Brandon has strong ties to the university. He played under Bo Schembechler, and he and his wife are active, along with Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Carr, in raising money for U of M’s new children’s hospital, so his ties run deep.

And that’s why current U of M football coach, Rich Rodriguez, is shaking in his boots at hearing this news today.

But if Brandon’s allegiance to the old guard isn’t enough to make him fret, maybe this quote is:

“”But I’m not looking for easy. This is a real leadership position, and this is a program that is built on champions being champions and playing by the rules. That’s what I was taught, and that’s how I will lead in this role.”

Playing by the rules? Champions being champions?

Sounds like an ultimatum.

I hate how they hold up their sticks to the crowd to say thank you after every win in the regular season (where were their fans for the last ten years? If anyone should be thanked it is Detroit Lions fans)

I used to love Bob Probert but now half of me hates him, the half that put on that jersey in last years playoff game. I also hate how the Blackhawks probably bribed him to do that

I hate Buffligan or what ever his name is

I hate that stupid Detroit Sucks chant. How original!  Now other teams in the league do it as well

I hate that no one is actually from Chicago, they are all transplants from other cities. The last people that were actually from Chicago lasted until 1871 and they couldn’t put out a fire even though there is a huge lake bordering their city filled with WATER

I hate Marion Hossa.  I will hate him more when he scores on the Red Wings – Its bound to happen

I hate the stupid song that the Hawks play when they score a goal.  It sounds like a guy yodeling with an electric guitar

I hate the year 1961 – which is the last time the Blackhawks won

I hate that now that the Hawks are good again, the last ten years don’t matter

I love this rivalry

I forgot that the Wings still have to play the Dallas Stars today………….

It’s too bad there’s nothing in the article to assume this has ever been discussed internally.

Now, I don’t know Mr. Henning. He’s been around for a while, so I assume he’s a reputable reporter with solid sources inside the Tigers organization. But his article takes the idea that the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are two teams who could take on Cabrera’s salary (duh) and piles on with the notion that they have asked the Tigers about a trade. 

The quote from Tigers president and general manager, Dave Dombrowski, used in the article is a canned response used by every GM when asked about players who might be traded.  Frankly, I’m surprised his editor allowed it to run. It does nothing to advance the idea of a trade, yet, it’s vague enough to hint at the possibility. I assume this was Henning’s goal.

I guess if the Tigers are blown away by an offer, they might deal Cabrera in the offseason. But with a dearth of offensive talent on the active roster at the moment, I really can’t see the Tigers sending away a guy in the prime of his career who was responsible for driving in 14 percent of their runs last year.

But, then again, what do I know?

But was that lone vote really that ridiculous?

Here are their 2009 stats:

Mauer – .365 BA, 28 HR, 96 RBI, .444 OBP, .587 SLG

Cabrera – .324 BA, 34 HR, 103 RBI, .396 OBP, .547 SLG

(Not too dissimilar, eh?)

From May until September, Joe Mauer (after missing the first month of the season) had Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer protecting him in the lineup, while speedster Denard Span got on base in front of him at a .392 clip.

Cabrera, meanwhile, had to endure the two-headed monster of like Clete Thomas and Magglio Ordonez in front of him, with Carlos Guillen making pitchers shake in their boots behind him.  Yet he still managed to finish fourth in the AL in batting average, sixth in on-base percentage and sixth in slugging.  All of this done when opposing teams’ pitching strategies basically revolved around #24.

I’m not discounting that Mauer had one hell of a season, but I’ve always thought that factoring in the performance of a team if said MVP candidate was removed from the lineup should play a role in the voting.

The Twins would have survived the 2009 season without Mauer, at least until Morneau (the 2006 American League MVP)  went down with his season-ending injury.

The Tigers without Cabrera? I think it’s safe to say we would have turned our attention toward the Detroit Lions a lot sooner.

That’s got to be worth a few first-place votes.

In Detroit, we have learned never to take victories for granted, especially when we have only seen 42 in this decade. But when was the last time the Detroit Lions won a game they were supposed to win?

That’s what I thought.

I know I wasn’t the only blogger who drafted a scathing post in my head when I saw the Browns jump out to a 21-3 lead on the golden arm of Brady Quinn.

But then the Lions did something they rarely do. 

They came back.

And it wasn’t the too-little-too-late variety of comeback.

This one had fangs.

This one sounded different.

And when the Lions’ first round draft pick, Matthew Stafford, hit their other first round pick, Brandon Pettigrew, with the game-winning touchdown with zeroes showing on the clock, you would be excused if you waited for the referee to call Dominic Raolia for holding.  

But – gasp! – that flag was never thrown.

The Lions had won.  Only their second of the season, but maybe a glimpse of how potent this offense can be when everyone’s healthy.

On the other hand, there are those who will call this for what it is – a victory against a franchise that shares in our misery.  We must face the truth that the Lions were seconds away from defeat, which would have, inevitably, led to more outcry that this franchise continues to move in the wrong direction.

And there’s no excuse for giving up 37 points and 439 total yards to any team short of the New Orleans Saints.

Those numbers underscore how pathetic our defense is, and shows why so many people were unhappy with the offense-first mentality they demonstrated in the draft.

If they’re this porous against the worst offense in the National Football League, why should we have faith that this team is anywhere near contending?

If we circle back to the top of this post, I think we’ll find our answer.

When this team is healthy, they can score points.

Stafford appears to be a serviceable quarterback, we know Calvin Johnson is a stud, and Pettigrew can provide a dangerous safety valve ala Antonio Gates and Dallas Clark.

Barring a miracle, this organization will likely have a top 5 pick in next year’s draft.  Unless Martin Mayhew is a friggin’ idiot, they’ll (finally) focus on defense and the lines.

I know I’m basing most of it on today’s win, but instead of closing up shop when the going got tough, they showed us a glimpse of what an actual pro football team looks like.  I imagine this is what fans in Indianapolis and New England see on a weekly basis. 

Today’s outcome should provide a shred of hope for the faithful in this fine city.

I just hope this isn’t another one of the Lion’s tricks.

I want to explain something before we get to the meat of this post.

See, your Honolulu Blue and Silver-ed pussycats are entering strange territory this sunday at The Clunker against the Cleveland Browns.

The Lions are actually considered a “favorite” by the people who determine how many points one team would give the other should two people decide to partake in a friendly wager, and want the playing field to be level.

The Lions faithful might not be too familiar with this “favorite” term, but it indicates Detroit is the better team.

We’re not saying that losing to the lowly Browns — a team currently ranked dead last in total offense and total defense — means head coach, Jim Schwartz will get the ax.  Far from it. (I mean, we know how “quickly” ownership reacts around these parts.)

But the fact of the matter is that the Browns are terrible.  Maybe even terrible-er than last year’s winless Lions.

They change quarterbacks more often than I change my newborn’s diapers.

Head coach Eric Mangini‘s own players — those manly, steely football players — are starting to complain about his tough practice regiment.

Losing breeds a lax attitude and a general unwillingness to give up one’s body when you know defeat is inevitable.

We in Detroit know this all too well.

Even with a similar record, the Lions should have to win this game.

At home. Favored. Facing a team that has given up.

In the past, the Lions usually lose this type of game, but it’s Schwartz’s first opportunity to show the fans in Detroit that his regime is different; this team is different. 

In a season when losing has, once again, become commonplace, actually winning a game deemed winnable by just about everyone would show this team has it in them, and they’re on the right path.

But if they lose?

Let’s just be thankful the game is blacked out.

But that was a long time ago.

The last time the Detroit Lions appeared on Monday Night Football was October 8, 2001 against the St. Louis Rams.

They got shellacked, 35-0.

Since then, ABC/ESPN has, understandably, shied away from placing the team in their Monday night showcase, which is also saying something.  Because according to our crack research staff, you have to be downright terrible to not be invited on the premier league showcase.  

In fact, you have to be the worst team in the league on a regular basis.

Monday Night football at-a-glance since the Lions last appeared:

• There have been 144 games total.
• Every single NFL team has appeared in at least one game (Houston Texans). 
• Two other teams — Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals — have appeared three times each, the next lowest amount.
• The Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles have appeared most often (19 times each.)

Knowing that every team has played in at least one Monday Night Football game since the Lions last appeared, it’s a bit peculiar that the Lions haven’t been invited back, even if it’s to throw Detroiters a bone in tough time.

Alas, the closest we came was a preseason Monday Night Football game in 2005 against – you guessed it – the St. Louis Rams.

Of course, there is one remedy for this ailment.

Winning.

In what other town would you see people brave bone-chilling December temperatures to tailgate in half-empty lots?

In what other town would you see fans walk through the stadium concourse dressed in the other team’s colors to management that change has to be made?

I think you would be hard pressed to find one, unless you’re talking referring to Detroit.

Like it or not, this town craves football.  I don’t know if it’s because we like to be the underdogs, or if it’s because of fantasy football, but if the Detroit Lions ever get good (and the Law of Averages dictates they will) this town will throw themselves behind the team so fast, you’ll have to convince others that they went 0-16 in 2008.

The problem right now, though, is that the owner of the current team has taken this town for granted for years because of their loyalty.  Instead of being proactive and firing Matt Millen years ago when it was obvious he didn’t have a clue, William Clay Ford, Sr. kept him around and now we are left with this – a team with a lot of heart but not a lot of talent. 

I hope the Lions do rebound shortly and put all of this behind them and become a competitor.  It would be great to see downtown Detroit filled up every Sunday with tailgaters anticipating a big game with playoff implications against the Chicago Bears or Green Bay Packers instead of the anticipation of how the Lions will lose this time. 

Until then we have to continue to deal with the local blackouts that plague this great football town.

Even though you wouldn’t know it by the way we’re portrayed, this is a city full of passionate fans.  We just need the right team to prove it.

My question is: Why?

In the span of time since William Clay Ford, Sr. bought the Detroit Lions, the Detroit Tigers have won two World Series and advanced to another; the Detroit Pistons won three championships while losing two Finals; and the Detroit Red Wings have appeared in eight Stanley Cup Finals, winning four of them.

The Lions? They’ve won one playoff game while wallowing in futility for a half century.

There was a brief period of time in the 90′s when the team was legitimately good, but they were never able to get over the hump. Since the retirement of Barry Sanders, they’ve been downright terrible. It was capped off by last year’s first-time-in-NFL-history 0-16 season.

Management has shown a consistent knack for drafting the wrong players and hiring the wrong coaches. The players who do don the intimidating Honolulu Blue look lost and out-of-place most Sundays. And unless you buy tickets to a game (or it’s Thanksgiving) you can’t watch the home games on television due to the NFL’s blackout rule.

In a city constantly the butt of national jokes for its shady political players and a decimated automotive industry that is sucking the lifeblood out of the region, this is supposed to lift our spirits? I don’t see the point in cheering for a team that has a habit of disappointing its fanbase. Regularly.

Removing the Detroit Lions from the equation would allow us to endure less pain and suffering on account of our local teams, and force us to appreciate the professionalism and talent that our other teams showcase.

And removing the cancer from our fandom that is the Lions might even improve our outlook.

Yes, I said it.  Megatron might be the best player on the team right now but we all know that that is not saying much. 

I believe that the most important thing the Lions need to do is build a core of quality offensive and defensive linemen, and there a lot coming out in the 2010 draft.  The Lions should shop Johnson around to a team who can give up their first and second round draft picks.  That would give the Lions four picks in the first two rounds where they could go after linemen.  

Who do they replace Calvin with you ask?  I believe that talent in the NFL is at a point where if you have a good quarterback that has time in the pocket, all you need is an average receiver and your team will be good.  Just look at this year in the league where out of nowhere  Miles Austin is on a tear. I bet you didn’t draft him on your fantasy football team this year………….

This town needs a good football team and it will eventually get one but I think that the Lions could offer Johnson and get a lot more to build their future in return.