My Detroit Insider has informed me that Flip has been fired and that…

Michael Curry seems to be the front runner.

Stay tuned for more info as the Pistons have announced a press conference for 2 p.m. today!

Read Pistons say Flip Saunders won’t return as coach at ESPN.com

to be a sports fan. Here’s a list of the highlights:

Pistons even series with Celtics
Chauncey Billups looked like himself and the rest of the Pistons fell into their normal roles and it all added up to a 103-97 win over Boston to even the Eastern Conference Finals at 1 game each. The best part for me was that Boston’s “Big 3″ had great games, but no one else stepped up. The Pistons balance and depth showed it’s strengths and it was too much for the Celtics role players to handle.

Tigers sweep Mariners
It’s not exactly sweeping Boston or the Chisox, but it’s a start. Good pitching and clutch hitting with runners in scoring position has been a rare sight this year, so I’ll take it!

Marinelli likes his team
Killer Kowalski has this story about Lions head coach Rod Marinelli and his improvements to the roster. One word he uses alot is “speed”.

Beach Bums improve to 2-0
Yours truly was in attendance and we saw a great pitching performance by Ryan Gehring as the Traverse City Beach Bums defeated the Midwest Sliders 4-2. It was cold, but alot of fun. I highly recommend a “Bum Burger” - delicious!

Yahoo! Sports Dan Wetzel writes about the Pistons impressive run and the man responsible for it.

Read Pistons’ brightest star might be their GM at Yahoo! Sports

No Chauncey Billups. No problem. Rip Hamilton (31 points) and Rodney Stuckey (15 points, 6 assists) helped the Pistons earn another trip to the Eastern Conference Finals with a 91-86 victory over Orlando. The Pistons won the series 4-1 and now await the winner of Boston and Cleveland, who are currently tied at 2-2 in their semifinal. it’s Detroit’s 6th straight trip to the Eastern Conference Final.

The Pistons couldn’t be sitting much prettier right now, besides the Billups injury that is. Rip has found his rhythm and Stuckey has shown how much he’s learned this year and played perhaps his best game as a pro in the series clincher. I like the Pistons chances against either team for the Eastern Title add to that a healthy and rested Billups and the Pistons backcourt will be a tough matchup.

Read Hamilton-led Pistons eliminate Magic in Game 5 at Yahoo! Sports

The family and the day job has taken up all of my time as of late, but I plan on posting regularly (or at least as regular as I ever post) soon. That doesn’t mean I haven’t paid any attention to the ups and downs of our trusty Detroit teams…

Detroit Pistons
That was a big win in Game 4 without Chauncey Billups, and I thought it had basically clinched the series, then Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson went and guaranteed a victory. I believe that will wrap it up as all of us know only one person does guarantees around here! Now about the MVP of Game 4, Antonio McDyess, I’ll let Greg Eno tell you about that!

Detroit Red Wings
Chris Osgood and Johan Franzen have been the two great stories of this year’s playoffs, and it’s been fun so far for the Wings. It looks like Pavel Datsyuk is trying to join the party with a hat trick to lead the Wings to a 5-2 win in Game 3 and a 3-0 series lead. I’ve been listening to the Wings when I can (remember no TV here!) and I have to say I am more and more impressed with Mike Babcock every game. The guy is a terrific coach and gets everything he can out of everyone on the roster.

Detroit Tigers
Ugly. That’s the word we’ve used to describe the Tigers play after most of their games this season. It hasn’t been pretty, but it is showing signs of turning around. Luckily for the Tigers everyone else in the A.L. Central has been almost as inconsistent as them, so they are right in the thick of things. If Justin Verlander and the rest of the starters can figure out how to make it through 6 innings anytime soon, then the Tigers will be in great shape. The offense is picking up and some players (like Gary Sheffield) are finally swinging the bats better. It’s still going to be a fun summer at Comerica!

Detroit Lions
Nothing too exciting about the draft and that’s probably one of the best things for the Lions. They drafted Rod Marinelli-type guys and should be faster and hopefully tougher next season. A more dangerous than it looks schedule doesn’t do them any favors, but I do an improvement on the 7-9 record of a year ago. Will it be enough to make the playoffs? In the NFC you just never know.

Well that’s it for now, I’ll be bringing you Traverse City Beach Bums updates as they begin their 3rd summer in TC. I was just told my Aunt will have her company tickets in hand this week, so I’m looking forward to picking out my games. I hope to make the All-Star Game and skills challenge, I think that will be fun!

I missed it until reading about it in the Detroit News today. Check out this block by Detroit Pistons 3rd-year forward Jason Maxiell on the New Orleans Hornets Tyson Chandler…

I (like many others) have penciled in the Celtics and the Pistons playing in the Eastern Conference Finals. Fox Sports Randy Hill analyzes the other contenders to see if any can stop this from happening.

He mentions Toronto and Washington, the current 5th and 6th seeds, but his main focus is on the current 3rd and 4th seeds…

The first development is the current 9-3 run by the Orlando Magic. Included in this extremely modest string of triumph is a victory over a winning team from the West (Denver) and a breakthrough at Detroit.

The second development is the uprising in Cleveland, where LeBron James and a few new playmates are sitting pretty with five victories in their last six games.

Read Can anyone stop Celts-Pistons collision course? at Fox Sports

The Detroit Free Press has organized some of their best photos of our favorite Detroit Sports Legends and Moments. Very cool! You can check out many photos including Justin Verlander’s No-Hitter, the Fab Five, the Best of Pistons-Bulls Rivalry, and even Joey Harrington (for lots of great sack photos!).

Visit freep.com/sportsphotos to check them out!

Above photo by the Detroit Free Press

Keith Langlois sat down with Joe Dumars recently and they covered lots of topics…

…a wide-ranging interview that touched on the All-Star selection of Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton, the state of the Pistons just past the season’s halfway point and the outlook for the season ahead as the playoffs approach.

Check it out below!

Read Taking the Temperature at Pistons.com

After reading a couple of articles previewing this game, I had a feeling this might happen. The Detroit Pistons used the depth of their starting lineup to halt the Boston Celtics home winning streak with a 87-85 win. Chauncey Billups led the Pistons with 28 points including 12 in the 4th quarter. The Celtics are talented but beyond the Big 3, they are young and Billups made them pay with his strong finish. It’s only December, so I’m not going to get too excited, but the Pistons are deeper and match up particularly well against the Celtics.

Read Pistons hand Celtics first home loss at Yahoo! Sports

Opinions on five current sports topics from yours truly…

1. Lions vs. Packers - This is definitely what a Thanksgiving matchup should be! Two division rivals squaring off. The division is virtually locked up for the Packers, but a Lions win keeps some hope alive. Plus you need to watch in case Roy Williams does get 300 yards receiving!

2. Michigan State Football - That was a big win against Penn State for many reasons, but the way the Spartans did it impressed me the most. Down 24-7, they didn’t quit and that says more than anything else to me about Mark Dantonio and his staff. The future at MSU is very bright.

3. Lloyd Carr - I always enjoyed his conversations at halftime with sideline reporters, I would not have wanted to be in their shoes. He will be missed, but it was time for him to step down. I know alot of U of M fans that are happy, but if I was a Michigan fan, I wouldn’t be. He ran a great program and really coached some high-quality kids. They had better make the right decision about the next coach, and I’m not sure that means Les Miles.

4. Football at The State - Michael Moore has opened up the State Theatre in Traverse City on Saturday morning and will be showing Traverse City St. Francis playing for a state title. A great idea for those who can’t make the trip. I am sure it’s going to be a packed house.

5. Leelanau Sports Guy’s World - I plan on spending some more time getting things cranking again, so look for a new design and more frequent posts in the near future. Thanks to all who visit and send me emails, I appreciate it!

If you want to let the me know what you think, you can always send me an email at leelanausportsguy@sportspig.com or post a comment!

Just traded links with TheHoopNews.com and upon checking out the site, I found a couple of articles that will interest Detroit Pistons fans…

Read 2008 NBA Championship - With So Much Talent, Who Will Win? at TheHoopNews

My View: I love the Pistons chances to win the East and even bring the NBA Title back. I don’t think the Celtics are going to be as good as everyone thinks. I just don’t see the “Big 3″ staying healthy the entire season. The key for the Pistons is depth, as in how much depth the bench can provide. If the youngsters can hold their own (and early indications are they will) then the Pistons starters should be able to stay fresh for the playoff battles looming with Chicago, New Jersey, Boston or Miami.

Read History of the Detroit Pistons, Their Highs and Lows at TheHoopNews

My View: A brief look back at the history of the Pistons. I really loved those “Bad Boys” teams!

Read Six Basketball Defense Tips - Defending the Basketball at TheHoopNews

My View: As a former basketball coach, I love defense. I used to love teaching the kids how to play and to take pride in their defense. And if you ask me, it still wins championships!

Opinions on five current Detroit & national sports topics from yours truly…

1. Calvin Johnson - He’s finally signed! Yeah! This is great news and finally we can get excited about the prospect of Williams and Johnson (and Furrey, I didn’t forget you Mike!) lining up in Martz offense. It was inevitable, but still, it’s good to have the contract done!

2. Drew Stanton - Ouch, done for the year! His knee injury is serious enough to have the Lions shut him down for the season. It basically ends any chance of him challenging for a starting spot next season.

3. Tigers - Tonight would be a nice time to start playing better at home and get on a nice winning streak. Alot of people are upset the Tigers didn’t make any trades, but I’m not and am glad they didn’t give up too much (re. Maybin) for average bullpen help. Zumaya and Rodney will be enough, but if the starters don’t recover from their recent lackluster performances the 7th, 8th and 9th innings won’t be as important anyway. Plus this Gary Sheffield shoulder thing might be the biggest problem.

4. Garnett - Not exactly where I wanted him to end up and it does make the Celtics better, but the favorites in the East? Let’s see how those old legs of Ray Allen hold up, and what, if any, kind of bench they can put together. I still like the Pistons, Bulls and Cavs in the East, in that order!

5. Barry Bonds - I agree, just hit them already!

If you want to let the me know what you think, you can always send me an email at leelanausportsguy@sportspig.com or post a comment!

A quick look at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and two Pistons make the “shining” list.

3. Cheikh Samb, Detroit Pistons – Samb showed a nice touch around the basket in scoring 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting. He also rebounded well (10) and played physically despite his lanky build in Detroit’s 80-78 win over Memphis. Despite his positive play, the 7-foot-1 Samb is still most likely a season or two away from being a contributor due to his very thin 195-pound frame.

It’s nice to hear about some phsical play from Samb as he is very skinny and will need to get alot stronger to be a contributor at the NBA level. He’s not ready for the active roster yet, but he could end up being a steal from the Lakers for Maurice Evans.

4. Rodney Stuckey, Detroit Pistons – The No. 15 pick last month, Stuckey is very strong with the ball and is very smooth. He can score when he wants but does not force anything. He has a nice jumper and he can take it strong to the basket. Stuckey was 9-for-16 from the floor and 9-for-9 from the free-throw line as he led all scorers with 27 points.

I am very excited about watching Stuckey coming off the bench this season. He’s a player and seems to have a great shooting stroke. If he can provide some instant offense off the bench he will make the Pistons a much better team offensively.

Read Summer league report at Yahoo! Sports

Opinions on five current sports topics from yours truly…

1. Marissa Treece - The Glen Lake senior captured 3 more state titles on Saturday, giving her 10 in her track/cross-country career. She heads to Notre Dame this fall and we will follow along as she looks to star at the NCAA level.

Read Ten titles for Treece in the Record Eagle

2. What’s next for Pistons? - Lots of ideas are being talked about by fans including: Firing Flip, Trading Sheed, trying to trade for Kevin Garnett or Zack Randolph, and on and on. Not sure what Joe D is going to do, but I would definitely call Minnesota and see what they want for Garnett.

3. Beach Bums - A slow start to the season has the Bums in last place in the Central Division, 5.5 games back. It’s not going to get easier with 4 games against Kalamazoo looming, but the Bums are playing better and have lost a couple of close games.

4. Lions Scouting Reports - I don’t know if you have been following Killer Kowalski’s scouting reports as he is scouting a different Lion player every day, but I have and it’s been some great info. Kevin Jones is today, go check it out!

5a. Tigers finally beat Indians - Now everyone can relax a bit as the Tigers took the final two games in Cleveland to get within 2 1/2 games of Cleveland in the A.L. Central. The Tigers are showing what they are made of as they battle with injuries and keep getting big performances from Maggs and Sheffield.

5b. Two Near The Dugout, Please - Great article by Gren Eno looking back at some run-ins with Eric the ticket taker on his trips to Tiger Stadium.

If you want to let the me know what you think, you can always send me an email at leelanausportsguy@sportspig.com or post a comment!