BREAKING NEWS: MY LIFE AS A LIONS FAN IS FILLED WITH PAIN AND SUFFERING, BUT THAT CAN CHANGE FOREVER SUNDAY | HOOKSTEAD
It’s time for me to rid my spirit of the three decades of misery and destruction that accompany being a Detroit Lions supporter.
Although I’m sure a lot of you are unaware, I know that many of you are Lions fans. How does a person who loves the Badgers and was reared in Wisconsin grow up to be a Lions fan? is probably what’s on your mind. He attended UW.
There is nothing more exciting than seeing the Lions take on the Los Angeles Rams in their first home playoff game in thirty years with Matthew Stafford.
I hope the crowd gives Stafford a standing ovation before the Lions thrash the Rams.
This is a very reasonable question, and there isn’t really any bizarre backstory. Although my mom and her family have lived in Wisconsin for more than 45 years, they still have strong links to Michigan. They are originally from Michigan.
I grew up surrounded by Detroit Lions culture, that’s all. I mean it when I say that my godfather, uncle, and grandfather are huge Lions supporters.
My grandfather lived throughout the 1950s, when the Lions were a powerful team, unlike my godfather and me. He was able to witness the lions at their best.
Like the rest of us, he has endured decades of cruel Lions fandom, but unlike him, I have no wonderful memories to look back on.
Being a Detroit Lions fan has not been easy.
Do you know what I possess? There were many instances of heartache, suffering, emptiness, embarrassment, rage, frustration, and the desire to repeatedly toss my Lions clothing.
As a sports fan, going 0-16 is not the worst thing that can happen to you. The vicious loop of crushing yourself is the worst thing that can happen to you.
Growing up in Wisconsin, I supported a team that, although having talented players like Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson, was an absolute joke during my early and teenage years.
Although the team did nothing,. The Green Bay Packers, with Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre (and now Jordan Love), were fantastic at the same time.
When the Lions are 0-16, can you imagine what it’s like to be a high school student in the state of Wisconsin? There would be greater relaxation during a lengthy stay at Guantanamo Bay. In college, I dated a girl who was a die-hard Packers supporter while the Lions were having trouble finishing above 500.
That was perhaps the most annoying thing about our relationship. I’ve fought these demons and made these sacrifices for 31 years. Send me an email at David.Hookstead@outkick.com so I can tell you some more terrifying tales.
I have, however, remained a devoted Lions supporter despite all the hurt and suffering. I’m not going to give up. I’m not going to leave the squad I was born into.
I can always see that exact helmet because it is now sitting directly off my desk. When I was a very small child, I owned my first sports jersey, which was a Barry Sanders jersey. It was my obsession. I haven’t broken or left my group, not even on the worst of days.
It’s time to start anew and purify the soul.
Haven’t the Lions already turned the corner by winning the NFC North and a postseason game? Some of you may be wondering.
Excellent query. That is somewhat true, but if Detroit loses to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a lot of people will claim it was just an isolated incident.
It was a triumph Sunday, and the team is now in a position I never would have imagined for it. The squad had a four-year losing streak of 12–52 in the 2000s. The notion of producing an NFC championship game remained purely hypothetical. It felt more realistic to imagine me playing in the NBA as a small, unathletic white kid—I’m not really short, but I like the act.
The Detroit Lions are now four quarters of a football game away from competing for the NFC Championship. I’m aware that some Lions supporters are perusing this at the moment, and they are fully aware of what I mean.
Under Dan Campbell, the team has advanced remarkably, but there is still work to be done before the father’s crimes are completely atoned for.
Do I feel anxious about Sunday? To be honest, I have no idea how to respond to that. It’s difficult to say I’m anxious about anything after the tragedies and NFL gunfights (lost games over beers) I’ve gone through. All I know is that, win or lose, I’ll be at Dirty Water with the boys, and I’ll react quickly. We’ll take the hits as they come, the beer will be flowing, and the excitement will be high.
I feel as though I have spent my entire life getting ready for Sunday. I suppose I probably have been, in some sense.
Let’s go ahead and use this ticket to the NFC championship game now. My entire life, it has been in the works, and I want to see it come to pass on Sunday. Email David.Hookstead@outkick.com with your thoughts.
