Owner Sheila Hamp pens letter of thanks and gratitude to Detroit Lions season ticket holders.

Despite the bitter disappointment marking the conclusion of the magical 2023 season for the Detroit Lions late last month, franchise fans will forever hold dear the memories of their team clinching the division title for the first time in 30 years, coupled with two consecutive playoff victories at Ford Field. In a heartfelt letter, lions team owner Sheila Hamp has expressed her gratitude and appreciation to the team’s season ticket holders.

The letter to Detroit Lions season ticket holders was sent earlier today

According to The Detroit News, here are several portions of the letter:

“When I stepped into this role three years ago, I had a vision for sustained success,” Hamp wrote. “The success of this season is what that vision looked like. Now, we must go about making late January football a constant in Detroit. With the help of Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell, who we hand selected for this mission, the future for the Detroit Lions has never looked brighter. I said in January of ’21 that we had found the right people to lead this organization and I believe it even more today.

“The harsh reality of success is that you don’t necessarily see the end coming, and it hits you hard when it arrives,” Hamp continued. “We are living that now, but please don’t let that dampen the excitement we felt and the success we earned. Only one team gets to celebrate at the end of the year and our goal is to put ourselves in a position for that to be our celebration.”

“Please accept a personal thank you from myself and my family for supporting us throughout this season,” she wrote. “Thank you for wearing your Lions colors proudly at work, at school, at Ford Field, and in 10 other NFL stadiums. Without you at our games, at watch parties or watching in your living room, nothing we do matters. This league has always been about players and fans, and I am so proud of the players and fans that represent the Lions.

“Training camp starts in about 175 days, and I can’t wait.”

TL;DR (too long didn’t read)

Bottom Line: Sheila is proving she’s different

Detroit Lions fans are well-acquainted with the unfortunate era of incompetence under the late William Clay Ford, whose struggles with personnel decisions persisted throughout much of his tenure. Although his widow, Martha Ford, initiated positive changes, the real turning point occurred with the leadership transition to Sheila.

While it might have taken some time for certain fans to embrace Sheila’s leadership style, she has unequivocally demonstrated her departure from her parents’ approach, as evident in the Lions’ unprecedented recent success