Sports: Spartans Win Tourney
College Basketball
MSU beat Providence 77-64 at the Wooden Legacy Tournament championship game in California. Bryn Forbes scored 18 points. Denzel Valentine added 17, six rebounds and five assists to earn most outstanding player honors. Deyonta Davis and Eron Harris each had 12 points for the Spartans. They beat Boston College by 31 points in their opener and Boise State by 10 on their way to wrapping up the title. MSU trailed most of the second half, but ended on a 21-7 run. 7-0 MSU hosts undefeated Louisville on Wednesday night at the Breslin Center.
WMU lost to Mercer 68-65 on Sunday at the Challenge in Music City tournament. The Bronco end up losing two of three in Nashville.
Michigan is at NC State on Tuesday night.
Red Wings
The Red Wings lost to the Florida Panthers 2-1 on Sunday in Detroit. The Red Wings had a 1-0 lead in the third, the 10th goal of the season by rookie Dylan Larkin, who leads the Red Wings in goals scored. Reilly Smith's goal at 14:38 of the third period evened the game for the Panthers and set up the overtime. In the extra period, the Panthers won it on a Brian Campbell goal. Wings veteran Brad Richards says the team has got to find a way to keep the lead late in the game. The Red Wings play the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday at the Joe.
Pistons
The Pistons lost in Brooklyn, 87-83 on Sunday evening. Andre Drummond recorded his league-leading 15th double-double with 20 points and 18 rebounds, but Detroit fell to 8-9. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 21 points and seven rebounds. Detroit is home to host Houston tonight and Phoenix comes in on Wednesday night.
NFL
Tom Brady and the Patriots lost their first game of the season, 30-24 to Denver last night.
The Carolina Panthers (11-0) are the NFL's only remaining unbeaten team. Tonight….Baltimore is at Cleveland.
Tigers Sign Starting Pitcher Zimmerman
Reports say the Tigers have signed starting pitcher Jordan Zimmerman. It’s a five-year, $110 million deal -- pending completion of a physical exam. Zimmermann, a two-time All-Star, went 70-50 with a 3.32 ERA in 178 career starts with the Washington Nationals. The Nationals will get Detroit’s second round draft pick as compensation for the free-agent signing. Critics say Zimmerman will help the Tigers this season, but that the team could be taking a risk on a 5-year deal. Already this winter, Tigers first-year general manager Al Avila has been aggressive in bolstering the team's roster, acquiring closer Francisco Rodriguez and outfielder Cameron Maybin in a pair of trades. The Tigers are thought to be in the market for one more starting pitcher, and more bullpen help.
Minor League HR King Hessman Retires
He’s often compared to Crash Davis, Kevin Costner's made-up character in the movie "Bull Durham." The real minor league home run king, Mike Hessman says he is retiring as a player and will pursue a career as a coach. The 37 year old Hessman broke the minor league home run record in August when he hit a grand for the Toledo Mud Hens. Hessman spent 19 seasons in the minors and played in 109 big league games spanning five seasons. Much of his career was in the Tigers’ organization.
Kobe to Retire
37 year old Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers says he has decided to retire after this season. The decision was not totally unexpected, given that Bryant has said many times in recent weeks that he was considering making his 20th NBA season his last.
College Football
Clemson continues to hold onto the top spot in this week's Associated Press college football poll. Alabama is second, Oklahoma is third, followed by Iowa and Michigan State.
MSU plays Iowa for the Big Ten Championship this Saturday at Indianapolis. Broadcast time is 6:30pm on WBCK.
Lions
The Lions host the Packers next Thursday night.
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