DETROIT (WWJ) - The Detroit Lions may be stepping off Ford Field to make way for megastar Taylor Swift this weekend, but some players won't be sitting this one out -- in fact, some will be in the stands.
Detroit will go from the Motor City to "Swiftie City" on Friday and Saturday as tens of thousands of Taylor Swift fans are set to swarm downtown in what Audacy Detroit Promotions Director Laurie Haddad says will have a bigger impact than next year's NFL Draft.
"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity," Haddad explained to WWJ's Jonathan Carlson. "Nothing's ever going to be this big. The [NFL] Draft is coming here next year and I think this is bigger than the Draft in Detroit, which is a really big deal.
"People are just so passionate with her music," Haddad continued. "I mean, they just connect with it."
And as it turns out, some of the Detroit Lions roster agree.
"It makes me cry a little bit," Rookie offensive lineman Colby Sorsdal said of Swift's hit "Mr. Perfectly Fine" in a video posted to the Lions' Twitter page. "She hits deep. She cuts deep."
The team asked over a dozen players what their favorite track is from the superstar in an online video which has racked up over half a million views.
Even quarterback Jared Geoff rattled off his top three Swift songs.
"My first one, I'm gonna go with 'Getaway Car'; number two, I'll go with 'The One'; number three, I'll go with 'All Too Well (Ten Minute Version),'" Geoff said.
Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson immediately chimed in with "Love Story."
"It's just hits different man. It's an oldie It's a classic," Hutchinson said before revealing he will be in attendance. "I love it and I look forward to hearing it this weekend."
Quarterback Nathan Sudfeld said he has more than one favorite song and even named the albums they appeared on before crediting his young sisters with getting him listening to Swift's music.
"Gotta go some old albums," Sudfeld laughed. "We got 'Long Live' is really good, I think on 'Speak Now.' Also have 'Never Grow Up,' kind of put me in my feels when I went to college, and 'All Too Well' is a new banger, so yeah, I have little sisters so I'm a fan."
According to its website, Ford Field seats about 65,000 people and can expand 70,000 seats for Lions games. It can accommodate 80,000 seats for basketball games, but one thing is for sure -- every seat available for Swift's two concerts are completely sold out.
Fans are expected to start camping out downtown around lunchtime Friday. Expect traffic delays both days near Ford Field until late Saturday night.
Swift will perform in Detroit on Friday, June 9 and Saturday, June 10. Doors at Ford Field open at 4:30 p.m. each day and the show starts at 6:30 p.m.