Call me a Contrarian but I like the Move

Well it happened. A season of horrific and historical proportions came to a merciful end with the Detroit Lions scoring zero wins against 16 losses. This was an NFL record that no other team will want to match. And the poor Lions can only hope that another team may join them one day in their misery.

The first thing Monday morning the Lions fired the coach and a few of his assistants. Somebody had to fall on their sword and the coach was all to willing. The poor guy was so over-matched and as bad as the team and the players were, I have to think smart coaching can get you a win or two per season.

Unfortunately, the architects of the disaster (or even worse the lackeyz of the architect) were given promotions and put in charge. Their names are Martin Mayhew (the new GM) and Tom Lewand (the new President.)

You can imagine the fan's ire that the owner (the octogenarian recluse William Clay Ford) would keep these guys around. Let's blow the whole thing up and start over, screamed the masses when given their time on sports radio. Myself, divorced from my emotions, am okay with this move and only request they honestly give the very rational reasons for keeping them around and seeing what they can do.

Because the Lions have and will pay A LOT of money to guys who delivered some of the most horrible results in the history of pro sports. They just got done paying Steve Marrauichi $6 million dollars for not coaching their team in 2006 and 2007. Likewise, they will be paying Matt Millen $5 million in 2009 and 2010 to not be the GM. Crazy money. So why not give these low risk, low pay guys left standing a chance to see what they can do.

Also, there is the matter of the new CBA the owners have to negotiate with their players and the real likelihood that the 2010 season will suffer a lockout by the owners. It seems smart not to promise a lot of money to guy you'll need to pay even if the team doesn't play.

In their introductory press conference, the M & L boys did mention Pittsburgh and Philadelphia as blueprints, which I hope they don't really feel is the Lions blueprint. Because if you are a dome team you need to look at the dome teams that have won Super Bowls and there are only two: Indianapolis and St. Louis. Both of those teams had a high-powered offense. So for all the talk of building a big tough defense (which you will need) you need to have offense.

Now if Bill Parcells becomes available you got to take that. He is the only guy that you are pretty much guaranteed a winning team two or three years after the introductory press conference.

Geting Misty Eyed over Joey

There is an interesting piece in a recent New Yorker magazine about the difficulty in assessing what star college quarterbacks will be successful in the NFL. (It actually was about how it is hard to find and evaluate good teachers but that is similar to the hunt for that elusive NFL quarterback.)

It includes an interview with a hardened pro scout who after decades of evaluating college quarterbacks still can't determine to any degree of certainty who will make a great NFL quarterback or who will, more likely, turn into a huge bust.

And he had his kindest words for Joey Harrington.

"I tell you I saw Joey live," he (pro scout Dan Shonka) said. "This guy threw lasers, he could under tight spots, he had the arm strength, he had the size, he had the intelligence." Shonka got misty as a two-hundred-and-eighty-pound ex-linebacker in a black track suit can get. "He's a concert pianist, you know? I really -- I mean really -- liked Joey."

Of course, Joey did have the misfortune of being drafted by the Detroit Lions.

Free Rod

It's time for the Detroit Lions to show some compassion and fire their head coach. And they should also include his son-in law, who happens to be their defensive coordinator. Let's end this nepotistic anti-dynasty, give the jaws of life to some other poor soul and attempt to salvage this wreck of a season.

The firing arguments have evolved over the season. First, you had the sports radio die-hards who were onto coach Rod and how he talked a good game but couldn't help but notice the lack of wins, the lack of improvement of the Lions players and how they did the same things over and over again with the same unsuccessful results. Maybe this Tampa 2 defense is how you win games but when you hire a defensive coach and your defense is always at the bottom of the league in defense, something is wrong here. And, even worse than that, he is a defensive line coach and we've seen no improvement with our defensive line in three years while we've thrown big contracts at under performers.

Not it would be the compassionate thing to do to fire him. He hasn't been given the talent and he is drowning in this. He's too close to the action to see what's really happening. Set him free.

Lions Lose

And I was oh so close in predicting the outcome. I said Redskins 27-16 and it turned out to be 25-17 with the Redskins just covering the 7 and half point spread.

Granted, we are talking about the Lions but still they had the lead at halftime. But as per the case in 14 of their past 15 games, they could not get the job done.

This is bad. Really bad. They will win one maybe two games if they are lucky but that's it. There is really nothing to look forward to until late January or early February when they hire their new GM.

There are calls in the local papers to fire the coach Rod Marinelli. Not so much because he is a bad coach, although based on the results I don't know why he might have the potential to be a good coach. No they are suggesting he get fired for humanitarian reasons. That he is too invested in this horrible team and since he'll be fired at the end of the season anyway, why make him go through this season where every Sunday will be like Groundhog's Day, with the Lions getting run over by whatever team they are playing.

I can see the signs at Ford Field now: Free Rod.

Lions Game #7 Preview: The Redskins

This Sunday it's the Lions vs. the Redskins. A classic blowout in the making.

Hopefully not as bad as last year. The Redskins beat the Lions 34-3, dropping the Lions record to 0-21 vs the Redskins in Washington, D.C.

Now the Lions and Redskins play the first non-sell out Ford Field home game ever. Feels appropriate.

Redskins are 7 and a 1/2 point favorites (The Lions are 2-0 against the spread in the post matt millen era.)

Brutal Reality

Redskins

Run offense 158.1 yards per game (3rd)
Run defense 86.4 yards (7th)

Lions

Run defense 167.5 (31st)
Rushing yards 77.7 (30th)

Looks like we'll be airing it out. (Oh wait, we fired Mike Martz after last season.) Hopefully we can stop the redskins running game. Fantasy football players who have Clinton Portis are licking their chops. Most likely, won't happen. Redskins 27-16

Update on Lions vs. Vikings

This is a nice microcosm of how the Lions season is going. After recovering the ball on their one yard one line, they put this drive together.


Detroit - 0:31
1st-10, DET1 0:31 D. Orlovsky incomplete pass to the right
2nd-10, DET1 0:27 D. Orlovsky incomplete pass to the left
3rd-10, DET1 0:18 D. Orlovsky sacked by J. Allen. D. Orlovsky sacked for a safety

This weeks numbers: $8.5 million and 13 1/2 points

The Lions have reached new depths of futility. This is the worst they have ever been. They will be lucky to win 2 games and have a good opportunity to be become the first NFL team to go 0-16.

They did score a victory of sorts this week. Former first round wide receiver Charles Rogers was ordered by a court to give back his $8.5 million dollar signing bonus. Not sure how they will actually get that money back, maybe they can send over some muscle; maybe some of the eleven defensive lineman they have on their roster are actually good for something.

Also, just to give an idea on how bad things are, the Lions are 13 and half point underdogs to a 2-3 Minnesota Vikings team. I have to think this is unprecedented. It makes me wonder whether the Lions are due for an upset.