Wednesday, August 31, 2011

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!

Monday, August 8, 2011

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

Thursday, August 4, 2011

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 19th head football coach in Michigan history on January 11th. 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*

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

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 31st. All early speculation of Michigan being a front-runner for Kalis ended on Sunday, July 10th, 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.