Why Detroit is losing money.

I've figured out why Toyota and other carmakers are beating the pants off of Detroit, and Ford, in particular. Loyalty.

In this new world of changing global markets, Detroit is the epitome of old school. It's where pickup trucks, auto unions and cigar-chomping executives still rule the roost. That is changing, but it's changing sooo very slowly. And, so, Ford and the others are being left behind.

Sounds abstract, I know. But translate Ford's lack of success to the football team in which Ford has deep ties, the Lions, and the stuck-in-the-mud mentality becomes so very obvious.

The Lions finally (finally!), after seven years of suffering, have fired team president Matt Millen. Nothing against Mr. Millen himself, but in what other business would such futility be rewarded with such continuity?

Under Mr. Millen's seven-year stewardship, the Lions averaged just over four wins a season. That's worse than anybody over that period, even the woeful Raiders. Mr. Millen's first round draft picks since 2002 went like this: QB Joey Harrington, WR Charles Rogers, WR Roy Williams, WR Mike Williams, LB Ernie Sims, WR Calvin Johnson, T Gosder Cherilus. Think about that list... C.J. is a fantasy stud, yes. But four first-round wideouts since 2003? What kind of buffoonery is that? Exactly what kind of offense did Mr. Millen have in mind? A no-running-back, six-wide-out bomb fest?

It's clear to me that Harrington's failure to pan out really hurt the Lions. If all went according to plan, ol' Joseph would have been reaching his prime right about now and the Lions, at the very least, would be mediocre instead of really bad. But franchises live and die by who they draft and the Lions should have seen this coming a long time ago.

I used to be of the mind that loyalty is everything in sports. Cal Ripken belongs in Baltimore, Brett Favre in Green Bay, M.J. in Chicago. Certain exceptional cases will still resonate like that. But like it or not, we have entered a new time and place. Free agency. Eat or be eaten. Multi-million dollar contracts. Loyalty? Save it for something else. In pro sports, loyalty is just an excuse for failing to act.