He’s a big sports fan, hockey in particular, and took a few shots at the Colorado Avalanche as he was playing with Yellowcard at the NHL Entry Draft. Mendez was born in Detroit, so he is a fan of Detroit sports. I asked him what he thought about the Pistons.

MB: Being a Detroit fan, how did it feel to have the Pistons knocked out of the playoffs by the Cleveland Caviliers?

RM: I feel like we dropped the ball. I think there was some thought that it was going to be an easier series and they didn’t step up. I think that the Cavs are a good team and are on their way up, and I think the Pistons are kind of staggering a little bit. I think next year is going to be a big year in terms of seeing where they’re at. But, yeah, I was disappointed. I think we underestimated the Cavs, and it shouldn’t happen again.

MB: Why do you support Detroit teams when you grew up in Southern California [after being born in Detroit]?

RM: That’s ultimately still where I came from, and a lot of my family still lives there. I visited Detroit every year. For all the holidays, we were always going back there. My whole family, except for my mom and myself, was still in Detroit when I was growing up. All my uncles and everyone were exposing me to the Detroit teams, and I still feel that is the place where I am from.

The full interview will be posted tomorrow.