Detroit Free Press

SHE GOT BEN’S HEAD BACK IN THE GAME

SHE GOT BEN’S HEAD BACK IN THE GAME

Behind every good man, there's a woman counting his rebounds. And Chanda Wallace didn't like the numbers. She doesn't, as a rule, give a lot of basketball advice (I guess if your husband, Ben, is the NBA's defensive player of the year, how much is needed?), but she knows her man. She knows the signs. And as any wife will tell you, one of those signs "is when he doesn't get 10 rebounds. That's when I get concerned."So Chanda sat Ben down after the first game of these NBA Finals against the Spurs, in which the Pistons were beaten soundly.
ONLY A DOCTOR CAN FREE RIP FROM HIS NEMESIS

ONLY A DOCTOR CAN FREE RIP FROM HIS NEMESIS

So I'm down at the make-believe doctor's office, sitting in the waiting area, and Richard Hamilton happens to be in the examining room. And the door is slightly ajar."Doc, you gotta help me.""What's the problem, Rip?""It's kind of embarrassing. I need something removed.""What is it? A polyp? A mole?""This.""Oh, my. That's an entire person.""I know. They call it Bruce Bowen. It won't come off.""Have you tried the normal methods?"
SLAM ANTONIO

SLAM ANTONIO

In basketball, somewhere between heaven and hell lies heart. The Pistons wore their hearts on their bare, muscled arms Tuesday night, and, as a result, they are a bit farther from the warm spot this morning. They began like a cornered animal, they ended like a runaway lion. Call it ferocity, call it focus. Or call it fate. Because when Stevie Wonder does the national anthem, does Detroit have any choice but to win?They just called to say it's not over.
A PROMISE KEPT, A LIFE TOUCHED, A CUP DELIVERED

A PROMISE KEPT, A LIFE TOUCHED, A CUP DELIVERED

CORONA DEL MAR, Calif. - You often hear pro athletes - especially pro hockey players - talk about "riding the bike." They mean the stationary bike exercise machine, and they ride it to train, to recuperate, to push their lungs and muscles. Some hockey stars all but live on those things.
WHAT IF CNN HADN’T HAPPENED?

WHAT IF CNN HADN’T HAPPENED?

CNN was born 25 years ago this month. It was a simple yet awesome invention, the brainchild of Ted Turner, who saw a world of satellites and cable and got the idea for a 24-hour news channel. Turner is a man who often asks "Why not?" rather than "Why?"Therein lies our difference.
MANU – IT’S NOT A WORD, BUT A LIFESTYLE

MANU – IT’S NOT A WORD, BUT A LIFESTYLE

SAN ANTONIO - I wannu be Manu.I wannu have his flopping, sweaty hair. I wannu have his mile-wide smile. I wannu enter a news conference after taking over an NBA Finals game and begin by answering a question in Spanish. I wannu be bilingual. I wannu be international. I wannu be large in two Americas, North and South.I wannu be Manu.
BABY TALK? LISTEN, I’VE GOT THE SCOOP

BABY TALK? LISTEN, I’VE GOT THE SCOOP

Before I share my "exclusive" interview with Brad and Angelina's baby, let's talk price. I want $4 million. Same as they reportedly got for the photos. Anybody can point and shoot a camera. It takes a special person to speak Goo Goo.So we're agreed? And cash, no checks. Meanwhile, here's a little sample from my Blockbuster Scoop of the Year:"So, little Shiloh, let me be the first to verbally welcome you to the world. How does it feel to be the most famous infant since Jesus?""Are you my dad?"
A FACE-TO-FACE WITH A DEFIANT DR. DEATH

A FACE-TO-FACE WITH A DEFIANT DR. DEATH

He wore a pale blue suit over his small, thin body, and the skin on his face seemed pulled so tight his eyes bulged. Those eyes rarely blink, and they lock on when you disagree with him. He may be 79. But after eight years in jail, Jack Kevorkian still is ready for a fight.And he is not sorry."If I were sorry, I'd be a hypocrite," he said.By his own estimate, Kevorkian, who was released recently, helped at least 130 people die, hooking them to machines that delivered lethal drugs or gases, then allowing them to, essentially, throw their own switch.

Mitch Albom writes about running an orphanage in impoverished Port-au-Prince, Haiti, his kids, their hardships, laughs and challenges, and the life lessons he’s learned there every day.

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