10 things you know I know I know, you know?

I'm thinking this "10 things" bit may become an every Friday thing. We shall see...

10. I found it funny, and pretty damn telling, when Deadspin touched on Matt Millen's clueless vote of confidence of the current coaching regime in today's Blogdome, they linked to another "national" site (AOL's Fanhouse) rather than get the local view from the numerous Detroit blogs who also commented upon the ongoing lunacy in Allen Park.

It's just another reason why I find myself reading Deadspin less and less as of late. It's not because Will Leitch left, as my issues with Gawker's site go back for quite some time. I rarely visit the Deadspin proper anymore, preferring to check out posts in my RSS reader of choice. The site design leaves something to be desired. Don't even get me going on their commenters. For every smart, witty and funny comment, there's a dozen more that aren't worth the time it took to type them out. If I want forced, badly done, pop culture referenced humor, I'll read the Sports Guy instead. (Speaking of which, what has happened ESPN.com's Page 2? It used to be a daily must read. Now? I can't remember the last time I went there to read anything. What a damn shame.)

In fact, what I just said about sports blogging's 800 pound gorilla, also goes for the Fanhouse, With Leather, Sports by Brooks, The Sporting Blog, The Big Lead, the usual suspects. (Though I find TBL the best read of the bunch) The problem with these blogs is that they all write about the same damn thing. If I've seen a specific story on one of of the big sites, you'll see it, much sooner than later, on ALL the big sites, with pretty much the same (snarky) opinion.

If one of them finds a "wacky" You Tube video (Often after a smaller site had dredged it up), you know the other big sites will soon post it as well. Whatever the sports blog meme of the day happens to be, all the "big" blogs write about it...endlessly. It's gotten beyond tiresome.

The big sites are much more alike than they'd ever care to admit. Which is why I find myself drawn to more sport specific blogs (Like those at Yahoo), along with city and team centric blogs. They don't feel as rote and by-the-numbers as the Deadspins of the world have become.

9. My thoughts on the Ryder Cup?  

USA! USA! USA! Beat the Euros! 

That's all I really have, as I know so little about most of the Americans playing. I mean, Boo Weekely? Boo? I'd like to make a "To Kill a Mockingbird" reference here, but it's already been done...

8. If there is a man who showed all the signs of being on the edge of batshit insane, it's Jim Leyland. He was all but mentally off the hook when dealing with the umpires in Texas. If Leyland had been given the opportunity, and gotten to within arm's length, I swear he would have cold cocked a couple of men in blue. His actions were enough to result in his getting suspended for the Cleveland series, starting tonight.

But come on, can you really blame the Marlboro Man? If you were stuck using gas cans like Kyle Farnsworth as your set up man, and Fernando Rodney as your closer, you'd be ready for a few days of forced rest too.

If anything, Leyland going postal might have been for the best. From all appearances, he was close to burning out. A 65 year old man losing his shit isn't a pretty thing...Much like this entire Tigers season.

7. Joe Dumars said he tried to make a deal this summer, but didn't get an offer he thought would make the team better. I can understand why he didn't make a deal. The Pistons, as currently constructed, are a playoff team. Blowing up the Pistons for the sake of just blowing them up might have felt good, but accomplished little. So I don't blame Joe D for standing pat. Unfortunately, naming Michael Curry head coach and adding Kwame Brown to the front line aren't moves that have me believing this coming season will be any different than last.

I do like the idea being floated by Curry of moving Antonio McDyess back to 6th man status, where he's more comfortable and won't be the 5th offensive option, thus opening up competition between Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson, and Brown for the vacated starting spot. This might light a bit of a spark with both units, which has been long needed.

But is shuffling the depth chart enough to get the Pistons over the Eastern Conference hump? No. I can't see this team, good as they are, going any further than the conference finals again.

6. Michigan State is going to KILL Notre Dame. Sparty will spank the gimpy kneed Charlie Weis silly. If I'm Mark Dantonio, I give Javon Ringer the ball 35 times, essentially telling ND "You and I both know you can't stop him." If Sam McGuffie can rip through ND for 170+ total yards, Ringer is going to run...well, rings, around the overrated Domers.

5. The man who tried his damnedest to kill my love for Red Wings hockey in the 70's, Ned Harkness, passed away earlier today. I'm sure Harkness was a nice man, and loved the game of hockey. But he never should have been let anywhere near an NHL franchise, God forbid run one. The "Darkness with Harkness" era scarred my young and developing hockey psyche almost irreparably.

May you rest in peace, Ned. But God dammit, did you have to completely fuck over the Red Wings for my 11 year old self?! I mean, really. You took what was a decent team, and screwed it over so badly in 3 years, the rest of the decade, and much of the following, was ruined. Your destruction of the Red Wings was Millen-esque.

But hey, I'll let bygones be bygones.

4. I like love the fact there is a football game almost every night of the week on ESPN. (Even if it does seem like it's always Louisville or Colorado State playing...) But please keep it exclusively college football, OK? There's something about the 4 Letter broadcasting a regular season high school football game nationwide that I find extremely disturbing. It just feels wrong to me.

ESPN getting their sticky, grubby fingers into the high school pie can only lead to bad things. High school football belongs on Friday nights, being covered by local media. Period. Exclamation point!

3. Think West Virginia is happy with Bill Stewart now? What in the HELL was he thinking last night? Stewart is so far in over his head as a coach, he makes Marty Moronwhig look capable.

All that kept running through my mind as I watched Stewart and WVU totally butcher the final seconds of a game they ended up losing was, "It couldn't happen to a more deserving fanbase bunch of lunatics." RichRod had to have a little extra skip in his step this morning.

2. I know it's been only one start, and it may be the giddiness of watching a Tiger pitcher who could do the unthinkable...throw strikes...talking. But you think Freddy Garcia would look good in the Detroit rotation in 2009? So do I. Make it happen, Double D.

1. A quick announcement. I plan on live blogging the Detroit Lions, as usual, this Sunday. But I'll probably only be able to do the 1st half, as I have an early evening family commitment. It figures the Lions would happen to be on the west coast the one and only Sunday night I have something going on.

It's killing me, as my Sunday afternoon meltdowns are getting more and more traffic by the week. People really seem to enjoy them. Not the Lions, mind you, but the live blogs.

Anyway, I'll live blog as long as possible on Sunday, and have the DVR record the 2nd half. I'll do my best to not hear the score while I'm out, and then do my blogging thing a little later in the evening. Or something like that...

The News' sooper geenus tells us what's on Joe Dumars' mind

It's tough coming up with material about the local teams. I should know, as I try to crank out something relatively entertaining every day, to various amounts of success.

But there's coming up with something funny/interesting/thoughtful, and there's just saying the Hell with it, and mailing it in.

Today, Rob Parker is "mailing it in." Not that I'm surprised.

 In his Detroit News "column," and as always in his case, the term is used loosely, Parker gives his take on Joe Dumars and his inaction in regard to the "big changes" he told everyone was coming. That's all well and good, but Parker gives us a level of analysis not even worthy of a Freep comment thread or an ESPN message board, let alone a major daily newspaper. (Can we even call the Detroit News "major?" They are in deep financial trouble and their circulation is plummeting faster than Barry Zito's career) But I digress...

Let's break down the latest by the consensus "Worst columnist in America."

Admit it. By now, you thought the Pistons would have had one, maybe even two, news conferences, announcing major trades and the addition of new players to shake up the still-winning-but-stale Pistons.

No Rob, I expected 5, maybe even 6 pressers.

OK, I will admit I thought the Pistons would have done more to improve the team than draft a narcoleptic power forward. I do agree the Pistons are as stale as week old Wonder Bread, despite what Tayshaun Prince believes.

Especially with all the buzz that was floating around the NBA after president Joe Dumars stated with authority that he was ready to make moves and that just about everybody was available.

Um...yeah. We already know that, Rob. Anyone who even casually follows the Pistons knows. It was above the fold news when it happened, when Dumars gave one of those "news conferences" you wrote about.


That's why the Carmelo Anthony rumors were out there instantly. Then there was the Baron Davis trade talk coming from the West Coast. Just recently came word that Tracy McGrady was interested in moving to Motown. 

None of those deals happened. 

Really? No shit, Sherlock.

These were nothing more than rumors manufactured by bored columnists and beat writers.  They were immediately shot down by your own paper's beat writer as wet dreams/flights of fancy. What's worse is these rumors continue to give you column fodder for weeks on end.

Instead, as the offseason continues to melt away, many are now wondering if anything will happen, especially when you talk about a blockbuster deal. 

But if you knew Dumars, really knew him, this shouldn't come as a surprise. Dumars isn't about making just any trade. He doesn't want a deal that simply changes faces.

Well, I don't really know Dumars, unlike Skip Bayless' punching bag claims he knows him. But I have to say...Duh!

The Pistons won 59 games last season. The team may be stale, and could use some fresh faces, but it's still damn good. As constructed, the Pistons remain contenders in the East. Change for the sake of change would be idiodic. Dumars himself has said as much. 

If Dumars, in fact, can't get a deal that he believes changes his team for the better, he'll stand pat. Believe it. That's why he's one of the best general managers. Not just in the NBA, but pro sports.

"I understand that it's not always easy to make a move and a lot of moving parts have to come together," Dumars said on Thursday. "You always have to have patience when you have the task of running a team." 

Again, Parker is beating a dead horse, as Dumars has already admitted he'll stand pat if the right deal doesn't materialize. But regurgitating it eats up a few column inches, so it's all good...

You don't need to tell me Dumars is one of the better GM's in pro sports, and not just because it's coming from the worst columnist in America. It's obvious to even the dullest of sports fans Joe Dumars is a better GM than 90% of his peers. Which isn't saying much when morons like Chris Wallace (The Grizzlies' GM  who "masterminded" the Pau Gasol trade) and Danny Ferry (who's been unable to come up with a supporting cast for Lebron James, and keeps the offensively deficient Mr. Potato Head Mike Brown employed as coach) are in charge of NBA franchises.


The last thing Dumars, in his eighth season at the helm, wants to do is make a trade that he'll later regret. 

Not as much as I regret reading, and responding to, Parker's tripe. Now we're talking serious regret.

Dumars, of course, wouldn't talk about potential deals and talks that he has had with other general managers around the league.

Because doing so is called "tampering." Dumars is not a moron, unlike certain functionally retarded columnists.

It's easier said than done. Just ask Dumars.

I don't have to, as you already have, right? It is your job, after all.

"This is not fantasy basketball, where you just wake up and make a blockbuster deal," said Dumars, whose biggest deal came at the trade deadline in 2004 when he acquired Rasheed Wallace from the Hawks. 

"We have a good team." 

Yes, you do. Maybe not NBA title contenders, but definitely a good team.

Too bad we can't say the same about the columnists in this city. Hacks, the lot of 'em. Led by, of course, Rob Parker.

The day after the NBA draft has me asking 1 question

How many guards do the Pistons need?

After last night, the Pistons have as many guards as the Lions have wide receivers. Just look at the current logjam in the backcourt.

On last season's roster:

Chauncey Billups: Joe D best re-sign Billups, because there is no realistic backup option at this point. None whatsoever. If he surprises the Pistons, and pulls a Grant Hill to Orlando scenario, they are screwed beyond belief.

Rip Hamilton: You have an all star backcourt, and one of the pair is a free agent. So you draft 3 players better suited to play the position of the guard currently under contract? Who did Rip piss off in the Pistons front office? Why else would they draft 3 shooting guards last night? Going by the Pistons picks, you'd think Hamilton was some journeyman, not a 2 time all star.

Lindsey Hunter: Just take the supposed front office job already, OK? You play great defense, but you can't shoot a damn lick, and you're 50 years old. You really want to do the Pistons a favor? Then retire, take the front office gig, and open up a much needed roster spot.

Flip Murray: Think he pissed off the front office when he decided to use his player contract option, and stay a Piston? Some combo guard Murray turned out to be. He's a PG who can't pass, and a SG who can't shoot. What are the odds Murray is wearing a Pistons jersey in October? 500-1? More like 1000-1.

Will Blaylock: Right now, Blaylock is the only young guard on their roster who is first, and foremost, a point guard. But he's raw as raw can be. If Blaylock is playing significant minutes this coming season, the Pistons have major issues, as that means Billups is playing somewhere else.

Pistons own their rights:

Rodney Stuckey: He's supposed to be a combo guard, but can you realistically expect Stuckey to play the point at the NBA level as a rookie? Along with the "Poor man's D-Wade" comparisons, I've also heard that Stuckey is in the Chauncey Billups mold. I hope not, because it took some 5 seasons for Billups to gain his NBA legs. He best live up to the Pistons hype, because if he doesn't, the Pistons are in HUGE trouble. It bears repeating, Stuckey is all that the Pistons have to show for the 2nd overall pick of the 2003 draft.

Aaron Affalo: Supposedly just like Stuckey, but less athletic. I've read that Affalo is either a hustling winner who brings attitude, or he's a reach at 27, and is going to have trouble just making the team. Just what the Pistons need, another non-athletic guard who can't get his shot off unless he makes his defender run through 3 screens.

Sammy Mejia: Don't know a thing about him, other than he's tall and a shooting guard. Another guard? Why? Why not take a flier on a big at this point?

Alex Acker: Supposedly dominating overseas, he may as well plan on doing so again in 2007. As thing currently stand, there's absolutely no room for him on the Pistons' roster.

I heard some of Joe Dumars' presser introducing the 2 draft picks today. He kept going on about attitude, hard work, hunger, things the Pistons supposedly stand for. That's all well and good, but does that make the Pistons a title threat for the 07-08 season? As the roster currently stands, no.

Do you see anything near the big shakeup that was rumored, and most people think is needed, now that the draft has passed? And for that matter, where's the easy scoring opportunities going to come from? If Stuckey isn't the big time scorer that he's being pumped up to be, we are going to see the same offensive struggles we witnessed last season. We can only hope that the Pistons find a scorer in free agency. Not that I have much hope, as they been looking for a free agent scorer for 2 years now, and have yet to find even one.

Another roster question just popped into my head. Who's going to play center? Nazr Mohammed? He's the only real center on the roster right now. Move Rasheed Wallace to center and start Jason Maxiell or Antonio McDyess? I'm sure that will go over well with 'Sheed... Do they hope to get Chris Webber on the cheap again? I have no idea how the Pistons plan to fix big hole in the middle.

Much of the Pistons eastern competition got better last night. I'm not at all sure we can say the same about the Pistons.

Joe Dumars' draft history: Low is high, up is down

Am I the only person who doesn't have a good feeling about the Pistons' chances in tonight's NBA draft?

The draft is supposedly the deepest in years, but just how impactful of a player will Detroit get at 15? Let alone at 27... Then again, when you harken back to past Joe Dumars drafts, it's almost assured that the 27th pick will turn out to be a better player than the 15th pick.

I have a high level of confidence in Joe Dumars' abilities in regard to most every facet of running a basketball franchise. Most every facet, that is, save one. The draft. It's Dumars' Achilles' heel, his kryptonite. The draft is the thing we don't speak of when talking about the greatness of Joe Dumars.

I'm not sure why, but the lower the pick, the better it seems to be. You just need to go back to Dumars' first draft, in 2000. Joe D found a very serviceable NBA player in Brian Cardinal with the Pistons' 2nd round pick. But the 1st round pick, the 14th overall, was an outright bust, Mateen Cleaves.

This was the highlight of his NBA career. Um...I was talking about Cleaves, not the commish...

Cardinal has lasted 7 seasons in the NBA as a respectable, if highly overpaid, energy player. On the other hand, Cleaves has bounced around every pro league on this planet, from the D-League to those in parts unknown. He's a bottom of the barrel PG of last resort, getting the occasional 10 day contract. When Cleaves has managed to stay on a NBA roster, he's the last man off the bench, and only plays in garbage time.

Unfortunately, the low is high, up is down style of drafting has been a disturbing trend with Dumars' draft picks

For every Tayshaun Prince, there is Rodney White. For every Memhet Okur, there is Darko Millicic. Low is high, up is down...

Sure, Joe D can has caught lightening in a bottle with some late 1st round and 2nd round picks, a la Jason Maxiell. The baby eater should get significant minutes in 2007. He should be a solid role player. Maxiell was a good value for so low in the 1st round.

Another example of low is high would be Amir Johnson, a 2nd rounder in '05. Johnson may be in the verge of more PT, but is still a work in progress. It remains to be seen how good he'll actually turn out to be. We honestly won't know for a couple of seasons.

When it comes to finding that "Impact" player in the draft, as the Pistons claim is their priority tonight, I can think of only 1 Dumars pick that should be considered as such. Tayshaun Prince.

As I mentioned, Dumars' has found his share of role players. But in 7 NBA drafts, he has only one starter to show for it, Prince. I could get all semanical, and also add Mehmet Okur to the list. But Okur was a Pistons contract casualty. He also was never going to get his shot in Detroit, at least not in the way Utah was able give him.

Losing players like Okur is one of the perils of having a successful, veteran team. That's also why you need to make hay in the draft.

So I'll be watching the NBA draft tonight, with much hope that Joe D will buck the trend and find himself a star player at 15. Or even at 27. It is possible in a supposedly deep draft.

But between you and me? I wouldn't bet on it.

Quick thoughts on a cold as Hell Detroit afternoon

I just wanted to throw a few of my thoughts out there that don't need a full blown post to themselves...

How quickly does time fly? Ron Artest is coming to town for the first time since the Palace brawl, and it's not HUGE news.

Between 'Sheed hatin' on Worldwide Leader dot com reporters, the drawn out Chris Webber signing, and Kevin Garnett doing his best Carmelo Anthony imitation when Antonio McDyess clenched his fists, Sactown coming to the Palace is almost under the radar. Ron Artest has become, if not a non story, more of a sideshow to the daily Pistons soap opera.

Unfortunately, crazy ass Artest in Detroit gives the WWLiS ample reason to replay the "Malice at the Palace" lowlights endlessly today. That's even though the main combatants are on new teams, the law has closed the book on the matter, and damn near everyone would rather just put it in the past and move on at this point. But give ESPN even a slight opening, and they'll ram through with the video.

Chris Webber is already paying dividends. C-Webb, despite not knowing the offense and being far from top playing shape, still put up a very nice stat line last night. 16 points, 7 boards, and 4 assists in 38 minutes. To be honest, Joe Dumars needed a good signing. After the free agent busts picked up in the off season, getting Webber was a nice recovery.

I won't say that I've lost confidence in Joe D, but the personnel decisions made since the Darko debacle had, at the very least, shaken my faith in the Pistons front office decision making process. So far Webber has looked like a promising addition, restoring luster to Dumars' slightly tarnished reputation as a top notch GM.

I still cannot fathom that a team QB'ed by Rex Grossman is in the NFC championship game. That got to thinking how far the Lions are from being title contenders, when compared to the 4 teams left playing. I thought that would make a nice post, a topic to tackle when I had a little more time, drawing up comparisons between the teams. Then I remembered the Lions have an incompetent boob making their personnel decisions, and realized it would be an exercise in futility. Utter futility.

This off season, the drafting of Mike Williams is continuing to haunt the incompetent boob. With the draft coming up soon, the Lions may have a a difficult decision on their hands. Do they dare take a skill position player with the 2nd overall pick? Knowing how offensive the offensive line has been, will Millen take tackle Joe Thomas? If he does so, Millen will have to pass up taking a possible franchise QB in Jamarcus Russell, or the player that is currently consider the top overall rated player in the draft, wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

Millen takes the lineman, and the Lions may be passing up on absolute offensive studs who may be difference makers for years. Take either skill player, and there will be a chorus of "What in the Hell is he thinking? They need to build from the inside out!"

I would not want to be in his shoes on draft day, as either direction Millen goes, he's going to lose in the eyes of the fans.

C-Webb to the Pistons? Maybe Bonzi or Mo-Pete? Talk about rolling the dice...

If you can say one thing about Joe Dumars, it's that he's not afraid to make BIG moves. Dumars is also not afraid to admit that a mistake was made, and will correct it ASAP, rather than let it fester. Even if it did take 3 seasons to realize that Darko was never going to make it in the D. When Joe D decided it was time, right or wrong, full value or not, he got rid of the "Human Victory Cigar."

Which brings us to the hot rumors surrounding the Pistons, Chris Webber, Morris Peterson, and Bonzi Wells.

Numerous sources are saying that C-Webb to the Palace is a done deal. We're also reading that the Pistons have made several inquiries about Wells and Mo-Pete, as both are reportedly on the block. It's also obvious that Nazr Mohammed's minutes have been steadily decreasing and he is headed to the bench, and that Flip Murray is not the solution to much of anything.

Then we have all the chemistry issues mentioned by Tayshaun Prince, the benching of Dale Davis due to his (Supposedly) blowing off a practice, the Chauncey Billups injury and coming free agency, 'Sheed's state of mind (Let alone his ankle), and that the East race is wide open, and anyone's for the taking. That's not to forget that Flip Saunders earlier this week took the Pistons to task on their season long lack of consistent focus and effort.

It's looking more and more that Dumars' recognizes all this, and knows that action, maybe something drastic, needs to be taken.

I think all the rumors surrounding the Pistons interest in Webber, plus Wells and Mo-Pete, confirms that Dumars' believes that the Pistons are not winning the NBA title as currently constructed.

Why not take a chance on C-Webb? It's just going to cost money. He brings skills to the table that none of the other big men have. But it's not a slam dunk that Chris Webber is the answer. He's no longer the dynamic big man he was during the Fab 5 years. Or even the Sacramento years. We all know the downsides of Webber, those being his knees, defense, and the U of M/Ed Martin/time out baggage, which you know the media is going to ask about.


Even though Webber is no longer as good as he once was, he's still better than Antonio McDyess (As he's currently playing, which is not well) Jason Maxiel (But do not take away his minutes, I love his upside), Nazr Mohammed (More on him below), and Dale Davis (Trade bait thanks to his expiring contract). If the Webber stories are true, Nazr is probably the odd man out, not Jason Maxiel. Thank goodness.

If signing C-Webb is even money, then I'm guessing that getting a Bonzi Wells or Mo-Pete are much longer shots. Especially Peterson, who does not have nearly the baggage of noted head case Bonzi. I'd much rather have Mo-Pete, but he'd be a hard get. Wells has the more tradeable contract, as it matches up fairly well with Flip Murray. Exchanging those 2 makes a ton of sense, as both look like they need a change of scenery.

But the Webber move would be the big one, the move everyone is talking about. A coup that makes the Pistons favorites in the East. It would also but a ton of pressure on Flip Saunders. Could you picture 'Sheed, C-webb, and (God forbid) Bonzi on the same roster? If I'm Saunders, I'm asking for combat pay...

All the rumors also lead one to think...

That the Spurs were right about Nazr Mohammed, and the Pistons now realize the contract was a mistake. A 30 million dollar panic move. His minutes have not been consistent all season, and are now rapidly diminishing.

They don't think that McDyess' slow start is a temporary thing, but that he's trending down. The signs are there that he's begun his decline. Even if he picks up the pace, at the very least, insurance is needed. Dice only has so many minutes left in those surgery ravaged knees.

The team needs a spark similar to the boost 'Sheed gave them in 2004. Then we have the 'Sheed "Knucklehead" factor. It's been held in check for 2+ seasons, but have his recent play and actions been a sign of a return of the "Jailblazer" 'Sheed? Personally, I hope not, as I've really enjoyed Rasheed and his unselfish play. But you have to admit that the knucklehead stuff always in the back of your mind.

That the Pistons likely have 1 more good run in them as currently built, so they need to pull out the stops before the title window closes altogether. Billups returning is not a sure thing. Flip Saunders is continually mentioned as the primary target in the Minnesota Gophers' coaching search. Even with the good play of Maxiel and (sporadicly) Delfino, and Blaylock, the core of the team is aging. The East is horribly weak. If you can win the East, anything can happen, as we saw in 2004.

This is the season for Dumars and the Pistons to go all in.

So, after all is said and written, is Chris Webber the answer?

I'm not going to let all the Wolverine bad blood color my thinking when it comes to Webber. Hell, I sometimes wonder if I wouldn't have done the same thing if I were a 19 year old in Webber's situation. I've always said I'll root for my teams, even if a controversial player were signed. I'm not going to say differently now. If Chris Webber can help the Pistons win it all, and I think he could, then I say to go for it.

Webber may not be the final answer, but he just may be part of the solution.