Sportsbeat – It doesn?t get any better

For Detroit Lions? fans it doesn?t get any better than Sunday?s blow out win over the St. Louis Rams. It was even better in person. My brother Paul was nice enough to invite me down for the game last Thursday after he was given two season tickets on the 45-yard-line in the club section of the third deck. Originally, I turned him down. Being in Traverse City all day Saturday and turning around and driving to Detroit Sunday morning before the sun came up didn?t sound too appealing. Plus, I haven?t been home very much lately and stuff is breaking down all over the place, and with winter right around the corner? ?You?re getting old,? my brother said, reacting to my decision. It didn?t take long for me to change my mind. I guess the work can wait for another weekend. I?ve been saying that a lot lately.

My oldest Mark was going along for his first Lions game. I knew heading down, it would be their best opportunity to get a win, but never could have dreamed up what would happen. The cell phone alarm went off at 6 a.m., and it was out the door less than a half hour later. The sun started climbing above the horizon as I traveled south on M-33, north of Comins.

I promised my wife, Lisa, I would keep the cost down, especially since she wasn?t going. While she doesn?t sit glued to the TV screen on Sundays, she hates missing a stadium trip of any kind. Mark and I stopped for 99-cent coneys at Telly?s Coney Island on Miller Road in Flint. It has become a favorite stop. My wife would have never ate coneys that early in the morning. For six, we only paid a little more than $6. We didn?t want to go into the game looking for food. I was on East Jefferson near the GM building at 10:50 a.m., looking for free parking spot. I found a spot in front of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield building, where it was time to burn off those coneys for a hike to Ford Field several blocks away. Once inside, there was plenty of time to watch warm-ups and find our seats. My brother sat in another section and allowed Mark and I to stay in the club seats the entire game. What a nice guy!

The first quarter, which seemed to drag on for an hour with TV timeouts and injuries, was a snoozer. The Rams were dominating the game,until

Stefan Logan?s record tying 105-kick return that turned around things. I?ve got be honest, I only saw Logan run from the Rams? 30 into the end zone. I was under the stands getting a refill and had to run down the tunnel when the crowd started cheering. Thankfully, that opened the flood gates, and I didn?t miss anything else. The Lions can find all the highlights they need for one end-of-the-season film from this game. The two-minute drill at the end of the first half, the interception return, Nate Burleson?s catch and run after, plus Ndamukong Suh?s interception,, which it look like he was going to run back.

The game had everything. To have quarterback Shaun Hill take a knee to end the game. That really made me realize I was living a dream and didn?t want to wake up. The bad part, for a first-time fan like my son, where do you go from here. He probably shouldn?t go, or watch another game. What other wise advice can I give the teen. Too late, I think he?s ready to join the rest of us poor-suffering fans, who wouldn?t trade in one magical afternoon for anything. A road win would be nice, though.