The Fall Sports Report

This weekend marked the return of college football. Michigan played at home, the game was called for violent weather after 3 quarters, and Michigan's new coach Brady Hoke recorded his debut with a checkmark in the win column. I know about such things not because I'm one of those beer and football kinda guys. No. My wife is one of those beer and football kinda guys.  Wolverine and Mic Ultra to be exact.  In fact, I have a large flatscreen TV and cable because my wife wanted to be able to watch football on something other than my 13 inch TV-VCR combo with the rabbit ears.  Good thing, too, because those rabbit ears don't work anymore, not that I ever used them.

While Saturday's game was played on a field with an ambient temperature of about 113 degrees, and then went on to be shut down because of massive thunderstorms, cooler weather is on its way. Whether you are a fan-atic, fan, or have just a casual interest, I can tell you this with authority: It doesn't get any better than Michigan football on a crisp autumn afternoon surrounded by a blaze of maize students. You'll have a blanket along, too. When that sun goes behind the stadium walls you'll want to wrap up with your partner and sip some hot cider.

But that's a few weeks down the road. With Labor Day past it's time for fair weather baseball fans to dust off their pom-poms. There is probably no better subject of fair weather adulation than our own Detroit Tigers. They've only been around 110 years and it takes a while to build a fan base. Although they have faired much better, like the Cubs, Tigers' fans have struggled year after year watching the home team fade in the stretch. So far this year, however, the team appears to have the staff and stamina to get into the playoffs.  So, for now, everyone's a Tiger fan.  Even my football fanatic wife.