| Person Teams Titles | Lyle Fife Lions Partial Owner, Partial Owner/President | William Clay Ford Sr. Lions President/Chairman of the Board of Directors, Principal Owner/Chairman | Martha Firestone Ford Lions Owner/Chairman | Sheila Ford Hamp Lions Principal Owner |
|---|
Who owned the Detroit Lions before the Ford family?
| Person Teams Titles | Lyle Fife Lions Partial Owner, Partial Owner/President | William Clay Ford Sr. Lions President/Chairman of the Board of Directors, Principal Owner/Chairman | Martha Firestone Ford Lions Owner/Chairman | Sheila Ford Hamp Lions Principal Owner |
|---|
Where did the Lions play before Ford Field?
In 1975, the Lions moved into
the Pontiac Silverdome
where they played for 37 years. Then in 2002, the team moved back to downtown Detroit and into a new domed stadium, Ford Field.
How did the Detroit Lions start?
The franchise was founded in Portsmouth, Ohio
as the Portsmouth Spartans and joined the NFL on July 12, 1930
. 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.
Why is it called Detroit Lions?
In 1934, a group led by Detroit radio executive George Richards (owner of Detroit’s powerful WJR) bought the financially struggling Spartans and moved them to Detroit and renamed the team the Detroit Lions, as
a nod to the Detroit Tigers
.
Does the Ford family own the Lions?
The Detroit Lions have a
new
principal owner, but the organization is not changing hands. Sheila Ford Hamp will replace her mother, Martha Firestone Ford, as Lions owner and chairman effective immediately.
Who is the oldest NFL franchise?
The Green Bay Acme Packers
, founded in 1919 (joined the NFL in 1921, now the Green Bay Packers) is the oldest NFL franchise with continuous operation in the same location.
Did Detroit Lions ever win the Super Bowl?
Detroit Lions, American professional gridiron football team based in Detroit. The Lions play in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL) and have won four NFL championships
(1935, 1952, 1953, and 1957)
.
What year did Ford buy the Lions?
On November
22, 1963
, William Clay Ford Sr. purchased a controlling interest in the team for $4.5 million. During Ford’s ownership tenure, which extended to his death in 2014, the Lions won just a single playoff game.
Why are the Detroit Lions Blue?
According to a 1950 Lion media guide, “the blue,
a distinctive shade was especially developed for G.A. Richards
.” According to team lore, their first owner came up with the color after admiring the hue of the Pacific Ocean on a trip to Hawaii and the shade was named “Honolulu blue.”
What teams have never won a Superbowl?
- Houston Texans. …
- Detroit Lions. …
- Carolina Panthers. …
- Atlanta Falcons. …
- Cincinnati Bengals. …
- Jacksonville Jaguars. …
- Los Angeles Chargers. …
- Minnesota Vikings.
Who was the first owner of the 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. The first owner was
George Richards
, who purchased the fledgling Portsmouth Spartans and moved the team to Detroit.
How much did the Ford’s buy the Lions for?
The Detroit Lions are owned by Martha Firestone Ford, who bought the franchise for
4.5 million U.S. dollars
in 1964.
Who is the poorest NFL owner?
Pat Bowlen
, the NFL’s least wealthy owner, has a net value of $ 1Billion.
What’s the richest team in the NFL?
- Dallas Cowboys ($6.5 billion)
- New England Patriots ($5 billion)
- New York Giants ($4.85 billion)
- Los Angeles Rams (4.8 billion)
- Washington Football Team ($4.2 billion)
- San Francisco 49ers ($4.175 billion)
- Chicago Bears ($4.075 billion)
- New York Jets ($4.05 billion)
Which NFL team sells the most merchandise?
With 800 million U.S. dollars in revenue in 2020,
the Dallas Cowboys
are the highest-grossing franchise in the NFL.
