Michigan Hockey Summer Curse Strikes Again

(Photo courtesy of the Michigan Daily)

Mike Van Ryn

Mike Comrie

Andy Hilbert

Jeff Tambellini

Mike Cammalleri

Andrew Cogliano

Jack MF'in Johnson...

The list of players who have left Michigan's hockey team early for the NHL seems endless. You can now add forward Max Pacioretty to that list, after just one promising season playing on the Wolverines' top line. Via MGoBlog, Pacioretty has just signed a three-year deal with the Montreal Canadians, who took him in the first round, 22nd overall in the 2007 NHL draft.

Pacioretty was the top returning forward for a Michigan team that made it to the Frozen Four last season before falling to Notre Dame in the semifinals. He had 39 points in 37 games last season, and was named the CCHA Freshman of the Year.

Dammit.

Pacioretty makes the big jump (Canadians.com)

Tractor Traylor Watch: Game Two

In case you missed it, Robert "Tractor" Traylor has returned to the NBA, playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers summer league team. This feature will last as long as he sticks around. My guess is this feature will be short-lived.

In the Cavaliers Summer League contest against the Houston Rockets, Traylor finished with 6 points (2-5 from the floor), 2 offensive rebounds, and 4 personal fouls in 16 minutes of action. Traylor made the most of one of his baskets, earning a mention in the NBA.com recap for putting the Cavs ahead midway through the fourth. Unfortunately, Tractor's clutch basket was all for naught, as the Cavs fell 73-72.

Traylor has yet to crack Cleveland's starting lineup, which is not a good sign for anyone who wants to see him somehow make their regular season roster. He has two games remaining to showcase himself before the NBA Summer League comes to a close. Quiver in fear, Cleveland all-you-can-eat restaurants: the inevitable post-cut Tractor eating binge may soon be upon you.

(Photo courtesy of the Michigan Daily)

Tractor Traylor Watch: Day One
NBA.com: Summer League 2008 Box Score

Bullet Points Are Handy: July 17

For today's roundup, there are a couple of Tigers trade rumors, some Pistons news, and one remarkably familiar-looking Ohio State t-shirt.

• The Florida Marlins have contacted Detroit about trading for catcher (and ex-Marlin) Pudge Rodriguez. Pudge will be a free agent after this season, and Detroit has a viable alternative at catcher in Brandon Inge. However, Detroit probably won't start dumping players until they're completely out of the playoff picture. This is a rumor to keep an eye on, but any trade of this nature is probably at least a couple weeks off.
• Jon Paul Morosi of the Free Press is reporting that Detroit is willing to trade reliever Fernando Rodney. Rodney is 31 years old, has struggled the last two seasons with shoulder tendinitis, and is currently sporting a robust 7.71 ERA. I'm sure the Tigers will get great value out of that deal.
• Via MLive, Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey played down rumors of a potential deal for Tracy McGrady. He said that Detroit had called "a few weeks ago" to inquire about a possible trade, but wouldn't say whether or not it involved McGrady. Any preliminary offers, he said, were turned down. It doesn't sound like the much-discussed McGrady trade is going to happen, although it would be interesting to see if Joe Dumars revisits these talks at some point.
• Speaking of Dumars, it seems that he is not pleased with Piston fans complaining that he is not doing enough to improve the team. Patience, everyone. In Joe We Trust.
• Varsity Blue digs up a photo of this season's Ohio State student football shirt, which appears to completely rip off the 2005 Michigan student shirt. Stupid Buckeyes, go to a real school, stop cheating, etc. Insults will be better thought out by November, I promise.

Update: The NHL has released the schedule for next season. Check out the Wings' here.

Tracy McGrady to Pistons Rumors Heating Up?

Stephen A. Smith, reporting last night on the late Sportscenter, said that he has spoken to Tracy McGrady about the possibility of him becoming a Detroit Piston. T-Mac seems quite open to the idea:

If Detroit is truly interested, and McGrady is open to gunning for a title with the Pistons, it seems that this rumor may actually have some merit. Dave Dial of MLive brings up a very interesting point regarding McGrady's monster contract:

Something else to take into consideration, McGrady's huge salary would come off the books the summer of 2010, considered the best free agent class ever that includes Bosh, Wade, LeBron James. So the Pistons would give McGrady two seasons to show his worth and if things did not work out they would have a lot of cap space in 2010.

I doubt Detroit would be the preferred destination for LeBron James (I think he's destined to be a Brooklyn Net), but if Detroit could be in the running for Bosh or Wade, trading for McGrady makes a lot of sense. It's only a two-year investment, he really wants a title, and would like to be a Piston. Detroit would likely trade Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince in any proposed deal, just to make the salaries match up. McGrady would be a big upgrade over Prince, and trading Billups would allow Rodney Stuckey, who showed flashes of brilliance in the playoffs last year, to step into starting role. If Detroit could get some guard depth in the deal (Luther Head works with the cap), this would be an interesting trade for Detroit. I say "interesting" because it could either vault Detroit to a title, or the next two seasons could be awful if McGrady is affected by his chronic back issues. The trade would give Detroit a real possibility of landing a superstar free agent if McGrady doesn't work out, which would put Detroit right back at the top of the Eastern Conference.

Clearly, this is all moot if these rumors are only rumors, but I still expect Joe Dumars to make a big move this offseason. This would certainly be a big move, and one that would put some title buzz around the Pistons again.

Bullet Points Are Handy: I Hate Art Fair Edition

Ann Arbor: Now Part Shanty Town

As any resident of Ann Arbor knows, Art Fair is the weekend when thousands of art enthusiasts descend upon downtown, essentially shutting the town down from Tuesday through Saturday. Inevitably, the temperatures climb to around 90°, which is only good for local ice cream shops and stores with good air conditioning. Think Bonnaroo without the music, but plopped right into the middle of your hometown. Most "townies" choose this weekend to get as far as they can from Ann Arbor. As for me, I'm stuck at Ground Zero, working my job at the Michigan Student Union all week. Sunday cannot get here soon enough.

But you don't care about that. Bullet points? Yes, please.

• The Pistons lost their NBA Summer League game against the Milwaukee Bucks yesterday, losing a 12-point first half lead before falling 73-59. Rodney Stuckey didn't play (sore toe), so Detroit was lead by Arron Afflalo, who had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Much, much more here.
• The MLB All-Star Game took place last night, with the AL winning the marathon 15-inning game 4-3. The Tigers' lone All-Star, Carlos Guillen, went 1-3 with a walk after entering the game in the eighth inning. I bailed on this game before the 12th, as FOX's unending mentions of Yankee Stadium lore forced me to turn the TV off before I put my foot through Joe Buck's televised face.
  
• A Michigan Citizens State Bank is suing former Red Wing Sergei Fedorov for payment of over $2 million in loans. Considering how much money Fedorov has made in his NHL career, saving must not be one of his strong suits. The man dated Anna Kournikova, however, so I'm not going to knock his lifestyle too much.
• The "Winter Classic" game between the Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks has been officially announced by the NHL. The game will take place at Wrigley Field on January 1st, 2009. It is slated for a 1 pm ET start, and will be televised on NBC and CBC.

Where You At?: Scott Dreisbach Edition

The "Where You At?" series continues, this time with former Michigan quarterback Scott Dreisbach.

Scott Dreisbach had one of the more unique career paths of any Michigan player I remember. He played 15 games in is first two seasons, started 11 of the Wolverines' 12 games in 1996, and was a member of the 1997 National Champions. However, Dreisbach only attempted five passes in his last two seasons at Michigan, 47 fewer than he threw in his first game.

It is that first game that Dreisbach is most remembered for by Wolverine fans. In the 1995 season-opening Pigskin Classic against Virginia, he spearheaded a 17-point fourth quarter comeback, capped by a last-second touchdown pass to WR Mercury Hayes (video link via iblogforcookies). The freshman attempted 52 passes in the game, a school record at the time, completing 27 for 372 yards and two scores.


From there, Dreisbach's career at Michigan went mostly downhill. He only played three more games during an injury-riddled freshman season. Although he started the first 11 games of his sophomore season, ineffective play caused him to be benched in favor of Brian Griese during the Ohio State game. He would never start another game at quarterback for the Wolverines. Griese kept the starting job throughout the 1997 season, and a junior by the name of Tom Brady won the starting job in 1998. Dreisbach shared the backup duties that season with freshman Drew Henson, who sucks at baseball. Say what you will about Dreisbach's ability, but you can't say he was beaten out by poor quarterbacks.

Dreisbach went undrafted, but signed a free agent deal with the Oakland Raiders in 1999. After playing in two preseason games, he broke his leg and missed the entire season. His luck didn't get any better from there. Dreisbach was placed on the injured reserve in 2000 with a torn rotator cuff, spent two weeks on Buffalo's practice squad in 2001, and was released from the Lions in August of 2002 after getting sent to the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe. Despite spending time on three NFL rosters, Dreisbach never saw a minute of playing time during the regular season.

With his NFL dream effectively over, Dreisbach moved on to the Arena Football League. He played for five different teams from 2003-2007, starting two games in 2004 for the Dallas Desperadoes. In 2007, as a member of the Columbus Destroyers, Dreisbach was the backup quarterback, manned the holder duties for 13 games, and even saw time at linebacker(!), recording 11 tackles. In what should come as a shock to no one who has read this article, he broke his arm making a special teams tackle against Georgia, which ended his season early.

Dreisbach has not appeared on an AFL roster (that I can find) since breaking his arm in 2007. However, he has left us with this incredible roster photo, complete with third-grade style background, bedhead, and shirt size. Between this and the Virginia touchdown, I'm pretty content with the career of Scott Dreisbach. Thanks, Scott, and don't ever let anyone tell you that you need a comb or a shirt larger than a children's medium for any picture, ever.

Columbus Destroyers Player Profile
Scottish Claymores Player Profile
Lions dump Scott Dreisbach (CBC)
ArenaFan Online: Scott Dreisbach
MGoBlue Statistics Archive

Bullet Points Are Handy

A quick roundup of some Detroit sports headlines:

• Former Detroit RB Kevin Jones is close to signing a deal with the Chicago Bears. It's great to see Jones land with another NFL team after injuries plagued his time with the Lions. However, I hope he doesn't make us regret releasing him twice a year for the next few seasons. That seems like exactly the type of thing that would happen to the Lions.
• In other Lions news, the Tampa Tribune is reporting that Detroit is interested in quarterback Chris Simms. Simms has been buried on the Tampa Bay depth chart, and looks to be the odd man out on a team bloated with mediocre quarterbacks. I hope we don't give up much more than a 6th- or 7th-round pick for him, if we are really interested at all.
• Matt Joyce was named the AL Player of the Week for the period ending July 13th. Joyce went 9-22 during that time, with four homers, four doubles and six RBIs. Joyce has been a pleasant surprise while filling in for Magglio Ordonez, and it is nice to see him get some recognition.
• Ken Holland is confident that the Red Wings and Valtteri Filppula will be able to reach a deal before the 24-year old forward is scheduled for arbitration on August 1st. The sides are close on a potential 2-year deal, and are also in talks about a long-term contract.
  

West Virginia: Still Bitter

Warning: If you appreciate writing as an art form, and you don't also consider mashing crayons into the wall an art form, you may want to skip this one.

Chris Burke of MLive's The Diag blog dug up this article from today's Herald-Dispatch in Huntington, West Virginia. Apparently columnist Chuck Landon isn't pleased with the way the Rich Rodriguez buyout lawsuit turned out. Already, the premise of this article is somewhat flawed.

Earth to Chuck: West Virginia will receive every single penny of the $4 million buyout. This is what is called a "victory". You should be taking pleasure in these things.

As bad as the idea is behind the article, the execution is infinitely worse. They say if given an infinite amount of time, an infinite amount of monkeys would eventually type the works of Shakespeare. I'd give three monkeys a quarter of an hour to pound out this masterpiece. A small sampling:

As far as I'm concerned, the controversial former West Virginia University head football coach got away with "Grand Theft Contract."

Well, from where I'm sitting, UM just dropped the bar so low in this limbo contest about the only thing that still can pass under it is Rodriguez' ethics.

Unfortunately, not even Febreeze could eliminate the odor wafting off of Rodriguez' part of the deal. It stinks to high "Almost Heaven."

Geez, who is Rich Rod's tax adviser -- Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Douglas H. Shulman?

Now, that's what I call an H&R Block. ... and tackle.

Git 'Er Done, Chuck. With that smarmy little gem, I'm expecting the Times to come calling any day now.

Burke provides even more quotes in his post, but I couldn't take much more of that. Instead, I will provide a visual representation for how much it hurts to read Chuck Landon:

There, I feel much better. I'm out like Rosie O'Donnell (that was for you, Washington Post).

Tractor Traylor Watch: Game One

In case you missed it, Robert "Tractor" Traylor has returned to the NBA, playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers summer league team. This feature will last as long as he sticks around. My guess is this feature will be short-lived.

In his first summer league game for the Cavs, Tractor contributed 8 points on 4-6 shooting and 3 rebounds. He also added 4 personal fouls and 3 turnovers. I guess he still has some rust to shake off before the backboards start falling. In news I don't care about, the Cavs lost to the Knicks in the contest, falling 97-94. Second-year forward Wilson Chandler led New York with 26 points and 8 rebounds, which should give you some idea of the level of competition Traylor is facing.

Tractor continues his quest to return to the NBA on Wednesday night, as the Cavaliers take on the Houston Rockets.

NBA.com: Summer League 2008 Boxscore

Where You At?: Dr. Eric Mayes Edition

I realize that the last Where You At? post, while certainly entertaining, did not exactly cast the Michigan football program in the best light. When you consider your team to be one of the upstanding programs in the NCAA, profiling a player who shot at police and eventually got busted with weed is not the best way to prove this point. With that in mind, today's Where You At? looks at the post-Michigan career of linebacker Eric Mayes.

The name that immediately comes to mind when I think of Michigan football captains is linebacker Eric Mayes. The co-captain of the 1997 National Championship team, Mayes only recorded 46 tackles in his career at Michigan. He served as a backup linebacker in 1995 and 1996 after walking on to the football program. His impact on the field in 1997 was overshadowed by the contributions of Woodson, Greise, Streets, Ray, Tuman, and a host of others. However, Mayes' impact as a leader was as large as any player in recent memory.

Mayes' career at Michigan followed a Disney-esque storyline. The Kalamazoo native transferred to Michigan in 1995 after going to Xavier College, a small Louisiana school that did not have a football program. As a walk on, Mayes contributed on special teams during his first two years on the team, registering 16 total tackles in that time. After the departure of All-American and captain Jerrett Irons before 1997, Mayes took advantage of the chance to fill both Irons' starting role and his captaincy. He had the best game of his career against Notre Dame, making 14 tackles (one for a loss) and breaking up a pass.

Unfortunately, his playing career ended in the very next game. On Indiana's fourth play from scrimmage, Mayes took an awkward cut after shedding a block during a routine running play, tearing a ligament in his knee. It was quickly revealed that the injury would not allow him to return that season. As a fifth-year senior who was not eligible for a medical redshirt, Mayes had played his last game as a Wolverine.

Despite not being able to contribute on the field, Mayes continued to fulfill his duties as a captain. One of the most memorable images of the 1997 season occurred after Michigan beat Ohio State, clinching the Big Ten title and sending the #1 Wolverines to the Rose Bowl. During the on-field celebration, the Michigan team carried Mayes on their shoulders. It was one of the happiest and most touching moments I have experienced as a sports fan, and I'm sure most Wolverine fans would agree.

Photo from Michigan Daily Archives

Since Mayes' football career has ended, he has dedicated himself to the world of academia. He got his bachelor's degree from Michigan in 1998, and earned a master's in Education Technology in 2000. In 2006, he received a Ph. D. in Educational Psychology from Howard University. During the time he was at Howard, he "held several positions...including president of the Educational Psychology Student Association; graduate assistant in the Office of Retention, Mentoring and Support Programs; research assistant in the School of Education’s Office of the Dean; and technology assistant in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction." I'm pretty sure the man's resumè had its own aura, smelled of freshly-baked apple pie, and ran triathlons in between visits to the local children's hospital.

In December of 2007, Mayes was appointed associate director of the Merrill-Palmer Skillman Institute and executive director of its Child Development Lab at Wayne State University. To quote the Wayne State University website:

The Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute (MPSI) has been a vital part of Michigan’s landscape for nearly a century. Founded in 1920 as the Merrill-Palmer Institute, early efforts were aimed at serving Detroit’s children through formalized, academic programs in child development – a discipline then in its infancy. Over the years, the Institute has trained generations of early childhood researchers, teachers and mothers, as well as conducting pioneering research in the field with applications nation-wide.

Today, MPSI remains at the cutting edge of research and training in child development. Long recognized as a leader in childhood research, early education, and family outreach, MPSI continues to expand its efforts to meet the changing conditions and pressures of modern society on urban families and young children.

In the article announcing Mayes' hiring, Wayne State also lists his efforts to better the community.

In the area of community service, he has volunteered for the Special Olympics as a team captain; D.A.R.E. program (Kalamazoo, Mich.); University of Michigan’s Motts Children’s Hospital; City of Hope Cancer Center; and West Side Cubs— Police Athletic League’s football team in Detroit.

Honestly, I don't know what else to say. By all accounts, Eric Mayes is an unbelievable person, a guy who every Michigan student, player, coach, and fan should be proud to associate with their program.

Dr. Eric Mayes: A Gentleman and a Scholar

'M' football co-captain Mayes out for season (Michigan Daily)

MGoBlue: Statistics Archive
Eric Mayes appointed associate director of the MPSI (Wayne State University)
Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute (WSU)

Michigan NCAA 09 Roster Ratings

In what has become a holiday of sorts, EA Sports' annual release of their NCAA Football video game series is tomorrow (or tonight at midnight, if you are a nerd like me). My buddy Noah, who writes for Operation Sports, just sent me a link to a full spreadsheet of the player ratings for NCAA 09. Some Michigan players of note:

• The QB situation is ugly. Steven Threet is 77 overall, and backup Nick Sheridan is a 74. Freshman Justin Feagin comes in at a lowly 68, though he does have solid 85 speed.
• Our best player? RE Tim Jamison, who is rated 92 overall. Didn't see that one coming. LE Brandon Graham, who was somehow a 99 overall last year, dropped to an 84.
• As for the running backs, Brandon Minor is the highest rated at a solid 89, followed by Kevin Grady and Carlos Brown, who both come in at 86. In one of the greatest crimes against reality ever perpetrated by EA Sports, Sam McGuffie (#34 in the game, which doesn't have the updated numbers for freshmen) only has an 82 jump rating. Sam respectfully disagrees:

• Brown is an intriguing possibility at quarterback for those who don't want to run the spread with Threet or Feagin. He has 84 throw power and 68 throw accuracy, which may be just enough to keep the defense honest if you want to use his 94 speed and acceleration to shred opposing defenses with the run.
• The Wolverines' greatest strength (by far) is the defensive backfield, comprised of CB Donovan Warren (91 overall), CB Morgan Trent (88), FS Brandon Harrison (90), and either SS Charles Stewart or Stevie Brown (both at 83 overall). Freshman CB Boubacar Cissoko, who will play nickel corner in the game, is also rated an 83.
• Kicker KC Lopata is a 58 overall. Seriously. He was 11-12 on field goals last year but is worse in the game than any player on Northwestern. What gives?
• Other players of interest: DT Terrance Taylor (89 overall), MLB Obi Ezeh, who was given #47 instead of #45 (85 overall), WR Greg Mathews (86), TE Carson Butler (82), P Zoltan Mesko (82).
• It is pretty tough to tell who the freshmen are, since the numbers don't match what they wore in the spring, and EA tends to make all the freshmen pretty unremarkable until they prove their worth on the field. McGuffie and Cissoko were the only freshmen who were easy to distinguish, so I won't attempt to put numbers next to the rest of them.

Here's hoping the EA Sports ratings don't play their way out on the real field next season (especially since Ohio State is a 99 overall in the game).

(Picture courtesy of Gamespot)

New Michigan Jerseys Officially Revealed

Via the Detroit Free Press, Michigan is officially revealing its new adidas uniforms today. The Free Press posted a full photo gallery of the new home and road uniforms, including the above image.

The changes to the road jersey have already been covered here, but now that they're officially released, I'll offer my "official" opinion: It could be worse. Yes, the side stripes aren't exactly attractive, but adidas didn't do anything too crazy with the uniform. In fact, they actually did some pretty cool stuff that doesn't show up on the pictures:

“We’re celebrating what’s special about the school,” said Mark Clinard, Adidas’ business unit director for football, baseball and motor sports. “The details are what speak to that. As we learned more at very beginning stages of partnership, we were looking at what’s special about Michigan. We put Bo Schembechler’s famous quote ‘Those Who Stay Will Be Champions’ in the hem of the authentic jersey. It’s not just about us just putting a logo on the program. We also have (silicone prints of) the 42 Big Ten championships on the inside of shoulder pad area. We can do everything with the outside of the jersey to uphold the honor and tradition. We’re putting more on the inside.”

That's pretty cool if you ask me. Clearly adidas understands the amount of stock Michigan and their fans put in upholding tradition. Putting a Bo quote inside the jersey will go a long way to winning over the more skeptical fans.

Weekend Recap: Crappy Weekend for Stanley

I've already wished you all a happy Monday, so here's the recap of last weekend's events:

• Kris Draper's daughter went number two in the Stanley Cup. I must say, I'm shocked that in the entire history of the Cup, no winning player has come down with a terminal disease after drinking out of it. Or at least pink eye.
  
• The Tigers avoided a weekend sweep at the hands of the Twins, winning Sunday afternoon's game 4-2. Justin Verlander had another strong performance on the mound, giving up only 4 hits and 2 runs in 7 innings. Matt Joyce (who has been on fire recently) and Clete Thomas each had a home run to power the Detroit offense.
• Arron Afflalo scored 25 points on 8-10 shooting to lead the Pistons past the Clippers, 75-66, in Sunday's NBA Summer League game. There was a minor scare with Rodney Stuckey leaving the game early with an injury, but it is only a sore toe.
  

Happy Monday, Everyone

I know, I'm as excited as all of you for the start of a new work week. As a little treat for those of you who are working early on a Monday, I present to you my exact thoughts on the Brett Favre retirement/unretirement situation, as presented by Stephen A. Smith (via Awful Announcing):

I never thought I would say this in response to a Screamin' A. rant, but I could not have possibly said it better myself. For once, I'm glad the Lions suck, just so we have no chance of signing that jackass (Favre, not Smith) and turning our team into a full-blown media circus. Besides, Jon Kitna has just as much ability to throw a pass off of his back foot into the waiting arms of some camped-out defensive back.


At least Kitna has the courtesy to not ruin Sportscenter for me.

Favre is a legend in Green Bay, and rightfully so. However, the crap he's pulling this offseason is selfish, unfair to the Packers (especially Aaron Rodgers), and a disservice to his own legacy. I'm glad the Packers are doing the right thing by refusing to release him. It is not at all in their best interest to allow Favre to sign with an NFC competitor. For Favre to try to bully them into doing so, by using the media and his status as a Hall of Fame player, is pretty classless way to show your appreciation for 15 years of support.

Knowing Matt Millen, he is probably on the phone with Ted Thompson offering Ernie Sims, next year's first-round pick, and his daughter's hand in marriage for the right to watch Favre put his career interceptions record out of reach next season.

A Quick Pistons Update

The newest Pistons trade rumor: Chauncey Billups to the Warriors for F/C Andris Biedrins. This one looks like it won't happen, as Golden State is balking on including the 21-year old Biedrins in a deal, instead offering Al Harrington. Worth mentioning, however, is the fact that Billups has appeared in almost every trade rumor involving the Pistons. It looks like he may be the core player that gets dealt this offseason.

Detroit also played its first summer league game today, defeating the Lakers 84-73. Rodney Stuckey led all scorers with 21 points, and Arron Afflalo chipped in 15. Amir Johnson had 12 points on 5-5 shooting, as well as 9 (!) personal fouls.

Oakland Tribune: Detroit Pistons want Biedrins for Chauncey Billups, not Al Harrington (MLive)
Summer League Boxscore (NBA.com)

Ahhhhhh! It's Courtney Sims! In a Blue and Yellow Jersey!

Oh thank God, that's a Pacers summer league uniform. Really had me scared there for a second.

In case you care, Sims actually hit double figures in points in Indiana's first two summer league games. Then he completely disappeared from InsideHoops.com's recaps of their two most recent games. Insert generic "water still wet" joke here.

(AP Photo/John Raoux)

Where You At?: Shonte Peoples Edition

"Where You At?" is my attempt at having a regular feature. I still have no idea how often these things will be posted, but thanks to the guys at mgoblog, I now have a lot of names to look up. By suggestion of Dex of Wolverine Liberation Army, former Michigan safety Shonte Peoples is the subject of today's edition.

I have to admit, Shonte Peoples was before my time (barely). I first started going to Michigan football games in 1994, at the tender age of 6, and Peoples' last season at U of M was 1993. However, by all accounts (and statistics), the Saginaw native was a beast. Playing the strong safety position, he recorded 152 tackles and 7 interceptions in his three-year career. He was All-Big Ten his junior season, notching 67 tackles and 3 interceptions. His senior year, he had 76 tackles and 3 picks. He clearly looked to be in the Ernest Shazor mold of a safety, as today's coaching staff would take one look at him and move him to linebacker.




























Simply Shazorian

The comparisons to Shazor do not end with his position, physique, or collegiate success. Much like Shazor, who left Michigan early after an All-American 2004 season and was never heard from again, Peoples could bring the crazy. In 1994, Shonte was arrested for shooting at undercover police officers from the balcony of his apartment, thinking they were trying to steal his Jeep from the parking lot. Peoples was charged, and found guilty for, two counts of felony assault with a dangerous weapon.

That same year, Peoples signed with the Las Vegas Posse (I'm not going to touch that one), an expansion franchise in the Canadian Football League. He became a linebacker/defensive end in the CFL, as he was too big and slow to play safety (sound familiar?). Peoples bounced around the CFL, playing for five teams between 1994 and 2003. Despite his transient ways, he was actually a very successful player. His best season came in 1997, when he won the James P. McCaffrey Trophy as the best defensive player in the East Divison while playing for the Winnepeg Blue Bombers. He also made the CFL All-Star Team as a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2000 and 2001.













Peoples: Transgressions as a Rider (CP Photo/John Ulan)

Peoples was arrested again in 2003, this time for possession of 30 grams of marijuana. Although the charges were later dropped, he would not play again in the CFL (although it would inspire, well, Canadian humor). Despite extensive searching, I have no idea what Peoples is up to these days, although I'm sure smarmy CFL message board posters have their theories.

Shonte Peoples (Wikipedia)
1992 Football Team (Bentley Historial Library)
MGoBlue Statistics Archive
Drug charges for Riders' Peoples (CBC)

Welcome, mgoblog invaders...

It appears that, since Brian linked to my Glen Steele article, about 95% of my traffic is being directed from mgoblog. First, let me just say welcome. This blog just got resurrected after a year off, and it's great to get some traffic back after losing all of my (incredibly small) readership. Since the Steele feature was by far the most visited post I've ever had, I wanted to pose a question: who would you like to see me feature next in the "Where You At?" series. This whole 'getting constant traffic' thing is new to me, and I find it quite enjoyable. So, feel free to leave any names in the comments, as long as they played for any of the teams I cover, and I'll do my best to get to them. Thanks, and keep visiting!

















You would think Ambassador Brian would wear more Michigan-themed regalia.

Now Starting for Your Detroit Pistons: Tracy McGrady?

According to MLive's Dave Dial, the Metro News (a Canadian newspaper) is reporting that the Pistons are making a "big pitch" to the Houston Rockets for F Tracy McGrady. McGrady has made the All-Star Game in seven of the last eight seasons, was named third-team All-NBA last year, and will be only 29 years old next season. No brainer, right?

Wrong. Except for a .2 point bump in 2006-07, McGrady's points per game have declined every season since 2002-03. He hasn't played more than 71 games in a season since 2004-05, due mostly to chronic back issues. T-Mac also has two years left on a deal that will pay him an average of $22 million per season, which makes him the seventh-highest paid player in the NBA.
Just to make the salaries work out, Detroit would have to trade two starters to Houston in the potential deal. Is a declining superstar with chronic back issues worth the price of Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups, or Prince and Rasheed Wallace? I really don't think so.

This reeks of a desperation move, one that would please the casual basketball fan who still thinks of T-Mac as one of the league's premier players but infuriate the dedicated fan who sees him as a huge risk. The Pistons can still contend with the players they have right now, assuming they can add some depth via free agency or a less costly trade. Boston is certainly not getting any younger, and they were all that stood between Detroit and an NBA Finals appearance last season. Yes, the 76ers added Elton Brand, but they're still a couple pieces (and maybe a couple years of development) away from being a Finals contender. The Cavaliers have done nothing to address adding a player who could take any attention away from LeBron James, who by now must be itching to sign somewhere else in 2010.

I would love to see Detroit shake up their roster with an impact trade, but trading two starters for McGrady has a much better chance of horribly backfiring than it does of vaulting Detroit past the Celtics in the East. Adding T-Mac doesn't make the Pistons markedly better, nor does it make them any younger. I'm hoping this is an unfounded rumor (why is this being reported in a Canadian newspaper?), or Joe Dumars is just doing his job and seeing if he can steal marquee players for pennies on the dollar. Otherwise, Detroit could be sabotaging its chances next season before it ever starts.

Detroit Pistons making 'big pitch' for Tracy McGrady (MLive)
Tracy McGrady Statistics (Basketball Reference)

Where You At?: Glen Steele Edition

Finally, a regular feature for this site. While certainly not an original idea, the occasional "Where Are They Now"-type post can be entertaining for long-time fans of any sports team. I'm not sure yet how often I'll be posting these features, but I plan on it being at least a weekly thing. Between the Michigan football and basketball teams alone, there's enough Where You At?'s to become its own blog. So without further ado, here's the first Where You At?: Former Michigan DE Glen Steele.

Pretty much any Michigan fan, young and old alike, remembers the 1997 National Championship team. But, especially for the younger fans like me (I had just turned 10 when we won the Rose Bowl), as time passes some of the less-heralded contributors are forgotten, and the once-lasting images of the season morph into a fuzzy set of vague memories.

Everybody remembers Charles Woodson, the leader of Michigan's dominant defense and the first primarily defensive player to take home the Heisman. His punt return against Ohio State gets replayed every year leading up the the UM-OSU game, and his gravity-defying interception against Michigan State is YouTube legend.

However, Michigan also had two other All-Americans that season. Jerame Tuman caught a touchdown pass in the Rose Bowl, and is still the gold standard that today's Michigan tight ends are held up against. Glen Steele, on the other hand, has seemingly slipped through the cracks of time. Fellow defensive ends LaMarr Woodley and James Hall have usurped Steele in the minds of most fans, most likely because Steele did not become a standout in the NFL.

Steele had a monster 1997 season, recording 48 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries. He was named a first-team All-Big Ten by both the coaches and the media, first-team All-American, and was awarded the Dick Katcher Award as the Wolverines' top defensive lineman. To this day, he remains second on Michigan's career sacks list with 24, and third in tackles for loss, with 45. If you still don't remember how tenacious of a defender he was, check out the :52 mark of this video from the 1997 Penn State game (video courtesy of WolverineHistorian, who has some amazing footage of old Michigan games).


Beast.

Unfortunately, Steele's collegiate success did not translate to the NFL. He was drafted in the 4th round, 105th overall, by the Cincinnati Bengals. He played six seasons for the Bengals, recording only 3.5 sacks, before being released in 2003. After being released, he tried out with the Giants, 49ers, and again with the Bengals, but could not stick with any of the teams.

Steele resurfaced in 2006, working for the Michigan football team in the weight room. The next season he was hired as a graduate assistant under Lloyd Carr, and from the looks of his picture he could probably still push around Big 10 linemen with ease.













Beast.

MGoBlue, Michigan's official athletics website, doesn't list the graduate assistants for next season, so I'm not sure what Steele is up to these days. However, it certainly appears he's headed for a career coaching football at some level. Steele was one of my favorite Michigan players growing up, and it is great to see that, at least through last year, he remained connected with the team.

Glen Steele (Wikipedia Page)
MGoBlue: 2007 Coach Bio
MGoBlue Statistics Archive