THIS COLUMN WAS WRITTEN IN FRONT OF A LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE

QUICK QUIZ

Name the Detroit Pistons coach who followed Chuck Daly and preceded Don Chaney.
A.  Ron Rothstein
B.  Doug Collins
C.  George Irvine
D.  Louie Schultz

QUOTABLE QUOTES

Enos Slaughter, former St. Louis Cardinals' star, who smacked the ball at a robust .300 clip over a 19-season span, "One year I hit .291 and had to take a salary cut. If you hit .291 today, you'd own the franchise."
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Jim Taylor, explaining the greatness of the Green Bay Packers and their quarterback, Bart Starr, "We hitched our wagon to a Starr."

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Former professional golfer Lee Trevino, "I've never had a coach in my life. When I find one who can beat me, then I'll listen."


IDLE THOUGHTS

The players on Nouvel Catholic Central's 2007 state championship football team aren't going to realize the feat they've accomplished until some years down the road. The Panthers toppled Blissfield 12-7 to capture the Division 6 state title - the school's second consecutive state football crown. It marks the first time that a team has won back-to-back titles since the Michigan High School Athletic Association established the football playoffs in 1975. The Panthers, who barely qualified for the playoffs with a 5-3 record, graduated a whopping 27 seniors from the 2006 title team. Nouvel won its five-playoff games by a total of 35 points, including one overtime win.

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Mike Martz, offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions who was recently fired, received quite a bit of flak for the way he handled Detroit's offense this past season. First, it was because the Lions couldn't muster a running game. Then, fans wanted to know why Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson weren't getting their share of passes thrown their way. Some regarded Johnson, the rookie wide receiver who signed a six-year deal with the Lions, as the best player from last year's draft after catching 78 passes for 1,202 yards and 15 touchdowns during his All-America junior season at Georgia Tech. Most NFL teams would be utilizing a prized recruit like Johnson by making him a vital part of the offense. The Lions, meanwhile, say he's got to learn their system. Are you telling me the Lions' offense is more intricate than the Dallas Cowboys or the Indianapolis Colts?
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Dog fighting is illegal in all 50 states but it's still more popular than soccer.
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Kudos to Dr. Craig C. Douglas, superintendent of Carrollton Public Schools, who has been organizing the Carrollton Charity Road Races for the past eight years. He's helped raise thousands of dollars for a variety of charities such as the East Side Soup Kitchen, Carrollton Education Foundation and the Carrollton Lions Club. The races keep growing in stature each and every year.

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If you were a Major League baseball team owner and were starting your team from scratch, who would be the first player you'd sign? Albert Pujhols? A-Rod? David Ortiz? Vlademir Guerrero? Joe Maurer? I'd pick Ichiro Suzuki. The Seattle Mariners' leadoff hitter, who signed a $90 million five-year contract extension, is simply a hitting machine. I once saw get a single on a pitch that bounced before it reached the plate.

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Whatever happened to Bob Essensa?

QUICK QUIZ ANSWER

A. Ron Rothstein, who coached the Detroit Pistons to a 40-42 record during the 1992-93 season.