Detroit and the Appeal of the Underdog
By Vaughn Roycroft | January 25, 2024 |
This month there are two converging forces in my life. Different as they are, there are some interesting similarities between them. I suspect there are lessons to be found in examining their convergence. Lessons that apply to my work and my life as a writer. The first item is a final pass through book three of my epic fantasy trilogy prior to being sent for proofreading for its release. The second is a surprising development in the NFL playoffs. That’s right, I’m comparing the climax of an epic fantasy story and a season of present-day pro athletics.
So what do they have in common? Well, imagine a once proud city, formerly the shining gem of an empire—one of the richest and most architecturally advanced cities on earth—fallen on hard times, all but abandoned, not just by the realm but by the captains of the industry that made it what it had once been and whose failings had contributed to its downfall.
Now imagine a ragtag group of scrappy warriors seizing control of the grand palace at the center of the once shining city. Imagine the warriors holding dear their memories of a storied past. Imagine them led by someone who is mocked by the other leaders of the region. Imagine the city besieged, surrounded by those who consider it beneath contempt. Imagine those selected to subdue the besieged warriors are a force that everyone considers unstoppable. Only those who are trapped in the city have a modicum of belief that they can somehow survive the coming onslaught.
Now imagine the scrappy warriors, in the face of such overwhelming odds, having the audacity to call themselves lions, to think of themselves as #OnePride, and to embrace a comportment that’s #AllGrit.
A few of you have guessed that I’m referencing the Amalus Clan Lions led by Vahldan, conqueror of Thrakius. But without the featured image above, how many of you would’ve guessed that I’m also referring to the NFC North Division Champion Detroit Lions, led by Coach Dan Campbell, biter of kneecaps?
Me, Detroit, and the Lions
I’m obviously stretching the similarities. There are many differences between the Detroit Lions and the characters in my trilogy. But their coinciding circumstances have gotten me thinking about underdogs. Since WU is a hail-Mary heave from being a sports-centric site, we’d better start with some backstory.
For those who aren’t familiar with pro football history, the Lions have long been considered a doormat in the league. They are one of four teams—and the most recent—in NFL history to have a winless season. Till this season, they hadn’t won their division in decades. Until a little over a week ago, they hadn’t won a playoff game in 32 years. In football circles and among NFL pundits the team has long been a laughingstock. Slurs like Toothless Lions, the Detroit Lie-downs, and references to being S.O.L. (Same Old Lions) have long been commonplace.
Although I grew up in a smaller Michigan city that’s a two-hour drive from downtown Detroit, my life is deeply entwined with the city. Just as the entire state has long been deeply entwined with the auto industry, including my hometown—a Fisher Body plant having once been its second largest employer. On a personal level, my mother spent a big chunk of her childhood living in Detroit. I’ve always had aunts and uncles and cousins living in Metro-Detroit, and my wife hails from a Detroit suburb as well. I’ve spent my entire life visiting the city frequently. I have fairly clear childhood memories of the grand, shining city that was once commonly referred to as the Paris of the West. Besides the grandeur of its pre-WW2 architecture and the enormity of its industrial might, Detroit is the birthplace of much in the modern world that we now take for granted, including the first tri-color traffic lights and the uninterrupted freeway systems, with on and off ramps. Do I even need to mention Motown, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Bob Seger, or Eminem?
Detroit is also known for one of the first, and worst, cases of “white flight” in American history—firmly rooted in its own automotive obsession and success. Racial strife, born of heinous and enduring inequity—including the major race riots of the late 1960s—has left deep scars on the city. Scores of books and research papers have been authored on the topic of the causes and forces that led to Detroit’s swift and bewildering decent, but they all include industrialization, segregation, the Great Migration, and exploitation. I’ll suffice to say here that racism bred injustice, which bred poverty, which bred soaring crime rates.
Think and say what you will. Blame Detroiters, say it shouldn’t have happened, say it couldn’t happen to your city. But what became of Detroit is the result of American capitalism on steroids. Detroit is America—the best and worst of us, epitomized by one incredibly historic major metropolitan area.
As a proud Michigander standing at a bit of distance and yet entwined, I have watched and despaired Detroit’s descent and lengthy period of floundering. And through it all, I watched—and rooted for—the Detroit Lions.
My Lions fanhood began early. As a grade-school boy, one of the ways I was able to bond with my father was through football. A former player himself, my dad took me to local high school and college games. And then there were the Lions. We watched them together avidly if not quite religiously. The first posters I hung in my bedroom featured Detroit Lions players. The first professional sporting event I ever witnessed was with my dad—the Lions versus the Minnesota Vikings, in what was then the brand new Pontiac Silverdome (they won!). Having previously witnessed only local games, I was awestruck by the scale—the brilliance of the colors and spine-tingling roar of the crowd.
A lifelong Michigander and lifelong fan, my dad had been in his thirties—a WW2 vet and young father, punching a clock to pay a new mortgage—during the Lions’ last golden era, with three championships and numerous playoff runs through the 1950s and into the early 60s. Throughout the 70s and 80s, I willingly inherited his disappointment in, and undiminished hope for, the Lions.
I mentioned both Detroit’s capacity for innovation and that the Lions had long been a laughingstock. Well, have you ever seen the fans of embarrassing teams wearing bags cut with eyeholes over their heads? Yep, another Detroit innovation. I also mentioned that the Lions last playoff win came 32 years ago. My wife and I were there, in the Silverdome. And we were elated. For me, the elation was partly born of knowing what the turnaround and the achievement meant to my dad. Some of you might be wondering what happened next. Indeed, Detroit went on to play in the 1991-92 season’s NFC championship game, in Washington DC.
In a dismal performance, the Lions lost, 41-10. In spite of their regular season success in ’91, they fell flat in ’92, ending the season with a bleak 5-11 record. My dad passed away during the early weeks of the 1993 season.
Here’s the thing: I know I’m not alone. Again and again, I hear Michiganders recounting how they watched games with their dads and granddads, sharing a hope for a turnaround, wishing their sires were here to see this. So yeah, this season has incited some feelings.
From Laughingstock to Loveable Lions
In case you remain unaware, Detroit is undergoing an unprecedented revitalization, with dozens of astonishing restorations and hundreds of new construction projects. Condé Nast has once again listed downtown Detroit on its Best Places To Go list for 2024. The architectural renovations are truly marvels to behold, the hotels and restaurants are world class, and my wife and I absolutely adore visiting her home city once again.
I suppose this would also be a good time to tell you that the Lions ended the 2023-24 season with a 12-5 record, and as I mentioned, they won their division. Two weeks ago they entered the NFC playoffs with a second seeding. They won their first two playoff games in their home stadium, Ford Field (pictured above)—during which two consecutive new NFL records were set for crowd-noise decibel levels (134.4 last Sunday—when rock concerts normally produce levels of 120-125 decibels). I’ve heard more than one seasoned national sports journalist say that they’ve never witnessed a more electric and festive sporting atmosphere.
In other words, a city that was already rockin’ a kickass comeback is absolutely delirious over their Lions.
But there’s another aspect of all of this that continues to surprise me. It’s what I’m hearing from beyond Detroit and my home state, and it’s what led me to the topic of this post—underdogs. The Lions’ two playoff games have garnered excellent television ratings. More than one national media outlet has called the Detroit Lions “the real America’s team” (a somewhat mocking reference to the recently eliminated Dallas Cowboys). Lions players and coaches are routinely spotlighted in the national media. Heck, just this week, a banner headline on the sports page of the New York Post proclaimed them “Loveable Lions.”
Unlike any other point during my lifelong fanhood, with an NFC championship and a Super Bowl berth on the line this Sunday, a large segment of the football world is pulling for our loveable Lions.
The Anatomy of Underdog Appeal
If there was ever a group of individuals that endlessly endures in the face of overwhelming odds, whose efforts are frequently belittled, who are often overlooked, underpaid, and whose brief successes are swiftly forgotten, it’s fiction writers. Am I right? By the general definition of the term, that might make us underdogs. But I’m curious about the underdogs that people feel compelled to root for—the type that draws attention, inspires empathy, and makes hearts swell in beholding their unlikely victories. I’m interested, of course, because my stories feature underdogs, and I’d like readers to root for them. But it’s not so simple, is it?
I mean, the Detroit I knew during the last three decades of the 20th Century was not a place people naturally rooted for. No, trust me—Detroit was a place that folks avoided, that almost no one minded to openly disparage. And the hapless Lions of the same era? By definition, they may have been underdogs, but trust me, NO ONE outside of the region was rooting for them. Until now. I’ve been thinking about this city, this team, and this newfound appeal that makes us root for this underdog. Based on my observations, here are some of the elements of gaining underdog appeal:
*Put in the work—When asked about their success, the current Lions players and coaches all talk about putting in the work. I believe them. I think they’re willing to work harder than most. It’s been evident on the field. Careful observation reveals that a big play by the Lions is almost always due to precise execution, and is set up by a series of plays that are evidently well-practiced. Hindsight shows that their wins are preceded by the study of, and improvement upon, their performance in previous games.
An appealing underdog aspires to outwork the competition.
*Be a fighter—Having a chip on one’s shoulder is not automatically endearing. But being willing to stand up and face even overwhelming adversity can be. I referenced Head Coach Dan Campbell as the biter of kneecaps. The remark came three years ago, at his introductory press conference: “ We’re gonna kick you in the teeth, and when you punch us back, we’re gonna smile at you, and when you knock us down, we’re going to get up, and on the way, we’re going to bite a kneecap off.” The line was broadly met with scoffing and mockery by pundits, and eye-rolling by fans everywhere. Everywhere but in Detroit. Or by longtime fans throughout the state. Here we know about getting knocked down. We know that you have to be willing to get back up and we’re okay with a metaphor about seeking a bit of vengeance and gaining an edge along the way. It’s a mentality that’s more than acceptable. It’s necessary.
Even through long durations of suffering and loss, an appealing underdog continues to be a fighter.
*Don’t complain, don’t compare, just act—Misfortune is all but unavoidable. Especially if you’re the Detroit Lions. I could list a lifetime of examples, but instead I’ll give the most recent. In a late-season game against NFC rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, what seemed a sure Lions’ victory with seconds remaining was overturned by what is now widely recognized as an incorrect call by NFL officials. The overturned victory would have given the Lions a #1 seeding in the playoffs, and home-field advantage throughout. Rather than complaining, Coach Campbell said that the team’s “controlled fury” would be used as “high octane fuel” in the preparation for their playoff run. Although it hasn’t always been the case, you will not hear a current member of the Lions team or staff publicly complaining or comparing their circumstances to others.
No matter the misfortune or inequities, an appealing underdog sucks it up and does their job.
*Refuse to quit–When that inevitable misfortune befell the Lions of old, you could see it in their posture and demeanor. They gave up. They were resigned to another loss. Not Dan Campbell’s Lions. There is no quit in them. They believe there may be a path to victory no matter how bad it gets. And, indeed, they have won several games in which they’d trailed, including one in which they were down by three scores in the 4th quarter.
An appealing underdog continues to give their all, no matter how bleak the outlook. They know that the only way to get past misfortune is by going through it.
*Be humble—Pro football players are prone to boasting and bluster. It’s part of the culture and I won’t claim that all Lions are immune to it. But having watched scores of post-game interviews, when asked about their personal successes and triumphs, these Lions invariably shun the spotlight. They always deflect the praise and give credit to their teammates and/or their coaches.
An appealing underdog understands that there is deeper satisfaction in humbly seeking victory than in the fickle spotlight of personal acclaim.
*Love to be loved—I have never in my life witnessed a group of adult men proclaim their love for one another more than this group of Lions players and coaches. They say it publicly and in overheard private moments, in victory and in defeat. That they are playing harder out of their love for each other and for the game shows in everything they do.
An appealing underdog gives love without expectation of receiving it, and recognizes that doing so brings joy to the endeavor.
I hope my observations are useful to your storytelling. I’m sure they will be to mine.
The Underdog Author
Now that I’m a year and two books into my career as an author, I fully grasp the overwhelming odds against ongoing success. I have stubbornly done the opposite of what conventional thinking dictates for new authors. I’ve seen my books make modest and brief splashes and then watched as the genre community moved on to the next shiny cover. Success is elusive and fleeting.
I am an aspiring underdog. I’ve spent years putting in the work and I am willing to continue. If and when I make stunning gains or score, I’m confident the track record that led to those triumphs will be apparent to the careful observer.
I’ve been knocked down and had my fair share of misfortune in this gig. I won’t complain or compare, and I’m willing to get back up and keep fighting. I refuse to quit.
I perfectly perceive that I would be nowhere without my mentors and fellow writers, or without insightful readers and reviewers. I have my days, but I’ve embraced that the joy found in the writing itself outweighs the ephemeral validation or praise I might receive along the way. I’ve made what I’ve learned a core truth and strive to live by it.
In no small way due to the WU community, I have witnessed the value of love. I love the friends that I’ve made along the way, and I love what I do. I love that I have the opportunity, just as I love the process and all I’ve gained from it.
I may not know what will happen in Sunday’s NFC championship game. I don’t know whether my characters will be seen as appealing underdogs. I don’t have any idea how my next release will be received. But I do know these things. They’re all I can control and that’s enough. Like a true Lions fan, I’m in it for the long haul. The aspiration fuels an enduring hope.
Here’s to the underdogs. Go Lions.
What about you, WU? Do you find the Lions loveable? Have you been to Detroit lately? Are you an aspiring underdog?
Vaughn Roycroft’s (he/him) teacher gave him a copy of The Hobbit in the 6th grade, sparking a lifelong passion for reading and history. After college, life intervened, and Vaughn spent twenty years building a successful business. During those years, he and his wife built a getaway cottage near their favorite shoreline, in a fashion that would make the elves of Rivendell proud. After many milestone achievements, and with the mantra ‘life’s too short,’ they left their hectic lives in the business world, moved to their little cottage, and Vaughn finally returned to writing. Now he spends his days striving to finish his epic fantasy series.
Vaughn, as I was watching the NFL playoffs, I was so happy for you and a handful of other friends of mine who are long-suffering Detroit Lions fans. The Lions truly have that underdog mentality and the intensity flows from Coach Dan Campbell to the players on the field. I am rooting hard for the Lions to win this Super Bowl. Sports can be a galvanizing force for a city, bringing together people from all walks of life. I’ve never been to Detroit, though I have been to Grand Rapids twice. Your post makes me want to visit Detroit. Thanks for this post and for all you do for Writer Unboxed. Go, Lions!
Hey Chris — I know you, as a Giants fan, have an inkling what it feels like… Although you guys have climbed this mountain and surveyed its peak a few times. As cool and fun as GR is, you’ve got to visit the Big D. If you do, holler and I’ll do what I can to come and meet you. At the very least, I can supply recommendations. Some of my favorite meals and hotel rooms during the last five years were all experienced in Motown.
Back at you–thanks for being a friend and a part of the community that taught me the value of love as a prime component of the gig. Wishing you the very best in this bleak winter, my friend. Remember, the only way past misfortune and sorrow is through it. We’re with you. Keep fighting.
Well okay, now I’m invested. This year I’ll watch the Super Bowl for more than the commercials and yard long submarine sandwiches.
What you’re talking about are heroes. Do the work, be a fighter, don’t complain, don’t quit, be humble, give love. Good qualities. We could add to the list but what’s interesting is what is not on the list.
Not on the list is lick your backstory wounds, feel like a victim, be unreliable, be dark, keep secrets, be overwhelmed, be a serial killer. I hope some sociologist somewhere is doing a study of why negative qualities have, in our time, become what we celebrate as heroic.
Perhaps grievance needs its day. Perhaps oppression needs to be recognized and the oppressors called out. I would say in addition that what we admire are not complainers, not sufferers, not bullies, but those who stand up, stay strong, do right and show us the way.
Examples. Inspiration. Heroes.
Good luck to the Lions. Detroit is coming back and I wear my Shinola watch with pride and because it reminds me what good people can do, and how goodness will surely win against the odds.
Appreciate your post, Vaughn, you’re a hero.
Hey Don — You know, only those who saw the Campus Martius Park Square all boarded up, with broken glass, or the famous Bricktown district with one out of ten of once raucous taverns and pubs left open, can truly appreciate what they now see in downtown Detroit. I mean, the new visitor would say, this is fantastic. But to know what it was, just a half of a lifetime ago, inspires true awe. I think you’re right, that its former brokenness is part of Detroit’s appeal.
Being a Lions fan may have taught me how to keep my hopes on a low simmer, but you’ve managed to turn up the flame a bit with this wise comment. I worry over having folks come through the unreliability, secrets, and darkness of Vahl’s and Elan’s journey through book two. I worry they may not be “root-worthy” by the time folks get to their besieging, having stacked the odds so high against themselves with their poor choices. You’ve helped me to see that such darkness might just be a part of the draw of a compelling underdog story. Thanks a million.
Hi Vaughn. Thanks for a perfect application of the Lions story to Writer Unboxed.
We shared a cab to Salem, Mass. and we are in the same clan or tribe–or pride–regarding the Detroit Lions. My memories go so far back that I can still see Bobby Layne shoving up his shoulder pads before bending to take the snap, and fading back to pass. I can see my father in the early days of TV watching the Lions on our enormous, new Dumont set, about the size of a minivan. I think TV for my dad was so new that it occupied a place between reality and dream. He offered color commentary, not to others in the room, but to the Lions. “If you can’t do any better than that, I’m turning you off!” I half think he was sure the team heard him, and would feel the sting when on more than one occasion he did turn “them” off, and left the room.
As you say so well, the Lions, like Detroit, are a hard-scrabble, down-for-the-count, but no, up on their feet and back at it team. I’m glad I’m still here to see both the Lions at the city once more in the fight. You are so right about writers doing their work, and forgetting the angst-ridden color commentary. As Detroiter Hank the Deuce (Henry Ford II) is supposed to have said, “Never explain, never complain.” By the way, I’m not a fan of plutocrats, and when you talk about Detroit’s grandees pulling up and leaving, you are mostly right. But we shouldn’t forget that a Ford family member has owned the Lions through all the bleak years, and a Ford still does own the Lions: Sheila Ford Hamp. She seems to me to have the virtues you speak of: humility, loyalty, a dogged refusal to quit. She’s a fighter who has never given up, and she deserves a lot of credit for helping to bring this gift to Detroit and the state.
Hey Barry — Ha! The size of those old TV consoles! Ours took up half of the living room, until my mom won a mini-battle and had it moved to our basement rec room in the early 70s. In the “living room” era, we were not allowed to have the television on during the afternoon, with two exceptions: If we were home sick from school, and when the Lions were on. (That was dad’s mini-battle victory.)
You’ve righted a wrong here, Barry, and I’m grateful. I neglected to mention Sheila Ford Hamp and I regret it. She most definitely deserves a lot of the credit, and she’s a compelling part of the story. My wife likes to point out that it took a woman to cast off the shackles of the past and get to work. Of course Sheila’s mom was there first, but Martha certainly did something right when it came to her amazing daughter. Plus she stepped aside for her. So here’s to the Ford women.
Here’s to our dads, and to comebacks, and to keeping the faith. Thanks, as always, for enhancing the conversation, my friend. Go Lions.
Well, I’m a hard-core chiefs fan, but I have been cheering on the lions for every other game that they played in. I didn’t know the truth of how long it had been and how hard they’ve had to work. So I picked them because they were an underdog. I loved your article I think, commitment that you have made to your writing.
Hey Becky — I’ve always admired the Chiefs, and have rooted for them often over the years. I’m rooting for them to beat the Ravens, for sure. My rooting, however, will end there if both of our teams win on Sunday. As I fully expect of you. Isn’t that an exciting prospect? I’m so grateful for you, and have recounted your story several times since we last met.
Here’s to gaining the chance to face off in just over two weeks! Thanks again!
You know you’re an excellent writer when…. you manage to make football sound interesting to me. Well done! May your team win, and may you rack up the wins in the publishing game.
Ah, my work is done. A non-sports fan made it through the post! (This was a major worry prior to publication, as you can imagine.) Thanks a million, LK, for all of your awesome support!
Make that two non-sports fans! Great post, Vaughn, and I am rooting for you. (And maybe the Lions after this.)
Yay! I’m batting at least 200… Er, sorry, another sports metaphor, lol. Careful, Liz! You just might get sucked into a Detroit/Lions vortex, like our mutual friends T and S (they’ve been watching both playoff games and entered my Lions game text network–holler if you end up deciding you want in, haha).
Add another reluctant sports fan to your list of wins! I’m watching the game right now, with my husband, and we have agreed to disagree on who should win. I’ve always loved an underdog and now I’m wondering: is it just me, or do we all tend to think of ourselves as the underdog?
Well, this is something to cheer about; glad to have provided the nudge to hop on the Underdog Express. Gotta admit, that was a damn heartbreaking loss. It’s the sort of loss that can rattle your hope. I also have to admit that I didn’t realize to what extent these young warriors have been buoying mine these past few month.
I’m feeling slightly more like an underdog this morning (after a poor night’s sleep). Which makes me grateful to have the checklist above to review, to help me reaffirm my grip on hope. I do *hope* you enjoyed the ride, but I’m sure your husband did. For his team, that was a helluva comeback. Thanks, Kristin! Here’s to getting back up and fighting on.
Vaughn, as an unabashed Left Coast Bay Area human, I can only hope the Lions roar with courage even as they go down in defeat to the 49ers. (Purdy’s is an underdog’s story too—woof!)
But I must say that of all the cars I’ve owned (and that’s at least 40), my Detroit steel, ’62 two-tone Caddy is my favorite ever.
Hey Tom — I knew I’d end up with a few Niner devotees (thinking maybe Mr. Corbett, too). I have always enjoyed watching the Niners, and I have rooted for Purdy without reserve. That ends on Sunday, obviously. Still, I go back to Montana, who played his college ball 30 miles from here (or about an hour along the St. Joe River to its south bend).
When you think about the end of Detroit’s heyday, how can you not think of the magnificent steel steeds that came of it? I have the fondest memories of a certain cherry-red ’69 Olds Cutlass W-31. Talk about hot wheels! Damn, that thing was fast. Thanks for pulling in to say hey, even if you felt the need to peel out on my Lions. Here’s to a great game!
Vaughn, I’m the second non football fan (with LK) who made it through the post. I’m an underdog new writer with one debut historical fiction book self-published, and a sequel in progress. Never give up. Stay strong. Do the work. That keeps me going. I do have an underdog in the sequel, a Black-American character, a musician, who comes through the racial late 1960s with success. His relationship and love for a white fellow musician, who dies, puts him in the path of the dead woman’s best friend, a white nurse & musician. Their relationship as lead singers in a band is unusual at that time and challenging. Much like your Lions, they stick together with shared love of the dead woman, and support of one another. Thanks for giving me the idea and characteristics of an underdog. I’m going to make the public reactions stronger! Maybe the strength of the underdogs (me & the character) will be successful in the end. Go Lions, too! 📚🎶 Christine
Hey Christine — Just ordered your book, sounds fabulous. I’m delighted to have provided any inspiration but in particular of the sort that boosts a fellow underdog author. Here’s to story and here’s to the underdogs. Go Lions!
Vaughn, I’m verklempt! You bought my book! A thank you is not enough. It is an underdog’s first book. But I had a professional team work with me. It’s set in the late 1950s through 1961. Prejudice a big factor. A question about my famous German grandfather to be answered. The Jewish factor. Lots of music, budding love, and an entanglement. Not sure all of that stuff is of interest. But, I promise you the sequel will be relatable. To be published March or April. Set in the 60s with the Civil Rights Movement, Woodstock 69, and the Vietnam War. More music, racism to overcome, and tragedy overseas to deal with. A change in direction for the protagonist brings surprising success to her at the end. A famous father of psychedelic music guitarist friend supports the nurse/musician protagonist at Woodstock and her success in another country in the end. Just a little teaser. I’ll start marketing in another month on my website, Before Sundown. I know this is shameless marketing. But, us underdogs take every opportunity to put ourselves out there. 📚🎶 Christine
Vaughn, this piece makes me want to go see Detroit. I love your love for the Lions, but as a 49er Faithful since (mumble mumble), I’ll have to fall back on Thumper’s motto from “Bambi.”
Hey Michael — I can’t recommend a downtown Detroit getaway strongly enough. If you’re at all interested in early 20th C. art deco architecture, we just stayed at the Book Tower and I don’t think you can go wrong there. It’s jaw-droppingly gorgeous, great restaurant, top-notch hotel rooms, walking distance to loads of great entertainment.
Yeah, we could all do with a bit more Thumper in our mindset, couldn’t we? I appreciate it. Here’s to a great game! Thanks, as always, for your support.
Underdog wins by not quitting. Got it.
I would add that it’s not always clearcut methods – sometimes the underdog must, in the defense of higher principles, take the risks that might lead to opprobrium in any other circumstances. And not let anyone know. And maybe be willing to sit on the secret as long as necessary.
PS My dad’s family was all from Detroit/Lincoln Park, and there are still an awful lot of Butchers and SOs in Michigan. Not a sports fan myself, but I’m sure a lot of them are. My dad even played for UM until he volunteered during WWII. Go Lions!
I know exactly what it’s like to be working on volume 3 of our trilogies.
Hey Alicia — Acceptance with cause of underdog status is an important factor. Great addition! That’s cool about your family’s Detroit roots. I suspect we’re far from alone in that category. Here’s to conquering book 3s. Thanks for weighing in!
‘ll do you one better, Ray — I’m a Cubs fan. A Cubs fan! So yes, I do know what you mean about rooting for the underdog, the lovable loser (I think the Cubs may have that trademarked, they wore the moniker for so long.) That’s one of the reasons I love sports” the stories, the characters. Seabiscuit in horse racing, Rocky Bleier of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and — give the man his props — Brock Purdy of the ’49ers (Mr. Irrelevant? I don’t think so.) So, yeah, I’m rooting for the Lions.
Hey Christine — I actually live closer to Chicago than Detroit now, and boy, do I know about the staying power of Cubs fans. Sports stories are so great and the best are underdog stories. I still–after at least a dozen viewings–love the movie Rudy. Well up every damn time. Thanks, Christine! Go Lions!
Vaughn, I’m sure you know I love everything about this post. I’ll leave it at that, because if not I could go on forever. Long live Detroit.
Hey Erin — I fully grasp that you get it as only true Michiganders, so deeply entwined with our major metro area, really can. Thanks for letting me know anyway. #DetroitvsEveryone #OnePride
Having grown up in a sports town that did not have a football team (during my youth anyway), I never got invested in the game. When I relocated to New England, I didn’t understand all the fervor for the Patriots, but I dutifully attended several Super Bowl parties. And mostly just watched the kids playing, enjoyed the commercials, and shouted whenever others in the room did.
But reading your description of the Lions, the challenges they’ve faced, and how they’ve pulled together as a team to go after what they want…I’m in! I might have a reason to actually watch the Super Bowl again this year. Because there is something so compelling in rooting for the underdog. I think we’ve all had the feeling of being in that situation at some point, and in some area of our lives. And what we wouldn’t have given to have a little of that cheering in our corner (reminds me of my first track meet in high school, actually).
Love that you were able to tie this all into your fiction also. Great insights that I’ll be thinking about long after the clock runs out…
Hey Christine — Well, it’s game day, and here I am, trying to act like a normal human who happens to enjoy a sporting team, and is enthused that they have a big game later. Inside, I’m a jittery mess. I know I’ll be so proud of this team, no matter the outcome. But I just yearn for this team, this city, these fans. I want so badly for them to prevail, to have the chance to feel that exuberant joy of a championship and a chance at the game even non-fans tend to watch (between commercials and trips to a delicious buffet).
If I can bottle a bit of this feeling, and infuse it into my fiction, it’ll be more than frosting on a cake. No matter the outcome this evening, today is one of those moments of a lifetime. It’s bound to come out in my fiction. So I consider it all a blessing. Thanks a million for letting me know that it resonated on this day of days. Go Lions.
Not a football fan, despite having grown up in Baltimore, yet I love your post. Your analysis of the underdog is brilliant and will go in my file of character types to consider using. You’ve also made me want to visit Detroit, which hasn’t been high on my list since my teens when Motown ruled the airways before duking it out with the British Invasion. I love seeing the different ways cities find to reinvent themselves. Good luck with vol 3!
Hey Barbara! You definitely should visit Detroit when the chance arises, even if it’s only to visit Hitstown (the Motown museum, which is fantastic). As you likely know, as an aspiring underdog author, I’m currently sucking it up and getting back to work. Thanks for chiming in and for the well-wishes, my friend!