Indeed. Just throw down some field turf and add some bleachers - trowel in a brick facade, add a ticket booth or two, put a name up on the front and there's Ford Field, still a marked upgrade over the huge concrete morgue that was the Pontiac Silverdome.
And, actually, that's pretty much what happened as the architects incorporated one of several Hudson's Department Store warehouses in the construction of Ford Field at a cost of $430 million - a bit pricey for a unique fixer-upper opportunity...
...which is how the fan base views their football team - but in reality, they've come a long ways since former General Manager Matt Millen constructed a team that posted the only 0-16 record in the history of the National Football league in 2008.
Or maybe the proper way to put is, they had come a long way.
In 2012 the Lions were supposed to be on the upswing with a violent and intimidating defense and a high flying vertical offense, and the fans really got behind thier team.
And why not? They were coming off a rare playoff appearance the year before after more than a decade of shame and won double digit games for the first time since Barry Sanders was classing up the Silverdome. They had a receiver named nicknamed Megatron and a huge, colorful defensive tackle that stomped on folks, getting them all riled up.
But then, nothing. The team didn't fall apart to finish 4-12 in 2012, they just quietly disappeared, losing their last eight in a row.
The mood in Kid Rock City is ugly, consequently, and you can't blame the fans for being hyper-critical of a process that gave them their first playoff game in 13 seasons, then were forced to watch them slide right back down to their familiar haunt of being the bottom feeders in the NFC North.
They still have Megatron - or Calvin Johnson, if you prefer - and they still have Ndamukong Suh stomping people, albeit metaphorically at this point lest he be fined and suspended, and there are some very good players here and there...
...but this is a team with many positional battles yet to be resolved and it's hard to tell what the Patriots could be walking into when they take the field in Detroit on Thursday night - and it's not as if either Lions' coach Jim Schwartz or Patriots' coach Bill Belichick plan on tipping their regular season hand by running anything but the same old tired vanilla gameplan.
But thats the thing that's cool about the preseason, is that it becomes a battle mano-a-mano, strength against strength, the irresistible force against the immovable object, and something always gives.
Lions' quarterback Matthew Stafford has been under siege so far this preseason, as his offensive line is somewhat of a work in progress, leaving him a sitting duck in the pocket with his running game unable to operate effectively behind the big uglies either.
Longtime blindside protector Jeff Backus retired in the offseason, leaving the left tackle spot open for Riley Reiff who has a tremendous upside, but also is being abused by pass rushers stunting to the inside, and with little help available on the interior of the offensive line, the Patriots should be able to get to Stafford early and often.
When Stafford does have time to throw, it will be interesting to see if wide receiver Calvin Johnson will be his primary focus - if he even plays - or if he gets his tight ends and other receivers involved. The 6' 5", 240 pound Megatron is the ultimate test for a cornerback, so the Patriots' secondary should relish the opportunity to battle him and his band of Decepticons.
Aqib Talib and the rest of the Patriots secondary were able to contain Tampa Bay's like-sized Vincent Jackson last week, but Johnson presents a more complete package with his world class speed - but, again, if Stafford is running for his life, finding Johnson down the field becomes a more difficult task.
Run blocking is an issue for the Lions' offensive line as well, so with all things considered, Stafford may be forced to his ace in the hole - getting the ball to newcomer Reggie Bush in space and hope that he can elude a frenetic New England linebacking corps that will be keying on him. If Bush and the rest of Detroit's backs can get loose and move the chains early, it can open up things downfield and spark the traditionally slow-starting Stafford.
As anxiety producing as Detroit's offensive line is, the defensive line is the mirror opposite.
Suh combines with fellow tackle Nick Fairley and rookie defensive ends Ziggy Ansah and Devin Taylor to form the best defensive line in football, period - which obviously presents the Patriots' offensive line a great opportunity to test their mettle. Unfortunately for the Lions, their linebackers and secondary behind them are unsettled...
...which should eventually offset the aggressiveness of the pass rushers if New England's young receivers can take advantage of Detroit's shaky second level coverage.
Were Danny Amendola playing, he and quarterback Tom Brady would pick the pass coverage for the Lions' apart underneath - but since he's probably not, it's a perfect opportunity for the duo of Julian Edelman and Josh Boyce to work the slot and for Kenbrell Thompkins to continue to blossom as Brady's security blanket.
Perhaps more so than for third down back Shane Vereen, who is a known quantity - though this is the kind of game where he could run wild in the passing game, be it from the slot, the flat on the isolation screen or over the top of the Lions' troubled secondary
This is an important game for Aaron Dobson to gain confidence down the field as well, as he is the key to opening up the rest of the field. He has been conspicuously absent from the huddle when the first team is taking their game reps - which could be by design due to what little game planning actually goes on in the preseason.
In fact, if the Patriots want to compete on all three levels and force the defenses to defend the entire field, there needs to be a concerted effort by all receivers, and the absence of Amendola forces the rest of the pass catchers to have to step up.
The tight ends should be particularly effective underneath and up the seam where the Lions are weak, so we could witness a big game for all of the Patriots' pass catchers as Brady should be able to get rid of the ball quickly and neutralize the Lions' fierce pass rush, but it's going to be interesting to see how the running game is used .
Every Patriots' fan knows that Bill Belichick is just aching to match his offensive line against the Lions' stout defensive line in the run game, but does he try to soften up that huge, violent line with straight ahead power football or does he take a less direct approach and set up the run with the short passing game?
Probably a mixture of both, as achieving balance and getting all facets of the offense working in tandem with each other is the underlying task going into the third preseason game, which is traditionally the last dress rehearsal for the core players before the games start to count in a couple of weeks.
The Patriots don't have nearly as many questions or unresolved camp battles remaining as the Lions do, which means that they can concentrate on cohesion and strategy more than evaluating talent - but with their top shelf receiver on the mend, it's time to see what the kiddies bring to the table.
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