Maybe next Year!!!
I have heard and said these words for the past forty-six years—and here I am saying it again.
Ugh!
Being a Lions fan is tough. For the most part, we expect a loss, but hope for a win. When we lose, like I said, we expected it. No crying in our beer here. When we win, we’re elated and spill beer celebrating. But we have had more often than not, those happy/sad moments, when they seem like they might win, then blow it…again.
You see, having grown up about fourteen miles from the heart of the 
, it’s infused in our blood that we are Lions fans, no matter their season record. We wear our fan gear with Pride and bring out the same cake, three weeks in a row, regardless of how much has been eaten the week before, because that’s a win streak, baby!
Some of my first memories of watching the Lions were with my dad, and quite Frankly (pun intended), he was always complaining about Wayne Fontes not knowing any play other than RUN! Which worked out great during the Barry Sanders years, but his running didn’t get the team any farther in the 90’s than it did this past weekend. Honestly, our best player was a place kicker, Jason Hanson, who for literally twenty years, felt like the only team member scoring any points.
We all have, in one way or another, at least one Silver and Honolulu blue piece of clothing. We’ve learned to accept the smack talk from other fans and can find any problem with another team with quick wit and a lot of aggression. For instance, I haven’t lived in Detroit since, well, since the Cowboys won the division. See how we’ve learned to hurt other fans’ feelings? Hell, my Lions t-shirt is so old, Reebok was the sponsor.
For whatever reason, we’re a loyal bunch of people. I’m sure we could debate the societal construct of the Big Three autoworkers populating Wayne County, which reflects our work ethic, our grit, and our perseverance. We could surmise that unlike the dynasty-esk teams, we don’t waver from tough times and bad losses. When we fall, we help each other up, don’t bother to dust off, and train harder. Of course, our loyalty could be as simple as a general consensus that we’re always on the shit-end of the stick (another Frank euphemism).
Even when the team went 0-16, the stadium was full. Sure, most of the fans were wearing brown paper bags over their heads with a small slit over the mouth to boo and a few slits near the eyes to watch the team lose, but still, we were there to support each other. I recall at least one entrepreneur who made and sold Lions jerseys with the name Owen on the back with a number 16. I don’t care who you are, that’s funny and innovative.
But when all is said and done, this year’s normal response at the end of the season is a bit tougher to swallow. Us Lions fans actually felt like the team was going to accomplish something that’s never been done in our history, simply play in the Super Bowl. Shit, we didn’t even have to win, just get there. Instead, we hang our heads, give a social media shout out to the Lions for helping us believe in that Detroit magic, and through gritted teeth, we conclude with our usual end of season response—maybe next year.
Sincerely,
A Sad Lions Fan