Night_King

November 21st, 2016 at 3:25 PM ^

Good stuff. Let's hope the team starts playing better this season, though. I know Reggie is out, but some games we look good and other times it's really tough to watch. Need to build some consistency..

Joined: 03/02/2016

MGoPoints: 25672

stephenrjking

November 21st, 2016 at 3:28 PM ^

Maybe I'm out of the loop, living now in Minnesota, and I've missed some key details, but:

This sounds like... a good move for everybody that isn't just a cynical attempt at money extraction? I'm sure Gores wouldn't do it if it weren't in his financial interest, but it doesn't sound like he's trying to bleed someone dry by doing this, either.

And while I suspect an expensive arena in Detroit is a financial sinkhole regardless, at least securing another 41 or so home games is good for those who do actually work in and around the arena.

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20143964

nerv

November 21st, 2016 at 3:31 PM ^

I've found Im in the minority here but this news just doesnt make me happy at all. I was already planning on avoding Hot n Ready arena. I've also always liked the Palace and I really enjoyed having one sports option that didn't take me straight into Detroit.

Joined: 04/14/2009

MGoPoints: 14072

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

November 21st, 2016 at 3:38 PM ^

Well, I agree that I really liked each team having their own arena.  Means the decorations and banners and stuff can all be perfectly relevant without it feeling like one team is a guest in the other's house.

But listen, man, you ain't gonna die if you go downtown for a game.  I like that experience far better than driving allllll the way out to Auburn Hills and having my only option for postgame activities be sitting in the car waiting for traffic to move.

Joined: 07/02/2008

MGoPoints: 41586

nerv

November 21st, 2016 at 3:47 PM ^

I already go downtown for every other team. For almost every local concert as well. The Palace & Pine Knob were pretty much the only two places of refuge. Im not worried or scared of being in Detroit; what I am is sick of it. Woodward is never going to be finished. Driving around to find some shady lot to pay to park in isn't my idea of a great time either.

I can find some downtown to go eat or drink at any night of the week any week of the year. Usually going to a Pistons game is my activity for the night. The majority of them fall on week nights as well. You still had the Wings/Tigers/Lions for your downtown activity pleasures. I, personally, will miss having one option to avoid that.

Joined: 04/14/2009

MGoPoints: 14072

ijohnb

November 21st, 2016 at 3:59 PM ^

those of us in that area, there is the question of what becomes of The Palace as well.  They can't justify continued upkeep on that arena to host Beyonce and Disney on Ice once per year.  That may become a slightly less depressing version of the Silverdome and surrounding area over time.  It takes pretty much all purpose out of that stretch of Lapeer Rd., which depended almost entirely on Palace business.  This is disappointing news to me as well.

Believe it or not, it is feasible that they tear it down.  All of the good concert acts to to DTE for six months out of the year and there is really not much happening at the Palace.  It is really not used for anything except for the Pistons and Shock.  Gonna have to rename Championship Drive.  What a waste of a really really good venue, and a hell of a lot of tradition.

Joined: 09/21/2009

MGoPoints: 69986

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

November 21st, 2016 at 3:59 PM ^

I think the Palace can continue to be viable.  Scheduling winter concerts at the downtown arena will be a pain in the ass now that another 41 nights plus playoffs are spoken for.  Put a minor league team of some kind in the Palace, and let it be marketed as a major concert destination, and it should be useful.  The Silverdome was just too big.

The other possibility is that the arena is torn down (would be a shame, I think) and the land is parceled out as an expansion to the "auto supplier HQ district" that is adjacent to it.  I've read that there's tremendous demand for that.

Joined: 07/02/2008

MGoPoints: 41586

skurnie

November 21st, 2016 at 4:00 PM ^

The rumors around town are that the Big 3 are interested in the land the Palace sits on and it could be demolished and rezoned for commercial property. 

I don't think there's enough going on to merit keeping it open. 

Joined: 07/31/2013

MGoPoints: 20170

ijohnb

November 21st, 2016 at 4:05 PM ^

have a point there.  It is not as though that area has really become any kind of attraction aside from whatever event is there.  The whole "landfill" look never really worked.

Joined: 09/21/2009

MGoPoints: 69986

MGoBender

November 22nd, 2016 at 10:12 AM ^

I can see it being taken that way.  In fairness to the OP, I think it was more like "a refuge from tougher commute, parking, etc."  I took it more as "it's more work [for him] to go to a game downtown" since he wants only the game experience.  The Palace does offer that: right off the freeway, park at the stadium, get in, watch the game, get out.

Joined: 03/26/2010

MGoPoints: 15128

SF Wolverine

November 21st, 2016 at 3:35 PM ^

I assume that they will be able to keep the Palace active, if not busy.  This makes is much easier for West-Siders to be Pistons fans, and should keep the downtown area hopping most nights from October - May.

Joined: 10/04/2010

MGoPoints: 24906

skurnie

November 21st, 2016 at 7:41 PM ^

They are still working on the sale now. That's what kicked off the big discussion a few weeks ago. The thinking was Gores doesn't move downtown without a sale (presumably to Oakland county) to someone.

Joined: 07/31/2013

MGoPoints: 20170

Qmatic

November 21st, 2016 at 3:38 PM ^

So it's going to be the Wings arena with the Pistons as a tenant?

I'm surprised Illitch wouldn't want to wait until 18-19 for the Pistons. Figured they'd want one year with only the Wings

Joined: 01/09/2013

MGoPoints: 32787

Njia

November 21st, 2016 at 3:39 PM ^

The Pistons will be demanding their own stadium (paid for largely through taxpayers) within 5 years. I'm fine with the move downtown - in fact, I think an active, vibrant Detroit is good for everyone. But the very likely outcome is a new Pistons arena at some point on the mid-term horizon.

Joined: 09/15/2009

MGoPoints: 35773

Njia

November 21st, 2016 at 7:39 PM ^

Maybe it will be a match made in heaven and the Pistons will be in their Forever Home (or the stadium is no longer considered state-of-the-art in about, oh, 2028; whichever happens first). But just as soon as Gores no longer believes he's getting a good deal from the relationship with Olympia Entertainment, he'll start the campaign for new digs.

Joined: 09/15/2009

MGoPoints: 35773

bronxblue

November 21st, 2016 at 5:27 PM ^

I sort of doubt the Pistons will complain.  It's a good location, will have another tennant to keep the place up-to-date, and as others have mentioned, sharing an arena isn't unusual in these circumstances.  If Chicago and New York can handle it, I assume Detroit will without issue.

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 171787

Richard75

November 22nd, 2016 at 1:30 AM ^

Chicago and New York are different: The teams involved are all part of the arena ownership group. Same goes for several other NBA/NHL towns: Dallas, Denver, Toronto, Washington.

Pure owner-tenant pairings are less common. Have to remember that owners can get annoyed over control issues like which team gets the Friday night games and what the arena looks like. Take a look at a seats-empty photo of Boston's arena and you'll understand which team runs that place. (It's not the Celtics.) Those things are easier to manage if the teams involved are co-owners. The New York Jets chafed for years over stuff like that at Giants Stadium and almost built their own place before eventually doing a joint venture. It might seem unlikely now, but it's conceivable the Pistons would grow tired of being a second-class citizen.



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 09/23/2008

MGoPoints: 5290

Everyone Murders

November 21st, 2016 at 3:43 PM ^

I was downtown a few weekends ago, and ran into plenty of people who seemed to think it was a fait accompli that the Pistons were coming home.  Gave me a chance to relive Isaiah Thomas's famous "plantation basketball" quote, leading to a nice 15 minute discussion with my son about the relative merits of having the team play in Detroit.

 

Joined: 12/14/2010

MGoPoints: 65552

Moonlight Graham

November 21st, 2016 at 3:49 PM ^

at least. It looks like the game crowds can be confied to that "district" complex and no one will even need to venture across I-75 except to get back to their parking ramp. 

Anyone know what they plan to do with the Joe? 

Joined: 09/12/2011

MGoPoints: 7559

LSAClassOf2000

November 21st, 2016 at 4:00 PM ^

Joe Louis Arena is slated to be demolished almost as soon as the last game is played there basically, and the rumor is that there will either be some mixed-use high rise development or a hotel and convention center with access to Cobo potentially. I think the deal on the demolition has actually been in place for a few years now, come to think of it.

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 130637

uncle leo

November 21st, 2016 at 3:56 PM ^

Is if the Pistons were any good. To my friends that think the team moving downtown will suddenly end up in constant sell-outs... Gotta get that noggin examined.

Joined: 07/29/2012

MGoPoints: 34636

uncle leo

November 21st, 2016 at 4:14 PM ^

I guess I'm not seeing it. I've watched a lot of the games this season, and all I see is a team without any redeemable qualities, not a star in sight. You can't win titles with the way they do things. You HAVE to have a season where you bottom out and grab a super star. You can't continue to finish 8th-10th and grab a 15th pick. 

When the Pistons were winning, you couldn't find a seat. They could play in the UP, if they were an elite program, people would go.

Joined: 07/29/2012

MGoPoints: 34636

Guy Fawkes

November 21st, 2016 at 4:00 PM ^

I think the Pistons just got their attendence back. This move is only going to increase the popularity of the team and it brings the other Detroit burbs into a more favorable drive. Going Plymouth to AH for a 7pm game isnt fun.

Joined: 09/28/2016

MGoPoints: 1716

snarling wolverine

November 21st, 2016 at 7:44 PM ^

Not sure if it will make that big of a difference regarding attendance. The Pistons have never had attendance problems when they've been good. They had a long sellout streak at the Palace during the Ben Wallace era. They haven't drawn well when they've been bad/mediocre, but you could say the same for a lot of NBA franchises. The NBA is a sport where the gulf in quality between good and bad teams is enormous.

Joined: 12/14/2011

MGoPoints: 98374