The Ferris State Bulldogs began their four game road trip this past weekend as they traveled to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. to challenge the Lake Superior State Lakers.

The games marked the only regular-season meeting between the two teams.

The series opened up at Taffy Abel Arena where the Lakers defeated the Bulldogs with Laker forward Zac MacVoy scoring an early third period goal putting his team ahead 3-2.

The loss drops the Bulldogs record to 10-12-3 overall and 7-10-02 in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), while the Lakers improved their record to 5-16-5 overall and 3-13-3 in the CCHA.

The Bulldogs struck first early in the first period as senior center Adam Miller was able to stuff the puck in shortside, marking his fifth goal of the year after receiving a pass from freshman left wing Mike Fillinger.

The lead was short lived as a little over a minute later the Lakers' Josh Sims was able to tie the game and bring the teams back to even.

The Lakers took the lead less than two minutes later as Pat Aubry was able to knock in a rebound in front of the Bulldogs net to put the Lakers ahead by one.

The Bulldogs counterpunched later in the period with freshman left wing Mike Embach scoring his first collegiate goal on a wraparound, tying the game at two with an assist going to defenseman Zach Redmond.

The second period proved fatal for the Bulldogs as Lake Superior State’s Zac MacVoy scored his first goal of the night on a power play giving his team the final lead of the game.

The second period only produced four shots between both teams with the Bulldogs only managing one of them.

Ferris rallied in the third period outshooting the Lakers 11-3 and nearly tying the game on two occasions. Sophomore left wing Blair Riley bounced a shot off the post a few minutes into the period and junior right wing Matt Frank nearly scored with less than four minutes left as he shot point blank but was stopped by Lakers' goalie Brian Mahoney-Wilson.

The Bulldogs out shot the Lakers 23-16 for the game with freshman goaltender Patrick Nagle turning away 13 and dropping his record to 5-6-0.

The following night the two teams faced off again to a 1-1 tie in a physical game with neither team walking away with the win.

The tie gave the Bulldogs one point in CCHA standings, giving them a total of 17 points in 20 CCHA games and moves the Bulldogs record to 10-12-4 over-all and 7-10-3 in CCHA.

The Lakers' Jason Blain scored the lone goal for his team as he was able to knock in a rebound between the legs of Ferris State goaltender Mitch O’Keefe.

Senior defenseman and team captain Adam Welch suffered an injury in the second period as he was hit near the boards and never returned to the game.

The Bulldogs were able to tie the game before heading into the third period as freshman center Justin Menke tallied his fifth goal of the season on a power play. Menke was able to pick up the speed down the wing and get to the outside of the Lakers' defenseman, where he fired a shot that found its way behind Laker goalie Pat Inglis.

The Bulldogs outshot the Lakers in the second as they recorded 16 to the Lakers' seven shots after only notching five in the first.

The third period produced several quality chances for both teams to take the lead and walk away with the game but solid performances from both goaltenders forced the teams into overtime. The Bulldogs are no strangers to the extra five minutes as this was the fourth time they’ve gone into overtime this season.

Despite recording all five shots in the extra five minutes, the game ended in a tie as the Bulldogs outshot the Lakers 37-24 total and went one-of-five on the power play while the Lakers missed six power play chances.

Both goaltenders were worthy of recognition as O’Keefe finished the evening with 23 saves and Inglis recorded 36 stops.

Bulldogs head coach Bob Daniels was unavailable for comment.

The Bulldogs continue their road trip next weekend as they face off against the Notre Dame's Fighting Irish for the second time this season at Joyce Center in Notre Dame, Ind.

Sophomore center-right wing Cody Chupp (FSU) should be taken note of as he was named among over 70 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college hockey players contending this season for the prestigious Hobey Baker Memorial Award which is given annually to the nation’s top collegiate hockey player.

Chupp currently leads the Bulldogs in scoring this season with 15 points off of four goals and 11 assists. Chupp has also tallied five multiple point games this season and holds a team high plus 14 rating.

The award winner will be named on Friday, April 11 during the NCAA Frozen Four Championships in Denver, Colo.

The lady Bulldogs’ road trip did not begin as planned, from a delayed start leaving Big Rapids because of the weather on Jan. 30, to their double-digit loss to the host Ashland Eagles on Thursday night, followed by a three point loss to the Findlay Oilers on Saturday.

The Bulldogs came out with a chip on their shoulder against the Oilers after being dealt a loss on Thursday. They sought revenge by beginning the game with a 10-0 run.

The Oilers responded with a 9-2 run, to come within three, 12-9, with 14:35 remaining in the half.

It soon became clear that the Oilers refused to let the Bulldogs tromp all over them as they kept the Bulldogs close, keeping it a one possession game after the Oilers’ Maggie Gompers tied the score at 18 all, with 9:42 to play in the half.

The Bulldogs broke off their leash and went up by seven after senior forward Sam Johns connected with a three point jump shot. The Oilers’ Jessica Vorst responded with a layup, but the Bulldogs’ senior forward Rachel Folcik answered with a three pointer of her own to put the Bulldogs up 31-23, with 7:30 left in the half.

The Oilers regrouped when junior guard Teghan Thelen fouled Brittany Wells to send her to the free throw line, and brought the Bulldogs reeling in, as they tied the score at 39 with just over a minute to play in the half.

A foul on freshman guard Tiara Adams sent the Oilers’ Katie Greisiger to the line where she tied the score at 43 after sinking both her shots with five seconds on the clock. She sent the Oilers into the locker room with momentum.

The Bulldogs quickly found themselves trailing by seven as the Oilers began the second half on a 7-1 run. The Bulldogs worked the Oilers as junior forward Caitlin Hutchinson’s two point jump shot tied the score at 56 with 13:29 remaining.

The Bulldogs would work to grab a one point lead but the Oilers quickly answered with a basket of their own. With 1:10 remaining, Folcik made her free throw shot to put the Bulldogs up by one, but was unable to make her second. This allowed the Oilers’ Brittany Wells to make both her free throws putting the Oilers ahead again with 11 seconds to go.

Wells wasn’t done with the Bulldogs as she intercepted the inbound pass and made the layup as the buzzer sounded.

The Bulldogs were led by Folcik’s 26 points and eight rebounds, and by Hutchison, who finished the game with 13 points. Johns added 12 points and junior forward Jenna Guay finished with a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Wells finished the game with 25 points.

The Eagles soared in the first half on Thursday, posting a 54-36 advantage over the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs trailed the entire first half, and were able to keep it close in the beginning and tied the score at 18, all with 10:19 remaining in the first half after junior forward Jenna Guay made her first free throw, but the Eagles didn’t play the polite host role.

The Eagles’ Lindsey Gaut responded immediately as she refused to let the Bulldogs take the lead and quickly put the Bulldogs down after draining a three point jump shot.

The Eagles continued to attack the Bulldogs with a 7-0 run to capture the momentum, and refused to give the Bulldogs anything as they rolled into half time.

The Bulldogs came out fighting in the second half, but couldn’t over take the Eagles. Whenever the Bulldogs began to chip away at the lead, the Eagles quickly responded with a run of their own.

The Bulldogs were able to chip the Eagles’ lead down from 22 to 11 after junior guard Teghan Thelen made a three point jump shot with 3:01 remaining in the game. The Eagles buckled down and refused to let the Bulldogs take control, and outscored the Bulldogs 12-6 in the final minutes.

Senior guard Rachel Folcik picked up three fouls in the first half, limiting one of the Bulldogs’ top scorers.

The Bulldogs recorded a 48.1 field goal percentage compared to the Eagles’ 58.1 percent in the first half.

Guay led the Bulldogs with 19 points, Hutchison chipped in 13 points and both Folcik and Thelen recorded 12 points.

The Bulldogs return home tomorrow when they take on the Northern Michigan Wildcats at 6 p.m. The Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats in their first match up. A rematch between the Michigan Tech Huskies and the Bulldogs will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

The Huskies came from behind to tie the Bulldogs and defeated them in overtime the first time the two teams met, and knocked the Bulldogs out of first place in the GLIAC north.

“We miss the rowdiness at the home games. We know that there is a big push for better sportsmanship, and we are all for that. I tell our players all the time that we want to cheer each other on, pump each other up, and not give our opponents an ounce of fuel for the fire (to motivate them into playing any better than they are).

“I thought our FSU Pep Band was the BEST band in the GLIAC, maybe even the country, in past years, but they’ve been much more timid this year. I hope they will come back and create the home court advantage that we have enjoyed so much in the past. They really do make a difference and we appreciate the fact that they put in so much time to support all the FSU athletic teams,” head coach Tracey Dorow said going into the two week road trip.

On Thursday Jan. 31, Ferris State traveled south to tip off with the Ashland Eagles in Ashland, Ohio. Ashland stood strong and came out with the 93-82 victory. The Bulldogs shot 51.5 percent from the field in the first half but only 37.5 percent in the second half. The Eagles retaliated by shooting 47.6 percent from the field for the game.

Ashland built up a seven point lead throughout the first half, but Ferris State battled back and took a lead of its own with just under seven minutes left. The Bulldogs and Eagles battled evenly until half time ended in a 42-42 tie. Ferris State scored 16 points in the paint, seven points off turnovers and 11 bench points.

Ferris State and Ashland traded buckets and lead changes all the way through the second half. The Eagles managed to build up a 10 point lead with five minutes left, pressuring the Bulldogs by causing turnovers and missed shots to end the game.

Ashland used points in the paint and points off turnovers to defeat the Bulldogs. Ferris State however was able to score 12 second chance points and 14 points off the bench in the loss.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs were freshman guards Bryan Pasciak and Darien Gay and freshman center Justin Keenan. Pasciak scored 23 points, five assists and grabbed three rebounds. Shooting 45 percent from the three point line and 57 percent from the field, Pasciak led the Bulldogs in shooting and minutes with 35.

Keenan shot 90 percent from the free throw line, 55 percent from the field and grabbed six rebounds. Keenan scored 21 points in 27 minutes. Gay scored 12 points, grabbed five rebounds and shot 40 percent from the field.

Ashland was led by forward Steve Gansey and guard Brett Wackerly. Gansey scored 24 points, shooting 57 percent from the three point line and 72 percent from the field. Wackerly shot 33 percent from the free throw line, 53 percent from the field and scored 20 points while playing 35 minutes.

On Saturday, Feb. 2, Ferris State ran into the number 11 ranked Findlay Oilers losing 94-49 at Croy Gymnasium in Findlay, Ohio. The Oilers shot 60.8 percent from the field and 79.3 percent from the free throw line compared to Ferris State's 34 percent from the field and 72.7 percent from the free throw line.

The Oilers started the game on a 10 point run keeping Ferris off the score board until four minutes in. Findlay ended the first half with a 29 point lead and never looked back. The Oilers continued pressuring the Bulldogs and built up a 45 point lead late in the game.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs where freshman center Justin Keenan and freshman forward DeJuan Wright. Wright came off the bench to score 15 points, grabbed five rebounds and shot 55 percent from the field. Keenan scored 14 points, grabbed four rebounds and shot 25 percent from the field and played 22 minutes.

Findlay had five shooters score in double digits. The Oilers scored 25 points off Bulldog turnovers, 34 points in the paint, 14 second chance points and 44 points from the bench. Findlay also out rebounded the Bulldogs 35-23.

The Bulldogs look to rebound this week while playing the 5-15 Northern Michigan Wildcats and the 11-9 Michigan Tech Huskies at home. The Wildcats head into Wink Arena on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. The Huskies tip off with the Bulldogs on Saturday Feb. 9 at 3 p.m.

As the Super Bowl closes out another NFL season, we take a look back to some of the highlight games of the year. This year’s regular season concluded with an undefeated team, an almost defeated team and some shocking upsets.

In the first week of the season, the New York Giants traveled to Dallas for the first of three meetings with the Cowboys. Tony Romo started off his first full season as the starting quarterback with a 45-35 victory.

In Eli Manning’s first contest of the season, he matched Romo’s stats with four touchdowns and one interception apiece. Unfortunately, the Giants lost while Romo led the Cowboys to victory.

In week two, the Cleveland Browns came alive. Behind first year starting quarterback Derek Anderson, the Browns defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 51-45 in the battle of Ohio. Former Michigan star Braylon Edwards caught two touchdowns and racked up 146 yards on eight completions in the victory.

Week three didn’t go so well for the 2-0 Detroit Lions as they headed into Lincoln Financial Field to play the 0-2 Philadelphia Eagles. Detroit came out flat as the Eagles put up 21 points in the first quarter. Philadelphia ran away from there and the Lions couldn’t catch up. The Eagles won 56-21.

In week four, the undefeated Pittsburg Steelers traveled down to Arizona to face the Cardinals. Ageing quarterback Kurt Warner took over the Cardinals' job from Matt Leinart and led them to a 21-14 victory. Arizona scored three touchdowns in the second half to pull away with the win.

A 53 yard Nick Folk field goal was needed to boost the Dallas Cowboys past the Buffalo Bills 25-24 in week five. The Bills didn’t score a single offensive touchdown in the game. The defense and special teams pulled through by scoring 14 points off interception returns and seven off of a kickoff return. Romo threw a career high of five interceptions in the game.

Week six was the battle of the 81s. Randy Moss and the New England Patriots traveled south to Dallas to play the Cowboys and Terrell Owens. The two remained even through the game with both catching a touchdown pass. However, Tom Brady’s other targets helped the Patriots to a 48-27 victory.

FedEx Field was the site for week seven. The Arizona Cardinals and Washington Redskins battled right to the end concluding in a Redskin victory 21-19. In the last 30 seconds, the Cardinals completed a touchdown pass, failed a two point conversion, recovered an onside kick and missed a 55 yard field goal which would have given them the win.

Brett Favre’s touchdown bomb in overtime helped lead the Green Bay Packers to victory over the Denver Broncos 19-13 at Invesco Field at Mile High in week eight. Jason Elam’s second half field goals allowed Denver to catch up right at the end of regulation.

The Detroit Lions entered week nine with a 6-2 record facing off with the Denver Broncos. With help from a Shaun Rogers’ 66 yard interception return for a touchdown, the Lions rolled past the Broncos 44-7 extending their unbeaten streak at home.

Week 10 brought the second meeting between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants. Dallas won the battle 31-20 behind four Tony Romo touchdown passes. Eli Manning this time did not match Romo’s stats but threw one touchdown pass and two interceptions.

The 7-3 Pittsburg Steelers got tripped up by the 2-8 New York Jets in week 11. One touchdown and three field goals apiece resulting in the game ending in a 16-16 tie. Mike Nugent’s 38 yard field goal in overtime sent the Jets off with the victory.

Week 12 saw two close games in the making. First, A.J. Feeley almost led the Philadelphia Eagles past the New England Patriots in a Sunday night game at Gillette Stadium. The second game was the battle in the rain and mud between the Miami Dolphins and the Pittsburg Steelers. Jeff Reed’s 24 yard field goal with 17 seconds left in the game led the Steelers to a 3-0 victory.

An eight yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Jabar Gaffney with 44 seconds left led the New England Patriots to a 27-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football in week 13. The Ravens shot themselves in the foot with 30 yards in penalties prior to the play erasing the Ravens' miracle comeback.

Week 14 saw the end of the Detroit Lions home winning streak with the Dallas Cowboys 28-27 victory. Cowboys’ tight end Jason Witten fumbled on the one yard line late in the fourth quarter giving the Lions a glimmer of hope. Dallas stopped Detroit, giving them good field position. Witten redeemed himself by catching a game winning 16 yard touchdown pass with 18 seconds left from Romo.

The snow was building up in Cleveland in week 15’s battle between the Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills. That was the game everyone loved to watch. Because it was played in the snow, no touchdowns but rather two field goals and a safety secured the Browns' 10-0 victory. Week 15 also saw the Miami Dolphins win their first game of the season over the Baltimore Ravens 22-16.

Week 16 was a downfall for Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers as they lost 35-7 to the hosting Chicago Bears. Chicago scored from multiple targets including an 85 yard interception return by Brian Urlacher. The loss for the Packers knocked them out of a shot for home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The final week of the season saw the eventual Super Bowl teams play in Giants Stadium. New England came back in the second half scoring three touchdowns to beat the New Your Giants 38-35. Tom Brady and Randy Moss both set records on Moss’ 65 yard touchdown grab.

The 2008 NFL Pro Bowl will take place on Feb. 10 in Aloha Stadium and the 2008 NFL draft will be held on April 26-27 concluding the NFL season. I received my information from NFL.com.

The media, senators, officers, owners, managers and the guy that sells hot dogs are moving from Senator George J. Mitchell’s steroid report to the Patriot’s staff, personnel and athletes to see if the Patriots have cheated more than once.

It was first reported the Patriots stole the New York Jets’ defensive signals after week one of the season. Since then other teams have come out and said Tom Brady and the Patriot offense is just a little too good.

After that, senators and ESPN announcers have spoken about the alleged cheating scandal, if there is anything behind it and they are now wondering why documents and other items are missing.

As far as I’m concerned, the government has more important things to worry about than a game. Shouldn’t the senators who are becoming involved in sports be at their desks trying to figure out how to save the country from a recession or terrorists or the boogeyman?

Besides, what do teams think will happen when they share video with opponents? I understand that trading of videos and what not is a common practice among coaches and teams, but I’m thinking this is not something new.

In fact, it’s not. It goes as low as little league baseball players trying to steal the third base coaches' signs. Guess what? The players have. Even high school football players are able to watch the opposing coach and see what the other team does. IT’S NOT A SECRET!

In fact, I applaud the Patriots' ingenuity for figuring out what the other team is doing, and being able to adapt and move during the game as the opposing team calls for it. I’m thinking when you play a team for the second time you know what the plays look like, and can make changes as needed.

I feel like ever since the American attention has been switched from make believe weapons of mass destruction that were destroyed in the 1980s, we have been looking for scandal every where else.

We might as well be 12-yearold gossip enthusiasts at the rate we are going. Just because a team is great and had a perfect regular season schedule does not mean the team cheats. When the USSR hockey dominated the winter Olympic games it wasn’t cracked up to cheating, it was because the team was a power house, and could destroy any opponent because the Russians were skilled.

Maybe, just maybe, the Patriots are dominant. The Patriots have put together a team that is smart, powerful, explosive, and can make adjustments as the game is played instead of waiting and relying on what happened at half time.

Gasp! America has a team that is good, and it’s not the Yankees! I’m thinking the Yankees were never accused of stealing signals and being able to read what the other team was going to do.

Granted it’s baseball and stealing the signs is as normal as eating a hotdog while watching the sunset on another day.

I think the Patriots are just innovating football, and taking a page out of the hated New York area, and that’s just winning.

Bring in the powerhouse athletes, bring in guys that are willing to do anything for their skipper, and will eat, breathe and sleep the playbook and won’t plan family vacations until after the Super bowl.

While congress is chasing athletes, probably trying to get their revenge on the jocks that made fun of them on the playground, the Patriots are going to keep winning, because they are just plain good.

The Patriots have a great coach, strong players, and a will to win. The Patriots have what every other team wants, and that’s to be number one. Every athlete, no matter what level, knows that as soon as a number one goes in front of your name every other team is gunning for you.

It was also stated at one point in the Super bowl hoopla that America hates the powerhouse. America hates the Yankees, began to hate Detroit’s beloved Wings when they dominated in the late 1990s, and now America hates the Patriots.

Fine, hate the winner, but just because you didn’t work hard enough, and didn’t grab the player the Patriots did, don’t declare a cheating scandal. Leave the organization that works hard, that has faced adversity throughout the season and still won, alone.

Since the beginning of the 2007- 08 National Hockey Association season, the Detroit Red Wings have dominated the competition.

The Wings are third in power play percentage, first in goals against, first in goals for, and with a record of 38-10-4 they are on their way to have the highest winning season in NHL history.

They continue their dominance of the central division with a total of 80 points. Their closest competitor is the Nashville Predators who fail in comparison with 57.

Even the Ottawa Senators who have arguably one of the greatest offensive lines in NHL history with Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, and Daniel Alfredsson are 12 points behind with 68.

Yes it is true, the Senators did defeat the Wings this year in their one season meeting, but it was obvious the Wings were not playing to their full potential.

It seems that’s the way it goes these days when you face the Red Wings. Either the Wings have a bad game and it gives the other team a slight chance to win, or as is usually the case, the Wings play perfect and nobody can come close.

Even the red-hot defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Anaheim Ducks, failed against the Mighty Wings in their last confrontation. Anaheim was under the impression that they could bully the Wings around by stepping up the physical game and playing a little bit dirty.

But the Wings would not be pushed around. This was seen as gritty forward Dan Cleary stood toe to toe with one of the largest and roughest defenseman in the league in the form of Chris Pronger.

There was no backing down for the Wings and they gave back everything Anaheim was handing out and left the Duck pond with a 2-1 victory.

Even when the Wings lost their leading scorer Henrik Zetterberg to a back injury for a few games it never even slowed them down. It just paved the way for players like Jiri Hudler and Johan Franzen to step up and fill in the gap.

It’s never good to be cocky, and overconfidence is a killer. But this is something the Wings organization knows well and won’t be fooled by again. I mentioned that the Wings were on track to have the highest winning season in NHL history. What I didn’t mention was that the current record is held by the 95-96 Red Wings, and there was no Stanley Cup that year as they were swept in the Finals by the New Jersey Devils.

Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, Chris Osgood, and team captain Nicklas Lidstrom were on the team then and they knew what overconfidence can do. I’d be willing to bet they won’t be letting any teammate think they’ve won the Stanley Cup until they’ve won it.

As I fan myself, I know how they feel. I was watching back in '96 when Scott Stevens held up Lord Stanley above his head for the Devils while disappointed fans wearing red and white sweaters looked on.

I know how good the Wings are, and I know what their potential is this season, but the truth is that it doesn’t matter how good they do in the regular season, all that matters is the playoffs.

So many times the underdogs have prevailed against the fans' favorite throughout the history of the NHL. It happens every year and this is what scares teams who finish the regular season on top of the NHL and it’s what should scare the Wings also.

It takes more than a top line, or great goal tending to win the Stanley Cup. It takes an entire team. It takes grit, passion and heart throughout four rounds of grueling hockey games.

I do believe the Red Wings have the best chance out of any team to complete this objective. Despite one or two formidable opponents, the rest of the NHL is filled with mediocre teams with a super-star or two thrown in the mix.

Look at the Pittsburgh Penguins. A few years ago they were last in the league. With the addition of Sydney Crosby, they have a chance to build and maybe in three or four years have a Stanley Cup contending team but they don’t look to do much damage this year.

The Washington Capitals, they're 24-23-5 (nothing record breaking) but they do have Alexander Ovechkin. I mean, the man just scored four goals in Thursday night’s game against Pittsburgh. That hasn’t been seen since the days of Mario Lemiux.

One man does not win the Stanley Cup for an entire team though. And that’s one thing the Wings have going for them.

It seems that players like Draper, Hudler and Cleary aren’t much by themselves, but put them together on a team with Henrik Zetterberg, Paval Datsyuk, and Thomas Holmstrom, then you have an unstoppable set of forwards.

No other team has the hype and the expectations that the Detroit Red Wings have heading into this years playoffs. Let’s just hope they can live up to it.

Ever since the Tigers acquired Miguel Cabrera from the Florida Marlins this past fall to play third base, Detroit has been asking the same question: What about Brandon Inge?

While Inge’s glove is on fire, his bat has yet to heat up to allow Inge to hit above .250 the last couple of years. All baseball and softball players know that if you hit, you will play. Coaches want players who can get on base and manufacture runs.

Granted, Inge has connected for some clutch hits and has been able to advance the base runners with his bunting ability. He also has recorded many strikeouts, leaving Tigers’ President Dave Dombrowski in a pickle.

Dombrowski must decide if he should keep the young and talented Inge and have him play the backup role. Especially after helping the Tigers’ win the American League Championship, and make it to the World Series in 2006. Also, Inge has been with the Tigers organization since A-ball with the West Michigan Whitecaps.

Or does Dombrowski trade Inge to another club and try to win the World Series with the roster full of Florida Marlins who defeated the Yankees in the 2001 World Series?

Inge told the Detroit News that he wanted to stay in Detroit, and he wasn’t happy playing a backup role. However, he would do whatever it took to play, even if it required him to learn a new position.

Inge won’t have to learn a position, he just has to find his old catcher’s glove and polish those shin guards, because he is once again listed as a catcher.

This isn't something new. Inge was a catcher in the minors and for the Tigers. That was before they acquired Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, who may be playing in his final season as a Tiger.

Which would give Inge the starting catcher role in the 2009 season…if he wants it. Fox Sports Net Detroit Tiger playby- play Mario Impemba and color commentator Rod Allen said Inge didn’t want to be a catcher, and was happy at third base during a game last summer.

Even Inge who says little to the press has voiced his disappointment about the situation.

“It’s frustrating, I’m not happy with it at all, but this is the hand I’ve been dealt and I have to make the best of it,” Inge told the Detroit News.

Inge went on to say he wants to contribute, and his goal is to have a starting job after a season of being a utility player.

Inge has every right to be disappointed with the situation. He plays a stellar third base, and all of a sudden is bumped out by some guy who did well in the national league. Especially considering Detroit fans didn’t even know Cabrera could field a grounder until this past fall when ESPN showed his highlights after announcing the trade.

I don’t care if Cabrera hit .339 last season with the Marlins, and I don’t care if he can make a diving stop and turn a double play, or is able to throw a runner out from his knees by the third base coaches’ box.

I also don’t care if Cabrera runs into the stands and lays out for a foul ball, and catches it. Please note these are all things Inge has done on defense, and Cabrera has yet to prove to Detroit that he can. Inge has set the standard in the hot corner, and I’m thinking Detroit fans will hold Cabrera to those same standards.

I can also see fans showing up at the ball park heckling Cabrera and asking for Inge, who is one of the most loved infielders, and has yet to give less than his best every game. Cabrera has large shoes to fill, and I’m interested in seeing how those shoes fit come April.