What's Worse: Getting Blown Out Or Losing By 3?
Before I get into the body of this blog, I need to get something off my chest. I owe CJ Gardner-Johnson my life. The number of futures that I have on the 49ers is diabolical. You can blame Dan Campbell all you want, but at the end of the day, if CJ doesn't wave goodbye to Niner fans in the second quarter of the game, the Lions win that game by 30. As someone who is a walking jinx, the game was over the second he waved his hand; the football gods will NEVER let that slide.
Which brings me to my next point. I would rather lose a conference championship by 50 than lose the way Detroit did. Some might call it a loser mentality, but when it comes to the NFL, that's all I know. If I had to guess, I'd say at least 70% of Lions fans went into that game thinking they were going to lose, much like how 90% of Dolphins fans thought they were going to lose against Buffalo in last year's playoff game with QB Skylar Thompson. I was at the game, I woke up Sunday morning and thought to myself there's no chance in hell we win this game with Skylar Thompson, so let's just make the most of it. I got to the tailgate, partied my ass off, and had a great time. But then the game started...
Buffalo came out firing, but for the first time in my life, I saw the Dolphins fight back. Next thing I knew, I'm looking up at the scoreboard, and the Skylar Thompson-led Miami Dolphins have a lead over the Buffalo Bills. I'll never forget it; I looked over at my buddy Bobby, pointed at the scoreboard, and said, 'holy fuck, we can actually win this game.' Shortly after the inevitable happened—somehow, some way, the Miami Dolphins found a way to break my heart in a game that I thought we had no chance of winning. I remember leaving the stadium thinking to myself, why even give us the fake hope? Why do you always have to build me up just to tear me down? I walked into the game dead, just to be resurrected and executed again.
Now, imagine being a Detroit Lions fan. You just won a playoff game for the first time since Jesus walked on water. You had by far the greatest year of your life. You make it to the NFC Championship; no one thinks you have a chance to win, and deep down you know it. But, it's any given Sunday; anything can happen. Next thing you know, you're up 24-7, and the only thing that's separating you from the Super Bowl is two quarters of football. Lion fans are texting their family and loved ones, 'holy shit, we're about to go to the Super Bowl,' 'OMG IS THIS REAL LIFE??' 'SUPER BOWL PARTY AT MY HOUSE OR YOURS??' and then the inevitable happened. The Lions blow a 17-point lead, and all the hopes and dreams of a Lions Super Bowl died faster than a cow in a slaughterhouse. It's not the losing that breaks you, it's how you lose, and I'd rather die from a headshot than bleed out from a million paper cuts.