April's Sports Scene

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

There are some people that you root for to have good things happen to them and one of those individuals is Wisconsin Basketball Coach Bo Ryan.

The Badgers gave Bo a contract extension through 2020 which means he'll be 71 if he plays out the deal. Bo deserves to leave on his own terms especially since he's the best coach the Badgers have ever had.

All Bo has accomplished in his tenure at Wisconsin is guide his squad to Back-To-Back Final Fours, four Regular Season Big Ten Championships and three Big Ten Tournament Titles.

The guy has compiled a 357-125 mark at Wisconsin for a .741 winning percentage when he took over the job in 2001-2002.

Want some more impressive numbers, in the Big Ten he's amassed a 172-68 mark for a .717 winning percentage.

His collegiate All-Time record is 740-228 and he was a finalist for enshrinement for the 2015 Basketball Hall of Fame.

All I can say right now is the obvious, "Bo knows how to win."

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Why am I dumb enough to comment on 1976 former Olympic icon Bruce Jenner's Sex Change at 65?

Because it's trending and I'll say that he should change his name to Jennifer Jenner. This has a nice ring to it.

But the former male does know how to attract an audience because just under 17 million people tuned into an ABC News Interview when he identified himself as a woman.

The Nielsen Company said Saturday that 16.9 million viewers watched the interview on ABC's 20/20 Newscast on Friday Night.

Nielsen also estimated that there were 972,000 tweets Friday Night about the Jenner Interview.

It is weird because this was an individual who once appeared on a Wheaties Box in 1976. Once upon time he appeared on a box that's viewed as the Breakfast of Champions. Now Jenner is having a Late-Life Crisis and appears to be depressed of his previous identity.

Whatever the case, I wish Jenner well for the duration of his/her time on earth if this is what makes this person happy.

But I will honestly say that Jenner's Olympic accomplishments will have a far different meaning than before.

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If there is one baseball person that I'm totally fed up with, it's former Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent.

There is no question that Pete Rose made some major mistakes that earned him a life-time ban from baseball by late Commissioner Bart Giamatti in1989 for gambling.

Rose is still banned from baseball and former Commissioner Bud Selig has left this ban in the hands of his successor Rob Manfred to decide.

Personally, I would like to see Rose reinstated because he has served his time.

For now, I commend Manfred for allowing Rose to participate in this summer's All-Star Festivities in Cincinnati. The commissioner is allowing Rose to be a part of FOX'S broadcast team in their studios. I'm looking forward to his insights.

It's better for baseball to see Pete involved in the game in some capacity.

I truly don't believe that Rose will ever get into the Baseball's Hall of Fame while he's alive---perhaps not even when he dies because of his association with gambling. Baseball is old school and the traditionalists won't let it happen.

It's the toughest Hall of Fame to get into. A vote of 75% is required to get in and not 74.9%. There have been years were zero players were voted into the Hall of Fame.

I do feel like it's time for baseball to move on and give him another chance.

I know Manfred isn't dodging the subject but he recently said on ESPN's Mike & Mike in The Morning that he's investigating all the facts that led to the ban in 1989. He's in touch with Roses' representatives so he'll listen to them before making a final decision to let Pete back in.

I'm sure that if Rose does get back in baseball there will be stipulations about the jobs he's allowed to take and will be micro-managed to the max. I can't see Rose at the age of 71 getting any major opportunities.

As for Vincent, who constantly remains outspoken about Rose, I'll say this and take a line from Mike & Mike In The Morning "Just Shut Up."

Vincent took over for Giamatti on September 1, 1989 and resigned in 1992 after the owners gave him a "No Confidence Vote" of 18-9. Baseball would proceed to flourish without Vincent under Bud Selig.

So once again Fay Vincent, "Just Shut Up."

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With Derek Jeter comfortably retired, the New York Yankees big star is Alex Rodriguez.

I'm rooting for Alex because the Yankees really need him.

Rodriguez served his 162-game suspension because of his steroid issues. He's served his punishment and deserves the opportunity to resurrect his career.

In 2014, Rodriguez forfeited $25 million in base salary.

But to his credit, the layoff allowed him to give his surgically repaired hips a chance to heal. This season Rodriguez is seeing time as a DH and at first base.

Currently, he's one home run away from Willie Mays mark of 660 that would earn him another $6 Million. There are other milestone bonuses that he's looking to cash in on at $6 Million a pop. But realistically, the Yankees will do everything in their power not to pay these bonuses because of his involvement with PED's.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out with the Players Association because they don't like to see one of their members lose money. But by the same token, Rodriguez during his legal troubles tried to sue his Union however, he subsequently dropped the lawsuit. It's safe to say, he didn't make any friends.

Nonetheless, he promised Manfred that he'd stay away from drama and he's kept his word thus far. There is no question he'll never make it to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The main thing left for Rodriguez is to reach the end of his contract to earn his $60 Million remaining salary and finish his career on a positive note,

Hopefully, Yankees fans will embrace his comeback with less boos so he can play loose. I hardly doubt that Rodriguez could care less about the backlash on the road. The Yankees are getting older and it will be interesting to see if there are any future stars on the horizon. Plus, he'll put people in the stands.

As of this post, Rodriguez has five home runs and 13 RBI's in 20 games. I'll be interesting to see how well he performs as the season progresses and if the Yankees return to the playoffs.

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Staying on the diamond, this is one of the most expensive divorces in baseball history as the LA Angels traded Josh Hamilton back to the Texas Rangers this week.

Due to a recent drug relapse and his under performance on the field, Angels Owner Arte Moreno wanted no part of Hamilton. Since Hamilton had a full no-trade clause in his contract, he took the best and only deal available. Hamilton wanted to return to Texas.

The Angels are paying Hamilton $68 million of the three-years remaining $80.2 million of his contract, while Texas pays under $7 Million.

Hamilton forfeited money for a reason why many of us would not want to move to California.

There is no State Income Tax in Texas while it's 13.3% in California.

Hamilton will turn 34 on May 21st and he returns to a team that he played a major role in leading to the 2010 and 2011 World Series. During his five year stint with Texas from 2008-2012, he was a five-time All-Star.

Moreno was hoping Hamilton would get suspended by MLB because of his drug issues to save money, but rather than face a legal challenge from the players union by not paying him with a team suspension, he did the next best thing and that's was his hands of a bad free agent signing.

For Arte's sake, he can only hope that Hamilton doesn't have success against the Angels or leads them to the playoffs since these are divisional rivals especially since Josh is on his payroll.

For Texas, this is a Low Risk and potentially a High Reward.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out the rest of the 2015 Season.

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Finally, we'll end this column by staying in the Dallas-Metroplex Area.

While the LA Angels are saying good riddance to Hamilton, the Dallas Mavericks are doing the same to point guard Rajon Rondo.

This week the Mavericks were eliminated in the playoffs by the Houston Rockets. Rondo didn't receive any playoff shares.

The 29-year old can be considered a Cancer on any roster. He's a temperamental head case.

If you can't get along with championship winning coaches like Doc Rivers or current Mavericks pilot Rick Carlisle, then who can you play for?

The NBA is loaded with point guards, so I'd be very curious about what team would want to sign him this off-season.

I know the Los Angeles Lakers have been mentioned, but really, do you think Kobe Bryant would tolerate Rondo's immature behavior? I doubt it. I don't see Rondo reuniting with Doc Rivers and joining the Los Angeles Clippers.

What about Rondo in a New York Knicks uniform with Carmelo Anthony? I would feel sorry for Knicks Coach Derek Fisher.

What young team would want him to be a bad influence on their development?

The best place for Rondo is China.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

College Basketball Thoughts

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

What is more interesting?

The Final Four or the college basketball coaching changes?

Let's talk about the tournament first.

In the majority of My Brackets, I predicted that Kentucky (38-0) would defeat Duke ( 33-4) in the Finals on Monday Night, April 6th.

I did have Wisconsin (35-3) in many of My Final Fours. The Badgers game against Kentucky figures to be a classic from two No.1 seeds with plenty of Pro Prospects and NBA Scouts in attendance.

If there is a player who deserves to win the John R. Wooden Award, it's Badgers Center Frank Kaminsky. The 7 ft 0 in, 242 pound senior center will turn 22 on Saturday when the Badgers face the Wildcats. Couldn't think of a better birthday present for Kaminsky if Wisconsin prevails.

Kaminsky, a native of Lisle, Illinois., came back for one more shot at an NCAA Title after his team fell short in last year's Final Four.

I decided to put Duke in the Finals because of ESPN's Outside the Lines Show. During the broadcast, Blue Devils Coach Mike Krzyzewski seemed to be recruiting the same way as Kentucky's John Calipari.

Coach K is adapting to the one and done philosophy and doesn't mind seeing his players stay for 1-2 years. He's an old dog learning new tricks to win. In addition to his college success, Coach K has done an excellent job with USA Basketball working with NBA Players.

I still like Calipari to win the NCAA Title and complete the perfect season, but I commend Coach K for adjusting to the times.

Michigan State (27-11) was the only blemish in My Bracket to reach the Final Four. I know the Spartans have caused lots of bracket turmoil. Last year I had MSU in The Final Four; a year too early.

But Coach Tom Izzo continues to amaze me as Mr. March. He's been to the NCAA Tournament 18-straight years, The Sweet Sixteen 13 times, Seven Final Fours and won a National Title in 2000.

His squad was 23-11 in the regular season and he was under-seeded at No.7. The road to Indiana was with wins over ACC Powers Virginia and Louisville.

Last year Connecticut won the title as a No.7 seed, so will history repeat itself? We'll see if this
materializes starting Saturday Night.

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This hasn't been a good year for NCAA Football Powers in 2014-2015.

Here is a list of teams which didn't play in this year's post-season.

1. Michigan 16-16.
2. Nebraska 13-18.
3. Penn State 18-16.
4. Florida State 17-16.
5. Georgia Tech 12-19.
6. Virginia Tech 11-22.
7. Kansas State 15-17.
8. TCU 18-15.
9. USC 12-20.
10. Florida 16-17.
11. Auburn 15-20.

There is talk that Florida Coach Billy Donovan is chomping at the bit for a chance to coach in the NBA. He previously accepted the coaching position with the Orlando Magic but changed his mind.

The Magic are looking for a new coach again. I have a feeling that Donovan will be a strong candidate with Orlando and will get plenty of offers. It's just a matter what situation will be a good match.

These schools become relevant on Saturdays and during the NFL Draft, but for this March Madness, they're watching games on TV.

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Now onto the coaching changes.

One program that appears to have made a good hire is the University of Tennessee.

After being fired by Texas last weekend with a 402-180 mark in 17 seasons with the Longhorns, Rick Barnes, 60 wasn't out of work long. He takes his overall 604-314 record, which ranks ninth among all active in Division I coaches to Knoxville also known as Rocky Top.

Barnes teams have reached the NCAA Tournament 22 years, have Six Sweet Sixteen Appearances, Three Elite Eights and made it to the Final Four in 2003.

Ironically, this is the alma-mater of his wife Candy.

At Tennessee he'll get a six-year deal worth $2.25 Million.

Tennessee has been turning over it's fair share of coaches in the past five years and third in three seasons including Barnes. He'll bring stability to the program which has been overshadowed by the success of Football and The Lady Volunteers.

The Volunteers have no problem spending money for basketball coaches.

Former Coach Bruce Pearl (now with Auburn) was earning $1.9 Million and was on his way towards a raise until a scandal earned him a pink slip.

Recently fired Donnie Tyndall's past caught up with him as he collected $1.6 Million in 2014-15 to compile a 16-16 mark in his only season.

Prior to Tyndall, The Volunteers last coach was Cuonzo Martin departed for California a year earlier.

Barnes coached his last game on Thursday March 19, as Texas lost to a second round game to Butler 56-48.

I'm sure Tennessee would like to have a powerhouse men's program but I think they'll be happy with stability on the hardwood. I do believe Tennessee found a guy with tremendous integrity and a strong background.

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Speaking of the Texas Longhorns, they wasted little time finding Barnes' replacement as they hired Madison, WI., native Shaka Smart as their new head coach. Smart will turn 38 on April 8th and there is no better birthday present then to go to a state which is as big as Texas.

The State of Texas itself could be a country of it's own and high schools spend lots of money to make sure they have first class facilities.

If Smart drove from El Paso, Texas to the Louisiana border across I-10, that's a 20-hour drive that I've taken a few times.

Smart will have Dallas and Houston as main recruiting territory so there will be no shortage of prospects.

In the past year, the Longhorns hired Charlie Strong to replace legendary Football Coach Mack Brown and now Smart is taking over for Barnes.

But it looks like Texas made a good hire since Smart took a mid-major program, The VCU Rams and in six seasons his squads posted a 163-56 record with a .744 winning percentage. In the NCAA Tournament he was 7-5. He also has one Final Four on his resume.

Not a bad weekend for the City of Madison, WI.

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Now from a Big State to The Big Apple as St. Johns recently fired Steve Lavin after five seasons.

In Lavin's five years, he finished with an 81-55 mark and the Red Storm made two NIT and two NCAA Tournament Appearances.

Like Barnes, Lavin was fired after a second round loss as the Red Storm dropped a 76-64 decision on March 19 to San Diego State, which is coached by former Michigan Wolverine, Steve Fisher.

St. Johns moved quickly to fill their vacancy by turning to legendary player Chris Mullin, who led his alma-mater to the 1985 Final Four. He's St. John's all-time leading scorer with 2,440 career points.

Mullin spent 16-seasons as a player in the NBA, is a five-time All-Star (1989-93), is a John R. Wooden Award winner in 1985. He was a member of the 1992 "Dream Team."

The Brooklyn, NY., native has served in the front offices for the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings.

Will all of his success on and off the floor enable St. Johns to return to the glory years under Hall of Fame Coach Lou Carnesecca?

Mullin received a glowing endorsement from his 90-year old coach.

Time will tell if bringing Mullin back to his alma-mater will pay dividends.

But a couple things are for certain.

First, his track record should bolster his chances in recruiting.

Second, the alumni/boosters and administration have a familiar face that know the program and area well.

Like Michigan's Jim Harbaugh, there is a lot of work to be done, but now the energy level is extremely high at St. Johns. But will it stay that way? Once again, time will tell.

I do believe that Lavin will find a new coaching job if he wants one since he's coached at UCLA and St. Johns or expect him to be returning as a color analyst in 2015-16.

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Finally, speaking of UCLA, another former Bruin Coach Ben Howland is back on the sidelines and he'll be coaching in the SEC at Mississippi State for the Bulldogs.

During his final season at UCLA in 2012-13, he was dismissed after a 25-10 mark.

Howland led UCLA to three Final Four Appearances and his record as Bruins' Coach was 233-107. He is second in All-Time Wins in UCLA History behind John Wooden who had 620.

The Bulldogs will be getting a coach who has a career mark of 399-208 with a .657 winning percentage and also had a successful tenures at the University of Pittsburgh and Northern Arizona University.

Howland has a reputation for taking struggling programs and turns them into winners. He was 89-40 (.690) in four seasons at Pittsburgh and 79-59 (.572) at Northern Arizona.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

Michigan Amateur Sports Shorts

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

When I wrote a story on the Michigan Football Coaching Search a few months ago, I really never thought the Wolverines would be able to land Jim Harbaugh.

But I give Athletic Director Jim Hackett a lot of credit. Please spare me if they needed a search firm to find the right candidate. I'm not buying this nonsense! This was a smokescreen.

I really thought Harbaugh was going to take another NFL Job. The money is more than what he would have earned in college.

However, I admire the persistence of Hackett. He flew to Northern California and waited for the San Francisco 49'ers season to end and made a huge push. Hackett and Company were resilient and landed their big fish.

Who knows what record the Wolverines will have in 2015?

What my gut feeling tells me is this team will be well coached, plays hard and be very competitive.

What I do know is Harbaugh has been recruiting a lot of quarterbacks. Name me a youngster with NFL aspirations that wouldn't want to be mentored by a former NFL QB.

All Harbaugh has to do is walk into a recruit's home and show the youngster and his parents a photo of Indianapolis Colts Pro Bowl QB Andrew Luck. Enough said!

You can't close a deal better than that!

Once upon a time, Michigan used to produce QB's and one has four Super Bowl Titles? Have you ever heard of Tom Brady?

If you add Harbaugh, Drew Henson and many others, U-M can reclaim itself as Quarterback U.

Name me a kid that wouldn't want to play in front of 100,000 plus at the All-Time Winningest Program in Division 1 Football. If the student is convinced he can be developed, then landing the prospect will be much easier.

I expect future U-M recruiting classes to be better as Harbaugh approaches his second year.

Once Harbaugh compiles a winning season or two into his rebuilding plan then everybody will see what we're accustomed to seeing and that's the program returning as a national power.

Once Michigan notches victories over its biggest rivals Michigan State and Ohio State, then amasses enough wins to earn a Big Ten Title, we'll see if they're in the National Championship hunt in a few years.

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Speaking of the Michigan State Spartans, I was impressed that they are the first school in NCAA History to win four-consecutive bowl games and reach the Sweet 16 in basketball four straight years. This team faces Duke in the Final Four Saturday Night.

Last year, I picked the Spartans to reach the Final Four and they failed to do so. This year, I had them in the Elite Eight and they made it to the Final Four.

What impresses me about the Spartans is throughout the years, the basketball program led by Magic Johnson, and Greg Kelser put MSU on the Map winning the 1979 National Title under Coach Jud Heathcote against Larry Bird's Indiana State squad.

Tom Izzo has done a masterful job keeping MSU at Elite Status. He's led the Spartans to Seven Final Fours, 13 Sweet 16's and 18 NCAA Tournament Bids to go along with his One National Title in 2000.

This season, Izzo took a 23-11 regular season squad which was under-seeded at No.7 and managed to get it to play excellent basketball in March. Izzo is earning the nickname Mr. March.

He continues to do an excellent job having the Spartans alumni connecting with his players through the years. Magic Johnson doesn't seem to miss any tournament games.

In the past, George Perles and Nick Saban did a decent job with the Football Program, but Mark Dantonio has elevated it to Elite Status.

The support between Izzo and Dantonio should be a good example to other major universities that they can feed off each other.

There is nothing better than to see both high profile sports not only great Inside The Lines, but Extremely Profitable. Plus the exposure is priceless and enrollment figures to rise.

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The most interesting hire this year comes from the Central Michigan University Chippewas Football Program.

CMU hired Detroit Lions (2013-2014) Special Teams Coordinator John Bonamego as the 28th football head coach in the school's history.

He is the first alum to serve as Central Michigan's head coach since Bill Kelly from 1951-1966. This is Bonamego's first head coaching position. It's his first college coaching position since he served as an assistant for Army from 1993-1998.

Bonamego signed a five-year contract worth $350,000 annually with an additional $125,000 for Radio and Television Appearances.

Bonamego has been an assistant coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins as well as the Lions.

The 51-year old inherits a program that has an All-Time Record of 590-388-37 (.600). CMU's post-season bowl record is 3-4 (.429).

He replaced Dan Enos who bolted Mt. Pleasant to take the Offensive Coordinator position at Arkansas.

In five years at CMU, Enos was 26-36, reaching bowl games in two of the past three seasons.

Enos replaced Jim Chaney, who left Arkansas to become the Offensive Coordinator for former MSU Coach Pat Narduzzi now the head coach at the University of Pittsburgh.

It's amazing how all these coaching moves come full circle as a Domino Effect.

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Finally, My late Grandmother Sophie Morganroth always taught me that there is a time and a place to do things.

She would be proud in Heaven that her youngest Great Grandson Brock Morganroth, 15, is having some success in amateur hockey. He currently competes for Compuware Bantam Major AAA and is regarded as a strong prospect according to the website "Elite Hockey Prospects."

Brock recently won a Bronze Medal at the USA, AAA Nationals. This is a tournament which took place in Amherst, NY., from March 26-30, Tier I-14,16,18 & Under.

Meanwhile, Grandma Sophie would be ecstatic that her youngest Great Grand Daughter Bria Morganroth, 13, is having success in gymnastics.

Bria currently competes at the Hartland Gymnastics Academy. She's been competing at the academy since 12-11-2009 with her first event being the Michigan Academy Christmas Classic.

Her latest event was the 2015 Michigan Level 7-10 Girls State Meet on March 27th.

She currently competes at Level 8 in the Vault, Bars, Beam, Floor and AA (All-Around) Events.

What Bria is doing in gymnastics at a young age brings back incredible memories of a young legend at the 1984 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles named Mary Lou Retton, who won five medals. I attended these Olympics but couldn't get into the sold out gymnastics competition. But it was a blast watching them at local bars in the LA Suburb of Westwood, CA near the UCLA Campus.

Retton won a Gold, Two Silver and Two Bronze Medals.

Is Bria Olympic Bound? That's way too early to tell, but she's definitely on the right track.

Meanwhile, My oldest Nephew Branden Morganroth, 24, played hockey for many years but recently changed career paths to get into Restaurant Ownership.

The biggest thing these youngsters have going for them is that their parents provided the financial resources which allowed them to have the best coaching that enabled them to travel to play at the highest levels of competition.

I rarely have the opportunity to write about the accomplishments of immediate family members. But the most recent accomplishments of Brock and Bria certainly deserve the publicity. Branden was a good role model for Brock.

Whether Brock plays professionally remains to be seen. There could be a scholarship waiting down the road and he could play NCAA Hockey.

It would be unbelievable if Bria ever made it to the Olympics.

But with the hard work these two are putting in, they have a punchers chance to take it to higher levels.

There have never been any professional athletes in our family, but there is always a first. Time will tell whether any of this comes to fruition, but I'll be monitoring this situation very closely!

The last time I wrote about an amateur athlete under 18 was when I was a Sports Writer for the Tampa Tribune from 1984-1986. This is when I was covering High School Sports.

I used to write features stories on Roller Skaters and Gymnasts.

When I monitored the Roller Skaters and Gymnasts progress, I found many of them got big egos after we publicized them, thus I haven't done this in 30-years.

This situation is My exception to the rule because I have a feeling there are more chapters to be written about Brock and Bria.

Stay tuned.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

Talking Tigers With Jim Leyland

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
PHOTOS BY CANDICE EBLING
LAKELAND, FL

While I enjoy going to different Spring Training Stadiums around Florida, it's always neat returning to Lakeland. The best part about seeing other stadiums is having the ability to interact with other National Media Members and talking with Tigers' transplants.

But it's unlikely you'll see Al Kaline (Mr. Tiger) travel to places like Lake Buena Vista (Atlanta Braves), Jupiter (Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals) or Port St. Lucie (New York Mets).

One guy that does travel from time to time is former Tigers Manager Jim Leyland.

When we went up to see the Tigers host the Houston Astros on Sunday March 8th at Joker Marchant Stadium, Kaline and Leyland (in the photo) were at the batting cage talking. It's great to see these two baseball minds in your organization exchanging ideas.

Kaline is A Special Assistant To The President, while Leyland is Special Assistant To The General Manager. Leyland is in his second year in that role. For Leyland, he can be relaxed since he's not going to be second guessed on a daily basis.

But on this beautiful sunny day in Central Florida, they both looked great and seemed very relaxed.

The Tigers have experienced their fair amount of changes. They've entered this spring with lingering questions on their bullpen which has cost them dearly the past two post-seasons. It remains to be seen if this is their major weakness in 2015.

I have a feeling they'll score a lot of runs and steal a lot of bases. But will a lot of runs be enough in the late innings? The Tigers will be anything but dull. Detroit will go as far as the bullpen will take them.

Before the Tigers 14-9 loss to the Split Squad Houston Astros, I had the opportunity to catch-up with the former skipper in our Yearly Conversation.

We focused on different topics pertaining to baseball as well as with the Tigers in this Q&A Interview.

Q: Commissioner Rob Manfred has decided to implement some Pace Of The Game changes. Do you like what he's doing?

A: I think it's something they're going to experiment a little bit. I think they want to keep the game going. I don't think it's going to be anything drastic. I think the commissioner is doing a good job. He's going to look and see if he can improve on anything in the game, and that may be one of the ways we can do it.

Q: As far as the pitchers are concerned, do you foresee the possibility of a Pitch Clock?

A: Anytime you have change people wonder a little bit. Actually, the rule has been in the book for a long time. So the commissioner is just trying to be more aware of the rule.

Q: The Tigers have added an influx of speed to their lineup both defensively as well as offensively which could add more double and triples at spacious Comerica Park. The additions of Yoenis Cespedes  and Anthony Gose are the players that could make an impact. What can these guys bring to the team?

A: We like both of them. We think we're more athletic. Gose can get the ball in center field and Cespedes is a power hitter that has a great arm. We like what we've done.

Q: You had first hand knowledge of Cespedes since the Tigers had to face him in the playoffs when he was with the Oakland A's, thus you're know stranger to him. Would you say that he gave you a few fits?

A: That's right. That's right. He's a very good player and a very productive player.

Q: One thing I notice about Cespedes is he reminds me of a talented Cuban player who played for the Detroit Tigers during their World Championship team in 1984 named Barbaro Garbey. What do you think of these ballplayers from Cuba?

A: They're good, they're good. There is a lot of Cuban players signing now and Cespedes is one of the better ones. We're fortunate we have him.

Q: Jim, let's talk addition by subtraction. Last year at this time, the Tigers didn't have Alfredo Simon, David Price and Shane Greene. Gone are Rick Porcello and Max Scherzer. Can you explain what we'll see from these newcomers?

A: We're looking forward to it. As people know you just can't have everybody because with a huge salary, you have to cut back somewhere. You don't have an open checkbook. Mr. Illitch has been fantastic, but you can't have a totally open checkbook.

Q: The American League Central Division seems to be getting better. Do you think the rest of the division is catching up with the Tigers?

A: I think the division has been good for a while. Cleveland was in the playoffs a couple years ago. We were, then Kansas City and us last year. I don't think the Central ever gets the credit it deserves.

Q: Brad Ausmus is in his second year. What do you see in him as a manager?

A: I think he's going to be a terrific manager. I think he did a very, very good job last year. I think the guy is going to be a terrific manager. He has a good feel for people, he has a good feel for the game and 18 years as a catcher, he knows what's going on. I think he has a chance to be a tremendous manager.

Q: Finally, lets talk about the dynamics of the 2015 Tigers. What should the Tigers fans look for? Will the be an exciting club to watch?

A: I don't think there is any question they'll be a great team to watch. I think we're really good. We're flying under the radar a little bit which is not normal because we've been picked a lot. I agree with Ian Kinsler if they want to fly us under the radar, that's fine. I think this will be an outstanding team.

Like everybody else, you're at the mercy of some injuries and you hope you can keep your team injury free. If we're injury free, we're really good. These guys are good players. We have a solid team. We expect good things. You have to have a little luck, stay healthy and things have to fall in place. But we're good.

As I looked at the Tigers Roster, I was amazed at how many of the players make their homes in the Sunshine State of Florida. We're looking at 10.

Shane Greene lives in Clermont, Justin Verlander resides in Lakeland and Victor Martinez is in Orlando.

Seven players live in South Florida which is in My Neck Of The Woods. Mainly Dade and Broward Counties.

Anibal Sanchez lives in Coral Gables (Dade), Jose Iglesias in Miami (Dade).

The Broward County residents include: Alex Avila (Davie), Miguel Cabrera (Hollywood), Nick Castellanos (Davie), Yoenis Cespedes (Pompano Beach) and J.D. Martinez, who is photographed in Fort Lauderdale.
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As of this post, the Tigers are 10-18 including today's loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 at Marchant Stadium.

Injuries have limited the playing time of Victor Martinez, Verlander, Iglesias and Cabrera. We'll see if these players can get healthy enough in time for Opening Day on Monday April 6th at 1:08 PM.

The Tigers host the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park with Price getting the start facing Phil Hughes.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

Interview With NHL Legend Denis Potvin

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

If I had to come up with a Mt. Rushmore of NHL Defenseman, My list would include Bobby Orr (Boston Bruins), Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings), Ray Bourque (Boston and Colorado Avalanche) and Denis Potvin of the New York Islanders.

I would welcome any feedback off of this list.

All of these players have won multiple James Norris Trophies, and played on Stanley Cup Championship Winning Teams.

When the Detroit Red Wings faced the Florida Panthers on March 19, 2015 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, FL., I had a chance to speak with Potvin before the game.

When I told Potvin that he was on My Mt. Rushmore List, he was humbled, his face lit up and his voice perked up as well. While he may have been surprised by this, any person that has followed hockey for decades would see justification in adding him.

Indeed, he deserves to be on it.

Potvin was the Islanders first overall selection in the 1973 NHL Draft. He played his entire career on Long Island from 1973-1988.

He's a four-time Stanley Cup Winner of the early 1980's Islanders' Dynasty. He also won the Norris Trophy three times.

In 1991, Potvin reached immortality by being elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

He was the captain for the Islanders when they won four consecutive championships, in addition to making five straight Stanley Cup Finals Appearances.

During his eight years as Islanders Captain, New York never failed to reach to reach the playoffs.

When Potvin retired, his career numbers were as follows: 310 goals, 742 assists for 1,052 points in 1,060 games, along with 1,356 penalty minutes.

He was the first defenseman to reach 1,000 career points.

On February 1, 1992, Potvin's No.5 Jersey was retired by the Islanders, the first such honor bestowed by the franchise.

After his playing days, Potvin was a color commentator for the Florida Panthers television broadcasts on FS Florida from the team's inception in 1993 to the 2008-09 season.

On May 6, 2009, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that the Panthers would not renew his contract in order to save money. He was replaced by former Panthers player Bill Lindsay.

In September 2010, Potvin was hired by the Ottawa Senators to be their colour analyst on Rogers Sportsnet.

But on August of 2014, he was rehired by the Panthers new owners working with Steve Goldstein on Fox Sports Florida.

Before the Red Wings 3-1 loss to the Panthers, I had the Good Fortune of speaking with Potvin in a Q&A Interview.

Q: Are you happy to see the New York Islanders (44-26-5) winning again?

A: Sure I am. It's been a long, long time. I speak for all of the alumni. We've been waiting for this to happen. It's almost shameful what's happened since over the years where they're not very good, not able to get a lot of support in the county, and now they're finally leaving. It's kind of sad.

Q: What are your thoughts about the Islanders move to Brooklyn, NY? It never dawned on me that this would happen although I'm very aware of the issues they've had with the aging and outdated Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

A: The arena in Brooklyn is supposed to be a basketball arena and it doesn't have the attendance the NHL normally requires (15,795). So I think it's a work in progress. I was told by Garth Snow the General Manager that they are signing a long term lease in Brooklyn. But we'll wait and see what happens. They did say to the alumni that they would preserve the jerseys, the Stanley Cups and everything else. So they want to keep the history of the Islanders alive.

Q: Do you see some positives coming from this move into The Big Apple?

A: On the other hand, I know the New York area very well. You're just a stones throw away from Madison Square Garden, and it could become another intense rivalry like we had. The City of Brooklyn has a lot of people and they can be very intense about their teams. That's the way it's going to go.

Q: How impressed are you that the Detroit Red Wings have made the playoffs 23-Consecutive Years?

A: Like everybody else, it's unbelievable. I don't know how they do it especially in the Salary Cap Era. But on the other hand, my quick answer is they have a formula that works.

Mike Babcock is a terrific coach, but he doesn't see a rookie until he's 23-years old. That's where you get the consistency. They don't bring players up that can make a lot of mistakes. They bring players up that are seasoned and that have had their chance to make their early mistakes at 19 and 20 years old. That's why you can see the consistency.

Q: What do you think of Red Wings GM Ken Holland?

A: Ken Holland is so well respected. When this 3-3 Overtime comes alive, you'll have a picture of Kenny on the side boards. Whenever a guy of this stature makes a recommendation, people listen to him. This is a game of wins and losses. That's the bottom line. If Ken Holland was in an organization which hadn't made the playoffs in five years, it doesn't quite work. This is all about wins and losses. And Holland has directed that very well for his franchise.

Q: What are your thoughts of the Red Wings switch to the Eastern Conference last season?

A: I like it. It's fine. I'm very happy for the realignment.

It's tough on the Florida Panthers to have to go to Ottawa in the Eastern Conference. I was hoping that there would be realignment that would allow Florida to be in the same area as Raleigh, NC (Carolina Hurricanes), Nashville, TN, Tampa Bay and Washington. For Florida teams, people don't understand the amount of travel involved.

Detroit more than anyone is going to benefit because of the amount of travel in the past playing in the Western Conference. They'll see how much easier it is in the Eastern Conference. It was brutal for them for a long time.

Q: Former Red Wings player Gerard Gallant seems to have done a nice job as Panthers coach. Is that why they're in playoff contention with a 34-26-14 mark?

A: Yes! We all like Gerard Gallant. When the players tell me that they look forward to coming to the rink everyday, you know you've reached them as a coaching staff. Gallant has done a nice job.

He has good assistants working with him in John Madden, Mark Morris, and Rob Tallas, who are doing a great job developing the young players. Dale Tallon (Executive VP & GM) has done a good job in bringing in the veterans.

Much like the Detroit organization, once the core of young players here settles in, you'll be able to take time and develop your younger players like Detroit does, and NOT have the 18 and 19 come up too early.

Q: Denis, I know you had excellent goaltenders in New York speaking of Glenn "Chico" Resch, and Billy Smith. What are your thoughts of Panthers standout net minder Roberto Luongo?

A: When Roberto Luongo left here (following the 2005-06 season), I will say he was looking to play in the playoffs. You can't blame the guy. In this day, when free agents are there, you can pretty much determine where you want to go. He went to Vancouver and he got a real taste of not only what it was like to be in the playoffs, but to compete in the Stanley Cup Finals as he did. He was on a team that twice went for the President's Trophy in the NHL (Best Record In The Regular Season).

So coming back was important that we all know what he had in mind. He made it very clear. He said I'm coming back here to Florida to help this team make the playoffs, and win a Stanley Cup someday. But at age 35 (turning 36 on April 4), he's still a young man in the game. Roberto Luongo right now has a .921 save percentage is holding up his side. He's a .919 save percentage career wise and he's been better that that all-season long. As Coach Gerard Gallant said, ' He's our MVP.'

Q: Finally, I'm from an Original Six City Detroit, how much of an appreciation do you have for the charter franchises?

A: Are you kidding (smiling), I really do! I've been a big fan all my life. I must say, I grew up a French Canadian so the Montreal Canadiens were probably My favorite team.

The Red Wings in my time were not a very solid organization so it's commendable to see what Mr. Mike Illitch and the ownership has done.

This is about to happen here with new ownership. they're really committed and if we can get close to making the playoffs, and to mirror what the Red Wings have done, South Florida is going to make a big name of themselves in the NHL.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

The Sports Scene

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

There are times in the past that I've been critical of Montreal especially the Canadiens Fan Base.

But not this time.

On October 18, 2005, the Montreal Canadiens honored four Montreal Expos and have a banner in the rafters at the Bell Centre. The players and numbers include Gary Carter (8), Tim Raines (30), Andre Dawson and former Tiger Rusty Staub (10).

This was a Class Act!

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We'll stay with the Montreal theme and I will make a prediction for this next one.

If The Tampa Bay Rays continue to have difficulties finding a new stadium in the Metro Area, I look for them to eventually move elsewhere. This organization continues to trade marquee players thus making it difficult for the fan base to follow their core players. Seems like a yearly Fire Sale. This organization resembles a AAA team.

Former GM Andrew Friedman moved on to the LA Dodgers to become their President of Baseball Operations. Meanwhile, Joe Maddon skipped town to take on the task of ending a century long World Series drought with the Chicago Cubs. Maddon was 754-705 from 2006-2014 and lead the Rays to one World Series Appearance.

There is no way the Rays can be competitive until the expiration of their lease until 2027. The City of St. Petersburg is over playing its hand. Lets see them block a move to Canada.

This elsewhere has Owner Stuart Sternberg selling and moving the team to Montreal. I wouldn't be surprised if the team is named the Expos. I would be in favor of this move!

While most major markets can't have teams in the same league, this situation would be different. The Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays in the same division is a natural. The Canadiens and Maple Leafs have been rivals in the NHL and this would excite both fan bases.

I do believe that Montreal deserves a second chance and it's common knowledge that the 1994 MLB Player Strike destroyed baseball in this market. The Expos had the best record in baseball with a 74-40 mark. They were on a pace to win over 100 games. This team had Pedro Martinez, Larry Walker, Moises Alou, Marquis Grissom and many others.

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The 2016 NHL Winter Classic will have a familiar twist to it. It will be a contest featuring two Original Six teams, one from the United States and the other from Canada.

In 2014, the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs played at Michigan Stadium in front of 105,491. The viewership in the USA and Canada hit 8.2 Million which was impressive considering the numerous college bowl games.

Gillette Stadium will host the Boston Bruins vs Montreal Canadiens. While the attendance at the New England Patriots home stadium will not hit the 100,000 mark, this contest figures to be a dandy. There is no love loss between these bitter rivals. Their battles in the regular season and in the playoffs are incredible.

If the game is marketed well then there will be another outstanding crowd in Foxborough, MA. I'll be curious to see what the viewership totals turn out to be.

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The NHL knows it has a good thing going with these outdoor games and I like the match-ups for next seasons Stadium Series.

On February 21, 2016, The Minnesota Wild host the Chicago Blackhawks at TC Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota Campus. This will be the Blackhawks fourth outdoor game. I'm sure a lot of thought and debate went into having the Dallas Stars play against the Wild. Once upon a time, the Stars used to be the Minnesota North Stars.

I like the match-up on February 27 at Coors Field in Downtown Denver as two old Western Conference Rivals collide. The Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche face off and while goaltenders Mike Vernon and Patrick Roy won't be fighting at Center Ice, I could see a lot of intensity and build-up for this contest.

NBC's announcers will have no shortage of footage from battles in the regular season and playoffs.

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It's been a busy week in NASCAR.

Here is the good and the bad.

Kurt Busch sealed his fate in the Sprint Cup Series by being suspended indefinitely for Domestic Violence. This guy is a victim of his own past and has been given plenty of chances to keep his temper under control, but has failed to do so.

NASCAR had to react drastically after all the issues that the NFL had to deal with in 2014.

Meanwhile, Joey Logano's win at the Daytona 500 Sunday gave Owner Roger Penske his second "Great American Race" victory. Ryan Newman won for Penske in 2008.

Penske has 15 Indianapolis 500 Wins. Penske has the most wins as an owner for the Indianapolis 500.

He won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship on November 12, 2012 as Brad Keselowski prevailed. Logano, 24, has the potential to win Penske another title. In his short career, he has nine wins and 83 Top Ten finishes.

Now, Keselowski and Logano are teammates this season.

If I had a Mount Rushmore of Motor Sports Owners, Penske, 78, would easily be on this list!

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Finally, former Detroit Pistons Player and Coach Michael Curry has his hands full in Boca Raton, FL.

The first year head coach of the FAU Owls finds his team in last place in Conference USA. The Owls currently are 1-13 and 8-17 overall in the 14 team conference going into Thursday's game at Western Kentucky (19-5, 16-10).

FAU isn't an easy place to coach. The capacity at FAU Arena is 5000 and it would be difficult to sell recruits on such a small facility.

I wish Curry well with this challenge. At least Curry was smart enough to sign a six-year deal worth close to $2 Million, $325,000 this year.

His predecessor was Mike Jarvis and he was 10-20 last season. Jarvis was 77-110 six seasons with FAU.

Jarvis' career collegiate coaching record is 422-313.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

Creative Stadium Names

BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
NFL PHOTO BY CANDICE EBLING

When I was growing up as a kid back in Metro Detroit, Tiger Stadium, Olympia Stadium, Joe Louis Arena, Cobo Arena and the Pontiac Silverdome were the main venues to watch the Tigers, Red Wings, Pistons and the Lions.

Then late Pistons Owner William Davidson built the Palace of Auburn Hills privately after his team was displaced as a result of snow causing damage to the roof at the Pontiac Silverdome in the mid 1980's. Davidson's Pistons had to use the Joe Louis Arena and Cobo for the playoffs.

As I was watching the NHL Stadium Classic Saturday Night at Levi's Stadium, it was interesting to see the LA Kings face the San Jose Sharks in another outdoor contest.

Then I began thinking, this is a game being played in a stadium which sells Jeans.

As Sports have become Commercialized through the years with advertising in NHL arenas on the boards and ice, plus Baseball uses the outfield walls, scoreboards, etc... it made me wonder about Names of Stadiums. Advertising is all over NFL and NBA arenas as well.

Nowadays, stadiums are selling Naming Rights to Corporations for millions of dollars.

Many of these advertisers are cell phone providers, banks, airlines, beer and insurance companies.

There are very few stadiums named after Notable Individuals on both the Professional and Collegiate levels.

I've decided to have fun with this and create two lists of both Commercial and Individuals.

I never thought I'd see Comerica Park replace the iconic Tiger Stadium. I'll be curious as to which company eventually gets the naming rights to the Palace and the Red Wings New Stadium.

Will Olympia Stadium return with a Corporation attached to it to recreate the Red Wings traditional brand?

Detroit's Ford Field is actually a Crossover to both since it was a family founded company that has been a fixture commercially for decades.

I welcome any stadiums that you may mention.

Advertisers:

1. University of Phoenix Stadium (Arizona Cardinals, NFL).
2. KFC Yum Center (University of Louisville Basketball).
3. Petco Park (San Diego Padres, MLB) Pet Supplies.
4. Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA (San Francisco 49'ers, NFL) Jeans.
5. Heinz Field (Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL) Ketchup.
6. Ford Field (Detroit Lions, NFL).
7. Sports Authority Field at Mile High (Denver Broncos, NFL).
8. Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Rays, MLB) Orange Juice/Citrus Industry.
9. Minute Maid Park (Houston Astros, MLB) Orange Juice/Citrus Industry.
10. Gillette Stadium (New England Patriots, NFL) Razor Blades.
11. Pepsi Center (Denver Nuggets, NBA).
12. Smoothie King Center (New Orleans Pelicans, NBA).
13. Talking Stick Resort Arena (Phoenix Suns, NBA) Scottsdale, AZ.
14. Gila River Arena (Arizona Coyotes, NHL) Tribal Casino.
15. O.co Coliseum (Oakland Raiders, NFL & A's, MLB) Overstock.com's Marketing Name.
16. Louisville Slugger Field (Louisville Bats, AAA Baseball).
17. Stub Hub Center (LA Galaxy, MLS) Ticket Outlet.
18.  Rio Tinto Stadium (Real Salt Lake, MLS) International Mining Company. Stadium is located in Salt Lake City Suburb of Sandy, Utah. Rio Tinto's Headquarters are located in London, England.
19. Red Bull Arena (New York Red Bulls, MLS) Energy Drink.
20. Dick's Sporting Goods Park (Colorado Rapids, MLS).

Arenas After People:

1. Joe Louis Arena (Detroit Red Wings, NHL).
2. Ralph Wilson Stadium (Buffalo Bills, NFL).
3. Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers, NFL).
4. Dean Smith Center (North Carolina Basketball, NCAA) Chapel Hill, NC.
5. Rupp Arena (Kentucky Wildcats Men's Basketball, NCAA) Lexington, KY.
6. Turner Field (Atlanta Braves, MLB).
7. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Florida Gators Football) Named after a Citrus Magnate.
8. Bryant-Denny Stadium (Alabama Crimson Tide Football) Former President George H. Denny and Legendary Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant.
9. Herb Brooks Arena (US Men's Hockey Gold Medal Coach 1980) Lake Placid, New York.
10. Doubleday Field (Baseball Hall of Fame) Cooperstown, NY. Named after Abner Doubleday, Inventor of the Game of Baseball.

Have to admit that as I researched this list, the advertisers were interesting. To see Pet Supplies, A Smoothie Company, Tribal Casino, Razor Blades, The Citrus Industry along with a Tourist Resort means the Advertising Exposure is Priceless.

Especially when those names are Constantly all over The Media.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.