“We’ve got a chance to introduce ourselves again to America,” Mayor Mike Duggan said. “And when we do, we hope to be just like the Lions, and introduce America to a very different Detroit than they expected.”

It’s not a coincidence that Hamp, who took over the franchise long run by her parents, described the team’s reshaping with one word: Collaboration. Same with the city. From billionaire developer Gilbert, to the Ilitch family, to Duggan, to the behind-the-scenes minds on the Detroit Sports Commission, more things are possible.

The Super Bowl was here in 2006 and it was a success, but not necessarily a lasting success. Even now, Detroit has about 6,500 hotel rooms, well below most major cities. The Final Four is coming in 2027 and the push for more events is unrelenting.

Ambassadors for the city are everywhere, and not just at the highest levels of celebrity-dom. Eminem is visible and valuable and authentically Detroit. No disrespect to Kansas City, which hosted last year’s draft, but the city wasn’t the story, and Taylor Swift is a borrowed ambassador, thanks to her relationship with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

Detroit’s true ambassadors are in the streets, and especially in the stands when they invade opponents’ stadiums. Walk around downtown and you’ll encounter new sights, large and small. For one, there must be approximately 300,000 porta-potties in the parks, seemingly one to accommodate each fan. Street closures and barriers make it challenging but safe. Maintaining accessibility was the goal, and most businesses should draw considerable foot traffic.

No one’s ready to declare Detroit the most efficient city in the world. So much more must be done in housing and education. But it’s increasingly acceptable to focus on the triumphs as much as the flaws.

“I’ve fallen in love with this place,” said NBC broadcaster Mike Tirico, who has lived in the Detroit area since 2000. “It’s so much fun now, to have seen Detroit struggle, go through bankruptcy, come back up, get cut down at the knees by COVID, and get back up again.”

Tirico’s voice reaches millions on national telecasts, and he’s not bashful about touting where he lives. As he spoke from the seventh floor of the Detroit Athletic Club, the spires of the Hudson’s building were visible through the window above his head.

Imagery isn’t everything, but when reinventing and courting investment, it matters.

“I was in the booth during the two home playoff games (at Ford Field), and I remember the TV shot as it got to dusk, seeing downtown all lit up,” Tirico said. “That was the only moment of the broadcast where I stopped, and I was really proud. You’re trying to be professional, but when I saw it, I was like, America, look at this city. It’s beautiful and it’s vibrant and the fans are as passionate as any. They care, and they get it.”

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