Love to see so many Lions fans, they seem to be everyone's Cinderella team heading into this season which scares me. I've lived in Detroit now 40 years and I can say there is more optimism heading into this season than any other. Even when Barry Sanders was here and the team was a solid .500 type team there for a few years, there wasn't that feeling of something special may be on the horizon.
I'm not 100 percent sure why that is, I don't think it's only 1 reason. I think fans in general are just so giddy that they probably won't go 0-16 or 2-14 again. Even last year was 6-10, so realistically going 8-8 would be progress but I am getting the feeling that most Lions fans really wouldn't be happy this season with an 8-8 season and falling short of the playoffs. I think people here in Detroit are hoping to compete for the division title, although they know deep down that that is a tough task considering the Packers are coming off a SB victory and Rodgers is in his prime. If they fall short there, I think it's Wild Card or bust considering the defense that this team has put together, the potential they have in Matthew Stafford, of course Calvin Johnson and a young core of RB's that should be pretty good.
With all that said, it's still The Lions. Things just don't go well for them, it's the way it is. That's kind of the way it's been around here for just about ever, at least in the SB era. That and almost always when the public is on a team this early, whether it be the Lions or whomever, we usually aren't right. Las Vegas has made a killing on it forever, public opinion is usually wrong on these types of things. For some reason, it won't be Detroit, it'll be another story we didn't think of, like the comeback of Donovan McNabb and the Vikings. Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford gets injured again, Calvin is out due to a back injury, Best has turf toe on 3 feet this year, and the Lions decide to play Suh at kicker all season.
Hopefully none of that happens and the Lions continue to progress and the general public enjoy watching them play, if anything is true, it is that the Detroit Lions are due. They are due, they are due and they are due.