By Charlie Crowley, Sports Editor

As the holiday season rolls around, everyone seems to be in a bit of a lighter mood. People are looking forward to getting home for a while and relax, students are chomping at the bit to get done with their exams, and retail employees pray they don’t have to kick out some guy for swinging on another guy over a toaster oven. The best part of this year though? Football on Christmas. What better way to spend a Sunday other than sitting around stuffing your face while complaining about Joe Buck  for hating your team?

This year, however, the holidays may be different for some of you around the state: to continue the 2016 trend of ‘anything will happen that can,’ the Detroit Lions – the LIONS – are atop the NFC North.

Something doesn’t seem to add up here.

Now, I’ll be honest. I’m a Bears fan. With the track record they’ve provided over the last few years I’m contractually obligated to live out the glory years of the 1985 Bears, a team that came nine years before me. However, I am also a Chicago Blackhawks fan. Before you start ragging me about the Red Wings having more Cups, know that I am fully aware of this. The Hawks have had a string of success in recent years, however, so I’m aware of how to handle winning. Here are a few helpful tips to help you through this wonderful time of the year.

• Don’t be a jerk. Similar to how you shouldn’t have talked politics at Thanksgiving this year, consider this: someone in your family may be a Browns fan.

• Know what you’re talking about. The last thing you want is reminding your family that Calvin Johnson is one of the elite wideouts in the league even though he’s retired.

• See that you don’t say ‘we.’ Yes, you and your uncle may drink as much beer as Matt Prater, but that doesn’t make you a part of the team. They are ‘they,’ not ‘we’ or ‘us.’

• Remember what sport they are. The Lions play football. In the National FOOTBALL League. Try not to screw that up.

• Remember that sports isn’t about winning or losing but is about both teams trying their best and having fun.

So there you have. A short quick guide to being the best that you can be at screwing up names such as popular players Matthew Stanford, Golden Tape, and Denzel Washington. Keep on watching, and maybe they’ll make the Super Series Football Bowl. Merry Christmas!