Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team plays their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.

Detroit Lions
Current season
Established July 12, 1930; 92 years ago (July 12, 1930)^[1] First season: 1930 Play in Ford Field Detroit, Michigan Headquartered in Allen Park, Michigan
Logo Wordmark
League/conference affiliations
National Football League (1930–present) Western Division (1933–1949) National Conference (1950–1952) Western Conference (1953–1969) Central Division (1967–1969) National Football Conference (1970–present) NFC Central (1970–2001) NFC North (2002–present)
Current uniform
Team colors	Honolulu blue, silver^[2]^[3]^[4]
Fight song	Gridiron Heroes
Mascot	Roary the Lion
Personnel
Owner(s)	Sheila Ford Hamp^[5]
Chairman	Sheila Ford Hamp
President	Rod Wood
General manager	Brad Holmes
Head coach	Dan Campbell
Team history
Portsmouth Spartans (1930–1933) Detroit Lions (1934–present)
Championships
League championships (4) NFL championships (pre–1970 AFL–NFL merger) (4) 1935, 1952, 1953, 1957
Conference championships (4) NFL National: 1952 NFL Western: 1953, 1954, 1957
Division championships (4) NFL Western: 1935 NFC Central: 1983, 1991, 1993
Playoff appearances (21)
NFL: 1932, 1935, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1970, 1982, 1983, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2011, 2014, 2016
Home fields
Universal Stadium (1930–1933) University of Detroit Stadium (1934–1940) Tiger Stadium (1938–1939, 1941–1974) Pontiac Silverdome (1975–2001) Ford Field (2002–present)

The franchise was founded in Portsmouth, Ohio, as the Portsmouth Spartans, and joined the NFL on July 12, 1930.^[1] Amid financial struggles, the franchise was relocated to Detroit in 1934.^[6] The team were also renamed the Lions in reference to the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise, the Tigers.^[7]

The Lions won four NFL Championship Games between 1935 and 1957, all prior to the Super Bowl era. Since the 1957 championship, the franchise has won only a single playoff game during the 1991 season and holds the league's longest postseason win drought.^[8] While they share the distinction of never appearing in a Super Bowl with the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars, they are the only franchise operational for the entirety of the Super Bowl era to have never made it, as well as the only NFC team to have not done so.^[9][10][11]

Franchise history

Main article: History of the Detroit Lions

See also: List of Detroit Lions seasons

Logos and uniforms

Aside from a brief change to scarlet and black from 1948 to 1950 instituted by then head coach Bo McMillin, which was influenced by his years as coach at Indiana, the Lions' uniforms have basically remained the same since they moved to Detroit in 1934–silver helmets, silver pants, and either blue or white jerseys.^[12][13]

 

Billy Sims (No. 20) rushing the ball against the Los Angeles Rams on September 7, 1980

Glenn Presnell, the then last surviving member of the 1934 Lions, recalled that after the Portsmouth Spartans relocated to Detroit, team owner George A. Richards asked him and his wife to pick the Lions' colors from combinations that included red and white, orange and black, and blue and silver. The Presnells liked blue and silver the best, so Richards selected it. The blue used by the Lions is officially known as "Honolulu blue", which is inspired by the color of the waves off the coast of Hawaii.^[13][14]

There have been minor changes to the uniform design throughout the years, such as changing the silver stripe patterns on the jersey sleeves, and changing the colors of the jersey numbers. "TV numbers", which are auxiliary uniform numbers to help TV broadcasters identify players from the line of scrimmage, were added to the jersey sleeves in 1956.^[13] White trim was added to the logo in 1970, with outlines (white on the blue jersey, silver on the white jersey) added to the numbers in 1972; the color arrangement on the numbers on the blue jerseys was reversed in 1982.^[12] The silver facemasks became blue in 1984. In 1998, the team wore blue pants with their white jerseys along with grey socks but dropped that combination after the season.^[12][15] In 1999, the "TV numbers" on the sleeves were moved to the shoulders.^[16]

In 1994, every NFL team wore throwback jerseys, and the Lions' were similar to the jerseys used during their 1935 championship season. The helmets and pants were solid silver, the jerseys Honolulu blue with silver numbers and the jersey did not have "TV numbers" on the sleeves. The team wore solid blue socks and black cleats. The helmets also did not have logos, as helmets were simple leather back then.^[12] The Lions also wore 1950s-style jerseys during their traditional Thanksgiving Day games from 2001 to 2004 as the NFL encouraged teams to wear throwback jerseys on Thanksgiving Day.^{[17][18][19][20][21]}

In 2003, the team added black trim to their logo and jerseys. The face masks on the helmet changed from blue to black with the introduction of the new color. In 2005, the team introduced an alternate, black, jersey.^[12][22]

For 2008, the team dropped the black jersey in favor of a throwback uniform to commemorate the franchise's 75th anniversary. The throwback uniform became the team's permanent alternate jersey in 2009, replacing the former black alternate.^[23] The Lions officially unveiled a new logo and uniforms on April 20, 2009. The logo was given a flowing mane and fangs, while the typeface featured a modern font.^[24]

On February 1, 2017, the Lions announced a new typeface, logo, and the complete removal of the color black from the team identity. While the previous logo was retained, the border was changed from black to silver.^[2][22] The Lions then unveiled the new uniforms on April 13, 2017, which include blue pants for the first time since 1998, and an alternate all-silver uniform; the facemasks also became chrome.^[25][26] The Lions also added the initials "WCF" to the left sleeve as a permanent tribute to William Clay Ford, who owned the team from 1963 until his death in 2014. The sleeve addition replaces the black "WCF" patch on the left breast that was added after Ford's death.^[27]

On September 20, 2021, the Lions wore white pants with their road white uniforms against the Green Bay Packers. The white pants, which lacked striping, were previously worn during the "scarlet and black" era in the 1948 and 1949 seasons.^[28]

Thanksgiving Day tradition

 

The Lions, seen here during the 2007 Thanksgiving game against their division rival Green Bay Packers, have played on Thanksgiving since 1934.

In 1934, then team owner George A. Richards, who also was the owner of a major radio affiliate of the NBC Blue Network, WJR in Detroit, the forerunner to today's ABC, negotiated an agreement with NBC to carry his Thanksgiving games live across all of the network's stations.^[29] Since then, the tradition of the Lions playing on Thanksgiving has continued uninterrupted.^[30]

Players of note

Main article: List of Detroit Lions players

Current roster

Detroit Lions roster

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Quarterbacks 16 Jared Goff Running backs 29 Greg Bell 45 Jason Cabinda FB 32 D'Andre Swift Wide receivers 87 Quintez Cephus 11 Kalif Raymond  8 Josh Reynolds 14 Amon-Ra St. Brown  9 Jameson Williams Tight ends 82 James Mitchell

Offensive linemen 74 Kayode Awosika T 68 Taylor Decker T 73 Jonah Jackson G 77 Frank Ragnow C 58 Penei Sewell T 71 Logan Stenberg G 72 Halapoulivaati Vaitai G Defensive linemen 90 Michael Brockers DT 53 Charles Harris DE 97 Aidan Hutchinson DE 54 Alim McNeill DT 95 Romeo Okwara DE 99 Julian Okwara DE 91 Levi Onwuzurike DT 93 Josh Paschal DE

Linebackers 55 Derrick Barnes MLB 59 James Houston OLB 44 Malcolm Rodriguez OLB Defensive backs 39 Jerry Jacobs CB 31 Kerby Joseph SS 36 Chase Lucas CB 26 Ifeatu Melifonwu CB  1 Jeff Okudah CB 21 Tracy Walker FS Special teams  3 Jack Fox P

Reserve lists 15 Maurice Alexander WR (Futures) 83 Stanley Berryhill WR (Futures) 35 Brady Breeze FS (Futures) -- Derrick Deese Jr. TE (Futures) 43 Khalil Dorsey CB (Futures) 65 Obinna Eze T (Futures) 28 Jermar Jefferson RB (Futures) 85 Tom Kennedy WR (Futures) 60 Darrin Paulo T (Futures) 52 Demetrius Taylor DT (Futures) 33 Jarren Williams CB (Futures) Unrestricted FAs 34 Alex Anzalone OLB 17 Michael Badgley K 49 Chris Board OLB 63 Evan Brown C  2 Austin Bryant OLB 96 Isaiah Buggs DT  4 D. J. Chark WR 79 John Cominsky DE  5 DeShon Elliott FS 25 Will Harris SS 23 Mike Hughes CB 42 Justin Jackson RB 38 C. J. Moore FS 24 Amani Oruwariye CB 46 Craig Reynolds RB 10 Nate Sudfeld QB 30 Jamaal Williams RB 51 Josh Woods OLB Restricted FAs 67 Matt Nelson T 66 Ross Pierschbacher G 27 Bobby Price CB 70 Dan Skipper T Exclusive-Rights FAs 19 Trinity Benson WR 47 Scott Daly LS 94 Benito Jones DT 78 Tommy Kraemer G 57 Anthony Pittman MLB 89 Brock Wright TE 84 Shane Zylstra TE Rookies in italics Roster updated January 15, 2023 Depth chart Transactions 35 active, 11 inactive, 29 free agent(s) → AFC rosters → NFC rosters

 

Calvin Johnson

 

Bobby Layne

 

Barry Sanders

 

Charlie Sanders

 

Joe Schmidt

 

Doak Walker

Retired numbers

Detroit Lions retired numbers
No.	Player	Position	Tenure	Retired
7	Dutch Clark	QB	1931–1932 1934–1938	October 15, 1939^[1]^[31]^[32]
20	Lem Barney	CB	1967–1977	November 25, 2004^[33]
	Billy Sims	RB	1980–1984
	Barry Sanders	RB	1989–1998
22	Bobby Layne	QB, K	1950–1958	^[1]
37	Doak Walker	HB, K, P	1950–1955	December 11, 1955^[1]^[34]^[35]
56	Joe Schmidt ^1	LB	1953–1965	^[1]
85	Chuck Hughes ^2	WR	1970–1971	^[1]

Notes:

• ¹ The No. 56 was temporarily unretired with Schmidt's blessing when the Lions acquired linebacker Pat Swilling from the New Orleans Saints. No player has worn it since Swilling left.^[36]
• ² Posthumous. Hughes died of a heart attack during a game on October 24, 1971, and his No. 85 was withdrawn from circulation.^{[1][37][38][39]} Over the years, however, the number would return to circulation.^[40]

Special cases

• The Lions retired No. 93 for the 2009 season after Corey Smith disappeared, presumed dead, when a boat he was fishing in with friends capsized off the Florida coast.^[41] The Lions also wore 93 decals on their helmets that season.^[42] The number was assigned to Kyle Vanden Bosch in 2010.^[43]

Pro Football Hall of Fame members

Main article: List of Detroit Lions in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Detroit Lions Hall of Fame members
Players
No.	Name	Positions	Seasons	Inducted	No.	Name	Positions	Seasons	Inducted
20	Lem Barney	CB	1967–1977	1992^[44]	28	Yale Lary	DB, P	1952–1953 1956–1964	1979^[45]
19, 24	Jack Christiansen	DB	1951–1958	1970^[46]	22	Bobby Layne	QB	1950–1958	1967^[47]
7, 12, 19	Dutch Clark	QB	1931–1932 1934–1938	1963^[48]	24, 44	Dick LeBeau	DB	1959–1972	2010^[49]
		Coach	1937–1938
76	Lou Creekmur	G/OT	1950–1959	1996^[50]	30	Ollie Matson	RB	1963	1972^[51]
77	Curley Culp	DT	1980–1981	2013^[52]	39	Hugh McElhenny	HB	1964	1970^[53]
35, 44	Bill Dudley	HB	1947–1949	1966^[54]	20	Barry Sanders	RB	1989–1998	2004^[55]
72	Frank Gatski	C	1957	1985^[56]	88	Charlie Sanders	TE	1968–1977	2007^[57]
81	Calvin Johnson	WR	2007–2015	2021^[58]	56	Joe Schmidt	LB Coach	1953–1965 1967–1972	1973^[59]
35	John Henry Johnson	FB	1957–1959	1987^[60]	63	Dick Stanfel	G	1952–1955	2016^[61]
71	Alex Karras	DT	1958–1962 1964–1970	2020^[62]	37	Doak Walker	HB	1950–1955	1986^[63]
81	Dick "Night Train" Lane	CB	1960–1965	1974^[64]	30, 50	Alex Wojciechowicz	C, LB	1938–1946	1968^[65]

Pride of the Lions

In 2009, the Pride of the Lions was established. The Pride of the Lions is the ring of honor for the franchise's greatest players.^[66][67]

Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Pride of the Lions
No.	Player	Position	Tenure	Inducted
20	Lem Barney	CB	1967–1977	2009^[68]
76	Roger Brown	DT	1960–1966	2018^[66]
24	Jack Christiansen	DB	1951–1958	2009^[68]
7, 12, 19	Dutch Clark	QB	1931–1932 1934–1938	2009^[68]
76	Lou Creekmur	G/T	1950–1959	2009^[68]
4	Jason Hanson	K	1992–2012	2013^[69]
71	Alex Karras	DT	1958–1962 1964–1970	2018^[66]
81	Dick "Night Train" Lane	CB	1960–1965	2009^[68]
28	Yale Lary	DB, P	1952–1953 1956–1964	2009^[68]
22	Bobby Layne	QB	1950–1958	2009^[68]
24, 44	Dick LeBeau	DB	1959–1972	2010^[70]
84	Herman Moore	WR	1991–2001	2018^[66]
20	Barry Sanders	RB	1989–1998	2009^[68]
88	Charlie Sanders	TE	1968–1977	2009^[68]
56	Joe Schmidt	LB	1953–1965	2009^[68]
54	Chris Spielman	LB	1988–1995	2021^[67]
63	Dick Stanfel	OG	1952–1955	2016^[71]
37	Doak Walker	HB	1950–1955	2009^[68]
30, 50	Alex Wojciechowicz	C, LB	1938–1946	2009^[68]

75th Season All-Time Team

On November 9, 2008, the Lions honored the 75th Season All-Time Team during halftime against the Jacksonville Jaguars.^[72][73] The team was chosen via an online fan poll and selection committee.^[72] Bold indicates those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

75th Season All-Time Team
No.	Player	Position	Tenure
6	Jim Arnold	P	1986–1993
60	Al Baker	DE	1978–1982
20	Lem Barney	CB	1967–1977
36	Bennie Blades	DB	1988–1996
75	Lomas Brown	T	1985–1995
76	Roger Brown	DT	1960–1966
19, 24	Jack Christiansen	DB	1951–1958
7, 12, 19	Dutch Clark	QB	1931–1932 1934–1938
89	Gail Cogdill	WR	1960–1968
76	Lou Creekmur	G/T	1950–1959
25	Jim David	DB	1952–1959
44	Don Doll	DB	1949–1952
78	Doug English	DT	1975–1985
54	Ed Flanagan	C	1965–1974
53	Kevin Glover	C	1985–1997
75	John Gordy	OG	1957–1967
23	Mel Gray	KR/PR	1989–1994
4	Jason Hanson ^1	K	1992–2012
71	Alex Karras	DT	1958–1962 1964–1970
81	Dick "Night Train" Lane	CB	1960–1965
28	Yale Lary	DB, P	1952–1953 1956–1964
22	Bobby Layne	QB	1950–1958
24, 44	Dick LeBeau	DB	1959–1972
84	Herman Moore	WR	1991–2001
3	Eddie Murray	K	1980–1991
91	Robert Porcher	DE	1992–2003
20	Barry Sanders	RB	1989–1998
88	Charlie Sanders	TE	1968–1977
30	Cory Schlesinger	FB	1995–2006
56	Joe Schmidt	LB	1953–1965
66	Harley Sewell	OG	1953–1962
20	Billy Sims	RB	1980–1984
54	Chris Spielman	LB	1988–1995
37	Doak Walker	HB	1950–1955
55	Wayne Walker	LB	1958–1972
30, 50	Alex Wojciechowicz	C, LB	1938–1946

Note:

• ¹ Hanson was active at the time of the selection.^[73]

Lions All-Time Team

On September 29, 2019, the Lions honored their All-Time Team in celebration of the NFL's centennial during halftime against the Kansas City Chiefs. The team was chosen via fan voting, contributions from the Detroit Lions Legends Community, team executives, and select members of the media.^[74] Bold indicates those elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Lions All-Time Team
No.	Player	Position	Tenure
60	Al Baker	DE	1978–1982
20	Lem Barney	CB	1967–1977
36	Bennie Blades	DB	1988–1996
75	Lomas Brown	T	1985–1995
76	Roger Brown	DT	1960–1966
19, 24	Jack Christiansen	DB	1951–1958
7, 12, 19	Dutch Clark	QB	1931–1932 1934–1938
89	Gail Cogdill	WR	1960–1968
76	Lou Creekmur	G/T	1950–1959
25	Jim David	DB	1952–1959
44	Don Doll	DB	1949–1952
7, 20, 56	Ox Emerson	G, C, LB	1931–1937
78	Doug English	DT	1975–1985
54	Ed Flanagan	C	1965–1974
53	Kevin Glover	C	1985–1997
23	Mel Gray	KR/PR	1989–1994
4	Jason Hanson	K	1992–2012
81	Calvin Johnson	WR	2007–2015
71	Alex Karras	DT	1958–1962 1964–1970
81	Dick "Night Train" Lane	CB	1960–1965
28	Yale Lary	DB, P	1952–1953 1956–1964
22	Bobby Layne	QB	1950–1958
24, 44	Dick LeBeau	DB	1959–1972
53	Mike Lucci	LB	1965–1973
84	Herman Moore	WR	1991–2001
48	Don Muhlbach ^1	LS	2004–2020
33	Nick Pietrosante	FB	1959–1965
91	Robert Porcher	DE	1992–2003
20	Barry Sanders	RB	1989–1998
88	Charlie Sanders	TE	1968–1977
30	Cory Schlesinger	FB	1995–2006
56	Joe Schmidt	LB	1953–1965
66	Harley Sewell	OG	1953–1962
20	Billy Sims	RB	1980–1984
54	Chris Spielman	LB	1988–1995
9	Matthew Stafford ^1	QB	2009–2020
63	Dick Stanfel	OG	1952–1955
37	Doak Walker	HB	1950–1955
30, 50	Alex Wojciechowicz	C, LB	1938–1946

Note:

• ¹ Stafford and Muhlbach were active at the time of the selection.^[74]

Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

Main article: Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

Staff

Current staff

Detroit Lions staff

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	Front office Owner – Sheila Ford Hamp Vice chairpeople – William Clay Ford Jr., Martha Ford Morse and Elizabeth Ford Kontulis Team president & CEO – Rod Wood Executive vice president & general manager – Brad Holmes Chief operating officer – Mike Disner Special assistant to chairman and president & CEO – Chris Spielman Assistant general manager – Ray Agnew Director of player personnel – Lance Newmark Director of pro scouting – Rob Lohman Director of scouting advancement – Mike Martin Senior personnel executive – John Dorsey Head coaches Head coach – Dan Campbell Assistant head coach/running backs – Scottie Montgomery Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Ben Johnson Passing game coordinator – Tanner Engstrand Quarterbacks – Mark Brunell Assistant quarterbacks – J. T. Barrett Wide receivers – Antwaan Randle El Assistant wide receivers – Seth Ryan Tight ends – Steve Heiden Offensive line – Hank Fraley Assistant offensive line – Steve Oliver Senior offensive assistant – John Morton			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Aaron Glenn Defensive line – Vacant Assistant defensive line – Cameron Davis Linebackers – Kelvin Sheppard Assistant linebackers – Shaun Dion Hamilton Defensive backs – Brian Duker Cornerbacks – Dré Bly Defensive assistant/outside linebackers – David Corrao Defensive quality control – Wayne Blair WCF minority fellowship/defensive quality control – Dré Thompson Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Dave Fipp Assistant special teams – Jett Modkins Strength and conditioning Director of sports performance – Mike Clark Director of sports science – Jill Costanza Head strength & conditioning – Josh Schuler Assistant strength & conditioning – Morris Henry → Coaching staff → Management → More NFL staffs

Head coaches

Main article: List of Detroit Lions head coaches

 

Dan Campbell is the current head coach of the Detroit Lions

The Lions have had 30 head coaches throughout their franchise history. Their first head coach was Hal Griffen, who compiled a 5–6–3 (.464) overall record with the team of 1930. Wayne Fontes was the longest-tenured head coach in Lions history, serving from 1988 to 1996.^[75] The current head coach of the Lions is Dan Campbell, who was hired on January 20, 2021.^[76]

Offensive coordinators

Name	Tenure
No Offensive Coordinator between	1934–1966
Bill McPeak	1967–1972
No Offensive Coordinator between	1973–1975
Ken Shipp	1976
Ed Hughes	1977
Bob Schnelker	1978–1981
Ted Marchibroda	1982–1983
Bill Nelsen	1984
Bob Baker	1985–1988
Dave Levy	1991
Dan Henning	1992–1993
Dave Levy	1994
Tom Moore	1994–1996
Sylvester Croom	1997–2000
Gary Moeller	2000
Maurice Carthon	2001–2002
Sherman Lewis	2003–2004
Ted Tollner	2005
Mike Martz	2006–2007
Jim Colletto	2008
Scott Linehan	2009–2013
Joe Lombardi	2014–2015
Jim Bob Cooter	2015–2018
Darrell Bevell	2019–2020
Anthony Lynn	2021
Ben Johnson	2022–present

Defensive coordinators

Name	Tenure
No Defensive Coordinator between	1934–1951
Buster Ramsey	1952–1959
Don Shula	1960–1962
No Defensive Coordinator between	1963–1974
Jimmy Carr (American football)	1975–1976
Fritz Shurmur	1977
No Defensive Coordinator between	1978–1979
Maxie Baughan	1980–1982
Ed Beard	1983–1984
Wayne Fontes	1985–1988
Woody Widenhofer	1989–1992
Hank Bullough	1993
Herb Paterra	1994–1995
Jim Eddy	1996
Larry Peccatiello	1997–2000
Vince Tobin	2001
Kurt Schottenheimer	2002–2003
Dick Jauron	2004–2005
Donnie Henderson	2006
Joe Barry	2007–2008
Gunther Cunningham	2009–2013
Teryl Austin	2014–2017
Paul Pasqualoni	2018–2019
Cory Undlin	2020
Aaron Glenn	2021–present

Special Teams coordinators

Name	Tenure
John Bonamego	2019
Brayden Coombs	2020
Dave Fipp	2021–present

Rivalries

The Lions have had several division rivals in their existence. Their oldest rivals are the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers, whom they have faced since 1930.^[77][78] The Minnesota Vikings have been in a division with Detroit ever since their inaugural season in 1961.^[79][80] Another notable longtime division opponent was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (25 seasons from 1977 to 2001).^[81]

The Lions also have a preseason rivalry with the Cleveland Browns, dubbed the Great Lakes Classic.^[82] The two teams have been playing for The Barge Trophy since 2002.^[83] The Lions and Browns had a solid rivalry in the 1950s, when they met four times for the NFL championship (Detroit won three of the matchups); they have met much less frequently during the regular season since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger due to the Browns' move to the AFC.^[84]

Radio and television

Main article: List of Detroit Lions broadcasters

 

Map of radio affiliates

Radio

Main article: Detroit Lions Radio Network

The Lions' flagship radio station is WXYT-FM.^[85] Dan Miller does play-by-play, Lomas Brown does color commentary, and T. J. Lang is the sideline reporter.^[86][87]

In 2015, the team announced that they were moving from WXYT-FM to WJR for the 2016 NFL season, ending a 20-year relationship with CBS Radio.^[88] The decision to part with WXYT was reportedly instigated by a demand by the team for the station to fire on-air personality Mike Valenti, who has had a history of making critical comments about the Lions during his drivetime show, as a condition of any future renewal. A CBS Radio spokesperson stated that their refusal was meant to maintain the station's integrity.^[88][89]

The Lions' flagship station returned to WXYT-FM starting with the 2021 season.^[90]

TV

Preseason

Main article: Detroit Lions Television Network

In 2015, WJBK took over from WXYZ-TV as the flagship station for Lions preseason games.^[91] In 2022, the announcers were Brandon Gaudin with play-by-play, Devin Gardner with color commentary, and Dannie Rogers with sideline reports.^[92] Games are produced by Bally Sports Detroit.^[93][94]

Regular season

Regular season games are broadcast regionally on Fox, except when the Lions play an AFC team in Detroit, in which case the game airs regionally on CBS; however, since 2014, with the institution of the NFL's "cross flex" broadcast rules, any Lions game slated to air on Fox can be moved to CBS.^[95][96] The Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit is always televised nationally.^[30] In 2011, the Lions became the last NFC team to play on NBC's Sunday Night Football since the network began airing Sunday night games in 2006.^[97]

Blackouts

Main article: National Football League television blackout policies

The Lions' winless performance in 2008 and 2–14 season in 2009, coupled with the effects of the Great Recession in Michigan, led to several local broadcast blackouts, as local fans did not purchase enough tickets by the 72-hour blackout deadline. The first blackout in the then seven-year history of Ford Field was on October 26, 2008, against the Washington Redskins. The previous 50 regular season home games had been sellouts.^[98] The second home game of the 2009 season in which the Lions broke the losing streak, also against the Redskins, was blacked out locally, as well as the comeback victory over the Cleveland Browns.^{[99][100][101]} The Lions had only one blackout in 2010, yet another Redskins game, which the Lions won 37–25.^[102] However, in 2015, the NFL suspended its blackout policies, meaning that all Lions games will be shown on local TV, regardless of tickets sold.^[103]

Games were also often blacked out at the Lions' previous home, the 80,000-seat Pontiac Silverdome, despite winning seasons and the success and popularity of star players such as Barry Sanders.^[104][105]

Lions cheerleaders

Main article: Detroit Lions Cheerleaders

On June 13, 2016, the Lions announced their decision to add official cheerleaders to the organization.^[106] The team also announced that Rebecca Girard-Smoker, formerly the director of the Detroit Pistons dance team, would be the coach of the cheerleading squad. It marked the first time in over 40 years the team had an official cheerleading squad. The cheerleading squad is a part of the entertainment during football games, and active at community events.^[107]

See also

• NFL on Thanksgiving Day
• History of the Portsmouth Spartans

Notes and references

1. "Detroit Lions Team Facts". ProFootballHOF.com. NFL Enterprises. from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
2. "Detroit Lions statement regarding rebranding". DetroitLions.com. NFL Enterprises. February 1, 2017. from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
3. "Lions Visual Identity" (PDF). 2021 Detroit Lions Media Guide (PDF). NFL Enterprises. August 3, 2021. (PDF) from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021. On Feb. 1, 2017 the Lions once again updated the team's logo and typeface as part of a rebranding initiative that also included four new uniform options. The updated logo and typeface includes the removal of black from the brand identity, emphasizing the team's class color combination of Honolulu blue and silver that has been synonymous with the Detroit Lions since 1934.
4. "Detroit Lions Team Capsule" (PDF). 2021 Official National Football League Record and Fact Book (PDF). NFL Enterprises. August 11, 2021. (PDF) from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
5. "Martha Firestone Ford to step down as principal owner of Detroit Lions". DetroitLions.com. NFL Enterprises. June 23, 2020. from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
6. Barnett, C. Robert (1980). "THE PORTSMOUTH SPARTANS" (PDF). Professional Football Researchers Association. (PDF) from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
7. Holmes, Dan (March 13, 2015). . Vintage Detroit. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
8. Rogers, Justin (January 15, 2022). "With Bengals' victory, Lions own NFL's longest drought without playoff victory". The Detroit News. from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
9. Caldwell, Dave (February 1, 2019). "Meet The NFL Team That Might Never Make It To A Super Bowl". Forbes. from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
10. Carroll, Charlotte (February 3, 2019). "What Teams Have Never Won the Super Bowl?". SI.com. from the original on October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
11. Barringer, Daisy (January 2, 2019). . Eventbrite. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
12. "TBT: Lions uniforms through the years". DetroitLions.com. NFL Enterprises. from the original on October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
13. Dow, Bill (April 22, 2009). "The Evolution of the Detroit Lions' Uniforms". Vintage Detroit. from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
14. NFL Throwback (August 20, 2020). "How EVERY Team Got Their Colors!". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
15. Lukas, Paul (April 13, 2017). "The Detroit Lions' uniforms for 2017 will be evolution of the current look". ESPN.com. from the original on October 18, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
16. "Detroit Lions". The Gridiron Uniform Database. from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
17. "Little consolation: Lions rally, but still fall to 0–10". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 22, 2001. from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
18. "Lions give too charitably to Patriots". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 28, 2002. from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
19. "Packers' playoff hopes hurt". ESPN.com. Associated Press. November 27, 2003. from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
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Bibliography

• Griffith, R. D. (2012). To the NFL: You Sure Started Somethin': A Historical Guide of All 32 NFL Teams and the Cities They've Played In. Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc. ISBN 978-1-4349-1762-1. Retrieved November 25, 2016.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Detroit Lions.

• Official website  
• Detroit Lions at the National Football League official website