Killer Cross

As you may have heard, Tim Hardaway Jr. committed to the Michigan basketball squad today and I couldn't be happier. This means 4 years of seeing Timmy Sr. in the stands, cheering from the front row with Chris Mullen and Mitch Richmond. If Jr. has half of the game that senior had, us Michigan fans are in for a treat. Cue the killer crossover highlights ...

Batter Up

Nothing makes or breaks a baseball players reputation than his song as he comes up to bat. All of us Tigers fans have every players tune from the 2006 season memorized. Pudge's Puerto Rican jingle. Carlos going with a little T.I. "What you know about that" (see 1317 Sheehan). Brandon Inge was hardcore white music. So today's question is, what is music to play as you go up to bat? I say Biggie's "Dead Wrong". Hard beat, intimidating lyrics, the full package.

And while were on the subject, Top 5 rap beats of all time.

Hard Knock Life-Jay Z This song is the opposite of Wei's life. His song goes more like "It's an easy ass life, for me, an easy as life, for me. When I go home, mom cuts my hair, then she makes food while I sit in my chair, it's an easy ass life for me...

Big Pimpin-Jay does it again. I don't care where you are, you here that beat drop, you get that "ooookkkk"

Next 3 to come tomorrow....

Summer Sadness

As Ryan and SI successfully jinxed the Wings, the Penguins obviously won the Stanley Cup in heartbreaking fashion. Wait let me rephrase that...the Red Wings lost the Stanley Cup in heartbreaking fashion. As I said all along, the Penguins did not even deserve to be on the same ice as the Wings, so the Penguins resorted to cheating. I guess the Pens played a perfect game in Game Six, before Bettman reminded the refs to call at least one penalty in the last 3 minutes to give the appearance of partiality. I can't say too much about Game Seven, I was not able to watch due to very legitimate reasons, but when a dude like Talbot takes over the game, you know its not in the cards.

Anyways, at least we can take solace in having the shortest offseason possible. But then I get depressed when I realize the regular season in the NHL has no meaning.

Did anyone catch Nicklas Lidstrom getting speared in the nuts and having testicular surgery? Wow, can my man get a purple heart?

Anyways, my new installment will be the all-time Michigan football team since 1997. I will try to go position by position each post. Lemme know what you guys think. My team begins with the QB's

Nominees: Tom Brady(98-99), Drew Henson(98-00), Scott Dreisbach(98), John Navarre(00-03, Chad Henne (04-07), Threet/Sheridan (08)

To be honest, I think ability-wise the best QB was Drew Henson. The guy had it all and would've contended for a Heisman had he stuck around for his senior year. The only two losses he suffered were by a combined 4 points (two hands on the rock A-Train, two hands.) He had a cannon, throwing 18 TD's against 4 INTs (three in one game). Tom Brady wasn't slacking either, going 20-5 and throwing for huge TD numbers his senior year but he had a knack for throwing too many INTs. But who will forget the Orange Bowl performance against "fast" Alabama? Navarre was the most scrutinized QB in recent memory but the three-year starter rewrote the record books, throwing for a TD in 39 of 44 games played. But he had at least 3 losses every year and only salvaged a win against OSU because of Chris Perry. He also invented the tipped pass at the line of scrimmage when you are 6 inches taller than everyone else that Chad Henne continued the legacy on.

But the best QB I have chosen since 1997 is Chad Henne. This guy had an amazing freshman year when he wasn't even announced as the starter until minutes before kickoff of the opener. Yes, you can say Braylon made this guy good, but regardless Henne (with a frosh RB) led the team to a 9-1 record heading into Columbus. Henne went to two Rose Bowl's and his ability was never appreciated until Ryan Mallett would go into the game. The only knock on him, which was a huge one, was his 0-4 record vs. Ohio State. To his defense, he didn't play poorly in any of those games except for 2007, which was miserable and everyone played badly. And as I remember, Mario and Adrian could not hold onto a ball to save their lives. For me, Henne will be remembered for the Braylon MSU game, connecting with Mario vs. PSU, coming back vs. Ill on a separated shoulder, and abusing UF in the Capital One. And the Peyton Manning audible checkdown drawing linemen offsides.

What do you guys think? Of course he is just a placeholder for Tate

Game 6

As we all know, tomorrow is game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. A chance for the Wings to hoist their 5th cup in the last 12 years, making them the greatest dynasty in professional sports. As much as I'd love to win the cup on home ice in 7, shit happens in game 7s, and I don't want to go there.

To get all the Detroit fans ready (yes, all 6 of you that read this), I provide enough links below to get your Red Wing boner at full mast for tomorrow night.

Born and Raised in South Detroit

Red Wings V. Avalanche

Best shot ever...EVER

How did I miss this? Remember when McCarty and Maltby were good?

There's only oneeeeee.....

This post is dedicated for Mike Roarty, for hosting an awesome weekend. This is going to spread like wildfire. Instead of Ricky Hatton, throw if your favorite (or every single one over a 10 min period) Red Wing or Penguin player. In Mike's case, it's Geno Malkin, every single time. Then just hope that Blackhawk or Red Wing fans don't knife you. Imagine after every goal if every fan in the arena sang the players name....let's get it going....


There's only oneeeee Nicky Lidstrom

Tate For Heisman

Harmon in 1940.

Desmond in 1991.

Woodson in 1997....

Tate in 2011?

You guys that know me know that I like to make bold predictions from time to time. Sometimes they are just to stir some reaction but this one I feel pretty strongly about. Robert "Tate" Forcier will win the Heisman Trophy in 2011.

With the Wings about to raise the Cup on Tuesday (Hossa will score 2 goals), the Tigers roller coaster ride, the injury-depleted Shock looking towards a rough season, NCAA 2010 coming out in a month and having that to hold us over until the 9/5 debut of Tate, the excitement of college football is suddenly crashing over me.

Let me start off by saying Rich Rod is probably the best offensive mind in college football. This guy revolutionized the spread offense in college football. He was one game away from taking West freakin Virginia to the title game, all with only 2 players! Now give him the best QB he has ever had to start for four years. Tate is Terrelle Pryor with an arm. The most frustrating time of my life was watching us play OSU last year and seeing Nick Sheridan continually roll out of the pocket only to a.) run out of bounds "smartly" to take a 3 yard loss (to minimize the amount Zoltan had to highstep on the fake punt) or b.) throw incompletions to James Lauranitis at the last second. With Tate at the helm, you will never see this again.

I love the kid's swagger and confidence. He is awesome, and he knows it. Everyone keeps saying he's the most accurate passer on the run and he was born to play QB. His brothers played QB and he barely graduated high school because he spent so much time training for this moment. With Minor/Brown this year and Shaw/Smith/Jones in the future with him in the backfield, and all the fast slots and big outside WR's we have, the talent around him will only make him that much better. Tate will lead us over OSU for the first time in forever this year.

Anyone else wanna jump on the bandwagon?

Before you call me a homer, just ask me about the joke that is the Michigan football schedule

Wei

White Boy

For every Larry Bird there are 10 Will Perdue's...... (Thanks to Colin for the heads up)


In honor of the NBA finals starting tomorrow, I thought I throw in a little basketball link. I like to think I've got a little bit of hoop game, but this video gives example to what it feels like to go play any Detroit school in their gym.

Does anything beat Vince Carter's Dunk?

Maybe only this one because it's the playoffs and Mike Tirico had a mini-orgasm....

-Ryan

Would Ya?

Another riveting episode of Sportscenter tonight. Coming up: Big Papi to bat 6th in the Red Sox order tomorrow night! Lebron James, will he be fined for not talking to the media!? Can you believe Manny is 5th in the OF All-Star voting!? Such a joke. At least I only had to listen to 5 minutes of Tim Legler and Avery Johnson breaking down the finals for the 60th of 150 times.

All of this was followed by a tremendous piece by Linda Cohn documenting Lamar Odom's candy-eating habits and how it affects his game. We got numerous of clips of Odom eating lifesavers and doctor's giving quotes about when he eats the candy affected how he played in the conference finals. NO!!! Lamar Odom is just the biggest under-achiever in the NBA over the last decade! The dude is 6-11, can dribble, and shoot and barely averages 10 points a game! Shouldn't be be another Dirk?

Ok, all of this is besides the point. This story got Wei and I to arguing....Would you hook up with Linda Cohn? I mean, she has been a part of our lives for the last 20 years. And she knows a shit ton about sports. You'd be trying to get in her pants and she'd be trying to tell you about Sid Bream sliding into home (that's for you Mike. Let it be know that Sid Bream is the hitting coach for the State College Spikes of the New York Penn League right now. Way to go Sid).

Between Wei and I, one of us said yes, one of us said no. Answers to be announced at a later point, but until then, what do you think?

-Ryan