Getty A Lions fan watches the team fall apart vs. Washington.
The Detroit Lions are having a rough finish to the 2019 season, and their fans have taken note of where things have headed after a disastrous finish to the season.
Prior to Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to some folks who were on the scene, there wasn’t much excitement on the streets leading up to the Lions game against the Buccaneers. Tailgating was down, and there was a general feeling of malaise and apathy amongst the fanbase.
There were next to zero tailgaters on my walk to Ford Field. And the city was quiet as ever. Without the signs, you’d have zero idea there was a #Lions game today.
Sheer apathy.
As ESPN’s Michael Rothstein explained, he didn’t encounter nearly as much traffic as he usually does on his way into the stadium, and as a result, he predicted the game wouldn’t be nearly as full as it could be.
Might not be a big crowd here in Detroit
As the game got set to kick off, it was clear there were plenty of seats available.
https://twitter.com/mikerothstein/status/1206272072210624512/photo/1
A light snow was falling prior to game time, but it wasn’t anything which would prevent folks from coming out. Instead, the game, which was between a couple of teams heading nowhere on the season, likely didn’t entice many people and many fans are likely frustrated with the team and looking to make a statement with their time and their wallets by not showing up.
History of Lions Fan Mutiny
This isn’t the first time that Lions fans have tried to make a statement to ownership. Detroit fans have often been seen sporting paper bags before, and while they were dealing with the tenure of former team leader Matt Millen, the refrain “Fire Millen” became common in and around Michigan. There was also a “Millen Man March” prior to a game in 2005 against the Cincinnati Bengals in which Detroit fans tried to organize an orange out of the stadium. In the past, several games were also blacked out when NFL rules permitted such things given a lack of a sellout in Detroit’s old home the Pontiac Silverdome.
Now, though, it’s interesting to note some potential apathy setting in. If Lions fans completely give up, attendance numbers could plummet and ownership might have no choice but to take a harder look at things. That’s likely the hope for anyone who doesn’t bother to show up, anyway.
Writers Calling for Lions to Fire Matt Patricia
Something many fans probably want is the end of Matt Patricia’s tenure in the Motor City. According to a couple of writers, the end for Patricia should be near as coach of the Lions after how miserable things have turned for Detroit in 2019. According to Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News, it’s time for Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn to go. Here’s just a portion of what he had to say.
It didn’t end there, however. NJ.com’s Darryl Slater had Patricia high on his list of hot seat rankings for coaches placing only behind Pat Shurmur. According to Slater, Patricia simply isn’t a good coach whatsoever.
Patricia is taking heat from quite possibly every single angle as his season has spiraled out of control. Close to the end of the season, fans have also stopped showing up and adding the passion to the mix.
It’s all par for the course in a very tough 2019 season for Detroit football.
READ NEXT: Top Names Lions Could Consider at Defensive Coordinator