Happy Father’s Day! Share your favorite Detroit Lions memory with your dad, or as a dad.
Happy Father’s Day to everyone out there.
For me, the Detroit Lions were at the forefront of my relationship with my dad. It’s a passion we both shared, and we spent every Sunday glued to the television or parked in Section 243 of Ford Field to watch our men in Honolulu Blue compete.
Sometimes it seems silly or trivial that a meaningless sport was so essential to my relationship with my dad, but quality time spent together doesn’t need to have some sort of deeper truth to it. Sometimes just being there for three hours every Sunday is enough… even if we spend most of that time screaming in anger. Regardless it was our time. Even through college, the tradition of spending Sundays together never wavered. He would make the trek up to Ann Arbor so that we could watch the Lions in our matching Joey Harrington jerseys. No one could take that away from us.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
What is your favorite Detroit Lions story with your dad or as a dad?
My answer: In tragic comedy fashion, the best Lions memory with my dad happened on a day Detroit moved to 3-9 on the season. We never got to embrace after a division title or a playoff win or a really celebrate any meaningful win.
But it felt that way on a crappy, windy day in Tampa Bay back in 2010. I was down in Florida visiting my family, now full in retirement mode. The Lions schedule makers were nice enough to pair a couple of road games against the Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins back-to-back and over the holidays. A perfect three-in-one opportunity to spend quality time with the family: knock out two Lions games and a Christmas visit.
While my hopes of seeing Matthew Stafford play were quickly dashed that season when an injury sidelined the young quarterback for the season in Week 9, I got to see something more rare that season: a Lions road win. Prior to this game against the Buccaneers, the Lions had lost 26 straight road games. I came into my Florida trip with zero expectations to see a victory, particularly with both opponents holding a .500 or better record at the time.
But when Drew Stanton pulled off an overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was an unreal scene. Even then, the Lions were traveling pretty well—I guess a trip to Florida in December is always favorable decision for Detroiters. When Dave Rayner’s kick went through the uprights, all I remember is pure bliss: screaming my head off, hugging my dad, high fiving everyone wearing blue within a 300-foot radius.
The following week, the Lions did it again against the Dolphins, scoring 17 points in the final five minutes to shock the Miami crowd. I still remember that DeAndre Levy pick-six like it happened yesterday, and I still can’t believe he somehow scored.
There was nothing particularly special about anything my dad did or said before, during, or after the game. It was just a thrilling moment we got to share together, and that was more than enough.