Being a Pistons fan in the post Saunders/Bill Davidson era has been one of the most challenging periods that a local basketball fan could have ever imagined when it began nearly two years ago.
We knew that Mr. Davidson’s health was not in great shape, and the energy that had built the Pistons into a franchise was beginning to wane. Also, the hard working success of a Pistons franchise and its annual visits to the Eastern Conference finals created a level of expectation that anyone from Saunders to Curry and beyond could not reach. That downward spiral got some hopeful news this week, as a part-time Michigan resident may be in line to take over the franchise of Zollner and Davidson.
Unless you have some serious “snow glow,” Tom Gores looks more like the California living version than the Detroit one. I wrote a blog a few months back placing my support behind Gores as an owner. I thought that Ilitch was a dead end at best, and that the Pistons would join the Tigers and Red Wings into a similar situation upon the day that Ilitch passed.
There was also a belief I had in the short-term that the Pistons needed an independent, enthusiastic voice that could make the Palace an atmosphere that this city has not seen in years. Think about it: the recession has made us all into fans expecting a high level of performance that would only equal our own efforts. I’ve seen fans swear openly in front of small children and throw their programs, beers, or anything they could find, in the direction of unsuspecting nearby women. We’ve turned ugly and filled with expectations.
With Gores potentially at the helm of the Palace empire, Detroit basketball could be the place where it all turns around again. In an NBA where the league seems to be in more and more economic trouble each year, Motown’s basketball team could be the one thing that continues to lift the spirits left behind by years of being told “no” or “can’t.”
We’ve used sports as an entertainment outlet to keep our minds away from the reality – perhaps this pending deal could be the catalyst for a much needed change.
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