The Lions have lost to the Cowboys 13 times – so that’s not unusual.
There are 31 other teams in the NFL, and 27 of them have winning records against the Lions. That leaves those pesky cats to feed on the likes of the Cleveland Browns, whose only fan in Michigan is our news director, Vince Duffy, from Ohio. When you root for the Lions, it’s nice to know someone out there has it worse than you. Sorry about that, Vince!
But Detroit did make the playoffs, and that is unusual. During the past 57 seasons, the Lions have played exactly 12 playoff games. And they have lost all but one of those games.
In fact, every NFL team that’s been around since the Super Bowl started in 1967 has made it to the title game, except two: The Detroit Lions, and – you guessed it — the Cleveland Browns. (Poor Vince.)
What was surprising this year is that the Lions team actually wasn’t bad. They finished the regular season with 11 wins – for only the four time in team history.
Even stranger, the Lions might be better than the Cowboys. They proved that when they jumped out to a 14-0 lead. But in the second half, the Lions must have woken up, remembered who they were, and then went back to sleep – while the Cowboys scored all the points.
Detroit stirred a bit in the fourth quarter, when Lions quarterback Matt Stafford fired a pass to tight-end Brandon Pettigrew. But Cowboys defender Anthony Hitchins chose to ignore the quarterback, the ball and the rules, waving his arms maniacally at Pettigrew, before steam rolling him into the ground.
You gotta give Hitchins credit: It was an effective defense.
It was also flagrantly illegal, for about a dozen reasons. And that’s why the ref threw his yellow flag, and started marching off the penalty yards in Detroit’s favor.
But then things turned stranger still. About a month after the ref threw the flag, head referee Pete Morelli decided to pick up it up, and declare there was nothing to see here, so fans might as well move along. For some reason.
We don’t know what that reason was, however, because Morelli never gave one.
And this is why Lions’ fans are now busy creating conspiracy theories. The best one goes like this: The Cowboys’ are “America’s Team.” The Lions aren’t even Michigan’s. Any U.P. Packer Backers out there?
Dallas owner Jerry Jones has a billion dollar stadium, with TV screens bigger than basketball courts. Jones also has a close relationship with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, and is not above using a hotline directly to him during games. Throw in a photo of NFL’s head of officiating, Dean Blandino (I’m not making that name up), walking off a Dallas party bus laughing, and you still don’t have enough for a court case — but you have more than enough for the internet.
Whenever I have to choose between someone being corrupt or incompetent, I almost always choose the latter – and I’m pleased to say, I’m almost always right. Corruption is evil, but incompetence is everywhere. And I think that’s probably the case here, too.
Speaking of incompetence, Detroit Lions’ quarterback Matt Stafford has now played 18 games on the road against winning teams – and lost all 18. See what I mean about incompetence? Corruption alone can’t get you a record like that.
So the Lions will continue being the Lions. The NFL will continue being the NFL. And I will continue to prefer college football.
Unless Ohio State wins the national title on Monday.
Just kidding, Vince.
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Please join the conversation, but remember: I run only those letters from those who are not profane or insane, and who include their FULL name.
Radio stuff: Here is my eight minute interview on NPR’s “Here & Now” show, discussing the football playoff and Jim Harbaugh, which ran Thursday. http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/01/01/college-football-playoffs
On Friday mornings, these commentaries run at 8:50 on Michigan Radio (91.7 Ann Arbor/Detroit and Flint, and 104.1 Grand Rapids), and a few minutes later, I join Sam Webb and Ira Weintraub LIVE from 9:05 to 9:25 on WTKA.com, 1050 AM.
After 12 years, I’m handing over my “Off the Field” hour on WTKA to my good friend Jamie Morris, who is launching his new two-hour show, “A View From the Backfield.”
This gives me the time I need to join Michigan Radio’s great Cynthia Canty on her afternoon Stateside show every Thursday for a few minutes. Check it out!
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Despite that JH and JB support the nuts in the national championship to support the BIG TEN, I just can’t. In a heartbeart everybody other team even little brother but the nuts?? give me a break!
I have been following the Lions since 1958…in that time I have seen a wide receiver (Chuck Hughes) die on the field, an O lineman paralyzed (Mike Utley) on the field and another killed while mowing his lawn (sorry, I know the name but can’t pull it up right now). I can think of no other team with tragedies comparable, let’s not even mention Reggie Rogers (killed 3 teens while DUI)…snakebit is too kind but there you go.
The quality of officiating continues to decline. Must be nice to have a union that protects the less than competent. The on-field conferences look more like mugging the TV cameras than exchanges of information.
With all that NFL money floating around, it’s hard to find the straight arrows in the quiver. The pass given to Suh for the deliberate injury to Aaron Rogers didn’t help the Lions, but the league, including owners and coaches, continues to ignore the obvious intent to injure that officials either miss or ignore. Time to tell the thugs to find other work.
bomberjohn5
good point about corruption vs. incompetence! Being a lifelong Lions fan, I know the answer is inevitably “incompetence.” I’m still bitter about that Lions game, but it’s hard to be mad at the season the Lions had. Well beyond expectations!
And I’m actually rooting for the Buckeyes (at least on Monday). The higher they rise, the sweeter the (new) Michigan-Ohio State rivalry will be. Harbaugh v Meyer will give you lots to write about.
I enjoyed the discussion of the comparison of the relative futility of being both a Lions fan and a Browns fan. I suspect that, like me, there are a number of football fans who grew up in the border counties of Monroe and Lenawee who are both Browns and Lions fans. As someone who will soon be 50, when I was young the Lions were usually not very good, and the TV stations in Toledo, (which was our local TV market in addition to Detroit), would run all of the Browns games and all of the Lions games, (depending on who had the AFC or NFC game that week). Before their absence and reincarnation in 1999, at least the Browns would periodically be on the cusp of winning it all, so they at least gave some hope when rooting for the Lions generally provided none. Unfortunately, prior to this season, I believe that the two teams were tied for the worst record in the NFL since 1999. So, if you think you have it hard just being a Lions fan or a Browns fan, try being a fan, (or in my case a season ticket holder), for both teams.