Tailgaters at Eastern Market ready for Lions season to begin

Tailgaters gathered outside Eastern Market near Ford Field on Sunday, Sept. 13, gearing up for the Detroit Lions’ season opener. The report describes longtime Detroit resident Dennis Thacker, 60, buying thin-cut pork chops and bacon from local vendors on Sept. 12 and starting his setup at 6:30 a.m., with bacon cooking on a flat-top by 9 a.m. Thacker said the group plans to make breakfast so family members join in, and he hopes Detroit reaches the playoffs. The Lions, coming off a 9-8 season, open at Ford Field against the New Orleans Saints, who finished 6-11. Detroit previously failed to qualify after posting a 15-2 record in the year before, losing to the Washington Commanders in the playoffs.