UNITED STATES—Man, what a feeling it is right now to be a fan of Michigan sports. I mean The Michigan Wolverines just trounced the Washington Huskies in the College Football National Championship game with a 34-13 victory. Look, I’m an alumnus of Michigan State University and while the Wolverines are a rival for us, you have to root for the team when stuff like this unfolds. The energy in the state was unlike anything you can imagine, the energy in Ann Arbor simply chaotic, but in the best type of way.
Excitement, fun, hope, positivity, something the state so desperately needed when it comes to sports when you have the Pistons breaking records with its losing streak. Yeah, basketball is not great right now for the state of Michigan and hockey is not as great either, you can echo the same for baseball, but for the first time in a long-time football is front and center and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
Now the Spartans had a horrid year, when it comes to football, but the Wolverines just pulled off a 15-0 season, a perfect season. Now the Wolverines Head Coach Jim Harbaugh will have to grapple with whether he returns to coach at the university or if he considers potential offers with the NFL. There is buzz out there that some teams might be looking to court Harbaugh and after this National Championship win, he’ll likely have plenty of offers.
However, the Detroit Lions, whew baby, they are something else. First off, anyone who is a resident of Michigan knows about the Detroit Lions. The fans are crazy and super dedicated. I mean they have had horrid seasons where the team has gone 1-15, 2-14, hell 0-16 in 2008. Yes, they didn’t win a single game that season, and trust the fans made their frustrations known, but the loyalty of these fans is unlike anything you’ve ever seen.
However, 2022/2023 was a turning point for the team that didn’t make the playoffs but made a statement that they are not a team to be overlooked. This season, they held a 12-5 record, it should have been much higher because of a few games that that the team loss by mere points or silly mistakes. Let’s be honest, the Lions record is 13-4 they won that game against the Dallas Cowboys, but as a Michigander, we are used to being screwed by the NFL officials in one of the worst calls in NFL history it is plain and simple.
For the first time in 30 years, the Lions are hosting a playoff game and it’s a massive one with so many undertones. Why? We’re playing the Los Angeles Rams. Yes, their Quarterback is Matthew Stafford who played with the Lions for years and couldn’t make anything happen. We received Jared Goff who was booted by the Rams, let’s just call it as we see it and landed in Detroit, where people questioned if he could make something happen. Goff has proven his prowess and skill level, and he is indeed our QUARTERBACK. I am so happy to see Matthew Stafford and the Rams get booed to hell when they step into Ford Field on Sunday for that playoff game. Those whining about the booing, that is part of playing sports; it is nothing personal, it’s business.
The fans are going to be relentless and unlike anything I have seen in decades. It is going to be a hostile environment for the Rams to play in and they’re playing damn well after that victory in San Francisco that I couldn’t believe. However, Stafford is going to be tested with some serious pressure here. His former team hosting a playoff game in a stadium he once played in with a record that is superior to his current team. Oh, you can’t write a better story. Not to mention, Goff has a score to settle with the Rams organization, his former team, and former coach Sean McVay. It is going to be a battle and it is going to be a fun one.
Look, I’m not going to say anything to jinx the Lions because I just don’t want to do that, but this is a formidable team, and it could be very likely this team makes it all the way to the NFC Championship game. Who they play and whether they triumph that is another story. Let me say this, if the Lions make it to the Super Bowl, whew, the city of Detroit is going to be unlike any other city because this has never happened for us Michiganders and God willing, they win the Super Bowl you’re going to see a level of energy for the city and state that I don’t think as a native I could describe with words.
Written By Davy Jones
