DETROIT — Finally.
One hundred fifty-seven days after being named the Detroit Lions' principal owner, Sheila Ford Hamp fired general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia on Saturday.
It's a decision that makes sense and was long overdue — I had argued it should have been done last winter — but that's beside the point now. Because the Lions were going backward under Patricia and Quinn. And Hamp put an end to it. Finally.
So what does this tell us about Hamp? I'd argue a lot.
By making this move now, Hamp is making it clear she will not tolerate losing and is true to her word to fans. After she was named the principal owner of the Lions, Hamp told reporters: "I think the overarching thing is that we want to see major improvement."
But there were no signs of improvement this season. Only regression.
So she had to fire them.
"It just became clear that it wasn't working," she said Saturday in a video conference.
In that moment, Hamp emerged as a true leader with a vision; someone who is decisive, capable of seeing the big picture, unafraid to shake things up. And that might be the best news for Lions fans. It doesn't mean the Lions will win. But losing won't be tolerated under Hamp.
Now comes the hard part:
Picking the right person to lead this organization.
Otherwise, all of this will be for naught.
