Today I felt like writing a bit free form, specifically on the topic of Detroit sports, something which I think isn’t touched upon enough. After attending a Tiger’s game, I really noticed how few people there really are in Detroit relative to a major sports franchise. First, clearly this isn’t entirely justified, since the greater Detroit area has over a million people and it’s safe to assume that they are fans of the Tigers, Lions, Red Wings, and Pistons. However, the city itself has seen and is still seeing a rapid population decrease, with the number of residents now being 640,000 as of the 2020 census, a decrease from 714,000 in 2010. That’s A LOT of people. The city is also not necessarily a bastion of economic power for those 640,000 residents, with the city mainly focusing on the 7.2. The question then, is why does Detroit have these major sports teams, when other cities of the same size don’t?
The main thread linking these teams together is that they were all founded in the first half of the last century (or even earlier): 1894 (Tigers), 1930 (Lions), 1926 (Red Wings), and 1937 (Pistons). These were times, with the exception of the Tigers, when Detroit was on its decades long rise to be one of the largest cities in the country. That’s nearly a century for each team to have developed a multi-generational fan base which survived Detroit’s post-deindustrialization struggles. While the city may be seeing hard times, it still finds time to prioritize its teams, as we saw with the city council partly funding Little Caesars Arena. The multi-generational impact of the teams probably speaks to their durability as well, with young Detroiters probably being fourth or fifth generation fans of these teams. That’s not even talking about the suburbs, which have seen the effects of first white flight and now Detroiters being pushed out through gentrification, all while supporting these teams of the mid-century.
What’s surprising here is exactly what I noted: Detroit is losing its population and market power (a result of the city government’s failings and cozying up to corporations to gentrify). If you look at some of the emerging major league sports teams outside of the Big Four (NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA), you won’t find a Detroit team, even while other less-historically relevant cities do. Take Major League Soccer for example; while Detroit does have a local soccer club, they don’t compete on the major league level. Cincinnati, a city far smaller than Detroit, has a major league soccer franchise. Nashville, a city of similar population, also has its own team. Detroit? Nothing. Of the Midwest states, it is one of only three without a team, joining Wisconsin and Indiana in that honor. The reason for this makes sense when considering why the current professional teams succeed. Major League Soccer was founded in 1993, a time when Detroit began to see an accelerated decline with the impacts of racist policy-making and deindustrialization. While other cities have seen an increase in size and power during this period, which has led to them getting a professional sports franchise, Detroit only saw a decline, seeing them passed over.
In other new leagues, the story is the same. Major League Rugby, which was founded in 2017, currently has 15 teams with an additional 16th one joining next season. None of them are based in Detroit. This is especially interesting when you consider that most of these teams are based in suburbs of other major cities, such as Quincy (just south of Boston), Herriman (south of Salt Lake City), and Mount Vernon (north of Manhattan). Even if Detroit may be on the “decline,” surely the suburbs, which have the remnants of middle class white residents who moved out during the white flight era, might be palpable to the league? It seems not, since the only expansion teams on the horizon are Miami and, potentially, St. Louis. If Major League Soccer is any indicator, Detroit will likely not see a Major League Rugby team for decades.
And what a tragedy that is for a city with as deep a history in professional sports as any other. The city is not dead, far from it. Yes, it’s seen the final culmination of decades of racist policies and poor economic decisions, and is currently seeing rapid gentrification, but it’s full of residents full of love and pride for their city. The city looks out for itself, and while the big four sports teams are here, they’re only here because they WERE here before Detroit experienced its problems. Detroiters, as proud of their city as they are, should get the experience of cheering for new teams in soccer and rugby, the two fastest emerging leagues in the country. The problem of course is that modern professional sports base their decisions off profit, and despite the attempts of the city to gentrify and make itself palpable to investment, that’s likely not a gamble MLS or USMLR are willing to make.
Hi Joshua, it was really interesting to learn some of the history behind major league sports in Detroit, which I had never thought much about before. I’m curious about the demographics of those who do attend the games–whether they are coming from the city or outside of it.
Very interesting post, Joshua. It’s made me want to further explore how sports can be an influence on the identity of a city, and how that influence can sometimes positively unite and lift a city’s spirits in a unique way. Also, individual players can be important role models and sometimes leverage their visibility to promote social justice. Meanwhile, I appreciate how you’ve pointed out the economics and policy decisions regarding Detroit’s sports teams that feel out of proportion with other pressing and neglected needs. You’ve given us lots to think about!