The SuperBowl came and went, and viewed from Chicago it looks like Detroit faired well in the media spotlight. All in all, it was probably a very good thing for the city of Detroit, though I doubt anywhere near the level it was hyped to be. (I heard someone say the SuperBowl would "increase property values." What? Put the crack pipe down before you're interviewed on TV, okay?)

The root of my concerns leading up to it, and still, is that all the hype and effort was for all the wrong reasons. The flurry of demolitions, hastily covering vacant lots with digitally printed murals, the rounding up of the homeless, fake store-fronts and seas of fake smiles over an obsession with MTV pop culture trash and sports (NFL football at that...) If we could only make the city an authentically nicer, functioning place for the people who live, work and visit on a regular basis instead of for one night of television. That's all I'm saying.