Funny this will be my first post about my favorite sports team, the Detroit Lions. I've briefly mentioned them in some posts in the past, (Matt Millen, 2009 Football season) however never truly gave them the justice they deserve. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have always been a devout Lions fan. Despite our constant sub-par performances I stay true to them in hopes that some day we'll win the big game. Today seemed like a fitting time to give my team a tribute since a new season has begun and they will be in the prime time spotlight tonight, for Monday Night Football's season opener against the New York Giants.How it all Started
When I was a young boy, I always loved sports and my first love was actually baseball. I wanted to be a professional shortstop and was especially inspired by the Major League baseball. My favorite team was the Chicago Cubs and my favorite player was second baseman Roberto Alomar from the Toronto Blue Jays, for his incredible fielding skills. I collected all the baseball cards, played the video games, and was an avid fan of the Cubs and the MLB as a whole. However I believe it was the Baseball Strike of 1994 that change this for me, and shortly after I switched my attention to the NFL.
For a brief time, I swore allegiance to the Miami Dolphins. Not entirely sure why I made this my first NFL team but I was a fan for at least over a year. Maybe it was because I liked Dan Marino and the movie Ace Ventura Pet Detective. I even gathered a small collection of Dolphins apparel and in the 5th grade I got a Starter pullover coat for my birthday. I remember these NFL pullover coats were all the rave among us boys in grade school.
However as I prepared to enter junior high, something made me switch teams from the Dolphins to the Detroit Lions. To this day I'm still not exactly sure what caused the switch, (maybe it was the traditonal thanksgiving game at Grandma's house), yet I knew without doubt that this would be my final team that I would support. Even at that young age I was ready to be a loyal fan, not a fair-weather fan. I was ready to support my team no matter how terribly they performed. Since the Lions were a part of my family history from Michigan I felt they were fitting team to support for the rest of my life. And so as I entered the 6th grade I got my Detroit Lions blue starter jacket and officially became a fan of the team. And Barry Sanders quickly became my sports idol!
Memories as a Fan
- Starter Pullover Jackets on Recess: The thing I most remember of my early days as a Lions fans, was the competition among my classmates. Each of us boys had our own team that we supported and each of us had our starter jackets. (Tony Leist liked the Steelers, Kevin Branning liked the Vikings, Eric Shanyada liked the 49ers, etc). I remember we use to play football during recess, and the games often got very competitive. I was always one of the fastest, and best jukers on the field, much due to my inspiration from Barry Sanders.
- Pontiac Silverdome 97: In the fall season of 1997 my uncle Larry got re-married and wanted to introduce us all to his new wife's kids. We were all footballs fans and newly associated with the Detroit Lions so he bought us all tickets to watch a game at the Pontiac Silverdome. I remember Philip, Gabriel, Marc, Geoffrey, and Peter were all there. I remember we loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, but it was a very memorable experience to watch my first NFL game with my brothers, cousins, and uncles. I also bought some souveniers there such as a plaque of Barry Sanders.
- 1998 Thanksgiving game between Steelers and Lions: I specifically remember watching this game at Grandmas as was the tradition for Thanksgiving. This was a very intense game that went into overtime, and was decided by a controversial coin flip from the refs, that gave the Lions the ball first in overtime. The Lions went on to win the game, however it remains one of the biggest referee flubs in NFL history.
- Barry Sanders: As a kid, Barry Sanders was my idol, the way he ran, juked players, and was always so humble. Each game he was always so exciting to watch, rushing over 100 yards per game, making defenders miss tackles in every way possible. He retired at a very early age, and after only 11 years in the league he became the 2nd highest career rushing yards behind Walter Payton (Emmitt Smith would later break both records however he was in the league for 14 years)
- Bets with Palmer: During high school and college, my hardcore support dimmed down a bit as I became busy with so much other stuff, however the Lions always remained my one and only team. I remember rivalries among friends continued, especially my best friend Ryan Palmer who happened to support the Chicago Bears. Each year we made a 5 dollar bet based on the spread, and we've kept that tradition going ever since.
- Sportvision Splurge: After college and into my professional work life, I doubled my attention to the Detroit Lions and the NFL as a new means of entertainment. I found that it was perfect go-to conversation among strangers or co-workers. By around 2007 the Lions began to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with some very exciting offensive targets such as Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson. I remember buying all sorts of Lions gear for myself and my family, during my first year working with Sportvision.
- Jim Shwartz Era: In 2009 new coach Jim Schwartz moved the team in a new direction with a stronger offense, however there were still far more losses than victories. By 2010 a new franchise quarterback had emerged in Matthew Stafford as well as a superstar defensive linemen in Ndamukong Suh.
- MNF at BWWs 2011: By 2011 they finally had a winning team and made it to the playoffs for the first time since 1999. I remember watching several prime time games that year with friends at bars. I remember that year I splurged to buy a Calvin Johnson "Megatron" jersey as he had become my favorite player and best wide receiver in the league.
- Barry Sanders (1989-1999) 10x Pro Bowler; 1997 MVP; 3rd leading rusher in NFL history
- Calvin Johnson (2007-present) 4x Pro Bowler; Most receiving yards in a season (2012)
- Johnnie Morton (1994-2001)
- Herman Moore (1991-2001) 4x Pro Bowler
- Jason Hanson (1992-2012) 2x Pro Bowler
- Roy Williams (2004-2008) 1x Pro Bowler
- Matthew Stafford (2009-Present)
- Reggie Bush (2013-Present)
- Joe Fauria (2013-Present)
Team History and Recent Records
The team was established in 1929 in Portsmouth, Ohio as the Spartans and for four years were the NFL's smallest team. In 1934 during the Great Depression, they moved to Detroit and became known as the Lions. They played in Tiger Stadium from 1938-1975, the Pontiac Silverdome from 1975 to 2001 and Ford Field from 2002 to present. Since they moved to Detroit, the Lions have had good seasons and bad seasons and went on to win 4 NFL championships (1935, 1952, 1953, 1957) before the AFL merger.They are one of only 4 teams to have yet to play in a Super Bowl. To put it plainly the Lions have always been a below average team. However their blue collar fanbase remains loyal just as in the case of the Chicago Cubs. It's only a matter of time and probability before they turn things around and win a championship. Here's a look at their past season records since I became a fan in 1996.
1996: (5-11) 5th NFC Central
1997: (9-7) 3rd NFC Central
1998: (5-11) 4th NFC Central
1999: (8-8) 3rd NFC Central; Loss NFC Wildcard to Redskins
2000: (9-7) 4th NFC Central2001: (2-14) 5th NFC Central
2002: (3-13) 4th NFC North
2003: (5-11) 4th NFC North
2004: (6-10) 3rd NFC North
2005: (5-11) 3rd NFC North
2006: (3-13) 4th NFC North
2007: (7-9) 3rd NFC North
2008: (0-16) 4th NFC North
2009: (2-14) 4th NFC North
2010: (6-10) 3rd NFC North
2011: (10-6) 2nd NFC North; Lost NFC Wildcard to Saints
2012: (4-12) 4th NFC North
2013: (7-9) 3rd NFC North
Other notable statistics
| Championships | |
|---|---|
| |
Conference championships (4)
| |
Division championships (4)
| |
| Playoff appearances (15) | |
| |
| Home fields | |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment