Covering the Eastern Michigan University women's football camp last Saturday was an enjoyable experience. It was fun seeing the women so enthusiastic for the game I love. Despite dropping more than their fair share of passes and making other mistakes, the women involved in the camp had great spirit and energy. Watching the women campers participate in the clinic, which was conducted by EMU's football staff, including head coach Ron English, gave me a chance to see the game through fresh eyes. Another highlight last Saturday was getting the chance to experience EMU's brand new, state-of-art indoor practice facility. A giant, white bubble of a place, the indoor practice field is a thing of beauty. I'm positive future EMU recruits will be impressed with the facility. And getting top-flight recruits, especially from talent-rich southeastern Michigan, the Toledo area and from throughout the rest of state is key to turning around the Eagle program.

Forget Dunn and the gang, Tigers should focus on Lilly

What do Washington's Adam Dunn, Boston's Mike Lowell and currently unsigned outfielder Germaine Dye all have in common?
They are all players who should not be wearing the Old English D on their chests any time in the near future.
These three players, along with a host of others including (but not limited to) Jayson Werth, Ben Sheets and Jeff Francoeur have all been mentioned as possible trades or signings for the suddenly reeling Tigers.
But the Detroit baseball team needs to do something it hasn't been able to do much of over the last few years. It needs to be patient.
The team needs to pass on Dunn. Sure, he can hit with power, but he also strikes out more than a pimple-faced prepubescent at a debutante ball. And if the Tigers were able to trade for him, it would probably come at the cost of three top prospects. And one of them would almost certainly be star-pitcher-in-the-making Jacob Turner.
And, if he were to come to Detroit, it would probably only be for the rest of this season. Then he would very likely bolt.
So, is it logical to give up some solid young players for an established hitter who will probably make you better in the short term?
Sure, in some cases.
But this isn't one of them.
The Tigers can't make moves just for the sake of making moves right now.
Mike Lowell? Really? Mike Lowell is pushing 40 years old and currently on the disabled list with a strained hip. He probably owns socks older than me.
Germaine Dye? Sorry. I don't think bringing on a guy who hasn't even had a Major League at-bat this season is a good idea.
The only move that I think would make any sense at all is if the team could get Chicago Cubs' pitcher Ted Lilly.
The southpaw boasts a very respectable 3.88 ERA and a WHIP of 1.12 (For those of you who aren't statheads, a pitcher's WHIP is determined by taking the number of walks he registers plus the number of hits he gives up and then dividing that number by the number of innings he has pitched. Basically it is a way of putting a number on how many batters a pitcher is allowing to reach base per inning. Anything around 1.00 is considered pretty good.)
Despite having some pretty good numbers from the mound this season, Lilly has only one three games in 11 starts, but those numbers could see a big jump if he starts getting some more run support.
He is also 34 years old, which means the Tigers could probably get him relatively cheap, and might have the chance to sign him to a longer deal.
Is he the sexy pick?
No.
But he could add left-handed pitching to a struggling staff, and he might stick around for awhile.
Remember, it wasn't that long ago when another long-in-the-tooth lefty named Kenny Rogers joined the Tigers' staff.
And all he did was take them to a World Series.

Ann Arbor tournament a staple for local golfers

Last weekend several local golfers competed in the Ann Arbor Men's Championship Golf Tournament, which was held at Leslie Park Golf Course in Ann Arbor.
I talked to several of the competitors last Friday, and heard a lot of the same things.
Apparently, the tournament is considered one of the best in the area, and the one tournament that a lot of player make sure is on their summer agenda.
It's easy to see why the tournament is so successful, as Leslie Park was in fantastic condition.
The hole placement and tee settings were difficult, but gave every golfer a thrill.
The longish course seems to have something for everyone, but last weekend, it was the 144 golfers competing for the title who got the most out of the day.
The tournament has been going on for years, and with such a large following, it will no doubt continue to garner the attention of golfers from around the area.

EMU women's camp a fun time

This Saturday I'll be heading over to Rynearson Stadium on the campus of Eastern Michigan University for the women's football camp. It should be an enjoyable time. I've covered the women's camp at the University of Michigan in previous years and it's always been a fun experience. The enthusiasm and passion displayed by the lady campers is quite uplifting. As a lifelong football fan, the game can kind of get dull and ordinary, at times. But seeing the game through the eyes of the women and hearing all of their laughter and shouts of joy for simply catching a pass or taking a hand-off, makes me appreciate the game even more. Plus, this year, with the camp being at EMU, it'll give me a chance to meet Eagle coach Ron English and his staff. I have high hopes for the EMU program and with English at the helm, the future looks bright for the Eagles.

New insight on Coach Johnny Epps II

Every so often there comes a time when you interview someone with one expectation in mind and come out with a totally new view on things because of what you have learned.
This happened to me on Monday night when I interviewed the former Lincoln girl's basketball coach Johnny Epps II over the phone. Granted when I covered Lincoln for the last couple of years in hoops he wasn't the easiest to get in touch with.
Now he is the junior varsity coach for the Lincoln baseball team. The reason I am writing this is because I had no idea that he was such a good basketball player himself. I knew he was tall (I had heard 6-11) he told me 6-9 but I didn't know after college how much traveling and playing in Europe, South America and Asia he did. To hear him talk and listen to how much he loves the game and loves to coach I have to say I am going to be honored to do a story for next week's Ypsilanti Courier about Epps and how interesting a life he has led and will continue to lead.
He knows his basketball and he was a good baseball player at Ypsilanti High as well. I am glad I got to know him better and look for his feature in the paper soon.

Big House Renovations Impressive

For a day, I got to see what it would be like to live the high life at a college football game.

Thousands of fans went through the hollowed gates of Michigan Stadium Wednesday to check out the new luxury suites and club levels installed. It was neat to finally get a look at those massive brick structures that anyone who's driven along Main Street in Ann Arbor over the past three years. On Wednesday, it was like an "Extreme Makeover, Big House Edition."

It's amazing how perceptions can change, even if it involves watching a sporting event. Sitting in the luxury boxes (500 level) and walking through the club levels (300 and 400), it doesn't feel like you're in a college football stadium. That's not a bad thing, as it really enhances the experience. One can open and close the windows in the suites, which works for those sometime-frigid November games against Ohio State. Yes, you're on the top floor and way high in the air, but the sightlines are still excellent, plus you get a view of downtown Ann Arbor in the distance. The only thing fans would have to figure out is how loud they need to be from that height to throw off the other team (all kidding aside, let's behave fans).

The club level is just as impressive, with theater-style seating indoors on the 400 level, outside cushioned chair-back seats on the 300 level, private concessions and (whew) restrooms.

The structure on the west side (Main Street) features the boxes for the coaches, regents, university president and of course, more suites. What I'm really looking forward to seeing is the massive press area, which is now located near the 10-yard line of the north end zone.

With the renovations about to be completed, the Big House will regain its title as the largest capacity in the country. Michigan Stadium will now seat 109,901 and overtake Penn State's two-year run as the biggest stadium in college football (Beaver Stadium's capacity is 107,282).

Well the Major League All-Star Game has come and gone and I must admit I was a bit disappointed. I mean, sure the pitching was superb, but the overall play seemed to be somewhat below par. First off, the base running blunders in the game were horrendous, especially David Ortiz's mistake in the ninth inning. Secondly, the game just seemed to be a ho-hum affair for baseball's supposed best. I think with a 13-game unbeaten streak on its side, the American League stars appeared to be simply going through the motions, especially the Minnesota Twins' Joe Mauer. Mauer made a glaring base running mistake early in the game thwarting what could have been an American League scoring chance. Later, he threw a ball what looked like a mile over the second basemen's head and into center field during a stolen base attempt. That's not All-Star performance, in my opinion. Plus, adding to the overall "dulls-ville" of the game was the crowd. Was there even a crowd?? I've heard louder crowds at a Little League game. Oh well, at least the National League finally won an All-Star game. Of course, the winning hit had to come off of White Sox pitcher and Michigander Matt Thornton, a Three Rivers native, only adding to my disgust. But that's for another blog.

Introducing the Kendall Project

Like many people, I have had a love-hate-neglect interest with golf over the years. You can add "too busy for," "lack of money," and "ran out of golf balls" to the list of reasons for not teeing it up every chance I get.
But a few times I have gotten bitten by the golf bug - and I'm not talking about that giant horse fly that followed me for two holes last weekend. This is serious stuff. I not only want to start playing again, but I even want to practice.
Yikes! Does anyone know a therapist on-call?
I enjoyed the Golf Channel's show, "The Haney Project," where acclaimed teaching pro Hank Haney tries to teach a non-golfer how to golf. Or in Ray Romano's case, how to break 80. It's entertaining and educational.
I approached the teachers at our own acclaimed golf school right here in Washtenaw County, Kendall Academy of Golf, located at Miles of Golf on Carpenter Road in Ypsilanti. Would they be interested in doing something similar with a longtime sportswriter who has never come close to breaking 80?
Jim Yuhas, a PGA teaching pro, was nice enough to accept the challenge. I'm not going to tell you that I am the worst golfer out there - that distinction goes to the guy playing in front of me last night at Kensington. Just brutal.
But I have flaws. Major flaws. Jim says they can all be fixed and he's the perfect teacher for me because he admits he used to play like me before he started taking the game seriously. Jim spent years doing what he always dreamed of doing, being a firefighter. Now he says he has second dream job, being a golf pro. And he got there through dedication and hard work and a great teacher (who also works at Kendall).
I don't think I will be his toughest student because I made a commitment to him and myself that I would take this seriously and work at it. Going to a pro for lessons will not show up on your scorecard unless you practice. If I don't practice, I am wasting everyone's time and I don't have time for that anymore.
The Kendall Project should be a lot of fun and I hope our readers enjoy going a long for the ride. I hope to make it entertaining and even educational. Well, Jim will handle the education part of this project. It also should be inspiring, because if I can get better, anyone can get better.
And everyone can get better. It starts with an instructor who knows the game and knows how to teach it. There are plenty of those at the Kendall Academy of Golf.
Earlier today I went and played a quick nine holes. It reminded me how much golf is like life. After hitting several bad shots in a row and feeling like quitting, I drove up to the next tee. I jumped out and said, "OK, let's get on track." Every hole is a fresh start. Just like everyday is a fresh start.
I may be on the back nine, but I feel like I'm starting to know what I'm doing.

A Not-so-Slow Summer

Greetings loyal followers in Manchester and across the county, time for another round of blog-o-mania. Lots of things to talk about in sports, so the notion that us sportswriters "get the summer off" is certainly false.

The scholar-athlete features in Manchester have been going well, as we are entering the fifth week (i.e. the halfway point). As I've said before, the MHS Class of 2010 really made this year's project special, as the ninth and tenth of the 21 athletes will be featured this coming week. It's really a treat to learn more about these fine scholar-athletes. We know about the great accomplishments on the field, but it's always interesting to find out which moment is the athlete's most memorable. The beauty of this project is also learning about the students off the field -- their classroom accomplishments, their participation within the community, their future goals.

Congratulations to Manchester junior Isaac Miller, who was named First Team All-State last month. The outfielder earned All-Cascades and All-District honors and once again turned in a remarkable season. Miller tied a Manchester season record with 10 home runs this season. He also holds school records in season triples (4 last year), career triples (8), RBIs in a season (46 last year), career RBIs (108), stolen bases in a season (33) and career stolen bases (68). Miller will return next year to the Dutchmen, something that should be exciting for Manchester baseball fans.

More excitment for Manchester, the 2010 varsity football season will kick off Aug. 26 in the Big Day Prep Showdown. The Dutchmen and Clinton Redskins will take "The Battle of M-52" to Ypsilanti this year, and it's the opening game of the Showdown at Eastern Michigan's Rynearson Stadium. Actually, this is the second straight game the Dutchmen and Redskins have played each other on a college field. Last November, they met in the Division 6 district championship game at the Adrian College Performance Stadium (home of those Fighting Ed Patino's, er, Bulldogs).

Fans can order tickets to the game online, and that route is being encouraged. By pre-ordering tickets online, the Manchester athletic department can receive a cut of the profits. The address can be found in the Sports Briefs in the Enterprise's sports section.

Speaking of football, University of Michigan fans can get an early look at the renovations of Michigan Stadium this coming week. The "Big House" will be open to the public for tours of the new suites and additions Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

That's all for now. Oh yeah, LeBron James signed with the Miami Heat last night...just in case you missed it.

Remembering "Big Bob"

Just wanted to tack on another thought on Dave Merchant's blog on the passing of former Detroit Red Wing Bob Probert. We all remember the wild fights he had on the ice with the likes of Marty McSorely, Troy Crowder and Tie Domi, but one of the most underrated aspects of Probert's game was his hands. The guy had a scoring touch, once bagging 29 goals (1987-88). And, Probert scored the winning goal at the first Wings game I ever went to.

It was the home opener of the 1990-91 season, and Dad landed tickets. The Wings were playing the Calgary Flames, who were just two years removed from winning the Stanley Cup, and the Red Wings were coming off a 28-win season in 89-90, their last non-playoff season. The Wings had a new coach in Bryan Murray and a rookie import from Russia named Sergei Fedorov, and I was in the third grade.

I remember the Wings having three one-goal leads, only to have Calgary rally and grab a 5-3 lead early in the third period. The Wings stormed back to make it 5-5 and send the game into overtime. Then with 54 seconds remaining, Probert rushed the net and muscled the puck into the net for the winner. Ironically, the Calgary goalie that night was Mike Vernon, who six years later would backstop the Wings to the Stanley Cup.

It was that night that I knew I either wanted to be a pro hockey player or sports reporter (guess which one turned out). Rest easy Probie, and thanks for the memories.

LeBron who?

Today is the day when LeBron James, a.k.a. King James, announces which team he will play for next season. He's this year's No. 1 free agent. I hear ESPN is holding a one-hour TV special devoted to His Highness. I'll be sure not to watch. I think I have a root canal appointment at the dentist I'd rather attend. Is it really that important to have an hour long show devoted to an athlete's free agent signing? Really? Oh well, I guess it's the world we live in. Crazy, indeed. I wonder if the Pistons have a shot at signing him...not that I care, of course. I have a dentist appointment to make.

Bob Probert dies

I have been a Red Wing fan my entire life. I remember when they struggled in the 70s and were just becoming a good team as Steve Yzerman and Bobby Probert were coming up.
It saddens me that the man passed away on Monday at the young age of 45. Some of the best fights I have ever seen on the ice had Probert in them. I even remember the one All-Star game that he actually got in a fight. I always thought that was funny that most of the time they don't even wear a helmet in the All-Star game and this time they had fighting.
I also remember the Wings getting ready to play in a big game against the Edmonton Oilers and instead of going to bed they went out drinking and lost the game very badly. I can't be for sure but I bet Probert was out drinking with the boys that night.
I am sad that he has passed and I hope he will be remembered for the good things and not so much for the trouble or the bad things that happened in his life.

Teams will have new look

Football teams in my coverage area will have one new coach (Matt Davenport) at Belleville and Jason Malloy at Ypsilanti will be starting his first full season as the head coach.
What does this mean for local teams? Only time will tell but I bet it means some excitement and some different types of play for both teams.
Belleville came off a three-game winning season which for them is pretty good considering the two years prior they went 0-18. I can't wait to see if the winning tradition comes back for Belleville.
Ypsilanti is in the SEC for the second straight season and I know they want more than just a win against Lincoln.
Lincoln, who I also cover, wants to beat their rivals from Ypsi.
I know it is early but I am still a little excited for the Friday night football games.
Are you ready for some football? I am.