The Power of Sports

I heard a story today about another family who has been touched by cancer. The story was told to a small group and touched all of us who were there. The person who was telling us and the circumstances of where we were and what we were doing isn't important. What is important is the man who told us is very successful and hard nosed when it comes to business, but he never let's business get in the way of his family. His family always is number one. We were in the middle of talking about something business related, when he decided to tell us what he and his family was going through.

It turns out his wife, who is around 40, was diagnosed with Colon Cancer a few weeks ago. They recently received some bad news that it had spread to her liver and is aggressive. When he said the "C" word, we all fell into immediate silence. This man, who I look up to, told the story of how they plan on attacking this disease and who believed, deep down, that his wife would beat this and had no doubt in his mind she would. What does this have to do with sports? Well here is the connection...

After telling the story about what his wife is going through, he told us about a hockey game his son was playing in. His son, who I believe is around 15 (he also has a daughter who I think is 12), is a pretty decent hockey player. Their team was playing an opponent that they always got crushed by every time they played. This was in a big tournament and this was a semi-final game. His son assisted on both goals their team scored and they ended up in a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation. The man, standing behind the glass near the net along with other fathers, watched as overtime began. After some back and forth possessions, his son found himself on a 2 on 1 break that started at the blue line. The kid with the puck skated up the ice and had his son was on the left. As the play developed towards the net, the one defensive player that was back, skated in on the kid with the puck. The man's son found himself one-on-one with the goaltender. He received a pass that he put in the back of the net, winning a dramatic game in overtime over a team that was seemingly unbeatable. The fathers, including this man, jumped up and down and hugged and cried as they celebrated this monumental goal for this young group of kids. After the game he walked down the hallway to the locker room to find his kid. He finally found him and the kid said to his father, "I did it for mom". When the man told us that, he broke down, and the rest of us broke down in the middle of this restaurant at those words..."I did it for mom". The son ended up presenting the puck from the game-winning goal to his mother when they got back home.

Everyone has their distractions and does different things when facing times of grief. For this father, watching his son play hockey was that distraction. A man who is desperately doing everything he can to help his wife fight the fight of her life turned to sports for a sense of normalcy. Sports is one of those things that can be a great distraction for those who love it. Sports is Brett Favre going out on a Monday Night the day after his father died and having one of the best games of his storied career. Sports is Olympic Figure Skater Joannie Rochette of Canada who had a brilliant performance that lead her to a Bronze Medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics after finding our her mother died just hours earlier, of a heart attack, shortly after arriving to watch her in Vancouver. Sports is Brandon Inge hitting a homerun for a young boy with cancer after the boy requested he hit one. Inge, overcome with emotion on the field for the first time in his career, said he sat on the bench after he got back to the dugout and cried knowing he fulfilled a suffering child's wish. Sports is so many things to us and it is so much a part of our lives. It can make us delirious with excitement and it can make us weep in despair and disappointment. It can also give us moments like the one on an ice rink where teenagers were playing a simple game of hockey, that in the scheme of life doesn't matter. On that day, however, it did matter and gave joy and hope to a family who is going through a difficult time. It's those little distractions and little moments of joy that can inspire us and give us strength to get through those most difficult times. I hope and pray this family has many, many more of those moments to come in the future...

Baseball Hall of Fame set to Announce New Class Today

The National Baseball Hall of Fame will announce it's class of 2011 later on Wednesday. Of the 33 players on the ballot this year, many are deserving, however, snce 2000, there have been no more than two players inducted in one year as voted by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). With so many different writers voting (539 last year), it makes it extremely hard to get in because each one of them has their own personal criteria on what a Hall of Famer is. In the steroid era of the late 1980s, 90s, and early 2000s, some writers refuse to vote for anyone, whether they have been accused of taking steroids or for just playing in the era. I don't think you can punish every single player in the steroid era. You can't say everyone is guilty of something. With that being said, here is my list of who should be in the Hall of Fame. Not everyone will get in today. I will put an HOF next to the names of the players who I think will get in today. Here are the top 5 players who I think should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame:


Bert Blyleven, HOF

Blyleven pitched 22 years (1970-1992) with a 287-250 record, struck out 3701 (5th all-time) and posted a 3.31 ERA. He had 242 complete games and 60 shutouts (9th all-time). He was 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA in 8 postseason games. He was a part of two World Championship teams ('79 Pirates, '87 Twins) and a two time All-Star.






Roberto Alomar, HOF

Alomar played 17 seasons (1988-2004) for seven different teams. He was a 12-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove winner, and 5-time Silver Slugger winner. He was the best all around second baseman in his era. He finished his career with a .300 average, 2724 hits, 474 stolen bases. He appeared in 58 postseason games, and was a part of two World Championship teams ('92 & '93 Blue Jays).


Jack Morris

Jack Morris was the winningest pitching of the 1980s. He was a fierce competitor who did nothing but win. He played 18 seasons (1977-1994) for four different teams, including the Detroit Tigers. He was a huge part of three World Championship teams ('84 Tigers, '91 Twins, '92 Blue Jays) and was also on the '93 Blue Jays team, but didn't pitch in the postseason. He was 254-186, (183 wins in the 80s) with a 3.90 ERA. He won 20 games three times and pitched a no-hitter in 1984. In 13 postseason games, he compiled a 7-4 record with a 3.80 ERA. Numbers aren't what really defined Morris, however. It was his intense competitiveness and will to win is what defined him. He arguably pitched the greatest game in World Series history in 1991. In Game 7, he pitched 10 innings of shutout baseball as his Twins won the World Series on a walk-off single by pinch hitter Gene Larkin. He definitely is a HOFer and if he doesn't get in at some point, it will be a crime.

Tim Raines

Tim Raines is a guy who, if you look at his numbers, may get overlooked as a HOF. He played in the era of great outfielders and may get lost in the shuffle. He played 23 seasons (1979-2002) for six different teams, having his best years as a Montreal Expo. He played in the same outfield as Andre Dawson and along with HOF Ricky Henderson, the most prolific base stealer of the 80s. He stole 808 bases over his career (5th all-time) including 90 in 1983. He stole over 70 bases six times. He had a career .294 average with 2605 hits along with being a seven time All-Star. He is a definitely a guy who should get into the HOF in the next couple of years.




Lee Smith

Lee Smith had an 18 year career (1980-1997) with eight different teams. It may seem like a journeyman type career, but when you needed a save, Smith was your man. He saved 30 or more games 10 times, with 47 being his career high. He was a seven time All-Star and his 478 career saves was the most by anyone when he retired in 1997. It has since been eclipsed by Trevor Hoffman (601) & Mariano Rivera (559).

Other players that also should be in the Hall of Fame: Harold Baines (5th time on Ballot), Barry Larkin (2nd), Edgar Martinez (2nd), Alan Trammell (10th), Dave Parker (15th), Dale Murphy (13th). Mark McGwire (5th) and Rafael Palmeiro (1st) are two players with Hall of Fame numbers but one admitted to steroid use (McGwire) and the other failed a test (Palmeiro). Jeff Bagwell (1st) never failed a drug test and was not mentioned in the infamous Mitchell Report, however, there have always been whispers about him using steroids. He was one of the best players of the 1990s, but alleged steroid use will hurt his HOF cause, as it has many other players of that era.

While I think only Blyleven and Alomar will be elected today, many others are worthy candidates. Let's hope eventually everyone I've listed gets in at some point. Here is a list of the remaining players who I haven't mentioned who's name also appears on this year's ballot:

Fred McGriff (2nd Ballot)
Don Mattingly (11th)
Larry Walker (1st)
John Franco (1st)
Juan Gonzalez (1st)
Benito Santiago (1st)
Kevin Brown (1st)
John Olerud (1st)
Brett Boone (1st)
Marquis Grissom (1st)
Carlos Baerga (1st)
Al Leiter (1st)
Tino Martinez (1st)
B.J. Surhoff (1st)
Charles Johnson (1st)
Raul Mondesi (1st)
Bobby Higginson (1st)
Kirk Rueter (1st)
Lenny Harris (1st)

NFL Regular Season Ends

Today marked the end of the NFL's regular season. Many playoff spots and seedings were up for grabs, but the big story for us Detroit Lions fans is how our team finished. As we all know, it's been a long road of disappointment over the last decade. From 2001-2009, the Lions record was 33-105, including that dreadful, 0-16 season in 2008. Head Coach Jim Schwartz, as well as their new front office, has drafted well the past couple of years and are building a very talented team. This years addition was fun to watch due to them competing in almost every game. To end the season on a four game winning streak (the team's first since 1999), and to end other dismal streaks like their road losing streak (26 games) and division losing streak (19 games), the Lions have given their fans finally something to cheer about. The saying of, "there's always next year" finally may prove to be a good thing. If Quarterback Matthew Stafford can stay healthy and lead that potent offense, the Lions could make a playoff run in 2011.

NFL Playoffs Are Set

With the Seattle Seahawks defeating the St. Louis Rams, 16-6, they have won the NFC West Division with a 7-9 record and will host the New Orleans Saints (11-5) in the first round of the playoffs. The Seahawks are the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs with a losing record. Here are the playoff match-ups for next week:


Saturday, Jan. 8
NFC: New Orleans at Seattle (NBC), 4:30 p.m. ET
AFC: New York Jets at Indianapolis (NBC), 8 p.m. ET

Sunday, Jan. 9
AFC: Baltimore at Kansas City (CBS), 1 p.m. ET
NFC: Green Bay at Philadelphia (FOX), 4:30 p.m. ET

UCONN Women lose to Stanford, Snap Long Win Streak

The Stanford Lady Cardinal gave the University of Connecticut Lady Huskies their last loss one thousand days ago...Tonight, they snapped UCONN's NCAA Men & Women's Collegiate Basketball record of 90 consecutive wins, with a 71-59 victory at Maples Pavilion on the campus of Stanford University. Stanford extends it's own home winning streak to 51 games. Jeanette Pohlen led the Lady Cardinal with 31 points and 9 rebounds. Perhaps the greatest Women's player in the world right now, Maya Moore, was held to just 14 points on 5-15 shooting.

I don't care what level of sports you are in, or if it's men or women, UCONN's win streak is one of the greatest in all of sports and should be celebrated. Stanford was the better team on the floor tonight, but what the UCONN women did for their sport was a good thing. It brought attention to all of women's college basketball like it has never seen before.

John Lennon & Monday Night Football

December 8, 2010, will mark the 30th anniversary of the death of John Lennon. As everyone knows, Lennon was shot and killed by obsessed fan, Mark David Chapman, outside of Lennon's apartment building in New York City. What does Lennon have to do with Monday Night Football you may wonder?

In 1970, Monday Night Football (MNF) began on ABC. Throughout the 1970s, it elevated the exposure of the NFL and made Monday nights must see television. The first broadcasters of MNF were Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith. In 1971, Frank Gifford replaced Jackson. As the young MNF franchise began to grow, guest appearances by sports, movie, and music stars in the booth, became commonplace. On December 9, 1974, Lennon was interviewed by Cosell (click here to see interview) during the game that night. What no one knew was that exactly six years and one day later, Lennon would be shot, and his shocking and tragic death would be told to the world on football's biggest stage by the man who interviewed him that night, Howard Cosell.

Farewell to a Cubs Legend

Over the past two summers, while driving across Northern Michigan for my job, I'd often tune my SiriusXM radio in to listen to Chicago Cubs games. The reason I listened wasn't because I was necessarily a Cubs fan, but it was to hear Ron Santo. Santo spent 14 of his 15 seasons, as a player, with the Cubs. A nine time All-Star and five time Gold Glove winner, he was one of the greatest third baseman of his generation. He should be in the Hall of Fame, but that is a conversation for another time. As a color commentator, however, he was not a Hall-of-Famer, but his game analysis wasn't his draw. Santo began broadcasting for the Cubs in 1990, and his appeal was his unapologetic passion and enthusiasm that he displayed during every Cub broadcast. He represented every Cub fan in the radio booth by cheering loudly for a homerun or expressing his disgust and disappointment when they committed an error. No one loved his team more than Santo loved the Cubs. His radio partner, play-by-play man Pat Hughes, was the perfect compliment to Santo's style. Hughes would set him up perfectly for a rant, or a story, without taking anything away from the flow of the game. They played off each other very well. Their partnership sadly ended, as we learned this morning, that we lost Ron Santo.

Santo suffered from several health issues. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 18. He ended up having both legs amputated, one in 2001 and the other in 2002. Despite this, he continued to broadcast and also became a spokesman for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). On Wednesday, it was reported that he lapsed into a comma and ended up dying Thursday due to complications of diabetes and bladder cancer. He was 70 years old.

The Cubs lost it's biggest fan. For me, driving across Northern Michigan in the summer will never be the same.

Spark is Gone

Hall of Fame Cincinnati Reds & Detroit Tigers manager, George "Sparky" Anderson, passed away today at the age of 76. Anderson was the first manager in Major League Baseball history to win a World Series in each league and was sixth all-time in wins.

Anderson began his managerial career with the Reds in 1970 at the age of 36. He lead the Reds that year to the National League Pennant, with his team winning 102 games. The Reds swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Championship Series, but lost in the World Series, to the Baltimore Orioles in five games. He lead the Big Red Machine to four National League Pennants and back-to-back World Series Championships in 1975 and 1976. He won 863 career games in nine seasons before being fired after the 1978 season. After a great career with the Reds, he moved on to the Detroit Tigers, where my generation remembers him best.

Anderson was hired in June of 1979 by the Tigers, replacing Les Moss. He guided Detroit to a 56-50 record after taking over mid-season. The Tigers finished 5th in a very tough American League East that year, with an overall record of 85-76. That '79 season marked the second full season of the great double play combination of Lou Whitaker & Alan Trammell, the first full season of Jack Morris and Dan Petry, and the debut of Kirk Gibson. After a solid second place finish in 1983 to the eventual World Champion Baltimore Orioles, 1984 turned into a magical year for the Tigers.


Sparky's Bless You Boys of 1984 (as the Tigers were nicknamed), started out 35-5, a mark that still stands as the best 40 game start to a season in MLB history. They lead the AL East wire-to-wire, finishing with a 104-58 record, which is the most wins for a season in franchise history. The Tigers went on to sweep the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series and defeated the San Diego Padres in the World Series. It was the Tigers first World Championship since 1968. The Tigers won the American League East in 1987, but lost in the ALCS to the Minnesota Twins in five games. The Tigers finished no higher than 2nd place (1988, 1991) in his remaining years as their manager. After the strike year of 1994, and heading into the 1995 season, Anderson refused to manage replacement players in Spring Training. After the shortened '95 season, he retired. In his 17 seasons as the Tigers manager, he finished with a 1331-1248 won/loss record.

Anderson managed 26 years overall, compiling 2194 wins, and posting a winning percentage of .545. He won a total of five pennants and three World Championships. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000, by the Veteran's Committee. He was also known for making some outrageous statements when evaluating young talent, like calling Kirk Gibson the next Mickey Mantle or that little known Chris Pitaro would replace Lou Whitaker at second base. He was also given the moniker, Captain Hook, for his propensity to be quick in pulling pitchers. Sparky also was philanthropic, starting CATCH (Caring Athletes Teamed for Childrens and Henry Ford Hospitals) in 1987. It was a charity he was still active in through his retirement and the end of his life.


His big smile, and enthusiasm for the game of baseball will be sorely missed. The game has lost one of its' greatest ambassadors. Rest in peace Sparky Anderson, there will not be another like you ever again.