The Detroit Lions Playoff Surge brought an economic boost to downtown Detroit.
Despite the bitter disappointment that Detroit Lions fans everywhere are feeling after yesterday’s brutal setback against the San Francisco 49ers, a positive that came out of the playoff run was a major economic boost to downtown Detroit businesses.
The Detroit Lions Playoff Surge brought millions to downtown Detroit’s economy
According to Fox 2 Detroit, Detroit’s playoff run brought $20 million to the downtown economy during each playoff game at Ford FIeld.
Michael Gillyard, an employee at The Old Shillelagh on Monroe Street, said that the establishment was consistently packed during every game.
“It was exciting. The whole season. I mean every Sunday we had a full house,” he said. “I think it did a lot financially for the city. We had a lot of bars that were down here that were open, we had a lot of restaurants that were open, we had people out selling merchandise. So I think it really did a lot for the city.”
“You know down here we do pretty well during tigers games and stuff like that but it’s just been nuts during lions season,” FanaticU employee Wayne Bengal said.
Meanwhile, Visit Detroit‘s Chris Moyer was vocal about the economic benefits that the Lions playing well into January brought downtown businesses.
“It’s helping business,” Moyer said. “A lot of restaurants and bars go short-staffed in January. Think about the hundreds of people in the city of Detroit that are working, that have worked these past few weekends because of the Lions.”
Additionally, Moyer was hopeful about the possibility of Detroit’s run anticipating free-agent talent to the Lions.
“I think we’re going to get a lot of quality players that’s coming through the free agency that want to come here now because they see what Dan Campbell has in store,” Gillyard said.
TL;DR (too long didn’t read)
- The Detroit Lions followed up their 1st division victory in 30 years by hosting a pair of playoff games at Ford Field, the first such occasion for the venue that opened in 2002
- Hosting a pair of playoff games brought millions of dollars to the downtown Detroit economy
- Employees of downtown businesses spoke about the economic benefit that the Lions playoff games brought
Bottom Line: Can Detroit run it back in 2024?
The pain of the defeat continues to resonate for Lions fans, particularly given the comfortable lead enjoyed after the first 30 minutes of play. Knowing that preserving that lead could have paved the way for the franchise’s inaugural Super Bowl appearance adds an extra layer of poignancy to the loss.
Looking forward, the looming question is: Can the Lions take sufficient strides to revisit the NFC title game next season, aiming for a more favorable outcome? The journey and the anticipation of the future will undoubtedly stoke the determination of both the team and its devoted fanbase.
