The first poll is out for the high school football season and it should come as absolutely no surprise, that West Michigan schools dominate the number one spot.

Division 1: #1- Rockford, #7 Grand Haven

Division 2: #1 Warren De La Salle, #2 Lowell

Division 3: #1 East GR

Division 4: #1 Marine City, #2 Marshall, #4 West Catholic, #5 Holland Christian, #7  Three Rivers, #8 Hamilton, #9 BC Pennfield, #10 Unity Christian

Division 5: #1 Oakridge, #3 Muskegon Heights

Division 6: #1 Montague, #3 Schoolcraft, #4 Hartford

Division 7: #1 TC St Francis, #3 Mendon, # 5 Ravenna

Division 8: #1 Climax-Scotts, #6 Muskegon CC

If we’ve learned anything from the early season matchups between the east and west side of the state, it’s that we should be in for another fun Thanksgiving day weekend at Ford Field. 

The OK Red looks scarey good.  The OK White could very well crown two state champions with East GR and Lowell.  The OK Gold could provide one of the craziest races with Hastings and Forest Hills Eastern off to surprising 3-0 starts.  Catholic Central, Ottawa Hills and Caledonia all figure to have a say before we’re through.  And how about the OK Green?  Four teams in the Green are off to 3-0 starts.

<–YES, I saved this picture from last year.  I think I used it 16 times!  Now, if you’re anywhere near my age, you’ll remember this.  The running gag was Bullwinkle the magician trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat.  He’d pull out a tiger, a bear, a rhinoceros – never a rabbit.  In the last gag Bullwinkle comes to center stage and announces he’s going to pull a rabbit out of a hat.  Rocky responds:  “But that trick never works!”  Bullwinkle:  “This time for sure!!  PRESTO!!”  (…and he pulls Rocky out of the hat).  Yes sports fans, it’s time for Bullwinkle the magician to reappear at Ford Field once again.  We’re all waiting to see if this is the year Bullwinkle can pull the rabbit out of the hat.  One more time we get a high draft pick…again we use it on the big-time, big-play guy…again we have a winning pre-season.   And again I’m Rocky saying, “But that trick never works!”   Here’s you’re chance to predict.  Leave a comment with your guess (one per person) on the Lions won/loss record in the regular season.  At the end of the season, we’ll see who comes closest.  Maybe I can even get promotion to throw in a coffee mug or t-shirt for a prize for the best guess before Sunday (Sept. 13).  BTW – if you’re interested in Rocky and Bullwinkle, check out the voices behind the characters.

I’m really sad to see it go.

The Arena Football League is about to shut its doors for good, and while I’m not surprised, I am disappointed.

For over 20-years Arena players entertained fans with an up-tempo game.  Fans gasped as receivers were slammed into the sideline boards after a catch.  They took home souvineer footballs when errent throws went sailing into the crowd.   And were able to get up close and personal with the players on the field after games. 

Dan DeVos brought the Rampage to Grand Rapids in 1998.   They won the ArenaBowl in 2001.   They paraded through downtown Grand Rapids with the championship trophy and Rampage fans celebrated.

Even though there wasn’t much to celebrate after that, Rampage games were still fun.  They were still high energy, and no crowd in West Michigan was louder than a Rampage crowd. 

But the crowds are silenced now.   AFL owners couldn’t come up with a business model to save the league, so they’re shutting it down.

There is talk from the D.P. Fox camp it will come back in some form in Grand Rapids.  AF2 the most likely scenerio.  They made a similar move in Iowa a few years ago, and my friends in Des Moines say you can hardly tell the difference.  With nowhere else to play for many of the guys on AFL teams, you’ll likely see some of the same names making the jump to AF2. 

Let’s hope so.

It was one year ago tonight, that I nearly lost my life.

On July 7, 2008…. three weeks before my 44th birthday…  I suffered a massive heart attack… a 99.9% closure of the anterior descending artery… what is known in the medical field as a “widow maker”, for all the obvious reasons.  Thanks to the care and effort of a wonderful wife and the great staffs at Metro Health and West Michigan Heart, I survived what most people, unfortunately, do not.

While I am much more conscious about what I eat and how much I exercise, I must admit I have slipped a bit from the strict diet and regular exercise program set up for me during my rehab at Spectrum Health.  What I’m most disappointed in however… perhaps even ashamed of…. is that at times I have lost that “new perspective on life” that seemed so suddenly clear to me a year ago tonight and in the days and weeks that followed.  The kind of perspective you unfortunately only seem to get when you know your life may soon be coming to an end.  It’s amazing how quickly you realize what REALLY matters and what really doesn’t.

I’m disappointed that at times I have let little things bother me, that I swore I would never let bother me again.  I’m disappointed that at times I have let things that happened away from home, occupy my mind or time, while at home. 
Although I consider myself a very good dad, I’m most disappointed in the times that I haven’t been able to FIND TIME to do something with my daughters because of other responsibilities or projects that had to be taken care of first.

Do me, and yourself, a favor.  Take a little time today, tomorrow, or sometime soon, just to think about what really matters.  I’m sure for the most part, we’ll all come up with relatively the same answer.  The unfortunate fact is, that in the year ahead, some of us, or at least someone some of us know, will face a life threatening situation or disease.  Don’t wait until then to realize what, really, you already know.

For those of you with children… take a little time to play with, read to or simply talk with your kids.  I PROMISE you, if you ever end up in the same situation I was in, THAT will be the FIRST thing you’ll think of.  And should, unfortunately, anything ever happen to any of us, it will be one of the first things they think of, as well.

Be healthy.

Big honor for Hudsonville boxer Jordan Shimmell.  He was elected captain of the U.S. boxing team that is fighting in Italy this week.   He’s never fought outside of the U.S., so the selection was a pleasant surprise.

Shimmell will fight Clemente Russo on Sunday night.  Russo won a silver medal at the summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008. 

Shimmell became just the 6th heavyweight in the U.S. to win both the Golden Gloves and US National championship in the same year.  He hopes to fight for the U.S. at the 2010 games in London.

I had a chance to spend a little time with former Michigan State Spartan, Detroit Lion and now Seattle Seahawk running back T.J. Duckett this afternoon in Mattawan.  More importantly, I got to watch as T.J. treated eight young boys…. kids he previously did not know….each of whom have a parent battling, or who had battled cancer…. to a day of fun at local arcade and fun park. 

“I’ve been through the whole experience,” said Duckett, who lost his mother to cancer when he was a kid.  “I know what they’re going through.”

After meeting the kids and their parents at the West Michigan Cancer Center, Duckett surprised the group with limo transportation to the “Formula K” fun spot in Mattawan.  There, Duckett treated the kids to go-cart racing, bumper cars, air-hockey, arcade games, and host of other activities.  

“When my mother was sick, she really didn’t have the ability, the energy or the time to do things like this,” Duckett told me this afternoon.  “Being able to take kids out who are in the same situation I was in and give some relief to their parents… I think that’s half the battle.  When you’re sick you worry about how other people are doing, especially your children.”

Duckett also gave each of the kids his personal cell phone number, as he gets set to head to Seattle for training camp. 

“I don’t want these kids to feel like they are by themselves,” Duckett said.  “(I want to) give them a chance to call me, whatever it is, in any situation that comes up, when they feel alone or they feel they don’t have anyone to talk to.  If I can talk to them on the phone when they’re having a bad day, I can remind them of what we did out here today.”

A simple gesture by a good man… yet one these eight young men, will never forget.

I’ve been going to Detroit Lion training/mini camps for 20 years now.  After interviewing dozens and dozens of players over two decades… it’s not very often you get a quote from a player that you’ve NEVER heard before…. Tuesday, I did, courtesy of new Lions Linebacker Larry Foote.  When I asked the former Wolverine and Steeler if he felt any pressure being the only two-time Superbowl champion on the team that other players are looking to for leadership… he simply smiled and said…. “I make love to pressure!”  Click here to hear from Foote and the rest of the Lion linebackers:   http://tinyurl.com/nhhbmc

The Detroit Lions will open a mandatory three day “mini camp” on Tuesday (June 23rd)… their last official team workouts until the opening of “training camp” in late July.   At the end of OTA’s (organized team activities) I had a chance to talk with Booth Newspapers Lions Beat Writer Tom Kowalski, about the team heading into mini camp.  Click here to see that interview: http://tinyurl.com/lr3nuz

There are 14 players on the Red Wings playoff roster who began their professional career with the Grand Rapids.  (Two others – Chris Chelios and Chris Osgood have played in Grand Rapids, but only on rehab assignments.)  With a win tonight, ten of those players would have earned the right to have their names engraved in the Stanley Cup:  Nick Kronwall, Jiri Hudler, Justin Abdlekader, Brett Lebda, Tomas Kopecky, Darren Helm, Jonathon Ericcson,  Villie Leino, Valterri Filppula, and Derek Meech.

Griffins General Manager Bob McNamara, who has been in charge of developing all of these players, will join us live tonight, from inside Joe Louis Arena, during the second half of 24 Hour News 8 at 5:00.  Hope you’ll join us as well.

Go Wings! (Eli the Penguin in frowning)

Ken Kal, the voice of the Detroit Red Wings, will be join us for a live pre-game interview, inside Joe Louis Arena, tonight at 5:00 on WOOD-TV 8.  Ken has called all four of the Red Wings Stanley Cup Championships during the past 11 seasons.  Kal was in the locker room with us this morning, but as a member of the team, he will have access to any late breaking information that the rest of us, may not.  Hope you’ll join us for that.

Go Wings!