Hopes raised, dreams dashed: Lions turn Detroit into Mudville, once again
Detroit — Mudville never expected Casey to get another at bat. But when the two hitters in front of him defied the odds, reaching base with the team down to its final out, the fictional city from Ernest Lawrence Thayer's poem found renewed hope.
Famously, that hope was crushed when Casey, Mighty Casey, struck out.
The Detroit Lions put their fans through the same. They weren't supposed to survive the loss of Aidan Hutchinson or the other dozen or so defenders that ended the year on injured reserve. Many observers predicted they'd succumb to the Minnesota Vikings in the season finale, conceding the division and the chance to host playoff games.
But the defining trait of the 2024 Lions is they couldn't be rattled, not even when they turned the ball over five times in a primetime game in Houston. They seemingly had the answer to every problem, the counterpunch whenever they were pushed against the ropes, the embodying resiliency of the city they represent.
By securing the No. 1 seed in the NFC, they raised your hopes higher than ever before. The table was set. This was the year. You weren't wrong to ponder a potential parade route along Woodward.
Instead, Casey struck out. There's no joy in Mudville and certainly none in cold, gray Detroit, either.