Lions vs Lightning

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING
TAMPA, FL

During my 36 years of covering professional football, I've witnessed a lot of different things.

I've seen ideal conditions playing in Dome Stadiums, Snowstorms, Rainstorms which make the footing difficult due to the mud, windy weather which gave kickers migraine headaches resulting in missed field goals.

I've seen blistering cold weather, nice weather along with extremely hot and humid conditions, in addition to fields that felt like ice.

Unfortunately, I've watched careers end on old artificial turf which was a player hitting the concrete.

But on Friday, August 24, 2018, a Nationally Televised contest on CBS between the Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Raymond James Stadium was delayed until 9 pm due to rain and lightning.

I joked around with the Lions PR Staff that the area's reputation for being the Lightning Capital of  North America, is the reason why the NHL has a team called the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Of the pre-season games, it's no secret that the third game is the most important, as it's the dress rehearsal for the regulars to get as many reps as possible.

Despite these conditions, there is no way this game was going to be cancelled or postponed.

I couldn't see the Lions spending more money on travel expenses, the Bucs weren't giving back refunds and the NFL wasn't going to give CBS any rebates due to lost revenues.

Besides, with this being on a Friday Night, fewer people would miss work and there was no school for the kids.

Moreover, lets not lose sight of the fact that these teams needed the work so the only questions were how bad the field conditions would factor into the regulars playing time, in addition to the injury risks.

The last time I saw Lions running back LeGarrette Blount play in person was in 2010 when he played against Detroit on December 19, 2010.

Detroit defeated Tampa Bay 23-20 in OT to snap their record 26-game road losing streak.

Blount looked good in this game by amassing 15 carries for 110 yards with a 7.3 average and one touchdown. He would gain 1007 yards and six touchdowns during the campaign.

The Lions entered this game 0-2 under new coach Matt Patricia, who definitely needs to search for answers to get his squad ready for the season opener vs the New York Jets on Monday, September 10, 2018 at Ford Field.

How would the Lions fare on this wet night on CBS which used to televise these squads regularly as they were NFC Central Division rivals when the network used to carry the NFC Package?

Lions QB Matt Stafford came away from the game without sustaining an injury. He completed nine of 18 passes for 113 yards, with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions. He was sacked three times.

I asked Stafford what it was like dealing with the weather conditions and how it was playing on the moist turf.

"It wasn't too big of an issue. Luckily it kind of passed over us pretty quick," Stafford said. "We were worried for a little bit that it might be a super long one. We were trying to find out how quickly we could get out there, but once we got out there really the weather was not an issue. We were able to pretty much play the game as normally as we would.

"As far as the turf, it felt okay. I think that field drains really well, I'm assuming that they've got a great drainage system considering they play in Florida."
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Blount also left the game without any injuries. Against his old team, he rushed for 45 yards on 11 carries.

One play that stood out in the contest was kicker Matt Prater missed a 62-yard field goal. It was nine yards deep in the end zone which was a kick-six by Adam Humphries for what turned out to be a 109 yards which actually seemed longer considering the route crossing around the field.

This special teams play gave Tampa Bay a 27-6 lead. That's as high as this lead would get for Tampa Bay.

After the game, Patricia wasn't that bothered by this play.

"Obviously, it's going to be a situational game-by-game, depending on where we are and things like that, but it's a great learning point," Patricia said. It's a great situational point. It wasn't a very good play; it was pretty horrific, to be honest with you.

"There's a time and point where the play might have to come up and execute it properly, whether it's the kick or the cover or any part of it. To get an opportunity to get to do that during the pre-season, you take those chances and try to teach off of it. It's about teaching and improving."

On a positive note for the Lions, they didn't quit and realized the game was 60 minutes because they needed every bit of this time to make an improbable run which gave Detroit a 33-30 win.

In this game, Detroit amassed 122 rushing yards and totaled 337 yards of total offense.

Detroit scored 20 points in the fourth quarter and recorded a 21-point comeback.

While lightning began the night from a weather standpoint, there was more lightning that struck the Buccaneers.

The last time the Lions employed a player with the initials B.P., this player was one of the most dependable wide receivers during the 1990's named Brett Perriman.

Perriman stood 5-9, 180 pounds and played collegiately for the Miami Hurricanes.

Perriman was a key contributor on Detroit teams that made the playoffs in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1995.

Perriman currently ranks third on Detroit's all-time list with 428 receptions for 5244 yards.

He finished his career with 525 receptions, 6589 yards, and 30 touchdowns.

Back in 1991, Perriman was on the last Lions squad to win a playoff game which also featured Barry Sanders, and Herman Moore.

During the off-season, the Lions appear to have found a hidden gem as an undrafted free agent from the State of Florida.

But this kid played for the Florida Gators and is from my neck of the woods, playing high school football at Deerfield Beach High School.

He's 22-years old and is 5-8, 181 pounds, quite similar in physique to Perriman.

Against Tampa Bay, Brandon Powell caught all six passes thrown his way for 45 yards.

But his performance on special teams stood out as he had three punt returns for 101 yards, including an 80-yard TD with 4:53 remaining in the game which cut Tampa Bay's lead to 30-26 and gave Detroit a chance for a win.

The Lions would win the contest as QB Jake Rudock hit Marcus Lucas for a five-yard touchdown that gave Detroit a 33-30 lead with 30 seconds left.

But the story was Powell, who came back to his home state looking to solidify his spot on the 53-man roster on Saturday.

He was asked what occurred on the touchdown.

"Everybody on the punt return team-everybody was on their blocks, so I just had the easy part," Powell said. I just found the lane to run through. That's all I did. The other 10 guys were the ones that made it happen because they were the ones blocking for me."

Powell added, "Everyone just needed to go out there and do their jobs on that one play, that's all it was. The punt return team, everybody was out there trying to make the play. Everybody blocking, me trying to catch the ball and making something happen and we made a play."

Powell was also asked what it felt like when he knew he was going to score on the punt return?

"I just wanted to make sure I got in the end zone first," Powell said. "Then once I got in the end zone, it was like man, I really just made a punt return for a touchdown, my first one in the NFL. I was happy, but I made sure I congratulated the 10 guys that were blocking for me."

As I left the Lions locker room, I bumped into Lions legend Lomas Brown, who is a Florida Gator alumnus and played for Detroit on those playoff teams in the 1990's.

He's the new voice on Detroit's radio broadcast team with FOX's Dan Miller. He was gleaming that fellow alumnus had a big night and told me he's cheering quite hard for Powell to make the final roster, as he gave me the Gator Chomp with a smile as wide as Florida to Hawaii.

Meanwhile, the Lions did get Patricia his first win as Detroit improved to 1-2 during the pre-season in a game that lasted 2:57. The contest lasted close to 12 Midnight.

Like every coach in the pre-season which is experiencing what plays will work and searching for players that will contribute, it will be interesting to see what the ESPN National Audience will see on Monday Night Football when they face the New York Jets on September 10 at Ford Field with rookie QB Sam Darnold taking snaps for the opponent.

I'm also curious whether Patricia can surpass the 9-7 mark for a team that he inherited by former Coach Jim Caldwell.

But on this night, the Lions lightning theme worked out well as they overcame the elements and Powell jolted Tampa Bay.

Going into the pre-season home finale against the Cleveland Browns, Powell leads the NFL with 15 receptions.

Like in 2008, the Lions won an exciting game by three points and the only difference was each team scored 10 points more, in addition to the fact there would be no record long road losing steaks to deal with.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottbullm@aol.com and is a member of Detroit Sports Media.

The One That Got Away "DJ LeMahieu" Colorado Rockies

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

Everybody knows that The Motor City is known for producing automobiles.

But every now and then Southeastern Michigan produces some good ballplayers.

Former Milwaukee Brewers Catcher Ted Simmons led his team to a World Series appearance in 1982, only to come up short against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Simmons played high school baseball for the The Southfield Blue Jays.

Current Detroit Tigers TV Analyst Kirk Gibson played college football and baseball for the Michigan State Spartans choosing to play professionally on the diamond.

During his MLB career, Gibson slammed two memorable post-season home runs leading the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers to respective World Series Titles in 1984 and 1988. These were the last championships for both teams.

Since this is the non-waiver trade deadline day, there is no way that I can forget about Warren, MI., native John Smoltz, who was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 22nd round of the 1985 draft, 574th selection overall.

In 1987, the 20-year old prospect was traded to the Atlanta Braves for 36-year old veteran Doyle Alexander. The Tigers won the AL East with Alexander on the hill, but by 1989, the hurler was out of baseball.

Meanwhile, Smoltz would go on to have a Hall of Fame career as he was 213-155 as a starter, then converted to a reliever and amassed 154 saves. He won a World Series for the Atlanta Braves in 1995 and was an eight-time All-Star.

Atlanta retired Smoltz's No.29.

When we covered Spring Training in Arizona in March, the first game on the agenda featured the Colorado Rockies against the Milwaukee Brewers at Phoenix's Maryvale Stadium on March 10.

I walked over to the Rockies Public Relations area to get a media guide and Cory Little politely handed me one. Little asked for my affiliation then mentioned to me that there would be two players who were worth writing about.

One was second baseman LeMahieu and the other is pitcher Chris Rusin.

Little credentialed us for the San Francisco Giants game on March 18 and March 20 against the Milwaukee Brewers, enabling me to interview both players.

Rusin's story will be written after this one, but both players are a big part of the Rockies post-season drive.

In 2017, LeMahieu hit .310 in 155 games, 609 at bats with 28 doubles, eight home runs, 64 RBI, 189 hits and 90 strikeouts.

LeMahieu was a shortstop and pitcher at Birmingham Brother Rice High School.

After his senior year at Brother Rice, he was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 2007 MLB Draft in the 41st round.

He didn't sign with the Tigers so that he could attend college and play for the LSU Tigers.

During his time with LSU, he participated in the 2008 and 2009 College World Series.

In 2009, he led LSU to the NCAA Championship and was named to the 2009 College World Series All-Tournament Team.

In his senior year in high school as a lead-off hitter, He hit .574, with eight homers, 39 stolen bases, 70 runs, 32 RBI, 39 stolen bases, 16 doubles, seven triples , 92 at bats and only two strikeouts. This slash line was off the charts.

His career average in high school was .459 with 201 hits.

During his sophomore season with LSU, LeMahieu started 72 of 73 games. He led the team in batting average .350 and hits with 96.

He had a 25-game hitting streak spanning the last 16 games of 2008 and the first nine contests in 2009.

LeMahieu was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the second round of the 2009, First-Year Player Draft.

The 6-4, 220 pound 29-year-old native of Visalia, CA changed organizations again as Colorado acquired him from the Cubs with outfielder Tyler Colvin in exchange for infielder Ian Stewart and right-hander Casey Weathers, December 8, 2011.

Going into the 2018 season, LeMahieu had impressive career numbers with a .302 average in 827 games, 2912 at bats, 411 runs, 879 hits, 131 doubles, 34 home runs, 287 RBI, 69 stolen bases and 495 strikeouts, 241 walks and 13 HBP's.

LeMahieu is a two time All-Star in 2015 and 2017. He was the starting second baseman in the 2015 game and didn't play in 2017 due to a groin injury.

In 2016, he won the National League batting title with a .348 average (192-552), the highest average in the Major Leagues and the highest average in the National League since Hall of Famer Chipper Jones in 2008 (.364).

He became the eighth player in Rockies history (10th time) to win the NL batting title.

LeMahieu is also a good defensive player as he's won two Gold Glove Awards in 2014 and 2017. He won the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 and 2017.

You talk about a stud, the former two-time winner of the Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year and Bloomfield Hills resident is one.

As things stand now, LeMahieu will be a free agent at the end of the season.

He's played in 72 games, has 302 at bats, eight homers, 34 RBI and a .278 average.

Meanwhile, the Rockies own a 57-48 record and are one game back in the NL West behind the LA Dodgers. Colorado is just a half game out in the Wild Card race as well.

To say that he's one Metro Detroit prospect that got away is mildly understating the obvious.

Nevertheless, LeMahieu  and I had an excellent conversation about his career.

Q: What have things been like in your journey in MLB thus far?

A: I'm very blessed to be where I'm at. I've put in a lot of hard work. I've been through a lot of adversity. There continues to be adversity and I'm just trying to get better everyday.

Q: I know you were initially drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 41st round. How did it feel being picked by the Detroit Tigers?

A: Obviously, it really wasn't that cool. They kind of drafted me and then had no intention of talking to me about signing me, so it really wasn't that cool at all.

Q: What was it like playing for the LSU Tigers?

A: It was really cool and won a National Championship and got to Omaha (Nebraska) twice. It was an amazing atmosphere playing in front of 10,000 every night. The SEC is great and I couldn't have had a better experience down there.

Q: As I was looking at your biography at Brother Rice High School, I found it astonishing looking at your statistics as a lead-off hitter. How could you be that successful in that spot in the batting order?

A: I had great coaches at Brother Rice. From a freshman on, they wanted their best hitters at the top of the order. It wasn't lets get a couple speed guys at the top. We really had a good line-up so I was just trying to get on base, have at bats and let the rest of our line-up do their thing.

In high school too, they don't care as much about numbers as much as they do now. I was just trying to prove that I was one of the better players in the state, worth the hype, and the best player I could be. Then, you look back and the numbers were pretty good.

Q: I don't want to go back on something that wasn't cool, but don't you think the Detroit Tigers probably disrespected you a little bit based on the way things turned out particularly since they're in a rebuilding process? Plus, they've also had issues at the top of the batting order.

A: I don't look at it that way. They're a great franchise and have been great a lot of years. I saw them when they were one of the worst teams in the league to being one of the best in the league. It was a lot of fun to watch that growth.

Now they're going on some rebuilding but I got no doubt that they'll be back on top. When the Tigers are good, it's a fun town to be in that's for sure.

Q: Did you ever have a dream to play for the Detroit Tigers?

A: Not really. I kind of grew up all over so I went to a ton of Tigers games and loved watching the Tigers. It's not like I grew up like I can't wait to be a Detroit Tiger or anything like that. I really enjoy watching the Tigers and watching there players.

Q: Let's talk about your career with the Colorado Rockies. You play in the Rocky Mountains, the altitude is high, what's it like to be playing in that part of the country?

A: It's a great city, great town, they love the Rockies, great attendance and even when we weren't that good three or four years ago, people showed up at the park everyday. Now that we have some legitimate talent, and a really good team, it's really a fun team to be a part of.

Q: What's it like to play in that high altitude on a regular basis? I know that balls pop out of there a lot and it's a hitters ballpark. Is that an ideally suited situation for you?

A: There is no doubt that it's a really good place to hit, a good place to play and it is what it is. If it were a pitchers park, hopefully, I would like it as much. I don't look at the park as an advantage. I look at it as just something we deal with.

It sucks when you watch the pitchers and they give up cheap hits here and there. But they don't make excuses for Coors Field. As hitters, we don't make excuses  when we're on the road or at Coors or anything like that either.

Q: I don't see many pitchers duels in that ballpark. Do you since you have a lot of high scoring games out there?

A: It's a hitters ballpark, there is no doubt, but both teams have to play in it and whatever the numbers are, we need to win games there.

Q: Describe to me what the strength of your game?

A: I play good defense, have good at bats, tough outs and try to get better everyday. I hit to contact, I don't like striking out at all, I just grind and try to put the ball in play.

During LeMahieu's lifetime, he's lived in California, Las Vegas, Madison, WI and in the Metro Detroit area.

What impressed me the most about DJ was his even-keeled attitude and his Blue Collar work ethic.

With the Detroit Tigers out of the playoff hunt, there is no way that anybody cannot root for a local kid and "The One That Got Away."

Scott Morganroth is a member of Detroit Sports Media and you can reach me on this website.

Brewers Keon Broxton Talks Tigertown

BY SCOTT MORGANTROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING

What a difference a year makes.

During the 2017 season, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Keon Broxton was the starting center fielder.

But things changed in the off season as the Brewers signed Lorenzo Cain as a free agent and obtained Christian Yelich in a trade with the Miami Marlins.

In 2017, Broxton hit .220 in 143 games, 414 at bats with 66 runs, 91 hits, 21 stolen bases, 40 walks and struck out 175 times.

With these acquisitions, Broxton was the odd man out and started the season playing for the Brewers AAA team the Colorado Springs Sky Sox.

The injury bug hit the Brewers as Broxton was promoted to Milwaukee on June 26 as he replaced Cain in the line-up.

As of this post, Milwaukee has a 53-36 record and Broxton is a spark plug and his energy has been felt in many ways.

Despite a .172 average and 29 at bats, he has two homers, three stolen bases and four defensive gems.

He's had game saving catches and in a Brewers 8-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark, he had a snow cone catch that earned him the Top Play Honor on ESPN's Sports Center.

There is somewhat of a Detroit connection to Broxton.

He was born in Lakeland FL, the Spring Home of the Tigers.

Prior to the Brewers March 10th game against the Colorado Rockies, we had an interesting conversation about his time growing up in Lakeland and how much he followed the Tigers.

Throughout the years, I've interviewed a lot of athletes and I must say that Broxton is one of the most charismatic and enjoyable to talk to.

Broxton is 6'3" and weighs 200 pounds, is a speedy outfielder and is an excellent defensive player.

In a spacious, let alone any ballpark it's a treat to watch some of the incredible plays he makes, plus seeing him make nice plays when leaping over the wall.

On this day at the Brewers Spring Training Maryvale Stadium in Phoenix AZ, it was a blast talking to Broxton even though we arrived in Phoenix in the early hours of the morning from Orlando FL, then had to be at the game six hours later.

Ironically both of us graduated from Lakeland High School but his school was in Florida while mine was in Milford MI.

My school was the Lakeland Eagles while Broxton's was the Lakeland Dreadnaughts.

Broxton was a wide receiver for his high school squad and was recruited by Florida Atlantic University, but he decided to stick to baseball.

I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I had fun talking to the 27-year old.

Q:  What was it like to be born in Lakeland?

A:  Lakeland is kind of a big, but little town where everyone knows everyone around there.  But there is 13 lakes there.  It's a pretty big populated town but it's a nice place to grow up, family-oriented.  I had a lot of friends that lived in my same neighborhood.  Going to schools around there are awesome and I went to the Lakeland Dreadnaughts, who are the most dominant school around there right now.  I also went to Mulberry High School and that's a good place down there as well.  Lakeland is a nice quiet country town.

Q:  Have you every heard of Joker Marchant Stadium?

A:  No. Everyone from Lakeland calls it Tigertown.  I don't think anyone in Lakeland knows the name of the stadium (laughing).

Q:  Have you ever been to Tigertown?

A:  I have been to Tigertown a couple of times.  I went there for a showcase in 2014.  I've also worked there a couple of times in the off-season.  I'm somewhat familiar with the complex.  I know they have the dorms.  I'm not sure they're still there but whenever I went to the showcase, the dorms were very convenient for all the players that don't have places to live.  It's a decent facility to go and work on your game.

Q:  No interview would be complete if I wouldn't ask you, have you seen any Detroit Tigers games at Tigertown?

A:  I should feel bad because I'm from Lakeland and I have not been to a Detroit Tigers game at all.  I don't know why or how I haven't especially with a guy in the same profession, but I never made my way over there, and I had my own plans going on.

Q:  Have you ever heard of Tigers Hall of Famer Al Kaline?

A:  Never.  (I said really and Keon started laughing).  Am I supposed to know this (smiling)?  I'm not a big name guy.  I'm kind of in the present and a right now guy.  Things that happen back in the day, I'm not too familiar unless they're like a big star right now.  I'm not too familiar besides like big name guys like Ken Griffey or big name Hall of Famers.

But I guess I need to do my study on baseball history since I'm playing a game I should realize and know what's going on back in the day and present right now.

Although Broxton never saw the Tigers play in person in Lakeland, FL, he'll have an opportunity to see them and their Olde-English "D" play first hand when Detroit travels to Milwaukee's Miller Park for the season ending series from September 28-30.

You can rest assure this will be a lot of fun for Keon playing against the Tigers and figures to be a big series for the Brewers with playoff implications on the line.

Scott Morganroth is a member of the Detroit Sports Media.

The Best Reliever!!

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

When sports people look for relievers, they tend to look at baseball pitchers like Rollie Fingers, Trevor Hoffman, Rich Gossage, Dennis Eckersley, Bruce Sutter, John Smoltz, Sparky Lyle, Lee Smith, Billy Wagner, Tug McGraw, John Hiller, Willie Hernandez, Dan Quisenberry and Hoyt Wilhelm.

In the NFL, some of the best back-up QB's of All-Time include Frank Reich, Earl Morrall, Nick Foles, Vince Ferragamo, Jeff Hostetler, Craig Morton, Doug Flutie and Kurt Warner.

During that past 10 weeks, I have a Reliever that tops them all.

Her name is Candy Ebling.

After I had eye surgery that kept me off the computer for 10 weeks, Ebling has done an outstanding job keeping this website going as I've had to dictate my thoughts and she's been typing in the information.

During this period, it's been neat coming up with ideas which enable her knowledge of sports to shine. And boy, did it shine!

Of all the females I've ever had interactions with through the years, Ebling is undoubtedly the best I've ever dealt with!

I always knew she was an outstanding sports photographer, but what I've seen in a pair of stories, was quite impressive.

During the past 10 weeks, she's been a savior in putting in the tons of drops I've needed in both eyes, as my recovery has been quite slow due to the nature of the surgery.

At the moment, I'm currently using temporary readers so I'm still a bit limited in what I can do until I get my new prescription glasses in three weeks.

But Ebling has been a huge help in managing my LinkedIn and Facebook Accounts as well as checking my email.

During the month of July, August and September, I will be working hard on getting caught up with the many baseball stories from Spring Training while we prepare for football season.

I'm sure she'll be glad to resume her photographers role and deliver her fantastic photos.

But as she's filled in for me, Candy has gained a greater amount of respect for what a Sports Writer does knowing what it's like to have traded places temporarily.

I am very happy that I could view her as the best reliever that I've ever had!!

So when you think of what relievers you enjoy in and out of sports, I hope you take the time to appreciate them as much I have appreciated Candy!

Candy is a Hall of Fame Person and The Ultimate Team Player!

Let Your Reliever know what a blessing they are to have in your life.

Have a great Fourth of July!!

Scott Morganroth is a member of Detroit Sports Media.

Football Stories To Follow In 2018

BY  SCOTT MORGANROTH

It's hard to believe that in a matter of weeks that training camp will open for the NFL.  

It's been an interesting spring for myself, since I've had to deal with eye surgeries and now with shoulder injuries.  I'm probably the one sports writer that has more injuries then the athletes that I write about.  

I'm just hoping that I'll be feeling up to covering the Detroit Lions vs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers here in Florida on August 24th at Raymond James Stadium.

    What we are going to do in this story is talk about four interesting story lines leading up to opening week.

    1) Dez Bryant - The Dallas Cowboys cut him after three non-productive seasons and have revamped their receiver core through free agency and the draft. 

Where will the unemployed Bryant subsequently land? 

Bryant had an opportunity to land with the Baltimore Ravens but passed on a contract offer. 

Initially Bryant wanted to stay in the NFC East but there was no interest in him. 

The only three places that make sense for me are the Green Bay Packers, the New Orleans Saints, and the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Bryant would actually be an ideal fit in Green Bay because you have a championship and future hall of fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers throwing spirals to him. 

With the Cowboys, Bryant was known for his tirades with the teams quarterback as well as the coaching staff.

With Rodgers, I couldn't see any of that occurring because Aaron would definitely put him in his place.  If a receiver can't produce with Rodgers then he should be out of the league.  I still find it hard to believe that Jordy Nelson was let go during the off season. 

In New Orleans, Drew Brees is running the show, and like Rodgers has a championship pedigree and would be no nonsense towards Bryant antics.  With Green Bay and New Orleans, Mike McCarthy and Sean Payton would be able to tame Bryant's temper and if he was non-productive, Dez would be looking for another job immediately.

In Jacksonville, under the leadership of Tom Coughlin and Doug Marrone once again they're no nonsense disciplinarians who would also put Bryant in his place. 

Coughlin is a two time Super Bowl winning coach and is actually a God in Jacksonville because of the teams most successful years have occurred with him calling the shots.

Quarterback Blake Bortles is a most inexperienced of these quarterbacks and is long as Blake can accurately throw Dez the football, this could be a productive tandem and give Bryant an opportunity to resurrect his career,  in hopes of securing a longer term contract in 2019. 

2)  Blake Bortles - During the off season the Jags gave Bortles a contract extension for leading the team to the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots.  The Jags came up a little short in the fourth quarter and were unable to reach their first Super Bowl.

Bortles will have a tough road to get back to the post season as he faces Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, and a healthy DeShaun Watson of the Houston Texans.  The Tennessee Titans, led by QB Marcus Mariota always give the Jags a battle.

Will the Jaguars regret giving Bortles a contract extension? 

Time will tell.  If Jacksonville doesn't reach the post season then the critics will be like great white sharks and for a team that a year ago thought about acquiring New York Giants QB Eli Manning it will be interesting to see whether there are enough good options in free agency or whether to develop another signal caller through the 2019 draft. 

I will say this, if Bortles notching two playoff wins there are a lot of excellent quarterbacks who haven't even won a playoff game a couple that come to mind Andy Dalton, Mathew Stafford.  It will be interesting to see how this unfolds.

3) Jameis Winston - We are going to stay in the State Of Florida and talk about the signal caller for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Winston is a very lucky young man. 

Normally the NFL's suspension for violating the personal conduct policy is six games, instead he received a three game suspension for groping an Uber driver.  He was smart taking the suspension this year instead of next year where his contract is going to be much higher.

I have always found it to be a risky proposition when you draft a player at the top of the first round especially No. 1 overall when he has had a track record for personal conduct issues as he did at Florida State University.

Aside from the fact that he is a talented player, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wanted to draft an in state kid who they thought would have success on the field ad who would put fans in the stands. 

Winston has played for Lovie Smith and Dirk Koetter.

Being absent for the first three games missing the Saints, Eagles and Steelers is a huge loss for Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers could start the season 0-3 and have their work cut out for them, unless Koetter can get a win or two out of experience backup Ryan Fitzpatrick. Koetter could very well be on the hot seat if the Buccaneers don't reach the payoffs.

I have friends in Tampa Bay that have told me that the local media and fan base would love to see the Buccaneers cut Winston and feel that is was a mistake that the team should have drafted Mariota. 

If the Buccaneers were to cut Winston, the 24 year old signal caller would easily get picked up by another team therefore, the Bucs are in a catch 22 situation.  They are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

One can only hope that Winston stays out of trouble because if he doesn't the NFL will permanently ban him and he will go down as a talented quarterback that became a BIG BUST.



4) Tom Brady - The former University of Michigan Quarterback will turn 41 by the time the regular season starts in September. 

One thing is for certain, he'll be inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame during his first year of eligibility after he retires when the five year waiting period is over. 

Brady is 5-3 in the Super Bowl and the three Super Bowl losses were tight contests twice against the New York Giants and once to the Philadelphia Eagles. 

 How long will Brady play until?  He seems to think he can play until he's 45.

But there is perception and there is reality. The most recent report indicated that Brady will play one more year. 

During the off-season, Brady did not train with the team and didn't attend off season training activities and voluntary workouts. 

Whether he was pondering retirement this year is something that he'll never admit to the public. 

During his career, Brady did once suffer a season ending injury and I can only imagine if he sustains another major injury whether father time will expedite his retirement. 

During this off-season, the Patriots had significant roster and coaching turnover.  Is there a sixth Super Bowl left for the former Wolverine or does the AFC have another team that will play in the biggest game on the planet in February?

Do the Patriots have Brady's replacement on their roster right now? 

I don't think so and that is the only way that I think he will stay as long as he can. 

But his waffling during the off-season makes me wonder whether he will ride off into the sunset like Peyton Manning and John Elway did, going out on top.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Scott Morganroth is a member of Detroit Spots Media. Candy Ebling contributed to this story.

LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan, Who Would You Choose? The Tale Of The Tape.

By Scott Morganroth
and Candy Ebling

When I initially thought about comparing these two legendary basketball players I was thinking about combining it with other NBA subjects.

However, after seeing a lot of Sports/Debate Shows I felt this comparison could stand alone.  And who better to get into such a discussion than my sports colleague Candy Ebling and I. 

During the course of this story each of us are going to exchange our viewpoints about these incredible players.

When Ebling was in middle school, I was at the New Orleans Superdome in 1982 watching Michael Jordan lead the North Carolina Tarheels to a National Championship win over the Georgetown Hoyas giving Dean Smith his first National Title in front of over 60,000 people and millions of viewers on CBS sports.

Are there any right answers as to which one of these players is better? 

I would say No because it's a generational difference in the eras from which they competed.  Candy will lead off with her comments and I will follow with mine.

Candy's Comments:

How do you compare these two players that played in very different eras? 

When comparing two players, the first thing that I look at is stats.  So lets compare them.  Michael Jordan played 1985 - 2003 and LeBron James started in the league in 2004 and is still playing.

                                                                                         Lebron                              Jordan
Appearances on NBA All-Defensive Team                               6                                      9
Career free-throw percentage                                                73.9%                             83.5%
Dunk Contest Wins                                                                 0                                       2
Playoff points per game                                                         28.5                                 33.4
League leader in steals                                                            0                                      3
Points per game                                                                    27.5                                 30.1
NBA Finals MVP                                                                    3                                      6
NBA Scoring Champ                                                              1                                      10
NBA MVP                                                                              4                                       5
NBA Titles                                                                             3                                       6
All-Star Games                                                                      14                                     14
Total Points                                                                       31,038                              32,292
Total Rebounds                                                                   8,415                                6,672
Total Assists                                                                       8,208                                5,633
Total Steals                                                                         1,865                                2,514
Total Blocks                                                                         888                                   893
Total Games                                                                        1,143                                1,072

As you can see, by comparing the numbers they are pretty even.

Let's be honest, the game has changed over the years.  One of the changes is the three-point line. The NBA moved the three-point line during the 1994-95, 95-96, and 96-97 season from 23 ft 9 in to 22 ft.  They moved it back to the original line in 1997-98. 

In the NBA, the three-point field goals have become increasingly more frequent over the years with effectiveness increasing slightly. 

During the 1979-80 season the league had an average 2.2 three-point goals per game and 6.6 attempts (28% effectiveness). In 1989-90 the league had an average of 4.8 three-point goals and 13.7 attempts (35% effectiveness).  In 2009-10 season had an average of 6.4 three-point goals per game and 18.1 attempts (36% effectiveness).  During the 2016-17 season, the league had an average of 9.7 three-point goals per game and 27 attempts (36% effectiveness).

There also have been numerous (too many to list here) rule changes over the years that have impacted the game over the course of these two careers.

Let's compare them size wise.   James is 6'8" at 250 lbs, while Jordan is 6'6" at 215 lbs..  So James is taller, but also weighs more.

If I was comprising My All-Star Team, these two would be my first two picks. 

They are both great players, who excelled in the era in which they played the game. 

But as far as who is my No.1, I can't. 

To me they played in such different era's it's too hard to pick one over they other. 

What stat do you rank the highest to pick a #1.  Is it who scored the most points in their career? Who has the most titles? Who did the most with the least amount of supporting cast?  Who had more talent? Who had more skill?  Who had more discipline? Who played defense better?  Too many questions.  They are both greats of their respective eras. 

Everyone has a right to their opinion on who is the best.  How do we compare when one has finished playing his career and the other is still going?  No matter what your opinion is, we can all agree that they are both Basketball Greats!

One final note.  I consider myself lucky to have been able to enjoy watching both of them share their talents on the basketball court.

Scott's Comments:

If I had to choose between these two athletes, I would definitely pick Michael Jordan.  First of all, Jordan was a six-time NBA champion.  In six final appearances, Jordan is 6-0.  Its amazing that he won six NBA Finals MVP awards. 

During his era, the NBA was a lot more physical as hand checking, elbowing, grabbing jerseys led to more physical play. 

His Chicago Bulls teams ended the Detroit Bad Boys two-year Championship run and he beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals.

If Jordan hadn't of taken a two year hiatus to play minor league baseball with the Chicago White Sox Organization, he could of very well won eight titles in a row.

After Magic Johnsons and Larry Birds careers came to a conclusion the NBA needed Jordan to carry the torch until the next generation of super stars came into the league.

As I mentioned before the league has changed from being a physical league to now it's a shooters game.  It seems like every team is trying to take a lot of three-point shots, whereas when I was growing up, your three-point play was a two point shot and a foul.

As for James, he's 3-6 in the NBA Finals and despite his eight straight finals appearances. 

He's played in the weaker Eastern Conference. 

I will say this much about James, he is an incredible athlete that could have played in any era. 

He's quick, strong, basketball smart, and an incredible leader on and off the court.  I'm impressed with his ability to carry a team on his back, particularly in the post season. 

This season he played in all of his teams games and logged a ton of minutes.   There is no reason to think that at of the age of 33, that he should easily be able to reach the 40,000 point plateau providing he stays healthy. 

The only questions are:  How many NBA titles will he end up with? Where will James finish his Hall of Fame career? Stay tuned.

But in the end, I still judge a player by how many championships they have won and that's where Jordan has the edge.

Scott Morganroth is a member of Detroit Sports Media.

Wisconsin Cheesehead Sport Shorts

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH & CANDICE EBLING
Photos by Candice Ebling

I've add a new feature that will appear from time to time but in different formats.  Candy and I are going to talk about different sports subjects and provide some in depths commentary.

In this story we are going to talk about some key sports topics in Candy's home state of Wisconsin.

1) The Milwaukee Brewers early season success, is it a surprise?

Candy's response: 
The Milwaukee Brewers are leading their division and it's not a surprise at this the 1/3 point of the season, at least to me it's not.  The Milwaukee Brewers have been in a rebuilding phase for a couple of years now.  Being a small market team, but a market that is loyal and strong, keeps them at a disadvantage.  The Brewers have one of the best Bullpens to date, but lack real strong starting pitching and have been shut out 9 times already, when all of last year that number for the whole season was only 8.  If the Brewers are going to keep on top, they need their starting pitching to take it to the next level, while the bullpen stays strong, as well as the bats continuing to hit and score runs.  The hitters need a little more discipline as well as they lead in strikeouts and have the past two years.  They need to play smart ball, no mental mistakes.  But I could probably say this for every team out there.  Craig Counsel needs to keep his team healthy and keep managing them smartly.  Every team is different and needs to be managed a little differently.  I like Craig as he seems to get his guys to perform, and if they don't he has no problem sitting them or sending them down to the minors.  He had the guts and smarts to send Orlando Arcia down to the minors, even though he's been great defensively, his bat leaves something to be desired, at least right now.  This is a wait and see kind of team that is still pretty young.  Hopefully they can continue on their winning ways and stay on top.



Scott's response: 
The Milwaukee Brewers record is currently 35-20 and they have reached this plateau the fastest in their franchise history.  During spring training we saw 5 games and this was an exciting team to watch because of the close games and late run rallies to win ballgames.  Much of that has carried over into the regular season as they've validated hall of fame Yogi Berra's famous line "It's not over till it's over".

I've said all along that Counsel is one of the best young managers in baseball and figures to be for a long time.  Let's not forget that he was a role player and a key contributor for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Florida Marlins, helping them both win World Series Championships. I really believe that he is an intelligent young skipper who will become more well known as the Brewers continue to be on National Television, especially if they make it to the playoffs.

The Brewers were one game away from getting into the post season in 2017 and they took those experiences into this season and hopefully have learned as to what it takes to get them to the next level.  I was impressed with the moves they made during the off-season to bolster their outfield and in landing Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich.  Unfortunately for Keon Broxton he was the victim of a crowded outfield which found him a man out and down in the minors.  In July, we will post a story written about him regarding an interview we had with him this spring,  I wouldn't be surprised to see him playing for the Brewers at some point this season.

I am definitely looking forward to the Detroit Tigers finishing the regular season playing against these Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.  I hated when the Brewers switched leagues as I enjoyed watching this rivalry over the years.  Hears hoping that both teams will be playing into the post season.


2) Should the Green Bay Packers go after Dez Bryant after letting Jordy Nelson go?

Candy's response:
The Green Bay Packers let a long time veteran and favorite target of Aaron Rodgers go this off season.  They did this for a reason.  They were trying to get younger and to give them more salary space as some off season mega contracts were given out to other quarterbacks around the league and they know they needed to REDO Rodgers contract.  In my opinion, they should not go after Dez, that would be more of a slap to fan favorite Jordy.  Dez is looking for more money than most young guys.  If Aaron truly at 35 figures he will play into his 40s, there is no reason to believe that he wont have a lot of success with young players as long as they both are on the same page.  The problem that they have had in past years is when the top couple of receivers go down, the reserve receivers aren't on the same page and take too much time learning the routes.

Scott's response: 
I agree with Candy that Dez Bryant doesn't need to be wearing packer attire.  I do believe that if he was a Packer, he would do well with Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback.  Bryant needs to go to a team that has a star quaterback who has a strong personality that won't tolerate his outrageously strong personality if things don't go his way.

During the past three years, Bryant's production declined due to injury and ineffective play.  If Cowboys owner Jerry Jones thought he could be a good contributor, he wouldn't have cut him in the first place.  Jones doesn't give up on good players that fast.  He's a very loyal owner and will pay you if you're deserving.

I like the moves the Packers made acquiring young wide receivers in the draft and I'll be curious how many more they will add before training camp.

3) Can Milwaukee Support a NHL franchise?

Candy's response:
No.  The Milwaukee Admirals play in the American Hockey League and had a total attendance for 2017-18 of 241,073, an average of 6,027 fans per game, which was good for 8th place in attendance.  Now I will admit that they moved this year to The UW-Milwaukee Panther's Arena which is smaller than the Bradley Center where they played.  The Bradley Center is being torn down and a new home for the Milwaukee Bucks is almost done.  But the Admirals were never invited to play at the new Bucks home, despite being built to host ice events.  They are hoping to invite a frozen four and NHL exhibition game.  The Admirals sign a 10 year lease and are committing $2 million to upgrade their new home.  Being a small market and the price of NHL games, I believe the fans are just as happy cheering on the Admirals.  I know the Milwaukee Market backs their teams but......at what cost.  I don't think they would draw the crowds that they would need to sustain an NHL team.

Scott's response: 
Yes.  From what I've noticed about the Milwaukee Market like most Midwest cities, if you play hard and are competitive you will get good crowds.  Despite the fact that they are a small market there would be 3 natural rivalries with Minnesota, Chicago, and St Louis.  The NHL is a league which has grown immensely the past several years and has incredible star power.  With the amount of stars that this league has I would see no reason to believe that the Milwaukee Market couldn't draw 17,000 - 18,000 fans on a regular basis.  Furthermore, the Wisconsin Badgers hockey team has always been very elite.  And as I've seen in Detroit, when you have excellent college programs like Michigan, Michigan State, and Michigan Tech and the Detroit Red Wings NHL team, that's a great recipe for hockey growth in the state.  The Vegas Golden Knights are a small market team and if Milwaukee Expansion squad had committed ownership and a excellent front office there is no reason to think that a Milwaukee Expansion franchise couldn't be competitive from the outset.  I also believe that the crowds would be large when you have the Original Six Teams in town such as the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, and the Montreal Canadiens.