GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Monday after the NFC Championship could have gone one of two ways.
Lions fans everywhere could have been excited, elated, even ecstatic; or they could have been disappointed, depressed, and determined to do better next year.
Unfortunately by now, we all know the results of the game. It's not celebration-worthy. But the Lions fans FOX 17 spoke to in downtown Grand Rapids haven't lost all hope.
Thousands of miles away from Santa Clara, the pain of a Lions loss traveled all the way to downtown Grand Rapids.
“It was exciting,” says Lions fan Michael Bell.
Exciting, only for the first half of the game, fans agreed. Before the Lions took a turn for the worse.
“Disappointing. Kind of depressed waking up,” says Lions fan Zachary Miller.
“It was very close. A few plays here or there, can make or break a game. We got broke,” says Lions fan Ed Spang.
If you're heart broken, you're not alone.
“Especially when you think about the amount of energy and emotion going into it. Big expectations. Hopefulness. Excitement. Investment. We invest so much energy and time into these teams,” says Lyndsay Volpe-Bertram, a psychologist at Corewell Health.
Volpe-Bertram says it's okay and important to feel those big feelings you may be having.
“When things do not go the way we want, it hurts,” says Volpe-Bertram.
Volpe-Bertram says you might even find yourself going through the stages of grief. She says that's normal. But taking the time to be grateful for the ride of a lifetime, provided by the Lions, may be a good start towards feeling better.
“I think it’s really helpful to highlight all of the excitement and positives," says Volpe-Bertram.
In downtown Grand Rapids, fans had no problem finding the bright side.
“We all kind of just decided that the glass is half full. It’s been a great year. Nothing negative to say, lets look forward to next year,” says Michael Bell.
Hopes are high for next year.
“We had high expectations. They met most of those. But you know, we didn’t get the result we wanted. I’m bummed about it. But I’m hopeful for the future,” says Ed Spang.
“We'll be back. The future’s looking bright for the Lions,” says Zachary Miller.
SEE MORE: Dan Campbell speaks on Detroit Lions loss to 49ers in NFC Championship
