Detroit Lions: Could Economic Problems Put These Cats on Endangered List?

The Detroit Lions are a pretty bad football team.

There, I said it.

Another big secret: the city of Detroit is in pretty bad shape right now as well.

Now, Dave Bing has a lot of huge plans to make Detroit a better place. More power to him! But, years of decay combined with a healthy spattering of gang violence is enough to drive citizens away from any town—even one with history like Detroit.

Detroit brought us Motown, Ford cars, the assembly line, Eminem and Marvin Gaye, the Hughes brothers and Tim Allen, and Kwame Kilpatrick!

Even Detroit can falter.

Cities Like This Have Crumbled Before

A friend of mine recently brought up a classical parallel to Detroit.

Ephesus, a town in modern day Turkey was a epicenter of commerce from the Greek era all the way into the Byzantine dynasty. It's location on accessible waterways and a temple to Artemis made Ephesus a destination spot for any traveler.

Then, as Christianity took hold, the temple was destroyed and eventually silt built up in the waterways.

When the Turks arrived, Ephesus was hardly a destination—it was a shell of its former self.

Forty years ago, Jesse McCartney wouldn't have gotten a record deal anywhere near Detroit, let alone been able to sing at a Thanksgiving day game on national TV.

Forty years ago, the Jackson Five would've crooned "I'll Be There" while thousands of United Way-clad children held candles right before being joined by Stevie Wonder in a "Signed, Sealed, Delivered/A.B.C." medley going straight into Diana Ross bursting onto stage for a group rendition of " Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

I'm a little impressed just thinking about the possibility.

But no, Detroit is not the central locale for music anymore—that temple has been destroyed.

And the waterway we all knew as the auto industry is silting up as well.

Sure, Ford (who also owns the Lions) is doing just fine, but plants are being built in different cities, states, and countries. Eventually, the legacy that Henry left this fine city might only be seen at Greenfield Village.

Why Go to Detroit?

Detroit isn't a pass-through city like Chicago or Indianapolis. It doesn't have the night life of growing cities like Miami or Minneapolis.

With no jobs and a bunch of crime, it has a stigma that is well-deserved (although still overblown by outsiders) making it an undesirable destination for young families looking to relocate.

It also isn't a great location for NFL athletes looking to relocate.

Sports Illustrated often polls professional athletes. Recently, NFL players named Detroit the fourth-least desired city to play in—following Oakland, Buffalo, and Green Bay.

Twelve percent of players called Detroit the city they would least like to play for, compared to only seven percent for Cleveland.

Cleveland!

Have you been to Cleveland?!?

Maybe It's Not the City, But the Team

Other things those cities in the Sports Illustrated poll have in common (save Green Bay) are losing seasons and a history of ineptitude. Perhaps NFL players would play in Detroit, just not for the Lions!

Fans might feel the same way.

As national pundit after national pundit blames the economic woes of the city for low merchandise sales and historic blackout numbers, fans in Ann Arbor and Grosse Pointe are close enough to drive and doing just fine financially.

Maybe NFL players, and fans, are fine with Detroit, just not playing for or rooting for a bad football team.

Michigan has a rich football heritage.

With Michigan, Michigan State, Central, Western, Eastern, Northern, Grand Valley, Saginaw Valley, Wayne State, and even Hillsdale *gasp* there are a lot of college football fans.

The Lions fans that permeate the web are knowledgeable and loyal.

But those who like football, and those who still root for the Lions specifically, aren't buying tickets, aren't buying jerseys.

Martin Mayhew, Jim Schwartz, Matthew Stafford, and Ndamukong Suh have a lot of work on their hands.

A Look to the Future

As teams like Jacksonville and Buffalo get put on the chopping block for the NFL's next foray into the city of L.A., Roger Goodell has further plans for expansion.

Toronto, San Antonio, Mexico City, London—all those cities could have NFL teams by 2030, in most of our lifetimes.

The Honolulu Blue-clad London Lions?

Driving to Toronto to see Joey Harrington Jr. throw interceptions?

Becoming a Browns fan?

Yuck!

Once the new car smell in Ford Field is replaced by stale beer and vomit odors, the Lions could easily be on the chopping block.

Unless the team gets better, and unless the city gets better.

Without a renaissance in Detroit, the Lions could go from bad to nonexistent.