There's a line in Hoosiers where Coach Norman Dale, played by Gene Hackman, looks over a thin roster and tells the gym his team is on the floor. That is what AJ Hinch is saying right about now. After a trade deadline that let Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize loose from the starting rotation, the Tigers are playing the team that's on the diamond. Detroit fans have seen this before — we cheer, we support the hometown teams, and we spend our hard-earned dollars at Ford Field, Comerica Park and Little Caesars Arena all year round in hopes of a celebration parade. The gas money, the parking, the concessions, the souvenirs: a day in the stands is never just a ticket. A few years ago the Lions had us on the edge of our seats, one half away from our very first Super Bowl, the Promised Land no Lions fan had ever set foot in. That second half proved too much and the 49ers sent us home. For a few days we walked around in a fog wondering why. How did it get away? Then the Pistons: the #1 seed, home court all the way through the Eastern Conference playoffs, a game 7 escape in the first round, then down 3-1 in the next series and all the way back to 3-3 with game 7 at home. We sat there in amazement as they were blown out on their own floor — eliminated, by a team that was supposed to be headed to the Finals. For a few days we walked around in a fog wondering why. How did it get away? Being a fan is not always easy, and Detroit fans can relate to that better than most. But like Joe Louis and Tommy Hearns, our Hall of Fame legends, we get up off the canvas, take the standing 8 count, and get back in the fight. We will be in the stands. And one day we will have that celebration parade in the streets of Detroit!
