The Detroit Lions hosted their first playoff game Sunday night since all the way back in 1991. It has been a long time coming for the long-downtrodden organization and its fan base.
Taking on his former Los Angeles Rams team, Jared Goff came out of the tunnel before the game like he was a rockstar. He proceeded to lead Detroit to its second playoff win over the past 65 years and first since 1991.
Detroit’s inability to compete on the broader NFL stage has been known for some time. But head coach Dan Campbell has turned it around big time since joining the organization ahead of the 2021 season.
The Lions’ 24-23 win over Los Angeles in front of a boisterous fan base inside Ford Field has them set to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.
It got us to thinking. What was happening around the sports world and broader context of Planet Earth the last time these Lions took home any type of championship back in 1957?
That version of the Detroit Lions defeated the Cleveland Browns by the score of 59-14 in the NFL Championship Game. Tobin Rote threw four touchdowns in that game as George Wilson led the Lions to their last championship.
Let’s look at what was happening and how things have changed since the Lions’ last title as they find themselves just three wins from hoisting the Lombardi in Las Vegas next month.
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Voice of Bart Simpson (Nancy Cartwright) born
The Simpsons is the longest-running television show on today. It premiered in 1989, just two years before the Detroit Lions’ last playoff win. Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson, was born two months before the Lions’ earned their last championship. Let’s put this into perspective for a second. Cartwright’s first acting credit came in the 1981 made-for-telvision movie Skokie starring the great Carl Reiner. He passed away back in 2020 at the age of 98.
Brooklyn Dodgers’ final season before move to Los Angeles
The Brooklyn Dodgers finished the 1957 season with a mediocre 84-70 record playing partially inside the famed Ebbets Field. The backdrop here was owner Walter O’Malley agreeing do move the Dodgers to Los Angeles. It ended nearly three-quarters of a century of Dodgers baseball in the Big Apple. Coincidentally enough, the Dodgers played their first season in Southern California at LA Memorial Coliseum. Born in 1911, before the television was invented, Walter Alston managed that 1957 Dodgers team.
“The Bridge on the River Kwai” premiered
One of the first true classics about World War II and its impact on prisoners of war, this movie won seven Oscar Awards. That included best picture, best actor, best supporting actor and best director. The great Alec Guinness won for his role as the lead. Japanese actor Sessue Hayakawa earned the best supporting award. He was born in Minamiboso, Japan, back in 1886 — just two decades after the American Civil War ended.
Average cost of a home in the United States
The last time these Detroit Lions won a championship, the average cost to buy a house in the United States was a mere $12,000. When taking into account inflation for the calendar year 2022, that was still just a mere $124,975.09. Right now, the average cost of a home in the U.S. is nearly $390,000.
13-year-old Bobby Fischer wins Chess Championship
Bobby Fischer was just 14 years old when he won the first of eight US Chess Championships. His feat shocked the country at a time when very little was known about the game. As you can see in the photo, Fischer was nothing less than a prodigy. Fifteen years later, Fischer would go on to defeat Boris Spassky in the World Championship, adding a new layer to the tensions between the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Elvis releases “All Shook Up”
Elvis had turned 22 years old in January of 1957, but he was already a generational star. That was taken to a whole new level when he released the single “All Shook Up.” This song topped the U.S. Billboard Top 100 for nine weeks. It is certified 2× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and Rolling Stone ranks it among the best 500 songs of all-time.
Montreal Canadiens win second of five consecutive Stanley Cups
The great Maurice Richard was Montreal’s captain as the Canadian team earned the second of what would be five consecutive Stanley Cups. It is considered the greatest dynasty in NHL history. From 1955-1979, the Canadiens would win a whopping 15 titles. That’s absolutely insane.
Boston Celtics win first NBA title
From 1957-1969, the Boston Celtics won 11 NBA titles. Bill Russell spearheaded what is still the greatest dynasty in North American professional sports history. 1957 saw them win their first ever title over the St. Louis Hawks in seven games. Russell averaged 22.9 rebounds per game in the Finals as Tom Heinsohn led the team in scoring at 24.0 points per game.
Soviet Union launches Sputnik into space
The Detroit Lions last earned a championship mere months after the Soviet Union started the space race between that communist country and the United States. Sputnik was the first satellite launched into orbit. Within a dozen years, Neil Armstrong would become the first human to touch foot on the moon. Fast forward, 67 years and mankind has rovers on Mars. Let that sink in.
Average price for a gallon of gas
It’s not that bad. But a gallon of gas in 1957 cost an average of 29 cents. In terms of 2024 dollar value, that comes out to $3.13. Right now, the average cost of a gallon of gas in the United States is $3.08. Interestingly enough, minimum wage in the United States in 1957 was $1.00. That’s the equivalent of $10.92 today.