The NFL once again displayed their indifference and disregard for the Detroit Lions with not one, but two separate incidents in today’s season finale that easily would be in the running for “worst call of the year” for any team.
And of course, those two calls are yet additional entries into the ever growing list of ways that the League has absolutely punished the team for no reason other than being the Detroit Lions. And with just 15 seasons of winning football since 1963, you can excuse those in the League office for considering the team an afterthought.
Here’s the question that’s undoubtedly on the mind of many in the long-suffering fanbase – when will team ownership finally publically stand up for them?
Naturally, Sheila Ford Hamp doesn’t have the cache to NFL executives that the likes of Robert Kraft and Jerry Jones enjoy. You can bet, however, that if their respective franchises had suffered even a fraction of the disrespect from officials Detroit has endured over the years, they’d be making a public spectacle.
One such opportunity came and went last week when the NFL, who moved mountains to re-schedule games for teams experiencing complications due to COVID-19, refused to delay Detroit’s matchup against Tampa Bay a mere 24 hours – despite the fact that the Lions were missing nearly their entire coaching staff.
While any public appeal from Ford Hamp may fall on deaf ears, it would provide an immediate morale boost for the fan base who heard nothing from either William or Martha Ford in the way of standing up for the franchise.
It’s Sheila’s team now, and it’s past time to turn the page on how the franchise has handled being a doormat for the rest of football.
