Iโve heard it before and being influenced a bit by radio personalities in Detroit like Mike Valenti, Terry Foster and Drew Sharp, you Lions slappies are going to tell me โyouโre not a real fanโ sounding much like Ted Buckland from โScrubsโ.
Iโm tired of this joke of a franchise and guess what, Iโm tired of fans like you!
If youโve seen one Lions playoff win in your lifetime (at least those of us born before 1991) and you still say โitโs just a rebuilding projectโ youโre part of the problem. If youโre satisfied that the Lions had the greatest running back in NFL history arguably and did nothing, youโre part of the problem. You donโt want to hold this sorry a** franchises feet to the fire, you keep packing it in at Ford Field, you buy the jerseys and the concessions, you plan your Thanksgiving around the hope the Lions will โturn it around and show the NFL what next year will bringโ. The Fords LOVE you. Martin Mayhew loves you. Tom Lewand loves you. Jim Caldwell is sure appreciative of the second chance to prove he canโt coach.
You Lion fans wear that like a badge of honor. As a real fan of the Detroit Lions, one that is critical, one that wants to, at least see a team in the Super Bowl, you sicken me as much as Tiger Fans 2.0 established 2006 sicken me. You demand my blind loyalty to a team that is a national joke. I live in Northern California, I try to hype the Lions from out here in the midst of Raider and 49er jerseys by wearing my Lions, #81 Calvin Johnson jersey at work. Do you know the reaction I get? โAnd what team is that?โ This isnโt DeAndre Levy or Darius Slay. This jersey actually says โLionsโ AND Johnson on it and this team is so irrelevant I get โand what team is that?โ Whatโs worse? I get it from co-workers!
I was talking to my guest and he said to me โDamn shame about the Lions, I mean Iโm a Steeler fan but I donโt hate the Lionsโ then I said to him โBut you donโt like them either right? More like you donโt think about them.โ He admitted that was true. The Lions donโt even have the Cubs โlovable losersโ mantel to cuddle against. Theyโre the Lions. Arguably the most nothing franchise in all of pro sports. Not noted for anything exceptional, even the 0-16 (that some fans hold onto like some accomplishment) is shrugged off and almost forgotten.
Youโre partially to blame loyal suckers. You trekked out to Tiger Stadium no matter how cold, sacrificing your Thanksgivingโฆyou went to that white elephant called the Silverdome and spent money for Darryl Rogersโ salary, you cheered on Wayne Fontes like he was Don Damned Shulaโฆ(and for this franchise he IS Don Damned Shula) you witnessed 0-16 at Ford Field (which I suspect some of you secretly enjoyed), youโve witnessed our last five coaches baffled by things that donโt throw even Jason Garrett or Jack Del Rioโฆyet me bringing this to your attention, yeah, thatโs the problem.
Then after this season; which is shaping up to be 3-13 by the way, youโre gonna be excited for the draft or as itโs jokingly called in Detroit โThe Lions Super Bowlโ. What is it youโre going to be excited about? Reggie Rogers? Charles Rogers? Mike Williams? Joey Harrington? Eric Ebron? Ryan Broyles? Jeff Backus? Dominic Raiola? Kyle Van Noy? Reilly Reiff? Iโm genuinely lost over what youโre going to be excited about unless itโs year 59 of the Lions Rebuild and maybe just maybe, that Alex Karras kid will pan out!
