Sports

Lengel: Yawn ... The Big News Is That Kid Rock Will Open Detroit's Arena, Really?

January 19, 2017, 10:07 AM by  Allan Lengel

Olympia Entertainment made it sound like this was going to be something very very big.

It put out an advance photo of the Pistons and Red Wings logos with a question mark, suggesting that perhaps another sports franchise was going to call Little Caesars Arena home. Some speculated it might be a soccer team, though someone pointed out the arena wouldn't be big enough.

WXYZ posted Thursday morning:

There's a "major announcement" coming this morning from the owners of the Detroit Red Wings. Right now, there's few clues as to what it could be, possibly another Detroit sports franchise at the Little Caesars Arena?

Then shortly after 10 a.m., the folks at Olympia Entertainment -- including Chris Ilitch -- lured the media to the unfinished stadium on Woodward Avenue, and introduced Kid Rock. The big news was that the homegrown star, who gave some input into the building of the arena, will be the first entertainer to perform there. 

He'll do at least four shows: Sept. 12, 13, 15 and 16.Tickets go on sale Jan. 27.

Yawn.

Not that he's untalented. But normally, a media release would suffice. But the folks at Olympia decided to blow it up into something bigger than it was.  Had it been the Rolling Stones, well, that might have been different.

Can't fault Team Ilitch for smart marketing, but journalists may be more leery next time in playing along with the hype.



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