Reasons For Hope for Detroit Tigers in 2024

 After a less than stellar 2022 season for the Detroit Tigers, it was hoped that 2023 season would see significantly better results.  Thankfully. due to the consistent pitching and a more than serviceable offense, these hopes came to fruition.  These two facets of the game allowed this team to beat inferior teams for the most part.  If a carry over effect occurs in 2024, along with slight improvement, a division title will not be far off.

One of the most encouraging aspects of this team is the apparent progression of the young talent.  The likes of Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson, among others, have made dramatic strides that will be immeasurable in making the Tigers successful well into the future.  In 2023, Spencer Torkelson has smashed 29 homers, and driven in 90 runs.  As for Riley Greene, in his injury shortened campaign, has amassed 109 hits, good for a .288 Batting Average.   It is vital for both of these guys to stay healthy to maintain sustained success going forward.  Furthermore, the young pitching must build on the progress that was accomplished in the 2023 season.  With solid pitching and a continued consistent offense, the things this ball club could achieve are unknown.

Without a doubt, to attain the desired goals for any Major League team, it is imperative to play well away from your home field.  This means playing .500 or better on the road.  For the first time in quite awhile, the Tigers were able to accrue a 41-40 record on the road.  This is a first step to becoming a great team.  However, their downfall was playing 10 games under .500 at Comerica Park.  To be elite, it’s important to play well over the break even mark on home turf.  To compete for a division next season as expected, this team needs a repeat road performance, and an improved home record.  Whether this occurs or not, depends on how well our young corps can play.

Beating division foes is a must when competing for titles of any kind.  No, the Tigers are not a championship caliber team as of now but, they are quite possibly the second best team in the American League Central Division.  This is due to the fact that they have bested every division opponent in each respective season series.  Obviously, the Tigers haven’t done enough to compete with the best teams, but it would appear they have progressed in the right direction to do so in the future.

Though this season hasn’t ended the way many fans would like, the team has taken dramatic steps to meet the goals that everyone would like them to achieve.  To say this team has improved greatly would almost be an understatement.  From 30 games under .500 to at least 10 games under this season, is a much better improvement than anyone expected.  As a result, it’s likely that modest improvement is all that’s needed for the Tigers to be division leaders in 2024.

Is It the Same Old Lions?

 Without a doubt, the Detroit Lions have an illustrious history of poor play and bad luck.  After Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, many are wondering if these issues will continue into this season. Though the Lions appeared to play well enough to win this past weekend, a mixture of poor play and unfortunate occurrences, once again factored into another Lions loss.  Do the Lions have the ability to overcome such instances to parlay it into success on the field.  We shall see.

Needless to say, luck has not exactly been on the Lions side in recent history.  Several bizarre plays have went against this team that added up to several last second and heartbreaking losses.  There’s been the last second loss to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in 2015, when he threw a 63 yard pass to beat the Lions 27-23.  Next, we have Justin Tucker for the Baltimore Ravens nailing an NFL record 66 yard field goal that bounced off the cross bar and through the uprights to win the game.  Hopefully, the team can tighten up their play to avoid such activities having such great influence over game outcomes.

It is incumbent on the Detroit to acquire a killer instinct during games, and take advantage of every opportunity the opponent gives them.  If they fail to do so, they will continue to be defeated in unusual ways.  With a casual analysis of Sunday’s game against the Seahawks, it was apparent that the Lions were unable to take advantage of the opportunities they were given.  For example, the Lions should have been able to obliterate the Seahawks second string offensive line.  Instead, they were unable to put any pressure on Geno Smith, and he was able to drive down the field at will.  If the Lions want to win championships, they must be able to capitalize on the opponent’s weaknesses.

Though it didn’t get a lot of play, the Lions were once again bitten by the curse of bad calls going against them, which resulted in the Lions going down in defeat.  On the final drive of the game in overtime by the Seahawks, a Lions player was held on a touchdown pass by Geno Smith.  Not only have the Lions had to endure the issue of impossible plays sealing their fate, they’ve also had to deal with some outrageous officiating dooming them.  We have quite a menu of those as well, including, “the complete the process of the catch” rule coming into being.  This came about because Calvin Johnson caught a pass in 2010 in the end zone, but the pass was ruled incomplete because Johnson failed to maintain possession of the ball after hitting the ground.  Clearly, officiating has played much more of a role in Lions games than many would like.

Is the 2023 season destined for the usual fate of a Lions season?  That seems doubtful by all indications.  For one, when the Lions got behind, they weren’t phased and continued to play well and score.  With a few adjustments, they should be able to eliminate the issues exhibited Sunday.  When they have an opportunity to win a game.  Take it.  The offense should have been in hurry up mode on the final drive of the game to give themselves an opportunity to score a touchdown instead of simply getting a field goal.  With a touchdown, you take the lead, give the ball back to other team, and take your chances.  At least you did everything possible to win the game.  That is what good teams do.

What Causes a “Mel Tucker” Like Downfall?

 One of the biggest sports stories in Michigan right now is the sexual harassment allegations against Michigan State Head football Coach Mel Tucker.  The now suspended coach has been under investigation since last December.  Though many discuss the consequences of such events, I don’t think there is enough exploration of why these incidents occur to begin with.  Without a doubt, there are many character flaws that are left unaddressed that come into play.  When there is a lack of correction of these imperfections, these events are bound to happen, and get more severe over time.

Clearly, one of the most prominent reasons such acts take place is due to a lack of moral character.  It is quite likely that individuals such as Tucker engage in harassment activities on a regular basis, and have most of their lives.  Furthermore, they see nothing wrong with it, and simply make excuses when they get caught.  This behavior also results because these types of people have a lack of respect for women and people in general.  In addition, the Mel Tuckers of society, have a blurred set of values that allow them to view what they are doing as acceptable.  As long as we have people in the population with these viewpoints, these abhorrent actions will continue to take place.

People who conduct themselves in a manner that includes devaluing others through unwanted relations, seem to get more bold as they progress through time.  As they advance themselves through the career hierarchy, they become more powerful.  Along with this, their unacceptable actions can become more frequent and severe in nature.  It’s almost as though they are under the impression that their authority inoculates them from consequences.  Therefore, they feel even if they do get caught engaging in questionable deeds, their perceived charisma will protect them from scrutiny.  Unfortunately, this can happen.  Thankfully, in Tucker’s case, he could not escape paying the price for his inexcusable behavior.  For Tucker authority did not equal escapabiliy.

Unfortunately for Tucker and people like him, allow themselves to get in vulnerable situations that involves little to no accountability.  This gives them the opportunity to completely control situations that could lead to devastating and life altering consequences for all involved.  Additionally, in the moment, they allow feelings to cloud the thinking process, which inevitably leads to occurrences that will be regretted in the future.  Having some an accountability and a little sensibility keeps people on the straight and narrow, and for Tucker could have made all the difference in the world.

A little bit of self reflection and self awareness is important for anyone to conduct life successfully.  A lack of it can lead to some unwanted bumps in the road.  Having both of these qualities will lead to a natural respect for your fellow human beings.  Unfortunately, for Tucker, he was woefully low on all of these qualities, which led to his unprofessional, unwanted, and heinous acts toward others.  With proper remorse, he could be forgiven, but the consequences will be with him the rest of his days.

Is Lions Performance Against Kansas City Being Overemphasized?

 On Thursday, the Lions open the NFL season against the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs.  Though many see this game as a gauge to measure the quality of the Detroit Lions squad, too much stock may be being placed on how the Lions perform.  If they lose, and don’t turn in a good performance, is this a sign of future lack of success?  If they wipe the floor with the Chiefs, are they Super Bowl Bound?  Likely, neither question can be answered in the affirmative.  The NFL season is a long season, previous success is not necessarily an indicator of future victories.  By the same token, lackluster performances, does not predict future negative outcomes.

In the NFL, all players are playing football at the highest level.  Any NFL player would dominate in lower level football leagues.  For this reason, any team can beat any team on a given week.  Furthermore, a good team can have a bad week, and a bad team can have a good week.  Moreover, Super Bowl Champions are prone to poor output in subsequent seasons.  Consequently, Lions fans should not become to hopeful with a victory over Kansas City, or too disappointed with a loss. 

Following Super Bowl appearances, marquee players generally find it difficult to duplicate multiple excellent campaigns consecutively.  Usually, extenuating circumstances occur to preclude another stellar season.  Case in point, Tight End Travis Kelce may not open the season against the Lions due to a hyperextended knee.  Whether he can dominate as he did in 2023 is highly questionable.  Due to the violent nature of the sport, long stretches of good play is hard to come by.

Though football has the fewest games of any professional sport, one game doesn’t determine the success or failure of any given season.  Despite this, every game does have heightened importance, and weaknesses must be addressed quickly to ensure a team has the best possible season.  Furthermore, it is imperative that teams develop chemistry quickly to minimize the effect adrenaline may have on negative play in games.  On paper, it would appear that the Lions are doing everything possible to ensure success this season, and much is expected from this team.  We must remember that this team has a long history of turning in subpar performances, this would include a weak start to last season, that saw a six game winning streak that allowed the team to salvage the campaign somewhat.  Therefore, this is what is fueling the optimism for the 2023-2024 season.

It is hoped that a victory over Kansas City can act as a projection of things to come.  However, success or failure in one game generally does not dictate long term results.  In fact, the Lions have a tendency to force themselves into having to reel off several wins in a row to salvage a respectable season.  Last year they were able to do so, but in several previous campaigns, this couldn’t be attained when it was needed.  So before we get to giddy about what a victory over the Chiefs could mean, we must temper those expectations by simply looking back at the previous recent history of the Lions.