Rambling on about the Tigers, 24, and the NCAA's...

Anything and everything I say in regard to the Tigers opener should be prefaced with, "Let's not get too excited, remember that they were playing the Royals."

Scoring 3 runs on 9 hits, with the majority of the offense coming from 6-9 in the order, isn't going to cut it. But it's nice to ponder how good the offense could look if the meat of the lineup hits as they should.

Kenny Rogers looked like the front line starter that the Tigers need him to be. But is he capable of pitching that well over an entire season? Half a season, sure. Till October, I can't say with any certainty.

Magglio Ordonez looked so eager to live up to his contract and past stats, that he was ready to swing at anything that was near the plate. Which he did on two one pitch plate appearances. He's better than that, and he knows it. I just hope Maggs doesn't start to press.

Pudge Rodriguez walked? I'm positive that's a sign of the coming apocolyspe.

I realize that, at the start of the season, Jim Leyland has to bat Pudge in the 3 spot to keep him, and his massive ego, in check. But Pudge is not a #3 hitter anymore. The fans know it, Leyland knows it, but does Pudge? This is something that bears close watch, to see how Leyland handles moving Pudge down in the order. Because it's going to happen. Sooner than later.

How long does Chris Shelton last in the #6 slot? I'm hoping by May, he's hitting in the 3 hole. You cannot leave that good a bat that low in the order for a significant amount of time.

Brandon Inge's slide to nowhere left me speechless. Possibly the worst attempt at a stand up slide in the history of MLB. Possibly in the history of mankind. Don't they practice sliding in MLB anymore?

Joel Zumaya lived up to the considerable hype for one day. The kid was thowing BB's and making KC's AAAA lineup look silly for two innings. It was the first time I've seen Zumaya pitch, and he did not disappoint. One game is not a good sample size, but it sure looks like he's got "It." The raving we heard from the baseball scribes during the spring suddenly seems more than just hypebole.

Curtis Granderson, on the other hand, he had an awful day, 0-5 with 3 K's. But again, it's just one game and Grandy did have a great spring. Plus, he's not Nook Logan...

Carlos Guillen legging out an infield hit was more impressive to me than his home run to center field. Last season, Guillen never ran anywhere close to that well. We know he can hit, it's his mobility and health that will be a constant nagging concern.

Fernando Rodney looked like a more than capable closer. Could the Tigers have wasted money on Todd Jones? Nah...

We should enjoy watching the Tigers on TV opening day and at the home opener next week. I figure with their horrible TV deal, we won't see the Tigers again till mid June.

I'll admit it, I gradually lost interest in the NCAA final last night. And by gradually, I mean almost immeadiately. It was obvious within the first 10 minutes that Florida was the better coached and more athletic team. It didn't help that I knew the tip wouldn't be till 9:20ish, and I could give two shaits about Billy Packer's pre game analysis. So I flipped to "24" at 9, even though I had the DVR set to record it.

If Jack Bauer says, "I'm scared," we should all be...

I knew that Audrey Raines had to do something to stay in CTU and help Jack save humanity. So she had to burn Bill Buchanan by signing the letter Homeland Security developed to smear him and CTU. Bill looked soooo hurt walking out.

Homeland Security as evil drones all dressed alike was an absolute hoot. Imagery that was as subtle as a sledgehammer.

Since the death of Edgar (May Chloe's soul mate rest in peace), Secret Service Agent Pierce has become my favorite charater. I think he could give Jack Bauer a run when it comes to total bad-assedness.

President Logan is behind the conspiracy on "24?" NO! F'N! WAY! It has to be the hawkish Laura Palmer's dad / BOB VP Gardner! Right? Logan is an ineffectual bumbling approval hound bureaucrat. He's not that smart! Or is he?

According to bauercount.com, Jack Bauer had 5 confirmed kills last night. That now gives Jack a total of 24 through 16 hours. He's more than halfway to breaking last season's record 44 kills. But there's only 8 hours left. At his current rate of 1.5 kills per hour, Jack Bauer is on a 36 kill pace. The 44 kills record can be broken, if Jack can raise his average kill rate to the elusive 2 kills per hour. Keep your fingers crossed!

As much fun as the previous two weeks of the NCAA's were, there was nothing fun about the Final Four. Florida played about as well as a team could, but watching their "Perfect game" (as Billy Packer called it) removed any sense of drama halfway through the first half. It became a UCLA death watch at that point.

Is it just me, or is "One Shining Moment" one of the cheesiest songs ever recorded? That tune has not aged gracefully. Not that it was all that good to begin with... "One Shining Moment" may be the so-called "Anthem" of the NCAA tournament, but come on. It sounds more and more like an sappy relic, a shining example of the worst type of 80's music.

After watching the Tigers, "24," and the NCAA's, what was the best part of the whole night? As soon as the NCAA's ended, there would be no more Billy Packer polluting the airwaves till next November.

And may I offer my congatulations to Ian for kicking all our asses in the blogger bracket pool. I have been shamed...