The Detroit Lions’ impact and fanbase reach far beyond the city limits of their town.

Detroit has generated plenty of fans since head coach Dan Campbell took over, as he has helped lead the team from the bottom of the NFC North to a legitimate Super Bowl favorite.

One of the groups of people who will be following the Lions’ 2024 season quite closely is the third-grade class of Mary Crippen, a teacher at Pinecrest Elementary School in the Miami area who has conducted several football-themed lessons in her classroom.

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Last year, Crippen used Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill’s quest for 2,000 receiving yards to teach her class math. This year, for her math lesson, Crippen has elected to use the combined receiving yardage of Hill and Jaylen Waddle to help teach math.

Additionally, students in Crippen’s class each drafted an NFL team to help learn geography. One student chose the Lions, and the student had a special surprise in store from the team recently in class.

Crippen posted a video on social media of the heartwarming moment, in which she reveals to the lucky student that the Lions had sent a package of memorabilia.

Each student received a Lions magnet, a One Pride bracelet and sunglasses. The student who picked the Lions, Maxine, also received a bobblehead of the team’s mascot, Roary, and a signed football.

Crippen used the opportunity to explain to the students the kindness of the gesture from the team.

“The biggest thing here that I’m learning (is) sportsmanship. They didn’t have to give you guys things, you didn’t draft their team. But, they wanted to be what? They wanted to be kind, right?” Crippen said.
“So, as you’re going throughout the season and you’re playing other teams, should you wish bad luck on other teams? Should you wish for other teams to get hurt? No, you should always wish for the best for others. You should always be kind. The Lions didn’t have to give you anything, they didn’t have to give us anything. They didn’t, but they did, and that was a really cool and kind thing to do.”

When it was reported that 12-year NBA veteran Evan Fournier was inking a contract with a team overseas, it was assumed there was a lack of interest on the open market for the former Detroit Pistons player.

While Fournier’s market might not have been demanding, he reportedly had an offer on the table from an Eastern Conference franchise. It turns out he turned it down.

A two-year deal from the Washington Wizards was on the table. According to Maxime Aubin, the role and location weren’t ideal in the eyes of Fournier.

“He wasn’t interested in a ‘mentoring role’ with the youngsters,” Aubin reported on X. “Added he wants to ‘compete’ in Europe and ‘enjoy playing basketball again.’”

At 31 years old, Fournier is interested in competing for a title. While he held out for a winning situation to come about in the NBA, Fournier didn’t find one. That led him to Olympiacos in Greece. Earlier this week, Fournier reportedly inked a multi-year deal with the Greek club.

The Wizards didn’t finish the 2023-2024 NBA season much better than the Pistons. By the end of the regular season, Washington held a 15-67 record, placing them just above the last-placed Pistons. It’s no surprise Washington showed some interest in Fournier.

Over the summer, the Wizards brought on former Pistons General Manager Troy Weaver to join the front office. During the 2023-2024 NBA season, Weaver struck a deal with the New York Knicks, which included Fournier. Detroit embraced the veteran’s leadership for 29 games.

The Wizards attempted to do the same, but no luck.

Fournier leaves the NBA following stints with the Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Knicks, and the Pistons. Last year, he averaged four points in three games with the Knicks. When he arrived in Detroit, he produced seven points per game on 37 percent shooting.

A mother is dead and another person wounded after a double shooting Wednesday on Detroit’s east side, police said.

Officers responded at about 8:10 p.m. to the area of Greiner and Runyon streets near Seven Mile Road and Hoover Street after an alert from the police department’s ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology, DPD said.

Police arrived at the scene, found two victims and started rendering aid until medics took them to a hospital, according to authorities.

Officials said a woman was pronounced dead and the other victim is in critical condition.

An argument arose between two parties who knew each other, according to a preliminary investigation. The fight escalated until one of the parties, a male, produced a gun, officials reported.

Detectives said the female victim tried to intervene before the suspect opened fire and fatally shot her.

Authorities also said they do not have the suspect in custody and are not releasing any information at this time.

Last week, Detroit police officials said citywide summer crime statistics were down for the second straight year. There were 63 homicides in Detroit from May 31-Aug. 29, down 19% from 78 killings during the same period in 2023, according to the Detroit Police Department.

cramirez@detroitnews.com

@CharlesERamirez