Terry Foster's Bold Predictions For 2015: Surprises For Suh, Tigers, Pistons, Lions And U-M
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - With 2015 just around the corner, 97.1 The Ticket host Terry Foster contemplated what the future holds for local sports, and he offered predictions about the Lions, Tigers, Pistons and Michigan football.
The Lions flourished this season under new head coach Jim Caldwell, but Foster predicts the Lions will take a step back in 2015 and miss out on the playoffs.
"They've been a little bit fortunate this year, and maybe they may rest on their laurels a little bit, get a little bit fat and sassy," Foster said, "but they'll return to the playoffs in 2016."
In keeping with Foster's expectation of a down year for Detroit, he also believes star defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will leave the Lions in the dust when he hits free agency after the season.
"His sister, who has been his caretaker, has already left for New York, he does not want to be here, he doesn't really engage in his teammates like other teammates do," Foster said. "He's playing great on the field, but I think he's already moved on. Detroit's not big enough for him."
The Tigers won the American League Central Division for the fourth straight year in 2014 before getting swept out of the playoffs in the first round, but Foster has a rosier projection for that team.
"The Detroit Tigers will struggle during the regular season, then they're going to get it together and make a nice run," Foster said. "They're going to go to the World Series."
As for the Pistons, Foster has little hope that 2015 will be better in terms of wins and losses, but he anticipates that some personnel changes will allow general manager and head coach Stan Van Gundy to push the reset button, so to speak -- especially in the wake of Josh Smith's leaving.
"... Greg Monroe's going to leave, it's going to be another bad season for the Pistons, but the good news is they're going to get players that he kind of likes," Foster said, "so it's going to be a Dumpster fire, but they're building for the future.
"[Van Gundy] is going to survive it because he's [owner Tom] Gores' guy," Foster continued. "Gores is going to give him at least three to four years, minimum, no matter how bad, and Gores knows that Stan Van Gundy wants to win more than anybody, so that's his guy, he's going to support him, and he knows how bad the team is."
When it comes to the University of Michigan, whose team did not even qualify for a bowl this season, Foster guesses the Wolverines will miss on their number one candidate to replace head coach Brady Hoke but nonetheless end up with an impressive leader for the program.
"Michigan's next coach - Bob Stoops," Foster said. "I'm not convinced [Jim] Harbaugh's going to leave the NFL. There's something weird going on with Les Miles and Michigan. I think Bob Stoops is someone you can sell to Michigan fans if you don't get Harbaugh.
"It's be good," Foster continued. "[Stoops] needs a change of scenery, I think he'll love it here and I think the fans here will love him here, too. He's not Brady Hoke. He'll do well ... Brady Hoke was just window dressing to me. He's just a nice guy that you want to hang out with, but he doesn't - this program was too big for him. Bob Stoops has coached Oklahoma. That's pretty doggone big."
