Saunders hopes to follow Dungy

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Sunday was a good day for Pistons coach Flip Saunders, and his good mood had nothing to do with wins and losses.

Well, at least not his own team's wins or losses.

When the Indianapolis Colts beat the New England Patriots in the AFC title game, Saunders probably had a smile on his face. Colts coach Tony Dungy -- Saunders' freshman-year roommate at the University of Minnesota -- had just won a ticket to the Super Bowl.

Free Press

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AUBURN HILLS -- Pistons coach Flip Saunders wasn't wearing Colts colors at practice Monday, but you know he was overjoyed to see them in the Super Bowl.

Two reasons:

Saunders roomed with Colts coach Tony Dungy at the University of Minnesota; and

There has been a somewhat eerie similarity in the fates of the Colts and Pistons.

"Tony and I talked this summer a lot," said Saunders, who put the Pistons through a two-hour practice. "You know, we both had unbelievable years last year, dream-type seasons, really, and then to have so much disappointment at the end was tough to swallow."

Detroit News