Pulling for Tayshaun

It is almost passe nowadays to say that you hate the NBA. Because of the continued success of college basketball, many college basketball fans (and most in Kentucky) look at the game in the NBA as a bastardized version of the sport they love and thus treat it with disdain. While this view is somewhat unfair, one thing is for certain.....this NBA season has been absolutely dreadful. A boring year with no storylines followed by the most unstimulating MVP ever has capped on with a set of playoffs that literally makes one want to take a long winter's nap. If the NBA planned out their vision for the year, I would be hard-pressed to say they were hoping for Utah-San Antonio and Detroit-Cleveland in the Conference finals. But there is an exception to all this negativity.....and that exception my dear friends is Tayshaun Prince. In the state of Kentucky, Tayshaun Prince is the equivalent of royalty. It is safe to say that Tay is the most popular NBA player within in the Commonwealth and his rise to prominence in the last few years has made the Detroit Pistons the most popular NBA team (by far) for all UK fans. Every big Pistons game sees a group of loyal Tay fans in bars and on message boards pulling for Prince and cheering every big block and baby hook he puts up. I have had countless conversations with Kentucky fans who say to me, "I dont watch the NBA....well except for Tayshaun and the Pistons" (in that order). Tay's rise has caused UK fans to express their frustration with Rasheed Wallace (he is a gunner!) and their critique of Flip Saunders (choker) but more importantly, has given them a second basketball passion to last through the neverending NBA Playoffs. The Pistons begin their series tomorrow with the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals. With recruiting now on a bit of a lull, I will be watching every game and reporting on them at this site.....with UK-like fervor. And the reason is very simple.....Tay daddy has made me do it. It is quite remarkable that Tayshaun Prince is solely responsible for the adoption of a team by an entire state. But that is a testament to the state's passion for the sport and Tayshaun the person....the lone shining light on a team called "Turmoil" and an individual universally applauded as a great representative for the state. Its playoff time, which means only one thing......its Tayshaun time!!!!