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The highly-entertaining “The Last Dance” documentary series came to a conclusion on Sunday night. The 10-part series followed NBA superstar Michael Jordan while telling the story of the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls’ final championship run of the era.
One of the great things about the documentary was the film went well beyond just that season. It highlighted the history of each player from that team, from Dennis Rodman to Steve Kerr to Phil Jackson. Each had their own unique story to tell that many, I’m sure, were unaware of. Of course, it also helps to have the greatest basketball player of all time at the center of the documentary, but “The Last Dance” was still a great example of sports storytelling at its finest.
As Detroit Lions fans, we’re unfortunately left without much great storytelling from national outlets. For the past 60 years, the Lions have been relatively irrelevant, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have stories to tell. So today’s Question of the Day is:
Which Lions team would you like to see a 10-part documentary series on?
My answer: The 2014 Detroit Lions.
As long as I’ve been a Lions fan with coherent memories of the team, I’ve never see a team in Detroit better than that 2014 squad. I believe, to this day, that that team was capable of making a deep playoff run—maybe even a Super Bowl.
And just think about the entertaining players on that team the documentary could profile. There’s no shortage of players I’d love to hear more about: Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Reggie Bush, Eric Ebron, Joseph Fauria, DeAndre Levy, Glover Quin, Darius Slay, Ndamukong Suh, Ezekiel Ansah, Nick Fairley. Hell, even Matt Prater would be an amazing story, as this was the year he was suspended and fell in Detroit’s lap.
And there are plenty of awesome games to relive. A 13-point comeback in the final five minutes against the Saints. The ridiculous 21-point comeback in London against the Falcons. Late-game heroics against the Dolphins, Vikings and Bears. 2016 is the season we view as Detroit’s fourth-quarter comeback year, but in 2014, Stafford was credited with five (he had eight in 2016).
Of course, it would all be leading to one of the biggest moments in recent Lions history. The Cowboys playoff game. While it would terribly painful to live that game all over again, I’d love to see some Lions and Cowboys players interviewed about that moment and the controversy surrounding it.
So, ESPN, I know the Lions aren’t the kind of team that brings in huge ratings, but this would be one hell of a story that I’m sure most people outside of Detroit don’t know about.
Do it.