The End of the Student Athlete

It's all over the news. Jim Tressel resigned. Since last December, the Ohio State football program appeared in the news seemingly every week with a new scandal. It started when news broke that six OSU football players (including Terrelle Pryor) received cash in exchange for Buckeye memorabilia. Tressel denied any knowledge of wrongdoing. Then Big Ten Commissioner campaigned that the six OSU players be allowed to play in their bowl game. Inexplicably, the NCAA permitted the OSU players to play in the Sugar Bowl.

OSU fans hoped this would be the end of the affair. But YahooSports dug a bit deeper. They discovered that Tressel knew about the player infractions months before the incident became public. By the time Tressel resigned, it was clear that he ran a crooked program from Day 1.

While I believe the dude is dirty, he's still a scapegoat. This year, OSU took the fall. Last year, it was USC. The NCAA can't go a month without a new scandal hitting the news about how a top program broke the rules. Surely the coaches much justify it in their minds by thinking "everyone does it." "If Cam Newton gets a fire-engine red Ferrari for signing with Auburn, I better find a booster who sells Ferraris!" And, for the record, Auburn is next. Then I'm sure we'll see Alabama take some heat. It's all the top programs. With all this cheating going on, how can the NCAA tolerate it?

Because, unless it makes the news, they don't care. The NCAA is about money. This was best illustrated with the Sugar Bowl incident last December. The moneymen behind the Sugar Bowl didn't want an OSU team without Terrelle Pryor and five key players. The moneymen flashed their checkbooks, and the NCAA caved. This single act exposed the NCAA to be completely subject to the will of handful of very rich men. It's not the bastion of honored student athlete. The organization may advertise how they cater to athletes who are students first, but the fact is that the NCAA is as corrupt and dirty as Boss Tweed.

There's simply too much money flowing around in college sports. The beast allowed itself to grow to gargantuan heights and now it's untenable. And they're slowly destroying everything that made it great.

The once hallowed ground of New Years Day is now a great time to catch the TicketCity Bowl. It's only a matter of time before the NCAA "Championship" Game goes head-to-head with the NBA Playoffs.

In many ways, we, the fans, are partly to blame. We allow our fanaticism to rage unchecked. The Internet gave fans unfettered access to their team. Information and news spread at a feverish clip. Fans now bicker with rival schools on message boards behind the anonymity of an untracked alias and post updates about the latest 17 year old 5-star defensive back. Last April, an incredible 92,310 fans attended the Alabama Spring game. A practice! And it was televised (ESPNU). So, fans pump their money and attention on the sport. The NCAA and their schools rake in the cash. And the players who actually play? They become commodities. Is it any wonder they want to get paid?

I never saw myself as a traditionalist, but when it comes to college athletics, I guess I am. I have no problem with companies wanting more money. Nor do I have a problem with athletes wanting to get paid. But they're called professionals. And companies that are about making money are usually corporations bought-and-sold on the NYSE. Not an organization whose first core value is:

The collegiate model of athletics in which students participate as an avocation, balancing their academic, social and athletics experiences

Nowhere in their core values do they say anything about cashing in on the Sugar Bowl. In fact, there's no mention of money at all. But they do mention integrity.

Checking in with the Nats

Cherundolo: Stellar season abroad
For most of the Americans playing abroad, the club season is over. The top players won't get much time off, as Bradley called in 16 foreign-based players for the upcoming Gold Cup. The US scheduled a Gold Cup tune-up against Spain on June 4th.

How did the top American players fare this past season?

Tim Howard (GK) - Howard started every key game for Everton this season - 42 games, with 9 shutouts. He performed well and helped push Everton to a 7th place finish. He's their main man for the foreseeable future.

Brad Guzan (GK) - Sat second-fiddle to Brad Friedel for most of the season at Aston Villa. In January, Villa loaned Guzan to Hull City in the Championship (2nd tier division). Guzan did very well, and Hull extended the loan. Guzan won't be back at Villa next season, but I imagine he'll have no difficulty finding a new club, perhaps back at Hull.

Marcus Hahnemann (GK) - Began the season as the first-choice keeper for premiership side, Wolverhampton. After a 17 starts, he was benched. The move paid-off, sort of, as Wolverhampton avoided relegation (barely). Hahnemann may move to the MLS to finish his career.

Carlos Bocanegra (D) - Another solid season for Bocanegra in Europe, as he helped St. Etienne finish in 8th place in France's top division. He started almost every match and scored 2 goals from set-pieces.

Steve Cherundolo (D) - Wonderful season for the Hannover captain. Cherundolo led Hannover to their best finish (4th), narrowly missing Champion's League honors. Other than missing time with yellow-card accumulation, Cherundolo started every match.

Oguchi Onyewu (D) - A season to forget. Onyewu, despite offering to play for 0 dollars, could not crack the lineup at AC Milan. During the January transfer window, Onyewu was loaned to Twente in the Dutch league. Twente inserted Onyewu into the starting lineup where he eventually made 13 starts. By seasons end, though, Onyewu was back on the bench, and, to make matters worse, Twente ceded their 1st place crown on the final game of the season! Going forward, Onyewu has no future with AC Milan. With a decent run with Twente, he's better off seeking a long term loan in the Dutch league.

Eric Lichaj (D) - Yet another yank at Aston Villa. Thanks to injuries, the young defender saw some minutes early in the season and impressed enough to earn a call-up from US coach Bob Bradley. When the senior Villa players returned, Lichaj found himself back on the bench. He was loaned to Championship side Leeds United and fared very well. Leeds fought hard to gain promotion but ultimately fell short. I expect Lichaj to spend another season as a backup at Villa and likely earn another loan to a Championship squad needing right back help.

Jon Spector (D/M) - What a weird season for Spector at West Ham. He was coming off a dreadful 09/10 campaign and an injury that forced him to miss much of the World Cup. His drop in form was so stark that I feared his career was in jeopardy, despite his young age (27). At the beginning of the season, Spector wasn't even earning a spot on West Ham's gameday roster. He was a borderline reserve. Then a strange thing happened. One of the reserve coaches opted to try Spector at center midfield. The move worked wonders. While still not a regular starter, Spector shined as a center midfielder in West Ham's run through the Carling Cup. In regular league matches, Spector was back on the bench, earning regular minutes as a sub. Late in the season, they called on Spector once again to fill in as a starting defender. Spector's contract with West Ham is up this offseason. His versatility might help him earn another contract, but I expect it will be with a different club. West Ham got relegated and they might want to revamp their roster. Personally, I think Spector is better off playing in the Championship. He's not quite premiership quality yet.

Michael Bradley (M) - In his second season at Borussia Monchengladbach, Bradley fell out of favor. BM signed Bradley after a sterling season with Dutch outfit Heerenveen where he scored an incredible 16 goals. The top flight Bundesliga proved a difficult transition, and Bradley couldn't come close to matching that goal output for BM. Bradley got benched midseason and found himself loaned to Aston Villa. He hardly saw the pitch at Villa, while BM went on a late-season tear without Bradley. It's unfair to pin any of BM's previous failures entirely on Bradley, but it doesn't bode well for Bradley's return. For those of us that watch the US national team, we know Bradley's quality. Hopefully, he'll find a new club this summer and not open the season again at BM.

Clint Dempsey (M) - One of the great success stories this year. Fulham had a new manager who apparently didn't think highly of Dempsey. So he began the season, yet again, on the bench. It didn't last long, as Dempsey quickly proved himself to be the team's most dynamic scoring threat. He notched 39 starts and 13 goals, and Fulham finished an impressive 8th in the premiership. While many folks want to see Dempsey move to a bigger, Champion's League club, I'd prefer for him to stay at Fulham. He's got a good thing going there. Why mess with it? I wanted Bradley to stay at Heerenveen too, and look what happened to him when he left! Check out Dempsey's goals:

Jermaine Jones (M) - Like Bradley, he fell out of favor at his Bundesliga club (Schalke) and was loaned to a premiership side (Blackburn). Unlike Bradley, he started almost every game, and, in general, impressed the squad. Schalke definitely don't want him back, as Jones basically told-off the coach there, and Germans don't stand for that. A permanent move to Blackburn or a return to Germany, with a different club, is likely. Either way, I expect Jones to continue to earn playing time.

Freddy Adu (M) - He had all-but-fallen off the radar. Last September, nobody wanted him. He literally couldn't find a team. Benfica, who owned his contract, had no interest. And last year's team, Aris in Greece, didn't want him on a loan. Freddy practiced with a few squads around Europe, but nobody bit. Then came the January transfer window. A 2nd-tier Turkey side, Risapor, took a chance on Freddy. Freddy responded with 4 goals in 10 starts. His brief resurgence caught the notice of Bob Bradley who called Freddy up for the Gold Cup roster. This must be a massive confidence-boost for the kid who was so close to rock-bottom just seven months ago. While practicing with the US squad will help Freddy's career, he still needs to find a club for next season. A good showing this summer will make his hunt easier.

Damarcus Beasley (M) - Beasley signed with Hannover early in the season and played a bit part as a reserve. He started 11 games, mostly in the German Cup, not the League games. 1 goal. Strange to say, but it looks like his career in Europe is winding down.

Ricardo Clark (M) - Clark started the year with an injury that kept him sidelined most of 2010. He returned this Spring to start 9 games for Eintracht Frankfurt. Alas, EF was relegated, but I believe Clark remains part of their long-term plans.

Maurice Edu (M) - Edu was a key player for Rangers this year, helping them earn another Scottish League title. Edu also scored a goal in the Champions' League, becoming one of just a few Americans to earn that honor (others in that group include Beasley and Jovan Kirovski). Despite playing in the top-heavy Scottish League, competition at Rangers is fierce. Edu must fight for his minutes. So far, he's done just fine and may just be the US's best option at holding midfielder.

Jozy Altidore (F) - This young man needs a change of scenery. He wasn't earning regular minutes at Villareal in Spain, so they loaned him to Bursapor in Turkey during the January transfer window. The move gave Jozy minutes, but he only scored one goal in five starts. He's not in the long-term plans for Villareal or Bursapor, so another loan next season is likely. My hope is he moves to MLS just to earn some actual games. His career isn't progressing at the big club like Villareal. He'd be better off somewhere smaller.

Charlie Davies (F) - Quite an interesting few months for the former US striker. Most US fans held out hope last year that Davies would recover from his near-fatal injury in record time and somehow make the World Cup roster. When Bradley didn't select him, a lot of us lashed out, thinking Bradley was punishing Davies for breaking curfew. News later surfaced that it wasn't just Bradley's call. The US medical staff ran extensive tests on Davies and confirmed that he was nowhere near recovered. At the beginning of the 2010 season, Davies' club, French outfit Sochaux, confirmed that claim: "He is not at the level he was when he joined us." Those words must've been tough to hear after his grueling rehabilitation. But Davies is a fighter. He accepted his new role as reserve. He spent the entire first half of the season with the reserve squad, occasionally scoring, but not with any regularity you'd expect from an international-level striker (which was exactly what he was pre-injury). Finally, in December, he made the bench for the senior Sochaux squad. In the offseason, Sochaux loaded up on strikers, so Charlie's playing time would be limited at best. He was looking at more time with the reserves. But Sochaux are a good outfit, and they wanted what's best for Charlie. So they offered to loan him to DC United in MLS. DC set a league record last season with fewest ever goals scored. They desperately needed help. But head coach, Ben Olsen (yes, THAT Ben Olsen) wasn't sure Charlie was recovered enough to make the squad. MLS is a notch below the French League, but it's still competitive. Just as Beckham and Thierry Henry. Davies worked out for DC and, after two weeks, the good news came that Davies passed the fitness test. He made the squad and came off the bench in his first game and scored TWICE! To date, he's appeared in 9 games (six starts) and scored six goals (three from the penalty spot). Charlie isn't fully back to his pre-injury level, but to see him scoring again is a minor miracle.

Brian Rafalski's $6million gift

Brian Rafalski surprised the Red Wing faithful last night as news leaked of his potential retirement. With just one year left on his contract, most thought Rafalski would play his final year and then perhaps hang up his skates. Yet, after a year of back surgery, knee surgery, and back spasms, it's possible Rafalski decided to listen to his body.

This is a somewhat shocking move because Rafalski is leaving $6million on the table. It wasn't like Rafalski's skills diminished sharply either. He finished fifth on the team in points with 48, and he was a +11. My guess is that his disappointing playoff performance left a bitter taste in his mouth and likely hastened his decision.

Throughout the 11 playoff games, Rafalski failed to make an impression. This is not always a bad thing for a defenseman. I recall horrible giveaways from Ericsson and Stuart that led to scoring chances and often goals. Rafalski didn't have that back-breaking mistake. But he didn't offer much positive either. His career as a Red Wing was marked by excellence. Just fifteen months ago, he starred on the grandest of stages for the US Olympic hockey team. Rafalski was perhaps the US's best player and the best defenseman in the tournament. Maybe that offseason back surgery took its toll on his slapshot. Or maybe it's just significantly harder to skate. As a back surgery veteran myself, I know that recovery times are often measured in years, not months. Regardless, the Red Wings now have a large hole to fill.

And it could get bigger.

Of the Red Wings' top 6 d-men, only Kronwall and Stuart are sure to return. Lidstrom is mulling retirement. Ericsson and Salei are unrestricted free agents, and Rafalski is gone. With Rafalski's $6million off the books, let's play the GM game.

Next season, the Wings have roughly $40million committed to 14 players. Last season, the salary cap was $59.35million. Let's assume the salary cap goes up to $60million. Rumblings say it may go up more, but let's keep it at a round number like $60million. That leaves the Wings with $20million in cap space. This is the first season since the lockout the Wings have had any room to maneuver.

Among the forwards, the Wings have to fill four spots. Modano, Draper, Eaves, and Miller are unrestricted free agents. Eaves and Miller are a good fit with the Wings, and I think they want to stay. I expect them to return at slightly higher salaries. I'm not convinced Draper wants to hang 'em up yet, so I bet he'll return, but at a slightly reduced rate. Modano retires.

Forward Spot 1: Eaves at $900,000

Forward Spot 2: Miller at $750,000

Forward Spot 3: Draper at $1.3M

Forward Spot 4: ???

That leaves $17M left to spend.

On defense, four spots are open. Lidstrom and Salei return for contracts equal to this season. Ericsson rejects the Wings' offer and signs elsewhere for crazy money.

Defense Spot 1: Lidstrom at $6.2M

Defense Spot 2: Salei at $1.1M

Defense Spot 3: ???

Defense Spot 4: ???

In goal, Ozzie resigns as the backup for $1.2M.

In this scenario, the Wings need to fill out one forward spot, and two d-men spots. They've got $8.5M left to spend. With Rafalski out of the fold, the Wings lose a premier defenseman. It's more likely the Wings will spend the lionshare of their cash on defense, especially considering they led the league in goals last year and were somewhat porous on D.

Among the unrestricted free agents, Ed Jovanovski (PHO), Andrei Markov (MTL), Eric Brewer (TB), and Kevin Bieksa (VAN) lead the pack. Those are all fine choices and would definitely help the Wings. Yet, the Wings could make the bigger splash with the restricted free agents. I don't recall the Wings ever making a play at the restricted free agent, but, with $8.5M of wiggle room, why not?

Sticking with defenseman, the top restricted free agent is also exactly what the Wings need -- Shea Weber. This isn't news to folks who regularly read this blog, but I think Weber is the best young defenseman in the game. He's the new era Pronger. In my dream scenario, the Wings make a massive play for Weber, something like 10 years/$70M. Apparently, Weber wants to remain a Predator, and that organization ain't stupid. They know what he's worth, and I anticipate him staying. So Weber is out of the discussion (though I still hope the Wings pursue).

A less expensive option is Zach Bogosian from Atlanta. As an Eastern Conference team, we rarely get to see the Thrashers, but Holland apparently wanted to pry Bogosian from Atlanta earlier this season. He's not performed terribly well, but he's just 20 years old. He could thrive in the veteran-laden Red Wing system. Also available is Drew Doughty of the LA Kings. Like the Preds, the Kings aren't stupid, and they know Doughty is the cornerstone of that defense. He's going to stay in LA.

Based on Ken Holland's track record, it's still more likely the Wings will sign a veteran to a 1 or 2 year deal than chase a restricted free agent. But with cap space, we can dream...

On offense, I'm not terribly enamored with many of the unrestricted forward options. The biggest name is Brad Richards of Dallas. Yet, he's paycheck last year was $7.8M. That's more than Datsyuk. What's he going to want from Detroit? In the restricted player pool, one name stands out above all others -- Steven Stamkos. At 21 years of age, Stamkos is already one of the best scorers in the game. With Yzerman as his GM, I can't see any scenario where Stamkos doesn't return to the Lightning. Other options include Zach Parise and Andrew Ladd. Both players can put the puck in the net. Ladd is just 24 and may not break the bank. In the past 3 seasons, he's raised his goal total from 15, 17, and 29, respectively. As an Atlanta Thrasher, he may be available.

My prediction for the remaining open roster spots:

Forward Spot 4: Michael Nylander at $2.3M

Defense Spot 3: Kevin Bieksa at $4.8M

Defense Spot 4: Brendan Smith (makes the big club) under contract at $875K

The Wings remain a few million under the cap and deal for a big name during the season.

Hoping for Vin Baker

Vin Baker
Poor Piston fans.

What few there are left.

Not only does the team stink. Not only did they embarrass the city with their petulant, selfish, immature antics this season. But they can't even lose correctly. For, despite the most dreadful season in Piston history, the team still won too many games. They didn't get enough balls in the lottery and, to add insult to injury, the Cavs bumped them down a spot to 8th.

The only silver lining in this scenario is that the draft stinks anyway. Picking 7th or 8th really doesn't matter. NBA scouts agree that this draft has two marquee players - Kyrie Irving, a point guard out of Duke, and Derrick Williams, a small forward from Arizona. After that, it's a total crap shoot. The player the Piston fans most covet is Bismack Biyombo, a Congalese freakshow with a 7'7 wingspan. This guy shot up the draft charts after a stellar Nike Hoop Summit earlier this year. Against top American high schoolers, Biyombo notched a triple double. On paper, he fits the teams' needs perfectly. He'd be a massive presence in the paint with his blocking and rebounding prowess, a good complement to Greg Monroe. Yet, as a raw, unseasoned 6'9 PF out of Congo, doesn't he sound more like a 2nd round project? Or a late first rounder? Not this year. With the looming lockout, many top college prospects opted to stay in school. That weakened an already weak class. So an unknown like Biyombo will be a lottery pick. At this point, the Pistons would be lucky to get him.

Historically, the 8th pick usually delivers meager returns:

2010: Al-Farouq Aminu (5.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg)

2009: Jordan Hill (5.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg)

2008: Joe Alexander (0.5 ppg, 0.6 rpg)

2007: Brandan Wright (3.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg)

2006: Rudy Gay (19.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg)

2005: Channing Frye (12.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg)

2004: Rafael Araujo (2.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg)

2003: TJ Ford (5.4 rpg, 3.4 apg)

2002: Chris Wilcox (7.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg)

2001: DeSagana Diop (1.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg)

For lottery picks, that's a sad group. It just goes to show how the talent drops precipitously after the first 3 picks. In that list, only Rudy Gay is a legitimate NBA starter. The jury is still out on Aminu and Jordan Hill, but the others are a sad lot. Channing Frye is a fine rotation player, and Chris Wilcox might find minutes. But the others? Ouch. And these are the 8th picks in the draft! They're supposed to be good.

Digging a little deeper into the 90s, I found two solid #8 picks. The crown jewel is Vin Baker, who had an excellent NBA career, making four All-star teams. He could've made more if not for his addiction to alcohol. Baker's numbers dropped precipitously after a trade to Seattle, and he struggled with alcoholism and a ballooning weight in his later years. The other is Andre Miller - still an active and effective point guard. He's shuttled around to five different teams. I've long thought he was unappreciated due to his size (6'2). But he stays healthy, and posts career averages of 14.5 ppg and 7.5 apg. Those numbers make Miller, Baker, and Rudy Gay the preeminent #8 picks. That's three players out of 20. So the chances of the Pistons finding an effective starter at #8 is 15%. Unfortunately, the dropoff after those top 3 is pretty steep. The remaining 17 aren't even rotation players. In the 90s, guys like Bo Kimble and Shawn Respert barely saw the floor.

If I was the Pistons, I'd entertain offers to trade down.

While the NFL lockout dominates the news, the NBA faces a similar crisis. While it's a backward way to do business, a lockout may greatly benefit the Pistons. If the NBA lockout is like the NHL lockout, where the owners really socked it to the players, the Pistons may get to shed some salary. I doubt they'd be able to dump an albatross like Ben Gordon's $36million remaining, but they may get some reprieve. I hate to say it, but Piston fans should pull for a lockout. This team ain't going anywhere in the near future. At least a lockout may help them get to ground zero.

Moving On

My friends, my apologies for the late post. I was ready to post this morning, but our Blogger was down. This is a free service, so no complaints on my end. They offer tremendous support, so they're entitled to go down whenever they want.

On to the Wings...

It's never easy to lose a Game 7. Watching the Sharks celebrate last night made my stomach turn. Yet, thanks to the admirable way the Wings fought back from an 0-3 series deficit made me proud. This loss wasn't easy to take, but it was easier.

The fact that every game was tightly contested shows how close these two teams were in terms of talent. Losing Franzen, Bertuzzi, and then Clearly severely hurt the Wings. They had to rely on Abdelkader and Hudler to carry a much larger load. When the buzzer sounded, it was only the Wings two star forwards - Zetterberg and Datsyuk - who had the talent to beat the Sharks staunch defense.

Now the Red Wings head home disappointed. They strive to win the Cup every year. Anything less is unacceptable. That's the standard this incredible team has set for themselves and their fans. As the players age, it's easy to write them off as past-their-prime. Yet, they proved this season that they are as elite as any team in the League. The salary cap crippled Holland's ability to lure free agents. But it's also brought talent-laden teams like Chicago and Pittsburgh down to Earth. All the teams are on a level playing field. There's very little wiggle room. So the Wings we see next season will likely resemble this squad.

Despite the ire that many fans feel toward playoff disappointments like Hudler and Rafalski right now, those guys are still valuable pieces. It might be nice to get Rafalski's $6million off the books, but who would've traded him after last year's Olympics? He was incredible. As for Hudler, he makes over $2million. If he's not scoring 18+ goals, he's not worth it. Yet, the Wings are stuck with him for now. So they just gotta roll with it and hope he turns it around.

And the rest of the team is pretty stable. Next year they'll return healthy and hungrier. This San Jose series galvanized the team and the fans.

Game 7

There's not much in sports that equals the excitement of a Game 7. The fact that this particular Game 7 is only the Conference Semifinals does not diminish anything.

Those that have watched these games know that the Sharks and Wings are playing at an extraordinary level. The margin of victory for all six games was razor thin. Despite the Wings dominating the shots in Game 6, the Sharks still had plenty of opportunities to win late in the 3rd period. Both Devin Setoguchi and Dan Boyle had excellent looks at the net from close range -- only to get foiled by a last-second poke check.

I've rarely seen two teams so evenly matched.

Since I wrote the Wings off for dead after Game 3, I probably have no reason to share in their recent success. I'm a sucker for math, and the percentages were extremely low for the Wings to even force a Game 6, let alone a Game 7. But they bucked the odds. Whatever happens tonight, I will always remember this team fondly for their never-say-die attitude.

In hindsight, I shouldn't be so surprised. I see teams saving their hide at the last second all the time. This is my favorite recent example:

(any chance to bring back that clip)

There's also this gem:

The Pistons ended up losing that game but winning the series and eventually the Championship. Those clips, of course, were just individual moments of excellence. The Red Wings need to string together four straight games of excellence. They've got three in the bag. One more to go.

History is against them, but many teams in recent memory won a Game 7 on the road. The Red Sox beat the Yankees in Game 7 at Yankee Stadium to take the ALCS and eventually the World Series in '04. Red Wing fans remember losing at home to the Penguins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. And, of course, the Red Wings themselves won a Game 7 on the road just last year against the Coyotes. It can be done.

In less pressing Hockey news...

News swirled out of Glendale yesterday that the Phoenix Coyotes will not move next season. The likely recipient of that franchise would've been Winnipeg. All is not lost for the Winnipegians. It's possible the Atlanta Thrashers may move there. While I hate to see any team move, the Thrashers are a pretty sad franchise. In eleven seasons, they've made the playoffs just once. Both the Coyotes and the Thrashers rank near the bottom in terms of attendance. At least the Coyotes have a reputable playoff history.

You may ask yourself, why should I care about this? Because if the Thrashers move to Winnipeg, the new Winnipeg team will join the Western Conference. This opens up a spot in the East for the Red Wings. The Wings would get to play traditional rivals like Toronto, Montreal, and Boston more than once every blue moon. They'd also get to play in the Eastern time zone. What's not to like?

Heart

Last night, the Red Wings showed why they remain the gold standard franchise in Detroit. After 4 Cups, countless trophies, and over 30 years of fandom, the team still finds a way to surprise me.

After falling behind 3-0 in the series, most fans, namely yours truly, wrote them off.

Friday night they jumped on the Sharks early, scoring 3 first period goals. The Sharks eventually tied it up, forcing a white-knuckle finish. Despite the gut-punch of allowing the Sharks back in the game, the Wings buckled down and forced the issue in the final five minutes. It was a tenacity we've rarely seen this season from the Wings. They attacked San Jose with reckless abandon, pummeling the goal with shots. They finally broke through with less than 2 minutes to go, thanks to great work from Patrick Eaves (assist) and Darren Helm (goal):

Despite the sheer excitement of the Game 4 win, I just wrote it off as a proud team not wanting to end the season in front of the home fans. This series was following the same script as last season. Why would Game 4 be any different? I figured San Jose would dismantle the Wings in Game 5, just like in 2010.

It certainly looked like they would do just that. The Sharks completely overwhelmed the Wings for 40 minutes. It reminded me of the US/Mexico soccer games in Mexico City. It doesn't matter who's on the field, Mexico plays with superior confidence, speed, and skill. The US just tries to hang on. That was the Wings last night. They were barely hanging on. The Sharks maintained possession for extended durations, wearing out the Wings' defense. Howard did the best he could, but Devin Setoguchi finally broke through late in the 1st period to take a 1 goal lead. San Jose then caught the Wings on a bad change in the 2nd period, leading to a 2-on-1. These Sharks showed again that they can match skill with any team in the league as Ryan Clowe fed a perfect pass to Joe Pavelski to take a 2-0 lead. The stars seemed to align and the fans relaxed, as the Sharks had a 2-goal cushion compliments of regular Red Wing killers Setoguchi and Pavelski. This was the script as written by Sharks' coach Todd McLellan.

But it was not to be.

The Red Wings were not quite ready to cede this series. They quickly struck back, as wizard Pavel Datsyuk found an open Niklas Kronwall pinching in. Kronwall whipped his one-timer into the back of the net to stun the Sharks and their fans.

With less than a minute gone in the final period, the Sharks broke through once again, this time on a goal by Logan Couture. This 3-1 lead must surely be the death-knell for the Wings, right? Down two goals, on the road, and trailing 3 games to 1 in the series. Surely this was enough to destroy the will of even George Patton. The Sharks were poised to move to the next round.

But it was not to be.

During that final intermission, Babcock sensed his team overwhelmed by the Sharks' puck possession. Babcock opted to mix up the lines. He reunited Datsyuk and Zetterberg. The move ignited the Wings' offense. Despite giving up that early goal to Couture, the Wings shot back three minutes later. After some good work by Datsyuk (again), Zetterberg found Red Wing whipping boy, Jonathan Ericsson, pinching in. Ericsson quickly shot the puck and easily beat Anti Niemi for the Wings' 2nd goal.

The Wings did not let up. They spent most of the next 90 seconds in the Sharks' zone. Wings' 2nd liners, Cleary and Bertuzzi, rushed up the ice with Kronwall, apparently auditioning for a forward spot next season. Kronwall, after a nifty move, whipped a shot that deflected behind the net. Cleary corralled the puck and... well... this happened:

That's a vintage "playoff goal." It ain't pretty, but it counts just as much as this one. That Cleary goal changed everything. The Sharks seemed stunned. I know I was. The Wings finally rattled a team that appeared to have unwavering confidence.

Perhaps this was a taste of the Sharks' own medicine. In Round 1, the Sharks came back from a 0-4 deficit to beat the LA Kings in Game 3. This was just a 2-goal comeback, but, with the Wings' on the brink, the pressure was greater.

Up to that point, the 3rd period was marked by end-to-end action. Yet, with the score tied, both teams went a bit conservative. The Wings opted for the dump-and-chase which is never their strong-suit. It did work for the game-winning goal, though. The Wings dumped the puck and never seemed to fully regain possession. The Sharks had plenty of opportunities to clear their zone, but Datsyuk and Zetterberg refused to give up. They pressured the defense into a turnover. Datsyuk fended off two Sharks and found a wide-open Lidstrom.

Vintage Pavel and vintage Homer causing a ruckus in front of the net.

Unlike previous games, the Wings maintained their slim 3rd period lead. San Jose was even granted a power-play late, thanks to a bone-headed elbow by Abdelkader. But the Sharks had difficulty getting just one quality chance. In the waning minutes, the Sharks did their usual cycling deep in the Red Wings' zone. Howard stood tall and didn't concede. All told, Howard made an impressive 39 saves and kept the Wings in shooting distance.

With the Wings still down 3 games to 2 in the series, they'll probably ultimately lose. As we've heard ad nauseum this week, only 3 teams in the history of the NHL ever recovered from a 0-3 series deficit. Yet, for one glorious game, the Red Wings stunned the hockey world and proved they still possess the heart of a champion.

For whom the bell tolls

Howard's one mistake
Rest in peace, 2010-11 Detroit Red Wings. You finished 3rd in the West, which is no small feat. But when the chips were down, you once again couldn't protect a 3rd period lead. Now your head is on the chopping block, down an impossible 3 games to zero against the San Jose Sharks.

Prior to the series, I said the Red Wings matched up well against the Sharks. I still do believe that. The teams are incredibly similar. They're an even match, as the 2 overtime games will attest to. So why did one team win all three games? It comes down to defense.

Defense - once the Red Wings' hallmark. Whether it's complacency or degrading ability, the Red Wings lack the defensive acumen to shut down a team when they absolutely must. It's a problem that infects the entire squad, with the exception of perhaps Jimmy Howard. While many might point the finger tonight at Howard for missing both the Dan Boyle game-tying goal and the Devin Setoguchi game-winning goal, those were both wide open looks. Boyle and Setoguchi had space and time to whip a shot on Howard and, in Boyle's case, from point-blank range. Howard also deserves a bit of blame for the fluky 2nd Setoguchi goal on the power play. Setoguchi mishit the puck but it faked out Howard and trickled in. Yet, Howard also saved the Wings' butts on numerous other shots. He's played well overall, and I don't think the Wings or their fans can expect much more from the young player. His main problem is the defense in front of him.

Two contrasting plays come to mind. When Zetterberg found himself alone with the puck in front of the San Jose goal in overtime, he barely had time to settle the puck, let alone take a shot. Three San Jose players descended upon Zetterberg like the Visigoths on Rome. Zetterberg lost the puck and the chance was over. Yet, with four minutes to go in the game, Dan Boyle was all alone on Howard when he scored the crucial game-tying goal - the goal that, in essence, ended the Wings' season. Where was the defense? How did he get so open?

On the radio today, Matt Shepherd on WDFN said it was Helm who lost his man on that play. Helm got caught "puck watching". Yet, I can't single out Helm alone. It was also Ericsson who allowed Joe Thornton to waltz into the Red Wing zone in overtime. Ericsson could not disrupt Thornton who had enough space to send a perfect pass to Setoguchi for the one-timer winner. And who was supposed to cover Setoguchi? That would be Zetterberg. To relive the pain, watch below:

It happened so fast. The Sharks are the real deal. There's no shame in losing to this team. But the Wings are an elite franchise with an elite history. Ironically, it's the Sharks who covet the Wings' playoff success. With four Cups since 1997, the Red Wings are in class all their own. The Sharks have never made the Finals, let alone won the whole thing. Yet, for two years running, it's the Sharks who own the Wings. Complete, utter domination. 7 wins, 1 loss.

Last night, the Sharks proved they have the heart and grit to win the whole thing. They've had timely goals and goaltending. And... let's be fair... a little bit of luck too. That ricocheted shot to win Game 1 in OT and then the Setoguchi power play goal in Game 3 proved that the hockey Gods are on their side. Luck is a crucial component to going all the way. I recall a shot against Osgood in the 2nd round in the '98 playoffs. The shot beat Osgood and hit the inside of the post. The puck floated along the goal-line until it hit the opposite post and bounced out. At the time, the series was tied 1-1. Had the Blues scored that goal, they would've taken a crucial 2-1 series lead. Instead, the Wings won and eventually took home the Cup. I learned right then how much luck plays a role.

With that said, I'm not calling for anyone's head on this sad morning. The Wings remain an excellent team. There's no reason to "blow up the roster" as was suggested on mLive by numerous knee-jerk fans. I will admit the lack of defensive tenacity may be due to complacency. The roster does need an injection of true hunger. Throughout these playoffs we've seen that hunger manifest itself with some excellent play by Cup-starved Bertuzzi in Round 1. The teams desperately needs more of that.

Admittedly, I'm disappointed in the play of Johan Franzen and Ericsson. Franzen, such a clutch playoff performer in years' past, just doesn't have it. He's not dangerous at all. Teams used to fear him on the ice. Yet he barely took a shot last night (2). And Ericsson, well he finished a deserved -2. Besides getting abused by Thornton on the game-winning play, Ericsson had a horrible turnover in the 3rd that was barely saved by Filppula. Ericsson needs to watch Ruslan Salei. Salei does not possess Ericsson's natural ability, but Salei knows playoff hockey. He makes the conservative, safe play, never ceding position. Salei finished a +1 for the night.

Can the Wings trade either Franzen or Ericsson? In Franzen's case, I hope not. These disappointing playoffs don't negate what he's done in the past. At age 31, he still has plenty of hockey left. Ericsson, though, is a trickier situation. He seems to have regressed. After a beautiful run in the '09 playoffs, Ericsson seemed the next in line for elite Swedish defenders to wear the winged wheel. Since that time, he's shown a penchant for turnovers and boneheaded plays. He needs to play within himself, a la Salei. And Lidstrom. But even if the Wings wanted to, they can't trade him. He's an unrestricted free agent. He's free to sign with anyone. My guess is the Wings will make an offer but get outbid by another team enamored with his potential.

Other free agents this offseason are Lidstrom, Modano, Draper, Eaves, Miller, Salei, and Osgood. That's $12million in cap space seven players. Not a ton of money if they want to make a splash. Most likely Eaves, Miller, and Salei will return. That's roughly $3million. Modano, Osgood, and Draper are bigger question marks. Osgood and Draper probably want to return, but do the Wings want them? After sitting out almost the entire playoffs as a healthy-scratch, does Modano want to come back? I bet he will. And then there's Lidstrom. No doubt he'd be a massive loss to the team, even at age 41.

As for trades, there's only one player not earning his cash on this roster. That's Jiri Hudler and his $2.875million. 10 goals and 27 assists just ain't gonna cut it. He's trade bait. Other than that, I just don't see a ton of change. The core will return, unless Ken Holland decides he's seen enough of Zetterberg, Datsyuk, or Kronwall. Any of those three will bring significant talent in return. Is it likely? Not at all.

So Holland's likely looking at the list of free agents. Not a ton of great options, though I wouldn't mind another reclamation project like Alexander Frolov. The dude's had injury problems of late, but is a former 30 goal scorer with the Kings. After 19 and 7 goals in the last two seasons respectively, he's not going to cost a ton.

Imagine My Surprise

Living in Colorado, I rarely get a chance to watch my beloved Tigers. So, imagine my surprise when I turned on the tv last night to see Alex Avila facing Bartolo Colon. A Tiger game on National TV? Imagine my surprise when I realized it was the Yankees on in prime time on ESPN.

But, I had a chance to watch the Tigers, and they were down 2-3 in the bottom of the 7th. I thought to myself, it would be nice to see Avila go yard, since it seems (based on the box scores that I've been watching) that the kid is starting to hit. Imagine my surprise when, on the next pitch, he sends an outside pitch over the left field fence. The Tigers tied it up - maybe their slump will break!

All season I've heard about the failures of the bullpen - except for Valverde. I knew that the middle relief - and of late - the $10 million set-up man - had been failing miserably. So, imagine my surprise when I saw a young rightie with about 300 letters on the back of his jersey (Alburquerque? Wha?) walk the first batter (btw, when did Curtis Granderson learn to work an at-bat to 25 pitches?). Having read a lot about the Tigers' late inning collapses, imagine my surprise when I saw Granderson steal second and the throw from Avila nearly go to center field. However, further imagine my surprise when I saw Granderson overslide 2nd and Jhonny tag him out. Maybe the Tigers' slump ends tonight! And the young pitcher retired the side. A tie game going into the bottom of the 8th? Surely the Tigers can find a run with the heart of the order coming up! Imagine my surprise when the only Tiger in the bottom of the 8th to put a ball in play was the superlative Cabrera. Nofrownmotown has been preaching all season that this team is "Miguel and 8 guys that can't hit." Imagine my surprise to find that prescient.

But it was still tied going into the 9th. I've heard all season about how solid Valverde has been. So, imagine my surprise when I saw him take about 2 hours to give the Yankees a 2 run lead. And imagine my surprise when the Tigers went out 1-2-3 against Mariano Rivera. To be honest, I wasn't very surprised.

Sweepvil in the D

I can't stand to look either
The worst sports weekend in Detroit in recent memory.

An ugly sweep by the Cleveland Indians over the Tigers, and two gut-punch playoff losses to the Sharks. It's hard to say which was uglier to watch, but I'd have to give the edge to the Red Wings just due to the added playoff importance.

Now, I don't want to sell the Tigers short. They lost the first game on a walk-off Grand Salami. They led almost the entire game but couldn't add the insurance runs to put it away. Cleveland cut into the 3-run lead and eventually punched a hole in the Benoit 2010 armor with the Grand Slam. Last night, Cleveland again won on a walk-off, this time in the 13th inning. The Tigers' bullpen at least pitched a handful of shutout innings before they blew it. The bats decided to take the evening off.

Same thing today. Weak hitting but even weaker pitching by Benoit. After the Tigers take a late one-run lead (courtesy of a SACRIFICE FLY!!!), Benoit implodes once again to grant Cleveland the win. Heck, at least it wasn't a walk-off!

The season is still young, but these are some ugly, no-fun losses. I take solace in the fact that Rick Porcello and Phil Coke pitched well. Porcello is a key cog to the future of the franchise. To have him develop into a competent starter is more important than a win for a team going nowhere.

As for the Wings, it's hard to see many positives. Yes, the team overall is fine, and it's great to be one of the 8 teams still playing. I just don't know what happened to the team that dismantled Phoenix. From a player-to-player perspective the Red Wings should be neck-and-neck with San Jose. Perhaps San Jose is just hungrier? It's hard to say. I do know they're playing smarter. The Wings took a ton of bone-headed penalties in both games. And it cost them.

The one consolation is that the Wings are a veteran team. They won't wilt after losing the first two. San Jose is a strong side, but, with a little luck, the Wings can win both at home. They'll need to avoid the penalty box, though. No reason to give San Jose any more reason to feel good about themselves.

A lot of Wings' fans are down right now, but the fact is that these were both one-goal losses. It's just too close to call one team significantly better than the other. The playoffs are about luck as much as skill. Time to create some luck.