The Detroit Lions are a franchise with such lowly feats as the 2008 winless season and one playoff win since 1957. The on-field-futility could be leaving Detroit football fans looking for a more entertaining overall product at Ford Field. With no guarantee it will come on the field, the “Detroit Pride” cheer squad wants to be that extra form of entertainment.

“We think there is a definite void that needs to be filled and that the fans deserve something they have asked for, for years”, Detroit Pride Operations Co-Director Andrea Wilamowski said. She feels the Detroit Lions need sanctioned cheerleaders.

The Pride plans on buying a row of seats in a visible section where they will perform standard professional cheerleading.

“We’ll be doing some routines to the classic rock-n-roll ‘tailgate’ type music, but we are also going to throw in some hip-hop style dances too,” Wiliamowksi said.

Lions fans have been accustom to amateur cheerleaders on the sidelines before. For years, cheerleaders from Metro Detroit high schools were given a chance to show off at the Silverdome. Since the team moved to Ford Field in 2002, no cheerleaders have performed at Lions games. Wiliamowski believes the Lions lacking cheerleaders is not only a slight against the fans but also the players.

“They’ve gone through an amazing rebuilding period and they deserve to be celebrated,” she said. Yet, the players are a reason the Lions brass has cited for not having an official cheer squad.

With the Detroit Pride announcing their plans to add additional entertainment at games, Detroit Lions Team President Tom Lewand spoke out to The Detroit News, “I don’t think that the folks in Green Bay and Pittsburgh and some of the other places get asked a lot about cheerleaders,” he said. “The more entertainment we can provide by winning football games, that’s where our focus should be.”

Despite the apparent lack of interest by the Lions organization, the Detroit Pride remain humble about their situation.

“We completely understand that the Lions are not ready to have a sanctioned cheerleading squad and we respect that,” Wilamowski said. “We can only hope that when the Lions organization, or any other professional Detroit sports team, feels our positive influence on the community and on the fans, that one of them will want to call us their own.”

Wilamowski’s positive nature is rooted firmly in the ideal that the Pride can serve as positive role models in Detroit. They have plans on doing charity work on top of appearing at games.

Oakland University “Images” Dance squad coach Sara Porzondek said she is excited for what the Pride is looking to accomplish.

“I think it would be a great addition to the atmosphere of the game. This area certainly has the talent.”

Porzondek is firmly on the side of the Pride’s stance that Detroit needs a sanctioned squad and believes the Lions should allow the Pride on the field.

Ryan Spitler of Warren, 24, is a Detroit Lions season ticket holder. He thinks it isn’t necessary but says he wouldn’t complain.

“When they went 0-16 and then 2-14 and every game was blacked out I think it would have helped to bring some people to the stadium,” Spitler said.

Bettering the fan experience is one of the many goals Wilamowski and the rest of the Pride have set. On the surface, the objective is to become a sanctioned team, but Wilamowski will tell you that their main goal is right in the team’s name.

“The Detroit area has received enough negative publicity,” she said. “We feel this is the best time to start turning things around and bring some positive spirit and pride back to Detroit.”