That.
Was.
Awesome.

FACT: That was a straight ass whooping. The other team was DESTROYED by a better TEAM. BEATEN. DOWN. TO THE GROUND. Not because they are a bad team. They rocked San Antonio and Minnesota. Two juggernauts. It’s not because they’re a bad team. It’s just that they ran into a REAL team in the Pistons.

I know one reason why I’m so pumped up about this. It pisses me off so much that Doc Rivers could not call one moment of any game in an unbiased fashion. He was all over the other team’s jock after every sucky play they made. Ie. Ben Wallace spins, gets position on Fluke and is about to put away an alley-oop dunk, all Fluke can do is grab Ben’s jersey. Doc’s assessment of the play? “Great play by Fluke. It’s amazing that at such a young age, he knows to foul in that situation. This team has really prepared him. What a head’s up play.”

No. Wallace was about to dunk on his weak impression of defense and all he could do to stop further humiliation was to grab his jersey. THAT’S what happened.

Now multiply this sucky commentating by a kajillion and apply it to every sucky suckiness that sucked in all it’s glorious sucknacity play that the other team made. Again though, it’s not that they could not execute. They are a very high caliber team. It’s not that they could not execute. The Pistons FORCED them into poor execution. It’s not that they’re bad. It’s that the Pistons are GOOD. It’s not that they couldn’t. It’s that the Pistons DID NOT LET THEM. Got that Doc? It might be easier for you to understand now that the whole world is on the frickin’ bandwagon. It’s all over the news and the public opinion of the masses is subtly swinging in the Piston’s favor, so it might be easier for you to construct something that might pass as your own opinion.

Bottom line? Get off their jock. Call the game in an unbiased fashion. Stop sucking.

Anyways. Pistons were dominating. Complete and beautiful. Ben is a freak. 18 points and 22 boards. Come on. Nice trade for broken Hill. Prince is awesome and killed Evean. Joe D is a genius for not picking up Carmelo. Woulda messed up the flow. Hamilton’s automatic. Joe D is a genius for trading Stack at his apex. Billups is bananas. Joe D is a genius. Sheed was the perfect pick up. Joe D is a genius. Pistons got a championship and trade bait like you wouldn’t believe. Joe D is a genius.

I’m going to tell you what I’m taking from all this.

Eric’s Lesson Learned: Shut up. Do the time. Do your work.

That’s it. I have little respect for talk or swagger. I have little respect for thoughts without thought. After the domination, Pistons players still had no talk or swagger. Billups gave props to God for his gifts. Other players couldn’t describe how it felt because they hadn’t had enough time to think about it. I respect that. Take your time.

Here’s the most difficult realization of this whole thing. The Pistons have exposed how pathetic and juvenile Detroit is. My heated reaction to how little respect Doc gave to the Pistons is a small indication of a geographical region’s inability to get over the past and find real self-worth from within. Instead of understanding and focusing on the city’s ability to survive and thrive and produce, the social consciousness of an entire area has been beaten down with ever so subtle yet constant blows of biased words telling us we’re not good enough because we don’t have perfect weather, beautiful beaches, uncensored celebrities. So what does this unhealthy mindset result in? The result is a city that is begging to be respected. For me, it’s not that I don’t have respect, it’s the fact that I’m begging the world to respect me. Unacceptable. Screw that. The Pistons had no respect. They didn’t beg for any. They just shut up, did their time, and finished their work. Now, those that didn’t want to, have to. Respect.

But this is the process of strength. Inner turmoil, lack of self-worth, riots happen. There is pain and suffering, self-realization, change. Whether or not the city takes a page from the Piston’s philosophical playbook, I’m unsure. What I do know was that the Piston’s lesson wasn’t wasted on me. I love where I live. I love Michigan. I love living near a city that has done it’s time and is about to burst from all the positive things coming from inside. Things that were there before the Pistons made their run. This is where people work hard. This is where people suffer and persevere. This is where winter’s are harsh, and life is harsher. Where we appreciate 75 degree days and do something about it. This is where if we don’t support each other unfailingly, we all fall. This is where we get our hands dirty. This is where I make my stand. Where I raise my family, and where I serve my God. This is Michigan. This is where I live.