Man, after the last couple days I’ve had, I can really relate to old Mr. “Front Rowww” himself. The passion, the enthusiasm, the fanaticism, the crazed, the maniacal, the extreme; they were all here on Wednesday for Fan Appreciation Night when the Pistons hosted the Washington Wizards. And many of them returned Thursday morning to buy $12 tickets for Games One or Two of our first round playoff match-up against the Milwaukee Bucks. Still more showed up, in the rain, on Sunday to watch the Pistons and Bucks square off in Game One.

Yes, it’s playoff time in the “D” and fans are getting whipped up into their usual frenzied state as we roll into these early rounds.

Some background: every year, for the last game of the season, the Pistons host Fan Appreciation Night where we thank our fans for all their hard work during the regular season. We ask them to fill out Enter to Win cards and then, throughout the course of the game, we draw names and these fans win prizes. This year, prizes ranged from car wash gift certificates to trips to Cancun. This is great, but it only touches a few people…and we don’t like when anyone leaves empty-handed.

So, last year, we developed what was called the Prize Patrol. The Prize Patrol consisted of 30-40 full-time staffers and interns who go into the stands and throw prizes to people in the seats. These trinkets can be bobbleheads, Pistons slinkies, Pistons playing cards, Pistons pens or other baubles that people can go home with and feel good about their experience.

Last year, I was on the Prize Patrol and was stationed in the 200 Level where I was responsible for one section. Other than having to make a trip up two flights of stairs between every quarter, the experience was pretty positive. People were appreciative and we passed out some great stuff.

It was so much fun last year, that I volunteered again this year and this time I was moved downstairs into the 100 Level.

Wow…if you want to see fanatical behavior, sprinkled with some selfishness and a dash of greed, take some trinkets into the stands and start throwing them out to people. Children become grabby, greedy, whining gnomes, hell bent on getting an antennae ball for a car they don’t own. Women become maniacal carnivores, knocking over their young and stepping on them to get to a pack of Pistons playing cards. And grown men turn into rabid, All-American caliber linebackers as they jostle, block and flatten anyone in their way of a Pistons plastic slinkie.

The kids I guess I can understand, but people…geezzzzzz…what’s wrong with you? Is it really THAT important to take something home from the game? Can’t you just be happy with memories and your ticket stub?

I guess I have no one to blame but myself. I mean, I contribute to whipping them into a frenzy and making the items seem life or death. I can’t blame them for losing it…or can I?

On Thursday, we put Games One and Two on sale…particularly we put 1,000 $12 seats on sale…for those who came out in the morning to purchase them. The fairest way to do this, we have found, is to do a random number drawing. Basically, everyone who shows up before a certain time receives a raffle ticket with a number on it. At a specified time, we draw a number out of a hat and that number becomes the first in line to purchase tickets. The theory is that because we limit purchases to two tickets per person, we can take care of at least 500 people.

Well, on Thursday, more than 900 showed up. I’m cool with that many in line and getting their raffle tickets and seeing where they will end up. There is some sport in that. What I’m not cool with is people who try to get BACK IN LINE to get a second number, particularly after we have told them ONE number per person.

Even more are the people who get INDIGNANT that we are actually taking them out of line and not letting them get a second number. As I thought about this, they are damn lucky we didn’t take their first number and give them ZERO chance to buy the tickets. It’s amazing how slimy people can be and how unfair they can be.

You would think they might have learned SOMETHING from watching our team all season. TEAMWORK. Unselfish play. Selflessness. Personally, I blame their parents. Yes, that’s right, I’m calling them out…blaming their upbringing. Shame!!

Fortunately, my faith has been restored. Tonight, the Pistons are playing the Bucks. As I type this, we are up 12 after three quarters. The fans have been TREMENDOUS. I walked the concourse earlier…it was a sea of red, white and blue. I was in the new Comcast Pavilion…another sea of red, white and blue and people with signs. I was in the arena during the introductions…the fire, the BOOM, Mason doing his thing, cheers for ‘SHHHHEEEEEEEDDDD, the gong when Ben grabs another rebound, YESSSSIRRRRRR when Rip scores…nothing sweeter than the sound of 22,076 sing-songing it…you know what’s coming…it’s been around for a while…

It’s good to be back in the playoffs.

THIS is the most wonderful time of the year!!