New Lions President Rod Wood during his introductory press conference Friday "pledged to do everything in his power 'to make [team Owner Martha] Ford’s vision of providing a consistently winning team a reality,'" according to Dave Birkett of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. Wood said, "One of the key things I think is to understand ownership's wishes and goals and push that through the entire organization. And I think I have a great handle on that. And one of the keys to any organization is having alignment from the top to the bottom, and I think with my relationship and my business background I can deliver on that." Wood said that the next GM "will have full control of the roster, salary cap and other football matters, and he only envisions getting involved in the 'incredibly rare' circumstances when the team is making 'a significant financial investment' in a player." Wood: "It'll be a clear line of demarcation. I'll be responsible for running the business side of the organization and the general manager will be in charge of the entire football side, players, coaches, etc. The only overlap might be making sure that our financial picture is sound as it relates particularly to player salaries, etc." (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 11/21).
FAMILY TRUST: The AP's Noah Trister noted Wood on Friday described himself "as a lifelong Lions fan" who has QB Matthew Stafford on his fantasy team. He acknowledged his "lack of a football background," but he said that he is "ready to help Detroit become a more successful organization." He said, "I would probably say that I'm not qualified to run any other NFL team, but I think I'm qualified to run this one because of the connection to the Ford family and understanding the business." Trister noted the hiring of Wood "has been met with skepticism because ownership didn't bring in more of an outsider, but Wood will deal primarily with the business side of the organization." The Lions are "still in the market" for a GM. Wood: "Certainly we're going to do a national search for the general manager. That's not changed. I think my advising relationship with (Ford) kind of led her to decide that getting me in place to run the business side was first and foremost something they needed so things could get settled down, then we could go about the search for the general manager." The Lions fired team President Tom Lewand and GM Martin Mayhew earlier this month, and Wood said that he "did not think at that point he would end up becoming team president." He said, "We never really embarked upon a national search. We were getting ready to and during the discussions between her and I and other members of the family, it just kind of led to my selection and wanting to get that done" (AP, 11/20). The FREE PRESS' Birkett noted before Ford fired Lewand and Mayhew, she "consulted with one of her family's most trusted advisers" in Wood, "about what to do." Wood said that he "did not believe he was a candidate to replace Lewand as Lions president at the time, but two weeks after his input was taken into account in the firings, he was appointed to take Lewand's place." Wood said that he "didn't emerge as a candidate for president 'until well after the decisions had been made,' but indicated he'd been working in that capacity for several days before his hire was announced" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 11/22).
GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS: The FREE PRESS' Birkett noted when Wood described the qualifications of the Lions' next GM for the first time Friday, he "spoke vaguely about the GM's 'track record' of running a 'football operation' and the likelihood he will come from a winning organization." Wood said, "Ideally that would be the case. Because that's one of the ways you demonstrate that they know what they're doing, is if their franchise that they come from has demonstrated ability to win consistently. Because that's what we're looking for." Wood added that he and ownership "must first settle on which football qualities they value most." Birkett noted Wood's "background is in private equity" and he "has been a close adviser to the Ford family in recent years" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 11/22).
BUILDING A WINNER: In Detroit, Josh Katzenstein noted Wood "addressed the team" for about five minutes during Fridays practice. Lions WR Golden Tate said that Wood "mentioned a desire to do whatever it takes to make the Lions a championship-caliber organization" (DETROIT NEWS, 11/21). The DETROIT NEWS' Katzenstein noted Wood on Friday "honestly acknowledged that his past work with the Fords helped him earn his new job." He said of the team, "We're not as far away as I think people might fear" (DETROIT NEWS, 11/21). Wood: "I would probably not be directly involved in personnel decisions. But certainly, as it relates to the financial impact on the team and the salary cap and helping facilitate the best use of our resources to put the best team on the field on a consistent basis, absolutely" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 11/21). In Michigan, Kyle Meinke wrote this move is "met with skepticism because the Fords have basically no track record for hiring good people." When Martha Ford announced there would be a national search for the new president and GM, it "seemed they had learned their lesson." Then two weeks later "they hire a family friend." That is why this move "drew as much distrust as it did." Meinke: "That says more about the Fords than it does Wood. That he's a so-called non-football guy shouldn't matter much, as long as the Lions hire the right GM" (MLIVE.com, 11/21).
KNOWING YOUR LIMITATIONS: MLIVE's Meinke noted Wood is "self-aware if nothing else." He "won't have any say in personnel decisions," and he "won't even touch the salary cap, one of the bigger surprises to emerge from Wood's first news conference" on Friday (MLIVE.com, 11/20). Meinke wrote Wood "acquitted himself well" on Friday. It was an "impressive performance, particularly for a man unaccustomed to the cameras." But then he "slipped" when Wood said he is not qualified to run any team other than the Lions. Meinke noted it was a "brief soundbite, but given the built-in scrutiny toward both his hire and the Lions' decision making, it will certainly overshadow the nearly flawless 30 minutes that preceded it" (MLIVE.com, 11/20). In Detroit, John Niyo noted the decision to hire Wood "certainly didn’t come as a shock to many inside the organization." It is "natural for the Fords," as they "replaced one trusted family friend with another and called it 'an ideal choice.'" But the new GM is the "job that really, truly matters." It is what "comes next that will decide this franchise’s fate, and considering the Ford family’s past -- and their present -- there’s every reason to be skeptical" (DETROIT NEWS, 11/21). Also in Detroit, Carlos Monarrez asked, "How can you trust this team? ... After Ford called Wood an 'ideal choice,' I don’t trust this team enough to say that’s true" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 11/21). In Detroit, Drew Sharp wrote Wood "never sounded more intelligent Friday than when he admitted his limitations." Wood "believes that his business acumen in identifying the right people and putting them in the best position to win makes him qualified to run the Lions during this critical transitional period." Wood "calmed the queasy when he said he wasn't afraid of listening to outside counsel" in the search for the Lions' new GM. Wood "mostly said the right things, but until they can actually and forcefully change their history, it's still working against this franchise" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 11/22).
CAN HE DO IT? MLIVE's Meinke wrote, "I actually like Rod Wood's approach. The man knows his limitations and isn't afraid to acknowledge them." That kind of self-awareness "bodes well for his ability to hire the right people to complement him" (MLIVE.com, 11/21). Meinke wrote that "lack of experience doesn't mean Wood can't do the job." There are a lot of presidents around the league "who don't have much, if any, football experience." As long as they are "handling only the business end of the operation -- as Wood is expected to -- it can work." But the optics here, given the Lions' "long history of bad hires from within the organization, this will be met with deserved scrutiny." People "want change, after a half-century of losing under the Fords, and this is going to feel like more of the same" (MLIVE.com, 11/20).
