As the Detroit Lions gear up for the 2017 season, the front office has decided to take down the team’s playoff participation banners.
Apparently, participation trophies aren’t enough in the Motor City anymore. Per The Detroit Free Press, the Detroit Lions have taken the banners commemorating the team’s playoff appearances down from the rafters of Ford Field.
The move comes at a time when the organization is in the midst of a $100 million stadium renovation, and frankly, is a welcomed change.
Indeed, Lions team president Rod Wood was questioned about the decision and he had this to say (via Justin Rogers of The Detroit News):
"“We took them down as part of the renovation and we’d rather just celebrate the next division win and not put them back up,” Wood said. “I’m certainly setting my sights on winning divisions and championships, not just making the playoffs.”"
Dig this: the Lions playoff appearance banners are gone.
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) July 19, 2017
Rod Wood: "Didn't see any point in putting them back up." pic.twitter.com/yAaLp1u1VG
Frankly, it’s hard to argue with that logic. While the team has come a long way from the dark days of 0-16 by slowly returning to respectability and earning three post-season berths in the last six seasons, the franchise is still seeking it’s first playoff win since defeating the Dallas Cowboys, 38-6, at the Silverdome on Jan. 5, 1992. Furthermore, the Lions have never won an NFC North title since the division was created and took the place of the NFC Central in 2002.
It’s been a long time since Lions fans have had anything significant to celebrate and it stands to reason that’s why these banners were positioned in the rafters in the first place. They stood as a symbol of the team’s emergence from the very bottom of the barrel into a worthy competitor. However, now that the team has proven to be a viable playoff contender, it’s time to re-calibrate expectations.
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By choosing not to be satisfied with simply making the playoffs, and focusing on loftier goals, Lions top brass is setting an example for the players and the fanbase. This is no longer an organization that is content with participation trophies. The time is now for the Detroit Lions to make good on their ambitions and take the next step towards serious contention.