Year of the Lions?
At the end of the day, I blame Barry Sanders. In one of the larger testaments to my loyalty and and an annual test of my sanity, I am a Detroit Lions fan.
I grew up a Seattle fan, but in the late 80’s and early 90s the Seahawks were absolutely putrid with no salvation in sight. And then I saw Barry Sanders highlights and it was all over. A transcendent talent, Sanders would have dazzled and dominated any generation. I was all in on Detroit through thick and thin. I had no idea how fleeting the thick would be.
If I would have known then what I know now, I would have savored it more. I was a senior in high school and the Lions defeated the Dallas Cowboys 38-6. Starting for the injured Rodney Peete, backup quarterback Erik Kramer threw three touchdown passes and the score wasn’t as close as it might indicate. It remains Detroit’s lone playoff win in the Super Bowl era.
I’ll pause here while you read that last sentence again. (Yikes.) For additional context, Super Bowl LVIII (58) is coming up Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.
The next week they would get blasted 42-10 by Washington in the NFC title game. Since then Detroit – as my niece would say – has gone through some things.
A (very) brief list…
- Barry Sanders retired in his prime.
- Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson did too.
- Traded the best quarterback in franchise history, Matt Stafford, to the Rams, where he immediately won a Super Bowl ring
- Detroit became the first team to post a winless 0-16 season in 2008
- Since 2000, the Lions won five games or less in a season 11 times
- 11 times… 11!
BUT… the Lions may just be back from the dead. Dan Campbell, a member of the 2008 squad that did not register a single win, just directed Detroit to its first division title since 1991 and just the second 12-win season in franchise history.
I will admit to being skeptical after watching Campbell’s introductory press conference, which is one of the more unhinged things I have ever seen this side of a Trump rally. For a refresher…
Top-3 NFL Coach Press Conference Meltdowns
- Jim Mora – Playoffs?
- Dennis Green – They are who we thought they were!
- Herm Edwards – You play to win the game!
As much fun as the Detroit season has been, I’m still not sure I trust it. Detroit fans carry quite a bit of baggage. See the laundry list of bullets above. I edited those down from about three excel spreadsheets of Motown disasters.
Now the franchise is in the hands of a head coach with a caffeine addiction that far eclipses mine. To wit…
Reminder that Detroit Lions HC Dan Campbell has the most absurd coffee order of all time.
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) September 8, 2023
Two venti coffees from Starbucks with two espresso shots in each is more than 1,100 mg of caffeine.
That's the equivalent of drinking 10 Red Bulls...every morning.pic.twitter.com/Y1JGZckke3
Despite the urge to wait for the other shoe to drop, I had an epiphany of sorts while I was watching the regular season finale against Minnesota, a 30-10 win. Savor the ride, but wear a seatbelt. Also: if you are feeling the jitters after drinking two venti coffees with two extra espresso shots, perhaps mix in a glass of water or two. Perhaps.
See you in the playoffs, Motor City!
Top-3 Detroit Movies
- Out of Sight
- Grosse Pointe Blank
- 8-Mile
Honorable Mention: Semi-pro