Some Tuesday Night Thoughts

First off, the All-Star game just having finished, I have to say that I'm pretty disappointed. Major League Baseball needs to drop the whole All-Star-winner-hosts-the-World-Series thing. Injecting meaning into the game has managed to cause the pitchers to actually try, and I for one would much prefer a 12-9 funfest to the 3-2 snoozer that I just watched. Tying the World Series to the All-Star game is kind of like inserting political content into my cartoons. At 9PM on a weeknight, I just want to be entertained.

Does anybody else feel like the AL was just toying with the NL? I mean, they let them lead for a huge chunk of the game, only to rip their heart out in the ninth. Good showing for the Tigers as well, getting all three representatives into the game early. Finally, I also enjoyed Ozzie Guillen's managing-to-win-style, refusing to guarantee playing time for the all players, then proceeding to play every position player except his own AJ Pierzynski. (Now with that said, you won't hear me say anything else good about Guillen the rest of the season).

In other Detroit sports, Brendan Shanahan has signed with the New York Rangers. Although this was an outcome that I had hoped for, it still hurts to lose such a significant Red Wing. With his departure, Shanahan has sent a strong signal to the Wings as to what direction the team should take next season (GET YOUNGER! REBUILD!). If they now use the salary flexibility to sign Belfour or Hasek, they will have taken a huge step backwards. Personally, I'm still hoping to see Sergei Samsonov in a Red Wings uniform next season, occupying a spot on the second-line and giving Mike Babcock the flexibility to move around streaky Mikael Samuelsson.

Best of luck to Shanahan next season. I'm sure that Rangers fans are salivating at the thought of him playing opposite Jaromir Jagr on the Blue-Shirts' top line. Shanny has always been one of the classiest players in the league and his exit from Detroit was no different. I can't wait to see him in the Hall of Fame.