That is the main talking point so many fans of other teams want to cling to. The Lions have been the laughing stock of the sports world (not just the NFL) since WW2. There’s no denying that, from 0-16, multiple draft busts, the Matt Millen era, watching two Hall of Fame players walk away early because the losing became to much, setting a record for longest road winless streak, winning the NFC North for the time ever after 20 plus years of it being formed.

There’s plenty more “accolades” the Detroit Lions hold claim to and it’s become almost a badge of honor as a Lions fan to still be here rooting for the Honolulu blue. The endless jokes and ridicule from friends and family. The memes of wanting Lions players to be your pallbearer so they can let you down one last time, the Lion King Superbowl meme, the list goes on.

The jokes continued when Dan Campbell was hired. The meathead comments, biting kneecap jokes, Joy Taylor famously saying “Brian Flores would never” after Campbell wore a helmet promoting a race.

Times have changed.

The Lions have won two straight NFC North championships, have a 17-8 record vs division opponents, a 2-2 playoff record and a franchise record of 15 wins in 2024. They were one bad 3rd quarter vs the San Francisco 49ers of reaching their first ever Superbowl.

Since week 8 of the 2022 season after starting 1-6, the Lions have become one of the better teams in the NFL. Dan Campbell endured endless calls for his job during the first year and a half of his tenure, to know being hailed as one of the best if not THE best coach in Lions history.

And that history is bleak. That history presents a question. After nearly a century of nothing, do Lions fans have the right to trash talk? Do they have the right to clap back? Do they have the right to even be happy? According to fans of other teams, the answers to those questions are no, no and no.

The right answer is yes.

For DECADES Lions fans have had to endure being told we “don’t know ball” simply because we root for a losing team. Your ability to talk fundamentals, schemes, roster management and player breakdown has zero correlation with the team you like. Even the most basic and innocent comments are met with such hate and rudeness (going so far to google people and send vulgar dms). The explanation we hear is “well, y’all don’t know how to act”. And that is untrue. Lions fans are happy. They’re excited. They can breath finally. Lions fans can go into Sunday believing that their team can and will win.

And that’s where the problem is. Other fan bases for years, most for their lives, have been able to count the Lions as a win. They’ve been able to crack jokes. They’re not used seeing the Lions beat their teams…even when their teams have been bad, the Lions were the “get right” game. Now, the Lions are the team that makes people nervous.

As much as people won’t admit, they were scared in 2023. The Lions had a home playoff game, defeated their former quarterback and exercised the playoff demon. It was a sure thing that they would lose at home to Tampa Bay and balance would be restored in the universe.

Then Derrick Barnes made a play. Barnes made a play that shook everyone. The Detroit Lions, with a meathead coach, a cast-off QB and “over drafted” players were one game away from the Superbowl. If people were scared after that game sealing INT, they were mortified when the Lions jumped out to a big lead and looked dominant in San Francisco. The Lions were hit with some of the most unfortunate yet “Lions” things to happen. It seemed like the universe was answering the prayers of those fans who saw their jokes and trash talk fading away.

Everyone had the whole offseason to make fun of the choke job. The Lions once again seemed to do “Lions” things and the past became the present. But that’s where people were wrong. Losing games, blowing leads and having debacles of games isn’t a “Lions” thing…every team has done it.

Every team has blown a big lead, drafted a bust of a player, made the wrong front office hire or brought in a coach that was a massive failure. 28-3 ring a bell? The Oilers losing to Buffalo in the 90s…The Bills losing the KC with 17 seconds left? The high powered Denver offense getting annihilated by Seattle? JaMarcus Russell, Ryan Leaf, trading a whole years worth of picks for Ricky Williams. Hiring Cam Cameron in Miami. Anything the Browns have done since 2000 pretty much. The list goes in but for some reason it’s the Lions that get the brunt of everything.

But this time, the Lions of the past weren’t back. Because the Lions of the past would never be in the NFC Championship game. They wouldn’t have won 12 games. They wouldn’t have won at Lambeau field.

Instead, the Brand New Lions went into the 2024 season with a purpose. They went in with an attitude. They had something to prove. Even after losing player after player after player, they went though their schedule putting up tons of points, bullying teams and showing the world that yes, your worries are valid. Being scared of the Lions is a new thing that’s going to be a constant. The Lions rattled off 15 wins while scrapping anyone they could off the street to come to Detroit on Tuesday and play on Sunday.

People were once again worried and scared. They got to breath a sigh of relief when the Lions good fortune finally ran out. The injuries proved too much as the offense pressed to much to over compensate for the defense.

People once again went back to the old tired jokes…but those jokes don’t work.

The Lions have won a playoff game. The Lions have won the division.      The have a winning record vs their divison. The Lions have a Head Coach, General Manager and a front office we can be happy with and proud of. People in place that actually know what their doing. It’s a time for fans to celebrate and be happy. And damn all of those people who say that Lions fans need to act like they’ve been there before.

The Lions haven’t been there before. Lions fans haven’t been able to cheer for a team like this.

The bullies have finally been stood up to. The little brother finally grew up and punched the big brother back.

Lions fans CAN cheer and are allowed to cheer. We’ve earned the right to be happy and are allowed to be happy. We’ve earned to right to talk trash after years of taking abuse. We’re allowed to clap back at people using the same tired jokes. We have every right to celebrate a playoff win. It’s been 30 years between them.

I was 7 years old the last time I saw the Lions win a playoff game. I have every right to celebrate and tell anyone that wants to clown that achievement to shut up. Yes, we can be proud to hang a division banner because the Lions never got to do that. Yes we can celebrate and be happy that we win games in Green Bay. None of that happened during my entire life (or very rarely).

Lions fans are well aware of their history. And that makes it even more sweet to see other fans have meltdowns when the sorry Detroit Lions beat them and beat them consistently.

You would celebrate too if you didn’t see any success. You have ZERO right to tell a Lions fan how to act. You do have the obligation to kindly hush and take the trash talk back. You can’t handle two years of trash talk but we’re supposed to handle 30 plus years and smile?

The Lions aren’t just scrapping by anymore. They’re stacking winning seasons, beating good teams, and proving that they aren’t a joke anymore.

For decades, other fans mocked Detroit for being irrelevant in January. Now, the Lions have broken through and are legitimate playoff contenders.

The Lions have national respect. Prime-time games, playoff runs, and analysts praising the roster and coaching staff means the Lions aren’t the “laughingstock” anymore.

Dan Campbell and his staff have built one of the most physical, fearless teams in the NFL. Fans can finally say, “Our coach is better than yours” and mean it in most games.

From Aidan Hutchinson, Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown to Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, Sam LaPorta and UFL star Jake Bates, Detroit has cornerstone players that rival any team.

They’ve beaten good teams, they’ve beaten the best teams. It’s not just about “almost wins” anymore. The Lions have knocked off Super Bowl contenders, which shuts down the “same old Lions” narrative.

The “gritty, underdog” identity that other franchises try to claim? The Lions actually live it, and fans can proudly own it.

The SOL (Same Old Lions) era is dead

Lions fans endured decades of misery, but now they’ve stuck around long enough to enjoy the payoff. Talking trash isn’t just about the wins—it’s about survival through the worst years. We been through it all and can stand here and say we’re still here.

The culture has shifted in Detroit, and Lions fans have receipts to back up the noise they’re making. The days of staying quiet are over.

The kneecap-biting quotes were fun, but Campbell has turned Detroit into a team nobody wants to see. For once, the coach isn’t a joke—he’s a difference-maker.

Detroit fans have suffered through the worst of times, and now they get to enjoy the best of times. So when a Packers, Bears, or Vikings fan pipes up, Lions fans don’t have to sit in silence anymore—they can fire right back and rightfully so.

How dare any of you tell fans they can’t be happy about success you may find insignificant. Truth is, you cling to your own past just as much as you bring up Detroits.

Bears fans can claim a superbowl and good for you. 40 years ago. Haven’t won the division since 2018, haven’t won a playoff game since 2010 and have finished last place in the North three straight years.

The Vikings have NEVER won a superbowl but fans will say “yea well we’ve been four times”. Cool, the last appearance was 47 years ago. They also have one division title and one playoff win since 2018. If the Vikings want to compare championships, the Lions have more.

The Packers can claim a little more respect but their last superbowl appearance was in 2010 when they won and hats off to them for that. But they have one division title since Dan Campbell was hired and that was his first season.

Since 2016, Green Bay has managed 3 playoff wins and have gotten no closer to the Superbowl than the Lions. The Lions have had more recent success than any of the three teams whose fans want to keep chirping.

Starting the 2025 season 0-1 has been rough because it’s opened up the floodgates of trolls to come at every Lions fan once again. After that performance they are allowed to but stop trying to tell Lions fans they can’t be happy over their team finally bringing them into the conversation of being a superbowl contender instead of looking forward to the draft by Halloween.

You’re damn right we are happy for the little bit of success we’ve experienced these last two seasons. It’s something many fans haven’t experienced in a long time or ever. And we will continue to talk trash and be happy after such achievements.