Stan Van Gundy once called Pistons fans some of the nastiest

Stan Van Gundy has verbally agreed to sign on the dotted line with the Detroit Pistons to become their next head coach and president of basketball operations. The deal means he'll roam the Pistons' sidelines and front office for the next five years (or until he resigns or is fired).

Van Gundy used to be the enemy with that mouth, though. You might remember those times fondly, because the Pistons usually got the best of Van Gundy's teams.

In 2005, he was the coach the Miami Heat, which ultimately lost to the Pistons in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.

With that series even at 1-1 going back to The Palace for Game 3, Stan Van Gundy was asked what to expect on the road against the defending champs.

He didn't mince his words:

"Detroit, even in the regular season, has a particularly nasty crowd. They're not just loud. Those people will say anything and do anything. ... I have never understood the idea (that) because I bought a ticket to the game, I can sit there and yell anything I want. ...

"It's always sort of funny to look around in the stands and see somebody sitting with their 10-year-old kid yelling profanities at you. I always thought, 'That was a great role model.' "

...

"I think (in) Detroit and New York, you get some of the absolute nastiest people. Hey, that's the way it is. That doesn't make it any tougher to play. It's no louder than anywhere else."

...

"Hey, what other arena did somebody throw beer on somebody?" Van Gundy said. "I mean, let's face it. It's a different place. We heard it in the first two games up there (this season). The second was after the (fight) happened.

"I don't think their security people cared. The thing worked out great for them, to be quite honest. ... There aren't very many arenas where you specifically hear people yelling profanities and vulgar things at you. You just hear people yelling, but Detroit's a different place. Detroit's a different place. It just is."

Van Gundy's now part of this different place.

He just is.