Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Could Damage College Athletics

 For a long time now, there has been a debate on whether college athletes should be permitted to be compensated for the contributions they make to their respective schools through their athletic talents.  Furthermore, if they are paid, how should it be carried out?  Should they be paid a stipend for living expenses, or a certain percentage of Athletic Department profits.  Ultimately, states and universities decided to collaborate on laws and policies to allow athletes to profit off of their own name, image, and likeness.  In other words, athletes can be paid for their autographs, endorsement of products, public appearances, and even on endorsing political candidates.  For the professional athlete, this practice is perfectly acceptable of course, but operating college athletics in this manner would seem to damage its integrity. At the very least, these practices could lead to unethical behavior on a student and university level.

In theory, athletes play college sports for the love of the game, and to receive a quality education at minimal to no expense.  If NIL policies take full effect, the incentives to play collegiate athletics could radically change.  Instead of participating for the pride of the school and an education, students could be choosing a particular institution based solely on the amount of financial benefits they stand to gain.  Unfortunately, this could lead to watered down competition, where very few teams are able to compete at the highest levels due to their plethora of financial resources.  Thus, smaller schools’ ability to recruit top tier talent would be further hampered due to their financial restraints.  Though this is already an issue, further expansion of NIL policies would exasperate this problem.  Moreover, players would be more inclined to transfer schools based on financial benefit rather than athletic opportunity.  Without a doubt, this minimizes the purity that once existed behind the idea of playing college sports, and poisons it with the idea of heightened financial opportunity.

It is important to note that as of now, colleges and universities do not have anything to do with setting up NIL deals, however, if it is not regulated, I could see a scenario where universities develop mega deals with various companies to attract top talent, which would inevitably result in teams that dominate the college ranks, simply because of the financial resources available to top players.  At the same time, players themselves could be lured to various institutions because of the financial opportunities around it.  It is quite obvious that scenarios such as these would obliterate any sense of competitive balance that remains in college sports.

It is understandable that many feel that college athletes should be paid for their contribution to a college or university’s financial stability.  However, how they are compensated is up for debate.  For my part, there should be a flat fee based on cost of living and other expenses.  In addition, each player should get a profit sharing check based on the income of the university they play for.  Yes, players should be compensated, but in no way do I feel players should be getting rich off playing college sports.  I think Name, Image, and Likeness policies are detracting from the wholeness of college sports competition the way they are set up now., I think a few minor adjustments to those policies would eliminate those problems.

Lions Dominate Giants In Third Staight Victory

 Well, it finally happened.  We’ve been waiting for it for several years now.  The Detroit Lions played a well rounded and consistent football game in all facets.  All aspects of the game against the New York Giants were clicking on all cylinders for the Lions.  Yes, the Lions have won three games in a row, but this is the first time all year they have played well enough to win. The offense moved the ball and scored points, helped by a highly productive game from running back Jamaal Williams.  Similarly, Aiden Hutchinson had an excellent defensive output causing two turnovers.  Performances such as these by the Lions will not only allow them to meet expectations for this season, but exceed them.

For the first time this season, this team had remarkable offensive consistency.  First of all, the Lions were able to avoid turning the ball over, which is one of the first accomplishments needed in order to improve overall play.  Secondly, huge contributions were seen from the running back position when Jamaal William scored 3 touchdowns.  Traditionally, this is an aspect of the game in which the team has struggled mightily in recent years.  Between Justin Jackson and Jamaal Williams, the team collectively ran the ball for a total of 166 yards.  Production such as this allows both the passing and running game to become more potent because opposing defenses will continually be caught off guard because they will be unable to anticipate what plays will be called next.  Needless to say, continued consistency on offense, may lead the Lions to becoming one of the most dominant overall teams in the National Football League.

An imperative aspect of the game to master to ensure that an organization becomes elite is defense.  In other words, force turnovers, take advantage of the opponent’s miscues, and limit the offensive movement of your foe.  In addition, the mistakes of your own team must be held to a minimum.  Because of their discipline Sunday, the Lions accomplished all of these tasks flawlessly.  As mentioned earlier, not only did  the team commit no turnovers of their own, but forced two by the Giants, resulting in two touchdowns.  The touchdowns came because of a fumble recovery and an interception, both by Aiden Hutchinson.  Consequently, the New York Giants offensive prowess was severely limited.  If the Lions continue to hone their defensive skills as a whole, this team could prove to be difficult to score against the rest of the season.

With the contributions from players on the offensive and defensive side of the ball, the Lions have found themselves able to play a more palatable brand of football.  Even if the Lions do not play as consistently as they did Sunday the rest of the season, if they can play well in some aspects and reasonably well in others, the sky is the limit for what this team could accomplish.

Why has Defense Vanished in NBA

There used to be an old adage in the NBA that, “Defense Wins Championships,” lately though defense is hard to find in any NBA game.  Every game I see, the final score is is the mid to high one hundreds for each team.  These scenarios appear to be a relatively new phenomenon in the league this year, the question remains, why is this occurring.  In my estimation, there are several explanations for this.  Firstly, offense is  king.  Secondly, in today’s society defense is considered boring and fans want to see action, thus more scoring.  Therefore, teams usually do not use true centers that traditionally blocked shots and rebounded.  Now, many teams employ forwards in that position, which, due to the height difference, leads to decreased defensive production.  In my opinion, these changes in strategy have led to a watered down product on the court.

Needless to say, the NBA is in the business of entertainment, and in today’s environment, how do you maximize this aspect? Increase scoring.  Scoring gets people’s attention, and keeps it, for that matter.  With a population plaqued  by an epidemic of instant gratification, the league has implemented strategies that increase the pace of play.  Most teams have a run and gun offense, which includes a greater reliance on the 3 point shot.  Consequently, there seems to be little effort to drive the ball inside to score on higher percentage shots.  As a result, teams have chosen to live or die by the three pointer, which has virtually eliminated some skilled facets of the game.

Unfortunately, while attempting to keep their audience engaged by increasing offensive numbers, defense in the highest professional basketball league is becoming extinct.  Unlike earlier eras, when there was an emphasis put on tough defense and rebounding, the modern NBA looks more like a backyard pick-up league than professional basketball.  Why is this?  Apparently, today’s NBA fan doesn’t find excellent defensive play exciting.  Defensive games don’t get fans out of their seats today.  For reasons not fully understood, fans find blocking and rebounding boring.  For me, the pendulum has swung to far in the wrong direction.  Basically, the league is all offense and no defense.  Sadly, today’s fan has been unable to appreciate the tremendous skills required to play defense well.  Consequently, the purity of basketball has been diminished.

To further denigrate the defensive facets of the NBA, most organizations do not have players that can effectively play each position.  Most notably, most teams do not have personnel that can adequately play the center position.  Consequently, defensive blocks and rebounds are at a premium, therefore more scoring is permitted.  Furthermore, lack of a true center makes it impossible to prevent or intimidate certain scoring opportunities, thus making defensive strategy non existent.  Not having a player that can best perform at the center position dilutes the defensive effort of teams, which, in my opinion damages the integrity of the NBA.

Though maybe not intentional, the NBA has chosen to cater to the now impatient occupants of our world by taking the view that offense is exciting, while defense is not.  Meanwhile, long-standing basketball fans are anxious for the return to a well rounded and well played basketball game.  Unfortunately, the NBA feels that a faster paced game is the best way to maintain its brand.  It is my hope that the league as a whole will operate in a manner that has all facets of its game on display.  Without a doubt, this is the best way to maintain the game’s viability and quality.

  

Did The Lions Finally Turn a Corner with Victory Over Green Bay Packers?

Through eight games this season, the Detroit Lions have been unable to click on all cylinders and Sunday was no exception, yet they were able to to pull off a 15-9 victory against the Green Bay Packers.  This may seem like a bizarre thing to say about the Lions, but they exhibited traits of great teams.  Are the Lions a great team? Definitely not.  They are still a bad team.  But, what were they able to do to beat the Packers?  One thing, they took advantage of their opponents’ mistakes.  Until Sunday, the Lions were unable to do this against any team.  In addition, the Lions were able to force turnovers and outright bad play by quarterback Aaron Rodgers.  If the team is able to improve their all around play, and continue to force and take advantage of other teams’ mistakes, they will be able to take steps in the right direction as an organization.

For every game this season, the Lions have played inconsistent in some fashion, either on defense, offense, or special teams.  As a general rule, the Lions were unable to outscore any opponent this season despite being at the top of the league is scoring statistics.  Moreover, when the offense struggled, the defense found it difficult to stop any opponent’s offense.  That all changed Sunday.  Yes, the offense struggled, but the defense stepped up only allowing single digit points to the Packers.  They accomplished this feat by defending the pass well and forcing three turnovers by the Packers.  This type of defensive effort allowed the offense to do just enough to win, while still being anemic.  Obviously, the characteristics described show that the Lions may be on the path to becoming a great team, only time will tell.

Though the defense played well, it goes without saying that some of the Lions success was due to Aaron Rodgers less than stellar play.  Consequently, it prompted Rodgers to make some post game comments about the Lions that may act as motivation to propel the Lions to continued improvement.  All day, Rodgers struggled with inaccurate passing and caused turnovers via two interceptions.  As a result, their offensive production was at a premium all day.  The poor play by the Packers led to these public comments by Rodgers, “We can’t lose to that team.”  If the Lions are making the progress many think they are, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Lions play improves dramatically the rest of the season.  This is what good teams do when they are thrown under the bus.

Though the Lions did not play well Sunday, they were able to play well enough in many aspects of the game to gut out a victory.  The defense played well enough to offset a struggling offense.  Too many times this year, this is something that neither side of the ball was able to accomplish.  If the defense and offense are able to continue to compensate for each other’s struggling play, great things are to come for the Detroit Lions.  If not, the years in the doldrums will persist.

Michigan-Michigan State Rivalry Unravels in More Ways Than One

 In a rivalry such as Michigan and Michigan State, games are usually heated, competitive, and close.  Though the scoreboard may not indicate it, the game could have gone to either team, providing that the Michigan State offense was able to put up a few more points.  They couldn’t pass, run, or kick the ball.  By the same token, the Michigan Wolverines were able to put up 29 points, half of those came from kicker, Jake Moody’s foot, so their offense was not much better when it counted.  Though these type of games are heated on the field, what occurred after the game is unacceptable, and should not be part of any athletic contest.  Consequently, it appears the actions of the Michigan State players will find their way into the criminal realm. Rivalries are supposed to be addressed on the field, as a result of wanting to beat the other team in competition, not through violence off of it.

Although Michigan scored 27 points in this game, it was quite apparent that both teams struggled offensively throughout the game.  Despite Blake Corum’s 177 rushing yards to achieve his 5th straight 100 yard rushing game, the Wolverines only scored 2 touchdowns.  Furthermore, a majority of their points were scored as a result of Jake Moody’s five field goals.  Conversely, the Spartans struggled further on offense, exhibited through their 7 points of offense, while only rushing for 58 yards on 23 attempts.  To compound matters for the Spartans, they only had 215 yards of passing on 30 attempts from Peyton Thorne.  Unlike the Wolverines who attempted 5 field goals, MSU was unable to muster any.  This statistic alone was likely the difference in the game.  Though both offenses were anemic, the Wolverines were able to generate enough offense on multiple fronts to win the game.

Even to the most casual fan, it is quite possible that defense would emerge as the over arching theme of this game.  Touchdowns were at a premium throughout the game, a total of three were scored by both teams.  Michigan State had a bend, but don’t break defense, forcing Michigan to score mostly on field goals.  Michigan was able to take advantage of a couple of special teams mistakes, blocking a punt on a bad snap, and subsequently scoring a touchdown deep in Michigan State territory.  Though both defenses performed well, Michigan’s defense was able to capitalize on Michigan State’s mistakes, which lead them to victory.

Unfortunately, a healthy rivalry on the field was overshadowed by conflict off the field.  A Michigan player was assaulted in the tunnel by some Michigan State players.  So far, four MSU players have been suspended by the team indefinitely, undoubtedly, more to follow if more indiscretions are discovered.  It goes without saying that this type of behavior is unacceptable within the confines of competition.  If all involved are not disciplined to the fullest extent, justice will not be achieved. We must always keep in mind that football is just a game, and in the grand scheme of things is not that important, and is definitely not worthy of potentially inflicting life long injury to another player.

Tigers Will See New Training and Coaching Personnel in 2023; Likely other Changes to Come

 In light of the the Tigers abysmal 2022 season that saw a rash of injuries all season, along with dismal offensive production, the Tigers brass has decided to make several changes to its training and coaching staffs. Medical director Kevin Rand’s contract was not renewed, and Head Athletic Trainer Doug Teter was reassigned.  Additionally, Scott Coolbaugh and Mike Hessman, Hitting Coach and Assistant Hitting Coach respectively, will not return to the team.  Who fills these roles in the future remains to be seen.  Hopefully, new personnel who fill these vacancies will have a positive effect on the overall performance of the team. 

It became clear relatively early in the season that the primary causes of this team’s lackluster performance were injuries and lack of offensive production.  Injuries plagued the team beginning of spring training training.  The saga began when Riley Greene broke his foot, though legging out a triple.  Furthermore, the Tigers continued to lose several important pieces throughout the season that hindered their success.  Not only did the Tigers lose a majority of their starting pitching rotation, but they lost several important offensive players that included Javier Baez, Robbie Groessman, and Austin Meadows.  This predicament led the team to be shutout 22 times, rank last in runs and homeruns, and rank 29 of 30 teams in walks.  Obviously, if injuries are held to a minimum in 2023, this will help offensive numbers return to acceptable  levels.  Needless to say these aspects of a baseball team go hand in hand.  Therefore, changes in offensive coaches and training staffs were deemed necessary. 

In an effort to further address the issues the Tigers displayed last year, it is possible that the Tigers could add a game planning pitching coach, and create other on field coaching positions.  This would allow the players to undergo a philosophical change in the way they prepare for games, which could mean better results.  Many times, a change in voice means that players for some reason, are able to achieve better performance results.  Furthermore, it would not surprise me if there were many more changes in every Baseball Operations Department to change the culture of the entire organization.  Whether it means better results, only time will tell.

Red Wings Look to Improve in All Areas This Season

 Though the Detroit Red Wings haven’t made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in several years, they hope to make progress in that direction this season.  Many so-called experts feel that the team does not have a shot to make the postseason this year, however if their performance through 3 games is any indication, those individuals may be proven wrong.  In the season opener, Ville Husso shutout the Montreal Canadiens 3-0. In addition, the Red Wings added several pieces to improve both offense and defense.  If these new additions actually accomplish what they were meant to, this team could definitely exceed expectations.

One of the most prominent aspects of the game in which the Red Wings struggled last year was scoring.  Unfortunately, the Red Wings ranked near the bottom of the league in this category.  They only scored 230 goals in 2022, while giving up 312 goals.  The team gave up an average of 4 goals per game, while only scoring two goals a game.  It goes without saying that you won’t win many games with those kind of stats, and the Red Wings didn’t.  To alleviate these scoring woes, the team signed David Perron, who in 2021, scored 27 goals, had 30 assists, and 57 points for the St. Louis Blues.  In addition, this season he has 3 goals in 3 games for the Wings.  Scoring issues will further diminish, providing that guys like Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond can duplicate their 2021 season performances. Both had stellar seasons in scoring, assists, and, points.  If all of these players perform up to their expectations, this team may just find themselves in the playoff hunt.

The Red Wings also did not help their cause at the defensive end of the ice.  In 2021, they only killed off 73.8 percent of the penalties called against them.  This means the opposition scored on about 33 percent of  their power plays.  To put this in perspective, the Wings ranked last in the NHL in killing penalties.  However, though a small sample size, through 3 games this season, the team has yet to give up a Powerplay goal.  Conversely, they have been unable to score on their own poweplays.  Defensive play can also be bolstered when goaltenders perform well.  To improve at this position, the Red Wings signed goaltender Ville Husso, who had a 2.69 Goals Against Average with a .914 Save Percentage with the St. Louis Blues in 2021.  In 2 games in Detroit, he has accumulated a 2.50 Goals Against Average and has given up a total of 5 goals.  If these defensive trends continue, this team should be on track for a successful season.

When Steve Yzerman came to Detroit from having success with the Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Club, expectations for this team were instantly heightened.  It was apparent that Wings fans put their full trust in Steve’s ability to turn this team’s fortunes around.  Despite a lack of success at the beginning of Yzerman’s tenure, with the hiring of Derek Lelonde, and a few new player acquisitions on both sides of the puck, it appears the Red Wings are headed for bigger and better things.