short five seasons, now imagine when you look back to the last time the Tigers won a division championship and how much has changed.

In case you forgot when that was, you'll have to go back all the way to the late summer/early fall of 1987.

Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammell and Kirk Gibson were the heart and soul of the Tigers lineup that season. A far cry from the names of Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and Alex Avila.

Detroit fans are loyal, passionate and will always be there for their teams. That is just the way we're built here in Detroit. It doesn't matter if it's the Tigers, Lions, Pistons or Red Wings. We've truly been through hell and back with all franchises -- but it may not be any worse than the hell we've been through with the Tigers.

That's why when they finally clinch the division -- even though we already know it's just a matter of time -- this city will explode with excitement. We've waited 24 years to enjoy a division championship and I'm very confident the excitement for it will not disappoint.

Enjoy this moment Detroit because you never know, we may have to wait until 2035 for the next one!

Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

Tom "Killer" Kowalski -- More than just a reporter

On Sunday, Tom Kowalski wrote an article in which he referred to the Matt Stafford to Nate Burleson touchdown pass as Brett Favre-esque.

During my show, The Redzone, on Monday, I referenced the article and talked about Kowalski's knowledge of the game and ability to deliver that knowledge in a way that we, the fans, could understand.

It was shocking to me just a couple of hours later when I logged onto my social media networks and saw the news that Kowalski died at the age of 51.

I didn't know "Killer," nor did I ever have a chance to talk to him other than a couple of tweets back-and-forth. But, because he made himself so available to the fans through MLive, Twitter, Facebook and the radio show he co-hosted, it felt like we all "knew" him.

He made us mad, he made us laugh and at times, he left most of us in shock by his predictions -- including the now-famous one in which he said the Lions would win 20 games over a two-year span -- but we couldn't stop reading, watching, or listening when he spoke.

Why? Because he related to all of us. Killer was a beer and brat kind-of-guy that loved football and more importantly, knew football.

Those of us who live in metro-Detroit have been so blessed when it comes to sports media personalities. Ernie Harwell, Ken Kal, Mario Impemba, Dan Dickerson, Dan Miller, Jamie Samuelsen, Mitch Albom -- and that's only naming a very small handful of them -- are all people that I've looked up to in my pursuit of becoming a journalist.

Tom "Killer" Kowalski tops all of them when it comes to the influence a media personality has on a community. He would tell us to dream of large women before bed, he would get pissed when the first person to comment on his article would reference the word, "frist" in the opening sentence, but most of all, he worked his ass off EVERY DAY to bring us as much possible knowledge as he could.

It's not that the other names I mentioned don't do that -- but they're not Killer. Nobody ever will be.

Tom, thank you for your years of service and for being a friend to all of us. I shed a few tears on Monday in remembrance of you and am sure that thousands, possibly millions, of others did as well. I know you'll enjoy the upcoming football season with a Bud Light in hand and from the greatest seats of them all. We miss you Tom, and always will!

Lions injuries continue, but are not end of the world

The news that Jeff Backus and Gosder Cherilus, the starting offensive tackles, were both battling injuries was enough for Lions fans to question if a curse really hung over the franchise. Then, third-round pick Titus Young was out with a hamstring injury, followed by first-round pick Nick Fairley having surgery for a broken foot and the curse was all but confirmed.

But, being Lions fans, we should all know that it can always get worse, and it did. Earlier today, it was announced that second-round pick Mikel LeShoure suffered a torn Achilles' tendon and would miss the entire season.

That's right, the top two picks of this season's draft are both out, one for the entire year, and the third pick is practicing on a very limited basis. Although I am not a believer in a "curse" or anything of the sort, it is extremely disheartening to see so many injuries, especially to young players expected to have specific contributing roles for this team.

But, this is the 2011 Detroit Lions, not the 2008 Detroit Lions who went 0-16. Neither Fairley or LeShoure are, or were, expected to start this season. While they were both counted on to contribute, that is a big difference from years past when rookies were expected to come in and be starters.

Another encouraging sign is that Fairley, although expected to miss most of training camp according to the Lions, should be ready to go early on during the season. His presence throughout camp and the pre-season would have gone a long way in his development, but the key to drafting him is having a player of his caliber as the season wears on and fellow defensive lineman begin to get banged up and wear down. If he is back at the end of August, which is expected, then there is no reason to not have confidence he won't contribute to the defense as expected.

What LeShoure would have brought to the Lions offense probably can't be matched by any free agent, or trade option available to them. But, LeShoure was going to be counted on in certain situations, such as third down and late in the game when the Lions were trying to kill the clock. He was not going to start, as that role belongs to Jahvid Best, who the Lions traded back into the first-round last year to draft.

One name to keep an eye on is Jerome Harrison, formerly of the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. The Michigan native is still available in free agency and would be a great pickup for the Lions.

Last season, Harrison carried the ball 70 times for 331 yards, an average of 4.6 yards per carry. With decent blocking, Harrison can provide the tough, inside yards that the Lions will need at time this season.

The point is, while the injuries do hurt the Lions, they are not the end to this year's team and do not kill any chance at this year's playoffs.

Last year, the Packers lost starting running back, Ryan Grant, in the first game of their season. Although they had to go through the rest of the season with a running back by committee approach, they were still able to do the two most important things, block and play defense, and were able to reach and win the Super Bowl.

I'm not saying that the Lions will reach the Super Bowl this season, but these injuries can be overcome.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Mears/Detroit Free Press

Time for Michigan to take back rivalry with OSU

“I can assure you that you will be proud of your young people in the classroom, in the community and most especially in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Michigan.”

Those were the words Jim Tressel spoke during halftime of an Ohio State-Michigan basketball game on January 18, 2001 in Columbus, Ohio. He was not lying to the crowd either when he made that speech.

The Tressel-led Buckeyes not only went on to succeed greatly in academics, but they also won nine of the next ten meetings against Michigan. Most recently, the 37-7 dismantling of Rich Rodriguez’s squad that proved too much for the Wolverines coach to overcome and retain his job.

It’s amazing how quickly a dynasty can fall.

By now, we’ve all heard the reports of Terrelle Pryor, along with other current and former Buckeyes players, selling autographed memorabilia for tattoos, drugs and cash. It was then reported earlier this week that Pryor has also been seen with as many as eight different vehicles during his time in Columbus.

The ongoing NCAA investigation and looming punishments for Ohio State have already proven to be too much for Tressel to overcome. He resigned as head coach this past Monday. Not only does it tarnish the legacy he had at Ohio State, but it also puts serious concerns as to what the future of the football program at Ohio State will look like.

However, for fans at the University of Michigan, the real question is, what does this mean for the future of the Wolverines?

Brady Hoke was introduced as the 19^th head football coach in Michigan history on January 11^th. He made it very obvious from the get-go that he was not and never will be a fan of Ohio State. He even refuses to call it by its proper name. Typically referring to it as, “that school in Ohio.”

The hiring of Hoke put an end to a tumultuous three year relationship between Rich Rodriguez and Michigan, which led to an overall record of 15-23 and 0-3 versus Ohio State. It also gave fans hope for the future. Hope that Michigan will be able to dominate the rivalry with the Buckeyes as they did when they were 13-4-1 in the 18 previous seasons prior to Tressel’s arrival.

There is no better chance to regain that dominance then right now. Hoke brings a “Michigan Man” back into Ann Arbor, which is something Wolverines faithful have wanted since Lloyd Carr announced his retirement. Along with that, he brings proven coordinators Al Borges and Greg Mattison, who both bring great experience to the Michigan sideline.

While it will not be easy implementing a new scheme at Michigan, they will not be forced to implement that change while being under the scrutiny of the NCAA and the rest of the college football community.

For the Buckeyes, the same can ‘t be said. That is why now, more so than any time in the previous ten seasons, is the time for Michigan to make their move back to the top of the rivalry with Ohio State.

Photo Courtesy of Gregory Shamus

*This article was written by me and can also be seen on www.bigtensportswatch.com*

Hoke brings recruiting success back to Michigan

When Brady Hoke arrived at Michigan, there was an obvious need to put Michigan football back on top of recruiting, not only in the state, but in the country as well. Hoke, along with his staff, have taken that task to heart, and Michigan football is enjoying one of its best recruiting seasons in recent history.

To date, there have been 19 commitments already made for the class of 2012, four of which are in the nation’s Top 100 according to MaxPreps.com.

The highest rated recruit in the class is Terry Richardson, a cornerback from Cass Tech in Detroit, MI. But, the recruit garnering all the attention is Kyle Kalis, an offensive lineman from St. Edward in Lakewood, OH. Kalis was originally an Ohio State recruit, but decommitted after Jim Tressel resigned on May 31^st. All early speculation of Michigan being a front-runner for Kalis ended on Sunday, July 10^th, when he officially committed to the Wolverines.

At 6’5” and 302 pounds, Kalis brings size and talent to a Michigan recruiting class that has not been seen since Jake Long in 2003. It also headlines a recruiting class that Michigan students, fans, and alumni have clamored for during the program’s downfall in the past three seasons. The 2012 class emphasizes size and strength, over speed and agility, which was of high importance for Rich Rodriguez and his style of football.

In Rodriguez’s three recruiting classes, there were ten total offensive linemen that committed to Michigan. In Hoke’s first year recruiting, there have already been five offensive linemen to commit, with the possibility of one or two more committing later on.

Hoke also was responsible for Chris Barnett being a late commit as an offensive lineman for the 2011 class.

National prominence hasn’t been the only recruiting concern Michigan has had lately. Michigan State, under Mark Dantonio, has made great strides in in-state recruiting, and has done a great job recruiting in its own backyard in recent seasons.

But, for 2012 at least, Michigan has once again flexed its muscle and taken over in the recruiting battle with the Spartans. Of the 19 commitments the Wolverines have, 11 of them were offered scholarships by the Spartans. In contrast, only two of the Spartans commitments were offered by the Wolverines.

While the 2012 recruiting class for both schools is far from complete, it is a good sign for any Michigan fan to see the Wolverines once again finding the tradition it seems it missed during the Rodriguez era.

The hiring of Hoke at Michigan brought many new faces and changes to a program which was in desperate need of a change. The greatest change thus far seems to be the emphasis put into recruiting, and the success that it is having. If that continues, expect to see the program turn into the national powerhouse it had been for many years.

Sick of me on Twitter yet?

For the few of you that follow me on Twitter, you know that I'm definitely not afraid to tweet, or speak my mind in those tweets. After joining the site a couple of years ago, I didn't see the sense in it all. I could have cared less what anybody, especially a celebrity, was doing in their abundance of spare time. However, I gave into peer pressure and then immediately became addicted.

I've had some complaints from some followers that I tweet way too much. My response? Hit that little "unfollow" button under my name. I could care less if I had one, 100, or 1,000,000 followers. It's my little place to vent and express my opinion.

Currently, there are two issues that I'm very passionate about and I've not hesitated to tweet those passions to my followers. I figured, instead of trying to express my feelings in 140-characters, I'd write a blog, and then tweet that out so people can read it. Maybe that will give them more insight into my thoughts.

Issue #1: The Detroit Tigers

I love Detroit sports. I don't care what team it is, how good they are, or how bad they are. I will be a fan of the Tigers, Lions, Pistons, Red Wings and Michigan Wolverines until the day that I no longer grace this earth with my presence. For me, being a fan involves investing my emotions. Sometimes that can be a good thing, and other times that can be a bad thing.

The Tigers are currently under my radar and scrutiny because, well, there is nothing else to bother me in the Detroit sports world (Thanks a lot NFL).

Do I sometimes overreact to situations? Yes. Should I sometimes think about what I'm tweeting before I send it out? Yes. However, I'm not dumb. I know when a line is crossed and I try very hard not to do so. But, some people don't see it that way and think I'm negative, so I want to clear some of that up for fellow Tigers fans.

I don't hate Ryan Raburn. I only hate him as an everyday player. I said it all off-season, and have continued to say it all season, he is NOT an everyday player in this league. He never has been, so why at this stage would he become one? The past couple of weeks, Leyland has put him into the role he has succeeded in in the past, a utility bench player. Ironically enough, Raburn's numbers have improved in that time.

The Tigers will need him in able to secure a division title, but he has to be used properly by Leyland. Don't run him out there too much when he's hitting the ball well, and don't play him too little if he's scuffling a bit. There's a fine-line with Raburn that Leyland has found in the past. He MUST find that again this year.

As for my tweets about this team not being consistent or good enough through the first 99 games of the season so far. I'm not lying about those. I truly believe that if this team wants to win a division, they must improve on consistency, and fix a couple of glaring issues.

Dave Dombrowski did a great job this week of trading for Wilson Betemit to take over at third base. However, that can't be the only addition this team makes. A starting pitcher and relief pitcher are both needed.

The reliever does not have to be all-star caliber, but good enough to fill in when Al Alburquerque, Joaquin Benoit, or Jose Valverde need a day off.

The starting pitcher though, in my opinion, has to come in and be a #3 starter for this team. I trust Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer to do their job every fifth day. But, can we count on Rick Porcello, Brad Penny and a TBA fifth starter to do their jobs and get this team to the playoffs? I have my doubts. That's why I'm not sold on this team that I love yet.

Issue #2: Terry Richardson

If you aren't a Michigan football fan, or follow high school football in the area, you probably don't know who Terry Richardson is.

Quick summary -- Richardson is a four-star CB recruit from Detroit Cass Tech High School. He's the #10 ranked CB in the country and committed to Michigan in May.

You might wonder, why the hell would you have any issue with a top talent committing to Michigan? So, no, I'm not going insane. That's not what it is.

The issue is that in the last few weeks, Richardson has been posting on Twitter that he's still verbally committed to Michigan, but he's going to take his visits to Alabama, Florida, USC and other schools to see what they have to offer.

He's in high school, I have no issue with wanting to see the country and visit all of these phenomenal schools and programs. But, the way he talks about every trip and himself? Yes, that's what I have an issue with.

Here are a few tweets of his about other colleges or teams, since he "committed" to Michigan --

"Florida is that deal i could definitely go to college or live down there!!!"

"Yea im taking a visit to oregon and florida in july #cantwait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

If you are going to "commit" to a school and then later have a want, or feel it's necessary to take visits, then decommit. Nobody is holding you to a verbal, but don't waste everybody's time and commit, then hype Michigan, but at the same time talk out of the other side of your mouth about how great all these other schools are.

Michigan isn't going to be mad if you tell them you want to wait a few weeks, or even a few months until National Signing Day to pick what school you want to go to. However, don't act immature after YOU made the decision to commit to a school, and then get upset when fans question your actions that you make public.

Yesterday, I finally got sick and tired of reading tweets from Richardson about these other schools and how great he is, so I decided to tweet him. Here is a transcript of what was said --

Me: "Alright, I'm going to say it @terry_rich, if you don't want Michigan then decommit. You think Bo would put up with your BS? No! Grow up! (Richardson) is a SUPERB talent, but be mature about the process. You think @BGraham54 (Brandon Graham) or @officialbraylon (Braylon Edwards) would've pulled that? Hell no."

Richardson: "Dude fans need to stop commenting on my tweets or athletes tweets negatively know your place your just a fan!!'

Me: "What's your place? You have done NOTHING but commit. Fans make the game. Better learn. You wanna be the man? Go tell Hoke what you say on Twitter. Oh wait, you ain't the man no more. You wouldn't dare."

Was the last part a little harsh? Maybe. But guess what? You are a top recruit in an age where social media rules and everything you say or do will be public knowledge instantly. If you don't like what fans have to say, what are you going to do when you have a bad game, the team loses, and national media is ripping you to the world?

I'm not kidding either when I say, if you're going to act like a big man, then go tell Hoke what you spout off on Twitter. Problem is, Richardson doesn't have the balls to do that, nor would he ever consider that. If Hoke, or anyone in the Michigan program knew what he was tweeting, they'd probably have a few words for him as well.

Lastly, don't tell me we are "just fans". No buddy, we make the game. Without us, there is no football, there is no 110,000+ screaming fans filling the Big House. There's nothing. So, before you go out and bash the fans, you better check yourself. Last time I checked, you're "just" a high school senior who is one hit away from never stepping onto a football field again.

Terry, you're a great talent. You will be a very good college football player. Don't ruin your legacy at Michigan, or any other school, before you get there, by not being able to handle criticism. You should look at your teammate, Royce Jenkins-Stone, to see how to handle the pressure and show the maturity to be where you're at.

Richardson tweeted that him and Jenkins-Stone were both going to take visits across the country and keep their recruitment open. While Jenkins-Stone originally agreed, he quickly said he was not going to do that anymore and expressed how excited he is to be a Michigan football player. That is the humble attitude and maturity needed by somebody who has God-given talent that only few are blessed with. Now, Richardson needs to find that inside him. Whether he stays a Michigan recruit, or decommits, without those personality traits, he'll never be more than a kid with immense talent who fails to make it.