'If it ain't ruff', it ain't right'...but this is so wrong...

A letter to the Detroit Pistons:

To whom it may concern,

Instead of the Pistons, I address this letter to whom it may concern because it has recently become apparent to me that it may not concern you at all. You don't seem to be concerned that we are down 3-1 and that you're being out hustled on every single play. You don't seem to be concerned that this season, the greatest regular season in Detroit Pistons history, may come to an end tomorrow night. I wish the lack of concern was because of an arrogance about your superiority over Miami, but instead it appears to be a feeling of indifference. You don't care if we win or lose. You don't care if you get to the finals and you certainly don't care if our only real rival in the east coast blows us away in 5 games.

I have been a fan of the Pistons for 23 years; My entire life. I was there with the bad boys and going back-to-back. I was there for the 62 loss seasons in the 90's, and I was there to see the dark days when Joe D wore those ugly teal jerseys. I was there when we traded Grant Hill. I was there when Lindsay was our starting point guard. I was there when the Jerome Williams was our marquee player. I have never in my life seen less heart and desire in a Pistons team than I have during these playoffs. It truly hurts to watch.

Down 3-1, I know this story line well. I was there 4 years ago against Orlando for game 7. Right after losing game 4 and being down 3-1 I made a bet with a friend of mine that you would come back and win the series. You did. I was there for game 7 two years ago against the Nets. Down 3-2 but you won.














(Me, neil, rushi and muki at Game 7 against the nets)

After that Orlando series 4 years ago, you went on to lose to Boston in the second round; I was there and I was on my feet cheering because you played with heart and you played with love. Down 3-2 to the Spurs last year in the finals, a loss in game 7, but you left your hearts on the floor and that's all a fan could ask for. A loss is easier to stomach when it hurts us fans just as much as it hurts you.

These 2006 Playoffs have been nothing short of ridiculous. Every single team played with all the heart and emotion they had except for you. Are you telling me that Chicago is a better team than us? They made Miami look like chumps and that series could have gone either way. You think the Cavs have anything that matches up to the talent we have? So how did they take us to a game 7? How did Phoenix come back from being down 3-1? How did the Clippers take the Suns to 7 games? All of these teams have something you don't: Heart. Watch 5 minutes of the Dallas Mavericks and you will know what I'm talking about. Watch 5 seconds of any game in the last 4 seasons and you will know exactly what I'm talking about. Picture Tayshaun flying out of what was seemingly half court to block a Reggie Miller layup and put and end to his career and cement that series as ours. I can honestly say that not one single play this entire playoff run has embodied heart. Not only do we not deserve to win this series like this but we don't even deserve to be here. Lebron would kill himself before he let anything like this happen to his team.

Ben Wallace bitching about Flip? Are you serious?? Tayshaun unhappy about the sub rotation?? Who are you people? Last time I checked the Detroit Pistons don't point fingers at anyone but themselves. It used to be people saying things like "my bad, I should have played better." Now it's, "You need to play better." I'm not sure if Flip's inexperience in the playoffs is showing or not, but even Valdemort, oops I mean, Larry Brown, once said, "You can't coach heart."

3 years ago when the nets swept us in the Eastern Confrence Finals, we played like we had accomplished what we wanted, and played like it. It wasn't without heart but without desire. This year your heart and desire has captured me all season, I probably only missed 3 or 4 of the 96 games played so far. All season all you could say was that the only thing you cared about was winning a championship. You finally got the 'respect' you always claimed to not get. You would be hard pressed to find a reporter who would dare say we weren't at least going to the finals. I was trying to think of the exact moment you lost your love and I think it was Game 3 against the Bucks. Right after Game 2 you thought the title was yours. You let up for a minute, content with the way things were going, and you lost your focus. That shift from being an insatiable force that won 64 games turned into a fat kid who just ate some cake. You were satisfied. That's why Lebron took us to 7, that's why D-Wade plays like it's literally life or death. He is hungry and he has heart. I have seen more heart from D-Wade than all of you combined, all except for Lindsay. It's not age or tired legs, Shaq has to be more tired than all of you yet he plays like he's got hot coals under his feet.

Alas, despite myself I can't help but have hope. Hope that you realize all of this on your own and stop bitching about what is happening and make a change. The Pistons are bigger than the 12 of you. You represent us. The second you put on that jersey you owe it to ME to play with heart. If I could do absolutely anything in the world it would be to be a Detroit Piston but because of an obvious lack of skill I am sitting here typing. You owe it to every single fan who schedules their life around you. I plan my meals, socializing, homework, work, weekends and future around you and it's not to watch you play like you're wasting your time because that is a waste of my time. You owe it to Hooper, everyone who works at the Palace, that 4 year old kid who did the starting line up better than Mason himself, to the Spare Tires, to Automotion, to my boy Rushi who I know loves you as much as I do, and to everyone who ever said anything good about you this season, because you are making everyone wonder why they thought you embodied what a team was and what heart was.

As for Game 5 tomorrow at the Palace, you have one game to win us back. Win or lose, you have to play like your life is on the line, not like your back is against the wall. If you leave everything you have on the floor then there will be no need to worry because we will win the series...

-Marty (Fan since 1982)