My Favorite Thing

If you’re reading this, I assume you know what I’m going to talk about, but I’ll summarize just in case you don’t. MLS is coming to Detroit, and the team will have no affiliation with Detroit City FC (probably). I could dissect all the statements and news that’s come out, I could examine all the possible scenarios for the future of DCFC, or I could take the low road and make personal attacks on the billionaires responsible for this new venture. None of these will accomplish much, though, and I know none of them will put me in a better mood, so I’ll take a different route and just say what I feel.

I’m bummed.

Not disheartened, not really angry, just bummed. Partially because I’m writing this instead of about who I think will start at striker this season (which I’d planned on doing earlier in the day before all hell broke loose), but mostly because for the first time, my favorite thing in the world is facing a threat to its very existence.

I love City because of how different it is from all the other sports in town. At any other game, you’re treated at best like a customer, and more typically like a money cow to be milked. You go through the metal detectors and pat-downs, pay for your drastically overpriced merchandise and concessions, consume your nicely-packaged sporting product – complete with plenty of advertisements – then scurry back to your car with the thousands of other people and go home.

I love City because it’s where I met most of my friends. It’s what inspired me to start writing again and create this blog, my main vehicle for self-expression. After three years of doing this, it’s allowed me to dream a tiny tiny bit that maybe, one day, I might be able to get paid to write, no matter how small the check is.

I love City because, after years of watching football and seeing supporters from around the world, I’ve gotten to experience what they experience.

As it stands, a hypothetical Detroit MLS team likely wouldn’t begin play until 2020 at the earliest. I have no say in that matter, but what I do control are my own thoughts and actions. I’m going to continue doing what I’ve been doing, and I will never stop as long as I have a club to support.

To be perfectly clear, if all goes according to plan and the Gilbert & Gores creation comes into being, I will not support it in any way, shape, or form. My heart belongs to another.

Okay, enough of all that. I have a season preview to write. I think this Deakin kid’s gonna be pretty good, y’all.