Detroit Sports need to give back to the fans

     First off I want to apologize for not writing in so long. I have been swamped with homework working on it till 11-12 at night most nights. I have also been dealing with a lot of personal stuff lately, one of my teachers passed away very very suddenly and so it’s been kind of rough the past few weeks, and to be honest, just haven’t been able to get in the right mindset to write. I am finally back though. This is not very long, but it’s all I had time to write tonight. So enjoy.

Tonight is the night we’ve all been waiting for. Hockey is back officially. Of course, unless you forked over the money to go see it, you are not going to know what happened until later tonight. As the day wore on and more and more people called me to find out about the game tonight, I started thinking. This is going to be an interesting season. First off I really think that if Wings fans don’t get something back for their loyalty throughout the lockout, there is going to be trouble. I understand that the team really is spending more than $39 million or whatever on salaries this year. That’s completely understandable, but in the next few years they are going to be spending significantly less, and the fans need to see some of that. Joe bucks are great. It really is a great concept. However, not everyone gets Joe Bucks, the average wings fan who buys tickets to games here and there will not benefit from this promotion (unless I’m mistaken and everyone gets some, but I thought it was just for season ticket holders, please correct me if I’m wrong). There needs to be something for everyone. Whether it be a cut in ticket prices in the near future of heck free parking or free refills on pop. Something as stupid as that can really help the average fan out. Maybe knock the prices of merchandise down a little.  
     This season is really going to be an interesting one. I think there is going to be trouble in Detroit if the Wings don’t play well. Fans will be outraged it the Wings can’t win. They don’t have to be a Stanley cup winner, they just need to be a contender and play hard. If this team does not at least compete this year, Kenny Holland is going to need to be on the constant lookout. There are going to be people out there who want his head on a platter. I hate to be graphic but it’s true. Non contention will also be blamed on Chris Osgood no matter how well he plays. Red Wings fans blame the goalie, just like Lions fans blame the quarterback (don’t even get me started on that). Chris Osgood will have to play tough and show Wings fans a new side of him that they have never seen.
     The next ten years in Detroit sports are going to be interesting. If the Detroit teams don’t step it up (lions and tigers), or maintain their dominance in their sport (pistons and wings), Detroit it going to become a dangerous place for professional athletes. Really I do think that even though there are Lions slappies out there, the fan base is really going to take a hit if they don’t step it up and at least make it to the playoffs and win soon, the same thing with the Tigers. People have been whining about the teams for years, but it seems like people are getting much more fed up with these teams now. People are no longer saying “Same old lions” or “Same old tigers” they are getting pissed. We’ve all heard Art Regner (from the new xyt or whatever the call letters are now…weird I know), his projectile rants have become far too common. It used to be every once and a while, but now it seems like every other day. People from his generation are getting sick of this lions franchise. They will stop going, and that will stop the exposure to the kids. This could be absolutely fatal for Detroit Sports. The Tigers are going through the same thing. The MLB strike didn’t help them much, it really did hurt baseball, and lots of people didn’t go back, but had the Tigers started winning after that they would be much better off. I really believe this. Of course I am too young to really remember much of that, but hey I know it happened. I’ve heard stories. The Lions are headed down the same path. They will some day also struggle to fill Ford Field if they keep playing like this.
     The Pistons just need to keep winning, at least to help Detroit not go insane. Hopefully good old Flip will help us continue on our winning ways. Detroit can’t have 3 bad teams! And bringing this “article” full circle, the Red Wings need to stay consistent with they winning ways in order to keep fans happy. Of course it will take awhile for Red Wings fans to go the way of Tigers fans and just stop going all together, but it will happen if they just implode. This lockout will not help the wings. Fans are angry. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve talked to who are trying to sell all of their season tickets because they just can’t bear to pay that much and also because of anger. People realized last year that they spent a lot of money on hockey and some people decided to not do that anymore. I know of one person who remodeled her kitchen (an extensive remodel, weren’t not just talking new wallpaper) and she had a very hard time forking over that much money to watch hockey now, especially when she could get the NHL Center Ice pack and see every game for almost as much as going to one game with her family. The Red Wings and Detroit teams really need to give back to their fans, all of them, big or small, young or old, or else Detroit Sports might implode, forever.