Detroit Lions: Excuses gone, Don’t blame Bobby Layne

The Detroit Lions ownership

Many people love Martha Firestone-Ford’s more proactive approach to dealing with the team. She has been a more outspoken owner than her late husband and many have the opinion that she will bring better results. At this point, many people view her term as owner as a success.

However, should Quinn not succeed in bringing the Lions back to title contention that could change quickly. Especially if she were to watch the team struggle and do nothing more to improve the situation like Bill Ford, Sr. was known to do. All the way around the organization we are past excuses for the condition of the team.

The history that she inherited, and to be fair was a part of, is some of the worst in pro sports. The Detroit Lions have managed to not win a division title since 1993. They have not won a playoff game since 1992. The organization has never participated in a Super Bowl in the game’s 53-year existence.

I’m sure that she is keenly aware of the performance of her team but it never seemed to bother Bill Ford whom she was married to for 67 years. Both were grandchildren of famous industrialists and have had control of the team since the day of the Kennedy assassination, November 22, 1963. Mr. Ford was always seen as a passive owner more concerned with filling seats than championships and many thought his loyalty to people made him susceptible to being taken advantage of.

Mrs. Ford has not projected that kind of demeanor even at 93 years old. Hopefully, she is capable of continuing that reputation of not following in her husband’s footsteps. She now has that opportunity if she can seize it.

Similarly to Quinn, all of the people beneath Martha are there with her blessing and approval. There are no holdovers from her husband. President Rod Wood has been there since 2015, Quinn since 2016, Patricia in 2018, and Bevell this year.

All new Lions her-story, hopefully it has a good ending. We shall see. If it does not- don’t blame Bobby Layne, his curse ended years ago.

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