When watching Backdraft for the 37th time, I naturally experience the full catalog of emotions. (The film is from 1991, so let’s just skip the “spoiler alert.”)
Having now memorized this masterpiece, I am all too familiar with the feelings of anger and despair that wash over you during the closing moments. Thankfully, knowing the onslaught of sadness is fast approaching, I can brace myself just a bit so as to better break my emotional tumble.
I can hope that William Baldwin arrives just a few minutes earlier; I can wish death upon the evil Scott Glenn; I can cross my fingers that the flawed, but heroic Kurt Russell somehow survives in the end.
But none of it ever does any good. Baldwin does what he can, but it’s not enough. The villain’s plot is figured out too late. And Russell says his final goodbye at his little brother’s side. These conclusions have already been drawn, and no amount of prayer will change the result.
There comes a certain peace with this continuity. I know how the events will transpire, and therefore cannot be blindsided as I was upon the initial viewing.
This is the way that I feel when I watch the Detroit Lions play football.
A Nice Lead
The Lions jumped on top of Philadelphia 14-0 on Sunday. The game was being played in a virtual blizzard, meaning points were at a premium. Typically, such a deficit would be impossible to overcome -- the footing too unsteady and the conditions too nasty for any type of offensive surge from the trailing team.
But even with the comfortable advantage and the hellacious weather, my guard was up. I’d seen this show too many times before. I knew how the plot was going to ebb and flow, that the heroes were going to have their brief moment in the sun (or snow), and that it would all come tumbling down just before the credits rolled.
This was precisely the sequence of events on Sunday.
Through nearly three quarters, the Eagles had zero points. A clean shutout. About nineteen game-clock minutes later, the zero had disappeared, replaced by a large “3” and a crooked “4.” 34 points in a little more than a quarter of football. Who could have foreseen such a dramatic turn of events? Answer -- any Lions fan with even the slightest knowledge of franchise history.
Lions Nation is united in their hope for the best, but even so, they take in the games differently.
There are those that spend the afternoon on the edge of the couch, sweat beading off their foreheads, remote control firmly in hand and ready to be used as a projectile at any moment.
Certifiably Insane?
These gentlemen are crushed when their beloved Lions give away a sure victory. They are not certifiably insane, but they fall somewhere on the spectrum. Hoping for the best is not what makes them crazy; seeing things in an optimistic light is an attractive quality in a person. But sometimes optimism can lose touch with reality, and the result is a pile of shattered Comcast clickers in the corner of the den.
Most Lions’ loyalists have been safely brainwashed into the next tier of fandom. They casually watch the game unfold, calmly taking everything in. They high-five quietly after big plays in the first half, knowing it is not prudent to get too high too soon. When things inevitably start to turn, they are not taken by surprise. Instead, they are ready.
When the final gun goes off and the Lions are on the wrong end of 34-20, these realistic rooters can go on with their day. The end result is not a shock to the system, but instead more a confirmation of a predetermined fate.
The 2013 season has been a roller coaster ride. They clocked ‘Da Bears early and went to 3-1. They clobbered ‘em again and went to 6-3. But after three losses in four games, the Lions find themselves in a mad dash with both Chicago and Green Bay for the divisional crown.
The 2000 Season
With everyone pointing to the “easy” trio of games to close out the Lions’ schedule, you can’t help but be reminded of the infamous 2000 season.
The Leos entered the season’s final Sunday in complete control of their destiny. They were hosting the Bears as double-digit favorites. Chicago’s quarterbacks were Shane Matthews and Cade McNown. They arrived in Pontiac toting a 4-11 record, including an embarrassing 1-6 road mark. It was close to a sure thing as you could get in the NFL. But the Lions always find a way -- to break your heart.
Charlie Batch staked the club to an early lead, got dinged up, was replaced by Stoney Case, and everything got hazy after that. Unfortunately, no Lions fan will ever be able to forget the haunting conclusion; former Spartan Paul Edinger, with his unorthodox setup, striding forward and launching a bomb off his right foot from 54 yards that would have been good from 80.
Game over. Season over. Playoffs only a dream.
The loss on Sunday against Philadelphia was not necessarily a re-run. After all, each week is a unique live event, with new opponents, new referees, and even less personality from Joe Buck. No two games are exactly alike. But make no mistake; they aren’t brand new, either.
You’ve seen it all before. You just won’t know it until the end.
