Ilgauskas’ Itchy Beard

The Pistons won Game Six last night and all is right with the world again.

I don’t know if it’s a sad commentary on my life or a testament to my passion for this job, but it’s interesting how winning a basketball game can affect my entire outlook.

It was another ugly game last night in Cleveland. However when you are on the winning side of a two-point victory, ugly is okay. It’s the same judgment that applies at 2:05 a.m. in most bars in America. You don’t look back on it and grimace until the sun comes up the next morning. An ugly victory is still a victory. Notch it on the bedpost.

I’d like to welcome Chauncey Billups back. Great to have you back Smooth, especially in the fourth quarter. Don’t get so excited tomorrow before Game Seven…Chuck E. Cheese will be there for a long time. And remember, Eric Snow is about 147 years old… paint him orange tomorrow and get around him like he’s a construction barrel on I-75.

Rip, well done last night. No turnovers and you knocked down the shots you were supposed to. Lindsey, I commend you for your performance on LeBron last night. You wouldn’t let him set up and would let him get the ball. That’s saying something. Keep it up, old man…King and Kid both start with a “K”. And Tayshaun turned in yet ANOTHER solid performance…played all 48 minutes, scored 15 points and had eight boards. Good defense on LeBron when called upon and kept Cavs big men off the glass, when it counted.

Rasheed and Ben? The Wallaces had solid performances on the glass (Ben) and scoring (Rasheed). But, gentlemen…two words: free throws. A combined 4-13? That’s 31% where I come from. And that’s not good.

You two are lucky you weren’t raised by my brother-in-law and his wife…in their house, when you miss free throws, you run. That’s right…you run. Of course they don’t have any children yet, but I bet they are going to hold up their promise. Keeps you in shape, teaches you a lesson and I bet you shoot better than 31%.

RANDOM NUMBERS
Enough on the negative…the sun is still out, the birds are still singing and we are still 3-3 in this series against Cleveland. Although I never thought I would ever be typing that statement when this series started, I’m actually happy to be doing it.

And I’m happy we sold out Game Severn this morning. Yes, we held another random ticket drawing for approximately 500 $14 seats for Game Seven. There were 991 people who got lottery tickets. Yes, I said 991. That’s amazing.

The support that our fans have for this team is awesome…or maybe I’m being naïve and people just want a $14 ticket? Could be. Still, I will say the glass is half full and say it’s love for this team.

Unfortunately, the math doesn’t favor a lot of people. With the limited number available and the demand that there is, we aren’t able to take care of everyone. Without fail, every time we hold one of these ticket lotteries, we have some disappointed people. And ticketing isn’t an exact science, even though it seems it should be. Sometimes there are tickets released late. Sometimes the Internet eats up a bunch of tickets. Sometimes there just aren’t enough.

But I will say that the fans that came out today…all 991 of them…were very enthused, very cooperative, very understanding. There were a few that were disappointed, but what you have to remember is why they are so disappointed. They just want to be a part of it. They want to Go to Work. They want to be part of the team. Teamwork.

I wish we could be like Little League these days, where everyone makes the team and everybody bats (personally, I don’t agree with this…kids should learn early that disappointment is part of life, that they aren’t going to be great at everything and that there are some who are better, hence, more deserving than they are at certain things).

We can’t let everybody in the building and not everyone is going to be part of it in person. But the games are on TV and I know the people who weren’t able to get tickets today will be cheering just as loud as those that did.

IN THE NEWS
The Free Press reported this morning that Zydrunas Ilgauskas has said that he is “getting a little tired” of his playoff beard. He says he’s “got to comb it when” he gets up in the morning. Well, Big Z, I think everyone in Detroit knows how you can rectify the situation…we’ll even buy the razors.

Speaking of beards (no, I’m not going to mention Tom Cruise, John Travolta or Joey Harrington), if you are going to grow facial hair for the playoffs, don’t you think the entire team should do it? Isn’t it a sign of solidarity? So, why are LeBron, Ilgauskas and Gooden, also known as Ezekial, Jebediah and Samuel, the only ones on the Cavs sporting the Amish look?

SIDENOTE: Did you know that Amish men do not shave their beards after they are married? A long beard is the mark of an adult Amishman. They do not grow mustaches because mustaches have a long history of being associated with the military…and therefore forbidden by the Amish.

Also saw in the Freep that the Miami Herald’s Greg Cote wrote a column talking about how much better a series between the Heat and the Cavs would be. Basically, Cote says that the individuals – Shaq, Wade and LeBron – are a better sizzle than the Heat versus the Pistons, a team. He also jabs at Chauncey, saying “Arguably their best player, Chauncey Billups, has a name of someone who should be serving afternoon tea in an English manor.”

Hey Greg, at least our best player knows how to SPELL his first name.

Funniest line in the paper today? Had to be the Associated Press report on the Dallas Mavericks versus San Antonio Spurs game. They reported on the fact that Jason Terry will be back for the Mavs for Game Seven tomorrow after being suspended in Game Six for a scuffle with Michael Finley. The exact quote:

“Terry was suspended for punching Finley between his legs during a loose-ball scramble in the closing seconds of Game Five.”

Too…many…jokes, sports fans.

Overheard at The Q last night…Cleveland fans were chanting “Detroit Sucks”. Not surprising…home crowd, I understand. But from Cleveland? There’s something there about a pot and a kettle…I know there is.

Also, heard the “We Believe” chant from the wine and gold faithful. Wine and gold? You believe, eh Cleveland? Well in Detroit, We Know.

See you tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. for Game Seven.

DEEEEETROIT BASKETBALLLL!!!!