Life as a long distance Detroit Lions fan living in Chicago
By J.D. Laker
A chronicle of the struggles a Detroit Lions fan faces living behind enemy lines, in Chicago, who is simply trying to block out the haters.
In football winning on the road is always tough. Living on the road can be even tougher. I moved to Chicago from Metro-Detroit about five years ago. Chicago is an amazing city with a lot to offer, but being a displaced Detroit Lions fan can be difficult in such hostile territory.
One of my first welcome to Chicago moments was when I got booed walking down the street in a Ndamukong Suh jersey. Suh was arguably the NFL’s greatest villain at the time and when you combined that with the fact that he played for a divisional rival, my jersey might as well have been a bulls-eye for local fans.
Like the rapper Drake, I consider myself the type that’s “hardly home, but always reppin’”. I like to wear my Detroit Tigers old English D hat and other gear from my favorite Detroit sports teams around the city.
Representing for Detroit around Chicago can lead to a lot of stink-eyed looks and some heckling. But after a brief adjustment period you learn to simply block out the haters.
I have some friends who will only wear “neutral” clothing to Chicago Bears games to avoid confrontation, but that has never been my style. Although, I don’t blame them after some of the madness I’ve experienced and witnessed.
I’ve had beers and a hotdog or two thrown at me. I once saw Bears fans trying to deny a Lions fan use of the urinals in Soldier Field claiming that Detroit fans have to “sit down when they pee”.
Every fan base has its share of hooligans, but Chicago sports fans can be especially rough around the edges. Living outside the friendly confines of Metro-Detroit, you have to be aware of these kinds of shenanigans. And so far, I’ve made it through without any major incidents.
It’s helped that the Lions have virtually owned the Bears as of late. While the Monsters of the Midway have struggled on the field, the animosity levels between the Chicago faithful and Detroit fans like myself has noticeably subsided.