WHAT NEXT FOR THE LIONS?
Posted by Mike Florio on September 24, 2008, 10:51 a.m.
With CEO Matt Millen out of Detroit after seven-plus years of something far worse than mediocrity, the question now becomes what will the Lions do next?
A G.M.-level employee rarely is fired during a football season, primarily since the G.M. really doesnt do much once the season starts. Sure, theres churning at the bottom of the roster and advance planning for free agency and the draft and a rare trade, but dumping the G.M. wont really do anything to affect whether the team wins games or loses them during the season in which the move occurred.
The other problem is that it makes it difficult if not impossible to hire a permanent replacement in the short term, unless someone currently not under contract with a team is pursued.
Look for current Assistant G.M. Martin Mayhew to possibly be elevated into the role of G.M. Though, on one hand, Mayhew is part of the problem, on the other hand hes tight with COO Tom Lewand, who is tight with Bill Ford Jr.
Speaking of Lewand, hes likely to come out of this thing with greater authority.
But should he?
Though hes not generally known as a guy with direct ties to the football program, his job description places his fingerprints all over the thing. According to his bio on the teams web site, Lewand operates as the teams chief contract negotiator and architect of the salary cap, and oversees all day-to-day business operations of both the Detroit Lions and Ford Field entities. This includes the management of finance, football administration, player development, security, equipment operations, medical staff, ticketing, sales and marketing, public/media relations, broadcasting, human resources, Ford Field operations and administration, and the development of Ford Fields lease space in the stadiums progression as a multi-use facility.
Heres the kicker, again from Lewands bio: Lewands leadership positions every aspect of the Lions organization, including Ford Field operations, to significantly impact the Lions drive for a Super Bowl title. For Lewand, everything from football transactions to Ford Field events influences the teams ability to compete and win.
Logic and common sense tell us, then, that if Lewands positions significantly impact the Lions drive for a Super Bowl title and that everything he does influences the teams ability to compete and win, the chronic absence of a Super Bowl title (of course, you first need to get to the playoffs) and the inability of the team to consistently compete and win means that he should be fired, too.
But Lewand is one of these business types who will try to claim credit when things go well on the field, but then shoulder no blame when the franchise becomes a consistent bottom-feeder.
In our view, the entire organization should be gutted, and a new administration should be hired. Its the only way to erase the stench of the last seven years.
The timing of Millens departure will make that much harder to do. We believe that, over the next three months, Lewand and Mayhew will cozy up even closer to Bill Ford Jr., and Mayhew will emerge as the leading candidate for the permanent job (if, that is, the Lions hire him as G.M. on an interim basis only; we dont rule out the possibility of Mayhew being installed as the successor to Millen permanently).
So even though Lions fans currently are partying like drunken munchkins, it would be wise to keep in mind that the Wicked Witch of the West could end up being even worse than the witch on whom the house was finally dropped.