At Ford Field, the Lions figured out a hard truth years ago: fans will tolerate a lot, but not being treated like fools. That’s why Sheila Hamp’s public approach mattered.
When the team was still digging out of the mess that had defined it for so long, she stepped in, addressed the noise around Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes, and gave both a public vote of confidence when Campbell’s second season opened 1-6. Since then, Detroit has stacked up four straight winning seasons and become the kind of team that should be in the playoff mix every year.
That backdrop makes what’s happening across town look even worse.
Red Wings and Tigers owner Chris Ilitch is now catching the same kind of heat the Lions used to live with. At the Red Wings’ season-opener against the New York Rangers, fans started chanting “Sell the Team, Sell the Team” only five minutes into the game. During introductions, former captain Dylan Larkin got booed by the home crowd.
That’s how far this has fallen. A once-proud franchise is now carrying the stain of a miserable 10-year stretch, and it has reached the point where a homegrown star was put in the middle of the mess after asking to be traded.
Todd McLellan tried to explain the decision to have Larkin out there for the ceremony.
“Dylan today being part of the team, he wanted to be out there for the ceremony. So, let me make that real clear,” McLellan said.
“That’s what our team has done for 101 years now, is put the players out there. And Dylan’s explanation was, I don’t want the rest of my teammates, the ones that aren’t dressed, to not be out there.
“So, we went out as a team, and that’s what we’re going to do. Obviously he’s got to live with the ramifications of asking for a trade,” McLellan said.
“It’s not comfortable for anybody. I feel bad for him.
I do.”
TNT’s broadcast crew didn’t think much of it, either, calling the move “bush league.”
The bigger issue, though, is the silence around the whole operation. Hamp and the Lions confronted their problems directly. Ilitch, by contrast, answered written questions from a columnist better known for TV banter than for deep Detroit sports reporting.
That kind of distance has only made the frustration louder inside Little Caesars Arena. Fans are no longer waiting for the front office to explain itself; they’re making the case in public.
And while it may not be the kind of place free agents are lining up to join anyway, the optics are only getting worse. Ilitch is viewed as a fiscally responsible owner - or, put another way, cheap - and the Red Wings still haven’t regained the mystique that once came with the franchise.
The search for a fix hasn’t exactly inspired confidence, either. The organization moved on from Steve Yzerman and ended up with an interim general manager, a choice that says plenty about where things stand. There was surprise that so many qualified executives passed on the job, but that’s the reality when the shine is gone.
The Yzerplan failed, and now the franchise is stuck with an owner who looks afraid of accountability.
In Other News...
Panthers Hit With New NFL Discipline Right Before Lions Game
The Panthers are dealing with a little added noise before their matchup with the Lions, as the NFL handed down fines to three Carolina players for penalties committed in Week 3 against Cleveland. A.J. Dillon was fined for a facemask, Lee Hunter for unsportsmanlike conduct tied to taunting, and Thomas Incoom for unnecessary roughness involving helmet use.
None of the three was suspended, so Carolina will still have its full group available when it lines up against Detroit. Even so, the discipline serves as a reminder that the league is watching closely, and the Lions will face a Panthers team trying to keep its edge without letting the extra attention spill into Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Face A Sam LaPorta Question They Couldn't Settle
The Lions and Sam LaPorta have hit pause on contract-extension talks after several weeks of negotiations failed to produce a deal, a familiar sort of detour for a franchise that has not shied away from working on its own timeline. LaPortas side decided to step back for now so the tight end can stay focused on the season, leaving open the possibility that the conversation picks up again once the games are over.
For Detroit, the situation turns one of its most important young pieces into an offseason question again, even if the door is not closed. The team has a history of handling contracts during the season, and it would not be a surprise if it tries again to keep LaPorta in place long term, especially with the chance that any agreement could land him among the leagues highest-paid tight ends. [Read more 🡒]
Isaac TeSlaa Has A Real Chance To Build On Last Week
Isaac TeSlaa finally gave the Lions a glimpse of what he can add to the passing game last week, finishing with four catches for 66 yards against the Jets. For a second-year receiver still trying to carve out a steadier role, it was the kind of outing that can change how a coaching staff looks at the depth chart from one week to the next.
The next opportunity looks even more inviting against Carolina, which has already lost two starting cornerbacks to injured reserve. With Detroit likely looking to keep feeding TeSlaa after his uptick in involvement, betting analyst Drew Ellis is expecting him to top his receiving total from last week, a sign that this might be more than a one-game spike for a young player trying to force his way into the offense. [Read more 🡒]