When you say you are a Detroit Sports Fan, you better mean it. Our teams make you prove your allegiance to them. For many years, there has always been at least one team that made you growl at their name and temporarily wish they would move to Indiana, and at least one team that made you invest your heart in their success...most times leading to an emotional crash.
Nothing has really changed with that situation, but because our auto industry is in the tank, the people of the city and surrounding areas are desperately looking for something to enjoy, celebrate, and believe in. If you read my boy Pastor Marcus's blog, then he'll tell you what we should be believing in regardless; but I will just stick to the sports aspect.
We've had a season of letdowns...well a few seasons. The Pistons started making big moves with hopes of one last big run before restructuring began...but that flopped. The Tigers made huge moves to stack the lineup to destroy the competition...but they did just the opposite. The University of Michigan Wolverines had a HORRIBLE year! The Lions did their best to make the impossible...possible. 0-16. The Lions made Detroit feel like they were 0-16. But at least the Shock won, and the Wings won.
For many years, we've been used to the clearcut answers about our teams. "Yeah they are winners" or "they are some bums." These days Detroit sports are taking their fans on rollercoaster rides, and with everything going on in our lives, we don't need it. We've already shown our love, we have invested EVERYTHING that we've got, but how much stress can Detroit optimists take? As a true fan, it sucks to lose faith in your team, but with the Pistons fading away, the Lions giving us 1 win, and hope for a season of close games for 3 quarters, the Wings losing in game 7, the Shock fading in the playoffs, and the Tigers giving away the AL Central...what's left?
Not living in Michigan anymore, I have to break my neck to follow my teams. ESPN gamecasts, mobile updates, and www.channelsurfing.net help keep me going. I love being one of a few Detroit fans in a conversation, or at a restaurant/bar. I just think, "if I'm cheering like this, I know its crazy at Hockeytown." I watch ESPN religiously like most men, and will continue, but ESPN is just a cool version of Fox News (we'll save that discussion for another blog) ....and the way they do Detroit sports is no different than the way Glenn Beck does Barack Obama.
I know things won't change overnight, and probably not for a while. I guess the whole purpose of this blog is to vent on behalf of true Detroit Sports Fans. I salute the George Blaha's, Mitch Alboms, and Ernie Harwells, because they always have our backs, no matter what. We just want our teams to invest in themselves and their fans, as much or more as we have invested in them...Until then, the fans and I will continue to treat each Lion win like the Superbowl, each Piston win like a championship, and each Wing victory like another cup. Let's go Michigan. Let's beat ohio state!!
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