Welcome back NFL

Did anyone actually believe the NFL would consider holding out and risk losing the entire 2011 season?
I said right from the start that the two sides would shuffle their feet for the first two or three months, but when training camps were supposed to open, they would make a push to get the deal done because there was too much money involved that risked being lost.
That's exactly what happened.
Personally, I like watching pro football, but would much rather watch a high school game or a college game, especially Michigan State. However, when Sunday's come around in the fall and the only thing on television are NFL games, I have to tune in, especially to keep track of my fantasy football league players.
The end of the lockout has resulted in a very exciting week as teams were scrambling around like Fran Tarkenton trying to negotiate contracts with draft choices and working out deals with free agents.
The Lions had their own Christmas wish list, looking for a couple of cornerbacks and linebackers, among other positions.
Detroit made a couple of signings, but didn't have the cap space to become major players with the top free agents. Still optimism is running high as training camp opened on Friday and they hope to ride the positive momentum of their four-game winning streak to end last year into this season.
What are your thoughts on the end of the lockout? And, what do you think of the Lions' free agent moves? Do you think they have made enough moves to make them contenders to win the NFC North?
I'd love to hear from you.

What a summer

Hello bloggers.
What a summer it has been, especially the scorching temperatures we've endured this week. I guess we shouldn't complain after the cold and wet spring we had here in Michigan.
Do you have a bucket list? You know, one of those lists which involves things you want to do and places you want to see before you die.
I have one and it involves checking out all the Major League baseball stadiums. So far our family has hit the ball parks in Milwaukee, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Detroit, and a few weeks ago we checked off St. Louis and Cincinnati (My son has been to Tampa, but I haven't so it's still on the list).
Cincinnati had a very nice ball park, but it was far from my favorite. Its location on the Ohio River is very cool and concourse area with lots of history of former players on the walls is very cool. However, it wasn't very cozy. Our seats were in the upper deck along third base and I knew we were pretty high up when it took three escalators and a handshake with God to get to my seat. The upper deck steps were very steep and it seemed like we were so far away from the action on the field.
Conversely, our trip to New Busch Stadium in St. Louis was worth the trip.
I loved that place. It ranks right up there with Pittsburgh and Milwaukee. The history of the statues outside the ball park where anyone can get a picture of without a ticket is terrific. The Gateway Arch is clearly visible from anywhere in the ball park and they even have a design of the arch cut into the outfield grass.
The concourse area around the stadium was very good, with Comerica Park-type walkways that were very wide.
Unlike Comerica Park, St. Louis brought in a key piece of old Busch Stadium, hanging the out-of-town scoreboard in the concourse. The also left it as the way it looked when the final out was made in the Cardinals last game at the stadium. This was a pretty cool feature.
We're already talking about next year's tour, with preliminary talks taking us to New York for the Yankees and Mets, possibly Boston, Baltimore and Washington, and maybe a stop in Toronto.
Have you hit any of these baseball shrines. If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts on them.

Kevin

A day to remeber

Greetings bloggers. It's been a while, but I'm back and ready to blog.
Just wanted to share with all of you the opportunity I had on Wednesday afternoon.
I went out and covered the Sterling Heights Chamber of Commerce & Industry luncheon at the American-Polish Century Club.
The reason for the luncheon was to honor two former area high school football players, Nick McDonald, who graduated from Ford II, and Frank Zombo, who graduated from Stevenson. Both are currently members of the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.
I know the Detroit Red Wings have won four Stanley Cups over the last 15 years, and each time they did, there were many parties where the Cup was at for people to take a photo with or drink from it.
Unfortunately, I was never able to have that experience, but would love to do so if the opportunity should present itself someday.
However, on Wednesday, McDonald and Zombo were both wearing their Super Bowl rings and were showing them off to the people attending the luncheon.
I wasn't letting this opportunity get past me.
I asked both players if they would allow me to have a photo taken with them and allow me to put their rings on my hand. They politely agreed and the photo was taken. It's a photo that will forever rest on the wall of my basement (my man cave).
As a reporter for this paper the last 17 years, I've watched hundreds, maybe over a 1000 young athletes come and go, but only a few have reached "The Show."
I remember both Nick and Frank playing at their respective high schools and to see them reap the rewards of their hard work in the NFL is awesome. They're both very good players, but more importantly, they're better human beings.
Nick and Frank, if you read this, thanks for taking the time to make this reporter's dream come true. It's a day that I will always reflect upon when I look at that photo on the wall.
Have any of you had this type of moment? If you have, I'd love to hear about it.

Until next time.

Kevin