"Let me enlighten you" -- Chris McCosky

[JackTalkThai]

Screw McKoskey. By NBA standards, Stuckey is damn near a legit 6'5". Just about every single listed height in the NBA is the player's height WITH their shoes on (as far as I know, they don't play barefoot)...and Stuckey is 6' 3 3/4" without shoes -- 6' 4 1/2" with 'em on. That's 6'5" in my book.

And Randy Foye for all those concerned. 6' 2 1/4" barefoot. 6' 3 1/4" with shoes. Im my all important book, he's 6'3".

As usual, McKoskey doesn't know what he's talking about.

[Zekyl]

Screw McKoskey.

Fuck yaeh. FUCK that fu ker!!!

[Glenn]

I say we kill him.

[b-diddy]

does this thread need to be moved to area 51?

[Glenn]

No Rip, again

The Pistons insist there isn't anything more to the problem, but Richard Hamilton will miss his sixth game out of the last seven. The problem is the joint that connects the left hip and groin. Hamilton said he was encouraged, said that he could feel it getting better, finally, the last couple of days. Physical therapist Arnie Kander said the rest will do Hamilton a world of good, giving him fresh legs for the playoffs.

The plan, for now, is to have Hamilton play Wednesday at Philly.

Flip Saunders told a funny story before the game about Walter Herrmann. Walter, you know, might have the largest hands in the NBA, which is he can pull off those spectacular one-handed moves that have left fans and opposing players impressed. Saunders said he reminds him of Connie Hawkins.

Here's Flip: "I was laughing in our game at Minnesota. Walter had that one move where with one hand he faked, brought the ball down and then shot it off the glass across his body. Kirk Snyder was taking the ball out of bounds and he turned to (referee) Danny Crawford and said, 'Have you ever seen anything like that?' and Danny just shook his head.

"Snyder then says to Walter, 'Hey man, congratulations.'"

[Glenn]

Just an awesome kiss-up piece. And them some venom for John Salley. Enjoy.

Cheers and Jeers
Still in the afterglow of the all-time team celebration. How cool was that entire night? Listen, I am 50 years old, so I have been around as long as this team. I remember my father taking me to my first game at Cobo in like 1964, when Reggie Harding, Dave DeBusschere -- even Rod Thorn -- were on the team. Me and my buddies used to go to Cobo and sit up with crazy Gus and hoot and holler for Otto Moore and John Mengelt and those guys in the 1970s. (We even drove Gus home a couple of times after games. True story.)

So I do go back a bit, and to see all these guys from all those eras come walking on to the floor was just an absolute thrill for me. And to be able to have a role in selecting the team and be a (tiny) part of the ceremony -- well, I have no words. Just amazing.

Bottom-line, though, it was a completely first-class presentation by a thoroughly first-class organization. To be able to track down all of those players, to even make sure the three deceased members of the team were represented, to schedule it on a night when they knew the most popular Piston ever, Isiah Thomas, would be there, to go through all the trouble and expense to have leather jackets made, to throw a big party the night before at Big Rock Chophouse in Birmingham and then to have such a classy ceremony -- just an incredible effort by so many people. Start with Tom Wilson, of course. None of this happens without him. But a lot of the heavy lifting was done by vice president Matt Dobek and media relations director Kevin Grigg, who tracked down the players and made accomodations to get them and their friends and families here.

Also credit the Pistons broadcast and multi-media department led by Pete Skorich. He, Stan Fracker, Diane Ferranti and David Rhoades (and his unbelievably talented crew) put together the actual presentation, including the brilliant video montages and highlight packages. Nobody does those video displays better. The main film was set to Bob Seger's "In your time," and it was beautiful.

They also got video acceptance speeches from the guys who couldn't be there -- Ben Wallace, Jerry Stackhouse (who said in his heart he would always be a Piston), Grant Hill and Adrian Dantley. They also got a hilarious video message from Scott Hastings, where he thought he was taping his acceptance speech, only to be told he hadn't made the team. "Am I the best 12th man, ever? Can I get that?" Priceless.

But, as always, there were some down moments. The fact that Dennis Rodman blew it off is just really sad. Even Isiah Thomas and Chuck Daly seemed hurt by it. Thomas pleaded for Rodman to, "come back home where you are loved." The Pistons have been planning to retire his No. 10 jersey, perhaps as early as next year. But how can they do that when they can't be sure he would even show up for the ceremony?

The other downer, at least to me, was John Salley. This guy has become an insufferable jerk. I am not kidding. The guy shouldn't even have been on the all-time team, in my judgment. Nobody has ever gotten more (popularity, championship rings, movie and TV deals) with less talent. Eddie Miles should have been on the team, not him. Shoot, Antonio McDyess should have been on the team instead of him. Terry Mills, Curtis Rowe -- Zelly Rebraca (OK, I went too far) -- anybody but Salley.

So, there we are before the game, talking to the players as they walk through. Everybody, from Dave Bing to Bob Lanier to Chuck Daly -- I mean, legit Hall-of-Fame stars -- stop to talk to us media types. They are cordial, happy to do so. In comes Salley with the biggest entourage of anybody. He literally travels with his own TV crew. Captain Pretentious. It's absurd. We ask politely if we can talk to him for a second. He doesn't even break stride, "Nope." Well, at least he gave unlimited access to his own crew. He's like a walking reality TV show that nobody wants to watch but him. I hope the Pistons never retire his number. If they did, it would devalue all those others who's jerseys justifiably hang in the rafters.

The other thing that came out of the night was some good-natured jawing about which team was better, the Bad Boys or the current team that has won 50-plus games seven straight seasons. Rasheed Wallace said it would be a hell of a game, but I am not sure. I think the Bad Boys would whip up on the current group, sorry to say. But not for the reason you may think. I hear a lot of people saying the Bad Boys were tougher, more physical. Maybe, but not by a lot. And if the game was played under current rules, the Bad Boys couldn't play the way they played back in the day. They would all foul out and be suspended for the next game. The league is softer, way softer, now and they would have to adjust. The current group would have no trouble adjusting to the prison rules style of the Bad Boys era.

No, the reason I say the Bad Boys would prevail is because from top to bottom they shot the ball better. From 1986 through 1989, the team shot 49 percent. The current team has never shot higher that 45 percent. Shoot, Chauncey darn-near missed the lay-up that concluded the all-era fastbreak at the end of the ceremony. But I will tell you this, if the Pistons do go on to win their second title this season, you have to put this group side-by-side with the Bad Boys. They would no longer be considered the Bad Boys' little brother -- they would be the Bad Boys' equal.

[Fool]

I never get tired of seeing media members get pissed because people won't talk to them.

[Big Swami]

The other downer, at least to me, was John Salley. This guy has become an insufferable jerk. I am not kidding.

Oh ho ho!

[BubblesTheLion]

Wow, way to be professional McCoskey.
Doesn't make me question why John Salley wanted nothing to do with you at all....

[DE]

Is it pretentious or pedantic of me to think that a journalist writing "me and my buddies used to go.." even in a more informal blog is just plain wrong?