If you've yet to check out the piece "The Smartest Spenders In Sports," from Businessweek, be sure to do so. It's a ranking of all the professional sports teams of the MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL, and a look at how they rank in regards to how they spend their money and what it's brought them in the last five years. Unfortunately for the Detroit Lions, they aren't viewed very highly on this list.
↵Out of 122 teams, the Lions rank in last place - that's in all of the major leagues. They've created an "efficiency index", with the top team garnering a negative number, and the Lions getting a 3.22, which you'll understand more if you go read the article. But again, the Lions, over the last five seasons, have spent $29.24 million per win and have an average of 3.6 wins per season. They're looking better in 2011, but when you look at the numbers like that, it certainly feels damning. It is worth noting that the team has experienced turnover in their front office during these five years, so not all of it can be blamed on the current folks up top.
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