Detroit, MI
Mitch Albom: A letter to the gridiron deities from dejected Detroit Lions fans
Detroit fans boo the Washington Commanders before Lions take the field
The Detroit Lions host the Washington Commanders at Ford Field for the NFC divisional round of the NFL playoffs on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025.
Dear Football Gods,
We, the people of Detroit, come before you with a simple question:
Why us?
What have we done? How have we angered you? What awful sin have we committed that makes you dangle a season of magnificent, gritty football promise in front of us, then yank it away like a fly on a fishing line?
Why would you abandon our Detroit Lions so quickly — and so cruelly? What is our crime? Out of the playoffs? No more games? What are we supposed to do with all these T-shirts?
Whatever our trespass, it must have been a whopper. Because your punishment just won’t stop. First you torture us with defeat and ineptitude, like 32 years without a playoff win, like an 0-16 season, like Matt Millen, Marty Mornhinweg, and wasted first-round draft picks such as Andre Ware and the Rogers and Rogers twins, Reggie and Charles.
That was bad enough. But this? This may be worse. Giving us a team for the ages, then making that “age” last four quarters? One game? That’s our Super Bowl run? A single, depressing, 45-31 drubbing by the upstart Washington Commanders?
How cruel can you get? Next you’ll be letting Ohio State play for the national championship.
Wait a minute…
Which Lions are these?
Why us, Lords? Why our team? Did you see the dejected faces of the Detroit players Saturday night?
“I’m just numb,” Alex Anzalone said.
“(It’ll) eat me alive all offseason,” Jared Goff said.
“It hurts,” Dan Campbell said.
And that guy chews nails.
Look at them, gods. They are broken, shell-shocked, wandering around as if run over by a bus on its way to D.C, wondering what happened and what to do with themselves next.
Had the Commanders lost, they’d have been OK. They’d have congratulated themselves on a surprisingly great season, their first playoff win in many years, and the promise of their new coach and rookie quarterback. You could have made that happen.
But no. Instead, you kiss them on the lips and throw a lightning bolt into the local guys. You make Goff, the picture of precision nearly the entire season, suddenly inaccurate, throwing two blinking interceptions at the worst of times. You make Amon-Ra St Brown fall down. You turn Jameson Williams into a quarterback, and then you make that quarterback Garo Yepremian.
You make the Lions defense, which rose to the occasion so many times, suddenly lead-footed, incapable of tackling, sacking, or stopping fourth down conversions.
You make the best coach the Lions have ever had somehow overlook 12 men on the field on a critical fourth down.
“It’s my fault,” Campbell rasped about that mistake, like a man weeping over a lover he drove away. “It’s my fault…”
Oh, the humanity.
Also, at the risk of incurring your fury, gods, what’s with all the injuries? You take away Hutch, and Barnes and McNeil and Davis. You give us Amik Robertson’s best game in the regular-season finale, then break his arm minutes into the playoffs?
You make David Montgomery forgo knee surgery, endure a grueling month-long rehab, just so he can come back and carry the ball seven times before going home?
You know what? The hell with your fury. What are you going to do to us now? Take away Ben Johnson or Aaron Glenn?
Wait a minute…
It’s not that bad …
Seriously, gods. In the immortal words of Ricky Ricardo, you got some ‘splaining to do. Or in the immortal words of Boy George, do you really want to hurt us?
Because in the immortal words of Dan Skipper on Saturday night: “This sucks.”
Fifteen wins, only two losses, the No. 1 seed, the best scoring offense in football — and we’re out? No more football? This is like that episode of “The Honeymooners,” when Ralph Kramden memorizes every obscure song for weeks, then goes on a game show and can’t remember “Suwannee River.”
One game? A two-touchdown loss? The biggest margin of defeat all year? That’s our playoffs? Do you know how stupid we feel? We canceled vacations for the month of January. We booked trips to New Orleans. Our parking lots tried charging $1,000 per spot! Jeff Daniels recorded an entire song “Say Goodbye to the Curse of Bobby Layne” — and now he’ll have to change the lyrics to “Say Hello.”
All that for a team that gets bounced in their first game?
It’s not fair. The whole country was behind us. We were, for once, America’s team, not America’s armpit. Now the nation is shaking its head, and likely believing that we are indeed cursed, fated like the Silver (and Blue) Surfer to ride his board around the universe, but never descend and say, “I’m going to Disneyland!”
Enough. We’ve had enough. We’ll walk away. We can do it, you know.
There’s always hockey. Although our team is rebuilding …
Or basketball. Although our team is rebuilding …
Or baseball. Although the season is months away …
OK. You win, gods. Just tell us what we need to do. A sacrifice? A pilgrimage? Do we make the guy at Ford Field sing a different song when the Lions score? Is that what you’re trying to tell us?
Whatever it is, please, stop this torture. Sports Illustrated picks Detroit to win the Super Bowl. ESPN picks Detroit to win the Super Bowl. Everybody in the state is finishing their sentences with “Go Lions!” — and just like that, it’s Monday morning, it’s freezing cold, football is over and everyone here feels like crying. The gods must be crazy.
Or we are.
Wait a minute …
Contact Mitch Albom: malbom@freepress.com. Check out the latest updates with his charities, books and events at MitchAlbom.com. Follow him @mitchalbom.
A new mixed-use, mixed-income apartment building proposed for Detroit’s Brush Park is expected to bring 37 units of housing to the neighborhood, according to the project’s lead developer.
The $12 million project at 205 Watson St., known as Wallace Estates, is owned by Detroit rapper Tee Grizzley, whose legal name is Terry Wallace. The 30,000-square-foot development is expected to go before the Detroit Historic District Commission on Wednesday for review. Because the quarter-acre site sits within a historic district, the commission must approve elements such as windows, brickwork, facade materials and other architectural features.
Wallace Estates is planned to be a five-story building with the residential units across the first four floors. The ground floor is expected to include a lobby, a walk-up apartment, commercial space and tuck-under parking. A partial fifth floor will house indoor and outdoor amenities for residents. The building is designed with a masonry facade and large, offset windows, according to the project application.
“Detroit raised me — I’m a west side kid, and I’m passionate about bringing mixed-income housing to my city,” Wallace said in a statement Thursday. “The 205 Watson project is about building safe, quality housing for everybody; that respects longtime residents and welcomes new neighbors — building opportunity without pushing people out.”
The project was the winning bid of a City of Detroit request for proposals for the site, said Nevan Shokar, principal of Shokar Group and the day-to-day development lead. McIntosh Poris Architects is the designer.
“It’s an infill site that’s bringing high-quality housing, both for affordable and market-rate renters,” Shokar said. “And I think it complements the neighborhood nicely with the brick aesthetic, as well as the brass inlays in the windows.”
Construction could begin this summer and be finished in 18 months, Shokar said, placing completion at late 2027.
Wallace Estates will join a wave of new residential development in Brush Park, a neighborhood that has seen nearly a decade of revitalization. Last summer, Bedrock celebrated the completion of City Modern, a nearly 10-year effort to transform a once-neglected area of the historic district.
Shokar said the building would primarily include studios and one-bedroom units, with a few two-bedroom apartments. About 20% of the units will be designated affordable at 80% of area median income, with the remainder rented at market rates.
“The highest demand that you have within this neighborhood and across the city as a whole, is to produce more studio and one-bedroom units,” Shokar said. “The two-bedroom units sometimes and larger sometimes have a hard time filling up, leasing up within buildings, and that’s why you typically see units generally smaller in size.”
Shokar said estimated rents for the new building could range from $1,800 per month for a 450-square-foot studio to $2,700 per month for an 800-square-foot two-bedroom unit.
Shokar said the team will pursue incentives including a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone tax abatement and a housing tax increment financing package.
cwilliams@detroitnews.com
LAKELAND, FL – Opening Day is 21 days away.
The Detroit Tigers are deep into spring training in TigerTown. Pitchers and catchers reported Feb. 11, position players arrived Feb. 15, and the first game took place Feb. 21.
After three weeks of camp, including one and a half weeks of games, leaders have emerged in the battles for roster spots among pitchers and position players – but nothing is guaranteed.
Here’s a look at our second version of how the Tigers should fill their 26-man 2026 Opening Day roster, with exactly three weeks until the first game of the regular season.
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Right elbow arthroscopy in late January has limited Dingler in the early weeks of spring training, but he is expected to be fully healthy by Opening Day as the starting catcher.
The only question is how the Tigers will deploy their two catchers.
It could make sense for backup catcher Jake Rogers to catch left-handers Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez, even though Dingler caught 25 of Skubal’s 31 starts last season. The reasoning is simple: The Tigers will need more offense from their catcher when their other three starters are pitching – and Dingler is the better hitter.
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Torkelson is locked into the Opening Day roster after hitting .240 with 31 home runs in 155 games last season, ranking 14th among 25 first basemen with a .789 OPS.
He has experienced ups and downs in his four-year MLB career, including two demotions to Triple-A Toledo and two seasons with 31 home runs. The next step is becoming an All-Star-caliber player.
This spring, Torkelson is hitting .250 (3-for-12) with four strikeouts in five games. He also went 1-for-2 with one walk (and two hit by pitches) in two games against Team Dominican Republic in a two-game exhibition series.
The Tigers retained Torres when he received and accepted the one-year, $22.03 million qualifying offer. He will be relied upon as the everyday second baseman in the lineup and a reliable on-base presence near the top of the batting order.
In 2025, Torres hit .256 with 16 home runs, 85 walks and 101 strikeouts across 145 games.
This spring, Torres is hitting .286 (4-for-14) with one walk and three strikeouts in five games. He left the Tigers to represent Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, which runs from March 5-17.
McGonigle hasn’t played above Double-A Erie, but his performance against Team Dominican Republic in the first game of the exhibition series showed why he belongs on the Opening Day roster.
The 21-year-old shortstop hit a first-pitch 98.1 mph fastball from right-hander Luis Severino for a leadoff home run in the first inning, pulling it 461 feet to right field with a 110.4 mph exit velocity – making noise in a new environment at the electric Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo. After the homer, he added a two-run single, five-pitch walk and leadoff single to finish his four plate appearances.
McGonigle has passed every on-field test in camp.
He also looks comfortable around big leaguers behind the scenes.
This spring, McGonigle is hitting .400 (6-for-15) with two walks and four strikeouts across seven games. He also went 3-for-5 with two walks and two strikeouts in two games against Team Dominican Republic.
The Tigers are prepared for Keith to serve as the primary third baseman.
In 2024-25, Keith hit .237 with a .660 OPS during the months of March/April and May, then improved to .269 with a .744 OPS during the months of June, July, August and September/October.
If Keith starts slowly again, utility player Zach McKinstry could handle third base until he heats up. McGonigle could also slide over to third while McKinstry handles shortstop.
This spring, Keith is hitting .154 (2-for-13) with two walks and seven strikeouts across six games. He also went 3-for-6 with one strikeout in two games against Team Dominican Republic.
If McGonigle secures an Opening Day spot, the Tigers will need to cut one of four outfielders: Vierling, Wenceel Pérez, Jahmai Jones or Parker Meadows.
Among them, Vierling has performed the best in spring training (with a track record of success when healthy), Pérez provides value off the bench as the only switch-hitter (with experience at all three outfield positions) and Jones is the top option against left-handed pitchers (without any minor-league options remaining).
That leaves Meadows on the outside looking in.
Last season, Meadows hit .215 in 58 games while posting minus-1 defensive runs saved over more than 450 innings in center field. This spring, he is hitting .059 (1-for-17) with one walk and five strikeouts in six games. He also went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against Team Panama in an exhibition game.
The Tigers plan to use Greene at designated hitter more often after just 21 starts there last season. As a result, Carpenter has spent more time in left field this spring, in addition to his primary position in right field.
Even so, Carpenter should still receive most of the starts at designated hitter. Injuries have limited him from completing a full season during his four-year MLB career, and the designated hitter role helps keep his bat in the lineup while reducing wear and tear on his body.
This spring, Carpenter is hitting .235 (4-for-17) with six strikeouts in six games, making three starts in right field, two in left field and one at designated hitter. He also went 1-for-3 with one home run against Team Panama, starting in left field.
If McGonigle starts at shortstop, Meadows gets demoted to Triple-A Toledo and Báez takes over in center field, the Tigers would have McKinstry, Pérez and Jones as their three position players on the bench, not including Rogers as the backup catcher.
Who is next in line?
McKinstry and Rogers should be secure, but Pérez and Jones could find themselves on the hot seat if they struggle early in the season because neither has an established track record of success.
Pérez could be replaced by Trei Cruz, a switch-hitter who plays center field and shortstop, offering more defensive versatility than anyone else in the organization. Jones could be replaced by Hao-Yu Lee, a right-handed-hitting infielder who crushes left-handed pitchers, balancing the roster with above-average defense at second and third base.
Both Cruz and Lee joined the Tigers’ 40-man roster in mid-November, protecting them from the Rule 5 draft.
This spring, Cruz is hitting .308 (4-for-13) with three walks and one strikeout in seven games. He also went 0-for-3 with one strikeout against Team Panama, starting at shortstop.
The Big Five is locked in.
The Tigers bolstered their rotation by signing Valdez and Verlander in the 10 days leading up to spring training, helping offset the loss of right-hander Reese Olson to season-ending shoulder surgery. Right-hander Troy Melton could also miss significant time after being shut down from throwing with right elbow inflammation.
Moving from Olson to Verlander is a downgrade, but the Tigers still boast the best one-two punch in baseball with Skubal and Valdez at the top of the rotation. If another injury occurs, right-hander Drew Anderson is expected to shift from the bullpen into the rotation.
Five relievers are locked in with Jansen, Finnegan, Vest, Holton and Anderson, leaving three openings.
The Tigers already thinned the competition by optioning right-handers Keider Montero, Ty Madden and Dylan Smith to Triple-A Toledo, with Montero and Madden providing starting depth. The Tigers also lost right-handed reliever Beau Brieske to right ribcage tightness this spring, though the severity of the injury remains unknown.
Both Hurter and Hanifee have been key bullpen pieces in the past, making them top candidates for two of the three openings. But Hanifee has a notable flaw: He has thrived against right-handed hitters as a ground-ball specialist with his sinker-slider approach, but left-handers have hit .307 with an .857 OPS.
If the Tigers carry three left-handed relievers, Sommers could have the inside track on the final spot in the bullpen, especially with Bailey Horn still rehabbing from left elbow arthroscopy.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
The Detroit Lions are starting to take care of their own ahead of free agency, and it begins with one of the easier decisions to make. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions have tendered kicker Jake Bates an exclusive rights free agent offer. What that means is Bates now has a one-year contract offer at the minimum salary ($1,075,000 for Bates). He can choose to sign it or sit out the season.
The reason the Lions can offer this ERFA tender is because Bates’ contract is expiring after just two accrued seasons in the NFL. All players with fewer than three years of experience who are on expiring contracts could be offered these ERFA tenders. In fact, the Lions did so with three other ERFAs earlier this offseason, all of whom already signed the deals: OL Michael Niese, RB Jacob Saylors, and CB Nick Whiteside.
Bates is coming off a season where he took a step back after an outstanding 2024. After making 89.7% of his field goals in his first year with the Lions, Bates slid back to just 79.4% accuracy. That said, five of his seven misses all season were from 50+ yards, and he was a perfect 14-of-14 from 39 yards or shorter. Additionally, he increased his extra point accuracy from 95.5% to 96.4%. He also steadily improved at the new NFL kickoff, which requires a lot more precision from kickers to boot the ball as close to the goal line without going into the end zone.
It’s unclear if the Lions intend on bringing in competition for Bates this offseason, but special teams coordinator Dave Fipp made it abundantly clear all last season that they value Bates, despite some struggles in 2025.
“Clearly, we have a very, very good player,” Fipp said in December. “If you put him on the streets, there would be a bunch of teams claiming him right away. And the truth is, we’d have a really hard time finding a guy even near the same player as him.”
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