Several years ago, The Athletic burst onto the sports media scene as an ambitious startup, quickly earning a reputation for deep reporting and top-tier writers. I was an early subscriber and, like many readers, grew attached to the voices and insights of journalists who treated sports seriously and intelligently. Over time, however, layoffs thinned that roster of writers, including several I particularly enjoyed, and I eventually let my subscription lapse.

Not long after, the New York Times made a major strategic shift of its own. The paper eliminated its standalone sports section, reassigned many of its sports reporters to other beats, and purchased The Athletic to serve as its primary sports platform. In effect, The Athletic became the New York Times sports section — with all the reach, credibility and global audience that comes with it.

That context matters, especially for Fishers.

For some time now, both here on this site and on my podcasts, I have been talking about how significant it would be for Fishers to become the headquarters of the Cadillac Formula One team. This is not just another corporate relocation or economic development announcement. Formula One is a truly global sport, followed by hundreds of millions of fans around the world. Having a team — especially one backed by General Motors — based in Fishers places our community on an international stage in a way few developments ever could.

This week, The New York Times/The Athletic published a story detailing General Motors’ commitment of substantial financial resources to the new Cadillac Formula One effort. Tucked into that national and international coverage was a brief mention of Fishers.

It may only be a line or two in a long article, but it carries outsized significance. When a global publication like the New York Times mentions Fishers in the context of Formula One and General Motors, it signals that our city is no longer just a fast-growing suburb. It is becoming part of a worldwide conversation — exactly the kind of visibility that can shape Fishers’ future for decades to come.

You can read The Athletic article published on the New York Times Web site at this link.  The article is gifted, so there is no paywall.