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When did Lions become a franchise?
1929, Portsmouth, OHDetroit Lions / Founded
What were the Detroit Lions called before 1934?
the Portsmouth SpartansThe Detroit Lions professional football team formed in 1929 as the Portsmouth Spartans of Portsmouth, Ohio. The team moved to Detroit in 1934 and were rebranded as the Detroit Lions.
Who owned the Detroit Lions in 1957?
Nick KerbawyExecutivesPersonTeamsToDutch ClarkLions1938Graham SmithLions1942Bo McMillinLions1950Nick KerbawyLions19579 more rows
How long has Ford owned Lions?
The Ford family has owned a share of the Lions since William Clay Ford purchased minority shares in the franchise in 1961. Ford became the sole owner in 1963.
How much would it cost to buy the Detroit Lions?
The Detroit Lions are owned by Martha Firestone Ford, who bought the franchise for 4.5 million U.S. dollars in 1964....Detroit Lions franchise value from 2002 to 2022 (in million U.S. dollars)CharacteristicFranchise value in million U.S. dollars20212,40020202,10020192,00010 more rows•Sep 5, 2022
Who has never won a Super Bowl?
Which 12 NFL teams have never won a Super Bowl in franchise...Cleveland Browns. ... Detroit Lions. ... Houston Texans. ... Jacksonville Jaguars. ... Cincinnati Bengals (2021-22) ... Atlanta Falcons (2016-17) ... Carolina Panthers (2015-16) ... Arizona Cardinals (2008-09)More items...•
Will the Ford family ever sell the Lions?
Hey, Alexa: Tell Jeff Bezos the Detroit Lions are not for sale. Lions president Rod Wood reaffirmed to a small group of reporters Tuesday that Martha Firestone Ford has no plans to sell the team that's been in her family for going on 60 years.
How much of the Lions do the Fords own?
A minority owner and team president of the Detroit Lions since 1961, Ford took advantage of a power struggle between Edwin Anderson and D. Lyle Fife to acquire total control of the franchise by buying out the other 144 shareholders for $4.5 million, equivalent to 41,966,176.47 in 2021.
How much did William Clay Ford pay for the Lions?
William Clay Ford bought the Lions for $6 million on Nov. 22, 1963 -- the same day as the John F. Kennedy assassination -- and remained at the wheel until his death on March 9, 2014.
How rich is the Ford family today?
Family shares There are 71 million Class B shares worth about $1.8 billion held by descendants of company founder Henry Ford.
How much is Mr Ford worth?
Henry Ford Net WorthNet Worth:$200 BillionDate of Birth:1863-07-30Gender:MaleHeight:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)Profession:Industrialist, Entrepreneur, Businessperson, Engineer, Inventor, Business magnate1 more row
What does WCF stand for on the Detroit Lions uniform?
In 1961, William Clay Ford's first season as the team's president, there were some significant uniform changes. The helmet remained silver with a grey facemask but now had the leaping-lion logo as well as two vertical blue stripes running from the back to the front. The pants also had two vertical blue stripes.
What were the original NFL teams?
The NFL was the first professional football league to successfully establish a nationwide presence, after several decades of failed attempts. Only two founding members, the Decatur Staleys (now the Chicago Bears) and the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals), are still in the league.
When were Detroit Lions founded?
1929, Portsmouth, OHDetroit Lions / Founded
What does WCF stand for on Detroit Lions uniforms?
William Clay Ford Sr.(March 14, 1925 – March 9, 2014) was an American businessman. He served on the boards of Ford Motor Company and the Edison Institute. Ford owned the Detroit Lions National Football League (NFL) franchise. He was the youngest child of Edsel Ford and was the last surviving grandchild of Henry Ford.
What does 3l3 mean Detroit Lions?
313 is the Detroit area code, the L representing the lions. Boston Consulting Group.
When did the Detroit Lions move to Detroit?
Amid financial struggles, the team was relocated to Detroit in 1934. The team was also renamed the Lions in reference to the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise, the Tigers . The Lions won four NFL Championship Games between 1935 and 1957, all prior to the Super Bowl era. Since their 1957 championship, ...
Where is the Detroit Lions football team located?
The team plays its home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit . The franchise was founded in Portsmouth, Ohio as ...
How many times did the Detroit Lions and the Browns meet?
The Lions and Browns had a solid rivalry in the 1950s, when they met four times for the NFL championship (Detroit won three of the matchups); they have met much less frequently during the regular season since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger due to the Browns' move to the AFC.
What year did the Detroit Lions blackout?
Main article: National Football League television blackout policies. The Lions' winless performance in 2008 and 2–14 season in 2009, coupled with the effects of the Great Recession in Michigan, led to several local broadcast blackouts, as local fans did not purchase enough tickets by the 72-hour blackout deadline.
How many head coaches have the Detroit Lions had?
Main article: List of Detroit Lions head coaches. The Lions have had 30 head coaches throughout their franchise history. Their first head coach was Hal Griffin, who compiled a 5-6-3 (.464) overall record with the team of 1930. Wayne Fontes was the longest-tenured head coach in Lions history, serving from 1988 to 1996.
Why do the Lions wear WCF?
The Lions also added the initials "WCF" to the left sleeve as a permanent tribute to William Clay Ford, who owned the team from 1963 until his death in 2014. The sleeve addition replaces the black "WCF" patch on the left breast that was added after Ford's death.
When did the Lions change their jersey?
For 2008, the team dropped the black jersey in favor of a throwback uniform to commemorate the franchise's 75th anniversary. The throwback uniform became the team's permanent alternate jersey in 2009, replacing the former black alternate. The Lions officially unveiled a new logo and uniforms on April 20, 2009.
Who is the owner of the Detroit Lions?
With the transition from Martha Ford to her daughter, Sheila Ford Hamp, as the principal owner of the Detroit Lions, it’s time for a look back at all the ownership changes in Lions franchise history.
Where did the Lions play?
The Lions played at Briggs Stadium, the home of the Tigers, beginning in 1937. Mandel sold the team after the 1947 season following an expensive buyout of coach Gus Dorais. A cooperative ownership group including electrical products company executive D. Lyle Fife and Edwin Anderson, the owner of the local Goebel’s Brewery, ...
Where is the Lions headquarters?
Hamp has been the most actively involved with the Lions of their four children, including representing the team at recent owner’s meetings and being a frequent and visible presence at the team’s headquarters in Allen Park over the last few years.
Who bought the Spartans?
The first owner was George Richards, who purchased the fledgling Portsmouth Spartans and moved the team to Detroit. Richards owned the powerful WJR radio station and bought the team in the spring of 1934. Richards spent just under $23,000 to purchase the team and cover some of the outstanding debts before relocating to Detroit.
Overview
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.
The franchise was founded in Portsmouth, Ohio, as the Portsmouth Spartans, a…
Logos and uniforms
Aside from a brief change to scarlet and black from 1948 to 1950 instituted by then head coach Bo McMillin, which was influenced by his years as coach at Indiana, the Lions' uniforms have basically remained the same since they moved to Detroit in 1934–silver helmets, silver pants, and either blue or white jerseys.
Glenn Presnell, the then last surviving member of the 1934 Lions, recalled that …
Thanksgiving Day tradition
In 1934, then team owner George A. Richards, who also was the owner of a major radio affiliate of the NBC Blue Network, WJR in Detroit, the forerunner to today's ABC, negotiated an agreement with NBC to carry his Thanksgiving games live across all of the network's stations. Since then, the tradition of the Lions playing on Thanksgiving has continued uninterrupted.
Rivalries
The Lions have had several division rivals in their existence. Their oldest rivals are the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers, whom they have faced since 1930. The Minnesota Vikings have been in a division with Detroit ever since their inaugural season in 1961. Another notable longtime division opponent was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (25 seasons from 1977 to 2001).
The Lions also have a preseason rivalry with the Cleveland Browns, dubbed the Great Lakes Clas…
Radio and television
The Lions' flagship radio station is WXYT-FM. Dan Miller does play-by-play, Lomas Brown does color commentary, and T. J. Lang is the sideline reporter.
In 2015, the team announced that they were moving from WXYT-FM to WJR for the 2016 NFL season, ending a 20-year relationship with CBS Radio. The decision to part with WXYT was reportedly instigated by a demand by the team for the s…
Lions cheerleaders
On June 13, 2016, the Lions announced their decision to add official cheerleaders to the organization. The team also announced that Rebecca Girard-Smoker, formerly the director of the Detroit Pistons dance team, would be the coach of the cheerleading squad. It marked the first time in over 40 years the team had an official cheerleading squad. The cheerleading squad is a part of the entertainment during football games, and active at community events.
See also
• NFL on Thanksgiving Day
• History of the Portsmouth Spartans
External links
• Official website
• Detroit Lions at the National Football League official website