He looks and sounds like your typical meathead, complete with a cocked ballcap, enormous body, and “Aw, shucks” demeanor. This may be why so many people disparaged him three years ago following his now-famous inaugural news conference as the head coach of the Detroit Lions.
That one is one you remember, right? Following his resignation as the Saints’ associate head coach, Campbell became the 30th head coach in Detroit Lions history. His epic speech, in which he threatened to kick people in the mouth and bite kneecaps, went viral on social media.
Later on, he talked about the culture he hoped to establish in Detroit. He declared that “grit” will form the cornerstone of the group.
“What does it mean, too?” he asked. It means, to me, that we can play you anyplace. We’ll play you on turf, on grass, and we’ll visit a (descriptive) dump. That is unimportant. I’ll beat your ass regardless of if you have three toes and one ass cheek.
Experts had a great time. They scoffed at Campbell’s bluster and rolled their eyes. After all, we were discussing the humble Lions, the affectionate NFC South losers, a team that hadn’t triumphed in a postseason match in more than a
In his third season, Campbell has the Lions playing in the NFC title game on Sunday—a spot they haven’t held since 1991 and just once in the Super Bowl era. America’s Team is them. And Detroit might never be the same if they can upset the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.
Already, frenzy has swept through the Motor City. Fans are obtaining tattoos. The color blue is taking over schools. Also, airlines are starting to offer weekend service to San Francisco from Detroit.
Already, frenzy has swept through the Motor City. Fans are obtaining tattoos. The color blue is taking over schools. Also, airlines are starting to offer weekend service to San Francisco from Detroit.
It just took a few hours for fans to purchase all 20,000 tickets for Sunday’s Lions watch party at Ford Field. More than $20,000 in donations were sent to Frank Ragnow’s foundation by others after they witnessed the seasoned center battle through knee and ankle problems during the Lions’ victory over the Bucs on Sunday.
To allow employees to watch the game, General Motors Inc. is postponing the start of the third shift at its Flint assembly plant on Sunday.
This week, Campbell remarked, “Here, man, it’s harsh winters, auto industry, blue collar, things aren’t always easy here.” And it seems to me that’s our main goal. These individuals, they love this city and this region, and they have an affinity with it, dude.
There’s no denying the similarities between Campbell’s work in Detroit and Sean Payton’s 2006 work in New Orleans. Through sheer willpower and the power of their personalities, these individuals took over oppressed organizations and transformed their respective operations’ cultures and mindsets, raising the spirits of their respective cities in the process.
The way Detroit is playing this year is similar to the amazing journey that Payton and the Saints made through New Orleans in 2006. The famous punt blocked by Steve Gleason. the thrilling playoff victory at home against the Eagles. and the inaugural trip to Chicago for the NFC championship game.
When played well, sports transcend the field and strengthen the bonds within a community. This transcendence occurred in New Orleans in 2006, one year after Hurricane Katrina knocked the city to its knees.
Seventeen years later, Detroit is experiencing a similar situation thanks to Campbell, a former Saints assistant who gained experience under Payton and has completely changed the city.
Seventeen years later, Detroit is experiencing a similar situation thanks to Campbell, a former Saints assistant who gained experience under Payton and has completely changed the city.
For over fifteen years, Detroit has not celebrated a title of any type. In 2008, the Detroit Shock and Red Wings won WNBA and NFL championships, respectively. The Lions hadn’t won a postseason game since 1991 before to this season. Motown sports fans have suffered a great deal of loss since then.
The Saints defeated the Lions in 2008 in the most embarrassing way I’ve ever seen an NFL club lose. The Saints’ first six possessions saw scores thanks to Drew Brees. In their 42-7 victory at Ford Field, the Saints never punted, outgained the Lions 532-255 in total yards, and converted an incredible 11 of 12 third downs. That year, the Lions had a 0-16 record. Campbell was a Lions reserve tight end who was placed on injured reserve at the end of the season.
He was added to the Saints roster by Payton a year later, and despite missing the majority of the season due to injury, he was awarded a Super Bowl ring.
