DETROIT – Are those plucky, upstart Detroit Lions we’ve all come to know and love suddenly becoming... the villains?
It seems absurd. Preposterous. This is one of the few franchises that have never even been to a Super Bowl, after all.
But... it might be happening.
The Lions have been America’s favorite team each of the past two seasons. It started with Hard Knocks and continued through their improbable run to the NFC Championship Game last year.
Everybody wanted to see the team that never wins finally break through. But you know what people love even more than cheering for an underdog?
Hating a winner. And the Lions seem all too happy to embrace that hate.
Remember when Chris Christie was crying about the Lions sticking it to his Cowboys? That beatdown felt deserved because of what happened to the Lions last year in Dallas.
OK, so maybe the third trick play while up by 30 points was a bit much. But still, nobody ever feels bad for the Cowboys.
Then the Lions dismantled the Titans last week, and again, it didn‘t feel like they really did anything disrespectful. It‘s hard to stop scoring when the other team lets you start every drive in the red zone.
Some people around the league seemed to notice, though. For example, Packers safety Xavier McKinney said he “doesn’t respect“ the Lions for trying to ”embarrass" teams.
Then Amon-Ra St. Brown showed up to Lambeau Field in a “Green Bay sucks” sweatshirt.
And Brian Branch gave the fans two middle fingers after getting ejected for an illegal hit.
And Matt LaFleur was screaming obscenities at the Lions sideline after a touchdown.
And Ben Johnson called a triple reverse while up 18 points in the fourth quarter.
All that made me pause and think for a moment.
Wait, are the Lions becoming villains? And do they like it?
Opposing fans are certainly worked up on social media. That‘s mostly because the Lions are crushing their favorite teams, but it doesn’t really matter whether the hatred is justified, does it?
If enough people hate the Lions, then they’re villains. I don‘t think we’re there yet, but it seems to be trending that way -- and the players sure don’t seem to mind.
In the famous words of Harvey Dent, “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”
Well, these Lions sure don‘t look like they’re dying, so maybe it’s time to strap in and embrace the hate.
