Best Lions Draft Decision

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

There aren't many athletes that I can't stomach, but the two that stand out are former Miami Dolphins Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino and Deion Sanders.

I'll discuss Marino another time but since the NFL Draft is tonight, the timing couldn't be better to talk about Sanders.

It's easy to point out the numerous draft mistakes the Detroit Lions have made over the years.

But there is one mistake they didn't make.

I'll never forget that before the 1989 Draft when Deion Sanders told the Lions it would be a wise move not to draft him because he didn't feel they'd either have enough money to sign him or wouldn't pay him the salary that he would command.

From that point on, just thinking of Deion Sanders made me sick. Instead, the Atlanta Falcons selected Sanders in the first round and fifth overall.

After his Atlanta stop, Sanders would play for the San Francisco 49'ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens in a career that would last until 2005.

Lets not forget that he also played baseball for four teams which included tenures with the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds on two occasions, and the San Francisco Giants. He was just a mediocre player who finished with a lifetime average of .263 with 558 hits and 186 stolen bases.

If there has ever been a high maintenance athlete, Deion Sanders is it!

Should Sanders ever get selected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and I'm there to see it at the Press Conference, I'll take some medication to settle my stomach.

We all know that the Green Bay Packers took Tony Mandarich with the second overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft. Mandarich became one of the biggest draft busts in league history.

The player Detroit selected behind Mandarich and ahead of Deion, with the third overall pick was a guy by the name of Barry Sanders, who played his entire career with one organization.

I'd say by selecting the 1988 Heisman Trophy winner that the Lions made out pretty well!

All Barry did was fill the Pontiac Silverdome, rush for 15,269 yards, get selected to 10 Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 in a class that included John Elway, Carl Eller and Bob Brown.

But back to Deion. When I heard that in a Detroit News article that he hoped the Lions would give Pacman Jones another chance, this seemed strange. I guess Sanders forgot that the Lions are still owned by the Ford family, an organization that he had negative words about in 1989.

Before Sanders made his suggestion to the Detroit News, I might have had a soft spot for Pacman because of his past relationship with Jim Schwartz, who was with the Tennessee Titans when Jones was there.

Now I'm against the idea coming from a clown like Deion! I guess he figures the Ford family can afford Jones at a bargain basement price since he's had numerous chances and has failed them all.

Even Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones gave Pacman an opportunity to resurrect his career and surrounded him with good people but the player failed to straighten himself out. I don't care if he's been free of any legal troubles the past two years. Pacman, 26, hasn't been paid millions to blow his money and go back to his wild lifestyle.

I'm sure that even if Pacman does get back into the league, Commissioner Roger Goodell will put him under a "Zero Tolerance" policy. After dealing with the recent problems of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the last thing the commissioner wants to do is open up his Tylenol and take a couple pills or step up to the microphone at a press conference indicating the player is banned for life.

As for Deion, I refuse to listen to anything that he has to say on the NFL Network because I just simply dislike him!

Whatever he's learned by reading the Bible is all well and good and if makes him a better person then more power to him. But as I've stated in this blog, I can't stand the guy because he's full of hot air thus I have no respect for him!

Years ago, I had the opportunity to meet Barry Bonds when his San Francisco Giants lost to the Florida Marlins in the National League Division Series but chose to pass on that and instead got soaked with the winners at Joe Robbie Stadium.

All I can say Deion is if you ever read this blog, you wouldn't want to hear what I have to say to you. But perhaps you will if I ever attend your Hall of Fame selection.

Your "Prime Time" persona is as fake as it gets and whether you donate lots of money to charity, while that may be an admirable gesture, you also know it's a good tax write off especially in your tax bracket.

But I do know this, the Lions did draft the better Sanders by taking Barry, and the best two sports star I've ever seen is Bo Jackson.

Jackson was an excellent baseball player, great football player and if his NFL & MLB careers weren't cut short due to injuries, he'd get my Hall of Fame vote. Those that watch ESPN Classic can still appreciate Bo Jackson.

Here is another piece of advice for you Deion, if you want to give the Lions draft advice, perhaps you could work alongside of Martin Mayhew and he'll give you your two cents worth and you can voice your opinion. But then again, I have to ask myself, can the Ford's afford you after your football career?

Although the Ford's have never seen their football team reach a Super Bowl, they still have more money then you'll have in plenty of lifetimes.

Your eight Pro Bowls and two Super Bowl rings mean nothing to me. It's your superficial personality that makes me ill. If you can ever prove to me that you can build a championship team in the front office and respect good business people, then I won't nominate you for the Hall of Shame.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com.

NFL Draft Thoughts

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

What makes practical sense or what makes common sense?

These are the decisions I'm glad I don't have to make as the NFL Draft will find new homes for this years crop of collegiate players.

For the Detroit Lions, at least they selected their quarterback last year when they landed Matthew Stafford with their top pick. Thus, far, the former Georgia Bulldog is showing excellent potential and has a strong upside providing he gets a good supporting cast.

Past experiences indicate the Lions won't be taking a wide receiver in the opening round anytime soon. The selections of Charles Rogers and Mike Williams were just a couple of the major reasons Matt Millen has returned to the broadcasting booth and is unlikely to return to an NFL front office anytime soon.

Last year, Stafford received over $40 Million in guaranteed money.

Will the St. Louis Rams pay a defensive player over $40 Million or will they take the plunge into the signal caller market and draft Oklahoma's Sam Bradford with the top pick? Is a player who is coming off major shoulder surgery, worth over $50 Million in guaranteed money? They might not have any choice since they released former starting quarterback Marc Bulger.

But if this makes the Rams feel any better, past Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winners have done well in the pros.

Former Sooners & Detroit Lions running backs Steve Owens and Billy Sims, both Heisman Trophy winners, had short and sweet careers before knee injuries ended them prematurely. In today's modern medicine, they would have played longer.

Owens was the Lions No.1 draft choice in the 1970 draft, 19 overall and was the first running back in franchise history, to ever rush for over 1,000 yards. He played four seasons for Detroit and participated in one Pro Bowl.

Sims was the top player selected in the 1980 draft by the Lions, rushed for 5,106 yards and played in three Pro Bowls.

If the Lions want to take another Oklahoma play maker, then Gerald McCoy would be a great choice.

But Detroit has also had good luck with past Nebraska Cornhuskers as well. If the Lions select Ndamukong Suh, then fans should remember linebacker Jimmy Williams and fullback Cory Schlesinger, who had good careers wearing the Honolulu Blue & Silver.

Williams played in Detroit from 1982-1990 and the Lions drafted him in the first round, No.15 overall. It's guys like Schlesinger, who will give you a reason to watch the draft in the later rounds. This three time Pro Bowl alternate was drafted in the sixth round, 192 overall and played for the Lions from 1995-2006.

Speaking of Owens and Schlesinger, if the Lions are looking to upgrade the running back position, Stanford's Toby Gerhart is a rare white runner with an abundance of talent that if he's not taken in the first round, will be on a mission to prove his critics wrong that passed on him. The 6-0, 231 pounder had 343 carries for 1,871 yards and 27 touchdowns for the Cardinal in 2009.

How can I forget about Florida's Tim Tebow? This guy has won two national championships and is a Heisman Trophy. Yet his draft status is in question because of his throwing mechanics.

It's any one's guess where he'll wind up or whether he plays quarterback in the NFL. In a league where there is a need for good quarterbacks, my best bets for him are Jacksonville, Buffalo or New England.

He'd sell tickets in Jacksonville and Buffalo and could eventually start in both places. I'd say he'll start quicker in Buffalo because there is a bigger need. The hiring of new Head Coach Chan Gailey, a noted offensive coach, could speed up his learning curve.

In 2003, the Buffalo Bills gambled on injured Miami Hurricanes running back Willis McGahee, by drafting him in the first round with the 23 overall pick, then waited until 2004 until he made his NFL debut. He went on and played three seasons for the Bills before moving on to the Baltimore Ravens. Tebow is also from the State of Florida so I see no reason why history won't repeat itself.

Back in 1975, the Lions drafted former Michigan Wolverines quarterback Dennis Franklin, who was known as "Michigan's First Black Quarterback" in the sixth round and converted him into a wide receiver. A 30-2-1 record at Michigan wasn't good enough to unseat Lions quarterbacks Greg Landry and Bill Munson. I'll bet that the Lions wish they could make that decision again especially with the quarterbacks that would follow after Landry and Munson's departure. We all know that was a bad move and the Lions fans know it.

Those that think that moving the left-handed Tebow to the wide receiver position without giving him a chance to develop and compete for a starting quarterback spot down the line would be making a huge mistake.

In New England, Tebow could develop under former former Michigan quarterback Tom Brady and wouldn't be rushed into action. As I mentioned before, Tebow would be a good fit in Buffalo and you can rest assure that Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly would love to help Tebow refine his skills. As for Jacksonville, David Garrard is the starter but if Owner Wayne Weaver has his way, he'd be the mentor until Tebow develops.

In 1981, the Miami Dolphins drafted Jim "Crash" Jensen in the 11 round, 291 overall out of Boston University. He played for the Dolphins from 1981-1992 as a wide receiver, running back and was the third string emergency signal caller behind Hall of Famer Dan Marino. He made the team because he impressed Dolphins Coach Don Shula with his hard-nosed play on special teams.

If a team drafts Tebow, they're getting a player with a great work ethic, excellent character, who is the last player you'd see that would have off the field problems. He's a proven winner in every sense of the word.

In the wake of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's problems, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has made an example out of him by suspending him 4-6 games for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

Tebow is a white quarterback, who won't embarrass himself representing the shield. How ironic would it be if he landed in Pittsburgh.

But the Jensen/Tebow comparison could be a valid one not only because of skin color but they both could be viewed as versatile performers or hybrid players.

In this draft, I'll also be curious to see where Texas & Notre Dame quarterbacks Colt McCoy and Jimmy Clausen land.

Will this be the year where the Florida Atlantic University Owls finally have a player drafted? Their best prospects include quarterback Rusty Smith, who threw for over 10,000 career yards and tight end Jason Harmon (6-2, 216), who bounced back from a severe knee injury and had a productive senior season in 2009. Harmon's a good blocker but also has fine hands and can gain yards after the catch.

But with all the offensive moves Lions General Manager Martin Mayhew is making, he can only hope that either Suh & McCoy can become the latest version of Mario Williams (Houston Texans), who was the defensive end selected ahead of New Orleans running back Reggie Bush.

Bush may have his championship ring but he earned it with a great team.

Williams, who played at North Carolina State, and wasn't a glamour pick, has been to two Pro Bowls since he was the No.1 pick in the 2006 draft. He was a Pro Bowl alternate in another year. Williams has been a good anchor for the Houston defense.

We all know that Lions Coach Jim Schwartz built a good defense as the defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans. Now he's looking to duplicate that success in Detroit.

Is there another Lee Roy Selmon, the defensive end, who was the first pick in the 1976 draft by the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, also out of Oklahoma out here? All Selmon did was play eight seasons and in six Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995.

As the Lions look for sleepers later in the draft and collect late round selections, are there any Jensen's and Schlesinger's available? On Saturday, Mayhew & Schwartz will have a chance to find these pieces of the puzzle in rounds 4-7.

This figures to be one of the most interesting drafts in recent history with all of the story lines out there.

Scott Morganroth's blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com and he can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

Who are the Phoenix Coyotes?

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

They are a team that once played in the worst NHL arena where I've ever seen a sporting event!

When the Phoenix Coyotes moved to Arizona in 1996, they played in the America West Arena for eight years which was barely large enough to fit a standard NHL rink. The building was hastily re-engineered to accommodate the 200 foot rink, and the configuration left a portion of one end of the upper deck hanging over the boards and ice, obscuring almost a third of the rink and one goal from several sections.

As a result, the capacity had to be cut down to just over 16,000---the second smallest rink at the time. For the fans to have to rely on the scoreboard to watch the action was absurd. The only thing that I gained out of my experience when watching two Red Wings games in The Valley of the Sun, was they had a tremendous following with snowbirds in the Southwest in 2000. After watching recent games, that hasn't changed.

With all due respect, the Coyotes should have played at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum which even though the building holds 13, 730 for hockey, it would have been a more fan friendly venue. The Coyotes could have charged more for the tickets but the fans would have gotten their money's worth because there isn't a bad seat in the house. In the late 1980's, I saw two Phoenix Suns games and this venue gave me a cushy feeling like the old Olympia Stadium in Detroit.

But the Coyotes are a franchise which was supposed to build a new arena in Scottsdale and even had a shopping mall demolished to accommodate the stadium. But those plans fell through.

The presence of Wayne Gretzky as a minority owner and coach had little impact as the Coyotes eventually went bankrupt.

This franchise has gone through numerous ownership changes, has had very little success on the ice as it finally made its first playoff appearance since 2002. Even announcer Darren Pang bolted for the St. Louis Blues amidst the instability.

Yet with all of these problems, I give the NHL a lot of credit for realizing it has a Sleeping Giant sitting in the Southwest as it purchased the Coyotes for $140 million from owner Jerry Moyes on October 26, 2009. The sale was finalized on November 3, 2009.

By doing this, Commissioner Gary Bettman has a first class hockey facility in the Jobing.com Arena which does hold 17,125 and cost $180 Million to build. Playing in the Glendale Sports Complex next to the Arizona Cardinals who play in the University of Phoenix Stadium, with winning comes the sellouts as both teams have experienced.

As I mentioned before, Phoenix could be a great hockey market with all of the transplants. There are plenty of "Winged Wheel" jerseys and fans in the area. The same could apply to other cold weather large market teams. Especially Chicago which does have both of it's baseball teams in the area during Spring Training.

With Bettman and the NHL buying this franchise and determined to keep the team there, he's been able to maintain rivalries with the Dallas Stars, LA Kings and the Anaheim Ducks. These three markets also have teams that make their Spring Training homes in Arizona.

But Bettman got the best break he could receive in this years playoffs. He has the Detroit Red Wings and the Phoenix Coyotes locked up in an excellent series which is tied 2-2. The Red Wings are the first ever playoff opponent for the Coyotes at the Jobing.com Arena.

I can't believe that Versus showed the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night instead of the Red Wings and Coyotes. Even though Versus wanted Sidney Crosby, you don't bypass two USA based franchises in a competitive series.

However, Bettman does have the Coyotes and Red Wings on NBC for two Sundays in a row. It's a match-up that features a marquee franchise and a resurrected one which saw Gretzky resign as coach two weeks before the start of the regular season, yet managed to win 50 games and locking up the fourth seed in the Western Conference.

I never thought I'd see the Coyotes on the NBC Game of the Week. But the ratings intrigue is indeed there. You have two great media markets featuring a dynasty and a feel good story. The Red Wings always produce good ratings which is why they're constantly featured on NBC.

I'll never forget recently at dinner with my father and nephew Branden Morganroth that when we were talking about hockey, when I was growing up, the Red Wings rarely made the playoffs plus the NHL rarely got national television coverage.

My father reminded Branden that he's had it pretty good. I also know that the Red Wings success has motivated Branden into playing hockey himself as he pursues his dream looking to eventually attain professional status.

How things have changed. The Red Wings have made the playoffs 19 straight years and Branden's never seen his local NHL team ever miss the postseason. I hope Branden doesn't miss a post-season game and with Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland in charge, they're in good hands to keep the winning tradition in tact.

As for the Coyotes, even though their national appearances are at the Joe Louis Arena, any exposure figures to give them a boost!

If Jerry Reinsdorf is successful in purchasing the franchise and he's able to negotiate a sensible lease at the Jobing.com Arena, then Bettman looks like a genius for persevering and keeping this franchise afloat.

Even though the Coyotes have lost hundreds of millions of dollars and the greatest icon in hockey, I believe that if Reinsdorf lands this team, like the Chicago Bulls & White Sox, I'd predict they would be a consistent winner and championship contender. If the Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes could hoist the Stanley Cup, there is no reason that Coyotes shouldn't be able to celebrate as well.

By the same token, if Reinsdorf is unable to save this franchise, then Bettman may find himself out of options and it will end up moving to another market with a fresh start and new ownership. Although I'm not a gambler, the safe money is on Reinsdorf to make it work and $180 Million for a stadium won't become a waste of money.

Since the White Sox train in Glendale at Camelback Ranch with the LA Dodgers and the Bulls make an annual appearance to face the Phoenix Suns, there is no doubt that Reinsdorf can multi-task without shoveling snow.

It would be an unbelievable accomplishment if he's able to win a championship in three major sports leagues, the NBA, MLB and the NHL.

But please Jerry, don't let the fans throw snakes on the ice. They give me an edgy feeling and even NBC Play By Play Commentator Mike Emrick said that he could handle octopuses but hated snakes.

Yet, for now, the Red Wings get a "Major Assist" in putting the once dormant Coyotes on the Hockey Map. The Coyotes even employ former Red Wings Announcer Dave Strader, who was at the beginning of the Red Wings long playoff run.

On Sunday, NBC will once again remind us that they couldn't be happier to have their "Real Business Parter" The Detroit Red Wings making another run at the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings won four Stanley Cups in an 11-year span and have made the playoffs in 25 of the last 27.

In a year where the Butler Bulldogs made it to the NCAA Mens Basketball Championship Game, the Coyotes success is just another feel good story and we're just four months into the new decade.

Scott Morganroth's Blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com and he can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

Auto Racing VS NFL Football

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

How many of these NASCAR drivers were alive when I went to McIntyre Elementary School in 1975? I doubt very many.

I've never been more amazed at a Social Network site as I have been with Facebook because it has indeed allowed me to track many old friends, baseball buddy's and reflect on those formative days in grade school. Indeed time flies especially when these people and I were adding each other to our friend's list. Seeing what profession they landed in, whose married and who relocated out of Michigan has made the process that much more incredible. I won't get into the ladies that I had a crush on in those days because that will be for another day.

Nevertheless, during a recent blog, I voiced my displeasure about NASCAR having its Super Bowl as it's opening race.

As for other subjects, if I had the choice to win the Indianapolis 500 or Daytona 500, that would be a no-brainer and I would drink the Milk at Indy. As we've seen so far, young Danica Patrick is getting humbled now by the learning curve of NASCAR but in the end by racing in this circuit, the challenge of competing with the best drivers will keep her interested for a long time. As for what sport is more demanding, I'd give the slight edge to the NFL because of the physical toll the sport takes on a player. But believe me, this is a slight edge because the drivers could be killed with one slight mishap. Finally, while it would be too easy to predict Jimmy Johnson to win his fifth straight championship, I'll step out of the box and add Tony Stewart & Jeff Gordon to the discussion. They're past champions that simply know how to race.

When I attended McIntyre Elementary School, it had a Green Roof. Now it's Tan. But I recently caught up with Matt Maylen thanks to Facebook after the Super Bowl and he also had thoughts about NASCAR & the NFL.

1) What are your thoughts of NASCAR Holding it's Super Bowl the first week of the season?

I think that the Daytona 500 is so special because everyone is tied with zero points. Unlike most team sports, in NASCAR, 43 teams square off each week against each other, not just two. The race teams have worked hard all winter and expectations are high for each one of them. By the time the last race of the season comes around, the championship has often been decided.

2 )If you had the choice to win at Indianapolis or Daytona Beach, which checkered flag would mean more?

I'm quite certain that if you asked that question to any driver in the sport, the answer would be Daytona without a doubt.

3) How well do you think Danica Patrick will do during her 13 races in NASCAR and eventually if she joins the circuit full-time?

As is the case with most rookie drivers, I think she just needs to log in as many laps as she can, gain some experience and keep expectations realistic. From what I've gathered so far, she seems to know her way around a race car pretty well. Getting around some of the Cup circuit tracks may prove to be a different story altogether. She has some great sponsorship in GoDaddy.com and scoring a top ten or two could certainly help her land a full time ride in 2011. All and all, I think she could be a good thing for a sport that has been slumping for the past 2 or 3 years.

4) What sport is more demanding, the NFL or NASCAR?

With training camp, the pre-season and a grueling 16 game schedule, I think the NFL is by far more physically demanding. Having said that, I think that NASCAR is more mentally demanding. I've driven these cars, it's not easy, there are no time outs, no half time breaks and no play clock . When they take the Green Flag, they must focus 100 % on the task at hand, and that can be very demanding .

5) Finally, who do you think will win the NASCAR Points Championship in November? Give me your top two drivers.

With four championships in a row, it's kind of hard not to bet on the 48 car (Jimmy Johnson) . I just don't see him doing it this year though. Tony Stewart did quite well in his first season as owner/driver in 2009, but again, not the man this year either. I feel that the No. 24 car of Jeff Gordon is hungry and has a great shot at the cup this year as does Kurt Busch in the Roger Penske owned No. 2 Miller Light Dodge.

Scott Morganroth's blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com and he can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com.

Terrell Owens a Detroit Lion?

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

I never thought I would even say this but to see controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens in a Detroit Lions uniform would make a lot of sense!

For a team that's won only two games in the past couple of seasons, he would be a great draw at the ticket offices and put bodies in the stands at Ford Field. Detroit is too good of a sports town to experience blackouts at a stadium which is 15,000 smaller than the 80,000 seat Pontiac Silverdome.

Critics will tell you that Owens is a quarterback killer and his track record with Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo certainly documents that.

However, when Detroiter & Buffalo Bills Owner Ralph Wilson Jr. signed Owens to a one-year contract worth $6.5 million on March 8, 2009, to give Trent Edwards another weapon, he knew the goods he was buying.

But to Owens credit, he stayed low-keyed all season and managed to catch 55 passes for 829 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown.

In Buffalo, Owens had the opportunity to play near a border Canadian town with Niagara Falls and Toronto nearby.

In Detroit, Owens can hang out in Windsor if he desires where there is plenty of nightlife at Caesars Casino. If he doesn't want to cross the border, there are three casinos he can patronage if he gets bored in Detroit. Maybe he can become friends with new Tiger Johnny Damon.

But Owens is a guy that is third on the NFL career list with 14,951 yards.

Do you think that opposing defenders would pay attention to Owens with Calvin Johnson as Matthew Stafford's primary target? There are enough passes to go around for both receivers.

I'm sure that Owens will remember where his milestone 15,000 yard will come from with a future star signal caller in Stafford who is destined for great things as long as he stays healthy.

Since wide receiver is a position the Lions need to upgrade, we all know about Detroit's recent history of bad draft choices at that position. Just look at the media guide where you'll see Charles Rogers (Michigan State), Mike Williams (USC) and Roy Williams (Texas). Although as it turned out, trading away Williams to the Dallas Cowboys did produce tight-end Brandon Pettigrew (Oklahoma State) along with other draft choices.

Nevertheless, Owens, who played his college ball down I-75 at Tennessee-Chattanooga, is 36-years-old and could come reasonable. Here is a guy who is trying to salvage his career and bolster which should be a Hall of Fame resume.

I think he'd be grateful for this opportunity and from what I've been told about Lions Coach Jim Schwartz, he seems like a genuine guy that has a strong admiration for the man upstairs who does a lot of praying. To take on the challenge of inheriting an 0-16 team, that speaks volumes in itself.

With Schwartz being the former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator, now there is a Volunteer State connection.

Nobody should forget that Owens bounced back from a serious injury to play for the Philadelphia Eagles in their 24-21 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 39 in Jacksonville. Since Detroit is a blue collar town, Owner William Clay Ford Sr. would appreciate a guy that works hard to get healthy much faster.

Ironically, Owens shares the same birthday as my mother Shila Morganroth. But it's no ordinary birthday since it's December 7. Owens was born in 1973 while my mother was born on Pearl Harbor Day in 1941.

My mother and Owens are nice but strong and passionate personalities. Perhaps there is an attitude about entering the world on such a historic day that it brings out that extra internal fire that everybody notices and affects those around them.

But if the Lions are indeed committed to getting better, to be able to get a year or two out of Owens since he is a free agent, Bob Barker would tell you that "The Price is Right" for a guy that has caught over 1,000 passes in his career and is a six-time Pro Bowl receiver.

If the Lions are going to lose, then do it by being more competitive and entertaining. Perhaps this years Thanksgiving Game would be more competitive with Owens being part of the story-line as Johnson and Stafford get better. With the NFL Draft just weeks away, the second overall pick, barring a trade, should make the Lions better.

Since Thanksgiving is the only time the Lions ever get a national television broadcast, the focus would be better served at a good game instead of talking about a poor team where everyone is anxious to take the holiday tradition away from them.

Although the Lions and Owens would be classified as the "Odd Couple" that hit series television show had a great run when it aired back in the good old days long before cable television.

Now the Lions version could be a scaled down short term version which leads to NFL relevance as to this date, they are now one of four teams to have never reached a Super Bowl.

Scott Morganroth can be reached as scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be read at www.scottsports33.com.

Great Memories With FIU's Isiah Thomas

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

Whenever FAU and FIU meet in any sport, this is a nice intense rivalry between these two schools separated by an hour drive off the Florida Turnpike.

The Shula Bowl adds a nice ending to the football season while in baseball both universities have produced a lot of professional baseball prospects.

During the past two weeks, the basketball programs met and even though FAU defeated FIU both times, this series figures to get interesting in years to come.

On January 30, 2010, in Boca Raton, FIU Golden Panthers Coach Isiah Thomas made his first appearance in Palm Beach County.

For myself, it was an opportunity to be reunited with a guy that I worked with when I covered the Detroit Pistons for the Detroit Monitor during their Bad Boys era in the late 1980's and 1990's which won two NBA Championships.

Before the game, Thomas and I spent time talking about the good old days of how his team's defensive physical style of basketball changed how the game is being played today. We also talked about personalities like Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman and the battles Detroit faced at the famed Boston Garden.

It was a great reunion for us and the crowds were much bigger than they were on this night. At the Palace of Auburn Hills, 21,454 fans jammed the building and the electricity was tremendous.

The FAU Arena was buzzing as well but the crowd was considerably smaller. FAU sold the game out as 2,916 turned out, in addition to filling the suites, media requests which increased the total to nearly 5,000.

Before the game, Thomas and I talked about the difference in the two arenas and we both agreed that basketball is basketball regardless of how big the building is.

On this night, FAU Athletic Director Craig Angelos was gleaming because he knows that there aren't many occasions that an opposing coach will sign autograph posters to frame and exhibit in his athletic department.

Naturally, he was pleased with the attendance to watch an opposing coach who also won an NCAA National Championship at Indiana in 1981 for the legendary Bobby Knight.

As for the game, FAU won round one 106-88 and judging by the way the Golden Panthers were playing, I got the feeling that Thomas, the Hall of Fame point guard, was going to go to the FIU locker room and put on his No. 11 jersey to show his team how things needed to be done.

Oh well, it was nice to dream!

But it was evident that Thomas was out coached by FAU's high profile coach Mike Jarvis. Last year, Jarvis had to experience a difficult first season as the Owls finished the campaign 6-26.

While FAU has turned things around this season with a 14-13, 10-6 record and is 2-0 against Thomas, with the most recent win occurring in Miami on February 18, 77-74, despite Isiah's 7-22, 4-12 record, this rivalry figures to get better as both teams recruit better players.

Meanwhile, Thomas and Jarvis have found fresh starts in South Florida after their departures from New York.

Jarvis was fired by St. Johns University on December 19, 2003 due in part to a series of off-court incidents.

Thomas had an unsuccessful tenure with the New York Knicks from 2003-2009 as an executive and head coach.

Both have traded the limelight & subways for the sunshine to begin their challenges of turning mid major schools into regular NCAA Tournament participants. They've earned all of their millions and are now in the "Been There And Done That Club."

Scott Morganroth can be reached at scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be read at www.scottsports33.com.

The Great American Disgrace

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

As I walked to the Media Shuttle after the Pro Bowl Game on February 1, 2010, I asked NFL Senior Vice President of Public Relations Greg Aiello why a sport would hold its Super Bowl at the beginning of the season as NASCAR does.

Aiello couldn't give me an answer but his facial expressions and body language indicated that he's pleased with the fact that his sport doesn't have to deal with that question.

There are two major things in the Sports World that boggle my mind.

First, unless Congress backs the NCAA into a corner, I doubt we'll ever see a legitimate playoff system in NCAA Division I College Football where the underdog has a chance to win the championship on the field as we do with March Madness.

Second, I don't have a problem with NASCAR holding an opening race at it's headquarters in Daytona Beach, FL, but not it's premier event. The opening race should be the Pepsi 400.

There are many reasons why I feel this way.

In February, the Sports Fan is hungover from football season with the climactic conclusion of the Super Bowl.

There are plenty of College Basketball games to choose from leading to March Madness. For Hockey fans, there is the NHL Game of the Week and around this time they have their All-Star Game with the exception of Olympic years. This year a crowd that exceeded 108,000 watched the NBA All-Star Game at Dallas Cowboys Stadium, the same day as this year's Daytona 500.

Football fans still have the NFL Scouting Combine leading up to the NFL Draft. Furthermore, while the transition from the Super Bowl to March Madness takes place, Spring Training is right around the corner.

No matter how many Auto Racing fans there are, it's hard to compete for viewership with everything that's going on.

The Indy Car Open Wheel Circuit doesn't do much right, but I do give them credit for showcasing their big race over Memorial Day Weekend.

If NASCAR was smart, the Daytona 500 "The Great American Race" should be held on July 4. What better way to celebrate our country's birthday than this way.

By setting up a scenario where you have the "Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing" at the beginning of the month, and the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis at the end of July, that's a great bookend of "Pressure Packed Racing."

How neat would it be for a driver to win the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 within four weeks? There have been 16 Brickyard 400's and the winner of this race has won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship eight times.

If the 51-year old Daytona 500 were held during the summer, it would allow families to take their youngsters on a trip to see the "Great American Race" and even slip in a trip to nearby Walt Disney World in Orlando. I'm sure the folks at Disney would be thrilled that with Daytona International Speedway's 167,785 capacity, and Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, etc. would love to show their hospitality.

More importantly, a summer Daytona 500 would have the Television Stage all to itself with less competition. While the Daytona 500 is always exciting, by mid-summer, we'll know which drivers are going to be in contention in the championship chase.

Even though what I'm saying here will never happen, I still believe it's worth mentioning.

But as I think about things, I've been told to never say never.

So I'll say that I never thought I'd see the day when Major League Baseball would ever have inter-league play when it began in 1997. But in an effort to renew the public's interest in MLB following the 1994 player's strike, Commissioner Bud Selig had to do something to increase attendance and raise television ratings thus this was the obvious thing to do.

Baseball didn't want to mess with tradition and take away from the significance of the World Series. But MLB was smart enough that during its long season that by using the third week in May and all of June, this would keep fans attention by creating inter-city/regional rivalries, past World Series match-ups and getting a preview of what fans could see the following October.

Normally, I do watch the Daytona 500 but this year, I had no desire to watch two Super Bowls, albeit in two different sports, in back-to-back weeks.

I have a feeling that I'm not the only person that feels this way. I may have missed a race that featured a pot hole on the track that lasted over six hours and resulted in 1:44 in delays, but I do feel that the NASCAR's opening week's Super Bowl system is a pot-hole in itself. Like the track, the system needs to be repaved.

I know that NASCAR's ratings are down, so the sport should follow the lead of MLB and shake things up! I hope I've made my case now I welcome any debate from all of you readers.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at Scottsports33@aol.com and his blog can be seen at www.scottsports33.com.