It’s the week of the Super Bowl! The country will witness what appears to be an exciting clash between the Philadelphia Eagles and the reigning two-time champion Kansas City Chiefs. For many, it’s one of the most intriguing Super Bowl arrangements in years.
Sigh.
Regrettably, I’m not among those who are excited. As a Detroit Lions fan, it’s simply difficult to feel excited about the Super Bowl this year. Not with our cherished Lions falling just two steps short of the championship match.
Yawning.
This was meant to be our year. NFC North champions with a 15-2 season record. Top seed in the playoffs with each game scheduled at Ford Field, paving the way for our anticipated journey to New Orleans and the franchise’s inaugural Super Bowl appearance.
Psh.
The home defeat in the divisional round against the Commanders shattered all those aspirations in a Hindenburg of misguided hope and empty promises. For numerous people, it drained all the excitement from football. A lot of us, myself among them, continue to find it difficult to feel any excitement for the game.
I didn’t see a single play of the Eagles-Commanders game in the NFC Championship. The hurt was still too fresh, the injury too exposed to entertain the thought that “it ought to be Detroit,” as it felt so destined to happen. For the second consecutive year, an excellent season concluded suddenly before reaching the objective. Cancelling a long-anticipated journey to New Orleans for Super Bowl week and rejecting a media pass for the major event added more pain to the throbbing wound in my spirit.
Aagh.
It has been challenging to locate any Lions supporters who genuinely care about Sunday’s match. And that’s unfortunate, as I genuinely think this will turn out to be an excellent game. It’s also the final occasion we witness a significant football match for nearly seven months. To reference the Philadelphia group Cinderella, “it’s a lengthy frigid winter,” truly.
I intend to watch Super Bowl LIX. This week-long buildup, though — no way. I totally overlooked media day on Tuesday. Not concerned. I’m not even replying to requests for promotional interviews and radio interviews. I won’t pretend to be interested.
I feel that this is something we Lions supporters are learning through difficult experiences. When there are very realistic expectations for your team to be competitive and then they aren’t, it feels different. In the countless years when Detroit’s season ended around Thanksgiving (or even sooner in some instances), it was much simpler to feel excited about viewing the playoffs and especially the Super Bowl. With the Lions now being genuine contenders yet falling short, it feels off that Detroit isn’t part of the game.
Prolonged exhale.
Make the most of the game, as I will also strive to do the same. Understand that the painful void and blend of exasperated indifference you experience is much more severe for the Lions themselves. Great. Caution: the furious, famished Lion in 2025!