(Audacy) The Detroit Lions have made quite the turnaround in recent years. After decades of futility, they won 12 games this season for the first time since 1991, which is also the last time they won a playoff game before this year.
On his 1st & Pod podcast, 670 The Score afternoon host Danny Parkins explained why the Lions' success should give hope to fans of poorly run organizations.
"They are a legitimately great team. The top to bottom is run very well," Parkins said (27:20 in player above). "For our entire lives, they've been known as the franchise that forced Barry Sanders into early retirement, forced Calvin Johnson into early retirement, wasted Matt Stafford – as soon as he leaves he goes and wins a Super Bowl. 'Oh man, why are they playing on Thanksgiving? Lions fans go to games with bags on their head.'"
The Lions had long been the laughingstock of the NFL. That's no longer the case.
"Not the best organization in football, they haven't done it for long enough yet, but Brad Holmes, their general manager, he's had three drafts," Parkins continued. "Every single player he's drafted is on this team. Every single one. They're just rock solid."
Now as the Lions are still working their way to the top, there's a lot of hope in Detroit.
"They deserve a ton of credit and they deserve to be treated like more than just a cute little story," Parkins said. "They're a great organization right now, and they give a lot of fans of bad organizations – and I'll raise my hand as one who follows and covers and roots for one – they give a lot of us hope. Because if the Lions could become this model of success and competence then basically anybody can."
The Lions are now in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday after taking down the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
