WEBVTT 1 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:21.519 Where are we at in society today? Come after me. I'm a man, 2 00:00:21.800 --> 00:00:26.679 I'm forty. Go ahead, make my day every single week. I 3 00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:29.280 put my freaking heart and soul into this. I don't go out there and 4 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:32.520 laugh. It's not funny. Nothing's funny to me. I don't wanna go 5 00:00:32.520 --> 00:00:36.240 out there and get embarrassed on Monday night football fun everybody. I think that 6 00:00:36.399 --> 00:00:40.640 at the beginning of a beautiful friendship. So I ain't nothing changed from yesterday. 7 00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:44.799 Still the same person I was yesterday, and I got the same thing 8 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:49.759 for you that I had yesterday. You know why I'm here. You play 9 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:56.359 to win the game. You don't play to just play it. That's a 10 00:00:56.399 --> 00:01:00.840 great thing about sports. You play to win. I don't care if you 11 00:01:00.840 --> 00:01:03.959 don't have any wins. You go play to win. When you start telling 12 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:17.599 me it doesn't matter to retire, get out for the math. That is 13 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:22.439 right. Good morning, everybody. Dennis Fifthian in for Matt Shepherd. On 14 00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:30.000 this Friday, This Friday, heading into the holiday weekend, heading into the 15 00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:34.439 Memorial weekend, Friday, May the twenty fourth, allys Fridays. Like a 16 00:01:34.439 --> 00:01:40.400 lot of people, it's my favorite day of the week, and heading into 17 00:01:40.439 --> 00:01:44.480 a holiday weekend where you know, I know, I would guess if you're 18 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:48.640 listening right now, you probably are heading to work. Did you get up 19 00:01:48.680 --> 00:01:53.319 and head out to the lake you go fishing heading into the Memorial weekend because 20 00:01:53.319 --> 00:02:00.439 you're off, maybe, but the most people getting the Monday off and it 21 00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:07.200 just just feels good. It makes you think about you know, some of 22 00:02:07.239 --> 00:02:08.680 the I don't know which countries do it, but you know they say, 23 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:14.199 you know you only work forget the five day work week, four days. 24 00:02:14.280 --> 00:02:19.080 Everybody's neither their head, Yeah, four days. People driving right now listening 25 00:02:19.240 --> 00:02:23.520 saying the five days I worked seven days. So we're going to keep your 26 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:27.840 company, get you into this weekend. You're a sports fan, you know. 27 00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:35.759 Last night rang the Bell and Memorial Weekend with a little bit of stuff 28 00:02:35.879 --> 00:02:44.479 for everyone. If I'm thinking about what is very top of mind for me 29 00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:54.240 and I'm thinking for you. It was the Lions and Dan Campbell who talked 30 00:02:54.240 --> 00:03:01.960 at OTAs yesterday and he was asked to question, it's the question of the 31 00:03:02.039 --> 00:03:07.759 day. I'll be answering it myself an hour from right now at seven to 32 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:10.439 one. Of course, you could jump in and answer it is it super 33 00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:20.879 Bowl or bust? For the Detroit Lions this upcoming season. Dan Campbell interrupted, 34 00:03:21.080 --> 00:03:24.280 I mean he answered the question, but he interrupted the question saying he 35 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:30.360 doesn't see bust, he sees Super Bowl. It was a fine way to 36 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:37.400 answer the question. I think about this time last year, I was asking 37 00:03:37.639 --> 00:03:44.800 this question with Michigan, with the Michigan football team, was it national championship 38 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:50.520 or bust? And Michigan fans agreed that it was championship or bust. Now 39 00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:55.120 college and pro, there's some obvious differences with Michigan. Certainly, they had 40 00:03:55.120 --> 00:04:02.639 been to the two previous college football Playoffs and it took him a while to 41 00:04:03.400 --> 00:04:06.360 you know, they had the long streak where they couldn't beat Ohio State. 42 00:04:06.680 --> 00:04:11.439 They had to deal with all the jokes that they hadn't won the Big Ten 43 00:04:11.560 --> 00:04:15.759 since they moved the since they had a championship game and it was in India, 44 00:04:15.800 --> 00:04:17.079 they had to deal with, hey, you know where Indianapolis is at. 45 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:20.319 But so they were able to do that, slay that dragon, but 46 00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:26.720 they lost the TCU in the College Football Playoff. The first year they lost 47 00:04:26.759 --> 00:04:29.639 to Georgia, I think got people know it was a pretty good Georgia team, 48 00:04:29.959 --> 00:04:33.480 great Georgia team, but Michigan was favored to be TCU. That was 49 00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:39.000 a chance to get to the national title game, and they say they blew 50 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:44.560 it, didn't do it. So coming back when they had JJ McCarthy and 51 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:48.319 Blake korm you go down the list of all the they were set, they 52 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:56.959 were ready. They had ten players out of the transfer portal, and it 53 00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:00.399 felt like if it wasn't going to belast year at the Ohouse, State game 54 00:05:01.160 --> 00:05:06.000 was at home, they had another super easy non conference schedule. If it 55 00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:11.199 wasn't going to be last year for Michigan, there was a question of, 56 00:05:11.399 --> 00:05:15.480 well, is it ever gonna happen or certainly now you know, I didn't 57 00:05:15.480 --> 00:05:17.519 feel like with this group, although JJ could have come back for his senior 58 00:05:17.560 --> 00:05:20.279 season, so you could have made that argument, and some people did, 59 00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:30.519 but the other guys, you just it was it was National Championship or bust 60 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:36.439 last year for Michigan, But so is it Super Bowl or bust for the 61 00:05:36.519 --> 00:05:40.759 Lions. Dan Campbell doesn't see bust. He sees Super Bowl. As he 62 00:05:40.839 --> 00:05:45.680 was standing up at the podium with his grit hat on, we'll get into 63 00:05:45.720 --> 00:05:51.680 that. Pistons have a new man at the top calling the shots, Trajan 64 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:59.240 Langdon the Alaskan Assassin for those of you that can go back and remember when 65 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:06.000 he played at Due. Not many ballplayers coming out of Alaska, but Langdon 66 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:11.759 did, and he went to Duke and then you know, a couple of 67 00:06:11.800 --> 00:06:17.399 years in the pros, then overseas and then you know, getting involved on 68 00:06:17.480 --> 00:06:21.759 the front office side of things. He'd been down to New Orleans. But 69 00:06:21.959 --> 00:06:29.480 he is going to be the next president of basketball operations. But what he 70 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:34.000 is going to be is the guy with the final say and personnel decisions, 71 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:40.120 and that's the top job. And so this is going to be the guy 72 00:06:40.199 --> 00:06:44.879 that will either you know, Troy Weaver has been calling the shots for the 73 00:06:44.920 --> 00:06:50.000 past few years. It will be Langdon now for the next few seasons, 74 00:06:50.040 --> 00:06:54.800 and we'll see what he will do. I'll I'll give you a couple ideas, 75 00:06:54.879 --> 00:06:58.879 you know, for the you know, you think about if you're a 76 00:06:58.959 --> 00:07:04.319 Pistons fan coming off a season where he only won fourteen games and the bitter 77 00:07:04.439 --> 00:07:13.240 disappointment in almost every area for the team, and you look to this season. 78 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:15.040 In the draft, there was there was nothing. It was it's called 79 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:18.519 you know, one of the worst I get the worst draft ever. And 80 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:21.160 you know, obviously they didn't win it, and they you know, fell 81 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:26.480 to five. So not only was it a terrible draft, but you wouldn't 82 00:07:26.480 --> 00:07:30.600 have minded it wouldn't have uh have minded grabbing that number one pick. But 83 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:35.759 they fall to five, which you know, felt like another loss for this 84 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:41.399 team. So now they sit here, there's not great prospects. But oh 85 00:07:42.920 --> 00:07:46.720 if if you sometimes you find that Brad Holmes was coming in, it was 86 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:53.240 a for the Lions. Honestly, that felt like a rinse and repeat type 87 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:57.839 situation. I've seen a lot of general managers over the years come in for 88 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:00.759 Detroit and the fans, and that's what you do. You're like, yeah, 89 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:03.879 we got a new guy. Let's put our you know, full faith 90 00:08:03.959 --> 00:08:07.839 behind him. Maybe this will be the guy. Oh, Bob Quinn, 91 00:08:07.879 --> 00:08:13.360 you know he's the guy. And he was not the guy obviously, Bob 92 00:08:13.439 --> 00:08:18.759 Quinn. It did not work out, but Holmes I was. So you 93 00:08:18.759 --> 00:08:22.399 know, there's when you get somebody new like that, there is at least 94 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:26.600 with the change part, you feel like, you know, maybe a chance 95 00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:31.120 we'll ship through what his most important moves are, at least that we see 96 00:08:31.840 --> 00:08:37.200 on the surface. That talked about yesterday that these teams you look at the 97 00:08:37.559 --> 00:08:41.480 four teams that are remaining in the playoffs, and you you look at their 98 00:08:41.559 --> 00:08:46.799 roster, you look at their front office, you look at how they have 99 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:52.159 been able to get where they're at and has it just been sitting back and 100 00:08:52.000 --> 00:09:01.759 getting lucky. In some cases it is Minnesota of the year that they get 101 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:03.679 the number one pick. The last time, I mean a couple of years 102 00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:09.519 before they got kat Karl Anthony Towns and that didn't look like it was really 103 00:09:09.559 --> 00:09:13.720 gonna be all of that. But you know, they get the ant man 104 00:09:13.759 --> 00:09:16.600 Anthony Edwards, and that was lucky, but they did have to take him. 105 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:22.399 There was it wasn't a slam dunk. There were a lot of people 106 00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:31.440 saying, hey, take LaMelo Ball in that draft, and they didn't. 107 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:35.840 So that was part of it. But we'll get into a little bit of 108 00:09:35.840 --> 00:09:41.799 that actually straight ahead, and we'll cover what happened last night on the ice 109 00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:46.679 and the hardwood in the playoffs. We had the Tigers in action as well. 110 00:09:46.759 --> 00:09:52.960 So I feel like a lot of balls in the air this Holiday Friday 111 00:09:52.600 --> 00:09:56.879 with all of that that I just mentioned, we'll tackle it all. We'll 112 00:09:56.879 --> 00:10:01.879 dive into it straight ahead. It's exciting to be here. I'm Dennis Fifthy 113 00:10:01.879 --> 00:10:05.840 and Informatt Shepperd ben Zost as always he's here. He'll take your calls. 114 00:10:05.879 --> 00:10:11.279 He's reading your texts. It's Exes and bro special edition. Here on the 115 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:16.320 Michigan Sports Network. Bill Simonson. Here from my good friend Josh Garvey. 116 00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:20.919 Now he's a managing shareholder at Dorn Mayhew's Grand Rapids office. Their world headquarters 117 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:24.519 are in Troy, Michigan, on the east side of the state, and 118 00:10:24.519 --> 00:10:28.879 they have locations all around the world. They have over five hundred and fifty 119 00:10:28.919 --> 00:10:35.440 motivated accounting professionals ninety years in business, and I mentioned the ten offices worldwide. 120 00:10:35.960 --> 00:10:39.759 So if you want to connect and partner with one of the top CPA 121 00:10:41.320 --> 00:10:46.519 accounting and business firms in the world, they're right here in Michigan, Dorn 122 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:50.080 Mayhew's Troy office on the east side of the state, and Josh Garvey is 123 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:54.840 a managing shareholder for their Dorn Mayhew gr office. Right there by the S 124 00:10:54.919 --> 00:10:58.799 Curve, you'll see the new Dorn Mayhew sign. You can find out more 125 00:10:58.879 --> 00:11:03.480 just google Dorn Mayhew. That's do O E RI E N M A Y 126 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:11.919 hwordorn dot com. They're one of Americas and the world's top CPA accounting and 127 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:18.879 business firms. They're Dornmayhew. We're teeing off our tenth year at the Meyer 128 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:22.279 LPGA Classic for simply gives. Get ready for the best who are yet to 129 00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:28.080 help neighbors in need while enjoying golf, food and family fun. Join us 130 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:33.320 June thirteenth through the sixteenth at Blakefield Country Club for fabulous food, discoveryland for 131 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:37.679 kids, and of course, elite women golfers from around the world competing to 132 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:56.240 help feed our neighbors. Get your tickets now at Meyer LPGA Classic dot com. 133 00:11:56.320 --> 00:12:01.960 Is it super Bowl or bus for the Detroit Lions? That was the 134 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:09.639 question posed to Lions head coach Dan Campbell after OTA's yesterday. He says he 135 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:16.960 doesn't seek bust. He's the super Bowl. What about you? As it 136 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:20.080 super Bowl our bust? I'm answering that question at seven oh one. Good 137 00:12:20.159 --> 00:12:24.679 morning, Dennis Fithian Here, Axes and Bros. And the Michigan Sports Network. 138 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:31.039 I'm gonna run through what happened last night in sports. I got a 139 00:12:31.080 --> 00:12:37.799 bone to pick with the ESPN. They it's nice today after Dan Campbell spoke 140 00:12:37.919 --> 00:12:46.519 yesterday. Now they they pick a team Sports Center does and they picked popular 141 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:50.799 teams a lot of times. Right now the Lions are are are a popular 142 00:12:50.840 --> 00:12:54.840 team obviously, and Campbell spoke yesterday, so they're talking a lot about the 143 00:12:54.840 --> 00:12:58.840 Lions. But they put up a graph and you know, it has the 144 00:13:00.840 --> 00:13:05.000 Lions win total at ten and a half and then at the bottom and then 145 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:09.279 it says they've got eleven and one odds to win the Super Bowl. And 146 00:13:09.360 --> 00:13:13.000 at the bottom of that it says the best title odds in forty five years, 147 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:15.600 which is a little bit of an attention grabber. You're like, wow, 148 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:18.639 because the Lions said, oh you go at ninety three, ninety one, 149 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:22.519 they had one, they had won one playoff games. It's fifty seven. 150 00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:26.759 We knew all of these numbers. They're ingrained in our brain. It 151 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:31.799 is a relief last year when they won one, not only two. I 152 00:13:31.799 --> 00:13:33.879 mean, you know the whole story there. But so when I saw the 153 00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:39.879 forty five years, I was thinking, you know, that's interesting. If 154 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:43.600 somebody asked me one with this is the best title odds since when, I 155 00:13:43.720 --> 00:13:48.240 think I would have said nineteen fifty seven. I don't know even know if 156 00:13:48.279 --> 00:13:52.480 they had odds back at nineteen fifty seven. I thought about the same thing 157 00:13:52.720 --> 00:13:56.799 they have odds forty five years ago, but they do because I see them. 158 00:13:58.679 --> 00:14:03.639 They often talk about the Jets and Joe nama Is guarantee, and you 159 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:07.240 know what sort of underdog the Jets were, or they were their double digit 160 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:11.159 underdog, and that's what made the guarantee by Joe Namas so famous. So 161 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:16.120 I get that part. But then I was just thinking myself because I was 162 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:22.720 a young, very young kid in at nineteen seventy nine, and I would 163 00:14:22.759 --> 00:14:28.000 have I was a Lions fan. But so I'm thinking with the Lions. 164 00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:33.440 Was I thinking about the Super Bowl back in the late seventies for the Lions. 165 00:14:33.639 --> 00:14:41.240 Absolutely not. Now, the Lions went two and fourteen in nineteen seventy 166 00:14:41.320 --> 00:14:45.639 nine, you'd say, well, you know, it's seventy eight. They 167 00:14:45.720 --> 00:14:52.600 must have had a hell of a season to have the the best odds until 168 00:14:52.879 --> 00:14:58.120 twenty twenty three. Well, no, they went They went seven to nine 169 00:14:58.679 --> 00:15:05.320 in seventy eight, seventy seven, they went six in eight the whole seventies. 170 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:11.759 I'm sorry. In nineteen seventy either the Lions beat the Cowboys like five 171 00:15:11.960 --> 00:15:20.600 nothing or I'm sorry they lost to the Cowboys of five nothing in the playoffs 172 00:15:20.919 --> 00:15:24.279 and so if it would have said seventy one, that said coming off a 173 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:28.320 playoff appearance, all right, But the rest of the seventies it was nothing. 174 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:35.519 But you know, seven wins, six wins the seventy nineteen, which 175 00:15:35.559 --> 00:15:41.600 is interesting because it was two and fourteen. It was a famous song that 176 00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:46.159 made its way around the Motor City after that by by Spider Man. Allen 177 00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:52.840 to the song by Queen as Spider Man said, he was sitting on his 178 00:15:52.200 --> 00:15:58.039 seat something. I'm trying to remember the lyrics there, Spider Man sitting on 179 00:15:58.120 --> 00:16:08.600 his seat. But the line was last year was two and fourteen, but 180 00:16:08.759 --> 00:16:12.679 this is the year for New Orleans. Now that rhymed when Spider Man said, 181 00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:15.399 it didn't seem like a really rhyme to roll off the tongue there for 182 00:16:15.480 --> 00:16:19.000 me when I was rolling it out. Maybe it's just because it's early in 183 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:23.440 the morning, but I don't know, I have I'm sending that off to 184 00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:30.200 ESPN. I'm questioning their odds. Now, if they would have said the 185 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:36.360 Lions in a ninety one, you know they lost the conference finals, or 186 00:16:37.240 --> 00:16:45.320 when they lost actually, you know, the winning against the Cowboys. Remember 187 00:16:45.320 --> 00:16:49.759 when they got that one playoff win for the first time. So it's fifty 188 00:16:49.799 --> 00:16:55.519 seven. A lot of people thought and it was the next for the foreseeable 189 00:16:55.559 --> 00:16:59.679 future, it was going to be the Lions and the Cowboys. This is 190 00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:03.039 it. Look at the young talent on these teams. Well they were kind 191 00:17:03.079 --> 00:17:07.240 of right. The Cowboys would go on and we win three Super Bowls, 192 00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:11.880 but not the Lions. So I could have seen if they were saying that 193 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:22.960 in ninety four ninety five that there was there was something there for Detroit ninety 194 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:26.119 two. I guess that's I think, the best Super Bowl odds, But 195 00:17:26.279 --> 00:17:30.599 you know, so I'm questioning it. That's what I have to say for 196 00:17:32.160 --> 00:17:36.000 ESPN best title odds in forty five years. I know there were less teams 197 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:38.440 and everything else, but it just didn't make sense to me as my mind 198 00:17:38.680 --> 00:17:45.319 works through it all right. Last night in the playoffs, she had Game 199 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:51.160 two in the NBA in the Eastern Conference Finals with Indiana going into Boston. 200 00:17:51.240 --> 00:17:55.960 Boston had won. That had bugaboo, one of those things in Game two's 201 00:17:56.519 --> 00:17:59.839 where they were losing no matter who they were playing in the heat, and 202 00:18:00.039 --> 00:18:03.079 you just go through it. And so Indiana, after the way they played 203 00:18:03.559 --> 00:18:07.839 played in Game one and threw Game one away and only had themselves to blame, 204 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:11.519 and thinking, well, however you want to look at it, I 205 00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:15.160 felt pretty good about their chances to steal the game. But you know, 206 00:18:15.240 --> 00:18:18.359 Boston with a twenty zero round of the first half, it looked like it 207 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:22.400 was going to be over as I watched it. But I watched this game 208 00:18:22.440 --> 00:18:26.319 up to halftime. The Pacers Pascal Siakam, they got it down to a 209 00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:30.519 half dozen. It was a six point game at the half, but then 210 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:40.039 in the third quarter it was mostly Boston, but the Pacers did inch within 211 00:18:40.119 --> 00:18:45.160 a bucket there the third but Tyrese Halliburton got hurt and then that's pretty much 212 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:49.519 it. And that is going to be the main storyline for Game three. 213 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:57.000 Halliburton and his hamstring and his availability in Game three, that is the big 214 00:18:57.079 --> 00:19:02.279 question and the series. Of course, if Halliburton, they might lose anyways 215 00:19:02.279 --> 00:19:07.319 and might get swept anyways. But if Halliburton is out, I would think 216 00:19:07.400 --> 00:19:15.240 that that would be a likely scenario. OH one twenty six, one ten 217 00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:19.839 the final sixteen point victory for the Celtics. They're up to to oh On 218 00:19:19.960 --> 00:19:26.240 the other side, it will be a game two. MAVs te Wolves Tonight 219 00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:32.920 eight thirty in Minnesota on the ice, you had Dallas and Edmonton first game 220 00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:37.039 of the Western Finals. Nobody listening right now stayed up to watch the end 221 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:44.319 of that one, although it was riveting. I watched the highlights today and 222 00:19:44.359 --> 00:19:49.000 it ends up going Edmonton's way, three to two, double overtime. But 223 00:19:49.119 --> 00:19:56.160 that's a hell of a game. With Edmonton now sitting here, they've got 224 00:19:56.200 --> 00:20:03.079 so much firepower, but they've had this firepower, but the fire power is 225 00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:10.039 being helped by a subtimely goaltending now and another edition of a local product, 226 00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:14.200 Zach Hyman, who they signed as a free agent, who leads the NHL 227 00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:18.519 Playoffs with the twelve goals. Hymen had a goal drive title, of course. 228 00:20:18.519 --> 00:20:21.359 I mean if I asked you to say, hey, who are the 229 00:20:21.400 --> 00:20:25.240 three players that scored the goals for the Edmonton Oilers, you'd say, probably 230 00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:29.559 Hymen, probably Dry Title, and probably Connor McDavid, And you would be 231 00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:33.119 right on all of that. McDavid, with thirty two seconds into the double 232 00:20:33.119 --> 00:20:40.640 overtime scores he's about on the door step, right in the slot. When 233 00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:48.079 Bouchard has been excellent for Edmonton, is over on the right side in the 234 00:20:48.160 --> 00:20:52.359 corner. He throws the puck right front and McDavid is sitting there all alone. 235 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:56.160 That's going to be a scary proposition as a goaltender, Connor McDavid and 236 00:20:56.400 --> 00:21:03.920 he just he shoveled it the passed from Bouchard. No chance there for Ottinger 237 00:21:03.799 --> 00:21:10.359 winner for Edmonton. They're up one to zero. Two posts for the Stars 238 00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:12.759 in overtime. And if you're looking for a key, how about five for 239 00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:18.599 five of the penalty kill there for the Edmonton Oilers in game one tonight Game 240 00:21:18.640 --> 00:21:22.960 two of the Eastern Finals. Rangers they got shut out in Game one eight 241 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:30.720 o'clock face off at Madison Square Garden and the Florida Panthers. They're going to 242 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:33.640 take a two to zero lead there. You're up to speed there. The 243 00:21:33.799 --> 00:21:42.640 Pistons have a new guy calling the shots and we will go over what the 244 00:21:42.680 --> 00:21:51.240 first order of business will be for Trajan Langdon, your new president of basketball 245 00:21:51.319 --> 00:21:55.680 operations for the Detroit Pistons. Straight ahead here on x'es and Bros. And 246 00:21:55.720 --> 00:22:00.519 the Michigan Sports Network Huge here for the Michigan High School Athletic Association. You 247 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:04.880 can stay up to date on the latest from Lansing twenty four to seven at 248 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:15.200 mhsa A dot com at mhsa A on Twitter and MHSAA on Facebook. The 249 00:22:15.279 --> 00:22:19.960 latest news, press releases and stories connected to every high school in the state 250 00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:26.519 of Michigan available for you twenty four to seven from the Michigan High School Athletic 251 00:22:26.559 --> 00:22:33.759 Association. Log onto MHSA dot com, at mhsa A on Twitter and MHSA 252 00:22:34.440 --> 00:22:41.880 on Facebook. And if you're looking for archive boys and Girls high school Sports 253 00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:48.720 m h s a A dot tv. That's m hs AA dot tv twenty 254 00:22:48.759 --> 00:22:52.160 four to seven. Everything you need to know about high school sports in Michigan. 255 00:22:52.640 --> 00:23:00.359 Log onto MHSAA dot com. We played for the three that rushing field 256 00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:04.720 with the game on the line, I'm Herman Moore Blons All Pro Wide Receiver. 257 00:23:06.519 --> 00:23:08.839 Now with Eagle Casino in Sports, the new sportsbook app from Sore and 258 00:23:08.960 --> 00:23:12.759 Eagle Anywhere I'm at. I'm still in the game. Sign up now and 259 00:23:12.839 --> 00:23:17.799 get up to one thousand dollars. That's right, up to one thousand dollars 260 00:23:17.880 --> 00:23:21.519 for a risk free bet on your next favorite underdog, Harley or Prop. 261 00:23:21.799 --> 00:23:26.400 Eagle Casino in Sports made in Michigan, Made for Michigan. Must be twenty 262 00:23:26.440 --> 00:23:41.799 one or older. In Michigan to playing the old learn something new every day 263 00:23:41.960 --> 00:23:45.000 in this state is just getting started. At six thirty five, headed to 264 00:23:45.079 --> 00:23:52.279 this Memorial weekend, Dennismithian in for Matt Shephard Axes and bros. And I 265 00:23:52.400 --> 00:23:56.160 have just learned something. You know. We have the ability for you to 266 00:23:56.319 --> 00:24:00.920 of course call in on the Meyer Hotline, and we also have the availability 267 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:06.960 for you to participate the via the text. And this is now my fifth 268 00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:10.119 show that I've been filling in. And I say, hey, text sports 269 00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:15.759 radio to twenty one thousand. Well, the last time I was in I 270 00:24:15.960 --> 00:24:22.880 just tested it out myself and I texted the sports radio and I was like, 271 00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:26.079 hey, what's up Ben? You know it's then, you know, 272 00:24:26.119 --> 00:24:26.839 And then Ben didn't say anything to me, and I thought, well, 273 00:24:26.880 --> 00:24:32.079 maybe Bench just you know, he's you know, not into just being a 274 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:33.880 friendly via the text or with me. You know, I said it was 275 00:24:33.960 --> 00:24:38.240 me. You didn't say anything. But when I say text sports radio to 276 00:24:38.319 --> 00:24:47.200 twenty one thousand, sports radio is one word. And my problem is when 277 00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:52.599 I tried it twice, it automatically corrected to sports radio and put a space 278 00:24:52.720 --> 00:24:57.359 in there. Sports radio one word to twenty one thousand. You can get 279 00:24:57.400 --> 00:25:03.079 in that way, and hey, Ben is very friendly and he's not ignoring 280 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:10.519 your attacks. You just have to put sports radio in as one word, 281 00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:14.680 so try it out. That is something that has me kind of fired up, 282 00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:21.400 and that just happened over the last five minutes. Now the question of 283 00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:25.680 the day, and we're going to dive into it head first. Coming up 284 00:25:25.720 --> 00:25:27.920 at seven to one. I'll answer the question. It's about the Lions where 285 00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:33.200 Dan Campbell yesterday was asked by the assembled media whoever it was, Hey Dan, 286 00:25:34.039 --> 00:25:40.359 do you see this year as super Bowl or bust? And Campbell with 287 00:25:40.559 --> 00:25:44.480 five coffees in him, a couple shots of whatever else he puts in those 288 00:25:44.519 --> 00:25:48.960 coffees and the hat with grit on it, stared down that reporter and said 289 00:25:48.680 --> 00:25:52.400 he doesn't see bust, he sees super Bowl, which is a very nice 290 00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:57.759 answer by Dan Campbell. But we want your answer and I'll give you a 291 00:25:57.839 --> 00:26:03.920 myrie coming up at seven one. But there is some news with the Detroit 292 00:26:03.079 --> 00:26:08.720 Pistons. Yes, they are still organization. They do plan on playing the 293 00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:14.880 upcoming season. They do own the number five pick and the twenty twenty four 294 00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:22.960 upcoming NBA draft. As we all know, they finished with the worst record, 295 00:26:22.039 --> 00:26:26.119 but it fell to five, which felt very Pistons like with how things 296 00:26:26.119 --> 00:26:33.640 are going. But the Pistons hired a new guy, a new leader, 297 00:26:33.599 --> 00:26:40.559 Trajan Langdon comes in for the Pistons. According to reports, they are set 298 00:26:40.640 --> 00:26:45.880 to hire Trajan Langdon as president of basketball Operations. Now I am going to 299 00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:52.079 work through what I think his first order of business is now, you might 300 00:26:52.279 --> 00:26:56.160 ask, and I asked this question myself when I saw that they were hiring 301 00:26:56.519 --> 00:27:03.440 Langdon as president of basketball operations and that he had been the Pelicans general manager 302 00:27:03.519 --> 00:27:08.640 since twenty nineteen, I thought, why would the general manager of the Pelicans 303 00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:19.319 want to leave their situation and come to Detroit? And that's a good question, 304 00:27:21.480 --> 00:27:25.759 patting myself on the back. Good question. Well, Langdon was the 305 00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:30.640 general manager, but he did not have final say in personnel decisions. That 306 00:27:30.759 --> 00:27:36.759 was David Griffin, who was the Calves, a guy calling the shot. 307 00:27:36.799 --> 00:27:41.319 I don't know exactly what his title was with the Calves, but that's in 308 00:27:41.400 --> 00:27:47.799 New Orleans. He was the one, which was a pretty easy decision, 309 00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:55.599 drafting Zion Williamson. And that's why you want to be the guy that's calling 310 00:27:55.680 --> 00:28:00.640 the shots. And Langdon is going to do that and we say, well, 311 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:02.880 is this a good hire. I'm not sure if it's a good higher. 312 00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:07.559 The Pistons are in a real tough spot with the roster that they have 313 00:28:10.759 --> 00:28:14.480 in you know, last year at this time I looked at it and said, 314 00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:17.200 yeah, I know, they got a young roster and you just want 315 00:28:17.240 --> 00:28:22.920 to take incremental steps and prepare yourself and try to surround Kate Cunningham with some 316 00:28:23.079 --> 00:28:27.559 good players. And it's not like they were hit with injuries or anything. 317 00:28:27.640 --> 00:28:30.400 Last year. They had their starting five what you would say, not a 318 00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:36.160 bad starting five, maybe not a playoff team, but a team that you 319 00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:38.039 know, you thought they might have something going for them, but no, 320 00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:44.279 they didn't. They they don't play well. They didn't play defense at all, 321 00:28:44.519 --> 00:28:48.359 they didn't shoot really well. And you know, in their their head 322 00:28:48.440 --> 00:28:57.839 coach didn't see particularly interested in in coaching, which is going to be a 323 00:28:57.920 --> 00:29:03.480 pretty big deal when you know you're sitting there on the sideline and you're Monte 324 00:29:03.599 --> 00:29:08.960 Williams, who the Pistons brought in last year to be their head coach and 325 00:29:10.039 --> 00:29:12.720 they gave him seventy six million dollars. Now, this is the first order 326 00:29:12.759 --> 00:29:17.599 of business for Langdon. I think that if you're listening right now. And 327 00:29:17.720 --> 00:29:18.519 I said that to you, you'd say, what do you think is first 328 00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:23.960 order of businesses? You'd say, fire Troy Weaver and then fire Bonnie Williams. 329 00:29:26.359 --> 00:29:32.519 Broom. These guys out start fresh that way. And I agree with 330 00:29:32.640 --> 00:29:37.240 that. I don't know how Troy Weaver is staying around he is out. 331 00:29:38.039 --> 00:29:42.559 I would I will put all of the money I have on Weaver being out 332 00:29:44.079 --> 00:29:47.359 now. No, Williams is interesting. You know, it's not a cap 333 00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:55.039 situation. The Piston's just oh, Monty Williams sixty million dollars more after you 334 00:29:55.119 --> 00:29:57.000 know, the the six year, seventy six million dollar deal. And he 335 00:29:57.039 --> 00:30:00.839 could say, that's a hell of a lot of money to you eat if 336 00:30:00.880 --> 00:30:07.039 you're Tom Gorris, although a report in the Athletics says that if Langdon wants 337 00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:15.440 to move on, that Gorris will eat that money if Langdon decides to make 338 00:30:15.480 --> 00:30:22.119 a coaching change. So I don't think that Langdon is flying up to Detroit 339 00:30:22.279 --> 00:30:26.279 thinking the money's gone automatically. I think he's going to have an open eye. 340 00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:30.000 Would I would think that he would have an open mind. I would 341 00:30:30.119 --> 00:30:34.279 meet with money Williams. There's the perception if Langdon was asking me, what's 342 00:30:34.400 --> 00:30:37.079 up with you? What do you think of money Williams. I would say, 343 00:30:37.799 --> 00:30:41.440 it looks like he just took the Pistons job just because they offered him 344 00:30:41.720 --> 00:30:48.920 seventy six million dollars. He even said something to that effect when he was 345 00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:52.079 hired and he had fired by Phoenix. It felt like, you know, 346 00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:57.440 after all of this, that he was just perfectly content to live his life 347 00:30:57.440 --> 00:31:04.240 as a multi millionaire and chill. But the Pistons said, hey, how 348 00:31:04.279 --> 00:31:11.119 about seventy six million guaranteed? Who say a no to that? Basically what 349 00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:15.359 money Williams said. But then he coached like he had all the security of 350 00:31:15.400 --> 00:31:19.279 the world and not a care in the world about winning basketball games. And 351 00:31:19.359 --> 00:31:23.680 you can't have that as a head coach. You need somebody driven. You 352 00:31:23.799 --> 00:31:29.960 need someone despite you know, making seventy six million, that he is just 353 00:31:30.759 --> 00:31:38.359 grind it. It's everything consumed with being a head coach and moving this thing 354 00:31:38.480 --> 00:31:41.759 forward. And Monty Williams did not seem like he had any of that, 355 00:31:42.359 --> 00:31:48.720 any drive. He was reluctant to make lineup changes. He stayed with Killian 356 00:31:48.759 --> 00:31:52.319 Hayes for some reason. What every single person that I've ever spoken with or 357 00:31:52.480 --> 00:31:56.599 talked to that watched the Pistons and said, I don't know why Ice, 358 00:31:56.720 --> 00:32:00.599 you know, playing Killian Hayes like he is. And and then finally, 359 00:32:00.599 --> 00:32:06.039 you know, he finally made some moves at the trading deadline. Move some 360 00:32:06.160 --> 00:32:09.279 guys out, move some guys in. But it's totally unspectacular, terrible as 361 00:32:09.319 --> 00:32:12.519 a matter of fact, that's the way it looks. That's what I would 362 00:32:12.519 --> 00:32:15.680 tell Langdon. Langdon's gonna sit down and he's got to look to the other 363 00:32:15.799 --> 00:32:21.359 side of the table and say, money, tell me why you want to 364 00:32:21.400 --> 00:32:27.359 stay here and coach this team. And he needs I would need an impassion 365 00:32:27.599 --> 00:32:32.279 plea from many about what went wrong last year and how he just can't wait 366 00:32:32.920 --> 00:32:38.319 to get out there and turn the narrative around that he's just sitting there and 367 00:32:38.519 --> 00:32:44.799 collecting a check. Maybe he's ready to do that. Maybe he's ready to 368 00:32:45.640 --> 00:32:49.200 Maybe he's already reached out to Langdon and said, I can't wait to get 369 00:32:49.240 --> 00:32:53.000 the work. Let's do it. Whatever it is, it better be a 370 00:32:53.240 --> 00:33:00.920 hell of a sales job from Williams. Now have he said everything that I 371 00:33:00.039 --> 00:33:04.440 just said. I could easily just see him just sitting back. Bonnie Williams 372 00:33:04.519 --> 00:33:08.400 and be like, you want to go ahead, I'll get this retirement underway. 373 00:33:09.000 --> 00:33:14.640 I'll take I made the sixteen million last year. I'll take a sixty 374 00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:19.720 million dollar check and I'll walk A lot of us listening right now think about, 375 00:33:19.759 --> 00:33:22.240 Hey, you don't have to fly around, you have to be at 376 00:33:22.279 --> 00:33:27.839 the pistons next year or the next five years. You can just take your 377 00:33:27.960 --> 00:33:30.160 check, fold it up, put it in your back pocket, and fly 378 00:33:30.279 --> 00:33:36.359 wherever you want for the rest of your life and your entire family as well. 379 00:33:36.920 --> 00:33:38.799 So that is going to be the first order of business. Now, 380 00:33:40.799 --> 00:33:45.640 if I had to predict, it's tough. I don't know much about Langdon 381 00:33:46.240 --> 00:33:53.319 as a player at Duke, and that if you're worth anything as a competitor, 382 00:33:53.640 --> 00:33:58.799 you are going to sell that as I want to be on the sideline 383 00:33:58.839 --> 00:34:02.000 and I want to get this thing going. And you know, you know, 384 00:34:02.119 --> 00:34:06.119 he doesn't need to throw Troy Weaver under the whatever. She used to 385 00:34:06.200 --> 00:34:09.119 go out there and says, you know, he wants to here's his ideas 386 00:34:09.239 --> 00:34:14.360 and he could sell it. But so I think he's going to get an 387 00:34:14.440 --> 00:34:24.400 opportunity to continue coaching. Now. I do think if I was somebody that 388 00:34:24.880 --> 00:34:30.280 was an NBA writer certainly a Pistons writer. And I was in the off 389 00:34:30.360 --> 00:34:34.639 season and the editor said, you know, we're gonna need some content. 390 00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:37.559 I would sit down. One of the first things that I would write was 391 00:34:38.000 --> 00:34:43.159 Coaches on the hot Seat for twenty twenty four. Monny Williams's name is going 392 00:34:43.199 --> 00:34:44.920 to be right at the top, and next to it, it's going to 393 00:34:44.920 --> 00:34:51.519 be training at Langdon is the new basketball president of basketball Operations. He's not 394 00:34:51.679 --> 00:35:00.639 standing for any thing like last year, and then he'll be gone. And 395 00:35:00.480 --> 00:35:04.280 I don't think that he will be the head coach at this time next year, 396 00:35:04.360 --> 00:35:06.880 but I do think he'll be the coach at the start of the year. 397 00:35:06.920 --> 00:35:13.599 So those are the two orders of business for Langdon Waiver. I can't 398 00:35:13.639 --> 00:35:17.639 see how he stays around, but I do think Money Williams will come back, 399 00:35:17.840 --> 00:35:25.639 even though the Pistons are open to taking these sixty million dollars and flushing 400 00:35:25.719 --> 00:35:36.559 it down the toilet. You look at the Pistons and you're training Langdon and 401 00:35:36.599 --> 00:35:37.559 you're flying in, you say, all right, what do I got? 402 00:35:38.559 --> 00:35:45.800 You got Kate Cuttingham. That's the first thing you already thought that Kate Cuttingham 403 00:35:46.199 --> 00:35:52.199 could have been last year saying get me out of Dodge. It's the first 404 00:35:52.280 --> 00:35:54.440 call I'm going to make if I'm trading Langdon saying hey, Cad, these 405 00:35:54.480 --> 00:35:58.760 are my ideas, this is what I'm going to do. Everything should be 406 00:35:58.800 --> 00:36:07.480 about can we get Kate Cuttingham to stick this out for give us a chance 407 00:36:08.119 --> 00:36:15.880 this year. Kate Cunningham said all the right things last year about people were 408 00:36:15.920 --> 00:36:16.519 like, hey, you went out of Dodge and he's like, no, 409 00:36:16.920 --> 00:36:21.760 I don't. I'm in. He has said he's been all in. That's 410 00:36:21.760 --> 00:36:25.400 a credit to Kate Cuttingham. Most NBA players in his spot just be like, 411 00:36:25.559 --> 00:36:34.360 get me out of here. Other than that, Jaden Ivy, last 412 00:36:34.400 --> 00:36:40.719 year's first round pick, User Thompson, you know he's a development piece. 413 00:36:42.639 --> 00:36:49.519 Jalen Duran's nights. It's like these guys are Thompson a beef stew and Jalen 414 00:36:49.599 --> 00:36:54.119 Duran. I think those three starters, those three guys, it would be 415 00:36:54.480 --> 00:36:58.599 if you're talking about a playoff team. You'd like to see those guys coming 416 00:36:58.679 --> 00:37:02.679 off the bench, and you know, having some guys that could score and 417 00:37:02.840 --> 00:37:07.360 shoot in their place is individually they're not all that bad. Like I said, 418 00:37:07.400 --> 00:37:13.960 Thompson, you expect a lot more from him and in the development side. 419 00:37:14.320 --> 00:37:16.840 You know, the beef do is just like he's okay, and he 420 00:37:16.880 --> 00:37:22.559 would be best unless you have four tremendous players around him. He would be 421 00:37:22.639 --> 00:37:24.920 best coming off the bench. And I would say the same thing about Durreat. 422 00:37:27.079 --> 00:37:30.599 So really it's it's cutting Ham and Ivy. Pistons do have sixty two 423 00:37:30.679 --> 00:37:37.320 million and cap space, But you look at the free agents. Is Spicy 424 00:37:37.440 --> 00:37:44.159 p really going to take, you know, some max offer from the Pistons. 425 00:37:44.880 --> 00:37:47.920 Pascal Siakam, he's there in Indiana right now, He's going to be 426 00:37:47.960 --> 00:37:52.239 a free agent. The way he's playing, he's going to command the top 427 00:37:52.360 --> 00:37:54.760 dollar. Is he going to look to the Pistons and say, yeah, 428 00:37:57.679 --> 00:38:00.599 it's a quandary when you're talking about the very free agents. If the Pistons, 429 00:38:00.639 --> 00:38:05.840 you know, would offer a max deal because they would only be coming 430 00:38:05.920 --> 00:38:09.039 for the money, but hey, you've got it, you're at least going 431 00:38:09.280 --> 00:38:15.920 to offer it up, at least to him. Demark DeRozan is also a 432 00:38:16.000 --> 00:38:19.559 free agent. He would also be another one. These are the top two 433 00:38:20.039 --> 00:38:23.519 targets I would think for Langdon. Other than that, you know, I've 434 00:38:23.559 --> 00:38:28.039 seen the name Tobias Harris. I think he played for the Pistons. Maybe 435 00:38:28.079 --> 00:38:34.079 that's why, But I haven't really felt Tobias Harris since he played for the 436 00:38:34.119 --> 00:38:38.719 Pistons. Was he was a disappointment in Philadelphia overall. So you're gonna pay 437 00:38:38.800 --> 00:38:43.800 him a boatload of money. I would be hesitant to do that if I 438 00:38:44.079 --> 00:38:47.199 was Langham. So if you can't get Siakham or DeRozan, you're gonna have 439 00:38:47.280 --> 00:38:51.559 to piece some things together and then you're gonna have to show us what you're 440 00:38:51.599 --> 00:38:58.280 made of that way. So good luck to Trajan Langdon who has that order 441 00:38:58.360 --> 00:39:01.800 of business straight ahead. You want to dial in on any of that you 442 00:39:01.880 --> 00:39:07.239 had the playoffs from last night. Boston goes up two to ozh at Minton 443 00:39:07.320 --> 00:39:15.199 a double overtime. Connor McDavid scores thirty two seconds into the double overtime session 444 00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:20.840 and Edmonton takes a one ozero series lead. They won three to two last 445 00:39:20.920 --> 00:39:27.000 night. And we've got Panthers and Rangers and maps Tea Wolves coming up tonight. 446 00:39:27.519 --> 00:39:31.119 Oh yeah, the Tigers. Tigers played last night and they lost their 447 00:39:31.239 --> 00:39:39.039 fifth in a row. They are four games under five hundred and they get 448 00:39:39.119 --> 00:39:51.639 beat up nine to one. I listened and watched the game, and it 449 00:39:51.880 --> 00:40:02.039 wasn't encouraging. Tigers are now ten games back in the Al Central to the 450 00:40:02.760 --> 00:40:08.039 Guardians, and the Royals are only a game and a half back. The 451 00:40:08.119 --> 00:40:15.239 Twinkies six and a half games back of the Guardians, but low scoring early. 452 00:40:15.440 --> 00:40:19.119 Jack Flaherty on the mound for the Tigers gave up seven hits, three 453 00:40:19.280 --> 00:40:22.280 runs. He worked into the seventh inning, so not so bad. But 454 00:40:22.440 --> 00:40:30.440 then Vladimir Guerrero Junior. The bullpen, which when we were sitting here, 455 00:40:30.880 --> 00:40:34.800 certainly two weeks ago, you talked about, I talked about. You knew 456 00:40:34.840 --> 00:40:38.079 it, Oh man, this bullpen, this starting pitching for the Tigers, 457 00:40:38.920 --> 00:40:45.159 and you know now that has gone sideways. And the offense which perked up 458 00:40:45.199 --> 00:40:47.599 here and there you thought, oh hey, now the hitting's going the pitching's 459 00:40:47.639 --> 00:40:53.199 going south. You know, now both of them are ore south and that's 460 00:40:53.239 --> 00:40:58.079 not a combination that's going to make anybody excited. The story of the game. 461 00:40:58.320 --> 00:41:00.239 However, as I was a dry around, I was listening to the 462 00:41:00.360 --> 00:41:07.159 radio broadcast. Dan Dickerson is working with the former Tiger Andy Dirks in the 463 00:41:07.199 --> 00:41:10.480 broadcast booth, and Dickerson's like, I don't know if that was a splitter 464 00:41:10.599 --> 00:41:14.000 or not. I don't know if that was a slider. We don't have 465 00:41:14.199 --> 00:41:20.480 our our television booth. We have had a power outage here at Comerica and 466 00:41:21.239 --> 00:41:25.000 okay, Dan, I got ya. But then I tuned into the game 467 00:41:27.079 --> 00:41:32.320 and Jason Beniti it was two seconds ahead of the television copy. The audio 468 00:41:32.719 --> 00:41:37.400 was done, I think over his cell phone. It was the worst sounding 469 00:41:37.679 --> 00:41:40.679 and the worst presentation. Not their fault. I don't know though. Whatever 470 00:41:40.760 --> 00:41:45.280 the power outage was, he couldn't get it going. But it lasted so 471 00:41:45.599 --> 00:41:49.599 long, and the jokes, you know, the power outage. We're a 472 00:41:49.719 --> 00:41:58.159 parent for this for this Tiger team and just yea terrible all around situation for 473 00:41:58.960 --> 00:42:01.159 the crew there. The tree had to make the best out of it that 474 00:42:01.239 --> 00:42:06.440 they could. But in the end, when you lose five in a row 475 00:42:06.679 --> 00:42:10.719 and you get the broadcast like that, just they thumbs down all over, 476 00:42:12.079 --> 00:42:15.719 thumbs up on the Lions, though, super Bowl or bust. We're gonna 477 00:42:15.840 --> 00:42:22.559 dive into that straight ahead on this Memorial weekend. I'm den it's fifthy and 478 00:42:22.599 --> 00:42:25.760 in Formatt Sheppard ben Zos is here are the ones and twos on Exes and 479 00:42:25.800 --> 00:42:31.480 Bros and the Michigan Sports Network. 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Look for the Flying Ace Whiskey bottleneckers on bottles all 491 00:43:35.440 --> 00:43:38.239 across the state of Michigan here over the next couple of weeks, and you 492 00:43:38.320 --> 00:43:44.000 can donate and that money will go directly to the Folds of Honor Michigan program 493 00:43:44.119 --> 00:43:47.599 on behalf of Flying Ace Whiskey and also Flying Ace Whiskey has put up four 494 00:43:47.679 --> 00:43:53.679 scholarships for the children. Flying Ace Whiskey, an American made whiskey, taken 495 00:43:53.760 --> 00:43:58.599 a lot of pride in America. Look for it in stores and pubs all 496 00:43:58.639 --> 00:44:05.599 across Michigan. We're teaming off our tenth year at the Meyer LPGA Classic for 497 00:44:05.679 --> 00:44:08.440 simply gives. Get ready for the best who are yet to help neighbors in 498 00:44:08.559 --> 00:44:14.400 need while enjoying golf, food and family fun. Join us June thirteenth through 499 00:44:14.480 --> 00:44:19.320 the sixteenth at Blakefield Country Club for fabulous food, discoveryland for kids, and 500 00:44:19.480 --> 00:44:22.840 of course, elite women golfers from around the world competing to help feed our 501 00:44:22.880 --> 00:44:53.440 neighbors. Get your tickets now at Meyer LPGA Classic dot com. Everybody, 502 00:44:59.039 --> 00:45:05.760 it is x'es in Bros. Here on the Michigan Sports Network, Matt Shepherd's 503 00:45:05.800 --> 00:45:09.679 off for this holiday weekend. I'm Dennis fifty in coming in off the bench, 504 00:45:10.679 --> 00:45:15.840 ready to fire and ready to go. Let's dive right into it. 505 00:45:15.199 --> 00:45:24.840 It is Lions front and center, and the question to you is a Super 506 00:45:24.920 --> 00:45:30.960 Bowl or bus this season for the Lions? That was the question posed to 507 00:45:30.400 --> 00:45:35.480 Detroit Lions head coach yesterday, Dan Campbell. He says he doesn't see bust, 508 00:45:35.559 --> 00:45:40.280 he sees super Bowl. What about you? What about you sports fans? 509 00:45:40.280 --> 00:45:44.360 When it comes to the Lions, do you consider it a Super Bowl 510 00:45:45.000 --> 00:45:52.239 or bus type situation? Now, joining us is easy. You dial in 511 00:45:52.440 --> 00:45:55.880 eight sixty six eight three eight forty eight forty three. That's the Meyer hotline. 512 00:45:57.519 --> 00:46:04.400 Eight six six eight three eight forty eight forty three. I'd love to 513 00:46:04.440 --> 00:46:07.239 hear from a first timer. Heck, since I've only done a few shows, 514 00:46:07.360 --> 00:46:09.800 everybody that calls for me is a first timer, So I would like 515 00:46:09.880 --> 00:46:15.840 to hear from you. You also have the ability to text us and get 516 00:46:15.880 --> 00:46:21.800 your thoughts in that way. You text Sports Radio one word to twenty one 517 00:46:21.880 --> 00:46:25.039 thousand, and then you get a prompt and then you text it and we 518 00:46:25.159 --> 00:46:29.239 read those texts over the air, and it's a lot of fun. It 519 00:46:29.360 --> 00:46:32.760 feels good, and you put your name next to it, and then you 520 00:46:32.840 --> 00:46:42.559 know that's cool. I the previous few shows had run into an issue because 521 00:46:42.599 --> 00:46:47.239 I was trying to say hi to ben Zos, who is the producer on 522 00:46:47.360 --> 00:46:53.079 the Variable Resistors, and I text Sports Radio a few times to twenty one 523 00:46:53.119 --> 00:46:57.159 thousand and I was like, hey, Ben, and I never said anything, 524 00:46:57.639 --> 00:47:00.079 and I thought, wow, well, you know he's not responding to 525 00:47:00.320 --> 00:47:04.880 just a little high bend. So I did it a couple times. I 526 00:47:04.880 --> 00:47:08.760 didn't think anything about it, but I was putting a space between sports radio 527 00:47:08.800 --> 00:47:14.400 sports radio all one word. Now, it might take a little bit of 528 00:47:14.840 --> 00:47:21.400 work because when I tried it the first time, it automatically put a space 529 00:47:21.440 --> 00:47:24.360 in there. So but once you get it down, you do get that 530 00:47:24.519 --> 00:47:30.039 prompt and you can participate that way. So that's it with the Lions. 531 00:47:30.519 --> 00:47:34.119 Is it super Bowl or bust? I'm going to answer that question to myself. 532 00:47:35.320 --> 00:47:37.880 Tigers lose last night. They've lost five in a row, nine to 533 00:47:37.000 --> 00:47:43.800 one. The Jay's pound them elsewhere in the playoffs. Dallas takes a one 534 00:47:43.920 --> 00:47:49.079 zero lead in the Western Finals. They get a Connor McDavid goal in double 535 00:47:49.159 --> 00:47:54.400 overtime. Maybeat Dallas three to two. The Boston Celtics go up two oh 536 00:47:54.519 --> 00:47:59.679 in the Eastern Conference Final. They went by sixteen at the Garden last night. 537 00:48:00.280 --> 00:48:05.320 Halliburton from the Pacers pulls a hammy and leaves in the third quarter in 538 00:48:05.400 --> 00:48:14.119 a big question mark next to Halliburton's status for Game three obviously something to monitor. 539 00:48:14.719 --> 00:48:17.280 We've got Panthers Rangers, Game two tonight, Game two, MAVs t. 540 00:48:17.440 --> 00:48:27.119 Wolves, all of that out there. Pistons hiring Trajan Langdon as president 541 00:48:27.239 --> 00:48:30.639 of Basketball ops and he'll be calling the shots. Talked last hour about what 542 00:48:30.800 --> 00:48:35.280 he needs to do in the first order of business when it comes down to 543 00:48:35.440 --> 00:48:44.800 it. Now, the Lions made the NFC Championship Game last year and the 544 00:48:45.480 --> 00:48:59.519 town, the state is on fire. Everyone has Lions fever and the only 545 00:48:59.559 --> 00:49:06.840 prescript sit is a super Bowl to get it done. And so, yeah, 546 00:49:07.360 --> 00:49:09.280 the first thing you want to say is yes, and is super Bowl 547 00:49:09.360 --> 00:49:17.880 or bus for this team? And the super Bowl for this team is achievable, 548 00:49:19.920 --> 00:49:25.920 but it doesn't necessarily have to be this upcoming season. Now, it 549 00:49:25.960 --> 00:49:34.440 would be great, you know, for years it was suggested it would be 550 00:49:34.519 --> 00:49:39.920 talked about I couldn't handle it talking about the Lions and the super Bowl, 551 00:49:40.000 --> 00:49:49.840 that these two things didn't fit and it didn't matter. People would still say, 552 00:49:49.880 --> 00:49:52.199 could you just imagine what it would be like if the Lions won the 553 00:49:52.239 --> 00:49:55.360 Super Bowl? A? Yeah, can you imagine if I won the lot 554 00:49:55.519 --> 00:50:00.079 You know, like, sure, yeah, it would be great, but 555 00:50:00.599 --> 00:50:07.599 we just we had the experience last year of somewhat of what it would be 556 00:50:07.880 --> 00:50:12.800 like, and everybody for years to say, oh, it pale in comparison 557 00:50:12.880 --> 00:50:15.800 to the Wings and the Pistols. If the Alliance wanted just the way everybody 558 00:50:15.840 --> 00:50:22.039 would go and the way everybody would act. And then I always thought that, 559 00:50:22.320 --> 00:50:25.800 you know, dealing with Detroit sports fans, that Detroit sports fans would 560 00:50:25.800 --> 00:50:30.719 be. They'd be all upset if they made the Super Bowl, about the 561 00:50:30.880 --> 00:50:36.840 national media not giving them credit, talking about the other teams, somebody taking 562 00:50:36.880 --> 00:50:40.239 a shot at Detroit City, all those things that you know that happened over 563 00:50:40.320 --> 00:50:44.440 the years, and it wouldn't be about actual alliance. I couldn't have been 564 00:50:44.480 --> 00:50:50.559 more wrong about that last year. During their run, they were the darling 565 00:50:50.960 --> 00:50:54.960 of the NFL, and they deserved all of the credit that they were getting. 566 00:50:55.920 --> 00:51:07.159 They have put together and an incredible team built inside out, with their 567 00:51:07.280 --> 00:51:14.119 calling card being a tremendous offensive line. But they can get you through the 568 00:51:14.159 --> 00:51:20.280 air, they can do it on the ground, and now thinking about where 569 00:51:20.360 --> 00:51:23.559 they needed to improve, they've popped the hood on the defense and they've gone 570 00:51:23.599 --> 00:51:29.960 to work there. So you should feel great about the chance. But the 571 00:51:30.519 --> 00:51:38.239 run last year it was. It was better than I even thought that I 572 00:51:38.320 --> 00:51:43.199 could have imagined. And I heard everybody talk about how great it was going 573 00:51:43.280 --> 00:51:46.239 to be. But the win over the Rams was the most incredible game that 574 00:51:46.280 --> 00:51:50.880 I've ever seen from the Lions, most exciting, most intense, and the 575 00:51:50.960 --> 00:51:54.119 greatest in Lion's history, at least in my lifetime. And they followed it 576 00:51:54.239 --> 00:52:01.920 up with another win, and then at halftime I do remember saying and even 577 00:52:01.960 --> 00:52:06.519 tweeting out, the Lions look super, but they've got one half to go, 578 00:52:06.719 --> 00:52:12.079 and we know what happened there. But the Lions have a window. 579 00:52:14.760 --> 00:52:19.880 But this this doesn't sound as nice. The Lions have a shot, I 580 00:52:19.920 --> 00:52:25.000 would think in three years to get this done. So it's a is it 581 00:52:25.039 --> 00:52:32.800 a three year or bus type proposition? That sounds a little bit. I 582 00:52:32.840 --> 00:52:37.760 don't know if it sounds a vanilla easy cop out, lazy whatever he could 583 00:52:37.760 --> 00:52:44.159 say there put the pressure on him for this year. I do think, 584 00:52:44.239 --> 00:52:49.400 though, you know, we come up with a different scenarios. Let's just 585 00:52:49.519 --> 00:52:53.599 have a scenario. I think that the Lions will win eleven games this year. 586 00:52:53.880 --> 00:52:55.880 They're over and under his ten and a half. I think they're going 587 00:52:55.920 --> 00:53:00.639 over. I think that they're gonna win the North. I think they're gonna 588 00:53:00.639 --> 00:53:05.039 win a playoff game. I think that they'll get to the NFC Championship game. 589 00:53:05.079 --> 00:53:07.760 This is how I'm thinking right now. But let's say they, you 590 00:53:07.840 --> 00:53:12.480 know, they won a home playoff game, and then in the divisional round 591 00:53:13.480 --> 00:53:19.920 they lost, I don't know, by a point to the Eagles or something 592 00:53:20.000 --> 00:53:25.639 like that thirty one thirty incredible game they lose, would it mean that that 593 00:53:25.760 --> 00:53:30.159 the Lions are a bust, that the Lions have gone back to be in 594 00:53:30.280 --> 00:53:36.119 the the same old Lions, the not the new Lions. They wouldn't mean 595 00:53:36.199 --> 00:53:42.760 that. Now. There are plenty of scenarios where you could say that they 596 00:53:42.800 --> 00:53:45.360 could fall back, and there's going to be a lot of fans because they're 597 00:53:45.519 --> 00:53:49.840 just used to it with their entire life, for their entire life, of 598 00:53:50.119 --> 00:53:55.840 the team performing like they have previous to last year, that they are going 599 00:53:55.880 --> 00:54:02.800 to have to fight that fight the ex spectations of the fans. So you 600 00:54:04.000 --> 00:54:12.280 understand the question when it is presented about being super Bowl at bust or super 601 00:54:12.320 --> 00:54:17.920 Bowl or bust. Now. Dan Campbell, in addition to saying that he 602 00:54:19.000 --> 00:54:29.000 doesn't see bust or super Bowl, talked about the Lions. At this point, 603 00:54:30.519 --> 00:54:38.320 he singled out a most improved player and it was Jamison Williams, the 604 00:54:38.400 --> 00:54:45.480 twelfth pick of the draft a couple years ago. I want to talk about 605 00:54:45.599 --> 00:54:51.159 him straight ahead. How much are you accounting on Jamison Williams. What are 606 00:54:51.199 --> 00:54:57.880 your expectations for Jamison Williams. When you hear Dan Campbell saying, I mean 607 00:54:57.960 --> 00:55:06.840 the hype train, jump aboard Jamison Williams most improved player from Thellions. What's 608 00:55:06.920 --> 00:55:10.400 that mean? We'll explore that straight ahead. X'es and bros. And the 609 00:55:10.519 --> 00:55:19.679 Michigan Sports Network. We're teaming off our tenth year at the Meyer LPGA Classic 610 00:55:19.800 --> 00:55:22.599 for simply gives. Get ready for the best who are yet to help neighbors 611 00:55:22.639 --> 00:55:28.440 in need while enjoying golf, food and family fun. Join us June thirteenth 612 00:55:28.519 --> 00:55:32.320 through the sixteenth at Blakefield Country Club for fabulous food, discoveryland for kids, 613 00:55:32.519 --> 00:55:37.880 and of course, elite women golfers from around the world competing to help feed 614 00:55:37.960 --> 00:56:06.639 our neighbors. Get your tickets now at Meyer LPGA Classic dot com. So 615 00:56:06.840 --> 00:56:13.440 Lions head coach Dan Campbell feeling pretty good about Jamison Williams in OTAs ready to 616 00:56:13.519 --> 00:56:21.920 talk about that right now here this morning because holiday weekend seven eighteen. Dennis 617 00:56:21.920 --> 00:56:24.760 Fithian in for Matt Shepherd on Axis and Bros. And the Michigan Sports Network. 618 00:56:29.280 --> 00:56:35.960 I'd ask you if you share Dan Campbell's optimism about Jamison Williams, but 619 00:56:36.079 --> 00:56:44.360 not just asking you about just what are your expectations for the Lions wide receiver. 620 00:56:44.519 --> 00:56:51.679 Dan Campbell says he's the most improved player right now. What's that mean 621 00:56:51.760 --> 00:56:55.639 to you? I take it for what it is. Give me your expectations 622 00:56:55.679 --> 00:57:01.760 for the Lions wide receiver. Eight six six eight three eight forty eight forty 623 00:57:01.760 --> 00:57:06.039 three. That's the Meyer hotline for you to join us. Eight six six 624 00:57:07.119 --> 00:57:12.280 eight three eight forty eight forty three. You could text Sports Radio one word 625 00:57:12.599 --> 00:57:16.760 to twenty one thousand to get in and get that prompt and let it fly 626 00:57:16.920 --> 00:57:22.800 there. We'd love to hear from you on that situation when it comes down 627 00:57:22.119 --> 00:57:28.760 to the Lions. In the eight o'clock hour at eight thirty five, we 628 00:57:28.920 --> 00:57:37.159 will talk with a Hall of famer in the baseball writing business eight thirty five 629 00:57:37.519 --> 00:57:44.039 for that Tigers get blown out. They lost five in a row. They 630 00:57:44.119 --> 00:57:50.800 lose nine to one to Toronto. They're ten games back. Silver linings from 631 00:57:51.199 --> 00:57:55.519 yesterday is that they play again today, all right. So that's where it's 632 00:57:55.519 --> 00:58:00.960 at for me when it comes to Jamison Williams. You know, his first 633 00:58:00.079 --> 00:58:07.280 year he was hurt and the Alliance moved up to get him, and there 634 00:58:07.280 --> 00:58:09.239 are a bunch of wide receivers that were picked right there. The Lions picked 635 00:58:09.280 --> 00:58:14.159 twelve, and there were a few that were picked in front of him, 636 00:58:14.239 --> 00:58:21.400 Drake London for one, a Lave for New Orleans for another one. And 637 00:58:21.480 --> 00:58:29.239 then was that last year he got the gambling suspension and it felt like you 638 00:58:29.920 --> 00:58:32.239 you can't tell you drafted it when he was hurt, so you can't say, 639 00:58:32.320 --> 00:58:37.880 well, your best availability is availability. You know all that. There's 640 00:58:37.920 --> 00:58:42.039 the cliches that you hear. But then I don't know how you look shooting 641 00:58:42.079 --> 00:58:45.320 yourself at the foot and taking yourself off the field with the suspension. But 642 00:58:45.519 --> 00:58:49.119 you thought it was stupid or not. It was a little stupid, A 643 00:58:49.159 --> 00:58:52.079 little stupid from him, was stupid from the league, you know, to 644 00:58:52.159 --> 00:59:00.960 suspend him with everything else. And then you would watch him and at times 645 00:59:04.119 --> 00:59:09.000 he would flash the ability where you saw like now we know why this guy 646 00:59:09.320 --> 00:59:15.719 is now we know why this guy was picked in the first round. Now 647 00:59:16.400 --> 00:59:20.960 we see that this guy could be a difference maker out of the field. 648 00:59:21.920 --> 00:59:25.519 But as many times as you saw that from him, you saw plays where 649 00:59:25.639 --> 00:59:31.199 they would throwing the ball and he would just absolutely cold drop it. And 650 00:59:34.480 --> 00:59:42.119 for most of the season last year it looked more like if you had to 651 00:59:42.360 --> 00:59:50.760 push all in at different times on him being a bust or him being a 652 00:59:51.079 --> 00:59:58.400 star, you were pushing it towards being a bust. Another drop from Williams, 653 00:59:58.639 --> 01:00:04.480 I mean it was, it's there, it's front and center, you 654 01:00:04.639 --> 01:00:07.920 know that. But then there are a few the game where he took me 655 01:00:08.840 --> 01:00:15.920 the end around and went flying into the end zone. This is why it's 656 01:00:16.119 --> 01:00:24.840 tantalizing to me. Sometimes I'll just see one play from a player and it's 657 01:00:24.920 --> 01:00:30.159 one of those that whether it makes you jump out of your seat or your 658 01:00:30.239 --> 01:00:35.519 just eyes open a little bit wider and you just see the talent and on 659 01:00:35.719 --> 01:00:42.159 that particular run and jump into the end zone, I saw something that in 660 01:00:42.679 --> 01:00:46.599 a league of incredible players and incredible talent and awesome athletes, I saw like 661 01:00:46.840 --> 01:00:52.360 a one percent at the very top of all of that. That's what I 662 01:00:52.480 --> 01:00:58.079 saw with the ability from Jamison Williams. So you want to do obviously everything 663 01:00:58.199 --> 01:01:04.320 you can to be able to get the most out of him. I think 664 01:01:04.719 --> 01:01:08.039 at first I thought, well, would I take double the production? Is 665 01:01:08.119 --> 01:01:13.239 that fair? Well? The production wasn't all that great last year, So 666 01:01:14.360 --> 01:01:17.079 before you would answer that, last year he caught twenty four passes for over 667 01:01:17.239 --> 01:01:22.039 three hundred and fifty yards and had just two scores. So would I take 668 01:01:22.239 --> 01:01:28.679 forty eight catches over seven hundred yards and four tens from Jamison Williams this year? 669 01:01:30.239 --> 01:01:36.400 I would like some more scores honestly with that, but knowing the Lions 670 01:01:36.880 --> 01:01:45.679 roster and knowing what this team has, I would take that. And Jamison 671 01:01:45.679 --> 01:01:52.440 Williams is in a great position. He's not someone that gets out there. 672 01:01:52.519 --> 01:01:55.800 Even if he came out and dropped a few passes off the bat and I 673 01:01:55.840 --> 01:02:00.320 had everybody like, guy's a bust again, Dan Campbell saying, you know, 674 01:02:00.400 --> 01:02:05.000 he's the most improved player at OTAs and he's a man on the mission, 675 01:02:05.039 --> 01:02:07.320 A man on a mission. You love to hear that. There's no 676 01:02:07.440 --> 01:02:10.760 doubt about that. It's not like when somebody says, hey, what do 677 01:02:10.800 --> 01:02:15.280 you think about Jamison Williams and Dan Campbell says, well, he's got a 678 01:02:15.320 --> 01:02:17.639 lot of work to do. We're you know, we're happy with this progress. 679 01:02:17.880 --> 01:02:23.519 It's a pretty bland type statement. Dan Campbell saying he is a man 680 01:02:23.599 --> 01:02:30.440 on a mission and that he is the most improved player at OTAs. Yeah, 681 01:02:30.159 --> 01:02:35.119 when you are like me and you watched allions last year and you watch 682 01:02:35.199 --> 01:02:39.159 this guy fly through the air and look like Superman when he has the ball 683 01:02:39.360 --> 01:02:46.719 in his hands, He's the kind of guy that if you are thinking about 684 01:02:46.920 --> 01:02:55.760 winning a super Bowl, He's the kind of weapon teams have where other fans 685 01:02:55.960 --> 01:03:00.400 around the league are watching it say we need a guy that's explosive of like 686 01:03:00.519 --> 01:03:05.480 that. This guy's a difference maker. He has got that in him and 687 01:03:05.599 --> 01:03:10.199 he is in the perfect situation. He's got a quarterback that can deliver the 688 01:03:10.239 --> 01:03:16.800 ball. He has an offensive line with a complimentary running game. And then 689 01:03:17.280 --> 01:03:25.239 when you go through the weapons on offense at receiver, Amana S. Brown 690 01:03:25.559 --> 01:03:30.559 is a wide receiver one. He is one of the better widest Why I 691 01:03:30.840 --> 01:03:35.320 got rewarded with the gigantic contract. He is one of the better wide receivers 692 01:03:35.960 --> 01:03:46.719 in the NFL. Sam Laporta is the best tight end. I have to 693 01:03:46.800 --> 01:03:52.280 apologize to Travis Kelson. I'm not apologing Sam Laporta is one of the best 694 01:03:52.320 --> 01:04:00.440 tight ends and he's only in his second year. One of the best wide 695 01:04:00.480 --> 01:04:06.239 outs on the other side, with Saint Brown the best or one of the 696 01:04:06.360 --> 01:04:15.039 best tight ends, if not the best, one of the best. This 697 01:04:15.079 --> 01:04:24.039 is being conservative offensive lines. Same thing with their their their running backs. 698 01:04:25.079 --> 01:04:30.719 No, I don't think David Montgomery is the best running back in the NFL. 699 01:04:30.960 --> 01:04:35.239 I think that's Christian McCaffrey. But do I think that the combination of 700 01:04:35.360 --> 01:04:40.519 Jamiir Gibbs and David Montgomery is one of the best backfields in the NFL. 701 01:04:40.599 --> 01:04:48.280 Absolutely, this could be the best offense in the NFL. What would have 702 01:04:48.440 --> 01:04:53.000 to happen, Well, you know, Golf could deliver the ball he gets 703 01:04:53.039 --> 01:04:57.079 the time. You've got the tandem at running backs. You just talked about 704 01:04:57.679 --> 01:05:00.880 Saint Brown and Laporta. These guys are proof of this is not a huge 705 01:05:00.880 --> 01:05:05.559 stretch an offensive line who actually didn't really stay healthy last year and was still 706 01:05:05.599 --> 01:05:13.679 effective. But you've seen the kind of talent they have there. Williams is 707 01:05:13.800 --> 01:05:17.039 the piece that could take this to the next level, and the next level 708 01:05:17.639 --> 01:05:21.800 is being the best and most explosive offense in the NFL. Now That's where 709 01:05:21.840 --> 01:05:32.079 I'm sitting. How about you slamming down a little bit too much Honolulu blue 710 01:05:32.199 --> 01:05:36.960 kool Aid today, I want you you get your thoughts on that, we 711 01:05:38.039 --> 01:05:45.559 get some texts, we'll get to those straight ahead. Your expectations for Jamison 712 01:05:45.599 --> 01:05:49.559 Williams, who Dan Campbell says, is a man on a mission. We're 713 01:05:49.599 --> 01:05:55.960 on a mission to hear from you on this Memorial weekend on Nexison Bros. 714 01:05:56.159 --> 01:06:00.039 On the Michigan Sports Network. Huge year for the Michigan High schoo Athletic Association. 715 01:06:00.679 --> 01:06:05.360 You can stay up to date on the latest from Lansing twenty four seven 716 01:06:05.840 --> 01:06:13.880 at mhs a A dot com, at mhsa A on Twitter and m hsa 717 01:06:14.159 --> 01:06:19.760 A on Facebook. The latest news, press releases and stories connected to every 718 01:06:20.039 --> 01:06:26.239 high school in the state of Michigan available for you twenty four to seven from 719 01:06:26.280 --> 01:06:31.599 the Michigan High School Athletic Association. Log onto mhsa dot com, at m 720 01:06:31.760 --> 01:06:38.599 hs a A on Twitter and m hs a A on Facebook. And if 721 01:06:38.639 --> 01:06:45.480 you're looking for archive Boys and Girls High School Sports m h s A A 722 01:06:45.079 --> 01:06:50.800 dot TV, that's m h s a A dot tv twenty four seven Everything 723 01:06:50.840 --> 01:06:56.000 you need to know about high school sports in Michigan. Log Onto m h 724 01:06:56.199 --> 01:07:02.199 s a a dot com new player in town. Hi. I'm Herming more 725 01:07:02.360 --> 01:07:08.119 Blyans all Pro Wide Receiver and I'm talking about Eagle Casino in Sports, the 726 01:07:08.239 --> 01:07:12.039 real money mobile casino. It's so easy to play. You can go from 727 01:07:12.119 --> 01:07:15.559 wager to winner to waller just like that. Sign up now and we'll match 728 01:07:15.599 --> 01:07:19.239 your deposit up to fifteen hundred dollars, or you can get a risk free 729 01:07:19.280 --> 01:07:24.840 bet up to one thousand dollars. Eagle Casino in Sports, Made in Michigan, 730 01:07:25.239 --> 01:07:28.320 Made for Michigan, I think, twenty years older in Michigan. Your 731 01:07:28.320 --> 01:07:54.159 player Texas and Bros. And the Michigan Sports Network hope you all have an 732 01:07:54.280 --> 01:07:58.480 enjoyable Memorial Weekend. And I think it's just getting started. We're just getting 733 01:07:58.519 --> 01:08:02.400 started here. I'm Dennis Fithian in for Matt Shepherd. A couple of things 734 01:08:02.440 --> 01:08:08.199 I want to remind you about coming up. In ten minutes we continue the 735 01:08:08.239 --> 01:08:12.960 Lions conversation, but I'm going to talk about going all in on a trade 736 01:08:15.679 --> 01:08:20.640 and how you would feel about it. T Higgins an all in situation for 737 01:08:21.359 --> 01:08:27.239 the Lions. In ten minutes, it leaves to explore that and an hour 738 01:08:27.399 --> 01:08:34.119 from right now, we will talk to Tom Gage, the long time almost 739 01:08:34.279 --> 01:08:40.600 forty year Tigers beat writer. We will get to that in an hour from 740 01:08:40.680 --> 01:08:44.840 right now. Right now, we are discussing the Lions, and there's nothing 741 01:08:45.479 --> 01:08:47.840 if you are a Lions fan this morning and waking up and did not hear 742 01:08:47.960 --> 01:08:55.560 Dan Campbell yesterday, there's nothing that is going to light the fuse on off 743 01:08:55.680 --> 01:09:01.399 season expectations, excitement just take off to the moon that Dan Campbell coming out 744 01:09:01.479 --> 01:09:08.479 and saying Jamison Williams as a man on a mission, Jamison Williams has been 745 01:09:09.000 --> 01:09:14.079 our best player in OTAs. That's what Dan Campbell, with his grit had 746 01:09:14.159 --> 01:09:16.479 on, had to say in front of the media yesterday to all of you 747 01:09:17.039 --> 01:09:24.760 Lions fans. So I'm asking you how much you're counting on Jamison Williams and 748 01:09:24.960 --> 01:09:30.159 your expectations. I just say quickly before we go to the texts and the 749 01:09:30.239 --> 01:09:39.079 phones, that is so tantalizing to think about if you would be able to 750 01:09:39.319 --> 01:09:45.840 get the difference maker, playmaker, he is the part, he is the 751 01:09:45.960 --> 01:09:50.159 piece that could take the Lions. I mean, we are looking at it. 752 01:09:50.279 --> 01:09:55.079 We have talked about for our life. How do you get to the 753 01:09:55.279 --> 01:10:01.800 top and how do you win. You win with a great line play quarterback 754 01:10:01.920 --> 01:10:05.960 all over the field, but you win with difference makers and big time playmakers 755 01:10:06.479 --> 01:10:13.279 and Williams. Although at times he's looked more like a bus than he has 756 01:10:13.359 --> 01:10:20.159 all of the things that I'm talking about, he possesses that it where he's 757 01:10:20.279 --> 01:10:26.640 just a stick of dynamite on the field ready to explode and be a difference 758 01:10:26.720 --> 01:10:30.640 maker for a team like the Detroit Lions, who he's playing for. So 759 01:10:30.760 --> 01:10:34.039 that's it. Eight sixty six eight three, eight forty eight forty three on 760 01:10:34.039 --> 01:10:38.119 the Myer Hotline. That's how I think about it. We'll get through those 761 01:10:38.439 --> 01:10:42.720 texts Sports Radio one word to twenty one thousand, we go to Mark and 762 01:10:43.000 --> 01:10:47.600 gun Lake, who joined us on x'es and bros. Hey, good morning, 763 01:10:47.680 --> 01:10:51.000 how you doing today? Oh doing great? Thanks for calling in. 764 01:10:53.039 --> 01:11:00.760 Mark. I think coach Campbell is hitting around at using Jamison in some kick 765 01:11:00.880 --> 01:11:02.840 returns, because if he's going to keep going for it on fourth down, 766 01:11:03.520 --> 01:11:08.279 I think he can get better field position if we got a punt returner or 767 01:11:08.319 --> 01:11:12.720 a kick returner to get that thing to midfield or maybe a little short of 768 01:11:12.760 --> 01:11:17.000 midfield. But if you can average well. When he scored that touchdown and 769 01:11:17.239 --> 01:11:23.199 in the playoffs, unfortunately we lost that game. But I yeah, yeah, 770 01:11:24.279 --> 01:11:28.720 when he got through that line, he broke a couple of tackles getting 771 01:11:28.760 --> 01:11:30.560 through there, and he kept his balance. I'm thinking, man, this 772 01:11:30.680 --> 01:11:34.920 guy could probably return. So do you remember mel Gray from the Lions back 773 01:11:34.960 --> 01:11:38.640 in the day. Yeah, I loved well Gray. Yeah, we all 774 01:11:38.680 --> 01:11:44.399 loved Bell Gray. So yeah, I think he I think he looks a 775 01:11:44.520 --> 01:11:49.239 lot like him with that acceleration and that speed and how he can he can 776 01:11:49.399 --> 01:11:53.520 return that ball. But let me ask you one more thing and then I'll 777 01:11:53.560 --> 01:11:59.079 bounce off the line here. I've been watching some of the NBA playoffs and 778 01:11:59.760 --> 01:12:03.439 you talked earlier today about the Pistons, and I'm getting up maybe a different 779 01:12:04.239 --> 01:12:09.720 person in there to help the team win or win a few games. Anyways, 780 01:12:10.239 --> 01:12:13.560 these teams, these final four teams, these guys are gym rats. 781 01:12:14.079 --> 01:12:17.079 I mean, you can tell this is brutal basketball. These guys are killing 782 01:12:17.159 --> 01:12:21.079 each other. They're running all over the place. They look totally different than 783 01:12:21.119 --> 01:12:25.840 the Pistons, And I think the Pistons got to spend a lot more time 784 01:12:25.880 --> 01:12:30.119 in the gym instead of figuring out why they're losing games. Because these teams 785 01:12:30.159 --> 01:12:34.159 are running, I mean Indiana and Boston. That's all they see these guys 786 01:12:34.239 --> 01:12:38.800 do last night was run. They played defense, if someone was covered, 787 01:12:38.840 --> 01:12:41.800 they passed the ball. They share the ball a lot. So I want 788 01:12:41.840 --> 01:12:44.840 to hear your thoughts on that, if you got a minute about talking about 789 01:12:45.199 --> 01:12:50.119 the Pistons just getting into that gym and focusing on being gym rats. I 790 01:12:50.159 --> 01:12:53.880 mean, they got to start, they got to start winning some games for 791 01:12:54.000 --> 01:12:57.359 people to go back down there. So I think you're doing a great job 792 01:12:57.800 --> 01:13:00.680 filling in for Chef. Thanks for taking my call. Now I'll listen off 793 01:13:00.720 --> 01:13:02.960 air here. Well, thanks Mark for calling. And yeah, I mean 794 01:13:03.000 --> 01:13:08.840 there's a stark contrast when you were watching these playoffs and then you watch the 795 01:13:08.920 --> 01:13:12.720 Pistons during the year and the things. There's a lot of different things that 796 01:13:13.119 --> 01:13:15.880 jump out to me. One is that when you see a team like the 797 01:13:16.359 --> 01:13:25.279 Celtics a starting five, that there's just there's no everybody can do everything. 798 01:13:25.560 --> 01:13:30.560 And Al Horford, who's actually uh, you know, backing up porzingis while 799 01:13:30.600 --> 01:13:35.800 he heals up, could come back this series. He can dial it in 800 01:13:35.920 --> 01:13:42.159 from downtown. And of course they've got the the one two combination of Brown 801 01:13:42.239 --> 01:13:48.479 and Tatum, but Drew Holliday is totally underrated. Derek White. I mean 802 01:13:48.520 --> 01:13:53.840 they've they're coming at you from all five spots, and all five players can 803 01:13:53.920 --> 01:13:58.239 do everything that you want. When you look at the Pistons lineup, they 804 01:13:58.319 --> 01:14:03.039 don't have that Cuttingham can do it at all. Who else? Not many? 805 01:14:03.439 --> 01:14:06.439 They got other guys that need to work on they're all around games. 806 01:14:06.479 --> 01:14:13.479 To your point about getting into the gym, can they develop? I think 807 01:14:13.600 --> 01:14:16.239 that Thompson, the rookie from last year, you know he needs to develop 808 01:14:17.039 --> 01:14:23.199 clearly his offensive game, his outside shot, him being able to put it 809 01:14:23.279 --> 01:14:26.279 on the floor, take it. Ivy needs to work on his outside game. 810 01:14:26.760 --> 01:14:30.079 Isaiah Stewart has, but you know there's a ceiling with him. I 811 01:14:30.119 --> 01:14:34.079 also think there's a ceiling with Duran. But you can have like one guy, 812 01:14:35.279 --> 01:14:39.039 like let's say it was Asar Thompson, they'd say, okay, this 813 01:14:39.159 --> 01:14:43.520 is a project. But you can't have three guys, four guys and your 814 01:14:43.560 --> 01:14:48.000 starting lineup that have holes in their game like the Pistons do, or you're 815 01:14:48.039 --> 01:14:53.880 gonna end up seeing everybody in the standings. And that's where the Pistons are 816 01:14:53.880 --> 01:14:57.680 at. They look up and they see everyone and I know, it's easy 817 01:14:57.720 --> 01:14:59.600 to say, well, yeah, Boston, they have the best record in 818 01:14:59.640 --> 01:15:01.720 the league, they're gonna win the NBA Finals. How about the Pacers. 819 01:15:02.119 --> 01:15:06.720 Pacers seem like the same way. I don't know they you know, they 820 01:15:06.800 --> 01:15:11.840 got spicy p Siakam, who's awesome, who's going to be a free agent. 821 01:15:12.439 --> 01:15:17.000 Obviously Halliburton, which burns me and should burn everyone as a Piston fan. 822 01:15:17.199 --> 01:15:21.600 Because it was only the twenty twenty NBA Draft, we only have to 823 01:15:21.640 --> 01:15:27.119 look back to then to feel like, oh yeah, Anthony Edwards was taken 824 01:15:27.239 --> 01:15:30.279 number one by Minnesota James Wiseman, who is on this Piston team, but 825 01:15:30.359 --> 01:15:33.439 as a bust that's sitting there. But the Pistons took Killian Hayes at seven, 826 01:15:34.199 --> 01:15:38.800 and they were going after a point guard. It was pretty clear that's 827 01:15:38.800 --> 01:15:42.720 what they needed for their team at the time. The next point guard off 828 01:15:42.800 --> 01:15:50.560 the board was ty Reese Halliburton, killer for the Pistons. Oh yeah, 829 01:15:50.680 --> 01:15:57.800 Aaron Netsmith, who is starting for the Pacers. He was also taking a 830 01:15:57.840 --> 01:16:01.600 few picks after Halliburton. And you look at the way he's been playing. 831 01:16:01.600 --> 01:16:05.600 It played great last night or nimhard. I mean, these are these are 832 01:16:05.640 --> 01:16:10.479 not players that are out there that are household names that fit in. Though. 833 01:16:12.079 --> 01:16:16.800 That's the thing with the Pistons just you can you could have five moves 834 01:16:16.960 --> 01:16:27.760 like this, but just recently Haliburton over killing in Hayes, Donovan Mitchell going 835 01:16:27.840 --> 01:16:34.760 one pick after the Pistons take uh Luke Canard, one little thing and this 836 01:16:35.600 --> 01:16:43.560 course of this UH franchise is going to be different. Instead, you know, 837 01:16:43.600 --> 01:16:47.560 they got enamored with the the process and the multiple year tanks, which 838 01:16:50.199 --> 01:16:54.760 the next guy that comes into an NBA franchise that says, there's my game 839 01:16:54.840 --> 01:16:59.159 plan is a multiple year tank. I'm not the owner. I was saying, 840 01:16:59.520 --> 01:17:05.760 you know, well, what do we do you do for thanks multiple 841 01:17:05.840 --> 01:17:16.680 year? Take the idea of the Detroit Pistons and they're Troy Weaver. Yeah, 842 01:17:16.880 --> 01:17:20.319 let's how about some texts. We get some time to squeeze some text 843 01:17:20.399 --> 01:17:25.000 here. Let's go to b Z. It's ben zos. What are we 844 01:17:25.079 --> 01:17:28.239 looking at? This one is back to if it's Super Bowl or bus for 845 01:17:28.319 --> 01:17:32.479 the Lions. Trash man Niles says bust. He says Green Bay Packers are 846 01:17:32.520 --> 01:17:39.239 coming into Detroit round one of the playoffs and knocking us out and Thanksgiving too, 847 01:17:41.920 --> 01:17:45.000 Well, let's let's let's take that of text right out to the trash. 848 01:17:45.079 --> 01:17:49.000 No, you know, the Packers are there, and the Packers get 849 01:17:49.039 --> 01:17:56.199 their quarterback. And I was looking so closely at the Packers yesterday and all 850 01:17:56.319 --> 01:18:00.960 of their moves. Yeah, they they cut David Baktyari, their longtime tackle, 851 01:18:01.159 --> 01:18:06.159 and also moved on from Aaron Jones. They're outstanding running back with their 852 01:18:06.199 --> 01:18:11.079 replacements for those guys, Josh Jacobs. And then they go to the draft 853 01:18:11.239 --> 01:18:15.399 and get Jordan Morgan. Yeah, the Packers aren't going anywhere the Lions and 854 01:18:15.520 --> 01:18:21.520 Packers is you know, you're talking about them coming in and knocking them out 855 01:18:21.520 --> 01:18:26.640 of the playoffs and all those things. I see a split between the Lions 856 01:18:26.680 --> 01:18:31.000 and Packers this year. That is the most formidable team in the North that 857 01:18:31.039 --> 01:18:34.920 the Lions are gonna have to deal with. But right now, the Lions, 858 01:18:35.239 --> 01:18:42.199 trash man, they have more talent, They have a better team than 859 01:18:42.239 --> 01:18:45.279 the Green Bay Packers. You say, yeah, but the Lions defense really 860 01:18:45.359 --> 01:18:54.479 sucked last year. You know they their pass a defense total defense was nineteenth. 861 01:18:54.680 --> 01:18:57.439 It's not like the Packers were sitting there as a top ten defense. 862 01:18:58.000 --> 01:19:02.520 The Packers were at sixteen pound for pound player for player from the Lions and 863 01:19:02.600 --> 01:19:06.079 Packers. I just complimented them. But the Lions have more talent and are 864 01:19:06.159 --> 01:19:12.399 the better team. What else are we looking at, Ben, Yeah, 865 01:19:12.399 --> 01:19:15.920 it says a bust indicates that you have one shot at this. Detroit has 866 01:19:15.960 --> 01:19:19.319 a foundation and they have a window of time to hopefully have a couple cracks 867 01:19:19.359 --> 01:19:24.479 at the super Bowl. Just like Michigan was in the playoffs three times, 868 01:19:24.640 --> 01:19:27.840 it may take a few shots for Detroit as well. So it's not a 869 01:19:27.960 --> 01:19:31.720 bust. It's windows open and expectation. Expectations are the super Bowl. I 870 01:19:31.800 --> 01:19:39.520 think that's what Dan meant. Dan very well thought through and excellent text texts. 871 01:19:39.560 --> 01:19:43.920 More often those are the kind that that that nail it right on the 872 01:19:43.960 --> 01:19:46.600 head. That's the thing college, you know, it could feel like a 873 01:19:46.640 --> 01:19:53.399 bus because you only have that window with that team that year. That's the 874 01:19:53.479 --> 01:19:56.079 thing with the Lions, that that gives you so much hope. Last year 875 01:19:56.119 --> 01:19:58.119 when you look at it, you know, nobody would say, you know, 876 01:19:58.399 --> 01:20:01.560 we're not looking at it and say it was just a fluke. No, 877 01:20:02.000 --> 01:20:06.239 that doesn't it didn't seem like it was a fluke at all. They 878 01:20:06.279 --> 01:20:11.319 won twelve games, They should have won more. They should have gone into 879 01:20:11.359 --> 01:20:13.319 the Super Bowl. I know, the second half and everything else, but 880 01:20:14.039 --> 01:20:16.880 we've gone through the position groups, I mean, the offense and then if 881 01:20:16.920 --> 01:20:24.920 you can add in the shooting star of Jamison Williams, you are really talking 882 01:20:24.960 --> 01:20:28.560 about something lethal on one side of the ball and they do have that window. 883 01:20:29.359 --> 01:20:31.439 See how far that defense could take them on that. I love the 884 01:20:31.520 --> 01:20:38.640 text. Great, great job Dan. Are we going for more? Yeah? 885 01:20:38.680 --> 01:20:40.680 We can do one, do a couple more, one more, a 886 01:20:40.760 --> 01:20:44.680 couple more. Yeah, it says as we know in the NFL, nothing 887 01:20:44.800 --> 01:20:48.439 is a given. You have to earn every year and the Lions are no 888 01:20:48.640 --> 01:20:53.159 different. I am fired up and ready for the challenge. Let's go Lions. 889 01:20:53.239 --> 01:20:58.960 That's from Jyd and Kalamazoo. Well, j y D, I'm right 890 01:20:59.039 --> 01:21:03.680 with you there, and we have a long time to burn between now and 891 01:21:03.800 --> 01:21:08.840 the start of the season. But that's it. This is off season and 892 01:21:09.479 --> 01:21:12.600 this is so much why I like, you know, now, being as 893 01:21:12.760 --> 01:21:16.680 present as I possibly can heading into this Memorial Weekend. All of the years 894 01:21:16.880 --> 01:21:24.159 prior and the it it uh, it's just felt like off season false hope, 895 01:21:24.359 --> 01:21:28.279 like why not us that kind of stuff, But now it's real. 896 01:21:29.399 --> 01:21:33.600 What you can look at it's you see it. You go through the roster, 897 01:21:33.800 --> 01:21:36.880 you look at the talent, you you know how this thing fits in. 898 01:21:38.000 --> 01:21:43.680 Obviously they have to go out there like jyd to get the the job 899 01:21:43.880 --> 01:21:48.319 done. But yeah, they keep hammering that, no doubt what more and 900 01:21:48.399 --> 01:21:55.560 then we will get you ready straight ahead for the possibility of adding a big 901 01:21:55.760 --> 01:21:59.319 piece with this team. What's what's the last one we're gonna squeeze in here? 902 01:21:59.439 --> 01:22:01.560 Yeah, this is a question from Freddie. It says Dennis, if 903 01:22:02.119 --> 01:22:08.119 Dan Campbell was manager of the Detroit Tigers, would they be in first place 904 01:22:08.239 --> 01:22:14.319 right now? This team plays like aj talks like pain drying. Well, 905 01:22:14.399 --> 01:22:17.640 I'm gonna disagree with you on aj Hinch. You now, like, do 906 01:22:17.720 --> 01:22:21.560 you want I think if Dan Campbell was down on the dugout, I like 907 01:22:23.760 --> 01:22:29.079 not like other folks. I don't mind once in a while a manager taking 908 01:22:29.119 --> 01:22:31.520 a batrack and you know, throwing it out on the field, or taking 909 01:22:31.600 --> 01:22:38.279 the cooler, or or spilling over the food spread in the locker room. 910 01:22:38.399 --> 01:22:40.640 I like that kind of thing once in a while. You can't just be 911 01:22:41.039 --> 01:22:46.279 crazy and do all of that. But I think that aj Hinch is the 912 01:22:46.720 --> 01:22:53.800 least of their problems. The problems. You look at the players that they 913 01:22:53.840 --> 01:22:59.800 have acquired, especially the ones that they have acquired with the first overall pick 914 01:22:59.880 --> 01:23:04.399 up the draft. You're expecting these guys like of Paul Skeens, who's going 915 01:23:04.479 --> 01:23:09.800 to be pitching for He pitched last night, He's gonna be pitching Wednesday afternoon 916 01:23:09.840 --> 01:23:14.079 at America Park. He was taken at one one. So is Casey Mice. 917 01:23:14.479 --> 01:23:16.680 Skeens right now is being talked about, Oh, you hadn't seen a 918 01:23:16.720 --> 01:23:21.079 guy like this since Strasburg, who was also taken as the first pick overall. 919 01:23:21.399 --> 01:23:27.960 Strasburg won a World Series. You're hoping that you get a Strasburg or 920 01:23:28.279 --> 01:23:33.439 Skeens. When you take a guy number one like that, or Torque who 921 01:23:33.560 --> 01:23:38.439 was also taken at one one, you're thinking about, Uh, I don't 922 01:23:38.439 --> 01:23:44.920 know Bryce Harper who was taken at that spot. These are the reasons that 923 01:23:45.359 --> 01:23:51.640 the Tigers are where they're at. And also their owner, who is just 924 01:23:51.800 --> 01:24:00.520 tiptoeing and is very much the opposite of his dad, who was conc assumed 925 01:24:00.720 --> 01:24:06.560 with the challenge of getting the Tigers to the postseason and trying to win a 926 01:24:06.680 --> 01:24:15.640 World Series. Chris Ilich comes off as somebody who is the exact opposite of 927 01:24:15.800 --> 01:24:21.920 that. It happens. It happens, But he it seems like he is 928 01:24:24.359 --> 01:24:30.439 much more concerned with the bottom line and how much money that they're pulling in 929 01:24:30.840 --> 01:24:38.439 and every other position that he has. And it's not about being consumed at 930 01:24:38.479 --> 01:24:44.199 all about the Tigers with a winner. But Hinch is the least of the 931 01:24:44.319 --> 01:24:46.439 tigers problems. He's actually something they have that is going for him. If 932 01:24:46.479 --> 01:24:51.640 I was putting together a ledger, all right, we uh will continue on 933 01:24:51.800 --> 01:25:00.600 coming up at eight oh one. I was getting into if the Lions. 934 01:25:00.880 --> 01:25:08.520 I've been making the case for them going all in on a big time trade, 935 01:25:11.039 --> 01:25:14.600 and we will get to that at eight oh one. The name T. 936 01:25:14.800 --> 01:25:17.039 Higgins doesn't get any bigger than that. Now we're talking about an outstanding 937 01:25:17.119 --> 01:25:26.359 wide receiver and Jamison Williams an absolute star, and Higgins he wants out. 938 01:25:27.159 --> 01:25:32.239 Would that be an all in move? Could you even think about that as 939 01:25:32.279 --> 01:25:38.399 a Lions fan? That will lead us off. We'll get to some baseball 940 01:25:38.600 --> 01:25:43.239 coming up. At eight thirty five. Tom Gage will join us. We'll 941 01:25:43.279 --> 01:25:49.520 ask him if AJ Hinch is a problem, as a Freddie suggests via the 942 01:25:49.680 --> 01:25:58.520 text, all right, so it is memorial weekend. We've got an hour 943 01:25:58.680 --> 01:26:06.520 to go. We are going to bring it and we'll continue hitting on these 944 01:26:08.680 --> 01:26:13.680 on these lions. And we've got that Tiger's talk as well. I'm Dennis 945 01:26:13.720 --> 01:26:18.720 Fifthy in ben zost is here as well, fielding your calls, reading your 946 01:26:18.800 --> 01:26:26.079 texts. Matt Sheppard enjoying hopefully his holiday weekend. He's working all Weekend's kidding 947 01:26:26.119 --> 01:26:30.920 who it's actors and bros. On the Michigan Sports Network. April Showers brought 948 01:26:30.039 --> 01:26:35.680 May Flowers and so much more to Soaring Eagle Casino and Resorts. 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On behalf of Flying Ace Whiskey and also Flying 964 01:27:46.399 --> 01:27:51.319 Ace Whiskey has put up four scholarships for the children. Flying Ace Whiskey an 965 01:27:51.359 --> 01:27:57.239 American made whiskey, taken a lot of pride in America. Look for it 966 01:27:57.319 --> 01:28:03.319 in stores and pubs all across Michigan. We're teaming off our tenth year at 967 01:28:03.359 --> 01:28:08.720 the Meyer LPGA Classic for simply gives. Get ready for the best who are 968 01:28:08.800 --> 01:28:12.880 yet to help neighbors in need while enjoying golf, food and family fun. 969 01:28:13.560 --> 01:28:17.159 Join us June thirteenth through the sixteenth at Blakefield Country Club for fabulous food, 970 01:28:17.359 --> 01:28:21.199 discovery land for kids, and of course, elite women golfers from around the 971 01:28:21.239 --> 01:28:27.359 world competing to help feed our neighbors. Get your tickets now at Meyer LPGA 972 01:28:27.479 --> 01:28:45.680 Classics dot Com. Get some facts and come back and SEV. Get some 973 01:28:45.920 --> 01:28:48.560 facts and come back and CEV. Don't throw out salaries or other things. 974 01:28:48.960 --> 01:28:54.319 Get some facts and come back and CEV. You can't handle the true now, 975 01:28:54.399 --> 01:28:57.439 total players, you need to b more like you do. We don't 976 01:28:57.439 --> 01:29:00.720 need a bunch of cats in here. Looking in the mirror, I look 977 01:29:00.840 --> 01:29:03.079 good. I got my extra bands on, I got my others shoes. 978 01:29:03.760 --> 01:29:08.159 Be a doll. We don't need no meals. We don't need no cats. 979 01:29:08.439 --> 01:29:12.199 We need more dolls. I a lot at the time, are you 980 01:29:12.439 --> 01:29:15.760 not? At the time, we weren't good. There's no sense of asking 981 01:29:15.800 --> 01:29:17.079 me things about the game. I'm telling you we laid an egg. So 982 01:29:17.319 --> 01:29:20.880 I'm not gonna break it down for you. He sucks. He sucked. 983 01:29:21.680 --> 01:29:25.399 He laid an egg. That's all I have to say. Guys, I'm 984 01:29:25.439 --> 01:29:27.920 sorry. I'm not going to break it down for you. Nothing went well 985 01:29:28.000 --> 01:29:30.760 for us. It's on us. We have to figure it out and we 986 01:29:30.880 --> 01:29:39.960 will. It's your dad. Tigers laid an egg yesterday at Comerica Park, 987 01:29:40.319 --> 01:29:45.079 coming home after getting swept by Kansas City, losing nine to one. Welcome 988 01:29:45.119 --> 01:29:48.880 in to the eight o'clock hour tennis. Fithian in for Matt Shepherd on x'es 989 01:29:48.920 --> 01:29:53.640 and Bros. I'm the Michigan Sports Network. Yeah, nine to one. 990 01:29:53.720 --> 01:29:56.960 Tigers have lost five in a row. Coming up in a half hour, 991 01:29:57.039 --> 01:30:02.319 we'll talk some Tigers with Tom Gage, a long time I'm Tiger beat writer. 992 01:30:03.359 --> 01:30:08.119 Right now, we're we're talking about the Allions. Is it Super Bowl 993 01:30:08.319 --> 01:30:13.880 or bus? Dan Campbell, Lions head coach, answered that question, also 994 01:30:14.279 --> 01:30:17.359 got the hype train going for the Jamison Williams, calling him the most improved 995 01:30:17.399 --> 01:30:21.119 player, saying he's a man on the mission. He's a man on a 996 01:30:21.199 --> 01:30:27.520 mission. How much are you counting on Jamison Williams? What do you expect 997 01:30:27.520 --> 01:30:29.720 from him? And there's a couple of questions that we have out there. 998 01:30:30.520 --> 01:30:39.920 You're just waking up tuning in Celtics beat the Pacers, Oilers in double overtime 999 01:30:41.880 --> 01:30:46.960 over the Stars down in Big d. Those are your finals in basketball and 1000 01:30:47.640 --> 01:30:58.119 hockey and of course baseball. I said, would it be something that the 1001 01:30:58.439 --> 01:31:03.239 Lions would think about doing going all in for T Higgins, the outstanding wide 1002 01:31:03.239 --> 01:31:11.479 receiver for Cincinnati, who's doesn't want to sign any kind of franchise tag. 1003 01:31:11.479 --> 01:31:13.800 He's trying to get DELT. He wants a long term deal. He wants 1004 01:31:13.840 --> 01:31:16.960 to get DELT. And you think about the Lions and the position that they're 1005 01:31:17.000 --> 01:31:26.159 in, and could you add a T. Higgins? And the first thing 1006 01:31:26.239 --> 01:31:29.600 you think, you know, you get a big name, and you get 1007 01:31:29.640 --> 01:31:31.720 the Lions offense, and you already got him on our Saint Brown and you're 1008 01:31:31.760 --> 01:31:34.680 looking over there and you got left Porta and and everything that you know, 1009 01:31:34.800 --> 01:31:39.319 and then we're just talking about Jamison Williams, Like, wow, how about 1010 01:31:39.359 --> 01:31:44.319 T Higgins? This could be the best offense in the league. If you 1011 01:31:44.359 --> 01:31:47.520 were able to bring T. Higgins in now, that might be the best 1012 01:31:47.560 --> 01:31:54.079 offense in the league. Anyways, if if Williams even comes close to the 1013 01:31:54.199 --> 01:31:58.960 kind of hype that has been bestowed on him in the last twenty four hours. 1014 01:32:00.600 --> 01:32:04.239 The reason I here, I bring it up to kind of get everything 1015 01:32:04.359 --> 01:32:08.920 going. But then here's the bunch of cold water on to bring in a 1016 01:32:09.000 --> 01:32:14.279 T. Higgins. One if the Lions were going to make a big swing 1017 01:32:15.439 --> 01:32:21.479 and go all in, so to speak, it would be on the other 1018 01:32:21.560 --> 01:32:32.359 side of the ball. If you follow Brad Holmes so far, at least 1019 01:32:32.439 --> 01:32:42.039 through now this upcoming being his fourth year, there's no track record to suggest 1020 01:32:42.119 --> 01:32:46.520 that he's doing anything all in. You know, he has not gone after 1021 01:32:47.159 --> 01:32:53.640 that big name in free agency. Maybe you think Kevin Zeitler, the offensive 1022 01:32:53.640 --> 01:32:57.680 guard from the Ravens that the Lions brought in to fill in on their offensive 1023 01:32:57.720 --> 01:33:00.039 line. That's you know, a big name for you all right, DJ 1024 01:33:00.239 --> 01:33:04.520 Reader on the defensive side at the defensive tackle. But you know, trading 1025 01:33:04.600 --> 01:33:10.479 for Carlton Davis or you know, signing Marcus Davenport. You know those aren't 1026 01:33:11.399 --> 01:33:17.119 going all in moves. So a little bit of cold water wrong side of 1027 01:33:17.159 --> 01:33:23.359 the ball and then wrong general manager think about the big swing and going all 1028 01:33:23.439 --> 01:33:28.319 in. But maybe you know he's got a tree. You know, you 1029 01:33:28.720 --> 01:33:31.039 say all of this, but then Holmes is sitting back there, and if 1030 01:33:32.039 --> 01:33:40.039 I could see him going completely against what he's done, and you know, 1031 01:33:40.159 --> 01:33:44.840 even bolstering the offensive side if the deal was right, because the Lions are 1032 01:33:45.000 --> 01:33:49.760 in that position where it is a piece or two a player or two where 1033 01:33:49.800 --> 01:33:54.159 you were talking about the possibility of this team winning a Super Bowl. He 1034 01:33:54.239 --> 01:33:57.600 knows that, I know that, you know that the movie's going to make 1035 01:33:57.840 --> 01:34:00.439 what's it going to be? And honestly, just got to continue this is 1036 01:34:00.920 --> 01:34:04.359 that's just kind of hang in there, hang around. This is not we're 1037 01:34:04.399 --> 01:34:08.840 not ready to push all of our chips in yet. We're Yeah, we 1038 01:34:08.960 --> 01:34:13.439 got some stacks that we're firing once in a while here on our poker analogy, 1039 01:34:14.119 --> 01:34:16.039 but not all in Let's go to the phones. Where are we going 1040 01:34:16.159 --> 01:34:20.720 to Ben? Yeah, we got Freddy on the line. Oh Freddy, 1041 01:34:21.319 --> 01:34:26.920 Freddy, how are you? Good morning, Dennis? How are you baby? 1042 01:34:28.159 --> 01:34:31.399 I'm doing good, Freddie. I hope you have an enjoyable Memorial weekend 1043 01:34:33.319 --> 01:34:35.640 you as well, Buddy. We gotta get you back on the radio full 1044 01:34:35.720 --> 01:34:41.039 time. You're You're much You're much needed, I'll tell you that. So 1045 01:34:42.079 --> 01:34:47.239 now, people that are answering this question super Bowl or bust are not answering 1046 01:34:47.279 --> 01:34:51.239 it with emotions right now because the football season's out here. They're not watching 1047 01:34:51.279 --> 01:34:57.800 the games. You're fooling yourself if you're saying it's not super Bowl or boss. 1048 01:34:58.399 --> 01:35:01.720 This team doesn't win a super Bowl in the next I'm not gonna say 1049 01:35:01.760 --> 01:35:04.680 five ten years. Let's forget about that the next two years. If this 1050 01:35:04.720 --> 01:35:09.199 team doesn't win a Super Bowl next two years, it's an absolute bust. 1051 01:35:09.880 --> 01:35:14.239 Okay, because the Rams went to the Super Bowl with Jared Golf and it 1052 01:35:14.359 --> 01:35:15.399 was a bust for them. And what they do. They shipped them to 1053 01:35:15.520 --> 01:35:21.000 the town and they brought another quarterback to win the Super Bowl. So this 1054 01:35:21.199 --> 01:35:26.079 team, if they don't get to the super Bowl this year, I don't 1055 01:35:26.119 --> 01:35:30.800 care what anybody says. Half of this fan base is gonna turn on Jared 1056 01:35:30.840 --> 01:35:36.520 Golf because they the Golf is a likable guy, good dude, you know 1057 01:35:36.680 --> 01:35:41.600 the Jared Golf chants and all that stuff. But he'll be the number one 1058 01:35:41.640 --> 01:35:44.760 target if he doesn't get to the super Bowl this year. Absolutely, there's 1059 01:35:44.800 --> 01:35:48.279 no doubt about it. But's with the money he's gotten, and it's it's 1060 01:35:48.319 --> 01:35:51.560 super Bowl or busts. This team has never won Super Bowl's never been to 1061 01:35:51.640 --> 01:35:55.319 a Super Bowl. They smelled it last year. They blew it in the 1062 01:35:55.439 --> 01:36:00.319 second half. They absolutely blew it. And and I just think people if 1063 01:36:00.359 --> 01:36:02.840 they say, well, it's you know, we don't if we don't get 1064 01:36:02.880 --> 01:36:06.359 the Super Bowl. It's okay, you're not you're not dealing with the emotions 1065 01:36:06.439 --> 01:36:11.439 right now. You're not watching the games. Once the game starts, your 1066 01:36:11.479 --> 01:36:15.159 emotions are going to be completely different. Well you're right about that, Freddie. 1067 01:36:15.600 --> 01:36:17.840 If we could fast forward to the divisional round right now, and I've 1068 01:36:18.039 --> 01:36:20.680 talked a little bit about it earlier, and you know, the Lions lose 1069 01:36:20.760 --> 01:36:25.239 by one point to let's say the Eagles. What you're saying is exactly true. 1070 01:36:25.319 --> 01:36:27.520 For twenty four or forty eight hours, people are gonna be out of 1071 01:36:27.560 --> 01:36:31.159 their mind and the windows slamming shot and everything else. But you get a 1072 01:36:31.199 --> 01:36:36.199 little further back, and you do if you if you don't have the kind 1073 01:36:36.239 --> 01:36:41.880 of team where you think that they could run it back and they still have 1074 01:36:42.039 --> 01:36:44.279 a window, I mean, that's going to be the thing that you have 1075 01:36:44.439 --> 01:36:47.039 to remember. Sure, the emotion. You know, there were people last 1076 01:36:47.079 --> 01:36:50.359 year after they completely melted down, that like, this is back to square 1077 01:36:50.439 --> 01:36:54.119 one, this is their one chance. This is the same old Lions. 1078 01:36:54.319 --> 01:36:59.600 But people even that thought that, after a week or two looked at this 1079 01:36:59.720 --> 01:37:01.720 and said, well, you know, this is this team has all of 1080 01:37:01.840 --> 01:37:05.640 the components to come back and be in the same position next year, and 1081 01:37:05.760 --> 01:37:09.239 you know, we don't know because there's a lot of factors. And sometimes 1082 01:37:09.279 --> 01:37:14.600 the window looks wide open and then that's slam shut so fast. And you 1083 01:37:14.680 --> 01:37:16.880 know, so there is that danger. But you know, and you even 1084 01:37:16.920 --> 01:37:20.880 said it yourself. You put two years on it. If they don't win 1085 01:37:20.920 --> 01:37:24.960 in two years, I said three, So we're not that far apart. 1086 01:37:25.039 --> 01:37:30.159 I look at it as a three year window or bust. But you know, 1087 01:37:30.560 --> 01:37:33.840 it could it could slam shot. I go back to the conversation we 1088 01:37:33.920 --> 01:37:38.039 had yesterday. I said to you the two thousand and six all seven Tigers, 1089 01:37:38.159 --> 01:37:42.039 right, I always look at Jim Leland and Dan Campbell is the same 1090 01:37:42.119 --> 01:37:44.960 person. They know how to manipulate the media. They know how to talk 1091 01:37:45.039 --> 01:37:48.319 to the media and motivate their players. That's what they do that makes that's 1092 01:37:48.319 --> 01:37:53.640 what makes them great. Now you the old six Tigers, they blew it, 1093 01:37:54.279 --> 01:37:58.920 dance chanced. Those these chances don't come along in life, not just 1094 01:37:58.960 --> 01:38:01.239 sports. In life, when it comes around, you gotta grab it because 1095 01:38:01.239 --> 01:38:05.319 you're never guaranteed. And the Old six Tigers are proof of that. And 1096 01:38:05.960 --> 01:38:11.039 I'm not saying this team is well. Even Dan Campbell said at the end 1097 01:38:11.079 --> 01:38:13.439 of the year last year. It's not gonna be easy, boys. And 1098 01:38:13.520 --> 01:38:15.600 when you get that chance, you gotta grab it. And if you don't, 1099 01:38:16.039 --> 01:38:19.159 it's gonna take a long while before it comes along. So go get 1100 01:38:19.199 --> 01:38:23.439 that super Bowl. Just shut everybody up, because this town deserves it. 1101 01:38:24.199 --> 01:38:26.600 I like your Tiger analogy. You know, thanks Freddie. You know, 1102 01:38:26.680 --> 01:38:30.039 in two thousand and seven it was a collapse, and then remember there was 1103 01:38:30.119 --> 01:38:33.239 the tie breaker game with the Twins. That felt like it was all over. 1104 01:38:33.640 --> 01:38:36.600 But what did they do? They made some key moves. They had 1105 01:38:36.640 --> 01:38:42.840 a core, including Justin Verlander at the top there. But then they got 1106 01:38:42.920 --> 01:38:48.199 Cabrera and they look. They made it to the Alcs in twenty eleven, 1107 01:38:48.880 --> 01:38:54.960 in twenty twelve, they made it to the World Series in twenty twelve. 1108 01:38:55.039 --> 01:38:58.199 They were back. They were right there. They should have I can't say 1109 01:38:58.239 --> 01:39:00.640 they should have won, they were I thought that they were gonna win. 1110 01:39:00.880 --> 01:39:04.680 But the point is is that it wasn't over for them. The Tigers did 1111 01:39:04.800 --> 01:39:11.159 have that window. It wasn't two thousand and seven wasn't a World Series or 1112 01:39:11.319 --> 01:39:15.439 bust for the Tigers. A little bit of a if you can squeeze it 1113 01:39:15.520 --> 01:39:18.239 in. And we're comparing baseball to football. As much as that's hard to 1114 01:39:18.319 --> 01:39:23.520 do, I think that that's the part that I look to spin a little 1115 01:39:23.520 --> 01:39:27.520 bit forward. The Tigers did have other opportunities. Good job, Freddie will 1116 01:39:27.560 --> 01:39:36.720 continue on talking about the Lions and the Super Bowl and their most outstanding player, 1117 01:39:36.760 --> 01:39:41.359 their most improved player, and the player that is on a mission. 1118 01:39:41.399 --> 01:39:45.600 According to Dan Campbell, Jamison, Williams, Axes and Bros. Michigan Sports 1119 01:39:45.680 --> 01:39:51.359 Network, we're teaming off our tenth year at the Meyer LPGA Classic for simply 1120 01:39:51.439 --> 01:39:56.119 gives. Get ready for the best who are yet to help neighbors in need 1121 01:39:56.279 --> 01:40:01.239 while enjoying golf, food and family fun US thirteenth through the sixteenth at Blakefield 1122 01:40:01.279 --> 01:40:06.039 Country Club for fabulous food, discoveryland for kids, and of course elite women 1123 01:40:06.119 --> 01:40:11.840 golfers from around the world competing to help feed our neighbors. Get your tickets 1124 01:40:11.880 --> 01:40:43.159 now admire LPGA Classics dot com. Does it feel like the holiday weekend because 1125 01:40:43.239 --> 01:40:49.399 it's here? Memorial Weekend twenty four Dennis Fithian inn for Matt Shephard this morning 1126 01:40:50.079 --> 01:40:54.279 the Michigan Sports Network. We're taking your calls, but talking about the Lions 1127 01:40:54.680 --> 01:41:00.479 a lot. It's one of those days where you have the Lions yesterday. 1128 01:41:00.560 --> 01:41:03.960 Dan Campbell, their head coach, was asked if it's super Bowl or bust 1129 01:41:04.039 --> 01:41:09.159 at OTA's in a news conference there, and he said he doesn't see buss, 1130 01:41:09.319 --> 01:41:15.880 you see super Bowl. And then he was like ll cool J and 1131 01:41:15.960 --> 01:41:23.680 that beer commercial busted through the apartment in that train. Dan Campbell when he 1132 01:41:23.760 --> 01:41:28.880 came in and said, I have our most improved player, this Jamison Williams. 1133 01:41:30.000 --> 01:41:39.319 And then he hit the horn and everyone who went crazy when he said 1134 01:41:40.760 --> 01:41:45.039 he's a man on a mission. Now, you know, what are your 1135 01:41:45.119 --> 01:41:51.479 expectations for Jamison Williams? And if you if you just looked at the numbers 1136 01:41:53.720 --> 01:41:56.479 for his first two years, now he was hurt and then he was suspended, 1137 01:41:56.640 --> 01:42:00.319 and it's not good for a wide receiver that taken in the top fifteen 1138 01:42:00.399 --> 01:42:05.079 of the NFL draft when you look historically. But you do have to put 1139 01:42:05.239 --> 01:42:10.560 those two factors in. If you look at the negative side, there's you 1140 01:42:10.600 --> 01:42:16.159 know, he has been more times than not considered a bust or been on 1141 01:42:16.279 --> 01:42:20.640 a bust trajectory than he has any kind of you know, superstar. But 1142 01:42:20.960 --> 01:42:26.079 you know the thing is, you know he doesn't have to be a superstar. 1143 01:42:29.119 --> 01:42:30.920 You pick a guy in the first round with the idea that, yeah, 1144 01:42:31.000 --> 01:42:39.079 he's going to be a superstar. But what we have seen are big 1145 01:42:39.199 --> 01:42:46.479 drops in big spots. But we have also seen flashes of a brilliance and 1146 01:42:48.119 --> 01:42:54.399 so much so for me. And I don't even remember the game. I've 1147 01:42:54.640 --> 01:43:03.760 referenced it earlier. It was an end around where he scored a touchdown and 1148 01:43:03.840 --> 01:43:08.720 on like the five yard line. He do He didn't need to, but 1149 01:43:08.840 --> 01:43:16.960 he did, and it looked like he jumped from the fifteen yard line and 1150 01:43:17.079 --> 01:43:20.760 it looked like he jumped like fifteen feet in the air. It was. 1151 01:43:23.960 --> 01:43:28.479 It was one of those moments, one of the things you love about sports. 1152 01:43:28.520 --> 01:43:30.760 Sometimes you're watching it and just like, what did I just see? 1153 01:43:31.600 --> 01:43:40.640 I'm watching just some incredible talent. So he's got that and he is in 1154 01:43:40.760 --> 01:43:45.479 the perfect position you know, who reminds me of And we take your calls. 1155 01:43:45.479 --> 01:43:48.800 See we're gonna talk some tigers coming up in just over ten minutes. 1156 01:43:51.720 --> 01:43:54.640 And you know the numbers, let me give it to you. Eight six 1157 01:43:54.720 --> 01:43:57.960 six eight three eight forty eight forty three. That's the Meyer hot line. 1158 01:43:58.479 --> 01:44:03.920 Eight six six eight three eight forty eight forty three. You could text us 1159 01:44:03.960 --> 01:44:09.359 by typing in Sports Radio one word to twenty one thousand, you get the 1160 01:44:09.439 --> 01:44:13.840 prompt you can get in that way. He reminds me, I'm thinking of 1161 01:44:14.000 --> 01:44:20.399 Rashid Wallace, the former Piston. They going to work Piston who won a 1162 01:44:20.520 --> 01:44:27.359 championship. If I went for Rashid Wallace, they wouldn't have won the championship. 1163 01:44:27.399 --> 01:44:29.680 But if we went for Rashid Wallace, they you know, they could 1164 01:44:29.680 --> 01:44:31.840 have won two championships. I field of guarded Robert Riy, but you know 1165 01:44:31.880 --> 01:44:35.560 that's not what I'm here to talk about. But Rashid when he was out 1166 01:44:35.680 --> 01:44:44.479 with the jail Blazers, now it is loud mouth getting thrown out, smoked 1167 01:44:44.520 --> 01:44:47.560 his way off. You know, he suspend all of these things, ejections 1168 01:44:47.640 --> 01:44:53.840 left and right. He just wasn't that guy to lead you to where you 1169 01:44:54.000 --> 01:44:58.439 wanted. The awesome player, great talent, all of those kind of things, 1170 01:44:58.479 --> 01:45:03.199 but just it just wasn't He couldn't be that guy. And he got 1171 01:45:03.239 --> 01:45:10.600 into the Pistons where you know who could be that guy, Mister big shot 1172 01:45:11.439 --> 01:45:15.720 Ben Wallace could be that guy, and he fit in with with Tayshaun and 1173 01:45:16.239 --> 01:45:23.840 ripped perfectly. He didn't have to be the leader. He didn't have to 1174 01:45:23.920 --> 01:45:27.319 be the guy down of the post. He didn't. He just he was 1175 01:45:27.439 --> 01:45:32.119 able just to do all of the things that he could do. He actually 1176 01:45:32.159 --> 01:45:35.479 could go down to the post. He was great on defense and you know 1177 01:45:35.600 --> 01:45:40.960 you he could knock down for he was an incredible player and it just it 1178 01:45:41.119 --> 01:45:45.239 brought out all of the best things. And that's the position that Jamison Williams 1179 01:45:45.319 --> 01:45:47.880 in. I'm sure somebody had to tell him and they look at you are 1180 01:45:48.079 --> 01:45:51.840 in just an incredible spot. You got all the party, you got Brown, 1181 01:45:51.880 --> 01:45:57.760 you got everything that with his offense and you can put them over the 1182 01:45:57.920 --> 01:46:05.159 top. I'm looking on Twitter and it's been a good two days on Twitter. 1183 01:46:08.079 --> 01:46:14.840 Terry has been involved on Twitter. And here I have a tweet from 1184 01:46:15.279 --> 01:46:21.800 FTP who was talking about Jamison Williams and he says, Teddy Bridgewater was brought 1185 01:46:21.920 --> 01:46:27.199 in to mentor this kid. It's talking about Jamison Williams. He said so 1186 01:46:27.439 --> 01:46:31.640 at his presser and Teddy and Jamo himself did a wonderful job turning around the 1187 01:46:31.720 --> 01:46:40.800 first two years of off the field stuff. Kudos to both. Yeah, 1188 01:46:40.840 --> 01:46:45.000 old Teddy two gloves. He didn't do much on the field, but the 1189 01:46:45.119 --> 01:46:50.760 off the field stuff. Last week I saw him throwing as is a high 1190 01:46:50.800 --> 01:46:55.760 school coach. Now, it's throwing balls for high school kids. Not a 1191 01:46:55.840 --> 01:47:01.960 surprise from Teddy two Gloves like to see that. And if is a part 1192 01:47:02.000 --> 01:47:09.479 of it, just being able to turn around the off the field stuff, 1193 01:47:09.680 --> 01:47:12.239 I mean, the off the field stuff. What are we talking about here? 1194 01:47:12.319 --> 01:47:16.319 We're talking about he got hurt. I like, so I'm not holding 1195 01:47:16.359 --> 01:47:23.399 out against him. The suspension. Yeah, you got to be better than 1196 01:47:23.439 --> 01:47:28.680 that. You're the other players. You know, he could have been out 1197 01:47:28.720 --> 01:47:31.359 of here if and you know, so, if that's a strike or two 1198 01:47:31.399 --> 01:47:36.079 strikes, whatever it was, I'm not getting on him because he, you 1199 01:47:36.159 --> 01:47:41.000 know, likes to eat at McDonald's or go down to a Coney Island in 1200 01:47:41.079 --> 01:47:44.159 the city, which you know, some people it seemed like they were, 1201 01:47:45.039 --> 01:47:49.760 you know, or had something needed something to talk about there. But give 1202 01:47:49.840 --> 01:48:00.079 me that guy feeling good about himself and his life on the football field with 1203 01:48:00.159 --> 01:48:02.359 a ball in his hand and if he can't catch it, hand it off 1204 01:48:02.439 --> 01:48:09.600 to him. Because he's that kind of special talent. I don't want to 1205 01:48:09.640 --> 01:48:16.000 go overboard. But if we're lining up talent wise, the hundred greatest receivers 1206 01:48:16.039 --> 01:48:21.079 in NFL history, just talent Jamison Williams is going to be up close to 1207 01:48:21.159 --> 01:48:24.960 the front of that line. Now. I know he's you know, he 1208 01:48:25.039 --> 01:48:30.439 has not shown very much uh production on the field twenty four catches a couple 1209 01:48:30.479 --> 01:48:34.039 of TVs last year, you know, just over three hundred yards. And 1210 01:48:34.119 --> 01:48:41.840 you know what he's he's also a bust. You know what about talent playmaking? 1211 01:48:42.920 --> 01:48:47.199 You know that's where it's at when it comes down to uh JMO. 1212 01:48:49.359 --> 01:48:56.560 All right, I wanted to give this to you on this Memorial weekend. 1213 01:48:56.680 --> 01:48:59.239 If you're you know, you're not going to watch basketball, you're not gonna 1214 01:48:59.239 --> 01:49:03.560 watch hockey. You might want to on a Memorial weekend take in a war 1215 01:49:03.760 --> 01:49:10.600 movie and just for your viewing pleasure, I have three of them for you 1216 01:49:10.760 --> 01:49:15.840 that are available if you have Netflix and if you have not watched any of 1217 01:49:15.960 --> 01:49:20.239 these. I liked all three. Number one on the list. It's called 1218 01:49:20.399 --> 01:49:25.279 The Forgotten Battle Again. These are all on Netflix. This is one of 1219 01:49:25.359 --> 01:49:29.640 the best war movies I have seen in the last ten years. It is 1220 01:49:30.399 --> 01:49:34.359 in the marshes of World War Two and the Netherlands. I give it a 1221 01:49:34.439 --> 01:49:40.079 total thumbs up. All Quiet on the Western Front is also there on Netflix. 1222 01:49:40.119 --> 01:49:44.000 It got cashed in on some awards. It's very gory, so you 1223 01:49:44.079 --> 01:49:48.239 have you don't like. It's a war movie, but very gory but good. 1224 01:49:49.159 --> 01:49:53.680 And then Narvik also gets the nod for me as a thumbs up, 1225 01:49:53.760 --> 01:49:58.960 one that I wouldn't actually think, but I'm pleasantly surprised, and I gave 1226 01:49:59.039 --> 01:50:01.399 that a thumbs up. There are three war movies right there on Netflix. 1227 01:50:01.720 --> 01:50:04.359 Check all those three out. I think you'd like all three of those. 1228 01:50:04.640 --> 01:50:11.960 Little tip for me on this Memorial weekend. Oh you wanna tip on how 1229 01:50:12.000 --> 01:50:15.720 to cook a steak? Okay, I don't have to. Maybe next time 1230 01:50:16.000 --> 01:50:19.039 when I join you. Coming up straight ahead, we'll talks some Tigers with 1231 01:50:19.159 --> 01:50:24.000 Tom Gaates, the longtime beat writer. Next on the Michigan Sports Network, 1232 01:50:26.199 --> 01:50:30.720 in the Den with Dan Dickerson, Hey, Tiger's fans. A new baseball 1233 01:50:30.800 --> 01:50:36.359 season means a new season on Michigan's favorite island destination, Mackinawe Island, Baseball 1234 01:50:36.560 --> 01:50:41.600 Spring and mackinaw Island. Things that return every year, reminding us what a 1235 01:50:41.720 --> 01:50:45.119 great state we live in. Shake off the winter blaus, taking a game 1236 01:50:45.199 --> 01:50:48.000 and playing your trip to America's top summer destination, Mackinaw Island dot org. 1237 01:50:48.479 --> 01:50:51.119 It can take years for a young left handed hit or to learn to hit 1238 01:50:51.239 --> 01:50:56.039 lefties in the major leagues, but Cold Keith is making rapid progress. A 1239 01:50:56.159 --> 01:50:59.680 J. Hinch has been very careful which lefties Keith gets to base. Then, 1240 01:50:59.760 --> 01:51:02.399 after going on an eleven for eighteen tear, Hehn said, Keith earned 1241 01:51:02.439 --> 01:51:05.600 that start against very tough Cole Reagans in Kansas City. Now, Keith was 1242 01:51:05.640 --> 01:51:09.359 over two against Reagans, but he drew a walk ahead a single against two 1243 01:51:09.439 --> 01:51:13.000 lefty relievers. More than anything, he showed he can hang in against tough 1244 01:51:13.079 --> 01:51:16.159 lefties. He says facing a hard throwing lefty actually helps him because it forces 1245 01:51:16.239 --> 01:51:20.039 him to really focus on his hitting keys making better against writings, and it 1246 01:51:20.119 --> 01:51:26.720 looks like Cold Keith might be about to take off. Hey Michigan, let's 1247 01:51:27.000 --> 01:51:31.199 go, baby. I'm harming more Alliance all Pro wide receiver and I'm talking 1248 01:51:31.319 --> 01:51:36.119 real big time winning on the hottest slots and table gains on one incredible app. 1249 01:51:36.600 --> 01:51:41.720 Eagle Casino in Sports. Sign up now and get up to fifteen hundred 1250 01:51:41.760 --> 01:51:45.680 dollars. That's right, We'll match your deposit for up to fifteen hundred dollars 1251 01:51:45.880 --> 01:51:49.960 and you'll get one hundred free Spins Eagle Casino in Sports Made in Michigan, 1252 01:51:50.359 --> 01:52:05.920 Made for Michigan, must be twenty winter over here in Michigan playing Hey there, 1253 01:52:06.960 --> 01:52:11.880 eight thirty five in the morning across the state of Michigan on the Michigan 1254 01:52:11.920 --> 01:52:17.960 Sports Network, Dennis fit the in in for Matt Shepherd on X's and Bros. 1255 01:52:19.560 --> 01:52:21.880 Hey, you can make all the jokes you want about the power outage 1256 01:52:21.960 --> 01:52:27.960 last night at Comerica Park, but there was a power outage in the booth 1257 01:52:28.199 --> 01:52:33.039 and on the scoreboard for the Tigers. They get beat nine to one. 1258 01:52:33.479 --> 01:52:39.399 You probably know that by now, as well as them losing their fifth game 1259 01:52:39.439 --> 01:52:43.319 in a row. But they got a lot of ball games to play. 1260 01:52:43.760 --> 01:52:46.119 That's all you can say. If you're looking for that silver lining. We're 1261 01:52:46.279 --> 01:52:51.680 ready to there's another silver lining as we're ready to talk some Tigers baseball with 1262 01:52:53.239 --> 01:52:58.760 a long time Tigers a beat writer, Tom Gage, who joins us on 1263 01:52:59.000 --> 01:53:01.600 the line on is in Bros. Live this morning. Tom, How are 1264 01:53:01.680 --> 01:53:06.720 you? How are you? Oh? I'm doing great, you know, 1265 01:53:06.880 --> 01:53:10.960 Tom. The only thing that would have been more perfect at talking with you 1266 01:53:11.039 --> 01:53:14.399 on the radio if it would have been right at game forty, but having 1267 01:53:14.479 --> 01:53:17.079 you around Game forty. It was game fifty yesterday, as you know. 1268 01:53:17.279 --> 01:53:21.159 But you know it's been forty years as the Tigers, well, the World 1269 01:53:21.279 --> 01:53:27.000 Series and that that forty you know that that game start H thirty five and 1270 01:53:27.079 --> 01:53:29.560 five and all that, which we'll get to, but you know, I 1271 01:53:29.680 --> 01:53:33.800 wanted to start you out with H that forty game. Marcus Is. It's 1272 01:53:33.880 --> 01:53:38.319 in Tiger's lore that Sparky said that you can't judge a team after forty. 1273 01:53:38.800 --> 01:53:42.159 Did he actually say that or was he just kicking the can down the road 1274 01:53:42.199 --> 01:53:45.159 to you guys. No, Dennis, he actually said that, and he 1275 01:53:45.439 --> 01:53:50.880 and and with Sparky, he usually didn't say things just once. He said 1276 01:53:50.920 --> 01:53:55.720 them many times. So I think he probably said it every year that he 1277 01:53:55.880 --> 01:54:01.760 was the manager. But he believed in forty, I know. And that's 1278 01:54:01.840 --> 01:54:06.000 probably because he didn't believe in thirty. It was one month. Was just 1279 01:54:06.159 --> 01:54:13.239 too fast to judge a team. So forty is a good measure, I 1280 01:54:13.359 --> 01:54:17.960 think, in my opinion, it's still a little short of being able to 1281 01:54:18.079 --> 01:54:26.119 judge a team. I think where the Tigers are right now at fifty games 1282 01:54:27.199 --> 01:54:34.359 is a better measure because you show your true colors. By fifty you've had 1283 01:54:34.439 --> 01:54:38.640 some ups you've had some downs, and now you're begin to settle in. 1284 01:54:39.119 --> 01:54:43.000 I hope the Tigers aren't beginning to settle in because they're not playing well. 1285 01:54:43.520 --> 01:54:48.479 But yeah, you know, I'm a little bit worried about that offense, 1286 01:54:49.159 --> 01:54:54.680 as people should be. They just don't score enough runs to support their pitching, 1287 01:54:54.720 --> 01:55:00.800 as you know. But you know, Sparky Party did leave in forty 1288 01:55:00.920 --> 01:55:03.439 games, and he said so often. You know, what happens to me 1289 01:55:03.520 --> 01:55:08.119 every year is that there's a team that gets off to an incredible start. 1290 01:55:08.199 --> 01:55:12.640 And this year it's the Phillies and they're thirty seven and fourteen right now, 1291 01:55:12.840 --> 01:55:15.399 they've you know, they've won six in a row. They're nine and one 1292 01:55:15.479 --> 01:55:18.800 in their last ten. But then you tell people like, yeah, it's 1293 01:55:18.840 --> 01:55:23.119 incredible, but you know, thirty five and five, you know that was 1294 01:55:23.239 --> 01:55:26.159 incredible. We're gonna get a little bit more of that, you know. 1295 01:55:26.439 --> 01:55:30.560 I was Jim Leland back in two thousand and six. As you know, 1296 01:55:30.000 --> 01:55:33.880 I don't remember what the game mark was. I think they had lost to 1297 01:55:33.960 --> 01:55:38.079 Cleveland and they were getting ready to fly out to the West coast, and 1298 01:55:38.199 --> 01:55:43.600 he tore into his team and the postgame media session he wasn't gonna stand for 1299 01:55:43.720 --> 01:55:45.399 this, and they got a lot of criticism right off the bat, like 1300 01:55:45.680 --> 01:55:49.279 like this guy's just coming in and he's he's, you know, putting his 1301 01:55:49.359 --> 01:55:54.239 team on blast that quickly. I say that, Tom, because we had 1302 01:55:54.279 --> 01:55:59.720 a caller earlier who said it was time to see some emotion from aj Hitch. 1303 01:56:00.079 --> 01:56:03.560 He wanted a rant, he wanted on a turnover the table spread or 1304 01:56:03.640 --> 01:56:10.000 something. Do you think that that could be in the offing here for AJ 1305 01:56:10.279 --> 01:56:14.319 Hintch, some kind of outburst or something. Well, Dennis, I think 1306 01:56:14.359 --> 01:56:15.960 it should be in the aufering, but I'm not sure it is in the 1307 01:56:16.039 --> 01:56:20.760 auten because I don't know Aj that well. I covered him a little bit 1308 01:56:20.800 --> 01:56:25.560 as a player, but I haven't covered him as a manager. But he 1309 01:56:25.720 --> 01:56:31.640 seems very methodical and very very He keeps his emotions pretty contained. I understand 1310 01:56:31.720 --> 01:56:36.600 he got upset the other day when somebody said the Tigers hadn't been competitive in 1311 01:56:36.680 --> 01:56:42.039 the game, and I think that's too bad because he limits you know, 1312 01:56:42.399 --> 01:56:47.479 he limits the media access to his coaches. And if you're the only part 1313 01:56:47.560 --> 01:56:54.000 of the coaching staff and managing staff that you allow the media to have access 1314 01:56:54.079 --> 01:56:59.119 to, I think you need to show up and not get and not get 1315 01:56:59.239 --> 01:57:03.199 upset at the question. I don't think the I know the big writer of 1316 01:57:03.319 --> 01:57:08.600 the Tigers now, I know them well, and you know they're professional, 1317 01:57:09.039 --> 01:57:14.720 They're not gotcha. They're not a crew that asks a lot of gotcha questions. 1318 01:57:15.239 --> 01:57:18.039 So I think media. I think a J. Hinch has it has 1319 01:57:18.199 --> 01:57:23.520 a nice situation here in Detroit with the media. Yeah. Well, I 1320 01:57:23.600 --> 01:57:26.760 know some of those guys of the radio actually are gotcha kind of guys, 1321 01:57:27.000 --> 01:57:33.399 probably the one that threw that question at him. So if you're looking for 1322 01:57:33.479 --> 01:57:38.600 a silver lining, if it's for the rest of this year or just moving 1323 01:57:38.800 --> 01:57:43.119 forward for the Tigers, what would you point to you You've seen so many, 1324 01:57:43.319 --> 01:57:47.399 you know, the seasons and then transitions and new general managers, and 1325 01:57:47.600 --> 01:57:54.560 obviously the Tigers have Scott Harris who's just in his second full season. He's 1326 01:57:54.600 --> 01:57:57.800 a young guy with thirty six thirty seven years old, but they've got a 1327 01:57:57.840 --> 01:58:02.000 low payroll. Is there what would you point to as a silver lining ahead 1328 01:58:02.039 --> 01:58:06.159 for this team? Well? I do think that they've developed some solid players 1329 01:58:06.279 --> 01:58:11.680 within the lineup, and the carpenter is proving to be a good, solid 1330 01:58:11.760 --> 01:58:17.239 hitter, and you know, they've done a good job and picking up some 1331 01:58:17.399 --> 01:58:24.279 of the pieces to fill in people like Abanyas and Ershula, and those are 1332 01:58:24.520 --> 01:58:29.680 very important players at the pickup. Brshel Was, I think quite important and 1333 01:58:29.840 --> 01:58:34.560 Flaherty. You know, the pitching staff has been to me, the starting 1334 01:58:34.680 --> 01:58:42.960 rotation has been outstanding with Flarerity and and Olsen and they but I imagine they're 1335 01:58:43.000 --> 01:58:45.760 getting a little bit impatient right now because they don't get any runs to work 1336 01:58:45.840 --> 01:58:49.239 with. You know, schoobol Is school is going to be a star, 1337 01:58:49.960 --> 01:58:54.119 and I think you could see that a couple of years ago. He just 1338 01:58:54.279 --> 01:59:00.600 has the stuff to win. And but you know, I've seen Flaherty pitching 1339 01:59:00.680 --> 01:59:04.319 person a couple of times. I know, I know he had problems a 1340 01:59:04.399 --> 01:59:09.359 little while ago, not this year, but in the past. But he's 1341 01:59:09.479 --> 01:59:13.920 throwing very well and I'm very impressed with him. So I think they're I 1342 01:59:14.000 --> 01:59:17.840 think there are good building blocks for the Tigers. They just don't have the 1343 01:59:18.000 --> 01:59:23.159 core of that offense. And the guys that are letting them down, of 1344 01:59:23.279 --> 01:59:27.760 course, are the young players, Tor Wolson and Riley Green. You know, 1345 01:59:28.079 --> 01:59:32.039 everybody likes the praise, right Riley Green and do us deservedly so because 1346 01:59:32.039 --> 01:59:36.640 he has a lot of rod talent right now, he's not playing very well. 1347 01:59:38.680 --> 01:59:43.199 Yeah, is that right? We got Tom Gage with us for a 1348 01:59:43.319 --> 01:59:45.720 few more minutes. Tom, I want to go back. You know you've 1349 01:59:45.760 --> 01:59:49.960 written a few books. You've got your fourth out right now, or it's 1350 01:59:50.039 --> 01:59:55.439 going to be out the Enchanted Season. You wrote this with Lance Parrish about 1351 01:59:55.880 --> 02:00:00.399 the nineteen eighty four team. I've already referenced them a few times. Tell 1352 02:00:00.439 --> 02:00:06.199 me a little bit about you know, this this particular book and working with 1353 02:00:06.359 --> 02:00:11.640 Lance. What was it like. No, I knew Lance very well as 1354 02:00:11.680 --> 02:00:17.960 a player. I also knew that he was rather contained with his comments and 1355 02:00:18.600 --> 02:00:25.840 and his emotion. And when the publisher suggested this book for the two for 1356 02:00:26.000 --> 02:00:30.359 the fortieth anniversary, I wasn't sure how how much I was going to be 1357 02:00:30.399 --> 02:00:33.279 able to get out of him, but it was. It turned out to 1358 02:00:33.319 --> 02:00:40.479 be a true delight working with Lance because he tried so hard to remember the 1359 02:00:40.560 --> 02:00:45.960 bits and pieces and and you know, the the major things and even some 1360 02:00:45.119 --> 02:00:50.720 of the minor components of that season. So we would have a couple of 1361 02:00:50.840 --> 02:00:58.880 conversations each week and as we want through the different chapters, and again, 1362 02:00:59.000 --> 02:01:03.640 I really enjoyed working with a Lance. He's a quality individual, and I 1363 02:01:03.800 --> 02:01:11.000 want to stress again, Dennis, he tried very hard to remember what nineteen 1364 02:01:11.039 --> 02:01:15.119 eighty four was like and also the other terms of his career. You know 1365 02:01:15.560 --> 02:01:23.399 too, might still go with Ben. Excuse me, what was that? 1366 02:01:24.560 --> 02:01:27.239 No, I didn't hear you. Oh yeah, I cut out for a 1367 02:01:27.319 --> 02:01:30.359 second. I'm stary. We're good. It was just right there at the 1368 02:01:30.520 --> 02:01:36.279 end of you talking about Lance. That's good, you know for my generation. 1369 02:01:36.399 --> 02:01:40.640 I was in high school, you know, so they bless you boys. 1370 02:01:40.720 --> 02:01:44.520 I had them. But you know, growing up with every one of 1371 02:01:44.560 --> 02:01:49.119 my uncles talking about the sixty eight team, you know, I knew everything 1372 02:01:49.399 --> 02:01:54.479 like that wasn't a chant of team. I knew all of it. And 1373 02:01:54.600 --> 02:01:57.520 then it seemed like I was doing the same thing with eighty four. And 1374 02:01:57.600 --> 02:02:01.439 the Tigers had their shot obviously, and what twenty thirteen, you know, 1375 02:02:01.560 --> 02:02:05.239 getting to the World Series. It would have been great, obviously if they 1376 02:02:05.279 --> 02:02:09.199 would have been able to you know, capture another one. But you do 1377 02:02:09.359 --> 02:02:13.479 go back and now it's just, you know, to reminisce about eighty four 1378 02:02:14.159 --> 02:02:16.600 almost each and every player, just how this thing was put together. But 1379 02:02:16.880 --> 02:02:20.079 Tom, take me back to the forty game. Mark, are you sitting 1380 02:02:20.119 --> 02:02:24.079 there and you're thinking, there's no way that this team. Now we were 1381 02:02:24.199 --> 02:02:30.000 talking about the Lions this morning about is a championship or bust. When you 1382 02:02:30.199 --> 02:02:34.079 got to the point where it was the forty gay mark, was it a 1383 02:02:34.199 --> 02:02:36.920 realization that this team is gonna win the World Series? There is this going 1384 02:02:38.000 --> 02:02:41.720 to be a major disappointment? Well, when when you got to the forty 1385 02:02:41.800 --> 02:02:46.680 game mark, and of course that was in Seattle and they lost the you 1386 02:02:46.760 --> 02:02:51.520 know, got sworped in this series. Here, I remember the team being 1387 02:02:51.760 --> 02:02:58.079 just they weren't basking in the glory of being thirty five and five. I 1388 02:02:58.119 --> 02:03:02.399 mean Sparky had that. I ope the conversation. The night before that, 1389 02:03:02.760 --> 02:03:09.399 the last game in Anaheim before they went to Seattle, Sparky was at the 1390 02:03:09.479 --> 02:03:14.000 team hotel and a guy from Dayton came up to him and said, Sparky 1391 02:03:14.079 --> 02:03:17.119 Anderson, boy, I'm from Dayton and I remember your big red Machine teams. 1392 02:03:17.880 --> 02:03:24.000 By the way, what are you doing now? And Sparky said, 1393 02:03:24.039 --> 02:03:28.199 here I was. I had the hottest team in the major leagues. And 1394 02:03:29.079 --> 02:03:32.439 a guy who supposedly was a fan of mine comes up and asks me what 1395 02:03:32.600 --> 02:03:36.079 am I doing now? And he said it was a you know It just 1396 02:03:36.199 --> 02:03:43.000 put me in my place and it reminded me that you know, we we 1397 02:03:43.800 --> 02:03:47.520 were thirty four and five at the time, but it really hadn't accomplished anything. 1398 02:03:47.920 --> 02:03:54.680 So Sparky had the mindset at thirty five and five that you better not 1399 02:03:54.920 --> 02:03:58.920 let any grass grow under your feet. You had to keep pressing, and 1400 02:03:59.039 --> 02:04:02.640 the Tigers did. Uh. For throughout the summer, I didn't play as 1401 02:04:02.680 --> 02:04:08.880 well as they began the season. Toronto was on their heels. They had 1402 02:04:08.960 --> 02:04:12.960 to play hard, and it wasn't really until September that they put it away. 1403 02:04:13.520 --> 02:04:16.000 But this summer was a great test for them and that's where they proved 1404 02:04:16.039 --> 02:04:20.680 their their quality of the team. Oh and it came to Smarky and I 1405 02:04:20.840 --> 02:04:25.520 was thinking about eighty four. I think, if you know, there's so 1406 02:04:25.600 --> 02:04:29.439 many different things to talk about. But the the audio of the World Series 1407 02:04:29.479 --> 02:04:32.079 when they had Goose Gossage and uh, it was it Dick Williams who went 1408 02:04:32.079 --> 02:04:35.319 out to the mound and they're having the conversation and then you know, they 1409 02:04:35.359 --> 02:04:39.199 show Smarty and they got young Gibby, who's you know, he's the cage 1410 02:04:39.319 --> 02:04:42.920 lion over there and he knew how to you know, poke and produm and 1411 02:04:42.960 --> 02:04:45.359 everything, and they've got the audio. You know, they don't want to 1412 02:04:45.399 --> 02:04:47.319 walk you. And of course he hits the home run, which is you 1413 02:04:47.399 --> 02:04:51.159 know, it's so famous and it was so great. I think like the 1414 02:04:51.319 --> 02:04:56.159 question here is is that how come we didn't hear more, whether it was 1415 02:04:56.199 --> 02:05:01.399 even in that World Series or anywhere. Sparky was omnipresident on TV back in 1416 02:05:01.479 --> 02:05:04.520 the eighties. I mean, he would you felt like you knew him all 1417 02:05:04.600 --> 02:05:08.399 the time. But just that audio on the field, I'd never heard anything 1418 02:05:08.439 --> 02:05:12.640 else. And but that clip was so great, you know, from from 1419 02:05:12.720 --> 02:05:15.159 Sparky with with Giving in the World Series. Oh, it sure was. 1420 02:05:15.239 --> 02:05:19.920 When Gibson had to play betting Sparky ten dollars that he was going to take 1421 02:05:20.000 --> 02:05:26.239 out he was going to hit one off of Gossage and Sparky not believe in 1422 02:05:26.319 --> 02:05:30.640 it. But you know, Sparky was in his uniform, he was Sparky 1423 02:05:30.720 --> 02:05:36.319 Anderson. In his away from the uniform, he was George Anderson. So 1424 02:05:36.520 --> 02:05:42.119 he was he was really two people in one. He really knew how to 1425 02:05:42.239 --> 02:05:47.079 turn on the charm and the personality when he was when he was in baseball 1426 02:05:47.239 --> 02:05:53.760 mode, but when he was George Anderson, he was just really the skill, 1427 02:05:53.840 --> 02:05:58.199 the kid from South Dakota. And that's what made him so interesting. 1428 02:05:58.640 --> 02:06:02.479 You know that the two the two people in one. He didn't he didn't 1429 02:06:02.520 --> 02:06:06.880 allow you to call call him George unless you were his friend or his or 1430 02:06:08.000 --> 02:06:12.239 a relative. I never called him George. I called him Sparky and uh, 1431 02:06:12.600 --> 02:06:16.279 but I really had great admiration for him, not just as a manager, 1432 02:06:16.399 --> 02:06:19.800 but as a person. And you know, he did such great things 1433 02:06:19.880 --> 02:06:26.159 for Detroit with the charity catch and uh he really wanted to give back to 1434 02:06:26.239 --> 02:06:30.279 the city. So uh, you know, he he was just a very 1435 02:06:30.560 --> 02:06:35.239 memorable individual. A couple of minutes there with with Tom Gage, Uh, 1436 02:06:35.359 --> 02:06:39.560 I loved you know you've covered it all though, but it's just as a 1437 02:06:39.640 --> 02:06:43.000 youngster, you'd always remember going to the game, you know here what Sparky 1438 02:06:43.079 --> 02:06:46.119 would come out or I think that was did he have the nickname, uh 1439 02:06:46.319 --> 02:06:48.720 Captain hook, you know, to get his pitcher. But he would never 1440 02:06:49.279 --> 02:06:53.079 he always made sure that he would not. He had the superstition of not 1441 02:06:53.399 --> 02:06:58.680 stepping on the baseline. I sad have been the third baseline there at uh 1442 02:06:59.560 --> 02:07:03.479 by right Tiger Stadium, third ane, and I remember it. If they 1443 02:07:03.520 --> 02:07:06.840 were losing and the crowd was bullying, and he used to he used to 1444 02:07:08.000 --> 02:07:13.720 stop on the way back to the dead Note and let people get express their 1445 02:07:13.840 --> 02:07:17.920 emotion because he thought they he said, they were paying customers. You know, 1446 02:07:18.159 --> 02:07:20.760 we were sticking up the joint. They had it, they had the 1447 02:07:20.880 --> 02:07:26.199 right to express their opinion. Tom, let me give you a couple of 1448 02:07:26.239 --> 02:07:29.279 quick hitters. You know, you're a member of the Michigan Sports Hall of 1449 02:07:29.359 --> 02:07:31.279 Fame. I've I've been to one of those banquets. Those are that's an 1450 02:07:31.319 --> 02:07:35.359 awesome time. But a couple of years ago, the Baseball Writers award you 1451 02:07:35.600 --> 02:07:41.479 with the with the spink and you're presented that at the Cooperstown or the Baseball 1452 02:07:41.560 --> 02:07:45.680 Hall of Fame. That's got to be at the very top of the list. 1453 02:07:45.199 --> 02:07:51.640 What's it like for you as a long time baseball scribe to you know, 1454 02:07:51.760 --> 02:07:58.119 have your name there at Cooperstown among all the greats, oh Dennis. 1455 02:07:58.199 --> 02:08:01.800 It was a thrill of a lifetime because that was before COVID, so they 1456 02:08:03.359 --> 02:08:11.159 the Hall of Fame observed the would present the award at Doubleday Field right downtown, 1457 02:08:11.319 --> 02:08:15.720 so you had to have a big crowd there and the Hall of Famers 1458 02:08:15.760 --> 02:08:20.319 would sit on the in the chairs behind you, and it was just I 1459 02:08:20.399 --> 02:08:24.680 mean, you really, I mean, you don't become a Hall of Famer 1460 02:08:24.279 --> 02:08:30.039 just because you win the Sprink Award. You're not inducted, but they treat 1461 02:08:30.119 --> 02:08:33.000 you like a Hall of Famer. And again it was it was a huge, 1462 02:08:33.079 --> 02:08:39.000 huge thrill. And I remember when I was done with my speech and 1463 02:08:39.239 --> 02:08:45.119 you know, the Hall of Famers were congratulating me, and one man came 1464 02:08:45.199 --> 02:08:50.319 across the stage and I said, Oh, is he coming over to talk 1465 02:08:50.399 --> 02:08:56.279 to me? And he did, and he was. He was the man 1466 02:08:56.359 --> 02:09:01.079 who expressed the most I think sincere congratulations for the speech I'd just given. 1467 02:09:01.560 --> 02:09:07.760 And and uh it uh, you know it was Sandy Kofax, and you 1468 02:09:07.840 --> 02:09:11.640 know that was just a great, great honor. And I you know, 1469 02:09:11.119 --> 02:09:16.159 again meeting meeting the Hall of Famers, uh, and being on their bus 1470 02:09:16.319 --> 02:09:20.560 and and having a breakfast with them. Uh. There's so many of them 1471 02:09:20.640 --> 02:09:26.279 that are gone now. You know, my good friend LK. Line and 1472 02:09:26.880 --> 02:09:33.319 Jim Bunning and Little Brock was especially gracious. Uh. And you know I 1473 02:09:33.439 --> 02:09:37.640 missed them all, but it was really great to know them well. Tom 1474 02:09:37.760 --> 02:09:41.720 the great story there, the Sandy Kofax and everything else and we are out 1475 02:09:41.760 --> 02:09:43.640 of time. I want to thank you. You know, I always treated 1476 02:09:43.239 --> 02:09:46.399 like broadcasters like me. Uh you know, I could have been a long 1477 02:09:46.439 --> 02:09:50.000 time writer, and you're always really gracious with your time, just like you 1478 02:09:50.079 --> 02:09:52.560 are today. I want to tell everybody the Enchanted season. I went on 1479 02:09:52.720 --> 02:09:56.439 my phone where I buy my books, and I saw it right there. 1480 02:09:56.800 --> 02:10:00.680 I could order it up, so I encourage everybody to do that. Tom, 1481 02:10:00.760 --> 02:10:03.000 thanks so much for your time, continued success. Always great to talk 1482 02:10:03.039 --> 02:10:07.640 with you. Well. Thank you, Dennis, and I really enjoyed being 1483 02:10:07.680 --> 02:10:09.760 on your show. All right, take care. There is Tom Gage, 1484 02:10:09.960 --> 02:10:13.880 the long time Tiger beat writer. Talk a little bit about the current Tigers, 1485 02:10:15.000 --> 02:10:18.640 and of course going back to nineteen eighty four. I want to thank 1486 02:10:20.159 --> 02:10:22.640 Ben and Zost for turning all the dials, doing a fabulous job here, 1487 02:10:24.039 --> 02:10:28.000 everybody else for listening, Matt Shephard for letting me pitch it. I'll do 1488 02:10:28.079 --> 02:10:31.680 it again in June if he'll have me back. Take care everybody, Xes 1489 02:10:31.720 --> 02:10:35.319 and bros. And that it's fifthy in here. I'm a Michigan Sports Network. 1490 02:10:35.159 --> 02:10:39.560 Friday, July twenty sixth. That's Soaring Eagle Casino in resort, the 1491 02:10:39.760 --> 02:10:46.000 Offspring, Pretty Fly for same show, same night, a Simple Plan plus 1492 02:10:46.039 --> 02:10:50.239 special guest who listen part of the Soaring Eagles Summer out Door Cosser Series. 1493 02:10:50.439 --> 02:10:54.239 Tickets as low as twenty six dollars and on Salem now at the Soaring Eagle 1494 02:10:54.319 --> 02:10:58.600 Box office or online at detics dot com. Party Hart Rockharder, the offspring 1495 02:10:58.680 --> 02:11:03.520 Simple Plan in who was saying July twenty sixth, showtime, seven pm. 1496 02:11:03.720 --> 02:11:09.479 Details that's Thoringeaglecasino dot com. Went played golf yesterday with my son, and 1497 02:11:09.600 --> 02:11:15.239 I look at my bag and I realize running low on T's golf glove is 1498 02:11:15.359 --> 02:11:20.119 a little worn, and you can always use some new golf balls. Not 1499 02:11:20.279 --> 02:11:26.520 buying them at the pro shop way too expensive. Not going to a golf 1500 02:11:26.640 --> 02:11:33.880 specialty store too expensive. You know where I'm going go to Meyer. They've 1501 02:11:33.920 --> 02:11:39.199 got all kinds of golf products sold at Meyer for much much better deals. 1502 02:11:39.560 --> 02:11:43.439 Look, you're gonna go there anyway. You're going there anyway because you want 1503 02:11:43.479 --> 02:11:46.359 to make sure you get your certified Angus beef there. You're gonna get your 1504 02:11:46.439 --> 02:11:50.439 produce there. You're gonna get the things that are the best you can get 1505 02:11:50.520 --> 02:11:54.399 anywhere. Meyer butchers have, I mean in every state, cut and grind 1506 02:11:54.439 --> 02:12:00.920 the fresh beef every day that are certified Angus Beefolks, only three and ten 1507 02:12:01.000 --> 02:12:03.760 cattle meet the high standards to become certified three and ten. That's it. 1508 02:12:05.039 --> 02:12:09.039 That's like that's a Hall of Famer in baseball. You've got three hundred in 1509 02:12:09.079 --> 02:12:11.800 baseball, you're probably getting into the Hall of Fame. That's what they say. 1510 02:12:13.039 --> 02:12:16.039 That's the same thing with certified Angus beef. And where do you find 1511 02:12:16.079 --> 02:12:18.279 it. You find it at Meyer. So you're going to be there anyway, 1512 02:12:18.399 --> 02:12:22.880 getting your produce, getting your certified Angus beef, getting your knickknacks for 1513 02:12:22.960 --> 02:12:28.039 your home. And now for you and me, golfers who love the game 1514 02:12:28.359 --> 02:12:33.199 but could use a little help with a few things in your bag. Meyer's 1515 02:12:33.239 --> 02:12:35.359 the place to go. Check them out today for everything that you need. 1516 02:12:35.800 --> 02:12:41.840 Meyer your friend, and don't forget. Don't forget. Meyer has the tenth 1517 02:12:41.960 --> 02:12:46.560 annual Meyer Classic. It's coming up in the middle of next month at Playfield 1518 02:12:46.640 --> 02:12:48.840 Country Club. We're going to be there, hope you can too. The 1519 02:12:48.960 --> 02:12:54.680 Freddy the Pizza Man Foundation is dedicated to providing support to families and Michigan schools 1520 02:12:54.800 --> 02:12:58.560 touched by autism. We invite you to join us in supporting these families and 1521 02:12:58.600 --> 02:13:03.239 school by making a donation at Freddiethepizza Man dot com. With your donation, 1522 02:13:03.479 --> 02:13:09.159 you can help provide essential resources that can make a real impact. Visit Freddiepizza 1523 02:13:09.239 --> 02:13:11.920 Man dot com to make a donation and to learn more about the foundation's mission. 1524 02:13:13.079 --> 02:13:16.479 That's f R E. D I The Pizza Man dot com. Together 1525 02:13:16.640 --> 02:13:18.079 we can make a difference. What's up, Michigan. I want to give 1526 02:13:18.159 --> 02:13:24.079 some love to Ben Glaze producing another great SHEP broadcast, Superflies producer my show 1527 02:13:24.159 --> 02:13:28.359 later today at three, The Huge Show on the Michigan Sports Network