Ain't no town like Motown
It’s not always easy to be proud of Detroit, or of being from Detroit. But I am. I love the history of Detroit. The realness of it. Of the people. Of the whole Metro Detroit area.
It’s why I like living in/near Chicago, and why I’m not put off by the very similar vibe that Chicagoland puts off (a big difference being that Chicago hasn’t been decaying from the core outward for the past 35 years…). Chicago has history, a spirit, and a sense of self that is almost intoxicating. It makes me wistfully wonder just what Detroit could’ve been like, if only it hadn’t crumbled in the aftermath of the ’67 riots and Coleman Young’s determined efforts alienate everyone north of 8 Mile Road (yes, it meant something before that no-talent hack made the movie…).
Mitch Albom, erstwhile sports columnist (and annoyingly liberal talk radio host, cultural pundit, and purveyor of pop-spirituality-laced novels) has written a very, very good piece over at SI.com, in which he delves into why Detroit, and more importantly Detroiters, still matters, and the role that sports plays in that.
As a proud ex-pat, I concur.
-ghp
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