ALLEN PARK -- Per usual, the tailgate scene at Detroit’s Eastern Market on Sunday was lively and energetic as Lions fans geared up for the home opener at Ford Field against the Chicago Bears.
Among the many setups at the popular location was a bittersweet moment of solidarity.
Near Shed 3 on Russell Street, a group of Lions fans gathered for a pregame toast to honor “The Governor,” Melvin Cotton, a well-known tailgater in the community who passed away in May.
Cotton, a diehard Lions fan and cancer survivor from Eastpointe, was on one of his frequent trips to Aruba with his wife, Manessa -- a trip he insisted on taking, telling her, “This might be my last time going to Aruba.”
Sadly, he was right.
Melvin fell ill during the trip, prompting Manessa to cut it short and return to Michigan.
“We used to stay 10 days, but this time I said, ‘We’re not going to stay that long. We’ll stay seven,” Manessa told MLive. “He didn’t even last seven days. He got sick on the fourth day. The fifth day, I said, ‘Okay, we are going back to Michigan.’
“He’s like, ‘No, I don’t want to go. I want to stay.’ I said, ‘No, because it’s going to take me too, but I’ll take you to the hospital in Aruba. I might not ever get you back to Michigan.’”
Upon their return, Manessa rushed him to the emergency room at Beaumont Hospital (now Corewell Health) in Royal Oak, where he died that night -- not from cancer, but from double pneumonia. Doctors told her at the time that he was still cancer-free.
At Sunday’s tailgate, a banner displayed photos honoring Melvin, who was widely known as the life of the party at Eastern Market.
“He was the (tailgate) DJ,” Manessa said. “You see, they have the pictures of every time he was out here. He had the Lions gear on. (He) loved the Lions. So yeah, it’s a big loss to not only me, but to my family, my girls, and his grandkids. We take it one day at a time.
“He kept (the party) going. He did the (TV) screen, he did the whole nine yards. This (tribute) was beautiful… I’m all about family, and these people have been family to us for so long. Their family, my family, everybody else’s family. As you can see, we join in and we just have a good time.”
Wearing Lions apparel, Manessa said she is “absolutely” hoping the team pulls out a victory -- for themselves and for Melvin -- to move to 1-1. When asked for her prediction, she smiled and didn’t hesitate.
“Oooh, I’m coming in at 24-6.”
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