Ford stepping down as Lions owner, daughter taking over
Roman seeks to upgrade unit
DETROIT, June 24, (AP): Sheila Ford Hamp went to visit with NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle in 1973 after being part of the first class of women who went to Yale as freshmen and graduated. She told him all she ever wanted to do was work for the league.
As the daughter of the Detroit Lions’ owner, she had gotten to know the late Rozelle by sitting next to him at some dinners and attending many of the same events as him.
Her gender, though, proved to be an obstacle connections could not overcome.
Hamp is taking over as principal owner and chairman of the Lions, succeeding her mother as she steps down from being in charge of the NFL franchise. Hamp insisted her 94-year-old mother made the decision, adding she is healthy.
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wants his players to feel comfortable speaking out about social justice in any way they see fit, provided it’s done “thoughtfully and with class.” Kneeling included. Tomlin said the club has engaged in “intimate discussions” with players about how to use their public platform to help effect social change amid the fallout from the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died while being taken into police custody in Minneapolis last month.
The Steelers are going to leave it up to the players to let them determine how best to make that impact, though the team has created what Tomlin described as “structural committees” designed to help them organize their actions so they can “do things properly.”
Tom Brady continues to prepare for his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, working out with teammates at a private school despite a union recommendation that players not conduct any more group practices before training camp.
The six-time Super Bowl champion was joined on the field Tuesday by a group of teammates that included tight end Rob Gronkowski, quarterbacks Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin, center Ryan Jensen, cornerback Jamel Dean and safety Mike Edwards. With NFL training facilities still closed to players because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brady has been leading small voluntary workouts near downtown Tampa for much of the past month.
Intent upon improving a recordsetting attack and the play of NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman is striving to overcome the obstacle of working from home and the inevitable adjustment of opposing defenses.
A year ago, Roman designed a run-oriented offense designed to take advantage of the versatile Jackson at quarterback. No one really knew what to expect when Baltimore opened the season at Miami.
Jackson threw five touchdown passes and the Ravens racked up 643 yards in a 59-10 rout of the Dolphins. Baltimore would go on to lead the league in scoring, finish with the best overall record and set an NFL mark with 3,296 yards rushing.
Eli Manning has won the Pro Football Writers of America’s Good Guy Award for his cooperation with the media.
Manning, who retired after the 2019 season, has been lauded for years for his dealings with local and national media. He’s the second member of the New York Giants to win the award, joining
Tiki Barber (2006). “Eli Manning exemplified professionalism with the media since his rookie season in 2004, and he did so in the league’s largest market,” said PFWA president and Newsday NFL columnist Bob
Glauber, who covered Manning during his entire career. “Eli often spoke of the example set by his father, and being around Archie Manning was certainly a great way to learn about being around the media.