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Detroit Lions Information, Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio, the Portsmouth Spartans originated in 1929 as an independent professional team. In 1930 they were finally able to join the National Football League, as other independent teams flopped because of the Great Depression. The team moved to Detroit in 1934 in search of a bigger fan base, where they were eventually renamed the Detroit Lions. Although the franchise has won four NFL Championships, the last time they could claim themselves as #1 was in 1957. The lions have never qualified for the Super Bowl, and have only won only one playoff game since winning it all that year.
Lately the Lions have really been struggling. They have not made the playoffs since 1999, and became the first team in NFL history last season to lose all 16 regular season games. Since then they have made some changes with hopes of turning the franchise in the right direction. In January of 2009 the Lions hired Jim Schwartz as head coach, who spent 10 seasons with the Tennessee Titans (eight of them as a defensive coordinator). They also hired Scott Linehan and Gunther Cunningham as offensive and defensive coordinators.
With a new coaching staff in place, the Lions are hoping to at least get a few wins under their belt. Playoffs might even look like a long term goal for pro football in Detroit, but it can certainly be done in time. Part of that will come with selecting Matthew Strafford from the University of Georgia as the #1 overall pick in the draft. The six-year contract reportedly contains $41.7 million in guaranteed money (the most guaranteed to any player in NFL history) and carries a total value of up to $78 million.
