by Chris Burke
Every Sunday during the 2000 NFL season, a hearty group of friends and I came together to watch our beloved Detroit football team take the field. "The Lions Den," as we affectionately called ourselves, grew while the Lions themselves fought for a second-straight playoff berth.
One home win, in Week 17 against an eliminated-from-playoff-contention Bears team, would have sent Detroit to the playoffs. Instead, Chicago kicker Paul Edinger booted a last-second field goal for a 23-20 win, the Lions sat out the postseason with a 9-7 record and have not finished .500 since.
It was that day I sensed the Lions were destined to try my fandom. It was Dec. 28, 2008, when the first 0-16 season in NFL history concluded, that the feeling was confirmed.
It's incredible, really, to think that a team could run off a winless season in today's NFL. But it's even more incredible to think that a turnaround might be just around the corner.
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One Man's Plan to Revive the Lions originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.