Chicago vs. Detroit

It's 12:46am on the Sunday morning after Turkey Day. I started this blog entry 4 days ago but never had the chance to finish it until now. I apologize for the delay. My life over the last week has blown over me like a cat-5 blows over a small fishing village in the South Pacific; fast and furious. In the last week, I've been to work, to class, to the clubs in Detroit, to the parade, to Lake Orion, West Lake and Troy with my lady for the holiday, to Chicago for a mini-HS-reunion, to Petosky for a little skiing and... where am I now?... oh, right, GAYlord, visiting the old man. I had 185 things to get done during that time, and I believe I have gotten through about 172 of those things ("thing" has got to be THE laziest word in the English language, but like I said, I've had a lot of things going lately, so I'm cutting myself some slack).

One THING that I have left to DO have to do, is finish this; a presumably non-suck-wad blog entry to hold you over while I finish the last few things on my list of 185. This one is going to be good, though, don't worry. We're going to talk about sports controversy, riots, big brother kicking little brother's asses, Detroit, and Chicago, and tie them all together with a big freakin bow for all to gaze upon. Oh, and I'll try to mix in some sex, too, because sex sells. Shit, and it's Thanksgiving, so I'll should mix in some turkey talk. Well, hell, we'd better get started, eh?

If you are a native to the state of Michigan, and know anything about sports, then you also know about the heated rivalry that has existed for decades between UofM, and MSU. In one corner, hailing from A2 is the maize and blue, with their city-integrated campus, over-priced tuition rates, rich, hippie-nerd student base and a national prestige that makes the heads of its alum grow to staggering ego-proportions. In the other corner, hailing from the disguised farmlands of East Lansing is the green and white, with their traditional campus, slightly relaxed admissions standards, and couch-burning, partying student base (I have an insider-information blog for another day on the couch-burning thing... don't let me forget).

Nowhere is this rivalry more intense than in football and basketball competition. For years, MSU has dominated the hardwood, and UofM has dominated on the gridiron. Last year, one of the UofM football players, Mike Hart, made a comment that added some heat to the rivalry. In a post-game press conference, he likened MSU to a little brother playing against his big brother on the playground, when the big brother lets the little brother feel like he's doing well, only to kick the little brother's ass in the end. It was a comment to which the new MSU football coach took exception, as you can imagine. Students and fans were pissed off, as was I.

But then I thought about it. The truth is, that arrogant little Wolverine ass was right. MSU was indeed UofM's little brother in football, and had been for many years. Despite having high expectations and tons of potential at the start of each season, MSU just never seemed to play as a team for the whole season, would make mistakes at the wrong times, lacked strong leadership, and didn't know how to win. They would always come close, but fall short in the end. That is changing now, and things are looking up, but for many years past, the big brother analogy was disturbingly accurate.

I understand that my non-UofM and MSU alum readers are drifting a bit... so please allow me to reel you back in while also attempting to get to my point... As I sat on the train last weekend, returning from Chicago, I came to a sudden and disheartening realization: Detroit is Chicago's little brother.

I am a proud "alum" of Detroit. When I'm not at work, in class, or sleeping, I'm downtown doing this, or this, or this. I love the people because they're real, and genuine (Hollister attire is not allowed south of 8 Mile except for those attending Tiger's games). Our sports, entertainment, cultural, art and dining establishments are top-notch. Our festivals eat other city's festivals whole. We have musical tradition that rivals that of any city in the nation, including jazz, rock, hip-hop, and not to mention being the birthplace of techno. We have played host to some huge events (Superbowl) and have always received rave reviews from the rest of the country who are always "surprised" by how much they enjoy their time here. Hell, we're even bringing in a touch of Hollywood now.

And how could we forget our stellar public transportation system, booming housing market, exemplary K-12 schools, diversified economy, and world-class shopping?

Oh... wait. Sorry. I got a little carried away there.

The truth is, Detroit is great, but when it comes to some very important areas, we are no Chicago. As I have eluded to, we Detroiters are nothing more than the little brother, playing on the play ground against our bigger brother, Chicago, thinking we are winning, only to be disappointed when Chicago flexes its big-brother muscles and whoops our ass at the end of the game.

Chicago has everything that we don't (except nice weather and good schools, but other that, everything). Chicago has a sprawling landscape of neighborhoods, each with their own flavor of shops, eateries, and local watering holes. Culture is not restricted to a few-mile radius of the downtown area as it is in the D. They also have a business district that is home to numerous players in the world market, a working public transportation system, a beautiful beach, more job opportunities (how often do kids graduate from college and move FROM Chicago TO Detroit?!) and most importantly... energy. Chicago has energy, and you can feel it as soon as you set foot in the city, no matter the time of day or night. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for our city.

I'm no historian, but I think it's safe to say that Detroit has been suffering from the hangover that it got immediately after the the riots of '67. Hell, I have some family members (most of my family grew up in East Detroit), who STILL haven't forgiven the city for that, and probably never will. I could write another 92 pages on that topic alone, but suffice to say, Detroit still needs a little work.

And so, as I was sitting on that train, making my way back to Detroit, I got pissed off. I was pissed off at myself for not moving to Chicago when I should have, 10 years ago. I was pissed off at myself for staying in a town that didn't offer to me the opportunities that I deserved. I was pissed off because I had not surrounded myself with more people like me, and in an environment that inspired me to achieve more. I was pissed off because I felt like I was missing out, and I had no one to blame but myself.

*************

What an ass I am, eh? Talking shit about my city, and then bitching and moaning about my own inability to follow my dreams?! Jeezus, someone should just shoot me in the face and put me out of my misery.

Or...

The truth is. I love my alma motter, Detroit. And as for the decisions that I've made to stay, well, they may not have been the wisest decisions that I could have made, but I'm thankful for having been given the ability to make my own decisions. Besides, the little brother gets to have all the fun and then blame the big brother, right?

So to you, Mike Hart and UofM, and to you, Chicago and all of your temptations, I present the following:



Ah, shit, I forgot!! I promised to talk some sex, too, because sex sells. And, I didn't mention anything about Thanksgiving. OK, well, lets combine the two make this quick...

Did you know that turkeys can reproduce without having sex?! Yes. It’s called parthenogenesis.

You're welcome for that one. Have a good turkey day, everyone, from mine to yours.