Detroit Lions 2009

**7andkelly** · July-30-09, 06:28 AM

Who's as excited as I am about the Detroit Lions, and their prospects for improvement this season?

Millen's gone. Marinelli's gone. A whole boatload of players from last year's embarassing failed season are gone.

When you go 0-16, change is good. How good? That remains to be seen.

**Bong-Man** · July-30-09, 06:56 AM

The Lions front office told us on draft day that they were not drafting for needs. Thank God they lied. One of the most damning things about last year was starting the seasaon without a legitimate NFL return man. We drafted not one, but two. We did not have an NFL tight end on the roster....we do now. We didn't have an NFL quarterback on the roster....we do now. We didn't have an NFL safety on the roster....we do now.

There's lots of work to do, and I would rather see an empty stadium than a full one at this point, but I see progress on paper. We still might not win a game until after the bye, and there's a chance we might threaten that NFL consecutive loss record, but there is nowhere to go but up....I think ?

lol....Go Lions !!

9mile&seneca · July-30-09, 07:11 AM

The offensive front 4 will be the big factor now. They've got the talent at the skill positions.

Stosh · July-30-09, 07:28 AM

I've already drank the kool-aid. Sad to say, it's another season, hope springs eternal. I'm looking forward to football returning, bothe the Lions and the college season for State and Michigan. But, of course, the Lions are the primary interest for me.

It's a ritual, really. Rooting for the Lions to win, then the acceptance that they aren't, then going out to do the yard work about the 4th quarter is the norm. I can't imagine what I'd do if they actually won the Super Bowl.

**rajdet** · July-30-09, 08:02 AM

Oh here we go again. Love, Hate, Love, Hate, Love, Hate...
I am actually impressed with the changes that have been made. I have to add though that I am too emotionally attached to make a sound judgment about the Leos.
It's good to see this tread though!

blksoul_x · July-30-09, 10:20 AM

Aaaahhhh, yeah, ya gotta luv' the smell of pre-season hot buttered cornbread in the air of Leo's country! A new season, a fresh start, and optimism is all around 'FORDS' field.

[[Thought process of the pathetic Leo's fan.......Theme of 'Rocky' playing in the background)

Preseason!, aaaaaah, we missed our Lions so much, I can't wait to invite ma' boyz over to watch the first preseason game! [[while the rest of the country is enjoying the dog days of summer, Lions fans are rushing toward the TV set to watch our beloved Leo's)

Week one, we all hope, that there is a possibility for our Lions to finish 9-7 [[a great season ONLY in Leo's country)......after a lackluster week one, our speculation, and wane optimism turns to maybe 500 [[8-8). By week 3 a bit of reality has set in......aaaahhhh, the dreaded 6-10 record is being mused as realistic! But WAIT, A WIN, [[with a different QB) IN WEEK FOUR!....WE THINK, just maybe we can be just good enough to squeak into the playoffs with a 7-9 record! Then all of a sudden, the reality of the first buy week hits, and we have a 3 game losing streak going.....

[[Marvin Gaye's, 'Troubled Man', now playing in the Background)

.....Ok, so then, maybe we were a bit optimistic at a sub 500. playoff birth...so we revert back to hoping for a 6-10 season. By mid season there is no doubt that our team is terrible and we now start looking at the end of yet another disappointing season, speculating what draft position we will obtain. So NOW, like the true Lions 'Cornbreaders' we are accustomed of being, we are looking at a 4-12 season. By this time, mid November, the proof is in the pudding, and our Kittens are rolling a 5 games losing streak.

Aaaaaah the icy winds of December rolls around, and there is no doubt in most minds that our kittens will finish up 2-14........aaaaaaaaaaaah, another fa-fa-fabulous season of hopes, wishes, agita, disappointments, and broken coffee tables in support of our gritty own, Deeeeetroit Lions!

That is the mind of the fan of the Deeetroit 'Cornbread' Lions!

blksoul-atcha!
The BJL, the color you love to hate!

**rajdet** · July-30-09, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

I've already drank the kool-aid. Sad to say, it's another season, hope springs eternal. I can't imagine what I'd do if they actually won the Super Bowl.

OK youâ€™ve got me thinking, just what would happen if the Lions won a super bowl?
All but the essential city services would come to a screeching halt. Nobody would show up for work for at least a week. People from the inner city and the suburbs would embrace in the streets. The public would not allow the bars to close, and the liquor stores would completely sell out. It would take a month to clean up after the parade. The people born before the 57 championship would have to be monitored for heart attacks. Martha Reeves would sing dancing in the streets and be on key. The winning QB and coach would never have to pay for a meal in the area. We might even welcome Kwame back with open arms. Well maybe not. But just think about it, what would you do if the Lions ever won a super bowl?

Stosh · July-30-09, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by rajdet

OK youâ€™ve got me thinking, just what would happen if the Lions won a super bowl?
All but the essential city services would come to a screeching halt. Nobody would show up for work for at least a week. People from the inner city and the suburbs would embrace in the streets. The public would not allow the bars to close, and the liquor stores would completely sell out. It would take a month to clean up after the parade. The people born before the 57 championship would have to be monitored for heart attacks. Martha Reeves would sing dancing in the streets and be on key. The winning QB and coach would never have to pay for a meal in the area. We might even welcome Kwame back with open arms. Well maybe not. But just think about it, what would you do if the Lions ever won a super bowl?

That was my thinking exactly. Armageddeon. I'd think the celebration would equal the celebrations of the Wings and Pistons championships combined. The Wings and Pistons are, more or less, niche teams with each having their own following. The Tigers have more fans overall, spanning both Wings and Pistons fan, but not all.

I think the football Lions winning would be a celebration surpassing the celebration in 1968 for the Tigers win. That was a long time coming as well. If the Lions win, everyone parties.

**Ray1936** · July-30-09, 04:03 PM

Gotta go with Blksoul_x on that one.

**ejames01** · July-30-09, 04:14 PM

Eight AND Eight. You heard it here first.

**EastsideAl** · July-30-09, 04:54 PM

As a Lions fan since I attended my first game in 1965, I have learned through bitter experience never to get too optimistic or excited about the Lions' prospects.

**Enduro** · July-30-09, 11:34 PM

I'll be happy with 3-5 wins. I'm not sure I'll get it.

**smogboy** · July-31-09, 01:08 AM

How can one not be ready or at least somewhat excited about a new football season? If you're a true Lions fan, the build up prior to the season is always great. There's always hope eternal for a better season- and after last year's debacle, I seriously think it will get better. It's the AM [[After Millen) era now. We haven't solved everything yet with this team but there does seem to be some nice pieces in place.

A few things I'm looking forward to seeing are:

1) the improvement of Calvin Johnson & Kevin Smith.
2) how our rookie coach handles adversity.
3) the new linebacking crew of Sims, Peterson & Foote.
4) was Brandon Pettigrew worth a 1st round selection.
5) when will Stafford come in to play?

**mjb3** · July-31-09, 10:18 AM

Why the excitement? Millen, Marinelli gone - so what the one constant is there, the stooge at the top.

After reading John Niyo's interview with the worst owner in sports[[that's right, worst owner of all NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL teams), it should be obvious that nothing will change with this team until he kicks the bucket.

I think we should have a health watch for 84-yr old WCF and run reports from his annual physicals to see how long NFL fans in Detroit have to wait to get a real team like our grandparents had in the 1950s.

**Big Dog** · July-31-09, 11:35 AM

Frankly, I'm not hyped, as Las Vegas has them picked for #31 out of 32 teams. They seem to know more than diehard lions fan want to believe.

**rajdet** · July-31-09, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by mjb3

why so much excitement for an 0-16 team??
Why the excitement? .

It's what we do every year. I personally can't help it, I've tried to not care. They boil my Honolulu blue blood every year, and then it's basketball season.

**smogboy** · August-01-09, 02:55 AM

Originally Posted by rajdet

It's what we do every year. I personally can't help it, I've tried to not care. They boil my Honolulu blue blood every year, and then it's basketball season.

Yep, it's what we fans do. We get hyped, cheer loudly for them, grumble when they lose, and then hopefully have an intelligent dialogue about them come Monday morning.

**gibran** · August-01-09, 07:32 PM

There was a time not to long ago that they raised our hopes and dreams [[Barry Sanders)...where we raced home to catch a rare Monday Night game and on our national holiday no matter where we were [[trying living in Dallas and trying to have a civil Thanksgiving with friends and relatives) we were proud of our great games...
We are again approaching a new season and yes Blakcsoul is so right on ...our hopes are up. That is why we enjoy the fall.. as far Michigan Football..our season hinges on the first two games...and then that fateful weekend in November...that sets my stage for disappointment

**Olddetroiter** · August-04-09, 06:23 PM

I'm so excited. They finally have a head coach whose name doesn't begin with M. Anything else is just icing on the cake.

**smogboy** · August-05-09, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by Olddetroiter

I'm so excited. They finally have a head coach whose name doesn't begin with M. Anything else is just icing on the cake.

Something else I've noticed too about Schwartz- he isn't exactly the egocentric sort of guy that says too many outlandish things that end up as sound bytes on sports talk radio shows. I think back to some of the stupid remarks that come of the previous coaches have said, such as Marty Morningwheg's "The bar is high", Rod Marinelli's "pounding the rock", and others... all of these were said even before the Lions played a single game for them.

Is it Schwartz' savvy around the media? Is he actually that bright? It also makes me wonder because I really can't remember Steve Mariucci having said anything profoundly stupid during his tenure here. Granted he wasn't here that long.

But just on a intelligence scale with the media so far, Jim Schwartz has seemed to have done okay. Once the season starts and unfolds... who knows? He might be foaming at the mouth and saying even more outlandish things than his predecessors. I figure frustration can do that to a man.

So yeah, wanna add to the pre-season hype a little bit? Sure, Jim Schwartz has impressed me so far with his media savvy and his choice words around a microphone.

**ejames01** · August-05-09, 10:34 AM

He did graduate from Georgetown with honors.

Originally Posted by smogboy

Something else I've noticed too about Schwartz- he isn't exactly the egocentric sort of guy that says too many outlandish things that end up as sound bytes on sports talk radio shows. I think back to some of the stupid remarks that come of the previous coaches have said, such as Marty Morningwheg's "The bar is high", Rod Marinelli's "pounding the rock", and others... all of these were said even before the Lions played a single game for them.

Is it Schwartz' savvy around the media? Is he actually that bright? It also makes me wonder because I really can't remember Steve Mariucci having said anything profoundly stupid during his tenure here. Granted he wasn't here that long.

But just on a intelligence scale with the media so far, Jim Schwartz has seemed to have done okay. Once the season starts and unfolds... who knows? He might be foaming at the mouth and saying even more outlandish things than his predecessors. I figure frustration can do that to a man.

So yeah, wanna add to the pre-season hype a little bit? Sure, Jim Schwartz has impressed me so far with his media savvy and his choice words around a microphone.

**cloud_wall** · August-06-09, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by ejames01

He did graduate from Georgetown with honors.

I don't know if smogboy was alluding to this or not, but there was some concern in the hiring process that he always needed to prove he was the smartest guy in the room. I agree, he has come across as very sharp in all the right ways. Even when that criticism was being leveled, I was skeptical. I'd much rather have the smart guy who knows it than the dumb guy who is oblivious to his own ineptitude.

As with all pro coaches, he'll be judged on his record. But I like his style so far.

**smogboy** · August-09-09, 01:21 AM

15,387 showed up for a pre-season practice session?

I guess that just goes to show you how rabid some of the Lions faithful are.

**7andkelly** · August-09-09, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by smogboy

15,387 showed up for a pre-season practice session?

I guess that just goes to show you how rabid some of the Lions faithful are.

The proof is in the pudding ... which I expect will be delicious as I watch the game from my "all-you-can-eat seat" ... at home, where I won't need to wear a paper bag over my head.