De-troit Ba-sket-ball!

A view of this year's Eastern Conference Finals

It is safe to say that Piston-fever has engulfed Metro Detroit. The morning radio shows are talking about it; it's the buzz at the watercooler; and, you are this week's fashionista if you're caught sporting a Wallace jersey or Pistons hat.



While I know all of you are familiar with this year's players' stats, what you may not know is how the team got its start. That's where I come in. Read carefully - you can even act like you researched all of this stuff yourself. I won't tell anyone if you don't...



Fact One: The Detroit Pistons weren't even born in Detroit. They were actually created in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1941 as simply "The Pistons". They became Detroit's Pistons in the 1957-1958 season.

Fact Two: The Detroit Pistons have called four stadiums "home". They originally played in the old Olympia Stadium. In 1961, they moved to Cobo. That lasted until 1978, when they moved to the Pontiac Silverdome. They left Pontiac in 1989 and headed for their current home, The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Fact Three: The Detroit Pistons have only won three NBA titles; these were awarded back-to-back when the Bad Boys brought it home in the 1989 and 1990 seasons; the third championship was, of course, won last year.

Fact Four: Detroit may seem like its down in this series, but I guarantee it's not out! Well, maybe this isn't a fact - but it's a good hunch. Like the city it represents, nobody thought the Detroit Pistons would amount to anything; they proved the country wrong when they beat the Lakers last year to win the championship. And, like its NBA team, Detroit, too, has made a comeback. I know this city isn't going down anytime soon, and I know this team isn't, either.

Let's go Pistons!