Ah, April in the D. The Wings have gotten off to a slow start against Tampa to say the least. The Pistons are taking on a team from Cleveland that is hungry for revenge after getting thrashed by the Golden State Warriors last season. The Tigers' pitching actually looks pretty decent early on (kind of like last year, mind you). And the Lions are just weeks away from continuing to marginalize their fans before the season even begins at the NFL draft. Times are tough in the Detroit Sports community. Here's five helpful ways to survive it.

1. Accept the fact that at least one of your teams will be among the worst in the league.

While Detroit is considered one of the best sports cities in America, some of its teams have a longstanding history of extreme disappointment and failure. It seems that despite having reliable support from the hometown fans, the idea of all four teams being somewhat above average at the same time is unfathomable. Watching cities like Boston raise a banner in every sport in the last 8 years is demoralizing, considering whichever Detroit teams are playing in the postseason have underachieved as of late, while the other squads hover around last place in their respective divisions.

2. Constantly remind yourself about how lucky you are that ticket prices are this low.

With the exception of passing the entry gate at Joe Louis Arena to watch the Red Wings, most ticket prices for Detroit sporting events are generally pretty low. Lions’ tickets go for a shockingly low amount of cash for an average NFL contest, while you can also watch both the Tigers and Pistons during the weekdays for around $5 to $10, provided you’re not attending a rivalry game or during a late season playoff push.

3. Rely on a college team to ease the pain during football and basketball season.

Until just a few weeks ago, the Pistons hadn’t clinched a playoff berth since 2009, and had wallowed in the last place of the Central division ever since; all the while the Lions have been oh-so reliable in snatching defeat from the jaws of victory for more than fifty years. While University of Michigan’s football program continues to rebuild and its basketball squad has seen better days, the Spartans and Wolverines can typically be counted on when it comes to needing a sporting fix more likely to end in the win column.

4. Look up into the rafters of Joe Louis Arena.

When times are bad, it’s easy to forget that the Detroit Red Wings are among the most successful franchises in the history of professional sports. With eleven Stanley Cups championships, twenty-five consecutive playoff appearances, countless division championships, and several of hockey’s best all-time players, the number of banners hanging at the Joe can be dizzying. A simple glance up is a nice reminder that the team has brought some pretty great memories over the past quarter of a century. Which is more than you can say for the guys who play over at Ford Field.

5. Never give up hope.

I know, I know. Sometimes it feels impossible. But consider:

Despite their reluctance to make throw together a more physical team, the Red Wings have one of the best front offices in the league, with an exceptional ability to identify and develop young talent. It’s hard to accept the fact that the team is in its first rebuilding stage since the early 90’s, especially when entering the postseason as a Stanley Cup contender has been the standard. But with the immense amount of talent sourced from rookies standouts such as Larkin and Athanasiou, a return to prominence is imminent - provided they can get some bigger size on both the offensive and defensive fronts.

Until the 2015 season, the Tigers stood alone at the top of the AL Central standings for four straight Octobers. But with the departures of Dave Dombrowski, David Price, and Yoenis Cespedes, dreams of standing alone as World Series champs quickly turned into nightmares of an uncontrollable dumpster fire that was fueled by injuries, questionable managing, and an unreliable bullpen. New GM Al Avila has done a solid job to put together a respectable bullpen, and the lineup looks as dangerous as it’s ever been. As the 2016 season gets into full swing, reclaiming an AL Central title appears possible once again.

The long underachieving Pistons have finally found their identity as they move forward into their first playoff appearance in this decade. A consistent display of growth in core players Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond remain the centerpiece of a Detroit team that prides itself on gritty play and undeniable heart. No matter what happens in their first round matchup with the Cavaliers, there's one thing that's for sure: with Stan Van Gundy at the helm, the sky is the limit for this young team.

The Lions. Well... In the spirit of optimism, all I’ll say is that the feeling of watching a lions player lifting the Lombardi Trophy in the air (many, many decades from now), will be the outright best moment of my life. But as the next couple impending NFL seasons bring about a feeling of despair and uncertainty, we’ll just have to settle for doing it on a video game console.

Being a Detroit Sports fan isn’t easy. But it’s also not something you choose; it’s the way you were brought up. It’s owning your first Red Wings jersey before you’re even out of a stroller. It’s shouting “DEEETROIT!” and waiting for someone shout back “BASKETBALL!” It's being scared out of your mind at the age of four years old when Paws sneaks up on you at a Tigers' game and tries to give you a high five. Most of all, being a Detroit sports fan is telling everybody this is our year - even though you know it isn’t.