Local 4 has reveled in Detroit Lions fandom for the past couple of weeks. After all, this is uncharted territory for much of the fan base.
Several fans know some Detroit-area players who play for the San Francisco 49ers, including former Michigan Wolverines kicker Jake Moody.
Michigan’s crazed football fans know Moody kicked for the men in maize and was drafted by the 49ers in the third round last April.
Moody’s had a good season, but the NFC Championship game puts his parents, Lisa and Chad, particularly his dad, in a difficult spot as Lions fans rooting against their home team.
“I’ve been a Lions fan since birth,” said Chad Moody.
Chad says his parents brought him to Lions training camp in the 1970s. After their son Jake played for the 49ers, the house was divided in every football sense. Lisa says Chad called this dilemma last summer.
“Ya know I said what’s gonna happen, the 49ers vs. the Lions for a chance to go to the Super Bowl and wait and see, it’s going to happen,” Chad said.
Chad keeps a Jason Hanson autographed Lions helmet next to his son Jake’s Michigan helmet, along with Jake’s plaques and trophies as best Big Ten kicker in the home office.
Mom, Lisa is a Michigan State alum. She says she is also a Lions fan, but Jake’s picture tells you all you need to know.
“The second a team plays against my son, I’m going to root for my son of course I had to do the same thing with Michigan vs. Michigan State, and I did OK with that,” said Lisa.
“It’s tough, but we’re going to root for the 49ers,” Chad said. “Our son’s on the team, so of course, we’ll root for our son’s team.”
Negotiation seems to have been taken by Lisa, who teaches in the Livonia school district.
“The boys are veteran football players and want my son to lose so I kind of said to them, “How about you can root for the Lions but not for Jake to miss his kicks? They said that was fair.”
“However, if the 49ers do happen to lose, I’ll be breaking out my Lions gear and cheering for them in the Superbowl, of course,” Chad said.
Chad and Lisa have attended five of Jake’s games this season, and they’ve watched him miss a game-winning goal in Cleveland.
Lias says that’s the worst part of it for them. When that happens, you lose sleep and stay off social media. She’s praying it doesn’t happen this weekend.