Good

Flacco said he doesn't consider the use of the Wildcat as a slap in the face.



"...I'm all for us doing things to get better but we're not going to be good if we just can't get good at the basics of what we do 90 percent of the time. We have to be good at those things or we're not going to be good no matter what. I just want to make sure that we're focusing on getting good at those things."

?

How much closer do you think Jim Schwartz is to being fired after the debacle in Pittsburgh in general and the fake field goal in particular? He was mentioned as potentially being on the hot seat before, do you think it changes now?

At least we know he's not scared.

Raise You Hand...

...if you will NOT be shocked if the Lions lose on Sunday at Pittsburgh.

These are classic Lion games. Games they are supposed to win, but nobody would be surprised if they lost. The Lions rarely win the games they are supposed to win. That's what makes them the Lions.

Quote of the Day

College basketball game of the month tonight: #1 Kentucky v #2 MSU.

"Kentucky has a bunch of freshman, Michigan State has guys that have been there FOREVER. I think there are some guys on the team that played with Magic Johnson they've been there so long."

 - Mike Greenberg on Tuesday mornings "Mike and Mike Show."


Is tonights game good for the sport? What is better: A college football game in August between #1 and #2 that could determine National Championship opportunities, or a college basketball game in November between #1 and #2 that won't mean ANYTHING at the end of the year?

Sounds Good, But Are They?

I really haven't seen the Pistons play and NBA basketball is boring in general, but it appears the Pistons are either playing well (and still losing) or have some decent talent this year. They are 2-4, but I feel they've played solid competition and aren't getting blown out. Many close loses, some on the road. They made a few moves in the summer that showed they are serious about competing again. In my opinion, I see the Pistons finishing 5th or 6th in the league and could advance to the second round.

For example: They have SIX players averaging double-digits! That sounds great, but is it? Then, they have another three players who average 20 points combined. I think that's pretty good to have too. They are averaging 102 points/game! I remember when the 2004 team could win a game 80-79. They were lucky to score 90. Then again, if you are averaging 102 points and have a 2-4 record, defense is an issue.

LIONS!!!

If the Lions DON'T win the division, will they make the playoffs? The NFC South and West look like they will or should grab two spots. That leaves just one spot for the North and East. I think Detriot has to win the division to get to the post-season.

They could go 10-6 and not make it. If they lose to Green Bay on Thanksgiving, I say they won't win the division and won't qualify for the playoffs, and could still be 10-6.

On paper, the schedule sets up great, except for tough games at Pittsburgh and Philly.


On another note, Michigan sucks.

DD on Netflix

Marvel and Netflix have announced a deal to bring five live action series to Netflix starting in 2015. The characters involved are Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones. There will also be a "The Defenders" series, presumably involving the other four characters together though that isn't completely clear from the announcement.

If you're a fan of what Marvel has been doing lately then this is great news. None of these characters would fit terribly well with the Avengers and are much better suited to the format of a series. They are all also street level characters (with a bit of an exception for Iron Fist) which won't require the kind of resources to film that the blockbuster movies (or Agents of SHIELD for that matter) do. There's also a lot of material to draw from that would make for good stories and the characters are interrelated to a degree where one show should help support another even if they aren't actually crossing over.

A quick rundown on the characters:

Daredevil: A blind guy with heightened senses who is a martial arts expert. And a lawyer. Previously portrayed in a 2003 movie by Ben Affleck.

Iron Fist: An American who is orphaned in an unnamed mountain range and finds himself in the mystical city of K'un L'un. He is adopted, taught martial arts, and gains some superpowers related to the ability to channel his chi, most notably the ability to make his fist "like unto a thing of iron." Eventually teams up with Luke Cage as the Heroes for Hire.

Luke Cage: An inmate (wrongly convicted) who volunteers to undergo a procedure that makes his skin nearly indestructible and gives him super strength. Eventually marries Jessica Jones.

Jessica Jones: A former superhero who later works as a detective and newspaper correspondent.

I've been saying (largely to myself) for a while that Daredevil and Iron Fist in particular are well-suited to the small screen treatment and could potentially make for some fantastic entertainment. If Marvel can play this right they could have something really special.

TAKE COVER!!!

I noticed on Netflix "Reservoir Dogs" is available. I was pretty sure this wasn't a movie for my wife (based on the cast and movie genre it was located in), so I started watching it by myself late last night. I had never seen one minute of the movie, nor did I know anything about it. I didn't even research it on the IMDB.

Needless to say, the first two minutes of the movie (and seeing Quentin Tarantino) told me all I needed to know...there's going to be a lot of F-bombs.

DUCK!

Just how many do you ask? Well, according to the Parents Guide to view content, there are "272 F-words." Gee, is that all? I lost count after 38 in the first 5 minutes. Did someone actually count?

I found myself wondering how this movie could EVER be on cable television. Every word starts with F. Maybe that is why I've never seen it on any regular cable channel...the editors are STILL bleeping out words. Or, they've given up trying to dub all the F-words "Die Hard 2" style. You know, "Yippee-ki-yay Mr. Falcon."

All in all, if you can get past all the expletives, the plot is pretty good. I feel asleep during the movie, so I'll finish it tonight.

Aflac Trivia Question

When is the last time the Detroit Lions were in first place in November? I don't care if they are tied with two other teams or the fact there are only four teams in the Division compared to seasons that used to have five teams. Those things are out of their control. First place, is first place!


Side Note: There are four teams in the NFC North Division. Bears, Packers, Vikings, Lions. The Bears and Packers have both suffered QB injuries this year, resulting in sitting of games. The Vikings have their QB issues. I don't want to jinx anything, but are the Lions next? If so, terrible timing.

Home WEATHER Advantage

I agree that the SEC is by far better than the Big Ten in college football. Just look at the hardware and the results of non-conference Head-to-head matchups and bowl games.

However, here's what I'd like to see: Yes, the Big Ten and SEC play each other in cute September games and meet again in bowl contests. But where do they play those games? All those games are played indoors or in weather that is above 60 degrees. Hey Alabama, why don't you come visit Ohio State in November. LSU, care to reschedule a game at Wisconsin this month? Georgia, want a piece of MSU in late November? Didn't think so.

Peyton Manning is a stud...indoors or warm temps. What is his record in New England? What is his record in January? What is success when playing outdoors in cold weather situations? Enough said.

There is a reason the Green Bay packers rarely lose at home after Oct. 31.

Put your money where your mouth is SEC and come outside like a man. Or is it too cold for you?

Thoughts on the Game

A few thoughts on yesterday's game:

-I don't think I've ever seen a team so thoroughly punish an opponent the way MSU did yesterday. That's a performance that will get them some national talk this week.

-Gardner especially looked ready to be done; he was obviously really beat up.

-Actually, I think he just got sacked again.

-And Fritz Toussaint is probably not his favorite person right now.

-Taylor Lewan doesn't have a leg to stand on complaining about dirty play. You'd think he actually had facemasks attached to his hands.

-I get why he's wearing 98, but Gardner looks stupid wearing that number.

-Speaking of looking stupid, can someone tell Hoke that "soggy fat guy" really isn't a good look on the sideline?

-Though his numbers weren't great, this was the first game where I thought Connor Cook might turn into a good quarterback.

-While MSU did pull out green pants, which I wasn't a big fan of, I'm surprised neither team had a flashy alternate helmet or something else exciting. I think it's a good thing though, because they don't really seem to fit the character of either team.

-How hard do you think the Buckeyes are rooting for the Spartans now?

-So, my prediction about the losing team feeling like they could have won the game? I don't think that's the case here.