Tiger Geist

You may have noticed that my “good” posting about a Mike Ilitch / Pistons ownership didn’t sound that rosy.  Probably because i personally believe that, over a 10-20 year period, this is a bad move.

First, I think its a great idea for a shared stadium between the Pistons and the Red Wings.  The problem is they already have one; its in Auburn Hills.  Someone explain to me why its a good idea to continue to build stadiums where no one lives?  Without getting into the “green” movement, you’re building a stadium 15 miles from the nearest fans and without public transportation.  If Mike Ilitch is paying for it, he can build the stadium wherever he wants.  As a business man who would ‘own’ the Palace with the purchase of the Pistons, I’d be quite surprised if he paid for a new stadium himself, and essentially abandon the Palace.

Second, Mr Ilitch is 81 years old.  He could easily not live to see a new stadium built.  How comfortable are we as fans with his son Chris, or the Ilitch Holding company?  They can deliver a hockey championship, but the rest is unknown.  Let’s remember that Mike Ilitch bought the Tigers in 1992.  1992, not 2006.  Those super shitty Tiger teams were on Ilitch.  Here is what the Ilitch empire is founded on:

• Shitty Pizza
• Casinos
• Sports Franchises

Are those rock solid?  Maybe, maybe not.  Why do I bring this up?

As a San Francisco resident, I am constantly reminded of the great SF 49er teams… and the great demise of the franchise once Eddie Debartolo had to walk away.  His family partially lost their fortune in a real estate downturn (1987), and Eddie had some poor (IE illegal) choices that caused him to hand the franchise to his sister.  The franchise hasn’t recovered.

The Ilitch’s have seven children.  What if there is a divorce (Los Angeles Dodgers)?  What if one or more children want to diversify their shares?  What if Chris Ilitch wants to prove himself and step out from his father’s shadow, only to make poor choices?

The family issue is more important to fans then you might realize.  Who in Detroit has the ability to purchase one of the three franchises?  What if Ilitch Holdings had to diversify one or more of the teams to survive? If Ilitch Holdings needed to sell all three franchises in 15 years, what are the chances the owners of all three are local, and don’t want to pull a Seattle Supersonics / Oklahoma Thunder move?  Would the combination of three pro sports teams be a short term guarantee to the location of the franchises, but in reality a long term risk?

I feel the city of Detroit cannot support four pro sports franchises downtown.  Ilitch moving the Pistons downtown may threaten fan support, and in the long run threaten the support of all three franchises*.  While this may be a shrewd business deal if Ilitch Holdings can get a tax break or free money to build a stadium, Mike Ilitch has no experience running a basketball team.  And the Pistons don’t need a solid management style; Joe Dumars built a winner less then 10 years ago.  In fact, Bill Davidson won an NHL championship in 2004.

The Tigers?  As noted previously, all teams should be operated separately, similarly to how I imagine the Tigers are being run currently.  However, I’m extremely nervous about how successful four professional sports teams can be in a town where none of the fans actually live, especially when the pistons fan base has been in a northern suburb for the last 30 years.  A possibly unsuccessful franchise, coupled with any potential family strife / pizza sales issues, could threaten the Tigers stability.  Again, it should be noted:  the late Bill Davidson won a championship in both hockey and basketball; Mike Ilitch has not had a successful run as the Tiger’s owner.  How will diversifying his interest into another sports franchise help the Tigers?

I hate to be Debbie Downer on this issue, but I’m not sure I see how, long term, this is a smart move for fans or the city.

*NOTE:  I leave the Lions out of this because, as I’ve said before, I think Detroit is a football town and the Lions, if successful, can write their own ticket.