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Detroit Lions fan goes viral with victory tears. ‘That one was for my dad’

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Detroit Lions fan goes viral with victory tears. ‘That one was for my dad’


DETROIT — As the clock ticked down on the Detroit Lions’ first playoff win in three decades, the scene at Ford Field had to be hard to put into words for the 66,000-plus in attendance.

At least one story could be told in tears.

That was 35-year-old Arron Wikaryasz with the outpouring of emotion, captured by NBC’s broadcast in the closing minutes of the 24-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams. It was a special moment for so many, and one the Grand Rapids native wishes he could’ve shared with his father.

“He was a diehard Lions fan, so when they got in victory formation there, man, it just came full circle to me,” Wikaryasz told MLive.

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“It was more than a game. I knew how happy my dad would’ve been to see them win, so I was glad I was there. I was 14 when he passed away, so I don’t know my dad as a man really. So it’s hard to connect sometimes, but when I’m at the Lions game, I’m 12, 13 years old again and I can feel that.”

As a kid, Arron and his father Joseph attended games at the Pontiac Silverdome, as the elder Wikaryasz was a season-ticket holder. Both were in attendance to watch the Lions defeat the Dallas Cowboys in 2002, the final game in that stadium.

Joseph Wikaryasz was a 20-year union ironworker from Local 25 in Detroit, which helped build Ford Field. They broke ground on the Lions’ new home in November 1999. By the time the team moved downtown, the family no longer could afford season tickets. Tragically, Joseph died in a motor vehicle accident one day after leaving work.

“So I think a lot of my emotion was, I know how long it’s been since we won, and I know a lot of loyal Lions fans aren’t here with us today. And that one was for my dad, man. That one was for my dad,” Wikaryasz said.

Since his father’s passing, Wikaryasz has made it his mission to attend at least one game per season. Sunday’s playoff game wasn’t part of the plan, though.

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Wikaryasz’s brother, Robby Meadows, surprised him with playoff tickets after the two already had attended Detroit Pistons and Red Wings games that weekend. (“Like a trifecta,” Wikaryasz said.)

At the game, he also was able to link up with his mother and stepfather, and the whole crew had the chance to meet former Lions kicker Jason Hanson.

“The energy there was unreal,” Wikaryasz said. “I think Dan Campbell said it best in his post-interview speech. He said if you were here tonight, you’ll remember this the rest of your life. And that’s it, man. I’ll remember this for the rest of my life as a fan.”

Since Sunday’s win, Wikaryasz has been busy with media requests. One TV reporter suggested his expression of joy over the Lions’ win embodied the city of Detroit.

“I go, ‘hold on, hold on. I don’t know if I embody Detroit.’” Wikaryasz said. “That’s a big city with a lot of beautiful people in it, but I definitely encapsulated a lot of people that have had loved ones passed away that were Lions fans. So I mean, there’s a lot of people that were happy that night.”

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The Lions will host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the divisional round at 3 p.m. Sunday.





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Detroit, MI

Video recap: Detroit Lions with bounce-back drubbing of Chicago Bears

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Video recap: Detroit Lions with bounce-back drubbing of Chicago Bears


CHICAGO, Ill. — The Detroit Lions smashed the Chicago Bears with a business-like mentality, with a hint of flare on a beautifully designed trick play, in their 34-17 win.

This victory gives the Lions 13 wins on the season, the most in franchise history. They also set a new single-season record for points scored, eclipsing the mark set by the 2011 team led by Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. Not too shabby with two games left on the schedule.

They are undefeated on the road this season, not to mention 5-0 in the division.

Inside the locker room: Lions explain process behind ‘Stumble Bum’ trick play

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Dan Campbell leads Lions to team record 13th win, still ‘not time’ to celebrate

Detroit’s offense was lethal, with a breakout showing in running back Jahmyr Gibbs’ first game in the standalone lead role without David Montgomery. Jared Goff threw for another 336 yards and three scores. And the Lions quarterback got hit clicking with receivers Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Williams hit a career-long 82-yard touchdown catch and finished with a career-high 143 receiving yards. St. Brown caught six of eight targets sent his way for 70 yards and one touchdown.

The Lions and their banged-up defense were hit for a lot of passing yards. But they managed to come up with two takeaways, leading to 10 points, and held the Bears to converting only two third-down tries on 10 attempts in the win.

See below for MLive’s video breakdowns from after this game:

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The Glancy Train set continues to attract thousands at Detroit Historical Museum this holiday season

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The Glancy Train set continues to attract thousands at Detroit Historical Museum this holiday season


MIDTOWN (WXYZ) — At Detroit Historical Museum, 74-year-old Peter Dudley really knows how to keep things on track.

WXYZ

“Yes, I’ve been a volunteer since 1997, which was the year we built the current exhibit,” says Dudley.

The Glancy Trains exhibit has been a crowd favorite for years. 13 trains moving along 12 electric-powered tracks, all thanks to a team of 3 volunteers.

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“The main thing the volunteers do is to keep the trains running,” said Dudley.

From keeping the tracks clean to repairing the trains, Dudley is always busy in his workshop over the weekends.

They go from zero to 35 mph in a split second, which is another reason we have to make sure they don’t derail, said Dudley.

The collection, which dates back to the mid-1900s, belonged to Alfred Glancy Jr., a real estate financier and former owner of the Empire State Building in New York City. Detroit Historical Society’s Rebecca Salminen-Witt says Glancy enjoyed hosting “train parties” for friends and family each holiday season at his home in Grosse Pointe Shores. After his death in 1973, the Glancy family donated the set.

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WXYZ

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“Every kid who comes here wants to see these trains, Mr. Glancy was obviously a train guy himself. His children actually are still involved with the museum. They still love these trains, visit them and support them,” said Salminen-Witt.

Salminen-Witt says that as the exhibit grows, thanks to donations from various sources, it truly highlights Detroit’s rich history.

“Most people are really excited about the renaissance that they are seeing at Michigan Central Station. They were developing that train station right at the cusp between train travel, railroad travel and the beginning of the automotive, well as we know the cars took over,” said Salminen-Witt.

And it turns out a lot of Detroit’s history is baked into the exhibit.

“We’ve got that big tire, people are familiar with on your way to the airport, you pass on I94, on the other end of the exhibit, we have the big stove. So, Detroit was the stove manufacturing capital of the country. And, of course, trains hauled those stoves everywhere,” said Salminen-Witt.

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“I often come out from behind, from the workshop, and I talk to people about local Detroit railroad history,” said Dudley.

“Does this remind you of your childhood?” asked Faraz Javed, 7 News Detroit reporter.

“I received my first train as a christmas present from my grandparents. That particular December we traveled on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad leaving from Michigan Central Station,” said Dudley.

Now, the Glancy Train exhibit runs year-round at the Detroit Historical Museum. And Dudley says they are always in need of volunteers. To find out how you can become one, just head to this website.





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Detroit Mercy visits Wisconsin after Winter’s 20-point outing

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Detroit Mercy visits Wisconsin after Winter’s 20-point outing


Associated Press

Detroit Mercy Titans (5-8, 1-2 Horizon League) at Wisconsin Badgers (9-3, 0-2 Big Ten)

Madison, Wisconsin; Sunday, 2 p.m. EST

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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Badgers -29; over/under is 148.5

BOTTOM LINE: Wisconsin plays Detroit Mercy after Nolan Winter scored 20 points in Wisconsin’s 83-74 victory against the Butler Bulldogs.

The Badgers are 6-1 on their home court. Wisconsin scores 81.9 points and has outscored opponents by 9.5 points per game.

The Titans have gone 2-4 away from home. Detroit Mercy ranks fourth in the Horizon League with 10.7 offensive rebounds per game led by Stephen Okoro averaging 2.0.

Wisconsin’s average of 8.9 made 3-pointers per game this season is only 0.5 fewer made shots on average than the 9.4 per game Detroit Mercy gives up. Detroit Mercy averages 6.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 fewer made shot on average than the 7.5 per game Wisconsin gives up.

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TOP PERFORMERS: John Tonje is shooting 46.0% and averaging 20.0 points for the Badgers.

Orlando Lovejoy is shooting 41.5% and averaging 13.7 points for the Titans.

LAST 10 GAMES: Badgers: 7-3, averaging 81.9 points, 31.9 rebounds, 15.2 assists, 5.4 steals and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 44.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 74.1 points per game.

Titans: 3-7, averaging 67.3 points, 33.0 rebounds, 10.8 assists, 6.7 steals and 2.4 blocks per game while shooting 41.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 75.8 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.




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