The Pistons haven't won a title since the 2003-2004 season.  While they've been contenders in the Eastern Conference every year since, they've been unable to make the jump to the NBA Finals since losing in the 2004-2005 series to the Spurs.  Since then Miami, Cleveland, and Boston have represented the East on the game's biggest stage.  Just a couple of weeks into the season, Joe Dumars decided a change was necessary.  They shipped off Chauncey Billups to Denver in return for Allen Iverson.  The question is, can "the answer" actually be the answer for the Pistons?

Billups was really the key to the Pistons' success over the past six seasons.  He was the floor general and "quarterback" that kept the team moving forward.  So, one has to wonder what Dumars and the Pistons front office was thinking in this trade.  Sure, money was probably part of the issue, but Dumars and co. wanted to get that other component to get them back to the championship.  I personally don't think Iverson is the answer that the Pistons need.

Billups was a leader on the floor.  A pure point guard with a deep understanding of the game and Detroit's system.  Iverson comes in as more of a pure scorer who has been forced to play point guard through a lot of his career.  Iverson is not a leader.  Is he a great player?  Absolutely.  He will go down as one of the game's greatest, but he is not a leader.  So, what happens now?  I would really like to see Iverson win a title before he hangs up his sneakers.  Can he do it in Detroit?  I'm not sure.  I think he stood a good chance of it had he stayed in Denver playing alongside Carmelo Anthony.  One could argue that he has a better chance in Detroit and I think they'd be right in that argument....if he was playing alongside Billups.  As his replacement, I'm not so sure.

It's been 15 years since Alabama saw the top spot in the AP and Coaches' Polls.  It's been almost 30 years since they played a game as the number one team in the country.  Now, after the turnabout of coaches, the NCAA sanctions, six years of losing to Auburn, the Crimson Tide find themselves at the top of the college football mountain.  And what a long, hard road it's been. 

Everyone knew that Nick Saban would make a difference in Tuscaloosa.  No one expected it to be this quickly.  From the top recruiting class in the country to the top spot in the polls, much of this has come very quickly for the mighty Tide.  Now, Bama sits as the best team in football while starting 16 true freshmen.  One can't help but think this is merely the beginning.  Finally, after years of mediocrity, Alabama is relevant again.  Now, the big question remains; can they maintain?

Things won't get easier for the Tide this weekend as they travel to Baton Rouge to take on LSU in Death Valley.  Sure, the Tigers have looked lackluster being blown out by both Florida and Georgia, but anyone who follows SEC football knows that Tiger Stadium is one of the most unfriendly environments in the country.  The noise level in this stadium can sometimes be otherworldly.  Not only will the Tide have to take on the 15th ranked Tigers, but Saban will have to deal with returning to the school he once led to a BCS National Championship in 2003.

A lot is on the line for both teams.  For LSU, any chance of returning to the SEC Championship this season rests solely on this game.  It is a must win for them to remain in the running.  Then, they'll have to hope that Bama loses again.  For Alabama, it's their chance to prove to the skeptics that they are a legitimate number one team.  It will also pave the way to the SEC Championship Game, at the very least, and keep them in pursuit of the BCS National Championship.  There's still a lot of football to be played and before they can have any shot at getting to the big game, they'll have to go through the best QB in college football, in my opinion, in Tim Tebow.  No pressure.

One thing is certain, regardless of the outcomes, two national championship contenders will go down today.  Be it Texas, Texas Tech, Georgia, or Florida, two of those four will be virtually eliminated from the title hunt this weekend. 

Georgia vs Florida

To start things off, the number 8 Georgia Bulldogs look to stop number 5 Florida in the annual cocktail party.  Both teams looked exceptional in handling LSU this year.  Georiga's only loss comes to the current number 2 team in the country, Alabama.  The Gators, on the other hand, dropped a game at home to an underachieving Ole Miss team.  This game will determine who will play in the SEC Championship from the SEC East.  The implications of this game may be even greater with the victor having rights to lay claim to a spot in the National Championship if any of the top 3 lose.  One has to think the matchup favors the Gators today.  They have a type of speed that has not been seen in college football in a long time.  With Tebow's talent and the speed on offense the Bulldogs could be in for a long day.

Prediction:
Georgia 21
Florida 34

Texas vs Texas Tech

The Red Raiders certainly do make for a good story.  The underdog, they represent everything there is to like about college football.  Unfortunately, they have yet to run through the gauntlet in the Big 12 this season.  That guantlet starts today when the Longhorns come to town.  Even if they manage to pull out a win, they still have Oklahoma and Oklahoma State coming up on their schedule.  Texas, on the other hand, has essentially ran through the gauntlet unscathed with this being their last true test until the Big 12 title game.  They're not out of the woods yet.  I expect this to be a high scoring game.  The Red Raiders will put up a lot of points.  The Longhorns will put up more.

Prediction:
Texas 45
Texas Tech 38

For years the Rockets have settled into their role in the Western Conference as that middle of the road team.  After T-Mac arrived, many thought the combination with Yao would mean a championship for the Rockets.  Instead the franchise has been plagued with injury after injury.  McGrady's back has given him problems and it doesn't seem like Yao can play more than 60 games per year.  Then, something happened in this off-season.  The Rockets picked up one of the NBA's most controversial players, Ron Artest, to create their own version of "the big three."

In game one, Artest put up 16 points and only managed to draw 2 personal fouls.  Yao was dominant as he often is in the opening of the season.  Tonight, Yao dropped 30 points and Artest put in 29 in a win against a Dallas franchise trying to find its identity again.  They won both of those games and now sit at 2-0.

As the season opened, everyone was throwing out the usual names of teams to watch for in the Western Conference.  The Lakers, Jazz, Spurs, Suns, Mavericks, and Hornets all in the regular talk about winning the west.  People have forgotten about the Rockets.  Maybe if Yao and T-Mac can stay healthy this season, Artest will help make them remember.  So far, in my eyes, this move has been the one which has provided the most impact.  We're only two games in though.  There is still a lot of basketball to be played.

The 2008-2009 NBA season is upon us and boy did it open up with a bang.  In my time as an NBA fan, I've seen some pretty good opening night, championship ring ceremonies, but none that I can recall were so emotionally charged as last night's in Boston.  The Celtics were presented with their rings and raised their 17th World Championship banner to the rafters.  Paul Pierce was emotional and shed his share of tears.  Who can blame him?  After being the number one option there for so many years, he's been through a lot as a Celtic.  All the losing years, all the missteps by management and finally his moment arrived.  I think I'd be crying too. 

Pierce turned the emotions into a 27 point performance in a come from behind win against last year's East Conference foes, the Cleveland Cavs.  Lebron had a good night as is to be expected, but the thing that stood out to me most about this game, aside the fact that the Cavs gave up the lead on the road, was the lackluster play of Mo Williams.  Sure, I know it's just the first game.  I know it will take some time for he and Lebron to learn each other and learn the system, but he was no where to be found in last night's game.  Williams, the new acquisition from the Bucks is supposed to relieve the pressure from Lebron allowing him to score more rather than focusing on carrying the offensive load AND finding open guys on the floor.  That didn't happen in last night's game.  Williams finished with just 2 assists to King James' 6.  Again, it is the first game, so let's give it some time, but fans are going to wonder if the Cavs are ready to take that next step.

On another note, the late game featured the Portland Trailblazers going against Kobe and the Lakers.  This was Greg Oden's regular season debut.  After sitting out the entire season last year after undergoing microfracture surgery, Oden took the court for the Blazers for the first time.  He lasted only 13 minutes before going out with a foot injury.  So far the x-rays weren't conclusive and Oden is listed as day-to-day.  Hopefully this won't be a sign for the struggling Blazers and Oden.  In his 13 minutes the 7 footer managed to snag only 5 boards and failed to make a field goal.  He also tallied 2 fouls. 

Bottom line: the Celtics looked as good as ever.  Despite struggles by Ray Allen and KG, the Celtics got a big boost from Tony Allen and Pierce was able to take them on his back like he's done so many times before.  The Lakers looked as formidable as ever blowing out the young Trailblazers by 20 points.  The Greg Oden show has been put on hold for now. 

I'm as excited this year about the NBA as I've ever been.  Stern has managed to turn this league around and make it interesting again.  A little help from the Big Three and Kobe didn't hurt things either, though.