Here's what life was like in 1993, when Lions were last division champions
Nolan BianchiChristmas has come a bit early for Detroit Lions fans.
With the chance to win their first division title since claiming the 1993 NFC Central championship, the Lions got the job done on Sunday in Minnesota with a 30-24 victory.
It's been so long since the Lions have won their division, the writer of this story wasn't even alive the last time it happened. So in the interest of contextualizing how long it's been since Detroit last achieved this milestone, let's take a look at what life was like in 1993. (And yes, we know that they technically won the division on Jan. 2, 1994.)
Football
▶ 1993 NFL MVP: Emmitt Smith, RB, Dallas Cowboys
▶ Coach of the Year: Dan Reeves, New York Giants
▶ Offensive Player of the Year: Jerry Rice, WR, San Francisco 49ers
▶ Defensive Player of the Year: Rod Woodson, CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
▶ Offensive Rookie of the Year: Jerome Bettis, RB, Los Angeles Rams
▶ Defensive Rookie of the Year: Dana Stubblefield, DT, San Francisco 49ers
▶ No. 1 overall pick, 1993 NFL Draft: Drew Bledsoe, QB, New England Patriots
▶ NFL introduces the ability for a quarterback to spike the football and stop the clock, and throw the ball out of bounds from out of the pocket.
▶ NFL teams were given an extra bye week in 1993, a measure that did not last. The league reverted its schedule the following year.
▶ NFL play clock reduced from 45 seconds to 40 seconds.
▶ NCAA Division 1 champion: Florida State
▶ Heisman winner: Charlie Ward, Florida State
▶ USA Today High School Player of the Year: Josh Booty, LSU
Other sports
Back in 1993, it was a banner year for Canadian sports teams. It's all been downhill from there.
▶ Red Wings: In search of their first Stanley Cup since 1955, the Red Wings with 100 points finished as the Western Conference's No. 1 seed but were eliminated by the 8-seed San Jose Sharks in Game 7 of the first round.
▶ Reigning Stanley Cup champion: Montreal Canadiens (Canada's last Cup winner)
▶ Pistons: The 1993-94 Pistons, just four seasons removed from back-to-back titles, suffered one of the worst seasons in franchise history, finishing 20-62.
▶ Reigning NBA champion: Chicago Bulls
▶ Tigers: Six years removed from their last playoff appearance, the Tigers in 1993 finished 85-77 but did not qualify for the postseason. The drought would last until 2006, when Detroit made an improbable run to the World Series.
▶ Reigning World Series champion: Toronto Blue Jays (Canada's last World Series winner)
▶ Premier League: Manchester United wins title in first year of the English Premier League.
▶ WrestleMania IX main event: Yokozuna pins Bret Hart to claim WWF Championship.
Entertainment
▶ Highest-grossing film: Jurassic Park ($914,691,120)
▶ Academy Award, best picture: Schindler's List
▶ Billboard year-end top single: "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston
"I will always love you" is also what Lions fans have said to their team through this historic drought.
▶ Grammy, album of the year: "Unplugged" by Eric Clapton
▶ Grammy, best new artist: Arrested Development
World events
▶ January: Bill Clinton sworn in as United States President on Jan. 20, taking over for George H. W. Bush.
▶ November: Maastricht Treaty goes into effect, officially establishing the European Union.
▶ December: President Clinton signs North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) into law.
Goods and services
In-state tuition, University of Michigan, full term: $2,442
*Following data via Morris County Library
Chevrolet Lumina: $12,599
Butter: $0.64/8 oz.
Coffee: $0.99/13 oz.
Minute Maid orange juice: $0.89/64 oz. carton
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
@nolanbianchi