As expected, Sunday's game against the Rams will be blacked out locally because the Lions were unable to reach a sellout.  There were 10,000 tickets left on Wednesday, meaning it would have taken a miracle simply for the NFL to grant a 24-hour extension on the deadline to sell out the game.  Extensions are only granted when teams are close to reaching a sellout, and the Lions obviously were nowhere near that happening.

This is the second time the Lions have been blacked out this season.  Two home games have been sellouts so far, and the blacked out game that has already been played was the win against Washington.  I won't have a problem with blackouts if it means the Lions win, but hopefully by the end of the season people in the blackout zone will get to watch a victory live on television.

Looking ahead at the rest of the schedule, I think there will only be a maximum of two more blackouts this season.  The Packers game on Thanksgiving will be a sellout based on the fact that it's on Thanksgiving and there will be quite a few Packers fans in attendance.  I also think the season finale against the Bears will be a sellout because it's the last game of the season and there will again be quite a few opposing fans at Ford Field.  The other home games against the Browns and Cardinals aren't likely to be sellouts, but they're not likely to be blacked out, either.  Yes, the Browns suck, but with it being a short drive from Cleveland to Detroit, I could see this game being a sellout.  As for the Cardinals game, whether or not that sells out really will depend on how the Lions are playing.  If things are going well, it could be a sellout based on the fact that it is after two away games.  If fans are anxious for the Lions' return to Ford Field, a sellout is certainly possible.