Friday, September 21, 2012
Quest For the Crown
Back in 1967 greatness happened, yet no fan thought it would have been this long to see it done again. I'm talking about the Triple Crown of course. Carl Yastrzemski finished his great race with a .326 average, 44 homers and 121 RBIs, back then this was a less incredible feat though. The year before that it was also done, by Frank Robinson. Its been 45 years since Yastrzemski won the Triple Crown, yet there were 10 Triple Crown winners in the 45 years prior to 1967. Now in 2012 we see a potential Triple Crown winner yet again in Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera has a .333 average, 41 homers, and 130 RBIs. That gives him a 9 point lead in average, 7 RBI lead and only down 1 homer behind Josh Hamilton with 13 games left in the season. To think he doesn't have a shot is insane, especially when he only plays against the pitching staffs of Minnesota and Kansas City for the rest of the season. If Cabrera wants to make history he will need to finish strong though, but this is when he hits best. Numbers don't lie, Cabrera is statistically having one of the greatest season in MLB history. Fans all across baseball should watch this great race, as it may be a magical season in Detroit that could go another 45 years to see again.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
City of Shame to City of Fame
Years of disappointment and shame have spread upon the Detroit community when it involved football, the Lions were just plain horrible. It seemed like an eternity of mistakes and bad ownership would put the team underground forever. Draft picks like Joey Harrington, Roy Williams, Mike Williams, Kevin Jones, Charles Rogers, and Ernie Sims led us to lose all hope in a rebuilding program. It was almost like a curse, the curse of losing Barry Sanders.
The true disappointment started showing during the 2008 season, where they would finish the season as the first team in history to have an 0-16 record. From 2001 to 2010 the Detroit Lions would compile a total record of 39-121. All hope was surely lost, paper bags were worn over the heads of fans, a team that has brought shame to an entire city.
This all turned around starting with the 2nd overall pick in the 2007 draft. The team was still going to be bad, but with the pick of wide out Calvin Johnson the Lions would gain a true superstar. We would add onto this in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft by getting a steal in defensive end Cliff Avril. Neither of those drafts would compare to the load we would haul in from the 2009 draft though. In 2009 the Lions got Mathew Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew and Louis Delmas with their first three picks. All would become elite players and help the Lions in a historic run in 2011. This was not the end just yet in the draft process though, they would add defensive animal Ndamukong Suh, wide out Titus Young and running back Mikel Leshoure in the next two seasons. These would prove crucial.
In 2011 the Lions would finally get what the city had been dying to see, the first Lions postseason game since 1999. The Lions would go on to lose that game, but still a step into the right direction. The team has shown its potential, and the whole world can see the offense can compete with the best of them in the passing game. The problems were the rushing game, secondary and penalties. With LeShoure out the entire 2011 season due to injury we have still yet to see how he can perform in a Lions uniform, 2012 will be his time to show us (once his suspention is over of course).
2012, the season we get a complete glimpse. By drafting Reiff Riley in the 1st round of the draft we can surely say the offensive line should hold up a little better than it has over the past. This should be a huge factor towards the running game, which will mostly consist of Mikel LeShoure and Kevin Smith. LeShoure is the one to watch though, as here will look to become the first successful back in a Lions uniform since the great Barry Sanders. With the potential he holds he could truly push the Lions over the edge to having one of the greatest offenses in the history of the NFL. The defense is a different story. The Lions have cut their cornerback Aaron Berry due to multiple arrests, but did add a young stud in Bill Bentley and made a nice move by signing veteran Drayton Florence. These moves should improve the secondary, how much it will improve is the question that needs to be answered. The last problem I stated was penalties, which we will have to wait to see how the team has matured through the off season. The 2012 Lions squad definately has talent, the kind of talent that can break records and win championships year after year. Starting Sunday we will see which road this team will take. Will we become the city of shame or the city of fame? It's time to find out
The true disappointment started showing during the 2008 season, where they would finish the season as the first team in history to have an 0-16 record. From 2001 to 2010 the Detroit Lions would compile a total record of 39-121. All hope was surely lost, paper bags were worn over the heads of fans, a team that has brought shame to an entire city.
This all turned around starting with the 2nd overall pick in the 2007 draft. The team was still going to be bad, but with the pick of wide out Calvin Johnson the Lions would gain a true superstar. We would add onto this in the 3rd round of the 2008 draft by getting a steal in defensive end Cliff Avril. Neither of those drafts would compare to the load we would haul in from the 2009 draft though. In 2009 the Lions got Mathew Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew and Louis Delmas with their first three picks. All would become elite players and help the Lions in a historic run in 2011. This was not the end just yet in the draft process though, they would add defensive animal Ndamukong Suh, wide out Titus Young and running back Mikel Leshoure in the next two seasons. These would prove crucial.
In 2011 the Lions would finally get what the city had been dying to see, the first Lions postseason game since 1999. The Lions would go on to lose that game, but still a step into the right direction. The team has shown its potential, and the whole world can see the offense can compete with the best of them in the passing game. The problems were the rushing game, secondary and penalties. With LeShoure out the entire 2011 season due to injury we have still yet to see how he can perform in a Lions uniform, 2012 will be his time to show us (once his suspention is over of course).
2012, the season we get a complete glimpse. By drafting Reiff Riley in the 1st round of the draft we can surely say the offensive line should hold up a little better than it has over the past. This should be a huge factor towards the running game, which will mostly consist of Mikel LeShoure and Kevin Smith. LeShoure is the one to watch though, as here will look to become the first successful back in a Lions uniform since the great Barry Sanders. With the potential he holds he could truly push the Lions over the edge to having one of the greatest offenses in the history of the NFL. The defense is a different story. The Lions have cut their cornerback Aaron Berry due to multiple arrests, but did add a young stud in Bill Bentley and made a nice move by signing veteran Drayton Florence. These moves should improve the secondary, how much it will improve is the question that needs to be answered. The last problem I stated was penalties, which we will have to wait to see how the team has matured through the off season. The 2012 Lions squad definately has talent, the kind of talent that can break records and win championships year after year. Starting Sunday we will see which road this team will take. Will we become the city of shame or the city of fame? It's time to find out
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