Grade William Clay Ford - July 2010
by Sean Yuille on Jul 28, 2010 2:20 PM EDT
in Detroit Lions Polls
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PrintPart three of our series of July grades takes a look at the Lions' owner, William Clay Ford.
While people have been very kind to Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz in their voting, it should come as no surprise that I am expecting something completely different for Ford. After all, this is the man who has been the one constant with the Lions' lack of success ever since he bought the team in 1964, and this is also the man who let Matt Millen keep his job for as long as he did. While Mayhew and Schwartz seem to have the Lions moving in the right direction, it's hard to look past all of Ford's faults as owner of the team, especially considering his sample size is so much bigger than that of Mayhew and Schwartz.
The thing that makes this poll different is the fact that Ford has been the Lions' owner for so long, whereas Mayhew and Schwartz have only been doing their jobs for a couple years. That is part of why people are willing to vote an A or B for those two despite not having any success on the field. There is a honeymoon period, and we are currently still in it. For Ford, however, it just feels like a bad dream where you never wake up with the way he has handled this team. Sure, things seem to be moving in the right direction now, but the fact that it took this long and we still don't have anything more than hope to show for it says a lot.
Taking all of that into consideration, my vote for the job Ford has done as owner of the Lions is an F. While that may seem harsh, the Lions' lack of success since he's owned the team speaks for itself. Sure, there have been positive moments over the years, many of which include Barry Sanders, but one playoff win since 1957 is just downright pathetic.
It'd be one thing if the football universe was just seemingly working against the Lions every step of the way, but that's not the case at all. Ford has simply failed as an owner, and the last decade is proof of that. I hope in a few years we will be able to commend him for going with Mayhew and Schwartz and finally seeing the light as an NFL owner, but for now I can't bring myself to say he has done anything but failed Lions fans for the last 46 years.
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ummmm...
really? Do we even need to do this? I voted “F”. Just for the obvious facts. And also it was Jr. that pushed Millen out not Sr. So, there is that possibility that if Sr. was still running things and not just a figure head, Millen still could be our President/GM.
if the shoe fits...get another one just like it - George Carlin
Probably not
But I want to for completeness’ sake.
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I know just being a little sarcastic....its only Wednesday and I have already hit my work week wall
I need a “me” day
if the shoe fits...get another one just like it - George Carlin
im feelin the same jcruize ..... i need some me time koolaid drinkin and getting the hell outa this radio station
by perfectlions on Jul 28, 2010 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions
really....when the hell does pre-season again? : )
if the shoe fits...get another one just like it - George Carlin
Jr was the the one that got him fired
I’d grade Ford Jr about a C just for that.
Me and Pheonix Marie..be Jealous (pic)
"When people start copying your style, you know that something must be happening." - James hetfield (Metallica)
by The Profiler on Jul 28, 2010 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions
what type of grade this that for Jr??
i give him a B+ just for that alone!! if he got the owner gig and didnt show up for work drunk the first day he gets an A+!! hahaha
"Good things come to those who keep fighting"
lol
Me and Pheonix Marie..be Jealous (pic)
"When people start copying your style, you know that something must be happening." - James hetfield (Metallica)
by The Profiler on Jul 29, 2010 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I voted D
It’s hard to blame him for absolutely everything that has gone wrong the last 50 years, and there have been several successful stretches in that time. He can take the blame for a lot of the losing though, 75% of it at least.
by WestsideLionsFan on Jul 28, 2010 2:36 PM EDT reply actions
With you on the D
not all of the bad decisions for the Lions in the last 46 years can be placed on WCF, but when you are the owner the blame falls on you as the head of the organization. There is still time to redeam himself, but that time is slipping by quickly.
by Detroitfantc on Jul 28, 2010 2:54 PM EDT up reply actions
i graded a c
maybe if ford hadent of bought the lions they would be the bucs or the browns/not the raven im glad we have an ford at the wheel though hes made some bad decisions
I gave mr.ford a D
D yes a D..I am being gracious because with all the bad seasons we have had and poor ticket sales the Lions are still in detroit so I give him one grade higher than he deserves simply because he hasn’t moved the team.
Me and Pheonix Marie..be Jealous (pic)
"When people start copying your style, you know that something must be happening." - James hetfield (Metallica)
I voted B
The only reason that I did not vote A is because of Millen. I do not understand why people bad mouth Ford so much. His only fault is being too loyal, you will get no argument from me that, he gave Millen way too many chances. But there is no doubt that Ford dumps A LOT of money into this team. It is well known that the Lions have one of, if not the nicest practice facilities in the NFL. You never here him butting in on personel decisions, he lets the GM do his job. Besides just be glad that Al Davis does not own the Lions.
It comes down to what the team does on the field
And in the near-50 years Ford has owned the team, that has included very little winning, especially in the playoffs when it counts.
The amount of money one drops into the team means nothing if it doesn’t produce results (see Dan Snyder in Washington).
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But Snyder tries to be the GM
I might be wrong but an Owners job is to make sure him team makes money and that he hires a front office that gets the job done on the field. An owner hires the team president and the GM. He does not draft players, hire coaches, or sign free agents. Most owners don’t have the time to scout players for their team. That is why the Redskins are so bad every year because Dan Snyder thinks he knows what he is doing. Jerry Jones is the GM in Dallas and since he has taken over the GM the Cowboys have one one playoff game. If you look at the really great teams of the NFL the ownwers are not that involved in on the field operations. The pate and colts are very good examples of this. They hire great GMs and let them do their jobs.
Now I am by no means trying to compare Ford to the great owners of the NFL, and after writing this I think that I should have given him a C but to give him F is crazy.
by lionfan4life on Jul 28, 2010 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions
don't forget Al davis
Me and Pheonix Marie..be Jealous (pic)
"When people start copying your style, you know that something must be happening." - James hetfield (Metallica)
by The Profiler on Jul 28, 2010 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions
It'd be one thing if the Millen era was a unique occurrence....
…but for nearly five decades with Ford as the owner the Lions haven’t been successful. An average owner © would at least have had some great years to go along with the bad years. An above average owner (B) would have many more great years than bad years. For the Lions, we had a decade of Barry where we won a single playoff game and that’s essentially it.
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Don't forget
What Barry Sanders said around his tears during his retirement. That the Lions organization had robbed him of his love for the game of football. Taking someone who would have imo been considered the greatest of all time and turning him against the sport is on an epic scale of FAIL.
fanforlife +1
I also voted B for some of your same points. He’s also built one of the coolest dens in all of football, always opened the pocketbook to sign players, and was not a Davis or a Snyder. He WAS too loyal, however,(usually loyalty is not a bad thing for a boss to be), to not only Millen, but Fontes, who never should have made it past his 3rd year, Russ Thomas, remember him? A first class prick of a GM all the players hated him. If you want to blame Ford for the failure(s), then give him credit for the sucesses. 6 playoff apps in the 90’s, when the NFC North was the toughest division in football. It’s been a long drought, and I’ve been as frustrated as anyone. But the one thing that never changes is, everything changes. And we’re all about to witness one of those changes.
Granted, the last Super Bowl win was 1983
But I’d take 3 super bowls plus another two losing appearances, over the 50 years of misery under Ford, no matter how embarrassing Al Davis might have been the last however many years.
Official BYB Juju Consultant...now accepting rally creature applications!
They made a Super Bowl in the last decade
I’m pretty sure any Lions fan would kill to have made a Super Bowl in the last decade, or even at all.
My two favorite teams are the Tigers and Brewers. Drunk tigers. That sounds about right.
Me in 140 characters
I went with " C " only because...
… I’m old enough to remember the " average " times of the 60’s – 70’s – 80’s and early 90’s. Yes, I agree with you whippersnappers the last few years have totally blown and I’m embarrassed about that. Deep down, he can’t be happy either. The ownership stability and not moving about has been a positive. Also, that inside " seniority " at league meetings must count for something. The foundation is in place for a bright future. Forget the past, let’s move forward and get over it…
" I must be crazy to be in a loony bin like this. " " What are you doin' here? You oughta be out in a convertible bird-doggin' chicks and bangin' beaver. " " Medication time. Medication time. " ( One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - 1975 )
i got a little excited
and voted A (I may be the only one to do so).. no regrets.. he improved the stadium and practice field..kept prices down? kept them in DET… I was thinking in the realm of he may have finally turned the corner as an owner after 50 years… I loved ol Wayne Fontes and Jim Schwartz but yes he has more bad than good in the past but he mostly spent money when he had to… the future finally looks bright
GO LIONS in 2010! the transformation starts now.. they have much to do.
I gave an F
Ford fired this guy to hire Millen
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Steelers-sign-Kevin-Colbert-to-fiveyear-extension.html
In life, a man is either the hammer or the anvil. Ndamukong Suh is both
Pride of Detroits village idiot
F
It’s actually pretty hard to grade him since you can’t really be sure what decision he actually made on his own. Hiring Millen however procures him an F.
RIP Robyn Bailey 1961 - 2010. I love you mum.
I voted a C
The things that made Ford Sr a bad owner also make him a good owner. For instance, He is loyal beyond any reasonable measure of the word. In today’s age, that kind of loyalty is far too rare and should be celebrated. In the same breath we can clearly say he let 70s porn-star moron last about 4 seasons too long. Looking back at his ownership, that loyalty has won him games and lost him games, so he gets a C from me.
Loyalty
to failure is not commendable. If the manager of your local A&W were to run a franchise into the ground by repeatedly hiring incompetent workers who couldn’t cook hot dogs right, or never hired a cook because he liked hiring the girls on rollerskates more, he would be fired.
If the owner stayed loyal instead of firing this manager his business would fail and I wouldn’t have anywhere to get a super milkshake and onion rings. I like vanilla shakes and onion rings you son of a bitch. How dare you support this.
heh
W.C.F.
I gave him a D. the reason I gave him a D is that over the years he has been a failure. But because of the optimisim we have in Mayhew ans schwartz and the possitive attitude they are displaying and hopefully will result in a winning tradition I will give him a D because I think he is trying to turn it around. Kind of like a student in school who has shown an improvment after a real bad start. But clearly is not out of the woods until a playoff appearance and a win in the playoffs.
I'm w/ MattyZ
If we as “employees” are going to be graded on an “A-F scale” and be told in our reviews that the “company” expects results, then why wouldnt Mr. Ford be given an F for his PAST performance? Here’s to him getting an A on his next “review”. I gave him an F btw.
Do you think the Lions could use a 47 yr old 220lb cornerback that runs a 5.02 40 that will take your head off?.........will play for beer!
F
I don’t know of any other franchise that loses as much… I mean, how could he get anything higher? He’s been with the team the whole ride.
F
and det32 i disagree……..it really cant be worse. every team that was a laughing stock has managed to become a very good (either winning the superbowl or getting to the big game) besides lions thanks to this moron!! now if bill ford, jr takes over the team the future would be REALLY bright for this team.
"Good things come to those who keep fighting"
please tell me how the Browns are worse?
I’m pretty sure the Lions have been worse over the past 50 some years.
But the Browns of the past are actually the Ravens,
The new Browns are an expansion team like the Texans.
I gave a D...........
We have had some crappy teams , but he puts too much faith in some really rotten GM’S and then held on way too long to them…coaches as well , I think he is a really nice guy that thinks he knows alot about football and really doesn’t ….if he would have hired real football people years ago ….1999….we would be in a lot better shape …we do have a very nice and new stadium that has hosted a superbowl , in the north ..he has good business sense but that doesn’t apply to football and winning
marc hoople
23 votes for Grade A?
You guys are all a bunch of bandwagon ass cats. Ass cats I tell you!!!
My Blog
by brgulker on Jul 27, 2010 12:07 PM PDT
Theres a reason Autobots aren't fords LOL
Me and Pheonix Marie..be Jealous (pic)
"When people start copying your style, you know that something must be happening." - James hetfield (Metallica)
by The Profiler on Jul 29, 2010 6:49 PM EDT up reply actions
why ford get's an f from me..
in his 40 some years of tenure as an owner, we have never once had a realistic chance of winning a championship. and that is a disgrace. enough said.
"Football isn't a contact sport, it's a collision sport. Dancing is a contact sport."
--Duffy Daugherty
by GhostManOnThird on Jul 29, 2010 1:56 AM EDT reply actions
I voted B.
In addition to some of the reasons given above, I think Ford deserves a high grade for keeping Mayhew. After Millen, keeping someone from that regime was definitely NOT the safe way to go.
Voted D
Overall, it’s been 50 years of misery, but there have been glimmers of hope every now and again. The facilities, and the continuing presence of the Lions in Detroit are points in his favor, and are enough to preclude a complete failing grade.
Official BYB Juju Consultant...now accepting rally creature applications!
I voted B, and would have given him an A if he knew Football
Positives
Does he spend Money? Yes
How are the Facilities? Great
Are the players held to a higher Standard? Yes
Is he active in the community? Yes
Is the Team in jeopardy of being moved? No
Negatives
Does not know enough about Football to put the right people
in place for the team to succeed. Cant fault him on that, he has tried
and hopefully the right people are now in position.
I believe he has great intentions, he has allowed football people to make
the decisions, not intervening. But he fault is giving unlimited power to morons
Man invented language to satisfy his deep need to complain. Lily Tomlin
My mama always said....
If you have nothing good to say…then don’t say anything….I think I am going to lean on that advice here. My only comment is that almost 50 years of ineptitude speaks for itself.
I graded an F
But on second thought, I should have voted for a D, only for the fact you know he would never move the Lions out of Detroit.
Voted F.....
…..because there wasn’t anything lower.
GhostManOnThird put it best, has this team ever been a legitimate championship contender in his time of ownership ? 1970 maybe ?
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