Two different National Football League franchises have shared one common trait: Futility.
The Detroit Lions have not won a championship since 1957 and the Cleveland Browns haven't since 1964.
Both have played an entire season and not secured a single victory.
These two tortured fanbases are certainly worthy of experiencing their teams take massive leaps forward in the coming years.
The Browns have a slight head start, as they went 11-5 in 2020, and even defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers to earn their first playoff victory since 1994.
In a recent NFL.com article sharing which fanbases deserve a Super Bowl title the most, analyst and former league executive Scott Pioli explained why both organizations deserve to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
"I'm going slightly off script and showing support for two fan bases: those of the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns. Both teams are very proud franchises with glorious histories full of great players, coaches, owners and classic NFL characters -- all of whom helped grow this great game. Those figures had the "shoulders of giants" that our game now stands upon, and their fans are some of the NFL's best. However, the Cleveland Browns have not won a championship since 1964, and the Detroit Lions haven't since 1957."
He added further, "Wouldn't it be great if these two organizations met in Super Bowl LVI? We can call it the "Rust Bowl" or "Battle of Lake Erie." (I know Detroit isn't ON Lake Erie, but it's on the Detroit River, which connects Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair.) Think about all of those fans from two historic, blue-collar cities descending upon Los Angeles in February. (Plus, this would allow them to escape the snow and ice.) Not only do they need a championship, they deserve it!"
For the Lions, the quest for the ultimate prize in football begins in three weeks, when new head coach Dan Campbell leads his team for his first training camp at the helm.
While the Lions are still rebuilding, it would truly be deserving if the Lions secured their first Super Bowl title with a victory over the Browns.
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