If you're a regular blog reader or Facebook friend or just someone who knows me well, you've undoubtedly picked up on the fact that Susan and I are Michigan girls. From little on, I've had a particular love for the much-maligned city of Detroit. Whenever we headed south to visit family in the Motor City, I'd beg to take a trip downtown. The pulse of the city, now as then, just energizes me. To this day I vehemently defend Detroit's reputation when others dismiss it as dirty, crime-ridden, dying.

See, what people don't realize about Detroiters, and really, Michiganders in general, is that we are people who just refuse to give up. You'll see this beautifully illustrated in our sports teams. In 2008, the Tigers finished the season in last place, the Red Wings fell short in their Stanley Cup bid, the Michigan Wolverines had their worst year in school history, the Pistons disappointed and the Lions notoriously lost every single game. Did the fans stop caring? Did they abandon their loyalties and cozy up to more successful franchises? Fat chance.

And the teams, just like the people of Michigan, came back. They rewarded the faithful with big efforts and important victories and hope. The U of M has already won more games this year than they did all season in '08. The Red Wings and Pistons are poised to put the past behind them and come on strong. The Lions actually won a game last week. And the Tigers are focused on the post season, something that seemed an impossibility in the wake of last year's terrible showing.

Detroit has become the poster child for our nation's economic hardships, and this summer a group of journalists from Time, Inc., decided to become stakeholders. They bought a house within the city limits and set out to take a deeper interest in Detroit. Their mission? To honor the resilience of a place that "has been misunderstood, underreported, stereotyped, avoided and exploited for decades." To explore the spirit of Motown which, like so many other cities and against all odds, still oozes with pride and dreams and potential. To salute good, regular citizens who "fight to open charter schools...jail criminals and bring back the rule of law...band together and renew their neighborhoods...open restaurants, stores and clinics...make great music and try to beat the Yankees." The Time reporters are recording their experiences and insights on a blog with the tagline, "One year. One city. Endless possibilities."

So as the Tigers face off against formidable foes in the coming days, I hope you'll join me in rooting for my team and all they represent--the little guys who, like all of us, sometimes fail, sometimes struggle, sometimes fall down, but always get back up. Every. Single. Time.
It's more than just a game, this baseball. It's for Detroit. It's for Michigan. It's for all of us.
Beth