Once an Avalanche, always an Avalanche...

Leave Peter Forsberg in Philly.

Or better yet, let him go back to Colorado.

Either way, I don't care how much Forsberg does or doesn't have left in the tank, let him burn out somewhere other than Detroit.

My interest in the Red Wings lately is mild at best, and then classically picks up during the postseason. Just like with baseball, playoff hockey is about 100 times more entertaining than regular season games, and I don't have to make anything more than about a month-long commitment to paying close attention to what is going on.

As I look back at the pinnacle of my hockey-watching career, the games and the moments that stick out the most all had to do with the Red Wings and Avalanche. No one was a bigger hero to my friends and I than Darren McCarty, the toothless wonder who handed out D-town justice to the ultimate Motown nemesis, Claude Lemuix, for his dirty hit on Kris Draper. There was no better moment than when Vernon and Roy left their creases to throw down in the Battle Royale at the Joe, and then Osgood stepping up to fight Roy later on.

No team was more hated than the Avalanche, and during the height of the rivalry, no game was better played or had more energy. I actually wanted to watch regular season hockey, because any Red Wing-Avalanche game was sure to deliver. Those games mattered, and in my opinion it was the last great rivalry before the NHL started to sputter and finally fell on its face after the lockout.

But while the memories may have faded, they are not forgotten, and neither is the image of Peter Forsberg, who was always the second-most hated member of the Avalanche behind Lemuix. He was always the most talented and feared player on the squad, a deadly offensive threat who couldn't be pushed around and always had that icy Swedish stare that pissed you off and scared the crap outta you at the same time.

The Detroit-Colorado rivalry is the most poignant and vivid of my hockey memories, and Forsberg is partially responsible. Without my hate for him and the other members of that era of Avalanche hockey, the games wouldn't have mattered as much, and my love for the Wings would never have reached its all-time high. So thank you, Peter Forsberg, for it was my hate for you that helped spawn my love for Wings hockey.

So Ken Holland, forget about Forsberg. Forget about all that talent that we used to fear. It has faded. And while you may think that Red Wings fan's scorn for Peter has faded as well, it has not. The mere thought of him soiling the Detroit jersey makes me pissed off all over again. Stupid Peter Forsberg.

Tyrus Thomas makes more than a rookie mistake

I cannot for the life of me figure out what Tyrus Thomas is thinking. After making him the subject for "Terp's Take" on the show today, I thought some more about it afterwards, and the only conclusion I can draw is that he was either drunk, or is a complete idiot.

If it were me, I might lean towards making people believe I was a little sauced, rather than let everyone in the free world know that I may have eaten too many paint chips as a kid.

Consider the facts: When asked by the media about his inclusion in the NBA's All-Star slam dunk contest; Thomas made it clear he was going to put no effort into the event, and even said the only reason he was competing was for the "free money".

How dumb is this guy??? First off, the All-Star game is being held in LAS VEGAS!!! Who in their right mind turns down a free trip to Sin City? Let me tell you, after this year, no way David Stern allows NBA players a weekend in Vegas. I mean, the dude is so concerned about how the players dress and act...how is he going to react after just about everyone in the league spends a few days in Vegas? My guess is that Stephen Jackson won't be allowed within 5,000 miles of NBA All-Star weekend.

Secondly, Tyrus is dissing the money. Fourth place (aka last place) pays $16,000. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the typical Bulls fan would love a guaranteed check of sixteen grand for doing a couple of dunks to entertain millions. But not Tyrus. He's already rich. I mean, is sixteen big ones really worth the time and effort it would take to throw down a couple of dunks? I'm starting to see this guy's side of the argument...

And lastly, I don't care what you think about the contest, Tyrus, but don't open your mouth to the media. Look, I'll admit it, I'm the first one to jump around and cheer when someone says something they shouldn't (thank you Keith Nichol), but it's really just the media's job to take quotes and blow them outta proportion. Not so here. Quit doing our job for us, Ty, don't make it so easy. At least try and mask your disdain for this exhibition of...ummm...skill. Or of just big guys who can jump high.

Ty got fined for his comments, but that fine should and probably will be overturned. If the dude doesn't want to do the Dunk Contest, then he has the right to say so. If he wants to look like a spoiled baby, then go ahead. But what Tyrus doesn't realize is that every fan has a job where they are asked to do things they don't want to do, and there is never a big check at the end of it. And no, those things we are asked to take care of do not include dunking a basketball in Las Vegas. So keep your problems to yourself Ty, some of us have actual life issues to concern ourselves with.

Tell ya what, I'll take $10,000, and spend the other $6,000 on a trampoline and an on-call EMT crew...and I'll guarantee some sick dunks. See ya in Vegas baby, Vegas...I'm so money and I don't even know it...

The RoJo story hits the fan...

OK, so I'm not going to spend too much time on this, as I am crying inside just typing the words.

Looks like Ronald Johnson will not be committing to the University of Michigan.

Why, you ask? So do I. Months ago, it seemed like RoJo was firmly headed to Ann Arbor, despite the fact that he would be entertaining other offers from OSU, Florida, and USC. Conventional wisdom had the kid sticking close to home, due to his close relationship with his family, and going to play with former Muskegon teammate Terrence Taylor.

But due to yesterday's events, it seems that scenario will not come to be. Ronald's mother called Michigan and told them not to bother taking their final visit to his home in Muskegon, yet Florida, USC, Ohio State, and Michigan State were/are all allowed to make their final pitch.

Why is this? Countless rumors are flying, so I guess you can believe what you want. A person close to the situation has told me that there may have been some improprieties in the way RoJo's Michigan recruitment was handled...but I am not saying by who. Thing is, Ronald's mother decided to remove Michigan from the running after discovering this. I can't say I blame her. I do not have personal knowledge of the matter, so I'm not going to speculate what happened. All we know now is that RoJo probably will not be wearing a winged helmet next fall.

So what team now has the inside track on one of the best athletes in the nation? Many believe that it's a dead heat between Florida and USC, both programs of high notoriety who can boast recent national championships. But I caution, do not remove Michigan State from your radar just yet. The Spartans made a shrewd play by offering Ronald's younger brother Corey a scholarship this past fall, despite the fact that he was only 16 years old at the time and not a highly recruited prospect. Some said it was a play to get RoJo, who is very close to his brother.

No matter what it was, MSU has a very viable shot at Ronald Johnson, because they remain the only in-state program in the picture. It doesn't hurt that Ronald's teammate from this year, Ashton Leggett, also committed to the Spartans. In addition, Mark Dantonio has been pushing his religious values on many of his recruiting pitches, and that is something that would matter to Ronald, who has decided to make his official announcement at his church on Super Bowl Sunday.

Regardless of where this kid goes, I wish him the best. In covering him the past couple years for FOX, he's been nothing but a class act, and a great kid to talk to. I am sad because I know he will succeed at whatever school he chooses, even if it's not Michigan.