Pistons insider or Pistons mouthpiece?

Take a look at this Chris McCoskey's piece:

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060604/SPORTS08/606040327/1004/SPORTS

It strikes me as having been written by the Pistons PR department.

He shouldn't be allowed to work for them and the paper at the same time.That was to sugar coated,to contrived for me.

I hope his article is mostly true. I would like to think the team, coach and management are closer to being on the same page than what current events portray the situation to be. It's hard for me to accept the idea that all is not kosher, as this organization personified teamwork. I have to be slugged by an overwhelming amount of evidence to turn off my blinders.

We have the worst beat writers in the NBA.

Sounds like a nice spin from a meltdown of the Bush administration.

I think that article is geared more to folks who don`t follow Piston basketball that closely.

I don`t buy it, not all of it anyway.

Dlev, I don't buy all of it, either. McCoskey, it seems to me, is always angling to get in good with Pistons management with the way he writes. Gotta read the Free Press columnists (Drew Sharp) if you want a little Pistons bashing. Sharp, of course, is pessimistic to the core, but at least it gives a little balance from some of the other coverage. I certainly don't feel the Pistons should be bashed all the time. They've done well the past four seasons, but a little introspection is needed. Not all of it should be glowing either.

The only question is who McCoskey was trying to help, Joe or Flip. Considering he took LB's side against Joe last year, I think McCoskey is trying to shift the blame away from Flip, and towards Ben.

On the other hand, if he wrote this article for Joe, consider Ben already gone.

16, you make my point perfectly. McCoskey doesn't write for the fans or the subscribers of the detnews. He writes for someone working in the Pistons organization. The guy should turn in his press pass. He stinks.

Unreal. The more I follow professional sports, the more cynical I get. And to think I gave up following politics to become a sports fan. This McCoskey article (possibly ghostwritten by Karl Rove) is just one talking point after another, with no effort to even disguise it as journalism.

McCoskey is a HO. I hope the Pistons' press agent left some money on the bedside table.
I'm most sickened by the Ben talking point.

"The phrase Ben being Ben used to mean he got 15 rebounds and 5 blocks and controlled the game at the defensive end. This year, Ben being Ben meant he was in some sort of snit."

Manny being Manny. TO being TO. Who else? Barry being Barry. A recognized sports buzz phrase now that really means "being a problem for the franchise." Being the problem. Ben is going to be the escape goat for the failed championship run?

"Ben being Ben meant he was in some kind of snit." That's the kind of neatly packaged sound bite that is calculated to ruin a career, or at least sabotage a contract negotiation. The fact that the Pistons organization might be advancing that kind of sentiment means to me that they don't want Ben back.

If this is true, what does it mean about Joe? Is this Pistons Org mouthpiece speaking from his own agenda (save Flip maybe?), or is this an early warning indication of Joe's intentions?

If this is the way the wind is blowing, I agree with AHB who said he wants Ben to go where he will be happiest and most well paid. Why stick around if Flip and maybe Joe and the Pistons Org are going to set him up to be the escape goat for their future struggles as well?

Shame on whoever in the Pistons Org had anything to do with this press release disguised as a column.

It'd be hard for me to stay a Pistons fan if Big Ben gets crucified in the offseason. Incidentally, with all this going on I'm glad that he has a agent that can play hardball, not necessarily for the money discussions but for some of these kind of organizational internecine pitfalls.

Irregardless of the outcome, I want only the very best in the future of Big Ben Wallace. Future accolades and acclimades to the 4 time and likely future DPOY!

Ben Wallace to Joe: "Etu Brutus?" Say it ain't so, Joe!:fingerscr

Stop trying to hide **** McCoskey. We know this team had some problems at the end.

Good post aurorakmw, roscoe.

ahb is that mccoskey?

Yeah...the playoff games 4 years ago fatigued this year's playoff team. McCoskey's an incredibly dumb butt-kisser. How does he still have his job?

How is this statement untrue? Ben has been acting up this season.

I don't think it should have been published as things should stay in-house. The beat writers and the Pistons organization should be considerate of their players. But it is nothing unusual. Fair or not, sports columnists, writers get away writing a lot of crap.

It's OK to make Flip the scape goat, with none of the players being held accountable. I am not talking about Ben or any player in particular. You win as a team and lose a team. Everyone shares the blames, some more than others depending on the facts. Flip is now chief idiot, just as Ben is being Id'ed for some of locker room troubles. The truth lies in between.

For the record I don't care if Flip goes or stays. Whatever is best for the Pistons needs to be done. Because of the last 2 series the coaching has suddenly become the total focus of all fault despite a 64 win season and a butt kicking of the Bucks. Locally it is apparent the players have nothing to do with blowing a 2-0 lead against the Cavs and starting the implosion.

Maybe some information is missing in the whole picture? Now according to Micro's latest info, LB is not all that he was cracked up to be. At the time he was fired/left Joe and Mr. D appeared unfair in their treatment of LB.

Emotions are running high for fans and writers/sports talk guys are having a field day because that's what stirs up the business. I wish the best for the organization and its players.

I hope Ben is re-signed to a reasonable contract that makes sense to both parties assumming he wants to be here and the coaching situation is resolved. He has been the face of the franchise and is a fan favorite. He has been correct in his feeling that something wasn't right within the team and coaching but he was wrong in voicing it to the public. Flip replied only after the players started calling him out. Joe should have stepped in and told everyone to shut up. Once the finger pointing starts the situation always deteriorates.