Detroit is one of the most prestigious cities in the United States; its rich history and along with its loyal fans, has allowed it to become one of the greatest cities in sports anywhere across the country. However, for a decade or more, the quality of sports had been very low in Detroit, leading to much despair among fans. This was until recently, in the past 3 years, when Detroit sports have hit a major turnaround, changing fans’ perspectives drastically.

“I only watch Detroit sports, and I get my love for them from my dad because I grew up in Michigan, and Detroit sports are the hometown and in-state teams,” Nick White (‘28) said.

Bringing in fans from not only Michigan, but other places across the United States and even the world is something that Detroit sports are good at. They are also good at staying loyal even through the struggles and hardships, and supporting other Detroit fans as well in the process.

“I love the fans a lot. You can see the Lions, for example, in the past couple of years, the fans are going crazy because they’re finally good, and it just shows how good the Detroit sports fan community is,” White said.

With fans going crazy in happiness because of Detroit teams like the Lions succeeding. However, no team can randomly switch from being bad for a decade or more to being one of the top teams in the league, let alone 3 of them. If no team can suddenly become good out of nowhere, that leaves a question: What has caused the recent upturn in productivity from these teams?

“I feel like Detroit sports have been getting better because the management and coaching have been changed, and they are bringing in better staff. The community has also helped with the upbringing,” White said. “All the Detroit Lions, Tigers, and Pistons players love the community, and they love playing for Detroit. It makes them more motivated to go out there and win games, and that helps too.”

Professional sports teams are a critical part of the economy in cities across the United States. Along with the recent success and major popularity in the sports teams, this surely applies to Detroit as well.

“Detroit sports success definitely helps the city with funding, selling merchandise, and even the state of the city,” White said.