The Detroit Lions were better than ever before this season and hoping to secure their first Super Bowl appearance and win. As a fan of theirs, it was so satisfying to watch them rise in stats this year. But in the end, they fell short.
This year, the Super Bowl teams are the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, who won the 2018 Super Bowl against the New England Patriots.
While the Eagles already have a win under their belt, the Kansas City Chiefs have been in the Super Bowl five times and are going for a three-peat. It would have been so great to instead see other teams who have not had a chance to compete in the game and win for themselves.
The Lions had the best season of their organization’s history this year, reaching a record of 15-2 — a score beating the Kansas City Chiefs. With their incredible stats, it felt as if it was almost guaranteed they would win the National Football Conference, or NFC.
Instead, they ended up losing in the first round of playoffs to the Commanders, shocking fans around the country.
With one of the most loyal fanbases in the NFL, the Lions’ fans have watched the team be less than great for decades. Viewers waited years for the Lions to be as good as they are now and were so excited to see them go all the way this year.
Even football fans of other teams across Michigan have shared that they couldn’t help but support the team this year.
“Everyone’s come together — even me,” football fan Daniel Vasapolli said in an interview with CBS. “I’m not even a Lions fan, but at this point, I mean, how can you not be?”
“It’s easy to be a fan when you win a lot,” Sports reporter for USA Today Mike Freeman wrote. “Try being a fan when you lose all the time. Being a [Lions] fan is what it must feel like getting a grand jury subpoena, except every week. No fan base is more dedicated. No fan base fights through all the L’s with such ferocity.”
It is so great to see teams with such loyal fans finally have a chance to reach the top. The Lions made headlines this year for being one of the best teams in the NFL. Even with multiple injuries on their starting lineup throughout the season, they were still an exceptional team and made history. So, it would have been nice to see a different face on the Super Bowl field.
As the Detroit team has continued to improve, so has the fanbase. While it used to be embarrassing to be a Lions fan, loyal ones now wear their gear with pride.
It is so rewarding for longtime fans to finally see the attention their team deserves.
“I feel like our fans are the best fans in the world,” another fan told CBS. “Like, for decades, we hung in there, and now it’s like finally getting sweet.”
Their successes this season would have made them a great competitor in the Super Bowl. They had the ability to go far, especially with their fans’ loyalty. As the next season looms, and the trades and draft happen, fans can hopefully look forward to another great Lions season.