BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
It is hard to believe that a week has passed in the Detroit area and Friday, March 13th, 2009, will go down as the day Detroit Pistons Owner Bill Davidson died at age 86.
During that time, I’ve read numerous tributes back in my hometown about Davidson’s legacy and now it’s time to post one of my own. There wouldn’t be enough words to describe what a shrewd business man Davidson was. So we’ll let statistics take over.
In 1974, Davidson purchased the franchise for $7 million and now it’s worth more than $500 million. He took a franchise that played in the 12,191 seat Cobo Arena from 1961-78 and moved it to the suburban Pontiac Silverdome. While at Cobo Arena, the Pistons top average attendance reached 7,492 totaling 307,180 in 1974-75.
The move to the Silverdome was a work in progress but it lasted until the 1987-88 season. By the Pistons final season, their numbers climbed from an average of 9,510 for a total of 389,936 in 1978-79 to 26,012 and became the first team in NBA history to draw a million fans as 1,065,505 drove up I-75, M-59 and Opdyke Rd to watch the beginning of the Bad Boys era led by star Isiah Thomas, who played with the team 13 seasons. Detroit led the NBA in attendance in five seasons.
On January 29, 1988, the Pistons and Boston Celtics drew 61,983. with the curtain open at this football stadium. On Feb 21, 1987, 52,745 watched the Atlanta Hawks face the Detroiters. During the NBA Finals on June 12, 1988, Magic Johnson’s, LA Lakers played in front of 39,188.
These numbers are a far cry from the days at Cobo Arena. More importantly, Davidson’s vision would lay out the groundwork for a team which transformed itself from an NBA laughingstock to a power house.
When a March 4, 1985 snowstorm caused structural damage to the Silverdome roof and forced the Pistons to play home games at the Joe Louis Arena in the 1985 playoffs, Davidson would focus his attention on finding his franchise a permanent home at the Palace of Auburn Hills. He privately funded this arena and the first five seasons the team recorded sellouts of 21,454. The Pistons have led the NBA in attendance five of the last six seasons and their capacity has increased to 22,076.
But the transformation has been more than just attendance. Here is a franchise that built it’s own practice facility and was the first to fly in it’s own private airplane. I’ve been to many stadiums around the USA and the Palace is one of the nicest venues in the country. He even created the idea and used the Palace to invite fans watch NBA Finals Road Games on the stadium big screen scoreboards charging low admissions realizing the team would make money on souvenirs and concessions. Other teams in college and the pros would follow suit.
When the Pistons traded future Hall of Famer Adrian Dantley, he said the thing he would miss was that private plane. But Dantley, who was traded by the Utah Jazz for Kelly Tripuka, was a player that had an image as one of the best scorers in NBA history and turned into a role player that just wanted to win a championship but came up short against the LA Lakers in the 1988 Finals.
Dantley would be traded to the on Feb 15, 1989 to the Dallas Mavericks for Mark Aquirre. But he’ll be known for a collision with Vinnie Johnson in an Eastern Conference Final Series which Detroit lost at the Boston Garden to the Celtics in 1986-87. To date, he remains bitter and blames Thomas for the trade that brought his friend Aguirre to the Pistons preventing him from wearing a championship ring.
Going into the 2008-2009 season, the Pistons all-time regular season record was 2,048-2,061 for a . 498 winning percentage. In the playoffs, Detroit is 171-143 for a percentage of . 545. Davidson has three titles for the Pistons, three for the Detroit Shock and one with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. The Lightning were a real mess before Davidson revived that franchise. Seven championships for three major league teams.
Forbes magazine had Davidson ranked as one of the richest people in Michigan with his flagship company Guardian Industries, Palace Sports & Entertainment comprising The Palace of Auburn Hills and DTE Energy Music Theatre (formerly Pine Knob) .
While cities and pro franchises have arenas named after corporate sponsors to generate additional revenue, the billionaire philanthropist hasn’t seen the need to go this route. Davidson didn’t charge media members for meals and parking like other team’s do. He’s made millionaires out of many people and donated millions to many charities.
His first coach Dick Vitale got fired 12 games during the 1979-80 season with a career mark in Detroit of 34-60. Vitale moved on to ESPN where he was an original college basketball analyst and both he and Davidson were inducted together into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September. I can just imagine the dialogue between the two in Springfield, Mass.
Davidson joined former Coach Chuck Daly, Current President of Basketball Operations & former Guard Joe Dumars, Thomas and Dantley in the Hall of Fame.
His most controversial firing was Larry Brown, whom he gave $5 million to leave when he was a distraction while considering other jobs while he was employed by Detroit.
When my colleague George Eichorn of the Detroit Monitor and Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association asked me to submit my thoughts for both media outlets, I jumped at that chance.
Here is what I wrote “I’m deeply saddened by the loss of Bill Davidson. I’ll always remember sitting at press row at the Palace as Mr. Davidson would pass by, we’d exchange greetings and he’d always ask me how I was doing, then we shook hands. I feel privileged to have covered the Pistons the past 20 years and that my name has been in their Media Guide for years so it will always be proof that I was associated with a class act like Mr. Davidson. If there are disadvantages about covering a Pistons Road game, it’s not being around the members of the media that I embrace as colleagues, the Pistons staff and of course seeing Mr. Davidson.”
As I learned of the funeral arrangements and saw that over 1,500 packed Congregation Shaarey Zedek, in Southfield, MI., it was nice to find out that he would be buried at Clover Hill Park Cemetery, in Birmingham.
These are the same grounds where my current family members are in peace. They include both sets of grandparents beginning with Sidney & Sophie Morganroth, Sidney & Dorothy Caplan, Great Grandparents Morris & Celia Kroll, a close cousin & adopted brother Terry Kroll, Step Grandfather Sidney Jacobs and an Uncle Larry Leshman.
I hope it takes many years before my parents, along with my Aunt Judy and her husband Bob Strohl, wind up in Clover Hill, while my situation could hinge upon a potential significant other. If I do end up in Clover Hill, it should be near or next to Terry Kroll because he used to live in Southern California and attend LA Lakers games regularly. It would be neat if I had the chance in heaven to introduce Terry and Mr. Davidson.
But one thing is for certain, when I return to Clover Hill Park Cemetery for a visit, I won’t have to go through the Pistons Public Relations Department to pay my own personal tribute to Mr. Davidson. All I’ll have to do is just go by the Clover Hill Park Directory and just look for his name. Then I can say “thanks for everything! I’ll miss seeing you at the games, will always think about you realizing our paths will eventually cross again.” 

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By George Eichorn

 

 

    This has been one sad year so far. Just in space of a few weeks we lost legendary race announcer Jack Riggs, boxing great Mickey Goodwin, “Mrs. Hockey” – Colleen Howe and now William Davidson, the owner of the Detroit Pistons and Shock.

     I still recall in 1974 when Davidson and his business associates including Oscar Feldman and Herb Tyner, anted up $6 million (estimated) to purchase a struggling franchise called the Pistons who played at Cobo Arena for Fred Zollner, a Fort Wayne, Indiana businessman.

    Davidson do not have all the luxuries that would latter come at the Palace in Auburn Hills. Instead of courtside seating, he and Feldman opted for a small, roped-off section of seats in the first tier, directly across from the mid-court line at Cobo.

    As president of the Detroit Pistons Fan Club, I would see Davidson nearly every home game. He was always smiling and friendly to this young guy, reaching to shake my hand and ask me how I’m doing. I could tell he apporeciated all the fan interest the club generated for his team. He was a very nice man indeed.

    He built the Pistons into a property worth $480 million according to the most recent Forbes magazine estimate. He won seven championships with Pistons, Shock and Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL. He tried his hand with indoor soccer, indoor football and minor league hockey. He built his own arena, this coming in an era where it seemed every owner wanted taxpayer’s dollars to build a place. He bought his own airplane to help his weary players fly first-class and in times convenient for them. He was truly a remarkable owner and philanthropic soul.

     Although he died at age 86 last Friday, March 13, Davidson is remembered fondly by so many people. We assembled here some of the many thousands who have written, blogged and talked about Mr. D as he was called at the Palace.

     Mitch Albom, Free Press columnist: “Maybe the greatest example of Davidson’s derring-do was his decision to build the Palace, privately funded, at a time when nobody was building their own arenas for one very simple reason – no one believed you could make the venture profitable.”

     Rick Carlisle, former Pistons coach: “Obviously it’s difficult news for those of us that knew him and for his family, but he lived a very rich life and helped untold thousands, and probably millions of people with all of his philanthropic things which frankly he never wanted anybody to talk about. So it was an incredible life that he lived.”

     Michael Curry, Pistons coach: “We are all deeply saddened by the news of Mr. D’s passing. He’s been a great owner who genuinely cared for players, coaches and employees. He will not only be remembered as a great owner but also as a person who made a difference in many people’s lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mrs. D and the entire Davidson family.”

     Guardian Industries statement: “The global Guardian Industries family mourns the loss of its visionary leader and guiding light, owner and CEO William Davidson – “Mr. D” – to the more than 19,000 Guardian people around the world. We are deeply saddened by his passing…During his 52 years at the helm of Guardian, he provided vision, leadership and a straightforward approach to building business with an entrepreneurial style second to none. He established a no-nonsense, anti-bureaucratic culture within Guardian Industries and the other organizations he led.”

     Richard (Rip) Hamilton, Pistons guard: “Mr. D was the greatest owner of all time.”

     Mike Ilitch, Tigers owner and Marian Ilitch, Red Wings co-owner: “We are saddened by the passing of Bill Davidson and extend our condolences to his wife and family, the Pistons and Shock organizations and all of his employees. We always found Bill to be a very personable, friendly and warm person. He was a tremendous businessman, owner and competitor. His commitment to our community and his passion for innovation will leave a lasting legacy.”

     Tom Lewand, Lions president: “On behalf of the William Clay Ford family and the entire Detroit Lions organization, we extend our deepest sympathies to the Davidson family and the Detroit Pistons on the passing of Mr. Davidson. The sports world and the Detroit community have lost one of their true icons. Mr. Davidson will be missed for not only his accomplishments as an owner but also for his many civic and charitable contributions to our region.”

     Scott Morganroth, Monitor special writer: “I’m deeply saddened by the loss of Bill Davidson. I’ll always remember sitting at press row at the Palace as Mr. Davidson would pass by, we’d exchange greetings and he’d always ask me how I was doing, then we shook hands. I feel privileged to have covered the Pistons the past 20 years and that my name has been in the Pistons media guide for years so it will always be proof that I was associated with a class act like Mr. Davidson. If there are three disadvantages about covering a Pistons road game, it’s not being around the members of the media that I embrace as colleagues, the Pistons staff and, of course, seeing Mr. Davidson.

     Ray Scott, former Pistons coach and chairman, Michigan Sports Hall of Fame: “Mr. Davidson was a pioneering sportsman and industrialist whose vision created new models of success in the business of sports and entertainment. As important as his business success, Mr. D’s significant philanthropic dedication has left a lasting legacy not only in the local community, but also globally. I only wish I could have worked for him longer, and our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. D and his family – including those at the Palace.”

     Jim Stark, Michigan Sports Hall of fame president: “I recall when Mr. D was inducted – he gave a touching and compelling speech about his days growing up in the city of Detroit playing sports. “We will all miss his leadership and commitment to excellence. We are proud to have him as a member of our Hall.”

     David Stern, NBA commissioner: “Over the last 35 years, Bill Davidson’s impact on the sports world and the NBA in particular has truly been legendary. From his seven championships in three different leagues during his Hall of Fame career to his incredible business successes to his extraordinary community service, Bill set a standard for ownership in sports that will be difficult for anyone to match. The NBA family has lost an innovative thinker, a visionary businessman and most importantly, a trusted friend. I want to extend our condolences to Karen and the entire Davidson family during this time. Bill’s influence on our league will never be forgotten.”

     Tom Wilson, Palace Sports and Entertainment president: “The entire Palace family is mourning the loss of Mr. Davidson. He was truly a pioneer in so many ways. His legacy will live forever.”

            ***

Davidson’s involvement in the Detroit community, the University of Michigan, Jewish charities and the state of Israel has been well documented. As one of America’s most generous donors, Davidson helped launch the Pistons/Palace Foundation, a charitable vehicle that has donated more than $20 million dollars in cash and merchandise since 1989. In 1995 the foundation worked in conjunction with the City of Detroit’s Parks and Recreation Department to establish the Partnership to Adopt and Renovate Parks for Kids (PARK) program. The program provides for restoration of Detroit parks, basketball courts, baseball diamonds, running tracks and playground equipment.

(ITALICS-) Reach George Eichorn at geichorn@yahoo.com.

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BY SCOTT MORGANROTH
If there was ever a time to have picture, picture and picture on my television it was Tuesday, March 17, 2009.
Versus had a great NHL match-up featuring the Detroit Red Wings & Philadelphia Flyers. The Red Wings won this game 3-2.
The obvious intrigue here was Philadelphia hasn’t won at the Joe Louis Arena since 1988, spanning 18 games with the Flyers 0-16-2. Included in the streak were two Red Wings wins in the 1997 Finals which enabled Detroit to snap a long Stanley Cup Championship drought. The Red Wings clinched the title by winning Game 4 in Motown.
Even when the Flyers were winning Stanley Cups as the Broadstreet Bullies in the mid 1970s and leading the league in penalty minutes, the Red Wings were second in trips to the Sin Bin with Bryan “Bugsy” Watson camping out there in Historic Olympia Stadium.
The second half of the picture equation was watching ESPN & ABC Play By Play Announcer Brent Musberger coming full circle by calling an intriguing NCAA Basketball Tournament Game.
This time Musberger was at the microphone in Dayton, Ohio., for an NCAA Tournament “Play In” contest featuring The Morehead State, KY., Eagles versus the Alabama State University Hornets. We’re not talking about the Alabama Crimson Tide located in Tuscaloosa or the Auburn Tigers. We’re talking about Alabama State which is located where the Detroit Tigers once had a AA minor league team in Montgomery, Alabama. The Hornets have more than 5,000 students from 42 states and seven countries and a third of the enrollment are non Alabama residents.
Morehead State (20-15) defeated Alabama State (22-10) 58-43 and now have the thankless task of facing the top team in the NCAA Tournament, the Louisville Cardinals (28-5), a team which is projected by many to reach the Finals in Detroit on Monday April 6th.
Prior to March 17th, I had never heard of Alabama State. The only thing that I knew about Morehead State was the university produced New York Giants legendary QB Phil Simms.
Finally, the patriotic side of me was monitoring the rematch of Puerto Rico versus the USA in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in Miami, Florida.
After an embarrassing 11-1 mercy rule loss on Saturday, the USA scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to advance to the WBC semifinals in Los Angeles with a 6-5 win.
Tigers outfielder Curtis Granderson was inserted as a pinch runner in the only move USA Manager Davey Johnson could make with an injury depleted roster. The heroics of New York Mets third baseman David Wright’s game winning hit will now give Johnson a few more days to replace the injured players with healthy ones in the USA’s quest for a WBC Championship.
In 1984, I had the pleasure of seeing an Olympic Baseball Game at Dodger Stadium featuring the Korean National team in Los Angeles.
What a night of sports viewing as the remote received a workout harder than a person would get at a fitness facility.
Furthermore, Versus did a nice job watching New Jersey Devils future Hall of Fame Goaltender Martin Brodeur’s final moments in eclipsing Patrick Roy’s victory mark with 552.
Brodeur’s accomplishment could be compared to those of Brett Favre’s 169 wins as a starting QB, Richard Petty’s 200 checkered flags in NASCAR or Warren Spahn’s 363 triumph’s in baseball’s live ball era.
The only thing we don’t know about Brodeur is where his victory total will end.
I’ve always seen nets get cut down in basketball but not in hockey. This could be the start of a new tradition for a team’s trophy case just like kissing the bricks has become a tradition at the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis.
Since he defended both nets, Brodeur should have cut both.
But all in all, it was a great night to watch three different sports that had unique story lines.
Scott Morganroth can be reached at ScottSports33@aol.com. 

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BY SCOTT MORGANROTH

While the national perception of Detroit is the poor economy & for years, it was known as the Murder Capital, what people seem to overlook is Motown has always been a Super Sports Town.

In my lifetime, the Detroit Tigers, Pistons, Shock and Red Wings have won championships. Even the Arena Football League’s Detroit Drive and the USFL’s Michigan Panthers won titles in addition to the fact that the Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans football, basketball, hockey and baseball teams have enjoyed success. To date, the Michigan Wolverines football program is still the all-time winningest in NCAA Division I.

Yet in this day and age, Detroit’s national sports headlines will focus on the 0-16 Lions. Very few baby boomers will remember the accomplishments of Charlie Sanders, Lem Barney, Billy Sims and Barry Sanders. How many were alive when Barry Sanders played in his lone NFC Championship in 1991 when the Lions were hammered by the Washington Redskins 41-14 in the nations capital at RFK Stadium?

There is no doubt that the Ford Family has done a poor job giving the Lions fans much to cheer about. A 31-97 record the past eight years, an NFL record 24-game road losing streak and now this infamous 0-16 season, has earned the Lions airtime on the late night comedy show circuit, in addition to national ridicule on sports radio and television programs.

But while players like Erik Kramer, Chris Spielman to name a couple should have retired in a Lions uniform on their own terms, other athletes and a head coach didn’t have that option.

I never thought on Oct 24, 1971 at Tiger Stadium that I would be a part of history for all the wrong reasons. As an eight-year old boy, I saw wide receiver Chuck Hughes, 28, die of a heart attack running a pass pattern against the Chicago Bears as Hall of Famer Dick Butkus would later signal for help as his fallen opponent laid on the field motionless. Hughes is the only player in NFL History to die on the field during a game.

As stunned as I was, I knew what was going on and asked my father Mike does this happen often? He quietly nodded his head and said no. He put his arms around me, and when we went to our Southfield, Michigan home, we watched the local news and received official word that Hughes died.

That night, I slept in his bed and had nightmares of that afternoon at the Corner of Michigan & Trumbull. I would later find out that my best friends, George Eichorn, Elia Nicholas and Gus Pantelides also attended this day to forget.

While the Lions may lack winning seasons and playoff victories, this organization doesn’t lack life lessons.

On November 17, 1991., I watched starting right guard Mike Utley, 25 , suffer a severe spinal injury that was officially diagnosed as an injury to his sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae, against the Los Angeles Rams. Amazingly enough, the play was a normal contact play and it seemed like no big deal from my vantage point in the Pontiac Silverdome’s Press Box. But the big downfall at the Silverdome was it was an artificial surface venue with cement beneath it, therefore, when the body took a big hit, it took a physical toll on the player.

Utley was carted off the field strapped on a stretcher. Yet he became a major inspiration after flashing the “Thumbs Up Signal.” But on this day, instead of watching the great moves Barry Sanders was making, it would be the last time Utley would walk because he was paralyzed.

As I think about this day, I’m amazed that we saw the replay on our monitors so many times, it seemed like such a harmful play that it was an injury that few would take notice of knowing it was a clean football play.

The Lions used Utley’s injury to inspire them and they rolled to a seven-game winning streak and a berth in the NFC Championship Game.

Just when the Lions were dealing with the Utley injury, in that off-season, Erik Andolsek, their starting left guard was working in the yard of his Thibodaux, Louisiana., home on June 23, 1992, when he was struck and killed by a semitrailer truck that ran off the highway. He was 25.

Another incident I’ll never forget was the passing of former Lion linebacker Toby Caston. I was covering the Detroit Lions overtime 20-17 win over the defending Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboys on Monday Sept 19, 1994 at Texas Stadium.

At the Lions team hotel, I asked former executive Chuck Schmidt if he even felt his team had a chance to win this game. He told me that the team would be ready for the challenge and don’t be surprised if we win this game. Low and behold, Detroit did prevail on this night and Schmidt was indeed correct.

After the win, Caston and I were talking outside the Lions lockerroom shooting the breeze and pleased with the victory. This is the greatest game I’ve ever attended and it still tops Super Bowl 43 when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals in Tampa!

But at approximately 4 AM the next morning central time, Caston, 29, was killed in an auto accident.

When I heard the news the next day, I was sick to my stomach and devastated! One minute I was enjoying a great Lions win talking to Caston and asking him if he was going to keep playing or stay retired, the next day, the game of football meant nothing compared to the game of life, and the man upstairs made Toby’s decision for him.

On Dec 21, 1997, linebacker Reggie Brown, Detroit’s first round pick, selected 17^th overall from Texas A&M nearly died on the field the same day Lions running back Barry Sanders eclipsed the 2,000 rushing mark for the season.

The Utley injury made me aware of spinal injuries, but watching Brown sustain this spinal cord contusion while assisting on a tackle in a match-up against the New York Jets in the regular season finale at the Silverdome, reinforced the violent nature of football.

Brown did lay motionless on the turf for 17 minutes. He lost consciousness briefly. CPR saved his life. On this day, it felt like he’d be the second person in NFL history to die on the field wearing the same Honolulu Blue & Silver colors. I felt like I was living the Hughes nightmare all over again but this time I was old enough to understand what was going on.

Brown had emergency surgery after being transported to the hospital, which likely spared him from spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair. This injury occurred 32 games into his NFL career while he was in his early 20’s.

While I wasn’t at a game when this tragedy occurred, I still haven’t forgotten about the death of former Lions Head Coach Don McCafferty, who guided the Baltimore Colts to a Super Bowl V, 16-13 win over the Dallas Cowboys on January 17, 1971, suffered a fatal heart attack on July 28, 1974., while cutting his grass at his West Bloomfield home just prior to the beginning of training camp as he was trying to rebound from a 6-7-1 season. He was 53.

I was on a family trip in Traverse City when I heard the news on a local television station in upstate Michigan.

McCafferty replaced Don Shula as coach of the Colts after the all-time winningest coach in NFL history took over the Miami Dolphins. The Lions hired McCafferty on January 26, 1973.

Now the Lions are dealing with the Corey Smith boating tragedy when he and a pair of his fishing buddies died in the Gulf Coast of Tampa Bay, Florida. I saw Smith, 29, play in Charlotte, NC., in the Lions 31-22 loss to the Panthers on Sunday Nov 16th.

It’s tough enough that the Lions had to deal with an 0-16 season and now they’re reeling from the loss of their defensive end, taking the focus away from their scouting of the 2009 NFL Draft. No matter what people feel the Lions accomplished in the off-season, it’s inevitable that Smith will be in the next Media Guide in “Memoriam Of” not a biography of what he did this past season. Even if he would have signed with another team, his lasting image now will be with the Detroit Lions, just like those mentioned in this story.

Does it take all of these scenarios to realize that these football players are human and that football is just a game? These individuals haven’t had the opportunity to celebrate life to it’s fullest because of their unfortunate fate.

For those Lions that have passed away, there will be an asterisk next to their name in the media guide with a footnote at the bottom of the page that says deceased.

But for fans, media, and their family members, there memories will seem larger than life.

I can only imagine how many more yards Barry Sanders would have gained in his Hall of Fame career if Utley and Andolsek’s tragedies wouldn’t have occurred and the lingering question remains, would their contributions have enabled the Lions to reach a Super Bowl? We’ll never know.

On thing I do know, is that the Detroit Lions did the right thing when they retired Hughes No. 85 and honored him by naming an award in his name in 1997 to the “Most Improved Player.”

But I’ll never forget that game as it finished in near silence and how today, this remains the most traumatic sporting & life event I’ve ever witnessed and have been a part of in 46 years.

At a young age, I learned that we’re on this earth for a visit so we better live every day as if it were our last!  The thing that Hughes knows is he can be thankful for the fact that he died doing what he loved to do and that’s playing football.

One of my favorite sayings is “Morris Had Nine Lives, We Better Make The Most of the One We Have.”This has served me well over the years both in my professional and personal experiences.

Reach Scott Morganroth at ScottSports33@aol.com and read him in the Detroit Monitor.

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From the Detroit Monitor

George Eichorn: The Detroit Pistons were just at .500 at press time and what a major disappointment this season has become for the team. They obviously are the NBA’s most negative surprise in my eyes as well as most fans and hoops observers. Team chemistry has been a question mark ever since general manager Joe Dumars shipped captain Chauncey Billups off to Denver for temperamental all-star guard Allen Iverson.

   Scott Morganroth: I’m glad to see the Pistons break their eight-game losing streak and win two in a row with victories over the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics to get back to the . 500 mark. Yes, it has been disappointing, but they’ll have to make the best out of a tough situation. I’m still not pleased with the Billups trade but what’s done is done and hopefully the development of Rodney Stuckey will serve as something positive this season.

   Eichorn: Head coach Michael Curry is not at fault in my mind. I cannot blame him for the Pistons being at .500. I think given the right mix of players, Curry will be fine as a coach and therefore Dumars needs to keep him at the helm. This team has gone through so many coaches, even while winning a ton of games, that making another change now or at the end of the season is not going to solve anything. Heck, I wish Larry Brown was still coaching these guys or even Flip Saunders. But that is not going to happen so Curry has to learn the ropes and become a solid coach like I believe he is capable of doing.

   Morganroth: What I do blame Curry for is when he saw the experiment to move Rip Hamilton to the bench wasn’t working, he should have had the guts to switch back quickly and use Iverson off the bench.

   As evidenced in the Magic and Celtic games, Curry disrupted the chemistry on the team and this could cost Detroit home court advantage in the playoffs. What I saw in Miami at the Pistons-Heat contest made me ill. The team had hit a low point and the quiet locker room looked like a funeral parlor. I’ve noticed that Walter Hermann has been a sparkplug off the bench so he needs to fit him in the rotation. I’m surprised that Arron Afflalo isn’t getting more minutes. Where is Amir Johnson? And Curry should use Kwame Brown and get his six fouls worth by using him on big bodies and wearing them out. Brown should be the Pistons modern day version of Chuck Nevit.

   Eichorn: It looks to me like Rasheed Wallace and Iverson are not the answer here. I say cut your losses after the playoffs and lop off both their high salaries. Then use that cap space to entice a superstar like Chris Bosh to play for the Pistons. Let’s face it; the team needs to retool following the season. This is like the last hurrah with this unit as far as making a splash in the NBA playoffs. Already gone are two vital cogs to the championship days – center “Big” Ben Wallace and Billups. The Pistons thought they could make one last run – and still may – but it isn’t going to be easy with teams like Boston, Cleveland and Orlando ahead of them.

   Morganroth: The best place for Wallace is Charlotte, North Carolina, where he’ll rejoin coach Brown in the state where he starred as a Tar Heel. They worked well together in Detroit and won a championship ring. Brown also protected Wallace’s back when he was hit with technical fouls…probably better than any coach Wallace played for in the NBA. The pair would win in Charlotte and Wallace respects Brown a lot as though he’s a father figure. Dean Smith would show up at more games. Wallace will also sell tickets.

    As for Iverson, he better get used to being a sixth man because that’s where the market will be. He needs to position himself to be on a team that’s loaded to win a title and he becomes a top notch role player. He’ll still get paid well this summer. But clearing the cap space is what the Pistons wanted to do and that’s what they’ll accomplish since they won’t return to the Eastern Conference Finals. I think most of the big name free agents will be available during the summer of 2010.

   Eichorn: I am not surprised are you that the sellout crowds are not as common now at the Palace. With the auto industry and Michigan’s overall economy sagging yet I always give Tom Wilson and the front office credit for innovative discounting and promotions to keep fans’ interest in coming back. Having those Guys Night Out promotions with autograph sessions by the Automotion cheerleaders in a skimpy Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue layout doesn’t hurt either!

   Morganroth: Wilson is a smart businessman. He knows that even with discounted ticket prices there is still money to be made in concessions and at souvenir stands. It helps that the Pistons own their building and, unlike many teams that have a bad lease agreement, the breakeven point is more attainable. Even with a bad economy, if the Pistons put a winner on the floor, they’ll always pack the Palace. As I’ve said all along, Detroit sports fans are some of the best in the U.S.  Every owner should dream to put a team in this market. All fans want is a great effort so their blue collar money is spent for true entertainment.

   Eichorn: The NBA is looking like a three-team slugfest in the East with Boston, Cleveland and Orlando the top dogs. The Pistons are still my darkhorse. In the end, I’ll take the Celtics to win the Eastern Conference finals. Out West, I like the Lakers and they will slug it out with San Antonio, Phoenix and Portland –my darkhorse. Looks to me like a repeat of last year’s six-game Boston-Los Angeles finals series. That would put a big smile on commissioner David Stern and the faces of ABC and ESPN executives.

   Morganroth: I still like Boston coming out of the East. The injury to Ben Wallace will hurt Cleveland’s chances. Until the Magic makes it out of the first round, I’m not taking them seriously. As for the Pistons, they should be glad this is an 82-game season. They still have time to figure out their identity to make some kind of run. I agree, they are a darkhorse and they do have a lot of experience. In the West, the Lakers are the class of the conference while Portland, Denver with Billups and Dallas with former Pistons coach Rick Carlisle could make some noise. I would never count out San Antonio. How can you with their recent championship history?

Reach George Eichorn at geichorn@yahoo.com & Scott Morganroth at ScottSports33@aol.com.

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