This I like

The Palace of Auburn Hills, home to the Detroit Pistons and Detroit Shock, is opening five new luxury suites at $450,000 a pop. Big deal? The suites are all underground ("dungeon suites," if you will), meaning they don't include a view of the game, unless you count the big-ass plasma TVs as a view. Granted, each suite includes tickets to the VIP section courtside for those who wish to go above ground and see the game with their own eyes.

But I have to say, I wholeheartedly approve. Most suites are either owned by corporations, or else very rich individuals, and suite-owners are notorious for caring more about wining and dining clients, hitting up the limitless food and drink, and doing many things that don't involve, you know, actually watching the action, that it's good to relegate them to the dungeon.

I can only hope this concept catches on so that new venues might be built without any above-ground suites whatsoever. Removing that tier (or two ... or three) might make those "view level" seats a little more comfortable, causing not so many nosebleeds in the future.

And then there's that whole thing about the supreme justice of relegating the rich and the corporate to the basement where they belong.