Michigan, the economy, and sports

For all the bad that has happened to Michigan, and Detroit specifically, since the down turn in the economy there has been one bright light for the state.  Sports.  Not all sports though.  The Lions, for example, were horrid.  But they did get a supposed savior this year in Matthew Stafford (let's hope he pans out).  

Sports won't bring jobs.  Sports won't put food on the table.  Sports won't better your life.  What sports will do, however, is raise your spirits if only for a little bit.  Sports will allow you to forget your worries and the harsh reality in the fact that the state is in trouble financially.  One thing that I thought I would never see is the auto industry get into trouble, but it happened and Detroit is just going to have to recover as best it can.  The stock market and the economy are both slowly starting to turn around.  It is time for people to make the best of a bad situation and wait.  

Sports teams in the state of Michigan have been doing well this year.  The WNBA team, the Detroit Shock, won another title last year.  They are coached by legendary Bad Boy, Bill Laimbeer.  The Wings are one win away from another Stanley Cup.  The Tigers are playing well a quarter of the way through the season (they are in first place in the Central Division).  The Pistons made it too the playoffs, although they were disposed of rather quickly by Cleveland.  The Michigan State Spartans made it all the way to the final game of the NCAA men's basketball tournament before losing to UNC.  

I know that when Detroit teams are on national television, the commentators bring up the trouble that Detroit has run into.  A lot.  What I don't know is if the players on all these teams think about the situation.  I am sure it is hard to think about other people's problems when they make millions of dollars a year, but if they do and try to win one for the city, that is great.  I listened to an interview with Jim Leyland (manager of the Detroit Tigers) recently, and a question was asked about the team and wether or not they are aware of the situation in the city.  Now I am paraphrasing here, but Leyland basically said that the players are aware of the problems the city and the state are having and they are playing this season for them (the city and state).  They want people to come to Comerica Park and forget about their situation, if only for a couple of hours.  If the Detroit Tigers are playing every game this year with the thought of helping people forget about the shit storm that is the everyday economy, I am more on board than ever.  

The night is darkest just before the dawn Michigan.