I Hate To Admit It, But This Lions Fan Losing His Mind During Detroit's 2nd Half Collapse Is HILARIOUS
I don’t even feel good about continuing to blog about the Lions at this point. I know that I have a job to do, but fans are so heartbroken. Based on the reaction to social media, you’d think that the sport of football ended last Sunday. People can’t even twist this into a “we’ll get them next year“ narrative. For as great as this Lions was, Sunday’s loss put a damper on the entire campaign. I totally understand it. I guess I’m not as heartbroken as some other people. It’s the Detroit Lions. It’s kind of what they do even when they’re good. I don’t want to kick a fanbase when they’re down, but this reaction absolutely warranted a blog.
For people who may not remember the play, there was an important moment late in the fourth quarter when the Lions were punting and had the opportunity to pin the 49ers deep in their own territory. Much like everything that happened in the second half for Detroit, they somehow found a way to fuck it up, and it ended up being a touchback. I’m actually going to defend my guy real quick. I think it’s very easy to pile on someone like this and act like they’re a lunatic, and objectively speaking, they are, but I am not somebody that abides by the whole “It’s just a game” principle.
First off, this guy is completely right. These guys are on the special teams unit. Know how to down a fucking punt. This play gets overlooked in this game. I’m not going act like the Lions would’ve ended up winning. God knows they did 1 million things wrong in the second half, but it could’ve changed the trajectory of the game had Detroit been able to down this punt at the one-yard line and forced the 49ers to go the length of the field literally. Given the way that the Lions defense got gashed in the second half, San Francisco probably would’ve cruised their way to a 99-yard drive, but it’s still frustrating.
Over the last month, if you’re a football fan in this state, you’ve watched a lot of important games. If you’re not going to freak out during the NFC championship game, when are you going to freak out? There’s literally only one game more important, and that’s a game that the Detroit Lions have still never played in, sadly. These are the games that are so intense that even fans need time to recover afterward, and not just because they’re hungover.
Sports bring out the most irrational fucking side of people. I normally don’t go through life screaming at people. I’m generally kind of reserved, but if there’s a championship game going on, I’m a fucking lunatic. It’s a reasonable excuse. Players have to get up for big games, and so do fans.
Remember back when the Cubs won the World Series, and there were all those awesome compilations online of fans reacting to it? I think that moment will only be topped by what will happen if the Lions ever win the Super Bowl. That’s the showstopper. Sunday’s game was another notch on the belt for a fanbase that has seen heartbreak after heartbreak, but if they have the chance to experience euphoria, it’ll make these endless moments of frustration worthwhile. I hope they get there.