Tom Gores should let Joe Dumars try to mend Pistons

Tom Gores has made a lucrative career of raising the downtrodden, business-wise. That could bode well, because the Pistons need lots of raising, more than they need razing.

The Pistons need help, in dollars and direction. Gores, who purchased the team Friday, is expected to provide it. This could be a major infusion in the Detroit sports scene, as long as Gores and his people handle it correctly.

How different will it be? Well, Detroit hasn't had a new owner of its four pro sports teams since 1992, when Mike Ilitch bought the Tigers. Ilitch, 81, has owned the Red Wings since 1982. William Clay Ford Sr., 85, has owned the Lions since 1964.

Gores, 46, outbid Ilitch for the Pistons and Palace Sports and Entertainment properties, and that represents an interesting shift in logistics. The Ilitches' hopes of building a downtown arena to house the Wings and Pistons is dampened, and that's too bad.

But it's good that Gores has energy and basketball passion, and you figure he can match Ilitch's competitive passion. He's a self-made billionaire financier who knows the area, grew up in Flint and attended Michigan State. He's also a Hollywood guy, and his Platinum Equity firm, which deals in mergers and acquisitions, is headquartered in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The Gores story is a stirring tale: born in Israel, emigrated to Flint when he was 5 and worked as a janitor and telemarketer to pay his way through college. You don't climb this high without knowing how to deal with people and having a savvy business sense....


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