I have to admit, I'm guilty

Lloyd...thanks and goodbye. I can honestly say I'm just as guilty as anyone else hoping you'd be finished this year. But man, what you actually did for the UM program in the same era compared to every other program is really amazing when you take a step back and look at how consistent it remained. I can't say I was asking you to ever get fired, but I was hoping you'd step down. I'm guilty. But listening to your announcement today and following the program for the last 10 years, I don't think ANYONE, even non-Wolverine Fan, could say you are a classless person. No one could argue how classy and how much you have represented the University for 13 years. So, thanks for giving us a great season year in and year out. ANY other program would die to have what you maintained for even just a few years.

As far as Saturday went, I'm sorry Lloyd, but Chad Henne had no business being in that 4th quarter. You put Ryan Mallet in for one lousy series and then went back to Henne. I shouldn't question you now that you are done, but I still have to. Why? Henne wasn't getting anything going. You already knew what you had in him. Why not Mallet for another try? Keep him in. You knew nothing was working with Henne.

Now, the hard part for Michigan, filling Carr's position. That will not be easy. Lloyd might not have had a top 5 team that often, but he was knocking on that door every year and the next guy in there has HUGE expectations to fulfill. Whomever you are...good luck. It will take a miracle to find a guy that on the average can do as well as Lloyd. But, mission number one, you have to beat Tressel. Period. That is all that matters right now. Lloyd, thanks for finishing off the Sparty's six straight times. I don't think anyone will ever do that again. I don't think it will ever happen again period.

The easy hire for Michigan would be Les Miles. No one would argue and he's been talked about for months now. If you want life easy, just hire him. But, there is a huge list. Who wouldn't want to coach at Michigan. What do you think of this possible list of Lloyd Carr successors?

(In no particular order...and disregard all speeling errors)
1. Bill Cowher
2. Les Miles
3. Jim Harbaugh
4. Pete Carroll
5. Mangini (Kansas coach)
6. Ron English (D-coordinator)
7. Brian Kelly
8. Kirk Frentz (Iowa coach)
9. Urban Meyer
10. Boise State coach
11. West Virginia coach
12. ???


Anyway, here are some more random thoughts:

On a serious note, I am curious why the trading deadline ends, in my opinion, so soon. There are still 6 weeks in the season after this Sunday. Last time I checked, a lot happens in one week, let alone six. I'm not suggesting the deadline needs to be extended until Jan. 1, but extending it into December sometime still sounds reasonable.

I heard on the AM radio this week that Fred Taylor has passed the 10,000 yard rushing mark, and apparently isn't a Pro-bowler. Wow, 10,000 yards? Is that the quietest 10,000 yards you've ever heard someone attain? If you hit 14,000, you're considered a freak. A legend. A yellow jacket front-runner. A bronze grill in Canton, Ohio. He'll probably reach 11,000 for his career. He currently has 10,117 yards rushing.

So, that got me to thinking about another good runner from the state of Florida (I'm referring to college days) who also has racked up a lot of career rushing yards but in my opinion has racked them up kinda quietly...Warrick Dunn. I wondered if he was close to 10,000 yards for his career. I really had no idea, just a thought. Well, he's sitting at 9,974 yards after today. So, yeah, I guess he is close and will reach that milestone next Sunday...if you need him.

Finally, while watching the Lions game today on the boob tube, the commentator mentioned the word or phrase "within" in reference to the Lions deficit when the score was 10-16 in favor of the New York football Giants. After Calvin "Freak" Johnson scored that TD, the Fox commentator said "that brings the Lions to within 6 points." I hate that. I absolutely hate it when George Blaha and other sports commentators use that phrase. The only time I want to hear those words in sports is when I'm kicking D'Arcy's tail on the greens and my tee shot rolls past his onto the green and "within" 10 feet for an attempt at eagle. If someone is talking about a long distance or some kind of measurement, like distance in golf, when you don't have anything to measure with, that is when I like to use the phrase "within". I feel it's appropriate in golf to say "that shot is within 10 feet of the cup." Or, "that deer was within 50 yards." Or, "I am within 5 years of retirement." Why? BECAUSE NO ONE CARES WHAT THE ACUTAL DISTANCE OR TIME IS. We don't have anything to measure it with and no one wants to. Some times it's immeasureable, so we drop the proverbial "within" phrase. YOU CAN'T BE WITHIN 6 POINTS IN A FOOTBALL GAME PEOPLE. There's no decimals used in football, baseball, basketball, hockey, etc. Take out your freakin' pocket calculator and subtract 10 from 16. You'll get SIX. Exactly six. Not 5.8 or 5.2. 6.0. SIX. The calculator isn't going to round down or up to the number 6. 16 minus 10 is always 6. You aren't saving any oxygen or using a cool hip phrase when you say "within" 6 points or 4 runs or 2 goals. Just tell me the EXACT deficit involved. Telling me my Lions are "within" six points doesn't sound or make me feel any better if you were to just come out and say the Lions are down by 6 points. The Tigers are down by 4 runs is just as bad as being within 4 runs.

Okay, enough. I'm standing on one foot on this bar of soap and I'm going to fall if I don't grab onto something here.

Thank you , I'm out.