Fans all over the world have been following the Detroit Lions as they make history. That includes viewers from the United Kingdom, including Matthew Turner and Anthony Fitzpatrick.
The two fans, along with five other UK-based co-hosts, produce Roar of the Lions UK, a podcast featuring seven Detroit Lions fans from the UK. They joined Stateside to share how they became fans of American football, and their thoughts on the team's historic season.
Turner explained that it wasn’t just the sport that captured his interest, but the city of Detroit itself that made him a fan.
“I learned a bit more about Detroit as things went on, and I kind of fully bought in maybe 2011. Just something about the blue-collar mentality of the city, the way that the players played for the team,” Turner said. “...What happened with Motor City and the rise and fall of the city is something that just really spoke to me.”
It may surprise some to learn about the loyal fans in the UK who have supported the Detroit Lions for years, rather than choosing a team with a more successful history. Turner shared that in the UK, there is a belief in not being "glory hunters,” and he finds the Lions' current success to be particularly poetic.
“I always felt like if you already started at that highest point, you didn't really earn the right to be happy,” Turner stated. “And going through everything that Detroit has been through. Every Lions fan deserves what's happening right now. If they stuck with the team because it was hard, and it has been hard, and they're reaping the benefits now.”
Hear the full conversation with Matthew Turner and Anthony Fitzpatrick on the Stateside podcast.
[Get Stateside on your phone: subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or YouTube Music today.]
GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:
- Matthew Turner, co-host of the Roar of the Lions UK podcast
- Anthony Fitzpatrick, co-host of the Roar of the Lions UK podcast
