Detroit Lions Fans Should Feel Immense Pride, Despite Crushing Defeat
The Detroit Lions fell in brutal fashion Sunday, but fans have no reason to shed any tears.
The Lions blew a 17-point lead to the 49ers in the NFC Championship to lose 34-31 after holding a 24-7 halftime lead.
I won't lie to anyone. I was flying high at halftime. It felt like there was no way the Lions were going to lose that game, and the vibes were great at Dirty Water.
Miller Lites were flowing, confidence was flying high and it seemed like no matter what happened over the next two quarters, there was no way Dan Campbell, Jared Goff and the Lions weren't going to the Super Bowl.
Detroit Lions lose to the 49ers in the NFC Championship.
In classic Detroit fashion, the Lions found a way to lose in absolutely heartbreaking and horrific fashion amid awful dropped passes and what will be some controversial coaching calls from Dan Campbell.
It's easy to crush Dan Campbell right now, but I'm not going to. His eagerness to push the limits and put it all on the line is why the Lions made the NFC Championship.
Live by the sword, die by the sword. Welcome to the chaos of Campbell's coaching style.
Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
I will be the first to admit that I wasn't happy when the Lions lost, and I know many of you degenerates were tuning in afterwards to see if I would cry.
You'll find me dead before you find me crying tears of disappointment over the Lions. There's simply no tears left to cry.
I've spent them all over the past 31+ years. I was weirdly at peace and calm when the clock hit zero at Levi's Stadium.
Why? Because the old Lions are dead, and fans are never going back to the old days. Sure, the Lions didn't make the Super Bowl.
It was a tough night that needed Miller Lite and Papa Johns to numb the pain as I watched a 17-point lead evaporate.
However, fans and commentators are talking about how the Lions did in the NFC championship. The team won three games in Campbell's first year and was two bad quarters of football away from playing for the Super Bowl.
It's a new era. The perception of the entire team has changed for the better. Detroit isn't a complete joke anymore. Campbell and Goff have the franchise rolling and are now one of the best in the entire NFL.
Was Sunday night painful and were there flashbacks to the days of winning no games and constant embarrassment? Without a doubt, but that doesn't erase the incredible season fans enjoyed since the start of week one.
Lions fans have nothing to be ashamed of, we won't apologize, you damn sure won't see me cry and I can't wait for next season. There's two kinds of people when it comes to a loss. Those who cry and complain, and those who vow to learn from it and now repeat it. OutKick readers, Lions fans and myself are in the second group. Pick yourself up, dust yourself up and crack a smile and what a year it was. Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com. Onward and upward for the Lions moving forward!