[Voice of Detroit Lions play-by-play Announcer, Dan Miller] Detroit, stand up! You’ve waited for this! One pride nation, stand up! You’ve waited for this!
That was Detroit Lions play-by-play announcer Dan Miller after a monumental win against the Rams. A playoff win to be exact, and just their second in the Super Bowl Era. They followed it up with another win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on January 21st. However, they eventually fell to the 49ers last Monday.
[David Samson] I’ve watched them blow so many leads. I’ve watched them snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
That’s Medill Sophomore and lifelong Lions fan David Samson. He watched the Lions every Sunday with his father growing up. While the lack of recent success before this year was glaring, Samson has maintained hope.
[DS] I don’t care what anyone else thinks, we’re gonna watch the Lions every Sunday, even if they lose, and maybe they’ll win this time.
But there are other franchises that have struggled to win championships for years. In the NBA, the Sacramento Kings haven’t won in over 70 years. In the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs have gone 55 years without a title. Over in the MLB, the Seattle Mariners are the only franchise to never even make a World Series appearance.
[Aiden Sones] I’m the odd one out, but personally, I kinda like it.
That’s high school senior Aiden Sones, who, despite living in Connecticut, is a longtime Mariners fan. Although the Mariners aren’t known for successful championship runs, Sones still gravitated toward them.
[AS] And when I was young, I always had a fascination for the Mariners. I don’t know if it was because it was the team colors or if I just loved the city of Seattle in general, but I just felt a connection with this team.
That initial spark was not what carried his fandom through the years, however. Following the Mariners became much more about the team than the city or colors.
[AS] But now it’s much more than that. Now it’s about the people on the team, and I’ve been following them for about a decade, I’d say.
Despite the failure to make a Super Bowl or World Series, an intense loyalty remains. But how exactly does this form and remain so strong through the years?
[DS] It’s tradition that’s been passed on. Like I… yeah, like definitely it’s been tough sometimes when you watch them lose over and over again, but I couldn’t imagine, like… rooting for another team.
[AS] I’m a huge minor league baseball fan and when I hear that the farm system from the Mariners was like… ranked Top 3 for like the past 3 or 4 years, it definitely gives me more hope for the team every single year.
This concept of fan allegiance has developed into a psychological phenomenon. In a piece for Psychological Science dot org, author Shirley Wang cites social connectedness and fan experience as two major contributors. Fans attend sporting events for the experience, knowing their team may not win. On top of that, being a fan of a team, perennial champions or not, is a key part of a person’s identity. Fans associate themselves with the ups and downs of a team alongside a group of like-minded people.
However, that doesn’t mean fans aren’t rooting for their team’s victory. But when will these historically struggling teams have their time to earn a championship? Are fans hopeful for a title to come soon?
[DS] I’m actually extremely hopeful.
[AS] I am hopeful, but again, this past decade I was hopeful.
Hope for a better year next year is a key factor that keeps fans coming back. While the Lions’ season may be over, there’s always 2025. And for the rest of those teams stuck in a championship drought, they’ve got this season to capitalize.
For WNUR News, I’m Gabe Shumway.
