Before this team goes, before this franchise moves to Bugtussle, or Huckabuck, or whatever, I want them to know a few things.

I want to thank them for teaching me to learn and love the ladies game, just as much as I do the men's game. In fact, I love watching how the Shock and their opponents would make that offense look like a stretching rubber band. I also loved how easy and graceful it was for them to shoot and make 3's WITH A PURPOSE! Too many guys in the NBA just jack it up, because their feet are behind the big line. These ladies played the fundamentals, they took the game to a new level, and they represented me, this city, and all the BAD BOYS AND BAD GIRLS still out here, LIKE NOBODY ELSE COULD!

But besides the bad officiating, I MEAN REALLY BAD OFFICIATING, here's what I take with me from the Detroit Shock.

I once went to a playoff game, and people were still coming in at the final buzzer. The next game was a SELLOUT, and it was almost like going to a Motorcity Madhouse Piston playoff game. Despite them having to move to different venues to win their championships, unlike the Pistons, THEY DID GET TO AND WIN IN THE 313! Those VERY LOUD AND PASSIONATE games at the Joe Louis Arena, I can never forget. People of all races, colors and creeds, came together for one cause! People who NEVER get up to the Palace, but follow hoops or the Pistons, brought it hard, correct, and very loudly. They took a usually dead building, and turned it into a MOTORCITY MADHOUSE! Even the crowds at Eastern last year, at a place WAY OVER THERE, were fun.

So thank you Bill, Rick, the coaches, Tweety, Cheryl, Elaine, Ruth, Kattie, Plenette, the rest, DJ Earl, and Zapp!

For me, this marks the end to another league where this city was blessed to have one a rare championship with. First the USFL, the Arena Football League, and now the WNBA. So that's 9 of them, they are oh so special in my heart and mind!

THANK YOU DETROIT SHOCK, YOU BAD GIRLS!

I'm not a huge WNBA fan, but I'm a fan of Katie Smith and Deanna Nolan. And, I do admire the toughness of a girl like Plennette.

I think the scuffle between Pierson and Candace Parker probably is one of the more memorable moments, even though it's looked down upon by some. I just like when a no-glitz player (like Pierson) stands up to a postergirl (like Parker) and doesn't cower down to the league's golden child. I don't condone fighting, regardless if it's men or women, but I do appreciate when a player stands up for herself and her team against the media-favored team/player.

The championships were obviously the other great memories that we should all be grateful for during their time here.

Good luck in Tulsa, ladies.

I took my niece to a game and we had seats center court, front row, lower level. We were down by 3 with no time to go. Somebody fouls Tweety behind the arc. She sinks all three to force OT. End of OT, the opponent (I don't remember who) was down by 3 and fouled behind the arc. She didn't make them all and the game was won. Good times.

Also I liked getting to hi five the entire team and Bill Laimbeer as they entered and exited the floor.

I'm gonna miss this team.

Oh....where do I start

-The 2003 Shock Championship is one of my greatest memories of my life, in general. I've been a Shock fan since year one, so after watching them lose and lose and lose you can imagine how happy I was. I was in eighth grade and was my family and my best friend. When they won, I cried. I looked around and saw other people crying to. Words fail to describe how amazing the feeling was. It was bliss.

-The 2006 Championship against the Monarchs at the Joe Louis Arena. When the buzzer went off and they had won the championship, me and my sister and my best friend ran past the security guards and onto the court and celebrated with the players. I hugged Plenette Pierson and told her I wanted to marry her. Afterwords, the three of us (my sister, my best friend, and I) snuck into the VIP after party, where a few of the players were. It was a great night.

-The "brawl", between Plenette and the Shock and CP3 and the Sparks. It was really entertaining and I was proud of P-nutty for standing up against the dirty divas. Fun night.

-Playing the Phoenix and starting "o-ver-rat-ed!" chants whenever Diana Taurasi got the ball or went for freethrows.

-Waiting out back for player's in the back of the Palace where the ladies parked all their cars, to talk to them and get autographs after the game. Waiting to get sweatbands from my favorite players after the game where everyone lined up to shake the players' hands. I remember the first sweatband I ever got was Deanna Nolan's. It was in eighth grade, when I was pretty obsessed with her, so even though it was drenched in sweat, I WORE it after the game. Once I got Plenette's towel after the game...I slept with it for months.

-When Rick got in trouble for the brawl, and it was complete BS...we made "free rick" posters and t-shirts, which the camera men said were great but they weren't allowed to put it on TV.

-Once when we played Indiana in the conference finals a few years ago. Game 3 was really close, but we came out on top. As the seconds were winding down, we realized we had won the game. One of the Indiana players got fouled out, and my family started a chant with that song "na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye!" And our whole corner of fans and pretty soon the whole arena chimed in. A great feeling.

-When Kristin Haynie got traded to the Shock! I waited YEARS for her!

-Once after one of the games, it was fourth of July and the Palace did fireworks after the games. Me and my sister climed on top of my dad's big van and watched the fireworks with all of the shockfans. It was a good, relaxed feeling of unity. It doesn't have to do with the players, but its a really nice memory.

-Anyone remember when there was 12 seconds left and LA had a chance to win the game? Well, during the timeout during those 12 seconds, my little brother, a newborn baby at the time, got on national TV. I was grounded by my mom at the time, so I wasn't allowed to go to the game with my dad and that side of my family, but watching the game on tv and seeing my brother was sort of like an epiphany.

-Speaking of my little brother, its amazing seeing the players watch him grow up. When he was a newborn they were always asking to hold him. Year after year, they get so excited to see Ben and always comment on how grown up and cute he's getting. Once, he made a sign (with my help) that said "Marry me, Plenette." Well at the Shock going away party they had recently at Dave & Busters, Plenette picked Ben up (he's six now) and said she was going to miss her husband. She said her answer to the poster was yes. It was beautiful. I have so many memories of the Shock, because they were always my life. I could go on and on with this list, really. The shock were everything to me and have been since I was a kid, and it's gonna be hard letting them go.

The 03 Championship is definitely my favorite memory. I started following the Shock because of Ruth Riley, so I was thrilled when she got MVP. In the process, I started to love the whole team, and Deanna in particular. Detroit stayed my team even after Ruth was traded.

The other 2 championships were great too, but none matched the first for me.

I never got to see the Shock play a home game, but I saw them play in Indy and in Madison Square Garden. Those were big thrills for me.

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Jam:
I'm not a huge WNBA fan, but I'm a fan of Katie Smith and Deanna Nolan. And, I do admire the toughness of a girl like Plennette.

I think the scuffle between Pierson and Candace Parker probably is one of the more memorable moments, even though it's looked down upon by some. I just like when a no-glitz player (like Pierson) stands up to a postergirl (like Parker) and doesn't cower down to the league's golden child. I don't condone fighting, regardless if it's men or women, but I do appreciate when a player stands up for herself and her team against the media-favored team/player.

The championships were obviously the other great memories that we should all be grateful for during their time here.

Good luck in Tulsa, ladies.

I loved that scuffle. No superstar is gonna come and punk us.