Pinnacle Race Course: The good, the bad, the expensive
I made my first visit to Pinnacle Race Course on Sunday and the place was pretty impressive.
True to their words, the management has tried to make it family friendly. There were pony rides and face painting. There were also a lot of kids, more than I have seen at an area race track.
The people taking the bets were polite and helpful, and the races were competitive.
The track is far from a finished product, with construction continuing, so there were some warts.
The lines to bet outside were too long. It was a nice day, so I chose to sit in the outside grandstand. There were only three betting windows, however. Not enough.
The tote board on the infield showed the odds, but didn't have a place to show the payouts. I was lucky to win two exactas but had no idea how much I had won until I got to the window. The winning prices are announced on the loudspeaker, but unfortunately, it isn't loud enough.
One more beef. The food prices reminded me of Comerica. A bottle of water was $3 and a hamburger cost $5. Yes, I know admission and parking are free, but reasonable food prices are normally a draw for tracks.
Stop moaning about Tiger Stadium
They started tearing down Tiger Stadium on Monday, and as expected, many Tiger fans are expressing their outrage.
Stop it, please.
In a city where most buildings are left to rot, this is actually a sign of progress. If you don't think so, drive two blocks farther down Michigan and look at the train depot.
Should Wings re-sign Chelios?
I believe it would be a mistake for the Wings to re-sign Chris Chelios.
I appreciate all that Chelios has done. He has sacrificed his body and been a leader on defense since joining the team in 1999.
But, Chelios is 46 years old. Even though he works hard in the offseason, it's time for the team to give his ice time to a younger player who can learn from mistakes in the regular season and be ready for the playoffs.
The Wings have an opening for an assistant. If they want to offer it to Chelios, fine. But I believe it is time to end his playing career with the Wings.
Enough with the Piston rumors
When Pistons president Joe Dumars said everyone on the roster except for Rodney Stuckey could be traded it opened the floodgates for ridiculous rumors.
On Saturday night, one out-of-touch radio host was debating the merits of a rumor out of Miami that had the Pistons trading Chauncey Billups for the No. 2 pick in the draft.
Please. Billups is a decent player, but he is no superstar. And, the Heat certainly wouldn't trade the No. 2 pick in the draft (Michael Beasley) for him. If the Pistons offered Billups, Rip Hamilton and another player, the Heat might show some interest.
And, no, Carmelo Anthony isn't coming to Detroit.
The other speculation is that the Pistons will hold on to Rasheed Wallace until the end of next season because they will use his salary in the free agent market when LeBron James becomes a free agent.
There is as much chance that James will become a Piston - he is probably going to sign with the Brooklyn Nets - as there is of Dontrelle Willis throwing a complete game with no walks. Not going to happen.
So, don't jump at every rumor you hear. Dumars will make some moves, but with the players he has to offer, don't expect to see big names flocking to Detroit. He will probably look for prospects more than current stars.
Does Dumars deserve the blame?
When Michael Curry is named head coach of the Pistons, he will be the fourth coach in the Joe Dumars era.
And, while everyone sings the praises of what Dumars has done with the Pistons, I believe it is time for him to share a lot of the blame.
It has always been the coach's fault. Rick Carlisle was too rude. Larry Brown couldn't be believed. The players didn't like Flip Saunders. Of course, Dumars didn't fire the coaches. It was Bill Davidson, or at least that is what the Pistons say. I don't believe it.
I believe the decision has always been Dumars'. I also believe it is time for him to accept responsibility.
The coaches didn't draft Darko, Mateen Cleaves and the likes of Rodney White. Joe Dumars did. The coaches didn't allow Rasheed Wallace to remain on the team even though it is obvious to everyone that he is a team killer. No, it was Dumars' responsibility.
And, if the Michael Curry experiment fails, it might be time to blame someone other than the coach.
Channel 4 deserves two-minute penalty
The second the Wings' dramatic victory over the Penguins ended, I was ready to watch the emotional scene on the ice and listen to the important post-game interviews.
On Channel 4, however, what I got was Carmen Harlan and Devin Scillian, who will never be confused for Don Cherry and Barry Melrose.
After one of the Wings' most dramatic victories, Channel 4 clearly dropped the ball. The story wasn't in the WDIV studios or from Joe Vision at Joe Louis Arena, it was on the ice in Pittsburgh.
Luckily, I quickly switched to CBC and saw an on-ice confrontation between Henrik Zetterberg and a frustrated Sidney Crosby that almost escalated into a brawl.
If the Wings win the Cup on Monday night, let's hope Channel 4 has learned its lesson and stays with the national telecast to completion. If it doesn't, have the remote ready for CBC.
No relief in sight for Tigers
Here is why the sad-sack Tigers probably have no chance to win this season:
With a 2-0 lead and runners on second and third with one out in the eighth inning on Tuesday, Jim Leyland brought in Francisco Cruceta. Enough said.
This is the same Cruceta who gave up a game-breaking grand slam homer on Sunday against Minnesota. The guy with the 4.76 ERA who has given up 10 walks in 11 innings.
Why did Leyland bring in Cruceta, even though Jeremy Bonderman had only thrown 83 pitches?
Probably because Leyland has always managed that way, and in the past could have brought in a quality reliever, someone like Joel Zumaya.
It might be time for Leyland to start thinking outside the box.
Pens look like Wings of 1995
It was 1995 when a young, confident Wings team advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals.
They lost to the Devils in four straight.
The memory that remains from that series is a photo of the Wings by their net looking at the Devils celebrate.
The Pens will probably strike a similar pose after Game 4 or 5, when they are eliminated.
Much like the 1995 Wings, they have the talent but they lack the experience needed to win The Cup. Their time is a few years away.
Why soccer needs a good kick
Manchester United's victory over Chelsea in the Champions League Final was decided by penalty kicks, of course.
Someday, the snobs who run soccer will realize that using penalty kicks to decide major championships is stupid. Use it for regular season games, but not when a title is on the line.
Everyone remembers four-overtime Stanley Cup playoff games, extra-inning World Series games and overtime NFL and NBA playoff games.
In a year, no one will remember that some goalie from United decided to dive to the right instead of hte left and got his hands on a shot.
A station you should tune in
If you want to get a national spin on sports in the morning, here's a tip: tune in Cleveland's 850-AM WKNR and listen to ESPN's Mike & Mike in the Morning from 6-10 a.m.
It comes in loud and clear to most parts of the area. This is not a knock on WDFN, but you can only listen to local talk for so long. And XYT, which used to air Mike & Mike, doesn't do sports until 10 a.m.
