Mikey D

-So the debate rages on who the Lions should take with their first pick. If I had to handicap it all right now, I'd say Stafford has an 80% chance of being the guy, and Jason Smith about a 20%. That's off no hard evidence or data, just my own personal gut feeling. And I'm desperately hoping the guy with the 20% chance wins out. I really want Jason Smith, not only because we need an offensive tackle, but I'm just not sold on Stafford quite yet. I just can't shake the game he had against MSU in the Capital One Bowl from my mind...and then I read this from ESPN.com on Jason Smith:

"He is really one of those 10-year left tackle type guys," said one NFC general manager who requested anonymity. "He is really in my eyes a No. 1 guy. You'd love to have a guy like that. He's a Walter Jones left tackle who could play forever. He's got it all with the size and athletic ability. He's clean."

Ask yourself: Why wouldn't you take that guy??? With the questions abound about Stafford, go with the safest thing at number one, since you're throwing around shit-tons of money.

-Colin Cowherd on the radio said that Curt Schilling is a "no-brainer" for the Hall of Fame. He had an interesting theory on if a player is Hall-worthy. It's called the "Three Sentence" theory. If you have to spend 3 or more sentences describing the candidacy of a player for the Hall, he's not Hall worthy. Think about that for a second...it's interesting.

The example he used was Jeff Kent. Most homers by a second basemen. Won an MVP award. Multiple-times All-Star. Not a Hall of Famer. On some level, it makes sense. You shouldn't have to dig deep to find stats about players to convince others about their worthiness. So in that respect, I agree with Colin.

I do not, however, agree with him that Schilling should be in the Hall of Fame (nor do I appreciate being called an idiot for not thinking so). Cowherd can sum up Schilling's career in one sentence: Greatest postseason pitcher ever. And it's true; Schilling has been remarkable. But here's my problem: Jack Morris isn't in the Hall yet.

Jack Morris had 254 wins (Schilling had 216), 28 shutouts (20 for Schilling), and 175 complete games (!?!?) (Shilling had 83) throughout his career. All of this while pitching 18 years to Schillings 20. Now there are plenty of other stats that Schilling tops Morris in (like having a 1/2 run better era), but my feeling is this: If you don't put in Jack Morris into Hall, you don't put in Curt Schilling. If you put Schilling in based on his postseason merits (pitching practically every game for Arizona in 01' and the bloody sock year of the Red Sox), then you have to give similar props for the work that Morris did in the 84' and 91' World Series.

Perhaps I'm just a little nostalgic with Morris. The 1991 World Series was the first I can actually remember vividly- I can still name you most of the starters off each squad. And I remember watching Morris pitch in Game 7 of that series...And I'm sorry, bloody sock or not, it was the greateast pitching performance in the postseason I've ever seen. The Twins won that game, and the World Series, in ten innings 1-0. Jack Morris pitched all ten innings, a complete game shut-out, to win the World Series for the Twins, as well as World Series MVP honors for himself. With the pressure he had...unbelievable.

And this was 7 years after he was 3-0 with a 1.80 era with Detroit in the World Series against San Diego, pitching 2 complete games there!

Look, I'm not saying Schilling shouldn't ever be in the Hall, just only after Jack Morris. I would be very sad if the voters voted in Schilling, but not Morris. So for now, Schillings not a Hall of Famer. We can discuss Schilling's merits after Jack gets in.

-Yes, MSU's win over Duke was a tad bit unfair being that it was on our home court. To me, however, it only feels like poetic justice.

Perhaps you could say I'm bitter that Joanne P. left us for Duke. In fact, I am. We hired her from the University of Maine and gave her a big-time opportunity. I guess I always felt like she would stay with State, kind of like Izzo, and build something special to go alongside the men's program. I mean, our facilities and love for basketball do not take a backseat to any program, and while Duke may lead in the prestige category, I do not see the jump to Duke as a major step-up. Sorry, but I don't. Maybe it's these green-and-white glasses that are making my vision foggy, but Duke and all zero of their women's championships just doesn't seem like a "dream job" (to quote McCallie) to me.

But then she left, and like a spurned lover, I want her to do poorly and fail. Some would say that's a classless wish, and that I should show some integrity and just move on. Well fuck that. WE ARE MICHIGAN FUCKING STATE. WE ARE NOBODY'S STEPPING STONE! At least not when it comes to college basketball.

So to have the basketball gods send Joanne P. McCallie and her Blue Pussies to East Lansing was a true gift from the heavens. To watch our gals out-everything Duke- from rebounding, to hustle, to execution, to- and yes, this is true- coaching, was awesome. To watch Izzo and Dantonio, two guys I think will be at MSU for many years to come, watch from the boxes, along with the men's team down on the sideline, and a packed Breslin full of fans booing McCallie...it was great. I'm sorry, but it was great, and I hope Joanne had a good glimpse of everything she had left behind in East Lansing. Watching the joy on our teams faces and having the fans rush the court (a true rush the court moment) to celebrate was just icing on the cake. It's not often you get to punch an ex-girlfriend that cheated on you right in the face.

Unfair home court advantage? You could say that. But justice was served last night, and I'm ready to get over McCallie now.

~Mikey D