What is the first thing you can remember as a Detroit Lions fan?
Depending on when you became a Detroit Lions fan, your first memories of following the team are likely unique to you.
Sure, there are probably other fans in your age demographic that might have answers from a similar era, but I’m talking about that first core memory. The one that sticks out the most when you really think back to your earliest memories of being a fan.
Today’s Question of the Day is:
What is your first memory as a Lions fan?
My Answer: I feel like I can remember bits and pieces from the middle of the 1990s, (like seeing the Lions play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the creamsicles back when both teams were members of the NFC Central division) but the first season I can really vividly remember is that magical 1997 one.
The entire season was a fun ride, highlighted by Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders’ pursuit of 2,000 yards on the ground. What made the record-setting season even more impressive was the fact that the team wasn’t overly talented.
In a year where the Lions finished third in the division with a record of 9-7, Sanders would go on to rush for 2,053 yards. Week in and week out, teams knew what they were going to get when they played the Lions. They were going to hand the ball off to their All-Pro back 20-something times and see if you could stop it.
From that game where he broke the record against the New York Jets , to the Thanksgiving Day thumping they put on the Chicago Bears —those were some of my first real memories that have stuck in my mind through the years, and I will always cherish them.
How about you? What is your first vivid memory as a Lions fan? Let us know by leaving a comment with your answer at the bottom of the page.