Welcome to Hoop City. Throughout the weekend of this year’s Final Four, the college basketball shrine is open at Cobo Hall in Downtown Detroit. Upon walking into the hall, music is blaring, basketballs are hitting the floor and swishing through the nets, and fans are cheering for their teams. It truly is basketball heaven.Hoop City opened yesterday and closes Monday. Open noon to 8 p.m. Friday, Sunday, and Monday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, fans shouldn’t miss out on their opportunity to be a part of the Final Four. Even if you are not going to the game, you can still feel like you are part of the town’s atmosphere by showing up at Cobo Hall. Throughout the City, there are activities that are great for everyone. While entering the city, the first thing many fans approach is the Coke Zero NCAA Championship Zone“It just caught me by the eye,” said Villanova fan Jamal Walker. “I love that basketball shooting game that keeps track of my points until time runs out after thirty seconds. I made 15 shots.”
Also in the Coke Zero NCAA Championship Zone is a game where fans can play for their favorite Final Four team. They are pulled out of a small audience and they play against another team in an “Around the World” type of game. The winning team of each round continues to play while new fans are picked to play for other teams. The last remaining team at the end of the day receives a trophy. All throughout Cobo Hall there are many activities. There are stations such as CBS College Sports’ various basketball half courts where fans can play “Lightning” or “21,” to the kids station where if a child puts the ball through the hoop they receive a prize. Overall, there are 21 different stations, including a food court, sponsored by different companies. There is also entertainment for fans to enjoy. On the NCAA Center Court, various performances take place each day.
On Friday, there was a Detroit Media Celebrity Game, on Saturday there was the State Farm Coaches All American Team Introductions, Sunday there are clinics that fans can participate in, and on Monday there are fan games and dunk contests. There is something there for everyone to watch and participate in. Along with interactive basketball games and entertainment, there is a Michigan Sports Hall of Fame truck filled with Detroit team memorabilia and plaques with Detroit sports legends on them.“While walking through the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame truck I was able to relive some of my memories growing up watching the Tigers play at Tiger Stadium,” said Michigan State fan Michael Thompson. “It’s moments like these that make proud to be a Detroiter.”
Hoop City is a place where the big time basketball fan lives. There is so much to do there. Fans can wait in line to meet and receive autographs from Oklahoma superstar Blake Griffin and Davidson standout Stephen Curry or shoot around with some friends. No basketball fan could ever become bored in a town like Hoop City. 
Governed by New York based company MTKG, Hoop City has a city that is for the fan, and by the fan.
The deal that brought Allen Iverson to Detroit has obviously turned out to be a bust. Chauncey Billups and Denver are now in playoff contention in the Western Conference while Detroit has lost 9 of their last 11 games and is at a mere .500 record of 29-29. Right now, Iverson is injured and Rodney Stuckey is starting in his place; and during those two games, the Pistons have beat the Magic and the Celtics, a premiere team in the East. That has to tell you something. Iverson is not a good fit for the Pistons. He is used to being that guy that everyone tries to get the ball to. In Philadelphia it was all about him, and in Denver it was just him and Carmelo Anthony, however, in Detroit, there is a team. Everyone in the starting lineup can score double figures on a consistent basis if they really want to. With Iverson out, and Rip Hamilton back in the starting lineup, he has scored and led the team with 31 points in the win over the Magic, and 25 in the win over the Celtics. I don't mean to rant on Iverson, I mean he is one of the best players in the game today, just not with the Pistons. Right now he is averaging career lows with only 18 points a game.
Michael Curry, the Pistons new coach needs to learn a few new things. I know I am not one to tell him how to do his job, but if I am him right now, I have to be thinking, "gee, I am the head coach of a team that is 29-29, but has a roster full of all-star talent, I must be doing something wrong." If I am him, here is what I do. First, I would start by putting Iverson on the bench, he can be my sixth man. He would be a great player to have come off the bench, he would give my team an extra boost of energy when they need it, and he would score a few point. Starting at point guard I would have Stuckey. Stuckey reminds me a lot of Dwayne Wade. The way he passes the ball and can go inside with such fineness is very impressive, all while still being able to hit an outside shot. At shooting guard, I would have Hamilton, no question about it. His 31 and 25 point performances in the last two games have to say something about his talent level, especially if it comes in a game against the NBA's defending champions. Small forward would remain Tayshaun Prince. Averaging 13 points and 6 rebounds a game is a pretty decent performance, and he is the best you got at this position. I would start Antonio McDyess at power forward because of his leadership and veteran presence on the floor, and Rasheed Wallace at center, well because he is one of the best defensive players in the league, and he is a big man who can step out and shoot a three pointer once in a while.
Right now, the Pistons are only four losses shy of not reaching the 50 win mark for the first time in 7 seasons, when they went 32-50. I would hate to see this happen because even though they are not my favorite team in the Central Division, they are my hometown team. The AI deal has turned out to be a bust, yes; the Pistons could have been much better with Mr. Big Shot, yes, however, the past is the past, and there is nothing we can do about it. Hopefully Head Coach Curry will do the right thing and make Iverson the sixth man, maybe then the Pistons can pull out some wins in the end of the season and have a decent playoff run.
Well, the Lions have hired a new head coach. Jim Schwartz is his name. Ever heard of him? I sure haven't, and I am one of those fans, ya know, the ones who follow every little aspect of the game. Well, Schwartz was hired on Jan. 16. He served as Tennessee Titan's defensive coordinatior from 2001-2008, and last year he had the best defence in the NFL.
All these are great accomplishments for him, however, did William Clay Ford and the 0-16 Lions make the right call? The answer is no.
Yes, Schwartz will probably make a great head coach for the Lions, however, there was a pool of much better bait out there for hire. Mike Shanahan, for example, was recently fired by the Denver Broncos. He would have been the best choice. He lead the Broncos to back to back Superbowl wins with a quarterback by the name of John Elway. Remember him? He was good wasn't he. If the Lions had hired Shanahan he could have turned Drew Stanton or who ever the Lions draft into a all pro quarterback. Also Bill Cower, who three years ago, led the Steelers to a Superbowl victory wants to come back and coach.
The Lions continue to surprise me. They make mistake after mistake. They drafted a quarterback and three wide 
receivers in the past 8 years, and not a single one of them is still on the team. They didn't fire Matt Millen until three years after he should have been.
Although the Lions suck and probably will forever, it is appalling that Shannon Sharpe would, on air, not just insult the Lions, but also the city of Detroit by wearing a paper bag over his head and saying that the Thanksgiving tradition should be taken away from us.
The city of Detroit is in shambles right now, but it will come back. Columnist Mitch Albom recently wrote in Sports Illustrated that its not a question of will Detroit comeback, but when.
I took what he said and applied it to the Lions. You see. in a lot of ways, Detroit and the Lions are the same. They each have or had a leader who, is terrible at what they do, Kwame Kilpatrick and William Clay Ford. They both are in shambles and need major reconstruction, Detroit, with the streets and buildings, and the Lions with coaches and players. And they also both are in danger of collapse. The Lions were blacked out over 12 times this season, and Detroit's economy and unemployment rate are a result of the collapsing of the auto industry.
So, the Lions did actually take a step in the right direction. They hired a coach who has done some good, and while there were better options out their, Schwartz will make a good head coach. Detroit, well, with the upcoming mayoral election, hopefullly the people of Detroit can learn something from the Lions, and take a step in the right direction themselves.
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