RockyMountainWingGal

Great game last night. Just goes to show you how even these two teams are. At least the Tigs showed up and made it one hell of a game. Now if they had only put that kind of effort in against the Sox...... Love the Tigs - great pitching future - just need something to turn a "very good" team into a great team. Nothing against the Twins - I can't stand the overspent East Coast obnoxious clubs - not much realistic hope the Yanks and Sox go out - but hope they do. Now onto my hometown team...the Rockies... Good effort this year Tigers - just not *quite* good enough in the end. Wonder if JL is gone after this?

Two questions - who is Figaro and why did they pitch him in a season clinching game last night instead of any of the above names(?) Bondo still hurt and unproductive methinks. Have no idea what happened to the Washburn expt, etc. Also, what decided home field for the play-in? I read somewhere it is just a coin toss, but that seems too unrealistic for a sport like baseball where there are 100 stats that could be used to make the call (record vs each other, division record, home record, etc). Either way - Go Tigers - they are going to be in need of some good karma Tues night!!!!

Are you sure you didn't go to State?? Sounds like many of my friends who went to school there - buy season tix - never make it to most of the games. lol Two of my best friends that got divorced - a UM/MSU couple - one of the points of contention was "I continually pay for MSU season football tix but then you just go to party and never make it into the stadium to actually watch the games" lol Anyhow in the end Spartans deserved to win yesterday. I had a hunch this would be the one game they decided to show up for - go figure. I'm satisfied with 4-1 (OT) and what RichRod is trying to do. This is his first recruiting class and I'm liking most of what I see (I've been open-minded about what I will see from his program unlike some, even though I was a Carr supporter to begin with). Forcier rocks. Have to say I was skeptical about the "mobile q-back" at UM but I'm being sold.

This is why baseball is a total joke. I enjoy the sport - my dad was a player, my son just started playing this year. MLB is out of control. The reason the Yanks and Sox almost always make the POs is they outspend all other teams. Yeah I know this year the Tigs have some contracts pushing their payroll too high, but really this is the only sport left with NO salary system. And MLB is happy to have the Yanks/Sox in the POs/World Series most of the time. In no way can I blame the Tigers failure to clinch down the stretch on this fact, but if you think about the AL, 1 or 2 spots will always go to the "big spenders" leaving only a few spots for all the other teams. The NL is more evenly balanced, sans maybe the Dodgers, but why MLB doesn't address their abysmal no cap system is a bigger joke than any of the steroid/drug issues. Still time to pull the division out of their butts tomorrow, or the day after, but you are right we are realistically looking NY/Sox coming out of the AL anyways = barf - go Angels.....

I would think he'll be gone if they blow this - and it is looking more probable. Nothing personal against the guy but someone will have to take the fall if they choke themselves right out of the POs. Here's one thing that blows my mind about baseball: when the season is on the line - and it couldn't be so more than the last few games, the Tigs will still stick with their freaking "rotation" and pitch some guy down the depth charts I never heard of. MLB teams would rather risk making the POs just to keep their freaking rotation. The only reason Verlander is playing tomorrow is because he is SCHEDULED. Have some freaking creativity sometimes and try to win a damn game that counts. What is it about Detroit teams that have us choking in the 7th hour?

Agreed comcast sucks. Those bastards were nasty for the years there were virtually no competitors, then suddenly they start losing business and decide to try to be "nice". Too many bad experiences with the cable companies I jumped ship at the first opp. Comcast is the prob here imo. Why should DTV pay alot more to air Versus? Bullriding, fishing, and few NHL games (and i mean just a few). Just comes back to the assinine decision to put the NHL on such an obscure network. Oh well, I'll miss NHL games if needed - not going to switch under such bogus pressure. Booooooo comcast...

It does - there is a banner ad across my screen, and it is working tonight (except my hometown team is blacked out tonight - wtf). However, we ARE blacked out from the game tomorrow in Sweden. On the air 1pm for me though - not good. I am going to leave work early and catch part of it on satellite radio in my car though (hopefully it shows up there, sigh).

Should still be aired on local tv methinks. Denverites blacked out from Sakic's retirement ceremony? lol what a joke. Really I wonder how this league survives. No Wings tomorrow either. Oh well, I'll stick to football until January I guess.

I am in the Avs market but the freaking game is NOT even on local tv (ALT). I love the Wings, by my god how I hate the NHL - just wish it would fold somex. I even have free Center Ice but why are the Avs not on there?? Wings I don't think are on Center Ice tomorrow either - glad I didn't fork over for this year. Bettman you suck.

Didn't work for me but I suppose I could just keep calling back until I get someone sympathetic.

^^ people on Directv contracts cannot just switch over though. I got free Showtime and sportspack (out of town Fox Sports nets less most pro games) for a year plus 2 free DVRs. Guess I'll follow the Avs this year....

Does anyone know if the game in Stockholm will be aired in the US? I cannot find the tv listings. FSD doesn't help those out of market. 1pm on a Friday doesn't help me out much but I could DVR it if aired here.... NHL is probably too stupid to nationally televise this anyways...

Then why did USC and OSU do it? I have to give USC alot of credit for their scheduling. They are not afraid to schedule teams from the big conferences pre-season. It would be easier to get the championship game (well not this year) by playing all lower conference teams, but they don't. Personally, as an incentive, I think the BCS should factor in your preseason and require teams to play at least one big conference team to even get ranked. But it is never about the fans anymore, like everything else (even though technically this is not a business sport), or the integrity of football, it's all about the bogus BCS rankings. So instead of getting to see Florida vs Texas, or USC, or Penn State or whomever, we get to see Florida vs. "fill in the blank 70-0 team".

^^^ At least the OSU and USC programs have the balls to play each other in the non-conference schedule. Really I'm getting sick and tired of the boring, soft, non conference schedules many teams now seek (the SEC being the worst offenders). Sure Central beat MSU and last year Toledo upset UM, and people like to see the underdog win sometimes, but it's rare and the big school matchups are fun and there should be more of them, imo. I don't see Florida in any big hurry to schedule a game vs. USC or OSU in the opening weeks....

Hey norrisnick, I didn't mean that as an insult to Andy - I've followed his whole career. I always watch him to the bitter end - it is frustrating to watch him play so well like he did at Wimbledon and play the match of his life, and come out sans the trophy. That's why I have to be a little cautious about getting my hopes up. I actually really enjoy watching the Williams' sisters play tennis. The line judge in that semifinal match should be ashamed imo - you don't call a foot fault (and it didn't even look like one) when match point is on the line in a major unless the foot is way over the line. That's Bush league imo. Serena should not have gone on a tirade, but really I don't care - I kind of miss the McEnroe antics myself. I like Clijsters though - she deserved to win the match anyways, and I'm glad she won the tourney. Who is Juan Martin del Porto??

Agreed. But at this point everything is hindsight. It would be great if the NHL could use this to somehow get out of the contract, but I doubt it. If an agreement isn't reached, yes the NHL loses a lot of viewers. I don't think versus shows all that many games personally, and I'm only interested in the Wings and they are pretty rarely on there. For what I pay for premium directv, I should be able to CHOOSE which teams I want to watch, not pay extra. If the NHL were tech-savvy, which they are not, they would come up with a cool Iphone app that lets you stream your team's games. I paid $9.99 for MLB and it works for me to listen to the Tigers, and get all the replays. Occasionally they stream the videos too. Another idea would be to have a team-specific package. Lots of out of market Wings fans would be interested in a Wings channel - or being able to pick up just those games. I don't want to pay to watch the whole league - I don't have that much time, and personally there are many teams I don't care to watch at all! Anyhow, looks like I might be stuck watching only the Avs this year.

Federer has actually been beatable lately. Unfortunately, no one seems able to step to the plate and actually do it. Post-injury Nadal? I don't think most of the women on the tour have the mental fortitude to beat Serena. Unfortunately the tourney's been over by the time I get home in the eves. Hopefully they will start having some night matches and I'll get some more tube time in this Holiday weekend. I'd say go Roddick, but after watching him grasp defeat from the jaws of victory at Wimbledon, I won't go there....

I haven't paid attention to football since last year until today when several people are calling me asking me what I think of the Michigan scandal. So I had to look it up of course. I agree very lame attempt by the Free Press to garner attention. Wouldn't want to print positive stories about the Detroit area or Michigan in these times - why not dig up some dirt to hurt the local area even more. It's like the virus that kills the host - and itself. If there are really "illegal practices" going on - then on one hand they deserve some heat. But seriously if that is the worst they can dig up - that is pretty lame. No drugs, guns, domestic violence, dog fighting rings ( ) etc., but a few too many reps - OMG! I was a Carr supporter so I am not sure about Rich Rod - but he deserves a chance to get some of his own players and give it a shot. I'm one of those people that was pretty happy with 10-2 seasons and good bowl bids - Natl Championships are overrated in college football imo, since the system is biased as several have pointed out. If they get hammered, I'll just boycott college football for a few years and reclaim my autumn Saturdays for something else - there is always an upside when things like this happen.

^^ BoSox are a bunch of bush league punks, even without Manny Ramirez. Can't win a game on the up and up so they have to goad our pitcher into getting tossed. Reeks of flagrant fouls in the NBA that draw a star into a suspension. What a bunch of *&^%$$. Hopefully Tigs take the next two. The rest of the AL Central are too inept to make up ground anyways (unbelievably). Go Rays and Go Rangers, and I hate to say it but Go Yankees - rather have them win the east.

What kind of beer is he getting at the White House? Oops he's still underage (and acting it) so I guess it's an O'Doul's. Or maybe he just gets a Shirly Temple.....

This is one of those comparisons that makes Sammy seem like a real bargain. He's bigger, better defensively, and at least can play on the PP (even with the off target shot). Given the choice, Sammy all the way. This is a bummer, I'm going to cringe when I see Williams in a Wings uni again. Nothing personal against the guy, just don't want him on my team.

I still don't see anything in there that they could prove the Hawks/Hossa were purposely circumventing the cap. They cannot see into the future - maybe he does play for 12 years, who is to say? Wouldn't be that unusual as others have been pointing out. The whole thing is dumb. The whole point of the cap is to find ways to fit all your players under it. If that means teams have to offer top guys 10-12 year contracts that are front-loaded, that's what teams will do to get the deals done. The NHL made the cap, now they have to live with teams finding creative ways to squeeze under it. Not that I wish the Hawks any success at the expense of the Wings, but I'd be pissed if I were a fan for being singled out. Why doesn't the league attack something like the Jeff Finger contract by the Leafs as being ludicrous and outlandish, driving up salaries for journeymen players? Now that would be a better use of their time.

Save a bullet for me. This is just about the last guy in the league I want on the Wings. Twas good riddance the first time. sigh. Please tell me he'll be in GR most of the time and is just an insurance policy for injuries?

I don't see how Hossa signing for that deal is up for dispute. As the rules currently stand, it is legitimate. If the league wants to enact something to prevent teams from doing that in the future - they can, but they should not and cannot retroactively punish the Blackhawks for that. I find it interesting how the Red Wings are the first to figure out how to sign guys long term with the trailing numbers near the end, to fit a competitive team under the cap. Then all of a sudden other teams have to copy-cat the strategy and now the league will likely do something to end this. At least with the Red Wings we are finding creative ways to sign our own guys from withing the system, not tossing out ridiculous contracts to free agents. Not sure I buy the under/over 40 argument. These long contracts are a double-edged sword. What if Hossa gets injured, or just plain doesn't play well after a few years? Then the contract will come back to bite the Hawks in the butt (could happen to us too). The league should stay out of it. They got the cap they wanted - now deal with it and let it run it's course....

I'd take Sammy any day over Williams - that pretty much says it all.