Tell me why this is. Looking up ‘Detroit’ on Google Images, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything remotely pleasant. It focuses in on the poverty, the smog, the gray filter of the city.

Is it the fact that they have the most poverty out of all 250,000-plus populated cities in America? Or that they’re the second-most dangerous city in the country? And that only about a third of the ambulances are running? Is it because they’re $20 billion in debt? In 1950, there were 296,000 manufacturing jobs in Detroit. Today, there are less than 27,000. The city of Detroit has had one of the worst high school graduation rates in the country the past decade, at one point even hovering around 21 percent.

We get it. Economically, Detroit has been a mess, and the failure has rubbed on so many other things. And even with all of that, it still has Michigan weather in the jaw-chattering, lukewarm, frozen-over, then re-microwaved months of spring, which change like Taylor Swift’s love life.

What is portrayed does not always give recognition or do justice to the gems of success that have helped brighten and fabricate a city that takes Detroit-made truckloads of pride in their success. They heavily embody the blue-collar dedication to labor and pushing through tough times—in the city’s case, economically.

This past week, ESPN launched its newest “30 for 30” film, a documentary of the Detroit Pistons’ ‘Bad Boys’ era from the late 1980s to early 1990s. The founder of “30 for 30,” Bill Simmons, subsequently planned his prestigious Grantland website, a partner with ESPN.com, to devote the entire week to the city of Detroit.

Oh, but this isn’t just any barely-beating heart of gloomy perception that their most recent presence in America has been a terribly sorrow failure. ESPN and Grantland were willing to take it a step further than Google Images. Further into the past, yes, but more importantly, further into the roots of what this city has brought the world:
I.
Hockeytown. Home to the Red Wings, arguably the most successful franchise in the history of professional sports, Detroit can celebrate their NHL-leading streak of 23 consecutive postseason appearances. In the first round this week, they’re currently looking to carry on the momentum from their impressive 4-2 regular season record against last year’s Stanley Cup finalist Boston Bruins. The Red Wings are looking to capture their 12th Stanley Cup victory this spring, which, give or take, is comfortably third in the NHL history books.
Detroit needs to celebrate that.
II.
The laughing-stock Lions. Ironically, right below the Wings, the Lions are arguably the least successful franchise in the history of professional sports. Despite their shaky history and inability to hold onto solid leads even to this day, the franchise has come a long way. The fans have stayed loyal through the 0-16, the gradual build, as they still pack Ford Field every Sunday for a team known league-wide to be a scary group to watch out for when fully healthy—and with, for once, maybe the right coaching calls from the sideline this year.
Detroit needs to celebrate that.
III.
The notoriously iconic Bad Boys. The “30 for 30” film said it all, for those who haven’t seen it yet. In an era of basketball in which the focusing spotlight was dominated by the Lakers, Celtics, and the emergence of Michael Jordan, the Pistons put together a team revolving around blue-collar defensive presence, gritty aggression, and laborious execution in their stretch of three straight Finals appearances, including back to back championships (1989 and 1990) and a healthy Isiah Thomas ankle away from three (1988). They revolutionized the game of basketball and the way the Pistons franchise was perceived from them on.
Detroit needs to celebrate that.
IV.
The Tigers. They’re home to the best baseball player in the world, Miguel Cabrera, who also happens to now be the highest paid player in the history of professional sports (10-year, $292 million). They’re home to the best (and probably the only) pitching ace duo in the MLB in Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, and they didn’t even have the best ERA on the team last year! The Tigers are underway for another successful summer in hopes of reaching a fourth straight ALCS appearance, at the very least.
Detroit needs to celebrate that.
V.
Stevie Wonder. Defying all odds, the blind Wonder has been known across the world as an inspiration to aspiring musical artists of all kinds. Wowing everyone with his broad range—singing, keyboards, harmonica, drums, bass guitar, congas, bongos, and keytar—Wonder has represented Detroit perhaps like no other, not to mention at a time amidst the tight racial tension of the 1960s. And what better way to represent than be with the record company, “Motown”?
Detroit needs to celebrate that.
VI.
Henry Ford. The God of Cars, Ford put his city on the map as the globally-known kingdom of the automobile industry. If it wasn’t for the production of cars provided straight from Motown, who knows how much longer our society would’ve had to wait for a substantial way of transportation.
Detroit needs to celebrate that.
VII.
Eminem. Regarded, speculated, and argued to be the most successful rapper of all time, this Detroit native has put together a career that every listener—and even non-listeners—can affiliate with his hometown. With 172 million albums sold worldwide, Eminem is the best-selling hip-hop artist of all-time and the best-selling musical artist of the 2000s.
Detroit needs to celebrate that.

The gems of success Detroit has given its people, America, and the world are what makes Motown Motown, Hockeytown Hockeytown, Rock City Rock City, and, ultimately, Detroit Detroit.

As Grantland put it, “Few cities have as rich a cultural and sporting history as Detroit. From the ‘80s Pistons to Bob Seger, Eminem to Miguel Cabrera, the Motor City is a rich tapestry of compelling figures unbelievable moments, and uniquely American ingenuity.”

This is the depiction that too often goes unnoticed. Delving deeper into Detroit’s depths, acknowledging what it has given America—and the world, really—helps dismiss that idea of overlooking the dose of appreciation it truly deserves.