Detroit Football Company

{{Short description|American sports syndicate (1947–1964)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}

{{Infobox company|

name = Detroit Football Company |

logo = |

type =|

foundation = December 26, 1947{{cite news |title=New Gridiron Group Formed in Detroit |work=The New York Times |date=December 27, 1947}}|

defunct = January 10, 1964|

fate = Dissolved|

parent =|

key_people = D. Lyle Fife
Edwin J. Anderson
William Clay Ford Sr.|

location = |

}}

The Detroit Football Company was an American syndicate which owned the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) from 1948 to 1963.

On January 15, 1948, the NFL owners unanimously approved the sale of the Lions from Fred L. Mandel Jr. to a seven-person syndicate. The original members were

• D. Lyle Fife, owner of an electrical supply company
• Edwin J. Anderson, president of the Goebel Brewing Company
• William D. Downey, president of the Kinsel Drug Co.
• Charles T. Fisher Jr., bank president
• Walter Briggs Jr., son of Detroit Tigers owner Walter Briggs Sr.
• Arthur Hoffman, pharmaceutical executive
• Harry Wismer, sports announcer

Attorney Philip Hart helped negotiate the sale and was given the title of assistant secretary-treasurer, but held no stock.

Fife became team president and pledged that the syndicate would invest around $300,000 in the team, which had been in debt under Mandel's ownership. He also stated that the group planned to add more members and hoped to operate like Green Bay Packers, Inc.{{cite news |last1=Sheehan |first1=Joseph M. |title=Syndicate of Business Men Acquires Detroit Lions Football Club |work=The New York Times |date=January 16, 1948}} C. Ray Davisson, George Cavanaugh, William Clay Ford Sr., and Ralph Wilson were among the stockholders who later joined the company.{{cite news |title='Lions No Social Group' |work=The New York Times |date=January 15, 1961}}{{cite book |last1=Moldea |first1=Dan E. |title=Interference How Organized Crime Influences Professional Football |date=2014 |publisher=Open Road Media |location=New York City |isbn=978-1-4804-6118-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YHadAwAAQBAJ |access-date=12 March 2023}}

During the 1949 season, Fife left his wife of 33 years for his secretary. The resulting scandal saw Fife resign and Anderson take over as president. Over the next seven seasons, the Lions won three NFL championships and four division titles.{{cite magazine |last1=Maule |first1=Tex |title=New Masters in the Den of Lions |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1961/02/06/new-masters-in-the-den-of-lions |access-date=28 February 2023 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=February 6, 1961}}

In 1961, a group of stockholders led by Fife attempted to remove Anderson as team president. Anderson resigned and one of his supporters, William Clay Ford Sr., was chosen to succeed him. Anderson was allowed to stay on as general manager.{{cite news |title=Pro Lions Name Auto Executive |work=The New York Times |date=January 24, 1961}}

On November 22, 1963, 135 of the team's 144 stockholders voted to sell the team to Ford for $6 million. The deal was closed on January 10, 1964, and the Detroit Football Company was dissolved.{{cite news |title=Ford Buys Lions in $6 Million Deal |work=The New York Times |date=November 23, 1963}}