What have we learned? That last night was anti-climatic...

That was some kick ass Thursday night for Detroit sports fans, wouldn't you agree?

The Tigers swept the Evil Empire in New York for the first time since the highways were full of 20' long land yachts averaging 10 MPG, state of the art electronics were "portable" 13" black and white TV's that weighed 70 lbs and I was 4 years old. The Tigers are now only 1 game under .500, 1.5 back of first place in the Central, and punishing the opposition pitching. Even the Tigers' rotation has become to come around, with quality starts in 2 of the 3 wins. When Ramon Santiago is belting triples, and hitting more than Miguel Cabrera wishes he weighs, you know the season has finally turned around for the Tigers.

The Pistons planted their size 14 Nikes on the throats of the Sixers, embarrassing them in Philly (Though not near as embarrassing as Samuel Dalembert's mohawk, however) , 100-77, in a game which was even more of a blowout than the score indicates. In the process, the Pistons win their first round playoff series, 4-2. The game was never in doubt, as the Pistons jumped out to a double digit lead early in the opening quarter, and never looked back. Flip Saunders, neck deep in hot water a week ago, lives on to coach another series.

Most impressive of all were the Red Wings, looking like the Stanley Cup favorite, doing all but de-pants the Nordalanche in an 8-2 laugher. (Then again, they may have pulled the Avs pants down to their skates, as I went to bed when the lead hit 7 goals) The Mule, Johan Franzen, kicked the Avs with his second hat trick of the series, giving him an unimaginable 9 goals in 4 games. Franzen's goal scoring orgy broke Wings and NHL scoring records older than Mike Ilitch's hairpieces. The so-called Detroit-Colorado rivalry, long in it's death throes, but kept alive in the heads of our clueless media, can now be considered extinguished.

You couldn't have asked for a better night in Detroit sports.

Last night's success has me asking one thing, "What have we learned?"

Red Wings-Avalanche:

What rivalry? There is no rivalry. The Wings are an elite NHL franchise, the Avs are nowhere near the Wings' class.

Colorado has serious issues in goal, not that you needed to take journalism classes in college to figure it out. Both Jose Theodore and Peter Budaj both spent more time looking behind themselves to find the latest puck to have gone by, than actually stopping shots. After watching Budaj flail away helplessly in the final 2 periods last night, it's clear it wouldn't have made any difference if Joel Quenneville had benched Theodore after game 1.

Peter Forsberg is washed up. He still has talent, but his body is more fragile than a Fabrage egg and Dominik Hasek's groin, combined.

NHL officiating is abysmal. Both teams were jobbed blatantly, and jobbed often.

The Downriver puck bunnies are damn giddy, and will remain so, as their heartthrob, Chris Osgood, has outplayed the opposition net minders the past 2 series. I think we've seen the last of the crazy, oft gimpy, Czech in goal for the Wings.

Johan Franzen is really, really good.

Henrik Zetterberg is even better.

Pistons-Sixers:

The Pistons remain utterly confounding. They can look sooooo bad one night, then come back the next and play like the best damn team in the entire NBA. They have more mood swings than my ex-wife. It's not fun to root for teams with multiple personality disorder.

Tayshaun Prince won this series for the Pistons. In the last 3 games, all Pistons wins, Prince shot 77% (!) from the field, averaging 17 PPG, 6 RB, 3 AST. Nice...

I still believe this may be the last season for the Pistons as we know them. If we fans get pissed off over the Pistons and their short attention span, flip the switch when we want ways, how must Joe Dumars feel?

Tigers-Yankees:

The starting pitching, though still a concern, has pulled out of their death spiral, and beginning to put together quality starts. Which leaves the question (I know, I'm asking a question in my "What have we learned" bit, but hey, I'm just a basement dwelling blogger) what to do with Armando Gallarraga hanging. I still think he's going to Toledo if, and only if, Dontrelle Willis proves he can throw strikes more often than Rob Parker can write an intelligent column.

I love Cabrera's rubbing head bit with Placido Polanco. In fact, you could say Miggy was giving the Placidome good h...No, I'm not going there, as we bloggers are all too profane and vulgar, right?

Speaking of Cabrera, he's starting to look like a good investment, huh? He still appears a tad uncomfortable at the plate, but even when it looks like he's taking a bad swing, the ball travels 400 feet. Take his opposite field HR last night, for instance. In no way did it seem Cabrera hit the ball all that well, yet it still carried well into the right field seats. Same for his triple, though it was helped by Bobby Abreau playing the fly like a drunk in the middle of a bender.

Placido Polanco's stats for the New York series: 6-15, .400 AVE, 3 RBI, 5 R 2 HR, 2 2B. We don't have to worry about the Placidome, he's back.

It's not a coincidence the Tigers are 2-0 since the Jason Grilli trade. Just sayin'...

Curtis Granderson has played in 8 games since coming off of the DL. The Tigers are 6-2 in those games. That's not a coincidence either. Granderson has an insane 1.253 OPS, with 10 extra base hits, and 8 BB. You could not possibly ask for more from your leadoff man. Curtis Granderson is the straw that stirs the Tigers' offensive drink.

The Tigers are going into their house of horrors, the Baggiedome in Minnesota, this weekend. I'm always nervous when they play the Twinkies, as I've seen enough weird things happen to the Tigers in the Homer/Baggie/Heftydome to scar me for life.