The Detroit Lions and the Three Lions: Drawing inspiration

Ye same olde Lions

For the diehards, fandom of either team is equal parts loving and loathing. Any memories of glory are shared by only the oldest and most jaded fans.

For the rest of us, our fandom is too-often governed by the countless unmistakable negative turning points within critical games. After decades of this, a defense mechanism builds up. We shrug and say “Same Old Lions” with a fake smile, pretending that we don’t really care.

It’s that foreboding feeling that everything is about to go wrong at the very first hint of adversity.

It’s the self-fulfilling prophecy where everything falls apart at the most crucial times for no reason other than that’s what always happens. Both fan bases know it and dread it.

Same Old Lions and Same Old England are two sides of the same coin.

Achilles’ Heel(s)

• Lions- Road playoff games. Lambeau Field. 1-8 in playoff games from 1990 up until now, all losses on the road. A  24 game losing streak in Green Bay (now broken).
• Three Lions- Penalty shootouts. 1-7 in penalty shootouts during international competitions from 1990 up until last Tuesday. Yes, until last Tuesday.

As shown against Colombia, and then again versus Sweden, England is rewriting their script. With Harry Kane leading the way (along with Jordan Pickford’s goalkeeping heroics), this unassuming bunch is becoming the true golden generation.