It’s hard to not agree with that.
I just read this article insinuating there are still possible competency issues in the front office that could make things difficult for the new Lions coach.
This is true. There were red flags when the interim people were promoted quickly.
As the saying goes “What the fuck? Can’t we fire the fucking owner? Who does this shit?”
As a 49er fan, I can understand the sentiment.
(Our good news is that Jed York is now in control over the franchise, and he actually wants to be.)
If the demise of Ford (Motors) continues, they’ll have to sell the team sooner rather than later.
'Course, that might mean the team gets moved, so be careful what you wish for…
William Clay Ford no longer has any official connection to the Ford Motor Company though, so I’m not sure that’s true.
edit: he’s still the majority shareholder though. His personal worth is currently estimated at 1.2 billion however. this could take a while.
There’s a VERY rabid fan base here in Detroit. I don’t think they’d move it if Ford sold it.
What’s the longest time an NFL franchise has been in one place only to be moved to another city? Most of the moves I can think of have been former AFL teams. I’m guessing maybe something involving the Cardinals?
How much of that fan base will be left in Detroit after (okay, if) the US auto industry collapses on itself?
His son is chairman of the board, and I imagine he stands to inherit. Bill Sr. is 84 years old, so it can’t take that long.
I hope the Lions don’t leave Detroit. I do think it’s a possibility in the near future, though, especially if Schwartz can’t turn the team around. IIRC, they had stopped selling out by the end of this season for the first time in a bajillion years.
it kind of shows how rabid the fan base is that it took an 0-16 season to make them not sell out. Plenty of other teams have had much more trouble filling seats than that with much less reason.
John Gruden (along with the GM) were just fired from the Bucs.
Way to be late to the party, guys.
Well, wikipedia says the Cards were in Chicago for 59 years (I never knew that!) before moving to St. Louis. The Cleveland Browns were there for about 50 years before Baltimore stole them.
See this excellent commentary on Dan Snyder, owner of the Redskins, in the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/29/AR2008122900984.html
I got as far as the first sentence and stopped. There’s no shame in being a playoff-caliber team in the toughest division in the NFL. They just happen to play in the toughest division in the NFL.
Okay, I read the article now. Yes, there’s a point to be had, but his case is made much better with the Cowboys than with Dan Snyder and the Redskins. Hell, the Lions are the best example of this. At least Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder care. They’re often wrong and want as much exposure as possible, but they care, and they’re not afraid to go out and get things done. Old Man Ford seems to not care one bit. That’s the key difference.
I wonder if the Bucs job coming open at this time is going to slow down progress for the still vacant Rams and Jets jobs. Also, I wonder if it will effect the status of Herm Edwards.
Has there ever been a year with this many coaching moves when you factor in mid-season ones?
In other news, the Cowboys fired Defensive Coordinator Brian Stewart.
Raheem Morris has already been named as Gruden’s successor, with Mark Dominik expected to be GM. Not sure how or why that would affect Rams, Jets or Herm Edwards.
OK, I didn’t see the Gruden move coming. The Bucs faltered, but not sure they’ve made an upgrade. Everything came together this year for the Falcons, but that team may not repeat their success next year. The Panthers also look like a team ready to implode with qb questions and Peppers wanting out.
It was before it was reported that Morris was announced. The logic was that Morris was a candidate for those jobs and the other candidates might hold off on a decision until they were able to interview with the Bucs.
Provided he gave a reasonable budget and was willing to fire rank incompetence, I’d rather have an owner that didn’t care than one who meddles and insists on having a say in on-the-field decisions.
A hard salary cap has a lot to do with it. Snyder would run the Yankees, Ford would have to be running the Royals.