The Detroit Lions have existed as a franchise since the 1920s. I have lived in Detroit since 1970. In those 38 years, I've spent countless hours watching this losing team play ball...badly. There should be a NFL rule that if you can't produce a winning team after so many years, you must sell the franchise to someone who means business. Kids here deserve better. Adults too.The Detroit Lions have won four NFL Championships, the last in 1957, giving the club the second-longest NFL championship drought. The Lions have yet to qualify for the Super Bowl. The team has qualified for the playoffs only nine times in the 51-plus years since winning the 1957 championship and has won only one playoff game in that span. Heartbreaking.
After 50 soldout games in their beautiful new home, Ford Field, the Detroit Lions finally will be blacked out this Sunday. I'd like to think this might have some impact on their losing ways. But I don't.
Nothing has. William Clay Ford, the team owner, has a lot 'splainin' to do. Because Lions' fans are ridiculously loyal, he's been able to make lots of money despite producing such teams. Perhaps, the US carmakers have profitted from similar loyalty. Here are Detroit Lions records for the last ten seasons. They have yet to win a game this year.
2007 7-9
2006 3-13
2005 5-11
2004 6-10
2003 5-11
2002 3-13
2001 2-14
2000 9-7
1999 8-8
1998 5-11
Thank goodness, we are lucky enough in Detroit to have three productive franchises though: the Tigers, the Red Wings and the Pistons. Go team!
And we also had the Michigan Wolverines--until this year.
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25 comments:
I don't know if I'd really call the Tigers winners again-- yet. =)
Let's not forget that Ford Field has less seats than their old field-- and some how they STILL sold out? Poor fools-- I mean, fans.
It's hard to watch the lions. I keep telling Hubby to go out for the Lions. Okay, he's scrawny and not athletic and can't throw or catch. But he'd do just as well as any of the current Lions-- and they get paid a lot better than he does. =)
I was just reading your side bar and am thinking of renting Rachel Getting Married.
Oops. Not available yet on DVD. Drat.
At least the Tigers have won four (I think) world series in this same period. Tell Hubby to suit up.
I feel your pain. This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the Jets' Super Bowl III win. Although not my main team(reserved for the Redskins and, recently, the Panthers), I have followed and agonized over them since that memorable win over the Colts. They've shown promise a time or two, but always disappoint.
I know how important football is to some folks---I'm in Browns-town. But I have to admit that I am not too interested..... It is cool that some teams have been in existence for so many years, though.
Debra-I could be interested but given the team here, I'm not.
I'm from New York where we're still reeling from the Buffalo Bills losses in the early nineties...
My last memory of the Bills was when Simpson was on the team. Seemed like a great guy then.
I feel your pain as I am a long suffering Saints fan.
The Saints originated wearing masks to the games, I think.
Although I live in Toronto, I follow the Saskatchewan Rough Riders.
Canadian football is a bit different, right?
Yes, in Canadian football the fast black guys play quarterback and the slow white guys run downfield. And it's a big field, 110 yards and then giant end zones - and 65 yards across.
This year the Bills are playing home games in Toronto. People in western New York are upset, people who love Canadian football are upset, but there's corporate money involved, so...
Actually I like the CFL and the Bills, I'd just like them to stay in Buffalo.
Now, you want to talk about losing teams, let me introduce you to something called the Maple Leafs.
God, you'd better not smoke in Canada.
Both of my accountant husbands were football freaks.
I have learned to like it, and possibly understand it.
My 2nd hubby prefers American football, but loathes the commentators. We usually watch with the sound off! :-)
I understood it once--when I watched it with my son. I'd probably have to learn it again.
Not only do we have bigger fields in Canada, we only have three downs to move the ball, not four. We also have a good reason to call Edmonton's team the Eskimos! No roof on our field.
Lord, how cold does it get there? You are hardy souls.
My youngest child follows the Browns, but I lost the desire to do so years ago. They really are the "Cardiac Kids" and I prefer that my entertainment help me escape life's stress, not add to it. J
We didn't pay the slightest attention to the Lions until our then six-year old discovered them for himself in 1976. Then it seemed like the civil thing to do--watch the games with him. I think we've all given up on them by now.
I miss Wayne Fontes and Rodney Peete, both who got me into the Lions in the first place. Things have gotten so bad that I would even be happy with Scott "good enough for the World League, but worth only three-quarters of a decent NFL season" Mitchell.
Calvin Johnson is even better than Herman Moore, but even bringing Culpepper and revamping the entire offensive line, won't undo half of the evil that Matt Millen hath wrought.
And oh for the day of Barry Sanders.
Barry is and will always be the best change-of-direction-back ever. Well the Lions finally signed Duante Culpepper, so he should be better than any free-agent quarterback available next year and none of next year's quarterbacks in the draft will be ready to lead the Lions.
In better news, A.I. will be starting for Pistons, Wednesday night!
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