Blue Collar Sports

Only $2,000!

2010-01-14T12:49:00.002-05:00

Kander, love guru

2009-12-15T12:22:00.008-05:00

Dave Pemberton reports that Arnie Kander had an unusual suggestion for the injured Rip Hamilton. “Today, Arnie told me I had to take a cold shower, but I don’t know if I can do that," Rip told Pemberton.

Rumor has it, Tiger Woods also rejected Kander's advice.

HEY OH!!! I'll be here all week - please be kind to your waitress.

~ Matt Penridge

Pistons' revenue down

2009-12-10T17:52:00.000-05:00

Ken Berger, CBS Sports, posted an article about the declining ticket revenue in the NBA. He writes,

"The hardest-hit franchise so far is the Detroit Pistons, whose net average gate receipts are down a staggering 42.8 percent year-over-year, according to the figures reported by teams to the league office. The Pistons made an average of $537,263 per game on ticket sales through their first eight home games, down from $938,833 at the same point last season. The Pistons, located in the epicenter of joblessness, have seen paid attendance slip 22 percent, to 14,821 from 18,993 in the first month of 2008-09."

According to those numbers the Pistons' ticket sales are going to take quite a hit if the trend continues. It's hard to say what implications this might have. Obviously Michigan has been hit pretty hard recently. If the Pistons get back over .500, and continue to play well, maybe revenue will increase. However, shedding some payroll - a la 'The Big Dombrowski' - may be more likely. If this story makes its way to Dumars you can expect the standard "we're not going to make decisions based on ticket sales" GM rhetoric.

~ Matt Penridge

After twenty

2009-12-07T20:14:00.024-05:00

On October 28, at 8 pm, the Pistons officially began their 2009 regular-season campaign. I was in Charlottesville, VA, visiting my cousin, Jeff. Leading up to my visit we had spent hours emailing and talking on the phone about the Pistons - and the NBA in general. The Pistons could have swapped rosters with the Canadian Olympic curling team and we would have still been excited for the season. And, why not? There were new names up and down the roster, and plenty of questions to be answered. How would CV31 and Gordon work out? Will Rip and Gordon be able to coexist? Does Big Ben have anything left in the tank? Are any of these rookies worth five Kroner?

Yes, we were a couple of NBA junkies in desperate need of a fix.

In the season opener the Pistons dominated the Memphis Grizzlies in a 96-74 route. Rip Hamilton and Ben Gordon combined for 47 points on 31 shots. Afterwards I wrote, "any game that Rip and Gordon combine for an efficient 45+ points is one the Pistons should have a good chance to win." Little did I know that would be Rip's last game for a long time.

Confession time

Earlier in the day I was driving back to Jeff’s apartment from Shenandoah National Park. A lone adventure in the forest had my mind all over the place. For some reason it popped into my head that the Pistons had not endured a true season-changing injury in quite some time. I quickly repressed the thought deep into my psyche.

Then it all happened

First, it was Rip (played one game this season) and then Prince (played three games). Next was Gordon who played well in the first 15 games, missed two (ankle) and has not been healthy for the last three. Charlie Villanueva - who came into the season with a hamstring injury – recently missed time with a broken nose, and is now playing with a mask. The worst part - it was all my fault. If I could surgically remove the part of my brain that makes me think things like "man the Pistons have been healthy for a long time," I would surely find out if the operation is covered by my insurance.

Still in the hunt

In my recap of that first game I also wrote that we'd have a better sense of the season after the first 20 games. Well, after 20, the Pistons are 8-12. All things considered – not too bad. They are only 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference. That is more of a sign of how weak the bottom half of the East is - and not how good the Pistons are - but, I'll take it. Entering the season the Pistons were not "contenders". In fact, there were a lot of national pundits who thought they wouldn't make the playoffs. So battling through all of the injuries, and still having a viable chance to finish in the middle of the pack, is about all you could ask for at this point in the season.

Unexpected help

It has been written ad nauseam, but the play of Ben Wallace and Jonas Jerebko has been the biggest (pleasant) surprise of the season. In the last four games Jerebko has averaged 13 points and 7.1 rebounds (detnews.com). He's played well defensively all year, and is gaining confidence on the offensive end. At 6-10 he handles the ball well and isn't afraid to take an open shot. Without the play of Wallace and Jerebko there is no telling how bad these first 20 games could have gone.

Defeating the Wizards

On Sunday the Pistons defeated the Washington Wizards 98-94 at the Palace, and have won three of their last four games. Rip and Prince were still in street clothes (no telling when they'll be back), while Ben Gordon was limited to 11 minutes and change due to his ankle injury. The Wizards came into the game with a 7-11 record, but had won five of their last nine games. This was a game I felt the Pistons needed to win, but not necessarily one they should – considering all of the injuries.

Late in the first quarter Will Bynum hit a three pointer and the camera cut to the bench. The Pistons were standing together with their hands in the air. They looked genuinely excited. From the angle they showed I couldn’t see any Pistons not in the huddle. I think the team really gets along, and in the NBA good chemistry can lead to good things. It can overcome a lack of skill and allow a team to overachieve. The Wizards probably should have won that game, but they didn’t. Why?

CLICHÉ ALERT!!!

The Pistons wanted it more.

Big-Ball

Coming into the season there was a lot of talk about the Pistons playing “small ball”, and once the season started there was a steady diet of the three-guard lineup (before Gordon went down). Well, at the 5:50 mark of the third quarter, against the Wizards, John Kuester introduced the world to “big ball”. That is when Charlie Villanueva replaced Ben Gordon in a lineup that already featured Wallace, Jerebko, Daye and Bynum as the lone true guard. At the time of the substitution the score was tied at 58. At the 3:31 mark Kwame Brown replaced Big Ben, and the Pistons’ one-guard lineup finished the third quarter ahead by two points, 71-69.

FINAL NOTE

With 62 games left in the season there are still plenty of questions to be answered. When, and if the Pistons will have a healthy roster is the biggest. But, until then, the Pistons should be able to beat crappy teams - and in the East - there are plenty.

~Matt Penridge

Just like that

2009-11-30T22:01:00.016-05:00

When karma turns in the Pistons’ favor you may very well be the recipient of a George Blaha “don’t look now.” On Sunday karma was headed in the opposite direction after Atlanta erased an early deficit “just like that,” according to George. The Pistons went on to defeat Atlanta 94-88.

During the most recent “dark years” – after the Bad Boys and before 2003 – my dad and I were convinced that a “don’t look now” was a jinx. That if Blaha pulled it out of his repertoire it meant certain doom for the Pistons. Of course, that’s because the Pistons were a bad team, and the outcome of the majority of games was never good – no matter what Blaha said (OK, neither of us believe that, Blaha cost the Pistons at least 36 wins between ’93 and ’03)…

Well, don’t look now, but the Pistons (6-11) are at a crossroad. After 6-straight appearances in the Eastern Conference finals - including an NBA championship - the team was blown up two games into last season – just like that.

So where do they go from here? Will they trade Prince and/or Rip for the coveted big man that eludes half of the teams in the league? Is that trade even available? If Rip and Prince had stayed healthy this entire season would the Pistons be sitting at .500 or better? Where is Ben Wallace hiding his flux capacitor? Unfortunately, we aren’t going to know the answers to any of those questions for a while.

That’s perfectly fine by me. I knew this season was going to be a roller coaster ride and harnessed myself in months ago. That’s the beauty of sports. That’s why my parent’s house was redecorated – in an attempt to appease the football gods - for the Michigan-Ohio State game a few weeks back (I am prohibited from divulging further details). That’s why after a Buckeye victory my dad begrudgingly kept the Ohio State magnet above the Michigan one on the fridge (a tradition that dates back to the early 1900s.) Sports are great because every game and every year is different and exciting in its own way.

Yes, Joe Dumars has pulled the trigger and misfired on a few moves. In some cases the gun blew up in his hand. In one case a little pole came out, and a flag unrolled with the word “Darko” printed on it. But you know what? It could be worse. In fact, it could be a whole lot worse. Remember who was on top of the Eastern Conference before the Pistons’ made their move in 2004? It was the New Jersey Nets – who did NOT win a championship during that time – repeat, did NOT WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP. Over the last few years they too blew up their team. This year? Well, they just tied the record for the worst start in NBA history by losing their first 17 games. Oh yes, my loyal readers, it could be a whole lot worse.

Bulls up next

Wednesday night’s game in Chicago (6-8) is an important one for the injury-plagued Pistons. The Bulls currently own the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference – the lowest spot the Pistons would like to finish the season in. The Bulls are heading into Wednesday's game against the Pistons with some injuries of their own - Kirk Hinrich (thumb) and Tyrus Thomas (arm) are both out.

Ben Gordon is questionable for the Pistons for what would be his first regular-season game against his former team. From what I read the Bulls are missing Gordon’s offense, and so are the Pistons while he’s sidelined.

Bulls’ big 3

Luol Deng is putting together a nice season. He’s averaging a team-high 18.1 points while shooting nearly 46% from the field. Over the last 3 games he’s averaged 24.3 points (26-53 from the field).
Derrick Rose has not taken the leap that Chicago fans were hoping for this season. His statistics are slightly lower than last year, but they aren’t bad at 15.4 points and 5.1 assists per game.
Joakim Noah is leading the Bulls (4th in the NBA) with 11.7 rebounds per game. There were rumors that Noah and Ben Wallace didn’t always see eye-to-eye when they played together in Chicago – so this could be an interesting matchup.

Losing Streaks

The Pistons just ended a 7-game skid on Sunday night. The Bulls will either end a 4-game skid tonight against the Bucks or enter Wednesday’s game on a 5-game losing streak. Obviously both teams are looking to gain a little momentum and this should be a hard-fought game.

Did anyone notice that Ben Wallace didn’t flinch when Charlie Villanueva’s face slammed into his hip hard enough to break CV31’s nose?

~Matt Penridge

Jud Haiku

2009-11-28T13:00:00.005-05:00

king of poway high
'zona cat great, three-peat champ
piston assassin

---

~Cousin, Jeff

Also, in honor of Jud Buchler's greatness - which can only be expressed in the form of haiku (see above) - I have created a slide of one of his greatest moments. It was game 1 of the 1997 NBA Finals and MJ had just hit a buzzer-beater to win it. Jud was sooo happy.

"YES!!! That was incredible, Mike."

"Yeah, I know, Bud."

"It's Jud."

"Whatever, Pippen is here."

En fuego del porte el miserablo

2009-11-27T17:57:00.012-05:00

"I was the first woman to burn my bra - it took the fire department four days to put it out." ~ Dolly Parton

The Pistons are still trying to figure out how to put the fire out after dropping their last 37 games - something like that, anyway. Joe Dumars is attempting to secure access to Ben Wallace's time machine in order to go back and not trade Chauncey Billups, however, Wallace insists those rumors are not true, and that his resurgence has "absolutely nothing" to do with a time machine.

Well, at least things can't get worse - - what, Ben Gordon is out with a twisted ankle??? A four-letter word would be completely appropriate, but I'll let you imagine which one I'm thinking of.

Ok, ok, the Billups trade is behind us. There's no reason to bring it up, and in fact, I like the team we have. That's not to say I think they're a lock to turn it around this year, but not having Rip and Prince for almost the entire season is really what has caused the train to derail (as badly as it has). Now, without their three best players (Gordon day-to-day), it is going to take a gutsy performance to get a win tonight at the Palace against the Clippers.

The big problem for the Pistons will be keeping Chris Kaman from going off. Easier said than done, however, after a hot start Kaman has been unproductive (offensively) in his last three games - scoring 38 points while going 10-48 from the field. For him this is a bit of a homecoming (he went to Central Michigan University) so let's hope he doesn't have some kind of 'eff the Pistons' grudge that makes him blow up for 30 points...

The second problem is that Kaman and Marcus Camby are averaging nearly 20 rebounds between them. This doesn't bode well for the Pistons as they will very likely be dominated on the boards tonight. The best solution would be to hit a high percentage of shots... we'll see how that goes.

The Pistons desperately need a win, but they are rolling into this game without Rip, Prince and Gordon. A lot of things will have to go their way if they want to right the ship tonight at the Palace.

As always, I have hope.

~Matt Penridge

(Special thanks to Aunt Janet. If I hadn't consumed 4 pounds of her legendary stuffing on Thanks Giving, and she not kept the Uncle John's Bathroom Reader in the appropriate room, I would have never saw the Dolly Parton quote.)

Pistons Pulse

2009-11-26T17:18:00.001-05:00

I joined Dave Pemberton, of the Oakland Press, on his webcast 'Pistons Pulse'. I'd like to thank Dave for having me, and hope you enjoy.

~Matt Penridge

Check out Dave's blog for the Oakland Press. Also, you can watch the video and post comments about it there.

http://pistonspoint.blogspot.com/

Bynum gettin' props

2009-11-25T22:00:00.001-05:00

John Hollinger, of ESPN.com, put Will Bynum on his 'All-Underrated Team'.

"Fans in Detroit already are wondering why Bynum isn't starting, which is pretty amazing considering he began the season as the fourth guard in a three-guard rotation. Believe it or not, the 6-foot powder keg led the Pistons in PER last season, and early this season he's shown that it was no fluke.

Bynum is averaging a point every two minutes and shooting 50 percent from the floor, and while his instincts are as a scorer, he's found the open man enough to keep defenses honest. Another big surprise is all the time he's spent at the free throw line this season, which is an added source of easy points that has helped raise his PER considerably."

Nice to see Will Bynum get a little publicity on the national stage.

~Matt Penridge

Upset???

2009-11-25T18:00:00.002-05:00

Rodney Fernando Keys to the Game

Need a big game out of Ben Gordon. Chances of stopping LeBron are slim, but a big game out of Gordon could help offset what LeBron does - offensively anyway.
Need to run when Zydrunas Ilgauskas is on the floor for Cleveland. The Pistons are young and fast enough to do this.
Jerebko will be guarding LeBron. His best shot is to try and force LeBron into shooting jumpshots... much easier said than done. Good luck!
Charlie V -- need an efficient 20+ from you tonight. (Charlie took a 5-day hiatus from twitter after the Pistons suffered their fifth loss in a row - I like that he did that.)
Can Chris Wilcox emerge tonight?
Stuckey, pass the ball, please?

Cleveland has been hot in the last ten games, and I don't expect the Pistons to win, however, I have a feeling they may gut this one out. They've shown a tremendous amount of heart all year, and coming back from a 4-game west coast trip - where they lost all four - the Pistons should be hungry tonight.

~Matt Penridge

Pistons Pulse

2009-11-25T07:34:00.001-05:00

I joined Dave Pemberton, of the Oakland Press, on his webcast 'Pistons Pulse'. I'd like to thank Dave for having me, and hope you enjoy.

Check out Dave's blog for the Oakland Press. Also, you can watch the video and post comments about it there.

http://pistonspoint.blogspot.com/

~Matt Penridge (Putting the D in Denridge since 1982)

68 to go

2009-11-23T20:33:00.012-05:00

After five straight losses - over an eight-day span - the Pistons’ record stands at 5-9. Not a pleasant start, but I still don’t think we have a true sense of how good this team is or will be. It’s pretty clear they won’t be making a run for the championship, but we knew that heading into the season. They have one glaring deficiency – they can’t get an easy bucket to save their lives (or a game).

They’re lack of easy points boils down to two things. The first is that nobody can score in the low post. Occasionally Charlie Villanueva shows a little touch down low, but it’s not consistent. Without an inside threat the Pistons have to work much harder to score. They are 18th (out of 30) in field goal percentage (45% on the year) - which I suppose isn’t horrible, but it does put them in the bottom half of the league. They have the 4th lowest team scoring average at 92.5 points per game.

The second offensive woe is ball movement. Averaging 15.6 assists per game, the Pistons are second from the bottom (just ahead of New Jersey). This is a real problem. Too often the Pistons are not moving the ball around in their half-court sets.

Stuck on Shoot

Rodney Stuckey, the starting point guard, is taking way too many bad shots. On the season he’s taken a team high 224 shots, but has only scored 231 points. That is very inefficient basketball. On top of that, he’s only averaging 4 assists per game.

Will Bynum, on the season, has scored only 31 less points than Stuckey, but has taken 84 less shots – that is staggering. Bynum is putting together a strong case to become the starter even though his scoring off the bench has been important. When Richard Hamilton returns – and if Stuckey hasn’t improved his offensive efficiency – I think you make that move for sure. Right now there is a defensive concern having Gordon and Bynum together for too long – seeing as they are both, um, “vertically-challenged” individuals, but I think you need a true point guard on the floor, and Bynum is starting to look like the best option.

With all that said, I still have hope for Stuckey. He seems to have a decent skill set. Let’s not forget that he had an abridged rookie season, an inept coach (Michael Curry) in his second, and we’re only 14 games into his third. His development was set back a bit. The only problem is that if a better option is sitting on the bench – well, sooner or later, you have to go to it.

D-Fence

Defensively, I think the Pistons are "not that bad" – at least not for the players they have. Ben Wallace, as I and others have written this season, is playing incredible. The energy he brings really does make the team work harder on the defensive end. They could stand to beef up inside, and could use a shot blocker, but you can say that for most teams. John Hollinger – ESPN’s stat guru – has the Pistons ranked 18th in defensive efficiency. Bring back Rip and Prince, and I think they turn into an above-average defense.

Speaking of which

The absence of Rip (played 1 game) and Prince (played 3 games) is enormous. They are the Pistons’ best all-around players. Rip is an underrated defensive player, in my opinion, and gives maximum effort on both ends of the court. It is not surprising that the Pistons are starting to struggle without those two guys on the floor.

The “what-if” game

Let’s imagine Rip and Prince come back healthy, and the Pistons’ have not sunk too far in the standings to compete for a playoff spot. Either Stuckey will have become more efficient or Bynum will have been inserted into the starting lineup. You are looking at Stuckey or Bynum, Rip, Prince, Villanueva, and Wallace as your starting unit. Off the bench you have Gordon, Stuckey or Bynum and Jerebko. That’s not going to win a championship, but that should get you into the playoffs.

The Unknown

The Pistons need Rip and Prince back, but it doesn’t look like it is going to happen any time soon. The only hope is the Pistons can scrap their way to some victories, and not fall too low in the standings. I am an optimist when it comes to the Pistons – always will be – and I think they should be alright.

I mean, they have a 6-10 Swede… how bad could it be?

~Matthew Penridge

The word from DC

2009-11-16T17:25:00.006-05:00

My cousin, Jeff Pink, attended Saturday night's Pistons' victory against the Wizards in DC... So, I decided to interview him via electronic mail. My questions are in bold, his answers in italics, and my comments in [red].

1. From the pics (see previous post) it looks like the Verizon Center has a similar feel to the Palace, on the inside, whaddya think about that?
It’s a pretty interesting arena, a bit different than the Palace. It has three tiers of seats rather than having an upper and lower deck and I don’t think there’s a bad seat in the house.

I didn’t remember this from the last time I was there in 2006, but they’re one of the arenas that dim the lights on the upper seats so that the floor is illuminated, like at MSG and the Staples Center (they might only do this for the Lakers and not the Clippers, but I’m not sure). Either that’s new or I just didn’t notice it last time.

2. How great is it that the Palace is not "The Verizon Center"?

I’m pretty sure the Palace was built entirely by Davidson, right? [it was privately funded and the Davidson family owns the controlling interest – Wikipedia] I’m really glad that there’s no corporate tie-in with the name. Plus, “The Palace” is a great name. I’m trying to think of other arena’s that don’t have a corporate name, off the top of my head MSG is the only one. [There are a few others in the NBA]

3. Heard some boos early in the game, how was that throughout?
They were booing Kwame throughout the game and I was thinking “Don’t boo KB, boo Jordan.” But then I thought that Pistons fans boo Darko because he’s Darko, not booing because of Dumars.

4. How did the Pistons look live?
They looked good, tons of activity on the glass. I didn’t really notice much that wouldn’t be noticed at home, but the team plays a bit more of an exciting style, so that always makes you want to be there. Imagine being there for Bynum’s dunks last week - that would have made my head explode.

It’s the second time in three years that I’ve seen a Pistons-Wizards game at the Verizon Center, Flip Saunders lost both times.

5. How were the beer prices?
Good beer prices, which is surprising because the bars in DC are pretty expensive, but the 22 oz.ers were $7.50.

6. Do you remember when we were excited because we were 3 rows away from Jud Buechler @ the Palace (circa 1999)?
Yeah, that was great. I remember barking at JYD when he was about to inbound the ball. I wonder what JB’s doing now? Maybe he’s actually pulling the strings down there in Phoenix, the master to his good buddy Steve Kerr’s puppet.

[“JYD” is former Piston Jerome ‘the junk yard dog’ Williams]
7. Do you remember how awesome Jud Buechler was? On a level of 1-10 - 10 being the awesomest - I would give him at least a double black belt. What about you?
I’d put him on the list of people who’s awsomeness can only be described in haiku. We’ll have to work on that.

8. I don't miss Rasheed Wallace, at all. (I guess that's not a question).
Nope, Charlie V is pretty much doing the same sh**, except actually goes off for like 30 every once in a while. I haven’t heard much about the Celtics this year. I know they’re off to a good start, but I don’t think that they could beat the Lakers.

[Sheed is 5 for 31, from 3-point land, in his last 6 games. In that same span – averaging 21.5 minutes of play – he’s only grabbing 3 rebounds per game. The Celtics are 3-3 over that stretch.]

~Matt Penridge / Jeff Pink

Stryk mot idolen för Jerebko

2009-11-15T23:55:00.003-05:00

Hank Zetterberg - of the Detroit Red Wings - was interviewed by FSN at the Pistons' game Sunday evening at the Palace. Turns out he's taken fellow Swede, the Pistons' Jonas Jerebko (first Swede in the NBA), under his wing.

The Smalandsposten reports,

Han fick spela mot idolen Dirk Nowitzki och på läktaren satt kompisarna och hockeystjärnorna Nicklas Lidström och Henrik Zetterberg och hejade. Men kvällen blev inte riktigt fulländad för Jonas Jerebko och hans Detroit som föll med 90-95 mot Dallas i NBA-basketen.

Uh, yeah, I couldn't have said it better myself. Gotta love the Swedish connection.

~Matt Penridge

- - Photo from Reuters Pictures - -

2009-11-15T23:31:00.003-05:00

I'm working on a post about the first 10 games... should be good. I'm going to begin work on my "Sheed-Curry" theory. For now, enjoy these pictures taken by my cousin, Jeff, at Saturday's game in DC against the Wizards (a win for the Pistons). Check beck later - I'm going to try and get Jeff to write a little something about his trip to DC.

A Swede Daye for the Pistons

2009-11-11T23:30:00.009-05:00

The Pistons embarrassed the Bobcats in a 98-73 romp Wednesday night at the Palace of Auburn Hills, and improved to 4-4 on the season. Charlie Villanueva led the way with 30 points and played solid defense. I believe the Pistons' largest lead was 312 until head coach John Kuester sent in the Pistons Spare Tires dance team for an 8-minute stretch in the 4th quarter.

I would really love to tell you (my audience of 3.5 people, 1 dog and an albino titmouse named Mahornathon) that the Pistons are a deep team. That Jonas “The Swedish Piranha” Jerebko and Austin “For real, are you sure that’s not Tayshaun Prince?” Daye looked solid against Charlotte tonight. That Jerebko – a 6-10 Swede, mind you – seems to be pretty athletic (he threw down a nice ‘oop’ early in the 1st.) Yes, I would love to tell you that, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Remember, this was the Charlotte Bobcats (3-5), and I’m still trying to figure out why the Pistons scheduled an NBA D-League team.

All jokes aside, the Pistons did look good – especially considering they are still short a Rip and a Prince (the Bobcats were missing Raja Bell and Nancy Lieberman.) If both Rip and Prince come back healthy the Pistons bench doesn’t look too bad. The top four off the bench would be Gordon, Bynum, Jerebko and Daye… Really, the second unit could be a lot worse.

The first half

The Pistons played solid defense, and once again Ben Wallace led the way. He had 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks in the first half, and helped the Pistons hold the Bobcats to a mere 41 points. On the offensive side Gordon scored an effortless 16 points and Charlie V chipped in 12. The Pistons went into halftime leading by 12.

Third quarter, game over

Detroit came out firing in the 3rd quarter and hit at least 69 shots in a row. Charlie V dropped 18 in the third by himself. Everyone was hitting shots. Even Darko… seriously, he flew in just to stick it Larry Brown (Bobcat's head coach). The Pistons outscored the Bobcats 29 to 12 in the 3rd and went into the 4th up by 28 points.

Solid game for Stuckey

Rodney Stuckey played a good game tonight. He limited his bad shots, and dished out 7 assists. He finished 6 of 10 from the field with 16 points and grabbed 5 boards. He’s actually rebounding very well this year. On paper this was a Billups-esque game. My Dad is skeptical of Stuckey, but that mostly stems from the devastating loss suffered when Joe Dumars accidentally traded Billups to Denver (it was an accident, right Joe?) Ok, it also stems from the fact that Stuckey has been taking way too many bad shots and not getting many assists (both very valid beefs). But, at least for one night, he looked good. I hope Kuester has him watch the tape of this game over and over again.

An a personal side

Stuckey, for my sake, please step it up this year. I’m not sure how many of my Dad’s “Billups was a closer, he’d get to the line In the 4th and the game would be over… who’s going to do that now is what I want to know” rants I can take. (Dad, if you read this, I agree with you, but Billups is gone. And you know what? He seems happy, and I think he’d like you to be happy too… Actually, check that, at least you aren’t talking about Allan Houston anymore.)

Holy Effing Bynum

Bynum had two incredible dunks in this game. The first, in the second quarter, was UH-Mazing… I would describe it, but this is the internet, so just watch it…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7rL7ONw6a4

Coming Up

The Pistons play the Wizards (2-6), in Washington, on Saturday night. Tip off at 7:00pm.

~Matt Penridge

Bobcats Goldthwait

2009-11-11T01:56:00.005-05:00

The Pistons play the Charlotte Bobcats at the Palace tonight (Wednesday). They will again be without Rip Hamilton (ankle) and Teyshaun Prince (back). This is close to being a must-win game. Obviously, the 8th game of the season really can’t be considered one that you must win, but it is still important. The Bobcats are not an impressive team, and a legitimate playoff contender should beat them. Also, the Pistons are 3-4 on the season, and there is a big difference between 3-5 and 4-4.

Rodney Fernando Keys to the Game

Big Ben needs to keep it going. 16 boards and 3 blocks in his last outing (the Feds are still searching for the fountain of youth he’s been bathing in.)
Charlie V has stepped it up, and we need him to sustain it. 16 points and 5 boards will hopefully become an average game for CV31.
Jerebko/Daye - They are seeing the bulk of Prince's minutes. So far, so good.
Stuckey needs to improve. He's shooting a dismal 36.5% from the field and only dishing out 3.7 assists per game. Not good enough. He needs to get his shooting percentage up to the mid 40s and the assists up to about 6...
Need solid minutes from Kwame Brown (who has played Ok this year).

Mekka lekka hi mekka hiney ho

Pistons 92, Bobcats 84. (Gordon for 30???)

~Matt Penridge

It tolls for Ben Wallace

2009-11-03T22:13:00.005-05:00

An investigation is underway to determine if Ben Wallace has constructed a time machine in his basement. The evidence - tenacious defense and mad rebounding, circa 2004 - was too much to ignore. The Pistons defeated the Orlando Magic 85-80 on Tuesday night, and Ben Wallace, who apparently has decided to ignore the fact that he's 67 years old, played another solid game. The Pistons are now 2-2 on the season.

Wallace had 10 rebounds (6 offensive), 2 blocks and 2 steals in just over 28 minutes of game time. Late in the 4th quarter, Pistons up by four, Wallace grabbed an important rebound and let out a passionate roar to let the Palace crowd know he was back. This was vintage Big Ben - the only thing missing was 'The Fro'.

Head coach John Kuester has done a good job of limiting Wallace's minutes, but there is a lot of basketball to play - so I know it is a little early to call it a comeback. Wallace has battled some injuries in the last few years, and there is no telling how his body will hold up over the course of an 82-game season. But, his mini-resurgence, nonetheless, has been good for my soul.

Guards Getting It Done

"We just couldn't stop their three guards," said Stan Van Gundy, head coach of the Orlando Magic (ESPN.com).

The combination of Gordon, Stuckey and Bynum (Rip was sidelined with an ankle sprain) dropped 63 points on Orlando. Gordon was especially effective on the offensive end needing a mere 10 shots to score 23 points, and hit all 11 of his free throw attempts in the process. Stuckey played a solid first half, but cooled off in the second. For the entire game he converted only 7 of 20 shots, finishing with 20 points. Not impressive, although he was getting to the line and grabbed nine rebounds (over the hobbit-sized Orlando guards). He needs to improve his shooting percentage, get more assists and turn the ball over less if he wants to be a true asset to this team.

Clark Kent

Dwight Howard - who was reported to be floating in a giant tin foil balloon somewhere outside of Auburn Hills - turned out to be on the bench most of the game. He played just under 17 minutes due to early foul trouble - eventually fouling out - and was also nursing a sore shoulder.

Final Thoughts

Overall, a good win by the Pistons. However, they still seem to lack an offensive flow. Their assist total was low again (eight on the night). They don't seem to be swinging the ball around enough. Their guards mostly look to shoot or penetrate (then shoot) - which worked against Orlando, but is not necessarily the best way to play the rest of the year.

Charlie Villanueva was effective and will hopefully build on that performance. Jonas Jerebko cracked the starting lineup in place of Tayshaun Prince (lower back). He went 0-5 from the field, with no points, but actually didn't look too bad in other aspects - a positive sign for the rookie.

Kelser's Call of the Game

Sometime in the 2nd quarter, FSN Detroit's Greg Kelser, referring to Stuckey and a guard for Orlando, said they were "trying to out penetrate each other". Gross.

~ Matt Penridge

The Spanish Armada

2009-11-03T19:17:00.004-05:00

Marc 'El Hermano' Gasol is off to a very impressive start for Memphis (1-3). He is putting up 19 points and pulling down 12.3 rebounds per game. His offensive efficiency is flat out stupid. He's gone to the line 33 times in the first 4 games (which puts him in the top 10 for free throw attempts). He's shooting an unbelievably high - for a seven-footer - 84.8% from the charity stripe. He's taken 37 shots from the field and scored 76 points. That means he averages 2.05 points for every shot he takes. That is incredible. To put that in perspective here are a few big men that are NOT scoring 2 points per shot: Bosh, Howard, Duncan and Garnett.

On top of the offensive prowess he's also averaging 12.3 boards (6th best average in the league). At 7-1, 265 pounds, Gasol seems to be a decent defender - at least he's looked that way in the limited amount of games I've seen him play. I couldn't find anything - with a quick Google search - that says otherwise. So, I'm willing to say that at worst he's an average defender.

"El Hermano" will probably cool a bit from the offensive end as the season progresses. I wouldn't expect that he continue to average 2 points per shot. But, after a solid rookie campaign last year, and an incredible start to this season, I think it is safe to say that Marc Gasol has arrived. I wish he was a Piston.

--- Stats from NBA.com ---

~ Matt Penridge

Grizz Revolution Squashed

2009-10-29T18:30:00.005-04:00

As George Blaha would say, “Don’t look now!”

The Detroit Pistons (tied with the Celtics) have the best defense in the league – giving up a mere 74ppg. Coming into the season defense was the big concern, but the boys in blue and red have completely and utterly put that falsification to bed. Yes, they have the best defense in the league. No question about it.

Ok, I know, they’ve only played one game and it was against “The Grizz Nation” (formerly known as the Memphis Grizzlies). I suppose there’s no reason to begin planning a parade, but there were a few positive signs last night.

The Two 2s

Rip (25 pts. in 36 min.) and Gordon (22 pts. in 26 min.) combined to shoot 17 of 31 (55%) from the field. I believe Larry David would put it this way, “Pretty – pretty – pretty – good.” Any game that Rip and Gordon combine for an efficient 45+ points is one the Pistons should have a good chance to win.

Big Ben

Ben Wallace had 9 rebounds in 28 minutes last night. Not too shabby. There should be little expectation put on Wallace’s shoulders – he was brought in cheap and wasn’t expected to be a starter. Yet, with that said, he did put up decent numbers in the preseason and has gotten off to a good start in game one. He should be serviceable at forward/center. Whether or not his 64-year-old body will hold up is a whole other question.

Unanswered Questions

The Pistons aren’t going to be getting many easy buckets from their big men this year. Ben Wallace and Kwame Brown (“The Big KB”) can’t catch - much less shoot - the basketball. Charlie Villanueva plays more on the perimeter than the block, and Jonas Jerebko is Swedish. But, that’s the least of their problems. Interior defense is what is going to make or break this team.

The Grizzlies starting big men were very effective against the Pistons last night. Marc Gasol (C), Rudy Gay (F) and Zach Randolph (F) combined for 51 points and 29 rebounds. Now, that is actually a pretty decent set of big men - Zach Randolph is motivated at the moment – so it’s not necessarily an indication of bad things to come. I still believe Kwame Brown can be a decent, perhaps good, defensive center.

The First 20

The first 20 games are a key for the Pistons who are a young team with a lot of new faces. Chemistry is important and things can quickly sour or solidify. Entering the season the Pistons were getting little credit from the national punditocracy. A 96-74 victory over the Grizzlies – who I believe have won a total of 9 games since moving to Memphis – won’t cause the praises to start raining down. But, they took care of business - on the road - and that’s a positive sign no matter who they played.

Final Thought

The Pistons should make the playoffs this year by winning somewhere between 42 and 47 games. The Eastern Conference is weak and I don’t believe 8 teams will finish ahead of them.

~Matt Penridge

Where Garbage Happens

2009-04-26T22:53:00.005-04:00

The NBA needs to put a stop to the “pump-fake-throw-yourself-into-the-defender” move. This play drives me nuts and cheapens the game.
What happens is that the man with the ball pump-fakes – getting the defender to jump or move towards him – then the offensive player forces contact by moving into the defender. He makes a shooting like action and throws the ball towards the hoop in the process – this gives the illusion of a shooting foul . The ref blows the whistle and the shooter heads to the free throw line.
Total bunk.
The most egregious case I’ve seen was Kyle Korver – for the Jazz – sometime last week. The defender actually played his pump fake perfect. He jumped towards Korver’s right side. The defender wouldn’t have touched him except Korver decided to just lean to his right – forcing the contact. The whistle blew and Korver went to the line (I think for 3 free throws).
When an offensive player forces contact in this situation there should be no foul called. So many times you see a defender make a good play to get their hand in the shooter’s face, but they get called for a foul.
Emperor Stern needs to do something about it.
It is horrible for the game. Nobody is paying 60 bucks to watch a free throw contest. Not a single person. So let the game flow a bit. Every time I watch or go to an NHL game I’m always impressed on how well the game flows. There aren’t many stoppages and it is fantastic. The NBA stops all the time and it’s stupid.
So, enough is enough. Over the summer the NBA needs to really take a look at this play and figure out what they can do to stop it. The refs are capable of making that call – at least they should be.
One theory - for why this is always called a foul - is that the NBA is trying to force the defender not to be aggressive – in some kind of effort to free up shooters and create more offense.
But, for this particular play, it doesn’t work that way. There isn’t more quality offense, just more points. Like I said, nobody wants to watch people shoot free throws.
Can you imagine a free throw competition between Stockton and Billups during all-star weekend?
I’d rather watch the WNBA dunk contest.
I rest my case.
Random Thoughts:
a) Did anyone else notice that the crowd at the NFL draft booed the shit out of Matt Stafford. The announcers didn’t say a word about it – not that I heard. The crowd was actually chanting “overrated” at one point. Why did the announcers avoid the subject? I mean, c’mon, you could hear it clear as day.
b) I don’t like that Stafford is listed at 6 foot 2. That’s not a very tall quarterback. According to WikiAnswers.com – the average quarterback is 6 foot 3. I don’t know, that isn’t much to go on, but I didn’t realize the guy was short. Just figured the first pick overall – if it was a QB – was gonna be more like 6-foot-4.

Roar - More like bore (a play on words)

2009-04-20T22:25:00.002-04:00

The people running the show at Ford Field can’t be serious. Oh wait, they are.

The Lions’ new jerseys is the biggest non-story of the century. In fact, it is the Lions’ thesis under old Billy Clay.

Here's what last season amounted to - the worst record ever and the worst record possible – you’ll always be number one, or at best, tied for it.

So, the ad-wizards down at Lions central hype up some uniform change like there isn't a recession going on - and there is, I promise.

When I first saw it I could hardly tell the difference between the so-called new logo and the previous. The lion now has fangs and a more prominent paw.

STOP THE F&*#%$& PRESS!!!

This is the lamest "redesign" imaginable. The jerseys – aside from the logo change – are almost exactly the same. Maybe, if you put the old and new next to each other, I would see some miniscule difference – but that’s about it.

This uber-subtleness should ruin any chance of an effective marketing campaign. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to buy a new jersey (your old jersey will look just fine). Which is really why any of these teams do make this kind of change – they want more money.

Sure it will be marketed as some kind of philosophical rebranding, but nobody should honestly think this will have any impact on the player's attitudes. Even if a logo change could do that – what kind of change would be sparked by the Lions’ new emblem - slight?

This really just goes to show how inept the people who are calling the shots for the Lions really are.

I could run this team better. There is no doubt. Just give me good accountants to crunch my numbers... and maybe a team of like 8 others. I'll pick my favorite sports writers or broadcasters to run it with me – and my dad. And we'll put together a good marketing team.

We couldn't do ANY worse. Really, we couldn't. And we wouldn't insult our customer base by tweaking our image 2 percent and donning it a new era.

This franchise has sucked the life out of a lot of people. I need only write "Barry Sanders" and the Lion faithful shall now bow their head in a moment of silence.

Jim, may the Schwartz be with you.

~Marty Feldspar

Triumphant Return !!!

2009-04-20T21:54:00.001-04:00

Uh, yeah... looks like I haven't posted here in 3 years. The Tigers have gone to the World Series since then. The Wings won another cup. The Pistons traded Billups for Iverson - worked at well - for the Nugget anywho. The lions lost every game in an entire season...

Anywho, my next post will be shortly for all of my loyal fans...

Blue Steel...

2006-08-29T10:47:00.001-04:00

Here is a really good article about the Tigers in the NY Times... You may have to sign up for a free account with them... But, it is worth it... Only takes a second... You may be able to just read it without the account... not sure... (But you can def. get it for free... I do not have the paid membership, and I could read it)

Even a Dream Season Has Its Bumps
By JOE LAPOINTE

Blue Steel...

2006-08-29T10:47:00.000-04:00

Here is a really good article about the Tigers in the NY Times... You may have to sign up for a free account with them... But, it is worth it... Only takes a second... You may be able to just read it without the account... not sure...

Even a Dream Season Has Its Bumps
By JOE LAPOINTE

Good thing....

2006-08-28T16:12:00.000-04:00

Man, whew... Seriously. It is just a really good thing the Lions passed on Leinart... No, no, no, no, no... He didn't have a bad game. Actually, he had a really awesome game. There is just no way he would have done it in a Lions uniform... that is all. Matt Millen did the right thing. He knew this guy had potential at the QB position... and that coming to the Lions would have squashed it in about 3 minutes... until 5 years later he'd be ran out of town by anti-gay organizations. Leinart really ows a lot of thanks to Millen for not drafting him. He should should send him a fruit-basket fo shizzle.

Leinart shines as Cardinals beat Bears
By The Associated Press

Props to Starbury...

2006-08-17T16:03:00.000-04:00

(from espn.com)
Stephon Marbury is now endorsing a sneaker that costs just $14.98, a pittance when compared with the often daunting prices that companies such as Nike and Reebok charge for their footwear.

Read the rest of the story on espn.com by clicking here.

Restore da Roar

2006-08-11T12:06:00.000-04:00

Found this article on detroittigers.com... pretty interesting...

Notes: Comparisons to 1984 club
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

Along with the comparisons between this year's Tigers and the Tigers of years past... There are a few other interesting factoids on there. Enjoy.

~Bladdy

Exclusive Report.

2006-08-10T10:11:00.000-04:00

Blue Collar Sports has recieved an exclusive report. The driver, for the moving company hired by Brendan Shanahan, sent us this email:

......He insisted, that before we left Detroit... He, had to urinate on it one last time. Had I not been as professional as I am... I would have given him a good right hand to the chops. Nobody, I repeat, NOBODY pees on my city and gets away with it. That asshole. Let him go to New York with all the other public urinating scum. We'll see who's pissing on who when the playoffs roll around, and Brendan is in the locker room pissing himself... What an ass. I'm just glad I had my digital on me so I could snap this picture, and let the whole city know what Brendan thinks of it.

Rome even Worse.

2006-08-08T14:44:00.000-04:00

Well, I was pretty sure the Jim Rome show couldn't get any worse... But then Jim went on vacation, and once again we have to listen to Skip Bayless (more like skip "pointless"... ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha - funniest joke ever) ... who is even worse. And then... there were no interviews... so it was just him all day.

Oh yes he did.

2006-08-07T10:03:00.000-04:00

This wonderful illustration comes from Cousin Haefrio... It took him hours, but it was worth it... And, if you don't want to admit to yourself that Ben's decision was about money... that is fine. But you are wrong... bottom line - when a team offers you a lot more money than the team you have been playing on for 6 years (won a championship with and the fans have completely embraced you as the catalyst of the whole damn thing)... And you decide to leave, and play for said team (that offered you a lot more money)... It was about the money... Let's not kid ourselves here.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Good Gawd Ya'll

2006-08-04T14:47:00.000-04:00

Jesus Dimitri...

As you can see Dimitri has been just awful since coming back from rehab. On a serious note - Let's hope he doesn't burn out... We could really use a consistent bat from him for the rest of the season... and the Playoffs??? Wait, seriously... the Tiger's might be playing in the playoffs this year...??? Jesus, what next? Barry Sanders throws on the Honolulu Blue and we win the Super Bowl???

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

I love it.

2006-08-04T14:36:00.000-04:00

Read a pretty good article in the NY Times about Vince Young and Steve McNair's relationship... A Rookie Follows His Father Figure. (you might need to sign for a free NY Times account to read it, not sure).

But, my favorite part is a great quote from Vince Young...

"...It’s up to me how quickly I grasp things, how much work I put into it. If you don’t get it right, you’re going to get hit in the mouth. If you don’t know where a blitz is coming from, you’re going to get hit in the mouth. If you don’t know where the open receivers are, you’re going to get hit in the mouth. I don’t like to get hit in the mouth. I’m going to use my legs to cut down on the times I get hit in the mouth.”

Nobody does, Vince. I hope this kid has a great career... He's fun to watch.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Makes Sense to Me

2006-08-03T12:18:00.000-04:00

According to the article, NBA announces postseason seeding format change, the NBA has actually made some rule changes that will improve the league.

Previously, the first 3 playoff seeds were given to the 3 division leaders (according to regular season wins and losses). The 4th seed going to the next best record.

If you remember in the playoffs that just passed, Dallas and San Antonia squared off in the second round... even though they had the top two records in the West (But they played in the same division).

The changes the NBA made will make the above scenario impossible (which is a good thing). Instead the top 4 seeds will still go to the 3 division leaders and the next best record. But each teams records will decide which seed (1-4) the team actually gets. So the 3rd place team of the whole NBA (Dallas last year) will not end up as the 4th seed of just the Western Conference (which is what happened, and made no sense at all).

There are also some rule changes for timeouts at the end of games and overtime. Which will make the end of games a little quicker... Which I am a fan of, because the last 2 minutes of close games seemed to drag on for about 25 minutes.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Read It.

2006-08-01T11:05:00.000-04:00

As usual, Wojo (from the Detroit News and WDFN)... sums up another exciting day in Detroit Sports - quite well.

Read his article here.

Inge Heatin' Up...

2006-07-26T14:20:00.000-04:00

Seemed like Inge had been hitting well as of late... So I checked it out on the Tigers website... You can find his complete bio here. As I thought he has actually put together a really good string over the last 10 games. (Might have started earlier than that, but you can find players stats from the last 10 games way too easy to bother going farther back... 10 is a nice round number anywho). As you can see he's improved his average by .17 over the last 10 games... Which, at this point in the year, is pretty incredible. Also he's hitting .429, has 3 dingers, and 11 RBIs over this nice little streak.

This resurgence for Inge is really nice to see. His batting average seemed to bottom out not too long ago, and it is good for him and the Tigers if he could get it going for this last 1/3 of the season. (Which for the first time in 132 years - is meaningful for the Tigers.)

(That pic is property of MLB.com, I did not create that - please don't sue me !)

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Sterndamonium

2006-07-24T14:43:00.000-04:00

Chris McCosky (bit of a Pistons slappy, but good writer, and def. understands the game), of the Detroit News, wrote a very interesting article today. It is called Stern: Commish or tyrant? (click there to read the article, which is a must read). Chris, an NBA insider of sorts, writes much of what I've been thinking since the conclusion of the NBA Circus (a.k.a. NBA Finals).

McCosky writes;
There is a growing sentiment among players, coaches and officials that Stern's power has run amok. There is concern that, more than manipulating the business and image of the league, he is manipulating the game.

During the playoffs I noticed, and mentioned in my blog, that more than ever the NBA was becoming a giant marketing machine. The attention was coming away from the games themselves and towards the drama surrounding them. For instance on June 9th of this year I wrote that during a Finals pregame show they interviewed Celtic legend Bill Russel. What did they ask him about? The Kobe and Shaq feud. Why? Well, other than keeping people interested in stupid crap, I have no idea.

Also, watching the Finals games I noticed that after every somewhat close call (in favor of either team) the announcers on ABC almost always came up with a reason on how the refs were right. Often disregarding that some calls normally wouldn't be called the way they were. That didn't matter. Seemed like the ABC announcers had their order, and that was "Don't rock the boat!!!". This observation fits right in to a point McCosky makes about the NBA controlling its Media. ABC makes a lot of money off the NBA and so won't have a problem with listening to Stern - especially when his decisions have the motive of making even more money.

Another point McCosky makes;
Sports are real human drama. That's what makes them entertaining. It's not a reality show created for television. It's not "Survivor" or "American Idol". You cannot create heroes and manipulate storylines and expect to be taken seriously.

After reading that line I have a strong belief Chris has been recording conversations between my Girlfriend and I... After the Finals I ranted and raved for a good 3 days straight. My main point is exactly what McCosky writes... One of the reasons I love to watch sports is because they are real. The best of the best, in most cases, make it to the NBA... and no matter what the drama is going on outside of the court... a true fan of basketball can sit down and watch the game, and enjoy it. Now, like McCosky, I feel the NBA is heading in some type of Harlem Globetrotter direction. Good must defeat evil... Superstar must defeat non super star...

A Myth: There seems to be a myth forming that the Pistons won the title in 04 playing some type of defense that shouldn't have been allowed. That perhaps it wasn't just their talent. Well, that is bogus. The Pistons won because they were loaded with talent, and because the Lakers lacked any defense. Do not forget that coming off the bench that year was Okur and Mike James - who both had fantastic seasons, this past year, as starters for their respective teams. The Pistons had talent, they did not win that title on "hard work" or "tough defense" alone. I just hope it is remembered that way, and they don't become the poster board of Stern's new "We can't have that happen again" campaign. (Which sadly seems to be the case)

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Oh Ben

2006-07-20T11:48:00.000-04:00

Sung to the tune of "Oh Mandy"...

Oh Ben...

Well you came and you gave us a title
But you packed your bags, oh Ben
You came by sign and trade for Grant-Hill
We thought it was over, oh Ben

But you came and you gave us a title
And now you've packed your bags, oh Ben
You're headed First Class to Chicago
And now you are traitor, Oh Ben

Bulls V Pistons

2006-07-19T09:26:00.000-04:00

Been a bit busy lately, but here is a link you should check out. (Again, I have no idea why I pretend there is someone reading this, when I know damn well there isn't. Or why I pretend to have been busy lately) The article, from The Sporting News can be found by clicking here. Ira Winderman writes that the Pistons still have the edge over the Bulls... at least when playoff time comes around. Which, unless they add someone else (which seems unlikely), I would have to completely agree with him. Below he illustrates a particular argument on why he (and I agree) believe the Pistons would still beat the Bulls in the playoffs.

Go ahead, score at home: Rasheed vs. Ben? Antonio McDyess vs. Andres Nocioni? Prince vs. Luol Deng? Hamilton vs. Kirk Hinrich? Billups vs. Ben Gordon or Chris Duhon? This judge's card: 4-1 Pistons, with Nocioni getting a slight nod over McDyess at power forward.

I believe eventually Big Ben is going to regret his decision to leave the Pistons. What he had here he can never regain. Unless he leads the Bulls to a championship... which I really don't see happening... he will never be loved in Chicago like he was loved in Detroit. Ben could have ended his career here, with a better chance at another title (perhaps), and walked right into the pages of Detroit Legendry... Instead, he goes to Chicago... Where if a championship is not delivered in the next 2 years... and if his productivity is not at "max contract" level... those Chicago fans will not be happy paying him another 2 years (to say the least). Then again, the Bulls may pull off a trade (which would be essential for a championship run), and win the title. In which case... Ben probably won't regret it... Time will only tell.

Side Note: Joe Dumars was interviewed on WDFN yesterday, and was asked if the Pistons organization was unwilling to pay the luxury tax... According to Dumars they actually did pay it... the year they won the championship. They also interviewed Davidson (the owner)... who basically said there are a select amount of players in the league (very few) who are worth maximum contracts, and Ben was just not one of them on that list. When asked who on the current roster was... Davidson declined to answer.

Side Side Note: At home there sits a mini Big Ben bobble head doll. Every time I see it I say to myself, "Why... why, Ben, why?" Then I slowly wipe away the tear rolling down my cheek. Soon the season will start, and the bobble head must come down... But it didn't have to... It didn't have to, Ben.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

On a limb...

2006-07-10T14:31:00.000-04:00

Watch out for the Knicks this year... No, they won't be winning the title, but they will be contending for a playoff spot. Look, with the departure of Brown I believe a huge load of pressure and stress will be lifted off the player's shoulders. The pressure will now be on Zeek. While he may not be the best coach in the league, or anywhere near, he is not a horrible coach. His record in Indiana was not terrible, and they made the playoffs in each of his three years there (2000-2003). Also, he seems likeable to his players - which is always good when taking over a team coming off a complete disaster season. Not to mention, regardless of his post-playing-days, he is a champion - and NBA Finals MVP - and a 12 time all-star. (not to shabby)

I have reached this opinion after reading an article in the New York Times, which you can find here. The key to this year's success will be for Thomas to create a situation where Marbury and Francis can co-exist. I believe at this point in their careers it is a plausible undertaking. Both have been passed around the league a bit. Never finding there role. Together they could find it. The talent is there for an interesting backcourt. Imagine getting 40 points and 10 assists between them each game. Which, if they are willing to share... would be a very realistic goal.

Isaiah -Sit Starbury down and show him clip after clip of Chauncey Billups (in a Pistons uniform)... Who is basically the mirror physical imagine of Stephon... and, I believe a disciplined version could be a very comparable point guard to Billups. The way Marbury sounds in the NY Times article I reference above... he may be ready to take the same career leap Chauncey did with Detroit. Still capable of scoring 25 points a game... But, instead... playing good basketball, involving his teammates, and winning games. He sounds ready to make it happen. He is excited about having Thomas on the sideline... If the supporting cast of the Knicks have half his enthusiasm... This could be a very interesting team to watch.

The Knicks have other talent on this squad as well. Jalen Rose, Eddy Curry, and Channing Fry are all respectable NBA players. If you could work a starting lineup featuring all five... and somehow get them to mesh together... they should be playoff bound.

If I were Zeek... I wouldn't even worry about defense... Just let them run and put up 100 points a game... Will they win a championship that way? No. Will they win a championship any way? No. So why not win some regular season games, and play entertaining basketball while you are doing it?

With Curry and Fry... they have a 13ft 9inch 533 pound frontcourt... Fry averaged 12+ points and nearly 6 rebounds on limited play (24 min. per game) as a rookie. Curry has had a streaky past... but with the other four players around him he will have a more comfortable role as a support player. A very pricey support player... But still very good as a 3rd or 4th option on offense. He will be allowed to average somewhere around 15 points... But when playing against undersized teams, which there are plenty of, he can easily go off for 25+.

Getting this roster to come together as a cohesive winning machine will not be easy - but not impossible either. Thomas may have not made the wisest of choices as GM. Thomas may not be the greatest of coaches. But, there is talent on this team, and that is why I believe they will be the surprise out of the East. Look for them to finish somewhere in the bottom half, but the playoffs is not a lofty goal - not in the least.

Note: One glaring problem I see in the predicted starting 5 is Steve Francis' small stature. If playing the 2 sport, he may have trouble guarding some of the other shooting guards - where he will be giving up some inches. Also, I haven't seen many comments by Francis - which may be a sign he, if anyone, will need some type of attitude adjustment going into the season. Both should be addressable issues.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Feet & Balls

2006-07-07T12:19:00.000-04:00

Ok, for some reason I have decided to sogg (soccer blog) again. Why??? Because I have realized the problem with the lack of American support for soccer... the scandals...

"But Bladdy, there are no soccer scandals..."

Precisely my friends (my "friends" being my Dad, the only person who reads this... and not very often I think)... Anyway... what the American soccer club needs is some serious, low down, and dirty scandals to spark interest...

C'mon guys.... throw us a friggin bone. England has probably the greatest metro-sexual of all time who is all over the news... We Americans, more than anything, crave a good story... Which, I must add, must have nothing to do with the sport itself... We don't really care there aren't many goals scored... Or that we don't really understand what is going on... We just want to have some kind of vested interest in watching this team...

Maybe an alcoholic... are there any on the team??? If there are... quit hiding it. Put it right out there for everyone to see. Send him to rehab, and make it public. Have him crash his car into the Liberty Bell first... Really add some drama.

How bout roids? Not necessarily for that competitive edge... But, more for the scandal... Nothing has kept the public more interested in Major League Baseball more than all the hoopla surrounding the rampant roid use.

Oh, I know... a sex tape. Those are all the rage right now. You could put out a tape of these guys slappin' balls around all day... "leak" it on the internet... BAM... you gott a million viewers by the next day.

Hmmm... What else??? Spouse abuse is always good . Drug offenses equal awesome. Over sized egos are fantastic. Huge contracts that should have never been paid forcing everyone to hate the contracted player - always a good call. Um... are there any scientologists on the team???

Listen... the possibilites are obviously endless - so let's stop worrying about the game itself... I mean that is secondary. (Just thought of this one - we need to hook one of the players up with a piece of hollywood whore trash (must be blonde) - oooooh... the headlines write themselves) Where was I??? Oh, right... Soccer can't survive in this country until we turn it into every other sport... A huge money/hype/marketing machine... Then we'll love it...

And only then.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

The Scoop

2006-07-06T16:05:00.000-04:00

In an article on ESPN.com, "Christmas in July?", Scoop Jackson offers an interesting theory on Big Ben's short flight to Chicago. He seems to believe that the Bulls could have swayed Ben by promising to bring Kevin Garnet to town... Perhaps this is true... Perhaps it isn't... But, it is very interesting to consider. First of all, I agree with Scoop in that Garnett is not coming to Chi-Town. They would have to offer one of their top guys (Gordon, Heimlik, or Macaroni). So unless they are willing to part with one of those players... KG probably ain't coming.

I do, however, pray that is the sole reason why Ben showed off his amazing Benedict Arnold impression... Because if that is the case... I relish thinking about how miserable he will be when it doesn't happen... (I would imagine that isn't the case though)

One more thing about the article... Scoop writes:

All of a sudden, a shift in the basketball landscape could be
felt inside the city. Like a change was gonna come. Like Shaq
won't have his best games of the playoffs against us anymore.

I hate to tell you Scoop, and all of the other Bulls fans out there... Shaq played his best series against the Pistons. Although I didn't watch much of the Bulls/Heat series - I know that statistically Shaq's numbers vs. the Bulls and Pistons in the playoffs were basically the same. Shaq even averaged 2 more points a game vs. the Pistons (see the full stats here). And watching almost every minute of the Pistons/Heat series... Ben was not so impressive against this year's more in shape and determined playoff Shaq. So... if the Bulls are hoping he can stop Shaq... they weren't watching the Pistons/Heat series.

Skiptarded...

2006-07-05T14:57:00.000-04:00

I'm listening to Rome, and Skip Bayless is the guest host today. He not too long ago opened a discussion on the gruelingness of the NBA as compared to soccer. He said that soccer players "jog a lot" and there is a lot of injury time and what not. He claims to have based this opinion on actually watching soccer games. Well, Skip, either you are lying or an idiot. I may be a completely biased fan (of the NBA), but even I will tell you the "soccer players are in great shape" cliche is very very true. If you think it takes more endurance to play in the NBA than the World Cup of Soccer... you are an idiot... Or... you know nothing about sports... Or... in Skip's case... both.

Look, first of all... There are millions of play stoppages in the NBA... Timeouts... TV timeouts... injuries... fouls... turn overs.... Not to mention all the time spent standing around watching one player dribble the ball... Plus, players play about 8-9 minutes of game-time (which is actually 20 minutes of real time) and they are taken out. Again, I love basketball... I'm only pointing out the many flaws in Skip's statements. He says that soccer players jog a lot... Well, I would say 90% of the time in the NBA players are jogging... Not to mention that a full length sprint in the NBA would still only be a quarter of a soccer field...

Skip, for some reason, even brought up Shaq... as an argument in favor of the NBA... saying that Shaq has to hustle back on plays or get burned... Are you kidding me? The fact that one of the best players (top 10% of the league)... is fat and out of shape (and slow to begin with)... is basically all you need to make the case that soccer requires its players to maintain a much better physical condition.

While I am blogging in defense of soccer, which I was hoping I would never have to do... I would really like to raise the question... Why do American sports enthusiasts find it so worth their time to bash soccer? I don't understand... I mean, if you don't like it... don't watch it... Or complain mildly... if you really find it necessary... But some of the bashing is just out of hand... Especially the "soccer players fake injuries all the time and just whine"... Look, first of all... it really doesn't happen all that much... I've been watching the World Cup, and am actually surprised at how little it happens... I've just heard so many people say it on the Rome show... that I guess I thought it was true... I should have known better. Second, soccer is rougher than basketball in my opinion... and because I really don't feel like making that argument... I will say that at the least... they are equal... and if you have watched the NBA in the last 2 years, you would be aware of the new mandatory argument rule... After every foul call... in order to avoid further penalties... the player who committed the foul must passionately argue the call (a.k.a whine about it)... Or, if you are slightly touched by an opposing player... you must throw your hands up, stagger backwards, and yelp... Also, if you are Dwyane Wade, you must fall to the ground after every shot...

I don't know... One last time... I am a basketball "slappy"... but, as a sports nut, still a fan of soccer... I don't watch it all the time, but I do enjoy a World Cup match or two... and I really like playing the game... But, more importantly... I hate stupid people... who make things up in order to bring their point home... Sorry Skip... but, you are wrong about soccer...

One Last Thing: Skip said that baseball is more exciting than soccer - if you understand the game... Obviously, you can say the same about soccer; yet he combats that by saying he has tried to figure soccer out and can't... Well, Skip - that is your fault... and no... baseball is not more exciting than soccer... Baseball is extremely boring in fact... That is not to say I don't enjoy baseball... because I do... grew up playing it... but an objective viewer would confirm the boringness of baseball.

a stolen victory

2006-06-19T16:46:00.000-04:00

Yes, the zebras in fact stole that game from Dallas yesterday. There is no argument I have heard or seen that can make that not true. That last shot, by Wade, should not have been called a foul... Absolutely 100%... that was a no call... Did Nowitzki contact Wade?... sure... But, you could probably call that on just about every drive in every NBA game... there is always a bit of contact... And, with 3 seconds left in OT, of the NBA Finals, there is no way that call should have been made. No Way. Why not call Wade for the obvious push off right before the shot? It was there... why didn't they call that? Because you don't call push offs with 3 seconds left... and YOU DON'T CALL STUPID, NON FOULS WITH 3 SECONDS LEFT... SENDING WADE TO THE LINE TO WIN THE GAME.

Below there is a picture of Wade right before he puts up the shot. What you see is 3 completely wide open Heat players. What does that mean? Wade, basically going 1 on 4... pushing off... out of control... puts up a stupid shot. The refs just bailed him out. I hate the fact that the analysts point out Dirk's hand slightly brushing Wades back... or whatever it did... Look, if you know basketball... you know that is a "no-call" situation... Especially, after Wade pushes off... which is another "no-call" situation. Wade was out of control... had wide open teammates... and still put up a shot... A combination that refs would never reward... unless you are Dwyane "the future" Wade... which is just crap... The announcers for ABC have been doing this all playoffs... Whatever the refs call, they find any way possible to justify it...
Dirk is getting flak, for not having a typical Dirk game. Well, he doesn't totally deserve it. He still shot a decent percentage, he just didn't get to the line. He still hit what should have been the winning basket... and he made a great pass before that... He missed a free throw, but, had the refs not made one of the worst calls in NBA Finals history, he would have hit the winning shot... and took his team back to Dallas with a 3-2 advantage. Not to mention... You have to give Dirk a little credit for freeing up his teammates. Dirk is being smothered, and it is creating great opportunities for Terry/Howard.

With all that said... There is the Stackhouse suspension as well... David Stern, I used to like you... but I have a feeling you are going to ruin the NBA... at least from the perspective of a true basketball fan... not a "hype whore"...

Strung Out

2006-06-15T11:12:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I went to get my tennis racquet re-strung. I have an early appointment, Friday, to put the "hurt" down on an old college nemesis (a long haired midget who stands no chance).

I enter the sports store, and am told I need to get strings and then bring them to the counter... so I do. I looked through them for about 10 minutes until finally realizing I had no idea what I was doing... and just chose something in the mid-price range. Wilson syn-gut... which is synthetic gut... because that is what they used to make tennis strings out of... Human intestine...

I get to the counter and the young lady asked what tension I wanted my racquet strung at. For the non-tennis players out there (not that anyone reads this), racquets are indeed strung at different tensions, depending on the player's style of game and swing speed - and what not... Either way, I couldn't remember if I usually had a low or high tension... and so I asked if anyone could help. Nobody could, but I was told there was a book somewhere that could help.

Another lady came and said, "We have a book, but I don't think any of us could read it..." An obvious ploy not to do her job... unless, perhaps, the entire workforce was indeed illiterate...

I said, "Well, can I take a look, maybe I can read it." She says OK and heads towards the back of the store and I followed... I know the stores have stringers that come in, and I had already had to give them my phone number, so I asked if maybe the stringer could just give me a call. A reasonable suggestion, me thinks. Her reply???

"You know, we're not a tennis store."

Hmmmm??? JUST WHAT IN THE EFF IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN????

They are a sports store. They sell tennis balls. Tennis shoes. Tennis racquets. Tennis wrist bands. Tennis grips. Tennis Strings. And, they EFFING string tennis racquets... So why shouldn't I expect to have the simplest of stringing questions answered? I just don't understand the logic behind that statement. Seriously.

Luckily, I keep my cool... and explain that having the strings at the wrong tension will affect my ability to hit they way I want, and so I offer a solution. I wrote down a little description of what I wanted, and was on my way.

As I was leaving the store I asked the girl who rang me up when I could expect the stringing to be done.

She says... "Well, the stringer will be here tomorrow (Thursday)... so it should be done by... Sunday."

WHAT!!! The stringer is in on Thursday... so the racquet should be done by... Sunday? That is four days. Which I could understand, if the stringer wasn't coming in on Thursday. Is logic just not acceptable anymore... Like, well the stringer is on on Thursday... so it should be done by Friday... Doesn't that make sense... or am I just a dreamer...

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

game 3 done and i still hate "toine"

2006-06-14T16:35:00.000-04:00

Well, with the Larry O'brien in their hands, the Dallas Mavericks collectively choked. Nobody could hit a shot at the end... especially Dirk Dirkster. Not only could he not buy a bucket, but on the last shot of the game, he was the inbounder... The inbounder??? I thought for sure we'd see him roll out for a last second fade-away 3 pointer. Instead, there was an ally-oop attempt. Which, due to the fact the game ended with out a shot attempt on that play, was a bad call. I know. I know. They were trying to catch the Heat off guard... Well, they didn't.

The Heat win comes despite the amazing effort of Antoine Walker to completely sabotage his team. I don't care what anyone says, that chump is horrible. Countless times he put up just stupid shots. He took 17 ... made 6... and ended the game with 12 points. That is unbelievably inefficient. 2 turnovers and 1 assist... again bad bad bad bad bad...

Dirk??? Um, yeah... you were pretty clutch last night... well except for completely disappearing while the Miami Heat came back to steal the game. This is your team, and all they needed was a bucket or two from you in the last 2 minutes (actually 1 free throw)... and you couldn't provide it... For all the credit you get, you must take much of the blame. Well, it should be noted that Stack might have well not even laced them up last night... someone who, along with Dirk, gets a lot of credit for their success and so deserves a lot of blame as well. With that said I believe Dirk does put the blame on himself... and I expect him to rebound in the next game, and perhaps put his team one win away from the wearing the crown of champions.

Hey, have to bring this up because Stoney and Wojo are discussing it as I write... Dwane Wade's "injuries" are getting out of hand... The only time that knee injury affected him, was when he didn't have to do anything... Then he was limping and grimacing all over the place... But, on that final play he nearly jumped out of the gym to block the ally oop... how badly hurt was his knee if he was still able to do that??? It wasn't... It is just bull crap. I play with people like this in pick up games... Guys who bang knees and go down like they are shot... Roll around on the ground for 2 minutes... then they get up and are fine... Hey either you are so hurt you can't play... or you can play... I hate this little girl stuff... If you watched Wade, he was completely and utterly not bothered by the knee when he would drive... and put down incredible dunks... then all of the sudden he's limping on the way back down the court??? Absolute crap. I was really getting annoyed by all of that yesterday, and I'm happy I'm not the only one who felt that way... Not to say that Wade's heroics weren't spectacular... They just weren't more spectacular because of his "injury"... End of story...

Oh, while we are on the subject of stupid "hype"... What about the "credit cards" or whatever the hell it was that Pat Riley was blubbering about in the pre game... "15 strong"... Everyone gets this card, and they know they are in it together... blah blah blah... Seriously... where is the genius of this guy... Antoine Walker nearly cost Miami the game yesterday with an abundance of horrible, yet typical, bad shots and other bad plays. A guy Riley brought in... Luckily, Dwane Wade took over in the fourth... and Miami wins... What did Riley have to do with that??? Some stupid card??? That is his genius?... Does that crap really work at the professional level...??? Stupid little league gimicks... Did Miami go out for ice cream after the game??? Jesus... Seriously... When Riley was talking about it, you could tell he took it more seriously than a heart attack... I couldn't believe it... Even my girlfriend thought it was retarded...

And on top of that... Did anyone catch the "Dwane Wade recieved an email from a friend, and blah blah blah blah blah.... gotta pull your troops together... i love you so hard.... blah blah blah... and that friend was............ Lebron James...." AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who Cares????? Who frikkin Cares...????????? I swear to god, I muted the game for about 15 minutes after that lovely, but completely unecessary tid bit of info... For the love of god... This is sports... can we please get back to that a little. It already takes 13 hours to play a 48 minute long game.... just stop with all this little side drama crap...

Ah well, at least the game was close at the end. I want Dallas to win, but I would not have been happy with a sweep...

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

predicationlissity

2006-06-13T16:35:00.000-04:00

Well, I have to believe that Miami is going to pull it together tonight and win this game. I'm not totally sure what I am basing that off of though. Perhaps just the law of officiating (one of Newton's finest)?... I figure they do not go down 3-0... But with my increasing dislike for this Heat team... I will say that I hope they do lose. Although that would also most certainly mean not much NBA basketball left, and that would be disappointing.

Now, after 2 undisciplined games by Walker, I believe Riley should be able to keep him under control for this one. Although it may be too late. I know that Walker had a decent stat line in game 2, but in my humble opinion, he was absolutely horrible. Especially in the first half (when it really mattered). He scored a little in the second half, but the game had already spun out of control in favor of Dallas at that point. I hate Antoine Walker. I think he is selfish and horrible. He is able to score at times, but his overall basketball knowledge is turr-ubble. At times he is completely and utterly out of control. In game 2 there was one play in particular that nearly made me laugh. He had the ball at the top of the key... drove in... did this out of control 360... and threw up a ridiculous left handed layup/hookshot hybrid that bounced off the backboard no where near the rim. Classic Antoine Walker. If Miami loses this series... I'm pretty sure Shaq will attack and eat Antoine Walker (you heard it here first)...

The Miami Heat need to come up with something to stop Dirk. Game 3 is really his time to shine. Going to Miami... Dallas may find themselves in a bit of a comfortable state of mind up 2-0. Dirk, however, is the one player for Dallas who can't have that attitude. He needs to take this game over if need be. He had 26 points last game, but that is merely his average.

To solidify his rep, he needs a 35+ game... and when better to do it than game 3. His place in "current legendry" is already written... regardless of game 3... but, what would the experts say if he blows up for 40 tonight, and quite possibly puts an end to Shaq's career???... and begins the new revolution???... The Dirkonian Center. I must say, I have always liked Shaq.... I think he is funny... and "classic Shaq" was an amazing animal to watch... But a 7 footer who shoots the trey, drives, and pretty much does anything else you can imagine... makes for a very entertaining basketball game...

Well, I hope whoever wins, this game is close. The first two, especially game 2, were not the classic "decided at the last minute" games I had hoped for.

Final Thought: Miami is only 2 losses away from having Riley's off season moves blow up in his face... Which, as someone who thought they would, would really like to see it happen. I mean... who doesn't like to be right... ya know??? Plus, have I mentioned I hate Antoine Walker?

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

analysisesiss (sailor's disease i think)

2006-06-13T16:26:00.000-04:00

Hey, for the true sports geeks out there... You really need to check out the "daily playoff dime" (or whatever they call it over there at ESPN.com) for today. There is a great video analysis done by one of ABCs producers or something. Either way, it is pretty interesting, and worth a look... Again, if you are a sports geek. The average fan might find it useless. The daily dime changes every day... so look now, not later.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime

game 1 done

2006-06-09T11:41:00.000-04:00

First, the fact that Dirk Nowitzki played a horrible offensive game should worry the heat. That should happen only once more at most. Well, assuming Dirk is worthy of his new-found playoff rep.

Second... If Jason Terry has 2 games left, like this first, I really like Dallas' chances. I saw, maybe read somewhere that Dallas is 6-0 (I think, but it is something like that for sure) in the playoffs when Terry goes for 20+...

Third, Antoine Walker shot 19 shots. Shaq shot 11. They both scored 17 points. There is absolutely no way Miami will even win 2 games if that trend is not squashed right now. If Walker doesn't settle down... Riley might have a world's record 343 heart attacks at one time.

Fourth, I absolutely... utterly... 100%... hate the coverage ABC/ESPN has done through out the playoffs. I hate the marketing scheme that has become the NBA. The announcers justify every decision the refs make for either team. They constantly explain the simplest of rules. I believe the foul shot lane violation has been explained 1,000,000 times now. I hate that. I really wish the TNT crew was doing the Finals, because they are retarded better, and not Stern suck asses.

Fifth, did I mention Antoine Walker took 8 more shots than Shaq???

Dwyane Wade put up 28, but on 25 shots. That is nowhere near as effective as he has been all playoffs long. 10 shots from Wade/Walker should have been Shaq's... They absolutely have no other chance to win... unless Shaq takes 20 shots... Some might bring up his free throw shooting, and it was horrible... but he still put up 17 points on 11 shots... That is extremely efficient. Walker/Wade combined for 34 points on 35 shots... Not effective... Not to mention that if Shaq is getting the ball, and making shots, he becomes very active on the other end.

Did I mentioned 'Toine' took 8 more shots than Shaq??? I did??? Sorry, I just love that... What a jack ass.

Anybody catch the pre-game interview of Bill Russell? You have one of the all time greats, and what do they ask him about? What his role in ending the Shaq/Kobe feud was... well, I can answer that... nothing... Because YOU ARE STILL FRIGGIN' BRINGING IT UP ON NATIONAL TELEVISION.... I HATE YOU ABC... 2 years ago this was old news... and now, Kobe out of the playoffs I believe 4 months ago (something like that)... is still being brought up... WHY???? Jesus, I hate ABC.

19th, how ridiculous was it to watch Stack being patched up to shoot those free throws after being elbowed in the nose. Dallas had to burn at least 1 time out, maybe 2, in order to get enough band-aids on to shoot the free throws, and then take him out... What if that happened with 1 minute left in the game? Does Dallas have to use the rest of its timeouts, because Shaq 'accidentaly' crushed his nose? (OK, it wasn't exactly a Malone/Alonzo elbow, but it didn't seem like a complete accident either) My point is only that if blood is drawn, then maybe there should be some type of emergency rule to stop the game long enough to stop the blood... Because if it is late in a close game, Dallas is confronted with the choice of burning precious time-outs, or giving the free-throws to someone else... and then Stack can't come back in the game... That is a flaw.

Well, overall, a great game 1. I believe this series will live up to its hype.

Warning to Dallas: Look out for the games where Miami gets a little help from the zebras. Because there were a couple of no calls on Wade I noticed (they were correct as no calls) that I believe will be fouls in Miami. A couple of times, while driving to the basket, Wade forced contact... with no call... and missed the shot. I don't imagine the series being called that way for its entirety.

Riles a genius? I must admit that I am a bit young to have watched (and comprehended) Riley's past coaching triumphs. Although, he is hailed as a great coach, and with the success he has had, I refuse to argue it. One thing I find odd is that whenever analysts talk about him, it is always about his motivation skills. Yesterday, I want to say it was Marc Jackson, was talking about how he will show the team videos of great players... Also, there is constant talk about some stupid mystery prize, or some crap, for the players... This is Riley's geniusity??? Avery Johnson is running different defenses. Getting Dirk (and the team) to play a defensive minded game. Taking Dallas to a level they have never seen. But, Riley... he is a great storyteller and motivator.... Can someone please point out something he has done that is tangible? I agree that the team seems to be a bit more cohesive, but it was only not cohesive... because he blew it up, and brought in a couple of brats (Walker and GP)... Now, in game 1... with a chance to steal a game in Dallas... Walker takes 8 more shots (have I mentioned that) than Shaq, and missed 12 of 19... and Miami loses... Maybe Riley should tell the story of how selfish brats don't get PT... and especially don't get very expensive rings at the end of the season... Yeah, that is a good one...

Add On: Ok I had to add this on... I'm listening to Rome, and his take on Shaq not getting the ball enough... is basically "what do you expect, you were shooting horrible from the free throw line"... So, I guess he's suggesting that Dallas will go to hack-a-shaq... Well, first as I already pointed out... Shaq had 17 points on 11 shots... Very effective, regardless of free throw misses. Second, can someone please tell me a series that Shaq's team has lost, because "hak-a-shaq" worked??? Please, Rome... let me know which series that was... where Shaq lost a series at the free throw line...

Finals Time...

2006-06-06T12:19:00.000-04:00

Well, the Pistons won't be playing in this year's NBA Finals... Which sucks, but listening to Joe Dumars on Stoney and Wojo yesterday did make me feel a little better. He said he was "dissapointed" that Delfino had not played more this year. Which I really like to hear. I am a big fan of Delfino. Have been since seeing him in pre-season action last season. I just think the guy can play... and needs to. Enough about the Pistons though.

These Finals are going to be great. My early prediction was that Miami/Detroit would win, but I'm not so sure anymore. I have been a Dirk fan for a while. You have to love a 7 footer with 2 guard skillzzz. But, he has taken his game farther than most (including me) expected. He has reached a new level of "goodness"... A level very few reach. He is unstoppable. I believe he will be the best player on the court through this series, and that is always a good thing to have in your corner. Shaq may have similar numbers when all is said and done, but Dirk is much more active and capable of game changing intangibles... Chasing rebounds and loose balls etc. My early prediction of Miami winning was based on how easily Miami beat the Pistons. As a Piston die hard, I believed that a team so good to beat the Pistons can't possibly lose a series... But, on reflection the Pistons just weren't as good as the regular season indicated... and so I have to give Dallas the credit they deserve.

This series should be a classic, and if it isn't... Nobody will have guessed that.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Bout Time

2006-05-26T12:35:00.000-04:00

Well, the Detroit Pistons we all new and loved during the last 5 years decided to show up yesterday. Chauncey and Rip were a lot more efficient on the offensive end (1.29 points per shot between them), and Rasheed Wallace told Uncle Cliff he couldn't hang out. Also, Flip decided to put a little faith in his bench, and it paid off... I would have wrote that Flip should play Delfino, but I honestly thought there was no way in hell Delfino was going to see any PT for the next 2 years. Delfino was very effective against Miami in one game during the regular season (I believe the last regular season game against Miami). I still think Delfino's defensive skills fly under the radar. He has quick feet and a good mental awareness of what is going on. He puts himself in good positions, even when the man he is guarding is not involved in the play. I would like to see him get a few more minutes, and a little freedom on offense. He may be able to find a rhythm, and put up a few points.

Most importantly, the Pistons played their game, and that is why they won. That crap at the end of the game shouldn't worry anyone. I know it was not what you want, but I wouldn't put too much thought into it.

Note: Ben Wallace played Shaq great yesterday. People always say that you could call an offensive foul on Shaq every time he makes a move with the ball. Which is true, but a lot of times, you could call a defensive foul as well. Most people guard Shaq (and Ben does it at times as well) by pushing him with all their force, trying to keep him from getting to the basket. When Big Ben "chests up" on him they call the offensive foul (at least they did a few times yesterday)... The only problem with that is you have to take about 15 shots to the chest and face that would kill the average man. But, Ben is Ben, and well... I'm pretty sure he could take a kick to the chest by a Kentucky Derby winning stallion, and not get knocked down...

Final Comment: I read a quote by Rip to the effect of how the Pistons need to go to Miami and take one... Well, I would like them to go in with the mentality that they are going to take both games, and well, pretty much wrap up the series. Not to say they would just because of that mentality, but I would still like them keep game 2's intensity through the rest of this series.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Random Thoughting

2006-05-25T12:34:00.000-04:00

First, whoever wins the Eastern Conference will win the NBA Championship. I watched most of the Suns/Mavs game yesterday (I fell asleep before the end), and although it was a very fun and exciting game to watch, neither of those teams will be winning a championship this year. Both teams better hope the Pistons come through to the finals, because they most suredly will not have a chance against Miami. Miami is way way way to big and tough for the Suns especially, but the Mavs as well.

Second, Chauncey Billups is still more deserving of the MVP than Steve Nash. Although, he had better start playing like it. He has made several comments indicating he believes he should have been MVP this year... Well, Chauncey, I agree... The only problem is, I can't prove it, unless you start playing like it. Jason Williams and Gary Payton??? What the hell???... First of all, I'm not sure Jason Williams could cover me... and Gary Payton is older than the crust between Shaq's toes. Now step up already... Come out, score 24 on 15 shots... 11 assists... 4 boards... and keep doing that for the rest of the series... Because that is what an MVP does.

Rasheed... PLEASE... for the love of god... stop hanging out with Uncle Cliff between games. We need you to be there (mentally) every game. You don't have to score 20 points every night, but grab some boards, hussle, and play some D... We fans in Detroit provided you an amazing opportunity... To be loved. You completely turned your reputation around here, and you owe us... Come to play. And Flip, if he doesn't... keep him out of the game... It is just way too late in the season to take games off. Now, I don't believe his ankle is that big of a factor. He has had good games since the sprain. If it is the ankle then give more time to Dice and Dale Davis. Joe Dumars picked them up for a reason, and if Sheed is so hobbled by the ankle that he is ineffective, than they NEED to play. With Shaq and Zo playing well, we can't afford to have Sheed not playing close to 100%...

Also, I would like to see Davis and Ben Wallace play together at least for a few minutes. Put Ben on Antoine Walker, and Davis on Zo or Shaq. That way Ben can stay out on Walker, eliminating his outside shot (and I don't think Walker can or desires to drive on Ben), and keep Davis' big body on Shaq. Also, Dale Davis can put Wade on his ass on one of his drives. Put a little fear in him. Make him think about being knocked down when he drives.

Where is Tony Delk?????? Don't tell me that Delk didn't have an impact when he joined the team. The addition to Delk, in my mind, really solidified the bench. You had Hunter and Delk... and now no Delk. Why? I really don't understand this. I know Hunter plays good defense, but if he shoots 1 for 7, then his defensive effort really doesn't matter. Because offensively he becomes a liability. This is not to say Hunter's defensive efforts are not necessary. They are. But, if the offense is not clicking, we need a spark. Which I thought Delk provided quite well in the regular season.

Final Note: With all that said, if Chuancey and Rip just start playing like they did through the regular season, we should be alright. They need to be more effective on the offensive end. During the regular season they combined to average 1.34 points per shot. If they had hit that mark in game 1, they would have had nearly 14 more points between them. They claim to be the best backcourt in the league... Well, right now, they aren't playing like it.

Looking for some Ink???

2006-05-25T10:47:00.000-04:00

Ok, singing Hasslelehoffer at the free throw line was bad... But this? This is just sad. Dirk Nowitski is sporting fresh ink these days, and it couldn't be any more pathetic... Ok, alright, Dirk really doesn't have this tatoo, but it would be hilarious. For more "that would be funny" tatoos, click on the link below.

"Going under the needle" By Kurt Snibbe (espn.com)

The kid is good.

2006-05-22T12:44:00.000-04:00

After watching Lebron James over the course of the Piston/Cavs series it become very evident that James is something special. He really is THAT good. Here is yet another reason to add in favor of "Bron" being destined as the next "Insert a host of names here"...

After watching the Pistons swarm Lebron with all types of defensive looks; one must remember that some of it would not have been possible just a short while ago. Very recently did the rules change in favor of allowing zone defenses. Which is what the Pistons were doing (in a sense) when they were guarding Lebron most effectively.

One strategy in particular that seemed to work well, was having someone (who was not guarding James) to float about halfway between James and the hoop. This allowed the defender to be right in his face in order not to allow easy jumpers, while also forcing James to recognize that if he got past one defender, there was another waiting.

Without zone defense the Pistons could not have played Lebron quite in that way. Making Lebron's job even harder. Making his accomplishments even greater. That kid is something else... and only going to get better every year... for probably at least the next 8 years. Just wait until he is hitting his 3s at 40 percent... Not to mention when he becomes a regular memeber of the NBA's top defensive team (and yes he will).

Too bad that eventually Lebron will really be giving the Pistons a run for their money... In which case I will have to despise him even more than Jordan.

Just one more reason...

2006-05-17T14:35:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm sure everyone would agree we didn't need another reason, but we have one anyway...

So without further ado...

Reason 234: Why Germans should not be allowed in the NBA.
According to an article on ESPN.com, Dirk "I wish this didn't slip out of my mouth" Nowitski, hums while at the free throw line. Why is that so bad? He is humming David Hasselhoff... No, seriously, he does... I'm not making this up, and I'm pretty sure neither is ESPN... He said it, and will never be able to take it back...

David Friggin Hasselhoff... Dirk, what in the hell have you been smoking????? Find the article HERE.

Harrington, OUT...

2006-05-15T10:59:00.000-04:00

Well, for those of you who haven't already read Mitch Albom's most recent 2 columns, you should really take a look. They are pretty in depth interviews with the Motor City's ex scape-goat, Joey Harrington. I've looked through them, and am not quite sure what my take on the whole subject is, but I will be posting that soon... In the meantime, check out the interviews.
(Photo by KIRTHMON F. DOZIER/Detroit Free Press)

Part 1 click HERE.

Part 2 click HERE.

Off the Bench

2006-05-08T09:11:00.000-04:00

The Cavs would be a better team if they traded their roster, for the Piston's bench. Honestly. I really believe that is true. Imagine LeBron James, Tony Delk, Carlos Delfino, Antonio McDyess, and Dale Davis as a starting lineup.

Here we have a look at what the current Cav roster looks like, and how it would look with the Piston bench. Without a doubt, the Pistons bench would make that team a lot better.

The biggest improvement comes with McDyess. On the Pistons his role is 6th man, but he is better than everyone on the Cavs besides LeBron James. Please no Larry Hughes argument, because he is not anywhere near as valuable as Dice. Ilgauskas either... That man is one of the most overrated players in the game right now. He is way too slow, and a horrible compliment to James - which is very key when discussing all of this. Putting James on the floor will create a lot of easy baskets for Dice. When James drives, defenders will have to stay honest with Dice (about 9 feet from the hoop, 3 feet from the baseline) or he hits that shot 15 times and puts up 30.

Yesterday's blowout revealed the Cav's complete lack of defense. Which would dramatically improve with the new lineup. Hughes and Snow are considered good defenders, but Delk and Delfino are no liabilities. In fact, I believe, Delfino plays pretty good D. He moves his feet well. So the backcourt D, in my opinion, will remain the same (at worst). The frontcourt defense on the other hand would improve by about a million percent. Okay, maybe not quite that much... But with Dice, Davis, and Lebron together - nobody scores inside on them. Maybe Shaq circa 1999, but other than that teams would have a hard time posting any of those guys up. Off the top of my head, besides Wallace Inc., I can't think of another frontcourt pair that would be considerably better than Dice/Davis... They are both big, play good defense, and can rebound. Teams would end up shooting a lot of jump shots, and if they weren't making them... Dice, Davis, or James will surely be grabbing the board.

When that ball ends up in either Davis or Dice's hands you had better be prepared to run. Because Delk and Delfino running alongside James with a full head of steam will create a lot of problems for teams. James, who is being hailed as maybe the quickest end to end player in the game right now, basically needs to be double teamed on a fast break. Also, Delk and Delfino need to be guarded honestly. Both are capable of hitting open jump shots and finishing at the basket on a break.

Now, as I showed, the Cavs defense would improve quite a bit with the new roster. Mostly because of the front court changes, but that change alone would be a huge improvement. With that said, maybe the biggest improvement would come on the offensive end. LeBron aside, Dice is the best scorer in the group (by far). So right there we have a big improvement for the Cavs. Like I mentioned above, I believe Dice will be a great compliment to James. Also, if James draws double teams and misses shots, you had better pray that someone is blocking Dice and Davis out... Because if they aren't, the offensive rebound goes to one of those guys. (I've seen signs from Delfino showing he's not too bad on the offensive glass either.)

The backcourt offensive improvement, by putting Delk and Delfino with James, is huge. Delk nor Delfino are true point guards, but with James you don't need or want one. First of all, James at 9 feet (or however tall he is), is an amazing point guard. The comparisons to Magic are real. He has unbelievable court awareness. So you don't really want a true pointguard. But what you do want, is two guys who can knock down open shots, and drive to the basket if needed. Also guys who are capable of handling the ball and passing. Which is exactly what Delk and Delfino offer. Delk, offensively, is far far superior to Snow. The upgrade there is obvious. The two spot may be a wash. People will argue that Hughes is better than Delfino, but I'm not sure I buy that. I really like the skill package Delfino brings with him. Offensively he does a lot. With a starting role I believe he would find a rhythm, and as the 3rd/4th option, he would be able to take good shots all the time, and make quite a few of them.

Having Dice and James will create tons and tons of easy shots for Delfino and Delk, and I believe both are totally capable of knocking them down. Putting Dice, Delk, and Delfino on the court with James will create a situation where opponents will have to guard him honestly. Double teaming will not work. Those guys will be able to spread out on the court, and someone will be open. Not to mention Davis will finish near the net. Which, he will have no reason to roam too far from.

After really looking at all of this I am starting to think that this team would possibly be #2 in the East, and top 5 in the league. This is assuming Dice/Davis could stay healthy, and average close to or above 30 minutes a game. The situation would be a perfect fit for Delfino in my opinion. Also, James would never have to worry about playing a bad offensive game (which already happens infrequently). When James is off Dice, Delk, or Delfino would be able to carry the load long enough for James to find his shot. You would have the best offensive player in the league (sorry Kobe), and three guys capable of going for 25 on any night...

Rebounding: This team would instantly become a top rebounding team in the league. In James, Dice, and Davis are three men capable of averaging 10 boards a night. Delfino is a smart and athletic rebounder as well.

Final Note: Mad mad mad mad props to Joe Dumars. To put the best starting 5 in basketball together, and to have that much talent coming off the bench, is just an amazing feat. I think there are a lot of teams around the league that would take those 4 guys teamed with their current best player.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

E Nuff is E Nuff is E Nuff

2006-05-04T13:54:00.000-04:00

Enough already. The Pistons will not lose a series due to lack of defensive effort. My honest opinion is that the Pistons will not lose a series period, but that is not my point. Throughout the entire season I had to listen to people whine about the Piston's defensive effort, and how they were falling in love with their offense... blah blah blah blah blah... Shut up. Don't want to hear it... anyone who thinks that is wrong.

First, why don't we take a look at who the best and worst defensive teams of the regular season were. I will use opponent's points per game (OPP) to determine this. Over 82 games, there is no better gauge for defense then how many points you were giving up every night...

As you can see, the Pistons, gave up the 3rd fewest points per game out of all 30 teams. Which is obviously a sign that they were not focused on defense, right? I mean... 3rd?(laughter) God, what an absolutely horrible defensive team... just pathetic.

All year long people seemed to be surprised by how good an offensive team the Pistons had become. I do not understand why. If you just glance at the roster their offensive talent will jump off the page at you. Chauncey, Rip, Teyshaun, Sheed, Dice... Five guys who are all extremely talented offensive players. Besides Dice (because he comes off the bench)... anyone of those guys, if willing, could have been turned into a "26 a night" guy... All you would have to do is make them take enough shots. The brilliance of the Piston offense is their balance. You never know who is going to plunge the dagger. Not to mention, they now have Tony Delk coming off the bench... He once scored 53 points in a game (not as a Piston)... And that is their 6th scoring option. The Pistons are, and have been, a great offensive team. Now, they are just utilizing it. Also, their offense never spins out of control, which is largely due to General Billups.

The key to everything is still having the ability to play great defense when they need to (and yes, they do know when they need to). Take a look at the Pistons regular season numbers against teams experts would include in the league's elite 5. As you can see, when needed, the Pistons are more than capable of playing extremely tough defense. Phoenix put up points, but so did the Pistons, and they won both games. Dallas blew them out in that first game, but I really believe that was a freak occasion. In the next game I think you see a score more indicative of how that series could go. The Pistons held them to 90 points. They beat Miami 3 of 4, and held them to an average under 90 (which is phenomenal). San Antonio played great defense against the Pistons... But, the Pistons played even better, and won both games. San Antonio averaged a meager 69 points against the Pistons this year. Just ridiculous.

Now, I know this Buck series has raised questions... but it shouldn't. Here is a look at all the playoff teams and where they stand in OPP.

The Pistons are 6th. Dallas, is the only team above them who could possibly pose any threat. The Pistons did not play spectacular defense against the Bucks... But what would have been the point. They knew the Bucks weren't going to stop them. They are too balanced. They have too much offensive fire power. So they won by scoring. Will they need to win a series with defense? Most likely. Should we be worried that they won't be able to "flip the switch"? Not me. They have been surprising people with that ability for too long. That "switch" is part of their arsenal... Seemingly they would rather beat you with their offense... But if they can't... They WILL beat you with their defense. Nuff Said.

Note: While the Pistons are "only" 6th in playoff defense... They are tied for 1st in offense.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Justice Served... To the wrong person.

2006-05-03T09:31:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, the final punishment for the “Palace Brawl” was dealt. According to the Detroit News, John Green was sentenced to 30 days of work release, AA meetings, anger management classes, and 24 months of probation. What was his role in the ordeal? He threw the cup. Oddly, however, that was not the crime he was convicted for… He was convicted of misdemeanor assault and battery for punching Ron-Ron…

Honestly, this is ludicrous. I am not going to excuse Mr. Green's role in all of this. Yet, there is nothing that would make me believe justice, in any form, has been served.

I know it has been about a year and a half, but I feel it necessary to remind everyone of what Ron Artest did that night. HE RAN INTO THE CROWD AND PUNCHED A COMPLETE AND UTTERLY INNOCENT HUMAN BEING IN THE FACE!!! Did he receive any jail time? Of course not.

This makes me sick…. Absolutely sick. According to the article, Green was the only person who received jail time for their part in the brawl. How is that possible? What kind of legal precedent does this set?

According to The New York Times, "Green was the only person to take his case to trial. Green said he had hit Artest to defend himself and fellow fans. (AP)"

You could say that Green could have avoided all of this, by not taking it to trial... Which is probably true. But that doesn't make this right... I really believe Green's explanation of hitting Artest. Sure, he did quasi-start it by throwing the cup. But, it is a sporting event, and things like that happen ALL THE TIME. Usually the player shrugs it off, and the fan is escorted out of the stadium. The difference for this incident is Artest is a maniac. If you were sitting next to the person he attacked, and you weren't frozen by fear (which I'm pretty sure I would have been), you would have punched him too. Artest is crazy, and unusually large and strong for a human being (as most pro athletes are)... He needed to be restrained... and needed to go to jail. Instead, Green, will go for 30 days... His crime? Throwing a cup at a professional athlete during a sporting event... Which is obviously a much worse action than punching a random person in the face. Obviously.

Final Note: Artest was hit by a cup of water and jumped up and attacked an innocent person. He received no jail time. Someone who attempted to restrain Artest (by punching him) is going to serve 30 days. That is not right. The worst punishment handed out should have been to Artest… Without a doubt.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Evans grabs 2 Kamans...

2006-05-02T09:51:00.000-04:00

Here we have maybe the most effective rebounding technique ever to hit the hard court. Yes, "The Lobster" made its debut just a few days ago. So let's take a closer look.

As you can see, like all rebounding techniques, positioning is key. You must be behind your opponent. The elbow is bent at nearly a 90 degree angle. Next, all four fingers must be extended and touching, except the thumb which remains on its own(similar to a lobster claw). You can see that Reggie Evans has his man (Chris Kaman) right where he wants him. Kaman's legs are separated enough to allow Evans to go in for the kill.

To the right you can see the execution of "The Lobster". It is very important that the reach be performed quickly and out of eyesight of any referees. With positioning in place, and the Refs unable to see... Evans goes for the kill. With one swift move his hand is quickly around his opponent's "Kamans". A quick, and most likely painfull tug (for the recipient), ensues. This distracts the opponent and allows Evans a better chance at grabbing the rebound.

Drawbacks:

Shown below, Evans was shoved to the ground as a result of implementing "The Lobster".
Also, he was fined $10,000 (A non-factor for amateurs).
Performing this move results in touching another man's testicles-100% of the time.
After you have performed "The Lobster" many people will begin to question just what team you are really batting for.

If you would like to see this move performed in its entirety go here.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

By the Numbers...

2006-04-27T16:54:00.000-04:00

Ok. I agree. Way to early to analyze baseball statistics. But, why not take a look anyway... I've put together, using MLB.com, a look at where the Tigers stand in relation to the entire league and just the American League. Also, I threw the White Sox in as a quasi-standard. These statistics were put together 4/27/06, the Tigers were 13-8 at the time.

Overall, The Tigers hitting (at least statistically) is a little less than average. However, their team batting average puts them among the top 1/3 in the league. Also, they are knocking a lot of balls out of the park, which is a good sign. Keep in mind they haven't played many home games yet, and as "Juan-Gone" will testify, Comerica is not an ideal home run hitting park.
Tiger pitching seems to be a bright spot this year. The addition of Kenny Rogers has worked out nicely. He is 3-2 with a 3.21 ERA (and due for a nice 3 game "W" streak). Mike Moroth pitched his first loss of the year yesterday, but still has a 3-1 record and and outstanding 1.85 ERA. Maybe the biggest difference between this and recent years is relief pitching. Todd Jones is back and has been perfect. He has 3 saves on 3 attempts. Closer Fernando Rodney has been completely and utterly stellar with 4 saves on 4 attempts. More importantly he has pitched 9 innings without giving up a single run. As you can see above the Tigers rank very high around the league in major pitching statistical categories. Especially ERA, which is arguably the most meaningful pitching stat. ERA is the bottom line, and the Tigers' bottom line is great thus far. If this pitching is sustained, it would be hard to believe the Tigers won't continue to play over .500 ball through the season.

Last Thought: So far the Tigers have kept me very interested this season. Excited? Close, but still a bit early to open myself up for disappointment. Remember, like the Lions, the Tigers have been too bad for too long to be overly joyed after 21 games. But, I hope this is sustained... Because come June, the Pistons' and Wings' seasons will be played to conclusion... And if the Tigers have slumped by then, well, I just rather not think about it right now.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Un-Friggin-Believable

2006-04-26T17:07:00.000-04:00

Surfing ESPN.com (they have a lot of good writers)... and I came across a piece, by Gene Wojciechowski, called "Dumb and Dumber"... In it are the details of various recent moronic happenings... The one below seems to have flown somewhat under the radar (at least mine), but needs to be read... I honestly can't believe he said this... Enjoy...

Miles, in an interview with Jason Quick of the Portland Oregonian: "Yeah, you probably smelled liquor on me before. But it's not like I'm at practice drunk. I'm totally focused. I don't care if you come to practice and take a shower, once you go to practice and start sweating, it's going to come out. That doesn't mean you aren't focused or ready to practice. Like you might go out, you might get drunk and come to the gym higher than a mother, and you sweating, you smell like liquor, and you interviewing everybody. What does that mean? You still 100 percent focused. That's just ridiculous. Ask any other team, little petty stuff like that, if you ask any other coach in the NBA if they smell liquor on a player, any coach would say, 'Every year."'

Huh???? Come to practice drunk AND "higher than a mother" Not just drunk. Not just high. Drunk and "higher than a mother" (who's mother?)... Unbelievable... I wonder who he was higher than when he did this interview (Pauly Shore maybe?).

Seriously, D-Miles (if I may), if you find it necessary to go to practice drunk and high... That is fine. But, next time you are interviewed, you should really try to sober up first... for cereal.

Do yourselves a favor and read the rest here.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Playoff Chime...

2006-04-26T13:42:00.000-04:00

"You know with Ron's questionable past, they're going to look for a way to get him,"

"Whether it's minor or major, they're going to look at it in a different way."
~ Bonzi Wells

"I didn't even see the play, but it couldn't have been that bad,”

"There was no flagrant foul or technical foul on the play. They look at things differently for certain people, you could say."
~ Mike Bibby

I must be on crazy pills. Seriously... There is no other explanation. Either Wells and Bibby have lost their minds, or I have. Ron's "questionable" past. Hmmmm? Oh... You mean the time he was hit with a cup of water, ran into the crowd, and punched a random dude in the face? That was indeed "questionable"... If the question is, "What in the hell is wrong with this guy?"

"There have been a lot of things that have happened in my career which [were] unfair. I support my teammates, and hopefully they'll win the game, and I'll be back Friday [for
Game 3]."
~ Ron Artest

What? Don't you mean… “I made a huge mistake, lost my head, and may cause my team some serious harm in this series. I apologize to Manu, my team, the fans, and the NBA.” Oh, wait, I forgot it is Ron Artest… He meant exactly what he said. Not his fault. Big NBA conspiracy. Get off his back.

Look, Artest’s past is not “questionable” it is air tight… The man is a lunatic. When he played for the Bulls he tried to get a job at Circuit City, for the discount. He wanted to take time off from a season, when still with the Pacers, to promote an album. He ran into the crowd and punched a random fan right in the face, and his team still had his back. Then he put an end to any chance the Pacers had at a title run by asking for a trade. Now he throws a forearm straight into the face of Manu Ginobli and people want to throw him excuses. Well, not me. Artest is, and deserves to be, under a microscope the rest of his career… He just isn’t right in the head.

Artest really needs to realize that his past is built on rocky ground, and that cannot be changed. After the brawl he was given a golden opportunity to come back this season, play an enormous role for a good Pacers team, and begin to change his reputation. Instead he unexplainably asks for a trade, plays a handful of well-behaved games, and then throws a forearm shiver into Manu Ginobli.

Should Bonzi Wells, or the other Kings, condemn him? I would say no. That would probably lead to another trade demand. But, no excuses should be offered. This is a man who possesses one of the craziest and ugly pasts in NBA history. Also, a man who is already on his third fresh start, and shouldn’t need another.

(All quotes are from the AP)

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Nashitisn't...

2006-04-19T13:45:00.000-04:00

The NBA MVP debate is nothing new. And, like everyone else, I believe there are a few players that you can make a good argument for. But let me tell you something right now... There is a certain Canadian, who is starting to mount so much support it makes me sick...

Steve Nash is not, should not, and I hope to God will not be crowned this year's MVP. If you ask me, he shouldn't have won last year, but that is old news.

Now, I realize I am biased when it comes to this race, but, the name Chauncey Billups should completely eliminate any chance of a Canadian repeat. Look, hands down, Chauncey Billups is the best point guard in the league, but more importantly he IS DEFINITELY better than Steve Nash.

To make my case I've put together a look at the box scores for the only 2 games they have played against each other this year. Keep in mind the pistons won them both.

Obviously, Billups owns Nash. Nash cannot contain Billups, and Billups completely shuts Nash down. Why? Because Billups is better. Billups scored 62 points on 38 shots... that is just sick. Nash had 1 more assist, but 2 more turnovers.

Possible Argument: Someone might point out that Nash's poor performances against the Pistons cannot be completely attributed to Billups' defense. But, I'll point out that the Suns averaged 103 in those games. Obviously not all the Suns experienced the same problems as Nash. Which leads me to believe Chauncey played a huge role in Nash's offensive struggles. Billups was 2005 All-Defensive Second Team. Something Nash could only dream of. Which is one more reason to add in favor of Billups.

Now, the whole league has accepted Billups' alter ego, "Mr. Big Shot". Why? Because he is friggin' clutch... That's why!!! I decided to go through the schedules and compare the Pistons and Suns' records against the other top 5 teams (San Antonio, Dallas, Miami, Phoenix, and Detroit). Below shows why Billups deserves that reputation, and also shows that Nash cannot be considered nearly as clutch as Billups. The chart has each player's team's record against the other top 5, and how many times the respective player was their team's leading scorer in those games(Note: The Suns have played 12 against those teams, but Nash missed one of them, which is reflected on the chart). "Yeah, but Nash isn't the Suns' leading scorerer the rest of the year." Well, Billups isn't the leading scorer for the Pistons either, but when there are big games to be won, there is Billups leading the way.Now, I am not in any way trying to make the case that Billups has to be MVP (although he should be considered just as much as anyone). I am only pointing out that because of Billups, Steve Nash should have absolutely no chance whatsoever in winning this award. Also, he should never be put ahead of Billups on anyone's ballot. If there were 100 criteria for choosing an MVP, I would imagine Billups would have the edge over Nash in 95 of them (at least)...

Final Note: If Steve Nash wins a second MVP (worth pointing out that it would be a feat Shaq hasn't even accomplished) it would be an absolute travesty to the game. I honestly believe that is no exaggeration. Billups is simply better than Nash... There should be no questions asked. How important is Billups to the Pistons? Well, he was the Finals MVP when they won the championship for starters. Also, I believe it to be no coincidence that in arguably Billups' best year in the NBA, his team happens to set a franchise record for victories. Billups is as important to the Pistons as Nash is to the Suns. As well, he is every bit the on court leader as Nash. He dominated Nash in regular season play, he is more clutch, and a proven champion... What more needs to be said?

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Neat Oh

2006-04-19T09:19:00.000-04:00

NBA fans do yourselves a favor and check out "NBA 101: What this season taught us" on ESPN.com. It is a list of 101 lessons learned throughout the 05/06 NBA season.

One of my favorites...

54. 81 is better than 100
After Kobe exploded against the Raptors, some pundits said his 81-point game was better than Wilt's 100-point game. Next time you get a $100 dinner bill, try settling up by giving the waiter $81. See if he thinks 81 is better than 100. -- ESPN.com

Side-Note: If anyone was watching the Lakers game over Easter weekend, you may have seen a little debate between Pippen and I believe Mark Jackson, during halftime. I would have to agree with Pippen that Kobe is no Jordan... Not until he wins at least 3 Shaq-less rings. Pippen took the subject a little personally, but I mean, Jordan did win him 6 titles.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Getting Pumped...

2006-04-18T14:30:00.000-04:00

Wojo's (Bob Wojnowski) article about Steve Yzerman this weekend is a must read. I know most do not need any more reasons to be pumped up for this year's Stanley Cup run, but hey, who doesn't enjoy a fine piece of writing... Especially when it is about the all time Wing great, Stevie Y.

Click here to go to the article.

Big Little Three

2006-04-18T13:06:00.000-04:00

As I looked over the boxscore for the Pistons/Bucks game yesterday, I was very pleased with 3 players in particular. Carlos Delfino, Jason Maxiell, and Amir Johnson all were extremely productive. Johnson and Maxiell are rookies, and the argument could be made that Delfino is basically one as well.
Now, I realize the Pistons lost. But, it should be pointed out that the Bucks still have meaning to their season, and were still playing their starters quite a bit. The player combinations the Pistons had on the court, were needless to say, very irregular. Those guys are not used to playing together, especially considering Johnson has been playing in the D-League for a large part of the year. So, outcome of the game aside, I believe the productivity of these 3 players is a really good sign for future of the franchise.

Amir Johnson especially seems to have quite the upside. Earlier in the year I read an article, I believe in the Detroit News, that referenced a Pistons scrimmage where he dunked basically from the free throw line (That was during play and not a dunk contest). He is listed at 6 feet 9 inches and weighs 210 pounds. He has been averaging 17 points and 7 rebounds in the D-League. Most importantly is his age. He doesn't turn 19 for two weeks. Look at his stats for last night's game, and think about this: That was really his first NBA game (In his NBA debut he only played 4 minutes). Johnson was the 56th pick overall of last year's draft... And, right now, it looks like it could end up being an absolute steal.

Delfino's playing time this year has been both limited and sporadic. There doesn't seem to be much question regarding his skills though. Well, at least in my opinion. Yesterday, he performed what I thought was an amazing sign of what he can offer. He drove into the center of the lane, did a 360, and barely missed a left handed kiss off the glass. The shot was immediately thunder dunked in by Jason Maxiell. Although he missed the shot the move was still very impressive, and the attention he received by the defense allowed Maxiell to sneak in for the put-back. I truly believe Delfino will be a productive NBA starter when he gets the chance. I just hope that the Pistons are able to hold on to him long enough for it to happen here (or at least trade him before losing him for nothing).

Jason Maxiell, may possess the least "star" potential, but I believe he has already shown what you can expect from him every game. Passion, toughness, and hard work. Three qualities that Joe Dumars has brought with him from the "Bad Boys" days. The aforementioned put-back dunk by Maxiell, on Delfino's miss, was a statement. It said, "Get the hell out my way before someone gets hurt." Maxiell is listed at 6 feet and 7 inches, and weighs 260 pounds. He may benefit from a little quickness boost over the summer, but for now, he looks like someone capable of putting in good minutes in the NBA. The obvious physical comparison between he and Charles Barkley has been pointed out, I am sure. He doesn't strike me as capable of putting up Barkley type offensive numbers, but he does seem like the type of player who is only going to get better and better every year he plays. Not to mention, when Barkley broke in, he didn't strike anyone as a Hall-of-Famer.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Giddy as a school girl...

2006-04-12T12:04:00.000-04:00

Well, playoff season is fast approaching. And, as we all know, this year is very special. Yesterday, the Wings locked the Presidents' Trophy (meaning they will finish 1st overall for the regular season). The Pistons, currently stand as the favorite for the NBA's respective award. Simply amazing, and that cannot be said enough.

The Red Wings are getting old, and who knows, this could be the last Cup run for many of the veterans who collectively define this Wing's era. Stanley Cups, needless to say, are hard to come by. And this Wings team has won three for our great city... (Side note: Would have to research this a little, but as far as I know, the Wings have not changed their roster since that first Cup). I mean... Detroit has become Hockey Town... There is no other American city that has embraced its hockey team the way Detroit has for the past 10+ years. And, our boys in red and white, will need every bit of that support (if not more) for this run. This Cup could be very important. If they win a 4th... There is no more debate. Not Colorado... Sorry New Jersey... The Wings are simply the best of this era, hands down, and a dynasty... If you cannot use that word for what the Wings have accomplished in past 10+ years, then I'm not sure how to use it.

I remember being made a fool when I proclaimed "Big things are on the horizon for this Pistons team...", about 5 years ago. After Big Ben's first year, and before the second one was even close to under way... I declared him the best defensive player in the NBA... I was called a fool... Well, about 5 years later, here they are for the third straight year... Gearing up for another deep playoff run. Amazingly, like the Wings, they will most likely finish first overall for the regular season... Jesus, how lucky can we get?

Also, like the Wings, this playoff run is very important for this Piston's team (actually more important). After 2 over-achieving (as outsiders said at the time) 50 win seasons, the third ended with rings all around. What did the non-believers say? "L.A. lost it for themselves, and Detroit was lucky." Then throughout the next year the Pistons still never received the credit they deserved... Their game 7 loss to San Antonio only made it worse. Before this season bagan the Pistons were put below a handful of teams on most analyst's pre-season predictions. But, here they stand, with the best record in the league (currently)... And a very legitimate chance to seal there fate as one of the best NBA teams ever formed. Chauncey "buh-buh-buh" Billups has solidified his role as an NBA "super star"... I won't listen to an argument that says otherwise. Hands down, best point guard in the league, and if that doesn't make you a super star, I'm really not sure what does... (Shoe contract?... he has one of those too)... So, now that these Pistons have the "super star" everyone has been saying they needed for the last 5 years... Only that second championship (A third would make it undeniable) stands in the way of the amazing legacy, they have already begun to write...

Thank You Wings. Thank You Pistons... For making the last 134 years of Lions football, and the last 15 years of Tigers baseball... Completely irrelevant for a few months...

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Financial Woes...

2006-04-12T09:48:00.000-04:00

According to an article in the Detroit Free Press, Darron McCarty has filed for bankruptcy. His debt largely seems to stem from gambling and bad business decisions.

Darron has cemented his legacy in Detroit sports lore. His beat down of Claude Le-Turdstain brought almighty redemption to the Motor City, and was the spark the Wings needed to bring home that first Cup (of the most recent 3). For those same reasons I'm sure he will see much sympathy and support from fans and players... So he doesn't need mine.

I'm sure Darron, so long as he pulls himself together, will be fine. There is nothing to help recent bankruptcy more than being a professional athlete... Darron makes $850,000 a year, to throw on blades, and skate around an ice rink with his buddies. He will be OK. I don't like the fact that Darron has found himself in this trouble. I really like him too, just like all of you (which is about 4 people reading this). I was extremely disappointed to find out he wasn't going to be a Red Wing anymore, and I will always love the guy for what he did in the Wings uniform, and the charitable work he did out of it. My opinion about him as a player or a decent guy won't change.

But, come this time next year ... He'll probably already have more money than me, and just about anyone I know.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Just Friggin Great...

2006-04-10T14:15:00.000-04:00

Well, after giving up 5 runs in less than 6 innings, Kenny Rogers decided to give us an early glimpse of what all Tigers fans were hoping we had seen the last of.

According to an article on startelegram.com Kenny Rogers caused a bit of a "scene" after his second outing for the Tigers. According to the article, Rogers, was less than timely when making himself available to the media after pitching against his former team, Texas. When finally reaching the media he asked, "Anyone from Texas?"... The press conference didn't proceed, according to the article, until 2 members of the press(Texans) left.

For me, this is all a sign that the highly touted (in Detroit that is) 2006 Tigers, have their work cut out for them this season. There seemed to be some major drama queens in last year's locker-room. Most of which are still changing in it. Seems, also, they may have added one more.

Overly blessed, we Detroiters are, by what seems to be a bunch of stand out guys playing for the Wings and Pistons. Which obviously plays a factor in my, and other's, disgust for locker-room drama clubs... Especially when the Tigers are coming off a year that featured multiple long running plays (Including the award winning "When Pudge left with no good bye" and "What exactly is it that crawled up Pudge's ass?"). So, Kenny, let me be the first (somehow I doubt I'm the first, but I'll write it anyway) to let you know that Detroit Sports are shaped by a "blue collar" attitude... They really are... And your antics of the past, and the most recent, do not belong here... So next time you feel the urge to remind all of us why we had our doubts in the first place I want you to consider a few things.

This is not L.A.
Your money is our money.
We are all very partial to the Colonel's chicken, and not yours.

Final Note: Mr. Rogers... We want to love you, and we'll always love the Tigers... So please, at least while you are wearing the Detroit Tigers uniform, just swallow your friggin' pride... Ok? That is all we ask... if you do that... and maybe win some games this year... You will be treated like the "hero" you feel you should.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Honorable Kicks

2006-04-10T13:24:00.000-04:00

During the lead up to the NBA all-star game I was "surfing" ESPN's site, and I found myself looking at their all-star shoe preview. I used to be a bit of a basketball shoe buff back in my day(owned a pair of "Ewing's" no big deal), but after I cut my teeth in the work force, I realized that basketball shoes were one of the most over-priced pieces of Shiite; EVER known to man. On the site they showed Kobe, Duncan, Wade, Lebron, Nash, Iverson, and Shaq's all-star kicks...

Now, I know that I am not the first to point out that basketball shoes are retarded expensive. Yet, the problem as I see it; the situation is getting worse. This is exemplified by the fact that Tim Duncan's shoes (that have an effing micro chip processing something or other) cost $250. That is two-hundred and fifty... dollars. One more time, to really bring the point home, two-hundred and fifty dollars. Unlike Spreewell, I imagine Duncan is making enough just on his basketball salary to feed his kids... Even if he had 432... As well, I imagine, he doesn't lend his name to Addidas without a substantial check first. With that said, there is no possible explanation Duncan could give... that should lead anyone to buy his shoes. Now before I'm labeled a "Duncan hatin' Piston fan" I'd like to say I really like Duncan as a player. If I were a GM, I would want him on my team, absolutely no doubt. He also, isn't the only person that deserves flak. The rest of those players on the list all have shoes that average around $140. Except for one.

Shaq To The Rescue !!!

Yes, put the kids to bed folks, because I bought those magnificent beauties at Kmart (they go for 35 bucks and have real leather action). I'm not going to make Shaq sound like some kind of American Hero. Because he isn't. Not one bit. He is a man who makes millions to play a game, and that is crazy. But, seems to me that there will always be people with more than they need or deserve... So if they all were more like Shaq... I'd like to think things would be a tiny bit better. Well, I feel a tear coming, I'd better go smash something, before it surfaces.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

And it's not Teyshaun

2006-04-06T22:11:00.000-04:00

No, this Prince is actually quite the opposite. He stands only 6ft tall, and weighs 260 pounds. He plays first and bats lefty. He also bears a heart warming resemblance to his father... Cecil Fielder. The name, Cecil, invokes (at least for me) a yearning for the Tigers "good ole" days... Which would really be better described as the "not so bad" days. The team wasn't all that impressive, but we did have some offensive heavy weights that were fun to watch... Especially Cecil, a man with the classic home run hitter's body. I can still vividly remember listening, with my father, to the radio broadcast of when Cecil hit 50. Of course that was when 50 meant something... A time before the strike. Before the roids.

Now things have come full circle, which sports often do. Prince Fielder, is getting his chance with the Brewers this year, and this blogger couldn't be happier. My first reaction was to question why the little yet big, Fielder, is not donning the old english D. So I researched Prince's draft on MLB.com, and discovered that he was selected by the Brewers with the 7th pick overall of the 2002 draft. The Tigers, unfortunately, had the 8th. Now I guess they could have traded down, but I don't really think that argument is necessary. As a sports fan there is a point where one has to realize not everything can work out like the movies. Draft picks, and trades, cannot be motivated soley on the emotion they may provoke. Although, with the Tigers draft history over the last 10 to 15 years, maybe the provoked emotions would have been a better criteria than whatever it is exactly they are using.

Ok, as this post seems to wind down, I'm sure you are asking yourself, "Just what in the hell is the point of all this?"... Well, as a Tigers fan who remembers those early 90s sluggers, and was especially partial, as many were, to Cecil... I want to see Prince Fielder succeed in this league. No, I need to see Prince succeed. Ideally, one day, it will be in a Tigers uniform... Maybe even leading the team towards the playoffs... But, if it isn't... I'll still be rooting for him, and I will still be disappointed if he fails...

Final Note:
Last I remember Cecil had found himself in a bit of a mess. Which I am troubled to hear... Although his decisions cannot be excused... I still remember him as probably the nicest professional athlete I will ever meet. When I was a wee lad, I had a nice little hook-up for Tigers games, and so was able to roam Tiger Stadium before the gates were open. On a couple of occasions, there was Cecil, sitting in the empty seats in right field, chatting it up with an usher. Even though I couldn't have been more than 9 years old, I realized that was cool. That Cecil was a decent guy. Which is why I really hope, that Prince can produce... and that maybe some of those "good guy" traits rubbed off on him.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Calmer than you are.

2006-04-06T10:52:00.000-04:00

Ok folks. The Tigers, as most of you already know, are currently two and oh. Which is outstanding, I suppose. I have to admit that as a Tigers fan my favorite time of the year is the off-season. Well, at least in the last 10 years anyway. Because that is when you get all the hype, and none of the losing that usually goes with it. I know what you are thinking. "Man, this guy is just a Tigers basher, and they got leyland, and Pudge had off-season surgery to remove that giant stick up his ass... and Bondo's gunna be an ace... blah blah blah."

Look... you don't have to go over that anymore... It has been beaten to death. Leyland isn't going to put up with anything. Kenny Rogers has a fastball greasier than his chicken. The rest of the Tigers have realized that Polanco doesn't have an ego, his head is literally just that big. I know. I know... Spare me.

I've been a Tigers fan way too long now to get excited before the 60th game mark. Because for the last 10 years (maybe longer), the season hasn't really been relevant after that point. There may have been a couple of seasons that were still salvageable by the 60th game, but as we all know, salvaged they weren't.

With that said, maybe this is the year. And, I will be the first to say that I hope to friggin God (We'd also except Vishnu, Allah, Buddha...) that this will finally be a turn around year. Are they a Series contender? C'mon. Could they make the playoffs? Um, maybe, if everything good said about them in the past 2 weeks turns out to ride all the way through the season. But, more realistically, they have a chance to not suck this year . And if they don't suck after 60 games... Then by George this could be a fun summer. But, for now, I'm just too busy with the Wings and Pistons... I mean for the love of God, they (as well as the Tigers oddly) are first place overall in their respective leagues. Simply amazing... Detroit without a doubt (at least in my opinion) has the best current sports scene in the Country.

One issue, that seems to be flying somewhat under the radar right now, is that Kenny Rogers was pulled on opening day because of tightness in his back... My first thought when Rogers joined the club, and admittedly not an original one, was his age... Could he still do it? And, if on opening day he is being pulled because of tightness in his back... This is not a good sign, and I just hope it isn't a bad one.

Final Note: I love Detroit sports, and I love the Tigers. Always have. But, for now, I just won't allow myself to get too excited until that 60th game. Although, if they are 25-10 after 35 games, I may be singing a different tune... That sports for you.

~Bladdy
bladdy_blog@hotmail.com

Open Letter To Bud...

2006-04-05T14:39:00.000-04:00

Mr. Selig,

As a baseball fan, speaking the opinion of other fans (at least I think), please for the love of all that is holy... Just retire already... I'm sorry to be so rude, but basically, as the commissioner of the MLB... You just suck. If you could take 345 of the sweetest vacuums ever known to man, and put them together to form the ultimate "sucking machine"... You would suck about 3.2 times more than that...

Baseball, Mr. Selig, was once America's game. My game. Our game. It was a holy sanctuary... and to quote The Dude..."you fucked it up!." Now, I suppose to put all of baseball's woes on you is a bit unfair. I can't, with an honest face, say that you have "caused" the problems that exist in baseball today. But, your lack of effort to correct it, and your constant "back turning" towards the problems, has led me to the conclusion that you need to go. I am sorry, but that is just the only solution I see fit.

As evidence of my case I would like to pose the question, "Just what in the hell was that World Baseball Cup fiasco?" Hmmm??? Any explanation??? Was that your idea??? Did you know that the final featured only 1(one) pro ball player... Do you realize how horrible for baseball that is?

Also, I remember how great the "home run race" a few years past was for baseball. Man, watching all those roid ragers drop their bats and ding homers with their bare hands... God that was great. Unfortunately, while steroid use could be attributed as helpful towards that momentary resurgence of baseball... What you lacked was the foresight to see that eventually it was all going to blow up right in your face. Now, at the time, there were definitely more people enjoying the race, than arguing against the use of roids... But, as the friggin commish... you need to be able to look into the future, and determine what overall effects things have on the game... And, in that duty, you failed miserably. So just retire.

Without going into much detail... I'll only write two phrases "revenue sharing" and "salary cap"... For the lack of a proper form of both being in MLB, now in the year two thousand and six, please retire...

Without turning this into a novel (I'll leave that to Mr. Costas) I beg you, Mr. Bud "Light" Selig, just walk away from the game, and don't look back... Ever.

~ Bladdy

Sheed not a victim.

2006-04-05T13:12:00.000-04:00

Ok... after yesterday's game I am watching FSN's post game coverage... And about a brazillion times I am subjected to their analysis that Sheed is getting bogus techs, and basically he just has a bad rep, and that is the only reason why he gets these techs. They brought it up during 3 different segments (at least). This type of "media created" story (and this one specifically) is why I have begun this blog. Becuase I know, all around today, there are people who watched the post game show, and are blabbing things like "Oh, the Refs hate the Pistons.... They don't get any calls. The league hates Sheed, and that is the only reason why he gets so many Techs...."

And so I am here to bring everyone back to reality for a second. If you are any type of basketball fan (at least pro ball) you may remember the "Sheed" that used to play for the Trail Blazers... He set the league record, I believe, for technical fouls in a season(right around 113,000). HE built himself a reputation... that to say the least... was not of a quiet guy. Now, unless you think there was a league conspiracy back then... Maybe David Stern telling his right hand man "You know, we really need a guy that we can start giving techs to with absolutely no good reason. Someone to become the 'badass' of the league... Let's see, close my eyes, pick a name from this hat that happens to have every NBA player's name in it.... let's see... Oh, this will work... Rasheed Wallace... Tell the refs to just start giving him techs if he even looks like he is thinking about saying anything..."

Ok... obviously that wasn't the case... Rasheed set the record because he did take things way over the line sometimes. He said and did things he shouldn't have... Which leads to a reputation. Which leads to the occasional tech that may not be 100% deserved. But, to say that now he is being treated unfairly is just stupid... and a non story... created soley for the purpose to fill about 6.7 minutes of post game show...

Let me finish with the fact that I am a huge fan of Rasheed's. It is impossible to say that he isn't a huge piece of the Piston's championship puzzle. And, so long as his techs don't hurt the team... I guess I really could't care less about them... But, just cuz he plays for the Pistons, and I am a die hard Piston fan, doesn't mean I have to create or accept excuses for them.

~ Bladdy