It’s naive of the Tigers to think Miguel Cabrera’s drinking issue is simply "a personal matter." At some point, both Cabrera and the Tigers need to address it publicly, or their creditably will suffer greatly as a result. It is just not going to go away because the snow falls.
I mean, a .26 blood alcohol content sandwiched inbetween the two most important games of the season?

- I don’t think Iowa is that good, and do feel Michigan is more than capable of winning Saturday night, but the Wolverines obviously must do a better job of performing outside their comfort zone at Michigan Stadium. To do that, Michigan’s offensive line - which played very well in the first four games at home and was awful on the road last week at Michigan State - must impose its will.

- You’d think Matthew Stafford has shown enough that the Lions’ starting QB is his when he returns to health. But what if Daunte Culpepper plays well and leads the Lions to an improbable upset of the Steelers Sunday? Don’t kid yourself. A QB controversy would undoubtedly ensue.

- Kate Hudson is an attractive women, but it would be OK if TBS doesn’t flash to her every single time A-Rod adjusts his batting gloves.

- Player on the spot Sunday for the Lions: Rookie wide receiver/kick returner Derrick Williams. He was the No. 1 prep player in the country and didn’t quite measure up to it at Penn State during what was just a solid college career. To this stage, he has far from justified the Lions’ selection of him in the third round. Now is his chance.

- Maybe it’s because the Red Wings have been so good for so long, but there is a tendency in this area for people to turn their nose up at regular season hockey.
Not me. I love it.
Nor do I think it is too early in the season to consider the Red Wings’ home opener against the Blackhawks a key game.
One of the factors the Red Wings have avoided is a late-season rush, either for positioning in the postseason, or to make the playoffs.
They traditionally get off to fast starts, and it allows them to set up properly for the postseason. As just a fact of the salary cap era, the Red Wings are breaking in a new backup goalie, Jimmy Howard, and they did lose a ton of scoring from last season’s team. Other teams may have gotten in the Western Conference, most notably the Blackhawks, the Flames, Sharks and obviously the Blues, who closed remarkably strong last season, and beat Detroit in two games to open this season in Sweden.
Obviously, if the Red Wings were to lose tonight, it won’t be time to panic. But it would wise for the Red Wings to get on a winning track sooner instead of later.