Life historically hasn’t been that easy for Detroit Lions fans over the past several decades, as the NFL franchise has suffered from a 32-year playoff win drought and plenty of miserable losing seasons along the way. However, that all changed in a big way Sunday night as the Lions managed to win their first playoff game since, well, forever, and perhaps unsurprisingly, there were plenty of famous folks in attendance to soak it all in. That includes Ford CEO Jim Farley (unsurprising given the team’s ties to The Blue Oval) and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.
Nice getting to meet @RHCPchad. Chad owns a ‘65 Mustang and his dad worked at @Ford pic.twitter.com/yCgA70ZNb7
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) January 15, 2024
We know this because Farley posted a picture with Smith on X, noting that the rocker’s father actually worked for Ford, and he also owns a 1965 Ford Mustang to boot. On top of all that, long-time Detroit Lions owner Martha Ford passed the team down to her daughter, Sheila Ford Hamp a few years ago, keeping the team in the family for the foreseeable future.
Of course, there are many other Ford ties to the Lions, including the fact that Michigan Wolverines superstar pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson – who was taken by the team in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft – also used his very first paycheck to purchase a Ford Bronco. Ironically enough, the Wolverines also just won the college football championship for the first time in decades as well.
Now, the Detroit Lions will aim to do precisely the same at the professional level, but there are obviously more obstacles to overcome if they want to make that happen. The team will play either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Philadelphia Eagles this coming weekend (depending on who wins tonight’s game), and thanks to the fact that the Green Bay Packers upset the Dallas Cowboys this weekend, that game will also take place in Detroit – giving Farley the opportunity to attend another home playoff game.
We’ll have more on Jim Farley soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.
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