A Coming of Age Story of a Detroit Pistons Fan Part III

We went back inside and I reached into my wallet and pulled out my trusty phone card.  I dialed all the numbers it took to use a phone card and my home phone number.  This time when my mom picked up, I spoke to her with confidence.  I said, “Mom, I need you to listen.  They are not going to let us stay at the hotel and we really need some good advice.  Are you ready to help me now?”  Wow, I can tell you that I never spoke to my mom that way before.  She was calmer now too.  She suggested that I call my Aunt Dorothy who lived in Detroit.  That would have been helpful two hours ago, but I didn’t complain.  I took down her number.  My mom had already told her the situation.  I spoke with Aunt Dorothy and she came to pick us up and we arranged to get the car back to her house with us.

To say we were grateful is an understatement.  We were safe!  We had a good night’s sleep and she made us breakfast.  Like I said, we were almost adults.  There’s nothing like when family comes through and feeds you as well.  We managed to get the Horizon to the mechanic and got the car fixed.  Funny thing, they were willing to take my brother’s credit card information over the phone.  Oh well!  We all hugged Aunt Dorothy goodbye and thanked her for saving the day.  We jumped back into the car and got back to I-75 and headed north.  We were all starving.  Again, we were five teenage boys.  However, this time we were not going to make another stop in Detroit.  Maybe we could find some place a little further north.  We went to Little Caesar’s® and ordered two Pizza Pizzas®.  We were so hungry and to this day that was some of the best pizza I had ever eaten.  In another hour, we had reached our goal.  We were home safely in Bay City.

I turned 40 not to long ago and I remember that day like it was yesterday.  I’m sure the story has changed over the years and between the five of us, there were many versions.  I hope that I did the story justice, for it was certainly one of the great adventures of my life.  However, I really told you that story to tell you this story…

Four months later I moved to Minnesota to go to college and I have lived here ever since.  Until Facebook, I hadn’t spoken to any of those guys except for Joe.  Joe moved out to Minnesota for awhile with his family.  Still once again, we lost touch.

Me?  My life turned out nothing like I planned and has been so much more than I could ever have imagined.  But Todd and I were right, we were ready for whatever the future provided.  I have loved, laughed and had more friends and wonderful memories than really one man deserves.  Of course, their have been tough times with more tears than I thought I could cry.  I am happy to say that even when life knocked me down, I always got back off the mat and got back into the game.  When you come from an auto town like Detroit, Flint, Saginaw or Bay City, that’s how you learn to live your life.  I have scars on my face, my hands, on numerous other places on my body and in my heart.  The town that I grew up in and the city I love have their share of scars too.  I think that’s why Detroit fans are so passionate.  We all have our scars and we all get right back into the game.

You see when you are raised in a blue collar town, life is sometimes harder than you think you can bare,  Trust me when I tell you I know men and women who are so much more tough than I could ever be.  The thing is we don’t quit.  We never quit!  Even when they are at their worst, the Lions, Pistons, Red Wings and Tigers never quit.  How could they?  They’re from Detroit!  When I think back, some of my best memories I’ve had are with friends cheering on our hometown favorites.  Sports give us the opportunity to escape from the difficulties that life throws at us, even though it’s only for a little while.  Detroit fans are forever thankful for the athletes who give us that escape.  We expect nothing less than their best effort and we show our appreciation every time they give it to us, win or lose.

I’ve been in Minnesota for 22 years now and I still love Detroit sports.  I love my friends and family who helped shape me into the person I am today.  This story has allowed me to get back in touch with Todd.  From the looks of it, his life is nothing like he planned and more than he could have ever imagined.  I can’t wait to find out more!  Clarence, he owns his own business in Bay City.  Chris lives just outside of Bay City and is a technical genius.  Joe is not with us anymore. 

Joe recently passed away tragically while he and his wife were getting their children to safety from a severe storm.  Now we often talk about athletes as heroes.  They rise up to the challenge of the moment and deliver victory.  That’s why we love them.  That’s why we cheer.  Joe gave his life while making sure that his family was safe.  He rose to the challenge and he delivered.  That is heroic!  That makes me proud to say he was my friend.  I’m proud to have all four of those guys as friends and cherish the misadventure we took on that April night in 1989.  No matter how close we are to our friends as adults, we are never quite as close as we were with the friends we had as kids.  Back then, we lived in the moment.  That’s all we knew how to do.  For that one night, Todd, Clarence, Chris, Joe and I were as close as we could be!  That was our moment!!

In the end, family and friends will always take priority over the Detroit teams we love.  We’re raised that way.  We do what we have to do to get the job done.  It’s our legacy and as Detroit fans it’s who we are.  So why do we love our teams so much?  That’s simple!  It’s because for those few hours they allow us to live in the moment, just like we did when we were kids.  They allow us to relive the memories of friends like Todd Berner, Clarence Pearson, Chris Sharon and Joe Spegel as we cheered our team to victory and created our own moments when nothing was more important than right there, right then.  We know that we will have future moments with friends we have yet to meet.  Our teams from Detroit bring us together because of a common bond, but it’s the friendships we develop that enrich our lives.  That’s what it means to be a fan in Detroit, even if you now live in Minnesota or wherever else the adventure of life has taken you.  Live in the moment and live it with friends and family close by.  You are a fan of Detroit; give it your best every time.

Vote Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell into the Hall of Fame

With 2819 career double plays, THE MOST ALL-TIME, #1 Lou Whitaker and #3 Alan Trammell deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

A Coming of Age Story of a Detroit Pistons Fan Part II

Somehow I got the car off the highway, off the exit ramp and onto 8 Mile.  The Horizon gently rolled to a stop.  I turned the key… nothing.  I turned it again… nothing.  I’m not ashamed to admit that I was frightened and had no idea what we were going to do.  Clarence, Chris and Joe were in the back seat acting, well, like idiots.  That’s the chance you take when you bring underclassmen along on a road trip.  I looked at Todd and he back at me and I was assured he had my back, whatever it was that I was going to do.  So as calmly as I could I said, “OK, be cool.  Let’s watch each other’s backs and figure out how we are going to get out of this.  And for God’s sake, don’t do or say anything stupid!”  Underclassmen!  We got out, pushed the car off the road and into a parking lot.  I wish the Police would have driven by, but no such luck.

Looking around, we saw a Wendy’s® and a pay phone.  I took out my phone card.  Yes, there was a time when we all used pay phones and phone cards.  Then we walked to the phone and I called home.  “Hello, mom…”  She replied, “Where are you?”  I responded, “You see, ah, the car broke down and we’re stranded on 8 Mile in Detroit…”  She yelled, “I knew it, I knew that you would go into Detroit and then someth…” CLICK!

I’m sure it didn’t make her less angry that I hung up on her.  Sure a seventeen year old could use a loving motherly lecture from time to time, but this was neither the time, nor the place for that.  Trust me, it really wasn’t the place!  Besides, it was my brother’s car that broke down.  If anything, she should have been mad at him.  Still, we had a huge problem and it was evident that mom was not going to be helpful at that moment.  Plan B, let’s walk over to the drive-thru window.

Thankfully the employee opened up the window, the bullet proof glass window, and listened to our predicament.  We asked if there were any hotels around the area.  He looked to his left and then to his right and said, “Sure! There are some hotels, but I – I don’t think you want to stay there, you know?”  We knew!  Remember, this was not a real good neighborhood.  He was really nice and offered to call a taxi to take us to a national chain hotel.  I don’t want to give you the name of the hotel, 1 because it is one of my favorite hotel chains and 2, well you are about to find out.

The cab arrived and the nice man from Wendy’s® wished us luck.  In a few short minutes we arrived at the hotel and paid the driver our fare.  Clarence, Chris and Joe took a seat in the lobby and Todd and I went up to the desk.  Now over the years, at least in my mind, the lady on the other side of the counter looks more and more like the witch from The Wizard of Oz.  No, no, not the good witch.  She glared at us and asked, “How may I help you?”

Though I was stressed and fatigued, in a most polished voice I replied, “Well we’re from up in Bay City and we came down to watch the Pistons at the Palace.  Our car broke down and we need a room for the night.  We have five people, but we’d be glad to make do.  What can you offer us?”  This time she didn’t even bother to look up, “How do you plan to pay for this?”  Todd stepped in, “My dad gave me his credit card just in case of an emergency.  That was a pretty good idea.  If you like, you can call to verify it.”  She said, “That won’t be necessary.”  For a moment we thought we were safe until morning, but she continued, “Why did your parents let you drive down to Detroit?”  Things were beginning to unravel.

“Well ma’am, they did and right now we really need a safe place to stay for the night until we figure out how to get back home,” I said.  “Are either of you eighteen?” her interrogation continued.  I looked at Todd and he shook his head no and I did the same.  Todd said, “We’re not quite eighteen, but we will be soon and we are about to graduate from high school.”  “Mmm-hmm,” she continued, “Which one of you is older?”  I looked at Todd and said, “June 8^th.”  He replied, “July 13^th.”  I looked at her and said, “I guess I’m the oldest, it’s my car, so I’m the one who’s responsible.  Let’s put the room in my name.  What do I need to fill out?”  She answered, “Not yet!  I will have to run the card and verify it first.”

She didn’t really seem like she wanted to give us a room.  When she started running the credit card through the machine upside down, we began to lose the fading hope we had left.  Todd suggested that she turn the card the other direction.  She snapped, “THAT’S NOT IT!”  She went to the manager for help.  At that moment, I went over to the other three to let them know things weren’t looking good as they were falling asleep in the lobby.  I truly wish that they were trying to get the card run, but most likely they were coming up with a story to tell us why they were not going to let us stay there.

I had returned to the desk, about the same time that she and the manager did.  They said, “There seems to be some problem with the credit card you gave us and we are not going to be able to help you.”  I pulled my driver’s license and school ID out from my wallet.  Todd calmly suggested that they run the card in the right direction.  They said in unison, “That’s not the problem.”  In a much more forceful manner, Todd said, “You can’t leave us stranded.  Look!  Here’s my driver’s license!”  BAM!  “Here’s my school ID!”  BAM!  “Here’s his!” I slid my two cards over.  “You have my father’s credit card, here’s his number.  Just give him a call so we can have a place to stay!!”  The manager and she gave him back the credit card and walked away.  I asked if they at least had a pay phone.  They said, “There’s one in the lobby.”  Plan C!

Unfortunately, we hadn’t come up with plan C yet.  Todd and I walked outside to calm down and to figure out what we were going to do.  As we discussed our decreasing options, we both had a strong knowledge that in fifty days we were going to be out of high school and we were going to be responsible for ourselves.  In an abstract way, we knew that.  However with this situation thrust upon us, we understood what that meant in a very real way.  We were so aware of it that we discussed how we are adults now and we have to start fixing our own messes.

We both grew up a lot that day.  Our parents had prepared us well.  We never lost our heads.  I’m not exactly sure if we were in any real danger.  Maybe we were in more than we imagined.  Who knew?  We agreed that what was important was to get Clarence, Chris, Joe and ourselves back to Bay City safely.  What ever it would take, we were prepared to do it.  Actually, for the first time since the car broke down, I knew that we would.  The moment was very surreal.  Todd and I were stuck somewhere in limbo.  We looked like adults, but evidently we weren’t until we turned eighteen.  We were less than two months away from finishing high school and heading out to face the world on our own.  It was almost a calming experience.  We both knew at that time that we were ready for our futures.  That’s a valuable piece of information when you’re seventeen and fifty days away from graduation! 

It was now almost one o’clock in the morning and our next plan had to work.  In truth, we were beginning to run out of options.  Plan C was going to work!

To Be Continued…  I promise the next part is the conclusion! 

A Coming of Age Story of a Detroit Pistons Fan. Part I

The year was 1989 and the Bad Boys of the Detroit Pistons were well on their way to their first NBA Championship.  The day was April 19^th and for only $5, Piston’s fans could go to the Palace of Auburn Hills to watch Zeke and the gang clinch the Central Division and the NBA’s best record against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Palace Vision.  All the proceeds went to a local charity.  We had to go…

Todd Berner, Clarence Pearson, Chris Sharon, Joe Spegel and I loaded ourselves into my brother’s cream colored 1980 Plymouth Horizon.  For me this was the first time I went to Detroit without my mother or one of my older brothers.  For all of us, it was a chance to see history and express our independence.  I was the oldest, if only by a few days, just 50 days away from my 18^th birthday and graduating from Bay City Central High School.  I’m sure you remember when every day was a potential adventure.  We were all ready for ours.

The Palace was amazing and for all of us, it was our first time there.  The temple was in place to crown the Palace Guards and the Bad Boys of the NBA as World Champions.  The night belonged to the Pistons.  In their dominate style of 1989, they beat the Cavs handedly 118 – 102.  The Palace was one big party among close friends who had never met before that night.  Ken Calvert was our gracious host and he kept us all entertained, calling the game as if it were a home game.  His deep voice called out, “Isaaaaaaiaaaaaah Thomas, Joe Duuuuuuuuuuumars, Bill Laaaaaaaaaaaaaimbeer!!”

Being a fan himself, he also got caught up in the action.  At one point during the game after one of the NBA’s fabled bad calls by the refs Ken exclaimed, “TERRIBLE CALL!”  After a brief pause and realizing what he had just done he said, “I can finally say what I want to.”  WE LOVED IT!!  Later he led a chant of “Nuts and bolts, nuts and bolts, WE GOT SCREWED!”  But in the end all was perfect when he announced that “Our Deeeeeeetroit Piiiiiistons were Central Division Champs!”

The night was ours!  There was no doubt that our team; our town was the absolute best there was.  Nothing could take that away, especially not from our heroes who wore the red, white and blue Pistons logo on their uniforms.  Todd, Clarence, Chris, Joe and I were not ready for the night to end.  Of course no trip would be complete without going into Detroit, through the Windsor Tunnel to Canada and coming back over the Ambassador Bridge.  All that we missed was a delicious Detroit Coney Dog.  If you haven’t tried one, you are really missing something.

We had our fun and it was time to get home.  After all it was Wednesday night and we all had school the next day.  Five joyous kids in a 1980 Horizon, going 60 mph north on I-75 to Bay City, then it happened.  The power in the car cut, 55 mph, 50, 40, “can I make it to the exit?” 30 mph…  That exit off of I-75 was 8 Mile Road.  Surely you heard of it.  Eminem made a movie about it.  There we were five teenagers, about 120 miles away from home, stranded in one of the worst neighborhoods in the country.

To Be Continued…

Detroit Fans

At The Corner is a new blog dedicated to the teams, athletes and fans of the Motor City.  In the days to come, this site will take a look at the storied history of Detroit sports, music, culture and the hard working blue collar spirit of Motown.  I hope that the histories, stories and memories shared on this site will bring your own memories and stories to your mind.  Feel free to share your memories and insights through your comments.  I will do my best to post at least one blog a week.  I look forward to this literary and memory based journey with you.  Welcome to my blog.  This site is dedicate to you, the loyal die hard fans of Detroit.