I Gave Up on the Detroit Lions in 1975. Now They’re Winning, and I’m Struggling to Believe It
By the time the Detroit Lions last won the NFL Championship in 1957, I was just five years old. My memories of their glory days are foggy, if they exist at all. Yet, somehow, those early years laid the foundation for my brief but fervent devotion to the team.
A Childhood Brimming with Lions Magic
When I was nine, my dad and I had the thrill of attending a Lions practice at Briggs Stadium (later Tiger Stadium). After practice, Lions legend Joe Schmidt, draped in a towel, escorted me through the locker room. It was both exhilarating and intimidating to meet the players, including defensive tackle Alex Karras, who teased me for my quiet demeanor, much to my dad’s annoyance.
Our devotion to the Lions extended to watching blacked-out games through clever workarounds. A Chrysler executive dad knew would invite us to his home outside Detroit’s blackout zone. While the adults cheered in the “family room,” I would sneak in to catch glimpses of the action. One of my clearest memories was hearing the announcer shout with excitement as Howard “Hopalong” Cassady scored a touchdown.
But my most vivid experience came in 1967. My dad, brother Peter, and I made a pilgrimage from Cleveland to Detroit to watch the Lions face off against the Browns. The Tigers were also embroiled in a tense pennant race, and inning-by-inning updates boomed over the stadium PA. The Lions lost, and I can’t even recall if the Tigers won. But the sense of belonging to something larger stuck with me—at least for a while.
A Family of Football Greats—and Me
Football ran deep in my family. My cousins excelled on the field, with five playing or having played professionally. From the Kansas City Chiefs to the Atlanta Falcons, the Lindstrom name has graced teams across the NFL.
As for me? I was a less-than-stellar high school defensive tackle. Inspired by Alex Karras, I dreamed big, even if my role mostly involved serving as the coach’s preferred tackling dummy. Still, my admiration for the game—and Karras—was unshakable.
So, when Schmidt cut Karras in 1970, my young heart broke. My frustration with the Lions boiled over, and I made a dramatic decision: I quit the Lions and, by extension, all pro football. For the next five decades, I traded Sunday games for raking leaves, baking bread, and listening to music.
Watching the Lions from Afar
I couldn’t escape the Lions entirely. My neighbors’ groans of despair were a soundtrack to their repeated failures. The media’s relentless critiques of the team—especially pleas to trade Barry Sanders for his own shot at a Super Bowl—became unavoidable. Occasionally, I’d toss out a smug remark about their loyalty, basking in my self-righteous decision to walk away.
The Turning Point: A Wife’s Wisdom
My wife, Cindy, was the one who cracked my hardened resolve. In 2021, as Dan Campbell began his tenure as head coach, Cindy took notice. While I sat with my ailing mother at the hospital, Cindy watched the Lions at a nearby bar. “They’re a team to watch,” she said. I dismissed her optimism.
By 2022, the buzz around the Lions grew louder. Campbell seemed to be building something remarkable, but I remained skeptical, bracing for my neighbors’ familiar cries of defeat. Instead, I began hearing cheers.
The Lions’ 2023 season delivered the slap I needed. They opened by defeating the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, on their home turf. The headline stunned me. I emailed my cousin David, a former Chief, jokingly apologizing for the Lions’ win. His reply was simple: “You’ve got a great coach. The Lions will go far.”
Conflicted Allegiance
Now, with a 15-2 record and legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, I find myself in an emotional limbo. After 50 years of cynicism, am I even worthy of celebrating their success?
I’ve stood by the Tigers and Michigan State Spartans through thick and thin. Shouldn’t I have done the same for the Lions? Watching the team now feels almost hypocritical, as if I’m crashing a party I didn’t help throw.
A Win for the True Fans
Still, I want the Lions to win. Not for me, but for the fans who stayed loyal through decades of heartbreak. I think of the older man I saw at the grocery store, proudly wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the Lombardi Trophy and the words, “Please, Detroit, win one before I die.”
For fans like him—and the countless others who never gave up—I hope the Lions go all the way. Their perseverance deserves to be rewarded. As for me? I’ll quietly cheer from the sidelines, grateful for a team that’s finally found its roar.
