posted 2005/06/22 at 17:37
Oy. The plan for today had been that I'd go to Wildwood to do some reading and then get in a walk over there, but my hay fever is kicking up something fierce. Just being outside for a couple of minutes to visit Skooter had me sneezing up a storm. Guess I'll be stuck inside for another day here.
By the way, I haven't been mentioning the NBA playoffs/finals because I haven't been watching them, but what is up with this "if the Pistons don't win the title this year then last year's championship was a fluke" bullshit? I mean, in the second round the Pistons have to play the Pacers, who come out not only to avenge the brawl last autumn but also to keep Reggie Miller's career alive, charging that series up with emotion. Right after that, the Pistons play a relatively rested and immensely gifted Miami team and take it to the limit with them, and tough that series out in seven (and if you want to argue that the Pistons wouldn't have made it to the finals if Dwayne Wade hadn't been injured go right ahead). Then they have to face a Spurs team which got a whole extra week of rest before the finals because they were never really tested, yet the Pistons keep coming out and grinding it out with them. Yet if they don't win the title, then they're not a legitimately "great team?"
What really bothers me is everyone who keeps saying that the Pistons have no "superstars." I think it's become endemic in all sports, but especially in the NBA the term "superstar" seems to have no correlation to a player's playing ability. A "superstar" is merely whatever athlete gets the most endorsement deals or makes the most news off of the playing field. By today's terms, the closest thing the '89 and '90 champion Pistons teams had to a "superstar" was Dennis Rodman. If Isiah Thomas started his playing career in the NBA today, no one -- basketball journalists or fans alike -- would even notice him.
Anyway, I'll watch game seven tomorrow night just because, although my gut instinct tells me the Spurs will walk away with the game. Whatever happens tomorrow night, though, I have two points to make: one, that no matter what any idiot columnist says, the Pistons have already proven their mettle as one of the greatest teams of their era; and two, Detroit is still MOTHER FUCKING HOCKEYTOWN. Don't ever forget that.
copyright © 2008 Sean Shannon