If you thought watching the Lions the past 10 years has been bad, try doing it for the last 60.
↵That's what 86-year-old Willie Stone has been doing, in person mind you, since 1949. Stone has been a season ticket holder through most of the rough patches we've suffered over the years.
↵Stone served the U.S. military during World War II, and when he came back home, he found his love of the Lions all over again.
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↵↵Stone returned home in 1947, and that's when he was reintroduced to the Lions. He saw his second Lions game in 1948 at Briggs Stadium when a friend offered him a ticket to the game against the Bears.
↵"After watching these amazing athletes I just fell in love with professional football all over again," Stone said. "From then on, I was hooked."
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When Ford Field was built, the Lions wanted to make sure they kept their number one fan happy. Stone was given the opportunity to pick the seats of his choosing for the upcoming season.
↵↵↵"I got a call from Mark Graham, ticket manager of the Lions, and he said, 'Mr. Stone, you are the oldest living season-ticket holder and I would like to have you come down to the new stadium. We are just putting seats in now, and you can choose any seat you want in the house,' " Stone said
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The Lions get made fun of a lot for the product they put forward on the field. But nobody can deny that Lions fans are some of the most loyal in all of football. Kudos to the Lions for keeping Stone around the team that he loves.