Woodland Christian at California School for the Deaf

While scrolling the guide for the Detroit Red Wings, I came across one  of those high school football games that ESPN sometimes covers. This one was Woodland Christian at California School for the Deaf.

Having gone to a deaf school myself, this was a game I wanted to watch. I flipped back and forth between the Red Wings and the high school football game. But the football game held most of my attention.

There was a lot of signing on the field and not just from the refs. CSD proved to be a very tough team, with good offense and defense. The final score was California School for the Deaf: 43 – Woodland Christian: 0.

After the football game, the Red Wings had a long shootout with the Blues. Zetterberg is the hero tonight, he broke the 1-1 tie.

In Sports: I’ll just make a big stew tonight

Okay, just watched the Red Wings win another one. Good game. They’ve really been slicing the ice. Tonight’s win was their fifth win in a row and that makes their season 5-2 so far. Lookin’ good.

The Lions are picking up their game. They won their last three games. I admit that things were pretty tense in those games, but they won them. Their season is 4-3 now and looking hopeful.

Now the Michigan Wolverines, baby. Jim Harbaugh and the team are making me very happy. The Wolverines are undefeated so far, 7-0, and several of their wins were big wins.

The Michigan-Michigan State game is Saturday. I expect the Wolverines will beat the Spartans this years.

Go Blue!

The Detroit Pistons start their regular season tomorrow at 7:30 PM. I’m looking forward to it. Their preseason was so-so, they won three and lost three. But preseasons are really just warm ups and don’t mean much. So, who knows what will happen in the regular season. I expect it to be fun.

I’m rooting for the Cubs in the World Series. I saw them win the NLCS on Saturday night. It had been a very, very long time since they last did that. Long term curses like that sure remind you how old Major League Baseball is. Billy Goat’s curse lasted longer than Babe Ruth’s.

The Cub’s gotta win the World Series. If they win, all will be right in the world.

The Red Wings Did It Again

I’ve been watching the Red Wings since the regular season started on the 13th. They lost their first two games, but won the three after that. So, that makes them 3-2 for the season.

They were tied with Nashville at the start of the third period, but broke the tie a few minutes into it and then scored again soon after, bringing the score to 4-2. Nashville did score another goal, but only one more.

The Red Wings got in a fifth goal closer to the end and finished the game with 5-3.

At first, it was just me and Luci watching the game.20161021_211410And then Buddy came along.

20161021_211457They’re the best pets ever.

The Lions Stayed Toe-to-toe with the Rams

I really enjoyed today’s game. For every touchdown one team got, the other team soon got a touchdown of their own. The score was level until the end.

Near the end, the Lions got the ball within a yard of a first down. They were going to try to get the ball over the first down line and continue to push for a touchdown. But a timeout was called and Prater went in to kick a field goal.

I admit, I thought that would be a bad move. Though Prater made the field goal, there was a minute and a half left on the clock, enough time for the Rams to get another touchdown. It looked like that just might happen, but then Bush intercepted Keenum’s pass to Kendricks.

Lions 31 – Rams 28.

Whadda game!

W.P. Kinsella

So, I was watching the Tigers get their asses kicked by the Indians, when I looked at Facebook and saw the link Robert J. Sawyer shared.

W.P. Kinsella is gone. Well, that gave me a pause. It’s been about an hour since I got the news and I still feel numb.

Just last year someone from Kinsella’s publisher contacted me and asked if I would be interested in interviewing Kinsella. That was a surprise. Me? Interview W.P. Kinsella? Was I even worthy of such an honor?

I was excited and a little scared. Someone was giving me the opportunity to interview a legend and I kept thinking, “Don’t blow it.” This is W.P. Kinsella we’re talking about. The author of Shoeless Joe, the novel that the movie Field of Dreams is based on.

I suspected one of my writer friends had something to do with putting the guy in touch with me, but it’s also likely that he saw my review of Shoeless Joe and just thought I’d like to interview Kinsella.

Yes, I was interested. The guy gave me Kinsella’s contact information and soon I had the interview set up.

The interview is right here.

I feel that this interview is one of the most important things I’ve done. I tried to come up with questions that he hadn’t been asked before, but I don’t know how well I did in that department. The last question, though, received a powerful answer.

Rest in Peace, Kinsella. Maybe you’ll step out of a cornfield in Iowa and play some baseball with the greatest players of all time.

P.S.
I also reviewed The Essential W. P. Kinsella.

Lapeer Lightning Sings the National Anthem

Last week, the Lapeer High School freshman football team were at an away game in Flint Township. They had lined up for the National Anthem and when they were informed the Anthem wouldn’t play, they took it onto themselves to sing it.

I think that is awesome. I’m seriously impressed. I can’t believe no one has produced a video of this yet. There’s got to be a video. There’s got to be several videos. I very much want to see this on video.

Anyway, I’ve seen some articles that are making this about politics. This really had nothing to do with Colin Kaepernick and his decision not to stand during the National Anthem. Nor was it a stand against liberals and it wasn’t an attempt to boost conservative pride.

Many high schools don’t play the National Anthem before freshman games, because the freshman game is not the top event of the day. I personally don’t agree with the notion that the National Anthem should only be played before the top event. I see no reason why it can’t be played before freshman games.

But that’s how it’s done at many schools. However, apparently, it’s not done that way at Lapeer High School. Our freshman team believed the National Anthem should play. When it didn’t, they thought something was wrong with the sound system and they made sure the National Anthem was heard before the game started.

So, it wasn’t about politics. It was just good ole boys making their way the only way they knew how.

It was awesome. I’m proud that this is my town’s high school we’re talking about.

Now where’s the damn video?

Tigers in Kansas City, Part III

Well, the Tigers did not lose today. The Royals almost got ahead in the bottom of the 9th, when they had a man on second base and the batter came very close to dinging a home run, but the ball passed just outside the line. The umps did check the replay to be  sure, and ruled it a foul.

So, that was close.

The next hit that batter got–I’m not good at keeping the names of other team’s players in mind–was grabbed off the ground and tossed to first base to tag the batter out.

The guy who was on second base made it to third, so it now looked like extra innings would be added. But he never made it home. Soon there were three outs and the game was over.

Final score: Tigers 6 – Royals 5.

The Cleveland-Miami game is still going on. Currently the score is Merlins 1 – Indians 0 and the 5th inning just ended. We’ll see what happens.

Tigers in Kansas City, Part II

Ooh, I had a feeling them mean ole Royals would do this to my poor Tigers. The  Tigers’ winning streak has ended. The Royals just wouldn’t let the Tigers win tonight.

I hoped for a miracle in the 9th, but it didn’t happen. Miggie was hanging out on first, but Victor and J.D. didn’t get a hit to move him along and get themselves on base. Maybe Kid Jones would’ve saved the day,  but the Tigers had three out before he got his turn at bat in the 9th.

But tomorrow, we’ll show the Royals what the Tigers are all about. We will, won’t we? Guys? Hey… guys?

It gets worse. Cleveland won today. Now they’re five ahead of the Tigers. It’s looking even less likely that the Tigers will catch up to Cleveland.

 

Michigan Sinks Hawaii

The Michigan Wolverines went all Blue on Hawaii’s Rainbow Warriors. Many long rushes and passes gave Michigan a 63-3 victory for the first game of the new season.

Next week Michigan plays UCF. Maybe that’ll be a tougher game, maybe not. I’d sure like to see Michigan win all and lose none this season.

Welp, a good first week.

Go Blue!

Tigers in Kansas City

Tonight’s game was worrisome. Kansas City put up a good fight. The Royals were  seemingly determined to wreck the Tigers’ winning streak. The Royals got ahead in the bottom of the 8th, but Miggie saved the Tigers in the top of the 9th when he hit a good one and brought home two.

The Royals didn’t score in the bottom of the 9th. The final score: Tigers 7 – Royals 6.

I kept pulling for Kid Jones. He’d made quite an impression since being called up from Triple A and I really want the Tigers to keep him around. I think he’s a valuable player and I wonder what other surprises he has in the bag. But tonight wasn’t a good night for him. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

I love baseball and I love the Tigers.