Dear Golden Tate,

I hope that this letter finds you in great spirits. Fans of the Detroit Lions are glad to have you here. Not only for your ability on the field, but for the way you have acclimated to the city of Detroit. Fans see you around town doing charitable work and brightening the spirits of many.

However, your past contributions do not excuse your recent comments regarding the fans of the Detroit Lions. You have no idea as to the mindset of lifelong fans, and being disappointed in them shows your lack of empathy towards them.

One playoff game. Since 1957, the last year that the Lions won a championship, the team has a total of ONE win in the playoffs. Every Detroit Lions fan knows that. They remember the early January victory over the Dallas Cowboys 38-6. And that is it. Over a 60 year span, that is the golden (no pun intended) moment for Detroit Lions fans.

You had the nerve to say “You know, I’m the first one to say I love our fans. I think our fans are amazing and they’ve been patient for a long time. Before the game started, I looked up, there were a lot of empty seats. Early on in the game, our team is getting booed. Later in the game, it sounded like the loudest they got was when (quarterback Matthew) Stafford was leaving the game and Dan (Orlovsky) was coming in. And that’s not the support that we want. When we win, we all win together — the city, as an organization, as a state. When we lose, we all lose together. And today, I felt like, at times, our fan base kind of turned their back on us.”

Really? The Lions best player walked away from the game with little explanation. The fans kept showing up. The Lions went 0-16 in 2008. The fans kept showing up.

First off, you say that you understand the fans have been patient, then go on to say that they are booing too early. It’s one or the other. The fans are either patient, or they are not. Second of all, the game was much louder in the beginning when the defense was playing well. The decibel meter reached 111db-112db several times, that is, until the Lions proceeded to turn the ball over four times. Is there an applicable number of turnovers that the fans are supposed to be cool with? Some fans were cheering for Dan Orlovsky, most were not cheering. If anything the fans were happy that there was some type of accountability, which seems to be lacking from this organization.

All of this comes on the heels of the gut-wrenching loss to Seattle a week ago. A game that the Lions clearly had the ability to win, was snatched from fans first by a fumble and then by a blatant officiating catastrophe. In the days after, fans were angry and had no representation from the players, coaches, or front office. The Lions fans, like most of this country, feel overworked and underpaid. Fans spend money on a product that continues to break and with that frustration is eminent.

At what point are fans allowed to express their displeasure? 0-5? 0-10?

I’m not sure how much fans are supposed to take, but nearly 60 years is enough to harden the softest heart. In the words of the long-time Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, “Just win, baby”.

Sincerely yours,

Lifelong Detroit Lions fans