Slam Dunk And Buried: Pistons, Red Wings Move On In Laughers

Whatever Barry Melrose was on, I'd like to partake. Melrose, the venerable hockey yakster for ESPN, last week predicted the Colorado Avalanche would bury the Red Wings in six games. His more sane partner, ESPN.com writer EJ Hradek, picked Detroit in six. Melrose forecasted a "nasty" series that he felt the Avs would win because ... well, I can't really remember why; I tuned him out after he made his selection. Hradek, for his part, looked at the Red Wings' experience and determination and the way they closed out the Nashville Predators and made a cooler-headed pick. Was this ever a series? Aside from the Avs making Game 1 interesting after falling into a 4-1 hole, this was NFL Champs vs. College All-Stars; the Packers at home vs. the Lions; Israel vs. the 1967 Arabs. Magic Johnson's late night talk show run looks like that of 60 Minutes compared to how long the Avs-Red Wings series was competitive. I don't think I've ever felt sorry for the...