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DETROIT - The Motor City has been hit by pretty much every crisis imaginable this last year, save for famine and a plague of grasshoppers.
Its mayor resigned and went to jail. Two of its three car companies wound up in bankruptcy. Unemployment soared to the highest level for any metropolitan area in the nation, and the wrecking crews showed up to take apart Detroit’s beloved Tiger Stadium.
But this week, sports is providing a much-needed lift to this beaten-down city.
The Red Wings face the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals Friday night, and Detroit is hoping for a repeat of last year’s championship.
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The Red Wings’ battle through the playoffs to the finals has riveted fans and given them something to think about other than bleak news about the auto industry.
“It doesn’t take away the pain, but it definitely distracts from the pain,” Jon Reyes, 51, an official with United Automobile Workers Local 735, said Thursday. The union represents the transmission plant in Ypsilanti, Mich., that G.M. plans to close next year.
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Red Wings players, many of whom have grown traditional playoff beards, know they bear a special burden in giving Detroit a reason to celebrate.
“This has been an unbelievable run for our city and for our state, just because of the economy here,” Red Wings Coach Mike Babcock said. “It’s been absolutely fantastic. Now we’ve got to finish it off.”
That was something the Michigan State men’s basketball team failed to do in April, when the Spartans made it to the Final Four, only to lose to North Carolina in the championship game played at Ford Field, only a short drive from Joe Louis Arena, where Game 7 will take place.
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The Red Wings’ matchup against the Penguins is also delivering grudge-match drama, providing extra diversion for a city in need of it.
Marian Hossa left the Penguins last July to sign a one-year, $7.45 million deal with the Red Wings, which he said had a better shot of winning a Stanley Cup. That earned him boos from Pittsburgh’s rabid, towel-waving fans, but he has won a loyal following since he arrived in Detroit.
One mecca for fans is Cheli’s Chili Bar, owned by the veteran defenseman Chris Chelios. The walls are lined with black and white photos of legendary players like Gordie Howe and Sid Abel. (The boss is always present, too, in the form of a five-foot-tall cutout of Chelios.)
A large blue and black banner hangs inside, with the words “Stanley Cup Changes Everything.” Last year, after the Red Wings’ victory, Chelios took the Cup into the bar.
“Success here will bring the people close together. People will put aside their differences,” said Dave Bruner, who was enjoying a beer on his day off from his job with DTE Energy. “It will be like family, a family that’s struggled together, lost jobs together.”
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“This was a rough winter for Detroit,” Dieringer said. “It’s hard being on the front page with bad news all the time.”
Cheli’s, which has a capacity of 500 people, has added an outdoor tent and expects to serve up to 10,000 cans of beer and 3,000 burgers Friday night, Dieringer said.
While the actual Stanley Cup has made the occasional appearance inside Cheli’s, there are 10 replicas inside Hockeytown, a 10,000-square-foot, three-story bar that has 34 TVs and a 400-seat theater where the game will be broadcast.
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“It makes people feel that, in spite of the recession, there’s something good going on,” he said. “Our sports represent the true spirit of the city.”
This article, Red Wings Carry Burden of Lifting Beaten-Down City, first appeared in The New York Times.
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Sports helping Detroit through tough times June 12: Christopher Ilitch of Ilitch Holdings discusses how the success of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team, which is owned by the Ilitch family, are helping the citizens of Detroit during dismal economic times. |
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Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
