Dear Reader, A fairly famous business axiom is, “Culture eats strategy for lunch.”
That makes a lot of sense in the corporate world. Is there any chance it could be the beginning of turning around one of the longest streaks of ineptitude in the sporting world?
I’m talking about the Detroit Lions, who are in training camp in Allen Park preparing for the 2021 season. They were one of the worst teams in football when they had quarterback Matthew Stafford at the helm, and he’s a generational talent.
“You don't allow the second-most points in NFL history by accident,” said Kyle Meinke, lead Lions writer for MLive, of the Lions’ 2020 season. “It was a mess, from start to finish.”
This past offseason owner Sheila Ford Hamp fired her general manager, Bob Quinn, and head coach, Matt Patricia; hired a new GM and coach; and then the new brain trust traded Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams for quarterback Jared Goff, two first-round picks and a third-round pick.
Casual fans might have trouble naming more than a handful of Lions on the roster this year, and oddsmakers have made the team the underdog in all 17 games on the schedule. But we may be witnessing – and I say this with fingers crossed and prayers on my lips – the beginning of a new era.
“I've been around long enough that this is my fourth head coach,” Meinke said. “’New way of doing business’ and ‘culture change’ are big buzzwords in the NFL, but I don't remember a more substantial cultural change.
“I cannot underscore the point enough – just how bad the players were feeling the last three years. Real culture change is taking root; the players feel good, they're happy to go into work, and they're happy to play for (coach) Dan Campbell.”
Campbell, a former Lions player, raised eyebrows with an animated introductory press conference that had the feel of a professional wrestling promotional spectacle. But the genuine parts of that – his enthusiasm for the game, his open demeanor with his staff and players, and his devotion to Detroit and its fans – are strikingly different than Patricia, who was prickly and sometimes confrontational with players, employees and the media.
“I've heard the word ‘fun’ more times in the last week than I did in my first two years on the beat,” said Ben Raven, who also covers the Lions for MLive and has been at training camp daily. “These guys are more vocal, there's screaming going on, celebrating going on – it's just fascinating. I mean it's a completely new vibe.”
Another welcome cultural change this year noted by Meinke and Raven is that they are allowed to do their work in person – both observing practices, and interviewing players and coaches – for the first time since the NFL scouting combine in February 2020.
Last year, COVID made coverage virtual, which is frustrating for beat writers trying to develop rapport with the people they write about on behalf of our readers.
“It's refreshing – it’s great to be in front of the players again,” Raven said. “It’s been a bit tiring to get out of the house every day – it’s going to take a minute to get used to. But I know which way I’d rather have it.”
Added Meinke: “It's one thing to have Dan Campbell screaming about ‘kneecaps’ in your laptop, but it's a different thing to be in the room with him, and to begin to develop that relationship.”
To go back to that businessman’s counsel about culture: The point isn’t that strategy doesn’t matter; the point is, it cannot flourish unless the culture is sound. Ultimately, the two have to work together to produce results, and as Patricia found out, the NFL is the ultimate results-based business.
That said, what do Meinke and Raven predict on the field this season for this newly invigorated team?
“Six or seven wins,” Raven said. “I’ll give them the best of the best-case scenario.”
Meinke, who’s covered the team longer and seen more futility, artfully dodged a numeric prediction and reminded me that a team doesn’t ship off its franchise player for draft picks if they’re trying to win games now.
“They’re not tanking, they’ll win as many games as they can. But as an organization, they’re playing for 2022 and 2023.”
Same ol’ Lions in the standings this year, perhaps, but some new hope that they’re building the foundation for a brighter future.
###
Editor's note: I value your feedback to my columns, story tips and your suggestions on how to improve our coverage. Let me know how MLive helps you, and how we can do better. Please feel free to reach out by emailing me at editor@mlive.com.
John Hiner Executive Editor Vice President of Content Mlive Media Group
Having trouble viewing this email? View in your browser.
To ensure receipt of our emails, please add newsletters@update.mlive.com to your address book or safe sender list. You received this email because you are a subscriber to MLive.com newsletters. |