Was the Chris Spielman hiring a ‘win’ for the Detroit Lions?

Spielman’s experience and insight will be valuable

In the end, was Sheila hiring Chris Spielman in an advisory role a ‘win’ for the Detroit Lions? As Spielman himself admitted, nothing is guaranteed, but it does give this woeful franchise a good football mind with valuable input in the direction that the football aspect of the game should be run.

It gives Sheila a football man for a confidant who won’t pull his punches and will absolutely explain why his recommendations make sense from a football perspective.

During Spielman’s career as a linebacker for the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, and Cleveland Browns from 1988-1999, he was one of the smartest players in the league who could read opposing offenses with the ease that Einstein could read a children’s book.

Since then in his capacity as a broadcaster for college and NFL games, he has spent time preparing for each broadcast with the same intensity he used to prepare himself when he played.

Each week, along with film study, he would gather insight from collegiate and NFL coaches and players. He admitted he took extensive notes, even when he didn’t necessarily agree with the philosophy that was presented to him. But those notes filled books that he still has with him today.

Suffice it to say, Spielman has a mountain of experience and insight into the game he loves and he will now use it in any capacity needed to help advise Sheila Ford Hamp about how to avoid the missteps her parents made while running the Lions.

Again will it work? Spielman is right that nothing is guaranteed, but if you put knowledgeable, passionate people into a position to help advise with their expertise, then the chance of success does increase.

It’s no surprise that the fan reaction early has been in favor of the move. Spielman has long been a fan-favorite among the Honolulu Blue and Silver faithful. Now he will give Sheila his unvarnished advice about who he believes should be guiding this team on the field.

Spielman understands the importance of the right general manager who can identify talent and work as one with the head coach to give a team every opportunity to build a winner and compete for a title. That will more or less be his mission statement.

Years ago when Spielman was actually playing for the Lions he once mentioned that he would like to coach them when his career was over. Instead, life took a different turn for him as he tragically lost his wife Stephanie to cancer and found that working in the broadcast booth was a better fit for his life.

Now all these years later he has returned to Detroit, not as the Lions coach, but in a capacity to lend his advice about who can turn this franchise around. And now somehow, the Lions seem to finally be closer to getting it right.