I'm sick and tired of the Detroit Lions ruining an otherwise fantastic part of Thanksgiving.
For the 187th year in a row, the Lions have rolled over like good little lambs being led to the slaughter. It was less noticeable yesterday, since all three games were abominations and the Lions faced one of the best teams in the National Football League.
A Tennessee Titans team coming off its first loss of the year. However, Detroit (as usual) set the tone for the day with such an astoundingly bad performance, it bordered on surreal.
It was like watching a scene from a sports movie that sets up the ultimate redemption. Think the montage scene in "Major League" before the Tribe started to turn it around.
The one where all three outfielders collide going after a ball that drops, then see another ball drop after all three stand around expecting the other one to grab it.
It defies reason and logic that the Detroit Lions can convince anyone to come watch their games.
Every person associated with that organization should be mortified to show his/her face in public. The ownership should be forced to sell the team for pennies on the dollar as penance for what it has done to Motor City.
The management isn't fit to run a lemonade stand in the suburbs of Detroit. The coaches should be run out of football and find themselves trying to make sense out of some Pop Warner team next year. Most of the players should be turned loose to find greener pastures or take up golf.
And I'm not even a Lions fan.
I couldn't care less about the team. Well, that's not true. I'm actually rooting for them to go winless. But I'm not that vested in it; if they win, it'll barely register on my radar.
- B/R Ticket Guide
Still, my blood boils for the fans and players (the ones still trying that is). It's one thing to go winless because you're not very good and your schedule is tough.
It is another thing altogether to go winless because you're embarrassingly putrid in every facet of the game, every facet of the organization. And have a tough schedule.
One half was all I could take; I had to find something more pleasant with which to occupy myself once halftime rolled around. I chose scrubbing and shucking oysters.
But one half was enough. One quarter was enough. I won't even bother with the second stanza.
There's absolutely no need. It would be like challenging a borderline reception made by the losing team during the fourth quarter of a thorough destruction: unnecessary, malicious, classless, petty, and flat wrong (great article by Angel Navedo).
In the first half alone, we had a fumble on the second play from scrimmage. We had an almost 30-yard end around on the next play. We had Chris Johnson scoring on a six-yard jaunt through a defense so absent, one of his blockers had no one to hit.
We had Johnson running almost 70 yards to pay dirt through the middle of the line without ever being touched. We had Johnson racking up, what, 1,000 yards on six carries?
We had Daunte Culpepper throwing an interception directly to a defensive lineman inside his own 20. An interception that was returned for six points.
We had BOTH Titans' running backs scoring two touchdowns.
We had a delay of game penalty following a time-out on a series that culminated in a 13-yard punt.
We had a score of 38-10. It was 38-3 until a last minute touchdown courtesy of a Tennessee gift.
But don't worry Detroit, Rod Marinelli has great confidence in his abilities despite the record. And why wouldn't he?
Apparently, Detroit's ownership and management share Dr. Marinelli's diagnosis. And why wouldn't they?
The guy's only had 44 games and three season to get acclimated, find an approach/philosophy that works, and start to improve.
Making a knee-jerk reaction based on such a small sample size would be foolishly rash. I mean, it's not like on-field performance is an accurate barometer of a talented coach, anyway.
Ownership, management, and the coaching staff have proven themselves utterly incompetent. For damn near a decade, the Detroit Lions have been awful.
Their judgment has been awful. Their decisions have been awful. Their performance has been awful. Why would anyone employed by the franchise see any need to change now?
I say again, it absolutely defies reason and logic that a single person sits in those stands.
I wouldn't go if the tickets were free. And neither should a Lions' fan.
They deserve much better.
comments (25) write a comment »
write a new comment
about 1 month ago
Calm down dude.
Yeah they suck. They beyond suck, but did you expect them to do well against that defense? They had a turnover.
from about 1 month ago
That's kind of the point. And they had more than a turnover. If I had listed every miscue in the first half alone, the article would have been 5 pages and tiresome after the first one.
How can you possibly call yourself a professional coach or franchise after a TO to set up a delay of game, which sets up a 13 yard punt?
And yes, I expect a professional team to pull together a better performance than that on a nationally-televised, home game when you're the only football in the time slot.
It was pathetic and they should be embarrassed.
from about 1 month ago
No, I mean they forced one on Tennessee.
from about 1 month ago
Oh. In that case, yes, they got a turnover. I think pro football fans should be able to expect more from their team than a single gift interception (forced is a generous term) to go with all the other garbage.
And it's not like this is the first year they've been atrocious on Thanksgiving.
from about 1 month ago
True, very true.
about 1 month ago
Being from Detroit and listening to the Detroit sports radios, fans here want them to go 0-16. The 5-11, 6-10, 7-9 seasons don't get it through ownership's head. William Clay Ford still sees his stadium sold out week after week during those seasons. However, if he expects 60,000, ONLY 60,000, people from a city facing an economic crisis to pay hundreds of dollars for a lwinless team, he's out of his mind. It wouldn't suprise me if his son, who recommended the firing of Matt Millen, takes over as owner and as GM, and I would be in favor of that move. With the first pick in the draft, who ever is the GM, they better be using it for line men. Most of the Lion's picks should be linemen. You need to build a team from the inside out, and the inside of a football team is the two lines.
from about 1 month ago
Agreed man, hope they use it wisely.
Hope for your sake they do.
Thanks for the comment.
Andrew
about 1 month ago
I don't know if the Lions will finish 0-16, but I am convinced that they will get the #1 pick in the draft for having the worst record. Their fans better hope and pray that they don't waste it on another Wide Receiver like previous years. GO COWBOYS!!!!
from about 1 month ago
I think they're safe. Millen's gone ;-)
about 1 month ago
Go for O-line and D-line help in the draft. Trade that #1 overall pick for extra picks. Sign Matt Cassell to play quarterback and you're looking at 8 wins next season.
pay me. I'll GM the Lions.
from about 1 month ago
See.
That right there is a damn fine idea.
from about 1 month ago
Great freaking idea. ANyone will be better than millen at this point
about 1 month ago
You can get Mike Vick cheap for 240k a season as a returner/wr/ back qb for that spark.
Bring in Cassel. And draft all o and d linemen.
pay me. I'll GM the Lions.
from about 1 month ago
Hmmm. Interesting.
Vick as a returner would certainly be can't-miss television. Can you imagine all those special-team-heat-seakers coming for him? I doubt his comeback would be long-lived.
Thanks for the feedback.
Andrew
about 1 month ago
Let's say we got Vick, he wouldn't do as well as he did in Atlanta. He couldn't scramble with the offensive line in Detroit, and plus a lot of Detroiters would be upset with the signing. Actually, any team would be upset with the signing. He killed Dogs!, give me a break
from about 1 month ago
I wouldn't be upset with the signing. There's been quite a few cases where people did the exact same thing as Vick did and got off with a fine.
The media demonized him for his crime. Yes, what he did was wrong and cruel, but two years in prison? That's unheard of for dog fighting. He got the book thrown at him because he was an NFL star.
I don't think Vick is a bad person, I think he made a big mistake.
That said, I don't think he's a solution at quarterback, but as a receiver/specialist guy, he'd be great.
from about 1 month ago
Vick's gonna get a chance with someone I'd guess. His mistake is far worse than Pacman's, but I'd still imagine Goodell gives him a go. And like I said above, I don't know if he'd help the team.
But it'd sure be fun to watch guys gun for him while he's got the ball.
Thanks for the comments.
about 1 month ago
You should have watched Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern on the travel channel instead of the game like I did. Watching a man eat cow testicles happened to be more appealing to the stomach than watching the lions play football...
from about 1 month ago
Definitely would have been more appealing. I'll keep that idea in mind next year...
about 1 month ago
The Lions have a nasty habit of drafting washed-up has-beens that had potential to help the team five years ago. They'll probably get Vick. >_<
Go Lions!!!! (Though I'm ashamed to say it....)
from about 1 month ago
Ben,
You deserve better, but I admire your resolve. You have truly earned your die-hard stripes.
Andrew
about 1 month ago
Haha Matt's comment made me laugh
Lions need to draft O Linemen
Maybe a QB isn't a bad choice
Cassel will be a hot name but c'mon
Cassel starting for the Lions
Maybe if Belichick went with him too
lets remember who he has to throw to
Moss, Welker, Watson, etc.
Lets remember who Culpepper has to throw to
Mike Furrey
oh and that Calvin Johnson fella
not really the same?
from about 1 month ago
I think Johnson's one of the few Lion keepers but you're point is a good one. I'd still take my chances with Cassell considering the alternatives though.
from about 1 month ago
Good point. I don't know any QB's in this draft that can be "elite" like the Matt Ryans' of the world.
Cassell is solid, he practiced a pro style offense in college, and one he just studied all the time I am guessing
Norm Chow, hes good at what he does
He gets one shot at an nfl team, he might do good
But lets face it
If Montana qb'd the Lions
they might lose only 14 games
its...the...lions
about 1 month ago
the Detroit Lions ARE the proverbial Thanksgiving Turkey.
write a new comment