Flagship Radio Host Faces Backlash After Opposing Division Banner

97.1 The Ticket's Marc Ryan is vehemently against Lions' banner-raising ways.

Detroit Lions NFC North banner / Junfu Han, USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Lions undeniably recorded one of their best seasons in franchise history in 2023. 

Among the many highlights, they won just their fourth ever division crown, which also marked their first division championship in 30 years. Plus, they reached the NFC Championship Game for the first time in 32 years. 

For many Lions fans, it was a season worth celebrating, and the organization decided to commemorate it by hanging up “NFC North division champions” banners both inside Ford Field and its Allen Park practice facility. Additionally, the Lions hung up a giant “2023 NFC North champions” banner on the outside of a parking garage next to Ford Field.   

As much as these banners were well-received by the Detroit fanbase, the reaction wasn’t the same with some pundits, including sports talk show host Marc Ryan. 

On Thursday, the new 97.1 The Ticket on-air personality took issue with the team celebrating its most recent division championship by raising multiple banners. And, as part of his argument against it, he referenced the Green Bay Packers – a franchise with 17 division championships and four Super Bowl titles – being opposed to raising banners for division championships. 

“Around here, we’ve never hung banners for division championships. So, it’s never been about that,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said during the NFL Scouting Combine in late February. “It’s a nice starting point, but I think we’re always looking for bigger things.” 

Those “bigger things” that Gutekunst referenced are Super Bowl championships. 

Ryan echoed a similar sentiment on Thursday, arguing that if you’re going to hang a banner, it should be for winning “the ultimate prize”: a Lombardi Trophy. 

“You don’t hang a division banner, you don’t hang a division banner,” Ryan said on 97.1 The Ticket Thursday. “We have to have a higher bar than that around here, OK. Barry Sanders is your hero, Barry Sanders was my favorite player growing up. Barry Sanders had always acted like he had been there before. Is hanging a banner for winning a division acting like you’ve been there before, or is it not? To me, it’s acting like you’ve never been there before.” 

While Ryan wants “the bar” to be set higher by the Lions and their fans, he still believes the fanbase should be proud of the organization’s accomplishments a season ago. 

“So guys, I have no problem with banners, nor am I trying to snuff out your fun. I’m not trying to do that,” Ryan expressed. “Here’s what I think you should feel about last year: You should feel a tremendous sense of pride for what your Detroit Lions accomplished last year, OK. But, I mean, this banner (on the parking garage) is the size of an entire building, and it’s posted for winning a division. So again, am I critical of the Lions organization? No. Am I critical of the Lions management? No. I’m just saying if we want to elevate the standard around here, we’ve got to set the bar a little bit higher than just winning a division.” 

As expected, Lions fans didn’t take too kindly to Ryan’s comments. Here’s a sample of the reaction online to Ryan’s opinion on Detroit’s recent banner-raising ways. 

There’s nothing wrong with the banner. There was no bar, the only way the bar gets raised is by the team winning, not by fans demanding they don’t display the only accolade they have.

— Danny Bennett (@RealDannyB) June 13, 2024

Marc-yyyyy dude we used to tear down the goal posts at the Silverdome if we got a first down. K? Chill bruh. 🤣

— Spencer Adkins (@SpencerWeather) June 13, 2024

But that’s the thing… we haven’t been there before. Literally have never won the NFC North. People outside of Detroit (and new to town) have no idea the level of pain the Lions have brought for 65 years. The banner is fine. It’s just a test run for the SB banner this year anyway

— calebporter (@calebporter) June 13, 2024