iheartradio

Versus

Seriously?

I have been the proud owner of an iPhone for a few years now, in fact, I'm actually currently using my second iteration of the amazing device. One of the fantastic features of my favorite electronic appendage is the ability to leverage any of the multitude of Apps that have been developed specifically for use with the iPhone.

After hearing (and hearing and hearing) advertisements on Clear Channel radio stations about the existence of the iheartradio app, I decided to try it. I downloaded the App about a year and a half ago and was extremely underwhelmed (may have been a bandwith issue, but kept losing the connection - and while trying to listen to Detroit radio (e.g. 1130 AM) the game broadcasts were blocked and I got Fox radio instead. Boo.). Hence, I forgot about it.

This morning, as I sat in standstill traffic in the lovely city of Denver, I realized that I needed a Detroit sports fix. The Wings are about to kick off their 19th straight playoff run, the Tigers pulled out another come-from-behind win, the Pistons have their last game of a completely forgettable season, the Lions... well, Brandon Marshall just got traded, and (shocker) RichRod was back in the news for legal issues. I needed to hear things from a D-town perspective.

So, I fired up the iheartradio app and waited to see what would happen. I was expecting to hear Jim Rome, because 9 times out of 10 I don't get an actual Detroit feed, but this morning was different. I was immediately listening to the midday (8:15am MT?) show starring Ryan Ermanni. The topic being bantered was "which are you more excited about: Red Wings or Tigers?"

Seriously? This was EXACTLY what I wanted to be listening to. Most of the callers, and this was a surprise to me, were very level-headed expressing their opinion that most Detroit fans have become complacent with the success of the Red Wings, so their excitement is more subdued, but they realized that the continued excellence of the franchise needs to be celebrated and appreciated, because, as the Pistons so perfectly displayed, fortunes can change VERY suddenly.

And, most of the callers agreed that the Tigers have way too many issues to get excited about. Pitching is scary, clutch hits are unreliable, etc. My initial reaction to completely agree on both counts -- and that hasn't changed dramatically, but I have changed my reaction to the initial question.

What am I more excited about: Red Wings or Tigers? Is it wrong to answer "both"? This is the time of year we, as NHL fans, live for. Is there anything more exciting than the opening round of the NHL playoffs? Any team can beat any other -- it's all happened before. The President's Trophy, while awesome and esteemed, really means nothing once the second season begins. The Red Wings, for the first time in recent memory, come into the playoffs hungry. They haven't been able/needed to rest any players in the typical March coast into the number 1 or 2 seed in the West. They are a team that actually had to play their way into the post season and is (and I'm as shocked as anyone on this point) clicking on all cylinders. There last 3 overtime games? 3 wins -- including one in a shoot-out. Unheard of. Inexplicable. Exciting. Can't wait for the puck to drop tonight (no matter that living in Colorado, I won't be able to watch).

And as far as the Tigers are concerned, are you kidding me? I don't care that they've only played Kansas City and Cleveland. The simple fact is that they've won games. Games that they could've/should've lost. They're winning games without their best pitchers pitching well. They're winning games that are action-packed and full of offense. What's not to be excited about? I normally would point to the fact that they haven't played New York, or Boston, or (God forbid) Minnesota (seriously, they NEEDED Thome?), but the facts are the facts. They're beating the teams that they should beat -- if they want to contend for a post-season berth. Yes, I said it "post-season berth." It's April 14 and I'm writing about October. The difference, this year, is that the Tigers are still in it...!