Sometimes, it's what's not in the picture that tells the story. Here was Doug Collins, a hard-working, passionate coach, making an announcement about his return to the Pistons -- with a restructured contract no less. Sounds good, right? Sounds like a happy occasion?But the owner of the Pistons, Bill Davidson, wasn't there. He left the building a few minutes before the informal press conference began. And Pistons president Tom Wilson, who negotiated the deal, wasn't there, either. He was on vacation in Hawaii. It was Collins, a press release and a microphone.
And still, the sun shone brightly. How could this be? Shouldn't there have been clouds and rain? How could hockey fans reconcile an absolutely perfect weather Father's Day with the image of Vladimir Konstantinov lying motionless in a hospital bed, breathing through a respirator, a brain monitor in his head?
The hinges are coming loose, the rusty bolts are rattling and the door that for more than four decades has separated Detroit from the coveted Stanley Cup is about to shatter into a million pieces. The Red Wings earned their third victory of this championship series Thursday night with a force that could burst a dam, a defense that could hold back time, and a speedy confidence that bordered on destiny. So mighty was their domination of the dazed and confused Philadelphia Flyers that the Wings scored their goals as if chosen from an assortment pack:
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.
