Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI) articles from January 2004

Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI) archives from January 2004

Pistons stop the Raptors as Wallace blocks Carter.
January 30, 2004... Byline: Perry A. Farrell TORONTO _ When you travel into the No Fly Zone, even superstars can come away empty. Vince Carter found that out Friday night when Ben Wallace blocked his final attempt of the game to seal the Detroit...

Rodriguez's back could be a deal-breaker with Tigers.
January 30, 2004... Byline: John Lowe and Mark Snyder DETROIT _ The Ivan Rodriguez contract talks continue to progress, but when, and if, he will sign with the Detroit Tigers remains unclear. What is evident is the Tigers' desire for an insurance policy....

MSU's Rowley set to play enforcer.
January 30, 2004... Byline: Jemele Hill EAST LANSING, Mich. _ Just once, when Michigan State plays a Big Ten team representing his home state of Indiana, Delco Rowley would like to show he's something other than tremendous potential stunted by bad...

Pistons' Brown may change lineup to get spark.
January 30, 2004... Byline: Perry A. Farrell TORONTO _ Slow starts have so plagued the Pistons, coach Larry Brown has discussed making a lineup change or two with team president Joe Dumars. Though it looks like offense is the main problem, Brown said...

Some things are too tainted to get second chances.
January 30, 2004... Byline: Nichole M. Christian Is it ever possible to reclaim ugly history? Optimists love to argue yes, believing the only way to deal with dirt is to put it out in plain view, force folk to talk, to learn. Amazingly, these voices...

Don't come drawlin' to me: Patriots far superior.
January 30, 2004... Byline: Mitch Albom DETROIT _ Here's what I know about Carolina Panthers fans. While many are new to the sport, some of the real diehards have been rooting for a month. That's 29 days longer than you, Curt. Oh, I know privately...

Panthers may catch them napping.
January 30, 2004... Byline: Curt Sylvester HOUSTON _ One more light workout Saturday, a last-minute nap Sunday afternoon and Tom Brady will be ready to go after his second Super Bowl title in three years. If it had been up to Brady _ as well as his New...

Book this: Panthers will wear down Patriots.
January 30, 2004... Byline: Curt Sylvester DETROIT _ Congratulations, Mitch, on another outstanding season. You have been a busy little fellow, haven't you? Let's see now. You got another book published and survived another book tour. You...

Hasek's latest test gets mixed reviews.
January 30, 2004... Byline: Helene St. James DETROIT _ An ultrasound Friday afternoon on Red Wings goaltender Dominik Hasek's groin revealed good and not so good news. There's still some inflammation, but there's also some improvement, general manager...

Auto dealers to discuss ways to improve image.
January 29, 2004... Byline: Sarah A. Webster DETROIT _ Members of the National Automobile Dealers Association say they realize that respectable relationships with customers are critical to their businesses, despite the beating their profession takes. ...

Toyota, Nissan expected to report good January.
January 29, 2004... Byline: Jamie Butters Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. are expected to be the big winners Tuesday when automakers announce the number of cars and trucks they sold in the United States in January. Toyota is expected to show the...

Intense, high-stakes game headed for showdown with I-Rod.
January 29, 2004... Byline: Drew Sharp DETROIT _ Weren't we dancing to this same tune about this same time two weeks ago? Wasn't there a thorough physical examination before the Detroit Tigers made a firm commitment? And wasn't a final decision...

Wallace can enjoy 2nd All-Star start.
January 29, 2004... Byline: Perry A. Farrell TORONTO _ Last season's All-Star appearance was bittersweet for Ben Wallace. It was the first time fans had elected him as a starter, but the day before the game he was in Whitehall, Ala., saying good-bye to...

Panthers' rushing game vs. Patriots' rushing defense.
January 29, 2004... Byline: Curt Sylvester HOUSTON _ Four hundred and one times they ran the ball against the New England Patriots this season. Some of the NFL's best backs lined up and took their shots. Clinton Portis. Ricky Williams. Eddie...

Big game, big screens with eyes on the ball in the Super Bowl.
January 29, 2004... Byline: Greta Guest DETROIT _ What's the big game without the big television? Without their new 87-inch, rear-projection television, Bianca and David Nicholas wouldn't have a party at their Fraser home on Super Bowl Sunday to watch...

$45 million asked for Great Lakes cleanup.
January 29, 2004... Byline: Megan Christensen DETROIT _ President George W. Bush will ask Congress for $45 million to clean up contaminated lake sediments in the Great Lakes, the head of the federal Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday. Mike...

DNR gains control of Michigan game farms.
January 29, 2004... Byline: Eric Sharp DETROIT _ Gov. Jennifer Granholm is taking a stronger step to prevent chronic wasting disease from infecting Michigan's deer and elk. Granholm has transferred regulation of deer and elk farms from the state Agriculture...

What U.S. buyers want: Big engines are back.
January 29, 2004... Byline: Mark Phelan We're power-mad. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Fuel-sipping hybrid gasoline-electric cars may get plenty of hype at the North American International Auto Show, but when they vote with their wallets,...

Safe at home: Welcome return cures Red Wings' ills.
January 29, 2004... Byline: Nicholas J. Cotsonika DETROIT _ It was an eventful night at Joe Louis Arena. Detroit captain Steve Yzerman earned his 1,702nd point, passing Mario Lemieux for sixth place on the NHL's all-time scoring list. New Jersey center Igor...

Book offers 400 uses for versatile vinegar.
January 29, 2004... Byline: Susan Selasky Family Circle magazine contributing editor Vicki Lansky is out with a new book on the many household and cooking uses of vinegar. Lansky's "Vinegar: Over 400 Various, Versatile and Very Good Uses You've Probably...

Sometimes, shouting is presidential.
January 28, 2004... Byline: Susan Ager Last week presidential candidate Howard Dean revealed himself as unpresidential by removing his right shoe in public. He took it off during a campaign visit to Harvey's Music Shop in Milford, N.H. He had picked up...

Love is on the shelves for Valentine's Day.
January 28, 2004... Byline: Janis Campbell Valentine's Day is coming. It's the perfect time to cuddle up with some books and a child you love. Luckily, love is in the bookstores. Here's a roundup of sweet treats for Valentine's Day. "I Love You, Too!"...

Laser treatment helps Sanders return to ring.
January 28, 2004... Byline: Mike Brudenell DETROIT _ Top welterweight prospect Mary Jo Sanders will place her faith in what she calls a "little magic wand" when she resumes her boxing career at Fight Night at the Palace on Friday. The 30-year-old...

Long snapper's dream comes true.
January 28, 2004... Byline: Curt Sylvester HOUSTON _ Seven weeks ago, Brian Kinchen was teaching Bible classes at the Parkview Baptist Elementary School in Baton Rouge, La., and enjoying the benefits of retirement after 13 NFL seasons. And then he got...

Lions add defensive line coach.
January 28, 2004... Byline: Curt Sylvester DETROIT _ All he needs now is a defensive backs coach and Steve Mariucci will be ready to go to work on the 2004 NFL season with a full staff. Larry Brooks, 53, was hired Wednesday as the Lions' defensive line...

Super Bowl tickets a hot commodity.
January 28, 2004... Byline: John Gallagher HOUSTON _ Three kinds of people get tickets to this Sunday's Super Bowl in Houston. They're either very important, or very lucky, or willing to pay three or four times the face value of tickets to a scalper. ...

Hasek improves; return next week?
January 28, 2004... Byline: Helene St. James DETROIT _ The best thing about coming home is it affords one an opportunity to check in with old acquaintances. The Red Wings, for example, practiced at Joe Louis Arena on Wednesday for the first time in 11 days,...

Twyla Tharp-Billy Joel homage to veterans starts its tour of duty.
January 28, 2004... Byline: Martin F. Kohn DETROIT _ Thinking outside the box _ or more accurately, off the CD _ director-choreographer Twyla Tharp approached Billy Joel with the idea of creating a Broadway show based on his songs. Joel recalls the...

Riding endless trails in the Michigan snow.
January 28, 2004... Byline: Eric Sharp MUNISING, Mich. _ Ask Rick Grandowicz why he and his dad drive 800 miles round-trip every weekend to the Upper Peninsula, and he will look at you as if you had just dropped in from Mars. "Snow!" said Grandowicz,...

Casino Mogul Has Tough Path to Prove Plan to Takeover Chrysler.
January 28, 2004... Byline: Sarah A. Webster Jan. 28--"This is not about the money. It's about deceit and fraud." At least that's what casino mogul Kirk Kerkorian, whose net worth has plummeted to $3 billion from nearly double that two years ago,...

Rodriguez, Tigers closing in on deal.
January 28, 2004... Byline: John Lowe and Mark Snyder DETROIT _ After weeks of negotiations, a deal between the Tigers and free-agent catcher Ivan (Pudge) Rodriguez appears ready to happen based on several indications that surfaced Wednesday. ...

Pudge, Tigers close to deal; Rodriguez to undergo physical.
January 28, 2004... Byline: John Lowe and Mark Snyder DETROIT _ After weeks of negotiations, a deal between the Tigers and free-agent catcher Ivan (Pudge) Rodriguez appears ready to happen based on several indications that surfaced Wednesday. ...

Pistons hold off Celtics to end skid.
January 28, 2004... Byline: Perry A. Farrell BOSTON _ Welcoming John Carroll to the NBA as a head coach, the Detroit Pistons made 11 of 12 free throws down the stretch and spoiled Carroll's debut with a 106-103 victory over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday...

Peete won't dwell on what-ifs.
January 28, 2004... Byline: Curt Sylvester HOUSTON _ Rodney Peete doesn't think about it anymore. Every now and then, however, somebody comes along and poses the question: What would have happened if the Carolina Panthers hadn't changed quarterbacks at...

Set your VCRs for rare clash of big men.
January 27, 2004... Byline: Jemele Hill DETROIT _ Three things we rarely see in college basketball: an NCAA rule that makes sense, Dick Vitale in silent mode, and two skilled big men squaring off against each other. You remember big men, don't you?...

Quiet Harris steadies Michigan.
January 27, 2004... Byline: Michael Rosenberg ANN ARBBOR, Mich. _ Dion Harris is a freshman. His Michigan teammates and coaches know it. They just can't believe it. Harris has become a steadying force for the Wolverines _ maybe even the steadying force....

Find a place for everything regardless of your budget.
January 27, 2004... Byline: Wendy Wendland-Boyer DETROIT _ A new year is here. It's time to clear out the clutter and get organized, starting with that closet. Luckily there have never been so many options. In recent years, whole stores and product...

In Dixville Notch, N.H., all 26 voters are proud they're first.
January 27, 2004... Byline: Ron Dzwonkowski DIXVILLE NOTCH, N.H. _ By now you may already have heard the first results from Tuesday's New Hampshire primary. That would be the 26 votes cast by residents of this unincorporated area of the White Mountains,...

Mini video-game reviews.
January 27, 2004... "Kya," Atari for PlayStation 2, $37.95. Rating: T (Teen). Two stars "Kya" is a sweet, unremarkable platform-style game, leading you on an adventure with a bare-midriffed teenager who is doomed to spend much of her time jumping, climbing...

Central, Eastern face off in battle of reeling programs.
January 27, 2004... Byline: Mick McCabe DETROIT _ At first glance, Wednesday night's basketball game in Ypsilanti between Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan is nothing more than a matchup between the two worst teams in the Mid-American Conference. ...

What's new in record racks.
January 27, 2004... AIR "Talkie Walkie" (Astralwerks) 4 stars On "Talkie Walkie," the French electronica duo Air finally makes good on the promise of its earliest work. Utilizing few special guests outside of Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, this is its...

Holocaust memories, losses are never far from survivor's mind.
January 27, 2004... Byline: Marsha Low DETROIT, Mich _ His hands began to tremble and the anxiety returned when William Weiss heard the news. The U.S. Justice Department accused a Troy, Mich., man early this month of killing and wounding Jews on behalf...

What spring will bring for shooters and spies.
January 27, 2004... Byline: Heather Newman SAN FRANCISCO _I spent this week hopping up and down the California coast, braving blinding sunshine and enduring 75-degree temperatures to play the hottest new spring titles hands-on and bring you a series of...

TD rumble: `NFL Street' plays pickup football with the pro stars.
January 27, 2004... Byline: Jim Schaefer _ "NFL Street" ($49.95); 1 to 4 players or online (PlayStation 2 only); www.easportsbig.com/games/nflstreet/home.jsp; PlayStation 2 (also available on Xbox and GameCube), Category: Sports; Rating: E (everyone); three...

`Lord of the Rings' rules the Academy Awards nominations.
January 27, 2004... Byline: Terry Lawson The "Lord" ruled at Tuesday's Academy Awards nominations as expected, with "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" receiving 11. But there was no shortage of pretenders to the throne, and a rebuff to the star...

Winter can be tying times for northern anglers.
January 27, 2004... Byline: Eric Sharp GRAYLING, Mich. _ Winter can be tying times for anglers In the past 50 years I've caught thousands of pinfish. Yet as I sit at my fly-tying bench, I can't for the life of me think of the colors I should use to...

Fans don't have license to misbehave.
January 27, 2004... Byline: Drew Sharp Everyone just needs to chill. Fans, students, coaches and apparently even billionaire team owners. Our interactive world has spawned more combustible interaction at sporting events, practically eliminating the...

`Alice in Wonderland' comes back, right on time.
January 27, 2004... Byline: Terry Lawson Disney's system of releasing animated features on DVD is frustrating, the way it removes titles from the market, only to re-release them in reconfigured editions a couple of years later. But because Disney was wise...

Frank gets chance to mend Nets.
January 26, 2004... Byline: Perry A. Farrell DETROIT _ Who is Lawrence Frank, and why should Detroit Pistons fans be concerned? Frank is the new coach of the New Jersey Nets, who fired Byron Scott on Monday. It was no secret that Scott and star player...

Detroit's top three scorers off the mark lately.
January 26, 2004... Byline: Perry A. Farrell AUBURN HILLS, Mich. _ The Detroit Pistons' top scorers _ Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince _ have had a hard time finding the basket recently. In the past three games, Billups is 8-for-41...

Choices keep growing for low-carb dieters.
January 26, 2004... Byline: Susan Selasky For people on low-carb diets, the choices keep growing. Stouffer's Lean Cuisine line is now offering 11 meals that contain between 12 and 25 grams of carbohydrates and fewer than 300 calories. New entrees...

Take more than 80 days if you want to.
January 26, 2004... Byline: Ellen Creager "I'm shakin' the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I'm gonna see the world." _ George Bailey, "It's a Wonderful Life" ___ Next month, 88 travelers will board a private 757 and set off on a...

And here's Carolina's Jake Delhomme.
January 26, 2004... Byline: Curt Sylvester HOUSTON _ Six months ago, most folks hadn't even heard of Jake Delhomme. The NFL diehards probably knew he had knocked around the NFL since the late 1990s, had played in NFL Europe, had spent time backing up...

Lewis faces return of goalie-go-round.
January 26, 2004... Byline: Nicholas J. Cotsonika DALLAS _ Detroit Red Wings coach Dave Lewis started Manny Legace over Curtis Joseph on Monday night against the Stars, and he faces more difficult decisions as Dominik Hasek tries to return to the lineup. ...

Bush marriage proposal slaps poor people.
January 26, 2004... Byline: Rochelle Riley Here are some things money CAN buy: Textbooks for students who don't have them. Classroom teachers, so students are not sitting 40 to a room. Tutors, so students who are a little behind don't get left...

Sport or sex? Head of world soccer insults athletes and true fans.
January 26, 2004... The following editorial appeared in the Detroit Free Press on Friday, Jan. 23: X X X The head of the world soccer federation caused a stir last week when he said female players should wear ``more feminine'' uniforms, including...

Ambiguity drives the Sundance Film Festival plotline.
January 26, 2004... Byline: Terry Lawson PARK CITY, Utah _ In "Primer," two young engineers spend nights and weekends in a garage working on an invention that one says "could change just about everything." But what is it? In "Heir to an Execution," a...

See the sights in Old San Juan.
January 26, 2004... Byline: Ellen Creager History, shopping and dining mix in Old San Juan. Here are a few not-to-miss historic sights and attractions. _Cristobal and El Morro forts: Two military fortifications begun more than 400 years ago to protect...

History weds luxury in the heart of Puerto Rico's capital city.
January 26, 2004... Byline: Ellen Creager SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico _ A man with a green umbrella waits at the door of the San Juan Cathedral. The wedding has started. The rain has, too. Into the misty dusk spills a tenor's voice singing Cesar...

Bly cherishes Super times.
January 25, 2004... Byline: Curt Sylvester HOUSTON _ Dre' Bly knows how the Carolina Panthers felt getting off the plane Sunday for the start of Super Bowl week. A little nervous. A little excited. Eager. Anxious. Curious. Shocked. Bly _...

Streaky Joseph hits downswing.
January 25, 2004... Byline: Nicholas J. Cotsonika EULESS, Texas _ Curtis Joseph came back from the minors Dec. 9 and went 8-2-1 with a 1.79 goals-against average and .926 save percentage. Then, before the Detroit Red Wings hosted Boston on Jan. 7,...

Michigan State overheats, breaks down vs. Purdue.
January 25, 2004... Byline: Jemele Hill WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. _ Apparently, there are two other certainties besides death and taxes. Michigan State can't beat a ranked team and if the Spartans trail at halftime, they may as well just pack up and go home....

Spartans, Big Tenn birds of a feather.
January 25, 2004... Byline: Drew Sharp Weren't moments like these the reason why you arranged such a suicidal non-conference schedule? It was supposed to toughen nerves, but Michigan State played scared in the closing minutes of regulation against...

Brown: Billups, Rip worthy stars.
January 25, 2004... Byline: Perry A. Farrell Pistons coach Larry Brown says Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups have played well enough to deserve All-Star consideration. "Ben's already in," Brown said of Ben Wallace, who will start at center for the...

Tips for `06 bowl planners: Make lemon-ice.
January 25, 2004... Byline: John Gallagher MINNEAPOLIS _ Most visitors to a Super Bowl city expect a few days of golf and sun and sand. But what if snow covers the golf courses and the waterways are frozen? Minneapolis, the only cold-weather destination...

Detroit Holocaust center emphasizes moral responsibility.
January 25, 2004... Byline: David Crumm and Frank Provenzano DETROIT _ The eerie exterior that summons images of Nazi death camps has sparked controversy nationwide. But a glimpse inside the soon-to-open Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills, Mich.,...

Auto show visitors delight in unexpected comfort features.
January 23, 2004... Byline: David Lyman DETROIT _ Torque? Struts? Rack-and-pinion steering? Maybe they are important. But what we really want to know is if the console is big enough to store a purse. Or if there's a way to secure the grocery bags. Or if...

Prevention magazine starts exercising.
January 23, 2004... Byline: Holly Hanson Prevention magazine, a longtime source for solid information about health and fitness, is dispensing its expertise in a new way: a series of exercise videos aimed at every fitness level. It's a bit surprising...

Red Wings earn win, despite weird break.
January 23, 2004... Byline: Nicholas J. Cotsonika PHOENIX _ Coach Dave Lewis said he had never seen anything like it. Rookie defenseman Niklas Kronwall suffered a broken leg in warmups Thursday at Los Angeles _ without being touched by anything, not a...

Marriage _ encourage it, but not with taxpayer dollars.
January 23, 2004... The following editorial appeared in the Detroit Free Press on Friday, Jan. 23: X X X Marriage is one of the nation's bedrock values, so it's perfectly legitimate for President Bush to hail its virtues. He just shouldn't ask...

NWA flies the world's oldest fleet.
January 23, 2004... Byline: Rajiv Vyas DETROIT _ Northwest Airlines operates the world's oldest commercial airline fleet, according to a study. At the end of 2003, Northwest's 432 jets were on average 18.1 years old, compared with other large carriers...

At 27, former gold medalist Gutsu crafts comeback in Michigan.
January 23, 2004... Byline: Jo-Ann Barnas OXFORD, Mich. _ She notices someone looking at a poster _ a freeze-frame moment from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics _ but Tatiana Gutsu doesn't see the same thing. In the photograph, a girl leaps above a balance...

Late charge costs Pistons in 80-79 loss to Timberwolves.
January 23, 2004... Byline: Perry A. Farrell MINNEAPOLIS _ Detroit Pistons coach Larry Brown was so upset that he sent assistant Mike Woodson to address the media after Friday's 80-79 loss to Minnesota at the Target Center on a controversial call against...

Ford posts 1st annual profit in 3 years.
January 22, 2004... Byline: Jamie Butters DETROIT _ Ford Motor Co. reported its first annual profit in three years _ nearly half a billion dollars _ despite losing almost $800 million in the final three months of the year. The year 2003 may go down in...

Tigers mull life with Pudge.
January 22, 2004... Byline: Gene Guidi DETROIT _ How high can the Tigers fly this season if they add free-agent catcher Ivan Rodriguez to an already-improved team? "The sky's the limit," Dmitri Young said. Young and a number of his teammates...

`Pretenders' tag dogs Pistons.
January 22, 2004... Byline: Perry A. Farrell DETROIT _ The national media had a field day with the Detroit Pistons hours after their 13-game winning streak ended at Indiana on Tuesday night. A couple of ESPN analysts hailed them as pretenders in the...

Billups gets shots at 3-point event.
January 22, 2004... Byline: Perry Farrell DETROIT _ Chauncey Billups will be more than a visitor at All-Star Game weekend in Los Angeles. Billups has been selected for the three-point shooting contest Feb. 14 at the Staples Center. Billups, the second...

To rev up, Roush aligns with Yates.
January 22, 2004... Byline: Mike Brudnell CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ For more than 15 years, Jack Roush said, he didn't speak a word to Robert Yates at the racetrack. They were rivals and kept their distance until after the season. Now Roush, a NASCAR Nextel Cup...

Nation can't afford the president's budget formula.
January 22, 2004... The following editorial appeared in the Detroit Free Press on Thursday, Jan. 22: X X X As much as President Bush tried to put a glow on the state of the budget Tuesday night, the nation's fiscal house is hardly in order. Bush...

Mariucci unsettled by unfinished staff.
January 22, 2004... Byline: Curt Sylvester One of these days Steve Mariucci will be comfortable with the Lions' new coaching staff. But not quite yet. "I'm still a little unsettled," Mariucci said Thursday, "because until I can have a full staff...

Animal hair fabrics deserve special care.
January 22, 2004... Byline: Barbara Gash Winter always brings out the warm, luxurious hair fabrics named after the animals who share their lovely coats with us. Because of their relative rarity and the care taken during various stages of production,...

Red Wings' Datsyuk added to All-Star roster.
January 22, 2004... Byline: Nicholas Cotsonika LOS ANGELES _ Pavel Datsyuk will join Nicklas Lidstrom and Dave Lewis at the All-Star Game. But that will be the limit of the Red Wings' contingent. Datsyuk was among the reserves announced Thursday by the...

Wings out West.
January 22, 2004... Byline: Nicholas J. Cotsonika LOS ANGELES _ In the first period of the Red Wings' 2-2 tie at Anaheim on Wednesday night, the Mighty Ducks' Steve Rucchin backhanded a rebound between the pads of goaltender Manny Legace _ a split-second...

Scientists search for weapons to fight destructive beetles.
January 22, 2004... Byline: Marty Hair EAST LANSING, Mich. _ Researchers in the United States, Canada and China are conducting several experiments in the hopes of discovering ways to battle emerald ash borers. Work includes: Biology _ Debbie Miller, an...