The Detroit Lions Are One Of The Most Expensive NFL Teams To Support

Showing how much you support your team could cost you more depending on what team you choose to root for. Here in Detroit, we're willing to spend a little extra to show our support for the Lions. A new study, conducted by Japan-101, shows that the Detroit Lions are one of the most expensive NFL teams to support.

We probably all had a little more spending money during the "Same Old Lions" days. Now, supporting the boys in Honolulu Blue is a bit more costly.

Experts at Japan-101 analyzed all 32 NFL teams to find their average ticket prices of home games for the 2023-2024 season, the price of beer and hotdogs at each stadium, and jersey prices to see which teams are the cheapest and most expensive to support.

To find this information, Japan-101 used data from TickPick and the NFL Shop.

When the data was examined, the study found that the Houston Texans were the cheapest NFL team to support. The average spend for a Houston Texas fan was $379.14. That total is the average cost of the criteria above (ticket prices, beer and hotdog prices, and cost of a jersey).

This doesn't come as a surprise. The Houston Texans entered the season with very little expectations. They had a poor record last season. Very few well-known names or stars on the team, if any. They also have a very young team. In the 2023 draft they had two of the first three selections. Typically, that means you're going to go through some growing pains. That means lower prices all around.

However, I wouldn't expect to see them be the cheapest at the start of next season. They have had a surprisingly good season. It's even looking like they should make the playoffs! Good on them.

The Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and Cleveland Browns all round out the top five, per Japan-101. What do they have in common? Most of these teams weren't expected to have a great season. Maybe the Cleveland Browns are the exception within that group. With little star power, it's hard to increase ticket prices.

On the other side of the coin, we have the most expensive teams in the NFL to support. Las Vegas Raiders came in first place as the most expensive NFL team to support, according to Japan-101. I would have expected it to be the Kansas City Chiefs. They have a dynasty in the works, so I would think supply and demand would be driving prices up. The Raiders don't have a good team.

However, it's a newer stadium, in a new expansion city, and it's Las Vegas. Of course it isn't going to be cheap. The average fan is expected to pay $1,318 at a Raiders game, according to the study conducted by Japan-101.

Kanas City ended up in third place. Not where I expected, but still in the top 5. Philadelphia Eagles were number two on the list. That's where I'd expect them to be. The Detroit Lions are the fourth most expensive team in the NFL to support with average prices at $904.11, per Japan-101. Then, the Dallas Cowboys finished the top 5.

So, if the Lions keep on winning we can expect to keep paying more and more for tickets and jerseys, it looks like. However, after decades of mediocrity (and less) I have no problem spending a little extra to show my support. Go Lions!

One day, a movie will be made on the Detroit Lions. It'll be a story of a team overcoming the odds. Going from the bottom all the way to the top. When that day finally comes, these are the actors I would cast in the Detroit Lions movie.

Of course, casting a biopic is never easy. Sure, Austin Butler made a great Elvis. Yes, Rami Malek was a terrific Freddie Mercury. However, for ever success story there's a miscasting. For every Austin Butler as Elvis, there's a Lindsay Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor. Likewise, for every Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, there's a John Wayne as Genghis Khan. Yeah, that actually happened.

Very rarely will a movie get the casting 100% correct. As you can tell, I'm padding myself for the ridicule that's certain to come for my casting of the imaginary Detroit Lions movie. Most of the time, there is some sort of mix of solid casting choices and questionable calls. I get it. Often, you have to embellish or find a spot to insert some humor where you wouldn't normally find that.

Casting a sport movie, especially football, is even more difficult because it calls for a very specific type of actor. The audience needs to believe that this person could actually be a football player. Having Christopher Mintz-Plasse play a quarterback is a way to get some laughs, sure, but c'mon. I don't see anybody believing he's an NFL quarterback. At the same time, you can't have the entire cast be huge WWE stars like Dave Bautista or The Rock. You need actors who can...for lack of a better term: act. You can see, there's a delicate balance at play.

When casting a movie, you've also got to keep the budget in mind. I can't cast all A-list actors for this movie. The studio can't afford it, and I'd never be invited back to cast a movie again. We can't have that! So, keep that in mind as you go through the list of my casting. I'd love to find roles for Leo, Clooney, Downey Jr., and Crowe in this movie. I'm sure they'd be perfect. However, I lack the budget. Thus, I'm left with this casting. Let's get to the list. Roll credits!

10 or so years ago, Jeff Bridges would have landed the role without even auditioning. However, in 2023 I don't think he's the best choice. I'm going with Charlie Hunnam to play the Head Coach. Hunnam is ripped, so believing he was a former NFL player is not a stretch. He also does resemble Campbell a bit. I think with a little makeup we're all set. You need a big name to carry the movie, and I think Charlie Hunnam has the resume. I see Dan Campbell being the main character in the film, and I think Hunnam is a great pick to be the face of the movie.

This was a tough casting, but I'm awarding the role to Mike Colter. Colter is probably best known for playing Luke Cage in the Marvel Universe. He's no stranger to action movies, so he can bring the intensity to the role of General Manager. Additionally, he's likable. I think that's a key part of capturing Brad Holmes. You need the intensity but it can't be over done. I think Colter has the ability to do it all. Sterling K. Brown was a runner-up for the role. I also considered John David Washington, but he's still too young. I think this role, as far as the movie is concerned, needs someone who looks like they have more experience. Thus, Mike Colter has been cast as Brad Holmes.

Like I said earlier, sometimes questionable choices are made during the casting process for the sake of comedy. I think Amy Poehler in makeup would be hilarious playing Martha Ford. She'd have to be used sparingly, but wouldn't it be hilarious? She'd be a scene stealer. Every movie needs comic relief, and in the Detroit Lions movie a lot of that humor will come from Martha Ford. I know Sheila is running things now, but in my movie Martha will be the central figure running things. Don't like it? Cast your own movie!

Zach Gilford is the perfect choice to play Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson. Ben Johnson is currently viewed as a bit of a whiz kid in the NFL for his play calling and schemes. This offseason, his name is sure to draw much attention for a potential head coaching gig. He's young and the it kid, and I think Gilford could portray that to perfection. He's young, handsome, and likable. I think that will all play into the vision the movie has for Ben Johnson. Plus, they really do sort of look alike don't they? Every movie needs a little eye candy.

The studio wanted Idris Elba for this role. However, we couldn't afford him. So, we made the decision to go with Lil Rel Howery. Howery is hilarious and always is great in support roles. For this Detroit Lions movie, we're going to have to make Aaron Glenn a funny character. I'm not sure how humorous he is in real life, but in our film he's going to be funny. Howery will play up the "former athlete" angle who has gotten a little out of shape since his playing days. "If it weren't for this knee!" He'll rock this role. I apologize we couldn't get our first ask, but it will all be worth it. Martha Ford can't be the only funny character in this movie.

This isn't going to be a popular choice, but cut me some slack. I know Jared Goff looks a lot like Ryan Gosling. However, Gosling is 42 years old! Ten years ago he would have landed the role. Not today, though. We went through extensive auditions before landing on Poulter. After the process, it's clear he's the right choice. He's fresh off a Marvel movie and has proven he can do the action thing and look buff. He's also shown, in movies like We're The Millers that he can be goofy and funny. This Detroit Lions movie is going to play into the "aw shucks" side of Jared Goff, and Poulter can clearly do that. Additionally, he's over 6 feet tall so it's believable that he can be an NFL QB. Other actors considered were either too cool to play Goff or not athletic enough. I think we found our safe middle space.

This was a difficult casting, but Marcus Scribner came out on top. He's best known for playing Andre on ABC's Black-ish. He does share some features in common with Amon-Ra and he stands over 6 feet tall, so I think the appearance all makes sense. St. Brown can have swag and can be a little awkward in some interviews, and I think Scribner can capture that perfectly. Algee Smith was considered for the role, but at 5'5 the casting department decided to go with someone a bit taller. No disrespect to the short kings out there, I feel you.

Are you okay spending extra to support the team if it means more wins? Let us know in the comments!