The last time I attended a Detroit Lions game in Tampa angry Lions fans tossed rotten fruit and vegetables at upset Lions players after they walked off the field following another disappointing loss.
It came at a time where Lions fans believed they wasted money any time they hit the road to see their favorite team play. It was a different story Sunday during the Lions 20-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Once again Lions fans made themselves part of the story in this Lions resurgence to the top of the NFC North.
Lions (5-1) have won 13 of their last 16 games as this Honolulu blue and silver bandwagon grows more crowded. Lions fans have stuffed Delta flights to Kansas City, Charlotte and now Tampa.
They chanted “Let’s go Lions” in a hostile stadium.
And sang the Lions fight song in Tampa restaurants and on flights headed to Tampa.
The lower bowl in Tampa appeared to be 50-50 among Lions fans and the home town Tampa fans.
“This is the best,” Anzalone Detroitlions.com after the game. “It is cool to see them take over a stadium far away from home.”
The story of Lions fans go beyond their road warrior ways. They rattle opposing quarterbacks with teeth shattering noise at Ford Field. I always said that the Pontiac Silverdome was a louder venue than Ford Field. That changed this season. This season they are the loudest in history.
You are the reason why.
“The road games our fans have been awesome,” Amon-Ra St. Brown said after the Tampa game. “It felt like a home game for us.”
Road games remain in Dallas, Baltimore, Minneapolis and New Orleans. But the one game I hope Lions fans show up in droves is the Dec. 10 game in Chicago against the Bears. This will be pay back for the times Bears fans took cheap Southwest Airlines flights out of Midway to fill the Silverdome to cheer on their Bears.
That part did not bother me. The annoying thing about Bears fans is they came to our city and acted like jerks, wanting to start fights and toss beer around to agitate Lions fans.
Let’s pay them back. But let’s be classy. Just cheer your team to victory over the sad sack Bears who fell to 1-5 after a 19-13 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Linebacker had warm thoughts about Lions fans as he spoke to Detroitlions.com after the game.
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For more from the author Terry Foster, check him out on Twitter here: @terryfosterdet
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Original Photo Credit: © Kim Klement Neitzel – USA TODAY Sports
