AGRI Biz

Dear Tim Froberg, To paraphrase "Officer and a Gentleman," only two things come from Appleton, Wisconsin, and I don't see any horns on you boy. Readers, I've been to Appleton. I know a thing or two about northern Wisconsin. Actually, there are really only two things to know. It will take you at least 45 minutes to drive anywhere you want to go. It makes you long for the "big city" life ...

A bevy of moves are coming out of Allen Park this week as the Detroit Lions continue to tinker with the bottom of their roster. Although none of these moves are earth shattering, it is interesting to see an almost constant influx of new players getting looks.á One of the biggest criticisms about Matt Millen was that, by living in Pennsylvania, he was not a day-to-day GM. This year, it seems ...

Throughout the interwebz, the Lions faithful have almost unanimously moved to support of Matthew Stafford. Lions columnists, Tom Kowalski (Mlive), John Niyo (DetTimes), and Brian VanOchten (GR Press) have all began to comment on Stafford with almost unfettered optimism. It is well deserved. I am the first to admit that Stafford is miles and miles ahead of where I thought he would be. I will admit I was against drafting himùI ...

Anticipation reigns in the professional football world. From January to September, fans listen to pundits like Todd McShay and Mike Mayock talk about draft prospects then beat writers gear up in the summer with unfettered optimism about each team with a chance to go to the playoffs. Then the NFL season happens. Half the teams go 0-1 and hell officially breaks loose. From Oakland to New England there are surprises ...

The Detroit Lions can have success against good defenses. Heading into this week, the Lions have yet to face a bad defenseùNew Orleans, Minnesota, Washington, Chicago are all top 15 defenses. Minnesota has a stout run defense. Detroit ran against them. Washington has one of the best pass defenses. Stafford had a career day. The Lions have a good (and improving) offense. It has been special teams and defense that ...

Kevin Smith rushed for 30 yards last week. On 19 carries. Yuck. Certainly a lot of blame is to be shared. Also, a lot of credit is due to the Bears defense. However, for much of the second half, the Bearsùsitting in a cover twoùplayed the pass and left running lanes wide open. The Lions were unable to capitalize. While some of the blame must go to the Lions backs, the bulk of it must ...

This picture, from 2008, just about sums up the Lions' season on defense. It wasn't pretty. Often the Lions were simply in the wrong spots. When they did sniff out a play, the lowly Lions were usually powerless to stop it. Receivers jumped over them. Running backs ran through them. Quarterbacks passed around them. It wasn't even close to pretty. This year, things look a little better for the "Kittens." Louis Delmas, a rookie ...

After three weeks, the Chicago Bears look less like "Monsters of the Midway" and more like the monsters inhabiting a Dreamworks movie. Ok, maybe I'm being a little harsh. On first glance, the Bearsùmissing their emotional leader, Brian Urlacherùare still statistically a top ten defense, statistically. Their competition hasn't exactly been a group of offensive powerhouses. Green Bay, Pittsburgh and Seattle are all dealing with their own offensive problems. Injuries ...

Every year, hundreds of pundits, commentators and analysts get paid millions of dollars to predict the NFL season. It starts with draft analysts and goes all the way up to fantasy football gurus and Las Vegas odds setters. It is a world, a strange world, where accuracy is never gauged. None of those prognosticators get a single dime to be right or lose a penny when they are wrong. It's ...

Matthew Stafford showed why he was the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Passing for 241 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions, Stafford was able to showcase his strong arm and high football IQ. His decision making was remarkably improved against the Redskins, keeping his passes out of traffic and throwing the ball away on a number of occasions. Stafford's best play however, was a first quarter scramble for 21 ...