Let’s face it.
You’ve all heard it. Everyone knows that one fan in their family and circle of friends who doesn’t want to ask for more from their teams – who feel that simply putting up with the maddening pattern of failure and mediocrity for the past 60+ years is their burden to endure because it’s “their” team.
Or perhaps because their fandom was passed down from prior generations. Or maybe because you attended your first game with a special family member and the aura of that first experience has stuck ever since.
Maybe you still wear that fading Barry Sanders #20 jersey that you wore to the Pontiac Silverdome down to Ford Field, or still glance lovingly at your collection of ticket stubs from over the years.
But let’s be real.
Fans can’t realistically rationalize standing by this Detroit Lions team any longer.
There’s nothing wrong with insisting more from the team you’ve given your time, emotion and money to – in some cases for several decades. And those who refuse to do so are only inviting more of the same.
The moment someone decides to stop willfully feeding on the gruel that the Ford Family and the organization that’s won exactly one playoff game since Dwight Eisenhower was POTUS isn’t the cancellation of that passion and fandom.
The realization by fans that they don’t have to dutifully repeat “Thank you sir, may I have another?” following every brutal kick to the crotch isn’t tantamount to burning your collection of team paraphernalia.
When fans finally stop supporting the Lions financially, maybe the good folks at the top will get the message. Maybe it won’t be too long before we as fans can finally stop wondering what it’s like to be playing meaningful games in December and January, and turning green with jealousy at watching bitter divisional rivals from Green Bay and Minnesota enjoy success.
Fans are free to continue filling Ford Field week after week. But please – stop turning your nose up at those who finally choose to invest their their finances and emotions into something they actually get a meaningful return on.
Those who put their feet down and demand more from the team using their wallets are just as much of fans as those who choose to continue being gluttons for punishment – the difference is that the latter are actually paving the way, little by little, for actual results.
