Detroit's Top Talkers Of 2013 -- The Stories You Loved To Share

By Christy Strawser, digital director

When you love something, set it free -- or in the case of the Web, you can unleash it on Twitter and Facebook, where it gathers momentum and takes on a life of its own.

That was the case with these stories on CBS Detroit, which for reasons all their own generated more traffic and comments than any other stories on the site.

They are (in no particular order):

Detroit Teachers Moonlight As 'Sugar Babies' To Offset Wage Cuts

Many Detroit teachers are struggling in the wake of budget cuts and overcrowded classrooms. Case in point: According to the National School Supply and Equipment Association, the average teacher spent at least $485 on school supplies for their classroom last year.

So, what are some Detroit women doing to offset their struggles in the classroom? Well, they're becoming "sugar babies" of course —  seeking financial assistance from wealthy men online, according to one website. Learn more HERE.

Many NFL Players Want Thursday Games To Disappear; Reggie Bush Says Games Are 'Like A Car Crash'

Even for super-strong, supremely conditioned NFL players, it takes time to recover from several hours of Herculean effort accompanied by high-speed, high-impact collisions.

Normally, NFL players get six days to recuperate between games. Before Thursday Night Football contests that every team must now play each season, the turnaround time is cut in half, and many players do not like it.

Is the NFL — which touts its commitment to player safety in the wake of concussion lawsuits — risking players' health for the sake of adding to the bottom line?

Detroit Lions running back Reggie Bush, who has rushed for 854 yards on 180 carries and 448 yards on 45 catches, said those three days between Sunday and Thursday – half the usual time between games – is not enough. Learn more HERE.

Local McDonald's Forced To Close Amid Protest For Higher Wages

A local McDonald's restaurant was forced to close Thursday morning after its employees walked out and hundreds gathered outside to protest for higher wages.

The restaurant on 8 Mile and Lahser roads along the Detroit/Southfield city line was just one location locally where fast food workers participated in a nationwide "walkout for better wages."

Over 200 protesters crowded the restaurant, carrying signs that read "We are worth more. Strike for 15," as in $15 an hour. Get more information HERE.

Should Hamtramck Erect A 12-Foot Wall To Keep Out Detroiters?

Prosperous suburbs surrounding Detroit — and even the struggling enclaves within — are working to distance themselves from a city in financial ruin.

In Hamtramck, one City Council candidate took that idea to the extreme.

Richard Fabiszak proposed that Hamtramck build a 12 or 14-foot wall around the city, keeping out Detroiters, and requiring state-issued identification to get in. Get the details HERE.

Ben Affleck As Batman? Thousands Sign Removal Petition

He's tall, dark and — well, he's definitely tall and has dark hair and once played the real-life role of Jennifer Lopez's man candy.

But is Ben Affleck man enough to play "Batman?"

Controversy erupted across social media networks when Warner Bros. announced Thursday the 41-year-old Affleck will star in the newest version of the Dark Knight, a movie that promises to bring Batman and Superman together.

And then this happened: Two petitions started, one on change.org and another in the "We the People" section of the White House website.

The creator of the White House petition, a Westland, Mich., man believes "there are more serious matters that need to be addressed in our country but fans/citizens are outraged at the selection and we want to send a message to Warner Brothers, DC Comics, and Zack Snyder using an outlet that could garner the appropriate media attention to do so." Get more information HERE.

Cupcakes With Army Soldiers Get Kid In Hot Water At School

A 9-year-old boy's birthday cupcakes sparked a school controversy that just kept growing, with scores of people lining up against a school principal who found the cupcake's topping "inappropriate."

The boy was chided, and so were his parents, for cupcakes featuring little green Army men on the top.

Schall Elementary School principal Susan Wright called the parents at home and said the cupcakes were insensitive in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting. School staff pulled off the Army men before they were served. Get more information HERE.

Police: Man Rips Off Penis During Drug-Fueled Craze

An Ohio man was hospitalized after injuring himself in a drug-fueled craze.
Washtenaw County Sheriff's deputies responded to a burglar alarm at Ypsilanti Middle School late one night and found the 41-year-old man naked, screaming and bleeding from his groin.
The man had ripped off parts of his own genitals and had lost enough blood to make it a life threatening situation. The man, along with the parts he tore off were transferred to an area hospital. Get more information HERE.

Cops: Man Found Dead In Car Had Just Googled His Symptoms

A man was found dead in the parking lot of Grand Valley State University and police had to search Internet records to determine what killed him.
The body of the man, in his late 30s, was found inside a parked car. He wasn't a student, but he had been inside the school shortly before he died.
"It appears that he had been using the university's computer lab and was researching health issues, actually specific symptoms of a health problem, which may give us an indication of what was going on, " Lt. Patrick Merrill said. Get more information HERE.

Sculpture Removed At Grand Valley State After Naked 'Wrecking Ball' Parodies

Some students didn't like a Michigan school's decision to remove a swinging sculpture that students had been using as a popular, makeshift swing since the release of Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" video.

Grand Valley State University in Allendale said the sculpture, called a bifilar pendulum, had to be taken down and placed it in storage due to concerns about student safety.

In the video, Cyrus appears without clothes on a swinging wrecking ball. Photos and video of people doing the same on the sculpture recently surfaced online.

How did students react? They gathered outside the Padnos Hall of Science, where the sculpture had been on display, to protest the decision to remove the large ball and cable that had hung there for roughly 18 years. Students held cellphones in the air and sang "Wrecking Ball."

Ron Burgundy And Chrysler Appear To Be 'Match Made In Heaven'

Chrysler enlisted the help of a legendary fictional TV anchorman — and it worked.

In fact, some may say it's a pretty big deal.

Comedian Will Ferrell, in character of 70′s San Diego anchorman Ron Burgundy, has done a series of Dodge commercials.  Since they started running in early October, Durango sales have reportedly increased by 59 percent and Web traffic has jumped 80 percent.

"Ron Burgundy is like Dodge," Chrysler marketing chief Olivier Francois told WWJ's Jeff Gilbert when the commercial was released last month. "He's an American icon, has attitude. He's unapologetic, irreverent, and without a doubt, different. A match, potentially, made in heaven." Get more information HERE.