Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan, competing in the NFC North division of the National Football League (NFL). Their home games are played at Ford Field, an indoor stadium in downtown Detroit. The franchise was originally founded as the Portsmouth Spartans in 1928 in Portsmouth, Ohio, and joined the NFL in 1930. Financial difficulties led to a relocation to Detroit in 1934, where the team was renamed the Lions, a nod to the city's Major League Baseball team, the Detroit Tigers. The Lions have won four NFL Championship titles, capturing championships in 1935, 1952, 1953, and 1957. However, they have not won a championship since 1957, marking a 68-year drought as of 2025. Notably, the Lions are the only NFL team that has been in the league for the entire Super Bowl era without ever appearing in the Super Bowl.[edit]

The franchise began in 1928 as the Portsmouth Spartans in Ohio, joining the NFL in 1930. After three seasons, financial struggles forced a sale and relocation to Detroit in 1934. New owner George A. Richards renamed the team the Lions, selecting a name that paired with the city's baseball Tigers. The Lions quickly found success, winning their first NFL championship in 1935 behind the running of Dutch Clark and the passing of Earl Dutch Clark. The team won three more titles in the 1950s, led by quarterback Bobby Layne and a stout defense featuring Alex Karras and Dick Lane. After the 1957 championship, the Lions entered a prolonged period of mediocrity, with only sporadic playoff appearances. The team did not win a postseason game again until 1991, when they defeated the Dallas Cowboys. A long playoff win drought followed, broken only in 2023 when the Lions won the NFC North and advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991. The team's Thanksgiving Day game tradition began in 1934 and remains a fixture of the holiday.[edit]