Why I Became a Detroit Lions Fan

It hasn't always been easy being a Detroit Lions fan.  In fact it has never been easy.  I am from Michigan so you could say I am a Lions fan because of my home state, which in all honesty is true to a point, but if I had to thank one person for becoming a Lions fan, it would be Barry Sanders.

Barry Sanders was a talent like no other.  Sure you can make an argument that Jim Brown or Walter Payton were better, but Barry could do things that seemed unrealistic.  In my opinion he is the greatest running back ever. 

I started watching football as a kid in 1990, a year after Barry came into the NFL.  I can't say I remember the first game I ever watched, but I can say that the first thing I remember was Barry Sanders.  No other player could create such excitement from something even as small as a one yard gain.  I know now how privileged I was to be able to see Barry every Sunday. 

Most teams have quarterbacks as the face of their franchise.  In Detroit we haven't had that luxury, but it didn't matter, because Barry Sanders made even the worst years worth watching.  I grew to love other Lions players such as Herman Moore, Mel Gray, and Chris Spielman among others, but no-one came close to Barry. 

Barry could make defenders look like pee-wee players.  I remember as a kid that if someone got juked on in any sport we would say "oh, he broke that guy's ankle!"  Well with Barry it was actually true. 

I remember watching a game in 1995 where the Lions played the Steelers.  Barry made one of his patented juke moves and Rod Woodson tried to a quick stop and tore his ACL. (not an ankle, but still...)  I wasn't happy that Woodson was hurt by any means, but it just seemed so unreal that Barry had actually broken somone's knee with such a quick move. 

Barry was one of the flashiest players when it came to his style of play but was never flashy in celebration.  After each touchdown Barry would just get up and hand the ball to the referee.  There was never a dance, never a ball spike, never a stare down of a defender.  Barry let his game do the talking for him. I appreciated the classiness even as a kid. 

Barry may not hold all the records and may not have a Super Bowl title, but his career is nothing to ignore. 

Barry is one of only five different players to have rushed for 2,000 or more yards in a season.  He did this in 1997 and shared MVP honors with Brett Favre.  In 1995 he set an NFL record by gaining 100 or more yards in 14 consecutive games.

He was the first running back to ever rush for 1,500 yards or more in five different seasons. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in all 10 seasons of his career.  He holds the NFL record of 150+ rushing yards in a game with 25.  He has the most career touchdowns of 50+ rushing yards with 15. 

When he retired he was second all time in career rushing yards and would have broken the record within a year or two based on his career averages. 

When Barry retired, he made many angry and they said he had turned his back on the team.  His timing may have been unfortunate but by no means do I think he turned his back on the team.

Barry has stated that he just didn't have a passion to play the game anymore, he had been part of a losing franchise for so long that it had broken his spirit.  It's a shame that Barry's career was so short and even more of a shame that he never won a Super Bowl. 

The Lions have never recovered from losing Barry Sanders—they have only made the playoffs once since he retired.  The Lions are still my favorite team even though the losing can sometimes drive me crazy.  New star Calvin Johnson is an exciting player to watch and the excitement he brings reminds me a little of Barry (though not to the same extent).

When I tell people that the Detroit Lions are my favorite team, the response is usually either "I'm sorry," "wow you're brave," or just plain laughter.  It doesn't matter though, because even though the Lions aren't necessarily the easiest team to root for I can say that my favorite team had the greatest running back ever.

It was a privilege to grow up watching Barry Sanders and I owe my Lions loyalty and support to him. 

Barry Sanders, thank you for all you did for the Lions, the NFL, and for me.