Detroit Free Press

Ihad to go.Not leave. Go. As in, use the facilities? As in, find a bathroom? That kind of go.Fortunately, I was in ...

My plane had been canceled. I jumped in a cab. Said I needed to get to Detroit, which was four hours away.The ...

THE U.S. OPEN, IN THE YEAR 2009 -- "Well, Jim, as we begin today's final round, this golf championship has certainly lived up to its billing.""It sure has, Ben. The leader board says it all. A challenge between the old guard and the new.""Speaking of that old guard, here's the ageless Tiger Woods ready to tee off. He's tied for the lead, and, man, he's like Father Time, isn't he? He just keeps going.""Look at that tee shot. Remarkable, for a man in his 30s.""Wait, Jim, he's gonna ...yes, he's gonna walk rather than take the cart! Wow! What conditioning!"

Ihave this vision. It is of a room. A large room. Lots of high-tech equipment inside. Levers. Buttons. Flashing lights.Entrance to this room is rare. A sign outside reads "AMERICAN BUZZ." The door is always locked.But a select few have the key. And those who do get to insert the topic they want the whole country to be talking about, pull the levers and watch their power work. In recent months, George Lucas and his "Star Wars" people were in there. So were the Kennedy family mythologists.

They lined the streets in a hellish heat, on the darkest day in this city's recent history. And they were smiling.They couldn't wait to hand their money over.They sweated. They sat on the curb. They passed hour after hour in boring humidity, staring at a building, waiting for its doors to open.They couldn't wait to hand their money over.They weren't shopping. They weren't buying anything. They would not go home with a car, a new dress or even a bag of groceries. Most would go home with nothing more than emptier pockets. Still, they stayed.

THE PLAYER quits, the theories begin.So should the laughter.Honestly, some of the reasons being offered for Barry ...

HE WAS known for his running, but will be remembered for his final walk. Barry Sanders, arguably the greatest running back in football, spent 10 years dodging contact in the NFL, only to depart with his own rocking elbow to the face. The recipients were his team, his coaches, his fans and his city. And the black eye is just beginning to swell.See Barry walk.

We lost a good man last weekend. His death was sudden. It shocked those who loved him. When he finally was laid to rest, it was hard to believe how many people paid tribute.I am not talking about John F. Kennedy Jr., although you probably thought I was. Such is the state of American culture that even death can be usurped by the rich and famous.No, the man I am talking about was not a Kennedy. He was never dubbed "America's Prince." He was neither famous nor Adonis-like. He never Rollerbladed through Central Park.