For years, Detroit Lions fans have been beaten down by losing, incompetence and frustration. This season, everything powerfully turned allowing the fanbase to finally taste major success.
Unfortunately, every NFL season comes with adversity. The Lions were never going to go undefeated and roll to a Super Bowl, nor were they going to stay completely healthy. In spite of these realities, too many fans have twisted that logic after a defeat to the Buffalo Bills.
In the wake of the loss and more horrible injury luck, negativity is swirling. If the "same old Lions" are dead, "same old fan" mindsets are alive. The loss to the Bills has become a sign to some that Detroit's dream season is over, the refrain goes. They'll never be able to overcome injuries. It figures when the Lions have a good team it would end like this. The curse must be back.
After playing the underdog card for two years, this is the moment Lions fans want to quit? At 12-2 with their goals still ahead of them? What ever happened to "Detroit vs. Everybody?" Is "grit" just a t-shirt slogan that only fits when the team is dominant?
While players have done it all along, it's time for fans to show their grit. It's been easy to stand behind the Lions when they've won, but how about when they need support most? True fans don't wallow in pity or proclaim the season over after a loss. They roll up their sleeves and move on, which is exactly what Dan Campbell is preaching.
Detroit Lions' fans must listen to Dan Campbell's message after tough loss
The coach doesn't have time to feel sorry for himself following the loss. Instead, the focus has been about preparing for what's next. As Campbell explained on "Costa & Jansen" on 97.1 The Ticket, the defeat has already proven valuable as a motivator.
"What happens is you win 11 in a row and you lose and then the sky falls. I hate to say it, but we're not going to be able to win 11 in a row again for the rest of this season. We're just not going to be able to do it. What happens is you get used to eating filet -- I'm talking all of us -- and everything's good. Life's good, but you forgot what it was like when you had nothing and you ate your (expletive) molded bread and it was just fine and it gave you everything you needed. Sometimes, you got to get punched in the mouth and remember what it used to be like to really appreciate where you are and we'll do that. So we got a bad taste in our mouth. We got kicked around the other day. We lost a few guys and it's exactly what we needed. This is exactly what we needed. So, we're going to bounce back. We're going to respond."
Instead of living in the negative, fans should listen to Campbell and take his words to heart. Since his first day on the job, he's been the emotional heartbeat of the franchise, making bold promises and then delivering on them. Campbell is not prepared to quit, so why should anybody else?
This is the perfect moment for fans to rally behind the Lions, because the ending of their story this season has yet to be written.