I'm not talking to you, Tarheels fans. I won't try to dissuade you from rooting for your team.
But to everyone else, when Michigan State University plays the University of North Carolina for the NCAA basketball championship tonight in Detroit, you should be rooting for the Spartans.
Why? Not for pity on Detroit and Michigan. Yes, anyone alive and sentient and living in the U.S. should know that times are awful in Michigan, Detroit in particular. Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, and Detroit's unemployment rate is 22%. People in Michigan feel like they've been getting kicked in the gut for several years. And it hasn't gotten any better.
But what's happening in Michigan may only be a precursor to what happens in the rest of the country.
The Spartans' run has been great for people in Michigan, to give them something to be proud of, as a minor relief from the grim daily news of economic hardship. But don't root for the Spartans because you feel sorry for the people of Detroit and Michigan.
Root for the young men of the MSU basketball team because they're proud of their state. Most of the players are from Michigan, in particular the parts of the state that have suffered the most. Flint. Saginaw, where this year there are fewer manufacturing jobs than at any time since 1920. And Detroit. The Spartans outstanding guard, Kalin Lucas, grew up mostly in the Detroit suburbs. But he also spent time living with his grandmother in Detroit, and before Saturday nights' game at Ford Field just north of downtown Detroit, he changed his bio so his hometown would be announced as Detroit.
If Michigan State wins, it won't be a huge upset, like Villanova over Georgetown. Michigan State has made the Final Four five of the last eleven years, and is one of the handful of elite programs in the nation. They have outstanding, highly athletic players.
But if Michigan State wins, it will be an affirmation for people in Detroit and Michigan, and a testament to solidarity. "We're a blue collar team," said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, "and this is a blue collar city."
You can't make a car with a handful of superstars and a bunch of bit players. It takes an assembly line, with everyone doing their job. That's the way Michigan State plays. Lucas was the Big Ten player of the year, but the key to State's success are the things that require a collective effort: rebounding, defense, and bench play. Most college teams play 7-9 players, and most of the scoring is done by 3-5 guys. State regularly plays 10 or 11 guys, and they all contribute.
And they're proud of where they come from. They've eagerly taken on the task not just of winning a national championship, but of doing it not only for themselves, and despite breaking huddles by saying "family," their team. They've openly talked about trying to win for an entire state that is facing horrible times.
So, don't root for Michigan State because Detroit and Michigan need a relief. Root for MSU because of how they play, their pride of home, and because more than most teams that try to win championships—and we've been fortunate to have several from Michigan over the last decade or so—they're trying to win it to bring some joy to their families, their neighbors, and their fellow citizens of Michigan.