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Detroit Pistons
|Detroit Pistons
Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons (NBL)
Fort Wayne Pistons (BAA)
Fort Wayne Pistons (NBA)
Detroit Pistons
|The Palace of Auburn Hills
|Auburn Hills, Michigan
|Team colors
Red, blue, navy, white[2]
|Stan Van Gundy
|Team manager
|Jeff Bower
|Head coach
|Stan Van Gundy
|Tom Gores
|Grand Rapids Drive
|3 (1989, 1990, 2004)
|Conference titles
|7: Western: 2 (1955, 1956) Eastern: 5 (1988, 1989, 1990, 2004, 2005)
|Division titles
|9 (1988 , 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
|Retired numbers
|8 (2, 4, 10, 11, 15, 16, 21, 40)
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Metro Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference Central Division. The team plays its home games at The Palace of Auburn Hills. In 1941, the team was founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne (Zollner) Pistons, a member of the National Basketball League (NBL). The Pistons joined the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1948. In 1949, the NBL and BAA merged to become the NBA, and the Pistons became part of the merged league.[1][3] Since moving to Detroit in 1957, the Pistons have won three (3) NBA championships: in 1989, 1990 and 2004.
Franchise history 1
- 1941–1957: The Fort Wayne (Zollner) Pistons 1.1
- 1957–1979: Decades of struggle 1.2
- 1979–1994: The Bad Boys era 1.3
- 1994–2000: The Grant Hill era 1.4
2000–2008: Return to championship contention 1.5
- 2000–2002: The Jerry Stackhouse era 1.5.1
- 2003–2008: Six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals 1.5.2
- 2008–2011: Failed express rebuilding 1.6
- 2011–present: New ownership; more struggling 1.7
Media coverage 2
- Radio 2.1
- Uniforms 3
- Mascots 4
- Season-by-season records 5
- Home arenas 6
Players 7
- Current roster 7.1
- Recent NBA draft selections 7.2
- Retired numbers 7.3
Basketball Hall of Fame members 8
- Players 8.1
- Coaches 8.2
- Front Office 8.3
- Head coaches 9
- General managers 10
Records 11
- Franchise leaders 11.1
- Individual awards 11.2
Rivalries 12
- Chicago Bulls 12.1
- Boston Celtics 12.2
- Los Angeles Lakers 12.3
- References 13
- Further reading 14
- External links 15
Franchise history
1941–1957: The Fort Wayne (Zollner) Pistons
The Detroit Pistons' franchise was founded as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, a National Basketball League (NBL) team, playing in the gym of North Side High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Owners Fred Zollner and his sister Janet's Zollner Corporation was a foundry, manufacturing pistons, primarily for car, truck and locomotive engines. Fred Zollner, who currently owns a professional softball team known as the Zollner Piston softball team, was eventually persuaded to start a basketball team due to the fact that Indiana was so basketball minded. The Zollner Pistons were NBL champions in 1944 and 1945. They also won the World Professional Basketball Tournament in 1944, 1945 and 1946.
In 1948, the team became the Fort Wayne Pistons, competing in the Basketball Association of America (BAA). In 1949, Fred Zollner brokered the formation of the National Basketball Association from the BAA and the NBL at his kitchen table.[4]
There are suggestions that Pistons players conspired with Frankie Brian with 12 seconds left that enabled King's winning free throw, and a turnover by the Pistons' Andy Phillip with three seconds left which cost Fort Wayne a chance to attempt the game-winning shot.[7]
1957–1979: Decades of struggle
Though the Pistons enjoyed a solid local following, Fort Wayne's small size made it difficult for them to be profitable, especially as other early NBA teams based in smaller cities started folding or relocating to larger markets. After the 1956-57 season, Zollner decided that Fort Wayne was too small to support an NBA team and announced the team would be playing elsewhere in the coming season. He ultimately settled on Detroit. Although it was the fifth largest city in the United States at the time, Detroit had not seen professional basketball in a decade. In 1947, they had lost the Detroit Gems of the NBL, which disbanded and the remnants became the Minneapolis Lakers (now the Los Angeles Lakers), and the Detroit Falcons of the BAA, which folded.
Zollner decided to keep the Pistons name, believing it made sense given Detroit's status as the center of the automobile industry.
The new Detroit Pistons played in Olympia Stadium (home of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings at the time) for their first four seasons, then moved to Cobo Arena. The franchise was a consistent disappointment, struggling both on the court and at the box office.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the Pistons were characterized by very strong individuals and weak teams. In fact, in their first 27 years in Detroit, they only had three winning seasons. Some of the superstars who played for the team included Dave DeBusschere, Dave Bing, Jimmy Walker, and Bob Lanier. At one point DeBusschere was the youngest player-coach in the history of the NBA. Unfortunately, an ill-timed trade during the 1968 season sent the popular home grown DeBusschere to the New York Knicks for Howard Komives and Walt Bellamy, both of whom were in the later stages of their careers. DeBusschere became the key player that then led the Knicks to two NBA titles. The Dave Bing and Bob Lanier era did have some solid and exciting years but they were handicapped by being in the same division as the Milwaukee Bucks, which had a young Lew Alcindor and the Chicago Bulls, which likewise had some very strong players.
In 1974, Zollner sold the team to glass magnate Bill Davidson, who remained the team's principal owner until his death on March 14, 2009. Davidson was displeased with Cobo Arena, but opted not to follow the NHL's Detroit Red Wings to the under-construction Joe Louis Arena. Instead, Davidson moved them to the suburb of Pontiac in 1978, where they played in the mammoth Silverdome, a structure built for professional football (and the home of the Detroit Lions at the time).
1979–1994: The Bad Boys era
The Pistons stumbled their way out of the 1970s and into the 1980s, beginning with a 16–66 record in 1979–80 and following up with a 21–61 record in 1980–81. The 1979–80 team lost its last 14 games of the season which, when coupled with the seven losses at the start of the 1980–81 season, comprised a then-NBA record losing streak of 21 games (since broken).
The franchise's fortunes finally began to turn in 1981, when it drafted point guard Isiah Thomas from Indiana University. In early 1982, the Pistons acquired center Bill Laimbeer in a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers and guard Vinnie Johnson from the Seattle SuperSonics. The three would remain together for a decade, forming much of the core of a team that would rise to the top of the league.
Initially the Pistons had a tough time moving up the NBA ladder. In 1984, the Pistons lost a tough five-game series to the underdog New York Knicks, three games to two. In the 1985 playoffs, Detroit won its first-round series and faced the defending champion Boston Celtics in the conference semifinals. Though Boston would prevail in six games, Detroit's surprise performance promised that a rivalry had begun. In the 1985 NBA draft, the team selected Joe Dumars 18th overall, a selection that would prove very wise. They also acquired Rick Mahorn in a trade with the Washington Bullets. However, the team initially took a step backward, losing in the first round of the 1986 playoffs to the more athletic Atlanta Hawks. After the series, Coach Chuck Daly and team captain Thomas decided that their best chance to seize control of the Eastern Conference would be through a more aggressive style of play.
Prior to the 1986–87 season, the Pistons acquired more key players: John Salley (drafted 11th overall), Dennis Rodman (drafted 27th) and Adrian Dantley (acquired in a trade with the Utah Jazz). The team adopted a physical, defense-oriented style of play, which eventually earned them the nickname "Bad Boys". In 1987, the team reached the Eastern Conference Finals—the first time it had advanced that far since 1961—against the Celtics. After pushing the defending champions to a 2–2 tie, the Pistons were on the verge of winning Game 5 at the Boston Garden with seconds remaining. After a Celtics' turnover, Thomas attempted to quickly inbound the ball and missed Daly's timeout signal from the bench (the NBA had not yet instituted the rule that allowed coaches to call timeout themselves). Larry Bird stole the inbound pass and passed it to Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup. While the Pistons would win Game 6 in Detroit, they would lose the series in a tough Game 7 back in Boston.
Motivated by their loss to the Celtics, the 1988 Pistons, aided by midseason acquisition James Edwards, improved to a then-franchise-record 54 victories and the franchise's first division title in 33 years. In the postseason, the Pistons avenged their two previous playoff losses to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, defeating them in six games and advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since the franchise moved to Detroit.
The Pistons' first trip to the Finals in 33 years saw them face the Los Angeles Lakers, who were led by Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. After taking a 3–2 series lead back to Los Angeles, Detroit appeared poised to win their first NBA title in Game 6. In that game, Isiah Thomas scored an NBA Finals record 25 points in the third quarter while playing on a severely sprained ankle. However, the Lakers won the game, 103–102, on a pair of last-minute free throws by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar following a controversial foul called on Bill Laimbeer, referred to by many Piston supporters, and Laimbeer himself, as a "phantom foul". With Isiah Thomas unable to compete at full strength, the Pistons narrowly fell in Game 7, 108–105.
Prior to the 1988–89 season, the Pistons moved to Auburn Hills to play at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The 1989 Pistons completed the building of their roster by trading Dantley for Mark Aguirre, a trade that Piston fans would criticize heavily initially, but later praise. The team won 63 games, shattering their one-year-old franchise record, and steamrolled through the playoffs and into an NBA Finals rematch with the Lakers. This time the Pistons came out victorious in a four-game sweep to win their first NBA championship. Joe Dumars was named NBA Finals MVP.
The Pistons successfully defended their title in 1990, despite losing Mahorn to the Timberwolves in the expansion draft. After winning 59 games and a third straight division title, the Pistons cruised through the first two rounds of the playoffs before playing a tough Eastern Conference Finals series against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Facing each other for the third straight season, the Pistons and Bulls split the first six games before the Pistons finished the series with a decisive 93–74 victory in Game 7.[8] Advancing to their third consecutive NBA Finals, the Pistons faced the Portland Trail Blazers. After splitting the first two games at The Palace, the Pistons went to Portland, where they had not won a game since 1974, to play Games 3, 4 and 5. The Pistons summarily won all three games in Portland, becoming the first NBA team to sweep the middle three games on the road. The decisive game came down to the final second. Trailing 90–83 with two minutes remaining, the Pistons rallied to tie the game, then took a 92–90 lead when Vinnie Johnson sank an 18-foot jumper with 00.7 seconds left in the game; this shot earned Johnson a new nickname in Detroit, "007", to go with his original, "The Microwave". Isiah Thomas was named NBA Finals MVP.
The Pistons' championship run came to an end in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals, as the Pistons were swept by the eventual NBA champion Chicago Bulls, 4 games to 0. The most critical Piston injury belonged to Isiah Thomas who had surgery on his wrist just prior to the NBA Playoffs. The Conference Finals were best remembered for the Pistons walking off court in the last game just before it ended, unwilling to shake hands with the Bulls. After the series, Jordan said he was "shocked that Isiah didn't play as hard". Following this, the franchise went through a lengthy transitional period, as key players either retired (Laimbeer in 1993 and Thomas in 1994) or were traded (Edwards, Johnson, Salley and Rodman among others). The team quickly declined, bottoming out in the 1993–94 season when they finished 20–62.
1994–2000: The Grant Hill era
The team's fortunes improved after that season, but the rebuilding process soon sputtered. As a result of the poor finish in the 1996–97 season. The franchise even changed its team colors in 1996 from its traditional red, white, and blue to teal, burgundy, gold and black in what proved to be a highly unpopular move with fans. This period has become known, often derisively, as the "teal era".
2000–2008: Return to championship contention
2000–2002: The Jerry Stackhouse era
After being swept by the Miami Heat in the 2000 playoffs, Joe Dumars (who had retired following the 1999 season) was hired as the team's president of basketball operations. He quickly faced what appeared to be a setback for the franchise, as Grant Hill elected to leave the team for the Orlando Magic. However, Dumars managed to work a sign and trade with Orlando that brought the Pistons Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins in exchange for Hill. Both quickly entered the Pistons' starting lineup, and Wallace would develop into an All-Star in the coming years. Conversely, Hill would play only 47 games in the following four seasons due to a recurring ankle injury.
The Pistons suffered through another tough season in 2000–01, going 32–50 despite Jerry Stackhouse averaging 29.8 points a game. After the season, Dumars fired Irvine and hired Rick Carlisle, a widely respected assistant coach who had been a tough substitute contributor for the Celtics during the mid-1980s. In 2001, the franchise also adopted a modified version of its traditional red-white-and-blue scheme.
Carlisle helped lead the Pistons to their first 50-win season since 1997, and their first playoff series victory since 1991 by defeating the Toronto Raptors in five games, they would however lose to the Boston Celtics five games.
2003–2008: Six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals
In the 2002 offseason, Dumars revamped the Pistons' roster by signing free agent Chauncey Billups, acquiring Richard "Rip" Hamilton from the Washington Wizards, and by drafting Tayshaun Prince from Kentucky. The Pistons posted consecutive 50-win seasons and advanced to the 2003 Eastern Conference Finals, for the first time since 1991. There, however, they were swept in four games by the New Jersey Nets.
Despite the team's improvement, Carlisle was fired in the 2003 off-season. There were believed to be five reasons for the firing: first, that Carlisle had appeared reluctant to play some of the team's younger players, such as Prince and Mehmet Okur, during the regular season, which had upset Dumars; second, that some of the players (notably Wallace) had not gotten along with Carlisle; third, that Carlisle's offense was thought to be conservative; fourth, that Hall of Famer Larry Brown had become available; and finally fifth, that Carlisle was rumored to be interested in the Pacers head coaching job during the Pistons' 2003 playoff run. Brown accepted the job that summer and Carlisle landed the job in Indiana as expected.
The Pistons' transformation into a championship team was completed with the February 2004 acquisition of Rasheed Wallace. The Pistons now had another big man to pose a threat from all parts of the court. The Pistons finished the season 54–28, recording their best record since 1997. In the 2004 playoffs, after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in five games, they defeated the defending Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets in seven games after coming back from a 3–2 deficit. Detroit then defeated the Pacers, coached by Carlisle, in six tough games to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1990. Many analysts gave the Pistons little chance to win against their opponents, the Los Angeles Lakers, who had won three out of the previous four NBA championships, and who fielded a star-studded lineup that included Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton and Karl Malone. However, the Pistons won the series in dominating fashion, defeating Los Angeles in five games for the team's third NBA Championship. The Pistons posted double-digit wins in three of their four victories, and held the Lakers to a franchise-low 68 points in Game 3. Chauncey Billups was named NBA Finals MVP. With the win, Bill Davidson became the first (and to this date, the only) owner to win both NBA and NHL championships in the same year, having won the Stanley Cup as owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Despite losing key members of their bench during the off-season (including Okur, Mike James and Corliss Williamson), the Pistons were considered a strong contender to win a second consecutive title in 2005. They won 54 games during the regular season, their fourth consecutive season of 50 or more wins. During the 2005 playoffs, they easily defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 4–1 and then rallied from a 2–1 deficit to finish off the Indiana Pacers, 4–2. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons faced the Miami Heat. Once again, Detroit fell behind, but won the Eastern Conference Championship in seven games. In the NBA Finals, the Pistons faced the San Antonio Spurs. In the first NBA Finals Game 7 since 1994, the Pistons lost a hard-fought game with the Spurs, who won their third NBA championship since 1999.
The Pistons' 2004–05 season was marked by a major controversy, as well as distracting issues involving Larry Brown. In the first month of the season, a Pacers–Pistons brawl erupted, one of the largest fan-player incidents in the history of American sports. It resulted in heavy fines and suspensions for several players, and a great deal of NBA and media scrutiny. Meanwhile, Brown was forced to leave the team on two occasions due to health concerns, and also became involved in a series of rumors linking him to other job openings. Concerned about Brown's health, and angered over his alleged pursuit of other jobs during the season, the Pistons bought out his contract soon after the 2005 NBA Finals. Brown was promptly named head coach of the New York Knicks, and the Pistons hired Flip Saunders, formerly of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
During the 2005–06 season, the Pistons recorded the NBA's best overall record. Their 37–5 start exceeded the best start for any Detroit sports franchise in history[10] and tied for the second-best 42-game start in NBA history. Four of the five Piston starters, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and Ben Wallace, were named to the All-Star team, and Flip Saunders served as the Eastern Conference All-Star team coach. The Pistons finished the regular season with a record of 64–18, setting new franchise records for both overall and road victories (27). In addition, the team set an NBA record by starting the same lineup in 73 consecutive games from the start of the season.
The top-seeded Pistons defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 4–1 in the first round of the 2006 NBA Playoffs, but struggled in the second round against the Cleveland Cavaliers, falling behind 3–2 before winning in seven games. Things did not improve against second-seeded Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Miami defeated the Pistons in six games en route to the 2006 NBA championship.
During the 2006 off-season, the Pistons offered Ben Wallace a four-year, $48 million contract which would have made him the highest-paid Piston ever. However, Wallace agreed to a 4-year, $60 million contract with the Chicago Bulls.[11]
To replace Ben Wallace, the Pistons signed Nazr Mohammed as a center. He struggled to fill the team's void at center, however, and the team began looking for additional help. On January 17, the Pistons signed Chris Webber, who had become a free agent. The Pistons quickly began playing better basketball and, according to Newsday, started "to get their swagger back".[12] The Pistons were only 21–15 before Webber was acquired; with him, the team went 32–14. On April 11, the Pistons clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference, which guaranteed them home-court advantage for first three rounds of the playoffs.
The Pistons opened the 2007 NBA Playoffs with a 4–0 victory over the Orlando Magic, their first playoff series sweep since 1990. The team advanced to face the Chicago Bulls, marking the first time that the Central Division rivals had met in the postseason since 1991. After winning the first two games by 26 and 21 points, the Pistons overcame a 19-point deficit to win Game 3, 81–74. Chicago avoided elimination by winning Games 4 and 5, but the Pistons closed out the series, 95–85, in Game 6. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the fifth consecutive time (equaling their streak from 1987–1991)— three short of the NBA record set by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons won games 1 and 2, but lost 4 in a row to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In the 2007 NBA draft the Pistons selected Rodney Stuckey as the 15th overall pick and Arron Afflalo as the 27th overall pick.[13] They also re-signed Chauncey Billups to a long-term contract, as well as re-signing top prospect Amir Johnson and key reserve Antonio McDyess. This season marked the 50th anniversary of the franchise in Detroit.
At the start of the 2008 season, Rasheed Wallace became the Pistons' new center. Upon entering his third season as Pistons coach, Saunders became the longest-tenured Pistons coach since Chuck Daly's nine-year tenure (1983–92). Detroit finished the season 59–23, with the second-best record in the league. The Boston Celtics held the first seed, and many speculated that Boston was their main competition in the Eastern Conference. In the 2008 NBA Playoffs, Detroit started out poorly with a Game 1 loss to the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers and found themselves in a 2-games-to-1 deficit. But the Pistons rallied to defeat the Sixers in six games.
Meanwhile, in the 2008 NBA Playoffs, Detroit rolled out to a Game 1 romp of the Orlando Magic, and won a tight Game 2 amid mild controversy. At the very end of the third quarter, Chauncey Billups hit a three-point field goal that gave the Pistons a three-point lead. However, the clock had stopped shortly into the play. League rules currently prohibit officials from using both instant replay and a timing device to measure how much time has elapsed when a clock malfunctions, nor is a replay from the time of the malfunction onward allowed. The officials estimated that the play took 4.6 seconds, and since there were 5.1 seconds remaining when it began, the field goal was counted. The NBA later admitted that the play actually took 5.7 seconds and the basket should not have counted.[14]
In addition to losing Game 3 badly, 111–86, the Pistons also lost all-star point guard and team leader Chauncey Billups to a hamstring injury. Despite his absence, the Pistons rallied from 15 down in the third quarter to win Game 4 90–89, on a field goal by Tayshaun Prince with just 8.9 seconds to play, taking a 3–1 series lead. Again with Billups sitting on the sideline, they then proceeded to win Game 5 in Detroit, winning the series 4 games to 1.
Detroit advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the sixth straight season, squaring off against the Boston Celtics. This put the Pistons second on the all-time list of most consecutive conference final appearances, only behind the Los Angeles Lakers who appeared in 8 straight conference finals from the 1981–82 to 1988–89 seasons.[15] They lost Game 1 88–79, but won in game two on the road, 103–97 (marking Boston's first home court loss in the 2008 postseason). Immediately following that, the Celtics won their first road playoff game of the post-season, 94–80, in game three. Game four saw the Pistons win 94–75. In the pivotal fifth game, they lost 106–102, despite rallying from 18 points down late in the game. In Game 6, the Pistons entered the fourth quarter leading 70–60, but a lack of focus, a poor game from Rasheed Wallace, and a rally-killing turnover by Tayshaun Prince ultimately led to their demise; the Pistons ended their season with an 89–81 loss. The postgame interview was notable for Wallace, possibly knowing Dumars would soon break up the core of the team, saying simply, "It's over, man." After that, the Celtics went on to win the 2008 NBA Finals. On June 3, 2008, the Pistons announced that head coach Flip Saunders would not return as head coach for the 2008–09 regular season.[16]
2008–2011: Failed express rebuilding
In November 2008, the Pistons traded its key members Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess for Allen Iverson.[17] McDyess was later waived on November 10 and rejoined the Pistons on December 9, 2008. This Billups/Iverson trade was marked as a start of a new rebuilding process because of Iverson's free agent status at the end of the season.
The season was marked with many controversies and injuries. As a result of that, and poor play, the Pistons dropped down the standings, only clinching a playoff berth on April 10, 2009, good for the #8 seed at 39–43, their first losing season in 7 years. The Pistons were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games in the first round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs. It was the first time the Pistons had been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs since 2000. Iverson left the team at the end of the season.
In the 2009/2010 offseason, Dumars reached an agreement with the former Bulls guard Ben Gordon on a 5 year/$55 million contract, as well as an agreement with former Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva on a 5-year contract worth $35 million. That same month, the Pistons lost their two key members during the last few years, veterans Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess. On July 8, 2009, Dumars hired former Cavaliers assistant coach John Kuester to be the Pistons new head coach.[18] Kuester was, same as his predecessor Michael Curry, a debutant on the NBA head coach position.
The Pistons signed back their former player and former defensive player of the year, center Ben Wallace, before the 2009–2010 season.[19]
Despite these changes, the team regressed even further, hampered by injuries to key players. On March 23, 2010, the Pistons were eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Indiana Pacers, assuring their first Draft Lottery appearance and their first 50-loss season since 2001. The Pistons finished with a 27–55 record, and were last in the Central Division. It was their worst record since 1994. Another 50-loss season, this time finishing at 30–52, led to the firing of Kuester at the end of the 2010–11 season.
2011–present: New ownership; more struggling
On April 7, 2011, the Detroit Pistons reached a long awaited agreement to sell the NBA franchise to billionaire Tom Gores. The deal was granted by NBA in June and also included The Palace of Auburn Hills and DTE Energy Music Theatre.[20] According to Crain's Detroit Business, the final sale price was $325 million, far lower than expected.[21]
Prior to the 2011–12 season, the team decided to hire a new coach, Lawrence Frank, former head coach of the New Jersey Nets and an assistant coach of the Boston Celtics. The 2011–12 season was an improvement from previous years for the Pistons, although they still posted a losing record. While they started the season 4–20, they managed to win half their remaining games to finish a lockout-shortened season with a record of 25–41. The team continued to build its young core with the drafting of the talented center Andre Drummond.
Following the
- All articles with dead external links
- Articles with dead external links from April 2011
- Articles with dead external links from January 2012
- Commons category without a link on Wikidata
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- Detroit Pistons
- National Basketball Association teams
- Sports in Detroit, Michigan
- Basketball clubs established in 1941
- 1941 establishments in Indiana
- Official website
External links
- Profile at sportsecyclopedia
- Profile at thedraftreview
- Profile at nbahoopsonline
Further reading
- ^ a b
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^ The Wizard of Odds: How Jack Molinas Almost Destroyed the Game of Basketball. By Charley Rosen. p. 154. 2001 Seven Stories Press. ISBN 1-58322-268-5
- ^ "Syracuse Five Defeats Pistons in N.B.A. Play-Off Final, 92–91," The New York Times, April 11, 1955, p. 31.
- ^ "City Hails Nats' World Title Triumph," Syracuse Herald-Journal, April 11, 1955, pp. 1, 45.
- ^
- ^ [1] after the 46-win 1996 season PISTONS: Detroit Pistons 1990′s
- ^ [2]
- ^
- ^ [3]
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^ Pistons hire John Kuester as coach
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^ Lawrence Frank fired by Detroit Pistons – ESPN
- ^ Detroit Pistons Relieve Maurice Cheeks of Head Coaching Duties NBA.com, February 9, 2014
- ^ Detroit Pistons Announce Organizational Changes NBA.com, April 14, 2014
- ^ Detroit Pistons Name Stan Van Gundy Head Coach and President of Basketball Operations NBA.com, May 14, 2014,
- ^ http://www.nba.com/2014/news/12/22/pistons-waive-josh-smith/index.html Pistons waive forward Josh Smith NBA.com, December 22, 2014,
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^
- ^
Los Angeles Lakers
Boston Celtics
Chicago Bulls
- Joe Dumars – 1989
- Isiah Thomas – 1990
- Chauncey Billups – 2004
NBA Defensive Player of the Year
- Dennis Rodman – 1990, 1991
- Ben Wallace – 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006
- Don Meineke – 1953
- Dave Bing – 1967
- Grant Hill – 1995
- Corliss Williamson – 2002
- Ray Scott – 1974
- Rick Carlisle – 2002
- Joe Dumars – 2003
- Larry Foust – 1955
- George Yardley – 1958
- Gene Shue – 1960
- Dave Bing – 1968, 1971
- Isiah Thomas – 1984, 1985, 1986
- Grant Hill – 1997
- Fred Schaus – 1950
- Larry Foust – 1952
- George Yardley – 1957
- Gene Shue – 1961
- Bailey Howell – 1963
- Dave Debusschere – 1969
- Dave Bing – 1974
- Isiah Thomas – 1983, 1987
- Joe Dumars – 1993
- Grant Hill – 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000
- Ben Wallace – 2003, 2004, 2006
- Chauncey Billups – 2006
- Joe Dumars – 1990, 1991
- Dennis Rodman – 1992
- Ben Wallace – 2002, 2005
- Chauncey Billups – 2007
- Joe Dumars – 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993
- Dennis Rodman – 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993
- Ben Wallace – 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
- M.L. Carr – 1979
- Joe Dumars – 1991
- Clifford Robinson – 2002
- Chauncey Billups – 2005, 2006
- Tayshaun Prince – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
- Dave Debusschere – 1963
- Joe Caldwell – 1965
- Tom Van Arsdale – 1966
- Dave Bing – 1967
- Bob Lanier – 1971
- Terry Tyler – 1979
- Isiah Thomas – 1982
- Kelly Tripucka – 1982
- Joe Dumars – 1986
- Grant Hill – 1995
- Brandon Knight – 2012
- Lindsey Hunter – 1994
- Željko Rebrača – 2002
- Rodney Stuckey – 2008
- Jonas Jerebko – 2010
- Greg Monroe – 2011
- Andre Drummond – 2013
- Kyle Singler – 2013
Individual awards
Franchise leaders
General managers
- Fred Delano (1957–58)
- W. Nicholas Kerbawy (1958–61)
- Fran Smith (1961–64)
- Don Wattrick (1964–66)
- Edwin Coil (1966–75)
- Oscar Feldman (1975–79)
- Jack McCloskey (1979–92)
- Billy McKinney (1992–95)
- Rick Sund (1995–2000)
- Joe Dumars (2000–14)
- Jeff Bower (2014–)
Head coaches
Bing, Daly, Davidson, DeBusschere, Dumars, Lanier, Thomas, Yardley and Zollner have also been inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
- William Davidson (owner), 2008
- Fred Zollner (founder and owner), 1999
Front Office
Vitale was inducted as a contributor for his career as a college basketball broadcaster.
- Larry Brown (head coach), 2002
- Chuck Daly (head coach), 1994
- Dick Vitale (head coach), 2008*
Lloyd was inducted as a contributor as the first African-American player and bench coach in the NBA.
Basketball Hall of Fame members
- 1 Never played in the NBA; number represents the two NBA championship teams he coached.
- 2 Also President of the team from 2000–2014.
- 3 Banner raised to honor his 35 years with the team.
- 4 Banner raised to honor his 13 years as the team's general manager.
- 5 Greg Monroe wore the number at the time of the announcement (2010-2015).
|Detroit Pistons retired numbers and honorees
|Chuck Daly
|Head Coach 1
|Joe Dumars
|1985–99 2
|Dennis Rodman
|1986–93 5
|Isiah Thomas
|Vinnie Johnson
|Bob Lanier
|Dave Bing
|Bill Laimbeer
|William Davidson
|Team owner
|1974–2009 3
|Jack McCloskey
|General Manager
|1979–92 4
All of the Pistons retired numbers are currently hanging in the rafters of The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Retired numbers
- 2007: Rodney Stuckey (Round 1, pick 15); Arron Afflalo (Round 1, pick 27); Sammy Mejia (Round 2, pick 57)
- 2006: Will Blalock (Round 2, pick 60)
- 2005: Jason Maxiell (Round 1, pick 26); Amir Johnson (Round 2, pick 56); Alex Acker (Round 2, pick 60)
- Note: The rights to White were traded to the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for the rights to Seattle's draft picks Walter Sharpe (round 2, pick 32) and Trent Plaisted (round 2, pick 46)
- 2008: D. J. White (Round 1, pick 29); Deron Washington (Round 2, pick 59)
- Note: The rights to Budinger were traded to the Houston Rockets in exchange for the rights to future second round draft pick and cash considerations
- 2015: Stanley Johnson (Round 1, pick 8); Darrun Hilliard (Round 2, pick 38)
- 2014: Spencer Dinwiddie (Round 2, pick 38)
- 2013: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Round 1, pick 8); Tony Mitchell (Round 2, pick 37); Peyton Siva (Round 2, pick 56)
- 2012: Andre Drummond (Round 1, pick 9); Khris Middleton (Round 2, pick 39); Kim English (Round 2, pick 44)
- 2011: Brandon Knight (Round 1, pick 8); Kyle Singler (Round 2, pick 33); Vernon Macklin (Round 2, pick 52)
- 2010: Greg Monroe (Round 1, pick 7); Terrico White (Round 2, pick 36)
- 2009: Austin Daye (Round 1, pick 15); DaJuan Summers (Round 2, pick 35); Jonas Jerebko (Round 2, pick 39); Chase Budinger (Round 2, pick 44)
Recent NBA draft selections
Current roster
- March 12, 1960, the Pistons hosted a playoff game against the Minneapolis Lakers at Grosse Pointe High School when no other facility was available.
- April 27, 1984, the Pistons played Game 5 of their playoff series against New York in Joe Louis Arena due to a scheduling conflict.
- During the 1984–85 season, the Silverdome's roof collapsed, causing the team to temporarily relocate back to Joe Louis Arena (for 15 home games) and Cobo Arena (for one game).
- Olympia Stadium (1957–1961)
- Cobo Arena (1961–1978)
- Pontiac Silverdome (1978–1988)
- The Palace of Auburn Hills (1988–present)
In the Detroit area:
- North Side High School Gym (1948–1952)
- Allen County War Memorial Coliseum (1952–1957)
When based in Fort Wayne, Indiana:
Home arenas
Season-by-season records
On October 4, 2015, the Pistons unveiled a new alternate pride uniform, intended to be worn during the 2015–16 NBA season. The team said in a press release that "the inspiration for the Detroit Chrome jerseys came about as a way to honor our coolest cars from the past and the cars of the future. Detroit is universally known as the auto capitol of the world, where chrome leaves an indelible mark on the cars we create. The uniforms feature a matte chrome base color with clean simple lines inspired by the classic muscle cars that have roared up and down Woodward Avenue for decades. The navy trim and Detroit emblazoned across the chest represent the blue collar work ethic that the auto industry and region was built on."[31][32]
On August 14, 2013, the Pistons unveiled a new alternate uniform, with navy blue and red colors. It featured the words "Motor City" across the front and mark the club's first alternative look since the 2005-06 NBA season. The uniforms are the first of their kind, designed to celebrate the pride and character of metro Detroit while paying homage to the region's automotive roots. The team said in its press release that it "worked in consultation with adidas and the NBA in development of the uniforms. Lettering and numbering style on the jersey is consistent with the team's current home and away uniforms. To contrast the navy blue and red accents, lettering and numbers on the jerseys and shorts are white with hair-line red and blue trim. The club's secondary logo appears on the shorts – similar to the primary home and away uniforms."[30]
After moving from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Detroit in 1957, the Pistons' uniforms remained largely unchanged for two decades, featuring the word "Pistons" in blue block lettering. In the 1978–79 season, the team featured a uniform with lightning bolts on the sides and in the wordmark on the front of the jerseys. The team ditched the lightning bolt theme and returned to its classic block lettering and simple side panel pattern in 1981, staying with this look until 1996. That year, the Pistons changed its colors to teal, black, yellow and red, and unveiled a new logo with a horse's head and flaming mane. This uniform pattern lasted until 2001, when the team returned to the traditional red, white and blue colors, and a uniform pattern taking cues from the 1981–96 threads.[29]
The Pistons' current exclusive local television rights holder is Greg Kelser with color commentary, Mateen Cleaves with studio analysis and Matt Shepard with sideline reports.
The Pistons flagship radio station is WMGC-FM Detroit Sports 105.1 FM. They took over from WXYT-FM starting with the 2014-15 season. There are several affiliate stations throughout Michigan.[27] The regular radio announcers are Mark Champion with play-by-play and Rick Mahorn with color commentary.
Media coverage
After starting the 2014–15 season with a 5–23 record, the Pistons waived Josh Smith,[26] who was acquired in summer of 2013. The team went on a lengthy winning streak, but would only finish the season with the 32-50 record after Brandon Jennings' Achilles injury.
[25] coach, signed a 5-year, $35 million contract to become the head coach and President of Basketball Operations for the team.Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat was hired. The former Stan Van Gundy and on May 14, 2014, [24]


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1925 Model T
Otokichi posted a topic in Random ThoughtsPsst! Do ya wanna out-Steam Punk everybody at the next party? Step into this vintage motorcar by Henry Ford and you're "the bee's knees"! I ran across Regular Car Review when I was looking at automobile vlogs and saw an old neighbor's daily driver: a 1960 Ford Falcon! Rather than do the "wax-on/wax-off" about exoticars available only in Great Britain or somewhere in Europe, this is a driver's view of cars infesting the roads of North America. So, put on your duster and driving gloves, Daisy Bell wants to go touring on 1925 roads.;) RCR #1: Toyota Echo Goodbye, Toyota Echo On sec

subset: commoncrawl


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2015 in Review: Cable Ratings Plummet as Live Viewership Dwindles
At the risk of pulling a Chicken Little about a media segment that generates around $26 billion in annual ad sales revenues, the sky is falling all over the national cable TV marketplace.
According to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, only three of the top 25 cable nets in 2015 demonstrated year-over-year prime time ratings growth. AMC improved 5% versus the previous year, averaging 601,000 adults aged 18 to 49, or a 0.5 rating, good for a fifth place finish behind only ESPN, TBS, Adult Swim and USA Network. Also up were HGTV, which jumped 8% in prime time to an average draw of 438,000 members of the demographic, or a 0.3 rating, and Investigation Discovery, up 5% to 281,000 adults 18-to-49, or a 0.2 rating.
Every other top-tier cable net was down versus 2014, and most of those declines were not insignificant. No fewer than 16 of the top 25 channels suffered double-digit drops, and seven plummeted 20% or more when compared to the year-ago period. (This year's deliveries span the period from Dec. 29, 2014 to Dec. 6, 2015.)
All told, the average rate of decline for the bigger cable outlets was 12%. Some of the most severe drop-offs were weathered by sibling networks History (-27% to 416,000) and A&E (-26% to 350,000); Viacom's MTV (-23% to 301,000) and Comedy Central (-22% to 338,000); Discovery Communications' TLC (-20% to 316,000) and NBC Universal's USA Network (-20% to 648,000) and Bravo (-17% to 364,000). Also taking a hit were eighth-place FX, which fell 16% in live-same-day to an average draw of 530,000 members of the so-called dollar demo, and Turner Broadcasting's TNT, down 13% to 573,000.
While many of the aforementioned networks guarantee deliveries of the slightly older 25-to-54 demo, the results for that chunk of the audience effectively mirrored those having to do with the 18-to-49 set. In the case of the 25-to-54 crowd, Fox News Channel joined AMC, HGTV and ID in securing year-over-year gains, improving 14% with an average nightly draw of 341,000 members of its target demo, or a 0.3 rating.
That AMC is cable's only purveyor of scripted drama to demonstrate year-to-year growth is fairly self-explanatory. Each of the 16 episodes of "The Walking Dead" that aired during the calendar year occupied one of the top 16 slots on Nielsen's 50 highest-rated scripted telecasts. (The March 29 season five finale led all comers with a live-same-day draw of 10.4 million members of the 18-to-49 demo, which translates to a staggering 8.2 rating. By way of comparison, the biggest demo posted thus far by "Empire," the No. 1 scripted broadcast series, was a 6.9.)
Altogether, "The Walking Dead" this year averaged a 7.0 in the 18-to-49 demo, securing its position at the top of the scripted TV pecking order. Meanwhile, through its first 22 episodes, TV's No. 2 scripted effort ("Empire" again) is averaging a 4.9 live-same-day rating. "Empire" closes the gap considerably upon application of the C3/C7 currency data.
AMC's big year wasn't restricted to the flagship zombie-apocalypse thriller. All told, the network was responsible for 38 of the year's top 50 non-sports telecasts, a roster that includes all six installments of the "Walking Dead" companion series "Fear the Walking Dead," three episodes of the new martial arts drama "Into the Bad Lands," the Feb. 8 "Better Call Saul" pilot and 11 showings of the Chris Hardwick "TWD" postgame show, "Talking Dead."
The remaining spots were claimed by 10 episodes of HBO's "Game of Thrones," which averaged a 3.5 in the demo, and two installments of FX's "American Horror Story."
Getting the story straight
While the biggest shows on cable involve outré creatures like zombies, dragons and Lady Gaga, a lot of the more quotidian fare on the other scripted networks simply isn't being measured properly. This is the argument put forth by Turner chief research officer Howard Shimmel, who notes that his company's portfolio is actually up 3% in the 18-to-49 demo when video consumption across all screens (liner TV, VOD, PC, mobile, connected devices, etc.) is taken into consideration.
Trouble is, the networks can't take advantage of all the non-traditional viewing until Nielsen successfully launches its Total Audience service and a new currency is developed around the more inclusive data streams.
"With TBS and TNT, when we add in the VOD and live streaming numbers to our linear TV data, we're getting double the live contribution," said Mr. Shimmel. "So obviously we're very interested in Total Audience from the standpoint of how it should help us get a clearer and more accurate view of how viewers are actually consuming our content -- and the ads that run in and around that content."
Nielsen looks to roll out the service early in 2016. But even a seamless plug-and-play measurement solution won't necessarily change the way business is conducted overnight. "The hope is that the industry can arrive at a currency that everyone can agree on, but it's not going to be the sort of thing where [Nielsen] flips a switch and everyone shifts from selling demos to audiences," Mr. Shimmel said.
Turner hasn't exactly been twiddling its thumbs while waiting for the industry's currency to catch up with rapidly evolving viewer behavior. Among the next-generation data services the company has launched in the last 24 months is ProvableROI, an initiative to push forward with guarantees made against ringing cash registers rather than vanilla gross ratings points.
Mr. Shimmel said the Turner nets (TNT, TBS, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, truTV and CNN) reach 75% of the 18-to-49 population each month, a cohort that represents a towering $4.7 trillion in buying power. "To us, all those screens represent an opportunity," he said.
And then, sports
Of course, the one segment of the cable business that doesn't tend to lose ground to the twin ravages of the DVR and Netflix is sports. Pour football/basketball/baseball back into that walkers-and-Lannisters mix and much of the scripted stuff starts to pale in comparison. ESPN's broadcast of the first-ever College Football Championship Game on Jan. 12 scared up 33.4 million viewers, an 18.2 household rating and an 11.0 in the 18-to-49 demo, making it the highest-rated program in the history of cable TV. (The first person who teaches zombies how to play football retires in Scrooge McDuck splendor.)
Season-to-date, sports can lay claim to 152 prime time ratings victories, or 42% of the nights. "Sports is the leading multiplatform and social genre that is consumed in real time," said Artie Bulgrin, senior VP-global research and analytics at ESPN. "The new level of engagement has set sports apart from other TV genres and has raised its appeal on a national level."
While ESPN is down 10% in both key demos in prime time, it has won the night in total viewers 59 times since the year began. Through Dec. 6, ESPN is averaging 898,000 adults 18 to 49, which translates to a cable-high 0.7 rating.
Elsewhere, the upstart FS1 improved 28% in prime to a relatively tiny 162,000 adults 18-to-49, or a 0.1 rating, while NBCSN is up 6% to 149,000 members of the demo and NFL Network is down 16% to 148,000.


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Learn to receive kindness with grace. I read a post on FB this morning and it really got me thinking.
It got me thinking because I saw things a little differently than the author did. I have to tell you about this guy. His name is Bonnie Cribbs.
He started a group a while back and called it "Walking into Greatness" You can check it out here. Walking into Greatness with Bonnie Cribbs
He set out on a mission to make some changes in his life and to inspire others to seek the greatness in their own lives. From my perspective he's been very very successful at accomplishing what he set out to do.
I read the comments from all the other members who have made a decision to tag along and in the process get inspired and begin changing things for themselves and they help spread that optimism into their spheres of influence. It's so freakin cool to watch it all unfold.
Well today he posted something on his profile about feeling pain in his knee and sat down to lessen the pain. He was having some difficulty getting up and began to feel badly about people reaching out to help him get to his feet. No need for me to go into great detail here because you can read the post for yourself on his page through the link I provided at the top of this post. Anyways a few negative thoughts were getting to him, but he's seasoned enough to know that confession allows light in to change any dark mood. So he was showing up authentically and talking about his true feelings. I commented on his post to maybe help change his focus because I think it's the same for all of us.
As givers, and people who want nothing but the best for others, we sometimes lose sight of the fact that we also need an encouraging word, to have someone reach out and help us with our challenges. I know in my case I don't always want to accept the help because I think people will see me as less of a person, or as being weak. And that is not very healthy in any way shape or form. What if the person dishing out that act of kindness is suffering from any number of self defeating learned behaviours or attitudes and us allowing them to lend a hand or help us up and out of our situation is the exact thing they need to make them feel the value they have?
Who are we to deny them of that. On any other day we'd be bending backwards to try and make them feel that way. The secret is to just let go and allow them to give something to us. What makes it such a challenge? Look at the pleasure we get from giving, from helping, from spreading good will and cheer when we think others need it, yet we are quick to rob them of the same joy and good feelings that come with from just accepting their help, or kind words. Smile and just say "Thank You" and mean it.
If you think I'm pointing fingers here, you are 100% correct, but i'm pointing the fingers at myself. The truth is, I know how much being able to give provides us with feelings of value, how it boosts our self worth, our feelings of significance. So i'm on a mission to course correct, and to allow others to help, even when I don't ask for it, because we just don't know how that can change someone else's life.
If you got any benefit from this, please comment and share it with friends or others you think might benefit as well.


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Dimensions- 8" x 10"
About the Artist:
T.J.'s work fills a unique niche in the artistic world; her pieces are often devoid of landscape and surroundings, focusing instead on the exquisite detail of her subject matter. Her watercolor paintings employ multiple layers of vibrant colors, which capture the subject matter's natural complexity. Negative space enhances this beauty; by presenting the subject on a stark, white background, the subject's richness is further emphasized.
When viewing T.J.'s artwork it is impossible to miss the attention to detail encapsulated in each piece. Every line, every color, every blend and shadow counts, as the subject, and its intrinsic beauty, is what T.J. strives to capture.


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Majority of Free Clinics Have Had to Turn Away Needy Patients
Shrinking staff, expensive lab tests and drugs, and declining financial support are proving to be a prescription for disaster for the nation's uninsured, the study found through interviews of staff at 300 clinics.
Making matters worse is that 89% of the facilities experienced a rise in patient visits overall, including a signification surge of repeat patients for chronic ailments. Even beyond the 56% of clinics that have been forced to reject patients, there is a widespread problem of insufficient and often shrinking resources. According to the report, up to 97% of clinics surveyed said there's enough demand for their services that they could justify boosting their operational capacity by 10% to 20% -- if they had the means to do so.
Approximately 3,800 patients logged a total of 10,000 visits at AmericCares' three clinics in Connecticut at a cost of $6 million, the company said.
A recent free clinic held at the Tacoma Dome, normally a sports stadium in Tacoma, Wash., underscores the dilemma of the uninsured. The April 30 event attracted 1,500 walk-ins -- a record for a gathering co-sponsored by the National Association of Free Clinics and Communities Are Responding Everyday (C.A.R.E.), officials said.
About 46 million Americans -- roughly 15% of the population -- don't have health insurance, according to statistics cited by the government.


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When Tony Fadell, iPod creator and Internet of Things innovator as the founder of NEST, took the stage at the Innovation Project 2017, he told Visa's Jim McCarthy why he has come to dislike the label the Internet of Things, despite the many IoT innovations he pioneered. His beef, he said, is that "IoT" is a label that fails to describe the range of possibilities that devices connected to the internet enable from the perspective of the end user — the consumer or business. People and businesses don't buy things just because they are connected to the internet, he said; they buy them because of what those things can do to make their lives easier and daily activities more efficient.
Fast forward a few months, and Fadell's portrayal of the consumer's interest in connected devices for the value they deliver was more than validated in the "How We Will Pay" survey of 2,600 American adults. This study, a Visa/PYMNTS collaboration, revealed that consumers own a boatload of connected devices. The average number of connected devices (outside the usual portfolio of phones, computers and laptops) has increased to 4.4 per person and includes game consoles (47 percent), activity trackers (41 percent), smartwatches (15 percent), voice-controlled assistants (14 percent), connected thermostats (9 percent) and virtual reality headsets (7 percent).
But, it's what consumers use those devices to do today and wish they could use them to do in the future in the pursuit of commerce that piques their interest in buying and then using them. When it comes to shopping and paying, more than 80 percent of those surveyed find today's payments and commerce-related experiences across all channels frustrating, unproductive and inefficient — even boring. They believe that connected devices can deliver a better experience.
Delivering that better experience is what Avin Arumugam, senior vice president of the Internet of Things group at Visa, and his team are focused on: giving device manufacturers the ability to embed payments into the experiences that their devices power for the consumer.
"The instant that a customer says, 'I wish I could use my [connected] device to buy this,' is a commerce moment that we want to both anticipate and enable," Arumugam said. "The IoT team's job at Visa is to make sure that when that moment happens, we're there, and a consumer can make a payment safely and securely using a Visa account credential."
It's admittedly both an opportunity and a challenge, Arumugam said.
The opportunity is compelling: to meet the consumer where she wants to conduct commerce using any one of the four, five, six or more connected devices that she owns and among which moves seamlessly. What's clear from the data, Arumugam said, is that consumers like using them. More importantly, they aren't intimidated at the idea of learning how to use new ones. Along with that willingness to embrace new technologies comes higher expectations of what they can do, he added. In the case of commerce and payments, consumers expect that connected devices eliminate — and not add — friction to the shopping and buying experience.
That sets up the challenge, anticipating what devices might be waiting in the wings, ready for consumers to embrace and use, or available today with an interest in payment-enabling, Arumugam said.
What's also clear from the data is that consumers don't believe that what they own today — smartphone, smartwatch, voice-activated speaker — will deliver the commerce experience they want to make shopping and buying less of a chore. Consumers want the ability for devices to contextualize the commerce experience for them, enabling them to safely and securely buy things while they're commuting, taking care of the kids, cooking dinner, clearing the house. Consumers don't see the devices they own and use today as capable of delivering that experience for them.
So, Arumugam said, job No. 1 for he and the team isn't to look into their crystal ball and predict what devices might come next or decide "winners and losers," but to build a flexible infrastructure that can commerce-enable new devices and new experiences, efficiently, securely and at scale anywhere in the world.
Building a Common Future
When one imagines what's possible with commerce and connected devices, there are two tracks to be imagined, Arumugam explained. One track is more passive, where the devices such as refrigerators keep themselves stocked by ordering items before they run out and appliances that monitor themselves and book their own service calls for repairs and parts replacements before things break.
The other is more active — more or less the world we know today, where consumers use those devices to initiate commerce — tapping a smartwatch at a store terminal, asking a virtual assistant to order a pizza, opening an app to place an order that's fulfilled in a store.
So, what path does Arumugam view as the path to be most traveled?
"It is going to be a walk that I think we can help device manufacturers run to passive commerce. Who wants to think about ordering the carton of OJ every three weeks when the fridge can order that instead?" he explained.
How that happens, he notes, can and will vary and will most certainly evolve over time. Perhaps, Arumugam said, it will be an Instacart app on a smart fridge using Samsung Pay. Perhaps it will be a smart list that auto-orders based on a frequency of purchase and calculated usage. But regardless of what app and digital payment "front end" is used, Arumugam said that the most important part of that experience is the ability for that payment to be transmitted securely for that consumer on behalf of that merchant.
That, he said, is where the smart, flexible foundation — Visa's tokenization framework — becomes critically important.
The key elements of that infrastructure from Visa's point of view, Arumugam said, are VTS (Visa Token Service) VDEP (Visa's Digital Enablement Program) and Visa's recently launched Visa Ready Tokenization Program.
"Visa Ready makes it possible for TSPs [token service providers] to gain access to tokens simply and easily," Arumugam said. "Garmin is actually the first Visa partner to use a TSP to come online with their payment-enabled wearable," adding that Garmin came online much faster, given the ability to connect to an approved third party already connected to VTS, in this case FitPay, rather than do the work themselves.
While Garmin is a first, Arumugam said it is far from the last. Using TSPs, device manufacturers can be up and commerce-enabled in a matter of weeks simply by leveraging the certified and vetted commerce and payments foundation that Visa and its third-party partners already have in place.
The Early Adopters — Wearables
Early interest in Visa Ready for IoT, Arumugam noted, comes from wearables and their device makers. He expects that will continue as that whole category transitions into becoming more attractive with more feature-rich connected devices.
"I think the wearables we have today are a bridge to the wearables of tomorrow," he said. "Today, they are not really connected to the internet; they are connected to other devices that are connected to the internet, such as the smartphone. When they are actually connected, that will unleash the real IoT deal."
And that entrance into the "real IoT," Arumugam said, is where wearables will get their chance to shine — to become both more fashionable and a whole lot more useful, particularly for commerce.
"That is what the wearable consumer community is focused on: How do these devices make my life easier, and how can they make something those consumers do better, easier, more valuable?" he added.
Building Better Business Models for the Future
The Internet of Things, Arumugam reflected, is as much about an ongoing discussion as it is about reaching a destination.
"The payments part is what we need to get to baseline," he said, "but it's the business models that become possible because of a connected device being payment-enabled that really gets us excited."
No more are consumers and merchants forced to be in the same place at the same time to do business — the experience in the early days of consumers with their plastic credit cards and merchants with physical storefronts. Five decades or so later, consumers and merchants may now be in totally different places doing business but still rely in some form or fashion on access to a plastic card.
But that all changed, Arumugam said, in September of 2014, when Apple Pay launched and the idea of tokens and tokenization as a proxy for account credentials and how payments transactions are done was introduced. Tokens, Arumugam said, allow payments to solve the "last inch" problem — where the card and terminal no longer must touch or even exist to do business and for that transaction to be secure and trusted by the consumer, issuer and the merchant.
Consumers, Arumugam said, feel secure when they use the connected devices they have today to make purchases. And it's critical that they do. The two things that will hold back the great promise and potential of the Internet of Things is the consumer's uncertainty over the privacy and security of their data when using them. And the more passive the commerce experience — when machines pay machines — and the less visible those transactions are, the more the consumer has to trust that the underlying commerce foundation that's powering that experience will keep their precious data safe.
Arumugam said that's why it should be clear now that tokens represent the future of how commerce will be conducted across the many ecosystems that are now overlapping and intersecting — and surfacing those new commerce experiences.
"Tokens make the commerce experience so much more secure, which means that there are now so many more areas and use cases that device manufacturers can explore."
New forms of alternative credit and point-of-sale (POS) lending options like 'buy now, pay later' (BNPL) leverage the growing influence of payments choice on customer loyalty. Nearly 60 percent of consumers say such digital options now influence where and how they shop—especially touchless payments and robust, well-crafted ecommerce checkouts—so, merchants have a clear mandate: understand what has changed and adjust accordingly. Join PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster together with PayPal's Greg Lisiewski, BigCommerce's Mark Rosales, and Adore Me's Camille Kress as they spotlight key findings from the new PYMNTS-PayPal study, "How We Shop" and map out faster, better pathways to a stronger recovery.


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| 8.4°C Belfast
England delivered the "good hiding" of Italy demanded by Eddie Jones to leave the Stadio Olimpico with a 40-9 victory that keeps alive their Grand Slam quest.
Jonathan Joseph plundered a hat-trick of tries in a final half-hour that was dominated by the Red Rose, while George Ford and Owen Farrell also crossed on an afternoon that saw the Azzurri suffer a late collapse.
Until Joseph struck for the first time in the 53rd minute, the "absolutely brutal" demolition in which no Italian was "left standing" sought by Jones looked a bold ambition with the lead a slender 11-9.
Centre Joseph was the executioner in what proved to be a five-try rout after the visitors ensured a difficult first half. Joseph's treble included a fine finish after he had intercepted a long pass, but he paid tribute to the men who gave him the opportunity.
He said: "We are very proud of our defence, our defensive structure. We forced an error and luckily, I was the guy that got on the end of it."
England recovered from an ill-disciplined first-half display to tear Italy apart after the break and will now head into their home clash with Ireland in a fortnight's time brimming with confidence.
Joseph said: "We spoke about starting well - unfortunately, we didn't quite get that today - but once we got into it, we showed what England can do and we are very proud of that performance.
"We just had to come out firing in the second half. For us, everything was in place, all the principles, we just made a few errors early on. But we managed to eradicate that and move forward."
Three points from the boot of Carlo Canna saw the Azzurri rewarded for their endeavour, but when their scrum crumbled deep in their own half Farrell was able to level the score.
A dummy and break by Youngs saw England renew their attack with Dylan Hartley, Courtney Lawes and Billy Vunipola adding weight to the assault until a knock-on brought the move to an attack.
Farrell departed for a head injury assessment after being flattened by a heavy tackle - he later returned - so it was Ford and Canna who exchanged kicks as a tight opening quarter drew to a close.
There was redemption for Joseph as his tenacity in pressing defence helped England win a turnover that was threaded left where a crafty pass from Vunipola found Farrell and Ford darted over in the corner.
Canna kicked his third penalty and the Azzurri finished the half with a flourish, forcing Chris Robshaw and Jack Nowell to save the day by scrambling back in defence.
When a second try was plundered by England it came against the run of play.
Italy were looking to counter from their own 22 but a pass was easily picked off by Joseph, who crossed under the posts.
Five minutes later Joseph crossed again, collecting a brilliantly-judged grubber by Danny Care. The hat-trick was completed with a show of strength from Joseph before Farrell arrived to deliver the final blow.
Belfast Telegraph


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TCE and chlorides are contaminants that can spread through groundwater flow. It already resides within the boundaries of the Protected Drinking water source in West Galt. The West Galt watershed is listed as being at a "high risk for contamination" by the GRCA.
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Our Camp Properties
Coronavirus Update: Staff-led overnight camps, family camps, troop camps, and volunteer-run day camps through July 31 have been cancelled. Registrants will receive a full refund.
Camping & Outdoor Program
We provide amazing opportunities for girls to develop and grow a love for the great outdoors. Our mission: Leave no girl inside! Camping is a vital part of the Girl Scout experience, often providing girls with their first opportunity to ride a horse, swim, or complete a challenge/ropes course.
Girl Scouts Louisiana East owns and operates three camps. There is our 600-acre Camp Whispering Pines (CWP) located in Independence, our 400-acre Camp Marydale located 45 miles north of Baton Rouge near the rolling hills of St. Francisville, and Camp Covington, a 23-acre camp purchased in 1927. Each site is unique in its own way and offers unlimited program opportunities for outdoor activities.
Troop & Community Overnight Camping
Planning a troop or community camping trip for one or more nights can be a wonderful experience for girls and trained leaders.
Council camps are available for troop or community camping during the week and on weekends, and reservations may be made at any time. Click here to request space for your troop or community (formerly called service unit).
Day Use
Reservation requests may also be made for picnics, hiking, outdoor skill building, boating, nature study, troop meetings, etc. Troops/groups wishing to use a council facility during the day for a Girl Scout program should follow camp reservation procedures and use the Camp Reservation Request form.
These sites provide great opportunities for outdoor programs after school, during vacations, and on weekends.
Council-sponsored Special Outdoor Events
Do you enjoy canoeing, archery, or horseback riding? The council
sponsors several special outdoor programs throughout the year. We even
offer special weekends geared just for families. Individual
information is distributed through the Program Power, and other
council publications annually.
Resident Camp
Summer resident camp at Camp Marydale and Camp Whispering Pines provides adventure, self-esteem, leadership skills, friends, and fun for girls entering 1st through 12th grade. Campers participate in fun activities that vary based on session. Activities may include canoeing, kayaking, swimming, horseback riding, building a raft, building a fire, Geo-caching, cooking in a box, investigating a mystery, taking pictures or taking a moonlit scavenger hunt.
Day/Twilight Camps
Enjoy all the fun of summer camp without spending the night. Girls get a taste of camp, make new friends and learn new skills. Check out the variety of locations and specialized themes developed and delivered by our regional volunteers.
Camping on Non-Council Sites
Sites and facilities must meet all Safety Activity
Checkpoints standards. Other Girl Scout camps, state and national
parks are often a good camping alternative to a council facility.
Troop/groups wanting to camp at any other camping venue other than
another Girl Scout camp, state or national park or Jellystone Park,
must receive prior approval directly from Jill Pollard, Chief
Operating Officer at 504-355-5871, or by email firstname.lastname@example.com


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Chinese Peking
The very rare oversize Peking China rugs bring the art of the simple design and color together. The influence of Buddhism and Taoism in Chinese life and culture is very clear in this rug. The dark rich center of the rug in shimmering blue color is surrendered by the beige color of the outer field. The central medallion design of a pagoda and the design of the birds and the flowering trees in the four corner of the rug brings the beautiful design together.
- Dimensions: 12' 2" x 19' 6″
- Date of Manufacture: 4th Quarter of the 1800s
- Place of Origin: China
- Material: Wool pile on a cotton foundation with natural vegetable dyes
- Condition: Excellent
Product ID: 1270


text:
This has to be really quick 'cos I'm in work and even though it's lunch time I'm still not sure I should be on here!
Right I'd like to say Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday! ::huggles::
Also thank you to people who sent presents - I love them and I'm going to send you all a proper note this year - yup I'm really going to do it I promise! (Well if I don't remember my mum will bash me so you should get one!)
Yesterday was great! I likes opening presents! And I'll give you all a full list later tonight!
Dinner was brilliant and I want to say many hugs to Kathryn BA (Hons) and Laura! ::snuggles::
Um, yeah incoherent as ever, but that's just me!
Go see jigglyfrog's LJ and read the story she posted! It's about the bois and sooo sad but she dedicated it to me - I'll link it later! (opening more than one window on this pooter seems to mess everything up!)
So yes this is my first full day as a 21 year old and I have to say it's ok apart from my usual falling asleep whilst working and also having little thoughts about things in my head! Meh I don't think I'll ever grow up so *shrugs* who really wants to anyway?!
Right got to go lunch is nearly over and I want to read a few pages of "Holy Fools" by Joanne Harris, who wrote "Chocolate", "Five Quarters of the Orange", "Blackberry Wine" and "Coastliners" - I loved all those, though the last one was totally different to the other 3! I'm quite enjoying "HF!"
TTFN Love and Honeypots
P.S. I seriously need to investigate this paid account business *pouts* need more Icons! *grin!*


text:
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled. Except for air-core transformers, the conductors are commonly wound around a single iron-rich core, or around separate but magnetically-coupled cores.
URJA TECHNIQUES (I) PVT. LTD. All Rights Reserved.(Terms of Use)
Developed and Managed by Infocom Network Ltd.


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Marketing & Media trends
Industry trends
More Articles
Legal trends
Directors' personal exposure will increase in 2020Patrick Bracher
The future of flying drones in South AfricaKiasha Nagiah
South Africa - challenges and opportunities in the year aheadMorne van der Merwe and Wildu du Plessis
An optimistic forecastAthi Jara
Agriculture trends
Automotive trends
Construction & Engineering trends
5 key architectural and sustainable initiative trendsBouwer Serfontein
Pioneering immersive designEmily Clark
Africa's new wave architectureChris Malan
Route to water prosperity - new perspectives for 2020Dhesigen Naidoo
New technologies to power smart citiesTaru Madangombe
CSI & Sustainability trends
3 trends in responsible businessZyaan Davids Anter
Technologies and tactics in curbing wildlife poachingNicholus Funda
SA's transition to a cleaner, greener economyNtombifuthi Ntuli
Time for the NPO sector to ask tough questionsNazeema Mohamed
Simple tech in M&E for non-profitsAnja Mulder
SA's shifting philanthropy landscape to enhance impact of givingNoxolo Hlongwane
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Innovations in fintechDaniel Goldberg
What will happen in the crypto space?Marius Reitz
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5 ways tech is changing insuranceTravys Wilkens
SA's year for digital payments?Rutendo Hlatshwayo
What to expect from SA's banking sector towards 2035Ruellyn Willemse-Snyman
5 trends reshaping wealth managementAndrew Möller
Millennials and green investingDaniel Kibel
Healthcare trends
Global health challenges and how to change themStephanie Allen
Diagnosing SA's healthcare sectorMadelein Barkhuizen
The future of healthcare is nowLerato Mosiah
HR & Management trends
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The evolving role of HR as a strategic partnerSandra Crous
ICT trends
5 trends in AR & VR to watch in 2020Jade Duckitt
Lifestyle trends
4 wine trends to look out for in 2020Kristen Duff and Gosia Young
Digital arts - a viewfinder into culture in 2020Lauren Fletcher
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4 PR business trends you can expect in 2020Mimi Kalinda
Huge business and investment momentum in AfricaGraham Deneys
Property trends
The century of the real estate A(I)gentLouise de Beer
Top 2020 SA property market trendsCrispin Inglis
Where building security and technology meetDerek Lategan
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3 technology trends shaping the property industryTanja Lategan
SA retail favours the boldNomzamo Radebe
Home décor trends for summer 2019/2020Elize van der Berg
7 shifts in retail attractionGavin Jones
3 key trends shaping Africa's property sectorGerhard Zeelie
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SA trends for brick and mortar stores - the present and the futureBeate Stiehler-Mulder and Mariëtte Frazer
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#BizTrends2020: South Africa - challenges and opportunities in the year ahead
South Africa is experiencing a period of prolonged political and economic uncertainty, but the country's commitment to improving the local investment environment, combined with signs of future economic improvement, have resulted in increases in M&A value and volume predictions in South Africa in 2021 and 2022. In addition, shifting global trade patterns are resulting in the formation of new trade relationships in Africa, which is good news for the entire continent, including South Africa.
© Sergey Nivens – 123RF.com
According to Baker McKenzie's Global Transaction Forecast, produced in conjunction with Oxford Economics, South Africa's M&A market will remain weak in the near-term, with the projected strengthening of the economy in 2020-21 likely to support a modest recovery in deal-making activity in future years. Merger and acquisition value in South Africa was US$10.1 billion in 2019, but is expected to drop to $5.2 billion in 2020, before rising to $9.4 billion in 2021 and $12 billion in 2022.
Investor uncertainty
International investors and South African dealmakers often feel discouraged by the current South African business and socio-economic environment. They are currently not experiencing South Africa as "open for business". Dealmakers in South Africa often comment about the uncertainty created by BEE laws and regulations, which they experience as being too complex, not consistent and unpredictable. The risk of being found guilty of "fronting", and facing criminal sanction as a consequence, raises a dark red flag when making investment decisions. This is especially in light of the considerable challenges investors face in not falling foul of anti-bribery and corruption laws.
Further areas of concern include the labour market related issues - including costs, productivity and the legislative framework; currency volatility; bribery and corruption; and inadequacies in the justice system, which raises concerns about the rule of law. Investors are also worried about the support and performance of SOEs, including Eskom and Transnet; as well as the socio-economic mandate of the Competition Authorities and the inconsistencies and unpredictability caused by the manner in which this might be applied. Land expropriation without compensation, uncertainty about security of property rights and security of tenure have further eroded business confidence.
South Africa has a highly regulated business environment which also results in uncertainty and inconsistency. Too much regulation can also cause interference in free market economy and can lead to an unfavourable business environment that is difficult to navigate.
Despite all this, we believe the country is on the right track for future growth and recovery, although there is still a lot of work to do. For the country's investment environment to improve there has to be an acknowledgement of the fact that we should and could do better, and visible action needs to be taken to address the areas of concern. All stakeholders, including government, labour and business, must work together to address these issues and contribute to creating a sustainable and well-functioning and vibrant economy.
International economic ripple effect
The recent escalating global trade tensions, such as the China-US trade war and Brexit have been adding to the uncertainty of investing in Africa in general. However, there are strong signs that the shifting global trade patterns are good news for the continent, and particularly South Africa, as the major players turn to Africa for new avenues for trade and investment.
The Southern Africa Custom Union countries, with Mozambique, (SACUM) recently announced the agreement in principle of a new Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the UK, which will govern bilateral trade between the SACUM countries and the UK if the UK leaves the EU. The new EPA benefits South Africa as it will allow for the continued preferential access to the UK market for certain important sectors in the event of Brexit.
Further, it would not be unreasonable to expect that Africa will be a geopolitical priority for the EU in the near future and that the EU will position itself as a close ally of Africa, including doing more trade deals with the continent.
China has also noted that it is looking for new opportunities to trade and to be a responsible investor in Africa. As as one of South Africa's largest trading partners, the country plays an important role in infrastructure investment, having pledged to invest $14.7bn in South Africa in 2018. China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a multi-billion dollar plan to link Asia, Europe and Africa, will result in further increases in infrastructure investment across Africa in future years. According to Baker McKenzie's BRI & Beyond Forecast, one of the models for likely BRI investments predicts an estimated $910 billion in BRI investments in the 2020s, with sub-Saharan Africa receiving the biggest share - 25%.
Also in 2018, the US outlined its Africa strategy by reiterating its commitment to strong partnerships with African countries, including South Africa. The US said it would seek to promote intraregional trade and commercial ties with its African allies, shifting its focus from "indiscriminate aid" to one of trade and investment.
Notably, South Africa is also expected to be a key beneficiary of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). If fully implemented, AfCFTA will unlock significant but uneven growth opportunities on the continent, according to Baker McKenzie's research with Oxford Economics, AfCFTA's $3 trillion Opportunity: Weighing Existing Barriers against Potential Economic Gains. The research found that some countries are currently better placed than others to reap the rewards of intraregional trade and that South Africa stands to maximize the benefits of AfCFTA due to its existing strong connections across the continent and well-established manufacturing base.
South Africa is next to chair the African Union, starting in January 2020 and will be keen to facilitate progress in free trade on the continent under the agreement, especially as it is one of the nations with the greatest opportunities for growth through AfCFTA. So while the short term looks challenging, a very exciting picture is forming for Africa in the long term.
About the author
Morne van der Merwe, Managing Partner and Head of Corporate/M&A, and Wildu du Plessis, Head of Africa, Baker McKenzie Johannesburg.
Read more: M&A, mergers and acquisitions, mergers and acquisitions South Africa, legal trends, investment trends, Baker McKenzie, Morne van der Merwe, #biztrends, Wildu du Plessis, #BizTrends2020
Republication of selected Bizcommunity content for non-commercial purposes is allowed if the original article is linked to with "Source: www.bizcommunity.com". Please click here for more information and to request permission.


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The Briefing
Friday 25 March
00:00 / 00:00
25 March 2016
Episode 1142
30 minutes
We analyse today's trial of two prominent Turkish journalists, hear why Vladimir Putin is using warmer diplomatic language towards Barack Obama and learn why it's taken the Rolling Stones more than 50 years to get to Cuba.
25 March 2016
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A new initiative of ELI Utah to support Utahns during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and recent earthquake.
Get involved
Find out about upcoming ELI events, opportunities to serve on local boards and commissions, job opportunities and more.
Although Utah's population is the youngest in the nation, Utah lacks Gen-Z and Millennial representation and participation in government.The Emerging Leaders Initiative (ELI) of Utah aims to elevate the voice and impact of young voters in their local, state and national governments.
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Courtney McBeth
The University of Utah


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