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Pathetic
I was hoping the Lions could step up from "pathetic" to "poor" this year. This step, theoretically, should be easier than going from "poor" to "good", or "good" to "very good". I believe that a few wins could have been a building block toward better times. Other than maybe the Browns, I don't know where another win will come from. I hope there's some player development going on, rather than the young guys learning the Lion tradition of losing.It'll soon be Thanksgiving, which means that the pot shots from the national media will begin soon.
You're right about that. The good news is I don't see the complacency I saw last year from the coaching staff. That, and a willingness to play those younger players. (And a feeling that some of these younger players might be pretty darn good.)
Losing
I started to post on this site yesterday about Raiola jumping to the kid quarterback's defense with the fans, but I decided the whole fan versus player interaction gets too much pub. Anyway, after reading SPLF's post, I got to wondering, what player(S) has the worst won / lost record with at least eight years in the league? Archie Manning in the 70's has to be up there, but I'm guessing JB and DR are in the top 10.
Yeah, I can't imagine anybody's got them beat. This stretch since 2001 is the worst in the NFL since World War II.
Schwartz - GOOD JOB!
Because I'm a Lions fan living in Tennessee and, because I've seen first hand how a first rate organization needs to be run, I'd like to congradulate Mayhew /Lewand on their choice as a head coach. So far, so good. Now it's all about getting the players, and getting an experienced offensive coordinator. THE CLOUDS ARE LIFTING Mr. Hockey!
Response to Marinelli
John, You've covered the Red Wings, arguably one of the best franchises in profesional sports, and now, thanks to Mike's retirement, the Lions. Are you suffering from depression yet? Did you get a pay raise? What a huge change in life! Hang in there man, it can ONLY get better! I hate that the Lions have sunk to their current depth. All I can say is they better, BETTER, put the right people in charge, or they won't remain credible with their fans ever again. I now live in Tennessee, and watching Jeff Fisher and Co. totally out-coach Marinelli and, looking at the talent differential between the two teams, I was completely embarrassed. The Titans were laughing at our players for crying out loud! Forget Rob's comments because, in the end, it doesn't really matter. What matters is that the right people are in charge of this once proud franchise, of which I still care about deeply.
Response to Marinelli
Whether you believe Marinelli is part of the problem, which I do, or he's a victim of poor personnel decisions, in the end, it really doesn't matter. The only way this organization can gain back any credibility with their fan base is with a total makeover from the GM on down. The current regime is tied to one of the worst teams in history, and made the Lions the laughingstocks of the NFL.
Thanksgiving tradition
Yesterday, once again, I listened to the national media folks on ESPN carry on about how the Lions don't deserve to keep their turkey day tradition. What about the most over-exposed team in the country? After all, the Lions have won just as many playoff games over the last 10 years as the Cowboys. The average fan is probably more likely to be able to name the name of Tony Romo's girlfriend as he is the Lions starting quarterback, and yet these guys get so much face time it's ridiculous. I'm sick of seeing Packman, T.O. and that whole crew!
America's Team. People still like to watch them, even if it's only for the soap opera. Jerry Jones understands that better than anybody.
Travel plans
John, I'm thinkin' about heading north for the holiday weekend. I could watch the Titans scrimmage on Thursday, (I'm sure there are available tickets), followed by the high school team I played for, Montague, play at Ford Field on Friday.
Even though it's an official sellout, there are tickets avaiable, yes. And if it's a blowout and Ford Field looks like it did the last half of the fourth quarter Sunday, you'll see a bigger crowd there Friday and Saturday.
Cleaning house
If history tells me anything, than I'm sure that sometime within the next ten years Martin Mayhew will be getting all kinds of accolades for being the GM of a Super Bowl winning team. It just won't be the Lions. There've been many great coaches and front office personnel that have passed through Detroit over the years. Knowing this, I'm still sticking with my original thought that anyone employed by the Lions who ever even spoke with Matt Millen should be gone!
Does that include Brett Favre, even though he wasn't officially on the payroll?
Transplant
I left Michigan in 2001 and wasn't sure how I'd survive Sunday afternoon's without the "NFL Ticket", so I could watch the Lions. I managed to go cold turkey and, as it's turned out, I've been much better off! They have a pro team down here called the Titans. I don't make a special effort to watch them, but it is refreshing to see how a profesional football team operates. This year they play my Lions on Thanksgiving, and we may be looking at 11-0 versus 0-11. One thing I'll be thankful for, other than 2 to 3 games a year where the Lions are broadcast in this area, is that I've been spared. Unless they clean house, which would at least bring some hope for the future, I'd suggest others do the same.
Some real turkeys on TV -- at least on paper -- this Thanksgiving. Titans at Lions, Seahawks at Cowboys, and Cardinals (who are awful on East Coast) at Eagles.
Additional signings
As long as the Lions are considering Culpepper, is there any chance they'll offer to re-sign players such as Al Baker, Lem Barney, Bennie Blades, Lomas Brown, Roger Brown, Gail Cogdill, Doug English, Ed Flanagan, Kevin Glover, Mel Gray, Yale Lary, Herman Moore, Robert Porcher, Barry Sanders, Charlie Sanders, Cory Schlesinger, Harley Sewell, Billy Sims and Wayne Walker? As long as they're not committed to a youth movement they might as well go after players that, at least, had game. What the heck, they're going to be in town anyway.
Mel Gray might still be a better threat in the return game than what the Lions have had this season, no?
' 76 Bucs
John, Do the 1976 Tampa Bay players toast the last winless team that finally wins a game, keeping their winless record intact? ( Sort of the opposite of the '72 Dolphins. ) If so, what do they drink? Do the Lions have them sweating yet, as they probably did in Morninweg's 1st season?
That's a good question, and one I'm sure we'll be looking into if this goes on much longer. Wrote a story about 0-16 prospect for tomorrow and couldn't help but notice: In week 17, the Bengals (0-8 right now) get the Chiefs, while the Lions are at Green Bay. Ouch.
Red Wings
John, It must kill you now that the Red Wings are playing. Talk about the penthouse to the outhouse, from an Escalade to a Yugo, from super model to that pig with lipstick we're always talking about.
Who will lose more games this year: The Wings or Lions? Seems like a laughable question on the face of it, but ...
Reminder
John, Please remind Marinelli that he has no obligation to "play the best players at their respective positions", and that the exhibition season for the 2009 season has been extended from four to fourteen games. Most of their top draft choices have turned out to be "roughs in the diamond", and there might be a diamond in the rough somewhere on their sideline.
A step backward
The old saying that "sometimes you need to take one step backward before you can take two steps forward" certainly applies to the Lions. ( Not that they'll necessarily take two steps forward given their track record on personnel. ) You still have to admit that burning this structure to the ground makes more sense than trying to renovate it.Anyway, let the exhibition season begin!
Pull the plug
It's time to turn the rest of this season into an exhibition for next year and beyond. There's no way this team, under the cast of clowns running it, has a remote chance of turning things around. If the veterans don't like it, who cares. At this point they need to find out if some of the guys buried on the depth chart have, or ever will have, the ability to play. Can you believe the Bears game was a sellout? A lot of Bears fans I suppose.
And a bunch of empty seats, too. I'd bet Thanksgiving might be the only remaining sellout, but we'll see how generous the Lions big sponsors are as well, I guess.
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