 In the mid-1960s, the Lions served as the backdrop for the sports literature of George Plimpton, who spent time in the Lions training camp masquerading as a player.This was the basic material for his book "Paper Lion", later made into a movie starring Alan Alda plus a number of actual Lions players, including Alex Karras.On November 22, 1963, William Clay Ford Sr. purchased a controlling interest in the team for $4.5 million.