Detroit Free Press

Every day I have less In my bank account.Every day I grow scaredAs my losses mount.Every day there is lessTo the ...

I had this idea, before the rematch between the Red Wings and Penguins, that Marian Hossa might wait until Sidney Crosby had the puck and was flying down the ice and then he'd yell, "Yo, Sidney, right here!" and out of habit, Crosby would fire the puck to his old teammate."I did that against New Jersey," Hossa told me earlier this week. "Their defenseman (Colin White) was under pressure and I yelled, ‘Whitey, Whitey!' and he sends me the puck behind the net."Really? "Yeah. Right on the tape."

A friend said I must buy this "new" CD."It's great!" he gushed. "Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane live at Carnegie Hall."They're both dead, I said. "But this is their best stuff ever!"I have given that sentence some thought. Perhaps we've been worrying over nothing. Being dead is not the career killer we thought it was.In fact, it may do wonders.

As I watched Daunte Culpepper get sacked, miss receivers, bump into teammates and hear boos from fans, I was hit with the following thought: Nobody needs the NFL this badly.Culpepper, who came out of retirement for Sunday's game, began the first quarter with an incompletion and an interception. He ended the second quarter by banging into his running back. He got three snaps in the third quarter. And he sat for the fourth.

Now we'll see what it means to be a "great American."For nearly eight years, anyone who dared to criticize President George W. Bush risked being called unpatriotic. The people doing this name calling are mourning John McCain's loss today.We'll soon see if it's about country or party. Remember, if you need to support the president to be a "great American," critics must get behind Barack Obama or risk total hypocrisy.

America gets a new president. The Lions get a new quarterback. Quick. Which of these events happens every other week?Right you are! The Lions' new quarterback is 31-year-old Daunte Culpepper, who, simply by signing a contract just became the most famous player on the team. That's sad enough. He also became the biggest attraction on the team, the most recognizable name on the team and, to hear some people tell it, the best player on the team. He also may start Sunday's game. Heck. By Monday, he could own Ford Field.

He wore a gray-striped suit with the stripes going both directions, a white dress shirt and a stylish print tie. Still, when they called his name, the crowd barely noticed, because the music was blasting and fire was shooting and the fans were busy watching the players do their jump-and-slam moves.But make no mistake. This Pistons opener was about one man more than the rest. Those long pants have been a long time coming.Michael Curry is on the board.