For a road game in a stadium notorious for being raucous with partisans for the home team, the Detroit Lions sure had a good amount of fan representation in Kansas City on Thursday night. Even during the pre-game, the NBC broadcast notes how much Honolulu blue was inside the GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Lions fans traveled well for the opener. Their presence was easy to see and hear on the broadcast. The Lions felt it on the sidelines too, something Detroit head coach Dan Campbell noted in his post-game press conference following the team’s 21-20 upset win in Week 1.
“When I walked out in the pregame, I’m looking and I saw a sea of blue,” Campbell said. “I’m like, ‘wow’. And then about the third quarter, you could start hearing them. You could hear them and it just started to grow.”
Campbell continued to pay homage to the Detroit faithful who made the trip.
“Once we got into the fourth quarter, our fans — they made themselves known and we could feel it. It’s outstanding to have fans that travel like that. We see you and it’s much appreciated,” Campbell hoarsely rasped.
The Lions get to play at home in the next game, a Week 2 date at Ford Field against the Seattle Seahawks. Campbell expects the fan support to be even crazier at home.
“I can’t wait to get back to Ford Field,” Campbell said. “Because you know how loud (Kansas City) is, I know our place is going to be louder than that.”