Mike Illitch passes on Pistons?

[Zozo]

He had the misfortune to die during a depression and while his team is one of the worst in all of professional basketball.

The argument that the Michigan economy is depressed and as a result owning the Pistons is a risky move is not a good argument. The Pistons have a very devoted, under-rated, loyal fanbase, that most cities wish they had. The attendance numbers prove this.

It is true that the team is performing horrible now, but I don't think the present state of the team is stalling the sale. People have been quick to forget that the Pistons, while not making the playoffs last year, finished 8th in the NBA overall in attendance, ahead of several teams that did make the playoffs, including some darling franchises, such as the Celtics, Spurs, and Suns. Just two seasons ago the Pistons led the league in attendance, and finished in the top five for attendance regularly for most of the 2000s.

http://espn.go.com/nba/attendance/_/year/2009

[bailey]

The argument that the Michigan economy is depressed and as a result owning the Pistons is a risky move is not a good argument. The Pistons have a very devoted, under-rated, loyal fanbase, that most cities wish they had. The attendance numbers prove this.

It is true that the team is performing horrible now, but I don't think the present state of the team is stalling the sale. People have been quick to forget that the Pistons, while not making the playoffs last year, finished 8th in the NBA overall in attendance, ahead of several teams that did make the playoffs, including some darling franchises, such as the Celtics, Spurs, and Suns. Just two seasons ago the Pistons led the league in attendance, and finished in the top five for attendance regularly for most of the 2000s.

http://espn.go.com/nba/attendance/_/year/2009

I'm not talking about Michigan, I'm talking about the nation as a whole. The behind the scenes money that was always there to bring these deals together isn't there anymore. Add to it a declining team in a region that has been in a recession/depression for 10 years and counting..... I think people who were claiming the deal was going to close in 30 days were naive.

[sirrealone]

We all know it was Bill's baby, but let's not pile on Karen Davidson because the Pistons aren't her passion. Just because she married a guy who had a team that he was passionate about doesn't necessarily mean that she had have the same level of passion as he did. After Bill passed, it was more of an obligation and a burden to her- so I don't see a problem of her selling off the team to someone else who will care for it the way Bill did.

My problem isn't that the Pistons aren't her thing.

I don't have a problem if she doesn't want to own the team anymore. That's all fine.

But, where I have a problem is when her disinterest has allowed this once proud franchise to become an afterthought. Both in the Detroit sports landscape and in the NBA.

That's not good.

If you read Dumars' comments over the last year, you can read between the lines pretty easily and sum it up to say: My hands are tied.

You can see how he's not happy with the team he has, and although he says the right things in that he doesn't want to make a deal for the sake of making a deal, he's said enough to sort of read that he can't make a deal because the only way he would be able to make a deal to improve the team is by also adding salary.

I also don't think he's happy with the head coaching situation. Kuester has no more business being a head coach than Michael Curry did. Yes, Joe D hired him, but if you remember, Kuester was the second choice behind Doug Collins coming back, and that deal went from all but done to dead, and I really believe it was because he couldn't get the greenlight to spend the extra money that Collins wanted.

For those who point out that she's got plenty of revenue coming in from all sorts of entities, I ask what would it really hurt to spend what equates to pennies to allow the Pistons to be a better team? The answer: It wouldn't. Yet, she won't do it. This team, except for the owner taunting his/her own players, is basically being run on the same model as the LA Clippers, meaning everything done on the cheap.

Let's face it, there is no way ponying up a little bit of extra dough for a better coach and to bring in some fresh talent is going to land her out on the streets. But she won't. Why?

She doesn't owe it to her husband's legacy to keep the team or to love the team, but if she really respected her husband's legacy, how can she justify just letting the team rot while she waits for someone to give her a big fat check that, truth be told, she did very little to earn?

[Novine]

Bill Davidson passed away less than 2 years ago. If the team has become "an afterthought" in that short amount of time, there were problems long before she took over as being in charge of the team.

[R8RBOB]

I know I have discuss this before but allow to post it again.

Ilitch wants one thing: a new arena. The new arena will already have a tenant if and when it is built: The Detroit Red Wings. 40 home dates are guaranteed not counting playoffs. Now Big Mike is saying to himself that if would be nice to have the new arena in use when the Wings are on the road or just off for the night. The Detroit Pistons based in Auburn Hills would be a great co-tenant. They have the fanbase and their arena is 22 years old. Sure they could squeeze more years out of the place but eventually they will be talking about building a new arena.

The death of Bill Davidson and Karen Davidson wanting to sell the team created an opportunity for Ilitch. Again, his main goal is the arena but there was talk about outsiders buying the Pistons and moving them. The region saw the Shock relocate to Tulsa and to have a franchise like the Pistons to exit Metro Detroit would amount to having someone getting stabbed in the back. So, Ilitch who still wants his arena made the decision to buy the franchise to get his arena. I don't believe Ilitch ever wanted PS&E. Why would he want an arena that he would have to vacant when his arena is built and operational? Ilitch would happy if unknown owner came in, brought the Pistons and agreed to move the team back to Detroit. He gets a new arena and a partner to share the cost and he didn't need to buy the team or the properties he don't have a need for.

I bet Mr. Ilitch or his rep went into those negotiations and said: how much just for the Pistons. We want the Pistons. You can keep the rest and the rep for Mrs. Davidson told them its all or nothing and that is what inflated the price.

[Thruster315]

For those who point out that she's got plenty of revenue coming in from all sorts of entities, I ask what would it really hurt to spend what equates to pennies to allow the Pistons to be a better team? The answer: It wouldn't. Yet, she won't do it. This team, except for the owner taunting his/her own players, is basically being run on the same model as the LA Clippers, meaning everything done on the cheap.

Let's face it, there is no way ponying up a little bit of extra dough for a better coach and to bring in some fresh talent is going to land her out on the streets. But she won't. Why?

She doesn't owe it to her husband's legacy to keep the team or to love the team, but if she really respected her husband's legacy, how can she justify just letting the team rot while she waits for someone to give her a big fat check that, truth be told, she did very little to earn?

Simply put, why should she? We all agree that she doesn't have the devoted passion that her husband had for this team and that's it in a nutshell. We've answered the question already- they're her pennies and she's not at all obligated to dumping any more money into it.

I almost equate this to selling a house that you no longer want. At what point do you repaint, order new appliances, and do renovations just to make the place look good to the prospective buyers? At what point is it spending some money and getting pennies on the dollar return for it? She could get a brand new coach, obtain new players, repaint the Palace floor, replace the seats, get a new score clock, and do all sorts of superficial things to glam the team up... and what if the new owners don't like it? It could conceivably harm the likelihood of selling the team just as well as it could make it look more attractive. The buyers and sellers in this game know it's a buyers' market now.

The best we can hope for is a quick speedy sale to a new owner who will care for this franchise; this would benefit the Davidson family and the fan base.

[thatguy123]

It is true that the team is performing horrible now, but I don't think the present state of the team is stalling the sale. People have been quick to forget that the Pistons, while not making the playoffs last year, finished 8th in the NBA overall in attendance, ahead of several teams that did make the playoffs, including some darling franchises, such as the Celtics, Spurs, and Suns. Just two seasons ago the Pistons led the league in attendance, and finished in the top five for attendance regularly for most of the 2000s.

http://espn.go.com/nba/attendance/_/year/2009

That can not be true ESPN must be LYING. NOBODY would EVER go out to a Pistons game since it is not in the center of Downtown Detroit! It is not possible, people will only go to a sports game if it is in the center of the city! [[see what I did there?)