Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are one of the oldest franchises in the NFL being established in 1934 when George A. Richards bought the Ohio Spartans and moved them to Detroit. Before they became the Lions the Spartans played a very important game with the Chicago Bears in an indoor stadium, both teams were tied at the end of the regular season, thus, creating the NFL Championship game. The Lions quickly won the NFL Championship in 1935 defeating the New York Giants 26-7, which proved that Detroit football was to be taken seriously. One of the main players for Detroit in those days was Dutch Clark who was the NFL last drop kicker, six time Pro Bowl selection, named to the 1930′s All-Decade team, and inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963. It is also a tradition for the Lions to play a football game on Thanksgiving Day which started in 1934 and they continue to play on turkey day to this very day.In the 1950′s the Lions had their most successful years winning four division titles and three league championships in 1952 defeating the Cleveland Browns 17-1, 1953 defeating the Cleveland Browns once again 17-16, and 1957 defeating Cleveland Brows a third time 59-14. Key players on those championship teams were quarterback Bobby Layne, safety Jack Christiansen, and running back Doak Walker. Bobby Layne was a five time Pro Bowl selection and named to the 1950′s All Decade team and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame as well.

Since winning their last championship in 1957, the Detroit Lions have had very little to be proud of with only a couple positives of on-field success. Twenty-six seasons after winning the title the Lions could only manage three wild card playoff appearances. In 1983 the Lions finally won the division again, the NFC Central now known as the NFC North since 2002.

Excitement came back to the Lions and their fans when a running back named Barry Sanders was drafted third overall in 1989. Sanders immediately became a star in the NFL and one of the most productive running backs of all-time. Sanders while small in stature made a career out of evading tackles with quick moves. Sanders would lead the Lions to two division titles in 1991 but losing to the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship game and 1993 losing to the Green Bay Packers 28-24. Sanders holds multiple NFL rushing records which include rushing for over 1,500 yards five times, rushing for over a 100 yards in fourteen straight games , and fifteen career touchdowns of over fifty yards. Sanders was a ten time Pro Bowl selection, the 1997 Co- Most Valuable Player with Brett Favre, and ended his career with 15,269 running yards which ranks him third all-time. Sanders retired in 1999 at the age of thirty and was inducted in the Pro Football hall of fame in 2004.

Since Barry Sanders retirement, the Detroit Lions have been one of the worst teams in the NFL and in the top five with the most losses since 2001. The Lions play in a tough NFC North Division with the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and the Green Bay Packers. The Lions over the last decade have had a losing tradition and significant changes need to made to change the loser mentality.