http://www.pistonsbball.com//pics//joe_dumars_i.jpg

WDFN: Click here (http://70.84.122.194/~pistonsb/audio/02_16_06_JoeD_WDFN_WTFDetroit.mp3) (3.97 MB)

I haven't had a chance to listen to this interview yet.

1270AM: Click here (http://70.84.122.194/~pistonsb/audio/02_16_06_JoeD_1270AM_WTFDetroit.mp3) (2.94 MB)

Joe D talk about Darko saying that he just wasn't about to find minutes ahead of the current bigs. He also talks about being "really high" on Alex Acker (btw, Terry called Alex Acker, "acres". ugh). he said the deal puts them 15 under the luxury tax.....his goal was 10-12 under, so he's happy from a financial point of view. Joe D said he "wasn't sure if he's getting another PG or not" via trade or free agency. he downplayed the need for a backup PG, saying it was only 10-12 minutes to be concerned about. asking about Brevin Knight, JoeD hinted that he would be talking to his GM today.

http://www.pistonsbball.com//pics//joe_dumars_i.jpg

Right Click, Save As... (http://70.84.122.194/~pistonsb/audio/02_16_06_JoeD_Darko_Trade_WDFN_WTFDetroit.com.mp3) (3.97 MB)

I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, so I'm not sure what was said.....I'll give it a listen soon.


I didn't listen to your file, but I was listening on the radio.. basically, it was a money move. This gives us enough to pay for Ben and Chauncey, which is MUCH more valuable than giving 9.5 million to a Human Victory Cigar. I would have liked to keep Arroyo (I'm in the minority on this), but his salary was the big one that matched in order to make the trade work.

Here is my question. Why can the Pacers afford an $80 mil payroll and we can't afford a $65 mil payroll? Its not about being able to keep Ben, its about the old fart making more money.

added the 1270AM interview w/ Mike and Terry.

That's a stupid thing to say.

5 starters, you're trying to pay all of them. You're trying to keep that starting five up, and here you are bitching that we're not going to continue spending $8 million a year on a guy that we call the Human Victory Cigar.

I like how people like you complain about people not spending money, and treat $65 million like pocket change.

As for the Pacers, have you seen them hanging championship banners? You might as well reference the Knicks. It doesn't matter if you spend $50 million or $100 million.. I'll take a winning team over overspending, any day.

I like how people like you complain about people not spending money, and treat $65 million like pocket change.

it's all relative, man. we're talking about sports franchises. it's not pocket change to us, but to a billionaire like Bill Davidson, it just might be pocket change.


Owning sports teams is a hobby for him. Selling glass made Davidson Michigan’s richest man, with a net worth of $1.9 billion, according to Fortune magazine.

The bulk of Davidson’s fortune comes from Guardian Industries Corp., a major manufacturer of glass products for construction and auto industries and fiberglass insulation products. The privately held company had revenues estimated in 2002 at $3.95 billion.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5123228/

you're not going to get people to cry over Mr.D having to pay the luxury tax. btw, the Pistons have been raising their ticket prices every year too.

thanks Matt, always appreciated.

I didn't mean to come off as a dick, but I would like the meet the guy that thinks that kind of money is pocket change. People become million/billionaires because they make sound business decisions. Throwing money down the toilet isn't one of those choices.

I didn't realize that Davidson was centered around the glass industry though. Maybe that explains why he wanted to draft a guy like Darko in the first place.

As for the subject, I just think it's a cop out to say that Joe D, or Mr. D is cheap. He put his money where his mouth is every time that he's been required to. If Darko was producing, or if they thought that he would actually stay with the team after his contract expires, maybe he'd be worth the long term investment. I was a Darko supporter the whole time, and I still say he didn't get a chance to succeed, but it's becoming obvious that Detroit just wasn't the scenario for him. I'm ready to pick up the pieces and move on, and if we see a first round pick come back for him, it's better than watching him drink his way out of town after a few more years of doing nothing.

(edit: reread my first post, and saying 'that's a stupid thing to say' is a pretty dick thing to do. My bad.. at work and just going back and forth from talking to asswipes on the phone to talking sports.)

Here is my question. Why can the Pacers afford an $80 mil payroll and we can't afford a $65 mil payroll? Its not about being able to keep Ben, its about the old fart making more money.

I'll try to answer in two parts. Firstly, the Pacers can not afford the $80 million dollar payroll and have tried to cut payroll on a few occassions, the al harrington trade was about salary, so them boasting the $80 mil payroll isn't really what they're trying to do.
As for the Pistons, I think they'd like to be smart with the cap, if they can save money and not lose anything why not? I think Bill Davidson has no problem with spending money on quality players but when you pay 4mil a yr to a PG that's worth 2mil and 5 mil to the PF that's 5th on your depth charts and truly worth like 1 mil, it makes perfect sense to get them off the books, get a pick in a strong draft(2007 is much better than 2006) and an expiring deal who Joe could actually(and probably will) trade for a piece that could make us better immediately.

In essence, I'm saying I think they're willing to have a 80 mil dollar payroll for the right players, but certainly not for dead weight. Those were my thoughts when it happened, and I think listening to Joe speak with Stoney just solidified those thoughts.

^^

Much better put than I did.

Spend $80 mil on $80 mil's worth of players, and not just for the sake of spending it.

I don't know if you are a hockey fan at all, but Glen Sather was considered a genius for how he built and kept the Edmonton Oilers competitve with a very tight budget year in and year out. He finally got fed up with the budget crunches and being forced to trade away good players and moved the the New York Ranger franchise where everybody expected he'd build a forever dynasty with his eye for talent and the NY deep pockets ability to keep it.

Guess what - Sather stunk it up as Ranger GM. He got lazy, as he didn't need to make the right moves in almost like a life and death scenario for the franchise. He made bad signings, traded for bloated contracts and constantly missed the play-offs.

This year the Rangers are back atop the league elite and low and behold this is the first year of a league wide salary cap. Sather, working under a budget again, was more focused and keen to make the right hockey decisions. Money cannot make up for mistakes so you really have to study each and every move.

I don't mind the Milicic and Arroyo were traded, I just HATE what they were traded for.

We'll have to use our MLE this off-season on a back-up point guard - especially if Hunter retires. Basically we'll spend on the FA pg what we would have spent for Arroyo however Arroyo was a good fit under LB's system, but was a poor fit for Saunders offense. We'll bring in a Saunders point guard to back-up Billups.

My issue really with the trade is the 2007 protection. Maybe it's just the way I am hardwired but I fully expect the Magic to win the lottery if they miss the play-offs. The odds are that they will not end up top five, but odds be damned. If we get a 6/7/8 overall pick in 2007, I'd be okay with this trade.

Here is my question. Why can the Pacers afford an $80 mil payroll and we can't afford a $65 mil payroll? Its not about being able to keep Ben, its about the old fart making more money.

I'll try to answer in two parts. Firstly, the Pacers can not afford the $80 million dollar payroll and have tried to cut payroll on a few occassions, the al harrington trade was about salary, so them boasting the $80 mil payroll isn't really what they're trying to do.
As for the Pistons, I think they'd like to be smart with the cap, if they can save money and not lose anything why not? I think Bill Davidson has no problem with spending money on quality players but when you pay 4mil a yr to a PG that's worth 2mil and 5 mil to the PF that's 5th on your depth charts and truly worth like 1 mil, it makes perfect sense to get them off the books, get a pick in a strong draft(2007 is much better than 2006) and an expiring deal who Joe could actually(and probably will) trade for a piece that could make us better immediately.

In essence, I'm saying I think they're willing to have a 80 mil dollar payroll for the right players, but certainly not for dead weight. Those were my thoughts when it happened, and I think listening to Joe speak with Stoney just solidified those thoughts.

Well their are players on every team that are overpaid. Maybe Arroyo is not earning his cash but it doesn't mean we should just cut him to save money and play Lindsey cause we all know that isn't going to work out. Remember last year?

Darko was dead weight but why not trade him for someone that can play TODAY. I would have taken Harrington from the Hawks. Its not about the Pistons overpaying, its about being tight wads and they continously do this. We have a couple good years to make a run and after that we might look like the Sacramento Kings. Who knows. The Pistons aren't willing to be Mike Illitch and splurge to remain on top. I think its a slap to the face to all the fans who spend $50 to sit on the top row and who buy all the Pistons shit to start going cheap on us. We aren't a small market.

UC has gone from happy to see Darko go to oh no we didnt get shit in return.

Joe D granted ya'll tearful wishes and now you get to watch him draft darko again next year. [smilie=antlers.gif]

Either way i dont care. arroyo wasnt fitting. i think the trade is better for him. fucc what it did for us. we coulda been cool w/o trading arroyo. but arroyo deserved a situation better suited for him and his career.

i dropping all my complaints about the trade and our cheapness. im also dropping any praises for it either.

If Joe Dumars drafts another big white guy than I'm going to puke.

Here is my question. Why can the Pacers afford an $80 mil payroll and we can't afford a $65 mil payroll? Its not about being able to keep Ben, its about the old fart making more money.

I'll try to answer in two parts. Firstly, the Pacers can not afford the $80 million dollar payroll and have tried to cut payroll on a few occassions, the al harrington trade was about salary, so them boasting the $80 mil payroll isn't really what they're trying to do.
As for the Pistons, I think they'd like to be smart with the cap, if they can save money and not lose anything why not? I think Bill Davidson has no problem with spending money on quality players but when you pay 4mil a yr to a PG that's worth 2mil and 5 mil to the PF that's 5th on your depth charts and truly worth like 1 mil, it makes perfect sense to get them off the books, get a pick in a strong draft(2007 is much better than 2006) and an expiring deal who Joe could actually(and probably will) trade for a piece that could make us better immediately.

In essence, I'm saying I think they're willing to have a 80 mil dollar payroll for the right players, but certainly not for dead weight. Those were my thoughts when it happened, and I think listening to Joe speak with Stoney just solidified those thoughts.

Well their are players on every team that are overpaid. Maybe Arroyo is not earning his cash but it doesn't mean we should just cut him to save money and play Lindsey cause we all know that isn't going to work out. Remember last year?

Darko was dead weight but why not trade him for someone that can play TODAY. I would have taken Harrington from the Hawks. Its not about the Pistons overpaying, its about being tight wads and they continously do this. We have a couple good years to make a run and after that we might look like the Sacramento Kings. Who knows. The Pistons aren't willing to be Mike Illitch and splurge to remain on top. I think its a slap to the face to all the fans who spend $50 to sit on the top row and who buy all the Pistons shit to start going cheap on us. We aren't a small market.

You have a valid point IF Joe stands pat, if he does nothing more and things stay like this, then I think your point stands. However, I don't think he's done, so I don't think it's fair to make that judgement until we reach the end of the trade deadline and see exactly what Joe was thinking about.