DEE-troit Sports

I was born the year the Detroit Tigers beat the Cubbies in the World Series. Nineteen forty-five. And I grew up in the era when the Motor City was rightfully known as “The City of Champions.” The Red Wings and the Lions were perennial champs (the Pistons didn’t move to Detroit from Fort Wayne until about ’57.)

Then came a long stretch during which the Red Wings were known as the Dead Things, the Pistons were called the Pissed On, the Tigers were reduced to pussy cats and the Lions rarely raised above the level of “opponent”. Sad times.
Sixty-eight brought a World Series and so did eighty-four. The Wings got better. The Pistons were winners. And now we Detroiters have what will doubtless be our greatest sports year ever.

Our basketball and hockey teams gained the best records in their leagues. The WNBA team won their championship. The Tigers are going to the World Series. Even the Lions will have their chance at perfection. If they keep going at their current pace they will finish the season with a perfectly imperfect 0-16 record. Perfectly imperfect in the City of Champions. When you’re the Detroit Lions you take your records any way you can get them.