When you hear the term “Worst Franchise Ever” you can apply that to many teams and some even will make a case for teams that shouldn’t even touch this category. Sure your team went 0-16 or hasn’t been to the playoffs in 16 years. But I have news for you, your team is not the Worst Franchise Ever!
It’s not every day you get to see a professional sports organization play like it was the first time they took the field. Like they haven’t been training or practicing these situations their entire careers. But if you are a Detroit Lions fan, that is your reality week in and week out… YEAR… AFTER….. YEAR and you get to witness the Worst Franchise Ever!
For the past 35 years (of my life), the Lions have made the playoffs a handful of times while never having a better record that 12-4. Some may say well 12-4 is good right? Yea it is, but they were also the first team EVER to go 0-16! So does the 12-4 out weight the worst season ever displayed in professional sports? Hell no! Back off Browns fans, I got news for you, while your team steals the limelight for their on-field antics. The Detroit Lions take the cake as worst franchise ever and its not close.
What They Wasted
Not only are the Lions the Worst Franchise ever, but they have wasted some of the best careers we have ever seen. Possibly two of the best players to ever play their respected position and a Quarterback that in any other setting would probably have a Super Bowl ring. Yes, that’s right I said it!
Barry Sanders walked away from the Lions in his prime. Heck, the Lions weren’t really all that bad when he played and he still just lost his drive. There is no doubt in my mind that if Barry stayed and finished his career in the NFL, he would forever hold the NFL Rushing record for a career and it wouldn’t be touched.
Like Barry, Calvin Johnson hung them up early in 2016 at the ripe age of 30 years old. Also like Barry, had Calvin stayed in the league he would have broken the all-time receiving yards record and probably many more. Although Calvin’s break up with the team was worse in the aspects of what went down and how it happened. Both these careers were wasted in the pit of an organization the NFL likes to call the Detroit Lions.
The two above are not only all-time Lions legends but all-time NFL legends who left the game early due to being tied to an organization and ownership that has no clue what it looks like to build a professional caliber team. What’s sad is when I rewrite this article in 3-5 years I will have to add Matt Stafford to this list under “What They Wasted” because it will fall into the same trap of being a Lion’s lifer with nothing to show for it.
So as I continue to wake up on Sunday Mornings and look forward to that opening kick. Only to turn the game off by the middle of the first quarter. I realize slappies like me are everywhere and while the Ford family continues to get “richer” I continue to realize the joke is on me and the Detroit Lions won’t change. Ultimately making them the Worst Franchise Ever!
2 Comments
Sorry to break this to you, but QBs have a big say if a team wins a game or not. All those turnovers by Stafford have helped make the Lions a bottom of the barrel team.
Oh ya absolutely agree with you. But Stafford compared to half the league… maybe even more is a way better option than most. But Stafford is not the reason the lions have continued to suck by any means