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DETROIT -- Even by the Detroit Pistons recent standards, this was an abrupt change. Detroit fired coach Maurice Cheeks on Sunday after less than a year as coach, with the Pistons languishing well below .500 despite off-season moves aimed at putting the struggling franchise back in contention. Detroit is 21-29, and although the Pistons still have a decent chance to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, their new roster has performed erratically. "This was a difficult decision for the organization to make but we needed to make a change," team president Joe Dumars said in a statement. "We have great respect for Maurice and appreciate his hard work." A person with knowledge of Detroits plans said assistant John Loyer will take over as interim coach. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced an interim coach yet. The Pistons havent made the playoffs since being swept in the first round in 2009 -- in Michael Currys only season as their coach. Since then, Detroit has gone through two seasons under John Kuester and two under Lawrence Frank. After neither of them could make any real progress, Cheeks was brought in as Detroits ninth coach since the 1999-2000 season. In addition to hiring Cheeks last off-season, Detroit signed forward Josh Smith and traded for point guard Brandon Jennings, trying to bolster a roster that already included young big men Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe. But the mix has been uninspiring for the most part. The Pistons have had problems defensively and have struggled to close out games in the fourth quarter. The poor attendance thats become commonplace at The Palace hasnt really improved -- and Detroits 11-15 home record hasnt helped. "Our record does not reflect our talent and we simply need a change," Pistons owner Tom Gores said Sunday. "We have not made the kind of progress that we should have over the first half of the season. This is a young team and we knew there would be growing pains, but we can be patient only as long as there is progress." Detroit is only a half-game out of the final playoff spot in the East, but thats largely because so many teams in the conference are having similar problems. The Pistons are only three games better than they were after 50 games last season. Cheeks became the first coach to leave or be fired after 50 games or fewer with an NBA team since Bob Weiss, who coached only 30 games for Seattle in 2005-06, according to STATS. That does not include interim coaches. "The responsibility does not fall squarely on any one individual, but right now this change is a necessary step toward turning this thing around," Gores said. "I still have a lot of hope for this season and I expect our players to step up. I respect and appreciate Maurice Cheeks and thank him for his efforts; we just require a different approach." The Pistons have won four of six, including back-to-back blowouts at home against Brooklyn and Denver on Friday and Saturday. They host San Antonio on Monday night, and the team has not made any announcement about who will coach that game. Cheeks previously coached Portland and Philadelphia, a team he won an NBA title with as a point guard. The Pistons gave him his third shot to be an NBA head coach in June. Gores was in attendance at a recent game and said he thought the team was better than its record. "Im not satisfied. Our job is to make sure that our players are at their maximum," Gores said after that Feb. 1 game against Philadelphia. "Im not satisfied with the job Im doing. Im not satisfied with the job anyone is doing." At that point, speculation centred around the upcoming trade deadline and the possibility that Detroit might shake up its roster again. Now, the Pistons are hoping another coaching change can improve the franchises outlook. Detroit made the conference finals six straight years from 2003-08, but the teams fall was swift after that, and rebuilding has been difficult. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Pistons championship in 2004 -- and the atmosphere at The Palace could hardly be more different. "Were focused on how to make our players the best," Gores said earlier this month. "I dont think weve done our best job of making sure they are at their best. They are working at 100 per cent, but these are young men who need a lot of preparation." The Pistons became the third major pro team in Detroit to make a coaching or managerial change in the past six months. Jim Leyland of the Tigers stepped down and was replaced by Brad Ausmus after last season, and the Lions fired Jim Schwartz in late December, eventually replacing him with Jim Caldwell. So Ausmus, who has yet to manage a game, is now the second-longest tenured manager or coach of the citys four major pro teams. Yahoo Sports first reported Cheeks firing. Logan Cooke Jaguars Jersey . -- Adrian Peterson remained in a walking boot to treat a high ankle sprain on his left leg on Wednesday, and coach Leslie Frazier said he will not play on Sunday against Atlanta if he cant hit the practice field in the next two days. Tanner Lee Jersey . As deep as their roster is, they need their superstar. Rose scored 23 points in his return from a five-game absence due to back pain, and Chicago hung on to beat the struggling Atlanta Hawks 90-79 on Monday. http://www.shopthejaguarsonline.com/Elit...rs-Jersey/.This one was bigger than most.Ben Roethlisberger and LeVeon Bell came up big in a game that Pittsburgh had to win Sunday, leading the Steelers to a 42-21 drubbing of the Cincinnati Bengals that left the AFC North race wide open. DJ Chark Jaguars Jersey . The 42-ranked Czech saved seven break points while converting his one chance, and defeated the No. 3 seed in 1 hour 46 minutes. 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But anytime someone scores the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning without even touching home plate -- called safe on an extremely rare ruling by an umpire -- its bound to cause a little ruckus. "Umps made the right call last night. I still put my fist thru the wall. And Im in a hotel so it was expensive," comedian and Massachusetts native Denis Leary tweeted. All sides seemed to agree on this point: Allen Craig tripping over Boston third baseman Will Middlebrooks likely made for the most crazy, chaotic October finish of all-time. And it gave St. Louis a 5-4 win at Busch Stadium and a 2-1 edge. "As a baseball fan, you hate to see a game end like that," pitcher Adam Wainwright said Sunday before Game 4. "Obviously Im on the Cardinals, so Im fortunate the rule is the way it is. And you hate to say it, but he impeded the process of running home." "But I totally understand why Red Sox players would be upset about that. That is just a horrible way to lose a baseball game, no question about it," he said. Said Red Sox manager John Farrell: "It wasnt a normal night of sleep, I know that." For more than a century, the World Series has delivered dramatic endings -- Kirk Gibsons homer, Carlton Fisks shot, David Freeses drive on this very same field in 2011. There have been plenty of kooky plays -- Reggie Jackson turning his hip to get hit by a throw, Roger Clemens throwing part of a broken bat toward Mike Piazza, an out in the 1970 Series when the catcher missed the runner and the runner missed the plate. But no one had seen anything quite like this. "Never," umpire crew chief John Hirschbeck said. "Never," third base umpire Jim Joyce said after making the call. Said Craig: "I didnt know if I was out or safe or not." Craig was awarded home after getting tangled with Middlebrooks. A wild throw set off the sequence, and Middlebrooks was sprawleed in the baseline and kicked up his legs as Craig tripped over him.dddddddddddd Running on a banged-up foot, Craig headed home and the throw by left fielder Daniel Nava beat him. Catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia made the tag in plenty of time and Craig never reached the plate. But umpire Dana DeMuth signalled safe, having seen Joyces call at third base. Both teams immediately rushed to the plate. Middlebrooks threw down his glove and joined the Boston argument. The Cardinals came out to celebrate. The fans took awhile to react, unsure of what theyd just witnessed. "I think maybe 75 per cent of the guys didnt know what happened," Cardinals star Carlos Beltran said. "I wasnt sure why he was called safe," Middlebrooks said. Middlebrooks said any contact was accidental. Doesnt matter, though. The play is covered by Rule 2.00 and Rule 7.06, and makes it clear that obstruction is called anytime a runner is impeded. "It does not have to be intent. There does not have to be intent. OK?" Hirschbeck said. Not OK, Boston pitcher Jake Peavy said. "Its a joke," Peavy groused. Farrell was more forgiving. "You know what, the call was made correctly. The umpires -- Jim Joyce, Dana DeMuth -- that call was made as it should have been," he said Sunday. How rare was it? The last time a big league game ended on an obstruction call was 2004, when umpire Paul Emmel said Seattle shortstop Jose Lopez blocked Carl Crawfords sightline. Emmel was the first base umpire Saturday night. Longtime Red Sox fans remember a noncall that went against them in the 1975 World Series. In Game 3, Cincinnatis Ed Armbrister bunted in the 10th inning and bumped into catcher Carlton Fisk. There was no interference called, Fisk made a wild throw and Joe Morgan hit a winning single. Watching from the dugout Saturday night, St. Louis manager Mike Matheny wasnt sure what to think. Matheny had seen umpires reverse a call in Game 1 that cost the Cardinals. Hed seen Craig trip and was ready to argue. And he also saw Craig down in the dirt after re-injuring his foot. "We were wanting to celebrate, but we see a guy laying there and its all confusing," Matheny said Sunday. "And we see the umpires come together, and that didnt work out real good for us last time." "We got inside the clubhouse, and it was still kind of that sombre mood," he said. "And Chris Carpenter yelled out real loud, Hey, boys, we just won a World Series game!" Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Stitched NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Outlet Cheap NFL Womens Jerseys China NFL Hoodies Wholesale NFL Hoodies ' ' '