Being a Lions fan means swallowing a lot of tough pills. After a season in which the Lions were one half away from reaching their first-ever Super Bowl, they missed the playoffs and have raised many questions about whether their success was just a flash in the pan or a last-season hiccup. The team’s trademark grit will be on display next season.
But there’s something to be said about the grit of the fans, who have been in the trenches of Lions pain for years, supportive despite the team’s historic struggles. That’s what led two fans to attend this year’s Super Bowl game decked out in Detroit Lions gear, experiencing the Big Game because the Lions may never get there in their lifetime.
Jason Tartick via Facebook
Jason Tartick via Instagram
But that fear is especially real for one of those two fans named Harry, who has inoperable cancer and was on a trip of a lifetime. While at the game, they had what seemed like a fleeting interaction with another fan, but that fan was Jason Tartick, a 2x Wall Street bestselling author, former The Bachelor contestant, and, more importantly, a guy with nearly 1 million Instagram followers.
Jason posted a story about meeting Harry and his brother-in-law at the game, and his family saw it and shared details about Harry’s dream trip. Jason knew he had to do something. So he made a video calling on his followers to tag the Detroit Lions social accounts in droves, and that’s exactly what happened.
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A mere three days later, the Lions brought Harry and his brother-in-law on a tour of Ford Stadium, where they were reunited with Jason, shown the locker room where he received a custom jersey, brought to the press room, and then he was led to the field where Harry’s name was displayed on the Jumbotron. He was given a Barry Sanders-signed football, a signed helmet, and, to top it all off, a personal video from TE Sam LaPorta.
detroitlions via TikTok
detroitlions via TikTok
It’s just another great story of the internet coming together for a good cause, one that Harry and his family will never forget. Even though the Lions haven’t won a Super Bowl, Harry may have gotten the next best thing.
Detroit Lions Drafts Picks That Have Completely Changed The CultureThe benefit of being a team that hasn’t been historically great is that you get a lot of early draft picks. These are the picks that the Detroit Lions have made over the years that have proven impactful. Information comes from pro-football-reference.com
Gallery Credit: Tommy McNeill
Every Spot Josh and Jase Have Visited During Their Michigan TourMichigan has been Josh and Jase-crazy ever since the British duo, known for visiting states across America and reacting to each state’s culture, showed up here. Here is every city and business they’ve gone to while on their trip around the Mitten State.
Gallery Credit: Tommy McNeill