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

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

Opening Day II: The Sequel.
May 31, 2004... Byline: Gene Guidi Manager Alan Trammell called it his "Opening Day II lineup." Dmitri Young was back in the cleanup spot for the first time since breaking a bone in his leg in the second game of the season. And like Opening Day...

Plantar fasciitis shelves Shelton.
May 31, 2004... Byline: Gene Guidi The Tigers opened a spot on the roster for Dmitri Young by putting rookie Chris Shelton on the 15-day disabled list. Shelton has been bothered by a sore arch on his right foot, diagnosed as plantar fasciitis, since...

Banged-up Pacers must show or go.
May 31, 2004... Byline: Helene St. James INDIANAPOLIS _ If the Indiana Pacers' survival depends upon a left-handed three-point shot, hey, Scot Pollard is ready. The exuberant big man shot his away around the arc at Conseco Fieldhouse on Monday, but...

Pistons must Rip into Pacers.
May 31, 2004... Byline: Drew Sharp He let 'er rip. There was no mystery as to whose number the Pistons were calling each possession. One shot fell after another, each score twisting the knife just a little closer to Indiana's core. Each score...

Ben's back strained going into Game 6.
May 31, 2004... Byline: Jemele Hill Add Ben Wallace to the list of injured Pistons that includes Rasheed Wallace. Ben Wallace has a back strain, and he spent a lot of time on the trainer's table after Sunday's victory at Conseco Fieldhouse in...

Pistons let 'er Rip.
May 31, 2004... Byline: Perry A. Farrell AUBURN HILLS, Mich. _ Far more players watch than ever participate in the NBA Finals, so a day before the biggest game of most of their careers, the Pistons talked about what was at stake Tuesday night at the...

Back to school pays off for Lions.
May 31, 2004... Byline: Curt Sylvester Terrence Holt and Casey FitzSimmons had more than one goal when they were signed by the Lions a year ago. The primary objective, of course, was to make the 53-man roster, Holt as a fifth-round safety and...

Late June is too late for bass.
May 30, 2004... Byline: Eric Sharp It would be a tough call for any judge. State fishing regulations say it isn't legal to fish for largemouth and smallmouth bass in Michigan's Lake St. Clair until the third Saturday in June. Meanwhile, the...

Museum gambles on lynching exhibit controversy.
May 30, 2004... Byline: Frank Provenzano Will people flock to an exhibit that examines the lynching and terrorism aimed at black people during one of the most disturbing periods in American history? The future of the Charles H. Wright Museum of...

An `Ike' to like: Selleck shines as WWII hero.
May 30, 2004... Byline: Mike Duffy All Thomas Magnum ever had to do was hang loose in Hawaii, look ruggedly handsome and solve crimes. Tom Selleck was born to play that charmingly relaxed "Magnum, P.I." role. So it comes as something of a...

Senator brings tough, reasonable voice to committee.
May 30, 2004... Byline: Ruby Bailey WASHINGTON _ Over his trademark reading glasses, Sen. Carl Levin peered at the man before his committee and asked: Do the Geneva Conventions _ and the protection they afford prisoners of war _ apply in Iraq? ...

Reviews of recent releases.
May 29, 2004... Byline: Detroit Free press Staff RECENT RELEASES `Bobby Jones _ Stroke of Genius' TWO STARS Bobby Jones may have been the best golfer ever, winning the four majors in 1930, but this Hollywood biography is handicapped by a...

Tigers back to reality in loss to Orioles.
May 28, 2004... Byline: John Lowe DETROIT _ Once again, long-time Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver had it right. Weaver is credited with having stated, "Momentum is tomorrow's starting pitcher." With Weaver's former club in town Friday...

Pacers turn this series upside down.
May 28, 2004... Byline: Mitch Albom AUBURN HILLS, Mich. _ An hour before Friday's game, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was in the tunnel outside the locker room, talking to a group of reporters. One of them asked if he thought his team really could improve...

Pistons lose home-court edge as hot-shooting Pacers even series.
May 28, 2004... Byline: Perry A. Farrell AUBURN HILLS, Mich. _ The Indianapolis Pacers took action. Then they took back home-court advantage. On Thursday, Indiana had a long practice of film-watching and shooting. On Friday, coach Rick Carlisle...

Croshere stellar in rare start for Pacers.
May 28, 2004... Byline: Helene St. James AUBURN HILLS, Mich. _ This is not something that would happen to the Indianapolis Pacers' Ron Artest. No way does a teammate hide behind a curtain and make rude noises while Artest talks. But with Austin...

Carlisle gives up control as Pacers gain the advantage.
May 28, 2004... Byline: Drew Sharp AUBURN HILLS, Mich. _ Give Rick Carlisle credit. And, no, this isn't a misprint. The smartest people are those who realize that they don't know everything. The more successful coaches are those who realize that...

Young will return to Tiger's lineup Monday.
May 28, 2004... Byline: John Lowe DETROIT _ Dmitri Young will return to the Tigers' lineup Monday, manager Alan Trammell said Friday. Young will immediately resume his cleanup spot, Trammell said. He will serve exclusively as the designated hitter...

Pistons feel no need to defend style.
May 28, 2004... Byline: Perry A. Farrell and Helene St. James AUBURN HILLS, Mich. _ If the Pistons advance to the NBA Finals, they proudly will say the style of basketball played to get there shouldn't be criticized. With an assist from Miami, which...

Shock hosts Sparks in finals rematch.
May 28, 2004... Byline: Krista Latham DETROIT _ The last time the Detroit Shock saw Lisa Leslie and the rest of the Los Angeles Sparks, the Shock players were dancing in championship confetti after dethroning the two-time champions. That's not a...

Castroneves revved up for third win at Indy.
May 28, 2004... Byline: Mike Brudenell INDIANAPOLIS _ He's the fence-climbing little Brazilian who has turned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway into his very own playground the past three years. If Gil de Ferran had blinked once too often in the final...

Both free, for-profit Web sites list gas prices by location.
May 28, 2004... Byline: Sarah A. Webster DETROIT _ As drivers take off for the first holiday weekend of the summer, they can turn to a growing number of Web sites ready to help them find the best _ and avoid the worst _ gas prices in town, and across...

Richards' great play overlooked.
May 28, 2004... Byline: Nicholas J. Cotsonika TAMPA, Fla. _ Wayne Gretzky was at the game Thursday night, and afterward, a lot of people used the adjective "Gretzky-esque." They were referring to Vincent Lecavalier, who made a brilliant move to...

Book prompts authorities to probe home for link in Hoffa case.
May 28, 2004... Byline: David Ashenfelter DETROIT _ A deathbed confession by a Pennsylvania Teamsters official and scientific tests that may have detected blood in a house in northwest Detroit could help authorities solve the 1975 disappearance of...

Customs puts boaters under extra scrutiny.
May 28, 2004... Byline: Peggy Walsh-Sarnecki and Tamara Audi DETROIT, Mich. _ Robert Nussrallah was looking for terrorists, smugglers and illegal aliens as he piloted the 25-foot, twin-engine outboard toward a smaller fishing boat anchored near the mouth...

Mysterious boarder is part of home's lore.
May 28, 2004... Byline: Tina Lam and David Ashenfelter DETROIT, Mich. _ If Jimmy Hoffa really were shot at a house in northwest Detroit, the woman who owned the house knew nothing about it, her relatives and the author of a new book on the confessed...

Flint woman spotlighted in Moore's latest movie.
May 28, 2004... Byline: Ben Schmitt DETROIT, Mich. _ Lila Lipscomb used to hate antiwar protesters. This summer, though, she is likely to be embraced by them, thanks to the key roles she and her late son _ who died serving in with the Army in Iraq _...

Acura TL is sporty but tends to stray.
May 28, 2004... Byline: Mark Phelan If you like your luxury sedans sporty and precise, I'm afraid the 2004 Acura TL is not for you. The five-seat sedan has an interior worthy of a spread in Architectural Digest and a lean, athletic body, but...

Robby Gordon hopes his third time's the best in racing double.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Mike Brudenell INDIANAPOLIS _ Robby Gordon admits he probably should start a family _ if he could just slow down and find the time. ``I enjoy kids,'' said Gordon, one of racing's busiest drivers. ``But right now, the guys in...

Tigers would be wise to sign Guillen before the season ends.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Gene Guidi KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ Someone from another team's front office asked me the other day what the Tigers thought of shortstop Carlos Guillen. I said they're thrilled to death with him. Then he told me: "You know...

Tigers throw 27-hit party as Pena leads the way.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Gene Guidi KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ The Detroit Tigers' offense woke up Thursday. With a vengeance. One day after manager Alan Trammell said "our hitting isn't what it was," the offense rolled up 27 hits in a 17-7 victory...

Pena leads Tigers in 27-hit effort against Royals.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Gene Guidifree KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ The Tigers' offense woke up Thursday. With a vengeance. One day after manager Alan Trammell said "our hitting isn't what it was," the offense rolled up 27 hits in a 17-7 victory over the...

Browns will be reunited in Michigan after season.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Jemele Hill DETROIT _ They ate dinner together three or four times a week and afterward, they played cards or charades. But cards were hard when it was just the three of them. And charades just weren't as funny without Dad....

Win Game 4, or go down same ol' road.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Parry Farrell AUBURN HILLS, Mich. _ Indiana is traveling in uncharted territory. The Pistons made the Eastern Conference finals last season and hope they have learned from their travails. Of the Pacers' main players, only...

Luck in lottery doesn't mean winner on the court.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Michael Rosenberg DETROIT _ The Los Angeles Clippers had their annual playoff game Wednesday night. They call it the draft lottery. (Congratulations to me! That's officially the one millionth Clippers/lottery joke of the last...

Hamilton's superb conditioning is unmasked.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Michael Rosenberg DETROIT _ The Indiana Pacers are really wearing down Rip Hamilton. Wednesday night, after playing 44 minutes _ more than anybody else in the game _ and outscoring Pacers star Reggie Miller, 20-3, Hamilton...

More Pistons win, more they risk losing Okur.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Drew Sharp DETROIT _ The Guarantee and The Block already have taken a high place in Pistons playoff lore, but when the pixie dust dissipates at season's end, attention will shift to The Gamble. By definition, that implies a...

Giving up is not an option for Sarah Fisher.
May 27, 2004... Byline: MIke Brudenell INDIANAPOLIS _ Will Sarah Fisher ever beat the boys? So far, Fisher hasn't come close, not at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In four starts in the Indy 500, she has wrecked three times. As a rookie...

Suit yourself about pants length.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Barbara Gash Q: Would you please discuss capri and cropped pants? I'm confused about length and width, and what's most flattering. _ M.C. A: I did a little research on this, since capri pants are once again a fashion...

Officials should consider preserving part of prison.
May 27, 2004... The following editorial appeared in the Detroit Free Press on Wednesday, May 26: X X X Blow it up or tear it down. It doesn't much matter. Nothing this country does to the prison buildings that made Abu Ghraib a household word can...

Here's what's new and improved at Midwestern amusement parks.
May 27, 2004... Byline: Ellen Creager Fewer visitors attended America's amusement and theme parks last year than in 2002, but parks in and near the Upper Midwest continued to do well. Paramount Kings Island near Cincinnati had 3.2 million visitors...

Pretty? No! But Pistons lead an ugly series.
May 26, 2004... Byline: Mitch Albom AUBURN HILLS, Mich. _ It was tight and tense and there was an exhausted, sweaty feeling that whoever scored the next basket would emerge with a victory. Unfortunately, this was the first quarter. After an...

Wallace combination stands tall as Pacers fall again.
May 26, 2004... Byline: Perry A. Farrell AUBURN HILLS, Mich. _ Ben Wallace, captain and leader of the Pistons' Wallace X2 combination, didn't disappoint the home crowd Wednesday night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. Wallace put together...

Offense a missing ingredient in this series.
May 26, 2004... Byline: Drew Sharp AUBURN HILLS, Mich. _ The NBA fined Indiana's Ron Artest for making an obscene gesture, but never specified the act. Was it his jump shot? But the mystery is how the league could isolate a lone offender from...

Escalating gas prices don't sway motorists.
May 26, 2004... Byline: Sarah A. Webster DETROIT _ Gas prices might be high and rising fast, but they aren't painful enough to push people out of their beloved pickups, SUVs and vans. Despite the fact that rising gas prices are aggravating consumers...

Interference call sticks with Tram.
May 26, 2004... Byline: Gene Guidi KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ Tuesday night's 4-3 loss might not have been the toughest of Alan Trammell's career as a player, coach and manager, but it stuck with him Wednesday. "I can't say this is the only kind of loss...

Lightning's Boyle hit with two setbacks.
May 26, 2004... Byline: Nicholas J. Cotsonika TAMPA, Fla. _ Defenseman Dan Boyle was on his way to the training room Tuesday night, not long after Tampa Bay opened the Stanley Cup Finals with a 4-1 loss to Calgary, when captain Dave Andreychuk pulled...

Billboard plan ruffles feathers: Ad companies balk at signs against leather car interiors.
May 26, 2004... Byline: Jocelyn Parker PETA, the animal rights group known for its outlandish ads and demonstrations, wants to display a billboard in Detroit targeting leather car interiors, but outdoor ad companies refuse to put it up. It's all...

Keeping quiet won't work now.
May 26, 2004... Byline: Susan Ager A Massachusetts newspaper apologized recently to readers riled over a Page 1 photo of newlyweds kissing: David and Michael, in love for four years, were now legal. You should know that the weekday circulation...

Novelist Susan Howatch ends trilogy about the very bad.
May 26, 2004... Byline: Susan Hall-Balduf ``The Heartbreaker'' by Susan Howatch; Knopf ($25) ___ "The Heartbreaker" is the conclusion to novelist Susan Howatch's trilogy of unlikely thrillers. I missed the first, "The Wonder Worker," but...

Books for end of the year add up to funny memories.
May 26, 2004... Byline: Janis Campbell Your child is finishing an important early grade and there are some great books that show how cool teachers are and how funny classrooms can be. Our favorite first-grader, Junie B. Jones, is back with a new...

Age is simply a number to Haas.
May 26, 2004... Byline: Carlos Monarrez DETROIT _ Jay Haas waves to the gallery after firing three-under 69 in the first round of the Masters. Haas, who debuts on the Champions Tour this week, says he doesn't feel old at 50. "I feel like I'm a golfer...

The lighter the paddle, the more it costs.
May 26, 2004... Byline: Eric Sharp SALINE, Mich. _ If you're up the creek, you need a paddle. A kayak requires a two-bladed model, and that means spending anything from about $30 to more than $300. The main reason for the differences in price is...

Kayaks offer a swell way to paddle.
May 26, 2004... Byline: Eric Sharp SALINE, Mich. _ Say ``kayak,'' and few people would think of the boat Rick Kuhn paddled across the test pond at the Kayak Corral. Bright-red plastic, barely six feet long and with squared-off ends, it looked like...

Shelton gets the call at first base.
May 25, 2004... Byline: Gene Guidi KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ It hasn't been easy for manager Alan Trammell to find playing time for rookie Chris Shelton. But the combination of a slumping Carlos Pena and Royals left-handed pitcher Jimmy Gobble put Shelton...

Harrington slumps after elbow to chest.
May 25, 2004... Byline: Helene St. James INDIANAPOLIS _ Elden Campbell's elbow might turn out to be one of those intangibles that help the Pistons into the NBA Finals. Al Harrington is one of the Pacers' go-to scorers off the bench, and normally...

Pacers' execution is culprit, they say.
May 25, 2004... Byline: Helene St. James INDIANAPOLIS _ If it was enough to make one in four shots, we would all be NBA players polishing our trophies, collecting our million-dollar paychecks and gesturing obscenely as we leave work. The Indiana...

Campbell is solid block in relief role.
May 25, 2004... Byline: Jemele Hill As is the nature of the NBA playoffs, a player seldom used in one series becomes an X-factor in the next. Pistons reserve center Elden Campbell certainly has found this to be true. He had logged only 28 playoff...

Pistons pine to win two at home.
May 25, 2004... Byline: Perry A. Farrell DETROIT _ In their first two playoff series, the Detroit Pistons lost home-court advantage. Milwaukee won at the Palace in the first round, New Jersey in the second. Indiana forward Jermaine O'Neal figures...

Shot-blocking is trash-talking in deeds, not words.
May 25, 2004... Byline: Michael Rosenberg DETROIT _ The Detroit Pistons blocked 19 shots Monday night. And, incredibly, they did it without a shot-blocking coach. Man, is the budget that tight? "You can't teach shot-blocking," said Pistons coach...

Wings coaches appear safe.
May 25, 2004... Byline: Nicholas J. Cotsonika Coach Dave Lewis, associate coach Barry Smith and assistant coach Joe Kocur are still waiting for the Red Wings to decide their fate. "I hope to know an answer by the end of next week," Lewis said...

A room of your own in new wave of online games.
May 25, 2004... Byline: Heather Newman First came just-in-time manufacturing, where parts arrive at the assembly line at the moment they're needed. Then came "have it your way" at the burger shop. Now get ready for nooks and crannies of online games...

Mini video-game reviews.
May 25, 2004... "WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$," Nintendo for GameCube, $29.99. Rating: E (Everyone). Three stars (out of four). The "WarioWare" games are bizarre. There's just no getting around that. Last year's well-received Game Boy Advance...

'Red Dead Revolver' captures the atmosphere of a western flick.
May 25, 2004... Byline: Jim Schaefer "Red Dead Revolver," $49.99, Xbox (also available on PlayStation 2), www.rockstargames.com/reddeadrevolver/, Players: Up to 4. Category: Third-person shooter. Rating: M (Mature). Three stars (out of four) ___...

Proposed SBC contract criticized.
May 25, 2004... Byline: Jeff Bennett DETROIT _ Labor experts criticized a tentative deal reached between SBC Communications Inc. and its union early Tuesday morning _ saying that both sides ultimately could lose as competitors pick off customers...

Game 2 rocks ESPN crew.
May 25, 2004... Byline: Mike Brudenell INDIANAPOLIS _ ESPN's Jim Gray, cool as a cucumber, checks his notes at courtside, barely noticing a bunch of Pacers rowdies who push by his seat. "I think Game 2 is more important to Indiana than Detroit,"...

Kerry shouldn't try to bend rules.
May 25, 2004... The following editorial appeared in the Detroit Free Press on Tuesday, May 25: X X X Give John Kerry some credit for creativity. But it appears that his Democratic Party was outfoxed by the Republicans a long time ago when this...

What's new in music racks.
May 25, 2004... MONTGOMERY GENTRY "You Do Your Thing" (Columbia) 3 stars Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry just might be on to something here: Ask the guys who wrote the songs you're recording to produce them. It's a bold, anti-Nashville approach to...

The `King' returns in a two-disc set.
May 25, 2004... Byline: Terry Lawson There will be one DVD to rule them all this week, as "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (4 stars, New Line, $29.95) conquers shelves in a two-disc set containing the theatrical film and two additional...

Pistons rescue Rasheed.
May 24, 2004... Byline: Mitch Albom INDIANAPOLIS _ Hey, all he said was they would win. He didn't say it would be pretty. Just because Rasheed Wallace missed his first shot, his second third and fourth shots, his fifth and sixth shots, made his seventh,...

Pistons make good on Rasheed's guarantee.
May 24, 2004... Byline: Mitch Albom INDIANAPOLIS _ Hey, all he said was they would win. He didn't say it would be pretty. Just because Rasheed Wallace missed his first shot, his second third and fourth shots, his fifth and sixth shots, made his seventh,...

Pacers' O'Neal comes up empty in second half.
May 24, 2004... Byline: Helene St. James INDIANAPOLIS _ Jermaine O'Neal and Reggie Miller span the age gap on the Indiana Pacers, one a 25-year-old budding star and the other a 38-year-old bona fide standard. The two are major reasons why the Pacers...

Prince Valiant saves the day for Pistons.
May 24, 2004... Byline: Perry A. Farrell INDIANAPOLIS _ It was GuaranSheed, and Rasheed Wallace had his teammates to thank for fulfilling his Game 2 prophecy of a victory Monday night at Conseco Fieldhouse. Winners of 14 straight at home, including...

Prince's hustle a fitting end to night-time grind.
May 24, 2004... Byline: Drew Sharp INDIANAPOLIS _ As if swatting away an incredible 19 shots didn't already validate an impressive defensive exhibition, the Pistons saved the most sparkling display for last. The Pistons were unraveling. A seemingly...

Healthy choices in seafood.
May 24, 2004... Byline: Susan Selasky FISH LIST Three institutions working on behalf of ocean conservation have a guide to help people make wise choices when eating seafood. "The Fish List" is described as "the unified voice" of Blue Ocean...

Why do you think they call it an Airedale?
May 24, 2004... Byline: Ellen Creager A Paramus man who loved his dog was indignant on its behalf. "I just don't understand why I can't buy an airline ticket for my dog, who would just sit next to me on the flight," the New Jersey citizen complained...

Boos and shouts cloud real issue.
May 24, 2004... Byline: Rochelle Riley The finger-pointing is no longer being done in secret. Thirty-two months after the nation's greatest tragedy, America is enduring public questioning of what really happened. Officials are asking the kinds of...

Crisis in Sudan: People of Darfur cry out for world attention, help.
May 24, 2004... The following editorial appeared in the Detroit Free Press on Thursday, May 20: X X X One of the many unfortunate consequences of the preoccupation with Iraq is the attention it siphons from other global crises, such as the raging...

Michigan Firms Change Executive Pay Packages, Drop Hefty Stock Options.
May 24, 2004... Byline: Greta Guest May 24--The link between pay and performance for Michigan's top executives began to connect in 2003 after years of criticism that the two rarely meet. But that doesn't mean Michigan executives took pay cuts; far...

Infante puts bid on third Tigers corner.
May 24, 2004... Byline: John Lowe Tigers manager Alan Trammell said recently that the team's third-base job "is up for grabs." Perhaps Omar Infante will grab it. Infante has played superbly since he replaced injured Fernando Vina at second base...

Tigers' bullpen staying sharp since Texas loss.
May 24, 2004... Byline: John Lowe SEATTLE _ The Tigers' bullpen allowed seven runs in the 16-15 loss in Texas two weeks ago. Those relievers entered Sunday having allowed six earned runs in the two weeks since that loss to the Rangers. The bullpen's ERA...

Shock awes Bush.
May 24, 2004... Byline: Krista Latham WASHINGTON _ When forward Barb Farris finally arrived around 6:30 a.m., the rest of the Detroit Shock already was snug aboard Roundball One, the Pistons' plane. Farris had trouble navigating the streets of...

Matchups for Flames-Lightning Stanley Cup Finals.
May 24, 2004... Byline: Nicholas J. Cotsonika Sports writer Nicholas J. Cotsonika analyzes the matchups in the Stanley Cup finals: Offense: Tampa Bay's Martin St. Louis and Calgary's Jarome Iginla are top candidates for the Hart Trophy, which goes...

Controversy over call to prayer ignites debate on religious rights.
May 24, 2004... Byline: Cecil Angel DETROIT _ On the roof of the Al-Islah Islamic Center in Hamtramck, Mich., a tall post with three loudspeakers stands ready to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer. The installation is simple, but the issues...