for me. I only get Nat TV games so I like the recaps. the 'scene of the crime' recaps are very cool.

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That was a good recap Linwood. Did you take notes at the game, or did you remember all that?

Here is the aforementioned Kimmiecap.

Okay it's long post. I’m not going to try to edit it, because I’m afraid I won’t send it at all if I do.It’s more about the experience of the game than the game itself to warn those who are looking for specifically Pistons play related observations.

First of all, I had the GREATEST time at the game. I waited a whole year to be able to see the Pistons play live again and it was worth it. This year I had seats 11 rows back to the far side behind the basket. We were so close to the Detroit Bench. Yes I did take binoculars. Now these are serious binoculars. They are like bird-watching level binoculars and old style. They are all black with big huge lenses and they magnify like crazy. So I knew we were all set.

I took my sister as my guest to her first NBA game. We rode over to Seattle on the ferry from Bremerton. We were both be-decked in Pistons regalia. My sister wore my road red Big Ben jersey and hoped no one would be offended because of him being no longer a Piston. I told her not to worry, most of the Sonic fans wouldn’t know the difference especially because Rasheed is a Wallace too. Besides, Ben will always be a Piston first and foremost to me.

Lo and behold on the ferry were a group of eight similarly highly decked out Pistons fans. They all had jerseys, and there wasn’t a single Sonics jersey on the ferry! We were in the majority of fans on the boat! They were older teenagers and this was their first NBA game ever too! They were so pumped up. We were all so excited we could barely contain ourselves on the one hour ferry ride.

We get to Key Arena and find our seats. The Pistons are warming up right near us. After just watching them on tv for so many games, every year I see them live I’m always in that weird awestruck fan mode. “Oh my God, there’s Rip!!! Oh my God, there’s Sheed. And Tay is here too!!! Wow, Chris Webber is…HOT!” LOL. Anyway, I can never quite believe that they are real people and not some hologram or something.

So the game started. We had such good seats and about halfway through the quarter my sister said it was great, fantastic and she couldn’t believe how much better basketball is live. She’s right, in some weird way the movement up and down the court seems much slower and easier to watch. I usually feel mildly stressed out trying to follow the action back and forth on tv, but watching live is positively relaxing and stimulating at the same time.

Our defense looked pretty lax to me in the first half. There were times when my sister and I agreed that it looked like the team was standing around watching while one of our guys (usually Rip) tried to defend whoever had the ball. I was pretty disgusted with a few possessions where none of our bigs even put an arm up in the paint. It looked like they were all watching the ball. You know when they think they can tell it’s going to go in and it’s too late to stop it so why bother? I know that sounds harsh, but something about seeing it live really exposed the lack of defensive fire. In the fourth quarter however they turned it on huge and didn’t even look like the same team.

Okay my favorite thing that happened other than winning the game of course was on a timeout. You know these giveaways they have for the fans. It’s the end of the 2nd quarter and the Pistons have a slight lead. There were A LOT of Pistons fans at this game considering how far away Michigan is. All savvy enough to get their tickets near the Pistons bench so there was a really rooting contingent making noise through the whole game. So they have the drum roll and announce the row in the arena that is going to get the Starbucks coupons and who do you think it is? LOL. It’s the row of eight young Pistons fans from the ferry boat. Now these guys are pumped. Of course the spotlight goes to that row and it’s an entire row of rowdy red and blue jerseyed Pistons fans. Then they put them on the JumboTron and they go absolutely nuts. They are all jumping up and down pulling their jerseys out at the chest where it says Detroit and basically being totally obnoxious in the Sonic’s house. Now when the rest of the arena sees this on the Jumbotron there is a huge collective BOO. Which delights our delirious Pistons row to no end. Oh yeah, even better is that when the whole arena booed so loud, the actual Pistons who were standing in a huddle looked around to see what the fuss was about and started laughing when they saw the spotlight on this row of Pistons fans. It was PRICELESS.

I did want to say that when the chips were down in the fourth quarter our defense was incredible.To me it seemed that when there was a defensive lapse it had to do with speed and not effort. I was so glad to see that intensity and skill. Ray Allen’s attempt to dribble to the basket when our Pistons had decided to put down the hammer was great to watch. It’s still my favorite kind of basketball to watch and I’m glad the game was close enough at the end that it forced them to do it.

Okay two other things. One is Sheed. I didn’t notice but my sister (who doesn’t watch basketball but is a very observant clinical psychologist) said that it look like Sheed was hurt, that he was limping a little and moving very carefully. After taking a long hard look through the bird watching binocs, I agreed. It looked like late in the game when he came to the bench that one of the trainers (Arnie?) was working on his leg too. Anyway, I hope he didn’t reaggravate his ankle, but I hate to think that he is playing on what looked to be way less than 100%. My sister: “Why don’t they take him out? It’s obvious he’s hurting.” Me: (sigh).

And the last thing. Flip. I spent quite a good amount of time observing the team chemisty. Not having a lot to compare it too, and then Linwood’s comment later that our veteran players have had a ton of games and a ton of coaching, I hesitate to bring it up. But it did seem to me that when Flip was talking in timeouts in the huddle that the players, especially the starters, were borderline just tolerating him and not very focused on what Flip was saying. As I say this could be the case with many player/coach game dynamics. But it seemed more pointed than that to me. Sheed doesn’t even bother to pretend he is listening and paces the scoring table, not even making eye contact with Flip at all. And Rip and Tay looked to me like they were just waiting for the end of the lecture. Chris Webber looked like he had mastered the art of spacing out while appearing as though he were listening. Chauncey did seem focused, present and engaged.

At one point Flip was out there on the floor during the action (not too far). Someone passed to Delfino and Flip motioned for him to pass the ball. My sister: “Why didn’t Flip let him shoot?” Me: (sigh).

I think it’s a good thing Flip has Chauncey. Flip himself surprised me. He didn’t look nearly as twitchy in person maybe because of the lack of close-up and maybe the camera people are just drawn to all that nervous bodily activity he does. In general, it was good to see Flip coach for me. I think seeing the effort he expends and the genuine desire he has to see them excel and the energy he tries to imbue them with was a good thing. The thing you can’t really see on tv, because it’s always going to commercial, is how many words Flip uses. I mean in those timeouts he is talking as fast as he can without stopping for a long time. I empathize because I do the same thing with my high school kids. I talk and talk and talk and talk and I think that if I can just get through to them they’ll translate all those words into results. But people can only stand to be yakked at so much and I think the tune out Flip factor I noticed might be more self-defense than marginal insubordination. Sometimes less is more when it comes to yakking. Especially with a group of savvy vets who have to have heard it all many times by now.

In conclusion, the game was fantastic. My sister called yesterday and said “Wait! Can’t we get on the ferry and go see the Pistons again? I don’t want to go back to normal life.” Also she said after the game that she felt HIGH for hours after the game as did I. Being a Pistons fan is the best.

This is the longest post I ever wrote. I’m going to post it now as I promised D4e and Linwood I would do a Kimmiecap. Oh also, I’ll be posting a picture of me and Linwood at the game once I get my disposable camera put on a cd or however all that works.

The kimmiecap was well worth wait. I am glad you enjoyed your self and you brought the west coast PFkarma to secure a Piston victory. You are right, you got to be there to really enjoy it, especially when the pistons are playing great and they seem to get more cheers than the home team!! Always great walking into a foreign arena and there seem to be more Pistons apparel than the home team's colors. Happen in LA, Orlando, and suprisingly a lot in Dallas too. I am sure you heard the dettroiit bassketball chant too!

Nice cap Kim. As far-off-fans, you, Linwood and Dre have a good handle on the 'human interest' stuff that add perspective to me as to the underpinnings of the Pistons...beyond caps that are, for the most part, stat regurgitation.

to all PF.com Piston fans outside of metro Detroit.

Awesome recap aurora, definately well worth the wait. We are getting excellent reports out west on this road trip as the team hits its last stop. Cant wait to see the pics of you decked out in pistons gear

That was an enjoyable read. I tried to spy you out and couldn't find you on TV. No matter, just as much fun reading everyone's personal exploits. Only thing I hate about being down here in the Ozarks, no pro sports close to watch and the media has tunnel vision in that college rules and nothing else matters-----unless you're a Cardinal fan.

Bravo Kim.

Thanks, Kim. That was a great post. Thanks also to Dre and Linwood for the excellent in-person recaps.

That was awesome! Best re-cap ever!