Staff Reports
In the world of sports fandom, there are some fans who take their passion to extreme levels. This was certainly the case for one Detroit Lions fan who recently earned himself the Darwin Award for his pro wrestling stunt gone wrong. The incident took place during a tailgating event with Buffalo fans before the Bills played against the Kansas City Chiefs in a playoff game.
Inspired by the Buffalo pregame tradition of smashing folding tables, the Lions fan decided to up the ante by dousing the table with lighter fluid. To add fuel to the fire, quite literally, another NFL fan threw him onto the flaming table from the back of a pickup truck. It’s safe to say that disaster inevitably followed.
After crash-landing onto the table and collapsing it, the Lions fan quickly realized that something was amiss. As the flames engulfed his surroundings, panic set in and he frantically jumped up to extinguish the fire. Unfortunately for him, his pants had also caught fire, turning an already calamitous situation into a slapstick comedy routine. In a scene worthy of any Looney Tunes episode, he hopped around like a kernel of popcorn, wildly smacking his rear end to douse the flames.
Watch: Detroit Lions Fan Dives on Fire-Lit Table, Quickly Learns How Stupid His Decision was https://t.co/wTBhF3v0WX #BreakingNews #Breaking #News pic.twitter.com/zU0PFR9R8l
— Patriot Pointman 🇺🇸 (@PatriotPointman) January 22, 2024
Fortunately, some onlookers rushed to his aid and managed to put out the fire before any serious injuries occurred. It’s unclear if he suffered any burns, and it remains a mystery whether the guy who was holding his beer returned it once the flames were extinguished. Talk about a tailgating party that went up in smoke!
While this Lions fan’s stunt may have left him a little worse for wear, the rest of the Detroit faithful had reason to celebrate that day. The Lions emerged victorious with a 31-23 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, the Bills fans had to suffer the heartbreak of a 27-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Lions will now face off against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game, while the Chiefs will take on the Baltimore Ravens on the AFC side. The winners will then meet in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
So, fellow sports fans, let this be a lesson to all of us. If you ever find yourself in an NFL tailgate party with lighter fluid nearby, remember the age-old adage: “stop, drop, and roll.” And let’s be grateful that this incident was just a flaming table mishap and not another wild fistfight in the stands.
