Well...it seems that i have gone well over a month without posting anything at the Sports Desk. So before October turns into November, how about some commentary on the State of Things?

The Detroit Tigers faded at the end of the regular season and had to settle for the wild card in the American League. They pulled off an upset of the heavily favored New York Yankees in the first playoff round, swept Oakland to win the AL championship, then came up short in an error filled World Series against the Cardinals.

The Tigers came a long way in 2006, and their occasional inconsistency is probably to be expected from a team that not long ago was among the worst in Major League Baseball. While the World Series loss was disappointing, we cannot lose sight of the progress this franchise has made and the bright future that lies ahead if they can just keep working hard and learn from this seasons mistakes.

Michigan football is looking VERY impressive, with a 9-0 record and number 2 national ranking. The only team ahead of them in the rankings is, you guessed it, the also undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes. Both teams have two games that they should win, then comes the showdown in Columbus which is always a big game, but perhaps bigger than ever this time around.

Michigan set the tone for the season early, going to South Bend and routing then number two Notre Dame. The Irish have long been a thorn in the Wolverines' side, so this was a big step in the right direction for Lloyd Carr and the team.

Michigan's defense has been especially devastating, as they are allowing a mere 28.4 rushing yards per game and have put the hurt on several opposing quarterbacks. Linebackers Prescott Burgess and Lamarr Woodley lead the charge with their hard hitting and blitzing.

The Michigan offense has also done well, with quarterback Chad Henne showing solid leadership, running back Mike Hart doing his best Barry Sanders impersonation (right down to wearing the same number 20!), and a fine group of receivers making catches. Of course, we cannot fail to mention the offensive line, which in best Michigan tradition is big and tough and not to be messed with.

Over in the NFL, my favorites in Green Bay have a two game winning streak to improve to 3-4 on the season. This is a youngish team for the most part, with the obvious exception of veteran quarterback Brett Favre, who long ago got his ticket to Canton punched. Running back Ahman Green has put together two good games in a row, which bodes well for the Packers chances. The defense has been somewhat shaky, but has some solid talent including veteran cornerback Charles Woodson (from THE University of Michigan!) and rookie linebacker A.J. Hawk (who attended some school south of Michigan whose name i shall not mention!).

Women's college basketball gets underway soon, with the Michigan Wolverines looking to make a Great Leap Forward from last season's 0-16 in the Big Ten fiasco. Coach Burnett's team had to contend with inexperience and injuries last season, and with those problems solved the record will improve.

And we have another election season upon us, with the usual sad spectacle of look alike Demublican and Republicrat candidates slinging mud at each other, while the Corporate Media duly ignores real alternatives like the Green Party and its candidates. Sadder still are the supposedly "progressive" organizations (feminist, lesbian/gay/transgender/bisexual, environmental, civil rights, peace, etc) that continue to support and endorse the Democratic Party and its candidates despite repeated sellouts and betrayals. These are the groups that SHOULD be getting behind the Greens, who truly care about their concerns.