1997 Detroit Lions: A Playoff Return & An MVP
After missing the postseason, the 1997 Detroit Lions got back on track and Barry Sanders won a co-MVP award. Read the game-by-game narrative of how it unfolded.
After missing the postseason, the 1997 Detroit Lions got back on track and Barry Sanders won a co-MVP award. Read the game-by-game narrative of how it unfolded.
Detroit might be a suffering city in a lot of ways, particularly with regards to the auto industry. But in 1997 it was on top of the world. It wasn’t a bailout that got them there, but a run of championships by teams that had been waiting a long time. The Red Wings won their first Stanley Cup since 1955. The Michigan Wolverines football team took home their first national title since 1947-48. And there were solid supporting actors working behind the stars. The Lions made the NFL playoffs, and the Pistons did the same in the NBA. TheSportsNotebook looks back on how this magnificent year unfolded.