Martha Firestone Ford steps down as Lions owner. Sheila Ford Hamp new owner, effective immediately
It's not the earth-shattering news a sale to Bezos would've been, but I still reckon the dynamic duo's leashes just got a bit shorter.
As a Packers fan, I am very saddened by this news after all the things she's done for the Lions, but relieved that she didn't sell and that she can still mentor her successor.
GO PACK GO!
Probably this guy?
Sincerely,
A Bitter Lions Fan
Brilliant meme. Im excited to see how Love develops. He nearly went into EL and pulled off the upset in 2018. Also intrigued about former M commit AJ Dillon
Still a Ford. Lions doomed forever...
Yeah, Ford's gonna Ford - but hopefully Shiela's got a bit more football smarts than the old lady.
Should just give the franchise to the GM since GMs are better than Fords.
judging by the negs, looks like nobody likes the GM's. wonder what the reaction would be if you'd suggested the dodge or chrysler families?
I've been driving Fords for the past 20 years. Windstars and Fusions and I've been happy with them. My wife had a Fiesta with that shit transmission, we gave that to one son when his Chevy Cobalt fell apart.
Windstars??? They haven't made those in over 20 years, have they?
Last year was a 2003. I think we bought a 2003 in 2006 and drove it for several years. Had a 1998 from 2000 through 2006.
Both were purchased used, obviously.
we have 3 one-ton fords. have had and sold two other one tons, all diesels. we had a beater dodge for the farm. it was fine. we have a chevy, nice truck. but the fords have given us very good service.
I'm guessing about 99 down votes and 100 up votes. Too bad we can't see totals anymore.
Fun fact: The Ford family bought the Lions the same day JFK was assassinated.
Fun fact #2: The first game after Ford took over was a loss to Minnesota -- the first time they ever beat the Lions.
https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2013/11/22/lions-ford-era-had-auspicious-start/
Start as you mean to go on.
I’m all seriousness, what the fuck did WCF Jr. do to get completely thrown out of the loop?
Remember how he was being groomed to take over from his old man and then, suddenly, he was gone without any explanation and now mom has said “Nope, your sister gets to run the show instead.”
I mean I know he sucks at running the team, but since when has utter incompetence been a reason for the Lions’ hierarchy to get rid of someone? Let alone their own flesh and blood.
Did mom catch him whacking it to a Playboy as a teenager and never forgave him or something?
WCFJr is a capable businessman. Someone from the family has to make sure that the car company continues to make money for the family. Nobody else in his family's generation has the same ability.
WCFSr was not nearly as involved in running the car company as his brother, Henry II. He lucked into buying the Lions in 1963. He had bought a minority interest in the team 2 years earlier and then after a power struggle broke out among other owners, he bought out the other shareholders for $4.5M. Turned out great for him and the family money-wise.
As an aside, was trying to figure out the connection(s) of the Fords portrayed in "Ford vs Ferrari." I don't think WCF Sr was part of it.
The way I heard the story, William Clay Ford was given the Lions to run because he was a drunk and and idiot and they didn't want him anywhere near the real family business, Ford Motor. He then hired Russ Thomas as his GM because it was Thomas who helped him get cured off the Wild Turkey. Thomas turned out to be even more incompetent than William Clay and together for 20 years the two completely and utterly infected the Lions with the disease they are still ill with to this day.
This new Ford experiment will not be any different. If the Ford's were truly philanthropic they would admit their failure and sell the team, but they will not. Most of them sit on a pile of money they did not earn and have nothing else to do.
Despite the fact that he was a Buckeye, I view Russ Thomas as having been highly competent at the job he was paid to do.
He was not hired to win, he was hired to run a profitable enterprise. And that is exactly what he did.
The list of great AFL players that Thomas wouldn't compete to sign out of college is still depressing to consider. The two big ones of course being John Hadl and then Fred Biletnikoff. Although I have to admit that I can't imagine that signing those guys would have changed our fortunes all that much. Likely would have cost Biletnikoff the Hall.
At least we wouldn't have had to watch Karl Sweetan and Milt Plum.
I blame the Fords. They and Thomas figured out pretty quick that they didn't need to win to be profitable in Detroit. The truth is that really, the Fords haven't even paid lip service to the notion of winning with very much consistency.
NFL franchises are a license to print money. With the lucrative TV contracts, ticket sales are a bonus. I was told years ago that WCF could sit in Ford Field all by himself and still turn a nice profit. I used to turn down free tickets to the Lions because I refused to go down there and watch them....
Partly, but not 100% true. Take a look at the following.
https://www.michiganradio.org/post/remembering-william-clay-ford
WCFSr. hired Thomas in 1967, three years after taking over the team. Thomas had been a Lions' assistant coach a decade before.
I used to do legal stuff for the family, including some work involving their finances. With a few exceptions, they're nice people who don't like a lot of conflict and drama, which explains their hesitation to fire people and their tendency to hire from within. When Benson Jr, sued the rest of the family in the early 80's, you'd have thought it was the end of the world. They are loyal, which in a competitive business, doesn't usually equate to success. They've needed to hire someone good and hold them short-leash accountable for the product on the field... which isn't their style.
As for your last point, I can't imagine anyone, not me, not you, not anyone else, and not a Ford family member, who is philanthropic enough to sell off an asset that is essentially a license to print money and which doesn't require insane hours of hands-on management in order to remain profitable. Especially when it's a business that is notorious for having companies/teams going from worst-to-first quickly.
He hired Matt Millen.
And he staked his reputation on that hire.
And he also hired Jim Hackett and I'm not sure that's going to turn out well either.
Been thinking same thing.
Seems it went all down hill for him after he supposedly was the main one pushing hard for Matt Millen
The first half of that statement is Caddyshack. The second half is Caddyshack 2.
I'm not exactly a lions historian, but haven't the last 6 years been about the best stretch in their NFL history?
Uh, no. That would be '52-'57.
No, that would be the period just before the Fords bought the Lions which was also when they won the NFL championship in ‘52, ‘53, and ‘57.
And the Barry years were the best in the SB era. They went to the playoffs six times in the 1990s (1-6).
I guess I was thinking super bowl era when I said NFL history. I didn't realize they were that good in the early to mid 90s. Thats a little before my time, I thought it was just a lot of great Barry highlights, but still the regular allotment of losing.
For Lions fans, we cling to that extended NFL history. Personally, they need to put Lions logo from the 50s on their helmets and that'll fix the losing.
Can someone tell me how I should feel about this move?
Well, it's the Lions so you should feel nothing.
Probably something like this...
#SameOldLions
Memo to crew:
Rearrange the deck chairs immediately.
Signed, Captain, RMS Titanic
Dey goin to da Supa Bowl!!!??
the worst owned team in the NFL has a new leatherneck as its leader. the luck of the fuck continues.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. I stopped being a fan in 1984. I’ve never regretted doing so.
When Barry Sanders walked away, I stopped being a fan.......
That's when I stopped watching a lot. Also coincides when I went to College and spent Sundays in other ways than watching the Lions. I really think watching Barry in the 90s was the golden age of the Lions. I mean, that's the era when we got that sweet playoff win and we usually earned a playoff spot.
Good for you bro, that means you didn't have to endure it when Clavin walked away too. Well done!
Eddie Murray's field goal wide right to lose the playoff game against the Niners was it for you, eh? Or was it Monte Clark sneaking smokes on the sideline?
A family of losers. Nothing will change.
I believe The Who said it best, "Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss."
"We won't get fooled again!!!"