What makes following your favorite sports teams so fun? What makes us last through the challenging seasons and poor management? Is it the payoff during the good times? Perhaps. I won't deny that the Michigan Wolverines and the Detroit Lions have been so much fun to watch this year because they had struggled for so long to get to this point. I watched every game in the 0-16 season. I sat through the Rich Rod years at Michigan. The teams' success is obviously a long-awaited return on investment from fans.
Sports has always been a common connection point in my family. Many phone calls and breakfast table conversations have surrounded one of our teams' most recent games, trades, or drafts. Thanksgiving dinner is organized around the Lions game. In the fall, Sundays consist of Mass and then the Lions at 1. Then, when the spring rolls around, the Tigers at 1.
I've since left the state of Michigan. So, I hold tight to my teams because it keeps me tied to my roots. Most of my adult life has been in other parts of the country, but something about being Michigan-Made holds tight in me. When I first moved to Virginia, I got teased constantly for all of my teams being awful. The Lions were the "Same Old Lions," the Pistons were embarrassing, the Tigers lost their way, the Red Wings playoff streak ended, and the Wolverines were Big Ten frauds. Still, I wore my hats and T-shirts and watched the games.
When living in Tennessee, every sports fan I knew told me that the SEC dominated the Big Ten. They'd say, "Harbaugh and Michigan will never beat Saban and Alabama." What a tremendous payoff for my patience this year has been.
Fans from Michigan have endured a terrible run over the past decade. Suddenly, the frustration with the Lions has transformed into pride. The Lions are one win from the Super Bowl.
The Wolverines are National Champs. The Red Wings could end their playoff drought. The Tigers look poised to push for the pennant. The Pistons have been historically awful. That's the one caveat. Although, they do have a young star in Cade Cunningham.
It started with the front office and coaching. Brad Holmes, Steve Yzerman, Scott Harris, Jim Harbaugh, Dan Campbell, Derek Lalonde, and A.J. Hinch have been fantastic. Others, such as Sheila Ford Hamp, have come in and changed the cultures of these teams.
No more laughing. Every week, another "Not Since" falls. The Lions 32-year playoff streak, their first home playoff game at Ford Field, and first NFC championship appearance in 32 years lead the way. The Red Wings break a new "Not Since" every week. The Wolverines won their first National Title since 1997.
This success brings me back to my initial point. Someone once told me they don't understand why people have favorite sports teams. They said that if a band they liked started to suck, they'd stop listening to them. But what would we call our grandfathers about? What would we tease our brother, an MSU fan, about? It's generational. It binds us to our original community. I even find fans down here. I see their hat and give them a quick nod or a "Go Blue." It's something.
After a long period of nothing to cheer for, we fans now have a lot. The wait was worth it. All the games, conversations, and checking the news. Detroit fans: we've finally got some winners. So, pat yourself on the back for watching and waiting. I don't want to overstate it, but we could be the best sports city in America soon. We are already the best fans.
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