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Unexpected Lions win unites the fans in celebration

Sunday was the first time all season I watched the Detroit Lions in a public place. It turned out to be a fortuitous opportunity to relish in a huge Lions win.

I was at my daughter’s basketball tournament in Grand Rapids along with about 600 other people. At the start of the Lions game against the Arizona Cardinals, most everyone was pretty apathetic. I sat at a high-top table in the common area alone. Folks passed by, with a few taking a quick glance at the TV in the corner showing the Lions game. One other dad was paying close attention to the first couple of drives, but it was generally an afterthought.

That quickly changed. I missed most of the second quarter and the big plays early in the third while my daughter played (and won!), but by the time I returned to the lobby to watch there was a growing crowd. Fans still weren’t confident, but the 24-6 Lions lead certainly had folks talking. People shuffling in and out of the facility started walking slower and lingering around the growing congregation.

“Oh they’ll blow it” or something of that ilk remained a common refrain. And quite frankly, it was impossible to not think that was an inevitable outcome. These Lions have broken our hearts so many times, both this year and in the last decades. We’ve all seen the tragic comedy too many times.

But the Lions just kept playing winning football. Grown men who had just finished yelling at officials and 13-year-old girls high-fived and smiled, joy and surprise filling their eyes. I was hugged by two men I’ve never met before when the Cardinals waved the white flag and inserted Colt McCoy at quarterback in place of starter Kyler Murray.

One set of games ended just before the Lions game did. At that point, over 100 people were gathered in disbelieving ecstasy around the two TVs in the main area. Smiles, handshakes and a few joyous yelps abounded. Even those of us taking home disappointed daughters after their losses couldn’t help but beam grins of pride and happiness. A lot of the daughters felt that way too.

Games like this are why we don’t quit on the Lions even when things have been as wretched as they have for the last two-plus years. The team’s ability to bring us together for the unexpected group bonding is truly special. That’s what Sunday was for me and scores of others at MSA Woodland in Grand Rapids. And it’s a feeling we all want to get used to experiencing together a lot more. One pride!