You can't help but feel sorry for people who live in Michigan. My apologies to our Michigan newspapers that carry this column along with any Michiganders who have bailed out and now live in warmer climates.

My son, Jason, did his graduate work at Northern Michigan University where they train Olympic athletes. He was there on a scholarship, trying to make the US Olympic Weightlifting team. He fell short of that goal, but thanks to his presence in the Upper Peninsula at NMU, the team GPR was considerably heightened. Most of the kids doing weightlifting can't even spell it. Jason said it got so cold there that when you spit it froze before it hit the ground. Strike one- it gets COLD in Michigan!

And then there's the issue of some of the world's lousiest athletic teams on any and all levels. The maze and blue at Michigan has been a proud and honorable tradition, but this year's team looks more like Kent State University, said to have the worst won-loss percentage over the course of college football history at .390.

The hiring of Coach Rich Rodriguez, which was supposed to be the second coming, has been a bust with a capital "B" and the Wolverine faithful are ticked beyond belief. To make matters worse, the Michigan administration is committed to wait until the season's end and maybe even another season as well to address the issue of his hiring.

The guy they really wanted was LSU's Les Miles, who was smart enough to remain at LSU. Now his stock is on the skids as well as the Tigers nearly lost to tiny Troy before getting hammered unmercifully by mighty Ole Miss, providing the arrogant Miles with a bit of humility, an attribute which he sorely lacks.

And it's not just college football that stinks in Michigan. One has only to look down the road a piece at the mess in Detroit where the Lions should be renamed the Lambs. They were winless at the time of this writing but even if they do squeeze out a victory this year, their season is pretty much down the tubes. They couldn't even qualify for the "Toilet Bowl" which should be moved from Flushing, NY to downtown Detroit to match the stadium and its surroundings. The Lions are losers with a capital "L." Now you know why I feel sorry for folks who have to live in Michigan. Strike three- Michigan athletics reek at all levels.

The horrible smell of all of this is matched only by the dismal economic times that hover like a dark cloud over the country's big three automakers. Having addressed all three companies over the years, I'm now convinced that the industry is broke in more ways than one.

Yeah, it's true they're out of money, but that isn't the only thing that's broke. Their business model as we know it today is broke. Perhaps the best thing that could happen to all the so-called "big three" is for them to go into bankruptcy. At least then a trustee could put a stop to execs flying private jets to Washington in to beg for another $25 billion as they did recently.

It's been said that the "big three" need $25 billion just to survive the year and maybe another $100 billion to save the industry.

Instead of forking over $100 billion in tax dollars to plug the holes in this sinking ship, I suggest that you give every person who buys a new car a $10,000 tax credit for doing so. This will move millions of vehicles off show room floors immediately. It would help car dealers stay in business and give the so called "big three" a breather until they can build a car that can actually compete with their foreign competition. Plus, John Q. Taxpayer can actually get something back for all the bailout bucks he or she has been forking over to save everyone from Wall Street tycoons to bank Presidents.

Let's face it- my 401-K has become a 201-K. A Wall Street type was recently heard to say: "It is as bad as a divorce. I've lost more than half of my net worth and I'm still stuck with my wife!" It could be worse. You could live in Michigan!