Tuesday open thread: Which Lions rival player did you love to hate?

Now that the Detroit Lions have completed their last open practice before training camp, we now enter the dark period of the offseason. The Lions still have a few practices before they break for a month, but the information well has dried up for awhile.

That means there isn’t much to write about the current team that hasn’t already been written. Instead, let’s look back on the history of the team as we know it. Specifically, let’s focus on Detroit’s rivals throughout the years.

There have been an endless amount of players that have frustrated Lions fans throughout their decades of losing seasons. So today’s Question of the Day is:

Which Lions rival player did you (or do you) hate the most?

My answer: It absolutely has to be Brett Favre. No question.

Favre was the perfect combination of annoying on-field personality, generational talent for a division rival and unorthodox play in which he constantly walked the line between legendary and lucky.

Of course, it all started that fateful day on January 8, 1994. The Lions, having secured a 17-7 lead in the second half of Wild Card weekend by pick-sixing the third-year Favre, were well on their way to securing a playoff win over their division rivals.

But with 1:04 remaining and 40 yards from the endzone, Favre did what he would become infamous for doing: improvising. As his pocket collapsed, Favre looked to his left to see an easy checkdown option. Nope, not good enough. Instead, he reset his feet and heaved a prayer across his body to the right. Shannon Sharpe was waiting with no defender within 7 yards of him in the endzone.

The Packers would win. The Lions would lose. And that’s the last time the Lions have hosted a playoff game. They have not won a postseason games since.

Favre would pull off many plays like that throughout his seemingly endless career. He seemed particularly hellbent on destroying the Lions. He won more games (26-9) against the Lions than any other team. He threw for more yards against the Lions (8954) than any other team. He threw for the second-most touchdowns (58) against the Lions than any other team.

To their credit, the Lions always punched back. They sacked Favre more than anyone (61) and were second in interceptions (39).

But Favre always got the last laugh. I’ll always respect the guy for his seriously impressive accomplishments, but there’s a part of me that won’t ever get past what he did to the Lions for two decades. Even looking at his picture still triggers me.

Your turn.