Ripple Effect

UPDATE:
Many Piston fans were secretly hoping that Tom Wilson's departure meant that he might be making a bid for team ownership. When asked about that question, Tom made no comment. He did admit that he's already been approached by "half a dozen" potential owners. As President of the Palace, Tom can't be part of a bidding group. So his only recourse to purchase the team would be to resign.

Now, this "Tom Wilson buys Pistons" story is completely wishful thinking at this point. Nevertheless, there is some logic to it. And it's a glimmer of hope.
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This was big news locally, but I doubt it had much traction nationally. Yesterday, Tom Wilson resigned as President of the Pistons.

Tom Wilson was a key cog in the Piston machine for my entire lifetime. While Mr. Davidson had the vision to build the Palace, Tom Wilson created the famous Palace party atmosphere.

Happier Times

As my Dad said after his first game at the Palace, "It wasn't a game - it was an event." From genius marketing promotions (free pizza, bobbleheads, posters) to every-break-in-play entertainment (DOT RACES!), Tom Wilson kept the Palace packed. The Palace is a dinosaur now - it's the oldest NBA venue - but it ushered in the new era of basketball-specific arenas. It truly set the standard. The Palace and the Pistons are as intertwined as the Red Sox and Fenway.

Now Tom Wilson is gone. No doubt this is a direct result of Mr. D's passing. Recently, news leaked that Mrs. Davidson was hoping to sell the team. The Pistons, once a pillar of NBA stability, became Oklahoma City Thunder overnight. Not only was the team losing, but Pittsburgh columnists mused about stealing the Pistons. In a one year span, the Detroit economy collapsed, Mr. Davidson died, the playoff streak ended, and Tom Wilson resigned.

According to Forbes, the Pistons placed 4th on the NBA Team Valuation list. That value will likely decline significantly with the massive drop in ticket sales this season. Dumars did what he thought was best to keep interest high by signing Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva, and Ben Wallace, but, of the three, only Big Ben delivered. Gordon and Villanueva, both infinitely more expensive, must be considered massive disappointments. Not only did they not spur fan interest, but they failed to deliver any wins. Piston fans will attend the games if they believe there is hope. All the empty seats prove the fans see no hope. And can you blame them? The game I saw live in December was perhaps the worst loss I've ever witnessed (in person or on TV). Why would someone pay money for that? Why would someone attend for free?

To the Pistons credit, they've turned their season around to a certain degree. They no longer lose every game, but that does not mean there's any hope. The resignation of Tom Wilson exposes more cracks in the foundation. Is Joe D far behind?

Today is the trade deadline. By 3pm, Joe Dumars will peddle Hamilton, Prince, Villanueva, and Gordon, but he won't find any takers. No team will take on extended contracts for any Piston. It's possible Prince, who has just one year remaining, might entice a suitor, but I doubt Dumars will get fair value in return. The only Piston likely to attract any interest, believe it or not, is Kwame Brown. His $4million come off the books this season. Expiring contracts - that's all teams want now.