AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Detroit Pistons are closing in on a move downtown.Owner Tom Gores said Friday night the team is very close to a deal to leave The Palace of Auburn Hills and start playing downtown next season. The Pistons have been in talks about playing at the Detroit Red Wings new arena, not far from where the Tigers and Lions also host their home games.I think if were going to do it, its going to be soon, Gores said before Friday nights home opener in Auburn Hills. Were getting close.The Pistons have played in Auburn Hills since 1988. Before that, the team played at the Pontiac Silverdome for a decade. The Pistons were downtown when they called Cobo Arena home from 1961 to 1978.The Pistons won championships in their first two seasons in Auburn Hills and again in 2004, but the atmosphere slipped in recent years as the team went through several dreadful seasons. Detroit returned to the playoffs last season for the first time since 2009.The Palace was built with private funds by William Davidson, who owned the Pistons from 1974 until his death in 2009. The increasingly likely move next season meant Fridays game against Orlando may have been the final home opener at the suburban arena.Were serious about making this move, and I think we should take it in. I think we should enjoy it, The Palace, said Gores, who bought the team from Davidsons wife, Karen, in 2011. Really has been a historic arena, credit to Mr. Davidson.Gores said the Pistons have not thought about building their own facility to play in downtown. The Red Wings, who are owned by Mike and Marian Ilitch, are in their final season at Joe Louis Arena before moving to Little Caesars Arena.The new venue will be across the highway from where the Tigers and Lions play at Comerica Park and Ford Field, and a group is hoping to put a stadium for a Major League Soccer franchise in that area as well.Theres a lot going on down there, Gores said.Gores said if a deal is reached to leave Auburn Hills, there would still be time to celebrate the teams history at its current arena.I think we have to be really mindful of this community in Auburn Hills and their loyalty in showing up, he said. This has been a real community, and I want them to feel the same wherever were playing. Authentic MLB Jerseys Cheap . 10 Texas Rangers jersey for one last time. Young formally announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13 major league seasons. Wholesale MLB Jerseys China . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. http://www.mlbjerseyschina.com/ .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. Cheap MLB Jerseys Online . Having already announced that the race will start May 9 with three stages in Northern Ireland and Ireland and finish in Trieste on June 1, the rest of the route was unveiled Monday. Cheap Los Angeles Dodgers Jerseys . Halifax beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5 on the strength of two goals apiece from Nikolaj Ehlers, Matt Murphy and Brent Andrews. Jonathan Drouin also scored and had three assists while Zachary Fucale made 17 saves for the Mooseheads (16-8-0), who led 6-1 after two periods. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Forget the College Football Playoff. A majority of respondents to a recent poll in the Buckeye State believe?Ohio State?could jump a level and beat an NFL team.According to the results released this week by Public Policy Polling, 62 percent of those polled said the No. 2 Buckeyes would beat the struggling?Cleveland Browns, while only?23 percent picked the professionals in a hypothetical meeting.Ohio State coach Urban Meyers team has certainly looked like an NFL-caliber outfit over the past few seasons. It produced five first-round selections in this years draft and 13 rookies who are playing in the NFL this season.Ohio State appears to have annother bumper crop of future pros on hand this season.dddddddddddd The Buckeyes have steamrolled to a 4-0 start, and they are heavily favored against Indiana on Saturday.Meanwhile, the Browns are mired at the bottom of the NFL and again struggling to generate any sort of positive momentum.Either way, the people made it clear which team they would back. Only 7 percent of those polled have a negative opinion of Meyer, unofficially making him the second-most popular person in the state behind only Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James. ' ' '