Detroit Free Press

PURDUE HOTSHOTS (SWISH) ARE FOR REAL

PURDUE HOTSHOTS (SWISH) ARE FOR REAL

It was as pointless as shooting rubber bands at a tank. Here came the Purdue Boilermakers, and Michigan tried to -- swish! -- oops never mind, now here they came again, put a hand in their faces -- swish! -- oops, never mind, now came the break, stop it before -- swish! -- oops, we better -- swish! swish!Forget it. If Purdue shoots like this the rest of the way, you can wrap up the Big Ten title in black and gold paper. Right now. You better hurry -- swish! -- up.
TOP PICKS OF THE LITTER IN TODAY’S NFL DRAFT

TOP PICKS OF THE LITTER IN TODAY’S NFL DRAFT

Year after year, the NFL combs the country for the best young college football players. And today, draft day, many of those players will huddle around TV sets with their loved ones: mom, dad, sister, brother, agent, lawyer, accountant, personal trainer, PR flack and shoe company representative. Many are called, few are chosen.
WALKER AND ROSE:FATHER, SON SO ALIKE, YET THEY’VE NEVER MET

WALKER AND ROSE:FATHER, SON SO ALIKE, YET THEY’VE NEVER MET

Fourth of five excerpts from from "Fab Five: Basketball, Trash Talk, the American Dream" by Free Press sports columnist Mitch Albom. "Fab Five" is published by Warner Books, 359 pages, $21.95.On a cold January night in 1973, Jeanne Rose felt the stirrings of her fourth child. She called her brother Len -- "Hurry up, I'm having the baby" -- to drive her to the hospital. He raced over in his green Fiat, helped her in and slammed on the accelerator. By the time they reached the hospital, Jeanne was deep into contractions."Hang on!" Len urged."I'm trying!" she said.
RODMAN’S LIFE ON THE REBOUND

RODMAN’S LIFE ON THE REBOUND

There was a knock on the door. Dennis Rodman, who was not answering knocks or phones, peeked out the window. He did not recognize the man, or the little boy, or the pickup truck.He cracked the door open."This is from the Pistons," the man said, holding out an envelope. Rodman took it. Inside was a neatly typed notice saying he had been suspended, without pay, effective immediately. After six years of a storybook NBA career, he was off the team. Rodman stared at the paper."Uh, Dennis?" the delivery man said."Huh?"
DWEEBS, PROMS GO HAND IN HAND

DWEEBS, PROMS GO HAND IN HAND

Wait a minute, teenagers. Not so fast. Come back here with that fashion article printed in this very newspaper just two days ago, the one with the headline "PROM-ising Alternatives" that dealt with new ways to dress for your high school prom without looking traditional, which is to say, a dweeb.Gimme that paper!riiip . . . swiiip . . . shrshhh . . . There now.

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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