Lions fans brought to tears after the heartbreaking loss of a historic Super Bowl opportunity
The Detroit Lions were on the edge of glory for the first time in more than three decades, playing in their first Super Bowl after a long drought. In fact, they were within 30 minutes of going to the Super Bowl with a 17-point lead at the San Francisco 49ers’ home stadium.
Unfortunately, they allowed 27 unanswered points in the second half, and the Niners won an unimaginable game that will be remembered for the Lions’ spectacular collapse.
To commemorate their first NFC title game since 1991, Lions management planned a celebration for its fans at Ford Field, which was filled with fans eager to witness history today afternoon. Within three hours, the party turned tragic.
For the match, the team set up a dozen huge screens on the field in strategic sections of the stands, creating a fantastic ambiance that made the game feel like it was being played in Detroit rather than San Francisco.
The smiles turned to long faces, and just as the television broadcast shared the fans’ joy in the first half, it began to share their sadness and even tears of frustration as the game slipped away from them in the fourth quarter, when Lions coach Dan Campbell chose to play two fourth-and-short opportunities rather than attempting two field goals that would have kept him in control of the game.
Even after the game, a photograph of Eminem wearing a Detroit jersey went viral, throwing the finger to Niners supporters who were criticizing his team’s failure.