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Letter from the Editor Dear Reader,
And this year they’re taking the failure to extremes, even by Lions’ standards, sitting at 0-10-1 and no victories in sight.
So why, of all times, is MLive launching a new Lions podcast, Dungeon of Doom? Because the fans in Honolulu blue have remained forever true, no matter how much pain has been inflicted on them. Heck, maybe because of the pain that has collectively been suffered.
“People in Michigan love the Lions even when the Lions are terrible, so that’s where we’re at with this podcast,” said Kyle Meinke, MLive’s lead Lions writer. “We're trying to capture that this is a team that people in this state love, and love to hate.”
Ben Raven, Meinke’s colleague on the beat, will join him on the weekly podcast, interviewing guests, reacting to fan questions and continually marveling that even in the depths of despair, interest in the team never seems to fade.
“There's just something supernatural to tap into with that fanbase, because you have to really, really, really care about something to stick with them for this long,” Raven said. He noted that in Week 16 of last year’s lost season, with the Lions stuck at four wins, fans were still writing him critiquing the team’s offensive line play.
“That’s the most exciting part about this – finding something new to give them to care about,” Raven said. “They might not care about Sundays as much at this point, but they still care about that week to week and day to day .”
Any podcast on the Lions would have to have a name as colorful as the team’s historic frustrations and foibles. And such is the case with the Dungeon of Doom, which has its origins in a snarky comment made by former Lions coach Jim Caldwell.
“He once called the Lions media corner the ‘Dungeon of Doom’ because he perceived us to be negative,” Meinke said. “I’m not sure how else you can perceive reporters who are reporting on a negative team.”
Caldwell, it should be noted, broke the mold of Lions coaches by actually amassing a winning record over four years, posting the second-best season record in team history, and leading the franchise to two playoff games. Naturally, he was fired, plunging the team – and all of us – back into darkness.
After three years of GM Bob Quinn and Coach Matt Patricia, the Ford family cleaned house. They hired a new GM, new coach, traded the team’s only bona fide star, Matt Stafford, and left what Meinke called “a nuclear winter” of a roster for the new regime.
They’re bordering on historically bad. But they’re playing hard, the culture is better, and they’re sitting on a bushel of high draft picks.
“This wasn't built for this year, and it's not really even built for next year,” Raven said. “It's a long road, but there is reason for optimism down that long road.”
Fans wouldn’t expect otherwise. Meinke said he found spectators in high spirits as he walked through the tailgate area last week before the annual Thanksgiving Day game, and Raven said he was still amazed by the frenzy of the crowd when the Lions scored to take the lead in the second half.
Naturally, they lost on the last play of the game. But that comes with Lion fandom, and that’s the fuel behind Dungeon of Doom.
“Lions fans never stop caring,” said Raven. “We love you all, that’s why we’re here.” ###
Editor's note: I value your feedback to my columns, story tips and your suggestions on how to improve our coverage. Let me know how MLive helps you, and how we can do better. Please feel free to reach out by emailing me at editor@mlive.com.
John Hiner Executive Editor Vice President of Content Mlive Media Group
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