Jay Murray (JZ DeLorean)

Contributing Writer at @mich_enjoyer / Alt @jmscotsman31

[Jay Murray (JZ DeLorean) @Stainless31]

Hunter Biden to the Democrats on the way out the door.

[Hunter Biden @HunterBiden]

WTF timeline are we on. Someone called me the MAGA whisperer and I’ll gladly take the title. Left, right, D or R we all want the same things. We’re being divided on purpose by the Epstein Elite Oligarch class because as long as we’re at each other’s throats, they get fat and rich off of our misery. The second we figure out we agree on more than we disagree, they’re done. Love your neighbor. Be yourself. Radical honesty. No fucks given, no fucks taken. Everything else is just noise. (But still fuck Jake “Brick Tamland” Tapper on any time line)

[NHL Trump @trump_nhl]

Sleepy Steve Yzerman FAILED to improve the Detroit Red Wings at the trade deadline, leading to one of the WORST CHOKE JOBS in National Hockey League history to miss the playoffs. Sadly, GREAT AMERICAN Dylan Larkin has seen enough, and has asked sleepy Steve for a trade out of the GREAT State of Michigan. The ridiculous Red Wings have brought TOTAL SHAME to their tremendous fans, who have been suffering very badly for many years, and now Captain Michigan wants out! A TOTAL DISASTER! Thank you for your ATTENTION to this MATTER! NHL President DONALD JOHN TRUMP

[Michigan Enjoyer @mich_enjoyer]

Westland Was Named After Its Dead Mall
Given that the city took its name from where people bought their stuff, they should rename it Amazon, Michigan

By Jay Murray @Stainless31

Westland — Once the tentpole of the community, the Westland Mall now stands as a mostly hollow relic of western Wayne County’s once-vibrant consumer culture.

The mall predates the City of Westland, believe it or not. When ground broke on what would become known as one of the first malls in Michigan—constructed on the heels of Northland Mall in Southfield—Westland was a mostly rural township called Nankin.

Completed in 1965 by JL Hudson Corp., nearby Livonia saw the possibility of remarkable tax revenue from the newly minted Westland Mall and moved to annex the northern half of Nankin Township. Had this come to fruition, Livonia could have become the second-largest city in Michigan at the time, but the annexation failed and Nankin decided to finally incorporate.

As a f— you to Livonia, Nankin leaders decided to name the city after the object of Livonia’s desire: Westland Mall.

An economic boom followed as Westland Mall became the center for not just Westland but Livonia, Canton, Plymouth, and Garden City. With the Quo Vadis movie theater opening across the street a year later, the Wayne and Warren intersection was solidified as the hub of western Wayne County.

The world has changed mightily in the six decades since, and for Westland Mall and the immediate area, there are serious questions about the area’s future.

The obituary for Westland Mall was written years ago. The signs of decline were present as the name-brand businesses slowly were replaced by less stable businesses selling more low-grade urban wares.

It had became harder to find designer clothing and easier to find nine-button suits in pastel colors, but that shift was slow and virtually unnoticeable to most.

By the 2010s, the decline in foot traffic had become too striking to ignore, and desperation set in as several businesses began to renovate to chase a new generation of shoppers.

It was all for naught. Macy’s, the main front-facing anchor of the mall, closed in 2017, followed by Sears in 2021.

Since then, Westland Mall has faded from memory, but to the shock of most people I spoke with, it’s still open and riding out the last remnant of in-person shoppers.

Namdar Realty Group entered the picture in 2014. A real estate and property management conglomerate with a clear mission statement: Take advantage of the decline, manage it as cheaply as possible, and wait.

Namdar bought Westland Mall and added the property to a massive collection of declining malls it already owned throughout the nation. They allegedly purchased the mall for cash and instituted their tried-and-true plan of reducing maintenance expenditures and rents.

Some might call this smart investing by Namdar, but others have called it absentee land lording. Namdar has a national reputation, fairly or unfairly, as a slumlord.

A source within Westland City Hall with deep familiarity on the issue spoke bluntly: “Namdar’s making a profit on the property with Kohl’s and JCPenney’s still anchoring the east and west sides of the mall, but the foot traffic is gone.”

The lack of foot traffic gives an unsettling “Backrooms” vibe as you walk through Westland Mall. While walking the corridor of empty storefronts, two mall employees loitered by a counter, and the conversation was striking:

“The owners are trying to get a $10 million grant from the state to redevelop the mall while sitting on $4 billion in worth.”

“That’s crazy.”

That tidbit of information was hard to confirm, but sources within Westland City Hall confirmed the price of the sale price for Westland Mall was recently dropped to around $18 million from the previous asking price of $30 million.

Westland officials assured me the mall is top of mind, but local government is ill-suited to win wrestling matches with the free-market forces, and no level of municipal interference can suddenly fill residents with a burning desire to hang at the mall.

Westland isn’t alone in this struggle. Northland Mall is long gone, even if the dirty dirt still lingers in Metro Detroit. Eastland Mall is an industrial zone today. Fairlane Town Center is a ghost town. Laurel Park is being kept alive by the Phoenix Theater and a sports memorabilia merchant. All that remains of Livonia Mall is a homeless shelter once called Sears.

The community is mostly apathetic, but Namdar, in a brilliant ploy to placate and massage concerns, hired Toman & Co to come up with new ideas to save Westland Mall by “listening to the people.”

The average residents of Westland have more innovative ideas than experts working in property and business management, right?

The responses, according to Toman & Co, were mind-blowing, fresh, and exciting. Responders wanted more food and beverage, retail, and destination options housed in the mall.

Translation: Residents want back everything they originally stopped wanting, and still don’t want, because if they did, then the mall wouldn’t be dying.

More interestingly, Toman & Co noted that their social media polling on Westland Mall took place on Facebook. Not exactly the platform for determining the economic vibe of people under 30, which is the “tell” that Namdar doesn’t care about saving the mall, but rather managing its death as the last generation that cares ages.

Given that they named the town after the place where people bought there stuff, Westland should consider renaming itself Amazon.

[Jake Altman @TradeUnionJake]

The Haley Stevens and Chris Swanson crossover endorsements say something about a yearning for the most authentic Michigan voice in each race.

One suspects the other candidates are uncomfortable away from campus or would be happier landing a big TV show in NYC.

[Joe Evans for Idaho TBD @IDJoe4Idaho]

"Weed dispensaries, dollar stores, pawn shops, and more specifically PLASMA DONATION CENTERS are businesses and facilities that attract and serve the emergent economic underclass.
The mere presence of these types of establishments is a sign that your community is in some level of managed decline." ~@Stainless31

Managed decline, a controlled demolition is more like it.
#ReasonableMan

[Doug Lloyd @DougLloyd4ag]

I was recently quoted in a @detroitnews article from @ChadLivengood discussing the data center debate here in Michigan.

No matter where you stand on the issue, it’s hard to ignore the lack of transparency and clear communication surrounding it.

At its core, this debate comes down to a few key concerns: insufficient communication, government overreach from Lansing, and a growing erosion of public trust.

As a locally elected county prosecutor, the biggest concern I hear from people across Michigan is the loss of local control. Communities deserve a meaningful voice in decisions that will directly affect them. It’s clear that both government and private industry must do a better job engaging with the people they serve.

[Allan Walsh🏒 @walsha]

As a member of the Concussion & CTE Foundation Board of Directors, we are dedicated to research, treatment and finding a cure to CTE. Thank you for this gift and helping make a difference in people’s lives.

[Jay Murray (JZ DeLorean) @Stainless31]

Official statement on Claude Lemieux’s passing by the Lemieux family.

[Brendan Lemieux @blemieux22]

Family of Claude Lemieux issues statement regarding his passing.

[Jay Murray (JZ DeLorean) @Stainless31]

Tim Miller has to be the weirdest guy working in the pundit lane.

[Michigan Enjoyer @mich_enjoyer]

The Villain Who Created the Championship Red Wings
Claude Lemieux ignited a rivalry that forced Detroit to level up and become Stanley Cup contenders

By Jay Murray @Stainless31

My fascination with Claude Lemieux extends much further back than his epic playoff confrontations with the Detroit Red Wings as a standout player on the New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche teams of the mid-1990s.

For obsessive fans of the NHL like me, Lemieux’s name already elicited both awe and disgust when he was lacing up for the Montreal Canadians in the 1980s.

An intense forward, Lemieux’s reputation as arguably the nastiest player in the league was already cemented by his second year in the league, but something else stirred fear in hearts of opposing fans.

Lemieux was a money player.

Loosely defined in the hockey world as a player capable of elevating his skill, speed, and intensity in the playoffs. A playoff killer!

Lemieux immediately showed this ability in his first season in the show in 1985-86. Called up for only 10 regular season games his rookie year, he entered the playoffs and turned into an absolute machine, scoring 10 goals and 16 points as the Canadians won the Stanley Cup.

He also accrued 68 penalty minutes in 20 playoff games that year. In laymen’s terms, this meant Lemieux was a big problem for any team the Canadiens faced in the playoffs.

By the 1990s, Lemieux found himself on the New Jersey Devils as they slowly emerged as a Stanley Cup contender, eventually putting Lemieux on a crash course with the Red Wings in 1994-95. Facing the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals, Lemieux led the Devils to victory and was named the playoff MVP.

Lemieux had become the “Red Wing Killer.”

A year later, Lemieux’s unstoppable velocity blasted the Red Wings once again, this time as a member of the Colorado Avalanche. In Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, Lemieux hit Kris Draper from behind, sending him into the boards face-first, causing him devastatingly serious facial injuries.

Lemieux damn near killed Kris Draper, a fan favorite in Detroit and a core player for the Red Wings.

This one hit shifted the entire axis of the NHL, ignited a feud that consumed the league and created one of the greatest sports rivalries in sports history.

The Western Conference arms race had begun.

The Avalanche went on to win the Stanley Cup in 1996 and Lemieux became the object of rage for the Red Wings and their fanbase.

With s singular focus, the Red Wings entered the 1996-97 season intent on hoisting the Stanley Cup, but first they needed revenge.

The showdown between the Red Wings and the Avalanche on March 26, 1997 was arguably the most anticipated regular season game in NHL history —now known as The Brawl In Hockeytown.

I was at that game sitting upper-bowl behind Hall of Fame Red Wing goalie Mike Vernon. The anger in the building was indescribable, a bloodlust so strong it felt manic.

One name was on the minds of every Metro Detroiter leading up to that game for months: Darren McCarty. He needed to avenge his friend and linemate, Kris Draper. He needed to avenge the Red Wings. He needed to avenge us all, damn it!

Late in the first period, in what can only be described as an all-out melee, McCarty pummeled Lemieux. The images of that fight are now iconic.

The Red Wings won that game in overtime and later that year broke the 42-year Stanley Cup drought by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in a four game sweep. The rivalry between the Aves and Wings continued for a few years, with both teams winning additional Stanley Cups, but the feud dissipated as players were traded or retired.

Three decades later, nostalgia has replaced hate with respect. Acknowledgment and understanding has replaced the frenzied fanatic mania. “I hate Claude Lemieux” slowly became “I wish he’d played for our team.”

The Red Wings needed Lemieux. He was a perfect enemy at the right time. A Red Wing team carrying a curse and trying to overcome the last insurmountable hurdle sometimes needs a foil to put teammates on the same fixed mission. Lemieux’s nasty intensity pushed the Red Wings beyond their previous ability and made them find that extra postseason gear.

Claude Lemieux won 4 Stanley Cups on three different teams, a playoff MVP, and ranks ninth in playoff goals. That he accrued 529 career playoff penalty minutes is a sign that he was willing to cross any line of gentlemanly play to win.

It seems poignant and perfect that many opposing players from his 21-year NHL career, including Darren McCarty, have honored Lemieux’s life and spoken fondly and affectionately about him. McCarty specifically was grief stricken and called him a “brother.”

Many Red Wing fans have poured heartfelt respect for Lemieux across social media in a unifying outgrowth of grief. Lemieux’s impact and accomplishments in the NHL were so enormous President Trump even released an official statement acknowledging his passing.

It was very easy to hate Claude Lemieux during his career. With the distance of time, it’s much easier to respect him.

Money players are loved by their teams, hated by opposing teams, and absolutely detested by opposing fans, but the stat line and the hardware don’t lie. Lemieux will be remembered in death as the best money player of all.

[Jay Murray (JZ DeLorean) @Stainless31]

https://t.co/B1J2bjh368

[Jay Murray (JZ DeLorean) @Stainless31]

Money players are uncommon in the NHL. Of that exclusive cohort, none had an impact like Claude Lemieux. My thoughts on his passing @mich_enjoyer

[Frank J. Fleming @IMAO_]

You think they’re done for and then that pan to the wall… such a great gag.

[Colorado Avalanche @Avalanche]

For Claude.

Written and voiced by Kyle Keefe.

[Darren McCarty @DarrenMcCarty4]

Just heard the news on #ClaudeLemieux
This is extremely sad no matter what feelings from past or present you hold. My thoughts and prayers to his family and friends and people who got to see the person off the ice wasn’t the person on. As I’ve said and will always call it as I see it

“If your on the ICE with Claude Lemieux and your turn your back. YOU Are an IDIOT.
But off the ICE I’ll turn mine”

And please. If you are struggling at all please reach out and talk to someone

Godspeed my friend

[Jay Murray (JZ DeLorean) @Stainless31]

What an image. The dark knight vs the white knight.

A rivalry that defined an entire era of NHL hockey.

[Devils Joint @DevilsJointX]

NOV 11th, 1997
CLAUDE LEMIEUX vs. DARREN McCARTY
Pepe Lemieux returns to Detroit looking to send a message, resulting in one of the best bouts of the 90's. @DarrenMcCarty4
#GoAvsGo #LGRW #NJDevils #NHL

[Devils Joint @DevilsJointX]

NOV 11th, 1997
CLAUDE LEMIEUX vs. DARREN McCARTY
Pepe Lemieux returns to Detroit looking to send a message, resulting in one of the best bouts of the 90's. @DarrenMcCarty4
#GoAvsGo #LGRW #NJDevils #NHL

[Jay Murray (JZ DeLorean) @Stainless31]

God Emperor @POTUS has spoken the name Claude Lemieux.

[Jay Murray (JZ DeLorean) @Stainless31]

Kenny Lofton should be in the HOF.

[That Guy Rocked MLB @MLBGuyRocked]

Kenny Lofton

That guy rocked.

[Michigan Enjoyer @mich_enjoyer]

Whitmer Can Make Jobs in the Carolinas but Not Michigan @Stainless31