Finally, the Tigers win a series, taking 2 out of 3 from the Pittsburgh Pirates over the week-end. Some timely hitting, good starting pitching and some decent bullpen work. That’s the formula that most “experts” were predicting when the season started. But before we start gushing, remember the Tigs have not had any sizable winning streak since early in April, and they are a long way from being the dominate club they are supposed to be.

It was interesting to see Jason Grilli the former Tiger, who is now a Pirate, get some work on Saturday. While his walks are still a little too high,…he has 27 strike outs in a little over 16 innings this year and an ERA around 2.25. A far cry from what he was when here.

Boy oh boy, was manager Jim Leyland grumpy this past week-end. He went into a tirade of “F” words when he was asked who the leaders were on this ballclub and then Sunday he was asked about his club being inconsistent he again barked. He told reporters he wouldn’t fall into “that trap” and that he’s  going to remain upbeat and optimistic. Think he’s feeling the pressure????

This week should be interesting because the Tigers take on the division leading Indians in Cleveland. While it’s too early to call it a crucial series..they have to show the Tribe they are a force to be dealt with. Hopefully…Austin Jackson and Jose Valverde will be healthy enough to take part in the 3 game set.

I saw the Justin Verlander in person on Friday night, and he looked as good as I’ve ever seen him. While it was disappointing to see him miss out on his 3rd career no-hitter, there is no doubt in my mind he will eventually do it.

Over the last several days WWJ Newsradio 950 has been reporting on deadly and brutal crimes in Detroit.  One incident left singing sensation and local pastor Marvin Winans roughed up and robbed of his Rolex watch, his $70,000 SUV and $200 in cash.  Winans had stopped to gas up at a station on Linwood and Davison in Detroit.

This morning I interviewed a shaken 66-year-old woman who woke up at 3 a.m. with a man pointing a shotgun and shining a flashlight in her face before making off with her safe that contained $8,000.  Police say the bad guys kicked in her side door.   Her ailing 96-year-old mother slept through the ordeal in the well-kept neighborhood on Piedmont Street in the Grandmont-Rosedale Park community.

“It’s just a shame that you can’t feel safe in your own home,” the frightened homeowner told me three hours after the home invasion.  “I don’t know how long it’ll take me to get over this…you never feel normal again.”  Despite the rude awakening she also said, “I don’t have anything against the city.  I think this is a secure neighborhood.  It’s just people…I don’t plan to go anywhere.”

Her next door neighbor Raymond Butler had a similar experience, “On the Fourth of July last year, the guy pointed a gun at my head, dragged me out the bed and told me not to say a word.  His partner went in the room and took two safes out of here.”  He also said because of his neighbor’s ordeal he had a flashback.  “Waking up to a gun in your face ain’t no joke,” Butler said.

On the same day this week that Mayor Dave Bing helped turn the dirt at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Whole Foods Store on Mack and Woodward, a friend of an antique store owner brutally beaten to death during a robbery at his store, made an impassioned plea for the city to get a grip on crime.  I wanted to quiz the mayor about the impact of crime on merchants doing busy in the city but his communications director Robert Warfield told me Bing wasn’t taking any questions about crime that day.  He said that would be a question for the police chief.  WWJ has requested a sit down interview with the chief.

Now enter Andre Ventura.  He hasn’t had much luck getting a response out of the powers-that-be either.  So, he replaced a huge sign on 8 mile and Cardoni Street that talked about building strong roots in the community with one that says “Warning!  This city is infested with crack heads.  Secure your belongings and pray for your life.”

The former military man said, “This is a war zone.  Where in a rational community do you have bullets flying every day?  Where you have houses being fire bombed, cars being blown up and people shot in the streets?  I would honestly rather be fighting the Taliban than crack heads,” he said.

That’s why he believes the National Guard is the best solution.  “That would be the only thing that could secure this place.  The Detroit police department is just as corrupt as the crack heads on the streets and there needs to be a mediator between the two,” Ventura added.

After ten years of living in Detroit, Ventura says he has had enough because nothing has changed.  He has sent certified letters talking about the plight of Detroit children to everyone from former Governor Jennifer Granholm to current Mayor Dave Bing.  “Nobody has responded. The living conditions of children of Detroit – when I served this country in the military we didn’t allow American children to live like that.”

He also said over the last ten years he’s spent about four million dollars in time and resources to make life better for kids in the neighborhood but the constant gunfire and stealing of tools and lawnmowers he used to keep up the park on Cardoni Street are forcing him out.  “You have a trailer with tools in it…they take the whole trailer.  They take the trucks.  I had a snowplow and it came up missing in pieces – first came the hydraulics, the pumps, the shovels and then the whole truck gone, Ventura said.

What do you think?  

It’s an old-fashioned political dogfight via tweets and emails that suggest mudslinging, back door deals,  whimsically  changing Michigan Republican party rules to help GOP presumptive nominee Mitt Romney and more .

It has to do with which of two candidates – Saul Anuzis or state Rep. Dave Agema — will be chosen to be Michigan’s RNC’s committeeman to go on to the national convention in Tampa, Fla. when GOP presidential presumptive nominee Romney is supposed to be coronated.

The Anuzis-Agema battle will come to an end this weekend in Detroit  when delegates to the Michigan Republican Party convention at Cobo Center will select one man and one woman.

State Rep. Holly Hughes, who currently has the Michigan Committee Chairwoman post, is  being challenged for re-election by  former Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land in a far more genteel battle.

This weekend’s GOP conference will also feature RNC Chairman Reince Priebus who will address the gathering as will Gov. Rick Snyder, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, Attorney General Bill Schuette and Michigan Republican Party Chairman Bobby Schostak.

From there, Michigan will take its contingent of 59 GOP delegates to the national convention, but since the state bucked party rules by holding its Feb. 28 presidential primary earlier than national party rules allowed, only 30  of the delegates will be able to vote.

Saul Anuzis is battling it out with state Rep. Dave Agema for the Michigan committeeman role.

Committeeman race simmers

Anuzis, the media kinetic  former state GOP Chair, has held the committeeman job since  Keith Butler stepped aside midway through his term in 2010.

Anuzis is now running for the four-year term against Agema, also  a solid conservative and a retired pilot who holds an MBA.

Agema has the support of Chuck and John Yob (the father and son GOP strategists from the west side of the state).

And therein lies the issue: To say there is some animous between Anuzis and the Yobs would be an understatement.

That situation was inflamed when Anuzis spearheaded Keith Butler’s defeat of Chuck Yob when the elder Yob sought re-election as RNC committeeman in 2007.

In an  “Off the Record”  taping a few years ago, Anuzis called the Yobs  “a cancer in the party.”

Agema said the Yobs have been helping him.

“I am working with them” said Agema. “They are not financing me. They are working pro bono.”

Agema said he is putting in some of his own money into financing his campaign.

“I was voted most conservative in the House of Representative and I have not been bought by any lobbyists and I will not be bought by the Yobs,” Agema added.

Agema said his  goal as committeeman is to get fiscal conservatives into office, “that have a backbone and can stand up and not be part of the problem.  Too often people get elected and then they become part of the problem.”

Though he has supported Anuzis for GOP  Chairman, John Yob said he could not support Anuzis now because of the delegate saga that developed following the Michigan primary.

State Rep. Dave Agema is locked in battle with Saul Anuzis.

Tweet heat

Anuzis, who was tweeting and on facebook long before it was vogue,  has been fighting via frequent tweets and email missives about inaccuracies he says are being  promulgated about him in this campaign.

“I am not a lobbyist, never have been. I am not a political consultant, I do not work for any campaigns, campaign committees or PACs,” said Anuzis.

Anuzis said his only goal is, “to do all I can to help nominate conservative Republicans, at every level and to help those Republicans to public office.”

Others have been taking note of the sudden flurry of emails.

“I’m getting pretty tired of email and phone call attacks directed at Saul Anuzis, and MRP,: said Prudy Adam, Genessee  County GOP chair.

“It is a well known fact that Chuck and John Yob are behind the attacks. They are no friends to the Republican Party having slandered Saul and the MRP as “corrupt” on facebook (I unfriended them),” she added.

John Yob denies it, adding it is Anuzis who is trying to turn the tables on what is taking place in this race.

“Saul and his  supporters are trying to turn his re-election into a race between Anuzis vs. the Yobs because he is vulnerable on issues such as the delegate scandal and the national popular vote,” said Yob.

Anuzis took issue with that.

“This is not a Yob vs Anuzis battle,” Anuzis said. “Yob and his allies recruited Agema and they must have an agenda. I do my best to ignore the Yobs, they just love playing games.”

Longtime card carrying GOP member Susan Brown said:  “This is just another Yob vs. Anuzis  dogfight.”

Brown tried to run for University of Michigan regent in 2008. But her  bid was squelched at the state convention where candidates for education board seats   are decided.

“It was terrifying to someone who had worked pretty hard running for (UM regent)  office and  had no idea what was going on,” she said of the convention where Anuzis and the Yobs were battling  over candidates.

“There were backroom deals being cut. It was disappointing to me then and it is now as I see all the emails and other things  still going on,” Brown said.

She isn’t  sure who she will support as RNC committeeman this weekend.

“I think Saul may know more about it but  he is part of the establishment. Agema has been in office but if he has been put up by a faction of people – I just don’t know.”

Prickly issues

There are  two issues  at play in the committeeman conversation:  the awarding of Michigan delegates and the nationalpopular vote compact.

Romney, who had Anuzis’ support, won  the Feb. 28 Michigan primary and earned 16 of the state’s voting delegates. Since Santorum, who had the Yobs’ support,  exited the presidential race, has 14 delegates

It was how the two at-large delegates ended with Romney that is cause for some contention.

Anuzis, a member of the credentials committee,said the party’s rules were passed on Feb. 4 , well before the primary ,  to award the two at-large delegates to the statewide winner, but that a memo sent — in error – to the candidates’ campaigns said the delegates would be distributed proportionately.

“While we regret the error in the memo, it does not change what was voted on by the committee,” Anuzis told the Detroit Free Press.

Mike Cox, former Michigan attorney general who is supporting  Anuzis, said it left a bad taste.

“For a lot of grass roots, it was upsetting,” Cox said.  “It’s  the kind of thing that makes a difference.”

The other issue is the national popular vote interstate compact.

Anuzis was a consultant for the national organization supporting the compact.

Although Agema has recently changed his position on the bill, in each of his three terms in office  he either voted for or sponsor the NPV bill.

The “tussle over the National Popular Vote issue is an invented issue,” Anuzis said.

Stay tuned.

(Carol Cain is the Emmy winning Senior Producer and Host of CBS62 “Michigan Matters.” She writes about business and politics in Sunday’s Detroit Free Press. She can be reached at clcain@cbs.com)

I had a pet mallard for an hour. I named her Duffy.

While I was heating up leftover ham and scalloped potatoes in the microwave, I glanced out my kitchen window into the backyard. A female mallard duck was sitting on the edge of my pool cover.

I’ve had this 12’ round by 4’ deep albatross, um, I mean swimming pool, for 13 years. It’s so small, when people see it, they think it’s a hot tub. The most interesting birds I’ve ever seen go near the pool cover were a grackle and a pigeon. You decide which of those is the more interesting bird.

Now, on a random Wednesday evening, Duffy has graced my yard with her ducky presence. And she didn’t just land and fly away. She stayed. I clocked her at over an hour. Enough time to take pictures and view her through my binoculars.

Many thoughts crossed my mind. Can you capture and tame a wild duck and keep her for a pet? Is it legal? Who would know? I didn’t want to scare her off so I stayed about 40 feet away in the kitchen. She kept dipping into the pool, which is filled with rainwater. I wish I could have approached closer and taken clearer pictures, but I didn’t want her to fly off.

Where was her mate? Mallards usually travel in pairs. The way she kept hopping into the pool cover, out of sight, I wondered if she was in there hatching eggs. Not sure how I feel about my yard being used as a maternity ward. I’d have to charge a fee.

You should know; I rarely swim in the pool during the summer. I hate opening and closing the pool. It’s a lot of work. It’s the albatross around my neck. Or in my yard, as the case may be. Has it been worth all the years of effort for one hour with Duffy?

I see my fair share of squirrels and chipmunks in the backyard, but a mallard? This is big time. It’s like Elvis coming back to life and playing a show at Meadow Brook Music Festival. Well, maybe not Elvis. There would have to be a penguin in my yard for it to be as big as Elvis. How about Justin Bieber? A mallard is the Justin Bieber of backyard birds.

And I enjoyed a private, one-hour show. What a sight. A mallard sitting on an albatross.

You don’t see that every day.

>> More Motor City Musing With Vicki Briganti

Let’s just say it. The current crop of feckless idiots that make up the GOP House of Representatives are bad for the country. A person who is even paying the most distracted attention must come to the conclusion that they are going to destroy the economy. There really is no other explanation.

I could not tree the thoughts of these morons even with a thousand trained hounds. John Boehner, informed the assembled press and other horrified parties that he welcomed an election year fight with the Democrats over the debt ceiling. Again. Apparently there are actually people in the world that actually wanted a sequel to last years embarrassment, where our countries’ argument behind closed doors spilled out into the street. It was when the entire world got to see our scars.

The world could no longer deny that the once powerful democracy had wandered so far away from its scruples that it now had all the dignity of a naked exotic dancer with a thyroid condition throwing a chair at the father of the majority of her children on the Jerry Springer Show.

Last year’s debt ceiling fight was putrid. We covered our faces and tried not to vomit while a stalemate in congress dragged on. The world was nauseated by the septic stink that emanated from the hallowed halls of congress. We tried to push down the feeling that rose up in our stomachs, we swallowed our deepest apprehensions and smiled away the truth. The optimistic among us waved away the concerns and the cynical had all of our worst fears confirmed. The only tie that bound us all together was the words: “There is no way they are that stupid.”

Of course they were. They waited until literally the country was in default. The GOP gets all the blame here. All of it. You can’t run up an eight-year tab of tax cuts, war and Medicare part B all while absolving yourself of all responsibility. To suggest that blame should evenly distributed is a tresspass only uttered by those who seek to appear impartial, though that aim comes at the cost of honesty. Arbitrarily turning off the spigot just because you thirst for the sugar of power is no way to manage the country. Believe me, if Romney is elected president, the debt ceiling will be raised without hesitation and under the threat of excoriation. The debt ceiling was raised casually under the Bush administration. The GOP did not adopt this religion until Obama was elected.

This is why I call this crop of GOP fools. Its not like they don’t have material to hit The President with. They won an election in 2010 on the back of Obamacare. They flogged the Dems on fiscal responsibility and guaranteed that they would curb spending. Its not like they aren’t allowed to run that again. Citizens united has birthed a race of super donors, who among them are bathed in the spoils of de-regulatory policy and corporatism. Even though the last 4 years has made even more wealth than they could have imagined, they still unanimously toss their dollars into the center of the Romney circle.

The GOP has plenty of things going for it. The country is wobbly at best, still nursing Gatorade from the hangover that came from the worst financial crisis ever. We gnaw dry toast with bleeding gums and pray to God that it satiates our upset stomachs, yet there is Boehner, gleaming mahogany in the klieg lights, informing the country that he intends to jam another funnel down our throats. But instead of more tequila he demands Ipecac. Why they feel they need to run a play that actually destroys the country when they have plenty of rhetorical hay to make is ghoulishly irresponsible.

I am recalcitrant to the GOP argument because they are lying. They are preaching fiscal responsibility but their platform offers none. They want massive budget cuts so that seniors and the impoverished will be abandoned, and they offer no savings. They want to take from the people who cannot afford it, and not even have the decency to use that money to pay our collected bills. No, the GOP wants to turn that savings into even more tax cuts. Why? Well, I don’t understand why. Tax cuts have never turned around and created a robust economy as a matter of cause and effect. In fact, there are mountains of evidence that suggest otherwise.

The GOP seem to be bellowing about the deficit yet have absolutely no effective plan to fix it. The vaunted Paul Ryan plan actually adds to the deficit in the short run, so in order to pass it you would have to extend the debt ceiling now anyway. So this fight they have picked is fraudulent from the start. They are only picking it because they don’t think that anyone will follow curiosity’s course and actually find out what they mean by the things they say. So far, they have been right.

So why is the GOP insisting on enacting policy that hasn’t worked in 20 years and willing to destroy the country to enact it? Because they are stupid. I am being generous here. I can only pray that they are stupid. Believe me, I do. I counted myself among the ranks of the GOP for years. I feel like I have been cast out since then, I had major problems with the fiscal strategies of the Bush years and I was always against the Iraq war. I was shown the door and charged with heresy, only to have the party coalesce around exactly what I was saying for years. I really hope the GOP is stupid because the alternative is not good. If they actually know the extent of what they are doing and they still march on, then they would qualify as treasonous. They would be intentionally hurting the economy of the United States of America for the purpose of political gain.

They are enemies of the state, if that is the case. Let’s stick with: They’re buffoons.

Let’s just say it. The current crop of feckless idiots that make up the GOP House of Representatives are bad for the country. A person who is even paying the most distracted attention must come to the conclusion that they are going to destroy the economy. There really is no other explanation.

I could not tree the thoughts of these morons even with a thousand trained hounds. John Boehner, informed the assembled press and other horrified parties that he welcomed an election year fight with the Democrats over the debt ceiling. Again. Apparently there are actually people in the world that actually wanted a sequel to last years embarrassment, where our countries’ argument behind closed doors spilled out into the street. It was when the entire world got to see our scars. The world could no longer deny that the once powerful democracy had wandered so far away from its scruples that it now had all the dignity of a naked exotic dancer with a thyroid condition throwing a chair at the father of the majority of her children on the Jerry Springer Show.

Last years debt ceiling fight was putrid. We covered our faces and tried not to vomit while a stalemate in congress dragged on. The world was nauseated by the septic stink that emanated from the hallowed halls of congress. We tried to push down the feeling that rose up in our stomachs, we swallowed our deepest apprehensions and smiled away the truth. The optimistic among us waved away the concerns and the cynical had all of our worst fears confirmed. The only tie that bound us all together was the words: “There is no way they are that stupid.”

Of course, they were. They waited until literally the country was in default. The GOP gets all the blame here. All of it. You can’t run up an 8 year tab of tax cuts, war and Medicare part B all while absolving yourself of all responsibility. To suggest that blame should evenly distributed is a tresspass only uttered by those who seek to appear impartial, though that aim comes at the cost of honesty. Arbitrarily turning off the spigot just because you thirst for the sugar of power is no way to manage the country. Believe me, if Romney is elected president, the debt ceiling will be raised without hesitation and under the threat of excoriation. The debt ceiling was raised casually under the Bush administration. The GOP did not adopt this religion until Obama was elected.

This is why I call this crop of GOP fools. Its not like they don’t have material to hit The President with. They won an election in 2006 on the back of Obamacare. They flogged the Dems on fiscal responsibility and guaranteed that they would curb spending. Its not like they aren’t allowed to run that again. Citizens united has birthed a race of super donors, who among them are bathed in the spoils of de-regulatory policy and corporatism. Even though the last 4 years has made even more wealth than they could have imagined, they still unanimously toss their dollars into the center of the Romney circle.

The GOP has plenty of things going for it. The country is wobbly at best, still nursing Gatorade from the hangover that came from the worst financial crisis ever. We gnaw dry toast with bleeding gums and pray to God that it satiates our upset stomachs, yet there is Boehner, gleaming mahogany in the klieg lights, informing the country that he intends to jam another funnel down our throats. But instead of more tequila he demands Ipecac. Why they feel they need to run a play that actually destroys the country when they have plenty of rhetorical hay to make is ghoulishly irresponsible.

I am recalcitrant to the GOP argument because they are lying. They are preaching fiscal responsibility but their platform offers none. They want massive budget cuts so that seniors and the impoverished will be abandoned, and they offer no savings. They want to take from the people who cannot afford it, and not even have the decency to use that money to pay our collected bills. No, the GOP wants to turn that savings into even more tax cuts. Why? Well, I don’t understand why. Tax cuts have never turned around and created a robust economy as a matter of cause and effect. In fact, there are mountains of evidence that suggest otherwise.

The GOP seem to be bellowing about the deficit yet have absolutely no effective plan to fix it. The vaunted Paul Ryan plan actually adds to the deficit in the short run, so in order to pass it you would have to extend the debt ceiling now anyway. So this fight they have picked is fraudulent from the start. They are only picking it because they don’t think that anyone will follow curiosity’s course and actually find out what they mean by the things they say. So far, they have been right.

So why are is the GOP insisting on enacting policy that hasn’t worked in 20 years and willing to destroy the country to enact it? Because they are stupid. I am being generous here. I can only pray that they are stupid. Believe me, I do. I counted myself among the ranks of the GOP for years. I feel like I have been cast out since then, I had major problems with the fiscal strategies of the Bush years and I was always against the Iraq war. I was shown the door and charged with heresy, only to have the party coalesce around exactly what I was saying for years. I really hope the GOP is stupid because the alternative is not good. If they actually know the extent of what they are doing and they still march on, then they would qualify as treasonous. They would be intentionally hurting the economy of the United States of America for the purpose of political gain.

They are enemies of the state, if that is the case. Let’s stick with: They’re buffoons.

Cooley Law School Professor William Wagner and Dawud Walid of the Center for American Islamic relations weighed in on the topic on Charlie Langton’s Talk Radio 1270 show as state Rep. Dave Agema, R-Grandville, tries to push it through the House of Representatives.

The bill sponsored by Agema doesn’t mention Sharia law specifically, but it does ban Michigan from enforcing any law created by a foreign entity.

“The reason that I think the legislators have introduced that is that when courts do so, when courts rely on another nation, they are relying on law that nobody in Michigan, nobody in the United States had any part in making,” Wagner said.

Are courts using foreign laws from other countries? Langton asked.

“Yes, that’s exactly what is behind the introduction of this bill,” Wagner said, adding, “It’s certainly happening in other states around the country as well.”

“What we’re really talking about is a fear of Sharia law,” Langton said

Walid called it “purely political shenanigans,” adding that the U.S. Constitution prohibits any foreign law trumping an American law.

“This is really about Islam and those who say it’s to protect our nation’s laws .. I think they’re being extremely disingenuousness,” Walid said, adding that it’s “fear mongering.”

Walid added that religious-based laws in support of polygamy aren’t allowed, nor would any religious statute that allowed grown men to marry children  – because law trumps any religious policy.

“I think we’re dealing with a non-existent threat,” Dawud said. “Agema has been involved in some of the most far right Xenophobic bills … He’s also introduced in the past year, he’s using these issues to make a name for himself… I think he’s using these types of non-issues.

But, is he right?

“That’s the whole point, if this was a non-issue and there was no need for it, I’m surprised to see so many people coming forward voraciously opposing it … International law is a serious threat,” Wagner said.

Want to stay up on the hottest topics in metro Detroit? Get Charlie Langton’s newsletter HERE and listen to him from 6 to 9 a.m. daily HERE on Talk Radio 1270.

Thank goodness Kevin Na did not win at The Players  Championship this past weekend.  The third round leader imploded on Sunday with a bogey fest that took him out of contention.

If he would have won, way too many youth would be emulating his pre shot routine-which was waiting almost a minute to hit a shot!  Oh, by the way, did I mention his routine also includes shouting to himself during all this?

Golf has never seen a display such as this on the PGA Tour in recent memory.  Can you imagine how annoying it must be for his  fellow tour pros to play in the same group with Na?  Kudos goes to Matt Kuchar, who played with Na on Sunday and still won the tournament.

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The only time you would expect to see the names “Brandon Inge” and “Lou Gehrig” in the same sentence would be something to the effect that both men played Major League Baseball.  And both were in the American League.  But Inge now has the unlikely distinction of being the first player to have at least four rbi’s in four games  during a five-game stretch since Gehrig did it way back in 1931.

Of course, much of Inge’s newfound power came against his old team, the Tigers, including a grand slam homer and a three-run homer. And that followed another game winning walk-off grand slam against the Toronto Blue Jays.  How do you explain what’s happening to Inge, who was released by the Tigers after hitting .100 with one home run?   You don’t.   It really defies explanation. Even when Inge had his best seasons with the Tigers, he never hit like this. Some of it may be due to his desire to show the Tigers they made a big mistake by releasing him.  Or maybe he can finally focus on hitting without any pressure or expectation from the fans or his teammates, or the boo-birds who must have made life miserable for him.   In any case, it couldn’t be happening to a nicer guy.  I just wish he was doing it against some other team.

Let’s not get too carried away. Inge is still hitting under .200.  And he won’t finish the season with 30 home runs or 100 rbi’s.  But he is creating a  lot of excitement for a team that hasn’t had much to cheer about, or many fans to cheer on the A’s in a stadium that’s lucky to draw 11 thousand fans.  And it shows once again that Billy Beane still has the magic touch. If you’ve seen the movie “Money Ball,”  you know the A’s General Manager has always had a knack for picking up players that nobody else wanted and getting the most out of them.

The Tigers sure could use someone with a hot bat like Inge.  They are still struggling to score runs, something I never imagined would be a problem in a lineup that featured Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder.  Cabrera is knocking in runs, but without much power.  And Fielder had a terrible weekend against the A’s, and has not been the Home Run machine Tiger fans  were hoping for.  Thank goodness for the Tigers strong starting pitching, especially Justin Verlander on Sunday, who held the A’s to just one run and two hits.   The Tigers managed to push across three runs, enough to win.  But they still haven’t won back-to-back games in a month, certainly not the sign of a team that everyone expected to run away with it this season.  Fortunately, the Tigers play in the Central Division, so they’re only one game behind first place Cleveland.  But they can’t keep putting guys like Ryan Rayburn and Danny Worth in the starting lineup, both with averages barely above .100, if they’re going to get hot.

The Tigers have series coming up against the Minnesota Twins, with the worst record in the baseball, and the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are not much better.   The Tigers need to feast upon those weak teams to heat up those cold bats and put together a nice winning streak.

It is well documented that I do believe in jinxes. When someone says something in my presence that could upset the balance of all things great in Detroit sports, I try to police the commentary with a quick, “Knock on wood” approach.

Recently, Calvin Johnson was put on the cover of the new Madden video game and for most NFL players that is quite the status symbol. Unfortunately, it is also the kiss of death for your upcoming season as most players that have graced the cover suffer some form of malady that truly affects their campaign.

I wasn’t happy about the news that Calvin made the cover, because I do believe in the Madden Jinx. However, I now find myself dedicated to trying to find ways to counter that very power so we as Lions fans can go into 2012 with a good frame of mind. What is done, is done. We cannot change the fact that he is on the cover, though we can try to find ways to appease the Jinx Gods so as not to ruin our hopes and dreams.

Now we have another campaign with a Detroit athlete as Pavel Datsyuk has made the quarterfinals of his tourney to star on the cover of the NHL video game. Though scores of people are concerned, I offer this, we are not aware of any NHL cover jinx. And, while we’re at it, we are not aware of any MLB cover jinx, so Justin Verlander should be safe.

Of course, the rules of what is and what is not a Jinx are very fuzzy. Some of us are on a need to know basis (and Doug does not need to know) regarding those rules. Suffice it to say, there is no pattern associated with injuries to baseball or hockey players and the cover of their respective video games…Thankfully!

1. Is Bill Bentley good enough to start? He is a third-round draft choice, but it was surprising Bentley dropped to the third round. He was very impressive against top competition during Senior Bowl practices and the actual game. He also ran very well at  the combine. The Lions need a starter opposite Chris Houston now that Eric Wright has departed to Tampa Bay as a free agent.
2. How healthy is Ryan Broyles? If he returns to 100 percent health, there is little question Broyles will have a huge impact for the Lions. He is a great football player, who fits their offense perfectly as a slot receiver. But he had surgery on his ACL. When will he recover? And when he does, will he still be the same caliber player?
3. Will Riley Reiff push Gosder Cherilus at right tackle? Reiff fell into the Lions lap at 23rd overall in the first round. It’s entirely possible he will be ready to play from the start. Cherilus has yet to develop the way the Lions envisioned when they selected him during the first round of the 2008 draft.

Can Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson improve upon his 16 touchdown performance of 2011? Why wouldn’t Johnson keep improving his TD rate in his upcoming sixth NFL season?

I’m not dealing with the ‘Madden Curse’ but there are points why he wouldn’t be as successful getting to the end zone this year. But, I believe the rare elite player, combined with the ideas below, will have Calvin Johnson at or above 20 TD receptions in 2012. The reasons why he wouldn’t catch more than 16 touchdowns?

First off it’s difficult, in the history of the league -scoring more than 16 TD’s - has only been achieved 13 times. The record for single season TD receptions was 23 by Randy Moss in 2007. Other reasons to think that Johnson wouldn’t go over 16 scores. A more balanced offensive attack and defenses totally game planning for him. The reasons that Johnson will eclipse his end zone productions this year. Working with Matt Stafford for only the second time for a full season, provided they both stay healthy.

The NFL is obviously going more to a passing league and the Lions are right there with that trend going with offense with there first two picks this year. The biggest reason to think more offense this year, around the NFL, is the concussion discussion. The NFL can’t limit the head-to-head collisions close to the line of scrimmage. Limiting defensive backs from any big hits close to the head was already being enforced more closely last year.

Get ready for offensive players running free through NFL defenses even more this year. Remember Calvin Johnson is 6-5, 240, runs a sub 4.4 and can out jump anybody in the league. There’s going to be even more passing offense this year in the NFL.

I’ll bet a record performance over a pedestrian showing from the best wide out in the game in his prime in 2012.

Doctor Belkin joined Charlie and said you have to look at the psychological reasons why the mother feels a need to breastfeed an older child. Why do these mothers feel a need to breastfeed past the point where there are health benefits for the child? Moreover, kids who are breastfed for too many years may have a hard time with socialization with other kids. For this child on the cover of Time Magazine, imagine how other kids will treat him when he’s older and how he might interact with other kids.

Charlie asked the doctor what the role of the father is in these situations. The doctor acknowledged that the question was a good one. What does the father think about toddlers being breastfed? About the relationship this mother has with their child that at some point becomes abnormal?

Listen to the full interview here: Dr. Belkin

While driving to their Grosse Pointe  home one evening, Svoboda’s husband was followed by a hooker who had been hanging out in a nearby party store parking lot. As he got out of his car, she asked him if he had any change. She then asked him if he lived in the house. He knew what she really wanted and Sandra, inside the house, called the police.

Do people who live in the burbs have a right to tell Detroiters to keep their Detroit crime in Detroit? Svoboda believed that when they bought their house, they chose an area that was separated from Detroit crime, trash and even vomit. She joined Charlie to discuss these issues. Why are the neighborhoods around her house cleaner and typically safer and expected to be that way? Is it race? Culture? A few bad apples in Detroit making them all look bad? Why in Detroit would people expect to see hookers and blight but cross over a few miles and expectations change? Listen to the interview and decide how you feel.

Interview part 1

Interview part 2

When Staff Sergeant Jeremy Cooney left for Afghanistan his son Michael couldn’t walk because of the effects of his cerebral palsy. But while his dad was away, the six-year-old little boy did learn to walk. The family decided to save the amazing surprise for when Jeremy finally came home. As he walks in for the reunion, Jeremy has no idea that Michael is also going to be able to walk across the gym and give him a hug.

It’s a predictable story in that she’s a New Yorker who’s not used to the slowed down pace of the south and she slowly adjusts and learns to adapt.

The show also stars former Kid Rock girlfriend Jaime King and co-stars Tim Matheson who also directs some episodes including the first season finale.

Now, Rachel Bilson and Jaime King are hot and I’m sure the show is decent if you happen to be a girl or our producer Theron. But Stoney and I couldn’t have been more thrilled to talk to Otter, a.k.a. Eric Stratton of “Animal House.” To me, “Animal House” is one of those movies that stand the test of time. Have there been funnier movies since its release in 1978? Of course. But “Animal House” is one of those movies that, if I notice it’s on cable, I will absolutely watch and still laugh!

Tim talked to us about “Hart Of Dixie” but he also talked about his time on the set of “Animal House” and actually told Stoney and I, “Damn glad to meet you.” What a thrill.

Oh yeah, You can see the season finale of “Hart Of Dixie” Monday, May 14th at 9 p.m. on the CW.

If I locate eight people per week, it’ll take me a year to find everyone.  I started with myself.  A slam dunk–not really, as I had to update my email address.  One down, 399 to go.  Then, I reached out to people on Facebook (hey, “everybody” uses it and I have to know how to use social media as part of my job).  I felt I had to start with people who knew me–it’d give me a chance to work on my “sales pitch.”  Fortunately, there was already a Facebook group that contained about half of my classmates.

About a day after sending out my initial flood of emails, I got a response.  I was a little nervous.  I wasn’t sure what was in it.  Would she be glad I contacted her?  Mad?  Not even know who I am?  Did I even have the right person?

I sure did–and she was glad to hear from me.  And, she was already excited about the prospect of seeing everyone after 25 years.  A definite morale-builder.  And then a few more trickled in each day.  By the end of the first week, I’d heard back from 50 classmates.  Most offered the same sentiment–they’re excited to see everyone and can’t believe how long it’s been since high school.

Finding 50 classmates in a week seemed like a big deal, but I knew that pace couldn’t be sustained for very long.  I knew that a lot of hard work was ahead.  Like any streak, it would have to come to an end.

*About this blog:  Scott is a 1988 graduate of Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach, Va. and is blogging about his experience ahead of his 25th high school reunion in 2013.  You can contact Scott at 248-945-9950 or via email at sryan@cbs.com.  Please put “The Reunion Project” in the subject line.

It’s that time of the week again to bring you my Weekly Winners. As always, feel free to let me know who you would nominate for the selection and if you agree with my picks. Leave a comment below or send me a message on Twitter @WooleyMammoth85.

Josh Hamilton

It’s not very often we get to witness history in the making but that’s exactly what happened with Josh Hamilton as he jacked four homeruns in a game against Baltimore this week. The feat is only the 16th time in Major League History a player has belted four bombs and is the first time since Carlos Delgado back in 2003 that a player has went deep that many times.

Phoenix Coyotes And LA Kings

Who saw this one coming for a Western Conference Final in the NHL? If you say you did, I have a very hard time believing you. In any event, hats off to both franchises for being on the door step to the Stanley Cup Final, which would be the first for Phoenix if they were to advance and the first time since 1993 for the Kings. I know it doesn’t make for good TV ratings to not have a marquee team in the Finals, but it is refreshing every once in a while seeing a Cinderella team make it and win it all. I doubt they will advance past LA, but I’m hoping the Coyotes bring home Stanley.

Drew Smyly

You want to know the biggest surprise in baseball this season? Well he is here in Detroit and it’s none other than Drew Smyly. Despite just having one win on the season, he leads the American League with a 1.59 ERA, 34 strikeouts and just 10 walks. Also prior to this season he hadn’t played any higher than Double-A ball and barely made the team after Spring Training. Talk about someone exceeding expectations.

DETROIT (97.1 The Ticket) The road to progress is wrought with peril. It’s an ankle deep slog through mud and sharp rocks, lined with skeletons of miscalculation. But above all else the road to progress is long, so long that when the destination is reached the person who set out on the journey doesn’t look so brave after all. This of course, comes to mind after President Obama said on national television that he supports the right for homosexuals to get married.

Let there be no confusion: Gay marriage will be legal and commonplace. There is no way to stop it. There has never been a time where people can deny rights to other people.  It may work for a while but it will never work forever.

There are still plenty of people who want to deny the rights of gays to marry each other. I have absolutely no idea why. It seems odd that people would want to impose their values upon people whom they have never met nor will they ever meet. North Carolina just passed a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Maybe that creates jobs somehow, I don’t know.

The Kansas legislature has passed a bill saying that people can practice their “religious freedom” by firing people at their office that they suspect to be gay. I have never, EVER heard of a religion that actively says that its members need to fire gay people when they work for private businesses. In fact, the dominant religion in this country is Christianity, which specifically forbades its followers from judging others. The Kansas legislature is doing that, while laying off teachers and offering them buyouts. I don’t know why I decided to connect those dots, but there it is.

Those who are against gay marriage need to understand something. You are a person who is denying rights to another person. One thread that binds all throughout history is this: Those who deny other people rights are always judged harshly in history.

If you can accept that fact then I guess there is no talking to you. If you stand in the way of gay people’s right to get married you are going to have to justify that to your grandchildren someday. Your kids and grandkids do not see anything wrong with it. The way you feel about your racist grandmother is the same way your kids are going to think about you. When you make a statement about gay marriage, your kids are going to wave you off and say things like “you know how she is” which is a code. Its the polite phrases for ignorance. “they just don’t know any better, that’s how they were raised”

If you can swallow that as your legacy, well then march on. You have company. The ranks of the intolerant have many people surrounding them. The hallowed halls are filled with Bull Connor, George Wallace, James Buchanan and  Strom Thurmon. You want to hang in that crew, fine. I will hitch my wagon to Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr, and Ghandi. I still think that tolerance is a sign of strength and not a tresspass for the weak.

The interesting part of this is that the views are actively changing all around us. What seems to be happening is that people who are staunch opponents of gay marrige at some point befriend a gay person or someone in their family announces themselves as gay. I always thought that it was an odd ritual to put gay people through, forcing them to announce who they are like its anybody’s business at all. But that ritual of “outing” themselves has produced results. The people who seek to discriminate can’t do it on a personal level. As soon as a face is put on it, their views tend to dissolve. This has been the way it has gone for centuries. Its what Huck Finn is about.

Of course, I don’t understand this debate at all. While I completely support the right for anyone to get married to whomever, I am curious why this is a discussion at all. Gay people want the right to marry so that they can have access to all the privleges the government grants to people who are married. Too bad that as we fight for the meatscraps we don’t ask the far more simple question: Why is the government incentivising marriage in the first place? Why does the government feel like the country needs to be socially engineered into government sanctioned partnerships?

Isn’t that a fair question? If your answer is that marriage leads to more stabilty, I might fall out of this chair laughing. People are not more stable just because they get married, to suggest so is a good indidcation that you are a fool. For those who think that the institution of marriage has some kind of a calming effect than I remind you of one word: Kardashian. I would mention the riot of failed marriages and messy divorces that has happened to almost everyone I know, but you don’t know those people. I suspect that you know many of your own.

That particular bit of progress might be a little far off, tho. We haven’t even passed the signs for that one on the highway. Right now the fight is over the right for gay people to marry and now the President is on the record in the “Yay” column, after saying his opinion was evolving for 6 years now. Progress is slow and it is bloody, but in the end it always ends up this way. I suppose the more pertinent question (one for people who think way above my pay grade) is this: Why do we fight these developments in the first place?

ROYAL OAK (WWJ) Look for big things this year from singer-songwriter Jill Jack of Ferndale. She is celebrating the release of her new CD “Sunflower Girl” Saturday night with a show at the Royal Oak Music Theater.  And Jack has just signed with Ashton Consulting and Management, a West Coast development group that promises to bring her more national exposure.  In 2011, Jack opened for Bob Seger on his national concert tour.

Jack–the winner of numerous Detroit Music Awards– is excited about her new album.   “I love it,” Jack told WWJ. “A lot of times, when you finish an album, you don’t even want to hear it because you’ve been working on it so long.  But this is one of those CDs I even play in my own car and turn it up really loud and listen to it while I’m driving around the city.

“The thing I really like about it is that 80 percent of the songs were written on the road. So I relive that every time I hear them, and where I was, what state I was in, what hotel room I was in. And it brings back really good memories for me.”

While more people may be downloading their music now, Jack says CDs still play a very important role for artists and fans.  “People bring the experience home with them.  They’re not just buying the CD. They’re buying the experience itself, the show itself.  They talk about the show.  They’re excited to be the first one to get the album.”  And Jack says it’s great for her too.  “It’s kind of a celebration of the work that was put into recording the album, and sharing it with my band.  And the CD release party is always a fun night.”

Other local musicians have left Detroit to seek fame and fortune in New York, LA, or Nashville. But Jack says she’s not moving. “I love Michigan.  And I think most people know I’m a huge supporter of Detroit and the Detroit music scene,” said Jack, who is the voice of the “I’m A Believer” campaign promoting Detroit.

“I will have to spend time on the West Coast and Nashville now, but my home is my home.  Michigan does something for me that no other state does.  I’ve travelled all over the country and the world in the last ten or 15 years.  And like Dorothy says, ‘There’s no place like home.’”

Jill Jack and her band hold their CD release party for “Sunflower Girl” Saturday night at the Royal Oak Music Theater.  Doors open at 7:30pm.  General admission tickets are $25. Get tickets HERE.

Train Wreck. Total disaster. Replaced at third by mid-May. That’s what I was saying the day the Tigers signed Prince Fielder and said they planned on putting Miguel Cabrera over at third. There’s enough evidence through 30 games to clearly see that I was wrong. Tigers lost 2-1 on Wednesday night to the Mariners but there was Cabrera making two fine plays in the field. Three errors in the 30 games. Now Cabrera, 6-25 .160 batting average over his last 7 games, like the rest of the Tigers lineup — needs to start hitting.

Twitter @DennisFithian

Don’t forget – Mother’s Day is Sunday. Since I wrote a blog about my dad at Father’s Day (Local Dad Gets Better With Age), it only seems fair I should write about my mom.

I probably wouldn’t be working at a TV station with the opportunity to write this blog if it weren’t for Barb. When I graduated college, you applied for jobs by sending a resume in the mail after wading through the help wanted section of the classifieds in something called a “newspaper.”

My mom would slip on her reading glasses, searching for ads matching my skills and interests. No joke. I was hired into two of my former jobs because of classified ads my mom handed me. Now, she doesn’t have Internet access, so I guess I’ll work at CBS forever.

That’ll be fine with her. She enjoys TV and many CBS shows like Criminal Minds, Survivor, and Person of Interest. Her old favorite soap opera, As the World Turns, was on CBS. She watches Jim Madaus weeknights at 11pm for weather updates. Then she’ll call. “I saw the weather. There’s supposed to be a storm on Sunday. Weren’t you going to the beach?” She keeps a watchful eye on her flock.

Mom feeds baby Vicki cake (credit: Vicki Briganti)

Like most mothers, she feeds us…and feeds us…and feeds us. She’s a great cook; her cherry pie and lasagna are yummy. I don’t order lasagna at restaurants because I’ll be disappointed. The last time she made it, she gave me extra for leftovers. Why do people wonder why I’m always visiting her in Howell?

The amenities are top notch. Homemade cookies. Chili. Freshly prepared grapefruit. Unlimited tea service. Large Jacuzzi tub. Comfy beds. Over 160 movies and TV shows stored in her DVR. I refer to my parent’s house as the Howell B & B. (Bed and Breakfast/Bob and Barb.) They’re only four miles from Thompson Lake for walking, swimming, and picnics. It feels like a weekend getaway without getting away.

Fix Up And Wear Lipstick

If it weren’t for my mom (and my sister), I might not have passed my math classes in high school. Barb has a knack for numbers and was the true author of homework assignments involving story problems. “If a train is traveling at 55 mph…” Blah, blah, blah. I’m already bored. Unfortunately, my answer of “This is stupid; I don’t care” wouldn’t get me an “A.” I needed her help. She also taught me how to balance my checkbook and do my taxes – two tasks I like to do.

Just yesterday, her lifelong advice of “Buy it when you see it” came in handy. I saw “cheap” gas for $3.65/gallon, so I filled up. Isn’t that sad when $3.65 is a good deal on gas? Sure enough, an hour later after I’d gone grocery shopping, that gas station was closed. The one across the street was $3.69/gallon.

Her philosophy of “Do it while you’re young” has proven wise. I’ve jetted off to Italy, Greece, Mexico, Ireland, and England before travel became a nightmare after 9/11. I heard Spirit Airlines plans to charge $100 for carry-ons. Geez. I’d rather drive my Jeep to Howell for the weekend.

Mom braids my hair (credit: Vicki Briganti)

My mom pays attention and tries to be helpful. If I have a problem, she’s on the alert for a solution. After checking around with various sources, she’s rooted out what might be wrong with me. She has determined:

You aren’t getting enough sleep.

You aren’t drinking enough water.

You aren’t getting enough vitamin D…or vitamin B…or calcium.

It’s because you’re left-handed.

Always on your team, she’ll be there when you need tough love with comments such as “I’m not sure that shirt fits you anymore” or “Did you wear that to work?” or “Maybe you were exposed to black mold.”

My mom is witty, calm, patient, intelligent, and flexible. I think she’s my biggest fan. She reads my blogs (after I print them for her). She spent her thirties driving me to the mall, signing me up for girl scouts, gymnastics, cheerleading, and band. She watched me play softball and tennis. She insisted I take swimming lessons even though I hated it.

I joke that she prefers my sister. Nowadays, my mom dotes on her grandkids, Paul and Carl, more than her kids. Isn’t that the way? Besides us, we know her true love was Elvis. One of her regrets is not having seen him in concert. When we went to Graceland, she cried at his gravesite. Elvis named his only child Lisa Marie…the same name as my older sister. Coincidence? My mom denies it and points out my sister was born first. So, did Elvis name his daughter after my sister?

Mom at Graceland (credit: Vicki Briganti)

I know the real truth. Her deepest love was for our family cat, Dufus. He was fat, fluffy, and purred quietly. How can we compete with him?

Vicki with her sister Lisa and brother Dufus (credit: Vicki Briganti)

To all the selfless, giving, caring moms: Thank you for making your children’s lives better. We’re lucky to have you.

>> More Motor City Musing With Vicki Briganti

The Tigers starting pitching has been nothing less than sensational, but you can’t say that about the offense. Hitter after hitter are swinging at pitches out of the strike zone, so why should pitchers even try to throw it across the plate. The normal fan reaction is that there has to be a scapegoat to blame….Jim Leyland or hitting coach Lloyd McClellan. But the plain truth is no coach can go to the plate…it’s up to the players themselves. I know I said the same thing in my last post…but it’s still the case. These are big boys and are supposed to be among the best in their chosen profession, so there isn’t a whole lot they can be told or taught at this point.

During the Tiger Winter Caravan I remember Tiger President and General Manager Dave Dombrowski talking about how impressed he was with pitcher Drew Smyly. I really wasn’t all that familiar with him and the opinion wasn’t that shocking. I mean, what’s he going to say…he stinks? Boy was he right. Smyly shows maturity way behind his years and doesn’t get rattled when things don’t go his way. Of course the big test comes when he faces teams a second or third time and they’ve made adjustments.

There is simply no way for Justin Verlander to look as dominating as he was last season. This season he has started merely good and not super-human. He has had trouble controlling his fastball and at times has seemed to be uncomfortable on the mound. JV is pitching well enough and usually is a slow starter, but turns it on in May.

The Tigers closed out a brief homestand taking 2 out of 3 from the Chicago White Sox. The good news was the good starting pitching, and bad news was the continuation of a frozen solid offense. Imagine taking a series while scoring only 10 runs over the 3 game span. That’s what the Tigers “accomplished” while bats like Brennan Boesch remain cold and is now hitting 8th in the line up. Having said that there isn’t a whole lot that Jim Leland or Lloyd McClellan can do to turn things around, that’s still up to each individual.

I haven’t said much about Delmon Young’s suspension and reinstatement to team after his scuffle in New York City. Was Young wrong to yell anti-Semitic names??? Yes. Was it wrong that he was walking the streets drunk?? Yes. But if you look to athletes or movie stars to provide a roll model for your children…then that sort of thinking is wrong. It can be a “teaching” moment for your children and it’s your responsiblity as their parent to explain why these sorts of behaviors are unacceptable. There has been study after study that shows that kids are more likely to listen to their parents or a family member than friends. Young was wrong…but he’s far from being alone as other athletes in other sports making hateful remarks about African-Americans and Gays. They’re  simply a microcosm of society and shows we have a long way to go before we can all accept each other as people and not labels.

That’s what we Fantasy Baseball addicts call it.  Studs Or Duds.  Meaning you have drafted a couple of superstar players and only have money left to fill the rest of your roster with players who cost a buck.  Or a quarter in some cases.  And not to say silly fantasy baseball is anything like the real deal.  But this year’s Tiger team does bear some resemblance to that strategy.

All the baseball experts picked the Tigers to run away with the American League Central Division because they have two of the best hitters in the game back-to-back in the lineup, Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, and the best pitcher in baseball Justin Verlander.   Cabrera is off to another great season, and Fielder has been good, although the home runs have been slower in coming than Tiger fans might like.  But they will come.   And Verlander has been outstanding, although some tough luck has kept him from winning more than two games.

The problem has been the rest of the lineup and the bullpen.   Austin Jackson got off to a hot start,  then cooled off, but has started hitting again.  And Jackson must get on base in the leadoff position to make sure Cabrera and Fielder have a chance to knock in some runs.  But the Tigers have had a tough time finding a number two hitter who can get on base.  Brennan Boesch has gotten off to a very slow start. And the team has gotten no production from 2nd base or DH.   Brandon Inge is gone, so we can’t blame him anymore, especially since he’s now hitting big home runs for the Oakland A’s.   But Ryan Rayburn  has been awful, batting just a shade over .100.  The usually steady Ramon Santiago isn’t hitting much either. And  Alex Avilla and Jhonny Peralta are down considerably from last year.   Delmon Young has been a big disappointment, with only one home run and off the field trouble that kept him off the field for a week after he was suspended for that alleged assault in New York.

The Tigers need someone with a hot bat, and especially someone who can drive in runners from 3rd with less than two out.  In Sunday’s game against the White Sox,  the Tigers left 12 men on base!  Fortunately,  they hit three solo home runs, enough to win the game. But they simply can’t rely on home runs to win all the time.   And the back end of the bullpen has to get better.  Jose Valverde has already blown two saves after going a perfect 49 for 49 last year.  And Joaquin Benoit, who was very effective in a set-up role last season, hasn’t been much better.   Valverde managed to save Sunday’s game in a shaky performance.  So maybe he has turned himself around.  If not,  Manager Jim Leyland may have to consider using Octavio Dotel or Duane Below as a closer.

There were some good signs this weekend.  Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello both had outstanding outings.  And Doug Fister is due to pitch Monday night.  And Drew Smiley continues to impress.  So it looks like the starting rotation is shaped up.  Now,  the Tigers just need to get more consistency at the plate. And that might mean more changes in the lineup.

As another week comes to a close it’s time to bring you my Weekly Winners for the first week in May. As always, feel free to add who you think deserves to be on the list by leaving a comment below or send me a message and add me on Twitter @WooleyMammoth85.

Kate Upton

Kate Upton. (Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

It’s no secret that Upton is one of, if not the hottest female going in the world of entertainment today, and that statement was only bolstered more by her recent video of her dancing in a red bikini to the song “Cat Daddy”. The video was so hot that YouTube actually took it down saying it violated their nudity policy, even though there was no nudity. Thank you Kate for providing us with a glimpse of summer and feel free to dance to anything else in your bikini.[/caption]

Junior Seau

Former President George W. Bush presents an award to receipient Miami Dolphins linebacker Junior Seau. ( Alex Wong/Getty Images)

I know some people may argue with me that Seau doesn’t belong on the list after committing suicide, and I can understand that view to a point. However, the way he went about it by not damaging his brain is to be commended. Now with his families blessing his brain can be studied and hopefully we can learn more about the damage that concussions cause, as well as what happens to a brain after playing in the NFL.

Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera. (Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

After sustaining a season long injury by catching fly balls during batting practice, Rivera could have easily said that enough is enough and he is retiring—as there were rumors this was a send off season for him anyway. Rivera however said that he does not want to be remembered this way and will not go out with an injury, and has made the commitment to return to the Yankees for at least one more season.

Friday afternoon Tigers outfielder Delmon Young sat in the team’s dugout and gave the media the apology many fans might have been waiting for. While Young could not get into the specifics of what happened in Manhattan, he did acknowledge that he is responsible for poor decision making and that if he did not drink that night then he would not be going through the situation. Young also admitted that he has been enrolled in an alcohol treatment program that he started last week.

Below are some of the interesting quotes from Young…

Young started his media session with an apology…
“I would like to apologize to everyone that has been affected by this situation, my team mates, the Tigers organization, the Ilitch family, Major League baseball and anyone who has been offended by my actions.” “I put myself in a bad situation and I have no one to blame but myself. I am currently getting treatment in an alcohol program through Major League baseball. All the things people are saying about representing me, I made a lapse in judgment, but I can tell you that I am not anti-Semitic.”

Young on the incident…
“That incident was alcohol related incident and I know for a fact that I would not be here in front of you guys if I didn’t have too much to drink or I just didn’t go out and drink at all. I know that for a fact.”

Young on reaching out to the Jewish Community…
“I talk to Rabbi Bennet and we had a great conversation, it went really well and I’m looking forward to doing stuff with him in the near future when we get off the road trip.”

Young on winning fans back…
“I hope that after a while that they (the fans) can see that person that is being portrayed wasn’t who I am and it’s not what I stand for. I know it’s going to take a while; you can’t smooth these things over and convince anyone after just one speech. Just have to go out there every day and be a positive influence.”

Young on his brother Dmitri saying he feels responsible for Delmon’s actions…
“These are my actions, you are your own person, you make your own decisions so what Dmitri did in his life and career doesn’t affect me.”

Young on being perceived as an anti-semitic
“That’s the toughest part, just being branded raciest or a bigot, especially when that’s just not me. I have got a lot of diverse friends and live in a diverse area and that’s not me and my character.”

It is often said that Detroiters are even more down on their city than some outsiders.  City residents who feel that way can learn from a group of 66 finalists in the Challenge Detroit competition.  While some Detroiters are packing up and moving out, these visionaries are fighting for one of 30 spots to live, work and play in Motown for a full year.

They come from the east coast, the west coast and also from right here in metro Detroit.  They converged on the Doubletree Suites – Fort Shelby in downtown Detroit this week for an orientation and for job interviews with companies that have agreed to hire the 30 finalists.

Cerima Thomas drove 13 hours from her home in the Bronx to be here.  “A lot of people tried to stop me from coming,” she said.  “They were like, it’s so dangerous.  Don’t go there. But, I’m like, everywhere is dangerous … I love doing community service and that’s what drew me to this opportunity.”

Thomas went on to say, “It’s so exciting.  Sometimes when I thing about it, I want to cry.  I made it this far.”  The New Yorker also said,

April Pagnani (WWJ Photo/Vickie Thomas)

“Anything is possible.  The opportunity is once-in-a-lifetime. “

How does Thomas feel about Detroit?  “It’s a great city.  A lot has come from the city and people tend to forget what this city has brought to the country.”

April Pagnani from New Hampshire wants to help jump-start Motown.   “I love the idea of just being able to revitalize the city and being part of a community in a collaborative project.  So, I’m here trying out,’” she said.

 - View more finalist photos here - 

The young professionals selected will earn a salary of $30,000 for the year.  They’ll receive a $500 a month housing allowance and will participate in group challenges once a week.  The finalists were selected in part on videos they produced which demonstrate their passion for Detroit and their desire to make a difference.

Challenge Detroit is the brainchild of Doyle Mosher, President and Chairman of the Collaborative Group.  He has watched the videos dozens of times.  “On average, probably 50 times each,” he said.  “You have to understand Vickie, this is seven years in my mind … and when the videos came online, it was like this dream come true,” said Mosher.

Mosher said if the effort implodes it may point to what’s in store for other hard hit cities.  But if it explodes he said it will become the model for the rest of the nation on how to turnaround a city on the brink of collapse.

Myles Morgan of Highland Park, Mich. is also a finalist.  He loves the idea of Challenge Detroit and believes it will help solve a major problem in the city.  “There has been a brain-drain in Detroit and so a lot of the problems that we have-because we don’t have the minds to solve them, they persist and get worse,” he said.

Challenge Detroit is funded by donations.  Don Voss of Credit Acceptance Corp contributed $500,000.  To learn more about the effort and the 66 finalists, visit the website at www.challengedetroit.org.

Maybe I’m overrating it. We don’t live in San Diego so the suicide might not have the same impact on us that it does out there. Maybe in ten years, I won’t remember where I was when Junior Seau died. But sports have produced plenty of those moments over the years. Most of them are sad. All of them are shocking. This is my personal list.

1) Magic Johnson announces he has HIV

It seemed like a put on. Two friends told me the news as I walked across my college campus. I thought they were kidding me. Here was this larger than life personality whose career and life were now over – and that’s exactly what we all thought at the time. It seemed unthinkable he’d ever play basketball again. It seemed impossible that he’d live another 20 years. But that’s exactly where we are 20 years later.

2) The OJ Chase

Maybe this is a stretch to lump into a list of shocking sports moments. But let’s be honest – the only reason we knew about the Juice was because of football (and Hertz). The chase happened before the Internet and at a time where cell phones were only owned by the rich and famous (like Al Cowlings). So all we could do was huddle around the TV and watch the thing unfold. I remember when the sun started going down in LA and you couldn’t see what was going on anymore outside the mansion. It was like yelling at a movie to hurry up so you can see the ending. ESPN produced a superior film about that whole historic day called “June 17, 1994”. I highly recommend it.

3) Barry Sanders Retires

William Sanders warned us that it was happening during the spring of 1999. We just chose not to believe him. But when Barry walked away on the eve of training camp, it sent the entire town into a frenzy. The Lions got plenty of blame for creating an atmosphere where their franchise player could simply walk away. But Barry deserves blame too for doing it so late in the summer and doing it in such an impersonal fashion. We all thought he would come back and probably play for another team. There’s still an irrational part of me that thinks it might still happen even though he’s 43.

4) Malice at the Palace

It was surreal. What else can you say? Nobody could quite believe what he or she was watching. And as it unfolded – it seemed to get darker and darker. As bad as it was, I thought it was going to get worse. I thought someone was going to get seriously hurt or even worse. It ruined the Indiana Pacer franchise, which was good enough that season to win the NBA title, and instead has never made it back to real Eastern Conference contention.

5) San Francisco Earthquake

A little biased. I’m from the Bay Area and a huge Giants fan. I left California that fall for college and was watching the game in my dorm room. Al Michaels famously said, “We’re having an earth…” on ABC before he was cut off. I wasn’t paying close enough attention to realize what was going on. But then when the camera turned back on, they showed downtown San Francisco in flames. They were literally playing the first (and only) Bay Bridge Series and the Bay Bridge had partially collapsed. I remember every detail of that night.

Wojo and I will list off some more shocking moments tonight between 6 and 8. What are some of yours?

If you’ve been considering bringing a dog into your home, I’ve got the perfect solution. Saturday May 12th at Ford Field (no not that one) in Dearborn is the 7th annual Dearborn Animal Shelter Mutt Strut. The Mutt Strut and Pet Expo is a pledge-driven dog walk and community-wide animal celebration with lots of entertainment, education, shopping, and fun for pets and their families. You may remember the Dearborn Animal Shelter from a few years ago when they took in over one hundred chihuahuas that were living in filth in a Dearborn home. They do great work and they are a no-kill shelter with plenty of adoptable cats and dogs. Check out the day’s event schedule.

http://www.dearbornmuttstrut.com/dms2/schedule.asp

My wife Danielle and I will cut the ribbon to begin the day’s festivities which are highlighted by a 1.9 mile walk through West Dearborn. You can also meet some Detroit Lions who will be participating as well. Now, I don’t want to get people’s hopes up too high BUT, Tony Ortiz says he’s going to bring his chocolate lab Austin, who just so happens to be a rescue from the Dearborn Animal Shelter. Now, we all know Tony’s track record but that being said, I hope he and Austin show up. We will be bringing our beagle Biscuit and our very own DAS rescue, Maple for the 1.9 mile walk. Maple is a highly energetic, lovable border collie/terrier mix.

So bring your dog, donate if you can and if you’re in the market for a great family friend, by all means, bring him or her home with you!

At first it was just one time!

But, now it has turned into a regular habit, hell some people might even call it an addiction.

I can promise myself that I won’t do it again, but I think we all know that is a blatant lie. That’s right, I can’t help myself, and I have to check Brandon Inge’s numbers with his new team the Oakland Athletics’.

I’m not even sure why I do it?

It could be because after so much scrutiny here, I want to see the guy succeed. Or maybe it’s that I wondered if he truly can turn an almost finished career into another contract in 2013? Again, I’m not sure why I continue to check Inge’s stats on my phone or computer, but I do and I bet you do too!

Over the course of the last three games a significant amount of people have told me facts about Inge in an Oakland uniform that I did not know. For instance I knew Inge went 1 for 3 on Wednesday with a RBI, a walk and a strikeout but I had no idea that he had an error too. Listeners informed me about that! Which means they too, are checking up on the former Tiger. They too share the same addiction as me.

But what does it all mean?

Are they rooting for Inge to succeed now that he is elsewhere?

Is it’s because they hope to see awful results and then the laughs can follow?

Or, maybe they just miss Brandon?

I know that last one seems a bit farfetched but there could be some truth to it. People love to complain and Inge, by going 2 for 20 this season allowed fans to do just that. In fact it got out of control! Who can forget that double header against the Texas Rangers on a Saturday? Fans let Inge have it every time he fielded a ball or stepped to the plate. Inge claimed it didn’t bother him and there was nothing that Detroit fans could do to make him think less of them, but I don’t buy that. The longtime vet was visibly shaken and failed to do anything right that day which in turn led to more reaction.

It was almost like fans, while getting handled by the Rangers needed something to take their mind off the game and that enjoyable distraction was Inge.

I even bought into it. I remember thinking and probably tweeting as well that the bottom 3 of the Tigers order sure was boring when Inge was not in it. When he played it was a circus, people were outraged or at least they pretended to be and when he didn’t fans was forced to focus on just baseball, which I’m sure they didn’t enjoy as much.

Thinking back, I have never seen anything like it.

Inge was a guy that used to be loved and celebrated. Sure his average was never good and yes he did say things that might have been misunderstood, but for the most part he was cheered. Fans saw Inge as the link from bad baseball to a World Series. He was around for the horrific times and he was part of that 2003 team which lost 119 games and I believe people appreciated him for that. Of course that all changed. It started with the All Star home run derby in 2009 when Inge went homerless and then continued with problems with his knees, mono and a plethora of check swing strikeouts. Very quickly fans turned on #15! Of course our station and various other media and internet outlets played a part in it all as well.

And, now when I think about it all, it seems pretty clear…

People needed Inge.

Now that he is gone, the complaining still exists but it’s not nearly as passionate. Sure fans will yell that they don’t trust Jose Valverde, Joakim Benoit or Max Scherzer but it is nothing like it was with Inge. In fact, it’s a little boring. Fans will try to replace Inge with Jhonny Peralta and Ryan Raburn but it’s not the same. The mob mentality of hate that rang down from the stands of Comerica Park is gone and with it went the main intrigue to the early season. I’m not sure fans were actually that sick of Inge; they booed just because they were told to. Downtown Detroit turned into a farm with so many sheep sharing a good “baaaaaa” at the expense of a one time favorite. And, now those same people probably realize that all the commotion was for the 25th man on the roster who did not affect the team as much as they would like to believe.

People needed Inge and now that he is gone the only way to get the excitement and controversy of it all back is to check on his progress in Oakland.

Right?

That must be it!

But, I still don’t have an answer to my first question? Do people now wish Inge success or do they pray for his further failure?

I really don’t know the answer, please let me know?

In the mean time I figured I would share that Inge is hitting .182 with Oakland. He has a single, a double, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts and a RBI. Oakland is 2-1 since his arrival while the Tigers are 2-3 after his departure. The A’s start a 3 game weekend series with the Rays in Tampa on Friday night. I would offer to let you know how he does in those games but I don’t have to because I know you will be checking for yourself, even if you won’t admit it!

A device presented at a Paris exhibition will make you instantaneously drunk by spraying a tiny amount of alcohol into your mouth. The downside is the effect only lasts for a few seconds.

My question is why anyone would want to feel drunk for a few seconds. Maybe it’s just a curiosity. Maybe somebody who doesn’t drink needs a few moments of “liquid courage” in order to talk to a cute guy or girl at the bar? If this ever becomes available in the US, I’m sure it’ll be a hit in college dorms, fraternities and sororities — right next to the novelty breathalyzer.

The WAHH Quantum Sensations device was developed by French designer Philippe Starck and a Franco-American scientist, David Edwards. The WAHH will cost 26 dollars.

Gizmodo’s Jesus Diaz originally reported the impressive claims from Edwards that after the alcohol disappears, you will be able to pass any alcohol test and you won’t have a headache. That’s a plus!

Each spray equals 0.075 milliliters of alcohol so it would take 1000 sprays to equal one drink. Phew, my finger is getting tired just thinking about it.

Edwards is also responsible for other spray inventions. The Whif, which allows you to taste flavors including chocolate or coffee without having to eat or drink and the Whaf, an ultrasonic system which creates a cloud of flavor.

George Fox is a Spartan, a Michigander, and Web Producer for CBS 62/CW50 in Detroit. When I’m not working on content for the CBS Local websites, I’m probably hanging out on the boat, at deer camp or spending quality time with the fam. Follow George on Twitter@GeorgeJFox.

Ashton Kutcher is courting controversy once again. This time it centers on an online commercial he did for a potato chip company called Popchips. The series of ads are meant to look like commercials for a dating service and Ashton plays several characters (a biker, a hippie, and a fashion designer). The character that has people up in arms is called “Raj”. To portray him, Ashton put on brown makeup and adopted a fake Indian accent. Is it just playing a comic character, or racism?

Some of the comments on the original YouTube channel for the ad said things like, “If you are of Indian descent and not offended by this, you are a sad representation of your people.” But other viewers countered, “Political correctness makes sense sometimes. But you are completely overdoing if you feel offended by this video.”

The Popchips people put out a statement and said, “The ad was created to provoke a few laughs and was never intended to stereotype or offend anyone. At Popchips we embrace all types of shapes, flavors and colors, and appreciate all snackers, no matter their race or ethnicity. We hope people can enjoy this in the spirit it was intended.”

The ad featuring Raj has been pulled down, and so far there is no comment from Kutcher.

Click HERE to see the inmate photo gallery.

It didn’t happen at the turning point of the season — one way or another.

There was no controversial play that decided its outcome that will long be remembered.

Click HERE for the full story from Pat Caputo

Click HERE to watch the play. You have to scroll through the video’s on the right to see the video. Second video from the bottom.

Now that you have seen the play, it’s now time for you to vote on how close this play actually was.

Growing up in my early teenage years, I became an uber-professional wrestling fan. I bought the magazines, made it appointment viewing every Saturday afternoon, and even asked my friends who had cable to tape the matches during the week so I wouldn’t miss anything. It’s embarrassing how much of a fan I used to be. My bedroom was littered wall to wall, floor to ceiling with posters of my heroes. I knew it was fake, but didn’t care; I just loved the entertainment value.

As I grew older, my friends and I would create our own backyard matches complete with fake blood (we didn’t have the stones to actually cut ourselves…so we had that going for us) and pre/post match interviews. We were obsessed with it. And when the WWF came to town, we rarely missed a show, saving up grass cutting money to pay for the next card’s tickets.

Suffice it to say, I was a really big fan, particularly a big fan of wrestling’s most dominating tag team, the Road Warriors. Hawk and Animal as they were called, were the Road Warriors before they were the Legion of Doom. They sported radical mowhawks; face paint, shoulder pads with spikes, and voices that make Pat Caputo sound like a soprano. My friend Guy and I joked that we would become the third and fourth members of the Road Warriors, Scorpion and Gator. Somehow, Scorpion never stuck but Gator on the other hand…

I wish it were a better story, something that involves a crazy summer spent on the Bayou hunting alongside Troy Landry and the rest of Swamp People, but the fact that I have all of my teeth will tell you otherwise. Nope, the truth is that I was a Hulkamaniac before he was “Running Wild” and could still probably name most of the WWF Heavyweight Champions prior to 1987. It’s a little pathetic and yet, I’m kind of proud of some of that useless trivial knowledge. At least Ken Kal and I can converse about the Mighty Igor or the original Sheik and do so with a certain sense of pride, and may they both rest in peace.

When I heard that Milan Dragway was hosting a Detroit Dragway reunion on May 19th it immediately reminded of the days when I was an active drag racer back in the 80’s and 90’s with my friend Jeff Wagoner. Jeff was an audio engineer here at CBS 62 and CW50. We became friends back in the mid 80’s when I came to Detroit as a weather anchor on the 10 o’clock news. I discovered we had a common interest in cars and drag racing. Jeff had a 1980 Malibu that he wanted to turn into a race car and he asked me if I was interested in helping him build it. I didn’t hesitate to say, you bet! It took a year but we accomplished our mission.

The car had a tube chassis and all of the safety gear that was required to race with. We ended up with at 540 cubic inch big block Chevy engine with a Holly Dominator carburetor, a Ford 9-inch rear end and Broadax heads.

Ok, enough of the technical talk. Jeff and I raced for ten years at the strip until it closed at the end of 1998. During our race days at the track we got to know a lot of fellow racers. The names that come to mind are GTO George, Terry Sutterland, Little Man, the Moon family and Bob and Charlie Scott to name a few. It was a great time we had on those Saturdays. We never won any of the bracket races but the car was fast. We were able to do the quarter mile in 9.45 seconds. It was such a rush leaving the starting line.

The bottom line is we were there to have fun with our hobby. Warehouses now stand at the corner of Sibley and Dix in Brownstown Twp. We were totally bummed out that the track was no longer there. Jeff ended up selling the car and bought a 1966 Nova street car. The staff at Detroit Dragway wanted to open a new strip south of Metro Airport but that never materialized because the township didn’t want it.

The Detroit Dragway reunion at Milan Dragway on May 19th would have been Jeff’s 63rd birthday, sadly, Jeff passed away on June 19th of 2010. I’m sure he would have loved to attend the upcoming reunion. I’m also sure Jeff would agree that Detroit needs a Dragstrip of its own since we are known as the Motor City.

Follow Randy on Twitter @FFMRandy.

There are plenty of apologists abound for the Tigers right now. They keep saying the same stuff. “It’s early” or “They actually had the same record last year” or any laced together series of excuses. They seem to ignore the criticism by simply burying their faith in the ground and expecting to unearth it later. These apologists wave a finger at those who question. Like Jennifer Granholm before them they bet the farm on what is going to blow you away next.

The Tigers have had plenty of time to hang the excuses around the necks of the unworthy. Daniel Schlereth was chained to a rail and rode out to Toledo when his initial relief appearances produced embarrassing results. They played Merry – Go Second base. They even did the formerly unthinkable, they released Brandon Inge. Even Inge could not escape the blame wheel and was led to Oakland with his hands bound in the Flute of Shame.

Well, they are out of players to send to the pillory. The Royals just beat Justin Verlander in a 3-2 game. Suspending again Delmon Young won’t even wash the dirt off that stink bomb.

Let’s just face it. The Tigers are a disappointment right now. . Prince Fielder has hit a grand total of 3 home runs. That means he is tied with Austin Jackson. Think that’s bad? Those 3 home runs put him in a 4 way tie for 2nd place in total home runs on the team. For a team that waved away the concept of team speed in the offseason like a cloud of gnats, you need more knocks than that.

The Tigers took a fistful of yen and slapped it on the barrel head. They bought bats. They made the conscious decision to hit the ball out of the yard and that has not materialized. Media in this town spent one glorious weekend dreamily blinking and making up names for Cabrera and Fielder. Since then, the Tigers have been disappointing.

This is, of course, how this happens. There are those who characterize these sentiments as foolhardy. They claim that it’s too early to sound the fog horn. The loss to the Royals was a really bad sign. They had JV on the bump and they could only get 2 runs off the Kansas City Royals. 2 runs off the Kansas City Royals when you have a 119 million dollar payroll is embarrassing. But it’s also part of a trend.

This is my qualifying paragraph. Yes, it’s a long season. Things can change. You can obviously say that the team may have more blue skies ahead. It’s possible that the Tigers bats will awaken like a Hydra after they get that pesky All Star Game out of the way. Maybe this is their 1st half slump that will only give way to a 2nd half triumph. Maybe this is the sound of a fair-weather fan that is simply waving in the breeze like a wind sock.

But when the same thing keeps happening, you have to start wondering. When you saw the Tigers during the Red Sox series, the lineup looked scary. But now it seems like a series of 1-2-3 innings. They load the bases and strand them. The numbers (outside the HR numbers) don’t look terrible. But when you watch this team, they just … lack.

We are still rooting for them, but this lull has lasted a couple of weeks now. Time to pull out of it before we start asking questions.