When I was approached by Ryan Pretzer about writing a guest blog on Pistons.com, I was not sure what to discuss. This has been a very crazy season for the Pistons so far and yet, the team remains near the top of the East despite some very clear bumps in the road. I always try and tell people how you watch a game differently when you sit courtside on press row at the Palace. You see certain things and hear certain things that you would normally not if you were in the stands or even watching on TV, despite all the crowd microphones and access that TV now brings the viewer.

For the past six seasons, I have had this chance to learn more about the game and then share some of my knowledge with our radio listeners on WDFN AM 1130 and the Pistons Radio Network. Unfortunately, some of my cohorts in the sports journalism and broadcast profession don’t take the time to learn anything while they sit in their plush seat right there on the floor. Then, when it is time to write a column or story or go on the air, they fail to see the big picture and then after a game they fail to ask questions or get answers. It amazes me that this can go on here in Detroit, a city that I believe is as good as it gets when it comes to sports.

Too many times, you, the Pistons fans, get subjected to ridiculous rumors, false information, and just a lack of knowledge of the game of basketball by the people reporting on it. Furthermore, this is a pretty accessible group of players on this team and the front office is filled with true professionals who are willing to answer questions and give you straight answers. Plus my boy, Kevin Grigg the Pistons media relations director always can steer you in the right direction.

I write this because it all encompasses the first half of this Pistons season. I am fortunate I have the forum before and after games on WDFN AM 1130 to hopefully do the best job I can to be accurate, opinionated, knowledgeable and fun when it comes to talking about the Pistons. A team, by the way Stephen A. Smith, that has been to the last FOUR Conference Finals, not three!

This and That:

1. Chauncey Billups is an All-Star and thank goodness he was voted on to the team by the coaches on Thursday night. Watching the Pistons play without Billups is like turning on a “Seinfeld” rerun and not seeing George Costanza; it’s like going to a Michigan football game and not hearing “The Victors” played by the band; it’s like listening to the Stern show without Artie Lang. It is just not the same. During the eight games where Chauncey sat on the bench with a calf strain, the Detroit machine just didn’t run the way it should. Joe Dumars knows this, Mr. Davidson knows this, and that stretch turned out to be important for this team because they weathered it as well as they could have. Billups has control of this squad, and he has said numerous times that he likes to get his teammates involved first. THAT, my friends, is the sign of a leader. I’ll be the first to tell you there are games where Chauncey probably defers too much, but you’d rather have that than a score-first, “gets-mine” kind of leader. Congratulations to #1 on the honor. Don’t party too hard in Vegas.

2. The Pistons fans that I get to talk to on the radio are hilarious. Hilarious, in a good way. These are the die-hards, who call in after games, win or lose. I take that back, when the team loses, more of them come out of the woodwork. My favorite part of the job is getting to know some of these guys (and girls) and even calling them out if they turn out to be wrong on a certain issue. Over the years we have talked a lot about coaches (seeing as there have been three in the six years I have worked the Pistons radio games), Darko, Michael Curry, the brawl, and of course, title runs. Callers such as Marcus, Anson, Rock, JT, Gary, Cowboy, Leonard, Greg, Spitfire, Wayne, and countless others that I am forgetting as I write this, really know basketball and are in love with their Pistons. Home games or road games we have provided these listeners with an open forum, and they have taught me a thing or two about DEEE-TROIT BASKETBALL because I did not grow up here. It is a lot of fun and for seven to eight months out of the year, as scary as this sounds, they are like family. I invite you to join us after games at 248-848-1130. Don’t get personal, keep it clean, and the stage is yours.