Today’s High Five:

• Joe Rexrode reports that MSU RB Javon Ringer played the last several games of his college career with a lateral meniscus tear. Which means that a) Ringer is tough; and b) everyone who argued that Ringer’s incredible workload would make him vulnerable to injury have some evidence in their favor. The other bombshell in this story is that apparently Brian Hoyer could be drafted.
• After MSU’s monumental upset loss to Northwestern last night, Tom Izzo is predictably distressed. But KJ is unfazed.
• Remember that during the Lions’ terrible 2008, one of the midseason conversations was how the team couldn’t fire Rod Marinelli because no one else on the staff was qualified to fill his chair, even on an interim basis? Now, already Jim Schwartz has hired former NFL head coach Gunther Cunningham to coordinate the defense, and now apparently Bob Slowik, the Broncos’ defensive coordinator in 2008, is joining the Lions as secondary coach. With Schwartz, Cunningham and Slowik, the Lions now have three coaches who were NFL defensive coordinators in 2008. The defense may still be bad, but at least its coaching staff will be thoroughly qualified.
• The Tigers may well add a reliever before Spring Training, but Brandon Lyon isn’t close to signing yet. (5pm update: what I meant is that Brandon Lyon is extremely close to signing, possibly along with veteran reliever Scott Williamson.)
• This is bizarre: the NHL All-Star game won’t include any players from the defending champion Red Wings.

Today’s schedule:

• No games