Will the real Ndamukong Suh please stand up?

Gene Pritchard, truthatarian.com 2.2.2012 
 


Ndamukong Suh came into the league arguably the most highly regarded defensive tackle coming out of college in the last twenty years. Visions of him slinging opponents around at Nebraska ring clearly in my mind. The phrases, “all world” and “special talent”, where the type bandied about regarding Suh at the time the Lions made him the #2 pick in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft.  Suh possessed all the tools, strength, speed, and perhaps most importantly, tenacity. He played tenaciously and had the physical attributes to make him a lethal threat to opposing offenses.

Suh’s rookie season did not disappoint. No, far  from it, Ndamukong dazed and amazed; racking up 66 tackles and 14 sacks. He was on top of the football world and it looked certain the Lions had at least one side of the ball (the defensive side) taken care of for years to come, with Suh as the anchor. Problem is, in 2011, something bad happened to Suh and the Lion’s defense en route to becoming the reincarnation of the “silver rush”.

As I wrote in my article, “Lions desperately seeking defense”, the Lion’s defense fall apart, particularly in the second half of the 2011 season, and Suh’s presence was barely noticeable.. imagine that.  Suh only amassed thirty six tackles and four sacks for the season, and teams were scoring on the Lions at will.

Now comes word from Warren Sapp that Suh had off season shoulder surgery. Sapp also criticizes Gunther Cunningham for not moving Suh around more, and I agree with Warren 100%.. (How could this Lion’s defense have under performed any more than it did, yet Gunther is retained?) It was a nightmare season for Suh in many respects, and I’ve not mentioned the off-field incident, or the on-field “incidents”, and subsequent suspension. I’m not even going to go there.

Suffice to say the 2012 season will be a huge one for Ndamukong Suh. He needs to reestablish his identity as the best and most feared d-lineman in the league. Once the Lions can get stellar seasons out of Stafford and Suh in the same season, they should be golden!

NASCAR: Unusual alliance locks Danica Patrick into the Daytona 500

(PhatzRadio / USA Today) — Danica Patrick will be guaranteed a shot at proving she has a good chance to win the Daytona 500.
Stewart-Haas Racing has formed a collaborative partnership with Tommy Baldwin Racing that will ensure Patrick’s No. 10 Chevrolet will make the first five Sprint Cup races of the 2012 season. NASCAR sets its fields by saving a spot for the top 35 cars in owners’ points, and the final top 35 from the previous season is used to determine the starting grid for the first five races each year.
Because SHR didn’t field a third car last year, it didn’t have a guaranteed spot for Patrick’s Chevy when she joined the team as a part-time teammate to Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman in 10 races this season.
MORE: Patrick thinks she can win Daytona 500
In the deal, Tommy Baldwin Racing’s No. 36, which ranked 33rd in points last season, becomes the No. 10, and Patrick will drive the car at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 26 and nine more races, with Darlington Raceway (May 12), Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 27), Bristol Motor Speedway (Aug. 25), Atlanta Motor Speedway (Sept. 2), Chicaogland Speedway (Sept. 16), Dover International Speedway (Sept. 30), Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 4) and Phoenix International Raceway (Nov. 11) announced so far.
Veteran David Reutimann will drive the No. 10 in the other 26 races for TBR, giving the car a strong shot at staying in the top 35 for the full season, which would help secure Patrick a spot in every race she attempts as a Cup rookie.
The arrangement is unlike past points “swaps” in which teams have merged with another team with guaranteed points. Stewart-Haas and Baldwin Racing will remain independent entities with separate engine suppliers.
Baldwin will be listed as the owner of the car in all 36 races, but the car will be prepared by SHR with Hendrick Motorsports engines, in the races driven by Patrick. The crew chief for Patrick at Daytona will be Greg Zipadelli, SHR’s director of competition.
“Tommy Baldwin Racing has proven to be a very strong organization and it’s a good fit with Stewart-Haas Racing,” Matt Borland, SHR vice president of competition, said in a statement. “It’s a Chevrolet team led by a racer who knows every inch of a racecar. That kind of technical expertise, along with a company mindset that is similar to ours, provides the ideal environment for Danica to learn and succeed.”
During NASCAR’s annual preseason media tour last week, Patrick said she could win her debut in NASCAR’s premier series. She finished sixth in her stock-car debut at Daytona, an ARCA race in February 2010.
“I think at Daytona (our) cars are very fast, so I feel good about that race, if luck falls our way, to perhaps win,” Patrick said. “I think that’s a real chance. I mean a (rookie) like Trevor Bayne last year showed that.”
NASCAR: Unusual alliance locks Danica Patrick into the Daytona 500 is a post from: PhatzRadio.com

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Will the Lakers tweak their roster?

Gilbert Arenas? Ramon Sessions? Morris Peterson? Kenyon Martin? Rasheed Wallace?
The names are out there, if you hunt for them. The question is whether the Lakers will actually sign and/or trade for one of them in order to bolster their roster. They could use help at the point guard and small forward positions, but will they gamble on a move?
"We've had conversations about a lot of players," Lakers coach Mike Brown said. "There are a ton of players out there that we've had conversations about."
We, of course, means Brown and general manager Mitch Kupchak.
The sudden rise of rookie guard Andrew Goudelock, who has averaged 11.5 points on 50 percent shooting in the last four games, could settle the issue of depth at point guard with Derek Fisher's backup Steve Blake out a while longer with a rib/sternum injury.

Arenas and the others could be useful players, but it remains to be seen if the

Peyton Manning and His 2012 Suitors

Could this be it for Peyton Manning?

It’s getting toward the end of Super Bowl week, which means the endless breakdown of the upcoming Super Bowl is starting to get stale for most casual fans. By sheer coincidence, the media is given another pipeline of stories because of what is going on with the legendary quarterback who plays for the team in Indianapolis, which happens to be the location of the Super Bowl.
Every day there seems to be a new report regarding the status of Manning’s neck injury, as some claim he is finished, while Manning insists his health is steadily improving and he plans to play in 2012. This is such a unique injury that there is no reference point in history to project Manning’s future in the NFL, so for the purpose of speculation, let’s assume he is healthy by about mid-summer. Because of this, the Colts have released Manning and he is free to sign with any team.
Here are the top suitors for Manning to play in 2012:
Washington Redskins
Why he would: If Manning is on the open market, you can bet on the Skins making a play for him. First, Snyder is not afraid to eat guaranteed money to have a chance of bringing his franchise back to relevancy. With a new quarterback and a few more pieces on offense, combined with a pretty solid defense, the Redskins would be poised to make a run in a pretty so-so division. To me, they have the best chance to land him.
Why he wouldn’t: Dan Snyder himself is going to be somewhat of a deterrent, but getting along with an ego like Mike Shanahan is not a given. Plus, when you look at the weapons and offensive line of the Redskins, it really doesn’t give you a big reason to get excited.
Seattle Seahawks
Why he would: Like the Redskins, they seem to be just a quarterback away from being contenders, but they have some real weapons on offense. Throwing to Sidney Rice and Zach Miller behind an improving line give Manning a great chance to succeed.
Why he wouldn’t: Seattle isn’t necessarily known as an inviting place for quarterbacks that have not played home games outside in over a decade. Seattle is also more of a run-first offense, and philosophies may collide.
New York Jets
Why he would: Of all of the teams on this list, the Jets may be the most talented team. With three Pro Bowl lineman, Santonio Holmes and Dustin Keller on offense, combined with a defense that has ben a top-5 unit since Rex Ryan’s arrival it seems too easy for a guy like Manning to win games. With everyone down on Sanchez as a leader, what better guy to bring in than a 4-time MVP?
Why he wouldn’t: The Jets brought in Tony Sparano to get back to the ground game, which is the total opposite of what Manning would want to do. Plus, why would Manning come to a cold, outdoor stadium that he would share with his brother, who may be coming off a Super Bowl win by the time he gets to town? Plus, the Jets are going to have PR problems with Sanchez after marketing him as their franchise quarterback for over the past three years.
Miami Dolphins:
Why he would: Miami has to be another favorite to land Manning, as their owner is obsessed with star talent, especially at the quarterback position. They have pieces on offense and a new coach that will probably bend to what Peyton wants to do. The nice weather in South Beach is a plus.
Why he wouldn’t: You can look at the dysfunction in Miami since Parcells left and be quickly turned off by it. Plus, with a new coach in place, the Dolphins may be more interested in long-term growth than a quick fix.

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Pistons, don't make it look so obvious

Gene Pritchard, truthatarian.com 2.1.2012
If the Pistons are not careful, David Stern is going to accuse them of tampering with the draft. Seems every time I turn around, a Piston is missing a game due to "personal reasons". If it's not personal reasons, it's a groin here, a tweak there. Charlie V has been MIA all season, and every scrub in the D-league seems to get minutes with the Pistons; from Walker D Russell to Damien Wilkins, to Austin Daye. Ok, the latter two only play like they are from the D-league.

Seriously, if it looks like a tanking job, and smells like a tanking job, and walks like a tanking job, it might be a tanking job. I wrote that the Pistons were playoff bound when this abbreviated disaster got started, but this team shoots itself in the foot in every way possible. Quite frankly, I'm surprised Lawrence Frank is willing to sacrifice his career record with the hit it will take from such an awful season. If tanking is the order of the day, why not bring in another John Kuester or Michael Curry type to absorb this .174 win percentage?

I still like Lawrence Frank and a few of the Piston's pieces, but a season like this takes a toll on a guy's evaluation. The only positive I can take from all this is getting a really high draft pick, and I'm hoping for Andre Drummond from UConn. Anyone else down with that?

War to the Pistons getting the first pick in the draft; war to it being Andre Drummond. This Piston's team is so pathetic, I'm still wondering if it's time for Joe to go. The bigger question remains... is Tom Gores wondering the same thing?