ESPN chose Austin as the host city for the X Games next year and Detroiters are pissed right about now. Despite putting forth a valiant effort that included Fiesta-drifting and general hoonage, it wasn't enough for the final say.
The X Games will be held at the Circuit of the Americas, which may have been key to ESPN's decision. Say what you will about their choice, but COTA is a fine venue that Detroit, unfortunately, can't match at the moment.
I don't have any "Detroit Hustles Harder" metaphors about a never-say-die gritty tough spirit or anything like that, but local organizers put it better than I could:
It doesn't matter because we are not walking away, and we don't believe the movement of people who have gotten behind this cause are either. To-date, the X Games have served as a rallying point for us, and we imagined that winning the X Games they would be a medium through which we could express and perpetuate the ever-growing vitality of our city in front of a global audience. Over the last few weeks we've realized that ultimately it's probably more fitting that we just create that medium ourselves.
I'm all for Detroit becoming a hub for extreme sports and if this region can attract that crowd the same way artists and entrepreneurs have flocked here, then welcome. Until then, at least Detroit can take solace knowing that it wasn't Chicago who got the bid.
Hat-tip to owen-magentic for the "Ann Arbor of Texas" line.