By: Bogart Lipe
Andre Drummond, who is playing like if a lovechild between Shaquille O’Neal and Steve Nash existed, can shoot free throws now. To celebrate, we’ll have an article every week whose length is based on Andre’s free throw percentage. For example, 0.500 from the line calls for a 500 word article, 0.700 is a 700 word article, and so on. So here we go. Andre Drummond is shooting 0.613 from the free throw line, so here are 613 words on the Pistons’ week.
Sports are just like relationships.
Last week I compared the possibility of the Pistons reuniting with Chauncey Billups to getting back together with someone you always loved and always will love. This is a good, happy thing.
This week let’s talk about the other end of the spectrum. Let’s talk about breaking up. This can be complicated. Maybe you’ve just grown apart, you aren’t getting treated as well as you would like, or maybe there is someone else in the picture. Any way you go about it, break ups are frequently difficult.
I just went through a break up. No, not with a significant other. With a sports team. Yes, I’ve broken up with the team these weekly pieces have been about all year, the Pistons. It’s been difficult. Time has helped the wounds heal, sure. I am still getting over Stan Van Gundy leading me on. I’m still getting over Reggie Jackson’s injury, but I’m not upset at him, as neither he nor I had any control over the circumstance. I still like Andre Drummond. I’ll get emotional if I speak too much about him, but I still love watching Anthony Tolliver play basketball. However, lately I’ve made the conscious decision to cut off contact with the team. I’ve had to try to get over them.
There’s different ways to get over somebody. Pints of ice cream and Chinese takeout will likely help you feel better in the short run (with the Chinese likely making you feel worse in the long run). Sometimes putting yourself back out there may expedite the healing process, especially if you find someone new that you take a liking to.
I’ve found someone else. But it’s complicated. I was involved with this someone else while I kept watching the Pistons, hoping the Pistons would change and turn things around and give me a reason to stay. But when the Pistons proved this year wasn’t going anywhere, I started becoming more serious with this someone else. This someone else is younger. This someone else is the University of Michigan men’s basketball team. Do I wish I would’ve broken things off with the Pistons before, instead of leading both parties on before finally picking the Wolverines? Sure. But I can’t control the past. The downturn of the Pistons almost perfectly lined up with the Wolverines’ spectacular run, which has now culminated in a 13 game winning streak and a Final Four appearance.
When you finally get over a breakup, it’s liberating. You feel a weight come off of your shoulders. You value the time you had together and look forward to the best for you and your ex.
I’m glad I made the decision to finally distribute all of my energy to the Wolverines instead of splitting my energy between them and the Pistons. I’m happy. This is what rooting for a sports team should feel like. I wish the best for the Pistons the rest of the season. I hope they lose enough games to pull off a miracle and keep their top 4 protected pick in the upcoming draft. That’d be good for them. As for me, I’m having a great time now. I have a big date with my new team this Saturday night. I think we’re going to Scorekeepers, a fabulous establishment here in Ann Arbor. We’ve had other great dates there lately, including the buzzer beating win against Houston to reach the Sweet 16 and the game against Florida State to clinch a Final Four appearance. Hopefully we make some more memories together.
Until then, I wish the Pistons the best.
(And I’ll probably get back with them in October like I always do.)
*Picture credit: http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/2017/03/as_playoff_hopes_dim_pistons_p.html
Sports are just like relationships.
Last week I compared the possibility of the Pistons reuniting with Chauncey Billups to getting back together with someone you always loved and always will love. This is a good, happy thing.
This week let’s talk about the other end of the spectrum. Let’s talk about breaking up. This can be complicated. Maybe you’ve just grown apart, you aren’t getting treated as well as you would like, or maybe there is someone else in the picture. Any way you go about it, break ups are frequently difficult.
I just went through a break up. No, not with a significant other. With a sports team. Yes, I’ve broken up with the team these weekly pieces have been about all year, the Pistons. It’s been difficult. Time has helped the wounds heal, sure. I am still getting over Stan Van Gundy leading me on. I’m still getting over Reggie Jackson’s injury, but I’m not upset at him, as neither he nor I had any control over the circumstance. I still like Andre Drummond. I’ll get emotional if I speak too much about him, but I still love watching Anthony Tolliver play basketball. However, lately I’ve made the conscious decision to cut off contact with the team. I’ve had to try to get over them.
There’s different ways to get over somebody. Pints of ice cream and Chinese takeout will likely help you feel better in the short run (with the Chinese likely making you feel worse in the long run). Sometimes putting yourself back out there may expedite the healing process, especially if you find someone new that you take a liking to.
I’ve found someone else. But it’s complicated. I was involved with this someone else while I kept watching the Pistons, hoping the Pistons would change and turn things around and give me a reason to stay. But when the Pistons proved this year wasn’t going anywhere, I started becoming more serious with this someone else. This someone else is younger. This someone else is the University of Michigan men’s basketball team. Do I wish I would’ve broken things off with the Pistons before, instead of leading both parties on before finally picking the Wolverines? Sure. But I can’t control the past. The downturn of the Pistons almost perfectly lined up with the Wolverines’ spectacular run, which has now culminated in a 13 game winning streak and a Final Four appearance.
When you finally get over a breakup, it’s liberating. You feel a weight come off of your shoulders. You value the time you had together and look forward to the best for you and your ex.
I’m glad I made the decision to finally distribute all of my energy to the Wolverines instead of splitting my energy between them and the Pistons. I’m happy. This is what rooting for a sports team should feel like. I wish the best for the Pistons the rest of the season. I hope they lose enough games to pull off a miracle and keep their top 4 protected pick in the upcoming draft. That’d be good for them. As for me, I’m having a great time now. I have a big date with my new team this Saturday night. I think we’re going to Scorekeepers, a fabulous establishment here in Ann Arbor. We’ve had other great dates there lately, including the buzzer beating win against Houston to reach the Sweet 16 and the game against Florida State to clinch a Final Four appearance. Hopefully we make some more memories together.
Until then, I wish the Pistons the best.
(And I’ll probably get back with them in October like I always do.)
*Picture credit: http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/2017/03/as_playoff_hopes_dim_pistons_p.html