For Detroit Lions fans, team ownership has been shrouded in mystery for the past few decades. The Ford Family—be it the late William Clay Ford, Sr. or Martha Firestone Ford—rarely stepped in front of a camera or podium to talk about the franchise they’ve owned since the early 1960s, preferring to run the team in the shadows instead.
And while that doesn’t mean they haven’t been involved and emotionally engaged in the team, it can be frustrating from an outside perspective to never hear from the people that have been incapable of bringing a successful football team to the city of Detroit in six decades.