…it really wasn’t my intent to turn this into “well I’ve been a Lions fan longer than you so I know better” type of post. I’m simply curious to know where the die hard fans sit on the generational scale.

I’m 36 dude. You made me feel really, really old. I became a Lions fan in 1977 when I was 4 years old on a trip to Michigan with my father (I grew up in Utica, NY). On that trip he took me to training camp open to the public that the Lions were holding and I fell in love with that team from that moment on. My older brother, who was with me, was already fascinated with the Steelers due to their colors so I needed a team and I got the GULP SIGH Lions!!!

how sad is that?

I’m 26, but have only been a Lions fan for the past six years or so. I never really watched much football growing up (in Ohio), but when I moved to GR for college earlier this decade I started watching the Lions. You could say I came on board during the Mariucci-Harrington era and have been hooked ever since. (how did that happen?)

I was a Huge Tigers fan when I was younger (still am). And playing and watching Baseball occupied most of my sporting attention span as a kid.

I really started watching A Lot of NFL football in high school and the Lions were the home state team. And even though they weren’t Great in the 90’s, they weren’t as bad as they are now.

I am now 31, and I moved to San Diego 9 yrs ago. Moving out of Michigan set my Fanaticism on fire. Being from Michigan and still being an all around Detroit sports fan I had to be informed and be able to rep my teams! It’s not easy being a Lions fan in So-Cal, but I’ll never give up on my team, it’s just not who I am.

I BELIEVE!! RESTORE THE ROAR!!! GO LIONS!!!!

I’ve been watching the Lions since I was 4 years old as well….circa 1980. 29 years with only a few real success stories….

My favorite season was 1991 by far……and I hate the Redskins with a passion (just as much as the Packers, Vikings, Bears, and Buccaneers (yes I still hate them too)). Barry is my all time favorite Lion by far. Wayne Fontes is my all time favorite coach (for now…..Schwartz is winning me over too). No matter where I go, or what I do (if I ever get out of this hole)….I will always be a Lion’s fan. Nobody can take that away from me, and no amount of failure can discourage me. One day, those of us who stood strong in the face of adversity for so long will be rewarded for our perseverance. I long for that day to come. GO LIONS!!!

So, my Lions fandom has pretty much always been horrid….but who cares, I bleed Blue & Silver, just like you guys.

My uncle use to take me to the games at the Dome because no one else would go with him and no one else would take me. Don’t really have a favorite season but I loved watching Fontes. I hope to pass my love for the lions to my 3 year old to carry on my love for the team. Lord knows, he might be 41 before we ever reach the playoffs again. LOL. Just kidding, but I will stay strong with the Lions even if I never see them in the superbowl. GO LIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!

i was 7 – 8 and was watching football with my dad i saw the lions i saw barry and thought to myself “this is a great football team im sure they will be great forever, i will be a fan forever.” ive cried ever since.

I think we have maybe 1 or 2 high schoolers on here, but I’m probably one of the youngest.

Born in Germany. Moved to Detroit when I was 4. My Grandfather( along w/ my Grandmother raised me) was a huge Detroit Lions fan. Got me hooked. Graduated somehow from MSU. Move to San Francisco. I try to see about 4 to 5 games a year live. Because I am always in the blackout zone here. Going to Seattle this Sunday. Get totally thashed on cheap beer. And cause a scene at the game. Just like a good Lions fan would. By the way. My favor Lions player is Jimmy Williams. Not sure why. I think cus he was a 1st round pick in ’82. When I really started to understand the game more.

Born and raised in Tatarstan, Russia. First time saw football in 1991 after USSR collapsed and they somehow brought a series of football related programs on TV. Never played it myself. Apparently never will. Bought me a football, but cannot even throw it right;( Dead ducks, ya know…

Thanks guys. I was sort of expecting those results. It sounds like the vast majority of the truly obsessed are locals who really experienced the Barry Sanders era, and just kind of stuck around for the ride. There are quite a few more young folks on here then I would have guessed though. It makes me feel good to think that the Lions won’t eventually just lose fans all together. As for those of you older, or even considerably older than I…., you have my heartfelt apologies. Not for you age, but for enduring this circus a lot longer than I’ve had to.

Trying to catch up my reading after taking a few nights off… part of my “selling some Lion’s shares” plan.

I’m 34… will be 35 on Dec. 1st. Feel like about 50, though (no offense to the way 50 years olds feel). Like to think I’m getting wiser the older I get, but nope… still a Lion’s fan. Been actively watching since I was probably 10, I would say. So that would have me closing in on a quarter century of misery.

Good post, Mushy. I enjoyed reading everone’s mini-story.

Born & raised in a small town, Picton Ontario. Moved to Kingston then to the big smoke in Toronto. Started playing football (organized football) in highschool in Kingston. I started out as a QB, but moved to WR based on my wheels & an existing strong arm at QB. Moved to Toronto for 10th grade & continued in football, and pretty much any other sport that didn’t conflict. Ended up averaging over 120yds/game through my senior yr & 1.8 td’s/game. Recruited by three Cdn Universities & Div III central scouting. My dad refused to let me attend central combine due to the fact if I was going to post secondary school it was going to be for school period…even though it was my $$. Went to University at the University of Wester Ontario for Economics. Became a Lions fan…honestly I can’t place the timeline…but I can distinctly remember my step dad playing in his yearly football pool and I watched him week after week making his picks…asking him why he chose teams the way he did. He always chose the Lions…always because they were his Lions. It was just before Barry was drafted. Barry clinched it for me. I was already being brainwashed by the honalulu blue, then Barry added the sparkle. I was and still am honestly in awe. My frustration began with the talk that Emmitt was a better RB. I never bought it, broadcasting that if Barry had the line Emmitt did, not only would we still be watching him run, but he would have set rushing records that would be standing for eternity…especially now in the time of the RB committees. I was a fan of Herman Moore & Mel Gray. I was always facinated by the return game. To this day, I justify my fandom almost daily. Every Monday I describe what went wrong, all the bounces & calls that continue to not go our way…right through to Friday where I muster a following of gamblers to bet again on the Lions beating the spread. That following has become smaller in terms of who bets on the Lions…but I still teach the way of the Lions…teach those that are willing to listen how the Lions can & will win each week. I went to my first game last year vs the Bucs…at which point after the game the notion of 0-16 first came into my head as a possibility…but I continued to share my gameplan on how that wouldn’t happen. Been wrong a lot…but never have I waivered. I will continue to share my teachings…I will continue to bleed honalulu blue…waiting for the day where I can say…that is what I’ve been waiting for, that is what I’ve been talkin about…and everyone I know will think of me when we win. I take pride in sticking with the Lions. I will be there through thick & thin. I will be there when the roar is restored!

Also went to last years Bears game on my birthday. We lost, but I’ll always remember it, as it was the day I first spoke to my estranged father after 7 years. Went to the game and enjoyed it in spite of a terrible performance on my birthday.

He got me into the Lions, probably when I was in the womb. I’ll never follow another team. Through the good and the bad, I can’t help but stand behind my team. Not following them anymore would be like leaving your best friend in his worst time.

got hooked on the Lions as a lil kid watching football with my gramps. Billy Sims was GOD to me. Gramps was a Steelers fan, being a coalminer from that area, and tolerated me being a Lions fan. The Steelers are my second team because of him and so is my hatred for the Cowgirls, too. I was about 6 and I was rooting for the Cowboys one game. This brought out the WWI drill sergeant in him. “Don’t you EVER cheer for the fucking Cowgirls!” I announced this word for word in Sunday School the following week, Mom was not happy…

My answer to the poll will change tomorrow…. as it will be the last night of my 20’s.

No.

Remember how in the first Superman Movie Christopher Reeve tries to turn back time by reversing the rotation of the earth? No way that actually works, either. Superman’s an idiot. I’ve got some Mayan calendars I’d like to sell to him.

Basically, I can’t recall a time when I wasn’t a fan of the Lions. They were the local team, Billy Sims was probably my first sports hero, and…that’s about it. Boring story.

Probably the youngest out of all of you, I am a Lions fan by geography. Born and raised in Michigan and there’s not a team Detroit that I don’t root for. Been a Lions fan ever since I knew what a touchdown was, and I will be one until they win the superbowl, then it just won’t be worth it anymore ;)

I am 46 and I went to see a pre-season game the lions played against the baltimore colts in 1971 , I went to see johnny unitas , but the lions kicked there ass and that was right after they had been in the superbowl ..the game was at michigan univercity , and greg landry was the quaterback …we lived about 200 miles north and it took all day to go , watch the game and get home …within a week I knew all the lions names , and started to collect all their cards , which I still have , with over 5000 more , and my whole basement is a "lions den " with 40 years of lions history on shelves and all over the walls …I even have the full-sized little ceasers barry sanders poster…sorry , I got it bad I guess …including newspaper articles when all the new coaches have been hired and my most recent best item is …a signed charles rogers jersey and the article where matt millen was fired !!!!

and i have not been able to find it since…

Detroit Lions in a bold font across the chest w/ the following underneath it in a script font: “Proudly rebuilding since 1957”

i need to find me on!

This post has been up here a while, and I’m actually a little suprised with what now seems like some fairly stagnant results. Basically it looks like there are just as many 30+ fans as there are 29- fans (at least on this site). Maybe it’s just this particular demographic, but I’m very pleased to see that fanhood does not appear to be heading towards a giant gap in age. Hopefully that means fans will be around forever. Now if we could only get some wins!