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Welcome to the Sports Briefing! (It's like the Freep's Daily Briefing, but with a lot more Lions coverage.)
Let's get started.
But first ... the number of the day is 5. Can you guess why? Find out at the end!
🐯 Tigers
After going 4-2 in their last two series, the Tigers are back home for a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins, with the first game on Monday at 6:40 p.m. ET.
Now that the Tigers have settled in to a new-look roster a few days after the trade deadline, how are they feeling about the new additions? Ace Tarik Skubal shared his thoughts on Sunday Night Baseball, saying it was the first time he's gotten to be a part of a team that bought at the deadline instead of sold.
One of those new additions, RHP Chris Paddack, is getting the start on Tuesday, with All-Star Casey Mize facing off against the Twins on Monday.
🦁 Lions
Lions cornerback D.J. Reed recently saw his newest Madden rating, and let's just say he wasn't too impressed.
The Lions cornerback was recently granted a "90" on his speed rating on the popular video game, which he called "abysmal."
"Yeah, tell Madden to watch these practices," he said.
Reed, the seven-year veteran who played with the New York Jets over the last three seasons, will have plenty of chances to show off his speed with the Lions, as he signed a three-year, $48 million contract over the offseason to pair with Terrion Arnold in the secondary.
🏈 Wolverines
It shouldn't be much of a surprise if freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood gets the starting job for Michigan this fall, but it's not a lock.
U-M brought in Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene and East Carolina transfer Jake Garcia for a reason: Underwood is unproven — he hasn't even turned 18 yet.
But as our U-M insider Tony Garcia points out, Underwood has the highest ceiling of all of U-M's quarterback options, which makes him the frontrunner for the job (even if no one on the coaching staff is saying it).
Will this Michigan team live up to the national championship team of 2023? It'll be big achievement if it does, especially since that team came in at No. 3 in our list of the state's 25 best college and pro teams of the last 25 years.
Check out the rest of the list here!
🥊 Quick hits
- River Rouge football coach Jermain Crowell is back on the sidelines, and actually thanked the MHSAA for his two-year suspension.
- Despite an underwhelming performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Lions' first preseason game, QB Hendon Hooker will start against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday, Aug. 9.
- Our Pistons insider Omari Sankofa II lays out who could fill the team's need for a backup forward.
📺 What to watch
- MLB: Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers, 6:40 p.m. ET (FSND)
- Little League Regionals: Negaunee (MI) vs. Lexington Eastern (KY), 1 p.m. ET (ESPN+)
🔢 Number of the day!
The number of the day is 5 ... did you guess why?
That's the number of hits the Tigers got in their 2-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, Aug. 3.
That's also the number of hits that the Phillies got, too. Unfortunately for the Tigers, Philadelphia's hits were just a little more impactful.
Hope you enjoyed the first edition of the Sports Briefing! Let me know what you think, and please consider supporting local journalism and getting unlimited digital access.