Welcome To Detroit Sports Outlet!

Hello Detroit Sports Fans! Welcome to the new Detroit Sports Outlet, the #1 sports store in Michigan for Detroit sports apparel & accessories.

We will look to make sure that you have the best authentic team apparel for our local teams anywhere, anytime, at the best prices online. From a Pavel Datsyuk jersey down to a Michigan Wolverines cup, find the best deals on items for the Red Wings, Tigers, Pistons, Lions, Michigan, Michigan State, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan & Western Michigan.

Here are some of the first items available at the new Detroit Sports Outlet store at marked down prices for July 13, 2015:

NBA Detroit Pistons Snapback Hat – $17.50

Detroit Pistons NBA Snapback Hat available for $17.00, down from $25.00, at Detroit Sports Outlet.

Detroit Red Wings NHL Red Pullover Jacket – $44.95

Detroit Red Wings NHL red pullover jacket on sale for $44.95, on sale from $60.00 at the Detroit Sports Outlet.

NFL Detroit Lions Golden Tate III Youth Jersey – $69.99

Golden Tate III led the Detroit Lions in receptions in 2014, & is looking to improve on those numbers for the Lions in 2015. Find the Golden Tate III NFL youth jersey available for $69.99 at Detroit Sports Outlet.

Detroit Tigers MLB Garden Flag – $4.16

Detroit Tigers MLB garden flag on sale for $4.16, on sale from $13.00 at Detroit Sports Outlet.

Michigan Wolverines Jim Harbaugh T-Shirt – from $19.99

New Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh has taken over the culture in Ann Arbor & has Wolverine fans feeling as though a strong season & a new attitude at Michigan is coming. Find the new Harbaugh maize t-shirts here at Detroit Sports Outlet.

These are the deals of the day. Normally, there will be two posts per day, one with deals in it & one that will talk about the actual sports news of the day in Detroit sports. For more information, please continue to follow the Detroit Sports Outlet.

NFL, NBA, NCAA Apparel Sales – January 8, 2015

Today, the Sports Fan Playground has deals on many different items from the NFL, NBA, MLB & other top leagues around the world for January 8. Each day, the store will list 10 products on sale around the store, along with the opinions & stories that you are used to.

Today’s items consist of jerseys, t-shirts, hats & other apparel to prepare people for not only the rest of the pro seasons but also the NFL Playoffs & the College Football National Championship game between Oregon & Ohio State on Monday night.

Here are the sales of the day for January 8 –

NFL Green Bay Packers “Biggest Fan” Beanie Hat

This Green Bay Packers beanie hat is on sale at the Sports Fan Playground for $39.99.

NFL New England Patriots Women’s T-Shirt

This New England Patriots women’s v-neck t-shirt is on sale for $28.00 at the Sports Fan Playground Patriots store.

Ohio State Buckeyes “We’re All In” 2015 College Football Playoff Hat

Ohio State “We’re All In” hat commemorating the 2015 college football playoff championship game between Ohio State & Oregon is available for $24.99 at the Sports Fan Playground store.

Ohio State Buckeyes 2015 College Football Playoff sweatshirt – $49.99 at the Sports Fan Playground store.

Oregon Ducks 2015 College Football Playoff Sweatshirt

Oregon Ducks 2015 College Football Playoff sweatshirt – $49.99

Asiacs Mens GEL-Kayano 20 Running Shoe

The ASIACS Mens Kayano 20 running shoe is available for as low as $78.15 at the Sports Fan Playground shoe store.

Adidas Derrick Rose 4 Basketball Shoes

Adidas Performance Derrick Rose 4 basketball shoes are available for $60.99 at the Sports Fan Playground store.

Oregon Ducks Fiber HydroFX Mini Helmet

Oregon Ducks Fiber HydroFX mini helmet, available at the Sports Fan Playground Oregon Ducks store for $27.00.

Detroit Pistons Mini Purse

Detroit Pistons mini purse available for $19.64 at the Sports Fan Playground store.

Stephen Curry NBA Golden State Warriors Replica Jersey

NBA Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry replica jersey is available for $69.95 at the Sports Fan Playground.

NBA Free Agent Winners & Losers – Part 1

The NBA Free Agency period has been going on since July 1, when players & teams could begin actually talking. However, many people believe that it was when LeBron James made his decision to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers that free agency really began in earnest.

When players & teams knew where James was going to go, teams could really begin to allocate where their money was going to go & how much money they were going to truly use in the salary cap structure for 2014-15.

Of course, not every team is involved in the free agency boom as much as others. There are many big winners, but also a few losers in the entire process.  Today, we will break down the winners & losers so far in the free agency period.

NBA Free Agency Winners

Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a no-brainer, here. The Cavs were going to do anything & everything in their power to make sure that the team had enough space to sign LeBron James, the man who has made the team the leading favorite according to Vegas, to win the NBA Championship.

The organization has grown in many ways since LeBron left for Miami in 2010. The team has drafted well in bringing in Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson & Anthony Wiggins, the incoming rookie who was the #1 overall pick by Cleveland from the Kansas Jayhawks program.

Having LeBron come in will be an instant boost to the franchise, its fans & the city as a whole, & James will have an instant impact on the work ethic of the players & will do everything in his power to bring a championship to the area where he grew up. Dan Gilbert & the organization should be prouder more than any organization can even imagine to be.

Miami Heat

Many of you may say that the Heat are absolute losers because they lost LeBron James, but the team ended up winning in the long run. The team resigned Chris Bosh, a versatile player who will most likely get more of a chance to shine now that he won’t be the 3rd man in the puzzle behind James & Dwyane Wade. Yes, Bosh did receive $118 million, but in Miami, if the team is going to be competitive & not end up the way the Cavs did in 2010, they have to keep on as business as usual.

Veteran forward Chris Bosh surprised many people by signing a $118 million dollar contract with the Miami Heat late last week.

The team will be looking to keep Wade around, at a much lower cost, but because Wade is the face of the franchise & is probably the man who is most connected to the city of Miami & the Heat organization due to bringing a championship to South Beach long before the big 3 game together, he will most likely retire as a member of the Heat.

Before the James decision, the team signed some nice pieces in Josh McRoberts (formerly of the Charlotte Hornets) & Danny Granger, who was a star player less than 2 seasons ago with the Indiana Pacers. Granger will give the Heat some versatility on the floor, can get to the basket & shoot the 3-point shot very consistently.

McRoberts is a guy who can bang down low in the post & has truly developed his game into a good double-double type of player. His style of play won’t be as flashy as what Heat fans have become used to over the last few years, but the one thing fans will be able to count on will be consistent, hard working play every single night.

Plus, having McRoberts & resigning Udonis Haslem & Chris “Birdman” Andersen gives the Heat some size & toughness, two areas that I have thought the team has missed over the last few seasons during the “Big 3” era.

Detroit Pistons

Ok, so this is a surprise team on the list for many people, but the Pistons have all of a sudden had a very productive offseason. The team signed Caron Butler & D.J. Augustin, two veterans that can help out Brandon Jennings & Josh Smith.

Butler is especially a big key in the deal because of the fact that the team has been openly trying to shop Smith around to teams, but many teams just aren’t buying what Smith is selling at this point in his career. It has seemed as though Smith has underachieved greatly, & the Pistons & new Head Coach/General Manager Stan Van Gundy understand the need for great veterans in the lineup & he is stocking up with those type of players that teams need to win championships & to develop a culture.

Chris Bosh

As noted earlier, Bosh re-signed with the Miami Heat for $118 million & he received that money simply for being loyal.

Bosh had an offer on the table from the Houston Rockers for 4 years & $96 million dollars, the max that a player can get for signing with another team. It was thought that Bosh would take the deal if LeBron didn’t resign with the Miami Heat. As we know, James went to Cleveland, but the Miami Heat showed their faith in Bosh by making sure that he was one of their cornerstones for years to come.

With Bosh being 30 years old, he got his last mega money deal in the NBA, he has two NBA Championship rings, his family is set & rooted into Florida now, no state tax on his income, so Chris Bosh is absolutely a big winner so far.

Pau Gasol

Gasol was able to get out of the sinking ship that is the Los Angeles Lakers franchise right now by signing with the Chicago Bulls last week.

Gasol, who is one of the most versatile power forwards in the league, goes to another major market, which he loves being in areas with the great culture & a variety of entertainment options all around the area, & will have the chance to play off of point guard Derrick Rose, if Rose can stay fully healthy for the upcoming season.

I truly believe that Gasol was truly getting tired of Kobe Bryant & his style of motivating players, particularly being hard on Gasol for the last few seasons as the team was starting to get out of whack. The Los Angeles Lakers barely have a roster, no head coach right now & no one knows if Kobe Bryant will be back to his normal self early on in the season.

Detroit Pistons Hire Stan Van Gundy To Be Coach; Head of Basketball Operations

Late Tuesday afternoon, the Detroit Pistons found their new head coach in former Orlando Magic & Miami Heat coach Stan Van Gundy. Van Gundy will also be able to be the head of basketball operations.

Van Gundy signed a 5-year, $35 million dollar contract to take the position. Van Gundy was also in negotiations with the Golden State Warriors to be their new head coach, but the Warriors were not offering the president of basketball operations title.

The Detroit Pistons hired veteran NBA coach Stan Van Gundy to a 5-year, $35 million contract to be the head coach & President of Basketball Operations.

From a guy who has grown up watching the Detroit Pistons, this is the perfect hire for the organization & proves that owner Tom Gores is truly committed to winning at all costs, as he said when we first came to town.

Van Gundy has a bit of a reputation for being a bit of a tough guy & may ruffle some feathers, but this group of Pistons definitely needs that kick in the butt in the worse way. The team has to figure out what to do with dead money on the roster – ala Charlie Villanueva, Rodney Stuckey & if they are going to resign Greg Monroe. The Monroe situation will be the most pressing right now as the team has the potential to have one of the best big men combinations in the league in Monroe along with an emerging Andre Drummond.

Van Gundy will also need to figure out how to either make Josh Smith a smarter player or figure out a way to possibly trade him for some good pieces. Van Gundy emphasizes defensive play & outside of Monroe & Drummond, the Pistons are an absolutely terrible defensive squad.

The Pistons should be in good position to have a solid draft pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, which will be held in June. Later this month, the league will hold the NBA Draft lottery, which will give the position of where a team will pick. With a deep draft class this year, Van Gundy will have an early opportunity to put his stamp on this organization with the type of player the Pistons bring to Auburn Hills that night.

The last time the Pistons had a rough head coach in town, current Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle was in charge. Carlisle won though, which was all that mattered. The big difference was that Carlisle had his very brash attitude with a group of veterans, Van Gundy will be with a bunch of young guys who don’t know any better right now.

With Van Gundy having full control over basketball operations, for the first time in years, the team will have a sense of healthy fear for their jobs, which is desperately needed in this organization.

I have a funny feeling this Pistons team will be turned  around faster than we think. Good luck SVG.

NBA Team By Team Breakdown 2013-14 – Eastern Conference Top 4

Hey everyone! Hope that everyone that has been reading our blog and potential new readers have been enjoying our content and having fun with the way it has been coming across to the public. That being said….today’s post is discussing the upcoming 2013-14 NBA season with a team-by-team breakdown. Earlier this summer, we had smaller NBA previews regarding the major stories and our opinions of the offseason and what we believe will happen during the regular season. 

The next posts will give a more in-depth look at each team from the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. This will be the NBA Eastern Conference look at the top 4 teams in the East this season. 

Note: We will be breaking own only the teams who we feel will be in the playoff hunt in the league.

1) Miami Heat

The Miami Heat have lost very little that would tell me that they won’t be the best team in the East again. The biggest issue for the team this season will be handling the possible distractions of LeBron James possibly becoming a free agent after the season and possibly leaving South Beach and going to New York or to the Los Angeles Lakers. 

The team brings back its main core of players, James, Wade and Chris Bosh, along with mainstays Udonis Haslem, Mario Chalmers and backups Norris Cole and Chris Andersen, who came completely out of nowhere last season and gave the Heat that extra edge of toughness that they showed in tough series against the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs. 

One of the potential big acquisitions with the Heat is the addition of forward Michael Beasley. Beasley was originally drafted by the Miami Heat before being sent away by Pat Riley and essentially being shipped around the league. The young player out of Kansas State, who is only 25 years old, can become an extra option off of the bench and even a spot starter who has shown the ability to score from inside and outside, rebound, and has the length to be a strong defender………as long as he can stay off of the marijuana an out of other troublesome situations that have plagued him even during his college days. 

The Heat do lose the “soul” of the team in many ways in SG Mike Miller, who signed a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies this offseason. Miller was a guy who wasn’t the greatest defender or shooter, but who could hit the big shot and was a warrior through all of his numerous injuries over the years. The team had to move on from Miller, but the big question will be who will take on the role of soul leader on the team? 

We believe it could be Birdman Andersen, because of the respect that the locker room has for him and vice versa, and the fact that he had the ability to go and sign with various teams around the league but decided to stay with the team that gave him a chance even after his legal issues were ongoing. Birdman is clear now and has shown that he can be a true energy guy off of the bench, but will be become one of the overall leaders of the team? Only time will tell. 

2) Chicago Bulls

The Bulls are still a very mystifying team and can go in a variety of positions right now as a franchise. The team is working on resigning forward and All-Star Luol Deng, but the deal hasn’t been completed yet, and there isn’t a guarantee that the deal will be done during the season. 

The team could use Deng has trade bait to possibly get a big-time scorer during mid-season, something the organization is desperately needing as the team ranked 29th in the league in scoring last season. 

It doesn’t help that the team lost PG Nate Robinson in the offseason to Denver, either. Robinson was a spark plug and the team’s best player last season during their playoff run, particularly in the Game 5 playoff game against Brooklyn where there were times when he singlehandedly carried the team on his back with his dynamic play. 

The Bulls are counting on the return of that former NBA MVP…………..that guy from Memphis………….Chicago-born kid………who’s that guy?? Haven’t seen him in a bit……….ahh….yes…Derrick Rose. 

Rose sat out all of last season after surgery on his ACL and MCL after getting injured in the 2011-12 playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers. If Rose can come close to his MVP form, the Bulls will still be pretty much what they are……..a gritty team who will get just far enough to get to the semifinals or possibly the Eastern Conference finals before falling to Miami or New York. 

The Bulls desperately will need a scorer at some point this season if the organization has any hope of getting to an NBA Finals. The defense is outstanding, and the rebounding is strong with Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer and even Jimmy Butler at times. But without that one go to guy who can shoot from outside and inside to possibly spell Rose a bit, the Bulls will go far, but probably not as far as the team should be going at this point in their development. 

3) New York Knicks

The Knicks are a team that is on the rise right now, and will be pushed further by the Brooklyn Nets in New York City. Leading scorer and franchise player Carmelo Anthony will be able to opt-out of his contract after this season and can become a free agent, and with rumors abound that ‘Melo could be heading to Los Angeles to join a possible revamped Lakers squad. 

The Knicks have the scoring in Anthony, and added to their toughness in the offseason by bringing in Metta World Peace as a free agent. Having Metta along with Tyson Chandler and a hopefully healthy Amar’e Stoudamire in the frontcourt could challenge most teams in the East and let teams know that the Knicks can’t be intimidated or pushed around. 

Having Raymond Felton, Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and rookie Tim Hardaway Jr., gives the Knicks scoring all over the court and gives the depth that the team will need to make a long run in the playoffs. The Knicks from 1-12 look very strong and look as though they are ready to take the next step, as long as Anthony and Chandler can lead them there. New York has not seen an NBA championship since 1970, and die hard fans like Spike Lee are yearning for one badly. This could be that time. 

4) Detroit Pistons

The Pistons may surprise many as a team that is ready for the playoffs right now, but for those that have been following the team on a regular basis, its not that far fetched. 

The team has built quite possibly the most dominant frontcourt in the league with Greg Monroe and second-year player and defensive force Andre Drummond, who is still very raw and has a strong upside. The team bolstered the frontcourt in the 3-spot by signing free-agent Josh Smith, formerly of the Atlanta Hawks. 

The team also went back to their championship days and brought in veteran PG Chauncey Billups, who was the guard on the NBA Championship team of 2004. Billups is still a great spot-up shooter as well as an okay defender, but where he will be utilized the most will be on the leadership front, to help out a guy like Rodney Stuckey, Will Bynum and the newest guard in Brandon Jennings, who will look to be the impact scorer that the Pistons haven’t had in many years. 

Keeping with the theme of the 2004 championship team, the team has brought in Rasheed Wallace to be an assistant coach on the squad. Sheed has always been one to voice his opinions, whether good or bad, but he will also be a great guy in the locker room for the team as well as a great teacher of defensive basketball for the young players, as well as for the overall development of Monroe and Drummond down low. 

The pieces are in place, and for GM Joe Dumars sake, this has to be a strong season because if not, the team will be out of his hands and he will be out of a job position. 

Tommorow will be the bottom half of the Eastern Conference top 8. Have a good evening! 

NBA Season Preview 2013-14 – NBA League Predictions

Good evening everyone! 

Well, there is a lot of time between now and the start of the 2013-14 NBA season beginning, but I figure – why not put out a season preview now that many of the big moves have died down for now! This upcoming season is looking as though its going to be one of the most dynamic and fun seasons we have had in many years. With teams like the Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers getting stronger this offseason, it looks as though the league will have a tremendous amount of parody for the next few years. 

The offseason has only been in effect for about 7 weeks, and we have already been treated to so many different storylines that are going to make a huge effect on the upcoming NBA season. The in-depth team-by-team predictions will come later on in the summer. 

With that in mind, here are my biggest predictions for the upcoming NBA season – 

Dwight Howard officially being introduced as  a member of the Houston Rockets.

Dwight Howard Will Lead The Houston Rockets Into the NBA Western Conference Finals.

With the saga that took place during the entire season and into the early part of the offseason, I will be looking to see if Dwight Howard can finally find peace in one area and lead the Rockets over the hump and into the Western Conference Finals and into the NBA Finals. I believe that Dwight Howard is the missing key for the Rockets to getting over the hump and moving into the West Finals. For the first time, Howard is going to have a young, dynamic lineup around him that can grow with him over time and help to develop his skills by taking pressure off of him to be the main guy. 

Even with the Los Angeles Lakers when Howard was playing alongside Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash, all of those players were older and are on the backside of their careers. While Howard didn’t always show complete professionalism in choosing his destination, picking Houston was the right choice with all that the Rockets could put around him immediately. 

The Rockets were already a rising franchise in the league, losing a hard-fought series to the Oklahoma City Thunder in last season’s playoffs, but you could see that the team was truly coming together. With leading scorer and bonafide superstar James Harden leading the way, along with Jeremy Lin getting better and better at the point-guard spot, Chandler Parsons being a strong sharpshooter, Aaron Brooks being a great backup guard and Omer Asik being a possible starter down low with Howard, forming a twin towers situation, the Rockets can match up with any team in the league, and I believe that this year, Kevin McHale will take the Rockets to the next level and a conference finals appearance. 

McHale understands the up-and-down fun style of the players of today, but with his old-school philosophy and background, he will make sure that the Rockets play strong, physical defense as well, and Dwight Howard is as intimidating a force as any player in the NBA on the boards and shot blocking. 

The Detroit Pistons Will Be In The Eastern Conference Semifinals.

The Detroit Pistons have made major upgrades that makes me believe that this team will be in the NBA East Finals this upcoming year.

Yes, I said it. The Detroit Pistons will be a participant in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. I know that is hard for many people to take in, but this team has completely revamped their lineup and on paper, looks like a squad that will be a force to be reckoned with. 

This offseason, the team signed Free Agent Josh Smith from the Atlanta Hawks and recently traded underachieving point guard Brandon Knight for the Milwaukee Bucks’ Brandon Jennings. To add on, they went out and resigned former Detroit Pistons guard Chauncey Billups, who was on the team during the NBA Championship team of 2004. 

The Pistons will look completely different this season with a possible lineup of Greg Monroe, a growing and developing Andre Drummond, and Josh Smith in the frontcourt, and Brandon Jennings and Rodney Stuckey in the backcourt. This team is athletic, has great low-post defensive presence, has veteran leadership in Billups, who can still hit three-pointers and play defense when need be. 

The organization had to make these moves, with rumors running rampid about Joe Dumars’ job being on the line by new owner Tom Gores, who bought the team last season from the Davidson Family. While Gores isn’t a true basketball guy, he knows a winning product, and Dumars has to perform this season and not live off of the championship of 2004 anymore. The team has not been to the playoffs in 4 seasons and in Detroit, that is not acceptable. I believe that the rebuild is finally complete and this team has a squad that can play with any team, any night and give teams around the league a massive headache.

On the coaching staff, the Pistons hired veteran head coach Maurice Cheeks to work with the young guys into the new era of Pistons basketball, and with the team knowing that the key is going to be the big men down low, the team hired former Pistons Power Forward Rasheed Wallace as an assistant coach this season. This team has attitude, drive and skill on and off the court. 

LeBron James is the cornerstone of the Miami Heat, but for how long?

LeBron James Will Win The MVP Again, 3-Peat with the Miami Heat & Then Go To The Lakers.

 The Miami Heat are poised and reloaded to win another NBA Championship. Hoo hum. We all know that the Heat have the talent and skill now to pull that off. The question will be what happens after the season and during the season. LeBron James is going into another situation where he can opt out after 2014 and can become a free agent again.

When LeBron made the controversial decision in 2010 to go to South Beach and play with the Miami Heat with Dwayne Wade & Chris Bosh, it was met with much criticism of how the decision was made with the TV special and all. Looking back on it, it has worked out for all parties involved. The Heat have 2 straight NBA Championships, the Cleveland Cavs are building a young, dynamic team, and LeBron personally is having doors opened that he may not have had if he didn’t make the leap to go to a bigger market and win championships. He is being considered for President of the NBA Players Association, he has great business ventures around the world, and he is seen as an overall strong ambassador for the game. 

This is why I do believe he will look for a new challenge – which would be going to the Los Angeles Lakers. If the Lakers knew they had a chance to bring in LeBron James and possibly Carmelo Anthony as well, the Lakers can convince Kobe Bryant to come back for another year and have a dynamic lineup that would be hard to stop on a regular basis. The Lakers have been burned by the craziness of this past season with the Dwight Howard saga, and with Kobe having to come back from his ACL tear, the Lakers need to start looking toward a major youth movement, and having LeBron James in a Lakers uniform instantly makes the Lakers a strong destination again for free agents and players requesting a trade. 

From a business standpoint, LeBron’s brand will continue to grow in Hollywood with not only the basketball opportunities available, but the opportunities in movies, television and online branding. LeBron is a business now, and if he has built up the Heat as much as he can, then the next big move is tackle the second-biggest media market in the world. 

So, just a few thoughts and ideas I have about the upcoming NBA season, there will be much more later on. Hope you enjoy the weekend!