Let There Be Hope
Updated May 21, 2010
For the first time in 20 games, the Lions have emerged victorious. Few truly understand the joy and jubilation of Detroit fans, as Marissa VanWingen can attest.
By Marissa VanWingen
Supporting a losing team is a lot like having an embarrassing habit. You don't exactly want everyone to know about it, but you just can't change. Being a Detroit Lions fan is like knowing the lines to every episode of Full House.
You know it's crazy, you know it's weird; but you just can't stop. It's something you are born into. You can move as far way as you want and they can lose every single game for the next 50 years, but you are a Detroit Lions fan for life. Maybe it could be diagnosed as a genetic defect.
Even in my short 21-year courtship with the Lions, I have seen my share of defeat. But, Sunday I saw a beam of light in Detroit that hasn't been there in many years.
It's the start of something new. It's the beginning of a new era. We have started to shed our old skin, discarding Matt Millen and donning new uniforms. I see the beginning in a young quarterback from Georgia, Matthew Stafford.
There's something about his charisma and enthusiasm. He seems playful, and truly excited to be out on the field. I have never seen a Lions roster so energetic and pumped up to play together. He brings out the best in everyone, including skeptical fans.
No one can deny what he has done. To some it may be just a win, but not to the Lions. It is the first victory in 20 games. They no longer have to hear about the looming Tampa Bay Buccaneers record of 26 consecutive loses and they no longer have the worst record in the NFL.
Even before Stafford was drafted, he talked about how he wanted to go to Detroit. He wanted to be a part of rebuilding a franchise. And he was ready for the weight of the world on his shoulders. God knows he has just that. He said it would be a challenge, but life is better with a little difficulty. Any Detroit Lions fan knows that better than anybody.
He is perfect for us because he gets it. He knows how hard it is to deal with the negative press and to hear people say you can't do it, you can't win. Some days he might feel like wearing a bag over his head so no one can identify him, but he doesn't. He wears the Honolulu blue, and well.
By no means do I think that Stafford is the answer to our prayers. I don't think he can carry the team single-handedly for the rest of his career with no supporting cast. But for the first time in my recollection, management is trying. They have created a new atmosphere in the once dark streets of Detroit. The air is much lighter around Ford Field these days.
Fans have a reason to cheer again. For a short time we no longer have to be ashamed to watch every single game. Though it may not sound like much to most fans, it is more than Lions fans have had in many years.
I know as well as anyone else that this is still going to be a losing season and we still have to clench our teeth and pray for another win. But we have someone to look to for support. We have a team to believe in again.
Even though some days it is hard to hold my head up high, this past Sunday I felt something that has been a long time coming.
I felt hope, and a little proud to call myself a lifetime member of the Detroit Lions fandom.
You know it's crazy, you know it's weird; but you just can't stop. It's something you are born into. You can move as far way as you want and they can lose every single game for the next 50 years, but you are a Detroit Lions fan for life. Maybe it could be diagnosed as a genetic defect.
Even in my short 21-year courtship with the Lions, I have seen my share of defeat. But, Sunday I saw a beam of light in Detroit that hasn't been there in many years.
It's the start of something new. It's the beginning of a new era. We have started to shed our old skin, discarding Matt Millen and donning new uniforms. I see the beginning in a young quarterback from Georgia, Matthew Stafford.
There's something about his charisma and enthusiasm. He seems playful, and truly excited to be out on the field. I have never seen a Lions roster so energetic and pumped up to play together. He brings out the best in everyone, including skeptical fans.No one can deny what he has done. To some it may be just a win, but not to the Lions. It is the first victory in 20 games. They no longer have to hear about the looming Tampa Bay Buccaneers record of 26 consecutive loses and they no longer have the worst record in the NFL.
Even before Stafford was drafted, he talked about how he wanted to go to Detroit. He wanted to be a part of rebuilding a franchise. And he was ready for the weight of the world on his shoulders. God knows he has just that. He said it would be a challenge, but life is better with a little difficulty. Any Detroit Lions fan knows that better than anybody.
He is perfect for us because he gets it. He knows how hard it is to deal with the negative press and to hear people say you can't do it, you can't win. Some days he might feel like wearing a bag over his head so no one can identify him, but he doesn't. He wears the Honolulu blue, and well.
By no means do I think that Stafford is the answer to our prayers. I don't think he can carry the team single-handedly for the rest of his career with no supporting cast. But for the first time in my recollection, management is trying. They have created a new atmosphere in the once dark streets of Detroit. The air is much lighter around Ford Field these days.
Fans have a reason to cheer again. For a short time we no longer have to be ashamed to watch every single game. Though it may not sound like much to most fans, it is more than Lions fans have had in many years.
I know as well as anyone else that this is still going to be a losing season and we still have to clench our teeth and pray for another win. But we have someone to look to for support. We have a team to believe in again.
Even though some days it is hard to hold my head up high, this past Sunday I felt something that has been a long time coming.
I felt hope, and a little proud to call myself a lifetime member of the Detroit Lions fandom.
COMMENTS
