127 replies to this topic

[Oriole85]

ESPN: Lions still owned by Ford family

 

Martha Ford, Ford's widow, will gain controlling interest in the Lions, while her son, William Clay Ford Jr., will remain the team's vice chairman.

"Pursuant to long-established succession plans, Mr. Ford's controlling interest in the Lions passes to Mrs. Martha Ford," the Lions said in a statement. "She and her four children will continue to be involved in the ownership of the franchise, as they have during Mr. Ford's tenure."

I'm sure other NFL owners are relieved that they won't be competing for championships anytime soon.

[DJ MC]

ESPN: Lions still owned by Ford family

 

I'm sure other NFL owners are relieved that they won't be competing for championships anytime soon.

 

Junior has been much more in charge of the team in recent years, which has coincided with the team getting better overall.

[Oriole85]

Junior has been much more in charge of the team in recent years, which has coincided with the team getting better overall.

Yeah I know -- they're better, but it's hard not to go up from where they were. They haven't won a playoff game in over 20 years and that's the only one in the in the last 55+ years. They've only made the playoffs once in the last 14 years and have had two winning seasons over that time period. I'll still bet the other NFL owners are happy they aren't selling the team.

[Oriole85]

Ford's ownership was cursed (Detroit Free Press)

 

During a 2003 one-on-one interview with him, Ford told me about the afternoon he secured sole ownership of the Lions. At the time, the team had a syndicate for 144 stockholders, which included Ford, the club president. He didn’t want to disrupt his Thanksgiving vacation in Palm Beach, Fla., the following week so he moved up the vote of stockholders to 1 p.m. on Nov. 22, 1963.

Approximately the same time Ford secured sole ownership of the Lions, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

“It turned into a sad, terrible day,” he recalled. “About a half-hour after the meeting, a few of us were having lunch at the Statler Hilton to celebrate. And a waitress came up to me and asked if I heard about Kennedy in Dallas.”

 

Ford never bought into the idea of “curses” tilting the Lions’ destiny.

“It’s a terrible coincidence that both of these things would occur around the same time,” he said. “But there were a couple times over the years when some things happened to us that you just couldn’t figure out why or how it happened, and you’d briefly think if there’s some kind of stigma attached to anything else that might have taken place that awful day.”

[BSLChrisStoner]

Grantland: Just how bad have the Lions been?
http://grantland.com...ffs-ineptitude/

[Oriole85]

Fox Sports: Seems like the Earth is starting to reclaim the Pontiac Silverdome

 

[BSLChrisStoner]

CBS Sports: Draft Spotlight
http://www.cbssports...lions-spotlight

[BSLChrisStoner]

Many on this board have conflicting feelings about Ebron....  I see the possible bust factor, but the tools to be a major weapon are there. Him on the Lions could be great... lots of single coverage over the middle.... running past LB's, too much for Safeties... 

And of course you can only give him so much attention due to the other weapons Detroit has. Sure that Stafford is happy. (Though, he might have been happier with Lewan.)

[PatrickDougherty]

I'm totally talking out of my ass here since I know nothing about NCAA football players and do not follow NCAA football, but... a TE? In the first round top 10? Surely the Lions have bigger needs than a TE. Like, Stafford is sacked at the third-highest rate among active quarterbacks. Can't you get a tight end anywhere in the draft? Heck, the available TE FA's aren't great, but they're not terrible. They have Calvin Johnson, they barely need anyone else with two arms whose job is to catch the ball! Nate Burleson proved that last year! Someone correct me, or I'm going to laugh at the Lions all season when Stafford is constantly being hit because Ebron seems to be a receiving tight end and I have no idea how good of a blocker.

[BSLChrisStoner]

I'm totally talking out of my ass here since I know nothing about NCAA football players and do not follow NCAA football, but... a TE? In the first round top 10? Surely the Lions have bigger needs than a TE. Like, Stafford is sacked at the third-highest rate among active quarterbacks. Can't you get a tight end anywhere in the draft? Heck, the available TE FA's aren't great, but they're not terrible. They have Calvin Johnson, they barely need anyone else with two arms whose job is to catch the ball! Nate Burleson proved that last year! Someone correct me, or I'm going to laugh at the Lions all season when Stafford is constantly being hit because Ebron seems to be a receiving tight end and I have no idea how good of a blocker.

 

He has no blocking skills, but is a great athlete... and with Johnson outside, he can work the middle.

I do agree with the idea that teams should be built from the lines out, so Lewan would have been my selection there... but it would not shock me at all to see Ebron produce pretty quickly in that offense.

[PatrickDougherty]

He has no blocking skills, but is a great athlete... and with Johnson outside, he can work the middle.

I do agree with the idea that teams should be built from the lines out, so Lewan would have been my selection there... but it would not shock me at all to see Ebron produce pretty quickly in that offense.

I do think he'll be successfull, but player success =/= team success and I think the Lions whiffed on this one

[BSLChrisStoner]

Sports on Earth: New look Lions
http://www.sportsone...nd-ideas#!ZVUtE

[BSLChrisStoner]

Sports Illustrated: Report Card

http://www.si.com/20...son-report-card

[BSLChrisStoner]

Pro Football Focus: Preview

https://www.profootb...-detroit-lions/

[DJ MC]

Why Your Team Sucks 2014: Detroit Lions

[SammyBirdland]

Lions' linebacker Stephen Tulloch injured his knee while doing a sack dance.  STOP DANCING.

 

Video:

http://www.sportingn...ebration-injury

[NewMarketSean]

Stafford regressing after his great MNF debut.

I should know I've got him in FF.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Sports Illustrated: With defense putting up league-best numbers, Lions eye return to playoffs

http://www.si.com/nf...uh-teryl-austin

[BSLChrisStoner]

Sports on Earth: How much are Megatron and Suh worth?

http://www.sportsone...-calvin-johnson

[Cisc-O's]

How much credit should Caldwell and the men he brought along (Coaches) get credit for this season.  Not much change and turnover from last year..... 

 

Side note:  I bet one more year at this level Teryl Austin is a Head coach.

 

Detroit Defense: 1st in points allowed 15.8 1st in yards total 283.4 3rd in passing yards allowed 212.2 and 71.2 rush yards allowed a game puts them in 2nd.