Well it took just two weeks this year for many fans to become utterly disgusted with the disaster that is called the Detroit Lions. Usually the Motor City is given some hope towards the future early in the season. With each new coach has come new promises and optimism. The reality is that this team is in year 51 of a (insert number) year rebuilding project. The Lions last won an NFL Championship in 1957 and have won only one playoff game since. Thankfully most of us were alive when that happened because that may be all Lions fans ever get!
Where to start with this catastrophe the Lions have defecated onto their loyal fan base is where everything starts, the top. Owner William Clay Ford (WCF) bought the team in 1964 for $4 Million dollars. Now it is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But he won’t sell it, not in a Millen years!
Capitol gained from the Lions franchise might be enough to bail out his other failure of an enterprise Ford Motor Company. Ford is another American car company that has sent thousands of jobs overseas and eliminated thousands here in the states. But they can’t figure out why no one is buying their cars anymore. Well Mr. Ford they aren’t buying cars because they don’t have jobs anymore. If those thousands and thousands of Americans don’t have jobs then that effects millions of other Americans who relied on the American auto workers monetary trickle down effect. Well at least the Ford family and their stock holders made a profit because that is much better for everyone right? Lewis Black, maybe the Ford’s are the real "Root of All Evil"! Although I am not or ever was an economic major either.
Team President Matt Millen has racked up a whopping 31 wins against 83 losses in his tenure. Every coach he has hired and fired have all had last names starting with the letter M. He showed up in 1999 and fired interim head coach Gary Moeller only to hire first time coach and future disaster Marty Mornenwheig, then replaced him with Steve Mariucci before turning to the ranks of first time head coaches once again and hired current head (cliche machine) coach Rod Marinelli. Will Marinelli work out in the long run? Not in a Millen Years!
Fire Millen chants have never been louder at Ford Field and around the city of Detroit. Most football people agree that you win games in the trenches. If you can control the line of scrimmage you can win a ton of football games. Even Rod Marinelli knows that. He said it when he was hired. He said we need to be able to "pound the rock". So Matt Millen brought in rock pounding offensive guru Mike Martz? Maybe he just liked the double M’s in his name.
It doesn’t end there either. The Lions wanted to be able to run the ball effectively so what did they do? They drafted four wide receivers in the top ten instead! Not once in the top ten has Millen drafted a lineman or a runningback. However all three first and second round offensive lineman he has picked (Jeff Backus, Dominic Raiola, and Gosder Cherilus)will all be starting this Sunday. Will they change the draft philosophy? Not in a Millen Years!
Last Sunday at Ford Field was another very Lionesque performance but actually was a bit different. After trailing once again 21-0 the Lions came all the way back by taking the lead 25-24 at the 5:49 mark of the 4th quarter. Only to see Green Bay come right back and kick a field goal. Then in Jon Kitna like fashion he threw not one but two pick sixs only to see the Lions lose 48-25. How many crazy losses have the Lions had like this? A lot in the Millen years.
Enough is enough. How could anyone justify sticking around an organization that they know they are pushing further and further into the ground. Couldn’t anyone have these results? It isn’t like it could get worse could it? There must be 100 or more front office people in the NFL that could come in here and do a better job. Unfortunately the Ford family doesn’t understand this because they also ran at a negative operating expense last season with the Lions. Former head coach Daryl Rogers who coached the team in the eighties lost 8 straight games. After the 8th loss he said "what does a guy have to do to get fired around here"? It is evident that nothing has changed. So will the Ford’s fire Millen? Not in a Millen Years!
Matt Millen actually spoke this week to reporters during a Lions practice. When asked about the state of the team: "I believe in the guy I hired (head coach Rod Marinelli) and I believe in the staff we put together and I believe in the players we have on the field. If you want to point a finger at anybody for that stuff, it's on me. I'm fine with that because I believe in what's out there.'' If Matt believes what he just said he needs to do the right thing and step down! He is to stubborn to do that, he wouldn’t ever do that. Not in a Millen Years!
Remember the Millen Man March and the Lions fan walk out during the last game of the season against Cincinnati? The March outside of the stadium was good. But the walk out was a horrible idea other than it brought more attention to the situation. Before it happened I wrote that instead of walking out you shouldn’t be walking in! It is imperative that the fans of the Lions make their voices heard if anything is ever going to change. This may be the case this season as it appears there is a chance that a few games may not sell out. It has been over ten years since that has happened in Detroit. I didn’t think that would happen, Not in a Millen Years!
So what about the fans of the Lions? Where do they get a return on their investment both monetary and emotionally? Even through all the bad years of Lions football and all the blown draft picks, the players who were discarded only to come back and have career days against the Lions, the bad coaches, the terrible draft picks, the blown calls, the penalty ridden teams, and the missed field goal by Eddie Murray. The Lions fans have been there buying tickets, jerseys, and watching them on TV. What do the fans have to say about this? Well I asked them these two questions:
Do you think the only way the Lions will ever change the direction of the franchise for the better is if it WCF sells the team to an owner who is more suited to be an NFL owner?
Bill from Flint is a fan of over 50 years- I am at a loss in to justify Fords ownership....Last year, during our 2nd half collapse, I suggested that we take up a collection to hire moving vans and planes to move the entire Lion organization to Los Angeles with the comment that the LA lions had a nice ring to it. It was done with tongue in cheek at the time. Now I am reviving the idea with no reservations. The only way wwe long suffering fans will get any respite is if we start over with a new team. 30 some years of failed ownership proves that WCF and staff just don't care. In the past we always had a player or players to wrap our hopes around i.e. Barry Sanders, Billy Sims, Herman Moore, Joe Schmidt, Jack Christianson, Mike Lucie, etc.. Whom do we Now? I'm waiting! That’s right nobody. And that falls directly on the shoulders of Millen (no need to ad to his thrashing). Fords choice.
Dan from Webberville has been a fan for 30 years- used to be one of those guys who would bleed Blue and Silver….but they have destroyed that. Now I just expect them to lose…and laugh at the comments on the radio all week. It will never change. The Lions are the NFL’s Washington Generals (the team the Globe Trotters always played). Everyone has a career game against them. It’s just disgusting. It would have been nice over the past 30 years or so…to see our Horse #### of an owner down on the sidelines ala Jerry Jones….but he is as invisible as Matt Millen.
Steve from Novi is fan of over 25 years- This team is purely a business venture for the Ford family, one in which is much more successful then the Big 3 right now. Have people overpaying for an inferior product! Hell why not take advantage of it! This team will NEVER be any better if it is purely treated as a business venture. We need a FOOTBALL family in town!
Tomas from Lincoln Park is a fan of over 25 years- As long as us diehard Lion fans keep putting money into the WCF's bank account week in and week out...he will view this team as nothing more than a business venture...remember he was born into this so he looks at this as a business..nothing more nothing less.
Also regarding this season. Will it only get worse before it gets better? They play former offensive coordinator Mike Martz this week and are staring at 0-3 going into their bye week.
Bill - Get worse before it gets better?... IMO it can't get any worse. We may or probably will beat the 49er's but that is not anything to base the hopes for the season on. Although I can see the fans being sucked in with a victory as the ship has righted itself.
Dan - I truly….HATE these Detroit Lions. Will I ever love them again….winning heals all wounds
Steve - I actually believe that they will go into the bye week 1-2, however that could just be wishful thinking. They’ve kicked me in the berries enough in the past, hell why not one more time!
Tomas- I have a feeling that next week will be a disaster with playing San Francisco cause unlike Detroit...they have an actual NFL franchise that has won multiple super bowls before and ownership knows what it takes to win. Im not ruling them out yet cause ive seen a few teams bounce back fro 0-2 starts....granted those teams had(have) more talent than Detroit but anything is possible. I hope they have Bill Cowher's number on speed dial.
And there my last point , Bill Cowher. The Lions should be courting him starting last year. The Bengals blew it with him. The Bengals had the choice of Bill Cowher or Mike Shula to be their next head coach, and the rest is history. The Lions should not be the next team to pass on him without letting him run the operations and be the next head coach. I think he would do a much better job. Although I think a lot of people could do a better job. However will that happen? Not in a Millen Years!
In 2007 Lions came out swinging in the first eight games. The Lions started the season 6-2 and then fell apart finishing 1-7 in the last eight games. One thing the Lions had going in the first eight games is balance in the offense and the defense made big plays. The final eight games included none of that. The Lions stopped running the ball with success, which in turn made them one dimensional. The only thing the defense stopped was making big plays.
In 2008 the Lions will be looking to balance the offense that Mike Martz could not. In order to do this the lions have instituted the zone blocking scheme used in Denver. The trouble is, they got rid of their best two runners. The Lions cut Kevin Jones and T.J. Duckett is now a Seahawk. However they did draft Kevin Smith in the 3rd round and he is now the starter in front of newly signed and now bagless Rudi Johnson. Tatum Bell had to go because the Lions had him deactivated for the final 11 games, and in Denver he wasn’t the back they used in their zone blocking plays. He was an outside runner and he still has those small hands that give him a seemingly a chronic case of fumblitis!
What the Lions offense has going for it is a veteran quarterback, two top tier wide receivers, and a new man calling the plays. Calling the plays is a much bigger deal than you would think. Mike Martz often abandoned the running game and also would calls plays that weren’t even practiced. Also the quarterback is to stay in the pocket and throw to a spot even if the receiver isn’t there yet. This year the Lions may even throw to their tight end Dan Campbell, remember him? If they don’t they have roll out plays to get Wrs space if the running game is an actual threat.
On the other side of the ball the Lions have made many additions. By subtracting overweight and under motivated Sean Rogers for a solid cornerback Leigh Bodden who just got a contract extension. The Lions also signed former Buccaneer’s corner Brian Kelly, safety Dwight Smith, and defensive tackle Chuck Darby.
The lions also drafted Colorado linebacker Jordan Dizon in the 2nd round to play the middle next to their best defensive player "Hurtin" Ernie Sims.......eventually. Ernie Sims has led the Lions in tackles each of his first two seasons and is one of the best Lbs in the entire NFL. In the preseason the Lions defense did what it has failed to do for many many many years......swarm to the football. They had multiple players at each tackle and that is what a team needs to establish a solid defense.
In 2008 the Lions have a lot of questions that need and should be answered. The Lions can not continue to have losing seasons and ignore the many holes the have year after year. The Lions have not been able to put together and sort of dominant lines on either side of the football. It has been said and proven that teams need to control the game through winning in the trenches. Unfortunately the Lions have not dominated them since the early 90’s.
The 2008 Detroit Lions have more questions than answers right now but look poised to be better than years past. As Kansas City Chiefs head coachHerm Edwards said "you deal with right now, the past is what you learn from. Here are some of the burning questions facing the Lions this season. There are a lot of them and I am sure I missed a bunch.
1. Will the Lions be able to run the ball? They do not have a proven running back and have a questionable offensive line. The have a new run scheme with zone blocking which should help.
2. With all the new players on defense, Can they gel as a unit? The Lions had a league worst points per game against them last season. The Lions have to be able to outscore their opponents to win just like every other NFL team. It is hard to score with the offense on the sidelines.
3. Can third year head coach Rod Marinelli figure out when to challenge plays? He has not been very good at this in his first two years.
4. Did Matt Millen draft the best players for this team? We all know the answers to this question in years past and it looks the same again at the front of this latest class.
5.Can the Lions string together a better run that just the first eight games? We all know it isn’t how you start, its how you finish. This can be said in each game as well.
6.Can quarterback Jon Kitna win games in the 4th quarter? He has been pretty good at losing them in the 4th quarter.
7.Will the tandem of Kevin Smith and Rudi Johnson be good enough to open up the passing game?
8. Will the Lions be able to pressure the QB in order to make the secondary better? DE DeWayane White is moving to RDE so he will be now facing the other teams LT which is usually the best lineman.
9. Will Roy Williams have a typical "contract year" season like so may other players have?
10. Is Calvin Johnson really the next big thing? CJ and Roy both have an opportunity to have a great season if the Lions take the focus away from them with a solid running attack.
11. Can the Lions finally win at Lambeau Field? They have not won there since pre-Brett Favre.
12. Will the Lions identify their weakest links this season so that in 2009 when they have a great deal of cap space they can fill those needs?
13. Left Tackle Jeff Backus is running out of excuses for mediocre at best seasons. He is healthy this season and needs to keep Jon Kitna off his back. Backus has been known to throw some "lookout blocks" (a lookout block is when the lineman misses the defender and yells to the QB "LOOKOUT!").
14. Who is going to step up and be this teams go-to RB?
15. Will this be the first season in Ford Field history where the Lions have a blacked out home game? Ticket prices actually went up and season tickets have gone down. The Owners (William Clay Ford) run the football team just like their Ford Motor Division.
16. Does this team have a shot for the NFC North division? (Yes)
Predictions:
Kitna will throw for more than 4000 yards
Rookie Kevin Smith will rush for over 800 yards.
Roy Williams will catch 10 tds with 1,000 yards receiving
Calvin Johnson will catch 12 tds with 1,100 yards receiving
Ernie Sims will lead the team in tackles.....again
The most common draft strategy used by many fantasy team owners is to draft running backs in round one and two. Some even take backs in the first three rounds. But if everyone does this how would anyone separate their team from other teams besides injuries? This year there are four QBs you should consider in the first round as well. This doesn’t mean to skip RBs all together, but consider other options.
This year is the year you can finally get an edge. This doesn’t mean you need to draft a kicker in round three, you still should be drafting your kicker dead last. What you may need is a new strategy. If everyone is using the same strategies usually the only thing that separates your team from theirs is dumb luck.
The era of the three down back is over. In 2007 the NFL saw it lowest total of 300 carry backs (6) since 1999. There are a lot of quality backs you can get after the RB draft frenzy is over. In fact there are only a few backs worthy of round one status. Lets break it down.
Round 1 RBs
1. LaDanian Tomlinson – he is healthy and a fantasy stud, he is worthy of a number one overall pick.
2. Adrian Peterson – Peterson is unstoppable at times and can rack up monstrous fantasy numbers against any team any week. Worthy of a top 5 pick.
3. Steven Jackson – Jackson was injured in 2007 and the Ram offense was a non-factor. In 2008 big things are expected from Jackson and unless he holds out for a long period of time he is worthy of your round one pick in the 4-8 range.
4. Joseph Addai- The Colts offense is predicated on the ability of Peyton Manning to be able to run play action passes. This makes Addai’s role very important again in 2008 and he should deliver as well. Addai is a "inside the 5 guy" as well (see below)He is worthy of your round one pick in the 4-8 range.
5. Brian Westbrook – Westbrook does it all in Philly. He runs well, catches the ball, and blocks. Westbrook and McNabb should both have good years, but Westbrook is the key to it all and they will use him as such. He is also worthy of your round one pick between 5-10.
Round 2 RBs
Frank Gore had a bit of a down year after his breakout season in 2006. But with a new offense coordinated by Mike Martz Gore should flourish once again. Gore could be yours at pick 10-13. Larry Johnson is back and ready to go. He is rated low this year based off of last years stats. Last season he held out almost all of camp and then was injured. The Chief’s offense has a bright spot and it shines on Johnson. He may fall all the way to the end of round 2 or even into round 3.
Clinton Portis is now under the West Coast offense in Washington. Portis will get more catches and should be better in 2008 with a healthy shoulder. He should go early in the 2nd round.
Marshawn #### is the number one back in Buffalo and could have another good season. He was a surprise as a rookie and should be able to build on that to haveyet a n even bigger 2008. #### should go in the 2nd round for sure.
Marion Barber is now the featured back in Dallas. With an offense like the Cowboys have he could have yet his biggest season yet. He hasn’t been at his best as the featured back in the past when Julius Jones was out, but Jones is gone now and Barber doesn’t have a choice but to be the man. Barber may go early in round 2 but he would be better late in round 2 or early round three.
Best of the Rest
Jamal Lewis is part of a very potent Cleveland attack. He was one of the better RBs last season but is still ranked too low in pre-draft rankings. You could snag him as late as round 5!
Matt forte is a rookie in Chicago this year and is going to be the featured back. First Cedric Benson was arrested twice and then swiftly cut. Then the Bears brought in former Lion Kevin Jones but he is still hurt yet again from last season. Forte may slip under the radar onto your roster in round 4 or later.
One-Two Punch
These are the players that if you draft one you need to get the other.
Willie Parker is still the one in the one-two punch in Pittsburgh. Parker will get the bulk of the load ahead of rookie Rashard Mendenhall.
Kevin Smith is a rookie in Detroit where they team has changed from a pass happy offense to a run oriented zone blocking scheme used in Denver. Tatum Bell is the veteran of the duo. Bell started the first 5 games last year until Kevin Jones returned. However once Jones did return, Bell was deactivated in all 11 weeks after.
Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor may actually have better numbers as a duo in 2008 with the additions to the already stout defense. The offense should be on the field even more so they will be solid picks once again. Don’t Forget Backs
Brandon Jacobs, Darren McFadden, Edgerin James, Rudi Johnson, Ronnie Brown, Thomas Jones, Julius Jones, TJ Duckett, Reggie Bush, and Michael Turner should all be available after you have filled your other starters at every other position.
RBs to Stay Away from Early
Laurence Maroney- The Patriots use so many backs and Maroney has been injured so many times that you should pick him with caution. He should be a late round find instead of an early round buster without the rhymes.
Willis McGahee is highly ranked and lowly productive. The Ravens offense is terrible and the QB situation may change every week making Willis a weak pick. Hope that another fantasy owner goes bananas and drafts him in the 2nd round.
Handy Dandy Chart
Here is another way to look for a RB late in your draft that can have an impact on your season. With so many teams running by committee it is very important to have the back that teams go to in the red zone. Although some of the players didn’t rack up a ton of points last year that doesn’t mean they won’t in 2008. You should seriously consider these numbers when determining one player ahead of another.
Here are the top ten go to backs when it matters. They may not be your franchise back but they each had at least 200 carries.
Well it isn't like the Vikings organization is known as the example of the class of the league. With all the publicity the "Sexboat Scandal" received in 2005, the organization was forced to rebuild.
In 2007 the Vikings don't have another boat scandal, they have another image problem. The Vikings have lowered the bar again.
Last Sunday WR Troy Williamson missed the Vikings win over the Chargers that saw Adrian Peterson break the NFL record for rushing yards (296) in a game and surpass 1,000 yards after only eight games. Williamson was in South Carolina attending his maternal Grandmother's funeral.
from Twincities.com:
After the death last week of his maternal grandmother, Williamson rejoined the Vikings on Wednesday and participated in practice. But he lamented that he could not spend more time with his family, particularly his brother Carlton, who is still in a coma after a car accident, even after the club withheld his paycheck.
"I don't care if (the Vikings) would have took my pay for the rest of the year, I was going home," Williamson said. "It wouldn't have mattered to me. No matter what (Brad Childress) would have said, if I had to stay up here or not, I would have been at my house (in South Carolina) for that week."
Williamson regretted that he could not spend more time with Carlton after his car accident two months ago. But when his grandmother Celestine, who helped raise him and taught him to cook and drive, died, Williamson said he had to go home.
"I feel like the thing with my brother, I let that slide," Williamson said. "This is something I couldn't put on the back burner. But when this came up, I had to get up out of here."
Williamson declined to comment, when asked if Childress was understanding.
"It's really been hard for me," Williamson said. "I was glad to go home and see my family. It was something that really helped me. I just got to push through the season."
I guess they don't have Bereavement pay, they have a death tax. How is it that an organization can do this to someone who has "play" in his job title. When you play football or any other sport, keeping perspective on life is getting dimmer it seems. Even our armed forces come back from a real war for something like this. They don't get docked a weeks pay do they?
" The Minnesota Vikings are reacting to public pressure -- and public embarassment -- by giving back a game check to wide receiver Troy Williamson for missing a game to attend his grandmother's funeral. The Vikings probably were within their rights not to pay a player who did not participate in a game. But that doesn't make it right. As I once heard when I covered horse racing, somebody who'd gotten the shaft said: "That may be correct, but it ain't right." The Vikings need a director of common sense."
You could make a case for every area on a team. But if you have build a team by group what area do you think a team should need most?
QB- you have to have a field general right? At least a guy who can win some games for you while not blowing any.
RB- you have to be able to run the ball effectively to win it all don't you?
WR- You need a veteran group that run precise routes, has speed, and size
OL- you win games in the trenches. The o-line is important because you need good pass protection and have to be able to run the ball.
DL- The front four need to be dominant against the run and be able to pressure the passer.
LB- you need speed and sure tackling. You also need LBs that can get into coverage
secondary- If teams can't pass on you and you have a strong run stopping secondary you can stop almost anyone
K/ST- You need a steady kicker. a guy who is automatic and can hit the pressure packed long field goal anytime and anywhere. You also can make a shorter field if you get good return yards.
If you are a member of FanIQ.com you can vote here. If you are not you can sign up for free here and make predictions of all kinds of sports and subjects!
Well it is that time of year again. The NFL kicks off this Thursday at 8:30 in Pittsburgh home of the defending Super Bowl Champs. This season is sure to be exciting with the amount teams that have a shot to make the playoffs. Last season seamed to be a little different in the fact that the teams somewhat separated themselves around mid-season.
Like many seasons there have been a number of changes, and no I am not talking about the refs new uniforms either. Although the new design is rather slimming, so Ed hochuli will really look buff at back judge/head ref.
Anyway, lets be serious for a minute. Parity in the NFL is what gives all fans hope and a reason to watch. Just like the movie title "Any Given Sunday" it does hold true. Think about how many games you expect someone to just get blown out and they win the game. This is the time of year that all the NFL fans, even San Francisco fans, have optimism. And why not? No games have been played yet.
Here is some advice to follow when watching your favorite team this season. Try not to live and die on every first down in the game. For one it is just to hard on you and it may ruin your day. And secondly almost every game comes down to the fourth quarter, even if a team is down two tds it isn't over. One last reason is that 79% of all NFL games are decided by four points or less.
Lastly, here are ten teams from each conference that have a shot at either making the playoffs or at least surprising the NFL and making a run at the playoffs. You know at least 2-4 teams will just absolutely flop and 2-3 will surprise everyone. Having said that here is the list in no particular order, and don't rush out to Las Vegas and throw money on this either. But you could throw some money on a Carolina - New England rematch though!
AFC:
Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Miami Dolphins Pittsburgh Steelers Kansas City Chiefs San Diego Chargers Baltimore Ravens Cincinnati Bengals Denver Broncos New England Patriots
NFC:
New York Giants Dallas Cowboys Seattle Seahawks Chicago Bears Tampa Bay Buccaneers Detroit Lions Arizona Cardinals Philadelphia Eagles Carolina Panthers Atlanta Falcons
There you have it, if you team isn't on the list don't even watch the games. Seriously though, right now it is all wide open and will be for a month or so. You can try to make all kinds of predictions (on record) at FanIQ.com. That is a website where you can make your predictions against fans from everywhere of all kinds. Try it, I think you will like it and it will become part of your daily sports rotation. Click here and see! Hope to see you there and your favorite team in the playoffs!
How many times have you been watching your favorite team play on Sunday and you think to yourself, "wow these refs are really trying to control this game". I think the refs all to often have an impact on almost all the games. Phantom holding calls from the ref on the other side of the field, pass interference calls when the ball was clearly not catchable, and the worst culprit of all is the instant replay.
As any NFL fan would a test to, every team is effected by the referees. Detroit at Tampa Bay last season, Detroit scored a touchdown with under twenty seconds left. This was a close play, very close. So they went to instant replay, and over turned it. The problem is, it was NOT a clear call to over turn. The rule states that in order to over turn a call it has to be clear cut evidence.
Many fans would atest that their team had a game where it seemed as a screw job against them. We all get caught up in unfavorable calls against. In some respects NFL refs are very similar to WWE refs in the fact that fans say......"how did he not see that?" One example is the coin toss going into overtime at Detroit when the Steelers felt they got robbed of what they called, and is now known as "the coin toss". Steelers fans got redemption later when they returned to Detroit to win the Super Bowl though.
Instant replay may be the biggest waste of game time they have come up with in the modern era. It seems that every time any team fumbles the ball, lets go to instant replay. The other is when the blow a play dead on an "incomplete pass" that was clearly a catch and fumble. They need to let these plays go and then go back. How many times has this play been called dead as a player is running down the field to a defensive touchdown only for some ref to blow his whistle (even though he is unsure of what just happened) to blow the play dead?
The NFL rule changes for 2006 are not that big but they do have a few according to an AP report at NFL.com ( you can view them all by clicking) and they really aren't all the big of changes anyway, but here are a few:
1. Home teams no longer can play artificial noise or music when the visiting team has the ball. (no brainer)
2. A player no longer can be ruled out of bounds when he touches a pylon unless he already touched the boundary line. (can't wait to this call get blown)
3. All chop blocks on kicking plays now are illegal and penalized 15 yards. (how about ALL CHOPBLOCKS ARE ILLEGAL!!!) lets protect more than just QBs
4. A quarterback who has become a defender after a turnover can't be hit helmet to helmet, even if he has made a move to tackle the ball carrier. The quarterback can be blocked in other legal ways, however. (like a chopblock?)
All I simply ask to the NFL refs in 2006 is, let the players play and keep the flags in your pockets for the most part. It slows the game down and has FAR to much effect on the outcomes of games.
Flint Michigan -
-bob260505@ya hoo.com-
Three time defending (division 2) four square champion
1993 United States Hacky-Sack Champion (runner up in 92 and 94) - finishing move "the Stall"
MVP of 1986 Whiffleball World Series - WWS was played in the side yard and had longer home runs.
2006 1st place league Champion fantasy baseball, 2003 and 2004 second place in fantasy football, 2003 second place in fantasy baseball and hockey, The last person out in Dodgeball in a record 17 of 22 games played in 1992 and led the gym class with over 175 kills in 92 - 93 (averaged 8.18 kills per game)
bob260505@yah oo.com
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Well it took just two weeks this year for many fans to become utterly disgusted with the disaster that is called the Detroit Lions. Usually the Motor City is given some hope towards the future early in the season. With each new coach has come new promises and optimism. The reality is that this team is in year 51 of a (insert number) year rebuilding project. The Lions last won an NFL Championship in 1957 and have won only one playoff game since. Thankfully most of us were alive when that happened because that may be all Lions fans ever get!
Team President Matt Millen has racked up a whopping 31 wins against 83 losses in his tenure. Every coach he has hired and fired have all had last names starting with the letter M. He showed up in 1999 and fired interim head coach Gary Moeller only to hire first time coach and future disaster Marty Mornenwheig, then replaced him with Steve Mariucci before turning to the ranks of first time head coaches once again and hired current head (cliche machine) coach Rod Marinelli. Will Marinelli work out in the long run? Not in a Millen Years!
Last Sunday at Ford Field was another very Lionesque performance but actually was a bit different. After trailing once again 21-0 the Lions came all the way back by taking the lead 25-24 at the 5:49 mark of the 4th quarter. Only to see Green Bay come right back and kick a field goal. Then in Jon Kitna like fashion he threw not one but two pick sixs only to see the Lions lose 48-25. How many crazy losses have the Lions had like this? A lot in the Millen years.
Remember the Millen Man March and the Lions fan walk out during the last game of the season against Cincinnati? The March outside of the stadium was good. But the walk out was a horrible idea other than it brought more attention to the situation. Before it happened I wrote that instead of walking out you shouldn’t be walking in! It is imperative that the fans of the Lions make their voices heard if anything is ever going to change. This may be the case this season as it appears there is a chance that a few games may not sell out. It has been over ten years since that has happened in Detroit. I didn’t think that would happen, Not in a Millen Years!
So what about the fans of the Lions? Where do they get a return on their investment both monetary and emotionally? Even through all the bad years of Lions football and all the blown draft picks, the players who were discarded only to come back and have career days against the Lions, the bad coaches, the terrible draft picks, the blown calls, the penalty ridden teams, and the missed field goal by Eddie Murray. The Lions fans have been there buying tickets, jerseys, and watching them on TV. What do the fans have to say about this? Well I asked them these two questions:
Bill from Flint is a fan of over 50 years- I am at a loss in to justify Fords ownership....Last year, during our 2nd half collapse, I suggested that we take up a collection to hire moving vans and planes to move the entire Lion organization to Los Angeles with the comment that the LA lions had a nice ring to it. It was done with tongue in cheek at the time. Now I am reviving the idea with no reservations. The only way wwe long suffering fans will get any respite is if we start over with a new team. 30 some years of failed ownership proves that WCF and staff just don't care. In the past we always had a player or players to wrap our hopes around i.e. Barry Sanders, Billy Sims, Herman Moore, Joe Schmidt, Jack Christianson, Mike Lucie, etc.. Whom do we Now? I'm waiting! That’s right nobody. And that falls directly on the shoulders of Millen (no need to ad to his thrashing). Fords choice.
Steve from Novi is fan of over 25 years- This team is purely a business venture for the Ford family, one in which is much more successful then the Big 3 right now. Have people overpaying for an inferior product! Hell why not take advantage of it! This team will NEVER be any better if it is purely treated as a business venture. We need a FOOTBALL family in town! 
and ownership knows what it takes to win. Im not ruling them out yet cause ive seen a few teams bounce back fro 0-2 starts....granted those teams had(have) more talent than Detroit but anything is possible. I hope they have Bill Cowher's number on speed dial.
In 2007 Lions came out swinging in the first eight games. The Lions started the season 6-2 and then fell apart finishing 1-7 in the last eight games. One thing the Lions had going in the first eight games is balance in the offense and the defense made big plays. The final eight games included none of that. The Lions stopped running the ball with success, which in turn made them one dimensional. The only thing the defense stopped was making big plays. 
On the other side of the ball the Lions have made many additions. By subtracting overweight and under motivated Sean Rogers for a solid cornerback Leigh Bodden who just got a contract extension. The Lions also signed former Buccaneer’s corner Brian Kelly, safety Dwight Smith, and defensive tackle Chuck Darby. 
2. With all the new players on defense, Can they gel as a unit? The Lions had a league worst points per game against them last season. The Lions have to be able to outscore their opponents to win just like every other NFL team. It is hard to score with the offense on the sidelines.
Predictions:
The most common draft strategy used by many fantasy team owners is to draft running backs in round one and two. Some even take backs in the first three rounds. But if everyone does this how would anyone separate their team from other teams besides injuries? This year there are four QBs you should consider in the first round as well. This doesn’t mean to skip RBs all together, but consider other options.
Best of the Rest
Last Sunday WR Troy Williamson missed the Vikings win over the Chargers that saw Adrian Peterson break the NFL record for rushing yards (296) in a game and surpass 1,000 yards after only eight games. Williamson was in South Carolina attending his maternal Grandmother's funeral.
QB- you have to have a field general right? At least a guy who can win some games for you while not blowing any.
K/ST- You need a steady kicker. a guy who is automatic and can hit the pressure packed long field goal anytime and anywhere. You also can make a shorter field if you get good return yards.
Like many seasons there have been a number of changes, and no I am not talking about the refs new uniforms either. Although the new design is rather slimming, so Ed hochuli will really look buff at back judge/head ref.
AFC:
As any NFL fan would a test to, every team is effected by the referees. Detroit at Tampa Bay last season, Detroit scored a touchdown with under twenty seconds left. This was a close play, very close. So they went to instant replay, and over turned it. The problem is, it was NOT a clear call to over turn. The rule states that in order to over turn a call it has to be clear cut evidence.
Instant replay may be the biggest waste of game time they have come up with in the modern era. It seems that every time any team fumbles the ball, lets go to instant replay. The other is when the blow a play dead on an "incomplete pass" that was clearly a catch and fumble. They need to let these plays go and then go back. How many times has this play been called dead as a player is running down the field to a defensive touchdown only for some ref to blow his whistle (even though he is unsure of what just happened) to blow the play dead?
