We Investigate: Have The Detroit Tigers Recovered From The 2008 Recession?
Even though it’s rebuilding, Detroit has never been the same since the economy collapsed in October of 2008, nearly destroying the industry upon which the city itself was built. Though this industry survived, it remains in a precarious financial position. We are talking, of course, about the Detroit Tigers baseball team. Has anyone asked what our nation’s financial implosion meant for them?
The Great Recession saw nearly one-third of Detroit residents lose their homes. Because of this, people have assumed the Tigers weathered the storm, as players still call Comerica Park their home. Unfortunately, the truth is much more complicated.
On the verge of tax foreclosure, records show Tigers management packaged sub-prime players together, like most of the entire 2008-2019 roster, and sold them off in an effort to quadruple-mortgage the park. Has this move paid off? Not so much, considering even Deutsche Bank won’t lend to the team anymore.
The situation is so dire we spotted Al Avila sobbing inside his car last week. Avila claimed his tears were the “standard, daily tears” caused by his team’s “shit record;” however, a week’s worth of dirty clothes in the back seat and a hot plate plugged into his cigarette lighter said otherwise.
The fact is, the Tigers are in real trouble. Yes, securing a PPP loan during the pandemic mercifully brought them their first actual revenue stream since the crash, but we have it on good authority that even this money was squandered on frivolous things like paying for scouting and keeping Akil Baddoo from ever having a prosperous career.
Which brings us to the ultimate truth behind this grift: the MLB deliberately overvalued fraudulent prospects, called it a baseball team, and sold it to Detroit like so much Ford Pinto. Too bad the big wigs at the MLB were given golden parachutes instead of the orange jumpsuits they deserved. Please click here to write to your local Congressperson and demand justice for the Detroit Tigers.
