Golden Tate loves the new Detroit Lions

SB Nation talked with Golden Tate about the new-look Lions and more

The Detroit Lions are lots of fun right now, but that wasn’t always the case.

Once upon a time (basically up until last year) the Lions were seen as a Not Great team in the National Football League. They always underwhelmed and hardly had notable players want to sign there in free agency. Hardly doesn’t mean always, though.

Ahead of the 2014 season, someone chose the Detroit Lions when they were a free agent and went on to help turn the organization around and set them on the path that delivered them to where they are today. That person was wide receiver Golden Tate who had recently won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks.

Recently I was able to, thanks to our friends at Smirnoff, talk to Golden about what he is up to these days which includes some fun pickleball-related things on the day this post is being published. Golden explains what he’s got going on with Smirnoff early on and touches on his thoughts on the Lions over the final half of our conversation.

On September 27, Detroit local football legend Golden Tate is teaming up with Smirnoff SMASH Vodka Soda to bring the Smirnoff SMASH Series to Ann Arbor, Michigan! Fans will get the opportunity to play alongside Golden on the Smirnoff SMASH Pickleball Court at Wolverine Pickleball.

In addition to some flavorful competition, pickleball fans and players 21+ will be able to enjoy complimentary bites from food trucks, DJ entertainment, a bar stocked with the four bold and unexpected flavors of Smirnoff SMASH Vodka Soda and some SMASH-ing merch.

At the very end, I asked Golden who he would be rooting for on Monday night when the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions squared off, given that he had great moments for both franchises. Interestingly, Tate effectively said he considers himself more of a Lion than a Seahawk. Ultimately though he had the best answer and said in these instances, he just roots for the home team. That is rather smart in my opinion.

Our thanks to Golden Tate and to Smirnoff for the time!