Joe Judd, joe.judd@pioneergroup.com

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) walks off the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in Detroit.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) walks off the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in Detroit.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) walks off the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in Detroit.

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) walks off the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in Detroit.

An open letter to Lions fans everywhere: I'm always on your side

Im not a Detroit Lions fan and never have been despite living in Michigan for a majority of my life.

I know it probably sounds like an easy cop out, but Ive just never been drawn to them, even though pretty much anyone close to me is such a die-hard fan of the Honolulu Blue particularly my dad.

For as long as I can remember, Ive always wanted them to be successful, and my soft spot for the team and its fans has swelled to gargantuan proportions.

It would be far too easy for me to openly giggle at their futility on Sundays (and the occasional Monday night) while my dad sits in fury just a few short feet away.

Dont get me wrong, I have a few times before when I was much younger and less mature than I am now.

But now after looking back at the various forms of futility put on display both on the field and in the owners box and having a front-row seat to it all has given me frustration by proxy.

Year after year, season after season, no matter what takes place over the course of 17 or so weeks, the end result is always the same.

As an outsider looking in, its something you come to expect each season and maybe some Lions fans feel the same way, but for the most part, there is genuine hope and excitement with the onset of a new training camp every summer, and it never wavers.

Thats why I have more respect for Lions supporters than I do any other fanbase in the league.

Ill stop you right there before you say Im biased on the matter; I also spent a fair amount of my childhood in Ohio, where I had no choice but to watch the Bengals and Browns fumble their way through the late 90s and early 2000s, so I am no stranger to football misery.

To me, I just feel like there is slightly more humility and self-awareness to Lions fans that puts them in a special place in my heart.

When I see someone out in public wearing some type of Lions gear, I cant help but think of my dad and how happy hell be when they hoist the Vince Lomardi trophy one day, because its going to happen.

All the years of frustration and colorful language directed at the television from Mr. Judd, much to the chagrin of Mrs. Judd, will one day be worth it and Ill get a first-hand view of happiness.

To be a Lions fan is to be an extremely committed, hopefully optimistic individual and I mean no disrespect whatsoever in saying this because I truly mean it as a compliment.

Okay, so maybe there is a little bias here; you caught me.

Can you blame me though?

Joe Judd is a reporter for the Pioneer. He can be reached at Joe.Judd@pioneergroup.com.

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An open letter to Lions fans everywhere: I'm always on your side - The Pioneer