OT: Michigan Sports Thread: The 1-3 Edition

[FabricDetails]

Love these kinds of moments in sports... I kind of hope the NHL can steal this idea at some point.

Both of these teammates were up for Sixth Man of the Year - They contacted the one who was the runner up and asked him if he wanted to present the trophy to his teammate. Then some of the best brotherly love in sports happened...

 

[FireBird71]

Lions bringing in Todd Gurley for visit and physical

 

[Bench]

Lions bringing in Todd Gurley for visit and physical

Always incredible how fast star RBs can fall off. Gurley was THE star RB just a few years ago. Guy is only 26 and now he's taking tryouts on a rebuilding team.

It's a physical position that feels so disposable in the modern NFL.

 

[FabricDetails]

Holy cow... Not cool. Way to make me feel old...

 

[jkutswings]

It's a physical position that feels so disposable in the modern NFL.

Because it is. Teams have all but abandoned the "bell cow" single back for tandems to reduce wear and tear (and take advantage of varied skill sets).

Nobody can essentially go through a car accident 20-30 times a week and stay the same for long.

 

[Bench]

Because it is. Teams have all but abandoned the "bell cow" single back for tandems to reduce wear and tear (and take advantage of varied skill sets).

Nobody can essentially go through a car accident 20-30 times a week and stay the same for long.

Well that sucks. These guys are often worn out by the time their 2nd contract comes along.

I know the Packers deal for Aaron Jones looks like a lot on paper but less than half is guaranteed, for example. If he gets hurt or they want to cut him, bye bye.

 

[Hen Kolland]

Because it is. Teams have all but abandoned the "bell cow" single back for tandems to reduce wear and tear (and take advantage of varied skill sets).

Nobody can essentially go through a car accident 20-30 times a week and stay the same for long.

Personally, I think players can do it, but it depends on luck and intelligence. I think the big thing that is becoming more apparent is the inability of RBs to protect themselves. Being tough and fighting through contact is glamorized a lot. Finishing runs with aggression, initiating contact.

It’s why I think Barry was so special is because he consistently slipped the big hits. He was impossible to line up and stick. His default decision was never “let me try to run through this guy”

 

[Bench]

It’s why I think Barry was so special is because he consistently slipped the big hits. He was impossible to line up and stick. His default decision was never “let me try to run through this guy”

Barry Sanders, dude. His highlights look like someone playing Madden to me.

Him and Calvin Johnson are two of my favorite players of all time. When they dunked on the Packers it was like...

 

[jkutswings]

Barry Sanders, dude. His highlights look like someone playing Madden to me.

Yup.

 

[FabricDetails]

Barry Sanders, dude. His highlights look like someone playing Madden to me.

Him and Calvin Johnson are two of my favorite players of all time. When they dunked on the Packers it was like...

Do people still talk about "What if Barry had Emmitt Smith offensive line?"

 

[Bench]

Do people still talk about "What if Barry had Emmitt Smith offensive line?"

It's one of the top comments on that highlight video posted, ha.

 

[jkutswings]

It's one of the top comments on that highlight video posted, ha.

I wish there was some way to quantify rushing yards behind the line of scrimmage. That would have added a few thousand to his resume.

Barry has career totals of 15,269 yards in 153 games (5.0 per carry, 99.8 per game).

Emmitt has 18,355 yards in 226 games (4.2 per carry, 81.2 per game).

The "better line" argument isn't just about blocking. If Detroit had been competent enough to just have a decent team around their star, he probably doesn't quit after only 10 seasons, and his numbers end up blowing Smith's out of the water. (Even splitting the difference in yards per carry and per game as he aged would have resulted in Sanders finishing with 20,453 yards and 4.6 per carry, given the same number of total games.)

Now maybe he doesn't get as many carries on a better team (although there's almost no difference in Barry's 20.0 carries per game versus Emmitt's 19.5 per game) . But maybe he also stays fresher to maintain that explosiveness and YPC later in his (now longer) career. Emmitt Smith is definitely a HOF caliber player. But Barry Sanders was undeniably even more talented.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Sanders is the best RB of all time. Change my mind.

 

[Stony Curtis]

Sanders is the best RB of all time. Change my mind.

Barry ran like it was touch football. He didn't want a defender to even lay a hand on him. I remember him juking Ron Woodson into a torn ACL. Just amazing.

 

[guinness]

Currently at the Whitecaps game; gorgeous weather for baseball, but feels weird to be at a live event again.

Caps and Tigers currently leading to boot.

 

[Bondurant]

Currently at the Whitecaps game; gorgeous weather for baseball, but feels weird to be at a live event again.

Caps and Tigers currently leading to boot.

I am currently in Salt Lake City. Went to a Real Salt Lake game on Saturday night. It was my first live sporting event in over a year. Masks were optional. It was almost back to normal. It was amazing.

Lots of comments about my Lions hat this weekend. A talking point 5 times since Friday.

 

[guinness]

I am currently in Salt Lake City. Went to a Real Salt Lake game on Saturday night. It was my first live sporting event in over a year. Masks were optional. It was almost back to normal. It was amazing.

Lots of comments about my Lions hat this weekend. A talking point 5 times since Friday.

I wore Tigers hat (as did many), and a rally goose T-shirt

the only person that recognized the shirt, laughed and said best one here.

The beer and food prices were so much better than CoPa. I got some really good poutine for $11, and a 32 oz Perrin black for ~$14.

The last time I was at CoPa, $14 got me something like a 12 oz vanilla bean porter from Atwater.

Love minor league ball.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Beilein to the Pistons.

 

[FabricDetails]

Annoying AF, but whatever...

A 'Jeopardy!' clue asked which team Gordie Howe played for. No one got it right.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Annoying AF, but whatever...

A 'Jeopardy!' clue asked which team Gordie Howe played for. No one got it right.

I mean, did they give a time frame... or were there any one of like five or six different answers? Or was it like "is most known for?"

Because I mean,

Houston Aeros
Hartford Whalers
New England Whalers (Had to look this one up)
Detroit Vipers

are all viable answers that aren't the Red Wings.

 

[jkutswings]

I mean, did they give a time frame... or were there any one of like five or six different answers? Or was it like "is most known for?"

Because I mean,

Houston Aeros
Hartford Whalers
New England Whalers (Had to look this one up)
Detroit Vipers

are all viable answers that aren't the Red Wings.

A 'Jeopardy!' clue asked which team Gordie Howe played for. No one got it right.

The clue was, "Gordie Howe played for this NHL team from 1946 to 1971." There's a video of the full episode as well.

 

[RabidBadger]

Annoying AF, but whatever...

A 'Jeopardy!' clue asked which team Gordie Howe played for. No one got it right.

I watched an episode some years ago and the category "Stanley Cup History" came up. I was licking my chops to shout out the answers during my in house Jeopardy battle with family. All 3 contestants avoided the category like the clap and time ran out before they could even get to one clue. What nerd-ass contestants!

 

[Konnan511]

I mean...sure

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

A 'Jeopardy!' clue asked which team Gordie Howe played for. No one got it right.

The clue was, "Gordie Howe played for this NHL team from 1946 to 1971." There's a video of the full episode as well.

Ok, I figured it was something like that. Just wanted to say "What team Gordie Howe played for" isn't exactly cut and dry. That timeframe? Pretty damn clear.

 

[Bondurant]

I mean...sure

League mandated to protect knee caps.