Detroit council president counters Stephen A. Smith's claim that Lions revived city

Stephen A. Smith's says Lions revived Detroit, city council president disagrees

"Stephen Smith, what we need you to do is not tell our story, because clearly you don’t understand the true story of Detroit," Mary Sheffield said.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - When Stephen A. Smith, a famous ESPN sportscaster, pegged Detroit's revival on the Lions, a city councilwoman set the record straight.

"You see the Detroit Lions coming up and sort of reviving… what this franchise has done for that city," Smith said on his Monday talk show, "First Take," following the Lion's win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Detroiters did not like that.

In a TikTok post that has since gone viral, Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield responded – saying it's all about the people.

"Stephen Smith, what we need you to do is not tell our story, because clearly you don’t understand the true story of Detroit," Sheffield said. "It’s been long-term generational Detroiters, longstanding Detroit-based businesses that have kept this city afloat."

The post has garnered nearly 200,000 views on X (formerly Twitter) and over 22,000 views on TikTok.

"If you love Detroit like I love Detroit, and so many other Detroiters, do we have to stand up for our city," Sheffield told FOX 2.

Sheffield truly believes it's the hard-working people and mom-and-pop shops that are the backbone of the city.

"It’s the businesses, it’s the nonprofits, it’s the organizations, it’s the private sector," she stressed. "It’s all of us, a collaborative effort of all of us who have really sustained our city, and have really redeveloped our city over the last 10 years."

Andrew Davis, owner of SMPLFD –a clothing company in Detroit– agrees.

"I think everybody feels like nothing's kind of handed to you here," Davis said. "There’s a pride in being the underdog when you get somewhere… I think anybody that comes and dips in a little bit, gets a whole other perspective of what (Detroit) is. If you’re just not down here you just don’t know."

The Lions help in showcasing what the city is all about, Sheffield said. She just hopes that Detroiters get credit too.

"So many people contributed to the growth end revitalization in our city, and we are still proud of our Lions as well," she said.