The Game, Part Two

[XLFD]

Area football fans have been blessed this college football season (unless you're strictly a fan of the floundering East Lansing franchise that had a forgettable year) by seeing the Michigan Wolverines have a blemish-free season ending with a memorable version of "The Game" between them and the Ohio State Buckeyes, very meaningful since both teams were in the top three for national champion contenders. 

The Wolverines stepped up and beat the resilient Buckeyes in grand fashion, and there was hope among many that they would meet once again for the national title; all they had to do was win one last game against two other contenders.  Alas, over this weekend, both failed in their quest to have a second version of "The Game", each coming within a score and a break of winning over their opponents.  However, the day after their failure to advance, the people in this area can look forward to another version of "The Game" coming up in a week, just like the College Football National Championship game is.  

That game has manifested itself in the professional levels between two teams that almost equally divide the fan base in our Western Michigan region.  The Detroit Lions began the season with a dismal 1-6 record, looking like some of the lackluster teams of the last few decades, but since then they have played impressively against quality teams going 7-2 and going into the last week of the season with playoff hopes alive.  Part of that playoff equation is going across Lake Michigan to Lambeau Field and beating the Green Bay Packers who also have playoff aspirations alive, but they need a victory over the Lions, with an identical 8-8 record, to do so.  In Packer nation, it has been a mostly disappointing year of highs and lows, but they have shown some grit of late.

Unlike the Lions, who need a little help from the hapless 5-11 Los Angeles Rams defeating the Seattle Seahawks in an away game, the Packers will gain a spot in the playoffs as the #7 seed by beating a team they haven't had much trouble with during this millennium.  However, they did lose to the Lions earlier this year in a strange 15-9 game in Detroit.  This game began the uncharacteristic 7-2 streak they currently are enjoying.  The Packers are out of the playoffs if they should lose to the Lions, but they are coming off a convincing win over the division-leading Minnesota Vikings, as the Lions had in December.  

Who will you be rooting for in this special game between our area's two professional football teams?  The ascendant but underdog Lions or the proud and recovering franchise of the Green Bay Packers?

[Willy]

I haven't followed pro football since these muscle bound goons knelt during the national anthem. As far as I'm concerned these pro cry babies along with the lesbian US soccer team and any other paid athlete who disrespected the entire country can kiss my a_s. I now follow college sports, exclusively. Thanks anyway X for the update because I had no idea the Lions were in any kind of position to get into the playoffs. Sorry to dump sour grapes on your topic.

[Dave]

I'll be rooting for the Lions, as a long time suffering fan of the team, this season has been full of surprises. With the way the Lions started the season, it's great to see them playing a meaningful football game going into the last game of the regular season. Most Lions fans figured that at best that the Lions might double their win total from last season, being at the point they are today, they've exceeded expectations. If they don't win this game tomorrow, I'll be disappointed but given how the season went, I won't be mad. They played some good football this year for the first time in several years.

The game is winnable though, if they play to their potential they can beat the packers in GB. Contrary to what it seems, the rivalry over the last 10 years sees an almost equal split between the teams, the packers hold a 1 game edge over the Lions in that time.

We'll see what happens, in nothing else, I just hope it's a good and competitive game!

[AQUAMAN]

GO PACK GO IN LAMBEAU FIELD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[XLFD]

How about them Detroit Lions.  Eliminated from the playoffs by the LA Rams losing in a squeaker, they scrap with the Packers and win 20-16 at Lambeau, denying Green Bay a path into the playoffs.  Spoiler alert.

The best team that didn't make the playoffs?