Tigers GM presiding over disaster

December 12, 2018

Even in the worst days of Jim Campbell, the front office bungling going on in with the Detroit Tigers was not this bad. Al Avila, the man who helped the Boston Red Sox land J.D. Martinez for its success this past season, is currently the general manager of the Tigers. I use the term general manager lightly, because all Avila has done is create a disaster down in Motown since he took over the job a few seasons ago. And if the Tigers ownership had any clue on what was going on, they would remove him immediately. Now, I know the late Mike Illitch is no longer with us. And that his ...

McLouth Steel and UM basketball

December 5, 2018

Watching this year's University of Michigan basketball team brings back a lot of memories for me. The year was 1965 and I was working downstate at McLouth Steel in Trenton, just a rock's throw from the murky Detroit River. It was a great time to be a sports fan in Detroit. The Tigers were a competitive team, just three years away from the glory of 1968 and ace pitcher Denny McLain. The Red Wings, who played their games at musty, but historic, Olympia Stadium, featured Gordie Howe and Terrry Sawchuk. Watching those two Hall of Fame players was worth the price of admission ...

Two coaches on a very hot seat

November 28, 2018

It is hard to predict for sure, but I would say that University of Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh and Green Bay Packers mentor Mike McCarthy are sitting on hot seats today. Now, the two skippers aren't necessarily in as much peril as they were just a week ago. But the events of the past few days have cast some very serious doubts about their future. In Harbaugh's case, the 62-39 thrashing suffered at the hands of Ohio State was the worst possible scenario for him. In winning 10 of 11 games this fall, the Wolverines were starting to resemble the powerhouses assembled in ...

Making memories: High school hockey filled with chances for enjoyment

November 27, 2018

With the Copper Island Classic last weekend, the high school hockey season has begun. As a former Houghton Gremlins forward, these are the days I live for each season. I played two seasons for the Gremlins during my four years in the school, and I would not trade the experiences I have for ...

Thanksgiving diminished by NFL greed

November 21, 2018

There was once a time when Thanksgiving football was looked forward to with great relish. But that was in a more enlightened era when dollars were not the one and only thing. I am old enough to fondly remember that time. Deer hunters, coming in from the camps, could look forward to two things on Thanksgiving: 1. A bountiful meal. 2. The Detroit Lions on the television set. The meal still exists, although it costs - like everything else - more nowadays. The Lions, who usually play well on Turkey Day, are still there, albeit with a lot of company from other teams. Now, you have ...

Two local athletes earn props

November 14, 2018

Playing on a winning team can be an enjoyable experience at nearly every level. But how about those talented athletes who spend most of their careers on the losing side of the equation? Dillion Hueckstaedt and Haley Makela of Finlandia University are two athletes who earned their spurs the hard way. Hueckstaedt just completed an outstanding season for the Lions football team. He came up with 143 tackles from his linebacker spot, averaging better than 14 tackles a game for the winless Lions. Now, Hueckstaedt did not come from a winning program at Baraga High School. While the Vikings ...