DETROIT – “They came so close” was the sentiment across the city as many Detroit Lions fans continued to deal with Sunday night’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
However, the connections many fans made throughout the football season have some doctors believing it will be positive for our mental well-being.
“At the beginning, it was like, OK, we just want to build from last season, and then it was, oh my God, we really have a chance,” said Miguel Gaytan.
It was quite the ride for the Lions, feeling the electricity of an exciting start of the season to the devastating blow on Sunday (Jan. 28) night.
“If they would have kicked that field goal, they would have had it,” said Tyrone Hopkins.
Fans said the team’s playoff run was impressive. The experience left a rather positive impact on the team’s supporters and the entire city of Detroit.
“They’re not the ‘Same Old Lions,’” said a fan named Mary.
For many fans dealing with the uneasiness of being unable to witness the Lions in a Super Bowl, the game is now shifting to their personal feelings.
Some are tackling feelings of pride with the reality of disappointment.
“I think we all have human emotions, and it’s normal to feel down after a loss,” said Dr. Mauran Sivananthan, a Psychiatrist with Henry Ford Health who also works with the Lions.
Dr. Sivananthan said he believes the team’s season and historic playoff run should positively affect our collective mental health.
“One of the important things we learned about the Lions run is that we all want connection,” Dr. Sivananthan said. “Lions happened to connect us, but it was going to end, whether they won or lost, at some point. Right? It should serve as a reminder that potential connections are all around us.”
The community watched as those connections brought strangers together. It illuminated a sense of excitement around the city of Detroit and in some of its residents.
“I think everything is on this upward trajectory,” Gaytan said.
No doubt, sports is a great connector. Fueling that sense of positivity may be all about mindset and perspective.
“The framing that you take to a situation is the reality that you live in,” Dr. Sivananthan said. “In sports, the best team doesn’t always win.”
According to the doctor, there’s a certain sense of unity that comes with identifying with a team and its values. That also comes when recognizing the team’s highs and lows.