Biggest Detroit Sports Questions That Will Be Answered In 2016
By Ashley Scoby
@AshleyScoby
2015 was no slouch, but 2016 could be a year for Detroit sports just as entertaining, depressing or mind-blowing, depending on which sports one follows. Here are some of the biggest questions for the Detroit sports scene that will be answered in 2016.
What does Martha Firestone Ford do next?
The metaphor isn't lost on anyone that Ford is always seen wearing sunglasses. She's an enigma who doesn't talk to the media, and no one really knows what she'll do next. Ford made several big-time moves in 2015 – firing team president Tom Lewand and general manager Martin Mayhew, hiring Rod Wood as president and bringing Ernie Accorsi onboard to help with the Lions' GM search. But what comes next could be even more important. The GM hire will likely make or break this latest Lions rebuilding process. And how much control over the decision to keep or fire Jim Caldwell will Ford take? Or will she leave that to a newly-hired GM?
Can Stan Van Gundy get the Pistons back to the playoffs?
There was a time in Detroit when the Pistons were the most successful franchise in the city. From 2002 to 2008, the Pistons went to seven straight Eastern Conference Finals, winning the NBA title in 2004. After 2009, though, the franchise hasn't made the playoffs even once, and has fallen far down the rankings of Detroit sports. But Stan Van Gundy has brought a new energy as head coach, and fans are more hopeful than they've been in years. Hovering above the .500 mark through mid-December, the Pistons have a shot to make the postseason once again this year. Van Gundy has rebuilt franchises before – can he do it in Detroit?
Can Brad Ausmus lead the Tigers back to the playoffs?
The Tigers missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2010. General manager and vice president of baseball operations Al Avila has spent the offseason building up the club's bullpen and starting pitching rotation, and decided before the season was over to keep Ausmus as manager. It will be Ausmus' third year as a big-league manager, so there isn't much of a track record to go off of. He hasn't proven he can win as a manager, but he hasn't proven he can't either. This season, which brings back the hitters who collectively had the top batting average in MLB last season, combined with a revamped pitching staff, could be a defining time for Ausmus.
In what new way will the Lions lose a game?
It will happen - it's just a question of how. Lions fans are well aware of all the baffling ways that the franchise has lost games, and we're good for at least one per year. Will the Lions take a leaf out of Michigan's book and botch a punt? Will there be a kick-six or some other incredibly rare feat? No matter what changes, the Lions' ability to lose games in unique ways has been a constant.
Will Dylan Larkin finish his rookie season as strongly as he's started it?
Larkin's tear through the first piece of the NHL season can hardly be called beginner's luck. But how far can he take his upward trajectory? Will teams start figuring out the 19-year-old and his blazing speed? Or will he keep dazzling Detroit hockey fans?
What happens to Calvin Johnson?
How the Lions handle their former All-Pro wide receiver will be the defining moment of this offseason. And it will be a crucial beginning to the future general manager's tenure. Johnson will be owed about $24 million next season – a season which the Lions need to use to rebuild a teetering franchise. Johnson has said previously that he wants to finish his career in Detroit, but if the franchise keeps losing, how much of his talent will Johnson want to waste? The Lions – an organization predicated on loyalty – could keep the receiver, who they drafted in 2007, or they could cut or trade him, clearing up some needed cap space heading into 2016.
