Detroit Lions did a lot right in heartbreaking loss to Ravens
Dave Birkett, Carlos Monarrez and Shawn Windsor break down the Detroit Lions’ 19-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 26, 2021, at Ford Field.
Dave Birkett, Carlos Monarrez and Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press
At some point, this will end.
One of these days, the acrimony between Calvin Johnson, the greatest receiver in Detroit Lions history, and the team he gave everything to for nine seasons, will get past their differences and find a path forward.
Unfortunately, Sunday was not one of those days.
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It was anything but. On a day that was supposed to be a celebration and could have been the warmest of homecomings, the same fans who have supported the franchise for more than 60 years of drudgery let their feelings be known about the people in charge.
During a ceremony at halftime of the Lions’ 19-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Johnson was joined on the field by his wife and parents on one side and the Ford family on the other as he was presented with his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring.
When the Fords were shown on the big screen, fans began booing. When principal owner Sheila Ford Hamp stepped up to the microphone and began speaking, the boos were so loud from the crowd of 50,788 that she was drowned out.
“Lions fans,” Hamp began, “isn’t it great to have Calvin Johnson here at Ford Field?”
That only seemed to incite the crowd as the boos came down even harder. Hamp smirked and turned to Johnson, who was gently flapping his arms trying to get fans to quiet down.
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“That’s all right,” she said as she turned to Johnson.
“Calvin,” Hamp said as she soldiered on, “witnessing your amazing career was an honor and a privilege and my family and I want to thank you for all you’ve done for the Detroit Lions and the many memories you’ve given our fans.”
The boos reached a crescendo as Hamp spoke these words, because they seemed hollow coming from a family of owners that has chased two of the game’s greatest players into early retirement and then sewed feelings of estrangement by pursuing bonus money that most other teams don’t.
I’ve written many times that the Lions need to fix this very fixable problem by giving Johnson the only thing he’s asked for: repayment of a $1.6 million portion of the signing bonus the Lions asked him to pay when he retired after the 2015 season.
Even though the Fords are to blame, it was still hard to see Hamp get obliterated like that by the most loyal customers of the enterprise she runs and in the stadium that bears her family’s name. It’s a little unfair to Hamp because she wasn’t in charge of the team when the rift started. But I think she understands the history of fans’ unhappiness with the team and that she’s now the focal point of any hostility. It’s why she gets paid the big bucks, right?
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From the outside, at least the ice seems to be cracking — a little. A video was shown Sunday of Johnson hugging Hamp backstage at a party the Lions threw for him during his induction in August. After Johnson addressed fans Sunday, he shook hands with Hamp and her mother, Martha Firestone Ford.
The tone of Hamp’s opening comments seemed to imply that more moments with Johnson at Ford Field could be on the horizon. Johnson followed Hamp and teased about a possible return by telling fans, “I miss you guys and I look forward to many great days in the future here in Detroit.”
The sense I’ve gotten from Johnson on this whole matter is that it hasn’t been personal. The Lions decided to make it about business — cold, hard, unfeeling business — and Johnson has responded in kind.
That didn’t make Sunday’s ceremony any less uncomfortable or easier to watch. It just made it seem like more of a blown opportunity and time that’s being wasted. Because the Lions will never get this moment back, just like they won’t get those moments back of Johnson and Barry Sanders ignoring them while they gave their induction speeches in Canton, Ohio.
Thousands of fans at Ford Field let us know Sunday which side they’ve chosen in this disagreement. They were loud and they were clear.
One of these days, Hamp and the Ford family will acknowledge they’ve heard the fans and make things right with Johnson. When that day comes and Johnson returns to Ford Field, I hope fans are able to move on by roaring their approval of Hamp with equal gusto for finally making it happen.
Contact Carlos Monarrez at cmonarrez@freepress.com and follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez.