Detroit Lions are the Black Sheep Of Detroit Sports

My wife and I just returned from Detroit. It was a long overdue trip to see some family and friends. The main reason we went was to attend our godson’s graduation from Chippewa Valley High School. 

He is a fellow Bleacher poster…some of you might have read his stuff on the Red Wings. If not, drop by and view Sean Gagnier’s articles.

He is going to attend Michigan State in the fall and is looking forward to a career in sports journalism or public relations which is why I got him to become a writer for this site so he can keep his skills sharp.

Being back in Detroit brought back a lot of great memories. We got out fix of some great Mexican food by going to the Mexican Village restaurant out in Clinton Township. Not the same as going to the one downtown but still way better than what we can get out here in Seattle. 

Also had a chance to hit Greektown and have some saganaki with the cheer of “OPA!” and downing some Greek beer. And if any of you live on the east side, near the Cadiuex and Harper area, you know how great Cal’s pizza is. Some of the best deep dish pizza in the world!

We also attended Friday nights Tiger game, a 2-1 loss against the Angels.  First time I’ve been to Comerica Park. While I still think the old Tiger Stadium was the best park to watch a game, Comerica is a great ballpark. Nice views of the city and we got some great pictures of the moon rising over the main scoreboard.

Being back in Detroit also gave me a chance to talk with some people, mostly family members and friends, to get their feeling about all of the Detroit Sport’s teams. And to each person, you can feel a sense of pride when they talk about their Red Wings, Tigers and Pistons. 

But when they get to the Lions, heads go down and they just are plain embarrassed. 

It reminds me of how familys don’t want to talk about the strange relative that just can’t seem to get his or her’s life together. They care deeply about them but just don’t know what they can do or say to get them on the right track.

I also caught a sense of just how knowledgeable Detroit fans are about their sports.  Pick a team, even the Lions, and you will get a quick breakdown of their strength’s and weaknesses and be confident of a fairly accurate analysis.

I had some discussions with friends and family about the Lions. As on this site and many others, the range of how to fix the Lions was diverse. From needing to fix the offensive line to beefing up the defense, all of it made sense and all of it needs to be done. 

But here is the rub about the Lions. Despite the success of the Tigers, Pistons and Red Wings, the most hope is pinned on the Lions. I asked about, if by some miracle, the Lions made it to the Super Bowl within the next five to seven years. 

Most of the responses were that if the Lions did make it to the Super Bowl and actually win, the party in Detroit would be off the hook. Is there any city more ready than Detroit to have a championship football team?

The Lions are pointed in the right direction. While many of the draft picks and free agent signings have been met with some skepticism, most Lions fans feel the best moves made have been at the coaching level. 

The trio of Schwartz, Cunningham and Linehan is perhaps the best coaching staff ever assembled under William Clay Ford’s tenure. Correction, the trio IS the best coaching staff ever assembled under his tenure.

While I have always looked forward to the start of the NFL season, particularly the Lions, this season is going to be met with the most anticipation in a long time. But, like that strange relative no one wants to talk about, many fans are holding their breath to see if this time, for the umpteenth time, the Lion rebuilding project will actually move forward.

I leave you with this: Returning to Detroit and seeing how many people are running scared due to the economic times, the one thing that keeps that town going is their sports. Having the Lions be competitive will bring money back into a city that desperately needs it. 

I feel for my hometown and for everyone in that city that has been affected by the myriad of changes that have gone on with General Motors and Chrysler. I applaud Roger Penske obtaining Saturn and have a feeling that he will be bringing some manufacturing jobs back into Michigan.

Stay strong Detroit. I get the feeling you will once again be proud of what you make and where you come from. 

I know I am.

The NFL Network’s Lack of Detroit Lions Coverage

The Detroit Lions are a member of the National Football League and have been for nearly 79 years if you start with the Portsmouth Lions joining the NFL in 1930 and yet, the NFL Network chooses to ignore their history.

I subscribe to the NFL Network for one reason:  They have On-Demand replays of all games after Mondays.  It allows me to get a 10 minute recap of how the Lions are looking.

The NFL Network, as well as just about any other network that covers the NFL, including ESPN, FOX, CBS, NBC and ABC, shows only the most popular teams during pre-game and post game shows.  I agree with the concept that no one wants to watch an entire game of a team that sucks.  But it seems to me that all of the major networks seem to think fans of teams actually live in their respective cities. 

Or, if a fan does have to move to a different city that happens to have an NFL team, the allegiance will shift as well.

Tell me, anyone that has had to move out of Pittsburgh, Dallas and yes, even Detroit in that situation, do you stop rooting for your hometown team? 

The NFL Network claims that it is the 24-hour football network.  I am drawn to their shows showing past games from all eras like a moth to a flame.  As a fan of the game, I eat this stuff up.  Seeing the great Charger-Dolphin playoff game from 1981 known as The Epic in Miami.  Watching the Dallas-San Francisco playoff game, also in 1981, where the legend of Joe Montana began with his pass to Dwight Clark to eliminate the favored Dallas Cowboys.

There have been other great games shown as well…the Ice Bowl, the Fog Bowl and the Greatest Game Ever Played, the 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants.

But as the NFL Network shows these games, I am hard-pressed to see any “great games” the Lions have played in from any era.  And this was a team that won 3 championships in the 1950’s.  Don’t tell me there isn’t any film on them since the NFL has been on television since the 1930’s.

The Lions have participated in some great games.  There were several memorable Thanksgiving Day games such as the1962 win over the Packers 26-14.  The Mud Bowl against the Eagles in 1968 where prior to kickoff, Eagles kicker Sam Backer made sure the ball was covered with mud.  There was the 1970 win over the Raiders who were pulling miracle wins week after week.

A personal favorite is the November 17, 1999 win over the eventual Super Bowl Champs, the St. Louis Rams.  In that game, Lions QB Gus Ferrotte completed a fourth down and forever pass to clinch a 31-27 win giving the Rams one of their three losses that year.

I’m sure that it sounds like I am tilting at windmills but for a network that claims it gives all teams pretty much the same coverage, it just doesn’t seem true to me.  Yes, they do give adequate information regarding games during the season…and when they have some of those “Top Ten” shows, they highlight some of the great players that we’ve had…but there is little shown about some of the great games they played in.

Fair is fair NFL Network…live up to your name.

Beer Thinker Musings: Detroit Lions Expectations Of Fans

There have been several articles written on what fans expectations of the upcoming 2009 Detroit Lions season.

But what can the Lions expect from their fans?

Everyone knows rooting for the Detroit Lions is about as much fun as having a wisdom tooth pulled.  Despite that kind of pain, fans keep coming back year after year.

Attendance fluctuates depending on how “well” the Lions are doing.  And “well” is a relative term when it comes to the Lions.

Last year, for the first time in many years, the Lions actually had at least four home games blacked out.  There was even concern the traditional Thanksgiving Day game would be blacked out.  If not for the NFL extending the 72-hour rule and some businesses buying tickets, it would have.

That alone sent a strong message to the incompetent owner, William Clay Ford, Sr.  The fans that did show up for Thanksgiving and the rest of the games were screaming for improvement and rightfully so.  Even an optimist such as myself found little good from an 0-16 team.  If not for Calvin Johnson and Kevin Smith, there would have been nothing at all to cheer for.

So now we look at a new year.  New coaching staff, new front office management, and a slew of new players, including Matt Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew, and Larry Foote.

Instead of looking at the Lions with trepidation, as I am sure many of us have each new season, I am choosing to look at this with a more optimistic view. 

Without blowing sunshine up anyone’s skirt, I am not looking for the Lions to get to the playoffs in 2009.  While it may not be impossible, it would be highly improbable.  Instead, I look for them to achieve .500. 

Instead of doing the next thing right, I want them to do the next right thing.  It’s a subtle difference but an important one.

What would be the next right thing?  Continue to build this team into a contender.  Not as a flash in the pan but think more long term.  Put young players in positions to succeed and not get buried or over matched.  Be patient!

What would be the next thing right?  Rush players into starting before they are ready.  While the initial results may encourage a lot of people, it may not be the right thing to do.  Fans may scream and yell for second stringers, but NFL teams rarely win when they start listening to fans. 

I’m sure to a player, a coach, and even a GM, they want the fans to come out and support them.  We fans have spoken loud and clear that we are tired of being the doormat to the rest of the NFL. 

Detroit Lions, if you want the fans to support, start improving.  Start winning.  Start playing and coaching smarter.  Start tackling better, start running the ball better, and please, for the love of Jason Hansen’s right leg, start doing better in the red zone!

Start rushing the QB better.  Start by having the secondary intercept more than one freaking pass all year. 

I think if the Lions start improving in all of these areas, fans will come back and cheer.

But when the Lions have done that in the past, they quit improving.  Imagine if two years after drafting Barry Sanders, the Lions drafted a tight-end the caliber of Brandon Pettigrew?  They would have at least made a Super Bowl appearance in the ’90s.

It’s a two-way street Mr. Ford.  Far too long have you taken our hard-earned money and support and given really nothing in return.

Time to pay the Piper Mr. Ford…with interest!

 

What Can We Expect From The Detroit Lions’ 2009 Season?

The smoke from the 2009 draft has cleared. The Lions have made their bed with Matt Stafford and we Lions fans have little choice but to sleep in it.

On paper, it does look as though the Lions improved themselves. 

From the draft, they obtained players that did address areas of need. Though questionable at the time, taking tight end Brandon Pettigrew with the 20th pick may turn out to be the biggest impact from this draft class. At the very least, he will be the one player from this draft to gain immediate results.

Safety Louis Delmas should also have an immediate impact. As a unit, the Lions secondary was decimated most of the year. 

Part of that was due to an ineffective pass rush but most of it was due to a lack of talent, an issue prevalent throughout the Lions roster. With the additions of Delmas as well as CB’s Anthony Henry, Phillip Buchanon and Ramzee Robinson, it’s fairly certain the secondary will improve greatly over last year’s squad.

But really, what can we expect from the 2009 Detroit Lions? As everyone and their brother knows, they were an 0-16 team last year. However, as bleak as the season was last year, the team made some significant moves, first and foremost, the removal of the most incompetent general manager ever to grace the earth, Matt Millen.

However, we still had the “talent” he drafted and signed to watch on the field.  There was little that could be done at the time. The Lions had little choice to go through that dismal season and did as much as they could to posistion themselves for yet another rebuilding year.

WR Roy Williams was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for multiple draft picks.

QB Jon Kitna and WR Mike Furrey were pretty much shelved by being placed on the IR.  Furrey was released and Kitna traded to Dallas for CB Anthony Henry.

QB Dante Culpepper was signed to replace him and despite the team showing signs of life behind Dan Orlovysky, his injury forced the Lions to start Culpepper who had played little in 2007 and not at all in 2008 until signing with the Lions. 

From his performance, it was evident just how out of football shape Culpepper was.  But I challenge anyone to attempt what he did.  He did the best he could with what he had.

Season over, 0-16. The Lions are on record as having the worst season ever in the history of the NFL.

On to 2009. A new coaching staff of head coach Jim Schwartz, offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and defesnive coordinator Gunther Cunningham. This trio is perhaps the deepest coaching staff the Lions have ever put together. 

Linehan’s attacking style of offense puts a lot of pressure on defenses. His offenses have put up some big numbers such as Culpepper putting up 4,000 yard seasons while in Minnesota and while has head coach with the Rams, QB Marc Bulger having perhaps one of his best seasons. 

Running backs and wide receivers consistently have 1,000 seasons. He runs the ball very well and he uses his weapons equally as well. He is very good at attacking defenses.

With the hiring of defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham, we can all rejoice in the end of the Tampa 2 defense. Cunningham makes it very clear that his defenses “goes after people.” 

The defense will be much more aggressive and expect the Lions to put more pressure on the quarterback then they have in the past. His idea of an ideal defense is to be explosive, disruptive, aggressive and go after people.

As for head coach Jim Schwartz, he looks for two things from a defense: stopping the rush and getting a lot of three and outs by opposing offenses. He wants the Lions to be big and strong, build them to play important games in cold weather and be able to stop the run. 

However, look to the Lions to have a multi-dimensional looks. They will do what it takes to win that week. No defense in the NFL can play one style and expect it to work week in and week out. He wants opposing teams to “play left-handed”, a tactic he learned from Bill Belichick. 

What that means is if the opposing team is a good run team, force them to pass.  If they pass well, force them to run. Make other teams beat you with their weakest component.

If you can stop opposing team’s strengths, it’s a good bet you can win the majority of the time.

I’d like to see the Lions get to an 8-8 season in 2009. But I suspect that expectation is a little high.  But I believe in setting the bar a little higher than what’s comfortable. It forces one to stretch a little more, try just a little harder to get there. 

As with anything, obstacles will always be in the way and the Lions have to battle a long and sad past as well as opposing teams.

Detroit Lions Draft: Not What Was Expected

I had planned to write an in-depth article later in the week, but I’m sure those types of breakdowns will be plentiful.

Rather, I am going to ask, right now, as a Detroit Lion fan:

What the hell just happened?

 

No surprise in the Lions signing Matthew Stafford. Despite the absurdity of $41.7 million dollars in guaranteed money, Stafford is now the latest version of the Lions’ savior.

Kid’s set for life without ever taking a snap in the pros. But does he have what it takes?

During Saturday’s coverage, ESPN commentator and ex-NFL QB Steve Young summed it up best:

“Look, there are metaphorical dead bodies all over the place, quarterbacks that have been drafted No. 1 in this spot that don’t have the resolve to live through what they’re going to live through.

“Stafford is going to face incredible pressure. If he doesn’t have the resolve—and I mean steel resolve—of Peyton Manning or Troy Aikman, he will be another one that will fall by the wayside.”

 

OK, so we made the mistake of taking Stafford; what’s done is done. Now we need to protect the “bonus baby” by drafting an offensive tackle.

Hey, look, Micheal Oher is still available as our second first-round pick is coming around! Jeff Backus could be moved to guard, and we’ll have 6’5″, 305-lb. pure left tackle guarding the blindside of the $41 million-dollar man.

But then Roger Goodell walks up to the podium and instead of getting what we expected, we hear:

“With the 20th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select TE Brandon Pettigrew from Ohio State.”

Collectively, thousands of Lions fan all went “WTF?”

Detroit did need a tight end, but not at No. 20. There were plenty of capable tight ends available, such as Travis Beckum or James Casey, in rounds four and five.

Granted, Pettigrew has the makings of being a great tight end, but did he warrant being taken with the 20th pick, especially with Oher available?

And don’t forget that the Lions have already signed TE Will Heller via free agency.

 

All right then, what about taking a linebacker in the second round? The Lions need all the help they can get in that area; Ernie Sims and Julian Peterson make a great tandem, but we need that one special player inside.

Aaron Curry was snapped up wisely by the Seahawks, but there were some great linebackers left at the 33rd pick. James Laurinaitis and Rey Maualuga were on the board, so there was a great opportunity to craft one of the best linebacking groups in the NFC North.

So, of course, the Lions run in the opposite direction of common sense and pick CB Louis Delmas, just worsening the glut of cornerbacks in the secondary.

What was the need of this pick? The Lions obtained CBs Anthony Henry, Phillip Buchanon, and Eric King via free agency or trade just recently!

When the Lions finally did pick a linebacker, they drafted DeAndre Levey, an outside linebacker from Wisconsin. At best, he will be a developmental linebacker and more than likely relegated to special teams.

 

I have been in the minority in supporting the new front office and coaching staff, but these choices have me questioning that support.

The Lions brain-trust has a plan. I will give them credit for sticking to it and not simply placating the fans.

But in my opinion, 2009 for the Lions will be nothing more than an extended training camp. I was certain they were not going to duplicate the success of the Falcons and Ravens of 2008, but I was hoping they would at least inch down that road.

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