“This is Wild”, that was the direct quote from the NFL’s official twitter on Thursday April 25th.  The annual NFL draft took place from Downtown Detroit for the very first time ever.  The event, which see’s the top prospect college football players get picked by the NFL, is normally one of the most watched, followed and criticized events of the Spring.

However, the NFL made one of the greatest decisions it’s ever made by not only hosting it in Detroit, long the laughing stock of the sports world, but giving it a local feel.  From start to finish, the first night of the draft was uniquely Detroit.  NFL commissioner Roger Goddell, who gets boo’d incessantly, came out to open the show with the legendary icon of Detroit, rapper Eminem.  Em was followed by legends of Lions football, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Aiden Hutchinson, “Megatron” Calvin Johnson Jr., Barry Sanders, and the man whose name was chanted throughout the entire night, Jared Goff.  Performances by Detroit locals such a Big Sean were sprinkled throughout the night, picks made by local flag and tackle football players, including my alma mater Holly High School and gorgeous drone fly-by’s on the city skyline made the event feel like it was more than just drunken dudes in Tapout t-shirts at Buffalo Wild Wings.

But why was all of this local connection so important for the NFL?  Why was this year’s draft so much more than years past?  Why did 275,000 people from all around the USA descend upon a crowded cross street to witness 32 young men get picked like school yard basketball?  Well, the answer may surprise you, and it doesn’t have a gosh darn thing to do with football.

Enter the Detroit rebrand!  No, I’m not talking about the Lion’s flashy new uniforms, or their first NFC title trip in the Super Bowl era.  I’m talking about the CITY of Detroit rebrand.  Detroit, a city long known for it’s automotive past, generational poverty, corrupt local politicians, high crime rates, abandoned buildings and the forever dwindling population has reinvented its brand.

From multi-billion dollar developments, new stadiums, the attraction of new businesses and a younger type of citizen, Detroit is leaving its torn and tattered past in the rubble of Tiger Stadium and the Hudson building and rising from the ashes like a phoenix from fire.  A mixture of old money, like the Illitch & Ford families, and new money, like Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert are the driving force behind the revitalization.

With youth comes renewed motivation and with a generational tag line of “Detroit vs. Everybody”, the spirit has never been this high.  No longer is it the suburbs vs. the city, but rather a unified front that proves that together, even the most broken of places can become reborn.

We see new signs, new monuments, new statues, and new murals gracing the streets and skylines of the city daily.  They pay homage to the journey the city has taken through the generations, while also clarifying that Detroit is now a destination.  A destination to big business, a destination for superstar athletes, for celebrities and for young citizens alike.

The first night of the NFL draft was truly a spectacle.  It was a culmination of decades of work that served as a showcase for the City of Detroit almost as much as a spotlight on the newest players of the NFL.  I will leave you with this, VISIT DETROIT. Spend a weekend down there.  Wander the streets and happen upon things.  Go catch a Tigers, Lions or Red Wings game and grab a drink somewhere afterwards.  Rebrands WORK.  They work for business, they work for people and they even work for one of the most storied cities in the greatest country in the world!