Detroit Pistons are the fresh start Detroit sports fans need
To some Detroit Pistons fans, opening day tipoff is the equivalent of tearing up the wrapping covering a present on Christmas morning. To others, the first Pistons game of the 2015-1016 campaign isn’t that big of a deal. But to all die-hard Detroit sports fans, the beginning of another Pistons season may be the fresh start we’ve been needing.
The other major sport franchises in the city haven’t been very impressive as of late.
The Tigers displayed so much promise at the beginning of the season in early spring, and quickly started to fall apart before our eyes. Once mid-July came around, the Tigers were suddenly sellers at the trade deadline — something fans hadn’t seen for years since they had become accustomed to general manager Dave Dombrowski always looking to upgrade the roster for the season’s final push. David Price left. Yoenis Cespedes left. Eventually Dombrowski left. And manager Brad Ausmus is sticking around for another season.
I forgot what it was like to not have the Tigers playing baseball in October. You don’t know how good you have it until it’s gone.
The Lions somehow have stumbled to a 1-6 record, returning fans to believe that the franchise is still cursed. I won’t put a paper bag over my head, but being a Lions fan just feels like hearing a joke that has been old for years, but your friend still insists on telling. The offensive line looks atrocious, quarterback Matthew Stafford isn’t living up to his draft-day expectations, and (albeit, surprisingly) Jim Caldwell was named the worst coach in the NFL by Chris Chase of USA Today.
And I’ll admit that I don’t even like hockey, but the Red Wings are tied for 6th in the Eastern Conference right now, which isn’t horrible, but is much like how the Pistons will look this year. Not horrible, but not excellent either.
Right now, a Detroit sports fan can put their hope in the Pistons. However, the sense of optimism will not lead to overwhelming success right away. But I believe this season is the first step of the Pistons returning to relevance. The Pistons will be the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference by the end of this season. From this season, they’ll continue to improve as their young core develops into stars.
Detroit sports fans, the Pistons are a team you can begin your fresh start with. Yes, they will not be the version of past Piston teams you wish were back, but they will be exciting to watch. How can you not get fired up for Andre Drummond catching a lob from what seems like 10 feet above the rim or Stan Van Gundy telling the team to #FAFW?
This season is the beginning of a promising era for the Pistons. Van Gundy has done well in his first couple seasons, but this is the year when his team will step up to a new level, finally making the playoffs, even if it is by the skin of their teeth. Just like this new season for the team, this new season of fandom should be refreshing and just what a Detroit sport fanatic needs.
It all starts in Atlanta on Tuesday.
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