Breaking News: Martha Firestone Ford is stepping down as principal owner of the Detroit Lions.6/23/2020 www.detroitlions.com/news/martha-firestone-ford-to-step-down-sheila-ford-hamp-to-succeed-mother
Sheila Ford Hamp to succeed mother as team’s principal owner and chairman Allen Park, Mich. - The Detroit Lions announced today that Martha Firestone Ford, who has led the Lions since 2014, has decided to step aside from her principal leadership role with the team. Under the team's established plan, Mrs. Ford's daughter, Sheila Ford Hamp, has succeeded her mother as the team's principal owner and chairman. Mrs. Hamp has been active in team leadership and National Football League activities for several years in preparation for officially assuming team leadership. MARTHA FIRESTONE FORD "It has been a great honor for our family to be associated with the Lions and with the National Football League. I am gratified that this family tradition, which my husband and I began almost six decades ago, will continue under Sheila's guiding hand. It is clear to me that Sheila will provide superb leadership and is fully committed to competitive excellence and community involvement." SHEILA FORD HAMP "My mother has inspired all of us since taking on leadership of the Lions over six years ago. She has been a tireless leader to our family, our team and our community. Her smart decisions have given me a solid foundation to take the team forward. On behalf of the family and the team, I want to thank her for her countless contributions. I look forward to leading the Lions to excellence on and off the field."
Comments
As most of you are likely aware, the NFL is blazing ahead with their plans to play the upcoming NFL season as uninterrupted by the COVID-19 virus as possible. Training Camps are still scheduled to open, they are still planning on having some sort of preseason (there is talk they could drop it down to 2 games, but I haven't seen anything definite on that), as of yesterday, they want to increase the size of the practice squad to 16 players (needs NFLPA approval) to give teams flexibility in handling players testing positive for the coronavirus, they are doing everything they can to make sure the season starts as scheduled.
However, there will likely be some conditions attached. Perhaps the single biggest condition, is the possibility that they will have to play football in empty stadiums, without fans. Now teams that actually own their stadiums and collect all of the concessions, ticket, parking and merchandise revenue will lose money without fans being allowed to attend the games, but, the gamble would be that if they can't go to the stadium, they will watch the games on TV, and the TV revenue from the games ratings will help soften that blow. But, that assumes that fans stick with the NFL. And that's the question I want to ask:
Are you still interested in watching NFL games in empty stadiums?
Created with PollMaker
x
Former Florida Gators wide receiver Reche Caldwell died on Saturday in a shooting, a report from TMZ confirms. He was 41 years old at the time of his death. TMZ confirmed the death with Caldwell’s mother, Deborah Caldwell, on Sunday morning. TMZ reported that Tampa authorities had not responded yet when asked about any arrests being made in the shooting. However, TMZ also said that Caldwell's girlfriend stated he was "ambushed" by a "couple of people" who jumped out of bushes trying to rob him and Caldwell was shot in the leg and chest. "He was a good person who smiled all of the time," Deborah told TMZ. "He tried to help everyone he could. He was the type of guy who would take his shirt off his back and give it to you." A native of Tampa, Florida, Caldwell attended Thomas Jefferson High School before accepting his scholarship offer to play college football at Florida, despite being selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1998 MLB Draft. Caldwell played for Steve Spurrier and the Gators from 1998-2001 and made quite the name for himself in his college football days. While at Florida, Caldwell steadily improved over three years on the field. He finished his college career with 2,088 yards and 18 touchdowns receiving, but it was his senior year that set him apart. In 2001, Caldwell caught 65 passes for 1,059 yards and 10 touchdowns. That year, he was a Second Team All-SEC pick and an Honorable Mention All-American selection before going to the NFL. In the four years that Caldwell was with Florida, the program had some of its best seasons. The Gators went a combined 39-11 in those four years and won two Orange Bowls, while also playing for a Sugar Bowl and a Citrus Bowl. Caldwell was drafted with the 48th overall pick, a second-round selection, in the 2002 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He was there through 2005 until he was not re-signed by San Diego. Over the next three NFL seasons, Caldwell was signed to one-year contracts by the New England Patriots, Washington Redskins and St. Louis Rams before ending his NFL career. Over the course of his NFL career, he had 152 catches for 1,851 yards and 11 touchdowns. After Caldwell's NFL career was over, he still managed some headlines. Unfortunately, they weren't positive. In 2014, Caldwell was arrested for drug possession and intent to distribute, something that he carried out across the street from an elementary school. "I see now, yup, not the greatest location for that kind of thing," Caldwell told ESPN in 2016. "Too big, too fast. I laugh at my stuff too. What else can you do? I have to laugh. I really thought I was some kind of a criminal? All I know is, everyone kept telling me, 'The police don't care about this stuff, you'll never get caught,' and the next thing I know I'm headed to prison, saying goodbye to my kids, wondering: 'What happened to me?'" Caldwell also pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud in January of 2016. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees said Wednesday during an interview with Yahoo Finance that he "will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country" -- comments he would come under intense criticism for and would later attempt to clarify.
Brees' initial comments came following a question on how the NFL should respond if players kneel during the national anthem this season in protest of police brutality and racial injustice and what his responsibility is as a leader during a time like this. The comments were Brees' first since George Floyd was killed at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer last week and came after he posted an Instagram calling for unity Wednesday morning. "I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country," Brees said. "Let me just tell what I see or what I feel when the national anthem is played and when I look at the flag of the United States. I envision my two grandfathers, who fought for this country during World War II, one in the Army and one in the Marine Corp. Both risking their lives to protect our country and to try to make our country and this world a better place. So every time I stand with my hand over my heart looking at that flag and singing the national anthem, that's what I think about. And in many cases, that brings me to tears, thinking about all that has been sacrificed. Not just those in the military, but for that matter, those throughout the civil rights movements of the '60s, and all that has been endured by so many people up until this point. And is everything right with our country right now? No, it is not. We still have a long way to go. But I think what you do by standing there and showing respect to the flag with your hand over your heart, is it shows unity. It shows that we are all in this together, we can all do better and that we are all part of the solution." The Saints dynamic will be interesting this year. On paper they have a talented team but it will be an interesting experiment in human dynamics because no matter what is said about coming together afterwards many of the people involved are highly emotional and will likely hold a grudge for a long time. |
NFL ChattersArchives
January 2022
CategoriesOur sister sites:
NCAA Chatters ncaachatters.weebly.com/ Patriots Place patriots-place.weebly.com/ MLB Chatters mlbchatters.weebly.com/ Garbage Time garbage-time.weebly.com/ |