College Football 2007: Many States Of Euphoria

2007 has become a memorable year in the college football world. Or at least this college football-mad country of ours. As was the case with the Oregon Ducks and the performance of their amazing QB Dennis Dixon last month in Ann Arbor (see photo, taken by yours truly), it seems like almost every state has had--or will soon have--an indelible moment from this past year:

Alabama: The Nick Saban era begins. It's not earth-shattering news that Saban could well bring a national championship to title-starved Tuscaloosa. A sentiment shared by the 93,000-plus fans that jammed into Legion Field last April to watch perhaps the most memorable spring game ever played.

Arizona: Unbeaten Arizona State University reached the top 5 before dropping a hard-fought battle to the PAC 10’s other top-5 team, Oregon, on November 3. However, if the Ducks find their way to New Orleans, coach Dennis Erickson’s Sun Devils could find their way to Pasadena for the first time since the days of Jake the Snake Plummer.

Arkansas: Arkansas’ fans have been chanting “Run DMC!” ever since phenom Darren McFadden came onto campus. He is currently a front-runner to win the state’s first Heisman Trophy, and recently turned in a performance for the ages, tying an SEC record with 321 rushing yards in a 48-36 win over South Carolina.

California: Okay. Stanford University traveled to USC on October 6, 2007, as a 41-point underdog. The top-ranked Trojans had won their last 35 games at home. Stanford’s first-year coach, Jim Harbaugh, decided earlier in the week to give Tavita Pritchard, a sophomore quarterback who had thrown a total of three passes, his first career start because he had a “bounce in his step” and a “gleam in his eye”. USC gained 459 yards to Stanford’s 235. Yet the Cardinal scored 17 fourth-quarter points, capped by an 11-play, 45-yard drive in the final three minutes that saw Pritchard convert two fourth-down miracles: first, a fourth-and-20 strike off an ad-libbed pass play when he couldn’t hear Harbaugh’s signals from the sideline; and second, a fourth-and-goal prayer pulled down by a leaping Mark Bradford in the corner of the end zone with :49 left for the win. If anyone knows of an upset as improbable as this in the last half-century of college football, please let me know.

Colorado: The Buffaloes’ 27-24 upset of #3 Oklahoma in Boulder on September 29 put Colorado football right back on the map. A place it hasn’t been since CU won its only national championship in 1990.

Connecticut: This whole New England state has gone football crazy. In Storrs, #16 UConn is 8-2, one win from the third nine-win season in the Huskies’ 111-year football history. And down in New Haven, 9-0 Yale is, well, far ahead of the rest of the Ivy League, its defense surrendering an average of less than seven points a game.

Florida: The first week of January 2007 saw the biggest win in Florida Gators football history as they pounded the heavily favored #1 Ohio State Buckeyes in the Fiesta Bowl for the BCS Championship. This game gets the nod over the Gators 52-20 win over arch-rival Florida State a decade earlier simply because the school’s basketball team was the defending national champion as well.

Georgia: Georgia Tech rolled into South Bend and pounded Notre Dame like no one ever has in their home opener, 33-3. Who knew everyone else in creation would pound on Notre Dame this season? No matter. It was still a cool way to start the 2007 season. On November 10 in Athens, #10 Georgia made history as they broke out black jerseys for the first time in a half century and rode the mo to a 45-20 rout of the #18 Auburn Tigers.

Hawaii: The Rainbows... er, Warriors. Not only is the University of Hawaii the first school to change its name into something politically incorrect, they’re in the midst of an historic 2007 season. Hawaii finds themselves one of the few remaining unbeaten schools (as of November 10, Kansas is the only other D-1 team without a loss), and firmly entrenched in the BCS top 25. Three more wins and UH will follow last year’s WAC champ Boise State (see below) with a BCS at-large berth. Coincidentally, they host BSU on November 23.

Idaho: New Year’s Day, 2007. Boise State comes from behind in miraculous fashion, beating a strong Oklahoma team on national TV in their BCS bowl to finish a perfect 13-0 season. The running back who scores the game-winning TD (on a trick-play in overtime) drops to his knees literally seconds afterward and proposes (successfully) to his cheerleader girlfriend. Cut to end credits.

Illinois: The University of Illinois upset ranked teams Penn State and (then #5) Wisconsin in consecutive weeks. But these treats were mere cheese appetizers to the main course, a November 10 shocker over top-ranked Ohio State in the Horseshoe, 28-21. I’m guessing the fireronzook.com domain no longer exists.

Indiana: Purdue rolled over Notre Dame in West Lafayette, always a fond and lasting image. Both the Boilermakers and the Indiana Hoosiers are bowl eligible for the first time in recent memory, and Notre Dame—in the midst of its worst season ever—seems to make history every week they play.

Iowa: Yes, Iowa upset #16-ranked Illinois. Yes, it was the Hawkeyes' biggest win this year. Yes, it helped the Hawkeyes become bowl eligible. But no, it's nowhere near as memorable as Gateway Conference power Northern Iowa's rise to the top of the D-1AA polls. The 10-0 Panthers’ latest bit of history: a 68-13 detonation of Indiana State, the third highest GFC point-total ever. UNI rushed for over 400 yards, with three backs hitting the century mark.

Kansas: The Jayhawks are ranked #3 in the BCS standings with a 10-0 record, the only remaining unbeaten team from a BCS conference. This is Kansas’s longest winning streak since the ’07-08 season—1907-08 that is—and their first 10-0 start since the McKinley Administration. 18-freaking-99. Even with all that history being rewritten, scoring 76 on the long-time bullies from Nebraska would be enough by itself.

Kentucky: The University of Kentucky has not enjoyed this much football success since the days of coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. They cracked the top 10 in September, then recorded what may be the most significant upset of this college season when QB Andre Woodson found Steve Johnson in the end zone in the third overtime, leading the Wildcats to a shocking upset of #1 LSU 43-37 on October 13. Fans flooded Commenwealth Field to celebrate the biggest win in stadium history.

Louisiana: LSU reached #1, then came from behind to beat Florida and retain the top ranking. Losing in triple overtime to Kentucky was but a mere stumble as the Bayou Tigers slowly climbed their way back, ultimately regaining the BCS #1 ranking after Ohio State’s upset loss to Illinois. They now control their destiny, and lest we forget, this year’s BCS Championship Game is in nearby New Orleans. Last time the Sugar Bowl hosted the BCS title game, in 2004 the Tigers beat Oklahoma for its last national championship.

Maryland: The streets in Annapolis were filled all night after Navy finally discovered the venom for the mother of all snakebites, beating Notre Dame in double-overtime for its first win over the Irish in 45 years. Navy’s last victory over the Domers was led by a QB named Staubach. The Midshippmen followed this historic win by making more history, beating North Texas State 74-62 in the highest-scoring regulation game in NCAA history.

Massachusetts: Boston College was unbeaten and ranked in the BCS top 5 until being upset November 3 by Florida State. Nonetheless, 2007 should be the school’s best season since Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie ran the Eagles’ offense back in the high-top-and-fades early ‘80s.

Michigan: The fifth-ranked Michigan Wolverines opened their season by welcoming its first NCAA Division 1-AA opponent, Appalacian State University. What followed may be the most historic upset in the history of college football, as the Mountaineers pulled off a 34-32 shocker before 110,000 stunned fans in Ann Arbor. In terms of positive memories, perennial power Grand Valley State is 9-0 and once again ranked #1 in the D2 polls.

Missouri: The University of Missouri is currently 9-1 and ranked #6 in the BCS standings. Not since Dan Devine’s 1960 Tigers (11-0, #4 UPI) has the school seen a better campaign, and the best may be yet to come. A victory against undefeated Kansas in Arrowhead Stadium on November 24, followed by a win over Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship Game in San Antonio, Texas, would very well land the Tigers in New Orleans, playing for its first-ever college football national championship.

Mississippi: On October 27, Mississippi State stunned #14 Kentucky. On November 10, Sylvester Croom’s Bulldogs upset coach Nick Saban and his #21 Alabama Crimson Tide, 17-12, becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2000. Good luck finding a ticket when they host Mississippi November 23.

Montana: it'll be hard to better Montana State’s 19-10 stunner over the Colorado Buffaloes last season--at the time the biggest upset of a D1 school--but on November 17, the unranked 6-4 Bobcats host 10-0 and #3 ranked Montana, looking to avenge last year's 13-7 loss. Whatever the result, it will be a win for the ages for one of these Montana colleges.

Nebraska: Talk about your roller coaster seasons. It feels like years ago, but just this past September 15 we had #14 Nebraska hosting #1 USC, with ESPN College GameDay on hand for what seemed to be the biggest game of the young 2007 season. Eight weeks after being routed 49-31 by the Trojans, the Cornhuskers end up making amusement park history as the only school ever to give up 70 points one week and put up 70 the next. Memorable indeed.

Nevada: Nevada hosts unbeaten and #12-ranked Hawaii in a nationally-televised battle November 16. A Wolfpack win would be talked about for years to come. But even if they lose, 2007 will still be memorable—for a loss. In this case, Nevada’s historic, four-overtime loss to Boise State, 69-67, on October 13. Each school eclipsed 600 yards of total offense, and the 136 combined points they scored set an NCAA record for the highest-scoring overtime game in history.

New York: Were it not for the feat of tiny Appalacian State, Syracuse’s inexplicable September 22 upset at #18 Louisville may well have been this season’s biggest shocker. No one, NO ONE imagined this one coming.

North Carolina: See State, Appalacian.

North Dakota: If top-ranked and 10-0 North Dakota State stumbles on its way to the NCAA Division 1-AA national championship, the 8-1 North Dakota Fighting Sioux, #7 in the D2 polls, are ready to make history, the kind usually reserved for the school’s perennially strong hockey program.

Oregon: So has the University of Oregon done anything memorable in 2007? Hmm. They rolled into Ann Arbor and handed Michigan its worst home loss in 40 years, 39-7. Their offense executed flawlessly and could have scored 70 if they wanted. As good as this win was, it couldn’t touch the Ducks’ dramatic 24-17 triumph over those big, bad USC Trojans on October 27 in Autzen Stadium. Followed by a 35-23 pasting of #6 Arizona State the following week—Oregon’s second win over a top-10 team in as many weeks. The Ducks are currently 8-1 and #2 in the BCS standings—meaning, theoretically, they win out and they play for the national title—while in nine weeks, quarterback Dennis Dixon has gone from anonymity to the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City, home to the Heisman Trophy presentation.

Ohio: Ohio State started the year getting ready to play Florida in the BCS Championship Game, then spent much of the 2007 season atop the rankings. Although they were upset on November 10 by Illinois, they only dropped to #7. A win over Michigan, coupled with two higher-ranked teams knocking themselves out in head-to-head contests, and who knows. Six teams are ranked higher than the Bucks. They need five of them to lose. Two already will. So three of the remaining four teams have to lose, and all of them play rivalry and/or conference championship games. Don’t count the scarlet and gray out just yet—especially this year.

Oklahoma: Even after being upset by the Buffaloes in Boulder, the Oklahoma Sooners may well win their way to the BCS Championship Game in New Orleans. Bob Stoops has OU sitting at #4 in the BCS poll, just behind Kansas and just ahead of Missouri. They’ll meet one of these teams in San Antonio for the Big 12 Championship, and the strength of that victory could well propel the Sooners to a top-2 ranking, with its first national title since ‘99 in the cross-hairs.

South Carolina: Coach Steve Spurrier and his South Carolina Gamecocks handed #8 Kentucky its first loss October 4 on national TV. And they host their #15-ranked in-state rivals from Clemson on November 24. But the school with the program-making win is Wofford. The Terriers caught the attention of the football world—okay, they became the answer to a trivia question at least—by upsetting the upset king, Appalacian State, 42-31 on September 22.

Tennessee: The Volunteers have played an entire season under the radar, and despite cries for the firing of coach Phil Fulmer, they find themselves 7-3, #20 in the BCS and in control of their own destiny. Two more wins and the Vols are playing for its first SEC Championship since 1998.

Texas: Forget the Horns, Aggies or Red Raiders. West Texas A&M is 11-0 and ranked #4 in the D2 standings, winning the Lone Star Conference for the third straight season. Although their D2 Championship bracket is formidable, with fellow unbeatens Grand Valley State (MI) and Nebraska-Omaha, few schools have put together a three-year run as impressive as the Buffaloes. The school most famous for such alums as Duane Thomas and “Mercury” Morris hopes to end 2007 with its first D2 national championship.

Virginia: Unfortunately, 2007 will be a year Virginians will never forget, after a senseless on-campus massacre on April 16 claimed the lives of 32 Virginia Tech University students. Still coping with the tragedy themselves, the school’s football team shouldered the burden of helping a grieving community try to move on. The Hokies banded together, winning eight of ten games and giving the university something to celebrate. Courage in the wake of immeasurable loss is a lasting memory in itself.

West Virginia: Two years ago West Virginia finished 11-1 but didn’t come close to the BCS title game. Last season they were 9-2 and weren’t even mentioned among the nation’s top schools. Today the Mountaineers are 9-1 and #6 in the BCS. Should WVU win its three remaining games, they may find themselves headed to New Orleans. Of the five teams ranked above them, three are from the same conference (Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas) and must play each other; another (LSU) must survive a conference championship game; and the last (Oregon) has two tough road tests before facing its arch-rival. Stranger things have happened in seasons more normal than this one.

Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Badgers rose to the #5 national ranking after beating Michigan State on September 29 and extending the nation’s longest winning streak to 14. But the reason fans will never forget 2007 is because of the 37-21 pounding UW handed Michigan, their biggest home win ever over the Champions of the West and the school’s most lopsided defeat of the Wolverines in 45 years.

As to the other 14 states out there (yes, I'm counting you Alaska... keep up with Hawaii why don't ya?), all I have to say is this. If not this year, WHEN?

A Weekend With The Wind: M 28, NW 16 (day 1), TIGERS 13, CHISOX 3 (day 2)

(Above photo: a long line of Wolverines give chase, but no one catches Wildcat RB Omar Conteh as he scores what would be the Wildcats' only TD of the day. Below: Tiger players congratulate themselves after routing the Chicago White Sox, 13-3, on the final day of the 2007 season. Both photos taken by yours truly.)

The thing about having a town like Chicago five hours away is, you don't really need much persuasion to spend a weekend there. No interrogations necessary. Keep the incriminating family photos in the file, you won't need them here.

I'm a sports freak, true dat. But a sports freak of efficiency. I lay in waiting for opportunities like the one last June, when a mere two-and-a-half-hour car ride separated me from seeing two Detroit teams play important games in the same city over a weekend (at the time, the plan was to watch the Pistons eliminate the Cavs that night… who knew the opposite would happen?) Oh well, at least the Tigers pounded the Indians the following day.

This past weekend presented another of these opportunities. The last series of baseball's regular season, which happened to find the previous two pennant winners locking horns—a sure thing in terms of potential meaningfulness, right? The defending 2006 AL champion Tigers and the 2005 World Series champions from Chicago. Three games on the Sox side of town, sandwiched around the Wolverines' date in Evanston, a scant 30 minutes north of the Hancock tower. (See photo of author at stadium, taken by my Sparty friend and travel companion Douggie B.)

Of course, these things always look better on paper, months in advance. Back when games had yet to be lost, when a team's prospects were such that the games still seemed relevant. Once September rolled around, of course, the White Sox found themselves hopelessly below .500, and the Tigers had begun a late-season nose-dive coinciding with Cleveland’s catching fire and the New York Yankees playing like the team that has been to the last dozen playoffs. Then, enter Appalacian State. Then, Oregon.

So what once was a weekend most Detroiters would spend around their TVs, had become an excellent reason to rake the leaves. But no worries. It was still too good to pass up (see first sentence). My friend and I decided to make the trip, staying in Evanston Saturday night and catching the Sunday baseball game, since nothing was at stake.

As is the case with Ann Arbor, another wonderfully vibrant and exciting Midwestern city finds itself surrounded by thousands too engrossed in their academic pursuits to take full advantage. The Northwestern campus is captivating enough, with its vine-laden, century-old halls and towering oak groves (not to mention a city with one of the better used CD stores I’ve ever had the pleasure of browsing and its very own symphony). But the fact that this little bit of paradise sits along the windy shores of Lake Michigan makes it all too good to be true.

Ryan Field stands a good distance away from central campus, one of those geographical mysteries where you find yourself searching for the thing until you bump your head on the grandstand. The stadium itself is a sombrero-shaped thing of beauty, its bleachers spilling onto the grassy inclines of each end zone. Once known as Dyche Stadium (they changed the name recently, and all Dyche got was a plaque just off the sideline), Ryan Field has the distinction of having its highest points right on the 50 (so even the crappy tickets are still pretty good). The stands were split between yellow and purple shirted supporters, with the southern side almost entirely occupied by Wolverine faithful.

Northwestern has always given Michigan fits, at least since Gary Barnett’s Rose-Bowl bound Wildcats climbed up that rubbertree plant and upset Brian Griese’s #5 Wolverines 19-13 in Michigan Stadium back in 1995. The following year, 1996, was even more painful. Michigan led, 16-0, late in the third quarter and ended up losing 17-16 on a last-second field goal. 1998 saw Michigan prevail, 12-9, in an absolute downpour that engulfed Evanston and rendered the Wildcats' grass field a mud pit. In 2000, Michigan lit up Ryan Field for 51 points... and still lost. I can still see Anthony Thomas, having gained the victory-clinching first down, trying to score instead of protecting the ball. He was stripped of the ball, Northwestern recovered, game over. And just last year, the Wolverines were #2 in the nation and the Wildcats were nothing. Yet it took a fourth-quarter TD to ice a 17-3 Michigan win.

This year seemed like much of the same, as Wildcat QB C.J. Bacher found Rasheed Ward for a 64-yard pitch-and-catch on the game’s first play from scrimmage. The drive stalled and Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald chose to trot out the field-goal unit for a 27-yard kick instead of going for a short fourth down. 3-0 Cats with two minutes gone.

Chad Henne started, seeing his first action since the first half of the Oregon game, and led the Wolverines downfield. The Pennsylvania senior completed five of seven passes on the drive, the last of which Mario Manningham cradled as he tiptoed across the goal line. The 11-yard touchdown gave Michigan a brief 7-3 lead. Then Northwestern got to work. Working from that spread offense the Wolverine coaches love so well, the Wildcats caught the Wolves napping as tailback Omar Conteh took a quick handoff and ran 49 yards untouched for a 10-7 lead.

Two field goals grew the Northwestern lead to 16-7 at intermission, as delirious Wildcat fans rejoiced. But no one was lighting the south-campus clock tower purple just yet, as is school tradition after football victories. There were two quarters left to play. The Wolverines came back with a Henne-to-Carson Butler TD pass, to pull within 16-14, but Northwestern continued the inspired play they displayed in the first half, and the score remained the same until midway through the fourth quaarter.

Coach Fitzgerald, who prides himself on conditioning his team to play hard for the full 60 minutes, could only watch helplessly as his well-oiled purple machine sputtered and ultimately ran out of gas. First, defensive lineman Brandon Graham knocked the ball out of Bacher's hands and linebacker Shawn Crable recovered. Four plays later, Henne hit Adrian Arrington on a slant route to give Michigan its first lead since the first quarter, 21-16. On Northwestern's next drive, senior DE Tim Jamison grabbed a batted pass and returned the ball deep into Wildcat territory. Michigan missed a field goal, but forced another Northwestern turnover as linebacker Obi Ezeh grabbed a Bacher pass and galloped to the NU 26. Hart broke off a long run off the Jake (left) side, then scored from the one to make it 28-16. The victory was sealed on Northwestern's next possession, when Crable stripped Bacher of the ball and tackle Terrance Taylor fell on the loose ball.

For me, it was a perfect afternoon. An exciting game for four quarters, with Michigan pulling away in the end for a double-digit win. The game ended and we mulled about the post-game tailgate parties, unknowingly walking in concentric circles around a most-delicious smelling pig roast. Game over, now on to more important things. Like making dinner plans in Evanston.

The following day, another sunny sky greeted us as we made our way south, back into downtown Chicago. We approached the new Comiskey Park, amazed at the crowd for such an insignificant contest. But two great teams, the White Sox and Tigers, have tasted success. And two of the nation's best baseball cities have awakened as a result.

We parked. We found tickets. We entered the park. And we headed up. And up. And up. And up. The parking lot grew distant. The trees grew distant. As we reached the top of this gargantuan structure, the Chicago skyline greeted us with a smile, saying, "wherever you are around town, don't forget you're in Chicago!"

Our seats were on the third base side, so high up that we could nearly read the Rawlings imprint on each towering pop-up. We picked the right day to come to the old park (okay, new park... but old-looking). Not just because the Tigers ended up crushing the White Sox 13-3. Not just because I had a clear view of the scoreboard, allowing me to witness the final game of the Great Mets Collapse Of 2007 first-hand without access to any sharp objects. And not just because while we watched Detroit pounding Chicago in baseball, TVs in the stadium bars were showing Detroit pounding Chicago in football (scoring an NFL-record 34 fourth-quarter points in the process). But because of all the Detroit Tiger milestones we had the chance to witness in a single game.

First, Placido Polanco singled in the third inning, his 200th hit of the season. Polanco was given an extended ovation as he stood at first base, which was cool. Then, Carlos Guillen hit a towering two-run homer to right field. It was Guillen's 100th RBI of 2007, so we gave him a strong ovation as he took a curtain call afterward. Then there was Magglio Ordonez. He only went 3-for-4, clinching the American League batting title with a .363 average. Very cool. Gave him a strong ovation as he left the field after hit #3 in the eighth inning. Not since stormin' Norman Cash in 1961 had a Tiger won such an honor. Then, And finally, one last roar from 2007, a seven-run seventh, capped by Sean Casey's last hit as a Tiger (it was announced the day before that Detroit would not bring him back in 2008) and Mike Rabelo's first career dinger. Gave Casey a strong ovation as he was pulled for a pinch-runner, and gave Rabelo a strong ovation as he joyfully rounded the bases. Yes, we were way up there but you could tell he was ecstatic.

Oh, and I almost forgot. Curtis Granderson went 3-for-4 just like Maggs, allowing him to surpass the .300 plateau (he finished at .302). Chicago's Jim Thome singled in the first and was replaced, allowing home-town fans to shower him with one last ovation for reaching the 500 HR mark. Sorry, Thome. I don't shower anyone from Chicago.

So we went down to field level for the final two innings, right behind the Tiger dugout, and took in the final swings of a delicious 10-run rout. After the final White Sox out, the 88-74 Tigers of 2007 came out of the dugout as one, joined by the entire bullpen, and saluted the Detroit fans who made the trip West. The very fans, they figured, who've made the past two seasons unlike any in recent Detroit Tigers history. Many tossed baseballs into the crowd. Granderson signed a number of his bats and gave them out. And manager Jim Leyland circled the infield, clapping over his head to show his thanks to everyone. The Tiger faithful, who by the final inning had congregated along the first-base side, cheered uncontrolably. It sure felt spontaneous to me at least. Not to be outdone, the 72-90 Chicago White Sox emerged from their third-base dugout and, accompanied by the PA announcer, thanked fans for their support throughout 2007. Nice try, guys. A minute late and a few runs short.

All things considered, not a bad weekend. A big Michigan win, a delicious seafood dinner in Evanston, a fun night out (among other interesting people we met was the guy who makes the Oscars... the actual awards given to the actors and directors!), and a big Tigers win over the Chicago White Sox.

So what's next? Where's the next weekend trip? Maybe Toronto next September; I've been dying to catch the annual Wings-Leafs home-and-home preseason games, many people do it and it sounds like fun. What else? Well, here's what I've found in the foreseeable future that may be worth a try, if you have the time, love of Detroit sports, appropriate method of transportation and inclination:


FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER 2007:

Detroit Pistons @ Milwaukee Bucks - Saturday 12/1, 8:30pm
Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings - Sunday 12/2, 1:00pm

the plus side: tickets should be easy to find; see the Metrodome before it's gone
the minus side: bit of a drive; not much time to spend in the more fun place (Minny)


HOLIDAY GETAWAY 2007:

Detroit Pistons @ Indiana Pacers - Saturday 12/29, 8:30pm
Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers - Sunday 12/30, 1:00pm

the plus side: Pistons & Pacers are both playing well; Lions are actually good this year; Lions & Packers could be playing for NFC Central championship
the minus side: heck of a long drive; weather may be horrific; Lambeau tickets expensive & hard to find; outdoor stadium in Green Bay in last week of December


ROSES ARE RED, RED WINGS ARE TOO:

Detroit Red Wings @ Phoenix Coyotes - Saturday 12/29, 9pm
2008 Rose Bowl: Michigan Wolverines vs TBD - Tuesday 1/1/08, 2pm

the plus side: Detroit flights to Phoenix much easier to get than LA; Rose Bowl tickets may be easier to get since Michigan was in Pasadena last year; Phoenix arena is known to be partisan Wings crowd
the minus side: requires Michigan win over Ohio State; requires stay in Arizona and drive to Los Angeles; even though easier to get, tickets are still Rose Bowl tickets meaning harder to find and very expensive


CALIFORNIA DREAMING (EXTENDED MIX) 2008:

Detroit Red Wings @ LA Kings - Tuesday 1/22
Detroit Red Wings @ Anaheim Ducks - Wednesday 1/23
Detroit Pistons @ LA Lakers - Thursday 1/31

the plus side: Wings play within an hour's drive on consecutive nights; tickets to both Wings games are easy to find and affordable
the minus side: requires 7-8 night stay in LA (best if you can stay with a friend); Laker tickets at Staples Center difficult to find and expensive


EASTWARD HO! 2008:

Detroit Red Wings @ Buffalo - Sunday 3/2 3pm
Detroit Pistons @ Boston - Wednesday 3/5 7pm
Detroit Pistons @ NY Knicks - Friday 3/7 7pm

the plus side: potential for 3 games in 6 nights; can spend the following weekend in NYC which never sucks; three storied places to watch Detroit teams play
the minus side: Celtics and Knicks tickets may be difficult to find; lodging is more expensive in NY & Boston; requires a drive home from New York in early March


FOUR DAYS IN OHIO, FOUR DAYS IN OHIO:

Detroit Red Wings @ Columbus Blue Jackets - Sunday 3/16 3pm
Detroit Pistons @ Cleveland Cavaliers - Wednesday 3/19 8pm

the plus side: cities in close proximity with each other; see Lebron in his home; short drive from Detroit
the minus side: three days in between games with nothing to do; Cavs tickets may be difficult and/or expensive


SPRING IS HERE, APRIL 2008:

Detroit Pistons @ Minnesota Timberwolves - Tuesday 4/1, 8pm
Detroit Red Wings @ Chicago Blackhawks - Wednesday 4/2, 8:30pm

the plus side: trip from Minny to Chicago is nice this time of year; can arrange to spend extra time in either city; can make the trip using your own automobile
the minus side: not a short drive to minny (10 hours +/-); middle of week, the week before Easter at that.

I already know what my next sports trip will be. Spring Training 2008. Oh yeah baby. This time, I'm taking a week off and catching every team in Florida. A game a day if not two, as it should be. I can't wait till the schedules come out!