i don’t know if you heard, but william clay ford sr. took my advice: millen is fired.

and so ends a historic era for the detroit lions. 31-84. the next one might not be much better, but it will be different. maybe.

all this millen firing news has me wistful for michigan and detroit. this photo is quintessential detroit. hyperbolic, desperate, self-aware, and unashamed. “unashamed?” you ask? of course the lions’ drafting and gameplay are shameful in a “what a shame” kind of way, but lions fans are never ashamed of that shame. those paper bags are a big middle finger to shame.

in the detroit sports family, the lions are like that sad but sweet thalidomide baby that you can’t be disappointed in. big brother red wings got that sports scholarship, the charming pistons just graduated from princeton, and the mercurial tigers found momentary local success playing bass guitar for that ironic hipster band. but for some reason, mommy and daddy love that retard flipper baby the most. pick up those legos? can’t. 3rd down with 7 yards to go? throw a 5-yard pass. yet for some reason, a week 2 loss to green bay hurts so much more than an NBA semifinal loss to the cavs. WHY? maybe lebron is just that good. i digress.

perhaps what makes us so special is how our love transcends skill or logic. we’re not the only city to adore our shitty team, but we do it in a special way. some cities are upset by failure b/c they feel entitled to success (looking at you eagles and red sox fans). others are frustrated because they are so close to being good. not only are we no where near competence, but we also don’t even think we deserve to win. don’t get me wrong, we really want to be .500. but deserve it? no.

the redskins have a similar complex, but let’s be honest, their mascot is really offensive and they don’t have an awesome fight song. welcome to 0 A.M. (after millen). forward down the field!

Tags: detroit, football, lions | Comments (1)