Apparently, the Cherry Festival's Festival of Races is like a fine wine and gets better over time. I'm sure over the course of the 30 years of the event, there have been changes here or there. But in Saturday's run, the changes were both noticeable and substantial.

Admit it, Piston fan. The notion of being a player in the LeBron James sweepstakes had you intrigued. Especially if he could have been packaged with a big man like Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire. But now, in the first full week of July, all of that is gone. The money? Spent. The young talent? Either gone or rumored to be leaving at one point or another. The coaching staff? Blown up.

For the last year, Scott Hebert has been able to dub himself a national champion. Now, he will know what it's like to defend that title. All eyes will be on Hebert, the head pro at Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, when he competes at Twin Warriors Golf Club in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M., beginning today in the PGA Professional National Championship.

In my training, there seemed to be a point of pride to running the entire course. I'm not saying anything negative about the walkers, without question every runner has to go at their own pace and slow down when need be. But that wasn't going to be me. Sometimes, though, things don't go as planned.

The only sure-fire selection Detroit made was Oklahoma State tight end Brandon Pettigrew. When the Lions selected him with the 20th pick in the first round, I didn't quite understand it. But upon further review, Detroit seems to have nailed a home run.

When the Detroit Lions unveiled their new logo on Monday at a Metro Detroit sporting goods store, fans of the organization showed up to cast their vote for Saturday's NFL draft. "Cur-ry, Cur-ry," they chanted. Lions fans spoke. The team didn't listen.

This Michigan State team is deep, multi-dimensional and capable of beating any of the other three schools still dancing. But, the Spartans won't do anything more if they rest on their laurels and buy into all of the attention they've received this week. It's been a great season, but this has the potential to be more. It could be magical.

Sure, the Tigers will again be an offensive power and should be better defensively than a year ago. But there are still too many questions on the pitching staff. Specifically, in the bullpen.

A month away from the NFL Draft, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. still thinks the Detroit Lions will select Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford with the top overall selection. However, his reasoning seems like it's more a pick of convenience rather than hitting on a can't miss prospect. Why Stafford? Why not?

In McBain, basketball is more than just a game. It's a family affair. The Ramblers are led by two-time first-team All-State senior Elizabeth Hamlet. She's joined on the court by her sister, freshman Annemarie Hamlet. And they're coached by their father, Todd Hamlet.

Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Time is running out on the NBA rumor mill as today's 3 p.m. trade deadline looms. Will any of the big names be traded? Will Kobe and Shaq be reunited? Are teams still trying to clear cap space for the LeBron James sweepstakes of 2010?

University of Michigan fans finally got to see Friday who would be rounding out the last open spot on the 2009 football schedule. A matchup with a national powerhouse like Oklahoma, Florida, USC or Texas? Not quite. On Oct. 17, the Wolverines will welcome Delaware State to the Big House. Get your tickets now.

Roger Mason has never coached professional baseball. But his hiring Wednesday as Traverse City's new pitching coach may have been one of the biggest moves in Beach Bums history. In one week's time, the Beach Bums have announced new manager Gregg Langbehn, who comes in with 10 years of coaching experience in the Houston Astros system. Now, Traverse City adds a local guy and former major leaguer, instantly assembling a coaching staff that will no doubt have other Frontier League executives jealous.

Friday's game couldn't have been much bigger for Traverse City Central and TC West, as the two teams renewed their annual rivalry in the Crosstown Showdown. And in the big game -- in big situations -- both coaches turned responsibility over to their assistants.

In his first 20 games in East Lansing, Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio has made the Spartans respectable again. Gone are the Bobby Williams and John L. Smith days of early optimism followed by catastrophic losses in the Big Ten Conference season. These Spartans have shown grit and determination that haven't been seen since the Nick Saban era. But Michigan State still stands at a crossroads.

Congratulations, Lions fans. There's an organization out there that's run worse than your team. As Detroit celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, only 29 of those campaigns have produced a winning record. After Ford bought the team in 1964, the Lions have just three division titles, one playoff win and nothing close to a Super Bowl contender. But, it's no Oakland.

Wednesday's firing of Matt Millen was no doubt a cause for celebration for Lions fans, but don't plan any parades just yet. The blame for Detroit's abysmal showing this decade certainly fell on Millen, but should be shared with team owner William Clay Ford.

What could possibly possess someone to get up at the crack of dawn and beat themselves to a sweaty, stumbling mess for the annual Festival of Races? And to top it off, pay $30 for the experience? I was asking those questions not that long ago. But times have changed.

If the Buick Open officials could have written the script for the two weeks leading up to their tournament, I bet it would have gone something like this. Tiger Woods would grind out an emotional win at the U.S. Open, then make his return for the tournament's 50th anniversary. For an instant, it looked like the script was being followed to a tee. However, Woods is down for the season and brought the PGA Tour to its knees, so to say.