Going to bed angry

I went to bed angry Saturday night.

That’s not like me. In fact I promised my wife I would never do that.

Oh wait….I wasn’t mad at Eliza. I was angry about the Pistons. I have really tried to make an effort not to let sports make me angry before bed. Whether it was a game I played, or a game I watched, I grew tired of letting sports dictate a good night’s rest.

I did well for awhile. Then game 6 of the 2007 Eastern Conference finals happened.

I was already a little miffed about the series, mainly the NBA and their robots…I mean, announcers’ oozing love of Lebron James. The same guys picked the Pistons to win in 5 or 6 games. Then the poor officiating and official’s love fest of Lebron James. I understand superstar calls, but I thought Jordan retired a few years ago.

But the biggest source of my anger was the Pistons. Where was the pride? Where was the heart? Where was the teamwork? Where was the toughness? Where was the credit to the opponent who attacked them the way they attacked teams from 03 to midway through 06?

Why that time frame?

In 2003, they had just completed their 2nd 50 win season. They were a relatively new group of guys who had really never experience much winning. Some guys like Cliff Robinson, Corliss Williamson and Jon Barry had in other situations, but most of the guys had not.

We all know the story. The Pistons were a ragtag bunch of nobodies and castoffs that finally got a chance. They were mad at the world, and out to prove the naysayers wrong.

They didn’t have the experience to win in that first trip to the Eastern Conference finals.

They were swept by the Nets in 4 games, and from what I remember weren’t really in any of the games.

Enter Larry Brown. Later Rasheed Wallace would enter the mix, and the team with grit had a little savvy, so more experience, and now some swagger. Oh and Darko was supposed to be waiting in the wings.

They used the spite, the anger, and the "tougher than you" attitude to win 50 games for the 3rd straight year. 54 to be exact. They took on and beat all comers, under some tough circumstances. The block on Reggie Miller??? Chauncey's 3/4 court shot against the Nets??? A 5 game sweep of the Lakers. The Pistons were champs when they were told it couldn't be done.

2005 brought us another deep run. They fought their way though countless tough situations often brought on by themselves. But they told us, and we believed them that if it ain’t rough, it ain’t right. They were known as the team that plays best with their backs against the wall.

They lost to San Antonio in 7 games, and told themselves and us, that if they only took care of business in game 5 of the Finals, they would’ve won. And we believed them.

Brown was fired. They told us he helped but it was really them anyhow. After running out to an amazing 35-5 run in 05-06, we believed them again. We learned it was the prefect blend of Larry Brown’s teaching blended with the offensive genius of new coach Flip Saunders. Four Pistons make the All-Star game, and in my opinion that was the beginning of the end.

They appeared to have felt validated at that time, and a new attitude of entitlement replaced the gritty, never say die tenacity that fueled these guys. They now expected teams to roll over for them.

Most teams did for a few weeks. But the Cavaliers showed the basketball world that if you get up after the Pistons smack you, and smack them back, they are very beatable. If you could out tough the Pistons you could beat the Pistons.

That’s what teams started to do. Miami beat the Pistons in 6 in the Conference finals.

Ben Wallace left. Nazr Mohammed and Flip Murray signed, and we were told now we had the firepower the new NBA required, and still 4/5 of the toughness. In fact, we were told we’ll miss Ben, but it really wasn’t him anyhow. It’s Piston’s basketball.

The Pistons had a few good stretches over the season. They had the best record in the East again, and we were told just wait for the playoffs. How right they were! They swept the Magic and appeared to have toyed with them in the process.

They blew out Chicago in games 1-2 of the conference semi-finals. They came back from 19 down to win game 3. Chicago looked defeated, and the Pistons were again the toast of the NBA.

But arrogance entered again. Arrogance doesn’t look good on anyone, but it looks awful on teams that pride themselves on hard work. Arrogance looks awful on teams that haven’t won anything in 3 years.

Chicago got up and smacked the Pistons in game 4. Then they smacked them in Detroit in game 5.

The Pistons gutted out a game 6 win, and all was right in Piston world again. They even told us that push came to shove and they did what they do. They win when they have to. Why would we doubt them?

We would get that answer against Cleveland. The Pistons barely won the first 2 games. They would say they didn’t play well, just wait until they play well and see what happens. They never played well.

They were out hustled and outplayed. The Cavs looked more ready, more focused, more poised, and were mo’ better.

I was unfazed by it for the first 3 losses to the Cav’s. I bought the company line of just wait til we get it right. They never got it right.

Only minutes into the 4th quarter of game 6, a rookie delivered the final punch. He knocked out the pride, the swagger, and the confidence. All the remained was an empty, unjustified arrogance, that quickly turned into a lack of effort.

The hard work was gone. The heart of a champion was ripped out. The torch was not passed, but ripped from their hands.

It’s over.

When the heart is gone, the memories fade away.

But when I clear my mind for a moment I realized they got beat by a more modern version of their 2004 team. Granted, the Cavs have King James, but the other parts are cast-offs, has beens, and never will be’s that played tough team basketball. They believed in themselves when noone else would.

They defeated a team that they weren’t supposed to beat.

Just like the Pistons did to the Pacers, Nets, and Lakers on their run.

Isn’t it funny how things change? The Pistons became the arrogant team they defeated in the Lakers.

And that made me angry.