The Detroit Lions are an American professional football team headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions are a member of the National Football Conference North division of the National Football League. The team’s home games are held at Ford Field in Detroit. It was established on July 12, 1930.
The Portsmouth Spartans were created in Portsmouth, Ohio, and entered the NFL on July 12, 1930. The squad was relocated to Detroit in 1934 due to financial difficulties. In honor of the city’s Major League Baseball (MLB) team, the Tigers, the team has been renamed the Lions.
George was born in Crete in Illinois, United States. Richards first rose to prominence in the Detroit region as an auto salesman. He got into the broadcast industry in the late 1920s by founding Goodwill Stations Inc., and in 1928 he bought WJR and turned it into a powerful 50,000-watt station.
He bought radio stations in Cleveland and Los Angeles as a result of his success. He bought the Portsmouth Spartans football team in 1934 and relocated them to Detroit, calling them the Detroit Lions.
Richards was also the primary force behind the Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game tradition. Due to a health problem, Richards was obliged to sell the team in 1940. The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame inducted George Richards in 1976. He died on May 28, 1951, at the age of 62.
