It was Sunday Night Football on November 14th, 1998, at the Pontiac Silverdome. The Lions hosted NFC North rivals the Chicago Bears. It wasn’t the most spectacular game in the world. The Lions dominated 26-3, and Barry Sanders ran for over 100 yards.

What made that game special was two things. The first being that it was my first Lions game ever. The second was the man who sat next to me at that game. My step-dad, Dan.

That game had a big impact on me. He had a big impact on me. I was young when my parents got divorced, and my mom started dating Dan. Sports had not really been something that was big to me until he showed up. Then it became everything. And I mean everything.

I would pretend to be all the players he cheered for, and I worked on my game in every sport because I wanted to impress him. My life became all about sports to the point where he once caught me not doing my homework and instead pretending my desk lamp was a microphone and I was on sports talk radio, hosting my own show. It all started somewhere, and it was with him.

He took me to the Lions, Pistons, and Vipers all the time. He never gave me too much flak for having Michael Jordan and Shaw posters on my wall, despite them not being the hometown guys. He let me be me and follow my heroes.

On Wednesday, my life changed. My world was rocked when Dan suddenly and completely unexpectedly passed away.

I don’t know how to endure this. For the second time in three years, I have lost a parent. It’s not easy, and there isn’t a whole lot that can prepare you for it. But it gives a lot of time for reflection.

In 2013, I lost my job at Lowe’s, and I decided to pour myself into my love and my passion. All I did was talk sports and think about sports. It should be my sole purpose to realize my dream of being a sports writer.

He backed me the whole way. As crazy as it sounded, that I would just jump into this at 29. I think he wanted me to live out my dreams so badly because he wasn’t able to live out his.

In the 80s, Dan had football dreams of his own. He moved to Los Angeles and tried out for the Raiders. Ultimately, he didn’t make it, but he still had great stories to tell, like the time he assisted Lyle Alzado, Howie Long, and other Raiders teammates flip a man’s car over in the parking lot of an L.A. nightclub. Apparently, that guy has been a jerk and deserved it. I didn’t ask questions because why would I want to ruin that story?

Football didn’t work out for him, and neither did some other ventures, and I think that’s what may have led him down a dark road. There were years of my life where he was an alcoholic, and it was just a really hard time for me and him.

Then, while I was still young enough to sponge it up, I watched him show me what true dedication and perseverance were when he got clean and sober. He did the work, and he never fell back.

From there, he only grew as a man and rose to the top of his profession, which was roofing, for a large company that’s very well known in the commercial space.

I watched him teach me what it meant to love your spouse and what it means to right the wrongs in a relationship, and how you can both make your world about someone else and still achieve things for yourself.

I learned what it meant to overcome adversity and that there was nothing that could stop you if you believed in yourself and put the work in. No matter how big or small.

As I sit here and think about the memories, I am drawn back to the times when he made me feel so loved. Just spending time together. Going to the game, watching the game, going fishing, and accidentally catching a small shark that one time. Hitting golf balls or just talking in the car, and hearing stories of his heyday at Lincoln High School or the semi-pro leagues he played in.

I cherish these things, and those are the things I’m going to choose to remember and choose to hold up.

I miss you already, and I love you. R.I.P. Dan Hanley.

The T.J. Watt and Trey Hendrickson holdouts could wind up hurting the Lions unless they make a move quickly

It's mandatory minicamp week in the NFL. While the Detroit Lions have opted to skip their minicamp so they can start training camp early, there are still some things happening this week that could affect the Lions.  Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt and Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson are not attending their team's […]