The Experience of Detroit Fans and the Reasons the Lions Have Constructed Something Greater Than Sports
I’m a 20-year-old fan of Detroit sports, and I can say with certainty that this Sunday’s game is the biggest of my life. There is a real chance for the Detroit Lions to win the Super Bowl.
The Detroit community has come together in an amazing way this year, which has been the season of all seasons. It’s evident that the Lions are a part of something much greater than just a football team that wins games.
Being a Lions fan right now is great, but not too long ago, Detroit fans were in a never-ending losing streak.
I have to take you on a tour of Detroit sports fandom over the past few years in order to give you the big picture.
Most people who grew up in Metro Detroit support the Pistons, Tigers, Red Wings, and Lions. All of them are old, illustrious teams with a rich past in the Detroit region and among their prestigious leagues. Detroit has historically been a premier sports city, aside from the Lions having the longest postseason drought in all of sports up until this point.
Due to the Red Wings’ 11 Stanley Cup victories and the presence of some of the greatest players of all time, Detroit earned the moniker “Hockeytown.” The Pistons had a championship team in 2004 in addition to the Bad Boys era of the 1980s. Additionally, despite facing difficulties, the Detroit Tigers have won four World Series in their existence.
The problem is that, despite hearing endlessly about these supposedly “successful franchises” as I was growing up in the 2010s, I never saw any of them succeed. The last playoff game that a Detroit team won was in 2016, which is prior to these playoffs. I could go on and on about every team’s gaffes and never-ending disappointments, but to put it succinctly and simply, it hasn’t just been a few terrible years—it has been torture.
Previous to their recent success, the “cursed” Lions franchise brought that agony to light.
Throughout my early years, attending Ford Field, the phrase “Same Old Lions” followed me. And despite persistent disappointment, official robberies, or early retirements from Hall of Fame players—like my all-time favorite, Calvin Johnson—I never
Since their 1957 pre-super bowl victory, the Lions have been the NFL’s laughingstock. It may be hard for an outsider to comprehend, but in Michigan, there was only negative talk about the Lions. All topics pertaining to the Lions were bound to be exhilarating; people would crack their cherished jokes about them, and veterans would share their experiences of PTSD.
But the Brand New Lions showed up on June 23, 2020. The new regime began when Sheila Ford Hemp assumed control on behalf of her mother Martha Ford. a government that has now lifted the bane.
The right people were in place and things started moving for the first time in the franchise’s history. After being appointed general manager, Brad Holmes never looked back. Holmes built the team the way he saw fit, following his own plan from the beginning. Head coach Dan Campbell proved to be the ideal fit for the Lions in the end.
Dan Campbell was the first to arrive at the practice facility and set the tone. His first press conference, in which he bit off kneecaps and kicked people in the teeth, gave fans a clear picture of the storm that was coming.
Campbell promised that his guys would adopt the character of the city from the very first day they arrived in Allen Park.
Given that it was the Lions, the national media was quick to form opinions and hardly gave Campbell a chance. After making his opening press conference remarks, the head coach was called a clown and laughed at, but he didn’t return the favor. Brad Holmes saw the same vision that Campbell did, so he wanted to instill that message. The two men realized that if they could create a successful football team in Detroit, the people in the city would support them.
In terms of roster construction, Holmes took over a team that was led by Matthew Stafford and included a few fringe players, and he developed it into an incredible group. Holmes created a potent offensive line as the core and worked his way out using his vision. The problem with Holmes is that there is no reason not to trust him because he will always pursue the players he believes would fit in the Lions locker room. No, the Lions are not a flawless team, but Holmes’ contributions are difficult to ignore.
The ideal win-win situation was achieved with the Stafford trade. With Goff and a ton of draft capital acquired, Holmes assembled the team through the draft. Even as you’re getting
