The Detroit Lions announced today that they have entered into a six-year partnership with the Big Ten for a bowl game that will be played at Ford Field beginning in 2014. The game will be officially named once sponsorship agreements are in place. So hopefully that ENDS THE Motor City Bowl, or the Pizza City Bowl or the Pizza Bowl or whatever.
Suggestions: 8 Mile Bowl, China Dolls Bowls (honoring Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford), Vacant Lot Bowl, De-industrialization Bowl, Federal Bailout Bowl, NFL fines and Infractions bowl (honoring Detroit Lions DT and former Big Ten athlete Ndamukong Suh, Smoke a Bowl (honoring Detroit Lions RB and former Big Ten star Mikel Leshoure).
“We are thrilled to be hosting a new bowl game in Detroit that will be anchored by an annual commitment from the Big Ten,” said Detroit Lions Team President Tom Lewand in a public relations statement.
The Big Ten opponent will come from a conference to be named.
“We are pleased to join with the Detroit Lions in creating this new postseason bowl game in Detroit,” Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany said in a prepared statement.
The Big Ten has sent a representative to Detroit for a bowl game three times (Northwestern, 2003; Purdue, 2007 and 2011). The Detroit Lions become only the second NFL team (Houston Texans, 2006) to officially host and operate a college football bowl game.
The Detroit Lions located to Detroit in 1934 and are the National Football League’s fifth oldest franchise. They are known for being the NFL’s only team to ever go 0-16 in a season. The Detroit Lions most recently made the NFL playoffs in 2011, when they finished with a 10-6 record. They have done pretty much nothing else of significance on the field the past 20 years. They may be horrible at playing football, but the Detroit Lions have contributed $6.2 million through philanthropic efforts since 1991. So they should be commended on how much they have helped the community.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. The correspondent for 95.7 The Fan, also reports on Chicago sports media for Chicago Now. President Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)