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Logical thinking would suggest that as the calendar moves forward, as the years go by, that things would change with that passing time.
But in the Detroit sports world, we seem to be on a bit of a treadmill, of sorts. Run, run, and run some more; 90 minutes later, you’re still exactly where you started. Only in this case, years have melted off, and nothing in our sports town appears to have moved an inch.
Is this 2015 or 2007, or 1999, or does it just so happen that we are reliving the same sports experiences year after year after year?
Consider these narratives that play out annually in our sports pages and on our TV sets:
The Lions are a mess. The quarterback position is in need of an upgrade. The coach remains eerily calm despite the storm, almost bizarrely so. A flashy new running back (Ameer Abdullah) was drafted and thought to be the next Barry; thus far, it’s had more of a Jahvid Best-Kevin Jones-Kevin Smith-type impact. The playoffs are more or less an impossibility, and fans will be hoping for a new GM and head coach by the season’s midpoint.
The Tigers underperformed. Miguel Cabrera is on his way to yet another batting crown. A new manager is desired. For now, the desires go unfulfilled. The bullpen is in shambles. The closer position is on shaky ground for the millionth straight season. Anibal Sanchez is banged up. Oh, and various Tigers’ players have lashed out at fans for being unappreciative. How dare you boo a franchise that won a World Series just a short 31 years ago? The nerve!
The Pistons enter training camp hoping another off-season of marginal free agent pickups and a late-lottery draft pick will reverse the course of the struggling franchise. Andre Drummond is looking to improve on his broken free throw stroke. George Blaha and Mike Abdenour return for their 78th and 74th seasons, respectively.
The Red Wings welcome in a new coach, Jeff Blashill. They will make the playoffs. Remarkably, it will be their 25th consecutive year doing so.
Michigan State football continues to destroy all opponents not named Ohio State. Their national title hopes hinge yet again on conquering the Buckeyes. Everything between now and November 21 is deemed a mere formality, drawing the ire of radical Harbaugh-ites everywhere.
The Wolverines’ gridiron squad wants to be a real factor in the sport. Most years this century, such hopes have been squashed. The buzz in Ann Arbor is that this year, for real this time, Michigan State is going to a have a real test on their hands in knocking off Big Blue. MSU fans shake in their boots, as sarcastically as possible; it’s been Green & White dominance for six of seven years now, many in blowout fashion.
Oh, and in the most recurring of all Detroit sports-related storylines, Michigan Stadium remains the most uncomfortable venue to watch a sporting event in North America -- unless you happen to enjoy someone’s knee being in your back for four hours, in which case you’d enjoy the place just fine.
And Bill Laimbeer is on top of the WNBA world. That narrative arc takes a break every few years, but without fail, it comes right back around. The eventual championship in a couple of weeks will likely result in zero NBA head coaching offers, boggling the minds of Lamb disciples near and far.
Watching the same movie over and over can be fun, as long as the movie is a classic and one you enjoy each time it plays.
But with our professional teams slogging through the last handful of years, this is one show that has most definitely run its course.
