The NFL Puts the "No" in Notown.

You might not believe it if it weren't true, but at one time, Detroit was the fourth largest city in the United States. I discovered this today while reading the alarming cover story of this week's TIME magazine entitled "Notown." It is now #11 and sinking like a stone.

The city is $300 million short of the funds needed to fund basic municipal services.

The school system is in receivership.

The murder rate is out of control and a whopping 7 out of 10 such cases go unsolved.

And this one killed me: after Katrina, the unemployment rate in New Orleans peaked at 11%. The current unemployment rate in Detroit is 28.9%.

Twenty. Eight. Point. Nine. Percent.*

In real life terms, Detroit is a wasteland and is hopelessly depressing. In football terms, the Detroit Lions are beyond even attaching the word "hope" to in any way. They have lost 19 professional football games in a row and 25 of their last 26. They are likely the worst team in NFL history.

But, in a time where a little compassion might go a long way, the NFL, in all its regulatory selfishness, has decided to black out tomorrow's Lions game against the Redskins because the team is roughly 10,000 below the necessary limit.

Think about that - it's not like they're even CLOSE to selling the game out. It's obviously not just apathy that has led to the shortfall in ticket sales, but even if it was, can you blame the fans? Their city is literally collapsing around them, and as a perfect metaphor, their NFL team is teetering on the edge of historic ineptitude. But rather than give these poor (emotionally and financially) citizens a brief reprieve, the NFL kicks them in whatever appendage they haven't already donated to science for little bit of cash.

If I hadn't already spent my son's college fund on the NFL Sunday Ticket, it's likely I would have very little to do with the NFL for the foreseeable future. I know that "rules are rules," but seriously, would it do the league any harm to have just a modicum of compassion? Do they somehow think that by blacking out the game that they will cause a rash of fans to purchase tickets? These people are fucking broke and the NFL has now pushed the Lions, and by extension, the league itself, further away from any measure of relevance to them. "Thanks Roger Goodell, but I think I'll try and find the change in my cushions for some milk, thank you very much."

This seriously sucks. I feel for the people of Detroit - if there are any left. I hope beyond hope that somehow the Tigers can catch fire and bring home a World Series to these people.

*I bit the TIME article there.