Detroit, MI

Rampant OTA holdouts prove Detroit Lions are doing things right

Published

2 years ago

May 22, 2024

Rampant OTA holdouts prove Detroit Lions are doing things right

Wednesday brings another day of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) across the NFL and another report of the beginnings of a holdout. Late on Tuesday, it was revealed that San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk is skipping out on OTAs while he awaits a new deal from the team.

Ayuik is far from alone in “holdout.” Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson, Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb, Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton, and Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward are just some of the big names who have opted out of the start of OTAs.

While we haven’t had the opportunity to take attendance at Detroit Lions OTAs yet, they are unlikely to have this problem. In the past month, the Lions have gotten all of their big contract negotiations out of the way, inking quarterback Jared Goff, receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and offensive tackle Penei Sewell to long-term deals. Not only does that allow Detroit to get ahead of what is always an ever-increasing market, but now the Lions players can focus on one thing: football.

Sure, OTA participation isn’t the end-all, be-all. We’re talking about practice without full pads and no live contact. But the Lions are a team that has focused on acquiring players who just want to play, and while rules limit what you can do during an OTA practice, it is undoubtedly an opportunity for these players to develop chemistry and get better.

Even though it is considered voluntary, the Lions have always put a high emphasis on OTA attendance. In Year 1 of the Dan Campbell era—in the midst of the COVID pandemic—the Lions had over 80 players on their 90-man roster show up to OTAs.

“To me, that sends a message loud and clear that at least they’ve taken the first step,” Campbell said back in 2021. “They’ve taken the first step and that tells us as coaches, like, they are committed.”

In 2022, the Lions were only missing a handful of players to open OTAs, and in 2023, they, again, reported with well over 80 players present.

So while from the outside looking in, missing OTAs may not seem like a big deal, the Lions clearly emphasize the importance of these practices. And credit to players like Goff, St. Brown, and Sewell for getting these deals done before they become distracting headlines.

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Detroit, MI

Tigers top Chicago White Sox 4-1; Detroit pitcher Troy Melton allows 1 hit in 6 innings

Published

10 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Press Room

Tigers top Chicago White Sox 4-1; Detroit pitcher Troy Melton allows 1 hit in 6 innings

June 20, 2026 / 4:22 PM EDT
/ AP

Troy Melton allowed one hit in six innings and the Detroit Tigers’ offense came alive late in a 4-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.

Dillon Dingler had two hits, including a home run, and drove in two runs as Detroit won its second straight game after losing four of five.

Melton (4-0) gave up a homer to Sam Antonacci on his second pitch of the game but allowed only four more baserunners — on three walks and a hit batter. He struck out five while allowing two or fewer runs for the fourth time in five starts this season.

Two Tigers relievers finished, with Kenley Jansen pitching the ninth for his ninth save.

Sean Newcomb started Chicago’s bullpen game with three perfect innings, but Tyler Davis walked the bases loaded with two out in the fourth. Joe Rock came out of the White Sox bullpen and struck out pinch-hitter Jahmai Jones to loud boos from the Comerica Park crowd.

With a runner on first and two out in the fifth, Kevin McGonigle got Detroit’s first hit of the game — the first hit for either team since Antonacci’s leadoff homer.

Dillon Dingler followed with an RBI single off Rock (0-1) to tie the game.

Detroit took the lead in the sixth when Spencer Torkelson doubled and scored on James Outman’s single. Jake Rogers made it 3-1 later in the inning with an RBI single.

Chicago didn’t get its second hit until Braden Montgomery doubled off Tyler Holton with one out in the seventh.

Dingler hit his 17th homer in the seventh, giving Detroit a 4-1 lead.

Up next

The teams finish the series Sunday in what was originally scheduled to be Justin Verlander’s first start as a Tigers player in Detroit since 2017. His hamstring strain means RHP Keider Montero (3-5, 3.67) will come back from the bullpen to face RHP Davis Martin (9-3, 3.31).

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Detroit, MI

Today in History: June 20, race-related rioting erupts in Detroit

Published

20 hours ago

June 20, 2026

Press Room

Today is Saturday, June 20, the 171st day of 2026. There are 194 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On June 20, 1943, race-related rioting erupted in Detroit; federal troops were sent in by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to quell the violence that resulted in more than 30 deaths.

Also on this date:

In 1782, the Continental Congress approved the Great Seal of the United States, featuring the emblem of the bald eagle.

In 1837, Queen Victoria acceded to the British throne following the death of her uncle, King William IV.

In 1893, a jury in New Bedford, Massachusetts, found Lizzie Borden not guilty of the ax murders of her father and stepmother.

In 1947, gangster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel was shot dead at the Beverly Hills, California, home of his girlfriend, Virginia Hill, likely at the order of mob associates.

In 1967, boxer Muhammad Ali was convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted and was sentenced to five years in prison. (Ali’s conviction would ultimately be overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court).

In 1972, three days after the arrest of the Watergate burglars, President Richard Nixon met at the White House with his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman; the secretly made tape recording of this meeting ended up with a notorious 18 1/2-minute gap.

In 2002, in Atkins v. Virginia, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that executing people with intellectual disabilities qualified as cruel and unusual punishment and was therefore in violation of the Eighth Amendment.

In 2025, a powerful tornado tore across southeastern North Dakota with winds topping 200 mph (322 kph) and an EF5 category, the strongest classification for a tornado and the first of that strength confirmed on U.S. soil in a dozen years. The tornado killed three people and heavily damaged a regional airport.

Today’s Birthdays:

Filmmaker Stephen Frears is 85.
Singer Anne Murray is 81.
TV personality Bob Vila is 80.
Musician Lionel Richie is 77.
Actor John Goodman is 74.
Rock bassist Michael Anthony (Van Halen) is 72.
Rock bassist John Taylor (Duran Duran) is 66.
Actor Nicole Kidman is 59.
Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez is 58.
Actor Josh Lucas is 55.
Actor Christopher Mintz-Plasse is 37.
Actor Kayla Maisonet is 27.
Actor David Iacono is 24.

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Detroit, MI

Best barbershop in Metro Detroit: Finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best

Published

1 day ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

Best barbershop in Metro Detroit: Finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best

Voting on finalists open from June 22 through July 20

What is the barbershop in Metro Detroit? We’ve got our finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best category for best barbershop.

Here are this year’s finalists:

Andino’s Barbershop in St. Clair Shores
Bennies Barbershop in Trenton
Chivalry Barber Co. in Royal Oak
The Garage Cuts and Coffee in Plymouth
Walter T’s Grooming Company in Waterford Township

We received more than 16,700 nominations across our 80 Vote 4 The Best categories this year. Each category was then narrowed down to five finalists.

Click here to view the full list of finalists.

Now that nominations are over, voting on finalists can begin. Voting is open from June 22 through July 20, and you can vote for each category once per day during that time.