Stoney's Six Pack 3-19-12

With this weather being warm and muggy, it's a great time for cool refreshing six pack.

1. It is nice to see the national sports scene getting to know what we have known for a few seasons and that is the greatness of Draymond Green. When I say great, I am not talking about great as a player, because I don't think he is great. The greatness of Green is the whole picture, offensive ability, rebounding, defensive prowess, leadership and unselfishness. The sum of those parts make him a great team player. Guys like that do not come along every year.

2. To say Michigan was a disappointment is an understatement and I am not talking about the result. I expected their game to Ohio University to be a dogfight. The disappointing aspect was the way they played especially on defense. I was always suspect of the scheme, but this year John Beilein had me believing. Shame on me. I could not believe how many times Michigan left Ohio guys wide open for spot up three point attempts. The future is still bright in Ann Arbor. Assuming Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. come back and with a vaunted recruiting class coming in, Michigan should still be very good. However in order for them to be a major player they must get more physical inside and figure out a way to improve their rotations on defense so what happened Friday night does not repeat itself.

3. A few days ago I secretly started to hope that the Chicago Black Hawks would catch fire and pass the Red Wings for the fifth spot in the Western Conference. Why? Well I would much rather face either Dallas or Phoenix than go up against the Nashville Predators. But now that we find that Alexander Radulov has been cleared to join the Predators. If you don't remember Radulov, let me fill you in. He is an electric 25 year old right wing who can score. He played for Nashville for two seasons before returning to his native Russia after the 2008 season. In 2008 he tallied 26 goals and had 2 goals and 4 assists against the Wings in their opening round playoff series. Nashville is formidable enough as it is, but when you add Radulov to the roster they are downright scary.

4. I know it's only Grapefruit League action, but you have to be somewhat impressed by the spring that Ryan Raburn is having. He is currently hitting .458 with 5 home runs and 16 RBI's. Don't you wish the calendar said April or May and not March.

5. Don't forget to check out WXYZ Channel 7's newscasts on Tuesday. The station is honoring the retiring Don Shane that day. You will see heartwarming tributes and vintage historical footage of his distinguished broadcasting career.

6. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band officially opened up their "Wrecking Ball" tour Sunday night in Atlanta. Here is the set list from the 2 hour and 30 minute show that featured 10 songs from his new CD. It was the first full blown concert since the death of Clarence Clemons. His place has been taken by a horn section that includes his nephew Jake Clemons.

We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
Badlands
Death to My Hometown
My City of Ruins
The E Street Shuffle
Jack of All Trades
Seeds
Easy Money
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
Apollo Medley (The Way You Do The Things You Do/634-5789)
Shackled & Drawn
Lonesome Day
The Rising
We Are Alive
Thunder Road
* * *
Rocky Ground (with Michelle Moore)
Land of Hope and Dreams
Born to Run
Dancing in the Dark
American Land
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Springsteen and the other 16 members of the revamped E Street Band come to the Palace on April 12.Good tickets are still available.