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DETROIT (AP) — Barry Sanders shook hands with fans Womens Danny Amendola Jersey , posed for pictures and engaged in small talk outside a suite at Ford Field before the Detroit Lions opened the season against the New York Jets.At halftime, the Hall of Fame running back was on the field to turn a huge key, and the stadium’s speakers blared with the sounds of an engine revving.Sanders is in his second season as an ambassador for the team, a paid role that is sending him on the road for Detroit’s game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.“It’s definitely nice to be back after the first few years of being retired and there not being much communication,” Sanders said in an interview with The Associated Press. “So, certainly just being able to be involved with certain things that the team is doing from a community outreach standpoint and that sort of thing, for me, it’s great.“And, just being able to be around the game a little more and certainly around the Lions family a little more for me is meaningful so I do appreciate that.”The Lions like the arrangement, too.Sanders visits suite holders during games and attends meet-and-greet sessions along with going to other team functions such as its draft party.“It’s great having him around and back in the fold Golden Tate III Jersey , interacting with fans and corporate sponsors,” Lions president Rod Wood told The AP. “He’s probably if not the best player in Lions history, he’s in the handful of the best.“And, he’s definitely the most remembered by our fans.”While it may seem like a logical connection between the former star player and the only NFL team he played for, their relationship was not smooth in the years following his sudden and surprising retirement just before training camp began 1999.Sanders is always showered with cheers in the Motor City these days. But he was booed in public at times back in the day by fans who were still unhappy he walked away from the game after 10 spectacular seasons when he was on the verge of becoming the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.“I hated that it came to the point where he was getting booed,” said Lomas Brown, one of Sanders’ former teammates. “He’s one of the greatest ever and he did it all here in Detroit. There are still some people holding a grudge today, but that’s been gone for a while.”Brown hopes the Lions take another step in their relationship with Sanders by honoring him with a statue at Ford Field.“It’s hard to believe there’s not one,” Brown said.Wood declined to say if there are plans to erect a Sanders statue.“We’ve talked about things we haven’t announced,” Wood said.When Calvin Johnson announced his retirement two years ago http://www.lionslockerroom.com/authentic-deshawn-shead-jersey , it reminded people of Sanders’ decision to walk away from the game.Like Sanders, the former star receiver chose to leave the Lions and the league with years left on his contract and seemingly some solid seasons left in his career.Johnson retired two years ago and the team has tried and failed, so far, to rekindle its relationship with him.As Sanders was the honored guest in Wood’s suite for a game earlier this month, Johnson was in a nearby luxury box on the same floor.“I know Lions fans appreciate Barry’s role with the team because he’s the greatest Lion and one of the greatest running backs — if not the greatest — to play the game,” said Johnson, who declined to talk about his relationship with the team.Brown believes time will take care of whatever issues are keeping Johnson from being a part of the organization in some way.“If the Lions continue to reaching out to him and being warm to him, I think it’ll happen,” Brown said.Wood is working on it.“It’s still goal of the organization, and me in particular http://www.lionslockerroom.com/authentic-tavon-wilson-jersey , to get Calvin back in the fold,” Wood said. “It was good to see him at the (Jets) game.”Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers Song of the Game: ‘Hold on Tight’ by ELO Electric Light Orchestra is one of my favorite bands of all time. I learned of them in my college years, but as I expanded deeper into their catalogue, I realized I wasn’t just meeting them now, I had known them all along. “Mr. Blue Sky” was a song I had likely memorized by the time I was six. “Telephone Line” was “that song” playing in the background of the fantastically odd scene when Steve Buscemi crossed out Billy Madison from his People to Kill list. “Showdown” was that badass song playing the background when Roy Munson was in an epic bowl-off against the greatest character Bill Murray has ever played: Ernie McCracken. For decades, ELO had been creating hit after hit and went underappreciated and overlooked. It’s not the most flashy of music and it’s probably not challenging enough for music snobs to enjoy, but their history is some of the most consistently good stuff out there. And yet, they never reached the pinnacle of pop music. They currently hold the record for most US Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 hits (20) without ever reaching No. 1. ELO is the Detroit Lions.Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers Song of the Game: “Hold on Tight” by Electric Light OrchestraAt halftime of Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers, I immediately sent out a warning shot across Lions twitter. Detroit, currently up 24-0 Jalen Reeves-Maybin Jersey White , was in no way safe against this Packers team. A few weeks ago the Bears learned this lesson the hard way, and Lions fans don’t need a long memory to recall the last time Aaron Rodgers mounted a 20-point comeback in that very same building.Hold on tight to your dream Hold on tight to your dream Sunday wasn’t just about holding on to a three possession lead, but for the Lions it was a chance of hold out any hope of a successful 2018 season. The team was on life support after a 1-3 start, and heading into the bye week at 1-4 would’ve sent the players to their homes filled with doubt and frustration. And it started to look like the Lions would not only lose on Sunday, but drop the game in gut-wrenching fashion as Rodgers was working his Devil Magic yet again. At one point, the Packers were a yard and two-point conversion away from making it a three-point game with over four minutes left. We had seen this before.When you see the shadows falling When you hear that cold wind calling Hold on tight to your dreamBut because this season makes no sense, things went the Lions way on Sunday. The passing play setting up the Packers in the red zone was actually incomplete upon review. Mason Crosby would miss his fourth field goal a few plays later, and the Lions offense actually closed out a game they had the lead in. I don’t know why ELO breaks into French halfway through this song, but can you honestly say it’s more confounding than anything we’ve seen out of the Detroit Lions this season? Check out our full playlist to the 2018 season below (or here if you don’t see it). You can catch our explanations of each choice here.