The 2024-25 Detroit Lions gave us something to roar about this year.
After falling to Washington after a bye-week, the Lion faithful now have a little more time on their hands.
I haven’t always been a football lover. In fact, I don’t remember my dad watching football at all.
I liked football in high school, but it was mostly because I had a years-long crush on the team’s kicker and the games gave me a warm feeling all over — a welcomed sensation on those chilly fall temperatures.
So, how did I go from a football flunky to an all-and-out fan?
Blame it on my husband. The Hubbells are big football fans. Joe’s father, Stuart, grew up in the Detroit area and lived in the city in 1952 when the Lions compiled a 9-3 record during the regular season, finished in a tie with the Los Angeles Rams for first place in the NFL’s National Conference.
Many a Sunday was spent going to Mass and returning home by kickoff at 1 p.m. Social events were scheduled so as not to conflict with the Honolulu Blue campaign.
Dad Hubbell and his childhood friend, Phil Miske, would meet Sunday afternoons for their weekly viewing of what for the most part, has been an unsuccessful program.
Play by running back Barry Sanders and wide receiver Herman Moore being the only exceptions.
My turnaround from novice to advanced beginner took place in another Great Lakes state — Wisconsin.
I graduated from Central Michigan University in May 1986, married my husband, Joe, the following August and moved to Milwaukee, where he was studying law at Marquette University.
And when I say study … I mean study. Let’s just say he had is nose stuck in law book and I had to entertain myself.
I was in a new town, without a job and knew few people other than my spouse. While Joe barricaded himself in the bedroom of our studio apartment, I would turn on our 12-inch black and white television and moved the rabbit ears to tune in.
I think we had three channels and Saturday and Sunday the airwaves were filled with the sound of cheering crowds at football games. I would tune in and began learning more about the game. I particularly enjoyed college football as there was plenty of Big Ten action, including coverage from the University of Wisconsin Badger games.
After returning to the area, Joe’s interest in the Lions took over.
In the past two years, and more recently our family has had Lions Fever. Everyone — including our inlaws and granddaughters — wore their colors proudly each week.
The Lions had a great, record-breaking season. Plenty of talented athletes served up food to a contingent of fans a starving for franchise success.
With the final two Super Bowl LXI teams identified last weekend, the season will wrap Feb. 9 with the big show.
Now that we have some spare time, we are tackling projects that we’d like to complete before spring arrives.
Time to paint our bedroom.
