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With Gratitude from 30,000 Feet
Two big supporters of the Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project have been my wife and father.
Presuming the travel gods and goddesses are smiling on me, about the time you see this post I’ll be somewhere in the clouds heading west from the dreary late-December weather that is southeast Michigan toward the sunshine of southern California and Event No. 11 of the Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project: The Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl Game.
When I made the decision to retire from a 25-plus year career as an educator in June, I knew that I’d need something to fill the time. As much as anything, that was the impetus for this quest to attend sporting events throughout the world.
And while I’m pleased to say I’m on schedule and under budget (just The 152nd Open Championship was in the red, by just $7.52 [I knew I shouldn’t have had that extra order of fish and chips!]) I’m even more pleased to thank the community of family, friends, and fellow sports fans who’ve provided support – some fiscal, some physical, some moral – along the way. While I know they know who they are, I feel it’s important I acknowledge them publicly.
- Carol, My Wife – Not only is she my best friend and biggest supporter, she’s also the one when I first hatched this crazy idea who didn’t immediately shoot it down. She’s been an encourager, a travel companion (Events No. 2 and 7), constant tech support, and an eagle-eyed proofreader. Carol, I love you, and look forward to the next journey you’ll join me on.
- Helena & Jake, My Adult Children – Attempting to attend 80 sporting events spanning six continents in about three years time means two things: First, dad will be gone quite a bit and, second, dad’s spending the kid’s inheritance. (I know that’s what they’re thinking;-). The former is certainly true, though I’d wager I’m probably around more now than I was during my peak education work and union leadership years. The latter, per our Finance Fella – the next person to thank – will not have the negative impact they theorize it might.
- The Finance Fella – He wishes to remain annonymous, but much like Carol, he didn’t immediately dismiss this crazy idea out of turn. He challenged us to dream audaciously about retirement and when I did, he pressed me to craft a solid cost-estimate before ultimately signing off on this project. His support and money management skills are a major reason why this adventure is possible.
- Jerry, My Dad – I’ve referred to him as patient zero for my sports fandom and my original dream to be a sports writer (which I lived for a decade in a former life). He’s been my most-frequent travel companion to date (Events No. 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6) and, probably next to Carol, my biggest fan. He’s constanting emailing and sending snail mail notes to his friends around the country suggesting they listen to certain episodes of Conversations with Sports Fans and/or read certain blog posts. He’s on deck to ride shotgun for the first three trips of 2025 and he’s already counting the days until being on the grounds of Bethpage Black for the 2025 Ryder Cup in September.
- Tim, Luisa, Jerry, Wendy, Carol B., Ray, & Annonymous, Direct Monetary Support – From the beginning, I’ve been committed to not wanting open either the website or the podcast to advertising. While there could well be a market for it and it could well offset expenditures along the way, I’ve wanted to model any monetary contributions after National Public Radio and Public Television. That is, if you’re enjoying what you’re reading or you’re listening to and would like to support my work, then an avenue exists for you to do so (visit the Support Page on the website). That the individuals listed here have made the decision to support my work heartens me more than they’ll ever know.
- Mike, Helena, Jake, Brandon, Wayne, Rob, Macker, John, Joe, Kevin, (the other) Kevin, Jerry, Scott, Jim, & Geoff, Gifts In Kind – Whether it be picking up a meal, buying some waters when the temperatures at the Cotton Bowl soared to 93 degrees, or offering guidance on website and podcast development or how to go about promoting your work to larger audiences, each of these folks have done something that’s made a huge difference in either me remaining under budget or navigating my way through the starts and stops of a project this grandiose.
These lists will no doubt grow as the journey continues and I may need to go a different direction to honor the many supporters (and I’ve got several hours on a plane today and Thursday to do just that!), but I’m happy to do it here now while it’s still manageable.
In the meantime, if you’re seeing this and would like to support these endeavors but are unsure how to. Well, there is the Support Page referenced above, but an even more low-cost manner of support is, if you’re not currently subscribing to these blog posts, I ask that you do so (see the Subscribe button at the right [if reading on a computer] or below [on a mobile device]). And if you are subscribing, I invite you to spread the word – and the blog! – to other sports fans and invite them to subscribe. As subscriptions increase, at my son’s behest, we’ll look into creating some merchandise for purchase to proudly announce to the world that you’re a fan of The Sports Fan Project.
Many blessing for the coming New Year:-)
While I was Sleeping
Today, I offer apologies to regular Sports Fan Project readers.
I’ve tried – mightily – to provide at least one post (beyond The Fan Teaser) each week. Alas, upon returning from Event No. 10 of my Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project (a pair of SEC football rivalry games: the Egg Bowl and the Iron Bowl), I began to feel progressively worse with each passing day.
Without getting into too much detail, suffice to say that overnight coughing fits were making it difficult for me to sleep, drove my wife across the hall into another bedroom, and, generally, made me feel lousy for the better part of a week.
A tele-health visit to my doctor’s office elicited a round of Azythromycin, some Codeine-infused cough syrup, and my first-ever inhaler to open up the bronchi should I encounter any more coughing fits.
Mercifully, after 10 days of feeling no better than meh, I believe I’ve turned a corner.
With that, and a knowing nod to the 1995 film “While You Were Sleeping” here’s a few things that transpired in the world of sports while I was in an altered state along with my thoughts.
The Legendary Bill Belichick is Returning to the Sidelines … at the University of North Carolina?!?
introductory press conference. (Photo University of North Carolina)
No headline during my convalescence made me question the amount of Codeine in that cough syrup more than this one.
Bill Belichick, the curmudgeonly 72-year-old ex-head coach of one of the NFL’s most successful modern-day dynasties is ending his 1-year sabbatical away from coaching by heading back to school (please, cue Rodney Dangerfield’s triple-lindy from the 1986 film of the same name) for the first time ever?
What could possibly go wrong?
Or … right?
Clearly the Tar Heels have no issue hiring an older coach (shoot, Belichick’s a year younger than the man he’s replacing, Mack Brown!) and as I began to listen to the punditry go deeper on this decision, it’s not as outlandish as it seems on the surface.
NCAA football, at this level, has never been more like the professional game. See the transfer portal; name, image, and likeness payments; the actual payments coming from schools thanks to recent court settlements; programs hiring general managers; etc. So I suppose the hire – and Belichick’s willingness dive in – makes some sense.
Of course, there’s also the family connection. His father, Steve, was an assistant there from 1953-55, and his son, also named Steve, is expected to join him in Chapel Hill after serving as defensive coordinator at the University of Washington this season.
Schools Upset About Being Left Out of Expanded College Football Playoff
Who could have seen this coming?
The College Football Playoff expands from four to 12 teams this season and teams ranked No. 13 (and even No. 14) feel they were given the screwgie by the selection committee.
Sorry – not sorry – University of Alabama faithful.
I understand the Southeastern Conference is probably – from top to bottom – the most challenging conference in all of college football. Heck, I saw firsthand six of the 16 teams compete in person this year. One of those was Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl against Texas and they looked like a high school team against the Longhorns during this year’s Red River Rivalry (Event No. 8 of Around the World).
You know what? Alabama lost to the Sooners, 24-3. Didn’t score a touchdown against the Sooners!
The Crimson Tide also lost to Vanderbilt, 40-35, when ‘Bama was the top-ranked team in the nation, the first time in 40 years Alabama lost to the Commodores.
Do either of those outcomes seem playoff worthy?
The team catching the Tide’s ire is Southern Methodist University because, presumably, it has the misfortune of playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference which, from top to bottom, is nowhere near as competitive as the SEC.
- My Take: Schools should not be punished for the conference they compete in. Beyond the non-conference games, schools have no control over who’s on the schedule or how good (or bad) those teams might be. SMU played Nevada (which played for the Mountain West championship) and Texas Christian (of the Big 12) as part of their 3-game non-conference slate. The ACC, it should be noted, played nine conference games while the SEC plays but eight (that extra non-league game Alabama played … Football Championship Subdivision semifinalist, Mercer).
Furthermore, much of the teeth gnashing could be mitigated if, rather than a 12-team playoff, it was 16. Sure, Team No. 17 will now be the one that’s aggrieved, but as articulated above, by the time we get to the 16th, 17th, and 18th-ranked teams in the country, we’ll find plenty of flaws and limited chances at success in such a tournament. It’d also eliminate the first-round byes which should mute some of the whining about less-deserving teams such as Arizona State and Boise State from receiving the significant competitive advantage of an extra week of rest.
Allen & Parker Get the Hall Call but Where’s John?
The National Baseball Hall of Fame‘s 16-member Classic Era Committee voted Dick Allen and Dave Parker into the hallowed hall, it was announced last weekend. The voting panel consisted of Hall of Famers Ozzie Smith, Paul Molitor, Eddie Murray, Tony Perez, Lee Smith, Joe Torre, five current or former executives (Sandy Alderson, Terry McGuirk, Dayton Moore, Arte Moreno, and Brian Sabean), and five historians/media members (Bob Elliott, Leslie Heaphy, Steve Hirdt, Dick Kaegel and Larry Lester).
- For those interested, Larry Lester – co-founder of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum – was a guest earlier this season on Conversations with Sports Fans. You’re able to find a link to his episode here.
Not that my opinion matters much, but I’m fine with both Allen and Parker heading to Cooperstown.
My real emotion (which is anger) lies with one of the six other finalists who didn’t make it: Tommy John.
John received just seven votes from the panel (12 are required for enshrinement) and, for the life of me, I don’t understand why over 50% of the panelists left him off their ballots.
He pitched for 26 seasons, amassed 288 wins, had a career earned run average of 3.34, went 6-3 in 14 post-season appearances for both the Dodgers, Yankees, and Angels, and had a playoff ERA of 2.65. For you analytic lovers, he had a career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 61.6.
And, oh yeah, he was the first pitcher to undergo, you know, Tommy John Surgery which has impacted, I don’t know, just about every pitcher this century!!!
Here are a few comparisons of current Hall of Famers:
- Sandy Koufax – 12 seasons, 165 wins, a 2.76 ERA, and a career WAR of 48.9. Playoffs: 4-3 with a 0.95 ERA in eight appearances.
- Bert Blyleven – 22 seasons, 287 wins, a 3.31 ERA, and a career WAR of 94.5. Playoffs: 3-1 with a 2.47 ERA in eight appearances.
- Jim Kaat – 25 seasons, 283 wins, a 3.45 ERA, and a career WAR of 50.5. Playoffs: 1-3 with a 4.03 ERA in nine appearances
- Jack Morris – 18 seasons, 254 wins, a 3.90 ERA, and a career WAR of 43.5. Playoffs: 7-4 with a 3.80 ERA in 13 appearances
It’s worth noting, that Kaat and Morris were voted in by some version of a Hall of Fame veterans committee that determines John’s fate.
The Detroit Lions are 12-1 … and Have Not Distanced Themselves from their Pursuers
Go figure, my hometown Detroit Lions – long the laughingstock of professional football – are having a season for the ages, but despite being 12-1 for the first time in franchise history they’re still just a game clear of the divisional rival, Minnesota Vikings, and the NFC East’s Philadelphia Eagles.
Despite recent success and a different feel about this year’s team, you’ll forgive us long-suffering Lions’ fans if their Pavlovian response to this amazing start is that they’re just a couple of ill-timed miscues away from not winning the NFC North and having to battle through Wild Card Weekend as a 14-3 road team and thus, deprive the fan base of home playoff action.
Related: Lions Fans Upset by 2025 Ticket Price Increases
Color me surprised that the Lions will, for the second consecutive year, notably increase the cost of tickets. (Read about it here.)
Did we think a heretofore moribund franchise that was in the bottom quartile of NFL ticket prices would – out of sheer benevolence – just keep everything the same!?!
Folks, this is a elementary school economics. When demand increases and supply cannot be increased similarly (there’s only so many seats in Ford Field, right?), prices are going to increase. It’s the price fans pay to have a 12-1 team that seems to have a realistic shot for a lengthy advancement in the playoffs.
If you’re harkening for the days when tickets were plentiful (and cheap!) then you’re also harkening for that 2008 season when the Honolulu Blue and Silver finished 0-16.
And, remember, as my friend John U. Bacon is fond of saying: “Greed remains undefeated.”
Waiting on Another Miracle
Scenes from Manchester and Liverpool on July 14 when England faced Spain for the European Championship.
During my recent trip to the United Kingdom (see Event 2 of Around the World in 80 Sporting Events) my wife, Carol, and I happened to be in England on the day of the Euro Championship which featured England vs. Spain.
It was magical to bear witness to a country seemingly unified around a common goal: Winning its first-ever Euro Championship (and first major trophy since the 1966 FIFA World Cup).
As we spent time that Sunday afternoon in football (soccer)-crazed Manchester, I couldn’t help but notice the default clothing choice seemed to be the Team England kit (e.g. jersey) and that the closer it got to the 8 o’clock start time, the fewer and fewer folks we found on the streets. By the time we arrived back to our flat in Liverpool you’d have thought Paul and Ringo had both died … there was NO ONE out and about.
It also made me long for that esprit de corps that I only ever remember experiencing as an entire nation once.
The date was February 22, 1980, and a plucky team of – mainly – American college hockey players took it to the mighty Soviet Union squad for the entirety of 60 minutes in the Lake Placid Winter Olympics. We all know the outcome and the aftermath, but it was that feeling we collectively shared during the magical run over two weeks in February 1980 that I’d love to see the United States experience again.
Perhaps it’s naive of me to believe that something similar is again possible here. In a nation as geographically large as ours, as diverse as ours, and as, seemingly, culturally and politically bifurcated as ours, maybe experiencing what the people of England enjoyed for a few days last month is too much to ask.
Still, I’ll keep waiting on another miracle.
I Want a Dash of European Spice in my U.S. Leagues
For whatever reason, I found myself watching the Nottingham Forest-Chelsea English Premier League soccer match Saturday.
I have no affinity for either club, had no action on the match, and – really – was surprised I didn’t see Little John and Robin Hood running about the pitch what with its location and all.
Nevertheless, there I was watching the penultimate match of the season for both teams and grew further transfixed as I began to learn what was at stake.
Forest was battling to lock up EPL play again next year (a win or draw would do enough to ensure this) and Chelsea is keeping it’s UEFA Europa Conference League spot by finishing in sixth place.
To be clear, these clubs were in sixth and 17th place respectively entering the match.
If this was a game played in an American professional sports league, it would have been viewed – at least by Forest fans – as a meaningless match that likely would have seen their visitor’s fans infest their stadium.
In this instance, however, the Forest faithful were fully engaged and nearly toppled the field when Callum Hudson-Odoi scored a beautiful marker in the 74th minute to give Forest a 2-1 lead. Alas, it was short-lived as Chelsea scored twice within two minutes not even 10 minutes later.
Chelsea wound up winning 3-2 and kept alive it’s hopes of European play and Forest is still at risk of relegation (though it will take a massive swing in goal differential to get bumped).
How fun would it be to see late-season matchups like this with something similar at stake for our American teams?
Rather than the (fill-in-the-blank team) playing out the string with reserves or call-ups seeing the majority of action in the waning months of the regular season, they are fighting for their lives to stay in League A or qualifiy for the extra spoils of a continental or hemispherical championship?
I know, I know, as my buddy John U. Bacon continues to remind us: Greed is undefeated. It’s not likely to happen in my lifetime but, perhaps, for my grandchildren they’ll be able to maintain late-season interest through the finish?
The College Basketball Diaries
An untimely – or was it, perhaps, timely? – positive COVID test found me isolated to my room for the first few days of this year’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. That kind of time alone with one’s thoughts is good fodder for a blog post.
Lions, Tigers, & Grizzlies … Oh, My!
Oakland University’s Jack Gohlke‘s shooting display Thursday night during the Golden Grizzlies’, 80-76, win over Kentucky took me back. Back to Lincoln, NE, in March, 1988 when 15th-seeded Eastern Michigan University gave the second-seeded Pittsburgh all it could muster in the first half.
EMU trailed, 52-49, at the break and the then-Hurons had freshman Brad Soucie‘s eight first-half 3-pointers to thank for the narrow margin. Like Gohlke, it seemed as though everything Soucie threw near the basket was going to be pure.
Unlike Gohlke and the Grizzlies, EMU was unable to seal the deal and wound up losing, 108-90, but what a game it was to witness.
As a happy bonus, about the time OU’s game was ending Thursday night, I traded a couple of Twitter messages with Ben Braun, the EMU head coach March 18, 1988, in Lincoln. He and I hadn’t communicated in a good long while, but it was nice catching up and talking college hoops.
Yeah, I’d Try That
You get plenty of time with commercials when you’re stuck in a room by yourself for days on end. To that end, here’s a couple of quick takes:
- I’m down to try a bite of KFC’s new Chizza (boneless fried chicken, marinara, mozzarella, and pepperoni). Seriously, this sounds like a chicken parm with pepperoni. What’s not to like?
- Conversely, the Buffalo Wild Wings’ “box out” commercial is making me never want to visit BW’s again.
- The Tool Shaq spots from Home Depot featuring Shaquille O’Neal are fun. I’m pretty sure O’Neal would be a remarkable spokesperson should an ice maker ever want to sell product to the Eskimos. He just seems able to connect across demographics and at various levels. “I only build’em, I don’t sit on’em. … I’m just playin’!”
- And, call me crazy, but the Wendy’s commerical “Get Hyped,” is amazing! I could – and probably will have to – watch it endlessly, especially the part after the plug is pulled and the two fellas freestyle the beat.
Start Time Outrage
I ranted about this on my socials late Saturday morning, but television networks continue to harm college sports. My ire this time was directed at the start times of tournament games on Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, television apparently deemed it OK for the UAB-San Diego State game in Spokane, WA, to begin at 1:45 p.m. EDT which, it should be noted, is 10:45 a.m. local time! And, lest we think it was a fluke, the very first game to tip off on Saturday was the Salt Lake City subregional game between Dayton-Arizona that began at 12:45 p.m. EDT (or 10:45 a.m. local time!). To further confound the mind, TV dictated that the Oregon-Creighton game (from Pittsburgh) was scheduled to begin at 9:40 p.m. on Saturday – though it didn’t start until after 10 thanks to an overtime game before it.
Here’s a novel concept … start the games in the Eastern Time Zone in early window and those further west in the later window. Amazing how easy it would be to correct this issue.
- New Rule: All high school and college start times must have local start times between noon and 8 p.m.
March or January?
It was not lost on me that Friday was, technically, the third full day of Spring in southeastern lower Michigan. We received close to four inches of snow in my neighborhood. Which means I can officially say there was more snow on the ground for during opening round games of the NCAA Tournament than there was for the Rose Bowl on January 1.
Catching Up with Friends
One of the cool byproducts of this annual event, is the ability to – in real time – reconnect with friends from around the nation who share an interest in their team’s success. On Thursday it was Kevin who’s the long-time public address announcer for Oakland University, on Friday it was Tom who’s spent more of his life in Colorado than not and Donald a Vermont lifer, and then on Saturday I ran it back with Tom as well as Ashley – a huge Washington State Cougar fan – and Sara who roots for Iowa State.
Not Missed
I doubt I’m in the minority with this thought: CBS’s longtime voice of the tournament – Jim Nantz – was not missed. Ian Eagle does a fine job and seems to have a terrific rapport with color commentators Bill Raftery and Grant Hill. I might actually watch some of this year’s championship game rather than tune into the radio call.
Presidents’ Day = Fan Day
Thanks to the scheduling Gods at ESPN and a well-timed outpouring of precipitation by Mother Nature this weekend, I was handed a gift any sports fan would welcome during my holiday from work.
Thanks to the my streaming service, I don’t receive our regional sports network and I’m fiscally responsible enough to not pay for it ala carte. Therefore, my only opportunity to watch the hometown Detroit Red Wings is when they’re on a nationally televised game.
Bang!
Red Wings at Seattle Kraken at 3:30 p.m. televised by ESPN afforded me an opportunity to get a good look at the 2023/24 iteration of the Wings.
They didn’t disappoint, scrapping their way to a 4-3 overtime win and remain solidly in the playoff hunt in the NHL’s Eastern Conference.
Thanks to the Toronto Maple Leafs-St. Louis Blues game running late, the Wings’ start was pushed back and began only moments before the pageantry of “The Great American Race” began in Daytona Beach, FL.
Due to some heavy weather on Sunday, NASCAR’s super bowl – the Daytona 500 – was pushed to Monday afternoon at 4 p.m.
I kept the race on in the background during dinner and afterward, but really focused on it during the its final stage.
I always pull for Brad Keselowski who is a product of the school district where I work. So as he and Joey Logano were pushing for the lead against Ross Chastain in the race’s final 25 miles, I thought this might be the year Keselowski finally wins his first 500.
And then a massive pile up made a mess of the title hopes for many racers (Keselowski among them).
Nevertheless, the final five laps featured some exciting green flag racing that culminated with another wreck just as the white flag came out and made William Byron a first-time winner under a caution flag.
It wasn’t my man, Brad, but I got to know Byron through the Netflix series, “Full Speed.” I recently completed it during my morning treadmill time and found Byron’s story to be remarkable. He learned to race not in a car by on a computer simulator long before he got behind a wheel. If that’s not a modern-day fairy tale I’m not sure what it.
Happy Presidents’ Day to me:-)
The Hall’s Call
I live in suburban Detroit which means I should be blogging about the Detroit Lions and the incredible run they’ve been on the past several weeks, right?
Well, I wrote about them each of the last two weeks and while I’m superstitious and all, I’m not sure I have anything of significance to share in advance of their first NFC Championship Game this Century. I’m just rooting for NO repeats of the only other NFC Championshp Game the Lions have played in my lifetime: January 12, 1992 at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC, where they were outscored 24-0 in the second half and lost, 41-10. After a competitive first half, I recall a less-than-enjoyable remainder of my stay at Fraser’s Pub in Ann Arbor.
No, today I thought I’d wax poetic about what occurs tomorrow: The National Baseball Hall of Fame announces the Baseball Writers Association of America results for the 2024 Class.
Former Detroit Tigers’ manager Jim Leyland is already heading to Cooperstown, NY, courtesy of the HoF’s Contemporary Baseball Era Committee’s vote last month.
I’ve always had an interest in which former big leaguers were headed toward enshrinement, but this year my interest is keener, perhaps because of “Conversation with Sports Fans” guests Adam Darowski (S:2, E:25), Dave Metter (S:2, E:34), and Mark Shirk (S:2, E:53) who all have unique perspectives on the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- For Darowski (@baseballtwit on Twitter/X) it’s about two sets of players: Those who, statistically, have the merits to be included but for whatever reason are not. And those who spent the brunt of their professional careers in the Negro Leagues and have had the performances there discounted.
- For Metter (@cooperstowndave on Twitter/X) it tends to be about a cause candidate. Once upon a time that was Vladimir Guerrero. Currently, it’s Charlie Bennett, a 19th Century catcher who is still the only player to have a Major League Ballpark named after him, Detroit’s Bennett Park. Because of both his play and his innovation at the position, Metter considers him the best catcher of his era.
- For Shirk (@bballhist on Twitter/X) it’s about expanding the ranks of Hall of Famers. Shirk is a proponent of what’s referred to as a “big hall.” That is, opening the doors to more players and personnel who Shirk believes are deserving.
And then there was the discovery this Hall of Fame Election Season of Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs on Twitter/X) who along with a team of fellow ballotheads, tabulate those BBWAA ballots that have been made public at his Baseball Hall of Fame Tracker which is found here.
With the announcement due tomorrow, discovering Thibodaux’s site is akin to learning what’s in all those wrapped packages before the holidays. While I’m ecstatic to have knowledge of who’s likely to get in – and who’s not – this forewarning does take the edge off my suprise and/or righteous rage over who gets the call tomorrow.
With that, Go Lions and Go Todd Helton!
It Had to Be Stafford and the Rams, Right?
You just knew it would work out this way, didn’t you?
Detroit wins its first NFC North Division title and hosts the first-ever playoff game at Ford Field and the opponent will be the Los Angeles Rams who are quarterbacked by … Matthew Stafford, the former face of the franchise.
When he was drafted first overall by the Detroit Lions in 2009 out of the University of Georgia he Stafford was to be the savior of a city’s bedraggled football team that had the ignominy of finishing 0-16 the year before and hadn’t won a division title in 25 years.
Alas, the best laid plans.
Rather than fully “Restore the Roar,’ Stafford helmed the Lions to nothing more than three second-place divisional finishes and three road Wildcard Playoff Round losses. His final three seasons in Detroit – all under ill-equipped Coach Matt Patricia – resulted in successive last-place divisional finishes and a grand total of 11 wins.
On Sunday, Detroit beat Minnesota, 30-20, to put a bow on a 12-win season that saw a new banner ascend to the rafters.
The team’s success this season can be directly attributed to, you guessed it, Matthew Stafford. Or at least the Lions’ return on his departure.
When Detroit sent Stafford to the Rams three years ago this month it was anyone’s guess how it’d turn out. The only other player as part of the package – then-Rams’ quarterback Jared Goff – took Los Angeles to a Super Bowl three seasons earlier, but to much of the football world he appeared to be a serviceable quarterback. Nothing more, nothing less.
The bounty for this trade of Stafford was a third round and two first round draft picks.
In the interim, while Detroit waited to see what the new regime of General Manager Brad Holmes and Coach Dan Campbell would do with those picks, most of Detroit pulled for Stafford and lived vicariously through he and the Rams’ magical 2021 season that resulted in the 23-20 Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
It was not until April’s NFL Draft that the final tally on the Stafford Trade was known:
Thanks to Draft Day trades by Holmes, those three draft picks became five. Those picks became defensive back Ifeatu Malifonwu, wide receiver Jameson Williams, defensive lineman Josh Paschal, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, tight end Sam LaPorta, and defensive end Brodric Martin.
And, because the Lions were fairly devoid of talent that first year Holmes, Campbell, and Goff were in town, they wound up with the second overall selection which became Aidan Hutchinson. Add to the mix Lions’ Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson and suddenly Goff was more than serviceable.
So it seems only fitting then that for the Detroit Lions – one of just four NFL franchises to never appear in a Super Bowl (Browns, Jaguars, and Texans are the others) – to move to the next round this post-season they must first vanquish the city’s once favorite son who returns wearing a decidely different shade of blue and a Super Bowl ring on his finger.
I haven’t a clue what sort of reception Stafford will receive from the Ford Field faithful Sunday night (I suspect it will be respectful gratitude for his time served), but I do know that for this franchise to fully shake the “Same Old Lions” label it will need to finally sever ties with any affinity it has for Stafford and a major part of that will be the fans making life miserable for he and his Rams’ teammates, thus enhancing the chances of a Lions victory.
Has one franchise ever witnessed its past, present, and future all converging at such a critical moment?