American Football Spectacular: Modern Ruins

* San Francisco vs. Detroit
Sunday, November 12, 2006. 10:00 AM, PST.
Week 10
Battle Amongst The Ruins

The Detroit Lions are doing better than expected. Sure, they've only got two wins, but they are competing. And why? Well, a big factor in their improvement is coaching. STL's head coach "Mad" Mike Martz was unceremoniously tossed out of St. Louis after the 2005 NFL season. He had escalating conflict with the front office after a heart ailment, and when he was fired, DET snapped up the architect of what Warren Sapp called "The Greatest Show On Turf" to be their offensive coordinator.

As the Niners well know, Martz's particular genius is in running an attacking spread offense that makes the most of multiple receiver routes, simplifies quarterback reads, and requires adaptive running backs. We saw too damn much of this GreatestShowOnTurf crap back when the Rams rose to the top of the NFC on sheer offensive firepower and took Super Bowl XXXIV by the slimmest of margins. Now beginning his career anew in that wacky NFL variable that is The Motor City, Martz seems comfortable directing the offense in DET, despite the franchise's recent history of furiously pathetic front office futility under their CEO/President (and former 49er/Raider MLB) Matt Millen.

The Mad One has career journeyman QB John Kitna looking great running the offense, and suddenly Detroit is putting up big numbers when they've got the ball. Sure, they haven't won much, but they are slouching towards becoming one of those hot-and-cold teams that you just don't want to play. With former Cal guy Rod Marinelli running the whole show, and Mad Martz calling plays, last week they upset an Atlanta team that should have blown them out!

And so into Motown go our 49ers. We were able to step on the Minnesota Vikings when they came to town last week, with the defense holding up after being beaten like a drum in previous weeks by opposing teams and the media. Wearing those classy old unis, the Niners held somewhat firm, uglified the game, and went home happy, 9-3. Yay, Nedney!

So, now we have two weak-to-mid-level teams coming off wins as this Week Ten matchup nears.

And what of the Lions' town? In the last twenty-some years, what with the automotive economic backbone of the city deteriorating, Detroit's name has been synonymous with urban blight and hard luck times.

In 2006, according to FBI crime numbers, Detroit was ranked the second most dangerous place in North America in terms of general violence, homicides, rapes and other such crimes. Ironically, St. Louis was number one.

It was telling that as the Detroit Tigers made their unlikely 2006 run to the World Series, news outlets began to run with the story of how a sports team's success could help cheer up a battered city.

"People are really afraid," Detroit Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick said to the Miami Herald before the World Series. "Where will my son work? Will retirement benefits be available for me? And [the Tigers' success] provides that kind of hope, the bridge to get us to the next conversation. This Tiger team, down but never out, is kind of emblematic of the spirit and heart of the city of Detroit."

According to the Miami Herald, they had to turn on lights in the empty buildings near Comerica Park to keep the area from looking like a ghost town when the Series came to town.

Supplanted by "Comerica Park," the once grand Tiger Stadium stands empty, holding down the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. Groups are fighting to save or repurpose the old house, even as it waits for demolition.

Also standing out among the many abandoned buildings is Michigan Central Station. Closed since 1988, this formerly glorious structure has become a pointed example of Detroit's decay.

"Imagine The Ferry Building, but empty, in a dangerous area, and now known for murder and rape," said American Football Spectacular's Detroit correspondent Hadiya. "It used to be nice, but now it's all broken glass windows and dead bodies and rooms that are labeled for rapes that had happened there."

Terrible. Can Motor City recover its economy now that the "Motor" part of the economic equation is nearly no more?

It is particularly telling that the city's motto is "Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus," Latin for "We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes."

And if Detroit can have hope, so can we all.

* Denver vs. Oakland
Sunday, November 12, 2006. 1:00 PM, PST.
Week 10
The Battle Of Shanny's Delight

Few things in this world make that evil pinched grin appear on Denver Head Coach Mike Shanahan's face than beating the Raiders. Great, so; last week he beat the floundering Steelers, and now the Broncos come to the Coliseum.

Now, we do remember how close our Raiders played 'em earlier on in Week Six this season. That was before the Broncos' offense started to click. Now that the evil Denver offensive zone/cut-blocking machine has posted 31 points in each of the last two games against IND and PIT, this jus' don't bode well for our Raiders.

The Raiders have had plenty of steadfastness on defense as of late, but we're still waiting to see any sort of positive action on offense, where The Al still won't allow anything new to grow.

With Denver's far-better-than-average built-for-Indianapolis non-blitzing power-vanilla defense still their current strength, there just doesn't look to be much hope for this game. Unless your name is Mike Shanahan.

Next up on your American Football Spectacular: Bill Walsh is not feeling well? What else can go wrong?!

Game photos via NFL.com. Photo of Michigan Central Station by Patrick T. Power via wikipedia.com.