The Lions streak No one is Talking About

Despite Sunday’s putrid result against the Ravens. Things continue to look up for the Detroit Lions. Thanks to a weak division, oddsmakers still heavily favor a rare playoff appearance. However as the picture above belies. Something besides a mere playoff appearance is bubbling under the surface of this NFL season. There is a good chance “The Curse of George Wilson” could end.

Who on Earth is George Wilson? We will get to that shortly. Seemingly all great sports curses start will an ill fated decision. The Curse of Bambino resulted from the Boston Red Sox trading Babe Ruth to pay off a poor performing Broadway show. The Chicago Cubs aptly named Curse of the Billy Goat. Resulted from the removal of a tavern owner whose goat was bothering patrons. Despite not sharing the same storied histories of these franchises. The Detroit Lions curse I’m going to carefully speak of is no different.

Gorge Wilson (pictured above) was the head coach of the Detroit Lions from 1957-1964. He went a respectable 53-49-6. Nondescript at first glance, but pretty good by Lions standards. He resigned after the 1964 season. He was subsequently hired to coach the expansion Miami Dolphins from 1966-1969. Remember that last sentence. It will be very important.

Wilson’s departure from the Lions was controversial. After the Lions fired five of his assistant coaches. Wilson left the squad in protest on Christmas Eve. At this juncture of our story. I’m going to take some serious literary license.

I can imagine Coach Wilson sitting in a bitter Michigan-cold decrepit 60’s era office. Bemoaning the fate of his low paying assistants having to face the holidays unemployed. As he spitefully types out his resignation letter. The “Ghost of Christmas”appears to Wilson. However this is not same redemptive spirit inhabited in the work of Charles Dickens that restores Ebenezer Scrooge.

This ghost is vindictive and ominous. More like an evil genie. It asks Coach Wilson what his Christmas wish would be? In a huff and without thinking he asks that this current office he inhabits become the place head coaching careers come to die. The ghost then does some spooky ghosty thing and departs.

Back to reality. Whatever your thoughts on the supernatural are. Since that fateful day of Wilson’s hasty departure. No one— not one single person. Who has held the title of permanent head coach for Detroit Lions. Has ever held that same title for another franchise. Wrap your mind around that for second…..1964 is a LONG time!

Do you know how many horrible coaches have been given second chances? Josh McDaniels is well on his way to running his second AFC West franchise into the ground. McDaniels earned this chance on the heels of backing out on the Indianapolis Colts after accepting their job. It was widely assumed he would never get offered another job following that stunt. He did and he didn’t have to wait long.

Dom Capers was hired to run not one, but two expansion franchises with one playoff appearance to show for his efforts. Do the names Chan Gailey, Rich Kotite, and the more recent Adam Gase resonate with football fans? These are some of the many members of the “two timer” club. A documentary should be done on the many lives of Norv Turner’s coaching career. It is fairly clear. Despite its unforgiving bottom line reputation. The NFL loves to give failed head coaches second or even third chances.

Just not to former Lions head coaches. Before your scoff at the Lions history. There have been plenty of good candidates. While you can debate his role in the process. Marty Mornhinweg was the nominal head of two dynamic offenses led by Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson respectively. Brett Favre practically begged for Steve Mariucci to be his coach in the late stages of his career. Both coaches eventually relented to the “curse” and headed into retirement.

Perhaps the best and most recent candidate to break the streak is Jim Caldwell. He has an impeccable reputation and a Super Bowl appearance. That pales in comparison to the biggest bullet point on his resume. Caldwell actually achieved a winning record (36-28) as a Lions head coach. The first non-interim coach to achieve that feat since 1977. Once again that is another mind numbing statistic highlighting Lion futility.

Caldwell has had six head coaching interviews since leaving the Lions. I will gloss over the serious implications of these unsuccessful interviews. Lightheartedly I will chalk it up to the “Curse of George Wilson”. I will choose to imagine those GM’s and owners being visited by the “ghost” in their dreams. Exhorting them like Stevie Nicks saying “you will never break the chain.”

I can imagine Steve Marriucci going to bed comfortably. Knowing he has endorsement of Brett Favre for the Packers job. Only to be visited in a haunting nightmare by that same “ghost” with the same message. Mooch then wakes up and looks at his ceiling. Flashing the same pained expression he did after the missed extra point from the Thanksgiving game against the Falcons. It’s not your fault Steve.

Why is the curse ready to be broken? Two reasons. One readily apparent, the second slightly under the radar. First and foremost, whatever his record in Detroit ends up being. Dan Campbell is pure box office. Similarly to another Hard Knocks star, Rex Ryan. Someone is going to give him another chance. For the record, I hope that chance never comes.

As I wrote a few weeks ago. I think Campbell is a fit in this region. I hope his stay in Detroit is long and fruitful. However we have seen the “savior” bit before. While not as charismatic, I’m sure most Lions fans remember the Jim Schwartz era. From 0-16 to a playoff appearance. It went South quickly but it was fun to watch. Since his dismissal, he has reclaimed his previously held reputation as a competent defensive coordinator.

He led a stout defense in Buffalo (do you remember the Bills carrying him off Ford Field) He won a Super Bowl coordinating the Philadelphia Eagles. The icing on the cake is what he is doing this year. I’ll spare you the numbers. The Cleveland Browns are just straight up nasty on the defensive side of the ball. For a coach unburdened by Lions juju. That is usually more than enough to get another shot at a head job. The curse is strong though and that remains to be seen.

Speaking of defensive coordinators with experience in Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Buffalo. I would be remiss if I did not mention the Man, the Myth, the Legend. The one and only…. Dick Juaron? How does this amazingly average head coach (that was kind) factor into our story? Juaron is the one coach who ever so slightly overcame the curse.

Juaron must have heard the stories. Perhaps Steve Mariucci confided his nightmares before his firing. Perhaps the Yale grad was simply sharp enough to connect the dots. Whatever he did, Juaron did receive another head coaching opportunity with Buffalo after his five game interim stint was over. My theory— Juaron pieced it together and stayed out of the office that Wilson had hexed so long ago. Holding his meetings from the confines of the defensive coordinators office.

As history has shown. The “curse” will not recede quietly into the night. However the two headed monster of Campbell and Schwartz might be enough to bring this long painful reign of terror to an end. If it does, I imagine a litany of former Lion helmers dusting off their resumes. There might still be hope for Rod Marinelli and Darrell Bevell. There might still be hope for Matt Patri…. I’m getting carried way. This could be the last Halloween the coaching profession is haunted by the Ghost of George Wilson. It was a good run George, but I don’t think they will be sad to see you go.