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.

American women representing the USA, while showing us what sports is truly about

The United States was losing 2-1. Time was ticking down to not only the end of the game, but the Americans chance to move on in the World Cup. Suddenly, Abby Wambach headed a cross pass from Megan Rapione into the back of the net. The American women had done the impossible and tied the score with just seconds to spare. With emotion on their side, they won the match in penalty kicks, 5-3, and moved on to the semi-finals.

Through it all, I found myself doing something that rarely ever happens. I, Garrett Elliott, actually had an emotional investment in a soccer game.

Now, this is important because I rarely, even during the World Cup, care what happens. I don’t find soccer boring to play, nor do I think the players are any less of an athlete than, let’s say, a football player. The issue I have always had is that the games take too long, and there is not enough excitement to be a spectator.

There is something different about this American women’s team. Not only has the team caught my interest enough to follow them, but they have made me feel emotion for a sport that I haven’t felt since I last played in sixth grade. If the team does not win this year’s World Cup, I will actually feel the disappointment that I’m sure millions around the country will as well.

What made this team catch my interest? That is a great question. I’m sure my buddy Bill will tell you that it is my belief that Hope Solo is the most gorgeous woman in the world. But, I promise you, it is not that. What attracts (great word choice eh?) me to this team is the fact that the women on this team have the fire, and the determination to win, that I believe is lacking in the sports world today.

Whether you are an athlete, or a fan, it is the raw emotion during the ups-and-downs of a game that allows it to be so great, that allows it to capture all of our attention.

It was not hard to spot the determination on Wambach’s face as the game wore on. She screamed to her players to keep trudging forward, even when hope was dwindling. The team’s jubilant celebration after Ali Krieger secured the victory was the culmination of the game’s emotion, and it was wonderful to watch as a fan. On the other end of the spectrum, the disappointment for the Brazilian women shows how much these games mean to these women and to the county they represent.

If you are an American and have not been watching this year’s World Cup, I highly suggest you tune-in. These ladies have won me over, and I’m sure they will win you over as well. I just hope the excitement continues to carry-on, and at the end of the World Cup this country can celebrate a World Cup victory.

God Bless America…and the women working hard in Germany to make us all proud!

Photo Courtesy of Petr David Josek/AP

All-Star Game is nothing but a popularity contest

The All-Star Game should be an opportunity for the best players from the American League and National League to represent their respective position and attempt to win their league home-field advantage in the World Series. Fans, however, have yet again turned the voting into a popularity contest, resulting in undeserving players given an honor that others deserve.

It is time that Major League Baseball realizes that some fans do not understand what qualities make an All-Star, and they need to take voting for starters out of the their control. Allow the fans to vote for the final roster spot for each league, but no more. Too many players miss out on a great opportunity, and it needs to stop.

This season, it is so frustrating to see Derek Jeter and Russell Martin leading the voting at both of their positions. Neither one of them have been productive this season, and both are far from deserving to even be considered for a spot in the game. Both players, though, are from New York, and are lucky to have a faithful fan-base that will continue to vote for them no matter how bad the struggles are.

On Wednesday, June 29, Martin hit a three-run home run. It was his first extra-base hit since May 24. In the 19 games prior to the 29th, he was only 10-67 (.149 BA), and had eight RBI's.

In comparison, Alex Avila, the starting catcher for the Detroit Tigers, who deservers to start the All-Star Game, has gone 28-85 (.329 BA), with 2 HR and 18 RBI's since May 24. Steadily, Avila has become the premier catcher in the AL, while Martin has continued a downward trend.

Jeter has yet to play a game since going on the disabled list on June 13 with a calf injury. Prior to getting injured, Jeter was only hitting .260 on the season with only 12 extra-base hits.

Jhonny Peralta, the starting shortstop for the Detroit Tigers, and possibly the biggest surprise in the AL this season, has 30 extra-base hits on the season, greatly improved his defense, and ranks in the top ten in the AL in BA, SLG, and OPS.

If those numbers aren't strong enough to earn a trip to Arizona for the All-Star game, then I'm not sure what is. Sadly, fans around the league have seemed to be unsure how to vote for some time now, and MLB continues to sit idly by.

Photo Courtesy of AP File Photo

Brandon Knight brings excitement back to Pistons

Darko Milicic, Jason Maxiell, Arron Afflalo, Rodney Stuckey, DJ White, and Austin Daye. If you have followed the Detroit Pistons at all in the past ten years, you would know that those are their first round draft picks from 2003-2008. A good group of role players are listed there, but none of them have reached the potential that fans believed they could when drafted. They have also become the reasons that many Pistons fans are skeptical when it comes to Joe Dumars ability to draft talent.

Some of those skepticisms subsided last season when Greg Monroe became one of the best young big men in the league. After last night's draft pick of Brandon Knight at 8th overall, there has never been more excitement in recent memory of a Pistons draft.

Knight is going to be a very good, if not great player during his NBA career. The reasons go beyond the fact he averaged 17.3 PPG, 4.2 APG, and 4 RPG in his only season as a Kentucky Wildcat. Knight is an intelligent, classy, well-rounded individual that will bring excitement to Pistons fans for not only his on-the-court contributions, but off-the-court as well.

Not only does Knight bring superb skill to the court, he also brings an extreme amount of intelligence. In 2010, he graduated from the prestigious Pine Crest School in Florida with a 4.3 GPA. If basketball skills weren't able to get him into college, his grades certainly were, as he had Ivy league schools clamoring for him to attend.

The one trait that Knight has, in my opinion, that separates him from the rest of this draft class is his ability in the clutch. During this season's NCAA Tournament, twice were the Wildcats given an opportunity to win a game in the closing seconds, and each time Knight came through with baskets to advance his team. Even more amazing, Knight was 0-for-7 and 2-for-9 shooting respectively before taking the final shot of each game. It's very rare to come across a player that is able to put aside previous struggles in clutch moments. Luckily for Pistons fans, Joe Dumars and the organization found one of those rare talents.

I look forward to seeing Brandon Knight slashing to the lane and winning basketball games for my favorite basketball team for many years to come. At the same time, I'm very happy that Joe Dumars has finally figured it out when it comes to the NBA Draft. Hopefully in the future, he'll be stuck trying to find gems late in the first round then in the lottery.

Photo Courtesy of Jerry Mendoza

What would make baseball's top rotation?

Earlier this week, many of us were able to witness Justin Verlander come within five outs of throwing the third no-hitter of his career, and the second one this season. Orlando Cabrera, however, laced a 0-1 fastball up the middle and made sure Verlander would not make the Indians his next no-hit victim.

The day following Verlander's dominating performance, the baseball world was buzzing about how great the 28-year old from Virginia is. Some experts believed there was nobody better than, while others still had their doubts when it came to comparing him to others that are regarded as baseball's best pitcher.

I don't want to sit and compare pitchers to determine, in my opinion, who the top pitcher in the league is. There are way too many variables to take into account and the difference between pitching in the AL and NL is so vast that it's almost unfair to compare pitchers in the separate leagues. Instead, I want to create what would be the best five-man pitching rotation in baseball today. Of course, there is room to debate, so I'd love to hear feedback on who you would put into your rotation. However, in the meantime, here is my fantasy rotation. Stats listed are their career numbers.

1. Roy Halladay (178-89, 3.29 ERA, 1.17 WHIP): Although he is 34 years old, Halladay has actually improved statistically every year since 2007. While he didn't become a strikeout pitcher until 2008, Halladay has always been the best when it comes to efficiency. In 335 career starts, he has 62 complete games. In 2010, Halladay had nine complete games and only averaged 108.1 pitches per start. At the top of any rotation, consistency and efficiency are key and Halladay exemplifies that. There is nobody else in the league who compares to him in those regards and that is why in my rotation, he's the ace.

2. Justin Verlander (92-55, 3.68 ERA, 1.22 WHIP): While consistency is the key to Halladay's success, the same is not true for Verlander. At least, that was the case until the 2011 season. In the first 165 starts of his career, Verlander had only 10 complete games. In only 16 starts this season, he already has four complete games and one in each of his last two starts. The key to Verlander's success has always been his ability to overpower hitters. However, this season he has changed his approach, dramatically improved his changeup, and is now mixing his ability to be overpowering along with consistency and the results have been unbelievable. With opponents hitting only .188 against Verlander and his WHIP at a staggering 0.85, this may be the season he sets himself apart from the rest of the pitchers in baseball.

3. Cole Hamels (69-48, 3.43 ERA, 1.15 WHIP): Any strong rotation needs a left-handed pitcher. There is no better left-handed pitcher in baseball than Cole Hamels, and that is why he would be the third pitcher in my rotation. Hamels has had an outstanding season thus far in 2011, but he has always been a top pitcher, even if it has been while under the radar. The number of wins he has posted is not overwhelming, but the WHIP Hamels has posted throughout his career (1.15) ranks near the top since his debut in 2006. In the past three seasons, Hamels groundball-to-flyball ratio along with opponent's batting average have dramatically improved. If the maturation continues in the coming years, Hamels may not only be considered the top left-handed pitcher in baseball, but the best period.

4. Jair Jurrjens (46-30, 3.32 ERA, 1.28 WHIP): As a Detroit Tiger fan, it is almost painful to see the success that Jurrjens has enjoyed since being traded to Atlanta after the 2007 season. While injuries have been somewhat of an issue in the past, Jurrjens is still very young (25 years old) and this season is proving he may have the brightest future of all the pitchers in this rotation. While he is not overpowering, he does a great job of keeping hitters off-balance and his control is exceptional. Although his fastball can top out in the mid-to-high 90s, the most effective pitch in his repertoire is his changeup. The key for Jurrjens is developing a strong third pitch. The slurve has been a work-in-progress for a few years now, but maybe this is the season that it fully develops to put Jurrjens on the next level.

5. Josh Johnson (48-23, 2.98 ERA, 1.22 WHIP): The hardest choice in determining this rotation was where to place Johnson. While he has the ability to easily be in one of the top two spots, the injury-prone track his career has taken has really taken its toll. After 14 starts in 2008, Johnson underwent reconstructive elbow surgery. When he returned in 2009, Johnson went 15-5 with a 3.23 ERA and looked like he was close to reaching full potential. However, after another exceptional year in 2010, he was shut down due to back problems in September. Johnson looked to be well on his way this season to a potential Cy-Young before going on the 60-day DL due to a shoulder injury. When Johnson returns, he has an overpowering fastball and exceptional command with his secondary pitches. If he can stay healthy, he will flourish. If not, he will be added to the list of players you wonder, "what if?"

Those are the five pitchers that I would put in my rotation if given a team and unlimited checkbook. Who would you have in your rotation?

Photo courtesy of GraphicsHunt.com

Hey, it's time to leave Detroit alone

The Boston Bruins beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 earlier this evening to win the Stanley Cup. Sadly, this night will be remembered for the way that Vancouver fans responded to the loss. In one of the most disgusting scenes that I have seen as a sports fans, hooligans took to the streets of downtown Vancouver and set fire to police vehicles, smashed business windows, looted and threw bottles and other objects at police officers trying to put an end to the violent behavior.

When watching the 2010 Winter Olympics last year, which took place in Vancouver, I could not believe how beautiful a city it was. I thought it was not only a beautiful city physically, I thought that the citizens there provided a fantastic atmosphere and showed the world how great of a city it was. However, after tonight, there is very little positive thoughts in regard to Vancouver. It's difficult to label an entire city based off of the act of one group, but this isn't a small crowd partaking in these acts. The group committing these acts is very large and full of immature people.

With what's happening in Vancouver tonight, it's time for people to lay off the city of Detroit and find a new city to bash.

Having spent my entire life in metro Detroit, I've grown sick and tired of listening to people who want to compare every negative issue to something that occurred in Detroit. This city will never be forgiven for the Palace Brawl in 2005, whether or not it was the Indiana players who went into the crowd and began the physical confrontation. Every riot will continue to be compared to the one that happened after the Detroit Tigers won the 1984 World Series. Finally, who could forget the Canadian reporter, Robert Tychkowski, who wrote an article in November that stated the forecast in Detroit was, "muggy with a chance of murder."

I'm never going to argue that Detroit doesn't have issues as a city, however, when it comes to sports, there is no doubt that this city and its fan base knows how to handle both winning and losing with class. There has been 11 professional and major University championships won in my lifetime here in Michigan and not once have we had any issues with fans behaving like we are seeing tonight in Vancouver. Detroit even lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2009. Did we riot in the streets? Did we set cars on fire? Did we attack police officers with physical violence? To the surprise of many people, most of which have never spent any time in this city, the answer to all of those questions is no.

One thing that people need to remember, this is over a hockey game. This isn't an issue of life or death, it's not even an issue serious enough to warrant any of the behavior we are seeing tonight. This, folks, is a game. There is always going to be a winner and there is always going to be a loser. Sadly tonight, the Vancouver Canucks aren't going to be the biggest losers when all is said and done. It's going to be the city of Vancouver.

Step aside Detroit, there's a new whipping boy in town, and deservedly so.

*I want to thank CTV for the great coverage of tonight's events in Vancouver. Provided a great glimpse for those of us at home.

Photo courtesy of Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press

NHL proves yet again it has no backbone

Nathan Horton laid on the ice motionless for what seemed to be an eternity. The camera zoomed in so everybody watching could see as he struggled to take deep breaths on the ice while unconscious. The panic he went through when he finally regained any sense as to what was going on was unbearable.

That was the end result of one of the most vicious, disgusting hits I have ever seen in hockey. Aaron Rome, the responsible party for this hit, not only deserved to miss the rest of the Stanley Cup Finals, but he deserved to miss much more as well. The problem is, the NHL yet again showed that its disciplinary action is far from respectable by only suspending him for the rest of the Cup Finals.

Possibly even more disgusting than the hit itself, was Mike Murphy, senior vice president of hockey operations, stating that the hit was not covered under Rule 48 and was simply an issue of a late hit. Murphy went on to explain exactly what went into the decision-making process behind the suspension.

"Two factors were considered in reaching this decision," said Murphy. "The hit by Rome is clearly beyond what is acceptable in terms of how late it was delivered after Horton had released the puck and it caused significant injury."

For those of you who are unaware of Rule 48, it defines an illegal hit to the head as, "A lateral or blind side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact is not permitted."

What is most frustrating about this whole situation is the fact that while the hit was definitely a north-south play, Rome was targeting an unsuspecting player. Replays clearly show that Horton takes nearly three full strides before contact takes place and Rome's eyes never leave Horton the entire time. Rome knew that the puck left Horton's possession, yet he was intent on delivering a critical blow. Sadly, he did.

The NHL took steps forward this season to finally addressing hits to the head, an issue that has been hindering the league for quite some time now. However, an incident like we saw Tuesday shows just how much further they need to go to addressing the problem.

One step toward possibly doing this is the NHL naming Brendan Shanahan the new head of discipline next season, taking over for Colin Campbell. While some will contend that Shanahan will have a conflict of interest when addressing disciplinary actions for teams like the Red Wings, who he played for, I believe that being a former player, along with working in the league office will help him intelligently and fairly hand down discipline.

As for now, I only wish somebody in the league office would have had the backbone to stand up to the dirty hit by Rome and suspend him for a greater length of time. It was one of the most disgusting plays we have ever had to witness, yet sadly, there will be another hit in the future that tops it. Hopefully by then, the league works out its problems and can adequately handle it when it does happen.

Lebron James the NBA's best?

Lebron James is one of the most gifted athletes to ever play in the NBA. He has the size to abuse opponents in the post, the speed to drive by opponents on the perimeter and the ability to knock down a shot from anywhere on the court. While there is not one team in the league that wouldn’t want James on their roster, is he the best player in the NBA? For me, the answer is no. The reason being, he has yet to win a championship.

While James took a lot of heat for leaving Cleveland for, well, the Heat, it was well deserved. Lebron James grew up in Akron, Ohio, he was their hometown hero and he had the chance to bring the city and the state their first professional sports championship in ages. He had already led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2007 and had them at the cusp of doing the same last season. Sadly though, James has a history of falling short when it matters the most. It’s looking like the same will be true this season, unless Dwayne Wade can again carry his team to their second title under his command.

Falling short would be an understatement after watching James performance last night in Game 4 against Dallas. In 46 minutes of action in a tight ballgame, James finished with only 8 points on 3-for-11 shooting. In addition to that, he turned the ball over four times. Even more shocking is the fact that he went scoreless throughout the fourth quarter and only attempted one shot in those 12 minutes. You’ve got to question whether or not that performance is something you’d see Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Kobe Bryant have in the same situation.

For those of you who didn’t pay much attention when the Spurs swept away the Cavaliers with ease during the 2007 NBA Finals, it won’t take long to see how poor James performed during that series as well. Through the four games, Lebron shot a measly 36% from the field, 69% from the free throw line and turned the ball over nearly six times per game. While he did lead the Cavaliers in scoring at 22 points per game, it was the other failures that stood out to observers.

Granted, there is still some distaste I have towards James for how he went about leaving Cleveland last season. Not only was it conceded on his part, but it was not how any superstar should handle free agency or any other type of professional matter. However, with that being said, the statistics and history are still right in front of our eyes. Lebron James never won a championship for his Cavaliers. While the Miami Heat are only two games away from winning their second championship in five seasons, this isn’t Lebron James team.

The man in charge of this team is Dwayne Wade and he’s performing in these Finals like he did in 2006. He has put the team on his back and has them all staring down a NBA title. Sadly, James is just another player along for the ride with Wade, and that’s why he isn’t, and never will be, the best in the NBA.

Photo Courtesy of Robyn Beck/AFP

Harping on Harper

Bryce Harper is 18-years old, has a $9.9 million contract with the Washington Nationals and is on the fast track to being the next star in Major League Baseball. However, with all the success comes the fact that Harper is under a microscope from the media and everything he does, positive or negative, will be on camera for everyone to see.

Monday night was no exception, as Harper took a few seconds leaving the batters box after a home run, and then blew a kiss to pitcher Zachary Neal on his way home. The home run came after Harper was hit by a pitch on Sunday that forced him to leave the game and then he was brushed back by a pitch in his first at-bat on Monday.

While Harper has not made any comments to the media since the incident, there was no shortage of opinion nationwide this morning.

Jim Bowden, a former GM of the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals, posted on his ESPN blog that he believed Harper should be fined privately and spoken to by the Nationals farm director as to the organization's expectations of him. However, Bowden also stated that Harper is a special person and he doesn't see immaturity as a potential issue in the future.

This is where Bowden and I disagree. There are many people who, in my opinion, look too much into what a player says publicly and downplays how the player represents himself on the field. This is not the first time Harper has had issues with showing up an opponent, as he was ejected from a game while with the College of Southern Nevada for taunting.

There is a fine line between being a fierce competitor and acting immaturely. Harper crossed that line on Monday.

I can understand the frustration of believing he is a target of opposing pitchers. Harper is going to find that he is a target throughout his entire career. That's the price to pay of being the number one overall pick and being thought of as the best pure power hitter to ever play the game.

Harper needs to come to the realization that reacting to it will only make it worst. Not only will instances of immaturity stay in the minds of his opponents, they will also stay in the minds of the thousands of fans that he will encounter during road games. Anybody who has sat near the bleachers of a baseball game knows just how brutal some of those fans can be. How will Harper handle the verbal abuse in those situations if he can't handle a brush back pitch?

Putting up great statistical numbers will never be an issue for Harper. With a .342 batting average this season, along with 14 home runs and 42 RBIs, he has shown that the jump to playing under the bright lights of the big leagues is only a matter of when, and not if. However, does he ever mature enough to last in the big leagues is still a question in my mind.

I believed leaving high school to hurry the process to the big leagues was a mistake at the time. Harper now has to grow up as a multi-millionaire, while holding the key to the Washington Nationals future. Can he handle it? I have my doubts.

Photo Courtesy of CSN Washington