The Detroit Lions

Decades of New Beginnings

By: Thomas E. Hall

Narrated by: Steve Carlson

The Detroit Lions won their fourth and final NFL Championship in 1957. Since then, they’ve been a second-tier team that has won 42 percent of their games, earned just three division titles, posted a 1-12 playoff record, and suffered through a “perfect” 0-16 season.

A major problem has been mismanagement. William Clay Ford purchased the team in 1963 and during 50 years of control oversaw one rebuilding program after another involving more than 20 head coaches and hundreds of players. During 31 of those years, he employed two failed general managers—Russ Thomas and Matt Millen. Thomas infuriated players and fans with his tightwad ways, and Millen was incapable of building a winning team. The Lions have had star players—and a few superstars—but few quality teams. They have also been plagued by an inordinate amount of bad luck: botched referee calls and player miscues at key moments cost scores of games. Another factor hindering performance was the decision made in the 1970s to become an indoor team.

It hasn’t been all doom and gloom. The Lions have enjoyed a few successful seasons, and these are discussed. There have also been oddball moments, including losing twice to last-second record-setting field goals, being victims in the shortest (at the time) overtime game in history, and becoming involved with author George Plimpton, who wrote a best-selling book about his time with the team. The book led to the Lions’ players acting in a Hollywood movie.

The book concludes with a discussion of strategies moving forward. It has been a long, hard road for Detroit’s football fans. Hopefully, the future will differ from the past because a new generation of ownership took control of the team in 2020. The Lions are embarked on yet another new beginning. Will this one be different?

©2023 Thomas E. Hall (P)2023 Thomas E. Hall

The story of the Motown pussy cats

At one time, the sign at the Pontiac Silverdome read "Restore the Roar." But as Thomas E. Hall points out in "The Detroit Lions," there has been much for the Lions faithful to cheer about in recent years. In fact, the Lions have never made it to the Super Bowl. The last time the Lions were roaring, the year was 1957, and the league featured a modest twelve teams. The Lions would win three NFL championships in six years, and as Hall writes, can you image? The team has only mustered one playoff victory since 1957.

The Lions have a dubious history of failures. Case in point, 1942, when the team only scored 38 points for the entire season, and were shutout five times. In Lions lore, there is the curse of Bobby Layne. A tale of the Lions trading away a future hall of famer quarterback, the man that led them to their 1957 NFL title. Since the day Layne departed, and perhaps the teams greatest head coach in team history, Buddy Parker, also left the team in the 1950's. Decades of missed opportunities, and otherwise, a period of futility.

You can't blame the players, as the Lions have featured hall of fame talent such as Alex Karras, Lem Barney, Charlie Sanders, Joe Schmidt, "Night Train" Lane, Dick LeBeau, and perhaps the greatest running back of all time, Barry Sanders. The blame for the lack of success falls squarely on the team ownership. The Ford family has owned the team since 1964, and William Clay Ford's loyalty to executives such as Russ Thomas and Matt Millen has sealed the team's fate. The team only had five winning seasons with Thomas as general manger, and only won 27% of their games under team president Millen, topped off with a winless season in 2008.

The author documents the problems dome teams have had in the playoffs, and playing in open air stadiums. The Lions have played their home games indoors since 1975, leaving Detroit's Tiger Stadium for the Silverdome. Additionally, Hall looks back at the good, the bad, and the ugly in team history, such as head coach Marty Mornhinweg s baffling decision to take the wind and not the ball in an over time loss against the rival Chicago Bears.

Intriguing and Informative

This is a detailed historical book of the Detroit Lions peppered with strategies and speculation on the causes of their failures and past strategies. The author, Thomas E. Hall, explores the history and causes of their successes and failures in great detail beginning with managers to owners to players to fans. The amount of research, passion, and time that went into this book is evident. He provides thoughtful insight into the people and the organization.

The narrator, Steve Carlson provided a strong, clear voice. He interjects a level of energy that demonstrates the author’s passion for this sport/team. His cadence was steady and while the details at times seemed a bit much, Steve Carlson’s skills kept me listening.

I am not a sports fan, so when asked to review this book, I was hesitant at first as I feared I would not do it justice. However, Thomas Hall did an excellent job in keeping this narrative interesting and engaging with Steve Carlson’s help. I found the book to be interesting, insightful, and objective! I recommend it to anyone who has a penchant for historical information whether a sports fan or not.

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.