Should U of M’s hiring of Dave Brandon make Rich Rodriguez nervous?

News out of Ann Arbor today is that the University of Michigan has hired Dave Brandon, chairman and CEO of Domino’s Pizza, as its next athletic director, effective the first week of March.

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.

If the Detroit Tigers trade Miguel Cabrera, Lynn Henning told you so.

If you want to read an article written under pure conjecture, check out yesterday’s article in the Detroit News by Tigers Insider, Lynn Henning. Based on the headline — “Miguel Cabrera joins Tigers trade talks” — we, the readers, are led to believe the Tigers are actively shopping Miguel Cabrera.

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?

Miguel Cabrera should have received more than one first-place vote.

Awarding Miguel Cabrera one first-place vote in the America League MVP voting was moronic, according to more than one blog. 

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.

What can we learn from today’s victory over the Cleveland Browns?

Actually, I think the better question is: What should we learn from today’s win against the Cleveland Browns?

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.

Game against Cleveland Browns is Jim Schwartz’s first ‘must-win’ as head coach.

Gather ’round, Detroit Lions fans.

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.

The Detroit Lions still aren’t ready for primetime.

The Detroit Lions used to make regular appearances on Monday Night Football when players like Herman Moore and Barry Sanders were integral parts of the high-powered offense that the Monday Night Football schedule makers craved. Sold-out Monday night games at the Pontiac Silverdome were legendary.  The fights in the stands were just as entertaining as the product on the field.  And at that time in Lions history, that’s saying something.

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.

Does Detroit need a professional football team?

There is a prevailing school of thought in Detroit that thinks the city needs a winning football team, as if victories on the field would have equaled proper protocol in the mayor’s office or less jokes on The Jay Leno Show.

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.

Can the Detroit Tigers afford to trade Curtis Granderson?

To the hardcore Detroit Tiger baseball fan, Curtis Granderson is a solid outfielder with great range and a pretty good arm who displays some power at the dish, and has a tough time against left-handed pitchers.

In other words, he’s Bobby Higginson. 

*beat*

Obviously, I’m kidding, although their numbers through the age of 28 aren’t that dissimilar.

But to the casual Detroit Tiger baseball fan (read: the other 99 percent of the fans) he is the face of Detroit Tigers baseball.

He’s the player they bring their kids to see.  He’s the name those kids scream when he takes his place on that worn patch of grass in centerfield.  He’s the name on the back of the majority of most female fans’ jerseys.

He is everyone’s Tiger.

In Detroit, we pride ourselves on getting behind players who value a work ethic.  And for the past few seasons, Granderson has been that player.  By all accounts, he is a fine, upstanding young man who handles himself properly off the field, and gives his all when he’s on it.

From a baseball perspective, I understand why Dombrowski thinks now is the best time to listen to offers for Granderson since he will probably never have a higher asking price.  And if we want to stay competitive in the future, Dombrowski thinks we have to give to get.  I totally agree.

But little kids and grandparents don’t care so much for the future.  They don’t care if we’re getting the Chicago Cubs number one prospect if that means they have to watch Granderson roaming Wrigley Field in Cubbie Blue.

That might be enough to make them spend their summer nights elsewhere.

With attendance expected to dwindle next season and enormous contracts on the books for one more season, the Tigers are going to need to do all they can to get fans to come down to Comerica Park next season.

That said, can they afford the negative backlash that would accompany trading away their most popular player?

The Week That Was in Detroit Sports – Week of Nov. 9

Every friday, the Spirit of Detroit will post our favorite Detroit links from the past week.

The week started off slow, but news of possible trades involving popular Detroit Tigers blew up the blogosphere in Detroit.  Here’s a recap.

• Bless You Boys wonders aloud (er, via typing) if the Detroit Tigers will have another chance to get J. J. Putz after losing out on the sweepstakes last year. If Rodney departs, I’m on board.
• Rumors that Edwin Jackson is available for the right price was one thing.  But Curtis Granderson and Brandon Inge? The team would take a huge PR hit if they unload their two most popular players.
• The Detroit Tiger Weblog sums up these last few days.
• In other, less-exciting news, but just as potentially outlandish, the guys at Pride of Detroit suggest, by way of real stats, that Matthew Stafford mirrors Peyton Manning through their first six games. Hold your laughter. It’s true.
• Finally, Dan Feldman of PistonPowered rails against those who think Joe Dumars wasted the Pistons’ cap space on Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. He presents a logical argument.

Detroit Red Wings take Blue Jackets behind the woodshed; emerge victorious.

You kind of got the sense going into last night’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets that the upstarts from the Buckeye State were looking at their matchup with the Detroit Red Wings as a statement game.

It makes sense, when you think about it: Young team, fresh off of their franchise’s first playoff appearance. Tied for first in the Central Division, facing a Red Wings team that isn’t as dominant (yet) as they have been in the past.

Two points and loads of mojo was ripe for the picking, eh?

Well, if the result means anything, it’s that the Blue Jackets still have some work to do, while the Red Wings could be rounding into form.

With this win, the Red Wings have secured eight out of 10 possible points in their last five games against some pretty stiff competition, and sit only three points behind ESPN The Magazine’s cover boys, the Chicago Blackhawks.

Maybe it was a statement game after all, just not for the team we thought.