Absolute Frustration
My world has been turned upside down with the Detroit sports scenario. Everything I once knew about Detroit sports teams is fading away and it all happened this past Saturday. Here’s why…
1) The Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins, 18-1, on Saturday.. The Detroit Tigers scored 18 runs. How in the world did that happen? The Tigers are now 15-9. That’s not an amazing record, but considering the past few seasons - it’s a miracle!
2) Saturday was NFL Draft Day. Over the past few years, the Detroit Lions have drafted wide receivers. These players would then sign for millions of dollars and then wouldn’t be able to catch half of Joey’s passes (even his good ones). Many people expected for USC’s quarterback, Matt Leinart, to be one of the first five drafted in this year’s first round. Well, the Lions had the #9 pick and Leinart was still available. We had the option to pick up this great QB. I know the Lions have just signed two QBs, but they are only mediocre - nothing amazing. And even if we didn’t keep Leinart, we could’ve traded him to someone with a lower pick in exchange for Ernie Sims (the guy we actually drafted) and a lower round draft pick. But no, Millen has no balls whatsoever. Ugh. Why do I watch every single Lions game even though I know they are going to lose and suck it up majorly.
Ernie Sims is a Florida State linebacker who has had 5 concussions - five - in college! Plus, he’s only 5′11″, and we used our first pick to get this guy? We need a franchise quarterback; someone to save this team from the hell it’s currently in. Leinart was available and we passed!
As with most drafts, though, there will probably be critics. Two quarterbacks, Leinart and Vanderbilt’s Jay Cutler, were selected with the following two picks and Millen said the Lions had a few trade conversations.But they were sold on Sims.
“Sometimes when the right guy is there for you, you don’t move around, he may not be there,” Marinelli said. “When you get the right guy and we all feel good about him, you make those picks.”
Sims was also arrested on a domestic violence charge last summer and ended up pleading no contest to reduced charge. He admitted that was a mistake and said, “I put it behind me.”
The other two draft picks Detroit made yesterday are:
- Second Round (#40 overall): Safety from Nebraska
- Third Round (#74 overall): Wisconsin’s running back
3) The Pistons lost their playoff game, 124 - 104. They still lead the series, 2-1. I’m not really worried about them and their playoff future; however, it was too much for me to take. A Wings and Pistons loss all in one afternoon/evening and I had to watch both of them (but really only the 2nd half of the Pistons game).
The 124 points were the most allowed by the Pistons in a regulation playoff game since they gave up 123 to Atlanta in 1991.”I wasn’t frustrated by what they did,” Ben Wallace said. “It was frustrating the way we were playing. We were pounding the ball down to Sheed (Rasheed Wallace) in the post early, then we went away from it. We tried to do it the hard way. We got stagnant, man. Sheed was going, we should have rode that all the way.”
4) The Wings are one loss away from playoff elimination. One bloody loss!Here are reactions from Wings, Oilers, and other hockey fans from Saturday’s game…
Alanah and Jeff @ Vancouver Canucks Op Ed:
Alliterative Red Wing Fan Poetry: On the Wings is “disgusted†and Behind the Jersey is “depressed, discouraged, disappointed, disenchanted, downhearted, down, and desolateâ€. Guys, take your fingers off the trigger and breathe. Detroit is certainly capable of winning two straight. (But could someone tell Manny Legace to please shut up?)
Speaking of VCOE, they have been doing playoff jokes on the various teams since the start of the playoffs. For every team they posted a joke on, that team won 6 of 7 games. So I left them this comment: “I think it’s time for you to do a Detroit joke on Monday. We have to win that game and with your pretty decent success rate, it’s time to give it a try. Please!”So for the sake of the Wings, please send any Detroit Red Wings jokes to Alanah and Jeff (email: vancouvercanucks oped (at) gmail .com) and they will post them sometime tomorrow. Here was their response to my request: “Well, Christy, since you’re begging…! Yup, Detroit’s on the list. But that means that some of you people need to (anonymously or otherwise) send me some good Red Wings jokes! P.S. The irony of asking Red Wings fans to send me Red Wings jokes is truly fabulous.”
Matt Saler @ On the Wings:
As far as big games go, I don’t remember a more uninspired performance by the Wings. I don’t understand why they couldn’t get up to play a full game in front of their fans (I suppose the tomb-like atmosphere at the Joe has something to do with that) and when they had a chance to take the lead in the series. The Oilers played great and maybe still would have won, but if the Wings had even played to half of their ability, I wouldn’t feel so ripped off by this game. They put up a performance like this and I’m supposed to get all excited about Game 6? I’m supposed to have hope that they’ll actually show up to play in Edmonton? Why couldn’t they do it yesterday?They’ve been down 3-2 in a series before but that was in 2002 and it was a completely different team. That team knew how to win big games. This team seems to have forgotten. Sure, the series technically isn’t over but they are going to have to play out of their minds Monday night if they even want a chance at winning. I know Edmonton will “bring it” but will the Wings?
I’m not ready for another early exit. I waited two years for this? I’m tired of getting my hopes up only to have the Wings fall flat on their faces.
Helene St. James @ Detroit Free Press:
Those Red Wings. They storm through the regular season scoring on everyone, and now here they are in the playoffs, and like in previous years, goals are a problem.Despite battering Dwayne Roloson in the first period Saturday the Wings could not break him, and then the Oilers broke them. Spotting any opponent three goals in the playoffs is dangerous, and when it is to a team as good defensively as Edmonton, it is flirting with disaster. The Wings lost, 3-2, at Joe Louis Arena in Game 5 of their first-round series, and now they must win Monday night at Edmonton, or face a third straight disappointing playoff run.
Saturday’s game was the first time I thought to myself, “Wow, this Roloson is really keeping Edmonton in the game.” That thought was during the first period; after that, it only got worse.As always, IwoCPO at Abel to Yzerman has some great thoughts regarding Saturday’s game:
But at some point, and it has to be Monday, the Wings have to gel again. Leaders have to sacrifice. Defensemen have to strengthen their games. Goalies have to erase their memories and young stars need to explode. It can’t be one or two of those factors. It has to be all of them, happening at once on Monday night.Is it likely? Maybe not. But it’s certainly possible. Edmonton has a chance to kill this thing, to crush the windpipe. How will they react? We’ll see.
He also brought up Mikael Samuelsson’s playoff performance and that he had recently signed a three year deal with the Wings. I had totally forgotten and I’m so frustrated with the deal now…
Does the date March 25th mean anything to you? Let me help. That’s the day Mikael Samuelsson signed a nice 3-year deal. Anyone want to guess how many goals he’s scored since then? 2. Thanks.
Mike at Covered in Oil:
Ah, but this is where Dwayne Roloson’s .935 SV% shimmers like sparkling wine. It’s not like Roloson is making supersick saves in a 1997 Curtis Joseph sense; but he’s definitely looking more calm and assertive than he ever has in his 20-25 games as an Oiler. His glove hand looked good, and if he popped out any rebounds Roli managed to keep them clear from the high slot. His little eyes-shut zen meditation thing between plays seems to work, and more importantly it’s miles away from the scared flailing that passed for goaltending early in the season.
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