The Fords need to be stripped of their NFL franchise. This may sound extreme, but after finishing an entire NFL season without a single win — and then promoting individuals who were at least partly responsible for the debacle -– this action is a necessity for the integrity of the Lions, the city of Detroit, and the NFL.
Today William Clay Ford Sr. announced that, although he has fired his head coach Rod Marinelli, Tom Lewand will be promoted to team president and Martin Mayhew will be elevated to the GM position. In what kind of backwards, inept, idiotic organization is complete and total failure rewarded? Perhaps old man Ford is taking a page from the Bush White House protocol, because nowhere else, whether in business or sports, would the total embarrassment of monumental failure constitute anything positive to happen for those involved in its construction or implementation.
Whether or not these two men were integral in building what is easily one of the worst professional sports teams ever is arguable and irrelevant. What should be obvious is that anyone, and I mean anyone, who had anything to do with this monstrosity of a season needs to be fired, immediately.
But instead Lions fan are greeted — one day after making auspicious history — with the news that the cancer that has plagued the Lions for so many years is still ever-present. In typical fashion, the team has responded to a new level of failure by only exasperating the punch line that the organization has become to the rest of the football watching country.
At least, when the Lions had Barry Sanders, there was something for fans to grasp on to; an entity to provide excitement and hope. Sure, they drafted Andre Ware, thinking he could start in the NFL. And, of course, Wayne Fontes' comical attempts to take what was a relatively talented squad and make them viable were fodder for sports analysts even back then. But in those days the Lions would sniff the playoffs every once in a while, Barry was playing Neo in the NFL matrix, and even though there was only one playoff win, Lion fans stayed loyal.
But times have changed. Barry is long gone — a memory of past “glories” — and the team has hit new depths. Running through a carousel of coaches and player personnel, the Lions have now lost 23 of their last 24 games. And unlike in places such as San Francisco and Buffalo, there is no hope for the future found on a roster of predominately untalented players. The only Lions with promise — Calvin Johnson and Kevin Smith — are hardly enough to make an impact with the likes of Dan Orvlosky throwing the rock, a defense that, put simply, can’t tackle, and an offensive line that sacrifices quarterbacks like they are participating in some ancient Aztec ritual.
Article comments
1 - $$$Big B da money maka$$
down here in manrow we love us some lions.
2 - Matthew T. Sussman
Owners are simply immune to accountability. It's their money and they can do what they want with it. The best anyone in Michigan can do is pick another team. The Packers, Vikings, Bears, Colts, Browns, Bills, and Bengals are all within driving distance.
3 - Tony
I think the lines of privatization are pretty blurry in the NFL and really in sports period. By far, the brass in the NFL is the most heavy handed; there has to be some solution other than simply eliminating the Lions from existance.
I guess that is the one thing the NFL can control; whether or not the Lions are eligable to exist in the NFL. If the owner is going to consistently show negligence perhaps he needs to be stripped of the right to participate in the league.
4 - Matthew T. Sussman
It's not a problem just for the Lions. Look at Peter Angelos, Donald Sterling and the late Bill Wirtz as examples of owners who just don't give a shit.
"If the owner is going to consistently show negligence perhaps he needs to be stripped of the right to participate in the league."
Maybe but ... but, is that a rule? Is there precedent? The NFL has been known to be stringent for many things, such as fining a player for making a snow angel after a touchdown, but what they've never done is doled out penalties for lack of effort.* So when WCF Sr. holds onto a franchise that follows all the written rules and ignores the unwritten one of "hey, um, maybe you should fucking try to build a winning team," then you have to use the Chicago Blackhawks Blueprint To Success -- wait for your owner to die.
* - (On the contrary, the opposite can be argued; many on-field penalties were because the player tried TOO hard. Knocking a ball loose by hitting a defenseless player across the field ... a helmet to helmet hit in an attempt to cause a fumble ... hell, Belichick tried way too hard to get those defensive signals.)
5 - Jet
I don't suppose Art Modell's too old of a reference to owners who didn't give a shit about their teams?
6 - Matthew T. Sussman
On the contrary, Art Modell cared about his team so much that he moved it away from Cleveland and won a Super Bowl.
7 - Jet
well... that certainly was dumb of me wasn't it?
8 - Jet
I guess it comes down to the old joke Cleveland fans told when Modell sold the Browns...
You're trapped in a room with Art Modell, Khadafy and Saddam.
You have a gun with only two bullets, what do you do?
Shoot Modell twice!
9 - Tony
I'm not sure there is another owner in sports who has been so neglient for so many years. I mean four decades of losing? Any other team would have been sold or relocated or both, by this point.
Of course there have been stretchs were bad owners have hurt teams but the same guy for forty years?
10 - Increase Mather
Been following the Lions since 1957...they used to be a top NFL franchise...Ford bought them in '63 and they've been terrible since.
Ford Sr. only fired Millen last September after his son, Billy Jr. told a reporter that if HE were in charge, Millen would be gone.
I think Jr. is the only hope. He must step in and retire the old man.
The Fords have done terrible damage to this once great franchise.