The Thanksgiving Tradition: A Lions Fan's Perspective

Thanksgiving always sucks for a Lions Fan. Since 2003 it’s been the same thing. Surely the Detroit Lions, a team that is allowed to hold the spotlight on a national stage, should be good enough to not embarrass themselves every year. Wrong.

Here’s how my Thanksgiving day usually goes:

1)      Wake up, take a shower, put on a Lions jersey, and welcome in friends and family that have come to celebrate.

2)      Sit on the couch and wait for 12:30 to come around like a little boy waiting to open Christmas presents.

3)      Watch the 1^st quarter with a focus and passion that causes all around me to believe I have serious mental issues.

4)      Proceed to break out some cards as the football game is, for all intense and purpose, over by a long shot.

5)      Turn off the tv after looking at the pathetic end-of-game score.

6)      Go about the rest of the day, since nothing surprising has happened.

This year was a bit different going in to it, however, because the Lions were sitting at a 7-3 winning record. We had just come off of a huge 2^nd half against the Panthers 4 days ago, and it seemed like Green Bay had just stumbled through their previous game. Kevin Smith had a breakout game, and we seemed like we had almost a 50/50 chance of winning.

You must realize, however, that we folks from Detroit are all about tradition. From the Big Three automobile companies to the lack of an public educational system, we’re not very fond of change. That’s why the 27-15 outcome was no surprise.

Unfortunately, Kevin Smith was injured in the 2^nd quarter and Jahvid Best is now on the IR, leaving the Lions to rely on Matthew Stafford’s broken index finger for the remainder of the season. If that’s not sketchy enough, Suh’s boneheaded move in the 3^rd quarter got him ejected for that game, and there is no doubt that he will be fined and/or suspended for the next game or two.

Despite the unfavorable outcome, it is still the time to give thanks for what we have. I am thankful that the Lions are 7-4 and still competing for a wild card spot, unlike previous years when we were competing for the 1^st draft pick. I am thankful that I am no longer ridiculed for being a Lions fan. And most importantly, I am thankful that I am not a Vikings fan.