The team known today as the Detroit Lions was founded in 1930 in the city of Portsmouth, Ohio and played in the NFL that same season as the Portsmouth Spartans. Financial difficulties in their early years forced the owners to sell the team to George Richards in 1934, who relocated the franchise to Detroit and renamed it the Detroit Lions. The end of their next season saw them crowned as NFL champions, with the city of Detroit embracing their new team. They repeated this success three times in the 1950s (1952, 1953, 1957), and this period with three championships is the most successful in their history. Since then, the Detroit Lions have had limited appearances in the playoffs and few accomplishments to show, such as their first NFC Championship game appearance, despite having had some talented players over the years.