Friday open thread: Happy 60th anniversary to the last Detroit Lions championship team

The Detroit Lions are not going to win the Super Bowl this year. I’m sorry if I’m the first one to break it to you. They were eliminated from playoff contention last week following their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. That means for the 52nd-consecutive Super Bowl, the Detroit Lions will not be represented.

But chin up, Lions fans. Today is a wonderful day in Detroit Lions history. Exactly 60 years ago, quarterback Bobby Layne led the Lions to an 8-4 record, but more importantly, the franchise’s most recent championship.

Most Lions fans today can only imagine how those 55,263 fans in attendance were feeling that day. The words “It’s Third Title In Six Years” are just unfathomable (and annoying, considering the misuse of the apostrophe).

So while we take a moment to remember a time that most of us are too young to actually remember, let’s look to the future. Today’s Question of the Day is:

When will the streak end?

My answer: In the next 15 years.

I know that’s not a very optimistic number, but much like the Lions’ running game, I’m not going to predict success until I actually see it.

I think the Lions will be good enough to compete for a championship for the next few decades, but there’s a huge difference between competing for a championship and winning one. Just ask the Panthers, Falcons, Bengals, Chiefs, Eagles, and Cowboys—all teams that have been competitive somewhat lately but haven’t won a title in over 20 years.

Since the Lions haven’t even won a playoff game in 25 years, I can’t honestly say that I think they’re ready to win a championship in the next few years. But if they can make significant progress in the upcoming season... who knows?

Your turn.