Bleacher Report - Articles by Anthony Orlando

Allen Iverson Trade: Early Results Indicate It May Have Been a Bad Move

Anthony Orlando — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:20:40 -0500

With another abysmal loss on a Sunday (the Pistons still have not won a Sunday game this season, and the 96-85 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers was the closest game they've had), and an obvious lack of chemistry with the starting unit for Detroit, the Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson trade is looking to be a problem.

Richard Hamilton is not the same. Tayshaun Prince is playing every single position, which is a problem in its own right. Allen Iverson is skipping practice already and not gelling with his teammates. Rasheed Wallace is actually doing what Rasheed always does; he's shooting three-pointers and not helping the team more by posting up. Kwame Brown is, well, Kwame Brown.

This looks and shows to be nothing more than a .500 team. And that is exactly what they are since AI's arrival, 6-6.

Tonight was the icing on the cake. With just over two minutes left in the first quarter, head coach Michael Curry benched the entire starting five of the Pistons.

"I'm not trying to send a message," Curry said of his decision to pull his starters. "They weren't playing well, just take them out, and put someone else in. Our starters put us in a hole that we battled back from the entire night. When we did battle back, there were times when guys that came off the bench, we had to give them a blow. This game is on our starters."

Oh, and to ice it all off, there is now an apparent communication problem with at least Tayshaun Prince and the coaching staff. Prince, who has arguably been the Pistons' best starter all year, was benched for the entire fourth quarter! He went 4-8 with 10 points and three rebounds.

Curry's reasoning?

"Tay didn't play well tonight," Curry said.

Prince's response?

"Huh? I thought I was playing pretty good, if you ask me," he said. "I thought I started the game off well, trying to get the guys into the flow," said Prince, who was not happy about his fourth quarter benching.

"Like I told you before, it's always tough for me because I'm in a position where I'm put at the point guard position, I'm trying to make plays for (fellow starters), get them going. And like I told you before, sometimes I'm going to have a good night doing it."

Bottom line: You know you're in trouble when there are five minutes left in a close game and you have Amir Johnson at center and Walter Hermann at power forward. (Yeah, he's an actual NBA player.)

We are only 12 games in, and perspective is always key. But you would think by this point the Pistons would appear more comfortable together. Instead, they look more lost and inconsistent than ever.

If Richard Hamilton can't learn to find himself without Billups the Pistons are truly in trouble.

If AI can't play better defense and find a way to gel with his teammates, kiss the season goodbye. (Maybe there is a reason why Denver is doing so well after the trade and the Pistons aren't.)

And if Curry doesn't stop this whole circus show of having a new lineup in every five minutes of every game, then, well, Detroit may as well kiss another coach goodbye.

This trade might turn out to be a trade for 2010 more than this year. But make no mistake, Joe Dumars expects to win now, too. And this team, right now, is embarrassing him.

AI isn't doing himself any favors. The offense just doesn't click with the guy.

But at a time when veteran Pistons should be showing up, there has been but one point of consistency over the past week—second-year player Rodney Stuckey.

No chemistry, bad coaching, and inconsistency to an extent I've never seen, is making this trade look like the wrong thing for the Pistons. At least for this year, and at least for right now, at 12 games in.

Rich Rodriguez: A Proven Winner Who Needs Time

Anthony Orlando — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:36:52 -0500

Has something ever just rubbed you the wrong way so much you feel compelled that you have to address it, and in the proper light?

This is how I feel about the recent stream of anti-Rich Rodriguez articles, which I feel are immature, premature, and unintelligible on the writers part.

First off let me say this, because I know some people would look to call me out on it.

I knew of RR before he came to Michigan. I have always been a hardcore football fan, and have become enamored with the spread offense. However, I did not know everything about RR, his teams, or West Virginia football.

I am not a RR expert. I started following him closely when he became Michigan's head coach.

Now that that is addressed, let me tell you what I know and have learned as of recently.

People want a quick fix. People want to win immediately, and if you don't you will be ridiculed and criticised. This is fair. It doesn't mean it is justified.

Bill Martin, the University of Michigan's Athletic Director, hired RR because he is a very good coach (and because Les Miles didn't want to come home).

Bill Martin, however, was not so naive as some people that he expected RR to have Michigan winning a Big 10 Championship this year, or even have Michigan in a bowl game.

Why is that?

Because when Martin interviewed RR, RR made it clear that drastic changes were about to occur. We are talking about a shift from a traditional pro style offense, to a spread.

A system that requires a completely different kind of athlete, from quarterback to receiver.

Even if Lloyd Carr stayed, Michigan was going to have a tough year because they lost a lot of players, and they were young.

Bring in RR to instill a completely different system on top of that, and disaster was bound to happen. And it has.

Michigan is a three-win team right now, and more-than-likely after Saturday when they play Ohio State, they will remain a three-win team.

They will not make a bowl appearance for the first time since 1974.

They officially have had their worst season in the history of this historic program, one of the 10 best there are.

It is tough to accept when all these things happen to such a traditionally great, unmatchable program.

Well, for the first time in its long history, however, this program is undergoing a massive face-lift. And if you thought with a snap of the fingers, the spread offense was going to be a success to this traditionally old school football program, you were wrong.

I've heard "well, they haven't showed enough improvement." And "he should tweak his system to his players better."

My response to that is a). How do you know they haven't showed enough improvement?Improvement doesn't always translate to the outcomes of games. Improvement translates to the players and how they are improving individually. And one thing is a fact, RR has not lost this team; they love their coach. They trust their coach.

They have no quarterback. RR was not hired to run a pro-style offense, and if that is what you expected him to do to get more out of Steven Threet, well, sorry, you are off base.

Threet will not start next year. Nor will Nick Sheridan. Michigan was going to have a rough offense with either of these two no matter what system they were running because they are both freshmen. Threet came from Georgia Tech, expecting to be with coach Carr and his pro-style, run-first offense.

Sheridan was a walk-on.

The offense is only as good as its leader. Why's the running game weak? Their O-line is also young, they lost their heart and soul to the draft this year (Jake Long), and another transferred to OSU (Justin Boren).

Running back is even weak for Michigan after losing Mike Hart. Sam McGuffie will be a good back, but he is a true freshman, folks (he's not ready) he was forced into playing, because Michigan's depth was awful at that position this year.

Carr didn't exactly leave RR sitting pretty at many skill positions.

Young QB's, young RB's, young receivers, and O-line. Young defense. And all these young guys never expected to have to learn the college game (which is much more difficult than HS football) and a completely different system in which they wern't recruited to run/learn.

Many of these players will either learn the system or be weaned out, because RR can't be fully successful until he gets his players, which is when he should be judged. Not now. Not under these circumstances.

To point b) and the notion that he should tweak his system to his players.

With such a young team that will be with you for not just one year, but three or four years, you don't tweak your system, you run what you want to run now, so these young guys can learn the system now and be better off next year.

This is not a high quantity junior- or senior-laden team. The talent is young. If they are going to stay, they need to learn what will be instilled here for years to come under RR. There's no better way to learn than executing what you are trying to learn during an actual game.

Not in practice. In a game.

RR is teaching these guys that you have to persevere. That's what champs do.

You call him stubborn. I say it is teaching and not compromising your beliefs. Coaches instill their system to the players and the players learn it. Not the other way around.

At the college level, you find what kind of player fits your offense,in this case the spread, and you recruit him. That's also what RR is doing.

He is not a dumb man. He sees where they are weak, and next year there will be a lot of new players playing. But they are guys that can run a spread.

But one thing is for sure: starting or not next year, all the players on this current team will be better off for going through what they did because of RR not letting up on them.

Bill Martin knew it. The fans didn't want to believe it.

It's easier to believe RR just got dumb, isn't it? It's easier to believe that his previous track record was just a fluke, isn't it? I mean, after all, my God, if you can't win at Michigan, nothing else matters.

Wrong.

This isn't the old Michigan. This is a new Michigan. The type of team the Athletic Director wants now. Martin doesn't want the old Michigan anymore. That's why he hired RR.

He saw the spread was taking over, how the SEC was getting all the hype. He wants to be a step ahead of the game, and RR was the perfect piece to instill that part.

With Carr, at best this year, this was a seven-win team. At best, if RR said "to hell with everything I know and believe" and he ran a tweaked system, they would be a five-win team.

Either way, a bowl game was nothing more than a pipe dream. Accept that Michigan fans.

And those who think RR is not a good coach, I tell you learn the situation before you speak. See how drastic the change is, and see how much work it really takes to teach a bunch of kids something they know nothing about.

He has a top 12 recruiting class. Next year, he will have his quarterback and a returning group of young players who are now better off for going through the growing pains of learning a new system in a game-day situation.

Excuses will deteriorate. Rightly so.

But look at the mans history, see how wherever he has been he has always turned it around. And embrace the change.

It's hard to accept losing when it comes at the price of change on top if it.

But the University of Michigan football program is changing. And change is not a one-week process. It takes time.

RR does it quicker than most. He's proven it.

It's easier to believe he got dumber. But what's easy isn't always what's right.

Rodriguez's Head Coaching Record

Year	School	Record	Bowl/Result
1988	Salem	2-8
1990	Glenville State	1-7-1
1991	Glenville State	4-5-1
1992	Glenville State	6-4
1993	Glenville State	10-3, WVIAC champion
1994	Glenville State	8-3, WVIAC champion
1995	Glenville State	8-2, WVIAC champion
1996	Glenville State	6-4, WVIAC champion
2001	West Virginia	3-8, 1-6
2002	West Virginia	9-4, 6-1	Continental Tire/L, 22-48 (Virginia)
2003	West Virginia	8-5, 6-1 Big East champion	Gator Bowl/L, 7-41 (Maryland)
2004	West Virginia	8-4, 4-2 Big East champion	Gator Bowl/L, 18-30 (Florida State)
2005	West Virginia	11-1, 6-0 Big East champion	Sugar Bowl/W, 38-35 (Georgia)
2006	West Virginia	11-2, 5-2	Gator Bowl/W, 38-35 (Georgia Tech)
2007	West Virginia	10-2, 5-2 Big East champion	Fiesta Bowl (Oklahoma)

NAIA/Division II (8 seasons): 45-36-2
Division I (7 seasons): 60-26
TOTAL (15 seasons): 105-62-2

Celtics to Pistons: "Who's Your Daddy?"

Anthony Orlando — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:24:59 -0500

One word can be used to sum up the Detroit Pistons right now: inconsistent.

One word can also be used to describe the Boston Celtics in comparison to those Pistons: better.

Right now the Pistons are the little brother and the Celtics are the big brother.

Little brother always goes into the game excited and ready, hoping this is the game he can prove himself.

It usually doesn't happen.

The Detroit Pistons (8-4) didn't even show up, outside of the first five minutes in the first quarter, in their second showdown with the Boston Celtics (11-2) in less than a month.

They were out hustled, out played, out toughed, out coached, out shot, and pretty much out done in everything in their 98-80 loss Thursday night. They were embarrassed, and even more-so than the first blowout which took place just a couple weeks ago in Detroit (believe it or not).

So what have we learned about these two teams thus far?

They are in complete different leagues.

Boston is in a league of its own. Poised, confident, prepared, and ready for whatever comes their way. The Celtics have the swagger of a true champion and look like even more of a "team" than they did last year.

Detroit is in the league of wannabees. They want to be Boston. Heck, they used to play like Boston.

The Detroit team on the floor Thursday night didn't look anything like Boston—or the Pistons of old.

Allen Iverson was mediocre—and he has proven he can't play defense if his life depended on it.

Rasheed didn't show up, and neither did Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey or the majority of the team for that matter. Forget how many points they scored. It was the other part of the game they looked bush league on.

Defense? What defense? I haven't seen Pistons defense this bad in a long, long time. And isn't that why Flip Saunders was fired and Michael Curry brought in here?

Under Saunders the Pistons were statistically ranked in the top five of almost every defensive category. But he was fired because they didn't execute that philosophy properly in the playoffs—that along with being unmotivated by their coach.

Well, under Curry, the Pistons are in the bottom half of the league defensively. And on top of that, they are showing no toughness at times.

They got bullied by the big, bad champs tonight. As if it was a heavyweight versus a lightweight. It looked like a preschooler versus a high school kid or Mike Tyson in his prime versus me.

Not even close.

Yes, the schedule has been tough. But champions persevere. It's one thing to lose, but it's another thing to get embarrassed. And in an already short season, the Celtics have managed to embarrass the Pistons twice already.

The champions certainly look like champions.

The wannabees continue to look exactly like that.

Performing well at points, but never putting together a consistent effort to show they are close of even being considered in the same breath as the Boston Celtics.

For now.

College Football Continues to Sell Its Soul to the Almighty Dollar

Anthony Orlando — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:44:07 -0500

Today ESPN and the BCS reached a deal for ESPN to take over sole broadcasting rights to all BCS bowl games (including the championship game) from 2011 through 2013. The Rose Bowl will remain on ESPN's broadcast partner, ABC, through 2010.

From 2011-2014 ESPN will broadcast 15 Bowl Championship Series games.

How low college football has sunk.

Earlier last week I wrote an article begging the powers of the college football world to reconsider selling their souls just so they could make an extra $25 million more than what Fox Broadcasting was offering.

They chose the $25 million extra after Fox withdrew what they called, "a fair offer," because the powers that be would not budge.

Today, they hopped on the ESPN bandwagon.

So if you don't have cable, say goodbye to watching the biggest college football games of the year on Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS—unless it's the Rose Bowl of course—through 2010.

Pretty soon, ESPN will be broadcasting the Super Bowl, too.

Whose fault is this? The college presidents and the commissioners of the BCS conferences who would rather make a few extra bucks than say, "Hey, maybe we will reach a bigger audience on national TV. Everyone should be able to watch us, anyway."

They made their decision. Today, Nov. 18, 2008, those who control the game of college football officially decided that this is no longer a free game. That the American people do not deserve and are not entitled to watch a sport on a national broadcasting network.

These millionaires decided they don't care about you, the people. If you want to watch them, better get cable.

The argument that everyone should have cable is ludicrous. In today's economy, a) don't even go there and b) I know a lot of people who don't watch anything besides the news, soap operas, and sports. The latter was once always on national TV.

The days of sports being a "national pastime" are all but over. This signals the end of an era.

The era of greedy, moneymaking millionaires, people affiliated with colleges and education (how sad), is in full force. And the era of the NHL Playoffs, Monday Night Football, and now the BCS Bowls on national TV are officially over.

Like I said, next is the Super Bowl, NBA Finals (most of the conference finals games are already only on ESPN or TNT already), and World Series (Major League Baseball is creeping closer to that as well since making a deal with TBS to broadcast games up until the World Series begins).

It's a sad day. Sports used to be for the love of the game.

Now, as college football told us today, and the other sports (to a lesser extent) before them, it's not about the love of the game, but the love of the money in their already fat pockets.

Pistons Finish West Coast Swing 3-1 After Loss to the Suns

Anthony Orlando — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 14:36:26 -0500

Everything that went right in Los Angeles went terribly, terribly wrong in Phoenix.

Call it what you want: Jet lag, not enough rest, a west coast curse, Shaq was mean. It doesn't matter, the Pistons were thoroughly man-handled by the Phoenix Suns, who went without Shaquille O'Neal for the entire second half after he committed a clear, flagrant-two against Rodney Stuckey with just over five minutes left in the second quarter.

The men from the motor city are gladly ready to fly back home and 1) get more then one day off and 2) play in the comforting confines of the Palace again.

It won't get easier as LeBron James comes to town on Wednesday. But it will be a welcomed Eastern Conference matchup to the Pistons after the four game trip out west.

Mind you, for all intensive purposes this was a highly successful west coast swing for the Pistons; 3-1 is a beautiful record on any road trip. They beat teams they should have (Sacramento and Golden State) and turned some heads after dominating the then undefeated Lakers, all leading to the eventual let down game.

It's like out of a novel.

If you're a Piston fan, be happy not to see the Suns again. They'll be a force to reckon with. There is nothing but pure talent on that team, and with Shaq looking like the Shaq of old recently, watch out.

Kwame Brown seemed to be the answer down-low against L.A., but maybe L.A. just gets pushed around by whoever plays them in the East, because tonight, the one fatal flaw the Pistons have, their post players, was on full display. They got dominated.

Let's start that Antonio McDyess countdown clock back up again shall we? 21 days to go...

A.I. was off tonight, but then again most Pistons were. Tonight, they just didn't have it.

It's almost as if Rasheed Wallace knew it. Friday night in a halftime interview with an ESPN reporter he said "I'm not looking forward to Sunday."

Ah, foreshadowing.

And you just can't change an already written ending I suppose, especially one as cliche as that of the NBA.

The inevitable let down game.

Up next: Wednesday Nov. 19 at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Cleveland Cavaliers and the Detroit Pistons. 7:30 p.m. ET.

Courtesy Yahoo Sports:

Detroit
Starters		Min	FG	3Pt	FT	+/-	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	BS	BA	PF	Pts
A. Iverson	G	36:23	4-17	1-5	0-0	-15	1	4	7	5	1	0	1	2	9
R. Hamilton	G	36:03	7-13	1-2	4-4	-20	1	5	2	2	0	0	1	4	19
K. Brown	C	20:31	4-4	0-0	2-4	-1	1	3	0	0	0	1	0	4	10
R. Wallace	F	35:25	5-10	1-3	0-0	-19	2	9	2	0	0	0	0	4	11
T. Prince	F	34:00	4-11	0-1	2-3	+1	1	3	3	1	2	0	2	3	10
Bench		Min	FG	3Pt	FT	+/-	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	BS	BA	PF	Pts
R. Stuckey		22:53	3-9	0-0	6-7	-24	2	4	1	4	2	1	2	4	12
A. Johnson		14:46	0-2	0-0	1-2	-16	3	6	1	0	0	1	0	4	1
A. Afflalo		12:00	0-1	0-0	1-2	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	1
J. Maxiell		10:37	2-7	0-0	0-1	-6	5	7	1	0	0	1	2	1	4
W. Bynum		8:05	3-6	0-1	0-0	+3	1	1	1	0	2	0	1	0	6
W. Herrmann		6:09	1-2	0-0	0-0	+2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2
A. Acker		3:06	0-1	0-1	1-2	+5	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1

Totals			33-83	3-13	17-25		17	43	18	13	8	4	9	28	86
Percentages:			.398	.231	.680		Team Rebounds: 8

Phoenix
Starters		Min	FG	3Pt	FT	+/-	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	BS	BA	PF	Pts
S. Nash	G	37:01	6-10	2-5	3-3	+8	0	3	7	4	0	2	0	1	17
R. Bell	G	35:29	2-6	1-2	0-0	+16	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	4	5
S. O'Neal	C	13:08	6-12	0-0	0-3	+4	1	2	0	1	0	0	1	3	12
A. Stoudemire	F	39:00	11-17	0-0	7-8	+16	0	11	1	1	2	1	0	1	29
G. Hill	F	36:00	5-8	1-2	0-0	+29	3	8	1	2	1	1	0	4	11
Bench		Min	FG	3Pt	FT	+/-	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	BS	BA	PF	Pts
B. Diaw		35:26	5-8	1-2	2-5	+19	1	7	2	3	1	1	0	1	13
L. Amundson		15:32	2-2	0-0	1-3	-6	0	3	0	0	1	3	0	2	5
R. Lopez		14:19	3-6	0-0	3-6	-1	3	4	0	2	1	0	1	2	9
S. Singletary		7:11	1-3	1-1	0-0	0	1	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	3
G. Dragic		6:54	0-0	0-0	0-0	+5	0	0	2	1	1	1	0	3	0

Totals			41-72	6-12	16-28		9	40	15	14	7	9	4	21	104
Percentages:			.569	.500	.571		Team Rebounds: 10

Pistons-Lakers: L.A. Undefeated No More as Detroit Dominates, 106-95

Anthony Orlando — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:13:37 -0500

It was as if, maybe just for this one night, every problem the naysayers saw in the Detroit Pistons went away.

The chemistry? It was as if Allen Iverson played with the Pistons his whole career.

Rasheed Wallace not being the same player anymore? The man looked like he was in the prime of his career tonight.

The Los Angeles Lakers (7-1) are the best team in the NBA by far and are undefeated? Well, they're not undefeated anymore, and the Pistons (7-2) looked like the best team in the NBA on this night downing the Lakers 106-95.

Of course, one game is one game.

The first quarter was a close one, with the Lakers absolutely dominating the Pistons on the offensive glass. The Pistons went into half time with a nine point lead.

The second half was all Pistons.

The dominance of Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom in the first half, disappeared. At least ten offensive boards in the first half, turned into two in the second half.

In fact, by the time the second half rolled around, the Pistons looked like the fresher team, though they played a grueling game against the Golden State Warriors the night before, and the Lakers had the night off.

One game is one game though.

Kobe Bryant put up his usual point total, but did not shoot particularly well as the Pistons sent multiple defenders at him all night.

The Pistons three guard set, though a distinct size advantage for the Lakers, proved to be a plus for the Pistons. The hustle, the speed, and the outside shooting abilities, left the Lakers bigs dizzy.

The Lakers are still clearly one of the best teams in the league. And the Pistons clearly are still a team finding themselves.

But for tonight, find themselves they did. And if this is a sign of what the Pistons will play like the longer A.I. has to gel with his team, the Pistons will start commanding the respect of being one of the best teams in the NBA again too.

Tonight certainly opened some eyes.

One game is one game though.

Up next: The Pistons have an off day on Saturday and will conclude their West Coast swing Sunday against the Phoenix Suns.

The Lakers, on the other hand, have three days off, not playing again until Tuesday at home against Chicago.

Stat leaders

Kobe Bryant: 29 points on 12 of 30 shooting in 39 minutes. Six assists, five rebounds.

Allen Iverson: 25 points on seven of 12 shooting in 41 minutes. Four rebounds, four assists, four steals.

Rasheed Wallace: 25 points on eight of 15 shooting in 39 minutes. Four of nine beyond the arch.

Pistons-Lakers: Nov. 14 Game of The Day

Anthony Orlando — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 06:53:03 -0500

Your game of the day for this Friday, November 14, is a good one, folks.

A classic NBA matchup of two of the best teams in the NBA over the past several years.: Detroit Pistons (6-2) at Los Angeles Lakers (7-0). TV: ESPN, ESPN360.com, 10:30 p.m. ET.

Analysis

Heck, if you need to find a reason to watch it, watch it because L.A. is the only unbeaten team left in the NBA, and they have to beat a hell of an opponent to keep the streak alive.

Tons of great match ups here, the funnest to watch always being the Richard Hamilton-Kobe Bryant battle. These two love playing against each other, and it always turns into a highly competitive matchup. They'll be running around all night, that is one thing I can promise.

And the Lakers get their first chance to see the new-look Pistons, with A.I. in uniform. So if the Hamilton-Bryant duo doesn't work for you, A.I. versus Kobe is always fun to watch. I'm going to say Kobe scores more tonight.

The Pistons are going to have trouble stopping Paul Gasol down low. They are in complete disarray when it comes to their post players. Rasheed Wallace is getting old, and can't exert as much energy against the best big men in the league anymore, because it takes away how he performs offensively.

That means you'll either have Wallace on Gasol, or a combo of Kwame Brown/Amir Johnson on Gasol. Either way, Gasol has the advantage if he asserts himself.

The Winner

In fact, I like Bryant and Gasol to have big games tonight. The Pistons just came off a tough-fought win against the Golden State Warriors last night, and they aren't even that good a basketball team.

Bottom line is the Pistons are still trying to find themselves, and the Lakers are already looking to be in championship form. I don't even see this being that close really, but it's tougher to see the Pistons getting blown out with A.I. around now, who can keep them in a game by himself.

Lakers win, 106-89.

Pistons-Warriors: Detroit Still Finding Team Identity

Anthony Orlando — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:48:12 -0500

Thursday night and into Friday morning (if you're on the East Coast) the Detroit Pistons showed moments of brilliance and moments of disarray.

After a slow start, and an even worse out of halftime performance, the Pistons went on a couple different scoring runs to squeak out a victory over the Warriors 107-102.

Allen Iverson finished with 23 points on a lackluster 8-of-23 shooting to help the Pistons. Richard Hamilton, getting back to his old self, finished with 24 points on 7-of-15 shooting in 40 minutes of work.

It was another lackluster start for the Pistons (6-2) who finished the first half down by seven to the Warriors (3-6), only to come out of the locker room after the half looking like a team who had never stepped on the same hardwood together.

The Warriors went on a quick run right out of halftime, but the Pistons answered after a timeout by coach Michael Curry who reminded them they looked like a sloppy, out of shape team "and that's not what we're all about."

The Pistons went on to outscore the Warriors 34-20 in the third quarter.

The Pistons' streakiness continued as the Warriors went on another run in the fourth, but the Pistons eventually closed them out in the final minutes.

What to take out of this game? This Pistons team still has a lot of work to do. They are struggling to find their identity. They seem not to know whether they should be an up-tempo, push the ball offense, or their old self with the half-court style offense and set plays.

This is what happens when you have a superstar who likes to push the ball. But as Curry emphasized at halftime, the Pistons need to push the ball off of turnovers they create, yet need to slow down the tempo elsewhere. They did this in the second half much better, and had better consistency because of it.

Another thing that has become apparent is that the Pistons are in trouble down low. They need Antonio McDyess back and bad. He is expected to re-sign with the Pistons on Dec. 7, the earliest date he is allowed to because of the infamous Gary Payton rule.

Until then Curry has to find a solution. Amir Johnson, who was the starting PF, was replaced by Kwame Brown tonight, so Rasheed Wallace could move back to PF and Brown to center.

However, Curry seemed displeased with Brown's play, too. He finished after playing just nine minutes. Johnson off the bench played only eight minutes.

(An early mess up on a drawn up play out of a timeout led Curry to bring Johnson to the bench after just 30 seconds, and he seemed to be in the dog house the rest of the night.)

The Pistons went mostly to a three-guard set in the second half, moving Prince down low, and playing Iverson, Hamilton, and either Aaron Affalo (11 points in 28 minutes) or Will Bynum (six points in 12 minutes), who has shown a lot in place of the "dizzy" Rodney Stuckey (who will return to action tomorrow).

It worked out well but there is a major size and strength issue in this set, making it all the more important to countdown McDyess' return. Without him, this team would have no chance in the playoffs.

The road gets no easier for the Pistons who have to get right back at it tomorrow against the undefeated Los Angeles Lakers (10:30 p.m. EST, TNT).

For now Brown is the new starting center, but it will be a constant soul search to find the right combination down low until McDyess returns. Jason Maxiell has certainly had a disappointing start to the season.

A 6-2 record is certainly not bad for a team who has experienced such adversity so early. The growing pains seem to continue, but only time will tell the true story of the 2008-2009 Detroit Pistons.

Side note: The Chicago Bulls signed former Piston Lindsey Hunter today. It is a non-guaranteed contract.

Breaking News: ESPN Making Bid for BCS Bowl Games

Anthony Orlando — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:00:16 -0500

This is just getting ridiculous.

Monday Night Football, a national pastime for so long, just recently shifted to ESPN, a cable sports channel.

Now they want the BCS Bowl Games.

Via ESPN.com: The Bowl Championship Series games could be moving to cable television as early as 2010, according to media reports.

The Walt Disney Co., the parent company of ESPN, is among the bidders for the five BCS games—and according to reports in USA Today and SportsBusiness Daily, the company has bid about $25 million per year more than its closest competitor for the new BCS deal.

Fox's four-year deal with the BCS ends after the 2009 season. If Disney's bid for the new deal is accepted, then the BCS games and the national championship would be aired on ESPN starting in 2010, according to USA Today.

My two cents: College football should do everything in its power to stop this from happening. Is it really worth the extra 25 million? For an extra 25 million you could lose 10 million viewers. Doesn't that hurt TV revenue and advertising?

Sports fans were upset when MNF went to cable TV, but that's just one game a week. ESPN could potentially get multiple BCS bowl games—the biggest games of the college football season.

It's getting to the point where money is ruining the game.

I know, I know: "Well, people could just get with the 21st century and get cable." True. But what happened to the times when the biggest sporting events in the world were a national TV spectacle, not just a cable TV spectacle?

The BCS is the equivalent to the Super Bowl.

Are you telling me we should accept the Super Bowl going from FOX, ABC, NBC, and CBS to ESPN, Versus, and Fox Sports Net? That this is no big deal?

College football commissioners and the presidents of their universities have proven all they care about is money. That's why we don't have a playoff still.

But hopefully for once, they will do the right thing and not allow ESPN to become a monopoly, taking over the entire sports world.

Games of The Day: November 12, 2008

Anthony Orlando — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:09:56 -0500

Alright, so here I present to you a new little feature I hope to do almost everyday, as time allows here on Bleacher Report.

From each given sport league I will choose, what I believe, to be the match-ups of the night. Please bear in mind, on some evenings in a given sport there may only be one game on (see tonight's college football matchup), and therefore, it is obviously the game of the night in that given sport.

I will present brief analysis and my awe- inspiring predictions about the given game, as well as any broadcast information I can supply to you, the reader, so you can catch it on your tube.

Please feel free to disagree and comment, as prediction's are always different person-to-person. And that's what makes sports fun—the debate!

Okay, and we kickoff the inaugural edition with the following must-see match-ups tonight...

NBA

Atlanta Hawks (6-0) @ Boston Celtics (7-1). 7:30 PM ET. TV: No National. Regional: CSNE, Turner Sports South.

Analysis: How can this not be the match-up of the night in the NBA? You have the defending NBA Champions, against the surprisingly young, and more importantly, undefeated Atlanta Hawks.

Don't forget this is the same Hawks team that took the defending champs to the max—seven games—in their first round playoff match-up, even further than the Detroit Pistons could. These Hawks are young, and look like the real deal, though it's easier to chalk up their record as a fluke than just admitting that.

The Celtics on the other hand are showing absolutely no signs of a post-championship letdown. To the contrary, they look just as good if not better than last year's team.

The Winner: It's in Boston, so this makes it an even tougher choice for me because they have a great home crowd. But I have to take the Hawks. They are going to be geared up for this game and ready to prove they are for real, and their record is no fluke.

Joe Johnson of the Hawks is averaging over 20 points per game, and i expect him to step up huge tonight. The wild card is the Boston defense, which is incredible and can shut any team down on any given night, but the Hawks aren't to shabby on the defensive side themselves. This should be a great game to watch if you have an NBA satellite TV package.

College Football

Central Michigan (7-2, 5-0) at Northern Illinois (4-2, 5-4). 8 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN 2, ESPN360.com

Analysis: I know, I know, most of you are thinking right now, "goodie, MAC football, I rather watch the World Series of Poker." Well to that I say, you don't know what you're missing this year. The Mid American Conference is back (well, maybe they never really were there per say, but I digress...).

Ball State is ranked No. 14 in the country, and CMU and Western Michigan University both received votes in the AP poll this week. If CMU beats NIU tonight, and Ball State the following week, they will most certainly be ranked. And if WMU wins out, they will be ranked as well most likely. Quite possibly three MAC teams, all from the west, could be ranked by seasons end.

This isn't the old doormat conference anymore folks, they are giving the BCS teams a run for their money (see Big 10 goes down and Pittsburgh, what?). You want more of a reason to watch? Just check out the possible future great MAC quarterback in the NFL—Dan LeFevour. He has missed two of the last three games due to an ankle injury, and no status has been declared for tonight's game, but this kid, if he plays is fun to watch.

The Winner: Now I will make this clear upfront, I do go to CMU, i feel it is only fair I make this known so my journalistic integrity isn't stricken away from me. This really is the only college football game on TV tonight, and I promise if Alabama was playing Florida that would be my game of the night, not this one.

Objectively, I just have to take CMU in this game. They are back-to-back MAC Champions, and they know, they have to focus on this game, because next Wednesday they will play the biggest game ever on their home turf (if they win tonight) against Ball State.

They might start off slow, looking ahead, but they have proved time and time again, when the game is on the line, they are clutch. Even if LeFevour doesn't play, backup Brian Brunner has proved he truly is QB 1A, and deserves respect. 34-21 CMU over NIU.

NHL

Boston Bruins (8-3-3) at Chicago Blackhawks (7-3-3). 8:30 p.m. ET. TV: No national. Regional: NESN, CSNC.

Analysis: Lastly, how about a good old fashioned original six hockey match-up to cap the night off? This is truly great for the game of hockey, to see two long time original six teams with winning records taking each other on. The Blackhawks after many-a-dismal seasons are finally on the right track, and the Bruins are definitely not a pushover.

Both teams are evenly matched as you can be, giving up nearly as many goals, 35-34 to the Blackhawks, and scoring as many goals 48-42 Blackhawks.

Winner: Another tough one for me to choose, but I have to take the Blackhawks. I see them play a lot because they play in the division I follow most closely, the Central, and they have some great young talent. In hockey, it's anyone's guess though. 4-3 Blackhawks.

Alright, so there you have it, the games of the night. Tune-in, discuss, debate, and enjoy. It may not be the Superbowl night of sports, but there are some great match-ups for fans of every sport.

Until next time.

Allen Iverson Era Gets First Win

Anthony Orlando — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:00:25 -0500

It's not how you start, it's how you finish.

That tells the story of the Detroit Pistons 100-92 victory over the Sacramento Kings, the first victory of the Allen Iverson era in Detroit.

After the first quarter, in which the Pistons were outscored 31-18, it seemed as if they decided to pickup exactly where they left off against the Boston Celtics. Out-of-sync, emotionless, and quite frankly, a team without an identity anymore.

Well, somewhere along the way the Pistons found their identity—maybe only for the night—the offense is far from fine-tuned, but from the second quarter on, the Pistons looked like a team out of limbo.

The ballers from Detroit outscored the Kings 32-19 in the second, and by the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the old shutdown defense of the Pistons showed up to seal the victory.

Allen Iverson had his best game as a Piston, scoring 30 points on nine of 19 shooting. He also contributed seven rebounds and nine assists.

Maybe more importantly however was Tayshaun Prince, who has taken the role as consistent veteran, a surprising go-to-guy when all else is failing for the Pistons. Prince finished with 26 points on 7 of 15 shooting.

Oh, and by the way, Prince played 43 minutes and Iverson 45. That says a lot about what Michael Curry, Pistons head coach, perceives to be his go-to-guys right now.

Reports today indicate that Rodney Stuckey, who did not make the trip to Sacramento, due to a dizzy spell he experienced against the Celtics, will rejoin the team shortly. Arron Affalo received extended time in his absence and contributed six points in 18 minutes, as did Will Bynum who played 16 minutes off the bench.

Richard Hamilton, possibly finding it increasingly difficult to find his role on this new AI stamped team, again shot terribly from the field, going 4 of 16. He did score 17 points however, after putting up a donut against the Celtics on Sunday.

So there you have it, the AI era is now 1-2. It still looks like it will take awhile for this team to gel and re-find itself, but tonight the Pistons saw what a superstar could do. Put up big numbers.

These new Pistons are definitely showing a faster paced offense. This can be directly attributed to Iverson. And that, for the small group of three that remain from the 2004 championship team, is an adjustment in itself.

Detroit Pistons next game: Thursday @ Golden State. Start time 10:30 pm. NOTE: This game has been picked up by TNT and will air following the Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers game.

Detroit improves to 5-2, 1/2 game back of first placed Cleveland in the Central Division.

Sacramento falls to 3-5, and fourth place in the Pacific Division.

Allen Iverson Trade Results Will Take Time

Anthony Orlando — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:39:39 -0500

The Sunday night game at the Palace of Auburn Hills against the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics left Detroit fans more than disappointed and wondering if Joe Dumars, Pistons' President of Basketball Operations, made the right move.

Just two games after the Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups deal, the Pistons have gone from 4-0 to 4-2.

Fans have to keep one thing in mind, though: Transitions take time. The Detroit Pistons as we knew them are dead, and a new team has been formed. The same core which played together since 2004, and some for longer, has been shaken up and you can't just expect that to heed immediate results.

Gone is the slow, half-court offense. Steady, sometimes efficient, and sometimes outright ugly. In is the AI offense: up-tempo, fast moving, penetration to the net, and kick-outs galore, something a superstar can do—something the old Pistons didn't have.

In the NBA you need a superstar to win and that's why this trade is all the more important for the Pistons. Denver had their superstar already in Carmelo Anthony, so they traded for a steady hand that could add veteran leadership—good trade for Denver.

The Pistons had a veteran team but a team with little fire—a team that was complacent and needed a shakeup. A team that, more than anything, needed a guy who could score at any moment, on any play, at any time—a superstar. In comes Allen Iverson, which is a great trade for Detroit.

Bringing in AI adds fire to this Pistons team, and undoubtedly this 0-2 start will turn around. The Pistons, however, have to find time to practice with and learn about their new teammate. This is truly a passing of the guard. The Pistons now must learn how to play a "superstar-style offense."

And since Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton, and Tayshaun Prince have never done that as Pistons, there are kinks to be worked out. And the same can be applied to Iverson.

AI doesn't know when he should take over a game yet. He is trying to find that balance between being a team player and being a superstar. He doesn't want to make his new teammates think he is a ball hog who won't play team basketball.

When the Pistons actually have time for a full practice (for the past week they have been playing every other day), and AI actually has time to gel with his teammates, we will see a much-improved team.

Round one goes to Boston, and right now the trade certainly looks better for Denver.

But remember—this is a superstar league. The 2004 Pistons were the exception, not the rule.

They learned that the hard way, going to six straight Eastern Conference Finals, but not bringing home the prize, constantly losing to the Tim Duncans, Dwayne Wades, LeBron James, and Kevin Garnetts of the "superstar NBA."

They now have the missing piece, but the puzzle is still being put together.

Tigers-White Sox: Detroit Blows Lead in Ninth

Anthony Orlando — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:25:14 -0400

Oops, he did it again.

A 5-4 lead with two outs in the top of the ninth was not enough for closer Todd Jones of the Detroit Tigers to put away the Chicago White Sox, in the most pivotal series of the year for both teams.

With Carlos Quentin on first base, Jermaine Dye took Jones deep, with two outs to give the Sox a 6-5 lead.

Bobby Jenks came in to do what every good closer should do in the ninth: close out the ball game.

This will be an exceptionally tough loss for the Tigers, who led most of the game, then found themselves tied, only to re-take the lead on a Carlos Guillen home run in the bottom of the seventh.

Fernando Rodney pitched another gem for the Tigers in the eighth.

The same could not be said for Jones. Who, with two outs, and an 0-2 count, allowed Quentin to single and then threw Dye a 2-0 fastball down the heart of the plate.

It didn't stay in Comerica Park for very long.

The loss, for all intensive purposes became a two-game swing for both teams. Instead of being only 4.5 games back, the Tigers are now 6.5 back, with the next two games seeming like "must wins."

Should the outcome of the season be shouldered by Todd Jones alone?

No. However, the always-shaky closers' antics, which seem fine when the Tigers end up winning, are blemishes that will stand out when they lose.

Especially in a game Jones, and the Tigers, could not afford to lose.

They were just one out away.

FINAL: CHICAGO-6 DETROIT- 5

WP: D. Carrasco (1-0)

LP: T. Jones (4-1)

Notes: Joel Zumaya, who replaced starter Nate Robertson, did not hold the lead with two runners on and nobody out, allowing both runs to score, along with another unearned run, in the seventh.

This is Todd Jones' third blown save. He has a 4.99 ERA.

Nat Robertson went six innings, giving up three runs (all earned), and walked five batters.

Chicago takes on Detroit again tomorrow in the second of a three-game series. There are eight total games left in the season series.

The Minnesota Twins lost to the Cleveland Indians today, remaining 3.5 back of Chicago.

Tracy McGrady, Josh Smith, and Ron Artest? Detroit Pistons Trade Watch, Day 49

Anthony Orlando — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:23:40 -0400

Joe Dumars continues to work those phones.

The Pistons' President of Basketball Operations, if you believe the media, is reaching out to anyone and everyone he can, in the hope of improving the Detroit Pistons basketball team, and shaking up a core that has been together since 2004.

Rumor No. 1: Josh Smith to Detroit via sign and trade

The newest reports come from well-known Detroit reporters such as Drew Sharp, Rob Parker and others, saying a sign-and-trade involving the Atlanta Hawks for Josh Smith is brewing.

Who would be involved in the trade is unclear, but it seems there is at least some talk going on. Smith has adamantly stated he does not want to play for Atlanta next season.

Stay tuned—this one seems to be picking up some steam.

Rumor No. 2: Tracy McGrady won't go away

In a segment yesterday on ESPN, well-known basketball insider Stephen A. Smith reiterated that McGrady to Detroit is plausible.

"There have been rumors circulating about the Detroit Pistons' interest," Smith said on SportsCenter. "I can tell you, regardless of what you're hearing, there is some definite interest." Smith said the trade would likely involve Chancey Billups and Tayshaun Prince going to Houston for McGrady. "McGrady wouldn't have a problem with that," Smith said.

McGrady feels like he is a winner either way, whether he stays in Houston or is traded to Detroit, according to Smith.

Whether the trade goes down our not, Smith is a very credible NBA insider who has reliable information.

This is one rumor that is not going away. Stay tuned—this could be the big move the Pistons have been waiting for.

Rumor No. 3: Andris Biedrins still on Detroit's radar

The Golden State Warriors recently made an offer to restricted free agent Ronny Turiaf of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Reports out of Detroit say if the Lakers do not match the offer, Detroit can swipe in and sign Biedrins for the mid-level exception.

Biedrins has been on Detroit's radar as of late.

Previous rumors stated that Golden State and Detroit were in discussions involving a trade.

But Golden State only wanted to offer up Al Harrington. The Pistons wanted Biedrins.

However, now that Golden State is going after Turiaf, and if they indeed do sign him, it becomes likely that something could go down involving Biedrins.

Update: LA has decided not to match Golden State's offer for Turiaf.

Rumor No. 4: Pistons interested in Ron Artest?

If a deal for Ron Artest goes down, it will be a day that will go down in infamy in Detroit.

Ron Artest a Piston, after the Pacer-Piston brawl? Never in a million years, right?

Well, not according to the Sacramento Bee, who is citing a source within the Pistons as saying they are interested in trading for Artest.

The rumor shows of nothing concrete, and the writer even says it has only been confirmed by one source. So until we hear something more, this might be the least credible rumor.

But, stranger things have happened...

As we get deeper into the offseason it seems the trade rumors are heating up for the Pistons. Any day there could be a Blockbuster deal that will shakeup a couple of NBA teams.

Check back soon for the latest trade talk. There certainly is enough of it

Tigers Still Have Problems; AL Central Opponents Are Coming

Anthony Orlando — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 05:18:47 -0400

Over .500—then right back to it.

This is the story of the 2008 Detroit Tigers. A team expected to be 20 games over .500 is now struggling to get over it.

The Tigers have their best shot to get back in the AL Central race right now. But they don't look like a team who has a "new start" mentality to the second half of the season.

Actually, through the first two games with the Baltimore Orioles, they look like the same team who struggled to live up to their hype the first half of the season.

Game One of the four-game series went to the Tigers. They were outhit, but thanks to some nice defensive work by Brandon Inge at third base and Miguel Cabrera at first, they squeaked one out, 6-5.

Did they look good doing it? Well, let's just say old concerns came back.

Kenny Rogers gave up a lead every inning until the Tigers got through the fifth. His soft pitches were left over the heart of the plate.

If Rogers can not locate consistently, he will get eaten alive by any team in this league, because his arm is all but gone.

If the Tigers want a chance, Rogers must get it together; otherwise, stick a fork in them. They won't have enough starting pitching to make any run for the division.

Rogers final numbers Thursday: 6IP, 4ER, 2BB, 1SO, 1HR. SEASON ERA: 4.62.

The bullpen, the one plus for the Tigers so far, was rock solid once again, until the worst closer in the game came in, Todd Jones.

Jones gave up one run in a 6-5 squeaker.

Jones has begun to be terrible once again. When he comes in to close, he HAS TO close out the game. The Tigers in no way can afford blown saves that turn into losses.

Time is against them.

Nothing like a 4.82 ERA out of your closer.

Game two brought more worries to the plate for Tigers fans.

Last night, a home run derby took place at Camden Yards, and the Tigers came out on the wrong end of it.

The Tigers gave up four home runs total, three of them surrendered by Rookie of the Year candidate on the decline, Armando Galarraga.

He went 6.2 innings and gave up five runs (four earned) on three homers while striking out six.

Galarraga recently has struggled to get through five innings of work.

His numbers still look very good, but after a hot-start to his major league career, he is cooling off.

If he falters, the Tigers, with no one in the minors capable of taking his spot, are done for sure.

Another concern: the Tigers proved last night they are still inept at driving in runs with runners in scoring position.

Timely hitting has not been a Tigers benchmark this year, and if that doesn't improve, say goodbye to the season.

To top it all off, the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox both won last night, driving the Tigers to 7.5 games back of the division leading Sox.

The Tigers have two more games with Baltimore, then a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals.

These are the games the Tigers must win.

If they are really a team that is turning it around and making a playoff run, they need to win the next two against Baltimore, and take at least two of three from KC (who has swept the Tigers in both series they have played this year).

After the Royals go away, big series lie ahead. The big guns of the AL Central are coming to determine if the Tigers will be back in the race by the trade deadline, or if they are a beaten team, ready to sell some pieces and look to next year.

July 25-27: the White Sox are in Detroit.

July 28-31: Detroit takes on the Cleveland Indians in Cleveland.

The Tigers are a sickening 14-24 versus AL Central opponents this year.

The rest of July will truly determine whether August even matters for the Tigers, because if they don't show up now, it will be too late.

The second chance will be gone.

And it will be sell-time at the deadline for the team who was picked to be in the World Series, not watching it at home.

The Detroit Tigers: Second Half of Season Offers a Second Chance

Anthony Orlando — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:32:17 -0400

Ladies and Gentleman, the 2008 World Series Champion Detroit Tigers!

Wait. What? You don't automatically win the World Series for having by far the best off season of any team in the league?

Uh-oh.

Yes, it is a sad but true concept that must be grasped for Tiger fans these days. And the question continues to be asked, how can a team with so much talent only be 47-47 going into the second half of the season?

Well. It could be worse I guess. Considering they started the season with seven straight losses and an unbelievable 2-10 mark out of the gate.

A team shutout only twice all of last year has been shutout eight times already this year.

Miguel Cabrera couldn't hit.

Dontrelle Willis couldn't throw a baseball down the heart of the plate if he was two-feet from it, and Jeremy Bonderman went on the DL for the remainder of the season.

Anything else?

The Tigers have been without all their stars for extended periods of time throughout the season. Magglio Ordonez, Placido Polanco, Miguel Cabrera, Brandon Inge, Curtis Granderson, and Gary Sheffield have all missed multiple games or have had stints on the DL through the first half.

But that was then. This is now.

For all intensive purposes, at 47-47, the Tigers are at 0-0 in their mind. They are spotting Chicago seven games, but that's what you get when you can't hit, pitch, or play consistent defense.

They have a chance. Because beginning tonight against the Baltimore Orioles, the Tigers will be fully healthy.

Everyone is beginning to hit, most importantly Cabrera. Ordonez is off the DL, Polonco has a hot bat, and Mr. Consistent, Carlos Guillen, is playing as good of defense as he is offense these days after a rocky start at third base.

Call-up Matt Joyce has also contributed nicely for the Tigers, along with Marcus Thames, who has played in only around half the games this year, but leads the team in home runs.

Edgar Renteria and Gary Sheffield are the only big question marks for the Tigers. But, if the Tigers had to choose two players to underperform, these are the two they could live with.

By trade deadline time, one of them could be gone if they continue to under perform. Most likely Renteria who's in the last year of his contract.

Pitching-wise the Tigers are looking better as well.

Justin Verlander is back to All-Star form. Kenny Rogers has pitched surprisingly well after a shaky start. Nate Robertson has given the Tigers solid starts as of late.

And the biggest surprise of all? Rookie of the Year candidate Armando Galarraga, who is tied with Verlander for wins and leads the starters with a 3.27 ERA.

The bullpen has come together nicely. Joe Zumaya is throwing dominantly again after a long stay in the DL, having no problem throwing 100+MPH gas. And Fernando Rodney, after a rocky return, is looking good.

That, along with the emergence of rookie Freddy Dolsi, the Tigers bullpen is strong in the late innings.

The biggest question marks pitching wise are: who will be the number five starter for the Tigers? With Bonderman done for the year, and Dontrelle Willis only making one start in A-ball so far, it will most likely be a rookie from AA Erie.

Also, the Tigers were shopping Robertson earlier in the year, will they continue even though they are without Jeremy Bonderman now?

Many teams also have their eyes peeled on former All-Star Freddy Garcia. Could they make a run after him?

There are questions. But more answers now then there were before.

The Tigers are getting back to winning. The only question now is, is it too little too late?

They have the talent.

But big names don't buy you championships.

The Tigers have learned that the hard way. And tonight they begin with a clean slate.

A second chance, if you will, that is much needed for a team who was already crowned World Series Champions before the season even began.

Tracy McGrady To Detroit: Where There's Smoke There's Fire

Anthony Orlando — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:30:24 -0400

A fire is a brewing.

After a week filled with numerous reports that the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons were working on a deal to send the perennial NBA All-Star to Detroit, Tracy McGrady gave some interesting thoughts to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.

"It's certainly not a done deal by any stretch of the imagination. It's not as if Houston and Detroit has even talked yet. But is Detroit interested? Definitely," Smith said.

"Is Tracy McGrady interested? Yes he is. I spoke to Tracy McGrady earlier. His basic thing is he's very happy in Houston but he wants to win. So whatever is a winning situation for him is something he is more than willing to entertain."

McGrady went on to say he has "all the faith in the world" in Joe Dumars, the Pistons President of Basketball Operations, who almost two months ago proclaimed he had seen enough of the same complacency out of the core of current Pistons.

A day later, Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey responded in the Dallas Morning News.

"He said he wanted to win and they (the media) ran with it," Morey said. "He said he's happy in Houston. He just was surprised how it all came out."

He also went on to say that the Pistons and Rockets had preliminary talks a few weeks ago, which ended with Houston turning down Detroit's offer.

Morey refused to state what the deal consisted of and if the two sides are even still talking about a possible trade.

The Pistons have been involved in trade rumors with stars such as Carmelo Anthony and Baron Davis as well.

Nothing happened, obviously.

These rumors must be taken with a grain of salt. But this time, you have a quiet Pistons organization, not talking much about this McGrady deal, just stating no trades are imminent.

And you have both McGrady and Morey making public statements, not denying something's possibly in the works.

One thing is for certain through all this.

Joe Dumars wants some change to that Detroit Pistons roster.

It may not happen today, tomorrow, or even by game one of the NBA season. But it will come.

And the rumors aren't going to be going away anytime soon.

Rumors might not always end up becoming reality. But when there's this much smoke, a fire is around, waiting to pop up somewhere.

Brett Favre: Is This How You Really Want To Be Remembered?

Anthony Orlando — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:35:28 -0400

One of the greatest quarterbacks that this fan's generation has ever seen, retired in March of 2008. Some thought it was the final closing to a Hall of Fame career.

Some thought it was nothing more than a little vacation before the blood-pumping veins of Favre began to bleed football once again.

Of course, the latter turned out to be correct. I don't think anyone would have envisioned the story that is taking place now, however.

Was Favre pressured to retire? Would Green Bay really bring him back as just a backup? Would they be dumb enough to give him an outright release? Would he accept a trade? Will he go to training camp and force the Packers to make the first move?

All these questions bleed of, not football, but drama. And it is sad. Few quarterbacks have ever had the complete admiration of not just a city and fanbase, but a league, as Favre has. And he is in the process ruining it.

Now, some fans might think it is Favre's God-given right to comeback whenever he wants, and not just that, but automatically get his starting quarterback position back. Unfortunately, that is, and shouldn't be the case.

It is true, a team can be held hostage by a player as famous, great, and passionate as Favre. That is exactly what Green Bay is experiencing right now, and it's even wearing on some fans of the lifelong Packer great.

The best thing that can happen from here is that this PR nightmare, for both the Packers and Favre, end as soon as possible. This cannot drag out much further.

Sadly, it looks as though a happy ending will be hard to come by in this unfortunate saga. The Packers either look:

A) like idiots for releasing Favre,

B) inconsiderate for not releasing Favre,

C) insane for keeping him as a backup,

or D) bad for treating Aaron Rogers unfairly for being relegated back to second-string after saying the job was his.

Favre and his legacy will take a shot, too.

No matter what happens, this whole incident should be remembered as Brett Favre's ego getting in the way. Yes, hate to tell everyone, as nice and perfect as he might seem, a player as great as Favre doesn't have a Hall of Fame career and not develop an ego.

Favre is currently ripping into his soon-to-be ex-employer, and they are both basically saying the other side is lying.

Favre says they don't want him back, and the Packers say they do. Favre says they pressured him, the Packers say they wanted him back and would have waited for a decision for as long as it took.

Seriously, what the heck is going on here?

Who would have ever thought this is how it would end between Green Bay and Favre.

At this point, the only scenario where this works out, and both parties can come out looking fair, is for the Packers to bring Favre back, and then trade him to a team he agrees to (which would have to be outside the NFC North).

But even then, Packer fans, closure or not, would experience something I am sure they never thought they would see: the day when Brett Favre ended his career in anything other than a Green Bay Packer jersey.

That will be a day that is hard-to-swallow, yet, not too far off from happening.

MLB: Sometimes We Need To Realize It's Just a Game

Anthony Orlando — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:18:40 -0400

On Tuesday night, one of the most memorable sporting events of our lifetime took place.

The great, historic, Yankee stadium saw its last All-Star Game ever. And what a game it was. It was an amazing event. Moments like that are what make sports so great! Moments like that make people proud to be sports fans.

Earlier Tuesday was a different story, though.

During what was to be a memorable moment for both fans and players who were celebrating this historic All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, Jonathan Papelbon's wife was threatened, according to Papelbon.

"I feel like I needed to be in a bullet-proof car," Papelbon said, according to MLB.com "My wife is pregnant, and she's getting her life threatened. It's stupid."

Of course, this all stemmed from a media firestorm. Papelbon mentioned prior to the game that he would, more or less, like to close the All-Star Game.

This was unimaginable to the New York media, considering the All-Star Game was to be at Yankee Stadium, and is home to arguably the greatest closer of all times, and current Yankee, Mariano Rivera.

Of course, Papelbon went on to say that he understood Rivera was the closer and that he had no problem with it. Papelbon then went on to compliment Rivera.

But, of course, the media put that on the back burner. And it lead to a threat to a pregnant woman who had nothing to do with the situation.

Heck, even if Papelbon called Rivera a second-rate closer compared to himself, it is still utterly unacceptable to threaten someone's life over a game. Yes, that's right, sports are a game.

Baseball, though a great American pastime, is just an athletic contest. There are bigger things happening in the world.

Just ask the people who had to drive to Yankee Stadium and spend over $4.00 per gallon on gas.

"Your family gets involved like that and you're trying to enjoy an experience with your family, and you have a wife who's pregnant, who doesn't feel safe riding in a red-carpet event, you know what I mean? How would you feel?" Papelbon said to MLB.com.

Pathetic is the only way to answer this.

It's not just New York fans, though they, more than most, can be harsh and cruel to outsiders. But in general, fans take this game sometimes to a level that is truly disgusting.

On a night when a great All-Star Game will be remembered, first-and-foremost, there should be a touch of sadness to all that something like this had to happen on such a memorable evening.

The Red Sox-Yankee rivalry is great, but from my experience, the best rivalries are the ones between the players. And there was no problem with Rivera and Papelbon here.

Just with a stupid person who took his fandom way too far in the midst of a night that should have been filled with happiness.

Poor Pap.