SB Nation Detroit - Motown Lowdown

Michigan State Making Headway To Play Game In Greece

2012-05-17T01:38:21Z

Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis, who has given Spartans fans an outdoor hockey game and basketball games at Ford Field and on a Carrier Classic, has hopes to take the Spartans to Greece to do battle with the USC Trojans in basketball. Hollis is apparently very serious about this happening and some headway has been made, according to the Detroit Free Press:

"We've made some headway with Greece, with the venue, but we're kind of in a holding pattern right now," Hollis said Tuesday during a break in the Big Ten athletic directors meetings. "I do believe there's opportunities in basketball to have value back from an NCAA perspective and, more specifically, from a Big Ten Conference perspective of sending some teams over to play in various cities and bring the game of college basketball to them. Those are things I want to explore in the future.

"Europe is a lot easier than China to get to from a regular-season standpoint. But I'd like to see some outreach. I think we're in a global world now, and it would be good to be represented over there with not only (summer) tours but regular-season games."

It might be more feasible to play multiple games overseas and, if the games are to count, more teams could come along. Hollis is supposedly also considering this. Again, if Hollis is behind it, I wouldn't discount anything.

Tigers' Prince Fielder Is Now MLB's Iron Man With 217 Straight Games Played

2012-05-16T19:57:51Z

Prince Fielder of the Detroit Tigers is going to be playing just a little bit happier in the coming days. For one reason or another, Fielder takes pride in being Major League Baseball's Iron Man - which is the title given to the player with the active lead in consecutive games played. He was previously the leader when he played 327 consecutive games between Sept. 4, 2008 and Sept. 13, 2010, but missed the game due to flu-like symptoms.

He was definitely upset when he lost the title, and went as far as to have an IV drip in the hours leading up to the game to try and make a last-ditch effort to play. Now he's got the title back. Fielder hasn't missed a game since Sept. 14, 2010 - the day after he lost the title, and has played in 217 straight games.

Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers was the leader until his streak of 399 games was snapped on Monday. MLive.com has some good quotes from Fielder, who is clearly happy to have the title again. Will he get past his mark of 327, and then Kemp's mark of 399, though?

Tom Izzo Says It's His 'Dream And Goal' To Coach USA Basketball Team

2012-05-16T02:45:46Z

The 2012 Summer Olympics will be men's basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski's last, so immediately after Team USA brings home a gold, hopefully, the search will be on to find his successor. Mike Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press says Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo 'has what it takes.'

While Izzo downplays any potential candidacy he may have, he's not denying his profound interest:

"I'm not sure I would even have a shot at it, to be honest with you," Izzo said Monday. "I would think everybody would be interested. That's always been a dream and goal of mine. But I think they'll go with a pro coach, I really do."

Izzo's resume is as good as any potential candidate. He has a .710 winning percentage in 18 seasons as a head coach for MSU, 15 tournament bids (in a row), six Final Fours and a National Championship. I might be slightly biased, but I can't think of a coach with a better coaching philosophy -- players play, tough players win -- to represent our country in the game of basketball.

VIDEO: Kronwalling Goes International

2012-05-16T00:16:24Z

Just because the Detroit Red Wings' season is over doesn't mean the season of Kronwalling has come to a close. Niklas Kronwall is playing in the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship for Sweden and delivered a monster hit on Latvia's Kaspars Saulietis during a game on Tuesday. Take a look:

I have no idea what the announcers in this video are saying, but I can clearly hear the word "Kronwalled" being mentioned.

By the way, Sweden won the game 4-0 thanks in part to goals from Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen. Zetterberg had one goal and two assists, while Franzen returned from breaking his nose last week to score a goal and add an assist. As noted by Ansar Khan, Zetterberg now has 13 points and 11 assists in the World Championship and Franzen is up to four goals.

I think we all know who is leading Sweden in bone-crushing hits. That distinction belongs to Kronwall.

VIDEO: Tigers Continue To Torment Hawk Harrelson

2012-05-15T23:51:21Z

Just 11 days ago, Chicago White Sox announcer Hawk Harrelson provided a memorable call of a walk-off home run by the Detroit Tigers by not even actually making a call. The walk-off homer by the Tigers left Harrelson in stunned silence for a minute, and it was nice to not hear him for a change.

On Tuesday afternoon in Chicago, the White Sox nearly hit a walk-off home run of their own to cap off a comeback in the ninth inning against the Tigers. When contact was initially made by Dayan Viciedo, it seemed like the Tigers were about to experience a disaster of a finish. Instead, however, the ball came down just in front of the right field fence, and Brennan Boesch made the catch for the Tigers. Just like that, the game was over, and the Tigers escaped with a 10-8 victory.

As if that wasn't good enough, we got another classic call from Harrelson, who was quite upset that the ball didn't carry out for a home run. Check it out:

(Via Awful Announcing)

PHOTO: Son Jabs Father With 'Idiot' Sign At Tigers-White Sox Game

2012-05-15T23:04:52Z

There's nothing better than seeing two opposing fans forced to sit next to each other at a sporting event. But well-prepared inter-family rivalries can often be just as entertaining, and this photo from Tuesday's Tigers vs. White Sox game was a prime example of why. (Via @WorldofIsaac)

The Cardinals shirt is puzzling to be sure, but these all-too-conveniently-placed signs worked like a charm as FSN Detroit's cameras caught them in the 7th inning. And let's be honest, the execution here was impeccable. It's also win-win situation for both sides too. The son gets to call his dad an idiot, while the dad gets to hold pro Tigers sign on live television. And now they're immortalized on the internet. Double win.

Thankfully the father had the last laugh as Detroit won the game 10-8, but this youngster, despite being a Sox fan, really looks to have a promising career of sign-making ahead of him. Provided he cleans up his language, of course.

NHL 13 Cover Vote: Pavel Datsyuk Reaches Quarterfinals

2012-05-11T17:43:51Z

On Friday morning, EA Sports announced the eight finalists for their fan-based vote for the cover athlete of the latest installment in their NHL gaming franchise, the forthcoming NHL 13. Included amongst the likes of Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin and Philadelphia Flyers burgeoning star Claude Giroux was the Detroit Red Wings' elder statesman, Pavel Datsyuk.

Datsyuk is matched up against John Tavares of the New York Islanders in the quarterfinals after defeating T.J. Oshie of the St. Louis Blues in the first round. Red Wings fans can start voting for Datsyuk on May 18 and voting will extend all the way to May 23.

You can place your vote at EA Sports' Official "NHL 13 Cover Vote" website.

Datsyuk finished the 2011-12 season with 19 goals and 48 assists for 67 points in 70 games played. Datsyuk was also the first overall selection at the 2012 NHL All-Star Game Draft in Ottawa.

If he wins the Cover Vote, he will be the first Red Wings player to appear on the cover of the EA NHL franchise since Steve Yzerman did so with Scott Stevens of the New Jersey Devils on the cover of NHL '96.

Lions Quarterback Matthew Stafford Takes In White House, Pentagon

2012-05-11T00:32:54Z

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford had a rare opportunity on Thursday afternoon, as he and fellow NFL player London Fletcher each took part in a Visa-sponsored trip to both The White House and The Pentagon to promote financial responsibility.

Stafford, who had never previously visited either location in his life, faced off with Fletcher in a Madden-style game played before a large audience at both locations. Backed by Visa, the program, which also includes Congressman Gary Peters, is expected to given to schools throughout Michigan.

The game, called Financial Football,helps students and adults tackle their financial futures. The game incorporates lessons taught through Practical Money Skills for Life, a free, award-winning money management program. This game is accompanied by a classroom curriculum.

When asked about whether he was planning to return at some point to visit the President with his teammates, the soon-to-be-Pro Bowl quarterback kept things modest. "That’s the plan," he said. "We don’t know what year that will be, but hopefully soon."