NFL Network analyst Cynthia Frelund, a Michigan native, knows Detroit is a city of winners. However, she’s still trying to get used to the Lions’ success after they won a playoff game last season for the first time since 1992. With the NFL Draft taking place in Detroit, Frelund is excited to see the city’s revamped sense of energy in all aspects.
Frelund spoke with rolling out about the Detroit Lions, the NFL Draft, and supporting women in sports.
How do you feel about Detroit’s economy after 2008?
I am a GM baby. My dad worked for 41 years at General Motors. It was tough and it was sad. But now you look at the city and all of the vibrant energy is back and it’s just really special and important. I’m looking around and showcasing all of these amazing draft activities and all the fun things we could do here, and I’m like, people are going to come back and say “Hey, we’re talking about Detroit now. You should know…”
What do you think the Detroit Lions’ success means to this city and the state?
It’s funny because it’s like reverse stress. We usually don’t have stress because we’re picking so soon, but this time, it’s like, who are we going to pick because we have to wait so long? It’s a good thing and a good problem to have. Also, the great free agency moves that the team has made it so that there are a lot of options, so you don’t really have to get pigeonholed into one particular position; you have some options, and options always create opportunities, which to me means a great situation for Detroit to be in.
Why is it important to amplify and support women’s voices in sports?
Number one is: who makes the purchasing decision? At the end of the day, commerce and your decisions with your wallet are largely driven by people who look a little bit more like me than some of my male counterparts. Not to say that we should let the tail wag the dog, but it’s to say that you have a great opportunity to increase all of the voices that we hear in our broadcasts, even in your small organization at the team level, to at the league level to at the TV level. There are so many different ways that this massive industry that we call football can change the way we all view talking about sports. At the end of the day, it’s more about let’s find really good voices that we can listen to, and then let’s take into account where they come from, but not be like, “Oh, that’s a girl. That’s not a woman.” Let’s just talk about football and we all love it.
Where can people find you on social media?
You can find me on X @cfrelund and Instagram @cynthiafrelund. I’m going to be on the NFL Network’s coverage all weekend long.
