The Grey Manes – About Us
Welcome to The Grey Manes, an outlet for an aging group of die hard Detroit Lions fans to pass along our thoughts about the team, sport and league that we have been passionately following for the greater part of our lives.
Dan Keener
Mike Terry
I have been a Detroit Lions fan starting back in the early 1980’s when I discovered football. Although I grew up in Northwest Ohio and was surrounded by friends and family that were all Cleveland Browns fans, I ended up gravitating to the Lions as they were found on CBS affiliate WTOL Channel 11, which was within the Lions blackout and broadcast area. So, while my family and friends were watching Brian Sipe and Clay Matthews of the Browns, I grew up watching the likes of Eric Hipple, Billy Sims, Keith Dorney, Doug English, Jimmy Williams, Bruce McNorton and Eddie Murray grace the rock-hard rug at the Silverdome. Since then, my loyalty to the NFL and The Detroit Lions have never waned, regardless of how well (not very often) or how bad (too often) the Lions end their season.
Fast forward to approximately 1993, when I stumbled onto a group of Detroit Lions fans through a Listserv and found several individuals that I have had the privilege of calling friends now for well over 25 years. The members of The Grey Manes all have come from that original group of anonymous internet Lions fans, and yet here we are, in our latter years, finally putting to print out thoughts about the team that we all love (and sometimes hate.)
I was born and raised a Lions Fan growing up in the Southern thumb area of Michigan, my first real memory of the Lions is the 1980 team and the Another One Bites a Dust team that started 8-0. I was hooked from that point on. I remember Billy Sims, Al “Bubba” Baker, and of course Barry Sanders, Herman Moore and Chris Spielman.
When I joined the Navy in 1987 I soon found out that Sports was very territorial and important. My fandom went to a new level while I was in the Navy. This was the late 80’s and early 90’s for me and this was a great time to be a Lions fan. They had so much potential during this time.
Let’s be honest things have not been good for our beloved Lions over the years, but I can honestly say they have the best fans. I found a group on the internet around 1993 of vvery diehard Lions fans and we have been in contact since. Now we have decided to share our thoughts and our passion with the world. Welcome to the Grey Manes, a group of “experienced” Detroit Lions Fans !