Being a Detroit Lions fan took shameless dedication in 2001. “Same old Lions” had been the mantra for years. The dispirited fans crowding the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit on Thanksgiving day were cheering on a team that had lost every game so far that season.

In this Blade archive photo, a fan, wearing a bag over his head to hide his identity, shows his reaction to the team’s loss to the Green Bay Packers by holding up the sign, “I’d rather B-the turkey.”

The Lions wouldn’t win their first game until Dec. 16, and ended the season with another win against the Dallas Cowboys on Jan.6, the final game played at the Silverdome.

Even though the Lions ended the season with a franchise bottom of 14 losses, the worst was yet to come. Fans suffered a winless season in 2008.

Team fortunes have t

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