Detroit Free Press

EVERYTHING IS A BILLBOARD, EVEN THE COPS

EVERYTHING IS A BILLBOARD, EVEN THE COPS

My ears are for sale. Left. Right. For the right price, you may have them both. Or, I should say, rent them. Your message here. On my ears. I am joining the 21st Century. I am becoming a billboard.Hey. Why should I -- JUST DO IT! -- miss out -- FLY THE FRIENDLY SKIES! -- on the trend? -- THINK FORD FIRST!After all, things you never thought of as advertising space are now becoming -- OBEY YOUR THIRST! -- advertising space. Like police cars.
CHAPPELL NO LONGER AN OUTSIDER WITH MSU

CHAPPELL NO LONGER AN OUTSIDER WITH MSU

THE SPARTANS left for the Final Four on Wednesday night, most of them thinking glory and championships. One of them was thinking about the bus ride. And the plane ride. And the locker room.And it makes him nearly as happy as hitting a winning jumper."I may run home and get my camcorder, just to film all the little stuff," he says.
UP ONLY FOUR POINTS AT THE HALF, SPARTANS EXPLODE INTO SECOND ROUNDGREEN DAY

UP ONLY FOUR POINTS AT THE HALF, SPARTANS EXPLODE INTO SECOND ROUNDGREEN DAY

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The uniforms will not do it. No one is impressed. The Michigan State Spartans may be defending national champions, but no opponent is going to fall over at the sight of them.The names will not do it. No one is impressed. Never mind that Charlie Bell, Andre Hutson and Jason Richardson were part of a title run last year. No opponent will quake in its boots, swallow air, go all goose-bumpy when they take the floor.
IF N.Y. STATUE IS ALTERED, WHO WILL TELL MOMS?

IF N.Y. STATUE IS ALTERED, WHO WILL TELL MOMS?

Ionce wrote a book about five young basketball players, all of whom were black. The book was purchased by Hollywood. They wanted to make a movie.I flew out for a meeting, and over shared bottles of Evian water, one of the female executives began gushing over the story, the way Hollywood executives often do."There's just one little thing," she said. "Do you think we could make one of the players white?"I was tempted to say, "Sure, just tell me which one, so I can warn his mother when the film comes out."But I resisted. Some ideas are too dumb to bother with.
MIKE’S MAILBAG

MIKE’S MAILBAG

From this tech columnist's mailbag . . .I'm a regular reader. I had to stop and drop a note. Wish I had the e-mail(s) you sent to me when the iPod first came out. You wrote a Freep column saying it was cool, but doubted if it would be a success due to the price. I sent an e-mail pointing out what I thought was wrong with your opinion, you shot back with "it won't fly." My, how times have changed!Brian Bukantis
PATRIOTS’ QUARTERBACKS SHOULD REMEMBER EASON

PATRIOTS’ QUARTERBACKS SHOULD REMEMBER EASON

NEW ORLEANS -- There's a problem brewing here in the Big Easy. Maybe I can help. Tom Brady? Drew Bledsoe? Come on over here, guys. Let me whisper two words in your ears:Tony Eason.Remember him? He was the quarterback for your team back in 1986 when the Patriots, on a previous Super Bowl trip, faced the mighty Chicago Bears.The Bears that year were favored against the Pats the way Donald Rumsfeld would be favored against Don Knotts. That didn't stop Eason. He felt sharp.He trotted out to start the game.And before you could say train wreck, he was done.

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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