(WXYZ) — The Detroit Lions are pushing toward the Super Bowl in New Orleans, but now that the team's popularity is growing nationwide, there's a growing distinction between the types of Lions fans.
We wanted to know what makes a Lions diehard fan, so I went out and talked to some.
Mark S. Lee is a local business consultant. He's also been a diehard fan for 55 years.
“The Lions won the NFL Championship in 1957. My parents moved to Detroit from the south in 1957, and, my dad took me to my very first game in November on Thanksgiving Day in 1969," Lee said.
Detroit lost that messy snow game at the old Tiger Stadium against Minnesota, 27-0. That year, the Vikings won the NFL Central Division crown and went to Super Bowl IV, eventually losing to Kansas City.
Since then, Lee has supported the team – win, lose or draw. So has Jesse Whitefield, who has been a fan for 27 years.
“Coming here as a kid, I watched some games. And, I actually became a season ticket holder back in 2016," he said.
“Do you consider yourself a diehard?” I asked.
“Oh yes! Yep. We had some bad times and good times," he said.
Some people even consider the Lions to be America's team, with many fans jumping on the bandwagon.
While that's fine for many longtime fans, some are becoming unsettled by those who jumped ship when the team was down, only to now re-emerge.
“I was in California during the 0-16 season and things like that. And, I was still repping my Lions. So, It kind of hurts to like, you know, have people that just wanna do it now. Have friends that are rooting for any other team except for the Lions until this year. So, I don’t know. But, I guess at least they’re starting to realize that we have a team," Kevin Anderson said.
“2008. Yeah, that was the year that we went 0-16. And, as a diehard Lions fan, that season literally from a fan's perspective ripped my heart out," Lee said. “People were literally marching in front of Ford Field. Inside the stadium, people had on paper bags. And, they punched eye holes in the bag. They would draw little tear drops.”
Related Video: Lions fans recreate Ford Field in their front yard
While those were tough times for fans, many say there should be solidarity between those most loyal and fairweather fans.
“Come on down and join us. The party’s just getting started. The party’s gonna end in February when they come home with the Super Bowl," Paul Cieslak said.
