What's the most beautiful moment in Lions history?
Sports are naturally a beautiful thing if you ask me. There's nothing like experience a moment on the field, rink, pitch, court or wherever a sport is played. It's something that gets your blood pumping and pulls at your heart strings. Sadly, not everyone feels that way. This tweet has been making the rounds on […]
Sports are naturally a beautiful thing if you ask me. There's nothing like experience a moment on the field, rink, pitch, court or wherever a sport is played. It's something that gets your blood pumping and pulls at your heart strings. Sadly, not everyone feels that way.
This tweet has been making the rounds on Twitter lately and everyone has answered it by quote tweeting video or images from beautiful sports moments over the years. It's not just men either. Sports are for everyone and the responses to this is showing that. It got me thinking about all the beautiful moments that the Detroit Lions have had through the years. There's been a lot more than it might seem. Since it's the offseason and we're stuck waiting around with nothing but baseball to watch, let's relive some of the Lions most beautiful moments.
Stafford with one arm
What a moment this was. Here's the rookie trying to quarterback a team that just came off the worst NFL season in history. On a team that was still pretty bad, Matthew Stafford gave it everything he had to make sure a 1-8 team could win one more game in 2009.
Stafford led the Lions down to the red zone before taking a brutal hit from future Lions C.J. Mosely. A hit so bad that it separated his non throwing shoulder.
Stafford then shook off team doctors on the sideline when he got up off the ground and went back in for the games final play. A game winning touchdown pass to Brandon Pettigrew. It's a moment that still gives goosebumps today.
A playoff win
To be honest, I don't fully remember this game. I was only six years old when this happened. I just remember family being very happy about it and there just being a buzz everywhere.
Looking back on it now, you can see how happy everyone is in the crowd. It felt like something great was about to happen for the first time in a very long time and everyone was happy to be alive for it. Of course things went downhill pretty hard the following week. Maybe some day Lions fans will get to feel this again. Maybe that day is very close.
The Stafford Sneak
This is my personal favorite beautiful moment for the Lions because I was there. There's just so much about this day that pops in my mind.
My wife and I were in a section that seemed to be populated by nothing but Cowboys fans and 58 seconds left on the clock, they were completely insufferable. Especially this guy with a crew cut who I legitimately saw crying outside the stadium afterwards.
Anyways, fans were starting to leave Ford Field despite 58 seconds being left on the clock. When Stafford hit Kris Durham on the prettiest throw I've seen in person, fans started running back down the stairs to get back to their seats.
Then the Lions got to the goal line and Stafford faked a spike and dove into the end zone. The place erupted and my wife started crying. What a moment. Don't forget that Calvin Johnson also put up the second most receiving yards in a game that day too. Beautiful.
Ending Aaron Rodgers NFC North reign at Lambeau
It's been a while since I've seen Lions fans have has much pride as I saw them have in Week 18 of last season. The Lions fought back form being a 1-6 team to an 8-8 team with a shot at making the playoffs.
While the playoff thing didn't wind up happening after the Seahawks beat the Rams, it didn't matter. Everyone knew it was just as important to make sure the Lions could keep the Packers out and get over this hump that's been in their way for a very long time now.
The game did not let anyone down. Even if you had no fan interest in this game, you can't deny that it was good. The Lions never backed down and the final few minutes of this game were as beautiful as you could ask for. Kerby Joseph picked off Aaron Rodgers on his final pass as a Packer and the Lions drove down field and burned the clock on their way to ending the game on a big first down catch by DJ Chark. What a night.
Those are just a few moments that come to mind when I think of the Lions. What beautiful moments are we missing?
Featured image by Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
