Big Weekend for Michigan Sports

Happy Friday y'all! I was up late following the Minnesota-UNLV football game (what a finish!) but am energized and ready for a weekend full of great match-ups in both baseball and... COLLEGE FOOTBALL.  College Football, arguably my favorite sport to follow, is finally here. 

Andrew Maxwell makes his 1st start for MSU tonight

One of the better games for the weekend is tonight at 8:00 pm on ESPN, No. 24 Boise St @ the No. 13 Michigan St Spartans. It's been awhile since Boise St was ranked this low to start the season, but the Broncos are used to flying under the radar.  They lost QB Kellen Moore and RB Doug Martin to the NFL, but still figure to put up a fight against a strong Michigan St defense.  The question mark in this game will be Michigan St QB Andrew Maxwell.  If he is even close to as good as Kirk Cousins was last year, Michigan St should be just fine. However, starting for the first time against a strong team like Boise St isn't easy. 

Make it: Michigan St 23 - Boise St 17, but I wouldn't be surprised if Boise St pulls an upset, as they generally play great against non-conference opponents. 

Saturday night the much anticipated game at Jerryworld, the Cowboys Classic! No. 8 Michigan vs No 2 Alabama.  Unfortunately for the Wolverines, Fitzgerald Toussaint has been ruled out for this game, which should definitely hurt their running attack.  Considering these teams haven't played since the 2000 Orange Bowl (GO BLUE) I really don't know what to expect other than great defense and run blocking from Alabama, and some highlight reel plays from Denard Robinson.  As much as I would like Michigan to win, I think Alabama grinds this one out and keeps Michigan off the scoreboard enough to win it.

Make it: Alabama 30 - Michigan 17

Not to be forgotten, there's a BIG series this weekend for the Detroit Tigers, as they play the AL Central leading (yuck!) Chicago White Sox.  I'll definitely try and catch parts of each game, as these games are pivotal for us to make up ground in the division and in the Wild Card race.  Considering we have Fister, Scherzer, and Verlander pitching this weekend, a sweep is possible, and winning the series is extremely likely.

Here's to a great Labor Day weekend for Michigan sports, and GO BLUE!

Grantland FFB Contest Entry

0-16. Four years later, it still hurts.  My name is Rob, and I am a Detroit Lions fan living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Rooting for a team that’s accustomed to heartbreak and disappointment on the football field, it’s easy to associate with the Vikings fans here.  Although the Vikings have made four Super Bowls, and played in the NFC Championship game in 2010, the pessimism and anxiety surrounding the team is high.  The jury is still out on Christian Ponder, and everyone is wondering if Adrian Peterson will be healthy to start, and most importantly to finish the season.  As a Lions fan, I wish I could experience their anxiety and pain, as we haven’t won a playoff game since I was two years old! 

Expect big things from the Detroit Lions in 2012!

As both our teams fail the litmus test for a successful NFL franchise, there’s another common entity the Vikings and Lions share: Adrian Peterson and Calvin Johnson are, respectively, the best players on their teams, and fantasy studs.  Before last season, Peterson was a top-5 RB each season he played.  In 2011, Megatron caught 96 balls for 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns last year, and is undeniably the best receiver in the game.  That being said, unfortunately neither of them makes my top five this year. Below are my top-five fantasy players for the 2012 NFL season.

 ((1)    Aaron Rodgers

As much as I loathe the Green Bay Packers, Mr. Rodgers has established himself as T-1 with Tom Brady as the best QB in football. He was also the top scorer in ESPN standard leagues in 2011.  Rodgers leads an extremely dynamic Packers offense with many weapons, however, what makes Rodgers so special is his accuracy.  His completion percentage has increased each year as a starter, from 63.6% in 2008 to 68.3% in 2011.  His marksman-like precision sets him apart from other quarterbacks with his arm strength, and with so many weapons around him, he should be the best player in fantasy football this year.

 ((2)    Tom Brady

Brady finished T-3^rd in fantasy points in ESPN standard leagues last year.  Considering the addition of Brandon Lloyd, and another year for Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez to develop, I expect Brady to match his numbers from last season.  Brady’s precision and sheer volume of attempts will allow him, like Rodgers, to remain entrenched at the top of the fantasy football point’s ladder.

 ((3)    LeSean McCoy

Will the Real Slim ‘Shady’ please stand up? Shady McCoy and the Eagles will be out to prove that last season was a fluke, although despite missing the playoffs McCoy still managed 20 TDs and over 1300 rushing yards.  With or without a healthy Michael Vick, McCoy is a duel threat out the backfield that will star in the Eagles powerful offense.  Considering the injury histories of Arian Foster and Adrian Peterson, I expect McCoy to be the top RB in fantasy this year, and the #3 overall player.

( (4)    Ray Rice

Who doesn’t like a little R&R? Whether it’s rest and relaxation, getting rough and rowdy, or #27 Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens! Rice led the NFL in yards from scrimmage, and doesn’t have much of a threat to share carries with him. As the #1 fantasy scorer among running backs in 2011, it would be ill-advised to bet against Rice, who’s played all 48 games the past three seasons and has only fumbled five times in four NFL seasons!

 ((5)    Matthew Stafford

I’ll admit, I’m a Lions homer. But Stafford’s statistics from last season speak for themselves.  5^th among QBs and 5^th overall in fantasy scoring, Stafford returns all his major weapons and has another season of experience under his belt.  Even if opposing teams triple cover Megatron, (wouldn’t be surprised if they did…) the lack of a running game and a mediocre defense should allow Stafford to light up the scoreboard, throwing to Calvin Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew, Nate Burleson, and my sleeper pick…

Sleeper: Titus Young

As a proud Lions fan, I can’t help but label Titus Young as my sleeper pick for the 2012 fantasy season.  Young caught 48 passes for 607 yards and 6 TDs last year, and those numbers should escalate this year.  Rumor has it Young will be operating opposite Megatron this year, with Nate Burleson working out of the slot.  Thus, if Stafford throws the ball as much as he did last season (very likely) Young should be in for a huge year, assuming he can consistently beat his coverage.

A Perspective of the Michigan-Michigan St Football Rivalry: 2012 Edition

As many of you may know, I am a pretty hardcore University of Michigan fan.  Although I've lived in Spartan country for the majority of my life, I have always stuck with my roots as a Michigan fan, as I lived in Ann Arbor from 1989-1997.  My grandfather was a proud alumnus of U of M, having received a graduate degree from there in mathematics, and my father taught Mechanical Engineering there for seven years.

This is Denard's last chance to beat MSU!

In regards to my allegiance, I try and be as rational as possible when it comes to my support of U of M.  Just because they're my favorite team doesn't mean I expect them to win, or even contend for, the BCS National Championship every year.  Michigan may have the most wins in CFB history, and arguably the richest history of any college football program, but those are not substantive reasons to rate or predict the performance of this year's team.  Strength of schedule, returning starters, and depth are much more important and logical predictors. 

Let's focus on 2012. Michigan is currently ranked #8 in the AP Poll, USA Today Poll, and the ESPN Power Rankings.  Considering our record from last year, this doesn't come as surprise.  We finished 11-2 and defeated Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl to win our 1st BCS game since 2000 against Alabama.  However, considering our performance on the field from last season, #8 might be a little bit high.  Michigan was 3-0 in games decided by a touchdown or less, only lost six fumbles on offensive the entire year, and benefited from eight home games vs four away games. 

This year the schedule should be more difficult too, with #3 Alabama, #13 Michigan St, #17 Nebraska, and #18 Ohio St on the slate.  And, as much as I hate to say it, the most important game for us this year is the Michigan St game on October 20th at the Big House.

As Bob Wojnowski states in this article on the Michigan vs Michigan St rivalry, tensions are extremely high between the two teams.  It's been pretty depressing losing to Michigan St four years in a row.  The fact that three of those years were some of the worst team U of M has ever fielded eases the pain to some extent, but four in a row hurts.  Michigan St played great against us last year, doubling us up on the scoreboard 28-14.   However, a similar result is not acceptable this year. 

Spartan fans have been crying afoul for several years that their team deserves 'more national attention' and that they've been 'robbed of BCS births.' Michigan needs to keep these fans caterwauling about the lack of respect their program receives, and the only way to do it is by playing it's best football of the year on October 20th. 

This supposed lack of respect created a chip on the shoulder of Coach Mark D'Antonio.  D'Antonio has done a fantastic job building the Michigan St program the past five years, doing much better than his predecessor, John L Smith.  His defense has been fantastic the past several years, as Pat Narduzzi is one of the best defensive coordinators in the country, and could be a head coach at a D-1 school if he truly wanted to.  Yet, D'Antonio still felt the need to derail a Michigan recruiting presentation this past January, and snapped off to the media "We've beaten Michigan the last four years. So where's the threat?" in an interview for an ESPN article.  If D'Antonio was truly comfortable with his team, their reputation, and the respect they received, he wouldn't need to revert to uncalled for comments like that.  Brady Hoke would never say something like that about Michigan State.

Let's make sure the score doesn't look like that Oct 20th

This mentality, that the head coach of the Michigan State Spartans conveys, is why Michigan St is still 'little brother' to it's big brother Michigan.  The fact that a coach who has beaten his 'hated rival Michigan' four years in a row performs these actions exemplifies the chip Michigan St football carries on it's shoulders.  However, if Michigan St beats Michigan again this year, that chip may finally subside.  Michigan St may consider beating Michigan 'business as usual' regardless of how well Michigan recruits, or plays in it's other games.  If Michigan St beats us this year, they will almost assuredly make their first BCS game, ingraining even more confidence in their program and their fan base. 

Thus, we need to prove our legitimacy and prowess on the field October 20th.  That is the perfect time for us to mark their re-ascension to CFB's elite, while simultaneously keeping the chip Michigan St carries, firmly on it's shoulder.

GO BLUE

Could all parties benefit from this? A Recap of the Dwight Howard Deal

Well, it finally happened.

After months of begging and pleading, Dwight Howard was granted his wish and traded from the Orlando Magic. After rumors swirled about him potentially being traded to the Nets, Hawks, and Mavericks, D12 finally ended up with the Lakers. 

Welcome to LA, Dwight!

At this point in the offseason, this trade came as a relative surprise.  A month or so ago, the Lakers were on the outside looking in regarding a trade for Howard, watching as the Brooklyn Nets tried to put together a package. However, there was concerns regarding the health of Brook Lopez, the Nets Center.  Also, it seemed like Brooklyn was hesitant to give up so much for a player that had the option of leaving after one season, and Orlando was hesitant to take on the contracts of Lopez and Kris Humphries, which would hamper their rebuilding process. Orlando mandated that the Nets take on the contract of either Jason Richardson or Hedo Turkoglu, something the Nets may have been unwilling to pay. 

Thus, talks with the Nets fell through.  The Lakers proceeded to acquire Steve Nash, who played nearly a decade for the rival Suns.  Nash is an ideal PG for a C that can run the pick and roll, aka Howard, and not Andrew Bynum.  However, it's still very surprising he ended up with the Lakers.  Guess it shows that rivalries aren't as meaningful as they used to be, even a decade ago.  Would you ever see Reggie Miller on the Knicks? David Robinson on the Rockets? Nash is the next of many aging superstars to try for one last shot at an elusive title with the Lakers, see Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Mitch Richmond, etc.  And frankly, it tilts me.  I would have loved to see him join the Knicks or Thunder, to compliment their strong scoring with great passing.

Anyways, this is the trade the Lakers were able to pull off for Howard, involving the Nuggets and 76ers in addition to the Magic (courtesy of ESPN)

Team	Receives in trade
Lakers	Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon, Earl Clark
Nuggets	Andre Iguodala
76ers	Andrew Bynum, Jason Richardson
Magic*	Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga
*- Magic also will receive a protected first-round pick from each of the other three teams and five overall draft picks

At first glance, it may seem that the Lakers are the biggest winner in this trade, as they just acquired a top-5 talent.  However, I think the 76ers benefited just as much.  They were able to trade Iguodala, Vucevic, Harkless, and a first rounder for arguably the 2nd best C in the league.  As great of an asset as Iguodala was to the 76ers, Bynum gives them a great young core with Holliday, Turner, and Young.  If they can sign Bynum to a long term deal, the 76ers should be contenders in the East for a long time.

The Nuggets might actually benefit the least from this deal.  Iguodala is a great piece, but they already have Wilson Chandler at SF.  It'll be tough to put Iguodala, Chandler, and Danilo Gallinari on the floor at the same time (could they play Iguodala at the 2?), but Iguodala gives them more offense and equivalent defense to what they lost in Afflalo.  Regardless, Iguodala is a better player then either Afflalo or Harrington, so this deal can't hurt them? Right?
 
Although at first glance it looks like the Magic weren't given much for Howard, I think they could actually benefit from this deal long term. They were able to shed the contracts of J-Rich, Duhon, and Earl Clark, and picked up some young pieces along with a great defender in Afflalo, and a scorer (albeit past his prime) in Al Harrington.  Plus with the additional draft picks, the Magic should be bad for a few seasons, thus putting together some elite talent via the draft.  The 2012-2013 Orlando Magic may lost 55-60 games, but they should be ok if they draft and develop their players well.

Finally, the Lakers.  How they were able to accomplish this deal without trading Pau Gasol is mindboggling, as Josh McRoberts and Christian Eyenga hardly matter.  I truly believe Howard gives the Los Angeles Lakers the best team in the NBA right now.  Think about how tough this starting 5 will be on both ends of the floor: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol, and Dwight Howard.  Although Nash may struggle defensively, having the support of the best defensive big in the league never hurts.  The pick and roll with Howard and Nash will be lethal, and should result in many open shots for MWP and Gasol.  Plus, add Antawn Jamison, Jordan Hill, and Steve Blake off the bench? You've got yourself quite the squad.

Good luck to the Thunder and Heat trying to match up against the 2012-2013 Los Angeles Lakers, cuz they're going BIG