Drew Sharp continues to flip-flop like...Drew Sharp

For those of you keeping score, the Freep's Drew Sharp has, once again, flip-flopped his opinion in regard to Rich Rodriguez's (failed) recruitment of Terrelle Pryor.

Let's look at Drew's scorecard... (The columns are no longer archived, so I've linked back to my post about Sharp's first 180 on 1/27)

January 14, 2008:

Michigan coach must beat Ohio State to nation's No. 1 recruit Terrelle Pryor

January 27, 2008:

Michigan landing super recruit Terrelle Pryor would be an overrated victory

March 20, 2008:

Jim Tressel 1, Rich Rodriguez 0

Sharp has gone from "ZOMG, Michigan must land Pryor," to "Pshaw, it's not that big a deal," and back to "ZOMG, Tressel wins again!" My neck hurts from the whiplash!

Let's look at Sharp's money quotes from his 3 wishy-washy columns.

Pryor column #1:

He must keep Pryor away from Jim Tressel.

He must do whatever it takes.

Failure is not an option.

A bit over the top, and totally far-fetched as Michigan wasn't even on Pryor's radar till Rodriguez was hired in mid-December. Michigan was, at best, a long shot in the Pryor sweepstakes. At least it's an opinion, asinine though it may be.

Pryor column #2:

Hasn't everyone learned how truly overrated these "victories" are, especially when you consider Ohio State has consistently had lower-ranked recruiting classes than Michigan the past five years, but the Buckeyes have accomplished much more during that time.

I thought "Failure is not an option?" I haven't seen someone change their minds so fast since certain Democrats voted to invade Iraq, then got called on it.

Pryor column #3

Should Pryor's performance prove remotely close to the hype that follows him, Tressel's winning streak over Michigan could double.

Damn, tUOS is going to beat Michigan 4 straight times with Pryor?

Nobody wants to imagine this, particularly on a full stomach, but Pryor could prove to be the wild card in ensuring Ohio State a third straight appearance in the national championship game.

And make the National title game again?

Drew's gone and lost it. He's channeling Beano Cook and his "Ron Powlus will win 4 Heismans" prediction, saying tUOS landing Pryor has tipped the scales in the rivalry for the next 4 years, let alone the scales in the national title picture. Sharp must have figured if you are going to flip-flop so dramatically, you may just as well predict total disaster for Michigan while you're at it.

I have some advice for the columnist we all love to hate, and hate to read. If you are going to be the designated hatchet man for a fishwrap, at least be consistent your slandering. Readers, and for that matter, this blogger, have longer memories than you realize...

Above the fold - Stupidity reigns in the fishwraps

Stupidity reigns in the Detroit newspapers. Today is no exception...

At Mlive, Steve Grinczel makes possibly the dumbest statement I've ever seen in print or on the web.

If Michigan State could guarantee it would win the Big Ten Tournament by agreeing to take a loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament would you take it?

I think if I'm the Spartans I would.

On second thought, I have to say that is the dumbest statement I've ever seen in print or on the web.

Winning a made for TV event, one that doesn't mean much of anything in the big scheme of things (Does anyone remember who won it last season? Or even care?), is more important that a long run in the only tournament anyone with 2 functioning brain cells cares about? If there is someone out there who ranks conference tournament titles over NCAA Sweet 16, Elite 8 or Final Four runs, I've yet to meet them. Well, until now.

Conference tournaments do little more than line the pockets of the big time colleges with cash. Lots and lots of TV network cash. Having a banner in the rafters saying you won a made for TV tournament means jack shit. It doesn't prove you are the best team, just one that is hot at the right time. If anything, winning the regular season title is the true measure of a team, not winning 3 meaningless games when you are already assured a NCAA seeding.

For all the talk of how "important" conference tournaments are, the only one that EVER carried that sort of import was the ACC's. (Grinczel does mention this) Even then, in my mind, giving the conference tournament winner the automatic bid to the NCAA's was, and still is, silly.

Back in the day, some very good regular season champs were kept out of the NCAA's thanks to the ACC's asinine rules. But back then, only 1 team would get in, thus the importance of winning the ACC tournament. Today, the winning the ACC tournament still holds some cache', but not nearly as much as it did 30 years ago.

So to claim winning an overblown Big 10 tournament title should be the Spartans' priority, when Tom Izzo's program is actually measured by their performance in the big dance, is flabbergastingly stupid.

Later in the article, Grinczel tries to back away from his stupidity...somewhat.

winning the BTT gives them a better chance of making a decent run in the NCAAs because it would uncover the resolve they've heretofore demonstrated on precious few occasions.

He plays the overdone "it'll show they have heart" card. Please. I HATE the use of that cliche', as he's essentially saying the Spartans lack heart, they don't have the "grit" (Another overused cliche') to win. It's ridiculous to make such a claim about any person or team from afar, and even more so about 18-21 year old kids.

I have to say it again, as it cannot be reinforced enough. Grinczel's stand was dumbest I've ever seen a writer take in print or on the web.

Not that the Freep's Drew Sharp is far behind Grinzel in hackery, as the hit man takes another swipe at Michigan and the Big 10 today.

Where else but the Big Ten could a team go scoreless for 10 minutes -- and still maintain a double-digit lead?

I'm sure I've seen the Pistons do something similar during their lock down defense days under Larry Brown. Just sayin'.

"It's a sign of progress," Michigan coach John Beilein implored.

It's a sign that there was no discernible difference in the garbage stockpiled at the bottom of the conference standings this season.

I think it's more of a sign, at least when it comes to Michigan, that Tommy Amaker left Beilein with a roster absolutely barren of Big 10 caliber any talent, save for Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims. God forbid Amaker recruit a couple of players who could nail an open jumper.

More than anything, it shows just how badly the university administration allowed the basketball program to atrophy. John Beilein walked into a buzz saw of suck at Michigan, and it's going to take time and patience for him to lead Wolverines basketball to respectability.

But Sharp doesn't take any of that into account, just that Michigan didn't play up to his high standards. (I had to stifle a laugh there. Sharp and high standards? Is that an oxymoron? Or just moronic?)

As bad as they were, Iowa proved far worse.

And that's progress?

In Michigan's case, YES!

The dumbass seems to be forgetting one thing. The Wolverines WON THE GAME! I don't care if it was uglier than watching 40-somethings play a half court game at the Y. They won a game in the Big 10 tournament, something Amaker was rarely able to accomplish. For that matter, you could see the Wolverines improve as the season went on, something Amaker was NEVER able to accomplish.

Sharp also felt the need to give Beilein a timetable for extracting Michigan from the morass...

If Beilein cannot break U-M's more than decade-long NCAA tournament drought within his first three years, then he becomes as much a failure as Amaker.

No one will be as big a failure as Tommy Amaker. No one. But I will admit that Michigan claiming a NCAA berth by 2010 sounds reasonable. Going by Beilein's track record as a head coach, I don't think it's too much to ask.

But it's insulting to compare Beilein, who's done more with less than damn near every coach in America over his career, to Amaker. Amaker has coasted on his Duke and and Coach Kzerfgjerski ties for years. He has major conference programs (Seton Hall and Michigan) handed to him, and did zip with the opportunities.

On the other hand, Beilein had to work his way up from being a high school and community college coach, while making his won name and developing his own system along the way. He's 10x the coach Amaker can ever hope to be. But try telling that to hacks like Sharp and Rob Parker, who were Amaker apologists.

Sharp appears to favor style points in winning, and doesn't think much of the win.

When you've won as infrequently as U-M this season, you accept any victory regardless of its grotesque appearance. But quite frankly, there's little valor in the wretched getting the better of one of their fellow cellar-dwellers.

But isn't a win a win? Even if it's ugly as all Hell? It is in everyone's world but Sharp's. There will be a W in the record books, there won't be any qualifiers attached. You ever see "Ugly W" instead of "W" in the standings? Me neither.

Michigan ended up losing to Wisconsin today, scoring only 34 points, ending their season. Though Sharp may not agree (In my mind, that's a good thing), but despite some of the disappointing losses, for the first time in years, I actually feel better about the Wolverines' future in hoops.

Detroit fishwrap comment of the day - Drew Sharp hates everything

Drew Sharp continued his mindless Big 10 bashing by calling the Michigan and Michigan State basketball programs "a joke." The Freep editors, obviously trying to rile up the fans of both schools, gleefully gave Sharp's tripe a tabloid like headline:

"Both U-M and MSU basketball programs lack basketball fire."

Regardless of the over the top headline, this column Sharp's knee-jerk, contrarian flame baiting at his very best. "Best" being a relative term, of course.

Like moths to a flame, the column attracted your usual mouth-breathers. Namely Sparty haters, Wolverine bashers, and damn near everything in-between. Amazingly, I found a mild-mannered, reasoned post amid all the shit flinging. dtw456 came through with a comment both realistic and reasoned regarding the status of both programs...

I wouldn't say both programs lack fire. There still is a flame burning for MSU, though not as intense as years previous. At UM, the fire is definitely out. It's no surprise that the fire at UM has been out ever since the Ed Martin fiasco unfolded. The UM program is still trying to recover from this fiasco, even today.

I never expected to find reason in the middle of what became a bile filled U of M vs. MSU comment thread. It's too calm for a Sharp column comment thread.

At this point, Sharp's columns have become rote. He has a totally predictable formula. Find a subject sports fans are passionate about, then just piss all over it.

It doesn't matter if the subject is actually worth debating or tearing apart. He strives to be so reactionary, so controversial, so contrary to popular opinion, that readers become enraged. His constant hating on the Big 10 conference, and baiting Big 10 fans, with the huge alumni and fanbase in Southeast Michigan, makes his job angering readers quite easy.

Sharp's job isn't to generate discussion, or to report on a story. He's nothing more than a sports hit man whoring himself out to the Freep. His only job is to generate hits on the website, and sell a few papers. Period.

Unfortunately, controversy sells papers and generates page views. Even if the writer is undeserving of the immense readership. Sharp is nothing more than a hack who found a formula that has lead all the way to appearances on the worldwide leader, a part time sports talk radio gig, and, most importantly to him, the bank.

Shame on we sports fans for falling for his act.

Drew Sharp should stick to writing about sports he hates, rather than those he ignores

The Freep's resident hack, hatchet man Drew Sharp, normally rips on the Big 10, and the 3 of the 4 pro teams in town. Sharp is oblivious to the existence of Red Wings. Well, he was oblivious till today.

For some reason, Sharp decided to unsheave his knives to go after Ken Holland and the Red Wings.

At the NHL trade deadline, the Red Wings GM acquired Brad Stuart, a top 4 defenseman from the L.A. Kings, for future 2nd and 4th round picks. Holland filled a huge need, considering their dire injury situation at the blue line. If you ask any Red Wings fan, including myself, landing Stuart is not a bad day's work. He's a very nice haul for not having to give up a 1st round pick, or one of their young players. What more did Sharp expect Holland to do? But you can color the dull one unimpressed.

But the Wings missed an opportunity Tuesday, considering the asking price for some of the guys moved. The Wings should have done more than merely securing Stuart.

Sharp fails to note that there is what I like to call a "Red Wings tax" involved whenever Holland looks to deal. It's ALWAYS going to cost the Wings more in trade, thanks to their always sitting at the top of the standings, and being the Yankees of the NHL. (True or not, it's how most NHL fans feel)

For example, Sharp says the Wings should have gone harder after Sergei Fedorov. Most fans would agree, save for one thing. It would have cost the Wings more than "one middling prospect" thanks to their being in the same division as the BJ's. Holland confirmed as much during radio interviews.

Sharp also doesn't reveal the "middling prospect" was Washington's 2nd round pick, 46th overall, in the 2007 draft. That's a bit more than a "middling prospect" if you ask me...Or any other hockey fan. Realistically, that 2nd round pick the Capitals gave up for Fedorov turns into a 1st round pick from the Wings.

Sharp then complains the Wings didn't act as they used to at the trade deadline, trading picks and prospects for help.

In the day, they were easily disposable, nameless faces. They became the residue of the organization's superior scouting, particularly in Europe. If they could provide a quality veteran that could make the difference in a pivotal Game 5 in a playoff series, it was worth the sacrifice as far as the Wings were concerned.

Uh, this is the salary cap era in the NHL, dumb ass. The Red Wings can no longer afford to be as cavalier as they once were with their draft picks. They can't take on other team's salary dumps and free agency mistakes. Holland has to balance the present against the future, while keeping the cap in mind the entire time. He can't buy what he needs, as it's no longer 2002. Then again, that was probably the last time Sharp covered the Wings...

For all of Sharp's bitching and moaning that the sky is falling, he then contradicts his entire column with the following line.

Holland's reluctance Tuesday might prove the correct decision.

Huh? Wait a sec... Didn't Sharp earlier claim the Wings "missed an opportunity?" Then he does a 180, and says Holland may have done he right thing? I'm confused. Which is it? Either Holland screwed up, or he didn't. It can't be both.

This piece is so out of left field, filled with contradictions and factual omissions, you'd think the functionally retarded one, Rob Parker, wrote this jumble of words posing as a column.

Sharp should stick to hating on the Big 10, were he still has a little bit of credibility. He has none when it comes to the Red Wings, as this "column" proves..

Drew Sharp flip-flops like a fish out of water

Honestly, I don't ask for much from the local columnists. If you read our fishwraps on a daily basis, you know why. All I ask from a columnist is to be consistent in their views, even if those views are, more often than not, idiotic. That's not hard, is it? From what I read in today's Detroit Free Press , it is that hard.

First, we need to go 2 weeks back, when a Drew Sharp column in regard to the Wolverines had the following headline...

Michigan coach must beat Ohio State to nation's No. 1 recruit Terrelle Pryor

Flash forward to today, and the headline has Sharp talking out the other side of his mouth...

Michigan landing super recruit Terrelle Pryor would be an overrated victory

Um...WHAT? Terrelle Pryor is a must get player, but he's also overrated? Does that make any sense to you? Let's look deeper into the scrambled thought processes of a big market columnist...

In today's article, Sharp calls ranking college recruiting classes the equivalent of grading the Lions draft before anyone hits the field. "Winning" in the draft or recruiting doesn't guarantee wins.

But landing Pryor would give the Wolverines a big "win" in February.

Hasn't everyone learned how truly overrated these "victories" are, especially when you consider Ohio State has consistently had lower-ranked recruiting classes than Michigan the past five years, but the Buckeyes have accomplished much more during that time.

Sure, I admit that makes sense. Yet 2 weeks ago Sharp was claiming that Rich Rodriguez NOT landing Terrelle Pryor would be absolutely disastrous...

He must keep Pryor away from Jim Tressel.

He must do whatever it takes.

Failure is not an option.

In fact, Sharp went as far to say that it is "essential" Rodriguez gets Pryor to commit, no matter what it takes...

But it's essential that he get Pryor, even if Rodriguez must guarantee him the starting job this fall, no matter the problems of playing a true freshman.

Hold on a second. I'm more than a little confused. 2 weeks ago Michigan desperately needed Pryor, but today Michigan is bigger than one player? You can't have it both ways, though Sharp tries his damnedest.

Sharp originally claimed in order to get off on the right foot as Michigan's head coach, "Rodriguez nonetheless must bring him to Ann Arbor." That has the tone of Michigan being in desperate straits. Sharp describes Pryor as the difference between beating the Buckeyes, both in the eyes of the fanbase and on the field, or continuing to be dominated by the sweater vest.

Yet 2 weeks later, Sharp is braying that recruiting gives "18-year-olds an inflated sense of self-importance." Considering Sharp has devoted 2 columns in 2 weeks to the recruiting of an 18-year-old Pryor, is it any wonder that no nothing, snot-nosed teenagers have inflated egos? Isn't it obvious to Sharp that the media, including himself, is a big part of the reason why?

Sharp can't bitch and moan that the recruiting process gives kids an overblown sense of self, when he is also calling an 18-year-old high school QB the be all, end all, the linchpin to the Wolverines' recruiting class. It's as if the first column was never written. Sharp must believe readers have the brains of a gnat, and a memory to match.

As silly as it may sound, you'd think a featured columnist would actually read his own columns. Apparently, Drew Sharp doesn't, or we wouldn't see such polar opposite opinions, on the same subject matter, within 2 weeks of each other.

Keep this in mind the next time you read the tripe spewed by one of our "esteemed" fishwrap writers. When it comes to the columnists in Detroit, I keep my expectations lower than Brandon Inge's batting average. Why? As long as you keep your expectations low, reality will always exceed them.

Over the past 2 weeks, Sharp has managed to lower my already diminished expectations.

Who's the biggest idiot in Detroit? It's neck and neck between Rob Parker and Drew Sharp

We have proof that Rob Parker has no idea what he's talking about. I've called him "Functionally retarded" for a reason. Just read this, this, and this if you need convincing.

In fact, I thought Wobb stood alone in his ineptitude as a Detroit columnist.

Then TWFE reader Jon D pointed out Drew Sharp's ill-thought out, ill-informed, and ill-everything column in this morning's Freep. The premise behind Sharp's lunacy?

Trade Jeremy Bonderman for...wait for it...Johan Santana!

If winning the World Series remains the Tigers’ prime objective next year, they can’t sit idly by and let Boston or the Yankees pluck two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana from Minnesota.

While the Red Sox and Yankees offer the Twins a package of primary prospects, the Tigers should dangle Jeremy Bonderman along with some lower minor league prospects. It would ensure them the best one-two lefty-righty starting duo in the American League with Santana and Justin Verlander.

OK, the Tigers should trade Jeremy Bonderman for Johan Santana. It could happen. In another dimension, where black is white, up is down, good is bad, and insane is sane.

The Twins would NEVER trade arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball to a division rival. Never, ever gonna happen. That would be sheer lunacy on the Twins part.

A breakdown in starting pitching cost the Tigers more last season than an injury-riddled bullpen or Gary Sheffield’s bad shoulder. There’s no questioning that Verlander’s inconsistency late in the season is more likely an aberration, but it’s not a certainty that Bonderman can overcome the obstacles that rendered him a hostage to first-inning difficulties.

This passage is quite Parker-like, in that Sharp makes a definitive statement, with nothing to actually back it up.

We all know that the reason the Tigers faded down the stretch was due to their pitching issues, mostly brought on by injury. Interestingly, Sharp also claims Justin Verlander was was inconsistent late in the season, but has no stats to back it up. So let's look 'em up, shall we?

Justin Verlander was 7-2 in 11 starts during August and September. The team was 8-3 over those 11 starts. His era as of 8/6/07? 3.60. His ERA after his last start on 9/29/07? 3.66.

Was Verlander as dominant as he was during the first half? No, it was obvious that he tired some, but as you can see, he pitched through it. I'll take that sort of "Inconsistency" from a pitcher anytime.

As for Bonderman's being "Hostage to first-inning difficulties?" We found out that Bonderman was pitching through a SORE ELBOW from July on, an injury that he didn't tell anyone about. That could explain plenty in regard to the first inning struggles.

Remember, the first inning stuff wasn't really an issue in the season's first half, when Bonderman almost made the All-Star game. In fact, Bonderman was dominant. It wasn't one until the elbow injury.

He has got the lightning stuff, but there remain concerns regarding his mental toughness. The Twins might show more interest in a 24-year-old with five years of major league experience who’s already under contract for another four years at a reasonable price.

Wait a second. Sure, the Twins are unquestionably cheap, and would like the fact that Bonderman's under contract for quite some time. But why would the Twins want damaged goods for an elite arm? Bonderman's a head case, if you believe Sharp, and even worse, he's coming off of an elbow injury that made him ineffective for the entirety of the season's second half.

If I'm the Twins, I'm walking away from that scenario. Fast!

They’ve already purged enough prospects from the farm system in landing shortstop Edgar Renteria and it would be idiocy parting with Cameron Maybin and/or Rick Porcello in any package for the 28-year-old Santana. It will require a little more outside-the-box thinking to get the better of the Yankees and Red Sox in their annual exercise of looting the less financially fortunate.

Sharp admits the idiocy in parting with Maybin and/or Porcello. It's also idiocy to think you can actually trade Porcello. He signed with Detroit on August 13th. Under MLB rules, you can't trade a minor league prospect in the first 6 months after he signs. If he was unofficially part of a deal, Porcello would have to be a PTBNL, much like Bonderman was in the Jeff Weaver trade.

Considering the elite status of Santana, I doubt the Twins fanbase is going to be happy with a PTBNL as the cornerstone of any trade. Even though Porcello is a prime time prospect, he's 2-3 years, possibly more, away. The Twins want prospects that can help much sooner than that, like next season. The prospects being talked about in deals with either the Yankees or Red Sox confirm that thought.

The Tigers just don't have the ammo to go after a Santana, even if it was plausible.

Sharp says it'll take outside-the-box thinking to make a deal. It's that sort of outside-the-box thinking that give us this tripe disguised as a column.

Bonderman for Santana is the sort of trade that only happens in the clueless brains of hack columnists, or out of touch, rose colored glasses wearing fans. At least those clueless fans aren't being paid good money to write a feature column for a fishwrap, appear regularly on the worldwide leader, and spew inanities on local sports talk radio.

Sharp, on the other hand...

TWFE predicted Drew Sharp's Parcells to the Lions column. I also predicted the sun to rise in the east & 'Sheed to lead the league in T's

Yesterday, in my "Bill Parcells is never coming to the Lions" post, I predicted that at least one of the local ink stained wretches would call for the Lions to make a play for the Tuna. As always, Detroit columnists are as uninspired as Michigan's Rose Bowl play calling.

In today's Freep, Drew Sharp, out of fresh ideas, and considering he had a deadline, took the Parcells bait. I'd be convinced that I had some sort of ESP if the resulting column hadn't been so predictable...

Targeting Parcells is common sense -- but, of course, the Fords have long sought immunity from that virus. However, if the Lions endure another miserable season, the Fords inevitably will seek another new beginning, and they'd be smart to make a preemptive strike now.

What a flipping pipe dream. William Clay Ford has never been smart, have never done anything preemptively, and there is absolutely no reason to believe that they are about to start now.

Unfortunately for fans of good football everywhere, Matt Millen is going nowhere. This coulmn might be worth running 10 months from now, when the Lions will be in the midst of their 7th consecutive double digit losing season, and the fans are planing their yearly protest.

Until that time, calling for the Lions to make any front office changes are going to fall upon Ford's senile ears. Sharp's column was a waste of newsprint. What else is new?