Let's call this thing what it is: a rivalry

Following last Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall had a lot to say about the game.

In addition to acknowledging that the Bears were outplayed, Marshall said the Lions played "borderline illegal", made a few disparaging comments about the city of Detroit and referred to the Lions as "little brother".

Lion's fans, as expected, were a little upset. My honest question is..

Why?

Yes, I am aware that there are different meanings to this phrase, and typically it's not meant as an endearing trait. However there is some truth to this statement, and being a little brother myself, I feel somewhat qualified to explain why exactly I feel this way.

Growing up, it seemed like anything I did was put under the microscope and compared to what my brother had done. I wanted to be like him, I wanted to be around him (much to his eventual dismay) and I wanted to play with him and his friends outside. I was driven to prove myself despite being much smaller (for a while, at least) and younger. For a long time, this was the Detroit Lions. Their lowest point was obviously their 2008 campaign, an 0-16 season that has haunted them for every season since.

For years, the struggles of the Lions have been well documented, and numerous. Why a team that lowly even bothered to take the field was beyond some people, even residents of Detroit who started to curse their own team. And yet, after years of being a "little brother" than no one gave a second thought to, Detroit is leading the NFC North and is, by all accounts, a lock to win the division and make the playoffs.

Just as I grew up and reached a point where I felt comfortable stepping out from my brother's shadow, the Lions have become a team that deserves respect, deserves praise, even deserve fear. This team is no longer an easy W, this team is no longer a stepping stone for every other team in the league.

The Lions have become the younger brother who got sick of being pushed around, the brother who got bigger and, as Marshall put it, "popped his brother in the face". If I'm a Lions fan, I'm proud of this team. I'm proud of this management for recognizing the team's needs and making adjustments to become a legitimate team in this league. But I'm not a Lions fan.

I am, however, a fan of what this team has done. In addition to bettering their record, the Lions have bettered the city of Detroit. A city once desperate for pride is now full of it, and Ford Field, while hardly a sellout venue, has already reached it's attendance total from 2012 this season, with four home games remaining on the schedule. This franchise has shown that it is alive and well this season, and it didn't need Brandon Marshall's word to get there.

Coming from a Bears fan, my message to all Lions fans is not to stoop down and insult Marshall, not to bring up his own mired history and personal problems, because there's a better way. Marshall is talking smack to a team that just beat his team, twice. For what purpose, I don't know, but I also disagree with the comments he had to say. Marshall predicts these teams will meet again in the playoffs, which would undoubtedly be interesting, but at least for now, little brother is going places, and he's doing it on his own.