Detroit Essentials

Wal-Mart moves downtown

Wal-Mart has recently announced its plans to open stores in the blighted neighborhoods of urban centers reports Ylan Q. Mui in "Wal-Mart to Enter Urban Markets," reported today in The Washington Post.  Wal-Marts attempts to open urban stores have been met with strong resistance in the past, especially from small business owners who felt they would not be able to compete with the mega-store.

To fight the backlash oft associated with the opening of a new store, Wal-Mart is pursuing a new strategy of growing "opportunity zones" alongside its new stores.  In the words of Wal-Mart chief executive H. Lee Scott Jr., the zones would "help small businesses withstand competition with Wal-Mart by teaching them how to do business with the company, offering grants to benefit communities and featuring small businesses on radio ads played inside the store, among other things."

Excuse me if I sound a little skeptical, but Wal-Mart is going to help its competitors by teaching them to do business with Wal-Mart?  What exactly does this mean?  Are they going to "teach them" how to not sell the products that Wal-Mart sells?  Teach them how to deal with not being their own bosses?  Teach them how to become niche stores that Wal-Mart will then put out of business 5 years later when it exapnds into different product lines?

That said, though I enjoy Wal-Mart bashing as much as the next person, I think it's important to look at the possibilities this new expansion would bring to people living in Detroit (if Wal-Mart chooses to open a store here).  The first thought is, more jobs closer to home.  Not that these new jobs will come with health insurance or be far beyond minimum wage, but they do offer a steady form of employment for many people who previously had to travel outside of the city for work.  The second benefit is the increased access to cheaper commercial goods and food that comes with larger stores and has evaded most inner-city citizens for a long time.  However, unless WalMart opens up a fruit and vegetable section, it seems that it will be bringing the same junk food people can currently buy in bodegas and corner stores, albeit at a better price.  Finally, there isn't much small business to be put out of business.  Maybe this will bring more economic growth opportunity than it will stifle.  Maybe.

~bEckY

Detroit Pistons clinch home advantage in the East

Yesterday's game versus the Phoenix Suns proved to be another exciting one for the home team.  The game started off slow for the Pistons with the first quarter completely dominated by the Suns.  The Suns were shooting at about 70% and put Pistons in a 17 point deficit.  Other troubling matters in the first half were technical fouls handed out to Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace, and Chauncey Billups.  This marks the 16th tech for Sheed, which automatically suspends him for one game under the new NBA rules. 

Something must have been said during half-time because all changed in the second half.  Piston's defense came back in full swing with Ben leading the charge (11 points, 12 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 blocks).  Chauncey Billups put up an enormous 35 points and orchestrated pick and rolls, picture perfect plays, and aggressive ball handling.  Rip and Ben paired up to dunk three in a row in the 3rd.  The turnaround was great and the Palace fans were roaring as the Pistons beat the Suns 109-102 and clinch home advantage for the first 3 rounds of the playoffs.

Interesting Note: If you were at the Palace Sunday, you may have noticed that Rasheed Wallace was notably missing for warm-ups.  In fact, he did not walk onto the floor until it was very close to game time.  So much so that Mason announced Antonio McDyess to start and then changed it to Rasheed.  So where was Rasheed?  Is so happens that Sheed was thrown off by Daylight Savings Time.  All of his clocks said 11 when it was really noon.  That was until Sheed looked at his cell phone displaying the correct time.  Ooops!!! We're glad you made it to the game Sheed. 

Photo Credit: Ankur Dholakia/The Detroit News

-Jovina

Detroit Tigers Baseball - This Year with A Proven Manager

I'm not sure I can honestly say that this will be the year that the Tigers win it all.  But with a new (but old) veteran manager, Jim Leyland, who has taken other teams to the World Series, we will be able to place the blame squarely on the players if they don't produce.  Most of the roster is the same as last year, but there remains a pool of talent that just never put it together in 2005.  See this article at the Detroit Tigers website...

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060330&content_id=1372202&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det

The home opener at Comerica Park is on Monday April 10, versus the Major League Baseball champions, the Chicago White Sox.  All the games in the three game series start in the early afternoon so you get three chances to play hookey from work or school.  Hopefully it will be the start of a competitive season, but the Central Division will be a tough one with the White Sox and the Cleveland Indians who just missed a wildcard spot last year.  Let's see what happens.

- Atul