It's Not Just a Dance

DETROIT – It’s 24 years later and the people of Detroit are still blade-dancing their way through the victories. On Sunday, the Detroit Lions punched their ticket to the NFC Championship Game, next Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. The Lions have made the NFC title game only one other time, in the 1991 season.

The Detroit Lions are the only NFC group to never arrive at the Super Bowl. The Detroit Lions are currently one win from that taste of glory, which would be their very first appearance in the major event, in the wake of taking out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-23.

This win didn’t come easy.

After being tied at 10 at the half, Tampa Bay got to kick off the second half and the Lions were able to force Baker Mayfield and the Bucs into consecutive punts in their first two second-half possessions. Shortly after getting the ball, the Lions were able to manage 64 yards in 10 plays, running back Craig Reynolds getting into the end zone with a 1-yard touchdown, moving the Lions up 17-10.

The Buccaneers immediately responded, Baker Mayfield throwing a 12-yard touchdown pass to Rachaad White, tying the game 17-17.

And this is where things turned.

White’s touchdown celebration was a notorious Detroit dance, the Blade Dance, created by Blade Icewood.

It didn’t age well.

At least not for the Buccaneers.

White woke up a beast, the Lions and the entire city of Detroit.

Opening the fourth quarter, Jahmyr Gibbs went on a 31-yard run into the end zone. That gave the Lions a 24-17. Midway through the fourth, Jared Goff hit Amon Ra St. Brown on a 9-yard touchdown pass to make it 31-17.

Hip-Hop and sports go hand in hand. Dances vary by region. New York: you may think of the heel toe. Chicago: D-low shuffle. If the conversation is about Detroit, it’s the Shake Down, also known as the Blade Dance.

"When you see somebody doing that to you, that means, boy, would you boss up and get yourself together?...You don't even have to say no more," Detroit native Darnell “Blade Icewood” Lindsay said in an interview with Turbulence in 2004.

You can’t boss up on a boss.

You also can't disrespect someone in their own backyard, especially the city of Detroit and think they’ll let you walk away easily.

You know – you absolutely know – they’re going to get you back for that, right?