Detroit Lions 2009

[Bobl]

2007 Lions: Heh,heh,heh [[oldguyspeak for LOL)
2008 Lions: Heh,heh,heh
2009 Lions: Heh, heh, heh
2010 Lions: Heh, heh, heh
2011 Lions: Heh, heh, heh...

[Big Dog]

1959 Lions Heh, heh, heh
thru
2009 Lions Heh, heh, heh...

[jefferson78]

smogboy, I understand what you're saying. And I'm willing to give Mayhew the benefit of the doubt. However, this franchise has been snakebit long before Millen even arrived on the scene.
It seems there is some sort of curse on this franchise that goes way back. Just when you get your hopes up that this team is coming together, something bad will happen. An injury, death, retirement or legal issue will occur and doom the season.

Why does this occur? Nobody really knows. It does however coincide with the Fords ownership of the team. Maybe they are destined to fail in the NFL ownership business. How else can you explain this curse?
How long must you have before you can show progress? The fact that this has been going on most of our lifetimes tells me there are other forces at work.
I would love to have a "real" NFL team to root for and enjoy watching on Sunday afternoons. But after years and years of disgust, I've had it and have removed myself from this franchise emotionally and figuratively. I no longer care what they do and find it strange that some people still hold on to the belief that things will turn around. I need to be convinced and the past decade of no progress seriously prevents me from having any faith.

[kenp]

I remember when Millen was finally fired I said on here they needed to get a bunch of quality football heads together and come up with a list of GM canidates. Thats were we are always lacking, there is nobody who knows how to run a team running our team. So what does Ford do, he keeps it all in house. Russ Thomas was a bag man for Ford and nothing has changed.

[smogboy]

smogboy, I understand what you're saying. And I'm willing to give Mayhew the benefit of the doubt. However, this franchise has been snakebit long before Millen even arrived on the scene.
It seems there is some sort of curse on this franchise that goes way back. Just when you get your hopes up that this team is coming together, something bad will happen. An injury, death, retirement or legal issue will occur and doom the season.

Why does this occur? Nobody really knows. It does however coincide with the Fords ownership of the team. Maybe they are destined to fail in the NFL ownership business. How else can you explain this curse?
How long must you have before you can show progress? The fact that this has been going on most of our lifetimes tells me there are other forces at work.
I would love to have a "real" NFL team to root for and enjoy watching on Sunday afternoons. But after years and years of disgust, I've had it and have removed myself from this franchise emotionally and figuratively. I no longer care what they do and find it strange that some people still hold on to the belief that things will turn around. I need to be convinced and the past decade of no progress seriously prevents me from having any faith.

Jefferson, thanks for the the insight.

I agree that this team has never accomplished the big goal in my lifetime but one also has to remember back in the pre-Millen era that they were somewhat close. The Billy Sims era, the Barry Sanders era-- they were actually somewhat competitive and were close to getting over the hump. Granted they never did but i don't think there were people openly ashamed to be a Lions fan then. It wasn't easy for us to be a fan then and probably doubly tough now.

Explanation for why this team can't win it all? I wish I knew. A curse? The Ford family? Is it really that simple to pin the blame solely on Old Man Ford because he's owned the team? I guess it can be THAT simple but I don't know because it's obvious he's not the one throwing the football into the opposition's hands, fumbling it at critical junctures, hitting the goal post or missing a tackle. For whatever reason, the chemistry of this franchise has never come together nor have the football gods ever given us too many breaks.

And as a football fan who happens to be in Detroit- where we do have an NFL franchise, I guess I'm somehow locked into cheering for OUR football team. Lord knows it's not pretty nor is it really fashionable but they're ours. It's like having a mentally challenged little brother tag along with you at the hip. We really can't disassociate ourselves from it as long as we're here. If we had any sort of pride for Detroit, I guess we still have to stand up for our Lions on some microscopic level.

Looking forward? Having some hope that Mayhew can be somewhat smart and successful? I guess it's the only thing we can hope for. The Millen stench still lingers far too much in this town. The only was to exorcise it is by fumigating it and hoping that bloated skunkbag never even comes near our team again; it just brings up heated ugly feelings within me. Prior to him getting here [[anyone remember above .500 seasons?), there was some hope. Now that Millen is gone, there is a meager breath of fresh air and maybe some hope. I look at the starting line-up now and see that most of the rookies that Mayhew has drafted are at least playing [[unlike Millen picks). Granted they're not doing great just yet but I'll have to hold out hope that it's youth and inexperience. And the only way to combat that is just by tossing them into the fire and hope to God they come out stronger at a later date.

Our Lions past is abysmal at best. I can't change that. I can only hope for the future of this team. As long as we're somewhat linked into this town, we're associated with this franchise- warts and all.

[jefferson78]

Thanks for the response smogboy. Reading your comments explains to me why there are still fans out there who will root for this team no matter what. I like your analogy to the challenged brother.
My problem is I am not just your average sports fan. I'm 50 years old, Have lived in the Detroit area for most of my life. I follow all Detroit teams with a passion. I cannot watch a local sports game and not get somehow worked up.
I still remember distinctly where I was when Eddie Murray missed that field goal in the playoffs against the 49ers, and the time we made the playoffs as a streaking wild card team and literally fell on our faces in a cold Veterans stadium in Philadelphia. I was a huge Barry Sanders fan until he finally quit on the team. That was the beginning of the end for me. I refuse to let my teams foibles ruin my Sundays. So I detach myself from them and just follow my fantasy team's players.
I would give anything to have a competitive NFL team and I would be happy to just be competitive. But alas, we are far from that.
I hope you're right, that years of sensible recruiting and trades can somehow bring this team's fortunes to turn around. It would be a great thing and I know it will take patience. It's like when you find out your spouse has been cheating. You can forgive but it takes years and years to finally let the pain go.
The Lions have a long way to go, with little room for error. How long are fans expected to wait? Especially after you see teams go from the bottom to the top in just a few years time. Why is it so hard for the Lions? This is why I think they are somehow snakebit as a franchise.
I always think about Eric Andolsek and Mike Utley and the promise they had until unexpectedly it was all taken from them.
When and if the Lion's ever return to relevance, I will be waiting and if I think the turnaround is for real they may win me back. Until then, I wait, and wait, and wait.

[gnome]

I see the Lions not as a "slow" little brother, but rather as an abusive girlfriend. The really hot one with the smoking body who stabbed you in the arm with a steak knife, then licked off the blood, because she thought you were checking out a blond at the bar.

You ever date her? The one with the vibrating parts? The one who could open a beer bottle and shoot the cap across the room. The one who put a bullet through your raditor. The one with a Bangkok Chair in the corner. The one who drove your car into a pool. The one with more baggage than Samonsite. That's the Lions.

You may love the good times, but the bad times are so much worse.

[smogboy]

I see the Lions not as a "slow" little brother, but rather as an abusive girlfriend. The really hot one with the smoking body who stabbed you in the arm with a steak knife, then licked off the blood, because she thought you were checking out a blond at the bar.

You ever date her? The one with the vibrating parts? The one who could open a beer bottle and shoot the cap across the room. The one who put a bullet through your raditor. The one with a Bangkok Chair in the corner. The one who drove your car into a pool. The one with more baggage than Samonsite. That's the Lions.

You may love the good times, but the bad times are so much worse.

Oh yes, being a Lions fan is masochistic at times but the only reason I associated our relationship with the slow little brother is that we're linked in with them on a deeper level. No matter how far we run, we're joined to them by some strand of DNA. The abusive girlfriend [[if we're smart), we can haul ass and get out of that relationship.

Our pathetic Lions team represents out city and if we have any measure of love for this city, we're linked with them.

[smogboy]

I always think about Eric Andolsek and Mike Utley and the promise they had until unexpectedly it was all taken from them.

Yeah... these two guys were cut down by fate. It wasn't that they were poor talents, bad people or played for a piss poor team then either. Amidst the "tragedy" that we've called our won/loss record, these guys have really been dealt a harder hand than meaningless numbers and our desire for a victory on a Sunday.

Thanks for reminding us that this is a game still played by people.

[gnome]

I salute you guys who are hangin tough. I don't want to try and change that at all, I'm just trying to explain my own misgivings. And I must say that on Sunday when I heard the Lions were up 17 - 0 in the 3rd, I did tune in just to have my heart stomped.

[Downriviera]

I watched the whole game as always. What bothered me the most was not the interceptions or blowing the lead. But on 4th down the Seahawks lined up like they were going for it, when everyone in the world knew the hard count was coming to try and lure us offsides and get a easy unearned first down. So I'm laughing, no body falls for that. But our Lion's did.

[Big Dog]

Player mistake or inexperienced head coach?

[Awfavre]

Player mistake or inexperienced head coach?

Lack of player personnel. It's been the Lions' problem for years. You can't get blood out of a turnip.

[kenp]

The coach is a keeper, see what his old team has been doing this year.
The problem is very clear, they have no talent!!! We have at least one new corner every week.
Mix in a talented but rookie QB, an All Pro receiver thats always hurt and a couple of decent aging linebackers and thats it. Well there is also Jason Hansen

[Danny]

Lions sucks!!

They're the Bad News Lions

[Big Dog]

Todays game synopsis, UGLY x 100.

[gnome]

did they play already? jeeze, I forgot all about it. How ugly was ugly? Philis Diller, RoseAnn Barr, ...I mean ugly is pretty subjective. Give us some concrete example so as to visualize the fugliness of the game.

[blksoul_x]

did they play already? jeeze, I forgot all about it. How ugly was ugly? Philis Diller, RoseAnn Barr, ...I mean ugly is pretty subjective. Give us some concrete example so as to visualize the fugliness of the game.

Gnome, put it this way, Matt Stafford's back-bone, and the turf at the baggy-dome had a very close and intimate relationship today!

One [[rush) stat that stuck out, Stafford dropped back in the pocket 55 times and was hit 37 times![[OUCH!)

One positive, Stafford took it like a champ.

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

[gnome]

BSX, 37 times!?! omg...I pray the front office gets in some proven offensive linemen next year. No quarterback can be expected to lead a team when they are on their back. jeeze.

My football fix this year has been in watching the Southeastern Jungaleers, but they lost to sterling Heights Stevenson this past Friday, so I'll have find someone else to root for.

[firstandten]

BSX, 37 times!?! omg...I pray the front office gets in some proven offensive linemen next year. No quarterback can be expected to lead a team when they are on their back. jeeze.

My football fix this year has been in watching the Southeastern Jungaleers, but they lost to sterling Heights Stevenson this past Friday, so I'll have find someone else to root for.

Ah ! football fix why don't you run over to Ferndale HS and root for Inkster against DeLaSalle Saturday. Lots of Detroit kids [[ Inkster has open admissions), a great coach, an outstanding talent in Devin Gardner [[ one of the Detroit kids) who we will be talking about in the University of Michigan threads in a few months. A real road warrior story that will hopefully end up with a trip to Ford field.

[smogboy]

One positive, Stafford took it like a champ.

Sure he took it like a champ but in the end [[no pun intended) the team still LOST. No one's going to really remember HOW he got hit other than it was way too often. That being said, at least Stafford's quicker release saved him somewhat- if it was Culpepper staying in the pocket, he would've been sacked twice as much and have probably been imbedded in the turf.

This was one game where I seriously walked away questioning Schwartz' wisdom a little bit. Should we have run it a little bit more with Smith & Morris; we did pretty good the first time we faced off against the Vikings. Where were the screens, traps, and shorter tosses to the flats against this very aggressive defense? And why keep the future of the franchise in Stafford in the game when it was obviously out of range in the end of the fourth? Balancing out the experience gained to how many times he was going get bowled over can be a very fine line.

This game also highlighted to me again how pitiful the Millen drafts were. You'd think that with all of those top draft picks spent at wide receiver then, we couldn't have one now to help out Calvin Johnson a little bit? Seriously who's our best receiving prospect beyond CJ? The tight ends? Kevin Smith? Where are the slot guys? Who's helping our QB out by slipping into the seams? Bryant Johnson's sure TD catch in the endzone was inexcusable.

I knew the Lions were seriously over matched in this game going in, but thankfully the defense and some Vikings' blunders actually made it a closer game than the score showed. The Lions actually seemed to have some defensive surges when they needed them and actually did well on keeping the Vikings down on the third down conversions. And not wanting to compare this team to teams of yore, but this Lions team seems to still play hard even on every set of downs. They might not execute but somehow you still see them chasing down receivers, trying to stretch for that first down and doing what they can. Maybe there's some sense of pride that still exists for themselves.

[Big Dog]

Let's hope that pride doesn't diminish.

[kenp]

Stafford did indeed "take it like a champ". The reason we threw so much is Minn is 5th in NFL running D and 23 in Passing D and were without Winfield.
Stafford is going be a good one, our problem is a rookie QB and a bad O-line.

[Big Dog]

I'm predicting a sure win against the Browns. Browns are terrible.

[blksoul_x]

I'm predicting a sure win against the Browns. Browns are terrible.

I agree. Not taking anything away from the Ravens defense, [[they were scary!), but I watched the Browns last night, and the Browns are in worst shape, [[talent wise), than the Lions.

I'm predicting, this will be Stafford and Megatron's break out game of the year!

LIONS 31
Browns 10

Stafford 3 TD's and 325 yards passing, 0 INT's.
Megatron, 3 TD's 160 yards.

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, the color you love to hate!