If the Detroit Lions' business department spent any time envisioning a catastrophic scenario for the 2010 season, it probably played out something like Sunday's game at Chicago.

The sight of second-year quarterback Matthew Stafford grimacing in pain after a brutal sack by the Bears' Julius Peppers -- the one player Detroit knew it had to keep away from Stafford -- must have caused a lot of stomachs to drop in the Lions' front office.

Less than two quarters into the season, the nightmare had arrived. And in broad daylight. It was a road game, too, meaning everyone back in Detroit got to see it. Probably in high definition, too.

Losing Stafford for any appreciable length of time isn't going to help the team sell tickets. That's what logic says. Still, the Lions tell me this morning (without revealing numbers) that they've had the best Monday-morning ticket sales since individual game tickets went on sale over the summer. They say they're confident Sunday's opener at Ford Field against the Philadelphia Eagles (0-1) will be a sellout (the team has to sell 54,500 tickets at the 65,000-seat stadium to have the game aired locally).

Despite the final score, the loss of Stafford and the weird, silly and stupid but legitimate ruling on Calvin Johnson's non-touchdown at the end, fans saw a Lions team play step for step with the Bears. Being competitive in losses is an improvement for Detroit, and that will keep some fans coming back. That won't last without victories.

Stafford sidelined doesn't help anything. Reports today say he'll be out at least two weeks, and possibly up to six. If they lose those games, local television blackouts will be commonplace again. The team had told me a couple weeks ago it expected, at worst, just one or two blackouts rather than four or five of the eight home games.

Fans' September tolerance, fueled by the perpetual optimism that the start of every new season brings, won't last long if the team struggles without Stafford. Their patience with this team hangs by by the slenderest of threads, and that thread frayed some more Sunday.

Backup quarterback Shaun Hill has had some good games in his career with the San Francisco 49ers, but there's a reason the 30-year-old quarterback is a career second-stringer and was deemed expendable and traded to Detroit. It's reflected in paychecks: He'll make $1.5 million this year. Stafford is in the second year of a six-year deal is and is due to make just $395,000 but the team is expected to exercise a $17.5 million bonus option on him that's prorated through 2014. Overall, Stafford's deal is worth a potential $78 million if he meets all incentives -- which will be hard if he's going to suffer an endless string of shoulder injuries.

Sunday's injury was Stafford's third major shoulder incident since joining the Lions. Last year, his non-throwing shoulder was hurt at the end of a game, but he famously returned to throw a short touchdown to beat the Cleveland Browns. He injured it again in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and was then put on injured reserve.

Stafford is the face of the franchise. He's the one on billboards. He's the one fans cautiously are hoping is the team's first legitimate franchise quarterback since Bobby Layne two generations ago. They're wearing his jersey. They believe he's the anti-Joey Harrington.

Stafford is supposed to be The One. And that brings us to The Culprit.

Left tackle Jeff Backus, who turns 33 next week, will be paid $4.95 million dollars this year to protect Stafford's blindside. He failed to do that on Sunday about as badly as you can without pulling a Marcus Junius Brutus. Stafford is a right-handed passer, meaning he is vulnerable to pressure from the left side of the defense because his body is facing the opposite direction to throw. Left tackles get huge contracts to keep people such as Peppers, who is being paid nearly $85 million the Bears to turn quarterbacks into bloody piles of bone splinters and hamburger, away from quarterbacks' vulnerable backsides.

A first-round draft pick out of the University of Michigan in 2001, Backus has started all 144 games in which he has played. In July 2006, he signed a new contract reportedly worth nearly $40 million and includes about $16 million in bonuses. And he's been appropriately remorseful and contrite about his gross failure to do his job Sunday. But as far as ticket- and merchandise-buying fans are concerned, it might as well have been Jim Backus of Mr. Magoo fame out there playing left tackle.

Expect the Lions to pursue a replacement in free agency or via the draft in 2011.

As a former gimp-kneed, third-string right-handed quarterback (I'm still right handed and gimpy, but no longer an arena football quarterback), I can sympathize with Stafford. You need absolute confidence that your blindside is going to be protected. If there's some worry that it's not, that will eat away at a quarterback and affect his performance. It's a terrible distraction.

In other NFL news, word today is that the player's union is seeking decertification, a tactic that could prevent a lockout by team owners when the league's labor deal expired in March. The New York Times explains it here.

Yahoo Sports writer Michael Silver has annually ranked the NFL's 32 owners since 2006 (the first two years were when Silver wrote for Sports Illustrated).

Naturally, Detroit's William Clay Ford Sr. (and son Bill Jr.) perpetually lingers near the bottom because of the franchise's woeful performance on the field, which has been abysmal since about the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871.

Sharing the top spot are the New England Patriots' Robert and Jonathan Kraft and the Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones. Go figure.

In honor of the Lions opening the 2010 regular season on Sunday at Chicago, here's a rundown of Silver's rankings commentary on Ford (and the son) for the past five years. It ain't pretty, people:

~ 2010
30. Detroit Lions – William Clay Ford (Bill Ford Jr.): I could tell you that the Lions have been the league’s most pathetic franchise for more than a decade, but you already knew that. I could tell you that Detroit had the league’s second-lowest attendance last season. I could remind you that, in the wake of the Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV triumph, the Lions are now the only original NFL team never to have appeared in the Super Bowl (all XLIV of which have been contested with the Fords in charge). But what I’d really like to do is remind you that the franchise that once kept an assistant coach employed after he rolled up naked to a Wendy’s drive-through window continued its tradition of forgiveness when team president Tom Lewand was arrested for driving under the influence (he later struck a plea deal that reduced the charge to operating a vehicle while visibly impaired, earning six months of probation and a league-mandated 30-day suspension). It was a proud moment for the franchise, and it had to be especially gratifying to fans when the elder Ford said of Lewand, “He has all my support.” I suspect Ford Jr. wouldn’t be quite so forgiving, but for all his overt machismo – he showed up at training camp with a custom Ford GT that had employees oohing and aahing – he doesn’t seem to wear the pants for this franchise. As the AFC owner says, “The whole thing’s a joke.” Suffice it to say that they’re not laughing in Motown.

~ 2009
29. Detroit Lions – William Clay Ford (Bill Ford Jr.): Coming off the first 0-16 regular season in NFL history, the Fords understandably have less goodwill among their fan base than anyone in the league. It’s almost as if they want to be ridiculed. After finally ending the disastrous Matt Millen era after seven-plus years last September, the elder Ford waited just three months before deciding to promote the deposed president’s two lieutenants: Tom Lewand (the new president) and Martin Mayhew (now the general manager). Or, as one owner put it, “Millen’s two puppets are running the show – that’s a real confidence-builder.” After an encouraging start – brainy Jim Schwartz was hired to replace Rod Marinelli as coach – the Lions mishandled their draft, prematurely declaring their intention to pick quarterback Matthew Stafford No. 1 overall. That blew their negotiating leverage, and the Lions ultimately signed Stafford to a deal considered overly generous in league circles. Nice work – but not surprising in the least.

~ 2008
24. Detroit Lions – William Clay Ford (Bill Ford Jr.): I don’t have too many specific complaints about these owners, other than the fact that their team perpetually stinks, and they don’t seem to have the slightest clue as to what to do about it. The elder Ford’s uncanny loyalty to team president Matt Millen is perplexing to his peers, as is the failure of Ford Jr. to prevail upon his father to make a change. “The kid lets it happen, but it’s not like he’s a shrinking violet,” one owner says. “He’s the (executive) chairman of the Ford Motor Company!” Granted, it’s a rough time for the auto industry, but that’s not the only explanation for the Lions’ struggles. Despite a new stadium (Ford Field opened in 2002) and a sizeable market, the team’s revenue flow is unimpressive.

~ 2007
29. William Clay Ford (Bill Ford Jr.), Lions
Which genius auto magnate is responsible for the disaster in Big D? That depends on whom you talk to -- though I'm told that Ford Jr., if he had his way, would have fired team president Matt Millen long ago. Either way, there's no disputing that this franchise runs like the Edsel. Let's forget, for a moment, the team's addiction to drafting receivers high in the first round (hey, Calvin Johnson may indeed be a difference-maker) or Millen's obsession with men whose last names start with the same letter as his, and focus on one, unforgivable sin. You are the Fords, and you (via Millen) just brought in a first-time coach, Rod Marinelli, who is selling himself as a disciplinarian that will transform the culture of the team. He is the new sheriff in town, no doubt about it. But then one of his assistant coaches, Joe Cullen, gets pulled over twice in one week -- once for DUI (driving under the influence), and once for DUE (driving with unit exposed). And you, as Marinelli's ultimate bosses, allow Cullen to keep his job. Gee, I'll bet that really helped Marinelli's respect quotient in the locker room.

~ 2006
22. William Clay and Bill Ford, Lions
If Bill Ford approached his NFL stewardship with the same degree of sincerity he displayed in those folksy TV ads a couple of years back, the Lions might be humming as a franchise, rather than sputtering into the garage.

It was fall-like outside briefly in recent days. Did you notice that, before it got gross again? It's back in the high 60s now. Me, I prefer the mid-50s. That's sweatshirt weather, which means the leaves are turning color and -- most importantly -- football is back. High school, college and the NFL.

We'll have some early sense this Sunday if William Clay Ford Jr.'s tremendous investment of hundreds of millions of dollars in his Detroit Lions will pay dividends when the team faces the Chicago Bears at 1 p.m. at Soldier Field. Since it's a road game, there's no worry for fans or local advertisers that it will be blacked out.

Earlier this week, I wrote about the financial side of the equation for the Lions, and I also predicted they'd go 5-11 this season -- more than doubling their win total from last year. I also think they'll be more competitive in the games they lose, which is critical in their effort to convince fans to buy tickets and for the team to avoid costly local television blackouts.

The national football writers are cautiously optimistic about Detroit. Here's a quick rundown of some of the Week 1 power rankings. The average rank among the 32 teams for the Lions in 27th:

~ Peter King, Sports Illustrated: The magazine's senior writer has the Lions at No. 24. "If the Lions were in the NFC West, they might win it this year. They're making significant progress -- assuming Ndamukong Suh is the genuine item and Kyle Vanden Bosch has something left," he writes.

~ ESPN: The sports network puts Detroit at No. 28. "QB Matthew Stafford, WR Calvin Johnson and RB Jahvid Best are a good, young nucleus to build around," it writes.

~ USA Today: The national newspaper has a weekly poll that shows both staff rankings and ranking by public vote. Right now, the Lions are at No. 26.

~ CBS Sports' Pete Prisco: The veteran sportswriter puts Detroit at No. 29, and writes, "They will be better. There is more talent, just not enough of it. Matt Stafford and Jahvid Best are nice building blocks on offense. They will be in a lot of shootouts."

~ Bleacher Report: The sports website has Detroit ranked No. 26. "The Lions are finally on the right track.  After securing the offensive building blocks of the future, they are now concentrating on the defense."

~ Fox Sports: The network has kind words, but the lowest ranking for the Lions at No. 31. "The Lions could have left New York City after making the second pick in the draft, DT Ndamukong Suh. That's how good he is. The rest is just gravy in the long road back to respectability in Detroit," it wrote.

~ NBC Sports/Pro Football Talk: PFT's Mike Floria ranks Detroit No. 29. "The Lions' first-round pick has sparked more buzz in one preseason than anyone on the franchise has generated in 11 regular seasons," he writes.

It's Labor Day. The pool's closed, but it's too cool outside to swim anyway. Cable keeps showing Jaws and Predator, which pleases me, but also Caddyshack II, which should be a crime.

So, I'm listless and bored, meaning what better time to prognosticate on the 2010 Detroit Lions season that begins in six days? In case you missed it, I did a piece looking at the business side of the franchise at the moment in this week's issue. They're spending a lot of money on players. A lot.

Anyone with a pulse that's been in the same room with a television airing an NFL game is apparently qualified to predict games, and I meet both those criteria. So after consulting the I Ching, Magic 8 Ball, Ouija board, tea leaves, rolled bones, The Sporting News and other necromancy, here's my meaningless game by game divination:

~ Sept. 12 at Chicago Bears: This is not a particularly interesting Bears team. Chicago has struggled on offense since Sid Luckman was quarterback. Or at least since Walter Payton was in the backfield. The Lions are in the same boat, but the names are Bobby Layne and Barry Sanders. Detroit can win this game, but I don't think it will. 0-1.

~ Sept. 19 vs. Philadelphia Eagles: This is a very different Eagles team without Donovan McNabb. Lions win in an upset. 1-1.

~ Sept. 26 at Minnesota Vikings: Adrian Peterson. 1-2.

~ Oct. 3 at Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers is an excellent quarterback, and the Packers have a stingy defense. Also, it's Lambeau Field, where the Lions haven't won since Roosevelt was president. Teddy Roosevelt. 1-3.

~ Oct. 10 vs. St. Louis Rams: The worst team in the NFL should be on the upswing (and I mean the Rams), but quarterback Sam Bradford will undergo severe growing pains this season. But the Lions could make him look like a 10-year veteran. They will, but still win in a shootout. 2-3.

~ Oct. 17 at New York Giants: The Giants score a lot of points while giving up a lot of points. This has the potential for an upset. Lions pull it off, and Merril Hoge doesn't stop talking about them on ESPN for at least 48 hours. 3-3, and there's Joy in Mudville. This will be Detroit's first road victory since winning at Chicago on Oct. 28, 2007. That's 2 years, 11 months and 19 days.

~ Oct. 24 - BYE: Even the Lions can't lose this one. Right?

~ Oct. 31 vs. Washington Redskins: Now they face McNabb and the pay the price. It's on Halloween, so there should be some costumes in the stands to distract from the frightful game. 3-4.

~ Nov. 7 vs. New York Jets: Joe Willie's old team is a trendy Super Bowl pick. I'm not convinced, and the Lions give them a fight before succumbing. 3-5.

~ Nov. 14 at Buffalo Bills: This might be the NFL's worst team. 4-5, and people make optimistic noises about the playoffs.

~ Nov. 21 at Dallas Cowboys: Those noises were premature. 4-6.

~ Nov. 25 vs. New England Patriots: This is the Thanksgiving Day game. Despite Pats quarterback Tom Brady now sporting a Justin Bieber hairstyle, he's still too much for Detroit. 4-7.

~ Dec. 5 vs. Chicago Bears: Detroit earns a split on the season series, and I think it'll be a blowout. 5-7, and the diehards construct all sort of bizarre and absurdly elaborate playoff scenarios. 5-7.

~ Dec. 12 vs. Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers won't make anyone forget Brett Favre, at least not completely. But he won't remind anyone of Randy Wright, either. 5-8.

~ Dec. 19 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: On paper, Detroit is better than the Bucs, but Detroit also remains a project under construction. A bitter road loss. 5-9.

~ Dec. 26 - at Miami Dolphins: Back to back weeks in Florida are not uncommon for Michigan snowbirds, but they are for Detroit's football team. A Boxing Day defeat. 5-10.

~ Jan. 2 vs. Minnesota Vikings: If Minnesota is resting Peterson and Favre for the playoffs, Detroit has a shot. But the Vikings' second team is still pretty good. 5-11.

My take: The Detroit Lions are a better team than they were in 2009, when they went 2-14, but the ghosts of Matt Millen's grossly inept reign, which reached the humiliating 0-16 nadir in 2008, are not yet completely excised. The fixes will take time -- this isn't just dropping a rebuilt transmission under the hood. That said, the team will be more competitive on the field and it will score a lot of points. It also will give up a lot of points because the defense lags behind the offense in terms of talent. In 2011, the Lions will be a legitimate contender for at least a Wild Card.

I'm not the only one who thinks so: NFL.com's Pat Kirwan includes the Lions in his five teams that will contend for a title in the next decade.

Some days, the Detroit Lions jokes are delivered up without even having to put any thought into it. Today is a day I found myself actually thinking.

Team President Tom Lewand's arrest over the weekend for reportedly driving at twice the legal limit in Denton Township is, at first blush, one of those humor-laden situations. Detroit pro sports has long had a special relationship with booze: Miguel Cabrera's mammoth bender and arrest last summer, the Lions assistant coach naked in the Wendy's drive-through a couple of years ago and Bobby Layne's epic alcohol consumption before, during and after his Hall of Fame Lions career are the stuff of legend.

But it's not really something to joke about. Drunken driving is a particularly raw point for me because my sister was killed in an alcohol-fueled accident in 2003. That said, I'm not one of the humorless zealots that shame people for making jokes. I did roll my eyes when I first read the news about Lewand, and thought the joke a lot of people probably did: "I'm be getting hammered, too, if I was the guy running the hapless Detroit Lions."

But that's unfair, a bit callous and made me feel a little ashamed. I enjoy a good tipple as much as the next person, but I know alcohol can be a deadly crutch that can destroy careers and families. I know that latter point intimately. And I'd never get into a car after more than one drink.

Crain's health industry reporter Jay Greene did an excellent report in 2008 on business executives and substance abuse recovery (link).

Any media outcry about Lewand sould be viewed with skepticism, too. This is a business legendary for its drunken antics. Books could be (and should be) filled with tales of obliterated journalists carousing at The Anchor Bar and the Lindell A.C.

While those days have largely passed, the ranks of c-suite sports executives that have alcohol problems pales in comparison to the booze and drug issues in the journalism ranks. I've seen it first hand over the past 15 years.

That said, the pressure to succeed in pro sports is massive, and can easily drive a person to seek solace in drink. I thought of the joke about being driven to drink as boss of the Lions, but it very well could be true: Lewand (a former Crain's 40 Under 40 honoree) is clearly a driven executive trying to make the franchise a success on the field amid almost universal criticism for generations. No easy task, and lesser men may have been driven to the bottle a lot sooner.

So I'm cutting Lewand some humor-slack. Thankfully, no one was hurt and he says he's in treatment. Good for him and good for the Lions. The franchise appears to be finally be on the mend, and it looks as if Lewand will be, too.

So how are the Detroit Tigers doing at the gate this year?

Through the first 12 home games, the team is down slightly at the turnstiles to an average of 26,419 fans per game from an average of 26,878 after 12 games in 2009.
At that rate (459 fewer fans per game) the team would see a drop off of 37,179 over the 81-game home season at Comerica Park. That’s not much, and it’s unlikely attendance will continue at the current pace.

Why a slight decline? Many factors can drive attendance: weather, time of the game, day of the week, opponent, Detroit’s recent performance, other events going on, the local economy, etc.

The Tigers were 13-12, including 7-5 at home, at roughly this point last year. Now, going into tonight’s game at Minnesota, Detroit is 16-11 and 9-3 at home.

The team finished 12th among Major League Baseball’s 30 teams in attendance last year with an average of 31,693 fans per game. That’s 2,567,185 for the year at Comerica Park.

Detroit is 15th in attendance right now. A surge or decline in the standings could radically change that at any point.

Attendance picked up last season — as it typically does in the more pleasant summer months versus the cooler spring, when school is still in session. That explains why the Tigers’ per-game average increased last season, and likely will again this season.

AIRLINE MARRAIGE: The news that United Airlines wants to buy Continental Airlines isn’t expected to mean much for Detroit Metropolitan Airport because they carry just a small percentage of the facility’s passengers. So far this year, United’s 14 flights a day departing from Metro account for 1.5 percent of the airport’s passenger traffic while Continental’s 11 daily flights is 1.6 percent. Last year, Metro saw 31 million passengers.

The merger of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines, finalized earlier this year, created the world’s largest carrier (and Metro is one of its biggest hubs), but if regulators approve the United-Continental deal, that would supplant Delta as the biggest airline.

MARKETING MATTHEW: When the Detroit Lions drafted quarterback Matthew Stafford with the first overall pick last year, the team said it wouldn’t use him as a marketing tool to sell tickets. It didn’t. A year later, it is.

Stafford now appears on billboards along Interstate 94, touting season ticket deals. Clearly, the Lions are confident in the wake of Stafford’s gritty performance as a rookie that he’s safe to use for marketing. In other words, he’s not Joey Harrington or Andre Ware.

AND THE WINNER IS: Charlie LeDuff, the unconventional Detroit News reporter who’s carved out a niche reporting the region’s unconventional stories and by getting newsmakers on camera for unique interviews, won the Society of Professional Journalists’ 2009 national Sigma Delta Chi award for online reporting for his video columns called “Travels with Charlie.”

LeDuff was among the winners out of 1,300 entries. He previously won the Pulitzer Prize as a reporter for the New York Times, and returned to his native Detroit to work at The News in 2008.

Disclosure: I’ve had beers with Charlie, and am reading his two fine books.

NO THANKS TO ME: The Crain Communications company softball team (“We Mean Business”) commenced its third season Monday night with a 20-8 mercy-rule victory over a team whose name I can’t remember in the Royal Oak Recreation Department league. Yours truly went a pathetic 0-for-2 with a stikeout, walk and run scored as the designated hitter. The K was looking, too. Is this how Brandon Inge feels? Maybe, until he looks at his paycheck.

The Detroit Lions — barring a trade — have the No. 2 overall selection in the 2010 NFL draft that begins Thursday night. That has the rumor mill humming, and it also has the Lions front office preparing for contract negotiations that eventually will involve writing a very large check to a very young man.

The conventional wisdom is that Detroit will draft Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (pictured at right) to shore up a defense that finished dead-last in the NFL last year. The Lions surrendered a league-worst 494 points on the season and an average of 391.1 yards per game — horrible numbers that contributed to a 2-14 record. Suh was lavished with awards for his work for the Cornhuskers last year, and his career statistics and performance make him look as close to a one-man wrecking crew as possible. He seems like a no-brainer choice … (insert joke based on Lions' pathetic history here).

There’s also speculation that the Lions might draft Oklahoma defensive lineman Gerald McCoy with the No. 2 pick, or the team could move down several positions through a trade, perhaps to draft an offensive tackle such as Russell Okung (Oklahoma State), Bryan Bulaga (Iowa) or Trent Williams (Oklahoma). There’s an argument to be made that Detroit should draft a young tackle to protect its young franchise quarterback.

Whomever Detroit drafts, one thing is certain: He’ll cost owner William Clay Ford a lot less money than last year’s first selection. In 2009, the Lions drafted quarterback Matthew Stafford with the No. 1 overall pick after a college career at the University of Georgia, and he signed a six-year contract with a total worth of about $78 million if he meets all incentives.

Typically, quarterbacks always make the most money in the NFL, and quarterbacks drafted so highly command and even bigger premium. Even with the annual inflation of rookie contracts based on their draft position, and the uncertainty of this year having no salary cap, there’s no one the Lions can draft that will command a bigger financial deal that Stafford.

As part of a complex five-year contract designed to take into account the absence of a salary cap this year (because the collective bargaining agreement with the players expires next year), Stafford was paid $3.1 million last year. This season, his base salary is just $395,000, but don’t fear that he’ll have to scrimp: The team is expected to exercise an option for the 2014 season by paying Stafford a $17.4 million bonus, which would be prorated between this year and 2014.

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford is expected to be drafted first by the St. Louis Rams, although there is chatter among draft wonks that the choice could be traded to the perpetually rebuilding Cleveland Browns. Bradford is expected to get a fatter contract than Stafford because of inflation and because he statistically was a better quarterback in college.

However, Bradford hasn’t signed a deal in advance with the Rams, which is what Stafford did last year with the Lions prior to the draft. ESPN has estimated that Bradford will sign a deal that will pay him roughly $13 million annually with $50 million guaranteed.

Stafford got $17 million fully guaranteed, which can escalate to $42 million guaranteed with playing time and other performance benchmarks. Its total potential worth is $78 million over six years.

Suh will get a lot of someone’s money, too. He already has promised $2.6 million to his alma mater once he signs a contract.

Last year, according to USA Today’s salary database, the Lions spent $96 million on player payroll. If there were a salary cap this year, Detroit would currently have a payroll (for cap purposes, which includes a bunch of complex calculations) of $106 million, NBC Sports affiliate Profootballtalk.com reported in March. It's unclear if the Lions are profitable (with blackouts because of paltry attendence, bottom-tier merchandise sales and player costs escalating past league-wide revenue sharing, my guess is that they're in the red or close to it), but there's no worry in the NFL about meeting payroll obligations. What deep spending (either on free agents and/or on high draft picks because you're terrible every year) does is limit your flexibility to sign players. But Detroit is not a popular free-agent destination, so that's not much of a worry.

Detroit General Manager Martin Mayhew, along with every other NFL front-office person, and head coach Jim Schwartz have played coy with the draft plans. The pressure is on to make the right choice as the franchise continues to rebuild itself after bottoming out with the 0-16 season two years ago. A new coach, new quarterback and possibly a game-changing defensive player would go a long way toward filling Ford Field again and bolstering the team’s finances: The marketing folks have to be salivating at the prospect of using Stafford and Suh as the faces of the new-look Lions.

Another interesting note: The draft’s first two rounds are on a Thursday night for the first time. Previously, it was split into the first three rounds on a Saturday afternoon and the remaining four on Sunday.

NFL insiders say a Thursday (2 rounds)-Saturday (2 rounds)-Sunday (3 rounds) split alters how teams will maneuver, trade and process information. Having Friday to think about what happened and what might happen is expected to have a psychological effect on teams, and could result in more trades.

Not to depress you, but here are Detroit’s first-round draft picks over the past 20 years. It’s clearly a mixed bag, which some outstanding talent in Herman Moore and serious busts in Charles Rogers, Mike Williams, Joey Harrington and Andre Ware.

2009—Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia & Brandon Pettigrew, TE, Oklahoma State
2008—Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College
2007—Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
2006—Ernie Sims, LB, Florida St
2005—Mike Williams, WR, Southern California
2004—Roy Williams, WR, Texas & Kevin Jones, RB, Virginia Tech
2003—Charles Rogers, WR, Michigan St
2002—Joey Harrington, QB, Oregon
2001—Jeff Backus, OT, Michigan
2000—Stocker McDougle, OT, Oklahoma
1999—Chris Claiborne, LB, Southern Cal & Aaron Gibson, OT, Wisconsin
1998—Terry Fair, CB, Tennessee
1997—Bryant Westbrook, CB, Texas
1996—Reggie Brown, LB, Texas A&M & Jeff Hartings, G, Penn St
1995—Luther Elliss, DE, Utah
1994—Johnnie Morton, WR, Southern California
1993— No pick
1992—Robert Porcher, DL, South Carolina St
1991—Herman Moore, WR, Virginia
1990—Andre Ware, QB, Houston

Detroit author Elmore Leonard’s work is back on television: His character U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens, from the mid-1990s novels Pronto and Riding the Rap, is the protagonist of the new drama Justified on cable channel FX.

The series, which features Givens exiled to his native Kentucky to keep order after his atavistic Wild West ways draw his bosses’ ire in Miami, premiered March 16. It airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m., and stars Deadwood actor Tim Olyphant in the lead role.

The premier drew 4.2 million viewers, making the show the second most-watched new show on FX since The Shield launched in 2002.

Leonard is best known for his Western and crime thrillers, several of which have been adapted into films: Out of Sight, Get Shorty, 3:10 To Yuma, The Big Bounce and Jackie Brown.

THAT’S THE TICKET: Major League Baseball last week e-mailed ticket advertisements to Detroit Tigers fans … to see games in Cleveland.

Whaaa …?

Why would a ticket advertisement — it didn’t offer promotions or discounts, but did have the tigers.com logo next to photos of Justin Verlander, Rick Porcello and Miguel Cabrera — be sent to fans of one team to buy tickets for another team?

Turns out, MLB franchises have reciprocal agreements with regular geographical opponents. That means Cleveland Indians fans who previously bought tickets to see the Tribe play the Tigers at Jacobs … er … Progressive Field got e-mails encouraging them to buy tickets for games between the teams at Comerica Park. The ads are apparently generated by baseball’s ticketing database.

Neither team is expected to legitimately contend for the American League pennant, so ticket sales expectations aren’t exactly through the roof. That’s why it struck some folks as odd — why encourage Tigers fans to buy Indians tickets? But it sounds like because everyone is doing it, it should balance out and ticket sales revenue won’t be lost.

And that has added financial significance in Detroit if the speculation comes true that the team will soon release pitcher Dontrelle Willis, whose recent history of control problems linked to emotional/mental issues have made him a payroll liability.

Willis will earn $12 million this year. He got $10 million last year. His two years in Detroit have produced a 1-6 record, just 57.2 innings pitched with a bloated 8.27 ERA.

If he is let go, it will be the second consecutive season in which the Tigers have jettisoned a player with a huge contract they’re still obligated to pay. Last year, it was Gary Sheffield’s $13.6 million Detroit was forced to eat after releasing him before the start of the season. Ouch.

MEANWHILE, ACROSS BRUSH STREET: The Detroit Lions’ front office hasn’t been shy about spending owner William Clay Ford Sr.’s money. And what makes that interesting is that labor uncertaintly could allow the team to spend as little as it wants on players -- feeding an ancient complaint that Ford is cheap and his skinflint ways have made the team a loser.

But that's not what's happening. Detroit’s big free-agent splashes were inking Tennessee Titans Pro Bowl defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Nate Burleson, and then trading for Cleveland Browns defensive end Corey Williams.

The signings are nothing earth-shattering and some critics charge that Detroit has to overpay second-tier free agents because of the systemic losing. That said, the moves do improve a roster that’s produced two victories and 30 defeats the past two seasons. If nothing else, the players bring veteran leadership. The front office is doing something, and not just low-impact cosmetic moves.

Detroit also sent a 2011 seventh-round pick to San Francisco for backup quarterback Shaun Hill, who is due to make $1.5 million this season.

Hill couldn’t win the starting job in battle with Alex Smith, and became expendable when the 49ers signed former Texans starter David Carr. Hill is expected to replace Daunte Culpepper as Matthew Stafford’s primary backup — also ending the distraction of Culpepper’s complaints about playing time. Call it addition by both addition and subtraction.

The team has made three lesser moves aimed at bolster the roster’s non-marquee talent:
~ Brian Clark, a former Denver and Tampa Bay wide receiver, got a one-year deal. He’s played mostly special teams, returning 29 kickoffs for 636 yards (21.9 avg.), making 26 special teams tackles, blocking a punt and recovering a fumble. He’s caught 11 passes for 100 yards since the Broncos inked him as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2006.
~ St. Louis didn’t make a qualifying offer to restricted free agent cornerback Jonathan Wade, who has started six times in 47 games since the Rams took him in the third round in 2007. He has two career interceptions and 67 tackles, but is on the small side at 5-10, 198 pounds.
~ Detroit traded a sixth-round pick to Atlanta for cornerback Chris Houston, a deal which also involved swapping two fifth-round picks. Houston has started 37 games since being taken in the second round out of Arkansas in 2007. He has three career picks, but is also undersized at 5-11, 178 pounds.

Speculation is that the team may sign talented by troubled cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones, who was released by Dallas, and Anthony Hargrove, a restricted free agent defensive end from the Super Bowl champion News Orleans Saints.

Hargrove is a restricted free agent, and is Detroit signs him to an offer sheet that the Saints don’t match, it would have to surrender a third-round draft pick. Or he could be traded to Detroit.

Both Jones and Hargrove would cost more than the lower-echelon "roster filler" but while adding to the payroll they also would made an instant impact on the league-worst defense.

If Detroit inks Hargrove after picking up Vanden Bosch and Williams, the question that arises: Will the Lions draft Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh with the No. 2 pick on April 22, as most self-appointed experts think? Or do they trade the pick and move down to a less-expensive spot in the first round?

Suh likely would command $65 million on a five-year deal. A year ago, Matthew Stafford got a six year deal worth $78 million (if every realistic and every crazy incentive is met). Of that, $17 million is guaranteed. That’s a lot of cash, but the Lions maye be willing to spend it. Many believe Suh is the sort of player that can turn around a defense almost by himself -- and the Lions need such players to fill seats (and raise revenue from ticket sales) at Ford Field.

The big rookie paydays come amid the financial uncertainty of the NFL’s first salary cap-less year since 1993.

The league’s collective-bargaining agreement with its players expires March 1, 2011, and because a new contract wasn’t reached by March 1 of this year, there will be no salary cap or floor for the upcoming season. The cap last year was $128 million with a floor of $112 million.

The Lions are believed to have spent $100 million on player salaries last season. Insiders believe a number of teams will spend as little as $70 million this season to save money, but it’s unlikely that any will go on a New York Yankees-style spending spree because the ramifications are too dire and complex.

If there’s no labor deal by March 1, 2011, owners can lock out players. It’s believed the owners want an across-the-board 18 percent pay cut from the players.

Speculation is brewing that former Detroit Lions coach and Michigan native Steve Mariucci is a candidate for head coach of the Cleveland Browns — if new team president Mike Holmgren fires incumbent coach Eric Mangini.

Holmgren was hired by the Browns last month to right the struggling franchise, which hasn’t been far behind the Lions in dysfunction and ineptitude since it returned to the NFL in 1999.

Mariucci, who coached the Lions to a 15-28 record from 2003-05, was an assistant coach for four years under Holmgren when the latter was coach of the Green Bay Packers. He and Mariucci are said to be close friends.

Mariucci was hired as the 22 head coach of the Lions in February 2003, just months after he was ousted as coach of the San Francisco 49ers in what reportedly was an internal power struggle with that team’s president. He was given a 5-year, $25 million deal to coach the Lions, but was fired after losing the Thanksgiving Day game to Atlanta in 2005.

In San Francisco, Mariucci led the 49ers to a 57-39 record and four playoff appearances in six seasons. His teams twice won the NFL West division title and were 3-4 in playoff games. He’s a commentator on the NFL Network and is often mentioned as a candidate for coaching jobs when the come open.

Another name mentioned for the maybe-open Cleveland job is another former Lions coach, Marty Mornhinweg. He was an abysmal 5-27 as coach in Detroit in 2001-02, but was an assistant under both Holmgren and Mariucci. He’s been assistant head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles since 2003 and added offensive coordinator duties in 2006.

Mangini was hired by the Browns in January, not long after he was fired by the New York Jets. He was 23-25 with the Jets, recording winning seasons in two of the three years he was there. Cleveland began this season by losing 11 of their first 12 games, including a 38-37 last-second loss to the Lions on Nov. 22 at Ford Field. The team was also plagued by front-office problems, offi-field drama and questionable personnel moves. However, the Browns won their final four games to finish 5-11.

Holmgren has been somewhat positive in his comments on Mangini and the coaching situation, but has also said a change is very possible. He’s expected to meet with him today and possibly announce his fate this week. Another potential replacement is former Holmgren assistant Jon Gruden, who was head coach in Oakland and Tampa Bay and is now a TV commentator.

The Browns would have to interview a minority candidate for coach under the NFL’s “Rooney Rule” that’s designed to give minorities experience in such interviews and better shots at top NFL jobs.

Forbes.com this week ranked the best teams in professional sports for the past decade, and the Detroit Red Wings came in No. 2 after the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.

Not surprisingly, the Detroit Lions proved to be a study in contrasts by being tabbed the worst team.

The rankings are based on a formula of on-field performance (adjusted for each league) and financial valuation growth since 2000.

The Wings got high marks for 940 points — which are awarded for victories and overtime/shootout losses and ties, and determine divisional winners — over the last 10 years. The league average is 741 points.

Detroit also saw nine playoff appearances and two Stanley Cup championships this decade, along with a 55-percent valuation growth in that time.

Forbes estimates the team to be worth $337 million, fueled in part by a Fox Sports Detroit cable deal (link) that “ensures continued flow of cash.”

The Spurs took top billing because of a .707 winning percentage over the past 10 years, three championships and a 146-percent valuation growth.

Rounding out the top ten best teams are the Dallas Mavericks, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Lakers, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Eagles and Boston Red Sox.

The financial news Web site also gave brief mention to the worst franchise of the new century’s first decade. Not surprisingly, the Detroit Lions ranked dead last.

The football team, just 42-113 since 2000 and winless in 2008, has a valuation growth that trails the NFL average by nine percentage points, Forbes said, which estimates the team is worth $872 million. That’s 28th of 32 teams.