Lion's Roar

Ladies and gentlemen, I present you with the worst team in the history of professional football - The Detroit Lions!

The crazy thing is, they can get worse.

Last week, the Lions became the first NFL team to start a season 0-15, and week 17 does not look any more promising. How does below freezing temperatures at Lambeau Field sound? Not appealing, that's how it sounds. The Green Bay Packers (5-10) can even their record at home to 4-4, but fear the upset. Yes, this is going to be classified as an upset.

Rewind back to 2007 when the Miami Dolphins were riding a 14 game losing streak into week 15. It took 60 minutes plus overtime for the Dolphins to pull out a gut-wrenching victory against the Baltimore Ravens on a 60+yard pass from Cleo Lemon to Greg Camarillo. If you were watching the game on television, you might have mistaken the meaningless game for the Super Bowl. Millions saw the first Gatorade shower on national television for winning one game.

Well, now the Lions have their season's Super Bowl to play for.

It would only seem fitting if the NFL had its first winless team in 2008 follow the first undefeated team the previous year. This is strictly for the regular season of course. The New England Patriots accomplished something no other team had since the extension of the regular season - win all 16 games. Yes, the 1979 Miami Dolphins went 19-0 including the post-season, but the rules were different.

Then, you had the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers finish the season 0-14, but again, the rules were different. Now, the Lions are one step away from having the torch passed on to them and it doesn't matter if it's a 14-game, 16-game, or 20-game regular season. The Lions will not be winners.

The closest they came to winning this year was a 12-10 loss at the Metrodome against the Minnesota Vikings. What about the four point loss to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field 27-23? No, not even that was considered close. The Lions have already lost once to the Pack 48-25 during week 2, but don't expect that score to flip-flop or change for the better. No player or coach wants to be apart of the wrong side of history , but at least they'll be remembered for something, right?

This kind of game carries just as much weight just as any potential playoff battle would. It's important the Lions find a way to win. The fans especially have a way to salvage some pride, albeit the worst kind in sports. One win may look prettier than a goose egg, but it doesn't help soothe the pain of being classified as a loser. Miami can attest to being on both ends of the stick. I bet they'll say it's better to be a winner...

If the Lions lay down and get rolled by the Packers, critics and fans alike have all the right to berate and reject the team, but if they show fight and courage to try and win, you can't really take anything away from the players and coaches other than a failed season.

I guess this kind of season was bound to happen when you've been the worst team in the NFL over the last 10 years and there's been no sign of it getting any better. New stadiums, new coaches, and new players just don't seem to be working. Is there anything else to look forward to for Detroit fans in the Fall anymore?

Bring out the paper bags.

*It's official. The Detroit Lions became the first team in NFL history to lose all 16 games in the regular season since the change. Welcome to the Hall of Fame.