There once was a team from Detroit. They said they were Lions. But real fans could see through them; only fools were really buying.

Everybody blamed Millen for the losing. No one disagreed. That the NFL was the horse, and the Lions were the feed.

So Millen was gone at last. There was a big celebration. Then they played in Minnesota, and it quickly turned to exasperation.

Jon Kitna was hurt. The fans got their choice. Then Dan Orlovsky played worse than that, and initially showed no poise.

There still was no running game; Kevin and Rudi stunk. Then again, both offenses did seem to be in a funk.

Adrian Peterson had two fumbles. He later let out a sigh. And then he said "For God's sakes, the only way this offense moves is by I."

But the Lions saved the Vikes. They suddendly heard a bell. And they showed their losing off again, by the foot of Ryan Longwell.

Many might blame the refs. That pass interference call on Leigh Bodden. I say just the opposite. The Lions are simply downtrodden.

Now they are 0-5. They've got Houston next. And the way they're coached, Marinelli should resign by a text.

You see, he is gutless. He simply seems to bail. And by doing that all the time, he sets his team up to fail.

I am a season ticket holder. It must have been humid. Because the only thing I think of now is "Boy, I was stupid!".

Well, that's it for this poem. I hope you were impressed. Now, until next time, may the Lions continue to be undressed!

I'm here today to try and fill my fantasy basketball league on Yahoo. We currently stand at seven members, and I need three more to fill it up. So, here's the info (written correctly this time):

League Name: DDFBL

League ID#: 41368

Password: nbapistons

Let's fill this league up with basketball fanatics who are ready to roll without the TNT-esque drama! Take care!

As I woke up this morning, I had all the intention in the world to write a post about Rod Marinelli and why he should be fired. After writing two posts yesterday, I deemed it unnecessary to write a third. However, the events of recent days have made me decide to put aside that post and write one completely from the heart. Be forewarned; this might not be pretty, and it might upset some people, but I MUST write it.

Lately, there has been a concerted attempt by the site managers to 'gag' members and prevent them from being seen among the most commented blogs on this site. Personally, I haven't run afoul of the administrators yet, because I have been careful not to say anything directly hurtful or what they wouldn't like. I just don't like when hatred and bias comes into play, and that's where I make my stand.

Many of these 'offenders' are blogger friends of mine, such as gambit, SRM, Nique and Jokerswild. Look, I could understand if they had come out and said "I hope (said figure) would pass away!", but what exactly have these bloggers done wrong? I read all of their work every time they post and I log on, and I can say, without exception, that nothing I read was intentionally hurtful or biased in a negative way towards anybody! Joker does a political post, and it gets gagged. I'm sorry, but that's a load of ####! He wasn't advocating for a revolution! He simply stated his views, and that's bad. Bull!

And now, you're making these very talented people leave for other sites that don't have the restrictions placed upon them. That really sucks (forget the ####!)! I have to chase to keep up with my friends like gambit and SRM simply because you have a problem with something they said! And your tech support sure doesn't offer much support; I tried to figure out why my Youtube video didn't play in one since-deleted post, and all I got was the same message TWICE saying "We know your problem; we'll fix it" essentially! Wow! Thanks!

I don't want to make war, but this borders on old-fashioned communism. Restricting speech you deem offensive because you don't like them! Hell, Oliver Stone is about to release a George W. Bush film that ridicules him, and I don't see Bush saying "Ban it!". In a strange way, you acting just like Marinelli; he realizes the problem before him, but he chooses to do nothing to because he is too cowardly to confront and fix the problem! You are better than that, Fox, and I really feel sorry for those who have been gagged.

With that in mind, I'm going to ask anybody who is leaving/has left this site who likes me to try and keep up with me. I won't say that I'm leaving, but I will go where my friends are. I have a new blog up on "THE Blog" sponsored before I was there, and I'll contribute there and here. And to those I mentioned by name; if indeed you guys are through here, you can send me e-mails at davidadowns@msn.com. Thank you, and, to close, I make this earnest plea; reinstate these bloggers and be more open to other opinions. Because, as Marinelli will find out soon, not being cognizant of problems will eventually be your downfall.

You read that right: I have set up a fantasy basketball league on Yahoo.com, and I need six more people to sign up and fill the league before the draft later this month. So far, I have gambit, Ubershorty and Nique in the league, and I will warn you now that, while I expect some friendly trash-talk during the season, I don't want TNT-esque drama from the participants. So, if you don't intend to simply have some fun, don't apply. Now, here's the info needed to join:

League name: DDFBL

League ID: 41368

Password: nabpistons

Hope to see you there!

The Miami Dolphins were not expected to be very good coming into the 2008 season. After all, they went a putrid 1-15 last season, the front office and coaching staff were overhauled coming into the season, and they had jettisoned long-time veterans Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas, among others. It seemed that, even with the venerable Bill Parcells in charge, it would take at least two to three seasons to turn it around.

But, after starting with two losses, the Dolphins have come back with stunning and impressive victories over the defending AFC champion Patriots (38-13) and the team they beat for the AFC title, the Chargers (17-10). Highly impressive stuff for a team nobody expected to compete. The Pats victory saw the Dolphins play the college single-wing with Ronnie Brown, who scored 4 TDs and threw for a fifth. The Chargers game saw them hold LaDainian Tomlinson to 35 rushing yards and the explosive Chargers’ O to 202 yards. So, after that, are the Dolphins a legit contender in the AFC? I don’t think that they are. Here’s why.

 1. They don’t have legit pass weapons, and Chad Pennington doesn’t have the arm to keep defenses on their toes: The top receiver so far is Greg Camarillo, who has 17 catches and 214 yards. Only Anthony Fasano has more than 1 TD receiving, and Pennington’s best passing day was 251 yards in the season opener against the Jets. Those same Jets traded for Brett Favre and released Pennington in part because he didn’t have the arm to throw deep and keep defenses honest. Further evidence of a team wasting a good running game (like the Dolphins have with Brown and Ricky Williams) is the Vikings, who despite having Adrian Peterson, are 1-3 entering Monday night. Unless Pennington can improve the pass attack, teams can stack the box and limit the Dolphins’ effectiveness.

2. Gimmick offenses work for only so long: After surprising the Patriots with the single-wing offense (leading to Brown’s big TD day), the Chargers did a better job against it, as Brown gained just 49 yards on 11 plays from the formation (although one of the plays led to the decisive touchdown). Teams will eventually have game film of this offense to plan defenses against, and the Dolphins will be forced to adjust their gameplan, which could be bad for Brown, who has just recovered from a severe knee injury. That connects to #1, since once the run offense cools, can the pass O step up?

 3. The defense doesn’t force turnovers: While the Dolphins don’t commit many turnovers (just 2 all year), they haven’t forced many, either. The Dolphins have just one INT (only the Lions have fewer INTs than they do) and two fumble recoveries; the three turnovers forced ranks ahead of only the Lions (2), Rams (2) and Giants (2) in the NFL. Unless they become more opportunistic, they won’t put their uncertain offense in good field position, and points will thus be harder to come by.

 4. The schedule has pitfalls: The Dolphins have some favorable matchups (they face the winless Rams & Texans, plus the struggling Raiders and Chiefs, albeit on the road except for Oakland), but there are some difficult matchups, such as the Bills (who shouldn’t give up 41 points again) twice, the Pats in a return trip (and likely thirsty for revenge), the Broncos, the Ravens, and the Jets in the season finale. The Dolphins’ inability to force turnovers and lack of passing makes it to where they must play a near-perfect game to win those games. That’s too high of a standard for any team, much less a young team, to live up to.

 5. The AFC East is tough: As stated above, they still have four games left within their division. They play Buffalo twice, the Pats at home, and the Jets on the road in the finale where the playoff hopes of both teams could be hanging in the balance. Being a young team, they could be exposed in those games, and finishing third in a division with other contenders like the Colts, Ravens and Chargers jockeying for those two wild card spots probably won’t cut it.

 So, after all of that, how will the Dolphins fare? The Texans next week could allow them to be 3-2, but a stretch against the Ravens (home game), Bills (home game) and Broncos (road game) is going to be a make-or-break stretch. If they can win at least two of those games, then they have a great chance to win 9-10 games and compete for the playoffs (assuming they beat Houston). If not, then the best they can hope for is 7-9 and a look ahead to next year. 

Here comes another batch of my musings from around the wide world of sports (thanks, ABC!). It's time for more Random Sports Thoughts!

The Cubs lost 10-3 yesterday night. That's sad. Now pass me some more billygoat-black cat-Bartman stew!

It's just too bad that the Cubs or Brewers aren't playing in Arizona. After all, they're used to big holes.

Speaking of the Brewers, C.C. Sabathia finally ran out of gas. Now the know-it-alls are complaning that he's not money in the playoffs. Funny; it never stopped A-Rod from buying seventeen countries.

The Rays won their first ever playoff game. Let that be a lesson to all pro teams; the Houstons Rockets-lose a lot-get high picks strategy does work!

I've got a fantasy basketball league on Yahoo.com. I need ten more owners, so if you're interested (about one person), the league name is DDFBL, the league ID is 41368, and the password is nbapistons (yeah, I know that will turn off some, but I'm from Detroit, so I couldn't realistically do nbalakers!).

How come the NHL season starts before the NBA season? Makes absolutely no sense to me.

Tommie Harris of the Bears was suspended for the game against the Lions for violating team rules. The Bears got sad for a second... then remembered they're playing the Lions, and laughed.

I'll be at Ford Field for that game Sunday (insert groans, laughter and dismay here).

Chad Ocho Cinco said he ought to start drinking and acting a fool, since the Bengals won that way. Funny; didn't he act up without enhancers?

Chad also said he'd kiss the Dallas Cowboys star after he scored a touchdown Sunday. Never mind he's only scored once this year, and Carson Palmer may not play. I'm glad Chad's here, so I can make fun of him and his sorry #### team!

Wait, I just heard a Cubs fan scream and curse. Heard it a lot from near my house last night; damn drunks!

New Pistons coach Michael Curry said he liked what he saw from his team at their first practice yesterday. Never mind how funny it sounds to say "Pistons coach Michael Curry"; he already sounds like Rod Marinelli! Next thing you know, he'll say after a loss "We just need to practice harder and play better"!

Phil Jackson shaved his 'stache, while Gregg Popovich returned from his Mormon pligrimage with a mountain-man look. I didn't know Ulysses S. Grant coached the Spurs, and Alex Trebek the Lakers!

Saw parts of Pete Maravich's 69-point game from 1977 against the Knicks on NBA TV. See; even in the past, the Knicks played no defense!

Sam Bowie, er, Greg Oden, tweaked his ankle and was held out of practice. At least Michael Jordan wasn't in this draft. (Sorry, Orman, if you're looking at this later!)

Finally, Cedric Benson signed with the Bengals recently. Perfect place for a player with legal troubles, isn't it, Chad?

That's it's for now. Take care, everyone!

Yesterday certainly showed that professional sports owners can be quirky people. For those who haven't paid attention to the bizzarro world of Oakland, Raiders owner/coach/GM/disaster-creator Al Davis canned coach Lane Kiffin in such a public display of acrimony that you half expected mafia hitmen to shoot Kiffin on the spot after Davis held a fiery news conference where he called Kiffin a "liar" and showed a four-page letter 'proving' that he warned Kiffin to stop the lies.

I don't know who is right here, but my opinion is that Davis, not Kiffin, is the biggest reason the Raiders stink. And after thinking about it for awhile last night, I decided to do a list of other owners who share Davis' (and Eric Bischoff's) belief that 'controversy creates cash'. Only, in this case, controversy creates... losing. Here are the top ten masters of that craft (and a return to a traditional "My List". Yay!):

10. Michael Heisley, Memphis Grizzlies: Not many people outside of Memphis know who Heisley is. But the Grizzlies have stunk for the last two years (44-120). The kicker? He felt that Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown was a good deal. Enough said.

9. Disney, Anaheim Ducks and ESPN: The company of Mickey Mouse is here for two reasons. First off, their ownership of the then-Mighty Ducks was spotty at best, and eveytime I thought about the team, I though Emilio Estevez was their coach! Is it a coincidence that the Ducks won the Stanley Cup after they sold the team? Then, of course, the way that ESPN has de-evolved in recent years since Disney assumed command needs no intro. If you hire Stephen A. Smith, you're not smart, period!

8. Wayne Huizenga, Dolphins and Marlins: Before you throw your Blockbuster rental at me, consider how haphazardly Huizenga ran two teams. The Dolphins have never made a Super Bowl since he became owner, and he treated the Marlins like a rental by destroying the team after their World Series win in 1997, simply so he could sell to the highest bidder. Simply put, I've seen used Kleenex treated better than those two teams have been under his watch.

7. Pittsburgh Pirates ownership: The reason I don't put the name of the current leader of the board of directors here (btw, his name is Bob Nutting) is because he's been on the job for only two years. The previous management was inept, to say the least. Hell, the last time the team made the playoffs, a pre-steroids Barry Bonds couldn't throw out Sid Bream and keep Atlanta out of the Series (that was 1992)! They haven't developed any cohesive strategy, and that's why their streak of losing seasons will be the longest in MLB history.

6. Al Davis, Raiders: The only reason Davis isn't higher is that, at one time, he was among the brightest minds in the NFL. Now, he's a dinosaur who still thinks that the old Raiders principals (throw it deep) work today. His handling of the Kiffin fiasco was a joke, and he hamstrings any potential coach by hiring the asistants! Even Jerry Jones isn't that meddling with the Cowboys! davis needs to step aside and enjoy retirement, for the sake of the Raiders going forward.

5. Bill Bidwell, Cardinals: The Cardinals are among the symbols for extended failure in the NFL; since Bill became the head of the team in the mid-60s, the team has moved out once, won only two division titles, and boast but one playoff win since their last title in 1947! Even the Lions have won titles during that span! Call it the curse of the Pottsville Maroons, if you will (btw, there's an excellent book on how that team was shafted out of the title); I call it bad ownership. Bid-fareWell, Billy!

4. Mike Brown, Bengals: Now we get to the heart of the inept; Brown, whose father Paul built the Browns into a power, then made Cincy a solid team, has been far less successful since taking over in 1991. The Bengals have just one winning season since then, and Brown has been his own worst enemy. The coaching hires (David Shula, anyone?) haven't been good, and the draft picks have been spotty at best (Ki-Jana Carter, Dan Wilkinson, etc.). Worse yet, the team has become an episode of Cops; there have been so many arrests in Cincy, I haven't even bothered to count. That's because the Bengals have the league's smallest scouting department, and boy does it shows the leaks! No oversight creates a mess, and Brown seems too cheap to correct it, so let the embarassment continue!

3. James Dolan, Knicks: Dolan is the head of the Cablevision group that owns the Knicks, and as the de-facto owner, the Knicks have been terrible. One hire says all you need to know about why he's here; Isiah Thomas. Worse still, he stuck by Thomas and allowed him to give out those ridiculous contratcs (Stephon "The Walking Advertsiment for Bad Deals" Marbury, Jerome James, etc.) that will continue to plague New York for at least the next three to five years. When you enable as much as Dolan has, you derserve to fail.

2. William Clay Ford, Lions: Speaking of enabling, Ford is the Dolan of the NFL; he too made a major mistake by hiring (and then sticking by until it was too late) Matt Millen. Since he became majority owner in 1964, the Lions boast just three division titles, one playoff win, and zero Super Bowl/NFL Championship appearences. In that same span, the Buccaneers, Seahawks, and Panthers have made the Super Bowl, and they weren't in the league in 1964! He's too nice and won't fire anybody until the uproar is too loud (Millen and Darryl Rogers stand out). To borrow and modify a catchphrase, think Ford last! Except...

1. Donald Sterling, Clippers: ... there is one man who is the cubic zirconia of the sports world. A man who, when faced with the chance of victory, instead prefers defeat. A man who has gleefully moved his team to become an afterthought to the Lakers in L.A. A man who has kept Elgin Baylor on for more than two decades! That's right; the Donald is #1! And Sterling figured out the dirty rule of sports long before the other nine did; he realized "Hey! I can put zero effort to build a winner, make the profits, and go home happy!". He actually is smarter than all of us, because he knows people will pay to see his product, no matter how few it actually is. And the results (one playoff series win; only two winning seasons since 1980-81) speak for themselves. Sterling is the standard by which all inept owners should be measured!

There's my top ten. Are there any owners you think that do a worse job than these guys have! There's probably at least one or two I may have missed! Let me know if I have made an error. Until next time, may Tom Cable (the new Raiders coach) rent rather than buy!

We are four weeks into the NFL season, and we’ve already seen plenty of surprises and disappointments. There have been devastating injuries (Tom Brady), thrill-a-minute wins (Carolina, anyone?), and silly name changes (Chad Ocho Cinco). But, at the end of the day, what teams are the best and worst of the crop in the NFL?

To answer those questions, I looked at what each team has done so far. Their games, how the games were played, the stats involved, the level of competition, and my general feeling about the teams. After considering all of those criteria, I picked the best and the worst teams, and now I shall explain the merits (and demerits) of the two teams.

Let’s start at the very bottom, and reveal the worst team in the NFL. And, in a departure for me, it’s NOT the Detroit Lions. No, the worst team in the NFL was the easiest choice; the St. Louis Rams. Here is the case for the Rams as the worst team in the NFL:

 #1: They are as united as the Hatfields and McCoys: The Rams have been fighting amongst themselves almost since the season began. First, Scott Linehan benched Marc Bulger after the first three bad games in favor of a brittle Trent Green. Then, it’s revealed that Bulger and Linehan didn’t see eye to eye. After that, Steven Jackson revealed that many teammates (including himself) did not approve of Linehan’s decision. Lastly, there are reports that Linehan would be fired regardless of the result Sunday (another bad loss) and that he attempted to trade star WR Torry Holt. They lack harmony, to say the least.

#2: They have the worst point differential in the league: Through the first four games of the season, the Rams have been outscored 147 to 43; the 104 point difference is the worst in the NFL (a full 50 points worse than #2, the Lions). That means the average score of a Rams game is 39 to 11! Need more stats? Well, here comes… 

 #3: The stats don’t lie: The Rams have allowed 40 more first downs (91 to 51) than they have gained, are converting about 20% of their 3rd downs (11 out of 49), have been nearly doubled up on the ground (664 rushing yards allowed, 336 gained), have allowed more than four times as many touchdowns (17 to 4), and the most key stat; they’ve allowed 13 sacks (an average of 3 per game). With stats like that, it’s no wonder they’ve lost by scores of 38-3 (Eagles), 41-13 (Giants), 37-13 (an injured Seahawks team), and 31-14 (Bills).

#4: Scott Linehan is not respected by his team:  With all the negative feelings towards Linehan from management down to the star players like Jackson and Holt, it’s little wonder that he is expected to be fired sometime in the next few days. Once a coach loses the players’ respect, the team plays lifeless, and it has clearly shown this year. It’s the Matt Millen factor; you need to change just to clear the stench out of the air.

So, the Rams are clearly the worst team in the NFL. But who is the best team? It’s not as clear cut as the Rams are. Four teams are currently undefeated (with the Ravens in action Monday), and several teams that have lost once, like the Cowboys, Broncos, Redskins, and Buccaneers, have had impressive moments. But, after considerable thought, the best team in the NFL is the Tennessee Titans. That’s right; the Titans are the best team. How, when you consider that well known QB Vince Young (he hasn’t played like a star, hence well known being used) has been out most of the season? Glad you asked:

#1: To use an old cliché, defense wins championships: As opposed to the Rams’ league worst point differential, the Titans boast the league’s best differential (+70). They also have 15 sacks, which leads the league, have given up the sixth fewest yards (263.5 per), are tied for first in INTs (8), and lead the league in total turnovers recovered (12, including four fumble recoveries). No wonder they’re undefeated.

#2: Kerry Collins helps keep defenses honest: Granted, Collins isn’t going to make Titans fans remember Air Coryell, but with him in the game, the Titans’ pass attack at least opens up the running game; Collins’ 7 YPA (yards per attempt) is two yards higher than Young’s, and since he became the starter, the Titans have gone for 24, 30 and 31 points since he replaced Young. And, as the 2000 Ravens showed, you don’t need a spectacular QB to win a title. So, as long as Collins plays mistake-free (only one INT and one sack), they’ll be fine.

#3: They have a two-headed RB monster: Collins should be familiar to a running attack like this; similar to the 2000 Giants’ Thunder & Lightning combo of Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne, the Titans have Chris Johnson and LenDale White. Johnson has assumed the lead back role, and has proven he can be a fine runner; he has 337 yards on 67 carries (a robust 5 yards per carry), and has 3 total TDs (2 rushing, 1 receiving). White has become a goal-line back and has 5 TDs on his 60 carries. A ground game like this is critical come playoff time, but so far, no one has an answer for this duo.

 #4: A +6 turnover differential: With such good ball security, the Titans can afford to be methodical in their approach. By comparison, the Bills’ have a +1 differential, the Ravens are also +1, and the Giants are even in that department, among the undefeated teams.

With that, there are the best and worst teams in the NFL right now. Will that stay the same come January and February? With the Titans, it’s not certain; they need to sort out the issues with Young, and decide what to do with him. But they have the kind of physical attack that does well in the playoffs. As for the Rams, it seems certain that they will be bad all year; Linehan will probably be fired within the time this is posted, and likely interim coach Jim Haslett won’t be able to turn around the season with a team full of malcontents. While the Rams won’t lose all 16 games, they have the look of a 1-15 or 2-14 team. That’s my opinion on the best & worst of the NFL.

Writer's Note: This post was written Sunday night, prior to the Rams firing Scott Linehan. So, all material written therein about Linehan was before the fact. Bur wasn't I right, people?

It's time once again to sort out some loose junk in my head. It's time for Random Sports Thoughts (otherwise known as "Stuff I write when a really good topic isn't available/is written ad nauseum")!

The most talked about item clearly is USC losing to Oregon State 27-21. On the positive side, at least ESPN won't devote segments of their show to a hypothetical USC/St. Louis Rams matchup, huh?

Btw, doesn't this game show why college football needs a playoff? And, in another irony, it will also show why CFB won't do it; they love negative press more than TO!

Monta Ellis admitted he crashed and burned on a Moped to cause his ankle injury. Why should we be surprised? His adviser was Kellen Winslow Jr.!

Stephon "The Walking Advertisment for Bad Deals" Marbury said he will not accept any buyout from the Knicks and that "they're gonna pay me my money". That should quash all those 'rumors' that he is a bad teammate.

The baseball races are really heating up. The battle between the White Sox and Twins for the Central, The NL wild card, the Tigers' quest for last place...

Dustin Perdroia for AL MVP? Sorry, Sox fans; the MVP of the American League should be... chosen from a hat if that's the case.

The Lions fired Matt Millen. I'd just like to repeat that because it sounds vaguely important. The Lions fired Matt Millen. It just SOUNDS good, doesn't it?

Now, if they could only dump Kitna and Marinelli, they'd be onto something.

Kevin Garnett is the face of NBA 2K9. As long as he doesn't scream in the game, we should be fine.

Hank Steinbrenner is crying about Joe Torre's Dodgers making the playoffs and his Yankees staying home. Maybe you should hire him. Oh wait...

Then again, poppa George hired (and fired) Billy Martin 76 times, so maybe, eh, no.

 Todd Jones will retire from the Tigers. Somewhere, I yawned.

Did you see Kimbo Slice interviewed on PTI yesterday? That had more BLEEP bombs than an Ozzy Osborne concert!

One more of these; the Chiefs are thinking about starting Damon Huard this week. In a related story, they've called Len Dawson and Steve DeBerg asking if they're available!

That's all the random junk for today! Hope you enjoy it! And I hope that the animosity hinted at earlier in the post dies down. Take care! (Damn; can't stop using exclamation marks!!!!)

Today, the clouds finally disappeared. The suns drenched Ford Field in downtown Detroit, almost as if a heavenly event had occured. Indeed, such an event did occur for long suffering Lions fans, as the most inept GM this side of Elgin Baylor has apparently resigned. That's right; Matt Millen is finished in Detroit!

So, to 'honor' Millen in only the best way I know how (to completely ridicule and belittle him), and to get some more Millen jokes in before they're gone, I dug up some of my archived post material to send him out in style! Here we go!

From “Whose to blame for Lions’ Woes”, November 23, 2006: Today, in another display of Thanksgiving ineptitude, the Detroit Lions lost to Miami 27-10 as Joey Harrington burned his former team for 3 TDs. During the game, frustrated fans started a familiar chant of "Fire Millen!" in reference to the embattled president of the ball club. As a lifelong Detroit resident, lets put things in perspective. Yes, Millen's record as the prez is terrible (23-68 after today) and yes he did draft badly (Harrington, Charles Rogers, Mike Williams) but lets say he is fired after the season. Then what? I say when things are always bad, you must look at the top, which means you must look at the Fords in charge. That family has owned the franchise for 42 years now, and exactly how many titles have they won? Zero! And the team has just one playoff win in those years to boot. They've hired too many coaches to count, and they hired Millen despite having no experience as a executive and have allowed his reign of terror to continue into a sixth season.

(commentary on above: I blame the Fords here, but this was just my second post, so I wasn't in full bash-Millen mode yet!)

From “My List: Top Ten Worst Player-to-Executive Transitions”, March 2008: 1. Matt Millen: Millen is the posterchild for any team looking at ex-jocks on TV and thinking about hiring them to run the team. In short, don't believe the packaging! Millen has the worst record of any executive in the NFL over his tenure, and the Lions, who had a winning record before he arrived, have been no better than 7-9 over his tenure. His draft picks (Joey Harrington, Charles Rogers, Mike Williams, and now Kevin Jones) have tanked, his free agents have stank, and fans have been on the verge of mutiny in recent years. Millen may not have techincally been a star athlete, but his name must be included on any list of former players who haven't been good GMs/coaches.

(Now I was in stride, though my Millen jokes were featured in comments on other blogs, as you will see!)

From “Beating a Disgusting Dead Horse”: September 8, 2008: You may notice that I have not mentioned Millen much. That's because this perpetually inept franchise will NEVER fire him! And being a season ticket holder (just so I can spread the fire to a public audience), the Lions fans deserve better. Unfortunately, they will never get it as long as William Clay Ford and Millen run the team. So, now that the Lions are underway to another 10-loss season, I will continue to rip them at every opportunity. Because it's readily apparent that this team needs a front office overhaul, and until that happens, the digusting dead horse will continue to ride! Gotta go; the effigy is being set on fire!

(I guess I was right; he wasn't fired, though Bill Ford Jr. probably 'nudged' him to resign!)

A Response to Jokerswild’s blog about pep talk phrases: “Momma, don’t let your boys grow up to be Matt Millen!”

(Isn't it true? Look at the failure he is!)

From “A Petition for Common Sense: Sign Up En Masse”: September 15, 2008: This is a request to remove Matt "He Falls Splat" Millen as the general manager of the Lions. Mr. Millen has been found guilty of many high crimes while in charge of the Lions, such as;

1) Willingly engaging in unrelenting losing, and then blaming everyone else for his own failures.

2) Making mind-numbingly bad draft pick one after another (Charles Rogers, Mike Williams, Kevin Jones, etc.) and bad reaches when desperate (Gosder Cherlius).

3) Having an obsession with coaches who start with "m" (Marty Morhinweg (whatever his name was), Steve Mariucci, Rod "Gutless" Marinelli) and who shouldn't be head men in the first place.

4) Impersonating an NFL GM. Do I really need to say more?

5) And even you, Mr. Ford, are guilty of high crimes; you allowed all of this to occur without any attempt to stop it.

The most recent disaster occured Sunday at Ford Field against the Packers. Following the embarassment in Atlanta, the team continued to stink, as the Packers rolled to a 21-0 lead. Your offense was inept, the defense even worse, and the crowd began to serenade them with the "Fire Millen" chant. Things looked grim.

Then, in the 3rd quarter, the team had new life. Jon Kitna hit Calvin Johnson for two TDs, and the Lions led 25-24. Alas, they soon realized they were run by Mr. Millen, and the Pack rolled to 24 unanswered points to win 48-25, as Kitna threw 3 INTs (two returned for TDs) in the final five drives of the game. One of the fans even cursed out linebacker Alex Lewis after the game ended.

If you want to avoid having your team treated with antipathy and apathy, you must wake up and realize Mr. Millen isn't good as his job at all. Your team is a laughing stock of the NFL, and has the worst record in the league since Millen took over before the 2001 season. Even Al Davis is laughing at you. Do you honestly think that perennial losing will placate fans who haven't seen a winner since Wayne Fontes and Barry Sanders were in town? Hardly.

In summation, Mr. Millen should be sent out to pasture; I wouldn't even give him his old job at Fox after this disaster. Fire Mr. Millen, and at the very least hire some competent football people. Or, if you don't want to, sell the team. The lame efforts this team has given the suffering fans must come to an end, or else we'll call Clay Bennett and ask "Think Oklahoma City can support football?".

                                     Sincerely, long suffering Lions fans and their supporters at Fox blogs

(See, bloggers? You can make a difference!)

From “Thank You, Captain Obvious”: Yesterday: With that Donald Sterling-esque resume (William Clay Ford’s), you legitimately question his desire to win. As so many Lions bashers from Detroit have said (and to all those bashers, I'm with you 100%, so don't blaze me!), the Lions have become a business. In the NBA, Sterling figured this out years ago; he said "Hey, why invest in a winner? If I can keep costs low and incompetence high, I can rake in the cash and go home!". The common thread with these teams; neither owner ever wants to fire the GM. Sterling needs Elgin Baylor to carry out his master plan, and Ford needs Millen to do the same.

(More Ford and Millen bashing. Little did I know this would be the final bash with Millen in charge)

There's my tribute. A poignant commentary to a sad sack loser o####M. Now the Lions need to find a real football man to run this team. And I emphasize "man", because the 'boys' who have run this team into the ground must go. While I don't believe they'll hire the right kind of guy, change is necessary, and Millen was just taking the life out of the Lions. Now, all together now:

"nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, oh hell yeah, gooodbyeee!"

Yesterday, the fans of Detroit Lions football (all three of them; Matt Millen, Rod Marinelli and William Clay Ford) listened to a statement that is all too apparent to everyone but themselves. Bill Ford Jr., the son of the owner, said in the Detroit Free Press that, if he were in charge of the Lions, he would have fired Millen a long time ago, and criticized the lack of change in the organization. A ringing endorsement of how things are going with the 0-3 Lions, huh?

To be fair, I have been one of the most vocal critics of the Lions on these blogs. The team is so comically inept that the MNF crew last night called them an 'embarassment', and I agreed with them! But it's pretty sad that the owner's son comes and basically rakes his dad over the hot coals. That's when you know things aren't harmonious in the family; when your wealthy son (made wealthy by association) calls you a ####. But is this an attempted wake up call to the sleeping Lions? Hardly.

And before you think it could be, consider that Jr. has no stake in the Lions; Sr. is still in charge. And as long as Sr. has owned the team (this will be 44 years since he acquired ownership), look at the results:

zero championships and zero appearences in the Super Bowl/NFL Championship
one playoff win
three division titles
nine playoff berths
so many coaching changes, you lose count

With that Donald Sterling-esque resume, you legitimately question his desire to win. As so many Lions bashers from Detroit have said (and to all those bashers, I'm with you 100%, so don't blaze me!), the Lions have become a business. In the NBA, Sterling figured this out years ago; he said "Hey, why invest in a winner? If I can keep costs low and incompetence high, I can rake in the cash and go home!". The common thread with these teams; neither owner ever wants to fire the GM. Sterling needs Elgin Baylor to carry out his master plan, and Ford needs Millen to do the same.

So, after all is said and done, the Lions will still be the Lions; a team perennially doomed to fail, and a team that will never win until the Ford stench is removed from it. It's really unfair to the fans who stuck by this team that Ford wipes his feet on them, but until fans stop feeding the beast, the beast will dominate.

With all the anger going around about the Josh Howard disrespecting the anthem fiasco, I decided to take a more light-hearted (but still scathing) approach to descirbing my feelings towards Howard's actions. With further ado, here come the BoreStars!

BoreStars Episode 3: A Real American

Flasback scene (cue voiceover guy): When we last left our BoreStars, they had just defeated the monsterous Ted Thompson and Aaron Rodgers with the help of Brett Favre. Now, in today's episode, Tim Duncan, Roger Federer and David Beckham race to stop a nefarious evil that threatens to destroy America!

Title Music (cue band): BOREEEEESTARSSSSS!

(montage of a rare Beckham score): Beckham scores more than you know! BORESTARS!

(montage of Federer winning the U.S. Open): Federer weaves; viewers leave! BORESTARS!

(montage of Duncan's bankshot): Duncan wins; the NBA cringes! BORESTARS!

BoreStars! We put the 'bore' into immeasurable boredom!

Scene one: The Stars are waiting for their next assignment at their lair, where no one notices them; the Memphis Grizzlies arena!

Duncan: I hope we can get another case in before the NBA season starts. I need to do what I've done for 10 years; be myself and make SA a contender.

Federer: Me, I'm glad I'm not active. Between losing to Nadal and people thinking I got the easy way out at the U.S. Open, I need a break.

(Beckham returns, looking obviously drunk)

Duncan: What the hell did you do last night?

Beckham: I clebrted yessterday. The Galxy scoreddddd more than too goals!

Duncan & Federer: Great! (laugh to themselves)

(Just after that, Michael Jordan appears to give them an assignment)

Jordan: BoreStars, I need you to go to Dallas and investigate reports of unrest against the country.

Duncan: Cool! Let's go!

Jordan: But, there's a catch; Brett Favre wants to join you!

Duncan & Federer: Damn!

Beckham: Honest, occifer, I isn't drunk!

Jordan: Just tolerate Brett. With Becks so drunk, you may need him!

Duncan: Alright, let's go.

(The Stars meet up with Favre at the plane, and go down to Dallas)

Scene two: The Stars arrive in Dallas. Just then, Favre starts to waffle.

Duncan: What the matter now, Brett!

Favre: I just get the creeps coming down here; not many fond memories here!

Federer: Well, let's just see what the fuss is about.

(Just then, Josh Howard appears)

Howard: What's up, BoreStars?

Beckham: I ain't upsy. I just be drunk!

Duncan: O.K., just ignore him. Josh, have you heard about the unrest in Dallas? It's worse than the screams in the NBA office when my Spurs reach the Finals!

Howard: I haven't heard anything. Anyhow, I gotta run to the football game!

(Howard leaves)

Beckham: He plays foosball?

Favre: He sounds like he knows more than he's letting on.

Duncan: I agree. What about you, Roger?

(Federer says nothing. He secretly wishes Nadal was behind things.)

Duncan: Let's go to American Airlines Center (sidenote: Since Miami and Dallas share the same sponser, correct me if I'm wrong).

(They depart)

Scene three: The Stars arrive at American Airlines Arena.

Beckham: Isn't this the bar I was at last night?

Duncan: No! Let's scope the place.

(As the Stars search the arena, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban arrives.)

Duncan: Hi, Cuban! Not incurring fines with Stern, are you?

Cuban: No, just trying to figure out how to be more wrong with my team. Maybe I can trade Dirk for Shaq, huh?

Federer: Enough of that. Have you heard about the unrest down here?

Cuban: I have, but I can't put my finger on where it came from.

Favre: Could it be one of your players? I should know better than anyone that players can make situations uncomfortable.

Cuban: Perhaps. I've heard Josh said something bad the other day.

Duncan: Really? That fact never came out from Josh, much like the league never wants to mention my team winning four titles.

(The Stars begin to suspect Howard. Soon, they realize the truth.)

Scene four: After some fact-checking, the Stars confirm the worst; Howard has denounced America and wants to smash everything it stands for! The Stars set out to confront Howard.

Beckham: Do we really need another drink?

Duncan: Becks, just lay low here.

(The Stars dump Beckham onto a soccer field because nobody watches soccer. Then, they confront Howard on the football field.)

Duncan: Alright, Josh; you're under arrest for the good of the country!

Howard: Oh yeah? #### the country and it's ####ty anthem! You won't stop me!

(Howard gets into his attack vehicle, and soon after knocks Federer aside because he can't focus. Duncan and Favre hold back Howard, but they realize they can't do it alone.)

Favre: I'm thinking about retiring again!

Duncan: You better not!

(Just then, an errant beam of light comes through, and strikes Howard's vehicle. It explodes, and Howard falls on his rear and is arrested by Duncan and Favre. The blast comes from Beckham, who doesn't know what happened.)

Duncan: Dave, you did it! You scored a big goal!

Beckham: I scored? Wow, that never happens!

(The Stars return to AAA.)

Scene five: The Stars are met by the Dallas media.

Duncan: Never fear, fair citizens. We stopped the menace that was Josh Howard. (People nod off during his speech).

Federer: Great! Now I can work on beating Nadal.

Favre: It's great getting in my first case! I won't retire until at least next episode!

Beckham (stares at Favre): Victoria!?

(Beckham starts to chase Favre. Duncan and Federer just stare into the sunset.)

Voiceover: Tune in next time for another exciting episode of BoreStars!

Beckham: You can't escpae forever, Victoria!

Favre: AHHHHH!

What Josh Howard did was wrong, and he thoroughly disrepected many soldiers dying in Iraq and around the world for his right to say moronic things. While little can be done to stop his career (since it's obvious that Howard would land elsewhere if Dallas cut him), he can't evade the bad press he'll get for the time to come. And that can be a fate worse than death for many athletes (right, Latrell Sprewell?).

Well, time is running short. Hope you enjoy it, and until next time, may Howard be cursed to a terrible fate; playing for Matt Millen!

The following is a petition appealing to all Fox bloggers to help restore common sense to a team that epitomizes a lack of sense. That's right, I'm talking about the Detroit Lions, and the following is my petition to remove the most inept GM in sports history from his less than lofty perch:

Dear William Clay Ford,

This is a request to remove Matt "He Falls Splat" Millen as the general manager of the Lions. Mr. Millen has been found guilty of many high crimes while in charge of the Lions, such as;

1) Willingly engaging in unrelenting losing, and then blaming everyone else for his own failures.

2) Making mind-numbingly bad draft pick one after another (Charles Rogers, Mike Williams, Kevin Jones, etc.) and bad reaches when desperate (Gosder Cherlius).

3) Having an obsession with coaches who start with "m" (Marty Morhinweg (whatever his name was), Steve Mariucci, Rod "Gutless" Marinelli) and who shouldn't be head men in the first place.

4) Impersonating an NFL GM. Do I really need to say more?

5) And even you, Mr. Ford, are guilty of high crimes; you allowed all of this to occur without any attempt to stop it.

The most recent disaster occured Sunday at Ford Field against the Packers. Following the embarassment in Atlanta, the team continued to stink, as the Packers rolled to a 21-0 lead. Your offense was inept, the defense even worse, and the crowd began to serenade them with the "Fire Millen" chant. Things looked grim.

Then, in the 3rd quarter, the team had new life. Jon Kitna hit Calvin Johnson for two TDs, and the Lions led 25-24. Alas, they soon realized they were run by Mr. Millen, and the Pack rolled to 24 unanswered points to win 48-25, as Kitna threw 3 INTs (two returned for TDs) in the final five drives of the game. One of the fans even cursed out linebacker Alex Lewis after the game ended.

If you want to avoid having your team treated with antipathy and apathy, you must wake up and realize Mr. Millen isn't good as his job at all. Your team is a laughing stock of the NFL, and has the worst record in the league since Millen took over before the 2001 season. Even Al Davis is laughing at you. Do you honestly think that perennial losing will placate fans who haven't seen a winner since Wayne Fontes and Barry Sanders were in town? Hardly.

In summation, Mr. Millen should be sent out to pasture; I wouldn't even give him his old job at Fox after this disaster. Fire Mr. Millen, and at the very least hire some competent football people. Or, if you don't want to, sell the team. The lame efforts this team has given the suffering fans must come to an end, or else we'll call Clay Bennett and ask "Think Oklahoma City can support football?".

                                     Sincerely, long suffering Lions fans and their supporters at Fox blogs

Come on, people! Let's get some support (or at least three people)! Matt Millen must rid the Lions of his stench so people like me can breathe!

Well, the sports week has certainly been interesting so far, and we've barely gotten started! But, as far as I'm concerned, none of the topics stood out enough to warrant a full post to it. So, here comes some more random thoughts!

Tom Brady's season is over. But then again, so is the Detroit Lions, so he's not alone.

Speaking of the Pats, Matt Cassel is now in the saddle. Maybe he can get some tips on replacing a preferred QB from Steve Young, not Brian Griese.

I'm going to the Losers, er, Lions game against the Packers this weekend. Estimated time before first boos rain on them; I'll say right before kickoff.

Man, there hasn't been a Kobe-bashing blog in what seems like an eternity. Where are the venom-spewers? (Nique, I don't support them; it's just livelier when they're here)

Charlie Weis is getting some heat by saying "To hell with Michigan". Why? Michigan will find a way to lose, anyhow (Yeah, Rich Rodriguez, you can use that on the board, too!).

Michelle Wie is going back to qualifying school. Or is it clown college? Any way you slice it, she's in trouble.

Lance Armstrong will come back for the 2009 Tour de Farce, er, France. Brett Favre suddenly has a new best buddy.

Not to go off topic, but regarding the MTV Music Awards thingy, I have one question; who the #### is Russell Brand?!?!

Back on topic; Tigers manager Jim Leyland blasted the bullpen in general (and Fernando Rodney in particular) for not pitching well. Thank you, Captain Obvious! When did you first notice? I said it before, and I'll say it again; send the entire pen to Europe to minimize the damage they do here.

ESPN decided to have Mike, Mike and Mike (Greenberg, Golic, and Ditka) at the mic for MNF. How much further can they scrape the barrel for bad gimmicks?

Has NBA TV shown any low-scoring, dull 'classic' games this week? I missed that thrilling 70-69 action!

Speaking of which, NBA TV is going to let voters decide what game will be aired on Tuesdays during the season. I'd say that the Lakers game will win whenever it's featured on Tuesday. Just once, I'd like to see fans pick a Thunder/Grizzlies showdown just for laughs. Make NBA TV work hard for its money!

ESPN Classic = The Worldwide Leader... in boring, non-classic boxing. Enough of this #### already!

And, to end on a sad note; I drove by the remains of the old Tiger Stadium recently. I'll never forgive Mike Illitch, Dennis Archer, and Kwame "Love Machine" Kilpatrick for letting such a great stadium crumble like they did. That's as political as I'll get on my blog.

O.K., let's bring the mood back up before I go. That's the post for today. Until next time, here's a word of advice; Prospectivwe mothers, don't let your babies grow up to be Stephen A. Smith! Take care!

Many Fox bloggers (especially those who frequent the NBA blogs) know that I like to pile on the Detroit Lions. I frequently use GM Matt Millen as a punch line (and he's provided plenty of material) and always lament their inability to win. But going into yesterday, I never imagined I would write a post about them. Then, they put on a performance worthy of a skewering. I knew then, another Lions rant needed to be posted.

Where to begin? Let's start with the pregame notions. That the Lions would roll over the young Falcons, who seemed to still be reeling from the blatent stupidity of Michael Vick. Now, I'm not going to proclaim the Falcons as a playoff contender (though in the NFC, anything is possible), but rookie HC Mike Smith did a wondeful job exploiting the weaknesses of the Lions. Matt Ryan did a great imitation of Ben Roethlisberger as a rookie; he didn't make major mistakes, and took shots when he had the chance (witness the bomb to Michael Jenkins). Smith also allowed Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood to run wild on the pourous Lions run D (where have you gone, Shaun Rogers? Though he stunk yesterday, too), as Turner broke Gerald Riggs' team record with 220 yards. Kudos to Atlanta for getting the job done.

Now, to the Lions. Just when I think that they can't sink any lower... well, you get the picture. Here are my major beefs with these idiots:

Jon S###na, er Kitna: This motormouth has said (two years running) he would be disappointed if the Lions didn't win 10 games (btw, I have a better chance of winning Miss America then the Lions have of winning 10 games. But if they said losing 10, then...), then lays an egg on local TV (this being the Lions, they should never grace national TV). He was terrible, replete with overthrows, underthrows, and his usual INTs. To cap it off, he does his best TO impression by yelling at teammates and coaches in full view of the camera. If Drew Stanton wasn't injured, I'd have a feeling Kitna would have been benched. And I hope he is, sooner rather than later, because he has no upside, and is what he his; a backup who has limited ability and who wouldn't start on at least 90% of NFL teams.

That damn run D: It seemed everytime Turner or Norwood ran, they looked like vintage Jim Brown, breaking a thousand 'tackles' en route to the end zone. The Lions coughed up over 300 rushing yards to the Falcons, and the tackling on display makes my lame attempts at them in high school look good! And they allow a team that scored over 30 points just once last year to carve them up. And I though Rod Marinelli was a defensive guy? Bull! They have no talent other than Ernie Sims, and until they get some, expect more of the same.

Speaking of Rod: It's getting close to the time that Lions fans dread; the time when you question how good of a coach you have. Marinelli might have been good as a DL coach in Tampa, but I think he's a mediocre head man, at best. What makes me yank my hair out (what's left of it, with that gaping bald patch in the back) is his stunning lack of 'courage' (O.K., balls) he has; he's so conservative that, when down by two scores early in the fourth, he gladly punted away on 4th and 1, and the Lions never were in it again. I'm convinced that he would punt the ball on 4th and Goal from the 1 because he doesn't have balls! He better find some soon, or he'll join Millen at the fans' mock hanging!

So much for commiting to the run: Admittedly, the Lions were so far behind, they couldn't commit to the run. But it's painfully clear that they can't run the ball. Kevin Smith did very little, and Rudi Johnson was used more AS A SLOT RECEIVER!!!!! Last time I checked, he was a straight line runner. This dumb### commitment to running needs to be junked, because if they continue with it, they will stink (wait, they always stink!).

You may notice that I have not mentioned Millen much. That's because this perpetually inept franchise will NEVER fire him! And being a season ticket holder (just so I can spread the fire to a public audience), the Lions fans deserve better. Unfortunately, they will never get it as long as William Clay Ford and Millen run the team. So, now that the Lions are underway to another 10-loss season, I will continue to rip them at every opportunity. Because it's readily apparent that this team needs a front office overhaul, and until that happens, the digusting dead horse will continue to ride! Gotta go; the effigy is being set on fire!