WXYT-AM (Southfield, MI)

We know the Lions are favorites in the NFC North. Question is, who's their biggest threat? The defending champs in Minnesota, who still have plenty to work with on offense? The longtime kings in Green Bay, who lost Aaron Rodgers but still have lots of talent on defense? Or the up-and-comers in Chicago who are building around Justin Fields? "The only team that I'm not scared of is Green Bay," says Karsch.

As you may have heard, Justyn-Henry Malloy is making a statement down in Triple-A Toledo and Colt Keith is making history with Double-A Erie. Just don't count on seeing either of them anytime soon in Detroit. Two of the Tigers top hitting prospects are off to hot starts this season, while the big club is last in the majors in runs scored for the second year in a row.

A day after the Pistons plunged from No. 1 to No. 5 in the draft lottery, Mike Valenti feels your pain: "It's more sadness than anger. Because that ends any hope of a future you have." Best case scenario, says Valenti, "This rebuild just got extended by at least three years." GM Troy Weaver will have to get creative on the trade market to enhance the Pistons' roster this summer.

The Pistons have now taken part in 14 NBA Draft lotteries and moved up once. They've dropped seven times, including Tuesday night from No. 1 to No. 5 in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. Compare that to the Spurs, Tuesday night's winner, who taken part in six lotteries and moved up in five of them. Karsch is fed up: "Lotteries blow. They just effing blow. What's the upside to this system?

In some ways, A.J. Hinch had to laugh. This was the first time in this three-year tenure as Tigers manager that he'd fielded a post-game question about ... the Pistons. Detroit's basketball team was front and center Tuesday night, even as its baseball team continues to play well. The Pistons, once again, had their hearts broken in the draft lottery. Misery is what we've come to know. And it has way too much company in this city.

Troy Weaver has said it before as GM of the Pistons, and said it again Tuesday night: "We don't cry over spilled milk." After all, the Pistons' glass was half-full in 2021 when they won the right to draft Cade Cunningham.

The Pistons spent all season hoping and praying for Victor Wembanyama, and lost the most games in the NBA to ensure they had the best odds possible of winning the No. 1 pick in the lottery. The plan crumbled Tuesday night, when the Pistons tumbled to the No. 5 pick in the draft. It's the farthest Detroit could have fallen in the lottery, a brutal twist for a franchise that also fell from No. 3 to No. 5 in last year's lottery and has lost the most games in the NBA over the last five seasons.

The Tigers host the Pirates for a two-game set starting Tuesday night, having clawed their way back toward .500. But Karsch says that "maintaining even this pace, flirting with .500, is a big ask for this collection of players and this roster." Could the Tigers supplement the roster with a certain someone from Triple-A Toledo? In other words, asks Gator, "Who do they have in terms of players that you could expect more out of?" "It's probably Justyn-Henry Malloy," says Karsch.

The Pro Bowl anchor of one of the NFL's best offensive lines, Frank Ragnow prefers to take things "one day at a time." He isn't into bold statements or big headlines. If he speaks loudly, it's only through his play. Asked about the Lions kicking off the NFL season on Thursday Night Football against the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, this is about as loud as Frank Ragnow gets: "Yeah, pretty cool, huh?" Ragnow said on 97.1 The Ticket.

With All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams in a contract standoff with the Jets, there's at least a chance he gets traded before the start of this season. And if so, Valenti says Brad Holmes and the Lions should be first in line to try to acquire him: "You add this guy to the middle of this defense, a defense that played at a top 10 level the last 10 weeks of last season, you're a Super Bowl team. Are you ready to go all-in? I don't need next year's first-rounder.