Already what I like about this piece is its scene-setting lead and the fact that the writer has put himself into the story. I like that because when I read a story sometimes I am skeptical to how the writer gets some of the information. Now I can see that he isn't just making things up to meet his deadline. I believe the writer actually investigated.
I enjoyed the writer's segue from the story about the church to talking about Detroit and its optimistic views in times of struggle. It sets up the piece to be all about the struggle of a dead end town trying to be much more than that. It is reminiscent of the masterpiece, Touchdown, Tyler by Derrick Naylor.
It is amazing what an NFL team and industrial power say about a city, and for Detroit the final verdict is failure. It's a shame because the more that reputation grows for them, the more they will struggle and no one will want to live there. The line, "We want to scream" pretty much sums up their frustration.
By the way, Barry Sanders plus Joe Dumars in a room equals "Hey man"? I thought they might have more interesting things to say, but it seems not.
By the end of this article, the writer had romanticized some life into the dead city of Detroit. The way he speaks of it throughout the piece is not of a failing city with uncontrollable violence and poverty, but rather a fallen hero trying to keep from hitting rock bottom. I enjoy pieces like this and hope to write something similar someday.
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