Bill Ford Jr: “We’ve got to win”
Surprisingly, the biggest newsmaker during training camp hasn’t been a coach or player. It’s been the son of owner William Clay Ford, Lions vice chairman Bill Ford Jr.
More than anyone else involved with the team, Junior shown a sense of urgency, that the Lions need to win. He spoke to the team that will be his, considering the age of his father, sooner than later, and told them as such. As noted by the Freep’s Nick Cotsonika…
According to a couple of veterans, Ford Jr. said it’s time to see results after the team has taken steps to improve – building Ford Field, building a state-of-the-art practice facility, hiring coach Rod Marinelli, bringing in Marinelli’s type of guys.
Damn straight.
Say what you will about the Fords, that they are clueless, are loyal to the point of insanity and don’t know how to win, you can’t say they have kept their wallet closed. They’ve given the Lions front office whatever they’ve asked.
Build a new jewel of a stadium to open up new revenue sources? No problem.
Bring a Super Bowl to Detroit? We built the stadium, didn’t we?
New team HQ with a state of the art practice facility? Consider it done.
Give Matt Millen more time than any other team would ever dream of? Unfortunately, yes.
Allow Rod Marinelli to reshape the roster in his image, releasing big money players who either didn’t fit or buy into Marinelli’s program? Permission granted.
Much like Mike Ilitch, who knows his time on this planet is getting short, and has spent an impressive amount of money in hope of winning a World Series with his Tigers, Junior is showing the same urgency in regard to his elderly father. William Clay Ford is 83 years old, and has only come close to even sniffing a Super Bowl with the 1991 Lions. That team fell two games short of the Holy Grail.
Urgency is a word rarely associated with the Detroit Lions. It about time someone, anyone, did. Even better, it’s a Ford using it.
“We’ve got to win,” Ford said. “That’s the name of the game. I think that the expectations for this team are that they will win.”
Talk is cheap. But at the very least, after too many years of remaining mum, the Lions ownership is finally talking. If the Lions don’t win, let’s hope the Fords back up the tough talk by holding Millen and Marinelli accountable.
If Bill Ford had the only say, I’d wager the M & M boy’s jobs are on the line if the Lions don’t show significant progress this season. The problem is you can ever be sure William Clay Ford is thinking the same way.
