GoWings1905

Happy Birthday to my namesake and the greatest coach in the history of the NHL. Have a good one Scotty, and stay as far away as possible from Toronto.

Think as you want. If Weis is worse than Willingham, shouldn't you be happy anyways? Come back in two years and we'll see if Willingham is a better coach than Weis. I believe I just explained all of this anyways. Since you have no argument, like always, as to why Willingham is exactly better than Weis, then I really could care less what you think.

I agree completely. I'm just as upset as any Notre Dame fan about this seaon so far. However, I disagree with you that Weis is doing a horrible job, and that Willingham was a better coach at Notre Dame. Following Notre Dame as closely as I do, let me just state a couple reasons why Weis has and will be a bigger success than Willingham. First, based on records alone, Weis is almost certain to have a better record through three seasons than Willingham did. Even with this year looking very bleak, Notre Dame should manage four to five wins, with their weak schedule late. That would put Weis at either 23 or 24 wins through three seasons, as opposed to Willingham's 21. Not significant maybe, but also take into consideration that Weis went to two BCS Bowls, while Willingham had one great year (2002) and two subpar years following that. Weis also has won more games (19) in his first two seasons than any other coach in Irish history. Second, I really hate to use this as an indicator, but look at the opponents Weis has lost to so far. The only really questionable loss to an inferior opponent was Michigan State in 2005. Besides that, the losses have come against USC twice, Michigan twice, Ohio State, LSU, Georgia Tech, and Penn State. While the margin of defeat in those losses has been typically pretty wide, those are all quality football programs, that were Top 25 teams when they beat Notre Dame. The talent is just so much better at those schools right now, which brings me to my final argument, and the most important factor. Lastly, the recruiting classes of Willingham and Weis have been night and day. Willingham's numbers have left the program in shambles. The junior and senior classes at Notre Dame right now are sparse in numbers and talent. That has forced Weis to rebuild the program using younger players to make up for Willingham's poor recruiting management. Weis has produced two top-ten classes so far, and is very likely to make that three with the strong start on the 2008 class. I realize Willingham was responsible for Quinn, Samardjiza, Walker, Fasano, Carlson, and McKnight, but he also left the program deprived of depth and talent, and now Weis is suffering the fallout. Weis has recruited extremely well, and that will be evident in 2008, and moreso in 2009 when Weis has gotten the recruiting fully back on-track and is playing with his guys. While I'm absolutely miserable right now with this version of Notre Dame football, I am very optimistic about the future under Charlie Weis. I will gratefully suffer through 2007, if 2008, 2009, and beyond turns out like it should. It's hard to fathom Notre Dame being 0-8, but 2007 was expected to be a rebuilding year all along. I am very confident that Notre Dame will get through this tough stretch, and return stronger than ever, as a national powerhouse and championship contender for years to come.

I'm well aware of that fact. I didn't state that as a knock against Michigan State, but just a realistic look at ND's schedule. MSU appears to be the "weakest" and most beatable opponent in Notre Dame's first eight games. This doesn't mean MSU is weak, it just means that Purdue, UCLA, Boston College, and USC are all guaranteed losses at this point.

Man, I dislike the Ducks as much as any one, but cheering an injury is downright awful. The same people who are bashing Schneider now, are the same ones who claimed in May that the Red Wings would have beaten the Ducks had he been healthy. Which one is it? Just because Schneider changed uniforms, that instantly makes him a useless hockey player? Schneider left the Wings to go home, take more money, and play for the best team in hockey. Sounds like all pretty damn good reasons to me. Most people would jump at that opportunity as well. I hold nothing against Schneider for making a good personal and business decision. Get healthy soon Mathieu!

It doesn't really matter what Appalachian State could do against Notre Dame. They aren't on ND's schedule. In terms of the first eight games, find me a team that has a tougher schedule than Notre Dame. I think the whole idea now is for Michigan fans to find a way to defend their loss to a Division II school. I don't really know what would happen if ND played Appalchian State. I do know Michigan played them and lost. The transitive property doesn't really work in sports. Because Appalachian State beat Michigan, and Michigan beat Notre Dame, then we assume Appalachian State would beat Notre Dame as well? You could go in circles for every team in college football if that was the case. As far as Clausen goes, give the kid a chance. He's made two starts in two stadiums of 110,000 people. On top of having a downright terrible offensive line in front of him, Clausen also has no help from the skill positions. Mallett still has Hart, Manningham, and Arrington to fall back on. Plus, an offensive line that actually blocks. Once the young talent, and the offensive line develop around him, Clausen will live up to the hype.

I wasn't trying to bring you down. I said congratulations on the win. Besides, if losing to Appalachian State doesn't bring you down, nothing will. Mallett has a very bright future at Michigan. I'm not disputing that. However, if you think Mallett gives Michigan a better chance of beating Penn State next weekend, or Wisconsin and Ohio State in the future, then I disagree. Henne has four years of playing experience, and a wealth of offensive weapons around him. If Michigan wants any shot at the Big Ten, Henne should be the starter. If Notre Dame wants to win any of their first eight games, this Saturday will be their best and only chance. Great year to play a completely brutal schedule.

Not to rain on your parade, but Henne would have done the same thing to Notre Dame that Mallett has. Mike Hart opened up the passing game by forcing ND to bring eight guys in the box. Mallett has a superb arm, but Hart and a poor defense really made Mallett look better than he probably is right now. Honestly, I wouldn't get too excited about beating a Notre Dame team comprised of freshman and sophomores. I've never seen a college football team struggle to snap the ball in the shotgun or get a first down like Notre Dame has. It doesn't help they have the worst offensive line in college football. Three games into the season and still no offensive touchdowns pretty much tells the whole story. Congratulations on the win, but also take into consideration the opponent. There aren't many teams that wouldn't beat Notre Dame right now.

This is utterly sickening. I can't even watch Notre Dame anymore. I've never been more ready for hockey season.

I would have never imagined that after the game tomorrow, either Michigan or Notre Dame will be on a five-game losing streak. That's hard to comprehend from the two most successful college football programs ever. Anyways, good luck to all of the Michigan fans here tomorrow. May the "better" team win.

Michigan will beat Notre Dame this weekend. Mike Hart said so himself. Honestly, I don't see any way my Fighting Irish beat Michigan, even with the current state of the UM football team. Notre Dame can't even score an offensive touchdown, let alone stop players like Hart and Manningham. I expect Notre Dame to do nothing offensively again. By nothing, I mean run screen passes every play, go three-and-out, and then punt. Michigan's offense will be on the field so much that their defense won't even be able to look awful. Even with Mallett starting, UM can run the ball with Hart all game, against ND's weak front seven, and be successful like Georgia Tech and Penn State were with their running games. Notre Dame's defense is improved, but the offense leaves them in terrible situations. While the 0-2 starts for both schools are surprising, it has to be worse in Michigan's case with the lofty expectations they had going into the season. Nobody expected anything from a Notre Dame team losing a ton of talent, facing a brutal schedule, and playing with guys that had minimal to no experience. While I am disappointed that this is going to be a very long season for Notre Dame, I find some solace in what the future can hold. Michigan had everything lined up in their favor this year, and now look what has happened. That being said, the better team will still be wearing maize and blue on Saturday. I know it seems like Michigan can't beat anybody right now, but trust me, as bad as Michigan has looked, Notre Dame is even worse.

That wouldn't surprise me one bit. The Tigers are 4-9 against the White Sox this season now, and show no signs of turning it around. All this crap about how Rogers and Sheffield are going to come back and push the Tigers into the playoffs is a frickin joke. There is no way they are catching the Indians at seven games back for the Central, and the Yankees are 3.5 games up in the wild card, and aren't even playing that well right now. Blame it on whatever you feel worthy, but the Tigers aren't going to make the playoffs. Period. If I'm wrong, I'll be here to admit it. I would be inclined to look at the Tigers schedule the rest of the way and say that it's so easy, and they still have a shot, but they can't beat the crappy teams anyways, so big deal. Just since the All Star Break, from my memory, I can recall the Tigers losing two of three to the Royals twice, going 2-7 vs. the White Sox, splitting ten games with Oakland, and splitting a four game series with the Devil Rays. That's not going to get a team to the playoffs. The American League is too good to be giving away games to inferior opponents. Also, nice managing having Timo Perez and Omar Infante batting third. I'm not sure why the hell Ryan Raburn is rotting on the bench, but since Inge and Thames are both doing so well, I wouldn't take them out either.

I agree. Cleveland is playing exceptional baseball, and 5.5 games is a ton of ground to make up in roughly 25 games left to play. The wild card still has an outside chance, but I don't see any way the Yankees don't win that. The long stretch where Cleveland was equally bad to the Tigers was the breaking point. That was the Tigers chance to pull away, and they missed that opportunity by a long shot. Starting pitching has made all the difference in the world. Verlander is the only reliable starter in the whole rotation. I hate to sound like a pessimist, and I hope greatly that the Tigers prove me wrong. Facts are facts though, and the fact is the Tigers aren't good enough right now to be a playoff team. If Rogers and Sheffield can get back quickly, then maybe they can sneak in. All they need to do is get into the playoffs, and anything can happen after that. The schedule is favorable in September, but that only works if the Tigers take advantage of it. I would love nothing more than to see playoff baseball at Comerica again this season.

I think you did very well in the draft Matt. You are extremely deep at running back. I can't believe you got Marion Barber at pick 77. Barber led the NFC in touchdowns last season. I took him in the fourth round in my league, and I thought I was lucky to get him there. You might want to use some of your depth at running back to make a deal for a solid receiver, since Johnson and Evans aren't exactly the most consistent performers. I really like the Vernon Davis selection. With the 49ers lack of depth at wide receiver, Davis will probably end up being Smith's go-to-guy in the red zone. I'm not crazy about Losman at QB, but other than that, your team looks pretty darn good to me, especially at running back. Good Luck!

There's a pretty good chance they will with all of the tough non-conference opponents the Big Ten has this weekend. I don't see Illinois beating Missouri, but other than that the Big Ten should win out. I hope my hometown Toledo Rockets can pull off the upset against Purdue, but Painter should have a field day against UT's defense. My Fighting Irish are going to have their hands full with Georgia Tech. One of the best defenses in the country, against an offense with minimal playing experience. I'm hoping for the best, but this could be a really long season, especially with the brutal schedule they have early on. We'll see what happens.

In honor of the last time I posted something negative about the Tigers, I will let the last two games do all of the talking.

If I had to guess, I would presume that Glen Murray would be one of the names being tossed around. Murray is really the only guy from Boston, that I can think of, that would make any sense. Murray's name always comes up on the trading block, and the Red Wings may have some interest there.

Yeah, I'm clearly a Tigers bandwagon fan moron. Since no one can be a fan if they are concerned with their team's awful play for a month and a half, then yes you are the ultimate fan. Once again, your point of the Tigers having the best offense doesn't mean anything if the starting pitching doesn't improve. You can't rely on an offense to win championships in baseball. Oh wait, I don't know anything about baseball, so disregard that. The only reason the Tigers are remotely close to the division lead is because the Indians have been equally bad. The Tigers are lucky this "slump" hasn't cost them more. Yet, they continue to miss opportunities by losing to crappy teams, like the Devil Rays and White Sox. It's fortunate the Tigers have a chance at all to win the division. My point is they need to take advantage of the Indians poor play soon, before it is too late. Wherever you got the idea that I have given up or lost faith is a joke. You seem to do quite well at making stuff up though. I think it is a legitimate concern to question your team when they continue to play awful baseball. I love it how you are the ultimate authority on what Tigers fans can say about the team. By the way, genius, your point that MOST teams would love to be 2.5 games back just proves my point. Almost every division race is that close, so what the hell are you trying to prove? Most teams would also love to go 12 games under .500 for a month and a half, and still have a chance at the division. If the Red Sox went 10-22, do you think the Yankees would only be 2.5 games up? I'll be waiting for another "schooling" from you. Judging by your comments, it's the only schooling you have done lately.

You can't be serious. I hate to get off topic since this is Stevie's thread, but you are way off. Let me make it short and sweet: Nick Lidstrom has been, is, and will be the Red Wings best player until the day he retires. You have to do some serious nitpicking if you are looking for any faults with Lidstrom. Nobody means more to the Red Wings ON the ice than Lidstrom, and that was true even during Yzerman's days. I'm not trying to downplay what Yzerman did for the Red Wings, because we all know what he meant to the team and the city of Detroit. Stevie is my hero and I miss him like crazy, but to go overboard and start questioning Lidstrom's play, when he is easily the best defensemen in the league, is a little bit overdone.

Yeah I feel real "schooled" from a complete tool like you. You have to be the biggest joke of a Tigers fan I have ever witnessed. Your logic is so far off base it's laughable. By the way, where were those mighty Tigers you preached were back the last two games against the Indians? First off, this is not a slump anymore. Lets say for arguments sake, the Tigers have played 40 games since the all star break, when the struggles began. 40 games is a quarter of a season. A slump is maybe a handful of games, or a couple of weeks at worst, not 25 percent of the whole year. Sadly, this "slump" is the real Tigers team, like it or not. You can classify it however you wish, but until they start winning consistently again, I'm assuming this is the Tigers team we are going to get, for better or worse. By your logic, if the Red Wings went into a 20-game freefall, it would be a slump then too. Lastly, you need to follow baseball a little more closely it looks like. You say a "load" of teams aren't in playoff contention, when in reality it's the complete opposite. The National League Wild Card spots 1-6 is separated by a whopping four games or so. The biggest division lead is right around five games, so your "exaggeration" is actually probably just stupidity, like everything else you post.

The only thing this stretch tells me is that the Indians have been equally bad. It's more about the Tigers turning it around soon since they are fortunate to still have a chance at the playoffs at all. This is not a "slump" anymore like you classify it. A month and a half of terrible starting pitching is more than a slump. Even Verlander got rocked tonight. Zumaya, Rodney, and Jones are useless when the starters give up eight runs. Unless the starting pitching gets better, the Tigers will not make the playoffs. One start from Jair Jurrjens is not going to solve the problem, like you seem to think. By the way, your theory that 20 teams are out of contention is just absurd. That means that there are only ten teams in all of baseball close to a playoff spot. Last time I checked, there were ten teams with a legitimate playoff chance in the National League alone. Nice effort on that one.

Wow, way to completely overblow one win. I think it's funny how you consider some of us here "lousy fans" when we were/are a bit concerned with a 9-20 streak, but you celebrate one win and that makes everything better. If you are referring to my comments as the Tigers not having it anymore, then Jim Leyland must be wrong then too. Leyland himself has said this team needs to get it together quickly, or they are in big trouble. The one thing the Tigers "don't have" is good starting pitching right now. That was never a concern last season, so in that regard they "don't have it". Every team (besides Seattle) contending for the playoffs has better starting pitching than the Tigers right now. That's a fact. Needless to say it could change, but one start doesn't make it a cure-all. I'm not the only one who thinks the Tigers are missing something either. If you watched the game last night, Rod and Mario addressed the lack of swagger and confidence at the top of the broadcast. So, my apologies for addressing this concern I had. I will make sure to OK it with you next time I want to say something negative (and true), since clearly you are the epitome of Tiger fans. No one else suffered for the past 20 years but you.

Yes that is extremely good news. I am honestly thrilled Inge is getting benched. Having Inge's defense really doesn't mean much when the pitching is giving up ten runs each game. Raburn's offense will be more of an asset than Inge's five strikeouts, and solid defense at this point. Monroe gone, Inge benched, Zumaya back - now all we need are some wins, and any form of starting pitching. I feel something positive is going to happen with this team starting Tuesday night.

Followed at 1 PM by a special documentary of Maurice Clarett's time in prison.