Whether it’s for a die-hard booster from the days of Dick Lane or a new supporter of Matthew Stafford, the top facts and activities concerning the Detroit Lions that all fans need to know and do in their lifetime can be found here. Culled by an area journalist of team history from eight decades, the book collects every essential piece of Lions knowledge and trivia, including must-do activities, and ranks them all from 1 to 100. Topics cover everything from who scored the first touchdown in franchise history to the members of the Lions Hall of Fame, and even includes the best place to grab a bite in Detroit before the game. This is a treasury of information that true fans might know about their beloved Lions but will love to reminisce over and a guide that will help new fans get up to snuff. "A heaping helping of local sports to accompany the upcoming Thanksgiving Day game."  — Hour Detroit Magazine Paula Pasche covers the Lions for the Oakland Press . She won first place for column writing from the Society of Professional Journalists in Detroit (Class B) in 2010 and was the Oakland Press 2010 Staffer of the Year. She lives in Sylvan Lake, Michigan. 100 Things Lions Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die By Paula Pasche Triumph Books Copyright © 2012 Paula Pasche All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-60078-729-4 Contents Acknowledgments, Introduction, 1. Barry Sanders, Face of the Franchise, 2. The Lions' Diehard Fans, 3. Megatron Always a Threat, 4. Worst NFL Season Ever, 5. Quietly Mayhew Works His Magic, 6. It Is the Motor City, 7. Road Losers No More, 8. Fords Keep an Eye on Team, 9. A Detroit Tradition, 10. 1935 Championship, A First, 11. Old, Bald, and Still Kicking, 12. They Call Him "The Franchise", 13. The Smell of Success, 14. The Blond Bomber, 15. Another NFL Championship, 16. Scott Mitchell's Ups and Downs, 17. Time for a Turn-Around, 18. One Playoff Win in 54 Years, 19. At Last Back to the Playoffs, 20. One Loss, Multiple Changes, 21. Forget the Millen Era, 22. Joey Not a Favorite, 23. Biggest Draft Bust, 24. Russ Thomas Made His Mark, 25. Suh Does The Stomp, 26. Five Starters in 44 Days, 27. Are You Ready for Monday Night Football?, 28. Mike Utley Full of Life, 29. Fontes, A Man With a Smile, 30. Moore a Fan Favorite, 31. Best Seventh-Round Pick Ever?, 32. Sims Hot From the Start, 33. Back-to-Back Titles, 34. Out on a Winning Note, 35. Built with Character, 36. Gridiron Heroes, 37. Emotions Rule the Day, 38. Disheartened Ross Leaves, 39. The Day the Music Died, 40. From Portsmouth to Detroit, 41. RIP Chuck Hughes, 42. Tiger Stadium, A Longtime Home, 43. Add This to Your Bucket List, 44. No Happy Ending, 45. Once a Fan, Now President, 46. Monte Clark's Two Stints, 47. Don't Forget Mongo or Karras, 48. The Calvin Rule, 49. Creekmur's Wait Pays Off, 50. Best Free Agent Signing Ever?, 51. Another One Bites the Dust, 52. Jim Schwartz to the Rescue, 53. He Took the Wind, 54. Reggie Rogers Kills Three, 55. Lem Barney, 56. One Fearsome Dude, 57. Detroit Lions Academy, 58. Football Times Two, 59. Tailgate Haven, 60. Third Title in Six Years, 61. Life Before Hanson, 62. Loud and Proud, 63. A Pair of Heisman Quarterbacks, 64. Landry a Standout, 65. Mel Gray Puts On a Show, 66. Spielman a Throwback, 67. Dick "Night Train" Lane, 68. Green Bay Sent Packing, 69. Playoff Highs and Lows, 70. Plimpton's Folly, 71. Breaking the Vikings' Curse, 72. Location is Everything, 73. Famous Detroiters Big Fans, 74. Playoffs Worth the Wait, 75. Detroit Winner at Super Bowl XL, 76. Another Detroit Tradition, 77. Totally Multidimensional, 78. Father and Son Lions, 79. The Old Ball Games, 80. Gary Danielson's Ups and Downs, 81. All-You-Can-Eat Seats, 82. RIP Tom "Killer" Kowalski, 83. 25 Years of Brandstatter, 84. History Comes Alive, 85. Angry Man March, 86. Andolsek Gone Too Soon, 87. Morton's Impact, 88. Porcher, A Community Man, 89. Visit Training Camp, Learn New Words, 90. First Impressions, 91. From Player to Player Personnel, 92. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 93. The Handshake, 94. Celebrate in Greektown, 95. Working the Line, 96. Detroit Lions Charities, 97. Coney Wars, 98. History at the Lions' Expense, 99. Bears-Lions Rivalry, 100. God Bless YouTube, Sources, CHAPTER 1 Barry Sanders, Face of the Franchise The 1996 season had been dreadful. It was Wayne Fontes' last, and there was one game remaining — on Monday night in San Francisco. The Lions were flying out from Detroit on Saturday. With a 5–10 record, most players were just going through the motions at practice that Friday. After practice, Bill Keenist, who was in charge of media relations, went on a search for Barry Sanders who would be named All-Pro the next morning. A national reporter wanted a few comments from Sanders, and Keenist chased down Sanders for the interview. By the time Keenist arrived at the locker room at the Silverdo