The city of Detroit first declared bankruptcy in 2013. It was the largest US municipal bankruptcy filing in US history, with the city’s debt estimated to be in the $18-20 billion dollars.
Since the motor city originally declared bankruptcy, citizens have felt the effects.
The bankruptcy hit city employees like fire fighters, law enforcement, and sanitation workers especially hard, with many having their pensions reduced or eliminated altogether.
Detroit’s NFL team, the Lions, have also suffered a sort of bankruptcy. The team went 0-16 in 2008 and has never won a Super Bowl, but the fortunes of both city and team have recently been on the rise. Detroit city emerged from bankruptcy in 2014 and the Lions won its division for the first time in nearly 3 decades. This was only the third time the team has won the NFC North in the Super Bowl era.
The last time they won the NFC North, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were in their division. Ironically, their most recent win came against their former division rivals in a 31-23 win at Ford Field in Detroit, the team’s first playoff win since 1957.
However, the city of Detroit is healing., and many citizens and Lions fans are wondering: Does the success of the Lions mirror the comeback of the city?
The answer is yes. Though some are being hit particularly hard by this bankruptcy, it’s been more than a decade since it was originally declared.
The Motor City recorded only 252 homicides in all of 2023, the least since 1966.
In a statement, the city even said that they have seen steady, exponential economic growth since the declaration, and they will continue to see such.
Since the Lions have now won their divisional playoff game, they have a chance to go to the Super Bowl this year with a win pending against the 49ers this weekend.
This means the Lions have a chance to erase themselves from the list of 12 teams to never win a Super Bowl. This won’t be an easy feat for Detroit, as the other three teams left in the playoffs have 2 or more Super Bowl victories.
In true American fashion, many people have rallied behind the underdog Lions, hoping that they can secure a spot in their first ever Super Bowl.
With crime rates down in Detroit and things looking up for the team, the future of the city looks brighter than ever before.
This season the Lions have clocked their most wins since 1991, where they had 12 wins. This 12 win season was incredibly impressive compared to past years, and may be a sign that the 30 year slump is over.
The Lions are done being the laughing stock of the NFL, and Detroit is done being the laughing stock of the USA. Soon, Detroit will have completed their comeback and will be considered one of the great places to live and play football here in the United States.
