More people than ever before are starting to recognize Detroit for what it has always been: an epicenter of strength, resiliency, and diversity – especially when it comes to its football team.
Dave Fleming could be seen wearing the jersey of Scott Mitchell, former Lions quarterback who’s often held responsible for their decline during Barry Sanders’s era. In Ford Field concourse, Fleming donned his Mitchell jersey.
The Spirit of Detroit
Many people associate the Spirit of Detroit with that bronze statue clad in giant sports jerseys when the Lions or other local teams make playoffs, but there’s much more to this city icon than just that.
Marshall Fredericks created and dedicated this sculpture in 1955; it currently sits in front of Coleman A Young Municipal Center overlooking downtown Woodward Avenue and served as one of the first major bronze statues cast since Renaissance times.
Fredericks designed this statue to represent religious, cultural and civic sentiments in his city; also including figures representing families to symbolize human interconnectivity.
The Spirit of Detroit has become an inclusive space where citizens gather, from graduating seniors and servicemen and women on leave to political protesters seeking votes and the site for COVID-19 mask distribution. This episode of Radioactive was produced by Tablet Studios with support from The WNET Group’s reporting initiative Exploring Hate: Antisemitism, Racism and Extremism as well as Maimonides Fund.
The Lions
In the 1950s, Detroit Lions was an NFL powerhouse. Winning four division championships and reaching three finals appearances including an unforgettable 1957 title run that made history.
They did it all while sporting Detroit’s signature blue and silver uniforms, first established as Portsmouth Spartans before moving to Detroit in 1934 and taking their current name – Lions as an homage to their city of origin.
Since that day, The Lions have been America’s Team. Though faced with various difficulties throughout their history, they always found ways to prevail and remain relevant in America’s hearts and minds. Over the decades, some of the great NFL players such as Bobby Layne – an all-pro career from 1950-1955 and Earl “Dutch” Clark winning national championship in 1935 were part of this roster; other great talents included running backs Doak Walker and Barry Sanders along with one of history’s great wide receivers Calvin Johnson.
The City of Detroit
Anybody not living in Detroit cannot grasp how meaningful it is to have a city-centric football team with which fans can rally behind and have something exciting to look forward to – something even rarer when that team happens to be good!
Donald Trump and others have long disparaged Detroit with malicious intent, often basing their attacks on its majority black population. Kid Rock himself has even performed stunts which could be perceived as disrespectful of black culture.
The Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are North America’s largest body of freshwater. As such, they offer residents and visitors alike many recreational opportunities while shaping Michigan’s geography, economy, society, and environment – including through the introduction of invasive species like zebra and quagga mussels. Unfortunately, human activity cannot always be avoided when it comes to environmental degradation; but that shouldn’t stop us from enjoying their benefits!
Campbell began his inaugural news conference with a lengthy diatribe that echoed Monty Python-like antics, informing reporters that while their opponents might knock them down, their Lions would never go down without fighting. Campbell suggested they might even “bite off some kneecaps”.
He kept his promise, and today the team stands on what could be considered an impressive perch given their lackluster performance in 2021. They won a division title and hosted their inaugural playoff game since 2086 – giving Detroit its first such event in three decades!
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