Over 2,000 miles away from Levi’s Stadium in California, Lions fans gathered at Peppino’s Pizzeria and Bar in downtown Grand Rapids to watch the National Football Conference (NFC) Championship between The San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions. Enthusiastic fans decked out in Lions gear packed the restaurant, pushing the limits of its 450-person capacity.
The Lions are one of four teams who have never appeared in the Super Bowl and this was their first NFC championship game since 1991, so Detroit fans were anxious to see how the game would turn out. This night was more than just a game to many. Frank Hernandez, 54, of New Baltimore, is a diehard Lions fan thanks to his father and shared what Sunday night’s game meant to him.
“I’ve been a Lions fan since 1990, I remember being in Desert Storm in 1991 when we played the Washington Redskins (now Commanders). That was the last big push that we had and from that point on, it’s been a disappointment,” Hernandez said. “… My dad passed away last year and he was a big Lions fan— and he’s not here, so it’s kinda bittersweet…I know he is behind this.”
With a strong first half, fans were excited by the 17-point lead going into halftime. This would quickly change into anger and frustration when the 49ers and Lions were tied, 24-24 in the third quarter. What was a busy and lively crowd, quieted to only low voices scattered across the room and the commentary of the game.
Even though some fans hung their heads low, others were more optimistic about the Lions’ offense.
“I’m electric right now,” said Kelly O’Brien, 36, of Grand Rapids near the end of the third quarter. “If the Lions don’t win, I don’t know what else to do. Lions got this like it’s going out of f—king style. We are going to absolutely destroy the rest of the game and Super Bowl here we come.”
Unfortunately, the Lions would lose the lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter after a 33-yard field goal from San Fransico, and soon after the 49ers running back Ejiah Mitchell would score a touchdown leaving the score 24-34.
Hope was faintly restored when the Lions were able to score, but it wasn’t enough for the win. While disappointed with the painful 31-34 loss, many fans expressed gratitude for how much the Lions accomplished this 14-6 season.
“I really wish Dan (Campbell) would kick some field goals but he did rally this team this year,” said Micheal Miele, 28 of Brighton. “We haven’t seen anything like this. It was a good thing for Detroit, you know we made it this far, one game away from the Super Bowl. Huge bummer right now, a lot of things could’ve changed in this game but you know we’ll wake up tomorrow morning. We are proud of the lions. They made it this far, but right now, in this moment, it’s sad…”
