It's time for Martha Ford to sell the Lions

Mrs. Ford, it's time.

Time to sell this team to someone who isn't afraid to rip the organization apart.

It's not your fault. I'm told you are an energetic, tough woman who holds people accountable. That's great, but turning this franchise around is a lot to ask of a rookie owner.

The Detroit Lions are pathetic, and there is no hope in sight. The 45-10 loss in London was just the latest disaster. This team seems more hopeless than the one that went winless in 2008. It's pretty obvious by their performance on the field that the players are disheartened and the firing of three coaches only caused more chaos.

Sure, General Manager Martin Mayhew, President Tom Lewand and the head of scouting will all probably be gone after the season. But that's not enough. We need a strong leader who will come in here and start over from scratch.

Your son, Bill Ford Jr., might have been an option to take over the team and hire someone like Alan Mulally, who he brought in to run the Ford Motor Co.

For whatever reason, however, he has no say in the present team. Without him, who is qualified to find the person to run this franchise? Certainly not Mayhew or Lewand.

This team needs an owner who will find the front office genius who can turn the Lions into a consistent power, like the Packers, Patriots and Seahawks have become.

And no, just hiring a big-name coach won't solve the problem. The Lions have tried hiring coach after coach. Bill Belichick couldn't win with this team. It's not the coach, it's the organization behind the coach.

Just look at your team. The offensive line is the worst in football. Your quarterback, Matthew Stafford, has talent but he is so shell-shocked from the lack of protection that his confidence is shot. When his contract is up after the 2017 season, there is already speculation he will sign with his hometown Dallas Cowboys — that is, if he can still stand. The team lost the emotional leader of its defense, Ndamukong Suh, and did little to replace him.

Your late husband, William Ford Sr., who was kind and loyal to a fault, tried hiring talking head Matt Millen to run the organization. Millen just added to the bumbling lore of the franchise.

Please, give your die-hard faithful some hope. This year they are already wearing bags over their heads. Next year, they will come disguised as empty seats — just ask your current season ticket holders who can't give their tickets away.

It is time to give your long-suffering fans some hope. It is time to sell.

Phil Laciura is the Sports Editor of The Detroit News. Reach him at placiura@detroitnews.com.