IRON MOUNTAIN–After Jameson Williams’ performance last week, on Monday night against the Seattle Seahawks, it’s safe to say all the people spewing hate about him for the last three years can finally eat their words.

Yes he’s made some mistakes. His gambling suspension is a perfect example. However, instead of letting all the noise get to him, Williams is coming into his own in Detroit.

That became evident on Monday night as he sprinted through the Seattle defense and breezed to a 70-yard TD — his second of the season.

His stats don’t jump off of the page –13 catches, 289 receiving yards –î but it’s hard to contain my excitement for what’s to come. Although he’s taken more time to find his rhythm than Tyreek Hill, he appears to be a lankier version of the Dolphins’ speedster.

During Hill’s heyday, allowing him to get a step on you was disastrous and Williams has always had that same moniker. His struggles seemed to be attached to lapses in judgment. However, that’s beginning to look like a thing of the past.

Now, let’s just hope he can keep this level of production up.

While the Lions will always have my heart, there is another team in Detroit causing a ruckus right now — The Detroit Tigers.

Although I’m not a hardcore baseball fan, there is something special about the energy the Tigers bring to Detroit when they’re winning. It’s an infectious buzz that seemingly permeates the entire Lower Peninsula, especially considering how these games have played out.

I just hope it keeps going. And not just because I bet on them to win the World Series last week.

Now let’s talk about local sports.

Last week, I made my way to North Dickinson for a volleyball game against Superior Central and a couple things stood out to me.

As I set my things down and began taking practice photos, I heard a buzz in the gym. However, I didn’t know exactly what it was.

Then, just before the national anthem, I saw 11 boys emerge from the locker room area dressed in various forms of Nordics cheerleading attire.

Although you couldn’t have paid me to do the same during high school, it was cool to see those boys put aside their egos and show up for the Nordics volleyball team.

One thing about this region that I’ve noticed in my nearly 16 months here is that athletes show up for athletes.

While it may not seem like a big gesture for the kids attending these games with their friends, it makes a drastic difference for the players on the court. And that was extremely evident in the Carl F. Lemin Gymnasium as the Nordics rolled Superior Central.

Sean’s Hot Dog Rankings

It’s been another great week of sports and that means I was back out there putting concession stands to the test. As a result, I have a rating on two dogs I haven’t tried yet.

Two weeks ago, I made my way to North Dickinson for the Forest Park and Nordics Thursday contest. At halftime, I moseyed over to the concession stand. Because I had already tried a plain dog, I was looking for something quick to eat at halftime. Then I saw it. The North Dickinson “Coney Dog.” As a troll, I am a fan of the U.P.’s version of “Coney Dogs” so you know I had to give it a try and the Nordics’ offering was exactly what I was hoping for.

Sweet and tangy barbecue topped with nacho cheese rested upon a piping hot dog that lay upon a perfect bun.

The barbecue was among the best I’ve had since moving to the U.P. and the cheese was reminiscent of Tostitos Nacho Cheese dip. Which was perfect since I used to get down on Tostitos dips while I was in the U.S. Army.

As I mentioned, the bun was perfect. There were no cracks in the crust and it perfectly held up to the densely packed toppings. Best of all, once I had reached the end of the dog, the bun made a perfect spoon to scoop up the remaining toppings.

As a result, the North Dickinson “Coney Dog” comes in at a 4.6 out of 5. That is tied for the No. 1 spot in my “Specialty dog category” with Mister Mom’s Boat in Norway.

I also made it out to Iron River last Friday for West Iron’s game against Iron Mountain.

I’ve only made it out to Iron River a handful of times, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Wykons concession stand. But, I was certain they would have a hot dog and I wasn’t wrong.

After ordering, I was presented with a piping hot jumbo dog on a bun. For only $2, I was excited to dive into it.

It didn’t disappoint at all.

On top of being the perfect temperature, the dog was incredibly juicy and the bun managed to hold up despite this.

SEAN’S HOT DOG RANKINGS

2024 Edition

Plain hot dog category

North Dickinson — 4.3

West Iron — 4.3

Specialty dog category

Mister Mom’s Boats (Norway) — 4.6

North Dickinson’s “Coney Dog” — 4.6

Forest Park’s “Sloppy Dog” — 4.3

2023 Results

Plain hot dog category

Iron Mountain — 4.4

Florence — 4.3

Norway — 4.1

Specialty dog category

Forest Park’s “Sloppy Dog” — 4.5

Norway’s Coney Dog — 4.4

Kingsford’s Coney Dog — 4.2