This is how screwed up Lions ownership is (1 Viewer)

[Da Guru]

I heard this story last night on a radio show in Detroit.

In 2005 when it was obvious to everyone but William Clay Ford that the Detroit Lions were crashing like a lead balloon and that Matt Millen was in way over his head and destroying the franchise for years to come, the NFL reached out and contacted the Lions and WCF to ask if he/they wanted help to form a list of "proven and up and coming" front office people to help the Lions try to dig out of the hole that Millen dug. A list that the Lions could use as a guide to try and get the correct person in to fix this mess.

Instead of taking the help that the NFL offered the very next week WCF gave Matt Millen a 5 year extension and made him one of the top 5 paid GMs in the entire NFL.

William Clays Fords style with the Lions has been whatever fans of the Lions or the league wants..he will dig in and do the opposite.

This is why I hope the Lions go 0-16!

 

[PatrickT]

I just can't even comprehend owning an NFL franchise and just not even caring about it. When fans used to ##### about Blank being "meddlesome", this one of the examples I brought up as an alternative.

Makes me want to buy GM.

 

[Anthony Borbely]

I wonder who was on that list.

Speaking of this subject...I keep hearing Scott Pioli being mentioned as a possible candidate. Then I looked at the last 3 Patriot drafts and they don't look any better than the last 3 Millen drafts. While they have made some good acquisitions, their drafts have been pretty bad.

 

[Sweet Love]

If this is true, what is the over/under on how many times the NFL tried to save Al Davis from Al Davis?

 

[thatguythere]

I just can't even comprehend owning an NFL franchise and just not even caring about it. When fans used to ##### about Blank being "meddlesome", this one of the examples I brought up as an alternative.Makes me want to buy GM.

I don't think he doesn't care. I just don't think the elevator makes it up to the top floor any more, if ever at all. The Ford's live in a different world than the rest of us mortals, their reality is not the same as the rest of the world's. Jr. needs to plan a coup and get some people who know football, then immediately remove himself from any operations cause his brain undoubtedly works similar to the old man's.I've also seen some rumblings on Lions boards about Lewand being hired as the GM....Talk about empty seats. If that happens the NFL should just take the franchise away.

 

[Da Guru]

If this is true, what is the over/under on how many times the NFL tried to save Al Davis from Al Davis?

Al Davis gets some slack, The Raiders have won SuperBowls and were a dominant team for many years.WCF has been the "sole" owner since 1964. In 45 years under WCF the Lions have won a grand total of one playoff game.

 

[Da Guru]

I just can't even comprehend owning an NFL franchise and just not even caring about it. When fans used to ##### about Blank being "meddlesome", this one of the examples I brought up as an alternative.Makes me want to buy GM.

I don't think he doesn't care. I just don't think the elevator makes it up to the top floor any more, if ever at all. The Ford's live in a different world than the rest of us mortals, their reality is not the same as the rest of the world's. Jr. needs to plan a coup and get some people who know football, then immediately remove himself from any operations cause his brain undoubtedly works similar to the old man's.I've also seen some rumblings on Lions boards about Lewand being hired as the GM....Talk about empty seats. If that happens the NFL should just take the franchise away.

Tom Lewand is a brown nosing Ford lackey! Lewand is not a football person, he was brought in for stadium operations, and now he is part time GM.Lewand needs to be fired as well, along with Mayhew and anyone who has any ties to Matt Millen.

 

[MCguidance]

If this is true, what is the over/under on how many times the NFL tried to save Al Davis from Al Davis?

Al Davis gets some slack, The Raiders have won SuperBowls and were a dominant team for many years.WCF has been the "sole" owner since 1964. In 45 years under WCF the Lions have won a grand total of one playoff game.

Wow, I never realized it was that bad. Makes being a Mets and Jets fan a little more tolerable....a little.

 

[WampusCat43]

If this is true, what is the over/under on how many times the NFL tried to save Al Davis from Al Davis?

Al Davis gets some slack, The Raiders have won SuperBowls and were a dominant team for many years.WCF has been the "sole" owner since 1964. In 45 years under WCF the Lions have won a grand total of one playoff game.

Huh. Guess I'll pack up my snarky Mike Brown comment and go home.

 

[notdarkyet]

I wish the league would FORCE the Bengals to do something for the front office. *sigh*

 

[AnonymousBob]

Have you decided on a new team yet?

Loyalty is a two way street and the Lions have been pissing in the fan's faces for the past 45 years. It's high time you wiped off the urine and started rooting for a team that at least goes through the pretense of giving a damn about their fans or winning a game.

 

[Sabertooth]

Last season my best friend stopped being a Lion's fan after they didn't fire Millen immediately after the season. He went ahead, right before the Super Bowl and bought a Tom Brady jersey. Pats lost the Super Bowl and then Brady got hurt week 1 of this season. So the impact of the Lions ineptitude reaches far beyond Ford Field.

 

[stbugs]

I just can't even comprehend owning an NFL franchise and just not even caring about it. When fans used to ##### about Blank being "meddlesome", this one of the examples I brought up as an alternative.Makes me want to buy GM.

and a Meh posting.I agree on the Blank comment, meddlesome owners like Daniel Snyder and Jerry Jones often get a bad rap and sometimes they do screw up, but I would much rather have someone that cares and meddles than someone who doesn't care at all and screws up.Onto buying GM, as someone else in another thread put it, the Ford Motor Company is not the owner of the Lions. This is not a Disney Angels/Ducks or Tribune Cubs thing, this is an owner who just so happened to be lucky enough to be a descedant of the really, really smart individual who started the Ford Motor Company.It would be akin to one of the many Walmart billionaires, who have zero to do with Walmart anymore owning a team. The last names match, but the companies <> the owners. It is more unfortunate to the Ford Motor Company that their name also gets drug through the mud because of an individual moron who has the same last name. If I were them, I mights sue WCF to change his name.

 

[PatrickT]

I just can't even comprehend owning an NFL franchise and just not even caring about it. When fans used to ##### about Blank being "meddlesome", this one of the examples I brought up as an alternative.Makes me want to buy GM.

and a Meh posting.I agree on the Blank comment, meddlesome owners like Daniel Snyder and Jerry Jones often get a bad rap and sometimes they do screw up, but I would much rather have someone that cares and meddles than someone who doesn't care at all and screws up.Onto buying GM, as someone else in another thread put it, the Ford Motor Company is not the owner of the Lions. This is not a Disney Angels/Ducks or Tribune Cubs thing, this is an owner who just so happened to be lucky enough to be a descedant of the really, really smart individual who started the Ford Motor Company.It would be akin to one of the many Walmart billionaires, who have zero to do with Walmart anymore owning a team. The last names match, but the companies <> the owners. It is more unfortunate to the Ford Motor Company that their name also gets drug through the mud because of an individual moron who has the same last name. If I were them, I mights sue WCF to change his name.

Was more tongue in cheek than anything else, I know the two are not hand-in-hand.

 

[QuizGuy66]

Last season my best friend stopped being a Lion's fan after they didn't fire Millen immediately after the season. He went ahead, right before the Super Bowl and bought a Tom Brady jersey. Pats lost the Super Bowl and then Brady got hurt week 1 of this season. So the impact of the Lions ineptitude reaches far beyond Ford Field.

Where do I send him a Steelers jersey for Christmas?-QG

 

[ScottyFargo]

Last season my best friend stopped being a Lion's fan after they didn't fire Millen immediately after the season. He went ahead, right before the Super Bowl and bought a Tom Brady jersey. Pats lost the Super Bowl and then Brady got hurt week 1 of this season. So the impact of the Lions ineptitude reaches far beyond Ford Field.

Serves him right for jumping on a bandwagon anyway, instead of finding a team with real heart.

 

[stbugs]

I just can't even comprehend owning an NFL franchise and just not even caring about it. When fans used to ##### about Blank being "meddlesome", this one of the examples I brought up as an alternative.Makes me want to buy GM.

and a Meh posting.I agree on the Blank comment, meddlesome owners like Daniel Snyder and Jerry Jones often get a bad rap and sometimes they do screw up, but I would much rather have someone that cares and meddles than someone who doesn't care at all and screws up.Onto buying GM, as someone else in another thread put it, the Ford Motor Company is not the owner of the Lions. This is not a Disney Angels/Ducks or Tribune Cubs thing, this is an owner who just so happened to be lucky enough to be a descedant of the really, really smart individual who started the Ford Motor Company.It would be akin to one of the many Walmart billionaires, who have zero to do with Walmart anymore owning a team. The last names match, but the companies <> the owners. It is more unfortunate to the Ford Motor Company that their name also gets drug through the mud because of an individual moron who has the same last name. If I were them, I mights sue WCF to change his name.

Was more tongue in cheek than anything else, I know the two are not hand-in-hand.

Got it, unfortunately for the Ford Motor Company, I don't think everyone actually knows this.

 

[LionsPride]

Have you decided on a new team yet?Loyalty is a two way street and the Lions have been pissing in the fan's faces for the past 45 years. It's high time you wiped off the urine and started rooting for a team that at least goes through the pretense of giving a damn about their fans or winning a game.

I have been a Diehard Lions fan for all 42 years of my existence and am at the end of my rope, anything short of a great hire for GM followed by an inspired coaching change, followed by a show of competence during the draft which is more critical than ever as the cupboard is as bare as it ever has been and I'll be leaving my beloved Lions behind for good. It has really gotten to the point where following this franchize is actually a depressing experience, I can't even enjoy the games anymore. I'm trying to hang in there because if they could ever turn it around it would be worth all this misery year after year but my hopes are all but exhausted at this point.

 

[SeniorVBDStudent]

I wonder who was on that list. Speaking of this subject...I keep hearing Scott Pioli being mentioned as a possible candidate. Then I looked at the last 3 Patriot drafts and they don't look any better than the last 3 Millen drafts. While they have made some good acquisitions, their drafts have been pretty bad.

2008Mayo is becoming an absolute stud.Wheatley, Crable and OConnell will all be NFL starters.I don't know the later round guys.2007After taking Meriweather in the 1st (starting at safety), all other picks were 4th round and later2006Maroney is a bust (at least for NE; maybe Shanahan still lusts after him)Chad Jackson definite bustThomas, Gostkowski, and OCalaghan all starter quality (although Thomas appears to be a bonehead)I don't know the later round guys.The 2006 - 2008 draft results aren't that bad; tough to followup the ridiculous success from the 2001 - 2005 drafts.

 

[Anthony Borbely]

I wonder who was on that list. Speaking of this subject...I keep hearing Scott Pioli being mentioned as a possible candidate. Then I looked at the last 3 Patriot drafts and they don't look any better than the last 3 Millen drafts. While they have made some good acquisitions, their drafts have been pretty bad.

2008Mayo is becoming an absolute stud.Wheatley, Crable and OConnell will all be NFL starters.I don't know the later round guys.2007After taking Meriweather in the 1st (starting at safety), all other picks were 4th round and later2006Maroney is a bust (at least for NE; maybe Shanahan still lusts after him)Chad Jackson definite bustThomas, Gostkowski, and OCalaghan all starter quality (although Thomas appears to be a bonehead)I don't know the later round guys.The 2006 - 2008 draft results aren't that bad; tough to followup the ridiculous success from the 2001 - 2005 drafts.

I think it is much to early to say that any of the 2008 picks will be starters. Wheatley didn't show much. Meriweather hasn't played like a first round pick. Thomas is nothing special. The other 2 are decent. I don't see the above drafts being anything special. Other than Mayo, the early picks have been huge disappointments at best.

 

[Zigg]

This is why North American sports need relegation. Create a 2nd division, then the bottom three team go down, top three teams go up. No more getting fat off the NFL without fielding a competitive team.

 

[encaitar]

This is why North American sports need relegation. Create a 2nd division, then the bottom three team go down, top three teams go up. No more getting fat off the NFL without fielding a competitive team.

Can't happen. Too many players needed for an NFL team. Soccer only has 11 guys playing the whole game. They're only allowed a max of 3 substitutions. Every team in the NFL has a 53 man roster and 40-45 of them play every week. Just too many guys when you consider that there are 32 teams already. Talent pool just isn't there for relegating teams.

 

[gagull]

Last season my best friend stopped being a Lion's fan after they didn't fire Millen immediately after the season. He went ahead, right before the Super Bowl and bought a Tom Brady jersey. Pats lost the Super Bowl and then Brady got hurt week 1 of this season. So the impact of the Lions ineptitude reaches far beyond Ford Field.

 

[roadkill1292]

This is why North American sports need relegation. Create a 2nd division, then the bottom three team go down, top three teams go up. No more getting fat off the NFL without fielding a competitive team.

Can't happen. Too many players needed for an NFL team. Soccer only has 11 guys playing the whole game. They're only allowed a max of 3 substitutions. Every team in the NFL has a 53 man roster and 40-45 of them play every week. Just too many guys when you consider that there are 32 teams already. Talent pool just isn't there for relegating teams.

I'm not getting the connection you're making unless it's that a lot more teams are necessary to have an effective relegation system. And if that's your argument, then why?

 

[Gigantomachia]

If this is true, what is the over/under on how many times the NFL tried to save Al Davis from Al Davis?

Al Davis gets some slack, The Raiders have won SuperBowls and were a dominant team for many years.WCF has been the "sole" owner since 1964. In 45 years under WCF the Lions have won a grand total of one playoff game.

Wow, I never realized it was that bad. Makes being a Mets and Jets fan a little more tolerable....a little.

Is the water that bad in Detroit?Lions bailout on horizon??

 

[Sinrman]

In a case like that it's a matter of pride to Ford and Millen. They won't accept "help" from the league, because it would show weakness and lack of vision and leadership on their part. The rest of the league would snicker (more than they do now).

I agree though -- why own a team when you could care two ####s about it? What a waste of money.. oh wait... it's the Fords!