# Today is the 30th Anniversary of the Lions' last playoff win **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [January 5, 2022, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270 "2022-01-05T16:21:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/1 "2022-01-05T16:21:10Z")
Not only their LAST playoff win, but their ONLY postseason victory since they won their last league championship in 1957. Does any other old-school, founding franchise in a major league sport have more of a legacy of futility? But let’s not dwell on the years of loss, let’s recall with joy the one bright shining playoff game in which it looked like their fortunes were finally turning around (until they were clobbered the following week by the team now known as the Washington Football Team). I remember it well, watching it on TV. A friend was lucky enough to be at the game. Scrappy QB Erik Kramer led with 341 passing yards and three touchdowns. Barry Sanders finished off the game with an electrifying 47-yard touchdown run for a 38–6 slaughtering of the Dallas Cowboys. To celebrate, I will share a highlight reel of Barry Sanders’ most WTF moments. Sanders was truly one of the best and most fun to watch running backs of all time (WARNING: only start watching if you have the time to commit to all 10 minutes, because if you enjoy highlight reels at all, you will likely be mesmerised and not be able to stop watching once you start): [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PBhn1wMyzV4/maxresdefault.jpg "Barry Sanders Top 50 Most Ridiculous Plays of All-Time | NFL Highlights") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBhn1wMyzV4) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/2 "2022-01-05T16:25:10Z")
> [@solost](#): > > To celebrate, I will share a highlight reel of Barry Sanders’ most WTF moments. Sanders is truly one of the best and most fun to watch running backs of all time As a Packer fan, I remember Sanders all too well. 😃 He was a transcendent talent, and the only other player who I thought had a similar sort of talent was Gale Sayers. That said, it often seemed like a series of Sanders runs would look like this: no gain, no gain, lose 3 yards, gain 1 yard, and then break one for 70 yards. It was a shame that Sanders labored on a bunch of mediocre Lions teams (which clearly would have been _bad_ teams without him). I always had the sense that, unlike a lot of players, Sanders, for all his talent, didn’t necessarily love playing football, and that’s part of the reason why he retired when he did, at a point where he still clearly had something left in the tank. And, of course, the Packers, who had the second pick in the 1989 draft, could have had Sanders (picked #3), or Derrick Thomas (#4), or Deion Sanders (#5). But, noooo, we picked Tony Mandarich. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/3 "2022-01-05T16:34:31Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > we picked Tony Mandarich The Incredible Bulk/Bust. I had great respect for Sanders, and I have great sympathy for the long-suffering Lions fans. I thought the Packers Era between Lombardi and Holmgren was a lifetime of misery; the Lions are entering their 3rd GENERATION of futility. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/4 "2022-01-05T16:42:35Z")
Great to hear your memories of Sanders from the point of view of a Packers fan, @kenobi_65! As a lifelong, long-suffering Lions fan, I think I’m supposed to hate the Packers, but I’ve always had great respect for the franchise, and they’ve often been my go-to to root for after the Lions drop out of contention. Yeah, Sanders did have several no-gain, or actual loss, plays to every amazing one. That was kind of due to the fact that he would run every which way in an attempt to find a hole, because the defensive line was not likely to open one for him. And yes, as amazing of a talent as he was, the game was just a job to him. He never, ever celebrated a touchdown run, he just dropped the ball or tossed it casually to a ref and walked calmly to the sidelines. His dad apparently pushed him into football. Speaking of his dad, there used to be a morning radio show in the metro Detroit area called the Drew and Mike Show, in which they often called and interviewed the elder Sanders on the air. He was quite a character. Never had any praise for his son. Drew and Mike would ask him if he thought his son was the best of all time and he’d say “hell no, Jim Brown was the best of all time”. Some daddy issues going on there. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/5 "2022-01-05T16:48:09Z")
As @Qadgop_the_Mercotan notes, the Packers had their own “time in the wilderness” in the '70s and '80s, though not nearly as long as the Lions have had. I’m too young to remember the Lombardi Era, so I grew up as a Packer fan in an era where a .500 season was cause for celebration. When they won Super Bowl XXXI with Favre, I was ecstatic, and those crappy years became a distant memory. I fully recognize that the Packers have now had a crazy, 30-year run of good-to-excellent teams, and if the Pack isn’t going to make it to the Super Bowl, I’d love to see a long-suffering fan base, like the Lions or Browns, finally get to enjoy a championship. Now that you mention it, I do remember Sanders’ father always negatively comparing Barry to Jim Brown. Such class. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/6 "2022-01-05T17:19:24Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I’m too young to remember the Lombardi Era I cut my teeth on the Lombardi era, and thought it was natural law that the Pack would always at least be in contention for the NFL championship (as it was known before Super Bowls). So I was quite traumatized by what came with Coach Bengston and after. The Lions became my second favorite team beginning in 1964 due to a move to Flint, MI. And since Paper Lion had just come out, I rooted for Alex Karras to do well, at least when not playing the Pack. I got to see Karras and Bart Starr play on the same field in Detroit not long after that, and met both after the game. I do wish to see the Lions win a Super Bowl someday. They deserve better than what they’ve gotten over the decades, as do their fans. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/7 "2022-01-05T17:22:46Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Yeah, Sanders did have several no-gain, or actual loss, plays to every amazing one. That was kind of due to the fact that he would run every which way in an attempt to find a hole, because the defensive line was not likely to open one for him. Yup, exactly. But even his no-gain runs were often amazing as he dodged every which way looking for the non-existent hole. He changed directions in ways that didn’t seem possible. Remember the Dennis Hopper ad? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/AIDx_LiJVdQ/maxresdefault.jpg "1993 Commercial: Nike Football with Dennis Hopper") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIDx_LiJVdQ) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/8 "2022-01-05T17:24:59Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > But even his no-gain runs were often amazing as he dodged every which way looking for the non-existent hole. He changed directions in ways that didn’t seem possible. Absolutely. He pivoted and changed directions in ways that made it seem like he had extra joints in his legs, because no normal human should be able to move like that. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/9 "2022-01-05T17:29:26Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Remember the Dennis Hopper ad? I had actually forgotten that. Thanks for the memory! ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/10 "2022-01-05T20:47:59Z")
At least the Lions were in the playoffs in 2014. They lost in that wildcard game, but they at least got in. Try being a Mariners fan. ☹ But Barry Sanders was awesome. I spent an hour once just watching highlights of him on YouTube. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/11 "2022-01-06T13:34:11Z")
I remember that game well. As a Cowboys fan, I naturally have a different view of that victory. At least it worked out well for the Cowboys for the next several years. Had they not lost that game the way they did, they might not have gone out and gotten Charles Haley in trade from the 49ers and gone on to win 3 of the next 4 Super Bowls. To this day I’m still of the opinion that without Haley, they would have likely only won one at best. So for that, thank you Detroit Lions. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/12 "2022-01-06T14:11:13Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Not only their LAST playoff win, but their ONLY postseason victory since they won their last league championship in 1957. Does any other old-school, founding franchise in a major league sport have more of a legacy of futility? Even if you interpret a single playoff win in the NFL as being equivalent to winning a playoff series in the NHL, NBA and MLB… nope. Not even close. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/13 "2022-01-06T15:56:51Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > As a Packer fan, I remember Sanders all too well. I remember the playoff game where the Pack held him to -1 yards. Other than that, Sanders was a killer. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/14 "2022-01-06T16:10:23Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I remember the playoff game where the Pack held him to -1 yards. I watched that game, with a couple of friends, in a townie bar in rural Wisconsin – it was on New Year’s Eve, and we were spending the holiday at a cabin that my wife’s family owned up there. No TV in the cabin, so those of us who wanted to watch the game had to go to a bar. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/15 "2022-01-06T16:35:34Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Even if you interpret a single playoff win in the NFL as being equivalent to winning a playoff series in the NHL, NBA and MLB… nope. Not even close The Browns can’t be ranked much higher, whether you judge them as a founding franchise or an expansion team, can they? Where would you put them in relation to the Lions? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/16 "2022-01-06T16:44:39Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > The Browns can’t be ranked much higher, whether you judge them as a founding franchise or an expansion team, can they? Where would you put them in relation to the Lions? An extended run of bad, absolutely, but not _quite_ as long-term bad as the Lions: - They won their last NFL title in 1964, seven years more recently than the Lions - Since then, they have gone to (and lost) three NFL Championship Games (1965, 1968, 1969), and lost three AFC Championship Games in four years (1986, 1987, 1989). If they had won any of the last five of those games, they would have appeared in a Super Bowl. - They won a playoff game last season (beating the Steelers in the Wild Card round) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/17 "2022-01-06T17:37:45Z")
Well, they’ve won a lot more than one playoff game. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/18 "2022-01-06T17:58:32Z")
True that. I didn’t recall those, I should have looked it up but was diverted from doing so by the latest covid outbreak here. Focus, focus, focus ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/19 "2022-01-06T20:55:50Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > I should have looked it up but was diverted from doing so by the latest covid outbreak here. Get your priorities straight, Doc! 😆 ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270/20 "2022-01-06T22:00:54Z")
You’d never see a guy work so hard for a 1-yard gain as Barry. Seven yards to the left, nine yards to the right, ten backwards and to the left, then four up the middle for a one yard pickup. Fun guy to watch. I saw him going into a nightclub in metro Detroit as I was coming out about a year after he retired. He struck me as very short, but he had thighs like sides of beef. He was definitely giving the threads on his pants a workout. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/today-is-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-lions-last-playoff-win/957270.md?page=2)