Earlier in the week, the Detroit Lions announced (via a meeting with select beat writers) that both Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn were being retained for the 2020 season.
The news sent many Lions fans over the edge as they bashed ownership for bringing back a pair of men who lead the team to a then 9-20-1 record since Patricia was hired.
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A day later, Lions owner Martha Ford, her daughter Sheila Ford Hamp, and team president Rod Wood published an open letter to the fans. The letter attempted to justify bringing back Patricia for a third season before quickly shifting gears to beg Lions fans to fill Ford Field.
But this is not the first time Ford has published a letter during a difficult season.
Back in 2015, following the firing of president Tom Lewand, general manager Martin Mayhew and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, Ford published the following letter voicing her displeasure with the team.
Here it is.
“November 13, 2015
Dear Lions Family,
After the events of last week, I felt it was important to reach out to you.
I am sure you share my disappointment with what has transpired so far this season with our football team. We all had expectations that we would improve on last year’s success, but that obviously has not happened.
The organizational changes I made last week reflect not only our disappointment with this season, but also underscore our commitment to each of you.
You deserve much better. Your support, loyalty and passion for the Lions over the years has been nothing short of remarkable. You have done your part. Now we must do our part. You deserve a Lions football team that is a consistent winner and one that competes for championships.
In order to achieve this, we will conduct a thorough and exhaustive national search for the very best people to lead our organization.
I also want you to know that we are not giving up on this season. As I told the media last week and our players and coaches on Monday, we expect our team to improve, compete, and win.
Thank you again for your continued support of the Lions and please know that giving you a championship football team is the singular goal for me and my family.
Regards,
Martha F. Ford”
