Lions Fandom; Not for the Weak of Heart

I have lived my entire life (43 years) in the state of Michigan. I am a Detroit Lions fan. My team has never been in a Super Bowl. Other inept organizations have made it. Saints, yes. Cardinals, yes. Falcons, yes. Seahawks, yes. Not my team.

We had the Barry Sanders era. It was great. Barry made Lions games worth watching. We got as far as the NFC title game with Barry... once. I am a die-hard fan. I will buy snacks, cook some smokey links, have a few friends over, settle in for a Lions game, and hope for a win. "Maybe this is the week we will take the next step towards respectability", I think to myself. Like a stiff back hand slap to the face... I am put back in my place. Same. Old. Lions. The script only changes slightly from year to year, decade to decade.

Yesterday, my team had a 10 point lead with 4 minutes left to go. We blew it. Instead of a 3-5 record with games against Buffalo and Dallas on the horizon, we sit at 2-6. The annual Thanksgiving game couldv'e meant something if we had gotten there with a 5-5 record. Do you know how long it's been since the Thanksgiving game meant anything to the Lions? A long time.

Our coach, Jim Schwartz, is regarded as a "very smart" head coach. He studied under Bellichick and Fisher, two of the best. Yesterday, with 1:40 to go, the Lions up by 3, the Jets with no time-outs, we faced a 3rd and 6. run the ball and knock 40 seconds off the clock, right? NO, HELL NO! This is the Lions. 3rd string Qb, Drew Stanton fakes a handoff, rolls out, and fires a bullet at the feet of the fullback (a guy that had not touched the ball all game), 2 yards short of the sticks. INCOMPLETE PASS! CLOCK STOPPED! As the Junkie would yell... FUUUUUUUUUU! It was just one of the myriad of horrible plays that doomed my team.

To pour a little salt in our wounds today, Matt Glassford is out again with a shoulder injury. This is now the 5th time that he will miss time with injuries.

I can barely take it anymore.