The Knee Jerks - Eno and Big Al: Recent Episodes
The Knee Jerks - Greg Eno and Al Beaton
Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters, Greg Eno (aka the man who knows a lot of things about a lot of things), and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! The Knee Jerks have been on the sports beat for more 10 years, always with a Detroit attitude!
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week, our guest is a long-time friend of the show: Author and former Detroit Free Press beat writer Keith Gave. Keith returns to discuss all things Detroit Red Wings, including the late-season collapse that sent the franchise back into the draft lottery for a ninth consecutive year, team captain Dylan Larkin voicing his disappointment regarding the organization not making a major moveat the trade deadline, GM Steve Yzerman's response to Larkin in what was a somewhat contentious end-of-season press conference, the current state of the NHL playoffs and reminices about his days as the Wings beat writer. We also discuss the Detroit Pistons' hard-fought six-game first-round playoff loss to the New York Knicks and the Detroit Tigers' red-hot opening month, entering May with the best record in the AL (22-13, .629) and top run differential (+63) in all of MLB. We also play Greg's Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week.
Programming note: Al is in northern Michigan working with limited bandwidth, so this week's podcast upload is the raw, unedited audio.
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana. We also live stream video of every episode to YouTube and Twitch.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Nick;s BlueSky: @CatUpATree Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's BlueSky: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
With the Detroit Pistons having clinched (at worst) the sixth playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, we think it's a great time to preview the playoffs with our favorite NBA stats guru, Siddy Hall.
We also talk ethical hoopers vs foul merchants, who wins the league MVP and coach of the year, and Siddy has another Pistons quiz!
In the second half of the show, we dive into the latest in Detroit sports. Topics include:
Detroit Tigers assistant GM Sam Menzin resigned last week to "spend more time with family." But that was BS. This week The Athletic reported Menzin quit before he was fired, as he was channeling his inner Bret Favre by sending unsolicited lewd pictures to female Tigers employees. And doing so since 2017! On the field, the Tigers bounced back from a sweep by the LA Dodgers to win their series against the Mariners and White Sox,
Positive surprises to start the season include Spencer Torkelson, Casey Mize and Javy Baez, who has willingly accepted a platoon/super utility role.
Torpedo bats are the latest silly rule controversy.
The Pirates insult their fans by replacing a Roberto Clemente logo in right field with a beer ad.
Vlad Guerrero Jr inked a 14 year, $500 million extension with the Blue Jays. That contract is going to look horrible when it hits the back half.
Alex Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretsky as the NHL's top goal scorer with 895. Ovechkin still has a way to go to catch Gordie Howe's overall profession record, which includes his years in the WHL. But is Ovechkin's accomplishment more impressive, being the WHL was clearly a lower tier league?
We also play Greg's Birthday game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Programming note: Al will be on the road for the next few weeks, so our next podcast will go live on May 5.
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana. We also live stream video of every episode to YouTube and Twitch.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Nick;s BlueSky: @CatUpATree Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's BlueSky: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week Eastern Michigan University Eagles head football coach Chris Creighton joins the show to discuss all things EMU and MAC football.
Coach talks about building his team for the 2025 season, spring practice and the spring game, and how college football has changed in the era of the transfer portal and NIL.
In the second half of the show, we run the gamut of Detroit sports. Topics include:
Shaq embarrassed himself by showing just how little he knows or cares about the best story in the NBA, the Detroit Pistons. His cavalier attitude wouldn't fly from a comparable NFL, MLB, or NHL analyst. But in the NBA, ignorance is damn near expected from their most influential talking heads.
JB Bickerstaff went HAM on NBA refereeing after a close Pistons loss to the OKC Thunder.
The Michigan Wolverines and MSU Spartans advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
The tournament became beloved (and made the NCAA wealthy) thanks to underdog Cinderella teams making deep runs. But this year, only power conference (SEC, B1G, Big 12, ACC) schools made it out of the first weekend. In the era of NIL, will this be the new normal? Will this bode ill for the future of the NCAAs?
The Detroit Tigers signed OF Manuel Margot to help plug their Parker Meadows-sized hole in center.
Kirk Gibson announced he's stepping away from the Tigers TV booth to concentrate on fighting Parkinson's. Meanwhile, Matt Shepard, the long-ago fired play-by-play man, claimed it wasn't Gibson's call and he was forced out.
The Detroit Lions spent most of free agency bringing the band back together, only making a couple of notable signings in CB DJDJ Reed and NT Roy Lopez.
Going by past actions, Lions' GM Brad Holmes will likely attack the lack of a pass rush and an aging offensive line in the draft. Holmes has more than earned the benefit of the doubt.
We also play Greg's Birthday game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Programming notes: The audio version of this podcast is the unedited raw feed as Al is up north in Traverse City working with limited bandwidth. Our next episodes will be on April 7 and May 5. We will not be episode on April 21 as Al will be on the road.
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, YouTube and Twitch.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Nick;s BlueSky: @CatUpATree Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's BlueSky: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week The Knee Jerks discuss all four Detroit teams, Topics include:
The Detroit Red Wings are dealing with their third consecutive March swoon, losing five straight games. The Ides of March, indeed.
The Wings will need at least 95 points to make the post season. It ain't happening.
GM Steve Yzerman made one trade deadline deal, which was little more than shuffling deck chairs.
Yzerman drafts well, but his roster construction is greatly lacking. As in Troy Weaver style lacking.
It's beyond obvious Yzerman feels no urgency with his slow roll rebuild, getting no pressure from the front office, media or fan base.
The Detroit Lions entered free agency with questions on the defensive line. Those questions still remain after releasing edge Za'darius Smith.
They allowed cornerback Carlton Davis III to move on, but replaced him with the arguably better D.J. Reed.
During interviews made after taking the Chicago Bears job, Ben Johnson made derogatory cracks about Jared Goff.
The Detroit Pistons are currently the six seed in the East, only one game out of 4th (and the home advantage that comes with it).
For lack of a better word, the defensive minded Pistons are playing with "grit." Something the Red Wings lack in spades.
We are not sure what to make of the Detroit Tigers. Good starting rotation and (possibly volatile) bullpen, but below league average offense still in need of a veteran bat. They could win 75 games or win 90 games. But thanks to injuries to Matt Vierling and Parker Meadows, it's just too early to tell.
We also play Greg's Birthday game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, YouTube and Twitch.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Nick;s BlueSky: @CatUpATree Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's BlueSky: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week we talk all things hoops with our favorite NBA stats guru, Siddy Hall.
As he NBA All-Star break is this weekend and the Pistons currently reside in playoff position, it's a great time to discuss Cade Cunningham's breakout, All-Star season, which Pistons are making the biggest impact, a wild trade deadline that included the blockbuster Luka Dončić – Anthony Davis deal, huge trades of the past and an NBA/Pistons history quiz.
In the second half of the episode, topics include:
The Super Bowl was played this past weekend. With the Lions eliminated, both Greg and Nick didn't watch. Why not? The guys give their reasons.
FYI, as of the start of the podcast, Nick still doesn't know who won the game!
Do we really need to discuss a possible Myles Garrett trade? Detroit sports talk radio has turned into Detroit Garrett talk radio. It's AWFUL.
The NHL is off for the next two weeks, replacing their traditional All-Star Game with the 4 Nations Face-Off. Teams of NHL players from Finland, Sweden, Canada, and the United States will compete in a round-robin tournament, much like you'd see in the Olympics or World Championships. Are you going to watch?
We also play Greg's Birthday game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, YouTube and Twitch.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Nick;s BlueSky: @CatUpATree Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's BlueSky: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week we welcome back a long time friend of the show - legendary Detroit and New York City sports commentator Bob Page. We discuss the latest in Detroit sports with Bob, including the Detroit Lions' disappointing playoff flame out, the Detroit Red Wings resurgence under new coach Todd McLellan, Cade Cunningham leading the Pistons back into relevance, and debate just what in the hell is going on with the New York football teams.
In the second half of the show we dive deeper into the state of the Lions and Tigers.
Lions fans want to blame someone for the playoff loss, and aimed their ire at Ben Johnson. The Lions will need to replace both coordinators, as Johnson and Aaron Glenn left for head coaching jobs.
Lions GM Brad Holmes spoke to the media, saying the team will stay the course despite the early playoff exit.
The Tigers signed Gleyber Torres to play 2nd base, while continuing to play chicken with FA Alex Bregman. But what, exactly, is the Tigers plan?
We also play Greg's Birthday game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Nick;s BlueSky: @CatUpATree Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's BlueSky: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
We're back from holiday hiatus with a special guest - Bill Morris, author of "The Lions Finally Roar: The Ford Family, the Detroit Lions and the Road to Redemption in the N.F.L"
"The Lions Finally Roar," recounts the roller coaster history of the Detroit Lions of the NFL, from their last championship in 1957 to coming within an eyelash of their first Super Bowl. Bill is a veteran journalist and author of the critically acclaimed novels "Motor City Burning," "All Souls" Day" and "Motor City," as well as the nonfiction books "The Age of Astonishment" and "American Berserk."
Click here to buy "The Lions Finally Roar"
Bill's author page on Amazon
In the second half of the show our topics include:
The state of the 15-2 top seeded Detroit Lions as they prepare to take on the Washington Commanders in the NFL playoff divisional round.
The resurgent Detroit Pistons, who are currently OVER .500 while Cade Cunningham is having a breakout season.
Tthe Detroit Red Wings firing head coach Derek Lalonde, hiring veteran coach Todd McLelland, who has the Wings on a 7 game winning streak.
We also play Greg's Birthday game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Nick;s BlueSky: @CatUpATree Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's BlueSky: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
Unfortunately, we had to reschedule our special guest, Bob Page. Bob will return to the show very, very soon.
But there is more than enough going on in Detroit sports to give us a jam packed episode. This week's topics include:
The 12-2 Detroit Lions not only lost to the Bills in a 48-42 shootout, but are now in dire injury straits.
The Lions lost 3 more starters to season-ending injuries against the Bills.
What's worse is there is no one to blame, nothing to pin the injuries on...other than plain old bad luck.
Even though he can't admit it, Dan Campbell is making coaching decisions based on having a defense unable to get a stop. Thus, we see onside kicks with 12 minutes to play while only down 10.
Despite the gloom and doom, the Lions still control their own destiny. They still own the #1 seed and own tie-breakers over the Vikings and Eagles. The Detroit Tigers signed 37-year-old free agent SP Alex Cobb.
Nothing has been done regarding the Tigers biggest roster need - a right-hand hitting middle of the order bat, preferably a corner infielder.
The Tigers and a good portion of the fan base seem to be terrified of giving anyone a long-term deal. Did the Javy Baez contract break their brains?
The Detroit Pistons used some contract wizardry to max out their cap space. They will definitely be in sin eating mode at the trade deadline, hopefully gaining draft capital.
Detroit Red Wings continue to do the same things with no changes (shrugs).
We also play Greg's Birthday game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Nick;s BlueSky: @CatUpATree Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's BlueSky: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week we discuss all things Detroit sports. Topics include:
The 11-1 Detroit Lions have won 10 consecutive games despite their defense being ravaged by injury. But the Vikings, Eagles and Packers are nipping at the Lions' heels, as all refuse to lose.
The Lions finally ended their Thanksgiving losing steak, much helped by coaching malpractice and clock butchery committed by the now fired Bears HC Matt Eberflus.
Jameson Williams continues to do Jamo things, both good and bad.
Unranked 6-5 Michigan shocked 10-1, #2 ranked Ohio St in the Horseshoe, 13-10. Is this the biggest upset in the history of the rivalry?
Holier than thou Michigan jumped head first in the NIL wild west in flipping from LSU the nation's top recruit, 5-star QB Bryce Underwood.
The 9-13 Detroit Pistons are 3-0 in the NBA Cup. Should we care?
The Detroit Red Wings have called up top goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa, their first round pick in 2021.
We also play Greg's Birthday game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Nick;s BlueSky: @CatUpATree Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's BlueSky: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week we welcome back an old friend of the podcast, Keith Gave. Keith is a former Detroit Red Wings beat writer for the Detroit Free Press and an author of several books about hockey. With the Red Wings off to a VERY disappointing start, fans becoming more and more impatient with the Yzerplan, and the seat of head coach Derek Lalonde getting hotter by the day, we have plenty of discussion fodder.
Keith Gave's author's page at Amazon
In the second half of the show we discuss the rampaging 9-1 Detroit Lions, winners of 8 straight, setting numerous franchise records in the process while are playing like the best team in the NFL.
We also talk about the surprising 7-8 Detroit Pistons, who have the look of a team that could compete for a play-in spot in what appears to be a very weak Eastern Conference.
We also play Greg's Birthday game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week welcome back our NBA stats guru Siddy Hall. Along with touching on the Detroit Pistons slow start to the season, we'll also discuss how NBA has changed from the 70s and 80s and compare that to today.
In the second half of the show we'll talk about two teams on moving in different directions - the 7-1 Detroit Lions, winners of 6 straight, and the struggling to stay at .500 Detroit Red Wings.
We also play Greg's Birthday game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
Our returning special guest this week is John Wing, a Canadian stand-up comedian, podcaster and author who also has opinions on Detroit and Toronto sports. John has appeared on The Tonight Show and America's Got Talent, written several books and hosts a podcast called The Bad Piano Player, which is an exploration of American popular music from 1900 to 1960.
John on Twitter/X
The Bad Piano Player Podcast
In the second half of the show we discuss the Detroit Lions surging to the top of the NFC behind MVP level play from Jared Goff and despite a season ending injury to Aiden Hutchnison, the Detroit Red Wings struggles to start the season, and the Detroit Tigers stunning playoff run and and how they could build a 2025 team that wins with a more sustainable style of play. We also play Greg's Birthday game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week's topics include:
The Detroit Tigers historic late season run has them on the verge of making the playoffs, which was a pipe dream 6 weeks ago.
The Tigers' bullpen has been lights out, but lacks an arm that misses bats. To fix that, top pitching prospect Jackson Jobe (MLBs #6 overall prospect who posted 9.9 K/9 at AA Erie) has been called up to pitch out of the pen.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell sells his home due to harassment from idiot fans.
The Lions beat the Arizona Cardinals 20-13 on the road, a nice bounce back win after falling to the Bucs at home last week.
Injuries are becoming an issue for the Lions. Their bye coming so early in the season in week 5 now appears to be a good thing.
As training camp began, the Detroit Red Wings inked forward Lucas Raymond and defenseman Mortiz Seider to long-term deals.
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
We're back from our summer vacation with special guest. Making his annual appearance is Detroit Red Wings radio play-by-play man Ken Kal. Ken joins us to discuss the Red Wings' off season, the current roster, preview the coming year and give us insight into the life as a professional broadcaster. It's always a fun and informative discussion when Ken joins the show!
The second half of the show is all Detroit Lions and Detroit Tigers talk. Topics include:
The Lions are a damn good team. But it's hard for the fanbase to shake off decades of ineptitude.
The Lions are national media darlings. We truly are in uncharted territory.
The Lions didn't play at their best, but still beat a legitimate playoff quality team in the Rams.
This was the sort of game previous generations of Lions teams would have lost, then played the moral victory card.
Aidan Hutchinson was a defensive force of nature.
Was this game the coming out party for Jameson Williams?
The Lions winning the game in OT, imposing their will on the Rams' defense with pure smashmouth football, was a thing of beauty.
Were we too quick in writing off the Tigers? Despite seemingly waving the white flag by selling at the trade deadline and playing all the kids, the Tigers started winning.
The Tigers put themselves in the wild card hunt by playing .600 ball over the past several weeks. They are 3.5 GB of the Twins, but with just 18 games left, making the postseason remains a long shot.
Somehow the Tigers are winning games despite their rotation being Tarik Skubal and Keider Montero, then 3 games of an opener/bulk-relief pitching. Skubal has become the overwhelming AL Cy Young favorite, leading the AL in pitching Triple Crown stats - Wins (16), ERA (2.53), strikeouts (208).
We also play Greg's Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week.
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week we dive further into the MLB player pension issues we discussed with Gary Cooper and Dave Mesrey, as Max Effgen of Bitter Cup Baseball joins the show.
Max talks about his struggles to find, educate, publicize and help the 500 players who could easily be grandfathered into a partial MLB pension, how these players ended up in this situation thanks to the 1980 CBA, the labor laws involved and just how you can help spread the word about the Bitter Cup players.
Max Effgen on TwitterX: @MaxEffgen Bitter Cup Baseball on Instagram Spreadsheet listing the Bitter Cup players left behind by the MLBPA and MLB
In the second half of the show, topics include:
The Tigers are hotter than a firecracker as they reach the All Star break on a 10-4 tear.
For the first time since 2017, the Tigers placed 2 players on the Al All Star roster in Tarik Skubal and Riley Greene.
The Pistons named JB Bickerstaff head coach.
POBO Trajan Langton and Bickerstaff exuded competence, something the Pistons franchise has been long lacking.
Cade Cunningham signed his rookie contract extension, worth up to $265 million with bonuses.
Much like the Lions did with Jared Goff, the Pistons elected to not play money games and locked down their franchise player long term.
The Red Wings added a high scoring winger to their top 6 by signing Vladimir Taransenko to a 2 year deal in free agency.
Steve Yzerman admitted the Red Wings were in the market to make a splash signing in free agency. All signs point to their target being Steven Stamkos. That was before he inked a too rich for the Wings deal at 4 years, $32 million.
We also play Greg's Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week.
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
With all the news the Detroit Pistons have made over the past several weeks, the time was right to bring back our NBA guru, Siddy Hall!
Siddy gives us his thoughts on:
Trajon Langdon and the Pistons' new front office. The hiring of new head coach JB Bickerstaff and shooting coach Fred Vinson. Blowing up the bottom of the roster while adding Tobias Harris in free agency and trading Quentin Grimes for Tim Hardaway Jr. Compares Ron Holland and Ausur Thompson. Jalen Duren's defense (or lack thereof). Cade Cunningham's reported max deal. Siddy also has a few numbers and stats for us to chew on.
Siddy Hall's TwitterX: @SiddyHall
The second half of the episode is all Detroit Red Wings.
How did Jake Walman suddenly fall out of favor with the Wings? He was traded to the Sharks for essentially nothing.
Patrick Kane not only re-signed, but agreed to a below market, incentive laden, 1-year deal.
Were Steven Stamkos and Jakob Trouba on the Wings' radar?
Are the Wings a worse team after trading Walman, losing David Perron and Shayne Gostisbehere in free agency, while adding Rangers D-man Erik Gustafsson and LA Kings goalie Cam Talbot?
With the Wings poised to take a step back point-wise next season (rebuilds are never linear and they will lean heavily on unproven kids who have been in Grand Rapids), if the GM was not named Steve Yzerman, would he be on the hot seat?
We also play Greg's Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Programming note: In two weeks we delve further into the MLB player pension issues we discussed with Gary Cooper and Dave Mesrey, as Max Effgen of Bitter Cup Baseball will join the show.
Max Effgen on TwitterX: @MaxEffgen
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
This week, The Knee Jerks Podcast with Eno, Nick and Big Al, discusses the weirdness that has defined the Detroit Pistons off season. We also talk about our frustrations with the Detroit Tigers and team president Scott Harris. As always, we also play Greg's birthday game and name our Jerk of the Week!
Programming note: this is a barebones version of the show, with no intro, music or editing. Al is in northern Michigan, and we tried recording the episode with his limited bandwidth. The YouTube live stream is audio only as well.
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week we welcome Connor Soblom, Western US Sales Manager at TrackMan Baseball, to the show. We discuss baseball analytics and how it affects the approach and methodology to pitching and hitting. Everything from spin rate and bat speed, to calling balls and strikes, and everything in between. We also delve into the different ways TrackMan technology is being used in all manner of athletics, at all levels, including football, softball, golf, and tennis.
Connor on Twitter: @Connorsoblom TrackMan Baseball on Twitter: @TrackManBB Click here to learn more about TrackMan Baseball
In the second half of the show, we discussed the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Lions. Topics include:
The Tigers have fallen back to earth, playing .300 baseball in the month of May after their best start in several years.
The Tigers are now 9.5 GB of the first place Guardians in the AL Central. Is the season over before Memorial Day...again?
How much blame for another lost season should go to team president and roster builder Scott Harris?
Should manager AJ Hinch catch any heat, despite being given a roster which can't hit?
Lions QB Jared Goff got PAID. Did the Lions have any other choice?
Pro Football Focus is bad, ranking Goff as only the 16th best QB in football. PFF goes for usual "Goff isn't mobile and struggles under pressure" trope. Yet 2 older, immobile QBs coming off Achilles surgery are ranked higher. And try to name any QB not named Mahomes who doesn't struggle under pressure.
PFF is also good, naming 5 Lions to their "Top 25 players under the age of 25" list. PFFs number one player under 25 is the Lions' 23-year-old stud right tackle, Penei Sewell. It's fitting Greg's latest Substack newsletter is about Sewell.
The NFL remains the gold standard for marketing, as the 2024 schedule release dominated sports talk last week.
The Lions have become the NFL's must watch darling, a new America's Team. Driving the point home is the Lions have 9 nationally televised games in 2024, including 5 in prime time.
The NFL knows exactly which teams drive TV numbers. As long-time fans, it's just shocking to see the the LIONS be one of those teams.
The Lions open the season with a wild card rematch on Sunday Night Football, as Matthew Stafford and the Rams come to Detroit.
We also play Greg's Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Programming note: Al will be traveling, so we'll be taking time off in early June. Our next episode is scheduled for June 17th.
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week journalist, author and long-time friend of the show Dave Mesery returns. He joins us to spread the word about former Atlanta Braves outfielder Gary Cooper, who is ONE DAY short of qualifying for an MLB pension.
Gary also joins us from Georgia to discuss his major and minor league career, his advocacy for the 500 former big leaguers who were left out in the cold by the powerful MLBPA, and how a rain out essentially cost him a pension.
A GoFundMe page has also been established to help Gary. You can sign a Change.org petition here.
To learn more about the 500 players MLB and the MLBPA forgot, head over to Bitter Cup Baseball. We also suggest reading the book "A Bitter Cup of Coffee: How MLB and the Players Association Threw 874 Retirees a Curve" by Doug Gladstone.
The second half of the show is all Tigers and Lions. Topics include:
The Tigers introduced new City Connect alternate uniforms. We aren't fans.
It's becoming more and more difficult to watch baseball. The latest hurdle is a carriage dispute between Comcast and Bally Sports, which has removed the Tigers from many local TVs.
The Tigers have several black holes in their offensive lineup. Who could've have seen that coming?
With 3 years worth of plate appearances and about 3 months total of actual production, the fan base is all but ready to move on from struggling former 1st overall draft pick Spencer Torkelson. As for the Tigers, they have to realize something must change, and soon.
The Lions also have new uniforms, and they aren't half bad.
The city of Detroit has never looked better than it did during the 3 days the NFL Draft was downtown. Fans, media and the NFL all praised the event. It should open the door for even more big events, including a long overdue NBA All-Star Game.
The Lions signed cornerstones Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell to massive four-year contract extensions that made them the highest-paid players at their respective positions.
No news on a new contract for Jared Goff.
We also play Greg's Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week we welcome Keith Gave back to the show. Keith is a former Detroit Red Wings beat writer for the Free Press and the author of several hockey books, which can be found on Amazon.
Keith joins us for a Red Wings season post mortem. We discuss the state of GM Steve Yzerman's Yzerplan and how the team narrowly missed the playoffs, what changes we could see on the roster, who stepped up during the failed playoff push and who disappeared, what size contract offers RFAs Mortiz Seider and Lucas Raymond will receive, and if there will be a "playoffs or bust" mandate for head coach Derek Lalonde next season.
We also take a look back at Red Wings history and discuss just how close Yzerman was to being traded to Ottawa in 1994.
In the second half of the show, our topics include:
Lions QB Jared Goff has a silly belief that the Detroit media is somehow overly negative. Good thing he doesn't play in Philly or New York.
The Pistons are going to shake up the front office by hiring a new President of Basketball Operations. More than the front office needs shaking up.
Stan Van Gundy may have been a bad GM for the Pistons, but he is not wrong in his negative assessment of the team's young core. To be honest, the core is just one player - Cade Cunningham. The rest of the roster can be blown up.
There a pitching injury pandemic in MLB, as elbows are exploding everywhere. What could be causing it? Is there a solution?
The Tigers are playing solid baseball. The .565 win % has them 3rd in the AL Central, behind the Guardians and overachieving Royals.
The Tigers pitching has been exceptional. The offense hasn't been, but Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter have been playing damn well.
Thanks to the Tigers push for players to have the ability to play multiple positions, AJ Hinch is practicing what he preaches by playing the entire roster.
We also play Greg's Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Programing note: In two weeks long-time friend of the show Dave Mersery returns. He joins us to spread the word about former Atlanta Braves outfielder Gary Cooper, who is ONE DAY short of qualifying for an MLB pension.
You can sign a petition here. A GoFundMe page has also been established to help Cooper.
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
Nick is off this week, so it's an old school show with Greg and Big Al talking all things Detroit sports.
Topics include:
After a horrific March, the Red Wings find themselves in dogfight with 3 other teams for the final wild card.
If the season ended today, the Red Wings would be the playoff 8 seed. This franchise NEEDS to make the playoffs.
The Wings have enough offense to win the wild card. Can't say the same about the defense and goal tending. It was a question mark going into the season, and remains that way.
If Alex Lyon or James Reimer could stand on their head in goal for a few games, it would help the Wings playoff chances immensely.
Want to sell Patrick Kane on signing a new contract with Detroit? Best way to do so is make the damn post season.
A weird Pistons season got weirder thanks to journeyman guard Malachi Flynn. It's more than likely Flynn and his career 5.2 PPG won't be a Piston next season. But he managed to have a game for the ages versus the Hawks - 50 points on 18/25 shooting. Of course, the Pistons lost. Of course, Flynn was 0/12 from the floor in his next game.
Chauncey Billups, the Pistons "Mr. Big Shot," was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, joining Ben Wallace. The Going to Work Pistons were supposedly built with no stars, but ended up with two hall of fame players.
The old baseball saying says, "You can't win a championship in April, but you can lose it." After years of being out of contention by Memorial Day (or to be blunt, by May 1) due to horrible starts, the Tigers got off to their fastest start in years at 6-1. They have come back down to earth somewhat, but their pitching has been encouraging. The bats, on the other hand...
We also play Greg's Birthday Game!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week, our special guest is John J. Miller, author of “The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football.”
We discuss John's book, which takes a deep dive into the violent, nearly lawless days of late 19th century football and the public outcry which almost led to the sport being banned. But thanks to President Theodore Roosevelt’s intervention, who loved the sport, football was saved. That led to the creation of the NCAA, the innovation of the forward pass, a vital collaboration between Walter Camp, Charles W. Eliot, John Heisman and others, and, ultimately, the creation of a new American pastime.
You can find "The Big Scum" on Amazon!
In the second half of the show, our topics include:
In a wild first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, Greg Kampe's Oakland Golden Grizzlies became America's sweethearts by beating Kentucky and was an OT away from making the Sweet Sixteen. Tom Izzo and Michigan State once again lost to their nemesis, North Carolina. And the Michigan Wolverines hired a new basketball coach, Florida Atlantic's Dusty May.
Shohei Ohtani's interpreter ran up $4.5 million in illegal gambling debt to a bookie, which was somehow paid via wire transfer, possibly with Ohtani's involvement. Ohtani claims the money was stolen, but the whole thing stinks to high heaven.
The Tigers will not start the season with Matt Manning in the rotation, who was sent to Triple-A Toledo.
Javy Baez is having a horrific spring at the plate.
The Lions cut Cam Sutton one day after they learned last season's starting corner had a warrant out for his arrest for domestic battery by strangulation. Sutton has gone silent and police have been unable to contact him.
As Dylan Larkin goes, so go the Red Wings. A month ago, the Red Wings were 10 points up in the wild card race and all but a playoff lock. But Larkin's injury sent the Wings into a 3+ week tailspin which currently has them one point out of playoff positioning.
Thanks to injuries, incompetence, a mismatched roster, and all round bad play, it's getting very, very ugly with the Pistons.
We also play Greg's Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, Gaana, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week we welcome back an old friend of the show, EMU head football coach Chris Creighton.
Coach joins us after the first day of spring practice to talk all things Eastern Michigan Eagles, including the status of the roster, the latest renovations to Rynearson Stadium and the soon to be christened "Maxx Crosby Field," the Creighton coaching tree (including new Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, who was coach's first offensive coordinator at EMU) and the overall state of college football.
Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties we had to end this week's show after the interview. But we'll be back in two weeks with author John Miller, who joins us to discuss football history. His book, "The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football" covers the deadly violence that overwhelmed 19th century football, and how a sitting President intervened by pushing reform to save the game.
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week we cover the Detroit sports gamut - Red Wings, Pistons, Tigers and Lions.
Topics include:
It was a crazy night in Chicago as the return of Patrick Kane and his game winning OT goal overshadowed the jersey retirement of Chris Chelios.
The Red Wings are are flying high, owners of a 5 game winning streak and well situated to not only make the playoffs, but actually make some post season noise.
When does Patrick Kane get extended?
Will GM Steve Yzerman make a splash or look to add minor depth pieces at the trade deadline?
When in the HELL was the NBA All-Star Game? Whatever it was, it wasn't basketball.
If the players don't care about the All-Star weekend, why should fans?
In making his game winning shot versus the Pistons, the Magics Paolo Banchero shuffled his feet, moved his pivot foot and literally walked, yet no call. What we once called traveling is now called a "gather step." Does anyone know what traveling is anymore?
The Tigers signed veteran Gio Urshela to plug their gaping maw of a roster hole at 3rd base.
The NFL salary cap unexpectedly skyrocketed an additional $30 million, up to $255 million. Some Lions are about to get PAID.
Lions GM Brad Holmes off season team building philosophy come down to filling lineup holes via free agency, while using the draft to acquire the best player available, regardless of position.
We also play Greg's Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Programming notes: In two weeks we welcome back Eastern Michigan's head football coach Chris Creighton to the show. Coach joins us yearly to talk all things EMU and about his life as a G5 football coach.
In one month, author John Miller joins us to discuss football history. His book, "The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football" covers the deadly violence that overwhelmed 19th century football, and how a sitting President intervened by pushing reform to save the game.
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week we welcome back our NBA stats guru Siddy Hall to discuss all things Pistons...as bad as they may be. Siddy opines on the record losing streak, the release of Killian Hayes, GM Troy Weaver's blowing up the roster to obtain a "bunch of guys" at the trade deadline, Monty Williams odd rotations which buried Jalen Ivey for far too long, and in general express genuine disappointment in the state of the team.
Siddy also talks big picture NBA, as the court is to tilted heavily toward offense, pace, and high scoring What can be done, if anything, to help defenses?
In the second half of the show, topics include:
Lions GM Brad Holmes held his season ending press conference. He kept receipts, asking for accountability while calling out local media who criticized his excellent (in hindsight) drafts.
Did Ben Johnson burn bridges in turning down the Commanders job? Did the Commanders start a smear campaign to cover their asses after their supposed number 1 target declined their advances?
All-Pro center Frank Ragnow hinted at retirement before announcing he would return in 2024. But expect more and more players to move on from the NFL after their first or second contract.
The NFL Awards need to make clear what criteria they should be based upon. For example, the NFL Coach of the Year should be renamed the NFL Team Exceeded Expectations Award.
The Red Wings are in position to make a serious run at the playoffs. Their upcoming 4 game western swing will go a long way in determining if GM Steve Yzerman is a buyer or seller at the trade deadline.
We also play Greg's Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Programming note: We are moving our bi-weekly recording sessions to Monday nights. You can expect new episodes of The Knee Jerks Podcast to go live late Monday evenings in both audio and video.
Big Al also apologizes for his camera freezing, looks as if hes going webcam shopping this week.
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
The Detroit Lions heartbreaking loss to the San Francisco 49ers and the resulting fallout dominates our discussion this week, for obvious reasons. We also touch on the latest news involving the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers and Michigan Wolverines.
This week's topics include:
The Lions found themselves 30 minutes away from their first Super Bowl appearance, going into the half up 24-7. Then...disaster. What in the HELL happened?
Looking to blame someone or something? There's plenty to pick from - sloppy execution, bad luck, questionable decision making.
Did Dan Campbell make the right calls in going for it on 4th down, eschewing a pair of long field goal attempts?
It's quite possible the Lions are an even better team next season, yet don't go as far into the post season. Sports are funny that way.
Live by Ben Johnson, die by Ben Johnson. Did the Lions' play calling get too cute in the 3rd quarter?
Are pricey contact extensions on the table for Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St, Brown?
Change is on the horizon. There could be significant changes to the coaching staff and an upheaval on the defensive side of the roster.
Has the lazy Same Old Lions trope finally been put to rest?
As awful as the last 30 minutes of the NFC championship were, that doesn't negate just how fun and successful this season was for the Lions.\
Led by leading scorer Dylan Larkin and new number one goalie Alex Lyon, the Red Wings are on a tear and in excellent position make a run at the playoffs.
The Tigers take a page out of the Atlanta Braves playbook, signing top position prospect Colt Keith to a long-term, guaranteed money big league contract.
Did the Wolverines do the right thing in replacing NFL bound Jim Harbaugh by elevating Sherrone Moore to head coach without doing a nationwide search?
We also play Greg's Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Programming note: Due to scheduling issues, our NBA stats guru Siddy Hall will join us in two weeks. We hope to have Eastern Michigan head football coach Chris Creighton join us late next month.
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
If you are a fan of the National Champion Michigan Wolverines and playoff winning Detroit Lions, this past week featured the best football of your lifetime. So lets talk about it!
Upcoming guests: January 30 will be a two for the price of one episode. One of our favorite guests, Eastern Michigan head football coach Chris Creighton, will join us to talk Eagles and MACtion. Our NBA stats guru Siddy Hall will also return on the 30 to discuss all things Detroit Pistons. That should be FUN.
This weeks topics include:
The Detroit Lions beat the LA Rams in the NFL Wild Card round, winning their first playoff game since January 1992.
The victory over the Rams featured so many story lines, it was just as much a soap opera as a football game.
Matthew Stafford is no longer our QB1. The fans at Ford Field realized that, treating Stafford as the enemy and embracing Jared Goff.
The win will go down in Detroit lore as the "Jared Goff Revenge Game."
The bonkers Detroit crowd made for a legitimate home field advantage, forcing the Rams to use 2 time outs early in the 2nd half, time outs they sorely missed late in the game.
Like other WR1's they have recently faced, the Lions' defense couldn't stop Puka Natua. But the bend but don't break defense stiffened in the red zone, forcing 3 Rams field goals. That was the difference in the game.
Dan Campbell badly outcoached Sean McVay. The game ended with the Lions able to run out the last 4 minutes on the clock with 2 first downs.
Up next? A second home playoff game! Thanks to the Packers curb stomping the Cowboys, the Lions will play the Bucs at home next Sunday.
What the Hell is going in Seattle? Why fire Pete Carroll?
This season was national tile or bust for the Wolverines. Mission accomplished for Jim Harbaugh and this core group of players.
What's next for the ever mercurial Harbaugh? The NFL? Back to Michigan?
Should Sherrone Moore inherit the Michigan job if Harbuagh heads back to the shield?
Nick Saban retired, which was shocking...until you realized all the signs were there. The coaching dominoes quickly fell across the country.
We also play Greg's Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
We welcome the new year with a new episode of The Knee Jerks!
Upcoming guests: Our NBA stats guru Siddy Hall joins us on 01/30. One of our favorite guests, Eastern Michigan head football coach Chris Creighton, is also on the schedule.
This weeks topics include:
The Detroit Lions clinched the NFC North and are in the playoffs! It's their first division title since winning the no longer in existence NFC Central in 1993.
The Lions were screwed by NFL refs....again.
Who's to blame for the 2 point conversion snafu which cost the Lions a win and a shot at the 1 or 2 seed? You'd think it was referee Brad Allen, the NFL's version of Angel Hernandez. According to the NFL, it's the Lions fault for attempting to deceive. But isn't that the point of a TRICK PLAY?
The shield never, ever admits to a mistake. EVER.
Was Dan Campbell overly aggressive in going for the win, attempting the 2 point conversion, not just once, or twice, but three times?
Campbell says he's going to play his starters in their final regular season game, despite it being meaningless.
The Michigan Wolverines knocked off the Alabama Crimson Tide in a thrilling OT game, and will play the Washington Huskies for the national title.
J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum finally got their signature win.
What's next for the ever mercurial Jim Harbaugh? Does he sign a reportedly massive, long-term contract extension to remain at Michigan? Or is he prowling on an NFL sideline next fall?
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart calls out the bowl system after the majority of the Florida State Seminoles starting lineup opted out of the glorified exhibition that was the Orange Bowl.
The Detroit Pistons made the wrong kind of history, setting a new single season NBA record with a 28 game losing streak.
As GM Troy Weaver remains MIA, owner Tom Gores did a video Q & A with a handful of Pistons beat writers. It was held late Friday night on December 23rd, the definition of a holiday news dump.
Gores came off as completely out of touch, saying, “Other than winning, we do everything to bring the best to Detroit.”
We also play Greg's Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week we take a deep dive into the mental part of sports as we interview sports psychologist Mike Margolies. Mike is the author of "The Athlete within You" and has been a practicing Sport Psychology Consultant for 40+ years, having trained people and athletes of all ages, including Olympians, professionals and amateur athletes in most sports. We learn how mental toughness is a learned skill and how mental training can turn a good athlete into an elite athlete. Mike also has a few thoughts on the struggling Pistons.
In the second half of the show, our topics include:
The Pistons have lost 24 consecutive games and are on the verge of NBA and sports infamy.
A blowout victory over the Broncos has the Lions on the verge of a playoff spot and the NFC North crown.
The NFC is wide open, and owning home field advantage may very well be the deciding factor.
Back from a scary neck injury, Red Wings center Dylan Larkin calls out NHL front office brass for their lack of action in regard to player safety. If the league won't punish cheap shots, the players may have to go back to doling out frontier justice.
We also play Greg's Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
This week we cover the gamut in Detroit sports, discussing the Detroit Lions' Chicken Little fanbase, ask if the Detroit Pistons will ever win again, ponder where Patrick Kane fits in the Detroit Red Wings' Yzerplan, praise the Detroit Tigers for locking down AJ Hinch and determine if thinking both Florida State got screwed and Alabama deserved to be be in the college football playoff can be true at the same time.
Our topics include:
The Lions keep winning, even as the games get uglier and uglier.
Is the sky falling? Some in Detroit's fanbase believe so...despite the Lions owning the 3rd overall seed in the NFC at 9-3 overall, and are 8-2 in their last 10, 4-1 in their last 5.
So the sky is not falling! But there are reasons to be concerned, specifically in regard to the Lions' porous pass defense.
As for the playoffs? They are still a lock.
The Lions have a very young core, and have a front office having shown they can consistently nail the draft. Honestly, they aren't yet ready to win a Super Bowl. But next year...
In midst of a franchise record 17 game losing streak, the Pistons are reportedly "reluctant to hit the panic button." What, exactly, would that be? Frankly, firing GM Troy Weaver wouldn't be a panic move, it would just be deserved.
Does Steve Yzerman think he has finally built a playoff roster? He hasn't outright said so, but he all but confirmed it by signing Patrick Kane.
Dylan Larkin has stepped up his game and is playing like a top line center.
Jim Leyland was deservedly voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. And his 8 seasons managing the Tigers is what put him over the top.
The Tigers locked down manager AJ Hinch, inking him to a long-term contact extension. Works for us!
College football has devolved into utter chaos.
Will Jim Harbaugh be on the Michigan Wolverines sideline next September, or will he be four hours west with the Chicago Bears in Soldier Field?
FSU got screwed. Sideways.
We also play Greg's Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds Al's BlueSky: @Albeat
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
We'd like to apologize for the longer than expected hiatus. As it tends to do, life got in the way. But The Knee Jerks are back with a jam packed episode featuring two guests.
Our first guest is author Keith Gave, retired Detroit Red Wings beat writer and columnist for the Detroit Free Press.
In a wide raging discussion, Keith talks about his days on the Wings beat, going from bottom feeders to winning the Stanley Cup. We learn more about the infamous Goose Loonies incident, Keith talks about his role in helping Petr Klima to defect, what it was like covering the rise of the Russian Five, lets us know the current status of Vladimir Konstantinov, talks how the job of the beat writer has changed for the worse, gives his thoughts on Steve Yzerman as the team's GM and more.
Keith's books:
The Russian Five: A Story of Espionage, Defection, Bribery and Courage
Vlad the Impaler: More Epic Tales From Detroit's '97 Stanley Cup Conquest
A Miracle of Their Own: A Team, A Stunning Gold Medal and Newfound Dreams for American Girls
The second guest is our NBA stats guru, Siddy Hall, who takes a deep dive into the issues surrounding the Detroit Pistons, currently owners of a brutal 12 game losing streak.
Siddy goes off on coach Monty Williams and his insistence of starting Killian Hayes over Jaden Ivey, the failure of GM Troy Weaver to build a coherent roster, Cade Cunningham's inefficiency and penchant for turnovers as a number one scoring option, center Jalen Duren stepping up but still being on the second tier of big men, and rookie Ausar Thompson having many positives but one massive negative, to name just a few of the many Pistons topics covered.
During the final segment of the show, we discuss the the rise of Detroit Lions. As they head into a Thanksgiving Day clash against the Green Bay Packers, a three game winning streak has moved the Lions to 8-2, the second best record in the NFL.
Due to time constraints there is no Birthday Game, but we do name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
Between the Lions' fast start, the Tigers and Miguel Cabrera playing out the string and the latest on the Yzerplan, there's plenty on this weeks agenda.
First, a programming note: The Jerks will be on a short hiatus, as Al will be out of town. But we'll be back on Tuesday, October 24 with special guest Keith Gave. Keith is a former Red Wings beat writer for the Free Press turned author. On November 7, our NBA Stats Guru, Siddy Hall, returns to talk all things hoops.
This week our topics include:
The Lions split their first two home games of the season, starting the season a solid 2-1. They did lose a hard hitting battle to the Seahawks (who seemingly have the Lions number and all but killed the silly blue ski mask stuff) but they handily beat the Falcons as Detroit's defense dominated.
Remember Brad Holmes' controversial draft class that was railed against by NFL pundits for the lack of positional value? Three games in, those rookies, led by an electric Brian Branch, are making an outsized impact.
Entering NFL week four, is the NFC North already just a two team race between the 2-1 Lions and 2-1 Packers? The winless Vikings and slow motion train wreck Bears say, "YES."
The Tigers missed the playoffs for ninth consecutive season, tied with the Angels for the current longest MLB postseason drought.
PBO Scott Harris finally brought in his new right hand man, naming Jeff Greenberg as the Tigers' GM. Greenberg was lured away from....the Blackhawks?
Miguel Cabrera is playing out the string as the Tigers start their final homestand of the season. As we celebrate Miggy's wonderful HoF career, we should also be relieved his long decline is over, freeing up salary and a roster spot.
As the Red Wings enter year 5 of GM Steve Yzerman's regime, is it too soon to start questioning the Yzerplan? As the Wings, appear to be a playoff bubble team at best, the answer is - no it's not....but there are also several caveats.
Plus we play The Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter aka X Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno Greg's Substack - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
It's a threesome this week (Greg's words) as Eno, Nick and Big Al talk the latest in Detroit sports. Two topics dominated, which we cover in-depth.
This week we discuss:
Tuck is no longer comin'. Michigan State suspended head football coach Mel Tucker without pay while MSU investigates allegations that he sexually harassed Brenda Tracy, a rape survivor and activist well known for advocating for victims of assault and taking to college athletes. The details are, to put it mildly, awful.
Tucker's defense is a conspiracy theory, claiming the inquiry is little more than "an ulterior motive" so MSU can get out of his ridiculous 10-year, $95 million contract via the moral turpitude clause. Yes, this is going to get ugly and likely end up in court. Regardless, Tucker's Power 5 coaching career is over, no matter what happens.
The Detroit Lions start living up to the hype, taking down the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead, 21-20.
Chiefs RT Jawaan Taylor appeared to jump early on nearly every snap. Even worse, Taylor was illegally lining up well off the line of scrimmage, to the point where Cris Collinsworth called Taylor a "slot receiver." Yet the refs only called one false start on the Chiefs.
The Lions took on their biggest rival, the zebras, and won! In the words of Dan Campbell, "You gotta adjust." To the Lions credit, they did.
NBC's Mike Tirico caught serious fan blowback when he said the Lions' victory would have an asterisk next to it due to the Chiefs missing Chris Jones and Travis Kelce. Tirico, who lives in Ann Arbor, said it was taken out of context. Always quick with a quote, when asked, Campbell replied. “Well, is there an asterisk next to our 1-0?”
Up next for the Lions is their home opener. They take on the team that knocked them out of the playoffs in week 18, the Seattle Seahawks. To say Ford Field will be a madhouse is an understatement.
It's the NFL's world and we're just living in it. Lions - Chiefs averaged 27M viewers and was the most-watched program on TV since Super Bowl LVII last February.
Is anyone watching the Detroit Tigers? Bueller? Bueller?
Plus we play The Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube.
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Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich
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Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
Greg is back from his tour of the state of Michigan. So the three headed monster known as The Knee Jerks are back in full force to discuss the latest in Detroit sports.
One programming note - The Knee Jerks Podcast is back to recording twice a month, with a new show released every other Tuesday night.
This week our topics include:
With the emergence of Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, Kerry Carpenter and now Parker Meadows, the Tigers may have a young core of position players to build around for the first time since the core of the 1984 team were called up in the late 70's.
Catcher Eric Haase is DFA'd, replaced by Carson Kelly. Haase was a nice guy, but if he isn't hitting home runs, he's expendable.
Is there anything the Tigers can do with Javy Baez, the $98 million left on his contract and his league worst bat? The Tigers and their fans have to accept for the next 4 years the franchise essentially has Eddie Brinkman as their shortstop.
The vast majority of Lions starters didn't play a single snap in their 3 exhibition games. Was it the right decision? After seeing Nate Sudfeld tear up his knee in a meaningless game, the answer is YES.
As relief pitching was to Dave Dombrowski, kickers are to Brad Holmes. After nearly 4 decades of elite placekicking, today's Lions feel adrift at the position as they look for trade options.
Michigan's Jim Harbaugh had a lot on his mind during his recent presser. First and foremost was making a case for NCAA players getting a share of the massive amounts of TV revenue the schools make of the backs of their labor. Good idea, but that also opens a Pandora's Box of problems that could never be solved without blowing up the current system.
Plus we play The Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook
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Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich
Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno
Greg's Substack - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
Greg is happily on vacation wandering throughout the state of Michigan in his RV, so Nick and Al pardner up for hot topics, tangents the Jerk of the Week. Greg will be back in two weeks!
This week our topics include:
Recently traded Michael Lorenzen throws a no-hitter for the Phillies. All you can do is laugh!
RIP Jim Price.
A semi-mea culpa for Miguel Cabrera in his final weeks as a Detroit Tiger.
What to make of a smoking hot at the plate Spencer Torkelson, currently playing the best baseball of his short career.
Red Wings acquire veteran defenseman Jeff Petry from the Canadians, a deal with very little downside and a ton of upside.
Thanks to local Detroit sports talk radio, who love fanning flames and making mountains out of molehills, Jameson Williams is the latest Detroit fan scapegoat.
The Lions sign Teddy Bridgewater as their backup QB, as no self-proclaimed playoff contender could into the season with the likes of Nate Sudfeld behind Jared Goff.
For whom the bell tolls? It tolls for the PAC 12 conference, which will no longer exist as of 2024.
All that, plus the 1968 Tigers, Paul Carey, Jason Thompson, Rob Deer, small ball, three true outcomes, the Wings resurrecting old defensemen, Eric Ebron, hiking and numerous other tangents!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook
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Nick's TwitterX: @NickMilanovich
Greg's TwitterX: @GregEno
Greg's Substack - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports podcasters Greg Eno, Big Al Beaton and Nick Milanovich are The Knee Jerks!
It's a new era of The Knee Jerks Podcast as Nick officially joins the show as the Third Jerk!
This week our returning guest is Detroit Red Wings broadcaster Ken Kal. Ken joins us for his annual Red Wings season preview, discussing the Wings off season moves, updates us on his off season activities, and tells more stories about his longtime color man Paul Woods, one involving a ceiling tile!
In the second half of the show, we cover the Detroit Tigers and their unexpected trade deadline hijinks and how the imminent demise of the PAC 12 will change the college sports landscape for the worse.
This weeks topics include:
What in the HELL happened with the Eduardo Rodriguez trade? It blew up in the face of the Dodgers, Tigers and especially GM Scott Harris.
Who is to blame? Does it all fall on Harris? Did E-Rod blindside the Tigers?
Was there no backup plan?
Is there any way the Tigers could save face? Seems the only way would be if E-Rod opted-in to the final 3 years of his contract, which seems far fetched at best.
On the flip side, the Michael Lorenzen signing, ultimately resulting in a trade for a solid prospect, could not have gone any better for the Tigers.
Does Harris' first trade deadline with the Tigers earn a failing grade?
With Colorado leaving for the Big 12, the remaining Four Corner schools (Arizona, Arizona St and Utah) looking to join the Buffs, the PAC 12 looks to be on life support. Five years ago a college sports landscape without the Conference of Champions was unimaginable. Now, it's hard to see a way the conference survives.
We also play the Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Scheduling note: Greg is off on vacation, so the next show will feature Al and Nick, going live on Tuesday, August 15
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube.
Visit us on Facebook
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Nick's Twitter: @NickMilanovich
Greg's Twitter: @GregEno
Greg's Substack - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
We apologize for the extra long hiatus, but The Knee Jerks are back and celebrating 14 years of podcasting! Yes, 14 years!
First off, our 3rd Jerk, Nick Milanovich, joins the festivities.
We also welcome back two of our favorite and longest tenured guests, Bob Page and Ray Scott!
Bob joins us to give his always pertinent thoughts on the Tigers, Red Wings, Pistons, and Mets, with a grammar lesson thrown in!
Follow Bob on Twitter @BobPageSports
Coach Scott follows, and we finally get to discuss in depth his recently released book, "The NBA in Black and White: The Memoir of a Trailblazing NBA Player and Coach," co-written with Charley Rosen.
Coach also talks about what Detroit was like in the 60s as seen from the eyes of a kid from Philly, the social upheaval he witnessed, politics in the NBA and how some well known stars had their fill of the league, and Monty Williams' massive new contract to coach the Pistons.
In the final third of the show, we discuss the latest in Detroit sports. Topics include:
Filip Zadina will not be filling up nets with pucks as a Red Wing after asking for a trade, then being waived. Zadina has likely played his final game wearing the winged wheel.
Do the Red Wings need the scoring an Alex Debrincat would bring? Or would the trade capital needed and contract cost/term be too steep?
In the Metro Times, former Freep and NYT writer Joe Lapointe exposed the lack of maintenance and aging, fraying infrastructure at Comerica Park. Eh, the Ilitches are probably too busy not keeping their promises in regard to District Detroit.
The Tigers are a horrible team, 11 games under .500 after losing two straight to the lowly A's. Can we stop the farcical, "Well, they are only 5-6 games out of first, they could make a run!" No, they will not make a run at the division and GM Scott Harris must sell at the deadline.
All that, plus the usual tangents and digressions!
As for our upcoming schedule, Al is headed to Florida for two weeks, so our next episode will be on Wednesday, August 2 with returning guest Ken Kal, the Red Wings marvelous play-by-play man.
In mid-August, Greg is on vacation, so Nick will cover for the man who a lot of things about a lot of things.
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube.
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Follow us on Twitter
Greg's Twitter: @GregEno
Greg's Substack: Out of Bounds
Nick's Twitter: @NickMilanovich
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
In our last podcast before we celebrate our 14th anniversary as The Knee Jerks, we run the Detroit sports gamut. This week is all things Lions, Red Wings, Tigers and Pistons. You'll also get our real time reaction to the Pistons' worst case draft lottery scenario coming to fruition.
This weeks topics include:
The Lions 2023 draft class ignites a massive "positional value" debate within the media and fan base.
The NFL's 2023 schedule gives the new look Lions both the benefit of the doubt and a great deal of respect, with 4 prime time games. This first of which kicks off the 2023 season, a Thursday night game in Kansas City.
The Red Wings received no draft lottery luck...again. The Wings will pick 9th overall, making Steve Yzerman's search for an impact scoring center or winger that much harder.
What's the current state of the Tigers? Well, Sparky Anderson famously declared, "You can't tell anything about a baseball team until 40 games have been played." The Tigers reached game 40 tonight and are hovering near .500 at 19-21.
The Tigers have a major conundrum - what to do with starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez? E-Rod is currently pitching like a Cy Young candidate, and will almost assuredly opt-out of his contract. So do the Tigers trade him, or try to negotiate a new contract?
The Pistons had the absolute worst case scenario go down during the NBA's draft lottery. Despite having the worst record in the NBA, they will have the 5th overall selection. It's an absolute gut punch to a long suffering fan base.
Draft lotteries are too punitive to teams that don't win, and are a solution to a problem that didn't really exist.
Meanwhile, there's been no news in what's been an underwhelming search for a new head coach, with an even more underwhelming Kevin Ollie reportedly the favorite to get the gig.
We also play the Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Greg's Twitter: @GregEno Greg's Substack - Out of Bounds
After a month's hiatus due to Al's travels, Eno and Big Al are back spewing HAWT TAEKS on a new episode of The Knee Jerks Podcast. It's good to be back, and we very much appreciate your patience with our sometimes irregular schedule.
For even more hot takes, subscribe to Greg's new Substack newsletter! Speaking of hot takes,we welcome back NBA Stats Guru Siddy Hall, who puts Pistons GM Troy Weaver on BLAST. Siddy comes in smoking hot, believing Dwane Casey should remain as head coach instead of being moved to the front office, while calling out an uninspiring coaching search with no obvious home run hire. We also take a deep dive into Weavers' roster and salary cap management, trades which have gone sideways, and the good and bad of Weaver's drafts. Siddy also give us his thoughts on what has been a fun first round of the NBA Playoffs. In the second half of the show, our topics include: It was a week where the Tigers' botching weather postponements made more news than the team's performance. For the second time in less than a year, Austin Meadows was placed on the IL due to his mental health. To no one's surprise, a very vocal minority of the Tigers' fan base made complete asses of themselves over what is a serious issue. The Tigers' penchant for boneheaded base running resulted in AJ Hinch pulling Javy Baez from the lineup mid-game. The Tigers proceeded to rip off a 5 game winning streak post pull, so let the comparisons to Jim Leyland's legendary 2006 clubhouse rant ensue. The Lions' Jeff Okuda era ended with a whimper. The team cut bait, as the former 3rd overall selection was shipped to the Falcons for a 5th round draft pick. Four years into GM Steve Yzerman’s rebuild of the Red Wings, the Captain says, “It’s gone OK.” Blunt, but accurate. The Red Wings are at a crossroads. They are not bad enough to have a legit shot at top lottery pick, but not good enough to earn playoff 8 seed. They are in desperate need of a couple of impact scoring wingers and an elite goalie. But who is going to trade that kind of talent for picks? And it's nigh impossible to find that sort of player with the 9th and 18th overall selections in the draft. We also play the Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Subscribe to Greg's Substack Greg's Twitter: @GregEno Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Time to ring in spring with The Knee Jerks on The Knee Jerks Podcast! There's no guest this week, but there's plenty of Lions and Tigers news to discuss.
Programming note: We're going on a short hiatus, as Big Al will be out of town in early April. The next episode of The Knee Jerks Podcast will be on Tuesday, April 18th. Joining us will be our NBA stats guru, Siddy Hall. On Tuesday, May 2nd, another old friend of the show, Michael Schottey, will join us to talk all things NFL Draft.
This week's topics include:
Detroit Lions' GM Brad Holmes made a huge a splash in free agency, adding several players who will either be immediate starters or major contributors, while retaining important role players.
Did the Lions "disrespect" Jamaal Williams by signing David Montgomery as his replacement or did Williams' agent misread the market for his client's services?
Are the Lions, led by the good vibes and positivity surrounding MCDC (aka Motor City Dan Campbell), suddenly an attractive destination for free agents?
With the NFC North up for grabs and a contention window that appears to be wide open, Holmes has gone all in on filling the Lions' roster holes.
The Lions are not treating this off season like a rebuilding team, but rather as a playoff contending team.
The Detroit Tigers announced top prospect Jackson Jobe is out for at least 3-6 months with (dire sounding) lumbar spine inflammation. Let's welcome Jackson to a rapidly growing group of injured Tigers pitching prospects.
Jobe being sidelined for the season is the final revenge of the previous regime, highlighting the utter folly of Al Avila basing a foundational rebuild around the most volatile and injury prone type of ballplayer - young starting pitchers.
The World Baseball Classic has been tons of fun to watch, and the international players and fan bases are wildly into the WBC, but the majority of US baseball fans just don't care. Not helping the WBC is it being overshadowed by the juggernaut known as the NCAA Tournament and significant, season-altering injuries suffered by the Mets' Edwin Diaz and the Astros' Jose Altuve).
We also play the Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Greg's Twitter: @GregEno Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
It's all Knee Jerks on The Knee Jerks Podcast! No guest, but we do have a ton of Detroit Red Wings discussion on the docket.
This week's topics include:
Steve Yzerman had a busy, busy, busy trade deadline. He signed three players to new deals, while shipping four others out of town for draft capital.
Yzerman admitted this year's Red Wings were not going to be a playoff team. His plan all along was to sell off players for a ton of draft capital, regardless.
In a literal offer he couldn't refuse, Yzerman flipped Filip Hronek to the Canuks for 1st and 2nd round draft picks.
Yzerman admitted Tyler Bertuzzi wasn't going to be re-signed, making it an easy decision to send him to the Bruins for a 1st round pick.
We may never know what happened between Jakub Vrana and the Red Wings, but it says volumes that the Wings gave him to the Blues for essentially nothing (a 7th round draft pick) AND still had to retain salary. The Wings could not get rid of Vrana soon enough.
Our Detroit nightmare is over, as Dylan Larkin finally signed a long-term deal with the Red Wings.
As the rebuild continues, could the Red Wings caught in a Pistons-esque treadmill of mediocrity? They desperately need an impact wing or center, who are most often found at the top of the draft. But the Wings are too good to finish high in the lottery, yet not good enough to be anything more than a playoff bubble team.
The new MLB pitch clock works, having lopped 20 minutes off spring training games. Anything speeding up the pace of play is a good thing. Baseball does not need human rain delays or LOOGYs.
This season the Detroit Tigers will start weeknight night games at 6:40 PM. We're old enough to remember when the first pitch of a Tigers regular season night game would be at 8PM.
All RSNs are teetering on the brink of a financial disaster. This could end up being a very good thing for the fan at large if it leads to MLB taking over TV production and lifting blackout restrictions.
NFL QBs are getting PAID. When Danny Dimes is getting $40 million a season and Geno Smith $35 million, the Lions may need to back up the Brinks truck to Jared Goff's back door....or select his heir apparent in the upcoming draft.
We also play the Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Greg's Twitter: @GregEno Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week we welcomed back one of the oldest friends of the show, legendary broadcaster Bob Page. Now enjoying life in Florida, Bob spent decades working in TV, radio, and podcasting, both in Detroit and New York City.
We had a wide ranging discussion with Bob, covering the mass shooting at Michigan State and the fallout from another senseless tragedy, the state of the MSU basketball program and Tom Izzo, the Red Wings on the playoff bubble as they near the NHL trade deadline, Steve Yzerman's rebuild strategy, the contract status of Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi, and losing the romance of baseball, amongst other topics.
In the second half of the show, Greg and Al talk Tigers and Pistons:
Tigers Owner Chris Ilitch is reportedly “changing the player experience” by investing in a new team plane, remodeling the clubhouse at Comerica Park, and trying to "improve every aspect of being a Tiger."
The Tigers are actually investing money at the lower levels, as they will have a minor league nutrition coordinator, with a nutritionist and two athletic trainers at each affiliate level.
President of Baseball Operations/GM Scott Harris met with the media for the first time this spring, and as usual, said quite a bit without actually saying anything.
We're still in the Harris honeymoon phase. If Al Avila had essentially punted on a season by saying, “We are going to play competitive baseball as deep into the season as we can," the fan base would have raised hell.
Harris' reasoning for not signing any position players best hold true. If it doesn't male sense to invest significant at-bats in veteran players who will not be a part of this team beyond 2023, then the likes of Johnathan Schoop better not get 400+ at-bats.
As part of a 4 team deal with the Warriors, Trail Blazers and Hawks, the Pistons moved on from Saddiq Bay at the NBA trade deadline. In the end, the team did not want to pay big money on a second contract for a replaceable, inconsistent 3 and D wing.
In return for Bey, GM Troy Weaver elected to take a swing at a low floor, high ceiling project big man in former 2nd overall pick James Wiseman.
Add Wiseman to GM Troy Weaver's growing pile of lottery pick reclamation projects. Though we're still waiting one to actually hit.
You should expect rebuilding teams to churn through young players. The core will constantly be in flux (not long ago the core was Bey, Grant and Stewart, now it's Cunningham, Ivey and Duren) and very few players will see it through the entire rebuild.
We also play the Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Greg's Twitter: @GregEno Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week our special guest is a friend of the show and also the head football coach of the Eastern Michigan University Eagles, Chris Creighton.
The 2022 season was an excellent one for Chris and EMU - 9-4 record, a road victory over Arizona St, tied Toledo for the MAC West Division title, and a win over San Jose St in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Chris looks back on the season and EMU's first bowl game win since 1987. Coach also gives us a preview of their highly ranked recruiting class and talks of his relationship with retiring defensive coordinator Neal Neathery.
In the second half of the show we dive into the Tigers and Red Wings. Our topics include:
Sinclair's Diamond Sports, which operates the Bally Sports RSNs (and owns the TV rights to the Tigers, Red Wings and Pistons, along with 39 other teams) will soon file for bankruptcy protection.
Sinclair deserves every bit of bile being spewed at them, starting with their godawful app, overpriced stand alone service, and fan unfriendly practices.
Bally Sports shook up their Tigers broadcast team. Jack Morris, aka the old man who yells at clouds and is occasionally racist, will not return in 2023. He'll be replaced by Craig Monroe.
The Tigers farm system was ranked dead last by The Athletic’s Keith Law. In Law's words, "There will be a lot of high draft picks to come. It’s lean times ahead in Detroit, unfortunately.”
Dylan Larkin and the Red Wings are STILL at an impasse when it comes to a new contract. But the Islanders just set the center market when they inked 27-year-old Bo Horvat (with stats very comparable to the 26-year-old Larkin) to an 8-year, $68 million contract.
Is top six forward Jakub Vrana no longer in the Red Wings plans? The Wings aren't saying anything, but all signs point to "a trade or buyout is on the horizon."
We also play the Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Greg's Twitter: @GregEno Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Big Al has returned to Michigan after spending 2 weeks playing cards in a Florida retirement community. Which means The Knee Jerks Podcast is back after a month-long hiatus.
Our first guest in 2023 is an old friend - NBA stats guru Siddy Hall. As the NBA season reaches the halfway mark, Siddy gives us his thoughts on the Pistons' season long struggles while also finding some positives, makes a case for Dwayne Casey being the best coach for the current situation, discusses possible trade deadline moves and asks a long suffering fan base to remain patient during the rebuild.
The second half of the show is all Greg and Al, topics include:
A complete Detroit Lions season post mortem
The Lions finished their season on a low note, as they narrowly missed the playoffs. But it also ended on a high note, knocking Aaron Rodgers and the Packers out of the playoffs on national TV.
Ending the season with an emotional victory may have been the best way to wrap up a wild year.
The Lions' rebuild is ahead of schedule. But who stays, and who goes?
Expectations for the 2023 season are extremely high, with their floor being a division title and a home playoff game. Unfortunately, the Lions are long known for their inability to live up to increased expectations. It's up to Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell to change the SOL narrative.
Are the Detroit Red Wings and captain Dylan Larkin at a contract impasse? Time is running out on completing a contract extension and GM Steve Yzerman has a history of dealing free-agents-to-be who don't fit his salary structure or timeline.
It's more likely Larkin stays, and the team moves on from Tyler Bertuzzi.
Red Wings won their gamble of waiving top six forward Jakub Vrana and goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, as neither were picked up.
The Detroit Tigers dealt closer Gregory Soto to the Philadelphia Phillies, essentially receiving Philly’s post season bench in return.
For the second time since Comerica Park opened, the Tigers are decreasing the size of the outfield.
We also play the Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Greg's Twitter: @GregEno Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Our Christmas gift to you is a new episode The Knee Jerks Podcast! This week we go around the horn and cover all four Detroit teams - Lions, Pistons, Tigers and Red Wings, with a little college football thrown in.
We have one programming note. We won't ring in 2023 until Tuesday, January 24th as Al will be out of town.
This week's topics include:
The Lions reverted to their SOL persona at the worst possible time in a discouraging loss to the Panthers.
As Dan Campbell's said, the Lions "Got their face kicked in."
With a win the Lions could have controlled their playoff destiny and been locked in to the post season by New Years Day. Instead, the loss means the Lions have to win out and need all kinds of help to have even a 20% chance at the Wild Card.
Anyone who thinks an NFL rebuild should take more than 2-3 years is being gaslit. In 2023 the Lions HAVE to make the post season.
Despite fans demanding more snaps, the Lions staff doesn't believe rookie wide out Jameson Williams is ready. It's a lost season for him, and it's no one's fault.
On Monday night, up 14 with 3 minutes to play, the Pistons were outscored 30-5 by the Clippers in the final 8 minutes of regulation and OT. The 142-131 loss is the worst of the Dwayne Casey/Troy Weaver era, giving fuel to the anti-Casey contingent.
The Pistons are just too young to seriously compete in the NBA.
With most free agents off the market and the hot stove freezing cold, Tigers' GM Scott Harris’ strategy seems to be picking up players who are coming off a down season, are low risk and cost, but have a pedigree. In other words, he's throwing shit at the wall in hope something sticks, churning the bottom of the 40 man roster, crossing his fingers a player or two hits.
The new paradigm in MLB is giving top free agents ridiculously long contracts to keep the AAV down.
Don't ever let an MLB owner cry poor, no matter their record or market size. They are raking in cash hand over fist.
Alex Ovechkin recently passed Gordie Howe for number 2 on the NHL's all-time goals list and is just 92 back of Wayne Gretzky. But when you factor in WHL and playoff goals, Ovi is almost 200 goals behind Mr. Hockey and the Great One.
We also play the Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Greg's Twitter: @GregEno Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week, Greg returns from his hiatus and is ready to start airing his grievances!
This week's topics include:
Playoffs? Thanks to a 5-1 tear, the post season may still be a longshot, but is no longer out of the Lions' realm of possibility.
In 2 months, head coach Dan Campbell has gone from a kneecap biting meathead needing a vote of confidence from Sheila Ford Hamp to being considered crazy like a fox, receiving mea culpas from the national media and is in the thick of the NFL Coach of the Year race.
Campbell's protégé Ben Johnson may have a future as an NFL head coach. His offense has been fun and unpredictable, and has Jared Goff playing the best QB of his career.
No matter how the next month plays out, the foundation is laid for a Lions “playoffs or bust” 2023 season.
Tigers GM Scott Harris says the team plans to “earmark at-bats and innings” for young players. In other words - how to say we need to rebuild the rebuild without saying the word “rebuild.”
Harris' first major deal is sending 2 time All Star and former "closer of the future" Joe Jiménez to Atlanta for 22 year old, RH hitting OF/3B prospect Justyn-Henry Malloy.
Barring a few significant (and unlikely) trades, the Tigers' offense is tracking to be putrid in 2023. There are just too many roster holes with too few major league caliber players to fix the lineup in one off season.
From the "You can't have enough starting pitching" department: In a pair of low risk, high reward free agent signings, Harris brought back former Tigers starter Matthew Boyd on a 1-year, $10 million deal and inked Angels starter Michael Lorenzen to a 1 year, $8.5 million deal.
What once looked like free agency overpays by the Tigers now seem reasonable once the market for pitching turned expensively volatile.
After a nice start to the season, the Red Wings are returning back to earth as injuries mount and the schedule toughens.
The Red Wings' goalie rotation has gone out the window. Ville Husso is playing well, but Alex Nedeljkovic's season has gone off the rails.
Yes, the game has changed. But the Red Wings still looked soft for not immediately standing up to the Wilds' Ryan Reaves after his huge hit injured Filip Hronek.
Cade Cunningham will have season ending shin surgery. May just as well fire up the tank one more time.
Two silver linings to Cunningham's extended absence - Forced to step up, Killian Hayes is playing like a legit NBA point guard and with a little lottery luck, the franchise has a shot at drafting either euro unicorn Victor Wembanyama or G-League wunderkind guard Scoot Henderson
We also play the Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube. Visit us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Greg's Twitter: @GregEno Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Greg remains on hiatus from the podcast for personal reasons. He's fine and on track to return in 2 weeks. So once again we've brought in our top pinch hitter off the bench.
Joining The Knee Jerks Podcast from the Pacific Northwest is long-time Detroit sports fan Nick Milanovich.
Click here to follow Nick on Twitter
This week's topics include:
Overriding Dan Campbell’s questionable end of half and game clock management, and the controversial failed 3rd and 1 pass call with 32 seconds to play, has been the media and fan base trotting out the moral victory card. It's eerily similar to the aftermath of the Lions' 2019 loss to the Chiefs
We saw the difference between average (Jared Goff) and elite (Josh Allen) QB play in the final minute on Thanksgiving
the Lions owning the Rams' 1st round pick has them in position to draft a top college QB. This may be their final opportunity to find a franchise QB without having to trade an immense amount of draft capital or overpay in free agency
The Wolverines curb stomped the Buckeyes 45-23 for their 2nd straight win in The Game
After the loss, tOSU's fan base went into meltdown mode, comparing Ryan Day and his .900 W% to John Cooper
For those wondering why the B1G will earn $8 BILLION over 7 years in rights fees, Fox Sports said UM-tOSU averaged 17 million viewers
One large casualty caused by the change in TV rights is ESPN saying goodbye to the B1G/ACC Challenge
Tom Izzo chimed in on MSU's Tunnelgate punishment, claiming the B1G was unfair. What a surprise...
The Tigers non-tendered several players, including the Castros and starting 3B Jeimer Candelario
GM/PBO Scott Harris has gaping roster holes to fill
Miguel Cabrera confirms the 2023 season will be his swan song
Due to a shin injury, Cade Cunningham's season may be over
Is Saddiq Bey on the trade block? Rumors claim the Pistons will listen to trade offers
We also name our respective Jerk of the Week!
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Greg's Twitter: @GregEno
Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Greg is on hiatus from the podcast for personal reasons. He's doing OK and hopes to be back soon. But rather than put the show on a long-term hiatus, we've brought in a pinch hitter who may Wally Pipp Eno.
Joining The Knee Jerks Podcast from the Pacific Northwest is long-time Detroit sports fan Nick Milanovich.
Click here to follow Nick on Twitter
This week's topics include:
Tigers President of Baseball Operations Scott Harris speaks
Harris, who has settled into a Dave Dombrowski type role, wants to hire a GM. Don't expect a big name, as the new GM will answer to Harris
Decreasing Comerica's outfield dimensions is still under serious consideration. Does it make sense?
Harris says he wants to add a left hand hitting infielder, a right hand hitting outfielder and more pitching
Javy Baez will be the Tigers' shortstop next season. The remainder of the infield is yet to be determined
The organization is finally moving on from several Avila era prospects, such as Daz Cameron and Victor Reyes
Which players will be non-tendered? Will anyone be worth taking to arbitration?
Riley Greene is named Tiger of the Year. It's honestly hard to make a case for any Tiger, but someone had to win
The Baseball Hall of Fame snubbed Lou Whitaker....again
The Tunnelgate investigation is now in the hands of the Washtenaw County prosecutor. You shouldn't expect any Michigan State players to be locked up, no matter what overheated rhetoric you may hear.
Can the Wolverines - Spartans rivalry overcome the hate, contempt and disrespect?
At 3-6 the Lions are on the periphery of the NFC wild card race. But lets not get carried away
3 weeks ago Lions fans wanted heads to roll. 2 straight wins over division rivals has fans back on board the Dan Campbell train
We also name our respective Jerk of the Week!
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Greg's Twitter: @GregEno
Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week we welcome back NBA stats guru Siddy Hall to the show for our 2022-23 NBA season preview. We talk all things Detroit Pistons as Siddy gives us his thoughts as to where the team's rebuild currently stands and tells us which teams to look out for in each conference.
In the second half of the show, topics include:
Red Wings have an encouraging start to the new season, taking 5 of a possible 6 points
Despite the fast start, we need to remember 3 games is a small sample size and keep in mind the power play remains weak sauce
Injuries to a pair of top 6 forwards will test the Wings' depth
The Wings break out their massive Redwood Line of Oskar Sundqvist, Michael Rasmussen, and rookie Elmer Söderblom
The veteran free agents GM Steve Yzerman signed this psst off season are already showing their worth
Rock bottom? The Lions enter the bye week at 1-4 after an awful 29-0 road loss to the Pats
Seeing the Giants and Jets playing well has Lions fans asking just how long should a rebuild take in today’s NFL?
The Lions' kicking game is a clown show. The defense remains the NFL's worst. Several injured draft picks have yet to see the field. GM Brad Holmes is not yet on the hot seat, but criticism is rising
If the Lions continue to struggle, when should heads roll? How much rope should Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes get before jobs are truly at risk?
We also play The Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
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Greg's Twitter: @GregEno
Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week Ron Mott returns to the show to discuss his latest Sportsopoly column - Lovable losers: Lions on-brand more than ever
Ron gives us his thoughts on the Lions' exciting, yet one again losing, season. We also cover who's good, who's bad and who's disappointing after four weeks of NFL play.
Subscribe to the Sportsopoly newsletter
@Sportsopoly on Twitter
@RonMott on Twitter
In the second half of the show, topics include:
Since we last spoke the Lions have gone 0-2 with plenty of controversy, second guessing, and no defense
Dan Campbell had 3 options to pick from at the end of the Vikings game. He went with the absolute worse one, ultimately costing the Lions a win
The Lions did the unimaginable in their 48-45 loss to the Seahawks - their defense never got a stop, and Seattle never punted
DC Aaron Glenn, touted as a rising star before the season, is now under fire as the Lions defense has been historically inept
On the flip, the Lions' offense leads the league in scoring. In fact, the Lions are the 30th team in the Super Bowl era to score 140 or more points in their first four games…but the only one to have a losing record
Is Jared Goff a franchise QB? Since the last 4 games of the 2021 season, Goff has sure as Hell played like one
The Tigers announce Miguel Cabrera will return in 2023 for what will be his final season. We all know there will be no Pujols-like resurgence and Cabrera's career is going to end badly. But the only person to blame for the current situation is 6 feet under.
We also play The Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
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Greg's Twitter: @GregEno
Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week we welcome back freelance journalist Dave Mesrey. Dave gives us an update on former Tiger Ike Blessitt and the upcoming Second Annual Ike Blessitt Hamtramck Baseball Classic.
Scheduled for October 2nd at Hamtramck Stadium, the event is a daytime doubleheader at Norman "Turkey" Stearnes Field featuring four teams composed of Ike's Detroit Tigers Fantasy Camp alumni and players from the Detroit Men's Senior Baseball League. A portion of the event's proceeds will benefit the Hamtramck Parks Conservancy and the Ike Blessitt Athletic Academy.
Honorary coaches will include former Tigers and 1984 World Series champs Juan Berenguer and Barbaro Garbey, as well as former Tigers minor-league pitcher and Walled Lake native Dave Horton.
Plus, legendary Detroit techno DJ Kevin Saunderson, of the Belleville Three, is expected to lace up his spikes. The in-game announcer and DJ for sound will be the Godmother of House Music, Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale.
Click here for more information on Ike Blessitt Hamtramck Baseball Classic
Click here for tickets. It's $12 to attend, $26.50 if you'd like to play in the event. More players are needed!
Learn more about The Hamtramck Stadium Grounds Crew
In the second half of the show, Greg and Al talk Tigers and Lions, along with a little EMU Eagles football. Topics include:
Late Saturday night, Chris Creighton's Eastern Michigan Eagles knocked off Arizona State, the first time a MAC school has beaten a team from the PAC 12.
In one of the quietest and leak-free hiring processes in memory, Detroit Tigers owner Chris Ilitch tabbed 35-year old Giants general manager Scott Harris as his new President of Baseball Operations
The Tigers are rumored to be moving in the outfield fences this off season
Lions start their season 1-1, looking solid on offense and iffy on defense
Is Jared Goff the QB to build around?
The jury is still out on Dan Campbell as a head coach, but one verdict is in - he's a far more relatable and likable person than his much despised predecessor
Never forget a significant portion of the Lions' fan base bought into Matt Patricia's BS claims of Darius Slay being a locker room cancer
We also play The Birthday Game and name our respective Jerk of the Week!
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Greg's Twitter: @GregEno
Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Legendary Detroit and NYC broadcaster Bob Page is always welcome on the show. He returns this week for a victory lap, having predicted Detroit Tigers' GM Al Avila would be given the ziggy before the end of the season. We didn't think it would happen, but as usual, Bob was proven right.
We also discuss with Bob the current and future state of the Tigers and Detroit sports in general, get his thoughts on the Red Wings' off season and the media and fan hype around the Lions appearing on HBO's Hard Knocks, along with their long history of dysfunction. We also touch on the state of the teams in Bob's current backyard - the Mets, Yankees and Nets.
On the second half of the show, topics include:
The Tigers have spent the last 7 years spinning their wheels, going nowhere.
For a charter member of the American League with supposedly a rich history, the Tigers have had long, long stretches of irrelevancy.
The Tigers also have a sordid history when it comes to their inability to develop position players.
The Miguel Cabrera situation has become untenable, as he's hitting like a modern day Ray Oyler. The team's options are limited and entirely dependent on whatever Miggy agrees to do.
RIP John B. Wockenfuss. Detroit sure loves their gritty, role playing bench players...and we're no exception.
The Lions season of Hard Knocks has been exceptional entertainment. But keep in mind Hard Knocks is not a documentary, it's an NFL approved reality show designed to put a shine on the featured team and staff.
Remember, in 31 other training camps teams are doing most of the same things the Lions are being highlighted doing.
There is one incontrovertible fact - NFL Films are amazingly good at their jobs.
We also play the Birthday Game and name our Jerk of the Week.
Al will be out of town in early September, so we will not be able to record our next show until the middle of the month. We appreciate your patronage and patience.
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube.
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Greg's Twitter: @GregEno
Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This is an episode we've been looking forward to for quite some time. This week Detroit Red Wings broadcaster Ken Kal joins the show to preview the coming NHL season and discuss Steve Yzerman's eventful summer full of trades, free agent signings, and the hiring of a new head coach.
Follow Ken on Twitter: @KenKalDRW
Topics in the second half of the show include:
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Tigers are open to trading anyone on their roster, including Tarik Skubal.
As for trading a young, high value, starting pitcher, we had the same discussion about Michael Fulmer and Matthew Boyd 3-4 years ago...and nothing happened.
Does anyone believe Tigers GM Al Avila could have a productive trade deadline? We're a good five years into the rebuild, and other than Skubal, Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson, who has any significant, big time, trade value?
We have to accept the rebuild failed. The next rebuild must be run by a different regime.
A completely lost at the plate Torkelson was mercifully sent to Triple A Toledo to get back on track.
Eduardo Rodriguez is no longer MIA and plans to return to the Tigers. He had every right to step away from the baseball and it was no one's fault. But right or wrong, the fan base won't welcome him back with open arms and he will have to re-earn the trust of his teammates.
The Pistons bring back the Grant Hill-era horsehead logo teal uniforms. We despise them, but we aren't the target market, either.
We also play the Birthday Game and name our Jerk of the Week (it rarely happens, but this week we both name the same person, for slightly different reasons).
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Greg's Twitter: @GregEno
Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
No guest this week, but on our upcoming July 26th episode, Red Wings radio broadcaster Ken Kal will visit. Ken will discuss the hiring of Derek Lalonde,, Steve Yzerman's recent trades and free agent signings and give us his thoughts on the coming season.
This week our topics include:
The Tigers turn a corner, winning 6 in a row. Then turn another corner, lose 4 straight and fall back to 15 games under .500.
Tigers owner Chris Ilitch claims he's pleased with his team's progress. Is he watching the same Tigers team as the rest of us? What progress?
GM Al Avila had to clean up after Ilitch's foot in mouth moment, saying, "Nobody's happy right now." Yet he still insists the rebuild is over.
Are the Tigers on the verge of having to blow up the roster and try again? Other than potentially Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene, the 40-man roster and the system as of whole appears to be void of MLB caliber position players.
The Tigers have a roster full of 4th outfielders. Isn't it past time to move on from the likes of Victor Reyes, Daz Cameron, Derek Hill, and Willi Castro?
Eduardo Rodriguez remains MIA and (for right or wrong) the Tigers went public with their inability to contact him.
Bally Sports Detroit finally offers cord-cuttters in-market streaming, but that doesn't fix the numerous issues with their broadcast team.
The Red Wings hired Lightning assistant Derek Lalonde as their new head coach.
GM Steve Yzerman dealt for Blues goalie Ville Husso, then inked him to a 3-year contract.
The late Gary Moeller may have had an ignominious ending to his Michigan Wolverines head coaching career, but he deserved far better from the Detroit Lions.
We also play the Birthday Game and name our Jerk of the Week.
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Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Thanks to Detroit Pistons GM Troy Weaver's penchant for fleecing other NBA teams, this weeks show is all hoops. To discuss the Pistons' out of the box off season maneuvering, we welcome back our own NBA insider/stats guru, Siddy Hall.
Topics include:
Before the draft, the Pistons traded Jerami Grant to the Trial Blazers for a 2025 1st round pick and a $20 salary cap exemption.
The draft night, 3-team, extremely convoluted trade which led to the Pistons selecting Jaden Ivey 5th overall, Jalen Duren 13th, while taking on a $9 million salary dump in Kemba Walker.
On the eve of free agency Weaver took advantage of a Knicks team in desperate need of salary cap space to sign Jalen Brunson by dealing for Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks, a pair of future 2nd round picks and $6 million to go toward buying out Walker and had to send NOTHING to New York in return.
Where will all the new roster pieces fit for the coming season?
What could the Pistons roster look like 3-5 years from now?
July 26th, Red Wings radio broadcaster Ken Kal returns to show to talk about the teams off season moves and hopefully a soon to be named head coach.
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Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Detroit and New York City radio and TV sports broadcasting ledgend Bob Page is a long-time friend of the show. Bob returns to The Knee Jerks Podcast to discuss the latest with the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers, including Steve Yzerman's head coaching search, the Tigers historically bad offense and who could end up as the scapegoat for what is shaping up to be an awful season.
Bob also tells more tales from his past, not holding back when it comes to some of the more beloved of the 1984 Tigers who were extremely vile and uncooperative in the locker room.
Follow Bob on Twitter: BobPageSports
The second half of the show is all Detroit Tigers. And it's all bad.
The Tigers' offense has been historically awful. averaging under 3 runs a game. You have to go back 50 years, before the DH, back to the second dead ball era, to see offensive numbers comparable to the Tigers.
There will be a scapegoat for the team's struggles. It's just a question of how high up the organizational ladder the firing(s) will be.
In an era where starting pitching is being devalued, Tigers GM Al Avila based the team's rebuild around it.
There is a reason the term “There is no such thing as a pitching prospect” (TINSTAAPP) was coined. It’s meant to be a warning to teams not to overinvest in young pitchers due to their high attrition rates. The Tigers are learning their lesson the hard way.
Javy Baez has been a MASSIVE disappointment: The Tigers’ big ticket free agent was expected to solidify the middle of the batting order. Instead, all his worst habits (free swinging to an extreme, high K rate, low BB rate) have come to the fore.
Is it possible Baez is unfixable? Does El Mago even believe he needs fixing?
Could AJ Hinch and Chris Fetter decide to move on after the season, in order to not go down with a sinking ship?
The Tigers other prize off season signing, Eduardo Rodriguez, has been placed on the restricted list to due pressing personal issues. We wish him nothing but good luck.
The guys also play The Birthday Game and name a Jerk of the Week.
Be on the lookout for an interview with Red Wings radio play-by-play man Ken Kal this July, as we enter year 14 of The Knee Jerks Podcast!
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Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week The Knee Jerks Podcast celebrates 13 years of Greg and Al ranting about Detroit sports by bringing back one of our oldest friends and one of our newest.
We open with a long-time friend of the show, former NBA/ABA player, front office exec, head coach and now published author, Ray Scott.
Coach's new memoir, written by Ray with Charley Rosen, is available for preorder on Amazon: "The NBA in Black and White: The Memoir of a Trailblazing NBA Player and Coach"
Coach tells us how the book came about, talks more about his playing career and how mounting injuries brought it to an end, gives us his thoughts on the upcoming NBA Finals and memorializes the late Bob Lanier, who played for Coach in the mid-70's. We also learn Coach isn't done writing. Another book already in the works!
The second half of the show, our own NBA Guru, Siddy Hall, joins us for more hoops discussion. Siddy makes a case for the NBA layoffs going to a World Cup style, round robin format, gives us his thoughts on the NBA Draft, the career of Bob Lanier, and breaks down the upcoming series between the Celtics and Warriors.
Be on the lookout for an interview with Red Wings radio play-by-play man Ken Kal this July, along with other surprises,in year 13 of The Knee Jerks Podcast!
Thanks go to all our listeners and guests, you have helped to make our little adventure in podcasting amazingly fun!
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Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week we welcome back another old friend of the show - Getty photographer Greg Shamus.
Greg has had an adventurous few years while shooting some of the biggest events in sports, including Super Bowl LVI and the 2022 Masters. Greg talks of dealing with the new normal of COVID protocols, shooting in empty stadiums and arenas with smaller crews and limited access. Greg also won The Masters media lottery this year, telling us what it was like to play 18 at legendary Augusta National.
Greg's website
@GregoryShamus on Instagram
YouTube video with Greg Shamus and The Knee Jerks
YouTube video of the Greg and Big Al portion of this week's podcast
In the second half of the show, The Knee Jerks discuss:
The Detroit Pistons fall to fifth overall in the NBA Draft lottery. The Pistons may have to select, God forbid, a player who spent TWO YEARS in college.
RIP Pistons legend Bob Lanier.
The Detroit Tigers had their first winning streak of the season.
The Tigers' pitching is hanging tough despite injuries and numerous prospect call ups. The team remains desperate for offense, currently being led by the elderly Miguel Cabrera and the surprising Castros, Harold and Willi.
The NFL released next season's schedule to many dramatics, especially from the Detroit Lions' fan base.
The Lions were the only team to not have a scheduled prime time game. Head coach Dan Campbell was the voice of reason, and was thrilled to have a schedule full of 1 PM games even if Lions fans took it as an insult.
The guys also play The Birthday Game and name a Jerk of the Week.
Subscribe to The Knee Jerks on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube.
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Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week we welcome Ike Blessitt to the show. Ike played for the Detroit Tigers in 1972, and has a long history in the game at every level. Ike has battled through numerous hardships, including his being blackballed by MLB due to an incident with Billy Martin and dealing with baseball's institutional racism and unspoken racial quotas. But Ike has persevered and has a very interesting story to tell. Thanks go out to Dave Mesrey for his help in setting up the interview and for letting the world know about Ike's story.
Ike Blessitt Athletic Academy
Ike Blessitt Go FundMe
In the second half of the show, Greg and Al discuss:
The Red Wings and Jeff Blashill part ways after 7 seasons.
Wings GM Steve Yzerman speaks to the media, does his best Dave Dombrowski impression - talks as much as possible without saying much of anything which could give away his plans.
Who will be the next coach of the Red Wings? Greg wants TORTS!
To the relief of everyone, NFL Draft season has mercifully come to an end.
Lions GM Brad Holmes selected Michigan edge Aidan Hutchenson 2nd overall, as expected.
Rebuffed in their attempt to acquire Niners WR Deebo Samuel, the Lions made a very aggressive move in trading up in the first round to draft Alabama WR Jameson Williamson.
At 7-14 overall and coming off a 1-5 road trio, the Tigers have had a very rough and disappointing start to the season. It's been all too similar to 2021, driving home the point that rebuilds are not linear.
The Tigers bullpen has been lights out. Their offense has been powerless. The less said about the Tigers' brutally bad defense, the better.
Miguel Cabrera reached the historic 3000 hit mark, but not without a little controversy involving the Yankees and an intentional walk.
The guys also play The Birthday Game and name a Jerk of the Week.
YouTube edition of this weeks podcast: https://youtu.be/ZsVJirteXO8
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Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week we welcome the return of a very old friend of the show - Micheal Schottey, head of content for The 33rd Team, a football think tank featuring contributions from NFL head coaches, GMs, and executives. Mike gives us his thoughts on the upcoming NFL Draft, along with insider info on players and team draft strategies. We plan on having Mike back in a few weeks to get his post-draft thoughts.
In the second half of the show, Greg and Al discuss:
We have a hard time believing Roger Goodell's claim the 2024 NFL Draft will bring $200 Million in revenue to the city.
The City of Detroit (and all of SE MI, for that matter) has an inferiority complex.
The Tigers have been wracked by injuries, their pitching staff taking the brunt.
Despite a rash of injuries to key players, the Tigers have managed to tread water, their record hovering around .500.
Miguel Cabrera is closing in on 3000 hits. Once Miggy reaches the milestone, it would benefit the Tigers to sit him more often and move him further down the order. A DH slugging in the mid-.300s is not optimal.
After an encouraging first half of the season, the Red Wings are spiraling downward over final two months..
Eliminated from playoff contention, Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has core muscle surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.
Cade Cunningham won't win the award, but he was named a finalist for NBA Rookie of the Year.
The guys also play The Birthday Game and name their respective Jerk of the Week.
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Greg's blog - Out of Bounds
Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
An interview 13 years in the making, long-time Detroit sports broadcaster Matt Dery joins the show. After being a daily presence on Detroit sports radio for many, many years, Matt now hosts the Locked on Lions and Pistons Pod podcasts. Matt talks about his post radio life and has plenty to say about the Lions, Pistons and Tigers.
In the second half of the show, Greg and Al discuss:
A tale of the Tigers' two prize prospects - CF Reily Greene begins the season on the IL, Spencer Torkelson heads north as the starting 1B
To fill the Greene size hole in the OF, the Tigers acquired All-Star LF Austin Meadows from the Rays
Analytics aren’t buying into the Tigers just yet. Are expectations of playoff contention too high?
The NFL announced the Lions will be the next team to appear on HBO's "Hard Knocks" reality series
The Lions beat out bids from Washington and Green Bay to host the 2024 NFL Draft
The Red Wings' late season collapse (not just record-wise, but in every part of the game) has all but assured Jeff Blashill is now a dead coach walking
Cade Cunningham has a break out month, averaging 23/7/5 in March as the Pistons start winning games
The guys also play The Birthday Game and name their respective Jerk of the Week
In two weeks Michael Schottey joins us to talk all things NFL Draft. Subscribe to The Knee Jerks on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Deezer, Radio Public, and YouTube.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week's topics include:
The QB carousel spun out of control over the past 2 weeks, giving even more credence to the NFL being a QB first, last and always league.
There are 32 NFL teams. There aren't 32 legitimate starting QBs, which leads to desperate teams doing desperate things.
The Cleveland Browns went all in on a sex offender as their starting QB. Trading for Deshaun Watson was a slap in the face to their female fans and employees. And for that matter, anyone with an ounce of decency. Lacking in decency? Browns owner Jimmy Haslam.
The Lions are bringing the band back together, having re-signed almost all of their own free agents. But is retaining the majority of a 3 win roster a good idea?
The lockout is over, there will be baseball. But with several rule changes.
Post lockout, the Tigers added a 5th starter and a setup man to their pitching staff.
In a huge surprise signing, Carlos Correa is headed to the Twins. This raised questions about the Tigers' pre-lockout low ball, multiple opt-out offer to Correa
Turns out Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman didn't have anything up his deadline sleeve. There were no blockbuster deals, just a few small trades to obtain more draft capital.
For the first time in his Red Wings tenure, Yzerman was non-committal in regard to the future of Jeff Blashill, raising red flags.
The guys also play The Birthday Game and name their respective Jerk of the Week.
Programing note: In 2 weeks we welcome Detroit broadcaster Matt Dery to the show. We also have an NFL Draft preview coming up late in April with friend of The Knee Jerks Mike Schottey.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week's topics include:
Aaron Rodgers' new mega-deal with the Packers and the Seahawks trade of Russell Wilson to the Broncos for a king's ransom in draft capital is just more proof the NFL is a QB first, last and always league.
Falcons wide out Calvin Ridley was suspended 1 year for gambling on NFL games. Can't piss off the NFL's partners in legalized betting. But try to kill a woman? That may get you 2 games off. God forbid you deflate footballs. That'll get you 4 games.
What punishment do you levy on a team owner who offers to pay his coach 6 figure bonuses to intentionally throw games? Yeah, right....
MLB owners may be losing badly in the court of public opinion, but they still plan to cancel more games if there is no CBA by Tuesday 3/8.
Owners will welcome a short season, as long as it doesn't affect the playoffs.
MLB and the MLBPA have agreed on significant rule changes in an effort "to streamline the process and add excitement to the game." Well, OK then....
Baseball's slow pace of play is a problem. A bigger problem is getting umpires to uniformly and consistently enforce rules, specifically the pitch clock.
Red Wings waived veteran defenseman Danny DeKeyser.
Making a case to be Rookie of the Year, Cade Cunningham has the Pistons on a tear, winning 6 of their last 8.
The guys also play The Birthday Game and name their respective Jerk of the Week.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week's topics include:
The Stat Guy, Siddy Hall, opens the show. He gives us his thoughts on Pistons' GM Troy Weaver's trade deadline moves - dealing for Marvin Bagley III while Jerami Grant remained a Piston.
According to Stephen A. Smith, the NBA dunk contest was a “national atrocity.” Hyperbole? Yes. But are All-Star events also boring and badly broken? Yes.
Wolverines head coach Juwan Howard was suspended for the remainder of the regular season after striking a Wisconsin assistant coach during a post-game handshake line argument.
Did Howard deserve to be fired? In any other line of work, yes. But things work differently in the world of big time sports.
The Beijing Winter Olympics were a cluster of bad TV ratings, drug controversies, empty stadiums, politics and Chinese sportswashing.
The player lockout continues. MLB owners refuse to negotiate in good faith, yet set a drop dead date for not missing regular season games. In other words, billionaires gonna billionaire and the player lockout continues.
Our local nightmare is over. Matthew Stafford and the Rams won the Super Bowl, the Lions end up with thew 2nd and 32nd picks in the 2022 draft. Lions fans can hopefully, finally, move on with their lives.
The guys also play The Birthday Game and name their respective Jerk of the Week.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week it's all Eno and Big Al. Topics include:
Lou Whitaker's number will be retired by the Tigers. It's long overdue.
MLB owners refuse to act in good faith, request federal mediation despite refusing to negotiate with the MLBPA, who aren't buying their BS.
Lions name a new offensive coordinator, as other coaches on staff interview around the NFL. Seeing Lions coaches in demand is a shock to the system.
Fired Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed a class-action lawsuit over NFL’s Rooney Rule, likely blowing up his NFL career and reminding us of Curt Flood taking on baseball's reserve clause.
To no one' surprise, the Bob Quinn era Lions were accused of giving sham minority interviews before hiring Matt Patricia.
The Michigan Panthers (and their cool ass unis) have risen from the grave.
Michigan is having the worst off season. While Jim Harbaugh played footsie with the NFL before crawling back, he lost both coordinators.
Will the Pistons trade Jerami Grant?
The guys also play The Birthday Game and name their respective Jerk of the Week.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week The Stat Guy, NBA guru Siddy Hall. joins the show. Siddy gives his thoughts on the current state of the Pistons rebuild, Jerami Grant at the trade deadline possibilities, Cade Cunningham and the rest of the team's young core, and gives us a few interesting pieces of stat trivia.
The second half of the show includes:
Lions fandom is divided on Matthew Stafford, and discussion has gone beyond exhausting. Much like politics, the talk has grown toxic.
To Lions slappies Stafford is a hall of fame QB. To cynical fans who say "Same Old Lions," Stafford's tenure was a failure. The truth is somewhere in the middle.
The farce that was Niners @ Cowboys was the only entertaining game during the NFL's wild card weekend. On the other hand, the divisional games were all compelling nail-biters.
As a Lions fan, all you could do was be jealous of the QB play during Bills @ Chiefs, which is being called one of the greatest games ever played.
Should NFL playoff OT rules be changed?
Of the four QB's left standing, one of them is not like the others.
Do you find a QB, then build a team? Or do you build a team, then try to find a QB who can get you over the top?
The Detroit Red Wings reach midseason a .500 team, giving plenty of reasons to believe the Yzerplan is working.
The guys also play The Birthday Game and name their respective Jerk of the Week.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! This week we welcome a special guest, Ron Mott Ron, formerly a regular contributor to Today, NBC Nightly News, and MSNBC, now runs a passion project, the sports newsletter SPORTSOPOLY.
In a wide ranging discussion, Ron talks about his past as a broadcast journalist, the future of journalism, his pivot to writing a sports newsletter, and gives his thoughts on COVID's affect on sports, the college football playoffs, the huge influx of money seen by the NCAA and NIL rights.
In the second half of the show, topics include:
Nick Lidstrom returns to the Detroit Red Wings as Steve Yzerman's VP of Hockey Operations.
A Detroit Lions season postmortem.
The Lions suddenly appear to be the most stable franchise in the NFC North.
Lions' head coach Dan Campbell entered the season as a meathead who was best known for his "bite kneecaps" quote. He ended the season highly praised and the face of the franchise.
Jared Goff played damn well to end the season. No question he is the QB of the present, but the jury is still out when it comes to the future.
The Lions fired OC Anthony Lynn on Black Monday, Campbell saying, "It just wasn’t a fit." Meanwhile, the Broncos have requested an interview with DC Aaron Glenn for their head coach position.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has leverage, and he won't be afraid to play the school against any NFL offers.
The guys also play The Birthday Game and name their respective Jerk of the Week.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! The year may be coming to an end, but The Knee Jerks will go on and on, covering all things Detroit sports.
This week's topics include:
Everyone and everything, especially sports, have been adversely affected by the omicron COVID variant. The NHL has been far more cautious compared to the NFL and NBA, who are trying to power thru their seasons, even if it means seeing a worse product
As for college football, it's COVID chaos. A bowl game being cancelled due to a COVID outbreak has become a daily occurrence. It's only a matter of when, not if, the playoff teams are affected
It was long past time college players started treating D1 football as a business, just as coaches, administrators, schools, the NCAA, and their media partners do. Sitting out a bowl game is a business decision, no more, no less.
Since the Turkey Day debacle, the Lions are 2-2 and no longer look like a historically bad team, just run-of-the-mill bad
When asked about Jared Goff possibly being Lions’ long-term QB, head coach Dan Campbell said, “I don’t see why not.” This is much ado about nothing, despite the breathless reporting
What happened to Jim Caldwell's dungeon of doom? The local media are covering the Lions with Honolulu blue and silver colored glasses
The Tigers reportedly offered Carlos Correa a 10-year, $275M contract. The tendered deal was obviously leaked in an attempt to appease a disappointed fan base. Much like the Max Scherzer extension offer, the below market deal was performative. As in, “Hey, we tried" (shoulder shrug)
MLB owners, who refuse to open their books and have sold their souls to gambling, have locked out the players. And yes, you should be on the side of the players
Greg excoriates Lebron James for an Instagram post which implies "COVID," "cold" and "flu," are basically the same illness, while praising Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for calling out James' BS
Al points out the hypocrisy of the Brooklyn Nets for changing their tune in regard to noted idiot and anti-vaxxer Kyrie Irving. After telling him to stay home because using him as a part-time player (due to vaccine mandates, Irving can only play road games, not at home in NYC or in Toronto) would be detrimental to team chemistry, they changed their tune once their season didn't go as anticipated
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! We're back after a short pre-holiday hiatus with the Tigers, Lions and college football on an overstuffed menu.
This week's topics include:
Tigers fans wanted free agent Carlos Correa as their new shortstop. But the Tigers didn’t want to pay Correa's 10yr/$300M plus price tag, so the fans get Javier Baez for 6yr/$140M instead.
Despite the numerous red flags (he's an undisciplined free swinger with an alarming K rate, refuses to take a walk, and an athletic profile which may age badly), there is no doubt the extremely talented Baez is a huge upgrade at short.
In an analytics driven free agent signing, the Tigers added LHP Eduardo Rodriguez to their rotation.
Tigers fill another roster hole by trading for the Reds' Gold Glove winning catcher Tucker Barnhart.
Why the flurry of player signings? The owner's lockout deadline looms. The last thing baseball needs is labor armageddon.
The Lions are 0-10-1 and Dan Campbell is no longer biting kneecaps.
Despite his 6 year contract, Campbell deserves to be fired. Won't happen, because the Lions are the poster franchise for the Sunk Cost Fallacy.
The Rams' Matthew Stafford is struggling as games become more important. Rams fans may be shocked, but it's deja vu for Lions fans.
Why many love college football - Rivalry weekend was insanely entertaining.
Why college football is broken - The coaching carousel spun out of control as Power 5 schools threw hundreds of millions of dollars at coaches. But players wanting the ability to transfer and make a little coin off of NIL rights is what will change college football as we know it...
Greg calls out the over-the-top, hand-wringing comparisons to Malice at the Palace after Isaiah Stewart wanted to throttle LeBron James for giving him an 8 stitch gash. Big Al is thrilled Kelly Stafford has taken her entitled, pretzel throwing, "Michigan is a dictatorship" antics to LA, joining other west coast based Karens.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! With an 0-17 season a distinct possibility, this week's podcast is Detroit Lions-centric, with a little Red Wings, Pistons and Tigers thrown in the mix,
This week's topics include:
The Lions are 0-8 at the bye, ,and 0-17 is now on the menu.
Dan Campbell butchers clock management, admits he was out coached against the Eagles
Jared Goff "leads" what may be the worst Lions' QB room in a generation
Chris Spielman speaks during his Ring of Honor induction, makes a promise he'll have a hard time keeping
The Red Wings are playing .500 hockey, led by a pair of Calder candidates in Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond.
Cade Cunningham, along with the rest of the young Pistons, are suffering from growing pains.
Via social media, Miguel Cabrera asks Justin Verlander to return to Detroit. It's not a good idea.
We may as well rename our "Jerk of the Week" the "Carlos Monarrez award", as Greg goes off on another of his ridiculous Lions columns in the Freep. Al is not a crackpot, but he does channel angry Abe Simpson while railing against what has been one of the most unwatchable World Series in memory, featuring two of the most unlikeable teams and fan bases in sports.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! This week has a heavy hoops slant as The Knee Jerks are joined by NBA super fan and stats guru Siddy Hall for a Pistons preview. We talk advanced metrics, Troy Weaver's pluses and minuses as a GM, Killian Hayes, Isaiah Stewart, Jerami Grant's usage, the NBA past and present, amongst other hoops topics.
The second half of the show includes:
Two weeks of Dan Campbell wearing emotions on his sleeve makes headlines
Jared Goff has been below average to just plain bad. Is there a QB controversy brewing?
Raiders’ Jon Gruden resigns over leaked racist, homophobic, misogynistic emails
Washington St. fires football coach Nick Rolovich and four assistants for cause by refusing to follow a state and university-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
The Brooklyn Nets tell unvaccinated Kyrie Irving, a noted bonehead, to stay home.
Greg takes unnecessary, over the top Astros pep talks to task. Al goes off on the Sharks' Evander Kane, who thought using forged vaccination documents, a crime in both the USA and Canada, was a good idea.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! This week we welcome back the head football coach for Eastern Michigan University, Chris Creighton. In a wide ranging discussion, Coach gives us his thoughts on the Eagles' season to this point, the performance of new QB Ben Bryant, working with the transfer portal, and new head basketball coach Stan Heath.
In the second half of the show topics include:
Tigers' season post mortem
Singing the praises of AJ Hinch
Tearing down the roster was easy. GM Al Avila's next job, getting the right pieces to get his rebuilt roster over the hump is much, much harder
The Red Wings lose Jakub Vrana to injury
Turns out Tyler Bertuzzi is an anti-vax idiot. We would have no problem with the Wings sitting Bertuzzi until he was vaccinated
The losses to the Ravens and Bears were 60 years of the Same Old Lions in a 2 week nutshell
The Lions are victimized by missed calls because they are always in a position where a missed call results in the worst case scenario
Greg goes off on the bonkers situation Urban Meyer has placed the Jaguars, noting it wasn't hard to see coming.
Al can't believe all the pearl clutching over Lions fans venting 60 years of frustration with the Ford family by their relentless booing of owner Shelia Ford Hamp while honoring Calvin Johnson. Owners get booed and the Ford family deserves it more than most.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
As autumn is upon us, The Summer of The Knee Jerks comes to an end. As does the Detroit Lions season, thanks to their 0-2 start. This week features a ton of Lions discussion, with a little Detroit Tigers added as a palate cleanser.
Topics include:
To no one’s surprise, save for a segment of the fan base who were living in denial, the Lions have started the season 0-2. And will likely be 0-3 with the Ravens on tap.
Enough with the moral victories. A close loss for the Lions is not a win, no matter how you try to spin it.
Jared Goff is what he is - an above average QB with absolutely no downfield weapons.
Has left tackle Taylor Decker been Wally Pipp'ed by Penei Sewell?
One carryover from 2020? The Lions' are BAD. as in bottom 5 bad. Even more so the defense. Especially the back 7.
New head coach Dan Campbell has leaned on the offense and been extremely aggressive on 4th downs. You would go for it too when you know your defense can't make a stop.
The Tigers continue to shake up their player development staff, letting go of several MiLB coaches and coordinators.
Greg calls out the NFL and their referees for their crackdown on celebrations. The No Fun League, indeed. Al goes off on Free Press columnist Jeff Seidel for a ridiculous column claiming in just 2 games, both losses, the Lions have unveiled their blueprint for success. Talk about jumping the damn gun.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
The Summer of The Knee Jerks was nearly derailed by life and Mother Nature, forcing us to miss a show. But we return with vengeance, featuring a very special guest - long time Detroit Red Wings play-by-play broadcaster Ken Kal. Ken previews the coming season and talks of the difficulties broadcasting hockey during a pandemic.
The second half of the show includes:
Miguel Cabrera finally joins the 500 home run club. You can respect the accomplishment, but not necessarily the man.
An aggressive AJ Hinch minces no words in laying the groundwork for attracting free agents to Detroit
The Tigers shake up their front office, becoming younger and even more analytically minded.
A trade with the Nets gains the Pistons a roster spot and replenishes their draft picks, but it's also end of the short-lived Sekou Doumbouya era.
The Lions lean into their youth movement, now have the second youngest roster in the NFL
Goodbye and good luck, Don Muhlbach
Greg calls out Al Leiter and John Smoltz for living in an anti-vax "Stupidville." Al can't believe the stupidity shown by four players on the Argentinian Wold Cup qualifying team who were caught lying about following Brazil's quarantine rules, resulting in their match being stopped by authorities and the players deported.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
The vaxxed and masked Summer of The Knee Jerks continues with talk of Chris Ilitch committing to spend real money in free agency, Cade Cunningham hype, Dan Campbell being the human embodiment of a Red Bull, the pissing match continues as Megatron and the Lions bicker more than Ralph and Alice Kramden and we have more anti-vax idiocy in the NFL, the latest coming from a former Sparty QB. This week's topics include:
Detroit Tigers owner Chris Ilitch on increasing payroll to add top talent - "Undoubtedly that could happen this winter."
With the team playing above .500 ball since a horrible April, the coming off season will be put up or shut up time for Ilitch and the Tigers' front office
2B Jonathan Schoop inks a 2-year, $15M contract extension, the most money the Tigers have spent on a player in years
After weeks of smokescreens and rumors, the Pistons ultimately did what everyone expected they would - pick Cade Cunningham first overall
Troy Weaver's vision of Pistons' roster?. Big or small, they have to be able to shoot the rock from deep
Lions' head coach Dan Campbell is a walking, talking sound bite who wears his heart on his sleeve. Honestly, it's a breath of fresh air
As Calvin Johnson enters the Hall of Fame, he and the Lions continue to bicker...and bicker...and bicker some more
Should former players such as Megatron become glorified casino greeters, aka team ambassadors?
Vikings' QB Kirk Cousins says he's willing to do whatever it takes to stay healthy during a pandemic, but refuses the COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the poster boy for NFL anti-vax idiocy.
The release of Netflix's "Malice at the Palace" has Greg wondering if we've reached peak ridiculousness with sports documentaries. Al is disgusted by MLB's broadcast negotiations with Barstool Sports. It's as if MLB tried to find the most vile, racist and misogynistic company to do business with, all in the name of the almighty dollar.
Be on the lookout for our next special guest. Red Wings play-by-play broadcaster Ken Kal joins us in September.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
There's plenty to cover during this Summer of The Knee Jerks, including the NFL vs. anti-vaxxers (for once, we're actually rooting for the NFL), Steve Yzerman going HAM on the rest of the NHL, Texas and Oklahoma exit the BIG 12, turning it into a mid-major conference overnight, and the Tigers finding themselves in dangerous roster waters as the trade deadline looms. This week's topics include:
NFL goes all in on heavy restrictions on those who aren't vaccinated and will impose severe monetary penalties upon players if games are cancelled due to an outbreak. If a coaches and players are anti-vaxxers, they are putting their team at a significant competitive disadvantage.
In a hectic couple of weeks, Red Wings' GM Steve Yzerman preys on other team's weaknesses in order to snag a possible goalie of the future and a top 4 defenseman in trades, rebuilds the defense and goalie prospect pipelines in the draft and elects to move on from a former first round draft pick in the expansion draft.
The BIG 12 seismically implodes as Texas and Oklahoma bolt to the SEC, ushering in another round of conference realignment and greasing the skids for super conferences. As always in college sports, football, TV networks and lots and lots of money take :precedence over tradition, students, fans and academics.
When asked about his plans for the MLB trade deadline, Tigers' GM Al Avila said, "We're not rebuilding anymore. We're building." Unfortunately, his most attractive trade pieces are dealing with significant injuries.
As the trade deadline looms, the Tigers have decisions to make about the future of Johnathan Schoop, Jeimer Candelario, and numerous bullpen arms.
Greg is pissed at a homophobic and misogynistic moron (who happens to be a former US President) for actively rooting against the "woke" USWNT in the Tokyo Olympics. Al points out the hypocrisy of Stanford head football coach David Shaw calling out Alabama QB Bryce Young for raking in serious coin off his NIL rights despite Shaw raking in tens of millions of his own off of the labor of previously uncompensated players.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
We decided to take a little time off during our Summer of The Knee Jerks. Our short hiatus ends with a ton of Pistons and Tigers draft discussion. This week's topics include:
This week's topics include:
The Pistons tank worked! They own the 1st pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and a possible generational player is available in guard Cade Cunningham.
Troy Weaver has well earned his reputation for talent evaluation, and he reportedly has G-League guard Jaylen Green and USC center Evan Mobley very high in his draft board. Several other teams crave Cunningham and are willing to deal. If Weaver makes a "smartest guy in the room" move and trades out of the top pick, he damn well better be the smartest guy in the room.
Tigers' GM al Avila went all in on his scouting and analytics by drafting high school pitcher Jackson Jobe. There's a reason prep pitchers are rarely taken this high in the draft. The profile for the highest draft failure rate - a hard throwing, right-handed, high school starting pitcher - fits Jobe to a T.
The Jobe pick caused Detroit's fan base to throw a hissy fit over not taking the highest rated SS on the board, despite Marcello Meyer being a prep prospect as well.
Jobe is expected to sign for below slot money, allowing the Tigers to select University of Texas RHP Ty Madden 32nd overall. He is believed to be the 3rd or 4th best arm in the draft, but fell into the compensatory round.
At the All-Star break, the Tigers have proven to not be a bad team, playing .500 for 2 months. But they aren't a good team either.
This draft and positive play from their young players and prospects means one thing - this off season is time for Tigers owner Chris Ilitch to open his wallet and sign an impact SS.
The Minnesota Wild bought out the last 4 years of Ryan Suter's and Zach Parise's massive contracts, likely putting them in cap hell for most of the coming decade. Time flies, as Suter and Parise were the Red Wings' top free agent targets in 2012. At the time, a desperate Detroit's fan base wanted to go all in on Suter and Parise. Sometimes the best move is one you don't make.
Greg calls out Stephen A. Smith for his xenophobic comments about Shohei Ohtani, needing 3 attempts at an apology. Al is disgusted by the English soccer fanbase, who once again showed their virulent racism after 3 black players missed penalty kicks in their loss to Italy in Euro 2020.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
It's the summer of The Knee Jerks, so we're bringing back our favorite guests! This week features the return of former Detroit Pistons player and head coach Ray Scott. The former NBA Coach of the Year has been working on a book (which should drop next fall) and has plenty on his mind when it comes to his life and relationships, social causes, how he helped to lay the groundwork for empowering today's NBA players, the ongoing NBA playoffs and most amazingly, his grudging acceptance of the 3 point shot as a weapon!
In the second half of the show, we discuss the Dr. Richard Anderson sexual abuse scandal at the at the University of Michigan, the ugly fallout as more survivors come forward, the vile victim shaming by self-appointed defenders of Bo Schembechler's crumbling legacy and how the deifying of college coaches (most proven to be highly flawed, many of whom have done, condoned, or turned a blind eye to despicable actions) needs to stop.
We also discuss Christian Eriksen of Denmark dying on the pitch during Euro 2020, thankfully brought back by defibulation and the Detroit Tigers becoming more aggressive with their top prospects, much in thanks to a rash of injuries forcing their hand.
Greg calls out the national NFL media for their complete and utter misunderstanding of Detroit Lions' head coach Dan Campbell, while Al is dumbfounded by Sinclair's plan to start an RSN streaming service, charging cord cutters up to $23 to access their regional Bally Sports channel.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
It's the summer of The Knee Jerks, so we're bringing back our favorite guests! It's been far too long since we've had legendary Detroit and New York City broadcaster Bob Page on the show. Bob goes in-depth into the demise of No Filter Sports, the podcast he co-hosted along with Denny McClain and Eli Zaret, gives his unfiltered thoughts on the pandemic era of sports, the awfulness of the current Detroit sports and media scene, and living the good life in Palm Beach.
In the second half of the episode, we discuss what we hope is soon to be a post pandemic world, with the reopening of sporting venues to full capacity, and how sports will irrevocably change after COVID-19, including how games are broadcast and reported upon. The NBA playoffs have given us a plethora of fan jackassery, with a big dash of racism. So one question is also asked - has the pandemic caused fans to lose their god damned minds? We also talk about the Tigers' not all that bad, above .500 May, led by some young, impressive starting pitching. But when are we going to see progression from the position player prospects?
Greg calls out the Green Bay Packers for their complete mishandling of the Aaron Rodgers situation, while Al takes the Braves to the woodshed for not immediately cutting ties with Marcell Ozuna after his arrest for chocking and hitting his wife in front of police!
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week we welcome a special guest - Stan Heath, reigning NBA G-League coach of the year and new head men's basketball coach at Eastern Michigan University. In a wide ranging discussion, Stan talked about his past as a player, assistant and head coach at the mid-major and Power 5 level, including appearances in the NCAA tournament, what it was like running a G League team in midst of a pandemic while living in a bubble, and his plans for the upcoming season with the Eagles.
In the second half of the show, along with the Birthday Game and the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
Despite a 19-27-10 record and several days of radio silence from Steve Yzerman, Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill received a new contract extension
If you don't think Ben Wallace belongs in the Basketball Hall of Fame, you either never watched him play or incorrectly think scoring points is the be all, end all
The Pistons' tank worked, now proud owners of the best possible odds of receiving the number one draft pick. it's now up to the ping pong balls
Pistons head coach Dwayne Casey was given a one-year contract extension. To be honest, Casey deserved it
Michael Fulmer, lights out relief pitcher? Have the Tigers finally found the best way to use the talented right-hander?
Greg has issues with Mike Trout, the Angels and time zones in general. Al goes scorched earth on the NCAA as a former Louisville assistant basketball coach is indicted on extortion charges. Not so honorable mention goes to Michigan and their handling of the Dr. Robert Anderson scandal
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! Along with the Birthday Game and the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
Since the mid-April sweep of the Astros, the Tigers are a dismal 2-15 with both the worst offense and overall record in MLB
There is not a single bat on the current roster remotely capable of carrying the Tigers' offense
Fans are upset with the lack of progress in the rebuild, quickly losing patience with GM Al Avila
Not one prospect in the Justin Verlander trade has panned out, kneecapping the Tigers' rebuild
We live in strange times, as the Pistons and Magic held a tankathon, where neither fan base wanted a victory
The rules of today's NBA essentially forces teams into tanking
Draft lotteries are a cure worse than what originally ailed pro sports
The Lions' front office picked a draft strategy of best player available, regardless of position, receiving high grades from the pundits
Not replacing Jared Goff at QB with Justin Fields was the correct move
Greg rails against the NHL for slapping the hand of Capitals goon Tom Wilson, who should have been thrown out of hockey for committing aggravated assault on the ice. Al calls out Roberto Alomar's attempt at gaslighting, as the sexual harassment claim against him must have been heinous for baseball to cut ties with him so quickly. MLB isn't off the hook, as they have yet to do anything about Angels coach Mickey Callaway, who has left a long paper trail of sexual harassment around the league
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! Along with the Birthday Game and the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
GM Steve Yzerman makes Al eat his words about a quiet Red Wings trade deadline, dealing Anthony Mantha to the Capitals for a first-round pick in 2021, a second-round pick in 2022 and forwards Jakub Vrana and Richard Panik in a blockbuster trade
Varna has much the same rep as Mantha - very skilled, but also an underachiever with a tendency to disappear for long stretches
According to media reports. Yzerman had three untouchable players - top prospects Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond, along with captain Dylan Larkin
NBC Sports is reporting, "Steve Yzerman and Jeff Blashill are having good conversations" about a new contract, A lame duck with a bad W/L record, Blashill has no leverage. The Red Wings can give him a take it or leave it offer. The fan base would prefer "leave it"
The true Detroit Tigers showed up during a roller coaster 3-7 road trip, which featured nothing but series sweeps - a team with solid starting pitching, but little offense, a bad bullpen and questionable defense
As expected, Akil Baddoo returned to earth after a scorching start. He was completely clueless at the plate in Oakland - 0-11 with 8 K. His K rate is now a brutal 40% and his OPS vs left hand pitching is .000. It's now up to the Tigers' coaching staff top settle Baddoo down and keep him from losing confidence
It's now safe to say Detroit Pistons' GM Troy Weaver hit a home run in the 2020 NBA Draft, as Killian Hayes, Isaiah Stewart, and Saddiq Bey are proving themselves to be rotation building blocks. They will be the satellites circling a yet to be found superstar
Greg rails against Jeffery Loria and his clown show Miami Marlins. Al calls out the hosts on 97.1 the Ticket, who were again exposed when the Red Wings traded Mantha, showing they are extremely ill equipped to talk about anything but football
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! Along with the Birthday Game and the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
Tigers fans have a new cult hero in rookie Akil Baddoo.
It's far too soon to say if Baddoo is an All-Star caliber player or just riding a hot streak as the next Chris Shelton, but we sure are enjoying the ride.
There are signs the Tigers may have finally caught a break and found a Rule 5 diamond in the rough
The Tigers have become a better team, but they won't be a good one.
Ron Gardenhire would say he was open to advanced metrics. AJ Hinch actually uses them
Going by his lineups and bullpen use, Hinch wasn't lying about wanting a roster with versatility and some positions to be run by committee
In response new voter suppression laws, MLB pulled the All-Star Game out of Atlanta. The move may not have been for completely altruistic reasons, but it was the correct decision
Cleaning up the salary cap mess left by Bob Quinn, new GM Brad Holmes allowed long time Lions Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, Matt Prater, Jamal Agnew, and Jarrad Davis to walk in free agency
The only major FA to re-sign is DE Romeo Okwara
The NFL gave lip service to player safety, steamrolling the weak NFL players union in order to chase TV money and add a 17th game.
Don't expect the Red Wings top be very active at the trade deadline
Greg calls the Jets' trade of Sam Darnold a debacle, and if you take away Joe Namath's Super Bowl season, they are the Lions of the AFC.
Al rails against those who let their guard down with the pandemic finish line in sight, the idiots who still live in COVID-19 denial and teams like the Texas Rangers who threw caution completely to the wind, all as the Canucks and Nationals are waylaid by major virus outbreaks, another wave of COVID-19 rages in Michigan, the CDC is calling for indoor school sports in this state to be curtailed and hearing first-hand from medical professionals they are exhausted and fed up, .
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! Along with the Birthday Game and the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
The Detroit Lions will not franchise tag WR Kenny Golladay or DE Romeo Okwara, masking both unrestricted free agents
The Lions' salary cap and future timeline just didn't match up with Golladay. As for Okwara, was his 10 sack season an outlier or is this what you can expect in years to come? Someone will bet it's the former, but it won't be the Lions
The Lions' front office have made moves which arguably make sense both financially and in roster building, which is mind-blowing to long suffering fans
To no one's surprise, the Detroit Pistons confirmed Blake Griffin was untradeable by negotiating a massive contract buyout
Chasing a ring, Griffin signed with the Brooklyn Nets. Can Griffin extend his career as bench role player?
During a post All-Star game presser, Pistons' GM Troy Weaver explained why he uses the term "restore" rather than rebuild, showing he gets the franchise's history
Greg can't fathom how powerful, middle aged (and older) men have no idea how to treat women, the latest example being the disgraced Les Miles. Al calls out the NBA's money grab of holding an All-Star Game during pandemic, and their BS claim it was only held to benefit HBCUs.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! Along with the Birthday Game and the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
Gambling is becoming inseparable from sports media and pro leagues in ways we never would have expected. With sportsbooks and mobile apps now legal in Michigan, will we regret opening the gambling Pandora's Box?
The Seattle Mariners (now ex) team president and CEO said the inside words about ownership malfeasance out loud, giving the MLBPA all kinds of ammo for their upcoming CBA negotiations. Fans need to remember, billionaires do not care about you or your fandom
The more the Detroit Tigers kowtow to Miguel Cabrera despite his lack of production, inability to stay healthy, and off field BS, the harder it becomes to root for him
In news everyone saw coming, but honestly didn’t expect for another year, the Detroit Pistons and Blake Griffin agree to part ways. Though if Griffin REALLY wanted to leave for a contender as quickly as possible, he could decline his $39 million player contract option....but that's a step too far
Kenny Golladay and Detroit Lions reach a crossroads. Should he be given the franchise tag, signed to a long-term deal, or allowed to walk?
Greg has major issues with Kevin Mather and Mariners ownership, They may claim he doesn't represent the "values" of the team, but of course he does. Meanwhile Al may feel bad for Tiger Woods suffering serious leg injuries in a car accident, but did every single news channel have to give the story wall-to-wall coverage comparable to the capitol insurrection?
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! Along with the Birthday Game and the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
After intervening everyone but Eno, the Detroit Lions hired Brad Holmes, Rams director of college scouting, as GM, and Saints assistant HC/TE coach Dan Campbell as head coach.
Knee cap biting Campbell is no Matt Patricia...which is for the better
We're no longer as worried the Lions have an inexperienced coach and GM combo thanks to some very experienced staff hires with extensive NFL backgrounds.
The Lions were the wrong team to call out in regard to NFL minority hiring practices. Yes, the league needs far more diversity at the highest levels, but the Lions have a much better recent track record with minorities than numerous other NFL franchises
Matthew Stafford asks for a trade, Lions deal him to the LA Rams for a king's ransom...and Jared Goff
Once you take off the blue colored glasses, just what is Matthew Stafford's Detroit legacy?
Despite a short career and the stigma of being a Lion, Calvin Johnson is elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot
Does Shelia Ford Hamp actually "get it?"
Troy Weaver continues reshaping the Detroit Pistons roster, ships Derrick Rose to the Knicks
The Pistons may not be a good team, but they are a young, fun team. Something they haven't been for over a decade
Greg is disappointed in Anthony Mantha, Al is already exhausted by sportsbook app advertising
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! Along with the Birthday Game and the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
As of recording, the Detroit Lions have conducted 6 head coach and 12 GM interviews. It's great the Lions have left no stone unturned in their search, But have they reached the point of diminishing returns and is it time to make a decision?
The fan base does not want Marvin Lewis as head coach. But would it actually be a bad hire?
The Lions have 3 Pro Bowl players. But they are at non-impact positions.
Detroit Tigers ink free agent OF Robbie Grossman to a two-year, $10 million deal.
MLB owners continue to cry poor, and pushed for another short season with prorated contracts The MLBPA called their bluff, and it appears we'll get a full, 162 game season.
With the the NHLs new, one season only divisions and the Detroit Red Wings playing just seven other teams, get ready for a year similar to the Original 6 era.
Dylan Larkin has to be named captain, right?
Michigan and Jim Harbaugh elect to kick the can down the road with a new four year contract extension, but with a far lower base salary and much smaller buy-out.
What's the point of a college football playoff if you can count on one hand the number of teams who have a chance at a national title?
Greg can't believe the NFL is going to have a ridiculously long and dangerous 17 game season in 2021. Al is not surprised golfers Gary Player and Annika Sorenstam stupidly accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom just one day after an attempted coup by a seditious president.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! The Detroit Lions are rocked by COVID-19 and controversy, and we're here for all of it!
Along with the Birthday Game and the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
Interim head coach Darrell Bevell controversially fired special teams coordinator Brayden Coombs for insubordination.
Tom Brady's arm, Matthew Stafford's ankle and COVID-19 protocols combined to destroy a crippled Lions team in a nationally televised debacle of a loss to the Buccaneers.
Tigers confirm they will continue to uncreatively tread water in 2021 by signing thoroughly mediocre RHP Jose Urena to a one-year, $3.25 million deal.
RHP Alex Faedo, the Tigers #1 pick in 2017, will undergo Tommy John surgery. The Tigers forgot there’s a term for leaning on young pitching during a rebuild - “There Is No Such Thing As A Pitching Prospect."
As expected, the rebuilding Detroit Pistons began their compressed 72 game season 0-3. At least their sketchy, Gordon Gekko-esqe owner Tom Gores has finally bought into a rebuild.
Greg is baffled by the futility of the Giants, Cowboys, and Football Team, let alone the fact the NFC East could have a 6-10 division winner. Meanwhile Al understands Lions fans fear of moving on from Matthew Stafford after seeing the disaster in Washington which was the short-lived Dwayne Haskins era.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! Former Lions' All-Pro linebacker Chris Spielman joining Detroit's front office as a full-time special advisor headlines a jam packed show. Along with the Birthday Game and the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
Spielman will have a say in Lions decision making, but how much power he wields remains to be seen
Interim coach Darrell Bevell benefits from a dead cat bounce to beat the Bears, but Detroit's lack of talent on defense is badly exposed in a loss to the Packers
Matthew Stafford suffered another injury, leaving his future with the team in doubt. Chase Daniels can start earning his ridiculous contract
The new regime will have rebuild the defense from scratch. As for QB, will they be better served keeping Stafford or rebuilding that position from scratch as well?
Expect another year of the Tigers treading water as GM Al Avila says not to expect any significant roster moves
Meanwhile, Detroit's newspaper beat writers are more than happy to carry the Tigers' water than hold their feet to the fire
The Cleveland Indians botch their name change, as they will remain the Indians for another year and will continue to sell Chief Wahoo merchandise.
A Wolverines COVID-19 outbreak forces the cancellation of the Michigan - tOSU game. Stupid conspiracy theories are then spewed, not only by fans, but by coaches and media members
Greg is fed up with end of game laterals, while Al calls out the BBWAA for their horrible treatment of Dick Allen
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! A crazy couple of weeks in Detroit sports has two teams blowing up the status quo, giving us plenty to discuss.
Along with the Birthday Game and the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
Two embarrassing losses lead to the Lions firing GM Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia, bringing the “Patriots of the Midwest" experiment to an inglorious end.
It's going to be a long, tough rebuild, as Quinn mishandling of assets leaved the Lions with no impact players, bad contracts and a roster built for an extremely specific scheme.
Former Lions danced on Patrica’s grave via social media, while the current roster said little about his departure, giving even more credence to Patricia being the cause of an extremely dysfunctional Detroit locker room.
Interim head coach Darrell Bevell talked about his team having fun and playing free, inferring they were handcuffed by Patricia.
The elephant in the room - what to do with Matthew Stafford?
The next Lions regime will be hired by a glorified accountant and a new, inexperienced owner. The Lions are badly in need of a head of football operations, siloed away from the business side and team president Rod Wood.
New GM Troy Weaver dismantles the Pistons with extreme prejudice. Only 4 players will return from last season's roster. His moves included allowing all free agents to walk, making 7 trades, 3 first round selections and a second rounder as well, signing 5 free agents, and 2 waiving 2 players while stretching their contracts.
Weaver has a plan similar to Oklahoma City and Miami, betting on player development and skillful drafting instead of a full on tank.
The NFL and NCAA appear close to a COVID-19 tipping point.
Greg rails against the online misogyny over Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller being the first woman to play Power 5 football, while Al calls out Tampa Bay Rays ownership for looking to cut salaries despite making it to the World Series and having the 28th highest MLB payroll.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! We were forced to miss a show due to injury, but Greg's off the IR and we're back to talk Detroit sports! Along with the Birthday Game and the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
The Detroit Tigers don't overthink it, hire the consensus best manager on the market in AJ Hinch. Cue the moral pearl clutching from a small but vocal part of the fan base over his role in the Houston Astros' sign stealing scandal
Hinch builds a staff, looks outside the old boys network for his pitching coach
Chicago White Sox double down on stupid, ignore the availability of Hinch and hire a problematic 76 year old Tony LaRussa who was just busted for a DUI
New Detroit Pistons GM Troy Weaver makes the first significant move of his tenure by trading fan favorite SG Bruce Brown to the Nets. The Pistons fan base reacted as if Chauncy Billups had been dealt, instead of a replacement level guard
The NBA is in a mad rush to start the 2020-21 season in order to earn that sweet, sweet TV money. Meaning the LA Lakers and Miami Heat will have a mere 71 day off season
Detroit Lions blow another huge lead, needing a miracle comeback to beat the Washing Football Team. The victory likely saved the jobs of Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn...at least temporarily
Will another bad loss finally force the hand of Lions owner Shelia Ford Hamp? Try to think like a Ford....we dare you
Isn’t this exactly how we saw the Lions' season playing out? The Lions were in a prime position to clean house and reset the entire franchise going into 2020. They owned the 3rd overall pick, and a pair of franchise QBs in Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert available. But the Fords kept the current regime with a win now edict. don't draft a QB, make short-term based decisions and are now mired in the no-man's land of missing the playoffs and a draft pick in the mid-teens
Greg calls out Patrica for his word salad filled post game pressers and Al rants at the NCAA for pissing into the COVID-19 wind, then wondering why they're wet
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! We're suffering from Lions ennui, but power thru regardless! Along with the Birthday Game and the Jerk of the Week, topics for this show include:
The Lions manhandled the Jaguars, as D'andre Swift had a breakout game and the defense was shockingly effective. One caveat - the Jags are an awful team in contention for the 1st overall pick.
Was the Jags game a must-win for Matt Patricia? According to CBS's Jason La Conforna's Lions sources, a loss would have been the final mail in Patrica's coffin. Interestingly, GM Bob Quinn wasn't mentioned as being in jeopardy.
Kenny Golladay posts cryptic social media messages about getting paid as contract negotiations with the Lions are seemingly at a standstill.
Of the Lions' next 6 games, 4 opponents have just 1 win each. Are we really talking about PLAYOFFS? No, but some will.
As NHL free agency starts, Steve Yzerman is the anti-Ken Holland by inking solid role players to reasonable, short-term deals. Stevie Y has a PLAN.
While the Tigers are busy interviewing younger, analytically inclined managerial candidates, the leader for the White Sox's opening is...74-year-old Tony LaRussa?
Announcement: We are shifting our recording day from Sunday to Tuesday. Shows will be available by midnight on Wednesday morning. Thanks for listening!
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! It's been an awful year, but we hope to take your mind off awful things by talking about awful Detroit sports!! Along with the Birthday Game and the Jerk of the Week, topics for this show include:
The Red Wings plan to buyout Justin Abdelkader's long-tern deal. But what will Steve Yzerman do with the extra cap space? Could they take on a toxic contract with draft capital attached? Or is it just more money in Chris Illitch's pocket, as the team has no revenue at the moment?
With the release of Abdelkader, a roster shakeup begins post haste. The Wings acquired defenseman Marc Staal in a Rangers salary dump, with a 2021 2nd round draft pick attached. The Wings will also not bring back Trevor Daley, Jonathan Ericisson, and Jimmy Howard. The Wings are a long way from contending, but you can now see the method to Yzerman's madness.
Ron Gardenhire retired before the end of the Tigers' season, stating heath concerns. Considering the last thing a man his age and health history should be doing during a pandemic is travelling around the country in a high stress job, it’s surprising Gardenhire lasted as long as he did
Should either AJ Hinch or Alex Cora, currently suspended over the Astros cheating scandal, be considered for the Tigers' opening? A naive, self-righteous segment of the Tigers' fanbase say no. That same fanbase also ignored Miguel Cabrera's adultery, drinking problems and spousal abuse, so glass houses. If you're angry at the lack of Astros punishment, take it out on Rob Manfred and MLB. Once they serve out their sentence, Hinch and Cora will get a second chance. It's just a matter of what team gives it.
The Tigers' prospects finally got a taste of the bigs, to varying degrees of success. But a 58 game season is just too small of a sample size, making it difficult to have any kind of conclusive player decisions...save for Christin Stewart. He's a bust.
“When I came to Detroit there was a lot of work to do" gives an arrogant Matt Patricia his "what's it take to get fired around here," "I don't coach that stuff," "abandon ship," "the bar is high," "I believe in the invisible," moment.
The Ford family has a long history of waiting too long to move on from what's not working - see Russ Thomas, Matt Millen, pretty much every coach since George Wilson walked away in 1964. The Fords would rather be buddies than bosses.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! Our pandemic induced hiatus is over, and we have a lot to get off our respective chests!
Along with our Jerk of the Week, topics for this show include:
What did we do during lockdown? Unlike many, we were both lucky enough to stay safe at home, but it also turns out we didn't miss sports all that much. That does not bode well for the future of professional sports.
For all the talk the 2020 Detroit Lions are different, blowing a 17 point 4th quarter lead to the Bears says otherwise.. Even if D’Andre Swift doesn’t drop what would have been a game winning TD pass, it wouldn’t excuse the fact the Lions bungled away a huge lead in a 27-23 loss.
Matt Patricia's Lions record is now 9-23-1, and has more blown 4th quarter leads than victories. Always arrogant to a fault, when asked if coaching was to be blamed for the continued late game collapses, Patricia responded by taking credit for what he called the best fourth quarter calls ever in Super Bowl 49.
After a 10 month layoff, Matthew Stafford was Matthew Stafford - Long stretches of good to great play with a couple of catastrophically bad 4th quarter decisions which would play a huge part in the loss.
Who was the Lions most effective player? 35-year-old Adrian Peterson. Didn't see that coming.
The next 3 games may be a job defining gauntlet for Patricia - The Packers and Cardinals on the road, the Saints at home., The Lions could easily start the season 0-4.
The TV networks used pumped in, un-nuanced, outright loud crowd noise, which made for an annoying, unpleasant broadcast.
The Detroit Tigers may not be in the playoff hunt, but by finally playing the kids they have become interesting. Of course, the jury remains out on many of the Tigers' prospects. While some players are running out of time to prove themselves (Christin Stewart). others have stepped up and may be part of a future contender (Jeimer Candelario).
Announcement: We show is now available on three more music/podcast services - Amazon Music, Deezer and Radio Public.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! We're still sheltered in our respective places and coronavirus free, yet It's been almost 6 weeks since we last met. As promised, we're back to talk Detroit Lions and the NFL Draft, wax rhapsodic about 80's NBA and ridicule the numerous reopening plans pro leagues are throwing against the wall in hope something sticks.
Along with the Jerk of the Week, topics for this show include:
ESPNs 30 for 30 documentary "The Last Dance" spent a good portion of episodes 3 and 4 on Dennis Rodman and reliving the bitter Chicago Bulls - Detroit Pistons rivalry. We learned the Bad Boys live rent-free in Michael Jordan's head to this day. It was also the sort of hate-filled playoff series we'll never see again.
Desperate to collect TV money, various pro leagues are throwing any and all reopening plans against the wall to see if anything sticks, player and employee health be damned. Every single option has so many moving parts, requiring every possible thing to go right, its hard to believe any plan will be successful without a proven vaccine. As for NCAA football and minor league sports, your guess is as good as ours as to when, or more correctly if, they return.
The NFL went back to their roots with a remote draft, which went surprisingly well. It was weird, but also a needed respite from our current reality.
The Detroit Lions draft received overall good grades, but much of it was spent filling self-created roster holes at corner and guard. IT also remains to be seen if it was smart use of draft capital to once again spend a second round draft pick on a running back when there are still glaring holes in a league worst defense.
Announcement: We've yet to set a date for the next show. We'll be back when there more to discuss, so it could be 2 weeks, could be 8. So keep an eye on our social media for updates! Please be safe and stay inside if at all possible. For those of you who have to work, we appreciate your sacrifice. We'll be back!
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Long-time Detroit sports podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! , The world has changed so much in just two weeks, but we're lucky to be sheltered in our respective places, coronavirus free and ready to vent.
Along with the Jerk of the Week, topics for this show include:
Who believed sports would be the proverbial canary in a coal mine? In two weeks we’ve gone from empty stadium games in Europe and US leagues taking mild precautions to the Jazz’s Rudy Gobert being found COVID-19 positive, which led to damn near every domino falling to the point where we have a shutdown of all sports worldwide with no realistic timetable for resumption.
Matt Patricia vs Darius Slay: The Lions chose culture over talent and traded Slay to the Eagles for 3rd and 5th round draft picks. Slay received a 3 yr/$50M extension from Philly, then went scorched earth, giving confirmed examples of Patricia's unprofessionalism.
Announcement: We'll be taking a short hiatus, and will be back after the NFL Draft to yell about the Lions. Please be safe and stay inside if at all possible. For those who have to work, we appreciate your sacrifice. We'll see you soon!
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! We're dipped in sanitizer and coronavirus-free, ready to discuss a relatively quiet time in Detroit sports!
Along with the Birthday Game and Jerk of the Week, topics for this show include:
The spread and fear of COVID-19 is changing the sports landscape. Hard decisions will need to be made in the name of public safety
There’s absolutely nothing going on in the NFL...save for ridiculous clickbait mock drafts online and mind-numbing trade/draft scenarios on sports talk radio. It's the worst time of year for NFL fans.
Tigers owner Chris Ilitch heads to Lakeland, says all the right things...but is it just lip service? His timeline for spending may not jive with the fan base.
Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman stresses patience after a pair of deadline deals. Stevie Y is the only GM in town who can get away with the "P" word.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
With the Pistons throwing in the towel on the 2019-20 season, all 4 Detroit pro sports teams are in a full rebuild. Greg and Big Al may not need an emergency podcaster on standby, but if things get any worse it may be necessary!
Along with the Birthday Game and Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
The Cavs' John Beilein experiment goes down in embarrassing flames, and there's plenty of blame to go around
Ed Stafanski becomes a tank commander as the Pistons buy out the contracts of Reggie Jackson and Markeiff Morris
The next story WDIV's Bernie Smilovitz gets correct, it'll be the first! Lions deny his report they are having trade talks regarding Matthew Stafford
Lions release Snacks Harrison. The question remains, does Bob Quinn actually have a plan? All signs point to "NO"
Billionaire NFL owners are counting on a combination of stupid, gullible and naive fans to support them over the players in their ongoing CBA negotiations
Red Wings are so bad they can't even make it to the trade deadline before being eliminated from the playoffs
Did you know Miguel Cabrera is in the best shape of his life? Tigers spring training begins, as does the propaganda
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
All the Detroit teams may be rebuilding...save for The Knee Jerks, that is! Ken Kal was forced to postpone, which led to our taking the week off., Ken will return to the podcast, but it will be after the end of the Red Wings' season. But the break gives us plenty to discuss! Along with the Birthday Game and Jerk of the Week, topics for this show include:
Pistons trade Andre Drummond, and finally pick a direction - rebuilding. The question now is, how will Ed Stafanski go about reshaping a suddenly younger and cheaper roster?
Alex Karras is posthumously inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The honor was far too late and long overdue, but one of the Lions' greats is immortalized in Canton.
Could Gerard Gallant's long history with the Red Wings and Steve Yzerman lead to his taking over as head coach? Regardless who may end up behind the bench, odds are it won't be Jeff Blashill.
A cheating scandal tainted the Astros' and Red Sox's World Series victories. MLB will lay the lumber to both franchises,. but is Rob Manfred going far enough with their (and for that matter, player) punishment?
Is it really that big a deal Derek Jeter's HoF vote wasn't unamimous?
Andre Drummond playing the woe is me and martyr cards after being traded was not a good look.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! We start a new year with one of the oldest friends of the show - Former Detroit Pistons player and coach Ray Scott. The Coach reminisces about his 12 year NBA/ABA career and gives his opinions on dire straits the Pistons now find themselves. When Coach says its time to change things up, it truly is time to blow up the roster. Along with the Birthday Game and Jerk of the Week, topics for the second half of the show include: Steve Yzerman makes the rounds to discuss the current state of the franchise. Really? A GM SPEAKS DURING THE SEASON? What a concept! Stevie Y want to be aggressive in obtaining more draft capital, but admits his current trade pieces aren't playing well.
Lions' GM Bob Quinn made one of his very rare media appearances, and nothing surprising was revealed. Though Quinn did make some disingenuous comments about blaming injuries for a 3 win season and claiming he had to rebuild a 9 win, borderline playoff, team.
There were scapegoats aplenty, including the resignation of DC Paul Pasqualoni, and numerous assistant coaches and the entire strength and conditioning staff getting the ziggy. Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa declared for the draft, giving the Lions several options for either trading down, taking the best available player or your QB for the future. Upcoming guests: Red Wings broadcaster Ken Kal on 01/29/20.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
It's the end of the year and decade, but not the end of The Knee Jerks! This special end of the year show features a favorite returning guest - EMU Eagles head football coach Chris Creighton, Coach talks about the disappointing ending of the Quick Lane Bowl and the controversy surrounding QB Mike Glass III's late game actions. Coach also talks about how he preps for games, his upcoming recruiting class, and his future at the university.
In the second half of the podcast, the Jerks talk Lions futility and the Tigers, shockingly, make a couple of solid moves in free agency. Along with playing the birthday game and naming Jerks of the Week, topics include: The Lions will retain the services of Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn, despite their train wreck 3-12-1 season. This will not end well.
Does an admittedly soft "win or else" ultimatum from the Fords lead to questionable short-term decision making by the Lions' front office?
Shelia Ford Hamp is being groomed to take over the reigns of the franchise. But her "We're doing what's right for the organization" statement sounds suspiciously like "Mom is going to be 95 soon and we don't want to start over again."
The Fords confirm they will not be selling the team anytime soon, so can we put the "Sell the team!" trope to bed? It's not happening....at least not in our lifetimes.
Will Patricia's meat puppet/defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni become a sacrificial lamb?
The Tigers shore up the right side of their infield by signing CJ Cron and Johnathan Schoop, a pair of big league ballplayers with legit 20-30 home run power, About God damn time.
Upcoming guests: Former Pistons player and head coach Ray Scott on 01/12/20, and Red Wings broadcaster Ken Kal on 01/29/20.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week the guys interview John Wing, a stand-up comedian who has appeared on The Tonight Show, America's Got Talent, Just for Laughs, and gigs all over North America! A native of Sarnia, Ontario, John is a long-time Tigers fan, as shown by his ability to break down the A's Bert Campaneris throwing his bat at Tigers reliever Lerrin LaGrow.! John also talks about Chuck Hughes, working with Johnny Carson, and how stand-up has changed over the years.
After hijinks and hilarity with John, the rest of the show is all Lions and Tigers doom and gloom Along with playing the birthday game and naming Jerks of the Week, the second half of the show includes:.
Does Matt Patricia deserve a 3rd season? The coaching fraternity and Chris Speilman believe so. But the fans? Not so much.
Former Lions players, including Glover Quin, Jace Billingsley and Hakeem Valles, call out the toxic culture of fear they believe is cultivated by Patricia and Bob Quinn.
Does Martha Firestone Ford have the ability, or even care about, moving on to a new regime. For that matter, is she even calling the short? No one seems to know.
Anger and apathy grow within the Lions fan base, as shown by a half dull Ford Field.
The Tigers claim the roster tear down is over, and are now going to "build it back up." But their refusal to pick up the waived Jonathan Villar for the cost of his contract at the Winter Meetings belies their "build it back up" catchphrase.
Bert Campaneris throwing his bat
John Wing on Twitter
John Wing on Facebook
John Wing Comedy
John Wing on AGT
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! This week Eno and Big Al realize Detroit sports have never, ever been worse. Definitely worse than the former low point, the dark days of the mid-1970s.
Along with playing the birthday game and naming Jerks of the Week, topics include:
When will we see a light at the end of the tunnel? Right now, the tunnel is nowhere to be found, let alone a light
The Detroit Red Wings at least have some young talent and Steve Yzerman running the team. But do you really trust the Detroit Pistons' Ed Sefanski, Detroit Tigers' Al Avila or Detroit Lions' Bob Quinn to turn their respective teams around? We don't either.
The Lions' defense make bad QBs look respectable (Haskins, Trubisky), are 0-4 since Matthew Stafford went down, have churned thru 11 backup quarterbacks since the end of last season, were the 2nd team to have been eliminated from the playoffs, and have Matt Patricia squarely on the hot seat.
There is a report claiming "league sources" say Patricia will return for 2020. We don't trust the site reporting this...but do believe Patricia will return, because Lions.
On our December 15th show, comedian John Wing (America's Got Talent, The Tonight Show, Just For Laughs) will join us to wallow in the misery that is Detroit sports in 2019.
John Wing on Twitter
John Wing Comedy
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! This week Eno and Big Al cover the Detroit Lions loss to the Raiders and collapse of the defense, the Detroit Tigers making significant changes to their minor league coaching staff, and the downward spiral of Jeff Blashill and the Detroit Red Wings.
Along with playing the birthday game and naming Jerks of the Week, topics include:
The left coast bit the Lions on the tuchis again.
We were told Matt Patricia is a defensive guru. We're still wating...
What in the Hell was Darrell Bevell thinking on the final play?
Martha Firestone Ford is 95, can she really be expected to take change of the team's direction?
Diggs dealt, Johnson injured, all is not well on the Lions.
It doesn't bode well for the Tigers' future when you're rebuilding the minor league foundation in midst of a big league teardown.
The winged wheel has come off the Red Wings' season,
Jeff Blashill, a lamer duck than originally thought.
Mick McCabe on Chandler Park high school gaming the MHSAA playoff system
The death of Deadspin
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! This week Eno and Big Al cover the Detroit Lions 2 week fade from contenders to pretenders, preview the Detroit Pistons season, recap the Detroit Red Wings showing who they really are after a fast start, and make their World Series picks.
Along with playing the birthday game and naming Jerks of the Week, topics include:
In just 2 weeks, the Lions fade from contenders to pretenders, losing any margin for error over the final 10 games
We were told Matt Patricia was a defensive genius, but the D can't rush the passer or stop the run
If you were thinking Lions' ownership would come out strong against the awful officiating vs the Packers, think again
Expect the 2019-20 Pistons to remain on the mediocrity treadmill
The Red Wings are still looking for goals, but only getting them from the MLB line.
Who wins the World Series battle between 3/5 of the Tigers' 2012-14 rotation?
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! This week it's all Jerks all the time, with hot takes on the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Detroit Red Wings and the state of sports journalism.
Along with playing the birthday game and naming Jerks of the Week, other topics include:
For the second time in 16 years, the Tigers are not just bad, but HISTORICALLY BAD. Rebuilding doesn't necessarily mean being embarrassingly bad.
The 2019 Tigers may have lost five fewer games, but you can argue they were worse than the 119 loss 2003 team.
In a lively ball league where four teams topped the previous home run record, the Tigers' offense hit as if it were still the dead ball era.
Building around pitching is a risky proposition. As for position prospects? What position prospects?!
The Lions are 2-1-1. Buying in or not, remember Bill Parcells once said, "You are what the record says you are". The record says they are a playoff contender.
Is too much being made over, what was in the end, still a loss? Fans are more excited over losing to the Chiefs than they were after the Lions beat the Chargers and Eagles.
The Darrell Bevell effect. Welcome back Gunslinging Matthew Stafford!
Like the Tigers, the Red Wings are rebuilding. Unlike the Tigers, the Wings are developing a young, exciting core.
Fox Sports Detroit is driving us bonkers with their silly games.
The disemboweling of Sports Illustrated is another sign of the decline of good sports writing.
Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week the Jerks welcome back an old friend of the show, Mick McCabe, Mick joins us to talk about his induction into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, his years covering high school sports and the University of Michigan for the Detroit Free Press and his recent Freep article ripping the current state of prep sports and the reasons (PARENTS) why it's broken.
Along with playing the birthday game and naming Jerks of the Week, other topics include:
The Detroit Lions somehow find themselves still undefeated at 2-0-1 after being less worse than the LA Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles.
The Jerks discuss reasons why the team has won it's last two games and how it may just be fools gold. Though it's leaning toward the team being more lucky than good, the results of the next three games (Chiefs, Packers, Vikings, a combined 8-1) could change sour minds.
A shoutout to Chris Creighton and EMU football. The Eagles may be the best team in Washtenaw County! Speaking of which...
The Michigan Wolverines fanbase is undergoing an existential crisis after being curb stomped by Wisconsin. When your fandom is wrapped around a team being a football blueblood and you suddenly realize it no longer is one....a public meltdown ensues.
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week's show is all Detroit Lions, as we break down the awful 27-27 loss tie against the Arizona Cardinals. Hot takes galore!
Along with playing the birthday game and naming Jerks of the Week, topics include:
If it feels like a loss and looks like a loss, it’s a loss. The 27-27 loss tie against the Cardinals feels like a loss, a very bad one. This one really stuck in the craw of long-time fans, bringing back thoughts of "Same old Lions."
This loss tie will go down in infamy as the "Timeout Game." A pissed off Matthew Stafford, who was quite good, would likely agree.
Did Matt Patricia and Darrell Bevell outsmart themselves or just coach scared? They sure didn't seem to trust their players late in the game.
OT Taylor Decker = BAD, TE TJ Hockenson = GOOD
The upcoming five game gauntlet - Chargers, @Eagles, Chiefs, @Packers, Vikings - will determine the Lions season and quite possibly the futures of GM Bob Quinn, Matt Patriciaand the franchise as a whole.
Guest note: The guest for our September 22 show will be Mick McCabe, aka The Son of Swami, semi-retried writer for the Detroit Free Press. Mick will join us to discuss his recent article calling out parents of student athletes and the current state of high school sports
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week Eno (now known as The Chosen One) and Big Al (still known as Big Al) call out Andrew Luck haters, NFL exhibition games, Justin Verlander, the Houston Astros, clueless fans, and Andre Drummond - hot takes for all tastes! Along with playing the birthday game and naming the Jerks of the Week, topics include:
Andrew Luck retires, Indy fans overreact, and unlike the Detroit Lions with Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, the Indianapolis Colts won’t go after Luck's signing bonus money.
Lions lose 2 starters to injury in 24-20 exhibition loss to the Bills. The 4 game NFL exhibition season sucks, no longer serves a purpose and needs to be blown up.
Tigers are 50 games under .500, but are finally phasing in prospects while doing so, making the end of the season far more interesting for fans.
Justin Verlander comes off looking extremely petty in barring Detroit Free Press beat writer Anthony Fenech from the Astros clubhouse. MLB need to do more than slap the hands of the Astros for enabling Verlander and violating the CBA. For that matter, fans who sided with Verlander really don't have a clue.
Andre Drummond all but confirms he’ll decline the player option
on his contract. But is he worth a max contract? Barring a breakout season, all signs point to "no"
Son of Swami calls out the BS that is the high school recruiting/AAU/single sport training industrial complex.
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Big Al is back from the beach, so the podcast returns with the usual hot takes and hijinks! Along with playing the birthday game and naming the Jerks of the Week, topics include:
The Detroit Tigers are still bad, really bad: For all the attention the Orioles have generated for their futility, the Tigers actually have a worse record. Want to make the remaining 6 weeks even semi compelling? MOAR PROSPECTS, LESS VETS!
GM Al Avila roasted by the Freep: Detroit Free Press beat writer Anthony Fenech stopped lofting softballs and started throwing fastballs at the Tigers’ GM in a scathing opinion piece, taking Avila for his deadline trades being (in Avila’s own words) “pretty good considering the market.”
Ron Gardenhire, soon to be a lame duck: Noted local blogger Greg
Eno thinks it may be time to move on from a placeholder manager, believing a manager for the next phase of a rebuild needs to be hired.
Deja vu all over again: The Detroit Lions lost their exhibition opener in ugly fashion to the Pats. But should we be concerned about badly losing a game where what few starters that did play were only on the field for a handful of snaps?
NFL exhibition games are a pox upon humanity: The Lions lost 3 players to injury against the Pats, 2 for the season and the other for an indefinite amount of time. all for what is little more than a money grab. NFL teams would be better served to prepare for the season with controlled scrimmages.
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
It may be hotter than Hell outside here in Detroit, but Greg and Big Al have even hotter takes this week!
Along with playing the birthday game and naming the Jerks of the Week, topics include:
GM Al Avila awarded a contract extension: Despite the Tigers being on pace for a 2nd straight 100 loss season, losers of 24 of 27 at home and Avila still under contract for next year, owner Chris Ilitch bestowed Detroit’s GM a multi-year contract extension (no terms announced) just before the All-Star break. During a press conference, Avila called this season "the darkest hour," which no fan denies.
Jim Bouton passes away at the age of 80: Bouton's book "Ball Four" changed sports and sports literature forever. The book was also hugely influential to a pair of 1970s teenagers named Greg and Al.
Steve Yzerman cleans house in the Red Wings' scouting department: Former head of scouting Tyler Wright joins Ken Holland in Edmonton, while former Grind Line member Kris Draper is expected to take over in Detroit.
Goodbye to the Joe and Palace: As Joe Louis Arena is being demolished, it was announced the still state of the art Palace of Auburn Hills will be razed, replaced by a mixed use development. At least neither building will linger like Tiger Stadium or the Silverdome.
Scheduling note: The Knee Jerks will be off till August 11, as Al will be on the beach sipping gin and tonics two weeks from now.
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Greg and Big Al return with plenty of hot takes on the draft and free agency moves with the Detroit Pistons, Steve Yzerman's first draft as GM of the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers' fast moving downward spiral into the race for the worst record in MLB.
Along with playing the birthday game and naming the Jerks of the Week, topics include:
The Pistons sign former NBA MVP Derrick Rose: The Pistons inked the talented, but oft-injured, point guard to a 2-year, $15M free agent contact. Considering the monopoly money being thrown at lesser players (Ricky Rubio got $50M?!), the Pistons filled a large backcourt hole for a relative pittance.
Ed Stefanski takes a swing for the NBA draft fences: The Pistons' Senior Advisor made numerous draft day moves, ultimately ending up with a veteran starting small forward in Tony Snell and 3 high ceiling/low floor draft picks, including 18-year-old French forward Sekou Doumbouya.
Steve Yzerman gets the benefit of the doubt: Red Wings' GM made waves by selecting 18-year-old German defenseman Moritz Seider 6th overall, when almost every mock had him pegged as a mid to late 1st rounder. Of course, if former GM Ken Holland had gone off the board as Yzerman did, the pitchfork and torches would have been at the ready. But Stevie Y's Tampa track record has deservedly earned him the benefit of the doubt.
A bad baseball team getting worse: The Tigers are 5-20 (.200 winning percentage) for the month of June, they are 28th or worse in every significant offensive category, Jack Morris says there is no leadership or accountability in the locker room, an emo Nicholas Castellanos vents to the media, and Miguel Cabrera's on-field decline and clubhouse toxicity hits warp speed.
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Eno and Big Al start season 11 by covering all angles of John Beilein leaving the University of Michigan for the Cleveland Cavaliers, former Fab 5 Wolverine Juwan Howard taking over at Michigan, the Detroit Tigers' season going (as expected) off the rails and Calvin Johnson putting a price tag on becoming an ambassador for the Detroit Lions.
Along with playing the birthday game and naming the Jerks of the Week, topics include:
After flirting with the Detroit Pistons last year, the winningest head coach in Michigan MBB history unexpectedly leaps to the NBA. Why did John Beilein leave Michigan? It starts with the cesspool that is recruiting.
After a 9 day search, Michigan AD Warde Manuel replaced Beilein with Miami Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard. Despite his having interviewed for NBA head coaching jobs, with his resume would Howard have gotten the job if he wasn’t a Michigan alum?
The month of May didn't agree with the Detroit Tigers, exposing just how awful tanking can be for a fanbase. The current roster likely doesn't have a single player who will be here when the team becomes a contender.
Speaking of tanking, so is the Tigers' attendance.
Speaking of tanking, it's become an ugly scene in the American League, where 2/3 of the teams are not bothering to compete. Barring a miracle of epic proportions, the 5 AL playoff teams were set in place by Memorial Day.
Once again Calvin Johnson and the Detroit Lions are bickering about Megatron paying back a portion of his signing bonus. Neither side looks good.
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! This week Eno and Big Al celebrate a decade of podcasting with some of our favorite guests!
Segment 1: Linda Murray Hofmans of the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation. Linda gives us the latest news from the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation on the 20th anniversary of awarding sports journalism scholarships.
Segment 2: Matt Hutter talks Detroit Red Wings. Matt, our fellow sports blogger from the wild west days of the mid 3000s and former Red Wings insider, joins us from Oregon to give his thoughts on the Wings' off season and the NHL playoffs.
Segment 3: Ray Scott, former ABA/NBA player and Pistons head coach. Our favorite old-school NBA player/coach joins the show to talk Detroit Pistons and the scourge that is tanking.
Segment 4: Former ABC/MSG/Detroit broadcaster Bob Page of the No Filter Sports Podcast. The always incendiary Bob Page tells tales of his latest venture - The No Filter Sports podcast with Eli Zaret and Denny McLain, and dipping his toes into Twitter, along with giving his thoughts on all things sports.
Segment 5: Author Earl Shores. Earl has penned a new, non-sports related book - "Playland: Greetings From Ocean City"
"Author Earl Shores was lucky enough to land a job in the park for the summer of 1980. At first, this position seemed like the most perfect job in the world. Running the rides on warm summer nights as the park’s flashing lights and the squeals of happy children filled the air was a fantasy.
But little did Shores realize that his Playland summer would turn out to be the roller coaster ride of his life."
You can find "Playland: Greetings From Ocean City, Maryland" at all major booksellers.
Segment 6: A thank you to EVERYONE who has played a part in the show - listeners, guests, family and friends!
Plenty has changed over the past decade and there will be more change over the next 10 years, but regardless of what come next, we still plan on doing the show!
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Eno and Big Al return from Easter hiatus to run the gauntlet of Detroit sports! From welcoming back Steve Yzerman to the Detroit Red Wings and saying goodbye to Ken Holland, asking why the Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera has turned into a crazy talking, finger pointing slap hitter, to why the Detroit Pistons think their roster learned anything from being embarrassed by the Milwaukee Bucks over a 4 game sweep, while touching on the Detroit Lions' draft, AKA the NFL Draft Industrial Complex.
Along with playing the birthday game and naming the Jerks of the Week, topics include:
Steve Yzerman returns as GM and the Red Wings' savior So what happens to Ken Holland? Rather than take a cushy advisor gig with the Wings, he moved on to the Edmonton Oilers' GM job.
Why would a rebuilding Wings team even want a 41-year-old Pavel Datsyuk to return for one last hurrah?
36-year-old singles hitter Miguel Cabrera throws teammates under the bus, claiming a lack of (mythical) lineup protection iswehy he's no longer hitting for power.
Matthew Boyd, ace?
Casey Mize, Matt Burroughs, Alex Faedo are making noise at Double A Erie, but the Tigers' farm system still badly needs impact bats if they want to start competing in a couple of seasons.
The Detroit Pistons organization claim the their young players needed to learn how to compete at a higher level, so it was worth getting embarrassed 4 straight games on national TV. And where was the anger over being pantsed by the Bucks?
The Detroit Lions drafted a bunch of guys, and who the Hell really knows who will actually be good? Regardless of that fact, "experts" still grade the draft immediately after the fact, which is nothing more than a fool's errand.
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
The episode is a Detroit Lions-free zone as Greg and Big Al cover the end of the Detroit Red Wings 2018-19 season, the Detroit Pistons doing their damnedest to squander a playoff berth but somehow still have a magic number of 1 with 2 to play and the Detroit Tigers' pitching carrying them to a 7-3 start to the MLB season.
Along with playing the birthday game and naming the Jerks of the Week, topics include:
The Red Wings wrap up the season with the fourth worst record in the NHL. But they showed signs of life, ending the season with 8 wins in their last 11 games on the back of their young players.
heir Lose for Hughes draft lottery odds took a slight hit, but there appears to be a core of Larkin, Athanasiou, Mantha and Bertuzzi to build around.
Head coach Jeff Blashill received his long rumored contract extension, but at just 2 years, the deal won't be so onerous to keep the franchise from to moving on from him (or GM Ken Holland) if things go sideways next season.
The New York Post claims Steve Yzerman is willing to be "wooed" to take over as President of the New York Rangers. There's not much to the story, but it does seem to confirm that the soon to be executive free agent is not looking to be a GM ala Holland, but rather take over an entire organization.
The playoffs are no longer a given for the badly slumping Pistons.. They have dropped from a seemingly solid 6 seed to barely hanging on to the 8 seed by the skin of their teeth and the will of an obviously injured Blake Griffin.
But with a magic number of 1, the Pistons are likely going to back in to the postseason...only to become 1st round fodder for the Milwaukee Bucks, who own the best overall record in the NBA.
The Tigers pitching staff is 2nd overall in MLB, and has carried them to a 7-3 record and 1st place in the Central. Their pitching won't remain this good, but it should remain average. Which is more than you can say the Tigers' God awful, powerless offense.
Starter Mike Moore suffered a knee injury, putting him on the IL. More importantly, the injury gives Daniel Norris, once believed to be a sure-fire top of the rotation starter as a prospect, his last, best chance to stick in the rotation before the new wave of prospects reach the big leagues.
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Greg and Big Al enforce a Mueller Report-free zone while breaking down the latest with the Wolverines and Spartans in the NCAA Tournament as Tom Izzo loses his mind, the Lions making big waves in free agency while becoming Patriots west, the Red Wings decide to keep a veteran for another year and Tigers lose an important piece just before opening day.
Along with playing the birthday game and naming the Jerks of the Week, topics include:
The Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans roll into the N NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
Tom Izzo's sideline histrionics makes headlines for all the wrong reasons.
The Detroit Lions spend big money in free agency on Trey Flowers, Justin Coleman, Jesse James and Danny Amendola, cornering the ex-Patriot market and giving them new options in the draft.
Lacking any goalies of the future, the Detroit Red Wings give veteran netminder Jimmy Howard a one-year contract extension.
The rumblings of a contract extension in the offing for head coach Jeff Blashill are getting louder and louder, much to the consternation of a fan base pining for the return of Steve Yzerman.
The injury wracked Detroit Tigers lose starting pitcher Michael Fulmer for the next 14-16 months. as Tommy John surgery is on tap.
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Eno and Big Al return from a longer than expected hiatus to discuss all things bad - namely what's happening with the Detroit Red Wings, Tigers and Lions - and the one surprisingly good and entertaining team, the surging Detroit Pistons.
Along with playing the Birthday Game and naming our the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
A sad day in Hockeytown - Red Wings great NHL Hall of Fame member and leader of the player union movement Ted Lindsay died at age 93.
So much for Team Tank - 12-2 since February 1 and winners of 5 straight, the 34-31 Detroit Pistons are the hottest team in the NBA, playing themselves into the playoff picture. But are you ready to buy into this suddenly entertaining, but still flawed, team?
Addition by subtraction - The Pistons surged in the standings after dealing Reggie Bullock and Stanley Johnson, opening up playing time for Luke Kennard, Langston Galloway and Wayne Ellington, who have been shooting lights out from the 3 point line.
The Big 1 are now the Big 3 - The Pistons run not coincidentally started when Andre Drummond started playing strictly to his strengths and Reggie Jackson rediscovered the 2015-16 version of himself, forming a true Big 3 with an All-NBA level Blake Griffin.
The Tigers sign a legit big league 2nd baseman - Former 2-time All Star Josh Harrison joined the Tigers, inking a 1-year, $2 million incentive laden contract.
Time to worry about Michael Fulmer? The 2016 Rookie of the Year once had a fastball that hit 97 on the gun. But his 3rd knee surgery this past off season forced a change in his delivery, reducing velocity. During Fulmer's 3rd Lakeland start, that fastball was now sitting at 88-92 MPH
Nicholas Castellanos having second thoughts - Word out of Lakeland has the Tigers' right fielder now interested in negotiating a contract extension. Being he brings more to the Tigers than he would anther team and having see veteran free agents get smaller and shorter deals, this should not be a surprise to anyone.
Is Lions' GM Bob Quin preparing to make a splash in free agency? It appears so. By releasing 3 starters (Glover Quin, TJ Lang, Nevin Lawson) the Lions are now more than $45 million under the salary cap. With numerous roster holes to fill, free agency and the draft just became far more interesting for Lions fans.
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week we bring back an old friend and welcome a new friend to the podcast - Veteran Detroit and New York broadcasters (and now podcasters) Bob Page and Eli Zaret. Eli hosts Bob and Detroit Tigers legend Denny McClain on the new twice weekly No Filter Sports podcast. You can find the show on the Drew and Mike Red Shovel Network and subscribe via all big podcast services. Eli and Bob tell us why they started the podcast and discuss (with no filter, of course) their long history in Detroit TV and radio.
In the second half of the show Eno and Big Al give their hot takes on the Detroit Pistons' moving Reggie Bullock and Stanley Johnson at the trade deadline, the debut of the Alliance of American Football and where it fits in today's sports landscape and ask just what in the Hell happened with a damn boring Super Bowl.
As always, there is also the Birthday Game and the Jerk of the Week
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Eno and Big Al return after a holiday hiatus and realize everything in Detroit pro sports, to put it bluntly, sucks.
Along with playing the Birthday Game and naming our the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
It's been over than a 1000 days since a Detroit team won playoff game. When was the last tine the local pro sports scene was THIS bad? Back when Greg and Al were living in the teenage wasteland known as the 1970's with the Dead Wings, the Lions were always mediocre, the Tigers were in full rebuild mode and the Pistons were completely irrelevant.
The Detroit Lions fire one scapegoat in offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and replace him with former Seattle Seahawks scapegoat and OC Darrell Bevell.
Detroit Tigers' GM Al Avila admits the franchise will not be spending money on free agents for at least another 2-3 seasons. You would not want to be working in Tigers ticket sales when your own team is waving the while flag in January.
Avila also claims there's no takers for all bat, no glove RF Nicholas Castellanos. Reportedly Castellanos' agent has requested the team trade him before the start of spring training. Good luck with that!
The Detroit Pistons' roster has evolved into an All-NBA level Blake Griffin surrounded by a bunch of nincompoops with toxic contracts.
The NBA trade deadline is in 2 weeks, the Pistons have to decide if they should buy, sell or hold. The best solution may be to not do a thing and wait for the bad contracts of Reggie Jackson (who has become the face of all that is wrong with the team) and friends to come off the books, which will take 2 years.
Though they own one of the worst records in the NHL, at least the Detroit Red Wings have a plan, are sticking to it and have begun to develop a core of young players...in spite of the actions of head coach Jeff Blashill.
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Along with playing the Birthday Game and naming our the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
The Detroit Lions were officially eliminated from the postseason after dropping a 14-13 snoozefest to the lowly Bills. At 5-9, the team will finish under .500 for the first time since 2015.
Fire Jim Bob Cooter? Sure! But he doesn’t operate in a vacuum: For all the cries for Cooter (deservedly) getting the boot, why is he the only scapegoat? He's following Matt Patricia's run based, slow paced, clock eating, risk averse, QB handcuffing offensive orders
This season Matt Nagy raised a 5-11 Bears team to a 10-4 record and an NFC North title. Frank Reich has the Colts at 8-6 after a 4-12 2017. Mike Vrabel took over a 9-7 Titans team and has them in the hunt at 8-6 despite a bad season from QB Marcus Mariota. So what happened with the “underachieving at 9-7” Lions?
Free tip for the mainstream media - Don't tell fans how to be a fan. After 60 years of suck, fans have legit reasons for their anger.
The Detroit Tigers once made waves in free agency. At the recent winter meetings, they only made ripples with a pair of low ceiling, stopgap signings of journeymen Jordy Mercer and Tyson Ross.
The Tigers’ (now former) long-time battlin’ TV broadcast duo finally broke their silence. Mario Impemba and Rod Allen released statements which said and answered nothing.
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Along with playing the Birthday Game and naming our the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
Losses to the Bears and Rams have the Detroit Lions at 4-98. The season is essentially over, so the fan and media blame game has begun. But who is to blame? Bob Quinn? Matt Patricia? Matthew Safford? Jim Bob Cooter? Every-damn-one of them?
Considering the staggering amount of dead salary cap money trading or cutting Stafford would cause, is it even feasible the Lions would move on from their veteran QB? The sunk cost fallacy is in play.
All signs point to Cooter being the next sacrificial lamb.
The loss to the Rams means it's been 25 years since the Lions' last won a division title. Over the decades, every other NFL franchise has figured it out and had some sort of sustained success...but not the Lions.
Looking at the team's needs for next season, it appears more like a rebuild instead of a "culture change".
The Detroit Tigers sign washed up journeyman free agent lefty Matt Moore to a one-year deal, signaling there will be no accelerating the rebuild.
Tanking will continue in earnest, with no signs as to when it will end.
The Tigers also non-tendered a pair of veterans. Moving on from James McCann was expected, but releasing Alex Wilson definitely was not.
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Visit us on Facebook.
Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Along with playing the Birthday Game and naming our the Jerk of the Week, this week's topics include:
Lions earn a meaningless win over the Panthers thanks to a failed two-point conversion.
Kerryon Johnson injures his knee, making an already inconsistent offense one-dimensional.
Matt Patricia's ridiculous prepared statement about practicing in bad weather and his obvious disdain for the media just makes him look small and petty.
GM Bob Quinn needs to speak to the media, even if it isn't the "Patriot Way."
The bloom is off Matthew Stafford, while Jim Bob Cooter is a dead coach walking.
The Tigers could accelerate the rebuild by investing in the right free agents, but look to be all in on another season of tanking.
Tigers biggest offseason decision? To keep or trade Nicholas Castellanos and Matthew Boyd.
The Red Wings are the hottest team in hockey. Unfortunately, it's not sustainable.
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Long time Detroit podcasters and bloggers Greg Eno and Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! Due to circumstances out of our control, we had to take a few months away from the show. But we're back and have a lot our Detroit sports loving minds. So let's hit the ground running and talk Detroit Lions, Red Wings, Pistons and Tigers!
Along with the Birthday Game and the Jerk of the Week, topics include:
-A 3-5 record leaves fans with more questions than answers about the direction of the Lions franchise.
-"Trader" Bob Quinn is both a buyer (Damon "Snacks" Harrison) and seller (fan favorite Golden Tate) at the NFL trade deadline. Both deals are part of the Patriot Way.
-Slouch in front of Matt Patricia, you end up making national headlines.
-Thoughts on season 2 of the Red Wings rebuild. Youngsters Dylan Larkin, Dennis Cholowski impress, but most vets (we're looking at you, Abdelkader) disappoint.
-Tell Ken Holland there's an GM elephant in the room, and his name is Steve Yzerman.
-The Pistons have a superstar point forward in Blake Griffin, an enigma in Andre Drummond, and a bunch of guys who can't shoot the 3-ball and are a bad fit in Dwane Casey's offense.
-The Tigers are a long, long way from contending entering the second off season of their rebuild.
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Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks! Year 10 of the podcast begins with Greg and Big Al talking Detroit Pistons and Detroit Tigers.
Topics include:
The Pistons' search for a GM and head coach continues at a snail's pace, but veteran NBA exec Ed Stafanski was hired as an "advisor" to run the search for a up-and-coming GM.
There is a good possibility a coach (such as Dwane Casey) could be hired before a GM, which is bass ackwards.
That Michigan head coach John Beilein was interviewed was a shock for the Pistons fan base, but a gut punch to the Wolverines'. Why would someone with such a sweet NCAA gig even be interested?
The Tigers are on a roll, thanks to a Canadian goose and Ron Gardenhire. But is their winning sustainable?
Why is Victor Martinez still on the team, let alone hitting in the middle order?
Miguel Cabrera playing the martyr is not a good look.
As always, the guys play The Birthday Game and name their Jerk of the Week!
You can also listen to The Knee Jerks podcast via YouTube, Stitcher or iTunes by searching for "The Knee Jerks Eno and Big Al" and subscribing. Also check out The Knee Jerks Facebook group!
Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week Greg and Big Al celebrate nine years of podcasting shenanigans with four of our favorite guests.
Sports photographer Greg Shamus of Getty Images
Former ABA/NBA player and coach Ray Scott
Linda McCoy Murray of the Jim Murray Foundation
Outspoken as ever, retired Detroit and New York City sportscaster Bob Page
You can also listen to The Knee Jerks podcast via YouTube, Stitcher or iTunes by searching for "The Knee Jerks Eno and Big Al" and subscribing. Also check out The Knee Jerks Facebook group!
Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
The guys are back after a short hiatus. Despite Big Al being fried after a Florida vacation, the show must go on!
This week's topics include:
Detroit Lions: Thoughts on the Lions' draft. which seems fine overall. GM Bob Quinn was focused on one thing - fix their NFL worst run game. How mock drafts, draft grades and the reactions to all of it are nothing but a fool's errand.
Detroit Pistons: The team remains in limbo as we still do not know what owner Tom Gores is going to do with Stan Van Gundy, be it stay the course, blow it up, or something in between.
Detroit Red Wings: No luck in the draft lottery, as the Wings drop one spot to 6th overall.
Detroit Tigers: Surprisingly, thanks to decent starting pitching, the Tigers are just ordinarily bad, not soul-crushingly so. But Miguel Cabrera is back on the DL - is this the Hall of Fame bound slugger's new normal for the next several years?
As always, the guys play The Birthday Game and name their Jerk of the Week!
You can also listen to The Knee Jerks podcast via YouTube, Stitcher or iTunes by searching for "The Knee Jerks Eno and Big Al" and subscribing. Also check out The Knee Jerks Facebook group!
Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week Eno and Big Al welcome back to the show journalist Dave Mesrey, who gives us his thoughts on the sudden closing of Hazel Park Raceway after 70 years of operation.
Dave's Metro Times pieces on the final Hazel Park track champion (and a fitting closure on the track) can be found here: First-year phenom Melissa Zajac bucking the odds in battle for jockeys title at Hazel Park
And here: Jockey Melissa Zajac makes horse-racing history at Hazel Park
The second half of the show has the Jerks giving their takes on the contract extension of Red Wings' GM Ken Holland, what that means for the future status of head coach Jeff Blashill and where the team's rebuild currently stands. The guys also cover the Tigers' surprising start to the season, the train wreck that is MLB scheduling and how it could be fixed, the beginning of the Matt Patricia era with the Lions and GM Bob Quinn's moves in free agency.
As always, the guys play The Birthday Game and name their Jerk of the Week!
You can also listen to The Knee Jerks podcast via Stitcher or iTunes by searching for "The Knee Jerks Eno and Big Al" and subscribing. Also check out The Knee Jerks Facebook group!
Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
Author Larry Underwood joins us to talk about and debate the 50th anniversary of the 1968 World Series. Larry gives us the point of view from the St. Louis Cardinals, while Greg and Big Al bring the victorious Detroit Tigers' side of things.
The second half of the show includes the guys discussing the Michigan Wolverines' NCAA Tournament run to the Final Four, MSU failing to get out of the first weekend for the third straight year, the state of the two programs, the rise of John Beilein and stumble of Tom Izzo. There's also plenty of hot seat discussion, as there are rumors Chauncey Billups and Arn Tellum may take over Stan Van Gundy's Detroit Pistons front office duties, and the recent report GM Ken Holland may receive a contract extension from the Detroit Red Wings instead of a pink slip.
As always, the guys also name their Jerk of the Week and play the Birthday Game!
You can also listen to The Knee Jerks podcast via Stitcher or iTunes by searching for "The Knee Jerks Eno and Big Al" and subscribing. Also check out The Knee Jerks Facebook group!
Long-time Detroit sports bloggers and podcasters Greg Eno and Big Al Beaton are The Knee Jerks!
This week's show topics include:
The Pistons have fallen out of the playoff race post-Blake Griffin's arrival, meaning Head Coach and President Stan Van Gundy's hot seat has gotten even hotter. Has owner Tom Gores run out of patience?
#7 Michigan and #4 Michigan State both earn 3 seeds in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.
Recapping the Red Wings' trade deadline moves.
Henrik Zetterberg calls out the Red Wings' young players for a lack of effort.
Rumors from the NFL combine include the Lions reportedly listening to trade offers for RE Eric Ebron.
Eno and Big Al also play The Birthday Game and name their Jerk of the Week!
This week's show:
Lions hire Matt Patricia as head coach
Matt Stafford is no longer the highest paid QB in the NFL
The Freep's Carlos Monarrez is a hack
Stan Van Gundy goes all-in, trades for Blake Griffin as part of a blockbuster deal
Is it owner collusion or a rising belief in advanced metrics causing a non-existent hot stove in MLB free agency?
As always, Greg and Al play The Birthday Game and name their Jerk of the Week!