Getty Lions fans show their frustration in Detroit.
The Detroit Lions collapsed Week 1 of the 2020 season, and for fans, the biggest theme playing in their heads is ‘here we go again.’
A former Lions player isn’t interested in thinking about the past, though, nor are they interested in any negativity. Lawrence Jackson played in Detroit for 3 seasons, but learned a lot about the fan base during that time. Jackson remains a fan of the team now that he’s retired, and he is frustrated with what he sees out of the team’s fanbase following another tough loss.
Jackson hopped on Twitter and instructed the fanbase that now is not the time to use the phrase “Same Old Lions” and feed the negative energy. Instead, Jackson thinks the fans should be positive with their franchise and feed only good energy, since he believes the negative energy has an impact on the outcome of things in between the lines.
Each organization and team has its proverbial season. Yes, Detroit hasn’t been GREAT per se. But we’re a long ways away from the Paper Bag days and 0-16 days.
As Lions fans, you should know, players, coaches, anyone who comes to Detroit…knows how y’all feel.
With Detroit, y’all as fans give out some funky energy at times. How do y’all expect a team to Fight with y’all if every time something happens y’all are like ‘Same ol’ Lions’ we gotta kill that Spirit and stop linking today with yesteryear.
Release the team from its past.
If y’all want a winning team in Detroit please cut the ‘Same Ol’ Lions’ crap out. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.
When the ball bounces opposite the way we want, just think about that spirit we keep feeding.
That stuff creeps in the players minds.
Lions fans are frustrated following another meltdown in Week 1 of the NFL season, and are likely taking their frustrations out and feeling the overwhelming urge to say ‘here we go again.’ Instead of doing that, Jackson feels a little positivity could go a long way toward turning things around.
Lawrence Jackson Wants To Own Lions
Earlier this offseason, Jackson made a few headlines by wanting folks to know he is serious about buying the team. He’s done his research on the franchise and posted to Twitter his clear intentions for the future moving forward.
So how does Jackson plan to get in the mix to buy the team? He understands he will need to do some convincing to the Ford family. As he tweeted, he feels that will be simple as he has a great understanding of the Ford mindset already, and plans to use it moving forward if he buys the team as a blueprint.
For Jackson, owning the Lions would be about making big change and not about money.
During his short 3 year stint with the Lions, Jackson was a solid pass rusher putting up 13 sacks and 49 tackles while forcing 5 fumbles. He was a player that could be relied upon for leadership, and was always very blunt about what went right and what went wrong on the field. Those traits could theoretically serve him well as an owner.
It’s rare to see former players own franchises completely, yet not odd to see many with a stake in things. Jackson has a great head on his shoulders and seems completely motivated on seeing through this dream. What’s more, he seems to have a good idea what needs to change from his time on the inside. That itself makes this an interesting idea to ponder.
Anyone who admits publicly their commitment to a project such as this deserves respect and attention. That’s true even if the Lions don’t figure to be for sale any time soon.
Lawrence Jackson Feels Lions Letting Down Matthew Stafford
If it’s one thing Jackson knows already, it’s the value of a great quarterback. It’s clear he feels that way when it comes to Detroit’s signal caller. Jackson, who has been critical of the team in the past on social media, admitted that when it happened, he was merely speaking out of frustration for Matthew Stafford. Jackson says that such critiques of the team were out of love and frustration due to how things were handled with the quarterback.
I love Matthew Stafford and thinks he’s a HELLUVA QB. He’s one of the toughest, humblest, funniest guys that I know…
When I critiqued the Lions out of love…I thought they the Organization failed Matt. They stifled his potential and wasted the surrounding talent.
You’d be hard pressed to find a player who has done more for the franchise than Stafford has while being more humble, and it’s something his teammates like Jackson notice. It’s why most will step up to the plate to defend him and his abilities.
Clearly, Jackson’s comments were also meant to give Stafford credit as much as try to motivate the organization to do more in order to support them. It sounds as if the team wants to do that now, and the hope is the team can continue to build around Stafford so there won’t be more frustration like this to note in the future.
One thing Jackson won’t stand for as an owner or even just a former player turned fan is any type of “SOL” slander.