Fun At Aaron's Wedding

All right, boys.  Sorry about the delay, but here's the skinny on My Night at Aaron's Wedding.

First off, NO KOGEL DOGS!  (I had been told there would be Kogel Dogs.)  There was, upon arrival, a lovely spread of various salads and pickles and olives and crackers--the liver pate was my personal favorite--and there was an open bar, so my disappointment in, (not to mention my remembrance of) the Dog situation was short-lived.

Now, here's the thing: I told my wife I was going to wear a brown checked sportscoat and tan slacks and she said, and I quote, "You will look nice in that."  Well, perhaps, but this was a pretty REALLY Orthodox affair and of all the men there--and the crowd it seemed to me was maybe 300 people--I was the only one not wearing a black suit.  I could not have stood out more had I simply worn my goalie gear, complete with skates and mask.  Here's what I mean.

Can you spot the Gentile in this photograph?

As for the Groom, he was at the head table in a room set aside from the main reception hall as the wedding guests arrived and scarfed down all of that pre-wedding food.  It was interesting in that they had all of the men in one room and all of the women in another.  Personally, I would have rather hung out with all the girls, but hey, that's just me.  Anyway, here's our man now, during what, for want of a better term, I would call the Pregame, about an hour or so before the ceremony itself.

Note the ample supply of alcoholic beverages at the ready...

About an hour and a half after arrival, Aaron was ushered into the Wedding Hall itself amid much fanfare and loud singing and the ceremony began.  At least I think it did.  I was hanging back with our lawyer buddy Solomon and we didn't exactly have the best seats in the house.  We were Standing Room Only, in fact.

Say buddy, how about taking off that hat? I can't seem a damn thing back here!

Solomon, in addition to being a fine young attorney and hockey player, was a veritable font of information.  During the vows (which we pretty much couldn't hear anyway) he told me, well actually, first he told me, "Mazeltov!" to which I said, "Dude, that's not even a word," and he then told me things like, for example, every woman there was wearing a wig.  Some sort of a custom. Even the girls with beautiful hair of their own were wearing wigs. They all looked very nice, in case you were wondering.  Then he told me that when we got to the reception hall, I would find it divided by a curtain designed to keep the men on one side and the women on the other and that the men would dance with men and the women would dance with women and I said, "Well, that's just messed up."

The last time I got invited to a guys-only party, I'm not going to lie to you, things could have turned out better.

Although they did set a fine table, I must say.

WAY too nice for Kogel Dogs although Paulie's jerky would have fit right in.

Anyway, I decided I would leave at this point even if there were a couple of guys who I was kinda hoping would ask me to dance.  And on my way out, I got the money shot.  The Happy Couple!

I told you guys she was really pretty!

So, our best wishes to the Newlyweds from all of us at the Oak Park Hockey Guys Who Play on Tuesdays and Thursdays!

Why I'm Voting for President Obama

I'm voting for President Obama because...
Instead of losing 700,000+ jobs per month as we were at the end of the previous Administration, we have had 38 consecutive months of private sector job growth.
General Motors is alive.
Osama Bin Laden isn't.
Insurance companies can no longer deny coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
Insurance companies have to spend 80% of every dollar they take in in premiums on actual health care.
Insurance companies cannot impose a lifetime limit on coverage.
My daughter can stay on our health care plan until she is 26.
Student loan rates are down because the government has (rightfully) taken the program over again, removing the profit motive, reducing rates, stopping the gouging of the young people.
Our house lost 40% of its value the last time we had a Republican in office.
The war in Iraq is over.
The war in Afghanistan is about to be over.
I've read the Ryan Budget.  It's horrifying.
Mr. Romney called the Ryan Budget "marvelous" and said he would sign it, "happily."
I am against the privatization of Social Security.
I am against turning Medicare into a voucher system.
Mr. Ryan's self-confessed political inspiration Ayn Rand is a total psychopath.
Mr. Romney won't release his tax returns.  I conclude the only reason for him to so refuse is because there is something in there that he knows would end his chances to become President were that something to become public.
Mr. Romney believes it is fair for him to pay a tax rate of less than 15% because he makes his money on capital gains, while my family pays over 30% because our income results from actual work.
Mr. Romney lies.  Repeatedly and even when his lies (such as Jeep moving production from Toledo to China but there are many, many others) are obvious and demonstrable.
Mr. Romney likes firing people:

Mr. Romney's top adviser on the judiciary is Robert Bork.  (Really? Robert Bork?)

This is just what I've got off the top of my head.

Urban Meyer is a Big, Fat Liar

I spent almost an hour a few weeks ago reading a LONG article in Sports Illustrated about how Urban Meyer's family assented to letting him return to coaching college football only after he signed a pledge to them promising he would change his ways: that he would be more mellow; that he would possess (and display) a more developed sense of perspective and priority.  I was happy for him.  The article quoted him as saying that his behavior at Florida was such that it both adversely affected his health and damaged his family.  So I thought, "good on him".  And I mentally wished him he best.  And I in so doing I was duped.  Anybody who saw Urbie on the Spartan Stadium sideline Saturday now knows that the entire SI article about The New Urban Meyer, every word of it, was utter bullshit.  There he was, completely out-of-control, (making fucking Woody Hayes seem mellow for Christ's sake), going 20 yards out onto the field to argue a penalty and only by some miracle NOT being flagged for a fifteen-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.  I'll tell you what, I was sure he was going to assault himself a zebra right then and there.  Not that there is anything in particular wrong with that.  That's just how coaches, by and large, are.  Just don't go telling a national publication and by extension me, how you are a changed man, 'kay?  And now we learn that Meyer sent Michigan State an incomplete game film the week before the game, a tape edited so the Spartan coaching staff wouldn't be able to see the shifts and formation changes the Buckeyes were making prior to snapping the ball.  It wasn't a huge deal, it was just a crappy, unsportsmanlike, unprofessional bush league thing to do.  So, now we know the truth about Urban Meyer.  He's the same jagoff asshole he's always been.  So fuck him.

Let's Watch the Spartans and the Eagles!

Tim Staudt, one of the best sportscasters in America but a guy you probably have never heard of if you don't live in the Lansing area (he's been on the air here since I was an MSU student and I was an MSU student a long, long time ago) coined a phrase in advance of last week's Massachusetts at Michigan game.  With UM favored by fifty-something, he called it not a football game, but rather a "football demonstration."

That's what we have here this afternoon with MSU giving 33 against an Eastern Michigan team which has never, ever defeated a Big Ten opponent (0-30), and which is 0-8 all-time against the Spartans.

The nub of it is this: no matter what they do here at Spartan Stadium this afternoon, MSU can't win.  If they blow 'em out by 50 everybody will say, "Big deal, it's Eastern.  They've given up 37 at Ball State, 31 to Illinois State (not Illinois, Illinois State), and 54 to Purdue.  That's 122 points in 3 games!"  If State doesn't win by 50, it will feel like a loss.

What happened last week in that 20-3 loss to Notre Dame on a Saturday night which began with MSU ranked 10th in the nation; with both expectations and the Goodyear Blimp sky high; with a National TV audience tuned in?  The explanation is, as is so often the case, oh-so simple: MSU got beat at the point of attack on both sides of the ball.  Notre Dame--rushing four against the Spartans five for most of the night--kept the pressure on MSU quarterback Andrew Maxwell while holding Le'Veon Bell to 77 yards on 19 carries.  (Although it seemed odd to most of us that in a game in which MSU was down only 11 for most of the second half, they gave the ball to Bell only four (4!) times after halftime.)  The defensive line allowed ND to rush for more than twice as many yards as MSU (122-50) and rarely got pressure on Irish quarterback Everett Golson.  Additionally, Spartan receivers dropped way too many balls and the harried Maxwell made a few poor decisions.

The result is a humbled Spartan team falling to #20 with plenty to work on here this afternoon.

The more interesting game, and the more interesting question is how will Notre Dame do against Michigan tonight in South Bend (7:30 Eastern on NBC).  Michigan has beaten ND three straight, scoring the winning touchdown in the final thirty seconds in each of those games, including last year's Game for the Ages when ND scored the go-ahead TD with :30 left on the clock, only to see UM win it with a TD with :02 left.  It was one of the best college games ever played.  Here's a nice stat.  We mentioned the Wolverines have won those 3 in a row against the Irish.  The last time Michigan beat Notre Dame four in a row was in 1908.

We'll probably get home from East Lansing in time for the second half.

The Spartan Band takes the field at we're about fifteen away from kickoff.  We'll keep you posted....

(Oh, Central just hit a walk-off field goal after recovering an on-side kick and they beat Iowa 32-31.  The Press Box erupted.  Fans here in East Lansing know exactly how this feels since that is exactly what the Chips did right here in this Stadium, what, three years ago?)

State gets the ball to start the game and converts a third and one before going and three and out on the next set of down and punting.  On 3rd and ten, Maxwell made a poor decision and tucked it under way to early.  Eastern was only rushing three, and Maxwell had time to look for an open man but he didn't take it.  The Eagles pick up a first and they move into MSU territory the first time they have the ball today.

The Eagles for for it on 4th and one at the MSU 36 but are denied, so, after a TV timeout (the game is on the Big Ten Network which sort of counts as TV) the Spartans will commence their second possession of the afternoon.  It was, by the way, 58 degrees at kickoff under mostly cloudy skies and the wind was blowing out of the northwest at either 8 or 13 miles per hour, depending on which source one chooses to believe.  Right now, wind does not appear to be a factor down on the field.

Maxwell is driving me nuts.  After Bell ran for 22 and 15 yards on consecutive carries, Maxwell threw underneath and incomplete to Aaron Burbridge. Even had the ball been caught, Burbidge--the freshman from Farmington Hills Harrison (I called Harrison's 27-20 loss to Southfield last night, a game Harrison led 17-0 at the half after holding the Bluejays to 2 yards of offense in the first half)--would never had made the line to make.  We saw the same thing numerous times last Saturday night, Maxwell failing to throw to a receiver who had made it to the first down marker on a third down passing attempt.  He has to improve in that regard.  Oh, and then Dan Conroy missed from 39 (his 3rd FG miss this season) and it remains scoreless here with now under 5 to play in the first.

Bell, 62y in 8 rushes, gains 16 on first down but Maxwell misses badly on a pair of third-and-12 throws and that is that.  The Spartans punt again.  Still no score.  Not a sellout here today, by the way. It appears a lot of the students have elected to spend the afternoon in their dorm rooms.

Did we mention Purdue scored 54 on these guys last week?  MSU fails to score in the first quarter here today, gaining 84 yards of total offense, 76 of those by Bell on ten carries.  After One: EMU 0, MSU 0.

Bell gets to 100 yards on his 13th carry with a little over 12 minutes left in the second but the drive stalls so Conroy comes on to hit a 35y field goal with 10:06 left in the first half.  Points are on the board at long last and MSU leads EMU 3-0.

Uh, Michigan State, giving 33, is trailing Eastern Michigan at halftime here 7-3.  Picking up where they left off against Notre Dame when they were 1/8 in second half third-down conversions, MSU goes 1/8 on third down in the first half today.  Maxwell is 9/19 for 31 yards.  The only bright spot--and I mean the only bright spot, is Le'Veon Bell: 117y on 17 rushes.  An MSU fumble gave the Eagles the ball at the Spartan 23 and Eastern got a TD toss on the first snap after the turn.  HALFTIME: EASTERN MICHIGAN 7, MICHIGAN STATE 3.

Bell carries on each of the first 5 plays run by MSU in the second half, so he has more touches in the second half today (5) than he did in the entire second half last Saturday night (4). Maxwell thrown underneath again on third down so MSU comes up short and Conroys hits a 45y FG with 9:25 left in 3rd.  MSU pulls to within one, trails 7-6.

Here's the good news.  I don't think EMU can move the ball on MSU.  The Eagles have 84y of offense and only 4 first downs.  So, if the Spartans donn't turn it over again, they should be able to come back and win this thing.

EMU turns it over at their 41 and MSU gains a grand total of 3y, punts.  Frustrating.

Maxwell finally hits a couple downfield--finding TE Dion Sims for 16 and then 17 on consecutive plays.  Holding (naturally) stalls the drive and Conroy's 3rd field goal of the day is a 35-yarder that gives MSU a 9-7 lead with 1:11 left in the third.

Touchdown, MSU.  Been a while.  Maxwell hits Sims (4 2nd-half catches) with a ten-yard scoring strike as MSU goes 89 in 12 to move ahead 16-7.  7:19 left, so it looks like they will get out of here with a win.  I have to leave for the post-game interviews in a couple of minutes which is a shame because I've been watching the A's-Yankees game out of the corner of my eye and what a show in the Bronx.  Oakland hit three homes and scored 4 in the top of the 13th for a 9-5 lead, NY has just scored 4 to tie in their half of the 13th.

Back from the interviews and I think Mark Dantonio was, well, upset.  We'd ask and he'd answer, "Yes, next question."  I'm pretty sure you'll see it in SportsCenter.  MSU scored late while we were down on the field and they win 23-7.  They will, most certainly, have to play better one week from today here to beat Ohio State.  The Tigers beat the Twins 8-0, Chicago is at LA at nine.  We'll be at Comerica tomorrow, we'll talk to you then.

Let's Watch the Spartans and the Irish!

Michigan State is in trouble here at Spartan Stadium.  Their defense, which had not surrendered a touchdown in the first two games, has given up two in the first twenty minutes and the Spartans are down 14-0 with a little over 9 minutes left in the second quarter.  State's offense isn't exactly lighting it up.  That MSU has had 9 third down snaps already (converting 5) is telling.  State is having some trouble moving the ball.   Their long game is a 19-yard pass.

I think the thing to do is to remember not last years game against the Irish (a 31-13 ND win in South Bend), but rather last year's Wisconsin game here where MSU trailed 14-0 as they do tonight.

State down 14-3 at the half.  Their long drive so far is 49 yards.  They have been out-gained 189-121 in spite of having run 6 more plays than the Irish.  They are 4 of 9 on third downs and have had ten third down snaps tonight, but one doesn't count as a play as ND was called for a penalty.  Andrew Maxwell is 10/18 for 74, Notre Dame's Everett Golson is 7/19 for 126 and a TD.  MSU gets the ball to start the second half...

MSU finally got a little drive going as they moved from own 11 to near midfield but a holding call and a dropped third down pass put an end to that.  MSU now 4/12 on 3rd down, and they are still down 14-3 to the Irish as we move under 6 to play in third.

MSU makes first big mistake in this game--a roughing the kicker call gives ND a 1st down and keeps drive alive under 4 to go in 3rd.

Total y about even & ND has no drive longer than 51y-but have scored on both their 51y drives. MSU long drive 49y. In 4th now 14-3 ND

If ND weren't 1/10 in 3rd down coveresions, I'll tell you what, this game would probably be over.  3rd down #14 coming up for MSU now and they fail and are 4-14 after a complete pass is short of the line to make.

Let's Watch the Lions and the Rams, Shall We?

As I settle in for the afternoons activity here at Ford Field, here's what's on my mind prior to the Lions season opener:  HOW CAN THE TIGERS BE A .448 TEAM ON THE ROAD AND A .606 TEAM AT HOME?  HOW?  I'm going to read the Game Notes now and maybe take a Xanex and will report back soon on football-related matters.

So, just the past Monday I happened to be outside Gaylord Family Stadium, home of the Oklahoma Sooners, and I saw Sam Bradford's statue.  I didn't even know he had a statue.  But he does.  So too do former Lions Billy Sims and Steve Owens.  So there is that.  Truth be told, I don't know what to make of any of this, except that here in person this afternoon I'll see Bradford in real life as he QB's the St. Louis Rams.

Stafford smartly drives Lions down field on first drive of 2012, 77 in 13, 6 Firsts.  He's 7/9 on the drive for 53.  Only problem is that on first and goal from the 3....he throws a pick and the Lions get no points on a drive that took 6:06.

Pretty clear that St. Louis can't stop Detroit as Lions--on their second posses--drive into the Red Zone again.  Trailing 3-0, but that is about to change...

Sorry, no updates for a while there.  The Lions should be killing these guys (they've outgained 'em 231-91) but they aren't.  3 Matthew Stafford intercepts have led to all the points the Rams have scored here as they somehow lead the Lions 13-10 as the second half begins.  St. Louis simply can't stop the Lions.  The problem in the first half was that the Lions were stopping themselves.  Stafford threw two Red Zone picks and the other was returned for a TD.  On to the second half...

Let's Watch the Tigers and the Yankees (Again)!

The Tigers tonight, in game two of their series against the Yankees here at Comerica Park, look to tie their record for longest win streak in this stadium at ten. In addition to their nine-game home streak, the Tigers have won 15 of their last 16 at home, a run which began on the 4th of July.

It was a perfect night for baseball last night, and we were treated to a game which was pretty much perfect. Not in the 27-up, 27-down sense, but in terms of watching one of the all-time greats at his all-time best.

Justin Verlander tied his career high with 14 strikeouts, and were it not for his own error, very likely would have shut the Bombers out. As it was, he set a Detroit record for most strikeouts in a game against New York. It was the kind of a night that you expect you will remember for a long time.

While the Tigers have been hot of late (they've now won 5 in a row--their season long win streak is 6) New York, in spite of being tied for the best record in the league at 63-45 (.583), have struggled over the course of the last three weeks, going 6-11 (.353) in their last 17.

Here are some knock-your-eyes out numbers: during Detroit current 5-game win streak, Prince Fielder is hitting .588(!) (10x17) with 3 homers and 8 RBI. Miguel Cabrera has also hit 3 homers in the last 5 games, driving in 7 and hitting .364 (8x22). Both the Tigers superstars homered last night with Cabrera hitting the shrubbery in dead center, a blast measured at 454 feet.

The batting cage has been wheeled away, the lines drawn, and the infield is being wetted down. It won't be long now and we'll check in with you as developments warrant on this warm Tuesday night in Detroit.

First pitch came at 7:07 and it was 87-degrees (was 80 at game time last night).  Both teams went down in order in the first and both pitchers, Rick Porcello for Detroit and Phil Hughes for New York, threw a mere 13 pitches.  On to the second.

There were three singles in the second, two by New York and one by Detroit's Brennan Boesch, but no runner made it as far as second base.  The two Yankees hits were sandwiched around a 4-6-3 double play ball off the bat of Eric Chavez, while Boesh's one-out hit was followed by Delmon Young's groundout and Jhonny Peralta's fly to right.  

Through three it is as even as can be: each team has two singles, neither team has put a runner in scoring position, and Rick Porcello has thrown 42 pitches; Phil Hughes 43.

2-0, New York.  With a man on and two out in the 4th, (Mark Texiera had singled after Robinson Cano grounded into New York's second 6-4-3 double play of the night) Eric Chavez got around late on a Porcello fastball but got the meat of the bat on it and hit a curving liner to left that just did sneak over the wall for his 11th homer of the year.  It didn't make it by much.  Chavez himself wasn't sure he'd homered, stopping at second and awaiting further instructions before completing his trip around the bases.  

2-2 after 4.  The Tigers come right back as Cabrera (we told you above how hot he's been during Detroit's 5-game win streak) made it 4 homers in his last 6 games and 29 for the season with a line drive blast over the left field wall on Hughes' 3rd pitch of the 4th.  Boesch singled, and with two outs Peralta's liner down the third base line was fair by about a foot and Boesch came all the way around to score on the double--the 65th two-out run scored by the Tigers since the All Star break.  The Tigers made Hughes throw 42 pitches in the inning--including a dozen to Boesch alone.  He had thrown 43 pitches in the game prior to the 4th.  Porcello gets the Yanks in order in the 5th on only 9 pitches, so we are halfway through and we are all tied up here in Detroit.

Detroit gets to Hughes for two more in the 5th and at 102 pitches, two runs in and a man on second with one out in the 5th, his night is done.  Boone Logan comes in from the NY pen.  Cabrera has the big hit in the inning, doubling home both Andy Dirks and Austin Jackson with a drive that landed on the warning track near the left field foul pole and one-hooped the wall.  It was fortunate that it didn't one-hop over the wall as Jackson would have been forced to stop at third.  As it was, he scored without a throw.  Cabrera has now driven in ten runs in the last 6 games.  

With his RBI double in the 5th, Cabrera is hitting .400 (10x25) in his last six games.  Logan puts out the fire, as it were, and we go to the sixth with the Tigers on top, 4-2.

5-3, Detroit now, as we go to the bottom of the 7th. Andy Dirks doubled in Alex Avila with two outs in the bottom of the 6th but was thrown out trying to make it a triple to give the Tigers a 5-2 lead before doubles by Nick Swisher and Ichiro Suzuki in the top of the 7th made it 5-3 and ended Porcello's night.  He gave up 3 runs on 8 hits in 6 and two-thirds.  The only hit that really hurt him was the Chavez homer that just did sneak over the wall.  Porcello did not issue a single walk.  Brayan Villarreal has replaced him, and got the final out of the 7th with Suzuki on second.

A nice outing by Octavio Dotel--8 pitches and he retires New York in order in the 8th.  Still 5-3 Tigers as we go to the bottom of the 8th, and we (likely) await Jose Valverde in the 9th.  He is warming as we speak.

A big two-out single by Dirks restores Detroit's three-run lead.  Valverde in, Detroit up 6-3 as the 9th begins.

The Tigers  win 6-5.  Valverde made it exciting, to say the least, allowing a two-run double with two outs before getting Curtis Granderson to pop up and end it with the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second.  It's  a seasons-best 6-game win streak for the Tigers now and they'll try and keep it going right here against the Yankees tomorrow night.