where did the detroit lions get their name
History of the Detroit Lions At the start of the 1933 season the Lions added star runningback Ernie Caddel to the roster but despite a strong 5-1 start the team fell apart in the second half of the season finishing 1-4 for a final record of 6-5 which was only good for the second spot in the Western Conference. After the season the financially struggling Spartans were purchased by a group led by Detroit radio executive George Richards for $7,952.08 and moved to Detroit where they were renamed the Detroit Lions. Richards chose the name as a nod to the Detroit Tigers and because he said the Lion is the monarch of the jungle and he wanted his team to be the monarch of the NFL.