Jeff Van Gundy was blown away during ESPN's broadcast of the Pistons-Rockets game Wednesday night. Not by anything happening on the court. Not by the showdown between Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green, the top two picks in the NBA Draft. Not by anything even related to basketball.
No, Van Gundy was blown away by the Lions. Aren't we all.
During a conversation about the drought of Detroit's four major sports teams -- somewhere, DCFC fans stomp and shout -- Mike Breen pointed out the Lions haven't won a playoff game since 1991. (Indeed, they've won one playoff game in the Super Bowl era.) Van Gundy was floored.
“Wow. What’s past a drought? That’s not a drought. That’s ... horrific," he said.
When Breen tried to shift the conversation to the glory days of the mid-2000's Pistons, Van Gundy replied, "The Lions should have to go to NFL Europe. And then bring somebody from Munich, whatever the Munich team was, bring ‘em over. I mean, c’mon. And what, they’re 0-8 this year?”
Sadly, NFL Europe folded in 2007, with five of the six teams based in Germany. (But none in Munich, for the record.) The next year, the Lions became the first team in NFL history to go 0-16. The Hamburg Sea Devils, reigning World Bowl champs, are still waiting for their call.
Anyway, Breen tried to lighten the mood again, telling Van Gundy to "leave my man Chris Spielman alone."
"They're trying to change the culture there," he said.
“I’m so sick of that cliché term, ‘Culture,'" said Van Gundy. "How 'bout, get good players?”
Yep, that would work.