Professional sports in Detroit are a joke

[bmw]

Tigers - finished last in the division, 2nd worst in the AL
Lions - finished last in the division, 3rd worst in the NFC
Red Wings - currently last in the division, 2nd worst in the league
Pistons - currently last in the Eastern Conference, 2nd worst in the league

Summary - 4 dumpster fires. Is there any city with a professional team in all 4 major sports that has been cumulatively this bad, ever? The 5-11 Detroit Lions are the best of the lot. How can 1 city have 4 teams that are this bad?

[matt1]

Nothing since June of 2008 when the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

[Rate This]

Nothing since June of 2008 when the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

No championships. We’ve had playoffs from all 4 teams since then.

Until somebody decides to spend but this is where it will be.

[km1125]

A far cry from this:



https://i.postimg.cc/CLCKBPFN/Detroit-C ... mpions.jpg

[moldyoldie]

How can 1 city have 4 teams that are this bad?

When tanking becomes a "thing", that's how. Some use the euphemisms "rebuilding", retooling", "rebooting", etc.

[Bobbert]

Tigers - finished last in the division, 2nd worst in the AL
Lions - finished last in the division, 3rd worst in the NFC
Red Wings - currently last in the division, 2nd worst in the league
Pistons - currently last in the Eastern Conference, 2nd worst in the league

Summary - 4 dumpster fires. Is there any city with a professional team in all 4 major sports that has been cumulatively this bad, ever? The 5-11 Detroit Lions are the best of the lot. How can 1 city have 4 teams that are this bad?

My rough guess is that there's no real financial incentive. The owners of those four teams have become a tightly knit club that has benefited from the many revenue streams of sports and taxpayer-funded facilities. They all operate within walking distance of each other and probably share a lot of ideas about how to focus on the bottom line.

The Ford family took over the Lions just when television revenue was exploding in professional football (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_on_te ... 1960s#1963). The sources and amounts of pro football revenue have grown incredibly since that time. It made perfect sense to the Ford family to hire a Ford financial person as the Lions' president (Rod Wood).

Pistons owner Tom Gores is primarily a private equity investor who has watched the value of the Pistons more than triple in the 10 years that he has owned the team (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Gores ... s_dealings). He has nothing to complain about.

The Tigers and Red Wings are owned by a family that for decades has been building up a small city of properties in downtown Detroit. To many, they have given the impression that they are just trying to squeeze as much money as possible out of these properties with minimal investment (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilitch_Ho ... ontroversy).

Publicly, they all show a desire to win, but privately, the bottom line is most important. It might even be a subconscious thing. I wish I was wrong, but that's the only explanation I can find for this collective misery.

[km1125]

The Tigers and Red Wings are owned by a family that for decades has been building up a small city of properties in downtown Detroit. To many, they have given the impression that they are just trying to squeeze as much money as possible out of these properties with minimal investment (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilitch_Ho ... ontroversy).

I think the old man Illitch actually had some pride and had some expectation to the teams that they be respectable. The Wings certainly showed that and the Tigers had several years that were very promising. That all went away when the old man died.

I think the Ford family treats the Lions like a house pet.

I agree with the comments about Gores. He might like to win, but he doesn't NEED the team to win for him to win.

[Matt]

How can 1 city have 4 teams that are this bad?

When tanking becomes a "thing", that's how. Some use the euphemisms "rebuilding", retooling", "rebooting", etc.

I HATE the phrase "tanking."

[bmw]

I think the Ford family treats the Lions like a house pet.

That's a PERFECT analogy.

[moldyoldie]

How can 1 city have 4 teams that are this bad?

When tanking becomes a "thing", that's how. Some use the euphemisms "rebuilding", retooling", "rebooting", etc.

I HATE the phrase "tanking."

I hate the very thought of "tanking".

[Matt]

How can 1 city have 4 teams that are this bad?

When tanking becomes a "thing", that's how. Some use the euphemisms "rebuilding", retooling", "rebooting", etc.

I HATE the phrase "tanking."

I hate the very thought of "tanking".

Agreed. I don't think the Wings have tanked unless you consider that they employed Ken Holland for a decade too long and had a LOT of bad contracts. They haven't been rewarded with the top draft pick yet for sucking really bad for the past several years.

[Rate This]

How can 1 city have 4 teams that are this bad?

When tanking becomes a "thing", that's how. Some use the euphemisms "rebuilding", retooling", "rebooting", etc.

I HATE the phrase "tanking."

I hate the very thought of "tanking".

Agreed. I don't think the Wings have tanked unless you consider that they employed Ken Holland for a decade too long and had a LOT of bad contracts. They haven't been rewarded with the top draft pick yet for sucking really bad for the past several years.

I don’t think the wings tanked but here’s 6 reasons why they did... uh huh.

It’s hockey... Who cares?

[Big Al]

I was dating a woman who knew nothing about sports and she was surprised when she found out that the players on sports teams aren't from the city they play for. She asked why people even care about their home team. She was right, lol... There really isn't much reason other than brand loyalty, and that's foolish.

[Matt]

I was dating a woman who knew nothing about sports and she was surprised when she found out that the players on sports teams aren't from the city they play for. She asked why people even care about their home team. She was right, lol... There really isn't much reason other than brand loyalty, and that's foolish.

What else did your right hand have to say?

[Big Al]

I was dating a woman who knew nothing about sports and she was surprised when she found out that the players on sports teams aren't from the city they play for. She asked why people even care about their home team. She was right, lol... There really isn't much reason other than brand loyalty, and that's foolish.

What else did your right hand have to say?

Nothing really, but it asked me why your mom uses Star-Kist to douche.