Up next in 10
Detroit’s season-opening sports talk centers on the Red Wings trying to erase a miserable offseason with a win, plus a hard take on Jalen Duren’s max deal and what it demands from him. The back half shifts to the weekend slate, with Michigan, Michigan State and the Lions all in the mix.
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Today is the start of the regular season for our Red Wings. Let the fun begin
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I'm Dustin Fiocca with Detroit Sports Nation. It's your daily rundown on Friday
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And we gotta start off talking about these Red Wings because they have been a hot topic the last month or so in this offseason
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And now it is finally time for them to put up or shut up
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Not that they've been doing a whole lot of chatter because nobody's got expectations for them this year
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Maybe outside of myself. Call me the Black Eyed Peas. I got a feeling, and that feeling tells me they're actually making the playoffs
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We deserve it, too, because for the last decade, the Red Wings fan base has been marinating in futility
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It's been a miserable decade of no postseason appearances. I want to see them put it to bed this season, even though nobody's calling for it
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But it all starts tonight. Red Wings and Rangers, debut to the season for Detroit, happening on home ice at LCA
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LCA. I will be down there. I'm expecting booze to rain down on Dylan Larkin. I'm expecting a fun
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atmosphere and I want to say I expect it, but I'd really, really like to see a win. This is the Red
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Wings champ. All of the terribleness that has surrounded this offseason for this franchise
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can be put to bed if you win games. There's been so much going on. The questions as to who would
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become general manager for this team. The controversy with the Dylan Larkin trading
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fiasco, all of the confusion with the Simon Edkins and stuff, all of that can be put to bed with
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winning That what sports is all about And sorry if you were told it all about having fun as a kid At the pro level it about results It about getting the W It about picking up wins And this Red Wing franchise has looked awful this offseason
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It's had a really bad look. It's had a really bad stigma. It's been embarrassing to see this way that the franchise has been operating in the offseason
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But you go out on the ice tonight, you get a win. You continue winning in October, in November, December
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You keep winning in 2027 and you make the playoffs. That's all you got to do to unsour this fan base
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Because right now the Red Wings have a very bad outward appearance
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The rest of the league looks at this team as a joke. Sorry, don't mean to be mean
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That's just the fact of the matter. The Red Wings look like a joke of an organization
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But if they can go out and win, if they can make it to the playoffs, winning solves everything
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And I'm hoping it starts tonight. I'm hoping it's a good opener at home, and I'm hoping this season the Red Wings finally get back to the playoffs
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It all starts tonight at LCA. Now, I do want to talk about another team that's gotten some playoff experience the past couple of years
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Big news breaking last night. Jalen Duren, he gets his cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching
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He's getting paid to the tune of five years at $200 million
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dollars. This coming off of a miserable playoff performance, bad against Orlando, bad against
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Cleveland. I think he is really the main reason why this team didn't advance past the Cavaliers
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I think he's the reason this Pistons team didn't go farther in the playoffs. Nevertheless
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he gets paid Now does this mean he stays with the Pistons or he gets traded in the future Only time will tell But as it stands he is a Piston and he getting paid a lot of money to be here That means he getting paid like a number two guy And he certainly didn perform
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like a number two guy in the playoffs. He did a good job in the regular season. I'll give him his
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nod there. But now, 22 years old, young kid, lots of potential. You're being paid like a number two
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Jalen Duren. So if you are going to stay here in Detroit, you've already handled this offseason
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just as bad as the Red Wings did. You handled it like a jerk. You handled it very immaturely
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You handled it like a kid would. You're kind of a kid at 22. But just like I said about these Red
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Wings, winning solves everything. You want to act like a little baby and say you deserve a big
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paycheck? Fine. Go out there. You got it. Prove why you deserve it. Prove why it's well-learned
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Prove why you are a number two guy. I don't think you have what it takes to be a consistent number
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two guy scorer. I stand by that. I'll only change my tune if he's productive all season long
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including the playoffs this next season. But prove me wrong. Go out there and play like a number two
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put up lots of points, be reliable every game, be a defensive presence, and play like you're paid
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because you are getting paid a lot of money to be a piston. You wanted the bag, you got the bag
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If you want to stay here and make this fan base respect you, cheer your name, and like you being here, it's up to you to perform and earn that back
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And speaking of performances, let's wrap up with our football performances we'll be seeing this weekend
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Michigan and Michigan State. Lions, all three teams playing. When it comes to our college teams, what are they playing for
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Probably nothing NSU is playing for Respectful State Good for them They got Wisconsin Michigan playing against Minnesota A game they shouldn lose But who really cares if they do at this point
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Because unless Ohio State, Oregon, or other Big Ten teams take losses in the conference
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you're behind the eight ball because of what you did to Iowa. Now, hopefully we get a couple of college wins
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If not, I'm kind of soured on the season already. I don't really care
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Meanwhile, the Lions, they are playing for something. This NSC North is a good division with three good teams, I'll say
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Packers aren't one of them. They're booty. I'll say that right now. But the Vikings, well-earned 3-0 start to their season
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Most impressive win came against Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay last week. They look legit
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Chicago, they won the division last year. They're doing wins now with backup quarterback
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And Caleb Williams, when he returns, I think he's a high-level QB as well
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So Chicago seems like a well-rounded team with Ben Johnson calling good offensive plays over there
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They're a good team. And I do think the Lions are a good team as well
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They're good offensively, defensively, given the injuries, given everything we talked about the last several weeks
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That's their hindrance. But I'm seeing the Lions in a shootout against Carolina who seems to have a really, really good offense this year
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Expect a shootout. I'm saying I expect the Lions win. But if we fall to 500, 2-2, I might be on a low mentality with this football team like I am with our college squads
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Those are my thoughts. I would love to hear yours heading into the weekend
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Make sure you're dropping them in the comments, liking, sharing, subscribing to the newsletter
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So once again, this has been your Daily Rundown. I'm Dustin Fiocco with Detroit Sports Nation
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